Peace Power

This morning started off rather rough.  At about 8:20 I made the novel discovery that my car wouldn't start- and I had to give a presentation in my Honors "Great Ideas of the East" class at 9.  The presentation is 10% of my grade, and since this is a Tuesday-Thursday class today was the last day of class, meaning I could in no way postpone the presentation.  Fortunately I have a wonderful girlfriend who can pick me up and drive me to school even on her day off- thanks again Jo Anne!

The presentation went in many ways like most my presentations go, meaning I belatedly prepared for it the day and morning before, which has its advantages and disadvantages.  The main advantage is that the material I have prepared is fresh in my head- the disadvantage being that I don't have much material.  Fortunately the topic was on a paper I had written about Iran, which is something I have become mildly knowledgeable in over the past few months on account of my internship at Omid for Iran.  I would never say I'm an "expert" at anything I talk about though- at best I'm a relatively-well informed person with what I hope are helpful insights, but I'll let you be the judge of that.

So anyway- the paper was about U.S.-Iran relations and how they have built up to the sort of odd relationship we have with Iran today.  The essay documents Iran's Constitutional Revolution, the CIA overthrow of Mohammad Mossadeq, and of course the Islamic Revolution.  I won't go into detail on these three, but the point of their reference is how they relate to the current climate of our relationship with Iran and the strategies we should pursue in light of the current protests going on in Iran, which many have dubbed "The Green Revolution."  My argument was that the United States needs to frame its policy with Iran in a way that human rights of the Iranian people takes precedence, instead of overbearing fear of the nuclear program which only leads to negative uses of power, which in turn leads to an ideological strengthening of Iran's regime.

Following my presentation, I basically got laughed at by a Chinese girl in our class who asked me, "Why do you Americans think you need to get involved in these sorts of things?  What do they have to do with you?"

This is a difficult question which has no simple answer.  How do these things relate to us?  Political movements in Iran, genocide in Darfur, war in the Congo, ethnic cleansing in Burma, or almost any other event or problem always seem so isolated to us in the United States.  Why should they matter to us, and do we have a responsibility to act?

The answer to these questions depends, primarily, on your foreign policy view and understanding of the role of the United States globally.  Isolationists would say no, we have no dire interest in these nations and have no reason to get involved.  Neo-conservatives would say yes, and that the best way to solve these problems is to project our military might: the most powerful in history and clearly the current hegemon- utilizing roughly half of the world's military spending.  Staunch liberals would advocate the furtherance of complex interdependence- the creation of global institutions for organization and peace, and multi-lateral fronts to condemn acts such as these, but with minimal military intervention.

As a fairly liberal person, I'll say right now I have a clear bias towards the institutional end of things, but my worldview has a slight twist.  I would say that yes, as the unipolar power in the world the United States has a responsibility to shape the world in a positive image, which means we do have a responsibility to people living under oppressive governments.  That said, the United States by no means has the resources to go on a global crusade to "bring democracy" to these people or to deploy combat forces in dozens of countries.  The United States has seen the consequences of imperium in Iraq and Afghanistan- two bleeding wounds in the Leviathan. 

But the United States does have the resources to globally pursue a very effective strategy- Peace.

Peaceful movements in the 20th and 21st centuries are an interesting phenomenon unparalleled in history.  In addition to Gandhi's movement in India, in the past 23 years 8 brutal governments from every corner of the world have fallen to peaceful movements.  That's an average of 1 government every 3 years taken down by people with no tanks, no guns, no bombs, and no bullets, just peace power.

But how does peaceful power work?  I can't describe an exact formula because every situation is different, but I do notice a basic relative pattern.  These movements begin internally- first on a small, grassroots type scale, but gain momentum over time.  Once a certain threshold for internal momentum is reached, the movement begins getting noticed internationally, and foreign nations join in the fray, albeit in a mostly symbolic role- of solidarity.  Once a certain threshold of solidarity is reached, the internal movement amasses a deal of legitimacy, and ultimately becomes a popular, peaceful, "revolution." 

To name a few examples- in India, Gandhi's movement was at first a minority affair, but grew to a size and scope that had even British nationals on the side of his people.  Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for years in South Africa, but solidarity movements worldwide helped end apartheid, and South Africa became a model democracy on the African continent.  I'm sure there could be found some exceptions, but I do believe that as a basic rule this pattern holds true.  Democratic changes begin as minor movements, but are solidified with global consent and solidarity.

I believe this role- a supporting role rather than outright leadership- is the role America should take in some (but not all) crises, particularly with internal national movements.  In regards to brutal governments that have no such political upheaval, the United States should take a more firm stance, depending on the situation, but for the most part the United States should work multilaterally.  Working from the outside in a supporting role, gathering support from other nations, and so on and so forth.  Allowing other nations to take the lead (or other peoples, as is the case in Iran) will show the world that the United States isn't the "bully" who abuses power, as it is often made out to be.  Taking a supporting role will allow the United States to utilize its soft power- the ability to gather strength through the popularity of our ideals, rather than the brute force of military might.  Utilizing soft power in our foreign policy will be key for developing U.S. legitimacy in the future.

I don't advocate a complete freeze on our military power- there are certainly times where it is necessary and appropriate.  But soft power- taking a supportive role and backing up national movements with solidarity- is an under appreciated use of power which I believe has a great deal of merit.  We must couple our power with a generosity of spirit- the world deserves no less.

Taking the Reins

This semester's volunteer work with Weber State STAND has been exceptional.  I've lobbied twice, participated in a hunger strike, and spoken at a banquet.  I've helped with movie screenings, Amnesty International events, and gone to a national conference in Washington D.C.

This semester has been a very successful one, but it also has a sad note.  Cameron Morgan, the student activist and great friend who started Weber State STAND from the ground up, has stepped down from his Presidential position.  He is stepping down because he has a lot of other work to move on to, and a lot of work to do in order to finish his degree.  His energy, passion, and optimism is what has made STAND what it is today- and that in my opinion is the most active volunteer group on campus.  He is passing on the Presidency to me, and now it is up to me to attempt to fill the void his absence will make.

