Read more on A film by Nikyatu Jusu By SOKARI…
Read more on 16 October—World Food Day —World Citizen Action By Rene Waldow…
The significance of the decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to three women from the global south extends way beyond the Arab world and Africa. For me, the award to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman is recognition of the great achievements of these women in challenging contexts of repressive and post-conflict settings, and of the specific ways in which conflict, peace-building and post-conflict processes affect women. The award also recognises the peace and security activism and strategic advocacy of the global women’s movement, and of national and local women’s groups, in Africa and the Middle East since the late 1990s. It is this kind of activism that has succeeded in placing issues of gender equality, gender-based violence and meaningful participation for women on the global security agenda.
As the first elected woman president in the African continent, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf led Liberia through the difficult challenges of post-conflict reconstruction; and she did so with grace, firm leadership, and with a certain humility and firm practicality that is reminiscent of the attitudes of busy and wise grandmothers in many parts of the continent. I listened to her speak at the United Nations in New York last year, where she outlined some of the milestones Liberia has achieved under her leadership, and discussed the challenges, too. In the discussion that followed her talk, a young New York-based Liberian woman lawyer spoke of the role of the African diaspora in rebuilding Liberia and said she really wanted to contribute to reconstruction in the country but that she did not know how to go about doing that. President Sirleaf’s answer was: ‘I am pleased to give you an air-ticket to travel to Liberia.’ She then asked the young lawyer to see her after the event.
Leymah Gbowee’s activism for peace in Liberia is documented in the award winning film ‘Pray the Devil Back to Hell’, and Gbowee’s book, ‘Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War’. When the Liberian war started, Leymah Gbowee was only 17 years old and she later said the war transformed her from a child into an adult ‘in a matter of hours’. She later became a trauma counsellor for child soldiers and wrote about her work earlier this year on Open Democracy in ‘Child soldiers, child brides: wounded for life’. As a member of the Women in Peace Building Network, she worked with other Liberian activists to organise both Muslim and Christian women in a movement that was able to pressurise the dictator Charles Taylor into promising to take part in peace talks in Ghana, and the warring parties to reach a peace agreement. So painful and inspiring, so resonant to the experiences of many women in areas affected by war, ‘Pray the Devil Back to Hell’ can bring an entire audience to tears. I remember watching the documentary film last year in Juba, South Sudan, at a ‘Sisterhood for Peace’ conference that My Sister’s Keeper organised, which brought together women from different parts of Sudan, including Darfur, South Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, Eastern Sudan, as well as women protesting the building of a dam in Hamadab, Northern Sudan. After the film, most of the Darfuri women were in tears as they said what they saw reminded them of their own experiences. Some of the most meaningful and difficult discussions followed the documentary.
Tawakkul Karman’s activism started at the grassroots level, in response to the tyranny of a tribal leader who forced the local population out of their land in the Ibb area of Yemen. Her activism continues in a context where women’s public roles are curtailed. Perhaps this is one of the reasons Tawakkul, the first Arab woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize, received so many of the congratulations and salutations – many in Arabic – on the twitter-style ‘Greetings to the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates’ on the official Nobel website. The recognition of Tawakkul’s work as a journalist and human rights and democracy activist, acknowledges the strong role youth and women are playing in the Arab spring protests. While I do not necessarily share her political convictions, Tawakkul Karman is one of many courageous activists working in challenging circumstances. Despite this important role, women and women’s groups in countries like Egypt have protested their exclusion from decision-making and the neglect of women’s human rights following the protests. The Nobel Committee is conscious of this fact. The chair of the prize committee Thorbjoern Jagland told the Associated Press, ‘We have included the Arab Spring in this prize, but we have put it in a particular context. Namely, if one fails to include the women in the revolution and the new democracies, there will be no democracy.’
For me, this year’s Nobel Peace Prize speaks to the gender-specific impact on women of conflict, repression, and the political processes of peace-building, post-conflict reconstruction, and building truly inclusive democracy. The awarding of this year’s prize recognises the price paid by women in the struggle for democracy – including in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Zimbabwe, South Sudan and my country, Sudan. In Sudan, women activists and journalists are often the targets of government violence. In Darfur, the Blue Nile, and South Kordofan, women have been the subject of killings, forced displacement, and gender-based violence, and now whole communities are facing a looming food crisis.
