Forum for Cities in Transition

McGuinness eyes Windsor Park match (Belfast Telegraph)

2012-02-06T14:02:00.001Z

McGuinness eyes Windsor Park match
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/sinn-f...
(Belfast Telegraph)
1 February 2012

[GAA guest of honour First Minister Rt. Hon. Peter Robinson MLA and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP MLA pictured at the Power NI Dr McKenna Cup Final match between Derry and Tyrone at Athletic Grounds, Armagh.]

Martin McGuinness has revealed he would cheer on the Northern Ireland football team and hopes to get the chance on a visit to Windsor Park.

With many nationalists hostile to the international team, viewing its home stadium in south Belfast as a cold house for Catholics, the remarks from the Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister potentially represent another landmark in improving cross-community relations.

The republican veteran's stated willingness to attend a Northern Ireland game comes days after First Minister Peter Robinson was guest at his first Gaelic football match - a sport almost exclusively associated with the nationalist tradition.

The DUP leader sat beside Mr McGuinness at the Dr McKenna Cup final between Tyrone and Derry in Armagh on Saturday.

Last year, Sinn Fein culture minister Caral Ni Chuilin became the first high-profile member of her party to go to a Northern Ireland match.

But the sight of self-confessed former IRA commander Mr McGuinness at Windsor Park would be even more significant.

In an interview with UTV News, the deputy First Minister was asked if he would go to a match.

"I would be quite willing to do that," he said. "That would present no difficulty for me whatsoever. I probably would know more about soccer than Peter would know about Gaelic football. But no, I wouldn't have a difficulty about going to such a game.

"I think that all of us recognise that people do look at these situations and they make judgments about your broadmindedness, your openness and your willingness to reach out on the basis of whether or not you're prepared to show people in our entire community that you are prepared to respect what they love and what they represent.

"And the trick is to do it without compromising your political viewpoint. And Peter, when he went to the game in Armagh, the McKenna Cup final, did so without compromising his political views and opinions. And that would be absolutely the same for me."

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Transportation for residents of Kodra e Minatora will continue (M-Magazine)

2012-01-31T14:30:00.001Z

Transportation for residents of Kodra e Minatora will continue
http://www.m-magazine.org/index.php/en/news/kosovo/1920-transportation-for-re...
(M-Magazine)
19 January 2012

Mitrovica - Humanitarian transport for residents of Kodra e Minatora will continue as it used to be, and there will be no reduction of movements.

This was guaranteed by the mayor of Mitrovica, Avni Kastrati, during his visit Wednesday to Kodra e Minatora along with several associates.Â Albanian residents of this neighborhood in north Mitrovica, said they were deeply disturbed when they found out about a new contract signed by the Ministry of Infrastructure with the contractor that provides transport, for reduction of bus circulation.

They have noted that under the contract it was envisaged that Kodra e Minatora bus to circulate only once a day, not four times as it used to be. Faruk Kelmendi from this neighborhood said the bus is the only means of connection with the rest of Kosovo. "It has been 12 years that we communicate with the rest of Kosovo only through the bus that provides humanitarian transportation for us."

He said the neighborhood has no freedom of movement and the reduction of bus circulation would make life unbearable. "The conditions already are too difficult. Safety is not at level, the economic situation is severe, and generally we live like in a ghetto " Kastrati assured them that transportation will continue to function as it has been until now. "There will be no reduction of bus circulation, but as of today the bus will continue to circulate as it was before, four times a day for six days a week".

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MPT through USAID changes appearance of northern Mitrovica (M-Magazine)

2012-01-31T14:25:00.001Z

MPT through USAID changes appearance of northern Mitrovica
http://www.m-magazine.org/index.php/en/magazine/society/1934-mpt-through-usai...
(M-Magaine)
23 January 2012

[In Mitrovica a renovated playground was ceremoniously opened. The project cost about 50,000 euros.]

Mitrovica - Playround which is located near the "red skyscraper" in the northern part of Mitrovica, was officially opened by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Philip Reeker and American Ambassador in Kosovo Christopher Dell.

Riker expressed his pleasure with his visit in Mitrovica, the opening of the playground, he said, aimed for the welfare of the children, their future and their healthy development. "Representatives of the Municipal Preparation Team (MPT) are in talks with the local community established priorities and this playground was one of those priorities", said Reeker.

They with their efforts in cooperation with us and with assistance provided by the American people through USAID have managed to achieve one of the priorities of which as such have marked local community, the U.S. diplomat added.He encouraged the whole community to use this field. According to him, in the north of Kosovo has so far have been invested over $ 10 million.Head of MPT for the northern part of Mitrovica Adrian Hodzic, expressed satisfaction with the successful implementation of the project.

"We are pleased that the children will now have a place to play through the initiative of the MPT and with the direct cooperation with the citizens of northern Mitrovica, who have expressed a desire that right here to be build a playground," said Hodzic.The project for which realization resources provided USAID, was implemented through the Municipal Preparation Team for Mitrovica, and the contractor is a company "Nebgor" from Zvecan.

The citizens of northern Mitrovica are mostly satisfied that this placewherer childrens will play is finally been brought into order after long neglect.

Mirjana Simonovic, a three-year Ivana mother believes that it was the final time to renew this playground. "It's nice that the playground is finally restored. Children in town do not have many places to play and something like this definitely means a lot", she said.With her is slightly disagrees and Zeljko Jovanovic, the father of four year old Theodora but he has a remark that the whole playground paved with concrete.

"It's nice to see new swings and toys for children but I think that they still had to wage a little more attention and leave the leave a bit of clay instead of concrete , which could be in the spring to enrich the grass", he said.

Considering that playground is used by children to whom happens that in the game sometimes they may fall, I think that concrete is not exactly the safest and the ideal solution, says Jovanovic. USAID representatives which attended the the ceremony said for M magazine that similar urban projects are planned in the future.

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New Derry masterplan proposes fourth bridge across the Foyle (Belfast Telegraph)

2012-01-31T13:22:00.001Z

New Derry masterplan proposes fourth bridge across the Foyle
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/new-de...
Brendan McDaid (Belfast Telegraph)
20 January 2012

A new masterplan for a huge swathe of Londonderry has suggested a fourth bridge could be built in the city.

The new bridge would be located between the Daisyfield area of the Brandywell and Prehen playing fields.

It was just one of a number of recommendations which were outlined in the Foyle Valley Gateway Strategic Masterplan, unveiled yesterday to a special meeting of Derry City Council’s development committee.

The report covered the area from the Letterkenny Road through to the Craigavon Bridge, the Fountain, Long Tower, Bishop Street Without, Lecky Road, Brandywell, Lone Moore Road and Stanley’s Walk. Key suggestions contained in the draft plan are revamping the Brandywell stadium and linking |it more closely with Celtic Park GAA grounds.

A separate presentation concerning the revamp of the Brandywell stadium was made at the meeting, but the completed proposals and costings expected will not be available for several weeks.

The final report could be further delayed due to the need to examine Derry City Football Club’s request that the consultants consider the provision of corporate boxes at the stadium.

There are also plans for new museum and sporting facilities, including a major new sports complex — to be relocated out along the Daisyfield and Riverside Park — which would link to Prehen playing fields across the River Foyle via the new bridge in the long-term.

Speaking about the possibility of a fourth bridge, James Hennessey, from Belfast-based urban design consultants the Paul Hogarth Company, said: “Is there scope for another bridge across the river? The benefits would be to connect the two parts of the city — the recreational and leisure facilities at the Daisyfield with the playing fields at Prehen.

“It would be something quite different to the Peace Bridge as it would be something like a park.

“Obviously this would be subject to much more consideration in the longer term.”

It emerged at the meeting that Derry City Council is in talks with Donegal County Council concerning the refurbishment of the railway line and Foyle Valley Museum along the Foyle embankment out towards the border as a major tourist attraction.The councils are now examining applying for European funding for the project.

Mr Hennessey suggested |moving some, or even all, of the city’s museums out to the Daisyfield to create a stunning visitor destination and bring tourists out via the train line or pathways, beyond the city centre, out along the Foyle embankment.

Quotes

“This plan covers a massive geographical area, which to be honest has seen very, very little regeneration — practically none — over the last 40 years. We will be judged on the success or failure of the likes of the masterplan. It is a live document and needs to remain live; it mustn't sit on a shelf gathering dust.”

^{Councillor Kevin Campbell}

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Blasts won't stop us creating peaceful and prosperous Derry (Belfast Telegraph)

2012-01-31T13:12:00.001Z

Blasts won’t stop us creating peaceful and prosperous Derry
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/blasts...
Brendan McDaid and Donna Deeney (Belfast Telegraph)
21 January 2012

[The scene in Derry on Friday, following a dissident bomb explosion close to the Tourist Office in the city. Two explosions occured following telephone warnings on Thursday night and police were evacuating the area when the devices went off]

Civic leaders from across Londonderry have joined forces with the Belfast Telegraph to issue a stark message to dissident republicans that their campaign of terror will not succeed.

This paper today carries the unprecedented open letter to the dissidents signed off by the Chamber of Commerce in Derry, as well as retailers, trade unionists, civil rights activists, Church leaders, politicians and community workers.

In a defiant message, they warn that progress to strengthen the city’s economic footing and growing profile across the world will not be derailed by bombs.

The letter was issued following the double bombing on Thursday night, which saw dozens of elderly people left terrified when one of blasts went off just yards from their care home.

Numerous people had to be evacuated from across the city centre, and over 500 families and others going to the Millennium Forum were forced to abandon their cars overnight in Foyleside Shopping Centre’s car park.

The bombs at Strand Road and outside Derry’s tourist office on Foyle Street detonated shortly after coded warnings were given.

Traffic cordons remained in place at several areas into last night, with many residents still waiting to be given the go-ahead to return home.

The open letter states: “The latest bomb attacks on Derry demonstrate the contempt in which you hold each and every citizen of this city.”

It also states that the actions of the dissidents are a “clear attempt to reduce the chances of unemployed people in this city obtaining the jobs that they need to have a better quality of life”.

The chief executive of Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, Sinead McLaughlin, last night praised the swift action of police officers in evacuating residents. Ms McLaughlin said: “The chamber wants to credit the PSNI for its vital role in getting the city back up and running, with the loss of just half-a-day of disruption.

"Police officers have worked hard in very difficult circumstances, especially when they had to clear buildings in just half-an-hour.

"Officers deserve enormous credit in protecting the lives of people in Derry.”

Speaking at a Press conference in the city yesterday, local police commander Stephen Martin said he believed either the Real IRA or Oglaigh na hEireann left the two holdalls containing the explosives.

He stressed, however, that both organisations were “small in number” and had “very minimal strength”.

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Fleadh Cheoil goes to Northern Ireland for first time (Belfast Telegraph)

2012-01-31T12:57:00.001Z

Fleadh Cheoil goes to Northern Ireland for first time
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/news/fleadh-cheoil-goes...
(Belfast Telegraph)
30 January 2012

The organisers of the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil have been commended for their "leap of faith" in deciding to hold next year's event in Londonderry - the first time it will take place in Northern Ireland.

Hopes of holding the musical event north of the Border appeared to be scuppered earlier this month after the Ulster Council of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann ruled against the Derry bid citing fears posed by dissidents who had carried out two bomb attacks in the city recently.

However, the council reversed its decision last week and on Saturday the Comhaltas executive voted to hold the 2013 fleadh in Derry, which beat rival bids from Sligo and Ennis.

The annual all-Ireland Fleadh attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the town or city chosen to host it, generating millions in revenue.

Stormont Junior Minister Martina Anderson, who represents the Derry area and who attended the vote, hailed the decision. "When you consider the largest cultural festival anywhere in the world is going to take place in Derry, it is a great honour for all of us," she said.

The Sinn Fein representative said the decision followed lobbying by politicians and senior police officers, who she said had reassured organisers over any security concerns.

Ms Anderson said the event could bring 300,000 visitors to Derry and generate close to 40 million euro (£34 million). The Derry delegation erupted in celebration when it was announced that, following the withdrawal of the Ennis bid, Derry had won.

Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness welcomed the Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann decision.

Mr Robinson said: "This is a vote of confidence in Londonderry and it will generate significant cultural and economic benefit to the city and surrounding areas. It is a proud and historic city with a rich heritage and the hosting of this event will be one of the highlights of the UK City of Culture celebrations."

Mr McGuinness added: "This is a great day for Derry and the north and I wish to thank all those who have played a part in securing this outcome. I commend Comhaltas for this leap of faith in the city - it was no doubt a difficult decision but Derry had a compelling bid."

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Peter Robinson attends first Gaelic football (BBC News)

2012-01-31T11:29:00.001Z

Peter Robinson attends first Gaelic football match
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16777870
(BBC News)
29 January 2012

Deputy first minister Martin McGuinness, Ulster GAA president Aogan Fearghail and First Minister Peter Robinson

The DUP leader was a guest of the Ulster Council for the final of the Dr McKenna Cup between Derry and Tyrone in Armagh on Saturday night.

DUP MP Gregory Campbell welcomed the "symbolic gesture" of Mr Robinson attending the game.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness was also at the game. Mr Robinson got a "warm reception", he said.

He said that Mr Robinson's attendance was evidence of his "inclusive approach" and was "another little piece of history".

"Peter got a very warm reception from everyone he met at the game. It was wonderful to have him there," Mr McGuinness added.

Mr Campbell told Good Morning Ulster that he would not have accepted an invitation to attend the game but did admit the first minister going was progress.

"I think these issues are more about gestures. This is about symbolism and a gesture," he said.

"I think if it is offered in that context and received in that context then I would not quibble about it.

"The GAA has been travelling in the right direction for some time now."

'Moving forward'

But the East Londonderry MP believes there is still more work to be done by the organisation.

"There are issues that are still outstanding, there are still grounds, there are still clubs named after IRA terrorists that obviously have to be changed," he said.

"In a modern democracy where people are taking part in a purely sporting environment you wouldn't name your ground or a competition after, for example, one of the bombers from Gibraltar."

The DUP's deputy leader Nigel Dodds said the first minister's attendance showed how Northern Ireland had progressed.

"It doesn't in any way compromise Peter Robinson's political principals or the political principals of the DUP," he said.

"It demonstrates a very clear message and signal to people that we are moving forward in Northern Ireland, and moving forward together."

During the Troubles, many unionists mistrusted the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), which banned members of the security forces from being members.

That rule was lifted 11 years ago.

BBC Northern Ireland sports reporter Mark Sidebottom said that Mr Robinson had taken his seat just after the throw-in.

He added that security was low-key for the first minister's visit and that his attendance caused "barely a ripple" among the crowd.

Four years ago, Mr Robinson's party colleague Edwin Poots was the first DUP politician to attend a GAA game in an official capacity when he also went to a Dr McKenna Cup game.

And last year, the Queen went to the headquarters of the GAA, Croke Park in Dublin, during her historic first visit to Ireland.

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Unique Ulster memorials project shines new light on 'the Troubles' (University of Ulster)

2012-01-31T11:01:00.001Z

Unique Ulster memorials project shines new light on 'the Troubles'
http://news.ulster.ac.uk/releases/2012/6199.html
(University of Ulster)
19 January 2012

A team of researchers at the University of Ulster’s Magee campus has created a unique online resource that sheds new light on the Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’.

The £260K Arts & Humanities Research Council-funded project - called Visualising the Conflict – combines an extensive archive of information about memorials, including images, and information about deaths during the Troubles with geographical and internet technologies such as Second Life, Google Earth and Google StreetView to give an enhanced insight into the spatial dimensions of the Northern Ireland conflict.

The project - which is available to the public from today has created a tremendous new resource that helps both academic researchers and the public visualise the spatial aspects of the conflict, according to Professor Gillian Robinson, Professor of Social Research based in INCORE at the University.

"This project has enabled us to do a number of important things. We have been able to produce maps that allow us to better understand the spatial impact of the conflict in Northern Ireland, for example the location of killings. The maps show concentrations of incidents in north and west Belfast, in Derry/Londonderry, in south Armagh and indeed in other Border regions.”

"While other projects have produced some GIS troubles-related maps, our project has generated new mapping and is the first to make a large set of maps publicly available via the CAIN website.”

The research team included colleagues in the School of Computing and Intelligent Systems who led the integration of the newly mapped material into a 3D virtual educational space, which is increasingly used by universities across the world.

"As far as we know, this is the first time that the Second Life environment has been used for teaching in the field of commemoration and memorialisation," said Professor Robinson.

“The project drew on newer geospatial technologies such as Google Maps and Google StreetView and has combined the memorials and deaths location data in such a way that when you go into the data on the CAIN website, you not only see the archived images of people and memorials associated with any particular site but you can also instantly access all the other information held about the incident.

"Through Google StreetView, for example, you can look at the location and see what the memorial site is like today (e.g. http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/victims/gis/googlemaps/index.html).>

“The research team compiled information on memorials including accurate map grid references. That meant we could begin to do some new and interesting things such as examine the relationship between the location of deaths and the location of memorials. This has highlighted some differences in the way the various groups have commemorated their dead. ”

The project builds on earlier AHRC-funded work which created the archive on victims, survivors and commemoration within CAIN.

CAIN Director Dr Martin Melaugh said: "That earlier grant enabled us to develop a resource on remembering victims, a very sensitive topic here in Northern Ireland.

“The main part of the archive contains documents and information gathered from a wide range of sources. We also photographed and catalogued most of the memorials that had been constructed in public spaces to commemorate people who had lost their lives in the conflict.

"Now, with colleagues in the Intelligent Systems Research Centre at Magee we have been able to take this material and transform it into a collaborative virtual educational space that offers enormous educational opportunities for the future.

“In building the virtual space (in Second Life) we created over 200 3D models of memorials and linked them to location information on a Google Map. It means users can ‘virtually’ visit memorials and places in Northern Ireland where they might not in the real world feel comfortable visiting or even be physically able to do so. In this way they can experience memorials which would otherwise be inaccessible to them.”

"Sometimes,” Professor Robinson added, "even in classroom situations in Northern Ireland, it can be difficult to talk about these kinds of subjects with student groups. Some may have relatives who were killed during the Troubles, and there may be memorials already erected to them. We are interested in assessing the suitability and usefulness of a virtual learning environment such as Second Life for teaching this sort of sensitive subject.

“The virtual educational space also allows international students to examine in this virtual world some of the themes and issues around commemoration and memorialisation in Northern Ireland. It allows local students to go to places they could visit in no other way.”

Dr Michael Callaghan of the Intelligent Systems Research Centre at Magee said: "We took the Google Maps and StreetView information and integrated them into a collaborative 3D immersive environment - Second Life. What that enabled us to do was to allow groups of researchers or students to work on the project collaboratively.

“You have a virtual presence - your avatar - and that allows you to interact, talk and communicate with other users in the virtual world.

“We created, in effect, a virtual classroom where the students and researchers were able to collaborate, discuss and work on the material together in new ways not limited by their physical location. They can search the maps, call up pictures, information on incidents, and we also created a virtual representation of the memorial.

“That added a powerful new dimension to the information, and will enable people to better visualise the conflict and the location of the memorials across the whole of Northern Ireland. On the information technology side, we took a fairly static resource and made it much more interactive and dynamic through giving it a geographical context, while on the educational side, we also added features to enable teaching, virtual classrooms, group work, seminars and visualisations - all new ways for people to interact with the information in the CAIN archive.”

But the project is not yet complete. As with any historical archive, there are always new things to be added, updates to be made.

Professor Robinson said: "The current database holds information only on memorials that are in public places. In the future it is hoped to extend the collection to include memorials in private spaces, e.g., churches, police stations, military sites, Orange Lodges, business premises, etc. CAIN is always happy to hear from members of the public who have information that can improve or enhance the site.”

To access Visualising the Conflict, go to http://cain.ulster.ac.uk/victims/gis/

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Open-minded parents only wanting best for their kids (Belfast Telegraph)

2012-01-28T12:01:00.001Z

Open-minded parents only wanting best for their kids

OPINION: Lindsay Fergus (Belfast Telegraph)

27 January 2012

WHEN Jane Lyle and Susanne Hallworth were deciding what post- primary school they would send their daughters to they did so with an open mind. Despite both coming from a Protestant background, they did not limit their choice to schools in the controlled, grammar or integrated sectors, as tradition would dictate.

Instead, both mothers considered all of the schools in their vicinity -- including the only Catholic post primary, St Columbanus' College.

"I wanted the best school available and its faith or religious background was not a concern," explained Mrs Hallworth.

"I believe that parents should educate their children in the best school available to them regardless of religious persuasion.

"I also feel that, increasingly in Northern Ireland, parents are doing just that."

Such is Mrs Hallworth's support for the school that she has served as a governor for more than two years.

Her eldest daughter Sarah attended St Columbanus', then the University of Ulster, and now works as a staff nurse.

Tara, another daughter, is in Year 12 at the school and has recently returned from Buckingham Palace where -- to the school's pride -- she completed her work experience.

"The quality of education was paramount and having assessed other schools in the area we decided that St Columbanus' fitted the bill," said Mrs Hallworth.

"I was impressed by the open and inclusive ethos of the school and the motto -- Lex Dei in corde meo -- 'God's law in my heart.'"

She added: "St Columbanus' College embraces children from an increasingly diverse range of religious and ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

"My elder daughter's experience at St Columbanus' College was one she will never forget; it prepared her well for future years and she made many friends as well as achieving eight GCSEs and three A- levels.

"My second daughter is currently studying for her GCSEs and is on course for eight good grades."

But while sending their non-Catholic child to a Catholic school may be a bridge too far for many, hundreds of parents here have no such qualms.

At St Columbanus' every child takes part in prayer each morning and before some classes; they also attend Masses throughout the year and go on pilgrimages.

There is a crucifix in every classroom and God is at the core of everything. Another motto which adorns the school's walls says: 'Be it known to all who enter here that Christ is the reason for this college, the unseen but ever present teacher in its classes, the model of its staff, the inspiration of its students.'

However, there is no difference to the curriculum from any other school in Northern Ireland.

Headmaster Liam Perry explained: "I have been in this college seven-and-a-half years and have never had one issue of religious intolerance.

"You either buy in or you don't. I have no issue with a parent who says 'it's not for me', but if we put it upfront and say that this is what we provide, you buy in in total, not partially.

"Worship goes on in this school and the worship is both multi- denominational and Catholic.

"Our local priests from the parishes and ministers from other faiths frequently visit the college."

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Getting ready for a rockin' 2012! (Mitrovica Rock School)

2012-01-18T15:47:00.001Z

Getting ready for a rockin' 2012!
http://skopjesummerschool.blogspot.com/2012/01/getting-ready-for-rockin-2012....
Blerta Kosova (Mitrovica Rock School)
17 January 2012

So, days, months, and even years passed (4 to be more particular) and the rock school has still managed to be on top of the coolest school list!

This year, we started with some small changes in the internal structure of the school. After a very productive meeting with the teachers, students and coordinators, we have created*drum roll*.. the Students Council!

A brand new thing that we never did before! The title may sound boring, but actually it's really cool to be part of it, because we do the fun parts, like: giving ideas for concerts, events, helping the new bands with choosing songs, keeping our co-students posted with everything and working for the best of their interests. The students council currently has 6 members, me(Blerta), Visar, Vesa, Lenart, Hysen and also a relatively new student Urim.

The winter break is over, everyone is full of energy for a rockin' 2012, and you can tell from the rehearsals. All the bands have been choosing new songs to cover, and also working on some new original stuff. I also had the chance to stay during the rehearsals of one of the new bands (with complete new students), and I really have to say that they're doing pretty good! ( I feel threatened..psst ).

The upcoming events that the school's been planing to do the coming months are:

-A grand opening concert, for moving to the new building (awesome huh!);
-The next living room session in 7 Arte;
-The 80's concert;
-A concert without covers, all homemade brand new songs (double awesome!);
and a lot more.. so stay tuned, because we're about to do some HOT STUFF BABY THIS YEAR!!

Keep on rockin' in the free world!!
B.

By Blerta Kosova

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The city of four rivers, but with polluted environment (M-Magazine)

2012-01-18T15:42:00.001Z

The city of four rivers, but with polluted environment
http://www.m-magazine.org/index.php/en/magazine/society/1878-the-city-of-four...
(M-Magazine)
12 January 2012

Mitrovica - Mitrovica is one of the cities that is characterized by the largest number of rivers. Four rivers, Iber, Sitnica, Lushta and Trepca flow through the city.

The city is also known as the most polluted city in Kosovo, as a result of the industry, which affects significantly environmental pollution in ecological terms.But the industry is not the only cause that affects the pollution of rivers, because there are other factors, such as the garbage disposal by Mitrovica citizens.

To learn more about who takes care of these natural resources, which is being deteriorated, we visited all the competent institutions in our community, where everyone blamed the other side. Mehmet Bajrami, head of Public Utilities and Infrastructure said that this directorate has a duty to maintain green spaces and develop projects related to the maintenance of these spaces.

"The Project of Rivers Sitnica and Iber has not been implemented yet, because we are looking for donors," Mehmet Bajrami says. However the main problem regarding the rivers is not green spaces, but waste waters, draining of sewage into rivers. The problem is the malfunction of water purification plant.

After this Directorate, we visited the Department of Environmental Protection and Forestry, when the director of this Directorate, Gani Rrustemi, told us that this directorate has one-year contract with regional service organization "Union" for cleaning the rivers Lushta and Trepca. Whereas the Directorate of Public Services and Infrastructure will take care of rivers Iber and Sitnica, Rrustemi said.

Speaking of rivers Lushta and Trepca, Gani Rrustemi said that this year these two rivers have been cleaned 6 times. Rrustemi added that the main problem in the maintenance of these rivers is the awareness of citizens. If citizens are not aware and continue to throw garbage into the river, it will be destroyed. About measures that can be taken in order to fine citizens, the director said that, due to failure of the court, it is difficult to achieve this.

Chief of Sanitary and Veterinary Department of Agriculture, Tafil Salihu, told us that the municipality lacks the inspectors on environment, due to the lack of budget. The government does not allocate funds for environmental protection, so the number of workers is limited, Salihu said.Waste disposal in rivers is made because citizens are unable to pay due to grave economic situation in Mitrovica

But what is happening to the river Iber, one of the most frequented rivers, because the park is close to it. The aforementioned departments say they have no budget for its or River Sitnica maintenance, where the majority of fishermen use to go fishing.

Someone else has being already taken care of the river Iber. Non-Governmental Organizations "Mundesia", in partnership with NGO "WBO" since 2006 has started cleaning the banks of the River Iber, a project that is funded by UNDP. Aferdita Tahiri, an official of the NGO “Mundesia” programs said that during the period 2010-2011 clearing of river Iber banks was divided into four phases, each of which lasted for 4 months.

We say stages, because it is the fourth time that UNDP, the same donor, has provided funds for this project.
Tahiri asserted that the fourth phase will be completed by the end of December. The project is in partnership with "WBO", located in the northern part of Mitrovica. Cleaning is done with those means we had in cooperation with UNITETI.

Memnyne Hasani, a professor of biology, said the biggest ecological disaster is that the living beings in these rivers has begun to disappear due to many factors, such as household waste dumping, illegal fishing, done with dynamite that makes disappear number of living beings, sewage disposal and failure of proper cleaning by competent authorities, including the municipality.

