International War Crime Trials & the Future

 

Jelena Subotic, a Political Scientist and Associate Professor at Georgia State University

Jelena Subotic, a political scientist and Associate Professor at Georgia State University spoke about the current crisis of legitimacy of the international criminal tribunal of former Yugoslavia. Is this a moment that we can rethink the focus of individual criminal accountability for perpetrators? Or is this an opportunity to think in a broader scale? Most of the war crimes were created in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

She discussed the background of the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal of the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). It was created in 1993 by the UN Security Council and had jurisdiction over crimes against humanity, genocide, and war crimes in the former Yugoslavia. It has international judges and all trials are to be concluded by 2016. She shows statistical images to give us the sense of the people whom are processed through the tribunal, which are only 161 individuals.  Since November 2012, there has been an epidemic of acquittals. She posed the question of where all the war criminals went? She brought up four different leaders that were initially convicted, whom have caused much war crimes and torture, but all acquitted: Anton Gotovina, Ramush Haradinaj, Momcilo Perisic, and Jovica Stanisic.

Why do we care? She mentions that it’s the political fallout that impacts the population the most. This causes massive protests against acquittals that leave unresolved emotions towards the population.  This is giving a hardening of the narrative that justice isn’t being served within all four prosecuted leaders. People no longer accept the legitimacy of the court since all that have been prosecuted, simply got acquitted. Widespread disillusionment in the human rights community became prevalent. Bosnian victims who are supposed to be the principal constituency of the trial become disappointed and they realize that there is a legitimacy problem. Abuse of process allows for a large space for domestic elites offering narrow institutional compliance while denying substantial responsibility for past human rights violations.

SPIA Diplomat in Residence Professor Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, Director, Legon Centre for International Affairs & Diplomacy

She believes that this current crisis has led to very unstable environments and will continue so long as they prosecute individuals to reconcile the different ethnic groups. This lack of accountability will cause further unrest. I agree with her, and fostering peace and reconciliation in this region will eventually lead by example to neighboring countries that attempt to foster peace as well. This is a very important concept for our global community to take in, especially since many of those who were victims of such crimes need some form of reconciliation or feel that “justice” has been served.

A couple of weeks ago, Diplomat for the School of Public and International Affairs also gave a lecture, answering difficult questions about fostering the peace that Subotic referred to. Alternatively, Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu said there are no easy answers but the best course to find for post-conflict countries is to consider truth commissions. Mensa-Bonsu defined it as “inquiries concerning the physical actions, root causes and societal consequences of the human rights violations performed by the leader in question.”   Mensa-Bonsu offers this as a solution, although she acknowledges isn’t perfect, to be the closest we’ve found to sustain some form of peace or accepting some form of past accountability regardless if the individuals that are acquitted or prosecuted.

 

Cedars in the Pines~ North Carolina Museum of History

On Friday February 21^st, The North Carolina Museum of History added the first exhibition to commemorate the history of Lebanese immigrants who have made North Carolina their home since the 1880’s. They called this compelling exhibit the Cedars in the Pines focuses on the diversity that the Lebanese Americans in the state have contributed to the exhibit. I, along with students from North Carolina State University volunteered to host the many faces that not only made this happen, but created a memorable and exhilirating event and exhibit.

The local Lebanese dance group giving a preview of the dabke dance and music at the Museum of History

Although I do come from a middle-eastern background, I was familiar with certain heritages. Since I do not come from a Lebanese background, nor have my generation (within my family) been one to migrate, I was intrigued at much of what I didn’t know. Walking through the exhibit, the richness in the Lebanese culture was apparent. From the family photographs that were provided by locals, to the media and audio recordings, to the letters, family photographs, and even down to the occasional outfits. Growing up in America, diversity is common. Diversity brings cultures together, but we tend to oversee the beauty that each culture has to contribute to the rest of our American society. The exhibit offers interactive components that allowed me to experience the full-Lebanese culture. For instance, there were hypothetical scenarios for visitors to vividly experience the process of a person to migrate from what is considered to be “home” to a foreign land and territory for the sake of hard work.  Also, there was a really cool option on a dance floor to learn steps of the middle-eastern dance dabke. They even hosted a local Lebanese dabke dance team to make an appearance to dance and show the steps of the game. It was great!

