April 25-May 1: Face-to-face talks begin, are later suspended due to 'violations'

Monday, April 25The port city of Mukalla, which has been controlled by al-Qaeda for over a year, was recaptured on Monday by Saudi and UAE forces and local Yemeni fighters. The coalition forces claimed to have killed 800 al-Qaeda militants in the first hour of fighting in south Yemen, but these numbers are highly disputed. The campaign, however, does mark an unprecedented push by the coalition to expel the group from their southern Yemen strongholds. Reporting on this expulsion, pro-Houthi outlet Al-Masirah accused the coalition of using the fight against terrorism as a pretext to launch an operation that in fact aims to gain control of southern Yemen.

The body of Omar Mohammed Batawil, a young man from Aden who was abducted from his home on Sunday, was found with gunshot wounds in Sheikh Osman district on Monday. Batawil had received death threats and accusations of atheism because of comments "critical of religion" that he posted on Facebook.

Tuesday, April 26 Houthi representatives and the Hadi government agreed on Tuesday on an agenda for the UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait. Previous differences over the agenda had initially prevented the negotiations from taking place.

Wednesday, April 27 UK Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood has said that the Saudi inquiry into their own bombing campaign has been “frustratingly slow,” and that the Saudi government needs to admit to any mistakes made. “Ministers also said that they would not revoke any of the UK’s multi-billion arms exports licences to Saudi Arabia until the Saudi government has completed the report into repeated specific allegations that it has been bombing civilians indiscriminately.”

Thursday, April 28 A suicide car bomb targeted the home of Aden security chief Shelal Ali Shayyeh on Thursday. The police chief was not harmed in the attack, but two people were reportedly wounded after guards fired at the car, which then exploded.

Both the Hadi government and the Houthis began discussing key issues on Thursday following the approval by both parties of the agenda for the peace talks. "Besides discussing ways to firm up an ongoing cease-fire, delegates also tackled 'the issues related to the withdrawal of armed groups, handover of heavy weapons, resumption of the political transition and the release of prisoners and detainees,' UN envoy Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement."

Friday, April 29 Following Thursday’s attempted assassination of police chief Shelal Ali Shayyeh, an unidentified gunman fatally shot Colonel Marwan Abdulhalim on Friday in central Aden.

Saturday, April 30 Direct talks began on Saturday between the Houthi and Hadi government delegations. This is the first time the opposing parties have met face-to-face, as most of the negotiations up until this point were conducted by UN envoy Ould Cheikh Ahmed.

Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdul-Salam said on Saturday that Saudi Arabia has handed over 40 prisoners as part of an agreement to quell border fighting. Twenty of those released had been captured in Yemen.

Thousands of residents reportedly marched in Ta’iz to call for enforcement of the ceasefire and an end to the country’s fighting. Hundreds were also said to have marched in Zinjibar to demand the withdrawal of al-Qaeda.

Sunday, May 1 During the direct negotiations, the Houthi and Hadi government delegations each presented their views on ending the conflict. The Houthis reportedly called for a political solution to be reached before UN resolution 2216 could be implemented, which requires the Houthis to hand over weapons and withdraw from seized territory. The Hadi government is said to see this move as another attempt by the Houthis to evade a resolution that would require them to give up their arms.

The Houthis reportedly seized Umaliqa base in Amran governorate north of San'a at dawn on Sunday. The Houthi forces stormed the base and seized its weapons. A number of the base's soldiers were killed during the assault. Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi, Hadi’s foreign minister and top delegate to the negotiations, said the move has "torpedoed" the talks. The Hadi government suspended direct talks shortly thereafter, but said that representatives would remain in Kuwait to conduct indirect talks with the Houthis.

Aden’s security chief Shelal Ali Shayyeh was the target of a second assassination attempt in less than a week after a car bomb in front of a government building in the city’s central square exploded on Sunday, killing four soldiers and wounding eight others. Shayyeh was not harmed in either attack.

