Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH)
April 28, 2005

The Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH) is
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ARTICLES IN THIS EDITION:

1. "The American-Islamic debate shifts slowly, positively" by "Rami G.
Khouri"
Rami G. Khouri, editor-at-large for the Daily Star in Lebanon, looks at
changes in the content of American-Islamic dialogue, such as the recent
discussion on how to include Islamist parties and groups in the
democratic process in the Middle East. These small shifts, argues
Khouri, demonstrate the possibility for Arabs, Americans and Muslims to
rally around a single, shared political goal in ways that have not been
possible before.
(Source: Daily Star, April 14, 2005)

2. " Winds of change in Syria" by "Marc Gopin"
Marc Gopin, the James Laue Chair at George Mason University's Institute
for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and director of its center on
religion and diplomacy, describes his experience discussing Middle East
peace in Syria. Seeing some areas for opportunity and hope during his
visit, he offers some next steps for Israel and the United States to
continue to engage with Syria going forward.
(Source: George Mason University, April 18, 2005)

3. "What we don't know about the world: the danger of ignorance in Arab-
US relations" by "Ned Walker"
Ned Walker Jr., President of the Middle East Institute, expounds on his
experience working with the Al Ahram Center in Cairo to examine the
crisis in Arab-US relations. Feeling that deeper understanding was
required to get at this problem, the group outlined a list of
recommendations designed to set aside stereotypes and suppositions and
engage one another to face this issue.
(Source: Middle East Institute, April 10, 2005)

4. "Achieving long-term political change in the Middle East" by "Dov S.
Zakheim"
Dov S. Zakheim, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) from 2001-2004
and Search for Common Ground Board Member, looks at the direction of
political change in the region and suggests Islam and modernity and
Islam and not mutually exclusive. Instead, he provides some out-of-the-
box suggestions for a movement towards greater freedom that takes into
consideration the realities of the region.
(Source: Search for Common Ground, April 23, 2005)

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ARTICLE 1
The American-Islamic debate shifts slowly, positively
Rami G. Khouri
BEIRUT - I have spent the last three days in Doha, Qatar, participating
in a rich discussion among 150 Americans and citizens from Islamic
countries around the world, which has clarified a few important trends
in American-Islamic world relations. The center of gravity of the
public debate about the Arab-Islamic world, and between Americans and
Muslims, is slowly shifting. It is moving away from wars for regime
change and clashes of civilizations, into a discussion of democracy and
reform. Most intriguingly and significantly, a core issue in this
global debate became clearer to me and many other participants here at
the U.S.-Islamic World Forum, organized by the State of Qatar and the
Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution in
Washington, DC. It is the issue of whether, and how, to include
Islamist parties and groups in the democratic process.

As Arab and Islamic societies become more democratic, the most
credible, organized and legitimate groups in society are likely to be
Islamist parties like Hizbullah, Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. If
they are denied participation in elections, or denied incumbency if
they win, the democratic process will prove to be a sham. But, it is
also asked, can they participate in politics and share in power if they
remain armed? Significantly, the core of the debate now is not about
whether these groups should participate politically, but how they can
do so in a manner that is acceptable to all concerned.

Other dimensions of the shifting debate are also clearer these days.
These include greater stress on how to promote reform in Arab-Asian-
Islamic societies, expand the circle of participants in pluralistic,
democratic politics, adjust economic and educational policies to
support development and security, and understand better the centrality
for Arabs and Muslims of resolving the Palestine issue fairly.

Participants here frankly aired and debated their views, but in a
spirit and context that were markedly different from similar gatherings
in previous years. Democratic reforms have rapidly emerged as the
central pivot around which most of the discussion now revolves, while
the mutual criticisms and complaints remain largely the same.

Political leaders and civil society activists need to grasp and act on
this novelty: the promotion of democracy and economic reforms in Arab-
Islamic countries provides an unprecedented opportunity for people from
both societies to work together for goals they share, to redress
problems they both suffer from, and to achieve results that will
benefit them all. Never in recent generations have Arabs, Americans and
Muslims been able to rally around a single, shared political goal that
they all perceive to be legitimate, urgent, useful and practicable.

Much has happened in the three years since the September 11, 2001
attacks against targets in the U.S., the two years since the United
States used its armed forces to change the regimes in two Islamic
countries, and over a decade after the clash of civilizations question
was raised by Samuel Huntington. The small but clear shifts in the core
discourse between concerned Americans and Muslims and Arabs has been in
the making for over a decade. It has only been clarified in the past
nine months or so, due to a combination of factors. Some of the most
important ones include American-engineered deeds and failures in Iraq;
Washington's predatory, aggressive global policy since September 11,
2001, and the world's equally strong defiance and resistance to
unilateral American militarism; the slow reconciliation and revived
partnership for global action between the U.S. and Europe; more dynamic
indigenous Arab movements for democratic change and freedom in response
to collective Arab mediocrity in the governance field; a stronger
American embrace of the policy of promoting freedom and democracy;
fears about the growing scourge and expanding scope of terrorism; and,
a global emphasis on the centrality of resolving the Arab-Israeli
conflict for promoting other mutually identified goals in the Arab-
Islamic world.

