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Aung San Suu Kyi: Kvinder gør en forskel

27. juni 2003
I forordet til bogen "Burma - Women's Voices Together" understreger Aung San Suu Kyi kvindernes vigtige rolle i demokratikampen og ikke mindst i forhold til den forsoning mellem Burmas folk, som er en forudsætning for en bæredygtig udvikling. Teksten er på engelsk.

A FOUNDATION OF ENDURING STRENGTH
A foreword by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

The dream of Burma as a strong, prosperous Union where all her people are ensured freedom and security is an endeavour that must be approached with unified efforts by all our people. Only a nation built on understanding and trust will endure, and provide its people with a haven where their creativity will be nourished and their humble dreams made possible.

The necessary prelude to the building of such a Union is national reconciliation. Reconciliation does not mean surrendering our unique cultures, abandoning our traditions, or relinquishing our customs. Rather it means creating a way by which different ideas and practices can exist together without being unfriendly to each other. More positively, it means being complemented and empowered by diversity. We should therefore value our differences as they make us unique in today's world.

Understanding each other will help us create a strong, lasting foundation on which we can build a nation that truly represents us and of which we can be proud.

The adversities that we have had to face together have taught us that there are no barriers that cannot be overcome. Intolerance and misconceptions are the greatest threats to harmony and reconciliation. It is not enough simply to "live and let live" - genuine tolerance requires an active effort to try to understand the point of view of others; it implies broad-mindedness and vision, as well as confidence in one's own ability to meet new challenges. If our country is to progress into a strong, prosperous Union that guarantees the freedom and security of all its citizens, we each must be aware of our own potential and work to realize this vision.

Women have traditionally played the role of unifier and peacemaker within the family. They instil a nurturing sense of togetherness and mutual caring. They balance love and tenderness with discipline while nurturing growth and understanding.

Women have the capacity for the compassion, self-sacrifice, courage and perseverance necessary to dissipate the darkness of intolerance and hate, suffering and despair.

Women have an innate talent for resolving differences and creating warmth and understanding within a framework of mutual respect and consideration. This talent should be used to address not only our individual, family and community needs, but also to contribute towards the process of reconciliation, which will make our country a democratic society that guarantees the basic rights of the people.

Burma has been an independent nation for more than half a century but we have still not been able to make it a true refuge for our people. Too many have been forced to try to find refuge elsewhere. There is much that still needs to be done before our country can become the place that best offers us heart's ease and happiness, the home where we can enjoy the tranquillity of assured justice and the warmth of a caring society. Such a time can and will come only when unity and peace come to Burma.

The women inside and outside Burma who are working for ethnic reconciliation in Burma are laying a sound foundation on which the Union of our dreams can be established. Their work will be honoured by all who truly love our country and who would like to see our peoples realize their potential, secure within the rule of just laws and good governance. I hope this book will help build greater understanding of the ideas, dreams and experiences of many different types of women from Burma.

These women are not speaking merely for themselves; they are also voicing our cares and aspirations. They are teaching us that while our differences define us, it is ultimately our similarities that form a foundation of enduring strength. Burma, 2003


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Foto: Joachim Ladefoged. Fotoet er gengivet med fotografens tilladelse
Suu Kyis tid i husarrest:


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