No person is an island entire of themselves....: May 2011

No person is an island entire of themselves… this is the title of my blog but also an ideal by which I live. If we assume global citizenship, if we recognize our responsibility outside of our personal bubbles it would be much harder to push all of the social issue aside.

How many times have you heard “ its a whole other world over there” when referring to a developing country?

Geography 101- there is 1 world, we share it. Those people, those stories, that poverty, that destruction, that devastation is not a whole other world away- it is another country in a global community within which we live.

We are NOT an island entire of ourselves, we are piece of a continent a part of the MAIN.

This Sunday, May 1st I had the opportunity to attend a panel discussion with three incredible men, Lt. Gen Romero Dallaire, James Orbinski and Dr. Abuelash. Their experience, their knowledge and their hardships have inspired ME over the years and having the opportunity to share a room with them and share in a piece of their expertise was truly humbling. Below are my notes and quotes from the discussion.

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Living With War- Toronto Reference Library, Sunday May 1st

Romero Dalliare- commanded the UN Assistance Mission in Rwanda during the Rwanda genocide, he not only experienced tremendous devastation and crimes against humanity but he also served during a time of global ignorance- when the West refused to recognize the genocide and our responsibility to act. He recently started the Child Solider Initiative- to advocate against the use of child soldiers and to aid in the safety and reintegration of children soldiers.

James Orbiniski- accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 on behalf of MSF (Doctors without Borders) as the president. He wrote an incredible book about his field experience as a doctor in the numerous world conflicts in the 1980s and 1990s.

Dr. Abuelash- he is a Palestinian doctor who lost his three daughters and other family members during the war in Gaza in 2009. He now lives in Toronto and advocates for Peace, his book titled “I Shall Not Hate” is on my next too read list.

Q 1: How do you explain war [to children]?

Dr. Abuelash- War is not just the soliders we see coming home or their families left behind, war is what we don’t see. The civilians, the children, the families needlessly torn about.

“It is a crime to observe

[the injustice of war] and not act”- Dr. A

Dalliare- I have seen children who have become killers, children are the primary tool in war. Sadly they are effective. However, boys are able to reintegrate well, they are accepted back, they are cleansed through the family. Girls- who are almost more effective as a weapon in that they are skilled, they are able to do the logistics around the base camp (cooking, cleaning) and they are used as bush wives/ sex slaves- they have a more difficult time reintegrating because they feel GUILTY- guilty that they were abused, guilty that they may have birthed a child out of wedlock and have a more difficult time being accepted back into their communities.

Despite this, I continue to be amazed by the resiliency in youth.

James, is there dilemma patching up a injured child who has served as a solider?

James-They are victims of war not antagonizes of war. As a doctor I have a obligation to use my skills to save an individual despite their affiliation.

“All humans are equal in worth and equal in dignity- including your enemy, [This child] made a choice to act from a place where a future is possible”

Q 2: How do you protect children from war?

Dr. A- “No one was born to kill. Killing is a symptom of a disease- poverty, injustice, oppression etc.”

Child soliders are “fighting to live”. Education is important- as a tool of protection, specifically women and girls. Women are the key to change and development.

Dalliare- It is important to set the context of “War” we are not talking about “Classic” wars- where nation states are attacking other nation states in the hopes to gain something- resources/ land etc. We are walking about internal conflicts, imploding nations, friction of differences, “powers haring”.

Men cannot see the alternative to war, thus it is important to empower our women, as a tool of progression.

Orbiniski- it is important to question- What causes war?

War is caused by the injustice of powers pursuing their own interests. We have international laws that govern “war” if respected, in order for those laws to be obeyed they must be enforced and they must be explicit.

Q 3: When is a war justified?

Dalliare- We may be using the term “war” loosely-

“ Why are the cops in THIS country needing weapons? WHY?” We are one of the leading, most powerful nations in the world- but during Rwanda genocide the world said NO to intervention because there was nothing there for them [to gain] but human beings. “Responsibility to Protect”

Intervention is essential, the international community can serve as a stabilization and hand it over to the future [in house] government to continue.

Orbiniski- few circumstances when FORCE is required": genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

But these are not “humanitarian wars”- wording is important as it shapes ideas. Humanitarian War is an OXYMORON. Humanitarians is a basic respect for human life, War is the deliberate act to kill a human being.

War and invasions are “sold” to our citizens through the use of humanitarian “principles. Iraq was a “Humanitarian war” but its solely about OIL etc.

It should be simpler and more direct- if its a genocide then it should be called “ A genocide intervention in the face of genocide”.

Dr. A- “War looks like a surgery, surgery is only done when we are sure continuing would do more harm. We do not go to INCREASE blood shed. We go to do the job, finish the surgery and stop the bleeding.”

“Don’t believe we are far away [from the conflict] we are on the border of the “fire”.”

“ Killing one- you kill the world”

Dalliare- “Are some more human than others?”

Orbinski- We need a new way of engagement, Canada has a MAJOR role to play. “Canadians are not naive [ to the unbearable complexity of our world], we have one of the most diverse, linked populations in the world- so we should demand FAR FAR MORE”

“Taking no action, is a deliberate action”

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I was humbled and I felt challenged. Not only for the call to action- call to responsibility. The mere complexity of their thinking and their incredible expertise is a a challenge in and of itself- I want to KNOW, I want to be able to speak to these issues that I am so passionate about – and speak in a convincing and persuasive magnitude.

Challenge Accepted< Reading continues!