15 years reflection of the Tsunami

Its been 15 years since that fateful boxing day in 2004, when Sri Lankans were introduced to the concept of the tsunami.  Once not part of the lexicon, the tsunami is engrained as one of the darkest periods in Sri Lankan history and sadly part of many dark histories of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka was the second country next to Aceh in Indonesia to be severely destroyed by the tsunami and like Indonesia was in the midst of a floundering peace process. In the lead up to the 15 year anniversary there should be much to reflect on.  However sadly, much has happened in Sri Lanka since then that now the tsunami reflections are confined to a minute of silence (at best) which is sad given that the event was a turning point for the country.

Following the bloody end of the conflict in 2009 and the devastating Easter Sunday bomb attacks earlier on this year, Sri Lanka and its citizens are  facing an upheaval in terms of an identity crisis amidst the resurgence of religio-ethno nationalist forces threatening coexistence with minorities.  It is now more than ever that a sombre reflection on the true lessons from 15 years ago needs to be understood or argued.  In the wake of polarisation of communities based on ethnicity and faith, what is needed is for Sri Lanka to rediscover that spirit and ethos that guided the initial post tsunami response.

That spirit and ethos was represented by the outpouring of grief and support for the victims and survivors of the tsunami in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami before the government and international institutions started their response. For a brief moment, people forgot the divisions that separated them and concentrated more on what could unite them. For a brief period, regardless of what faith and ethnicity you were, what mattered most was that you were Sri Lankan. The post tsunami response before responsibility was abrogated to the government and the international community represents the single most opportune moment that Sri Lankans (of all ethnicities and faith) came together to help one another in the rebuilding.

This for me represents the single most vital lesson of the tsunami. We were shown the value and vulnerability of life. Mother Earth taught us that we should not discriminate because natural disasters are a great social leveller.  No matter whether you were rich or poor or Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or Hindu, the wall of water did not pause and ask  your affiliation.  In that brief respite of a couple of days after the tsunami, people also didn't ask.  They just responded and buried people as they found them giving them the same burial rights as they understood, not knowing who they were burying.

Yet the tragedy of this lesson, is that we quickly forgot this and did not capitalise on it. We did not build the relationships that we once cultivated in those dark times, nor did we go out of the way to forge new ones. As quickly as we responded, we have retreated into our silos made worse by the Easter Sunday attacks.  Consequently Sri Lankans remain not only as polarised as ever, the minorities feel disenfranchised and disempowered as ever, but I dare ask whether we would see the same compassionate response today that we saw 15 years ago?  I would like to think so but I remain sceptical.

Whilst many will blame the political context and will of the day (which of course has a lot to answer for in setting the context), we can not shirk away from our personal responsibilities in allowing the state of affairs to arrive to the crunch that they are in Sri Lanka. Our personal relationships with and between each other from  different communities has much to say for how we value life as taught to us by the tsunami.  The amount of hate against minority communities that has been spewed out over the last few months is testimony to something going wrong.

Hypocrates once said that "healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity". Thus in tragedy there should be an opportunity to heal. In an ideal world a 15 year reflection on the tsunami in Sri Lanka would reflect on how far communities have come.Much would be written as to how the doors that were opened between faith and ethnic communities in the first few days after the tsunami had become opportunities to forge peace.

15 years on, there is a missed opportunity to reflect on from the tsunami which is the missed opportunity for people to build relationships with each other that could transcend political and religious biases. If 15 years on we are still trying to find that magic formula to build relationships and co exist despite the powerful reminder that Mother Earth gave us, then those that lost their lives in that terrible natural disaster and since then, would have lost it in vain.

How Do We Understand Non-Violence?

October 2 has been designated as the International Day of Non-Violence to coincide with the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.

Non-violence is often misinterpreted as something passive, but it is a set of attitudes, actions or behaviors intended to persuade the other side to change its opinions, perceptions and actions. The narrative of violence is often seen as a mechanism of false consciousness that obscures and conceals the real sources of poverty, humiliation and underdevelopment. 

In this sense, non-violence is not passive but requires great strength of character, perseverance and discipline. It is a means of awakening a sense of injustice and moral shame in the supporters of a power structure, showing them that they have more to gain by ending injustice and oppression than by maintaining them. Non-violence is also about exposing the unjust means of a power structure and changing the narrative that can be used for justification.

