Dialogue Times

Monday, 28 December 2015

Bashir Mohamed: Be empathetic to people

By Bashir Mohamed, Canada

Bashir Mohamed

I try not to hate people, I really do. However, I reached a breaking point today while walking down a busy street in Marrakesh.

People were pushing things in my face, grabbing me by the arm, and being really aggressive. I tried to politely say no but they would continue.

This has happened a lot before but I had enough and became a bad guy. I would say no in a stronger voice and straight up pushed those people out of my way.

This worked. Nobody bothered me anymore and I was able to continue walking without going through that again.

Later, I was standing in front of a store waiting for some friends when a young man approached me. He had watches that he was trying to sell. I resorted to my tactic and told him to go away in a strong voice. When he knew I wouldn't buy anything he said something very interesting. "Why do you people always do this? You are my brother!"

For whatever reason, this surprised me. The guy spoke excellent English, and dressed in a similar style as my younger brother.

I asked him where he was from and he said "The Gambia."

I asked why he left. He told me about the persecution he faced from the government. He said that he feared going home and was trying to make a better life for himself.

I asked for his destination. He said, "Europe." We talked about why he chose Europe at length. In short, he mentioned how stepping foot into Europe guaranteed him rights as an asylum seeker which would mean that his case would be heard.

What he said next stood out to me. He said, "all I want is a chance."

I asked if he had made the journey before. He said, "Yes, three times."

The first two times, the boats sank early on and he was returned back to North Africa. Then he described the third time...

He said he was just 2 miles from the shore when ships appeared. He could see the land and was so close. Unfortunately, the ships caught up to him and he was returned back to North Africa.

Recommended: RELIGION OF A CHILD - PART I

He went into more details but it is really hard to write. He described beatings by the Moroccan police, and his fear of water.

He said he wants to try again a fourth time. When I asked how much the journey costs he said about 1,000 euros. He said, "This is why I sell watches. Nobody else will hire me."

I asked for his name. He said, "Abu Bakr."

We parted ways and I had tears in my eyes.

Bashir Mohamed

My family was lucky, after spending six years in a refugee camp we were granted asylum in Canada. This is while others were left with the choice of being stuck in the refugee camp or making the dangerous journey to Europe.

If my family’s refugee application was denied then perhaps I could be the man selling watches hoping for a chance at freedom and peace.

Anyhow...

I finish today feeling grateful of Canada for accepting my family’s refugee application. Also, I finish today with a reminder of how important it is to be empathetic to people. You could have very well been in their shoes.

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Saturday, 26 December 2015

Azizah Syiami: Identity & Perceptions

By Azizah Syiami Mutik, Indonesia

dialoguetimes.azizah-identity-perceptions

Azizah Syiami

The past one week I’ve experienced the most amazing week I’ve ever had in my life (I hope I am not exaggerating it). Why do I say so? Because ten thousand miles away from Indonesia, I met such beautiful souls in ACWAY Project which gave me a lot to learn, a lot to ponder, and a lot to share to my friends everywhere. And I am honored to be able to call those beautiful souls as my family. Anyway! I will take this opportunity to share with you a little bit about the session that we had with Prof. Abu-Nimer from American University, Washington DC; about how culture and religion can become the source of conflict with the correlation to a problem that I am facing in my community.

A Problem mostly starts from the perception and resources. Resource is real things which the existence of it can be interest of some groups, or would cause the deterrence effect to others, for example oil, military force, nuclear, army, land, and money. Perception is what we have in our head about something, what definition that we build over certain things which then may lead to either positive image or negative images, for example culture, religion, political affiliation, etc. This perception is what most of the people are failing to deal with. Why?

If resource is the problem, then as it is something real you can always find a way to divide it, to share it, to have a joint on it and many more ways to do, but having a perceptions is something way more complicated as you are dealing with the evil inside you to define the person or condition around you. People are different in many aspects; religion, race, appearance, choices of life, culture, idea, job, etc. It is okay to be different, because the source of the problem is when you are trying to make it the same. You try to diminish the existence of basic rule of human being that each and everyone is different. The diminishing, or let’s say ignorance, of differences is wrong idea of how people will be able to resolve the conflict. Here we will take an example from my community.

