The R4PB programme was launched through a National Summit of radio stations in Pakistan. At the summit, representatives of over 50 radio stations met in Islamabad in June 2010. The representatives pledged to use their stations to promote much needed peace in the country. According to SFCG, “This is the first initiative of its kind across Asia and was the largest meeting of FM radio stations in Pakistan’s history. It is anticipated that the partnership will encompass all 130 FM stations within the coming months. Through the Partnership, the radio stations will be supported with a range of services, facilitation, training and technical assistance”.

In the future, the project will also include promoting “Radio Partnership for Peace”, whereby radio stations will become a united voice of peace and development in local communities across the country. It is an impressive initiative and hopefully radio stations through their wider reach will spread the message of peace to people miles away from the reach of TV channels or news papers.

Click on the following links for more information on R4PB:

http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=246220

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/editorial/21-fm-for-peace-260-sk-02

Zahid Shahab Ahmed, Pakistan Local Correspondent. 30 June 2010

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Even though some young people are unhappy over the decision of a High Court to block their favourite websites, the majority of adult Muslims support the decision. The action of the government was triggered by a Facebook group inviting people to draw cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, a hugely offensive act to Muslims.

Anger has been mounting in Pakistan and the rest of the Muslim world over internet sites disrespecting their religious figures. In 2005, the Muslim world strongly reacted against a Danish newspaper (the Jyllands-Posten) publishing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. Some blogs who republished the cartoons were then blocked in Pakistan. For Muslims, it was thought to be a conspiracy against the Muslim world by the West, especially as it came during a sensitive time in Muslim-West relations, just a few years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. All over the Muslim world, people protested against the blasphemous cartoons through street agitations; tens of thousands of Muslims came out to demand respect for their religion.

In response to a roar of anger in the Muslim world, American cartoonist Molly Norris, whose work inspired the controversial Facebook group “Everybody Draw Mohammad” issued an apology and also condemned the Facebook page. The group basically dedicated 20 May 2010 to draw the Prophet Muhammad and wrote “this page was created for free discussion of brutality of the radical aspects of Islam”. Quite simply, whoever created this page wanted to spread hatred against Islam and Muslims. Sadly, over 14,000 people have joined the group to share their hatred of Muslims by drawing the Prophet Muhammad. As of 21 May 2010, the page still exists on Facebook.

If blocking such controversial groups on Facebook is considered to be a violation of the freedom of expression, especially in the West, then in the Muslim World perhaps Facebook and other social networking sites will remain blocked. Therefore, there is a need to re-initiate a discussion on “freedom of expression”, with a focus on respect for all religious beliefs and cultures. Here, it is important to mention that Islam strictly prohibits the depiction of any prophet as declares such acts as blasphemous, and this was the reason that Muslim across the world protested over the publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in the Denmark.

The real tensions that do exist between the West and the Muslim world do not justify the use of term the “Clash of Civilizations”, coined by Samuel P. Huntington in 1996 and in common usage since. There are certainly events widening the gap between two groups of people. But what the world needs in the 21st century is a better understanding of the so-called “other”, their cultures, traditions, and religious beliefs, in order to foster understanding. This understanding will pave the way for respect of others and will promote values of peace and harmony in and between our societies.

Zahid Shahab Ahmed, Pakistan Local Correspondent. 21 May 2010

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From viewing the offensive clip, I believe that the inclusion of the Buddha Statue was not purposefully done with the intent to insult the religion from Akon’s point of view. Nevertheless, I am sad about the absence of cultural sensitivity in Akon that this indicates, especially as a popular star.

My focus in this story goes beyond this single incident: it is about the politics of using this unrest to curtail the democratic rights of the Sri Lankan citizens. The main media sponsor of Akon’s visit was a popular, private television station that often takes an alternative voice from the mainstream government news streams. An organized attack was directed at this media station, using the excuse of the Buddhist opposition towards Akon’s visit. Several people were injured in this attack and 16 people were arrested by police. Rumors are circulating that the organisation of this gang can be traced to a certain Minister of the government. But no one wants to turn against him because his brute power is stronger than the democratic values of the country.

Buddhika Harshadeva, Sri Lanka Local Correspondent, 29 March 2010

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Currently Jeewa Shakthi aims to mobilise people at the grassroots level to achieve a sustainable peace in the country by both promoting awareness around, and encouraging the practice of, democracy, and providing training that gives people the practical skills in conflict transformation and prevention which are lacking in Sri Lankan society.

