[sacw] SACW #2 (14 Dec. 01)

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Wire - Dispatch #2 | 14 December 2001
http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex

------------------------------------------

#1. Full text from the peace conference on Afghanistan in Bonn,=20
including the ministerial list, presented by the German Foreign=20
Office.
#2. Young, Free and Desi in America (Monica Mehta)

________________________

#1.

Source: German Foreign Office
Published: 05.12.2001
URL:=20
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/www/en/aussenpolitik/ausgabe_archiv?archiv_i=
d=3D2437&type_id=3D2&bereich_id=3D11

Agreement on provisional arrangements in Afghanistan pending the=20
re-establishment of permanent government institutions
The participants in the UN Talks on Afghanistan,

In the presence of the Special Representative of the=20
Secretary-General for Afghanistan,

Determined to end the tragic conflict in Afghanistan and promote=20
national reconciliation, lasting peace, stability and respect for=20
human rights in the country,

Reaffirming the independence, national sovereignty and territorial=20
integrity of Afghanistan,

Acknowledging the right of the people of Afghanistan to freely=20
determine their own political future in accordance with the=20
principles of Islam, democracy, pluralism and social justice,

Expressing their appreciation to the Afghan mujahidin who, over the=20
years, have defended the independence, territorial integrity and=20
national unity of the country and have played a major role in the=20
struggle against terrorism and oppression, and whose sacrifice has=20
now made them both heroes of jihad and champions of peace, stability=20
and reconstruction of their beloved homeland, Afghanistan,

Aware that the unstable situation in Afghanistan requires the=20
implementation of emergency interim arrangements and expressing their=20
deep appreciation to His Excellency Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani for=20
his readiness to transfer power to an interim authority which is to=20
be established pursuant to this agreement,

Recognizing the need to ensure broad representation in these interim=20
arrangements of all segments of the Afghan population, including=20
groups that have not been adequately represented at the UN Talks on=20
Afghanistan,

Noting that these interim arrangements are intended as a first step=20
toward the establishment of a broad-based, gender-sensitive,=20
multi-ethnic and fully representative government, and are not=20
intended to remain in place beyond the specified period of time,

Recognizing that some time may be required for a new Afghan security=20
force to be fully constituted and functional and that therefore other=20
security provisions detailed in Annex I to this agreement must=20
meanwhile be put in place,

Considering that the United Nations, as the internationally=20
recognized impartial institution, has a particularly important role=20
to play, detailed in Annex II to this agreement, in the period prior=20
to the establishment of permanent institutions in Afghanistan,

Have agreed as follows:

THE INTERIM AUTHORITY

I. General provisions

1) An Interim Authority shall be established upon the official=20
transfer of power on 22 December 2001.

2) The Interim Authority shall consist of an Interim Administration=20
presided over by a Chairman, a Special Independent Commission for the=20
Convening of the Emergency Loya Jirga, and a Supreme Court of=20
Afghanistan, as well as such other courts as may be established by=20
the Interim Administration. The composition, functions and governing=20
procedures for the Interim Administration and the Special Independent=20
Commission are set forth in this agreement.

3) Upon the official transfer of power, the Interim Authority shall=20
be the repository of Afghan sovereignty, with immediate effect. As=20
such, it shall, throughout the interim period, represent Afghanistan=20
in its external relations and shall occupy the seat of Afghanistan at=20
the United Nations and in its specialized agencies, as well as in=20
other international institutions and conferences.

4) An Emergency Loya Jirga shall be convened within six months of the=20
establishment of the Interim Authority. The Emergency Loya Jirga will=20
be opened by His Majesty Mohammed Zaher, the former King of=20
Afghanistan. The Emergency Loya Jirga shall decide on a Transitional=20
Authority, including a broad-based transitional administration, to=20
lead Afghanistan until such time as a fully representative government=20
can be elected through free and fair elections to be held no later=20
than two years from the date of the convening of the Emergency Loya=20
Jirga.

5) The Interim Authority shall cease to exist once the Transitional=20
Authority has been established by the Emergency Loya Jirga.

