LaOnf In the News
Iraq's Effort for Peace
Interview with Valerie Lucznikowska from September Eleventh Families of Peaceful Tomorrows
By Jenny Hauser, Nov. 10, 2008
www.oghamstone.org
A fast growing community of Iraqis is turning to a non-violent, nation wide organisation to fight for an end to violence, corruption and occupation, in their war torn country.
La’Onf –literally meaning ‘No Violence’ in Arabic – is the sum of 100 organisations across all 18 governates of Iraq. It was initiated in 2006 by only a handful of people with an aim to unite all Iraqis, irrespective of religious affiliation, ethnicity or gender.
Recently it concluded a third Annual Week of Non-Violence on October 16, which homed in on the issue of the upcoming provincial elections that is tipped to take place January 31 2009.
Cultural and sport events took place in all the governates of Iraq for the week, along with radio interviews and television reports.
September Eleventh Families of Peaceful Tomorrows, set up by family members of victims of the attacks of 9/11, have worked with La’Onf to help spread their message to an international audience. Valerie Lucznikowska, spokeswoman of Peaceful Tomorrows in New York, speaks about La’Onf’s Annual Week of Non-Violence the day before the presidential elections.
“They’ve spread the word tremendously and many people got involved.”
“What happened is that they gained new members through this. Things took place in every single one of the 18 governates. It wasn’t as if the whole city in every governate was involved but they did have an impact because they were covered rather broadly by television and radio. They also had meetings in a number of the governates with officials, which is very important.
“I think they showed that there were a lot of people supporting the three main tenets of their platform. The main tenet is transparency of the upcoming elections and to make it open to all.
“The other issue they are very strong on is to fight the horrendous corruption level. According to Transparency International, out of 180 countries, Iraq is at 178. I mean that’s how bad it is. They’re really in terrible shape as far as corruption is concerned and when you have to build back a society, the one thing that you need is the rule of law. One of the reasons that the United States does well is that people respect the law here, but unfortunately, there is so much corruption in Iraq that it’s virtually non-functioning.
“And of course the third thing is they want to be free of the occupation, they want to be self-determining. The government that’s in power now is not a popular government, it was put in place by the Americans and no one there is happy with that. “
LaOnf Activists in Baghdad collect signatures for a petition to ban war toys during LaOnf’s 2007 Week of Nonviolence. Source - September Eleventh Families of Peaceful Tomorrows
However, international media coverage of the non-violent organisation has been scarce, as the war continues to rage. In recent weeks the US media coverage has been solely set on the presidential elections.
“Nobody is paying attention to anything over here, but the presidential elections right now. So I have been holding back on a couple of releases and hoping to get some coverage in monthlies and weeklies a little later in the week.
“Saturday morning I did an interview for Hong Kong Television, over at Ground Zero. Media all over the world are interested in advances toward peace. Unfortunately this is not considered a big story in the United States and peace is not covered in the way that war is covered here. The American media likes the sensational. If something blows up, that’s a story. If something is quiet it’s not a story and peace is not popular in a military-industrial complex.”
On the issue of US troop withdrawal from Iraq Ms Lucznikowska says, “The myth here is that if we who are wonderful and all good and fantastic, if we pull out then those people will all fall apart. You know, it’s as if they didn’t have a country before.
“If the people of Iraq are going to rebuild they must do it on their own terms, in the way that they want. We do not know their culture and that’s clear, or else we wouldn’t be in this mess. Those people must build their own society, I think we have a moral responsibility to help them but not help them with troops. I don’t think they need our troops. They need their own security; they need their own nation building; they need their own self-determination. But they do need assistance and a lot of that is financial. I am a great believer in a Marshall Plan for Iraq.”
John Dear: Sept. 11th families support Iraqi group teaching nonviolence
Published on National Catholic Reporter Conversation Cafe (http://ncrcafe.org)
Sept. 11th families support Iraqi group teaching nonviolence
By John Dear SJ
Created Sep 22 2008 - 15:51
"Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows,” Martin Luther King, Jr. once said. In the days after September 11, 2001, some of the relatives of those who died in the attacks took King’s words to heart. They formed “September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows,” an organization to promote peace and nonviolence instead of revenge and retaliation. Since then, they’ve traveled the world to stand with victims of U.S. terrorism.