For Gandhi, non-violent resistance meant direct action, including boycotts and acts of civil disobedience. His strategic use of non-violence resisted the power structure of the day, provoking it in order to expose its unjust means and illegitimacy. This is ultimately the long-term focus to let the community acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to advance in society and challenge the status quo of the power structure.

No one communicated this moral priority apart from Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Despite losing his supporter base, King would shift attention in 1965 from the civil rights movement to economic injustice and the Vietnam War, which have unfortunately been erased from the cultural narrative of his life and legacy.

In his 1963 letter from a Birmingham jail, King drew inspiration from the gospel and biblical teachings in order to justify his fight against injustice. For King, injustice anywhere was a threat to justice everywhere. He mentioned just and unjust law and offers insight into how not only the church but other faith leaders and communities should act in the face of injustice. In King’s words, it is about being a thermostat that transforms the morals of society.

King wrote: “If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning. This is the challenge that King sets for us — people of faith and no faith — to see where we stand during times of challenge and controversy, rising above the narrow confines of our individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.

There is much being talked about a culture of peace and non-violence, but with very little being done to understand what that means. Such a culture to be promoted is about providing an enabling environment for dialogue and discussion to find solutions to problems and tensions through a process where everyone is valued and able to participate. Such a culture promotes the respect of human beings, their wellbeing and dignity, and it honors diversity, inclusiveness, mutual understanding and dialogue. It creates an environment where people can live in safety, make a decent living and fully participate in society. It motivates members of a community to take responsibility and care for each other, confront crises with innovative solutions and to be resilient to bounce back from calamity.

Such conversations need deeper reflections and understandings, and this is what needs to be put into action.

This orginally appeared on Fair Observer

Peace Day 2019: Its time to be climate smart

World Peace Day, which is marked every year on September 21, has just passed. The chance to do some soul-searching with regards to the state of peace on our planet is as important as ever before.

For all the relative calmness and progress of the second half of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st, we still see a world that is hurting due to increased fragility that is spreading at the pace of our fast-evolving planet. The battlefields of today are everywhere — they are not defined by geography. The battlefields of today are on our streets, in our hospitals, in our schools, in our places of worship. There may not be a new world war, but we are still a world at war. Just a cursory glance at the headlines shows us that we are in a slightly poorer state than the year before.

So, on top of the protracted crises in places like Syria and Yemen, we have seen new signs for violent conflict surfacing. From Sri Lanka and the Middle East oil crisis to the situation in Kashmir, it is clear that conflict remains and the propensity for violence is particularly acute as tensions manifest themselves into deep sociopolitical cleavages.

In addition, there are new risks and challenges that will make violent conflict more inevitable. For example, a newly-released report by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) points to the growing threat of climate change to vulnerable communities and its humanitarian consequences. In reading this report, it is clear that the implications for climate change will affect the drivers of violent conflict, and that the future of peace is tied in with being climate-smart and working on climate adaptation that prioritizes the poorest and most vulnerable.

Striking for the Climate

In this context, World Peace Day 2019 came at an opportune moment, buttressing the international climate strikes that took place before the Global Climate Summit on September 21-23. Ironically, World Peace Day appears as an intergenerational bridge between the youth and the elderly in this debate, and perhaps this is where a revamp of the day should be.

Globally, the number of young people is on the rise. We cannot ignore the fact that, in many parts of the world, the majority of people are under 30. The youth are not just the future as the cliché goes, they are the present. This means they need to be included and embedded in processes taking place now, not as token representations but with agency and influence. And it’s not like they don’t want that engagement. The movement on climate change is a testimony to this.

Despite the rise of populist movements that focus on differences, the climate change movement paints young people as wanting to bridge differences — particularly with young people having a greater commitment to doing something to contribute to their societies and their world. There is anger among our youth, impatient with the lack of progress being made on tackling this and also frustrated by being shut out.

So, there is much to reflect on around reigniting young people who are passionate about climate change to rediscover the spark that has been lost in the world: of empathy, sympathy and compassion.

As a bridge between the climate strikes and the climate summit, the annual World Peace Day must shine a light on how the youth are part of and can take the lead in building peace in our societies. Young people are agents for peace, engaged in transforming the structures and institutions that hinder the socioeconomic and political well-being of those living in fragile and conflict-affected communities.