In Remembrance: Dr. Raufa Hassan—Activist, Professor, Journalist

Our conversation had been going well until a massive glass light fixture thirty feet above our heads promptly exploded and burst into flames. Shards of glass fell to the floor, smashing to bits, and the whole room went black. A flurry of cries in Arabic arose followed by a stampede of people shrieking, “Are you okay?” And no, they were not concerned about me—their worry lay with the unimposing eighty-pound woman sitting across the table who was laughing. Laughing!  As her staff scrambled to light candles and clean up the mess, she gestured at the smoldering ceiling and chuckled quietly, “This is part of the problem, you see.”  The country was literally falling to pieces, and Dr. Raufa Hassan, Yemen’s most eminent activist, laughed. I gaped in amazement—after facing political and social obstacles, even death threats, for decades, she had almost been undone by a falling lamp caused by a routine blackout right before my very eyes. And yet, it all made perfect sense. To work for social change in a place like Yemen, one would most certainly require a sense of humor. And Raufa certainly had that. That summer, in 2009, I volunteered for Dr. Hassan while I was studying Arabic at the Yemen College for Middle Eastern Studies. Raufa—professor, journalist, activist, and founder of the Cultural and Development Programs Foundation—was a quiet heroine in Yemen’s political scene, but to me she was a rockstar. After researching Yemeni women’s organizations prior to my trip, I introduced myself via email with some trepidation and stopped by her office for a visit.  I was struck by how graceful and tiny, yet forceful she seemed all at once as she walked in quietly to sit at the table.  After she finished with some of the evening’s business, she turned to me and welcomed me warmly. Over tea we talked about her hilarious escapades living in a dormitory in France, her family’s roots in Old San´a, and her desire to work for change in Yemen.  “I couldn’t just stay at home and do nothing,” she explained. “I had a responsibility to do something!”  Later, I asked a friend how Yemeni male politicians reacted when Raufa walked into their office.  Oh, she said, they act with deference. Believe me, they know that she commands serious respect.

Raufa did more than command respect from important players on the political scene, however.  She got real things done.  As she told me during one of our meetings, “I get tired of awareness. We need to move beyond ‘awareness’ and actually work for change.” Her organization registered thousands of women to vote, worked for cultural and ecological preservation in Socotra (Yemen’s “Galapagos Island” to the south), attempted to open a museum, and collaborated with European institutions to train female parliamentary candidates.  The CDPF and Dr. Hassan have had a long history of bringing a variety of political groups together to promote issues of governmental transparency, accountability, and representation.  You can read about more of her accomplishments here, on Afrah Nasser's blog. As Afrah recently reiterated in an email to me, Raufa was kind and brilliant. Everyone was captivated by her presence. We all wanted to be on Raufa's team.

When Raufa graciously invited me to work for her again this summer, I was over the moon, and I am devastated that I will not get the chance now.  I learned today that she has passed away from an illness in Egypt, where she often received medical treatment from her brother, a doctor living in Cairo.  Raufa worked tirelessly in the most literal sense, and her body suffered. Everyone here at the Yemen Peace Project sends their most sincere and heart-felt condolences to Raufa’s family, friends, and colleagues.  That, along with the senseless deaths by security forces over the past week, seems almost too much to bear.  But life doesn’t stop.  I take heart in the fact that Raufa’s efforts have and will continue to give Yemen a better future.  Media reports would make it as if people in Yemen just “woke up” and started working for change—Dr. Raufa Hassan’s legacy continues to prove them wrong.

(If anyone has specific information about where we can send our condolences, please email us at the addresses listed on our contacts page.  Thank you, and يرحمها  الله)

Updates and some end-of-the-year Reflections!

Hey everyone! First I want to thank everyone - including folks from Yemen, Denmark, Syria, the UAE, all over the U.S. and even Australia! - for signing our first ever petition marking the 1-year anniversary of U.S. and Yemeni government-led raids and missile strikes that killed and injured Yemeni civilians on December 17, 2009. Part of our mission is to show the U.S. government that WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION, so we all greatly appreciate those who took the time to sign! Governments absolutely depend on the indifference, fear and apathy of their citizens to pursue war, and I feel that we are playing a small but important role in showing them that peace and dialogue is the best strategy. Second, Will and I were given the opportunity to introduce the board members of the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding (located at the University of California, Irvine) to the YPP yesterday! The members of the CCP are one of the most impressive groups of compassionate, generous and engaged pro-peace activists and scholars I have ever met, and their work spans from Georgia to the West Bank. They asked wonderful questions and were VERY encouraging of our work as well. IMPORTANTLY - some of the faculty at the CCP are engaged in the very kind of cross-national dialogue that we are promoting through our Pens for Peace program, so there may be opportunities for expansion and collaboration there!  I will keep you posted on how this plays out, and I am very excited about it. Happy holidays to us!  :)

Third, I just want to state for the record how proud and honored I am to be a part of this organization. I have not always been able to dedicate as much time as I have wanted to it, especially since I began a full-time PhD program this fall. But I am so lucky that my colleagues Will, Tiffany, Ahmed and Aliya are so brilliant, so dedicated, and so full of ideas! Huge props to our co-directors for the work they have been doing. We have accomplished a lot (and received media attention!) and are going to keep going. I really must give special kudos to Will -- I see him work on the YPP every single day, and often late into the night. He has been a visionary for this group, and relentless in his dedication to pro-peace activism.

Don't forget to sign the petition if you haven't already, and to check out the feature on the Yemeni artist below!  In the new year, if you want to get more involved, contact us - we would love to have you! Happy holidays to everyone.

Interview with Yemeni artist Ibi Ibrahim

Hello all! Here to share with you an extremely interesting and informative interview I did with emerging Yemeni artist and photographer--and good friend of mine-- Ibi Ibrahim. Ibi was raised in Yemen, the Emirates, Libya, and Iraq, and currently lives in New York. His work draws its inspiration from his experience with growing up amidst strong social and moral codes in Islamic societies. His website with a sample of his work can be found here. Make sure to check it out--I particularly recommend his work "Love Knows Only Love". Ibi was a participating artist in the Sana'a Styles: Fashion and Art Exhibit that opened in Sana'a this week at the House of Culture. For our readers in Yemen: the exhibit runs until January 4th--please don't miss this opportunity to experience some of Yemen's rising artistic talent in person!

Firstly, can you tell me a little about yourself? When did you first become

interested in art? What challenges, difficulties, and/or successes have you faced as an artist?

I am Ibi Ibrahim, I am 23 years old and I am a Yemeni visual artist working in New

York.

I would say that my artistic career officially began when I moved to New York in

late 2009 – I started out as an actor and I was lucky enough to book different gigs in

theater and film. I had to work a lot in order to make enough money to survive and

also to buy the camera I wanted. Back at the time, I didn't have a camera.

Soon after I got my camera, I wouldn't stop shooting – not even for a day. Every day

was a new adventure for me and I discovered a new technique and in result a new

artistic perspective. I have had taken pictures while in Yemen and exhibited my

work via the German House in Sana'a in October 2009 but I wasn't satisfied with my

work. After I moved to New York and got a chance to see a large portions of art

work through visiting museums and galleries here. I remember going to the MOMA

every week to see the art. Even if I've seen it once, it wasn't enough – it was a love

affair that kept on growing. I'm actually a member now.

The challenge I faced was to find a specific topic to discuss through my medium. I

searched and practiced many but I reached my current topic after I realization that

it was the most powerful and passionate topic to discuss and involve the viewer to

participate in and take part of – only because it was part of who I am.

Where does the subject matter for your photography come from? Do you tend

to stick to one theme or subject, or does your art go through phases?

The work I do is circled around the culture and social codes of Muslim conservative

societies – the inspiration comes from my upbringing in a very conservative

household. At first, I was not certain if I could do such work - after all, most of my

work is about stories I witnessed growing up whether it was in my household or our

neighbors..etc. With support of mentors and friends, I was able to break that barrier

and open myself to the world. In my opinion, this is the true artist experience –

nothing to be held back, nothing to be afraid of.

I'm currently working in within this subject but that doesn't mean that eventually

I won't tackle another topic. However I'm developing my art in other sense by

creating video installations and making short films. I just finished my first semester

as a film student at the New School in New York and I've began writing my first

feature film. I've also submitted my short screen plays for festivals and institutions

For funding and I've received some welcoming responses from some institutes such

as the Doha Tribecca Film Institute. Its all work in progress at the moment.

sample of work exhibited in the ongoing "Sana'a Styles" show

Can you tell us a little bit about the state of the modern Yemeni art scene in

general? What are some of the difficulties faced by artists in Yemen, whether

cultural/political/financial, etc.? Are there any venues of support for artists

such as yourself?