I'm not going to pretend this isn't a difficult task- the work that Weber State STAND does is arduous and difficult.  It will put a lot of pressure on me to balance the job with my classes, work, and social life, but I believe I am ready for this task.  Cameron has set an excellent precedent and tradition for hard work and determination.  I fully intend to take those same qualities with me into my Presidency.  I would like to promise here that though I certainly won't be a flawless leader the one thing I can give with all my heart is my knowledge, dedication, and passion to this organization.  Cameron never gave it any less, and it deserves no less.

With this in mind, I would like to mention a few things for the future of STAND.  Next semester's events are not set in stone, but I do have an idea that I need to flesh out with Cameron, because it requires his help and information from his December trip to Kenya.  In addition to this, I would like to continue the STAND "Art of Peace" exhibit as well.  Beyond these ideas, I am going to try to organize events with organizations with interests and goals similar to STAND, so we can form a sort of group coalition to raise money together and double our manpower.  These are a few of my basic ideas, but I am definitely open to any other ideas, comments, or criticism, provided they are honest and constructive.

I am looking forward to the coming semester and all the ones ahead.  I know STAND will continue to be a powerful tool of advocacy and volunteerism at Weber State for a long time and I hope that throughout the course of my Presidency I will be able to help and inspire fellow activists as much as Cameron did.  If I can do these two things, I will consider my time as President extremely successful.

Again, I look forward to working with all of you and making some noise at Weber State!  Let's keep the momentum rolling!

Washington D.C. Day 4: Successful Lobbying, Unsuccessful Air-Lining

Our final day in D.C. went very quickly- minus the flight at the end of course.  We started the day by walking to one of the Senate office buildings with over 800 other activists.  We took a quick picture together, and then it was time to go our separate ways.  Hundreds of students lobbying virtually every Senator in the United States- and at the same time too!  We did our share by going to a meeting with Senator Bennett's aid Kami Capner.  Our meeting was pretty quick- about 20 minutes in all, but during that time we showed Kami a short film made by STAND's national organization, pressed the importance of pending legislation, including the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery act as well as the Congo Conflict Minerals act.  In addition, we expressed our concern for future legislation not yet brought to congress, encouraging the Senator to spearhead a project to create genocide-prevention legislation.  After we spoke, we gave Kami the video, some summary sheets, and a full report by the Genocide Prevention Task Force to pass on to the Senator.  Overall, the meeting went very smoothly and was definitely another success for STAND.

Our trip back home, however, has been very difficult!  We were supposed to be back in Salt Lake City at about 11:30 Monday night, but as I write this it is about 8:45 am on Tuesday and we are waiting for a plane in Phoenix! 

In order to get to Phoenix in the first place, we had to get to the Baltimore Airport.  Don't ask me why we couldn't just take a plane from D.C's Reagan airport- Baltimore was for some reason much cheaper.  But anyway, in order to get to Baltimore we had to ride the Metro subway for about 30 minutes and then catch a bus to Baltimore.  This travel was for the most part uneventful, though at one point Jo Anne tried to throw away some paper from a distance and missed the trash can.  Some guy then said "NBA Star, you aren't."  He was right, but I'm fairly certain he wasn't an NBA star either.  If he was, I would have asked him to come with us to Utah so he could remind my Utah Jazz that they still have to play in the 4th quarter.

Anyway, we got to the airport and boarded the plane.  The plane then taxied out near the runway, but they then found out that the cockpit door wouldn't close.  So we idled there for about 30 minutes until they discovered a mechanism for door-closery.  But by then we had idled for so long that the plane didn't have the fuel to get to Phoenix, so we taxied back to the terminal, refueled, and headed back out- delaying us about an hour.  We then flew what seemed like the longest flight in the history of man.  During the flight I finished reading two books, Memoirs of a Geisha and The Stranger.  I also started reading Gandhi's Autobiography, but I decided I didn't want to read any more.  So instead I looked out my window.  It was too dark to see anything; except when the lights of the plane flashed and I could see the wingtips like some really lame mid-air strobe-light rave-party.  In truth I wasn't watching the wingtips though, I was staring at the inside of the window which was frosting over from the cold.  I've never watched frost appear on anything before, but I can say that it takes a long time.  Long time, luckily, was something I had, so I watched frost appear on the window.  In a way it was kind of beautiful, how slowly it accumulated there, but before long I realized that I was watching frost appear on a window, so I took out my journal and started writing.

Jo Anne was asleep this whole time, and the woman sitting next to her was reading a Nicholas Sparks novel, though either she wasn't very interested or wasn't a very fast reader because throughout the course of the flight she only read about 20 pages.  I never asked her about the book though. 

Anyway, after all that junk we finally arrived in Phoenix and, of course, we missed the flight to Salt Lake City.  They gave us a hotel voucher and told us to wait for a van to come from the hotel they had assigned us.  The van didn't come for about 45 minutes.  While we waited for it we were surrounded by a bunch of old people and army veterans smoking cigarettes and we were often talked to by the guy that sat next to Rollin, who was kind of crazy. 

We made it to the hotel though, and they actually had a good breakfast for us this morning.  In good spirits now, I am very much ready to come home.  I need to get caught up in school and sleep in a comfortable bed.  I don't know why I said those things in that order- those are just the things on my mind right now.  That and going on facebook, which I think I'll do right now.  Thanks for reading eh, and um...  Don't fly US Airways?