Engaging Young People

So, we need to do more to invest and engage with them, but this requires a holistic approach. First, though, we need to remove the prejudice that many of us have when it comes to engaging young people. We must stop thinking they are apolitical and more interested in following the latest installment of a reality-TV show than in engaging with the serious questions of the world around them. We should channel their enthusiasm to express and get involved.

Yet, at the same time, we must be honest about this approach. We need to give young people the space to be innovative and shape or rethink new models for the communities and societies in which they live — perhaps outside the globalized economic and “social” system they will inherit from other generations. In doing this, we have to answer some hard questions about whether we are ready for that and what it will take for each of us to work together toward a fairer world for everyone. In short, we have to be prepared for a hard shift in how we work and engage.

The youth can no longer be “represented.” They have to be mainstreamed, included, nurtured, listened to, consulted and worked in partnership with. It is about understanding how young people can build peace; how they build an environment where people can pursue conflicts without violence and harm to themselves or others; and how they promote the values of equity, fairness, inclusion and respect for human dignity — and with that the importance of a relationship with Mother Earth.

In the face of the current global challenges with the multitude of conflicts we are facing, this year’s World Peace Day must lead to new solutions and new agents that challenge exclusion based on difference.

True inclusivity can only be obtained when we carefully position all elements to create a compelling, cosmopolitan mosaic. There is a need to remain committed to engineering the software needed to work effectively in a range of situations. This will never be easy, but it remains vitally important. To quote Kwame Anthony Appiah, it will involve creating the very “ideas and institutions that will allow us to live together as the global tribe we have become.”

This originally appeared on Fair Observer

Remembering Easter Sunday Victims and Moving Forward

A speech given by Amjad Mohamed-Saleem at an interfaith memorial service held in Geneva on the 5th of May 2019. The event was organised by the European Centre for Sri Lankan Community.

I have been asked to say a few words as a means of a welcome. What does one say at such a sad and sombre occasion? It’s been two weeks since this terrorist attack on our country and our people. Yet after two weeks, I like many of you are still in pain. My heart weeps at the violation of the innocent in the safest and sacred of places during a holy day; remembering God in His House. They were not allowed that respect or the safety and security that comes in being in a place of worship. Nor were those guests in the hotels, afforded the basic of respect that a host offers a guest, that you are safe in our paradise island.

However, I am spiritually comforted by the fact that those innocents who were killed on 21st of April are in a better place than those terrorists who perpetrated this vile act because they went against the teachings and the basic spirit of the Divine: to know and love each other and to enjoin the good. Those terrorists will not know the peace that the innocents will feel.

Over the last few weeks we here in Geneva have been meeting quite frequently at different places of worship to pray and remember those who have passed. It is in the prayers and companionship of others that we find solace and in fact it is such strength of inter faith cordiality that our country Sri Lanka has not yet managed to blow up, because the faith leaders have come together to hold the peace.

Coming together in prayer is the minimum we can do from where we are in Geneva and we should do not only to be a support to each other during this time but as a comfort and a beacon of hope for the future in Sri Lanka, a future that is uncertain and fearful, and a future where we need to and want to ensure mistakes are not repeated as in the past because we know how bad these can turn out to be especially as the emotions of grief evolve to the emotions of anger. That anger needs to be channelled constructively because in the fog of terrorism we hear and see things that are done in the name of national security that challenge the notion of human dignity, as there are calls for introspection and accountability.

The Muslim community (and I say this as a Muslim) is going through this introspection as well as accountability; hurting, scared and fearful and collectively thinking that we did not do more to remove those weeds of hate and we need to do more. This will forever live with us as a badge of guilt of what if?

Yet there is a collective introspection and accountability that we need to do as a society and country as to not only why we didn't do more to prevent this type of violence; or do more collectively to tackle conditions for young men and women who are capable of such hate and do more to tackle the incitement to violence and hate. Our history in Sri Lanka shows us that young men and women have continuously been the victim of and perpetrators of such type of violence fed by the context of that time and this is something we need to really and honestly reflect on. History keeps on repeating itself and we seem to not have learned.

