"What I have witnessed"

A powerful note from a female medical student in Iran, translated from Farsi by a trusty reader.

Hello,

It's painful to watch what's happening.
I don't want anything to do with what has been said this far, as I neither have the strength nor the resilience to face all these unfathomable events.
I only want to speak about what I have witnessed. I am a medical student. There was chaos last night at the trauma section in one of our main hospitals. Although by decree, all riot-related injuries were supposed to be sent to military hospitals, all other hospitals were filled to the rim. Last night, nine people died at our hospital and another 28 had gunshot wounds. All hospital employees were crying till dawn. They (government) removed the dead bodies on back of trucks, before we were even able to get their names or other information. What can you even say to the people who don't even respect the dead. No one was allowed to speak to the wounded or get any information from them. This morning the faculty and the students protested by gathering at the lobby of the hospital where they were confronted by plain cloths anti-riot militia, who in turn closed off the hospital and imprisoned the staff. The extent of injuries are so grave, that despite being one of the most staffed emergency rooms, they've asked everyone to stay and help--I'm sure it will even be worst tonight.
What can anyone say in face of all these atrocities? What can you say to the family of the 13 year old boy who died from gunshots and whose dead body then disappeared?
This issue is not about cheating(election) anymore. This is not about stealing votes anymore. The issue is about a vast injustice inflected on the people. They've put a baton in the hand of every 13-14 year old to smash the faces of "the bunches who are less than dirt" (government is calling the people who are uprising dried-up torn and weeds) .
This is what sickens me from dealing with these issues. And from those who shut their eyes and close their ears and claim the riots are in opposition of the government and presidency!! No! The people's complaint is against the egregious injustices committed against the people.

Trafficking in Persons Report

I got to the grind early this morning due to the rollout of the 2009 Trafficking In Persons Report. I went to the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons to pick up the reports and bring them back to the Foreign Press Center (FPC) to distribute to foreign media who were already waiting for the anticipated report. I spent the morning preparing for the Press Briefing that we hosted later that afternoon. The breifer was Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, Director of the Trafficking in Persons Office who discussed the report as well as the "Three P's" that they rate countries on: Punishment, Protection, Prevention. He cited the ILO estimate that about 12.3 million people being held in bondage worldwide, of whom they estimated about 1.5 million are for sexual slavery, sexual servitude. He stated that about 25% of countries have not prosecuted any traffickers. He also emphasized that the term "trafficking" didn't just include sex trafficking, which several countries still fail to focus on. This includes debt bonded migrant workers, involuntary domestic servitude and child soldiers. Ambassador CdeBaca stressed that while protecting citizens is the states job, working with civil society and others is critical because often NGOs reach victems in zones the government does not have access to. The report outlined 8 "2009 TIP Report Heroes," people who stood out in the battle against trafficking from across the world and were recognized by Secretary Clinton today.

"Inacio Sebastiao Mussanhane, a Mozambican lawyer, was studying in South Africa
when he heard overheard men talking about high end call girls available in Pretoria. In 2008, he met 3 of the sex slaves of a powerful organized network that lures young girls from Mozambique for sexual exploitation. Posing as a client, Mussanhane went to the brothel and gained the confidence of the girls. Despite attempts by the criminal gang to bribe him, threaten his life, and kidnap him, Mr. Mussanhane began to work closely with the South African police, a local trafficking shelter, the Mozambican embassy, and the South African Ministry of Justice. Police freed the
girls and arrested the network’s organizer. The case went to court in October
2008 and is ongoing. Throughout the case, Mr. Mussanhane has been educating the
Mozambican and South African governments, police, and courts on the nature of
human trafficking. He continues to risk his life to protect the Mozambican
girls, ensure the prosecution of the perpetrators, bring international attention
to the issue, and disrupt a profitable multinational criminal organization."

He also talked about the effects of the current economic crisis on workers, especially foreign guest workers, which become particularly vulnerable "because of the way in which recruitment is often – is too often done, we see a problem in the guest worker programs both abroad and here in the United States, and a number of the tier rankings are affected by countries having large guest worker programs that do not have any safeguards built into them."

Two of the Heroes joined Ambassador in CdeBaca for the briefing, Vera Lesko from Albania and Mariliana Morales Berríos, from Costa Rica. They told their stories of how important their work is and the challanges they have in their home countries. Both spoke of either corruption or neglect in their governments regarding trafficking. Columbia moved up to Tier 1 and Albania is now a Tier 2 country after being a Tier 3 for many years. The Ambassador talked about the consequences for countries who are on the 3rd tier or continue to be on the 2nd tier. Apparenlty, those on tier 2 for 2 years in a row are bumped to tier 3, and those on tier 3 are sanctioned by the U.S.

