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On September 4-7, 2008 around twenty students from ten different states and organizations across the nation converged in Washington D.C. for an anti-trafficking leadership retreat. The meeting was spearheaded by Americans for Informed Democracy, FAIR Fund and Polaris Project. The result was the creation of the National Student Coalition Against Slavery, a group aimed at synchronizing the strategies of the student movement throughout the country that will enhance its capacity to have a legislative and social impact on anti-slavery issues, providing a web of support for activism in different regions, and serving as a well of information and the sharing of resources.
Among other things, the students were trained on how to handle the media and approaching someone about human trafficking in less than a minute (the “elevator pitch”) as presented by Paula-Raye O’Sullivan from Campus Progress. Michele Clark, Professor for the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University spoke about the challenges of teaching about and fighting human trafficking. Karen Stauss (Managing Attorney and Policy Council) and Elizabeth Rhodes (National Grassroots Coordinator) from the Polaris Project explained how to go about lobbying for the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), and the differences between the House and Senate bills, among other things. Amelia Korangy, Development Officer for FAIR Fund, addressed activism, and advised and guided discussions in the break-out groups. Aashika Damodar, Zimmerman Fellow at Free the Slaves, related to students her experiences organizing students in California and her work at Free the Slaves; she also actively participated in break-out groups.
After the lobbying training students along with AID staff members including Arya Zarrinkelk, Sarah Frazier, Kate Willard, and FAIR Fund representative Amelia Korangy visited Capitol Hill. They split into groups of two to three students guided by a staff member and met with representatives of several senators from their respective states in order to advocate for the TVPRA.
The group “Yellow Rage” was unable to attend the retreat and perform live for students due to bad weather conditions. However, they were present via video conferencing. Their recorded performances about human trafficking and other poems were played and explained by the group members for the attendees, illustrating one of many creative mediums by which different oopulations can be educated about modern day slavery.
Every individual death is a tragedy for those who knew and loved the person killed. A single violent death sends waves of grief and shock radiating outward through the circles of friends and family of the deceased. War brings death in large doses, and those waves of grief become tsunamis.
But fatality numbers in armed conflict are themselves dangerous things, as they can be used to justify more and deadlier violence.
It is vitally important, for the sake of peace, that we know how many people have died in the war between Russia and Georgia. The breakdown, too, is important; how many Georgian civilians? How many Ossetian civilians? How many soldiers on each side? How many paramilitaries and mercenaries?
Accounts like this are viscerally disturbing, as are ones like this –but numbers of dead are just being thrown out there by refugees and politicians –dozens in this town, a hundred here, several hundred here, more on this side, more on the other side– and then being reported as facts. These numbers aren’t facts, at least not yet. What we need are hard numbers provided by the parties that are normally tasked with doing the body-count work in the thick fog of war: the United Nations and the Red Cross.
In most nationalist conflicts, inflated civilian dead numbers can and do arouse tremendous anger, collective anger that is all too easily channeled by those in power to justify the continuation or escalation of military action and the incitement of paramilitary-driven revenge attacks against civilians. This then makes refugee returns near impossible when the fighting finally stops. Unfortunately, in the long term, it’s the inflated numbers that usually stick in collective memory, rendering reconciliation (citizen to citizen as well as between political factions) and the acceptance of a common historical narrative extremely difficult.
I’m not saying there hasn’t been massive civilian suffering in Georgia. Without a doubt there has been. Numbers won’t alter the basic truth that parents, lovers, friends, children, and schoolmates have been taken away from those they shared their lives with. And it may turn out that even more people have died in this war than even the highest unjustified estimates, but we just don’t know yet. That’s a serious problem, and one that needs to be addressed now.
As discussed in The Nation, Senator Obama has narrowed his choice down to who he wants as his running mate. John Nichols puts it rather well:
Obama needs a running-mate with foreign-policy "stature." That’s not a
governor, and it’s probably not Bayh — whose record of accomplishment
in the Senate can best be summed up as "Democrat from Indiana."So that leaves Biden, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, and Clinton, whose international credentials are actually a
good deal more solid than even her advocates recognize.
