Saturday 7 November 2015

Portraits of Justice # 21: Clare {London, England}

It's week #21 with Portraits of Justice, and I introduce you to Clare from {London, England}. I had the privilege of meeting Clare in Bogota, Colombia, and photographing her atop a bell tower in the heart of Stockholm, Sweden. Her interview response reached me through the magic of technology. 

Clare has thoughtfully reflected on how her context of justice in England is a part of a larger context, in particular England's response to the refugee crisis
Encounter this story, and hear beauty in the broken, from a beautiful voice with a beautiful vision.
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“The steady flow of refugees into Europe from other areas of the world, particularly North Africa and the Middle East, has gradually became a torrent. The issue of granting asylum to these individuals suddenly became headline news throughout Europe in summer 2015. In the UK, much of the press coverage was dishearteningly negative. The most popular newspapers gave these people a blanket label of “economic migrant”. This misunderstood the complicated long-term issues which led to these people seeking help. Then a little boy drowned.”

He wasn't the first little boy, nor will he be the last, but somehow the tragic deaths of him and his family changed the tone of the UK's press coverage overnight. Public opinion spun with it, and many individuals from all walks of life began to ask questions of the government.”
Crisis meetings were held between leaders across the EU, and eventually the Prime Minister of the UK, David Cameron, announced that 20000 refugees (around 0.03% of the UK population) would be brought into the country from camps in the origin regions of migrants and settled in the UK. This would occur over a five year period. But was this justice?”
Many individuals, including myself, believe that so long as multiple thousands of people are walking thousands of miles, are risking their lives in rickety boats in the Mediterranean... wealthier countries such as the UK must cooperate to welcome people into safe places.”
The Church has often been complicit in other-ing those who have come from elsewhere. We must now turn from this attitude and welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, heal the sick, clothe the naked. And churches and other groups of Christians throughout the UK are indeed doing these things, in a variety of ways depending on their own local contexts. We see churches sending parcels of food, clothing and other resources to the 'jungle' camp at the Calais port. We see groups quite literally welcoming refugees into their church buildings and into their homes. We see neighbourhoods coming together across religious and political boundaries to petition the government to do more.”
My vision of justice in this nation is that this crisis will spur the people of the UK to continue to act in situations where others are in such desperate need. I long for a future where we no longer need food banks to enable parents to feed their children. I hope for the day where we no longer have to argue over whether Muslims in the UK should be entitled to live their life and worship God freely. I pray that the connections built by reaching out to refugees can be strengthened by serving one another more.


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What does justice look like where you are? Anything like this?

Friday 16 October 2015

Portraits of Justice #20: Douglas {Harare, Zimbabwe}

This week marks the story #20 from Portraits of Justice - and I would like to say how profoundly grateful I am for the support all the way around the globe that I have received for this project. You do these powerful stories honour with your attentions. 

This week I share with you the story of Douglas from {Harare, Zimbabwe}, in the south of Africa. I originally met Douglas in Ottawa, Canada, and then interviewed and photographed him in Prali, Italy. Douglas is powerful young voice for justice, speaking in the face of political oppressions in his home spaces. A member of the the Student Christian Movement of Zimbabwe, he is an inspiring leader for a rising generation.
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 "In my country justice is a privilege for the affluent, and a privilege for those who are politically correct – when I say 'politically correct,' I mean those are linked to the ruling party. If you do not have connections to the ruling political party justice is something that you might not realize. Our justice system is controlled by the ruling party. It is only those who are politically connected that can enjoy justice in my country"

"We have witnessed a lot of injustices to the opposition, or those who are perceived to be the opposition. Even if you want to demonstrate or to raise concerns against the government, you will find yourself arrested or being tortured by the government. I myself, being a political activist in my country, have been jailed several times,because of standing for the rights of students and standing against the injustices that the student communities experience. 
So in general justice is something that is determined by your political connection."


"The role of Christians and church in my country is to stand up and speak loudly against any type of injustice. We have joined hands with other christian communities to stand up to any type of injustice. For instance, one thing that we have done is to reach out to the student community and young people to work with the elections, which we just did in 2013, whereby we mobilized the young people to stand up against the abuse from politicians, to stand against any form of political violence, and to stand up against any form of political intimidation."

"We draw our inspiration from the book of Esther. It calls us during trying times to our duty to stand up and speak against any type of injustice, like Esther did. This is what we are doing as a christian community. We strongly believe that it is our duty to stand the rights of voiceless, to stand for the rights of the downtrodden. Even during our colonial times the churches played a major role in supporting the marginalized. We still strongly believe that it is our duty that the christian movement, and the ecumenical movement to voice and stand against any form of injustice. It is our duty to give hope, to give encouragement, and to give strength to those who are facing any sort of injustice."




Tell me something beautiful you have witness in your country

In 2013 my country had one constitution that was around from independence. This constitution was not good for us, it had so many flaws. Up to 2013 is had been amended several times. We saw that, as a country, it was not good for us, in terms of building democracy. So it was that I and my colleagues worked tirelessly in terms of mobilizing young people to have voice, because we are drafting a new constitution. And I am happy to say that right now we have new constitution that implicitly states and protects the rights of the citizens. This is something I am proud of, and this something that is good for the future of our country. We still have a lot of work to do in terms of operationalization of the constitution but I strongly believe that since we do have a constitution that binds us everything else in the future will fall into place and do good for future generations, in terms of building democracy for my country. 

Tuesday 6 October 2015

Portraits of Justice #19: Aruna {Chennai, India}

 In week #19, I introduce you to the brilliant eco-feminist theologian that is Dr. Aruna Gnanadason, from {Chennai, India}. It was an honour to meet her, learn from her wisdom, and adventure with her to the tops of the Alps in Italy. Her beauty comes from within.

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"Working for justice is a daunting task in India today.  There is huge global publicity about India being a incredible country; to be one of the fastest growing economies in the world, the producer of generic drugs, of alternative energy sources (we have one of the only fully solar energy powered airports in the world!). But then we have gross levels of poverty; of farmers committing suicide due to indebtedness, of soaring prices that leave the majority of the people with no access. Today millions of people do not have access to clean drinking water, to health, to education."

"Added to this we have an Indigenous and religiously sanctioned form of graded subjugation of people, called the caste system. Some 25% of the population of the country are relegated as "outcastes" because they engage in the most degrading and "polluting" tasks, cleaning the toilets, the roads, the drains. These are birth based occupations. Dalits (as they call themselves now) are getting organized and demanding justice for themselves."

"To this, one has to add patriarchy, which is strongly embedded into Indian society - recently dubbed the "rape capital of the world.” Indian women experience the worst forms of discrimination and violence. Working for justice is hard because so often economic structures interplay with caste and patriarchy giving us a complex and difficult agenda."
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"About 3% of Indians are Christian (that is about a huge number given the population of India which is roughly 1.3 billion!).  But then our minority consciousness strangles us!  Additionally we are a fragmented community, as much of what exists in the society of economic disparity, caste and patriarchy has been infused the churches too! Our theology too is still very much a slave to our colonial past. (There is of course and ecumenical movement and a liberation theology movement particularly Dalit, Indigenous Peoples' and feminist theology posing strong questions to the church.)"

"We do today face some real threats from the Hindu majority (not all Hindus....the majority have lived in harmony with minorities for all our history as a nation.  But a core of Hindu fundamentalists with a huge following have disturbed the equilibrium of the country by claiming that this is a Hindutva (a country for Hindus).  What makes it frightening is that this is the ideology that undergirds the ruling party that is in power - cultural nationalism is a real threat as they try to influence education, the media, the right to propagate one's faith, etc."

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Tell me something beautiful you have witnessed in your country:
This story is on going. One of the insidious efforts by the Hindutva ideologues and their followers was to call for a ban on cow slaughter and the eating of beef!  It is based on a conviction that the cow is a sacred symbol in Hinduism. What makes it difficult is that cow slaughter has been for centuries the occupation of Dalits additionally for farmers who depend on rearing cows. Literally thousands will lose their livelihood if this becomes a national law,as is being proposed.  Just a few days ago a Muslim old man was murdered for eating beef!Additionally it is the cheapest form of protein for millions of Dalit and Indigenous people and Muslims (and many others like me!)."

"It has been amazing the amount of support those opposing the slaughter ban have received from eminent Hindus, journalists and others, who are demanding the rights of Dalits, Muslims and others be given more serious attention than cows! “
"The other good story is a campaign started by a prominent film star Farhan Akthar, called "Men Against Rape and Discrimination"  (MARD), the symbol of which is a moustache!  He has been mobilizing Indian men to think and act against the horrific forms of violence Indian women experience." 

 Appreciate these stories? Leave a comment with your curiosities!

Friday 18 September 2015

Portraits of Justice #18: Mo {Yangon, Myanmar}

In week #18 of Portraits of Justice, we head over to {Yangon, Myanmar}, (formerly known as Burma) to meet the spunky and fierce Mo. 

There are many ethnic groups living in Myanmar with different cultures, traditions, contexts and religions since the ancient time. There are 8 major groups with 135 tribes. Mo is from the Karen ethnic group, one of the major ethnic groups. 
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"Myanmar has been in military dictatorship since 1962. As the result the governing of a military regime, everything was under controlled: transportation, education, economic, health care, natural resource management. The people of Myanmar suffered a lot the human rights violations and lost their standard rights. A kind of civil war happened, wherein th local ethnic groups were oppressed by government military. Local people suffered human rights violation; their houses, property, family lives, lives of women, and children’s education were destroyed by government soldiers. All that issues are happened because of the militarization mechanism."

