We hosted a live online chat with one of the finalists for OneWorld's People of 2006, Al Santoli, founder and president of Asia America Initiative on Thursday, January 18, 2-3 pm (EST).
The Asia America Initiative works to build peace and security through community development. Al Santoli has opened schools, revitalized healthcare systems, and acted as a peace broker for some of the most intense conflicts in Southeast Asia.
The chat transcript is available below.
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OneWorld.net:Welcome everyone! Thanks to everyone who submitted questions ahead of time. If you haven't posted a question yet, feel free to comment and submit your question. We look forward to chatting with Al this afternoon. Remember to refresh your page during the chat, so you can see new questions and answers as they are posted.
Al: Thank you for inviting me to participate in this live chat. I am grateful for this opportunity to share what I've learned in conducting conflict resolution. Special thanks to Roshani and all our friends at One World and to everyone who posted questions before the chat. I can see by the quality of the questions that this will be a meaningful dialogue on the relationship between community development and peace mediation. I will try to answer as many questions as possible during the chat. I hope that people interested in our work will visit our website for more details and to view our project galleries at http://www.asiaamerica.org.
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Jeffrey Allen: We hear a lot in the news today about "sectarian violence" -- whether it's in Iraq, Sudan, Colombia, Afghanistan... but many of us have never witnessed war. You've spoken to those at the heart of sectarian conflicts. Can you give us a sense of, in the broadest terms, what makes people fight?
Also, do you have any sense of how your experiences might be translated to Iraq, Sudan, or other similar conflict areas?
Al: People often fight out of frustration and desperation. To establish a model humanitarian and mediation program, it is critical to be sensitive to the unique culture of a community and to earn their trust. Everything is personal. You must have patience to interact with the tribal elders and be a good listener. One must not try to impose values or methods that will be rejected or misunderstood. You must also be a good judge of character to not be manipulated. Finally, once a relationship with the community is established, one must be consistent with the example you set and try to keep promises made.
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Poonam K.:Many leaders today have bypassed diplomacy talks and have increasingly turned to hoping to win war on the basis of a power struggle. How were you able to become an unbiased mediator in an area with such internal conflict as well as potentially life-threatening circumstances?
Al: To seek to end violence and hatred by exclusively utilizing force is counter-productive. My team works unarmed and tries not to take sides in local power struggles and rivalries. We focus in the hospitals and schools and treat everyone equally, regardless of their family, clan or political connections. The community then sees you as a true friend who cares about everyone's well being.
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Constantin S.:Please name one incident which is exemplary for your motivation to continue the humanitarian project on the Philippines throughout all the years and hardships?
Al: What touched my heart with the people of Sulu in Muslim Mindanao is the local teachers and doctors working for no pay and their telling me, "Come as a friend. But we will not accept charity." The people have a willingness to seek a better life and inherent dignity to seek their own empowerment. That builds true partnerships.
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Bernice A.:The world today continues to experience numerous humanitarian crises, and at the same time there will gradually be a new generation of young people rising up to become leaders in the area of humanitarian relief. In your opinion, how best can experienced leaders in the field like yourself guide and advise these rising new leaders to achieve similar successes in bringing long term peace and security to these conflict regions?
Al: Experienced humanitarian practitioners must lead by example. We must also extend opportunities for young people who are drawn into this type of work. It is especially important in unstable areas, to learn from mentors. In the Philippines the average age of our field staff is 24 years old. Most of the world's population is under the age of 25, so peer relationships, whether in the field or through the global internet village, is essential for the mutual support and camaraderie that leads to sustainable peace.
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Ming-Ray H.:Amidst the reality of continuous struggle for peace and harmony throughout the globe, how vital is the role of mediation with respects to conflicts between parties of distinct cultures? The Rwanda Genocide in 1994 for instance, was this an example of strategic mediation failure? How does the mediation process differ politically, socially and militarily?
Al: The role of mediation in preventing genocide is absolutely essential. It must include good local conflict resolution skills based on knowing the culture, history and political and social rivalries of a given situation. In a case like Rwanda, a former colony with intense tribal and political rivalries, there must also be a high level of international diplomacy and security coordination, even before the first acts of violence occur.
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Dolphi D.:I am glad to know of your peace initiatives as an unbiased mediator in conflict zones. I wholeheartedly wish you good luck in your commendable work.
How do you infuse confidence into the parties involved; what is the response that you have got so far? What do you think are the factors that drive some people to extreme measures like terrorism?