Marigona Kelmendi, (17) from Mitrovica, said that when she was little girl she has visited only couple of times the rivers of Mitrovica. “I like to visit and listen to the sound of river waves, but it is impossible because the garbage do not allow such a thing”, she said.

Fisherman V. Osmani from Mitrovica, who fishes in the river Sitnica, said the river is very dirty, even though here and there one can catch fish. There is not so much fish, but the water is contaminated by pyrites that poisons the fish.

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Derry visitors up 18% as city gets in gear for landmark culture year (Belfast Telegraph)

2012-01-18T15:35:00.001Z

Derry visitors up 18% as city gets in gear for landmark culture year
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/derry-...
Donna Deeney (Belfast Telegraph)
17 January 2012

The number of people visiting Londonderry rose by 18% in the last 12 months, boding well for the City of Culture celebrations next year, a tourism chief has said.

The figure was supported by tour operator Martin Crossan, who has reported an increase of 20% in his business.

Odhran Dunne from the Derry Visitor and Convention Bureau said 70,000 visitors passed through its office during 2011 — a figure which should be multiplied by four for the approximate total number of visitors to Derry.

“It is estimated that one in four people go to a tourist centre in any town, so it is fair to say that if we had 70,000 then it is reasonable to guess that the city as a whole had almost 300,000 visitors,” he said.

“This is fantastic news given how difficult it is to attract people anywhere, but the City of Culture is definitely proving to be a huge benefit.

“While we are delighted with the increase in people coming to Derry, we won't be resting on our laurels and have huge draws planned.

“People are curious about why we won the title and want to know more about what secured it for us, and we expect that figure to grow significantly during 2012 and 2013.

“There are a number of major events planned for this year including the Celtic media festival in April, the Peace One Day concert in June and of course the home leg of the Clipper Around the World race at the end of June or early July, when there will also be a major maritime festival. The key is to not only get people to the city, but to encourage them to spend money when they come, and they are more likely to do that when they are getting value for money.”

Mr Crossan, from City Tours, said the increase is mostly due to the number of tourists from abroad — but for the first time there is also an increase in the number of people from the home market.

Among those Mr Crossan has shown the delights of Derry to are Hollywood superstar Will Ferrell, Esther Rantzen, Susan Boyle and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

“Getting Derry listed as a ‘must see destination' in the Lonely Planet guide last week was fantastic because it is viewed as the tourist's bible, and a good review by the Lonely Planet will certainly bring great benefits to us from across the globe,” he said.

Factfile

According to Lonely Planet, Derry “has a great riverside setting, several fascinating historical sights and a determined air of optimism that has made it the powerhouse of the North’s cultural revival”. It lists among the places of interest Free Derry Museum; Tower Museum; Workhouse Museum; Harbour Museum; the two cathedrals — St Columb's Church of Ireland and St Eugene's Catholic Cathedral — the Long Tower Church; the Guildhall, Free Derry wall and the City Walls.

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£2m project aims to remove Northern Ireland peace walls (BBC News)

2012-01-18T15:28:00.001Z

£2m project aims to remove Northern Ireland peace walls
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16603481
(BBC News)
18 January 2012

A £2m fund aimed at bringing down NI's peace walls by building confidence between communities has been announced by the International Fund for Ireland.

There are almost 90 barriers separating Protestant and Catholic neighbourhoods across the region.

The vast majority are in Belfast. Ironically, more walls have actually been erected during the peace process.

The IFI project is meant to help break down non-physical barriers before tackling the infamous landmarks.

It acknowledged that the peace walls can only be removed with the support of the people living on each side.

The Peace Walls Programme is designed to be the first stage in a process leading to the removal of the walls.

Promoting reconciliation

The money will fund a range of confidence and relationship-building initiatives within and between interface communities to help them arrive at a position where residents feel it is safe and appropriate for the walls to come down.

The IFI is an independent, internationally-funded organisation promoting reconciliation between unionists and nationalists throughout all of Ireland.

IFI chairman Dr Denis Rooney said while considerable momentum had built up in recent years for the walls to be removed there was still fear in many communities about them coming down too quickly.

"There are some 88 peace walls/barriers, mainly in Belfast, stretching over 21 kilometres in total," he said.

"Since the 1994 ceasefire, the number of barriers has grown. However, many community groups, some with the support of the fund, are doing courageous work across interfaces and in the past few years their conversations have moved towards when, rather than if, the barriers will come down.

"The physical removal of these barriers is a matter for the Department of Justice but the fund believes that its Peace Walls Programme, which is complementary to other initiatives that are under way, will help create dialogue, build trust and confidence and develop greater cross-community cohesion with a view to communities reaching agreement that it is time to start removing the barriers.

"Although there will be clear criteria for funding, this programme will allow applicants to come up with their own solutions and move at their own pace. It will be flexible by recognising that different communities in Belfast and other areas of Northern Ireland are at various stages of both willingness and readiness to move along this path."

Taken down

While there has been some progress on the peace wall issue in some areas - security gates opened at Alexandra Park in north Belfast last summer - in other districts, such as on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast, barriers have been strengthened due to continued interface violence.

Last year Belfast City Council decided to examine whether some of the 40 or so peace walls in the city could be taken down.

Stormont's Justice Minister David Ford has also signalled that a systematic review of the barriers may be undertaken to identify areas where progress can be made.

The Peace Walls Programme has been devised following consultation with all the key stakeholders, including the Department of Justice and the Office of First and Deputy First Minister.

Initially, £2m has been allocated to the programme but the IFI said this could be increased depending on the number and quality of applications.

The fund is inviting expressions of interest from community organisations for financial assistance.

Expressions of interest are available on the fund's website at www.internationalfundforireland.com/media-centre and should be returned to the fund at PO Box 2000, Belfast, BT4 1WD.

It is hoped that programme activity will start in June.

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Jerusalem's public transport system as metaphor for Israel in 2012 (Haaretz)

2012-01-16T10:23:00.001Z

Jerusalem's public transport system as metaphor for Israel in 2012
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/jerusalem-s-public-transport-system...
Anshel Pfeffer (Haaretz)
6 January 2012

An overcrowded Jerusalem light rail carriage. Photo by: Tomer Appelbaum

A young ultra-Orthodox man with a long black beard and flowing black coat got on an Egged bus this week in a relatively secular neighborhood of Jerusalem. He quickly looked up and down the bus. It was late and there were few passengers, and he sighed in relief upon spotting three empty adjacent seats. He sat down, placing beside him his attache case and, on the seat opposite, his wide-brimmed hat wrapped in a dark plastic bag against the rain.

As the driver halted at stops for other passengers, the man looked up anxiously as a few travelers stepped on, huddled together against the cold. He quickly averted his eyes when a woman passed down the aisle, seating herself farther down the bus. The buffer zone he had created around him remained inviolate.

Jerusalem's public transport system is a perfect metaphor for the situation in which Israeli society finds itself at the beginning of 2012. The city's three communities are trying to keep their distance from each other. As Haaretz's religious affairs correspondent wrote last week, the real segregation on the "mehadrin" bus-lines are not between men and women. Instead they are between the Haredi passengers who use them and the secular/masorati/dati Jerusalemites who are discouraged from doing so.

Meanwhile, few Jewish city residents are aware of this but the Arab population has its own totally separate transport system, with its own central bus station and stops, a network of white buses, operating in the east of the city, and traversing Jewish areas without stopping to connect outlying Arab neighborhoods. For now, the Jewish and Arab buses coexist peacefully on parallel lines, while the different Jewish communities have started bickering on the hegemony over the Egged buses.

But one urban area cannot sustain disconnected transport systems for long; the volume of traffic is forever growing beyond the capacity of old roads. The three communities of Jerusalem are now being forced into the same carriages of the light rail network - years overdue, billions over budget, under speed and with a route of debatable efficiency, but finally up and running. And over the last five months, it has been the one closed space in which members of all the communities have been rubbing shoulders.

Naturally, this hasn't been without friction. Before the light rail service began, Haredi politicians demanded separate compartments for men and women. For once their demands were refused. Occasional scuffles have broken out in the carriages, with security guards proving a little too ready to pepper spray Arab youths accused of rowdiness, but on the whole the gray-silver trains have wended their way in peace from Pisgat Ze'ev, through Shuafat, by the Haredi neighborhoods in the north of the city, through downtown across nationalist-religious Kiryat Moshe and the secular hold-out of Beit Hakerem.

I doubt any friendships have sprung up on the light rail - people usually keep to themselves - but for a short while, the three communities are forced to leave their ghettoes and coexist in a closed space. Whatever the political future of Jerusalem, it will continue to be a unified urban area, the circumstances of city life giving disparate groups no choice but to share certain joint areas.

Unorthodox thinking required

The recent wave of clashes between the communities making up Jerusalem and nearby Beit Shemesh is novel only in the disproportionate media attention they have attracted. In many ways, this is similar to the social justice protests that swept Israel last summer. There was nothing new about the inequalities and economic hardships hundreds of thousands were railing against; only the combination of articulate spokespeople and the media that, for a few weeks, had nothing more exciting to report.

In both cases, social ills that have been festering away for years are suddenly being thrust into the light of day, with all the subtlety and erudition that our national tabloid press and television are famed for. Add to that the leftist agenda of most Israeli journalists, who hope to find new issues to erode the support of the Netanyahu coalition, which is also a factor here in emphasizing each new report of a Haredi man directing a sexist remark toward a secular woman.

But while politics plays a major role, it is obscuring the deeper social process. Israel is too small to sustain for much longer a structure of isolated communities. It is not only the national economy that is increasingly under strain due to the low workforce participation in the ultra-Orthodox and Israeli Arab communities, which increases the tax burden on the non-Haredi Jewish sectors. It also creates tensions within these communities.

The aspirations of a younger generation, not prepared to lead a life of financial and intellectual poverty when the wider Israeli economy offers so many avenues for professional advancement, is a national challenge. The series of events that have been catalogued in recent weeks by the media - under the misleading headline of "female exclusion" - are merely a side-effect of this convergence of communities, a consequence of the gradually increasing participation of Haredi men in a workplace which, at the same time, is also expanding the integration of women.

There is no excuse for sexism, discrimination or violence, but politicians who eagerly pounce on these instances are simply out to serve their own narrow interests. The Haredi leadership is even more narrow-minded and, out of concern for its own weakening hold on an increasingly independent-minded constituency, is emphasizing obscure chumrot under the bogus banners of modesty and purity as never before in Jewish history. There is no reason, though, to punish the hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox men and women who are eager for a chance to earn an honest living, for the sins of hard-line rabbis and a handful of bigoted fanatics.

Israel is currently enjoying the lowest rate of unemployment in its history, and this is an ideal opportunity to integrate new communities into the workplace. The government is beholden to the Haredi parties in the coalition, under order from the rabbis to maintain the untenable benefits-based financial system currently underpinning the ultra-Orthodox community. The Arab Israelis, meanwhile, are suffering neglect of a different order and cannot rely either on their political representatives, who are adept mainly at scoring points on nationalist issues.

In the same way that the protests of Rothschild Boulevard were forgotten and the recommendations of the Trajtenberg Committee frittered away, so the current craze for Haredi horror stories is already dissipating. The real issue - the problems and challenges of 40 percent of Israelis currently excluded from the mainstream of Israel's society and economy - is not going to go away and will come back to bite us. The buffer zones are a fiction that will not hold back the inevitable change for long.

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In the West Bank, a hold on US funding shuts down Sesame Street (Washington Post)

2012-01-16T10:07:00.001Z

In the West Bank, a hold on US funding shuts down Sesame Street
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress/in-the-west-bank-a-hold-on-us...
(Washington Post)
7 January 2012

(Nasser Shiyoukhi / Associated Press ) - In this photo taken Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012, Daoud Kuttab, executive producer of Sharaa Simsim, the Palestinian version of Sesame Street, holds a muppet at his office in West Bank city of Ramallah.

RAMALLAH, West Bank — It’s quiet time on Palestinian Sesame Street.

The iconic children’s program, known as “Sharaa Simsim” in Arabic, has been put on hold for the 2012 season because of a funding freeze by the U.S. Congress.

Sharaa Simsim is one of many U.S.-funded Palestinian programs suffering after Congress froze the transfer of nearly $200 million to the U.S. Agency for International Development in October. The suspension aimed to punish the Palestinians for appealing to the United Nations for statehood.

The funding suspension — affecting hospitals, education, and government ministries that all rely on American aid — is breeding resentment and frustration in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, even among the most progressive organizations.

In the Ramallah offices of Sharaa Simsim on Thursday, the writing workshop room was empty and the set was closed.

“If we had funding, we would be writing scripts, we would be reviewing scripts, we would be hiring filmmakers to produce the videos,” said executive producer Daoud Kuttab.

Even as the freeze put Palestinian Sesame Street on hold, the State Department is investing $750,000 in the Israeli version of the show, which is now filming its newest season with an emphasis on teaching children the value of fairness.

Danny Labin, an executive at the Israeli TV channel that co-produces Israeli Sesame Street, called the funding halt to the Palestinian show “extremely unfortunate.”

“Young children, whether Israeli or Palestinian, who are in need of educational tools to foster diversity appreciation and to prepare for life in a pluralistic society, should not be penalized or held accountable to the politics and political leadership, over which they have no control,” Labin said.

Sharaa Simsim, the Palestinian show, debuted in 1996 and has produced five seasons since, with long intermissions for fundraising. It has promoted a message of peace and tolerance that Israeli critics say is often missing from Palestinian airwaves. The main characters Haneen, a red-headed orange muppet, and the green rooster Kareem have became household names for Palestinian children.

Sharaa Simsim is one of about two dozen international shows produced by the Sesame Workshop Staff, the parent company of the American show. Others are aired in Israel, Egypt, Russia and South Africa. In each country, the New York-based Sesame Street staff consults with the local production teams to create a unique cast and content.

Kuttab said production takes months. At the beginning of each season, Palestinian educators and child psychologists work with the Education Ministry to craft themes and curriculum. Then writers draft the episodes, with occasional review from New York. Filmed in Ramallah and airing on Palestinian national television, each 20-minute episode is half Palestinian content and half American footage.

Sharaa Simsim was supposed to begin this process in October, but Kuttab said the show won’t be able to air in 2012.

“Every month we are behind schedule it actually means two or three months down the line,” he said. “If we don’t do the curriculum workshop we can’t do the scriptwriting. If we don’t do the scriptwriting we can’t do the filming, and there are actors who have their own schedules.”

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Sleiman calls for arms-free Beirut, election law that curbs sectarianism (The Daily Star)

2012-01-16T09:52:00.001Z

Sleiman calls for arms-free Beirut, election law that curbs sectarianism
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Jan-10/159346-sleiman-calls-...
Van Meguerditchian (The Daily Star)
10 January 2012

Sleiman and Prime Minister Najib Mikati attend the conference at the Phoenicia-Intercontinental.

BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman said Monday that an arms-free Beirut could be a model for the rest of the country, and called for an electoral system that minimizes sectarianism and safeguards equality between Muslims and Christians.

Speaking at a Beirut conference on Interior Minister Marwan Charbel’s draft law for proportional representation, Sleiman said a modern electoral law should ensure the effective representation of all Lebanese in future polls.

“An electoral system that ensures the proper representation of the various components of Lebanese society actually expresses the will of the Lebanese to live together, which they have committed to since independence,” Sleiman said.

Monday’s conference, hosted by the Interior Ministry and the UNDP, tackled the details of the law Charbel first fielded in October of last year.

Debate on a new electoral law to replace the existing law – which is based on legislation from 1960 – has intensified in recent weeks as rival parties, sects and civil society groups have voiced opposing views on the best electoral system.

Speaking at the Phoenicia Intercontinental Hotel, Sleiman called for the approval of an electoral law that was in line with the country’s National Pact, warning that the failure to adopt such a law would further distance Lebanese from one another.

“Should any community or group of the nation feel incapable of choosing or electing its representatives, confessional fanaticism would be revived and each community would isolate itself and become secluded,” Sleiman said.

Meanwhile, Charbel said the country cannot achieve genuine political reform without reforming its electoral law.

“All countries in the world with democratic political systems, and countries that strive for democracy, consider a country’s electoral law to be the most effective factor for change,” Charbel said, adding that the country was at a critical point and the Cabinet needed to act now in order to approve an electoral reform law.

“It is not acceptable for political parties to say that the government failed to act [on reform], simply in order to cover [up] their narrow political considerations,” Charbel added.

Charbel also slammed attempts by certain groups to put forth electoral laws “that draw the country backward,” in a veiled reference to the Orthodox Gathering’s proposal that each religious group elect its own leaders. The plan has been backed by Maronite leaders.

UNDP resident representative Robert Watkins said that “reform of the electoral law is of utmost importance for all Lebanese.” He added that he hoped discussions on the electoral law “will help set the broader parameters of democratic representation in Lebanon for many years to come.”

“The consultations that are now under way are therefore of major importance: They represent a unique opportunity to seek to overcome past differences and to plot a clear and predictable course for democratic development in the country,” Watkins continued.

Watkins advised politicians and activists to carry out talks “with care, responsibility and openness.”

Later in the day, Sleiman told a delegation of Beirut MPs who visited him at Baabda Palace that it was only natural that all Lebanese towns and villages become arms-free.

He said that if Beirut becomes a city without weapons, this could be replicated in other Lebanese areas. This, Sleiman said, would require that all groups unite to facilitate the work of the security forces.

Future Movement MPs began campaigning for a “de-militarized” Beirut over a year ago following armed clashes between Hezbollah and gunmen from the Association of the Islamic Charitable Projects which left three people dead in Burj Abi Haidar.

Beirut MPs will hold a meeting on the subject Wednesday.

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How jokes, stories and dreams helped make my Middle East trip peaceful (Globe and Mail)

2012-01-04T15:51:00.001Z

How jokes, stories and dreams helped make my Middle East trip peaceful
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/the-essay/how-jokes-stories-and-dreams-helped-make-my-middle-east-trip-peaceful/article2287590/singlepage/#articlecontent
Dan Yashinsky (Globe and Mail)
1 January 2012

A year ago I went to Israel to perform at the Israel Storytelling Festival, and, while there, went to Ramallah to visit a Palestinian friend, a scholar of folklore. We had met in Europe three years before, and I had a standing invitation to come across the border for a coffee.

When I mentioned to my Israeli friends and family that I had a friend “over there,” they cautioned me against the trip. They were also surprised that I, a Jew, had a Palestinian friend. I pointed out that an invitation was an invitation, that artists don’t have as much regard for borders as politicians, and that this particular friend told marvellous stories she’d collected from Palestinian women – stories worth crossing borders to hear.

I took a taxi from Jerusalem, passed through the checkpoint, drove through the bustling and confusing streets of Ramallah and miraculously found her apartment building. We had strong coffee and ate a delicious lunch with her 14-year-old son. I may have been the first Jew her son had met who wasn’t wearing a uniform. He loved telling risqué jokes, and I suggested, scandalizing his mother, that he consider a career in stand-up. She was hoping he would become a doctor or lawyer.

Later, we went to a café and, over ice cream, swapped stories of Hodja Nasrudin, the “wise fool” of the Middle East. These subversive stories are relished by Jews, Christians, Muslims – Hodja stories cross all frontiers and borders.

She told me about the time Hodja was asked to give a speech at the mosque. When he came to speak, he forgot the words he had memorized. He said, “My friends, do you know what I’ve come to speak about?” No, they replied, they didn’t. “In that case,” said Hodja, “how can I tell you? I’ll come back next week.”

It happened again: He forgot everything, asked the same question and, this time, remembering what had happened the week before, everyone said, “Yes, Hodja, we know!” “Good. Then I don’t have to tell you!” He walked away.

The third week, he forgot his speech again. “My friends, how many of you know what I’ve come to speak about today?” Half of them said, “We know!” and the other half cried, “We don’t know!” “That’s fine,” said Hodja. “Let those who know tell those who don’t!” And he never gave that much-promised speech.

Ramallah and Tel Aviv must be the world capitals of carpe diem. The media rarely reports on the sheer joie de vivre, warmth and hospitality that animates both Israeli and Palestinian society. One thing I noticed, however, was that hope was a forbidden topic. After so many years of bitter disappointment, nobody on either side of the wall wanted to imagine or talk about the future.

My first night in Israel I had a dream. The negotiations were taking place, but on one condition: Nobody could talk. Everything was being negotiated through a board game, a bit like Monopoly. The settlements and refugees, borders and blockade – it seems that once words were taken out of the game, the players could concentrate on the real issues. By the end of the game, everything had been resolved and peace had been achieved.

When I related my dream it provoked rueful laughter. Most of my Israeli friends said they didn’t care if the Palestinians ever said the words “Israel is a Jewish state.” They just wanted an end to violence. And my Palestinian friend had long ago stopped caring about the words of politicians. She just wanted her son to live without checkpoints and walls.

I reminded her that all the walls of human history eventually fall out of fashion or use. It will certainly be that this wall also becomes unnecessary, although probably not for a few generations.

I had a storyteller’s fantasy about the wall while I was there. (The purpose of storytellers is to give voice to the possible in the midst of impossibilities.) One day the Israelis and Palestinians could take all those mighty slabs of concrete, pile them up on whatever border they finally agree to, cover their new mountain with trees and name it Mount Used-To-Be-A-Wall.

People would make pilgrimages from around the world to stand at the top, look in all directions and say to each other: “Did you know that this used to be a wall?” Talk about a boost for tourism. What a joy it would be to stand on that mountain!

Before leaving the café I told my friend a story that was told to me by an Israeli storyteller who heard it from an Arab friend (what goes around comes around, even if it goes through a checkpoint to get there). A man left his land in the care of another man. The other man took good care of it for a long time. The man came back and asked for his land, but the other man said no – he had cared for it for so long and made it so fruitful that the land belonged to him now.

They had a quarrel, and asked a judge to resolve the dispute. The judge happened to be Hodja Nasrudin. “The land belongs to me!” one man shouted. “The land belongs to me!” shouted the other. Hodja got down on the ground and put his ear to the earth. “What are you doing?” they asked. “I’m listening,” he replied. “What are you listening to?” “The land.” “And what does the land have to say?” they asked incredulously. Hodja looked up: “The land says that both of you belong to the land.”

I left Ramallah and returned to the storytelling festival. It occurred to me that if enough stories manage to pass through enough checkpoints, the people on both sides of the wall may one day rekindle their belief in a neighbourly future. Futures, after all, come to pass, whether or not we’re able to talk about them ahead of time. Perhaps real wisdom will come not from the sermon Hodja the wise fool keeps forgetting, but when both halves of the assembly start talking directly to each other.

Dan Yashinsky lives in Toronto.

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'Transformed Derry possible in 2012': Dr. Latimer (Derry Journal)

2012-01-04T15:43:00.001Z

‘Transformed Derry possible in 2012’: Dr. Latimer
http://www.derryjournal.com/news/local/transformed_derry_possible_in_2012_dr_latimer_1_3376224
(Derry Journal)
1 January 2012

First Derry Presbyterian Minister David Latimer believes a “transformed” Derry is possible in 2012.

Dr. Latimer, whose refurbished Magazine Street church re-opened earlier this year, believes such a transformation can provide “all of us living in the town we love so well with the resolve to forgive others, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done.”

In his New Year message, Dr. Latimer, who broke with convention by speaking at this year’s Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in Belfast, says “reaching out the hand of forgiveness to people we dislike and even despise will bring about the kind of transformation our city currently needs.”

The First Derry minister - who has been widely praised for his efforts to bring the city’s Catholic and Protestant communities closer together - added: “It will, moreover, signify we are prepared to build new kinds of relationships, bring to an end the toxic attitudes and practices that have characterised our past and stop their poison from travelling any further than they already have.”

To start the New Year right, says Dr. Latimer, “we each must let go of old grudges that do nothing other than tarnish and spoil our relationships and succeed in keeping us locked in the past.”

“Think of the fear, the grief, the hurt and the mistrust that broke so many human hearts. The lives of a generation of people have been blighted by decades of civil unrest and, even though the sound of bombs and bullets are no longer commonplace, robust walls of heart and mind sadly abound and prevent us from viewing one another as equals and as members of the same human family.

“Thank God the human spirit cannot easily be broken. Deep within our souls there resides the conviction that, somehow or other, the future can be different to the dark and terrible past we have all endured. Possibilities for the dawning of a brand new day, offering real hope of a different future for everyone, are no longer the material of dreams.

“Of course, there is no magic wand that can be waved to suddenly make all things new. Notwithstanding, every citizen living within the council boundary of Derry/Londonderry has the potential within himself or herself to introduce some heart and mind change that would, with God’s help, move us away from the ‘dog-eat-dog’ world that we inhabit to a ‘dog-forgive-dog’ world.”

The Presbyterian minister acknowledges that attempting to build a better-shared future is anything but straightforward.

“Often it appears we’re taking one step forward and two steps back. It would be ground-breaking were each of us to... dig deep into our lives to identify what it is that we can do to make our city a more fair, just and stable place for everyone because, if we are not careful, our children will see peace not on our streets but in pictures and in stories that offered glimpses of what briefly took place but did not endure.

“To minimise the possibilities for this happening, there is something we can each do, and that’s to willingly reach out the hand of forgiveness.”

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Research on future of peace walls (University of Ulster)

2012-01-03T16:10:00.001Z

Research on future of peace walls
http://news.ulster.ac.uk/releases/2011/6170.html
David Young (University of Ulster)
21 December 2011

Belfast City Council should play a lead role in helping local communities to decide the future of peace walls, that’s the view of a University of Ulster lecturer who received a doctorate today for his research into the issue.

Jonathan Byrne, a criminology lecturer from Belfast, carried out a three-year study of peace walls, under the guidance of Dr Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Dr Rachel Monaghan.

The Army first erected the peace walls in 1969, in response to sectarian violence and disorder. Since then, there have been approximately forty-two walls constructed within urban working class Loyalist and Republican areas.

He said: “For the first time our politicians have responsibility for peace walls following the recent devolution of policing and justice. They have the opportunity to provide leadership and support for communities who want to transform the peace walls and interface barriers that have dominated their neighbourhoods for up to 40 years.”

Although Mr Byrne, who is based at the University’s Jordanstown campus, recognises the importance of Stormont in any process that involves the transformation of peace walls, believes Belfast City Council is better equipped to deal with this difficult and highly sensitive issue.

“The research revealed that peace walls were viewed as a local issue that essentially required local solutions, and for that reason Belfast City Council has plenty of knowledge and experience dealing with sensitive issues such as bonfires, murals, flags and parades at the neighbourhood level.

“Furthermore, the majority of MLAs at Stormont don't have peace walls in the areas they represent, but many councillors do.

“It was interesting to see earlier this month that the Council unanimously agreed to adopt a strategy and action plan to address issues surrounding interfaces in Belfast.”

His PhD research also showed that the walls are interpreted very differently depending on which community you speak to and where they live in relation to the walls.

Mr Byrne said: “Although community safety is of paramount importance, very often the social, economic and political issues that exist within these communities influence their thinking about the peace walls. For both Loyalist and Republican communities the discussion is more than about bricks and mortar and whether walls should remain or be removed.

“A major concern for Loyalists are issues that relate to their history, identity and culture and for Republicans this is about addressing housing demand and being able to respond to the needs of an expanding population.