Washington D.C. Day 3: Museum Visits and Preparation for Lobbying

Our third day in Washington has been another excellent one- we started off early with some more meetings, including a more detailed explanation of the crimes in Burma.  We heard firsthand from Myra Dahgaypaw, an ethnic Karen who was born in Burma and fled with her family at the age of 7.  She told us the story of how her brother and his wife were shot and killed, and how her uncle was forced to watch his wife raped in front of him before he too was killed by Than Shwe's soldiers.  Despite the trauma she clearly and rightfully felt from her experiences, Myra told us what many victims of the Burmese regime have told us.  She asked that we do not feel sorry for her, but instead we learn from what has happened to her and too many others and that we take our knowledge to its logical end- to the halls of our congress and the hearts of our people so we can bring an end to the atrocities in Burma.  Maya finished her moving speech with a call to action first stated by Aung San Suu Kyi, the only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate and rightful President of Burma: "Please use your liberty to promote ours."  The request is simple- that we take the moral action and blessing of liberty we have in the United States and all other free nations and use that power on behalf of others who strive for it, and die for it, daily.

For more information on the genocide in Burma, please visit www.uscampaignforburma.org

Beyond the Burma Plenary, our day was basically empty, which gave us a long awaited opportunity to visit a few of the museums around the National Mall.  We visited the Smithsonian Castle, the Museum of American History, and the Museum of Natural History.  But by far the most moving visit we had today was our visit of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.  The main focus of the museum was of course the efforts Nazi Germany took against the Jews- including a sad exhibit on the children of concentration camps, the Nazi propaganda machine, and others.  What impressed me the most, though, was the exhibit asking visitors to remember what they saw in the museum and to take action against future crimes against humanity.  This including vast information on the crisis in Darfur, pictures from the genocide in Rwanda, and a table where visitors could sign a pledge to spread the word about genocide and to fight it in all its forms.

While in the museum, I recalled Saturday's trip to the Vietnam memorial- a huge wall with 60,000 names of American soldiers who lost their lives in that war.  I realized how we toss numbers around as though we can fathom them, but in all reality the numbers of the dead in these conflicts is really insurmountable.  During the Vietnam War, "only" 58,195 men died, whereas during World War II 55 Million died from all the countries participating in that war.  If you've seen the Vietnam Memorial, you know that those 58,195 names create a massive structure- imagine a wall dedicated to the 55 million of World War II, or even the 6 million Jews murdered!  Imagine the 58,195 stories of those men that died, or the 6 million, or 55 million.  We really can't even fathom these numbers, let alone the stories of the people behind the numbers who really matter.  We need to take action to prevent genocide and war whenever possible, and use violent conflict only as a last resort.  Refusing to use violence isn't a weakness- it is a moral strength and a universal value that appeals to the conscience of humanity.  I encourage all of you to take this movement to heart, because its strength lies in solidarity.

Tomorrow we head to lobby the staff of Senators Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch.  I for one am going to take the stories I have learned this weekend and the strength and support of everyone back home with me to this session.  I pledge to protect the lives of my fellow man to the best of my ability and to represent the anti-genocide and anti-violence movements in good faith, and to use my liberty and my freedom as a means to diffuse justice throughout the world.  I thank everyone supporting Jo Anne, Rollin, and myself yet again and I hope you will stand for these efforts in the future!

Much love to all-

Zach

Washington D.C. Day 2: Ideas for Activism and Optimism

Just now rounding up what has been a busy, busy day!  Don't get me wrong- I'm not at all upset at the busyness, especially when this is exactly the reason that Jo Anne, Rollin, and myself are here. 

Here's a brief rundown of our day:

8am-9am was our breakfast time.  The hotel served the breakfast, which to say the least was extremely lavish.  We enjoyed a slice of bread and a glass of water.  Literally, that was it.  To be fair the bread had either blueberries or poppy seeds in them, and were rather good tasting, but the fact remains that it wasn't terribly filling.  After this, we listened to various speakers during the Sudan Plenary, including Jerry Fowler, the President of the Save Darfur Coalition, Mohammed Ahmed Abdallah, a Physician and Professor of Medicine at el-Fasher University in Darfur, and others.  After this we attended various breakout sessions, including a "Congo 101" session which described the various dynamics of the conflict minerals of the Congo, a "Burma and the Pursuit of International Justice" session which detailed the campaign to establish a Security Council Commission of Inquiry into the Burmese regime's crimes against humanity, a Congo Plenary featuring John Prendergast, a "Peacemaking in Sudan" session, and an "ICC" session.

I would love to go into detail for all of these sessions, but I think to fit everything in a reasonable amount of space here would be very difficult!  But I would like to point out a few of the statistics from my notes that I thought were rather striking.

One of these statistics was brought up in a recent World Health Organization report, which stated that of the roughly 8 million people in Southern Sudan, there are 10 qualified nurses.  If this doesn't show the discrepancy from what the elite in Khartoum receive and what they give to those in Darfur and South Sudan, I don't know what will.  The conditions these people live in are appalling and often unbearable- we can't let apathy keep us down!  We may be tired of reading the same stories in the papers about what is going wrong in the places we are trying to help, but this should really just be a call that we should try to do more and reach out to others who will help us.  Humanitarian efforts are a difficult process, sometimes they may even frustrate us or make us feel hopeless, but when we feel like we aren't making a difference we need to remind ourselves of the persistence that has helped those who came before us.  Continued, energetic, and creative effort will yield positive results.

Some other interesting information that was brought up had to do with the various "proxy wars" throughout Africa.  Without getting too into the details, this topic essentially pointed out the relationships between multiple conflicts throughout Africa; how they spill over into each other and also how African governments will support rebel groups to gain leverage over neighboring countries.  These facts pointed out to me the importance of not only focusing on humanitarian aid, but also on creating alliances and agreements between these African nations as well.  If these governments keep acting solely in their own interest, our efforts will never be able to prevail.  These governments need to realize that peace and stability in their neighboring countries is beneficial for everyone and will lead to better and more legitimate trade, security for civilians, and stability in all governments.  We cannot afford to have everyone pushing their own agenda without looking at the big picture- we need to push for multilateral efforts from the governments dealing with these issues on the ground.