"There are a few very positive countries that I’d like to single out. I can’t talk about Nigeria enough, actually. It's a country that within five years has gone from Tier 2 Watch List on the cusp of Tier 3, and because of political will, because of some talented detectives, because of a willingness to work with NGOs and actually do cases, has seen an upward trend in their prosecutions, has seen an improvement on how they treat victims, and as a result is a welcome addition to the list of Tier 1 countries."

I suggest everyone at least read the Victims' Stories of the report. Sad stuff.
Coincidentally, I watched the documentary Born Into Brothels last night. Sad and interesting film about a women who gives camaras to children born to prostitutes in red light district of Calcutta. The film can be watched here. I suggest it if this topic interests you and especially if you don't realize how bad a problem it is.

New Iranian Revolution?

"Forget CNN or any of the major American "news" networks," says The Nation's Ari Berman, "If you want to get the latest on the opposition protests in Iran, you should be reading blogs, watching YouTube or following Twitter updates from Tehran, minute-by-minute." And there are some crazy things out there covering Iran's disputed election.

"119 members of Tehran University faculty have resigned en-masse as a protest to
the attack on Tehran University dorms last night. Among them is Dr
Jabbedar-Maralani, who is known as the father of Iranian electronic engineering.
They have asked for the resignation of Farhad Rahbari the appointed president of
Tehran University, for his incompetence in defending the University's dignity
and student lives."

Here's some I've been following;

Nico Pitney

http://twitter.com/smileofcrash

http://twitter.com/StopAhmadi

http://twitter.com/IranElection09

http://twitter.com/Shahrzadmo

Youtube of the rally: http://Bit.ly/exprally
Tweets from people near Tehran: http://Bit.ly/expiran

Elections in Iran

I am listening to the news coming in about today's Iranian elections and hearing contradicting reports about incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his reformist challenger, Mir Hussein Moussavi.. this is making me nervous. I am really hoping that Moussavi wins even though I do realize the Supreme Leader runs things and probably not a whole lot will change. Maybe I am being naive about it mattering who wins. I just get the feeling it would be a good sign for future Iran-US relations. It's too soon to tell for sure, most likely we won't know for sure til after the weekend. It seems Iranian youth have rocked the vote, which is great. Though, it's hard to tell how free and fair the elections actually are. I don't know why I am so anxious about this. Anyway, an Iranian friend of mine sent me this short interview with Mr. Mosavi with Al Jazeera English for anyone interested.

CNAS, Petraeus and my first encounter with Under Secretary for PD McHale

Today my colleagues invited me to the Center for a New American Security’s third annual conference, “Striking a Balance: A New American Security”. The conference was at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel, which- as I learned- was where "Lobbyists" got their name by lingering in the lobby of the Willard Hotel during the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant. The conference offered recommendations on how to strike a balance between immediate and long-term national security challenges facing the United States, including topics such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The agenda consisted many interesting speakers, including General Petraeus, whose remarks can be read here. The panel entitled "Triage: The Next 12 Months in Afghanistan and Pakistan" was very insightful. It talked of the need for a population centric approach to our actions there needed to be instated. Also, according to the recommendations presented at the panel, it must be remembered that Afghanistan is not Iraq. The report also stressed the importance of measuring progress not in terms of enemies killed but rather in #s of civilians shielded. One of the panelists, Andrew J. Bacevich, a Professor of International Relations and History at Boston University, said a minimalist approach should be taken in Afghanistan. He proposed that the US should build schools, build security measures, and fight corruption and crime in Mexico but added that anyone who suggest this is laughed at, while anyone who suggests such in Afghanistan is held as a savior. He concluded that as long as the US maintains moderate defenses, Al Qeada "in their caves, only pose a moderate threat." This was obviously a heretical statement, but the audience audience of Generals, military, research analysts, and scholars applauded his ideas. Another speaker, a General in the Army, stated that Afghans are more frustrated with US incompetence than their presence in their country.

An interesting anecdote;
A TV producer bought the rights to broadcast the American TV show "24" in Afghanistan. An army solider explained that in the show all the villains were Muslim. The Muslim producer said that he polled Afghans and apparently no one cared as long as they weren't Afghans.

