If one stands, we must all stand together: Uniting our voices for women in Iran by Shirin Golkar

by Guest | Oct 23, 2022 | Guest blog, Transforming violence

Image credit: Women’s Entrepreneurship Program

Shirin Golkar is the Iranian founder of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (WEP). She is a passionate defender of gender parity and equality, fighting for a better world for women through peacebuilding, knowledge spreading, and practical assistance for women entrepreneurs in Iran and around the globe.

Connect with Shirin via: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirin-golkar/ Facebook@Shirin Golkar / Instagram@ Shiringolkar

My country is a beautiful land filled with rich culture, warm family traditions, and an underlying strength that makes every Iranian stand tall in their shared identity. Despite its beauty, Iran has been less than perfect for its women. Recently, the women there have reached a breaking point under ever-worsening conditions, with riots and protests all over Iran now. Unsurprisingly, it is the women and school girls who are leading these protests. I have always known my compatriots are fighters, and have been saying for many years how resilient they are, how they are leading a social movement. For me, it feels like generational trauma is now boiling over, from my mother’s generation to mine, and even to Generation Z!

Though words cannot fully express the extent of emotion this situation arises within me, suffice it to say that I am exceedingly proud of these women fighting for their dignity and their existential rights.

The role Iranian women are playing right now seems unprecedented. It may be the first time in Iran’s history that women have been the spark and engine for an attempted counter-revolution in this manner. Women are the heart and soul of a nation. I believe the unrest now seen in Iran is a reflection of that heart, bleeding and broken, yet ready to stand up and change the way the world and our country views their value. Iran knows the sentimental value of its women–grandmothers are cherished, mothers loved, daughters treasured. But there is more to a woman than her place in the matriarchy, and Iranian women are calling their nation and the world to see what too long has been hidden from sight.

We need to help the women in Iran and the men and children who support them in this cry for life and freedom. As an Iranian woman myself, there is no doubt that these women are my sisters, but as a member of the global community and a humble partaker of many lovely nations, I now see we are all sisters in this, the human family. We in the global and academic community cannot leave our sisters alone. If one is assaulted, all are assaulted. If one stands, we all must stand together. These women are fighting for their basic rights. They have counted the cost and considered their cause worthy of risking their safety, even their lives.

Anything we outside the streets of Iran can do to amplify their voices can help. Having more people outside Iran take a leading role to talk about this does exactly that. If you would like to act in solidarity with women of Iran:

• Share the news on social media as a symbolic gesture: utilize your platform to share information on the efforts taken by women and girls; by doing so, you are multiplying their impact.
• Contact any organizations you are connected with to speak on behalf of Iranian women’s rights.
• Academic awareness is a must: post analyses on LinkedIn, discuss the news in classrooms, assign research articles for students or publish one yourself if you can.
• For those of you who pray: prayers too can create change in the world around us.

These actions have a ripple effect. We can all stand with the women of Iran. We stay hopeful and we stay positive that these women will prevail in their plight for a greater life for Iranian women now and for future generations.

The women-led protests occurring are not acts of mindless violence by a people against its country; they are the cry of courageous Iranians who wish to see their country and the citizens living in it flourish in equality, freedom, life, and liberty. For women, and for all.

Why and how we can think about the situation of young Yemeni by Michèle Ndedi Batchandji

by Guest | Aug 16, 2020 | Guest blog, Transforming violence

Photo Credit: Jakob Rubner

Michèle Ndedi Batchandji is a 2019 graduate from IHEID in Geneva with a Master in Development Studies; her thesis was on ‘Access to Education for orphans in Yemen’. Michèle has worked at NORRAG in the SDC backstopping Team and is now a consultant in project implementation in the Office for Africa at the International Trade Center (ITC). You can continue the converSation with Michèle via michele.ndedi@graduateinstitute.ch and via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelendedi/ 

Today, in all the major armed conflicts, civilians represent the highest number of casualties. According to Action on Armed Violence, the countries with the highest death toll of civilians are Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq. These wars have all intermittently received high media coverage in the United States and in Europe, with the exception of Yemen. The Yemeni conflict only had its moment in the spotlight for a couple of months when images of starving children were widely circulated. Now with the Covid-19 pandemic—and despite the UN Security Council Resolution 2532 calling for cessation of hostilities in all conflict zones—even less attention is being paid to the situation of Yemen, while attacks and retaliations continue and the story goes on…

OK, but what is actually going on in that country? The war in Yemen is considered one of the deadliest wars of the past year, so let’s just look at some facts quickly: In Yemen, out of 30.5 million inhabitants, 24.1 million (80%) are said to be in need of humanitarian assistance, of which  12 million are children. Nearly every child in Yemen needs assistance. Schools and hospitals are often under attack. In 2018, some international organizations were calling it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis; now, with the compound effects of Covid-19, the situation can only deteriorate

So it seems tragic but what can we do, right? I cannot pretend to have an answer, but I think we can start by caring. OK, and how? The first step might be to start by being aware of what is happening there. At the basis, Yemen is a country like any other, whose citizens have rights to food, water, shelter, sleep as well as to health, employment and social stability. Thus, our immediate role can be to research, read, write, and to not remain indifferent.