Alright, this blog is getting a bit longer than normal- but I do think I'll go into the specifics of these conflicts at a later time.  If you have any questions about these issues or anything like that, feel free to let me know!  Tomorrow is our last day of learning sessions and training, and then on Monday we will lobby for 3 different bills, which I will explain tomorrow night.  Thanks for reading and thanks again for your continued support and strength!

Washington D.C. Day 1: Welcome to the Land of No Free Internet Access

Hey everybody!  Before I begin talking about our adventures/misadventures in the short hours we've been here, let me extend another thanks to everyone who made this trip possible.  My parents, Bill Stickney and Belinda Nickle, my brothers, Shane and Joshua Stickney, my Aunt Wendy, and my friends, Amber Hunter, Brody Carpenter, Omar Flores, Teddy Steinhorst, and anyone who has chipped in to any STAND activities prior to this one!  Your support has been invaluable, especially considering we apparently have to pay 10 dollars a day to use internet here- aka the amount of money it would take to feed 10 starving children- aka students at Weber State University.

But beyond mild complaints about exorbitant fees, this place is actually really awesome!  Our hotel is very nice and very huge, and we're only a few blocks away from the national mall, which I'm sure we'll explore extensively as soon as we get some free time.  The people running the conference also gave us some free books and a free ticket to the Holocaust museum!  Needless to say, we're pretty excited to get started.

Coming in here on Friday, though, there wasn't a lot we could do.  We came in a bit late due to a layover in Dallas, so when we got here it was already pretty dark outside.  We were all very hungry, so we went to the restaurant in the Hyatt to see what they had.  The cheapest thing on the menu was a kid's meal priced at about 17.50, so we decided that whatever that restaurant had to offer wasn't exactly what we were looking for.  We wanted to pay about that much for, well, all three of us!  So after that we wandered around looking for food, finding only a few cool looking monuments (but too hungry to check them out) and running in to people muttering to themselves on the street (I imagine every big city needs one, or fifty thousand).  So after we tried and failed to find food for 40 minutes, we came to the hotel to use the internet, which as mentioned costs ten dollars for a freakin' day!  Hungry as we were, we purchased said internet and found a place to buy some really delicious burgers.  All in all, a great success.

Friday night we only had one conference-related event, which was a bit of a mingling period which regional schools.  We met some interesting people and talked about our ideas, our successes, and what we could work on.  This was a good time to get a few ideas going, but the greatest thing I took from that session was inspiration.  In Utah, we don't have a lot of really active human rights groups, so I think sometimes it's easy to get demoralized or to feel like we're alone.  But from this meeting, which was only a few groups from Western states, was more than enough to make me realize how universal our cause really is.  We had people from Missouri to Alaska, and even a man from Costa Rica and another man from Sri Lanka.  This is in a room with only a handful of the people at the conference! 

Anyway, I need to get going to breakfast, but I will post some more updates and with any luck some pictures tonight.  Thanks again for your support!

-Zach

Solidarity, Not Sanctions

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stated that the United States would pursue “crippling” sanctions against Iran if diplomacy over Iran’s nuclear program fails. The only crippling that will occur should the United States pursue these sanctions is the crippling of the Iranian people and the crippling of the United States’ standing among them. Despite the hype surrounding the idea of sanctions, the civic strategy of solidarity with the Iranian people is the only strategy which will result in positive concessions from the Islamic Republic.


Since the hostage crisis of 1979 the United States has imposed multiple sanctions against Iran. The goal of these sanctions was to create dire economic conditions to pressure Iran’s fundamentalist leaders. But economic pressures do not always result in political changes. The ultimate goal of the sanctions- undermining support for Iran’s theocratic regime- has failed. In fact, the sanctions backfired and gave Iran’s ayatollahs more ammunition to justify their monopoly on Iranian politics and power. They also allowed the Iranian regime to fuel the Islamic Republic’s greatest myth- the myth that depicts the United States as the “Great Satan” and the American people as enemies of Islam.

Despite these past failings, many of our government officials are convinced that sanctions will prevail this time around. During a hearing of the Senate committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Senator Charles Schumer described economic sanctions as “the preferred method of choking Iran’s nukes.” This myth of sanctions as a demoralizing agent needs to be debunked. Sanctions will choke ordinary people in Iran, not nuclear ambitions.

Regardless, the United States is in the process of developing multilateral sanctions against Iran. Two powerful allies, the United Kingdom and France, have voiced their support for the strategy if Tehran does not make acceptable concessions on its nuclear program. Yet two equally powerful countries, Russia and China, are much less enthusiastic. Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin recently stated that sanctions “would not be creating favorable conditions” for resolving the nuclear issue. Similarly Jiang Yu, a Chinese foreign policy spokesperson, has voiced Chinese opposition as well: “We believe that sanctions and exerting pressure are not the way to solve problems and are not conducive to the current diplomatic efforts on the Iran issue.” With both China and Russia holding veto power in the United Nations Security Council, it seems unlikely that sanctions will work. But suppose we do come to an agreement and Russia and China back the sanctions fully. Wouldn’t that make the plan successful?

Successful sanctions, though uncommon, are not outside the realm of possibility. But the result that is more likely is a continuation of failures that could potentially escalate into something nobody desires: a war with Iran. As with the “Oil for Food” sanctions against Iraq a decade ago, sanctions against Iran will reward smugglers, enrich those in power, and stifle civil society. With the Revolutionary Guard already in control of the majority of the Iranian economy, small businesses will be undercut and the average Iranian will suffer. With these conditions in place, Iran’s hard-liners will frame the sanctions as “proof” that Americans are using the hardship of the Iranian people for the furtherance of their own interests. Uncontested control over Iran means Ahmadinejad will remain the Middle East’s provocateur and could feasibly trigger a war with the United States or Israel. It is precisely this endgame that we should try to avoid.

