Global Campaign for Peace Education Issue #37

Greetings!

In this issue, we at Peace Boat US are excited to announce our first Global University Program taking place onboard Peace Boat's Spring 2007 Voyage beginning in February. Don't miss this opportunity to join us in a life changing experience!!

We extend our warm congratulations to Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammed Yunus and the Grameen Bank!! We applaud the Nobel Committee's decision which demonstrates that as long as half of the world's people live in unbearable poverty there can be no peace. Yunus banks on women. 97% of Grameen Banks' borrowers are women who become empowered as a result. Learn more...

In Peace, Maiko Morishita
Peace Education Newsletter Editor
Peace Boat US - A Project of the Hague Appeal for Peace

In This Issue

TOP NEWS
Join Peace Boat's Spring 2007 Voyage!!

RESOURCES, MATERIALS, PUBLICATIONS
Peace Boat US & The Hague Appeal for Peace

HIGHLIGHTS
Peace Boat in San Francisco!

Peace Boat's 30,000 ton passenger liner berthed at Pier 35 in San Francisco on Wednesday, October 11, bringing 1,000 people from Japan to take part in two days of people-to-people activities to build a culture of peace. Participants engaged in alternative tours and study programs put together with local civil society organizations, addressing a range of local and global social justice issues.

One program took groups to the Castro district on a cultural, historical, and political tour of initiatives promoting LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Transgender) rights, and to the Mission district on a tour in collaboration with local mural artists with a social message. The group worked on a collective mural piece which was showcased in the public event, Peace Revolution, in the evening of the 11th. (Above Image)

Another program on non-violence and peace initiatives took an interested group to UC Berkeley for a lecture with Professor Michael Nagler. The group later joined members from Code Pink and Veterans for Peace for a discussion. Another group visited Bolinas, engaging in lectures and workshops learning about permaculture and a sustainable way of living.

The visit to San Francisco was highlighted by a free onboard public event, "Peace Revolution." Featuring both international and local music and dance performances (from Radio Active of Spearhead to New Zealand's number one rated band, Rhombus), "Peace Revolution" offered the people of San Francisco an opportunity to hear about the work of Peace Boat, as well as many local civil society organizations in the Bay Area.

The Bay Area is the second-to-last port of call on Peace Boat's 54th Global Voyage, which has visited 18 countries before arriving to the United States. The voyage which left Japan on July 21 to circumnavigate the Earth has visited communities in Vietnam, India, Eritrea, Morocco, and Colombia.

HIGHLIGHTS
A Documentary, The Last Atomic Bomb
November 8-14, Pioneer Theater, New York

Reviewed by The Oregonian as "urgent..." and "eloquent...," The Last Atomic Bomb is a wake- up call about nuclear proliferation, interweaving current and archival footage with the still controversial U.S. decision to use the bomb, censorship, discrimination and the Cold War build-up of nuclear weapons.

The Last Atomic Bomb challenges assumptions as it re-lives the 1945 nuclear bombing of Nagasaki from the rarely seen perspective of a survivor. The survivor, Sakue Shimohira, shares her devastating yet inspirational life with a holocaust survivor and with today's students carrying on her legacy.

Film Screenings will take place at the Pioneer Theater, New York City, November 8-14 at 9:00pm. Film producers Kathleen Sullivan and Robert Richter will be present at all screenings.

For tickets visit: http://www.twoboots.com/pioneer/lastatomic.ht m
For more information on the film visit: http://www.Ric hterVideos.com / http://www.NewDay .com

PEACE NEWS

Peace and Justice Studies Association Annual Conference 2006, New York
Manhattan College (Riverdale, NY) hosted the 4th Annual Peace and Justice Studies Association Conference (PJSA) through October 5-8. The conference brought together educators, students, activists and other peace practitioners in an attempt to explore alternatives to violence and share visions and strategies for social justice and social change.

Founded in 2001, the Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA) is a national organization of scholars, college faculty, students, activists and K- 12 teachers interested in issues of peace and justice. The PJSA is dedicated to bringing together academics and grassroots activists to share perspectives and strategies for peacebuilding. More than 300 people attended this four-day event, which theme was "Who Speaks for the Common Good"

Peace Boat US and Hague Appeal for Peace gave a brief presentation of their achievements and announced its upcoming programs in 2007. The conference also hosted the 1000 Peace Women exhibit. (Image Above) Among the outcomes, a strong statement was made on October 7th in support of "the impeachment of President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for obstruction of justice and crimes against humanity"

To learn more about PJSA visit: http://w ww.peacejusticestudies.org/

International Peace Bureau's MacBride Peace Prize 2006 Awarded to Mayors for Peace Campaign
The International Peace Bureau awarded its MacBride Peace Prize 2006 to the Mayors for Peace Campaign. The Campaign is an innovative initiative uniting leaders of over 1400 local governments in 119 countries in a common quest to liberate the world from nuclear weapons. The Sean MacBride Peace Prize is given annually to organizations or individuals who exemplify the values and vision of the great Irish statesman, Sean MacBride, who was the President of the International Peace Bureau from 1974 to 1985. He was also a Nobel Peace laureate and a great citizen diplomat promoting human rights, disarmament and peace.

IPB President Cora Weiss said: IPB makes this award because the Mayors who have joined, and will join, this Campaign, have recognized that foreign policy cannot be left to heads of state. Mayors are closer than national governments to the billions of people who would be the targets of any nuclear attack. The award is therefore a token, not only of our respect and admiration, but also of our wish that many more Mayors will join the Campaign, and that it will continue until our cities are safe from any conventional or nuclear bombing.

For more on the MacBride Peace Award visit: http://www.ipb.org
For more on the Campaign visit: http://www. mayorsforpeace.org

"Civilian Casualties Civilian Solutions" A Historic Coalition with 9/11 Families (Peaceful Tomorrows)
At the fifth anniversary of 9/11, more than 30 terror victims from around the world joined with families of those killed in the September 11th attacks to create a new coalition to promote effective, nonviolent solutions to terrorism.

Gathered at a conference entitled, "Civilian Casualties, Civilian Solutions," terror victims from 15 countries, including Afghanistan, Israel/Palestine, Russia, Rwanda, Colombia, Sudan, Indonesia, Algeria, Spain, and Italy pledged to use their personal experience of violence as a starting point for creating and promoting new initiatives for peace.

To read the press release and for more information on the conference visit: http://w ww.peacefultomorrows.org/

COURSES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Educating for Peace at the Level of Our Deep Humanity, Peace Education Center Lecture Series, November 4, Riverside Church, New York
The last of the lecture series on Spiritual & Ethical Perspectives on Peace & Justice sponsored by the Peace Education Center at Teachers College, Columbia University and the Biosophical Institute will be held at the Riverside Church on November 4th. This lecture titled, "Educating for Peace at the Level of Our Deep Humanity," will be given by Patricia Mische, Lloyd Professor of Peace Studies and World Law at Antioch College.

For more information on the lecture series visit: http://www.tc.edu/PeaceEd/spiritethic/mische. htm

Online Courses Offered by The Network University in Collaboration with Bradford University "Transforming Civil Conflicts" November 13- December 9
"Transforming Civil Conflicts" is an online course developed by The Network University in cooperation with Bradford University. The course is offered from November 13 - December 9, 2006. This award- winning four-week course familiarizes participants with contemporary theories of conflict and conflict resolution, provides them with a range of relevant information on conflict on the Internet, and practical issues and debates from within the field. Participants are brought together in a 'learning community' with coaches and experts with a professional interest in conflict transformation.

For more information, please visit: http://www.netuni.nl / http://www. netuni.nl/demos/tcc
Contact Bart Overbeek: conflict@netuni.uva.nl

EVENTS & CONFERENCES

World Volunteer Conference "Volunteering for Peace in Multicultural Societies" (IAVE) November 10- 14
New Delhi, INDIA
The XIX IAVE (International Association for Volunteer Effort) World Volunteer Conference will bring together about 800 persons from at least 50-80 countries interested in volunteering whether leaders and managers of large civil society organizations, corporate, government representatives, academicians, businesses and volunteer based organizations. Volunteering in the context of the Millennium Development Goals would be a focus throughout the conference.

This Lead World Conference on Volunteering which is preceded by a two day Youth Conference at Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti Rajght, New Delhi on November 9-14, 2006 so that the perspective of the Youth may be incorporated.

For more information on the conference visit: http://www.volunteerindia.org/conference/inde x.htm

RESOURCES, MATERIALS, PUBLICATIONS

UNESCO/EURED Course, "Human Rights and Peace Education in Europe" 2004-2006 Report of Seminar V, July 2006
Stadtschlaining, AUATRIA
The UNESCO/EURED Course held its Seminar V in Stadtschlaining, Austria. A report of the seminar is now available. Focusing on "Practice in Peace Education," the 5-day seminar in Austria was organized by the EURED working group in cooperation with Ursula Gamauf from the Austrian Study Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR) in Stadtschlaining, a co-sponsor of the course. 17 participants from 10 countries joined the seminar.

Through the seminar, participants presented Practice Assignment 3 to their peers and to a group of selected experts. Other sessions were dedicated to different examples of best practice in peace education, and the seminar gave ample space for discussions with experts from different disciplines, who were invited to comment on the presentations.

A joint statement, "Appeal for a European Initiative for Peace Education," was also adopted. Participants approved and signed the joint statement intended for European politicians and opinion leaders to encourage them to strive for an integration of peace education in all educational settings in all European states.

For the full report and or the statement please contact Professor Werner Wintersteiner: Werner.wintersteiner@uni-klu.ac.at

"Education for Global Citizenship" Hand Book Released
The Project Handbook, the final publication of the project "Education for Global Citizenship" has been released. It is an important resource material for teachers including basic concepts on Education for Global Citizenship as well as most of the practical concepts for implementation in school and experiences made during the project. Moreover it contains a CD-Rom with additional contents and a small booklet with a Catalogue of Recommendations from the project as results of the reflections on project experiences. The aims of the Handbook have been to document the whole project and to give visibility to the school activities and experiences, to consolidate the issue of Global Citizenship in formal education and school curricula, and to inspire others. Authors of the Project Handbook are Sabine Mahlknecht (Surwind Agentur, Austria) and Paola Ramello (CICSENE, Italy).

The Project Handbook (including the CD- Rom and the booklet) can be ordered from Sudwind Agentur, Vienna (Austria) for 15 Euros per copy (including dispatch costs within Europe). Contact: franz.halbartschlager@oneworld.at

Peace Boat US & The Hague Appeal for Peace

Founded in 1999, the Hague Appeal for Peace Global Campaign for Peace Education (GCPE), is an international organized network which promotes peace education among schools, families and communities to transform the culture of violence into a culture of peace. The Hague Appeal for Peace Board of Directors voted to transfer the responsibilities for the coordination of the GCPE to Peace Boat US which has moved into the Hague Appeal for Peace's office in New York City.

Peace education is a holistic, participatory process that includes teaching for and about human rights, nonviolent responses to conflict, social and economic justice, gender equity, environmental sustainability, disarmament, traditional peace practices and human security. The methodology of peace education encourages reflection, critical thinking, cooperation, and responsible action. It promotes multiculturalism, and is based on values of dignity, equality and respect. Peace education is intended to prepare students for democratic participation in schools and society.

The Global Campaign for Peace Education has two goals:
1. To see peace education integrated into all curricula, community and family education worldwide to become a part of life;
2. To promote the education of all teachers to teach for peace.

The Worldwide Activities Brief e- newsletter highlights how and where the GCPE network is active and growing. Submissions are encouraged! Please contribute how you are working for peace education including dates, locations, a brief description, and a website and or contact information and send it to maiko@peaceboat-us.org.

The papers of the Hague Appeal for Peace have been archived at Swarthmore College Peace Collection and can be found at http://ww w.swarthmore.edu/Library

For more information on Peace Boat US visit http://peaceboat- us.org/. The website for Peace Boat US is under construction. Please e-mail info@peaceboat-us.org for more information.

TOP NEWS
Join Peace Boat's Spring 2007 Voyage!!

Peace Boat US is excited to present extraordinary opportunities for English speaking individuals to participate in the Peace Boat Global Voyage through the Global University Program!!

The Global University Program will take place on Peace Boat's 56th Global Voyage, scheduled to depart from Yokohama, Japan on February 25, 2007 and returning on June 6, 2007. The Voyage will take a northern hemisphere course around the globe, passing through the Suez and Panama Canals, with a focus on Mediterranean, Caribbean and Latin American ports. Visiting countries including Sri Lanka, Croatia, Eritrea, El Salvador, and Venezuela.

The Global University Program is an intensive peace and sustainability studies program for English speaking participants, combining study of selected topics onboard the ship with exposure programs in various countries.

The program aims to educate, raise awareness, and inspire action which will bring forth positive political and social change in the world. Participants will be exposed to social, political, environmental, and economic issues through our onboard educational programs and our exposure programs in the countries we visit. Learning directly through people to people encounters and grass-roots field experiences, we aim to examine the root causes of local and global issues, nurture compassion, empathy, and responsibility as global citizens.

Individuals may choose to travel with us on a full voyage, or for a particular segment of the voyage.

Academic pre-requisites are not required to participate in the Global University Program. However an undergraduate level of English proficiency is required to actively participate in discussions.

Group discounts for organizations and parties over four are also available. Individuals of all ages and nationalities are encouraged to apply.

For more information on the program and for application forms, please contact the Global University Program at our office in New York.

Tel: +1-212-687-7214
Fax: +1-212-661-2704
Email: info@peaceboat-us.org

Join our mailing list!
email: info@peaceboat-us.org
phone: 212-687-7214
web: http://www.peaceboat-us.org

One by One, Inc., in Collaboration with the Fordham Psychology Association, Presents:
Transforming the Legacies of Conflict, War and Genocide through Dialogue
November 13-17, 2006
the Passionist Center, Riverdale, New York

Today, more than ever, when our world is wracked with war and hatred, DIALOGUE offers an alternative to the cycle of violence and revenge that can only perpetuate human suffering.

DIALOGUE allows us to move beyond inherited enmity and trauma to the recognition that the dehumanization of the "other" ultimately results in the loss of our own humanity.

DIALOGUE is one of the best tools we have for peace building; for preventing future violence; and for helping the increasing number of people worldwide who are suffering from the aftermath of war, genocide and displacement. Dialogue can stop the transmission of trauma, hatred and prejudice to future generations, and lead toward personal liberation and social justice.

Please join us for a week of exciting workshops and presentations by:

· The Karuna Center for Peacebuilding
· Compassionate Listening Project
· Claudia von Alemann – Filmmaker
· Karen Baldner – Art as Dialogue
· Pat Clark – Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission
· Dan Booth Cohen, Sophia Kramer – Family Constellations
· Robert Hilliard – Media and Genocide
· Miki Jacevic – Human Rights Activist from Bosnia
· Anie Kalayjian/Marian Weisberg – Forgiveness Workshop
· Robin Moulds – Pakistan/India Dialogue
· Naava Piatka – Playwright, artist, child of Survivors
· Suzanne Schecker/Joyce Reilly – Children of War
· Poonam Tandon – Art of Living Instructor
· One by One Members and more …

One by One is a non-profit organization founded by the descendants of Holocaust survivors and descendants of Nazi perpetrators and German by-standers. The goal of our conference is to share our own experiences of healing and personal transformation with groups and individuals doing similar work. This conference will bring together wounded healers who have had direct experience of war and genocide; organizations working on conflict transformation; and those interested in learning more about how dialogue and deep listening can prevent future genocide and war. One by One begins with the healing of oneself, and eventually expands outward into the community and the wider world. Peacemaking is a sacred profession, and we believe it needs to be practiced one, by one, by one. Please join us as we embark on this healing journey!

Joseph Sebarenzi: Former head of the Rwanda
Parliament, Sebarenzi has endured tragedy most of us cannot fathom. His message is Peace and Reconciliation

Rwandan Ambassador to the UN:
H.E. Prof. Joseph Nsengimana:
Ambassador Nsengimana is the Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations.

Please visit our website for updated conference information www.one-by-one.org

If you feel this information may be useful to others, please pass this along to them. To no longer receive our emails, email us at kalayjiana @ aol.com and write unsubscribe in the subject line.

Symbolism and Identity in the Eyes of Arabia’s Budding Professionals
by Dr. Ashraf Salama
Professor of Architecture (http://www.arti-arch.org)
in the news letter of LAYERMAG

LAYER would like to present Dr. Ashraf Salama's paper on Symbolism and Identity in the Eyes of Arabia's Budding Professionals. Dr. Ashraf Salama is Professor of Architecture and was the recipient of the first award of the International Architecture Design Studio, University of Montreal, Canada, 1990, and in 1998 he won the Paul Chemetove Prize for his project on Architecture and the Eradication of Poverty, a United Nations International Ideas Competition.

Symbolism and Identity in the Eyes of Arabia’s Budding Professionals
http://www.layermag.com/feature_dubai_ashrafS.html
by Dr. Ashraf Salama
Professor of Architecture (http://www.arti-arch.org)

Societies tend to re-evaluate the meaning and desirability of built environments rapidly. The search for an architectural identity, the rise and fall of ISMS (movements and tendencies), and the continuous debate on symbolism and character issues in architecture are derived from this fact. That search seems to be a preoccupation with countries that have cultural richness and multi-layers of history. Architects as well as budding professionals in those countries find themselves dealing with a paradox needing to project a certain image of themselves through their built environment. This article reflects a view point on two recent students architectural competitions conducted in 2005 and 2006; the first was titled a memorial sculpture for Al Nakheel project in the city of Jeddah, while the second was designing a gateway on the road to Dammam. An argument is introduced in order to raise the questions of identity and seeing ourselves in architecture in light of the results of these two students’ competitions.

The Two Way Mirror and the Identity Idiom

In the Arab region, issues that pertain to identity, character, and architectural trends of the built environment have been in debate for two or three decades, more so because of this region’s cultural uniqueness and plurality. However, it is this cultural uniqueness that has made it a tough quest and has – in many cases, culminated into sacred symbolism that is painful to behold or comprehend. Some scholars pose the question of the necessity to refer to cultural or religious symbolism in architecture to reflect a specific identity. Others argue for the fact that Arab architecture should embody the collective aspirations of societies in this region. There are many who have questioned the need to debate architectural identity at all, claiming that it merely displays a lack of “self-confidence” as a region or as a group of nations. Reviewing the recent practices and searching the recent debates reveal that we still seem to be at odds with the issue of identity. Images and image making processes do not often address the issue of meaning in relation to the public. This mandates looking at the built environment as a two-way mirror. One way can be seen in the sense that it conveys and transmits non-verbal messages that reflect inner life, activities, and social conceptions of those who live and use the environment. The other way is seen in terms of how it is actually perceived and comprehended by a certain society at a certain time; simply how it evokes certain image for that society.

Examining the issue of identity requires putting the term under some linguistic and philosophical perspectives. Identity in most English dictionaries has been defined as:

A) the set of behavioral or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable as a member of a group,

B) the quality or condition of being the same as something else and C) the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity; individuality. When looking at the term in the Arabic language one finds that it does not differ much, but having multiple meanings and all culminate into a definition like this: The collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing is definitively recognizable or known.

Designing a Memorial Sculpture in the City of Jeddah

Al Oula Development, in collaboration with the Department of Architecture at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals-KFUPM, organized a design ideas competition of a Memorial Sculpture for Al Nakheel project in Jeddah. The concept of the competition was developed by the author. The competition aim was to offer a venue for architecture and design students in Saudi Universities to present their creative ideas toward the beautification of the newly developed projects, while raising the public awareness of the value of integrating artistic expressions into the city form. The main intention was to complement the visual identity of the project by introducing a Memorial Sculpture that promotes the notion of incorporating public and installation arts into the physical environment of the city.

One of the important planning and design features of Al Nakheel project is King Abdulaziz roundabout that occupies an area of 190.000 sq. m. designed to provide ease of access to and within the project site. Such area is surrounded by high rise mixed use buildings. Connected to the main roads of the site, the area is situated in a central location and is envisioned as a lung for the project that provides visual uniqueness and a reference point.

Successful schemes were expected to show creativity in understanding and manifesting the design qualities addressed by the organizers including contextual, cultural, visual and aesthetic aspects. Concepts were to contribute to the spatial quality of Al Nakheel Project. Reflecting a critical understanding of Jeddah city and the project context, aspects of implement-ability, maintenance, and resource conservation were given a considerable weight. The total number of entries was 76 projects submitted from students teams of more that 120 male students and 40 female students. The jury selected 22 projects. The first and third awards went to student groups from King Abudul Aziz University-KAAU, while a student from King Faisal University-KFU was the recipient of the second award. A total of 22 honorable mentions were awarded to distinguished projects; 10 of which went to students teams from King Fahd University-KFUPM, 4 went to teams from King Saud University-KSU, 4 went to female teams from the Interior Design Department of King Faisal University-KFU, and lastly 3 went to architecture male teams at KFU.

While student competitors had the full freedom to propose creative and innovative ideas, a number of qualities were paramount in promoting three constructive dialogues that address thematic issues pertaining to the way in which the context can inflect the content and vise-a-versa, modernity vs. tradition, in addition to the issues of imageability, character, and identity.

Tradition and Modernity Dialogue:
Jeddah is considered one of the most important Saudi cities; a commercial hub and the major gate to the holy cities of Makkah and Madina. It enjoys a unique physical environment that accommodates a mix of tangible and intangible heritage while looking forward to meet the cultural aspirations of its residents and the technological advancements of the present era. How does the proposed Memorial Sculpture design balance this juxtaposition was an important design quality that needed to be considered.

Context-Content Dialogue:
The city is known for its roundabouts, installation arts and sculptures developed over the past few decades to offer distinguished artistic expressions and enhance its urban image. The site designated for the Memorial Sculpture within Al Nakheel project is large in area and is situated within a unique high rise mixed use development. How does the proposed Memorial Sculpture design address these contextual constraints in terms of scale, character, and distinction was another important design quality that needed to be emphasized. Since Al Nakheel project is a newly developed project, it was expected that the proposed Memorial Sculpture design offers visual richness and identity to the project and the area within which it is located. Concomitantly, imaegability and legibility were two important aspects that represent design qualities essential to the creation of any public art in the urban landscape of the area. In this respect, imageability is viewed as the ability of the physical design to stamp an impression in the minds of Jeddah residents and visitors, while legibility involves that design artifacts are easy to comprehend and understand by the public.

Form-Activity Dialogue:
While the main concern of the organizers falls under the umbrella of visual and form making aspects, participants were given the opportunity to propose specific activities to be associated with their Memorial Sculpture design, including the integration of softscape and hardscape elements that enhance the quality of the proposed activity. This was conditional as participants address form-activity relationship a planning alternative was paramount to illustrate how the public would access the area while considering the traffic flow expected.

The concept of the competition and the winning entries raise issues that continue to pose themselves on the map of academic architectural debates. Symbolism and commemoration and their underlying elements appear to be a priority for most winning schemes and in turn, some reflections on the meaning of these terms and the winning schemes are important in order to advance the intellectual debate of reshaping our cities.

Commemoration and Symbolism in Public Spaces

Commemoration in public spaces is meant to make people as individuals and in groups remember, appreciate, or respect someone, a leader, or an important historical event. On the other hand, most of the theoretical assumptions aimed at explaining commemoration and symbolism, the process of symbolization, and the manner in which specific objects, people, or places become significant to human experience, differ dramatically. However, common underlying points exist; placing emphasis on the individual experience of objects, places, or urban spaces as the origin of symbolization.

Two origins of symbolism can be introduced in this context; social and spontaneous creation of new places by the public, and planning or intentional actions of those who have the power and authority to introduce change in the public space. If an organism or a component of a social structure is able to intentionally introduce change in the environment one can argue that it is a wielding power. This purposive action aims at endowing space with shape, structure, elements, and name with an attempt to highlight some values, aesthetics, or facts to stand in the minds of the public. It is intended to create a symbolic space with preconceived meaning that can or cannot be comprehended and assimilated by the public as point of reference, and that might or might not become a shared symbolic element. This corroborates the fact that most of the important urban actions and artistic interventions in public spaces are intended to evoke a memory, an event, a person, or to put a political, artistic, or social moment on record.

In the context of public art in urban spaces, one can introduce another interpretation of symbolism that adopts the view that objects and places can acquire meaning overtime regardless of their significance when they were designed. Thus, they play an active role as reference points to the public and become overloaded with meanings as a result of social and physical interaction. This type of symbolic spaces does not require any powerful or notable formal structure.

In both interpretations, people--with time-- start to view those objects and places as their territories thus begin to develop a sense of identity and belonging ness. Designing a memorial sculpture as a form of art in public spaces falls between the two interpretations. This is due to the fact the any artistic intervention intends to become a shared expression of collective values. In turn, a memorial sculpture in a city like Jeddah is no exception; an urban phenomenon that takes different types ranging from power demonstration to acts of exaltation and idolatry, and from commemoration and dramatization to pure abstract art. The issue of identity comes as a result of these interpretations; a set of collective characteristics that make an object or a space definitively recognizable.

Symbolism from within: Reflections on Winning Schemes

Most winning schemes bear one or more of these concepts. The project awarded the first prize-submitted by Al Seet, Addas, Al Ghamdi, Al Sharkawy, and Al Abbassy from KAAU is based on abstracting the palm tree as a symbol of growth and prosperity in a desert environment. The concept of the second winning project by Naif Al Soud of KFU is derived from the integrated abstraction of the sail and the palm tree in an attempt to manifest the feeling of enclosing-ness. The third winning scheme of Al Amry, Fahd AL Ghamdi, Al Awiedy, Sammam, and Basiouni of KAAU reflects a deep understanding of Jeddah’s urban context, while at the same time attempts to manifest a national epic in the form of an abstracted semi-transparent wall; an endeavor to tell the story of how the kingdom was established and how it is now flourishing. The three winning schemes place a strong emphasis on the issue of identity and commemoration by offering symbols that stem from culture, nature and historical events.

Figure 01: 1st Prize: Layout of the memorial sculpture including landscaping and the spatial organization of the area

Figure 02: 1st Prize: Series of views in the area showing the memorial sculpture and the way in which activities are integrated into the spatial elements

Figure 03: 2nd Prize: The palm tree is utilized as a design element in an attempt to reflect and symbolize the identity of the country

Figure 04: 3rd Prize: Reflects a deep understanding of Jeddah's urban context, while at the same time attempts to manifest a national epic in the form of an abstracted semi-transparent wall; an endeavor to tell the story of how the kingdom was established and how it is now flourishing

Projects receiving honorable mentions have also symbolized other contextual elements. The project submitted by Konash and Abdel Latif from KFUPM literally translates the perception of Jeddah as a gate to the holy cities by designing a grand scale gate, raised on a platform. On the other hand, Ballul and Kathmy from KFUPM further abstract the gate concept through a series of colonnades that lead to a monumental obelisk that has a light beam starring to the sky while engraved with traditional ornaments that exemplify relationships between tradition and technology. The concept submitted from Noura Ghabra and Loubna Al Mulla of KFU is based on reflecting the immediate context of Al Nakheel project by abstracting the imaginary masses into thick glass walls for transparency purposes while hanging traditional elements from these walls in similitude to an outdoor museum. The project of Al Saleh and Al Raddady of KSU introduce a symbol of piece by abstracting the formal elements of Al Oula logo. A striking example is that of Saad Al Ghamdi and Sary Harbi from KFUPM, which goes a step further and introduce tectonic sculptures of steel that abstract the ship and the fish as metaphors of the red sea.

Figure 05: Honorable mentions

These and other projects manifest that symbolism emerges from within, including immediate and larger contexts including nature, material culture, and historical events. Urban space symbolism appears to be a basic and determinant component of social well being. As well, these projects raise the issue of how some of the established concepts are forgotten in today’s production of public spaces. The work submitted by those budding professionals show high sensitivity to issues of social constructs, cultural aspirations, identity and meaning, and their impact on the environment.

A Gateway: On the Road to Dammam

Al Oula Development Company, in collaboration with King Faisal University-KFU in Dammam and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals-KFUPM in Dhahran, organized an urban design ideas competition for designing an urban Gateway. The competition was open in two categories for professional architects and architecture students where the aim was to solicit creative design ideas for a gateway in one of the company’s recent development projects in the city of Dammam. The objective of those ideas would be to enhance the identity of the project while creating an image for the entrance of the city. The gateway is intended to give a welcoming feeling for those who live in and visit the area.

The City and the Site:
Dammam is the largest city in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia and one of the important ports on the Arabian Gulf. Until the 1970s Dammam was a small city close to other settlements in the region. In recent years however, it was transformed and expanded to the city limits of Al Khobar and Dhahran forming a single municipality. The city has attracted many Saudis and expatriates to work and enjoy its resources and amenities. It houses a mix of industry and commercial based companies and higher education institutions. The Project site is located to the far west of the city in a new development. It is penetrated by the King Fahd Intl. Airport highway occupying a strategic highway strip at the western entrance of the city. The northern and southern boundaries of the site are designated as future extensions of planned developments. The project is intended to create a distinguished housing environment with mixed use development on the main road. Areas exclusively designated for housing are conceived to offer variety of lot areas with the necessary infrastructure and services including mosques, green spaces, children-play areas, parking, and schools.

Identity Challenge and Dealing with the Paradox:
Submissions from participants were expected to exhibit creativity in articulating the design qualities addressed by the organizers including contextual, visual, and aesthetic aspects. As well, concepts were to contribute to the spatial quality of the highway while reflecting an in-depth thinking and a critical understanding of the context of the eastern province, relational aspects of tradition and modernity, and a critical understanding of issues that pertain to structural innovation, implement-ability, and durability. Also, they were anticipated to reflect recent technological advancements in the use of building materials. The total number was 25 projects under the students’ category; these were submitted from teams of approximately 70 male students and 25 female students.

The first prize went to the project submitted by Hatim Azzouz and Mohamed Al Othman of King Fahd University, the second and third prizes went to Ammar Abu Mansour and Kahtan Jaser Al Kahtani of King Faisal University. Under the same category seven honorable mentions were awarded; most notably, the entries of two female teams of the Interior Design Department –Girls Branch, of King Faisal University: the project of Amal Al Hothaila and that of Asmaa Al Helal and Mariam Al Dosary.

The concept of the competition introduced by the author and the winning schemes raise many issues that continue to pose themselves on the map of debates within the international architectural community, especially in countries like Saudi Arabia, where architects are facing the paradox of rooting their architecture in the soil of the past of their country while at the same time positioning themselves and their architecture for the future. On the other hand, this raises sets of questions about the symbolic role of gates and gateways in traditional cities and how such a role has changed overtime.

Visual Messages and Power Statements:
Traditionally, most of the Arab and Muslim cities have been characterized by the presence of gates where the Islamic culture has always been primarily “Urban”. Gates throughout the history of Muslim civilization have served as a gauge of the most common construction techniques and available materials. They were built as defense and security elements. Gates were a symbolic expression of power which is an inherent part of architecture-in most cases.

In contemporary terms, gates continue to exist in many cities and illustrate innovations in construction technology but have lost their defensive function. New concepts for designing gates are emerging to shape new understandings of their value as urban elements. Gates by their design, structure, and urban setting, can simultaneously articulate what ought to happen around them, and symbolically represent urban statements. They have certain qualities that can evoke a strong impression in any observer. Gates convey silent non verbal messages and reflect the spirit, character, and activities around them. Their image and appearance is important and can have profound emotional effects on people.

The preceding understanding of the conventional purposes and the new concepts of gates can be transformed into several design qualities. However, it should be noted that the intention was to create a gateway which is entirely ceremonial offering a unique image as a welcoming entry to the city. Four design qualities can be conceived while reflecting on selected winning schemes, these are:

• The Gate as a Welcoming Entrance: Gates can be regarded as entrances that demarcate neighborhoods and their larger contexts. Therefore the design of gateways needs to distinctively define the boundaries of a project site and to give the feeling of changing realms. How the role of the gate in distinguishing two different realms would be articulated in a design is an important quality that needs to be addressed and critically examined.

• The Gate as a Closing Vista: A gateway can be used to close off most of a view and becomes an expression and vista in itself. Since a gate is designed in wide span roads or highways in most cases, it is paramount to think of how it will be viewed by people in cars, how it may give a sense of enclosure, and how the ceremonial scale can be broken up into smaller scales; these represent critical design issues that strike balances between the visual message a gateway conveys to the public and its functional qualities.

• The Gate as an Aesthetic Frame: It is envisaged that a design of a gateway may serve to frame a view of a project. In most cities, this was translated in an artful fashion with both the location and the form of a gate contributing to the view that it frames. This understanding can be exemplified by articulating the way in which a gate may be integrated with the immediate surrounding context.

• The Gate as a Distinguishing Urban Element: Gates can be regarded as identifiable boundaries. How a design delineates the transition from the larger context of a road or a highway to a smaller project context is an important quality that strikes another necessary balance. This suggests important polar qualities such as “here” and “there”, “before” and “after” a gate and “near to” and “far from” a gate.

A number of other aspects need a moment of reflection such as identity, character, and meaning, and how all these are integrated with construction technology and material in a balanced manner.

The winning projects of students are a manifestation of the ability of the future professionals to reflect the past and position themselves in the future. Many of their projects represented honest expressions, spontaneous sensitivity to the contextual constraints, and logical treatment of the issues they wanted to address. Along the same integrated thinking of the symbolic and functional qualities of gates, one should relate some of their projects to “Semiology or Semiotics”; the base of all non verbal communication and meaning studies. The syntactic-the arrangement of elements in a scene, the semantic-the meaning of those elements, and the pragmatic-the relationship between those elements and people, are all important qualities addressed in the winning schemes.

The project awarded 1st prize skillfully differentiates between the image and the space of the gate. It conceives an image that reflects the nature of Dammam by capturing its spirit as a past and present port city, that looks forward to the future, but still maintain a sense of tradition. The space of the gateway is articulated by establishing zones of views that are dramatically changing as cars move toward and under the gateways. The design involves columns articulated to display the building revolution of the city while incorporating traditional elements. Materials used are concrete for the columns and arches, fabric for sails, and steel cables and frames for the flying structures.

Figure 06: 1st Prize: Identity and symbolism are integrated into the spatial articulation of the gate

Figure 07: 2nd Prize: Reflecting the heritage of the religion but falling in the trap of repeating historic elements of architecture

Figure 08: 3rd Prize: Symbolic abstracts of the boat form; an attempt at translating contextual elements

The second and third prize winning projects introduce similar meanings and attempt to conceptually and physically build bridges between the past and present. However, while the project of Ammar Abu Mansour falls into the trap of cloning of traditional elements, while the project of Kahtan Al Kahtani is based on symbolic abstractions of the boat form. Projects received honorable mentions have also introduced great ideas but probably not as articulated as expected. Amal Al Hothaila developed a design that incorporated three major elements; a half arch that delineates the new developments of the city, a sail that simulates the port city, and an oil well that reveals the flourishing economy of the kingdom. Again, the project of Asmaa Al Helal and Mariam Al Dosary integrates a number of abstractions that are combined to build symbolic ties between the past, the present and the future.

These and other projects foster the positive dialogue of who we are, where we are going, and how we would like to see ourselves in the future. They manifest visual messages and power statements that continue to occupy an indispensable position in architecture criticism. The winning projects integrate some of the forgotten ideas and exemplify sensitivity in expressions and issues of identity and image-ability, meaning and desirability. It is a hope to see such intellectual manifestations move from the imaginary to the actual, from the hypothetical to the real, and from the un-built to successful physical interventions that shape the future of our cities.

About the Author
Dr. Ashraf Salama is Professor of Architecture, recently joined the College of Engineering, Qatar University after leaving King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals- KFUPM. He was the Director of Research and Consulting at Adams Group Consultants in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. He is a licensed architect in Egypt, trained at Al Azhar University and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC. USA and former Chairman of the Department of Architecture, Misr International University in Cairo.

Dr. Salama delivered lectures and presentations in over 25 countries ; and contributed widely to international publications. He was member of the UIA/UNESCO International Committee of Architectural Education, and the Director of Architectural Education Work Program of the International Union of Architects- UIA (1995-00). He is currently co-Convener of the International Association for People-Environments Studies- IAPS Education Network.

He was the recipient of the first award of the International Architecture Design Studio, University of Montreal, Canada, 1990, and in 1998 he won the Paul Chemetove Prize for his project on Architecture and the Eradication of Poverty, a United Nations International Ideas Competition. Dr. Salama serves as a design consultant to Al Oula Company for Development, and served as a consultant to the Egyptian Ministries of Tourism and Culture. He also served as member in the international jury for projects within the context of the revitalization of Sarajevo, Bosnia, and a UIA Jury member in the international competition on designing a central urban park in La Paz, Bolivia.

Recently, he has chaired the jury team for the International Students Competitions: Enlightening Learning Environments (2005) and Sustainable and Humane Workplaces (2006), organized by the the IAHH-The International Association for Humane Habitat, Mumbai, India. Dr. Salama has been appointed a technical reviewer for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in Geneva, Award Cycle (1998-01). He has been involved with the Community Development Group of the College of Design , North Carolina State University (1993-95). His academic experience includes teaching courses on Programming and Space Planning, Research and Design Methods, Applications of Socio-Behavioral Studies in Design, and Interior, Architectural and Community Design Studios. His professional experience includes consultancy for several government and public agencies, and managing design projects from inception through programming and space planning, encountering users and environmental constraints. His recent research places emphasis on design studio teaching practices, and workplace and learning environments.

© copyright 2006 LAYER

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs2.5 License.

AfricAvenir News are kindly sent out by Eric Van Grasdorff:

Liebe Freunde,

am kommenden Freitag, den 20. Oktober 2006 um 18.00 Uhr laden AfricAvenir, die Culture Cooperation und der Berliner Entwicklungspolitische Ratschlag zur Filmvorführung von ‘Cracks in the Mask’ in das fsk am Oranienplatz. Im Anschluss findet eine Diskussion mit Regisseurin Frances Calvert statt.

Außerdem möchten wir ausnahmsweise auf einige spannende Veranstaltungen in dieser Woche hinweisen - siehe weiter unten.

