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halima muhamad's Page
Profile Information
- What motivated you to become involved in peace and conflict resolution?
- the fact that there are numerous clan conflicts in my area and women are the major victim. Gender based violence is also on increase. i would like to live in a peaceful community hence peaceful world.
- Please feel free to provide a short bio about yourself (no more than 3 paragraphs)
- my name is halima. I live in mandera, one of the remotest areas in northern kenya. I am currently the cordinator of Women Care and Concern a local women group that is involved in issues affecting the local women. We are mainly against rape of women and young girls, advocating for the eradication of FGM, lobbying for girl child education and end to early and forced marriages.
- Please list the countries and/or regions in which you have direct and significant expertise
- Elwak and Mandera in kenya.
- What is your current country of residence?
- kenya
- What is your current job (and organization) and/or where and what field are you studying?
- Cordinator, Women Care and Concern
- Which are your primary sectoral areas of expertise?
- Peacebuilding, Gender
- Which are your primary skills areas?
- Advocacy
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Events
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EMU Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI) 2010 accepting applications
November 5, 2009 to January 8, 2010 – Eastern Mennonite University
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Canadian School of Peacebuilding 2010 - Accepting Applications
November 10, 2009 to April 1, 2010 – Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, Canada
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10TH JAN TINBERGEN EUROPEAN PEACE SCIENCE CONFERENCE
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Association for Conflict Resolution, September 2010 Conference, Call for Workshop Proposals
September 1, 2010 at 6pm to September 4, 2010 at 7pm – Chicago
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I have also decided to participate in the Conference.
My views to bring about peace in Sri Lanka is submitted for your kind perusal, consideration and suggestions.
I hope to meet you at the Conference.
PLEASE BE GOOD ENOUGH TO COMMENT
Learning about your interest and experience from your profile information, I would like to request your help in a work I am engaged for the past few years. So far I could not find a person who could help me in my work but from reading your profile I believe that you might help with my work.
I am not that qualified to submit the proposal in the proper format. Being an antiwar activist and a mindset in that direction I believe you would be able to assist me by studying the proposal and modifying it suitably since you are well aware of the current situation in Sri Lanka.
I am a person with a passion for peace and good governance that would bring in prosperity and a pleasant living to ALL the people in Sri Lanka.
I have prepared a set of suggestions to replace certain clauses in the constitution of Sri Lanka so as to bring-in sustainable peace to the country.
You would be well aware of the fact that people who advocate for peace are now called traitors and that many peace activists are silent now for many reasons. But I am not advocating peace but calling for good governance not only in SriLanka but also throughout the world.
The international community is well aware of everything that is going on in Sri Lana and it seems the IC is just watching or indirectly supporting the government of Sri Lanka and a few countries are directly supporting the government. I do not wish to comment on their views and actions.
But it is really strange to note that even China is supporting the Government in the "war" against "terrorism". May be China (or the present day China) is not aware of the causes that led to the present situation. If I am not wrong, Article 4 of the Chinese constitution says as follows:
"Article 4. All nationalities in the People's Republic of China are equal. The state protects the lawful rights and interests of the minority nationalities and upholds and develops the relationship of equality, unity and mutual assistance among all of China's nationalities. Discrimination against and oppression of any nationality are prohibited; any acts that undermine the unity of the nationalities or instigate their secession are prohibited. The state helps the areas inhabited by minority nationalities speed up their economic and cultural development in accordance with the peculiarities and needs of the different minority nationalities. Regional autonomy is practiced in areas where people of minority nationalities live in compact communities; in these areas organs of self- government are established for the exercise of the right of autonomy. All the national autonomous areas are inalienable parts of the People's Republic of China. The people of all nationalities have the freedom to use and develop their own spoken and written languages, and to preserve or reform their own ways and customs."
It is really sad to note that China has not made the Sri Lankan government aware of this clause in their constitution which could be used by the Sri Lankan government as one of the ways for a political solution.
But in my humble opinion that Article, may to some extent, pacify the Tamils and may help to reduce the ethnic problem BUT it cannot solve the problems faced by the people of Sri Lanka as a whole.
The main cause for all the ills of any country and every country is the present democratic system of governance which allows "corruption" of all forms to thrive unchecked.
