Dr. Mohammed Elsanousi, Executive Director of the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, has been selected as a member of the NGO Working Group on the UN Security Council.
“Delighted to represent the Network for Religious and Traditional Pacemakers and the FCA on dialogue between civil society and the Security Council”, says Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi
The NGO Working Group on the Security Council promotes dialogue between UN Security Council members and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with special program interest in the Security Council.
The NGO Working Group seeks a diverse representation of groups in the areas of human rights, humanitarian relief/development, peace promotion, and other policy areas and is currently comprised of more than 30 NGOs including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, ACT Alliance and Save the Children, among others.
Dr. Elsanousi said “As a new member of the NGO Working Group, I am delighted to represent the Network and to continue the on-going dialogue between civil society actors and senior member state representatives, as well as other high-level UN officials.” The Working Group holds regular briefings for its members with Security Council ambassadors, UN officials and other actors with special knowledge of Council matters.
“FCA and the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers have a long history of working with the UN as the UN various agencies are founding member of the Network. FCA also has a consultative status on the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) ”, said FCA Executive Director Jouni Hemberg.
“Membership on the NGO Working Group opens additional opportunities to build bridges between grassroots peacemakers and global actors in order to strengthen ongoing peace building and mediation efforts. I couldn’t be more pleased”, Hemberg says.
Dr. Elsanousi has served as the Executive Director of the Network since May 2018 and is also a member of the Faith-Based Advisory Council for the United Nations Interagency Task Force on Religion and Development. Since its founding, the Network has been hosted by Finn Church Aid (FCA), Finland’s largest development agency and provider of humanitarian aid.
Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi is the Executive Director of the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, a global network that bridges grassroots peacemakers and global players to work towards sustainable peace. Dr. Elsanousi was the director of Community Outreach and Interfaith Relations for the Islamic Society of North America. He also served on the Core Group Taskforce for the Department of State’s working group on Religion and Foreign Policy. Dr. Elsanousi holds a bachelor’s degree in Shariah and Law from the International Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan, a Master of Laws from Indiana University, a graduate diploma in philanthropic studies from the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, and a Ph.D. in Law and Society from the Indiana University School of Law.
For more information
Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi, Executive Director, The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers
tel. +1 317 506 2835 (Time zone GMT-4, Eastern Daylight Time)
After her divorce, relatives refused to help. Now Kamu Sunar is the one people come to for help and advice.
A little boy comes to Kamu Sunar’s shop. He chooses a chocolate bar and hands over the money. He has already turned to leave when Sunar reminds him to take the change with him.
Kamu Sunar’s shop takes up one room in a two-storey stone building on the narrow main street of the village of Bhardeu. The shop sells a variety of items from soap and bracelets to shoes and petrol. The small village of Bhardeu is located in a verdant valley right in the middle of Nepal.
Sunar is a Dalit, or an outcaste, as well as an entrepreneur and a single mother. Now, she is also a municipal councillor on the Nepalese rural municipal council Gaupalika, meaning she gets to participate in local decision-making.
For several years, a women’s cooperative supported by the Finn Church Aid volunteer network Women’s Bank has operated in Sunar’s home village. The women who belong to it have received education and support for e.g. saving and agriculture as well as starting their own small businesses. The members of the cooperative have improved their financial and social position, but according to the women, equally important has been an improvement in self-esteem, team spirit within the group, and support from others.
And when a municipal election was held in Nepal, the women of Bhardeu decided to join forces. They voted for Kamu Sunar, a respected member of the group who had a slightly better chance of being elected, thanks to a Dalit quota. When she was elected, it was a victory for all of them.
In politics, Sunar wants to promote the financial and mental empowerment of women. In Nepal, the situation of women is still poor, and not everyone thinks rights such as ownership rights and financial power of decision belong to women just like they do to men.
Went to school in secret, married young
Remote Bhardeu has not always been home for Kamu Sunar. Her childhood was spent in the capital Kathmandu where her parents had a goldsmith shop. Her childhood as the eldest daughter of a family with five children was a happy one.
”I went to school for five years. After that, my parents wanted me to help my mother at home and my father at the shop. Even as a child, I was strong-willed. I was very interested in mathematics. I tried continuing to go to school in secret, but when my parents found out, I got a beating, and I had to drop out of school.”
Kamu Sunar sighs. Now comes the most painful part of her story.
A young man visited the goldsmith shop.
”I was 15 years old when we met, and he was six years older than me. We married for love.”
