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Profile of Sima Wali
Violence, anger and hatred is the evidence [...]
Sima Wali: Violence, anger and hatred is the evidence of the problem. Consider the root causes of it. When you look at these issues of violence, anger and hatred, these are the symptoms of the problem. We are trying to address the problem by looking at the symptoms. We need to make sure that we look at the root causes of it. We need to come to an understanding that tolerance, harmony, dialogue and understanding makes our societies whole, that we share the earth; and hegemony of one over the other does not make our societies complete or whole.
The person basically is valued because of [...]
Sima Wali: The person basically is valued because of what we have. That is the notion that permeates our current economic system. That means that if we accumulate wealth in this economy, we are more valuable; and if we don’t, then we are poor and it’s our own fault. It is a profound philosophical question. We value human beings differently, and at different times we have different value systems. For example, we value men more than women. Women are lesser of a value. We, for example, value the slavery to promote our economic system or honor killings that exist in the Muslim world. But the question is, does it make it right to do so? Is slavery right or honor killings is right is the question. For example, when you look at militant Islam, militant Islam fails to recognize the fact that, at its root, it share common values with -- Judaism and Islam are not so dissimilar. However, that has been lost throughout centuries, and the divisions have basically that have been created among us. And we value different things at different times. For example, when we are thirsty, we value water, but at different times we don’t. At this moment, you don’t value a certain thing, and you value a certain thing more than water. It is a very profound philosophical question, and there is a lack of clarity in what value really is.
Capitalism is said to promote the kind of [...]
Sima Wali: Capitalism is said to promote the kind of globalization that keeps women out of a process, is inequitable system, and it basically disrupts civil society building in countries; for example, in Afghanistan that has been through 25 years of war and we are doing nation building and emerging from conflict. It means -- it does not mean that we are succeeding in -- the micro-economies in making Afghanistan and countries that are emerging from conflict are extremely important. But, capitalism does not like to support micro-economies because it brings diversity and invention and, basically, globalization and the companies that prefer sameness because it’s cheaper to sell its products. It is said that capitalism will sell the rope that will be used to hang oneself. If we do not support the communities, we cannot promote the current system. We depend on the community, and capitalism functions in the community. So, therefore, it’s in the benefit of all to take the needs and interests of the community into consideration.
Globalization is meant to promote capitalism [...]
Sima Wali: Globalization is meant to promote capitalism and microeconomies and globalization lose the power that they have and the civil society is basically destroyed. In the US, for example, we are losing democracy and people are not actually exercising their democratic rights. Globalization does not mean to promote democracy. Globalization can end up in democracy or not, but that’s not the end result.
We reward the violence. We come out of a [...]
Sima Wali: We reward the violence. We come out of a culture of violence. Just look at the number of wars going on in the world today. We basically have a belief system that one group has a right to abuse another group. It is important to alter the current war mentality. We need to change the environment so that these cases have – basically, change their culture of violence to that of coexistence and harmony and peace. We need to make sure that violence is eradicated in all its forms from our lives, and that we do not emanate from a culture of violence, but from a culture of peace.
Because at this root cause is the abused [...]
Sima Wali: Because at this root cause is the abused child. When a child is abused, it does basically -- is suffering from its wounds, and it however -- wants to have a sense of belonging. It leaves -- the whole sense of violence leaves a scar. When you look at Afghanistan and Afghan women especially during the Taliban, Afghan women were subservient and the Taliban introduced edicts that – introduced words for more violence that were depicted as gender apartheid, and I would term it as a war against women. I basically found so much strength in the Afghan women that I work with, that I talk with, and I dialog across the country, and in refugee conditions that I work with. Basically, Afghan women feel that they are more -- Afghanistan basically is more then the Taliban. And that’s what helps the country transcend on to that stage, despite the horrors of the war, and the horrors of -- that they experienced during the Taliban regime. So, basically this does not go to defend the Taliban or any kind of slavery. It shows that we can transcend, and there is good coming out of bad things that happen in this world. There are some people who transcend their difficulties, and some people who cannot, basically by remembering that whatever it is, that their existence depends on more than what they currently are suffering from.
How about starting with rebuilding and [...]
Sima Wali: How about starting with rebuilding and reconstructions of societies that we helped dismantle by war? Rebuilding of the micro-economies that we disrupted, the rebuilding and reconstruction of the autonomy, make sure that the autonomy in civil society is promoted. Without security in civil society, democracy does not flourish. When you look at the man-made disaster, it is much higher in comparison to natural disasters that is caused currently in the world. So, you see that man has created many of the wars. When you look around the world, we see so many wars going on today. That is not the way that we should conduct our lives, or have a war on economy, run on the war economy alone.
Because there is no political will to do so. [...]
Sima Wali: Because there is no political will to do so. We do not in the West address the root causes of the violence, and we do not address the cause of the problem basically which is the establishment of the homeland, and listening to both sides, and having a dialogue as to what are the root causes, and trying to alleviate the suffering of the Middle Eastern people.
You have to understand that going to war is [...]
Sima Wali: You have to understand that going to war is a political and an economic decision. For example, we see more civilian deaths nowadays in the wars around the world. Look at Iraq and Lebanon, the most recent war. A politician, who advocates for war and who benefits from the war and war machinery, is a person that we should not elect to lead us. How can we sustain -- the question will be how can we sustain a war economy without damaging our own way of being, that which is going to be the major question. How can we? We have -- basically, in order to avoid war we have to compromise, and we have the dialog with our enemies. You need to reach out, and in order to be we must exert to create a world of tolerance and understanding.
Basic dignities of human beings must be [...]
Sima Wali: Basic dignities of human beings must be guaranteed worldwide. Every human being wants to be accepted in their community and in the larger global system on this earth. For example, when people are wounded and many of us are and they need to be healed. Wounds need to be healed and wounded people basically act violently. We see the dispersion of drugs. We see violence increasing in the world. And we need to make sure that basic dignities for these people all over the world and especially for women who don’t enjoy these rights are guaranteed. We make promises, but our promises are not kept to people worldwide and especially in positions where people are vulnerable. These are the women and the children, especially in refugee and displaced circumstances. As I said before, every person has to be accepted in their community and the larger global community. Globalization does not promote this sense of accountability. It does not guarantee these kinds of dignities. Therefore, governments should be held accountable to make sure that every person’s dignities are upheld.
The problem is distribution – when. The [...]
Sima Wali: The problem is distribution – when. The best food is when it is produced locally. The local farmer in food distribution gets shut out of the process. And, again, food is best when it is produced by the macroeconomies around the world. It removes -- when it is brought in from other places, it actually displaces the local farmer. In most cases in food distribution, it shuts out the poor people and those who live in poverty who cannot afford the food. Because of its distribution cost, they get shut out of the process.
