Humanitarian Texts

• 2006-03-01: My look on the Muslim world of Abu Dhabi;
  
• 2006-03-01: human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples – one;
  
• 2006-03-01: human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples – two;
• 2006-03-01: Education et développement;
• 2006-03-02: Two women and two symbols of great defiance;
  
• 2006-03-05: They do steal children in Ukraine;
  
• 2006-03-06: WAFA SULTAN – on Al-Jazeera;
  
• 2006-03-07: WAFA SULTAN – again on Al-Jazeera;
  
• 2006-03-08: Human beings first!;
• 2006-03-09: Islam must be criticised!;
• 2006-03-10: a beauty;
• 2006-03-10: NGO’s Protest for Women’s Rights in Albania;
• 2006-03-11: Euromemorandum 2005;
• 2006-03-11: What Is the Difference Between Islam and Islamism?;
• 2006-03-12: Aufholjagd im Rückwärtsgang;
• 2006-03-12: Alternative Globalizations;
• 2006-03-13: Wenigstens einmal von Washington lernen;
• 2006-03-13: Women as Global Leaders;
• 2006-03-14: How to go on with radical Islam;
  
• 2006-03-14: Democracy or Islamocracy;
  
• 2006-03-16: Some Reports about Human Rights;
  
• 2006-03-17: About Secular Humanism;
  
• 2006-03-18: Some Reasons Why (Secular) Humanists Reject The Bible;
  
• 2006-03-19: Humanism without adjectives;
  
• 2006-03-20: A voice out of Nigeria;
  
• 2006-03-21: Human Rights First Welcomes Release of Akbar Ganji, Jailed Iranian Journalist;
• 2006-03-21: Der Euro bringt Deutschland Vorteile;
• 2006-03-23: My comment to a new fatwa;
  
• 2006-03-23: an open letter from Irshad Manji;
  
• 2006-03-24: Malalai Joya’s Historical Speech in the Loya Jirga;
  
• 2006-03-25: Afghans have gone crazy, yet again;
  
• 2006-03-29: 9/11 on CNN;
  
• 2006-03-30: DALIT WOMEN: The Triple Oppression of Dalit Women in Nepal;
  
• 2006-03-31: Dalit Women and Reservation Policy.

Linked with our presentation of Durga Sob – Nepal.

And linked with our presentation of Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) – Nepal.

And also linked with our presentation of DALIT WOMEN: The Triple Oppression of Dalit Women in Nepal.

Dalit Women and Reservation Policy- by Durga Sob, President of the Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) & Former Member Secretary, National Dalit Commission.

1. Introduction

Of Nepal’s total population, the share of the Dalits is 13% . Dalit women constitute about 15% of total Nepalese women (who constitute over fifty percent of Nepal’s total population). Generally, women in Nepal have been discriminated on the basis of gender for centuries because of the defective value based society, which regards woman as second and low class human and make the subject of the exploitation and suppression. Such discrimination has lead women to their subordinate status in the society and deprived of equal participation in all governance process. Only a small group of women from elite class and caste have access to power-playing centers. The Dalit women are nowhere in the race or are far behind in the race.

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Linked with our presentation of Durga Sob – Nepal.

And linked with our presentation of Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) – Nepal.

by Durga Sob, president of the Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO) in Kathmandu, Nepal, on the Asian Human Rights Commission & Human Rights Solidarity.

Background

Nepal is a country characterised not only by biodiversity but also by socio-cultural diversity. Meanwhile, Nepalese political and social life is primarily dominated by the Hindu religion, which divides Hindu society into four varnas, namely, Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras. Over a period of time, casteism developed a rigid hierarchical society with the purity and pollution of castes. In this manufactured caste hierarchy, Brahmins lie at the top, and Sudras, or Dalits, lie at the bottom of society.

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A postsriptum at the beginning: March 31, 2006, reported in french by ReseauVoltaire: Assassination of one of the actif members of The «Scholars for 9/11 Truth» rejected the official version, Michael Zebuhr !

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To reveal that a ‘good truth’ is not good but a bad one, hiding behind even so crazy unjust bad events, that we feel, we cannot stand it … then we are shocked. The last shock is made these days to the kind, normal, hard working American people are discussions started on an American Media station, having now their Homepage named WANTtoKNOW.info.