We realise that calls for introspection and accountability needs to be done also within the paradigm of humanity. if we want to avoid the radicalisation of another generation of youth who are angry at the injustice and inequality, then we need to be humane and just in how we deal with this sensitive situation and with the communities who have suffered as well as those who might be suspect.

As members of dialogical faith traditions who have a lived experience in Sri Lanka we need to hold onto that notion of rising together like a phoenix. We need to collectively ensure that voices for tolerance and inclusivity are not silenced; that our democracy and decency are not broken or that we are unable to turn this moment into co-existence and not disharmony.

This is the hope that we must give Sri Lanka especially from living outside. This is what we need to do collectively as the community here in Geneva and the message to be sent to Sri Lanka to break out of the silos of parallel communities. We have met more times in the past week than perhaps over the last year. This needs to change as we need to come together at all our cultural and religious gatherings to know each other, to understand each other and to respect each other that in our diversity we have many commonalities that unite us as Sri Lankans, because if we do not know each other then we will not be able to understand each other. It just requires one person to stand up and walk across with the hand extended.

This is the hope we offer to those who were affected on Easter Sunday that we will not allow their plight to be used to justify exactly what the terrorists wanted. We will not allow divisive forces to break us. As Muslims embark on the Holy Month of Ramadan which embodies the spiritual need to empathise with the downtrodden, the victims and those who have suffered whilst praying for peace and compassion, our prayers for this Holy Month is for God to bless those who have passed and to protect those who have survived; we pray for peace and justice to be brought to the country and for sanity to prevail; we re dedicate ourselves towards working for peace and justice for all communities.

in ending my speech, i just want to remind myself and others that for us to truly build from the tragedy of Easter Sunday, we need to remember these words from Martin Luther King Jr:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

This originally appeared in The Island

Ramadan 2019: How Sri Lankan Muslims Can Respond

Each Ramadan, I set myself a challenge: How and what can I improve this year? For me, Ramadan is about setting and overcoming challenges in an attempt to progress spiritually and become a better person serving humanity. I do this as I travel on a path toward enlightenment and happiness in an attempt to connect with the “all spark.” This “spark” enables us to understand the most difficult lesson of our spiritual journey. Our destination is perhaps best exemplified by author Paulo Coelho in The Alchemist: “Go; travel the world, look for the truth and the secret of life — every road will lead you to this sense of initiation: the secret is hidden in the place from which you set out.”

This is the ultimate paradox of spiritual experience whereby the constant effort that we make to purify, control and liberate our hearts is, in the end, reconciliation with the deepest level of our being. The spark that God breathed into our heart (the fitra) is that of humility, the awareness of fragility, the consciousness of limitation and the shoulder of responsibility. Such is the meaning of profound spirituality requiring man to acquire a force of being and doing, rather than undergo despotic relentlessness of a life reduced to mere instinct. Within this space, we marry the purpose of our existence with the purpose of our subsistence.

Being close to the Quran’s light, its words and inspirations, we must comprehend the message: You are indeed what you do with yourself. You are responsible for the actions you take. Thus, Ramadan is the culmination of all worship as an attempt to reconnect with our spark. Ramadan ultimately reinforces our personal effort and commitment and invites us toward the deep horizons of introspection and meaning.

Sri Lanka After the Easter Sunday Attacks

Yet as Ramadan begins, there is an atmosphere of sadness. As a Sri Lankan and a Muslim, the start of Ramadan coinciding with the aftermath of terror attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday casts a huge shadow for what is supposed to be an Islamic holy month of prayer, introspection and spiritual contemplation. Introspection and contemplation now have a whole new meaning.

In the wake of such terrible violence that is anti-Islam yet perpetrated by people who called themselves Muslim, I wonder as to how Sri Lankan Muslims can and should respond. The terrorists who committed the attacks not only do not represent Islam, but with their heinous actions cannot be judged as Muslims. Yet the fact of the matter is that the outside world sees them as Muslims and, therefore, the Sri Lankan Muslim community will have to now answer to people who are hurt and angry. Doing so within the month of Ramadan brings with it challenges but also opportunities for Sri Lankan Muslims with questions they have to ask themselves.

How can we relearn the universal values of peace, compassion and justice as articulated by Islam, reinforced by Ramadan and binding in the brotherhood of humanity in the face of such aggression? How can we develop the concept of forgiveness and compassion? What should our response be? How can we move forward?