6) A Constitutional Loya Jirga shall be convened within eighteen=20
months of the establishment of the Transitional Authority, in order=20
to adopt a new constitution for Afghanistan. In order to assist the=20
Constitutional Loya Jirga prepare the proposed Constitution, the=20
Transitional Administration shall, within two months of its=20
commencement and with the assistance of the United Nations, establish=20
a Constitutional Commission.

II. Legal framework and judicial system

1) The following legal framework shall be applicable on an interim=20
basis until the adoption of the new Constitution referred to above:

i) The Constitution of 1964, a/ to the extent that its provisions are=20
not inconsistent with those contained in this agreement, and b/ with=20
the exception of those provisions relating to the monarchy and to the=20
executive and legislative bodies provided in the Constitution; and

ii) existing laws and regulations, to the extent that they are not=20
inconsistent with this agreement or with international legal=20
obligations to which Afghanistan is a party, or with those applicable=20
provisions contained in the Constitution of 1964, provided that the=20
Interim Authority shall have the power to repeal or amend those laws=20
and regulations.

2) The judicial power of Afghanistan shall be independent and shall=20
be vested in a Supreme Court of Afghanistan, and such other courts as=20
may be established by the Interim Administration. The Interim=20
Administration shall establish, with the assistance of the United=20
Nations, a Judicial Commission to rebuild the domestic justice system=20
in accordance with Islamic principles, international standards, the=20
rule of law and Afghan legal traditions.

III. Interim Administration

A Composition

1) The Interim Administration shall be composed of a Chairman, five=20
Vice Chairmen and 24 other members. Each member, except the Chairman,=20
may head a department of the Interim Administration.

2) The participants in the UN Talks on Afghanistan have invited His=20
Majesty Mohammed Zaher, the former King of Afghanistan, to chair the=20
Interim Administration. His Majesty has indicated that he would=20
prefer that a suitable candidate acceptable to the participants be=20
selected as the Chair of the Interim Administration.

3) The Chairman, the Vice Chairmen and other members of the Interim=20
Administration have been selected by the participants in the UN Talks=20
on Afghanistan, as listed in Annex IV to this agreement. The=20
selection has been made on the basis of professional competence and=20
personal integrity from lists submitted by the participants in the UN=20
Talks, with due regard to the ethnic, geographic and religious=20
composition of Afghanistan and to the importance of the participation=20
of women.

4) No person serving as a member of the Interim Administration may=20
simultaneously hold membership of the Special Independent Commission=20
for the Convening of the Emergency Loya Jirga.

B. Procedures

1) The Chairman of the Interim Administration, or in his/her absence=20
one of the Vice Chairmen, shall call and chair meetings and propose=20
the agenda for these meetings.

2) The Interim Administration shall endeavour to reach its decisions=20
by consensus. In order for any decision to be taken, at least 22=20
members must be in attendance. If a vote becomes necessary, decisions=20
shall be taken by a majority of the members present and voting,=20
unless otherwise stipulated in this agreement. The Chairman shall=20
cast the deciding vote in the event that the members are divided=20
equally.

C. Functions

1) The Interim Administration shall be entrusted with the day-to-day=20
conduct of the affairs of state, and shall have the right to issue=20
decrees for the peace, order and good government of Afghanistan.

2) The Chairman of the Interim Administration or, in his/her absence,=20
one of the Vice Chairmen, shall represent the Interim Administration=20
as appropriate.

3) Those members responsible for the administration of individual=20
departments shall also be responsible for implementing the policies=20
of the Interim Administration within their areas of responsibility.

4) Upon the official transfer of power, the Interim Administration=20
shall have full jurisdiction over the printing and delivery of the=20
national currency and special drawing rights from international=20
financial institutions. The Interim Administration shall establish,=20
with the assistance of the United Nations, a Central Bank of=20
Afghanistan that will regulate the money supply of the country=20
through transparent and accountable procedures.

5) The Interim Administration shall establish, with the assistance of=20
the United Nations, an independent Civil Service Commission to=20
provide the Interim Authority and the future Transitional Authority=20
with shortlists of candidates for key posts in the administrative=20
departments, as well as those of governors and uluswals, in order to=20
ensure their competence and integrity.

