An Immigrant, An Expatriate American: What the Legacy of MLK and the Civil Rights Movement Mean To Me

By Dr. Maneshka Eliatamby

As an immigrant American, The King Holiday is undoubtedly the most important of US holidays in the year for me, coming even behind the July 4th celebrations of fireworks and barbecues! Perhaps this is not the case for every American of immigrant origin, but as someone of color, a woman, I am keenly aware of the nonviolent struggle that came before me that made this life of mine, my dream, a possibility. And to the women and men who came before me in the nonviolent struggle for civil rights, I am forever indebted. As such, it was with much excitement that I awaited the A Day On and Not A Day Off celebration of Martin Luther King Day this year. But alas, it was not to be. Despite a considerable presence of Americans in Nepal and the Lincoln School (named after the great emancipator before whose statue The Dream was articulated), I was unable to find any celebration of service honoring one of the greatest individuals in 20th century America. Just a few years ago I had been in Sri Lanka during this holiday, and the US Embassy there celebrated MLK Day in style, engaging Realizing the Dream (now Communities Without Boundaries International) in a series of nonviolence education programs across the island. As such, I was expecting something similar here. Perhaps more important is that I am disappointed in myself for not doing a better job to uphold the spirit of the holiday that I hold so dear to my heart, and organize a service project myself.

Civil Rights: An Often Overlooked Part of Our History 
My recognition of the civil rights movement as an important feature in my life wasn’t always the case. In fact, many of us younger generation immigrants are often oblivious to the struggle that many Americans and immigrants endured to ensure that ours is a less troubled path to Americanhood. Why do I say this? When I moved to the United States almost seventeen years ago and attended school at the University of South Carolina, a school with great southern pride, I had little knowledge of the struggle that had ensued in order to make mine an equal life. Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement were of little significance to me at the time—merely something I had briefly studied in school and never really learned of at all in college. What should have been a significant section in modern American history, the civil rights movement did not feature at all in my classes. The same was true of my graduate education in conflict resolution where perhaps one of the greatest examples of peace and structural change was glossed over. But shortly thereafter I was provided the opportunity to work with the modern day civil rights community and truly understand the complexity of the work that had made my life as an American what it is today.

Others who arrive to the United States as adults barely learn to spell the name King as we prepare for our naturalization exams. This system of welcoming the newest Americans fails colossally in providing the new immigrant a glimpse of the rich history that in fact enabled each of us the opportunity to an equal chance at legal migration to the United States, irrespective of our color, race or religion. Too often we find immigrant groups separate themselves into diaspora communities who while economically and politically are integrated with the rest of America, have a tendency to segregate socially.

There are several reasons why it is important for us, especially those of us who are immigrants to the US, to be educated on the civil rights movement:
1. Especially for the immigrant of color, such as me, ours would not have been the path of equality that we are now afforded. Today we can live and own business alongside our African American and Caucasian neighbors. Our children attend the same schools. None of this would have been possible without the civil rights movement that allowed us these equal opportunities.
2. Knowing our past so we can build community in the future: While the civil rights movement surely achieved a herculean feat in the 1950’s and ‘60’s, not all is perfect in the land of the free. Indeed there is much that is still left to be done. Where there was previously structural segregation, there is now social and economic segregation that unfortunately is often along color lines. The idea of Dr. King’s World House—the dream for a society that celebrates diversity and embraces brotherhood and sisterhood—is still a distant one. And if we are truly to achieve this world house, every day must be a day on and not a day off.

Today I am an American expatriate working in Asia, and I am keenly aware that the road to equality in all spheres—political, economic and social—is still a long one. The signing into law of the King Day Holiday was also a major achievement in the movement. And this holiday was not simply meant to be a holiday, but is meant to be a day on which we celebrate the distance we have come, and commit ourselves to continuing the work to ensure political, economic and social justice for all. Peace and community are not someone else’s responsibility. It is a matter for which we are responsible as a collective.

Nepal Elects its First Female President

Dr. Maneshka Eliatamby and Meena Sharma

Nepal made history once again when its Parliament elected the first president under the country’s new constitution. Bidya Bhandari's presidency has already made history in Nepal. She is the first female to be considered for this position in South Asia’s newest republic. This is despite the fact that at the national level, not a single female is represented in the new cabinet. Thus, her being voted in as President is in itself a victory for females in Nepal and indicates the great strides that have been made by women's rights advocates and women's empowerment in the country.

