Press Release
MODERATOR: Well, good afternoon everyone and welcome to the Foreign Press Center. Today is a very eventful day. We have a great lineup here for you. We have the winners of the International Women of Courage Award. I'm just going to quote briefly from the press release that came out on Monday, where these ladies had a ceremony with Secretary Rice. And then they are going to each say a few words about themselves and then we will take some questions that are for the group. And then afterwards, we'll just break up and whoever you would like to talk to one on one, spend time with whoever you would like.
So just by way of introduction, Secretary Rice and Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Dobriansky marked International Women's Day 2008 by presenting the Second Annual International Women of Courage Award to eight women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women's rights and advancement. This is the only Department of State award paying tribute to emerging women leaders worldwide and offers a unique opportunity for (inaudible) global diplomacy to the field of international women's issues.
So the honorees are from Afghanistan, Fiji, Iraq, Kosovo, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority, Paraguay and Somalia, have transformed their societies and served as an inspiration to the international community. There are among over 95 exceptional women of courage nominated by U.S. embassies worldwide for their diverse contributions to freedom, justice, peace and equality.
And the following here are award winners. We are without today a couple of them, but the ones that are here today are from Fiji -- and forgive me if I mispronounce here some of the names -- Virsilia Buadromo; from Iraq, Dr. Eamin Al-Gobory; from Kosovo, Valdete Idrizi; from Pakistan, Dr. Begum Jan; from Somalia -- from Paraguay, Ms. Cynthia Bendlin; and from Somalia, Farhiyo Farah Ibrahim.
And so with that, we'll start. Say a few words about yourself and then move on.
MS. BUADROMO: My name is Virisila Buadromo. I am from the Fiji Women's Rights Movement. I used to be a journalist until 2000, when I joined the Fiji Women's Rights Movement.
Winning the award for me is really an opportunity for me to raise the media profile of the political crisis in Fiji. Here in the U.S., just during the last week that I've been here, I've realized that the image that Americans have of Fiji is basically, one, Fiji water, and, two, it's an idyllic place that people go for honeymoons.
Unfortunately, we are a country that is undergoing a political crisis and I am taking this opportunity for you to share some moments with me and for me to be able to tell you what's going on in our country and how you, as the international media, can help our cause. Thank you very much.
DR. AL-GOBORY: I am Dr. Eaman Al-Gobory. I am a medical officer with International Organization for Migration. We were -- this organization was one of the first aid work in Iraq, and under umbrella of United Nations.
I am located in Iraq, Baghdad, the Red Zone, as they said. I work three major projects, volunteerly, and with support of all the NGOs. With my work, that is medical evacuation, capacity building, training, all component that health is visible for. My message is to try to put health accessible to all society of Iraq, all the people. Thank you.
MS. IDRIZI: Hello to everybody. My name is Valdete Idrizi. I'm from Kosovo. I come from northern part of Kosovo, from the city of Mitrovica, which is still divided ethnically in two parts. And I am running a local grassroots organization which is mixed, it's a multiethnic one. It is called Community Building Mitrovica.
What we basically do, we try to bridge people. And it is -- it has been politicized, the unification of town, but that's what we try to do. And the challenges that now Kosovo is facing and will face, I mean, as you all know, on the 17th of February, it was finally the declaration of independence. And now the northern part of Kosovo is kind of a big problem and big challenge, just to remain within its borders.
So that's it for now. Thank you.
DR. JAN: My name is Dr. Begum Jan. I am medical doctor. I belong to Pakistan tribal area (inaudible) tribal area is a part of Pakistan. My mother language is Pashto. I am graduate of Afghanistan Medical College Jalalabad. My organization name is Tribal Women Welfare Association. This organization is (inaudible) education, health and political awareness. But the tribal population is the census government, I know, (inaudible) 10 million population tribal. Tribal agencies divide with (inaudible) seven agencies (inaudible) tribal agency (inaudible).
DR. JAN: (As translated.) On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I would like to thank the Department of State and the people of America for inviting us here and also giving us this award of Women of Courage. I am from a tribal area and all tribal people, they are very peace-loving people, and they want peace and security in this region. And my hope is that the State Department and the people of United States, we will work together to achieve that peace and that security.
DR. JAN: Thank you.
MS. BENDLIN: Hello. I am Cynthia Bendlin from South America, Paraguay. And I am strategic planning. And I coordinated a project in the tri-border area between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, to prevent trafficking, human trafficking, especially in women and girls, children. And this is very important for us because it will help us to put a spotlight on this problem that's a global problem.
Trafficked women and girls are being taken from my country and other countries and through a route of transportation, they could come here to the States, Canada, especially in Europe, Spain, northern Italy, Asia, et cetera. So this is very important for us all together to put an awareness about the problem. And I have coordinated a project -- specially strengthening networks inter-institutional, governmental, nongovernmental networks that will tackle trafficking in persons.