The highlight of the conference for me was the keynote speaker, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale. She talked of how governments normally inclined to support US policies back away if their publics don't trust the US. She stressed how public diplomacy can help in these situations. She also talked about how PD cannot be seen as only wearing combat boots. There also needs to be a civilian force. She noted that sufficient financial resources are not available from the State Department and stressed her full commitment to reaching out to other departments for resources. She spoke of how enhanced PD is a key part of Presidential strategy in the Middle East, including providing a platform for moderate Muslims in the region. Her full transcript can be found here.

To Do's on Day Two

My office asked me for a good web resource that showcased public diplomacy tools that could be used by the Foreign Press Office. I referred them to the USC Center on Public Diplomacy website since, of all the web searches and online research I have done, is the most comprehensive site of its kind out there. The site has events, blogs, research, reports, media monitors, book reviews, etc. I also referred them to PD Corp a new Facebook resource for any one interested in PD tools, resources and networking. I am proud to be part of both these organizations and encourage any one who wants to know more to visit their sites.

My first day at the Foreign Press Center

So my first day and the Foreign Press Center (FPC) in Washington, D.C. has been as exciting as hoped. After getting my cubicle set up and all that good stuff, I sat in on a briefing by Tom Korologos, former U.S. Ambassador to Belgium and Strategic Advisor at DLA Piper. He spoke to foreign press about the Senate confirmation process from his experience as one of Washington’s most experienced and prominent political advisers.

Then I joined my first FPC staff meeting in which we discussed upcoming briefings, press tours and events. My job over the next few months will be to assist in such tours and briefings which this department organizes for foreign media. I am very excited because I already see where my public diplomacy training will come in and it will be great to use what I have learned at school. I then sat in on a press tour meeting to help plan an upcoming event which will be announced soon.

This first day went by pretty quickly, I am excited to be here. My new colleagues, which consists of foreign service officers and civil service officers as well as producers and film people, are all very welcoming and ensure me I will have plenty of "real" and interesting work to do. It's good to know that it won't be all getting coffee and making copies. The worst part is trying to figure out what they heck everyone is talking about with all the acronyms they use here. But people are happy to explain things to me so that's nice. The USC Master's in Public Diplomacy program is well known here so I am in good company. It's refreshing not to have to explain what PD is and be surrounded by those who speak the language.

The State Intern program in general has set up several events each week for interns to attend pending their office work allows it. Such events include brown bag lunches with diplomats and other experts in the department, and tours of places like the White House and the Supreme Court. My supervisors have encourage me to attend the events I am interested in and also let them know if there are others that they can help set up for me or let me tag along with them. I am very excited! Keep following to hear more. I got approval to blog much of what I am doing so I'll try to keep up with all my exciting events.

US wants to play friendly with Iran

Ah.. another one for sports diplomacy. ... according to CBS, Ali Kafashian, Iran's Football Federation chief said he received a proposal from his U.S. counterparts to play a friendly game of football (or soccer- for you Americans) in Tehran later this year. Apparently, he is considering the offer.

"It wouldn't be the first time that sport has cut through the nearly 30-year diplomatic freeze. Weightlifters, basketball players and other athletes have taken part in exchanges between the two countries in recent years.

A new chapter..

So I have really neglected this blog bc I figured, I'm back from my adventures in Israel and Palestine, so I don't really have anything to write about. However, I think I am wrong. The first year of my public diplomacy program was really interesting and now I am embarking on another exciting adventure at the State Department in the Foreign Press Office. So, anyone interested in my experience there please feel free to read, comment and such. I will share as much as I am allowed divulge in all the State Department secrecy.

Apologies from California: Wow, did we ever botch the gay marriage thing! Sorry, world

I just had to repost this article by Mark Morford bc it is so fabulous and funny and.. well.. true.