Risse in der Maske (Cracks in the Mask)
Regie: Frances Calvert, Australien/Deutschland/Schweiz 1997
57 Min., Farbe, Dokumentarfilm, OmU (Verleih 16mm: EZEF)

Zum Thema des Films:
Vor einem Jahrhundert waren die Torres Strait Inseln im Norden Australiens beliebte Forschungsobjekte für Expeditionen und Anthropologen. Als Ergebnis dieser Forschungen blieb den Inselbewohnern vom Bestand ihrer Kulturgegenstände nichts als die Erinnerung an einen Verlust. Die einzigen Menschen, die Masken aus Schildpatt anfertigten, besitzen heute nicht mehr eine davon; die meisten befinden sich in ausländischen Museen. Ephraim Bani, ein “Kulturgelehrter” von den Torres Strait Inseln, fährt mit seiner Frau nach Europa, um in den Museen das kulturelle Erbe seines Volkes aufzusuchen. Vor seiner Reise drückt eine Verkäuferin die Sehnsucht aller Inselbewohner aus: “So werden also wir und unsere Kinder die Masken sehen, die uns vor so langer Zeit genommen wurden.” In Europa findet Ephraim die Masken jedoch als Ausstellungsstücke und Kistenhüter vor. Er forscht nach ihnen und erforscht dabei gleichzeitig die Haltung der WissenschaftlerInnen in den Museen. Mit seiner Suche nac h den verlorengegangenen Schildpatt-Masken seiner Kultur hält er uns einen Spiegel vor. So stellt der Film die wichtige und ungelöste Frage nach dem Umgang mit fremdem Kulturgut und zeigt, daß die dicksten Masken Risse bekommen, wenn ein Nachfahre der ehemaligen Besitzer das Museum betritt.

Der Film ist halbdokumentarisch und hat surreal-experimentelle Anteile. Frances Calvert nimmt als Regisseurin mehrere Haltungen darin ein. Sie beobachtet (Aufzeichnung der Be- gegnungen und Gespräche zwischen Ephrahim Bani und den KuratorInnen in den Museen); sie dokumentiert (Tagebuchaufzeichnungen von Ephraim Bani, die teilweise aus dem Off eingespielt werden oder auch die Interviews mit einzelnen Kuratoren); an manchen Stellen greift sie auch kommentierend ein (besonders bei den Darstellungen einzelner Masken). Mit diesen unterschiedlichen Mitteln reagiert die Regisseurin auf die Komplexität der Thematik. Die Auseinandersetzung wird durch die Begegnungen und Gespräche einerseits auf der persönlichen Ebene geführt, sie verweist jedoch auch auf die politische Ebene, auf der das koloniale Erbe der Völkerkundemuseen zu behandeln ist.

Mehr zum Thema: http://www.culture-and-development.info/news/news.htm

Diskutantin:
Frances Calvert ist Regisseurin und Produzentin des Dokumentarfilms. Sie ist in Sidney geboren und studierte Kunst an der and studies Sydney University. 1979 lebte sie im Norden Australiens in einem sog. “Aboriginal settlement” und machte 1986 in Nord-Queensland Bekanntschaft mit einigen Bewohnern der Torres Strait Island. Seiher ist sie oft auf die Inseln gereist, um zu recherchieren, den Film zu drehen und ihn den Bewohnern “zurück zu bringen”.

Eine Kooperation von:
AfricAvenir International e.V.; http://africavenir.org
Culture Cooperation e.V.; http://www.culture-and-development.info
Berliner entwicklungspolitischer Ratschlag e.V.; http://ber-ev.de

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History and Politics of Eritrea
In the framework of the Architecture Exhibition “Asmara – Africa’s Secret Modernist City”, a panel discussion on “History and Politics of Eritrea” will take place Thursday, 19 October 2006, 7.30 pm at DAZ – Deutsches Architektur Zentrum, Berlin. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/10/767/

Projekttutorium WiSe 2006/07: Constructions of Race, Whiteness and Gender in visual culture
Flow/RonAmber Deloney and Juliane Strohschein laden Mittwochs 13-15 Uhr zum Projekttutorium 2006/07 in das Seminargebäude Dorotheenstr. 24, Raum 3007. Beginn: erste Semesterwoche, wöchentlich. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/10/766/

Interkulturelle Tanzkompanie: Ballet Cyclus Globus
Am Samstag und Sonntag 28./29. Oktober 2006 lädt die interkulturelle Tanzkompanie Ballet Cyclus Globus zu einer Performance in die Ballettschule Vladimir Gelvan. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/10/765/

Kultur: Zwischen.Welten
Die Sprecherin für Auswärtige Kulturpolitik von Bündnis 90/Die Grünen im Bundestag, Frau Dr. Uschi Eid MdB lädt am 23. Oktober zum Austausch über künstlerische Positionen aus Afrika, Anmeldung erforderlich. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/10/750

www.AfricAvenir.org
Wollen Sie Fördermitglied von AfricAvenir International e.V. werden?
Kontaktieren Sie Ann Kathrin Helfrich, Fon: 030-80906789, a.helfrich@africavenir.org

Redaktion des Newsletters: Eric Van Grasdorff, e.vangrasdorff@africavenir.org
AfricAvenir International e.V. ist nicht für die Inhalte externer Webseiten verantwortlich.

Call for Papers
‘Creolising Europe’: A conference of the Migration and Diaspora Cultural Studies Network
University of Manchester, UK
6-8 September 2007

The international conference ‘Creolising Europe’ invites contributions which seek critical understandings of postcolonial, creolised and multicultural Europe. The term creolisation, derived from linguistics, now also refers to the intermingling and mixing of two or several formerly discrete traditions or cultures. Although often criticised for essentialising cultures, (as if the merging traditions were "pure" at the outset), the concept helps make sense of a great number of contemporary cultural processes, characterised by movement, change and shifting boundaries.

We would welcome papers dealing with the following aspects and topics of migration and diaspora:

(a) critical readings of notions like ‘refugee’, ‘minor’ literature, ‘postcoloniality’, ‘globalisation’, ‘race, ‘mestizaje’, ‘lusotropicalism’, ‘transculturation’ and ‘creolisation’;

(b) the interfaces between cultural, economic and political dimensions of mobile spaces focusing on culture and transnational migrations in Europe, local diasporic communities, border zones and language contact;

(c) the migration and diaspora of ideas, sounds and images, including film, photography, music, and belief;

(d) ‘queer diasporas’ focusing on textuality, representation, and the translation of desires.

(e) how have experiences of migration and diaspora shaped Europe in its history and how have these historical experiences been represented?

Keynote Speakers:

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Columbia University, USA.
Zygmunt Bauman, University of Leeds, UK.
Françoise Vergès, Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK.
Tina Campt, Duke University, USA.

The Manchester Migration and Diaspora Cultural Studies Network (MDCSN) is funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. It is a collaborative framework for academic research into the cultural transformations brought about by the global movement of peoples, languages, objects, images, sounds, beliefs and ideas. The network embraces a wide range of disciplines, with a strong core in language-based disciplines, which gives the network a distinctive, internationally comparative dimension, and illuminates the interpenetration of cultures from within.

This conference aims to make a theoretical and conceptual contribution to understanding the impact of transnationalism on culture, focusing on productive and creative encounters which challenge ‘national narratives’ through the formation of interstitial spaces.

Abstracts are invited, from any discipline, on topics including:

Europe and Postcoloniality
Transculturation: The new Multiculturalism?
From Hybridity to Creolisation
Lusotropicalism and Mestizaje
Minor literatures
Language Contact
Transnational Cinema
Queer Diasporas
Romani Migrations, Romani Diasporas
Migration Policies and Cultural Articulations in Border Zones
Black Europe
Migration Regimes, Culture and Resistance

First deadline for receipt of abstracts: 15 January 2007

Abstracts of up to 250 words should provide:
Title
Name
Institutional Affiliation,
Abstracts to be sent electronically to:
e.gutierrez@manchester.ac.uk
and
margaret.littler@manchester.ac.uk
www.llc.manchester.ac.uk/research/projects/MDCSN/

"WOHIN GEHT AFRIKA ?" lautet der Themenschwerpunkt in der neuen Ausgabe "der überblick" (www.der-ueberblick.de). Der südafrikanische Literat André Brink beispielsweise weist auf bedenkliche Entwicklungen in seinem Land hin. Es wird deutlich gemacht, wie die Internationale Gemeinschaft am Horn von Afrika kläglich versagt, und geschildert, wie ehemalige Kindersoldaten in Freetown ohne und gegen den Staat ihr Leben meistern.

Diese und andere Themen wie einen Fotoessay aus Tschetschenien finden Sie in der neuen Ausgabe von "der überblick" (Euro 6,00 + Versandkosten).
www.der-ueberblick.de (herausgegeben i.A. vom Evangelischen Entwicklungsdienst und von Brot für die Welt).
Vergangene Schwerpunkte: Korruption, Zentralasien,Chinas Griff nach Afrika, Mediziner-Migration, Aids, Pfingstkirchen, Entwicklungspolitik, Fisch und Welternährung, Afrika, Umgang mit Tod und Trauer weltweit, Bildung, Migration, Tansania, Sklaverei heute, Energie, NGOs, Exil, Vorsorge, Grenzen, Mexiko, Aids, Gefaengnisse, Maghreb.

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Friedensnobelpreis für "überblick"-Autor
Der Friedensnobelpreis ging in diesem Jahr an die Kleinkreditinitiative von Professor Muhammad Yunus aus Bangladesch. Wir freuen uns mit ihm. Schließlich gehört er zu unseren Autoren. Im "überblick"-Heft 3/1991 hat er seine Initiative detailliert erläutert.

Mit freundlicher Empfehlung
die Redaktion

CALL FOR PAPERS
CONFERENCE: ‘IDENTITY FORMATION’
WEDNESDAY 4 APRIL 2007

CALL FOR PAPERS

This will be the first ever conference to incorporate all the discipline areas in the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures at The University of Manchester. This exciting inaugural event aims to be all inclusive and embrace all languages; it will treat the notion of ‘Identity Formation’ in literature, art, film and media studies under three main themes:

The role of philosophy/ideology in the formation of identity:
- this addresses how the individual acts/forms his identity as a result of his philosophical ideas/ideological beliefs.
- it could include the philosophical ideas and values of, for example, the Enlightenment; the Counter-Enlightenment; Irrationalism; Existentialism; Post-Structuralism; Post-Colonialism etc. Likewise, it could include the ideologies of a particular class of people or historical era.

Diasporic and transcultural identities:
- this could include the notion of “becoming” identities; of identities being interchangeable; the concept of hybridity; and the effects of migration on identities.

Narrative identity:
- this addresses identity as a result of narration, which can be analysed by looking at the parts that constitute it - in particular plot, time and place.

Guest Speakers:

The guest speakers will be the distinguished scholars PROFESSOR CHARLES FORSDICK, The University of Liverpool, and PROFESSOR ADRIAN ARMSTRONG, The University of Manchester.

Professor Forsdick, who occupies the James Barrow Chair of French at the University of Liverpool, went to Liverpool in 2001. He previously studied at New College, Oxford and Lancaster University where he obtained his doctorate. Before being appointed to the University of Liverpool, he taught for five years at the University of Glasgow.

His research and teaching interests include exoticism, travel literature, postcolonial literature in French, the francophone dimensions of postcolonial theory, and the contemporary French novel. He has recently published Travel in Twentieth-Century French and Francophone Cultures (OUP, 2005), and is currently working on the links between travel and cultural diversity. His forthcoming publications include Francophone Postcolonial Studies (co-editor, Arnold) and editions of Victor Segalen's Essai sur l'exotisme and Equipée (Champion), and he is currently working on representations of the Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture.

At this conference, Professor Forsdick will, amongst other subjects, discuss postcolonial representation and the effects of displacement, migration and travel.

Professor Armstrong completed his undergraduate degree and D.Phil. at Oxford, and spent a year as a Research Fellow in Cambridge before joining Manchester in 1995. Since then he has also taught as a visiting lecturer at Cambridge and Lyon-III.

His research centres around grand rhétoriqueur poetry; late medieval and early Renaissance literature; manuscript studies and bibliography; and the influence of book form upon literature. His principal interests are literary, and he has published work on various writers, including Villon, Molinet, Lemaire, Bouchet, and Jean Marot. However, his concerns with the book as object are also linked to literary questions by an interest in text editing, a discipline of fundamental importance for literary scholarship which is currently eliciting much methodological reflection. Besides a forthcoming edition of Jean Bouchet's Jugement poetic de l'honneur femenin, a pro-feminist text printed in 1538, he has co-edited a collection of occasional writing by the major rhétoriqueur Jean Lemaire de Belges from the period 1511-1513, with Jennifer Britnell (Société des Textes Français Modernes).

At this conference, Professor Armstrong will discuss how to successfully pursue a career in academia as a postgraduate student and will address issues of learning and teaching within higher education.

Please join us for an exploration of this compelling subject of identity formation.

Postgraduate students are cordially invited to submit abstracts relating to one of the three aforementioned panel subjects.

Guidelines for Abstracts and Papers

Please follow these instructions carefully:

- Abstracts [and papers] should be in English and no longer than 150 words.
- All citations in both the abstract and the paper should be given in English.
- Abstracts should indicate clearly which of the three panels they correspond to; please put the title of the panel you are applying to as the e-mail's subject.
- Abstracts must be simply pasted/written into the e-mail and not attached as a Word [or other] document. Please also indicate the proposed title for the paper at the start of the abstract.
- Please state whether you will require PowerPoint/an overhead projector for your paper.
- The papers are to be 20 minutes in length and no longer, with approximately 10 minutes for questions.
- Abstracts should be sent to langsconference@yahoo.com
- The submission deadline is 15 January 2007.

Conference Registration:

- Registration is via e-mail. Please send your name, faculty, institution and contact telephone number to langsconference@yahoo.com
Please enter the title ‘Registration’ in the subject field of the e-mail.
Registration closes on 25 February 2007.
- Please send a cheque for ten pounds by 25 February 2007 payable to the following address:

Ms. Michela Baldo [S3.8]
School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures
Faculty of Humanities
The University of Manchester
Oxford Rd.
Manchester
M13 9PL

Registration fees include refreshments, lunch and a reception in the evening.

- Enquiries should be addressed to Louise Crowther at: langsconference@yahoo.com
Please enter the title ‘Enquiry’ in the subject field of the e-mail.

We look forward to seeing you at this exciting and inaugural event.

CALL FOR PAPERS

Slavery: Unfinished Business

An International Interdisciplinary Conference to be held in Hull 16-19 May 2007

The University of Hull, through its newly established Wilberforce Institute for the study of Slavery and Emancipation (WISE), intends to mark the bicentenary of the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807 by hosting a conference entitled:

Slavery: Unfinished Business
in Hull 16-19 May 2007.

Hull is the birthplace of William Wilberforce, the Parliamentary leader of the British antislavery movement, who in alliance with Thomas Clarkson, Olaudah Equiano and those who fought slavery from within, led the campaign that succeeded in convincing Parliament to outlaw the British slave trade.This marked the beginning of an international crusade against slavery that ultimately resulted in the formal outlawing of slavery worldwide. But two hundred years on from the abolition of the British slave trade, slavery and other forms of coerced labour continue to blight millions of lives. Slave trafficking, child labour, forced prostitution and other abuses of human rights, according to some authorities, have increased in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries in the context of globalisation and widening differentials in wealth.The emancipation movement still has unfinished business.

The WISE conference will bring together scholars, educators, heritage practitioners, policy influencers and policy makers to consider both historical and contemporary aspects of slavery,emancipation and human rights.Three sub-themes for the conference have been identified.These are: the past and the present; movement and identity; and the boundaries of freedom and coercion. The agenda for each theme is open, but we expect a healthy mix of disciplinary approaches and of basic and applied research as well as a wide coverage of historical and contemporary forms of slavery and emancipation issues. We would welcome suggestions for panels of up to four papers as well as proposals for individual papers that address one or more of the sub-themes.We also welcome proposals for panels that bring together academics and non-academics.We anticipate holding up to three sets of parallel sessions per day,each set comprising up to five or six panels. Some sessions or panels may be primarily historical, others more contemporary or policy-related in focus and yet others a mix of various disciplines in the humanities, sciences and social sciences.We intend to introduce each day of the conference with a keynote address.

The conference will be the occasion for the premiere of a number of new pieces of work, including poetry reading and a short piece by the composer Alastair Borthwick on a Wilberforce theme.

The closing date for proposals, whether for papers or for panels (the latter preferably with a chair person) is 30 November 2006. We anticipate finalising the conference programme by 31 December 2006.

Please send proposals in the first instance to Jane Ellison,WISE conference organiser at j.ellison@hull.ac.uk. Anyone wishing to discuss a proposal prior to submission should contact David Richardson (Director of WISE), or Michael Turner or Gary Craig (Associate Directors) at p.d.richardson@hull.ac.uk; m.e.turner@hull.ac.uk; and g.craig@hull.ac.uk respectively.

WISE was formally opened on 6 July 2006 by HE The President of Ghana,John Agyekum Kufuor.The patron of WISE is Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.The May 2007 conference will be the third in a sequence of four conferences with which WISE is associated between its opening and August 2007. For details of the other conferences and for information on WISE see www.hull.ac.uk/wise

Wilberforce Institute
cityventurÉ
for the study of Slavery and Emancipation
EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND

A vision for human rights and social justice in the 21st century WISE informing change

The Industrial Context of Migrant and Diasporic Cinema in Contemporary Europe
13 January 2007
Institute of Germanic & Romance Studies, University of London

The conference addresses the specificities of production, distribution and exhibition of migrant and diasporic cinema in different national and cultural contexts. Renowned filmmakers and media practitioners reflect on their professional experiences over several decades. They discuss funding and distribution, the role of festivals and transnational networks, public policy and the special characteristics of niche, crossover and global markets.

Confirmed speakers include filmmakers John Akomfrah and Abdelkrim Bahloul and producer and diversity advisor Parminder Vir, OBE.

In conjunction with the conference there will be film screenings and a Q & A session with Abdelkrim Bahloul at the Ciné Lumière, French Institute London, on 12 January 2007.

The conference is a collaborative event organised by the AHRC Research Network Migrant and Diasporic Cinema in Contemporary Europe. It is hosted by the Media Arts Department at Royal Holloway, Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds, the Institute of Germanic & Romance Studies and the French Institute in London.

Please visit the project website for further details, the conference programme and the registration form: www.migrantcinema.net, ‘Conferences and Events’.

Please contact Rosemary Lambeth at the IGRS for any queries regarding conference registration, email: IGRS@sas.ac.uk

Dr Daniela Berghahn
Reader in Film Studies
Department of Media Arts
Royal Holloway, University of London
Egham
Surrey
TW20 0EX

Dr Claudia Sternberg
School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies

University of Leeds
Old Mining Building
Leeds

West Yorkshire
LS2 9JT

AfricAvenir News are kindly sent out by Eric Van Grasdorff:

Liebe Freunde,

Am Montag, den 30. Oktober 2006 um 19:30 Uhr lädt AfricAvenir zum Dialogforum mit Prof. Dr. Tirmiziou Diallo über die “Möglichkeiten und Grenzen des Wissenschaftsdialogs zwischen Europa und Afrika” in das Haus der Demokratie und Menschenrechte.

Montag, 30. Oktober 2006, 19.30 Uhr
Haus der Demokratie und Menschenrechte
Greifswalder Straße 4, 10405 Berlin
Tramlinie M4 sowie den Buslinien 200 und 240. Haltestelle ist jeweils "Am Friedrichshain"

Als Kenner europäischer und afrikanischer Wissenschaftsbetriebe wird sich Prof. Dr. Tirmiziou Diallo in seinem Vortrag mit den Chancen und Problemen von Wissenschaftskooperationen zwischen Afrika und Europa beschäftigen. Da Kooperationen – auch im wissenschaftlichen Bereich – noch immer nicht auf “Augenhöhe” vonstatten gehen, wird er der Frage nachgehen, ob die Zusammenarbeit zwischen afrikanischen und europäischen WissenschaftlerInnen “nur” durch unzureichende Förderungsmöglichkeiten, institutionelle Zwänge und erhebliche Ungleichheiten in der universitären Infrastruktur erschwert werden oder ob nicht die Interessen und Paradigmen, welche die Zusammenarbeit zwischen europäischen und afrikanischen WissenschaftlerInnen leiten, grundsätzlich in Frage gestellt werden müssten?

Prof. Dr. Tirmiziou Diallo ist 1938 in Mamou, Republik Guinea, geboren und dort aufgewachsen. Von 1961 bis 1968 studierte er an der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität in Frankfurt/M. Soziologie (bei Horkheimer und Adorno), Politikwissenschaft, Ethnologie und Volkswirtschaft. In seiner Promotion, die er 1979 an der FU Berlin abschloss, befasste er sich mit dem Thema “Der Theokratische Fulbe-Staat ‘Fuuta Jaloo’. Beitrag zur Theorie, der Staatenbildung im West-Afrika des 17. bis 19. Jahrhunderts”.

Zwischen 1983-1986 war er als Professor an den Instituten Ethnologie und Soziologie der FU Berlin tätig, bis 2002 lehrte er am Fachbereich Gesellschaftswissenschaften der J.W. Goethe-Universität, am Institut für Völkerkunde der Philipps-Universität Marburg und an der Fachhochschule Frankfurt im Fachbereich Sozial- und Kulturwissenschaften. Nachdem er von 2003-2006 die Sozialwissenschaftliche Fakultät der Université du Sahel in Dakar, Senegal, als Dekan geleitet hat, ist er seit Juli 2006 als Gründungsrektor der Université Bah-Kann de Conakry, Guinea, tätig.

In seiner langjährigen wissenschaftlichen Arbeit beschäftigte sich Prof. Dr. Tirmiziou Diallo vor allem mit den traditionellen und modernen Strukturen und Denkformen afrikanischer Gesellschaften sowie mit Fragen des interkulturellen und interreligiösen Dialogs.

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Dear Friends!

Becca makes us aware that the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation (HFG) welcomes proposals from any of the natural and social sciences and the humanities that promise to increase understanding of the causes, manifestations, and control of violence, aggression, and dominance. Highest priority is given to research that can increase understanding and amelioration of urgent problems of violence, aggression, and dominance in the modern world.

Please see http://www.hfg.org/rg/guidelines.htm:
Particular questions that interest HFG concern violence, aggression, and dominance in relation to social change, the socialization of children, intergroup conflict, interstate warfare, crime, family relationships, and investigations of the control of aggression and violence. Research with no useful relevance to understanding human problems will not be supported, nor will proposals to investigate urgent social problems where the foundation cannot be assured that useful, sound research can be done. Priority will also be given to areas and methodologies not receiving adequate attention and support from other funding sources.
HFG awards research grants to individuals for individual projects and does not award grants to institutions for institutional programs. As discussed in the above section on "Budgeting & Taxation," individuals who receive research grants may be subject to taxation on the funds awarded, depending on locality, tax status, timing, nature of the award, and other factors.
For administrative convenience, a grantee may choose for the foundation to pay grant funds to an institution on behalf of the grantee, rather than to the grantee directly. If the grantee so directs, the grant will be administered and accounted for by the institution on behalf of the grantee in accordance with the budget prepared by the grantee and included with the application (subject to revisions approved by the foundation). Applications must clearly specify whether the funds requested will be administered through an institution or will be paid to the grantee directly. Administration of grant funds through an institution does not change the grant's tax status as a grant made to the individual researcher.
HFG ordinarily makes awards in the range of $15,000 to $30,000 a year for periods of one or two years. Applications for larger amounts and longer durations must be very strongly justified.
The original proposal should contain the budget for the entire period of the project—not to exceed three years in any case—and requests for support in future years will be limited to the amount projected for that year. All awards, however, are for one-year terms initially. Further funding of projects tentatively approved for more than one year will require annual applications for continuation and will depend upon evidence of satisfactory progress and an account of expenditures during the previous year. Any substantial change in the distribution of funds within the budget of a grant awarded must be approved in advance by the foundation.
Requests will be considered for salaries, employee benefits, research assistantships, supplies and equipment, field work, essential secretarial and technical help, and other items necessary to the successful completion of a project. The foundation does not supply funds for overhead costs of institutions, travel to professional meetings, self-education, elaborate fixed equipment, or support while completing the requirements for advanced degrees (apart from that indirectly involved in research assistantships or awarded through our Dissertation Fellowship). The foundation will not accept applications for the support of meetings and conferences or travel costs for participants
End of http://www.hfg.org/rg/guidelines.htm.

Most warmly!
Evelin

please join the peace education center for this FREE public lecture

the FINAL in our series on “educating for global peace”

EDUCATING FOR PEACE AT THE LEVEL OF OUR DEEP HUMANITY

PATRICIA MFree lecture: Educating for Peace at the Level of our Deep Humanity (Sat. Nov. 4)ISCHE
Lloyd Professor of Peace Studies and World Law, Antioch College; Visiting Professor, School of International Service, American University; Co-founder and current President, Global Education Associates

Saturday, November 4. 1-3pm
Location: The Riverside Church (room 411 MLK) Click here for directions

RSVP KINDLY REQUESTED (not required) send to: peace-ed@tc.edu

”Warfare and strife show no signs of abating. . . . if education is always to be conceived along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to be hoped from it in the bettering of humanity’s future. For what is the use of transmitting knowledge if the individual’s total development lags behind? Instead, we must take into account a psychic entity, a social personality, a new world force, innumerable in the totality of its membership, which is at present hidden and ignored” (Maria Montessori)

It is not the illiterate and unschooled who wage wars and genocide; more often it is those with rational and technical know-how who but who lack commensurate affective, ethical, and spiritual development. This presentation seeks to respond to the question: How can we awaken and facilitate learning at the level of our deep humanity? How can we nurture the understandings, wisdom, values, experience, and commitment needed to advance and sustain peace and full human development in ourselves, our children, and in our communities at local and global levels?

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PATRICIA MISCHE
Patricia M. Mische is the Lloyd Professor of Peace Studies and World Law at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. She has taught in the Peace Education Program at Teachers College Columbia University and has been a visiting professor at several universities, including Notre Dame, Georgetown, Seton Hall and American.

She is also the co-founder and President of Global Education Associates, a network of men and women in 90 countries who collaborate in research and educational programs for the advancement of ecological integrity, peace, justice, human rights, and democratic participation. Dr. Mische has conducted more than 1000 programs related to peace and world order in more than fifty countries around the world. She has also collaborated with United Nations programs, including with UNESCO's program on the Contribution of Religions to a Culture of Peace, and with UNICEF on its Education for All program in East Africa where she has been helping to develop partnerships for sustainable development involving rural women’s groups, nongovernmental organizations, and UN agencies. She serves on the Boards and Advisory Councils of a number of peace and human rights groups and was an expert consultant to former heads of government in the InterAction Council at their high-level meeting on Global Interdependence and National Sovereignty: In Search for a New World Order (Lisbon, 1990).

Dr. Mische’s numerous publications include the books: Toward a Global Civilization? The Contribution of Religions (co-edited with Melissa Merkling, Peter Lang Publishing, 2001); Ecological Security and the United Nations System: Past, Present, Future (Global Education Associates, 1998); Star Wars and the State of our Souls (Harper and Row/Winston Press, 1985); and (with Gerald Mische) Toward a Human World Order: Beyond the National Security Straitjacket (Paulist Press, 1977). She has also published more than 100 articles and chapters in periodicals and books on topics related to peace, social justice, economic development, human rights, and ecological security. She is currently working on a book on global citizenship with the help of a Rockefeller grant.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION on this SPEAKER SERIES
CONTACT THE PEACE EDUCATION CENTER at TEACHERS COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Web: www.tc.edu/PeaceEd email: peace-ed@tc.edu Tel: 212.678.8116

Dear Friend!

Evelin

Vous trouverez une version française en bas de ce message

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UNESCO and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will officially launch a joint project on immigration history and memory on 23 October next, in Rome, Italy. The launch will take place during a meeting of representatives of several countries that already have museums on the history of immigration and migration, as well as representatives of countries who hope to do so.

While coping with the influx of immigrants and the issue of integration of immigrant populations are topics frequently hitting the headlines, UNESCO and the IOM have decided to work together to promote exchange of information and experiences on the history of immigration and the memories of migrants, notably through helping to set up and develop museums in receiving countries. This kind of museum would, in particular, help collect, safeguard, highlight and make accessible to the general public certain elements relating to the history and culture of immigration, and to the process of integration of migrant communities.

The first stage of the UNESCO-IOM project will be a meeting of experts and representatives of around ten receiving countries, to foster exchange of information and experience. The meeting will take place in Rome, Italy, from 23 to 25 October 2006, at the Headquarters of the Italian National Commission for UNESCO. Attending the meeting and sharing information and experiences will be experts from Australia, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The meeting will provide an opportunity to look at the current status of existing museums and museum-related plans in progress. It will set up an international network of specialists, including representatives of existing migration museums, receiving countries wishing to have such museums, as well as the main immigrant communities, and representatives from the world of education and science.

Following the meeting, UNESCO's and IOM's respective websites will open up a virtual space to discuss the topics dealt with at the meeting and provide a discussion platform for the new network.

For more details on this project:
www.unesco.org/migration

Paul de Guchteneire, Chief of International Migrations and Multicultural Policies Section, p.deguchteneire@unesco.org
Antoine Pecoud, Programme Specialist, a.pecoud@unesco.org

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L'UNESCO et l'Organisation internationale pour les Migrations lancent une initiative sur les musées des migrations

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Un projet commun de l'UNESCO et de l'Organisation internationale pour les Migrations (OIM) sur l'histoire et la mémoire de l'immigration sera officiellement lancé à Rome (Italie) le 23 octobre prochain, au cours d'une rencontre qui réunira des représentants de plusieurs pays ayant déjà créé des musées sur l'histoire de l'immigration et des migrations, et d'autres désireux de le faire.

Alors que la gestion des flux migratoires et la question de l'intégration des populations immigrées font régulièrement la une de l'actualité, l'UNESCO et l'OIM ont décidé de travailler ensemble pour favoriser les échanges d'informations et d'expériences sur l'histoire de l'immigration et la mémoire des migrants, en contribuant notamment à la création et au développement de musées dans les pays d'accueil. De tels musées pourraient, en particulier, contribuer à rassembler, sauvegarder, mettre en valeur et rendre accessibles les éléments relatifs à l'histoire et aux cultures de l'immigration, ainsi qu'aux parcours d'intégration des communautés migrantes.

Constituant la première étape de cette collaboration, une rencontre d'experts internationaux se tiendra à Rome (Italie), du 23 au 25 octobre 2006, au Siège de la Commission nationale italienne auprès de l'UNESCO. Elle réunira des experts d'Allemagne, d'Australie, du Brésil, du Danemark, d'Espagne, de France, d'Israël, d'Italie, des Pays-Bas, du Portugal, du Royaume-Uni, de Suède, et de Suisse, qui partageront informations et expériences.

Cette rencontre sera l'occasion de dresser un premier « état des lieux » des musées existants et des projets muséographiques en cours. Elle aboutira à la création d'un réseau international de spécialistes, incluant les représentants des musées des migrations déjà existants, des pays d'accueil désireux de fonder des musées équivalents, ainsi que les principales communautés d'immigrés, et des représentants du monde scientifique et éducatif.

Dans le prolongement de cette réunion, un espace virtuel sera créé sur les sites web de l'UNESCO et de l'OIM.

Pour plus de détails sur ce projet :
www.unesco.org/migration

Paul de Guchteneire, Chef de la Section Migrations internationales et politiques multiculturelles, p.deguchteneire@unesco.org
Antoine Pecoud, Spécialiste du programme, a.pecoud@unesco.org

Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH)
for constructive & vibrant Muslim-Western relations
17 - 23 October 2006

The Common Ground News Service – Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH) aims to promote constructive perspectives and dialogue about Muslim–Western relations. CGNews-PiH is available in Arabic, English, French and Indonesian.
For an archive of past CGNews articles and other information, please visit our website at www.commongroundnews.org
Unless otherwise noted, copyright permission has been obtained and articles may be reprinted by any news outlet or publication. Please acknowledge both the original source and the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Inside this edition

1) by Faiz Khan
In this sixth and last article in a series on religious revivalism and Muslim—Western relations, Faiz Khan, a Muslim scholar and educator as well as an M.D., outlines some of the underlying relationships and similarities between the “Muslim world” and the West: “…there are underlying relationships between these supposed separate worlds that exist in the basic foundations of their cultures”. He further concludes that, “All humans – be they theocentric or theophobic — desire to spend their time on this earth with their rights secured, free to enjoy their pursuits within a peaceful and ordered society.”
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 17 October 2006)

2) by Asma Afsaruddin
Asma Afsaruddin, author and associate professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Notre Dame, looks at the relationship between faith and reason in Islam in response to Pope Benedict XVI’s Regensburg call for dialogue. While clarifying the historical as well as predominant views in Islam on the issue, she warns that “There is a danger, however, when anyone argues that their own religion and civilisation had/has a monopoly on reason and had/has effected the best synthesis between faith and reason.” She concludes, “The key to getting along with one another is, therefore, to learn the truth about one another and avoid trading in pernicious stereotypes.”
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 17 October 2006)

3) by Rehan Rafay Jamil
Identifying opportunities for diplomatic manoeuvring between the United States and Iran, Rehan Rafay Jamil, a senior at Oberlin College, gives us a quick glimpse into another side of Iran than the “scowling mullah” and women in chador seen on American media, and talks about a time when Iranian-U.S. relations were less strained. “Fostering relations between American and Iranian civil society through renewed educational and cultural exchanges is one important step in the right direction…the time for Americans and Iranians to talk is now.”
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 17 October 2006)

4) by Julia Suryakusuma
Julia Suryakusuma, an Indonesian author, writes from a personal perspective about how the diversity of Indonesia’s Muslim community is not reflected in attempts by some in government to impose the head-scarf on women. “The tragedy of these repeated attempts to create one-size-fits-all Indonesians is that it just doesn't jibe with the social reality of Indonesia, which is way too complex to be contained in small rigid boxes.”
(Source: Jakarta Post, 11 October 2006)

5) by John Ferguson
John Ferguson, executive director of American Voices, finds an innovative way to engage in Muslim-Western dialogue through music. “Through artistic dialogue, we can lead one another out of the gathering darkness of mutual distrust. The possibilities for this type of exchange are endless, and Americans, more than any others, have the means and the imperative to continue the communication.”
(Source: Christian Science Monitor, 10 October 2006)
   

1) Religion as a common denominator
Faiz Khan

Hershey, Pennsylvania — The West and the Muslim world are multi—faceted, multi—cultural, and multi—religious realms despite the narrow way they are often viewed and defined. There are millions of Muslims in the West, and there are millions of individuals of other faith traditions in the “Muslim world”; there are underlying relationships between these supposed separate worlds that exist in the basic foundations of their cultures; and the continual resurgence of religiosity is at the heart of both of our cultures and is seen throughout our histories.

The goal of religiosity is piety, and a temporal consequence of piety is the insistent turning of the individual and collectivity toward those values and ethics that are universally cherished by all human beings. Given this relationship between piety and time—honoured ethics and values, anyone of goodwill, Western or not, should feel encouraged by that facet of Islamic doctrine that supports the cultivation of piety through religious practice, which elicits from its practitioner an inter—human ethic also shared by the Judeo—Christian, Hindu, Parsi and Buddhist traditions.

Therefore, similarities between cultures can be found in the religious and theocentric realm. Even seemingly clashing cultures can find common ground here. American heritage has a strong theocentric basis. I recall, as a school—child, reciting daily “one nation, under God indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”, as taught by the American Pledge of Allegiance. This idea is precisely Qur’anic. Moreover, the sense that executive, legislative and judiciary institutions must be parochially neutral while at the same time acknowledging divinity and cultivating piety and sanctity, no matter what the outward form (be it Christian or Buddhist or Islamic, etc), is in keeping with the operational understanding of governance as derived from Qur’anic principles. These principles were elaborated on and lived by Muhammad and his apostles.

Though similarities can be drawn, the East has kept theocentric principals closer to the surface of its cultures, while the West continually supports a more secular culture. There is very little the “Muslim World” needs to learn ideologically from the modern West. The making of ideologically—sound governance and society lies in the application of it’s the East’s own shari‘a, a code of law defined by the Qur’an that embraces pluralism. Whether this element of the shari‘a is represented, fostered and supported by the dominant domestic or transnational geopolitical power—brokers is an entirely different issue.

The brand of Western—based secular humanism which views public expressions of faith or mention of God as a malignant imposition of religion is repugnant to the Islamic paradigm. Regardless, a Muslim in the West is still expected to abide by the mores and legal precedents of their locale. Taking a hyperbolic example, if, through due process, it is decided that religion or mention of God is to be a purely private matter, the Muslim, by the mandate of the ethic dictated by shari‘a, needs to comply, or find somewhere else to live.

In the Muslim world, like in the rest of the third world, there exists an imposition of Western, corporate client regimes and aristocracy through the use of covert and overt war operations. With self—determination undermined, the ensuing harmful socio—political and economic consequences cause many segments of the population to naturally feel deeply violated. When these “Muslim world” populations express themselves intellectually and verbally against very real injustices, they do so in the phraseology and intellectual paradigm of a shari‘a—ethic that promises them their rights to life, liberty, property, security and fair distribution of wealth and opportunity. The shari‘a has its basis in religion, hence, religious revivalism in this context is analogous to an American demanding their “Constitutional Rights” in the face of socio—political and financial victimisation. The various reactionary movements have their basis in this dynamic. The relationships between the actual operations and crimes attributed to these various movements on the one hand, and the transnational corporate or Western agendas on the other, needs further scrutiny.

Religion, when practiced authentically, by definition builds bridges amongst its practitioners, no matter what the brand of their respective religions. The Qur’an explicitly addresses this phenomenon in many instances. One of the most dangerously flawed theses (which even well meaning religionists fall prey to) is the thesis that there is something within authentic religion (no matter what form) that is central in causing conflict along religiously parochial lines. This is like claiming that there is something inherent in the existence of a plurality of races/ethnicities that causes sectarian conflict in that arena.