Thank you very much.
MS. IBRAHIM: Okay, my name is Farhiyo. I'm Somali by nationality. And personally, on behalf of the refugees that I am representing of the entire country, personally, I have spearheaded campaigns on elimination of female genital mutilation. Personally, I am a member of a community, but I help implementing agents, UNHCR is the lone agency, but I implement an agency that is (inaudible) International in Kenya. The other one is (inaudible) our community, special information (inaudible) mutilation, forced marriage and I am an advocate for health education. And I am very happy to come to United States and accept the International Courage Award because this will help me, my better -- my future missions.
Thank you.
MODERATOR: Any questions for the group? Well, if not, we can stand up and anyone you'd like to talk to, we'll open up.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
DR. JAN: (Inaudible.)
QUESTION: (Inaudible) Pakistan government and so education, reinvestment --
DR. JAN: Tribal area.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
QUESTION: Would you say the question in English, please?
QUESTION: Is the Pakistan government investing some money to spend over there, northern area, for entire area, for uplift education over there, because there are mostly majority of women are uneducated over there? So there is some problem due to this, because they really -- you know --
DR. JAN: (Inaudible.)
DR. JAN: (As translated.) Nobody can deny that he established some schools and colleges. Obviously, there are some colleges, like in the north and south and (inaudible) area. Unfortunately, due to some of instability or violence, that the north and south (inaudible) there are not much going on right now. But I'm conducting some political awareness -- political awareness classes in that area. And the (inaudible) agency elementary college.
There are some bureaucrats who are messy with money or would need assistance. There is not much the government can do in that area, because it is the local government that has authority over there and also the local -- the leaders of different tribes. These are the ones who are involved and they are administrating all of this.
QUESTION: The American government joined with Pakistan government, they signed a $9 billion -- more than, and $2 billion (inaudible) investment will uplift education (inaudible) -- (speaking in foreign language).
QUESTION: Could you repeat your question in English, please?
QUESTION: So, actually, the United States government allocate money for more than -- around $1 billion or $2 billion, okay, you know, especially for education those areas, you know. So is there the Musharraf government spending money in excess over there, spend money for those areas or not? Is there any problem, I mean, from Taliban and other sects over there stopping those educations progress over there?
DR. JAN: (As translated.) Musharraf is in Islamabad and the MMA government was still existing. We will see what the next government does. The problem is only in north and south Waziristan. The rest of those five areas or agencies are active and everything is fine there.
Other than those two areas, the rest of the areas, the colleges are functioning, they are operating. The test that we have for admission test for those -- the medical college, the nominations or the nominees were so many or so many registered, that the university could not take all or could not take all of them, so what they had to do, they had to go to some private schools and also two of them went to Shanghai University.
MODERATOR: We have about 20 minutes left. So unless anyone has something for the group on a general topic, why don't we all just stand up, if you guys want to stand up and introduce yourselves to anyone that you want to talk to.
QUESTION: I would like on Kosovo, how do you see the resolution of Mitrovica (inaudible)? Is it bridgeable or -- can it be bridged, that division, or what's your view on it?
MS. IDRIZI: Well, the Ahtissari plan, I think that was -- that was the most -- the biggest compromise, which was not accepted from all Albanians who are displaced from the northern part, which are quite many, and I am among them. But I think that was, regarding Mitrovica, the best plan within the borders of Kosovo. So they would like two municipalities, Mitrovica North, Mitrovica South, and with a joined board which would be composed from both sides and within the international community, like chairing the EU mission.
And I believe that that would be the best solution as it is now, because the division, de facto, is there. But how to make it just to be like -- Kosovo is a sovereign country. This is now the problem.
Just two days after the declaration of independence, the EU offices from the north have withdrawn and I think that was -- from that kind of move and quite many people got concerned, and me too, about the Mitrovica or the bridge or the river to be the new border. And I still like to believe that will not going to happen, because there are -- there are other Serbs in Kosovo who do recognize the Kosovo independence in less parts of Kosovo and who were -- who integrated very well, and I could give you examples for sure. (Inaudible.)
QUESTION: Dr. Al-Gobory, what is your life like? What do you do? Please describe what your life is like.
DR. AL-GOBORY: I have no life. I can't say. You know, there is no social life. I don't -- I am only working. That's what makes me survive. I don't live in my apartment, in my home. I live in different places and do different plan every single day, so I can -- I will be untraceable. And I am good for the last five years. Just once (inaudible) in 2000, by the end of 2005, as I was -- there was trial to kidnap me, three insurgents with the guns, and I was driving alone. But I was capable to run away, but they left me with 24 stitches.
QUESTION: Can you talk about the plan that you were saying? You say you make different plans every day. And why are people trying to kidnap you? Can you be more descriptive? And also, the work that you do with the people, can you describe that?
DR. AL-GOBORY: Being a woman, this is dangerous. Being in Iraq, in Baghdad, this is dangerous. Now, Baghdad and Basra and Mosul are dangerous. Being a doctor is dangerous because high-educated people are not wanted, as everybody here, they are killing doctors and high-profile people, college professors, all of these things. They are just destructing the infrastructure so the new generation will not be alerted and educated.
Being uncovered is the other challenge. Being -- do not belong to any party, this is the other challenge. Living alone, this is the other challenge. If I get the component, each one will need a long time to talk about. It is not easy to -- to work in Baghdad, around, unless we have different and many options at the same time and can be changed any moment.
QUESTION: And what is the work like?
DR. AL-GOBORY: You know, I love my people, they are the greatest, they are so beautiful. If you take 1,000 population in one area, if 10 is not good, that does not mean the 990 are not good, too. They are the best, you know, they are really the best. And I don't want to give up my people. Neither, I don't want to -- our international leaders, organization, will give up on my people. Because they suffer really a lot. And we need people more to, you know, to help us to get this good Iraqi up and get them up.
I am fighting through health, because health is ignored through the system. It needs a huge budget. Unfortunately, the budget for Iraqis' health system is so low, $1 billion, for instance, does not make no sense for 26 million, 27 million population.
I am facing 7,000 doctors flee from Iraq, because of insurgency, killing, kidnapping and threatens. And we are left between 12,000 to 13,000 doctors only to cover the whole aspect. We are impacted with every day explosions. We have a lot of disabled people, injured. People are dying with minimum problems. And children are the most vulnerable population in Iraq.
How am I going to have a future for Iraq with that impact of disability in Iraq? It is just disaster. So I am trying to put a plan, from the time I -- for the last five years, to decrease the number of disability and to decrease the number, to give solution for people to make the future better for all Iraqis.
QUESTION: Thank you very much. And I just have a question, the courageous woman from Fiji. You said you wanted to talk to the media, the foreign media about how we could help. And what were you trying to say?
MS. BUADROMO: Well, I think that -- I'll be very blunt here -- the political situation in Fiji doesn't compare to what's going on in Afghanistan or Iraq. No one has died yet, that's true. Three people have died as a result of assault, allegedly by the military.
At the moment, we have a political crisis. It has been going on now for 15 months. It's a situation where human rights violations are occurring on a daily basis. You know, the media is -- has been -- has censored itself from the pressure that it's been getting from the military. Anybody who tries to express an opinion that is opposing the interim regime is seen to -- is seen as a dissident. And if you have been voicing your opinion through the media, then the media then gets -- gets affected by it.
So it's -- while this is all going on, the interim regime is touting this idea that they are doing this in the name of democracy. But what we are trying to say is, yes, we want democracy, we would like democratic principles to be practiced within our country. We would like to have national elections next year, as promised by them.
But you cannot reduce human rights standards, you cannot stop the movement of people, you can't stop the freedom of speech and expression. And I think that this is important, that more people in the -- I think the international community needs to understand this and needs to put more pressure on the interim regime.
You know, we don't want a situation to become -- to come to a certain extent where it becomes like Pakistan, where, you know, Musharraf, even though he has committed gross human rights violations, but because he was seen to be pushing democracy, that you are willing to overlook that. And I do not want that situation to happen to Fiji. You know, there is human rights violations going on, we want elections. But we would like human rights standards to be maintained.
QUESTION: Can you give a little bit more concrete examples of what you're speaking about?
MS. BUADROMO: For example, a person like me who, you know, I'll give you a good example. Three weeks ago, before I came here, I made a statement in regards to the independence of the judiciary. I stated -- they appointed new judges on the court of appeal, and I put out a press statement saying that the court of appeal was tainted, their independence was now questionable.
As a result of this, I got pulled up by the court of appeal judges to be told off in an open court. This is unprecedented. It has never been done anywhere in the world. But they used their power as members of the judiciary to tell me off, to basically suppress my freedom of expression.
As a result of this, you know, we are now basically putting in a complaint, you know, with U.N. Special Rapporteur on the freedom of expression. But this is the kind of situation that's occurring.
And the thing is, I'm a high-profile, you know, human rights activist in the country. But individual people, everyday people, are going through these same things. But they don't have the same privileges that I do because of the high profile. Because of the work that I do, I'm able to get the sort of security. But everyday people are going through these sort of violations and unfortunately, their stories are not being covered.
MODERATOR: We have some requests for some one on ones. Some people want to meet some individuals. You want to all just stand up and talk, we only have about 15 minutes left. So help yourselves. Approach and talk to anyone you'd like to.
