Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi
My work as a documentary filmmaker and journalist not only enables unique working travel experiences, it affords me a place at the table where vital conversations are taking place on some of the most pressing issues of today. Always tempered by either an international viewpoint or cross cultural perspective, the tone and tenor is more of what might otherwise be experienced at a dinner party –impassioned but grounded in courtesy. One such recent dialogue I was privy to, and a conversation I have been tracking for more than two years now, is the issue of “human mobility.” One such location most recently was Abu Dhabi.
On November 19 through the 21, with the magnificent Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque as our backdrop, a gathering coinciding with the international day of the child took place. It brought together a very interesting and perhaps unexpected group addressing in part, how forced displacement puts children at the crossroads of the issue and leaves them the most vulnerable.
The gathering was the 6th Global Forum of the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC), led by Secretary General Dr. Mustafa Y. Ali and co-hosted by a local Emirates organization lnterfaith Alliance for Safer Communities led by an exemplary woman from the region, Dana Humaid Al Marzooqi. In addition to her nonprofit work she also serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United Arab Emirates Police Force. Although both represent nonprofits focused on children rights and safety worldwide, and known within a tight-knit group of NGOs in attendance, neither are often found at the top ten list of groups most regular folks, like me, might come across.However, they very much should be judging from my experience at this impactful convening. And, in greater part it is why I will be sharing some of these resonate voices throughout the month.
Mr. Hamad Kathir of the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities and Dr. Mustafa Y. Ali (r) of the Global Network of Religions for Children open the 6th Global Forum in Abu Dhabi.
The gathering boasted approximately 600 participants deeply connected to children's rights and wellbeing, which was already testimony unto itself. I was there to present a song called “Stand Together,” written by my friend Michael Orland (of American Idol) and performed by the young up-and-coming singer Anandita to raise awareness and funds for displaced placed children around the world.
Judging from a quick scan of the crowd, one could safely assume that the majority were affiliated with a religion or a faith-based organization, some large like World Vision, some from less often thought of religions such as the Baha'i faith. NGOs at the gathering of course included large ones like the Pan American Development Foundation and its big sister Organization of American States, both out of Washington, DC with offices throughout Latin America. Although I know both organizations well, particularly for their work with displaced children throughout South America and the Caribbean, I learned even more through my interview with Nadia Cherrouck, Chief of Staff, PADF and María Julia Garcete, a social worker and General Director of InterAmerican Institute for Children and Adolescents of the OAS. During our conversation Cherrouck addressed the cross section of her organization's collaboration with faith leaders in protecting children throughout the region. “In Latin America and the Carribean you have one of the youngest populations in the world. Working with these stakeholders, allows us to create a safe space for children to thrive by finding the right tools for education, providing them with security, and a space where they can grow and in turn give back to their communities.”
Jeff Oppenheim interviews María Julia Garcete of InterAmerican Institute for Children and Adolescents of the OAS
Other organizations were smaller grassroots ones that were just as impactful in the scope and commitment to how they served children, such as the Global Impact Initiative out of Austin, Texas headed by Anjum Malik. “Our focus is refugee stabilization and integration.” Her organization serves mostly on a local level, assisting adult immigrants find jobs and working to enroll children in school. She focuses on what she describes as cross-generational “livelihood development.” An immigrant from India herself, but now a longtime Austin resident, her own experience informs, at least in part, her humanitarian work helping to establish and acclimate new arrivals by creating purpose so that they can enjoy a “lifetime of stability, a lifetime of success.”
Education was indeed a recurring theme as a basic right of the child and academia itself was well represented at the Forum, both in person and online. The Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty headed by committed visionary Dr. Jeremy Everett, as Founder and Executive Director. The focus of their work uses a collective impact approach to build coalitions of likeminded stakeholders committed to ending hunger in their communities and school districts. Texas was further represented by my friend and colleague Dr Luis Torres-Hostos, Founding Dean and Professor, School of Social Work, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley. He also heads up the Human Mobility Institute with which my own work in the area of children on the move is linked. Beyond their combined expert and dedicated offerings to the dialogue in the U.A.E., both of these practitioners represent an often neglected, yet very real aspect to global humanitarian work, that being that the United States, in all its wealth of resources, also faces gross disparities that impact our own citizenry, particularly our children. Dr. Everett, who is also a theologian and religious leader, spoke to the greater issue of hunger in America and how it particularly impacts children, inclusive of his home state of Texas, despite having the most farms out of any US state.
Dr Torres, serving on one of the breakout panels, brought this localized issue further to light by sharing his work in the Rio Grande Valley, an area which has been at the center of the heated immigration conversation throughout the United States. “Many of the folks in the valley feel like they are forgotten,” Torres says. “They’re second class citizens,” he adds. In speaking specifically of the southern border area he explains the unique dynamic of the region as a ‘B-3’ territory, “Bilingual, bicultural and binational.” But in this he cites “We have a natural laboratory right here in the Rio Grande Valley on how to develop global citizens starting with binational citizens.”
