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"Speaking with locals and living in a country is the best way to learn about the real lives of citizens, not just the stories in the mainstream media. I will be more critical of what I read as a result of this experience. I also feel even more grateful for my education, and I feel a stronger responsibility to assist others who do not have resources or access to opportunities in their communities."

Maria Skouras (New York University) volunteered in 2011 as a Peace Fellow for eHomemakers in Malaysia.

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The Fellowship Pr... > Blogging for Peace > 2003 > From the Field, J...

From the Field, July 24-August 5, 2003

Highlights:


AP Interns in the News: The Advocacy Project's Summer Interns Feature in an Internet News Magazine Wired.com

Headlined 'Bloggers Opening Western Eyes', the article highlights how AP interns are using online diaries (also known as blogs) to describe day to day life in the countries where they are working, and raise awareness about their projects. The article focuses on the work of Marta Schaaf and her host organization, Bosfam, which is supporting women from Srebrenica in Bosnia. It also includes interviews with AP interns in Lebanon and Nigeria.

“Bloggers Opening Western Eyes”, by Katie Dean, Wired.com

‘After a full day of weaving carpets, a group of Bosnian women gather for a coffee break. They crowd around a table -- sometimes crying, sometimes giggling like young girls -- and read each other's fortunes in the patterns of dregs in their cups.

To Americans, a coffee break might seem like a trivial event, but to these women it serves as a kind of informal support group. Many are missing sons or husbands presumed to be among the 7,000 Muslim men killed by the Bosnian Serb army in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, considered the worst mass killing in Europe since World War II.

Graduate student Marta Schaaf captures the scene in a weblog that chronicles her summer spent working with Bosfam, an advocacy organization that provides support to displaced women and refugees in Bosnia.

Bosfam offers assistance to about 300 women. Most are between 40 and 60 years old and have little formal education. The organization pays the women to weave rugs and knit clothing and provides space for them to meet.

The group is "helping them to reconceptualize their role in the family and in society," Schaaf says. "In many cases they have lost that role as wives or mothers."

Many of these women spend the bulk of their time wondering where their sons are and where their next meal is coming from.

"There are women crying almost every day," she says.

Schaaf is one of eight summer interns affiliated with the Advocacy Project, a nonprofit organization in Washington that works with Non- Government Organizations, or NGOs, around the world.

Each intern, who assists advocacy groups in Bosnia, Nepal, Lebanon, Israel, Kosovo, Italy, Nigeria and the Czech Republic, has her own weblog.

The Advocacy Project is using the blogs to raise awareness about its work and to present an inside look at its projects.

"These blogs can provide a picture of what the tragedies that Westerners see on the news mean to the people who live here," Schaaf says. "Bosnia isn't something that people talk about anymore, but there is still a lot of work to be done."

Unlike most weblogs, which include updated links to sites from points all over the Web, the interns' blogs function mainly as journals of their experiences and a window into the lives of the people with whom they are working.

While Schaaf writes about her experiences with the Bosnian women, her fellow interns are posting accounts of their work on the prevention of illegal trafficking of women and children in Nigeria, advocating for Roma (gypsies) in the Czech Republic and social justice in Nepal.

A popular topic on the blogs is the wonder -- and sometimes the shock -- of living in a culture very different from their own.

Courtney Radsch, an intern at the Middle East Reporter and the Daily Star in Lebanon, writes that she was surprised to be unable to log on to Hotmail during a trip to Syria, finding the word "forbidden" on her screen.

Erica Williams, an African-American interning in Nigeria writes about her strange "mind trip" when she discovers that some Nigerians consider her to be white:

"I didn't realize that I would be called Oyinbo by bus conductors, taxi drivers, drummers at parties and passersby," she writes. "I didn't foresee that children would stare and point at me or that a teenage girl would ask my host sister, 'Why don't you take her in a taxi? White people's legs aren't made for walking.'"

The Advocacy Project saw a spike in traffic when it first posted the blogs, and the project's section where they are posted is the most popular area of the site, according to Teresa Crawford, technical director for the organization, who spearheaded the idea.

The blogs "make the projects a lot more accessible," says Richard Blane, intern coordinator for the Advocacy Project.

"A lot of time this information gets contained within the organization that the intern is working for," he says. "It may be that the information gets tied up in a report that only a few people read and it comes out two months after the project is finished."

Weblogs are an excellent tool for nonprofit organizations, according to Ross Mayfield, CEO of Socialtext, which makes Web publishing tools for groups.

"Weblogs are the cheapest way for an individual or organization to communicate," he says. "It's a more natural, human voice than what someone could generate with a press release."