The shifts are discernible but not gigantic, significant but not yet
decisive. They are important to acknowledge and nurture, however,
because they may offer the end of a thin thread that Americans, Arabs,
Asians, and Muslims can grasp and weave into a strong rope that can
pull them all out of their cycle of anger, fear, and war. This is a
challenge that will require the best of Americans and citizens and
leaders in Islamic societies.

An important element in the slow change that may be taking place in how
Americans and Arabs/Muslims deal with each other is a growing
appreciation for the fact that the rules of internal democracy in one
country must apply to relations among countries and the expansion of
democratic societies around the world. Specifically, (as many Arabs and
Muslims repeatedly told Americans here this week), all countries have
to abide by a universal set of rules and norms, just as all citizens of
a democracy should enjoy equal rights and obligations. This means that
the U.S. and Israel, for example, cannot set their own rules on issues
related to security or weapons of mass destruction proliferation, and
expect the rest of the world to accept lower standards of security or
national rights. A credible democratic culture, it was stressed here,
requires that all citizens within a state, as well as all countries in
the world, abide by common legal norms.

We are far from achieving this condition, but movement is toward that
direction, and toward closer positions, after many years of Arabs,
Americans and Muslims moving in different directions, and often
shooting each other on the way.

###
* Rami G. Khouri is a member of The Daily star staff
Source: Daily Star, April 14, 2005
Visit the Daily Star at www.dailystar.com.lb
Distributed by the Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity.
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

**********
ARTICLE 2
Winds of change in Syria
Marc Gopin
WASHINGTON, DC -- In between speaking at two seminars in Israel
regarding the future of peace and conflict in the region, I slipped out
of the country into Jordan and then on to Syria.

The trip was the brainchild of Hind Kabawat, a Syrian Canadian attorney
who I had met at the World Economic Forum. She planned with me an
unprecedented set of engagements in Damascus raising publicly for the
first time in 40 years the subject of peace in the Middle East.

We raised these issues through the lens of culture and religion, a less
threatening approach than pure political discourse, and, most
importantly, I would raise these issues as a scholar of conflict
resolution with a cultural background as a religious American Jewish
scholar.

Hind displayed a combination of intense national pride, commitment to
peace, political savvy and public relations know-how that really should
be studied as a textbook example of how to open up political dialogue
across civilizations when it has been closed for generations.

Everything was approved at the highest levels even though all the
engagements remained unofficial. I was a private citizen, but I was
greeted at the border by a representative of the minister of
information who gave me an official talk summed up by the words, "Our
president has offered a full peace to Israel and normalization of
relations."

The main public dialogue on Thursday night, January 6, 2005 - excerpts
of which were nationally televised - was attended by 300 distinguished
guests, government officials, artists, professors, professionals. It
took place in the most prestigious building of Damascus, the Assad
Library, and attendees included the American, Canadian and Swiss
ambassadors, the Syrian ambassador to the US, assistants to President
Bashar Al Assad and representatives of various ministries, especially
the ministry of information and the ministry of expatriates, in
addition to professionals and officials from Lebanon.

The atmosphere of the public dialogue, simultaneously translated
between English and Arabic, was electric in many ways, with great
anticipation of how a public dialogue would proceed with 300 people on
the most sensitive issues of war and peace. I was treated with immense
respect, but, at the same time, some in the audience had the
opportunity to vent anger at what they saw as the victimization of
Syria and the Palestinians. Others expressed deep appreciation for my
willingness to come and listen. We had a great, tough dialogue.

I knew the political leadership was watching every word to see if this
experiment of public dialogue across civilizations would fly and be a
precedent, and I knew the American ambassador was watching, too. Those
who planned the event expressed through word and deed their sense of
astonishment that something utterly new was happening.

The words that Hind said publicly by way of introducing me were far
more important than mine because she is an insider to the culture. She
is the kind of catalyst that the West should support. Such people can
change history nonviolently because they are from within the privileged
group that leads the country.

The question hovering over the entire trip was would the West listen to
her words, would the West engage a complicated Syria and support its
best reformers, or would it ignore her and others. Would it see the
side of Assad that is trying to make change, or would it focus instead
on the Syrian supporters of Hizbullah and other violent incursions in
the region.

