ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY DR. NOOR JAFFER

YMCA CANADA PEACE MEDALRECIPIENT

McDOUGALL CENTRE – CALGARY

NOVEMBER 21^ST 2001

MR WAYNE PERKINS CEO & PRESIDENT YMCA CALGARY, BEBA SVIGIR INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, FELLOW RECIPIENTS, LADIES & GENTLEMEN.

I AM HONOURED TO BE ONE OF THE THREE RECIPIENTS OF THIS YEAR’S YMCA CANADA PEACE MEDAL. I THANK THE SELECTION COMMITTEE FOR FINDING ME WORTHY OF THIS RECOGNITION AND THE ISMAILI COUNCIL FOR THE PRAIRIES FOR NOMINATING ME.

I AM HUMBLED TO JOIN THE RANKS OF MANY DISTINGUISHED FORMER MEDAL RECIPIENTS SUCH AS LAST YEAR’S AWARDEES, BOB STEWART AND ARTHUR MILLHOLLAND.

TODAY I WISH TO EXPLORE WITH YOU SOME THOUGHTS ON HOW WE CAN ALL MAKE THIS PLANET MORE PEACEFUL.

OUR OWN SETS OF VALUES AND ETHICAL FRAMEWORKS GUIDE OUR LIVES. MY LIFE AND ACTIVITIES ARE PROFOUNDLY SHAPED BY THE SOCIAL CONSCIENCE OF MY FAITH - THE FAITH OF ISLAM. THE VERY WORD “ISLAM” COMES FROM THE ARABIC ROOT WORD “SALAM” MEANING PEACE.

MUSLIMS HAVE BEEN HORRIFIED BY THE ATROCITIES OF SEPTEMBER 11^TH. NOW MORE SO THAN EVER BEFORE, MUSLIMS BY THEIR VERY WORDS AND ACTIONS, MUST ACTUALIZE ISLAM’S ETHICS OF INCLUSIVENESS, OF COMPASSION, OF SHARING, OF THE RESPECT FOR LIFE AND THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE ENVIRONMENT.

LET ME SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF MY ACTIVITIES TO WHICH BEBA ALLUDED TO IN HER INTRODUCTION.

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL ALLOWS ONE TO PARTNER WITH ROTARIANS IN 160 COUNTRIES IN IDENTIFYING AND CARRYING OUT PROJECTS THAT ALLEVIATE POVERTY, HUNGER, ILLNESS AND ILLITERACY. THIS HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN PROJECTS SUCH AS THE PROVISION OF CLEAN DRINKING WATER TO VILLAGES IN SOUTH AMERICA , POLIO VACCINATIONS TO MILLIONS OF CHILDREN AND THE CARE OF TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS IN INDIA .

I WAS AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WHEN I ORGANIZED THE ANNUAL PARTNERSHIP WALK IN CALGARY FOR THREE YEARS. THROUGH THIS ANNUAL EVENT, THE AGA KHAN FOUNDATION CANADA RAISES FUNDS AND EDUCATES CANADIANS ABOUT HOW SMALL SCALE PROJECTS CAN DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE LIVES IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD.  PROJECTS SUCH AS THE EMPOWERMENT OF LANDLESS WOMEN THROUGH MICRO CREDIT AND THE PRODUCTION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE METHANE GAS FROM CATTLE WASTE WHICH IS USED FOR COOKING AND LIGHTING.

WHAT CHANGED MY LIFE RADICALLY WAS MY TRIP TO AFGHANISTAN LAST YEAR, AS PART OF AN EVALUATION TEAM, WHOSE MANDATE WAS TO LOOK AT THE DISTRIBUTION OF CIDA FUNDED FOOD AID. THE NEED FOR FOOD AND SHELTER IN THIS DROUGHT AND NOW WAR TORN REGION IS AT A CATASTROPHIC LEVEL. THIS IS COMPOUNDED BY THE BRUTAL AFGHAN WINTERS, AND MAKES POVERTY SINK TO NEW LOWS. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT NONE OF US HERE CAN COMPREHEND THE WRATH THAT HAS COME UPON THESE PEASANTS AFTER THREE YEARS OF THE WORST DROUGHT IN RECORDED HISTORY.

I SAW POVERTY ON A SCALE THAT UNLESS YOU WERE THERE, IT WOULD BE HARD TO EVEN IMAGINE. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT ONE VISIT WE MADE TO THE VILLAGE OF HAZART SYED WHERE AFTER AN ARDOUS JOURNEY, PART OF WHICH WAS OVER STEEP MOUNTAINS ON HORSEBACK, WE CAME UPON A SMALL VILLAGE OF MUD DWELLINGS. OUR JOB WAS TO ENSURE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF WHEAT AND COOKING OIL TO FAMILIES IN NEED.  I SAW A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE 4-YEAR-OLD GIRL.PEERING AT ME FROM BEHIND A FENCE. SHE WAS BAREFOOT AND WAS WEARING A TATTERED YELLOW DRESS. HER HOUSEHOLD WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT I WAS ABLE TO VISIT.

 HER HOUSE CONSISTED OF ONE 12’ BY 14’ ROOM WHICH WAS HOME TO   SEVEN CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS. THERE WAS A DIRT FLOOR, AND THE CONTENTS IN THE HOUSE CONSISTED OF A MERE FEW BLANKETS AND A COUPLE OF POTS AND PANS. THE ONLY OTHER ITEMS IN THE ROOM WERE HALF A BAG OF CANADIAN WHEAT FLOUR AND ONE BOTTLE OF COOKING OIL. AS I STARTED TO LOOK AROUND THE DIMLY LIT ROOM MY GUIDE ASKED ME WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. I ASKED WHERE THEY STORE THEIR CLOTHES? WITH AN INCREDULOUS LOOK HE SAID TO ME “THEY ARE WEARING THEM”.

IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE FOOD AID THAT FOCUS HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE CANADA WAS DELIVERING TO THIS REMOTE REGION, MANY OF THESE CHILDREN WOULD NOT LIVE THROUGH THE WINTER. IN FACT LAST WINTER WHEN TEMPERATURES FELL TO MINUS 20 CELCIUS AT A REFUGEE CAMP IN HERAT , 200 AFGHAN CHILDREN DIED IN ONE NIGHT DUE TO HYPOTHERMIA. THE PAIN OF A MOTHER HOLDING HER LIFELESS COLD BABY IN HER ARMS IS AN IMAGE THAT WILL NEVER LEAVE MY MIND.

BASED ON THE RECENT UNICEF REPORT ON THE STATUS OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN, IT IS HORRIFYING TO NOTE THAT 27,500 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE STILL DIE EACH DAY FROM PREVENTABLE CAUSES. UNICEF ESTIMATES IT WOULD COST ONLY AN ADDITIONAL 2.5 BILLION US DOLLARS TO PREVENT THESE DEATHS. THAT IS ALMOST THE SAME AMOUNT SPENT EACH YEAR IN NORTH AMERICA , ON BUYING NINTENDO GAME CARTRIDGES!

LAST SUNDAY THE G20 FINANCE MINISTERS MEETING IN OTTAWA DISCUSSED DEBT RELIEF FOR THE WORLD’S POOR COUNTRIES. THIS IS A GREAT STRIDE FORWARD. HOWEVER CANADA ’S FOREIGN AID BUDGET, WHICH IS AT A 30-YEAR LOW OF ONLY 0.24% OF THE GNP, GIVES US A DISMAL RANKING OF BEING 17^TH OUT OF 22 DONOR COUNTRIES.  

THIS ALL SO OVERWHELMING – WHAT CAN WE AS INDIVIDUALS DO?

FIRST OF ALL WE MUST OPEN OUR HEARTS AND PEEL OFF ALL THE LAYERS OF INSULATION THAT SHROUD THEM. ALL TOO OFTEN WHEN WE SEE IMAGES OF STARVING CHILDREN ON THE TV OR PASS A HOMELESS PERSON ON THE STREET MANY OF US CHANGE THE CHANNEL OR LOOK AWAY. LET US NOT CLOSE OUR EYES TO ALL THE SUFFERING IN THE WORLD. WHEN WE LAY BARE OUR HEARTS, THEY BECOME VULNERABLE TO BREAKING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. IT IS THIS BREAKING OF OUR UNINSULATED HEARTS, THAT WILL MOTIVATE US TO TAKE ACTION.

THERE IS SO MUCH WE CAN DO TO GIVE OF OUR TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE. VOLUNTEER FOR THE MANY ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE YMCA, THE TWO WONDERFUL ORGANIZATIONS BEING RECOGNIZED TODAY, RESULTS CANADA , AND UNICEF AMONGST OTHERS WHO DO GOOD WORK. DONATE TO OXFAM OR MSF WHO ARE ON THE GROUND DOING GREAT WORK.  WHAT I AM REALLY SAYING IS THAT THERE ARE PLEANTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF SO MANY – BOTH HERE AT HOME AND ABROAD.

  I WISH TO CONGRATULATE THE YMCA FOR AWARDING THE YOUTH PEACE MEDAL THIS YEAR. THIS IS A WAY OF EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE TO FIND WAYS TO IDENTIFY WITH CAUSES THAT ARE LARGER THAN THEMSELVES. WE MUST HARNESS THE ENERGY AND IDEALISM OF THE YOUTH TO POWERFULLY AND POSITIVELY MOULD THE WORLD COMMUNITY OF TOMORROW. THEY ARE OUR GREATEST HOPE FOR A PEACEFUL WORLD.

  ABOVE ALL ELSE, WE MUST OPEN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS TO CREATE A WORLD WHERE PEOPLE ARE MORE COMPASSIONATE AND TOLERANT. WHERE WE CELEBRATE DIVERSITY AND DO NOT JUDGE PEOPLE BY THEIR ETHNICTY OR THEIR FAITH.

  IT WAS HELEN KELLER WHO SAID “ I AM ONLY ONE, BUT STILL I AM ONE. I CANNOT DO EVERYTHING, BUT STILL I CAN DO SOMETHING. I WILL NOT REFUSE TO DO THE SOMETHING I CAN DO”

  AND WILL THAT SOMETHING MAKE A DIFFERNCE? IT MOST CERTAINLY WILL AS I HAVE FOUND IN MY OWN LIFE AND AS MARGARET MEAD SAID SO WELL “ NEVER DOUBT THAT A SMALL GROUP OF THOUGHTFUL COMMITTED CITIZENS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD, INDEED IT’S THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS”

  SO LET US ALL JOIN TOGETHER TO MAKE EVERY PLACE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUCH, A MORE PEACEFUL PLACE.

  I THANK YOU MOST SINCERELY FOR THIS HONOUR THAT YOU HAVE BESTOWED UPON ME TODAY.

  THANK YOU.