“There is no doubting the complexities that surround the issue of peace walls. On one hand they are a constant reminder of the past, which appeal to the increasing number of tourists that visit the city, yet on the other hand they illustrate the distance people have to travel if we are to embrace the vision of a shared society.

“It is worth noting that the research also highlighted the willingness across communities, statutory bodies and politicians to engage in conversations, pose challenging questions, and consider their own roles and responsibilities as part of the emerging, ever normalising landscape of Northern Ireland’s still divided communities.”

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Haifa's Holiday of Holidays festival embraces differences (Ecumenical News International)

2012-01-03T15:51:00.001Z

Haifa's Holiday of Holidays festival embraces differences
http://www.eni.ch/featured/article.php?id=5370
Judith Sudilovsky (Ecumenical News International)
22 December 2011

Both Christmas lights and Hanukkah dreidels (spinning tops) are appearing as decorations as the northern Israeli port city of Haifa throws a multi-faith party on December weekends.

Now in its 18th year, the Holiday of Holidays -- which also includes the recently-celebrated Muslim Eid al-Adha -- is meant "to share the differences and honor them," said Assaf Ron, director of the Beit Hageffen Jewish-Arab Center which organizes the festival along with the Haifa municipality.

This year, Israeli-Arab singer Mira Awad will share a music stage with Israeli-Jewish singer Rami Fortis as well as with other Arab and Jewish bands. "There will be a real European holiday feel to it with lights and Santa Claus and spinning tops. That is the spirit of Haifa," said Ron in a telephone interview. Police estimated some 60,000 people attended the festival over the 17-18 December weekend.

"We want to show Jews, Christians, and Muslims that we can celebrate our holidays together, we can be together in a big open venue, mix together, and not feel strange or fearful," Ron said.

Haifa has long been known as a city of tolerance where Arabs and Jews largely live together -- sometimes even in mixed neighborhoods which is not common in Israeli cities -- in harmony and respect.

Holiday of Holidays has run annually regardless of the political situation in Israel, noted Ron. Last year when the northern Carmel Forest, which is close to Haifa, suffered a debilitating forest fire, the opening of the festival was postponed until the flames were under control and many of the food vendors donated food supplies to fire fighting efforts.

Traditionally the festival was meant to highlight the work of artists in the Wadi Nisnas mixed Jewish-Arab neighborhood, noted Ron, and gradually grew to include other local, liturgical and international musical, dance and theatrical performances, art exhibits, street activities, food stalls and free shows and workshops for children. In the past it has also sponsored an antique fair.

This year, ten sold-out concerts in area churches are also featured and 25 art galleries have decided to join the festival, half of them presenting exhibits which fit in with the festival theme of exploring personal and urban roots.

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A better cooperation required between the municipality and business (M-Magazine)

2012-01-03T15:42:00.001Z

A better cooperation required between the municipality and business
http://www.m-magazine.org/index.php/en/news/kosovo/1826-a-better-cooperation-required-between-the-municipality-and-business-.html
(M-Magazine)
22 December 2011

Mitrovica - Mitrovica municipality authorities mentioned favors they have made during this year for the development of businesses, while the latter require more in this direction.

In the meeting organized by USAID dozens of representatives of business community and municipal leaders participated, where they discussed the relationship between them and the challenges and recommendations, too.

Mayor of Mitrovica, Avni Kastrati, thanked USAID for providing assistance to Mitrovica in particular and the Government in general to move forward in developing the economy, and informed the participants that they were doing the last preparations for a economic zone in the municipality, the first results of which are expected to be seen early next year.

He also informed about several projects already approved to be financed by the European Commission (EC), for the functioning of the business park, building a center for production of poultry Bio products, etc. Speaking about previous business work, he mentioned some favor that the Municipality has made in this regard, the property tax deduction for business more than 50%, setting the coefficient at the request of its businesses, etc. Meanwhile, representatives of business sought better conditions, the opening of an information office in the Municipality, etc. on which the mayor Kastrati expressed willingness to help.

"It is considered that after the war, Kosovo heroes are businesses, so the municipality and business community must find a suitable form of cooperation to move forward," said Ubejd Gashi.On this occasion he invited businesses to address to the municipality with solutions to problems not only with problems. Development of this debate was preceded by a presentation of the Competitiveness Index in Kosovo municipalities, by Shkumbin Hasani, a representative of USAID, the composition of which reflected the recommendations that are given to municipalities, most of which, according to Hasani, the Municipality Mitrovica has already realized.

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Dobroshi, leading role in the film "Mitrovica" (M-Magazine)

2012-01-03T15:37:00.001Z

Dobroshi, leading role in the film "Mitrovica"
http://www.m-magazine.org/index.php/en/news/kosovo/1834-dobroshi-leading-role-in-the-film-qmitrovicaq-.html
(M-Magazine)
23 December 2011

Mitrovica – Based on the scenario and directed by Daniel Mulloy, will be launched the realization of the feature-length film called "Mitrovica", where the famous actress Arta Dobroshi will have a leading role.

"I have decided to make a feature-length film in Kosovo. It will be an entirely Kosovar film," she told "Koha Ditore".

"It is something very important to me, because it is a realization of a longing to make film in Kosovo," the actress said. According to her, the story of the film to be titled "Mitrovica", is developed entirely in Kosovo.

"The plot is about postwar Kosovo. It has nothing to do with the war but with the impacts of war.

"It is an emotional story, focused on social issues and love at the same time," said Dobroshi.

Besides having a leading role, she will also be a co-producer with the director Mulloy.

"The process of financing the project will start soon. So far we have met with potential co-producers from France, Germany, England and America," Dobroshi said.

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Project "Women leaders of 21st Century" presented in Mostar (EMportal)

2012-01-03T15:30:00.001Z

Project "Women leaders of 21st Century" presented in Mostar
http://www.emg.rs/en/news/region/171541.html
(EMportal)
24 December 2011

After yesterday's launch in Sarajevo, and Mostar today the project "Women Leaders of the 21st Century" has been presented, which was initiated by the Centre for Education “Pro Educa”.

After yesterday's launch in Sarajevo, and Mostar today the project "Women Leaders of the 21st Century" has been presented, which was initiated by the Centre for Education “Pro Educa”.

As highlighted in the presentation, the project "Women Leaders of 21st Century" aims to contribute to the promotion and affirmation of women leaders in different areas of social and business life, and provide mentoring and motivation to contribute to the development of the business success of young women and girls.

On this occasion, the first BiH magazine about women's leadership "Women Leaders " was promoted, which presents successful women who live in BiH, but also the women of BiH origin that have achieved significant success abroad. Two studies on the position of women leaders in BiH were also presented, whose results were an indicator of the need for dialogue on important topics in the field of women's leadership among the successful women.

"In the coming year we plan to realize documentaries in which we will also present successful women and organize a two-day conference at which to gather 100-200 women who would have the opportunity to further educate, establish contacts and begin to cooperate as in this way they will become even more successful and more influential.

“The ultimate goal of this project is to establish an initiative, the association of successful women, in order to they would begin to work on great changes in society and enable for future women leaders to come easer to high positions, "said the project manager, Lejla Brčaninović.

After Sarajevo and Mostar, presentation of the project Women Leaders of 21st Century will be held tomorrow in Banja Luka.

Otherwise, this is a project realized in cooperation with the Government of the Federation of BiH, Agency for Gender Equality, Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, Government of the Republic of Serbian, Centre for Gender Equality RS and with financial support of FIGAP Program (Financial Implementation of the Gender Action Plan).

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Will Tanya Rosenblit's stand lead to the desegregation of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem? (Haaretz)

2011-12-23T15:32:00.001Z

Will Tanya Rosenblit’s stand lead to the desegregation of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem?

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/will-tanya-rosenblit-s-stand-lead-to-the-desegregation-of-ultra-orthodox-jews-in-jerusalem-1.402369

Josh Mintz (Haaretz)

19 December 2011

Rosenblit reminds me of Rosa Parks, who – together with Clifford Durr, Edgar Nixon and Jackie Robinson – led to the eventual racial desegregation of the United States.

There is a bar in Tel Aviv called Rosa Parks. It's a nice place, one renowned for its clientele of intellectually engaging young women. I went there not long ago with a friend of mine who was visiting Tel Aviv from London, who happens to be black. When he saw the name of the bar he jokingly asked the barman,

"So, do I have to sit at the back of the room then?"

He got nothing but a blank look in response, the barman had no idea who the bar was named after, nor did he know her story.

That's changed now. The sex segregation of busses has become one of the hottest topics in Israeli domestic politics, coming to a head last week with the story of Tanya Rosenblit who refused to move to the back of a bus on the order of a religious Jewish man. Now she's being called 'The Israeli Rosa Parks.' She's not though, not yet anyway.

Rosa Parks was not the first African-American to take a stand against segregation, nor was she the best known, nor was the story of her protest the most unique. Nine months before Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat for a white person, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was dragged off a bus in handcuffs for the crime of “seated while black.” Earlier still, in 1944 (three years before he would become the first black Major League Baseball player) Jackie Robinson was court-martialed for refusing to give up his seat on a bus to a white army officer.

Both of these other cases are far more exploitable, either due to the age or the celebrity of the accused, yet it was Rosa Parks: a middle-aged housekeeper and seamstress who we all remember. So, what was it about this seemingly regular woman that made her case the one that sparked the Montgomery bus boycott and turned the civil rights movement on its head, what made her story more compelling than that of a child or famous athlete?

The answer is a short and simple one: nothing. There was nothing that Parks did that those before her hadn't done, there was nothing in what she said that was new and she didn't represent any new demographic. What made Rosa Parks' action stand out so far among so many brave and principled people was the support she had from those around her, the work that she inspired others to do. Without her liberal white employer Clifford Durr representing her and joining with civil rights activist Edgar Nixon to bail her out of jail, Nixon would never have conferred with college professor Jo Ann Robinson and created the 35,000 leaflets in the space on one sleepless night that announced the Montgomery bus boycott. Without Nixon's influence, the Women's Political Council (of which Robinson was a member) would have never endorsed the boycott, lending it the legitimacy that it needed to take hold.

Although the names Durr, Nixon and Robinson are forgotten to history, it is they, just as much as Parks, who led to the eventual de-segregation of the United States.

Tanya Rosenblit has made her stand, but she wasn't the first. In 2006, Miriam Shear was slapped, kicked and punched by a group of Orthodox Jewish men on a Jerusalem bus for refusing to move to the back. Ester Scheiner spent weeks riding in the front of a segregated bus just to make the point.

For some reason, however, it is Tanya Rosenblit's story that has grabbed our attention. Just like Rosa Parks, she's an ordinary woman that just refused to move, and just like Claudette Colvin and Ester Scheiner, her actions will fade away if we don't galvanize around her and take a real stand. The enforced segregation of any public transport was outlawed by a Supreme Court ruling years ago, yet Tanya told the world that the policeman called to deal with her dispute didn't explain the law to the offending man, but rather asked an innocent and law-abiding woman to move.

Brave people can keep making stands, but this level of apathy will only lead to the continuation of the status quo. Tanya Rosenblit cannot do this alone, nor does it appear that she wants to. She needs her Durr, her Nixon and her Robinson. As a real and modern society, we need to take this as a call to arms, the rallying cry to crush this ridiculous practice where it stands.

Who knows, maybe one day I'll be visiting London and I'll grab a drink at a bar called Tanya's.

Josh Mintz is completing his degree in International Relations and Middle Eastern studies and is the communications director at Friend a Soldier, an NGO that encourages dialogue with IDF soldiers.

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Jerusalem: Hundreds rally against women's shunning (Ynetnews)

2011-12-19T11:10:00.001Z

Jerusalem: Hundreds rally against women's shunning
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4158709,00.html
MK Horowitz (Ynetnews)
8 December 2011

Protesters, female singers rally against religious elements' demands to limit women's role in Israel's public sphere. 'We won't let radical elements turn Israel into Iran, Jerusalem into Tehran,' says MK Horowitz

Hundreds of people gathered in Jerusalem Wednesday in protest of religious elements' demands to limit women's role in the public life in Israel.

Various female performers who took part in the rally said they were there "to cry out for the Israeli women, who are pushed to society's sidelines by radical elements."

This is the third event to take place in the Capital following a number of incidents in which women were shunned from the public eye, including the removal of women figures from ad campaigns and separation of sexes during the Simchat Torah celebrations in Mea Shearim.

Singers Achinoam Nini, Ania Bukstein, Aya Korem, Yael Deckelbaum and several female bands performed during the protest rally, while members of the Tarantina band appeared on stage with head covers.

"I am not haredi, but I fear for the situation in Israel today. I can see before my eyes how the State of Israel is turning into a Taliban state," said Nini, adding that while receiving a religious education as a child, she never used Judaism to shun half of the public.

MK Nitzan Horowitz, who also attended the rally, said "the Israeli public will not let radical elements turn Israel into Iran and Jerusalem into Tehran."

Mickey Gitzin, head of Be Free Israel movement, which organized the event, told Ynet:: "We plan to continue singing every time and every place until this ugly phenomenon of shunning women stops.

"The issue of women singing is a symbol of a wider struggle that is taking place in Israel between those who want to keep the State of Israel Jewish and democratic, and between those who want to transform it into a theocracy," he said.

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Mitrovica, an example for business (M-Magazine)

2011-12-19T11:04:00.001Z

Mitrovica, an example for businesses
http://www.m-magazine.org/index.php/en/news/kosovo/1798-mitrovica-an-example-...
(M-Magazine)
13 December 2011

Mitrovica- Municipality of Mitrovica has been selected as an example for the exchange of practices in terms of shortening the procedures for business registration.

It was selected as part of a project of the Association of Municipalities supported by the OSCE. Gani Shala, director of Finance and Economic Development in the Municipality of Mitrovica, said the municipal center of business called "One sto shop", is formed based on a memorandum of understanding between the Office for the registration of businesses and the municipality of Mitrovica in August 2010. "The establishing of these centers in the municipalities and specifically in Mitrovica has shortened this procedure and the time of registering a business; the overall quality of service for entrepreneurs at the municipal level is increased. The municipality now has direct access to related businesses, "he said.

Shala stressed that these centers have created a more suitable environment for businesses, since the cost of business registration services is simplified and reduced. However, Florie Ibishi, official of this center, points out that after the opening of this center it was noticed the increase of the number of registered businesses. She states that in 2010, there were 156 registered businesses, whereas in 2011 there were registered 347. "Since August last year, when the center was open until May of this year there were registered 503 businesses," she said.

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Agreement on crossings "unacceptable" (B92)

2011-12-19T10:56:00.001Z

Agreement on crossings “unacceptable”
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2011&mm=12&dd=0...
(B92)
4 December 2011

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA -- The agreement between Belgrade and Priština is unacceptable to Kosovo Serbs, Kosovska Mitrovica Mayor Krstimir Pantić told B92.

“From what we have heard from the media, the things that (Belgrade team chief) Borislav Stefanović agreed with the Kosovo Albanian delegation are unacceptable to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. The citizens are disappointed and angry with Mr. Stefanović,” he pointed out.

The Kosovska Mitrovica mayor explained that the Kosovo Serbs believed that the Serbian parliament should hold an emergency session so the MPs could discuss the agreements reached in Brussels.

“The barricades have not been built in order to prevent Serbia from getting the EU candidate status. Everybody knows that the Serbs set the barricades on the night of July 25 when Priština carried out a unilateral action aimed at establishing control in the north of the province and establishing so-called institutions of independent Kosovo. Therefore, the barricades are not directed against the Serbian government or its attempts to join the EU and they are not directed against KFOR or other international organizations but exclusively against the institutions of the so-called Republic of Kosovo. They will remain as long as there are attempts to establish the institutions of the so-called state of Kosovo. We are obligated to do so by the declaration passed by the Serbian parliament on July 31 and we will abide to the declaration as long as we can,” Pantić stressed.

“Heads of northern Kosovo municipalities, councilors and the Serbian people can make their decision whether to accept the agreements from Brussels only after they have received the original version of the agreement,” said Zvečan Mayor Dragiša Milović.

He pointed out that there would be no problems if the agreements were good for Serbia because it meant that they were good for Kosovo Serbs as well.

Milović said that there were many ambiguities regarding the Brussels agreements and stressed that Kosovo Serb representatives did not get to see any of the agreements and that Kosovo Serbs therefore had every reason to be suspicious.

Zubin Potok Mayor Slaviša Ristić has assessed that the Belgrade authorities have finally recognized Kosovo’s independence by accepting the agreement on the crossings.

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Nigeria: Southern Kaduna communities sue for peace (AllAfrica.com)

2011-12-19T10:50:00.001Z

Nigeria: Southern Kaduna communities sue for peace
http://allafrica.com/stories/201112121254.html
(AllAfrica.com)
12 December 2011

Kaduna — Following the post-election crises that ensued in some northern parts of the country, four communities at Ikulu Chiefdom in the Southern part of Kaduna State have agreed to bury their differences and expose those causing crises in the area.

The district heads of the communities, made up of Ikulu, Bajju, Fulani and Hausa, weekend met at the palace of Agwom Akulu. The meeting was also attended by the displaced persons.

Speaking to Daily Trust shortly after the meeting, the Agwom Akulu, Yohanna S Kukah described the meeting as fruitful and called on all that fled the communities to return saying, the crisis came at a time he was away from the country.

"People have realized their lapses and are now committed to peace. We have to learn how to live together as one. We have no other place than Kaduna and we must appreciate and respect our cultures, religion and respect one another", he said.

On his part, the representative of the Fulani community and former Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Abdulmalik Mohammed Durunguwa, said the Fulani men said to be attacking the people are not Nigerians and should be treated as criminals.

According to him, "without peace, we can't be here. We the Fulani in the southern part of Kaduna have never dreamt that there will be crises. Something that has nothing to do with the Fulani man just affected him. Most of these crises have nothing to do with the Fulani man. I've never seen a Fulani Man's poster here vying for a political office because he has no business with any political party.

The representative of the Hausa community, Mohammed Ali said the crises were caused by suspicion.

"We all have learnt our lessons. When the tension on the election began, some were saying that we the Hausa communities were hiding guns in our houses which sparked the crises. But now that we have understood one another all of us have agreed to expose perpetrators of violence at any given time", he said.

The representative of the Bajju community, Chindo Ibrahim said, "It's time to move ahead. But we must avoid words such as 'arne, kafiri and infidel'. This, to me, annoys many people."

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Bridging the divide (MIT News)

2011-12-19T10:40:00.001Z

Bridging the divide
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/cooperation-bosnia-1209.html
Peter Dizikes (MIT News)
9 December 2011

New study shows how integrated institutions can lead diverse populations to cooperate in rebuilding countries.

One of the most pressing issues in world affairs today is state building: how countries can construct stable, inclusive governments in which a variety of ethnic and religious groups coexist.

Now a unique field experiment involving Muslim and Catholic students in Bosnia-Herzegovina suggests one avenue for building emerging states: The existence of integrated civic institutions such as schools, the study finds, helps foster greater collaboration across ethno-religious lines.

Such a result indicates that ethnic and religious identity need not be a decisive factor governing behavior even in conflict-torn regions, and that cooperation among different ethnic groups increases when those groups have greater social exposure to each other.

In the study, students from an integrated school were willing to make financial contributions to the public good that were as much as three times larger than the contributions made by students from segregated schools, among other effects. The results appear in a paper published this week in the journal Science, co-authored by MIT political scientist Fotini Christia.

“We actually see experimental evidence that integration works in promoting cooperation,” says Christia, an assistant professor of political science. “It is a promising finding for multiethnic, post-conflict states, because it shows that integration can be a way forward.”

Making free riders pay

Bosnia-Herzegovina, a state of about four million people in the former Yugoslavia, declared independence in 1992, but is still trying to overcome ethnic and religious tensions in the aftermath of the brutal Balkan Wars of the 1990s. The country has a mix of Muslim Bosniaks (who constitute about 40 percent of the population) along with large contingents of Serbs and Croats, who generally belong to the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches.

Christia and her co-author, Marcus Alexander of Stanford University, conducted the study in Mostar, a picturesque city of about 70,000 whose diverse population reflects its eventful past: At various times in history, Mostar has been part of the Roman, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires.

Their field experiment was made possible by the judicially ordered integration of two of Mostar’s four high schools across ethnic lines. In other circumstances, comparing the effects of integrated and segregated schools can be problematic because of self-selection issues: People from families less inclined to cooperate with other religious or ethnic groups might choose to attend segregated schools. But in Mostar, the way the integration process took place meant that the students were, in effect, randomly assigned to either the integrated or segregated schools.

“It was this element that allowed us to examine the specific impact of integration,” Christia says.

In the experiment, students participated in computer-based public-goods games, in which they were expected to contribute money. Christia and Alexander directed 26 sessions of experiments, each consisting of 20 rounds of the game, held among groups ranging from eight to 24 students.

The game’s structure allowed students to make voluntary payments to the public treasury, thus introducing the possibility of the “free-rider problem,” in which some citizens benefit from the contributions of others.

The researchers found that students from segregated schools tended to make lower contributions than the other students when playing the game in ethnically mixed groups. Students from integrated schools made larger contributions, especially given one condition: the ability to impose sanctions punishing lower contributions. Those sanctions, in turn, were effective only in integrated settings.

“The effectiveness of sanctions, in inducing people to cooperate, can be very much dependent on the institutional context,” Alexander says.

Overall, the finding implies a simple policy recommendation: The integration of schools and other public institutions has a clear impact on people’s willingness to contribute to the greater good in diverse societies.

Thus, while ethnic and religious tension is often seen as a challenge to effective state building, this issue can be mitigated. Or, as Christia and Alexander write in the paper, their research shows that “institutions may play an important role in creating environments in which diversity can be bridged … in order to promote well-ordered societies and better-functioning markets.”

From Europe to Afghanistan

Scholars have found the study impressive. The paper “is distinguished by the quality of the field work,” says Robert Bates, a professor in the Department of Government at Harvard University, and an expert in political development. In particular, he cites the fact that the researchers “employ an experimental design while also taking into account the nature of local institutions, history and culture.”

Christia readily acknowledges some potential limitations of the study. Because the experiment was held in one locale, scholars may question how closely the results could be applied to other countries. Moreover, the institutions most in need of greater ethnic or religious integration — schools, police or military forces, government bureaucracies — may vary from state to state.

“Different countries have different conditions, and we may want to replicate this kind of social-science research in other post-conflict states,” Christia notes. “That said, this finding still suggests that integration can work.”

For her part, Christia is working on a book-length study of state building in Afghanistan, where she has conducted extensive research, and also evaluating whether other states, in the Middle East and North Africa, might provide opportunities for experiments similar to the one in Mostar.

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Ramallah's art scene comes home (The Atlantic Cities)

2011-12-19T10:32:00.001Z

Ramallah's art scene comes home
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2011/12/ramallah-art-scen...
Emily Gogolakdec (The Atlantic Cities)
7 December 2011

Drive six miles north of Jerusalem and into the hills of the central West Bank and you’ll find the city of Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinian National Authority and also an up-and-coming capital for contemporary art in the Middle East.

Ramallah is new to the international art scene, but interest in Palestinian art is hardly a recent phenomenon. Palestinian artists are regulars on the contemporary arts circuit, featured at the most important biennales, auction houses and museums worldwide: Venice and Art Basel, the Guggenheim and the Tate Modern, Sotheby’s and Christies. "Palestinian artists have always been included in our auctions," says Ruba Asfahani, Director of Contemporary Arab and Iranian Art at Sotheby’s. "Artists from Palestine are an intrinsic part of the contemporary art scene in the Middle East."

Take a closer look however, and it becomes clear that Palestine has been suffering from a serious cultural brain drain. Most Palestinian artists on the scene today are members of the diaspora. Those artists were born and raised in the West Bank and Gaza but left the territories for art school, fleeing Ramallah for cities like Cairo, Beirut, Damascus, Paris and New York. "In the last 10 to 12 years, Palestinian artists have become more and more well known, but the artistic scene within Palestine is weak," says Mazen Qupty, a top collector of contemporary Palestinian art.

Thanks to Palestine’s tense political history, the visual arts in Palestine have long failed to gain the foothold they deserve. From 1967 until the signing to the Oslo Accords in 1993, when Palestinian cities were under military occupation, there were restrictions on arts and culture. For example, it was forbidden to paint images combining the four colors of the Palestinian flag, black, green, white, and red. "Painting a watermelon was not allowed," explains Khaled Hourani, one of Palestine’s leading artists and former Director of Fine Arts for the Palestinian Ministry of Culture.

Even after 1993 and the end of military occupation, the visual arts stalled in the territories. With the constant threat of unrest, immediate security needs superseded cultural ones. And once the Oslo Accords collapsed and the Al-Aqsa Intifada broke out in 2000, it became even more difficult for the arts to flourish. "When institutions and buildings are being destroyed left and right, what do you do about art?" says Hourani.

But today something new is happening in the Palestinian art world: instead of fleeing, artists are flocking to Palestine, and this is where Ramallah comes in.

As the intifada dragged on into the early 2000s and violence escalated, Hourani had an idea to start an academy of fine arts in Ramallah. Watching Palestinian youth picking up rocks, he wanted to give them the chance to pick up cameras and canvases instead. “I wanted to invite people to participate in the process of art and ideas,” he says. “I wanted to make Ramallah and this academy a creative center for artists and students, from here and around the world.”

In 2007, Hourani, Qupty, and a core team of Palestine’s most important artists established the International Art Academy of Palestine in Ramallah. Deep within the city, the Academy is bringing a new generation of Palestinian artists – within the territories – into the international conversation on contemporary art. "They cannot live closed-off," says Tina Sherwell, director of the Academy. "They must be part of something larger."

Four years in the running, this is just what the Academy has done. It graduated its first class in June – awarding the first six bachelor’s degrees ever by an art academy in Palestine – and it is quickly making a name for itself.

Artists and thinkers from across the world have come to teach and lecture in Ramallah, including Salvoj Zizek and John Berger, American artists Hans Haacke and Coco Fusco, and Emily Jacir and Mona Hatoum, two of the most internationally successful Palestinian artists working today. And this fall alone, students and alumnae from Ramallah participated in two of the most important arts events of the season, the prestigious FIAC contemporary art fair in Paris and the 12th Istanbul Biennale.

The mission of the Academy, however, is two-fold. It’s not only about exposing young Palestinians to what’s happening in art worldwide, but also about how contemporary visual art can affect everyday life in Palestine – how art can be an agent of social and political change.

With this in mind, Hourani recently set off on another idea for the Academy: to bring Picasso to Palestine. "This is an extremely visual culture," he says. "I wanted to see what would happen if I brought a piece of modernity – a masterpiece – to Ramallah." If Palestinians could not cross the checkpoints to see modern art, then the idea was to bring the art to them. But getting a Picasso into Palestine, across the separation border and security fence, where chaos can erupt at any moment, seemed all but impossible. "Of course people thought I was joking," Hourani says.

This past summer he proved them wrong. In partnership with the Van Abbemuseum in the Netherlands, and after two years of planning, the Academy exhibited the Picasso’s La Buste de Femme in Ramallah in July. It was the first contemporary masterpiece to come to the territories, and the crowds showed up.