Instead of playing its regular tough guy role, the United States should pursue a different strategy. America shouldn’t feel the need to de-legitimize Ahmadinejad even further- he can take care of that himself. America should instead use a power that has always been its major advantage over dictatorial regimes everywhere. This isn’t our power to kill or cause harm- this is our power to offer a brighter future to the Iranian people. President Obama has already extended the hand of friendship to Iran and promised that changes in our relationship will be “grounded in mutual respect” –not threats. Promoting human rights in Iran isn’t just doing what is best for the Iranian people; it is also the best security strategy the United States can invest in.

A Few Thoughts on Women's Rights

A recurring theme that has been on my mind lately has been the status of women worldwide.  This is particularly due to a few things I have read, including Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn's book "Half the Sky" and a short article I read entitled "Veiled Threat."  Half the Sky shares the stories of women in various cultures- particularly women from Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.  Most of the women were victims of various crimes- sex trafficking, rape, slavery, and other things.  There were even accounts of women who had been killed in "honor" killings- the killing of a woman who has been raped to preserve the "honor" of a family.  The book's main purpose is to outline the opportunities for women rather than focus on the atrocities, but they are nonetheless present.

Veiled Threat, on the other hand, talks about the mass presence of women in Iran's post-election protests.  It states that in prior revolutionary movements in Iran women have been, for the most part, entirely absent from the process.  However, starting in June this year women took to the streets just as much as men and stood side by side with them in open protests.  This is a difference that cannot be exaggerated.  Women have been held down in countries like Iran (and even in the United States) for centuries.  Any open challenge from women to those in power generally resulted in one of the horrific crimes mentioned above.  Just recently women in Sudan were whipped for wearing jeans.  Women in Afghanistan are splashed with acid for trying to go to school.  Women in Southeast Asia are sold into sex slavery while trying to find a decent job.

The odds against women in much of the world are very high, including in Iran, yet they fought and continue to fight against them.  These women do not accept the status quo- they believe they should have equal rights and equal opportunities.  We should stand with them.

Upcoming Events and Needs!

Alright, so we're about a full month into Fall semester and Weber State STAND is on a roll.  So far we've raised about 4,000 for Invisible Children's "Schools for Schools" program through our hunger strike and banquet- the highest total dollar amount for any semester we've been in operation.  In addition, we've lobbied Senator Bennett on two important bills- the LRA Disarmement act and the Congo conflict minerals act.  These bills are still floating around in congress, though, so our work must continue.  Our events have so far been very successful.

But the semester isn't over, so like Celine Dion's heart our work must go on (and, hopefully, we won't ram into some metaphorical iceberg.)  Our upcoming events include a showing of Camfed's documentary "Where the Water Meets the Sky" on October 5th from 1-3pm in Wildcat Theater.  Next we have Enough Project correspondent Sasha Lesnev coming to speak on November 4th from 12-2, also in Wildcat Theater.  (Note: Amnesty International's "Human Rights Week" is also going on November 2nd-6th, more details when we get things finalized). 

Finally, to sum up what is already a ridiculously busy week, Cameron, Jo Anne, and myself will be going to Washington D.C. November 6th-9th to participate in the Genocide Intervention Network's "Pledge to Protect" conference.  There are many high-profile speakers coming to this event, including the Enough Project's John Prendergast, so it should be awesome.  We will also be doing some workshops and learning some things that we can take back to Utah and apply to our work back home.  This conference is going to be sweet- but unfortunately going to D.C. is also rather expensive.  We are going to do a variety of fund-raising activities but ultimately the decision of whether we go or not comes down to the support of our friends, family, and fellow activists!  I will be posting the information for these fundraisers as they come, but please, if you are interested in helping us or giving us a dollar or two please contact me @:
zstickney@live.com

The World's Dream (Video)

Here's just the video, for the convenience of anyone who visits this page:

The World's Dream

Here's the video/text of my speech at Weber State STAND's Black Tie Banquet for Invisible Children on September 18th, 2009. Check it out eh!

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTAFpUK4vak&feature=channel_page

Before we close this dinner for the night I would like to thank all the people who made this event possible. The first great donation of time, energy, and delicious food came from our hosts here at Arbat. We would like to sincerely thank you for allowing us to use your beautiful restaurant both for its symbolism and aesthetic value- we truly couldn’t have made this a successful night without you. Second, I would like to thank Stratton McCausland for his musical talents, every member of STAND who helped us get this night in order, and all the friends, family members, and fellow activists who support us unconditionally and unequivocally- your love and kindness are what have kept us going- specifically when your love and kindness gave us the last minute donations we needed to end our hunger strike earlier this month. As you can see from my already gaunt physique, you saved us all from a horrible fate. Finally I’d like to thank our guest speakers, Neil A. Hansen and Jennifer Seelig. Both of you have inspired us all with your words on activism and charity and I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we will all leave this dinner feeling more empowered of our roles in the pursuit of universal justice and equality. We thank you for help and we sincerely hope that when you admit your affiliation with us it won’t lose you any votes.

As many of you may know, this semester has already been a dream come true for Weber State STAND. Within the first month we have already lobbied Senator Bennett for human rights legislation in Uganda and the Congo, we have held a hunger strike both to raise money for Invisible Children and to create awareness of the adverse conditions the world’s refugees face daily, and of course we have put together this wonderful dinner and have thus far raised over 4000 dollars for the Invisible Children of Uganda. Our efforts and the efforts of our supporters will help these children in many ways. We will replace the guns in their hands with pencils and paper. We will remove them from the barren and isolated areas of Uganda and instead put them in schools and playgrounds. We will provide these children counseling in order to heal the hateful and monstrous ideology instilled in them by the LRA and instead substitute it with the empowerment of an adequate education. We can be certain that our efforts will change their lives.