I can understand the shock this discussion may raise, we in Switzerland had the same some years ago about the Swiss Nazi Gold our Government was handling with, and we, the so nice people, had no information about (or had not looked at the writings of our historians, as their revelations/texts remained in some shelter and no media had the courage to spread them, at its time).

Now, for the 9/11 bad-theories, we here in Europe have some advance, as already 25% of the Germans believe that this big event was made by a small ‘dark group’ of Americans, and never by Osama Bin Laden (even if this other crazy guy is delighted to be told as autor). There exist several books in German about (one of Andreas Bülow, moving in the realm of the German ‘CIA’, Die CIA und der 11. September, ISBN 3-492-04545-6), another having a CD-rom with all pictures for discussions (die Bildbeweise, I am searching the no.).

Just click here below on one of the hyperlinks, or paste the URLs into your browser:

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Found on a lovely blog named Blogger’s Kashmir, from an IDP out of the Indian part of Kashmir:

by Puneet, First it was hammering the Buddha statues, then came 9/11 and patronage to Bin Laden. Now the news is that Abdul Rehman is being given a death verdict for having converted to Christianity 16 years ago. I am baffled and it baffles a common mind. What is happening? Why do you want to execute an innocent man? For what?

When ever I talk to any Muslim, anywhere in the world, they have the same words. Islam is a tolerant religion. It does not believe in conversions and coercions. Even people like Geelani say that it is a sin to kill the innocent people, even from other religions. But what on the earth is happening here. And we are not talking of one person or a clerk. We are talking about the whole administration, whole country after the blood of this man.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful for the Muslims of the civilized world, or a country or from a small city to take a procession and denounce such a barbaric desire. Can they come out tell the world that this is not right and let them be heard. For these are not pictures but the life of a human being who, I hear, Prophet Mohammed would have loved anyway. Please help that guy and tell the Afghans that they are crazy!!! I am sure with the world pressure nothing will happen to this guy but you get to decide where you stand. Puneet.

Linked to our presentation of Malalai Joya – Afghanistan, and The Hamoon Health Center in Afghanistan.

Malalai Joya’s Historical Speech in the Loya Jirga, Loya Jirga Meeting, Kabul, Afghanistan, December 17, 2003:

My name is Malalai Joya from Farah Province. By the permission of the esteemed attendees, and by the name of God and the colored-shroud martyrs of the path of freedom, I would like to speak for couple of minutes.

My criticism on all my compatriots is that why are they allowing the legitimacy and legality of this Loya Jerga come under question with the presence of those felons who brought our country to this state.

I feel pity and I feel very sorry that those who call Loya Jerga an infidel basis equivalent to blasphemy after coming here their words are accepted, or please see the committees and what people are whispering about. The chairman of every committee is already selected. Why do you not take all these criminals to one committee so that we see what they want for this nation. These were those who turned our country into the nucleus of national and international wars. They were the most anti-women people in the society who wanted to [makes pause] who brought our country to this state and they intend to do the same again. I believe that it is a mistake to test those already being tested. They should be taken to national and international court. If they are forgiven by our people, the bare- footed Afghan people, our history will never forgive them. They are all recorded in the history of our country.

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Linked with our presentation of Irshad Manji – Canada & Uganda.

She writes in an open letter: The Trouble with Islam Today is an open letter from me, a Muslim voice of reform, to concerned citizens worldwide — Muslim and not. It’s about why my faith community needs to come to terms with the diversity of ideas, beliefs and people in our universe, and why non-Muslims have a pivotal role in helping us get there.

The themes I’m exploring with the utmost honesty include:

the inferior treatment of women in Islam;
the Jew-bashing that so many Muslims persistently engage in; and
the continuing scourge of slavery in countries ruled by Islamic regimes.
I appreciate that every faith has its share of literalists. Christians have their Evangelicals. Jews have the ultra-Orthodox. For God’s sake, even Buddhists have fundamentalists.

But what this book hammers home is that only in Islam is literalism mainstream.Which means that when abuse happens under the banner of Islam, most Muslims have no clue how to dissent, debate, revise or reform.

