The World March for Peace and Non-Violence, Kuala Lumpur – 10 October 2009

The quiet and posh residential area in Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar, was hit by a tidal wave of loud music, vibrant live performances, piercing whistle blows and screams by throngs of people from all walks of life and (not forgetting) smoky scent of grilled meat, last night.

Sounds rowdy enough? Yes, but all for a good cause and it was done peacefully as well.

I usually go to Jalan Bangkung for two reasons; the restaurants and Bali Ayu spa. Last night was special because a group of NGOs; Voice of the Children, Women’s Aid Organization, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, NurSalam, World Without War and restaurant group Maxim Image (owners of Cava, Leonardo and Opus) came together to organize an event where Malaysians could gather in one place to express their solidarity and commitment to peace and non-violence. The night was marked by a candle-lighting ceremony and a not-so-solemn walk with lanterns around the strip of restaurants.

What I find interesting was how men, women and children from all ages and races were able to shed their cultural and political differences by holding hands and partying the night away. I smiled watching a man of about 60 years old with seemingly mild demeanour, clapping and dancing to the rhythm of hip drum beats. There were two men in the same age group; an Indian and a Sikh, waving the Jalur Gemilang at the front of the stage, while being observed by a foreigner who grinned with amusement.

Pet dogs of all shapes and sizes were not left out from the event as well. Many owners brought their furry friends to participate in the lantern march, much to the envy of neighbouring dogs, barking ruefully from the inside of gated residences. It was amusing observing some of them chastising their over-zealous pooches trying to sniff around the lower regions of those walking at the front.

It was also an expressive night where ordinary people displayed slogans on banners and T-shirts from “Stop violence against women”, “Are you a registered voter?” to “Love us, not eat us”. My favourite was, “An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind” by Mahatma Gandhi and one which says, “I am woman, hear me roar”.

The live performances were refreshing, energetic and pretty darn entertaining but nothing still touch the people quite as much as Michael Jackson’s Heal the World when it came on the loud speaker.

What I saw last night taught me one lesson. We can achieve unity and peace as a multi-cultural nation, if we want to. It was rare for me to see Malaysians of all races gathered together in a place where pork, beef and alcohol were served with the present of dogs, and non-Chinese children  took to the street with Chinese lanterns of all shapes and sizes. Nobody came out and accused anyone of being disrespectful of any particular religion but instead focussed on respecting each other’s diversity without compromising their own.

I wish everyday could be like this and not just during an annual event. We should remind ourselves each day that we need to heal the world and make it a better place.

Peace to everyone!

Global aid contributes to global pollution

“We the peoples…A stronger UN for a better world.”

These are the first words you see when you click on the UN official webpage. I’ve stolen the words but replaced them with a green font. I’m sure if you look at other major organizations’ mission statement, it bears similar sentiment of wanting to make the world a better place.

This article is about how global aid operations, in all its good intention have unconsciously or perhaps consciously neglected the environmental impact caused by excessive carbon emission from vehicles and generators, imperishable pollutants such as plastic bottles as well as chopping down of trees to accommodate its paper-based administration.

The UN is being singled out here for the mere reason that by far, it has the biggest peacekeeping/peace building and humanitarian operations in the world. Nevertheless, wherever there is a UN presence, there are hundreds more smaller aid organizations working alongside, including other inter-governmental agencies and UN agencies. Hence,the burden of responsibility is not limited to the UN only.

Currently, the UN is operating in Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Haiti, Timor Leste, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cyprus, Georgia, Kosova, Lebanon, and many more. In each mission, depending on the mandate and  resources poured into it, thousands of four-wheel drive and trucks are being deployed to assist the logistic aspect of the operation. On top of that, thousands of military and civilian staff are being recruited to execute  its mandates. With such sizable workforce, one can assume the amount of waste  being accumulated each day.

Now, in developing countries like those in Africa where cars are rare,  UN vehicles are probably the biggest contributors to environmental pollution. In addition to that, generators are often used to compensate for the often inadequate and erratic electricity supplies. Since clean drinking water poses a huge problem in most of these developing countries, all staff resorts to gallons of bottled water which are often disposed off without any thought on the environmental impact it produces. During these missions, hundreds of thousands (if not more) of A-4 paper are being used to print out often thick and lengthy documents which are read only by a handful of people.

Climate change is fast gaining global attention and yet aid organizations focussing on sustainable development are slowly addressing this issue. We have now begun to understand and recognize that climate change is one of the biggest causes of natural disaster, which in turn,  propagates the cycle of poverty. Tsunamis, earthquakes and hurricanes may have killed hundreds of thousands of people in the past few years, recurring flash flood and drought are the permanent nemesis of generations of people who rely on agriculture as their main source of livelihood.