One of them, Terry Rockefeller, just returned from Iraq where she attended the first national meeting of a new network of creative nonviolence. Her report offers good news of peace and hope in a dark time.
I recently spoke with Terry from her home in Boston. Terry lost her sister Laura on September 11th. Laura was an actress who had a part-time day job. That morning, she was running a seminar on “information technologies” at a breakfast meeting on the top of the World Trade Center. For six months Terry grieved, then joined September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows.
www.peacefultomorrows.org
In 2003, she went to Iraq with my friend Colleen Kelly, who had lost her brother in the towers. Since then, Terry has spoken out, marched, and organized events, doing everything she can to help end the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq. But Terry wanted more. She was interested not just in ending war, but promoting peace. Recently she learned about a network of peace activists in Iraq who have formed a national organization to promote nonviolence. These Iraqis call their group, “LaOnf," an Arabic word that means “no violence” www.laonf.net So with Adele Welty, another member of Peaceful Tomorrows, Terry flew to Iraq in August to attend the first national meeting of LaOnf.
LaOnf had its start at the 2005 World Social Forum when an Iraqi activist met other Iraqis and posed the question: “Can nonviolence be a tool for change in the midst of occupation, violence and suffering?” They were interested in using the techniques of Gandhi and King within Iraq with their own people.
The LaOnf movement began in Baghdad in 2006, with their first nonviolence training. In 2007, they spread out to seven states with regional meetings, trainings and public actions. For example, they displayed posters with the words “No to Violence!” throughout Baghdad -- in police stations, Iraqi and U.S. army bases, shops and mosques. Emboldened by their action, the activists went
further, and organized their first national week of nonviolence.
In one beautiful, life-saving gesture, they gave away soccer balls to children who turned in their toy guns. U.S. soldiers have fired on and killed many children who at a distance with their toys appear armed.
By 2007, they were receiving so many applications for nonviolence training that they started to train trainers, who would then fan out to teach nonviolence to groups all over Iraq. LaOnf now operates in all of Iraq’s 18 governorates. Nearly 200 organizations have joined LaOnf so far.
Of course, it’s dangerous to promote nonviolence in Iraq. If you speak of resistance, you are accused of supporting terrorists and advocating violence; but if you speak about nonviolence, you are accused of supporting the unjust U.S. military occupation. LaOnf is trying to promote a “third way,” to use nonviolence to resist occupation, terrorism and corruption to build a new nonviolent culture of peace.
Terry attended the first national meeting of LaOnf coordinators, in Erbil, Iraq, during the last week of August. They reported on their local work and spent most of their time planning their third national week of nonviolence, set to begin Oct. 10. This year’s week will focus on promoting nonviolence around future Iraqi elections.
During the session, Terry apologized to the Iraqis for the U.S. government’s war and occupation, and told them that many Americans were doing what they could to stop the U.S. war. For most, Terry and Adele were the first Americans they ever met. By the end of the intense meetings, they had begun to relax and befriend the Americans. Terry was pressed by one coordinator, in particular, to see if Terry knew that there was a tradition of creative nonviolence within Islam itself.
“I felt so privileged to have been welcomed by these people who could have hated me,” Terry told me. “They are doing the work of Peaceful Tomorrows but under much more difficult circumstances. They have many more reasons to give up, but they keep at it. I was so inspired. It was a gift to be there.”
“We Americans are so undereducated and misinformed about the nature of most Iraqi people,” she continued. “We are misguided by the media to see all Iraqis as violent, as people who can’t run their own country. I think we need to understand the extraordinary quality of the people of Iraq, exemplified by the members of LaOnf.”