In asking these questions, one realizes that there are three possible answers. The first is not to care and go about your daily business, which negates the purpose of Ramadan. The second is to get upset and vindictive and start to hate and often to lose hope. The third is to get upset and channel that into something that is positive and to respond in the face of fear and uncertainty.

The second option again negates the purpose of Ramadan and of religion. We can’t afford to lose hope and faith. In the face of the greatest oppressions is the testimony for our faith and how we respond. If we truly believe that we as people of faith are the inheritors of the prophets and the conveyors of spiritual wisdom that has been passed down to us, we cannot lose hope. However, what we can do is redouble our efforts to call for and act for peace and justice. In doing so, we can also realize that there are things we are concerned about and that we have influence over.

Whilst we have a range of concerns — our health, problems at work, national crises, the security of the nation — the fact is that we have no real control over some things that happen to us. Yet there are other we can do something about in our “sphere of influence.” This sphere is what a Muslim is considered directly responsible for, whether as an individual or a collective. By determining which of these we focus most of our time and energy on, we can discover more about what we can be “activists” in.

In Islam, we know that God does not hold us responsible for anything other than our sphere of influence. The best expression of faith is to do one’s utmost in the enjoining of right and repelling of wrong within that sphere and speaking for justice, being a mercy to mankind. However, to refuse to use one’s power to change a wrong or to exercise influence on others to make a change is considered a manifestation of weak faith. A case in point is a hadith (saying) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): “Whoever sees something wrong, let him correct it by his hand (with the power vested in him), and if he can’t (do that), let him correct it by his tongue, and if he can’t (do that), let him hate it with his heart, and this is the weakest of faith (if one can do more).” Correcting “by one’s hand” must be done with wisdom, calmness and justice.

Thus, we need to be speaking out against the injustices happening locally. We need to ensure that people in Sri Lanka (from all faiths) feel safe and secure, through forging alliances with like-minded people. However, it has to be more than that. We need to use the opportunities that are given to us, like Ramadan, to develop a greater social policy that empowers people, recognizes their differences and that searches for commonalities that will lead to greater respect and understanding.

This is our challenge as Sri Lankan Muslims this Ramadan: to go beyond our comfort zones and work on a local and national scale for the common good, with allies so that our country’s future is safe and prosperous. Ramadan has to reinforce in Sri Lankan Muslims our sense of purpose and responsibility, whilst nurturing the inspiration from the Quran that “God will not change anything for the good if you change nothing.”

Call for Unity in Ramadan

As the blessed month of Ramadan teaches us, we share the burdens of others — especially those who are suffering and in despair — and we remember our responsibilities toward them. Identifying with others in different ways is important in our role of living in society. Thus, we should remember that we are much more than a label and that our plurality and diversity are not divisive elements, but are a cause for celebration — and within that celebration is an understanding of common humanity and universal principles. This is a call for unity of the Sri Lankan Muslim community amidst the wider national society during this blessed time, but also at a crucial moment in Sri Lankan history.

This call for unity is founded upon a universal humanitarian principle based on the following verse from the Quran: “If anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.” Unfortunately, the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday attacks violated this principle. But this means the call is doubly strengthened as responsibility is placed upon the shoulder of the individual to take the lead in becoming a true citizen of their country.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “You shall not enter Paradise until you have faith, and you cannot have faith until you love one another. Have compassion on those you can see, and He Whom you cannot see will have compassion on you.” Thus we learn our purpose of existence. The true lesson of Ramadan is to stand by justice and to portray the humility and compassion of the prophet toward the downtrodden, the distressed and the oppressed regardless of who they are.

So, the lessons this Ramadan for Sri Lankan Muslims is to recalibrate their ethical and moral compass at a time when their country needs healing and support.

