Thursday, March 31, 2011

R2P - The responsibility to protect

(ES)

Dear Mr. Araud:

Through this allow me to express my concern about the situation in Cote d'Ivoire.

With over one million displaced and hundreds of civilian casualties, Cote d'Ivoire is experiencing the worst moments in recent history.

I would ask you, as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations, and taking into account that since last May has assumed the presidency of the Security Council, do everything in its power to guarantee protection of civilians throughout the territory of Cote d'Ivoire and not only in Abidjan. That is made every effort to avoid a civil war and to respect the democratic will of the people of Cote d'Ivoire. Strengthen the mission of UNOCI and UNMIL to ensure that Security Council resolutions are implemented in full, and in turn prevent the extension of the conflict in neighboring Liberia. Take the necessary measures to prevent the media be used to incite publicly hatred and violence. Also ask you to promote internationally all necessary measures that allow not to go unpunished the violence and all its consequences, and all those who commit human rights violations will be accountable to justice and will be forced to face the consequences of their actions.

On the other hand, referring to the situation of refugees, I would ask you to do everything in its power for neighboring countries in the area remain allowing to refugees to cross their borders, and to ensure these recipient countries make available essential tools to meet the immediate needs of the people arriving, giving them shelter, food or medical services, not to mention education for children. All with the help of appropriate humanitarian agencies since the resources of neighboring countries are scarce, and if the conflict continues we will face ourselves to a humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions.

Finally, let me ask you to make every effort to ensure that the international community will help to pacify the country by disarming militias and it will facilitate the return of refugees to their homes.

Sincerely,


TAKE ACTION:


E-mail this post to the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations (france@franceonu.org)



Sunday, March 27, 2011

Violence and indifference

(ES)

Côte d'Ivoire: UNHCR report 1.5 million displaced by conflict


The conflict in Côte d'Ivoire has caused the displacement of a million people in Abidjan, said the UN Agency for Refugees (UNHCR).


The spokeswoman in Geneva for the agency, Melissa Fleming, said that another 500,000 Ivorians have fled their homes in the West.


"Families fleeing the conflict areas have told our people that are afraid of being caught in the crossfire or be hit by stray bullets. Others say they can not afford the financial situation, because banks and businesses have closed and this has caused unemployment ", said Fleming.


She added that the bus terminals are full of passengers desperate to go to areas where there were no clashes.


There are many similarities between the conflicts in Libya and in Côte d'Ivoire. In both cases it has been usurped the will of the people expressed through free and democratic elections in Côte d'Ivoire, and through a peaceful revolution in Libya, as happened in other surrounding countries.


The violence between the militia of the ousted president and the president-elect, and the violent repression exerted by a dictator, has led to the murder of thousands of civilians and the flee of over one million refugees that are crowded at borders and camps to escape the violence.


VIOLENCE.


The international response to conflict in Libya, backed by the Security Council of the UN, is to establish a no-fly zone and the authorization to employ all necessary measures to protect civilians. This has resulted in new shelling by the International Coalition, causing further displacement of civilians fleeing the violence. Resolution 1973 (2011).

VIOLENCE.


The international response to the conflict in Côte d'Ivoire, backed by the Security Council of the UN, is to temporarily reassign resources from the UN mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to the mission in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI). Resolution 1968 (2011).

These are some testimonies from refugees who arrive in the UNHCR camps in Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia


In Jazon we collect the testimony of two girls who claimed to have witnessed the murder of their father by gunmen during the fighting, while his mother has disappeared. UNHCR is taking care of the children of 9 and 16 years old and hope to locate the whereabouts of their mother through our partners in the field.


Four people drowned while crossing the Cavally river to enter Liberia when his boat sank. There were two older men and a woman with her baby, according to an 18-year-old who survived the incident.


A boy of five died of malaria and severe respiratory infection in Janzon's clinic. The child had probably contracted these diseases during their flight in the forest.


VIOLENCE

I do not think violence is the answer to any conflict, unless the purpose is to perpetuate it. Only mutual understanding and negotiation are effective for solving them.

I neither expect nor want a strong action by the international community through military means in Côte d'Ivoire, but I harbor the hope that at least does not become one of many forgotten conflicts. We have the Responsibility to Protect (R2P).


"We must try to explain why today's world, that it's horrible, is nothing more than a moment in the long historical development, that hope has always been one of the dominant forces of revolution and insurrection, and how I still feel hope as my conception of the future "
 
Sartre, JP, "Maintenant l'espoir ... (III)", Le Nouvel Observateur, March 24, 1980.

Violence and indifference are the death of hope.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

A history of broken dreams

(ES)

Recent history is a history of broken dreams.

A history in which the forces of nature unfortunately are allied with dictators to remove prominence at the expense of its massacred people. A history of contagious revolutions that Western medicine is concerned with heal by removing the power to the decrepit dictators, giving way to the welfare being produced by democratic health. Or that in some cases only gives a placebo of warm threats while asking second opinions, and looks for who justifies the application of a treatment. It all depends on economic interests, which act as a vaccine that immunizes Western leaders and attenuates the pain they suffer for the murder of civilians.

At times, it seems that chaos takes over our entire existence, because the succession of news does not give even one breath.

The media, squeezing their covers, to the point that the news of civilian deaths at the hands of the dictator who rules them, in response to what began as a peaceful revolution and is now an open war, has been displaced by another tragic story whose main character is the force of nature; that reminds us that we are only human, and that our creations can not compete with unsurpassed power. A enormous wave that has swept the dreams of their victims.

A wave that has swept everything in its path, including news of the thousands of refugees crowded into camps hoping to escape the violence. A wave that has swept from our minds the democratic dreams of unconcluded revolutions.

This is the consumerist society in which we live, that drives us to consume without limit, including information provided to us by powerful media that broadcast interests and opinions of their boards, not the majority.

Many waves have passed, dreams and memories erased. But forget those who have seen their dreams broken is like definitely denying the opportunities have been seized.

The paradox of an interconnected global world is that half the world's misery does not seriously affect the welfare of the other half. So the indifference is the worst medicine for this sick world.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The wisdom of Destiny

(ES)

As specified in Article 1 of Organic Law 1 / 2004 of 28 December on Integral Protection Measures against Gender Violence approved by the full House of Deputies at its session on December 22, 2004:

"Objective of this law is to act against violence, as a manifestation of discrimination, the inequality and power relations of men over women, that is exercised over them by those who are or have been their spouses or those who are or have been linked to them by similar affectivity relationships, even without cohabitation. "

The power relationships of men over women, along with discrimination and inequality, are identified as o
ne of the origins for what gender violence is manifested.

The expression of gender violence at the individual level is exercised over a woman by a man, but this is just a particular case of a generic manifestation of violence in our society and has its sources also in power relations
hips, inequality and discrimination.

The power relations rule our society in all respects. Of rulers over his people, companies over their employees, the economic power over the rulers, and thus, a web of relationships where the powerful dictate their laws according to their interests that prevail over those of the majority that is under its power.

In these relationships, those accumulating power, tend to consider the rest as mere possessions subject to its will, and this is the source of any abuse, because that account only increase the inequality gap.


Quoting Amin Maalouf in his book titled Leon l'Africain:

"- Monarchs, fortunately, are exceeded at times, if not for that, would not ever fall.
And then he added, his eyes sparkling:
- The madness of princes is the wisdom of Destiny "

Indeed, if we extrapolate both sentences to any aspect of our lives, we will prove that who has the power, whatever its nature, and has been granted in whatever way, tends to corrupt themselves and that will be, at the end, the reason for his downfall.

In our society, largely governed by men, we find evidence of the power relations of the rulers over his people, leaders who agree to maintain inequalities and discrimination as a way of defending their own interests. And corrupt governments cling to that power, because it is the source of his wealth.

These power relations have marked the history of mankind and have been the cause of violent wars, while they have contributed to maintaining inequalities and discrimination among people.

Are power relations closely linked to the form of government of men?

Is it more typical of women win-win relationships in which all participants benefit not necessarily at the expense of the defeat of others?

These are difficult questions to answer for their generic statement, but perhaps the first of them can be answered indirectly.

Women, in their role as mothers, have a unique ability to preserve life.

When there is conflict and men are recruited or killed, the woman does not leave her family, even risking her own life to keep her safe.

In the most extreme cases of sexual violence, women that have b
een raped or sexually enslaved, once released, do not give up the care of their children, even those that have been engendered after the rape. Resilient women who in most cases are rejected by their husbands and left on their own, they and their children without financial means to survive.

In violent societies, where drug trafficking corrupts everything around them, only a few women dare to fight this corruption, even at the expense of losing their own life.

In democracies where shares are held of female participation in the houses of representatives, there are courageous women standing as candidates, despite receiving death threats.

Strong women who can walk for miles with a sick child in arms for healthcare.

Illiterate women that have lessons every day although their communities are against female education.

Women and working mothers who carry the double burden of work responsibilities and family responsibilities.

Women that lead peaceful revolutions fighting for a more egalitarian society.

Pro-life women above all that say no to war.

If the excesses of men by building a society that discriminates against women because of gender, shows unequal opportunities, and that effectively does not protect women who are living in it will determine his fall, I agree t
o Malouf that according to the wisdom of Destiny, women will be put in their rightful place.

The history has been written by men, that the future be writen by women.

"The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen in 1910, proclaimed Women's Day, international in character as a tribute to the movement for women's rights and to help achieve universal suffrage. Clara Zetkin's proposal was approved unanimously by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries. "

100 years of peaceful struggle.



Wednesday, March 2, 2011

From hate to revenge

(ES)

"Sometimes they respond with revengeful expressions:" I hate you, you will pay for that ", they say. Such threats are far from the many boys and girls can tell when they believe really feel or perceive they are victims of injustice. For example, occurs when a boy tells his father or his mother "I hate you", with no message of revenge. In this case, actually is expressing his helplessness before what he believes is an injustice "

Pequeños Tiranos - Alicia Banderas.


Children and adolescents often develop a sense of justice very marked. His rebellious nature, coupled with that feeling, makes them extreme defenders of what they consider fair. Sometimes their actions are motivated by a mixture of inexperience and conflicting feelings that do not quit
e know how to handle.

Who in their adolescence has not yet acted on impulse, knowing that their actions could be subject to punishment?


In late January 2011, according to information provided by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) and the detention facilities of the Israeli army:
  • 222 Palestinian children (between 12 and 17) were arrested by the Israeli army.
  • 34 children between 12 and 15 years were arrested and tried by Israeli military courts.
  • Currently there are no girls in detention. A 15 years-old girl in Hebron was released on January 27.
  • The most common charge is the throwing of stones.

Currently there
are no children in administrative detention, ie detention without charge or trial. On January 4, after nearly 12 months of administrative detention in Ofer prison, was released a 17-year-old who was stopped at a checkpoint by the Israeli army.

January 21, Mahmoud, a 10 year old boy was arrested, beaten, taken to police station and interr
ogated by Israeli police without their parents being present, which is not allowed in Israeli civil law. When his uncle came to take him, the police said: "Take him, but next time we'll send him to Al Mascabiyya and you know how things are there." The interrogation center at Mascabiyya has a reputation as a place where Palestinians are tortured. Mahmoud is 10 years old.

These data are extracted from the "Detention Bulletin January 2011" that compiles monthly since 2008 the NGO Defence for Children International (DCI). In the past 3 years, a monthly average of 300 children between 12 and 17 have been arrested by the Israeli army and police.


Claim to have suffered beatings, humiliation, threats, prolonged isolation in prison, sensory deprivation, interrogation without the assistance of lawyers and without the presence of their parents, coerced into signing statements in Hebrew, but is entitled to receive family visits every two weeks , are denied permits and go for months without receiving visits, they are transferred to detention centers inside Israel, in contravention of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and thus, a long list of abuses.


On November 24, 2010, more than 60 prominent Israeli professionals signed a letter to the Prime Minister and other officials to raise concern about the violent treatment of Palestinian children in occupied territory.


Unfortunately, injustice, rage, fear, frustration, anxiety, shame, abandonment, pain, loneliness, sadness, anger, stress ... experienced by Palestinian children in the environment of everyday violence in which they grow and develop as adults, without the proper channeling of those feelings, it can only become a "I hate you, you will pay for that".


Article 37. No child shall be subjected to torture, punishment or cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and the death penalty, life imprisonment or imprisonment and detention illegal and arbitrary. Every child deprived of liberty shall be treated humanely, be separated from adults, have the right to maintain contact with his family and to have prompt access to legal or other appropriate assistance.

Article 40
. Any child who is considered the accused or convicted of violating the law is entitled to respect for fundamental rights and in particular the right to benefit from all guarantees of a fair, even to have legal or other appropriate assistance in the preparation and presentation of his defense. Whenever possible, avoid resorting to judicial proceedings and in institutions.


Convention on the Rights of the Child. ¹

¹ Ratified by Israel on October 3, 1991.

Photo credit: Awad Awad