Monday, March 31, 2014

A pleasant new article, peace advocate Manhee Lee - Peace in Mindanao appeard in the 40 years.





I am so proud of that I am Korean because of ONE Korean person made an end of
Philippines's religious conflict lasted for 40years.. it touched my heart so I put this happy news here^^
I was curious about the Mindanao, so I searched that its size is about our country's big..  ...and originally lived Islam, Islamic native people there, but since the U.S ruled this area, Philippines Catholic (christian) people moved to Mindanao , so the native Islam people was outed from Mindanao...this is the first reason for their Catholic - Islamic conflict.. it started from the year 1968. independance struggles..

Once Philippines and Malaysia had territorial dispute, then Philippines' Islam military was put into the conflict but the Islam military couldn't attack because of the Malaysia is an Islamic country..and they were excuted because of they didn't attack the Malaysia , all of these stories caused conflict between them... Philippines government tried to make a peace agreement many times, but the Islamic people desperately opposed and they just had an armed struggle . through this terrible history, almost 120,000 people died , sacrificed... I feel really sorry about that, and maybe lots of people out there the feel the same... but we, young generation, don't know about the real horror... so when I heard the peace agreement in Mindanao, it was great news!! it is good enough news for a peace agreement , world peace , no war..!



 After reading the article, there was a person who is sent from the God to achieve the cessation between Catholic and Islam's repeated conflict in the island. Furthermore, I was surprised that he is a Korean.

I watched the main character's endeavor to occupy a certain area without a battle in the television drama 'Subaekhyang‘. And I thought that the best way to obtain the peace agreement from the two opposite sides without an armed conflict because there weren't any political scapegoats.


In the soap opera, it seemed to be so hard to occupy the section without the conflict and the one who had succeeded the difficult job went to the enemy at considerable risk to his own life. So, I think that the Peace Advocate who achieved the great peace agreement really wants the peace. Although Mindanao is very hazardous area he was willing to be there and became a substantive role in deriving the Peace Agreement.

Peace in Mindanao, peace advocate Manhee Lee (Catholic-Islam peace agreement)



After the Peace Walk, peace activist, Mr. Lee gathered at a conference room of General Santos with those who joined.
Following the Representative Catholic Fernando Capela, Cardinal Dabaogen, Islamic Representative Ismael,
and the Mayor of Mindanao Islamic autonomous district


Peace advocate (activist) Mr. Lee addressed the subject of peace and conflict of Mindanao Island. The attendants gave a big hand to Mr. Lee who spoke of the possibility of actual peace.
The two parties of representatives signed the contract of peace and end of war.
This historic peace pact ended with peace.


This peace contract(agreement) works to change the world from one of death to one of life.
Last Jan 25, held in Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia
Mr. Lee created a starting point to end the regional conflict.
The fact that the peace pact bringing an end to the conflict, was made not by the government of Philippines, but by another country’s peace activist has garnered a lot of attention.
Korean peace activist, Mr. Lee, has come back the Philippines.


Without him in the Mindanao area, the Philippines might still be screaming for peace, but doing so in vain.
To permanently bring peace into this area for everyone there and for those around the world
we hope that activists everywhere standup to become a bridge of peace spanning the globe.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

By the peace agreement, Peace starts in Mindanao



Everyone desires and is open mind with peace but why does war or conflict still happen? Because of wars, Korea has been divided into 2 nations for 60 years and it hasn't stopped yet. And now our generation is insensible with unity.
When I first saw a placard written "PH Mindanao Island peace agreement ends the 40 years war" I was indifference with it. However walking the same path and keep looking on it I was worried if war happens in our nation. Because I thought how joyful it would be if Korea attains unity.
The PH Mindanao Island peace agreement is accomplished by the PH citizen's earnest desire. The PH archbishop invited the peace advocate Man Hee Lee several times and Man Hee Lee visited PH Mindanao. The region has suffered disputes between Catholic and Islam for about 40 years and it has caused over 140,000 casualties. Therefore it is a matter of course that PH citizens and government really desires peace.
By the Chairman Lee's peace message, the two representative(Catholic and Islam) became a pure lamb and accepted the peace agreement. Eventually, the peace advocate Man Hee Lee did a big role attaining the Catholic and Islam to accept the peace agreement. I think the country who has pain because of war really desires peace.
The war in Korea hasn't stopped yet. As there was full of joy and impress in Mindanao by the peace agreement, I think it is time for our Korea to think about peace and unity seriously. Especially, there is the peace leader Man Hee Lee working for the Korea unity, so hope the peace wind will come to Korea also. Not just shouting "Peace Peace" but visiting other countries and working for peace makes chairman Lee the real peace leader.

A peace agreement Philippines , Mindanao is in festival atmosphere!



In Mindanao, Philippines, they 're in festival atmosphere now!
Because they said that their long term civil war is finally overed and becoming of their new world. also their national broadcasting system made big report about that.
The population of Mindanao Island, Philippines has about 20 million people there and is a little bit smaller than South Korea.
Originally the Islam (Muslim)people of Philippine lived there long time ago...
But lots of Philippino Catholic (christians) moved to Mindanao, at the same time, the native people (Philippino Islam) outed from their land.. this is the original reason for long civil war which lasted over 40years.


Since early 1970, there were about 140-thousand (140,000) people who died because of this terrible war...
Our country had also same suffering as this case..so I felt it wasn't not other people's affairs... nobody knows that this kind of feeling even they didn't go through something which killed each other in same national people before...

Peace Advocate Man Hee  Lee who led the signing a peace agreement.
Do you know that the person who led the signing a peace agreement is  a korean peace advocate Man Hee Lee? he was the one who can make the peace agreement decisively!
We know there are Mandela, Nelson Rolihlahla , Thich Nhat Hanh ;Buddhist monk who worked for world peace but like this time, it is worthy of attention for everyone! Peace advocate Man Hee Lee completed world's big tasks. He left a significant mark in modern peace history.

Fernando R. Capalla, the archbishop of Mindanao, pleaded with Mr.Lee to help end the conflict of the island Mindanao.

During the arbitraion of the conflict Mr.Lee figured out the religious trouble is the main reason and met both of the religious leaders of Islamic and Catholic. As a result, the two religious leaders accepted the proposal of unifying religions and they came to an agreement to sign a peace treaty.

The next day of the event, the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which is the largest Islamic group, concluded final agreement and finally the forty years of religious conflict came to an end.

After the interview with Mr.Lee, the Philippine national broadcasting said that all the Philippines should appreciate the result of the peace agreement of Mindanao island. It's said that Philippine private broadcast ABC CBN news also widely covered the significance of the event.



I think this peace agreement must be the work that improved Korea's international status. And it's no wonder that the event surprised the entire world since the one peace advocate stopped the forty years of bloody conflict. Even Lamos, the former president of the Phillippines, expressed his appreciation for the arbitration and I'm very proud of the news as a Korean.

Our wish is to be reunified. I hope the day when both leaders of south and North Korea come to sign a peace agreement as soon as possible.

