Gulabuddin Sukhanwar

Reflection on the Diamond Jubilee Celebration in Lisbon, Portugal. Gulabuddin Sukhanwar I boarded an early morning flight Saturday 13 th July from Lisbon to Oslo. As soon as the aircraft departed, a young child beside me got my attention while speaking in Norwegian to his mother. Mamma hvorfor reiser vi tilbake? Det var hyggelig å være her, mye sol og… Mamma, why are we travelling back? It was nice to be here with more sun and …, I looked at the little boy and told his mum that he was quite right because Portugal also offered me an amazing experience and everlasting memories. I spent the last week of my summer holiday in Lisbon and had the privilege to join my fellow Ismailis from around the world to celebrate the  sixty years of leadership from our Imam, spiritual leader, His Highness the Aga Khan: the Diamond Jubilee.   The celebration took place in Parque das Nações, Portugal , where a warm welcome was offered to 45,000 Ismailis for such a historic occasion.

“The citizens of Afghanistan, men and women, have equal rights and duties before the law.” So says the Afghan constitution, but are women really able to access their rights? My article for    www.fokuskvinner.no , May 2014,   "An overview of Afghanistan's constitutions and women place in the current constitution" For decades, women’s rights activists in Afghanistan have fought and bled to improve the situation for women in the war-torn country. In several ways, their fight has been successful. The current constitution (of 2004) forbids “any kind of discrimination and distinction between citizens of Afghanistan.” More recently, women’s rights were highlighted by all the presidential candidates—even the fundamentalists and those with linkages to insurgent groups such as Hezbe Islami and Taliban during the last election (5th April 2014). But is it just for show? Or are women in Afghanistan really able to claim their equal rights? Eliminating violenc

Jeg syr på poesi vondt av flukt og med bittersøtt smil i en svart og hvit tegning broderer dem på permen av mine meninger

Når glasset er tomt Må man selv tegne vann!

Oh, wandering traveller! Photo: Google search  Peripatetically lonely, wearing a world of malaise You are full of sorrow But joyful too for sweet, bittersweet memories Your words are poetic and your heart, full of love But now, far from home, your mood is dull grey Your surrounding lacks magic You suffer each day Suffocating slowly in this cloud of distrust Sustained by your dreams, the freedom for which you lust Despite eyes full of tears, your hope can transport you Destination unknown, no family to support you A wandering traveller: When will you cross the frontier to security? Years ago I came to know -that wandering travellers are accompanied By Noah in the sea, Retain your faith I wish you fortitude; Safe Journey, Nights illuminated by spontaneous quiet moonlight And your heart full of love Oh wandering traveller Peripatetically lonely Seeking shelter in this solitude, your parallel universe.

This is a true moment of joy and happiness to celebrate the publication of our anthology: a two-year poetic journey and the voice of diversity. Høre  hj e mme  is a multilingual poetry book published by Poetry Night in Trondheim defining our share d values and sense of belonging to the humanity. For me, p oetry has always been a lifesaver; in solitude, during times of happiness and joy or in any moment of sadness and suffering. Trondheim P oetry N ight   is a unique platform allowing participants to express themselves in their own language with its musicality and poetic beauty playing a central role to attract the attention of the audience, instead of just the words. So far, the language diversity, participation of poets from around the world and poetry lovers have created a universal language that brings people together to share a moment of joy and make memories. I personally love to start and end my talks by referring to a poem, because I trust that they are more tha