Humanitarian Texts

2006-01-01: A NGO network and world-citizenship;
2006-01-01: Beyond the Law;
2006-01-02: The History of Anti-Landmine Efforts;
2006-01-03: Iraq Initiative – European Colleagues;
2006-01-04: Raising boys to maintain armies;
2006-01-05: Shadow Report on Algeria;
2006-01-06: Can Ordinary People Regain Their Power of Decision?;
2006-01-08: The Electronic Intifada;
2006-01-09: Sonntagsblick;
2006-01-10: Special Rapporteur on Torture;
2006-01-11: US-Folter-Camps;
2006-01-14: Open Letter from Human Rights Watch;
2005-01-15: CIA – Affaire;
2006-01-15: Writers’ texts about tortures;
2006-01-16: EU Partner der CIA;
2006-01-16: Again about Tortures;
2006-01-17: Arena-Sendung zur CIA-Affäre: Rolle der Schweiz;
2006-01-18: CIA und Folter;
2006-01-19: On Discrimination against Women;
2006-01-20: Social Watch en el Foro Social Mundial 2006;
2006-01-20: droits économiques, sociaux et culturels PIDESC;
2006-01-20: Rethinking Islam;
2006-01-21: INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL MOVEMENTS …;
2006-01-23: FORO SOCIAL MUNDIAL 2006 – Actualizado;
2006-01-24: Structures, Freedoms, Politizations – a debate;
2006-01-25: Looking forward to Porto Alegre;
2006-01-25: Foro Social Mundial – Caracas;
2006-01-25: Moving politics … to the people;
2006-01-25: Statut des instruments relatifs aux Droits de l’Homme;
2006-01-26: Collection des Traités – Déclarations et Réserves;
2006-01-27: Schafik Handal – El Salvador;
2006-01-27: PIDESC;
2006-01-28: No Hay Festival en Cartagena;
2006-01-28: after WSIS … education, academia and research;
2006-01-29: Viertes Europäisches Sozialforum in Athen;
2006-01-30: FCO in UK.

The FCO Minister, Ian Pearson writes on 21 July 2005:

Promoting human rights is integral to the Government’s wider foreign policy and security agenda. It is and will continue to be part of a global strategy bonded by our commitment to play our part in creating a better world. Some have argued that we can only expect governments in the developing world to take human rights seriously when we have helped them to overcome the problems of grinding poverty. Political freedom, they say, will grow from economic prosperity.

But in my book these are two sides of the same coin. Experience shows us that economic growth without respect for human rights rarely endures. The recent aid packages announced by the EU and G8 are necessary and welcome. But, as the G8 Heads of Government recognised, the key to ending poverty in the long term lies in improving good governance, the rule of law and democracy – concepts which are underpinned by respect for human rights.’

Human rights remain at the heart of the foreign policy agenda and the UK works through international forums and bilateral relationships to spread the values of human rights, civil liberties and democracy which we in the UK demand for ourselves.

Continue Reading…

Viertes Europäisches Sozialforum vom 4. bis 7. Mai 2006 in Athen.

DolmetscherInnen gesucht für die European Preparatory Assembly vom 2. bis 5. März 2006 in Frankfurt a.M.

Linked to our presentation of Taskforce on Education, Academia and Research on January 28, 2006.

Linked to our presentation of Divina Frau-Meigs – France on January 29, 2006.

Divina Frau-Meigs, (WSIS-) Taskforce for education, academia and research, writes:

In my Catalan country, there is a proverb that says « Don’t pull the rug from under your own feet, there are plenty of people out there ready to do so ».

I followed the debates on the list concerning the Civil Society Bureau and I wonder why after all these years of fighting to obtain a multi stakeholder – partnership, we are undermining ourselves so inconsiderately.

1) The Nation-states do not ask us to do so, and they remain organized around the process (the presidency of the ECOSOC for Tunisia is proof, if need be). The CCBI does not move on its positions and remains mobilized. Why should we do less than them?? Why would we pull the rug from under our own feet ??