Despite the obvious challenges of what the military supports, there are
some winds of change at the heart of Syrian culture, winds that the
West is missing. In fact, my biggest problem since I left Syria was
that no one in Israel believed that the event actually took place, or
that a religious Jew would be treated this way in the capital of
Israel's fiercest foe.

Fortunately we made a videotape, and yet the sense of disbelief remains
palpable. I said this to one Syrian, and she said in a generous way
that is typical of her culture, "It's ok, we could hardly believe it
ourselves, how could we expect others to believe it."

The United States, Japan and other Western investors should seize the
opportunity at this time in history to find a creative way to support
the reformers in Syria, including Assad, and they should learn who to
support, who not to support and who to try to pressure into change.
Blanket condemnations and boycotts of a society of 18 million people
are useless and just create solidarity with the hardliners in their
midst.

We tried to offer a vision of the future that week, one in which an
open Middle East would be a boon for Syria in particular. Old Damascus
is a goldmine of civilization and yet it is empty of tourists. Business
interests should unite here with a political and military plan to pull
Syria away from terrorism and old forms of geopolitical control and
corruption.

We stand at a dangerous and hopeful crossroads in the course of the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict, a conflict that cannot be separated from
a discussion of Syria's future. Many feel that it would be political
suicide for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel to open right now a
Syrian-Israeli peace track, specifically involving giving back the
Golan. Yet can the Palestinian-Israeli peace track proceed with
Hizbullah, a client of Syria and Iran, doing everything it can to
disrupt the peace process?

What all parties need most right now is not the immediate start of
Syrian-Israeli negotiations, but a palpable thaw in relations, a firm
direction away from support for terrorism accompanied simultaneously by
significant gestures of cultural and economic rapprochement. This,
combined with subtle US efforts to engage and support Assad, are key
ingredients that will bring Syria into the circle of an enlarged peace
process, and this eventually will deal a final death blow to state-
supported terrorism in the Arab Middle East.

###
* Marc Gopin holds the James Laue Chair at George Mason University's
Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, directs its center on
religion and diplomacy in Washington DC and is the author of Holy War,
Holy Peace. Acknowledgement to George Mason University.
Source: George Mason University, February 6, 2005.
Visit the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR) online:
http://www.gmu.edu/departments/ICAR
Distributed by the Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity.
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

**********
ARTICLE 3
What we don't know about the world: the danger of ignorance in Arab-US
relations
Ned Walker
WASHINGTON, DC - For two years, scholars and experts from the Middle
East Institute in Washington and the Al Ahram Center in Cairo worked
together to examine the crisis in relations that divides us. We found
significant common ground in our personal values and national goals.

Yet the anger, frustration and disappointment that often marked our
dialogue provided ample evidence of the stress that has developed
between our societies. Our Arab friends said, "It's the policy,
stupid." There is no doubt that our way was complicated by our active
policy in Iraq and our passive policy on the Palestinian issue. But
while policies play a part in the estrangement, they are only a part of
the problem and not really the most important part.

What we found was that because of our different histories, our
exaggerated expectations of one another, the stereotypes we have
developed of one another, our different cultural heritage and our
ignorance of each other, we are hard wired into mutual mistrust. We
come at problems from different perspectives, and that leads to
misunderstanding. If a negative interpretation of the motivation for
our respective policies is possible, that will too often be the
interpretation that is adopted.

This is particularly true of U.S. efforts to support democracy in the
region. We think we are the "good guys." Arabs, however, often
interpret our true agenda as nothing more than an effort to expand U.S.
and Israeli hegemony over the region. It is hardly encouraging when our
Arab friends accuse us of actually impeding local efforts to expand
democracy because those efforts are often suspected of being dictated
by Washington. In every area of U.S. policy, whether it is success in
Iraq, the war on terrorism, the peace process or our commitment to
regional economic and democratic political development, the air of
suspicion that acts as a fog, obscuring our true intentions, hamstrings
our efforts.

These are issues that demand broad cooperation between the United
States and the Arab world. But that will not happen as long as Arabs
see us as being deaf to their concerns and aspirations and we see them
as dwelling on the past and blaming others for their problems. "Get
over it," the Americans said when confronted for the umpteenth time
with the sins of colonialism. The Arabs told us, "You never listen."
Unfortunately, there is an element of truth in each of these charges.

As a people, we are endowed with energy, impatience and the basic
confidence that all problems can be solved. Based on their past
history, the Arabs are endowed with reflection, caution and fear of
chaos. While we see reform and democracy as critical requirements for
attacking radicalism and terrorism, our friends in the region see undue
haste as a prescription for instability and the rise of radicalism.