"The word “justice” is the utopia word for the people from Myanmar. They don’t dare to use the word of peace, justice and freedom in a time of military government."

"The root of the problems has happened in the time of the military regime. The people competing are those that have power, and those who are powerless. Different social statuses have different powers. Unjust things happen because of power abuse. The important things in society are power sharing, to appreciate and acknowledge the different powers, and use it correctly. "

"Justice is aiming to reconciliation, it is not about revenge there are many ugly historic violence happen in my country, the incidents are already happen and we need to get lesson learnt from there. The most important thing in justice is confession and transparency and not blocks the history. Justice makes human beings equal and it aims to have peace and reconciliation and a peaceful future for next coming generation."
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"Tell me something beautiful you've have witnessed"
"Before 2012, when it comes to the words of PEACE, JUSTICE and FREEDOM, these words are allergic to our government. In 2012 September, the civil society and community based organizations were trying to celebrate the International Peace Day. At the same time, it was happening during the civil war in Kachin region (northern part of Myanmar) - the ethnic armed forces and government military were fighting for the land and natural resources. The local people from this area suffered the impact of war, and so we didn’t have a permit from authorities to celebrate the event."

"The authorities intimidate the civil society groups. But our organization, Student Christian Movement decided to participate by distribution the peace letters, slogans. We SCMers distributed to the public a pamphlet with peace message and. That move was very dangerous for us - we might have been arrested because that event wasn’t approving by government. Some leaders of this event were sued by local authority.  I was pleased myself participated in this event.  Although I know that it was not easy work according to situation, and although I was in fear, I choose to participate in that movement. I was proud of myself although it was just a small work."

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Encouraged by Mo's words? Let her know, and leave a comment!



Tuesday 8 September 2015

Portraits of Justice #17: Mabel {Hong Kong, China}

In Week# 17, I introduce you the Mabel, of {Hong Kong, China}, of who I consider among the most lovely and brilliant of minds I've met in my travels. I photographed Mable in the cities of Turin and Riomaggiore, in Italy. 

Contextually it might be helpful to understand that under British colonial rule, Hong Kong operated as a separate entity for many years. It returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with a promise of a high degree of autonomy, judicial independence, and freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland China, under a formula known as “one country, two systems."  With recent changes in the ruling the government, the Chinese Communist Party, independence and democratic procedures are being slowly undermined and eliminated. Injustice lays in the wake. 

Mable is a part of the SCM and the Umbrella Movement, which is a group that is seeking for democratic reforms in Hong Kong. It has required dedication, sacrifice, and perseveration -- and it makes me proud to call her a friend. Here's what justice looks like in her world..
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Hong Kong’s judicial independence is coming under political pressure. Core values such as freedom of speech, human rights, rule of law, democracy and professionalism have become shaky. Democracy is what Hong Kong people long looking for, but it's a yet achieved goal. The dual universal suffrage stipulated in the Basic Law has been rejected by Chinese government. They've insisted that candidates for the position of chief executive have to be pre-screened. It means that Hong Kong people cannot freely choose the city’s next leader in 2017. It is how injustice happening recently in Hong Kong.”

“Worst, injustice by judicial punishment has been used by authorities to suppress peaceful demonstration. A deputy magistrate convicted a protester who used her breasts to bump into a police office. Later, the female protester has been sent to prison for 3 1/2 months with a charge of bringing threats to a police office with her ‘big’ breasts. Female breast is now considered as offensive weapon. It is how injustice happening in Hong Kong!”

“Six plainclothes officers took a man to a dark corner behind a nearby building and threw him to the ground during umbrella movement. Some kicked and beat him, while others kept watching. Pictures were posted on Facebook and reported in television showed obvious cuts and bruises on his face and neck as well as circular welts running down his back. It is definitely a “real” threat to personal safety, ironically, none of the officers has been sent to jail. It is how injustice spreading and threatening Hong Kong.”



"In 2014 July 1, after a grand protest against the HK government, a group of students decided to escalate the protest by occupying a road in Central until the next morning. They were demanding reformation and universal suffrage in Hong Kong. There were six ministers, pastors, and theology students among the arrested protestors. It is said that their participation is to witness the presence of God among the protestersGod is with the poor and the oppressed. I am so proud of them who are willing to sacrifice personal freedom after arrest, for a greater common good of society. Christians are playing role contributing to a better world through fighting for justice being the good example in China."

