acceptance speech - National Peace Corps Association

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY Dr. Mohamud Sheikh Nurein Said
June 29, 2013 – Boston, Mass.
Winner 2013 Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award
I stand before you and the world humbled by this recognition and
uplifted by the honor of being chosen the 2013 Harris Wofford Global
Citizen Award recipient.
I accept this prestigious award on behalf of the people of Kenya and
Africa, and all humanity. I am especially mindful of all human rights
defenders and the many volunteers who often deny themselves the
luxuries and the blessings in their own lives to ensure that those who
are down trodden and violated are able to get some comfort and
ultimately justice. I accept this award for the many survivors of human
rights violations. And it is my hope that it will persuade them to raise
their voices and be encouraged to continue fighting for what they truly
believe in.
This honor is also for my family, friends, partners and supporters
throughout the world who have believed in and gave unreserved
support to volunteers and human rights defenders world-wide. All of
them have helped sustain and shape the vision of our work, which often
is undertaken under heavy cloud of uncertainty, hostility and at the risk
of being misunderstood. I am also grateful to the people of Kenya, who
taught me to share not due to abundance but because of the spirit of
sharing each other’s burden. Because of this support, I am here today
to receive this great honor.
I am a believer of the adage that you are today the decision you
made yesterday. My inspiration partly comes from my childhood
experiences and observations while growing in northern Kenya. I was

orn in 1952 in a town called Moyale bordering Ethiopia in a region
designated by the British colonial rulers as the Northern Frontier District
(NFD). While travel out of the NFD to central Kenya was restricted, we
in Moyale town enjoyed open access to Moyale’s sister town in Ethiopia
and beyond. My childhood was immensely enriched by the cultural mix
of Moyale town. On the other hand, throughout my early years and into
adulthood I have observed mistreatment of a people -- first by the
British colonial authorities and again by the authorities in Kenyan after
the country became independent in 1963. “There is one half of Kenya
which the other half knows nothing about and seems to care even
less.” Mr.Negley Farson formed the above opinion of the NFD in 1949,
the above observation is valid now as it was then.
Soon after independence, a movement to secede by a segment of the
populace in NFD was born. The agitators were labeled “Shifta”, which
in fact is an Amharic word for “rebel”. The conflict soon became known
as the “Shifta War” during which citizens of NFD from all walks of life,
especially the rural inhabitants, were subjected to ruthless and
indiscriminate human rights violations by Kenyan forces. The men were
beaten; women were raped; villages torched; many lost lives. As I was
growing up, it was common to observe a government operation in
which men of Somali origin would be rounded up by government forces
then taken to camps and held for months without their families ever
knowing about their fate. A number of people from NFD sought refuge
in Ethiopia and as far as Somalia and Tanzania. Others shifted family
and business to central Kenya. In 1965 in Marsabit High School as I
read in a history class about the heroic and gallant struggle of Mau Mau

warriors, images from my childhood years flashed back. The Mau Mau
warriors were the foremost armed freedom fighters against colonial rule
in Kenya. Their resistance of many years contributed immensely in the
struggle to free Kenya from British colonialism.
It is nice to note that the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission
Kenya have completed its work and handed their report to the
President.
Now, my Peace Corps connection. It was during this period in high
school that I had my first encounter with a Peace Corps volunteer. As a
young small town boy, I wondered why these “white people” came to
the remotest area of Kenya to assist us. I was intrigued by their
motivation, commitment and dedication. Here I should divert a bit and
acknowledge the positive impact of a young twenty-something Peace
Corps volunteer who became my science teacher. Today he is an
accomplished professional and a lifelong friend of mine. We remain
connected to this day. My American high school science teacher,
ladies and gentlemen, is in the audience with us today. Please give a
round of applause to Dr.Russell Morgan.
After my encounter with the Peace Corps volunteers, I resolved that it
was a calling they had answered that required a great deal of personal
sacrifice to have travelled so many miles and given up many of their
safety nets back in America to make a difference to our communities in
Kenya. From that point on, I became motivated by their spirit of
volunteerism. I followed their footsteps and I have never looked back.
Throughout my life, from my university days to my career as a doctor, I
have always been involved in voluntary work and have always tried to
serve those who had fewer opportunities than I have had.

