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Fellows for Peace Blogs, Issue 9

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AdvocacyNet
Fellow Update, Volume 5 #9, August 8, 2007
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Fellows for Peace Blogs

Thirty Peace Fellows are volunteering this summer in 18 countries or territories with community-based partners of The Advocacy Project (AP). AP issues a weekly digest of their blogs.

Highlights:

• Survivor's Suffering Reconfirms Fellow's Devotion in Guatemala
• Maintaining Youthful Optimism Aids the Fight Against Inequality in Nepal
• Distrust Surrounds Nepal's Justice System
• Insecurity Leads Palestinians to Embrace Education
• Witnessing Women's Empowerment in Peru
• Travelers in England Face Discrimination Unique to Other Minorities
• Fellow Misses Landslide by Seconds in Nepal
• Gender Cooperation Needed to Solve Women's Issues in Nepal
• A Strong, Silent Nepali Woman Leads the Way
• Kenyans Readily Accept Street Life as an Option for Children
• Basic Education Goes a Long Way in Bangladesh
• Palestinian Left Less Revolutionary than Expected
• Victim Experiences Emotional Return to Srebrenica

Excerpts from some of this week's blogs follow:

Survivor's Suffering Reconfirms Fellow's Devotion in Guatemala

Abby Weil (American University) is volunteering to support victims of the Rio Negro Massacre with ADIVIMA in Guatemala.
"Rather than being overwhelmed with the horror and pain of the situation, I found that I gained strength from her strength, hope from her hope, and courage from the amazing courage she showed to agree to testify. It is always a temptation as a US citizen with a fairly comfortable life to turn a blind eye to the pain and suffering in the world, and I will admit that I sometimes question my choice to specialize in the study of the effects and aftermath of violent situations. However, meeting this woman and hearing her story only reconfirmed my devotion to the subject and that whatever small amount of pain that I feel in listening to her story and advocating for her cause is nothing compared to what she has endured and triumphed over in her life."

Maintaining Youthful Optimism Aids the Fight Against Inequality in Nepal

Devin Greenleaf (American University) is volunteering to advocate for human rights through the Jagaran Media Center in Kathmandu, Nepal.
"But perhaps there is something to gain from acknowledging the mechanics of a generation gap, or more importantly, recognizing that there is something inherent to youth we must maintain in order to continue fighting inequality. We obviously don’t need to be young to know something is wrong or do something about it, but we do need to hold on to that part of us that’s not yet cynical enough to stop fighting."

Distrust Surrounds Nepal's Justice System

Jeff Yarborough (Columbia University) is volunteering for democracy and human rights with the Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP) in Mahendranagar, Nepal.
"Whatever the case, my sense is that in Nepal you are ultimately on your own to resolve your own problems. Due to corruption and inefficiency, the people don’t trust the police or government to provide them with restitution or justice. As I was finally drifting off to sleep, my thoughts turned to the bunker-like military fortifications surrounding all government buildings in Nepal. It appears that the government doesn’t really trust the people either, or even trust its own ability to maintain order and rule of law."

Insecurity Leads Palestinians to Embrace Education

Tatsiana Hulko (Georgetown University) is volunteering for women's rights, community development and peace at the Women's Affairs Technical Committee (WATC) in Ramallah, Occupied Palestinian Territory.
"I was talking to a friend of mine and she told me that the yearning for education comes from the insecurity Palestinians feel all the time. The fear to be evicted from their homes and their land any day, the fear of not ever having their own country drives Palestinians to the conclusion that good education and excellent command of the English language are among the few things that are stable in this country and that can prove indispensable whether you are in Palestine or outside."

Witnessing Women's Empowerment in Peru

Sara Zampierin is volunteering for children's rights with Supporting Kids in Peru (SKIP) in Trujillo, Peru.
"One of the other volunteers overheard a conversation the other day where a few of the women were counseling another that she didn’t need to put up with her husband anymore, who would frequently spend their money on getting drunk. A few chimed in with stories about how they thought they needed their husband in the past, but it turns out all he contributed to their lives was unhappiness and money, and that they could figure out how to make some and take care of their families themselves."

Travelers in England Face Discrimination Unique to Other Minorities

Zachary Scott (Georgetown University) is volunteering for Traveler's rights at the Dale Farm Housing Association in Essex, England.
"In despicable fashion, Basildon Council members have scoffed at this idea, stating publicly that they already have enough Travelers in their district and that other districts and counties need to bear their share of the 'Traveler burden.' Would elected officials refer to population 'quotas' in their districts for any other minority? What right does a local council have to decide who lives where and in what number?"

Fellow Misses Landslide by Seconds in Nepal

Tassos Coulaloglou (Leiden University) is volunteering for peace and democracy with the Collective Campaign for Peace in Baglung and Kathmandu, Nepal.
"Suddenly, I heard stones falling and turned to see rocks bigger than my head plummeting from 30 meters above onto the trail. After sprinting like my life depended on it (I thought it did at the time!!), I realized that if I had been 10 seconds slower in passing that spot, you wouldn’t be reading this post."

Gender Cooperation Needed to Solve Women's Issues in Nepal

Nicole Farkouh (UC Berkeley) is volunteering for peace and democracy with the Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP) in Gaighat, Nepal.
"For better or worse, they believe that for such social change to happen, conversations between men, and conversations with men advocating for women are necessary. I have to agree, for a number of reasons, that this makes a lot of sense."

A Strong, Silent Nepali Woman Leads the Way

Mark Koenig (Tufts University) is volunteering for democracy and human rights with the Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP) in Nepalgunj, Nepal.
"Karuna has the sort of silent confidence that gave me the feeling that her program would not fall into the failure category...This quietness is not to be confused with weakness, as Karuna is a woman who is all about power, and if more women follow her lead then Karuna and all Nepali women will have more of it."

Kenyans Readily Accept Street Life as an Option for Children

Jonathan Homer (George Washington University Law School) is volunteering for children's rights and issues related to HIV/AIDS with the Undugu Society in Nairobi, Kenya.
"Regardless of why Regina went to the streets, her story still shows something about street life in Kenyan culture. It is accepted by too many people. Children readily accept the option of living on the streets and society readily accepts their place on the streets."

Basic Education Goes a Long Way in Bangladesh

Caitlin Burnett (American University) is volunteering for the development and protection of the disabled community with the Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organization (BERDO) in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
"A few weeks ago a woman in BERDO's microcredit group in Tongi told me, 'We are illiterate. We have no power to use our knowledge,' and after many furtive lessons with Ruby it has finally dawned on me exactly how powerful even the most basic of formal educations can be. Those few letters are the seeds of power."

Palestinian Left Less Revolutionary than Expected

Amali Tower (Columbia University) is volunteering for economic rights with the Alternative Information Center (AIC) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
"They clearly lacked any kind of cohesive message on where they stood, and what they planned to do to combat the now split governments of Palestine. The only real news was the call for new early elections, and in such event, they would run on a united platform. Not exactly the revolutionary ideas I had come to expect."

Victim Experiences Emotional Return to Srebrenica

Alison Morse (Tufts University) is volunteering for peace and women's rights with Bosfam in Tuzla, Bosnia.
"Her speech slows and her eyes glass over. She brings her hands to her forehead and gently places her palms over her eyes. She looks up with tears in her eyes. Yesterday she went to Srebrenica for the first time in nearly a year."

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