Nonkilling Seminar Accomplished in Honolulu

Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00) Written by Anis Hamadeh Wednesday, 21 October 2009 04:01

Between October 4 and 16, twelve peace workers from all over the world met with the Nonkilling Center Leadership Team for exchange, talks, analyses, and trips to several local places like the mausoleum of Queen Lili'uokalani, Kualoa Ranch, Wai'oli Tea Room, Iolani Palace, Pearl Harbor, Ma'o Farms, and Kailua Beach. Via Skype we talked, among others, to Martin Luther King's close friend Bernard LaFayette, to James Mercy from the Centers for Desease Control and Prevention CDC, and to the Colombian singer Juanes who told us how much he had wished to join the seminar in person which unfortunately was not possible. But he is with us, anyhow. The seminars took place in the East-West Center on campus and we were accommodated nearby. The program was very dense, starting at 8 in the morning, and lasted until the shared dinner, mostly in one of the local restaurants, so that the days were fully covered with activities, including times of recreation and fun, certainly.

All of the diverse participants had an interesting story of their own to share with the group. Peewee from Liberia, who works with the Carter Center, showed us a moving film on how Liberian women had succeeded in ending the bloody civil war in their country. Baen from Thailand also showed us a video, it was about the situation of Muslims in her country, where people can suddenly disappear and no one knows where they remain. She and her mother and other activists are committed to the nonviolent struggle toward equality for all. Lubna from Palestine shared her experiences as a peace activist for equal rights in Palestine/Israel, a place of severe human rights violations and unilateral violent policies. She also talked about the Free Gaza Movement of which she is a member.
Prisca from Italy translated the nonkilling book into Italian and works with several NGOs in her country to promote a culture of peace as does Anis from Germany in his country. Pamela told us about the situation in Kenya where she works as a teacher with an open eye on the social and political situation there. A third African participant was Sidi, who works with the United Nations, traveling a lot. He is from Western Sahara, a small country which to an extend of 80 % is occupied and exploited by Morocco. Joeven from the Philippines shared some tragic stories with us about killings in her country. Once part of an armed group herself, she understood the necessity for a nonkilling society and began to work as a committed peace activist.
Brad was the Hawaiian participant of the seminar, a young student who loves riding the canoe and who could tell us a lot about local affairs. Also residing in Hawaii is Saiful who originally is from Bangladesh, an open-minded and intelligent young man. Zena from Michigan originally is Lebanese, she told us about her work as an advisor to the US army in cultural affairs and about the difficult situation of Muslims and Arabs in the US which she wants to alter with her activities. Shalu from Delhi in India works on several issues related to civil matters in her country.
The Academy gave these very different individuals an opportunity to learn more about the possibilities of nonkilling and formed a pioneering group of devoted peace-workers who now form a network for further cooperation, inspired by two weeks of academic adventure. Professor Paige and his wife Glenda attended most of the sessions and took us to a Korean temple and other places. The seminar was supposed to be a life-changing experience for all, and indeed, it was. Read some more details at http://non-killing.net/academy. Video materials and photos will be available soon, visit www.nonkilling.org for that matter in the coming weeks.