Recommended: RELIGION OF A CHILD - PART I

3 months ago I went back to my hometown in Sumatra after finishing my bachelor in International Relations (Military and Security Study), I found out that the town has evolved into homogeneity race and religion which is very strange to me. 90% of the population in this town is Moslem, but still we have Christians, Catholics, Hindus, and Buddhists since long ago which are also part of our history. The problem is when the majority number, which I think economically and politically will be very powerful, doesn’t have basic understanding about what they are believing in nor why they are doing the practical activity related to it. This group of people is trying to diminish the differences between them. For example, women are covering their head with veil, which I support as the rule of Islam, but the problem is when they cover themselves because, “I don’t want to be different from my friends”, or “I feel alienated if I don’t use it”, even worse “Just because all my colleagues use it”. No! For me, it is not a right reason of doing something, especially when it is related to religion. I still have a view that when you do something related to God, then you suppose to find it morally fulfilling and you find peace of doing it, not because others tell you to do, or because you are afraid of getting judged because you are not doing something, in this case is wearing a veil.

Azizah Syiami

Perception is powerful and people are selective to which statements will support their prior perceptions about someone, or something. We should be critical and always ask questions because basically the problem comes from our mind. We thought that it is something wrong with the culture, but it might be from the person, or maybe the context of the situation which makes it seems like the other looks so wrong. Then we should process the information that we get by coding and decoding the interaction between two or more people. This process will give you the better view and avoid your prejudice, so does judgment and discrimination over others. As I said before, I am not against any practice of religion as I am one of a person who believe in God and the beauty of religions.

But when the religious practices become one’s basis for judging others, which make one feel as he/she has a right to condemn other people, then I guess they need to check if they are worshiping God or their ego.

With love, #ACWAY100

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Tuesday, 22 December 2015

Muslims shield Christians when Al-Shabaab attacks bus in Kenya

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A group of Kenyan Muslims shielded the Christian passengers and told the attackers they were prepared to die together.

The Muslim passengers, who were mostly women, told the Islamic militants to kill them all or leave them alone, witnesses said.

The bus was headed to the city of Mandera, near the border with Somalia and Ethiopia.

The journey is such a security risk that most buses travel with a police escort.

In this case, however, the police car broke down and the bus continued on its journey, Joseph Nkaissery, Kenya's interior cabinet secretary, said.

A few hours later, the militants attacked.

Al-Shabaab, a Somali group the United States has designated as a foreign terrorist organization, wants to turn Somalia into a fundamentalist Islamic state. It has launched a series of attacks in Kenya, since Kenyan forces went into Somalia to battle the extremists in 2011.

Its goal: sow division in the border regions of Kenya and Somalia, where many of the people are ethnically Somali, analysts say.

Among Al-Shabaab's most brutal acts was the raid on Garissa University College in April that left nearly 150 people dead. Witnesses described how gunmen asked students to recite verses from the Quran. If they couldn't, they were killed.

The group regularly storms buses, particularly this time of the year -- one of the busiest travel seasons in the nation. Throngs make their way to relatives' homes for the holidays, with buses and other public transportation packed.

In one such attack last year, they raided a bus and shot dead 28 people who failed to recite Quran verses.

In the Monday attack, the gunmen ordered Muslim passengers to come out of the bus and separate themselves from the Christians.

There were more than 100 passengers on board.

The Muslim passengers refused.

They gave the Christian women their hijabs and helped others hide behind bags in the bus, passenger Abdiqafar Teno told CNN.

"They told them, 'If you want to kill us, then kill us. There are no Christians here," he said.

Recommended: RELIGION OF A CHILD - PART I

A Christian man who tried to run away was captured and shot dead, Teno said. The driver of a truck, which was trailing the bus, was also killed.

The gunmen left, but warned they would return.

Nkaissery, the interior cabinet secretary, told reporters security forces were in "hot pursuit of the criminals."

Then he commended the actions of the Muslim passengers.

"We are all Kenyans, we are not separated by religion," he said. "We are one people as a nation. And this is a very good message from my brothers and sisters from the Muslim community."

Reference

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Ashleigh Werner: Jews should stand against Islamophobia

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Ashleigh Werner

Written by Ashleigh Werner,

an Australian Jew ashleighlsw@gmail.com

Islamophobia. What does it mean? No, I mean what does it REALLY mean?

I guess the usual definition that everyone gets is the “dislike of or prejudice against Islam or Muslims”, and all that jazz, but I mean, what does it mean for our society and why? For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Ashleigh and I am Jewish. I am an Australian Jew who has had an incredibly privileged life, and yet, here I stand, speaking out against Islamophobia, and most would question why. Well, let me tell you…

To me, Islamophobia is not just a fear or prejudice towards Muslims, and to me, Islam, is not just its own religion. It is a representation of every religion, based on monotheism, a strong sense of ethics and love and cherishing of the things holiest to us.

