The Problems of Lasting Peace

A few days ago, while wandering in Weber State's library, I managed to stumble on an awesome book.  I was in the library for no particular reason, trying to kill time before a meeting of some kind, and somehow I walked right into the peace studies section of our library.

There, in one of those old, ragged book covers, slightly covered in dust and smelling like all old books do, was a book entitled "The Problems of Lasting Peace" by former President Herbert Hoover and his aide, Hugh Gibson.

The book was written in the midst of the second World War.  The allies had begun pushing Hitler's Germany back in the European theater, and countless epic naval battles were no doubt taking place in the Pacific.  In the midst of all this combat and chaos, Hoover and Gibson noticed a pattern; endless cycles of violence in war, followed by brief periods of peace and development, followed again by violence.  This was true even in the case of World War I, the "war to end all wars," which, within 20 years, collapsed into yet another global bloodshed. 

Hoover and Gibson identify 7 "Dynamic Forces" which contribute to war and peace, listed as follows:

1.  Ideologies
2.  Economic Pressures
3.  Nationalism
4.  Militarism
5.  Imperialism
6.  The complexes of fear, hate, and revenge
7.  The will to peace

These forces are not arranged in order of importance, but they all have some varying degree of importance depending on which war is being examined.  It is important to note, however, that the first 6 forces typically act against the 7th; that is to say, the will to peace is broken when the emotions and actions prompted by the first 6 overpower it.

One of my favorite quotes from the book, paraphrased, is "Nations can blunder into war, but they cannot blunder into peace."  This, I think, is a key point which isn't given enough thought much of the time.  We tend to view things in black and white: a friend of mine recently said, "all the world's problems could easily be solved if everyone would just be good."  At face value, this is perhaps true.  But issues arise when the phrase is examined further.  Depending on your culture, your socioeconomic status, your race, your religion, your geographic location, your government, your education, and a myriad of other features, what would you define as "the world's problems?"  More important, what would you define as "good?"

Viewing the world through such a black and white, almost esoteric lens is what causes individuals, families, tribes, and finally nations to blunder out of peace.  Narrow definitions which fail to take into account the literally billions of possible viewpoints are destined to collapse.  They allow no structure or instrumentality for reconciliation, for the promotion of peace, or fundamental problem-solving.

This, in effect, is the key problem to lasting peace: a feeling that expedience, that black and white, are more effective than a structured method of peacemaking.  Expedience destroyed loose-knit peaces like the League of Nations and Kellogg-Briand, and expedience continues to threaten global peace today.

Global problems, however defined, are not so black and white as to be solved immediately.  Consensus must be achieved through arduous and often painstaking dialogue, taking into account a vast array of voices and concerns.  As such, lasting peace can only be achieved through the development of mechanisms capable of almost constant change, reinventing the status quo to meet new demands and changing environments.  The development of - and adherence to - global liberal institutions is, thus far, the greatest success the world has had in this experiment.

This, I feel, is a good enough afternoon rant.  That said, I would strongly recommend this book to any student of international law, or, better yet, any citizen of the world.

New Report Ranks Iran Last in the World on Fundamental Rights

A recent report from the World Justice Project ranked Iran last in the world on fundamental rights.  The report measured whether the government and its officials were held accountable under the law, whether laws were clear, publicized, stable and fair, and whether they protected the security of persons and their property.  It also measured the process by which laws were enacted, administered, and enforced, and whether access to justice was competent, independent, and free from interference.

Some of the key findings of the report in regards to Iran were as follows:

• Iran’s law enforcement is fairly strong and effective, but is often used as an instrument to commit abuses
• Iran suffers from a lack of government accountability
• Government corruption is prevalent in Iran
• Courts are efficient, but lack independence and are subject to corruption and interference
• Iranians lack access to fundamental rights such as the right to assemble and petition, freedom of opinion and religion, and basic privacy

Unfortunately, much of this news isn't all that surprising.  This report simply validates further what the world witnessed following Iran's June 2009 elections and the subsequent abuses up to the present day.

If you would like to read more, see page 68 of the report to view Iran's scores.