Good governance through political coexistance

Election violence has been one of the main threats to community peace for many years. The Good Governance initiative deals with this head on by bringing community leaders and politicians together to put a stop to outbreaks of violence, giving the individual communities a political voice during the election process.

Jeewa Shakthi selected an area that had reported some of the highest levels of violence in previous elections and sought agreement from all politicians standing for election to abide by responsible campaigning practices. After Jeewa Shakthi’s intervention there was not a single report of election violence in the following election, something all parties – police, the community, and politicians – put down to the success of the project.

Conflict management and federalism – workshop series

This initiative works to reduce conflict within communities by educating leadership figures in methods of securing peace through awareness, negotiation and reconciliation. The community leaders are taken on a field tour and participate in a training and workshop programme to educate them in methods they can employ to keep conflict at bay within their own villages.

The participants also had their prejudices challenged through exposure to the lives of groups they had little understanding of. For example, some participants were very much against the concept that Tamils face problems in Sri Lanka, and as such were taken to visit the Tamil refugee camps. One participant in particular was so moved by the state in which the refugees have been living for the past 10-15 years used all the money he had with him  to buy biscuits for the Tamil children in the refugee camp, despite being one of those most vocal in thier opposition to the idea Tamil people face any hardship in Sri Lanka.

Street drama program for the presidential election in 2005

Jeewa Shakthi organised a street drama group performance to promote peaceful voting before the presidential election in 2005. The performances were successful in reducing election tension that often results in violence. Staging drama performances in the areas that had previously been dangerous at election times enabled them to educate the communities of the need for responsible actions, from both the political parties and the voters themselves.

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Having conducted peace-related work for over twenty years, they have realised that for a lasting, powerful impact on a national level, the country needs a peace movement that unites and covers the entire island. Currently they have independent entities working for peace through isolated initiatives, but their work would be more effective if these organisations unite and work as a single body.

Cultural Group for Peace (Sama Sanskruthika Parshadaya)

Samasevaya supports a group young people from different ethnicities who write, perform, and record music about peace. Their aim is to popularise the Sri Lankan peace process and bring different ethnicities together.

The group composes the music themselves, and performs their songs in villages and at special events. These events, arranged through Samasevaya, are not limited to peace activities, and therefore allow a broad range of audiences to be reached. The group’s songs are also broadcast throughout the country via the provincial radio station, Rajarata Sevaya.

Inter-religious Trust-building Activities

This project brings together the various religious groups of Sri Lanka, and helps them understand how their religions share core beliefs about the importance of building peace together. At least two major annual gatherings of people from all religions are held in a neutral public place. These gatherings are used to share the non-violent values and teachings that form the core of all religions. They also offer an opportunity for religious clergy to meet and pray together, according to their own religions, for the united cause of peace for the country.

Inter-ethnic Exchange Programmes

Since 2002 Samasevaya has been facilitating Sinhalese visits from Anuradhapura to Tamil areas in Jaffna, and vice versa. The aim is to create acceptance, understanding and a feeling of unity between the two ethnic groups by giving them the opportunity to observe the cultural aspects of Tamil and Sinhalese life, and through this, learn the similarities and differences between them. The scheme also gives participants an opportunity to experience the lifestyle of the other ethnicity, as well as their food and culture, and gives them an opportunity to witness the impact of war on the other ethnicity. The visits are followed up with training sessions and workshops in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

Environment Protection Program

Samasevaya have recently established an environmental protection program in the Anuradapura region, with the objective of supporting peace through the promotion of environmental peace.

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Multi-ethnic Pre-schools

Since 2000, Sithumina has been involved in the establishment of multi-ethnic pre-schools in villages in Kahatagasdigiliya and the surrounding area as an alternative to the existing method of separating pre-school children according to ethnicity. The schools include children from the Sinhalese, Muslim, and Tamil communities, and represent the various religions within those groups. The teachers are also drawn from all these ethnicities and religions and are specially trained in working with multi-ethnic groups. The goal of the schools is to teach Sri Lankan children, and by extension their parents, the value of mutual respect and friendship between different ethnicities.

Celebrating Festivals of All Religions

In order to emphasise the right of each religion in the region of Anuradhapura to celebrate their festivals, and to improve inter-religious cooperation, Sithumina promotes the celebration of the major festivals of each religion on a cross-community level. Celebrating significant festivals of all religions provides an opportunity for the villages to congregate, and to respect and support each others’ religions; promoting religious and ethnic harmony in the area.

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They conduct ‘cultural sharing’ programs and educational programs to promote ethnic cooperation between Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims and to facilitate a better understanding on the conflict.