Recommended: RELIGION OF A CHILD - PART I

The past week for me, has been one of great self-discovery, and even greater worldly discovery. I met my first Palestinian that was not involved in politics, I had a productive argument with a human rights activist, and I celebrated Hanukkah with a group of youth, world leaders from every religion across the world… and I cried. For those who don’t get this reference… I don’t cry… ever.

My point is this… as Jews, we live our lives based on 3 moral and ethical teachings – Tzedakah (Charity), Hessed (Kindness) and Tikkun Olam (Healing the World). Islam teaches similar moral and ethical values – kindness, justice and caring for others. Christianity and Catholicism preach, again, similar moral and ethical values – justice, freedom, kindness. SO based on the idea that people hate what Islam STANDS FOR, technically, hatred against my fellow brothers and sisters of the Islamic faith, is hatred against both myself, as a Jew, and my brothers and sisters of Christianity and Catholicism.

But wait… I hear people saying that they are against radicalisation of Islam. Well, that’s another point right there. I guess you could say that that is a valid point… except it’s not. An FBI report recently showed that out of all terrorist attacks perpetrated on American soil between 1980 and 2005, only 6% were from Islamic extremists[1]. WHAT?! Yes, even I was shocked by that. Actually, embarrassingly, 7% of terror attacks in this time period were committed by Extremist Jews, but I have not heard about a single one of them. Reference

These Jews, and these Muslims are NOT representations of the faith and the beauty of the religions, and, had I heard about them, would definitely have expressed my utter disgrace for people using the peaceful beliefs of Judaism in such a way. As well as this, in the European Union, LESS THAN 2% OF ALL TERROR ATTACKS in the last 5 years have been “religiously motivated”[2] Reference

People are failing to see that terror attacks may not even have any religious backing because people will hate no matter if they believe a book told them to do so or not. As well as this, Islam actually teaches, as one of its holy teachings that one must not kill unjustly. Radicalisation in all forms is not an accurate representation of what a faith teaches, and people need to see this.

After re-reading all my facts and writings, I realise that it may sound as if I am angry. I am and I’m not. It is difficult to be mad at people when they aren’t receiving the correct information; however it is so frustrating that people are taking what they hear to be the whole truth and not seeking any facts to back it up. Hating someone is incredibly frustrating and tiring, and the beauty you miss out on by blindly hating a people is incredible.

Ashleigh Werner

As a Jew, blind hatred is something I am, unfortunately, accustomed to, and have been all my life. Blind hatred is what led to awful atrocities such as the Holocaust. As a Jew, it is also my responsibility to shed light on unjust situations. This is the most unjust situation.

After having the incredible opportunity to actually discuss faith and religion with people from all faiths and no faith, I have come to this incredible realisation – hatred against one, is hatred against us all, and rather than demonising the other, we should be standing in solidarity. Religion came about as a set of moral teachings in order to monitor wars and hatred… the irony.

As a Jew, I stand in solidarity, as a human being, I stand strong and refuse to be a part of the hatred that seems to be taking over the world as fast as the spread of technology has. As a lover not a hater, I write these words from a place, not only of love, appreciate and peace, but ironically so, a place of panic and desperation, as I have seen how far blind hatred can go and do not want to think about the possibilities of going back there. From me, my Muslim other halves will not receive hatred, judgement or even intolerance, they will receive love and overall, they will receive respect for who they are and what they believe in.

I say all of this, however I do have to admit that until the past year, this was not something I even realised myself, even more so in the past week. And it is true what they say, that dialogue can break down the barriers that society had helped create. I am extremely thankful to have had the opportunity to have in depth conversations with some of the most incredible people I have ever met who have inspired me beyond belief – and these people come from all different faiths and backgrounds. Sometimes it just takes getting out of your comfort zone and being uncomfortable to really gain a new perspective, a new zone and a new friend, two or 100!

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[1] http://www.globalresearch.ca/non-muslims-carried-out-more-than-90-of-all-terrorist-attacks-in-america/5333619

[2] http://thinkprogress.org/world/2015/01/08/3609796/islamist-terrorism-europe/

7th UNAOC Global Forum and Youth Event – Baku, Azerbaijan (fully-funded)

Deadline: January 17, 2016

The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) invites youth from around the world to apply for a chance to attend the Youth Event and 7th UNAOC Global Forum taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan on April 26-27, 2016. Up to 150 youth from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds with outstanding track records in intercultural dialogue and youth work will be selected as participants of the Youth Event and the 7th UNAOC Global Forum in Baku.