And so, what are these organizations doing? They are developing more policies, resolutions and action plans to tackle food insecurity, population displacement, loss of assets and disaster management. All at the same time, unknowingly contributing to the cause of it. All these action plans are simply addressing the impact but not its cause.

I think that these aid organizations have failed to recognize and address one of the biggest catastrophes facing humanity today. It’s all well and fine when each wants to improve peace, human rights, democracy, rule of law, economic empowerment, mortality, health, education, etc. but what about our planet earth? Degradation of our planet is slowly becoming one of the main causes of human suffering and perhaps one day, a threat to the mere existence of humankind.

I think that if any of these organizations really want to make this world a better place, it should start to make concerted and committed effort in protecting our environment, especially of those that they claim to help. There are some measures that can be taken such as below and as idealistic as the idea sounds, one cannot deny the urgency that calls for such necessity.

1) Start from within. Each organization needs to set an exemplary role to others and this can be done by establishing internal policies and guidelines pertaining to environmental preservation. For instance, organizations like the UN which maintains huge presence in post-conflict countries should create an environmental unit to focus on what I would consider as one of the biggest challenges in the 21st century.

2) Practise what it preaches instead of just paying lip service. Aid organizations should consider turning green by implementing environmental friendly practices. Just as the many gender positions that have being created to promote and protect gender equality, environmental protection officers must be recognized as essential staff to help reinforce and promote these policies.

Some policies recommended are:

• Start minimizing energy and paper consumption. Procurement of greener cars in future operation, using energy saving bulbs, installing solar panels in countries with sufficient and often excessive heat from the sun to run electrical operated appliances. Encourage staff to use recycled paper and print what’s only necessary on both sides of the paper. Such exercise is not difficult particularly when big organizations such as the UN often benefits from tax-exemption and competitive rate as a result of massive procurement needs.
• Implement “green taxes”. Most aid workers, specifically the UN, do not pay income tax and as such, a small portion of their salaries can be used to subsidize some of the operational cost incurred by environmental policies.
• Recycle imperishable waste. In UN compounds that house hundreds of staff, some sort of recycling mechanism should be adopted to reduce the amount of pollutants.

3) Start moving from a reactionary mentality to one of prevention and preparedness. I often feel that human beings are good at responding to threat but not at prevention and perhaps this is where all the problems come from. By spending excessive amount of resources to supply aid  after a disaster hits does not solve the problem. It becomes a greater problem when the organization’s presence contribute to exacerbating the process of polluting the environment.

4) Make environment protection as part of its agenda. When drafting and allocating operational budget, consideration must be given towards the implementation of environmental policies. The only way to realize such policies is to pursue it as vigorously as it would of other agenda and this includes financial commitment.

5) Promote as well as protect. Organizations that have access to the community often have the advantage and ability to reach out to the mass. Instead of just going to a village to distribute aid, it should also disseminate information on environmental protection. Besides this, huge humanitarian operations often attract attention from the media and this serves as a great tool towards global awareness.

Just as more and more organizations are adopting zero-tolerance policy against sexual exploitation, environmental protection must be included gradually as one of its top agenda. Organizations such as the UN has a huge potential to pave and leave a greener path on our planet. By subscribing to environmental friendly products and practices, it will change the course of how commercial products are being made and marketed. After all, we’re talking about millions of dollars being spent on the procurement of logistic equipment and if any company want a piece of the pie, they might start to think twice about creating more environmentally friendly products.

Last but not least, the UN has the ability to become our planet’s advocate through all its minions across the globe. Just as those first three words you see on its webpage, “we the peoples…” and so they should start from the “We” before it starts to think about making this world better. 

I received this email today from an unknown source and I think it aptly concludes this article.

“We should expand national and local capacities for disaster response preparedness, and complement this with up-scaling disaster risk reduction. This should be our contribution to climate change adaptation. In relation to climate change mitigation, we should promote social mobilization towards “greener lifestyles”, and community programmes to protect environmental assets as part of sustainable development initiatives. We should advocate on behalf of vulnerable people who are most affected by climate change”

p/s: The recommendations above are not only applicable to big organizations, but should also be strongly considered by any organization that claims to serve the people, regardless of its capacity and size.

“Our World. Your Move” Campaign: Celebrating World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day

“All can, in one way or another, each in his own sphere, and within his own limitations, do something to help move the good work forward.”