But how will it change ours? Aside from Cameron, Dave, and Kyle it is to my knowledge that none of the other STAND members have even been to Africa to see the effect of our charitable works. We can imagine the effect our efforts will have, but we don’t always get to see exactly where the money goes, and that can bother any of us. I would go so far as to say that several of our guests tonight have at some point had some kind of skepticism towards the work of international charities, not necessarily with Weber State STAND but possibly with other organizations they have undoubtedly seen in their lives. Why should we get involved in international affairs that may never have a direct impact on our own lives?
Whenever I’m asked this question I like to reply with what I see as an undeniable maxim. I strive to help these people- people who are stricken by poverty, malnourishment, and torture of all kinds, people who live in fear of murder, rape, enslavement, and all other kinds of horrific brutality- I strive to help these people because I know that if it were me I would hope and pray that someone, anyone out there cared. As citizens of the world’s first great democracy and as citizens of an ever expanding technological world we are endowed with a unique and awesome power unparalleled in the annals of history. We have been given all the tools to have an immeasurable impact on the world around us. The forefathers of our government and the patriots who fought and died for our country gave us both the constitution and the precedent to protect and preserve what was once considered a fragile and impossible social structure. Our technology gives us the power to know- our news outlets and networking coupled with the lightning speed of information allows us to become aware of the problems in our world faster than ever before. But knowledge of the world’s problems can be disheartening and indeed can cause us to be lethargic towards these issues. But as John Prendergast, a co-founder of the Enough Project has said:

“We have no enemies here. We just have apathy and indifference to overcome.”

John of course was talking about the condition of the human rights movement in the United States. He believes, as do many of us here, that no rational person in our country can deny that the pursuit of justice worldwide is a noble cause. But he also believes that the effort which we see throughout our nation and indeed the world is only a small fraction of what could occur if indifference and apathy and powerlessness were simply put behind us. We do have the power and we do have the tools to bring criminals like Joseph Kony to justice and to reunite the abducted children with their mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, and we do have the power to ensure that their lives and the lives of their children are better than the lives of those who preceded them. This goal is commonly called the American dream- but the dream to better oneself and the lives of others did not begin in America and it should not be held solely within our borders. This dream is the world’s dream, and we are part of the effort to make this dream a reality. 

House Resolution 175

Below is a copy of the letter I sent to Representative Rob Bishop and Senators Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett. The letter asks for the Congressmen's support in House Resolution 175 and Senate Resolution 71, bills which request that the United States reaffirm its opposition to the Islamic Republic's continued abuses against the Baha'i religious minority of Iran. The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center report refferenced can be found here. Please feel free to use or copy this letter if you wish to send in one of your own! Constructive comments of any kind are also appreciated.

Honorable Representative (name),

It is doubtless that you have heard of the issues in Iran surrounding June’s elections and the protests and rallies carried out thereafter. During this political fallout it was difficult to see exactly what was going on in Iran due to the extreme measures the Iranian government took to cover up the state sponsored violence and abuses of civil and political rights. Fortunately, the world was able to get a frightening glimpse at what was going on due to the efforts of courageous individuals who risked their very security in an attempt to gather strength from the international community. Sadly, many of these freedom fighters lost their lives during the turmoil and more still continue to be unfairly tried in televised state tribunals.

Unsurprisingly these heinous crimes are not isolated events taking place only recently in the Islamic Republic. The strategies of coercion, violence, torture, and abuse have long been part of the necessary stratagem for the Islamic Republic to retain its power. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, his predecessors, and many others, have used these same strategies to force what is essentially genocide upon one of Iran’s most prominent minority religions- the Baha’is. A report released by the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center entitled Crimes Against Humanity: The Islamic Republic’s Attacks on the Baha’is outlines in detail the multifaceted approach the Islamic Republic has taken to murder, coerce, imprison, or otherwise harm the Baha’i minority.

I am writing to you today to encourage you to read the aforementioned report in full and to request that you co-sponsor and support House Resolution 175, a bill which reaffirms the United States opposition to these practices by the Islamic Republic and which asks for the immediate release of a number of Baha’i political prisoners who are currently detained solely for their religious affiliation. I also urge you to publicly gather support for this bill as a means to increase the likelihood of the release of these prisoners. Time is of the essence and the survival of those individuals may very well depend on the timeliness and efficiency of all those who oppose the brutality of the Islamic Republic.

Sincerely,
Zachary J. Stickney

Prison Conditions in Iran

One of the major recurring human rights abuses by the Islamic Republic is the torture and abuse of detainees in Iranian prisons. Although these practices are nothing new, they have recently become a lightning rod of controversy amid the hundreds of arrests following the election protests this June.

Political prisoners within the walls of Iranian prisons such as Kahrizak and Evin prison testify that they are victimized by one or multiple of the following mistreatments: beatings, cutting, flogging, being held completely incommunicado, hours of interrogation, various degrees of mental, physical, and sexual torture, humiliation, forced confessions, and brutal rape.
Due to the opacity of the Iranian legal system it is often very difficult to come up with a concrete verification for the claims of abuse expressed by those incarcerated. However, the consistency of the claims made by the detainees and the physical evidence seen on their bodies and observed in their mental state upon leaving these prisons strongly suggests the truth within the allegations.

To get an idea of the extent of the abuse seen within these prisons one need look no further than the case of Zahra Kazemi, a Canadian-Iranian photo journalist who died in Iranian custody a mere 19 days after her arrest. (A full report on this incident can be found here. This report is the property of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center and is not affiliated with Omid for Iran.)

Kazemi was in Iran on June 23rd, 2003 to take photographs of parents gathered at the gates of Evin prison in an attempt to find out what had happened to their children, who were arrested days earlier for taking part in a demonstration. Kazemi had a government issued press card for this event which, to her knowledge, allowed her to work throughout Tehran. As Kazemi was taking pictures a guard emerged from the prison and asked her to turn over her camera- a request Kazemi refused. After a short violent scuffle, Kazemi was detained by the guards and taken into custody at Evin.