A global government is supposed to connect [...]
Sima Wali: A global government is supposed to connect us all because that is the main role that the government, the global government can play. For example, when you look at the UN, it was established basically to connect us all. But, however, when you -- there are powerful nations who have veto power at the General Assembly so this has not – the UN example has not worked very effectively. We need an alternate approach where powerful nations cannot compete with the smaller nations, and can make -- and can have veto power and control and dominate the world.
If you hoard wealth, basically it means that [...]
Sima Wali: If you hoard wealth, basically it means that wealth is good and being poor is your own fault. It is communicating the fact that being poor is bad. And, when we have a theory that’s based on good and bad that is self-imposed, we are talking about the very self- righteous process. And, when you hoard wealth -- basically it's only few countries that hoard wealth that do not like to share it with the rest of the world. And, a very small number people -- women, children especially in refuge conditions -- suffer from this system of belief and practice.
Because those who are in power get to define [...]
Sima Wali: Because those who are in power get to define who a terrorist is, and a terrorist has -- the meaning of it has shifted at different times. Basically is that the top dog gets to define history and to write history. While it is in power, it gets to also define who the terrorist is against it.
It is increasingly being tolerated. [...]
Sima Wali: It is increasingly being tolerated. Lebanon, however, is seeping into human beings that a large majority of the war’s casualties were innocent civilians. For example, when you look at the statistics of today, 90 percent of war’s casualties are civilians versus 10 percent in World War I. And that in itself -- when you look at the -- for example, the other most recent example is Iraq where a majority of the children that are being killed is an issue. So, it is not the terrorists who are being killed. When you look at Afghanistan, for example, my homeland, we lost 2 million people in the war of the past 25 years; and a large majority of the 2 million people killed were civilians themselves. They died in the most heinous circumstances while they were suffering grossly from the many massive human rights abuses that were perpetuated against them. So, you can see that a large proportion of the deaths are attributed to those of civilians, and we need to look at the issue of civilians who are being killed in the wars of today.
A German once said that we are going to [...]
Sima Wali: A German once said that we are going to trade our community for security. Everyday we seem to be getting closer to the fact that we are losing out for reasons of security. A war is supposed to be -- told to us it is for -- to keep us secure. It is basically said -- there is a saying that if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it. I think that is the case here.
Anyone who talks about it so much really [...]
Sima Wali: Anyone who talks about it so much really does not have democracy. Basically, you have democracy when you live it and you embody it. The problem is not the way of life that's directed, but because of the hatred that is directed against the Western world. It is the policies of the Western world that people are reacting to, and it is not basically what you are but what you do that people are reacting to.
Because the system is based on capitalism, [...]
Sima Wali: Because the system is based on capitalism, religion is used as a tool. Basically, this is not a conflict of religions but on capitalism. And, the problem is that capitalism basically in the West has a problem with Islam is that Islam is based on a different economic system. So, the two competing systems do not fit according to capitalism. Basically, when capitalism is promoted in the Western world, the local economies and microeconomics go out of business. So, women are primarily shut out of the process. The bottom line of capitalism basically is the destruction of local autonomy. And, it does not -- capitalism basically does not serve human interests. The bottom line is basically the interests of the corporations. The spreading of capitalism has nothing to do with bringing democracy. It may or may not end up in democracy in the world.
Yes, of course. But, we can do better. [...]
Sima Wali: Yes, of course. But, we can do better. It's important that corporations understand that is in their best benefit to promote social responsibility. And, because corporations depend on the community to purchase its products and it’s important that they invest in people and to promote their social responsibility. It is also very important to put healthcare and issues of social responsibilities such as healthcare and education back into the hands of the government and not in the hands of the corporation and companies because companies are not held responsible to the people. It's governments that should be held responsible and accountable to the people. So, put the responsibility back in the hands of the government.
I can speak from the example in Afghanistan. [...]
Sima Wali: I can speak from the example in Afghanistan. It is important to empower men who support women, and we have many men who are moderate and reformers thinking in our society that have worked with the women in their civil society sectors. Especially during the Taliban, these men were not empowered and they were -- they basically are not in power. We need to make sure that the men who possess female power are allowed in power positions and they support women that -- to keep our society in balance. It's also important that women who do get to positions of power do not emulate the male model of power, that they emulate their female power which is really practiced in our world today.
There is no doubt that Africa suffered [...]
Sima Wali: There is no doubt that Africa suffered phenomenally during colonialization. But, many regions of the world basically suffered during different times -- at different times the most. We can’t discount empire building and how it disrupted the individual regions of the world.
I represent the politically voiceless, [...]
Sima Wali: I represent the politically voiceless, especially when I work with Afghan women; and I am inspired greatly by the work that the people, these Afghan women and other war victims, do. I take their voices; and they -- because they don’t have a voice in the politically -- in the political arena, basically serve as a witness to the voices of the people, make sure that we affect policies and practices that benefit people, not the other way around. The problem is basically with the people who take society’s resources and decide not to do anything with it. That is basically the problem right now. But the people understand and know who are the witnesses and who represent people who are politically voiceless.
Yes, clearly, because we all have a choice [...]
Sima Wali: Yes, clearly, because we all have a choice to live, but that is not given mostly in conditions where peace is being negotiated in war torn countries. For example, when you look at Afghanistan, many of the people want to live in the provinces. Yet, they choose to live in Kabul, the capital city because of security reasons. There is a semblance of security in the major capitals of the world, and especially Kabul is not far from that. However, that has changed. But mostly farmers who want to go and farm their lands in the provinces are unable to do so because of the mine fields that exist currently in Afghanistan. So, Kabul, city of -- which was built for a city of less than 1 million people now houses close to 4 or 5 million people, who have basically congregated in the capital for reasons of security. And that should be a choice given to the people itself. But yet they don't have the freedom to choose where they live.
It is an issue of capitalism. The -- [...]
Sima Wali: It is an issue of capitalism. The -- basically, the world is -- especially the Western superpowers are based on a capitalistic system. And, the fact that capitalism consumes the resources of the world and the bottom line of capitalism is interest, therefore the problem that we have is not a political problem but basically is a problem of profit making led by capitalistic countries. The system really is based on a capitalistic and profit making system.
Sometimes, really bad things occur in places [...]
Sima Wali: Sometimes, really bad things occur in places in the world. But the human -- we need to examine and see why certain human beings rose above the horror and were able to cope despite the heinous suffering. We need to examine the cause of that transcendence and we need to make sure -- this is not to excuse suffering and slavery by any means, that we -- especially a justification that, what made them, certain people rise beyond the horrors that they experienced. For example, one -- the problem is really with the slave master not with the slave itself. So, the question really is what causes some to rise above slavery and above the horrors that they experienced in the world.