"In Hong Kong every June 4th, there is a memorial vigil to commemorate the anniversary of China’s bloody military suppression of protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. It is to witness the wickedness and brutality of the authority. People once again are being reminded of the plea made by the students in 1989, which they bravely yearned for a democratic political system in China. We commemorate the victims of the incident and all the people who yearn for reformation in China. This is an action to display the solidarity of Hong Kong people with all activists, to understand what happened in 1989, as well to calling people to continue fighting for freedom of press, human right, democracy and justice in both Hong Kong and mainland China. I met SCM members and some other my friends in the vigil yearly.”

It is my luck to witness the Christians in Hong Kong responding to the Occupy Central protest, as well as umbrella movement, in prayer and actions. On July 1, 2014, a group of students decided to escalate the protest by occupying a road till the next morning.
I was one of them. I saw a group of Christians sitting in a circle inside the park and praying for the protestors, universal suffrage and justice in Hong Kong. Christian symbols are highly visible during protests as demonstrators form prayer groups, carry crosses and openly read bibles. It is beautiful  hear that churches are supporting the protestors during umbrella movement with food and shelter while others were offering first aid, snacks and refuge to the protestors. It is so beautiful on witnessing the solidarity of Christians in fighting for common goods of society













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Monday 31 August 2015

Portraits of Justice #16: Esteban {Buenos Aires, Argentina}

Can you believe it's already week #16 of this project? WOW! Today I introduce you to my good friend Esteban from {Buenos Aires, Argentina}. I met Esteban in Italy, and had the privilege of taking his portrait at the very top the Alps. He officially holds the position of portrait at the highest altitude!

Esteban does work with a community in Argentina, the Community of Sant'Egidio, seeking to bridging the vast gaps of inequality that exist in his home spaces. 
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"The definition of what comes to my mind when I think of justice is the equality of opportunity."


"I am going to give an example, why I think the definition of justice for me, is equality. I am a member of this community, Community of Sant'Egidio. It is a worldwide community that was born in Rome, but it is also in Argentina. We have this program called School of Peace, for little kids who are living in marginalized neighbourhoods. In English people call it a “tutoring program”, for kids between 6 and 10 years old."

"They live in places that are super violent, and very marginalized. They are kids that are born in families that live in these neighbourhoods and they don't get to choose where to live. I think everyone should deserve the same chances, access to education, food, health. I know that some of them are not eating well nutritionally wise, and that's not helping their upraising, their development. Even though we call it school, it is an informal like-school. Everyone is invited, even though it's a Catholic community we don't ask their denomination – even Muslims. Everybody is invited to work on peace."

"I have many many opportunities. I don't like calling myself rich, because people think rich is money – but I am rich with opportunity, and not money. Right now the kids won't have the same opportunities in the future, and I think that is not fair. I'd like everyone to have the same opportunities. I think that having opportunities is going to change the way you are. I'm convinced about it, I really am."

We also visit elderly in nursing homes. It's nice to know that even though right now my grandparents are not with me I can be adopted by many of the elderly I visit. And with the kids – I'm not married, I don't have kids – but I still have many friends who are little kids. I'm not a father, but I have kids. I have grandparents even though they're not my parents' mother and father. In a way this community helps me grow my family. Even though we don't live together we are a family.So, that's what I do to bring the equality of opportunity to many realities that I encounter. That's my way."


"With this community I have found a way to help overcome this inequality, to bring people together, to bring this equality into reality."
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Tell me something beautiful you have witnessed in your country

"One time we set up a stage in the middle of a park and we had people play music. We brought the kids from the slums of the city into this park, which a is super fancy place in the middle of a residential area. An then we also invited kids from this area. It was beautiful to see kids that would have never been together, be together. Even though they were not wearing the same clothes, and of course they did not share the same interests, they were together, in peace."

"It's very difficult to define peace, but that is peace. Being together over our differences, and realizing that it is really nice. Most of the time I define peace as a feeling, and in that moment I felt really good. It was the beginning of hope, and it was simple to make that moment possible. "


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Find yourself thinking about this story? Tell us your thoughts!





Thursday 20 August 2015

Portraits of Justice #15: Marco {Udine, Italy}

Hello my beautiful friends from around the globe! I greet you this week (#15) from the beautiful Alps in Italy, and wish to introduce to you my friend Marco from {Udine, Italy}. I met and photographed Marco in Bogota some time ago, and share his story with you today, from his home country. 

Marco is a pastor and activist, and has long been involved with the global justice movement through WSCF. 
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In my everyday life and commitment in Italy, I think  justice has to do with inclusion, with fighting against discrimination. Different groups of people are suffering from this, in different ways, but showing the same pattern made of ignorance, prejudice, incorrect information aiming to create fears and to transform people into escapee goats. Victims of this are, of course, minorities. Sexual minorities, discriminated on the basis of an outdated, closed and unfortunately “christian-washed” mentality.