This is not a problem of "public diplomacy" although that may provide
part of the solution. It is a much deeper problem of understanding. We
did not pretend to have the answers to all the problems we faced. But
we did feel that the kind of honest-no-holds-barred dialogue we held
over time did help us in understanding one another, and we considered
how we could institutionalize such a dialogue:

- We proposed a continuing "Leaders Forum" made up of academics,
politicians and nongovernmental personalities from the United States
and the region to work together, report to our leaders and look for
ways to reduce misunderstandings.
- We suggested that governments, ours included, engage a mix of our own
citizens who could question our actions and provide a reality check on
the policies we were following.
- We thought that the student and cultural exchanges and the funding
for them that were so useful and plentiful in the Cold War could be re-
established in this new war against terror. A large fund could be set
up to combine government and private money to support
these efforts.
- We believed that each of our societies' think tanks, which are so
used to flying solo, should establish agreements with one another for
joint projects across national boundaries.
-We suggested that media organizations might develop practical exchange
agreements to publish high-quality articles from other societies and
cultures and develop exchange programs for reporters and editors. We
felt there was a place in our entertainment industries for an exchange
of ideas to help sensitize one another.
- Finally, we called for interfaith dialogue, something that is given
more lip service than practical expression.

In sum, we felt that the greatest enemy of democracy and the greatest
asset for terrorism was our relative ignorance of one another, an
ignorance that sustains suspicion and feeds our prejudices. We must set
aside stereotypes and suppositions, practicing instead the act of
engaging one another to face the issues that challenge us.

Assertions and opinions in this Perspective are solely those of the
above-mentioned author(s) and do not reflect necessarily the views of
the Middle East Institute, which expressly does not take positions on
Middle East policy.

###
* Edward S. Walker, Jr. is President of the Middle East Institute. He
previously served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern
Affairs, US Ambassador to Israel, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates,
and Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the United
Nations.
Source: Middle East Institute, April 10, 2005
Visit the Middle East Institute at
www.mideasti.org/publications/publications_other.html
Distributed by the Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity.
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

***********
ARTICLE 4
Achieving long-term political change in the Middle East
Dov S. Zakheim
There is a growing consensus worldwide that the Middle East may be on
the verge of fundamental change. After years of bloodshed and political
stagnation, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has recovered its
lost momentum. The Cedar Revolution in Lebanon has, at a minimum,
brought about Syrian force withdrawals at a pace greater than any
Security Council Resolution was able to achieve. And elections in both
Iraq and Palestine, as well as local elections in Saudi Arabia, have
led many observers to hold out hope for a new wave of democracy to
sweep the region.

All of the foregoing developments have only taken place in the past few
months. For any of them truly to take root, more time has to pass. In
the interim, any one of them can be reversed. After all, it is not the
first time that the Peace Process generated hope among Israelis and
Palestinians. Nor is it clear that Syria is truly prepared to loosen
its grip on Lebanon. Various media reports indicate that Syria is
already inserting new personnel into Lebanon to replace many of its
former secret agents there.

For that matter, elections are not as alien to Middle East politics as
some pundits have implied. Indeed, both Palestinians and Iraqis have
held elections in the past, while many of the Gulf States have held
elections at various times for various assemblies. Nor should it be
forgotten that some elections, that took place lately, did not extend
the franchise to women.

The key to achieving long-term political change in the region is not
an instant recipe that can be conjured up in a matter of months.
Instead it involves years of patiently nourishing civil society in all
its forms, so as to give people a sense of unity and responsibility, as
well as of political empowerment. Political parties are certainly
important, but so too are professional associations, cultural
associations, labor unions, educational associations and social welfare
organizations. Empowering such groups would enable individuals to
express their hopes and aspirations in a variety of fora that could
then feed into the political process. Such groups could transcend the
tribal, ethnic and regional allegiances as well as religious
affiliations that form the current bedrock of Middle Eastern society
and generally pose an obstacle to societal cohesion.

Civil society in all its forms need not, indeed should not, replace
long-standing sources of identity for Middle Easterners. Certainly many
Western pundits would like to see secular societies emerge in the
Middle East. Yet in seeking such societies, these Westerners are guilty
of Kiplingesque cultural imperialism. Just because they have chosen a
secular lifestyle does not mean that the peoples of the Middle East
must do the same. Indeed, even as Europe has become markedly more
secular, the United States in particular has taken on a more religious
hue. For Muslims, Islam is a way of life rather than a religion, a fact
that Western secularists often simply cannot comprehend. Religious
leaders therefore play a very different role in the Middle East than
they do in the West, and western notions of pure church-state
separation (which in any event overlook the role of European monarchs
who nominally stand at the head of established state churches) simply
are beside the point.