I'm going to speak on behalf of myself here and focus my answer around the capital

city; Sana'a. I honestly can't think of one gallery in Yemen. At least in Sana'a – I

certainly don't remember ever running across a gallery in the capital. Now, what

Sana'a has in return are art centers that are either NGOs and being funded by the

government or actual culture centers that are part of the ministry of culture. Of

course, they are helpful in promoting art but to an extent. Those centers don't

provide artistic representation like galleries do and neither they try to sell the

artists work like galleries do. An artist needs to make a living after all so if his/her

art work is not selling, what is the purpose of showing it at culture centers?

In addition to that, I would also say the media in involved in the poor status of

modern Yemeni art scene in Yemen. I've noticed that most of the time media does a

coverage on culture events by highlighting who attended the show and who opened

the show while they ignore the most important aspect in the entire show and that

the artists participating. There is no media support for the artists and if the media

is not going to support the artist, then how the public is going to learn about the

artist? Here is the link of coverage in the National paper about the current exhibit

about fashion and identity in Yemen. You read the coverage; you

realize that there is nothing mentioned about the artists and what they showed. It

was all bullshit and it made me very upset. Why must we always cover the minister

or the ambassador and not cover the artist?

If there are no galleries and no media to support the artist – how can a world expect

Yemen to have a modern art scene? Some might be lucky to have supportive families

but for the most part, Yemeni parents never want their kids to be musicians, artists

or filmmakers. Unlike parents in the west, who encourage their kids to have interest

in the art from an early age and that's due the fact that art has been around for

awhile there and it has proven that it could be a successful career and generates

great income, fame and all things desired.

What do you see as a solution to these problems? Where should the support

come from—the government, the Yemeni people, other countries?

The best lesson is to learn from neighboring countries. There is a huge art revolution

happening in the Middle East now. Qatar is opening the first Arab museum of

modern art, Abu Dhabi will open the Louvre and the Guggenheim in less than two

years, and Yemen still has zero art galleries. Yemen has beautiful ancient art but

there is international interest in Middle Eastern modern art and we should take

this opportunity and encourage our artists to take serious steps towards their

work. Yemen receives millions of dollars of funding from international sources but

sadly all those funds are gone toward defense and security – just imagine if a small

portion would've been directed towards art reform.

One thing I want to make clear is that the art is available and so is the talent –

but we need support and mentorship. And today, instead of asking support and

mentorship from the US and Europe, we can ask from our neighboring countries

because they have certainly proven that they are up to the standards. Best example

drawn here is Qatar 2022.

Tell us a little about the exhibition this week that you are a participating artist in.

The show is about Fashion and Identity in Yemeni society. For my work, I had to

create a story with an element of fashion but in the same time remain within the

content of my subject. My series is called A Good Wife. It’s a series I’ve never shown

before - it’s about a wife who just worships her husband—she helps him with

everything and opens the doors of success to him, and in return he ends up leaving

her to find a better person (in his mind)—a woman who is fashionable, tall, slim—

that’s where I added the element of fashion to it. It’s the story about love, about

stabbing someone in the heart. It’s inspired by the average Yemeni wife.

My show in Kentucky ends in a week, and then this show is my last show of the

year, and it’s opening in Yemen. I’m happy to be ending the year with such great

success—and I’m excited for next year. I’m especially excited to hear what Yemeni

women think of the work. My first try at a show in Yemen was last October—I

thought it was beautiful, but it wasn’t something that made you stop and think. This

will definitely get people talking. I really wish I was there—inshallah [God willing]

I’ll be able to have a solo exhibit there someday, and I’ll go.

As for other artists participating, I've seen the work of two other artists, ,Bushra

Almutawakel, who's done a really fascinating series about the hijab

in the Muslim world - she's considered to be the first Yemeni female photographer.

The other artist is Bushra al-Fusail who's at 23 years old has shown some great

talent and I'm very fond of her work, also fond of the examples she is sitting for

other young Yemeni women.

What sort of reaction do these types of events spark from the general public inYemen? Is there any sort of national interest or support for the arts?