2) We demonstrated that we could participate in this so-called ³governance² process, and even make constructive and influential propositions. By this fact, we showed to the other actors that we could manage power. Are we still afraid of power, the one that we have acquired this time, not that of the others? It is not at this stage that we are going to entrust ourselves blindly to a ³troika² or to wait passively that a ³leader² appears. Are these the only alternatives we can think of ? That’s a political fairy tale and a mockery of participatory democratic process ? What are we waiting for: a man on a white horse ?

3) The Civil Society Bureau is our only concrete diplomatic experience and gain. It is the only interlocutor recognized by the States. It serves as liaison for a number of coordination decisions. It’s not perfect, so let’s improve it. Its rules and procedures have already been cleaned up : there is a charter, criteria, ‹ all of them approved and voted in plenary. Why go
without it? Let those who do not want to be part of it anymore withdraw and pass the relay to others. Let new energies come in, here is the solution, not self-destruction.

Continue Reading…

Bienvenidos a No Hay Festival; la idea surgió de una conversación con los periodistas cartageneros Tadeo Martínez y Juan Manuel Buelvas, lo que pretendíamos era hacer un encuentro para reflexionar sobre el “lado oscuro” de Cartagena, esa otra ciudad que nunca aparece en postales y cuyos habitantes sobreviven en la más despiadada miseria. Nos parecía que el Mercado Bazurto, el sector Henequén, el barrio Nelson Mandela y otras zonas periféricas podrían ser sedes perfectas para albergar No Hay Festival. Intentamos lograr el apoyo de los medios y el patrocinio de algunas empresas pero no hubo respuesta, a esa altura decidí que podíamos realizar un primer No Hay Festival virtual y aquí lo tienen.

Agradecemos infimamente a Hay Festival por habernos inspirado el nombre y la gráfica ya que no contamos con recursos para contratar diseñadores.

(See many pictures on this side).

Cartagena de Indias

Los barrios marginales son un lugar idóneo para enterarse de la clase de alimañas que han dirigido los destinos de la ciudad. Aquí, la historia cultural es el hambre, la violencia y el desempleo y la única herencia colonial es el crimen y el saqueo. El 80% de los habitantes de Cartagena sobreviven con menos de un dólar al día; en el verano el sol los calcina y en invierno las aguas negras inundan sus casuchas. Sin duda que Cartagena es una de las ciudades de América Latina con mayor índice de corrupción, injusticia, racismo y barbarie.

Declarada Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO en 1984 y considerada un importante destino turístico es también un paraiso para quienes viven de la prostitución infantil y un escenario inigualable para albergar encuentros como Hay Festival y el Reinado Nacional de Belleza.

(See the rest of it here).

Le Protocole facultatif au Pacte international relatif aux droits économiques, sociaux et culturels PIDESC tourne en rond depuis 10 ans, le processus s’enlise à cause de l’opposition entre deux courants du droit international. Le premier estime que l’être humain et les droits qui lui sont conférés doivent être le fondement de tout ordre juridique international, alors que pour le second courant, le fondement de cet ordre devrait être subordonné au libre marché. Ces deux positions sont non seulement antagoniques mais aussi irréconciliables. La CDH et son Groupe de travail ont l’obligation, même en l’absence d’un consensus, d’avancer avec célérité vers l’adoption d’un Protocole facultatif ayant pour base le PIDESC. Accepter la situation actuelle de blocage consisterait à reconnaître de façon implicite la subordination des mécanismes interétatiques du système des Nations Unies aux intérêts des grands groupes économiques.

Voir la déclaration en 19 points, lu par CETIM, Centre Europe – Tiers Monde, conjointement lu avec LIDLIP et AAJ, à la Commission des droits de l’homme 2005 concernant le point 10 : droits économiques, sociaux et culturels.

link: wikipedia: Discuter les Droits de l’Homme.