One thing is certain though, that it will remain difficult to talk about actions with long-term impacts until a ceasefire is reached between the parties. Democratic institutions across the world have tried to end military support to belligerents with no real success for now. That means that citizens have to redouble its efforts and pressure on their governments. WE can help. We can all contribute by signing petitions, which will help in keeping the plight of Yemini people on government priority lists. Multilateral organizations have a major role to play by upholding the pressure on both  parties to stop the fighting, and to  establish more inclusive peace processes with advisory groups which will include more youth and women, who do not only represent the vast majority of the population but also are the first victims of this conflict.

So, let’s try to act, each at our level. The only fact that almost all children in Yemen need assistance can be a good motivation, don’t you think?

Vegetarian by Sonali Wanigabaduge

by Guest | Jul 13, 2020 | Guest blog, Transforming violence

Sonali Wanigabaduge is a lawyer and media professional from Sri Lanka. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law, at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, and writes in her spare time. She can be reached at s.wanigabaduge@gmail.com

Back when I was 10 years old, vegetarianism wasn’t a widely practised concept in Sri Lanka, at least not to the knowledge of my 10 year old self. Lavanya, my intelligent friend from school had never eaten meat in her life! She said she wasn’t supposed to, because she was born a Tamil Hindu Brahmin.

It puzzled me constantly, how she’d steadfastly refuse a piece of chocolate cake because it was ‘contaminated’ with egg, and so mechanically look away while all of us lesser mortals would fight for a second and third piece whenever it was someone’s birthday at school.

I used to love my tuck-shop lunches. The hot dogs, the mini chicken rolls, and the cakes, everything was heavenly. But Lavanya would obediently sit by her desk during the interval and eat her home-made idly – tender rice cakes, with a spicy green sambol made of ground coriander leaves and spices. I would be mind-boggled, and I’d constantly tell my mother about Lavanya’s food.

But Ammi, even Lavanya’s dog is vegetarian!

I’d exclaim in disbelief, whilst munching loudly on spicy mutton curry, fried fish, dhal and fried rice made with a lavish mix of diced sausages and egg.

***

Ammi was born to a Sinhalese Buddhist family in the deep South of Sri Lanka, and had come to Colombo only after she turned 18. Hers had been a traditional education – simple, linear, and oblivious to the ethnically diverse tapestry of the country, its nuances and its socio-political ebb and flow.

As I was getting ready for my class party that day, Ammi stood by the kitchen, preparing fish cutlets for 25 people – a mix of flavoured, cooked fish, mixed with potato, onions and carrot, battered and deep fried into little balls. I noticed she had set aside some potato dough which she started frying first.

I made some vegetarian cutlets for Lavanya. I fried them first so there’s no contact with the fish paste.

Those five cutlets were the only thing that Lavanya had to eat that day.

***

I was 26 years old. Life was a blur. We hadn’t breathed easy in eight months. That’s how long it had been since the cancer diagnosis. Logic defied us, yet we traversed on, fumbling to find the best doctors, the best ayurvedic practitioners, and the best priests.

That night, we had driven back home to frantically pack some of Ammi’s medical records and clothes for us to live in for the next few days. The only Intensive Care Unit we had managed to find at such short notice, was a four-hour drive from home. This was where Ammi was being monitored, with the beeping machines, and the haunting silence.

As we started the car to drive back to the hospital, the doctor called, saying Ammi had opened her eyes.

Don’t worry, we gave your mother liquids, he said.

Dr. Lavanya just visited with some Sustagen* milk.

***

*Sustagen – a brand of nutritional milk often given as an energy booster.

The Transformative Potential of Art by Anna Blanck

by Guest | Jun 28, 2020 | Guest blog, Transforming violence

Photo credit: @mana5280

What does it mean to build trust in our communities during the covid19 crisis?

by Annika Erickson-Pearson | May 20, 2020 | Guest blog, Transforming violence

Photo credit: Nina Strehl

I’ve spent most of the quarantine living in a small house in a small town outside of a small city in a small country. I share this small house with people to varying degrees of immuno-vulnerability. I feel anxiety being around people, even my friends and people I know and trust.

As the world around me reopens, I notice my own feelings change. My first reaction upon hearing that controls would loosen was disappointment. I understand the necessities of creating opportunities for the (small) businesses that make this a thriving community, but I’m terrified of the health implications it has… for this same community. 

Covid19 is a peculiar virus, wrapping our destinies all up together into one. The degree to which I take precaution directly impacts the health of the people with whom I live. 

Recently, I’ve turned to peacebuilding to help me think through things. 

A friend whom I respect recently told me about an agreement she had with four friends during the quarantine. Acknowledging that they were in pursuit of a common good (time together, in person), they each undertook additional precautions to ensure they could be safely together. They were willing to adhere to a set of stricter standards (a cost, to exercise greater caution than usual in day-to-day life) in order to receive a benefit. They built an explicit agreement, committed to it, each giving a little and receiving quite a lot. 