The Trouble with Islam Today shatters our silence. It shows Muslims how we can re-discover Islam’s lost tradition of independent thinking — a tradition known as “ijtihad” — and re-discover it precisely to update Islam for the 21st century. The opportunity to update is especially available to Muslims in the West, because it’s here that we enjoy precious freedoms to think, express, challenge and be challenged without fear of state reprisal. In that sense, the Islamic reformation begins in the West.

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Linked with the presentation of Irshad Manji – Canada & Uganda.

On March 15, 2005, Irshad Manji publishes on her website ‘Muslim-Refusenik‘ a new fatwa against her and those having signed the Manifesto of the 12, which is reproduced here after:

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THE MANIFESTO OF 12:

Together facing the new totalitarianism

After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new global totalitarian threat: Islamism.

We — writers, journalists and public intellectuals — call for resistance to religious totalitarianism.

Instead, we call for the promotion of freedom, equal opportunity and secular values worldwide.

The necessity of these universal values has been revealed by events since the publication of the Muhammad drawings in European newspapers. This struggle will not be won by arms, but in the arena of ideas. What we are witnessing is not a clash of civilizations, nor an antagonism of West versus East, but a global struggle between democrats and theocrats.

Like all totalitarianisms, Islamism is nurtured by fears and frustrations. The preachers of hate bet on these feelings in order to form battalions destined to impose a world of inequality. But we clearly and firmly state: nothing, not even despair, justifies the choice of obscurantism, totalitarianism and hatred.
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Verknüpft mit unserer englischen Präsentation von Beatrice Weder di Mauro – Switzerland & Italian.

F.A.Z.-Gespräch vom 16. Juni 2005 – Der Euro ist ins Gerede gekommen. Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Professorin an der Universität Mainz und Mitglied im Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung, analysiert im Gespräch mit der F.A.Z. seine Vorteile.

Frau Weder di Mauro, hat der Euro Deutschland geschadet?

Nein. Er hat Deutschland ebenso wie den anderen Ländern Europas genutzt.

Warum? Viele Politiker machen den Euro verantwortlich für die wirtschaftliche Schwäche in Deutschland.

Das ist einfach ein Mißverständnis. Die Politik der Europäischen Zentralbank hat für Deutschland zu historisch niedrigen Zinsen geführt. Wir sprechen von einem inflationsbereinigten Realzins von etwa 0,5 Prozent. Man kann die Geldpolitik nicht für die Investitionsschwäche in Deutschland verantwortlich machen. Dafür sind andere Gründe verantwortlich.

An welche Gründe denken Sie?

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Press Release March 20, 2006 – Human Rights First welcomes the release this past weekend of jailed Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji. Mr. Ganji served a six-year prison sentence in reprisal for publishing numerous articles and a book that implicate government officials in the murder of Iranian intellectuals and writers in the 1990s.

Akbar Ganji was unexpectedly granted his release a few days prior to the anticipated end of his sentence, apparently in honor of the Iranian New Year. The journalist has evidently lost a great deal of weight and is in poor health, and will receive medical treatment.

In his writings and interviews, Mr. Ganji has criticized the election process in Iran, spoken out against the use of torture in Iran’s prisons, and called for the release of all political prisoners, including imprisoned journalists and students. For refusing to recant his statements or cease his advocacy for basic rights, he spent much of the past six years being held in what amount to punitive prison conditions, with insufficient food and medical care, and often in solitary confinement without access to his lawyer or family.

Thousands of supporters took part in Human Rights First’s campaign on behalf of Akbar Ganji, joining numerous human rights organizations, the European Union and President Bush in calling for his immediate release. In conversation with Mr. Ganjji’s wife last month, she expressed her deep appreciation for the constant support of individuals and organization around the world.

While Human Rights First celebrates Akbar Ganji’s release from prison, we remain deeply concerned for the freedom and safety of human rights defenders in Iran, who continue to face grave threats and harassment in retaliation for speaking out.

Akbar Ganji was recently nominated for the 2006 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders:

links:

Announcement of the nominees for the Martin Ennals Award 2006;

Akbar Ganji Subjected to Harsh Prison Conditions in Iran.