Senator Biden would trump any potential candidate on foreign policy, including Senator McCain and his eventual choice in the number two spot. The VP debate would be a sight to see as Senator Biden is known for his verbosity, which would be a factor, but also his quick wit and vast experience. He can play every role necessary moving forward and while perhaps not infallible, certainly a strong and steady hand who knows his way around Washington.
It’s quite possible that Senator Obama is also considering someone who could really help navigate legislation and govern in a post-election victory. Governor Kaine or Senator Bayh can manage in their own states, certainly, but a veteran Senator with any number of chairmanships and friends on both sides of the aisle would be a whole new level that could be the most productive first hundred days in history. Senator Biden as the Vice President would create the most balanced (and potent) ticket possible, minus former Vice President Gore whom is also being whispered.
Obama/Biden is a winning combination for the party, and more importantly, for the country.
As I type this entry from the hustle and bustle of Tehran, I am reminded how often we Americans take for granted the freedom of expression and thought. The internet is censored in Iran and I am only able to visit some of our favorite sites like Facebook and the BBC by way of proxy servers that bypass governmental restrictions. This is my first time back in my birthplace of Iran in 16 long years so I came with an open mind. It’s one thing to read about the politics, oppression, westernization, religiosity, secularization and daily life in Iran. But to live it and breathe it has become an experience of its own that I hope to share with you to the best of my ability. So here goes my initial impressions of Tehran…
*Unfortunately, due to the use of a proxy server I will not be able to share my pictures and videos until I am back in the United States.
Tehran
-Tehran is huge… and by huge I mean ENORMOUS. Miles and miles of mid to high rise commercial/residential buildings and very densely populated (over 15 million people now).
-Iranians are apparently pretty racist towards Arabs and vice versa. While I have many Arab friends in the states I noticed a lot of tension in the air when the conversation turned to politics and the Arab world. Iranians are upset about the Islamic expansion into Persia and the regime’s willingness to send millions upon millions of dollars to Arab fundamentalist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas while many suffer at home. My cousin tells me they dislike Arabs ten times more than Israel which I found interesting. Apparently Iranians see their government as an ‘Arabized’ regime that promotes anti-Persian legislation and shoves Islam (a deemed Arab religion here) down their throats.
-There are youth everywhere (70% of Iranians are under 30 yrs old) and most of them try to dress like the models you see in catalogues for places like Abercrombie or Express. Most of the girls wear the chador (required piece that covers the hair) very liberally; Exposed in the front so hair can be styled. Usually they have shades and make-up as well. I’ve noticed a very European-centric approach to fashion among women here. Also there is a surprising amount of girls that have dyed their hair blonde. You can tell which women are actually religious in that they will wear the full black outfit. It should be stressed this is by choice. From what I’ve seen this group constitutes easily less than 20% of the random women you see on the street.
-Driving is SUICIDE. Nobody stays in their lane and at roundabouts which leaves you with cars pointed in eight different directions like a destruction derby. It’s pretty much who can get to their spot the fastest while dodging brave residents who are crossing the street. Did I mention this was extremely nerve wracking?
-Practically all my relatives have reinstated the notion that many Iranians dislike Ahmadinejad. And by extension the government. I actually have several relatives that I’ve met so far who really like Bush. I met a couple guys at a pre-wedding party who even liked McCain. They went as far as to say that they would join American troops in the fight against the Iranian Basiji and Revolutionary Guard. Though, most I have met are very fond of Obama. Some kids I met call him ‘oo-ba-ma’ which roughly translates to ‘he is with us’.
-A lot… and I mean a LOT of American items/clothes/CD’s/video games/DVDs’s/etc are smuggled in here. The shopping center had a GAP, Abercrombie, Diesel shoes, DKNY, and others. I had heard about this but it was pretty surreal to see that in Tehran in person.
