My new look

I was in Pakistan speaking to a group of humanitarian workers from various organisations. I decided to talk about “my new look”. The challenge I put to the audience was: I want you all to tell me what my new look should be like. The room went silent. I was struggling to get them to talk, they were all shy and mumbling. I said I don’t believe there is a firm answer and that seemed to loosen the tongues.

Answers started trickling. Somebody suggested I should wear a wig, with different hair colours for every day of the week. Someone else said I should shave my eyebrows and trim my beard. Another man told me I should look at decreasing my waistline. A girl said I should dress more flowery.

The discussion went on and on. I really enjoyed it because it shows how people perceive you as an image. However, my new look was about the way I look at people, understand them, listen to them and help them.
The new look should be a constant process of engaging ourselves with those whom we claim we champion. Our new look is how to focus on looking at them objectively all the time. The new look enables us to keep delivering on their behalf and accomplish our mission for them.

Our new look should go deep down to understand their feelings, aspirations and dreams, their joy or even agony. We mustn’t overlook the noisy children at the back of the shed, just because they live side by side with cows. Cows dream to eat grass and children dream of going to class.

Our new look is not a stage-managed articulate speech, but a heartfelt delivered action. We have to have a new look from time to time to remind us of our mission and the message of our programme.

The Strength of NGOs Part 2

Working up from the ideal traits of an NGO I presented in Part 1, I believe it should also maintain networking and build bridges within the community and with other organisations. It should show leadership by taking risks, while also having a distinct character, clear values and confidence in its staff members.

The Ideal NGO should always serve the owner of the organisation: “THE NEEDY”. Community cohesion should be a priority, while pioneering and talent ought to always be recognised.  When offering a programme, it should involve the community in the planning and devising of the project and educate them if there are any knowledge gaps. The programmes must offer analytical solutions to existing problems.

Climate change is a sad reality, but one that can be fought, if the ideal NGO includes it as a factor in its plans. Remember, gradualism and realism is the key for success.

The Strength of Non-Governmental organisations Part 1

In my view, a strong civil society can withstand anything: from natural disasters to man-made crises. I hear you ask: what do you mean by strong? How is an ideal NGO? Because I have been asked this many times, I’ve compiled a description of what a non-governmental organisation should be like:

Working its way from the grass roots, an organisation must strive to have at least 70% of the funding raised locally from various sources. Although funding is important to carry out vital work, the NGO must be needs, not funds driven. Its aim should be to help different communities and to apply frankness, honesty, transparency, impartiality, neutrality & accountability with ALL, irrespective of their culture or faith.

The organisation should encourage volunteering and the emergence of alternative leaders, while reviewing its strategy, programmes, objectives, mission and vision periodically to keep up with humanitarian demands.

Stop climate change!

Climate change and global warming are the world gravest problems for decades to come. We need to ask ourselves who is causing these problems. On our planet we have various potential culprits: humans, animals, birds, insects, fish, trees, grass, mountains, valleys, seas, oceans, soil, sand, rain, and air, even bacteria and viruses...

It seems everyone is pointing the finger at us. It’s the HUMANS who are responsible for climate change. Which humans? Politicians, businessmen, industrialists, academia, civil society organisations, religious leaders, investors, citizens... Everybody shares a part of the blame.

And that is not all. We don’t seem to fight global warming effectively for different reasons, such as the relationship between the private sector and governments, weak civil society, lack of strong global Institutions, polarized globalisation, war on terror etc. taking our focus away from our future.

I believe we need to empower the civil society and global institutions and review democracy and globalisation in order to have the strength to fight climate change effectively. The governmental governance must be shared with the entire society for the greater good.

It will take years to stop climate change and make a lasting community change, but if we believe we will DELIVER.

The GoGo Syndrome

All nations have been facing financial crises in the past years. Governmental budget cuts have targeted most of the departments. The “untouchable” governmental departments in most countries are defence, finance, security and foreign office. This sort of strategic thinking gives us a clear message: we belong to a security driven society, which is not wrong. It becomes wrong when the budget of these departments eats up other budgets.

It came to me that we should find different partners to
help in running the other departments: education, health, culture, sanitation etc. My suggestion is to implement democracy in its newest shape, by sharing the power of authority in each country. The elected government should be in charge of the “untouchables” and the rest of the nation through CSOs and institutions should be able to run and foster the touchable departments.

We know from history how kings used to run countries in medieval times: reigning in the untouchables, while leaving the rest to the public. In Britain, we have the example of Grammar Schools- the contribution of society to the development of the country.

The challenge at the end of the day is for us to revisit our definition of democracy and make it more inclusive, so that the GoGo Syndrome (Governmental Governance) is distributed equally.

The edge of governance

In Lebanon, I delivered a speech on external relationships and fundraising, which in turn triggered a debate on the question of governance arose.

In my view, governance as a concept belongs only to a very select few members of a given organisation. The rest of the members who believe in a cause aren’t included. Some may be in this position for 40 years and others might invite family to be part of the board.

The people participating in the debate agreed with my view about change and taking responsibility for the change. These are issues shared by many developing countries.

Our challenge now is to change the mindset of the people to enable the humanitarian sector to florusih for the benefit of our real owners- the needy.

Mind the gap!

I recently returned from Lebanon, where I spoke to local NGOs on how to think forward for the future development and look at their internal governance and structure.I visited a vocational training centre for school leavers in Sidon. Two hundred teenagers left school because they either felt demotivated by teachers or needed to work to support themselves. I came in just as they were having a lesson in mechanics and chatted to them about their life and what they want to achieve.