When the law is unjust. Human beings are [...]
Sima Wali: When the law is unjust. Human beings are struggling to define an organic and a compassionate understanding of the law. By looking at the root causes, we need to make sure that law is just and guarantees the justice and honesty and genuiness that exists. When laws offend human decency and counter human conscience and honesty, that’s when it’s just to break it. For example, we know of whistle blowers who are very courageous people, who consider laws that are unjust, and they need -- see the need to break it, so that humanity and the rest of the world understands that this law is unjust, and they do so to uphold human decency. As Tolstoy has said, when a group of people organizes for an unjust cause to benefit only a few, then another group of human beings must organize to promote the justice and the honesty that benefits all. This is what is termed as law, and basically civil disobedience happens when laws are unjust.
Basically, yes. One of the problems that I [...]
Sima Wali: Basically, yes. One of the problems that I see that in Afghanistan -- I can cite as an example that we have taken Afghanistan prior to the war off its course to recognize women, to recognize democracy; and Afghanistan was taken off its course prior to the war, and democracy has not been practiced since then. For example, Australians show that during this process prior to the war almost 70 years ago in the 1920’s, African women got the right to vote while a Swiss woman had the same right to vote in 1973. For example, Afghanistan has signed onto CEDAW, the convention -- CEDAW stands for the convention on the elimination of discrimination and all forms of violence against women. That is signed on as a treaty by Afghanistan, and currently the U.S. has not signed onto that document. And, also, I would like to say that we we afgans owe a tremendous gratitude to Germany and to the German people in helping us during the process prior to the war and then bringing an end to the conflict. For example, Germany hosted the Bonn peace talks that ended the 25 years of war and brought about peace and is active in the NATO forces and is currently active in Afghanistan. We hope that kind of cooperation will continue both with Germany and other Western nations.
We have lived in a democracy but really not [...]
Sima Wali: We have lived in a democracy but really not had democracy. We keep talking about democracy. Whoever has the power is the basic idea of it, has the wealth associated with it, and freedom can be bought. So, a human spirit is defined by his or her wealth. And, I don’t believe that we are exercising the principles of democracy anywhere in the world. We say we are living in a democracy, but we have not had the power to exercise the full principles of democracy. We are mostly -- I think we are living in federalism more than a democracy. We only seem to talk about it, but rather never are able to exercise the rights that democracy gives us.
One has to look at the problem of war [...]
Sima Wali: One has to look at the problem of war itself. No war is holy or just. One who thinks war is just, just being killed is in itself makes war unjust. War also destroys civil society, basically the institutions that civil society wishes to promote, and destroys and disrupts the process for democracy and democracy building. When we look at Afghanistan, what war has done, it is an example that it has only empowered the corrupt, and nation building has failed. And basically war is a recipe for disaster. It has displaced more than a third of the population. Two million Afghans have been killed. So, in essence what makes it holy or just is a question in and of itself.
People who have not shifted with politics. [...]
Sima Wali: People who have not shifted with politics. For example, in Afghanistan, the people basically are very politically astute, and they understand who basically is corrupt, and whose hands are bloodied by the war, and who works for the people and civil society. There is a saying that absolute power corrupts. We have corruption at all ends, and it's taken a lot of Afghan lives with it during the process of the war and the Taliban regime. That, during the current constitution men said that they would vote for the women. At least the women hands were not bloodied by war, and they had not committed heinous crimes like so many others prior to them during the whole entire process.
The one who perpetuates terrorism. At [...]
Sima Wali: The one who perpetuates terrorism. At different times a terrorist is defined differently. There is a belief that there is good in the afterworld, and that’s a reason mostly the Muslim world that resorting to terrorism will bring benefits to the terrorist is used by the terrorist leaders. And it is the terrorist who rallies basically the other people to use this and implement this violent tactic. And governments which use terrorism then is said to rally troops to corporations’ benefit from the business of war. Super powers are able to manipulate human beings’ attitudes for army build-up. And so, therefore the argument to make peace is used as an argument, and war is perpetuated both by governments and by the terrorists. Terrorism is also when civilians are targeted; that is called terrorism.
Governments are much more powerful, but [...]
Sima Wali: Governments are much more powerful, but governments are losing power to corporations. If you define the brand as a metaphor, corporations is led by globalization, that’s led by corporations. Corporations do not have the power or restrictions placed upon them and are only responsible to their shareholders. In the West, the governments are losing power to corporations. When governments are elected, they develop laws that support the corporations.
Courage means staying human. Let me recount [...]
Sima Wali: Courage means staying human. Let me recount to you what courage means to me. This was a story of Afghan women who organized the campaign on behalf of their American sisters during 9/11. This was during the Taliban. They contacted me and sent somebody inside Afghanistan to collect signatures and thumb prints, and I was scared to death that they might be caught at the border which was very dangerous for the women who have a – who had affixed their thumb prints because they could not sign their names. They were not even literate to sign on their names to this beautiful letter, that basically was a letter of condolence from Afghan women to their American sisters because of -- on behalf of September 11. Basically, they wanted to share their solidarity that they too suffered because of the September 11 events. To me that is courage. These are women who are suffering. Despite their suffering that they faced during their war and the Taliban regime, they were able to show the consolation and develop a letter of condolence to their American sisters.
Because of politics, which means that my [...]
Sima Wali: Because of politics, which means that my friends can get to have the bomb, but those that are my enemies and the other don’t get to have it. It’s really a question of politics of power. Those who are in power get to define what and who should have, should be able to resort to what kinds of tactics are allowed and what is not allowed.
It is important that a law is debated fully [...]
Sima Wali: It is important that a law is debated fully with the people who are affected by law. For example, when you look at the question of Afghanistan, examine the eight or nine constitutions throughout its history, the constitution that was debated the most, which was actually the current constitution, was the most successful. The previous constitutions in previous regimes and governments were not debated, and it even, either overthrew the government, and people had a lot of opposition to it. When people are not consulted, when the law is meant for only a few, when it's not -- it becomes problematic. When basically, when the law is unjust, or when an unjust economy is what causes it, people react negatively to the rule of law.
Let me cite Afghanistan as an example on how [...]
