UFred Branfman usize abalimi baseLaotian ukuthi basebenzise umdwebo ukuletha ubulungiswa.
Ibhalwe nguJohn Cavanagh, AlterNet
Ngenkathi uMongameli u-Obama ememezela kuleli sonto eLaos ukuthi i-United States inikeza ama-dollar ayizigidi ezingu-90 ukususa amabhomu angaqhumi izindiza zase-US zawela eLaos eminyakeni eyikhulu edlule futhi ezisabulala futhi zikhubaze abalimi nanamuhla, wehlulekile ukumboza indoda eyasitshela kuqala. indaba: UFred Branfman.
Ake ucabange ukuthi ubhalisela ukuba yivolontiya ezweni elimpofu ngakolunye uhlangothi lomhlaba. Ungena endizeni futhi uthola ukuthi abantu abaningi okhona ukuze ubakhonze babulawa noma bathunyelwa emakamu ababaleki agcwele izifo. Bese uthola ukuthi uhulumeni wakho unesibopho kodwa bagcina indima yabo iyimfihlo. Iningi labantu belizogibela indiza elandelayo lindize ligoduke.
Hhayi uFred Branfman. Wasala. Izwe kwakuyiLaos ngo-1967, izwe ngaleso sikhathi elaba yizwe eliqhunyiswa kakhulu ngamabhomu kumuntu ngamunye emlandweni wezimpi. Ngo-1970 nango-1971, ngemva kokufunda ulimi lwesiLaotian, uFred wadabula inqwaba yamakamu ababaleki. Wanikeza abalimi abafudukayo lapho amaphepha namapensela futhi wabanxusa ukuba badwebe abakubonile futhi babhale phansi izindaba zabo. UFred wabe esegibela indiza wabuyela eWashington eyoqala umkhankaso ongapheli wokuxoxa indaba yabo. Wahumushela ubufakazi babo esiNgisini futhi waqinisekisa uHarper & Row ukuthi babushicilele encwadini: I-Voices for the Plain of Jars: Impilo ngaphansi kweMpi Yomoya. (“Akekho umMelika okufanele akwazi ukufunda leyo ncwadi ngaphandle kokukhala ngokuzikhukhumeza kwezwe lakhe,” New York Times umlobi u-Anthony Lewis wabhala ngo-1973.)
UFred wethula i-Project Air War, eyangena e-Indochina Resource Centre (IRC), futhi yena nozakwabo abangaphezi balethe indaba yaseLaos kanye nendaba yeMpi YaseVietnam eCapitol Hill nakubathameli ezweni lonke. Wasebenzisana namaQuaker namaMennonite, amavolontiya awo anesibindi ahlala eLaos naseVietnam ukuze anikeze izindaba ezintsha, futhi wafaka izindaba ezintsha zabantu ayebathanda.
Ngahlangana noFred ngenkathi ngisengumfundi ofundela umsebenzi e-IRC entwasahlobo ka-1975, futhi angisoze ngakhohlwa amandla angapheli ayebopha ngawo izitezi ezintathu zeSikhungo noma akhokhise amahholo eCongress, efunga ilungu elingenasibindi likaKhongolose ebesisanda kulivakashela. Yena, umkakhe waseVietnam uThoi, kanye nabanye ababelapho babefanekisela inkulumo yamaQuaker ethi “Khuluma Iqiniso Namandla.”
Ngahlala noFred phakathi neminyaka edlule futhi, phakathi neminyaka eyishumi ye-internship yami emibili neSikhungo sakhe, ngahamba ngayosebenza eqenjini elalikade lingumgqugquzeli weqembu eliphikisayo elimelene nempi, i-Institute for Policy Studies (IPS). Eminyakeni eminingi emsebenzini wami lapho, ngathola endaweni yokugcina ye-IPS ukuthi uFred wayeshiye okwangempela kwemidwebo ye-Lao nezindaba ku-IPS ku-binder enhle yesikhumba. Ngababeka endaweni ephephile ehhovisi lami, ngethemba lokuthi ngolunye usuku bangase bafeze enye injongo.
Ngokushesha phambili ku-2003. Ehhovisi lami le-IPS, ngavakashelwa intokazi eqinile evela kwaFord Foundation enegama elizwakala ngokuthi Lao. WayenguChannapha Khamvongsa, futhi ngokushesha sadlulisela ingxoxo ezweni lakubo nasempini yomshoshaphansi. Ngithole isibusiso sikaFred sokunikeza imidwebo yaseLao nobufakazi kuChannapha futhi, kungakapheli unyaka, wayesedale iLegacies of War, iqembu elizinikele kwezemfundo kanye nokumela ukucindezela uhulumeni wase-US ukuthi akhokhele ukuhlanzwa kwamaphesenti angama-30 amabhomu angazange aqhume eminyakeni eyisigamu edlule futhi asaqhubeka ebulala nanamuhla. Ummeli osebenza ngempumelelo futhi ongakhathali uzocindezelwa kanzima ukumthola.
Ngokushesha phambili ngoSepthemba 2016. UMongameli Obama usemhlanganweni wabaholi base-Asia eLaos futhi umemezela ukuthi i-United States izonikela ngezigidi ezingu-90 zamaRandi eLaos eminyakeni emithathu ezayo ukusheshisa kakhulu ukususwa kwamabhomu. Okuncomekayo ku-Obama ukuthi uke wakhuluma ngoChannapha emazwini akhe, kodwa waphuthelwa yithuba lokudumisa umuntu owaqala konke, owashona eminyakeni emibili edlule, nowayezoqhubeka nokubhala inqwaba yezihloko ze-Alternet: Fred Branfman.
Ake ngikushiye nezifundo ezine ezibalulekile uFred angifundisa zona kanye nezinye ezingenakubalwa:
- Ngesikhathi sempi, asivamile ukuzwa amazwi alabo abahlupheka phansi; incwadi yakhe yashintsha lokho ngokuvumela abalimi baseLao baxoxe izindaba zabo.
- Ohulumeni baqamba amanga aluhlaza njengoba belwa. Ukuze simelane nalamanga, kubalulekile ukuba kube nofakazi lapho kuliwa.
- Impi yomoya i-United States eyalwa neLaos yenziwa kusukela emashumini ezinkulungwane zamamitha ngaphezu kwezisulu zayo, okwenza kwaba impi yokuqala ezenzakalelayo, eyasusa amasosha ase-US ekuboneni amehlo ezisulu zabo. Kwakuyisandulela sezimpi zama-drone zanamuhla.
- Futhi, engikubeke enhliziyweni futhi engabelana ngakho nabafundi abafundela umsebenzi abamangalisayo abeza ku-IPS: phuma kuleli zwe futhi uchithe isikhathi ufunda kubantu bakwamanye amazwe. Futhi, ungalenzi iphutha lokuthi unokuningi ozobafundisa kunalokho okufanele bakufundise kona. Vula ingqondo yakho ulalele.
Kwangathi singama isikhashana namuhla ukuze sigubhe uFred, ozakwabo abangamaQuaker namaMennonite, uChannapha, nabalimi baseLaos.