A Decade and a Half of Efforts

In 2015 the world celebrates 15 years since the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. This resolution paved the way for the exploration of inclusive security, ensuring women’s engagement and representation at all levels of decision-making. Nepal is the first country in South Asia, and second in Asia, to have developed a National Action Plan to implement UNSCR 1325 and 1820. This is reiterated by the United Nations in their newest set of goals—the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The fifth article in the 16 goal resolution states that “While the world has achieved progress towards gender equality  and women’s empowerment under the Millennium Development Goals (including equal access to primary education between girls and boys), women and girls continue to suffer discrimination and violence in every part of the world. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.”

Lessons from South Asia

Today, Nepal joins the the ranks of its fellow South Asian countries and can boast a female as its leader. This region is no stranger to women as leaders in government. The first female leader elected to power in the world came from the tiny island of Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in 1960 when she was elected to office upon her husbands’ assassination. Similarly, India had Indira Gandhi, Pakistan had Benazir Bhuto and Bangladesh had Begum Khalid Azia. All of these women were trailblazers in their own right. However, their leadership was often overshadowed by a common trait that they all shared—they were all either the wife of or daughter of a male politician, and their leadership was often marred by the shadow of their male relatives. This often led to a diminishing of their status and power.

When one stops to assess this situation, one fact stands out clearly. Female role models for young girls and women in South Asia, especially in traditional patriarchal countries, are few and far between. Unlike young boys and men who are often groomed into politics and leadership positions by older males and society—where even the local team rooms become grooming grounds for male leaders, girls and women are not afforded the same opportunities. Thus, their paths to political and other office is not paved, unless of course they become the wife of or the daughter of a political leader.

An Epitome of Hope

It is indeed time to celebrate in the Kingdom turned latest Republic of South Asia, as it prepares for Bidya Bhandari's presidency. Learning from the lessons of fellow South Asian countries, having a woman as president should not be a mere façade. It should be followed through with real and meaningful empowerment that serves as a shining example for young girls and women throughout the country and the region. Bidya Bhandari’s presidency, which was a distant dream just a few weeks ago, now serves as a symbol of the positive changes that are occurring at the top of the world!

Dr. Maneshka Eliatamby is a peacebuilding practitioner and published author. Both Dr. Maneshka Eliatamby and Meena Sharma work at Search for Common Ground.

A Sustainable Development Solution for Nepal in Crisis Times

During Professor Jeffrey Sachs’ online lecture on sustainable development, he discusses many of the issues faced by landlocked countries in their efforts to achieve development. Sachs specifically mentions Nepal as one of these countries. Having never previously lived in a landlocked country, the gravity of this statement did not have the effect it perhaps demanded. My supervisor reiterated this fact as the decision was made for me to depart Washington, DC and be based out of our regional office in Nepal. I remained oblivious.

A couple of weeks into my relocation, Nepal promulgated their long awaited constitution. What should have been a time of great celebration for the former Kingdom turned Republic, turned into a time of crisis. More specifically, a time of fuel crisis. No sooner had those voting exited Singha Durbar—Nepal’s house of parliament—it’s close neighbor and regional superpower, India, decided it was time to flex its muscles. Claiming the unrest occurring in the Madhesi and Terai regions as reason, India stopped supplying Nepal with fuel—this includes fuel for motor vehicles and cooking fuel. Some fear that medical supplies will soon run short as India prevents commercial vehicles from coming across the border.

With the exception of a couple of nonviolent marches to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, the Nepali people have remained calm and peaceful throughout the fuel crisis. Even the miles long automobile lines that snake around the city’s few open gas stations are filled with smiling drivers, despite their hours of sitting in the end of summer heat. Many wait a day and even a day and a half for the morsel of fuel that they are finally allowed—barely enough to fill their 10-liter motorcycle tanks. Some cling to overcrowded vehicles, while some others have abandoned their vehicles altogether and walk for miles across the Kathmandu Valley. Since the dual earthquakes that shook the earth's crust in this landlocked country earlier this year, the route through India remains the only viable option available to Nepal. Its roadway with China has been closed since April, as a result of severe damages suffered during the earthquake. The country has all but run out of options.

Perhaps as it maneuvers this crisis situation, it is time for Nepal to exercise a different kind of option. A non-fossil fuel option. It is indeed in times of crisis that people are forced to explore non-traditional options, becoming ingenious in their times of woe. Only a few places in Nepal currently have the ability to explore non-fossil fuel options as an energy source. This is mostly due to the high cost involved in the setup of such alternative energy solutions.

If I have learned anything over the last few weeks, it is that the Nepali people are resilient. They are resilient amidst the worst of circumstances—two wars, a couple of massive earthquakes, change of government, and a fuel crisis are just a few obstacles they have overcome in the young republic's’ history. It is now time for the global community to rise to the occasion and reach the high bar of resilience that the Nepali people have graciously set. A little commitment on the part of the world community as Nepal emerges from these multiple crises situations might be exactly what the doctor ordered! And who better than the United Nations who passed its set of ambitious and exciting set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to assist Nepal elevate itself from its subservience to fossil fuels and its neighboring countries? Nepal could indeed serve as one of the SDG’s trial locations for proving their ability to be operationalized and achieved, similar to the way in which the Millennium Villages served the Millennium Development Goals.

World's First All-Women UN Peacekeeping Unit

On September 21st, the New York Times ran an article titled Bangladesh Produces World’s First All-Women UN Peacekeeping Unit. It is indeed a significant step in what appears to be the United Nations’ Corrective Action Plan vis-a-vis their peacekeeping missions. However, despite the significance of this move, this news article received little attention in mainstream media. In fact, the New York Times dedicated all of one paragraph to the article and readers’ interest garnered but a single comment. This is the shameful state of affairs that women, peace and security still face, despite it being 15 years since the passage of UNSCR 1325.

As they embark on their mission, this group of all-female peacekeepers face three major challenges; rectifying past wrongs, setting the bar for future peacekeeping missions and shattering the gender glass ceiling within the United Nation’s structure.

The need for such an all-female unit is great and has been the case for a number of years. This unit of female peacekeepers must rise to the challenge faced by the entire UN peacekeeping system, resulting from numerous indiscretions on the part of male peacekeepers.  Rectifying past wrongs of their male predecessors is a surmountable task, which is burdened by incidents of criminality including engagement in rape and soliciting prostitutes. These women embark on a journey to the Caribbean island of Haiti where UN Peace Keepers have a bleak track record. As such, this unit of all-female UN Peace Keepers is not a mistake. Theirs is an unenviable task of resurrecting the corp for what it was originally created for from its current lows as a result of indiscretions by male UN peacekeepers.

But the international public perception is only one layer of a multi layered image issue. The second layer is that of the wrath of their own Bengali patriarchal culture whose shadow they must overcome in their engagement as UN Peacekeepers. In a patriarchal culture such as the one that these women come from in Bangladesh, theirs is an extremely bold step towards shattering the glass ceiling within a nation. The challenges these women will face as they depart from their homes on their mission to the Caribbean are worth applauding.

The third layer is the challenge of establishing their equanimity as they navigate the labyrinth that is the United Nations system. A hierarchy that is traditionally a white male dominated structure.

The overarching challenge remains in turning the complex issue of using power for the purposes of establishing peace. This is a step forward as peace can never be totally achieved without the input of women; a 50% of any society. Having a female peacekeeping force will allow for the integration of the typically marginalized half of societies plagued with violent conflicts. The same women that in many cases affect peace, studies show, will be able to interact positively with the peacekeeping mission instead of fearing them.

In general, while this is a significant step in the right direction, this is not a silver bullet of sorts. Appointing an all-female unit will not automatically resolve all of the issues that have plagued the UN Peacekeeping structure. As laid out above, the challenges these women will face as they engage the communities they serve and their male counterparts, are numerous. While this is a step in the right direction, the path these women have embarked on is a first step on a long and hard journey. As such, we in the world of peacebuilding should not become complacent.

Even In Death, Life Happens

Walking down the banks of the river Kelani 

I could no longer see the jasmine flowers that were the only sign of my fathers ashes

The gushing waters of the mighty river had embraced the dust that was once a great man

My bare feet burned as I walked towards the pavement

Making my way to the temple steps 

Navigating the devotees clad in white fabric 

I walked up the temple steps and stopped to watch the crowds 

The gentle river breeze rustled the leaves of the mighty Bodhi tree

Her branches swaying to and fro 

And then like a gift from the heavens

Two bodhi leaves fell into my palm

Joined together for eternity

And in that moment I knew that even in death life happens

Even in death my father lived 

Perhaps through me

Perhaps with me

Perhaps all around me

Now in death our bond would never be severed 

For what is death but a continuation of life
Even in death, life happens

My First Blog Post