This orginally appeared on Fair Observer

Remembering the fallen from the Easter Sunday Attacks in Sri Lanka

Over the past two weeks I have not really made any public direct comment on the horrible Easter Sunday Attacks in Sri Lanka.  It has been too shocking and stressful to even write about this.  I took time to console friends and family directly and indirectly affected by this and took time to discuss with associates how to avoid the situation getting worse.  I even argued with people on social media who were lashing out painting the whole community as being responsible  Yet the truth of the matter is that this was a deflection from my own true feelings and emotions about the subject.  After all, what do you say at times like this?  How can you reassure people who are scared that what took place is against Islam and those  'Muslims' who perpetrated this are not followers of the faith because they justified violence against innocents?  How can you talk to people who you have worked with and be friends with, and who are now turning out to be racists and bigots, when they are scared and mistrustful?  how do you reassure members of your community and family who are scared of the backlash that is coming and who remember '83?  So i deflected, trying to find the right moment and the right time and to process what happened and what will happen.  I tried to find peace within me before i could preach peace to others.  I was hoping that ramadan would allow me the time and space for this to happen.

Unfortunately, i was asked to say a few words at an interfaith memorial that took place this afternoon (May 5th) in Geneva to remember and pray for those who have passed away.  So i had to write and in writing i penned down some cathartic words which i think should be shared as my way of healing and dealing with the process.




---

The Venerable Members of the Maha Sanga
The respected religious leaders and members of faith communities.
Your excellency the Ambassador A.L. Azeez of the permanent mission of Sri Lanka to the UN and the Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Switzerland
Colleagues from the Sri Lankan Mission
Ladies and Gentlemen from the community
Aybowan, Vannekam, As-salaamu Alaikum, A very Good Afternoon to you all.

I have been asked to say a few words as a means of a welcome.  What does one say at such a sad and sombre occasion? Its been two weeks since this terrorist attack on our country and our people.  Yet after two weeks, I like many of you are still in pain.  My heart weeps at the violation of the innocent in the most safest and sacred of places during a holy day; remembering God in His House.  They were not allowed that respect or the safety and security that comes in being in a place of worship.  Nor were those guests in the hotels, afforded the basic of respect that a host offers a guest, that you are safe in our paradise island.

However, I am spiritually comforted by the fact that those innocents who were killed on 21st of April are in a better place than those terrorists who perpetrated this vile act because they went against the teachings and the basic spirit of the Divine: to know and love each other and to enjoin the good.  Those terrorists will not know the peace that the innocents will feel.

Over the last few weeks we here in Geneva have been meeting quite frequently at different places of worship to pray and remember those who have passed.  It is in the prayers and companionship of others that we find solace and in fact it is such strength of inter faith cordiality that our country Sri Lanka has not yet managed to blow up, because the faith leaders have come together to hold the peace.

Coming together in prayer  is the minimum we can do from where we are in Geneva and we should do not only to be a support to each other during this time but as a comfort and a beacon of hope for the future in Sri Lanka, a future that is uncertain and fearful, and a future where we need to and want to  ensure mistakes are not repeated as in the past because we know how bad these can turn out to be especially as the emotions of grief evolve to the emotions of anger.  That anger needs to be channelled constructively because in the fog of terrorism we hear and see things that are done in the name of national security that challenge the notion of human dignity, as there are calls for introspection and accountability.

The Muslim community (and I say this as a Muslim) is going through this introspection as well as accountability; hurting, scared and fearful and collectively thinking that we did not do more to remove those weeds of hate and we need to do more.  This will forever live with us as a badge of guilt of what if?

Yet there is a collective introspection and accountability that we need to do as a society and country as to not only why we didn't more to prevent this type violence; or do more collectively to tackle conditions for young men and women who are capable of such hate and do more to tackle the incitement to violence and hate.  Our history in Sri Lanka shows us that young men and women have continuously been the victim of and perpetrators of such type of violence fed by the context of that time and this is something we need to really and honestly reflect on.  History keeps on repeating itself and we seem to not have learned.

We  realise that calls for introspection and accountability needs to be done also within the paradigm of humanity.   if we want to avoid the radicalisation of another generation of youth who are angry at the injustice and inequality they, then we need to be humane and just in how we deal with this sensitive situation and with the communities who have suffered as well as those who might be suspect.

As members of dialogical  faith traditions that have a lived experience in Sri Lanka we need to hold onto that notion of rising together like a phoenix.    We need to collectively ensure that voices for  tolerance and inclusivity are not silenced; that our democracy and decency are not broken or that we are unable to turn this moment into co-existence and not disharmony.