Out of sheer curiosity, I asked the boys how many of them had a Facebook account. Their answer was stunning as over 90% of the boys said yes! I was thrilled to find new friends from this age group and social environment.

To find out more about how local NGOs interact with the people they are trying to help, I asked around if the organisations have websites or Facebook pages. I was told in no uncertain terms that this is not the case. No online presence whatsoever.

Under these circumstances, I can see there is a social gap between the kids, who are being trained and the teaching institutions, who are the ones professionally training them.
An NGO in the 21st century should be fully equipped with relatively cheap advanced technology. It has to understand the diverse dimensions of online presence and its impact on masses, donors, Media, social workers etc.

We need to close the negative social gap by helping both sides reach a level of understanding, of common ground via communications. What better way than Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs etc.) to do it?!

I want…

The smiling wind, breathing cool and the heating sun.
The sighting moon, the shooting star and laughing sky,
The singing birds, dancing cows and rhyming fish,
The playing girls, cooking mothers and the working men,
The moving history, unifying culture and bridging faiths,
The flying pollen, the landing rain and the growing woods, 
The soloist donkey, the wobbling geese and the thinking monkey,
The coloring roses, the listening seeds and reciting leaves,
The gliding falcons, the resting grass and falling fruits,
The reviving love, gelling care and bonding mercy,
The flowing rivers, linking oceans, deepening seas,
The sanding desert, shining greens and shadowing trees,
The dreaming thoughts, helping hands and saving souls,
Compelling dreams, alerting reality and leading path
The sighting mind, managing wisdom, and softening heart,
The touching fingers, stepping toes and opening eyes,
Engaging citizens, emerging leaders and rolling roles
…MY SUDAN.  

Human Rights Part 2

People's integrity must be preserved

There is a saying, that people share three things: water, wood and grass. Clean water and food are basic necessities and governments should be able to nourish every living creature in the country.

Freedom of expression belongs to every individual, regardless of their gender, faith or cultural background. When this lacks, it is replaced by misunderstanding, misperceptions, suspicion, extremism, violence and terrorism, leading to long-lasting conflict. In my view, faith/religion choice is a God given right. Everyone should have the right to choose what they believe in and their way of life. To try and change that is a crime against humanity.

We also have a duty towards the younger generations, to provide them with proper education materials and respect others’ ideas. Even if we don’t agree, we should engage in dialogue, rather than put up a blockage against other thoughts. The foetus’ right to live is such a debatable issue, which needs to be approached through dialogue.

I remember meeting the Prime-Minister of Malaysia in 2003 and him saying to me that he used 20% of the budget for 20 years to change Malaysia from what it was to what it is now. I believe him- for it is our duty to give access to human rights to people, even if they don’t claim them.

Bring my Sudan back

I am happy and sad at the same time. Happy to see the end of conflict and final arrival of peace in Sudan. But also sad to see my people there failed to present the best of Sudan to humanity. Last year I discussed this matter with senior officials of Sudan on how best to demonstrate the importance, beauty and richness of Sudan to all of the following:

1.  Humanity
2. World
3. Africa
4. Faith, culture and Languages
5. Sudan
6. The citizens of Sudan

What all this needs from Sudan?

I am singing the song loudly but not effectively.  Try to compose its music differently but what one voice will do in the Middle of the noisy crowd.  Spoke to large faith based Humanitarian organisations from both Christians and Muslims traditions to only fall on deaf ears.  What am I to do?  Shall I become in sane or keep trying, asking advocating and crying: “I WANT MY SUDAN BACK”. 

I want my cultures and languages, my faiths and history, my families and tribes, my land and climate, my music and poetry, my dreams and visions, my sun and moon, my stars and rain, my animals and birds, my jungle and rivers, my warmth and wind, my bugs and insects. 

I want OUR SUDAN not only MY SUDAN. 

Sudan the heart and mind, spirit and soul, the will and determination, the global Leader and local farmer, women and children, men and elderly, races and nations.  Sudan of all of us, no defeat or victory no wounds or fractures, no displaced or homeless, no poverty or illness.  No suspicion or hatred.

Let us call on all citizens of the universe and creatures of humanity and ask them for their Sudan to have our Sudan.

Human Rights Part 1

In my view, the Human Rights are God given to every being and it’s the humans’ responsibility to look after the other creatures and to preserve life in this world.

I identify the following as basic Human Rights: the right to knowledge, the right to healthcare, the right to work, the right to housing, the right to safety, the right to education, the right to clean water supply and food, the right to freedom of expression, the right to preserve religion, the right to protect the soul, mind, wealth and future generations and the right of the foetus to live.

Nowadays we see access to education and social welfare being prevented by financial difficulties. Everybody has the right to live in peace and be protected from violence and terrorism. To overcome difficulties, we must all work together towards a shared goal so that we can become what our potential makes us out to be.

Our aim is to have equal opportunities, which in turn will lead to development on one side and freedom on the other side, while both of them will bring justice, stability and social security.

Inspiration in Yemen

I just came back from my fourth visit to Yemen in the space of a year, where THF organised five humanitarian operational partnership workshops. Our philosophy leads us to engage with communities on an operational level.

I felt the workshops were based on a two-way inspirational process: we were inspired by the ability of the local community to grasp and deliver, to draw a problem tree and identify potential solutions. The community leaders showed a willingness to rise by learning from an organisation from the international community. Inspiration flowed without barriers or gaps and we managed to create a more inclusive “US”. 

I believe that within the next few years we’ll see more powerful CSOs and humanitarian leadership in this area. Yemen is a fertile soil, which lacks irrigation. Our duty is to make it bloom.