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U.S. Must Work to Solve its Middle Eastern Crisis of Legitimacy

Note:  This is something I wrote a few weeks ago but decided not to do anything with.  It was an attempt at an Op-Ed, so the content is anything but exhaustive, as anyone who has ever attempted to write an Op-Ed should know.  If you have any questions, please post them and I'd be happy to discuss.

President Obama has received a lot criticism for his recent statement that “the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both sides.”  Both Israeli leadership and U.S. Congressmen alike have decried the statement, saying that it is “inconceivable” that Israel could possibly return to such “indefensible” borders.  Despite this criticism, Obama’s call for constructive dialogue may be Israel’s — and the United States’ — last chance to choose between taking the initiative or becoming a pariah on the issue of Middle East peace.

Earlier this year, the Palestinian Authority announced that it would seek United Nations membership if a peace treaty with Israel couldn’t be reached by September.  This may not seem particularly dire due to the fact that the United States holds permanent membership in the U.N. Security Council, a body which holds veto power over membership requests.  But the fact is that the legal basis for denying Palestinian statehood is actually quite weak.  According to the Montevideo Convention, the article of international law which defines statehood, the state of Palestine meets the requirements already.  Palestine has a permanent population, territory (currently defined as “occupied Palestinian territory”), a government, and recognition by other states.  Palestine is currently recognized by over 130 nations, a solid two-thirds majority of the 192 nations represented in the U.N.

Despite this, it’s highly likely that the United States will nonetheless veto the request should it come to a vote.  If it does so, the decision will solidify the United States’ Middle East policy as merely Israeli-centric.  This serves well for our relationship with Israel, true, but it simultaneously crumbles the much more broad American interests in the Middle East and beyond, exacerbating an already severe U.S. crisis of legitimacy among those nations.  Many Muslim nations will seek to diminish their ties with the United States or even perhaps find a counterbalance to American power.  Without a true regional power to fill the void, most nations will turn instead to a rising power in world politics — the People’s Republic of China.

Examples of this shift to an Eastern orientation can already be seen.  Iran, already an international pariah and the target of multilateral sanctions, has been able to circumvent punishment to a high degree by shifting its trade contracts to China.  In recent years, trade between the two nations has been as high as $30 billion annually.  There has even been evidence that China supplied crowd control weapons and vehicles to Iran during its 2009 protests — a precursor to the Arab Spring — and that China is possibly supporting Iran’s nuclear program behind the scenes.  More recently, China was represented by 144 companies at Iran’s annual Oil Show this April, despite the “crippling” sanctions the United States and its allies hoped to employ.

China has also been at work elsewhere in the Muslim world.  Earlier this week, an article in the Financial Times reported that Pakistani Defense Minister Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar has asked the Chinese to build a naval base at the port city of Gwadar.  If built, the naval base would allow China to have a permanent military presence near the Strait of Hormuz, achieving overnight what Russia was denied throughout the Cold War.  Though China doesn’t appear to be directly challenging the United States in either of these instances, these actions nonetheless illustrate an attempt to counterbalance U.S. interests.  Any loss of U.S. legitimacy among Middle Eastern nations will drastically increase the likelihood of conflict in the region, costing an unknown amount of American lives and treasure.

The United States must move beyond an Israeli-centric Middle East policy and instead embrace its broader interests in the region.  This does not mean abandoning Israel.  It means getting Israel back to the negotiating table and convincing the Palestinians that pursuing statehood without Israeli consent is against their interests and will undermine prospects for a lasting peace.  The stakes are high, and the status quo is unsustainable.  A change is necessary, and the future of Israeli security and American leadership depends on it.

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2 Year Anniversary of Iranian Protests

This Sunday, June 12, marks the 2-year anniversary of Iran’s fraudulent 2009 elections — a precursor to the current wave of protests known collectively as the Arab Spring. Though the 2009 protests didn’t lead to any substantive change in government in Iran, they nonetheless gave the world its first glimpse at a Middle Eastern energy source far more important than oil: a nascent people power asking only for dignity and solidarity among the fraternity of nations. The movements in Iran, Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere have proven that Islam and democracy are not at all incompatible, as some would suggest.

Though the struggle for justice in the Middle East is far from over, these protests nevertheless signify a watershed moment for the future of U.S. policy with the Muslim world. In the past, political expedience for the sake of energy security allowed the United States to side with dictators and demagogues instead of democrats. The tides have clearly begun to turn, and the United States must turn with them. The new U.S. policy toward the Middle East must place principled leadership over expediency regardless of the short-term cost.