Miembro de la Comandancia General del FMLN. Comenzó a involucrarse en la política cuando estaba estudiando en la escuela secundaria (1944 -”Huelga de Brazos Caídos” que derrocó al tirano General Maximiliamo Hernández Martinez). Su actividad política se hizo más intensa al ingreso en 1949 a estudiar derecho en la Universidad Nacional. En 1950 entró en el Partido Comunista de El Salvador. En 1973, Handal fue elegido Secretario General del Partido Comunista. Después de décadas de participación electoral en busca de cambios democráticos por via la política que fueron dos veces frustrados por el fraude, el partido se unió a la lucha armada. En enero 1980, el Partido Comunista de El Salvador su unió al proceso unificador de las fuerzas revolucionarias, que condujeron en octubre a la formación del FMLN. Diputado de la Asamblea Legislativa de El Salvador. (www.cepaz.org.sv).

Un rappel de ce qui s’est fait: En date du 8 février 2002 les déclaations et réserves suivantes ont été reçus des pays discutant des droits économiques, sociaux et culturels au Haut Commissariat aux Droits de l’Homme des Nations Unies:

Continue Reading…

Un rappel:

HAUT COMMISSARIAT DES NATIONS UNIES AUX DROITS DE L’HOMME

STATUT DES INSTRUMENTS INTERNATIONAUX RELATIFS AUX
DROITS DE L’HOMME – au 10 janvier 2003

Les instruments internationaux des Nations Unies relatifs aux droits de l’homme créant des organes de surveillance sont les suivants (le sigle en langue anglaise figure
entre parenthèses):

Continue Reading…

Linked to our presentation of Wahu Kaara – Kenya on January 25, 2006.

Also linked to our presentation of THE KENYA DEBT RELIEF NETWORK on January 25, 2006.

Moving politics from the hands of the few to the people – Interview with Wahu Kaara, delegate at the Kenyan constitutional conference “Bomas”, and chair of MS Kenyas Policy Advisory Board, by Dorthe Skovgaard Mortensen (see on Action with Attitude, ms.dk) :

There is no time for pessimism when Wahu Kaara, Bomas delegate nr. 521, talks about the constitutional process and the draft constitution that is now to be approved in parliament.

To Wahu Kaara the “new constitution reflects the yesterday of Kenya, it contextualises the today and it manifests the tomorrow”. In her view the former constitution had been mutilated in order to guarantee the survival of the state and the state dictatorship. It compromised democracy and the participation of people, while this new constitution redefines the need to establish a social contract between the people of Kenya and the state.

Continue Reading…

Foro Social Mundial 2006.

Looking forward to Porto Alegre: How the Assembly (of WCC) will work
By: Norman Shanks

The WCC 9th Assembly will offer a diverse and innovative programme for the expected 3000 participants from virtually all Christian traditions and regions. The moderator of the international planning committee which is preparing the event, Norman Shanks from Scotland, explains how the 14-23 February 2006 Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil, will work.

The Assembly programme will be both creative and diverse, and participants will have countless opportunities to interact and share insights out of their own experience.

Porto Alegre is an attractive and dynamic city and the Assembly venue, the Catholic Pontifical University (PUC), offers a modern campus and meeting centre. The University has impressive experience in hosting major international events, not least the World Social Forum, attended by around 30,000 people. By comparison, the WCC Assembly will be smaller: we expect up to 1200 “core participants”, including church delegates and representatives of related organizations, and up to 1800 others – visitors, ecumenical partner agencies, student groups, and so on.

Continue Reading…

Below I like to present you a text written in April 2004 by Teivo Teivainen, and published in NIGD Network Institute for Global Democratization.

But first my understanding, comment and my intention: most of us agree on the diagnostic about the economic world situation, but for the remedy we do not reach solutions. Our viewpoints are in too diametral opposition. But often we could reach agreements, satisfying what’s elemental for everybody, but this is possible only after long discussions, exchanges, something like bargaining the price of a cow on the market place. We have to go on with this process … listening to opposite oppinions, and go on with the discussion.

I would like to present this text about a more political attitudes in preparatory committees, here the WSF, (where I never participated, but I did it at my time with other groups), the questions are always the sames: how much of this or that aspect has to be respected when elaborating a plan, guiding a group, deciding the next steps: it seems, we humans are a bit too much narrow in mind to be able to see ‘the whole’ of the elephant (of the ‘thing’ in question).

