Ahmed Edilbi

Land/Region: United Arab Emirates, Syria
Organisation: Dubarah
Arbeitsfeld: Empowerment for refugees, social entrepreneurship

The Syrian Ahmad Edilbi is introducing a new way to empower, integrate and build social capital in scattered, immigrant populations that have been affected by a political crisis. Using diaspora networks, he enables refugees to play an active and productive role, thus changing their status from helplessness to independence and promoting positive perceptions of refugees. By regaining their self-confidence and becoming financially independent, refugees are able to be active and contributing members of their communities, thus changing the negative perception and stereotype that refugees are a burden and only bring problems to a community. This transition opens the doors for unity, constructive exchange and channels of mutual support.

The prolonged Syrian political conflict and its resulting violence, destruction, devastation and armed assaults, have forced millions of Syrians to flee their homeland, most taking only their personal savings and leaving behind their professional careers, education, families and homes. When the Syrian conflict broke out, Ahmad was married, father of three children and had a good job. His life took a drastically different turn when he lost all his belongings, had to leave Syria and was separated from his family. Out of his own experience as a refugee he later developed the idea to help others who have been displaced.

In 2013 he launched Dubarah (“solution”), the first service network working on supporting Syrians wherever they are and providing them with suitable solutions for the obstacles they are facing. In just one year, Dubarah impacted 250,000 Syrian refugees around the world, with an average of 500 solutions and consultations provided per day with a total of 25,900 opportunities secured covering jobs, investments, start-up advice, housing, legal consultations and educational opportunities.

Ahmad is a Creative Director, Branding Specialist and Social Entrepreneur with skills in journalism, public relations and visual communication. He is an RSA Fellow and Ashoka Fellow and has plans to replicate his work, which already spans 36 countries that have large communities of Syrian refugees, to other geographical areas and communities beyond Syrians that have suffered from post-disaster displacement.

 

Links:

Ashoka:

https://www.ashoka.org/fellow/ahmad-edilbi

Dubarah:

http://dubarah.com/en/

on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Abu.Jad.Creative

 

Goce Todorski

Country/region: Macedonia

Conflict: Armed conflict in 2001, inter-ethnic conflict to the present day

Organisation: Center for Civic Initiative

Field of work: Inter-ethnic youth work

In the year 2001 Macedonia experienced a short, violent conflict between Albanian rebels and the Macedonian security forces, which cost dozens of lives. To the present day the fragile state of inter-ethnic relationships is still noticeable, particularly in southern Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Prejudices and stereotypes are difficult to eradicate and there is a lack of trust and understanding.

Young people are particularly affected, as the experiences of the Center for Civic Initiative show. Many people still think in terms of enemy stereotypes and regard these as normal, even though they may not be able to explain why. This is the starting point for the organisation led by Goce Todorski which has, with its Circle of Trust, developed a method for creating conflict transformation that can be learned by teachers from multi-ethnic schools at a three-day workshop.

Most conflicts arising at schools are based on ethnicity and gender, together with a lack of communication among teachers, pupils and parents, and an absence of interest in resolving the conflict. At the Circles of Trust everyone can tell his or her story, while the others listen. All participants are invited to talk openly and freely about their feelings. The objective is to understand the wishes, fears and individual needs of all those present. This helps to build up trust and enable interpersonal relationships, directly from person to person, regardless of their individual ethnic background.

From the Circles of Trust Goce Todorski expects rapid and positive changes among the young people of Macedonia, together with increased conflict transformation skills on the part of teachers. Those teachers who have already been trained in the method confirm that this approach improves relationships within their schools, to the benefit of communication and networks. Eight schools are to be established for the purpose of building trust, and a manual is to be produced informing teachers about the Circle of Trust method and further possibilities for conflict transformation. Among other partners Goce Todorski and his organisation are supported by zivik and the Berghof Foundation.

