Violent Extremism

Together with 34 other women from around the globe I was a founding member of SAVE in 2008 in Vienna.

The global SAVE initiative, standing for Sisters Against Violent Extremism, brought women from around the world together in Vienna for a strategy conference from November 28 to December 1st 2008 in order to engage in courageous dialogue about the importance of mobilizing women against violent extremism.

This innovative female powerbase from all walks of life discussed the vital role that women can and will play in rejecting violent extremism, all while building political, religious, and emotional bridges.

With Smart Power and courageous dialogue that transcends borders, the participants- survivors of terrorist attacks, relatives of 9/11, 7/7 and Madrid victims, and community activists from Columbia to Kosovo, Africa to Asia - developed strategies to mobilize against terror and violence.

After 3 days conference each participant of the first SAVE-conference declared:

1. I, as a woman, will use the local and global networks of women to stop the killing.

2. I will inspire a new response to prevent terror, violence and discrimination.

3. I will create awareness for not stigmatizing the families of the extremists/terrorists.

4. I will support the young generation with non-violent alternatives in their search for a better life.

5. I will engage all forms of media for spreading the message of non-violence.

6. I will insist on peaceful resolutions to prevent escalation of conflict and violence.

7. I will promote a global dialogue for a future without fear.

8. I will raise my voice against all hostile states and politics that cause suffering.

9. I recognise the urgency to create ‘SAVE’ spaces for a peaceful coexistence.

10. I will always remember those affected by violent extremism.

Shaista Gohir, one of the founding members of SAVE and whom I met at this conference wrote an op-ed in The Guardian. It's an article on child abuse and child marriage in Muslim countries—difficult subjects to tackle, but well worth discussing. You can read her article here.

And of course, as always, feel free to comment on the articles posted on this blog.

Dear Students,

Are you interested in working in international business or diplomacy but don’t know quite where to start? Are you dedicated to breaking down the boundaries that cultures and traditions have imposed on you? Do you want to learn more about leadership? Would you like to meet other students with similar interests in international issues?

If so, the Osgood Center for International Studies would like to invite you to attend their programs in the Summer. These programs will be a chance for you to hear from leaders and other students about leadership, current international issues, and international business. The Osgood Center runs short-term experiential learning programs in Washington, DC, which provide wonderful opportunities to network with high-profile Washingtonians as well as students and young professionals from all around the world. Your international career starts right here!

International Business Conference (July 18-29, 2010)

The International Business Conference (IBC) is a ten-day exploration of the international political economy. Participants will visit leading international institutions in Washington, DC such as the World Bank, the IMF, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the leading Congressional Committees on trade and international economics. They will address issues in international economics such as the international financial crisis, creeping protectionism, the rise of China and India, and the persistence of poverty in a globalized world.

Summer Symposium on Foreign Policy (August 1-12, 2010)

A two-week course in August, during which students will meet with top level government officials, members of the press, experts from prestigious think tanks such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Brookings Institution to discuss and debate contemporary foreign policy issues.

Please don't hesitate to email me (senay at osgoodcenter dot org) if you have any questions about your application. Hope to see you in D.C.!

Practical information:

Both programs (10-12 days) cost $1500. This includes hotel (Homewood Suites by Hilton), breakfast and many additional meals. We have our sessions at Osgood Center and on site. We go to the World bank, State Department, IMF, Johns Hopkins University, etc. We go, go, go...

Pulitzer Prize

For the first time in history two Web sites have won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. I know this is a big deal since I was the first visiting lecturer who taught a class on Online Publishing at the University of Texas. While internet exists for more than three decades, newspapers have taken their online publications seriously for maybe the last five years. Well, with rewarding two journalistic Web sites, ProPublica and www.sfgate.com, we can conclude that there is no future for newspapers without their online portals.
Of course I knew that already for many years (that's why I started my online magazine) but this is a good sign for all the big newspapers publishers.

With this terrific news, I feel double euphoria.
First is, that, nobody, not a single Journalism University or College, can deny the importance of online content.
Second, (the real reason why I write this blog) is that I had the privilege to work together with the editor of the book, America’s Best Writing: Pulitzer Prize Feature Stories, David Garlock.

Dave, my senior, assembled 25 feature articles and analyzed the quality of the research, reporting and writing of the stories and why they deserved the Prize for Outstanding Journalism. This book 'Pulitzer Prize Feature Stories - America's Best Writing 1979-2003' is a help and an inspiration for writers, both established and upcoming.' And let me note here, as a 'global journalist', that this book is not only for American journalists, but every journalist, worldwide, can learn a lot from it.

It's every journalist's desire to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing professor. Our daily chats in his small office were very valuable for me. In his office where every wall was surrounded with books and magazines we discussed world issues. And I will never forget his profound curiosity and interest in my thoughts but also he wanted to know my opinion about a certain topic in his class. As a 'small fish', for the first time teaching in a Journalism school, I felt very often that I worked together with the 'big catches'.

Some information about Dave:

He has been on the UT faculty for 21 years, teaching a wide variety of magazine writing, reporting and management classes. He is also advisor for the campus magazine, Orange. Before that, he was a Texas-based independent magazine consultant and publisher. He was the vice president and editorial director in New York for Executive Business Media, an international publishing firm, specializing in a wide variety of business-to-business, niche, specialty and targeted consumer magazines. In that job, Dave was editorial director of a hard-news monthly magazine covering the military that frequently uncovered government corruption and mismanagement. Stories he wrote or edited often led to congressional or governmental investigations and some were picked up by the national media, including the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite.

While packing to get back to Holland, I decided to take his book (805 pages!) with my hand luggage. True, It was heavy to carry it on during my eighteen hour trip from Austin, via Washington to Amsterdam. But I did not get bored one time, thanks to Dave's thoughtful interviews and insightful comments on the Pulitzer stories, valuable for every journalist.

Thank you, Dave!

Senay appointed as Senior Fellow Osgood Center for International Studies

I have some great news, which I want to share with you.

I have been appointed as senior fellow at the Osgood Center for International Studies in Washington, D.C.. The Osgood Center is a non-profit educational organization that offers short-term foreign policy programs and experiential learning to graduate, college, and high school students from around the globe.

I will be starting this summer at this institute which is the premier foreign policy program in the heart of Washington, D.C.

As you can understand, I am very excited to begin with this new challenge in my career: sharing my views and experiences with new fresh global thinkers and leaders.

One of my main goals will be that I can inspire other girls and women to choose what's best for them and their career. That I can learn them not to think in boundaries and that they have the capacity to become the new female leaders of the world. I want to challenge the participating students to have difficult conversations, to recognize the complexity in each other, to strive for equality and fairness.

In my next blog I'll write some information about The Osgood Center's programs and how to apply. So, please if you know somebody (students of International Business or Diplomacy) who might be interested, don't hesitate to email me at senay at osgoodcenter dot org.

Thank you!

Illusion

My new book got published.

Channel 4 requests an interview.

And somebody puts the New York Times Book Review in my hand.
A review of Leah Hager Cohen who calls it 'excellent work'.

CNN Turk is in my Outlook with very much interest in this 'upcoming' and talented Turkish-Dutch writer.

Even when, in my Miu Miu suit I walk back to my car after the launch party..the phone keeps ringing.

I feel great..this is why I worked so hard; people like my book..

And then...I wake up and see the grey clouds from my bedroom.

I turn around and continue as I don't care.

Isn't everything an illusion?