These powerful words were uttered by Henry Dunant following the Battle of Solferino 150 years ago. The founder of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement was one who believed that individuals have the power to make a difference and why not? He was a living example of how one person managed to change the ethics and conduct of warfare which is enshrined in the Geneva Conventions.

On 24 June 1859, Henry Dunant, a Swiss businessman arrived in a small town in Solferino while on his way to Algeria. He witnessed the Battle of Solferino (part of the Austro-Sardinian war) which resulted in 40,000 soldiers on both sides dead or wounded in a single day. They were left on the battle field with no medical assistance. Horrified by the sight, Dunant abandoned his business plan and instead devoted to care for the wounded. He mobilized the local population to distribute aid to wounded soldiers without discrimination and this became the basis of humanitarian law.

This year is particularly special for the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IFRC; International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC; and National Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies, NS) because it is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Solferino, 90th anniversary of the IFRC and 60th anniversary of the “modern day” Geneva Conventions and most significantly the 4th Convention.

I will not attempt to provide the historical background of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement in detail. Instead, I would like to focus on the National Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies, IFRC and my own experience with them.

It wasn’t until five years ago when I first heard about the IFRC. When we talk about the Red Cross, we often think about the ICRC and since I met my husband who works for the IFRC, I began to understand more about the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement.

There is a Red Cross/Red Crescent society in almost every country today. In Malaysia, we have the Red Crescent society and as a child, I remember being a member of the society in primary school. Unfortunately, I associated the society with marching in the sweltering heat of our tropical climate. I did not learn first aid, neither did I volunteer to raise fund for any victims of natural disaster. At that time, AIDS did not exist yet and I was definitely not aware of any food insecurity situation in the country, if there ever was. I hope that things have changed since then because being a member of the Red Crescent society is not about engaging oneself in boot camp activities.

About twenty years later, I learned that the IFRC is a federation of all the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Unlike the ICRC, the IFRC is represented by the National Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies from each member state, very much like the United Nations and each country can only have one National Red Cross/Red Crescent Society (based on one of its seven fundamental principles of unity).

Although the IFRC carries out all the activities one would expect; disaster management, food security, health, etc., one of its main functions is also to provide capacity building and support to local national Red Cross/Red Crescent societies. As such, a huge bulk of its mandate is to work closely with local NSs.

When my husband received a job placement in Ethiopia, I volunteered for the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS). It was then when I first learned about the dynamics of the Red Cross Movement having lived and worked with those who were either involved with the IFRC, ERCS or ICRC. I would say that the experience was invaluable as it broadens up my own scope of understanding in terms of human rights as well as institutional operations.

Some would like to define humanitarian law as the human rights aspects of war and what this essentially means is that even during a civil or international conflict, the basic rights of soldiers and civilians must be observed regardless of political, religious, gender, racial or other forms of orientation. Although this is more or less what the ICRC’s mandate is, the IFRC and NSs often concentrate on humanitarian relief during times of war and peace.

In many ways, I find that working for the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement provides instant satisfaction when compared to the United Nations, which I worked for as a human rights officer several years ago. For instance, when there is a natural calamity, swift responses and actions are taken. There is no long discussion on diplomacy, international relations, politics or law. The main concern that triggers the whole movement is to save lives.

At a lower level where natural disasters are not the main issue, the Red Cross Movement concentrates on more basic needs such as health care, food distribution and over the past few years, tackling issues concerning climate change. Issues such as religious, political, cultural or criminal convictions are never in question. Neutrality is by far the most important principle which governs the whole Movement. To me, this is the essence of human rights.

Having said this, the intricacy of institutional relationships between the three entities (IFRC, NS and ICRC) can be a challenge and if so, it is mainly due to the issue of independence (they are all essentially independent bodies).  Nevertheless, due to their guiding principles of neutrality and humanity,  it is less complicated than the UN which is governed by State Members where politics often become the main issue of contention. The NS itself is independent from its own national government and hence should not be influenced by state policies.

As we slowly move into an era where human rights have become a major topic of concern, I would assume that many people often find it too daunting and dangerous to join in the struggles of activists who are often threatened by arrests and prison convictions in countries where civil and political rights are considered as devious forms of activities. If so, I would strongly encourage you to take up a humanitarian cause instead. While it is less “controversial”, the impact is not any lesser.

Providing basic needs to victims of natural disaster, learning first aid to save lives when it is needed, sensitizing people on HIV/AIDS and climate change, encouraging breastfeeding, educating people on road safety, etc. are all heroic acts that count towards sustaining humanity. You don’t have to become a champion for human rights by marching on the street in protest of government frailties, but you do need to take actions against other threats.