Mayfield says blogs can also help nonprofits keep their donor base and supporters updated. Plus, "there's a wide body of fairly influential and growing body of (weblog) readers that pay attention on a regular basis."’


No Guarantee that EU Membership Will Improve the Situation of Roma in Eastern Europe

It is unlikely that the entry of Eastern European countries into the European Union will provide the benefits for the Roma people and other minorities that many pundits predict, as Kim Birdsall (Georgetown University, The Dzeno Association) discovered:

‘A journalist recently asked Ivan [Vesely, the Director of the Dzeno Association] if he thought the entrance of the Czech Republic into the EU would be beneficial to the position of the Roma. The million-dollar question. Before answering, Ivan asked my opinion on this, to see what the answer of an outsider and non-European expert would be. I answered that I thought it was a positive step, as the EU would force the governments of the ex-communist countries to reform, and to update their policies and actions towards minorities and bring them in line with human rights standards. If nothing else, all the attention being drawn to the Roma issue was an educational experience for the majority, and had increased international attention and pressure for change.

Ivan smiled, as if humoring a child who believed in goblins and fairies. In theory, he agreed, that was what the EU should do. But look closer, he said, at who and what the EU is made up of. The strongest countries in the EU, Germany and France, are amongst the weakest on immigration and minority policy, and France does not even recognize the existence of ethnic minorities on its soil. Western European countries already in the EU do not have to live up to the same policy standards that EU candidate states have to meet, and this hypocrisy means that the EU is not a safe place for minorities at all. Once inside the EU, the Czech Republic will have no reason to continue providing assistance and funds for the development of the Roma communities.

Ivan has been battling the shifty and reluctant powers-that-be in the Czech Republic for years, and has no reason to believe they will suddenly change. His cynicism has impressed upon me the competitive nature of European governments, and the legacy of greed, discrimination, and repression that still haunts the leadership and bureaucracy of the ex-communist countries.’


AP Intern Trains Nepalese Human Rights Groups

Armed with training materials she compiled herself with the advice of friends and colleagues from the development field, Katherine Kuo (Georgetown University) spent ten days conducting trainings for NGOs in southern Nepal.

‘The group understood SWOT (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats) very well and did an in-depth analysis with it. Through SWOT, we discussed a number of problems facing women in Nepal. Their organizational strengths included unity among members, strong conviction about their cause, and a good reputation in their communities. Their weakness was an inability to conduct trainings for many women, given the demands facing women at home and transportation problems, financial problems, and the discontinuation of the program due to the national State of Emergency. Opportunities included support from the community and legal sectors, the rights guaranteed to women by the Constitution, and a slow but positive change in the social structure. Threats included traditional customs and beliefs, lack of education, lack of support from the local administration, and women themselves not being active. Participants developed a good grasp of the difference between goals and objectives.

The problems I faced as a trainer included not starting on time, not having anywhere near enough time for the workshop, and sometimes trying to get the concepts across. However, workshop evaluations came back overwhelmingly positive. Most participants said they found it very important, useful, and knowledge-intensive, wanted more trainings in the same vein, wanted everything to be translated into Nepali, and lamented the fact that there wasn’t more time. One respondent even said that she "realized the importance of time" from this training.

At the end of the workshop, different people stood up to make short speeches about the training… One man said that he felt the training was the "spinal cord" of any project and felt it was the most useful training he had ever been to. When the evaluations came back even more positive than the day before, I really felt like all my hard work paid off 10 times over.’


Campaigning for the Rights of Prostitutes in Italy

Julie Lee (Georgetown University, TAMPEP) profiles the work done by Pia Covre, a campaigner for the Rights of Prostitutes with “Comitato per i Diritti Civili delle Prostitute” (The Committee for the Civil Rights of Prostitutes).

‘Fighting for the rights of prostitutes was virtually unprecedented in the early 1980s in Italy. However, that did not stop Pia Covre and other Italian sex workers from organizing a protest against repressive laws targeting prostitutes…. The protest [laid] down the foundation for the establishment of “Comitato per i Diritti Civili delle Prostitute”.

In the past twenty years, the Committee has weathered shifting policies and politics, and tackled changing issues and trends with aplomb… [One of these campaigns] targeted migrant prostitutes. Since then, the Committee has been a strong advocate for the rights of migrant sex workers. Ms. Covre points out that the Committee opposed the right- wing immigration policies of the mid-1990s and the backlash against the country’s most visible migrants — African street prostitutes. The Committee was the first group to propose Article 18, the current legal provision granting social protection and temporary residency permits to victims of trafficking. Today the Committee seeks to sensitize society, advocate for rights, and publicize the issues that concern prostitutes on the national and international level.