“It is such an injustice to militarize their society,” Terry said. “We need to end the tragic presence of the U.S. military personnel in Iraq, to respect the quality of the people and to support their vision of what they want their life to be like. They have an historical memory, about being the crossroads of civilization. They have a far richer vision of peace than anything we Americans could ever offer
them, because they have a deep commitment to their tradition, their history. I am no longer discouraged after meeting these Iraqis and seeing what they are doing. They are working for a new culture of peace; we have to do the same.”
The development of LaOnf and promotion of nonviolence by Iraqis within Iraq is a great sign of hope that deserves all our support and blessings. For information about LaOnf, visit their Web site at: www.laonf.net
xxx
John Dear
PeaceWork Magazine - November 2008
Published on Peacework Magazine
From Issue 390 - November 2008
http://www.peaceworkmagazine.org/there-not-only-violence-iraq-la-onf-week-nonviolence-takes-hold-across-country
There is Not Only Violence in Iraq: The La Onf Week of Nonviolence Takes Hold Across the Country
Authors: September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows is an organization founded by family members of those killed on September 11th who have united to turn their grief into action for peace. By developing and advocating nonviolent options and actions in the pursuit of justice, they hope to break the cycles of violence engendered by war and terrorism.
Volunteers from LaOnf, a network of nonviolence advocates in Iraq, visited schools and exchanged soccer balls for war toys (www.laonf.net)
Please, spread the message: there is not only violence in Iraq, there is something more; people are building peace and seeking real change. Today La Onf exists within the polarized and dangerous political environment of Iraq where if you speak about resistance you are accused of supporting terrorists and advocating violence; but if you speak about nonviolence you are accused of supporting the occupation. La Onf seeks to create a third way with its message that nonviolence is a tool to resist occupation, terrorism and corruption.
- Ismaeel Dawood, founding member of La Onf
La Onf is a network of Iraqi civilians & civil society organizations who are working together to create a free and peaceful Iraq using the philosophy & tactics of nonviolence. "La Onf" roughly translates as "nonviolence" in Arabic.
La Onf was established in 2005 by a group of activists in Baghdad who asked themselves, "Can nonviolence be a tool for change, even in the midst of war and extreme violence?" La Onf's founders knew that for a nonviolent movement to take hold in Iraq, much work would need to be done to heal sectarian and ethnic violence among Iraqis. But escalating violence was being used to justify the continued presence of US forces, and this motivated Iraqis to learn new skills.
With support from the international organizations Un Ponte Per in Italy, Nova in Spain, & Patria in Romania, La Onf's organizers were trained in the philosophy and tactics of nonviolence. In this training, they studied the work of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, & Ghaffar Khan, and developed strategies for their work in Iraq.
A Network Grows
La Onf held its first "Week of Nonviolence" in 2006 with several organizations in Baghdad. Activists distributed posters depicting a united Iraq, with "No Violence" written across it. They talked to people in neighborhood settings like shops, mosques, and schools. They also handed out the poster in police stations, on Iraqi army bases, and at US military bases. The actions were tremendously empowering, giving the activists confidence that they could apply nonviolence even in a war context.
Responses outside of Baghdad were positive, and the La Onf network grew. The second Week of Nonviolence in 2007 included 42 organizations from 7 different areas of Iraq. Actions included large and small gatherings, often with schoolchildren. There were artistic and cultural activities, singing, theater, and team sports. La Onf organized candlelight vigils and olive tree plantings to remember the victims of violence and create opportunities to begin to talk of healing. In many areas La Onf arranged for children to trade in their toy guns for soccer balls.
Some of these actions took place in areas of heavy violence, where it was not uncommon for car bombs to explode, and battles to erupt between militia groups or between resistance fighters and US occupation forces. In these places, the simple act of gathering in public to make a statement of nonviolence and unity took tremendous courage. Fortunately, there were no attacks against the activists who took part. Participants were inspired by their ability to momentarily transform a place of conflict into a place of unity and peace - a concrete step in their struggle to transform the entire country of Iraq into a more peaceful, stable nation.