In conjunction with this year’s World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, let’s remember what Henry Dunant said 150 years ago:

“All can, in one way or another, each in his own sphere, and within his own limitations, do something to help move the good work forward.”

IT IS OUR WORLD AND YOUR MOVE.

p/s: For more information, please refer to http://www.ifrc.org and http://www.icrc.org.

My experience with Earth Hour

As the heat in Cambodia peaks during this month, it was hard to imagine not having the fan on for one hour. But with my mind made up to do my small bit for Earth, I persevered and it was actually really pleasant.

I’m not an environmentalist but wish that I am. I don’t think I have any good excuse not to be. I guess I’m just too complacent with the comfort I have. However, in the last few years, I’m gradually beginning to think that I should try to be more environmentally friendly after volunteering for humanitarian organizations.

Although protection of the environment is essentially linked to human rights; right to clean drinking water, clean air, food, etc. I was more involved in the civil and political aspects of human rights. But once I had my first taste of working with humanitarian organizations that deal directly with disaster management, water and sanitation, food security, climate change, etc. I am becoming more aware of the impact of global climate change.

While working in Ethiopia, it was clear how the seasons have changed over the last few years. Droughts are getting longer and so are floods. Even in Cambodia, I’ve heard how many locals lament over the fact that it still rains when it’s supposed to be dry season. In the last few years, one wouldn’t expect a drop of water during the dry season.

For those who live in the cities, especially in developed countries, it’s difficult to feel the drastic effects of climate change. You just need to walk into a supermarket and you’ll see fresh produce in abundance although some may not realise that a lot of the produce are either being imported or results of genetic modification which makes it possible to have seasonal products all year round. But if you live in under-developed countries like Ethiopia and Cambodia, the reality is much closer. Farmers are struggling to grow rice, wheat, vegetables and fruits due to drought and flood which make it impossible for them to cultivate their crops. Due to the change in the seasons, it is difficult for them to predict or expect the level of rainfall and adapt their traditional methods of agriculture to face this challenge.

The implications of climate change are multifold. As we know, the Arctic ice is already melting and as a fan of the great polar bears, I’m saddened by the fact that these animals are paying for our capricious way of life. Whenever I watch a documentary about the environment, I will get angry and I will complain a lot. But then I soon realize that what good does it do to the environment if all I do is complain? So, I decided that this year I will vote for Earth by showing my solidarity so that we can help to preserve what’s left for the generations to come.

When I first brought this idea up with my husband, he was uncertain whether he would be able to cope with the heat. I realized that I needed to approach this strategically because I’m not the type to force someone to do something they don’t want to, but I was convinced that I simply must do something. So, I devised a plan to make it sound attractive and more bearable. I proposed to him to take a one hour bath (he hardly takes a bath in case you think it’s a waste of water!) and I would put up candles, mosquito coils and Chinese paper lanterns to create a pleasant atmosphere.

Once the lights, fans and TV were switched off, all we had was silence and the flickering lights of candles and lanterns. My husband got into the bath while I enjoyed the gift of soft breeze on the balcony. Everything was just serene, peaceful and quiet. The best thing was, we felt good that we did something, even if it was just for one hour and it went by so quickly. A few minutes later, a friend sent me a message that people were observing Earth Hour in Kuala Lumpur and as a citizen of the Earth and Malaysia, a rush of pride came to me.

I think that it’s important for us to continue to adjust our lives to save our planet, and not just wait for Earth Hour every year. I  don’t think that we have to change our lives completely overnight (unless you decide to do it, then good for you!) but try to choose at least one environmentally friendly practice and stick to it. No matter how small the action is, it is still better than nothing.

Here are some suggestions which don’t need much effort:

1) Turn off the electricity if you’re not using it. E.g. Turn off the lights in your room if you’re not in the room.

2) Don’t waste water by leaving the tap on when you don’t need it, especially when you’re brushing your teeth.

3) Use bags when you go shopping. Reduce your usage of plastic bags.

4) Don’t waste food unnecessarily. Food insecurity is happening in many parts of the world today.

5) Try to recycle anything. E.g. Instead of buying gift wraps, use recycled gift wraps or newspaper. It doesn’t look good but once the receiver knows that you’re doing it for the planet, he/she will respect you more. Otherwise, it’s an opportunity for you to create awareness on others.

6) Print on both sides of the paper and use recycled paper to print non-official documents.

7) Try to limit the use of air conditioning. If the heat is still bearable, opt for the fans. The good thing is, your body will adapt to the heat and the air is better circulated.