A couple of decades ago, love matches were much less common in Nepal than they are today. The newlyweds moved to the groom’s home village of Bhardeu. They were happy together for ten years.
”Then he found someone else. I don’t want to talk about it any more than this. He betrayed me. I don’t want to think about him,” says Sunar.
”No, I definitely never intend to marry again, because I don’t want that to happen to me again.”
When her husband left her, Sunar and her young children, a girl and a boy, were left destitute. The family of the husband did not want to help them.
”My children gave me courage. I didn’t want them to suffer.”
”Mom is kind-hearted and funny”
Being a member of the women’s cooperative helped Sunar rearrange her life. Little by little, Sunar acquired both skills and capital. She got a loan of 15,000 Nepalese rupees (110 euros) to start her own shop. Having her own shop had been a lifelong dream.
The shop was a success. Both of her children got the chance to stay in school for as long as they would like.
We close the shop for a while and go see Kamu Sunar’s construction site. She is about to fulfil another dream, a home of her own. Her time living in her ex-husband’s brother’s house is coming to an end. The house is not even safe, because it was damaged in the powerful earthquakes of 2015.
Sunar’s small plot of land is within walking distance of the shop in this beautiful valley in which the village is located. Houses are scattered few and far between in the valley, surrounded by meadows and terraced maize and mustard fields. In this country known for its snowy peaks, the tall green hills surrounding the valley cannot be called mountains.
At the plot, Sunar’s daughter and a friend are working in the heat of the sun, crushing rocks. You can also buy crushed rock, but it is cheaper to make your own.
Soon there will be a small house on the plot that belongs to no one but Sunar. It feels wonderful.
Tomorrow, 14-year-old daughter Amrita can leave crushing rocks behind and gets to go to school, as the school year starts.
”Amrita is stronger than I am. She talks a lot and has lots of suggestions,” says Sunar.
Amrita is interested in a career as a volleyball player. ”She gets to choose herself,” Sunar assures us. Her 18-year-old son Amit works in a goldsmith shop in Kathmandu, but often visits his mother and sister.
”Mom is kind-hearted and funny. And a little strict. Mom used to be very quiet, but not anymore. I’m really pround of her being on the council,” says Amrita.
Work on behalf of women
Outcaste people still face many kinds of discrimination in Nepal.
”I’ve suffered a lot because I’m outcaste. But I have learned a lot as well. I’m here now because I have had so much support,” says Sunar.
According to Sunar, all members of the council are like one big family.
”We dine together and help each other. There is no discrimination there.”
Sunar knows from experience exactly what kind of skills a woman needs in order to improve her situation in society. She is now in a position to give advice and help others.
Being on the council only pays a small fee, and the 460 municipal councils of an impoverished country do not have a great deal of funds to hand out for local development. 18 percent of the funds are especially reserved for supporting women. This is better than nothing at all.
”My mind used to be empty. Now I have lots of knowledge, skills and ideas,” describes Sunar.
Growing up in Uganda’s biggest slum can label a person for a lifetime. Last week, 95 youth celebrated their graduation from Katwe’s Skills Center in Kampala, showing what can become of them when given a chance.
The air around the dusty field in the thick of Katwe’s slum area is bursting with excitement. White tents have been raised for a crowd of hundreds of viewers, including the 95 graduates from Katwe’s Skills Center.
They have completed their yearlong courses in photography, electronics and hairdressing, and are today dressed in their finest wear, including yellow robes and graduation hats. Finn Church Aid, The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Muslim Youth Development Forum have supported their studies. Representatives from the local police authorities are also present to witness the students’ big day.
“This is sending everyone a message not to judge a community as a whole before you give them an alternative way of life”, says Ahmed Hadji, Team leader of the Muslim Youth Development Forum.
Youth yearn for a chance to prove themselves
Katwe is Uganda’s biggest slum area and widely known as a notorious haven for criminality, prostitution and recruitment of extremist groups. The reputation labels the community as a whole.
22-year-old Kaweesi Ramadan says it was impossible to find work before. Not only because
Kaweesi Ramadan, 22, (middle) says that from this day on, he is going to walk proudly on the streets of Katwe to show an example to other youth of what they can become.
he never had the chance to go to school, but also because he grew up in Katwe. His upbringing already deters employers.
“I had to do things that people do when there is nothing else. I stole people’s phones and used drugs”, Ramadan says.
