Keep it up!

Courtesy of Evans Mensah/IRIN

Communication is a means of transfering knowledge, goods, revolutions, ideology. In the “good old days”, everybody was using roads, camels, donkeys, boats, horns, smoke signals or drums to get their message across and be part of this big world. These means were used in equal measure by the rich and the poor. Even animals use means of communication: voice and body language.

Communication is not something new, invented by and for the modern society. It came with the first people on Earth. Keep in mind that we could say an email or a tweet is  the smoke signal of today, as it this could have been seen from a distance within seconds.

People are aware of the need to communicate, even in developing countries, where over 50% of the population lives below the poverty line. Even there, in the countries I have visited, I have seen people with mobile phones, sending text messages and receiving them.

Another interesting application of technology and communication in developing countries are micro-credit schemes. I have witnessed such a scheme in Bangladesh, where poor women received a mobile phone that they could let out for people to use for money. The phone keyboard was in English and these women even learned the language by using the keyboard.

Following on from this success story, I must stress the importance of communications and IT in the development of poor countries. Let us keep up with Social Media and technology and this way we can make sure nobody will be left behind!

An open book...

For me, history represents my roots, my mother and father, my distant relatives, neighbours and friends. It’s part of who I am and who I will be. History is the foundation that shapes my future and stabilises my existence. History is lessons learned from mistakes and celebration of achievements.

History is intertwined with pioneerism, inventivity and risks taken by people who led a simpler life than we do now, whose lives were changed drastically.

History doesn’t lie, even if sometimes people try to lie about history. It doesn’t ever discriminate, as it never appoints itself as a judge. It always ends up revealing the truth, even after generations have passed like water under a bridge.

History is about what people like you or me can make. If you or me become failures, we’ll be part of of the dark pages of history. If we will be successful, we will fill history pages with tales of our success- a neverending inspirational story.

I was in Davos at a high-level meeting 5 years ago and I heard one of the participants say:” There is no need to read history. Let us focus on our future”.

There could be many interpretations  of the above statement. The most straightforward would be: “let us focus on the future”. The second would be: “History has a lower priority”. The third and more dubious one is: “ I have a reason to want people not to know history”.

I believe that if we don’t know history, we don’t know our parents, nor are we related to our countries.

Libya, our cup of tea

The Humanitarian Forum is working very hard with its partners to assess the situation and help civilian victims in Libya. On the 16th March we managed to organise at very short notice an international conference call to bring together many international actors from the Islamic and Non-Islamic worlds.

For the first time I found that everyone there was focusing on the quick delivery of humanitarian aid.  Who is right and who is wrong - this wasn’t our cup of tea. Everybody has their own idea of what a good cup of tea should be like: some like it with sugar, some without, some with milk, some without milk, some like green tea, some don’t etc. We didn’t want to analyse the right and wrong but we wanted to focus on the cries of help from the innocent civilians caught up in the middle.

Today, 24th March, I am in Cairo for a meeting hosted by The Humanitarian Forum and the League of Arab States to discuss how the international community and regional organisations can help.

Remember: Oil resources could dry up in 40 years’ time, but the welfare of  the Libyan people will always be our cup of tea.

Is this the way to Abyei? Part 2

It seems to me some people find the value of an oil barrel higher than the value of a blood barrel. When God says the most sacred thing is the life of a being, politicians answer back that oil is more precious.

We need frying oil to cook our meals, not oil to burn our society. We need soothing oil to heal our wounds, not oil to flare tensions. We need oil that cements societies, not oil that destroys the social fabric.  We should have oil that defends our nation, not the oil which endangers our future.

If oil will not do that for us, we must try alternatives, such as wind, water, solar power to base a cohesive and stable society upon.

I prefer a Sudan without oil, than an “oily” Sudan. Rather than being “oily” and slippery, without a sense of morality, I say that we should be thick skinned, so that our grip on reality is firm.

How can you book my face?

What does “book” mean? According to who is answering the question, there could be multiple interpretations:

Security: “I am keeping a record of your activities”.
Football referee: “I am handing out a Yellow card”.
Ticket office: “I have reserved a seat”.

I believe that “booking my face” means I allow you to know everything worth knowing about me and my life. We all become open books to one another, without reservations or privacy. This is the core philosophy behind Facebook, where strangers can become “friends” without ever meeting face to face.