I hope you will start to do something today. The earth is ours and it’s our duty to preserve it.

Vote as a citizen of the earth: Saturday, 28 March 2009, 8:30 – 9:30pm

8:30PM local time, wherever you live on planet earth. Saturday 28 March 2009

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.

For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.
VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour.

Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm.
Sign up to be one of us and be among the 5 million to support EarthHour.
WWF Earth Hour
(Follow this link)
http://www.earthhour.org/malaysia

I don’t wish to be a millionaire. All I want is to see the polar bear.

Some of you might have wondered what do I mean when I put the title of this post on my profile (if you happen to have read my profile). For the start of this new year, I thought perhaps I should share with you the meaning behind this.

About two years ago, I went to the La Palmyre Zoo in France. I came across two polar bears and fell in love with them. I’ve always liked them but it was mostly because they look so cute and cuddly as soft toys.

Now, I love them because they are so huge and yet they look so harmless (although they are not when threatened and desperate). I love them because they are so graceful in the water with their huge paws paddling gently and long white coat floating around them softly. It is just one of the most breathtaking living things to watch.

But most of all, I love them because they are such strong animals with great endurance and the mother bears often sacrifice a lot for their cubs. I even heard that they have their own quarks. Apparently all polar bears are left handed.

When I was at the zoo, I couldn’t take my eyes off them, contented with just watching them swimming and basking in the sun. I was obviously captivated by them as very often, I would walk around to see other animals but disappeared along the way only to find myself back with the polar bears again.

Then, something happened which upset me. One of the bears started displaying some sort of disturbing behaviour. It had swam very close to the glass enclosure and started bouncing up and down; each time higher and higher. Somehow, I sensed that the bear was in distress and was probably trying to bounce out of the enclosure. He went on for a long time and didn’t stop even after I left because I couldn’t bear to watch that anymore. It would never have succeeded because the glass was much too high.

What angered me more was when a couple started rushing towards the glass to have their photos taken with the bear bouncing helplessly behind them. I know that they probably didn’t feel anything was wrong but for some strange reasons, I felt an inexplicable ache in my heart that tears came to my eyes and I don’t cry easily.

Fourteen years ago, I cried when I watched the opening part of The Lion King and it wasn’t even sad. One of my friends still tease me about this. Perhaps, I am in the wrong profession.

Later on, I started questioning whether it is ethical to have zoos where wild animals are taken away from their natural habitats for the viewing pleasure of people like me, and that couple. It was obvious that the polar bear did not belong to the zoo; far away from its home at the arctic where it lives, hunts and mates. I resolutely told my husband that we are not allowed to take our children to the zoo in future and he argued that it’s a good way to sensitize children about wild animals. I think the National Geographic and Animal Planet channels will do.

Right now, polar bears are one of the most endangered species. With global warming, ice caps are melting faster and faster every year which makes it very difficult for them to hunt on land. They are often forced to swim for ages to look for preys and many ended up drowning to death due to fatigue.

As they can no longer rely on traditional method of hunting seals swimming beneath the ice caps, they turn to walrus out of desperation.  The walrus, much bigger in number and very often larger than them prove to be difficult preys due to their huge and sharp fangs. So, many of them perish from starvation. This is the fate of the polar bears as the climate of our earth starts to change dramatically.

After learning and understanding their condition more, I start to do my part in preserving our environment. Although it’s not much, I am slowly trying to remember to take bags with me when I shop, turn off the electricity when I don’t need it and stop using the air conditioning at home.

My dream is to be able to go to the arctic one day to see the polar bears in their natural habitat. I don’t know when I will be able to do so or whether it will ever happen, but I hope it is not too late if I come around to it.

So, “I don’t wish to be a millionaire. All I want is to see the polar bears” is sort of a personal philosophy of mine. It’s not just about seeing the bears. It means I don’t think having lots of money is the most important thing in life but at the same time, I need to have enough money, good health and the right opportunity to be able to pursue my dreams. At the end of the day, having the opportunity to do something rare and profound in my life is what matters.

I hope you will start to do your part in preserving our environment so that these innocent creatures can continue to live. We have been sharing this planet together and why should they suffer because of us?

Do try to develop at least one environmentally friendly practice. Perhaps for a start, try to limit the number of plastic bags at the supermarket. I’ve noticed how cashiers at the supermarkets at home are very eager to use as many plastic bags as possible; often putting only 2 items in one bag when there are still rooms for a couple more.

This may ultimately be the best new year’s resolution you ever have.

I took this video at the zoo, thinking that one day I’ll be able to share this as part of a public sensitization measure.