The prize also honours the consistent organising and strategic advocacy around peace and security by women’s and peace groups at the global, regional, and national levels. It is not a coincidence that the Nobel Committee’s citation includes a reference to UN SCR 1325 on women, peace and security, which emphasises the gender-specific impact of conflict on women, and the importance of women’s participation at all levels in peace-processes and in post-conflict reconstruction. And so as women’s groups and activists commemorate the 11th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the jubilation and celebration of the accomplishments and contributions of Leymah Gbowee, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Tawakkul Karman, should energise activists even further to push governments, political parties and movements to make gender equality central in peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction, and to ensure women’s human rights and full participation in decision making at all levels to build democratic reform. Indeed, as the Nobel Committee stated in a press release on 7 October: ‘We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society.’
‘Mighty be our Powers’.
The struggle continues.
Read more on ‘Mighty be our powers’: peaceful women and the global south By Nada Mustafa Ali…
Congolese artist Emma Katya has won the Fair Play Anti Corruption Youth Voices Award with his track ‘How long’. The song talks about the current situation in the city of Goma and the hope for a better future while at the same time trying to deal with the pain from the past and the daily struggle for everybody to survive.
Read more on Hiphop Artist from DRC wins the Fair Play Anti Corruption Youth Voices Award…
KAMPALA, UGANDA – As students from Hilltop College, located on the outskirts of Kampala, the capital, gather for a Café Scientifique meeting at Colline Hotel, Betty Kituyi, the Uganda country coordinator for the growing program, explains its objective.
Chika Onyenezi is a writer and Editor.
Blogs at greyscale2008.blogspot.com
The reality of it all is that is not easy and it takes something more than talent to get to it, I believe much of passion and passion and passion, like I tell them during CAULA Literary section in the University “when talent stops, passion carries you all the way” .
Read more on TOWARDS PUBLICATION: UNEASY LADDER by Chika Onyenezi…
In 2004 Lida wrote an art manifesto to express her vision in art. Since then there are artists from over 20 countries who have joint this manifesto as they share the same vision. They form today an international art movement.
Read more on Humanitarian Art Manifesto 2004-2010 By Lida Sherafatmand…
A call to foes
who plug their ears hoping
not to hear their conscience’s call
for fidelity
solidarity
with Haiti
A call to friends
Wringing their hands
Waiting to follow the brave
Sufficiently outraged
To risk everything
To make humanity
one
healed
in Haiti
Only the bridge of Beauty will be strong enough for crossing from the bank of Darkness to the side of Light - Nicholas Roerich
The United Nations General Assembly in resolution A/RES.62/90 has proclaimed the year 2010 as the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures “to promote universal respect for, and observation and protection of, all human rights and fundamental freedoms.” Cultures encompass not only the arts and humanities but also different ways of living together, value systems and traditions. Thus 2010 should provide real opportunities for dialogue among cultures. It is true that to an unprecedented degree people are meeting together in congresses, conferences and universities all over the globe. However, in themselves, such meetings are not dialogue and do not necessarily lead to rapprochement of cultures. There is a need to reach a deeper level. Reaching such deeper levels takes patience, tolerance, the ability to take a longer-range view, and creativity. Thus we are pleased to present the creative efforts of individuals who have helped to create bridges of understanding among cultures.
Read more on The Bridge of Beauty and Understanding By Rene Waldow…
Georges Anglade was a great bear of a man. If you stood for causes like free speech or the defence of minority cultures, he was a warm, embracing force. If you didn’t, he was a formidable opponent equipped with a torrent of rich, terrifying language, a true model of the engaged writer.
Read more on Requiem for a Haitian writer: Georges Anglade…
By Fidel Castro
Source: pambazuka
Until very recently, the discussion revolved around the kind of society we would have. Today, the discussion centres on whether human society will survive.
These are not dramatic phrases. We must get used to the true facts. Hope is the last thing human beings can relinquish. With truthful arguments, men and women of all ages, especially young people, have waged an exemplary battle at the Summit and taught the world a great lesson.
It is important now that Cuba and the world come to know as much as possible of what happened in Copenhagen. The truth can be stronger than the influenced and often misinformed minds of those holding in their hands the destiny of the world.
If anything significant was achieved in the Danish capital, it was that the media coverage allowed the world public to watch the political chaos created there and the humiliating treatment accorded to heads of states or governments, ministers and thousands of representatives of social movements and institutions that in hope and expectation travelled to the summit’s venue in Copenhagen. The brutal repression of peaceful protesters by the police was a reminder of the behaviour of the Nazi assault troops that occupied neighbouring Denmark in April 1940.