LINKS:

www.berghof-foundation.org/de/foerderung/supported-projects/2013-center-for-civic-initiative

Support from zivik: http://cms.ifa.de/index.php?id=8759

www.norveska.org.rs/News_and_events/News-and-events1/Circles-of-trust-help-understand-the-other

 

Quadeem Mossarat

Country/region:  Pakistan

Conflict: (Religious) radicalization

Organisation: Paiman Alumni Trust

Field of work: De-Radicalization, strenthening of women in peace processes

Mossarat Qadeem works directly with mothers of radicalized youths, using her skill as a communicator and her detailed knowledge of the Quran, she rescues young men—including potential suicide bombers—who are being exploited by extremists. Afterwards, she ensures they receive job training and education and helps them with the difficult process of reintegrating into their communities.

To broaden her outreach, Ms. Qadeem founded PAIMAN Alumni Trust, a nonprofit group promoting sociopolitical and economic empowerment of marginalized Pakistanis. With PAIMAN, she established the country’s first center for conflict transformation and peacebuilding, which has helped thousands of young people and women across the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber Pukhtunkwa province to prevent and resolve conflict.

Ms. Qadeem is also the national coordinator of Aman-o-Nisa, a coalition of women leaders throughout Pakistan striving to moderate violent extremism and promote understanding among diverse ethnic, religious, and political groups.

 

LINKS:

Paiman Alumni Trust

http://paimantrust.org/

CV on Inclusive Security

http://www.inclusivesecurity.org/network-bio/mossarat-qadeem/

Interview

http://www.inclusivesecurity.org/peace-activist-mossarat-qadeem-enlists-mothers-to-fight-terrorism-in-pakistan-2/

Monika Hauser

Country/region: Afghanistan

Conflict: Civil war

Organisation: Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission

Field of work: Human rights

Between 1992 and 1994 Hauser, a specialist in gynaecology, brought into being the Medica Zenica women’s therapy centre in Central Bosnia with the support of female Bosnian professionals. The team supported women in the processing of their traumatic experiences. The medica mondiale e.V. association was founded and its sphere of involvement expanded first of all to Kosovo, then to Afghanistan, and subsequently to numerous other countries. Today, medica mondiale acts as a global advocate for women and girls who have experienced sexualised wartime violence in conflict zones. “There are things that women in Bosnia told me that I buried deep within myself, that I can’t talk about with anyone and wouldn’t want even a therapist to have to hear.”

In 2000, Hauser took over the management of medica mondiale. In her work she campaigns for the removal of the societal taboo that surrounds rape in wartime and makes use of various seminars to pass this message on to professional women in the affected areas.

The organisation describes its mission thus: “We are committed to working for and with women and girls all over the world who are affected by gender-specific, in particular sexualised, violence in wars and conflicts.” The standards developed for the trauma work are now applied all over the world. Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Burundi, Rwanda, DR Congo and Liberia are the conflict regions in which Medica Mondiale works.

For her initiative she has received numerous awards, including the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the alternative Nobel Prize, in 2008.

Links:

Medica Mondiale

http://www.medicamondiale.org/wer-wir-sind/struktur/der-vorstand-von-medica-mondiale.html

Wikipedia
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monika_Hauser

Alternative Nobel Prize:

http://www.rightlivelihood.org/hauser.html

Dr. Samar Sima

Country/region: Afghanistan

Conflict: Civil war

Organisation: Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission

Field of work: Human rights

 

Dr. Sima Samar is a well known woman’s and human rights advocate and activist within national and international forums. She served as the first Deputy Chair and Minister of Women’s Affairs in the Interim Administration of Afghanistan. Before chairing the Commission, she was elected as the Vice Chair of the Emergency Loya Jirga.