Religious bigotry, racial bigotry, ethnic bigotry or any other bigotry is by definition a psychological perversion. Although religion, race and ethnicity are semantically linked to their respective bigotries in an existential manner, they are not causative. A pious Jew, Christian or Muslim will ideologically behave in the same manner when it comes to inter—personal ethics. The modalities of worship may differ – but the treatment by a pious Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Parsi or Buddhist person toward their fellow man will be the same.

All humans – be they theocentric or theophobic — desire to spend their time on this earth with their rights secured, free to enjoy their pursuits within a peaceful and ordered society. This is the common bridge between religionists and non—religionists. There is an underlying commonality that exists in the humanity of the peoples, the cultures and the religions of this world. A massive public campaign must be waged which supports tearing down the barriers between our “two worlds”. Honest journalism must be encouraged and cultural education and understanding must be promoted. It’s time that we stop looking for differences and start paying attention to the similarities.

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* Faiz Khan is a Muslim scholar and educator as well as an M.D. with a dual specialty in emergency and internal medicine. He is also a co—founder of MUJCA—NET, the Muslim—Jewish—Christian Alliance for 9/11 Truth. This is the sixth of six articles in a series on religious revivalism and Muslim—Western relations commissioned by the Common Ground News Service (www.commongroundnews.org).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 17 October 2006, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

2) Faith & reason in Islam
Asma Afsaruddin

Notre Dame, Indiana - In the wake of Pope Benedict XVI’s Regensburg address, it is useful to recapitulate the views of a tenth century Muslim historian by the name of al-Mas‘udi (d. 956) on the relationship between faith and reason, which are particularly pertinent today.

In a famous historical work, al-Mas‘udi maintained that the Byzantine Christians of his time had gone into a civilisational decline because they had rejected the pagan Greek sciences as basically incompatible with Christianity, whereas Muslim civilisation was prospering because it had successfully assimilated the learning of the ancients and continued to build on it. In other words, it was the Muslims who had successfully blended faith with reason and had thus left the Christians behind. As such, it is highly ironic that Pope Benedict would use the words of a fourteenth century Byzantine emperor to redirect the same accusation at Muslims in the twenty-first century.

In al-Mas‘udi’s day, the great translation movement which had started in Baghdad in the ninth century was bearing rich fruit, making Greek philosophical texts accessible to Arabic-speaking Muslims and effecting a genuine intellectual revolution in the Islamic world. In this period, Muslims displayed a remarkable receptivity towards knowledge and learning, regardless of its source. Persian works of literature and philosophy and Indian treatises on mathematics were also translated and studied alongside Greek works. Some of the best-known philosophers of the medieval period – Avicenna, Averroes, al-Farabi – were Muslims, and their thought was influential in medieval Europe as well. Without this intellectual and cultural legacy that was transmitted to Europe from the Islamic world, there may well have been no European Renaissance!

Pope Benedict’s statements, therefore, unfortunately point to a basic lack of knowledge about this organic continuity between the learning of the pre-modern Islamic world and that of the post-Renaissance West. He is not alone in this. Many otherwise highly-educated Westerners (and Muslims as well) are often quite ignorant of these historical connections. There are rejectionist Muslims today who would deny that Islamic thought and learning has in any way been influenced by non-Islamic sources. They too need to acquire a more accurate knowledge of the historical inter-connectedness between the West and the Muslim world. This is why so many find the “clash of civilisations” thesis credible today.

There is a danger, however, when anyone argues that their own religion and civilisation had/has a monopoly on reason and had/has effected the best synthesis between faith and reason. Such triumphalism is a serious impediment to dialogue and for any kind of sustained civil discourse. If dialogue is what the Pope is after, setting up a reified Islam as a straw man in order to posit the superiority of Western civilisation and its supposedly unique values is a non-starter. Dialogue is better-served through the humble acknowledgment of commonalities, of one’s own sins and of one’s connectedness to the other.

To set the record straight on a number of points raised by the pontiff in relation to Islam, it is important to point out that Muslims through time have subscribed to a spectrum of views on the dialectical relationship between faith and reason. Two main trends remain influential within Sunni Muslim thought today. One is represented by the Ash‘ari school of thought and is fideistic so that faith or revelation always trumps reason. The other is represented by the Maturidi school of thought which holds that reason independently of revelation can arrive at the same truths. Both schools of thought are considered equally “orthodox” within Sunni Islam, with Maturidi thought gaining ground. The Mu‘tazila (known as the Rationalists) in an earlier period claimed that there was no incompatibility between faith and reason and the Shi‘a have also historically emphasised the rational basis of their school of thought. One cannot, therefore, simplistically and reductively portray Islam as preferring one over the other i.e faith over reason or vice versa, nor can one portray Christianity, or perhaps any other faith tradition, in this manner either.

The key to getting along with one another is, therefore, to learn the truth about one another and avoid trading in pernicious stereotypes. In fact, Professor Richard Bulliet of Columbia University has recently coined the term “Islamo-Christian civilisation” to describe our shared heritage. This is a term and concept that deserves to gain broader currency.

To address the deteriorating world situation today and the problem of ostensibly religious extremism, we have to make the eradication of global poverty and promotion of the dignity of ordinary human beings a top priority. We have to reinsert moral and ethical values in the public sphere and in international diplomacy, and hold our leaders accountable to such values. This would be the best way to undermine extremist platforms which feed off the grievances of the poor and the powerless. It is on such common ground, constructed on universal ethical principles, that diverse groups of people, faith-based and secular, can come together.

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* Asma Afsaruddin is associate professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Notre Dame and author of the forthcoming The First Muslims: History and Memory (Oxford: OneWorld, 2007). This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 17 October 2006, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

3) ~YOUTH VIEWS~ Understanding Iran
Rehan Rafay Jamil

Oberlin, Ohio - The latest standoff between the United States and Iran over the country’s nuclear program highlights how estranged the two countries have become in recent decades. From an American point of view, the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iranian state could dramatically change the balance of power in the Middle East and lead to a decline in its own influence in the region. On the other hand, for most Iranians the pursuit of nuclear technology for both civilian and military applications represents a national right directly linked to the country’s growing economic needs as well as the desire to protect itself in an increasingly hostile international climate.

The current standoff leaves very little room for diplomatic manoeuvring as both governments seem equally adamant not to compromise. The stakes are high as a conflict with Iran could potentially have serious implications not just for global oil prices but also for the stability of the wider Middle East region. In this respect, understanding the complexities and internal dynamics of Iranian society -- a country routinely vilified in the American media, which never shows more of it than scowling mullahs and women covered in the amorphous chador chanting anti-American slogans -- is essential to formulating any effective U.S. policy in the Middle East. .

Washington and Tehran have always had a complex and tumultuous relationship, but there was a time when their relations were not so strained. It is worth remembering that less than three decades ago, Iran was the United States’s leading ally in the Middle East and was viewed as a force for stability and economic modernisation in the region. All that dramatically changed in 1979, when the populist Islamic revolution overthrew the government of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, ending three thousand years of Persian monarchy and ushering in the first Islamist theological government of modern times, headed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The U.S. government’s longstanding support of the Shah in spite of his appalling human rights record and anti-democratic style of government had led to widespread resentment of U.S. policies by many Iranians.

After the Iranian revolution of 1979, the United States imposed three decades of economic and political isolation on Iran. The unwillingness of successive American governments to engage with the Iranian regime has come at a substantial price, which includes the election of the hard-line candidate, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as President.

The failure of the reformist government of former president Khatami to deliver on its political and economic pledges undoubtedly played a major role in swinging popular support in favour of Ahmadinejad. His rise to power on an explicitly populist and nationalist campaign coincided with renewed U.S. pressures for Iran to curb its nuclear program and open it up to international inspections. Moreover, over time the U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq has led many in the Iranian establishment to suspect the United States of pursuing a policy of military encirclement, and mounting international pressure against Iran’s nuclear program has helped bolster Ahmadinejad’s political support at home. The President has used every opportunity to portray himself as an Iranian and Muslim nationalist fending off American aggression, a stance that has won him popular support not just among Iranians but also in the wider Muslim world.

Iran’s growing regional strength was most vividly demonstrated this summer when its long time proxy, the Lebanese militia and political party Hezbollah, managed to secure a major political victory in the face of a sustained Israeli military campaign aimed at wiping out the group. Israel’s military offensive resulted in scores of Lebanese civilian deaths and immense damage to the country’s infrastructure, but Hezbollah itself has remained intact. The Iranian regime also has close ties to the Shi‘a-dominated government in Iraq -- many of whose members were in exile in Iran during the worst days of Saddam Hussein’s tyrannical rule -- as well as the recently elected Hamas government in the Palestinian territories. For many analysts, Iran’s most potent weapon of mass destruction is its ability to use terror to undermine the region’s stability and increase tensions between Israel and its neighbours.

Yet modern Iran is a society of many fascinating contradictions. It is the first country in the region to have an Islamic revolution but is also the country with the oldest home-grown struggle for a constitutionally-based government, with roots that extend back to 1911. The Islamic revolution of 1979 mandated that women wear veils in public, yet Iranian women are among the most highly educated in the Middle East. It is estimated that well over half of university students in Iran are female. And, despite certain institutional restrictions, they take part in almost every aspect of public life, and can even be elected to Iran’s parliament.

To be sure, the present Iranian regime continues to violate human rights, such as freedom of expression and association. Independent newspapers are routinely closed down, and political dissidents are frequently jailed for voicing criticisms of the government. U.S. policy towards Iran must precariously balance the need for creating incentives for the Iranian regime to enter into a serious dialogue over its nuclear program while at the same time not appearing to be appeasing the Iranian regime.

Fostering relations between American and Iranian civil society through renewed educational and cultural exchanges is one important step in the right direction. In the long run, U.S. interests are best served by those Iranians who are genuinely struggling for political reform in their own country and for better relations with the West. Taking a confrontational position against Iran with the implicit threat of possible military action will only further exacerbate already inflamed Muslim sentiment against the United States and embolden the hard-line elements with the Iranian polity. The time for Americans and Iranians to talk is now.

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* Rehan Rafay Jamil is a senior at Oberlin College where he is majoring in History and Politics. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 17 October 2006, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

4) Sexypants and headscarf: when minds and spirits meet
Julia Suryakusuma

Jakarta - "The more things change, the more they remain the same." It was a Frenchman who first said that, but it could have been an Indonesian. Reformasi was a reaction to the New Order but in many ways it has become just a continuation of it -- sometimes in reverse.

The New Order, for example, was infamous for its efforts to impose uniformity. Today, eight years after Soeharto resigned, the new elites in our local governments are at it again, this time using Islam-inspired by-laws to impose conformity. Now it's not quasi-military uniforms but the jilbab (head-scarf) and "Muslim attire" that women are being forced to wear. And just like the New Order, even when it's not forced, there is pressure to comply. So-called "Muslim fashion" has become a new "uniform" imposed by a new bunch of authoritarians.

The tragedy of these repeated attempts to create one-size-fits-all Indonesians is that it just doesn't jibe with the social reality of Indonesia, which is way too complex to be contained in small rigid boxes. It's like trying to fit an elephant into a shoebox. No matter what the authorities do, people are not what they wear, and clothes conceal as much as they reveal.

Take me and one of my best friends, for example. People are puzzled by our friendship, because on the surface we are so different. Let's start with physical appearance. I am 1.72 metres tall and at 1.53 Neng is, well, petite. I wear make-up and jewellery but Neng never does. Sometimes my husband Tim calls me "sexypants" because I like to dress up and wear figure-hugging clothes. Neng dresses in modest, loose-fitting trousers and tops, in plain colours. She has short hair that she covers with a jilbab. Mine comes down almost to my waist and is never covered. Together, we really are the odd couple!

Neng says that wearing a jilbab makes her easily accepted in Muslim communities when she does grassroots gender training, gives seminars or attends Qur’anic recitals and other religious meetings. It's also part of her cultural background, since she hails from the Islamic stronghold of Labuan, Banten, and comes from a strong pesantren (Islamic boarding school) tradition. So she's used to wearing it and feels comfortable in it. Like me in my tank tops.

Neng's father is a landowner, a farmer, who only had an elementary school education. Despite this, he was an enlightened man. A kyai (religious leader), he believed strongly in education, establishing schools and even a university in Labuan. He urged his children to pursue their education to the university level. Today, four out of five of them are graduates. Neng herself earned a degree in comparative religion from Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University and a postgraduate degree in sociology from the University of Indonesia.

Ironically, while I come from an international, diplomatic background and my parents, who are also from West Java, lived in a more secular world, they never stressed education. My father would have been happy for me to be a secretary, an interpreter or a flight attendant (what a disaster that would have been!). Luckily, my parents come from a part of West Java that has always been a source of rebellion -- including the militant Islamic group Darul Islam! - and it seems I have inherited some of those genes. My rebellion, however, took the form of getting an education despite my parents and pursuing an intellectual jihad, rather than a bombing-people-we-don't-like jihad.

So Neng and I are two very different West Javanese Muslims. We may sometimes speak to each other in Sundanese, but it is not culture and ethnicity that makes us close; it's intellectual and spiritual connections. We share an appetite for knowledge and a belief in democracy, which despite its shortcomings is better than authoritarianism, religious or otherwise. And we belong to the same mutual admiration club!

I admire Neng for many things, including her understanding of Islam, both as scripture and practice. I admire the fact that because of her village origins and her academic achievements, she can straddle two Indonesian worlds, mediating and interpreting between the theoretical and the empirical. And I admire her role as one of the heads of the Fatayat NU, the women's wing of Nahdlatul Ulama, dedicated to empowering Muslim women in the villages.

Most of all, I admire Neng because it was through her that I first felt the beauty of Islam, especially its spirituality and subtle complexity in the Indonesian context. She believes that Islamic fundamentalism is "desert Islam", and inimical to Indonesia. She dreams of an Islam that is open, even to people with differing backgrounds, views and ways. This is why she says she can be close to me. If others see me merely as intellectual and sensual person, she sees the spiritual and even ascetic in me. Most of all, she admires my attitude of surrendering everything to God, which she says is the essence of Islam.

Could anyone perceive any of this if they saw us standing together? Could anyone guess that two Indonesians so different in appearance hold the top positions in each other's fan clubs? Would they even guess we share the same religion?

One thing I know for certain is that the narrow-minded men in Islamic outfits who drafted the by-laws that force women to wear the jilbab couldn't guess and probably couldn't care less either. And that makes them no different from the narrow-minded men in military uniforms who drafted the rules banning the jilbab under the New Order.

The only difference is that this time we voted for them -- and hopefully we'll vote them out one day!

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* Julia Suryakusuma is the author of Sex, Power and Nation. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Jakarta Post, 11 October 2006, www.thejakartapost.com
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

5) To build harmony, trumpet America's melody
John Ferguson

Bangkok – On Sept. 12, 2001, American culture suddenly became a premium export product. The attack that was both a tragedy and an awakening for our nation propelled my small non-profit organisation, American Voices, into overdrive and onto the stages of Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Almaty, Kazakhstan; and Beirut, Lebanon. Our mission is to bring American musicians and culture to parts of the world emerging from isolation or conflict. Overnight, we transformed from a quaint endeavour in the cold war's aftermath to an essential tool in communicating who we are as a people and as a nation.

I moved to Europe in 1989 to pursue my career as a concert pianist. Immediately, I was drawn into an exciting cultural dialogue with the newly open societies of Eastern Europe and the former USSR.

American Voices worked closely with the United States Information Agency (USIA) to provide performances and expertise. We also donated music scores and educational materials of American genres such as musical theatre, country, ragtime, jazz, blues and opera.

The intense dialogue of the early 1990s gradually slowed to a halt as Congress put an end to the USIA in 1999 with the rationale that we had "won the cold war." The short-sightedness of this decision became glaringly apparent as we woke to new realities and responsibilities in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks.

As one of the few US arts organisations with extensive experience in the Middle East and Central Asia, American Voices was able to respond nimbly to the new challenges of communicating American culture and values abroad. Within months of the disaster, we were organising jazz festivals, Broadway shows and opera performances with Azerbaijanis, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Lebanese and Omani.

The culmination of these efforts was our Jazz Bridges Afghanistan project last October - the first concert of American music for an Afghan audience in more than 25 years. It was a heart-warming week in which we brought a quartet of jazz musicians together with five traditional Afghan musicians and an Afghan pop trio. Our concerts had the Afghan audience dancing in the aisles, and these joyous images were broadcast nationwide by radio and TV. This project will start to reach a wider audience in the West through our upcoming concerts in February 2007 at the festival of Muslim cultures in London.

After an initial surge of support from Congress and the White House in 2002, funding for cultural diplomacy has again run out of steam. However, the need to communicate our vision and values as a nation has never been more urgent. Given the huge audiences American cultural programs draw, the glee local media take in broadcasting our interactive performances and the tiny fraction of the federal government's budget that these programs cost, exporting our culture is cost-effective over the long term in promoting mutual understanding and, therefore, security.

Our culture is powerful. The musical art forms that America built grew from the intermingling of our myriad ethnic and folk traditions. They are among the best ways we have to communicate the best of what we are as a nation to the rest of the world.

It might be a stretch, but try for a moment to imagine the hope and inspiration a Broadway show, blues festival, break-dancing workshop or concert can bring to an entire nation emerging from isolation or conflict.

A frequent comment from Afghans who saw the performance in Kabul was, "Your concert makes us feel normal again." If you factor in local musicians performing these genres together with a handful of American soloists or, better yet, fusing their traditional music with ours, it becomes especially powerful.

There is still a deep well of appreciation for our culture and ideals. It would be wise public policy to nurture this appreciation. Through artistic dialogue, we can lead one another out of the gathering darkness of mutual distrust. The possibilities for this type of exchange are endless, and Americans, more than any others, have the means and the imperative to continue the communication.

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* John Ferguson is executive director of American Voices, a non-profit organisation based in Houston that brings American cultural diplomacy to more than 80 countries worldwide. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Christian Science Monitor, 10 October 2006, www.csmonitor.com
Copyright (c) The Christian Science Monitor.
For reprint permission please contact lawrenced@csps.com.

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Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH)
for constructive & vibrant Muslim-Western relations
24 - 30 October 2006

The Common Ground News Service – Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH) aims to promote constructive perspectives and dialogue about Muslim–Western relations. CGNews-PiH is available in Arabic, English, French and Indonesian.
For an archive of past CGNews articles and other information, please visit our website at www.commongroundnews.org
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Inside this edition

1) by Mehlaqa Samdani
Freelance writer, Mehlaqa Samdani, considers the role that the Muslim world and the West can play jointly when it comes to mitigating sectarian conflict in Iraq. Highlighting some of the major players in Iraq and those who have the ability to sway public opinion, the writer outlines a list of actions that they can take to encourage inter-sectarian cooperation and explains how the West can support these efforts.
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 23 October, 2006)

2) by Chinki Sinha
Chinki Sinha, a New York-based writer who grew up in India, describes her visit to a madrasa in Massachusetts. Setting the stage with a brief history of Islamic schools and the stereotypes that they face, she gives her candid impressions of the young students who attend this school as she recounts her “interview” with them.
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 23 October, 2006)

3) by Radwan Masmoudi
In this interview published in the Charlotte Observer, college professors Paul Kengor and Michael Coulter ask Radwan Masmoudi, founder of the Washington-based Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, tough questions about democracy, shari‘a and the Muslim world. Do Muslims want democracy? Is it possible in Iran? In Iraq? What elements of Islam could be considered “liberal”?
(Source: Charlotte Observer, 6 October, 2006)

4) by Salama A Salama
Salama A Salama, a regular contributor to Al Ahram, comments on the niqab, the full veil that some Muslim women wear to conceal their faces. Rather than leaving the issue to politics or religion, the writer suggests that we take the discussion to those women who choose to wear it.
(Source: Al Ahram, 19-25 October 2006)

5) by Scott Peterson
Scott Peterson, staff writer for the Christian Science Monitor, considers what France’s decision to make denying the Armenian genocide a criminal act means both for Turkey’s EU bid and for freedom of speech. Orhan Pamuk, a Turkish Nobel Prize winner previously charged for “denigrating” Turkey when he spoke of the Armenians killed during WWI, claims "What I said is not an insult, it is the truth. But what if it is wrong? Right or wrong, do people not have the right express their ideas peacefully?"
(Source: Christian Science Monitor, 13 October 2006)

1) An Islamic-Western alliance against sectarianism in Iraq
Mehlaqa Samdani

Pittsfield, Massachusetts - At a time when the Muslim and Western worlds seem to be drifting apart, alleviating the sectarian conflict in Iraq presents a unique opportunity for both camps to work together and achieve a common goal. A coordinated effort between Muslim civil society actors and Western groups would not only serve to bridge the sectarian divide in Iraq but could also begin to heal the growing mistrust between the Muslim world and the West.

Last week, the Organization of the Islamic Conference held a meeting of Iraqi Shiite and Sunni ulema who painstakingly produced an eight-point declaration known as the Mecca Document. The document aims to bridge the sectarian divide in Iraq by forbidding Shiites and Sunnis from killing each other. This is the first real initiative undertaken by the Muslim world to stop sectarian violence in Iraq. However, it must not be the last and should be supplemented with civil society initiatives.

The meeting in Mecca should be followed up with the creation of a forum of Iraqi Shiite and Sunni ulema with the primary responsibility of issuing counter-fatwas to the inflammatory rhetoric of Zarqawi’s successor, Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir. Every statement issued by extremists referring to Shias as grandsons of Ibn Al-Alqami (the Shia vizir who was complicit in the Mongol invasion of Baghdad in 1258) and sanctioning violence against them should be discredited by the forum with quotes from the Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad that urge unity among the ummah (the Muslim nation).

The ulema, the real “power-brokers” in Iraq, have a vital role to play -- their authority and influence among the populace far exceeds that of the government. Had it not been for the efforts of spiritual leader, Ayatollah Sistani, Iraq would have descended into civil war a long time ago. Despite repeated provocations from Sunni militias he has urged restraint among his followers.

The Mecca meeting and the resulting declaration should be widely publicised in Friday sermons, and media outlets in Iraq should use it as an opportunity to initiate nationwide dialogues between moderate Shiite and Sunni ulema.

The OIC should also coordinate with former Iranian president, Mohammad Khatami, who heads the International Center for Dialogue based in Geneva. OIC member states and Western donors should provide funding to the Center and sponsor Shia-Sunni peace camps for Iraqi students following the Seeds of Peace model. Conflict resolution practitioners from the United States and Europe should be invited to conduct peace workshops where young Iraqis are taught non-adversarial means to address conflict and given the opportunity to deconstruct the dehumanising stereotypes they have developed for each other.

The Mecca Document should also form the basis of addressing the larger theological divide between the two sects.

Historically, theologians have made attempts at reconciliation. The most prominent initiative took place in Cairo in 1946 with the formation of Jamat al Taqrib (The Group of Rapprochement). The group aimed to unify the various schools of Islamic thought and to legitimize the Shiite legal code as a separate school of jurisprudence. In 1959, Mohammad Shaltut, the head of the renowned Islamic University of Al-Azhar recognised Twelver Shiism as a separate school and passed a fatwa endorsing it. The Jamat al Taqrib, however, eventually came under attack by Sunni extremist groups and ended in 1972. The OIC should attempt to revive the process by establishing a new generation of theologians committed to the same goal in Iraq and elsewhere in the Muslim world.

Development organisations in Iraq can also serve to mitigate sectarian strife. Muslim groups such as Islamic Relief and Muslim Aid should institute joint development programmess for Shiites and Sunnis, disbursing additional funds to communities where the two sects agree to work together. Whether formulating public works programmes or small income generation projects, the underlying principle during implementation should be the inclusion of both sects.

Western involvement with these initiatives must come in the form of security assistance. Coalition forces in Iraq have a critical role in extending protection to the various peace initiatives mentioned above. Development organizations, media outlets and other civil society actors have repeatedly been targeted and need protection to function effectively. Coalition troops should therefore provide additional security to these civil society actors so as to increase the former’s credibility and popularity among the local population.

Western governments should also publicly laud the civil society effort to end sectarian conflict in Iraq and pledge their support through a donor’s conference. Since civil society initiatives cost relatively little, Western governments should have no trouble coming up with the required funds while at the same time greatly improving their image among ordinary Iraqis and the wider Muslim world.

All eyes are on Prime Minister Nour Al Maliki’s peace plan to unite sectarian political parties in his government. In order for the plan to find popular acceptance, it must be supplemented with simultaneous peace initiatives at the grassroots level. An effective strategy consisting of Western groups and Islamic civil society actors could go a long way toward developing the next generation of Iraqis who will be able to resist the incendiary behaviour of extremist political and religious groups.

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* Mehlaqa Samdani is a free-lance writer based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 23 October 2006, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

2) ~YOUTH VIEWS~ Meeting the students of an American madrasa
Chinki Sinha

Syracuse, New York - About a five-minute walk away from Mansfield station in Massachusetts lays an old structure. It is a church, at least on the outside. The cross on the top looks dismembered with just one beam pointing upwards, the horizontal shaft missing. A small board on the wall identifies it as Al-Noor Academy. A tiny green-collared flag with Arabic letters on it peeps out of one of the windows on the side of the building. A crescent moon, which looks out of place and context, stands at the top of the entrance. There are no minarets, no pronounced external symbols. There is nothing to tell passers-by that this is an Islamic school.

Al-Noor means “light” in Arabic, sometimes used to denote “truth” as in the expression, “to see the light”. The school is the only Islamic high school in Massachusetts. Founded in September 2000, it has around 75 full-time students. Students come from as far as Rhode Island and Dorchester, travelling for more than an hour to attend school.

Often the term used for Islamic schools is madrasa, which is an Arabic term for school also used in other languages, such as Urdu. It can well be called Al-Noor Madrasa, says one of the founders, Dr. Saeed Shahzad.

Madrasas have existed since the 11th century when Nizamiyah, a learning centre, was established in Baghdad. Mostly residential and providing free food and lodging to students, they taught religion and prepared scholars to interpret the shari‘a (Islamic law) and Hadith (the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad).

More recently, the madrasas in South Asia, particularly Pakistan and Afghanistan, have come under a lot of fire from the media for promoting terrorism. Mullah Mohammed Omar, a student of Pakistani madrasa Darul Uloom Haqqania, led the Taliban regime in Afghanistan in the 1960s. Given this difficult reputation, I wonder what the students at Al Noor will be like.

Once inside the school, I pull my head-scarf lower to cover any strands of hair on my face. When Robert Mond, the principal of the school, comes in, he asks if I want to attend a class. The social science class is just starting. The 10th grade girls in this class seem curious about me.

They are doing presentations on Japan today. One girl starts the presentation and after the lights are dimmed, I look around. I look at the map on the wall, trying to see if Israel is part of their world. It is.

The girls want to talk to me. So, after class we go sit in an empty classroom. They sit around me, three of them. There are hardcover Arabic books on the desks. Perhaps this is where they have the Arabic class.

Sono Ghori, Zainab Mehtar and Fatimah Mahdee are all too eager to talk, sometimes cutting each other off. They love their hijab, their religion and America too. This is where they were born. America is their home. Even though fitting in is difficult. Sono, 14, has been called names at times: “Are you Osama’s daughter or wife?”

Sono took up the hijab when she was very young. Her mother doesn’t wear it. But she does not stop her daughter from wearing it. She has big eyes, which light up when she speaks. Covered from head to toe in a blue gown with a matching hijab, she is born to Pakistani immigrants. She tells me how she wants to be a lawyer and change the politics of America, her country. And yes, she knows Israel exists. “I love America but there are certain things…”, she says, her voice fading off.

Sono thinks if she had gone to a public school, she would have been influenced, gone out partying with guys, and if she had been surrounded by non-Muslims, she would have done things that are against her religion and would have offended her parents, which is a sin in Islam. They say that paradise lies at a mother’s feet, she said.

Zainab, 14, wants to be a journalist, to write the truth, she says. Unlike Sono, Zainab is reserved. Both her parents are from Burma. She tells me how Sunday schools at the mosque are not enough to learn or connect with their faith. Her father taught them at home too. But in schools like these, she has come to learn more and freely practice her faith. She says she is shocked when I mention the reports that say Islamic schools are promoting terrorism.

But she has an idea. Everyone must come to these schools to see what exactly is going on. When the bell rings, she rushes out to perform afternoon prayers, her blue gown trailing behind her.

The third girl, Fatimah, 15, is less talkative. Her parents converted to Islam before she was born. Though she was born into the faith, some of her siblings were not. They still live different lives. They party, go out and do other things that she would never do. But she says she understands. It is America and life is like this here.

Fatimah wants to be a cardiologist and work for the black community, her community.

None of them wants to be terrorists.

Normal conversations, normal choices, normal girls.

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* Chinki Sinha is a New York-based writer who grew up in India. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 23 October, 2006, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

3) Muslims do want democracy: An Interview with Radwan Masmoudi
Radwan Masmoudi

Q. Dr. Masmoudi, do Arabs and Muslims want democracy?

Over 90 percent of Muslims and Arabs polled in 10 Muslim-majority countries consider democracy to be the best form of government. There were other polls that over 80 percent of the people in the Arab world do not want shari‘a law to govern in their countries. They say they want Islamic values to govern but they don't want strict implementation of shari‘a. So there is a struggle for the soul of Islam and it did not start yesterday or after 9-11 but has been going on for at least a century [among] those calling for modernising the Muslim world. People in Egypt in particular have been calling for a reinterpretation of Islam for over one hundred years.

Q. In your publication, Muslim Democrat, you talk about elements of Islam that can be interpreted as "liberal". Tell us about some of those.

Religious freedom is very important -- the idea of no compulsion in religion. To have it [compulsion in religion] defeats the purpose of religion, it defeats God's will. Islam really emphasises that people have to decide to believe. There were many examples in Muslim history where people in mosques were debating the existence of God, especially in the first three centuries. I believe that a religion has to be a matter of free choice. That is the way God intended it.

There are two basic political principles that are heavily emphasised in the Qur’an: justice and shura. Shura means consultation. The problem is that there are no clear institutions or methods that are identified on how this consultation should take place. I say that Muslims have failed in interpreting this message and in applying the idea of shura.

Q. Is there a particular country in the Arab orMuslim Middle East that you're optimistic about, one that could be held up as an example? And is there any reason for optimism about Iran?

Well, if you're talking about the Muslim world in general, I would definitely say Turkey is an example for optimism. Turkey is a very good example today of a Muslim democratic state and society. In fact, I visited Iran and I visited Turkey and the Iranian people are probably the least religious people today. And it is because the Iranian government wants to force religion down their throat. There is a backlash against religion in Iran, because the mullahs are trying to govern in the name of Islam and because they are not very democratic in the way they are doing it. People in Iran are starting to hate the government and some young people hate religion in general. Turkey is almost the exact opposite. You have a state that does not force religion on people, but the people of Turkey are some of the most religious people in the Middle East and in the Muslim world. If you want to convince an Islamic leader of why an Islamic state that forces religion on people is not a good idea, just take them to Iran, let them stay there for
a week or two, and then take them to Turkey. I believe they will change their minds.

Q. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about democracy's prospects in Iraq?

I'm optimistic in the long run, but in the short run I am afraid we are going to see some turbulence.

Q. Give us a final summation of your thoughts on Islam and democracy in the century ahead.

We need to reinterpret Islam, but how can we do that in dictatorships where everything is controlled by the state? Democracy is the key because it will give us the opportunity to talk about all these other problems and to solve them. It will take time. We need the freedom to talk about what Islam means in the 21st century.

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* Tunisian-born Radwan A. Masmoudi founded the Washington-based Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Charlotte Observer, 6 October, 2006, www.charlotte.com
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

4) Behind the veil
Salama A Salama

Cairo - In Egypt and the UK, controversy over Islamic dress for women has dominated the headlines of late. Pundits have been debating the ability of women wearing the niqab, or full-face veil, to remain part of public life. The niqab is a state of mind. Women who cover their faces usually cover their entire bodies, even the hands. The hijab, or headscarf, survived the controversy it once generated because it is a milder form of modesty. Allow me to mention that our mothers and sisters didn't feel the need to wrap their heads or cover their faces and still maintained their modesty in public. Alas, this time is now gone.

The niqab is the latest women's fashion and it is foisted upon religion with no valid reason. Women wearing the niqab cannot move, speak, eat or even see. And yet, some people insist that it is a religious duty to wear it.

In London, Jack Straw, leader of the House of Commons, urged Muslim women in his Blackburn constituency to abandon the niqab when they come to him with concerns, arguing that the full-face veil impedes communication. His remarks triggered angry demonstrations and ignited heated debate. The British minister of education sided with Straw, saying that college professors feel uncomfortable lecturing to women wearing the niqab. The minister said he supported the decision by the London Royal Academy to bar students wearing the face veil. At primary schools in the UK, students complained that they couldn't understand teachers who covered their faces.

A parallel surfaced in Helwan University in Egypt. The university's president barred women wearing the niqab from using the campus dormitories, citing security concerns as well as the women's own safety. Although he still allowed niqab -clad women onto campus and into lecture rooms, the university president came under fire. Some likened him to President Jacques Chirac of France who banned headscarves in schools.

Aside from the niqab controversy, Helwan and Blackburn are as different as night and day. In the UK, Straw was accused of using the niqab for political purposes. The same accusation makes no sense in Helwan. The niqab controversy is not about freedom of dress or faith, for niqab is neither an ordinary item of clothing nor a religious duty: it is a statement of modesty gone astray. Women who wear the niqab stand out in public more than those who dress otherwise. Wearing the niqab to work or school is just as outrageous as wearing a bathing suit or pyjamas to the office.

Ours is a conservative society and no one can claim that critics of the niqab are politically motivated. It is a fact that the niqab degrades women and restricts their opportunities. Women wearing the niqab become sexual objects by implication. They cannot function effectively as teachers or doctors, journalists or government employees. They cannot interact normally with the outside world. Women who take on the niqab forfeit their personal freedom for no good reason.

But what we have here is a problem that one cannot resolve through religious edicts or police action alone. We have to talk to these women. We have to learn more about them. In many cases, niqab-clad women come from rural backgrounds and are intimidated by big cities. They are experiencing a cultural shock and they use the niqab as a defence against the outside world. If I am right in this assessment, then the logical conclusion is that we must offer them help and counsel before we rush into counter-measures, as we usually do. Let's help these young women overcome their fears. Let's make them feel that the world is a safe place. Once their fears are gone, chances are they won't feel the need to cover their faces.

###

*Salama A Salama is a frequent contributor to the Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Al Ahram, 19-25 October 2006, www.ahram.org.eg/weekly
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

5) French bill complicates Turkey's EU bid
Scott Peterson

Istanbul, Turkey - By a wide margin, the French parliament voted Thursday to make it a criminal act to deny an Armenian genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks, enraging Turkey and further deepening its suspicion of the European Union.

Muslim Turkey - which has sought for decades to join the EU and is now in membership negotiations - vowed retaliation against France that could disrupt billions of dollars in trade, even as both sides explore the limits of free speech.

The vote came the same day that Orhan Pamuk, the celebrated Turkish novelist, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Charges of "denigrating Turkishness" against Mr. Pamuk - brought after he publicly spoke of the killing of 1 million Armenians during World War I, and 30,000 Kurds - were dropped earlier this year in a case seen as a test of Turkey's commitment to EU-driven reforms.

The two events get at the heart of contradictions in modern Turkey, where democratic and West-leaning EU aspirations often clash with history. The staunchly secular state - a full member of the NATO military alliance - casts itself as an indispensable bridge between East and West, but has yet to be accepted as such by Europe.

Many Turks see the genocide vote -- a hot-button issue -- as just one more obstacle to keep them out of the 25-member EU club.

"Turks find it very hard to swallow this; even Francophile Turks educated there are turning their backs on France," says Sami Kohen, a foreign affairs columnist for Milliyet newspaper. "A lot of us fear this will further encourage critics of the EU [who] will say: 'Enough is enough; we should give up on this EU.'"

Turkish lawmakers Wednesday proposed a counter-bill that would recognise an "Algerian genocide" carried out by colonial French forces in 1945.

Turkish columnists are also raising France's considerable role in Rwanda's 1994 genocide, as they seek to even the moral playing field.

Analysts say the French vote is likely to embolden Turkish nationalists and those who oppose EU membership for Turkey. Recent polls show that Turkish support for joining the EU has dropped from nearly 70 to around 50 percent now.

To become law, the bill must pass the French senate, which is not certain, and be signed by President Jacques Chirac. Punishment would include a one-year prison term, and a €45,000 ($56,500) fine, the same penalty now on French books for denying the Holocaust.

One Turkish newspaper headline took aim at France's reputation as the home of human rights and justice. It read: "Liberté, égalité, stupidité."

"French-Turkish relations, which have developed over centuries ... have been dealt a blow today as a result of the irresponsible false claims of French politicians who do not see the political consequences of their actions," Turkey's foreign ministry Abdullah Gul said in a statement.

"If this bill is passed, Turkey will not lose anything but France will lose Turkey," Mr. Gul had warned before the vote. "[France] will turn into a country that jails people who express their views."

The vote has become a political issue in France, where a majority is against Turkey's membership in the EU, where 400,000 ethnic Armenians live, and where presidential elections are to be held in seven months. French exports to Turkey in 2005 totalled $5 billion.

During a visit to Armenia last week, Mr. Chirac stated that Turkey should not be allowed to join the EU unless it officially accepts that the death of more than 1 million Armenians, which took place in the last years of the Ottoman Empire, constitutes a “genocide”.

Though the French government said Thursday it opposed the legislation as "unnecessary and untimely", Chirac says Turkey must recognise the genocide before it joins the EU.

But while EU officials have been at pains to note that no such genocide criterion applies to Turkey, the sentiment matches widening unease in Europe over Turkey's EU application. Such fears in France are believed to be one reason the French last year rejected the proposed EU constitution.

"France has done its best to hamper Turkey's relations with the EU" and has been seeking "a kind of vengeance" against Turkey since the EU constitution failure, says Seyfi Tashan, director of the Turkish Foreign Policy Institute in Ankara, Turkey's capital. "So politically, the more damage they do to Turkey, the better."

