In the midst of what has been taking place in the Arab world nowadays, how do you think the celebration of the International Day of Peace could convey the language of peace?

Karman: Today is an important day to remind the international community and the world of their obligations to create a sustainable peace and good life under democracy that ensures equality, rights, freedoms, justice and the rule by law. But the question is where are the international community's obligations towards this day and requirements of peace?  There is no peace without justice or development.

Today we have adopted the post-2015 development agenda, which includes 17 important goals, which governments, civil society and the private sector all over the world must join together to achieve.

 

Has the space of hope heralded at the beginning of the Arab Spring narrowed?

Karman: It hasn’t, and it won’t since revolutionaries of the Arab Spring have not gotten and will not get tired. We are all well aware that the price of freedom is exorbitant, and that our struggle began to continue. We are still at the first of change and at the prime of revolution’s life, and any great revolution is naturally followed by a counter-revolution, which revolutionaries know well how to deal with because they have learned the lesson after the international community let them down by letting them alone in their struggle. Nonetheless, they are determined to proceed with what they started until victory. Let’s hope that a time comes when the international community wakes up to the importance of backing them up. If the world does not stand up for the peoples’ struggle for freedom, justice, dignity and equality, there won’t be there any peace. 

 

But how do you comment on what is happening in Yemen in particular?

Karman: what is happening in Yemen is a coup against a real peace initiated by Yemen’s peaceful revolution in 2011 and then enhanced by a successful and strong transition process including representatives of all shades. In the meantime, a comprehensive national dialogue participated by all Yemeni forcesresulted in a set of outcomes that could have helped build a sustainable peace. As a result of this dialogue, a new constitution was drafted, which arranges and ensures the country’s future. Unfortunately, the Houthi militia and the ousted president Ali Saleh came to spoil all of that when they carried out a coup against the internationally recognized authority. Today, Yemenis from different backgrounds and regions keep struggling against the coup to regain the state and revolution. In the end, as I said, the people’s dream, will and aspirations will win. 

 

To talk about accomplishments you achieved after receiving the Nobel Prize, what have you done for the Yemeni women, especially those who are still struggling for peace first and then to build a democratic state for all Yemenis?

Karman: actually, no one can talk about real achievements unless the desired goal comes true, especially when it comes to those struggling for rights, freedoms and restoring state. Only when the file of the ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh along with his counterrevolution that is killing Yemenis is fully closed, I could say I have achieved something in the battle for freedom and justice. There would be no place to talk about any achievement as long as there is no serious move by the international community and civil society. There would be no place to say we have won as long as women and children have not taken their full rights, and society of justice and democracy and the rule of law haven’t been built yet. 

We, however, can say that we have achieved something incredible when we come to talk about Ali Abdullah Saleh who was and still is behind all disasters in Yemen. We have succeeded in overthrowing him and implementing the comprehensive national dialogue with wide participation of women who have taken part in all phases of struggle either during the period of the revolution or during the transitional period, which resulted in the drafting of the constitution and the outcomes of the national dialogue.