Al: Thank you for your encouragement. In a number of ongoing conflicts, such as in Muslim Mindanao, poverty is unbearable and an established peace process broke down because social and economic development promises were not kept. Corruption is also rampant on all levels of government. And there are violent people, though usually the minority, who try to impose their negative will. As an international NGO, in order to build sustainable peace, we help the community to believe that they have a future and there is Hope that they can achieve success. Trust means everything. By creating community committees and being in the community even during difficult or violent times, it builds confidence in our sincerity and solidarity. In the past when I have had death threats, the community has protected me.
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Shiraz A.:When working in these conflict plagued areas how do you go in and manage to convince the people that you can bring change or make a difference in their lives?
Al: We don't make promises that we can't keep. People who live on the edge of survival have significant abilities to detect insincerity. If you are doing your best, and are honest about your shortcomings, people respect you more. We also target the essential livelihood needs of the community such as, for instance, a fishing coop or developing a chicken farm for livelihood development, or local carpenters making tables for the schools. Educational tv and computer labs are also appreciated. Also, we always respect the local culture. Years of building friendship can be broken by one insensitive act.
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OneWorld.net:What projects is your organization focusing on currently?
Al: In addition to the Development for Peace model in the Philippines, we are working on a model for southern Thailand, as well as for Central Afghanistan. We are moving ahead with our Community Service Scholarships, Midwives and Adopt a Classroom peace building projects. We are also seeking to continue the assistance for the earthquake victims in Pakistan. And we are working on human rights intervention issues in defense of political prisoners in places such as China, Tibet and Vietnam.
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Jeffrey Martin:Al, thank you so much for being on Gather. The work you do is truly remarkable. Have you ever found yourself in a situation in one of these war-torn countries where you feared for your own life?
Al: Yes, the element of life threatening situations is an unavoidable part of the work. I try to use good judgment to avoid unnecessary vulnerability. For example, on the Thailand-Cambodia border during the refugee crisis I and other humanitarian and human rights workers would be caught in crossfire situations. It takes a lot of faith and determination to believe that you are working on issues that are greater than yourself. However, one doesn't wish to be a martyr and tries to always use good instincts and good judgment. The goal is to help as many communities as possible which requires staying healthy and not getting overly discouraged by the tragedies you witness. It's the good that you see in people that makes it all worthwhile.
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Jeffrey Allen:The fighting in the Philippines is back in the news today. Here's a quote from an AP article:
Encouraged by the death of Abu Sulaiman (a senior Abu Sayyaf leader wanted in the beheading of a California tourist), President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo vowed to finish off the Islamic militants "with a hand of steel" and U.S. assistance. What are your thoughts?
Al: The Abu Sayyaf Group is seen by the government and local community as primarily a kidnap and extortion gang that also commits acts of terrorism against both Muslims and Christians. They have only a few dozen members. The mainstream insurgent organization, which has thousands of members, is who we mediate with. Their key issues are extreme poverty and lack of social and economic opportunity. The Muslim Autonomous government and the Arroyo Administration have been supportive of our work and permit us to mediate so that "steel" doesn't have to be the primary government tool, which can only create worse violence when directed against an entire community.
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Constantin S.:Do you think the work of AAI could contribute to more local acceptance of US troops which have to serve abroad?
Al: If our small Asia America Initiative developmental teams are successful in our peace building through community development, we prevent the need for the use of armed force. In effect, we protect the lives of American and allied military members, as well as our friends in local communities that pay the heavy price of being caught in the crossfire of war and terrorism. Although we respect the courage and sacrifices made by US troops who are sent by our political leaders into volatile areas, we do our best to not be seen by the local people as part of a military operation. However, as we work in remote and sometimes violent places, the Philippine military has provided essential transportation of large shipments of humanitarian and educational supplies for us when no other civilian commercial transportation was available. Also, when we helped provide medical relief in Pakistan to people trapped in remote mountainous areas, the US and Pakistani military flew dangerous helicopter missions in winter to try to deliver aid and rescue isolated families. The ability to communicate without bias is essential to our ability to conduct mediation. As both a former soldier in my youth who was wounded in combat, and also a long time humanitarian and human rights worker, I understand the different emphasis of both communities. This understanding also enables me to act as an effective mediator. We helped stop a war in Sulu, Muslim Mindanao in 2006 by our ability to communicate with all sides. The trust we had earned through our humanitarian dedication to the community was the key factor.
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Karin Karhem:Thank you for spending your time with us. What would you say are the greatest challenges facing your organization today, and how are you addressing those challenges?