Armenians say that 1.5 million died in 1915 in the first systematic genocide of the 20th century, though historians often count 1 million. Turkey officially argues that some 300,000 Armenians died in a partisan conflict that took just as many Turkish lives, when Armenians sided with invading Russian armies during World War I.

While Turkey has declared that it would open its files to historians, a host of Turkish writers and academics who have challenged official versions of events, sometimes using the word "genocide", have been charged with insulting the state by hard-line prosecutors.

Treading that line has been Mr. Pamuk, whose novels have dug into Turkey's imperial past to explore the contradictions and dilemmas of modern Turkey. The Nobel citation praised the work: "In the quest for the melancholic soul of his native city, [Pamuk] has discovered new symbols for the clash and interlacing of cultures." In February 2005, Pamuk told a Swiss newspaper that "30,000 Kurds and a million Armenians were killed in these lands and nobody but me dares to talk about it."

"What I said is not an insult, it is the truth," Pamuk said during his trial. "But what if it is wrong? Right or wrong, do people not have the right express their ideas peacefully?"

###

* Scott Peterson is a staff writer for the Christian Science Monitor. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Christian Science Monitor, 13 October 2006, www.csmonitor.org
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

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THE TRAUMATISED CHILD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Symptoms, consequences and treatment
Location: The Royal Library, Copenhagen, Denmark

Traumatised children are likely to become troubled citizens recent research on the neural impact of trauma in children suggests neural changes that have a negative effect on learning and concentration abilities. The human response to psychological trauma is not only one of the most important public health problems in the world; it is also increasingly a significant societal issue in Western societies.

A global conference focusing explicitly on this problem will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 8 th and 9 th of February 2007, chaired by the most prominent expert in the field, Professor Bessel van der Kolk / Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts USA: "Severe and prolonged childhood trauma has particularly dire consequences: Compared with normals, people with histories of severe child maltreatment showed a 4 to 12 times greater risk of developing alcoholism, drug abuse and suicide attempts." – Bessel van der
Kolk.

Van der Kolk will be accompanied by other recognised leaders in specialised fields, including Jorge Barudy (Spain/Chile/ Belgium), Peter Berliner Denmark), Anne Bovbjerg (Denmark), Steven Gross (USA), Arlene Healy United Kingdom), Ernesto Anasarias (The Philippines), Natan P.F. Kellermann (Israel), Robert Macy ( Boston USA), Jesper Mogensen (Denmark), Stephen Regel (UK), Joseph Spinazzola (USA).

These speakers will focus on how to make efficient community strategies as well as methods of treatment and research in the field. As the severe consequences of traumatisation in early childhood is more and more recognised in society the need of efficient treatment and accurate diagnosing is more and more evident. The conference is organized by the Danish Red Cross's Centre for Psychotrauma and is supported by the Egmont Foundation as well as Copenhagen University, Faculty of Social Sciences (Department of Psychology).

Registration for the conference can be made on www.childrentrauma.dk

If you'd like more detailed information about this conference, or to schedule an interview with one of the speakers, please call Christian Toft on +45 21 76 09 72 or email him at Tchild@redcross.dk

Spanish and French after

" Call to Action: Ending Extreme Poverty, a Road to Peace"

In 1992, the United Nations General Assembly recognised October 17th as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, in recognition of the commemorations around this Day that had been taking place since 1987 under the name of World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty.
In 2005, UN General Assembly Resolution 60/209 asked the Secretary General in paragraph 55 "to undertake a review of the observance of the Day in order to identify lessons learned and ways to promote the mobilization of all stakeholders in the fight against poverty." The outcome of this review is presented in UN Secretary General report A/61/308 to be found at:- http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/poverty/poverty.htm
As part of this review, an international Seminar was held in Montreal in May 2006. The Seminar participants issued a global petition entitled: "Call to Action: Ending Extreme Poverty, a Road to Peace" to mark the upcoming 20th anniversary of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, October 17th, 2007.
This Call to Action is attached in English, French and Spanish. It can be downloaded at
www.oct17.org/site/-Call-to-action-.html It can also be signed on line at www.oct17.org/site/Count-me-in.html Feel free to disseminate largely through networks.
Contact address: huguette.redegeld@atd-quartmonde.org
_________________________

Español

"Acabar con la pobreza extrema: un camino para alcanzar la paz"

En 1992, la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas reconoció el 17 de octubre como el Día internacional para la erradicación de la pobreza, en reconocimiento a las conmemoraciones que tuvieron lugar después del 17 de octubre de 1987 con el nombre de: Día mundial del rechazo a la miseria.
En 2005, el párrafo 55 de la resolución 60/209 de la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas pidió al Secretario General que "hiciera un estudio de la conmemoración del Día para determinar la experiencia adquirida y promover la
movilización de todos los interesados en la lucha contra la pobreza". El resultado de esta consulta fue presentado en el informe del Secretario General de la ONU A/61/308 disponible en el sitio:
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/poverty/poverty.htm
En el marco de esta consulta, se realizó en mayo de 2006 un seminario internacional. Al finalizar el seminario, los participantes han lanzado una petición titulada "Declaración de solidaridad : acabar con la pobreza
extrema, un camino para alcanzar la paz" con el fin de marcar el 17 de octubre 2007, el 20° aniversario del Día Internacional para la erradicación de la pobreza.
Esta Declaración de solidaridad está a disposición en francés, inglés y español. Puede ser consultada sobre el sitio:
www.oct17.org/site/-Declaracion-de-solidaridad-.html y puede ser firmada directamente en
el sitio: www.oct17.org/site/Contad-tambien-conmigo.html
No duden ustedes en difundir esta Declaración de solidaridad en vuestro entorno.
Dirección de contacto: huguette.redegeld@atd-quartmonde.org

_____________

French

" Déclaration de solidarité : refuser la misère, un chemin vers la paix "

En 1992, l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies a reconnu le 17 octobre comme Journée internationale pour l'élimination de la pauvreté, en reconnaissance des commémorations qui avaient eu lieu depuis le 17 octobre 1987 sous l'appellation Journée mondiale du refus de la misère.
En 2005, le paragraphe 55 de la résolution 60/209 de l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies a prié le Secrétaire général de l'ONU "d'entreprendre un examen de la célébration de la Journée afin de tirer les enseignements de l'expérience et de déterminer les moyens de mobiliser davantage les parties intéressées dans la lutte contre la pauvreté". Le résultat de cet examen est présenté dans le rapport du Secrétaire général A/61/308 disponible sur le site: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/poverty/poverty.htm
Dans le cadre de cet examen, un séminaire international a été organisé en mai 2006. A l'issue du séminaire, les participants ont lancé une pétition intitulée "Déclaration de solidarité : refuser la misère, un chemin vers la paix" afin de marquer, le 17 octobre 2007, le 20ème anniversaire de la Journée internationale pour l'élimination de la pauvreté.
Cette Déclaration de solidarité est jointe en français, anglais et espagnol. Elle peut être consultée sur le site www.oct17.org/site/-Declaration-de-solidarite-.html Elle peut être signée en ligne sur le site www.oct17.org/site/Comptez-sur-moi-aussi.html N'hésitez pas à diffuser cette Déclaration de solidarité autour de vous.
Adresse de contact : huguette.redegeld@atd-quartmonde.org

Inter-American Summit on CRE, Cleveland, Ohio, USA March 14th and 15th, 2007
Please see www.global-issues.org

Inter-American Summit on Conflict Resolution Education
First-Time Event
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
March 14th – 17th, 2007

Global Issues Resource Center, Office of Community Continuing Education at Cuyahoga Community College and The Organization of American States will host a four-day Inter-American Summit on Conflict Resolution Education in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. This event will bring together government representatives from among the 50 states and 34 countries of the Americas and their non-governmental organization partners who have legislation or policies in place to deliver conflict resolution education at the K-12 level and in colleges of teacher education.

This first-ever Summit offers a dynamic opportunity to develop a hemispheric infrastructure throughout the Americas to advance the work in the fields of conflict resolution education and peace education. The Summit will bring together policymakers and educators representing regions across the United States and select member countries of the OAS representing North, Central, South America and the Caribbean. These national and international educators will exchange program best practices, evaluation methodology, creation of policy implementation structures, and consideration of obstacles to success. This event offers a needed opportunity for college students, college faculty, university scholars, K-12 educators, public health officials, prevention specialists, and state, local, and national policy makers in the Americas to convene in one location to learn more about the most current work being undertaken.

March 14th and 15th: the event is open nationally and internationally to anyone who wishes to attend. Presenters will share examples of best practices within their states and nations, implementation models, and evaluation results.

March 16th and 17th, 2007: featuring closed policy meetings engaging teams of state and federal government agencies and their NGOs/University Partners. Teams may work on self-selected threads – evaluation, creation of policy, and best practices in creating the structures for K-12 and Higher Education policy implementation.

A compilation of the work in the states and countries will be published for distribution to all attendees and other interested policymakers in the United States, the Americas and the Caribbean.

Keynote Speakers include:
Dr. Gonzalo Retamal (Chilean), Visiting Professor on Education in Emergencies and Post Conflict, at the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University. Former Senior Research Specialist, UNESCO Institute for Education and former Senior Education Officer, UNHCR. Co -Head of the Ministry of Culture for the Joint Interim Administration of United Nations in Kosovo (UNMIK). UNESCO representative in Iraq for the ‘Food for Oil’ programme. Senior Education Advisor for Humanitarian Assistance at the UNESCO International Bureau of Education in Geneva and with UNESCO in Eastern Africa. Chief of the School Education Programme of UNRWA in the Middle East.

Dr. Janet Patti (USA), Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Hunter College. Co-Director of the Leadership Center at Hunter College and Coordinator of the Education Administration and Supervision Aspiring Leaders Program. Member of the Leadership Team of the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Vice President of Affiliate Affairs of the New York State Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. Faculty member of the City University of New York’s Graduate Center doctoral faculty and the School of Professional Studies faculty of Social, Emotional and Academic Education.

Summit Features:
• Launching of the International Conflict Resolution Education Website
• Workshops and panels led by experts, showcasing best practices in the hemisphere
• Exhibits of current international resources

Who Should Attend:
College faculty, staff and students; k-12 educators and administrators; public health officials; prevention specialists; state, local and national policymakers in the Americas

Costs: There will be a registration fee for the Summit on March 14th and 15th, 2007 with special rates for presenters and college students.

Planning Committee Members
Association for Conflict Resolution
Center for Dispute Resolution, University of Maryland
European Centre for Conflict Prevention
Global Issues Resource Center, Cuyahoga Community College
Interfaith Center for Peace
Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office
Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management
Ohio Department of Education
Ohio Department of Health
Ohio Resource Network, E-Based Prevention
The Organization of American States
Temple University

Current Co-Sponsors
National Peace Foundation
United Services for Effective Parenting

Current Partners
Ohio Domestic Violence Network

Conference: Towards a multi-age society: The cultural dimensions of age policies

A la fin de ce message vous trouverez également une version française

The MOST Secretariat is pleased to invite you to attend the conference ‘’Towards a multi-age society: “The cultural dimensions of age policies’’ which the MOST (Management of Social Transformations) Programme will organize in co-operation with the European Economic and Social Committee, EUNIC and AGE, from 29 to 30 November 2006, in the European Economic and Social Committee, Brussels, Belgium.

MOST’s main partner is EUNIC Brussels (until recently named CICEB – Consociatio Institutorum Culturalium Europaerum inter Belgas) which is an organization of European Cultural Institutes working together on a European and worldwide basis. The EUNIC/MOST joint venture also calls upon other UN agencies, such as UNDESA and ILO, as well as on researchers, policy actors, implementing organizations and majors NGO networks active both in active ageing and/or in the cultural area. Cultural policies will lie at the heart of the conference, as the convenors share the opinion that they have not yet been appropriately reflected in the ongoing debate about ageing.

The event is organized in the framework of the regional priority theme identified for Europe and North America in MOST’s phase 2: "Ageing Populations." This conference, together with other planned activities, will also be a UNESCO contribution to the follow-up to the Madrid International Plan for Action on Ageing and its research agenda.

Please find further information under www.unesco.org/shs/most/ageing/conference.
Thank you for noting that the conference registration is online. The preliminary programme for the conference is enclosed in this letter.

It would be highly appreciated if you could kindly contribute to transmit information about this conference to relevant partners through your own channels.

Le Secrétariat du Programme MOST a le plaisir de vous inviter à participer à la conférence « Vers une société multiâges : les dimensions culturelles des politiques du vieillissement » que le Programme de Gestion des Transformations Sociales (MOST) organisera en coopération avec le Comité Economique et Social Européen, EUNIC et AGE les 29 et 30 Novembre 2006 au Comité Economique et Sociale Européen à Bruxelles (Belgique).

Le partenaire principal de MOST pour l’organisation de cette conférence est l’EUNIC à Bruxelles (anciennement CICEB - Consociatio Institutorum Culturalium Europaerum inter Belgas), une organisation des Instituts Culturels Européens collaborant aux niveaux européen et mondial. L’action concertée EUNIC/MOST fait également appel à d’autres agences des Nations Unies telle UNDESA et l’OIT, ainsi qu’à des chercheurs, acteurs politiques, organisations de mise en œuvre et principaux réseaux d’ONG oeuvrant dans le domaine du vieillissement actif et/ou dans le domaine culturel. Les politiques culturelles seront au cœur de la conférence, les partenaires s’accordant que celles-ci n’ont pas été adéquatement reflétées dans les débats en cours sur le vieillissement.

L’évènement est organisé dans le cadre du thème régional prioritaire identifié pour l’Europe et l’Amérique du Nord dans la Phase II de MOST : « Les populations vieillissantes ». Cette conférence ainsi que les autres activités prévues constitueront également une contribution de l’UNESCO au suivi du Plan d’Action International de Madrid sur le Vieillissement et à son programme de recherche.

L’évènement réunira l’UNESCO, UNDESA, l’OMT, des chercheurs, des acteurs politiques, des organisations de mise en oeuvre ainsi que divers réseaux oeuvrant dans le domaine du vieillissement actif et/ou dans le domaine culturel. Vous pouvez trouver de plus amples informations sur www.unesco.org/shs/most/ageing/conference. Merci de noter que l’inscription à cette conférence s’effectue en ligne. Le programme préliminaire de la conférence est joint à cette lettre.

Nous apprécierions grandement si vous pouviez contribuer à transmettre l’annonce de cette conférence à vos partenaires au travers de vos propres réseaux.

DIGNITY INTERNATIONAL - MONTHLY NEWSBULLETIN - October 2006

DIGNITY NEWS
*** Latin America Programme on ESC Rights – Flood of Applications
The popularity of a training programme on economic, social rights in Spanish for the Latin America region is proved once again with the flood of applications received from almost all countries of the continent. At the close of applications in September, 180 applications – mostly women - were received and 25 persons have now been selected to participate in the programme.
“We are energised by this process so far and very much looking forward to welcoming the participants to Ecuador in a few days time” said Juana Sotomayor, General Coordinator of CDES, host organisation in Ecuador. The programme is organised by CDES, COHRE–Americas Programme, Dignity International, DECA Equipo Pueblo and Social Watch, withthe support of Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund of the Anglican Church of Canada (PWRDF), UNIFEM and the Swedish Foundation for Human Rights. The programme willtake place in Quito, Ecuador, from 2 to 10 November 2006.

*** Community Trainers Gear Up for Action - From the 7 th to the 11 th of November, 24 community trainers from the different settlements of Nairobi, will gather for a Training of Trainers programme organised by Hakijamii in partnership with Dignity International. This is part of the Get Up Stand Up: Stand Up for Your Human Rights process aimed at raising awareness about human rights and building the capacity of the communities to claim their human rights.

*** Lectures out! Community Theatre In! Promoting human rights education and learning at the community level can be simple and fun. We just have to use the tools that people love most – like community theatre!
Back to back with this training of trainers, a workshop on community theatre will also be organised from 13-14 November. The workshop will bring together different theatre groups from the settlements to better use community theatre to promote human rights. This is the first workshop of this type to be organised by Dignity International.

*** Global Learning Programme on Human Rights in Development – last days to apply!
This 5th Global Linking & Learning Programme, organised by Dignity International in partnership with Pusat Komas, a Malaysia based Popular Communication Centre, will take place in Malaysia, form 1 to 10 December 2006. The programme is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland and Oxfam NOVIB.
Experienced development activists from the different world regions working either at the grassroots or at the international advocacy levels are encouraged to apply. The programme will be based on the rich development experience of the participants themselves who, in a non-formal and participatory learning framework, will explore together the meaning of human rights in development work and how integration of human rights into development work translates into concrete strategies and development programming at the grassroots and international levels.
Deadline for applications: 17 October - International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Informative Document (http://www.dignityinternational.org/dg/RC/Dignitydocs/2006/2006_HRD_global.pdf) | Application Form (http://www.dignityinternational.org/dg/RC/Dignitydocs/2006/2006_HRD_globalapplicationform.doc)

OTHER NEWS
*** Koch FM - The Voice of Korogocho
Koch FM: a community radio with a frequency...by the community for the community! - “With Koch FM, we are making a megaphone for the people!”
KochFM is a project started in the beginning of 2006 by a group of 6 young people from Korogocho - Nairobi’s third largest slum, with almost half a million inhabitants. The main goal for this group is to find ways of informing people about what is going on in their neighbourhood, and what political decisions are made, which concern people in the slums of Eastern Africa and affect their lives. The concept of Koch FM has been inspired by similar projects abroad, like Radio Favela, in a slum of Belo Horizonte, Brazil’s third largest city.
More at MissKoch (http://www.misskoch.org/) and you can also contact them at misskoch2001@yahoo.com

*** Grassroots Eviction Guidelines Campaign – On Their Way
A national grassroots evictions guidelines campaign is being planned for 2007. This follows the successful Kenya National Eviction Guidelines symposium organised by Hakijamii Trust, Kenya national Commission on HR, Kenya Land Alliance, Shelter Forum, Pamoja Trust, 4Cs, Kenya HR Commission, Kituo Cha Sheria, Umand Trust and COHRE.
Over 1000 community representatives from all over kenya Coast, Eastern, North eastern, nyanza and western parts of Kenya turned up for the symposium. Participants called for urgent action to develop and adopt eviction guidelines that incorporate the core human rights principles of consultation, notice, alternative resettlement, legal remedies and special attention to the most vulnerable groups.
For further information, please contact Hakijamii Trust [esrc@hakijamii.com]

*** Africa: Forced Evictions Reach Crisis Levels
A research, conducted by Amnesty International and Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE), reveals that the practice of forced evictions has reached epidemic proportions in Africa - since 2000, more than 3 million Africans forcibly evicted from their homes. The two organisations called upon African governments to bring to an end forced evictions and respect the international human rights obligations they have recognised.
"Forced evictions are one of the most widespread and unrecognised human rights violations in Africa" - Kolawole Olaniyan, Director - Amnesty International's Africa Programme.
"Many African governments justify forced evictions on the grounds that they are essential for 'development' and therefore, in the interests of the general public good. However, development that leads to forced evictions is fundamentally counterproductive because forced evictions create homelessness, destroy property and productive assets, and obstruct access to potable water, sanitation, healthcare, livelihood opportunities and education. By carrying out forced evictions, African governments are pushing people into poverty - not pulling them out of it" - Jean du Plessis, COHRE’s Executive Director (Acting Interim) - Complete Press Release (http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR010092006)
For more information you can contact Deanna Fowler [deanna@cohre.org] - COHRE or Eliane Drakopoulos [edrakopoulos@amnesty.org] - Amnesty International

*** CDES celebrates! - Norway Cancelled Ecuador’s Illegitimate Debt
CDES (Centre of Economic and Social Rights – Ecuador) is celebrating Norway’s decision of cancelling Ecuador’s debt. The case of this Ecuadorian Illegitimate Debt towards Norway was documented by CDES already in 2001 and, since then has been monitored and publicised internally and internationally.
On the 2nd of October, Norway announced, unilaterally and without conditions, the cancellation of US$80 million in illegitimate debts owed by 5 countries: Egypt, Ecuador, Peru, Jamaica and Sierra Leone. Norway's Government has, in effect, admitted that it's lending in these particular cases was irresponsible and motivated by domestic concerns, rather than an objective analysis of the development needs of the countries involved. The reason given by Norway for this unprecedented unilateral cancellation is a failed development policy lacking proper needs assessment and a proper risk analysis.
"Norway now cancelling illegitimate debt and admitting co-responsibility for a failed development initiative is simply historic" (Kjetil G. Abildsnes - Chair of Jubilee Norway).
For more information see CHOIKE (http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/4964.html)
More on CDES campaign for this debt cancellation (http://www.cdes.org.ec/biblioteca/busc-tematico/deuda-externa.html) (in Spanish)

*** NGOs Criticise Outcome of IMF/World Bank Meeting
Representatives of non-governmental organisations have criticised the negligible results of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World-Bank (which ended on 20 th September), which they said were grossly inadequate to deal with the massive problems of financial instability, debt, poverty and economic imbalances plaguing the world today.

They also attacked the lack of democracy and participation, manifested by the scandalous treatment meted out to NGOs at the present meetings in Singapore – people were either banned from entering Singapore, detained at the Singapore airport without explanation, subjected to custodial interrogation and, regrettably, some were even deported. Civil society has also attacked the lack of basic changes in the decision-making structures of the two institutions, despite the positive ‘spin’ that the IMF secretariat had tried to put on the decision adopted by the IMF Board to raise the quota shares of four countries. Source: CHOIKE (http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/4964.html)
International Peoples Forum vs. the IMF and World Bank (IPF) - the World Bank and IMF were found responsible for policies and actions that lead to the intensification of poverty and deprivation, the violation of basic human rights, the curtailment of basic political and civil liberties, the undermining of national sovereignty and democratic governance, and the subversion of the right to development. As a result of these analyses on the World Bank and IMF, the Forum concluded with several demands, regarding the policies and practices of the World Bank and IMF, re-invigorating The Global Call to Action Against the International Financial Institutions. Furthermore, to ensure that there is full accountability and transparency of the IFIs to peoples and communities that are affected by their operations, the IPF c alled on the governments, members of the World Bank and IMF Boards of Directors, to keep these institutions fully accountable for their impacts on human rights, equity, and the sustainability of development. (CompletePressStatement (http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR010092006) by the Organisers of the International Peoples Forum vs IMF-WB)
In addition, see IFIwatchnet (http://www.ifiwatchnet.org/index.shtml) (where you will also find the IFIwatchnet WEBLOG, full of news and opinions from Singapore), as well as Focus on the Global South (http://www.focusweb.org/content/blogcategory/76/103) and Bretton Woods Project (http://brettonwoodsproject.org/art.shtml?x=543245)

*** African Civil Society Launches Campaign Against EPAs
A coalition of several African organisations together with some international civil society movements (including Oxfam International, Enda Tiers Monde, the African Network for Integrated Development, The International Fair Trade Association and the Network of West-African Farmers) launched an international campaign to denounce the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) currently under negotiation between the European Union (EU) and the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

“EPAs represent a serious threat to ACP countries development prospects, as their implementation will lead to a significant drop in customs revenues and threaten African farmers’ means of existence through forced liberalisation and the flooding of international markets with subsidised farm products from rich countries” - declared Lamine Ndiay (Oxfam). She added that, through this trade agreement (between the EU and ACP countries), European multinational companies, which are more powerful than the African productive force, will be the ones obtaining the most benefits from EPAs, therefore jeopardising African countries’ sovereignty and undermining the sub-regional economic integration. See AngolaPress (http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=476212)

*** Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
After five years of negotiations, countries have agreed on a new treaty to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. “This is the first convention of this magnitude for this century”, and the message the negotiators convened to the world is “the message that we want to have a life with dignity for all and that all human beings are all equal” -UN General Assembly President Jan Eliasson said.
Proponents of the convention maintained that the treaty was necessary because persons with disabilities represented one of the most marginalised groups and that their rights had been routinely ignored or denied throughout much of the world. While the convention does not create new rights, it specifically prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in all areas of life, including civil rights, access to justice and the right to education, health services and access to transportation. It is estimated that 10 per cent of the world's population, or about 650 million people, suffer from disabilities. See UN Enable (http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable)

*** Human Rights Council – 2 nd Session
The 2nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 18 September to 6 October 2006. As a result of the high number of draft proposals submitted for the session, and of the insufficient time available in order to guarantee the due and balanced consideration of all those proposals, the Council decided to suspend its 2 nd session until 27 November. On that date, immediately before the Council’s 3 rd session, all decisions would then be tackled. The Council also adopted a decision on mechanisms and mandates, and a decision to add to the programme of work of the third session a segment on the theme of "follow-up to decisions of the Human Rights Council". See UNHCHR (http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/07981D553C100203C12571FF00497E84?opendocument)

*** AGE - Open letter to EU Ministers & latest edition of CoverAge
The European Older People's Platform (AGE) has written an Open Letter to the European Union Social Affairs Ministers, ahead of the 5 th Roundtable on Poverty and Social Inclusion scheduled to take place in Tampere, Finland, next October 16 & 17. As the Roundtable will be one of the key events in the social policy agenda during the Finnish Presidency, AGE wishes to take this opportunity to engage in an open discussion on how to make progress on the eradication of poverty and social exclusion.
AGE is a European network of organisations of people aged 50+ and represents over 22 million older people in Europe. AGE aims to voice and promote the interests of the 150 million inhabitants aged 50+ in the European Union and to raise awareness of the issues that concern them most.
At AGE’s website you can find the OpenLetter (http://www.age-platform.org/EN/IMG/Position_Poverty_and_social_inclusion_of_older_people_final_letter_to_ministers.pdf) as well as the last issue of CoverAge (http://www.age-platform.org/EN/IMG/CoverAGE_September_2006.pdf) – AGE’s news letter.

PUBLICATIONS
*** FIAN’s new publication: Right to Food Quarterly
The last issue of FIAN’s Right to food Quarterly has been launched and published. The Quarterly is an e-publication and can be downloaded for free from FIAN (http://www.fian.org/fian/pdf/RtfQuaterly.pdf). For any comments, queries or ideas to contribute to the Right to Food Quarterly, you are welcome to contact Wilma Strothenke [strothenke@fian.org], Editor of Right to Food Quarterly.

*** 2006 Social Watch Report – Impossible Architecture
The Social Watch Annual Report - Impossible Architecture: Why the Financial Structure is Not Working for the Poor and How to Redesign it for Equity and Development- was launched on September 19th in Singapore. The Annual Report monitors governments’ public policy to determine their degree of compliance with commitments and treaties to eradicate poverty and achieve gender equity that they have signed. The launch was marked by deep criticism of the international governance system and emphasised the urgent need for changes in the international finance structure to ensure that commitments taken on by countries are effectively fulfilled.
An "Impossible Architecture" – the picture of the world’s Global Finance. The Social Watch Report 2006 explains how citizens from around the world see the Global finance Picture, trying to provide new perspectives and ideas for a viable blueprint that makes finances actually work for poverty eradication and development. Download the Report (http://www.socialwatch.org/en/informeImpreso/index.htm)

*** 1 st International Sustainability Watch Report 2006
The Sustainability Watch 2006 Report was launched at the annual meetings of the Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stressing that sustainable development was crucial as about 3 billion people (almost 50 percent of the world population) now live on less than two dollars a day. A figure expected to rise by 100 million by 2015, unless implementation of internationally agreed commitments was substantially improved.
The most critical factor is the market-oriented development frameworks, which promote trade liberalisation and privatisation, said Roy Cabonegro, regional facilitator for Asia of Sustainability Watch, a civil society network in 15 southern countries monitoring promises to improve sustainability. These frameworks do not pay serious attention to environmental constraints, especially in the case of planning for land and natural resource use. The report also identified four other key barriers to sustainable development: weak governance, institutional constraints, inconsistent policies and inadequate resources. Download the Report (http://www.suswatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=76&Itemid=91)
More at International Press Service (http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=34801)
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
*** WSF 2007 - Individual Registration Now Open!
The World Social Forum 2007 event in Nairobi is less than four months away - is now already opened the individual registration for the event and the registration of activities will start soon as well. To register, you have to download the Individual Registration Form (http://wsf2007.org/Registration-individuals-WSF2007-english-5.doc), fill it in, and send it to registration@wsf2007.org.

Complete information about the Registration (including Participation Fees) at WSF 2007 Webpage (http://wsf2007.org/individual-registration-for-wsf-2007-is-now-open)

*** Joining Hands at the WSF - Human Dignity & Human Rights Caucus
Interested organizations are invited to join and contribute to the Human Dignity and Human Rights Caucus (HDHRC) of the World Social Forum. The HDHRC is conceived as a temporary device created to provide practical, logistical support and coordination (for joint registrations, reservation of space and facilities, etc.) and to facilitate the expression of international human rights movement in WSF. HDHRC participants are expected to take responsibility for organizing joint presentations and cultural displays as collective activities, as well as any of their own human rights-related events within a common conceptual framework and common space within the WSF compound.
The HDHRC now has an international program coordinator working within FIDH (Paris), and will engage a local coordinator to manage local arrangements and collaboration with the local WSF Organizing Committee. For further information, please contact Rosa Sanchez [coordinationhdhrc@yahoo.com], HDHRC coordinator or Joseph Schechla [hlrn@hlrn.org] - Housing and Land Rights Network.

*** Equalinrights -Human Rights Resource Persons Database
Equalinrights has activated its database of resource persons on Human Rights-based Approaches (HRBAs). The interactive database of resource persons has been created to respond to a serious gap in knowledge and understanding of the human rights-based approach. The aim of the database is to make available a pool of resource persons crossing many disciplines and experiences, which centres on understanding and applying holistic human rights-based approaches in development work.
In order to make this database as complete as possible, the organisation calls upon everyone to provide contacts of persons with the relevant approach, knowledge and experience recommended as resource persons. Furthermore, Equalinrights would really appreciate your critical comments and suggestions about the database itself.
For more information you can access Equalinrights (http://www.equalinrights.org/content/partners.html) or contact the organisation by e-mail [info@equalinrights.org].

*** Vacancy - COHRE Americas Programme (CAP) Coordinator
The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) wishes to hire a Coordinator to manage its Americas Programme, the expansion and further development of the organisation in the Americas Region. The CAP Americas Coordinator will be based in COHRE's Regional Office in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
All information at COHRE (http://www.cohre.org/view_page.php?page_id=175)

*** International Service for Human Rights – Programme Announcement
The Geneva based International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) is calling for applications for 2 Training Programmes - the Advanced Geneva Training Course on International Human Rights Law and Advocacy, (from 15 March to 6 April 2007 - deadline for applications 16 October) and the French Version of the same Programme (from 22 March to 6 April 2007 - deadline for applications 1 November).
The Advanced Geneva Training Course in International Human Rights Law and Advocacy (AGTC) is an annual training course, which focuses on the use of UN mechanisms. The course provides human rights defenders with an opportunity to experience first-hand the United Nations human rights machinery in action, particularly the new Human Rights Council which will be sitting for its 3rd Session during the course.
For more information, contact ISHR [courses@ishr-sidh.ch]

FORTHCOMING EVENTS – HIGHLIGHTS
*** Do Not Forget - 17 October – Stand Up Against Poverty!
Between 11 (GMT) on 15 October and 11 (GMT) on 16 October, people all over the world will be STANDING UP AGAINST POVERTY, which will culminate in World Poverty Day on 17 October. From bicycle demonstrations to music concerts, human chains to a Day of Worship, Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) supporters in more than 100 countries will Stand Up for one minute to add their voice to a 24-hour global call of millions, to demand world leaders to take action to end poverty and inequality.
See How You Can Act (http://www.whiteband.org) | More Information On This Day (http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/poverty/poverty.htm)

*** International Forum on the Eradication of Poverty
"Eradicating poverty is an ethical, social, political and economic imperative of humankind” - General Assembly Resolution 51/178
To mark the end of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty, the Division of Social Policy, in collaboration with United Nations agencies and civil society, is organising the International Forum on the Eradication of Poverty. The Forum aims to achieve two major objectives: it is intended to send a strong message on the importance of a continued and enhanced commitment to poverty eradication in the run-up to 2015; and will provide a valuable opportunity for forward-looking dialogue among stakeholders on the next steps over the next decade towards the realisation of the universal goal of poverty eradication.
The Forum is an interagency initiative that will be held on 15 and 16 November 2006 at United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA.
See PovertyForum (http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/poverty/PovertyForum)

 *** The Human Right to Food - FAO Special Event
Next Saturday 4 November 2006, in Rome, Italy, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations system will be hosting a Special event on the Human Right to Food.
The purpose of the Special Event is to inform about the progress made in implementing the right to food and to discuss practical steps to advance this human right as well as the implementation of a rights-based approach at country level. This will be an afternoon event, which will combine panel discussions with ongoing "information fair" on the implementation of the right to food, where stakeholders will be able to showcase their work, presenting specific aspects of the realisation of the right to food at the country level.
For more information you can contact FAO’s Righ to Food Unit [righttofood@fao.org].

This is a monthly electronic news bulletin of 'Dignity International: All Human Rights for All'. Dignity International does not accredit, validate or substantiate any information posted by members to this news bulletin. The validity and accuracy of any information is the responsibility of the originator.
If you are working in the area of human rights with a special attention to different aspects of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, we would love to hear from you. To contribute, email us at info@dignityinternational.org [info@dignityinternational.org?subject=information]

Lettre d'information de la FMSH - octobre-décembre 2006

Édito.
LA RENTRÉE 2006 RETROUVE LA FONDATION MAISON DES SCIENCES DE L'HOMME CONFRONTÉE AU DOSSIER DES TRAVAUX DE MISE EN SÉCURITÉ DU BÂTIMENT. ELLE EST ÉGALEMENT ET SURTOUT L'OCCASION D'OUVRIR SUR DEUX CHANTIERS PROMETTEURS.

Flash.
Création d'un Institut d'études avancées Paris/Ile-de-France
Le gouvernement vient de valider le projet de création d'un Institut d'études avancées, réunissant la FMSH, l'EHESS et l'ENS Paris. La FMSH a été désignée comme chef de file et institution support de cet IEA.

Débat.
L'expérience interinstitutionnelle internationale
Politique internationale de la recherche et logique de réseaux. Trois responsables de programmes parlent de leur expérience.

Agenda.
• Colloques et réunions octobre – décembre 2006
• Appels d’offres de la FMSH
• Chercheurs étrangers invités ou accueillis à la FMSH octobre – décembre 2006

Et aussi.
Vient de paraître
Publications récentes des Éditions de la Maison des sciences de l’homme et publications soutenues par la FMSH

Dernières mises en lignes audiovisuelles
Entretiens, séminaires, colloques et reportages du programme Archives audiovisuelles de la recherche en sciences humaines et sociales (AAR)

Au sommaire des revues
Revues éditées ou soutenues par la FMSH

Vie de la FMSH
Les travaux de désamiantage du bâtiment Raspail sont suspendus à la décision du ministère.

Subscription
http://www.msh-paris.fr/actualites/lettre_info.htm!

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AfricAvenir News are kindly sent out by Eric Van Grasdorff:

Liebe Freunde,

seit seiner Gründung im Jahre 2000 setzt sich AfricAvenir International für eine (selbst-)kritische und dialogfähige Afrikalehre und -forschung ein. Das bedeutet für AfricAvenir zuallererst den gleichberechtigten Einbezug von afrikanischen wissenschaftlichen Perspektiven und Lehrenden. Es bedeutet auch, die Geschichte der Beziehungen zwischen Deutschland/Europa und afrikanischen Staaten vor dem Hintergrund des (deutschen/europäischen) Kolonialismus und des (strukturellen bzw. institutionalisierten) Rassismus aufzuarbeiten und bei konkreten Fragestellungen immer kritisch mitzudenken.

Heute freuen wir uns, vier Seminare am Otto-Suhr-Institut der Freien Universität Berlin empfehlen zu können, die im Rahmen des sog. 'Afrikamoduls' im Wintersemester angeboten werden:

Afrika in Berlin - Die Rolle der Hauptstadt als Kolonialmetropole
Yonas Endrias, Grundstudium, Wintersemester 2006/2007, Di 12.00-14.00 22/UG 2 (Beginn 17.10.). http://africavenir.com/news/2006/10/744/

(Post)Kolonialismus, Rassismus, und Weißsein und ihr Einfluss auf Repräsentationen von Geschlechterbeziehungen in Afrika
Daniela Hrzán, Grundstudium, Wintersemester 2006/2007, Mo. 14-16 Uhr, Ihne 21/F. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/10/741/

Psychoanalysis, Colonialism and Decolonization
Dr. Grada Kilomba, Hauptstudium, Wintersemester 2006/2007, Di. 16-20 Uhr 14-tägig ab 24.10. Ihne 22 / UG 2. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/10/742/

Geschlecht, Kultur, Identität
Dr. Susanna Kahlefeld, Hauptstudium, Wintersemester 2006/2007, Fr. 14-16 Uhr Gary 55 / 302a. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/10/743/

Außerdem laden wir alle ein, bei der gleichzeitig stattfindenden Ringvorlesung kritisch mit zu diskutieren. http://www.osi-club.de/afrika/06wise/afrika-lehre-wise2006ringvorlesung.html

www.AfricAvenir.org
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Kontaktieren Sie Ann Kathrin Helfrich, Fon: 030-80906789, a.helfrich@africavenir.org

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AfricAvenir International e.V. ist nicht für die Inhalte externer Webseiten verantwortlich.

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

I am pleased to inform you about ICCA's 2nd International Conference on “Globalization and the Good Corporation," which is scheduled to take place in New York on June 26-28, 2007. I have enclosed a copy of the preliminary program announcement for your reference and use.

The conference attendance will comprise of four groups in almost equal proportions. These are members of the academic community, business and industry groups, civil society organizations, and international financial and development institutions. Another important feature of the conference is our emphasis on bringing in representatives of NGOs from poorer developing countries who have first-hand experience in working in
the “trenches” but are seldom able to share their experiences with others because of financial constraints.

The success of this conference depends almost entirely on our ability to engage the largest members from our four groups of stakeholders. This engagement entails (a) initiative and support in organizing conference logistics, and (b) participating in the creation of a most innovative and high quality program content.