From my own experience, no. I had shown before in Yemen and there was no sort

of reaction that benefited me in anyway. Again, if you look at the media coverage of

the event, it only highlighted the ministers and the ambassadors who attended. The

media coverage should've been about the artists who participated. I've seen nearly

the same format of that article in about six publications via the web and such thing

is really disappointing.

Again back to the same point, we must learn from others on how to do the right

coverage or such event and ensure that we could provide all the help possible to our

talented emerging artists.

Any final words?

I wish one rich person in Yemen would decide, “I want to spend X amount of money

on an art academy, and see what happens.” Let's take a chance in our youth and

see what might happen. Look at the architecture in the old city – its divine and

couldn't be seen anywhere else. People always ask me here, "are there more of you

in Yemen?" and my response is " In Yemen, there is even better."

In my heart, I know there are artists that are more talented in Yemen. They just

need to learn how to hussle. Being an artist is a life-time job. Picasso didn't become

Picasso over night!

Firstly,an you tell me a little about yourself? When did you first become

interested in art? What challenges, difficulties, and/or successes have you faced as an artist?

I am Ibi Ibrahim, I am 23 years old and I am a Yemeni visual artist working in New

York.

I would say that my artistic career officially began when I moved to New York in

late 2009 – I started out as an actor and I was lucky enough to book different gigs in

theater and film. I had to work a lot in order to make enough money to survive and

also to buy the camera I wanted. Back at the time, I didn't have a camera.

Soon after I got my camera, I wouldn't stop shooting – not even for a day. Every day

was a new adventure for me and I discovered a new technique and in result a new

artistic perspective. I have had taken pictures while in Yemen and exhibited my

work via the German House in Sana'a in October 2009 but I wasn't satisfied with my

work. After I moved to New York and got a chance to see a large portions of art

work through visiting museums and galleries here. I remember going to the MOMA

every week to see the art. Even if I've seen it once, it wasn't enough – it was a love

affair that kept on growing. I'm actually a member now.

The challenge I faced was to find a specific topic to discuss through my medium. I

searched and practiced many but I reached my current topic after I realization that

it was the most powerful and passionate topic to discuss and involve the viewer to

participate in and take part of – only because it was part of who I am.

Where does the subject matter for your photography come from? Do you tend

to stick to one theme or subject, or does your art go through phases?

The work I do is circled around the culture and social codes of Muslim conservative

societies – the inspiration comes from my upbringing in a very conservative

household. At first, I was not certain if I could do such work - after all, most of my

work is about stories I witnessed growing up whether it was in my household or our

neighbors..etc. With support of mentors and friends, I was able to break that barrier

and open myself to the world. In my opinion, this is the true artist experience –

nothing to be held back, nothing to be afraid of.

I'm currently working in within this subject but that doesn't mean that eventually

I won't tackle another topic. However I'm developing my art in other sense by

creating video installations and making short films. I just finished my first semester

as a film student at the New School in New York and I've began writing my first

feature film. I've also submitted my short screen plays for festivals and institutions

For funding and I've received some welcoming responses from some institutes such

as the Doha Tribecca Film Institute. Its all work in progress at the moment.

(post screenshots here)

Can you tell us a little bit about the state of the modern Yemeni art scene in

general? What are some of the difficulties faced by artists in Yemen, whether

cultural/political/financial, etc.? Are there any venues of support for artists

such as yourself?

I'm going to speak on behalf of myself here and focus my answer around the capital

city; Sana'a. I honestly can't think of one gallery in Yemen. At least in Sana'a – I

certainly don't remember ever running across a gallery in the capital. Now, what

Sana'a has in return are art centers that are either NGOs and being funded by the

government or actual culture centers that are part of the ministry of culture. Of

course, they are helpful in promoting art but to an extent. Those centers don't

provide artistic representation like galleries do and neither they try to sell the

artists work like galleries do. An artist needs to make a living after all so if his/her

art work is not selling, what is the purpose of showing it at culture centers?