This is the hope that we must give Sri Lanka especially from living outside.  This is what we need to do collectively as the community here in Geneva and the message to be sent to Sri Lanka to break out of the silos of parallel communities.  We have met more times in the past week than perhaps over the last year.  This needs to change as we need to come together at all our cultural and religious gatherings to know each other, to understand each other and to respect each other that in our diversity we have many commonalities that unite us as Sri Lankans, because if we do not know each other then we will not be able to understand each other.  It just requires one person to stand up and walk across with the hand extended.

This is the hope we offer to those who were killed on Easter Sunday that we will not allow their deaths to be used to justify exactly what the terrorists wanted. We will not allow divisive forces to break us

it is the responsibility on those of us who survived is not to allow your deaths to be in vain.   This is the legacy we owe them.

As Muslims embark on the Holy Month of Ramadan which embodies the spiritual need to empathise with the downtrodden, the victims and those who have suffered whilst praying for peace and compassion, our prayers for this Holy Month is for God to bless those who have passed and to protect those who have survived; we pray for peace and justice to be brought to the country and for sanity to prevail;  we re dedicate ourselves towards working for peace and justice for all communities.

in ending my speech, i just want to remind myself and others that for us to truly build from the tragedy of Easter Sunday, we need to remember these words from Martin Luther King Jr:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Thank you.

The Future of Protection

We are in a period of the globalisation of fragility. The definition of protection, its scope and limitations, the role of humanitarian agencies, authorities and other actors has been and continues to be debated. Within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, interpretations and practice on protection is also diverse and varied but the aspect is to explore it in a wide perspective around Do No Harm and keeping people safe, considering how National Societies (NS) have always engaged in wide range of protective actions, and in response to increasing conflict, displacement and migration, some are increasingly active in certain fields.

DRIVING TRENDS

A cursory glance at the 2017 Global Peace Index (The 2017 Global Peace Index) makes for very interesting reading. Though it shows a slight improvement from 2016 due to gains in six of the nine geographical regions represented, the Index records a less peaceful world over the past decade. Since 2008, the global level of peace has deteriorated by 2.14%, with 80 countries improving while 83 countries deteriorated.

One of the major trends recorded over the last decade and attributed to this decline has been the growing inequality in peace between the most and least peaceful countries. These trends show that the growing inequality in peace is largely attributable to the rise of conflicts within states, the rise of terrorism and increasing levels of criminality. As desperate people flee conflict zones, the impact of forced displacement is hitting neighbouring countries hardest and they are coping as best they can.   The number of displaced people and refugees is the highest since the end of the Second World War. While the first half of the 20th century was a major period of inter-state warfare and wars of decolonisation, the second half gave way to an era of predominantly civil conflicts. A little over 20% of the world’s population live in countries under the threat of large-scale, organised violence, according to the World Bank’s 2011 World Development Report.

Experiences over the last decade in many parts of the world illustrate the challenges that the changing nature of armed conflict poses for peace as the landscape and nature of conflict change. Challenges to the established order in different places around the world are rising, linked to diverse causes – political change, regional and national autonomy, urbanisation, climate change, faith and cultural identity, or securing the basic conditions of life. Underlying some of the causes for current conflicts are some cross-cutting characteristics, including the rise of violent non-state actors and the prevalence of civil wars; deep socio-political and ethno-religious conflicts; huge levels of mistrust and intolerance; constantly changing alliances, loyalties and relationships; changing frontlines and territorial control; destruction of social infrastructures and services; and links to natural resources.

We are moving into a period of globalisation of fragility.  For all the relative calmness and progress of the second half of the 20th Century and the early years of the 21st, we still see a world that is hurting due to increased fragility – fragility that is globalising at the pace of our fast-evolving world.

HOW WILL THIS PLAY OUT IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS?

Understanding how the different elements of risk interact with each other is fundamental to looking at the future of protection. The capacity to respond to challenges is necessary but not enough; and relying on crisis response is truly inadequate. It is essential to meet emerging problems upstream. We need to build systems that minimise risk and improve the human condition holistically.