We have already received indications of support from a number of colleagues and friends who had participated in our 2004 conference. As a matter of fact, a number of major academic and professional journals have agreed to publish special issues of their respective publications based on a selected group of papers presented at the conference. These include: Journal of Business Ethics, Business Ethics Quarterly, Business & Society
Review, Journal of Transnational Corporations (UNCTAD, Switzerland), and Corporate Governance (UK). These journals had also participated in our first conference, which took place in 2004. Discussions are also underway with three additional academic/professional journals to devote special issues based on selected groups of papers presented at the conference.

With this communication, I urge your support of the conference. I would be very grateful if you would please take a few minutes to complete and return via email a short questionnaire. This would be of great help to us as we organize our administrative and program planning structure in different parts of the world.

Thank you once again for your assistance and cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me with any comments or observations pertaining to any aspect of the conference.

I look forward to hearing form you.

Best regards,
Sincerely,
S. Prakash Sethi
President

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Olinda Anderson
Office Manager
Website Administrator
International Center for Corporate Accountability, Inc.
One Bernard Baruch Way/Box J-1034
New York, NY 10010-5585
Email: Olinda_Anderson@baruch.cuny.edu
Website: www.ICCA-corporateaccountability.org
Tel: (646) 312-2230
Fax: (646) 312-2231

"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much."
-Helen Keller

AfricAvenir News are kindly sent out by Eric Van Grasdorff:

Liebe Freunde,

mit diesem Schreiben möchten wir Sie noch einmal herzlich zu unseren beiden Veranstaltungen Do. (Lesung) und So. (Film) in dieser Woche einladen.

Am Donnerstag, den 12. Oktober um 19:00 Uhr laden AfricAvenir und der Orlanda Verlag in Kooperation mit der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, der GEW und der Werkstatt der Kulturen zu einer Gedenkveranstaltung zum 10. Todestag von May Ayim. Die ghanaisch-deutsche Dichterin, Essayistin, Pädagogin und Logopädin, die vor 10 Jahren starb prägt bis heute die Menschen, denen sie im Rahmen ihrer Arbeit, bei ihren Performances und als Aktivistin in der Schwarzen Community bzw. in der Frauenbewegung begegnet ist. Unter anderem wird das Schauspielensemble abok May Ayims Gedichte lesen. Mehr Informationen unter: http://africavenir.com/news/2006/10/733

Am: Donnerstag, 12. Oktober 2006
Beginn: 19.00 Uhr
Ort: Werkstatt der Kulturen
Eintritt: Frei

Im Rahmen der Filmreihe “African Perspectives” laden AfricAvenir International und die INISA am Sonntag, den 15. Oktober, um 17.15 Uhr zur Vorpremiere von Jean-Marie Tenos “Das koloniale Missverständnis” in das Berliner Filmtheater Hackesche Höfe ein. Die Veranstaltung ist Teil einer bundesweiten Filmtournee, organisiert von der EZEF, der BpB und Africome. Im November startet der Film in den deutschen Kinos. Im Anschluss findet eine Diskussion mit dem Regisseur Jean-Marie Teno statt.

Das koloniale Missverständnis
Kamerun/F/D 2004, OmDtU, 78 min.
Regie: Jean-Marie Teno
Produktion: Bärbel Mauch Film

Am: Sonntag, den 15. Oktober 2006
Beginn: 17.15 Uhr
Ort: Filmtheater Hackesche Höfe (Rosenthaler Str. 40/41; 10178 Berlin)
Eintritt: 5€

Kurzinhalt
In seinem jüngsten Film entwirft Jean-Marie Teno ein komplexes Bild deutscher Missionstätigkeit in Afrika. Auf den Spuren der Missionare reist er von Wuppertal über Südafrika, Namibia, Kamerun und Togo zurück nach Wuppertal. Dort erkundet er die Geschichte der Rheinischen Missionsgesellschaft, die 1828 mit der hehren Absicht gegründet wurde, die christliche Botschaft zu verbreiten. 50 Jahre später gehörte sie zu den Expansionsbegeisterten, die sich aktiv für die Kolonisation in Afrika einsetzten. In ihren Augen waren der Missionsgedanke und die Kolonialpolitik eng miteinander verbunden: „Die Flinte und die Bibel müssen hier miteinander wirken.“ Tenos Film „rekonstruiert Geschichte in ihrer Dialektik zwischen christlichem ‚Ethos’, [deutschen] kaufmännisch-kolonialen Interessen und den traumatischen Erlebnissen der Missionierten”, thematisiert aber auch die aktuelle Position der afrikanischen Kirche und ihr politisches Engagement.

Wie konnte es zu jenem „kolonialen Missverständnis“ kommen und wie virulent ist es bis heute? Die Ergebnisse afrikanischer und europäischer Wissenschaftler, Missionsmitarbeiter und Historiker werden ergänzt durch persönliche Erlebnisse dieser Geschichte bis in unsere postkoloniale Gegenwart.

„Als die ersten Missionare nach Afrika kamen, besaßen sie die Bibel und wir das Land. Sie forderten uns auf zu beten. Und wir schlossen die Augen. Als wir sie wieder öffneten, war die Lage genau umgekehrt: Wir hatten die Bibel und sie das Land“, so der erste Präsident Kenias, Jomo Kenyatta.

Website: http://www.raphia.fr/malentendu/filmlemal.html

Regisseur und Diskussionsgast
Jean-Marie Teno gehört zu den wichtigsten Vertretern der jungen Generation afrikanischer Filmemacher. Er wurde am 14. Mai 1954 in Famleng (Kamerun) geboren und lebt seit 1977 in Frankreich, wo er audiovisuelle Kommunikation studierte und seit 1985 als Filmkritiker für „Buana Magazine“ und als Cutter und Regisseur arbeitet. Obwohl sein Lebensmittelpunkt in Frankreich ist, betrachtet er Kamerun immer noch als seine Heimat und siedelt die meisten seiner kritischen Dokumentar-, Kurz- und Spielfilme dort an. Seine Absicht ist es, den Blick der Afrikaner und auch der Europäer für Kolonialismus und Neokolonialismus, für Migration, Diktatur und Machtmissbrauch in Afrika zu schärfen. „Auch die Europäer sollten mehr über Afrika wissen,“ sagt er und hat mit seinen bislang 14 Filmen dazu beigetragen, den blinden Fleck auf der Landkarte der europäischen Wahrnehmung etwas aufzuhellen.

„Die Jahrhunderte vergehen und Afrika bleibt „Missionsgebiet“. Die humanitären Organisationen von heute haben die Missionare von gestern ersetzt. Die Kolonisation hat das Kostüm der Globalisierung angezogen – und in Afrika nichts neues in Sicht: immer ein wenig mehr Wohltätigkeit und immer weniger Gerechtigkeit.“ Jean-Marie Teno

Filmographie
1990 Le dernier voyage (Dokumentarfilm)
1991 Mister Foot (Dokumentarfilm)
1992 Afrique je te plumerai (Dokumentarfilm)
1994 La tete dans les nuages (Dokumentarfilm )
1996 Clando (Spielfilm)
1999 Chef! (Dokumentarfilm)
2000 Vacances aux pays (Dokumentarfilm)
2002 Le mariage d’Alex (Dokumentarfilm)
2004 Das koloniale Missverständnis (Spielfilm)

Pressestimmen (Auszug)

“Ein scharfsinniger und intelligenter Blick auf die Kolonisation, der zurückhaltend und treffend Partei ergreift.” [Le Monde]

“Ein wesentlicher Beitrag zu einer Debatte, die die westlichen Länder nur zu gerne vermeiden möchten.” [StudioMagazine]

“[Tenos] Film montiert aus klugen Analysen vorwiegend schwarzer Historiker eine Geschichte der Kolonialpolitik am Beispiel Deutschlands – von den frühen Geistlichen der Rheinischen Mission über die Berliner Kongokonferenz in den Jahren 1884/85, bei der sich die Mächte Europas den [afrikanischen] Kontinent aufteilten, bis zum Vernichtungsfeldzug gegen die Herero im damaligen Deutsch-Südwest-Afrika.” [Andreas Obst, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]

Kontakt in Dtld. für Ausleihe und Vorführrechte:
Bärbel Mauch Film
Kolwitzstrasse 45
D – 10405 Berlin
T : 0049 30 30819222
F : 0049 30 30819222
bamauch@yahoo.de
www.ezef.de

www.AfricAvenir.org
Wollen Sie Fördermitglied von AfricAvenir International e.V. werden?
Kontaktieren Sie Ann Kathrin Helfrich, Fon: 030-80906789, a.helfrich@africavenir.org

Redaktion des Newsletters: Eric Van Grasdorff, e.vangrasdorff@africavenir.org
AfricAvenir International e.V. ist nicht für die Inhalte externer Webseiten verantwortlich.

Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH)
for constructive & vibrant Muslim-Western relations
10 - 16 October 2006

The Common Ground News Service – Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH) aims to promote constructive perspectives and dialogue about Muslim–Western relations. CGNews-PiH is available in Arabic, English, French and Indonesian.
For an archive of past CGNews articles and other information, please visit our website at www.commongroundnews.org.
Unless otherwise noted, copyright permission has been obtained and articles may be reprinted by any news outlet or publication. Please acknowledge both the original source and the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Inside this edition

1) by Kathryn Joyce

Pianist and conductor, Daniel Barenboim, considers the difference between “substance and perception” in the context of the recent decision by Deutsche Oper to cancel its performance of Mozart’s Idomeneo. “By censoring ourselves artistically out of fear of insulting a certain group of people, we not only limit rather than enlarge human thought in general, but in fact insult the intelligence of a large group of Muslims and deprive them of the opportunity to demonstrate their maturity of thought.” He concludes that the cancellation in fact “isolates all Muslims, making out of them part of the problem rather than partners in search of a solution.”
(Source: International Herald Tribune, 2 October, 2006)

1) America’s youth and holy war
Kathryn Joyce

New York, New York - “This is war,” declared Ron Luce, author of the evangelical youth manifesto Battle Cry for a Generation and founder of the Teen Mania movement. He was speaking to a stadium audience of young Christian activists who’d gathered for one of Luce’s high-gloss faith events, held across the country: part rock concert, part altar-call confession and part anti-gay marriage rally -- topped off with a large and unsettling militant call to arms. “Jesus invites us to get into the action, telling us that the violent – the ‘forceful ones’ – will lay hold of the kingdom…You don’t have to know much about Jesus, just enough to surrender your whole life…Welcome to the reign of total submission to the Lord.”

Couched between pyrotechnics and war stories was the deeper message administered to the teens: that real rebellion was not to be found in acting out or independent thinking, but in full submission and obedience to Christ and his authorities on earth. This is a counter-intuitive truism about radical obedience that has become a staple of fundamentalist Christian restoration movements whose strategy is to challenge the remnants of 60s-era individualism and self-determination.

Luce’s message has a blunter counterpart in the writing of Mary Pride, a self-described former feminist turned fundamentalist Christian who became one of the leading grassroots advocates for the conservative home-schooling movement in the mid-1980s with her book, The Way Home: Away from Feminism, Back to Reality. The book is an anti-feminist instruction manual for restoring biblical, patriarchal, self-contained families which helped direct the energies of a ground-level Christian restoration movement. And unlike earlier cultural revolutions which emphasised individualism and independence as the keys to social change, Pride promotes obedience to authority and tradition, and an utter submission to God that was displayed by knowing one’s place and keeping to it with the diligence of a soldier.

“Submission”, she writes, “has a military air.” Describing the proper biblical roles for husband and father, wife and mother, she explains the martial analogy. “For the greater good, the soldier is subject to his commanding officer, even if he disagrees with him…This generation is in danger of forgetting that the Christian life is still a war…When the private is committed to the war, and is willing to subject his personal desires to the goal of winning, and is willing to follow the leader his Commander has put over him, that army stands a good chance of winning.”

In this metaphor, and in the theology of the pro-natalist, large family movements which flourish within the home-schooling community, the rankings are as follows: God as Commander, the husband as God’s designated authority on earth and leader of the family, and his wife as a soldier beneath him. The children, spoken of in scriptural metaphors as arrows filling their father’s quiver, are to be employed against the enemies of their parents -- a sacrifice, but one made willingly by an army mobilised against a common enemy, raised and taught to place obedience to a higher goalabove its own interests.

It’s this fervour of submission, obedience and self-sacrifice taken to the level of self-annihilation that informs youth fundamentalist movements across the religious spectrum, from the young Christian warriors of Ron Luce’s Battle Cry generation, to the Muslim adolescents recruited to serve as human weapons for a different system’s holy war.

In his book, The Use and Abuse of Holy War, scholar of Islam James Turner Johnson suggests that historical differences between the Western and Muslim worlds have led to contrasting cultural positions on “holy war.” The secularised West viewed wars fought on religious grounds as disheartening, while in Muslim countries, religious warfare is unifying for the culture, overriding secular differences between people now joined in submission to their God.

But among more constructive youth movements, service programs like Habitat for Humanity, activist organisations like Teen Peace and the Sierra Student Coalition, or inner-city outreaches like Homies Unidos, obedience as a virtue takes a second place to the development of individual consciences, informed activism and dedication to a goal. Similarly, stadium rock shows for God are bypassed for the quieter, more adult lesson that social change takes time and work, not frenzied enthusiasm. And the focus on war as a cause that can bind youth together is traded in for a more thoughtful commitment to peace. Parents and community leaders share a joint responsibility in steering our youth away from robotic commitment, to a life of more meaningful choices.

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* Kathryn Joyce is a writer living in New York City. This is the fifth of six articles in a series on religious revivalism and Muslim-Western relations commissioned by the Common Ground News Service (www.commongroundnews.org).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 10 October 2006, www.commongroundnews.org.
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

2) Tradition, Ramadan and the Pope
Ibrahim N. Abusharif

Chicago, Illinois - Despite public apologies and retractions, we may never know why Pope Benedict XVI decided to dip into the retention pond of Medieval Catholic polemics against Islam. The query would be equally urgent had the Pontiff pulled juicy quotes, readily available, about Protestants or Jews.

But there is one question in that 14th century screed the Pope quoted from that isn’t offensive when taken alone: what did Muhammad bring that was new?

Now this is a question that should be answered, especially when considering the spread of neologisms of the political marketing imagination (“Islamo-fascism”, “Radical-Islam”, “Islamists”, “Jihadis”, etc). Their mere repetition appears to be the method of choice to sedate a public into accepting, without rigour, important national policies and political candidacies. But these words have also thickened the veil of mythology hovering over Islam in the West and have turned Muslims abroad into a convenient abstraction, a monolith to fear.

So I’ll answer the Pope’s question, taking cue from the Qur’an itself. The Prophet Muhammad was not sent to innovate but to reinstate, to confirm and to complete the Abrahamic message that upholds the chief emphasis of the entire religion project: no god but the one God, He’s the Creator and everything else is created, and God alone is worthy of worship. This was the inner message of all the pre-Abrahamic Emissaries, of the Israelite Prophets (Jacob to Jesus), and of the Ishmaelite Prophet, Muhammad - the final prophet, as Muslims believe.

What differed between these luminaries was a matter of detail in sacred law that conformed to variant climes and times. But their core message never departed from the essence of the Abrahamic Meaning. Islam’s obsession had nothing to do with innovation, but with the restoration and protection of that original message because without it, the very meaning and purpose of life are severely diminished, if not extinguished, leaving a wintry, post-modern ethos to curl up to.

Islam and Christianity do share many common beliefs, but they are also separated by divergent salvation narratives. How one attains to Heaven in the Hereafter is not a small matter in religion, I know. But the issue of who’s right or wrong was never meant to be settled here on earth, nor was it ever meant to produce rancour for the "other". We all need to be humbled by the fact that nobody has an advanced ledger with the names of who will be admitted into Paradise, or its antithesis. So our responsibility in this life is to come down from our thrones and search for common ground, not because it is a new liberal philosophy, but because it is one of the core purposes of religion, namely, to set aright the affairs of humanity and to live as harmoniously as possible. This is godly work; this is jihad.

The arrival of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting and nightly prayer vigils, underscores the point of this editorial. The Qur’an introduces the ritual fast of Ramadan like this: “O Believers, fasting is prescribed for you as it has been prescribed for those before you.” This is quintessential Religion, as Muslims hold, a continuation of a message that by all logic and intuition should not change at an essential level. The path of salvation for the first man, a sage once said, is identical to that for the last, an unbroken narrative with a good ending that depends entirely on God's mercy.

Among the aspects common to most religions is the fact that seasons of fasting have been a part of their spiritual regimen. We each have a body with needs, a fact we're constantly reminded of. But to submit to the curriculum that "body" defines humanity is a dereliction that revealed religion has always warned of. For millennia, sages of diverse experiences have offered insights, esoteric and practical, on the benefits associated with voluntary deprivation for a specific time and for a transcendent purpose. They have expanded on how the molecular realm of food and drink, for example, connects with the intangible realm of will and choice, and of gratitude and conscience, and how certain sublime knowledge comes only to those who have mastered their desires.

The modern ridicule of “abstinence” notwithstanding, to refrain from food and drink and spousal intimacy from dawn to dusk (for 29 or 30 days straight, as is required during Ramadan) is meant to restore our sense of soul by reminding us, first and foremost, that we have one, for the soul is the bezel of human spirituality. It’s that simple.

When people of various sacred traditions earnestly seek to know more about each other, about our rituals and what’s important to us, we all become the better for it. Pope John Paul II knew this well and was profoundly respected in the Muslim world and deeply mourned when he passed away. We hope Pope Benedict XVI will look to build upon his legacy.

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* Ibrahim N. Abusharif is a Chicago-area writer. He is currently working on a concise dictionary of Qur’anic vocabulary. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 10 October 2006
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

3) Samuel Huntington interview – he speaks on the ‘clash’ identity
Samuel Huntington

Cambridge, Massachusetts - For 13 years, three words have dominated the discourse on cultural, international, and religious affairs as they relate to foreign policy in our times. The “clash of civilizations,” as argued by Harvard University Professor Samuel Huntington, has stirred heated debate across the globe, but particularly among many Muslim nations. His theory is often interpreted to proclaim a fundamental incompatibility between the “Christian West” and the “Muslim World.” The scale of impact it has had on global politics is sometimes difficult to comprehend. Islamica Magazine spoke to Samuel Huntington about the ‘clash’ identity and the Israel lobby.

Islamica: I’d like to begin with a general question on your book “The Clash of Civilizations.” Your theory on the clash of civilizations argues that “current global politics should be understood as the result of deep-seated conflicts between the great cultures and religions of the world.” This thesis gained momentum as a result of Sept. 11, and now the war against terrorism is often defined in terms of the West against Islam as a fundamental clash between these two civilizations. Do you feel that your thesis is accurately used when describing the war against terrorism as a war of the West against Islam? If not, what modifications to that application of your theory would you make?

SH: The argument in my book on the clash of civilization was well reflected in that short quote saying that the relations between countries in the coming decade are most likely to reflect their cultural commitments, their cultural ties and antagonism with other countries. Quite obviously power will continue to play a central role in global politics as it always does. But usually there is something else. In the 18th century in Europe, the issues to a large extent involved questions of monarchy and monarchy versus the emerging republican movements, first in America and then in France. In the 19th century it was basically nationality and people trying to define their nationalism and create states which would reflect their nationalism. In the 20th century, ideology came to the fore, largely, but not exclusively, as a result of the Russian Revolution and we have fascism, communism and liberal democracy competing with each other. Well that’s pretty much over. The other two (fascism and communism) have not entirely disappeared but have been sidelined certainly, and liberal democracy has come to be accepted, in theory at least, around the world, if not always in practice. So the question really is what will be the central focus of global politics in the coming decades and my argument is that cultural identities and cultural antagonisms and affiliations will play not the only role but a major role. Countries will cooperate with each other, and are more likely to cooperate with each other when they share a common culture, as is most dramatically illustrated in the European Union. But other groupings of countries are emerging in East Asia and in South America. Basically, as I said, these politics will be oriented around, in large part, cultural similarities and cultural antagonism.

Islamica: So, if your thesis entirely explains relations between states post 9/11, then how do you situate the alliance between, for example, Pakistan and the United States against Afghanistan for example, or similar types of relationships?

SM: Well, obviously Pakistan and the U.S. are very different countries, but we have common geopolitical interests in preventing communist take over in Afghanistan and hence, now that Pakistan has a government that we can cooperate with, even though it is a military government, we are working together with them in order to promote our common interests. But obviously we also differ with Pakistan on a number of issues.

Islamica: You said in your book, “For 45 years, the Iron Curtain was the central dividing line in Europe. That line has moved several hundred miles east. It is now the line separating the peoples of Western Christianity, on the one hand, from Muslim and Orthodox peoples on the other.” Some scholars have reacted to such an analysis by stating that making such a dichotomous distinction between the West and Islam implies that there is a great uniformity within those two categories. Additionally some argue that such a distinction implies that Islam does not exist within the Western world. I understand that this is a criticism you have often received. In general, how do you react to such an analysis?

SH:The implication, which you say some people draw, is totally wrong. I don’t say that the West is united, I don’t suggest that. Obviously there are divisions within the West and divisions within Islam — there are different sects, different communities, different countries. So neither one is homogenous at all. But they do have things in common. People everywhere talk about Islam and the West. Presumably that has some relationship to reality, that these are entities that have some meaning and they do. Of course the core of that reality is differences in religion.

Islamica: Is there any reconciliation or point of convergence between, as is often described, both sides of this “Iron Curtain”?

SH: First, you say “both sides,” but as I said, both sides are divided and Western countries collaborate with Muslim countries and vice versa. I think it’s a mistake, let me just repeat, to think in terms of two homogenous sides starkly confronting each other. Global politics remains extremely complex and countries have different interests, which will also lead them to make what might seem as rather bizarre friends and allies. The U.S. has and still is cooperating with various military dictatorships around the world. Obviously we would prefer to see them democratized, but we are doing it because we have national interests, whether it’s working with Pakistan on Afghanistan or whatever.

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Samuel Huntington is the Albert J. Weatherhead III University Professor at Harvard University and author of many renowned books including “The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order” (1996). The full article is available on Islamica Magazine's website on www.islamicamagazine.com. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Islamica Magazine, September 2006, www.islamicamagazine.com
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

4) How to buy image
Ayman El-Amir

Cairo - Arabs and Muslims should think twice before believing that simply owning media outlets in the West would change Western perceptions

Moviemakers, fashion houses, corporations, food retailer chains, tycoons and even politicians pay lavishly to buy a positive image that would impress target audiences. Like cosmetics, image making is a multi-billion dollar industry where the payback could be enormous, if only the image could be sold. Advertisers in the US and European markets admit that consumers are driven to buy an image, not a product. Of course, the competing product has to have quality to sell: toothpaste has to polish teeth and washing powder has to clean clothes. But do Muslims want to market a positive image of Islam in the West in the same way?

This question was raised indirectly at the just-concluded meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The OIC secretary-general, Turkey's Ekmeledin Ihsanoglu, suggested that "Muslim investors must invest in the large media institutions of the world, which generally make considerable profits, so that they have the ability to affect their policies via their administrative boards." He cited the example of multibillionaire Saudi Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal who holds an estimated 5.46 per cent share in Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, which owns the notorious anti-Arab Fox News TV channel.

The fact is that to have a controlling share in a conglomerate like Colgate-Palmolive is one thing but to have even a visible share in a media organisation is completely different. Media organisations are people shapers and who owns how much of them is a rather sensitive issue. A small but meaningful example to cite is the hue and cry raised in the US Congress over the successful bid earlier this year by Dubai Ports World for the management of seven US port terminals. Under pressure of the controversy, the Dubai government had to withdraw its bid. Not to mention another $1.2 billion deal by Dubai International Capital to buy the London-based Doncasters Corporation which operates in nine US locations, making precision parts for US military aircraft and tanks for contractors such as Boeing, Honeywell, Pratt and Whitney and General Electric.

Ownership of a media corporation determines the editorial policy of the medium to the extent that editorial opinion is concerned, whether liberal, conservative or mainstream. But what ownership cares about, above all, is profit and loss, which is determined by advertisers and the ratings. Even Prince Al-Waleed would acknowledge this. In Western liberal democracies, piping out propaganda does not win an audience but poor ratings and financial losses. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has set out three fundamental, albeit esoteric, rules for broadcast industry licensees: fairness, equal time, and public interest. But it is really the public, and advertisers, who determine the credibility of a TV channel, a radio station or a newspaper. Ratings are conditioned by credibility and popularity, and advertising follows. And credibility is determined by the degree of independence a medium enjoys, or seems to have.

A successful media venture has to be an integral part of the socio-economic and political fabric of the nation. French readers and viewers will read Le Monde, Le Figaro or l'Humanité rather than The Washington Post or The Boston Globe. They will view TV5 rather than CNN or the BBC in French. It is a matter of proximity to local and national interests. Moreover, countries of the world protect their national broadcasting dominion as jealously as they guard their territorial waters. That is one of the difficulties the much-touted Al-Jazeera International ran into when it was scheduled to start broadcasting globally, and particularly to Western viewers, last May. Negotiations with cable carriers that would accept to include the signal into their programming schedule and thus allow Al-Jazeera to penetrate national markets proved more difficult than initially envisaged.

At question is also: to what extent do Arabs and Muslims share a common value system with the West? Western interest in the continued and generous flow of Arab oil, the colonial past and curio fragments of ancient civilisations that have been more of a tourist attraction than a subject of serious, in-depth study can hardly constitute a common value system. Compare this to the Judeo-Christian tradition that the Jewish lobby in the US has been cultivating for four decades since the years of the civil rights movement, and which the neo-conservatives have turned into an anti-Muslim, anti-Arab frenzy in favour of Israel. It was this dichotomy of the value systems that terminated the short-lived partnership between MBC and the BBC (BBC Arabic) in 1996 over editorial differences. If some should take the current mad drive towards market economy and consumerism as a standard of common values, we might just as well find more in common with China or Singapore than with the West.

What about other universal values? Of all the moral and material goods the Arab/Muslim regimes import from the West, democracy, fundamental human rights, individual freedom of thought and expression, justice and equality before the law are among the least desired or cherished ones. Some Arab officials have even gone to the extent of considering the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a Western invention and that its provisions are not always compatible with the specificity of our tradition and value system -- a protective mechanism against universally -- acknowledged human rights.

At a time when the architects of the decade-old Barcelona process are still struggling to build the foundations of a dialogue among Euro-Mediterranean cultures, Pope Benedict XVI touched a raw nerve at a tense moment in inter-cultural relations. His remarks, quoting a specific text by a certain mediaeval Byzantine emperor, Manuel II, that characterised the Prophet Muhammad and the nature of Islam as evil and violent, was ill-timed and in bad taste. Coming at the heals of the insulting cartoons carried by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten depicting the Prophet as a terrorist, the unwise reference by the Pope may have managed to set back Muslim-Christian relations to the decades of the Crusades -- fulfilment of the prophecy of US President George W Bush. The Muslim backlash could have been more violent had the Pope not offered his couched apology.

The image Arabs and Muslims want to project does not depend on the medium but on the message. Even within the extremes of a diverse and contradictory Muslim world, there is a certain unity of purpose and cultural identity. Compassion, tolerance and faith remain both Muslim and universal values. Islamic scholarly, scientific and cultural contributions to the rise of medieval Europe from the dark ages to the Renaissance are a common heritage that has not been adequately documented or acknowledged. The golden age of world Jewry flourished during Muslim rule of Andalusia where, in latter years, the Spanish Inquisition under Isabelle and Ferdinand persecuted both Muslims and Jews.

To pretend that Islam and the Western world are not on a collision course is only self-denial by apologists for the dialogue between cultures. As Islam has its Osama bin Ladens, the West has its equivalents in the neo-cons. Both are leading the world to a confrontation of catastrophic proportions. The dialogue among civilisations has so far produced little more than bilateral endeavours to stem the tide of illegal immigrants from Africa and the Middle East to Europe, as well as the exchange of intelligence information about the agents and plots of terrorism.

So far the two value systems have proved incompatible. Muslims will have to do more to coin a credible image of their universal value system before deciding if it should be communicated through the incredulous idea of controlled boards of media conglomerates, by satellite broadcasting or through broadband TV streaming on the Internet.

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* Ayman El-Amir is former Al-Ahram correspondent in Washington, DC. He also served as director of United Nations Radio and Television in New York. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Al-Ahram Weekly, 28 September – 4 October, 2006, www.ahram.org.eg/weekly
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

5) Silencing dialogue
Daniel Barenboim

Jerusalem - The cancellation of performances of Mozart's "Idomeneo" in Berlin raises the very important question of our perception of the Muslim world, an issue which has not been addressed in any satisfactory way.

The production, which I have not seen and am therefore unable to comment upon, was temporarily removed from the Deutsche Oper's repertoire this season because of elements in it which could offend or insult people who are in fact not even required to see it.

It is the duty of a government to protect its citizens from the threat of violence and terrorism. But is it the duty of a theatre to protect its audience from artistic expressions that might be interpreted as offensive?

The link between artistic expression and the associations it evokes is not unlike the link between substance and perception. Much too often we alter the substance to suit its perception. There is, of course, no way to determine the associations evoked by art, because it is an individual's prerogative.

In music, the difference between content and perception is provided by the printed page. In theatre or opera, where there is no score for the stage direction, it is the exclusive responsibility of the director.

The very essence of the role of theatre in society is its ability to remain in constant dialogue with reality regardless of its impact on real events. This form of dialogue is neither a sign of courage nor of cowardice, but must come of the inner necessity of an individual or an institution to express itself.

Limiting one's freedom of expression as a response to fear is as ineffective as imposing one's point of view through military force.

Art is neither moral nor immoral, neither edifying nor offensive; it is our reaction to it that makes it one or the other in our minds. Our society sees controversy more and more as a negative attribute, yet difference of opinion and the difference between content and the perception of it lie at the very essence of creativity.

If content can be manipulated, perception can be doubly so. By censoring ourselves artistically out of fear of insulting a certain group of people, we not only limit rather than enlarge human thought in general but in fact insult the intelligence of a large group of Muslims and deprive them of the opportunity to demonstrate their maturity of thought.

This is the exact opposite of dialogue and a consequence of the inability to discern between the many different points of view existent in the vast Muslim world.

Art has nothing to do with a society that rejects what I would call publicly accepted standards of intelligence and takes the easy way out with political correctness, which is in fact not different in essence from fundamentalism in its various manifestations.

Both political correctness and fundamentalism give answers not in order to further understanding, but in order to avoid questions. Acting out of fear does not appease the fundamentalists, who in any case have no intention of being appeased, and does not encourage the enlightened Muslims whose aim is progress and dialogue.

Instead, it isolates all Muslims, making out of them part of the problem rather than partners in search of a solution.

By depriving our society of this essential dialogue we continue to alienate people whose peaceful cooperation is indispensable for a future without violence.

Maybe the Muslim world needs a modern equivalent of Spinoza who would be able to express the very nature of Islam in the same way that Spinoza expressed the very nature of the Judeo-Christian way of thought, at once remaining outside of it and even negating it.

The decision not to perform "Idomeneo" is, finally, a decision not to differentiate between enlightened and extremist, between intellectual and dogmatic, between culturally interested and narrow- minded people of any origin or religion. The refusal to let this image be seen is precisely the fear that the violent elements of the Muslim world want us to have.

As I said above, I have not seen this production. I can only hope that Hans Neuenfels, the director of Deutsche Oper, found the display of the severed heads of Jesus, Muhammad and the Buddha an absolute inner necessity dictated by Mozart's score.

Maybe he should have allowed the severed heads to speak so that they could have pled for acknowledgment of the great wisdom and power of thought they collectively represent.

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* Daniel Barenboim is a pianist and conductor. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: International Herald Tribune, 2 October, 2006, www.iht.com
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

Youth Views
CGNews-PiH also regularly publishes the work of student leaders and journalists whose articles strengthen intercultural understanding and promote constructive perspectives and dialogue in their own communities. Student journalists and writers under the age of 27 are encouraged to write to Chris Binkley (cbinkley@sfcg.org) for more information on contributing.

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Dear Reader,

We hope you are interested in being kept up to date on the activities of UNESCO’s Sector for Social and Human Sciences (SHS) which is why we are sending you this monthly e-news bulletin. If you no longer wish to receive this information, just click on the following link: mailto:sympa@lists.unesco.org?subject=unsub%20news-shs

During the first two weeks of October 2006, several issues related to the social and human sciences programme will be discussed by the 175th session of the UNESCO Executive Board, which is meeting in Paris.

This week, the Executive Board will be discussing current affairs: UNESCO’s role and the challenges posed by illegal African emigration. Then, the Director-General of UNESCO will present a report on the possible development of an international declaration on scientific ethics, designed to serve as a basis for an ethical code of conduct for scientists. Finally, consideration will also be given to the proposal to create a UNESCO observatory for women, physical education and sport.

Immediately after the Executive Board meeting, events will be held on 17 October to mark International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This will be the first opportunity to assess UNESCO's programme on the eradication of poverty, especially extreme poverty. A film and a photograph exhibition will give an overview of the programme’s action in the field over the past five years.

On Tuesday 17 October at 5 p.m., at UNESCO in Room XII, a short film will be shown, following which an exhibition of photographs illustrating exemplary projects from around the world will be opened. The exhibition will run until 26 October in the Miró Room at UNESCO Headquarters.

The current issue of SHS Views, the magazine of UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector, devotes several pages to the programme against poverty, which brings together all Sectors of the Organization. The issue also includes an interview with Monique Ilboudo, Burkina Faso’s Minister for the Promotion of Human Rights, who calls for the same recognition of economic, social and cultural rights to be given to political and civil rights, in order to overcome poverty.

SHS Views website: www.unesco.org/shs/views

Other events planned for the month of October 2006:

15 and 16 October: International Conference on Migration issues. Beijing, China.
From 3 to 5 October: Diaspora Knowledge Networks Meeting. Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France.
From 16 to 20 October: “Urban policies and their relations with the political, technical, scientific and social actors in Latin America and the Caribbean”. City Professionals MOST Network Seminar. Colonia, Uruguay.
19 and 20 October: Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Regional Conference on the application of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
21 October: International Symposium: Harmonizing knowledge about the biomedical side effects of doping. Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
21 and 22 October: Forum “Issues of Diversity in Europe and European Citizenship” UNESCO, Paris, France.
22 to 24 October: Sport for a World of Harmony – the fifth World Forum on Sport; Education, and Culture. Beijing, China.
23 to 25 October: Expert Meeting on Migration Museums. Rome, Italy.
25 to 27 October: UNESCO-ASEAN Concept Workshop on Human Security in South-East Asia. Jakarta, Indonesia.
26 and 27 October: Seminar: Legal and Ethical Framework for Space Exploration. UNESCO, Paris.
26 and 27 October: Regional Conference: Launching of the Coalition of Cities Against Racism in Latin America and the Caribbean. Montevideo, Uruguay.
28 and 29 October: Regional meeting of experts on Ethics Teaching. Tehran, Iran.
30 October to 4 November: Ethics Teachers Training Course. Bucharest, Romania.

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Madame, Monsieur,

Nous avons pensé qu'il vous intéresserait d'être régulièrement tenus informés des activités du Secteur des sciences sociales et humaines de l’UNESCO (SHS), c'est pourquoi nous nous permettons de vous adresser ce bulletin d'information électronique mensuel. Si vous ne souhaitez plus recevoir ces informations, il vous suffit de cliquer sur le lien suivant : mailto:sympa@lists.unesco.org?subject=unsub%20news-shs.

Dans la première quinzaine de ce mois d’octobre 2006, plusieurs questions liées au programme des sciences sociales et humaines de l’UNESCO seront examinées par le Conseil exécutif de l’Organisation, réuni à Paris (France) à l’occasion de sa 175e session.

En prise avec l’actualité, les membres du Conseil s’interrogeront, cette semaine, sur le rôle de l’UNESCO face au défi de l’émigration clandestine africaine. Puis, le Directeur général de l’Organisation présentera un rapport sur l’opportunité d’élaborer une déclaration internationale sur l’éthique scientifique, devant servir de base à un code de conduite éthique à l’intention des scientifiques. Enfin, la proposition de créer un observatoire de l’UNESCO pour les femmes, le sport et l’éducation physique sera également examinée.

Au lendemain de la réunion du Conseil exécutif de l’Organisation, la célébration de la Journée internationale de lutte contre la pauvreté, le 17 octobre, sera, quant à elle, l’occasion de dresser un premier bilan du programme de l’UNESCO pour éradiquer la pauvreté, et en particulier l’extrême pauvreté, à travers la projection d’un film et la présentation d’une exposition de photographies retraçant, tous deux, les principales actions conduites sur le terrain, depuis cinq ans.

Mardi 17 octobre 2006, à 17 heures, en salle XII de la Maison de l’UNESCO, à Paris, un court-métrage sera projeté, puis, à 17h30, le public sera invité à participer à l’inauguration d’une exposition de photographies présentant les projets les plus exemplaires développés dans le monde entier. Cette exposition demeurera accessible jusqu’au 26 octobre, dans la salle Miró de la Maison de l’UNESCO.

