Det danske Fredsakademi
Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 30. August 2004 / Timeline August 30, 2004
Version 3.529. August 2004, 31. August 2004
08/30/2004
Arun Gandhi, the Peacemaker
by Kurt Singer
He is 70 and in his late autumn years is pereaching his legendary
grandfather's non violent philosophy to the Palestinians and
Israelis alike. Ariel Sharon allowed him a visa but did not see him
during his stay in Jerusalem.
His grandfather's theory of non violent resistance had brought down
the colonial powers of Britain and freed India. But Arun Gandhi's
visit to Israel and the occupied land of the Bible and Koran fell
on very polite but deaf ears.
It was a hot late August 2004 day when Arun Ghandi the Pacifist
visited Yasser Arafat in his sandbagged and bullet ridden
headquarters at the West Bank.
Armed body guards protected the Palestinian leader and his visitor.
Arun Gandhi believed that Arafat in 1959 had adopted a nonviolent
passive resistance there would have been a free Palestine state.
Instead Arafat had founded the militants FATAH and championed
militant guerilla warfare, armed struggle, airplane hijackings,
killing of civilians and suicide bombers." It's not to late now"
the aging Gandhi declared.Nonviolence would win. Arafat sat
silently during Arun's press conference." If the Palestinian people
rise up and start a non violent movement it would boost world
sympathy. The nations of the world would rise up and put more
pressure on Israel."
Gandhi also visited the dozen jailed hungerstriking Palestinian
prisoners together with the Red Cross doctors who examined them.
One of the militant fighter in jail said to him."You have great
ideas Mr. Gandhi but we are in a war and there is no peace in
sight." "This is why I am here" Gandhi replied. In 1991 he founded
with his wife the M.K. Institute of Non Violence at the Christian
Brothers University in Memphis, Ten. He became a US citizen in
1995. "Many bad things happened 55 years ago but revenge will not
solve the problem". Arun said he learned that from his grandfather
with whom he lived at the age of 12 after his father was jailed in
South Africa for 15 years, refusing to obey the Apartheid laws.
"The Palestinians should not behave like the Israelis and use non
violent resistance".
Arun had found sympathizers in both Israeli and Palestinian groups
and believes that both sides realize that new concepts must begin
to end this struggle. Over a hundred Palestinian suicide bombers
have not changed the occupation and the time has come for new
strategies like non violent resistance. During his visit in
Bethlehem he visited the new Israeli fence barrier which he called
a new Berlin Wall. A candle light meeting of about a hundred
Muslim, Christians and Jews honored Arun Gandhi and his
grandfaher's non violent philosophy.
Peace is a rare flower and elusive as in Mahatma Gandhi's days the
father of Nonviolence. He never received the Nobel Peace Prize.
08/30/2004
Defence Force looks overseas for soldiers
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3587878&thesection=news&t
hesubsection=general&thesecondsubsection=&reportid=52007
By RUTH BERRY
The New Zealand Herald
The Defence Force is being forced to recruit soldiers from overseas
as it tries to combat staff shortages.
Its annual report reveals that personnel numbers have continued to
drop despite a series of pay rises and other measures designed to
stem departures from the ranks.
Ten years ago Defence Force numbers totalled 17,547. That figure
now stands at 12,853.
The Defence Force has now turned overseas for recruits, but
believes its efforts have been hindered by immigration
requirements.
It has negotiated some changes with the Immigration Service and
wants the service to make more changes to its skilled migrants
category in order to further "reduce barriers".
Officers, soldiers and new recruits wanting to train for a career
in the armed forces are being sought.
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