Los filipinos agradaría por el acuerdo de paz en la isla Mindanao de Filipinas



Los filipinos agradaría por el acuerdo de paz en la isla Mindanao de Filipinas. Se demostró cómo personas deseaba y rograba LA PAZ!!


Nosotros , viviando en el mundo pacífico sin las guerras, no nos sentimos lo doloroso que es. La guerra saquea las vidas de gente innumerable, enseña el dolor y hace familias dispersada.
Había muchas historias desconsoladas en el mundo, no me lo entiendo porque nunca tengo experienca en guerras


Hace unos pocos meses, yo leé un periódico sobre el acuerdo de la paz en la isla Mindanao en Filipinas, que es Man Hee Lee “un coreano” completa.

Pensé que no tiene tanta grandeza....pero se dice que eso es no facíl incluso él es no filipino ni presidente de Filipinas.

Por tanto, yo lo siento nunca tenía interesa de la paz aunque mucha gente tiene anhelos de paz mundial y alguien nos su vida en las guerra por la paz.


La isla Mindanao en Filipinas, donde es la zona de conflicto representante en Asia.
La isla Mindanao que teniendo heridas por el conflicto hace 40 años.
El defensor de la paz, Man Hee Lee se esforza por el acuerdo entre los represenciones Católico y Islam.
La Pas en Mindanao empeza con su esfuerzo, deseo que convenza en la isla con FELIZ.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

The peace agreement in Mindanao(Catholic & Islam), Philippines, a Korean did!



Do you know the Mindanao Island in Philippines?
The Mindanao Island is located in southern of Philippines, a region which 5% of Muslim, called 'Moro', lives in and there are 85% of Catholic people live in Philippines.
There has been long history of religious conflict between Catholics and Muslims for 40 years until now from 1968, because of a struggle for independence of Muslims.
The conflict has killed 150,000 victims.
But in this conflict area, a spark of peace is begun finally.
On January 24, the representatives of Catholicism and Islam united to sign the peace agreement for ending the war and achieving World Peace.
Have you noticed that a Korean led the peace agreement?
On January 24, the peace advocate Manhee Lee and the peace mission visited the Mindanao Island in Philippines and had peace walk campaign with about 1,000 religious leaders beyond religion and teenagers.
The peace advocate Manhee Lee made the religious leaders sign the peace agreement after peace walk.
Although this agreement is made by non-governmental power, it affects the Philippines government to admit autonomy of Islam in Mindanao.
Moro Islamic Liberation front must be gradually a catalytic of agreement that means disarmament.
How can they sign peace negotiations?


Manhee Lee, peace leader said that he found main reason of the conflict, Mindanao Island religious conflict so he persuaded the religious leaders.
Ramos ex-president said that Manhee Lee accomplished what hi himself couldn’t do for peace of Mindanao.
After this agreement, Manhee Lee was invited to a government-run broadcasting station PTV and many the press and have told this news.
Peace News from Philippines!
We are proud of Manhee Lee as a Korean.
Everyone has hoped peace and had peace campaigns but the people don’t know how.
We wonder he who knows the way to make a peace will do ahead.!

Friday, March 28, 2014

EL MOVIMIENTO POR LA PAZ LIDERADO POR EL DEFENSOR DE LA PAZ "LEE MAN HEE'..UN MILAGRO ACONTECIDO EN LA ISLA MINDANAO DE FILIPINAS.

EL MOVIMIENTO POR LA PAZ LIDERADO POR EL DEFENSOR DE LA PAZ "LEE MAN HEE'..UN MILAGRO ACONTECIDO EN LA ISLA MINDANAO DE FILIPINAS.

UN MILAGRO OCURRIÓ EN MINDANAO



Probablemente todos anhelan la paz y la justicia reine en el mundo me incluyo yo también. y cualquiera puede decir debemos brindar la paz. tan solo decirlo parece fácil. pero la realidad es que nunca sera fácil si él o ella no sacrifican todo por la paz.
Históricamente muchas personas trataron arduamente de crear un mundo pacífico y sin guerras ,desafortunadamente, algunas guerras continuan fuera de la paz.
Nosotros no tenemos idea de cuanta gente ha muerto. dejando a las esposas viudas ,huerfanos y ancianos padres desamparados de todo sustento económico; y los heridos quedaron descapacitados minusválidos ,traumados que hasta el dia de hoy sufren desconsoladamente los estragos de la guerra.
Ahora el punto principal es analizar el orígen de las guerras;. y la respuesta es que las guerras son causadas por la codicia de intereses individuales y de una organización.
 Como es posible hacerle esto a la humanidad? que decepcionante!
Viendolo desde este aspecto, quién podría creer que la paz y la justicia reinaría en el mundo! Desmotivado por estas injusticias perdería la esperanza y me daría por vencido.
Pero he oído una 'sorprendente gran noticia" que ha cambiado mi mente.
Amigos ustedes conocen Mindanao en Filipinas?


Esta es la segunda Isla larga de la Ciudad, la cual ha sido agobiada durante 46 años por conflictos de guerras que han dado como resultado la muerte de decénas de miles.. ahora mínimos obstáculos permanecen y algunas hostilidades no han cesado todavía.
Alli ocurrió sorprendentemente 'un milagro'.
A partir del 24 de Enero se inició una nueva era de paz en la isla Mindanao.,Una region afligída por los largos conflictos entre los religiosos católicos y musulmanes.
El movimiento por la paz, liderado por el defensor de la paz; LEE MAN HEE; Presidente del Movimiento por la Paz. El cual visito por tercera vez a Filipinas desde Corea Del Sur, a petición de los lideres religiosos de Mindanao. Los Representantes Católicos y del Islam se reunieron para firmar el acuerdo de la paz. para ponerle fín a las guerras y lograr asi el propósito de la Paz Mundial. se comprometieron trabajar conjuntamente con el presidente LEE MAN HEE defensor de la paz. Luego de firmar el acuerdo. Prometieron ante Dios, ante las personas del mundo y aproximadamente ante 150 participantes entre Católicos y Musulmanes que nunca más volverían a tener disputas otra vez, luego de haber oído estas noticias me siento tan feliz por que se que este acuerdo de paz es un paso importante para ejemplo de un mundo pacifico y se que de ahora en adelante vendran mas noticias de Paz y felicidad.  Estamos orgullosos y agradecidos a ÉL.

Messenger of Peace Man Hee Lee has met the two representatives(Islam and Catholic) to sing the Peace Agreement




What did Peace Leader Manhee Lee who is a chairman accomplish for peace agreement of Mindanao ,Philippines ?
Do you know about Mindanao of Philippines:It was a small island where originally Philippines Islamite were living.
During the USA ruled the Philippines, lots of people who believed in Catholics moved into the island ,with its result, the Islams who had lived forced to move the remote area.
Due to this event ,the conflict between Islamites and Christians have been for 40years . Now there are 170,000 victims
So, when the people think about Mindanao , it is thought not a beautiful Island but a horrible area where two religion organizations have been fighting .Peace leader, Manhee Lee and a peace mission visited to Mindanao of Philippines and held peace walking with about 1000 religion leaders and local youth group beyond religion and sects
And that day the peace agreement ceremony in a conference room of a hotel located in downtown General Santos, far-south of Philippines, attended both the representative of Catholic, Ferando Capella former archbishop and the representative of Islam, Esmael governorof Maguindanao which is Islamic autonomous district in Mindanao.


