CELAC culminated successfully
Cuba President pro-tempore of the CELAC culminated successfully.
By Zelmys Maria Dominguez Cortina, Ambassador of Cuba to the Kingdom of The Netherlands.
Successfully completed the II Summit of Heads of State and Government of the CELAC (Latin American and Caribbean Community) held on 28-29 January in Havana, Cuba, which was preceded by the meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs from 26 to 27 January. CELAC is composed of 33 States which were overwhelming represented in that event at the highest level.
The Cuban Army General Raul Castro Ruz, President of the Council of State and Ministers of the Republic of Cuba in his closing remarks stressed the seriousness and responsibility with which Cuba had exercised its Presidency. He also thanked all those present for the valuable support received, on behalf of the Government and of all the Cuban people, and for your participation in “these days of broad and profound discussions of our countries’ biggest concerns.”
He added that “the documents adopted at this Second Summit have reaffirmed our commitment with the values that led to the foundation of CELAC and our strong belief that unity amid diversity as well as the Latin American and Caribbean integration are the only viable alternatives for the region. We have reached important agreements on transcendental issues, such as the promotion of a “Zone of Peace” in the region and the rules and regulations required to ensure that the intraregional and extra-regional cooperation brings about tangible benefits for this community.
He pointed out that among other things that “CELAC has reiterated, among other aspects, the unrestricted respect for the Purposes and Principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations and International Law. It has reaffirmed that, in order to eradicate poverty, it is indispensable to change the present world economic order, promote solidarity and cooperation and demand compliance with the development assistance commitments that have been entered into. Emphasis has been made on the importance of the State’s permanent sovereignty over their natural resources. We intend to establish the best ways to exercise that right”. He added that “We likewise expressed our firm determination to work in order to cope with the challenges posed by the international situation and make every effort to promote equity and social inclusion, eradicate discrimination, inequalities, marginalization, human rights violations and the infringements of the Rule of Law”
With respect to Cuba, it reaffirmed that it will continue working hard in the CELAC, to continue the process of consolidation of this organization. Cuba handed over the Presidency pro-tempore of CELAC to the President of Costa Rica, HE Mrs. Laura Chinchilla, who thanked Cuba and pledged to continue working for the sake of the objectives of the Organization during her presidency.
In general we can say that this historic and successful event has once again demonstrated the will of peace, respect and integration of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. The Summit had very emotional moments as the tribute to the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias, one of the creators of this organization and the meetings held by the Commander Fidel Castro Ruz with many of the attending heads of State and Government.
Need to “Pick Up Pace”
Director-General: Need to “Pick Up Pace” In Removing Chemicals from Syria
Directly from the OPCW, The Hague.
In a meeting of the OPCW Executive Council yesterday, Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü briefed the Council on efforts underway to expedite the process of removing Syrian chemicals that have been identified for destruction outside Syrian territory. “While the two shipments (of chemicals) this month represent a start, the need for the process to pick up pace is obvious,” the Director-General told the Council. “Ways and means must be found to establish continuity and predictability of shipments to assure States Parties that the programme, while delayed, is not deferred.” The Director-General briefed the Council about his exchanges with senior Syrian officials in which he has underlined the need for a timeframe to be provided by the Syrian Government for the removal of chemicals. The Syrian government, while expressing concerns about the current security situation, has reiterated its commitment to completing the programme and assured that it is working on a schedule for the transport and removal of the chemicals. The Director-General and the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke recently and agreed that the removal process must be accelerated. Since the commencement of the mission in Syria, the Council has met regularly to oversee the implementation of its decisions pertaining to the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons programme. Yesterday’s meeting took stock of the work of the OPCW-UN Joint Mission and the latest developments as reported by the Director-General in his recent monthly report and oral update. There was a shared sentiment in favour of more rapid progress given that the multinational effort in support of the removal and destruction programme has committed significant resources. The Council decided to reconvene on 21 February to continue its deliberations.Recent Events from Jan. till Feb 10th,2014
Ubi Kirindongo
For photo album click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98057281@N02/sets/ In excess of fifty larger and smaller sculptures provide an overview of the exceptional oeuvre of this Antillean, who creates sculptures from recycled waste material and objects he has found. The work of the celebrated and award-winning Yubi Kirindongo (Willemstad, 1946) has been seen throughout the world, both in galleries and at international exhibitions such as the Biennials of Havana, Johannesburg and São Paulo. His work is accessible, but not ‘uncomplicated’. Until now, Kirindongo’s recycling art has seldom been seen in the Netherlands. With more than sixty works created in the period from the 1970s to the present day, Museum Beelden aan Zee is presenting the first major retrospective of the oeuvre of the Antilles’ most important artist. To be seen are sculptures made from car bumpers and other vehicle components. But Kirindongo also fashions other waste materials and discarded objects into meaningful and socially engaged sculptures. More info http://www.beeldenaanzee.nl/en/grote-zaal/Yubi-Kirindongo-Rebel-in-Art-SoulSerbia National Day in The Hague.
H.E. Petar Vico, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in the Netherlands received Friday 14 February members of the diplomatic corps and special guests to celebrate Serbia’s National Day. On the occasion of the day, which falls on Saturday (February 15), Ambassador Vico expressed his satisfaction at the excellent bilateral relations between Serbia and the Netherlands.
Incredible India
By Bonnie Klap. For photo album click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98057281@N02/sets/ His Excellency Mr. Rajesh Nandan Prasad, Ambassador of India, hosted a reception to commemorate the 65th Republic Day of India. India became independent of the United Kingdom in 1947, but it did not have a permanent constitution at this time. In India Republic Day honours the date on which the Constitution of India came into force. Republic Day represents the true spirit of the independent India. The reception was extremely well attended by a high number of Ambassadors, business people and other dignitaries.
Rijswijk & The Hague
By Roy Lie A Tjam. The Hague’s deputy mayor, Marjolein de Jong (Culture, City Centre, and International Affairs), together with her counterpart from Rijswijk, Alderman René van Hemert (Economy and Spatial Planning), signed an important partnership agreement on Monday 3 February 2014 at a launch event in The Hague International Centre (THIC). This agreement means that skilled migrants living in Rijswijk can now make use of the one-stop registration facility at The Hague International Centre (THIC) to obtain their residence permit from the IND, register with the municipality and receive their social security number (BSN). The launch of this initiative follows the formal establishment of a working agreement by all parties involved in the registration process: the municipalities of The Hague and Rijswijk, IND and the expat organisation ACCESS. A similar successful collaboration between The Hague and the municipalities of Delft and Leidschendam-Voorburg is already in place. According to Alderman René van Hemert of Gemeente Rijswijk: “We are now in a position to provide even better services to those expats within our city borders; thus creating an even stronger, internationally attractive region.
Dominican Republic celebrating “Our Lady of Altagracia” in Utrecht
By Dr. Eugenio Matos G. Minister Counselor, Dominican Republic Embassy. A group of dedicated Dominican expats celebrated Our Lady of Altagracia during a well attended mass at the Hispanic Church in Utrecht. The Dominican Embassy contributed with a violin and piano repertoire from Dominican and international composers. It was followed by a reception and dinner, featuring a delicious Sancocho sponsored by Mrs. Gladys Carrasco and distinguished Dominican ladies. Our Lady of Altagracia is the patron saint of the Dominican Republic. Every year, on January 21st, thousands of Dominican pilgrims visit La Basilica de Higuey. It is a national holiday in the Dominican Republic. January 21st is marked by all-night church services and special festivals all over the country. The Dominican Republic Embassy is already developing and supporting special Dominican cultural projects around the Netherlands, which include direct participation with Dutch volunteer citizens- during 2014. The diplomatic mission is honored to host “Diplomats Meet & Greet” within few weeks at Carlton Ambassador hotel, showcasing “A taste of Dominican Carnival”, with dancers and typical music in the presence of head of diplomatic missions, dignitaries, Dutch journalists and special guests. An important painting exhibit is expected next fall 2014 in Wassenaar organized by the Dominican Embassy.
Royal Thai Invitation = Harmony.
By Drs. Eva Maria Elisabeth Mennes. Have you ever seen three ambassadors making music together in harmony? Well, you could have, if you had been at the Royal Thai Invitation of the informal January Meet and Greet of the Diplomat Club The Hague. H.E the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand, Dr. Virachai Plasai and Mrs. Elizabeth Plasai, were the gentle hosts of a great evening. The friendly Thai welcome and drinks, Thai beer or a Mojito made with Thai Rum, and later the Thai saté were very much appreciated by all the guests. White orchids beautifully decorated the room. You could have met the ambassadors of Pakistan, India, Ireland, France, Israel, The Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Canada, New Zealand, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tunesia and other members of the diplomatic corps. Just to mention some other guests, I also spoke to Frans Engering, the former Dutch ambassador to South Africa and his charming wife Louise, Dr. Richard Ruijgrok, Honorary Consul General of Thailand and Tasoula Georgiou Hadjitofi who has done so much for the preservation of the art of Cyprus. But of course the best part was the intercontinental harmony by music with the Thai, Canadian and French ambassadors, playing guitar and piano and singing international songs with all the guests and the staff of the Diplomat Club. It was again a very pleasant evening at the Rubens Bar in Carlton Ambassador Hotel in The Hague.
Awards Ceremony at Japan residence
By Robert Buurke. On the occasion of the outstanding contribution by Prof. Dr Rien T. Segers, the Founding Director of the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Groningen and currently Profesor of Asian Business Strategies at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen and who studied the business culture of Japan and conducted comparative research on business cultures of other countries, to promoting mutual understanding between Japan and The Netherlands, the new Ambassador of Japan, H.E. Masaru Tsuji organized in his residence an award ceremony of the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation for Prof Dr Rien T. Segers on Tuesday 21th of January. Dr Rien T Segers held a short presentation on the social-economic matters in both Japan as well as The Netherlands followed by a comparison of the chosen solutions.
Brunch at The Duin & Kruidberg Estate
Robert Buurke. In one of the most beautiful estates of Holland, The Duin & Kruidberg Estate inSantpoort-Noord on Sunday 19th of January an internationally streamed brunchwas hosted by EVA ARTPRODUCTIONS FOUNDATION from Wassenaar incoordination with Sculpture Network in Munich, Germany. The lunch could beseen simultaneously in 14 countries and 43 cities. H. E. The Ambassador ofGuatemala Mr Jorge Alfredo Lemcke Arevalo represented his country and thefamous artist José Toledo. José will join the sculpture garden, which will beopened on May 8th from 17 to 19 h. for the whole summer season at the samelocation. It was a pleasant afternoon with very interesting international sculptorsand collectors.
Sweden “kick-off”
By Robert Buurke. On the occasion of the celebration of 400 years diplomatic relations between Sweden and The Netherlands the embassies of Sweden in The Hague and The Netherlands in Stockholm, Sweden, organized a so-called: “kick-off” reception on Friday 17th January at Korzo Theater in The Hague. In 2014 several events will be held to mark the friendship between these two countries. On www.swe400nl.com the agenda for these events is shown.
Sociëteit De Witte by our Editor
By Drs. Eva Maria Elisabeth Mennes. Diplomat Magazine Editor. Just back from the New Years Reception from my club the Nieuwe of Littéraire Sociëteit De Witte at Plein 24, ‘s-Gravenhage I really feel the urge to present this illustrious club to you. The Society owns this beautiful place downtown The Hague, where you can meet friends and excellently invite others. In summertime we meet at the Paviljoen De Witte Pellenaerstraat 4, Scheveningen. I assure you, you cannot find a better place to have your drink at the beach.
But it is not only socializing I am talking about. At the different ‘tables’ (the structure of the club) you can find the most interesting subjects to be discussed. The best thing to get informed is to visit the website of the Sociëteit De Witte www.societeitdewitte.nl , otherwise I can’t stop writing. But before I forget: one of the most interesting assets of the Societeit De Witte are the sister clubs all over the world. Home from home everywhere! Just where we belong.
Cuba host CELAC Summit
Picture: President Danilo Medina (Dominican Republic), Raul Castro (Cuba) and President Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela, minutes before attending the CELAC in la Havana.
By Roy Lie A Tjam.
On Tuesday 28 January, President of Cuba Raúl Castro opened the II Cumbre de la Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños (CELAC) = second) Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit in Havana, 28-29 January 2014. The summit brought together representatives from the 33-nation group.
On Wednesday participants will sign a more than 80-point declaration covering issues; support Argentina’s claims over the Falklands; condemn US blockade of Cuba, declare the area a region of peace and free of colonies, and probably call for Puerto Rico to join Celac.
Dominican Republic (DR) President, Danilo Medina, delivered an energetic speech before the chiefs of State and heads of governments. He unequivocally made his country’s position clear on the protection of human rights. Medina was alluding to Haitians residing in his country. President Medina reiterated that Dominicans have been the people most in solidarity with Haiti, and he cited that there are nearly a million Haitians living in the DR. However, the Dominican Republic will not accept any foreign infringement in her internal immigration affairs, said President Medina during his address in la Havana.
Dominican Republic (DR) President, Danilo Medina, delivered an energetic speech before the chiefs of State and heads of governments. He unequivocally made his country’s position clear on the protection of human rights. Medina was alluding to Haitians residing in his country. President Medina reiterated that Dominicans have been the people most in solidarity with Haiti, and he cited that there are nearly a million Haitians living in the DR. However, the Dominican Republic will not accept any foreign infringement in her internal immigration affairs, said President Medina during his address in la Havana.
Interview with Linda Divon
By Bonnie Klap.
In our monthly interviews with spouses of Diplomats, we strive to get to know the man or woman behind the serving Diplomat. This month it is the turn of Linda Divon, wife of His Excellency Mr. Haim Divon, Ambassador of Israel. As we arrive at her residence, Linda Divon turns out to be an elegant, soft-spoken lady, who likes to paint with water colors and oils , but of course there is more to her than meets the eye. Who is Linda Divon?
Linda Divon has lived in a variety of countries with her husband and children before arriving in The Netherlands almost two and a half years ago.
“We have had postings in India, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and Canada twice and in every country we have made life-long friendships with locals as well as with other expatriates. Before coming to The Netherlands we already had Dutch friends. In the mid to late nineties we flew to The Netherlands twice for family cycling holidays. We stayed with our friends in Baarn and from there took the train to a destination where we started our 4-day cycling tour. Every day we would cycle something like 50-60 kilometers!” Mrs. Divon tells me.
So Linda Divon is obviously an active lady.
“Yes, I go to the gym very regularly and have a personal trainer. I love walking in The Hague and I also cycle when weather permits. My husband is even more dedicated to sports- almost obsessed! He’ll even go to the gym when he’s sick!”she laughs.
In addition to her active physical lifestyle, Mrs. Divon also takes Dutch lessons and devotes a great deal of her time serving as President of the AWC, the American Women’s Club of The Hague. Just before starting this interview she was busy working on her speech and agenda for the Annual General Meeting at her club. She would love to get back to her art lessons and to painting and says that this is her New Year’s Resolution.
“Due to the many country moves, I have always had to be flexible and to adapt to new situations as quickly as possible. I think that the wife/mother is the rock in a diplomatic family. She is the glue that keeps it all together.”
“This is our very first posting without children. Today our children are living all over the world- in Israel, Toronto-Canada and Boston-U.S. I think that we were lucky to have been able to expose our children to various cultures. It taught them to be open minded and accepting of all peoples. It definitely made them worldly.”
“During our posting in Canada our youngest daughter Michal, who was 17 at the time, started a peace building initiative. It is called Peace Camp Canada. It was a program which brought Palestinian and Israeli youth together for a two week program with the aim of breaking down stereotypes and building bridges. It indeed was a life changing experience for all,” explains Linda. After returning to Israel Linda became the Regional Director. In addition to the summer program Linda arranged workshops for the youth in Haifa. Linda together with her daughter Michal and son Elan continued with this initiative for 4 years. In 2007 they received a full grant from the government of Canada for their program. Linda continues to stay in touch with all the Peace Camp Canada participants.
In what way does she support her husband?
“ We met when we were so young- 19 or 20. Being an adventurous young girl I decided to study overseas at the Hebrew University for one year. During that time I did some volunteer work at Hadassah Hospital and my future husband was there as a patient, recovering from an injury. That’s how it started and the rest is history!”
I realized very early that with a career diplomat as a husband I would not be able to have and to build my own career. I have encouraged and supported my husband throughout his 30+ year career. When we are overseas at a posting I am totally involved and committed to being a good ambassador for Israel. We are a team and we truly complement one another. I accompany my husband to many functions in The Hague as well as throughout The Netherlands. Whether it be visiting the Mayor of Kampen or the Mayor of Middleburg or the Lieutenant Governor of a Province, or going down to the Phillips Headquarters in Eindhoven or meeting with the CEO of Ten Cate or visiting one of the Jewish communities in Maastricht or Enschede or when he is a guest speaker, I will be by his side.
Her impression of her new home town, The Hague?
“I love it. It’s a green and elegant city. It has the feel of a big village. Everything is accessible and there is a good quality of life here in The Hague.”
In concluding the interview, Linda ended by saying that in spite of all the difficulties of moving and raising children all over the world, she feels blessed for such an interesting, exciting and enriching life. The experiences that she has had and the wonderful multicultural friendships that she has made all over the world far outweigh those difficult times.
Sochi-delegation debate
By Bonnie Klap.
In The Netherlands there is always some kind of national debate going on. Last December it was the debate about “Sinterklaas” and his “Zwarte Piet,” or Black Peter, whom some viewed as racist and a throwback to the times of slavery. This time there is a fierce debate going on about what is referred to in the press as the ‘Sochi-delegation.’ His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, Her Majesty Queen Maxima, Prime-Minister Mark Rutte and Minister of Sports, Mrs. Edith Schippers, will attend the Sochi 2014 Wintergames. The fact that such a top-level delegation will travel to Sochi does not sit well with some, as they see the attendance of a King, a Queen, a Prime-Minister and one of his Cabinet-Ministers as an act of condonation toward the handling of gay rights in Russia. Passionate statements are being made on both sides of the issue. Truth be told, The Netherlands is – and always has been – protective of the rights of gay people. Not only do prominent politicians and other dignitaries make it a point of being highly visible at the Annual Gay Parade in Amsterdam, but The Netherlands has even put the rights of gays, lesbians and transgenders on the UN-agenda as one of its key points. Moreover, unlike The Netherlands, its allies such as the US, Germany and France have made a clear decision not to send a high level delegation to Sochi. Hence, the opponents of the Dutch delegation attending the Sochi-wintergames argue that, at the very least, The Netherlands is sending Russia mixed signals. Not so, the proponents counter. Sports and politics should at all times remain totally separated and the two have nothing to do with each other. Indeed, so the proponents argue, the very fact that this high-level delegation includes Royalty and a Prime-Minister, will facilitate the dialogue on this heated topic between Prime-Minister Mark Rutte and Russian dignitaries. Prime-Minister Mark Rutte finds himself in a hardly enviable position, certainly now that several well-known VVD-party colleagues of his, such as EU-commissioner Mrs. Neelie Kroes, have recently openly questioned the wisdom of his decision to attend. Certainly something can be said for both sides and the Prime-Minister is probably handling this thorny issue in the best way he can. In part coerced by several vocal Members of Parliament, Prime-Minister Rutte has promised to “discuss” the rights of homosexuals during his trip to Sochi and “if possible” even mention it to Russian President Putin.
King and Queen visit Italy
His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Máxima bring Her Majesty Queen paid an introductory visit to Italy on Thursday, January 23, 2014. They are regularly accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Frans Timmermans. The King and Queen in the Palazzo del Quirinale were received by President Giorgio Napolitano in Rome. After a lunch meeting with Prime Minister Enrico Letta in the Palazzo Chigi a meeting with the President of the Senate, Pietro Grasso, followed in the Palazzo Giustiniani.
Photo: Frank van Beek.
Diplomatic work as seen from within by a local employee
By C.J. (Niels) Marselis, Political Analyst & Multilateral Assistant, Embassy of Hungary .
As a Dutchman growing up largely abroad, I had always envisioned to have an international career. Upon finishing my studies in political science and law at Leiden University, I found a vacancy at the Embassy of Hungary, as a “political analyst”. The job description hugely appealed to me and after a successful interview, I was hired to take up my duties in April 2010. Our working language would be English. Besides analysing and reporting on Dutch politics by attending Parliamentary debates and immersing myself into newspapers, journals and the internet, I was soon involved in the multilateral work at the embassy, above all at the OPCW.
By this time I had discovered that I was the only Dutchman working at and representing a foreign country at the OPCW, ICC and the PCA. As a result, I found myself in the unusual but privileged position to be able to meet and get to know colleagues from around the world, whom I would otherwise hardly ever see. I became Secretary of the Alternates, Advisers and Associates (AAA) Club, the informal delegates club linked to the OPCW, and I started to become a regular at exhibitions, receptions and other such events.
Whereas the Dutch Foreign Service employs many locals at embassies abroad to do substantive work, nor the Hungarian Foreign Service or any other Foreign Services that I am aware of do so on such a large scale. The main reason to hire a local would be his or her knowledge of the language, culture, customs and (political) history, adding much to the quality and value of the reports being sent back to the capital. A few of the reasons that I have heard that would bar engaging a local employee in this way are security, nationality
requirement, tradition, or funding. Having now held this position for almost four years, I can honestly say that it has been a pleasure and privilege to be involved in the life and work of the Diplomatic Corps in The Hague. I have made many friends from around the world, and I have had the honour to learn about other countries and cultures; from Afghanistan to Hungary, to Viet Nam. I look forward to continuing my international career, in The Netherlands or elsewhere!
Making Mali a safer place
By Peter Knoope.
“Quarter-makers” is the word that the Dutch use for those military people that left for Mali recently. They live up to their name. They prepare the quarters for the contingent of Dutch soldiers that will be part of MINUSMA. Making Mali a safer place is their mission. Creating conditions for stability and for development is their contribution. After the Afghanistan and Iraq wars however, we all wonder if this will be the case. We hope to succeed, we fear to fail. With this in mind Parliament discussed the issue and sought experts’ input to ask the right questions and ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of the mission. I was one of these experts. Now we know there are no easy answers and predicting the future is impossible, so I told them about competing propositions. I talked about the youngster in Kirdal in Northern Mali who gets to choose: On the one hand, a life filled with excitement, fast and big money, part of the gang, cool with the bandits that cross the Sahara smuggling drugs and cigarettes. Or the other life filled with comradeship and a new identity, heroic and with a political mission, something to live and die for with the boys in AQIM or MUJAO.
Or else the alternative proposition of the government, with no future prospects, noeducation, no government services but with the traditional social ties that relate to historic values. What the young boy, idle and faced with these options will choose, depends on the attractiveness of the proposition. The goal of MINUSMA therefore is to increase the attractiveness of the governments proposition. And it needs to move fast to guarantee that the other options in the marketplace become irrelevant and unattractive. Because we know that once you are in, be it the criminal gang or the political movement, getting out is not easy- desertion unacceptable.
I also talked about security and what that really means. Increasing stability requires security. But security is often looked at from the perspective of the State. States organize and guarantee state security. And rightly so. It means securing the states’ institutions and those that work for the State. But where the State is considered corrupt, or absent or worse, where State representatives are abusive or looking after their own interests, rather than the interest of the public and the people, State security becomes “their security” rather than “our security”. The human security perspective is a fundamentally different concept in many cases. Human security starts where the peoples security is taken care of. That requires an understanding of what real people really need in terms of their security. The question: “how do we find out?” is relevant. As the concerns of the people are important as a starting point, it is equally important to identify what people really mean when they refer to their security. That may seem more complex than it really is. Recently, we had the perfect example locally.
The people in Northern provinces where our national wealth is hidden in our rich soil got really worried about their security and the risks they run through the exploitation of our national resources. The earth quakes. Houses break. Security shaken. But on the other hand our national cake is at stake. The national economic, and state security clashes with peoples security. Tensions build up to the extent that some of the protesters in Groningen claimed that they did no longer exclude the use of violence…
The situation in Mali and in Groningen differ; in many respects. But the clashes of human security interests and state security interests are “look-alikes”. A thorough understanding of the clashes between security interests in an environment where the State is either regarded as inadequate, corrupted or absent is very basic.
Therefore, I would like to advise our quarter-makers to start looking into these issues. Talk to the civil society organisations that do not exclude the use of violence. Understand their motives and their grievances. Understand their anger and frustrations, just like in Groningen. Weigh the national and state security concerns, that soldiers naturally represent, carefully with the human security concerns. Only then will there be an answer to the questions that linger in the minds of our Parliamentarians ever since Afghanistan and Iraq. We can succeed and we will not fail if we care to listen and understand the challenging alternative propositions that lay on shoulders of the youngsters in Kirdal and if we care to listen to human security concerns of the people. My hope lies with the quarter-makers.
“Bread, freedom and social justice!”
By Taher Farahat, Ambassador of Egypt to The Netherlands.
On January 25th, Egyptians commemorated the third Anniversary of the 25 January 2011 Revolution, a historic event that was closely followed, as it unfolded throughout its 18 days. Tahrir square, the main downtown square at the heart of the Capital Cairo, embraced the waves of Egyptians who took to the square, demanding a better tomorrow for all, with their main slogan “bread, freedom and social justice”.
The square was indeed, a mosaic of Egyptians from all around the country; from various political denominations; beliefs; social strata; and educational backgrounds. Some were experienced political activists, while others were new to political activity. However, all were united in their legitimate demands, and aspirations for a better future for the generations to come.
Such a revolutionary act was unthinkable for many experts in the Middle East Politics. In a country which succeeded to achieve a notable level of economic growth, before the international economic crisis, the revenues were not for the benefit of all, due to the mal-distribution of wealth. This was coupled with the stagnant political scene dominated by the then ruling National Democratic Party. Consequently and unexpectedly, Egyptians collectively decided not to tolerate such injustices, and thus the revolution was born.
In the past three years, Egyptians have taken major steps forward. Political Parties with different agendas and denominations were established, ending the decades long domination of a ruling party; civil society organizations and individual initiatives embarked on several outreach activities in various parts of the country to raise political awareness. The high rates of participation in elections and referenda, including securing the right to vote for Egyptians residing abroad, freedom of expression and views witnessed a remarkable progress. The political and social scene became more inclusive allowing larger role for women and other marginalized social forces in the public sphere and ended their reluctance to engage in the political arena, and to voice their demands publicly.
Nevertheless, the path to democracy continues to witness challenges. There were instances of violence, as well as the inability to achieve economic recovery, and most importantly, attempts to renounce democratic practices respected worldwide, and radically change the national identity, firmly based on moderation and openness. Eventually, the acute insurmountable predicament culminated in the outbreak of a public outrage on June 30th, widely regarded as the corrective second wave of revolution.
On July 3, 2013 a Roadmap back to democracy was announced by the majority of the political forces in Egypt. This entailed the amendment of the 2012 Constitution, Parliamentary and Presidential elections to follow by summer of 2014. A referendum on the amendments to the Constitution was held on Jan 14 and 15th of 2014, and was approved by 98% of the participants in the vote. The Presidential elections will be held shortly, by April 2014.
Throughout these intense developments that took place in a relatively short course of time, Egyptians have proved to themselves and the world at large, that they are the main guardians and guarantors of their revolution and its aims. They are vehemently determined to continue along the path towards democracy and prosperity for all citizens in an equal, peaceful and inclusive manner. Such determination is the main assurance that Egyptians will eventually attain all their aspired goals.