Le numéro en cours du magazine du Secteur des sciences et humaines de l’UNESCO, SHS Regards, consacre plusieurs pages à ce programme de lutte contre la pauvreté qui engage l’ensemble des secteurs de travail de l’Organisation. On peut également y lire un entretien avec Monique Ilboudo, ministre de la Promotion des droits humains du Burkina Faso qui réclame que les droits économiques, sociaux et culturels soient reconnus au même titre que les droits civils et politiques, afin d’en finir avec la pauvreté. Site web de SHS Regards : www.unesco.org/shs/regards

Les autres événements de ce mois d’octobre 2006:

Du 3 au 5 octobre : Réunion des Réseaux des connaissances de la diaspora. Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France
15 et 16 octobre : Conférence internationale sur la question des migrations. Beijing, Chine.
Du 16 au 20 octobre : « Les politiques urbaines et leurs relations avec les acteurs politiques, techniques, scientifiques et sociaux en Amérique latine et dans les caraïbes. » Séminaire du réseau MOST des professionnels de la ville. Colonia, Uruguay.
19 et 20 octobre : Conférence Régionale LAC pour la mise en oeuvre de la Déclaration universelle sur la bioéthique et les droits de l’homme. Buenos Aires, Argentine.
21 octobre : Symposium international : « Harmoniser les connaissances sur les effets biomédicaux secondaires du dopage ». Université technique de Munich, Munich, Allemagne.
21 et 22 octobre : Forum sur « les enjeux de la diversité en Europe et citoyenneté européenne », UNESCO, Paris, France.
Du 22 au 24 octobre : « Le sport pour un monde en harmonie » : 5e Forum mondial du sport, de l’éducation et de la culture. Beijing, Chine.
Du 23 au 25 octobre : Réunion d’experts sur les musées des migrations. Rome, Italie.
Du 25 au 27 octobre : Atelier UNESCO-ASEAN sur la sécurité humaine en Asie du Sud-Est. Jakarta, Indonésie.
26 et 27 octobre : Séminaire sur le « cadre légal et éthique de l’espace exploratoire. » UNESCO, Paris, France.
26 et 27 octobre : Lancement de la Coalition des villes contre le racisme et la discrimination en Amérique latine et les Caraïbes. Montevideo, Uruguay.
28 et 29 octobre : Réunion régionale d’experts sur l’enseignement de l’éthique. Téhéran, Iran.
Du 30 octobre au 4 novembre : Formation des professeurs d’éthique. Bucarest, Roumanie.

Agenda du Secteur des sciences sociales et humaines de l’UNESCO : www.unesco.org/shs/agenda

Site web du Secteur des sciences sociales et humaines de l’UNESCO : www.unesco.org/shs

----- Pour s’abonner à "SHS e-infos" -----

mailto:sympa@lists.unesco.org?subject=sub%20news-shs

----- Contacts -----

John Crowley, chef, SHS/EO/CIP : j.crowley@unesco.org
Cathy Bruno-Capvert, rédactrice en chef, SHS Regards : c.bruno-capvert@unesco.org
Irakli Khodeli, assistant presse : i.khodeli@unesco.org
Petra van Vucht Tijssen, webmaster : p.van-vucht-tijssen@unesco.org

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Señora, señor:

Hemos pensado que le interesaría mantenerse informado periódicamente sobre las actividades del Sector de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas de la UNESCO (SHS), por lo que nos permitimos seguir enviándole este boletín informativo electrónico de carácter mensual. Si no desea recibir estas informaciones, sólo tiene que pulsar en el enlace siguiente: mailto:sympa@lists.unesco.org?subject=unsub%20news-shs.

Durante la primera quincena del mes de octubre 2006, varias cuestiones relativas al programa de ciencias sociales y humanas de la UNESCO van a tratarse en el seno del Consejo Ejecutivo de la Organización que celebra en París (Francia) su 175° sesión.

Respecto a temas de actualidad, los miembros del Consejo examinarán, esta semana, la cuestión “Inmigración africana de origen subsahariano: el papel de la UNESCO”. Además, el Director General de la Organización presentará un informe relativo a la necesidad de elaborar una declaración internacional sobre ética científica, que debería servir de base para un código de conducta ética al servicio de la comunidad científica. Por último, se va a discutir igualmente la propuesta de creación de un observatorio de la UNESCO para las mujeres, el deporte y la educación física.

Tras la reunión del Consejo Ejecutivo de la Organización, la celebración del Día Internacional para la Erradicación de la Pobreza, será la ocasión de hacer un primer balance de los cinco años de ejecución del programa de la UNESCO para erradicar la pobreza, en especial la pobreza extrema, a través de la proyección de un cortometraje y la presentación de una exposición de fotografías, que repasan las principales acciones llevadas a cabo en el terreno.

El martes 17 de octubre 2006, a las 17h00, en la Sala XII de la sede de la UNESCO, en París, se proyectará un cortometraje y, a las 17h30, se invitará al público a asistir a la inauguración de una exposición de fotografías que presenta los proyectos ejemplares desplegados en todo el mundo. Esta exposición permanecerá abierta hasta el 26 de octubre en la Sala Miró de la Sede de la UNESCO.

El número actual de la revista del Sector de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas de la UNESCO - SHS Views (versión en inglés)/ SHS Regards (versión en francés) – dedica diversas páginas a dicho programa de lucha contra la pobreza que implica a todos los sectores de trabajo de la Organización. Asimismo, este número incluye una entrevista con Monique Ilboudo, la Ministra para la Promoción de los Derechos Humanos de Burkina Faso, quien reclama igual reconocimiento de los derechos económicos, sociales y culturales y de los derechos políticos y civiles, con el fin de erradicar la pobreza. Sitio web de la revista del Sector de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas de la UNESCO: www.unesco.org/shs/opiniones

Otros acontecimientos previstos para el mes de octubre de 2006:

3 al 5 octubre: Reunión de Redes de estudio sobre la diáspora. Conservatorio Nacional de Artes y Oficios, París, Francia.
15 y 16 octubre: Conferencia Internacional sobre Migraciones. Beijing, China.
16 a 20 octubre: “Las políticas urbanas y sus relaciones con los actores políticos, técnicos, científicos y sociales en América Latina y el Caribe”. Seminario de la Red MOST de profesionales en el ámbito urbano. Colonia, Uruguay.
17 octubre: Celebración del Día Internacional para la Erradicación de la Pobreza. UNESCO, París, Francia.
19 y 20 octubre: Conferencia Regional América Latina y el Caribe sobre la aplicación de la Declaración Universal sobre Bioética y Derechos Humanos. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
21 octubre: Simposio Internacional “Efectos biomédicos del dopaje”. Munich, Alemania.
21 y 22 octubre: Foro “La cuestión de la diversidad en Europa y la ciudadanía europea”. UNESCO, París, Francia.
22 a 24 octubre: 5ª Edición del Foro Mundial del Deporte, Educación y Cultura “Deporte para un mundo en armonía”. Beijing, China.
23 al 25 octubre: Reunión de Expertos de Museos de la Migración. Roma, Italia.
25 al 27 octubre: Taller UNESCO-ASEAN sobre Seguridad Humana en el Sudeste asiático. Yakarta, Indonesia.
26 y 27 octubre: Seminario sobre el marco legal y ético en la exploración del espacio. UNESCO, París, Francia.
26 y 27 octubre: Conferencia Regional de lanzamiento de la Coalición de Ciudades contra el Racismo en América Latina y el Caribe. Montevideo, Uruguay.
28 y 29 octubre: Reunión regional de expertos sobre enseñanza de ética. Teherán, República Islámica del Irán.
30 octubre al 4 noviembre: Curso de formación para profesores de ética. Bucarest, Rumania.

Agenda del Sector de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas de la UNESCO: www.unesco.org/shs/agenda (en inglés)

Sitio web del Sector de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas de la UNESCO: www.unesco.org/shs (en inglés)

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
in partnership with

The United States and the Rise of China and India:
Release of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs 2006 Global Views Survey
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
8:45 - 11:45 a.m.
Breakfast will be served

Willard InterContinental Hotel, Ballroom
1401 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, DC 20004

The emergence of China and India over the last two decades as centers of economic dynamism, growing military power and geopolitical weight is the driving force in a changing Asia. Against the background of the substantial transformations underway, it is critical to better understand how the public views these emerging powers.

The 2006 Chicago Council public opinion survey, undertaken in partnership with the Asia Society, focuses on the rise of China and India and its implications for the United States and the international order. The survey includes polling undertaken in the United States, China, and India, with parallel surveys carried out by partner organizations in South Korea and Australia. The study compares international attitudes on how the emergence of China and India as economic dynamos and claimants to great power status will affect the global economy, international security, and politics. It assesses public opinion in the surveyed countries on a variety of challenges, including international terrorism, nuclear proliferation, evolving great power relations in Asia and internationally, economic competition from other countries, and threats to energy supplies and the environment. It also evaluates American public preferences for the U.S. role in the world and the foreign policy tools America employs in responding to emerging challenges. The study also presents Chinese and Indian publics’ views on their nations’ international challenges and opportunities and their respective roles as emerging great powers. CSIS participated in the study through Ambassador Teresita C. Schaffer, Director, South Asia Program. PIPA participated in the study through its director Steven Kull.

Several panels of experts, including foreign policy scholars and public opinion experts, will discuss the results of the survey and take questions from the audience. Confirmed speakers are:

Stephen P. Cohen, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Michael Green, Japan Chair and Senior Adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Steven Kull, Director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes
Thomas Mann, Senior Fellow of Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution
Norman J. Ornstein, Resident Fellow at The American Enterprise Institute
Benjamin I. Page, Gordon S. Fulcher Professor of Decision Making at Northwestern University
Teresita C. Schaffer, Director, South Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Dali Yang, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Political Science at The University of Chicago
To Register: Please contact Andy Chen at (312) 821-7525 or by email at achen@thechicagocouncil.org.

The WMD's DemocracyNews
Electronic Newsletter of the World Movement for Democracy - www.wmd.org
October 2006

33. WORLD MOVEMENT PARTICIPATING NETWORKS, ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

DEMOCRACY ALERTS/APPEALS

1. Urgent Appeal to UN Rights Bodies to Address Thailand Junta
On September 22, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) posted an urgent appeal for UN rights bodies to address the recent coup d’etat in Thailand and the subsequent military rule, implementation of martial law, threats to human rights defenders, arbitrary arrests and detentions, and restrictions on freedom of assembly and expression.  According to the AHRC, since the army launched its coup on September 19, it has moved fast to curtail civil liberties and detain members of the former caretaker government. There is growing resistance to the coup inside Thailand, but vocal opponents--especially journalists and human rights defenders--face very serious risks.  The junta has already instructed the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology to target mass media news that is considered harmful to its agenda, and has arrested at least six persons (most of them former officials) without charge. Although the UN Secretary General has condemned the coup, the UN Human Rights Council has yet to act on it.  AHRC asks that individuals write letters to key UN human rights officials calling for urgent intervention to protect lives and fundamental liberties in Thailand.

To view the AHRC appeal, go to: www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2006/1984 (http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2006/1984)

For information on the coup, go to: www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2006statements/742 (http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2006statements/742) 

To read the World Forum for Democratization in Asia’s statement on the coup, go to: www.wfda.net/news_detail.htm?id=245 (http://www.wfda.net/news_detail.htm?id=245)

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS

2. Vietnamese Democracy Defender, the Venerable Thich Quang Do, Awarded 2006 Rafto Prize for Human Rights
The board of the Rafto foundation decided to award the 2006 Professor Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize to Thich Quang Do of Vietnam. He will receive the prize for his personal courage and perseverance through three decades of peaceful opposition against the communist regime. He is one of Vietnam’s most prominent defenders of democracy, religious freedom, and human rights. Thich Quang Do, a Buddist monk, researcher, and author, has devoted his life to the advancement of justice and the Buddhist tradition of non-violence, tolerance, and compassion. He has provided direction and energy to the democracy movement in Vietnam at the personal cost a total of 25 years in prison.  Today, at 77 years old, he is still under house arrest. The Rafto Foundation, together with the Norwegian Parliament's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, calls on the Vietnamese Government to allow Thich Quang Do to travel to Norway in November to receive the Rafto Prize. At the same time, the Foundation calls on the Vietnamese Government to stop its attacks on dissidents and enter into a dialogue with the democratic opposition on reforms, allowing greater public participation, and respecting human rights, freedom of belief, and political liberty.  Thich Quang Do was one of two leading, heroic dissidents recognized during the presentation of a Democracy Courage Tribute to democracy activists in Vietnam at the World Movement for Democracy’s Fourth Assembly in Istanbil, Turkey, in April of this year.

Go to: www.rafto.no/DesktopModules/ViewAnnouncement.aspx?ItemID=232&Mid=42 (http://www.rafto.no/DesktopModules/ViewAnnouncement.aspx?ItemID=232&Mid=42)

3. World Movement for Democracy and ICNL Assist on Democracy Discussion at UN
The World Movement for Democracy and the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) assisted in arranging a high-level roundtable discussion on democracy at the United Nations on September 19 during the UN General Assembly.  The discussion, which brought together some 22 heads of state/government, focused on the challenges that NGOs are facing given the recent "backsliding" from democratic progress in a growing number of countries and the increasingly coordinated international "backlash" against democracy assistance through the passage of new "NGO laws."  These new developments were the subject of the first plenary session at the World Movement’s Fourth Assembly last April in Istanbul.  The World Movement Secretariat and ICNL arranged for the participation of several NGO leaders, including Natalia Bourjaily of Belarus; Yuri Dzhibladze of Russia; Engi El-Haddad of Egypt; Nozima Kamalova of Uzbekistan; Reginald Matchabe-Hove of Zimbabwe; and Carlos Ponce of Venezuela.  Dzhibladze and Matchabe-Hove are members of the World Movement Steering Committee; Bourjaily is Vice President of ICNL.  The NGO leaders were accompanied in the meeting by Carl Gershman, President of the National Endowment for Democracy, which serves as the Secretariat of the World Movement, and Douglas Rutzen, President of ICNL. 

Initiated by U.S. President George W. Bush, the discussion included presidents and prime ministers from a wide range of countries, including Benin, Liberia, and Senegal in Africa; Finland and Italy in Western Europe; El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras in Latin America; Mongolia and Sri Lanka in Asia; Afghanistan, Iraq, and Morocco in the Middle East; and a large number of former Soviet and Southeast European countries, including, among others, Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Lithuania, and Serbia.  The NGO leaders have since been formulating recommendations on how longstanding and recently-established democracies can assist NGOs in addressing the new challenges to their work. 

For information on the World Movement for Democracy, go to:  www.wmd.org (http://www.wmd.org/) 

For information on ICNL, go to:  www.icnl.org (http://www.icnl.org/)

4. Freedom House Launches Journal on Democracy and Human Rights in Iran
Freedom House has launched “Gozaar,” a new Persian/English online journal devoted to the discussion of democracy and human rights in Iran.  “Gozaar,” which means “transition,” recognizes that free access to ideas and information is the cornerstone of freedom.  In response to widespread censorship and the closure of all independent print newspapers in Iran, the journal seeks to help Iranian democrats fulfill the universal aspiration for freedom of expression by creating an inclusive and provocative space for the discussion of liberty.  Each issue features interviews, essays, political cartoons, feature articles, satire, and reviews of art, film and literature.  A central feature of “Gozaar” is its bi-lingual discussion fora.  Following each article is a moderated space in which readers from around the world can contribute their ideas.  To prevent government surveillance or blockage of the site, “Gozaar” uses the most innovative Internet security technology to allow readers in Iran or elsewhere free, unfiltered access.  Contributors to the webzine include feminist Kurdish rights activist Roya Tolouee and writer and free speech advocate Faraj Sarkouhi, as well as contributors writing under pseudonyms from inside the Islamic Republic.  Readers can alsoaccess a Resources Page, which provides categorized links to organizations, bloggers, and resource tools concerning democracy and human rights.

Go to: www.gozaar.org (http://www.gozaar.org/)

5. New Online Publication Database
IssueLab is a recently launched, free online database of analyses on democratic development collected and published by non-profit organizations.  It is a wide-ranging, searchable, and browse-able archive that simplifies the process of locating and accessing research and policy analysis materials, including reports, white papers, fact sheets, case studies, and data sets. Issuelab is currently looking for submissions from non-profits of both new and older work about peace and conflict resolution. By registering, organizations can submit research they have conducted and receive e-alerts on recently posted publications.

Go to: www.issuelab.com/content/index.php (http://www.issuelab.com/content/index.php)

6. Deadline Extended for Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society Diversity Fellowship
The Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society has extended its deadline until October 31 for applications for the 2007 Emerging Leaders International Fellows Program Diversity Fellowship.  The Diversity Fellowship is open to practitioners and researchers from communities of color outside the United States that are under-represented in the U.S. grantmaking sector.   The Diversity Fellowship is part of the Emerging Leaders International Fellows Program, a three-month program that provides leadership training for young scholar-practitioners in the nonprofit sector.  Fellows are based at The Graduate Center of The City University of New York, where they design and pursue an individualized research project and participate in a seminar with Third-Sector leaders.  Fellows will participate in weekly seminars and conduct research on community foundations.

To apply, go to: www.philanthropy.org (http://www.philanthropy.org/)

7. Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development Seeks Expertise on Policy Analysis
The Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development in Tblisi, Georgia, is launching a new initiative aimed at enhancing political analyses and capacity building among political parties and civil society activists. The Center wishes to learn more about best practices, new methods and approaches, and training models in this field.  Those with expertise in this area are invited to contact Tina Tkeshelashvili at the Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development.

Write to: tinatkeshelashvili@yahoo.com. 

8. Russian-Language Version of "Campaigning for Freedom of Expression: A Handbook for Advocates"
The International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) announced the release of the Russian-language version of "Campaigning for Freedom of Expression: A Handbook for Advocates." This book was translated and published by IDEACCESS, a human rights resource distributor, and contains best practices in campaigning, online resources, and practical tools that can be applied anywhere in the world. The handbook can be downloaded from the Web site.

Go to:   www.ifex.org/download/russian/IFEXCampaignHandbookRussian.pdf (http://www.ifex.org/download/russian/IFEXCampaignHandbookRussian.pdf)

9. Democracy Coalition Project Holds a Debate on UN Democracy Caucus
About 40 governmental and nongovernmental representatives of the Community of Democracies debated the workings of the UN Democracy Caucus in a roundtable luncheon, “The UN Democracy Caucus: Challenges and Priorities,” on September 18 at the start of the 61st UN General Assembly in New York. Participants discussed obstacles facing the Caucus, different views on democracy promotion, and competing priorities of the grouping of democratic states, which have met at the UN since 2003. Speakers at the event included Cheick Sidi Diarra (Permanent Representative of Mali to the UN), João Manuel Guerra Salgueiro (Permanent Representative of Portugal to the UN), Gabor Brodi (Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN), and Matteo Meccaci of the Transnational Radical Party of Italy. The event was organized by the Democracy Coalition Project and co-sponsored by the Open Society Institute, the Transnational Radical Party, Freedom House, and the Council for a Community of Democracies.

Go to: www.democracycaucus.net (http://www.democracycaucus.net/)

10. Call for Applications: Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowships
The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program at the Washington, DC-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED) welcomes applications from candidates throughout the world for fellowships in 2007-2008. Established in 2001, the program enables democracy activists, practitioners, scholars, and journalists from around the world to deepen their understanding of democracy and enhance their ability to promote democratic change. The program is intended primarily to support activists, practitioners, and scholars from new and aspiring democracies; distinguished scholars from the United States and other established democracies are also eligible to apply. Projects may focus on the political, social, economic, legal, and cultural aspects of democratic development and may include a range of methodologies and approaches. A working knowledge of English is an important prerequisite for participation in the program. The application deadline for fellowships in 2007-2008 is Wednesday, November 1, 2006.

For further information about the program, available in English, Arabic, Russian, and Spanish, go to: www.ned.org/forum/fellows.html (http://www.ned.org/forum/fellows.html)

CIVIC EDUCATION

11. Global Human Rights Leadership Development Program
The Human Rights and Justice Group International will conduct a “Global Human Rights Leadership Development Program” for human rights advocates and educators.  It will run from November 1 to December 29. The application deadline is October 20, and the fee is $200 US. The course provides understanding and skills to help potential human rights educators and advocates integrate knowledge in the fields of politics, economics, cultural diversity and gender issues within the context of human rights education.  It will also establish a global network of trainers on human rights education. The program consists of seven modules, and participants who successfully complete all seven will receive a certificate of participation.

Go to: www.justicegroup.org/training/application.htm (http://www.justicegroup.org/training/application.htm)

CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING

12. Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy Becomes Formalized
Due to increasing interest in the work of Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy (SAPA), a second consultation was held in Singapore on September 19-20, 2006 to finalize its methods to facilitate effective participation of interested groups.  SAPA began when participants at the 11th ASEAN Summit recognized a need to have a forum or platform to share information and resources to enhance the effectiveness of civil society engagement with inter-governmental processes.  SAPA aims to enable cooperation among its members and partners to meet this need.  Main areas of engagement include democracy and human rights, peace and human security, and sustainable development and environment, as well as globalization and trade, finance, and labor.  Criteria for SAPA members and partners have determined, and the first General Forum was proposed for Bangkok on February 5-6, 2007.  SAPA is currently inviting interested organizations to participate.  Email the convener of SAPA at rashid@forum-asia.org for more information.

Go to: asiasapa.org  

13. Call for Nominations for International Activist Award
The Gleitsman Foundation invites nominations for its 2007 International Activist Awards, which honor exceptional individuals whose vision and courage inspire others to join with them in confronting and challenging injustice. The nomination deadline is November 3, 2006; consideration is open to non-U.S. citizens, but the awards will not be presented posthumously, nor to groups or organizations. The honorees will share US $100,000 and each will receive a special commissioned sculpture. Previous awardees include Nelson Mandela and Mahmoud Abbas.

Go to: www.gleitsman.org/intForm.html (http://www.gleitsman.org/intForm.html)

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

14. The Network University to Offer Conflict Resolution Course
The Network University, an initiative of the University of Amsterdam, in cooperation with Bradford University, located in the United Kingdom, will offer an online course, “Transforming Civil Conflicts,” from November 13 to December 9.  This four-week course will familiarize participants with contemporary theories of conflict and conflict resolution, provide them with a range of relevant online information on conflict, and consider the practical issues and debates from within the field.  The specific aims of the course are to prepare participants for work in conflict areas; make participants’ work in conflict areas more effective; provide inspiring examples; share experiences and expertise; connect the local and international levels; and create a network of conflict transformation experts.  There is no official deadline for registering, but those interested in the course should send an email soon to Bart Overbeek at conflict@netuni.uva.nl.

Go to: www.netuni.nl/demos/tcc (http://www.netuni.nl/demos/tcc) 

DECENTRALIZATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

15. Global Network on Local Governance Launches Quarterly Newsletter
The Global Network on Local Governance (GNLG), which has developed as a result of discussions at the World Movement’s global assemblies in Sao Paulo, Durban, and Istanbul, has launched a quarterly newsletter.  The newsletter will catalogue global developments and trends concerning local governance, relate success stories, and post upcoming events, including a local government election calendar.  Each newsletter issue is comprised of four major parts, including an editorial, news from nations, elections, and views and interviews.  The inaugural newsletter, published this month, features a story on economic growth in rural India, a story on Nouzha Skalli and her struggle as a female in Moroccan politics, several pieces of election news, global news, and updates in the field of local governance.  The newsletter is available online on the GNLG Web site.  The GNLG is intended to that promote local democracy and democratic decentralization globally.  Its central thesis is that to deepen democracy and consolidate democratic gains, the roots of local governance must be strengthened.  It is therefore committed to promoting participatory and decentralized government that is transparent, effective, accountable, and inclusive.

To read the inaugural newsletter, go to: www.gnlg.org/newsdetails.asp (http://www.gnlg.org/newsdetails.asp)

ECONOMIC REFORM AND THE BUSINESS SECTOR

16. Center for International Private Enterprise Publishes Bangladesh Case Study
On September 15, 2006, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) published a new case study, “Advancing Reform and Opportunity in Bangladesh through Private Initiative, 1999-2005.”  The case study details the work of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), which has led the way in integrating private sector input into Bangladesh's national policy making process. With assistance from CIPE, DCCI developed an advocacy campaign that achieved important economic reforms that have liberalized the economy, improved the investment climate, facilitated the creation of jobs, and made government more responsive and accountable.   The case study is available on the CIPE Web site.

Go to: www.cipe.org/publications/papers/pdf/bangladesh.pdf (http://www.cipe.org/publications/papers/pdf/bangladesh.pdf)

ELECTIONS

17. Training Course on Election Monitoring Held in Bahrain
The Arab Election Monitoring Network in cooperation with the Bahraini Association for Human Rights and the Amman Center for Human Rights Studies organized a three-day training course on election monitoring and media performance related to elections. The course was held in Manama, and 30 Bahraini domestic election observers attended. The program focused on fundamental freedoms in the Bahraini Constitution, international standards for elections, the role of media in election monitoring, training in election monitoring, and the role of the election observer. The Arab Election Monitoring Network was established in May 2006, and includes 40 Arab organizations and institutions from 12 Arab countries, all of which work on human rights and election monitoring.  Most recently, it has issued a preliminary report on its observation of the Yemeni presidential and local council elections, citing several positive and negative observations.

Go to: www.achrs.org/english/CenterNewsView.asp?CNID=215 (http://www.achrs.org/english/CenterNewsView.asp?CNID=215)
For the initial Yemeni elections report, go to: www.achrs.org/english/CenterNewsView.asp?CNID=224 (http://www.achrs.org/english/CenterNewsView.asp?CNID=224)

HUMAN RIGHTS

18. FORUM-ASIA and SUARAM Hold Training Session for Human Rights Defenders
On September 26-28 in Kuala Lampur, FORUM-ASIA and its member in Malaysia, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), held a National Training and Study Session for Malaysian Human Rights Defenders.  The training included several participatory sessions to clarify the jargon and concepts prevalent in UN Human Rights Council discussions, thus making it more meaningful for local NGOs and civil society.  During the session, it was revealed that, despite being selected to join the UN Human Rights Council for three consecutive years, Malaysia has only ratified two conventions thus far.  Participants therefore discussed ways in which to pressure the government to consider ratifying additional conventions. Also, SUARAM was appointed to serve as the coordinator for the Child Rights Commission shadow report. At the end of the three-day session, participants drew up an action plan to work together on several issues, such as rights to education, right to mother tongue language, assessment of economic, social and cultural rights, child rights, migrant worker rights, and land rights.  The session concluded with calls for stronger solidarity among the 40+ NGOs that participated.

Go to: www.forum-asia.org/news/in_the_news/28sept06_ntss_malaysia.shtml (http://www.forum-asia.org/news/in_the_news/28sept06_ntss_malaysia.shtml)

INTERNET, MEDIA, AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

19. Tactical Notebook on Engaging the Media
The New Tactics in Human Rights Project just released on its Web site a tactical notebook on engaging the media, written by Jee Hyeon Kim of the Korean Women Workers Associations United (KWWAU). The Notebook shares the efforts of KWWAU to engage the media of South Korea to build public awareness of the unjust minimum wage system.  KWWAU teaches the approaches they found most helpful in engaging the media: credible documentation of the problem, petitions to demonstrate public interest in the issue, and visually engaging performances and demonstrations that are easily captured by the media.

Go to: www.newtactics.org/main.php/EngagingtheMedia (http://www.newtactics.org/main.php/EngagingtheMedia)

20. Media and Politics Program Launched in Lima, Peru
On August 31 - September 1, 2006, about 60 politicians, scholars, and journalists from Central America and the Andes region met in Lima, Peru, to discuss the relations between the media and politics in Latin America.  The conference was the first in a series taking place in 2006-2007 as part of a project, “Media, politics and democracy in Central America and the Andes region,” a joint initiative of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (IMD), Radio Netherlands (RNW), and FreeVoice (FV).  Given the growing concern about concentration of the media in the hands of a few conglomerates, it was suggested at the conference that the project should try to involve the owners of media corporations in a dialogue with politicians about possible ways of safeguarding impartial reporting and pluralism within the media sector.  The conference concluded that any initiative to reshape the relations between politics and the media in Latin America can only be successful if it includes all stakeholders.

Go to: www.nimd.org/default.aspx?menuid=0&type=newsitem&contentid=338&special= (http://www.nimd.org/default.aspx?menuid=0&type=newsitem&contentid=338&special=)

21. Singapore Bans Far Eastern Economic Review
The Singapore Democratic Party released a statement about the Singapore government’s ban on the sale and distribution of the Far Eastern Economic Review, a monthly magazine owned by Dow Jones & Co., claiming the company failed to comply with the government’s press regulations.  On August 3, the government ordered five foreign publications ­ the Far Eastern Economic Review, Time, Newsweek, Financial Times, and the International Herald Tribune ­ to post bonds of US $126,000 each and appoint representatives in Singapore. Reporters Without Borders also condemned the ban as a violation of press freedom.

Go to: www.singaporedemocrat.org/articlersffeerban.html (http://www.singaporedemocrat.org/articlersffeerban.html)

For Reporters Without Borders’ statement, go to: www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=19032 (http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=19032)

LABOR UNIONS AND WORKER RIGHTS

22. Labor Rights at Risk at Joint Industrial Complex in North Korea
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the North Korean law governing the Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC), a new industrial joint venture between North Korea and South Korean companies, should be amended to ensure adequate protections of basic workers’ rights. The KIC, which produces goods mostly for the South Korean market, opened in June 2004 under a contract between North Korea and South Korea’s Hyundai Asan Corporation and its state-owned Korea Land Corporation.  HRW found that South Korean companies are violating the existing KIC Labor Law, which stipulates that employers should pay workers directly in cash.  An employers’ representative told HRW that the South Korean companies have been asked instead to pay workers’ wages in U.S. dollars directly to the North Korean government, which in turn pays the workers in North Korean won after deducting a mandatory 30 percent contribution to a “social welfare fund.” Based on information obtained from South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, a representative of the South Korean companies operating at the KIC, and other sources, HRW has released a 19-page briefing paper, “North Korea: Workers’ Rights at Kaesong Industrial Complex.”

Go to: hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/korea1006/

LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND ASSISTANCE

23. Paper on Pakistani Parliamentary Committees on Education
The Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives Pakistan (CPDI-Pakistan) issued its fourth e-alert paper, which describes civil society’s expectations of parliamentary committees on education. The paper contains advice on how the parliamentary committees can strengthen cooperation with civil society, including: holding open meetings, publishing bills for public comment, making the time and agenda of committee meetings public, holding stakeholder consultations, organizing public hearings, disclosing conflicts of interest, and giving easy and timely access to information.

Go to: edu.cpdi-pakistan.org/alerts/sep06/civilsociety.htm

POLITICAL AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION OF YOUTH

24. World Youth Movement for Democracy Celebrates World Youth Day for Democracy
On October 18, the World Youth Movement for Democracy will celebrate World Youth Day for Democracy, as part of the Global Youth Campaign for Democracy.  They invite all participants in the World Movement for Democracy who are interested in youth participation to join the WYMD, and to organize an event during October as part of the Global Youth Campaign for Democracy.  Participants are encouraged to think realistically about what they could organize in a short time, something they would like to share with other WYMD participants, something they want to contribute to this collective effort of youth around the world working for true democracy, responsive governments, active citizenship, and human rights. 

To learn more about the World Youth Day for Democracy and register your event, go to: www.ymd.youthlink.org/ymd/launchday.html (http://www.ymd.youthlink.org/ymd/launchday.html).

25. Youth Movement Monitors By-Elections in Liberia
The Liberian National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections-Partners for Democratic Development (NAYMOTE) recently issued a report on the by-elections of District #2, Margibi County, Liberia, which took place on August 29, 2006. NAYMOTE observed 35 of the 53 polling places. The report describes the security situation as stable and calm, given the presence of UNMIL soldiers and the Liberian national police. The voting process itself went well, and there were no major incidents reported. One negative fact was the low voter turn out, which was reported by all 35 observed polling places. The counting was performed in an open and transparent manner in the presence of various parties’ representatives.

Go to:  http://www.wmd.org/documents/oct06-1.pdf

26. Youth for Human Rights Program Begun in the Arab World
Organized jointly by the Arab Institute for Human Rights (AIHR), the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), and Human Rights Educations Associates (HREA), the new Youth for Human Rights Program will provide long-term training and support for young human rights activists in the Arab World. The program, which will accept 75 trainees and 30 auditors, will begin in December 2006 and end in January 2008. It has distance learning as well as workshop components, and all instruction will be in Arabic. The aim of the program is to expand the network of people working in the field of human rights, develop their advocacy and monitoring skills, and increase their knowledge of international and regional human rights standards and mechanisms. The application deadline is October 25, 2006.

Go to: www.cihrs.org/prog_Activity_details_en.aspx?act_id=81&prog_name=Human%20Rights%20Education (http://www.cihrs.org/prog_Activity_details_en.aspx?act_id=81&prog_name=Human%20Rights%20Education)

27. Deadline Extended for Australian Indigenous Community Youth Leadership Program
The Australian Government has extended the deadline for applications until October 13 for its Indigenous Community Youth Leadership Program (ICYLP).  The program is open to those in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities between the ages of 18 to 25, who demonstrate the capacity for leadership in their communities.  The program will provide an overview of the reforms to indigenous affairs and its challenges; provide an interactive learning environment focusing on the skills and behaviors needed to meet these challenges and maximize opportunities; provide a process for developing a plan for the future; and provide a community development experience based on what is learned at the program. 

To read about the program or to apply, go to: www.oipc.gov.au/programs/Indigenous_Leadership_Programs/Application_Kit.asp (http://www.oipc.gov.au/programs/Indigenous_Leadership_Programs/Application_Kit.asp)

POLITICAL PARTIES AND POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

28. Pontis Foundation Publishes Survey on Political Trends in Belarus
In its summer 2006 political survey, the Pontis Foundation has outlined the most important internal and external factors influencing Belarus’ current political trends.  The Foundation’s researchers prepared the survey based on in-depth interviews with 26 Belarusian political and social analysts and experts throughout the summer.  The survey deals with the leadership crisis within the opposition and its consequences; covers the preparation for the forthcoming local government elections in January 2007; gives insight on post-election developments of the regime and the democratic opposition after March 2006; and sums up the current relations of Belarus with Russia and the EU.  According to the survey, the majority of analysts believe that the government’s continued repression of activists may further strengthen the already existing tendency to push civic activists to be more individualistic and to move away from affiliation with independent think tanks and other organizations.   The majority of respondents also believe that the regime will not soon change.

Go to: www.pontisfoundation.sk/tmp/asset_cache/link/0000015387/PONTIS%20Summer%20Survey%20on%20Belarus.pdf (http://www.pontisfoundation.sk/tmp/asset_cache/link/0000015387/PONTIS%20Summer%20Survey%20on%20Belarus.pdf)

RESEARCH

29. CIVICUS Publishes 25th Country Report
On September 20, the international civil society network, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, published its 25th country report of its Civil Society Index (CSI) Program. The latest report addresses civil society in the People’s Republic of China, and highlights the very nascent and constrained nature of Chinese civil society, while also pointing to the huge transformation the country and its civil society are going through at the moment. The country reports underline the vast diversity of civil society and are developed by country partners of the CIVICUS CSI Program. Country reports for an additional 25 states will be added over the next month, and in 2007 CIVICUS will publish the first Global Report on the State of Civil Society. All reports can be accessed for free online.

Go to: www.civicus.org/new/CSI_country_reports.asp (http://www.civicus.org/new/CSI_country_reports.asp).

RULE OF LAW

30. Humanitarian Law Center Initiates Lawsuit against the Republic of Serbia
On September 25, the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) filed a compensation lawsuit on behalf of Alija Halilovic against the Republic of Serbia. Mr. Halilovic spent one year, four months, and eleven days in detention after he was arrested in an illegal weapons search operation conducted by the State Security Service in June 1993. With no explanation or a written decision to take him into custody, he was arrested at his work in Novi Pazar.  According to HLC, while he was arrested one policeman kicked him and another twisted his arm. He was found guilty by the District Court of Novi Pazar, but the Supreme Court overturned the verdict and sent it back for retrial in March 1996. However, the District Court scheduled the hearing for the retrial for November 1999, 44 months later. The retrial lasted until January 2006, when the statute of limitations for the case expired. The HLC wants to reiterate that during the period of 1992-1995 the Serbian police illegally arrested several hundred Bosniak men. A majority of those testified to having been brutally tortured by members of the State Security Service.  Criminal proceedings were initiated against some of those arrested, including Mr. Halilovic, despite the fact that the Office of the Prosecutor did not have any solid evidence against them.

Go to: http://www.hlc.org.yu/english/Torture/Press_Releases/index.php?file=1505.html

WOMEN’S ISSUES

31. Women’s Learning Partnership Launches “Claiming Equal Citizenship” Campaign
On September 6, Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP), together with its partners in Morocco, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, and Algeria, launched the “Claiming Equal Citizenship” Campaign to support the regional campaign for Arab women’s right to nationality.  The international campaign began with a panel discussion on “Women as Equal Citizens: Advocating for Change in Muslim-Majority Societies.”  There are several Web sites on the WLP main page that accompany this campaign, including a campaign blog with petitions, surveys, and testimonies from women and children on their experience with nationality laws.  There is also a Web site with event materials, photos, presentations, and audio files.

For the campaign blog, go to: www.learningpartnership.org/citizenship (http://www.learningpartnership.org/citizenship)

For event materials, go to: www.learningpartnership.org/citizenship/about/international-campaign-launch (http://www.learningpartnership.org/citizenship/about/international-campaign-launch)

32. Pakistan Defers Vote on 2006 Protection of Women Bill
The Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) reports that on September 11, the government of Pakistan deferred a vote on the proposed Protection of Women Bill.  The bill, also known as the Criminal Laws Amendment Bill, sought to amend the requirements to prove instances of rape, but also to make disclosure of the identity of any woman alleged to have been raped or family members a punishable offense.  Currently, in addition to other unacceptable provisions under the Hudood Ordinances or Criminal Laws, rape victims are required to provide at least four adult male Muslim eyewitnesses to prove their cases, and those victims who cannot prove their cases can be convicted of adultery.