You know, the elephant is so big, so huge, that nobody is able to see it in one piece. We always see only aspects of it. So ones see its head, others the back, others only the legs, or even only one leg, and every one swears: I have seen the only right elephant.

Continue Reading…

Bienvenida a todas y a muy en el sitio Internet del FORO SOCIAL MUNDIAL POLICÉNTRICO que se desarrollará del 19 al 23 de enero de 2006 en Bamako, Mali.

¡El Foro de Bamako, un acontecimiento mundial!

El Foro de Bamako es uno de los tres acontecimientos policéntricos previstos en enero de 2006, los dos otro frente tener lugar simultáneamente del 24 al 29 de enero, en Caracas (Venezuela) y en Karachi (Pakistán). Como acontecimiento mundial, el Foro de Bamako participa de la dinámica global del Foro Social Mundial que quiere ser un espacio de concertación y diálogo de intercambios de información y experiencias, de luchas y resistencias pero también y sobre todo de propuesta de alternativas creíbles y viables, para una mejor toma en consideración de las iniciativas en favor de la construcción de “otro Mundo posible”.

Continue Reading…

Le Conseil de la Ligue des Etats arabe a adopté, le 14 septembre 1994, la Charte arabe des droits de l’homme. Le texte comporte un préambule et quarante-trois articles. Trois Etats arabes ont exprimé leur approbation concernant cette Charte: l’Irak, le Qatar et la Syrie. Seul l’ancien régime irakien l’a signée! Trois autres Etats ont fait des réserves: le Bahreïn, les Emirats arabes unis et le Soudan.

Traduit de l’arabe par Mohammed Amin Al-Midani, Président du Centre arabe pour l’éducation au droit international humanitaire et aux droits humains (ACIHL). [Ce texte a été publié dans la Revue Universelle des Droits de l'Homme, vol. 7, n° 4-6, 23 juin 1995. Il figure dans l'ouvrage Vers un système arabe de protection des droits de l'homme : la Charte arabe des droits de l'homme, édité en mai 2002, à Lyon, par le Centre Arabe pour l'Education au Droit International Humanitaire et aux droits Humains (ACIHL) et l'Institut des Droits de l'Homme de Lyon].

Les gouvernements des Etats membres de la Ligue des Etats arabes,

Continue Reading…

INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND
HEGEMONY UNDER A GLOBALISED NETWORKED CAPITALISM
The role of research, documentation, communication

Peter Waterman
September 2005

Do international labour studies conferences constitute privileged places for moving forward the dialogue between the ‘old’ labour and union institutions, on the one hand, and the ‘new’ global justice movement, on the other? Drawing from earlier experience, this paper begins with the assumption that this is the case. Part 1 was written as an exercise of preparation for the International Colloquium on Anti-Globalism, Amsab/Institute of Social History, Ghent, Belgium, September 9, 2005. It has been only marginally edited. Part 2 was written after the event and suggests that more than such places are necessary. The old, established and traditional social movement (developed under a national industrial capitalism, institutionalised, Westocentric, incorporated into old understandings about and with capital, state and ‘development’) needs to take congnisance of its relative power and privilege. And it then needs to make space for something that might be relatively marginal and weak but that nonetheless comes out of a globalised and networked capitalism. The ‘movement of movements’ proposes new understandings of the world; it identifies new arenas of dispute with the hegemonic forces; and it suggests new forms of dialogue between social movements.

See the rest of this text by downloading this pdf-text.

Un rappel: 16 décembre 1966 l’Assemblée générale (de l’ONU) dans sa résolution 2200 A (XXI) a adopté et ouvert à la signature, à la ratification et à l’adhésion le Pacte international relatif aux droits économiques, sociaux et culturels PIDESC.

(A voir aussi – avec d’autres informations – sur le site UNHCHR de l’ONU).