Nevertheless, while modernity is unlikely ever to substitute for Islam,
it need not stand in opposition to it. Civil society can, in fact,
provide an effective bridge between Islam, other religions in the
region, and the rights and benefits that all freedom loving peoples
seek for themselves. By subsuming religious, ethnic, tribal and
regional identities within larger commonalities, civil society can
identify and nourish needs that encompass nations as a whole and help
to provide peaceful channels for the expression of societal
aspirations.

A strong civil society is no guarantee of western-style democracy. But
western democracy is not the only option for a system of free
representative government. In particular, several states in East Asia
practice a form of democracy that is quite different from its western
namesake. In fact, representative government will and does vary in
nature, style, and organization from region to region and from culture
to culture. What all peoples share in common is the desire to worship,
assemble, speak, earn a respectable living, and articulate their needs
to their leaders freely and without fear.

Current developments in the Middle East are too recent to be called a
trend toward realizing this desire for freedom. Achieving it will take
time. Nevertheless, if the international community is generous in
providing the material, moral and financial wherewithal so as to
nurture the various elements of civil society throughout the Middle
East, the timeline of progress could be significantly foreshortened.
And everyone, not only the people of the region, will benefit if that
occurs.

###
*Dov S. Zakheim was Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) from 2001-
2004. He is a Board Member of Search for Common Ground. It was
published in partnership with the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).
Source: Search for Common Ground, April 23, 2005
Distributed by the Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity.
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

**********
The Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH)
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experts on a broad range of issues on the West and Arab/Muslim world.
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The views expressed in these articles are those of the authors, not of
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Conference on Discourses of Hope: Peace, Reconciliation, Learning and Change

The conference theme is 'Discourses of hope: peace, reconciliation, learning and change' and we would of course encourage presentations which deal in whole or in part with this theme. The purpose of the theme is to invite participants to think more politically about the various applications of their work, in terms of what they are trying to achieve, and to encourage a reorientation in critical thinking to what we might call Positive Discourse Analysis (PDA) - work which considers how people make the world a better place and designs interventions based on such considerations. We recognise of course that not everyone's work accommodates a theme of this kind, and welcome presentations from the usual wide range of SFL and affine endeavours.

Please note that the deadline for abstract submissions has passed and late submissions can only be considered in exceptional circumstances on a case by case basis in relation to cancellations.

NEWSLETTER FROM THE HUMAN RIGHTS HOUSE NETWORK

1) UN Commission on Human Rights concludes its annual session
The UN Commission on Human Rights concluded its annual session for 2005 on Friday in Geneva. The Human Rights House Foundation (HRH) followed debates in Geneva on impunity , North Korea , Uganda , Colombia , Sudan , Belarus, and human rights defenders.

2) Turkey: Human rights defenders threatened with death
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of FIDH and OMCT, expresses its deepest concern about recent death threats against four executives of the Human Rights Association in Turkey, one of the NGOs involved in the Human Rights House project in Istanbul.

3) Freedom for Guantanamo detainees?
The six citizens known as the “Algerian Group”, who were extradited by the Bosnian authorities to the United States of America, have been detained in the Guantanamo base for over three years. Although they were arrested and extradited under suspicion of planning terrorist activities, no terrorism investigation has been conducted against them.

4) Rights and wrongs of censoring the far right
Human rights groups and free speech campaigners reacted differently to a call to cut or censor far-right British National Party (BNP) election broadcasts scheduled for 21 April, one calling for straight censorship “in the interests of the viewer,” another urging close review of the broadcast, while Index on Censorship expressed outright opposition.

5) Russia: Increasing violations against conscripts
In Russia, violations against conscrips´ rights increased in 2004, despite measures undertaken by the Ministry of Defence. This is the conclusion from a report from Russian human rights organizations, including the NGO Coalition “For a democratic alternative civil service” and the Union of Soldiers Mothers Committees of Russia.

6) Campaigners say imans' attacks incite murder
Human rights activists were shocked to discover that imans at some of Cairo’s leading mosques were preaching against two of their most prominent colleagues – and that the driving force behind these organised sermons of hate appeared to be an Egyptian government ministry.

7) Kenya: Keeping torture under wraps
A survey commissioned by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) to ascertain public awareness of human rights has revealed a widespread reluctance to report incidents of alleged torture to officials. The study, carried out by the Steadman Group - a Nairobi-based research organisation - surveyed 2,466 people. It confirms that Kenya still has long to go until the combined cultures of torture and impunity are eradicated.

8) Privatization of coal mine that may contain mass graves
The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina is deeply concerned about the decision to privatize the Ljubija/Omarska Coal Mine before the investigating bodies have completed their job concerning the circumstantial evidence indicating that the coal mine contains bodily remnants of people who had been taken captive during the war.

9) Email campaign on Burma
The Norwegian Burma Committee, working out of the Norwegian Human Rights House in Oslo, has launched an email campaign this month to force the Norwegian Minister of Finance to address the controversial issue reported previously on this site, regarding the state-owned Norwegian Petroleum Fund's investment in the French Oil giant Total Oil, who in turn make big money while exploiting and violating the rights of Burmese civilians.

10) Warsaw film festival on tour
In April, documentaries from the Warsaw-based International Film Festival „Human Rights in Film”, organized by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, will be set up in the Ukrainian capital Kiev and in three Polish cities.

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Message from Sara Green, Executive Director, ART, Art for Refugees in Transition, www.artforrefugees.org, info@artforrefugees.org:

April 25, 2005
Greetings from the magical country of Colombia!

It has been a wonderful and fruitful three weeks. I arrived in Colombia with James Rexroad, the photojournalist whose breathtaking photos from the refugee camps in Thailand are on the website. The plan for this trip was to start a program in a displaced community outside of Popayan, a small city in the south of the country, in partnership with the University of Cauca. However, once we arrived in Colombia, we decided that it would be best to begin ART’s work in Bogotá before moving to a more remote location like Popayan. ART’s program in Popayan will begin January, 2006.

ART is beginning to work in a very poor section of Bogotá called barrio El Tintal in the localidad de Kennedy. The community is a mixture of poor and displaced, but mostly displaced - some are second or third generation displaced. There is a superb school there which is run by the Fundacion Educacional Neuvo Retiro with which we will be working, and the community is truly excited about the program. They even have a community center that is empty and just waiting to be used.

It was through the help of the original contact who brought me to Colombia, Cecilia Mejia, and the Caring for Colombia Foundation, that we found a wonderful woman, Maria Rueda, who will be working for ART in Colombia.

With Maria’s help, we met with the Dean of the School of Social Science at the Universidad de los Andes, the “Harvard” of Colombia, and they have agreed to have their students work with ART on the implementation, management and evaluation of the Program. The students have a one semester practicum – internship – and will devote 10 to 12 hours a week of time to the project. We will have students from the Anthropology, Music, Education and Psychology departments. I just submitted the proposal to the University, which they will distribute to the students, and I will return in June for two weeks to interview and select probably 5 to 10 students; this would enable the center to remain open at least five days a week, all day. The Program will then begin in August when the semester commences and I will come back to help train the students and oversee the implementation of the Program.

Since ART is an American NGO, with no official ties to the Colombian government, we thought it would be best to establish a relationship with some of the governmental agencies here. Everyone has been incredibly welcoming and interested in ART’s work. This past Friday, we met with the head of the Red de la Solidaridad, the governmental agency which supports the displaced and provides services for them - healthcare, food, education, etc. I was hoping that they would agree to partner with us on the first program, if for nothing more than to have their logo on our literature and to use their name to raise money - it adds great credibility to have them as a partner.

The Director of the Bogotá office was delighted to hear about ART's work and the upcoming program in Tintal. They are not working in that neighborhood, but would like to. So, in addition to now being a part of their NGO network which works with the displaced, they offered to provide us with food for up to 300 elderly people who will be involved in the program and donate clothing for the children. The synchronicity of how things are falling into place is amazing.

At the beginning of the trip we met a great group of people here in Bogotá who run a production company, Netibo, which does work for National Geographic. They are very interested in ART’s work and want to do a documentary on the whole process of how we put a project together and make it work – we will start with a video diary of sorts. We need to raise the money to buy a camera when we are back in NY, or find someone who has a professional video camera they want to donate to ART.

And finally, we have had great interest from many of the UN agencies here as well; UNHCR and UNDP, in particular who will likely partner with us on the implementation of the next program in Colombia.

With all of this excitement, we now take on the largest task of all, raising funds. Expenses for the Program include a camera, film, Maria’s salary, musical instruments, recording equipment to record the songs and stories, travel, and many other expenses.

Colombia is a magical place and ART’s work speaks for itself; I can see this by how it is so well received - by everyone, everywhere we go. We have met unbelievable people who have shown incredible hospitality and receptiveness to ART’s concept.

I hope that you can share in the excitement as ART takes it programs global. It is hard to believe that only a few years ago ART was a little seed of an idea that has now grown into a viable organization.

