Showing posts with label change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label change. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Yemen's Ongoing and Parallel Revolution

The Revolution in Yemen did not stop with the inking of the GCC deal which was rejected by many Yemenis since the day it was initiated. As the word indicates, it was a deal, "an agreement entered into by two or more parties for their mutual benefit", in this case it was the the sharing of power between the ruling party GPC (General People's Congress) and the so called "opposition" JMP (Joint Meeting Parties) while the benefit of the Yemeni people was out of this equation. Gradually people realized that the deal was just a rebranding of the regime and a pretext for it to stay in power.

While the killings are still happening in Sanaa and some other cities, so are the relentless protests and marches.The people in Yemen, the second most armed country in the world are determined to make the change they demanded from the revolution through  passive resistance methods. Besides the daily and weekly marches in the cities, they went on a 264 km cross country Life March by foot from Taiz in the south to Sanaa in the north, passing by Ibb, Yarim and Dhamar. Similar marches are taking place in different parts of Yemen. The Dignity March from Aden to Abyan set to draw the world's attention to the plight of the more than 100,000 IDPs (Internally Displaced People) who fled their homes from Abyan and neighboring cities to Aden to escape the ongoing violence due to the war on the so called "militants" by the government forces. Another march is taking place from the coastal city of Hodeidah to Sanaa.

In the past weeks, the Yemeni revolution spread from the streets to the institutions. Demonstrations and strikes in the governmental and public, academic, commercial & medical sectors against corruption swept across cities of YemenThe "parallel revolution" demanded the immediate dismissal of "the untouchables", the corrupt officials who  unlawfully exerted their authority, embezzled and terrorized their subordinates. Some of the institutions affected so far include, the National Airlines "Yemenia", the State TV in Sanaa and Aden, the Police Headquarters, the Military Economic Institution, the Armed Forces Moral Guidance Department, the Agriculture and Irrigation office, the Coast Guard, the Naval Academy, the Traffic Police, Sanaa University, the Yemen Bank of Reconstruction and Developmentthe Thawrah Hospital in Taiz, the Central Organization of Control and Audit in both Aden and Taiz, and the Finance Office in Taiz

The following videos show the wave against corruption in many sectors and in different cities:
Government sectorvideo (posted by Freeoman100001) on December 27, 2001 shows the employees of the Central organization of control and audit preventing their corrupt manager from entering the building.
Military sector: video (posted by taizpress on Dec, 31st, 2011) shows soldiers in Taiz demand sacking of military commanders who were behind the brutal killings of protesters and shelling of the city.
Academic sector:  video (posted by ppryemen on January 2nd) shows Sanaa University students protesting demanding the dismissal of the University's corrupt president. 
Banking sector: video (posted by ibrahim55403 on Jan2, 2012) shows the employees of the Yemen Bank of Reconstruction and Development protesting against the corruption in the bank
The "people want the fall of the regime" is no longer a mere slogan in Yemen, it is being translated into a real process starting with little steps. Saleh may still be in power but he seems to be gradually loosing his grip. His henchmen are falling one after the other in a wave against corruption in the military and governmental institutions as well as the public ones. Hopefully the pyramid of tyranny, corruption and injustice will eventually collapse as the administrative base falls apart and moves upwards towards the political one. The change hoped for in Yemen is gradually happening with the admirable perseverance and determination of the people in one of the poorest countries of the Arab world which has been plagued with corruption for decades.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Dreams of Yemen


"A dreamer is one who can find his way by moonlight and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world"  Oscar Wilde

I dream of a Yemen where everyone has a roof on top of their head
I dream of a Yemen where everyone has a meal on their table
I dream of a Yemen where poverty is addressed and managed

I dream of a Yemen where electricity and water are a norm not a privilege
I dream of a Yemen where health and education are a basic right
I dream of a Yemen where infrastructure is actually built not just planned

I dream of a Yemen where a woman in labour can see her newborn *
I dream of a Yemen where an infant * can survive and grow into a healthy child
I dream of a Yemen where a child can safely go to school, instead of work or be wed

I dream of a Yemen where freedom, justice, and equality are a reality
I dream of Yemen where rights are respected, granted and opinions freely expressed
I dream of a Yemen where we can choose who represents and leads us

I dream of a Yemen where there is no North or South
I dream of a Yemen where injustices and grievances are rectified
I dream of a Yemen we all, equally strive to repair and rebuild together

I dream of a Yemen where positions are earned due to merit not family name, gender, tribe or region
I dream of a Yemen with a civil state that adheres to human rights and gender equality
I dream of a Yemen where a woman's role is not confined to her household or family

I dream of a Yemen where Qat chewing is an old shunned habit
I dream of a Yemen where water is efficiently used to irrigate crops
I dream of a Yemen where fields and valleys are filled with coffee and grapes

I dream of a Yemen with no association to al Qaeda and terrorism
I dream of a Yemen as a tourist destination for heritage and hospitality
I dream of a Yemen as a haven for tourists to admire and enjoy

I dream of a Yemen who's resources are reinstated, enhanced and generated
I dream of a Yemen who's lands and ports are respected and safeguarded
I dream of a Yemen where neighboring countries leave us alone, if not wanting our well-being

I dream of a Yemen where foreign companies are not exploiting us
I dream of a Yemen where western and regional forces can't choose our leaders, nor shape our future
I dream of a Yemen where dominant political figures empower our youth to lead

I dream of a Yemen where change yearned for, is attained and dignity restored
I dream of a Yemen where precious martyrs lives are not lost in vain
I dream of a Yemen where no further blood is shed nor homes destroyed

I dream of Yemen where the revolution albeit the longest will be the most peaceful
I dream of a Yemen who's revolution succeeds and is taught in history books
I dream of a Yemen which we struggled for, become what we want and more

I dream of a Yemen that is respected and esteemed by the world
I dream of a Yemen that can once again be called Arabia Felix
I dream of a Yemen that we can all return to and proudly say is our homeland


"Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe"- Gail Devers

Peace

Links used:
UNICEF statistics
Child Labour in Yemen