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The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

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Issue 11, May-June 2004

News from AP Partners:

• Nine graduate students begin summer internships with AP partners abroad
• MEND teaches non-violent resistance with radio drama
• Viva Rio investigates children and youth in organized armed violence
• Home for Human Rights protests violent repression of peaceful demonstration

News from The Advocacy Project:

• The Advocacy Project launches 'Friends of' groups to support our partners
• The Advocacy Project director Iain Guest reports 'from the front lines'
• The Advocacy Project nominates AWN's Sadiqa Basiri for Human Rights Award

News From AP Partners:

Nine Graduate Students Begin Summer Internships With AP Partners Abroad

The Advocacy Project has launched the second year of its summer internship program, pairing nine graduate students from Georgetown University in Washington, DC and Tufts University in Boston, MA with partners abroad. The internships present a unique learning model for the students, while providing partner organizations with specialized and enthusiastic staff members who offer new perspectives and skills to ongoing projects.

The project uses online communication to achieve real-time field reporting and show the progression of each project as it develops. Interns working in Afghanistan, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Sri Lanka, Italy, the Palestinian territories, Guatemala and Ecuador will all be connected to The Advocacy Project and the world through weekly blogs.

Some interns have been working with their organization for a few weeks; others are arriving just now. The partner organizations and the interns they will host are:

Afghan Women's Network (AWN): Education Project: Two AP interns are working with the AWN this summer. Ginny Barahona, from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, will focus on an AWN initiative to build three schools for girls.

Afghan Women's Network (AWN): Voting Project: Sarah Schores, from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown, will focus on an AWN voter registration initiative to register women to vote before the upcoming election.

Bosfam: Bosfam is a women's organization in eastern Bosnia that teaches women to weave traditional Bosnian carpets. Pia Schneider, a graduate of Georgetown University's School of Business, will work with Bosfam to develop a sales and marketing plan for their carpet sales.

Center for Economic and Social Rights (CDES): Based in Quito, Ecuador, CDES works on issues of human rights and development. Christina Fetterhoff, a student in the Latin American Studies program at Georgetown University will work with CDES.

Dzeno Association: Dzeno is a news agency for Roma news and information in Eastern Europe, based in Prague, Czech Republic. Stacy Kosko, of Georgetown University, will intern with Dzeno this summer.

Home for Human Rights (HHR): HRR is a human rights organization in Columbo, Sri Lanka. Michael Keller, a student in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, will work with HHR.

Middle East Nonviolence and Democracy (MEND): MEND promotes non-violent resolutions to conflict in the Middle East. Bushra Mukbil, a Palestinian refugee studying at Georgetown University, will work with MEND this summer.

Rights Action: Rights Action works on multiple human rights campaigns in Guatemala. Carmen Morcos will work with community projects in Rabinal.

TAMPEP: The Turin, Italy branch of the Transnational AIDS Prevention Among Migrant Prostitutes in Europe Project works to assist trafficked women from Nigeria. Melinda Willis, a graduate student from Tufts University, will work with TAMPEP.

During the summer, the interns will post online journal entries, or blogs, about their experience on The Advocacy Project's web site. The blogs are personal accounts of the interns' expectations, successes and disappointments as they work on the front lines of some of the world's most pressing civil society issues. Featured last year in Wired magazine, this unique method of reporting makes AP one of the only NGOs to couple the internet with field work in such a way. The blogs, and final reports of each internship, are a valuable resource for any organization or individual interested in grassroots organization and development work.

Bushra Mukbil, working with MEND in Beit Hanina (East Jerusalem) has already logged her first impressions of the realities of life in the Palestinian territories. Describing the ordeal of spending eight hours to pass through Israeli and Jordanian checkpoints, Bushra writes, 'The frustration of living such a life is what drives me to be more involved in NGOs that help train people in non-violent means. This is the reason why I am at MEND.'

All the interns are highly qualified, and each brings unique experiences to their work this summer. Each intern's biography, research interests and past experience can be found on their blogs.