Entering the exhibit, I was given a pamphlet that fully portrayed the exhibit as a whole and it begins with:

“Cedars in the Pines brings together their remarkable stories in three exhibit sections. A brief description of each follows.

Akram Khater, PhD, Director of Middle East Studies and Director of Khayrallah Program for Lebanese-American Studies, NC State University giving a speech commemorating the exhibit

• Journeys explores the many choices associated with immigration. The section includes the history of Lebanon, the reasons the emigrants left home, and the hardships of their long journeys. In the 1880s, thousands boarded steamships for America, where new arrivals faced more challenges in a foreign country. Exhibit items, such as an Arabic Bible that belonged to Side Mack, who immigrated at age 17, help tell these important stories.

• Belonging focuses on the challenges and opportunities of Lebanese immigrants who moved to North Carolina. Khater notes that the newcomers experienced culture shock, struggled against challenges and discrimination, and earned acceptance and success. The section highlights work, school and those who have given back to their communities. Visitors will see an elementary reader printed in Arabic; a Lebanese passport; items from Parker’s Restaurant, a family-run business in Rocky Mount; and other artifacts that recount these experiences.

• Being explores what it means to be Lebanese in North Carolina, centering on home, religion and community. Khater explains that cultural practices like marriage traditions and food, music and religion, along with community organizations, played key roles in their efforts. Some traditions were changed to adapt to American culture, but others were strongly maintained.”

The beautiful personal stories were shown to recount the challenges that the generations of Lebanese immigrants and the struggle to maintain their cultural heritage after adaptation to North Carolina as Dr. Akram Khater mentioned in his opening speech commemorating the Lebanese culture and its history in North Carolina. I volunteered with Akram Khater, PhD, Director of Middle East Studies Program and Director of Khayrallah Program for Lebanese-American Studies, N.C. State University on Friday to host those who have contributed to this exhibit. In addition to personal stories that were presented in the exhibit, I was honored to meet these people and carry the conversations of their memories. The enlightening feeling of history and revival of memories brought many people to ask me of mine. Rather I was more intrigued of theirs, and so I had asked about the struggles that they’ve encountered. When I asked, many of the responses were the culture clashes, but when these people compared it to today, the mention how cultures have become more embracing, rather than a clash in history. And so I enjoyed the first hand personal stories and was eager to walk through the exhibit.

Lebanese food, snacks and sweets hosted by Sitti Lebanese Resturaunt, Downtown Raleigh

The first thing that caught my attention was the home videos. I was pleased to find a group of people gathering around the home videos smiling and giggling, along with the man who was recording the video at the moment in time in history. I was attracted to that happiness, and noticed that happiness is understood through any culture and any heritage. And so, I continued to wander as the delights of the moment continued to intrigue me. I suddenly stopped at the family photographs and was fascinated, just as I am fascinated at moments in history that I can never fathom. I would rather save the details, for everyone interprets images and photographs in their own perspective. Yet, let me mention that I find each man and woman’s posture and micro-expressions in these photos to have a strong significance. You can almost feel the pressures of time in each photo. I began to construe each photo and match it towards the times of the historical challenge and the times when those whom are photographed overcame these obstacles.

The whole exhibit gave realism to cultures and heritages. From the big pictures and videos to the smaller letters and artifacts, it gives life to what was once history. It gives life, to what we once believed is dead. Memories. But memories can be “revived” as I was told many times in the ceremony, first-handedly, and that is apparently conveyed in this exhibit and all those who have offered to it.

The volunteers and I

Bikram Yoga ~ Indian Style

I have a passion for physical reformation and enhancement of physical abilities. I decided to interact with people involved in physical techniques that take place all around the world, and I was told about Bikram Yoga that evolved from India. As soon as I have arrived to the Bikram Yoga Center in Durham, N.C., I was given a brief history of the art of Bikram Yoga. Bikram developed as a sequence of postures to heal the knees, our bodies, minds, and the lives of countless people around the world. The Yoga Instructor, Barbara, mentioned a quote that Bikram Choudhury, the man who created this sequence of hot yoga. She mentions that he says, “Now every time I want to quit or just get up and leave, my guru is there with his sword . . . It was nothing less than a miracle, and this inspired me to become a yoga teacher.” Fortunately, I had the delightful opportunity to experience this with many people who travel out of their way to take this class.