Among sexual minorities should also be paradoxically included women, who suffers similar situations for the same reasons. In this time when our country has become more and more the door of Europe or of the West (become rich sacking for centuries all the other cardinal directions), other minorities suffering discrimination are all the people that are labeled as “strangers”, including migrant workers, italian citizens with foreign origins, refugee, asylum seekers (of course only if coming from less rich countries, much worst if “arabs”) and, above all, the people on whom all the hatred concentrate (even in alleged progressive milieux): the Roma people. Hidden or non-acknowledge racism and homophobia are the causes, whose toxic fruits are discrimination, mainly in terms of access to rights (building a life and a family, work, security…) and way too often violence, perpetrated by individuals who feel tolerated, justified or even authorized by the common sense.
Justice would look like a society of differences and equals, where the stories, needs, rights, loves, problems and hopes of each and everyone deserve and receive the same care.
I believe it is a precise christian responsibility to work to overcome this face of injustice and build a more just society. I am not always sure churches are enough into it. The responsibility is — at least — twofold: on one side has to do with the healing of the wounds, the other cross-cutting the different dimensions of the life of the church. So, preaching and diaconia have a role in offering empathy and re-humanizing relations, helping each one to realize her/his own dignity, that for us, christians, is to let every human being created in God’s image to shine in the reverberation of Grace.  Again preaching and diaconia have to be directed to dismantle the ideas that are the basis of discrimination and to teach and show the possibility of an alternative way.

A theological reflection is needed to bind all these aspect together and to give depth to this vision. In particular to seek the truth beyond and often against hegemonic descriptions of reality, of the world and of the identities of its inhabitants, functional to keep the power in the hands of the few. All along its narrative, Bible tell of this continuous struggle to affirm the liberating word of God against the dehumanizing political, economic and religious powers. Moses, Deborah, Elijah, Esther, Hosea… and Jesus Christ. This is the most powerful narrative to inspire us.
Tell me something beautiful you have witnessed
“Lo Sciopero dei Fiori d’Arancio” (The Orange Blossom Strike): it is a group of straight couples, really wanting to get married, decided they will not, until this will be a right for everyone. A prophetic gesture of love, that could inspire other in many situation (and healthy provoke churches, for example), with the rationale of self-suspending our own rights or interests to help affirm others’.
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Like what you've heard or seen? Share your comments and stories!





Tuesday 11 August 2015

Portraits of Justice #14: Carter Habeeb {Birmingham, USA}

Welcome to week #14 with Portraits of Justice!
 We've been around the world a time or two in the last months, and are doubling back to the USA for another look. The USA is a large country with many stories that look very different depending on your location, birth place, and the colour of your skin. In a genuine effort to understand many diverse perspectives, I thought it pertinent to hear a voice from the different experiences. 
Carter is a student and comes from Birmingham, Alabama, in the south of the USA
(Read a story from the northern states {Louis, Chicago}, CLICK HERE).
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"My name is Carter Habeeb.  From my point of view, in the United States, justice is when we follow all the rules set in place and we achieve an end result that is based on precedent, on things that happened in the past. And its not necessarily what's right, but what the structure allows for."

"Put simply, ideal justice would be...what is right happening! Those have done wrong being held accountable for their actions, and those who have had wrong done to them are able to find peace and are able to reconcile what has happened to them. But again, that is not always the case, especially recently in America."

To take it a step further, what would it like to pursue the 'right kind of justice'?
"Its a hard for me to envision because in my life time I've not seen it. What I suppose it would look like is the voiceless, the people without a voice, they start being heard. The majority might start speaking up for those who not being heard at all, because a lot of the time the marginalized are those who are taken advantage of by the systems that are in place."

"One of the biggest roles in my local context is to do simple things like run food drives or hand out clothes during the winter, or raise money for local communities. Very local work. In my context, as duty of christians, is to help out our brothers and sisters. One of the best ways to do this is through programs like “Feed the Homeless”, help them get job skills, or help young people get an education – just a lot of programs on the ground. Very practical stuff."

"Something that comes to mind that I feel is really beautiful is that on July 4th, Independence day in the United States, a lot of people will come together from different backgrounds and different traditions and different ancestries. They all come together and unite in the fact that they have goal for the future: that goal being to be free from oppression and to live in a world where we can see justice even though we are so far away from it. It's a day where we celebrate being free from oppression in the hope that we can get even further away from oppression, even though there are always forces in society that are pushing down on us and trying to silence our voices. It's a very hopeful day, we all celebrate how fortunate we are, and how much work there is left to be done to make the world, and our context, more righteous and more just.
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Leave and comment and let us kow what you think!