Sima Wali: Let me cite Afghanistan as an example on how extremism was promoted by a few in the U.S. to unleash a kind of – to kill all the moderates and unleash a kind of extremism that has destroyed Afghanistan. In the book called the “Devil’s Game” written by Robert Dreyfuss, a history of how the U.S. unleashed fundamentalist Islam, Rand Corporation expert on political Islam, Shell Bernard, explained how the American policy helped guarantee the current level of extremism and I quote: “We made the deliberate choice. At first, everyone thought there is no way to be this obvious. So, what we have to do is to throw the worst crazies against them that we can find and there was a lot of collateral damage. We knew exactly who these people were and what their organizations were like, and we didn’t care. Then we allowed them to get rid of -- just kill all the moderate leaders. The reason we don’t have moderate leaders in Afghanistan today is because we let the nuts kill them all. They killed the leftist and the moderates. They were determined to eliminate, they were just eliminated during 1980’s and afterwards.” So, you see that this can be cited as an example of how extremism was promoted in Afghanistan that destroyed my homeland. As Tolstoy has said that the violence is a form of politics but in another form. The reason that violence is resorted to is because we don’t have dialogue to an understanding as to what the root causes are and what the grievances of the resistance, opponents are. The weak resort to tactics of violence which is then often is resorted in opposition to policies that are of the powerful, especially the Western policies.
It's a hypocritical system. It's basically [...]
Sima Wali: It's a hypocritical system. It's basically there is such a double standard in the way capitalism is in power. Whoever basically is in power gets to define these standards, basically which means that we who are the powerful nations can have the power or have it; and you who are our enemies cannot get to have it. So, basically, China and other countries devise the same systems to play by the same rules get shut out of the process.
Globalization has affected our current [...]
Sima Wali: Globalization has affected our current situation. Globalization affects evolution; that is, the natural evolution of the way of being. So, we are suffering from various forms of this violence, and this violence can be termed more than colonization of one people or one group of people over another.
We are not fully there yet. What is it? It [...]
Sima Wali: We are not fully there yet. What is it? It has meant so far the delineation between the two economic systems of capitalism and communism. The powerful -- the more powerful we are, the freer we are, meaning that we can buy -- the powerful and the free can buy their freedom -- that freedom can be bought. Wealth, basically, is associated with it.
Basically, it is rooted in the concept that [...]
Sima Wali: Basically, it is rooted in the concept that we need to take care of the next generation, that is our -- the children of the world. Making sure that this generation is taken care of, that is the adults’ responsibility. We need to remove the constant fears that disrupts children’s lives. Once they are taken care of, well then they can make the -- and they are nurtured, they can make the choices and the right decisions that arise out of that.
The American system of education is not [...]
Sima Wali: The American system of education is not meant to bloom a child; it is meant to prepare children to go to the factory in order to work. In the African system, for example, when you look at the rote memorization of education, this is a major problem because it keeps -- it’s a very self-serving system that -- basically rote memorization that is used in the education system -- and also in the Madrasas it is practiced as an ideology -- it’s meant to keep people from thinking and young children from becoming thinkers and using their mind appropriately. The system is meant to keep themselves subservient to the system. So, basically, the rote memorization system that is used in the education system is a major problem. And, the education system that is used to uphold the ideology in the Madrasas system -- it is basically based on ideology, not on a proper eduction system. It is not meant to promote the creative types of thinking that a child needs to be subjected to.
Yes. A thirteenth century poet, his name [...]
Sima Wali: Yes. A thirteenth century poet, his name was Hafiz; he basically said that human beings are like limbs of one body. If one organ in the body or one limb is suffering, then the entire organization is suffering. So, basically, that goes to show that we are so interconnected that if one organ in the body or one limb is in pain, then the rest of the body is also in pain. We are basically one species on this earth, and we have more commonalities among us; and the differences that divide us should be celebrated as diversity and basically we all species that -- from the same species that share this earth.
Why do we consider anything of value is -- [...]
Sima Wali: Why do we consider anything of value is -- basically, the notion is based on the economy or the economic system. The fact, the notion that good equals to wealthy and bad equals to poor, that basically poor people are responsible for being poor. We need to devise an alternate system, not in terms of dollar amounts but basically one that values human beings. It’s not an issue of power but shared economy that we all have. For example, it's also very difficult to not place value. For example, when you look at an oak tree, how much value can you attribute to a 100 year old oak tree? It’s difficult to do so for me.
Basically, you need a security system that [...]
Sima Wali: Basically, you need a security system that guarantees the safety of micro-enterprises and the flourishing of micro-enterprises. The system is based on a capitalistic system that does not believe in local autonomy or empowering micro-economies; it basically disrupts and destroys the process for civil society building. When you look at Afghanistan as an example, nation building is failing grossly because it's based on a model that is not functioning. And, I hope we don’t take the same model from Afghanistan to Iraq because it has basically failed, because nation building or rebuilding Afghanistan has not happened. It has consolidated in making the rich and the wealthier more wealthy; and there basically no funds are allocated to the civil society members, primarily women. The promises that we made to empower women basically are empty and hollow promises that did not take place. So, rebuilding is also based on a system that is fairly inequitable and it keeps out -- the way the fund distribution is designed, it basically as the Afghan says that it goes from one pocket to the other. It basically promotes corruption and it does not promote a kind of basic amenities and freedom and security that the people need and require.
Basically because men are afraid of women [...]
Sima Wali: Basically because men are afraid of women because basically they are viewed -- women are viewed of lesser economic benefit, and we live in a patriarchy where men make the rules and the history for women. The fact that a woman at times of peace is constituting 50 percent of the population, and in uprooted populations -- these are in war conditions -- women and children constitute at least 90 percent of the population. But, in cases like in Afghanistan, for example, gender apartheid was used by the Taliban using the worst form of a war that was waged against women, and edicts were introduced that kept women out of the process and enabled -- did not enable women who are war widows to participate in earning income or leaving their homes. Women are basically undervalued. And, African women firmly believe that society is like a bird; you have to have two wings in order to fly. You -- basically, when women are shut out, we do not have the principles of democracy functioning in any society. Gandhi basically copied a non-violent approach from a 19th Century women’s movement in India. So, you see the approach that women have, especially when you talk with women in Afghanistan. African women want to grant equal rights to men as well as women in order for society to function.
War creates more war. It does not solve the [...]
Sima Wali: War creates more war. It does not solve the problems of humanity. It creates new problems. We have come to the realization that war does not benefit anyone. The cost of war then is, in comparison to social causes, far greater. As it is said, the costliest rebuilding is far cheaper than the cheapest war. When you look at Afghanistan, you see corruption is rampant, and this is caused by war, which did not exist before rebuilding. And there is absolutely very little rebuilding taking place right now. The corrupt Afghans are empowered; and this, of course, leaves the women and their children out of the process. The common Afghans who are suffering they don't have access to society’s resources. We have to change the thinking of the box, or in the same model, in order to solve our solutions. As Armat Levins and Paul Hawkins has said in their book, when you look at the -- when you ask a politician, “give me a list of the --” – actually, first ask an ecologist what the list of environmentally stressed or over-populated countries are. Then the environmentalist will say, for example, Burundi, Iraq, Madagascar, Mongolia, Nepal, the Solomon Islands and plus some others. When you ask the politician the same question, he names the same countries where state government has already been worn down or has collapsed or is now at the risk of collapsing or has been wrecked by civil wars. We first worlders have to send, therefore, the argument that is used. We have to send troops to those countries because they blame their governments, and we have to stop them from emigrating to ours. We have nothing, they kill each other, they start civil wars. As the predictors of modern state failures, i.e. revolutions, violent regime, change, collapse of authority, or genocide, such as high infant mortality, rapid population growth, or population without job prospects, young unemployed men -- is an environment which is ripe to recruit militias into resistance movements. This is not the way to solve our problems. We need to come to an understanding that we need to [audio ends]
We know that these drugs are easily replaced [...]