Préambule
Les Etats parties au présent Pacte,
Considérant que, conformément aux principes énoncés dans la Charte des Nations Unies, la reconnaissance de la dignité inhérente à tous les membres de la famille humaine et de leurs droits égaux et inaliénables constitue le fondement de la liberté, de la justice et de la paix dans le monde,

Reconnaissant que ces droits découlent de la dignité inhérente à la personne humaine,

Reconnaissant que, conformément à la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme, l’idéal de l’être humain libre, libéré de la crainte et de la misère, ne peut être réalisé que si des conditions permettant à chacun de jouir de ses droits économiques, sociaux et culturels, aussi bien que de ses droits civils et politiques, sont créées,

Continue Reading…

Linked to our presentation of Ziauddin Sardar – Pakistan on Jan. 20, 2006.

Linked also with our presentation of Taslima Nasreen – Bangladesh of February 2, 2006.

Also linked t our presentation of Safia Hussaini – Nigeria of October 31, 2005.

And linked with our text Moslem Protests for pictures of February 3, 2006.

And finally linked with our presentation of Ayaan Hirsi Ali – Somalia & Netherlands.

This text was written by Professor Ziauddin Sardar, and published on ISLAM FOR TODAY in June 2002 – Serious rethinking within Islam is long overdue. Muslims have been comfortably relying, or rather falling back, on age-old interpretations for much too long.

Continue Reading…

El VI Foro Social Mundial Policéntrico tendrá lugar en Bamako (Malí) y en Caracas (Venezuela) en enero de 2006; en tanto el Foro en Karachi (Pakistán) ha sido postergado.

Social Watch realizará las siguientes actividades en el II Foro Social de las Américas y VI Foro Social Mundial Policéntrico a realizarse en Caracas, Venezuela del 24 al 29 de enero de 2006.

Lanzamiento del Informe Social Watch 2005
Coordina: Cecilia Alemany (calemany@socialwatch.org)
Fecha (a confirmar): 25 de enero (2do día)

Taller Social Watch: Indicadores para la evaluación del desarrollo social
Coordinan: Daniel Macadar (dmacadar@item.org.uy) y Mariana Cabrera (marianac@item.org.uy)
Fecha (a confirmar): 26 de enero (3er día)

Taller DESC: Pobreza y Derechos Humanos
Coordina: Graciela Dede (gdede@item.org.uy)
Fecha (a confirmar): 27 de enero (4to día)

Taller: Debate sobre Políticas Públicas en América Latina: Desigualdades y Derechos
Coordina: Fernanda Carvalho (fernanda@ibase.br)
Fecha (a confirmar): 28 de enero (5to día)

Contactos de cada evento del FSM 2006 Policéntrico

Continue Reading…

United Nations, 18/01/2006 – General Assembly, WOM/1529: Department of Public Information, WOM/1529.

NOTE: FOLLOWING ARE SUMMARIES OF STATEMENTS MADE THIS MORNING TO THE COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN. A COMPLETE SUMMARY OF TODAY’S MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE.
Statements.

Background

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women had before it Togo’s combined initial, second, third, fourth and fifth reports. Having acceded to the Convention in 1983, the Government undertook to submit an initial report on the implementation of the Convention in 1984, and periodic reports every four years thereafter. Presenting its initial report more than 20 years after the ratification of the Convention, the country explains this “substantial delay” as “the result of factors beyond the control of competent authorities, who were well aware of their responsibilities in the matter”.

Continue Reading…

Aber zuerst folgendes:

Regula Stämpfli, meint in der Arenasendung/Video bzw. Arenasendung Text vom Schweizer Fernsehen: Dieser Vorfall (der Indiskretion unseres Nachrichtendienstes)  ist offenbar ein Zeichen, dass der Nachrichtendienst in der Schweiz ein grosse Misstrauen gegenüber der eigenen Regierung, Verwaltung oder dem Parlament hat. Sie fangen zwar Informationen ab, sind sich aber nicht sicher, ob die relevanten Nachrichten auch wirklich weitergeleitet werden. Sonst würde ja der normale Amtsweg eingehalten und nichts an die Öffentlichkeit gelangen.