-Everyone has free satellite TV here even though it is illegal. They get BBC, CNN, NBC, MTV, etc. There is even an Iranian version of MTV here based out of Los Angeles that also plays American music. There is lots of Iranian rap, rock, and pop songs with music videos that resemble the American style. Rap is exploding in Iran right now everywhere I look and I’ve seen plenty of 50 Cent and Eminem t-shirts. Westernization is a booming business in Iran.
In my successive posts I will update you on my journey to experience the people, historic lands, and way of life in Iran. Sorry so long but there is so much to share!
Georgia:
A ceasefire has been signed by Georgia (and was signed by Russia on Tuesday.) Both sides need to keep their promises this time.
The IHT has some powerful photos of the war’s already devastating toll on Georgian and Ossetian civilians.
Afghanistan:
The IRC has suspended its operations in Afghanistan in response to the brutal murders of four of its staff two days ago.
Just weeks before her death, Canadian aid worker Shirley Case wrote to her colleagues back in Canada:
“Being here in Afghanistan definitely speaks to the complexity of
humanitarianism, politics, security, civil war, religious ideology, and
also speaks to community … Each person I have met has a story that
makes you want to sit down for tea for the afternoon. The adversity
they have overcome, their commitment to their country, more to come! Sending you all the very best from this part of the world, sharing your sky of stars.”
“Sharing your sky of stars”; I think that speaks for itself. Rest in peace, Shirley.
On Comment is Free, Conor Foley poignantly explained the security dilemma facing aid workers in Afghanistan:
The dilemma facing humanitarian aid workers in Afghanistan is a hard one.
The country is a dangerous place to work and all of us who go there
know the reality is that we are risking our lives. No one takes
unnecessary risks, but it is difficult to balance the need for security
with the humanitarian nature of our work. All humanitarian
non-governmental aid organisations operate a strict “no guns” policy,
rejecting both armed guards on our premises and military escorts when
we go to the field. Breaching this principle would compromise our
humanitarian status, which is probably our best long-term protection,
but upholding it inevitably restricts our access to people in need of
help.
So very, very sad.
Here are some excerpts from our guest blogger Pete Witzler, from Physicians for Human Rights — a round-up of interesting things happening at the conference:
In Plenary Session, Colleague of Iranian Docs Calls for their Release
The most moving aspect of AIDS 2008 so far for me has been meeting so many of Kamiar and Arash Alaei’s friends and colleagues—all of whom have stories and kind words about the two physicians detained in Iran and are hoping to see the brothers again soon. Today, one of their colleagues, Dr. Adeeba Kamarulzaman, gave an important plenary speech about her work on harm reduction—and in front of thousands of conference participants, made an impassioned plea to the Iranian Government to free Arash and Kamiar.
The Powerful Voice of Health Professional Students
I am excited to announce that videos made for World AIDS Day 2007 by students in the US, Kenya and Uganda will be featured at the conference this week. This was one of the advocacy initiatives that PHR’s Student Program has collaborated on with our partner organizations in East Africa. American and East African students created video postcards that were delivered to the US Congress and called on them to make the right to health a reality.
A Grassroots View of Mexico City
I walked into the activist meeting space yesterday morning and a wave of excitement washed over me. We are right behind the dance 4 life exhibition in the global village and they are jamming to some afro-caribbean beats that got me boppin’ as I walked by. When I entered, the room was absolutely buzzing with activity. Groups of people huddled together over blackberries and computers. The copier was humming and rhythmically churning out materials for press conferences. Another group busily making fliers and materials for today’s human rights march.
by Kim Whipkey
originally appeared on www.aids2008.com
Women of the world unite for their rights! The past few days have demonstrated the power and visibility of women at the International AIDS Conference, with hundreds of women and girls’ rights activists leading the charge by marching to the Zocalo (the historic city square) to the beat of “all rights for all women.” Women, men, transgender persons, sex workers, lesbians, adolescents, and gender equality advocates are demanding the fundamental human rights of women and young women: the right to live and make decisions without fear of violence, coercion, stigmatization or discrimination; the right to a free, healthy and safe sex life; the right to dignified work; the right to comprehensive information and services regarding prevention and sex education; the right to life-saving treatment… With women comprising 60% of adults living with HIV and AIDS in many regions of the world, women’s lives hang in balance in the absence of these rights.