Putting Nonviolence to Work
In many regions, activists collected residents' signatures in support of a local initiative to ban the sale and importation of war toys in their governorate (or province). La Onf undertook this initiative after many young boys and their families were shot by occupation forces who mistook a realistic-looking toy machine gun for an actual gun. Where fear and the threat of violence are high, the act of signing one's name to a petition, even a relatively non-controversial one, was a challenging choice for many Iraqis. Nevertheless, the petition drive took off. In the governorate of Muthanna, the petition that was begun in 2007 has resulted in an ordinance being passed banning the selling & importation of all war toys & firecrackers. Now La Onf is working to have a national ban legislated.
The documentary Masala, Activists in Iraq shows the organizing and activities of the La Onf groups working in Kurdistan in the north of Iraq leading up to and during the 2007 Week of Nonviolence. Under Saddam Hussein, the Kurdish people suffered grave human rights abuses. The Anfal campaign against the Kurds that took place from 1987 to 1989 included the destruction of villages and chemical warfare, as well as mass deportations, rapes, and executions. As part of a policy of "Arabization" of oil-rich areas in the north, thousands of poor Arabs from the south of Iraq were relocated to Kurdistan. This history shaped the events of the 2007 Week of Nonviolence in Kurdistan. One of the scenes in Masala shows Arabs and Kurds debating which of them has the true right to live in the Kurdistan region. This dialogue was one of La Onf's efforts to address these issues nonviolently.
Following their 2007 activities, La Onf activists carried out an impressive organizing campaign to promote the ideals & work of La Onf in each of Iraq's 18 governorates. Experienced activists attended an advanced training held in Amman, Jordan, where they learned how to teach others about nonviolence. They then returned to their own governorates, and conducted workshops to which both civil society organizations and tribal leaders were invited. These workshops included an overview of the principles of nonviolence, an orientation about the La Onf network, and an open discussion of problems and issues in the governorate that a local La Onf group could address. At the end of the workshop, participating individuals and organizations were invited to become members of the La Onf network within their governorate. The newly formed La Onf governorate network then held a vote to elect a coordinator and a five- to seven-member board to lead their local network at the governorate level. Each elected governorate board of five to seven reps must contain at least thirty percent women and must have at least one member who comes from a minority ethnic group within that governorate. By the time elections had been held in each governorate, well over 100 Iraqi organizations had committed to the principles of nonviolence and joined the La Onf network.
A New Face of Change
This year, the Week of Nonviolence was held over the course of three weeks, and for the first time Iraqis in every part of the country participated. Events promoting nonviolence were held to foster youth leadership, to strengthen women's political participation, and to support the arts. In the US, the group September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows has screened a video presentation about La Onf, and has used its website to spread the word about this important campaign.
All across Iraq communities are working to repair the damage of Iraq's many wars. The challenges they face are daunting. Iraqis have been devastated by unimaginable violence that has left hundreds of thousands dead, and one in five Iraqis forced from their homes. Communities are separated by walls and barriers, foreign occupation, bombings, and arrest sweeps. La Onf's efforts to revive and restore are helping to create an environment to build a better future that meets the needs of all Iraq.
This is the face of change we don't often hear about.
Your help in drawing attention to these campaigns will help illustrate that peace and security in Iraq will come from Iraqis united, not a better foreign occupation. It is an opportunity to learn more about what Iraqis are identifying as their priorities.
To see what change looks like, visit the picture gallery at http://www.flickr.com/photos/laonfsolidarity/ that documents just some of the amazing activities sponsored by La Onf this fall. Because many of the groups in Iraq feel very isolated, the gallery was designed to have a dual role; to give the world a snapshot of the activities taking place in Iraq, and, to show Iraqis how many of us around the world are in support of their brave work.
At www.peacefultomorrows.org you can learn more, and view a short video presentation about La Onf. You can also add your own photo to the gallery to show your support to Iraq's nonviolent activists.
Shalom House: Good News from Iraq
http://shalomhouse.us/?p=86
Good News from Iraq
Posted in October 9th, 2008
by Brian "Nomes" Baughan
When’s the last time you read a story about Iraq? I honestly can’t remember, with all the hullabaloo about the financial crisis and Palin gaffes. I’m sure if I read the story on cnn.com or some other mainstream outlet that it was about a car bombing. The U.S. forces, the insurgents, and the militias certainly command our attention. Violence has a way of doing that.