One of the keynote speakers at the Forum was a man named Kul Gautam, a former Unicef and United Nations senior officer who directly speaks to global citizenry, not only from his own upbringing and education but his background as a former peacekeeper. Gautam is officially credited with helping to broker a temporary ceasefire in war-torn El Salvador during its civil war. The war raged on from 1979 to 1992 and pitted the government and military against leftist guerillas and civilians suspected of supporting them. It was, as I learned from an interview with the diminutive in stature but energetically grand Gautam, this represented the first time the United Nations and Unicef learned of the requisite value of working with and through local religious leaders. In this case it was the Catholic church as it was the only entity that both sides of the conflict held any trust. As such, Unicef was able to broker a temporary halt in the fighting, long enough to medically attend and inoculate the local children. “Religions, since time immemorial, have done many good things to lift up people’s spirit, to inculcate values, culture, but it is also true that in the name of religion a lot of bad things have happened.” He went on to say, “Many of the actions in the field, sometimes carried out by local priests, are not so enlightened.” He cites child marriage as one of those egregious violations of youth rights sanctioned and officiated by religious leaders. “What this conference is about is [exploring] can we bring out the best in our scriptures, the best in the teachings of our great prophets and diffuse that and make that the driving force for the wellbeing of children and their rights.”
Kul Gautam, a former officer of Unicef and United Nations
Gautam’s life work demonstrates the requisite need for dialogue between human rights organizations, such as Unicef, and all pillars of civil society, inclusive of religion. The successful experience in El Salvador ushered forth a new era of bringing religious leaders to the table or perhaps more appropriately, it had the global peace entity requesting a seat at the tribal table of leadership to seek collaborative change .
Panning the large venue in the Park Rotana Hotel in Abu Dhabi with my camera, I was experiencing something similar. Especially having left my own native America right after the election results of the 47th President were announced. In truth, I departed with more than a worry that the age of political reason might now be over. But also, I recognized that might be what I have in common with those that voted the president elect into office – a growing distrust of political leadership to truly serve the common good. Now, having travelled halfway across the world, I was listening instead to the calm and considered discourse of religious leaders from different faiths and different parts of the globe. Although they were gathered over the common good of the child, inherent to that was the discussion and requisite need to heal and protect our collective future. The message was delivered, in part, from the mainstage event, but what was more potent was the dialogue transpiring both in the breakout work sessions as well as the casual exchange in the lobby and over lunch.
Not having been raised of one religion or another, I should have been the least comfortable among this crowd and perhaps somewhat cautiously distrustful. Yet even where I might be quick to point out where religion has too often been the cause of conflict and discord, inclusive of the abhorrent abuse of children, these leaders were even quicker to not only call this out but they gathered to put measures and tools in place to change and heal from within. This charge was set from the outset by Gautam’s opening remarks.
As I moved from main venue events to side room breakout sessions, I was privileged to lean in at their table and learn of the collective efforts to educate themselves to better serve the communities that each of these leaders represented. I learned of tools and methodologies that they and the visiting NGOs were working overtime to put into place and propagate throughout regions in desperate need of reform. And, I was witness to a concerted commitment and accord to protect children against violence and abuse and eradicate ancient harmful traditions such as female genital mutilation (FGM) inasmuch to put measures, tools and training in place to protect against the newer threats inherent in the online exploration of children. There were even deep and very progressive discussions of climate change, including the creation and greater implementation of an SDG Academy and a definitive connection to ending child poverty. A program led by Reverend Fred Nyabera, a social scientist and a trained theologian. “Poverty is the gravest global injustice and the worst kind of violence,” the Reverend shared. In a calm but very determined way he brings home the fact that although significant progress has been made under the Millennium Development Goals (or SDGs), without renewed commitment and radical new actions, millions of children will still be suffering chronic malnutrition and even starvation. “We must redouble our commitment to put the most vulnerable and children living in poverty high on the agenda of faith communities and the international community.” More than blind faith, the Rev Nyabera is taking bold steps through the foundation of his academy and the diligence in which he seeks partnerships to address his true calling of ending child poverty.
By the last day of the conference, surrounded by this diverse but collaborative community, I began to feel a distant but familiar emotion creep over me – hope. Something that perhaps I am best advised to be mindful of in my line of work that must have me ask questions and remain objective. However, a sentiment that on the humanistic level, I will admit openly I cannot motivate truly without. Here, I could carefully stay reflective because this was the good intention and bold leadership of others being discussed and demonstrated under the palm trees and warming sun of our beautiful host country. And, all for the sake of another. In this case, all for children.
Kailash Satyarthi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner
The last interview of my visit was with Kailash Satyarthi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work through his foundation that focuses attention on the grave exploitation of children for financial gain. Sitting across from this humble, soft-spoken but learned gentle man, his soft grey-blue eyes deeply conveyed the integrity of his intentions as much as his accented and deliberately articulate words offered a clear call to action. “All religions are born out of one spark, that is compassion. Compassion is not a complicated issue, it's very simple. Selfless, mindful problem solving is compassion.” A gentle smile warmed his face as much as it did stir a determined acceptance to his clear instructions:.” Take action to solve the problems.”
As I headed home, I scribbled in my journal throughout my 14 hour flight, even at one point realizing we were flying near or even over war zones such as Palestine and the Ukraine. Below me were the demonstrated acts imposed on the many by political leaders driven by the sole intent of economics and gain for only a few. Looking out on the glorious horizon of a setting sun from the 30,000 foot perspective, I willingly yielded to the good work of the few I had met at the conference who were representing and working for the greater good of the many. In this I decided that even beyond hope, or for that matter prayer, it was in their actions that I put even greater stow. In that, I found recommitment to my mantra and renewal in my work knowing once more that “dialogue and discourse are the humanitarian’s way to lead positive change.”