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24 September 2003 by Saleh Dabbakeh in Shiraz The historical Iranian city of Shiraz played a part in Red Cross Red Crescent history last week when it hosted the first International Red Cross Red Crescent Youth Conference. One of the city’s most famous residents was the Persian Sufi poet, Hafiz, who wrote in the 14th century: "well-being is the interpretation of two words; fairness with friends, tolerance with enemies". It was an apt description of what the youth delegates in the city were striving to achieve between 16 and 18 September. The conference, whose theme was how young people can promote peace and friendship, received a strong show of support from the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sayyed Mohammad Khatami. He set the tone for the three-day conference in a speech to a packed audience by saying that "the conference stems from a long history of humanitarian work, promotion of tolerance and diversity of cultures. Youth are the symbol of honesty and the source of questions searching for the truth, freedom and justice against violence." The president of the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr Ahmad Ali Noorbala, appealed to the young participants to "take the issue of dialogue, mutual understanding, friendship and avoidance of the atmosphere of war, conflict, hostility and violence to [your] political leaders as a national as well as international ideal." The Federation's Youth Policy seeks to take into account, and integrate, the views of young people, not just when they are vulnerable, but also as actors with an important role in the response to vulnerability and building the capacity of vulnerable people in their community. "One of the tasks of the Federation's Youth Commission is to seek youth opinions on implementing the policy and ensure that they are taken into account in the work of the governance bodies and the Secretariat," Tore Svenning, the Federation’s representative in Kuwait, told the conference. Following the opening session the 52 participants were divided into two working groups, which, with the help of facilitators from the Iran Red Crescent, the Federation and the ICRC, had to draw up recommendations on how the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement could promote peace and friendship, and then what role youth could play in advancing these ideals. The purpose of the meeting was to "exchange experiences and opinions, find new ways to assume a more prominent role in disseminating peace and prevent violence, present a forum for youth to discuss common issues and agree on new models of cooperation such as global youth networking", according to Mostafa Mohaghegh, director of the Iranian red Crescent’s International Department and president of the conference. Were participants able to meet these objectives? The conference declaration interpreted peace as "not only the absence of war. But a dynamic process of cooperation among all states and peoples based on respect for freedom, independence, national sovereignty, equality, human rights, as well as a fair and equitable distribution of resources to meet the needs of peoples." Recommendations included a call to all National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to raise the profile of their young volunteers by involving them in delegations to events and investing more in training youth as future leaders. The conference declaration urged national societies to ensure implementation of the Federation's Youth Strategy and Policy and to assist in sharing information, experiences and best practices. It also proposed exploring the possibility of including humanitarian values in student curricula through Unesco and other UN agencies, and that of establishing a youth network for peace within the Movement, as well as requesting governments to adopt policies that foster peace and prevent conflict. The declaration reiterated youth commitment to continue current activities in disaster relief, water and sanitation, social services, smoking prevention, protecting the environment and preventing HIV/AIDS. It listed a number of activities to be pursued vigorously by young people, including peace camps, partnerships with the media, cultural exhibitions, translation of peace literature and the global dissemination of Red Cross Red Crescent fundamental principles and values. The meeting reached an emotional climax when participants began giving brief accounts of their organizations' activities. Describing the difficult time volunteers of the Iraqi Red Crescent faced during the recent war on Iraq, Bashir, one of the two Iraqi participants and an active volunteer in tracing missing persons, explained how he had to learn how to save victims' lives. "I never had any formal first aid training. Yet during the war I had to sever limbs and extract bullets from the bodies of some injured people to save their lives. I could not leave people die," he said. "The conference provided an opportunity to exchange opinions, knowledge and attitudes in relation to peace,” said Roberta Zuchegna, the International Federation’s youth officer. “By putting young people in touch with each other, this event was important in building mutual understanding among youth." The conference succeeded in reducing misunderstandings about other people’s cultures. "Before coming here all I knew about this region was Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein," said Marvin Gunter from the Jamaican Red Cross. "Now I have a totally different view of the region. I have made many good friends." The innumerable pictures being taken at the end of the conference, and the accompanying tears, were testimony to the many friendships forged in Shiraz. The meetings were interspersed with visits to learn about Hafiz and another famous Persian poet, Sa'adi, who lived in Shiraz during the 12th Century. Saadi's poetry adorns the entrance to the United Nations, while the verse of Hafiz, with its appeal for people to adopt a culture of peace, continues to resonate to this day, not least in the Shiraz conference hall. Related links: Iranian Red Crescent Shiraz conference declaration Red Cross Red Crescent youth activities Promoting Fundamental Principles and Humanitarian Values |
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