UPDATE:  This letter to the editor was published in Ogden's Standard Examiner

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North Korea: Apparently a Great Place to Live

This week, North Korea's state run Chosun Central Television organization released a "global happiness index" that reported some not-so-surprising results.  The report allegedly polled citizens worldwide in a survey to measure their feelings toward their nation and standard of living.  This in spite of the fact that anyone who knows anything about the regime in Pyongyang knows that it is easily one of the most isolationist and repressive regimes in the history of the world.

But hey, why not humor the Dear Leader?  Here's some of the results from the survey:

1.  China (100 happiness points)
2.  North Korea (98 happiness points)
3.  Cuba  (93 happiness points)
4.  Iran  (88 happiness points)
5.  Venezuela  (85 happiness points)
203.  The American Empire  (2 happiness points)

That's right, "The American Empire."

Frankly I've enjoyed living in this awful place, being able to freely post blogs without fear of being arrested, being able to vote for my leaders, and being able to protest or advocate the causes I please without being arrested, beaten or killed.

So friends, what's your favorite part of living in the dreadful American Empire?  Do you wish you could move to North Korea?

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Letter of Support for Conflict Free Initiative

Below is my letter of support for Weber State University's conflict-free initiative.  Learn more at their blog at: http://wsucongo.blogspot.com

To the Administrators and Board Members of Weber State University

My name is Zachary Stickney.  I am a senior political science major and presidential scholar at Weber State University and have long been an active and engaged member of the campus community.  I have served as President of Weber State STAND,   President and Student Area Coordinator of Utah for Amnesty International, and have been active in varying capacities in Weber State’s Young Democrats chapter, Pi Sigma Alpha, the Richard Richard’s institute for politics, decency, and ethical conduct, and have participated in Model United Nations of the Far West, an organization for which I am currently serving a one-year Board of Directors position.

As a student of international law and human rights activist, I am deeply troubled by the ongoing atrocities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  Worse still, I am troubled by the possibility that, as consumers of electronic devices, we may be inadvertently involved.   Weber State University and its supporters are not to blame for the crisis in the Congo.  However, I do believe that, as major consumers of electronic devices, we have a major opportunity and responsibility to use our leverage to help ensure our products are conflict free.  

As you may be aware, this conflict-free initiative has already had a number of successes nationwide.  Highly respected universities, including Stanford University and Cornell University, have already passed resolutions similar to the one we are proposing for Weber State University.  In addition, the Enough Project and other human rights organizations have proposed legislation in the United States congress calling for increased regulation and transparency in the trade of conflict minerals.  This is truly a nation-wide and historic movement.

Increased transparency in the trade of these minerals will not solve the many problems the DRC faces alone, but it will help ensure that the rebel groups facilitating the conflict will become increasingly financially isolated and unable to fund their activities.  It will also help relieve the burden of the international peacekeeping presence currently stationed in the DRC.  With our help, lives can be saved, violence can be prevented, and order and hope can begin to be restored to the hopeless.

I strongly encourage you to vote in favor of a resolution calling for increased transparency from Weber State University’s electronics suppliers.  In addition, I would like to request a symbolic resolution calling for solidarity with the people of the Congo and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Kind regards,

Zachary J. Stickney
Student
Weber State University

WSU Conflict Free Initiative Petition

To:  Administration and Board Members of Weber State University
 
We, the undersigned, representing students, alumni, and faculty of Weber State University, as well as concerned citizens of the Weber State community, would like to express our deep concern for the ongoing crisis in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The DRC is home to one of the world's longest lasting and most deadly conflicts. Nearly 6 million people have been killed from the consequences of violence, making this conflict the deadliest since World War II.

Though this conflict may seem unrelated to the students, alumni, faculty, or community members of Weber State, in truth there is at least one deep and terrible connection. The DRC, particularly the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, is a major world supplier of tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold. These minerals are extremely valuable and are used in the production of many electronic devices, including cell phones, computers, MP3 players, video game consoles, and so on.