Another friend told me a less-successful version of this story. He attempted to pursue a similar plan of action with his friends, but realized one week in that his friends were not understanding “precaution in the same way he did.” What was the difference?

I decided to give this a whirl in my own house and asked that my cohabitators come together for a joint expectation-setting conversation. I had no idea how to structure the conversion, so we fumbled our way through a discussion on the current situation, our fears and hesitations, and aspects we felt confident about. Over the course of the 30 minutes, one person emerged as the more “conservative” in the bunch, advocating for showers upon reentry from being in public, while another the more “liberal,” noting comfort with taking public transportation. 

It’s fair to say that different people look at the world, the threat of this virus, and our pathways towards global restoration very differently. 

It’s also apparent that in many places, these differences are causing actual conflict. People are protesting in the streets, boycotting businesses for their policies (either too conservative or too liberal), and there even seems to be a growing partisan divide between “mask-wearers” and “mask-abstainers.” 

While it might be tempting to think of peacebuilding as a tool that can “only” help us in “places” where there is “actual” “conflict,” we need to reject that framework. (Side note: I’m an American, who moved all the way to international Geneva (Switzerland) to pursue a master’s degree in “development,” whatever that is. I focus on the United States, which, for the record, is in desperate need of peacebuilding and development work.)

Let’s talk about dialogue.

If we go back to the more successful example of my friend and her small group of peers, we see a couple of factors. First, they came together for an actual discussion, face-to-face, on screen or person. Discussants were given the opportunity to contribute, but also were expected to listen to one another. Second, this discussion resulted in the explicit definition of variables. What does “extra precaution” mean? What does “safely together” mean? What is off limits? And third, perhaps unknowingly, these friends created a container for future dialogue. That is, if an agreement was breached, there had already been a precedent set for review and discussion around the breach as opposed to gossip or (passive) aggression. The other example likely failed in part because these steps were not followed. 

If our destinies are bound up in one another, we must establish regular and open dialogue, which fosters trust and creates healthy mechanisms for feedback. 

We can develop these containers with our roommates, with our partners, with our friends, with our coworkers, with the people we share apartment buildings with, with our neighborhoods, or with our communities. We can go to the people we are suspicious of and ask, “What makes you comfortable? What makes you uncomfortable?” 

In our house, we struck a balance between the needs. We decided that for the next two weeks we will enjoy seeing our friends, but see them outside and agree not to go into the homes or apartments of others. We decided to avoid public transportation but be more active about asking for access to the car of one of the house members if we need to get around. We decided that we’ll avoid restaurants for the time being, but reevaluate in two weeks as we see the national statistics. We set up a parameter for a future conversation to review our agreements and adjust given any updates. I can only speak for myself, but I feel safer, less anxious, and more confident, knowing that I am doing my best to look out for those around me and that they are doing the same for me. I trust them. 

But can this approach be applied outside of homes or buildings? Can this transcend roommates and coworkers? Of course, I don’t know for sure. But I have an idea.

A friend of mine recently described the situation in his town in the United States. He says it’s come down to a divide between mask-wearers and mask-abstainers, which is creating high tension in the community and even determining which grocery stores are “safe zones” for either side. Of course, as someone who studies conflict, the spatialization of conflict concerns me sincerely. When people start to get protective over their “turf,” our reptilian brain can take over and reduce the likelihood of seeing the “other side” as humans deserving of our attempts to understand. 

I wonder if a “grocery store dialogue” could be possible. By this I mean, host a zoom call. Invite grocery store owners from “both sides,” as well as grocery store patrons from “both sides.” Accept those who are willing to commit to civil and thoughtful discourse. Engage a neutral facilitator who is willing to hold all parties accountable to civil discourse. Frame the conversation as both parties sitting on the same side of the table, looking at a common challenge: how can we build a stronger community during the covid19 crisis? Set conversational parameters: if someone starts to yell, they receive an immediate warning that they will be muted if they repeat their yelling, and if they continue to violate the rules of conversation, they are removed. Pose questions to both sides, giving equal time to explain their concerns about the covid19 crisis. Develop a common set of definitions, and eventually, perhaps in future meetings, outline a plan of shared action. 

Maybe the concern from some grocers is that 10% of their business comes from patrons who staunchly oppose mask-wearing. Maybe people in the community agree to crowd-fund that 5% of revenue so that the store can become a “masks-only” business, which would bring an additional 5% of business. You won’t know until you ask. And you can’t ask unless there’s a firm but peaceful container for the conversation. 

A strong community is just that: a community. A place where people go out of their way to help one another, both in terms of health and economics. Until we begin to better understand the needs of others, we can’t know what “helping them” truly looks like. Peacebuilding can often involve uncomfortable conversations with the “other side”. It helps to remember the alternative, that tensions deepen, the economy suffers, health suffers, and people live in fear and anxiety. 

So maybe there’s a “turf” conflict happening where you live. Is there a possibility for dialogue? 

Anyone can be a peacebuilder. You just need to start where you are. 

***

Continue the conversation with Annika: