News Revolution

If Everyone Watches CNN, what does CNN watch?

Al Jazeera English is finally up and running as of the middle of this month...and I'd love to be able to tune in.

Why so exciting..? Well, it's the first time in history that we have a Middle East-based English news channel. Interestingly, the news management and broadcasting centers rotate from one office to the next eg. Kuala Lumpar, Doha, London, Washington, although it is headquartered in Qatar.

What this means is that we no longer need to be held captive (with sometimes fairly uncaptivating news!) by the Western dominant players like CNN International , BBC World, NBC etc. which for too long have set a corporate news agenda for the world.

The annoying thing is that it doesn't seem like we'll be able to receive the broadcast here in Japan. According to the How to Watch Al Jazeera in English information on the website, you can pick it up in Uganda and Estonia...but you can't get it in China, Korea or Japan. Hopefully things will change. We'll have to start a petition or something! At least it's possible to watch it online though the quality is low and you need to get a subscription...

I was surprised to find out that there is a website / group called "Friends of Al Jazeera"
Here was one of the reasons given for being a friend of AJ:

AlJazeera is an anomaly. It's the first media company from the "third world" to break into the mainstream. It's an independent voice representing the other. Nearly every other major media outlet is speaking on behalf of the West. AlJazeera is a case of "the empire writing back". AlJazeera is the first significant challenge to Western hegemony and its monopoly on the truth. AlJazeera has given a voice to the voiceless.

auughhh - Essay writers block!

Have done 1 presentation, 2 exams and written 3 essays in the last week and now I've just got this one little nut left....and it's bloody killing me!!

Why so hard?

I don't know...I've done all the research and compiled the relevant bits and now it's just about lining up those 4000 golden words.

I think it's because this subject is for "international Economy" and perhaps I have a serious phobia of sorts regarding economics. Am trying to write about Japan's military expenditure + the 1% GNP cap and various implications on political/economic level but err, the prose just aint flowin!

It's 2am on Sunday night...just want to get some sleep. Raining outside. Perrrfect sleeping weather.

Oyasumi. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

No...I should really Gambaru all night till I punch this one out. It's due.

It's BABY fever!

I'm currently living with two close friends Ai & Daigo...who are about to get married in December. Not only that, but they're about to have a wee baby -- in May -- just 6 months away! So it's a very exciting time and we're full of talk about pregnancy, morning sickness, parenthood and bubbas. Infact, ever since they announced Ai being pregnant (about 2 weeks after we all moved in together;)) to our utter surprise!), I haven't been able to stop looking at little babies in the street, on the train etc. Just imagining what it's going to be like to live together with one, and looking after one. Scary -- but of course very exciting! Even though it won't be my own personal experience, it's the next closest thing to it I suppose.

And not just Ai & Daigo...there suddenly seem to be friends who've become expectant parents all around us...in fact so many so that we can basically call it a mini-baby boom! Akane & Rachel from Peace Boat are both due in March; Ben's sister Anna is having her 5th baby mid-next year; our friends Paul & Jin Hi here in Tokyo are expecting their 2nd one in May; Althea is preggaz in Sydney and due in May too. WOW! Eeeek!!

And to announce some recent births: Maria & Yves had Niko in Lausanne, Nicole and Yong had Adrienne in New York, and Joel & Mayu had Hannah here in Tokyo. Are there any that I've missed..?

So in honour of all these beautiful bubbas and beautiful parents, I have to post a few beautiful snaps of you all! XOX

Bubbas Galore

Maria with little Niko

Ai's belly at 15 weeks

Joel & 2 month old Hannah

The Road to Guantanamo

Meeting Rual & Shafiq
(from the "Tipton Three")
January 12 & 13, 2007

I haven't had a chance to do a proper write-up about meeting with Ruhal Ahmed and Shafiq Rasul here in Tokyo over January 12 & 13...so will mention it quickly here. They came to promote the film and to talk about their experiences in Guantanamo, as well as to generate awareness about the issues here in Japan. In terms of their goals, they said "we'll keep working and speaking out until that Base is closed down."

I helped out as part of Human Rights Now's co-sponsoring of their visit, by interpreting from Japanese into English during a public panel discussion (mind you, I was assisting a professional interpreter, but was having a pretty damn hard time of it).

Those guys have emerged from a hellish experience with an enormously strengthened spirit and a deeper commitment to their faith, their families and to a sense of justice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10 November, 2006

Yesterday in my Middle East Studies class I watched the new film by Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross called "The Road To Guantanamo".

Despite having already seen some images in the media of the orange-suited detainees in Guantanamo Bay, and always maintaining the position that the US government was guilty of committing extreme human rights violations, watching this film made the grim reality of it all hit home hard!

Being part-documentary and part-dramatization, the experience of the “Tipson Three” - the three young Pakistan-English guys from the British town of Tipson, (and all the other characters for that matter) was really convincingly portrayed. There was no part of the story-telling that even prompted any doubt or suspicion in my mind as to its veracity. And accordingly, I felt like I was suddenly being exposed to a fresh perspective. One that never reaches the mainstream audience, for it is simply too shocking, too appalling and too anti-government to make ordinary headlines.

Thank god for documentaries such as this. Let’s just hope that it’s being widely viewed around the world. I plan to make sure that as many of my friends and acquaintances take the opportunity to watch this film as possible. Amnesty International Japan, Human Rights Now and film distribution company The Klock Worx are screening the film in Tokyo on 13 January 2007, and bringing out the three British men for a speaking tour of Japan. Stay tuned!

Like hearing a very personal testimony of a survivor, this film made me squirm; feel incredulous, deeply sad at the level of suffering, and also contempt for the perpetrators. Most of all, it made me ask the obvious: How does humanity devolve to such a low level that we can behave like this to our fellow humans?

Well, academically-speaking I can understand that it’s all about the “de-humanizing” and “de-personalizing” that takes place in the minds of those who engage in warfare (in the broad sense of the word – ie., including the “war on terror’). All justified in the name of national security, public safety, justice and democracy and the civilized world and so forth. But beyond the plethora of justifications for acts of torture, need we believe that the capacity to behave in an extremely violent and immoral way is within all of us? If that were so, it would surely be a tragic truth.

Having made that strong assertion, I am keen to study the issue of torture and political prisoners in more depth by looking at historical cases from around the world. With all the political and moral implications, torture does seem to be a very current and relevant problem of our time, especially considering its global nature.

I’ve been reading the book “Torture: A Human Rights Perspective” edited by Kenneth Roth and Minky Warden, which talks about how the US position has undermined the global prohibition on torture.

I’ve also been reading testimonies of former Burmese political prisoners who are also torture survivors. Check out the website for the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) for more information on what's taking place inside Burma.

Back to the Blog!

After a long (Aussie) winter slumber from blogging, I'm back online and hope to be hit with a few spells of automatic writing to make up for all those blogless months!

I'm currently back in Tokyo and just starting my third month of graduate studies at ICU on what's known as a "Rotary World Peace Fellowship".

ICU is one of 6 Rotary Peace Centers around the world, and here in Japan there are 9 of us from the Netherlands, Zambia, Thailand, USA, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Mexico and Australia, who enrolled in the masters program on peace and conflict studies (via a MA in Public Administration).


Being back at university and studying full-time without having to be too worried about a regular income flow is a damn nice privilege, and I feel really lucky to be where I am just now. While I'm studying a range of subjects (including Conflict in the Middle-East; NE Asian Political Economy; Peace Studies; Public Administration; Philosophies on Peace + two Japanese classes), I'm looking to focus my research efforts in the second year on Burma. More specifically, the role of women in civil society and the contribution they are making to the democracy movement, as well as the application of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on "Women, Peace and Security" to Burma.

Well, there's plenty more ideas in my head about other approaches to take on Burma (eg. IDPs & refugees; corruption; sexual violence; ASEAN; corporate accountability for armed conflict etc etc) so how to start refining my ideas? I guess I need to start talking to more activists in the field about what kind of topic would be most useful and valuable to them, as well as something that is academically purposeful.

Right now though -- I'm spending this weekend writing essays to hand in later this month. Autumn term finishes for me on November 18. Topics so far: Analysis on Japan's defense budget; Gandhi's Hind Swaraj and contemporary interpretations; and something about Co-optation and local participation perhaps..? Hmm. Still have to find something fascinating to write about in Public Administration -- which has so far been a rather dry and uninspiring subject. But I realise it has so much potential!!

Other news is that I'm doing some work for a new Japanese NGO called Human Rights Now. This organization was established just a few months ago by a group of activist lawyers, journalists, academics etc and there are plenty of very enthusiastic people involved -- including a growing number of volunteers -- to help ensure that it gets off to a very solid start. So far I've been involved with editing a position paper on the Khmer Rouge Trials (Phnong Phemn, Cambodia), translating for the English website, and researching for the ODA project team for upcoming NGO-governmental consultations.

My Friend Kumar the Dude

Kumar Christopher Lewis
11 April 1975
- 16 March 2006
www.kumarlewis.com

The rhythm of your soul will beat in us forever more.

We can't even begin to comprehend why this has happened. That such a peaceful person with a love for life as vibrant as yours has met death so prematurely and in such a senseless way.

Maybe there are no answers. There are so many more questions than answers...Perhaps finding answers is a journey that would take us beyond the horizon.

Kumar - your energy and passion has always inspired me. I admire so much your dedication; to wanting to get things right and make a real go of it. Thank you for teaching me about working together - hand in hand with all partners.

You know I still remember the very first conversation we ever had. You rang up the office from California and I answered the phone - with an image of you being an Indian guy with a thick Cali accent. Yeah - I know you get that a lot. Even back then - probably summer 2003 - I could feel your zest for life and enthusiasm - it was really contagious - and I recall feeling super hyped after talking with you.

I love this photo of you. Playing djembe onboard the ship and totally lost in the moment. Digging the vibes and giving the music all your soul.

May you only know peacefulness now. You deserve to be in the most beautiful place, and feeling nothing but sheer happiness. I know you are there now.

March 5, 2006 Celebrating the end of a successful meeting

After-hours Conferencing in Seoul

March 2, 2006 Trying North Korean Ramen

Too spicy for me, but okay for Yi Han!

We were at a restaurant in "Kumgangsan" - a special administrative region of North Korea
金剛山觀光地區

Beautiful seascape on the eastern coast of North Korea

March 1-2, 2006 GPPAC meeting in North Korea

GPPAC Northeast Asia Regional Consultation meeting in Mount Kumgang, DPRK

For more about the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) program - which I have been focusing on for the past two years, see http://www.gppac.net and also http://www.peaceboat.org/english/rsic/gppac

Here is a short description that I wrote for the GPPAC Bulletin:

Historic meeting of Northeast Asian GPPAC community in North Korea

The GPPAC Northeast Asian network of conflict prevention actors met for an historically symbolic consultation meeting in Mount Kumgang, in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Close to 40 NGO representatives from regional cities including Vladivostok and Beijing, Ulaanbaatar, Tokyo and Seoul gathered from March 1 - 6, 2006 on the Korean Peninsula.

Focusing on key regional issues such as the Six-Party Talks; historical recognition and reconciliation; and the revision of Japan's "peace" constitution, the group worked together to produce a joint statement on how civil society can work to overcome divisions and build peace, as well as a comprehensive 5 year workplan in which a variety of innovative proposals are put forward.

The meeting was felt to be very successful both in terms of productivity, and trust-building and cooperation within the group. The results were presented to the media at a press conference in Seoul on March 6, 2005 and the two key documents also formed the basis for discussion at a multi-stakeholder roundtable between representatives from NGOs, foundations, the UN, and regional governments, held at UNESCO House in Seoul.

February 23, 2006 in Chiang Mai, Thailand

With new friends Ohmar and Farha

Ohmar is an amazing activist and is also a key member of the Burmese Women's Union http://www.womenofburma.org/bwu.htm

Farha works for Davao-based NGO Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), which is initiating the Southeast Asian process of the GPPAC program. http://www.iidnet.org

February 20, 2006 Mae Tao Clinic

In Mae Tao Clinic with Dr Cynthia Maung

To read about the inspiring work of Dr Cynthia and her staff, as well as the Mae Tao clinic in Mae Sot, please see http://www.burmaborderprojects.org/clinic as well as http://www.burmachildren.org and also http://faculty.washington.edu/kwangett/burma

February 20, 2006 Thai-Burma border

Dinner in Mae Sot with Burmese and SE Asian friends

Studying on a Saturday Night

Having just started my first ever blog, I feel like this actual place in time is a relatively uneventful place to start. But being a blog -- it seems I'm compelled to post my message under today's date.

Hmm, I'd like to work out how to backdate my entries. Is that possible? In that way, I could come up with a little travelogue about my February / March adventures to NZ, Oz, Thai-Burma border and North and South Korea...no doubt a lot more interesting than what I'm doing today - March 11 - which is trying to digest some fairly insipid civil ligitation reading. For example, I'm still trying to get my head around "interlocutory" vs "interrogatories"...or at least their pronunciation! haha.

February 18, 2006: Lounging in Auckland

Ben, Koyu, Ogata (the band) and Joh over to George and Joel's home

Ben's good friends from his Telecom days, George and Joel, invited us over for dinner at their beautiful home in the west of Auckland. They recently got engaged and will be marrying in Feb 2007 - so hopefully Ben and I will be back in NZ at that time.

It was great to meet up with Ben's friends from another stage of his life, especially to hear them all reminisce about the early days of his exploration into the music scene. Apparently he used to strum away after work for hours, tucked into some corner of the room - pretty oblivious as to what was going on around him...and some of his current, recorded tunes were conceived back then. Also got to catch sight of Ben's ID card from his corporate days -- looking extremely cleancut and pure. Hahaaa. What a relic!

Daniel and Benjamin having a brotherly moment amongst the olive groves at "Bracu", the new restaurant south of Auckland that Daniel is managing.

Here is the amazing gannet colony that is located within walking distance of Mandy and Simon (Ben's sister & bro-in-law) 's place in Muriwai Beach

February 11, 2006: The BIG WEDDING!

Ben, Jack, Joh, Paula, John, Al, Lisa, Shirley infront of our lodge at Thredbo
[morning after the wedding]
http://www.talara.com.au

Saturday, February 11, 2006 Thredbo Village, NSW, Australia

What a perfect day!

My dear brother John married the Love of his life Paula Bousles on the rooftop of Australia. And we had to take chairlifts to get there! Except for the bridal party of course, who ventured up the mountain by 4WD. The ceremony was at the foot of Mt Kosciuszko - Australia's highest peak. And being mid-summer, the weather was golden and the sky so clear and blue. Very lucky!

And we all glowed with such pride. I shed some tears of emotion and happiness during the ceremony, especially on hearing their vows - which were so exceptionally beautiful and moving that another engaged couple proposed using them for their own wedding later this year. hee hee.

I was emceeing the reception, which was held at a restaurant called "Credo" down by the Thredbo Creek. It ended up being a very fun job to do, not to mention a real honour!

Memorable moments in the evening included

i) Con - the Father of the Bride's speech -- which was an absolute classic. Especially when he recalled his school teacher-like report card that he'd made about John, back in the early courting days; using himself as the benchmark to which to measure John's suitability - haha.

ii) Greek dancing ... and lots of it! No plate smashing but lots of traditional Greek tunes, hand-holding and circular dancing. Not to mention Paula's lovely solo.

iii) Photo Portraits of all the Guests -- but wearing a brown mullet and big plastic ears. Yep -- a nice prank cleverly arranged for Marty to execute, at the request of J & P.

Particularly meaningful were the numerous references and thoughts of Dad, whom we all so desperately wished could have been with us to celebrate such a special day. His photograph was put on a table-like alter (alongside Paula's grandfather's photo) during the ceremony, and we all mentioned our beautiful Dad at different stages in the evening. How we miss him so, and how incredible proud and happy he would no doubt be. Well we know he was with us that day..."hiding in the bubbly" as Penny said.