Ramadan was at rock bottom when community leaders approached him about the training. He managed to leave his former life behind and powered through a yearlong education, specialising in electronics.
Project administrator Diana Akunda explains that the project also aims to connect the students with officials and police with the intention of letting them understand that change is possible.
“We invited local authorities on Friday sessions to witness the progress and at least make sure that they remember the faces of these youth who are determined to earn a living through work”, she says.
“When I see the youth today and compare with what they looked like at the start, I’m the happiest person.”
Training builds mental character
The training requires a lot of discipline from youth who never went to school, and who have to wait to earn money until after the training is completed. Nambalirwa Babirye, 22, says she was extremely shy when she joined, but after finishing her training as a hairdresser, she feels more comfortable socially.
Nambalirwa Babirye, 22, (middle) celebrates becoming a hairdresser. Her dream is to start a saloon for celebrities.
“I grew up with a single-mom and had to quit school after the first grade because she could not afford it. I am so excited about finally learning skills that I already started teaching children what I know”, she says.
“I want to improve children’s lives, and personally I dream to start a saloon for dressing celebrities.”
Ramadan has learnt to repair electronics and create innovative technical solutions in an environment where creativity is much needed due to the lack of money. At the graduation event, another student displays a fully working helicopter he’s built during the training. The photography students have also decorated the venue with breath taking pictures.
Graduated electricians receive a toolkit worth 50 US dollars to help set up a business, while photographers and hairdressers are supported in establishing studios, saloons and spas.
“From this day, I will be walking proudly on the streets of Katwe to show what we all can become when given the chance to prove what we are capable of”, Ramadan says.
After a round of musical performances and inspirational speeches, the student’s receive their diplomas and cut the graduation cakes. Plenty of flowers are handed out, and when the speakers start blasting hit music, all 95 students spontaneously start dancing and singing along. The atmosphere is electric.
“This is the first time they celebrate something. There’s been years of negative attention for them, but now it is positive. I am so excited about this”, Hadji says.
We are living in the age of post-truth. Post-truth, because truth appears to be no longer relevant; it does not seem to matter if you tell the truth or lie. The value of a message lies within its entertainment value – how provocative it is and how it attracts annoyed masses.
May the best lie win. Truth, you are fired.
Truth and lies in the socially networked era are increasingly communicated through major platforms, such as Google, Facebook and Twitter. If we are not careful, these actors determine through algorithms what we see, with whom we interact frequently, and what we know about what is happening.
The platforms select our content, and truthfulness has not been their biggest concern. People have less direct access to “reality”, if they choose to use these platforms. In other words, we ignore the library, and take the book Google offers – sometimes without knowing, what other books are out there.
Right now, the algorithms control what we see, but we cannot control the algorithms or even challenge them. Yes, we got Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s post Cambridge Analytica apology, but that does not change much. The combination of post-truth and algorithm poses massive challenges for societies.
But why is this relevant for peace building?
Truthful accounts of what happens during violent conflicts are important for peacemakers, and ultimately for all actors that have a credible interest in sustaining peace and reconciling differences. False statements and wrong accusations can ruin sincere attempts to overcome violent conflict. So, more specifically:
1. It is meaningful to understand what really happens. Finding the truth, critically reviewing sources of information, and reflecting on what happens and why are important elements when trying to build peace.
Truth can bring recognition and closure to terrible events. Can you imagine how it feels if your family dies in a bomb attack and the other conflict party claims, it never happened? This is one reason why truth and reconciliation commissions are so important after violent conflict.
2. Lies travel faster than truth. But do we have time for complicated truths? Technology, it seems, is providing a conducive environment for “fake news”. This was evidenced by a study on false news traveling faster than true stories on Twitter. Have we lost the game already? No. Social media is based on social interactions. In other words, it is based on us.
We have influence and have to make choices. Perhaps during the next round of ‘Trump bashing’ we can ask ourselves if we are a part of simplified truth discussions, and should we be ready for complicated truth? The truth that looks beyond the statements of Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad, Trump and the German far-right party AfD.
3. How do we get truth to speed up? As everyone is so excited about artificial intelligence, we may just need to find the right application for it. For example Eyal Weizman used video footage from different angles of a bomb attack and computing power to model 3D cities. Forensic architecture is verifying which residential areas were hit by bombs. Using socially shared (and often accused to be fake) videos to convincingly verify what actually happened, is an important step forward. Another step may be to get a better grip on the millions of twitter bots and other semi-automatic fake news amplifiers.