Despite their qualifications, many of the interns' initial blogs before leaving the country expressed doubts about their abilities to improve upon organizations which have been operating for years. Michael Keller expressed a common concern among many of the interns in his first blog. '… my enthusiasm is dampened by an enormous sense of anxiety. I ask myself repeatedly whether or not I'm ready to do this. Am I qualified to advise human rights workers twice my age on how to do their jobs more effectively?'

Last year's final report showed that interns had similar fears before beginning their internships, but that they found ways to share knowledge and contribute to the work of each organization. Dinesh Prasain, director of the Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP) in Nepal, said last year's intern, Kate Kuo of Georgetown, was extremely helpful to the organization's development. 'The entire COCAP family has been impressed by the commitment, skills and friendliness that Kate brought into COCAP. After Kate left, almost one dozen members have requested the COCAP Board to arrange for other interns like Kate to volunteer with their organization.'

• The interns' blogs and an overview of each project can be found on the 'Our Work' section of our website. Also see the AP Summer Interns 2004 page.
• Last year's intern blogs, with final reports of each project can be found on the AP Summer Interns 2003 page.
• Read the Wired magazine feature on last year's interns.

MEND Teaches Non-violent Resistance With Radio Drama

As the second season of its popular radio drama comes to a close, Middle East Non-Violence and Democracy (MEND) is gearing up to launch a third season of its successful soap opera. The program uses fictional scenarios to teach non-violence resistance strategies. Bushra Mukbil, who is working with MEND as part of the Advocacy Project's summer internship program, is experiencing the power of the radio dramas as she profiles MEND's work.

'I was deeply affected by all episodes, especially [one] which shows that active non-violence emphasizes on the goal rather than the means … while violence focuses on the methods alone and not the goal,' Bushra wrote.

The show, called "Il-Dar Dar Abuna" ("Home Is Our Home"), airs on nine radio stations in the West Bank and Gaza. Like the program's target audience, the characters are young Palestinians dealing with everyday issues of love and family. Each plot incorporates themes of non-violence in resolving problems.

The program has been a hit with listeners, and each episode is rebroadcast several times in response to audience reaction to the first season, which went on the air in June of 2003. For Bushra, a Palestinian herself, the 'main reasons for the success of the soap is that it reflects the reality of the Palestinian society as it is, discussing its weaknesses and strengths.'

MEND plans to air the third season during Ramadan this year, a time when many are tuned to the radio. The organization seeks to involve the audience directly with this season, inviting listeners to enter a contest to identify the themes of each episode. The program is also hoping to involve young Palestinians in writing episodes, rather than relying on professionals.

A similar radio soap opera in Burundi was credited with having a fundamental impact on people's attitudes. 'The soap has given people a language with which to discuss things like genocide and the role of politicians, conflict, and ethnicity,' said Francis Rolt, Director of Common Ground Radio, an NGO that assisted MEND in creating the radio program.

The program itself shows examples of successful nonviolent resistance in other countries. One episode showed how nonviolent protests and mass resistance were highly important in undermining the Apartheid policies and European domination in South Africa.

The final three episodes of the program's second season are airing now.

• To read about Bushra's work with MEND this summer, visit the MEND partner page on the AP website, where Bushra will post weekly blogs about her experience.

Viva Rio Investigates Children and Youth in Organized Armed Violence

The Advocacy Project has entered a new partnership with Viva Rio, a Brazilian violence prevention organization, and intends to send a consultant to work on two Viva Rio initiatives this fall.

Viva Rio's Children and youth in Organized Armed Violence (COAV) initiative examines cases where young people are involved in armed groups in countries that are not at war. Examples of such organized violence include organized criminal gangs (such as drug and arms traffickers), structured and armed youth gangs armed ethnic groups and death squads and vigilante groups that execute criminals.