6) The Interim Administration shall, with the assistance of the=20
United Nations, establish an independent Human Rights Commission,=20
whose responsibilities will include human rights monitoring,=20
investigation of violations of human rights, and development of=20
domestic human rights institutions. The Interim Administration may,=20
with the assistance of the United Nations, also establish any other=20
commissions to review matters not covered in this agreement.

7) The members of the Interim Administration shall abide by a Code of=20
Conduct elaborated in accordance with international standards.

8) Failure by a member of the Interim Administration to abide by the=20
provisions of the Code of Conduct shall lead to his/her suspension=20
from that body. The decision to suspend a member shall be taken by a=20
two-thirds majority of the membership of the Interim Administration=20
on the proposal of its Chairman or any of its Vice Chairmen.

9) The functions and powers of members of the Interim Administration=20
will be further elaborated, as appropriate, with the assistance of=20
the United Nations.

IV. The Special Independent Commission for the Convening of the=20
Emergency Loya Jirga

1) The Special Independent Commission for the Convening of the=20
Emergency Loya Jirga shall be established within one month of the=20
establishment of the Interim Authority. The Special Independent=20
Commission will consist of twenty-one members, a number of whom=20
should have expertise in constitutional or customary law. The members=20
will be selected from lists of candidates submitted by participants=20
in the UN Talks on Afghanistan as well as Afghan professional and=20
civil society groups. The United Nations will assist with the=20
establishment and functioning of the commission and of a substantial=20
secretariat.

2) The Special Independent Commission will have the final authority=20
for determining the procedures for and the number of people who will=20
participate in the Emergency Loya Jirga. The Special Independent=20
Commission will draft rules and procedures specifying (i) criteria=20
for allocation of seats to the settled and nomadic population=20
residing in the country; (ii) criteria for allocation of seats to the=20
Afghan refugees living in Iran, Pakistan, and elsewhere, and Afghans=20
from the diaspora; (iii) criteria for inclusion of civil society=20
organizations and prominent individuals, including Islamic scholars,=20
intellectuals, and traders, both within the country and in the=20
diaspora. The Special Independent Commission will ensure that due=20
attention is paid to the representation in the Emergency Loya Jirga=20
of a significant number of women as well as all other segments of the=20
Afghan population.

3) The Special Independent Commission will publish and disseminate=20
the rules and procedures for the convening of the Emergency Loya=20
Jirga at least ten weeks before the Emergency Loya Jirga convenes,=20
together with the date for its commencement and its suggested=20
location and duration.

4) The Special Independent Commission will adopt and implement=20
procedures for monitoring the process of nomination of individuals to=20
the Emergency Loya Jirga to ensure that the process of indirect=20
election or selection is transparent and fair. To pre-empt conflict=20
over nominations, the Special Independent Commission will specify=20
mechanisms for filing of grievances and rules for arbitration of=20
disputes.

5) The Emergency Loya Jirga will elect a Head of the State for the=20
Transitional Administration and will approve proposals for the=20
structure and key personnel of the Transitional Administration.

V. Final provisions

1) Upon the official transfer of power, all mujahidin, Afghan armed=20
forces and armed groups in the country shall come under the command=20
and control of the Interim Authority, and be reorganized according to=20
the requirements of the new Afghan security and armed forces.

2) The Interim Authority and the Emergency Loya Jirga shall act in=20
accordance with basic principles and provisions contained in=20
international instruments on human rights and international=20
humanitarian law to which Afghanistan is a party.

3) The Interim Authority shall cooperate with the international=20
community in the fight against terrorism, drugs and organized crime.=20
It shall commit itself to respect international law and maintain=20
peaceful and friendly relations with neighbouring countries and the=20
rest of the international community.

4) The Interim Authority and the Special Independent Commission for=20
the Convening of the Emergency Loya Jirga will ensure the=20
participation of women as well as the equitable representation of all=20
ethnic and religious communities in the Interim Administration and=20
the Emergency Loya Jirga.