But what about nonviolence in Iraq? I was deeply encouraged with an e-mail I received today about LaOnf, a grassroots group in Iraqi advocating for democratic reforms and nonviolence (LaOnf means “no violence” in Arabic).
So far, LaOnf has launched two annual weeks of nonviolence, and the upcoming Week of Nonviolence, beginning October 10, promises to recruit the most participants yet. It’s active in every governorate, and is supported by a whole slew of American activist groups, including American Friends Service Committe and September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows.
This statement by Ismaeel Dawood, founding member of LaOnf, moved me:
“Please, spread the message: there is not only violence in Iraq, there is something more; people are building peace and seeking real change. . . Today LaOnf exists within the polarized and dangerous political environment of Iraq where if you speak about resistance you are accused of supporting terrorists and advocating violence; but if you speak about nonviolence you are accused of supporting the occupation. LaOnf seeks to create a third way with its message that nonviolence is a tool to resist occupation, terrorism and corruption.”
Here is a page providing ways to participate in the international campaign of solidarity with LaOnf. www.peacefultomorrows.org
Peaceful Tomorrows has also done a 10-minute presentation on the work of LaOnf and put it on YouTube. I believe it would be worth your time to check it out. Save a viewing of an SNL Sarah Palin skit for another day.
©2008 Shalom House
Sojournors Blog - September 11th Families Join Nonviolence Efforts in Iraq
http://www.sojo.net/blog/godspolitics/?p=2792
Please, spread the message: There is not only violence
in Iraq, there is something more — people are building peace and
seeking real change. Today La’Onf exists within the polarized and
dangerous political environment of Iraq, where if you speak about
resistance you are accused of supporting terrorists and advocating
violence, but if you speak about nonviolence you are accused of
supporting the occupation. La’Onf seeks to create a third way with its
message that nonviolence is a tool to resist occupation and terrorism.”
– Ismaeel Dawood, founding member of La’Onf, a network of peace and nonviolence activists in Iraq.
Under the most difficult conditions, a peace and nonviolence movement called La‘Onf (Arabic for “No Violence”)
is growing in Iraq. Members are women and men from all religious and
ethnic groups. The only requirement is a passion for nonviolence and a
willingness to build a culture of peace.
Ismaeel Dawood studied statistics and read widely about human
rights. When the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, he collected stories of
civilian casualties and the detention of Iraqis by the U.S. military.
As Iraqi society was overwhelmed by sectarian violence, Ismaeel and
other activists felt a need for a greater Iraqi response. Together they
asked, “Can nonviolence be a tool for change in the midst of
occupation, violence, and suffering?”
With financial support from European NGOs, they organized
nonviolence training workshops in Jordan in January 2006. Twenty-three
Iraqis attended and studied the work of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr.,
and Nelson Mandela.
For a Nonviolence Week in the Baghdad area, they distributed posters
of a map of Iraq with no internal boundaries, imprinted with “La’Onf.”
They talked to people everywhere: police stations, Iraqi and U.S.
military bases, shops, schools, and mosques.
A second Week of Nonviolence in 2007 led to a democratic structure
to carry out their work, and they elected coordinating committees in
Iraq’s 18 governorates (provinces). La’Onf now includes more than 100
civil society organizations.
La’Onf’s third annual Week of Nonviolence will start tomorrow, Oct.
11. The focus is how to make the upcoming provincial elections
informed, free, safe, and truly democratic. September 11 Families for
Peaceful Tomorrows and other U.S. peace organizations are supporting
La’Onf’s efforts. For more information and how to help, see www.peacefultomorrows.org.
Terry Rockefeller is a member of September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows,
an organization founded by family members of those killed on Sept. 11
who have united to turn our grief into action for peace. By developing
and advocating nonviolent options and actions in the pursuit of
justice, we hope to break the cycles of violence engendered by war and
terrorism. Acknowledging our common experience with all people affected
by violence throughout the world, we work to create a safer and more
peaceful world for everyone.
UN Observer Blog
http://www.unobserver.com/layout5.php?id=5234&blz=1
Support Iraqi Peace and Nonviolence Activists Today!
2008-10-09 | September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows is pleased to announce a new opportunity to show your support for Iraqi peace and nonviolence activists!
Take Action Now by signing on to an International Letter of Support endorsing LaOnf's Third Annual Week of Nonviolence, which will start on October 10, 2008. http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5384/t/3350/content.jsp?content_KEY=543
You can sign on now to the letter of support at this link. After you have signed, please forward the link to your friends.
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5384/t/3350/content.jsp?content_KEY=543
Founded in 2006, LaOnf (which means "No Violence" in Arabic) has grown to a network of over 100 Iraqi organizations that are committed to using nonviolence to end the occupation, sectarian fighting, and corruption that are destroying Iraq. LaOnf members are men and women from Iraq's many ethnic and religious groups, Sunni, Shiite, Kurdish, Turkmen and Christian, in all of Iraq's 18 governorates (states).
View a short video about LaOnf at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y83MnF0uQEg
LaOnf's 2008 Week of Nonviolence, October 10-20, will focus on making the upcoming elections in Iraq free, informed, safe, and open to all. The activities, which will take place in each of Iraq's 18 governorates, are part LaOnf's on-going work to build a culture of peace in Iraq. International support and solidarity will make a tremendous difference at this critical moment in LaOnf's growth and work.
Peaceful Tomorrows is inviting people across the U.S. (and the world) to post photo greetings to LaOnf from your organization or community. Email your digital photo of you or your group sending a message of support to LaOnf to: laonfsolidarity@yahoo.com. You can continue to check out the postings at our online photo gallery. Please send the link to your friends. http://www.flickr.com/photos/laonfsolidarity/
To learn more about LaOnf, how to support their work, and to follow the latest developments during the Week of Nonviolence, visit:
http://www.peacefultomorrows.org
WHY LAONF NOW? This is an extraordinary opportunity for U.S. peace activists to demonstrate their solidarity with Iraqi civilians and to say to the world that we believe that peace in Iraq depends upon ending the occupation and empowering members of Iraqi civil society to reclaim control of their institutions and resources. Standing in solidarity with the activists of LaOnf shows that we believe Iraqis themselves can end sectarian strife and undertake the reconciliation necessary to rebuild their country.
In Peace and Solidarity,
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
http://www.peacefultomorrows.org
Please also see:
Support LaOnf Week of Nonviolence
http://vcnv.org/support-laonf-week-of-nonviolence
IRAQ: U.S. Urged to Share More of Refugee Burden
By Zainab Mineeia
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=44138
Yes magazine's "Signs of Life: Iraq's Nonviolence Activism"
Iraqis Organize for Peaceful Elections
More than 100 citizen groups in all 18 Iraqi provinces participated in a mid-October week of activities aimed at reducing violence in the January 2009 provincial elections. A coalition called La’Onf (“No to Violence” in Arabic) led the Week of Nonviolence.
Among many highlights, Iraqis in Sadr City and Al-Anbar province held conferences to encourage women to vote. Youth in Salahuddin played soccer in uniforms that bore the slogan, “Nonviolence is Our Choice.” In Babil, children performed an operetta about how Iraqis can face violence and find unity. The al-Iraqiyah media outlet and members of the Islamic Union of Iraqi Students and Youth gathered with other civic groups at a peace festival. La’Onf participants also appeared on Arabic radio, television, and satellite broadcasts.
“Within the polarized and dangerous political environment of Iraq … if you speak about resistance you are accused of supporting terrorists … but if you speak about nonviolence you are accused of supporting the occupation,” says Ismaeel Dawood, a La’Onf founder. La’Onf is working to create a third way in which “nonviolence is a tool to resist occupation, terrorism, and corruption.”