"To see hundreds of people queued up to see Picasso, in Ramallah, from all across Palestine and the world, it was unbelievable!" Hourani says. "And for me, with all of this, it’s like I’m dropping a small stone into a silent lake, and watching the motion of the waves, the circles getting bigger and bigger and swirling around it. I’m watching the impact."

Emily Gogolak is a student and writer living in Tel Aviv. Her work regularly appears in Ha’aretz and the Global Post.

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Mayor of Paris visiting Sri Lankan peace pagoda in Ramallah (Asian Tribune)

2011-12-19T10:22:00.001Z

Mayor of Paris visiting Sri Lankan peace pagoda in Ramallah
http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2011/12/04/mayor-paris-visiting-sri-lankan-p...
Hiba Issa (Asian Tribune)
4 December 2011

Mayor of Paris was at the Garden to open the French Corner of the Garden where he unveiled the bust of a statue.

Mayor of Paris Mr. Bertrand Delanoe expressed his deep appreciation of the Peace Pagoda installed at the Garden of Nations in Ramallah, Palestine when he visited the Garden in the company of Mayor of Ramallah Ms. Janet Michel, Mayor of Al- Bireih Mr. Jamal Al Taweel and Dr.T.Jayasinghe, Representative for Sri Lanka in Palestine.

Peace Pagoda from Sri Lanka installed at the Garden of Nations is a creation of late Mr. Wimal Premachandra of Nendimala, Dehiwala, Sri Lanka. It has now become a unique piece of sculpture visited and appreciated by Palestinians and foreign visitors to Ramallah

A large number of Sri Lankans living in Israel took part at the unveiling ceremony held on 12th October and now many are visiting this Pagoda and offer flowers as they don’t have a place of Buddhist worship in Israel. They plan to have a major religious function near this Pagoda during next summer. In the meantime some Palestinians feel that this is an ideal place to meditate.Palestinians who travel to Thailand, China and even to Sri Lanka are aware of the significance of Pagodas.

It is also planned to plant a Bo (Ficus Religiosa) sapling near the Pagoda next year. It is strange to note that Bo trees are found in large numbers in Israel and Palestine even though it is not a tree indigenous to this region. Bo means wisdom according to Buddhist tradition. It is under this tree that Buddha attained enlightenment.

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Tensions feared as US leaves disputed Iraqi city (NPR)

2011-12-17T11:24:00.001Z

Iraqi soldiers take part in a graduation parade in Kirkuk on Monday. The oil-rich city is a mix of Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen and others. Its future status is a source of tension within Iraq.

20111214_NPR_-_Morning_Edition_-_Tensions_Feared_As_US_Leaves_Disputed_Iraqi_City.mp3 Listen on Posterous

Tensions feared as US leaves disputed Iraqi city
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/14/143675128/tensions-feared-as-u-s-leaves-dispute...
Kelly McEvers (NPR)
14 December 2011

As American troops leave Iraq, the one place in the country that's most likely to erupt into violence, at least in the short term, is the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

The city is a complicated ethnic mix of Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen and others. The question of whether it belongs to the autonomous Kurdish region in the north or to the Arab-dominated central government of Baghdad has long been a point of contention.

Until a few weeks ago, a U.S. military base operated in Kirkuk; the Americans were thought to be mediators of some sort. That relationship was tested last month when the U.S. was preparing to leave the base. As with hundreds of other American bases that have closed in Iraq in recent weeks, the U.S. signed the Kirkuk base over to the Iraqi military. But when the predominately Arab army prepared to enter the base, the predominantly Kurdish police force blocked the entrance.

'I Felt That That Was The End'

Kurdish journalist Kavez Mela Pervez disguised himself in a police uniform and sneaked into the base that day. He says the six-hour standoff at one point got so heated that both sides drew their guns.

"At that moment, I felt that that was the end," he said through a translator. "And that was not only me who felt this way. Actually, many of those who were around me felt this way, too."

The problem, Pervez says, is that before the Americans came, the base was used by Saddam Hussein's army to expel, attack and kill Kurds. Most Kurds believe the base should be a civilian airport, as it was before Saddam.

The standoff is an illustration of the larger problem in Kirkuk. Kurds want to regain control of a city they say was once theirs. Arabs don't want to let go of a city that they settled in, at the encouragement of Saddam. Turkmen, Christians and other ethnic groups are caught somewhere in the middle.

In a market in the center of Kirkuk, most people are afraid to talk about the departure of the Americans and who could help Kurds and Arabs resolve their differences now that U.S. troops are leaving.

'We Will Not Leave'

One young Arab named Mustafa says his family was offered about $17,000 as part of a government program to move Arabs out of Kirkuk. But that wasn't enough.

"We have lived all our lives here," Mustafa said through a translator. "Even if the Kurds come and try to kick us out, we will not leave."

Just outside Kirkuk, though, it's no longer an option for Arabs to stay in a valley neatly divided into plots of grain.

Kurdish farmer Abdul Abdullah says Kurds are moving in for good whether it's legal or not.

American officials in Iraq insist that just because U.S. troops are leaving, it doesn't mean American diplomats can't still serve as mediators between Arabs and Kurds. After all, it was diplomats who intervened to ease the standoff at the U.S. base last month.

But Hassan Turan, a Turkman who heads the Kirkuk provincial council, says U.S. diplomats will be perceived differently, now that guns no longer back up their words.

"They have many people from the State Department, but their power in my opinion will be less, without the military," he said.

Kirkuk Residents Lack Voice

Turan was part of a group of Kirkuki leaders who'd agreed to meet outside Kirkuk, in an effort to bring leaders from different ethnic groups together. The conference was organized by a German foundation. The hope was that it's not just the Americans who can act as mediators.

Joost Hiltermann, the group moderator, is a longtime Iraq analyst for the International Crisis Group. He says the only way to resolve the larger question of what will happen with Kirkuk — the so-called status question — is if local politicians can sit down and figure out how to get along.

"Status has been an issue between the political parties, at the national level, and it shouldn't be," he said. "It should be very much in the hands of the people of Kirkuk itself. But the Kirkukis never had that kind of voice. They were divided. They took no decisions of their own; it was one against the other.

"This is changing. And I think that is really critically important for the future of Kirkuk."

Locally, leaders from the different ethnic groups are beginning to make decisions like how to provide electricity despite national shortages. At the national level, though, Hiltemann says, the question of status will remain unanswered for some time. And the fear, he says, is that the next time the guns are drawn, there will be nobody to stop what comes next.

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Kirkuk to demand Kurdistan electricity for 15 years (SteelGuru)

2011-12-17T09:28:00.001Z

Kirkuk to demand Kurdistan electricity for 15 years
http://www.steelguru.com/middle_east_news/Kirkuk_to_Demand_Kurdistan_Electric...
(SteelGuru)
2 December 2011

AK News reported that Kirkuk will demand Iraqi Kurdistan region supply the province with electricity for the coming 15 years.

Mr Jamal Mawlud member of the Oil and Energy Committee at Kirkuk Provincial Council said that in the near future Najmaddin Kareem, Kirkuk governor will discuss with Kurdistan President Mr Massoud Barzani the prospect of extending the electricity provision deal from 5 to 15 years.

The regional Electricity Ministry of Kurdistan decided in September to supply 225 MW to Kirkuk province for 5 years. In exchange for the power, Kirkuk will compensate the Ministry with its oil revenues.

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Jumblatt warns of danger of sectarian strife in Lebanon (The Daily Star)

2011-12-17T09:22:00.001Z

Jumblatt warns of danger of sectarian strife in Lebanonhttp://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2011/Dec-04/155976-jumblatt-warns-of-danger-of-sectarian-strife-in-lebanon.ashx#axzz1gmX7GuzB
(The Daily Star)
4 December 2011

BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt warned Sunday against a break out of sectarian strife in Lebanon in light of domestic and regional events, particularly those in Syria.

“What is happening in Lebanon and around us and especially in Syria might make the issue of the international tribunal but a minor detail, if sectarian strife broke out and [hopefully] it won’t. But we should bear responsibility for every word we say,” Jumblatt said in a news conference in Mukhtara in the Chouf Mountains on the birthday of his father Kamal Jumblatt.

He also criticized the row between former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah over the issue of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

“The debate over the international tribunal and the issue of false witnesses between Hezbollah's Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri is unnecessary,” he said.

“At the same time, we understand Hezbollah's reservations.”

Nasrallah has accused Future Movement of inciting sectarian strife by using provocative language against the resistance.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced last week that he had funded the international court probing the 2005 assassination of former statesman Rafik Hariri, despite opposition from the majority represented in Hezbollah and its allies.

The PSP leader also touched upon the speech given by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Asir in Sidon Friday, in which Assir attacked the Shiite community, raising fear of sectarian clashes within the city’s multi-religious communities.

All officials should harshly condemn such statements to preserve stability, Jumblatt said.

“The matter could wound the Lebanese community and relations between Muslims. There must be a bigger reaction over what happened and [we must] consequently stand in solidarity to face such provocative words,” he added.

Jumblatt, who identifies himself as a centrist politician, said Hezbollah’s arms, which the March 14 coalition opposes, should only be used to defend Lebanon.

“Hezbollah will not get involved in any domestic disputes and we need it [the resistance] and are in need of arms to defend Lebanon, no more no less ,” he said.

Jumblatt spoke extensively about the situation in Syria, where President Bashar Assad is facing growing isolation from the Arab and international community.

“Syria's salvation is through the Arab League initiative and there is no magical solution that would see the collapse of the regime and the transfer of power to another government,” Jumblatt said.

Jumblatt, who has repeatedly called for dialogue between opposition groups and the Syrian government, said that undisciplined armed groups, primarily Shabiha, are damaging to the Syrian army and government.

The Syrian government has been facing growing opposition since mid March with demonstrators calling for the resignation of Assad and the ruling Baath party. Protests have been met with a violent crackdown which has prompted the international community to take strict measures against the government.

The troubled country has become increasingly isolated as the Arab and international community have imposed punitive economic sanctions in a bid to force Assad to agree to an Arab peace plan designed to end the crisis in that country.

Jumblatt repeated his calls for the Druze community in Syria living in Jabal Arab not to join the armed groups in their fight against protesters.

“My call for you is not to be dragged into [sectarian] strife,” he added.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay said Thursday that Syria has entered a state of civil war with more than 4,000 dead since the start of the uprising coupled with an increased number of army defectors.

(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

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Will the Spanish Government let the fallout from ETA ceasefire fester? (Irish Peace Centres)

2011-12-17T09:09:00.001Z

Will the Spanish Government let the fallout from ETA ceasefire fester?
http://www.irishpeacecentres.org/news/brian-rowan-reports-visit-belfast-basqu...
Brian Rowan (Irish Peace Centres)
8 December 2011

Brian Rowan reports on the visit to Belfast by a Basque delegation, including their meeting with local journalists and loyalists hosted by Peter Sheridan, Chief Executive of Co-operation Ireland

The questions in the conversation were familiar; the same ones we needed answered not that long ago.

But this time they were being asked by a visiting Basque delegation, in Belfast for several days last week.

They arrived after recent significant developments.

The international peace conference in San Sebastian attended by Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Jonathan Powell, who was Tony Blair’s Chief of Staff, and former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.

And, within days of that, the ETA announcement of a definitive cessation of its armed activity, and new hope that a violent conflict stretching across half a century is now over.

The conference had called for that public declaration, and:

“It was impossible for ETA to say no,” Paul Rios of the project Lokarri said during his Belfast visit.

His group is a social organisation committed to non-violence, and the defence of life and human rights as ethical absolutes.

Lokarri has also been working with the South African lawyer Brian Currin, known to the Northern Ireland peace process for his roles in the parades issue and with the Sentence Review Commission – established to deal with the prisoner releases after the Good Friday Agreement.

And, after those recent significant developments in the Basque country, the Belfast visit was under the theme: Building Reconciliation Bridges.

It was about listening and learning.

The delegation included two Lokarri representatives, Rios and Maialen Lizarralde, Rut Martinez of the Basque Nationalist Party, PNV, and a group of youth representatives.

At Stormont they met the Speaker and the political parties.

Then there were meetings with the projects Healing Through Remembering and Relatives for Justice.

They talked with the Human Rights Commissioner Alan McBride, who lost his wife and father-in-law in the IRA Shankill bomb in 1993.

Met the Belfast Lord Mayor Niall O Donnghaile in a week of controversy news and headlines for him over his refusal to present a young Army Cadet with an award.

And, there were conversations with youth representatives from Alliance and the SDLP as well as a visit to the Corrymeela peace centre.

On Saturday I was part of a group of journalists and loyalists who met the delegation.

Sinn Fein Councillor Caoimhin Mac Giolla Mhin and the former Methodist President Harold Good, both of whom have a special interest in the Basque process, were also present.

The meeting was arranged and chaired by Ruairi Rowan, and hosted by Peter Sheridan, the former senior police officer and now Chief Executive of Co-operation Ireland.

And, it was in this setting (above), over a couple of hours, that we discussed with the delegation many familiar topics and problems.

“The first thing it showed me was how much we had matured – that people can have these conversations,” Sheridan said afterwards.

But what is in it for the visiting delegation?

“The danger of making many of the mistakes that we made can be avoided by listening to groups like Saturday’s,” Sheridan responded.

In the final declaration to emerge from the San Sebastian Conference, the question of dialogue was addressed:

“We suggest that non-violent actors and political representatives meet and discuss political and other related issues, in consultation with the citizenry, that could contribute to a new era without conflict.

“In our experience third party observers or facilitators help such dialogue.

“Here, such dialogue could also be assisted by international facilitators, if that were desired by those involved,” the declaration read.

But William Smith, who chaired the 1994 loyalist ceasefire news conference, and who was a visitor with other ex-prisoners to the Basque country two years later, offered a word of caution:

“The danger in using intermediaries is that it gives people the excuse not to talk directly,” he said.

In Saturday’s meeting, the complex issue of apology was part of the discussion.

It was a wide-ranging conversation that also focused on demands made by politicians and government, including that ETA disband.

Then there were thoughts about prisoners, media reporting of conflict and the importance of dialogue.

Soon Harold Good, a witness to the IRA’s decommissioning, will travel again to the Basque country – this time for a conference on victims.

The veteran journalist Eamonn Mallie – who has covered Northern Ireland’s war and peace – stressed the importance of stepping outside absolute positions and the need to be careful with language.

We were able to describe some of the demands made here – that the IRA wear sackcloth and ashes, that decommissioning should be photographed, that the Army Council should publicly disband.

Demands that were not met and yet the process here survived.

Caoimhim Mac Giolla Mhin spoke of the importance of patience, allowing time and staying united in pursuit of goals.

He thinks things could move quickly after the recent peace conference and the ETA declaration.

And the loyalists John Howcroft, Jackie McDonald and ‘Plum’ Smith focused on the importance of community development.

“They need to develop at a community level,” Smith said

“You can’t leave this process to big ‘P’ politics.

“You need to develop with people on the ground,” he said.

And Harold Good and the BBC journalist Mervyn Jess both made the point that the people are often ahead of the politicians and their demands.

That the end of violence, being able to live in peace, are the things that really matter and that can create momentum.

Paul Rios said they wanted to learn about the idea of compromise, dialogue and trying to break that image of the enemy.

And, on Saturday, they saw one-time enemies sit in the same room – and debate and argue over difficult issues.

“If you can resolve one big problem, for example the problem here in Northern Ireland, you can resolve a smaller problem, like in the Basque country,” Rios said.

“The process in Northern Ireland encourages us to say: We can do that.”

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Old prejudices have no place in new society (Belfast Telegraph)

2011-12-17T08:58:00.001Z

Old prejudices have no place in new society
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/columnists/gail-walker/old-prejudic...
OPINION: Gail Walker (Belfast Telegraph)
14 December 2011

Some people just can't keep out of the news. Take Belfast Lord Mayor Niall O Donnghaile. There he was, busily planning to host a reception for the brave bus drivers who kept us all on the move through the Dark Days of the Troubles.

A quick way to get back into public favour after the Duke of Edinburgh Award/teenage girl cadet fiasco had left the public seething.

Then Cllr Jim Rodgers recalls that O Donnghaile Senior was one of several men convicted of burning a bus at gunpoint in 1972. Worse still, the driver had been shot dead a few days later at his own home.

Ghastly. Distressing. Grim.

If we didn't know it before, we do now. The dead are not going away. And it's every single one, it seems, and not just those killed by the dozen in what used to be known as 'spectaculars', who are going to have his and her day in the middle of our breathless drive to Move On And Move Forward.

Yes, it might seem like grandstanding on the part of Cllr Rodgers, like the Unionist Party 'getting its own back' for the cadet affair. And one might think that O Donnghaile (or someone in the slick SF team) could have anticipated the matter and taken evasive action. One might even think that O Donnghaile has been ambushed for making an honestly reparative gesture.

No matter, though, we have no choice now but to say 'welcome back' to Sydney Agnew, father of three. A man whose apparently small-scale and seemingly forgotten life ended 40 years ago just a month from now, on January 18 1972, when his six-year-old son opened the door to two 16-year-old gunmen who shot Mr Agnew several times. Mr Agnew's name would, most likely not have been remembered publicly on the anniversary of his death. More likely than not, his character would have been recalled only by a few former colleagues and by members of his surviving family, privately and sadly. Perhaps that is the way they would have wished to remember him.

But now Sydney Agnew is back.

It's very risky throwing a few weird ideological shapes, to prove that one is more loyal or more republican than the 'hardliners' on either side, when one's own community's atrocities are lined up hundreds deep. And yes, while there is something peculiar that someone touted as the voice of young Sinn Fein should so frequently sound like someone from the 1920s, it's hardly unique.

Recently, we had Orangemen trying to get UUP leader Tom Elliott and UUP colleague Danny Kennedy expelled for attending the funeral of Catholic PSNI man Ronan Kerr.

The madness of political certainties are with us still. But that doesn't mean we should be in thrall to them any longer.

Niall (and his soul mates from the other side) would do better to abandon their cumanns and smoke-filled lodges and get out more and meet the people they claim to represent. The true and much younger voice of contemporary Belfast doesn't recognise the ghosts we stashed away over the last 45 years.

The true voice was heard at the MTV awards with Catholics and Protestants (sorry, those from the nationalist persuasion and those from the unionist persuasion) trying to get a gander at Justin Bieber and Beyonce.

Most of us in Northern Ireland are yearning for the freedom to get on with our lives. And a condition of that getting on with our lives is freedom from being provoked by nutcases.

We expect our Lord Mayors (if they are unionist) to receive successful GAA teams, winners of Irish dance competitions; we expect our Lord Mayors (if they are nationalists) to welcome successful football teams and to award Duke of Edinburgh certificates without giving offence. Just do it and shut up. That's the real world that most of us live in.

If a relative of a friend or colleague dies, we go to their services regardless of their religion (or none).

When we know that there's somebody in the room who is not of our persuasion, we don't antagonise, hurt or belittle them. We have the common decency, the good grace, to keep our lip buttoned and not be an ignorant yahoo. It isn't too much to ask - even in Northern Ireland.

Still, even if we fret about the damage done to our collective peace of mind, there are two crumbs of comfort to be drawn even from this sorry episode. First, Mr Sydney Agnew has been remembered as a man, a dad and a bus driver who gave his life for others as surely as any decorated hero. Second, no one's listening to grandstanding ideologues anymore... At least no one who you want to hang out with.

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Basques now look to us to guide them towards peace (Belfast Telegraph)

2011-12-17T08:47:00.001Z

Basques now look to us to guide them towards peace
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/basques-now-look-to-u...
OPINION: Brian Rowan (Belfast Telegraph)
8 December 2011

The Basques are turning to Northern Ireland to learn dialogue's role in moving on from conflict. Brian Rowan reports

The questions in the conversation were familiar; the same ones we needed answered not that many years ago. But this time they were being asked by a Basque delegation visiting Belfast.

There have been recent significant developments in their process - an international peace conference in San Sebastian attended by Gerry Adams, Bertie Ahern and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and within days, an announcement by ETA of a definitive cessation of its armed activity.

The Belfast visit was under the theme: Building Reconciliation Bridges. The delegation included two representatives of the Lokarri project, Rios and Maialen Lizarralde, Rut Martinez of the Basque Nationalist Party, PNV, and youth representatives.

Last Saturday, I was part of a group who met the delegation in the company of Sinn Fein Councillor Caoimhin Mac Giolla Mhin and the former Methodist President Harold Good, a church witness to the IRA's decommissioning. The meeting was arranged and chaired by my son, Ruairi, and hosted by Peter Sheridan, the former senior police officer and now chief executive of Co-operation Ireland.

We discussed with the delegation familiar topics and problems.

"The first thing it showed me was how much we had matured - that people can have these conversations," Sheridan said afterwards.

But what was in it for the visiting delegation? "The danger of making the mistakes we made can be avoided by listening to groups like Saturday's," Sheridan added.

In the final declaration from the San Sebastian Conference, the question of dialogue was addressed. It stated: "We suggest that non-violent actors and political representatives meet and discuss political and other related issues, in consultation with the citizenry, that could contribute to a new era without conflict.

"In our experience, third-party observers or facilitators help such dialogue. Such dialogue could also be assisted by international facilitators, if desired by those involved."

But William Smith, who chaired the 1994 loyalist ceasefire news conference offered a word of caution: "The danger in using intermediaries is that it gives people the excuse not to talk directly."

The complex issue of apology was discussed, as was demands made by politicians, including that ETA disband, and the questions of victims, prisoners, media reporting and the importance of dialogue.

We were able to describe some of the demands made here: that the IRA wear sackcloth and ashes, that decommissioning should be photographed, that the IRA's 'army council' should publicly disband - demands that were not met, yet the process here survived.

Caoimhim Mac Giolla Mhin spoke of the importance of patience, allowing time and sticking together. The loyalists John Howcroft, Jackie McDonald and William Smith focused on the importance of community development.

"They need to develop at a community level," said Smith. "You can't leave this process to 'big P' politics. You need to develop with people on the ground.

Harold Good and the journalist Mervyn Jess both made the point that the people are often ahead of the politicians; that being able to live in peace is what really matters.

Paul Rios said the delegation wanted to learn about the idea of compromise, dialogue and trying to break that image of the enemy.

On Saturday, they saw one-time enemies sit in the same room, debate and argue over difficult issues.

"If you can resolve one big problem, for example the problem here in Northern Ireland, you can resolve a smaller problem, like in the Basque country," added Rios.

"The process in Northern Ireland encourages us to say, 'We can do that.'"

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Northern Ireland Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 'highest in world' (Belfast Telegraph)

2011-12-16T23:04:00.001Z

Northern Ireland Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 'highest in world'
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/northe...
(Belfast Telegraph)
6 December 2011

An Ulster Unionist MLA and former soldier has expressed his concern after a report suggested that more people suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Northern Ireland than in any other country in the world.

According to a major report by University of Ulster psychologists and Omagh-based trauma treatment experts, Northern Ireland has the world’s highest recorded rates of PTSD, ahead of war-hit regions such as Israel and Lebanon, at a yearly cost to the public purse of around £175m.

The Northern Ireland study shows that violence has been a distinctive cause of mental health problems for around 18,000 people, or one in four of the total PTSD category.

The researchers, taking 2008 as a sample year, estimated the combined direct and indirect costs of PTSD here to be £172.8m.

Of that, the cost associated with PTSD linked to a conflict-related traumatic event was £46.7m.

East Belfast MLA Michael Copeland said the figures did not make for pleasant reading.

“From a personal point of view, as a former soldier I know only too well the effect the stresses of military duty can have on you long after your service has finished,” he said. “Every week I have ex-servicemen and women coming to my constituency office to seek advice on how they can receive help to cope with PTSD.”

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Post traumatic stress disorder highest in Northern Ireland (BBC News)

2011-12-05T17:01:00.001Z

Post traumatic stress disorder highest in Northern Ireland

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16028713

(BBC News)

5 December 2011

Northern Ireland has the world's highest recorded rate of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a major international report.

It estimated that PTSD costs the public purse around £175m a year.

The same survey was undertaken in 30 countries, including war-hit areas such as Israel and Lebanon.

The World Mental Health survey showed that violence had been a distinctive cause of mental health problems for around 18,000 people.

The survey was carried out by University of Ulster psychologists and Omagh-based trauma treatment experts, based on World Health Organisation criteria.

It suggested that nearly 40% of the population have had a conflict related traumatic incident.

The report was based on a survey of 4,340 adults who were questioned between 2004 and 2008.

The researchers used 2008 as a sample year for the financial estimate and suggested that the costs linked to those suffering from PTSD would continue to increase as the patients grow older.

"The Economic Impact of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Northern Ireland" was launched at Parliament Buildings, Stormont on Monday.

The report concluded: "Northern Ireland has the highest level of 12-month and lifetime PTSD among all comparable studies undertaken across the world including other areas of conflict."

The research is the work of the Bamford Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing, which is based at the Magee campus of the University of Ulster, and the Northern Ireland Centre for Trauma and Transformation (NICTT).

Finola Ferry, a research associate at the Bamford Centre, said: "This is the first ever economic cost-of-illness study to focus on PTSD.

"It reveals that PTSD and other disorders associated with trauma represent a significant public health burden here, with economic implications right across society that stretch far into the future. "

David Bolton, lead researcher with the NICTT, called for better treatment for those suffering from PTSD.

"International research shows that recovery from PTSD is unlikely if sufferers do not have access to trauma focussed-treatment," he said.

"There is obvious unmet need and more attention should be given to people and communities with significant trauma related problems, including those needs arising from years of conflict.

"The report provides policy-makers with the most reliable available information upon which they will be able to base their choices for the future."

Kosovan city welcomes Turkish choir at concert (Hurriyet Daily News)

2011-11-28T12:36:00.000Z

Kosovan city welcomes Turkish choir at concert

http://archive.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=kosovan-city-welcomes-turkish-choir-at-concert-2011-11-28

(Hurriyet Daily News)

28 November 2011

The Istanbul State Music Choir performed Nov. 26 in the Kosovo city of Mitrovica. The concert was organized as part of an event celebrating the 60th anniversary of Turkish language in Kosovo.

It was the first time in 20 years that a Turkish choir performed at the culture center near the Mitrovica Bridge, which separates the city.

Mitrovica Mayor Avni Kastrati, Minister Mahir Yağcılar, Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry Deputy-Undersecretary Kemal Fahri Genç and Turkish Ambassador Songül Ozan were among the 500 guests of the event.

Mitrovica Deputy-Mayor Erol Zekeriya said they had not organized a similar event in 20 years and the event boosted people’s morale.

Istanbul State Music Choir artists Aylin Şengül Taşçı and Osman Ziyagil performed Rumelian folk songs.

2011-11-28T12:28:00.000Z

Fed up with separation Cypriot youths seek change

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/11/28/us-cyprus-movement-occupation-idUKTRE7AR1L520111128

Simon Bahceli (Reuters)

28 November 2011

(Reuters) - Fed up with decades of separation between Cyprus' ethnic Greek and Turkish communities and wary of reunification talks resuming Monday, Orestis Georgiou and Umut Yasar want to start a revolution.

So they have started an occupation.

Inspired by occupy movements in other countries, a handful of youths have pitched their tents in a tiny strip of no-man's land in Cyprus, one of the most potent reminders of conflict in their bullet-scarred capital.

