Women's Day - Speach by Nora Ahmetaj of SNF
Dear Citizens of Tromso,
Let me introduce myself, I am Nora Ahmetaj and I am from Kosovo. In the vigil of March 8- the International Day of Women, I am delighted to give a speech- on behalf of the Student Network for Peace in Tromso, as a women, Peace activist and currently student of Peace studies at Tromso University For years I have been active in peace movements in Kosovo and Serbia, working in the issues of Human rights and non-violence actions against brutal acts of regime of Milosevic. Other women and I were committed to Peace with justice and actively opposed to war and other forms of violence, by means of mobilization and formulas for action. We chose to protest in silence. This was our way of communication with regime and with people who support non-violence, the victims and us. Today is March 8th. For me, at home in Yugoslavia, spring was a very scary time. “With the beginning of spring, war broke out…” Every spring from 1991 until 1999, we lived in constant expectation of immanent war and the periods of “peace” or post peace has been so short that they were always transformed into preparations for a new war. We have learned to recognize the signs and words of war, we have been listening to them and experiencing them for too long a time. But we dare not voice the word war: “We were afraid every spring …”Yet, for years we demanded Peace-Only Peace, but we had to protest in silence. All women in the protest wore black and held signs with slogans, which carried a message of Peace and Non-violence-with only the aim-to bring around us as many people as we could in support of peace, and war prevention. Our visible, persistent, non-violent protest was at the same time our resistance to the regime, which has taken the right to speak on behalf of the entire "Serbian ethnic collectivity at that time": DON’T SPEAK IN OUR NAME-we demanded. However, for years I-we believed and worked for Peace thinking that Peace would come through permanent non-violent actions in the Balkans. Unfortunately it did not happen in that way. NATO air strikes and tanks brought a very fragile peace there and especially in Kosovo. NATO and air strikes directed by men (not by women) targeted also women and children, some of the most innocent members of society. Today on behalf of SNP- I do protest but not in silence. Today I mention the Balkans in the context of showing you how not to support military interventions in the future in order to stop violence. Violence produces violence and is transformed in vicious circle. Peace is very fragile. Today I appeal for more peaceful actions in the world, but not military actions. Lessons need to be learned. It is with great sadness and a deep sense of urgency that we voice our concern for those women who do not have this privilege of participating in this celebration, those women who have been robbed of all fundamental human rights by oppressive governments, patriarchal systems, and people bent on the total destruction of civilisation and progressive human values. These are the brave women of Afghanistan and Iraq today, who are struggling against the biggest threat to peace and democracy in the world. A threat, not only from inside their own societies but also from our side of the world – soldiers from the west Today, Women of Afghanistan and Iraq recently, without disregarding other countries in conflicts, are coping with the most extreme forms of state and domestic violence that it can be imagined. Our hope and support on this March 8, the International Day of Women, should be addressed for all other Moslem women all over the world in order to help them achieving equality and freedom. Our message for women and children of Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Palestine, Israel, Colombia, Congo is to stay strong and above all stay alive. We should do our best to end gender apartheid all over the globe, but not by sending military troops there. There are million other alternatives, which will succeed and bring to the women and children peace, care and attention. Our thoughts are with you. You, the citizens of Norway, one of the most peaceful countries in the world, have the right to be informed of the actions that your government is taking in other countries on behalf of your name. At the very least you have a right to debate this and not take it for the open-shut case like the government wants you to believe. There are other alternatives to help those people who are in desperate need of care. By sending military troops overseas, no sustainable peace can be achieved. Nora Ahmetaj Student Network for Peace