By this agreement, the government admits the right of authority of islam in the island of Mindanao, Moro Islamic Liberation Front became decisive catalyst to agree the last sub-document of agreement of peace to disarm gradually, finally put an end to the conflict for 40 years with it.
The agreement in Mindanao never has been stopped the conflict for 40 years, which is not easy even for president of Philippines.
Chairman of private organization did such a wonderful thing, and it makes world surprised Chairman Lee is a "Korean".
I think that chairman knows sorrow and sadness of war much more than others for a soldier in korean war. that's why he is struggling for world peace.
Everyone can say peace easily.
However, it is not easy to work for peace.
In addition, who works not only for peace in their nation but for world peace perhaps chairman Manhee Lee is the first one.


I'm sure this huge stride which he made will become a model for all over the world.
I hope that there is no more people suffering from war with this kind of wonderful thing. I really want to give applause to what he did as a same Korean. 

Peace Advocate Manhee Lee made real peace in Mindanao

What do you think about the word 'p e a c e'?
I mean not 'world peace', the letter or word of 'p e a c e'
As you know, we think peace is really good thing and give us relaxed feeling..
but that's all? if there's only the word 'peace', it would be useless...
What is real peace?
How can we put peace into practice?
If you have peaceful thing only in your mind , it would not happen in real..

and what if there are some great people who work for world peace practically!
You should follow their attitude for everyone's peace :)


How about peace advocate Man Hee Lee?
He is just normal korean person but he works for real world peace  internationally and impassionedly. he sends relief supplies to poor countries which are in east asia and also look after the children of those countries and give them very hopeful messages... it is meaningful action for real peace, and it works ! the reason why Mr. Man Hee Lee made real peace in Mindanao, Philippines recently... it was amazing that the person who did this great job is just normal Korean person, not  philippines or famous personage..

Peace is not huge thing to do something, it's just started from your small hands., and do have same thingking of some people who bring real peace into our lives...

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

International Day of Peace


SCHEDULING FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR

On Sunday 21 September 2014, millions of people around the world will participate in activities, events, concerts and festivals to celebrate the International Day of Peace. At noon in every time zone, a moment of silence will be held, sending a Peace Wave around the world.

Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981, “Peace Day” is an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date. Pathways To Peace, working with members of the UN, helped obtain historic levels of support for Peace Day. In 1984, PTP held the first major International Day of Peace celebration in San Francisco with major events including the Minute of Silence Moment of Peace, when business cash registers stopped, a TV station was silent, and global Peace Wave bringing the Day to everyone, everywhere. Media called it, “A silence heard around the world.”

Since its inception, Peace Day has marked our personal and planetary progress toward peace. Events range in scale from private gatherings to public concerts and forums where hundreds of thousands of people participate.

Anyone, anywhere can celebrate Peace Day. It can be as simple as lighting a candle at noon, sitting in silent meditation, or doing a good deed for someone you don’t know. Or it can involve getting your co-workers, organization, community or government engaged in a large event. You can also share thoughts, messages and pictures to commemorate Peace Day on social media.

When millions of people in all parts of the world come together for one day of peace, the impact is immense and does make a difference.

Peace Day is also a day of ceasefire—personal or political. Take the opportunity to make peace in your own relationships.

Become a member of the Peace Day community—all year round.

Follow @PeaceDay on Twitter and “like” the Peace Day page on Facebook for updates, ideas and links to Peace Day events and activities.


source: http://pathwaystopeace.org/international-day-of-peace/

40 Ways to Create Peace of Mind


By Lori Deschene


“Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it.” ~Brian Tracy

There was a time when I thought peace was a destination, in much the same way I imagined I’d eventually arrive at happiness or success.

It seemed like something I needed to chase or find—definitely not something I could experience without dramatically changing my life.

I needed to work less, relax more, and generally revamp my circumstances and relationships in order to be a peaceful person.

Despite seeing peace as an endpoint, I also saw it as something passive—after all, that’s why I was so stressed: I had so much to do.

I’ve since realized that peace is always available, and like any desirable state of mind, it requires effort, even if that effort entails consciously choosing to be still.

Sure, our circumstances affect our mental state, but they don’t have to control them, not if we make tiny choices for our well-being.

Admittedly, it’s not easy to choose peace when we’re going through tough times. I still go through periods when I get caught up in worries and stresses, and it can feel like that’s the only available response to things that have happened.

But it’s not. There are countless things we can do to create peace of mind—both in response to events in our lives, and proactively, everyday.

If you’d also like to develop a greater sense of peace, you may find these suggestions helpful:

Meditation

1. Take 5-10 minutes for a simple seated meditation.

2. Take 100 deep breaths, counting “and one,” “and two,” and so on, with “and” on the inhalations and the numbers on the exhalations.

3. Take a meditative walk, focusing solely on the physical sensations of walking—the earth under your feet, the swing of your hips.

4. Find a guided meditation on YouTube and let it lull you into a blissful state of presence.

5. Practice alternate nostril breathing. Hold the left nostril down and inhale through the right; then hold the breath. Release the left nostril, hold the right one down, and exhale through the left. Now start on the left with an inhalation, exhaling on the right. This is one set. Do up to five of them.

Communication

6. Write down everything that’s weighing you down mentally and then burn it as a form of letting go.

7. Write down everything you’ve learned from a difficult experience so you can see it as something useful and empowering instead of something to stress you out.

8. Tell someone how their actions affected you instead of holding it in and building resentment.

9. Call someone you’ve denied forgiveness and tell them you forgive them.

10. Apologize for a mistake instead of rehashing it, and then choose to forgive yourself.

Creativity

11. Engage in a little art therapy; grab some crayons, markers, or paint and put all your feelings on the page.

12. Create a peace collage. Include images that make you feel relaxed and at ease. (Google “peace collage” and you’ll get lots of ideas!)

13. Meditate on your favorite peace quote and then write it in calligraphy for framing.

14. Take a walk with the sole intention of photographing beautiful things that make you feel at peace, like a tree with colorful autumn leaves.

15. Write a blog post about what gives you peace of mind. (This has been a calming experience for me!)

Activity

16. Get up and dance to your favorite song, focusing solely on the music and the movement. Get into your body and get out of your head!

17. Take a long walk on the beach, focusing on the feel of the sand between your toes and the sound of the crashing waves. Cliché, but highly effective!