Sima Wali: We know that these drugs are easily replaced by another addiction. The use of drugs in the case of profound suffering by human beings is more of a political issue. For example, when you look at Afghanistan, the side effects of the availability of drugs -- basically, drugs in Afghanistan and narcotics finances the war. And this is how the war, the insurgency, the war and insurgency and then during the Taliban was financed. However, this produces drug lords that prior to the war we did not have this kind of, the existence of drug lords or the war lords who financed their own crop, their way of being by drugs. But, however, we don’t have an alternate system. For example, we basically punish the farmers who plant poppies because they don’t have alternative income to produce. So they produced poppies and they benefit from poppies. We don’t need to eradicate their fields. We need to now address the root causes of war and poverty and etc., and how war is financed. So, drugs are there in the world. It has replaced the economy of choice. In Afghanistan, especially, drugs and drug finances the war. The illicit narcotic financing is about 60 percent of our economy, if not more. And, it is very important that we need to recognize, that we need to address the root causes of poverty and of war and that creates the side effects, which is basically one of the tragedies of Afghanistan, the production that is being -- that is currently undertaken.
The responsibility lies in the drug [...]
Sima Wali: The responsibility lies in the drug companies that is driven by profit. We need to make sure that drug companies make cheaper drugs available and into the hands of the AIDS afflicted people. We are basically -- the poor cannot afford these drugs and they cannot -- basically, this is one of the main reason that women who are suffering from this debility and disease in Africa and elsewhere in the world basically are unable to get manufacturing companies to get drugs into their hands.
My heroes really are again the Afghan women [...]
Sima Wali: My heroes really are again the Afghan women who started the campaign of, especially when 9/11 happened, on behalf of their “American sisters.” This was during the Taliban era and a beautiful letter that was crafted in Pharsi. It was affixed by thumbprints because the women could not sign their names. These people who maintained their dignity in the face of such adversity really are the heroes that I take the inspiration so much from.
Because the amount of power corporations [...]
Sima Wali: Because the amount of power corporations gives to patents and copyright laws is tremendous. For example, the Disney Corporation was built on non-copyrighted material; but, however, it is now spending its energy to copyright materials that exists right now. So, basically it’s the power that companies and corporations hold.
Yes, I believe that when you have the [...]
Sima Wali: Yes, I believe that when you have the economy as the primary concern, then you have to serve it. We need to make a shift in that thinking, and we need to make sure that our environment is basically taken care of, that we have to -- in addition to the creation of wealth in free markets, we have to look at the social ills and the ecological ills that it creates, and we need to address that. We’ve reached a stage in the world today that we are suffering largely from ecological abuse of the land.
It’s actually the opposite because you can [...]
Sima Wali: It’s actually the opposite because you can go to more than one source of information. You can actually go to the source of information, and you are not stuck in a single source of information. And self-interest of promoting one aspect of the story is not a story that is easily bought these days.
Sima Wali:
Once again “think globally, but act locally” [...]
Sima Wali: Once again “think globally, but act locally” is the slogan that this system of producing locally and thinking globally is an important aspect of how we alter the current systems that exist. A local community can sustain itself when mostly it is not dependent wholly on oil interests, but oil interest will not let that happen. I don’t think that local autonomy is in the best interests of companies, of -- or corporations. Privatization is a misguided belief that the elite can remain unaffected by the problems of the society around them. Look at the world today. Whatever, for example, happens in Kabul affects us in New York City as 9/11, unfortunately happened in Washington DC, and in major cities. So whatever happens in Kabul affects us globally. And again we need to make sure that we come up with new technologies that solve our problems because the current ones does not benefit anybody in the long run. But we only need the political will to do so.
In my home country during the British -- [...]
Sima Wali: In my home country during the British -- when the Duran line was drawn that separated tribes of the same ethnic group in Afghanistan, and this line basically was drawn by the British, which really does – renders Afghanistan into a land locked country, and this line was not necessary because it actually impedes access to warm water pools and to move -- to be able to move things around for the Afghan people.
Sima Wali:
Sima Wali:
Media is driven by corporations and as a [...]
Sima Wali: Media is driven by corporations and as a consequence the story does not get told. Ours suffered and the corporate takeover really is a problem of the medias that is run by the corporate and corporations and medias financed by corporations. It really is a consequence of that. Also media, for example, the time allotted to the JonBenet’s story versus the time allotted to very important stories in the world today or even the U.S. leadership has not been told correctly. The amount of time that is allotted to tell the story of, that is in popular demand that time is more allotted to those stories which seem to not be of political value. Those stories are given much more time than important stories that need to be told. It’s a question of that people don’t get told the correct story, and they are interested and intrigued by current stories which have no influence on the world today.
I see this primarily as a problem of [...]
Sima Wali: I see this primarily as a problem of capitalism. Even the food system is affected in that I see the fact that of economic control, and it’s a good way of economic control. I mean it’s one way of controlling the engineering of food. It’s dangerous and it ignores the local production and of micro-enterprises, micro-economies, and food production. It basically ignores regional food production. And, we need -- and we are looking at engineering food crops into the environment which is not studied very well. So, we don’t know the harmful long-term effects.
There is an aspect of science to the degree [...]
Sima Wali: There is an aspect of science to the degree it is focused as fine, but it has a problem with the unknown and because it cannot basically -- if it cannot quantify things then science has its own workings of measure. For example, in studying the planetary system Pluto, an entire planet, disappeared. So, you see that there is self-serving aspect to everything including science.
Global warming is one of the many problems [...]
Sima Wali: Global warming is one of the many problems we have in the world today. We have to start recognizing the fact that it is like the problems that we do not address and exist in the world today will become much more prevalent. It’s like a car without breaks. If we don’t address the problems of poverty, of hunger, of AIDS, of global warming, of -- I mean the abuse of populations and wars. It all basically has to do with the economy. The way the economy is developed is causing these social problems and these environmental problems of global warming. We need to make a shift in the way we start thinking and the way we view the accumulation of wealth in our economy. For example, when we examine the pay ratio of the corporate sector versus the pay that people get in conducting normal jobs, it is a ratio of almost 100 percent to 1. So, that tells you that we have serious problems in the world today that needs to be addressed before our problems subsume us.