The Yahoogroup WorldCitizen (see also this web) debates about this World and how to make it a better place. I would like to present you a voice out of this chat, comming from Nigeria. Dayo Adeagbo writes:

The need for the development of the naturally blessed nations of Africa especially Nigeria is not the aid or funds from any industrialised or developed world. Nigeria oil is one of the best oil in the world, the soil of Nigeria is blessed above measure that practically every plant can germinate on it without the aid of any artificial fertiliser. There are so many untapped natural resources in Nigeria.

To the best of my knowledge the largest oil investment of Royal Dutch Shell is in Nigeria. The Nation Nigeria contribute immensely to the world market especially oil market and there are other means by which the Government earn money.

So it will be unwise to ask any nation for aid or funds for the development of a nation like this. The only thing that is lacking is the good governance that can be led by a good leader. The truth also remain that some leader even in the developed world connive with the corrupt leaders of Africa to trade the future of their people.

If the leaders of so call developed world are so interested in the development of Africa, it is difficult to believe the campaign of these countries, because all of the money that are stolen from Africa are kept in the custody of the developed world like Swiss bank, properties that can survive millions of Africans are own by these greedy and corrupt leaders of Africa on the very soil of the developed world and there is nothing done to check mate this evil been perpetrated by the evil leaders in Africa. The west allow this to go on unchecked.

Well i am not too fast in international policies that has to do with such matter but i think there is a law that frown against money laundering internationally and this can be use against these leaders. The west need to do a real help and to pretend to help this continent while they parley with these corrupt leaders.

There is need for this because where there is hunger and injustice there can hardly be peace that is been proclaimed by us all.

It is clear that what Africa need from the industrialised and developed world is not aid or funds of any type……..the continent is too rich to be poor but for the greedy leaders. Peace an Unity, Dayo, WSA.

My comment: just right, we cannot say it better.

And a link out of this WorldCitizenYahooGroup: Jack Knight, songwriter of Pennsylvania.

ROBERT ASHBY, Executive Director of the British Humanist Association but speaking here in his personal capacity, suggests that we need neither religious nor anti-religious humanism (see his site).

This conference is timely, and has the potential to be important – thank you to the organisers, and let us hope that a deeper dialogue between branches of the humanist family can be established.

This meeting in Friends House is located rather appropriately. The Quakers have long been friendly to humanists of all persuasions. The last surviving Ethical Society at Conway Hall is but a short walk away, as are the site of the Positivist Church of Humanity (Rugby Street, operating between 1870 and 1932), and most importantly the site of Ronge’s Humanistic Association in Tavistock Square. There, between 1854 and 1856, one would have found the first self-styled humanist organisation in Britain.

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By Joseph C. Sommer – This article sets forth some reasons why Humanists assert that the Bible is not the word of God. Humanists are convinced that the Bible was written solely by human beings who lived in an age that was ignorant, superstitious, and cruel. Humanists also believe that, because the writers of the Bible were people who lived in an unenlightened and barbaric era, they produced a book which contains many erroneous statements and harmful teachings.

A lot of criticism is directed at Humanists because they hold those positions about the Bible. Some critics of the Humanist philosophy go so far as to say that Humanists are evil or are agents of the devil. Hopefully, this article will provide some clarification as to the real reasons that Humanists have the views that they do about the Bible.

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Following the links about secular humanism found in Shy David’s Blog:

”There seems to be a terrible misunderstanding on the part of a great many people to the effect that when you cease to believe [in god/s] you may cease to behave.” — Louis Kronenberger, Company Manners. There are damn few Secular Humanists in the world, though their numbers are very slowly growing. The world needs more of them, many more.

Links to Texts about Secular Humanism:

Humanist Manifestos I And II – American Humanist Association;

What is humanism? – by Frederick Edwords Executive Director, American Humanist Association;

A humanist declaration of peace – Throughout the ages, people of conscience have pondered the brutalizing character of war and the denial of human worth which it occasions;

The Declaration of a Global Ethic – The world is in agony. The agony is so pervasive and urgent that we are compelled to name its manifestations so that the depth of this pain may be made clear;

Humanism with a capital “H” – “Has ‘humanism,’ like ‘motherhood,’ peace,’ ‘brotherhood,’ and ‘democracy,’ become so honorific a term that it is avowed even by those who do not believe in it? And, in being co-opted, will it then be undermined?”.