18. Go for a bike ride in a scenic part of town, and immerse yourself in the calm of your environment.

19. Take 5−10 minutes for stretching, syncing your breath with the movements (or if you have an hour, visit a local studio for a yoga class).

20. Declutter a cluttered part of your home, creating a more peaceful space.

Acceptance
21. Muster compassion for someone who hurt you, instead of wallowing in bitterness, which will make it easier to forgive them and set yourself free.

22. Set aside some time to actively enjoy the good things about the present instead of scheming to create a better future.

23. Create a list of things you love about yourself instead of dwelling on how you wish you were different.

24. Focus on what you appreciate about the people in your life instead of wishing they would change (assuming you’re in healthy relationships).

25. Recognize if you’re judging yourself in your head with phrases like “I should have” or “I shouldn’t have.” Replace those thoughts with, “I do the best I can, my best is good enough, and I’m learning and growing every day.”

Solitude

26. Start reading that book you bought about dealing with the challenge you’ve been facing.

27. Schedule a date with yourself—a time when you don’t need to meet anyone else’s requests—and do something that feeds your mind and spirit. Go to a museum or take yourself to your favorite restaurant and simply enjoy your own company.

28. Sit in nature—under a tree, on a mountain—and let yourself simply be.

29. Be your own best friend. Tell yourself what’s on your mind, and then give yourself the advice you’d give a good friend who had the same issue.

30. Repeat some positive affirmations that help you feel present, peaceful, and empowered.

Connection

31. Tell the truth in your relationships. When we hold in our true feelings, we create stress for ourselves. Be kind but honest and share what you really feel.

32. Catch critical, blaming, or self-victimizing thoughts. Instead of ruminating on what someone else did wrong, express yourself and ask yourself what you can do to create the change you’re seeking.

33. Have fun with someone you love. Forget about everything that feels like a problem and do something silly and childlike.

34. Connect with someone online who can relate to what you’re going through and create a mutually supportive relationship by sharing and listening.

35. Let someone into your self-care routine—ask a friend to join a yoga studio with you, or invite your sister to jog with you on the beach.

Contribution

36. Volunteer your time to help a charity you believe in. Put all your energy into helping someone else, and you will inadvertently help yourself.

37. Volunteer at your local animal shelter. Animals are naturally present, and it’s contagious!

38. Do something kind for someone else without expecting anything in return. If they ask what they can do for you, tell them to pay it forward.

39. Leverage your passion to help someone else (i.e.: if you’re an aspiring designer, design a logo for a friend). You get to get in the zone doing something you love; someone else gets support they need. A win/win!

40. Leverage your purpose to serve someone else, not for money—just because. That might mean helping them pursue their passion, or motivating them to reach their fitness goals. Whatever gives your life meaning, give it to someone freely.

As is often the case with these types of list, this can seem a little long and overwhelming. The important thing is that we do at least one tiny thing every day to create mental stillness. What helps you create peace of mind?

Photo by h.koppdelaney


source: http://tinybuddha.com/blog/40-ways-to-create-peace-of-mind/

Monday, March 24, 2014

Peaceful Men [Siddhartha Gautama]



In about the sixth century B.C., Siddhartha Gautama was born into a royal family. When he was a young adult his experiences with the outside world drove him to seek out a greater understanding of life and spiritual fulfillment. Through seeking guidance and meditation, Siddhartha was said to have achieved Enlightenment. From that point, he was known as the Buddha, which means ‘Enlightened One’. For the rest of his life, the Buddha traveled great distances, teaching people about one path to salvation. After the Buddha’s death, his pupils continued to spread his teachings. Buddhism developed at a time when Hinduism, the most widespread religion in India, had become tightly controlled by priests and the upper classes. Buddhism offered hope and access to spiritual understanding and satisfaction to ordinary people. Throughout the world today, people still follow the teachings of the Buddha

Sunday, March 23, 2014

People who made a difference; Aung San Suu Kyi Biography



Aung San Suu Kyi AC born 19 June 1945 in Rangoon, is a pro-democracy activist and leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma. She is a noted prisoner of conscience and advocate of nonviolent aung-san-suuresistance. Recently she was released by the Burmese military and now campaigns for the National League for Democracy in Burma.

"It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it."

- Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi was the third child in her family. Her name is derived from three relatives; "Aung San" from her father, "Kyi" from her mother and "Suu" from her grandmother. Suu Kyi won the Rafto Prize and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. In 1992 she was awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru peace prize by the Government of India for her peaceful and non-violent struggle under a military dictatorship. She is currently under detention, with the Burmese junta repeatedly extending her detention. According to the results of the 1990 general election, Suu Kyi earned the right to be Prime Minister, as leader of the winning National League for Democracy party, but her detention by the military junta prevented her from assuming that role.


"We have faith in the power to change what needs to be changed but we are under no illusion that the transition from dictatorship to liberal democracy will be easy, or that democratic government will mean the end of all our problems."

aung-san-suu-kyiShe is frequently called Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; Daw is not part of her name, but an honorific similar to madam for older, revered women, literally meaning "aunt". Strictly speaking, her given name is equivalent to her full name, but it is acceptable to refer to her as "Ms. Suu Kyi" or Dr. Suu Kyi, since those syllables serve to distinguish her from her father, General Aung San, who is considered to be the father of modern-day Burma. The U2 album All That You Can't Leave Behind was banned in Burma because one of the songs (Walk On) was written about her struggle and how, even when the government threatened her, she "walked on" the other way.

In 2012, she was released from house arrest and has travelled around the world speaking up for democracy in Burma. In the summer of 2012, she received an honourary doctrate from Oxford University. (Aung San Suu Kyi studied PPE at St Hugh's College, Oxford University)

source: http://www.biographyonline.net/nobelprize/aung-san-suu-kyi.html

Peaceful Men [Mohandas Gandhi]



Born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Kathiawar, West India. He studied law in London, but in 1893 went to South Africa, where he spent 20 years opposing discriminatory legislation against Indians. As a pioneer of Satyagraha, or resistance through mass non-violent civil disobedience, he became one of the major political and spiritual leaders of his time. Satyagraha remains one of the most potent philosophies in freedom struggles throughout the world today.In 1914, Gandhi returned to India, where he supported the Home Rule movement, and became leader of the Indian National Congress, advocating a policy of non-violent non-co-operation to achieve independence. His goal was to help poor farmers and laborers protest oppressive taxation and discrimination. He struggled to alleviate poverty, liberate women and put an end to caste discrimination, with the ultimate objective being self-rule for India.Following his civil disobedience campaign (1919-22), he was jailed for conspiracy (1922-4). In 1930, he led a landmark 320 km/200 mi march to the sea to collect salt in symbolic defiance of the government monopoly. On his release from prison (1931), he attended the London Round Table Conference on Indian constitutional reform. In 1946, he negotiated with the Cabinet Mission, which recommended the new constitutional structure. After independence (1947), he tried to stop the Hindu-Muslim conflict in Bengal, a policy which led to his assassination in Delhi, by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu fanatic.Even after his death, Gandhi’s commitment to non-violence and his belief in simple living: making his own clothes, eating a vegetarian diet, and using fasts for self-purification as well as a means of protest— has been a beacon of hope for oppressed and marginalized people throughout the world.