5) All actions taken by the Interim Authority shall be consistent=20
with Security Council resolution 1378 (14 November 2001) and other=20
relevant Security Council resolutions relating to Afghanistan.

6) Rules of procedure for the organs established under the Interim=20
Authority will be elaborated as appropriate with the assistance of=20
the United Nations.

This agreement, of which the annexes constitute an integral part,=20
done in Bonn on this 5th day of December 2001 in the English=20
language, shall be the authentic text, in a single copy which shall=20
remain deposited in the archives of the United Nations. Official=20
texts shall be provided in Dari and Pashto, and such other languages=20
as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General may designate.=20
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General shall send=20
certified copies in English, Dari and Pashto to each of the=20
participants.

For the participants in the UN Talks on Afghanistan:
Ms. Amena Afzali
Mr. S. Hussain Anwari
Mr. Hedayat Amin Arsala
Mr. Sayed Hamed Gailani
Mr. Rahmatullah Mousa Ghazi
Eng. Abdul Hakim
Mr. Houmayoun Jareer
Mr. Abbas Karimi
Mr. Mustafa Kazimi
Dr. Azizullah Ludin
Mr. Ahmad Wali Massoud
Mr. Hafizullah Asif Mohseni
Prof. Mohammad Ishaq Nadiri
Mr. Mohammad Natiqi
Mr. Aref Noorzay
Mr. Yunus Qanooni
Dr. Zalmai Rassoul
Mr. H. Mirwais Sadeq
Dr. Mohammad Jalil Shams
Prof. Abdul Sattar Sirat
Mr. Humayun Tandar
Mrs. Sima Wali
General Abdul Rahim Wardak
Mr. Azizullah Wasefi
Mr. Pacha Khan Zadran

Witnessed for the United Nations by:
Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan

ANNEX I - INTERNATIONAL SECURITY FORCE

1. The participants in the UN Talks on Afghanistan recognize that the=20
responsibility for providing security and law and order throughout=20
the country resides with the Afghans themselves. To this end, they=20
pledge their commitment to do all within their means and influence to=20
ensure such security, including for all United Nations and other=20
personnel of international governmental and non-governmental=20
organizations deployed in Afghanistan.

2. With this objective in mind, the participants request the=20
assistance of the international community in helping the new Afghan=20
authorities in the establishment and training of new Afghan security=20
and armed forces.

3. Conscious that some time may be required for the new Afghan=20
security and armed forces to be fully constituted and functioning,=20
the participants in the UN Talks on Afghanistan request the United=20
Nations Security Council to consider authorizing the early deployment=20
to Afghanistan of a United Nations mandated force. This force will=20
assist in the maintenance of security for Kabul and its surrounding=20
areas. Such a force could, as appropriate, be progressively expanded=20
to other urban centres and other areas.

4. The participants in the UN Talks on Afghanistan pledge to withdraw=20
all military units from Kabul and other urban centers or other areas=20
in which the UN mandated force is deployed. It would also be=20
desirable if such a force were to assist in the rehabilitation of=20
Afghanistan's infrastructure.

ANNEX II - ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS DURING THE INTERIM PERIOD

1. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General will be=20
responsible for all aspects of the United Nations' work in=20
Afghanistan.

2. The Special Representative shall monitor and assist in the=20
implementation of all aspects of this agreement.

3. The United Nations shall advise the Interim Authority in=20
establishing a politically neutral environment conducive to the=20
holding of the Emergency Loya Jirga in free and fair conditions. The=20
United Nations shall pay special attention to the conduct of those=20
bodies and administrative departments which could directly influence=20
the convening and outcome of the Emergency Loya Jirga.

4. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General or his/her=20
delegate may be invited to attend the meetings of the Interim=20
Administration and the Special Independent Commission on the=20
Convening of the Emergency Loya Jirga.

5. If for whatever reason the Interim Administration or the Special=20
Independent Commission were actively prevented from meeting or unable=20
to reach a decision on a matter related to the convening of the=20
Emergency Loya Jirga, the Special Representative of the=20
Secretary-General shall, taking into account the views expressed in=20
the Interim Administration or in the Special Independent Commission,=20
use his/her good offices with a view to facilitating a resolution to=20
the impasse or a decision.

