منعت النشطاء من المشاركة في مؤتمرات مبي

بناء على ضغوط من حكومتي سلطنة عُمان و الإمارات التي مارستها علي منظمة مبي الأمريكية التي تعقد مؤتمرات وورش عمل للنشطاء في دول الخليج وبقية الدول العربية في مجالي الديمقراطية و حقوق الإنسان ، رضخت منظمة مبي للضغوط التي جائتها من وزراة الخارجية الأمريكية حسبما ذكر موقع GDF.

وابلغت النشطاء الغُمانيين والإماراتيين بسحب دعوتهم لمؤتمر اسظنبول المقرر عقده في الرابع عشر وخامس عشر من هذا الشهر الجاري ، وقد افادت مصادر مطلعة للمنتدى بأن النشطاء العُمانيين والإماراتيين ابدوا استيائهم من تصرف مبي و وزارة الخارجية الأمريكية وقبولها ورضوخها لرغبة الحكومتين الغُمانية والإماراتية والتي تمت بواسطة وزارتي الخارجية العُمانية والإماراتية مباشرة لوزراة الخارجية الأمريكية ، واضاف المصدر بأن النشطاء الخليجيين قرروا مقاطعة أي فعاليات تقوم بها مبي مستقبلا رغم أن ادارة مبي اعربت عن اسفها لهم واستيائها وادرجت فقرة في مؤتمر اسطنبول القادم للمعترضين علي منعهم من المشاركة بمؤتمر اسطنبول للتعبير عن استيائهم ، إلا أن النشطاء الخليجيين قرروا عدم الحضور و المشاركة
هذا وقد حصل المنتدى على نص الرسائل المتبادلة بين الطرفين ننشرها كما وردتنا

Dear friends and colleagues:

I am very sorry to tell you that I am not attending Istanbul meeting this year and will not be allowed to participate for the next years.
As may some of you notice that my name is not in the final list of participants for Istanbul meeting, the reason is that Oman government asked the USA government to stop supporting Omani activists who are involved in Mepi programs, and USA government responded positively to the Omani request. This Also apply to U.A.E's citizens as well.
I knew that only few days ago. It was a shock for me, I sent a message to the people in charge in the department of state in Washington DC and Oman. No answer so far.
I feel angry and disappointed of course for this deal between the USA and Oman and U.A.E governments, but I also don't understand what is Syracuse University position about this, since it is the institution which was in charge of developing this program.

Friends and colleagues:
what I am sure of now is that we as democracy and human rights defenders are just a political paper can be used in the right time and can be abandon also in the right time.

all the best,
Rafiah

الزملاء والأصدقاء الأعزاء:
أود إطلاعكم بكل أسف أنني لن أحضر اجتماع اسطنبول الذي سيعقد في الرابع عشر من هذا الشهر، كما أنني لن أتمكن من حضور بقية الاجتماعات للسنوات القادمة، لأنني بوصفي مواطنة عمانية فقد تلقيت رسالة رسمية من وزارة الخارجية الأميركية تخبرني فيها أن حكومة عمان طلبت من الولايات المتحدة ان تتوقف عن دعم النشاطين
العمانيين أو اية برامج لها علاقة بمبادرة الشرق الأوسط ومنها طبعا قادة الديمقرطية.
وأود أن أشارككم أنني شعرت بالغضب لأننا ببساطة تم التخلي عنا في ظل صفقة بين الولايات المتحدة وحكومتي عمان والأمارات كما يبدو من الرسالة التي أرسلت لي. طبعا دون الإشارة إليها مباشرة. وقد كتبت رسالة اعتراض على مبدأ الموضوع للشخص المسؤول في وزارة الخارجية الأميركية وكذلك في السفارة في مسقط. لم أتلق ردا حتى الآن، ولا أتوقع. وما أغضبني أكثر هو أن موقف الجامعة التي تبنت هذا المشروع كان متساهلا وغاضا للبصر لمبدأ التخلي الذي طالني وزملائي العمانيين والإماراتيين، بغض النظر عن اختلافنا في التوجهات.
أعزائي: ما تأكدت منه خلال الأيام الثلاة الماضية هو أننا كناشطين ومدافعين عن حقوق الإنسان والحريات والديمقراطية مجرد ورقة يمكن الاستفادة منها في الوقت المناسب ويمكن التخلي عنها في الوقت المناسب أيضا.
تحياتي
رفيعة الطالعي