In addition to that, I would also say the media in involved in the poor status of

modern Yemeni art scene in Yemen. I've noticed that most of the time media does a

coverage on culture events by highlighting who attended the show and who opened

the show while they ignore the most important aspect in the entire show and that

the artists participating. There is no media support for the artists and if the media

is not going to support the artist, then how the public is going to learn about the

artist? I'm adding this link of coverage in the National paper about a recent exhibit

I participated in about fashion and identity in Yemen. You read the coverage; you

realize that there is nothing mentioned about the artists and what they showed. It

was all bullshit and it made me very upset. Why must we always cover the minister

or the ambassador and not cover the artist?

http://www.althawranew.net/index.php?action=showNews&id=861

If there are no galleries and no media to support the artist – how can a world expect

Yemen to have a modern art scene? Some might be lucky to have supportive families

but for the most part, Yemeni parents never want their kids to be musicians, artists

or filmmakers. Unlike parents in the west, who encourage their kids to have interest

in the art from an early age and that's due the fact that art has been around for

awhile there and it has proven that it could be a successful career and generates

great income, fame and all things desired.

What do you see as a solution to these problems? Where should the support

come from—the government, the Yemeni people, other countries?

The best lesson is to learn from neighboring countries. There is a huge art revolution

happening in the Middle East now. Qatar is opening the first Arab museum of

modern art, Abu Dhabi will open the Louvre and the Guggenheim in less than two

years, and Yemen still has zero art galleries. Yemen has beautiful ancient art but

there is international interest in Middle Eastern modern art and we should take

this opportunity and encourage our artists to take serious steps towards their

work. Yemen receives millions of dollars of funding from international sources but

sadly all those funds are gone toward defense and security – just imagine if a small

portion would've been directed towards art reform.

One thing I want to make clear is that the art is available and so is the talent –

but we need support and mentorship. And today, instead of asking support and

mentorship from the US and Europe, we can ask from our neighboring countries

because they have certainly proven that they are up to the standards. Best example

drawn here is Qatar 2022

Tell us a little about the exhibition this week that you are a participating artist

in.

The show is about Fashion and Identity in Yemeni society. For my work, I had to

create a story with an element of fashion but in the same time remain within the

content of my subject. My series is called A Good Wife. It’s a series I’ve never shown

before - it’s about a wife who just worships her husband—she helps him with

everything and opens the doors of success to him, and in return he ends up leaving

her to find a better person (in his mind)—a woman who is fashionable, tall, slim—

that’s where I added the element of fashion to it. It’s the story about love, about

stabbing someone in the heart. It’s inspired by the average Yemeni wife.

My show in Kentucky ends in a week, and then this show is my last show of the

year, and it’s opening in Yemen. I’m happy to be ending the year with such great

success—and I’m excited for next year. I’m especially excited to hear what Yemeni

women think of the work. My first try at a show in Yemen was last October—I

thought it was beautiful, but it wasn’t something that made you stop and think. This

will definitely get people talking. I really wish I was there—inshallah [God willing]

I’ll be able to have a solo exhibit there someday, and I’ll go.

As for other artists participating, I've seen the work of two other artists, ,Bushra

Almutawakel, who's done a really fascinating series about the Hijab

in the Muslim world - She's considered to be the first Yemeni female photographer.

The other artist is Bushra al-Fusail who's at 23 years old has shown some great

talent and I'm very fond of her work, also fond of the examples she is sitting for

other young Yemeni women.

What sort of reaction do these types of events spark from the general public in

Yemen? Is there any sort of national interest or support for the arts?

From my own experience, no. I had shown before in Yemen and there was no sort

of reaction that benefited me in anyway. Again, if you look at the media coverage of

the event, it only highlighted the ministers and the ambassadors who attended. The

media coverage should've been about the artists who participated. I've seen nearly

the same format of that article in about six publications via the web and such thing

is really disappointing.

Again back to the same point, we must learn from others on how to do the right

coverage or such event and ensure that we could provide all the help possible to our

talented emerging artists.

Any final words?

I wish one rich person in Yemen would decide, “I want to spend X amount of money

on an art academy, and see what happens.” Let's take a chance in our youth and

see what might happen. Look at the architecture in the old city – its divine and

couldn't be seen anywhere else. People always ask me here, "are there more of you

in Yemen?" and my response is " In Yemen, there is even better."

In my heart, I know there are artists that are more talented in Yemen. They just

need to learn how to hussle. Being an artist is a life-time job. Picasso didn't become

Picasso over night!