6. The United Nations shall have the right to investigate human=20
rights violations and, where necessary, recommend corrective action.=20
It will also be responsible for the development and implementation of=20
a programme of human rights education to promote respect for and=20
understanding of human rights.

ANNEX III - REQUEST TO THE UNITED NATIONS BY THE PARTICIPANTS AT THE=20
UN TALKS ON AFGHANISTAN

The participants in the UN Talks on Afghanistan hereby

1. Request that the United Nations and the international community=20
take the necessary measures to guarantee the national sovereignty,=20
territorial integrity and unity of Afghanistan as well as the=20
non-interference by foreign countries in Afghanistan's internal=20
affairs;

2. Urge the United Nations, the international community, particularly=20
donor countries and multilateral institutions, to reaffirm,=20
strengthen and implement their commitment to assist with the=20
rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction of Afghanistan, in=20
coordination with the Interim Authority;

3. Request the United Nations to conduct as soon as possible (i) a=20
registration of voters in advance of the general elections that will=20
be held upon the adoption of the new constitution by the=20
constitutional Loya Jirga and (ii) a census of the population of=20
Afghanistan.

4. Urge the United Nations and the international community, in=20
recognition of the heroic role played by the mujahidin in protecting=20
the independence of Afghanistan and the dignity of its people, to=20
take the necessary measures, in coordination with the Interim=20
Authority, to assist in the reintegration of the mujahidin into the=20
new Afghan security and armed forces;

5. Invite the United Nations and the international community to=20
create a fund to assist the families and other dependents of martyrs=20
and victims of the war, as well as the war disabled;

6. Strongly urge that the United Nations, the international community=20
and regional organizations cooperate with the Interim Authority to=20
combat international terrorism, cultivation and trafficking of=20
illicit drugs and provide Afghan farmers with financial, material and=20
technical resources for alternative crop production.

ANNEX IV - COMPOSITION OF THE INTERIM ADMINISTRATION

to be completed
Chairman: Hamid Karzai
=20=20=09=20
Vice Chairmen:=09=20
Vice-Chair & Women's Affairs: Dr. Sima Samar
Vice-Chair & Defence:. Muhammad Qassem Fahim
Vice-Chair & Planning: Haji Muhammad Mohaqqeq
Vice-Chair & Water and Electricity: Shaker Kargar
Vice-Chair & Finance: Hedayat Amin Arsala
=20=20=09=20
Members:=09=20
Department of Foreign Affairs: Dr. Abdullah Abdullah
Department of the Interior: Muhammad Yunus Qanooni
Department of Commerce: Seyyed Mustafa Kazemi
Department of Mines & Industries: Muhammad Alem Razm
Department of Small Industries:. Aref Noorzai
Department of Information & Culture:=8A Dr. Raheen Makhdoom
Department of Communication: Ing. Abdul Rahim
Department of Labour & Social Affairs: Mir Wais Sadeq
Department of Hajj & Auqaf: Mohammad Hanif Hanif Balkhi
Department of Martyrs & Disabled: Abdullah Wardak
Department of Education: to be completed
Department of Higher Education: Dr. Sharif Faez
Department of Public Health:.. Dr. Suhaila Seddiqi
Department of Public Works: to be completed
Department of Rural Development: Abdul Malik Anwar
Department of Urban Development: Haji Abdul Qadir
Department of Reconstruction: to be completed
Department of Transport: Sultan Hamid Hamid
Department for the Return of Refugees: Enayatullah Nazeri
Department of Agriculture: Seyyed Hussein Anwari
Department of Irrigation:. Haji Mangal Hussein
Department of Justice: Abdul Rahim Karimi
Department of Air Transport & Tourism: to be completed
Department of Border Affairs: to be completed

______

#2.

Little India
December. 2001

Young, Free and Desi in America
By Monica Mehta

Desi kids in New York are finding their voice through a radical Desi=20
Youth Bill of Rights.

"I wanna eat curry with my hands without feeling self-conscious."
"Wearing a tank top or tight clothes does not make me a slut."
"I do not have to be married with children to be a successful woman."
"I do not want to be no freakin' doctor."