Positive Humanism – By Gerald A. Larue, Ph.D. There is a certain aspect of Humanism that inspires a Humanist to debunk the superstitious and simplistic assumptions of pseudoscience and organized religion.

The Promise of Humanism – By Frederick Edwords. Every religion has its promise, the special reward it offers to the faithful. Such a promise is often the main feature that attracts outsiders in. As such, it can become a primary selling point and motivator;

Reasons – Some Reasons Why Humanists Reject The Bible. By Joseph C. Sommer (see text on March 18, 2006);

Life is to be lived now, a vital, personal Humanism – That the focus of discussion of Humanism has been largely on the Manifestos is unfortunate, since such discussion hides the vital and personal Humanism that means so much in the individual lives of so many.

To be downloaded:

Ukraine : Anti-AIDS Efforts Undermined by Rights Abuses, Human Rights Watch, pdf, 88 pages.

Libya : A Threat to Society ? Arbitrary Detention of Women and Girls for “Social Rehabilitation”, Human Rights Watch, pdf, 43 pages.

Darfur Bleeds : Recent Cross-Border Violence in Chad, Human Rights Watch, pdf, 17 pages.

United-Kingdom, Human rights : a broken promise, Amnesty International, pdf, 81 pages.

Secret Detention and transport of detainees suspected of terrorist acts, Council of Europe, pdf, 44 pages.

Globalization, Human Rights and Democracy, The Cato Institute, pdf, 5 pages.

From the United States Government Accountability Office GAO: Electronic Government – Agencies Face Challenges in Implementing New Federal Employee Identification Standard, pdf, 60 pages.

Linked with out presentations of Mehdi Mozaffari – Iran & Denmark, and Linked with our presentations How to go on with radical Islam, and What Is the Difference Between Islam and Islamism? .

By Dr. Mehdi Mozaffari – PARIS 26, Mar. (IPS) “It is astonishing that each time claims on freedom of speech, free elections and gender equality strongly arises, Arab and Muslim leaders immediately resort to counter attacks, considering these claims to be in contradiction with their culture and identity. What they are saying is actually that despotism and repression is more conform to Islamic and Arab values than democracy and liberty”, according to an Iranian scholar in Denmark. (Read this on Iran Press Service).

In an article carried out on Thursday by the Paris-based “Iran va Jahan” (Iran and the World) internet news service, Dr. Mehdi Mozzaffari of the Aarhus University of Copenhagen counters despotic leaders in the Arab Middle East and Muslim world arguing that democracy should not be imposed from the outside, saying “If demands for change come from the outside, it is because nothing has been done in this direction by Middle Eastern autocrats who have been holding on to power for decades”.

”Instead of a Philadelphian inspired democracy, they (Arab and Muslim leaders) are looking for “Islamocracy”, or Islam and democracy. “Islamic democracy” as president (Mohammad) Khatami of Iran formulated it means selection instead of election, a parliament without real attributes, a judiciary without independence, political parties without liberty, and mass communication without a voice”, he pointed out.

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Linked with our presentation of Mehdi Mozaffari – Iran & Denmark, and
What Is the Difference Between Islam and Islamism?, and Democracy or Islamocracy.

By Mehdi Mozaffari – We need a cognitive approach to Islamism by conceiving it as a totalitarian ideology (see on History News Network).

A clear and full internalization of the fact that Islamism is an ideology and not a religion will purify the whole question from a variety of difficulties. In many ways, Islamism is like an octopus. We have to aim directly at the head in stead of wasting our time and energy to deal with the complicated body. By evacuating religious contents from Islamism, we change our direction from theology to ideology, from religion to politics. In this way, we put forward the real face and real nature of Islamism. The Muslims, especially among the young people, who are potentially ready to give their lives for the sake of Islamist ideals, will find out that their struggle is not a part of a religious duty but purely an ideological and political one emanating from a dangerous utopia.

We also need an international tactical or ethical consensus. This is especially needed in the Western hemisphere. The reason for such a consensus is motivated by the fact that often some western political parties and leaders use anti-Islamic rhetoric for political purposes. This policy is not productive, and it can be dangerous.