Perhaps one of the most impressive displays of women’s rights activism at the conference was a rally around an issue that is not typically regarded as generating large, boisterous crowds: female condoms. Rallying for global access to the only currently existing HIV and STI prevention method that women can initiate themselves seems like a no-brainer. Women desperately need the information and tools to take prevention into their own hands—something that female condoms can provide. But advocates can tell you that trying to recruit ten friends to attend a female condoms rally can be a laughable affair…
…except for on Wednesday morning at the conference. Dozens of female condom advocates descended to the media center, singing the praises of female condoms to the tune of “Give Peace [female condoms] a Chance”:
“Everybody’s talkin’ bout
Medication, vaccination, regulation, feminization,
Dedication, integration, coordination, United Nations,
Congratulations!
All we are saying, give females control
All we are saying, give condoms a chance”
The singing erupted into dance with the help of Dance4Life. Dancing to expand access to female condoms worldwide? Who knew! Chants and hip swivels demanding access to the FC2 (the second generation of the female condom manufactured by the Female Health Company), to female condoms being twirled and tossed into the air, the message was clear: failure to make female condoms accessible and available to all women across the world is a grave injustice and violation of women’s human rights.
Help us spread the word about the importance of female condoms to women’s health and rights worldwide! Visit www.preventionnow.net for more information about female condoms and to join the campaign to expand global access to female condoms and other prevention options for women and men NOW. You aren’t required to dance…but we are asking you to give female condoms a chance so women and young women will have the full range of prevention options that they deserve.
by: Kim Whipkey
originally posted on www.aids2008.com
Young people want female condoms. They are seeking information and better access to them. They are demanding the only effective and currently available method to prevent HIV that young women and women
can initiate themselves.
This groundswell of interest in female condoms surfaced at the Mexico
YouthForce Pre-Conference, particularly during a workshop I co-facilitated around expanding prevention options for women and girls. To my elation, virtually all of the 40 workshop participants had heard of female condoms, and more than half had seen or touched one. For female condom advocates, this is a rare and exciting encounter.
But the sobering refrain throughout the pre-conference was that while
many youth are passionate about female-initiated prevention options, including the female condom, they remain largely inaccessible in a wide range of countries, even for young women and men who go out of their
way to find them.
One young woman from Mexico visited ten stores in her local community before she was able to find one that sold female condoms. Yet another Mexican woman passed me a hand-written note during my presentation, stating that her peer education organization is interested in obtaining female condoms but doesn’t know to whom or where to turn, or how to pay for them.
A young man from Guyana and a young woman from Kenya shared similar stories. They reported that many young people in each country have heard of female condoms, but the product simply is not accessible for
youth. In the limited places where female condoms are available, they are costly. Whereas Guyana and Kenya are both PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) focus-countries, this is an inexcusable tragedy. Lives could be saved if female condoms were in the hands of young women and men in Guyana, Kenya, and in countries around the world.
My organization, the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), works to ensure that U.S. international policies and programs promote sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls worldwide. We believe United States can and should do more to increase global access to female condoms. In this respect, CHANGE hosts the Prevention Now! Campaign–a global campaign to advocate for dramatically increased access to female condoms and other existing options for women and men NOW!
For those at the International AIDS Conference, we encourage you to visit the Prevention Now! Campaign at the Global Village’s Women’s Networking Zone. There you can try out (and try on!), the female condom and sign the petition to urge greater access to female condoms
globally.