This article really speaks to me in many ways but it reminds me most of a conversation I had with a group of Arab visitors we had to the USC Master's of Public Diplomacy program last week. These visitors are cast members of the 2nd season of a Arab reality TV show called On the Road in America in which young Arabs come to the US and go on a road trip across the country. They started in LA and came to talk with us about Public Diplomacy. A group of the USC MPD students talked with them for what should be the first episode of the season. (My Arab TV debut) The MPD director Nick Cull was telling the visitors how the rest of the US views California as a bunch of liberal freaks with men sleeping with men and women sleeping with women.. which is pretty true. I feel this is the role we play for the country and this article attests to just that. So I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

"because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like a fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes 'Awww!'"
-Jack Kerouac, On the Road

Apologies from California

Wow, did we ever botch the gay marriage thing! Sorry, world

Noa writes open letter to Gazans

Internationally renowned Israeli singer Noa writes moving letter appealing to Palestinians in Gaza and everywhere, calling for eradication of common enemy: Fanaticism

Ynet

Published:

01.08.09, 02:32 / Israel Culture

Internationally renowned Israeli singer Noa has written an open letter to Palestinians in Gaza and everywhere. The letter was published on the Israel-based iPeace website, an international social network which has more than 14,000 members from 180 countries.

Dear Palestinian brothers,

It is with a heavy heart I write to you today. Gaza is burning. The border with Israel is under fire. Children on both sides of the fence are terrified, traumatized for life, wounded in body and soul. Life!! Life is lost. Blood flows! Pain and tears and anguish abound.

How familiar it all is, my brothers? How well we know these images, this fear clutching our throats, hope slipping away from our hearts?

A new year has begun. I am sitting here near my computer in the dark night, in my home by the sea. This sea that is ours, our Mediterranean sea, our culture, we the people of wandering, we the homeless, the homesick, we the fighters ,the builders, the survivors, our dreams like waves and tide, pulled by the moon and stars to eternity.

Since that fateful day in 1994 when Rabin was murdered a few feet from me, since that awful moment, I have dedicated much of my public life to singing and speaking for peace.

I have seen the peace process rise and fall and rise like the breast of a woman breathing in the night. I have seen opportunities missed, so many missed, so many chances, so much ignorance and stubbornness and bullheadedness, so much beauty trampled under the heavy boot of pride.

I have sung and I have spoken, I have argued and I have embraced, I have been moved to tears so many times, I have made the most unlikely friends….friends I would give my right arm for, friends I would run across the border under fire to protect.

And today, today I say this; we have one joint enemy, one awful joint enemy and we must all work together to eradicate it! That enemy is fanaticism my friends. That enemy is extremism in all its ugly reincarnations and manifestations.

That enemy is all men who put "god" above life, who claim "god" as their sword and shield, who claim "god" is on THEIR side. Jews, Muslims, Christians, all share this black streak. All have fallen to this destructive, horrible fanaticism at some point in their histories and the results have been devastating.

I have often spoken out against fanaticism in my country, for I find it repulsive and unbearable. In government, in settlements, in synagogues, I am passionately against it. I have risked my career and my wellbeing for this belief.

Now I see the ugly head of fanaticism, I see it large and horrid, I see its black eyes and spine-chilling smile, I see blood on its hands and I know one of its many names :Hamas.

You know this too, my brothers. You know this ugly monster. You know it is raping your women and raping the minds of your children. You know it is educating to hatred and death.

You know it is chauvinistic and violent, greedy and selfish, it feeds on your blood and screams out Allah's name on vain, it hides like a thief, uses the innocent as human shields, uses your mosques as arsenals, lies and cheats, uses YOU, tortures you, holds you hostage!!

I know this is true my brothers!! I know YOU know the truth!! And I know you cannot say it for fear of life so I will say it for you!! I fear nothing!!

I am privileged to live in a democracy where women are not objects but presidents, where a singer can say and do as she pleases! I know you do not have this privilege (yet…but you will, inshallah, you will…)

I know you are SICK of being held hostage by this demon, this ugly beast, not in Gaza, not in Iran or Iraq or Afghanistan, not anywhere!!! You are a people destined to flourish in peace! Your majestic history is overflowing with creativity, literature science and music, endless contributions to humanity, not crippling, torturing fanaticism, yelling Jihad and Shahid!

I see you sometimes, out in the streets, demonstrating with the monsters, yelling 'death to the Jews, death to Israel!! But I don't believe you! I know where your heart is! It is just where mine is, with my children, with the earth, with the heavens, with music, with HOPE!! You want nothing of this but you have no choice! I see through your veil of fear my brothers, through your burka! I embrace your hopes for they are mine!

My country has made many many mistakes over the years, I have watched it miss so many opportunities, and as a citizen of this country I am the first to admit it and criticize its foolery. I demonstrate, I vote, I speak out, I sing loud and clear.

But, now, today, I know that deep in your hearts YOU WISH for the demise of this beast called Hamas who has terrorized and murdered you, who has turned Gaza into a trash heap of poverty, disease and misery. Who in the name of "allah" has sacrificed you on the bloody alter of pride and greed.