Tamil Youth Radio

This project provides a radio program in Tamil for the plantation community, particularly aimed at young people. It gives young people a space to access information, exposing them to outside sources – widening their perspective and giving them new approaches to solving conflicts and contributing to the peace building process by giving out unbiased information. Further, the initiative supports them in solving problems such as finding employment outside the plantations, corresponding with government officials in Sinhala, and participating in higher education.

Young Women’s Empowerment Programme

The Young Women’s Empowerment Programme targets talented young women who are interested in politics, and provides training and education intended to develop the participants into future political leaders of the plantation community. The hope is that the project leads to the inclusion of their voice in legislative structures such as Provincial Councils, widening the discussion of the conflict and peace process by including an as yet neglected voice.

Community Social Mobilisation Initiative

Although they form a large percentage of Tamils in Sri Lanka, the voice of the plantation workers is not very well represented in discussions related to ethnic conflict and peace process. In order to strengthen the voice of the plantation workers, this project aims to mobilise them into small groups, empower them through training and education, and encourages them to unite together as larger, stronger organisations. Training is provided to raise awareness of the ethnic conflict and related issues, and to provide them with the skills to organise, speak out and take action. Other programmes are also run which aim to ease tensions and improve the relationship between plantation workers and the surrounding communities.

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Community Reconciliation through Sports and Culture

The brutal civil war that broke out in 1993 created sustained mistrust between Burundi’s two main ethnic groups of Hutus and Tutsis. Tutsi people, including large numbers of civil servants, often fled to urban areas, while Hutu people felt safest in the countryside but could not access cities. Since 1994, the National Olympic Committee has been creating opportunities for members of both groups to interact through sports and cultural events, encouraging reconciliation and dialogue.

In 1994, the National Olympic Committee organised the first Olympic Meeting in Bujumbura, just a few months after violent conflict broke out. Over a week, more than 5,000 people were involved including officials, spectators, 300 athletes and 70 artists, many of them amateurs. The event allowed people from Bujumbura communes which were ethnically divided or devastated by the war to meet and take the first steps towards reconciliation.

In 1998, 1999 and 2001, the same event was organised in Mugamba, Gitega and Ngozi respectively. In these countryside areas, the events helped many Tutsi people living in Bujumbura return to their home villages and interact with Hutu people. Traditional music groups also performed and were broadcast nationally on radio and TV, helping build a sense of national community. On the fringe of these sports and cultural activities, participants had opportunity to attend seminars and take part in debates on peacebuilding.

An estimated 20,000 people have taken part in the events. Olympic Meetings have helped break down fear and mistrust between rival communities. The first event, particularly, was a major achievement, given the extreme violence of the time and the fragmentation of Bujumbura communes along ethnic lines. Participants found that the activities could bridge ethnic divides; far from simply improving health and strength, sport can also promote crucial values such as the importance of dialogue and interaction.

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KIRDARC are involved in the Nepal Rapid Response Fund, and are responsible for the upper region of midwest Nepal – the most inaccessible region in the country. They also operate a network of “Human Rights Defenders” across the region, and in every one of the 134 villages in their area of operation. Their reach, access and network of volunteers is impressive given the inaccessibility of the region due to lack of roads and literally no communication networks in most of their project sites.

To support their work KIRDARC runs a radio station which runs entirely on the concept of Community Radio. If local level conflict breaks out and if KIRDARC feels there is a need to mobilize the local people, they broadcast the news through the radio and local Human Rights Defender and/or Human Rights and Peace group immediately reach the scene.

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Sustainable Peace Project

Sustainable Peace is a cross-community programme which aims to bring participants together in a wild and natural environment in South Africa. The idea emerged from the success of South African peacebuilding initiatives that were conducted in the same way. The project brings together ex-prisoners, police and army officers, victims, community leaders and business people.

The visits include exposure to South Africa’s political transition and the socio-economic inequalities arising from Apartheid. A central feature is a shared wilderness experience, facilitated by the Wilderness Leadership School. For a few days former enemies walk together in a place of unspoilt beauty, cross crocodile-infested rivers, sleep on the ground, and protect each other while on guard duty against dangerous animals. The friendship that grows out of this experience echoes similar results achieved with employing wilderness to bring South African ex-combatants together.

Peace Education

Glencree offers learning opportunities about peacebuilding and reconciliation to primary, secondary schools and youth groups. Young people visiting Glencree explore their understanding of themselves, others, and their relationship to communities at local, national and global levels. Peace education is given through a series of one-day or two-day programmes. Workshop activities connect to the Education Curriculum at levels appropriate to the age and subject range of each group.

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