Yes, it’s true, that the U.S. consumes [...]
Sima Wali: Yes, it’s true, that the U.S. consumes resources that is disproportionate to the world. But the problem is not so much with the consumption of the U.S. The problem is with promoting ways of -- alternate ways of income. For example, when you use solar energy, you are using natural resources and technologies that is not oil based only. So, we need to make sure that we put energy at the top of that list.
No question about this, the fact that [...]
Sima Wali: No question about this, the fact that architecture is important to our culture, but architecture is also driven by demands and pressures of the economy. Free market, for example, is good in that it creates wealth that is meant to do so. But, it also creates tremendous poverty. This whole aspect is affected by the economy in which it widens the gap between the haves and have-nots. For example, when you see the solar type of homes, solar-powered energy homes of the rich that only the rich can afford, is beautiful and that exists. But then, again poor people cannot afford these kinds of solar-powered homes because it’s not built in city blocks or in apartment blocks. So, everything as you see is affected by politics and economics.
A vibrant civil society and a functioning [...]
Sima Wali: A vibrant civil society and a functioning democracy and the institutions of a civil society which is based on a just economy is what I see as a future and a model future for our society. The current model is based on a war economy, and it does not benefit anybody except those that are serving the war economy. When we waste resources, it is unjust; and when you waste people to raise our standards of living and wasting the environment to achieve economic growth, is neither good nor fair. And to make people better off does not require no theories; it just requires common sense. This kind of future is not about fomenting social upheaval, it’s about, on the contrary, I am talking and I have a vision for a consequence that would surely arise a fundamental social and environmental needs and problems are not responsibly addressed. It’s about the choices that we make; and we can start to take the economic and social outcomes in positive directions. We are not benefitting the people; basically the economy is not serving the people as it should and this kind of a social change is already occurring in the world that we are seeing that people are demanding for more justice and they are fighting for, struggling for justice and democracy and hopefully some day soon, as we say in our – my culture “Inshallah” for showing democracy will prevail.
The problem of mass media is not as [...]
Sima Wali: The problem of mass media is not as ubiquitous. It is the propaganda that is used by the media. Only part of the story is told. For example, the media wanted Afghanistan reported a certain way. And Afghanistan, for example, during the Cold War was of interest to the media because the Soviet Union had invaded the country; and when the media left Afghanistan to report Iraq, so the back story of Afghanistan and the comprehensive way in which the story needed to be told that has not been told. On the positive side, the fact that the Afghan women used the media and the Internet to tell their stories and about the atrocities that was committed against them by the -- especially during the Taliban regime, they used the media effectively to do so. But, the problem is that the media uses the story not in the way that it has to be told. It’s crafted in a certain way, and the problem is that there is hardly ever reported in -- the story is reported in a comprehensive way.
It’s already happening around the world. [...]
Sima Wali: It’s already happening around the world. And, we tend to think of human beings and humanity as just a brain. That is a problem though. Human being is more than just a brain to be hooked onto computers.
Keep the economic system to meet social [...]
Sima Wali: Keep the economic system to meet social needs of people. We need to be able to devise a system that meets the needs and serves the people rather than the other way around. In a nutshell, change a economy because we are functioning in a war mentality and which -- basically the war mentality, based on the war mentality, suppresses civil society, building and suppresses competitiveness and diversity. So we need to be sure that civil society is guaranteed, then micro-enterprises and local autonomy as meets the needs of our social demands.
It’s because we are moving from a communal [...]
Sima Wali: It’s because we are moving from a communal world to a world of individualism, and the individualism is valued more than communities and communal worlds. Therefore, when we see there is so many similarities between us and commonalities between us that makes us, binds us together then our differences. That’s the main purpose of it, that we are moving. The fact is that we are moving away from that world to a world of individualism, and that’s why we are fending for ourselves only and not for the community as a whole.
We can increase the access to technology and [...]
Sima Wali: We can increase the access to technology and the use of it to low income communities. It’s already being done, for example, in Bangladesh. Women have access to mobile phones, and that’s a source of [income] that they haven’t been using. But, corporations basically would like to stop the free flow of information. Technology is good, but the problem is affected in that companies do not wish to see competitiveness. You can actually -- by using the Internet and various forms of information, you can actually --Internet and the flow of information enables you to go to the source of it rather than having a single source of information. One of the major problems that I see that keeps people subservient is that of globalization. Globalization basically keeps women away from access to technology. When we think of -- we are basically accustomed of globalization in us as first worlders sending our good things such as the Internet, Coca-Cola or more than improved worldwide communications to the Third World or the developing world. But sometimes among the things that are exported to the Third World are not the good things. There are things that are bad for us, the electronic garbage for example, which was transported each year from industrialized nations to -- China is one example. The other example that I see is the use of cigarettes. For example, especially when you go to the developing world, in Afghanistan for example, cigarettes is being promoted and there is no campaign for people to stop smoking. Cigarette companies which is now promoting the campaigns and advocating the selling of their products to developing countries. Too often we are affected by getting politicians in place who have the short-term thinking, and this kind of thinking really damages our long-term and sustainable thinking. We need to have long-term and sustainable thinking and come up with alternatives.
I can refer to my personal experience 25 [...]
Sima Wali: I can refer to my personal experience 25 years ago when I was forced to flee Afghanistan. I decided to found this organization entitled Refugee Women and Development. Basically we focus on war-affected victims and we focus on the human rights of women. I had seen the atrocities against women and I had seen what -- that women basically and people, the Afghan people are politically voiceless, yet they are very powerful. I decided to use my voice to tell their stories to the outside world and to resurrect the story of Afghanistan by serving as a witness to the horrors of war. And I drew my inspiration from the Afghan people themselves. I became -- so in this process I became a voice for their politically voices and carried their voices with me till today. So I decided to keep my promise to the Afghan people.
I am usually worry if somebody is trying to [...]
Sima Wali: I am usually worry if somebody is trying to sell me something. We become more vigilant and at that kind of critical eye that we glare that it affects basically everything. Everything right now is reduced to what is being sold and bought. And, we need to change the current system or the current model. So, but the fact that we can sell it, so we can become consumers, really the shopping mentality is more of a philosophy than an economic model.
Yes, we have to not forget that we live in a [...]