What fuels this protest, among other things, is the youths' lack of faith in Cyprus' Greek and Turkish leaders and in negotiations, which were resuming at an abandoned airport in Nicosia as part of a fresh push for reunification.

"No one in Cyprus believes the negotiations are going anywhere. It's a game, an illusion to make the population believe they are trying reunite Cyprus. But they don't really want it because they are happy with the power they have," Georgiou said of talks that have been going on since September 2008.

Camped on a tiny sliver of land that forms part of a United Nations-controlled buffer zone in the heart of Nicosia, these 18-year-olds and their friends are calling for a return to a way of life they have never known, one in which their communities can mix freely.

"I want to see a bicommunal revolution, with people rising up from the coffee shops to start questioning the way we are living," said Georgiou, a Greek Cypriot who, despite the negative image of Turkish Cypriots passed onto him by his schooling, says he is determined to see the lifting of a 1974 ceasefire agreement that left the island divided.

Cypriots from both sides are saddled by decades of separation and mistrust.

Turkish troops invaded in 1974 and seized the northern third of the island in response to a coup by militant Greek Cypriots seeking union with Greece.

Northern Cyprus is recognized only by Ankara. Greek Cypriots represent the whole of Cyprus in the EU but their authority is effectively confined to its south.

It is fitting that the youths' movement is on Ledra Street, a bustling thoroughfare where the first seeds of Cyprus's separation were sown in the 1950s.

After more than four decades of being cut by stacks of sandbags and army outposts, rival sides dismantled fortifications and set up checkpoints to regulate the flow of pedestrian traffic from one community to the other in 2008.

The United Nations controls what lies between the rival checkpoints, a corridor of crumbling and booby trapped buildings, and, since mid November, Georgiou, Yasar and their friends. The group brought tents, furniture, gas stoves, a generator and hundreds of banners.

The group is small, sometimes just Georgiou and Yasar, sometimes in the evening 30-40 people. But it is determined not to move out until the island is reunited.

"It's the new generation that is bringing these changes about," said Turkish Cypriot Yasar, who, like many of his fellow demonstrators, believes that the division of Cyprus and the inequalities of global capitalism are linked.

Normally supportive of such bicommunal activities, the U.N. forces that patrol the 180km long buffer zone did not immediately seek the removal of the protesters. But after two weeks, the peacekeepers' patience appeared to be running thin and protesters were informed that bicommunal events in the buffer zone need prior permission.

Their response: "This is not a bicommunal event. It's an occupation."

(Editing by Alessandra Rizzo)

NGOs use Beirut Marathon to promote peace, nonviolence (The Daily Star)

2011-11-26T12:15:00.000Z

NGOs use Beirut Marathon to promote peace, nonviolence

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Sports/Athletics/2011/Nov-26/155282-ngos-use-beirut-marathon-to-promote-peace-nonviolence.ashx#axzz1ff5KQYks

Fitzroy Morrisey (The Daily Star)

26 November 2011

BEIRUT: This Sunday, on the back of the Lebanese football team’s unifying victory over South Korea last week, comes another sporting event capable of bringing together Lebanese of all backgrounds: the Beirut Marathon.

Now in its ninth year, the marathon was originally conceived by Lebanese businesswoman May al-Khalil, who set up the Beirut Marathon Association in 1993 for that very purpose: to unite people from Lebanon’s various religious, political and social groups in a very public way, thus promoting her vision of a harmonious, prosperous society untainted by violence.

Sharing this vision are several Lebanon-based NGOs, which have organized teams of runners for this year’s race in an effort to promote their cause. At the heart of the BMA’s message of unity is a commitment to healing the scars of conflict forged during the 1975-95 Civil War and to promoting a culture of peace and positive interaction between previously warring factions. In light of this, the efforts and vision of the Permanent Peace Movement, an NGO founded by a group of Lebanese students at the height of the Civil War in 1986, make it a fitting participant in this year’s race.

As its name suggests, the PPM aims to build a lasting peace through nonviolent means. Under the leadership of Christine Foerch, who came to Lebanon as a filmmaker and journalist 15 years ago, the PPM has focused its efforts on educating the Lebanese youth about the Civil War, aiming to plant the seeds of nonviolent activism through various projects dedicated to upholding the memory of the war, and the destruction that was wreaked during that fateful period.

“We have a number of specific projects, promoting memory of the Civil War, forgiveness and reconciliation,” Foerch told The Daily Star’s Sports Weekly. “We have been working with high school students from all over the country We’ve set up lots of activities focused on memory and reconciliation.”

The PPM’s focus on the Civil War is born of the belief that young Lebanese need to be made aware of the devastating effect of war on the lives of ordinary people, and that only by confronting the reality of the past can the wounds and animosities forged by war be healed. In reflection of this, the PPM’s slogan reads: “Remember – Forgive – Change.”

The movements’ many projects, which have included documentary films, plays, concerts and rallies, are by no means solely dedicated to memory, however. For this Sunday’s marathon, the PPM will bring together 400 students of many faiths and social backgrounds from high schools across Lebanon to run in support of its cause.

“The marathon is one of the activities that we do to bring young people together,” explained Foerch. “The aim is to do one fun activity together, to strengthen dialogue between young people from different schools.”

In keeping with the movement’s broader philosophy, the message that the students will be promoting is one of peace and nonviolent interaction between different groups:

“The goal is to run against war. By running the marathon we hope to strengthen cooperation and promote dialogue,” said Foerch. The PPM’s message will be printed loud and clear on the t-shirts of the students, which will carry the slogan: “Run for peace – take war out of the competition.”

The Permanent Peace Movement is by no means the only group promoting the BMA’s vision of a peaceful, tolerant society in Lebanon and the wider region. Search hard among the myriad T-shirts on display Sunday and you’ll doubtless find those of UNESCO, which is supporting a number of participants, including 90 schoolchildren from the Spring of Life foundation, a charitable organization based in Burj Hammoud that provides free schooling for children whose parents could not afford to register them into the public school system. UNESCO will also be funding the youngest competitor in this year’s 40 km race, 17-year-old Christian Medlej, who is running in support of youth empowerment and the right to education.

Like the PPM, UNESCO is focusing its attention on the younger generation, through which it aims to foster a culture of peace and work for a better society: “UNESCO supports the running in general, with particular focus on the youth,” UNESCO spokesman Faris al-Khatib explained.

“People running for our cause are running for peace and for the betterment of the youth in society. The values that we are promoting are cultural diversity, accepting others, building peace, helping young people through education, and helping to create a better community. When people run for our cause, they are supporting this positive message.”

This message is reflected in the logo that UNESCO has specially designed for the event: a human figure made up of five different colors, symbolizing the spirit of social, cultural and religious diversity that the organization promotes.

The marathon, drawing together people from all of the country’s many diverse groups, as well as others from the wider Middle East region, would appear to be the perfect platform for UNESCO’s vision.

Moreover, UNESCO’s involvement in the marathon is no mere publicity exercise, as its support for the economically disadvantaged children at the Spring of Life shows. By covering the cost of the marathon fee for these children, UNESCO is enabling them to participate in a social activity as full Lebanese citizens, of no less worth than the politicians and other VIPs taking part. UNESCO’s support for the deprived children of Burj Hammoud shows the very real difference that the organization can make to people’s lives, and highlights the pettiness of the United States’ decision to cut its funding to the U.N. body in the wake of its recognition of the state of Palestine last month.

All charitable organizations are preoccupied to a large degree with the issue of funding, and those participating in this year’s Beirut Marathon are no different. Local charities like the PPM and the Spring of Life rely on the generous contributions of private donors to finance their worthy projects.

“Without our donors we couldn’t do anything,” said Christina Foerch, noting that the PPM has relied on financial support from the Foreign Affairs Ministry in her home country of Germany over the past six years. UNESCO’s support for the marathon, meanwhile, stems from its leaders’ appreciation of the vital role that the event plays as a way for Lebanese charities to get publicity. “We support the marathon because it is one of the biggest platforms for charities in Lebanon, with over 50 charities taking part,” Khatib explained.

With so many good causes being represented, and so many Lebanese dedicated to realizing an educated, harmonious and peaceful society gathering to share in the experience, the Beirut Marathon deserves recognition not only as one of Lebanon’s main sporting events, but also as a significant force for good for society as a whole.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Sports/Athletics/2011/Nov-26/155282-ngos-use-beirut-marathon-to-promote-peace-nonviolence.ashx#ixzz1ff5WHZfu

(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

End sectarian division, says DUP's Peter Robinson (The Telegraph)

2011-11-26T12:10:00.000Z

End sectarian division, says DUP's Peter Robinson

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/northernireland/8917797/End-sectarian-division-says-DUPs-Peter-Robinson.html

(The Telegraph)

26 November 2011

Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson, left, receives a standing ovation after he addressed members at the DUP's annual conference near Belfast Photo: PA

Northern Ireland's First Minister has called for Catholics and Protestants to unite to end sectarian division.

Combining education services and promoting a shared community is the way to secure the future, Peter Robinson said.

He addressed hundreds of members at today's Democratic Unionist Party annual conference near Belfast.

"The conflict of the last 40 years created terrible divisions. It became a case of 'them and us'. And that attitude deepened divisions further," he said.

"If we want a better society it can't be 'them and us'. It can only be 'all of us'."

Mr Robinson said the economic crisis would pass but argued that the lasting challenge was to tackle the causes of division.

He added that there can be no greater guarantee of the long-term security of the union than the support of significant numbers of Catholics.

"An end to the Troubles did not bring an end to division and that dilemma will not solve itself," he said.

"Our critics have claimed that we want a society which is carved up rather than shared. Some of them accuse us of wanting a separate but equal society," he added.

"Let me be clear, nothing could be further from the truth. It is not right and it would not work.

"I do not want a society where people live close together, but live separate lives."

He said the task was to persuade, rather than defeat.

Peace walls are still in place in Belfast to keep apart Catholics and Protestants, he said. Most working-class areas are divided along religious lines. Many still vote along nationalist or unionist lines, and last summer saw pitched battles between republican youths and police in Belfast amid Orange Order marches.

Despite this, Mr Robinson said, power sharing has delivered progress on agreeing moves towards creating a shared society and inter-community dialogue.

The First Minister added: "I tell you, now is the moment. Miss it and we may miss it forever. Miss it and we may drift and stray."

The DUP leader pledged his support for victims of the conflict and said he would not allow republicans to rewrite the past.

In April this year new Catholic Constable Ronan Kerr was blown up by dissident republicans in Omagh, Co Tyrone. At his funeral members of the Gaelic Athletic Association and the Police Service of Northern Ireland stood side by side, a strongly symbolic moment in the region.

The First Minister added: "The murder of Constable Ronan Kerr showed that the threat from terrorism still exists, but more importantly the reaction to his death demonstrated that this threat will never, never win."

Connecting Lebanese diaspora with development (The Daily Star)

2011-11-22T18:58:00.000Z

Connecting Lebanese diaspora with development

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Nov-22/154836-connecting-lebanese-diaspora-with-development.ashx#axzz1ekFPw7CA

Olivia Alabaster (The Daily Star)

22 November 2011

BEIRUT: With a diaspora community of millions, and one of the highest remittances rates in the world, Lebanon maintains strong ties to its expats.

Launched in November 2009, Live Lebanon, a one-of-its-kind U.N. Development Program project, has sought to make the most of these links, channeling money from abroad to help development projects in Lebanon.

Fadi Salameh is the Institutional Goodwill Ambassador for UNDP Live Lebanon, representing the project and coordinating with the other ambassadors around the globe, each of whom is responsible for raising funds within their particular community, whether Australia or Brazil, among others.

He spoke to The Daily Star Monday about his role in the project, and what Live Lebanon means for the country.

Appointed to the role earlier this year, after having returned to Lebanon after a long stint in Dubai, Salameh, until recently the head of the Middle East Communications Network, was attracted to Live Lebanon due to the non-sectarian nature of its work.

“Live Lebanon doesn’t belong to one group or another, and in Lebanon this is very, very important,” he says.

The projects completed to date, 13, have been carried out across the country, in 30 villages across every region and are selected through a rigorous process to ensure that they benefit the widest group of people, Salameh says.

Live Lebanon projects fall under one of four categories: Young, Healthy, Green and Prosperous. Donors might select a project they’re particularly interested in. Those with a passion for the environment might choose a Green project, such as one of the eight projects currently being implemented, affecting a predicted 20,000 people: the rehabilitation of a local reservoir in Tal Dnoub in the Bekaa which will provide residents with uninterrupted access to running water.

Often though, donors are moved to help fund schemes – the average cost of a Live Lebanon project is $40,000 – in villages where they or their ancestors originate from.

“The majority like to donate to their own town, to something that means something to them,” Salameh says.

Live Lebanon’s projected total budget for 2011 is $650,000.

Remittances to Lebanon stood at $8.4 billion in 2010, accounting for 21.4 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. The country was the largest recipient of remittances in the Middle East and North Africa, and the 12th highest in the world.

With such large amounts of money coming in to the country, Live Lebanon offers potential donors the opportunity to see exactly how their money is spent.

“Working with UNDP, from day one you can see where every penny is spent ... if a donor is interested, he or she can go in at any time and find out the progress of the project,” Salameh says.

And while this is the only such diaspora project around the world, UNDP is looking at Live Lebanon as a template for future schemes, with a potential eye on Armenia.

“With a small amount of money you are affecting an entire community, those people who are really in need,” explains Salameh. “Our projects affect a lot of people: if you supply some water you are helping local agriculture and the whole area.”

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Nov-22/154836-connecting-lebanese-diaspora-with-development.ashx#ixzz1ekFWAJaF

(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

In east Jerusalem, streets will soon have names (Daily Times, Pakistan)

2011-11-20T19:17:00.000Z

In east Jerusalem, streets will soon have names

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C11%5C20%5Cstory_20-11-2011_pg4_6

(Daily Times, Pakistan)

20 November 2011

MANY east Jerusalem residents have for decades lived on anonymous streets where home delivery is almost impossible - but that is about to change thanks to a long-awaited plan to name the roads. The programme should end years of confusion and, crucially, give Palestinians in the annexed eastern sector access to services including home mail delivery, a tall order in the absence of street names or house numbers. “We have been demanding that our streets be named for years,” said Hossam Watad, head of the community centre in Beit Hanina neighbourhood.

“If you need an ambulance or any emergency service, you should be able to tell them exactly where you live.” For residents living in homes without numbers and streets without names, jobs as simple as calling a plumber was a matter of finding local landmarks to direct the technician. And getting post delivered to a home address was simply impossible, with residents relying on post boxes at the nearest post office to receive letters and bills, which often ended up being paid late because of the difficulties.

Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community, often complain of discrimination by the municipality. Though they are not Israeli citizens, they pay the same municipal taxes as the city’s Jewish residents. But they say the city provides fewer services in Arab neighbourhoods, makes it almost impossible to build, and only agreed to allow street names and house numbers after years of requests. “This is happening after years of petitioning the municipality, the post office, and the ministry of communications,” Watad told.

Residents have even petitioned Israel’s high court on the issue of mail delivery, with the court accepting a communication ministry pledge to work with the municipality and postal authority to find a solution. The Jerusalem municipality has promised that all the unnamed streets in the eastern part of the city will be given names by the end of 2012, with house numbers to follow.

“Residents can give us names and then a committee will examine them, then another committee headed by a Supreme Court judge will examine them,” a municipality official said on condition of anonymity. “It is the same process in west Jerusalem and all of Israel,” he added. He said the programme was part of a push by Mayor Nir Barkat to “improve a lot of issues in east Jerusalem,” though he did not say why it had taken the municipality so long to implement the project. “Residents will be able to get mail correctly and call service people - it will help improve all aspects of life,” he said.

Jerusalem city councillor Meir Margalit, who belongs to the left-wing Meretz party, was the main person pushing the programme from inside the municipality. “We will start with Beit Hanina and Shuafat,” he told, referring to neighbourhoods in the northeast of the city. “We asked communities in Sur Baher and Jabal al-Mukabber (southeast) to suggest their names and they sent us a list.” Margalit said the municipality had asked residents to avoid “provocative names,” though he said he had no personal objection to any name which locals might choose. But the municipal source said none of the names which had been submitted were controversial.

Watad said he had worked with local residents to come up with names. “We presented a list of Arab names for streets in Shuafat and Beit Hanina and we chose acceptable names,” he said. Among the street names suggested were those of Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran and Egyptian writer Taha Hussein, as well as simpler choices such as “Al-Nakheel,” meaning palm tree, and “Al-Sadaqa,” Arabic for friendship.

Alaa Bassem, a 24-year-old resident of Beit Hanina, said he was pleased the project was finally under way, but questioned why it had taken so long. “There isn’t any excuse for it. Jerusalem is relatively small, and this project should have been done many years ago,” he said. “It just proves that the Palestinian residents of Jerusalem are on the bottom rung of the ladder in the minds of the municipality.”

afp

Beirut's hidden Jewish community (Deutsche Welle)

2011-11-15T12:59:00.000Z

Beirut's hidden Jewish community

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6654644,00.html

Naomi Conrad (Deutsche Welle)

15 November 2011

Lebanon's miniscule Jewish community is rebuilding its synagogue, which was destroyed during the civil war. Lebanese Jews continue to keep a low profile - and the construction site in Beirut is heavily guarded.

One of the four Syrian workers trundles past with a wheelbarrow full of Damascene marble for the Bat Zion, where the Torah will one day be kept, oblivious to the commotion outside the gate. The guard is shouting into his radio, to the deafening tune of the pneumatic drill from the neighboring construction site. Across the road from the synagogue, yet another luxurious apartment block is growing into Beirut's skyline.

Isaac Arazi, a softly spoken man in his sixties and the self-declared head of the Jewish community in Lebanon, is apologetic for the delay. Security is tight around the synagogue and likely to remain so, even once the building work is completed at some point next year. "There was an attack a month after we started building back in 2009," Isaac explains. A deranged man, he says, threw a Molotov cocktail at the building site.

Is Isaac worried that something similar might happen again? He shrugs and gestures to former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s residence overlooking the site. A five-minute walk from the synagogue, several armed men dressed in black are lounging by the residence's entrance, while a sniffer dog is inspecting the boot of a car.

Someone, maybe the Colonel, has sent one of the men to the synagogue. He trails behind Isaac, looking bored. "No photo," he suddenly barks. No, a picture of the small Star of David chalked on the light-blue wall of the gallery overlooking the empty room below, which will one day house the congregation, is impossible: the as yet paneless window faces Hariri's residence.

With Hezbollah's permission

Saad Hariri's father, Rafik, Lebanon’s post-war prime minister, pushed the transformation of the ruined downtown area through Solidere, a publically listed construction company. Luxury boutiques and trendy cafes and bars have grown out of the ruins, turning downtown into an expensive - and highly controversial neighborhood.

Not so the reconstruction of the synagogue, located in the old Jewish neighborhood of Wadi Abu Jamil. All political parties, including the Shia militia and political party, Hezbollah, gave their consent. "We accept all people: Christians, Jews, atheists," Ibrahim Moussawi, the spokesperson emphasizes. Hezbollah, he explains, has no problem with Jews, only with Israel.

The current Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, in an interview conducted via twitter, says he is proud that the synagogue is being built: the proximity of churches, mosques and a synagogue is a sign of "the religious diversity at the heart of Beirut."

Jewish coexistence with Lebanon's other religious communities was historically peaceful and amiable, according to Kristen Schulze, a professor at the London School of Economics and the author of "The Jews of Lebanon." Jews, Schulze writes, were just another minority in Lebanon's sectarian and religious patchwork.

In contrast with other Arab countries, following the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, the number of Jews living in Lebanon actually increased. An estimated 14,000 Jews lived mostly in Beirut, but also in the coastal towns of Tripoli and Saida.

The Lebanese Civil War, which started in 1975 and was to rage until 1990, turned the Jewish quarter into an embattled no man’s land: the dreaded Green Line dividing the city in two, ran through the Jewish neighborhood, separating Christian East Beirut from the mostly Muslim and Druze neighbourhoods in the West. Snipers and constant shelling turned the area - and the synagogue - to abandoned rubble. Many Jews, as well as Muslims and Christians, fled the country.

'I couldn’t find any Jews'

With the Israeli invasion and subsequent occupation of Lebanon in 1982, the former coexistence was finally shattered. Some Islamist groups associated the Lebanese Jews with the Israeli occupier, Schulze says, even though the majority of those emigrating left for Europe or the United States - not Israel.

Today, the Jewish community is estimated to number about 200. In his office in Downtown Beirut, Nabil de Freige recalls how he went on a quest to find the remaining Jews in Lebanon, after he was elected to Parliament in 2000. "I tried to find a Jewish representative," the MP representing the seven minority groups out of Lebanon’s 18 recognized religious sects explains. "But we couldn't find anyone willing to come forward," he says. He believes Jews may be afraid to identify as Jews and pretend to be Christians.

Isaac Arazi is reluctant to say whether or not he feels afraid. He grudgingly admits that the community is miniscule. But he has a vision: he wants to revitalize the dwindling community through the synagogue's reconstruction. Soon, he says, services, which are now conducted in secret, will be held in the synagogue. Maybe, he says seriously, half smiling, some Jews will even return.

Nothing but a pipe dream?

Isaac Arazi’s grand plans are "ludicrous," a Lebanese who migrated to Israel in 1975 says. "The synagogue will be more of a museum than a place of cult, given that there are no people to attend the offices," Isaac Salmassi, who lives close to Tel Aviv, scoffs.

For now, the completion of the synagogue has been delayed. There is not enough marble for the altar, Antony Awad says. "We are looking for the right marble." The decorator has trawled through archives to find pictures of what the original synagogue looked like. The building's sandstone walls are painted light blue, the white stone columns are inlaid with countless tiny fossils. "The columns are priceless," Awad explains, as they are no longer quarried. Finding the right building materials is difficult - and expensive.

Next year, in Beirut

Isaac spends a lot of time in Geneva, Paris and New York, the cities where the Jewish Lebanese Diaspora has settled. Many Lebanese Jews have done well for themselves in their new countries of choice and Isaac Arazi has been tapping into this wealth.

The construction effort is being paid for almost entirely by private funds from the Lebanese Diaspora, as well as some money from Solidere. Not though, de Freige emphasizes, through donations from Israel. "Israel is officially our enemy. And you don't take money from your enemy," he smiles.

If everything goes according to plan, the building works will be completed next summer. Next year, in Beirut, Isaac and his tiny congregation will celebrate Shabat in the synagogue. Security, Isaac admits, will remain tight.

Author: Naomi Conrad

Editor: Rob Mudge

Ulster welcomes £1m IFI funding for Hume-O'Neill Chair in Peace (University of Ulster)

2011-11-15T12:46:00.000Z

Ulster welcomes £1m IFI funding for Hume-O'Neill Chair in Peace

http://news.ulster.ac.uk/releases/2011/6085.html

(University of Ulster)

15 November 2011

The University of Ulster has been awarded funding of £1m by the International Fund For Ireland (IFI) to support the establishment of a new peace studies Chair at its Magee campus in Londonderry.

To be known as the John Hume and Tip O’Neill Chair in Peace, the Chair will enhance the international profile of the University as a world leader in peace and conflict resolution studies.

Over the past decade, Nobel Laureate Professor John Hume has been closely associated with the University, and his international stature has given Ulster unrivalled visibility in the international sphere.

The late Tip O’Neill was one of the 'Four Horsemen' group of Irish-American politicians who, influenced by John Hume’s peace-making strategies, helped create the conditions for Northern Ireland’s peace process.

A former Speaker of the House, his name has been associated with Magee in the past 10 years in a series of 'Tip O’Neill Peace Lectures' supported by the Ireland Funds and delivered by international statesmen and stateswomen at the personal invitation of Professor Hume.

Welcoming the IFI’s announcement, Ulster Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Barnett said:

"This generous and far-sighted endowment from the International Fund for Ireland will enable us to move forward with this important academic initiative, and will sustain this enterprise far into the future.

“Building on the strong foundations laid by Nobel Laureate Professor John Hume over the past decade, we want to further develop our globally recognised work in the area of conflict transformation by establishing the John Hume and Tip O’Neill Professor of Peace, based at our Magee campus in Derry."

Professor Barnett said that the establishment of the John Hume and Tip O’Neill Chair in Peace will:

recognise the contribution of both John Hume and Tip O’Neill to conflict transformation and peacebuilding by recording and sharing the lessons learned and to continue the process of peace and reconciliation for future generations on the island of Ireland, the UK, and throughout the world
act as a unifying focus for important University of Ulster peace and conflict-related initiatives including the work of the Institute for Conflict Research (INCORE), and other conflict-related institutes and centres at the University.
combine rigorous research and teaching with practical and policy impacts;
aid local community developments aimed at consolidating peace;
enhance the profile of Ulster’s Magee campus and the city of Londonderry as a world-recognised centre of learning and academic excellence in the field of peace studies.

“The award of this funding marks the successful completion of the first stage of a major fundraising drive,” the Vice-Chancellor said.

“We are confident our development plans will be generously supported by friends of the University in honour of these two great international statesmen and their lasting legacy of peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.”

ENDS

NOTES

John Hume was formerly leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, former MP for Foyle and MEP for Northern Ireland. He received the Nobel Peace prize in 1998 (along with Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble) for his contribution to peace in Northern Ireland. John Hume is now an Honorary Professor at the University of Ulster.

The late Thomas ‘Tip’ O’Neill was one of the foremost Irish-American Democratic politicians of his generation, who rose to become Speaker of the House. His deep interest in Northern Ireland led to his partnership with John Hume in the drive for peace. Speaker O'Neill was also instrumental in the creation of the IFI. He died in 1994.

"Living Museum" unites memories in divided Mostar (Balkan Insight)

2011-11-14T13:31:00.000Z

"Living Museum" unites memories in divided Mostar

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/living-museum-unites-memories-in-divided-mostar

Kathryn Hampton (Balkan Insight)

14 November 2011

In a city where history itself has become a battleground, ‘Re-collecting Mostar’ strives to create an open archive, enabling people to remember what the city was and could be again.

Faced with a lack of jobs in museums, or even of museums, a group of young people on Mostar in southwest Bosnia have come up with an original solution: create your own museum.

Abart, an art production group set up by Mela Zuljevic, Amila Puzic and Anja Bogojevic started out with a project called Festival of Art in Divided Cities in 2009. Their latest project, (Re)collecting Mostar, is their most ambitious to date.

The goal of the project, supported through the UNDP Millennium Development Goals Fund programme “Culture for Development”, is to create an open archive, acting as a form of living depot of public memories of the city.

“Since division has become a metaphor for Mostar, we considered it necessary to take on the issue of public space in a direct and provocative way,” project coordinator Zuljevic told Balkan Insight.

The project involves a series of exhibitions, lectures, and workshops, culminating in “Urban Imaginarij“ / “Urban Imagination“, an exhibition in which the public has a chance to access the archive of “unwritten history” of Mostar.

The members of Abart view themselves as artists and curators who represent a direct reaction to what they see in society.

“Young people in the country can explore and achieve their potential, not only by working towards their own goals but by recognizing the responsibility of each individual to participate in the creation of an autonomous society,” said Bogojevic, who is a curator for Abart along with Puzic.