At the India Day Parade this August, a teenager handed me a pamphlet,=20
which stood out from the dozen I had already collected. It was titled=20
"A Desi Youth Bill of Rights," and it included the statements above.
Growing up in America during the last two decades, after my family=20
migrated from India, I was no stranger to the sentiments reflected in=20
these statements. I and many of my Desi friends went through a period=20
of loathing for anything Indian, anything that made us different from=20
the other kids at school. But I had never seen such sentiments=20
spelled out, as they were in this pamphlet.
The statements are a combination of renouncing the more conservative=20
elements of Desi culture and declaring pride for Desi customs that=20
are ridiculed by American society. In part or in sum, they represent=20
what every American Desi kid battles with while growing up. I wanted=20
to know who was behind these statements, and what made these kids=20
decide to put their ideas down in writing. One of these kids is Refat=20
Doza.

Growing Up in Queens
Refat is a smart, confident 15-year-old girl living in Queens, NY.=20
Known to her friends as "Shoshi," she came to America from Bangladesh=20
five years ago with her mother. They moved from house to house in=20
Queens, wherever her mother could find work as the ubiquitous South=20
Asian "domestic worker" - live-in nanny, cook, and cleaning woman in=20
one, getting paid far below minimum wage.
Refat lived in working-class communities of recently arrived=20
immigrants from all over the world - Latin America, Eastern Europe,=20
other parts of Asia. Contrary to the image of the young American Desi=20
girl doing well in school, tailoring her after-school activities to=20
her college expectations, and getting lectures about retaining her=20
South Asian heritage, Refat moved in and out of strangers' homes at=20
the drop of a hat, had to adjust to numerous schools, and watched her=20
mom worry endlessly about their financial situation. Refat has lived=20
in five different houses and attended six different schools in the=20
five years she's been in America.
At school, Refat mingled with the children of working class=20
immigrants from all over the world. She and her friends listened to=20
hip-hop, wore baggy pants, and developed the distinct dialect of=20
Queens working-class kids. They identified more with black and Latino=20
American culture than white American culture. Given their=20
surroundings, they also dealt with racism more from other communities=20
of color than from whites. In the streets, Latino kids would yell at=20
them, "go back to your own country" and make fun of their accents,=20
oblivious to the irony.
College was a question mark for many of Refat's friends, especially=20
the undocumented ones. Most had to work through school, taking jobs=20
as grocery store cashiers, fast-food servers, discount-store helpers.
Those who would be ambitious enough to get into college would have to=20
work full-time throughout it to support themselves and their parents.=20
Many of the girls had to give up any ideas of financial support for=20
higher education from their parents; the money would go to their=20
brothers instead.

Finding a Common Voice
It was through these shared experiences that Refat and eight other=20
Desi American kids gathered in a classroom at Hunter College, to talk=20
about their problems and, hopefully, some solutions. The group of=20
kids met through the youth internship program of Desis Rising Up and=20
Moving (DRUM), a Jackson Heights-based organization serving=20
working-class, poor and undocumented immigrants in New York.
DRUM's youth group, called YouthPower!, was sponsoring a summer=20
internship program for children of this community. Over a period of=20
six weeks, Refat and her peers, ages 15 to 21, met in a room at=20
Hunter College and thrashed out issues affecting their community.
What came out of their discussions was a "Desi Youth Bill of Rights,"=20
which spells out the problems facing second-generation American Desis.
"I don't want to move from my parents' house to my husband's house."
"Would you come to my wedding if I married a non-Desi?"
"Desi women are not dogs that you can whistle at, order around, or hit."
"We want men to serve tea when guests come over."
The Bill of Rights is filled with statements that are decidedly=20
radical for the children of recent South Asian immigrants. The=20
statements eschew everything their parents live by. They also call to=20
question facts of life that I took for granted when I was growing up.=20
I asked Refat about the origins of some of the statements, such as=20
"Why can't I wear a lungi to school without getting laughed at?"
"We were all talking about this Bengali guy who wore a lungi to the=20
store in Astoria," she said. "Some teenagers on the block pulled it=20
off and were shouting, 'Why are you dressing like a girl?' We should=20
be able to wear what we want without being scared about it."
Refat also explained the sentiments behind the remark, "Would you=20
come to my wedding if I married a non-Desi?" "Our parents don't like=20
us going out with non-Desi people," Refat said. "My mom only wants me=20
to marry a Bengali person from our district. This girl I know is=20
dating a black guy. Her parents would forbid her to see him if they=20
knew, but they don't even know him. That's not fair."
Experiences like these were not confined to one or two people in the=20
group. "All of us came together, and found out that we had gone=20
through so many of the same issues," said Refat.