Wednesday 29 July 2015

Portraits of Justice #13: Immanuel {Colombo, Sri Lanka}

It's week #13, meet Immanuel {Colombo, Sri Lanka}. 
Sri Lanka was colonized by the Portuguese, received independence in  1948, and has since experienced more than 30 years of civil war. Immanuel's family, a minority in these wars, survived by being sheltered by neighbours. He now works at shaping his country into a just one.
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"Sri Lanka is a country that has been affected by civil war for three decades. We had a civil war, its sort of ethnic conflict. But its our conflict for justice, just required by the minority, the Tamils in the northern province of Sri Lanka.which was affected mostly."


"My father, one of the stories he shared with me, was about when the insurrection happened in the south. The Tamils, in 1983, were persecuted by the government. Most of the Sinhalese have come and protected us. For example they have threatened my family saying they will will put the 2 children (my sisters, I was not yet born, as I was born in 1984) inside the house and tie my mother and father to the house and burn the house. "

"That kind of threat happened, but the neighbours (who are Sinahelese) took my parents and the children and have kept them for days and weeks and months. They are the people who are protecting. We are the only Tamils in that village to survive and share these stories because of how the Sinhalese treated us. Even though the government was persecuting the Tamils, the Sinhalese came forward to protect because that's how the society has been. Its never a Sinhalese or Tamil issue, or a Muslim or Tamil issue, it's a political issue always. I think that it is beautiful in terms of justice, they come forward."
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"The young people asking for justice has been in the country more than  50 years, from the time we got independence in 1948, after that. We were colonized by the British last, and after we got independence in 1948 it has been a struggle seeking for justice. So the armed conflict ended official in 2009, but that doesn't mean it bore any justice, because that victory was finished by military, so it is a military defeat."


"None of the questions for justice were answered and we are 6 years after that now. Last year we have to change the government that brought the conflict in by the military mechanism, because they were not answering any of the questions. They were moving towards a more military government in terms of democratic values, etc. The justice in the country was in question. All kinds of justice. Economic justice. Religious Justice. Educational – everything is still a question. We are hopeful with the new government we have elected that we will have justice. Some say because the young people were the forefront of electing this new government. One million new votes made the real difference in electing the new government. Mostly the minority voted for this. The majority lost, we have to say. Young people came together to elect this government and we have a hope for justice. "

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Enjoy this portrait of justice? Let us know, and leave a comment!





Thursday 16 July 2015

Portraits of Justice #12: Lucian {Targu-Neamt, Romania}







Today marks the 12th story I have shared, and will also mark 1000 hits on this blogWow, thanks everyone for supporting this project and the amazing stories of people from all over the globe!
Meet Lucian from Romania. He is among the first generation to grow up under democracy after a 50+ year rule of oppressive communism . This is a man who is shaping his country's future while pursuing social justice. 
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"Romania use to be a communist country until 1989. Now in a post communist period, the transition is from communism to democracy. This actually took us quite a long time. We are now having 25 years of so called democracy. Even though it was a bit unstable at the beginning we still have hope we are going towards the road of democracy, rule of law and human rights

"In terms of justice, I would only refer to political justice, because we having a lot of efforts to strengthen our judicial system, our laws and constitution and so on. I am quite happy to share with you that in the last years we used to have a lot of VIP who were very popular in the country, that had a lot of “unclear” or “dirty business”, that are actually having a trial and are being put into jail. It was very helpful because Romania joined the European Union in 2007, so in this case with help from outside we are actually building right now a clear and fair system of justice in our country."

"Young people are raising this question and getting involved more and more in the process. This is very encouraging for a future of a country because young people, for instance, at the last presidential election last year in November, more than 60% of them participated in the election, which is quite remarkable – most of the time young people are not interested in politics. It is a very positive sign that the young generation is ready to move forward and rebuild a society where everyone will live better. "
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"Tell something beautiful that has happened in your country"

"Let me go back to the 50's and the communist times. There were a lot of people who were persecuted by the new regime who wanted to change everything. The church and particularly the elite of the country were an obstacle for this change. We had a lot of priests, theologians, writers and politicians that were in prison, tortured, and in some cases killed. I think that it is one of the examples of witnessing the faith in very difficult conditions, and still having hope that God is going to save the country."


"Through the sacrifice of these martyrs there are still some people that survived after the communist era, and some of them are still alive today. They were able to witness what happened in the communist prisons.  Even though the communist era brought injustice, these people didn't lose hope. I like to refer to this example because it was very relevant in 1989 (when Romanians were freed from the Communist Regime). After this, people used a lot of these (stories of) people to rebuild the country, and remind us to build again social justice in the future."

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Appreciate Lucian's story, or the work of this blog? Let us know us know and pass it on!







Wednesday 8 July 2015

Portraits of Justice #11: Alex {Beirut, Lebanon}

It's week #11 with the Portraits of Justice Project
This week I invite you to hear from my friend Alex, from Beirut, Lebanon. Alex is inspiring in many ways. He's founded a non-profit recycling program in a country without an existing social recycling program. As well, Alex helped start an inter-religious exchange in schools - within communities that are intolerant of one another. Read more about this reconciliation project below!