But no one could have thought that on 18 December 2009, the last day of the summit, this would be suspended by the Danish government – a NATO ally associated with the carnage in Afghanistan – to offer the conference’s plenary hall to President Obama for a meeting where only he and a selected group of guests, 16 in all, would have the exclusive right to speak. Obama’s deceitful, demagogic and ambiguous remarks failed to involve a binding commitment and ignored the Kyoto Framework Convention. He then left the room shortly after listening to a few other speakers. Among those invited to take the floor were the highest industrialised nations, several emerging economies and some of the poorest countries in the world. The leaders and representatives of over 170 countries were only allowed to listen.
At the end of the speeches of the 16 chosen, Evo Morales, with the authority of his indigenous Aymara origin and his recent re-election with 65 per cent of the vote as well as the support of two-thirds of the Bolivian House and Senate, requested the floor. The Danish president had no choice but to yield to the insistence of the other delegations. When Evo had concluded his wise and deep observations, the Danish had to give the floor to Hugo Chavez. Both speeches will be registered by history as examples of short and timely remarks. Then, with their mission duly accomplished they both left for their respective countries. But when Obama disappeared, he had yet to fulfil his task in the host country. From the evening of 17 December and the early morning hours of 18 December, the prime minister of Denmark and senior representatives of the United States had been meeting with the chairman of the European Commission and the leaders of 27 nations to introduce to them – on behalf of Obama – a draft agreement in whose elaboration none of the other leaders of the rest of the world had taken part. It was an antidemocratic and practically clandestine initiative that disregarded the thousands of representatives of social movements, scientific and religious institutions and other participants in the summit.
Through the night of the 18 December and until 3:00am of 19 December, when many heads of states had already departed, the representatives of the countries waited for the resumption of the sessions and the conclusion of the event. Throughout 18 December, Obama held meetings and press conferences, and the same did the European leaders. Then, they left.
Something unexpected happened then: At three in the morning of 19 December, the prime minister of Denmark convened a meeting to conclude the summit. By then, the countries were represented by ministers, officials, ambassadors and technical staff.
However, an amazing battle was waged that morning by a group of representatives of Third World countries challenging the attempt by Obama and the wealthiest on the planet to introduce a document imposed by the United States as one agreed by consensus in the summit.
The representative of Venezuela, Claudia Salerno, showed with impressive energy her right hand bleeding from strongly slamming on the table to claim her right to take the floor. Her tone of voice and the dignity of her arguments will never be forgotten.
The minister of foreign affairs of Cuba made a vigorous speech of approximately one thousand words from which I have chosen a few paragraphs to include in this reflection:
‘The document that you, Mister Chairman, repeatedly claimed that did not exist shows up now. […] we have seen drafts circulating surreptitiously and being discussed in secret meetings…
‘…I deeply resent the way you have led this conference.
‘…Cuba considers the text of this apocryphal draft extremely inadequate and inadmissible. The goal of 2 degrees centigrade is unacceptable and it would have incalculable catastrophic consequences…’ ‘The document that you are unfortunately introducing is not binding in any way with respect to the reduction of the greenhouse effect gas emissions.
‘I am aware of the previous drafts, which also through questionable and clandestine procedures, were negotiated by small groups of people…’
‘The document you are introducing now fails to include the already meagre and lacking key phrases contained in that draft…’
‘…as far as Cuba is concerned, it is incompatible with the universally recognised scientific view sustaining that it is urgent and inescapable to ensure the reduction of at least 45 per cent of the emissions by the year 2020, and of no less than 80 per cent or 90 per cent by 2050.
‘Any argument on the continuation of the negotiations to reach agreement in the future to cut down emissions must inevitably include the concept of the validity of the Kyoto Protocol […] Your paper, Mister Chairman, is a death certificate of the Kyoto Protocol and my delegation cannot accept it.
‘The Cuban delegation would like to emphasise the pre-eminence of the principle of “common by differentiated responsibilities”, as the core of the future process of negotiations. Your paper does not include a word on that.
‘This draft declaration fails to mention concrete financial commitments and the transfers of technologies to developing countries, which are part of the obligations contracted by the developed countries under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change […] Mister Chairman, by imposing their interests through your document, the developed nations are avoiding any concrete commitment.