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) is working in the area of protection and promotion of human rights. Established based on the Bone Agreement and Presidential Decree and afterwards, pursuant to Article 58 of the Afghan Constitution, it found a legal base to protect and promote human rights in the country, “Every individual shall complain to this Commission about the violation of personal human rights. The Commission shall refer human rights violations of individuals to legal authorities and assist them in defense of their rights.“

Among the many awards she got are the Right Livelihood Award 2012, Mother Teresa Awards for Social Justice, Honorary Doctorate from Salem State University.

The jury statement for the Right Livelihood Award says: „Sima Samar is a doctor for the poor, an educator of the marginalised and defender of the human rights of all in Afghanistan. She has established and nurtured the Shuhada Organization that, in 2012, operated more than one hundred schools and 15 clinics and hospitals dedicated to providing education and healthcare, particularly focusing on women and girls. She served in the Interim Administration of Afghanistan and established the first-ever Ministry of Women’s Affairs. Since 2004, she has chaired the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission that holds human rights violators accountable, a commitment that has put her own life at great risk.“

Links:

Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission:

http://www.aihrc.org.af/home/members

Right Livelihood Award

http://www.rightlivelihood.org/samar.html

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Samar

 

Moses John

Country/region: South Sudan

Conflict: Civil war between North and South Sudan

Organisation: Organization for Nonviolence and Development (ONAD)

Field of work: Training in non-violence; workshops on trauma work; inter-religious dialogue between Muslims & Christians

“I used to spread violence. I was a rebel fighter. But I know that people can change – because I have changed.” Mama Bougie, a former fighter in the Sudanese civil war, is now one of the coordinators of the “Alternatives to Violence” (AVP) project in Sudan. She and other trainers on the project have made a documentary film to explain how they deal with “transforming power” in their workshops, how they create space for a culture of non-violence and practise methods of non-violent conflict resolution on both personal and social levels.

The AVP, supported by such organisation as the German Civil Peace Service, is one of the central activities of ONAD, an organisation that was founded 20 years ago by Moses John. He says: “Humanitarian aid is important for our country. But it isn’t enough; we need to do everything we can to consolidate peace.” His contribution to this is the “training of trainers”, in which non-violent conflict management is taught, together with interfaith dialogues and courses on human rights.

ONAD is part of the “Citizens for Peace and Justice” network. The network has issued a statement in which it announced its neutrality and calls for a truce, free access for humanitarian aid and involvement in the peace process.

 

LINK:

ONAD

http://www.onadev.org/

Interview on Welt-Sichten 2014

http://www.welt-sichten.org/artikel/24447/suedsudan-kiir-und-machar-sollten-einer-neuen-regierung-nicht-angehoeren

Yehia Ag Moh. Ali

Land/Region: ??

Konflikt:

Organisation: Mali

Arbeitsfeld: Entwicklung und Frieden

Yehia Ag Mohammed Ali ist weiterhin in Sachen Frieden und Entwicklung unterwegs.

Bis Ende 2014 war er der nationale Koordinator des Programms Mali-Nord (GIZ/KfW) – insgesamt zwanzig Jahre lang -, dann schied er auf eigenen Wunsch aus den Diensten der GIZ aus und ist jetzt freiberuflich tätig, vor allem aber innerhalb der SADI politisch aktiv. In der Übergangsregierung, vor der Wahl von IBK zum Präsidenten, war er ein Jahr lang Minister.

Wir denken, man kann Yehia zu Recht als einen Friedensmacher aus der Zivilgesellschaft bezeichnen. Er hat einen intuitiven Hang zu zivilen Konfliktlösungen und setzt damit eine familiäre marabutische Tradition fort. Sein Vater war ein hoch geschätzter Marabu im Westen von Timbuktu und war ein streitbarer Friedensmacher.

Von Yehia kamen die Anstöße zum direkten Dialog mit der Rebellion vor der Invasion des Nordens (2012) und jetzt nach dem drohenden Scheitern der sich hinziehenden Verhandlungen von Algier (April 2015), die durch die internationale Beteiligung ja nicht einfacher, sondern eher komplizierter geworden sind.

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