Unfortunately, one of the side effects of the ongoing crisis in the DRC has been the takeover of Congolese mines by violent rebel groups. These groups capture these highly profitable mines, enslave the local population to excavate them, and use the money to further fund this vicious cycle. In addition to physical slavery in the mines, there have also been hundreds of thousands of cases of sexual slavery and rape throughout the region, leading human rights organizations such as the Enough Project and Human Rights Watch to label the DRC as the "worst place in the world to be a woman." These rebel groups use rape as a weapon of war to defeat their enemies by tearing at the social fabric of their communities.

Weber State University, its students, alumni, faculty, and members of the local community are not responsible for these atrocities. However, as major buyers of electronic equipment, we have considerable leverage to help end the crisis and ensure that our products are created from minerals gathered from legitimate sources. We, the undersigned, would specifically encourage Weber State University to:

• Use its leverage as a consumer of electronics equipment to pressure electronics companies into tracking their supplies and ensuring that the minerals used in their products are purchased from ethical sources;
• Pass a symbolic resolution in solidarity with the people of the Congo and encourage other universities or institutions of learning to do the same;
• Encourage students, alumni, faculty, and the greater Weber State community to learn more about the conflict in the DRC and be active in seeking a peaceful resolution.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned


Click Here to sign the petition online!

Walking Like an Egyptian: Why Obama Should Remain Firm on Mubarak’s Departure

The Obama administration has been taking a lot of criticism lately due to its recent call for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down “now.”  The chief concern of these critics is that, should Mubarak be removed from power, a vacuum will emerge in which radical elements — notably the Muslim Brotherhood — might take control of Egypt, replacing a long-time friend with a regime that might be at odds with the United States and Israel.  Because of this, these critics instead advocate for Mubarak to remain at the helm of Egypt’s “republic” until this fall.  These suggestions endorse a short-sighted and ill-advised policy that will halt the incredible momentum of Egypt’s opposition and damage American interests in the Middle East.

Though Mubarak has indeed been a long-time ally of the US, our relationship has been anything but ideal. Mubarak’s presidency, now in its thirtieth year, began in 1981 after the assassination of Anwar Sadat.  Indeed, the romance between the United States and Mubarak began with Sadat’s decision, in 1979, to make peace with Israel following the Camp David Accords.  This was a huge victory for both the United States and Israel, and Egypt was awarded in kind: regaining control of the Sinai peninsula from the Israelis and receiving billions of dollars in economic and military aid from the United States.  To this day, Egypt receives more foreign aid from the United States than any other country except Israel. 

Though peace between Egypt and Israel certainly served the interests of the United States, even then, US officials made it clear that Egypt would have to change.  Sadat, and later Mubarak, retained what was essentially a dictatorial regime.  In response to this, much of the aid sent to in Egypt was geared towards programs that would decrease government control, including privatization of businesses, expanded funding and openness in basic and higher education, and decentralization of authority through the expansion of local structures, both governmental and non-governmental.  Yet, after 30 years and some $50 billion in cumulative aid, Egypt under Mubarak has made little progress in any of these areas.  These figures make it painfully clear that, as New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has written, “Mr. Mubarak is not the remedy for the instability in Egypt; he is the cause.” 

But what of the alternatives?  As mentioned, many in the United States and elsewhere fear the possibility of an Egypt run by radical Islamists.  They cite the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist opposition movement found in many Arab nations and currently banned in Egypt, as the most likely group to take power should Mubarak step down.  The Brotherhood itself is a fairly contentious topic within policy circles; some claim it is extremely radical, others describe it as fairly moderate.  These disparate characterizations of the Brotherhood show that it is anything but a monolith.  The Muslim Brotherhood is frayed by clashing personalities and varying interpretations of Islamic governance.  The Muslim Brotherhood will certainly play a role in a transitional Egypt, but that role will be a muted one, rather than one of uncontested power and Egyptian obeisance.

As for the final concern, that Egypt does not yet have the institutions or structure necessary to begin a democracy immediately, I concur.  President Mubarak and his rigid bureaucracy have failed to develop a meaningful civil society in Egypt.  This is precisely why he must step down.  Egypt will need to install a temporary transitional government to prepare for free and fair elections, but Mubarak is not the person to lead Egypt through this stage.  He has failed his people for 30 years, and they no longer fear him.  Mass demonstrations will continue until Mubarak steps down and a transitional strategy is clearly defined to the Egyptian people.