An important component of the project has been training students to take on the role of researchers and city archivists.

Dijana Kresic, a student of art and archaeology at the University of Mostar, researched the Rudnik neighbourhood in Mostar as a participant.

“I wanted to know more about my city,” she said. “Since I’m from the younger generation, I don’t know what Mostar was like before the war, what people were like, their mentality, where the main meeting points were.”

The idea is that the student themselves become mobile living archives, carrying their new-found knowledge of Mostar into all parts of the city.

“It was a two-way process, as we were also able to learn from the students, and work side by side with them in mapping, collecting and in the assembling processes,” added Puzic, who, like Bogojevic, is a university teaching assistant. (Puzic teaches at Dzemal Bjedic University in Mostar and Bogojevic at the Sarajevo Academy of Art.)

Abart sees its work as a way to envision society as it could be, not ignoring the serious problems now facing the cultural sector, but actively seeking to overcome them.

“It would be much easier for us to develop and realize cultural activities if there was a better legislative framework. On the other hand, our work can be thought of as a process of creating cultural policies in itself,” said Zuljevic.

Abart is housed in Youth Cultural Center Abrasevic, which is itself a historic pre-war icon of Mostar.

For Dijana, “OKC Abrasevic represents a place where young people can make positive changes to their city with their own ideas.”

Cultural institutions in Mostar are mostly divided along ethnic lines, comments Bogojevic for Abart, “so we found it particularly motivating to create a space of our own for arts and culture.”

Puzic explained how the project crossed virtual barriers through interactive social networks such as Facebook and Youtube.

“Through social networks, we were able to draw on the memories of Mostarians who no long live in the city but who still feel like citizens,” she said.

The archive exhibition was on temporary display at Youth Cultural Center Abrasevic in Mostar last month. It is now seeking a more permanent home. For now, the works and essays can be viewed at their website,www.abart.ba.

Sir Stelios awards Cyprus’ top bi-communal businesses (Cyprus Mail)

2011-11-12T13:19:00.000Z

Sir Stelios awards Cyprus’ top bi-communal businesses

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/sir-stelios-awards-cyprus-top-bi-communal-businesses/20111112

Naomi Leach (Cyprus Mail)

12 November 2011

EASYJET founder and entrepreneur Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou yesterday awarded five of Cyprus’ top bi-communal businesses €50,000 each.

The annual award, organised by the Stelios Foundation, for business cooperation across the Green Line entered its third year and saw the highest number of applicants this year.

Winning teams were chosen for bi-communal business partnership which benefit the whole island. Each team had to include a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot born on the island, working together in business.

“I believe every business person has a duty to repay some of that debt back to society, some do it quietly and there are people who like to shout about it like me,” said Sir Stelios.

“The five awards of €50,000 to bi-communal business is not a one off, I hope to make it perpetual. I hope it will carry on and have a profound effect on the island,”

Haji-Ioannou said the focus of the Stelios Awards was on celebrating Cyprus business and entrepreneurship rather than delving into politics. “We’re trying to achieve change that will happen economically and then in other spheres of life,” Haji-Ioannou explained at the ceremony held at Chateau Status restaurant in Nicosia’s buffer zone.

Bi-communal filmmakers, Danae Stylianou and Rahme Veziroglou were awarded for their partnership which produced the ‘Sharing an Island’ documentary. Stylianou said the prize would help the duo to disseminate and distribute the film islandwide and internationally. They also have plans for further bi-communal TV production projects in the future. “We are eager to bring about a positive change,” explained Veziroglou.

A business and love partnership blossomed between the winning team from Achaco Cleaning Systems. Mehmet Birinci who expanded his business into the south, recruited Antry Mylona. He said: “She came and destroyed all my interview plans, it lasted two and a half hours, and six and a half years later the interview is still going.” The team plan to recruit more employees with their winnings.

On both sides of the island, the need for dental products inspired Yiannos Ioannou and Mehmet Ertepinar to develop the business Neoclis Kyriacou Health Products, together. When the crossings opened, Ioannou said: “Let’s think about the day after.”

Harris Galazis and Emre Serdar of Island Wide Facade Engineering won a Stelios Award for their large scale aluminium construction projects throughout the island. Green company, Incredo Sourcing, a recycling business which collects and exports material also won a cheque for the partnership between Alkis Kaimakis and Tagmach Chankaya.

Foreign Minister, Erato Kozakou Marcoullis also attended the Stelios Awards, saying: “We need more people like Stelios to keep the hope and the dream alive for cooperation.”

During his philanthropic visit to the island, Haji-Ioannou also spent the morning with the relatives of the victims of the Mari Explosion. There he contributed €50,000 to the €90,000 fund he set up earlier this year to support the victims’ families. He encouraged others to make a pledge to the account which is still open.

Cyprus is the birthplace of Greek born Haji–Ioannou’s parents. Through the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation he is also involved in environmental conservation on the island.

Tourism jobs boost hope for Derry (Derry Journal)

2011-11-11T12:51:00.000Z

Tourism jobs boost hope for Derry

http://www.derryjournal.com/news/business/jobs/tourism_jobs_boost_hope_for_derry_1_3240627

(Derry Journal)

11 November 2011

Roadshow, Get with the ni2012 Programme, held in the City Hotel, Londonderry. Siobhan McGuigan, NITB 2012-2013 Project Manager, right, with guests speakers Jennifer McKeever, Airporter, and Frank McGrogan, Sail West. Photo Lorcan Doherty Photography

The tourism industry has the potential to create thousands of jobs in the north west over the next two years, according to a senior Tourist Board figure.

Siobhan McGuigan, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board’s 2012-2013 project manager, made the comment following a tourism roadshow held in the City Hotel yesterday which was attended by more than 100 people involved in the tourism industry locally.

“There is a huge potential in the Derry area” she said. “We are seeing it as a two year step-changer.

“In terms of capital infrastructure in the tourism sector £300m million generated across Northern Ireland.

“We have not seen anything like it before and the north west is well paced to benefit from that with the Clipper Race, the Olympic torch relay, and the Peace One Day rally, and of course the City of Culture celebrations in 2013.

“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the city,” she said.

The tourism chief also said the tourist industry can create jobs while other sectors are experiencing a downturn. “Tourism is a real driver. In terms of job creation it is a real opportunity.

“Right across the region the opportunity is there that between now and 2015 3,500 jobs could be created.

“We have seven key events taking place in 2012-2013 and three of those are in the Derry area so it is an exciting time for the region,” she said.

Mary McAleese's pride at lasting legacy of Northern Ireland peace process (Belfast Telegraph)

2011-11-11T12:24:00.000Z

Mary McAleese's pride at lasting legacy of Northern Ireland peace process

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/mary-mcaleeses-pride-at-lasting-legacy-of-northern-ireland-peace-process-16075942.html

(Belfast Telegraph)

11 November 2011

Outgoing Irish President Mary McAleese was on the verge of tears at her last official engagement as she revealed that Northern Ireland’s peace process was “one of the greatest joys of my life”.

As she made an emotional public farewell and recalled her Belfast roots at a homeless centre in Dublin, Mrs McAleese said she was extremely proud of what had been achieved through peace over the years.

Mrs McAleese said she found it difficult to speak about how she was feeling in the final hours of her 14-year term, saying: “If you give me two seconds I'll be in floods of tears.”

“I just want to say to all my friends and family in Northern Ireland, it's been one of the greatest joys of my life these 14 years to see the huge release into civic society and the body politic in Northern Ireland of so much, what I would call, repressed friendship,” she said.

“And to see it now, see the the outworkings of the Good Friday Agreement, to see peace on the streets, its a joy.

“I know that it's a work in progress, and just to wish people the best as they bring it to a work well concluded.”

The president, with her Belfast-born husband Senator Martin McAleese by her side, took the opportunity of her last engagement to unveil a plaque commemorating the refurbishment of a St Vincent de Paul and Depaul Ireland homeless centre for men in Christchurch in the city.

Mrs McAleese recalled how she had experienced for a short spell what it was like to be homeless when living in Ardoyne.

“I remember back in 1971 when my own family experienced for a relatively short time the misery of homelessness when, like so many people because of the sectarian conflict, we lost our home, literally overnight. Mother, father, nine kids — not the easiest thing to restore a home again,” she said.

“So it took us a few months to get our act together and eventually get our home back together.

“And I do remember the awful sense of dread waking up every morning not knowing where we were going to be sleeping. But one of the strongest memories of that period is how reliant we were on the goodness and generosity of other people,” she said.

The president will leave both her job and her home, Aras an Uachtarain, to make way for president-elect Michael D Higgins, who will be inaugurated at Dublin Castle today.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/mary-mcaleeses-pride-at-lasting-legacy-of-northern-ireland-peace-process-16075942.html#ixzz1dxs7cN8j

Jonathan visits Kaduna church, says only prayers can sustain Nigeria (Sun News)

2011-11-07T12:04:00.000Z

Jonathan visits Kaduna church, says only prayers can sustain Nigeria

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/nov/07/national-07-11-2011-018.html

Noah Ebije (Sun News)

7 November 2011

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday visited the Alheri Camp of the living Faith Foundation Church, Kaduna, and said that his transformation agenda was committed towards building a country that even future generation would be proud of.

To this end, Jonathan called on all Nigerians to join hands with him and urged every Nigerian not to be left behind in the transformation project. Speaking at the Prayer Camp, along Kaduna- Abuja expressway, the President stressed the need for prayers from all Nigerians for the success of the transformation agenda, as according to him it is only prayers that could sustain a nation.

President Jonathan who was in Kaduna to grace the closing ceremony of this year’s National Annual Salem Assembly 2011, of Living Faith Foundation Ministries, further urged Nigerians to keep up the faith in his ability to transform the country for the good of its citizens. The president also during the visit commissioned the Bible school of the ministries. Also speaking during the session, Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa who received the president called for cooperation from all Nigerians so that the transformation agenda of the President and that of Kaduna State could be successful.

Yakowa who condemned the violence in the state and Nigeria as a whole said “the pockets of violence here and there can only serve as distraction towards Nigerians march to development” and called for dialogue for the resolution of any problem in the country. He enjoined all Nigerians to embrace peace, saying that peace has no alternative; instead Nigerians should pray for one another and the socio economic development of the country.

The president came to Kaduna in a chopper with registration number NAF 540, and accompanied by Senator Banabas Gemade, Joshua Dariye, among others.

Kaduna governor urges sacrifice (The Nation)

2011-11-06T12:07:00.000Z

Kaduna governor urges sacrifice

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/25369-boy-6-five-others-injured-as-building-collapses-in-ibadan.html

Tony Akowe (The Nation)

The Kaduna state governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa and the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) yesterday said that the Eid-el-Kabir celebration should be used as a period of sacrifice and a show of love for humanity rather than the current wave of violence across the land.

In their messages both Yakowa and the ACF said that Nigerians and the Muslim Ummah in particular should imbibe the spirit of sacrifice and unhinged love of God and humanity.

Yakowa in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Reuben Buhari said “as the entire Muslim Ummah, the world over celebrate Eid-el-kabir, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, Governor Yakowa felicitates with the entire people of Kaduna State.

“His Excellency fervently hopes that we will allow the sacrificial spirit of the occasion to impact on our lives and transform into continuous peaceful coexistence amongst all inhabitants of Kaduna State.”

The ACF in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani lamented the resort to endless circles of revenge attacks that is becoming the order of the day in parts of Kaduna State, adding that “this is because a resort to Torah law of an eye for an eye would leave all of us blind”.

Stelios Award for Business Co-operation bi-communal meeting at Nicosia (Stelios Philanthropic Foundation)

2011-11-02T11:52:00.000Z

Stelios Award for Business Co-operation bi-communal meeting at Nicosia

http://www.stelios.com/news-archive/stelios-award-for-business-co-operation-bi-communal-meeting-at-nicosia.html

(Stelios Philanthropic Foundation)

2 November 2011

The 1st meeting of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot entrepreneurs held yesterday at Nicosia in view of the ceremony of the Stelios Award for Business Co-operation in Cyprus, which will take place on the 11th of November 2011.

During the networking event, entrepreneurs, who showed interest in participating to the competition which rewards for the 3rd year the bi-communal co-operation, exchanged their views for common business activities in Cyprus.

The Executive Director of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, Marie-Louise Bang informed the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots about the goals of the award and the new deadline for applications, 4th of November 2011.

Last year’s winners talked about their experiences and expressed their gratitude to Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou as the award contributes to the bi-communal business cooperation throughout the island.

At the Award ceremony, the five winning teams will be awarded by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou himself with the amount of 50,000 Euros each.

New Irish president Michael D. Higgins in vow to build bridges (Scottish Daily Record)

2011-10-30T08:33:00.000Z

New Irish president Michael D. Higgins in vow to build bridges
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2011/10/30/new-irish-president-michael-d-higgins-in-vow-to-build-bridges-86908-23526143/
Bruce Walker (Scottish Daily Record)
30 October 2011

IRELAND'S president-elect has vowed to continue efforts to help heal the wounds of the Troubles.

Poet, human rights activist and former university lecturer Michael D. Higgins said he would be "a president for all the people" of Ireland.

His victory follows Mary McAleese's 14 years as head of state, which included efforts to build bridges between Protestant and Catholic communities.

And Higgins, 70, said his work overseas had taught him that efforts are needed to repair divided societies even after peace has been established, His comments yesterday were welcomed by Northern Ireland's politicians.

Ulster Unionist leader Tom Elliott said: "I am confident that he will build on the legacy left by his predecessor."

Alliance party leader and Northern Ireland's justice minister David Ford added: "I look forward to close co-operation with him and I believe it is very important that strong north-south links exist."

Higgins, who will resign his role as president of Ireland's Labour Party, comfortably beat six rivals to win the election.

He received more than one million votes of the nearly 1.8 million cast to see off candidates including 1970 Eurovision Song Contest winner Dana Scanlon, who came sixth.

Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness quit as Northern Ireland's deputy First Minister to contest the poll but came third. Independent Sean Gallagher had been favourite to win but a poor performance in the final TV debate cost him dearly.

'Only Kirkuk people can decide on their future' (Kurdish Globe)

2011-10-29T11:39:00.000+01:00

'Only Kirkuk people can decide on their future'

http://www.kurdishglobe.net/display-article.html?id=236B0EBCE70145CD26F8F43D764719E3

Ako Muhammed (Kurdish Globe)

29 October 2011

Iraqi Kurdish Regional President Masoud Barzani greets officials and residents before a meeting in Kirkuk

President Barzani visits Kirkuk

Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani visited Kirkuk on Oct. 26, "carrying a message of brotherhood." He promised Kurdish forces would help in filling security gaps after the U.S. forces withdraw. Krikuk's Arab bloc declined to attend the meeting.

"My visit is to deliver a message of brotherhood and peace," said Barzani at the beginning of his speech to local officials. He said Kurdistan Region respected all components of Kirkuk -- Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, Assyrians, Kaldians and others living in the province.

"We, together, have made Kirkuk an example of coexistence to prove to everyone that different components of Kirkuk can live together whether there are U.S. forces or not," said President Barzani, noting that after the withdrawal of the forces, Kurdistan Region is to cooperate with the federal government to maintain Kirkuk's security. "We won't allow terrorists to make Kirkuk an open field" for their activities, he said.

On the presence of Kurdish forces in Kirkuk, Barzani said the headquarters of the Kurdish forces will remain until security situations stabilize and "they must stay as long as there is threat; this issue is left to the administration and council in the province."

Barzani's speech came in a meeting with the Kirkuk governor, his deputy, the president and members of the Kirkuk provincial council. Members of the Arab group in the council boycotted the meeting.

"Some members of the council have boycotted and I respect their point of view. If one boycotts and does not want to hear the views, how can the problems be solved?" asked President Barzani, commenting on the Arab group's stance. "I have come from Erbil to hear and came to offer a brotherly hand. Anyone who refuses this must take responsibility."

Barzani, who was accompanied by a number of KRG ministers, also expressed the Region's readiness to offer services to Kirkuk province. "It's a part of our duty to help you? the KRG, within its ability and authority is ready to serve Kirkuk the same as Erbil, Suleimaniya and Duhok," stated Barzani, noting KRG's pride in providing Kirkuk with electricity. KRG provides 200 megawatts of electricity to Kirkuk, produced in power plants in Kurdistan Region.

On political problems of the Kirkuk issue and the implementation of Article 140 of the Constitution, Barzani assured that Kurds, through their demands for implementing this article, do not "want to suppress anyone." He said that the future of Kirkuk can only be decided by the people of Kirkuk.

"You have to decide whether you want a region of your own or to be linked to Kurdistan Region; we will never impose anything on you, but we defend you so no one can take this right from you," said Barzani explaining that Kirkuk within Kurdistan Region does not mean it has to break away from Iraq. "Even the Kurdistan Region itself has decided to be part of the federal democratic Iraq."

Kirkuk's Deputy Governor Rakan Saeed, an Arab, who attended the meeting, explained the Arab group's boycott, saying it has become hopeless in dealing with its partners in Kirkuk. Saeed added that he offered to present the Arab group's demands in Kirkuk to Barzani.

The Arab Political Council in Kirkuk, which holds six of the 41 provincial council seats, published an announcement explaining reasons for the boycott. "The Arab component, since 2003, feels its power has declined. The exclusion and arrests of some competent figures makes them unable to hold official positions in Kirkuk, even though this component is taking part in the political process and has opened up to all the parties,? says the statement. It also complained that Arabs have made several agreements in meetings with political decision-makers, but nothing changed for them.

The visit went in another direction for the Turkmen delegation and they separately discussed their problems with Kurdistan Region president. "The talks were transparent and frank," said Hassan Turan, a Turkmen and head of the Kirkuk provincial council.

The Turkmen members reportedly submitted a list of requests to President Barzani and he promised to study them.

£130m for Derry regeneration bid (Belfast Telegraph)

2011-10-28T11:10:00.000+01:00

£130m for Derry regeneration bid

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/130m-for-derry-regeneration-bid-16069947.html

Brendan McDaid (Belfast Telegraph)

28 October 2011

Vital funding has been allocated to kick-start work on urban projects

The company tasked with regenerating Londonderry said that £130m has become available to kick-start the city's regeneration.

Ilex chairman Sir Roy McNulty said the funding was “more than enough” to begin work on the ambitious plans to transform the city physically, economically and socially.

A delegation from the government-funded company told |yesterday's meeting of the Social Development Committee in Derry that the city’s progress had |been crippled in the past because there were up to 89 separate strategies running simultaneously.

By contrast, around 1,000 experts from various fields have united to work on developing the city's One Plan, launched earlier this year.

Sir Roy said the number of reports before the One Plan had been “a bit confusing to say the least” and was in fact part of the problem with progressing developments in the city.

He said the draft One Plan was distributed to 46,000 homes in Derry and 5,000 stakeholders, with youth versions sent to every primary and secondary school in the city.

As a result of feedback, 153 ideas were incorporated into the final plan.

Sir Roy said that the proposals for a North West Regional Science Park at the former Fort George army barracks and a smaller development in Letterkenny were currently with a European Union funding body.

Another project was under way to develop a masterplan for the Foyle Valley Gateway area, stretching from the Brandywell through to the Fountain estates.

Sir Roy, who will retire as chairman in early 2012, said there were also plans to set up a new regeneration delivery fund.

He said: “Every department we talk to, they all tell us there is no money. We all understand that perfectly well. We don’t have all the funding but we have something like £130m committed budgets available to us and that is more than enough to start with.

“The main message we want to put forward is we think both Derry and Northern Ireland need to be more creative and imaginative.”

”There are many things being done across the water in England that are not being done here because we are so cautious and careful.”

He added: “We all need to raise our game. Derry has got to sell itself a lot better.

“We have got to sell ourselves in the tourism sense, from an investment point of view and as a place for students to come to.”

Sir Roy said Ilex wanted to see the One Plan embedded in the Northern Ireland Programme for Government, as well as the economic and regional development strategies for Northern Ireland.

Tom McCartney, interim director of development at Ilex, said that following several years, the Ministry of Defence had finally agreed to pay the £5 to £6 million cost for the decontamination of the 14-acre Fort George site, with work due to start in the New Year.

Mr McCartney said: “It will take nine months and will start to look very busy.

“We are currently waiting on approval for the North West Regional Science Park and it is critical that starts as a catalyst for the city itself.

“We are waiting on news of that, which we expect in February next year.

“We will be putting a development framework forward in March and will have planning certainly by July.

“This is a very demanding time scale and it is very important as it links to the science park and getting that built.”

He added that there was already expressions of interest for local businesses to expand operations onto the site, while the science park itself is expected to create 240 to 260 jobs in the city and a further 50 to 60 at Letterkenny.

Speaking about Ilex’s other main charge, the Ebrington site linked to the city centre by the Peace Bridge, Mr McCartney said: “The parade ground or Ebrington Square as it is becoming known, will look finished by Christmas and will be completed by late January.

“The neighbouring platform and car park is also being developed while the Clock Tower building will be turned into the cultural centre.

“The Maritime Museum is moving from its site over the river to Ebrington, and all that starts to embed cultural activity.

“In terms of marketing opportunities for Fort George and Ebrington, because things are happening, we are at that moment that we can start to comfortably talk to the private sector in a serious way about investing in the city. That will be done during 2012. “

Ilex cultural broker Caoimhin Corrigan said that 116 expressions of interest for local cultural projects related to Derry’s year as UK City of Culture have now been received.

The projects are vying for a share of the £4million funding awarded by Department for Social Development for the projects, part of a £10 million package gifted to Derry last year.

Of these bids, 46 have progressed to the second phase, and 33 will be informed in the coming weeks of their success, with a further eight being held in reserve.

“They range across tourism, heritage, sports, arts and local community facilities,” Mr Corrigan said.

Background

The Ilex Urban Regeneration Company Limited (Ilex) was set up in 2003 by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) and the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland (DSD) to plan, develop and sustain the economic, physical and social regeneration of the Derry City Council area.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/130m-for-derry-regeneration-bid-16069947.html#ixzz1d6wqQvuN

Rainbow Festival goes back to its roots (Cyprus Mail)

2011-10-27T11:44:00.000+01:00

Rainbow Festival goes back to its roots

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/rainbow-festival-goes-back-its-roots/20111027

Stefanos Evripidou (Cyprus Mail)

27 October 2011

THIS YEAR’S multicultural Rainbow Festival will be held only in the capital this Sunday due to the dire economic difficulties faced by the organisers.

The festival provides the largest anti-racist multicultural programme on the island and is organised by migrant support group KISA in cooperation with migrant and refugee groups, Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot bicommunal groups, human rights organisations and cultural groups.

According to a KISA press release, due to “serious economic problems” faced by the NGO, the festival, now in its 14th year, will be held only in Nicosia at the Municipal Park (CYTA) this Sunday from 11am to 5pm.

In previous years, the NGO also ran the festival celebrating multiculturalism in the port city of Limassol, which was widely received by locals who attended in greater numbers than permanent residents of the capital.

However, KISA’s decision last year to move the festival from Limassol to Larnaca to coincide with an anti-migrant march prompted much criticism of the NGO, following the outbreak of violence between protestors and festival goers.

This year’s festival motto is: “Victims of the same crisis – Fight Injustice, not Migrants”.

The 14th Rainbow Festival focuses once again on the need to deal with problems emanating from the continuing economic crisis that plagues Cyprus and the whole world, “with and not against migrants, who are one of the most vulnerable victims of the crisis”.

The NGO said efforts to target migrants as the main “culprits” of the economic crisis, was humiliating, discriminatory and an affront to their decency as human beings.

“By making them into scapegoats by extreme right wing and nationalist groups as well as politicians and part of the media, (this) does not tackle either the crisis or its problems. On the contrary, and as history has shown time and again, discrimination and racism against migrants and other vulnerable groups strike at the heart of society itself and its institutions, at democracy and human rights, for the restoration of which we all preach we are fighting for,” said the announcement.

The aim of the festival is to provide a meeting place of cultures and pass on the message against racism and discrimination and in favour of mutual respect between people and cultures.

As always, the festival includes: music, dancing by various groups, exhibitions and stands, a children’s corner, a bazaar and food from various countries.

The event is being sponsored by the Cyprus Youth Board and the Interior Ministry. Nicosia Mayor Eleni Mavrou will address the event. Entrance is free.

Derry can be 'dynamic' place to live (Derry Journal)

2011-10-25T11:04:00.000+01:00

Derry can be ‘dynamic’ place to live

http://www.derryjournal.com/news/local/derry_can_be_dynamic_place_to_live_1_3180111

(Derry Journal)

25 October 2011

Pictured at the 54th annual Londonderry Chamber of Commerce Dinner in the Everglades Hotel are First Minister Perter Robinson and Padraig Canavan, President of Londonderry Chamber of Commerce. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 21.10.11

Derry has a unique opportunity to transform itself into one of the most “vibrant and dynamic” places in which to live and work.

This is the view of the North’s First Minister Peter Robinson who made his remarks at the annual Derry Chamber of Commerce dinner on Friday evening.

Mr Robinson said that the city’s ongoing regeneration would transform Derry into the “economic hub of the North West.”

“The Northern Ireland Executive is committed to the regeneration of the city,” he said.

“The publication of the One Plan has, for the first time, adopted a cohesive approach to the regeneration of Londonderry and the North West as a whole.

“The plan aims to create a dynamic, innovative and economically sound region that will improve the employment prospects of our citizens.

“The plan sets some challenging targets, such as the delivery of some 12,900 jobs over the next 10 years.

“The One Plan will transform the city into the economic hub of the North West making it a very attractive location in which to start and to develop business.”

Derry, Mr. Robinson told the Chamber event, was a city with a rich cultural and economic history but, more importantly, it’s a city with an even richer future.

“In recent years, the people of the city have seized the moment and grasped the opportunities that peace has presented them,” he said.

“There is a real determination in the North West to reverse decades of underinvestment and to build a modern and dynamic city that we can all be proud of.

“As the UK City of Culture 2013, Londonderry has a once in a generation opportunity to showcase itself to the world, to set the record straight and to tell the real story of an historic city with a richly diverse culture that is now, once again, looking to the future.”

Quarter of million use Peace Bridge (Derry Journal)

2011-10-25T11:00:00.000+01:00

Quarter of million use Peace Bridge

http://www.derryjournal.com/news/local/quarter_of_million_use_peace_bridge_1_3179652

(Derry Journal)

25 October 2011

Count Dracula makes his way across the Peace Bridge from Transylvania, to add to the 250,000+ people and counting, who have already crossed the iconic bridge in Derry-Londonderry in just over four months. The Bridge will for the first time, offer a limited number of people the perfect platform to view the annual Banks of the Foyle Hallowe'en Carnival fireworks display. Helping the Count break through the barrier are the Mayor, Alderman Maurice Devenney, Pat Devine and Carole-Anne Upton and MIchael Gallagher, Strategy and Regeneration Manger with ILEX. PIcture Martin McKeown. 24.10.11

More than a quarter of a million people have now crossed Derry’s Peace Bridge.

Ilex, Derry’s regeneration company, yesterday confirmed that more than 250,000 people have walked on the iconic structure since it was opened to the public on June 25.

And many hundreds more are expected to be on the bridge to witness this year’s fireworks spectacular. Access to the Peace Bridge for the big event on October 31 will be on a first come, first served basis, although numbers will be restricted for health and safety reasons.