In my opinion "Corruption" includes any kind of waste, neglect and every form of malpractice, dishonesty, abuse, misuse, unreasonable exercise of power, failure or refusal to exercise power, anything and everything left undone which results in the right of the people being denied or impaired.
Without a "just society" in existence much talked about "terrorism" cannot be eradicated. For the creation of a "just society" there should be "good governance" in the country. For the creation of "good governance" in the country "corruption" in ALL its forms must be eradicated. And to eradicate "corruption" the present democratic system of governance, where full power to make final decisions ultimately rests in the hands of one person, must be changed.
So the only way to salvage a country is to change the present system of governance to one that is truly democratic where the final decision-making power will NOT be in the hands of ONE person BUT shared by as many people as possible and thus restricting individual hasty decisions that lead to trouble everywhere.
To make a country truly democratic, the powers of the Parliament (the decision making supreme body of a country) should be split and separated and each of the separated powers must be handled by different groups of persons selected and elected by the people for the purpose of administering EACH SET OF POWERS or duties as the case may be.
Particular care should be taken to see that all powers are NOT CONCENTRATED in one place and that they do not overlap and there must not be a secret budget to be handled by a single person.
All transactions should be transparent including Diplomacy which has to be diplomatically transparent.
One set of powers dealing with the development of the country should be given to the set of representatives at the village level. The people of each and every village must be empowered to determine their way of life (lifestyle). The life-style of a village, its lands and resources shall not be disturbed by external forces. All plans of development of a village that remotely/indirectly affects the village must have the concurrence of the people of that village concerned.
It has to be ensured that people are treated equitably regardless of their gender, race, colour, ethnic or national origins, age, disability, socio-economic background, religious or political beliefs and affiliations, marital status, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or other inappropriate distinction;
Separate the powers of parliament and empower different groups of people's representatives with different powers so that no single group has the full power. All the groups together will make the whole. The country is not divided but the powers of parliament are divided/separated.
Different groups have to be elected for such purposes as administration, fiscal management, planning, implementing, policy and law making, auditing and for any other function that may be deemed necessary.
The decision-making powers with regard to each and every set of powers must be spread through-out the country.
With such system discrimination, injustice, bribery and corruption might become history.
Even now the administration is from village level unto National Level in many countries with many stages in between - one above the other - with powers overlapping and the final decision-making power is at one place - the top. That is the problem and so that system must be changed.
We can lead the world with such a REAL DEMOCRACY with a parliament encompassing representatives from all the villages and starting the administration of the country at the village level and going unto national level.
Mahatma Gandhi wanted the villages of India to be empowered but it has not been implemented by the government of India yet due to human nature of not willing to lose the little power each person (office) is already in possession.
A change in the people's attitude and understanding of the problem is important. They must be made aware of the benefits the "rule of law" will bring to them in the long run. Now they are after short-term profits. They are not considering the future generations. A corrupt-free society will bring-in good-governance that will benefit everyone other than the crooked politicians.
In my opinion the people are ready to change the present system but they are not being given the opportunity by power hungry politicians. I think the countries of the World must move towards this goal and like-minded persons from all walks of life must join the movement and strengthen it. Only then can the people be able to give a send-off to ALL the corrupt politicians of ALL political parties and usher-in a new era of a corrupt-free society in any country. Rajaji (the last Governor-General of India) tried it in India but was not successful.
Rather than continuing to express and analyze the problem of the day we must move towards a solution.
They (the people) should move away from race/religion/language/class-centered/oriented politics and move towards a needs-focused administration that which is race-blind, religion-blind, language-blind and class-blind for sustainable peace, prosperity and a pleasant living for ALL the people in a country.
It is also humbly requested that you be good enough to give me the email addresses of the many commentators found in your page so as to enable me to contact them for the same purpose or in the alternative, it is humbly requested that you be good enough to forward this request to them for their views because that even after the "war on terrorism" is over, a political solution has to be found to sustain the "hard won war". That political solution must prevent the re-occurrence of such a war. You might have come across some experiences of the "war" but I am experiencing the "war" from the start (1956) to this date.
It is hoped that you would have the time to comment on the above suggestions which have been put forward in the interest of everyone.
Sie.Kathieravealu
we are so happy to have you on board to look forward to learning from you and your experiences while at the same time tapping your potential- esp as they relate to women, peace and security.
love, sahro