— Kristin Carlsen
Background on LaOnf's 2008 Week of Nonviolence
LaOnf's 2008 Week of Nonviolence: Focus on the Upcoming Iraqi Elections
The Iraqi civil-society organization LaOnf (which means “no violence” in Arabic) is a network of Iraqi activists building a nonviolence movement to resist occupation, terrorism and corruption in Iraq.
Founded in 2006, LaOnf has grown into a national network of over 100 Iraqi organizations, including student groups, unions, women's groups, and humanitarian organizations that form LaOnf chapters in every governorate (state) of Iraq, with a democratically elected decision making structure on the governorate and national level.
In 2007, 42 LaOnf member organizations created a week of coordinated nonviolent actions that took place in 10 of Iraq's 18 governorates. The 2008 Week of Nonviolence will take place October 11-16, 2008.
The main purpose of LaOnf's 2008 Week of Nonviolence will be a campaign to pave the way for Iraqi citizens to participate in the local elections in the governorates free from any and all pressures concerning how they vote.
LaOnf calls for laws that guarantee that the nomination and election of candidates will be according to an open list " a system that enables the Iraqi voters to select specific candidates when voting (not a closed list in which one votes only for a political party).
LaOnf calls upon all the political parties to present their programs to the Iraqi citizens, including information about:
- What plans they have to develop infrastructure in the governorate.
- What services they are going to provide in the governorate.
- What they will do to provide employment opportunities.
- Their thoughts about the roles of non-governmental organizations and how they plan to support them.
- Their thoughts on nonviolence as a means for addressing and solving problems; and what guarantees they would make that local government will not resort to violence when dealing with its citizens.
- Their position on basic principles of human rights, especially the issues of non-discrimination against women and respect for freedom of expression.
LaOnf’s campaign will discuss the violence that may accompany the elections; the roles of nongovernmental organizations and activists in the civil society during the election; and how the elections can be an effective and peaceful means for change.
LaOnf demands that the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army are the only forces responsible for protecting the election process, and they call upon these Iraqi forces to maintain neutrality so as to provide an opportunity for citizens to express their opinions freely through the ballot box. LaOnf demands that the occupation forces and other armed
groups not interfere with the election process.
LaOnf’s campaign is committed to the principle of free choice by voters and their right to participate regardless of their sectarian or ideological background, religion or nationality; this right must be protected for all. LaOnf’s campaign will avoid using any symbols of religion or ethnicity, and will focus on programs that benefit all citizens, regardless of their background. Those who participate should be committed to the principle of neutrality and should not participate on behalf of any political party or candidate for office.
HIGHLIGHTS from First Few Days of Week of Nonviolence
Highlights From The First Few Days of the Week of Nonviolence
The La'Onf Iraqi Nonviolence Group initiated its third annual Week of Nonviolence on Saturday, October 11, 2008. This network of more than 100 Iraqi civil society organizations has come together to call for the rebuilding of Iraq through nonviolence. This year, La'Onf is focusing on the power of the electoral process.
La'Onf's members are working to eliminate violence during the upcoming provincial elections, scheduled to take place before the end of January 2009.
Below is a summary of the highlights from the first few days of the Week of Nonviolence.
BAGHDAD
In Al-Sadr City, Ard Al-Rafeden and Women Rights convened a conference attended by Baghdad human rights activists with a particular emphasis on the participation of women. Conference organizers introduced La'Onf to the community and focused dialogue on preventing electoral violence. One conference attendee stated that al-Sadr City is completely forgotten; that no one thinks about their reality of increasing violence and deteriorating security. Attendees thanked La'Onf's Baghdad group for expressing commitment and interest in al-Sadr and for the introduction to nonviolence.
As a result of the assassination on Thursday (October 9) of Saleh al-Ugaili, an Iraqi member of Parliament from Moktada al-Sadr's political movement, La'Onf organizers in Baghdad met with Sadr City leaders to discuss ways to prevent an escalation of the violence and further bloodshed. They have called for a prompt and impartial investigation to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of Saleh al-Ugaili's murder.