The Youth Event taking place on April 25, 2015, is a preparatory event to enrich youth’s experience of the Global Forum, a unique international opportunity for the civic and intercultural participation of young people. The Youth Event will also have an online component with the aim of maximizing the exchange of ideas among participants and preparation for the actual event. Its outcome will be a series of Narratives of Tomorrow, which articulate youth’s vision for inclusive societies, building on the positive contributions youth are already making in this regard.

About the Global Forum

The UNOAC Global Forum is a major event organized regularly by the UNAOC, bringing together government heads of states and Foreign Ministers, prominent personalities and experts as well as current and potential partners from academia, media, the private sector, youth-led organizations and other civil society organizations. The Forum provides a global platform for discussions on intercultural dialogue and social inclusion.

Next year, the Forum will explore the topic of Living Together in Inclusive Societies. More information about the Baku Forum can be found.

The objectives of the Youth Event

· Support and provide a framework for selected 125-150 young people from diverse backgrounds to meaningfully participate in the UNAOC Global Forum, engage with the Forum theme and sub themes and bring youth voices to the Forum discussions;

· Engage with UNAOC on the relevance of its activities for young people;

· Grow selected participants’ network and expand their activities through interaction with other youth involved in social action;

· Support youth participants’ access to and knowledge of the global youth movement for peace and its network;

· Promote the SDGs and discuss the role of youth in achieving them by 2030;

· Facilitate the creation of Narratives of Tomorrow as the main outcome of the Youth Event. These narratives articulate participating youth’s vision and solutions for the world to “live together in inclusive societies” and chart the course for the way forward;

· Motivate and empower participants to act as agents for social transformation and intercultural dialogue in their communities.

Recommended: RELIGION OF A CHILD - PART I

Eligibility

This is a call to youth from around the world wanting to build inclusive societies through understanding and respect among cultural and religious communities:

· Applicants must be between 18 and 35 years old

· Applicants must be a member or a representative of a youth-led organization, network or initiative

· Applicants should have undertaken initiatives at the community or policy level that foster social inclusion, intercultural dialogue, and promote peace

· Applicants must be willing to contribute to a global conversation on intercultural understanding and exchange innovative experiences

· Applicants must be willing to meet other youth leaders from all over the world and develop joint actions as well as take part in discussions that will help shape the United Nations’ agenda with regards to relations among different cultures

For more information and to apply, visit UNAOC Global Forum and Youth Event

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Sunday, 20 December 2015

Jabari Smith is MC of the month December 2015

dialoguetimes.blogspot.com-jabari-smith-acway-forum

Jabari Smith is one of 100 brilliant young leaders from around the world who were selected to be ambassadors at the just ended ACWAY training programme and international forum. Out of many qualified personalities who could have been MCs for the international forum, Jabari Smith and Jana took charge of the stage and did a great job.

In his humble regards, here is what MC Jabari Smith had to say on his facebook timeline;

Recommended: RELIGION OF A CHILD - PART I

"Peace & Blessings, FAMILY!!! Today, I had the distinct honor of serving as the Co-MC for the ‪#‎ACommonWordAmongTheYouth‬ ‪#‎InternationalForum‬in ‪#‎Rabat‬, ‪#‎Morocco‬!!! Under the timely and globally relevant theme‪#‎PreventingConflict‬ ‪#‎PromotingHarmony‬, the forum served as the culmination of an UNFORGETTABLE week that was spent building‪#‎Interfaith‬ and ‪#‎Intercultural‬ connections with the intent of promoting harmony and coexistence within that context across the GLOBE!!! It was truly to a privilege to stand on stage before prominent ‪#‎Diplomats‬,‪#‎Ministers‬, ‪#‎WorldLeaders‬ and of course my esteemed fellow ‪#‎ACWAY100‬leaders representing 72 countries WORLDWIDE!!! Indeed, this past week has reaffirmed that the BEST is yet to come for my journey of‪#‎GlobalCitizenship‬!!! ‪#‎JabariInspires‬ ‪#‎KingdomOfMorocco‬ ‪#‎Africa‬ ‪#‎USA‬‪#‎ACWAY‬ ‪#‎HonoredToBeOneOfAHundred‬ ‪#‎Changemakers‬‪#‎GlobalPeaceAmbassadors‬ ‪#‎Faith‬ ‪#‎Culture‬ ‪#‎Christian‬ ‪#‎Muslim‬ ‪#‎Hindu‬‪#‎Buddhist‬ ‪#‎Agnostic‬ ‪#‎MotivationalSpeaker‬ ‪#‎GlobalCitizen‬"