Whether on a profile or a fan page, messages such as “I need help”, “I can offer my services”, “I have a talent” and “I need to get married” are exchanged openly.

On one side, this type of communication can lead to very positive things, social change, enterprise etc. On the other side, Social Media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter can be monitored. We need to ask ourselves when we are typing a message: Who can read this? Will there be any repercussions to my message?

There have been cases where the administrators of Facebook Groups bent on social change have suffered repercussions for their beliefs, but their message has lived on. It is not the technology who makes revolutions; it merely helps people open their hearts and seek like-minded individuals.

If you book my face, I will face your book. If you blot it, I’ll definitely twig you :)

Is this the way to Abyei? Part 1

Abyei is at a crossroads, between a new nation (South Sudan) and a long-standing one (Sudan). In the past, there used to be no problems between the tribes of Missireya and Ngok Dinka. They lived in harmony, ate together, traded goods and even married one another.

What made them fight? Are any other parties involved? Is it about oil monopoly? We can speculate endlessly and arrive to various conclusions. This doesn’t interest me. The suffering of the people in the area does.

In my opinion, if the village elders and community leaders from both tribes sat down together and discussed without agendas imposed from outside, they would be able to reach an agreement and build a new future.
One Sudan, two Sudan or three Sudan, this is not the issue. The issue is a Sudan which makes people live in peace and safety, not many Sudans which forces people to carry guns and live in fear.

I wrote before about my Sudan and I am still repeating my message, singing my song and playing my guitar, hoping the village elders and community leaders will overlook politics and oil for the benefit of everybody involved.

Me, you and... the octopus?!

Do we need food? What about housing? Clothes? Schools? Roads? Hospitals? What is the price of a human life? Who is pricing our life? Who is pricing our necessities? Most importantly, who is fulfilling our needs?

In my opinion, God has created enough for everyone and everything, with more to spare. If this is so, then who is profiting from the current food prices, above what people in poor countries can afford?

The access to food in this world is unfair. For example, in the UK, one person can eat as much as 10 people from Mali can eat. In Germany, one person can eat as much as 20 people from the Philippines can eat. In the US, one can eat as much as 50 Indonesians can eat.

We need to provide each and everyone in this world with food, it is our duty. Some are not only indulging in the delights of food, but also throwing it in the ocean, to maintain food prices at the same level.

I realised why this happens: it is because we care deeply about the fish and other sea creatures. We want them to be fed and never starve. I feel very foolish to not have realised this earlier we were serving the noble cause of feeding the fish and mermaids. How I wish I were a fish and then I could have access to all the free food in the world!

My friends, if you want to join me, let us dive deeply and live next to an octopus, hiding behind colourful ink so nobody can see that we’re having a great time, with free food at our disposal!

Goal!

The Millennium came 11 years ago and joined our championship, after deciding to score 8 clean development goals in the net of humanity. The Millennium has used all its superstars’ expertise- professional players and coaches who enable the players to score the 8 goals.

Millennium has seen the amount of money spent on buying the players, hiring the coaches and drawing the plans soar, but the net still looks untouched, no goals scored.

Then, out of patience, the Millennium has asked the net of humanity: “What’s wrong? Is there a whole in the net? Whenever my people try to score, where does the ball disappear to?”

The net answered back: “Rest assured as nobody has tampered with me. Have a look at my threads; they are intact. As a matter of fact, they are as strong as they were 12 years ago. It’s not my problem”.

The Millennium, angered at such effrontery, replied: “Whose is it then? “

The net of humanity, sensing the Millennium’s lack of patience, answered gently: “ It could be that you have the wrong coaches. Or the players aren’t as good as you thought. Or you are using a wrong ball. If you ask me, I think you could be on the wrong pitch altogether.”

Shocked by this, the Millennium asked himself: “What I am to do now?!”

The net, seeing the impact its words have had, said: “You need to go back to your own people and investigate. I think neither your players, nor your coach or the club owner believe in what you have set out to achieve”.

Sighing, the Millennium left, shoulders slumping, asking himself all the time where he went wrong. Watching him leave, the net said wisely: “Unfortunately, the only people still suffering are the people whose money are being wasted to score offside goals, the ones that would not benefit them.”