For more information, please visit www.preventionnow.net and download
Saving Lives Now: Female Condoms and the Role of U.S. Foreign Aid, a
new report from CHANGE that documents U.S. investment in global female
condom procurement, distribution and programming.
Together, we can help make female condoms available and accessible to all!
With revelations that Pakistani intelligence services planned the July 7th attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, the continent is quickly approaching what may turn out to be a confrontation of massive proportion. While this may come to no surprise as the two nations frequent headlines over Kashmir and other incendiary issues including religion and territorial encroachment, India and Pakistan have long been at odds and may be facing another enormous hurdle to avoid hostilities. How the United States factors into this relationship may prove to be a critical factor in determining the course of action.
The U.S. has played both sides of this conflict for sometime now, correctly recognizing India as the more natural ally (English speaking, democratic, free market) but acknowledging that combating terrorism in the region would be incredibly difficult without the support of the Pakistani government. No matter who occupies the President’s desk it has been critical to have the military and political support of Pakistan, given its proximity to Afghanistan and the Middle East as a whole. However as the last year of conflict has revealed, Pakistan’s support may be tongue in cheek. With the revelation of a conspiracy to attack the Indian embassy and the orchestration by Inter-Services Intelligence in Pakistan, it appears to be another step in the direction of open confrontation.
Sooner or later Washington will have had it’s fill and begin to (as it already has) construct a strategic plan for increased levels of engagement in the region. It has been left with little alternative given the attacks on the border to Afghanistan and the deaths of allied forces. Falling to both the department of defense and the intelligence community, it would go far beyond the border engagement that has already taken place, and delve more at the heat of the problem: the inner workings of the Pakistani government.
ISI has been working to undermine US interests abroad. Whether or not the plans against the Indian embassy (and others that may or may not be discovered) had support at the top from Director General Nadeem Taj and President Musharraf, it must be made clear to Pakistani forces they must not continue to engage the US and its allies in anything close to resembling a proxy war. Doing so casts the nation in the same light as Iran, which is not in its best interests if the nation wishes to progress. If it cannot control elements of its military and intelligence divisions, the consequences may be as severe as to warrant stronger military engagement inside the borders of Pakistan.
The US would reach out to India and encourage cooperative action against Pakistan, and given their history it may not take much to convince Prime Minster Singh that it is in the best interests of India to help stabilize the region. Given the revelations of the attack on the embassy, it would also allow for significant political willpower to successfully mobilize both the public and military for increased action. However, Prime Minister Singh is a deft politician and scholar who oversaw huge economic growth during his years in the government. He may wish to avoid any potential hostilities that could spiral out of control, although will most certainly face a call for action from the right given the Kabul bombings.
What form of action and the level of engagement remains to be seen, but at this point in time and given the cards on the table it’s hard not to seriously consider a stronger alliance with India working to target elements in Pakistan that have either gotten out of Musharraf’s grasp, or were never under his control in the first place. The best response may be coordinated efforts between the intelligence agencies of the US, India, and UK to identify those responsible and respond accordingly. These actions, in coordination with state diplomacy holding Musharraf accountable, may be enough to address the conflict while avoiding the beginning of a conventional war that surely would not end as one.
So Day 1 of the preconference is over… there have been some really incredible incites and ideas. What I have realized and think is most important is that young people from all over the world – students, HIV positive youth, and representatives from countless local, national and international organizations, as well as youth delegates from UN agencies – do indeed have the power to make change. From grassroots advocacy to public policy work, to peer education programs, to comprehensive sex and reproductive health programming, there are SO many things that young people are ALREADY doing. It is just a matter of the larger population engaging them to help make change around approaches to HIV and AIDS treatment, prevention and education.
I would love to hear more about what others think, so please feel free to comment on this blog, and let me know your thoughts!
Thanks,
Courtney