Recommended: MAHAMA AGREES WITH AKUFFO ADDO ON VOTERS' REGISTER - DIALOGUE TIME IN GHANA

Nice piece from Jabari Smith, whom I regard as MC of the month December 2015

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African Regional Youth Forum for World Heritage 2016 – Cape Town, South Africa (Fully-funded)

dialoguetimes.african-heritage-youth-forum

youth heritage forum

Deadline: January 31, 2016

The African World Heritage Fund and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in partnership with the Robben Island Museum invite applications for participation in the first Regional Youth Forum on World Heritage in Africa taking place from the April 24 to May 4, 2016 at the Robben Island World Heritage Site in Cape Town, South Africa. This forum will address young people and seek to provide a sustainable platform for youth in Africa that could increase the involvement of youth in the promotion and protection of World Heritage in Africa.

Recommended: JABARI SMITH IS MC OF THE MONTH DECEMBER 2015

The forum would also deliver essential feedback to UNESCO, the World Heritage Committee and the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) on youth challenges, accomplishments and actions related to the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the region. This is the first regional youth forum on World Heritage in Africa. It will address Anglophone youth. A second forum is planned for 2017 targeting francophone youth in Africa.

Structure of the Forum

· Lectures and presentations from experts and heritage specialists will provide an introduction to the 1972 World Heritage Convention, the Action Plan for World Heritage in the Africa Region, and the challenges of conservation and development.

· Hands-on / practical activities that provide some basic skills on heritage conservation, preservation and/or promotion of African heritage.

· Group discussions and workshops.

· Guided visit to an African World Heritage site with expert input.

· Presentations by the participants on heritage related issues in their own country.

· Participation in a Youth Model of the World Heritage Committee, an educational simulation drawing attention of the young people to the issues related to heritage preservation and promotion in the Africa region and how the World Heritage Committee works.

Benefits

The costs for the forum will be covered by the organizers; the African World Heritage Fund and Robben Island Museum (i.e. airfare, accommodation, meals and local transport within South Africa during the forum).

Eligibility

· Young citizens from the African continent;

· Aged from 20 to 28 years old with fluent English (no interpretation will be provided);

· Available to attend for the full length of the event and invest time to prepare and follow up the forum;

· Motivated, active and driven individuals interested in engaging in a World Heritage network of young African youth and eager to implement the outcomes of the forum in their home countries

· Individuals passionate about heritage in their country.

The working language for the forum is English. *A French-speaking forum is planned for 2017 in Africa (subject to the availability of funds).

Recommended: RELIGION OF A CHILD - PART I

Selection Criteria

The following items will be strongly considered during selection:

· Profile confirms with requirements;

· Completed application package (form, CV, motivation letter, recommendation letter & video);

· Diversity and complementarities of experiences among participants;

· Potential to act as multiplier;

· Gender and geographic balance;

How to Apply

Each applicant should submit the following application package:

· The completed application form.

· A motivation letter (maximum 1 page) detailing your motivations and experiences related to World Heritage;

· A curriculum vitae (2 pages maximum);

· A signed letter of recommendation from a university, organization or administrative authority/supervisor;

· A short video (maximum 2 minutes) showcasing how youth are or could promote and/or safeguard World Heritage sites (or a site) in your African country;

o Your videos should be: creative, innovative, surprising, but most important of all is to have fun!

o Your videos need to comply with the following criteria:

o Clip length 2 minutes maximum and format: “AVI” only.

NOTE: Applicants will be selected by a jury consisting of representatives from the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), Robben Island Museum (RIM), UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and the African Union. Successful applicants will be informed by 26th February 2016 at the latest.

For more information, visit African World Heritage Regional Youth Forum.

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Bashir Mohamed: Be empathetic to people

Azizah Syiami: Identity & Perceptions

Muslims shield Christians when Al-Shabaab attacks bus in Kenya

Ashleigh Werner: Jews should stand against Islamophobia

7th UNAOC Global Forum and Youth Event – Baku, Azerbaijan (fully-funded)

Jabari Smith is MC of the month December 2015

African Regional Youth Forum for World Heritage 2016 – Cape Town, South Africa (Fully-funded)