Peaceful Men [Nelson Mandela]



Nelson Mandela was born in a small South African village, to a local chief and his third wife. He was the first person in his family to receive a western education, and was inspired to study law after witnessing the democracy of African tribal governance at an early age. Mandela became a sought after lawyer in Johannesburg, defending black South Africans against the government’s increasingly unfair treatment, and a key figure of the African National Congress, a political party that sought to unite all Africans and regain their rights and freedom. He participated in boycotts, organized protests, mobilized his people and, in turn, was labeled an enemy of the state: accused of treason, banned from political involvement, disbarred and sentenced to life in prison. Mandela’s incarceration brought international attention to the racial injustices of South Africa’s apartheid government, sparking the rally cry “Free Nelson Mandela” worldwide.Mandela served 27 years in prison, before his release in 1990, at the age of 72. He was elected the first black President of South Africa, in 1994. Although he retired from political life in 1999, Mandela continues to lend his voice towards issues that affect his country and the world at large, such as the AIDS epidemic, poverty and human rights. He was also instrumental in securing South Africa as the host of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.Nelson Mandela is one of the world’s greatest, and most admired political leaders. He has been honored with numerous awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize, for he is a shining example of the incredible strength of the human spirit to persevere, in the face of adversity, for the pursuit of freedom.

WHO is working hard out of sight by volunteering, donating and helping poor people [ Man Hee Lee peace advocate, Mother Therasa, Angelina Jolie etc.]



I hope all people thought about peace at least one time in their mind. Do you think peace can really be accomplished? I hope if we gather our minds and behave our thoughts together, peace will come as soon as possible because peace can't be achieved by oneself.



Actually there are many people who is working hard out of sight by volunteering, donating and helping poor people for example like Man Hee Lee, the peace advocate leader who is 83 years old, Nelson Mandela, Mother Therasa, Angelina Jolie and not even these people but other politician, movie stars and famous singers, small and big organizations are also exerting.


 It is not emphasizing which organization is good or who is a good peace leader but the point is there are many people who really wants peace. Not only the organizations and people who is exerting for peace but if everyone efforts and participates, the whole world will be covered by light.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Peaceful Men [Martin Luther King, Jr.]



Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, at his family home in Atlanta, Georgia. King was an eloquent Baptist minister and leader of the civil-rights movement in America, from the Mid-1950s until his death, by assassination, in 1968. King promoted non-violent means to achieve civil-rights reform and was awarded the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.King’s grandfather was a Baptist preacher. His father was pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. King earned his own Bachelor of Divinity degree from Crozier Theological Seminary in 1951, and earned his Doctor of Philosophy from Boston University, in 1955.While at seminary, King became acquainted with Mohandas Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent social protest. On a trip to India in 1959, King met with followers of Gandhi. During these discussions he became more convinced than ever that nonviolent resistance was the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom.As a pastor of a Baptist church in Montgomery, Alabama, King lead a Black bus boycott. He and ninety others were arrested and indicted under the provisions of a law making it illegal to conspire to obstruct the operation of a business. King and several others were found guilty, but appealed their case. As the bus boycott dragged on, King was gaining a national reputation. The ultimate success of the Montgomery bus boycott made King a national hero.Dr. King’s 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail inspired a growing national civil rights movement. In Birmingham, the goal was to completely end the system of segregation in every aspect of public life (stores, no separate bathrooms and drinking fountains, etc.) and in job discrimination. Also in 1963, King led a massive march on Washington DC, where he delivered his now famous, “I Have A Dream” speech. King’s tactics of active nonviolence (sit-ins, protest marches) had put civil-rights squarely on the national agenda.On April 4, 1968, King was shot by James Earl Ray while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was only 39 at the time of his death. Dr. King was turning his attention to a nationwide campaign to help the poor at the time of his assassination.

Peaceful Men [Benjamin Franklin]



Benjamin Franklin, born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1706, may, by his life alone, be the most profound statement of what an American strives to be. He attended grammar school at age eight, but was put to work at ten. He apprenticed as a printer to his brother James, who printed the New England Courant, at age twelve, and published his first article there, anonymously, in 1721. Young Benjamin was an avid reader, inquisitive and skeptical. Through his satirical articles, he poked fun at the people of Boston and soon wore out his welcome, both with his brother and with the city. He ran away to New York and then on to Philadelphia at the age of 16, looking for work as a printer. He managed a commission to Europe for the purpose of buying supplies to establish a new printing house in Philadelphia, but found himself abandoned when he stepped off ship. Through hard work and frugality he bought his fare back to Philadelphia in 1732, and set up shop as a printer. He was appointed clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1736, and as Postmaster the following year. In 1741, he began publishing Poor Richard’s Almanac, a very popular and influential magazine. He was elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1751, and served as an agent for Pennsylvania (and ultimately for three other colonies) to England, France and several other European powers.He was elected to the Continental Congress in 1775, where he played a crucial role in the rebellion against Gr. Britain, including service to Jefferson, in editing the Declaration of Independence. Franklin, who was by this time independently wealthy and retired from publishing, continued to serve an important role in government, both local and national. He was the United States first Postmaster General, Minister to the French Court, Treaty agent and signer to the peace with Gr. Britain, Celebrated Member of the Constitutional convention (See Work, above). Benjamin Franklin: Businessman, Writer, Publisher, Scientist, Diplomat, Legislator and Social activist was one of the earliest and strongest advocates for the abolition of Slavery, and for the protection of the rights of American aboriginal peoples. He died on the 17th of April, 1790. On that day he was still one of the most celebrated characters in America.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Peaceful Men [Socrates]



Known as the founder of the Socratic method of questioning, Socrates was a famed social and judicial philosopher. Through his dialogues, his masterful arguments, and his logical method of countering his opponents verbally, he earned a reputation through every household, university and government office in Greece. Born to a sculptor and masonry worker in Athens, he followed his father’s chosen career path successfully for several years before devoting himself to the betterment of his own intellectual being. He had interest in the great philosophers of the day, including Plato and Xenophon. After their meeting, Plato continued writing using Socrates’ voice as the narrator of his works, which showed that logic and sound argument could disarm any opponent.Socrates claimed to hear voices that told him about his own moral behavior, and would warn him if he were to not meet his own high standards of divine truth and justice. He also concluded that Greece’s wisest persons were not as wise as he, because Socrates claimed he saw his own ignorance. One who realizes he is ignorant will become the wisest of all. Many Athenians in Greece thought that Socrates was polluting the minds of the city’s youth. They accused him of putting ideas into their heads, counter to the goals of the Athenian government. An argument, recorded in Apology, gives a prime example of Socrates’ argumentative process, where he shows that since the government has not thought about the city’s youth, they cannot be imprisoned for their corruption. This style of questioning begins with regular questioning and carries on until logic reaches a definite point and conclusion. His fame, life, philosophy and logic won him much praise, and is still considered the foundation of the philosophies that spread after him.