Sima Wali: Yes, we have to not forget that we live in a world of interdependence. Let me cite you an example in the Netherlands. As you know, the Netherlands it was constructed in a land -- because the land is below water, so, you have to constantly pump the water into the river or the ocean. And these – the Netherlands is composed of borders which is these islands, which basically are below water. And, there is a saying in the Netherlands that you have to be able to get along with your enemy, because he may be the person operating the neighborhood pump in your polar. We all are down in the polars together. So it’s important for us to recognize the fact that we are living in a world that’s interdependent, and we should always keep that thought in our minds.
It is the power of the corporations that is [...]
Sima Wali: It is the power of the corporations that is meant to disrupt local micro-economies of sustainable degree. Basically, there is no profit derived from the production of a cold glass of water, and there is much profit produced and gained from producing a cold can of Coca-Cola. So, the problem is the bottom line of corporations that make -- that ensure that we have access to the products such as Coca-Cola etc., than the products that we are basically used to and do not derive any benefit to their companies.
There are many lessons that we can learn [...]
Sima Wali: There are many lessons that we can learn from the various regions of the world, especially from Africa, the missteps that we have made and hopefully we have learnt from those missteps. Colonization is a phenomenally disruptive legacy that the Western world has left in colonizing the various regions of Africa. That’s one piece of the history that we have to take with us and the lessons we have to learn. There are many other lessons that we have to learn. We -- basically that we ignore, if we ignore one region of the world to derive profits in an emerging region of the world, we are not benefiting as a species, or democracies do not flourish because whatever happens in one part of the world affects us in a different part of the world.
Growth is at the heart of it. The [...]
Sima Wali: Growth is at the heart of it. The development of a global community, one that respects the rights of women and men, and indigenous cultures that respects the rights of the men and women are very important. We have to respect the cultures from which -- various cultures of the world. For example, we have no respect for the Muslim world anymore and have no understanding. When we create the kind of harmony or dialogue that is necessary to prove [inaudible]. It is necessary for us to promote that kind of understanding and dialogue. The more we understand, the better balance is created between our cultures and the development of a global community.
People are willing to listen, but it’s mass [...]
Sima Wali: People are willing to listen, but it’s mass media that is in control. We need to get information out to people. Our job is to give the information that is necessary to the people and not get caught up in the constant bombardment of information that the mass media would like us to get. For example, one of the things that you can start by doing is by not electing politicians that shift the political brains to -- or politicians that serve corporations to elect their positions. Basically bring people on the same page. I would like to say that this setting of Dropping Knowledge that has brought us together, I take heart in the fact that we are meeting so many people and hearing diverse view points. It’s a great inspiration in and of itself and Inshallah. It will -- God willing, as we say, it will amount to a positive change in the future. So thank you
Let's start with the true story of [...]
Sima Wali: Let's start with the true story of Afghanistan, that has not been told, that is the -- a portion of the story, the way it is felt has been told by the media and by the politicians. Other important stories that have not been told are human dramas manifestos such as poverty, disease, hunger, AIDS, etc. We are going from crisis to crisis and we only report a portion of the story. When the guns of battle are silenced, we then forget about that country, that region that has suffered conflict and we go to report that different story. And when we do so, we only report part of the story. So, the full story has to be told and we need to make sure that the other human dramas, such as poverty and hunger and lack of education, illiteracy among women, especially in Afghanistan, have to be dealt.
There is complexity in the world and there’s [...]
Sima Wali: There is complexity in the world and there’s nuance, especially when we are trying to find the answer to truth. Usually when there is an authentic difference between -- and there is different view point given and it’s not calculated, then it’s okay. But when there is a self-serving motive to giving a view point to reach the truth, that’s when we have a serious problem and we need to examine it.
Be true to your nature. Be genuine. Be [...]
Sima Wali: Be true to your nature. Be genuine. Be clear and be honest.
It's part of the illusion. We never get the [...]
Sima Wali: It's part of the illusion. We never get the benefit of everything we are told. For example, we knew that the invasion of Iraq, the way it was explained to the American people that Iraq and Saddam Hussein had ties to Al-Qaeda and it’s their front line on the war on terror. That really did not materialize, and that’s misinformation that was promoted. So we don't get the benefit of whatever we are told as a people.
It is being right now we are basically [...]
Sima Wali: It is being right now we are basically promoting military spending versus social spending. However, the question is to what extent do we overspend on the military at the expense of ignoring social needs. This is not the type of the system in the -- or the economy that we need to promote. Basically, we have to understand that it’s also an illusion to claim that military spending or spending on this type of economy brings about democracy or building of civil societies. When democracies or civil society is built, it’s an unintended consequence of capitalism or economic growth. We are -- basically, we should not claim that we build democracy because we are overspending on military expenditures. One of the reasons that development has failed is that we have a lot too much, especially in the current age and the war on terror that's being waged across the globe that we -- anything that really has to do with companies and securing security is allotted to securing the country and for security forces, which really is military spending and should not fall under the general rubric of development assistance.
We have to think outside of the box and to [...]
Sima Wali: We have to think outside of the box and to have a different model of thinking. We have to act locally and think globally. It is clear – it is a clear question of the -- of a handful of people that we need -- it is obvious -- let me back track -- it is obvious that we need to be socially responsible by what we do and not be corrupted for the corporations. In other words, we need long term thinking versus short term benefits. But, this is currently that I see or beginning to see, the loss of capital or ecosystem functions just the short term, just harmful to their interest. They have come to -- they may also come to the realization that when they don't address social inequities these kinds of short shifting of social inequities are harmful to the long-term interests of the corporations as well. I believe that social -- that material goals are indispensable and useful to a point, but so far as they serve people, and it should not be the other way around. For example, you cannot replace the shopping malls for family convivability, and you cannot have security guards to ensure that you have safe streets and safe cities on a long term basis. You need to make sure to address the root cause of the problem and the inequities that exist in our system.
Yes, for example, my neighbor right here is [...]
Sima Wali: Yes, for example, my neighbor right here is in Berlin at Dropping Knowledge has enabled and empowered him to be still be indigenous. And, for us to be indigenous and to live in this 21st century is possible. You carry the sense of praise is really a state of bond that you carry with you and regardless of where you are is part of what you are regardless of where you are. The ability of carrying the fundamentals of who you are, are essentially possible in the 21st century.
We have to have a different approach to [...]