Prostitution still has a long way to go before it reaches the level of recognition as legitimate work. “Now it’s considered a condition of life,” Ms. Covre explains. Prostitution is considered as a “hobby, or a way to survive, temporary and informal,” not as a profession. Ms. Covre stresses that the objective of the Committee is to decriminalize prostitution, not regularize it. Regularization brings “more obligations, but less rights,” she says. The state would impose more conditions and restrictions on the work, but the benefits would be limited. Despite the disadvantages, the Committee would be in favor of regularization, Ms. Covre states, if migrant prostitutes were included in the regularization. The legitimization of prostitution as employment would allow foreign women to apply for work visas as sex workers.’

From Beirut, AP Intern Covers Aftermath of War in Iraq

Courtney Radsch (Georgetown University, the Middle East Reporter) is also working for the Daily Star, a Lebanese daily English-language newspaper. An excerpt from her latest article, a story about the first scientific public opinion survey carried out in post-war Iraq, follows:

‘Skeptical of American motives for invading Iraq, Iraqis are nonetheless happy to be rid of Saddam Hussein and oppose the recurrent attacks against US-led coalition forces… The first nationwide scientifically designed public opinion research in Iraq found that Iraqis are both excited and fearful about the future prospects of democracy.

The study, conducted with 15 representative focus groups throughout Iraq from June 29 to July 9 by Washington-based National Democratic Institute (NDI), examined the perspective of ordinary Iraqi citizens toward the future of their country… NDI found most Iraqis think the US should remain in Iraq to help with democratic transition, and only a minority was trying to get the US to leave.

… The study also found that Iraqis are skeptical of the motives of emerging political and civic groups, unsure of what their role in a new Iraq should be. They are also cynical about most emerging leaders, especially when it comes to exiles, making the lack of credible leadership one of the greatest challenges facing democratic development.

The researchers found divisions among Iraqis about their views on Islamic rule, although overall they expressed strong support for a “vague notion of an Islamic democracy.” Many clarified that this did not indicate support for a clerical regime and that religious freedom should be guaranteed.

… While support for democratization by Iraqis is strong, numerous challenges exist for the occupying forces. Lack of communication plagues the coalition, hampering its ability to work with Iraqis.

“Iraqis are living in a fog of disinformation,” according to the report. “The people of Iraq are still encumbered by much of the vitriolic propaganda (Saddam) drummed into them over the past decades.” Shrouded in disinformation born of decades of repression, conspiracy theories abound.

“Most Iraqis … believe the US is deliberately sowing chaos in the country, chaos it could avert if it wanted to do so, as part of a hostile action that extends well beyond Saddam and his regime,” the study found. “Anti-American and anti-Jewish vitriol is embedded, helping to inform Iraqis’ worldview and determining how they interpret current events.”’

Support Our Troops: In Bosnia, The US Military Presence is Vital to Ensure Security

As the daughter of anti-Vietnam War protesters, Marta Schaaf (Columbia University, working with Bosfam, a Bosnian women's organization) was raised to distrust the military. However, her attitudes changed when the war began in Bosnia in the early 1990s, and her experiences in Srebrenica this summer have confirmed her in her more nuanced view of military action and presence:

‘While I am somewhat uneasy seeing soldiers in tanks patrolling parts of Bosnia, I have also seen and heard about some of the ways in which the ongoing military presence is vital. Few Bosnian Muslims returned to Srebrenica and the surrounding areas until recently, when an SFOR (U.N. Stabilization Force) base was constructed at Konjevic Polje, a village on the major road into Srebrenica. Local NGO staff and returnees have emphasized over and over again how much more secure they feel knowing that the base is there. Some have even ventured to say that there would be far fewer minority returns to the Srebrenica area without the nearby military base…

SFOR did not have a highly visible presence at the recent burial of 283 victims of the Srebrenica massacre. However, a few Apache helicopters passed overhead during the ceremony (which was attended by thousands of Bosnian Muslims and held in a Bosnian Serb area) and tanks were parked at the edges of the memorial site. Fortunately, the soldiers were not needed, but just being in attendance was an important job. Many Muslims feared traveling to the Serbian area in which the ceremony was held, and the mere presence of troops assured people that they would remain physically secure.

SFOR troops have also been a major supporter of Bosfam. Foreign soldiers have historically been Bosfam’s biggest customers, and they have also actively helped the organization to grow…

I certainly still question the rationale for U.S. military involvement in various situations, but I, like many of my colleagues here, support a continued U.S. military presence in Bosnia – and the security that comes with it.’