From the Libyan borders with love... Part 3

In Libya, I looked at the faces of the workers who were crossing the borders from both sides. They were Vietnamese, Filipino, Bengali, Pakistani, Sudanese, Nigerian and from other poor countries. Then I looked at the situation they were in, lacking shelter and sanitation, lying by the side of the road at the border. I felt their pain at the loss of all security, the loss of an income.

The international community needs to feel their pain too and help those stranded arrive home safely, or those who do not have a home, find a secure one. We need to look at our agenda and practice what we preach: inclusivity, peace, unity, transparency and honesty.

In the end, the people whom we serve as humanitarian workers are in charge, and we must be held accountable for their welfare.

To be continued...

From the Libyan borders with love... Part 2

Between Benghazi and Tripoli there are 1200km (~745 miles). Between Salloum and Ras Ejdair there are over 2000km (~1240 miles). The people living in this designated area aren’t divided by distance, aren’t classified by culture, aren’t separated by language or broken apart by values. Even beyond Salloum, Fayoum, Ras Ejdair and Tunis, the people are like an extended family and even if across the centuries, they have been divided into different nations; their bond is as strong as ever.

I have travelled in 10 days over 4000km (~2500 miles) by land and several other thousand by plane, however all fatigue disappeared when I saw the sheer kindness shown by the Tunisians for the refugees at the border. It felt like a carnival of giving, with people from nearby villages and towns joining in to give their lives and dignity back to the migrant workers.

Tunisia is a developing country, which has had its fair share of unrest in the recent months, but I was overjoyed at the scale of giving from its people, who rushed ahead to help before international organisations and oil-rich countries.

To be continued...

Quick Guide to charity in Islam Part 1

I believe charity is a genetically embedded trait in every creation of God. Humanity cannot exist without philanthropic activities. Religion can regulate human beings’ activities on earth and enable them to bring justice to their society and preserve the rights of every member within that society.

One of the five pillars of Islam is Zakat, which is the annual donation to help the poor. Charity in the form of Zakat is one of the charitable activities a Muslim can make, as money is one of the many means of charitable contributions to the society.

It is essential to understand that Muslims have to undertake charitable activities, rich or poor.

From the Libyan borders with love... Part 1

While I was on my way from Cairo to Libya, I was remembering my good old youth days spent in Benghazi. I have many happy memories from when I studied at the Secondary School there between 1967 and 1968. This was my first visit to the country since 1972 and I felt saddened by the fact I couldn’t visit it in happier circumstances.

When we arrived at the border, in Salum, an immigration officer told me: “We allowed more than 200,000 people afraid for their lives to enter Egypt”. Still, I saw that thousands upon thousands of Bangladeshi, Filipino, Somali and others were sleeping on concrete floors in immigration halls and even on the roads. Having spoken to a few of them, I found out they were expatriate workers, all trying to get to their homes. The temperature outside was 0 degrees centigrade.

It was like a living, walking, breathing nightmare, with very little chance of escape. The internet and telephone communications were unreliable, so people couldn’t get in touch with loved ones to tell them they’re safe.

I ran across some sub-Saharan workers, afraid for their lives, as they could be mistaken to be mercenaries hired by the government.

To be continued...

Do you know that one...?

Q: Why did the Philanthropist cross the road?
A: To get on the other side!
Q: Why did the Social Entrepreneur cross the road?
A: To help everybody get on the other side!

An email from a philanthropist prompted a discussion between me and my colleagues. One of them asked what could be the difference between a social entrepreneur and a philanthropist. I didn’t have an answer so I asked her what she thought about it.

Her opinion was that a philanthropist is a rich person with good intentions who is involved in acts of charity; meanwhile a social entrepreneur understands the mechanisms of one community’s social and cultural fabric. She went on to say that, in a nutshell, a philanthropist has a good heart, large means but no know-how. A social entrepreneur is someone with knowledge, but who doesn’t have the means of the philanthropist.

I agree with this assessment as I recall instances when philanthropists have adopted children from deprived communities or offered unnecessary items such as bicycles to communities lacking basic water sanitation and education.

Philanthropists need to support social entrepreneurs in their mission of empowering communities around the globe. One hand cannot clap by itself and we must work together for the benefit of the people in need.