Michael Gallagher, Ilex’s Strategy and Regeneration Manager said that the high pedestrian movement on the bridge was proof that it was changing the way people move in the city. “The Peace Bridge was given significant funding from the EU Peace III programme because of the way it would make very real changes to the look and feel of the city. Now, just four months after its launch, the bridge has exceeded everyone’s expectations with over a quarter of a million pedestrians and cyclists using it to access St. Columb’s Park, the Waterside and city side. This figure has been calculated using a range of methods including handheld counters, sampling and the multi-directional digital counter which has been installed on the bridge”. The survey found that the busiest day of the week on the bridge is Saturday, followed by Wednesday with peak time at around 3pm.

Derry’s Mayor Alderman Maurice Devenney said popularity of the bridge was significant.

“This is great news for the city and proof of how the Peace Bridge has won the hearts and minds of the people in Derry~Londonderry.

“This year we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Hallowe’en Carnival and, for the first time ever, people will be able to view the fireworks display from the Peace Bridge.”

The fireworks display will be held on Monday 31st October at 8pm and restricted numbers will be allowed on the Peace Bridge. Access via Ebrington will be closed when the bridge has reached capacity. The third bridge across the River Foyle, the Peace Bridge was built with the aid of £14.49m from the European Union’s PEACE III Programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Don't pander to divisions, break them forever instead (Belfast Telegraph)

2011-10-25T10:37:00.000+01:00

Don't pander to divisions, break them forever instead

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/dont-pander-to-divisions-break-them-forever-instead-16067811.html

OPINION: Robin Wilson (Belfast Telegraph)

25 October 2011

Stormont's Cohesion, Sharing and Integration proposals have been criticised for enshrining division. Robin Wilson offers a radical new approach

What would a viable policy to tackle Northern Ireland's deeply-embedded culture of intolerance look like?

The critique of the Cohesion, Sharing and Integration document issued in the summer of 2010, following years of awkward negotiation between the DUP and Sinn Fein, lay fundamentally in its fatalistic acceptance of sectarian divisions into the indefinite future - division which had been the basis of those parties' rise to power - and its call for these cast-in-aspic 'cultures' to be accorded 'respect'.

Conversely, a policy genuinely framed to make Northern Ireland 'normal', rather than perpetuate its pathological features and their associated vested political interests, must have as its core aim an integrated society, which ensures every individual has the freedom to choose their own identity, in their interactions with others, rather than being politically pigeon-holed as part of a supposed 'unionist community' or 'nationalist community'.

As it happens, public-attitudes surveys show this goes with the grain of life on the ground.

More respondents classify themselves as 'neither' of the above than those who support a 'unionist' or a 'nationalist' identification. And this is a growing trend: fully two-thirds of under-24s, who know nothing of the Troubles, rebel against the politics that spawned violence by choosing the 'neither' self-definition.

Nothing else makes sense, of course, for Northern Ireland's growing population proportion comprising members of various ethnic and national minorities.

It is often suggested - particularly by those on whose political or paramilitary authority it depends - that security, nevertheless, can only be provided by 'peace' walls to segregate already socially-marginalised neighbourhoods on sectarian lines.

And we know, again from survey evidence, that most people who live in these 'interface' neighourhoods do, indeed, want the walls to come down - as long as their security can be guaranteed.

But in the 21st century security must be rethought in human terms. It is fundamentally about ensuring that diverse individuals can live together in dignity, rather than about preserving the power of the state or, worse, paramilitary organisations.

This is as true of Baghdad and Beirut as of Belfast - and the long experience of Ballynafeigh, as a socially as well as religiously mixed neighbourhood in the city, with no need for segregation barriers, shows it can be done.

A secular neighbourhood association and an inter-church network there have made integration the norm. Clear policy objectives would flow from this aim of an integrated, rather than fragmented, society:

Make integrated schools the default option, rather than the exception, including by ensuring that the boards of state schools become genuinely public, rather than having privileged access for Protestant clergy.
Integrate the teacher-training system, so that all teachers can teach any pupils in any school equally.
Ensure that capital projects that are open and accessible to all, particularly in education, are privileged in these straitened circumstances over those that are, in effect, restricted to one faith.
Make mixed social-housing schemes the default, also, and remove all defacing of public property that symbolises denial of free access to all.
Progressively dismantle segregation barriers, ensuring the police meet their responsibility to uphold the rule of law equally for working-class as for middle-class neighbourhoods, including in tackling hate crime against members of religious or ethnic minorities (below).
Channel controversy over parades and flags through the courts, with impartial arbitration based on the provisions in the European Convention of Human Rights on freedom of expression and assembly and the associated qualifications to those rights.
Return the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to its original conception as a symbol of reconciliation, inspired by the joint condolence expressed by former heads David Trimble and Seamus Mallon to the families of the two victims of 'loyalist' murder in Poyntzpass, Co. Armagh shortly before the Belfast Agreement.
Sustain generous support of non-governmental organisations committed to intercultural dialogue and victims' groups genuinely open to all after the European Union PEACE programme, as an investment in a more comfortable and more cosmopolitan society.
Maintain the Community Relations Council as an independent source of advice on policy and good practice on the development of a culture of tolerance and impartial distributor of funding; and
Establish a commission of historical clarification to address objectively the various responsibilities of state and non-state actors during the Troubles, drawing on the human raw material of victims' testimonies.

This, it is immediately evident, is a huge agenda. It can only be realised if it is the priority political commitment of the devolved administration for decades, rather than years, and it asks all of us to face ourselves honestly in the mirror. Yet a Northern Ireland without dividing-lines would be a great prize. There is also a huge volume of good practice - for instance, in how sport has been used as a vehicle for bridging divides in recent years - on which to draw.

And the alternative is all too clear - a society where we are heading for 100 segregation barriers and one experienced journalist has written of a new 'long war'.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/dont-pander-to-divisions-break-them-forever-instead-16067811.html#ixzz1d6oMktbF

Basques can look to Northern Ireland for peace model (Times of Oman)

2011-10-23T22:53:00.000+01:00

Basques can look to Northern Ireland for peace model
http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=51087&rand=
23 October 2011

Northern Ireland: ETA's announcement that it has ended its armed campaign was hailed by key players in the Northern Irish peace process, which could serve as a model for striking a definitive peace in the Basque Country.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair, one of the architects of the settlement in Northern Ireland, welcomed Thursday's declaration, saying: "The last armed confrontation in Europe is finally over.

"We should all welcome this and work together to make peace irreversible."

Gerry Adams, president of the Sinn Fein party, widely viewed as the political wing of the now-defunct Irish Republican Army (IRA) paramilitaries, also welcomed the move and urged Spain and France to negotiate a lasting peace.

"Dialogue is essential. It is what opens up all the doors," he said.

ETA is blamed for the deaths of 829 people during its violent campaign for an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwestern France over more than 40 years.

But on Thursday, it said it had decided "the definitive cease of its armed activity", and called on the Spanish and French governments to open a process of direct dialogue to help resolve issues arising from the conflict.

The landmark declaration came after an international peace conference attended by Adams, former Irish premier Bertie Ahern, ex-United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan, and Jonathan Powell, Blair's chief of staff.

Both Adams and Blair could also play a part in the process of forging a lasting peace deal in the Basque Country, using their experience of resolving three decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.

Blair said he stands "ready to help personally in any way I can", while Adams said he and other Sinn Fein leaders had already met many people in the Basque Country and from the Spanish state over the last 12 years.

More than 3,000 people were killed in "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland, in which Protestant communities loyal to the British crown were pitted against Catholics wanting a united, republican Ireland.

The peace process began in the early 1990s and was cemented by the landmark 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which laid the way for the current power-sharing arrangements between the two sides in Belfast.

But the path to peace was slow and difficult, involving painful concessions from both sides -- particularly paramilitary disarmament, the devolution of powers from London to Belfast and the release of paramilitary prisoners.

After initial ceasefires in 1994 and 1997, the IRA formally declared an end to its armed campaign in 2005, vowing to pursue its goal of a united Ireland by purely peaceful and democratic means.

But other groups have taken up the fight -- shortly after the 1998 accords, the Real IRA splinter group carried out the Omagh bombing, the deadliest attack of the Troubles, killing 29 and wounding more than 200 others.

Violence perpetrated by dissidents still flares occasionally.

"Most of the difficulties were about implementation of the agreement," said Paul Mitchell, a professor of political science at the London School of Economics.

In particular, he said, decommissioning the IRA's weapons took "many, many years" because it was "very difficult symbolically for them".

Blair said that following the November 20 general election, the new Spanish government must take on the "burden" of dealing with the consequences of the separatist conflict.

"As in Northern Ireland, it is now necessary to address the consequences of the conflict by talks on decommissioning weapons, demobilising ETA, dealing with prisoners and exiles and achieving security normalisation," he said.

He added that the "tragic victims" must not be overlooked, and their families must be "compensated and supported".

Vega CEO Ralf Degni meets with trade delegation from Derry-Londonderry in Northern Ireland (Bizcommunity.com)

2011-10-19T10:54:00.000+01:00

Vega CEO Ralf Degni meets with trade delegation from Derry-Londonderry in Northern Ireland

http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/98/65860.html

Georg Knoke (Bizcommunity.com)

19 October 2011

Councillor Gerard Diver, DCC, Ralf Degni CEO VEGA – The School Of Brand Innovation and Tom Holmes

A trade delegation from Derry-Londonderry in Northern Ireland has been making waves with Cape Town companies alongside its entry in the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race.

As part of the build-up to UK City of Culture 2013, the city of Derry-Londonderry has set itself the task to strengthen its international connections and invite other markets to connect and be part of Northern Ireland's new story.

Councillor Gerard Diver, DCC, Ralf Degni CEO VEGA – The School Of Brand Innovation and Tom Holmes

Claire Lundy of Derry-Londonderry and Ralf Degni, CEO of Vega

Ralf Degni with Andrew, crewman on the Clipper Derry-Londonderry yacht

Working alongside creativebrief founder, Tom Holmes (who is originally from Northern Ireland and went to university in South Africa) Derry City Council identified Cape Town as a priority market for mutually beneficial economic relationships to be developed and share learning.

Vega CEO Ralf Degni had discussions with representatives from Derry-Londonderry, who also met other leading organisations like WESGRO, Interactive Africa and Design Indaba, Silicon Cape, Rhodes University, University of Cape Town, Google Umbono incubation programme, and a range of design and advertising agencies. The meetings were arranged with the support of UK-based company, creative brief, whose founder, Tom Holmes, is originally from Northern Ireland and subsequently lived in Cape Town. The delegation has identified immediate business opportunities for South Africa in Northern Ireland in digital services and e-learning. There are also further plans for ongoing links to continue through business exchange missions between the two cities.

Please find more information re the meeting with Ralf Degni on http://www.creativebrief.com/blog/2011/10/13/helping-to-build-a-creative-trade-route-between-uk-ireland-and-south-africa/ or also visit www.creativebrief.com covering some 5500 brands and agency mailings globally/mainly UK.

More background information:

UK City of Culture 2013

The delegation has been led by Councillor Gerard Diver from Derry City Council. He said the visit has been a great success with the potential to open up business opportunities for Cape Town as growth was imminent in Northern Ireland and Derry-Londonderry. Diver commented, "In 2013 Derry will become the inaugural UK City of Culture and our ambition is to make it easy to grow international connections with our region. We are positioned on the doorstep of the sterling and euro zone and believe there are immediate development opportunities in life science, e-learning, digital and creative industries. In addition we have a growing tourism and cultural sector which is why Derry-Londonderry is open and ready for business."

The business to business connection is driven by an ambition from Derry-Londonderry to share best practice in business models in the life science sector and initiatives to support employability and e-learning. An invitation is now open to digital and creative companies from Cape Town to showcase their excellence in Derry during 2012 and 2013.

"We believe our city is on the verge of greatness with our incredible story about to reach its most thrilling chapter. In few other places will you find such influential and involved community groups or such a vibrant cultural and artistic energy emerging from the communities themselves. Ireland's most youthful population brings innovation to a city and partnerships that are bursting with life. But, above all, our new story is about the people of the city. Uniquely welcoming, resilient and passionate about their culture, they are moving forward together to create a dynamic future for all. We want to share this with Cape Town and invite business, culture and community groups to be part of our new story and make a lasting connection with our city".

Trade opportunities

Nils Flaatten, Chief Executive Officer of WESGRO said, "Any city or partnership that has identified an opportunity to connect with Cape Town should be supported. Our ability to share best practice with Derry-Londonderry and help with networking will result in accelerating business development opportunities for Cape Town. The delegation is part of a larger international trade opportunity created by the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, which has not only made a significant economic impact, spending millions of rands in the city, but has also introduced its destination and trade sponsors to Cape Town with longer term business building potential for local companies."

The Clipper Race provides its sponsors with access to 15 markets on six continents over twelve months of the 40,000-mile race. Matt Peachey, Enterprise and Investment Officer with Derry-Londonderry, explained that the receptiveness of business in the Cape Town area augured well for future trade connections. He said, "South Africa is recognised for its innovation and creativity and presents real opportunities for growth. A very supportive business network was available to make connections with us and there is a clear intention to explore business opportunities. With our similar time zones, attitude to business and similar growth sectors being identified we have active partnerships being pursued to progress trade missions and e-learning initiatives."

Digital connections

Mark Nagurski, Digital Champion with Derry-Londonderry, said the business similarities between Cape Town and Northern Ireland exceeded his expectations. "There is shared excellence between the digital sectors in Cape Town and Derry and we will be providing a unique platform for digital companies in Cape Town to showcase their knowledge and services in Derry-Londonderry during 2012 and 2013 through a series of festival events. As an emerging specialist location in cultural technology, Derry-Londonderry can provide immediate access to business opportunities in NI, UK and Republic of Ireland".

"Derry-Londonderry has 75 digital businesses including large scale FDI firms like Fujitsu and Allstate alongside indigenous exporting companies for software and e-learning. The entrepreneurial community is growing in relation to games, mobile content, moving image media (film, TV and animation), music technology and web applications. As a switched on city it can provide the fastest city-to-city international telecommunications link with the east coast of the USA and offers fibre-based broadband to all our citizens and companies while providing free Wi-Fi Internet access across the city centre. As a university city there's an opportunity for expansion with life sciences and other research areas in robotics and, of course, peace and reconciliation."

"We are proud of our already strong connections with South Africa through the work of the University of Ulster (INCORE) and our pioneering digital sector and we will continue to grow in internationally recognised research excellence in fields like nanotechnology, intelligent systems, clinical life sciences and law."

The Clipper 11-12 Round the World Race

The Clipper Race was established 15 years ago by sailing legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail around the globe solo and non-stop in 1968-9. Clipper 11-12 is the eighth edition of the biennial race which is crewed by 'ordinary' people from all walks of life aboard a fleet of ten identical stripped down 68-foot ocean racing yachts, each of which is sponsored by a global destination or organisation.

Further information on the digital sector in Derry-Londonderry can be accessed through www.digitalderry.org

For further information on connection opportunities with Derry-Londonderry please visit www.derrycity.gov.uk/Clipper

http://www.thesouthafrican.com/business/derry-londonderry-reflections-as-clipper-race-gets-ready-to-leave-cape-town.htm

http://www.thesouthafrican.com/business/tom-holmes.htm

http://www.thesouthafrican.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Derry-Londonderry-delegation-with-British-High-Commissioner-and-Irish-Ambassador-to-SA_DSC_2540.jpg

http://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/round-the-world-yacht-race-prepares-to-leave-cape-town.htm

There's more to Belfast than peace walls (Culture Northern Ireland)

2011-10-19T10:29:00.000+01:00

There's more to Belfast than peace walls
http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article.aspx?art_id=4492
Brendan Deeds (Culture Northern Ireland)
19 October 2011

Tour guide turned playwright Arthur Magee brings the DIY spirit of punk to the Belfast Fringe

A few years ago a friend from out of town convinced me to join her on a bus tour of Belfast.

In the company of wide-eyed visitors from Dayton Ohio, giggling Spanish teens and a polite Japanese couple, we were driven past gable walls, Peace walls and the docks, where the 'unsinkable' Titanic was built. Seeing visitors spoon fed these dated signifiers of Northern Ireland's capital city was depressing. Belfast is much more than a synonym for conflict and tragedy… isn’t it?

Arthur Magee believes that Belfast and its visitors are being severely short changed. For the past couple of years he has trodden the sodden streets of the city with a walking tour that he insists introduces tourists to an unseen Belfast, one in which bullets, bigots and that all too sinkable ship are all but irrelevant.

Now he has adapted his award-winning walking tour for the stage in his one man show, There’s More to Belfast Than Walls.

‘The term Peace Wall is a piece of journalistic spin,’ Magee asserts. ‘The Peace Walls are monuments to hatred. One day I saw a coach load of tourists take photos of the Peace wall on the Shankill Road as if it was the Mona Lisa and that upset me. I thought, "There’s more to Belfast than this." That is why I started the tour.

‘I’m not denying the problems in Belfast. We are prisoners of history here but there is so much vibrancy in the people and that is what is one of the city’s greatest assets. My walking tour doesn’t focus on the murals or conflict, mine is about bridging the divisions. It is as much about the people who come here as it is about the city itself.’

Magee has quite a history himself. During the height of the Manchester music scene in the 1980s, for instance, he was signed to the Ugly Man independent record label, worked with Martin Hannett, and can personally claim to have brought The Stones Roses to Northern Ireland.

Magee is proud of the fact that There's More to Belfast Than Peace Walls isn’t funded by the Arts Council. And he is keeping the DIY spirit of punk alive and well in his show.

‘The Presbyterian Church on Rosemary Street,’ he observes, ‘is arguably the most important building in Belfast, if not the whole island. There is a radicalism in that Presbyterian Church that is alive today. Its earliest members included Edward Harland and Thomas Andrews, not to mention Thomas McCabe, who opposed the formation of the Belfast Slave Ship Company.

'It also part-funded the building of the first two Catholic churches in Belfast. It's rare for certain religious denominations to fund others, but for that to happen in Belfast, a city known for its religious intolerance, is nothing short of a miracle.'

It is places such as the Rosemary Street Presbyterian Church that are often overlooked by the mainstream tourist trails. By focussing on these sites and landmarks, Magee encourages his audience to learn about and enjoy a wider narrative of Belfast's history.

Whilst highlighting some forgotten or less known aspects of the city’s past, Magee also tries to reinterpret the new Belfast developing and growing before our eyes. Gone are the days when the only construction in Belfast centred around the re-building of oft-bombed Europa Hotel.

These days, the cranes are never out of view. The Victoria Centre, the new Lyric Theatre, the Mac and Titanic Visitor's Centre are symbols of a new dawn for the city that is so sorely scarred by the violence of its recent past.

‘I like some of it,‘ Magee comments, 'but it’s almost like we had a catalogue called Make Yourself a Modern City and we thought, 'What’s this, item 232? Spirit of Belfast? We’ll have one of those". It’s alright, but there is so much more we could be doing, like building a more fair society with better hospitals and schools.

'Belfast used to be called the Boston or Athens of the North, but what is it now?’ Magee answers his own question with a quote. ‘I’m always reminded of the line by George Bernard Shaw. 'We are made wise not by the recollection of our past but by the responsibility of our future.".'

Each city is a palimpsest. It is as much a document written by a people than it is bricks and mortar. Each successive generation shapes the space, and their stories are written in its architecture. For too long our stories have been of division, but Belfast is changing. Yes, tourists will always want to see the murals and the Peace Walls, says Magee, but there is now so much more to see.

‘Every time I go to a songwriters night in Belfast,’ says Magee, ‘there is someone who blows me away. I was in Manchester in the 80s and can say that there is more musical talent in Belfast now than there was in Manchester then. That is just the music. I am sure it’s the same in the other arts.’

But not the politics. While Magee is proud of the passionate, creative spirit of the people in his home town, he is critical of the political institutions in Northern Ireland. ‘Our politics are like the Peace Walls, divisive. We need to engage with each other and invent a new tradition.'

So what about There’s More to Belfast Than Walls? Described by Magee as ‘the walking tour for people too lazy to walk’. It promises a look at the city’s past and present through stories, jokes and maybe even a song or two.

‘What I’ve realised this first opening weekend,’ says Magee, ‘is that the show is changing and evolving. Every night has been different so far and will probably keep going that way. People can expect to be engaged, to learn some interesting things, have some fun.'

Tickets have sold, but no show has yet sold out. Unsurprisingly, Magee is not too fussed. ‘You know,’ he says with a playful grin, ‘I started off with no real plan to make any money and by God I’ve succeeded!’

There’s More To Belfast Than Walls runs at The Garrick Bar, Chichester Street, from October 21 – 23. For further information or to book tickets visit the Belfast Fringe website.

Prisoner swaps were cornerstone of Northern Irish peace process (The Guardian)

2011-10-18T19:16:00.000+01:00

Prisoner swaps were cornerstone of Northern Irish peace process
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/18/prisoner-swaps-cornerstone-northern-ireland?newsfeed=true
Owen Bowcott (The Guardian)
18 October 2011

Freeing of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for release of Gilad Shalit could be beginning of trust-building between enemies

Israel has been urged for years to follow the example of the Northern Irish peace process which saw the release of prisoners from Belfast's Maze prison in 1998.

Releasing prisoners deemed to be "terrorists" in the interests of building cross-community reconciliation is not unprecedented. It was a cornerstone of the Northern Ireland peace process.

Conflict resolution experts have been urging Israel to follow the same path for many years, pointing out that opening the doors of the Maze prison outside Belfast in May 1998 was a potent symbol of dissolving communal hatreds.

Comparisons between the two enduring, territorial disputes may not, however, be easy to read across. The freeing of large numbers of loyalist and republican inmates only came about following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and after the main paramilitary groups had demonstrated substantial commitment to a ceasefire.

The deal was broadly acceptable to a war-weary society because the antagonistic extremes of the community both benefited while the middle ground could welcome the prospect of an end to violence.

The 1=1,000 equation in the Israeli-Hamas exchange suggests more of a path-finding initiative than the first fruits of trust-building between Israelis and Palestinians. Any agreement that delivers, may nonetheless set an example of what can be achieved through dialogue.

Writing in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz in 2005, Dr Alina Korn, a criminology lecturer at Bar-Ilan University, said: "It is worth learning from the experience of the conflict in Northern Ireland.

"There, the British and the Irish governments … agreed to release most of the political prisoners, even those with 'blood on their hands', and took advantage of their release to promote broad support for the political process.

"… There is something about the release of prisoners that benefits those who release them as well … Opening the gates can make it clear to Israelis, once and for all, that there is a connection between Palestinian happiness and Israeli peace and quiet."

2011-10-13T19:21:00.000+01:00

Peace process watchdog approves Alexandra Park
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/community-telegraph/north-belfast/news/peace-process-watchdog-approves-alexandra-park-16063384.html
(Belfast Telegraph)
13 October 2011

Members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement last week visited north Belfast and received an insight into how the European Union is supporting peace and reconciliation work across Northern Ireland and the border region of Ireland.

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement was established in October 2000 and is made up of representatives from both the Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. It is responsible for all issues connected with Ireland’s role as a signatory to the Good Friday Agreement and any ongoing developments in its implementation.

Pat Colgan, Chief Executive of the Special EU Programmes Body, said: “Following its official launch in 2007 the PEACE III Programme has allocated approximately £236m worth of support to a wide range of projects across the region. We are just over halfway through the current programming period and there is still approximately £66m remaining to be allocated to worthwhile projects that will reinforce peace and stability.”

Dominic Hannigan TD and elected chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, said: “I am delighted to have seen evidence of the very substantial investment from the European Union PEACE III programme creating effective results in north Belfast.”

Following the presentation by the SEUPB the Oireachtas Joint Committee members were taken to Groundwork NI to hear about the ‘Reconciling Communities through Regeneration’ project, which has received just under £1m worth of support from the EU’s PEACE III Programme.

This funding will allow Groundwork NI to implement a series of locally focused initiatives specifically designed to transform interface areas in ten different locations across Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Since October 2008, Groundwork NI has been engaging with various different local community groups surrounding Alexandra Park with the aim of improving community relations and encouraging cross-community dialogue.

It recently launched a new ‘peace gate’ within the peace wall that cuts through the park in order to create a shared neutral space for a community divided by sectarianism.

Sylvia Gordon, Director of Groundwork NI said: “The opening of the peace gate is a first step towards bringing both communities together through a recreational space and we would hope this will have a direct and positive impact on the daily lives of people who live within the area of the park.”

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/community-telegraph/north-belfast/news/peace-process-watchdog-approves-alexandra-park-16063384.html#ixzz1clYYV3f4

UNRWA project breaks down stereotypes (The Daily Star)

2011-10-12T13:52:00.000+01:00

UNRWA project breaks down stereotypes
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Oct-12/151084-unrwa-project-breaks-down-stereotypes-between-lebanese-palestinians.ashx#axzz1alAvPUsY
Olivia Alabaster (The Daily Star)
12 October 2011

Palestinian women gather at the active ageing center

BEIRUT: Through increasing communication between young Lebanese and Palestinians, “Dignity for All,” a program organized by the U.N. Refugee and Works Agency, is hoping to combat the danger of stereotyping.

En route to visit a refugee camp for the first time, Lebanese schoolchildren are asked how they view Palestinians, of which there are an estimated 400,000 in the country.

Many answer that, “We know they are terrorists, and that they sell drugs.’”

“The purpose of the project is to highlight those positive things which show that everyone has the right to live in dignity and to show to the Palestinians and the Lebanese how and where each other live, and in what conditions,” says Hoda al-Turk, a public information officer at UNRWA in Beirut.

UNRWA is holding talks at various Lebanese schools, where they screen documentaries concerning the 12 refugee camps across the country, followed by a debate.

Students are then invited to visit Burj al-Barajneh camp, Beirut’s largest with around 20,000 residents.

“Often on the bus to the camps, you ask them what they expect to see: They expect closed places, with people in the streets, where no one goes to school or university,” Turk says.

But when the students walk around the camp, “it’s amazing how their attitudes change,” she adds.

“They realize that it’s just normal people like them living there.”

Student visitors see for themselves the ordinary, if often impoverished, lives of the residents and their ongoing social problems.

In a similar vein, UNRWA is inviting members of the media to Burj al-Barajneh, for visits entitled, “Have you ever been to a camp?”

For Bahaa Hassoun, UNRWA’s Camp Services Officer for the camp, the project is about educating Lebanese about the fact that “since Palestinians arrived to Lebanon they have been denied their civilian rights and prevented from working.”

UNRWA provides education, health, employment and social services within the camp, in which a high level of people live in poverty – they simply “cannot afford to live,” Hassoun says. A recent American University of Beirut study revealed that 66 percent of all Palestinian refugees in Lebanon live below the poverty line.

At the camp’s medical center, Hassoun describes that if a patient needs a service or treatment not available there, an MRI scan or chemotherapy for example, the patient is sent for treatment at one of UNRWA’s contracted hospitals, of which there are three private and several government-owned in Beirut. The U.N. agency then pays 40 percent of the fees, and the patient must pay the remainder.

“If you look at the maximum amount of services you can ever provide,” Hassoun says, “the needs will always be higher.”