Working in collaboration with IANSA (International Action Net on Small Arms), the COAV initiative has identified 10 regions in the world where participation of children in organized armed violence occurs. The project works with local organizations in these regions to collect data on the prevalence of such participation and possibilities for child protection initiatives. A final report will be issued this fall, with recommendations for prevention approaches.

The COAV designation is unique, as it recognizes the specific and dangerous situation of children who are neither child soldiers nor mere criminals. Rather, they are caught up in a highly organized, hierarchical system which exploits children and entraps them into service. In Rio de Janeiro alone, a 2002 report estimated that 5,000 children 'work' in drug trade factional disputes over territorial control.

Viva Rio also engages in a variety of campaigns towards disarmament in Brazil, declared the world leader in gun-related deaths by the UN. Public education campaigns encourage the general public to take a stance against gun proliferation. Many have: 78 percent of Brazilians are opposed to allowing civilians to carry guns, and 60 percent say they support a total ban.

Other campaigns encourage voluntary weapon turn-ins and public destruction of illegal guns. Since 2001, Viva Rio has organized the public burning and crushing of over 115,000 guns. Research initiatives, policy and police reform, and regional disarmament agreements are all part of Viva Rio's overall campaign for reducing gun violence domestically.

•  Visit Viva Rio's website.
• Visit the COAV project's website.
• Read about Viva Rio's disarmament campaigns

Home For Human Rights Protests Violent Supression of Peaceful Demonstration

Police in Hatton, Sri Lanka, violently suppressed a peaceful protest by teacher trainees who called for an investigation into school conditions, according to the Home for Human Rights (HHR), an AP partner in Columbo, Sri Lanka.

HHR will lodge Fundamental Rights applications with the government on behalf of students who were assaulted in the incident.

The protest came after students had repeatedly called for investigation into the conditions at the teaching college in Sri Lanka's hill country. The students' main complaints were inferior food and supplies due to intentional misappropriation of funds by school management, and erosion of the school's mission to provide training for disadvantaged rural Tamils.

The college was established in 1991 to provide education for the Tamil population on tea plantations in the hill country of Sri Lanka. 'It was meant to overcome the educational disabilities of Hill Country Tamils stemming from a teacher shortage, by taking in the best available and giving them pre-service training over a number of years,' according to M. Sanathani of HHR.

Student allegations of fund mismanagement and maltreatment of students have risen in the past last three years, according to HHR. Though intended for the hill country population, students allege that non-Tamil students have been admitted in increasing numbers, disadvantaging the local population which has no other school. Seventeen other teaching colleges exist for the general population.

As conditions declined, students held fasts and other protests to attract the attention of the authorities to their complaints, to no avail. Following an incident in the school where students were assaulted by school managers and then arrested, the students embarked on their protest march.

Though there is no law against protest marches in Sri Lanka, 'the advancement of the peaceful procession of teacher trainees was inhumanly stopped by hundreds of policemen who came in armed cars,' said Sanathani. As the police advanced, many students ran, but the police pursued them with batons, and some students were seriously injured. Five female students and three males were admitted to the General Hospital of Nuwara Eliya with serious injuries.

HHR will file Fundamental Rights applications within the month to the Supreme Court of Columbo on behalf of four students who were 'severely and brutally assaulted by the police,' according to an HHR press release. HHR aims to secure compensation for the victims and prevent future such violations of human rights.

News From The Adocacy Project:

'Friends of' Groups Expand The Advocacy Project's Model of Support

The Advocacy Project is sponsoring an outreach initiative to engage new organizations and individuals in supporting our partners. 'Friends of' networks will connect our partners to people passionately concerned about human rights, women's rights and other civil society issues.

Friends of the Afghan Women's Network (AWN), Friends of Roma and the Bosfam Support Network have already been launched. Each group will interact through a listserv online, where they will discuss issues related to their group or cause, and organize events and campaigns. Friends of Roma is already discussing a campaign to remove a derogatory definition of 'gypsy' from several mainstream dictionaries.

