Valentine world peace quote - William Gladstone

My Valentine day message.

 "We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace."
 British Prime Minister William Gladstone (1809-1898)

The Arab Spring turns to bleak winter for Tunisian women in 23 October elections. Political Leaders ensure Democracy is for ‘men-only’.

A democratic future for Tunisia looks as though it has fallen at the first hurdle. Tunisia's elections should have been a great day for Arab women, but Tunisia's Party Leaders have broken one of the first election rules they agreed upon in the new liberated Tunisia – namely that there would be a gender balance of 50% women and 50% men as candidates in the election. An opinion poll carried out by Global Management Services showed that a 50 percent women quota on the ballot papers had more supporters than opponents among the Tunisian population – (45.2% for and 41.1% against). Even Tunisia’s largest Islamist movement, Nahda, which was forbidden during the old regime and is now standing in the upcoming elections, gave their supports to quotas.

 

In a Zipper system similar to the system successfully used in the Nordic countries  Tunisian political parties are required to have alternate  women and men’s names on their party lists of candidates for the constitutional assembly elections but there is little expectation that more than 10 % of the 217 seats will go to women in tomorrow's  election. Only candidates on top of the lists are likely to win a seat, and women only head about 5 % of the lists.

 This betrayal of half Tunisia’s population in such a shameful way means  the  new assembly elected to rewrite the constitution will be  dominated by men with possibly disastrous downstream consequences for  women’s lives in Tunisia, which prides itself as the most feminist country in the region. In 1956, after independence from the French, women's rights were enshrined in law, banning multiple marriages and forced unilateral divorce. There is a minimum marriage age of 18 and rights for divorced women which are unprecedented in the Arab world. Women in headscarves rub shoulders with others in tight jeans and loose hair. More than 80% of adult females are literate, the contraception rate is high and women make up half the student population, a third of magistrates and a quarter of the diplomatic corps.

It does not bode well for a democratic accountable transparent future when political leaders so blatantly flout  their own rules at the first elections.

Time to include Kosovo in the 2012 Olympics.

Can someone explain to me why the International Olympic Committee refuses to recognise Kosovo?

I had lunch in London the other day with Vlora Citaku, Minister of European Integration for Kosovo. I asked why she was wearing a lapel badge with 2012 London Olympic Games symbol. She said she is lobbying for Kosovo to be allowed to participate in the Olympics.  What obscure quirk of is preventing Kosovo from being allowed to participate in the London Olympics? Over 89 nations have recognised Kosovo as an independent nation.

Judo gold medallist Majlinda Kelmendi's dream of winning gold at London 2012 depends on the IOC formally recognising Kosovo as an independent nation. 19-year-old Kosovar sports star Majlinda Kelmendi (pictured right )  won the Gold medal at the World Junior European Judo Championships and is currently ranked fifth in the world in the Olympic rankings.

Afghan women must participate at Taliban talks.

Did any of you watch BBC journalist Lyse Doucet’s brilliant film on Afghanistan on BBC last night? It made me want to rush off and ski in Bamyan the valley where the famous Buddhas were blown up by Taliban. I felt quite nostalgic about Bamyan when I saw the programme. I was there for a week back in April 2005. The valley was blooming with apple blossom and in that beautiful clear light it felt like Shangri-la.

Lyse Doucet’s documentary was a wonderful contrast to the wham, bam wallop documentaries on Helmand and military. I cheered at her clever (and brave) questioning of the Governor of Kandahar – pity we couldn’t hear his answer when she tackled him about his reputation for drugs and corruption.

In addition to going after Osama bin Laden and getting rid of Taliban one of the main justifications for the UK and US and the rest of the international community going in to Afghanistan was clearly spelt out by world Leaders. The rights of Afghan women loomed large. I know from my own boots-on-the-ground time in Afghanistan how much this had cheered and encouraged Afghan women.

Are they about to be betrayed? In talks with Taliban how are the international community and Afghan Government making sure women fully participate at all the peace talk tables in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1325?
Write to your MP, the Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague and demand that in all peace talks with Taliban Afghan women must also participate. There are plenty of Afghan women’s NGO leaders who could participate. No talks without the women’s full and equal participation.

When people talk of reconciliation with the Taliban, should we not ask who they intend to include? Women need seats at the table when negotiations take place. Otherwise it's hard for women to believe that Taliban re-integration is sincere and not a charade for foreign observers which will dissolve the minute troops withdraw. Women’s participation is fully in line with UK government policy to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 which calls for participation of women at all levels of peace talks and with the similar European Parliament Resolution - Gender Aspects of Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding A5-0308/2000.