The class was made up of a diverse group of about 40 people. There were people of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels. But we all had one thing in common by the end of the class – exhausted and covered in sweat. There was no time (or breath left) for talking once the class begun. I went along with two of my friends, but beyond them I didn’t anyone or anything about them. My point here is that Bikram Yoga is designed for all people – “men, women, healthy, sick, young, old, tall, short, fat, skinny, athlete, and couch potato. You do not need to have an established yoga practice, be flexible, a vegetation, or anything other than exactly as you are today.” Is the cheerful advertisement on the studio’s webpage. http://www.bikramdurham.com/?view=featured

The 90-minute class began with two breathing exercises. As Barbara talked us through each exercise, she would give us the original Sanskrit name for each pose and then its “English/Modern” translation. Her smooth speech made it obvious that Barbara was at ease when it came to articulating these difficult and lengthy Sanskrit names. It takes long hours of dedication and a lot of hard work to become a certified Bikram instructor. One must graduate from Bikram’s extensive nine-week, 500-hour training program, which includes yoga therapy, anatomy, physiology, and two daily classes taught by Bikram and his senior staff. Barbara is a Fall 2007 Bikram Yoga Teacher Training Graduate; all the teachers at Bikram Yoga in Durham are also graduates.

Barb Libby

• She has taught throughout North Carolina
• She says, “I will be forever grateful to my Bikram teachers, and Bikram himself, for bringing this yoga into my life…[My] first class had me wiped out and addicted. You can read about this yoga, you can talk about this yoga, but doing the yoga is everything. I love the ethic, the humor, the humanity, the vitality and that it doesn’t have to end. There’s always another class. Looking forward to seeing you soon in the hot room!”

Barbara coached us through Bikram’s original 26 postures in the hot yoga studio (105-110º F). Lucky for me, I stood in the warmest section unknowingly. Each class consists of the same 26 postures always in the same order, every class. “Each posture in the sequence prepares you for the next posture. Practicing the same postures, same sequence, every time, you develop patience and discipline. Practicing the sequence in the order as Bikram designed it ensures that every muscle, tendon, ligament, gland, joint, and organ in your body gets a workout.”

The class is broken down into two parts, the first 45-minutes involves moving through various standing postures that systematically stretch and work each major muscle group in our bodies. The second 45-minutes takes the class through floor postures that help stretch and strengthen the spine. Each posture has many physical and mental benefits – many help stretch and strengthen muscles and joints, stimulate digestion and circulation or blood and oxygen, increases endurance, as well as help build focus, concentration, develop willpower, stimulate the mind, relieve mild depression and anxiety, calm the mind, and reduce stress.

26 Postures:

1. Standing Deep Breathing – Pranayama Series
2. Half-Moon Pose (& with hand to feet) Pose – Ardha Chandrasana
3. Half-Moon Pose with hands to feet Pose – Pada-Hastasna
4. Awkward Pose – Utkatasana
5. Eagle – Garurasana
6. Standing Head to Knee Pose – Dandayamana – JanuShirasana
7. Standing Bow Pulling Pose – Dandayamana-Dhanuraiana
8. Balancing Stick Pose – Tuladandasana
9. Standing separate Leg Stretching Pose – Dandytamana – Bibhaktaeada – Paschimottanasana
10. Triangle Pose – Trikanasana
11. Tree Pose – Tadasana
12. Toe Stand Pose – Padangustasana
13. Dead Body Pose – Savasana
14. Wind Removing Pose – Pavanamuktasana
15. Sit Up – Breathe Out
16. Cobra Pose – Bhujangasana
17. Locust Pose – Salabhasana
18. Full Locust Pose – Pooma-Salabhasana
19. Bow Pose – Dhanurasana
20. Fixed Firm Pose – Supta-Vajrasana
21. Half Tortoise Pose – Ardha-Kurmasana
22. Camel Pose – Ustrasana
23. Rabbit Pose – Sasangasana
24. Head to Knee Pose with Stretching Pose – Janushirasana with Paschimottanasana
25. Spine Twisting Pose – Ardha-Matsyendrasana
26. Blowing in Firm Pose – Kapalbhati in Vajrasana

http://bikramyogabethesda.com/what-is-bikram/26-postures/

http://www.bikramdurham.com/index.php/about/postures