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The conference has reached full capacity. If you have not previously registered or if you are not in possession of an official invitation, you will not be admitted, the Zayed University welcomes delegates from 87 countries.

Guess where it is, this conference! Yes, in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. I would like to see what is coming out of it. If you have access to texts …

Here the Session Schedule.

Women as Global Leaders Conference, Zayed University, P.O. Box 19282, Dubai, UAE. And wagl2006@zu.ac.ae.

Verknüpft mit unserer Präsentation von John Grahl – England.

Währungsunion: Die EU versagt, aber sie merkt es nicht, by Johl Grahl. (Siehe Eurozine).

Die Europäische Union kommt nicht aus ihrer politischen und wirtschaftlichen Krise heraus, solange sie konservativ, dogmatisch und antidemokratisch ist. Alternativen liegen auf der Hand – so zeigt ein Blick über den Atlantik, dass sich die Politik einer Zentralbank auch an Wachstum und Beschäftigung orientieren kann.

Eine der größten Schwächen in der ganzen Anlage der Europäischen Union, die der Zusammenbruch des Verfassungsvertrags auf dramatische Weise offenbar gemacht hat, liegt darin, dass sie eine Reform sehr schwer, ja nahezu unmöglich macht. Obwohl neue Politikfelder und neue Strukturen dazukommen können, werden die alten Strukturen und Strategien praktisch nie korrigiert oder abgeschafft. Während in den einzelnen EU-Staaten die Ablösung einer Regierungspartei dazu führen kann, dass erfolglose Maßnahmen und Gesetze revidiert oder rückgängig gemacht werden, ist in der EU das Vergangene stets in den “Acquis” gemeißelt. Und dieser “Besitzstand” aller jemals vereinbarten Regeln und Gesetze wird endlos bestätigt und gegen Kritik abgeschirmt, auch wenn die Kritik noch so berechtigt ist.

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Linked with our presentaion of Patrick Brantlinger – USA.

Linked to our presentations of Corporate America’s New Golden Rules.

1. What Is Globalization?:

In Understanding Media (1964), Marshall McLuhan announced that the electronic mass media were transforming the world into a “global village.” (See a Position Paper by Patrick Brantlinger and Janet Sorensen, for the Progressive Faculty Coalition of Indiana University).

By the mid-1980s, the word “globalization” was itself rapidly going global. Today it is central in debates about the world dominance of transnational corporate capitalism, the nature of “postcolonial” and “postmodern” experience, and the futures of both the West and the rest of the planet. Among many other issues, globalization raises the question of the evolution of a uniform or mass consumer culture across the world (McDonalds and Wal-Marts everywhere). But the increasing poverty of much of the so-called Third World means that billions of people are excluded from the commodified consumer culture associated with the West. After all, how many Liberians, Afghans, or Guatemalans can afford to purchase new SUVs or even Nikes?
”Globalization” most often refers to the rise to global dominance of transnational corporations such as Nike, Wal-Mart, General Motors, Mitsubishi, and Philip Morris. “The biggest transnational companies,” writes sociologist Anthony Giddens, “have budgets larger than those of all but a few nations” (70). Of the world’s largest one hundred economies, fifty-two are now transnational corporations. Wal-Mart’s assets are worth twice as much as those of New Zealand or Peru; Philip Morris outranks the Czech Republic and Algeria. Misubishi is bigger than Saudi Arabia (Anderson 68; Korten 210). These corporate giants are not (yet?) replacing nation-states as the new ruling powers of the world, though some have argued that they have already done so.

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Verknüpft mit unserer Präsentation von John Grahl – England.

Von John Grahl, Professor für Human Resources Management an der Middlesex University:

der Artikel kann unter diesem Link heruntergeladen werden.

Linked with our presentation of Mehdi Mozaffari – Iran & Denmark, and How to go on with radical Islam, and Democracy or Islamocracy.

By Melvin E. Matthews, Jr., Mr. Matthews is a free-lance writer. (see on History News Network, on Sept. 8, 2003).