Go to: www.achrweb.org/Review/2006/132-06.htm (http://www.achrweb.org/Review/2006/132-06.htm)

33. WORLD MOVEMENT PARTICIPATING NETWORKS, ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

•       Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) ­ www.ahrchk.net/index.php (http://www.ahrchk.net/index.php)
•       The World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA) - www.wfda.net (http://www.wfda.net/)
•       Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development (CIPDD) - www.cipdd.org (http://www.cipdd.org/)
•       The Democracy Coalition Project - www.demcoalition.org (http://www.demcoalition.org/)
•       National Endowment for Democracy ­ www.ned.org (http://www.ned.org/)
•       Global Network on Local Governance ­  www.gnlg.org (http://www.gnlg.org/)
•       Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) ­ www.cipe.org (http://www.cipe.org/)
•       Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS) - www.achrs.org (http://www.achrs.org/)
•       FORUM-ASIA ­ www.forum-asia.org (http://www.forum-asia.org/)
•       SUARAM ­ www.suaram.net (http://www.suaram.net/)
•       Freedom House - www.freedomhouse.org (http://www.freedomhouse.org/)
•       Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (IMD) - www.nimd.org (http://www.nimd.org/)
•       The Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives Pakistan (CPDI-Pakistan) ­ edu.cpdi-pakistan.org
•       World Youth Movement for Democracy ­ www.ymd.youthlink.org (http://www.ymd.youthlink.org/)
•       Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) - www.cihrs.org (http://www.cihrs.org/)
•       Pontis Foundation ­ www.nadaciapontis.sk.en (http://www.nadaciapontis.sk.en/)
•       CIVICUS ­ www.civicus.org/new/default.asp (http://www.civicus.org/new/default.asp)
•       Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) - www.hlc.org.yu (http://www.hlc.org.yu/)
•       Women’s Learning Partnership ­  www.learningpartnership.org (http://www.learningpartnership.org/)

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AfricAvenir News are kindly sent out by Eric Van Grasdorff:

Liebe Freunde,

wie bereits angekündigt, möchten wir Sie in diesem Newsletter auf unser vielfältiges Programm im Oktober aufmerksam machen. Im Anschluss an die Informationen zu unseren Veranstaltungen finden Sie eine Auswahl der neuesten online Publikationen von AfricAvenir (s. auch: www.africavenir.org).

Noch ein besonders dringender Hinweis: wer an unserem Seminar zum "Filmschaffen in Afrika" in Würzburg teilnehmen möchte melde sich bitte unbedingt bis Montag 09.10. an, da sonst das Seminar aufgrund der geringen TeilnehmerInnenzahl abgesagt werden müsste! http://www.africavenir.com/africavenir/berlin/film/seminar.php

"Durch Liebe, Mut und Wut bin ich gewachsen" - Gedenkveranstaltung zum 10. Todestag von May Ayim
Am Donnerstag, den 12. Oktober um 19:00 Uhr laden AfricAvenir, der Orlanda Verlag und die Werkstatt der Kulturen in Kooperation mit der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung zu einer Gedenkveranstaltung zum 10. Todestag von May Ayim. Die ghanaisch-deutsche Dichterin, Essayistin, Pädagogin und Logopädin, die vor 10 Jahren starb prägt bis heute die Menschen, denen sie im Rahmen ihrer Arbeit, bei ihren Performances und als Aktivistin in der Schwarzen Community bzw. in der Frauenbewegung begegnet ist. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/10/733

African Perspectives: Vorpremiere von ‚Das koloniale Missverständnis’
Am Sonntag, den 15. Oktober um 17.15 Uhr laden AfricAvenir und die INISA zur Vorpremiere von Jean-Marie Tenos Dokumentarfilm ‘Das koloniale Missverständnis’ in das Filmtheater Hackesche Höfe. Der Film rekonstruiert die Wechselwirkungen zwischen christlichem ‚Ethos’, kaufmännisch-kolonialen Interessen der Deutschen und den traumatischen Erlebnissen der Missionierten. In Anschluss findet eine Diskussion mit dem Regisseur Jean-Marie Teno statt. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/08/676

Filmvorführung: Cracks in the Mask / Risse in der Maske
Am Freitag, den 20. Oktober 2006 um 18.00 Uhr laden AfricAvenir und der BER zur Filmvorführung von ‘Cracks in the Mask’ in das fsk-Kino am Oranienplatz. Der Dokumentarfilm folgt Ephraim und Petharie Bani von den Torres Strait Inseln auf ihrer Reise in europäische Museen, wo sie einige der von Anthropologen geraubten Kulturobjekte zum ersten Mal zu erblicken und wenigstens für eine Ausstellung nach Hause zu bringen erhoffen. Im Anschluss findet eine Diskussion mit der Regisseurin Frances Calvert und Prinz Kum’ a Ndumbe III. statt. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/09/721

Filmseminar: Das Filmschaffen in Afrika
Vom 20.-22. Oktober 2006 lädt AfricAvenir zu einem Filmseminar in die Akademie Frankenwarte in Würzburg, das einen differenzierten Einblick in die Vielfalt des Kontinents und dessen vielschichtige Realitäten bietet. http://www.africavenir.com/africavenir/berlin/film/seminar.php

Vortrag von Prinz Kum’ a Ndumbe III.: Afrikanische Spiritualität und Heilung
Am 21. Oktober 2006 hält Prinz Kum’ a Ndumbe III. einen Vortrag im Rahmen des in Berlin stattfindenden Kongress zum Thema ‚Spiritualität und Heilung’, der sich der zunehmend erforschten und anerkannten subtilen Verbindung zwischen Körper und Geist und des damit verbundenen revolutionären Neuansatzes in der Medizin widmet. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/10/679

Dialogforum: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen des Wissenschaftsdialogs zwischen Europa und Afrika
Am Montag, den 30. Oktober 2006 um 19.30 Uhr lädt AfricAvenir zum Dialogforum mit Prof. Dr. Tirmiziou Diallo zum Thema "Möglichkeiten und Grenzen des Wissenschaftsdialogs zwischen Europa und Afrika" in das Haus der Demokratie und Menschenrechte (Robert-Havemann-Saal).

-----------------------

Online Publikationen

Apropos Kongo: Nur keine Scheu vor dem kritischen Dialog!
Stellungnahme von Prof. Kum’a Ndumbe III. zu dem im Tagesspiegel vom 10.08.2006 veröffentlichten Artikel von Hans-Georg Knopp (Generalsekretär Goethe-Institut) ‘Apropos Kongo’. Diese Stellungnahme wurde vom Tagesspiegel leider nicht abgedruckt. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/09/718

Ludovic Penda : Netzakademie
Artikel von Ludovic Penda, Student der Soziologie und Anthropologie an der Universität Douala (Kamerun) und Mitarbeiter der Stiftung AfricAvenir, erschienen in der neuen Ausgabe der Zeitschrift ‚Kulturaustausch’. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/10/732

Daniel Bendix: Weißsein im Widerspruch
Rezension des kürzlich erschienenen Werks von Eske Wollrad “Weißsein im Widerspruch - Feministische Perspektiven auf Rassismus, Kultur und Religion”. Die Rezension ist zuerst erschienen bei IZ3W. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/09/702

Anja Göbel: Écrans Noirs und der afrikanische Film
Vom 27. Mai bis 04. Juni fand das 10. zentralafrikanische Filmfestival in Youndé, Kamerun statt. AfricAvenir Mitglied Anja Göbel berichtet über die Filme, Debatten und Probleme. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/09/700

Korrektur:
In unserer gestrigen Mail ist uns ein Tippfehler unterlaufen: der genannte Musiker heißt natürlich Otis Redding.

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Kontaktieren Sie Ann Kathrin Helfrich, Fon: 030-80906789, a.helfrich@africavenir.org

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AfricAvenir International e.V. ist nicht für die Inhalte externer Webseiten verantwortlich.

Dear Colleague:

The University for Peace (UPEACE), a United Nations Mandated University located in Costa Rica, is pleased to announce its second annual UPEACE INSTITUTE. The INSTITUTE consists of three-week short courses that will be given in different areas such as Media and Peace, Leadership, Culture, Politics, Conflict and Peace, War and film, Gender, Environment, Law, Development, among others. The following is the course listing:

Hunger, Famine and Food Security
Thinking the World, Changing the World: The Public-Private Distinction in Social, Legal, and Political Thought
Entrepreneurship in The Social Sector: Making it Happen
Democracia Y Desarrollo En América Latina: Temas Contemporáneos This Course Is Offered Only In Spanish
War and Film
Multiculturalism, Gender, and Migration
Media Dilemmas For UN Peacekeeping Operations
Theatre and Peace Building
Nonprofit Leadership: Maximizing your Impact
All of the courses will be taught by international academicians and professionals with extensive expertise in each of these areas. Courses will run from January 8, 2007 to January 26, 2007

The UPEACE INSTITUTE presents a great opportunity to engage UPEACE students and professionals with practitioners, academicians and students of peace and conflict from allover the world, in interactive participatory classes and informal gatherings which will bring several cultures and views together.

The UPEACE INSTITUTE will be offered for graduate credit, and for training purposes. This year we also offer one course in Spanish. I invite you to visit our website http://www.upeace.org/institute/ for Course descriptions and enrollment information, or contact us at institute@upeace.org

Welcome to the experience and training that this high level courses provide to the participants. We look forward to seeing you here in Costa Rica in January 2007.

Amr Abdalla, Ph.D.
Professor and Dean for Academic Programmes
University for Peace
United Nations Affiliated University
P.O. Box 138-6100
San Jose, Costa Rica
Phone: 506-205-9000
FAX: 506-249-1929
www.upeace.org

Madame, Monsieur,

Nous avons l’honneur de vous inviter à participer au Forum des OING/ONG qui aura lieu à l’UNESCO, 1 rue MIOLLIS 75007 Paris, les Samedi 21 et Dimanche 22 Octobre 2006, ayant pour thème :

Rôle et contribution de la société civile
« Enjeux de la Diversité en Europe et Citoyenneté Européenne »

Nous vous informons que la participation est gratuite mais que les frais de transport et de séjour restent à la charge des participants.
Ci-joint le Programme provisoire et le bulletin de réservation.

Dans l’attente du plaisir de votre confirmation avant le 15 octobre 2006 par mail et/ou par fax, nous vous prions de croire, Madame, Monsieur, à nos remerciements anticipés.
Pour AIDE Fédération
Nadia MBARBRA

Bulletin d’inscription individuel à retourner à :
Email : reservation@aide-federation.org
fax : 00 33 1 43 44 38 40

AIDE Fédération, 29 rue Traversière 75012 Paris
Tél : 00 33 1 40 19 91 51, www.aide-federation.org

Ce Forum est Organisé par :
La Plate-forme Migrants et Citoyenneté européenne (PMC) ;
AIDE Fédération (Fédération des Agences Internationales pour le Développement) ;
Le réseau ENAR ­ Europe, WAFUNIF, Le Comité de liaison des OING du Conseil de l’Europe
Facem Repères, Association du Dialogue Inter Culturel et Inter Religieux (ADICR)

Et conjointement par :
L’UNESCO - Division des Droits de l’Homme et de la lutte contre la discrimination
L’Organisation des Nations Unies - Haut Commissariat des Nations Unies aux Droits de l’Homme
Le Conseil de l’Europe - Direction Générale des Affaires Politiques et de la Division des Migrations
Le Ministère des Affaires étrangères
Le Ministère délégué à la promotion de l’égalité des chances
Le Ministère de la Jeunesse des Sports et de la vie Associative
Le FASILD
Le Conseil Régional d’Ile de France

Avec le soutien provisoire de:
La Commission Européenne - Direction Générale : Justice Liberté et Sécurité JLS
Centre Nord-Sud du Conseil de l’Europe
L’Observatoire européen des phénomènes racistes et xénophobes (EUMC)
Le Ministère délégué à la Cohésion sociale et à la Parité
La Ville de Paris

Best regards,

reservation
reservation@aide-federation.org
2006-10-06

Citizens' Coalition to Reaffirm and Extend the Geneva Conventions
welcomes your participation.

Initial Call to Action -- by Dennis Rivers, MA
(Dedicated to three of my teachers, Joanna Macy, the late Prof. Walter Capps and the Quaker peace activist, Gene Knudsen Hoffman)

It's a very human attitude to imagine that laws, treaties and constitutions, once passed, will simply enforce themselves, without strenuous effort on our part. But experience shows otherwise. Experience shows that the passing of a bill or the signing of a treaty is not the end of the journey, but only the beginning. Over the past century, people of goodwill around the world have sought to limit the violence of war by entering into various Geneva Convention Treaties. But although we can receive the concepts of the Geneva Conventions from previous generations, we cannot inherit as passive beneficiaries the actual benefits of these treaties. If the Geneva Conventions (and the U.S. Constitution, for that matter) are going to mean anything in our time, it will be because we campaign actively for their study, observance and enforcement in our time. They are more like a handful of seeds than a handful of diamonds.

The Geneva Conventions are far from perfect and far from effective. It is widely estimated that 90% of the casualties in modern wars are civilians. The Bush administration seems determined to find clever ways around the Geneva Conventions, in order to allow itself to torture whomever it wishes (new euphemized as "alternative procedures" in an orgy of denial), and imprison without trial whomever it wishes. The technology of war has also dramatically changed since the first Geneva Conventions were framed. For example, the current use of depleted uranium anti-tank munitions constitutes a low-level atomic war on civilians that will go on for many generations. The toxic, radioactive dust left behind by the explosion of depleted uranium will stay toxic and radioactive for several billion years. A billion years is a long time to give cancer and birth defects to the inhabitants of a particular region, something the framers of the original Geneva Conventions could hardly have imagined. This poison dust will eventually circulate around the world, and our descendants, to some unknown degree, will suffer the same fate as the descendants of our enemies.

Confronted with these unhappy facts, reason and compassion suggest that we take up a new advocacy of the Geneva Conventions. Each citizen can sign a personal statement affirming the Geneva Conventions, and can send such statements to their elected representatives requesting that their representatives make every possible effort to uphold, and extend the scope of, the Geneva Conventions. We can also ask each candidate for federal public office to support the letter and the spirit of Geneva Conventions as part of their campaign for election.

The treaties that the United States enters into become part of the law of the United States. The Supreme Court has recently reaffirmed that in Geneva Conventions are part of the law of the United States. Therefore it is appropriate for every high school and college student in the United States to be introduced to the Geneva Conventions, to study them, and to reach their own conclusions about how the spirit of the Geneva Conventions will be carried forward in our particular time. If we do not persuade new generations to take up this cause, the cause will be lost.

The Citizens' Coalition to Reaffirm and Extend the Geneva Conventions is developing an educational web site to distribute statements of reaffirmation and study guides. We will also be inviting churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and civic groups of every sort to take up consideration of the Geneva Conventions, and to pass resolutions of reaffirmation as part of a global effort to both limit the violence of modern war and introduce new forms of conflict resolution.

The idea of extending the Geneva Conventions is important because regulating the conduct of war can easily be taken to imply acceptance of war as a legitimate policy option of nations and aggrieved groups. The truth is that wars are often monumentally stupid and misconceived, along with being extraordinarily cruel. (If you doubt this, please explain the compelling reason why at least 20 million people had to die in World War I.) There is now much more material available about non-violent and creative conflict resolution practices than was the case even as recently as the Vietnam war. Advocacy to restrain the conduct of war will only make sense to many people if it is immediately accompanied by new information about alternatives to war.

Along with a reaffirmation of the existing provisions against torture and the maltreatment of prisoners (which you can read at www.genevaconventions.org), and a ban on depleted uranium munitions, one of various needed extensions of the Geneva Conventions would be a strong "no evidence based on torture or coercion" principle. Anyone who reads the news carefully will notice how quickly the torture idea is spreading. Just two years ago it was all about "the ticking bomb" scenario in which we needed to torture suspects in order to interrupt a bombing plot already underway. But now the Bush administration proposes to use coerced evidence in some sort of quasi-judicial hearings with the intention of executing people, or at least keeping them locked up indefinitely -- a different and much larger goal than the immediate prevention of a bombing already launched. In a court that admits coerced evidence, a person might be imprisoned for confessing to whatever sympathies or activities he or she thought would stop the torture. Since "sympathizing with the enemy" could become a crime in itself, or a mark of being dangerous, there would be no facts that needed to be checked in order to justify incarceration or execution.

If you think this sounds far-fetched, consider that John Ashcroft, during his tenure as Attorney General of the United States, asserted in U.S. Senate hearings that all those who publicly questioned the wisdom of government plans to spy on US citizens "aid terrorists, for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve," alluding to the definition of treason in the Constitution. This is exactly the sort of thought-crime for which one could be arrested in various dictatorships, past and present. The senators were spared prison and the rack, but we know for a fact that others, less privileged, were not. In Afghanistan, Mr. Dilawar and Mr. Habibullah were beaten to death by US troops over a period of several days simply because the troops had vague suspicions about them, based on false accusations made by a person later revealed to be a double agent. The lesson to be learned here is that interrogation by torture represents punishment without a trial, based on suspicion rather than evidence, in which the process of accusing becomes the process of convicting. Following in this direction will surely lead us toward the horrific injustices of the Middle Ages, Colonial witch trials and Soviet purges of the 1930s. How many innocents will have to be tortured as our security services search for the true terrorists? Thousands? Millions? And how will we live with the knowledge of what we have allowed? A newly affirmed global ban on both the process (coercive interrogation) and the product (coerced evidence) would help us step back from this moral abyss.

The United States is going through a difficult period right now, politically, psychologically and spiritually. The careful, systematic and compassionate advocacy of the Geneva Conventions would help people regain their emotional equilibrium and long-term perspective, and help people to resist the seductive appeals of fear, war and revenge.

We invite you to join us in these efforts and to send any web site references, educational materials or personal statements on the above topics to the address shown below. Also, please visit our evolving web site: www.SupportGenevaConventions.info which will be adding many new features and references over the next few months.

Dennis Rivers
rivers @ newconversations.net
or
1563 Solano Ave. #164
Berkeley, CA 94707

AfricAvenir News are kindly sent out by Eric Van Grasdorff:

Liebe Freunde,

pünktlich zum Beginn der Frankfurter Buchmesse freut sich AfricAvenir, die Publikation drei weiterer deutschsprachiger Werke von Prof. Kum’ a Ndumbe III. ankündigen zu dürfen, erschienen bei Exchange & Dialogue (inhaltliche Beschreibung s.u.).

Besonders interessant für Messebesucher/innen: Der Verlag ‘Éditions AfricAvenir/Exchange & Dialogue’ ist vom 04.-08. Oktober auf der Frankfurter Buchmesse vertreten. Am Stand des Verlags in der Halle 5/Stand D 918 findet täglich eine Reihe von Veranstaltungen statt (Programm s.u.); zudem wird hier die Arbeit von AfricAvenir in Douala und Berlin in einer Ausstellung präsentiert.

Darüber hinaus bietet AfricAvenir im Oktober wieder ein vielseitiges Veranstaltungsprogramm an, bestehend aus Filmvorführungen, Dialogforen, Lesungen und Seminaren. Aus redaktionellen Gründen wird Ihnen dieses Programm morgen in einem gesonderten Newsletter zugesendet. Wir bitten um Verständnis, dass sich in den nächsten Wochen die Ankündigungen per Mail etwas häufen werden.

Kum' a Ndumbe III.
Krisenprävention - Ein möglicher Weg aus Krieg und Genozid – Alternativen für die Entwicklungszusammenarbeit: Fallbeispiel: Die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit in Ruanda (Berlin/Kigali, 1996)
In Ruanda hat sich eine der größten menschlichen Katastrophen seit dem Zweiten Weltkrieg ereignet: Etwa eine Million Menschen wurden in nur gut drei Monaten getötet, ca. drei Millionen flohen ins Ausland, in der Zwischenzeit kamen ca. zwei Millionen Menschen als so genannte „Altflüchtlinge“ – d.h. Flüchtlinge zwischen 1959 und 1994 – wieder zurück, ein riesiges Konfliktpotential ... Wie konnte es zu einer derart flächendeckenden Zerstörung kommen? Und: Wie kann eine derart zerstörte Gesellschaft gemeinsam ihre Zukunft gestalten, wo Mörder und Opfer Tür an Tür leben und gemeinsam die Felder bestellen? Welche Rolle kann die Entwicklungszusammenarbeit hier übernehmen, um das Konfliktpotential mindern zu helfen?

ISBN 3-939313-07-6 (978-3-939313-07-6), € 19,50 zzgl. Porto - Im Erscheinen, Oktober 2006. Bestellen: http://www.exchange-dialogue.com/de/bestellen/bestellen.html

Kum' a Ndumbe III.
Nationalsozialismus und Apartheid - Die Beziehungen zwischen Deutschland und Südafrika 1933 – 1973 (Lyon, 1973)
Dieses Buch wurde 1973 verfasst und Jean Paul Sartre veröffentlichte noch im gleichen Jahr eine französische Kurzfassung in seiner Pariser Zeitschrift „Les Temps Modernes“. Die enge Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Faschisten in Deutschland und Südafrika wird durch diese Untersuchung bloßgestellt. Gab es nach dem zweiten Weltkrieg eine Kontinuität der Beziehungen zwischen dem neuen Apartheidstaat und der jungen Bundesrepublik Deutschland? Haben nicht gerade diejenigen Mächte, die Hitler besiegt haben, zur Konsolidierung des Apartheidregimes entscheidend beigetragen? Tabuthemen Anfang der Siebziger Jahre. Die bestellte Studie durfte nicht erscheinen. Nun liegt die Originalfassung nach 33 Jahren vor.

ISBN 3-939313-10-6 (978-3-939313-10-6), € 19,50 zzgl. Porto - Im Erscheinen, Oktober 2006. Bestellen: http://www.exchange-dialogue.com/de/bestellen/bestellen.html

Kum' a Ndumbe III.
Das Fest der Liebe
Ein Fest findet zwischen Zuschauern und Schauspielern statt, mit Musik und Tanz im Stil von Otis Reddy, auch mit Blues, Charleston, Slow, Rock'n Roll. Die Liebe wird gefeiert, nicht das sich festklammern an jemanden, nicht der Ersatz, weil man nichts anderes finden konnte, nicht das oberflächliche und betrügerische „ich liebe dich“, nicht diese leere Schale, die weggeworfen wird, weil man den ganzen Saft ausgepresst hat und selbst nichts geben will, sondern ...

ISBN 3-939313-02-5 (978-3-939313-02-1) - Im Erscheinen, Oktober 2006
€ 9,95 zzgl. Porto. Bestellen: http://www.exchange-dialogue.com/de/bestellen/bestellen.html

Weitere Informationen über den Verlag, seine AutorInnen und die aktuelle Verlagsreihe unter: http://www.exchange-dialogue.com

-------------------------

Éditions AfricAvenir / Exchange & Dialogue auf der Frankfurter Buchmesse

5. 10. 2006, 11.00 – 13.00 h: Lesung und Diskussion: „Ich klopfte an deiner Tür“
Wie ergeht es einem afrikanischen Prinzen und Professor in der deutschsprachigen (nicht nur akademischen) Landschaft? Willkommen geheißen, geduldet oder vertrieben? Was kann man einem Nelson Mandela sagen, wenn er freiwillig von der Macht abtritt? Prinz Kum’ a Ndumbe liest aus seinem Buch „Ich klopfte an deiner Tür“, das Zeitzeugnisse eines Grenzgängers zwischen Afrika und Europa vereint.

5. 10. 2006 17.00 – 18.00 h: Signierstunde mit Prinz Kum’ a Ndumbe III.
Prinz Kum’ a Ndumbe III. signiert zehn deutschsprachige Neuerscheinungen der „Éditions Exchange & Dialogue“. Eine Auswahl: „Ich klopfte an deiner Tür“, „Wettkampf um die Globalisierung Afrikas“, „Afrika ist im Aufbruch“, „Ach Kamerun! Unsere alte deutsche Kolonie“, Lumumba II.“.

6. 10. 2006 14.00 – 15.00 h: Pressegespräch: Militärische Intervention oder Krisenprävention?
Ein Gespräch über das Buch „Krisenprävention. Ein möglicher Weg aus Krieg und Genozid“ mit Autor Prinz Kum’ a Ndumbe III. An Hand des Beispiels Ruanda werden mögliche Alternativen für eine gelingende Entwicklungszusammenarbeit diskutiert.

7.10.2006 11.30 -12.30h: Internationaler Dialog - Dialog und Begegnung contra Kampf der Kulturen
Erzählungen, Gedichte, Theaterstücke und politische Essays, die von Dialog und Begegnung zwischen Kulturen und Kontinenten, zwischen Generationen und Geschlechtern berichten und für eine friedliche und gerechte Welt plädieren: ein Einblick in die Arbeit von Exchange & Dialogue/AfricAvenir. Mit Prince Kum’ a Ndumbe III. und VertreterInnen von AfricAvenir Berlin. Veranstaltungsort: Forum Dialog, Halle 6.1 E905.

7. 10.2006 14.00 – 16.00 h: Lesung und Diskussion: Vergangenheitsaufarbeitung durch Theater?
Ein Weg zum Dialog: Was das Theater für die Aufarbeitung der europäisch-afrikanischen Beziehungen tun kann. Lesung aus den Werken „Ach Kamerun! Unsere alte deutsche Kolonie!“, „Lumumba II.“, „Kafra-Biatanga, Tragödie Afrikas“, „Das Fest der Liebe“ und anschließende Diskussion mit Prinz Kum’ a Ndumbe III.

7. 10. 2006 16.00 – 17.00 h: Signierstunde mit Prinz Kum’ a Ndumbe III.
Prinz Kum’ a Ndumbe III. signiert zehn deutschsprachige Neuerscheinungen der „Éditions Exchange & Dialogue“. Eine Auswahl: „Ich klopfte an deiner Tür“, „Wettkampf um die Globalisierung Afrikas“, „Afrika ist im Aufbruch“, „Ach Kamerun! Unsere alte deutsche Kolonie“, Lumumba II.“.

4. – 8. 10. 2006: Ausstellung „Die Arbeit von AfricAvenir“
MitarbeiterInnen der Stiftung AfricAvenir in Kamerun und von AfricAvenir International e.V in Berlin stellen ihre Arbeit und ihre Ziele vor und zeigen Möglichkeiten auf, sich für einen gleichberechtigten Dialog von Afrika und Europa einzusetzen.

8. 10. 2006 15.00 – 16.00 h: Signierstunde mit Prinz Kum’ a Ndumbe III.
Prinz Kum’ a Ndumbe III. signiert zehn deutschsprachige Neuerscheinungen der „Éditions Exchange & Dialogue“. Eine Auswahl: „Ich klopfte an deiner Tür“, „Wettkampf um die Globalisierung Afrikas“, „Afrika ist im Aufbruch“, „Ach Kamerun! Unsere alte deutsche Kolonie“, Lumumba II.“.

www.AfricAvenir.org
Wollen Sie Fördermitglied von AfricAvenir International e.V. werden?
Kontaktieren Sie Ann Kathrin Helfrich, Fon: 030-80906789, a.helfrich@africavenir.org

Redaktion des Newsletters: Eric Van Grasdorff, e.vangrasdorff@africavenir.org
AfricAvenir International e.V. ist nicht für die Inhalte externer Webseiten verantwortlich.

Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH)
for constructive & vibrant Muslim-Western relations
03 - 09 October 2006

The Common Ground News Service – Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH) aims to promote constructive perspectives and dialogue about Muslim–Western relations. CGNews-PiH is available in Arabic, English, French and Indonesian.
For an archive of past CGNews articles and other information, please visit our website at www.commongroundnews.org.
Unless otherwise noted, copyright permission has been obtained and articles may be reprinted by any news outlet or publication. Please acknowledge both the original source and the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Inside this edition

1) by Amina Rasul-Bernardo

Oussama K. Safa, General Director of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies and Khalil Gebara, Co-Executive Director of the Lebanese Transparency Association, describe how recent election monitoring efforts in Yemen demonstrate the feasibility of “home-grown” solutions for meeting the challenges raised by Middle East democratic initiatives. “The presence of the Arab observers in Yemen was also a strong indication that observation missions need not be foreign-inspired or concocted in Western capitals, nor do election observation missions pose a threat to a country's sovereignty… Hopefully gone are the days of political oppression and secretive democracy struggles. Arab civil society is here to stay and if anything was shown in the Yemeni experience, it was that this civil society is a mature and reliable stakeholder on the slow but sure journey toward democratic reform.”
(Source: Daily Star, 28 September 2006)

1) A perilous present and uncertain future
Amina Rasul-Bernardo

Manila - September 2, 2006 marks the tenth anniversary of the Final Peace Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front (GRP-MNLF). The agreement ended almost four decades of conflict between government forces and the MNLF, representing the Muslim minority.

Unfortunately, no visible economic or social progress is evident after ten years. Instead, armed conflict between the MNLF and government troops has erupted in Sulu, an island province of the Philippines. Muslims continue to live harsh lives, marked by the lowest human development indicators in the country: highest poverty rates, lowest literacy and education rates, poorest access to public services, and high mortality rates. The present is bleak for most young Muslims. Worse, they do not see a better future. Over the last decade, both poverty and armed conflict in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have propelled many Muslims to take two different paths of escape.

First, peaceful and moderate Muslims have been leaving the ARMM and have established communities outside Muslim Mindanao or left the country. The Muslim diaspora is spread all over the Philippines, with a tiny mosque now ensconced in each province and city. Although no census has been taken, we estimate that over a million Muslims live outside Mindanao. The largest community is in the Metro Manila region where the Muslim traders have become visible in the pearl and DVD trades. Unfortunately, these communities face increased anti-Muslim bias, triggered by post 9/11 attitudes associating terrorism with Islam.

Second, some peaceful and conservative Muslims are turning to faith, joining fundamentalist groups such as the Tableegh. The failure of modernisation and globalisation to improve their lives has made a significant segment of the population turn to the basic tenets of Islam, a defence against the perceived immorality of the modern world and anti-Muslim bias. It is this path that concerns non-Muslims.
Young Filipino Muslims are turning to religion for support as they face a future complicated by anti-Muslim bias and injustices. These factors, coupled with the inability of government to provide public services and economic opportunities (a decade after signing a peace accord that promised a better life), have pushed many young Muslims to join more radical elements. Post 9/11, the government's move to secure the state from terrorism -- sadly often associated with Muslims -- has exacerbated the situation as thousands of Muslims, including children, were illegally detained as terrorist suspects.

If we are to resolve conflicts peacefully and neutralise terrorism, the state should not fear the resurgence of Islam. Rather, the government should be supportive as it has been of Christian revivalism. Fundamentalist Muslims are no different from fundamentalist Christians: both find assurance within the assembly of the faithful. For instance, hundreds of thousands of Catholics, most of whom have experienced hardships, have joined a movement called El Shaddai, a charismatic Catholic sect attracting more than a million followers. They believe that collective prayer will fulfil their dreams. Brother Mike Velarde, a businessman turned preacher, started El Shaddai and has parlayed its popularity into political and economic power, often wooed by the country's top political leaders. The Catholic Church has actually assigned senior prelates to guide El Shaddai.

Fortunately, some progress is occurring. For instance, the Philippine government and the donor community have incorporated capacity building for the madaris (Islamic schools) in science, maths, computer education and English language training as part of an effort to integrate them into the national educational system. These moves provide devout young Muslim scholars with the skills to become productive members of a globalising and modernising community.

More significantly, interfaith dialogue and peace advocacy are gaining strength. Civil society and religious organisations are working together to resolve conflicts and discrimination by focusing on what unites us – love of God, freedom, community and family. The bishops and ulama (Muslim scholars) have their Bishop-Ulama Forum that meets regularly.

A devout young Muslim wrote to me: "The society where we live now is full of peril. We can no longer live in apathy. We cannot just wait for a miracle to happen. Allah will not change the conditions of our society unless we change it ourselves. …. We have to assert ourselves, and we have to yell to the whole world that we will be what we want to be, because no other than the Muslims themselves know what's best for them."

We need to ask ourselves: do we force these devout, young Muslims towards the path of violent radicalisation through prejudice, ignorance and neglect? Or do we allow them the space to live their lives, accepted as fellow citizens? I, for one, have always believed that the threads of diversity, when accepted and celebrated by the nation, create a beautiful tapestry of its peoples.

###
* Amina Rasul-Bernardo is the lead convener of the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy. This is the fourth of six articles in a series on religious revivalism and Muslim-Western relations commissioned by the Common Ground News Service (www.commongroundnews.org).
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 3 October 2006, www.commongroundnews.org (http://www.commongroundnews.org)
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

2) ~YOUTH VIEWS~ What else did the Pope say
Johnathon Barker

Washington, D.C. - The central problem associated with dialogue between the Western and Muslim worlds today is that what passes for dialogue is a predictable pattern of offence-apology-new offence. On the one side, the West (and usually only the US) fights radical Islamic terrorists, possibly invading a country or two and causing mass destruction while decrying extremism, while ministers in countries like Britain go to Muslim neighbourhoods to urge parents to turn in “radical” youngsters. On the other side, a Western cultural symbol (newspaper editor, political or cultural leader, or most recently, an opera house) inadvertently or purposefully does something to offend Muslims, setting off a new wave of hand-wringing, apologies and calls for dialogue.

At some point, the sound-bites have to stop and real conversation must begin. Or we must admit that conversation is impossible, our conceptions of the world so dramatically different that we should simply concentrate on drawing up rules of international behaviour that respect other cultures and religions. Unfortunately today, it is easier than ever to take offence at something happening in another part of the world, at speeches, like the Pope’s, which are not even addressed to us individually, or possibly even our culture. Apparently, since instantly accessing information anywhere is a given, protesting about anything and everything, even though our understanding of the context is thin and its actual relevance to us is low, is the rule du jour. This question – how to have a true dialogue and what the preconditions are – is at the heart of the Pope’s remarks, however, and have been more or less left un-discussed.

Much has been made about the Pope’s quotation of one of the last Byzantine emperors’ conversation with a Persian scholar about the justification of forced conversion, and some scholars have pointed out the Pope’s lack of knowledge of the Qur’an and Islam. What the Pope is critiquing, among other things in this rather dense piece, is something altogether more subtle, a lack of effort in the Western world, as well as in inter-cultural dialogue, to bring reason and faith together. The Pope’s intended use of this quote is not to criticise Islam for forced conversions, but to discuss the philosophical concept of joining reason and faith.

Beyond the controversial quote, the Pope uses the rest of his speech to discuss the Hellenic aspects of Christianity that culminated in the Byzantine emperor employing the argument, with his Muslim interlocutor, that God was Logos which, in the Pope’s view, means the original Word, the undifferentiated and unified plane of human faith and reason. Thus, unreasonable actions could not be sanctified by God. Christianity eventually tried to rid itself of its Hellenic reason, however, and the Pope describes the resulting de-Hellenisation of Christianity that is still occurring today, and also runs through the critique of Western rationality that has also happened as a result. The Pope however, takes issue with the supposedly firm division between reason and faith that has occurred since the Enlightenment in the West, arguing that Christianity and Western reason are intermingled and that separation is impossible.

The Pope then defends cultures which argue that Western rationality excludes them, which would, if the Pope’s interpretation of Islam is to be trusted, include Islam with its notion that God is quite beyond human conceptions of reasonable or unreasonable behaviour, and thus not constrained by them. As both religious figures and post-structuralist academics have pointed out, Western rationalism (or more specifically, positivism) has, as a result of its ethnocentrism, also been responsible for such horrors as colonialism and slavery, among others. By itself, it is no means to an end. As a result, the Pope argues that “a reason which is deaf to the divine and which relegates religion into the realm of subcultures is incapable of entering into the dialogue of cultures.”

At the same time, it’s equally clear the Pope largely agrees with the Byzantine that forced conversion is inimical to both religion and reason, and goes on to invite members of other cultures to join in dialogue with Christians in a spirit of Logos, or reason plus faith. Is such a dialogue possible? Only if all sides agree that Logos is universal, and not simply a Western construct. For fundamentalists guided only by faith, who do not admit the validity of reason, as well as for those positivists who refuse to address the questions of faith, it is not. For better or worse, the questions the Pope has raised are both provocative and of the utmost importance – and it is vital that both Muslim and Western (including Christian) thinkers turn their attention to them as a common vocabulary, a basic ontology, must be agreed on for serious dialogue to even commence.

###
* Johnathon Barker is a graduate student of English at George Washington University. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org (http://www.commongroundnews.org).
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 3 October 2006, www.commongroundnews.org (http://www.commongroundnews.org)
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

3) Bring Islam down to Earth
Choirul Mahfud

Surabaya, Indonesia – British Prime Minister Tony Blair recently visited Indonesia to promote better bilateral cooperation between the two countries. In addition to this agenda, his visit was also intended to encourage dialogue between the British government and Muslim leaders in Indonesia.

Dialogue between the Muslim world and the West is indeed necessary and has been gaining momentum since the 9/11 attacks. Blair described Indonesia as a "crucial partner" in ensuring greater understanding between people of different faiths. It isn’t only because Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, but also because both countries have suffered from terrorism and have a common interest in defeating it.

Indonesia is the first developing country that was blown over by the wind of global terrorism. Only one year after the 9/11 attacks, this country wept for the tragedy of the first Bali bombings. The country has also faced a rise in fundamentalism and the resulting intergroup or interpersonal conflicts since the birth of the Reformation Era in 1998, after President Suharto stood down in response to a wave of protests calling for democracy.

Realizing that the situation is critical, some Indonesian Muslim leaders and intellectuals shared their understanding of the roots of Muslim-Western discord at a recent seminar at Airlangga University, entitled "Islam and the West: Building Inter-Civilization Dialogue". Achmad Syafi'i Ma'arif , the former chairman of Muhammadiyah - a large, Islamic non-profit organization in Indonesia - believes that existing conflicts between the Muslim world and the West are due to the former having fallen behind the West in “the race of civilizations”, or our post-Enlightenment global hierarchy. He adds, however, that a widespread misinterpretation of Islamic teachings is also to blame.

The Director of the Institute of Progressive Islamic Studies (LSIP) in Jakarta, Zuhairi Misrawi, maintains that the clash between Islam and the West can be traced back to stories and stereotypes derived from historical confrontations, such as the Crusades. He attributes this to a lack of knowledge about the fundamental theology and moral principles of both Islam and Christianity, and to an economic and political imbalance between the Muslim world and the West. These factors, says Misrawi, should in reality act as grounds for dialogue and for more assimilation between the two conflicting sides. And indeed, in today’s interconnected and therefore smaller world, it is difficult for Islam and the West to avoid each other. They can't help but bump into each other.

Both Muslim and Western societies have contributed to any clash of civilizations they may be experiencing, and so both must contribute for a meaningful dialogue of civilizations to occur. But for dialogue to be an option, both parties must face and accept their differences. The West has no right to subject Muslims to its way of thinking or ideologies. And Muslims have no right to impose Islamic teachings on the West. If dialogue is going to happen, both parties need to learn how to sit and talk.