The 'Friends of' networks will bring together partners from non-governmental and governmental organizations, the local diaspora community and other interested individuals worldwide.

We invite you to be a part of this exciting initiative. We will soon organize initial kick-off meetings for those in the DC area. Watch for notices on our web site and via e-mail. We also invite you to join 'virtually' by contributing to our listservs. Join in discussion, exchange ideas and create a dialogue about the vital human rights issues facing civil society. Opportunities for online volunteering are in development, and more groups will be launched soon.

To sign up for a specific group please go to:

• Friends of AWN
• Friends of Roma
• The Bosfam Support Network

The Advocacy Project Director Iain Guest Reports 'From the Front Lines'

Just as AP summer interns report from the field, AP director Iain Guest will also be blogging this summer, as he visits with partners abroad. Witnessing the important work of the partners firsthand offers a perspective rarely glimpsed from the outside.

In Tuzla, Bosnia, Iain spent time with the Bosfam organization, which offers support to women who fled Srebrenica after the 1995 massacre, losing family members in the tragedy. After a particularly emotional group meeting at Bosfam's weaving center, where women meet to make carpets and to share stories, Iain writes, 'Most aid programmers would never understand the importance of meetings like this, let alone put a dollar value on them. But this is the glue that holds women's civil society together, and makes Bosfam a force to be reckoned with.'

With AP intern Pia Schneider, who is working with Bosfam director Beba Hadjic all summer, Iain visited a refugee camp where families have settled, nine years after fleeing Srebrenica. Their goal is to determine if anyone, after this long of time and few prospects in Srebrenica, still wants to return. International aid agencies are giving up on the notion, but Iain and Pia found a different story:

'In two hours we do not meet a single family that wants to remain here. All, without exception, want to return to Srebrenica. The problem is that their houses have been destroyed and there's no work. The solution? Rebuild the houses and find people work, and you create a magnet for return,' Iain writes.

The Bosfam team is making plans to do just that, by pursuing an ongoing goal to open a new weaving center in Srebrenica.

Before his visit to Bosnia, Iain met Catherine Beard, of the International Roma Women's Network (IRWN) to support her proposal for funds from The Funding Network (TFN) in London. Catherine's pitch was successful, and an $8,000 grant was awarded to the IRWN to improve the fledgling network's online communication strategy.

Iain plans to meet with AP partners in Afghanistan and the Palestinian Territories later this summer.

• Read Iain's blogs
• For more information on the IRWN's TFN grant, see our June 1 press release.

AWN'S Sadiqa Basiri Nominated For Human Rights Award

For her courageous life and work with the Afghan Women's Network (AWN), The Advocacy Project has sponsored Sadiqa Basiri's nomination for the Reebok Human Rights Award. The award honors young people 'who have made significant contributions to the cause of human rights,' according to the Reebok web site.

At age 24, Sadiqa has already contributed a lifetime of work to the cause of women's freedom in Afghanistan. Born in Wardak province, Afghanistan, her family fled to Pakistan during bombings when Sadiqa was six. Sadiqa struggled to gain an education in Pakistan, and returned to Afghanistan to become the deputy coordinator and communications director for the AWN.

At the AWN, Sadiqa heads a project to create three girls schools in three years, an issue she is strongly committed to. 'My dream is to see my sisters well educated in a peaceful Afghanistan. They should be able to raise their voice to get their rights,' Sadiqa says.

Iain Guest, director of The Advocacy Project, wrote Sadiqa's nomination letter. 'As one of the few young Afghan women to receive a full education, Ms. Basiri has taken on the challenge [to educate women] with enormous energy and enthusiasm. Over 100 girls are now receiving an education that they otherwise would have been denied.'

Additional letters of recommendation came from Nazlin Bhimji of Women's Edge Coalition, Karen Mulhauser of Mulhauser & Associates, and Mary Moore, Media Strategist for City Year and a former AP consultant.

The award will be announced in 2005.

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