For Nonviolent Resisters, Liberating the Occupied Territories Involves not Just an Israeli Withdrawal, but Also a Transformation of Palestinian Society

The barriers to transforming Palestinian society are as much internal as external, as AP intern Caitlin Williams (Georgetown University, working with Middle East Nonviolence and Democracy (MEND) in Jerusalem) recounts in the second of her diaries about her experiences at a non-violence training camp for Palestinians.

‘Building a nonviolent resistance movement is no easy task. Part of what I learned in Gaza is that we were a building a resistance movement not just against the Israeli occupation, but also against a whole host of social pressures and barriers. The nonviolent strategy we were being taught was aimed not just at transforming and ultimately ending the conflict, but also at transforming Palestinian society, so that if and when the conflict ends, the Palestinians have a way in which to move forward and deal with the vacuum that will be left by the withdrawal of the Israeli forces.

We did a number of exercises where we talked about major problems facing Gaza. While the settlements, restriction of movement, and Israeli control of the water were always high on the list, so were domestic violence, favoritism within the PA and discrimination against women. As a group, we began to see these internal problems as almost equal in their importance to the liberation of the Occupied Territories as the Israeli barricades. What struck me very clearly was that cleaning your own house is a key element in resolving conflicts with others.’

No Easy Way to End Child Labor in Nigeria, Despite Campaigning NGOs

Erica Williams (Yale University, the Women’s Consortium of Nigeria] recently attended a sensitization program on the prevention of child labor and trafficking of children from rural communities in the village of Ajegunle in Ogun State, a village close to the border between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin notorious for the recruitment of children trafficked to urban areas in Nigeria. As she saw, ending child labor is near impossible when educational opportunities for children are so limited.

‘The sensitization program consisted of a market outreach and a consultative forum. In the market outreach, Mrs. Olateru-Olagbegi warned the community of the dangers of child trafficking and child labor. Armed with a loudspeaker and backed up by local drummers, she gave her message in both Yoruba and Pidgin English… [WOCON staff members] distributed flyers, bags, and biros (writing pens) to everyone present.

After the market outreach, we had an opening ceremony where a few community and religious leaders spoke about their personal encounters with child trafficking … Mrs. Olateru-Olagbegi began the forum with a question for the participants: What is a child? The answers ranged from “anyone under 10 years old” to “anyone between 1 and 6 years old.” The internationally accepted definition of a child is anyone under the age of 18.

When we first arrived at the compound in Ajegunle, we wondered why there were so many school age children milling about. We soon discovered that it was because there is no public primary school in Ajegunle, and the nearest one is 5km away. Even members of WOCON were shocked at this revelation, considering the fact that Yorubaland is historically recognized as the region of Nigeria with the best education system.

This makes child labor an extremely difficult topic to discuss in a rural community such as Ajegunle because what else is there for children to do if they’re not in school but work? We saw a little boy who looked like he could be no more than 7 years old sanding wood for a carpenter for hours on end right outside our forum.’

Will the International Community Fulfill Its Commitments in Kosovo?

Claudia Zambra (Georgetown University, working with the Kosovo Women's Network) contemplates Kosovo’s uncertain future:

‘The glory days of NGO building in Kosovo have come to an end, and everybody is feeling the squeeze … More problematic is the fact that things are far from normal, and help is still needed. Bombings occur even now on a regular basis in Pristina, and serve as reminders that peace in Kosovo is a fragile construction. Although Kosovo is the poster child for UN peacekeeping missions, it remains to be seen whether or not this phenomenon will survive in the long run. In conversations with locals and UNMIK staff members alike, they clearly believe that upon UNMIK’s departure, Kosovo will fall back into old patterns.

The odds are against an independent Kosovo. Coupled with old tensions that remain vivid, new and unstable institutions that demonstrate a tendency towards clan politics, and overall disorder and complications in the completion of regular tasks, there is still no light at the end of the tunnel. In the meantime, Kosovo’s lack of status hinders its ability to undertake new economic and political projects that could possibly help to modernize its society and its infrastructure… Without national status, Kosovo cannot move forward and strive to become a European-integrated society. But the only way for Kosovo to receive any consideration for its quest to become independent is by modernizing and developing its political institutions.

… Kosovo is still in trouble and still needs help from the international community, NGO’s and international organizations alike. NGO’s need to take a deep breath, continue their work, and devise new strategies to make their work more effective in order to continue to attract donors. Their work here is important, and nowhere close to completion…’

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