The Obama administration should step away from the Mubarak-centered policy of the past and instead adopt one that keeps the interests of the Egyptian people at heart.  Obama must remain firm in his call for Mubarak to step aside and be ready to offer a hand of friendship to the fledgling democracy that will emerge.  The loss of a 30-year ally in Mubarak will initially be difficult for the United States to accept, but his downfall is inevitable.  In the long run a democratic Egypt will serve the best interests of the American, and Egyptian, people. 

Iranian-Americans to Protest Chinese Influence in Iran

Beginning February 5th, Iranian-Americans from 6 cities will launch a campaign in solidarity with the Democratic protestors in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The protests will be taking place outside the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC as well as the Chinese Consulates to the United States in Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York.


The Iranian-American community has organized these protests due to the increasingly apparent involvement the Chinese have had in Iran’s post-election crisis. The Chinese have recently signed a 25 year contract with Iranian oil companies worth an estimated 100 billion dollars. In exchange for oil, the Chinese have agreed to increase their trade with the Iranian regime. Notably, it has increased its trade in riot-control equipment and crowd control vehicles. The Iranian government uses this trade to fund and equip its Basij militia and to maintain its stranglehold over the peace-seeking protestors in Iran.

The protestors gathering at the Chinese Embassy and Consulates are calling on China to 1) Cease its support for Ahmadinejad, 2) To cease arming and supplying the Basij militia and Revolutionary Guards, and 3) To cease its support for tyranny and terror. In addition, they ask for the Chinese to support the peaceful protestors in Iran in their call for 1) Human rights for all Iranian people, 2) the immediate release of all political prisoners, and 3) Free and fair elections which can be monitored and verified by an independent observer.

The timing of the Iranian-American protests is paramount. February 11th is the anniversary of the Islamic Republic of Iran and many speculate for large-scale protests to be taking place in Iran at that time. As such, Iranian-Americans wish to express their solidarity for the peaceful protestors within Iran while calling for international support for their struggle.

Urgent Iran Action Needed!

Read this link on Dalian Eagle Sky Company's actions in regard to Iran

This report is as of yet unconfirmed in the mainstream media, but the pictures of these anti-riot vehicles and equipment have been circulating from Tehran for a few weeks now.  The trucks are equipped with two high-powered water cannons which are controlled from inside the vehicle and are capable of firing teargas and other chemicals great distances.  From the reports I've read, Iran has been amassing these trucks and other anti-riot equipment, likely in preparation for February 11th, which is the anniversary of the collapse of the Shah's rule, which was essentially the beginning of Iran's shift to an Islamic Republic.  Presumably, the street protests and civil disobedience which began last year on June 12th will continue in full force on this important date.

With the Iranian regime spending so much on these vehicles and equipment (the trucks alone are said to cost $650,000- mainly due from their rush order from China) it is clear that those in power are afraid- afraid of the power of justice, liberty, and freedom which has awakened the Iranian citizens.  This in a way is good news, because it shows that Khamenei and his puppets are losing their grip around Iran's throat.  However, this is also bad news because Khamenei is no where near prepared to back off without a fight.  And if we've learned anything from the brutal crackdowns of the past half a year, any continued protest will likely result in the injury, imprisonment, and death of many Iranian citizens.  February 11th may become Iran's version of what June 4th is for the Chinese- this could very well be a Tienanmen square-like disaster.

Though success in Iran will ultimately be won through the Iranian citizens themselves, we should not feel helpless and apathetic everywhere else in the world.  We need to let Iran know that the whole world is watching, and that we believe the Iranian people are fighting the good fight for justice and freedom.  We must support them through solidarity- through sending our letters and calls and dissent to Iran's current despots, and by sending our love and support and kindness to those in Iran who fight for the truths we hold to be self-evident: that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.  The Islamic Republic of Iran has failed to protect the rights of its citizens in any way, shape, or form.  It is therefore time for the severance of the bonds between them.

Videos From Iran

Here are just a few videos I found while researching Iran at work.  These are often sad and distressing, but overall I think they convey a message of hope for the brave citizens of Iran.  Watch these videos, think about what you see, and then please act in solidarity for the people of Iran!  They deserve no less.

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

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."