Dear Alum,
I wasn't sure when and where to jump into your conversation, and now feels like a good time, after a number of individuals have weighed in and after Rafiah has provided a summary (below) as she responds so eloquently to various points raised and issues identified. She and others have also posed questions and requests directly to SU/Maxwell and I want to respond to those, after talking with Steve, Pavitra and Ronda. Ronda and I are en route to Istanbul and I have several hours now in the Amsterdam Airport.
We appreciate your expressions of support for program management and your identity as Maxwell alumni. I think you know how much LDF and you as an alumni group mean to us. In the 5 years since I took over running the program from Steve, he has remained highly involved. Our LDF team finds this work with you as activists and democracy reformers to be compelling in a special way. I think Mehrzad feels this way, too, even though his role has changed as his other responsibilities as director of Middle East Studies take him in many directions.
In working with MEPI for this program since 2007, we have had a solid partnership with them in which they are the funders and we are the designers and implementers. This division of labor that allows our independence is crucial. The trust that you as fellows and then alumni have in Maxwell, and that we build together, is the most important ingredient. MEPI and SU do have a contractual agreement, of course, and it clearly stipulates that MEPI must approve all international travel of participants, alumni and SU staff. So, yes, they have the right to stop funding for Emirati and Omani alumni.
That does not make us at Maxwell happy about It. We find it all the things that many of you do, including contrary to the mission and goals of LDF. We perhaps should have brought it to everyone's attention a month ago when Joseph wrote to the Omani alumni who were planning to attend, after asking for their contact emails and telling us they could not attend. It was a totally unprecedented event and we tried to understand it and determine what to do. We certainly registered with our point of contact Joseph Essex our dismay and unhappiness with this step they took. Since a large number of alumni (60%) would be gathering for the conference in a short time, we planned to raise the issue in person and with Joseph present to discuss.
The conference is a good opportunity and time can and should be spent in discussion of all facets of the situation. You have made a food start in identifying the key points and also some of the implications and outcomes of such an action by MEPI. MEPI itself describes LDF as its flagship program. This and your large numbers can provide a voice and leverage for you in protest. We will do all we can to structure and support your dialogue next week and then going forward. And, we as program managers will also decide how we can best respond to MEPI as our program partners about it. Much of that will be guided by your ideas and strategies.
As always, we really look forward to the engagement with many of you at the alumni conference and bia the listserv.
Best regards,
Julia
Dear frineds an colleagues:

Thank you all for support and thoughtful messages. I knew from the beginning that you are the right group the be associated with. I knew that we have a lot in common, that is the reason made me I insist to be part of this wonderful and free spirit and committed to principals group .
You all understand that this issue is not about me, and not about Omani and Emirati fellows it is about us all as human rights and democracy activists. You know that is about the future of our relationship with MEPI ( State department) but not with Maxwell school.
That why I agree with the opinion suggested to attend Istanbul meeting and make our last stand there after meeting Mr. Essex whom I sent a long message few days ago which included all your thoughts and concerns presented by all of you . I made it clear for him and for the person in charge of MEPI in Muscat, that this is bigger than Omani and Emirati fellow it is about the entire group of alumni. I did not get any answer from them both.
But I want to say for these who said that this will not affect MEPI activates in region, this is not true. See this part of the original message sent to me:
'The Government of Oman has recently informed the U.S. Embassy in Muscat that Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) activities may no longer be conducted in Oman, and MEPI may not invite Omani citizens to participate in MEPI-sponsored events, including the upcoming 2013 LDF Alumni Conference in Istanbul, Turkey.'

I understand a similar message was sent to Emirati colleagues.
The MEPI office in U.A.E is the same one operating in Oman, there is no longer MEPI in Oman, even they remove the link from the US Embassy, Oman and U.A.E, sites.
I would like to thank our colleagues who suggested boycotting the conference to show solidarity, I would think the same if the organizers were only the MEPI people, but I have a special respect, and you all do, to SU and specifically to Maxwell school.
But , to be very frank, I could not understand why Maxwell school remained silent about this for a month after the state department sent the message. Did they think we were happy with this arrangements between our governments and theirs? I honestly don't think so, but why did not say a word earlier?
The school started to talk about it only after I sent that message, which was a month late, simply because I did not know about it before December 3rd . The state department sent it to the wrong e-mail address beginning of November.

That why I support what Marwa said :' because of these efforts and the support the school has given to fellows since the establishment of this program, the least expected is to have something issued by the school to the state department the soonest.'
And as Ezzeddine said' I prefer to describe myself as alumnus of Maxwell and not MEPI. This description may guarantee me the profile of a human rights activist not a human rights merchandise in a market of political transactions'
I want to thank Majd and the rest who supported his suggestion to support those who want to come to the conference financially, I really appreciate that, but you know it is not about money or travel or a hotel stay, that is the other message we want to tell MEPI. It is not about fund it is about principals.
Again and again I want to thank you all and each one of you for the strong words and firm position you showed. But I would like to convey another special thank you to my LDF fellows of 2007 the founding mothers and fathers of the LDF program, as our fellow Slim describes us.