This is difficult stuff, because good attempts of filtering out fake news may take real news with them. Still, it would be a great start if artificial intelligence could assist humans to claim back the human social online sphere.
Truth is an important element in peace building. Dealing with complicated truths requires dialogue and all sides of the story. Ultimately, one group, however convincing (or convenient) it may appear, rarely owns truth.
It requires some stretching from everyone to be in dialogue with those with whom we disagree most.
Matthias Wevelsiep
The writer is Development Manager for Digital Transition at Finn Church Aid.
Peace is like an egg. It is delicate and fragile, but in the right conditions, it gives life.
Those are the wise words of the late Deka Ibrahim, who resolved clan conflicts in Wajir County in the early 90’s, and later became instrumental in the peace processes in North Eastern Kenya. She was my role model when I decided to start working for peace.
I developed a passion for peacebuilding coming from a predominantly Somali pastoralist community in North Eastern Kenya. The region experiences intractable violent conflicts within and between different clans and exacerbated by historical marginalisation, insecurity and violent extremism.
The need for peace building was dire, and my experience is that women have a lot to contribute in peace processes. However, in pastoralist communities, women are often excluded from them.
Despite my background, engagement and education, it has never been easy for me to build trust within the communities I worked in. Early in my career, I supported a local organization in a peace dialogue, but the clan and religious leaders did not accept me because I was a young single woman.
Not only men resist the involvement of women in peace processes. I once interviewed a local woman peacebuilder in Wajir County on women’s role in a peace process, and she looked at me and told me “why don’t you ask the men these questions before asking us, they know better, they represent us.”
That does not make sense. Women are a part of the conflict, just like men. In Kenya’s pastoralist areas, women contribute to promoting a culture of violence with the use of proverbs, poems and songs.
I currently work for FCA along the Kerio Valley, amongst the Pokot and Marakwet ethnic groups, where women sing and dance for young men after they return from cattle raiding.
I also vividly remember how women from one clan burned a dead body in Garissa town during a clan conflict. They were carrying machetes on the streets. It was shocking to see women at the forefront of violent clan conflict.
Through my years in this field, I have realized that involving women in peacebuilding requires a deep understanding of the cultural and religious context, and working closely with these communities to identify culturally suitable strategies to bring women on board.
With FCA, we have designed talking circles involving local women from the Pokot and Marakwet. Traditional mechanisms of conflict resolutions among communities are often most effective for building peace. Women have the power to prevent violent conflict for instance with the Leketio, a belt made of cowrie shells worn by women. The belt signifies fertility and motherhood.
When a woman removes the belt during violent conflict, the youth from both ethnic groups immediately stop fighting. This shows the immense role women can play in peacebuilding.
I try to oppose the resistance to involving women in peace processes by building trust and using strategies acceptable to the communities. I work closely with community leaders, as they are connectors to the society.
Deka Ibrahim was a mentor, who inspired me, and I hope in turn to inspire young women at the grassroots level to work for peace. This does not necessarily mean women need to get a seat in the council of elders. I believe there are vast opportunities for women to engage and claim their role in peace building at the local level. This in itself is a gradual process that we should be willing to take.
Aziza Maalim
The writer works for FCA Kenia office as a coordinator for peace work.
Pibor was long known as the Wild West of South Sudan because of cattle rustling and age-set fighting. The effects of peace processes supported by FCA have enabled the town’s market to flourish and opened the people’s eyes to livelihood opportunities.
Et ole hyväksynyt markkinoinnin evästeitä nähdäksesi videon.
The rays of the evening sun caress the town of Pibor and inhabitants are washing themselves by the river at the end of a hot day. FCA’s finance administrator Moses Ludoru greets passers-by on his evening walk. His easy laughter is contagious.
Ludoru is a familiar sight to locals, as his evening walk has become routine during peacetime.
”I want to stretch my legs and see what people are doing. There is so much new development here,” Ludoru describes.
Women are digging the soil together. More and more are planting vegetables. Pibor’s marketplace is buzzing with people buying food and other items from the sheet metal shacks and clay huts. At a youth club, children are playing a football game on the television.
”Before, nothing was grown here, and we brought our food all the way from Juba. Now we can buy our food here,” Ludoru explains.
Young people fight each other for influence
Pibor is the main town of Boma State, nearly 400 kilometres east of the capital Juba. Boma used to be part of Jonglei State that has long been among the most restless regions in South Sudan.
Ludoru’s work began quite literally with an empty desk. Armed men had cleaned out the previous office premises down to the chairs and desks when he settled in Pibor in early 2016. Organisations had evacuated their employees.
The conflict was a sum of many parts, like poverty, food shortage, prevalence of guns, and struggle for power. When Ludoru arrived, the fighting was between the opponents and supporters of the governor at the time.
“Before FCA started building reconciliation, people in conflict were more likely to reach for a gun than to engage in dialogue,” says Ludoru.
Pibor is home to the Murle people, characterised by a hierarchy based on age-sets. Boys are born into a specific age-set distinguishable by name, colour and scar patterns traditionally made on the skin. One generation has an age span of 10 to 15 years.
Traditionally, there comes a time for each generation to become decision-makers for their people, but since the war, the traditional rhythm has been compromised.
”Young people who have fought in wars at a young age want to have more influence and they might use violence to achieve it,” says Ludoru.
Cattle rustling fuelled the violence
We stop at a tea room at a sheet metal shack serving strong-flavoured ginger tea. A group of around 20-year-olds stand near the building. Their leader, Bollein Daki, has a bullet wound in his elbow.
Simon Ngago (on the left), Allan Mau, John Kikir and James Golla are part of the Lango age-set. For them, peace means the freedom to move without fear, and that children can go to school without worrying. Photo: Liselott Lindström
Daki represents the Kurenen age-set, or youngsters around 15 to 25 years of age. The Kurenen separated from the slightly older Lango age-set. Before that, the Lango had separated from the Bothonia age-set. The rifts among the youth have been deep.
Bloody fighting ensued, forcing the Kurenen to retreat out of town. If Daki and his friends had shown their faces at the marketplace back then, the result would have been at least a fight.
”The fighting made farming impossible, and innocent people lost their property”, says Daki.
The conflicts usually start with cattle rustling. Raising cattle is the main form of subsistence in the area, and the number of cattle is a symbol of status. Young adults need cattle in order to marry and start a family.
The dowry sets a man back at least 50 cows. In a poor region, many decide to steal what they need, and the food shortage has also encouraged looting.
Previously fights were resolved using sticks as weapons, but the war increased the number of firearms in the region. “The consequences were ugly”, says James Golla from the Lango age-set. The fights could grow to involve thousands of people.
”We even lost parents in the crossfire, as our mothers and fathers tried to stop the fighting,” Golla reminisces. ”The violence stopped food transports, and everybody suffered.”
Livelihoods strengthen peace
Daki and Golla reconciled the disputes between their age-sets in a peace process last year. The reconciliation was inspired by the FCA-supported peace between the tribes of Boma State and the peace between Boma and the neighbouring Jonglei State.
The banks of the Pibor river are busy in the late afternoon. Photo: Liselott Lindström
In late 2016, FCA gathered the Murle of Boma and the Dinka of Jonglei for a peace meeting for the first time. The tribes reached a historic agreement on peaceful coexistence. The people of Boma State were granted permission to use the route to the capital Juba through Jonglei, making movement and trade easier.
40 leaders in key positions took part in the process between the states, and over 90 percent of those involved reported being satisfied with the results.
Boma State has about 200,000 inhabitants. Last year, FCA gathered the Murle leaders of the state to reconcile their differences on political appointments in the state leadership. Traditionally, the disputes have led to fights for which the parties involved have recruited young age-sets.
The strength of the peace was put to the test when a new governor took office again at the turn of the year – this time, under historically peaceful circumstances. For the first time in years, Boma State was spared any major violence.
”At first, I hated meeting the Lango, but now we are able to enjoy a meal together”, says Daki.
Peace would not be possible without increased livelihood and education opportunities, says FCA’s peace officer Stephen Drichi. Now, people are able to pursue their goals without fighting.
The age-sets have come together to learn skills such as fishing, baking and cooking. Now people from Pibor can find for instance fresh fish at the marketplace, in addition to dry food.
”We have also organised football tournaments for young people, with different age-sets playing together in mixed teams,” says Drichi.
An increasing number of children go to school
Before FCA arrived in Pibor, there were virtually no school buildings in the area, and education was not appreciated. The men made a name for themselves by fighting, and the women married underaged.
Work with education has opened the eyes of the Pibor townspeople to the significance of education, even for girls. Hellen Ajar (on the left) says that school is making her daughter Susan more independent and is giving her better opportunities to support the entire community. Photo: Hugh Rutherford
FCA has built several temporary learning spaces in the Greater Pibor area, and last May, five larger school structures were completed. In addition, FCA has trained 60 volunteer teachers.
The education project has reached over 4 000 children. The parents participate in the maintenance of the schools.
The improvement in education has encouraged parents to also send their daughters to school, in addition to boys.
Hellen Ajar sells tea at the Pibor marketplace and says that the youngest child of the family, Susan, 15, is allowed to continue with her studies all the way to university.
According to her, girls used to be brought up just in the hopes of cattle.
”Susan’s sisters married young, just like I did at 14. There have been men asking about Susan, but I have told them no,” says Ajar.
Education also strengthens peace. It increases the opportunities for work for children and youth and affects the survival of their families and communities. Young people are also offered peace education, providing them with tools for reconciliation and dialogue. In the reconciliation meetings themselves, the tools are a practical asset.
According to Drichi, conflicts that arise can be dealt with quickly.
”The next step is to prevent all dangerous situations, but that requires long-term work,” he says.
”The longer an individual person sees peace, the harder that person will work to maintain it.”
Text: Erik Nyström Photos: Hugh Rutherford and Liselott Lindström
New report published by the Berghof Foundation synthesises the insights from an exploratory study on the youth space of dialogue and mediation, primarily based on case studies in Myanmar and Ukraine, along with reflections from Abkhazia, Georgia and South Ossetia. FCA’s Development Manager, Matthias Wevelsiep, has contributed in the making of the report.
In an endeavor to offer insights on ‘youth space of dialogue and mediation’, conflict contexts in Myanmar and Ukraine were explored in the report. People in their youth phase were conversed with, along with people who have passed beyond this phase of life, allowing them to reflect on their own youth and on their observation of (and interaction with) the work of young people.
As a follow-up to the UN Security Council Resolution 2250, the report makes a thematic contribution to the Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security, aiming to stimulate a much-needed discourse on youth contributions to dialogue and mediation.
Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi is the new Executive Director for the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers.
The Network’s leadership appointed Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi as the new Executive Director on May 1, 2018. The appointment was announced at the 8th Advisory Group Meeting for the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers in Stockholm on May 4-6, 2018.
Since its inception in 2013, the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers has grown from a small UN-led initiative to a coalition of over fifty organizations working together to build bridges between grassroots-level peacemakers and global players in order to strengthen international efforts to build sustainable peace.
During the four-year tenure of former Executive Director Antti Pentikäinen, the Network made significant strides toward fulfilling its mandate to collaboratively support the positive role of religious and traditional actors in peace and peacebuilding processes.
“As we begin this new chapter of our work, I am delighted to see Mohamed Elsanousi step into the Executive Director role, and I look forward to supporting him as he guides the Network into the future,” says Pentikäinen, who will lead the Network working group on reconciliation. This includes research on the impact of reconciliation with Princeton University and the Center for Theological Inquiry.
Dr. Elsanousi has been with the Network since 2014 and previously served as the Director of the Network’s Washington, DC office.
“I am humbled by the appointment and the trust the leadership has shown me. I am thrilled to continue building on what we have already achieved together and crafting a clear and inclusive strategy to further localize the efforts of religious and traditional actors to build peace in the most challenging contexts”, he says.
Dr. Elsanousi’s selection as the Executive Director was also welcomed by the Network’s UN partners.
“As the UN redoubles its commitment to working with religious actors to address some of the most pressing challenges facing their communities, we are thrilled to strengthen and expand our partnership with the Network, with Dr. Elsanousi at its helm,” said H.E. Adama Dieng, Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide.
Dr. Azza Karam, Senior Advisor on Culture at the United Nations Population Fund, echoed these sentiments.
“Dr. Elsanousi’s reputation as a strategic convener of diverse actors, a responsible manager of interreligous and intercultural service for peace, and a leader confident in recognizing and building on the achievements of those who went before him, positions him very well to take the Network forward in the years to come.”
As the Secretariat of the Network since 2013, Finn Church Aid also expressed its wholehearted support and enthusiasm for the appointment.
“It has been great to witness the vigor and drive with which the new Executive Director has taken on his role. Mohamed is known for his broad personal networks and networking capacity, which will be a significant asset as the Network continues to grow,” notes Jouni Hemberg, Executive Director of Finn Church Aid.
Dr. Elsanousi’s appointment was announced at the Network’s 8th Advisory Group Meeting on May 4. Drawing on the evaluation concluded in March, the meeting focused on discussions on further development of strategy and structure.
“The evaluation offered concrete recommendations, and Dr. Elsanousi made it clear he will make good use of them as he continues the further development of the Network. The Network is solidifying its position as a significant partner to the international community and will continue to build on models that have proven useful,” says Tomi Järvinen, Director of International Cooperation at Finn Church Aid.
Finn Church Aid (FCA) founded The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers in 2013 at the UN’s request and has since hosted the Network’s secretariat. Read more about the Network here.
Violent extremism contributes to some of the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophes. It also poses a challenge to the gains in development enjoyed by many countries in Africa, a new report concludes.
The typical extremist organisation recruit is a 17–26-year-old from a state’s poorest, peripheral areas with only a few years of secular education and a low level of religious literacy. At the time of joining, the recruit’s main concern in life is employment. His or her confidence in institutions and governance is limited.
This is one of the main conclusions of the UN Development Program UNDP’s extensive report, launched in Helsinki on Friday 4th of May. The Journey to Extremism report sheds new light on the path to radicalisation and on how the effects of violent extremism hampers humanitarian work and development cooperation. (Download the full report in pdf-format here.)
Researchers conducted interviews with 718 people from Somalia, Nigeria, Kenya, Sudan, Niger and Cameroon – the largest sample of interviews with former members of extremist groups thus far.
With the above-mentioned preconditions, a recruit only needs to reach a “tipping point” before making the final decision to join an extremist group. In 71 percent of the cases, the defining event consists of a government action, often an excessive security response against a perceived terrorist threat.
The decision to join is quick, says Mohamed Yahya, lead author of UNDP’s research. Some 80 percent join an extremist group within a year after the tipping point, and a striking 48 percent within less than a month.
“This emphasises the fact that development solutions are essential in addressing the incentives and drivers of violent extremism. Military solutions are not enough”, Yahya concludes.
Research in sync with FCA’s key findings
FCA’s Reach Out coordinator Milla Perukangas providing perspectives on preventing violent extremism in Finland. Photo: Rabbe Sandström
The destructive consequences of violent extremism have resulted in 33 300 fatalities in Africa between 2011 and 2016, not to mention the devastating effects related to displacement and economy.
Extremism-related research has thus far largely been the territory of organisations working with security issues, although the issue profoundly affects development actors, says Yahya. It threatens to stunt development outcomes for generations to come if left unchecked.
“How can you talk about sustainable development goals and women’s rights when the question for many is whether they dare to go to the market and take the risk to be blown up”, Yahya says.
Almost 80 percent of the interviewees had previous connections to the extremist groups Boko Haram and al-Shabaab, which Finn Church Aid’s (FCA) previous research has focused on. UNDP’s research is in line with FCA’s previous findings, for instance that family and friends – not religious leaders – recruit most members.
Yahya highlights the role of local voices as a counterbalance to the influence of extremist groups, especially the role of religious leaders, which is one of the key groups supported by FCA’s peace work.
“But we also need to create viable exit paths, which include opportunities created by development in these poor peripheral areas”, Yahya says and adds that current circumstances do not contain enough options.
“Like one of our interviewees said: ‘After I left Boko Haram, I was welcomed by poverty’.”
Trust is key in preventing violent extremism
Panel discussion on preventing violent extremism, held at the UNDP’s report launch in Helsinki on May 4th. From the left UNDP’s Africa Regional Programme Coordinator Mohamed Yahya, Arshe Said from the Finnish Somali League, David Korpela from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Katja Creutz from the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and Milla Perukangas, FCA’s Reach Out coordinator. Photo: Rabbe Sandström
The question of how to prevent youth from joining extremist groups is a question for the whole society, says Milla Perukangas, coordinator for FCA’s Reach Out project against violent extremism in Finland. FCA has put its international experience and knowhow of preventing violent extremism in use in Finland since 2015 as a response to the vast number of foreign fighters traveling from Europe to conflict zones.
The solutions are always context-specific, but there are universal keywords that are applicable in all circumstances. Trust is one of them, says Perukangas. The Reach Out project has specialised in building bridges between those at risk of recruitment, their families, civil society actors and Finnish authorities.
“We need to empower youth through for instance education and opportunities to both speak their mind and find employment”, Perukangas said in her presentation at the report’s launch event in Helsinki.
“In the long run, the work to prevent violent extremism needs more emphasis on the human experience and the initial grievances of people in affected areas.”
There are anniversaries for humanitarian workers that are sad reminders of evil in the world. This week marks the seventh year of the Syrian war, and this is no cause for celebration. There is just a cruel war in which all parties have lost a long time ago.
Last week, I was in Syria for a project monitoring trip, and the war was constantly present. The war could even be seen in areas that have not had violent conflicts. In addition to visible fights, 6.1 million internally displaced persons place a burden on the economy of more peaceful areas and on public services.
The war affects the life of every Syrian.
During my trip, I met with colleagues over breakfast in the mornings, and I listened in silence as they talked about the friend or relative in Damascus whose house had been hit by a rocket and whether anyone had been killed or injured. I was shaken by how everyday these stories sounded coming from them and how tired they are after seven years of war.
We were supposed to go to Damascus, but it is impossible at the moment. The fighting in Eastern Ghouta is at its most heated, and dozens of rockets and grenades are fired at the city every day. On my last visit in the fall of 2017, the streets were full of people in the evenings. Single projectiles did not hold people back. Now, in March, people think it best to stay at home.
The Syrian war is a shameful example of the failure of great powers
As humanitarian operators, we do not publicly take sides in politics, but I have to say that seven years of war in Syria is a shameful example of the failure of political will and decision-making on the part of great powers. In the midst of this political tug-of-war, the one to suffer most is always the human being, whichever side of the front line he or she lives.
The victim has been an entire nation, especially children. There is a whole generation of refugees in Syria’s neighbouring countries that has never lived in their native land. At Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, 80 Syrian children are born as refugees every week. They grow up within the walls of refugee camps and in the poor quarters of a foreign land.
Seven years have left behind unimaginable destruction and human suffering. Hundreds of thousands have died, and in addition to internally displaced people, 5.6 million refugees have fled to neighbouring countries. The real number is much higher, since not everyone has been registered.
There are glimmers of light in Syria, as some get to return to their homes and are able to restart their lives. However, the overall situation for civilians is worse than ever.
69 percent live in extreme poverty. The price of food is eight times higher than before the war. 5.6 million people live in a life-threatening situation, without shelter, protection, and unable to meet fundamental rights or basic needs.
These people are in need of immediate humanitarian aid, and fast, but it cannot be easily delivered everywhere, as is the situation in Eastern Ghouta right now.
Functioning washrooms mean more pupils
Muqlos school in rural Homs in October 2017 (left) and after the rehabilitation in March 2018. Photo: Olli Pitkänen.
Finn Church Aid has supported children’s opportunities for going to school and the restoration of school buildings since 2015. Even though children’s access to school has improved in recent years, 1.7 million school-aged children, or 43 percent, are still out of school.
The need to get children to school is enormous in both Syria and neighbouring countries.
This winter, Finn Church Aid supports the restoration of 12 schools in central Syria. Classrooms, washrooms, and water stations are renovated, walls are painted, and desks are repaired.
Washroom and toilet of Muqlos school in rural Homs area in October 2017 and in march 2018. Photo: Olli Pitkänen.
We visited ten schools, and many children of internally displaced people study in each of them. At the Tartus countryside, principal of Muniat ya Mor school Hamsa Ali says with gratitude that renovating the school meant a lot to the community.
”Before, the toilets did not work and there was no water. Now they are in really good condition. The renovated school facilities have lured the children back to school,” said Ali during my visit.
Joyful colours on the classroom walls have already improved learning results. Absences have dropped, and fewer children and young people than before drop out of school. Teachers’ motivation has improved.
Teaching and learning are appreciated again!
Yusra Naser school in Safita has 361 pupils, 81 of whom the children of internally displaced people. English teacher Lucy Vitar believes there is a bright future ahead for the students.
”They are sad because of the war. Many of them are really bright, and we hope that they learn to love studying,” says Vitar regarding the significance of the renovation work.
Maintaining hope is important everywhere. The desire to believe in a brighter future makes people work for the common good. This could be felt in all the schools.
Principal of Nadim Resla school in Latakia, Fateer Barhom, summed up the effects of the seven years of war in a way I found apt. Although the war has affected everyone, adults need to be able to take responsibility for the children and create the best possible circumstances for them to study in.
Children deserve a chance to build their life in a safe environment.
Olli Pitkänen Development Manager, Middle East, FCA
The office of principal Noura in Muqlos school in October 2017 and March 2018. The reconstruction of schools gives hope of a brighter future and motivates also the teachers. Photo: Olli Pitkänen.