BABIL (Babylon)
Babil's La'Onf members, in cooperation with the National Center for the Rehabilitation of Young People and the Office of International Aid in Babylon, conducted a festival in the Cultivating Peace Hall (Shatt al-Hilla). The festival was organized with the significant leadership of young people and included arts projects for children and the reading of poetry with one of the poets being only 10 years old. La'Onf presenters talked about the role of civil society in partnership with government agencies, religious institutions, and cultural, social and educational organizations to spread nonviolence throughout the governorate. Two sixth graders performed an operetta telling the story of how Iraqis can face violence and maintain the unity of their country. La'Onf members also distributed posters in Jabla in Northern Babil.
DIWANIYA
La'Onf participants distributed and hung posters in Albdir, approximately 30 miles away from the city center.
DIYALA
La'Onf member organizations, including the Relief and Development Organization and Defense of Iraqi Deportees Association, distributed posters on nonviolence in the city of Jalula, including public areas, schools, government offices, and residential neighborhoods.
ERBIL
Azadi radio station interviewed La'Onf representatives who discussed the principles of nonviolence and described activities planned across Iraq during the 2008 Week of Nonviolence.
KARBALA
La'Onf members convened a conference attended by representatives of civil society, academia and political parties. The conference opened with a song of peace and love, and rejection of all violence in Iraq, performed by the Cultural Knowledge Foundation. The La'Onf coordinator in Karbala then introduced the goals and activities of La'Onf followed by a courageous presentation by Mr. Yahya Najjar, a journalist in Karbala. Mr. Najjar appealed to the media to exercise strict neutrality in reporting on the elections and candidates. He asked the community to reject violence, sectarianism and all forms of terrorism, marginalization, racial discrimination, and political and social oppression. He added that the road in front of journalists is "planted with brambles," recognizing that they are being targeted and that "journalism has become a profession of martyrs." However he emphasized the journalists' "love for life and for painting hope with their free writings."
Mr. Hussein Amery of the Independent Electoral Commission in Iraq also spoke about the need for civil society, government institutions and the media to work together to ensure the appropriate level of integrity, transparency and impartiality of the electoral process. He concluded his remarks by thanking the conference participants and La'Onf for promoting a culture of nonviolence as a path to political, social and economic change in Iraq. At the end of the conference, participants formed a board to send letters to the political parties in support of the government's role in conducting the provincial elections. And they also appealed to the Iraqi army and police to maintain their professionalism in protecting all citizens' free and equal participation in the elections.
KIRKUK
La'Onf participants hung posters in public areas, schools and government service and administrative offices. They also met with 40 organizations from Iraqi civil society. In Haweja, Iraqi police interfered with attempts to hang the posters, and two participants were arrested for two hours before being released. Unknown armed forces also interfered with participants in Reyad but members of Al-Sahwa Men were able to de-escalate tensions at the location, and no one was hurt.
WASIT (Kut)
La'Onf participants focused on engaging political parties by distributing booklets on preventing electoral violence and introducing nonviolence principles to party offices. Among the parties that were contacted are: National Democratic Congress, WEFAQ National Democratic Movement, Islamic Call Movement, Iraqi Communist Party, Islamic Higher Board, and Kurdistan Democratic Party.
NASRIA (De Qar)
La'Onf participants began the week by distributing posters in every district in the province.
SALAHUDDIN
La'Onf organized a youth soccer match whose players wore uniforms with the slogan: "Nonviolence is our Choice." Along with sports fans, those in attendance included: the Aalam District Director, Red Crescent Director of Salahuddin, and Aalam District Police Chief, as well as members of the Aalam Club Administrative Board and civil society organizations. The match prompted discussions among the attendees about the meaning of nonviolence and La'Onf's planned activities in the area. Participants expressed their appreciation for La'Onf's work and several new people volunteered to work for La'Onf.
More information
Updates in Arabic, Kurdish and English are on the La'Onf website at www.laonf.net.
Photographs from Iraq (as well as from people across the United States who support nonviolence in Iraq) can be seen on the La'Onf Solidarity Flickr Photo Gallery. http://www.flickr.com/photos/laonfsolidarity/