I look forward to hearing from all of you.
Best,
Sara

Sara Green
Executive Director
ART
Art for Refugees in Transition
www.artforrefugees.org
info@artforrefugees.org

Herbert C. Kelman Seminar on International Conflict Analysis and Resolution

Greetings,

The Herbert C. Kelman Seminar on International Conflict Analysis and Resolution welcomes you to attend the final seminar of our spring series. On Monday, May 2, Absar Alam, Nieman Fellow, and Chris Waddle, Nieman Fellow, will be giving a talk entitled, The Role of the Media in Framing the "War on Terror": Reactions to the Madrid Agenda. Note that this panel is a follow-up to the last seminar on April 4 where three participants from the Madrid Summit on Terrorism, Security and Democracy reported the main findings of the conference, known as the Madrid Agenda.

Also note that the seminar will be held on the Mezzanine Level (M-11) ( not the Bowie Vernon Room) and will start one half hour earlier than usual (3:30 -5:30).

We hope to see you there!
Donna Hicks
Chair

Donna Hicks
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs
Email: dhicks@wcfia.harvard.edu
Web site: http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu

Joint Conference of LMS Sweden and FIPLV
15-17 June 2006 in Göteborg, Sweden
celebrating 75 years of FIPLV

Call for Papers

FIPLV is the international umbrella organisation for teachers of modern languages all over the world. Every three years a World Congress is held. In 2003 the World Congress took place in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2006 we will meet in the Nordic country Sweden.
LMS Sweden is the national multilingual teachers’ association with a membership of about 4500 teachers from primary school to university level. For the last few years the annual conference has been attended by about 800 participants.

Conference theme:
Diversity in Language Learning and Teaching

Contributors are invited to complete the form below and return it to the co-ordinator Inger Odenstedt, inger.odenstedt@telia.com, or to the FIPLV Vice President Margareta Leoj, margareta.leoj@edu.kungsbacka.se.
Proposals for contribution must be made before 15 June 2005.

Contributor…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Institution/Affiliation…………………………………………………………………………………..
Contact Address…………………………………………………………………………………………..
E-mail address…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Subject of Presentation………………………………………………………………………………..
Type and length of Presentation ………………………………………………………………….
Language…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

For more information, please check websites:
www.fiplv.org and/or www.lms-riks.se

Celebrating the Legacy of Morton Deutsch:

Morton Deutsch: A Life and Legacy of Mediation and Conflict Resolution
By Erica Frydenberg

Biographical Note

"Morton Deutsch is one of the most distinguished psychologists of our time and has been honoured by his profession with numerous awards. His ideas permeate the boundaries of law, international politics, education, business, and industrial relations. Yet today many people working in mediation and conflict resolution remain unaware of his great contributions to social and organizational psychology. His professional life spans the very existence of modern social psychology, beginning with his student days in New York of 1935, through to his continuing work at the International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution, the influential research and teaching center he founded."

~ Erica Frydenberg ~

Psychologist Erica Frydenberg spent two years documenting the life and legacy of this remarkable man through interviews with Morton and his many students and colleagues. The result is a book that enlightens us about the man's family and work life as well as illustrating the importance of using rigorous theoretical analysis to drive practical research and application in a way that can make a true difference in our everyday lives.

If you would like to purchase a copy of Erica Frydenberg's book, Morton Deutsch: A Life and Legacy of Mediation & Conflict Resolution (Australian Academic Press, 2005), click here to print out an order form. (pdf)

For a recent vita of Dr. Morton Deutsch, click here. (pdf)

Thursday, April 21: Education for Sustainable Development

EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
CHANGES AND CHALLENGES

Dr. Charles Hopkins
UNESCO Chair Reorienting Teacher Education to Address Sustainability at York University, and United Nations University Chair for Education for Sustainable Development will serve as the discussant for the panel featuring authors from this issue.

A reception will follow the panel discussion.

Thursday, April 21 @ 7:15 PM
306 Russell Hall
Teachers College Library
Columbia University
email: cice@exchange.tc.columbia.edu
http://www.tc.columbia.edu/cice

Film: Story of a Beautiful Country

Am Sonntag, den 24. April 2005 laden die Initiative Südliches Afrika (INISA e.V.), der South African Club Berlin e.V. und AfricAvenir International e.V. um 17.00 Uhr zu einer Filmvorführung mit anschließender Diskussion in das Filmtheater Hackesche Höfe ein. Gezeigt wird der südafrikanische Film ‚Story of a Beautiful Country’ des Regisseurs Khalo Matabane, der eine Zwischenbilanz des neuen Südafrikas zieht. Die Rückbank eines Taxis wird zum Interviewraum, und die vielen privaten Geschichten ergeben ein intimes Bild der dramatischen gesellschaftlichen Umbrüche seit 1994.

Im Anschluss findet eine Diskussion statt!