Although specifics of exactly what happened to Kazemi in custody is still a bit fuzzy, it is clear that she was passed around between multiple Iranian ministries who questioned her for hours on end and held her completely incommunicado both from her family and proper legal representation. Nothing else was known about her treatment in the prison until July 11th, 2003, the day she was brought to Baghiyyatollah al-Azam Military Hospital and was pronounced dead.

The original report from the government stated that Kazemi had suffered a tragic stroke while in prison and died from the complications thereof. A few days later the report changed to state that Kazemi had been on a hunger strike while in prison and had collapsed from exhaustion and hit her head. With all these contradictions in the reports the real truth was finally revealed- Iran’s then-Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi conceded to the press that Kazemi had been killed as a result of being beaten.

Almost 2 years later Kazemi’s case became an extreme controversy when Shahram Azam, a staff physician at al-Azam, stated that he had examined Kazemi in the hospital shortly after her arrest and found multiple signs of torture. Kazemi’s body, according to Azam, had been subject to a skull fracture, two broken fingers, crushed toes, a broken nose, bruising all over the body, scratches, marks of floggings, and evidence of what he described as a “brutal” rape.

Though it is clear that the extremes seen in Kazemi’s case are not typical, it remains blatantly obvious that a grotesque abuse of power is present in the Iranian prison system. Far too many others have claims similar to what is seen in Kazemi’s case and, in fact, deaths continue to occur in these prisons, as seen in the recent death of Mohsen Ruholamini, who died in Kahrizak prison from repeated beatings early in August.

These conditions can and must be changed. Iran is a signatory of both the International Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Signing these declarations affirms a nation’s commitment to securing human rights for its entire people. If those aren’t enough, Iran’s own constitution “guarantees” similar rights including the right to protest peaceably, freedom from discrimination, and equality before the law. These rights look great on paper, but if the Iranian people are to reach their full potential not only in their own lives but also on the world stage the Iranian government needs to put its own constitution into practice. They either need to do this, or, in the words of Grant Ayatollah Montazeri, “… at least have the courage to announce that this government is neither a republic nor is it Islamic.”

Omid For Iran

August 25th was my second official day as an intern for the human rights organization "Omid for Iran."  My boss, Amir Soltani, is an exceptionally intelligent man who has written works regarding Iran, Islam, and the Middle East in publications such as the Boston Globe and the Harvard Divinity journal.  Needless to say, I'm very excited to begin working for his organization and helping out in any way I can, even if the help I offer is minimal.  Working for an organization that gives me an opportunity to support global unity, human rights, and international relations while uprooting torture, ignorance, and injustice on a daily basis is really exciting.

Right now my main purpose is to gather information for Amir regarding current events in Iran and to collect any documents we can use including human rights reports, newspaper articles, etcetera.  Amir uses these documents to flesh out a concrete plan of action for Omid and to create articles of his own which detail possible paths to unity between the United States and Iran.

Collecting this information is very much like preparing oneself to write a term paper or extensive essay.  In the two days I've worked I've only barely scratched the surface of the information available and already I feel far more knowledgeable than I was previously.  It is very rewarding to be able to learn something new every day at a job.

But with the rewards and blessings of knowledge always comes the knowledge of despicable acts- acts which are not only unjustifiable in any situation but also incompatible with assertions of basic human dignity.  As you may or may not know, the Islamic Republic of Iran is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which essentially is the international equivalent to the United State's "Bill of Rights."  The ICCPR requires that signatories guarantee certain rights to their citizens and allow for international groups to observe elections, treatment of prisoners, and a variety of other governmental institutions.  In addition to Iran's ICCPR agreement, the Iranian constitution also guarantee rights such as freedom from discrimination, equality before the law, rights of human dignity, and freedom of assembly.  These institutions and guarantees of rights look great on paper, but as we have seen time and time again these "guarantees" are yet to be put into practice.

A recent story from the New York Times helps to put the egregious violations of the Iranian government into perspective.  The article describes a young boy of about 14 years of age who joined a group of friends in the recent "Green Revolution."  The boy wore green bands on his arms and shouted the slogans of the movement- asking only that the votes of his parents, friends, and fellow Iranians be legitimately counted in the elections.  He was one of the millions who yearned for solidarity in his homeland.  Sometime later, the boy was taken into custody with a number of his friends, "fellow conspirators" his captors called them.  While in prison the boy was beaten, tortured, psychologically demeaned, and sexually abused.  The boy said that he was raped multiple times and forced to have sex with his friends- all for practicing his "guaranteed" freedom of speech and assembly.  After his treatment in the prison the boy was forced to sign multiple documents "confessing" to his crimes against the nation and was forbidden to ever speak of the treatment he received.  He is now on suicide watch by his doctor, who confirmed to the New York Times that the injuries the boy still bears are consistent with his story.

I don't know specifically about how anyone who reads this feels about Islam, Arabs, Persians, or whatever, but I do know that anyone who reads this in good conscience can clearly see that this treatment is, quite plainly, wrong.  It is wrong because because the Iranian government is lying to its people.  It is wrong because this boy, and countless others, gathered in a peaceful fashion to protest a controversial election- two rights, that of assembly and speech, which are guaranteed in the Iranian constitution and in Iran's covenant to the world.  It is wrong because this boy, and countless others still, were tortured, demeaned, held incommunicado in secret prisons, beaten, raped, and forced to do unspeakable acts, all in the name of preserving the "Islamic" Republic, which in reality is in and of itself an affront to both the true meaning of "Islam" and "Republic."  

It is by this premise that I encourage you all to join me on this journey- not a journey of appeasement of this terrible government but rather a journey to encourage the Iranian Republic to legitimately pursue the guarantees of its constitution with its people.  This can be done through diplomatic pressure and the creation of international observation of Iran's policies and treatment of its citizens.  Pursuing liberty and justice in Iran will not only benefit Iranians, but it will also benefit the United States and the rest of the world by forming a legitimized nation of freed individuals equipped with liberty, civil and human rights, and above all common human dignity.  You can join in this journey by visiting www.omidforiran.org and reading the petition posted there.  Make it clear to Iran's leadership that their actions are intolerable, but that there is still time to make right their many wrongs and failings.  As Ghandi once said:

"We never wanted to bring you to your knees,

we only wanted to bring you to your senses."

