| JuryFury.com
Now Every 15th of the Month ! Online School of Politics JuryFury
Chat
I-Traderschool
QuietPoly.com
Contributors
Research
Future
Discussions
August 15th, 2004
|
|||
| Areas of Interest THE USA American Foreign Policy US House and Senate US Presidents State & Local Politics Regional Politics Politics of China The British Commonwealth Indian Subcontinent Middle East The European Union Africa Latin America ASEAN NATO United Nations The Non-aligned Movement Eastern Europe New Nations of the 20th Century General Topics Constitutional Law Human Rights Nuclear Disarmament & Treaties International Warfare Environmental Law Peace Treaties Economic & Social Alliances International Organizations Journalism & Media Racism and Democracy Women in the Workplace Family Law Courts and Practices The Judicial System Higher Education Education and Government Health Care & Insurance Rights of the Disabled Copyright & Working Online Legal Representation Legal Insurance Pornography Domestic Violence Religion & Law Workers Rights Employers Rights Prison & Life after Social Organizations Welfare & Poverty Taxation and Democracy Third World Aid Programs Space Exploration Alternative Energy Petroleum Industry & Cars Nuclear Power Programs for the Arts Sports Education Policing the Internet Privacy and freedom Immigration Food and Regulation War on Drugs War on Pharmaceuticals Public Housing Pollution and Control Sexual Harrassment Discrimination Electoral Process Consumers Rights Investors Rights Abortion Death Penalty Social Security Gender & Sexuality Grassroots Organization ACLU World Watch Oxfam UNICEF United Negro Fund Ford Foundation (suggestions welcome at our chatsite) Law of the Economy Join I-Traderschool, our sister magazine, for debates and news. |
Africa
Carah Ong, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation Staff Member, Talks about trip to Libya interviewed by Sophia Barkat Santa Barbara, CA (July 15, 2004) – The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is pleased to announce that Carah Ong, the Foundation’s Communications and Development Officer, has just returned from a two-week trip to Libya as a member of the first non-governmental delegation of Americans to officially visit the country since the US removed its more than twenty-year embargo on the country in April 2004. The 13-member delegation was organized by the Foreign Affairs Department and the Revolutionary Committees Movement (RCM) of Libya. According to Libya’s Foreign Affairs Secretary, members of the delegation were selected “with a special interest in Libya, in world peace, anti-war policies, elimination of weapons of mass destruction, people participation in decision- making, and in a just world for all.” Carah was selected as a member of the delegation because of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s work toward a world free of nuclear weapons. In December 2003, Libya gave up its nuclear weapons program. The purpose of the trip was to open dialogue between the government of Libya and civil society organizations in Libya and the US. The delegation held discussions and exchanged views and ideas regarding democracy, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and US foreign policy from an Arabic point of view. The delegation also participated in site visits to the Libyan National Teacher’s Syndicate, the National Medical Center, the Center for Communicable Diseases, the Center for Green Book Studies and the Great Man-Made River Project. The delegation was treated to many cultural exchanges in various cities and met with local officials in the ancient Roman cities of Leptus Magna and Sabratha, as well as in the cities of Tesura, Abu Aisha and Shibirat Zauyia. Carah Ong stated, “Having no idea what I was going to experience, I was completely and utterly impressed with Libya. I was amazed by how much Libyans love Americans and how glad they are that relations are beginning to normalize. Everywhere I went, people said, ‘You are welcome here. Thank you for coming to my country.’ One really begins to see the importance of people to people connections.” The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan international organization with consultative status to the United Nations. For more than 20 years, the Foundation has been committed to advancing initiatives to eliminate the nuclear weapons threat to all life, to fostering the global rule of law, and to building an enduring legacy of peace through education and advocacy. On Juryfury.com's request Carah Ong gave an interview discussing her visit to Libya. Here is that interview: SOPHIA: What sort of questions were you able to ask the Libyans about Democracy, US Foreign Policy? CARAH: During the trip, many dialogues and discussions were held on the topics of Democracy, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Terrorism and US Foreign Policy from an Arabic point of view. In addition to the dialogues, the delegation also had the opportunity to visit the National Center for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control (NCIDC), the Tripoli Medical Center, the General Teachers' Syndicate, the General Forum for Arab-African Non-Governmental Organizations and the ancient Roman cities of Leptis Magna and Sabratha as well as the cities of Abu Aisha and Shabiyat (city) Zauiya. SOPHIA: Who did you meet in the Libyan Government? CARAH: We were able to meet the Foreign Minister as well as many officials from various cities. In addition we met with members of the Revolutionary Committees Movement (RCM), including with Dr. Elshelmani, Dr. Breki, Dr. Elashkham, Dr. Elderbak, Dr. Alrajhi and Dr. Abousetta. SOPHIA: Who represented the US delegation? CARAH: The delegation consisted of 12 Americans and one Canadian, all from various non-governmental organizations, including the World Constitution and Parliament Association, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Grandmothers for Peace, and numerous university professors. SOPHIA: Was it a fact finding mission or a cultural exchange? CARAH: The trip was primarily a fact finding mission, but we did have the opportunity to experience Libyan culture during free time and evenings. While in Libya, the American delegation was treated to many traditional cultural experiences and traditional Libyan meals in the ancient Roman cities of Leptis Magna and Sabratha as well as in the cities of Abu Aisha and Shabiyat (city) Zauiya. In each city, the delegation was greeted with traditional Libyan folkloric music and had the opportunity to meet with local governmental officials. The delegation was also able to visit the local market in Tripoli. Members of the delegation also visited the site of the US and UK bombing of Qathafi's home where his two-year-old daughter died. SOPHIA: How did your meeting help the Libyans? CARAH: The purpose of the trip was to learn about Libya first-hand and establish people to people relations. I was very impressed with the social and economic strides that the people of Libya have taken despite US sanctions. In speaking with people in the market and on the streets, I discovered that Libyans are very positive about Americans and they gave us a warm welcome wherever we visited. People thanked me for coming to their country and expressed how glad they are that relations are beginning to normalize between the US and Libya governments. For me, this trip underlined the importance of people to people relations. While governments and political systems may come and go, it is relationships with people that last. I was often reminded of a Maori proverb I frequently quote, "He aha te nui mea o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata," which translates, "What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, the people, the people." A full report of the trip is available online at http://www.wagingpeace.org. For the Press For more information on Carah’s trip to Libya, to arrange an interview or to arrange for Carah to speak to your group, please call her at the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation at (805) 965-3443 or email cong@napf.org. About the Author(s): Carah Ong is Development and Communications Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, PMB 121, 1187 Coast Village Rd., Suite 1, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, Tel: (805) 965-3443, Cell: (805) 896-1909, http://www.wagingpeace.org See under Our Contributors to find out about the Author(s) of this article. |
Yahoo! World News Headlines Our Winners Club Our Contributors Research Links Legal Advice ALL Awards & Internships Become an Activist Join an Organization Get Volunteerism Alert Write Letters to a local Politician Start your own Group Applied Politics Projects Suggest a Project Start your Yahoo Groups Get Internship Credit Funding for Projects Encourage Discussion Join Juryfury Chat Promote Juryfury.com Join online discussion Groups Be In the Spotlight Let us Interview you : Authors of political books Activists Journalists Lawyers Law Enforcement Politicians Politican Scientists Be A Columnist Get Internship Credit Write twice a Month Get Heard Start a Yahoo Group Advertise with Us Books (Free) Political Our Staff & Contributors Our Magazines Quietpoly.com I-Traderschool Juryfury.com The Company Our Address: QuietPoly Inc. 240 W. Saunders. Dr. (#146) Flagstaff, AZ 86001 Tel (928) 214-7365 quietpoly@yahoo.com |
|