Located just north of Israel, and West of Syria, Lebanon deals not only with its own history of colonization and civil wars, but with a population that is nearly half refugees from Palestine and Syria. 
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"I only hear about justice in books, I've never seen justice, maybe anywhere in the world. Justice for me is a philosophical word, a relative word as well. All countries in the world seek justice, it is a lifetime process to be accomplished."

"If we are talking about minimal justice, the minimum to live as a human being, I never see it in my country. I live in Lebanon, an Arab country. We've been colonized for centuries. The last century we've been colonized by the Ottoman Empire and the French, we've had 15 years of civil war, We've had neverending Israeli attacks, since the creation of Israel in 1948. Recently we have had what we call the Arab Spring – I don't call it Spring. I call it Arab Winter, because it is still war. We as a Lebanese country we are surrounded by Syria. We are 4 million citizens, 1.5 million Syrian refugees, half a million Palestinian refugees, and a few hundred thousand Iraqi - about half the population consists of refugees."
Lebanon is just North of Israel, and shares
the majority of its borders with Syria

"On the local level, poverty is everywhere. 50% of the Lebanese population is under the poverty line. Sectarianism* is also an aspect of my country, we have 18 denominations that co-exist together. I don't know if they were forced at point of history to co-exist and live together. We are Muslim and Christian people. We are now facing Muslim extremism, so we now have ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria."

"On a local level, on personal level, if you want to seek a job you need to belong to a religion or a political party. You never get it on your competence. So your CV (resume) is read first to see if you are a Christian, and you are going to a Christian company or a Muslim company – it's nothing to do with justice.
If you want to go to a hospital, there isn't a medical health care system in my country, and maybe in all Arab countries. People live to save money. There is an Arabic saying in my country, “Save money for your black day.” The black day is when you go to the hospital and spend all the money you have for medical care."

What would need to change for justice to start happening?
"Education is an important factor to taken into consideration for a long term change. The change cannot be realized today or tomorrow or in a year, it's a long term process. Education is an important factor for me in change. I can give an example..."
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"Where we live in Lebanon in cities it is known that, for example, in the North it is for Christians, in the South it is for Muslims, and the West is for something else. So people that were raised in a Christian community don't know how the Muslim community live.Because the Lebanese civil war was based on sectarianism, Christian and Muslim hated each other. "

"There is a project I worked on with a couple of friends. We went to a Muslim school and a Christian school as a day exchange for students. For example, on Monday students from a Christian school go to a Muslim school and experience living with a Muslim student and study together, Science and literature. A Muslim student will also go to a Christian community. They will see each other praying as well. Its a small project that was realized two years ago. Now this experience is extended to many many schools in Lebanon to teach people how to co-exist together and love each other. Its a small project for reconciliation."



"The church not prominent in my country to fight for justice. All projects are done individually, its not the church meeting and deciding to do something. It's about individuals, and its about Christian movements that take care of aspects. When we received the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, we decided to as an Orthodox Youth Movement to take 1% of everyone's monthly salary and give it Syrian refugees. And we dedicate one or two hours a week to teach Syrian students, because the Lebanese academic system is completely different than the Syrian, so they can't integrate into the Lebanese system."
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Does something here encourage you or spark your curiosity? 
Please leave your comments below, I love hearing from you!!
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*Unfamiliar with this term? 'Sectarianism, like racism, is a form of bigotry, discrimination, or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion, nationalism, class, regional or factions of a political movement'. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sectarianism for a very basic but more expansive understanding. If you want some academic sources on this, just let me know!





Thursday 2 July 2015

Portraits of Justice #10: Cydney {Halifax, Canada}

Happy week #10 of this project, Portraits of Justice!
Today I introduce you to Cydney, from Canada's east coast,  and invite you to hear her understandings of justice as connected to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The commission confronts Canada's colonial history of the Indian Residential Schools that resulted in a century of genocide and trauma for Indigenous populations.

 With the recent conclusion of the TRC ceremonies, the responsibility of taking action for reconciliation has been commissioned to the government, various public sectors, the churches, and every citizen of Canada. It is but the beginning. 
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"In 2011 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) came to Halifax. I went and heard some of the testimonials and stories - that itself was very powerful and moving. On the last day, they invited everyone who had even been remotely associated with the event to come to a local venue. They set the entire sports floor with seats and had a giant family reunion. They served a giant meal, and everyone was there, first nations people and allies."