This is Iran's Moment

Saturday, June 20th will, without a measure of doubt, go down as one of the greatest and most prideful days of my summer.  On this day myself and 150+ other activists gathered in Salt Lake City for a rally in support of the solidarity of Iranian citizens.  

The day started off with little but a hint of modest success.  Upon the arrival of Jo Anne and I there were maybe only 15-20 supporters present.  There were plenty of signs lying around, but with no one to carry them their message would mean very little.  We grabbed our signs- one with an Iranian flag and another with a juxtaposed image of Iran and a twitter bird- and joined in the congregation.  As we joined in, others started coming in as well- one by one, two by two.  Slowly but surely this rally was building.  Within an hour or so the tiny group of 15 or so people had grown 10 times in its size- still not an extremely significant number, but ever symbolic of grassroots decisions and their building influence over time.  

As the group reached its zenith in population we began our march toward the capitol.  About this time it began to rain as well, only a trickle at first, but soon the combined dampness of cloth and chilly gusts of wind made us all at least a little cold and uncomfortable.  As if preaching to the choir one of the main rally leaders announced: "Please stay even though it's raining- this cause is too important!"  But I doubt anyone would leave.  All of us there already knew the stories of the rain of injustice falling upon the Iranians- rain of boiling water dropped from helicopters, rain and fog of tear-gas canisters, and the rain of innocent blood from the mostly-peaceful protesters.  Our predicament of cold was nothing when compared to their unhindered bravery.

The night after the rally I went to KSL's website to observe the half of my face that was on television and also to read the comments posted there.  Many of them were from people who were both disrespectful and uninformed who believed that the rally was used to "bash" the United States and that everyone at the rally should "go back to Iran."  If I could speak to these people directly I would advise that they take advantage of their opportunity to get a decent education in the United States, because judging by their spelling errors (littered throughout their paragraphs like a field after Woodstock) and their blatant racism, arrogance, and ignorance.  Luckily, this movement isn't about them.  This is about Iran's moment.  This is about Iranian solidarity and the long-awaited human rights that they must be rewarded.  Let's not give up on Iran- even if our support here seems insignificant I'm confident these grassroots will grow- just like they did in our rally.

House Resolution 241

Today I decided to write some letters to my congressmen regarding house resolution 241. This resolution is fiat in putting continued pressure on the Sudanese government and the pursuance of lasting peace and stability in Darfur. Below I have pasted a copy of the outline of my letters- I encourage you to write letters, call your congressmen (1-800-Genocide) or both. To learn more about resolution 241 or just general information about the genocide, visit www.savedarfur.org or any of the other sites dedicated to the resolution of this crisis. 

Dear (representative),

I write you today not only as a constituent but also as a dedicated grassroots activist regarding House Resolution 241. As I’m sure you are aware, resolution 241 calls for the condemnation of the brutal regime of Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir and support of the reinstatement of humanitarian aid into the impoverished region of Darfur, Sudan. Your immediate and firm support of this resolution will be necessary for many reasons. 

First and foremost the lives of many innocent Sudanese are in danger. The genocide in Darfur has already claimed the lives of over 450,000 and has displaced millions from their homes. Many of these survivors are clinging to life in the scattered refugee camps throughout Sudan and neighboring Chad. The expulsion of humanitarian organizations in March of this year by Sudanese President Bashir will undoubtedly worsen the chances of survival for many of these people.

But the lives of Sudanese are not the only stakes at hand. The situation in Darfur is unique because it marks the first time a genocide has been recognized as such while still in progress. This means that our action or inaction in Darfur will set our future policy toward genocidal and murderous regimes throughout the world. We must set a moral policy against these heinous actions not only to bring peace to the current conflict but also to secure a lasting anti-genocide policy toward those who would disregard the fundamental rights of life and liberty that each world citizen deserves.

I would also like to commend you for your support of (state prior resolutions supported). These resolutions have been key in creating a lasting foundation of anti-genocide policy within the United States. However, I would also like to urge your continued support and resolve in this matter due to the ongoing suffering and injustice which is endemic throughout Sudan.

Sincerely,


(your name, address)

It also might be a good idea to hand write these letters rather than to type them. Hand written letters show real effort and time was put into the letter. Typed up letters can be copied and pasted by the thousands.

This Title Does a Poor Job of Summing Up the Content of This Blog

Today is day two of the 5 days off of work I've recently acquired and, since I'm running out of things to do with my life, I've decided to begin work on what will undoubtedly become yet another addition to the ever-expanding archives of my obscurity.  Oooh!  I'm self-aware!

But the beauty of creating something you doubt will ever truly be seen, read, or even cared about is that you can write virtually whatever you want about anything you want and pretend that it is reaching a wide audience of individuals just waiting to pounce on your next word and suckle it dry of its thick, syrupy knowledge-juice.  Coincidentally, a free supply of syrupy knowledge juice is exactly what I intend to impart of with this blog.  

But what knowledge can an 18 year old Junior in College have, you ask?  Well the answer is simple- I know everything.  I wouldn't know everything if you came up and asked me a question in real life, but the fact that this blog is hosted on the internet should suffice to say that I want you to ask me a question through the internet so I can hide behind a veil of wikipedia references and google searches that will make me seem all knowing and omnipotent.  I just have to hope that the general public hasn't yet learned how to perform a google search.  

So to sum up my poorly organized and vaguely defined introduction I'd like to say this: read my blog on a regular basis or the terrorists are winning.  If you hate America and endorse Somali pirates, please disregard my work entirely.