My brothers, I cry for you. I cry for us too, yes, I cry for my fellow countrymen suffering the bombs in the south and north and everywhere, I cry for the kidnapped soldiers and the murdered ones, for their bereft families, for the innocence lost forever, but I cry especially painfully for you for I know your suffering, I feel you, I feel you!!

I can only wish for you that Israel will do the job we all know needs to be done, and finally RID YOU of this cancer, this virus, this monster called fanaticism, today, called Hamas. And that these killers will find what little compassion may still exist in their hearts and STOP using you and your children as human shields for their cowardice and crimes.

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And then… then, maybe, Inshallah, we will again have an opportunity... we will again pick up our broken bodies and souls and walk slowly towards each other, reach out a tired hand, look into eyes filled with tears and with a choked voice say: "Shalom. Salam. Enough. Enough my brother ….

you want some coffee? Here, sit for a while…let's talk….we know the words, we know the songs, we know the road….

Shalom……

Salam……

With a broken heart still yearning to love,

Your friend,

Noa

If you (or I) were Palestinian

Yossi Sarid / If you (or I) were Palestinian

Haaretz

By Yossi Sarid

Tags: Hamas, Israel News, Gaza, IDF

This week I spoke with my students about the Gaza war, in the context of a class on national security. One student, who had expressed rather conservative, accepted opinions - that is opinions tending slightly to the right - succeeded in surprising me. Without any provocation on my part, he opened his heart and confessed: "If I were a young Palestinian," he said, "I'd fight the Jews fiercely, even by means of terror. Anyone who says anything different is telling you lies."

His remarks sounded familiar - I had already heard them before. Suddenly I remembered: About 10 years ago they were uttered by our defense minister, Ehud Barak. Haaretz journalist Gideon Levy had asked him then, as a candidate for prime minister, what he would do had he been born Palestinian and Barak replied frankly: "I would join a terror organization."

This is not my own answer; terrorism by individuals or organizations or states is always aimed at exacting casualties in a civilian population that has not drawn any blood. Not only is terror blind - consuming both the saint and the sinner - it also expands the circle of the hot-headed, whose blood rises to their brains: Our blood is on their heads, their blood is on our heads. And when an account of the blood of the innocent is opened, who can pay it in full, and when?
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I hate all the terrorists in the world, whatever the purpose of their struggle. However, I support every active civil revolt against any occupation, and Israel too is among the despicable occupiers. Such revolt is both more just and more effective, and it does not extinguish one's spark of humanity. And perhaps I'm just too much of an old codger to be a terrorist.

But, and pay attention to this but, if a normative young person has a spontaneous answer that is different from mine, and that answer also escaped the mouth of an Israeli lieutenant general, then every individual must see himself as though his son is running with the wrong crowd. If things were the other way around, our son-whom-we-loved would be a damned terrorist, almost certainly, because he is of the third and fourth generation of refugeehood and oppression, and whence cometh salvation? He has nothing to lose but his chains.

Whereas we, his mother and father, would be weeping for the departing son because he will never return to see the land of his birth and us, except in his photograph on the wall as a shahid, a martyr. Would we detain him before he carries out his plan? Would we be able to hold him back if we wanted to? Would we not understand what he is feeling? What Ehud Barak understood in his day - would that be impossible for us to understand?

Young people who have no future will easily give up their future, which they can't see on the horizon. Their past as guttersnipes and their present as cursed unemployed idlers lock the opening to their hope: Their death is better than their life, and their death is even better than our life, as their oppressors - that is how they feel. From the day they are born to the day they leave this earth, they see their land ahead, to which they will not come as free people.

There are no good and bad peoples; there are only leaderships that behave responsibly or insanely. And now we are fighting those whom a goodly number of us would be like, had we been in their place for 41 and a half years.

Al Jazeera gives away its footage.

On the Al Jazeera site, bloggers, filmakers, media and whomever can grab Al Jazeera's Gaza crisis footage. They put every minute of Gaza footage online under a they "Creative Commons license". Creative Commons licensing allows people to legally repost and resuse their footage. This is unheard of from a news corp.

As mentioned in a International Herald Tribune article "Western news media have been largely prevented from reporting from Gaza because of restrictions imposed by the Israeli military." Al Jazzera says they just want people to see what is going on there. Interesting...

Another letter from a friend in the region.