"Behind the stage there were about 3000 cupcakes. We put a candle in every cupcake, and took them out to the floor and gave them to everybody and while we sang happy birthday. Because in the residential schools you didn't get a birthday, we had a giant birthday party for everyone who was there. They sang happy birthday in English, then in Inuktitut, Amiga, Obijiway, Mohawk, Algonquin...we sang happy birthday for like an hour in all these different languages! There was this 80 year old woman who was bawling her eyes out, because from the age of 5-15, she didn't have a birthday, and after that she was so messed up that it didn't matter to her. It was really beautiful, to see that it mattered now."    

"The TRC sticks out to me most. It's a good attempt at justice. It's not going to fix anything or everything, but I think the start of justice and reparations is telling stories. I think that narratives and storytelling is how you find commonality with other people, and is the way that you start any kind of process to tackle any issue. You start telling stories. That's not exactly what justice looks like, but it is what justice sounds like, is focusing on narratives and storytelling. Everyone's story is important."

"My dream way is that (Christians) would lead the charge for justice because they are divinely inspired to do so, and understand why equality is appropriate, and good and right. Whether they are able to do that is inhibited in a lot of ways by a lot of things. The role church is to inspire people...and interpret scripture in a way that doesn't alienate people and that doesn't promote more injustice"

Saturday 27 June 2015

Portraits of Justice #9: Milka {Lahore, Pakistan}

This week's Portrait of Justice features Milka, from Lahore, Pakistan. Being a Christian in Pakistan means that she is among the <2% minority in her country. Being a Christian woman in leadership, in a predominantly muslim and patriarchal society, makes her even more of a more of a minority. I'd estimate she represents less than .1% of the Pakistani population.

Milka is a strong and beautiful person who has not let her constant encounters of injustice prevent her from laughter and the pursuits of equality in the heart of Asia. Her story is one that encounters injustice much more than justice, something more unfamiliar in Western context. This is a story that the will promise to linger in your mind as you walk on
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[In] the "Pakistan context we are not finding the justice being a christian, being a minority. In Pakistan the majority are Muslims, 97% are the Muslims. Only less than 2% are Christians. There is no justice, every thing is according to the Islamic law. Christians don't have a right to speak. If they have a right in any case, they need a witness. One muslim witness is equal to two christian witnesses. Even in the constitution we have blasphemy law, and the blasphemy law is this: if you say any single word against prophet Mohamed, you are the blasphemer. Nowadays the Muslim people who are in the majority are taking advantage of that law. For personal reasons they are falsely blaming the minorities, even assassinating and torturing them. One of our christian ministers was assassinated by the majority."

"There is no justice. If we are raising our voices, they (the Muslim majority) are saying 'no, they are blasphemer!”. They are facing false witnesses, in false cases. Still the government is supporting the Muslims, not the Christians. They are behind this. They started to burn the churches, they started to burn the christian communities. If we are saying that the Muslims are doing these things, we are showing them evidence and names. Our police and army, our government are not taking action against this. They are saying they will work on it, that they will find those persons and who is behind it, and until now they have not found those persons. They are saying "they are not muslims, they are the fundamentalists who are doing those type of things."


"The government structure should be changed. We are raising our voices that the constitution should be changed. While you are burning churches, that is also blasphemy. If you are abusing Christians, that is also blasphemy. But they are not taking attention on this"

"We are working, and having dialogues with the Muslims on these issues, on the blasphemy laws. We are talking and trying to figure out these things."  

"In Pakistan Christians are less educated. They use to work in the Muslims houses as servants. While they were working in the houses as a servant , the Muslims have the power. They are torturing them, they are raping them. They are forcing them to convert and accept it."

"While I was in school I was the only Christian girl in my class. The girls use to say to me, why are you not accepting this? You should accept Islam, you should be a Muslim. I use to say to them, you should be a christian, would you accept it? They are saying no, ours is the best religion of the world. In our colleges and schools we are facing discrimination. That justice we do not have."
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Tell me something beautiful you have witnessed:


Milka doesn't need to think about this question, and launches in to a story, "They have let me lead SCM Pakistan. I am very blessed and happy that God choose me for this purpose. I have studied theology, and living in Pakistan, I thought that I will never go anywhere, I will just stay and my whole life will be in Pakistan. Through the SCM that changed."

"I have a good family who always support me." The emotion this statement was said with causes Milka to shed a tear as that support has been so life giving.

 Hind, from Jordan, who is sitting with during the interveiw leans in. "Milka, you have a family here as well that supports you"

"That is so true!" Milka responds.

With that our conversation found laughter. It found the joy that community offers, and that our strange and beautiful gathering had given us. We represented Canada, Jordan, and Pakistan, 3 countries from 3 different regions that were telling very different stories, but had found solidarity and a family all the same. To me, it was nothing less one of those #beautifulpeoplemoments, the ones you never forget. 

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Milka was interviewed and photographed in Bogota, Colombia
(c) Bthatlovelyphotography 2015