Peaceful Men [Baha’u’llah]



According to the Baha’i religion, Baha’u’llah was born in 1817, a member of one of the great patrician families of Persia. The family could trace its lineage to the ruling dynasties of Persia’s imperial past, and was endowed with wealth and vast estates. Turning His back on the position at court which these advantages offered Him, Baha’u’llah became known for His generosity and kindliness which made Him deeply loved among His countrymen. This privileged position did not long survive Baha’u’llah’s announcement of support for the message of the Báb. Engulfed in the waves of violence unleashed upon the Bábis after the Báb’s execution Baha’u’llah suffered not only the loss of all His worldly endowments but was subjected to imprisonment, torture and a series of banishments. The first was to Baghdad, where, in 1863, He announced Himself as the One promised by the Báb. From Baghdad, Baha’u’llah was sent to Constantinople, to Adrianople and finally to Acre, in the Holy Land, where He arrived as a prisoner, in 1868. From Adrianople and later from Acre, Baha’u’llah addressed a series of letters to the rulers of His day that are among the most remarkable documents in religious history. They proclaimed the coming unification of humanity, and the emergence of a world civilization. The kings, emperors and presidents of the nineteenth century were called upon to reconcile their differences, curtail their armaments, and devote their energies to the establishment of universal peace. Baha’u’llah passed away at Bahji, just north of Acre, and is buried there. His teachings had already begun to spread beyond the confines of the Middle East, and His Shrine is today the focal point of the world community which these teachings have brought into being.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Malaysia Airlines crew says no one untouched by missing plane mystery


(CNN) -- Boarding Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport was normal enough. But once inside, passengers and even crew members couldn't help talking about the disappearance of a sister aircraft under circumstances so bizarre that it's become the greatest civil aviation mystery since Amelia Earhart vanished.

Why are we so gripped by missing Malaysia Airlines plane?

I was heading on a 12-hour flight across Europe, Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and a half a dozen other nations to Kuala Lumpur.

The cockpit door remained opened only briefly as the captain and first officer chatted with ground maintenance staff. Once it closed, attendants began their usual pre-flight routine.

About two hours into the flight, I introduced myself as a CNN journalist to two of the attendants, who agreed to talk to me as long as I did not use their names.

"This nightmare has affected every one of us," said one attendant who said she had been flying for Malaysia for years.

"Most of us knew each one of the cabin staff. The purser was a wonderful man who had children and grandchildren."

When I asked about the captain and first officer on board the lost flight, there was nothing but praise.

Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah "has a first-rate reputation," said another flight attendant, a woman who too has worked for the airline for years. "I can't imagine him being involved in even a tiny way in something."

More on Malaysia Flight 370's pilots

As Malaysia Flight 17 flew only a couple hundred miles north of the Crimean port city of Sevastopol (according to the plane's inflight tracking system), a cockpit crew member appeared. He also agreed to talk, on the condition again not to use his name.

"It's all so unbelievable," he said. "This totally defies logic."

He used the present tense to refer to Zaharie.

"I hope when they find him, they don't fire him," he said. He quickly returned to the cockpit.

My seatmate, who said he was an engineer for an oil company that had leases in Malaysian waters, said he too was transfixed by the drama of the missing plane.

"None of this makes any sense at all," he said. "Absolutely none of it."

Flight 17 proceeded normally through the night sky and made a landing 20 minutes earlier than scheduled in Kuala Lumpur. As passengers began to file off, one of the flight attendants with whom I had spoken said goodbye and asked me to pray for the passengers and crew.

"We must find them," she said. "We have no choice."


source: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/17/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-attendants-mood/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Ukraine crisis: Early results show Crimea votes to join Russia



Perevalnoye, Ukraine (CNN) -- Preliminary results in Sunday's referendum on whether Ukraine's Crimea region should join Russia or become an independent state show overwhelming support for Russia.

With 75% percent of the ballots counted, close to 96% of voters want to become part of that country, according to the Crimean Electoral Commission. An official had announced earlier that more than 80% of voters had cast ballots by the time polls closed at 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET) Sunday.

Final results are expected later.

"We are going home. Crimea is in Russia," Crimea's Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov told crowds celebrating in Simferopol's Lenin Square. Music blared as they cheered and waved Russian flags.

The United States has already said it expects the Black Sea peninsula's majority ethnic Russian population to vote in favor of joining Russia. Moscow has strongly backed the referendum.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Sunday, according to a readout from the White House.

"President Obama emphasized that the Crimean 'referendum,' which violates the Ukrainian constitution and occurred under duress of Russian military intervention, would never be recognized by the United States and the international community," it said. "He emphasized that Russia's actions were in violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and that, in coordination with our European partners, we are prepared to impose additional costs on Russia for its actions."

Earlier, the White House released a statement that said the vote was "administered under threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law."

The voting has put the United States and Russia on the kind of collision course not seen since the end of the Cold War. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry reaffirmed in a call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that the United States considered the referendum illegal under Ukrainian law and that the United States would not recognize the outcome.

The European Union on Sunday repeated its "strong condemnation" of the referendum and called on Russia to withdraw its troops from the region. It, too, has called the referendum illegal and said it is looking at sanctions.

Lavrov said in a statement Saturday that Crimea's referendum conforms to international law.

European nations and the United States have announced some targeted punishments against Russia and have threatened tougher sanctions if the secession vote goes through, as now appears likely.

Is the referendum legal?

'Russia is an opportunity'

At a polling station in Perevalnoye, near a military base, a steady stream of voters arrived to cast their ballots despite the wintry weather.

Blaring dance tunes and Russian folk music welcomed them to the polling station, in an echo of Soviet times. What appeared to be a group of Russian soldiers -- without identifying insignia but with Russian license plates on their vehicles -- stood nearby.

One voter, Grigory Illarionovich, told CNN, "I'm for restoring Crimea to Russia. Returning what Khrushchev took away."

The Black Sea peninsula was part of Russia until Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev gave it to Ukraine in 1954. Ukraine was then part of the Soviet Union.

Another voter in Perevalnoye, Viktor Savchenko, said he would never vote for the government in Kiev. "I want us to join Russia, and live like Russians, with all their rights," he said.

Victoria Khudyakova said she also had voted to join Russia, which she sees as being "spiritually close" to Crimea. "For me, Russia is an opportunity for our Crimea to develop, to bloom. And I believe that it will be so," she said.

But Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, speaking in Kiev, dismissed the referendum as illegitimate under Ukrainian and international law and improperly run.

He said Ukrainian authorities had information from Crimea about voting irregularities, including people who are not Crimean citizens casting ballots, the absence of proper monitoring and the presence of armed men.

Mikhail Malyshev, the head of the Crimean Election Commission, said there was no information that people with foreign passports were voting in the referendum. He also said no "provocations" had been reported at polling stations.