Sima Wali: We have to have a different approach to engineering food. The main thing is that we don’t know what we are doing and, therefore, we are making harmful mistakes. For example, several years ago when the World Health Organization made a simple decision that of spraying DDT to solve malaria problems among villagers in Borneo, there were unintended consequences to the spraying of DDT, in that they found out that the roofs of the homes in which the villagers lived were collapsing. It was found out that the tiny wasps -- thatch-eating wasps, which exist -- caterpillars which basically existed prior to this event had been destroyed. And, people’s roofs had collapsed because of this reason. And, cats died because cats were consuming the bugs, the geckos that had previously that had consumed DDT. So, the British made a decision to conduct the Operation Cat Drop mission which was meant to -- because all the cats were dead. So, therefore, the roofs of people collapsed and then and the cats that were there to basically eat the mice and the mice had multiplied in the city. So, Operation Cat Drop was basically used by the British to air drop 4,000 cats into Borneo to be able to take care of [audio ends]
In most circumstances a view of the truth is [...]
Sima Wali: In most circumstances a view of the truth is given. We are human beings and we need to debate what is true to give different nuances of the same problem. When it is done in good faith and it is done without distorting the truth, it is alright. But when fact is distorted as in ways that is intentional, that’s when the problem comes. However, when it’s unintentional, then it’s okay because we are viewing the problem from many aspects of it. For example, when we look at Afghanistan was presented a certain way after 9/11, that was the fact, and it was not fed in the right way, the way the truth was -- the “truth” was manufactured, was not a comprehensive view of the full story of Afghanistan that need to be told to world today.
A child learns by -- well by being taken [...]
Sima Wali: A child learns by -- well by being taken care of. We need to make sure that the child is well taken care of and is nurtured. That’s where we have to first begin our responsibility as adults. They are the next generation. So many of the world’s children are unable to have that kind of nurturing, for example, the uprooted population, the population of refugees and displaced children, which constitute a high majority. All they learn as way of being is why there is an anger and hatred and that reason itself and they don’t -- we need to make sure that that does not happen to our children and the future generation anymore.
Everything we see in the world is, today is [...]
Sima Wali: Everything we see in the world is, today is decided by mass media. What gets put out in the mass media and what is not being shared suffers from it. So basically mass media is in control of the story that is being told, and what does not get told is the fact that -- anything that’s not been told, that includes art, and it will not end up as part of the story. So, therefore, all forms of art, etc., will be affected from this lack of coverage.
I see the example in the Afghan women when I [...]
Sima Wali: I see the example in the Afghan women when I first went into Afghanistan after the war was ended and we negotiated the creation of a new democratic government. It was seeing women sitting behind the computer, and they had traveled very long distances to get to this computer class and they were so eager to learn this. So I was really -- I am moved by those kinds of sights and basically what moves me is the principles that appeal to our conscience and practices, when practices of right and wrong are valued.
We need to let go of the old mythology. We [...]
Sima Wali: We need to let go of the old mythology. We need to let go of the old in order to be able to embrace the new. The holy war mentality that exists in our culture that of the holy war -- warrior against the empire, we need to let go of this mentality of this way of thinking so we can come up with a new mythology that will change the world for the better. We need to devise new system to do so and let go of the old mythology, the war mentality that exists among us.
It is the case of diesel fuel. It [...]
Sima Wali: It is the case of diesel fuel. It evaporates; it is clean for the air. However, it is not exploited by corporations because it does not derive any benefit for the corporations because basically it is not in the best economic interest of companies that have -- that exploit diesel fuel which is also clean for the air as I said earlier.
Because we are still defined by citizenship, [...]
Sima Wali: Because we are still defined by citizenship, region, and family that we belong to. It’s, this concept is a human idea; it was crafted by human beings. However, the truth is that we as human beings are of the same species. There is much commonality among us, irrespective of what nationality we hold. We are all aware, we should be aware of the commonalities among us rather than differences that divide us. Humanity has no boundaries and these boundaries are drawn and defined by human beings.
Once again I would say that we need to [...]
Sima Wali: Once again I would say that we need to produce locally, and we need to make sure that the food that -- too much food when it is brought from outside produces too much waste, and the food often is picked up raw, so that at end of the distribution process it is not damaged, and once again people, poor people cannot afford the food due to distribution problems. And I find increasingly that farmers’ traditional knowledge and agrarian culture is being ignored. We need to make sure that we learn from the mistakes that we have made, and we preserve the traditional cultures that exist in our societies.
God has no religion. Religion is a human [...]
Sima Wali: God has no religion. Religion is a human definition. We need to resolve as human beings the problems that we have created in this world, religious or otherwise, and religion is a human experience. God will not come down on earth to solve our problems. We need to do it ourselves; and we will make God content when we practice peace, love and harmony for all human beings.
You have to recognize the concept of [...]
Sima Wali: You have to recognize the concept of sameness comes from corporations and the idea is that sameness is cheaper. Diversity is an enigma to companies and corporations because the corporate concept is that bottom line is interest and sameness, of course, is cheaper. Therefore, it meets the need of the corporations.
The land affects us, your sense of place and [...]
Sima Wali: The land affects us, your sense of place and our belonging. For example, when you examine the African culture, the sense, the concept of hospitality that is granted to any person who is visiting the land -- they are seen as a guest and are treated as a guest, and they get the best treatment. So, common -- the hospitality among the African people is legendary. Where we come from is really a set of mind then, but you have to have the sense of place as well.
A young adult should be reading view points [...]
Sima Wali: A young adult should be reading view points and having access to view points that convey the true story. For example, the book Devil’s Game by Richard Dreyfuss, which tells the back story of Afghanistan, gives a comprehensive view and that’s what it is that we are lacking: a comprehensive view of the situation because of mass media likes to give you a single-sided story. So we need the full story and we need to have debate on the story, so that we know that we are not relying on a single source of information.
It has already impacted our communication [...]
Sima Wali: It has already impacted our communication systems, but companies or corporations would like to stop it, stop basically the free flow of communications. I know that Afghan women used the Internet basically during the Taliban regime that was -- Afghanistan was basically cut off from having any type of contact with the outside world, and women used the Internet to communicate and to tell their stories of what was happening to them under the Taliban. So you can see the benefits of Internet as a global communication system, if it's used to enhance communities and to tell the story from the mouths of the source itself.
The future of the city is where people can [...]
Sima Wali: The future of the city is where people can live in peace and in harmony for the common good and work for the common good of the future generations. It should not be a choice where you have to live in a city as congested, let's say, as Kabul, which is a city that is intended for 1 million people and now we have 5 million people due to security considerations are living in the capital city. So, basically the future of the city is one where people can live in peace and harmony and then wherever they feel like grouping together, they should be able to do so and they should have the freedom of choice to do so. And, living peacefully in harmony -- and peace and harmony that exist between men and women should be the future of our cities.
It’s highly unlikely. All Chinese people [...]
Sima Wali: It’s highly unlikely. All Chinese people cannot afford a car and imagine what it will do to the environment. The destruction of the environment it would cause would be of monumental degree. So, I think this question is based on the fact that this is going to be highly unlikely for the, for all Chinese to afford and to have a car.