As we look forward, we need to explore some key issues which raises questions around challenges for the concept of protection and the future of peace for the Red Cross and Red Crescent:

• The scale and character of conflict is changing.  The distinctions between war and peace and who is a combatant and non-combatant are becoming uncomfortably blurred.  The battlefielf is both local and global. Modern conflict is hybrid in nature, combining traditional battlefield techniques with elements that were previously mostly associated with armed non-state actors. The Fourth Industrial Revolution offers individuals increasingly diverse ways to harm others on a grand scale such as cyber warfare / autonomous warfare. Current trends suggest a rapid and massive democratization of the capacity to inflict damage on a very large scale, challenging existing legal and ethical frameworks.  All of this raises questions around
  • What do we mean by peace? What is the definition of peace and what is a holistic version of this?
  • What do we mean by violent extremism and should we be dealing with it and if so what should our role be?
  • How can we work for conflict resolution and peaceful change in an era of renewed geopolitical division? Should we be playing a role?
  • What are the new ideas and initiatives on how to mediate conflict, but also in terms of fixing the relationships between the parties that stand behind those who are fighting?
  • How we remain true to an agenda that will transform people’s lives require supporting and working with those who work for peaceful change – in and out of government, in civil society, and including women and youth to help them:

1. call for peaceful change;
2. survive during conflict and maintain cohesion across conflict divides;
3. rebuild their lives and their institutions after the guns fall silent;
4. get involved fully and meaningfully in peace and reconciliation processes so that they can influence and live with the peace settlements that emerge.

This is a time of fundamental technological change. These rapid advances in technology are providing more than new capabilities – they are changing the way we live, work and relate to one another. The future (and the present) is digital: Humanitarian organizations are progressively becoming more digitally present, and able to leverage larger amounts of data from both offline and online groups of affected people.  What does this mean around protection and the future of peace? Do we need to talk about new norms and conventions that will protect civilian and affected community interests: a ‘Geneva Convention’ for the digital world which will be a critical first step to addressing a greater set of challenges around digital freedoms? In 2018, we’re only just beginning to understand how the digital revolution will alter the make-up of our societies and lives. We need to be asking ourselves what a free society looks like in a digital world and what forms our democratic rights take online. It’s no longer just our right to assemble peacefully offline that needs to be protected, it is also our right to assemble and mobilize online.

How can we learn how to build and develop trust with affected people, including in the digital space? Arguably, trust can only be achieved with some level of delivery, a degree of openness, transparency and a predisposition to learn. This includes more willingness from us to take criticism on board, reflect and act on it. However, what trust really means in the context of relationships between affected people and humanitarians, particularly in conflicts and situations of violence, remains poorly understood. Similarly, how it is to be built and developed, including in the digital space, is lacking. We need to examine and consider how to build “virtual proximity” and “digital trust” to complement our physical proximity.

How do we continue to ensure to build credibility and trust from the public that is fatigued by crises? How will we sustain operations in a large number of ignored or forgotten crises where human suffering may be at its greatest? If fragility and extreme poverty continue to concentrate in certain countries/regions, how do we better allocate our resources/efforts globally to support this? How do we structure and prepare our organisation, its people and skills for a scale up of activity to address needs in these contexts? 
How will RCRC manage complex cross-border responses with national organisational models? 
How will RCRC support displaced populations and those moving back to home countries with tailored 
and targeted support services that incorporate reintegration, livelihoods, health and education?

IMPLICATIONS FOR RCRC

As the IFRC, we are not necessarily a peace building organisation or are mandated to work in conflict areas. As a membership organisation whose members are there before, during and after any crisis, we have a duty to work on building trust between communities and looking at the long-term provision of a culture of peace and non-violence. Within the IFRC, there is considerable experience illustrating clear and significant roles in preventing, mitigating and responding to interpersonal and self-directed violence. As the IFRC we are using this premise and experience to coalesce around the concept of protection in humanitarian action which is about keeping people safe from harm. 

 This changing protection landscape and the overall landscape around conflict raises the importance of protection (as a wide perspective) as part of IFRC’s action, and increased the need for clarity on the role and priorities of IFRC and its member National Societies in protection, especially as it relates to the work of ICRC and other specific protection-mandated organisations as well as the role in community violence prevention and in conflict.

To be prepared for the emerging future, the question is where can we situate the work of the IFRC and National Societies to identify and future current trends on protection-focused work of National Societies and support by the IFRC Secretariat, and situates those practices and approaches within the international standards and practice on protection?

This originally appeared here