Josef Lang betont in der gleichen Sendung: es ist traurig, das Informationen aus NGO Kreisen (Nicht-Regierungs-Organisationen), welche schon im November 2005 auf diese Miss-Stände hinwiesen (Human Rights Watch vom 7. Nov.05), sowie vom Human Rights Watch vom 9. Jan.06) von den offiziellen Medien nicht ernst genommen werden.

Mein Statement: Erst wenn Regierungsstellen mit geheimem Material unsere Rechte verteidigen, wird reagiert. Für mich besteht da eine klare Mitschuld einerseits der offiziellen Medien, welche NGOs immer noch nicht ernst genug nehmen, andererseits der Verwaltung, welche das Vertrauen nicht mehr geniesst.

Foltercamps – der Beweis, Sonntagsblick 11.1.06;

911 cd weblog vom 9.1.06;

Marcel Bartel vom 8.1.06 ist überrascht, dass dem Folterer nichts passiert, aber dem, der darüber berichtet, Strafverfolgung droht;

Continue Reading…

Die ARENA-Sendung des Schweizer Fernsehens vom Freitag, den 13. Januar 2006 diskutierte, wie jeden Freitag ein aktuelles Thema zur Politik und Gesellschaft in der Schweiz. Dieses Mal über eine CIA-Affaire und der Rolle der Schweiz.

Siehe unsere Beiträge auf englisch über Folter in unserem World Peoples Blog vom 10. Januar (Manfred Nowak), vom 16. Januar (Alfred W. McCoy) und vom 17. Januar (Silja J.A. Talvi).

Siehe auch unsere weiteren Beiträge zum Thema Folter und Menschenrechte auf unserem Blog Humanitarian Texts vom 10., 14., 15., 16. Januar 2006.

Weitere Beiträge über das Thema Folter werden folgen.

Laut einem geheimen Fax im Sonntagsblick haben die USA in Europa geheime CIA-Gefängnisse betrieben. Schadet die Indiskretion der Schweiz? Welche Rolle spielt der Schweizer Nachrichtendienst? Alle reden über das Leck, fast niemand über die Foltervorwürfe. Sollte der Bundesrat eine härtere Haltung gegenüber den USA einnehmen oder würde er damit politische Interessen gefährden?

Continue Reading…

Linked to our presentation of Alfred McCoy – USA on Jan. 16, 2006.

Alfred W. McCoy is professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is the author of Closer Than Brothers (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999), a study of the impact of torture upon the Philippine armed forces, and The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade, which made the list as one of CounterPunch’s Top 100 books of the last century.

fff.org; fortesbookclub; amazon.com;

Continue Reading…

Übersetzung nach Clayton Hallmark, 16.01.2006 – Mit den Worten: “Beide Seiten [EU-USA] stimmen darüber überein, dass … zunehmend europäische Transitanlagen zur Unterstützung der Rückkehr von verbrecherischen/unzulässigen Fremden genutzt werden …” stimmte die EU (BRD) den Gefangenenflügen der CIA zu. “europäische Transitanlagen” sind in diesem Fall Lufträume und Flughäfen, von welchen nun behauptet wird, sie währen verletzt worden. Mit der “Rückkehr” ist das, was die CIA “rendition” nennt und “verbrecherische/unzulässige Fremde” sind Personen, welche nach Guantanamo, in CIA Gefängnisse in Osteuropa und Staaten mit Folterpraxis im Mittleren Osten transferiert werden gemeint.

Continue Reading…

A map of secret prisons in Europe;

EurActiv vom 17.1.06;

Silja J.A. Talvi;

and another from Silja J.A. Talvi;

Uncle Bill Warner;

and another from Uncle Bill Warner;

the Washington monthly (many writers);

Search on many texts about tortures;

Encyclopedia.org;

Ziauddin Sardar about tortures;

Watching Torture in Prime Time, by Anne-Marie Cusac;

News Hounds, ‘we watch FOX, so you do not have to’ (with David Asman);

Dick Marty’s statement of 13.12.05;

Defining Torture Down, by Gregory;

Amazon: Truck of Fools, by Carlos Liscano;

Iran Press Services;

About Julian Cortazar, Argentine writer.