Specifically in terms of healthcare, he asks that when, “The Lebanese government can’t even provide enough services [for the Lebanese], how can UNRWA be expected to?”

Across the camp, as the narrow streets turn bright purple and pink, is the Active Ageing House, where elderly residents meet to socialize, cook together and take part in games and activities designed to keep them physically and mentally active.

Saher Serhan, the center’s coordinator, says that there are 29 residents who regularly attend: those that for whatever reason are without the traditional family structure of support, including women without children, for example.

Educational and religious lectures are held at the center, and members of the media sometimes come in to record oral histories, as many re member Palestine before the 1948 creation of Israel.

With computer skills learnt at the center, many Skype with relatives still in Palestine – one woman at the Active Ageing House in the Nahr al-Bared camp discovered, after 12 years, a sister she had presumed dead and with whom she now regularly talks online.

Under the Social Support Society umbrella, funded by Melek Nemir, a Turkish woman, the organization also carries out youth social work, including painting the walls of the camp’s narrow streets, and customizing old clothes.

There are five UNRWA schools which provide education to the children of Burj al-Barajneh, one of which is Al-Yarmouk, an elementary school for 250 girls from grade 1 to 6.

Shahraban Abed Razak, the head teacher, says the annual budget is insufficient for the school’s needs. “We don’t have enough money for a library, or a science laboratory,” she says.

In each classroom, the paint is peeling from the walls. When Razak asks the pupils what one thing would improve their school the unanimous answer is a new lick of paint. The school has not been repainted in 20 years.

The lack of understanding from each community can be two-sided, says Mahmoud Abdullah, an UNRWA officer for Dignity for All. While many Lebanese are scared to set foot in a refugee camp, some refugees are reticent to leave the camp, as they feel can feel like strangers, he adds.

The Dignity for All program is soon to premiere a documentary film, entitled “Someone Like Me.” It features two friends, one Palestinian and one Lebanese, and both students at the Beirut Arab University, going about their daily lives.

“Everything in Lebanon is highly politicized when it comes to Palestinians but we’re trying to highlight the human side and the bad conditions which the refugees live in,” Turk says.

“It has nothing to do with politics. It’s just a human side to the issue.”

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Oct-12/151084-unrwa-project-breaks-down-stereotypes-between-lebanese-palestinians.ashx#ixzz1alB1kv4S
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

Iraqi Kurds offer Christians a sanctuary (IWPR)

2011-10-12T11:23:00.000+01:00

Iraqi Kurds offer Christians a sanctuary

http://iwpr.net/report-news/iraqi-kurds-offer-christians-sanctuary

Samah Samad (Institute for War & Peace Reporting)

12 October 2011

The Sayedat al-Najat Syriac Catholic church in Baghdad. (Photo: Rafy/Wikimedia)

They have fled in droves to escape sectarian violence, but now Kurdish politicians are helping some rebuild their lives.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, PUK, party is offering homes to poor Christian families uprooted by sectarian violence in what it says is a humanitarian gesture, denying suggestions the move is designed to boost its electoral base in the disputed Kirkuk region.

Since the 2003 United States-led invasion, Iraqi Christians have often been the target of violence by Islamist extremists, forcing more than 200,000 of them to leave Iraq.

In the worst outrage in October 2010, al-Qaeda-linked militants stormed a church in central Baghdad, killing over 60 people.

In an effort, the PUK says, is aimed at alleviating their plight, the joint ruling party in Iraqi Kurdistan has provided 200 plots of land and 10,000 US dollar grants to low-income Christian families in a gated compound in Se Ganian (The Three Springs in Kurdish), a Kurdish village destroyed by Saddam, ten kilometres north of Kirkuk.

While commentators acknowledge the plan is well-intentioned, they suggest it may be strategic too.

“This initiative is humanitarian but also a political move to get more votes for [the PUK’s] next campaign in Kirkuk,” said Mohammad Ameen, a political analyst and a professor at Kirkuk university.

The move comes as Iraqi political parties have been trying to strike a deal with representatives of the oil-rich, multi-ethnic city ahead of a referendum on whether it joins the Kurdistan region or remains in Iraq.

Ghafoor Salih Sameen, a PUK official in Kirkuk, said his party would do all that was required to safeguard Iraq’s Christians and halt their exodus.

“We have worked with Kirkuk’s former provincial council chairman to grant 200 plots of lands to the Christians in a Kurdish village destroyed by the former regime,” he said.

“We have revived it and provided all necessary services for the families there. This is not the first time the PUK has supported the Christians, considering them a part of our history.”

The PUK official denied that the current move was an attempt to encourage Iraqi Christians to vote for the PUK.

“The land [Se Ganian] was granted by the local government supported by a Kurdish party (the PUK). This project helped to house needy families who can't afford to buy houses on their own," Louis Sago, the Chaldean archbishop in Kirkuk, said.

There are currently 200,000 Chaldean Christians in Iraq, according to the church – there were over three times that number before the toppling of Saddam in 2003.

Sago said that a total of 200 families had moved to Kirkuk from Baghdad since 2003, with 12,000 Christians currently living in the northern city, served by ten churches.

He said that measures such as the restoration of the former Kurdish village were necessary to keep Christians in Iraq and maintain the country’s diversity, but warned that his community would also need financial support.

So far, 40 families from across Iraq have taken up the PUK offer and moved into the village, with more expected to follow suit.

There are currently six church-funded projects running in Kirkuk and neighbouring villages to support the Christian community.

They include rehabilitating old churches and building entertainment clubs and youth centres, according to Dilshad Beirut, the chief of the projects committee on the Kirkuk provincial council.

“We are working hard to serve Kirkuk residents in general and the Christians in particular as they are an important part of the identity of Kirkuk,” he said. “We will do our best to stop their exodus by providing all necessary services.”

Ziyad Butrus, 26, a Christian civil servant from Kirkuk, said he supported the idea of safe and secure Christian neighbourhoods but warned against segregation.

"I don’t like separation from Muslims,” he said. “We should all be made to feel equal and share in our rebuilding of Iraq.”

Unlike relatives who left the country after being threatened - with some even kidnapped and ransomed – Butrus said he was determined not to move abroad.

“I will struggle to stay in Iraq. I belong here, and can’t live anywhere else,” he said.

In order to promote social cohesion, the provincial authority of Kirkuk launched a dialogue initiative in 2010 between Muslims and Christians.

As part of the programme, imams and preachers at Friday and Sunday sermons speak out against religious intolerance and encourage unity.

Abdulla Hadi, imam at the Al-Khulafaa mosque in Kirkuk, said, “Dialogue enables different religions to accept each other. They can find something in common by talking openly to each other and encouraging tolerance through weekly sermons.”

Sleewa, 38, who lost his brother two years ago when an Islamic extremist kidnapped and killed him, has moved his family to Se Ganian.

"I decided to live [there] even though it is far from downtown Kirkuk where I work,” he said. “But it is better than living where we are exposed to risk at any time.

"I don’t have any grudge against Muslims. I’m convinced that my brother was killed under the pretext of religion and jihad. Muslim friends helped us bury our brother, and shared our grief. They are always there for us.”

Ahern 'brainstorms' to aid Basque peace process (Irish Times)

2011-10-11T13:24:00.000+01:00

Ahern 'brainstorms' to aid Basque peace process
Deaglan de Breadun (Irish Times)
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2011/1011/1224305579076.html
11 October 2011

FORMER TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern has again teamed up with his partner in the Northern Ireland peace process, Tony Blair, in an effort to resolve the long-running conflict in the Basque region of Spain.

The two former leaders are members of a special sub-group of the World Economic Forum devoted to conflict prevention. Mr Ahern is currently attending a meeting of the forum sub-groups, known as the Network of Global Agenda Councils, in Abu Dhabi.

This annual “brainstorming” event helps to shape the agenda for the January gathering of the forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Speaking to The Irish Times in Abu Dhabi yesterday, Mr Ahern said his particular council also had “virtual meetings every 10 days or so: the members connect online across the world visually, using the internet”.

He takes part in the meetings from his office at St Luke’s in Drumcondra or from his home. “I have been involved since I left office 3½ years ago.”

Regarding his work in the Basque Country, he said: “I have been in San Sebastian a number of times this year and last year with the permission of the Spanish government.”

He had also been on a conflict resolution mission to the Niger Delta and he is due to visit Jordan in a few weeks’ time as part of the effort to bring peace to the Middle East.

“I have done a lot of this stuff over the [years], a lot of it has to be quiet. I have put a lot of work and a lot of travel into it and a lot of it has to be confidential by its nature,” he said.

Mr Ahern was invited to join by Prof Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the forum. A spokeswoman for the Swiss-based organisation said council members were paid travel expenses but no fees.

Other members include former US ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk, senior UN official Judy Cheng-Hopkins and Prof Daniel Shapiro from the Harvard International Negotiation Programme, with which Mr Ahern is also associated. Earlier this year he presented a case study to the council on “risk taking” over the release of prisoners in the negotiations for the Belfast Agreement. At yesterday’s meeting he presented a report on a global curriculum for conflict resolution.

He described this as “a set of pointers which we believe would help individuals who have been involved in conflict resolution issues around the world”.

Residents of the north trust in institutions (M-Magazine)

2011-10-10T14:07:00.000+01:00

Residents of the north trust in institutions
http://www.m-magazine.org/index.php/en/news/kosovo/1321-residents-of-the-north-trust-in-institutions.html
(M-Magazine)
10 October 2011

Mitrovica Mayor Avni Kastrati speaks with local residents

Mitrovica, - Residents in the north have confidence in the institutions despite the tense situation and circulation problems due to the barricades set in different locations in north Mitrovica.

This was said on Monday at a meeting of local security committee held in the frame of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue of Mitrovica, which was attended by representatives of security structures. The mayor, Avni Kastrati, said that during the week he has visited along with the director for Protection and Rescue, Behxhet Bala, the most of northern neighborhhods to see closely the situation of the residents. "We visited “Kodra e minatorit”(Miners Hill), the Bosniak neighborhood and Kroi i Vitakut. Their situation is difficult because of roadblocks, but their behavior continues to be more responsible towards the situation ".

He stressed that during the meetings with the residents he thanked them for showing their maturity consistently, taking into account the provocations they are facing. "The Albanian citizens, but also those non-Serb communities in the north have confidence in institutions and their work. This helps us all and especially the security structures in terms of managing the situation. " The mayor Kastrati mentioned the meeting with the residents of Kroi i Vitakut, following the barricade set on the road that connects this neighborhood with Kodra e Minatorit (Miners Hill). "Residents expressed their concern that this will stop the rebuilding of houses that are located across the barricade"

However, the chief of the sector of Protection and Rescue, Shefqet Aliu, said that provocations of certain people are regular occurrence. He mentioned that at the weekend several people moving in a vehicle with Belgrade license plates in Suhadoll have provoked citizens. "They held up three fingers saying this land is Serbia". He said the situation is tense, but it does not escalate thanks to maturity of Albanian citizens, for being responsible.

Peace talks expert shares insights (Manila Bulletin)

2011-10-09T13:15:00.000+01:00

Peace talks expert shares insights
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/337139/peace-talks-expert-shares-insights
Roy Mabasa (Manila Bulletin)
9 October 2011

MANILA, Philippines -- A British lawmaker visited two cities - Davao and Manila — last week to share the lessons he learned at the negotiating table in Northern Ireland to provide insights for the Mindanao peace talks.

Called the "talks minister" because of negotiations he had done, Paul Murphy, who is also a former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (NI) and Wales, spent two years chairing some of the talks which led to the groundbreaking Belfast/Good Friday agreement in 1998, the framework for peace in Northern Ireland.

"Peace doesn't happen overnight, but if there's a will, then eventually it will," Murphy told members of the peace panels of the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF); the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and key government offices; the Senate and House of Representatives; Armed Forces of the Philippines; Philippine National Police; civil society groups and business leaders in Mindanao.

Murphy said the Northern Ireland peace process took many years, but those involved discovered a winning formula to achieve peace on the basis of trust, perseverance, intensity, parity of esteem and international dimensions.

"There's no substitute for proper dialogues among people involved," he said, stressing that talks needed to be intensive and full-time to attain success. "You can't negotiate peace part-time. During negotiations 200-300 people at a time were working in the talks building, and they worked every day, every week, every month, every year, until an agreement was made."

"That is the intensity of those talks. It was not part-time, it was a hothouse atmosphere — intensive, serious and stressful," Murphy recalled.

It is important for everyone in the country to become invested in the peace process, he said.

Northern Ireland peace process can help Cyprus (Cyprus Mail)

2011-10-08T13:09:00.000+01:00

Northern Ireland peace process can help Cyprus
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/seminars/northern-ireland-peace-process-can-help-cyprus/20111008
(Cyprus Mail)
8 October 2011

AS IN the case of Cyprus, the island of Ireland has suffered bitterly from conflict; national, religious, cultural and ethnic differences have been at the heart of the problem on both islands.

Great progress has been made in Northern Ireland, however, with new constitutional arrangements and political institutions creating a basis for reconciliation and political stability.

At a critical point in the negotiations, the opposing parties there benefited significantly from hearing the personal experiences of key parties to the South African peace process, and adapting important lessons to their own situation.

In an attempt to take this lesson forward, UK Parliamentarian Rt. Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP and other key leaders of the Northern Ireland Peace Process will be visiting Cyprus in the coming week, to share their personal experiences.

The scheduled seminars will also engage with the question of whether the experience can be ‘carried forward’ by key figures of the Northern Ireland peace process, to their counterparts in Cyprus. Among the speakers will be Gerry Kelly MLA, Former Minister at the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, who also acted as Senior Sinn Fein Negotiator.

The first seminar will be hosted at the University of Nicosia on October 13,, between 9.30am and 11.30am, at Cine Studio. Later in the day, the delegation will cross the Green Line, for a second seminar at the Mehmet Vahip conference hall of the Nicosia Turkish Municipality, between 2.30pm and 4.30pm.

Irish President tells First Derry audience Anglo-Irish relations at best level in 1,000 years (Londonderry Sentinel)

2011-10-07T13:30:00.000+01:00

Irish President tells First Derry audience Anglo-Irish relations at best level in 1,000 years
http://www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk/news/local/irish_president_tells_first_derry_audience_anglo_irish_relations_at_best_level_in_1_000_years_1_3131699
(Londonderry Sentinel)
7 October 2011

THE President of Ireland Mary McAleese told an audience gathered in First Derry Presbyterian Church last night (Thursday, October 6) that Anglo-Irish relations are at a 1,000 year high and recalled Queen Elizabeth II’s recent comments on “the complexity of our history, its many layers and traditions” and the importance of “being able to bow to the past but not be bound by it.”

She also said that a new dialogue was possible allowing people with strong views to “listen respectfully to things they profoundly disagreed with but could listen generously for the spaces where consensus could be developed.”

The President warned that both communities had paid too high a price for “insisting on living inside bunkers where only those who agree with us are welcome and where the voices of ‘the excluded other’ are muted or silenced.

“To limit ourselves to friends, colleagues, acquaintances, partners who reflect only ourselves back to ourselves is to live such a diminished and narrowing life.

“To open ourselves to stories, narratives, perspectives, talents, genius, insights and friendships which are new to us is to open the doors of our lives to a much more exciting and enriching landscape,” she stated.

Mrs McAleese thanked First Derry Presbyterian Church and Rev. David Latimer for giving her the opportunity to take part in its new ‘Conversation across the Walls’ discussion series.

“I hope there will be many more conversations across walls of heart and mind, of bricks and mortar so that we can find our way to a future of friendship and leave behind the history of hatred,” she commented.

“This is a good place to be having such a conversation for just before its official reopening David Latimer pledged that it would have a dual role as ‘a place for sacred worship’ and ‘a shared space’ in which friends and neighbours of all political and religious persuasions would be welcome.

“This building suffered more than its fair share of damage and abuse for it was often caught up in the interminable politico/sectarian conflict which blighted your lives and mine.

“Now though it is a powerful statement of intent that new, healthier relationships are being forged, the hard way, person to person, conversation to conversation and First Derry Presbyterian Church is relishing its role as a key influencer, a key architect of a shared and happy future far beyond bitter division,” she remarked.

Renowned as an Irish President who has reached out to Ulster loyalism during her 14 years in office she had words for those republicans who remain wedded to political violence, murder and destruction.

“Look at the past. Look at the wasted opportunities, the lives only half-lived, the grief, the fear, the hurt, the mistrust, the litany of adjectives and experiences that broke many a human heart but miraculously never managed to break the spirit of those who believed there was a better way to live and who set about finding it,” she implored.

“A lot of good people found each other in the dark and joined the dots of peacemaking, holding lines that at times were stretched to breaking point.

“They are now legion. They are now the present and the future but of course there are still those who are unconvinced, who seem to prefer that miserable world of contemptuous division where violence is a raw, desperate, inarticulate and unintelligent power,” said Mrs McAleese.

“They have disrupted Derry in ways we had hoped were long past and their continued resistance to the good future we are building confers on us a responsibility not alone to be wary of the sting in the tail of the dying culture of paramilitarism, but to ensure we do our utmost to prove that our way is best in every way - that it is robust, that we are united, that we are not to be turned from the path of peace.”

During her remarks the Irish President also spoke of her amazement at the attitude of Protestant Church leaders in the city in the wake of the publication of the Saville Report into the events of Bloody Sunday last year.

“We looked on amazed, our hearts lifting as generosity and compassion began to flow spontaneously in both directions.

“We watched the basic building blocks of peace and reconciliation shift into place, lifted painfully by the only powers that can create peace - human hands and human hearts, bridging the gap of division and difference with humanity and decency.

“That dignified and impressive response to the Saville Report showcased to all of us just how far we have travelled beyond the days of antipathy and enmity,” she said.

Peace and Reconciliation Committee for Kaduna (The Nation)

2011-10-05T14:58:00.004+01:00

Peace and Reconciliation Committee for Kaduna
http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/21557-peace-and-reconciliation-committee-for-kaduna.html
Tony Akowe (The Nation)
5 October 2011

Kaduna State is soon to have a peace and reconciliation committee to calm frayed nerves.

Governor Patrick Yakowa stated this in a broadcast to mark the nation’s 51st Independence.

He noted that the post- election crisis in the state came at a time when the pursuit for peaceful coexistence was beginning to yield result.

According to him, "the post- election violence gave rise to many actions that were taken to mitigate its negative effects on the citizens of this state.

"It led to the establishment of the Judicial Commission of Enquiry to help un- earth what led to the carnage with a view to finding long lasting solutions.

He went on: "We have received the report of the Judicial Commission of Enquiry and are studying it for appropriate implementation for peace and reconciliation in the state.

"In that wise, a Peace and Reconciliation Committee is being constituted to address this matter.

"Local Government Councils, in the state, have been directed to establish similar Peace and Reconciliation Committees at their levels.

"This action is being taken in realisation of the fact that Security is the responsibility of all".

Another successful milestone for Journeys Out (University of Ulster)

2011-10-04T14:29:00.000+01:00

Another successful milestone for Journeys Out (University of Ulster)
http://news.ulster.ac.uk/releases/2011/6033.html
(University of Ulster)
4 October 2011

Professor Brandon Hamber, INCORE Director

Community leaders from across the traditional political divide are this week celebrating the successful conclusion of Journeys Out, a pioneering EU funded initiative to address the legacy of the Northern Ireland conflict.

Over the past two years, community activists representing all shades of political opinion from across Northern Ireland and the border regions - unionists and nationalists, loyalists and republicans, some of them former combatants - took part in the groundbreaking project.

Spearheaded by INCORE, the International Conflict Research Institute at the University of Ulster’s Magee Campus, in partnership with Intercomm Ireland, Belfast, the Peace and Reconciliation Group, Derry/Londonderry and the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation, Wicklow, Journeys Out engaged 40 community leaders in the debate about dealing with the past, and facilitated an exploration of these issues within their respective communities.

Professor Brandon Hamber, Director from INCORE explains how over the past two years, the community leaders took part in a programme of training, community research and workshops to help them explore the opportunities and challenges which have come with the transition from conflict to peace.

“I am delighted that INCORE was given the opportunity to explore the important issues of dealing with the past with community leaders who have to address the legacy of the past on a daily basis in their own communities.

“A training programme run by the project partners helped skill participants to discuss the issue of dealing with the past in their communities. A series of Project Policy seminars also provided opportunities to initiate dialogue and sharing between community practitioners and policy influencers. Both these activities highlighted the on-going need to address the legacy of the past in society.”

The Journeys Out project also had an international dimension with study visits to Cape Town in South Africa. The visits examined the successes and failures of dealing with the past in the post-apartheid context as a way of informing and widening the debate on dealing with the legacy of the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland.

Michael Doherty from the Peace and Reconciliation Group in Derry, one of the project partners, noted: “The South African trip not only provided valuable information about the types of initiatives attempted in South Africa, but also reminded us all that dealing with the past is a long term process. We cannot be complacent and expect our violent past to simply go away. Fifteen years after the transition, South Africa is still struggling with its past. This highlights the importance of ongoing community work.”

A celebratory event to mark the successful completion of the Journeys Out project was hosted by INCORE and the project partners in Belfast on Friday September 30.

Professor Hamber says the event was to celebrate the achievements of everyone who contributed towards making the Journeys Out Project such a successful and innovative way of dealing with the past.

“The current Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Niall Ó Donnghaile, launched a project DVD which examines the impact that the project has made on individuals and communities within Northern Ireland and their Border Regions. The closing event will also marked the launch of the Policy Briefs that came out of the roundtable discussions, which explored the legacies of the conflict that remain unaddressed or undisclosed.”

Conor Maskey of Intercomm, a community initiative based in North Belfast and project partner, said he felt Journeys Out project was an ideal platform to bring together a wide range of community activists.

“It was a pleasure to be involved in such positive and constructive project. Because of their different backgrounds and experiences, each of the participants had their own unique insight and this enabled them to make an invaluable contribution to the ongoing debate about dealing with the past.”

Eamonn Rafter, of the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, also a project partner, added that “Having a cross-border dimension also added to the project, helping us to realise that dealing with the past is a concern for us all. It is an Ireland wide issue and something that the whole society should be concerned with.”

Pat Colgan, Chief Executive of the SEUPB congratulated everyone involved in delivering project for their excellent work.

“The engagement with the community leaders that Journeys Out developed was extremely important to understand how the legacy of the past affects communities in their everyday life, which is in line with the priorities of the PEACE III Programme. This understanding of our shared perception of and relationship with the past is essential if we are to build a more positive future.”

I will support southern Kaduna: Makarfi (Menafn.com)

2011-10-01T14:54:00.000+01:00

I will support southern Kaduna: Makarfi (Menafn.com)
http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story.asp?storyid=%7Bbc422386-1f90-4246-952f-085a9289ef0e%7D
Ruth Choji (Menafn.com)
1 October 2011

Since the return of democracy in 1999, Alhaji Ahmed Makafi has been a recurring decimal in the Kaduna State politics. He ruled the state from 1999-2007. The next four years he was at the National Assembly as the senator representing Kaduna North senatorial district. He is a man of few words who believes that a political office holders performance should rather speak for him than rhetoric's. In this interview with Ruth Choji, the former governor posits that splitting Kaduna State into two could be a panacea to the perennial crises in the state.

He also feels that at 51, Nigeria is yet to take its place in the comity of nations as the leaders are yet to hit the right cords. Senator Makafi also gave an insight into the hitherto booming textile industries of Kaduna that have now closed shop, among other issues. Excerpts:

Nigeria is 51 years, can you say that we have attained real nationhood?

I would like to be optimistic today, but again one has to call a spade a spade. While we have a few things to celebrate, we should also have souls search. We have to tell ourselves the honest truth if we should be at the level we are or we should have passed this level. Majority will agree with me that we should have grown much more than where we are in terms of unity, development and in all aspects of development.

It is always good to be optimistic but we should have resolved long ago to grow, like the saying goes, better be late than never. We should resolve today to a matter of urgency, double efforts towards placing our nation at a level that the black race all over the world will be proud of.

In the past 50 years there had been agitation for unity and peace, but lately, there have been calls for disintegration, how do you envisage the next 50 years for Nigeria?

Agitation has been there for a long time and of course some domestic events have brought out this kind of view, but even those who say that, asdo not see it as the ultimate thing.They only sound a kind of warning that we have ABCD problem to work on and failure to work on them will continue to cause problems. A form of restructuring is needed, some people might call it disintegration, I think we should look at it as a clarion call to work on our differences to fully integrate our country. There is no section of this country that is without problems. I think we should work on these issues more importantly. Every citizen is free to live in any part of this country without fear and also practicse their culture without inhibition, as well as freely associate with who soever they want to associate with as long as they do not run foul of the law. Just like football unites the country, I do not see why other fundamental issues should not unite us.

But the agitation has brought a lot of insecurity, what is your take on the violence being unleashed in some parts of the country?

First of all, the primary security of any government is the security of lives and property, all people in position of authority at all levels. When I say in all levels, I do not mean just people in authority, I mean as well as traditional rulers, even religious or communal rulers, all those in authority. We need to actually work in a way and manner that allow us to sleep with both eyes closed. What will usher permanent peace and stability is justice and equity. If all elected officers do what they are supposed to do, we would overcome this security issues that rear their head every now and then in different parts of the country.

But why is it that northern leaders are not saying anything about this violence?

You have to identify the northern leaders first. Is it the leaders that were elected to serve the people? Or are you referring to those who have held some position of authority? A leader needs to talk less and work more, particularly those that were elected because it is not about talking but action since action speaks louder than words.

Going back to Kaduna, the incessant violence in the state has divided it into Muslim / Christian regions. Do you think that creating a state for southern Kaduna would solve the problem?

I said it before and I stand by it, that I will support a move to split Kaduna into two states though not on ethnic, religious or tribal grounds, there have been intermarriages. So I see the split more on developmental grounds than ethnic or religious inclination. It is impossible to separate Kaduna on that line.

All the textile companies in Kaduna have been shut down, as a former governor, why is it that successive governments have not been able to revive them?

It is not an issue you blame on the state government. Look at the issue from the centre. States do not have control over borders, they do not have control over tariffs or physical policies that can have negative or positive effects on the local industry. I think it will take the economic council to sit down and address the issue, then our local industries will stand a chance. If there are incentives and the right polices are put in place, then there will a right place to start quality production that will compete with foreign industries.

What is your take on the clamour to scrap state and local government joint accounts?

It is how it is operated counts. The intention is good but it is not the law. . I believe in the independence of the local government system but we need to find a more applicable approach to the issue.

Northern governors are being accused of paying lip service to socio-political issues, as a former member of that group, what is your take on that?

Again you have to look at it on each state level. every state has its peculiar problems as part of Nigeria. Some say that some states in the North perform better than some states in the South. You will continue to hear comments about this and that, whether you are being praised or critised, every governor should take his responsibility seriously and deliver good governance.

There has been an increase in the clamour for regionalism, what is your take on that?

I know that the cost of governance at the moment is excessively high. It is not about state, region or whatever, what we have to look at is the cost of governance and anything that can reduce drastically the cost of running government, I will support.

Do you support the 6-year single term plan?

It is not about if I support or do not support it, it is an issue of constitutional amendment Should that become an issue and my representatives consult me, I will make my views known to my people.