In the immediate aftermath of the September 11 tragedy, one commentator noted that the attacks climaxed almost two decades of terrorist acts committed in the name of Islam–a bloody, violent era that began with the suicide bombings against American and French peacekeeping forces in Beirut in 1983. The commentator, Martin Kramer, noted:

Islam is no more inclined to terrorism than any other monotheistic faith. Like its sisters, Christianity and Judaism, it can be both merciful and stern in practice; like them, it also teaches the love of God and the humanity of all mankind, believers and unbelievers alike. In times past, Islam has served as the bedrock of flourishing, tolerant, and peaceful orders.

Having said that, Kramer went on to say:

But sociologists will say that a religion, at any point in time, is whatever its adherents understand it to be. If that is so, then Islam, as understood by too many Muslims, is in danger of deteriorating into a manifesto for terror. The reason: Too many Muslims have been silent in the face of horrific deeds committed by an extremist minority.

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Linked with our presentation of Johl Grahl – England.

Demokratische Politik gegen die Herrschaft der Märkte, Vorschläge für eine integrierte Entwicklungsstrategie in Europa, Euromemorandum 2005 – November 2005.

Zusammenfassung:

Einleitung

1 Wirtschaftliche und soziale Entwicklungen in der EU

1.1 Das Scheitern der Lissabon-Strategie – Gesamtwirtschaftliche Entwicklungen

1.2 Mehr Ungleichheit, dauerhafte Armutsrisiken – Soziale Entwicklungen

2 Die „Denkpause” nutzen – Zur Überredung der Öffentlichkeit oder zur Veränderung der Politik?

3 Neoliberale Kontinuität statt Korrektur – Kritik der Wirtschafts- und Sozialpolitik

3.1 Die Perspektive wird enger – Zurück zum Kern des Neoliberalismus

3.2 Gekappte Ambitionen – Die Revision der Lissabon-Strategie

3.3 Nachrangig und ohne gesellschaftliche Kontrolle – Europäische Sozialpolitiken

3.4 Keine Antwort auf die Herausforderungen – Energiepolitik

3.5 Ineffizient und eine Gefahr für den Wohlstand – Privatisierungspolitik

3.6 Kontraproduktive Pläne für weitere Kürzungen – Der Haushalt der EU

3.7 Handelspolitik – Zu liberal

4 Für eine integrierte Entwicklungsstrategie in Europa – Vorschläge für Alternativen

4.1 Die Perspektive erweitern – Dimensionen des Europäischen Sozialmodells

4.2 Gesamtwirtschaftliche Weichenstellung für nachhaltiges Wachstum und Vollbeschäftigung

4.3 Politik gegen Armut und für Mindeststandards – Empfehlungen zur Sozialpolitik

4.4 Schritte zu einem nicht-fossilen Energieregime – Umweltpolitik

4.5 Ein größerer Haushalt mit gerechterer Finanzierung – Finanzperspektiven für die EU

Hier der Link zum Lesen des Euromemorandum 2005.

Linked with our presentation of Sevim Arbana – Albania.

and linked with our presentation NGOs and Groups working for Albania.

Published on See Oneworld:

On March 8, the International Women Day, Albanian NGO’s organized one of the biggest protests for women’s rights in history of Albania. The protest, which included major women’s rights organizations, youth and children organizations, took place in the main Boulevard of Tirana, was initiated by the ‘Useful to Albanian Women’ Association, a major women’s rights organization in the country, and was supported by the Children’s Human Rights Centre of Albania, Albanian Center for Population and Development, CISP, Center for Legal and Civic Initiatives and many other civil society organizations.

The protest, which started at 10.00 o’clock, had as its main motto ‘Women make history every day’. The aim of the protest was to raise awareness on women’s rights, violence against women, participation of women in politics etc. More than 200 people participated in the protest, which also used two helicopters for the distribution of informing materials throughout Tirana.

The protest started at ‘Mother Theresa’ square and moved slowly towards the
President’s office, Parliament and Prime-minister’s offices (all situated at
'Deshmoret e Kombit’ Boulevard in Tirana). Meanwhile the organizations which
participated in the protest held several banners calling for action.

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A gift from Ilana Yahav, of sandfantasy.com, for some moments of beauty:

Just click on one of the clips!