CNN analyst and Russian journalist Vladimir Pozner similarly stressed that Sunday's vote was in no way staged.

"When you look at the celebrations, you can't doubt that these people really are very happy," he said.
Double voting?

In Simferopol, voters filed into a polling place, picked up white and yellow ballots and headed to private booths to fill them out before dropping them through the slits of clear ballot boxes.

In another polling station, the vast majority of ballots dropped in the boxes appeared to be marked in favor of joining Russia.

Some 80% of voters turning out at a polling station in Bakhchysaray were not on the electoral roll, the registrar told CNN. Those not on the roll have their passports and papers checked to establish identity. On the spot, election staff decide, with a show of hands, whether to allow those voters to participate.

A CNN team photographed one voter dropping two pieces of paper into the ballot box, raising questions over how effectively the vote is being monitored.

Turnout was high, but many Crimean Tatars, an ethnic Turkic group with deep roots on the peninsula, were boycotting the vote, as were many ethnic Ukrainians.

Tatars, who make up about 12% of the Crimean population, have faced severe persecution in the past, when Crimea belonged to Russia. On Saturday, representatives issued a statement recognizing Ukraine with its present borders, which would include Crimea.

They asked the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev for more legal protection for their ethnic group.

Much pro-Russian propaganda has been in evidence in the run-up to the referendum, both on the airwaves and in the form of campaign posters showing the Crimean Peninsula painted with either a Nazi swastika or the Russian flag.

Moscow has insisted it has the right to protect ethnic Russians in Ukraine, who it claims are threatened by radical nationalists and "fascists."

Could Donetsk go in the same way as Crimea?

Russian squeeze

Pro-Russian troops remain firmly in control of the Black Sea peninsula. Ukraine and the West insist the soldiers belong to Moscow, but the Kremlin vehemently denies it, saying they are Crimean "self-defense" forces.

Ukraine's acting Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh said Sunday that Ukraine had reached an agreement "with the Russian side" that Russian forces will allow the delivery of food and basic supplies to Ukrainian military bases in Crimea until Friday. The bases have been blockaded for days.

Tenyukh told a Cabinet meeting that there are now 21,500 Russian troops on Crimean soil. Russia is entitled to station 25,000 troops at its leased Sevastopol naval base -- but the question is where those troops are.

Tenyukh also said Ukrainian troops and equipment are being moved into Ukraine's east and south, in line with where Russian military forces are located.

Moscow has been carrying out mass military exercises not far from Ukraine's eastern border.

Russia tightened its military grip on Saturday within Ukraine. About 60 Russian troops in six helicopters and three armored vehicles reportedly crossed into Ukraine's Kherson region and were in the town of Strilkove, on a strip of land just northeast of Crimea.

The region is key to neighboring Crimea, because it gets electricity, fresh water and natural gas from there. The Russians said they were in Kherson to prevent a possible terrorist attack on oil assets, according to Ukrainian border guards.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized Russian activities in Kherson in a phone call with Putin on Sunday, according to a statement from her office.

She urged an increase in the presence of observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, so they can quickly be sent to contested areas, especially in eastern Ukraine, and called on Putin to talk to the government in Kiev.

The Kremlin's readout of the phone call said the pair had "constructive" discussions on sending an OSCE observer mission to Ukraine.

Putin also voiced concern that "radical groups" in league with Kiev were stirring up tensions in eastern and southeastern Ukraine and argued that the Crimean referendum is legal, it said.

Ukraine's Cabinet said Sunday it had asked for a new OSCE diplomatic monitoring mission to be sent to Ukraine. A military observer mission is currently in the country but has been prevented from entering Crimea.

CNN team in Crimea: This is a McMoment to remember

What happens next in Crimea?

If the vote goes in favor of joining Russia, as it looks like it will, Crimea's government will declare its independence and ask Moscow to let it join the Russian Federation. Russian lawmakers have said they'll vote on the question on Friday.

Christopher Hill, a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, Iraq and Poland, described Sunday as a bad day for East-West relations.

"Putin has left our president with no choice. He needs to impose sanctions. I know Putin will come back and impose his own," he said. "I think the end of this is going to be to cast Russia out into the cold. And the problem is, I don't think Putin really cares. I think this is where he wants to take Russia."

In Simferopol and other places with Russian majorities, blue, white and red Russian flags have dominated the streets.

In the coastal Crimean town of Sevastopol, concerts on the main square have been celebrating the return to the "motherland" this past week.

"Everybody believes the results are already rigged," said CNN iReporter Maia Mikhaluk from Kiev.

"People are concerned what is going to happen after the referendum," she said. "People are concerned that the Russian army will use force, guns to push (the) Ukrainian army from Crimea."

In the city of Donetsk, near the Russian border in eastern Ukraine, pro-Russian demonstrators stormed the prosecutor's office, forcing their way through a door of the building.

The activists are demanding the release of pro-Moscow movement leader Pavel Gubarev, who was arrested on March 6 for leading an occupation of the regional administration office.

Earlier, thousands of pro-Russian demonstrators gathered for a second day in a central Donetsk square before marching through the city. Riot police stood on guard outside the offices of Ukraine's security service and the regional administration.

Addressing the Cabinet meeting, acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said small rallies in Donetsk and another nearby city, Lugansk, had ended. About 4,000 pro-Russian protesters have gathered for a third rally, in Kharkiv, he said.

source: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/16/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Saturday, March 15, 2014

This Valentine's Day, bring human rights into the conversation with Iran

A portrait of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi is held
during a campaign rally in Tehran on June 10, 2013.


(CNN) -- For much of the world, February 14 is known as a day to celebrate love.

But in Iran, Valentine's Day has come to mark another occasion as well—the anniversary of the house arrest of Iran's leading opposition figures Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi and Zahra Rahnavard. On February 14, 2011, Iranian authorities placed Mousavi, Karroubi and Rahnavard under house arrest for calling on Iranians to demonstrate in support of the popular Arab uprisings across the region.

According to Reuters, earlier this month Karroubi was moved from a Ministry of Intelligence-controlled safe house to his own home.

The transfer shined new light on the plight of Iran's "prisoners of rights"— those imprisoned for seeking to exercise commonly recognized political, social, religious, economic, and cultural rights, denied to them by the Iranian government.

In addition to opposition politicians like Mousavi, Karroubi and Rahnavard, Iran's prisoners of rights include lawyers, journalists, professors, students, labor union workers, poets, musicians, artists, dissident clerics, bloggers, ethnic and religious minorities, LGBT persons and even humanitarian aid workers.

Civil rights and human rights activists are also a primary target. Some prisoners of rights, like women's rights and student activist Bahareh Hedayat, have been arrested for holding gatherings to protest laws that discriminate against women.

Others, like the "Yaran"—the seven leaders of the Bahá'í religious minority in Iran—are imprisoned for teaching a faith the Iranian government does not recognize.