This grand award has made me reflect on the needs of the many
people who benefit from the services of volunteers. I often wonder if
volunteerism has indeed evolved to address the growing and diverse
needs of those who require our services. In answer to this, I am
encouraged by this year’s theme, The Right to Rehabilitation,
celebrated on the UN Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
When reflecting on this theme, it dawned on me, that we all need to
account for all human rights violations and man-made sufferings in this
world. This theme has rallied all of us who believe in upholding the
dignity of human life. It was a call for human right defenders and
volunteers to consciously ensure that those we work for have access to
holistic rehabilitation. Because of the work of human rights defenders
across the world, governments and all guilty parties are being held to
account for documented atrocities. For instance, the British government
only recently agreed to compensate and accept total responsibility for
the torture meted on hundreds of captive Mau Mau freedom fighters
during the 1950’s struggle for independence.
Ladies and gentlemen, you should all be proud to learn that our
collective work is worth the energy and sacrifice each one of us
contributes to the protection of human rights everywhere on our planet.
As volunteers we also must continue to provide hope and human touch
to many who more often than not have been branded as “bad”
elements by society -- sometimes even by their own families. We must
intensify our efforts to transform communities -- one person at a time --

and leave behind an indelible mark in their lives. It is this mark that
inspired the young man from (Gurmesa) Moyale many years ago. It is
the same mark that will help in the encouragement and recruitment of
the next generation of human rights defenders and volunteers. This
mark can only be achieved by holistic rehabilitation for those who have
suffered human rights violations as well as from natural calamities.
Throughout history we have observed that freedom comes at a high
cost. Destructive wars have and continue to be waged in many corners
of our world. Fragile peace agreements are brokered, but often these
accords only perpetuate suffering of the people through self-serving
edict by new actors. Numerous lives have been lost and untold
numbers have gone missing through the hands of dictators. As I speak
here today, justice is out of reach for many victims. And those who
perpetuate these crimes remain in positions of influence -- giving only
lip service to the illusion of justice. The atrocities continue with the
support of a changing alliance of powerful states and mercenaries.
As a volunteer with the Red Cross movement, I have been saddened
by the fact that the abuse of our emblem has been rising, as well as
attacks on our associates in the humanitarian field.
In 2007, I attended the 1 st international workshop on Forensic
Anthropology, Exhumation and Cultural Effects in Guatemala. The
Office of the Archbishop of Guatemala, where the IRCT (International
Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims) center is situated, has over
the years supported a team of forensic experts that exhumed, identified

and provided families with some closure. After many years, these
families have seen a sliver of justice done with the incarceration of the
former dictator under whose regime crimes against humanity were
committed.
My recent trips to Rwanda and Burundi brought vivid reminders of
politically instigated atrocities that caused the loss of hundreds of
thousands of lives. I was encouraged to see that although it took some
time, the process of healing in both countries is underway.
The holistic approach to volunteerism, as exemplified by agencies such
as the Peace Corp, the Red Cross and many other international and
grassroots organizations, must be embraced, supported and replicated
globally. Indeed, the achievements are impressive. But in this era of
technological advancement and rapidly changing social media, still
more remains to be done. We must adapt. We must remain relevant.
To sum up, let me share a comment by the late Professor Wangari
Maathai, a Kenyan environmentalist and the first woman from Africa to
win the Nobel Prize. I quote: “In the course of history, there comes a
time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness,
to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear
and give hope to each other.”
Ladies and gentlemen this is our time as volunteers and human rights
defenders.

I thank the Red Cross for providing the opportunity for me to do the
work I am passionate about in reaching vulnerable communities, the
Peace Corp for planting the seed that started it all, the International
Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims for its ongoing work in the
rehabilitation of victims currently reaching more than 100,000 people
worldwide every year. The Independent Medico Legal Unit (IMLU
Kenya) which is celebrating its 20 th anniversary this year, for giving me
a platform to nurture and develop my passion for human right activities.
The Kenya Medical Association (KMA) for accepting my idea to start
the human rights committee and also for chairing it.The Pedro Cavadas
Foundation of Valencia, Spain, where through the support of Dr. Pedro
we have been providing reconstructive surgery for poor children and
adults in East Africa. I once again thank those who nominated and
endorsed me for this award, especially Dr. Russell Morgan, and the
Global Citizen Award Committee, chaired by Dr. Robert Pastor, that
selected me among many worthy candidates. I am grateful for
the special luncheon in my honor given by the JFK Library Foundation
in Boston and for the many wonderful receptions in Washington DC. My
special thanks to H.E. Atiku Abubakar former vice president of Nigeria
and first recipient of the award and continuous support to the award
and the staff of National Peace Corps Association for their unreserved
input to make this happen.
To reciprocate, I humbly invite all of you for the celebrations of the 50 th
Anniversary of the Peace Corp taking place in Kenya next year.
Karibu Sana. You are welcome in Kiswahili
Thank you very much.