Some of the statements apply specifically to kids in Refat's=20
community, such as "Baba/Appu/Appa, I am not ashamed that you drive a=20
cab and I would not be ashamed to drive one either."
"One of my friend's dad drives a cab," Refat explained. "Sometimes he=20
is ashamed to say it because he thinks he looks low class. Some kids=20
are ashamed to tell people their dad drives a cab so they don't say=20
it. We don't have to be ashamed of who we are."
Most of the statements, however, can apply to second-generation South=20
Asian Americans of any class: "I got a right to get pissed off when I=20
see white people wearing bindhis to the club without knowing what it=20
means," and "If a guy can get away with dating, why can't a girl?"
In addition to distributing the pamphlet at the India Day Parade and=20
other community events, the kids of YouthPower! continue to meet and=20
discuss the issues in the pamphlet.
Monami Maulik, staff community organizer of DRUM and the former=20
coordinator of the youth group, said many of the kids took the=20
pamphlet home and "left it around their homes," provoking their=20
parents to discuss it with them and opening up a lot of dialogue.=20
"That was one of the main reasons the kids wrote the Bill of Rights,=20
to tell their parents what they were thinking," Monami said.
"It caused their parents to acknowledge, for the first time, that=20
their kid was a thinking, conscious almost-adult." Ultimately, a lot=20
of the statements in the Desi Youth Bill of Rights may seem too raw=20
and reactionary, based more on emotion than measured thought and=20
analysis.
But they are among the first words of rebellion voiced by this=20
generation, against injustices in both their Desi cultural traditions=20
and their American lives. They are also about bravery, freedom of=20
expression, and open communication for Desi youth. These kids, at=20
least, will be seen - and heard.

Desi Youth Bill of Rights

1. Right to equal treatment
- We want men to serve tea when guests come over.
- Desi women are not dogs you can whistle at, order around, or hit.
- If my younger brother can come home at 12 am, then I shouldn't have=20
a 7 pm curfew
2. Right to sexual freedom
- Wearing a tank top or tight clothes does not make me a slut.
- If a guy can get away with dating, why can't a girl?
3. Right to express ourselves
- I wanna dye my hair without being labeled.
- I wanna stand up for my rights, attend marches, and create bills of=20
rights without being seen as a troublemaker.
4. Right to determine our own future
- I do not want to be no freakin doctor.
- I don't want to move from my parents' house to my husband's house.
5. Right to determine success by ourselves
- Baba/Appu/Appa, I am not ashamed that you drive a cab and I=20
wouldn't be ashamed to drive one either.
- I do not have to be married with children to be a successful woman.
6. Right to choose the people we want to be with
- I do not want to marry no freakin doctor.
- If a guy can date a girl why can't a girl date a girl?
- Would you come to my wedding if I married a non-Desi?
7. Right to define what a Desi is
- Just cuz I wear baggy pants and a bandanna it does not make me less Desi.
- Being an outspoken woman does not make me less Desi.
8. Right to be Desi and do Desi shit without being ashamed
- I wanna eat curry with my hands without feeling self-conscious.
- Why can't I wear a lungi to school without getting laughed at?
9. Right to call others out for stealing and disrespecting our culture
- I got a right to get pissed off when I see white people wearing=20
bindhis to the club without knowing what it means.
- You used to make fun of my mother for wearing a sari, now you go=20
buy a sari at Macy's for $400.
10. We Have a Right to be Desi and Proud of it
Source: DRUM

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