Al: Thanks, for your concern, Karin. At this time, the greatest challenge my organization faces, as is endemic with most NGOs, is our lack of funding and other resources to expand our work. Also, we need volunteers who are good in communications to be able to expand our outreach for both educating the public and policy makers on the social and developmental approaches to conflict resolution and terror deterrence.
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Candace: Thank you so much for participating here on Gather today. Your accomplishments are remarkable and inspiring to those of us who want to make a difference in our global community.
Do you have any suggestions as to how someone can volunteer and be accepted to participate in helping within these communities?
Al: Thank you Candace. There are opportunities to assist NGOs working in difficult areas of local or international conflict and poverty even without leaving the US. You can volunteer your time and skills whether on-site or via electronic communication. OneWorld.net has a list of organizations that can enable you to find a group or cause that is best for you.
OneWorld.net: Click here to see the list of organizations you can support on OneWorld.net.
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Maria Dawson:Thanks for being here! The information you're providing is extremely informative and much-appreciated. Please tell us, when you're helping a country in need, is there often conflict about what the people feel they need and what your group determines is best for their survival and continued growth? Also, what would you say are the most effective ways we as Gather members and individuals can help further peace and security individually for those in need?
Al: Thank you, Maria. We try to build true friendship which is the key to effective mediation. We do this by listening carefully to what people express, we conduct inter-generational focus groups among elders, women, students and service professionals who live in the community. We try to avoid being overbearing by always showing respect by asking questions and trying to find the right methods that they can utilize. This creates true partnerships and friendships that endure. Gather.com members can be of great assistance through supporting our projects or volunteering. To learn more about our work, please see our website on the asiaamerica.org website and by supporting our projects in whatever way you can. Your good intentions and contributions, whether materially or intellectually, are always appreciated.
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Steve Petersen:What are some ways that "normal" Americans can help out in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in Asia?
Al: There is a common human bond that unites people across borders and cultures. An ordinary person can be of tremendous help by volunteering or sending whatever support you can afford to credible humanitarian organizations. Anything that comes from a person's heart is of great value and should not be underestimated. For example, we keep a midwife or nurse in a rural area for $50 per month. We also provide wall charts for a classroom of 50 children for $5. We mobilize PTA parents to paint their children's classroom for $6 or three gallons of paint. Our PTAs in public schools includes people from all clans and families who might be in violent confrontation. We bring them together in common support of their children.
Our Adopt a Classroom program unites people and schools to understand their common bonds and is a great means of "citizen diplomacy."
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Travis B.: Greetings Al...are you familiar with the One Laptop Per Child initiative and if so has your group considered this as a development opportunity?
Al: Thanks, Travis. I've heard a lot of good things about the one laptop per child program. We haven't been using it yet. We are in the process of expanding educational technology in our classrooms, that when we started had only one chair per six children in average class size of 60, no books, no sanitation and drop out rates of 65% starting in 5th and 6th grades. I would welcome any contacts with the "one laptop" or similar programs.
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Melissa F.: Thank you so much for sharing. As far as helping a cause or causes it has always seemed to me that public awareness and understanding of cultures and real life issues faced in others circumstances in the world is so important. I traveled extensively and as a photographer. I even went back to school to develop further technical skills with the goal being to participate and try to use the skill I have for that very reason. I'm not sure how to now direct that into meaningful projects and am now in the States doing news and other work...but work that doesn't seem able to get to the point. I would like to find an avenue to get back to the original goal. Do you have any thoughts on this matter?
Al: Melissa, you are right that visual images can do a tremendous amount and be a powerful means of bringing the human reality of even remote locations and cultures into focus for the international community. You may want to contact AAI and other humanitarian organizations to see if you could assist in documenting field programs or going along on some humanitarian missions where your photos could be very valuable.
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OneWorld.net:Special thanks to Al for hanging around so long to provide such thoughtful responses to everyone's questions. And thanks to everyone who participated in the chat! Hopefully we can grab Al for a few more minutes later tonight to respond to the last few questions out there. We'll be posting a transcript of the chat shortly.
We invite you to check out the profiles of Al and the seven other finalists in OneWorld's People of 2006 special edition of Perspectives Magazine. And don't forget to cast your vote!
http://us.oneworld.net/section/us/perspectives/12/peopleof2006
Al: Thank you, Roshani and OneWorld.net and Gather.com for allowing me the opportunity to participate in this session. If anyone has any further thoughts and wishes to contact me, my email address is santoli@asiaamerica.org.
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