Still others, like lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani, are imprisoned for their efforts to assist or seek justice for prisoners of rights. Ironically, before his arrest, Soltani had been preparing a case in defense of the seven Bahá'í leaders.

The easing of restrictions on Karroubi's house arrest will be of key interest to observers tracking President Hassan Rouhani's delivery on promises he made on the campaign trail in last June's presidential election. While Rouhani made no express promise to free Iran's prisoners of rights, his references to the jailed opposition leaders and pledge to increase civil and cultural freedoms resonated strongly with voters.

The release of renowned human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and other high profile activists last September in advance of President Rouhani's first-ever address to the UN General Assembly buoyed hopes of more releases. And a subsequent announcement by the Iranian judiciary that 80 more political prisoners had been pardoned further stoked expectations.

Unfortunately, these hopes have gone largely unrealized.

According to human rights groups, only half of the 80 promised pardons can be confirmed. Many of those released had already served their terms. Since the announcement, arrests have continued—including the arrest of a popular rapper and more than a dozen "cyberactivists."

There is some indication that Iran's Judiciary may be driving human rights abuses during President Rouhani's first six months in office—perhaps in an effort to undermine reforms.

Indeed, while significant gains have been made through international diplomacy on the nuclear issue during President Rouhani's tenure, advancement on human rights has come to a standstill. This despite a recent poll that shows democracy, civil rights and women's rights top the list of priorities for the Iranian people.

Regardless of whom in Iran's complicated governance structure is at fault, one thing is clear: the international community's engagement on human rights, alongside resolution of the nuclear issue and the easing of sanctions, remains a necessary factor for progress.

Each visit to Tehran, each promise of renewed investment, each round of nuclear negotiations brings a fresh opportunity for global decision makers and influencers to press human rights concerns. These openings should not be squandered.

Another opportunity will present itself when the P5+1 powers reconvene in New York City this month. Although by definition the focus of the talks will remain on the nuclear issue, geo-strategic concerns will likely be raised. Alongside those concerns, every effort should be made to incorporate discussion of Iran's human rights situation into the conversation.

Finally, all of these governments will convene again in March for the UN Human Rights Council's 25th session in Geneva. They should take the opportunity to recommit themselves to the human rights cause by adopting a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and allowing him to visit the country. The resolution should also set specific benchmarks for the Iranian government including the release of all prisoners of conscience, a moratorium on executions, and an end to restrictions on assembly, association, and expression. Recently developed bilateral and multilateral channels between Iran and global powers, including the European Union, its member states, and United States, should be used to advance these human rights goals.

A few days ago another anniversary passed -- the 35th anniversary of Iran's 1979 revolution. Back then the international community's support of the Shah was also premised on long term diplomatic security and stability while paying short shrift to the leadership's human rights abuses. The Iranian people did not forget this. Making the same mistake again is not only wrong, it is surely unwise.


source; http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/14/opinion/iran-valentines-human-rights/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

Why Gaza conflict risks wider war



Editor's note: Michael B. Oren is the Abba Eban chair in international diplomacy at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel, and an ambassador-in-residence at the Atlantic Council. He was formerly Israel's ambassador to the United States.

(CNN) -- Back in the mid-1960s, a Palestinian guerrilla group called Fatah -- the Conquest -- began launching cross-border attacks against Israeli civilians.

Sponsored by Syria and led by Palestinian activists, among them the young Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah aroused admiration throughout the Arab world. So much so that Egypt, then Syria's rival, formed its own group and called it the Palestine Liberation Organization -- the PLO -- which also staged attacks into Israel.

The Israelis wouldn't sit passively, though, but struck back at Fatah's Syrian hosts, who in turn shelled Israeli villages. Not to be outdone, Egypt in May 1967 evicted U.N. peacekeeping forces from the Sinai Peninsula and amassed troops along Israel's border. This precipitated an Israeli pre-emptive strike against Egypt which, within hours, ensnarled Syria and even Jordan. Six days later, Israeli troops controlled the territories, whose final status remains bitterly unresolved.

Recalling the background to the Six-Day War -- a conflict almost nobody wanted and even fewer anticipated -- is crucial today in the face of a frightfully similar process unfolding along Israel's southern border.

If left unchecked, the rising violence in Gaza could quickly spiral uncontrollably. Another conflagration, no more desired or foreseen than that of 1967, could once again engulf the Middle East.

Though Fatah and the PLO merged long ago and are now headed by Mahmoud Abbas, who has since forsworn terror, other Palestinian groups are vying for power. By attacking Israel, they gain credibility in the Palestinian street and prestige throughout the region.

One such group was Hamas, a wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, that violently expelled Abbas' men from Gaza in 2007 and proceeded to fire thousands of rockets at Israel. Still not passive, Israel retaliated with punishing operations in Gaza in 2008 and 2012. Those blows, together with the Brotherhood's fall from power in Egypt, subdued Hamas, but now another Gaza organization has risen to challenge it.

Islamic Jihad has been firing rockets and aiming ground attacks at Israel. Characteristically, the Israelis responded with force and earlier this week killed three Islamic Jihad operatives engaged in mounting a strike. The terrorists then fired some 50 rockets and mortar shells at southern Israeli towns, spurring Israeli fighter jets to bomb 29 targets in Gaza.

(An Islamic Jihad leader told CNN on Thursday a truce had been declared, but the Israeli government has not commented.)

But Israel regards Hamas as the sovereign authority in Gaza and holds it ultimately responsible for any attacks emanating from there, even those conducted by Islamic Jihad. If the rocket fire and shelling continue, Israel is likely to retaliate against Hamas, which could be dragged, however unwillingly, into the fighting.

Islamic Jihad is funded and armed by Iran. Just last week, Israeli naval commandos intercepted a cargo ship -- the Klos-C -- carrying 400,000 bullets and 40 rockets capable of hitting Tel Aviv. Made in Iran, the arms would have enabled Islamic Jihad to join with Hezbollah, Iran's chief proxy in Lebanon, to rocket every Israeli city. The goal is to deter Israel from striking Iran's nuclear facilities and to paralyze it with multiple existential threats.

But what if Iran -- much like Egypt in 1967 -- miscalculated? What could happen if an Israeli reprisal for Islamic Jihad's rockets results in a confrontation between Israel and Hamas?

Would Hezbollah then join the clash, unleashing its arsenal of more than 100,000 rockets against the Jewish state, and would Israeli forces have to invade Lebanon to stop them? Would Iran watch idly while its closest Middle East ally was crushed by the "Zionist enemy," or would it, too, leap into the fray?

Gaza remains a combat zone as of this writing, and rocket alert sirens are wailing in southern Israeli cities. As in previous exchanges, a de facto cease-fire might be worked out and relative calm restored to the region. Or the confrontation could widen, and what began as a skirmish could inexorably expand into war. As the example of 1967 reminds us, a single spark in the combustible Middle East can swiftly fan a flare-up into a firestorm.


source: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/13/opinion/oren-gaza-conflict-implications/index.html?hpt=imi_t3