A similar challenge confronts Indonesia, where a debate is taking place over the implementation of Islamic law. There are two conflicting approaches. Those who do not support the implementation of Islamic law argue that Indonesia is a multi-religious and multicultural country, where each faith has different and unique values: for this group, only universal values that are shared by each religion, such as justice, empowerment and egalitarianism, must be maintained. The supporters of the implementation of Islamic law, on the other hand, want Islamic law to control and counteract the existing governing system, which has adopted a secularist, liberal-capitalist ideology.

Despite sharing the same goal, namely the realization of social justice, the approach can be very polarizing. One wants to achieve the goal by formalizing Islamic laws and the other cares more for the implementation of these laws in essence.

Demographically speaking, we Muslims may be “entitled” to more than others since we do represent the majority. Should we choose to, we could obtain what we wanted through a simple vote. However, in a multicultural society, such behaviour would put non-Muslims in a precarious position. The question is: do we really want to do this?

Unfortunately, there are many Muslim groups in Indonesia which feel that based on numbers alone, they should be able to implement the laws they choose. They tend to be “religious in statistics." Many incidents demonstrate how "statistics" are exploited to demand things. Claiming to stem from the majority, these groups demand the formalization of Islamic laws, like the use of the scarf, for example. To some extent, one of the primary causes of various religious incidents in Indonesia begins with the superiority of the statistic.

But there are implications of this numbers-based approach. Groups can engage in what Pierre Bourdieu coined “symbolic violence” in his book, Reproduction in Education, Society and Culture (1970). Symbolic violence occurs when a certain group forces its symbols and value systems (such as religion) onto another group. Legitimization of the majority is often an effective weapon of this effort, shifting the balance so that power relations are not perceived objectively, but as a natural order.

It is time for Muslims all over the world, particularly in Indonesia, to leave behind the numbers-based religious model, and begin to demonstrate religiosity. This requires bringing Islam down to earth - upholding amr ma'ruf, nahi munkar (enjoying what is just, forbidding what is wrong): being polite, defending the oppressed, helping the poor, rejecting violence, fighting corruption and terrorism, and spreading peace throughout their country, and the world.

###
* The writer is Executive Director of the Institute for Religion and Social Studies (LKAS) Surabaya, Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya lecturer in Islamic studies, and writer of Socialist Islam and Multicultural Education.
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 3 October 2006, www.commongroundnews.org (http://www.commongroundnews.org)
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

4) Reclaiming dignity and hope
Saliba Sarsar & Yehezkel Landau

New Jersey & Connecticut - Our global society is fast losing its balance and its moderate centre. It is becoming more and more polarised and violent. Human life and dignity are losing their sacred character for an increasing number of people, including those who claim to be religious.

The atrocities perpetrated against civilians on September 11, 2001 and since -- the war on terrorism, the horrific slaughter in Iraq, the interminable Arab-Israeli conflict including the latest Israel-Hizbullah war, the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran, the sharp increase in oil prices, even cartoons deemed offensive to religious believers -- all these factors have dashed any hopes that the end of the Cold War and the onset of a new millennium would generate a peace dividend, with greater international stability and prosperity.

Instead we witness more blatant expressions of authoritarianism, tribalism, religious extremism, terrorism and militarism, together with a retreat from responsible politics and multilateral solutions. Ideology eclipses realism. Global organisations and initiatives remain hostage to narrow self-interest. The zero-sum game of power politics imposes its ugliness on our lives, mainly as a fearful, even desperate, reaction to terror.

As private and state terrorism continue to plague the world, they have evoked deep pain and revulsion in our psyches. The struggle against this vicious threat has generated a macro-myth that divides humanity into the "virtuous, righteous, heroic" fighters against the "evildoers". Such de-humanisation simplifies complex problems and leads us away from effective strategies to counter the real threats we face. Whole populations are estranged from each other, waiting for the least provocation to denigrate and attack. Too often the threat is exaggerated, making the response incommensurate with the real danger.

We can easily succumb to despair when we feel helplessly vulnerable in the face of such horrors and threats. Primal survival instincts are apt to trump compassion, ethical restraints, and legal safeguards regarding human rights. Faith turns fanatic, and morality is sacrificed for short-term advantage. Power turns into brute force and evil deeds, and the weak discover their own strength in evil deeds, as well. Words become weapons, truth is warped into falsehood, and the human face dons the mask of death.

Why are we torturing and killing innocent civilians in the name of security or liberation? Why are warriors bombing residential neighbourhoods and houses of worship and despoiling God's creation? Are cartoons mocking prophets and sacred traditions illustrations of free speech or of media insensitivity and irresponsibility? Is denying or belittling the Holocaust and other genocides a result of outright ignorance, or a sad commentary on our inability to face the truth, shoulder responsibility, and demonstrate solidarity with our fellow human beings? Isn't it sinful when civility, honour, and justice are crushed in the name of freedom or security? Isn't it a grotesque distortion of religion when tolerance, caring and forgiveness are violated in the name of the Divine?

While the questions are legion, satisfactory answers elude us. What is clear is that we stand at a crucial juncture in human history, between a "clash of civilisations" and affirming the "dignity of difference".

Choosing the right path requires responsible leadership and a shared commitment to change negative attitudes and behaviours in favour of dialogue, conciliation and a culture of peace. Such transformations must first happen within each one of us and in our interpersonal relationships. We must challenge ourselves, our compatriots and our leaders -- including religious leaders -- to favour compassion over callousness, solidarity over selfishness, and peace with justice over the suppression of dissent.

The Western and Muslim worlds do not have to be like each other, or to even like each other, to embrace dialogue and diplomacy as preferred methods of interaction. Muslims in Western countries can serve as cross-cultural mediators if they are enlisted and trusted by the disputing parties.

Enlightened self-interest and a concern for our children's welfare should suffice as motivations to work toward an accommodation of differences. Westerners and Muslims alike need rational, humane governance and better mutual understanding. Honest engagement with each other will reveal shared values, including a dedication to social justice. We all need political and economic reforms that distribute resources more equitably. We all need to safeguard human rights, increase funding for educational and cultural exchanges, and commit ourselves to resolving conflicts through peaceful means.

Winning the hearts and minds of others, particularly frightened or humiliated peoples, will not be achieved by hard power alone. Investing in peace-building and in basic human needs such as food, medical care, shelter and education instead of high-tech weapons will create the necessary foundation for sustainable change in the direction of moderation, economic equity and true peace. Our hope lies in first imagining, then working to create, an interdependent world in which the good of every individual depends on realising the good of all.

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* Saliba Sarsar is Professor of political science and Associate Vice President for Academic Program Initiatives at Monmouth University, New Jersey. Yehezkel Landau is Faculty Associate in interfaith relations at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org (http://www.commongroundnews.org).
Source: Middle East Times, 25 September 2006, www.metimes.com (http://www.metimes.com)
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

5) In Yemen, a first: Arabs observing an Arab election
Oussama K. Safa & Khalil Gebara

Beirut - Amid the setbacks inflicted on democratic progress in the Middle East as a result of recent or ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon, and the threat of religious extremism, heartening news about home-grown democratic initiatives is worth celebrating.

During the triple elections held in Yemen on September 20, a group of reform-minded Arab activists, of which we were part, organised an election observation mission that is bound to become a precedent for anchoring similar inter-Arab democratic practices, and for fostering collective work on democracy. Representing four different countries with a recent tradition for timely elections, Palestinian, Egyptian, Moroccan and Lebanese observers launched the first initiative to observe an Arab election by other Arabs.

Working in parallel with international observers, the Arab delegation received high acclaim from Yemeni civil society and election officials alike, and was shown a warm welcome by the Yemeni authorities. Natives to the region, the Arab observers displayed cultural sensitivity and a wide understanding of the local context as well as the intricacies and nuances of the local language - critical elements missing in outside observers.

The trip also allowed the various electoral actors to discuss their experiences and compare notes on various election processes in the region. Members of the delegation worked in tandem with highly capable Yemeni observers, who displayed unflinching courage and ironclad commitment to ensuring a transparent voting process. To dispel notions of anti-regime bias, members of the delegation held meetings with a variety of political and civil society actors belonging to pro-regime, and to opposition, parties. They also listened carefully to assessments by Yemeni and international civil society organisations.

The delegation was part of a growing critical mass of Arab reformers who insist on blazing the trail and moving forward despite regressions in processes of reform across the Middle East. Members of the Arab delegation were all experienced election monitors and most, if not all, belong to civil society groups and have a long track record of election observation in their own countries and beyond. Their action in Yemen testified to the coming of age of Arab civil society and its increasing capacity to undertake pro-democracy work in neighbouring countries.

The presence of the Arab observers in Yemen was also a strong indication that observation missions need not be foreign-inspired or concocted in Western capitals, nor do election observation missions pose a threat to a country's sovereignty. Such initiatives will always benefit from outside help and assistance, however, and in Yemen's case the delegation was supported by the National Democratic Institute, an American institution. This did not, however, preclude the fact that similar such initiatives are now locally developed and "owned" -- as was the Yemeni one -- and can be added to serious ongoing inter-Arab initiatives such as capacity-building training, advocacy and promotion of good governance programs.

This initiative also sought to reflect the region's interconnectedness and the vast common ground shared by civil society activists in virtually every Arab country. Activists face more or less the same challenges to promoting democracy and are finally pooling their collective efforts to deal with these challenges constructively.

The initiative also proved that such precedents can take place without incurring the wrath of regimes or risking the safety of election observers. Hopefully gone are the days of political oppression and secretive democracy struggles. Arab civil society is here to stay and if anything was shown in the Yemeni experience, it was that this civil society is a mature and reliable stakeholder on the slow but sure journey toward democratic reform.

The Arab delegation has officially become the Arab Initiative for Election Observation and is now in the process of publishing a report on its findings in Yemen. It is also planning to field observer missions for upcoming elections in the region and around the globe. This initiative is worthy of the attention that pro-democracy forces internationally have had for the Middle East's future. It is also a precedent that, if supported and nurtured, will be a shining civil society success for some time to come.

###
* Oussama Safa is general director of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies. Khalil Gebara is co-executive director of the Lebanese Transparency Association. Both were members of the observer delegation to Yemen. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org (http://www.commongroundnews.org).
Source: Daily Star, 28 September 2006, www.dailystar.com.lb (http://www.dailystar.com.lb)
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

Youth Views
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Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH)
for constructive & vibrant Muslim-Western relations
03 - 09 October 2006

The Common Ground News Service – Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH) aims to promote constructive perspectives and dialogue about Muslim–Western relations. CGNews-PiH is available in Arabic, English, French and Indonesian.
For an archive of past CGNews articles and other information, please visit our website at www.commongroundnews.org.
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Inside this edition

1) by Amina Rasul-Bernardo

Oussama K. Safa, General Director of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies and Khalil Gebara, Co-Executive Director of the Lebanese Transparency Association, describe how recent election monitoring efforts in Yemen demonstrate the feasibility of “home-grown” solutions for meeting the challenges raised by Middle East democratic initiatives. “The presence of the Arab observers in Yemen was also a strong indication that observation missions need not be foreign-inspired or concocted in Western capitals, nor do election observation missions pose a threat to a country's sovereignty… Hopefully gone are the days of political oppression and secretive democracy struggles. Arab civil society is here to stay and if anything was shown in the Yemeni experience, it was that this civil society is a mature and reliable stakeholder on the slow but sure journey toward democratic reform.”
(Source: Daily Star, 28 September 2006)

1) A perilous present and uncertain future
Amina Rasul-Bernardo

Manila - September 2, 2006 marks the tenth anniversary of the Final Peace Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front (GRP-MNLF). The agreement ended almost four decades of conflict between government forces and the MNLF, representing the Muslim minority.

Unfortunately, no visible economic or social progress is evident after ten years. Instead, armed conflict between the MNLF and government troops has erupted in Sulu, an island province of the Philippines. Muslims continue to live harsh lives, marked by the lowest human development indicators in the country: highest poverty rates, lowest literacy and education rates, poorest access to public services, and high mortality rates. The present is bleak for most young Muslims. Worse, they do not see a better future. Over the last decade, both poverty and armed conflict in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have propelled many Muslims to take two different paths of escape.

First, peaceful and moderate Muslims have been leaving the ARMM and have established communities outside Muslim Mindanao or left the country. The Muslim diaspora is spread all over the Philippines, with a tiny mosque now ensconced in each province and city. Although no census has been taken, we estimate that over a million Muslims live outside Mindanao. The largest community is in the Metro Manila region where the Muslim traders have become visible in the pearl and DVD trades. Unfortunately, these communities face increased anti-Muslim bias, triggered by post 9/11 attitudes associating terrorism with Islam.

Second, some peaceful and conservative Muslims are turning to faith, joining fundamentalist groups such as the Tableegh. The failure of modernisation and globalisation to improve their lives has made a significant segment of the population turn to the basic tenets of Islam, a defence against the perceived immorality of the modern world and anti-Muslim bias. It is this path that concerns non-Muslims.
Young Filipino Muslims are turning to religion for support as they face a future complicated by anti-Muslim bias and injustices. These factors, coupled with the inability of government to provide public services and economic opportunities (a decade after signing a peace accord that promised a better life), have pushed many young Muslims to join more radical elements. Post 9/11, the government's move to secure the state from terrorism -- sadly often associated with Muslims -- has exacerbated the situation as thousands of Muslims, including children, were illegally detained as terrorist suspects.

If we are to resolve conflicts peacefully and neutralise terrorism, the state should not fear the resurgence of Islam. Rather, the government should be supportive as it has been of Christian revivalism. Fundamentalist Muslims are no different from fundamentalist Christians: both find assurance within the assembly of the faithful. For instance, hundreds of thousands of Catholics, most of whom have experienced hardships, have joined a movement called El Shaddai, a charismatic Catholic sect attracting more than a million followers. They believe that collective prayer will fulfil their dreams. Brother Mike Velarde, a businessman turned preacher, started El Shaddai and has parlayed its popularity into political and economic power, often wooed by the country's top political leaders. The Catholic Church has actually assigned senior prelates to guide El Shaddai.

Fortunately, some progress is occurring. For instance, the Philippine government and the donor community have incorporated capacity building for the madaris (Islamic schools) in science, maths, computer education and English language training as part of an effort to integrate them into the national educational system. These moves provide devout young Muslim scholars with the skills to become productive members of a globalising and modernising community.

More significantly, interfaith dialogue and peace advocacy are gaining strength. Civil society and religious organisations are working together to resolve conflicts and discrimination by focusing on what unites us – love of God, freedom, community and family. The bishops and ulama (Muslim scholars) have their Bishop-Ulama Forum that meets regularly.

A devout young Muslim wrote to me: "The society where we live now is full of peril. We can no longer live in apathy. We cannot just wait for a miracle to happen. Allah will not change the conditions of our society unless we change it ourselves. …. We have to assert ourselves, and we have to yell to the whole world that we will be what we want to be, because no other than the Muslims themselves know what's best for them."

We need to ask ourselves: do we force these devout, young Muslims towards the path of violent radicalisation through prejudice, ignorance and neglect? Or do we allow them the space to live their lives, accepted as fellow citizens? I, for one, have always believed that the threads of diversity, when accepted and celebrated by the nation, create a beautiful tapestry of its peoples.

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* Amina Rasul-Bernardo is the lead convener of the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy. This is the fourth of six articles in a series on religious revivalism and Muslim-Western relations commissioned by the Common Ground News Service (www.commongroundnews.org).
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 3 October 2006, www.commongroundnews.org (http://www.commongroundnews.org)
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

2) ~YOUTH VIEWS~ What else did the Pope say
Johnathon Barker

Washington, D.C. - The central problem associated with dialogue between the Western and Muslim worlds today is that what passes for dialogue is a predictable pattern of offence-apology-new offence. On the one side, the West (and usually only the US) fights radical Islamic terrorists, possibly invading a country or two and causing mass destruction while decrying extremism, while ministers in countries like Britain go to Muslim neighbourhoods to urge parents to turn in “radical” youngsters. On the other side, a Western cultural symbol (newspaper editor, political or cultural leader, or most recently, an opera house) inadvertently or purposefully does something to offend Muslims, setting off a new wave of hand-wringing, apologies and calls for dialogue.

At some point, the sound-bites have to stop and real conversation must begin. Or we must admit that conversation is impossible, our conceptions of the world so dramatically different that we should simply concentrate on drawing up rules of international behaviour that respect other cultures and religions. Unfortunately today, it is easier than ever to take offence at something happening in another part of the world, at speeches, like the Pope’s, which are not even addressed to us individually, or possibly even our culture. Apparently, since instantly accessing information anywhere is a given, protesting about anything and everything, even though our understanding of the context is thin and its actual relevance to us is low, is the rule du jour. This question – how to have a true dialogue and what the preconditions are – is at the heart of the Pope’s remarks, however, and have been more or less left un-discussed.

Much has been made about the Pope’s quotation of one of the last Byzantine emperors’ conversation with a Persian scholar about the justification of forced conversion, and some scholars have pointed out the Pope’s lack of knowledge of the Qur’an and Islam. What the Pope is critiquing, among other things in this rather dense piece, is something altogether more subtle, a lack of effort in the Western world, as well as in inter-cultural dialogue, to bring reason and faith together. The Pope’s intended use of this quote is not to criticise Islam for forced conversions, but to discuss the philosophical concept of joining reason and faith.

Beyond the controversial quote, the Pope uses the rest of his speech to discuss the Hellenic aspects of Christianity that culminated in the Byzantine emperor employing the argument, with his Muslim interlocutor, that God was Logos which, in the Pope’s view, means the original Word, the undifferentiated and unified plane of human faith and reason. Thus, unreasonable actions could not be sanctified by God. Christianity eventually tried to rid itself of its Hellenic reason, however, and the Pope describes the resulting de-Hellenisation of Christianity that is still occurring today, and also runs through the critique of Western rationality that has also happened as a result. The Pope however, takes issue with the supposedly firm division between reason and faith that has occurred since the Enlightenment in the West, arguing that Christianity and Western reason are intermingled and that separation is impossible.

The Pope then defends cultures which argue that Western rationality excludes them, which would, if the Pope’s interpretation of Islam is to be trusted, include Islam with its notion that God is quite beyond human conceptions of reasonable or unreasonable behaviour, and thus not constrained by them. As both religious figures and post-structuralist academics have pointed out, Western rationalism (or more specifically, positivism) has, as a result of its ethnocentrism, also been responsible for such horrors as colonialism and slavery, among others. By itself, it is no means to an end. As a result, the Pope argues that “a reason which is deaf to the divine and which relegates religion into the realm of subcultures is incapable of entering into the dialogue of cultures.”

At the same time, it’s equally clear the Pope largely agrees with the Byzantine that forced conversion is inimical to both religion and reason, and goes on to invite members of other cultures to join in dialogue with Christians in a spirit of Logos, or reason plus faith. Is such a dialogue possible? Only if all sides agree that Logos is universal, and not simply a Western construct. For fundamentalists guided only by faith, who do not admit the validity of reason, as well as for those positivists who refuse to address the questions of faith, it is not. For better or worse, the questions the Pope has raised are both provocative and of the utmost importance – and it is vital that both Muslim and Western (including Christian) thinkers turn their attention to them as a common vocabulary, a basic ontology, must be agreed on for serious dialogue to even commence.

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* Johnathon Barker is a graduate student of English at George Washington University. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org (http://www.commongroundnews.org).
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 3 October 2006, www.commongroundnews.org (http://www.commongroundnews.org)
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

3) Bring Islam down to Earth
Choirul Mahfud

Surabaya, Indonesia – British Prime Minister Tony Blair recently visited Indonesia to promote better bilateral cooperation between the two countries. In addition to this agenda, his visit was also intended to encourage dialogue between the British government and Muslim leaders in Indonesia.

Dialogue between the Muslim world and the West is indeed necessary and has been gaining momentum since the 9/11 attacks. Blair described Indonesia as a "crucial partner" in ensuring greater understanding between people of different faiths. It isn’t only because Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, but also because both countries have suffered from terrorism and have a common interest in defeating it.

Indonesia is the first developing country that was blown over by the wind of global terrorism. Only one year after the 9/11 attacks, this country wept for the tragedy of the first Bali bombings. The country has also faced a rise in fundamentalism and the resulting intergroup or interpersonal conflicts since the birth of the Reformation Era in 1998, after President Suharto stood down in response to a wave of protests calling for democracy.

Realizing that the situation is critical, some Indonesian Muslim leaders and intellectuals shared their understanding of the roots of Muslim-Western discord at a recent seminar at Airlangga University, entitled "Islam and the West: Building Inter-Civilization Dialogue". Achmad Syafi'i Ma'arif , the former chairman of Muhammadiyah - a large, Islamic non-profit organization in Indonesia - believes that existing conflicts between the Muslim world and the West are due to the former having fallen behind the West in “the race of civilizations”, or our post-Enlightenment global hierarchy. He adds, however, that a widespread misinterpretation of Islamic teachings is also to blame.

The Director of the Institute of Progressive Islamic Studies (LSIP) in Jakarta, Zuhairi Misrawi, maintains that the clash between Islam and the West can be traced back to stories and stereotypes derived from historical confrontations, such as the Crusades. He attributes this to a lack of knowledge about the fundamental theology and moral principles of both Islam and Christianity, and to an economic and political imbalance between the Muslim world and the West. These factors, says Misrawi, should in reality act as grounds for dialogue and for more assimilation between the two conflicting sides. And indeed, in today’s interconnected and therefore smaller world, it is difficult for Islam and the West to avoid each other. They can't help but bump into each other.

Both Muslim and Western societies have contributed to any clash of civilizations they may be experiencing, and so both must contribute for a meaningful dialogue of civilizations to occur. But for dialogue to be an option, both parties must face and accept their differences. The West has no right to subject Muslims to its way of thinking or ideologies. And Muslims have no right to impose Islamic teachings on the West. If dialogue is going to happen, both parties need to learn how to sit and talk.

A similar challenge confronts Indonesia, where a debate is taking place over the implementation of Islamic law. There are two conflicting approaches. Those who do not support the implementation of Islamic law argue that Indonesia is a multi-religious and multicultural country, where each faith has different and unique values: for this group, only universal values that are shared by each religion, such as justice, empowerment and egalitarianism, must be maintained. The supporters of the implementation of Islamic law, on the other hand, want Islamic law to control and counteract the existing governing system, which has adopted a secularist, liberal-capitalist ideology.

Despite sharing the same goal, namely the realization of social justice, the approach can be very polarizing. One wants to achieve the goal by formalizing Islamic laws and the other cares more for the implementation of these laws in essence.

Demographically speaking, we Muslims may be “entitled” to more than others since we do represent the majority. Should we choose to, we could obtain what we wanted through a simple vote. However, in a multicultural society, such behaviour would put non-Muslims in a precarious position. The question is: do we really want to do this?

Unfortunately, there are many Muslim groups in Indonesia which feel that based on numbers alone, they should be able to implement the laws they choose. They tend to be “religious in statistics." Many incidents demonstrate how "statistics" are exploited to demand things. Claiming to stem from the majority, these groups demand the formalization of Islamic laws, like the use of the scarf, for example. To some extent, one of the primary causes of various religious incidents in Indonesia begins with the superiority of the statistic.

But there are implications of this numbers-based approach. Groups can engage in what Pierre Bourdieu coined “symbolic violence” in his book, Reproduction in Education, Society and Culture (1970). Symbolic violence occurs when a certain group forces its symbols and value systems (such as religion) onto another group. Legitimization of the majority is often an effective weapon of this effort, shifting the balance so that power relations are not perceived objectively, but as a natural order.

It is time for Muslims all over the world, particularly in Indonesia, to leave behind the numbers-based religious model, and begin to demonstrate religiosity. This requires bringing Islam down to earth - upholding amr ma'ruf, nahi munkar (enjoying what is just, forbidding what is wrong): being polite, defending the oppressed, helping the poor, rejecting violence, fighting corruption and terrorism, and spreading peace throughout their country, and the world.

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* The writer is Executive Director of the Institute for Religion and Social Studies (LKAS) Surabaya, Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya lecturer in Islamic studies, and writer of Socialist Islam and Multicultural Education.
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 3 October 2006, www.commongroundnews.org (http://www.commongroundnews.org)
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

4) Reclaiming dignity and hope
Saliba Sarsar & Yehezkel Landau

New Jersey & Connecticut - Our global society is fast losing its balance and its moderate centre. It is becoming more and more polarised and violent. Human life and dignity are losing their sacred character for an increasing number of people, including those who claim to be religious.

The atrocities perpetrated against civilians on September 11, 2001 and since -- the war on terrorism, the horrific slaughter in Iraq, the interminable Arab-Israeli conflict including the latest Israel-Hizbullah war, the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran, the sharp increase in oil prices, even cartoons deemed offensive to religious believers -- all these factors have dashed any hopes that the end of the Cold War and the onset of a new millennium would generate a peace dividend, with greater international stability and prosperity.

Instead we witness more blatant expressions of authoritarianism, tribalism, religious extremism, terrorism and militarism, together with a retreat from responsible politics and multilateral solutions. Ideology eclipses realism. Global organisations and initiatives remain hostage to narrow self-interest. The zero-sum game of power politics imposes its ugliness on our lives, mainly as a fearful, even desperate, reaction to terror.

As private and state terrorism continue to plague the world, they have evoked deep pain and revulsion in our psyches. The struggle against this vicious threat has generated a macro-myth that divides humanity into the "virtuous, righteous, heroic" fighters against the "evildoers". Such de-humanisation simplifies complex problems and leads us away from effective strategies to counter the real threats we face. Whole populations are estranged from each other, waiting for the least provocation to denigrate and attack. Too often the threat is exaggerated, making the response incommensurate with the real danger.

We can easily succumb to despair when we feel helplessly vulnerable in the face of such horrors and threats. Primal survival instincts are apt to trump compassion, ethical restraints, and legal safeguards regarding human rights. Faith turns fanatic, and morality is sacrificed for short-term advantage. Power turns into brute force and evil deeds, and the weak discover their own strength in evil deeds, as well. Words become weapons, truth is warped into falsehood, and the human face dons the mask of death.

Why are we torturing and killing innocent civilians in the name of security or liberation? Why are warriors bombing residential neighbourhoods and houses of worship and despoiling God's creation? Are cartoons mocking prophets and sacred traditions illustrations of free speech or of media insensitivity and irresponsibility? Is denying or belittling the Holocaust and other genocides a result of outright ignorance, or a sad commentary on our inability to face the truth, shoulder responsibility, and demonstrate solidarity with our fellow human beings? Isn't it sinful when civility, honour, and justice are crushed in the name of freedom or security? Isn't it a grotesque distortion of religion when tolerance, caring and forgiveness are violated in the name of the Divine?

While the questions are legion, satisfactory answers elude us. What is clear is that we stand at a crucial juncture in human history, between a "clash of civilisations" and affirming the "dignity of difference".

Choosing the right path requires responsible leadership and a shared commitment to change negative attitudes and behaviours in favour of dialogue, conciliation and a culture of peace. Such transformations must first happen within each one of us and in our interpersonal relationships. We must challenge ourselves, our compatriots and our leaders -- including religious leaders -- to favour compassion over callousness, solidarity over selfishness, and peace with justice over the suppression of dissent.

The Western and Muslim worlds do not have to be like each other, or to even like each other, to embrace dialogue and diplomacy as preferred methods of interaction. Muslims in Western countries can serve as cross-cultural mediators if they are enlisted and trusted by the disputing parties.

Enlightened self-interest and a concern for our children's welfare should suffice as motivations to work toward an accommodation of differences. Westerners and Muslims alike need rational, humane governance and better mutual understanding. Honest engagement with each other will reveal shared values, including a dedication to social justice. We all need political and economic reforms that distribute resources more equitably. We all need to safeguard human rights, increase funding for educational and cultural exchanges, and commit ourselves to resolving conflicts through peaceful means.

Winning the hearts and minds of others, particularly frightened or humiliated peoples, will not be achieved by hard power alone. Investing in peace-building and in basic human needs such as food, medical care, shelter and education instead of high-tech weapons will create the necessary foundation for sustainable change in the direction of moderation, economic equity and true peace. Our hope lies in first imagining, then working to create, an interdependent world in which the good of every individual depends on realising the good of all.

###
* Saliba Sarsar is Professor of political science and Associate Vice President for Academic Program Initiatives at Monmouth University, New Jersey. Yehezkel Landau is Faculty Associate in interfaith relations at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org (http://www.commongroundnews.org).
Source: Middle East Times, 25 September 2006, www.metimes.com (http://www.metimes.com)
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

5) In Yemen, a first: Arabs observing an Arab election
Oussama K. Safa & Khalil Gebara

Beirut - Amid the setbacks inflicted on democratic progress in the Middle East as a result of recent or ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon, and the threat of religious extremism, heartening news about home-grown democratic initiatives is worth celebrating.

During the triple elections held in Yemen on September 20, a group of reform-minded Arab activists, of which we were part, organised an election observation mission that is bound to become a precedent for anchoring similar inter-Arab democratic practices, and for fostering collective work on democracy. Representing four different countries with a recent tradition for timely elections, Palestinian, Egyptian, Moroccan and Lebanese observers launched the first initiative to observe an Arab election by other Arabs.

Working in parallel with international observers, the Arab delegation received high acclaim from Yemeni civil society and election officials alike, and was shown a warm welcome by the Yemeni authorities. Natives to the region, the Arab observers displayed cultural sensitivity and a wide understanding of the local context as well as the intricacies and nuances of the local language - critical elements missing in outside observers.

The trip also allowed the various electoral actors to discuss their experiences and compare notes on various election processes in the region. Members of the delegation worked in tandem with highly capable Yemeni observers, who displayed unflinching courage and ironclad commitment to ensuring a transparent voting process. To dispel notions of anti-regime bias, members of the delegation held meetings with a variety of political and civil society actors belonging to pro-regime, and to opposition, parties. They also listened carefully to assessments by Yemeni and international civil society organisations.

The delegation was part of a growing critical mass of Arab reformers who insist on blazing the trail and moving forward despite regressions in processes of reform across the Middle East. Members of the Arab delegation were all experienced election monitors and most, if not all, belong to civil society groups and have a long track record of election observation in their own countries and beyond. Their action in Yemen testified to the coming of age of Arab civil society and its increasing capacity to undertake pro-democracy work in neighbouring countries.

The presence of the Arab observers in Yemen was also a strong indication that observation missions need not be foreign-inspired or concocted in Western capitals, nor do election observation missions pose a threat to a country's sovereignty. Such initiatives will always benefit from outside help and assistance, however, and in Yemen's case the delegation was supported by the National Democratic Institute, an American institution. This did not, however, preclude the fact that similar such initiatives are now locally developed and "owned" -- as was the Yemeni one -- and can be added to serious ongoing inter-Arab initiatives such as capacity-building training, advocacy and promotion of good governance programs.

This initiative also sought to reflect the region's interconnectedness and the vast common ground shared by civil society activists in virtually every Arab country. Activists face more or less the same challenges to promoting democracy and are finally pooling their collective efforts to deal with these challenges constructively.

The initiative also proved that such precedents can take place without incurring the wrath of regimes or risking the safety of election observers. Hopefully gone are the days of political oppression and secretive democracy struggles. Arab civil society is here to stay and if anything was shown in the Yemeni experience, it was that this civil society is a mature and reliable stakeholder on the slow but sure journey toward democratic reform.

The Arab delegation has officially become the Arab Initiative for Election Observation and is now in the process of publishing a report on its findings in Yemen. It is also planning to field observer missions for upcoming elections in the region and around the globe. This initiative is worthy of the attention that pro-democracy forces internationally have had for the Middle East's future. It is also a precedent that, if supported and nurtured, will be a shining civil society success for some time to come.

###
* Oussama Safa is general director of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies. Khalil Gebara is co-executive director of the Lebanese Transparency Association. Both were members of the observer delegation to Yemen. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org (http://www.commongroundnews.org).
Source: Daily Star, 28 September 2006, www.dailystar.com.lb (http://www.dailystar.com.lb)
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

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ILEP – The Latin American Peace Studies Institute
UCI – The University for International Cooperation
San José, Costa Rica, Central América
Bilingual Training for Trainers

Offered for social workers, educators, psychologists, students, religious workers and anyone interested in conflict transformation for families and communities

Join us

November 13 - 18, 2006 Practical Peacebuilding: Basic and Advanced Facilitation and Conflict Transformation Skills.

This 44 hour, six-day course consists in 28 hours of experiential classroom learning of facilitation and conflict transformation techniques and 16 hours of practice in the field. Students stay with Costa Rican families and receive two meals per day at the home of their family. Cost: US $600 includes workshop, materials, room and board with a Costa Rican family, ground transportation to and from the airport, and to the practical site.

December 4 – 9, 2006 Dramatic Problem Solving: Interactive Theatre Based Facilitation for Individual, Community, and Social Change.

This 40 hour course is an experiential exploration of the use of the theories and techniques of Augusto Boal and the Theatre of the Oppressed in a community based, group facilitation setting. Participants learn by becoming immersed as participants in the facilitation process. The workshop culminates with an interactive theatre performance. Cost: US$600 includes the workshop, materials, room and board with a Costa Rican family, ground transportation to and from the airport.

February 5 - 10, 2007 Pastoral Mediation: Working through our Faith for Conflict Transformation and Peace in our Communities.

This course is designed for religious and lay workers who would like to increase their skills in facilitation and community based mediation. The 44 hour, experiential course takes students through a process where they can explore ways to incorporate their faith into actions that promote positive change in their communities. Classroom and practical experiences are included in the week long workshop. Cost: US$600 includes the workshop and materials, room and board with a Costa Rican family, ground transportation to and from the airport.

Scholarships are available on a need basis.

For more information, contact: Steven Hawkins, Program Director, ILEP at steven@uci.ac.cr or at ilep@uci.ac.cr our phone number is 011-506-234-0524 or 011-506-283-6464. Visit our website at http://www.uci.ac.cr/especiales/ilep.asp

Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meeting - May 2007

Society for Applied Anthropology
67th Annual Meeting • March 27 - 31, 2007
Hyatt Regency Tampa

Applied anthropology in the 21st Century faces challenges to contribute meaningfully and in a sustained way to understanding complex and recurring global struggles. The theme of "Global Insecurities" is both expansive and focused, designed to invite intellectual discussions and practical applications from our colleagues worldwide and especially from our Canadian neighbors to the north, and our southern neighbors in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central, and South America. From resource insecurity (e.g., clean water and air), basic necessity insecurity (e.g., food, shelter), infrastructural insecurity (e.g., health, education, public governance), to insecurity related to ethnic, class, and social relations (e.g., disparities and conflict) the 21st century is marked by increased uneasiness. Applied anthropology is specially suited to addressing those conditions through research, program design, evaluation, and advocacy at the local, national, and international levels.

The journal Traumatology is a peer-reviewed journal which disseminates new
and original contributions to the traumatology field. Articles focus on
theoretical formulations, research, treatment, prevention, education,
training, medical, and legal and policy concerns. Traumatology serves as the
primary reference for professionals who study and treat people exposed to
highly stressful and traumatic events. These include but are not limited to
terrorist bombings, war disasters, fires, accidents, criminal and familial
abuse, hostage-taking, hospitalization, major illness, abandonment, and
sudden unemployment. Traumatology publishes review papers, original articles
brief reports, comments, book reviews, book review essays, and from time to
time special issues devoted to a single topic.

Traumatology is currently seeking new submissions. On behalf of Dr. Charles
Figley, editor of Traumatology, I would invite you to submit papers for
review and possible publication.

If you would like further information about how to submit to Traumatology,
please visit http://www.traumatologyacademy.org/ContributorGuidelines.htmor
contact Dr. Figley at CharlesFigley@Earthlink.Net

Best,
Elizabeth Donnelly
Assistant to the Editor

GLOBALIZATION. THE HIDDEN AGENDA
Polity Press
www.polity.co.uk
by Dennis Smith
ISBN 0-7456-1702-6 hardbook
ISBN 0-7456-1703-4 paperback

List of chapters
1. Key Themes
2. Codes of Modernity
3. Modes of Humiliation
4. Frames of Globalization
5. The Imperial Impulse
6. The Logic of the Market
7. The Cosmopolitan Condition
8. Escape
9. Acceptance
10. Rejection
11. Decent Democracy or Domineering State?

Key Questions

How is the world shaping us?
How can we shape the world?
Those questions have always driven my work whether I am looking at education, politics, war, industry, business, the battle for power, money, and prestige or, quite simply, the struggle for survival.
Whatever the topic, there are always surrounding circumstances that need to be understood. Looking at this wider context leads us outwards, towards the bigger picture, towards the global.
At the same time, looking at ourselves leads inwards, towards the personal: who we are and what we want and need.
It is important to think

• historically,
• comparatively, and
• globally

and act practically to defend and advance human interests.

How powerful is fear of humiliation as a force in the lives of individuals, nations and states?
China, Japan, India and the rest of the world are rapidly growing richer, stronger and more independent. The West is losing ground.
This is deeply ironic. Since World War II, America has taught the rest of the world to Americanise itself. That means freer markets, professionalization of business, and leaner states. This has made America’s rivals very much stronger – and the United States much weaker by comparison.
The European Union now challenges USA in wealth and population. All the United States has left is its military superiority and the ‘soft power’ of its mass media. These are diminishing assets, bound to be challenged by European and Asian weaponry and mass media over the next decade or two.
The West is deeply divided and does not know what to do. 9/11 gave it a taste of humiliation and its main answer so far has been to strike back, trying to humiliate its enemies. When this fails, the most likely response is an equally disastrous withdrawal into a Fortress America, leaving the European Union with the ‘Rest’ on the outside.

Dennis Smith has analysed this in Globalization. The Hidden Agenda (Polity Press). He shows how globalization (economic, politico-military and cultural) has brought more humiliation than liberation.

Humiliation means being displaced, degraded, belittled and excluded. Its impact is deeply personal. Globalization. The Hidden Agenda traces the strong links that exist between the personal and the global. It sets out the choices that now face us if we wish to survive the future with dignity.

Dennis Smith
Contact: d.smith @ lboro.ac.uk
Visit Global Helix at www.globalhelix.org