‘…What you, Mister Chairman, define as “a group of representative leaders” is to me a gross violation of the principle of sovereign equality consecrated in the United Nations Charter…
‘Mr. Chairman, I formally request that this statement be included in the final report of the works of this regrettable and shameful 15th session of the Conference of the Parties.’
The representatives of the countries had been given only one hour to present their views. This led to complicated, shameful and embarrassing situations.
Then, a lengthy debate ensued where the delegations from the developed countries put a heavy pressure on the rest to make the conference adopt the abovementioned document as the final result of their deliberations.
A small number of countries firmly insisted on the grave omissions and ambiguities of the document promoted by the United States, particularly the absence of a commitment by the developed countries on the reduction of carbon emissions and on the financing that would allow the South countries to adopt alleviating and adjustment measures.
After a long and extremely tense discussion, the position of the ALBA countries and Sudan, as president of the G-77, prevailed that the document was unacceptable to the conference thus it could not be adopted.
In view of the absence of consensus, the conference could only ‘take note’ of the existence of that document representing the position of a group of about 25 countries.
After that decision was made – at 10:30 in the morning Denmark’s time – Bruno, together with other ALBA representatives, had a friendly discussion with the UN secretary to whom they expressed their willingness to continue struggling alongside the United Nations to prevent the terrible consequences of climate change. Their mission completed, our foreign minister and Cuban vice president Esteban Lazo departed to come back home and attend the National Assembly session. A few members of the delegation and the ambassador stayed in Copenhagen to take part in the final procedures. This afternoon they reported the following:
‘…both, those who were involved in the elaboration of the document, and those like the president of the United States who anticipated its adoption by the conference…as they could not disregard the decision to simply “take note” of the alleged ”Copenhagen Agreement”, they tried to introduce a procedure allowing the other COP countries that had not been a part of the shady deal to adhere to it, and make it public, the intention being to pretend such an agreement was legal, something that could precondition the results of the negotiations that should carry on.’
‘Such belated attempt was again firmly opposed by Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia. These countries warned that a document which had not been adopted by the convention could not be considered legal and that there was not a COP document; therefore, no regulations could be established for its alleged adoption…’
‘This is how the meeting in Copenhagen is coming to an end, without the adoption of the document surreptitiously worked out in the past few days under the clear ideological guidance of the US administration…’
Tomorrow our attention will be focused on the National Assembly.
Lazo, Bruno and the other members of the delegation will be arriving at midnight today. On Monday, the minister of foreign affairs will be able to explain in details and with the necessary accuracy the truth of what happened at the summit.
* Fidel Castro is a Cuban politician and former president of the Council of the State of Cuba.
Read more on What happened at the summit…
When Ola Rotimi penned The Gods are not to Blame, which is loosely based on the Greek mythology-inspired play by Sophocles — Oedipus Rex — there was uproar among critics in Africa. The argument was that, Rotimi should have delved deep into our repertoire of myths for more relevant stuff than the Greek mythology. But looking at the world today, I think this debate needs to be looked at from more perspectives.
Read more on World literature must interact…
Wise in using skilful means
In every corner of the world
She manifests her countless forms
Sri Lanka: After the final round of armed violence: a need for a vision of the future. Citizens of the World call for creative responses to the challenge of new government structures.
Read more on Sri Lanka reconciliation : Kuan Yin : She who harkens to the cries of the world…
In the heated fallout from the from the speech of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the UN review of the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance on 20 April 2009, our Association of World Citizens’ Facebook Officer, Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, was insulted and verbally attacked by a member of the Iranian delegation walking with Ahmadinejad to a press conference on the ground floor of the UN building in Geneva, the Palais des Nations. The Iranian official called out to Wiesel and some 400 protestors who were blocking the entrance to the Press conference room “Zio-Nazis” meaning Zionist-Nazi.
Read more on The UN Review of the Programme of Action on Racism and Xenophobia…
Chicago, IL — March 5, 2009 – The Grammy-nominated Chicago Chamber Musicians (CCM), performs the North American premiere of Norwegian composer Rolf Wallin’s Strange News presented by CCM in association with the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago, at the MCA Stage on May 8, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. Also on the program is George Crumb’s landmark anti-Vietnam War quartet Black Angels for Electric String Quartet. CCM is a two-time winner of the ASCAP/Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming.