Call for Registration: AMAN 25th Anniversary Assembly

Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN) in cooperation with Global Movements of Moderates Foundation (GMMF) announces “AMAN 25th Anniversary and 5th AMAN Assembly" to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 5-7, 2015. The program is soliciting registrations from AMAN members, partner organizations, academic institutions, interested scholars and individuals.

Deadline for the submission of Registration Form: 25^th, March, 2015

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Registration form

Program Information

Program Agenda

For further information please contact: aman@arf-asia.org  

Application form and other information can be downloaded from: http://aman-asia.blogspot.com/

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Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN)

The 2014 Peace Studies Course at International Institute of Peace Studies: An Incubator for Global Friendship, Understanding and New Possibilities for Peace

We came from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Egypt, Uganda, Tanzania, Myanmar, Japan, Lebanon, Nepal, Sri-Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and the U.S. We came in shades of white and brown, with a rainbow of national dress, music and foods. We spoke many languages, but communicated with one heart; sharing dreams of freedom; dreams of peace and justice and an end to violence. 

Many participants are already translating their dreams into action; working as Human Rights Lawyers or Social Workers, working in NGO’s that support and assist refugees, orphans or juveniles who attempted suicide bombings. Some are working towards Gender Rights, many works with youth. Others work in development sectors.  Together the participants and resource staff represented over 160 years of experience in Peace and Human Rights Activism and related activities.

IIPS arranged an impressive series of presentations for this group of educated and experienced young professionals. Presentations by Thai, S. Korean, Japanese and U.S. scholars covered topics of Ethnicity, Gender and Power, Structural Violence and Practices on Non-Violence.  There were talks and experiential exercises addressing Deep Listening, Indigenous Wisdom, Conflict in Contemporary Thailand, Global Governance, Peace and Human Security, Approaches to Analyzing Conflict and Approaches to Conflict Transformation as well as new information on the experience of Fukishima and movements towards Asian Democratization. Visits to Buddhist Temples, Mosques and Christian Churches were part of the curriculum along with time at rural, self-sustaining inter-faith communities in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.  

Everyone was both teacher and student at IIPS, discovering commonalities, exploring differences and celebrating diversity.  Late night discussions covered everything under the sun. 

At IIPS, PEACE is not just a word or a theory. It’s translated into action - sharing a room with 1 or 2 “strangers” who become friends; eating and working on presentations together, laughing and dancing and listening to each other, even if it occasionally gets uncomfortable. 

Perhaps most profoundly, each of us was offered an opportunity to leave our “comfort zone” and step into new, slightly riskier spaces, where old ideas, historic grievances and suffering, mistrust and misinformation could be heard and received.  In those spaces minds and hearts could break open, forever expanded and transformed.  

These words of Father Nipot Thianviham, from the Center for Religion and Community Culture, will remain with me as touchstones for creating a world of peace and justice, “Allow a conversion of your heart. Search for the essence, the source of life within each person’s story” and “Walk Humbly, Work Justly, Love tenderly.”

Thank you to the entire organizing team for your vision, hospitality, thoughtfulness and commitment in providing a life-changing experience and depth of learning for all of us at the 2014 IIPS Peace Studies Course.

Ms Rose Gordon

Resource Person, Taos County Juvenile Justice, USA

Why deep listening and dialogue really matters for youth?

Youth have been frontline actors for social change, nonetheless they are subject to exploitation and misuse by vested interest groups. They are both victims and perpetrators of violence, including religiously inspired ones. Deep listening and inter-faith dialogue are key tools in helping them turn foe to friend and in overcoming the image of enemy through the promotion of sister and brotherhood across lines of deeply divided societies. Listening is often taken for granted, based on the assumption that it is simplistic, which therefore can lead to misinterpretation and is often accompanied by destructive consequences. In fact it requires concentration, care and most importantly empathy to capture not just verbal messages but the feelings and intent of the speaker.

Conflict arises with reasons, most of which are legitimate, therefore listening is a powerful tool in conflict transformation as it helps both listener and speaker to understand interests and fears to mutually fulfill the former and eliminate the latter. It nurtures trust among conflicting parties and empowers the trauma survivors to explore their ability from within. It serves as a key instrument in inter-faith dialogue whose aim is not conversion, but understanding and appreciation of differences at both internal and external levels. It helps oneself explore and transform hidden prejudices into empathy; this is how understanding of oneself is enriched by an understanding of others. Both tools work in a mutually empowering fashion which enhances their ability to discern the complexities of conflict and foster cooperation for the transformation of unjust structures and violent cultures; this is with an aim of achieving common dreams collectively envisioned through deep listening and dialogue.

While religion is often understood by believers and non-believers as a source of violence the misunderstandings and misinterpretations that arise from this can be challenged and corrected. Inter-faith dialogue also offers space for young people of various faiths to explore peace-building guidance that is inherent in all faith traditions and to integrate these resources for collective action for peace.

-Ekraj Sabur
Director
International Institute of Peace Studies (IIPS)

(Photo: http://continuingstudiesattru.blogspot.com)

“HUMANISTAN” - A search for a common ground

In 2011, I was honored to be given the chance to attend the School of Peace Studies and Conflict Transformation, Thailand. In its 7th installation, the course brought together participants from 15 Asian countries. 

The term Humanistan was coined by a fellow participant, in exile from Iraq and currently a proud citizen of South Korea. Having been through the worst that one could experience for his country, he noted that geographical and cultural based identities seem to bring us more apart. For the lack of a better word to define a common ground for humanity, Humanistan became an informal quote of sorts. After all, no matter from which part of the world, from Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan to Iran and Nepal, we shared common threads that bound us in roots of conflicts as well as in aspirations for peace. Added to that fact is that most of our conflicts seem to be internal; that community identities are used to push personal agendas with degradation of society itself.

Ultimately, I have come to believe that we need to transcend in order to transform conflict and for that we need to look into the way we live our lives. And if we can transcend the need for us to have barriers in our minds that keep us apart, the roots of conflict may be addressed. With that, Humanistan presents itself as a common aspiration that we can work for.

Is a Humanistan possible as we leap into the next age of civilization? Can we transcend the borders that we hostilely create around ourselves?

There is much more to be done here and this region. The world is so much smaller now, and as we learn more about ourselves; God willing, our passions and aspirations will help us understand each other more and break the borders that we create, as well as the barriers we build in our minds. 

-Subatra Jayaraj

International Movement For A Just World, Malaysia

                                                                              

His letter on the wedding day

Remembering the Late Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer

Oh Beloved one we ask for Your Salams,

The world rejoice being in Your shade,

We celebrate having felt Your mercy,

We ask that You be always our guide,

The King of Mercy.

The Lord of Love,

The Master of the Ages,

The Owner of Destiny,

In Your city there is no poverty,

In Your state there is no sadness,

In Your presence there is only calmness,

In Your governance there is no injustice,

Love Your way,

Mercy Your agency,

Justice Your path,

Compassion Your imperative,

From You we came and to You we return,

To You we seek forgiveness,

With You we rest our hopes,

All an illusion except You,

We ask of Your favour for our dear Chairman,

-Dr. Mohammed Yunus Yasin

 (Photo: Murray Breingan)

"I will never forget him”

It was in mid 80’s, I came to know Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer thorough my good friend Siddhartha from Bangalore. I wrote a letter to him to attend an Interfaith Consultation on Development and Peace in Bangkok and received a quick response. He spoke at the consultation and made significant contribution and impact. Since then we stayed in touch. Since 1990, Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, as a convener and Chairman of AMAN, lead us through his distinguished wisdom, non-compromising values and his unrelenting devotion to his fellow human beings. He participated in every important meeting, training session and Assembly that AMAN had organized despite his health and age, without expecting any reward since he never accepted any remuneration besides the cost of travel.

His speech always starts soft, where he had to clear his voice initially a few times. Deeper into his speech, his voice would become louder and his commanding explanations would keep the audience in pin drop silence. He always spoke straight to the point without any hesitation. He never hesitated to speak out against hypocrisy and double standards of Western leaders and their addiction to wars. Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer was an advocate of nonviolence forms of struggle for social change. His emphasis had always been nonviolence in relating with human beings and the nature.

In regards to AMAN, his major concerns were to engage young generation and women. His worry was that funding agencies of the Muslim world confined themselves more to relief works and less in critical education, leadership building and networking. Therefore, being a networking organization AMAN has to struggle to finds its way. Every Assembly and the Council Meeting, I expressed my desire to take back seat and give my position to another younger person. He always rejected my idea, not because he lacked confidence in new leadership, but was worried that in this financially empty house, many talented people who will not come? I remain grateful to him for his trust and confidence in me.  I am sure new leadership will emerge and take AMAN to new heights. His departed soul will be in peace if AMAN remains true to its founding principles of fostering peace and justice and championing women and human rights.

-M. Abdus Sabur