----------------------------------------------------
Story of a Beautiful Country
Regie: Khalo Matabane, Südafrika 2004, 73 min., Englische OF

Am: Sonntag, den 24. April 2005, 17.00 Uhr
Ort: Filmtheater Hackesche Höfe (Rosenthaler Str. 40/41, 10178 Berlin, Kino 3),
Vorbestellung unter: 030 - 2 83 46 03 (MO-SA ab 14.30 Uhr/SO ab 10.30 Uhr)
Eintrittspreis: 5 Euro
---------------------------------------------------

Synopsis:
Zehn Jahre nach dem Ende der Apartheid erkundet der junge schwarze Regisseur Kahlo Matabane Südafrika. Er fährt mit dem Wagen quer durch das Land und spricht mit den verschiedensten Menschen über ihre Wünsche, Träume und Ängste. Die Rückbank wird zum Interviewraum, und die vielen privaten Geschichten ergeben ein intimes Bild der dramatischen gesellschaftlichen Umbrüche seit 1994. Wie der Regisseur sind auch die erzählenden Menschen auf der Suche nach einer neuen Beschreibung ihres Landes. Das neue Südafrika ist ernüchternd und ermutigend zugleich: auf der einen Seite das Ende des staatlich verordneten Rassismus, auf der anderen Seite der weiter bestehende Rassismus. Und auch wenn der ANC seit zehn Jahren regiert, ist die Kluft zwischen arm und reich nicht kleiner geworden.

Wir freuen uns auf einen weiteren spannenden Kinonachmittag mit Ihnen,

INISA e.V. / AfricAvenir International e.V. / South African Club Berlin

Kindly forwarded to us by Francisco Gomes de Matos:

Linguapax advises the Government of Paraguay on the draft of a new law of language policy

The Linguapax Institute, in collaboration with the Institute Ramon Llull, has advised the Government of Paraguay in the drafting of a law on language policy that is to be debated at the Parliament of that country. Last March, Fèlix Martí, president of the Scientific Committee, and Josep Cru, secretary general of Linguapax, were invited by the National Commission on Bilingualism of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Paraguay to help preparing the first law on language policy and planning. The Constitution of Paraguay (1992) recognizes both Guarani and Spanish as official languages. However, there is no law on language planning yet that develops the use of Guarani and the other authochtonous languages of Paraguay in the different domains.

Language World 2005 programme available online

The Association for Language Learning is delighted to announce that the full programme for the Language World conference and exhibition is available online at http://www.ALL-languages.org.uk in the events section of the site.

Language World 2005 will take place between 1-3 July at the University of Kent at Canterbury, only 90 minutes from London by rail, and easily accessible for overseas visitors by air, sea and rail. It is a unique event in the languages education calendar; it brings together teachers, students, policy makers, experts and enthusiasts from across educational sectors, giving them opportunities - professional and social, formal and informal - to meet, discuss and relax. The conference itself has plenary talks from key figures in languages education from both the UK and Europe, over 90 talks and workshops from which to choose and presentations by publishers and other commercial providers.

Our theme for 2005 is Creating opportunities and we do hope that you won't miss out on this opportunity to join us for the biggest UK languages event. Alongside the conference will be the UK's largest exhibition of language teaching resources and equipment, running on 1-2 July.

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Marla Ruzicka was founder of Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict, or CIVIC. In 2003, she organized surveyors across Iraq to document civilian casualties. Before that, she managed a similar project in Afghanistan that helped to secure assistance from the US government for civilian victims. She died last Saturday in Baghdad when a suicide bomber aiming for a convoy of contractors pulled alongside her vehicle and detonated his explosives.

Marla was a close friend of Victoria Firmo-Fontan, who wishes us all to honour her friend.

Aid Worker Uncovered America's Secret Tally of Iraqi Civilian Deaths
Why Numbers Matter
By Marla Ruzicka
AlterNet
Wednesday 20 April 2005

Just before her death, Marla Ruzicka wrote about the importance of recording and publicly releasing Iraqi civilian casualty numbers.

Baghdad - The writer, a 28-year-old humanitarian aid worker from California, was killed Saturday in Baghdad when a suicide bomber aiming for a convoy of contractors pulled alongside her vehicle and detonated his explosives. Her longtime driver and translator, Faiz Ali Salim, also died. She filed this piece from Baghdad a week before her death.

In my two years in Iraq, the one question I am asked the most is: "How many Iraqi civilians have been killed by American forces?" The American public has a right to know how many Iraqis have lost their lives since the start of the war and as hostilities continue.

In a news conference at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan in March 2002, Gen. Tommy Franks said, "We don't do body counts." His words outraged the Arab world and damaged the US claim that its forces go to great lengths to minimize civilian casualties.

During the Iraq war, as US troops pushed toward Baghdad, counting civilian casualties was not a priority for the military. However, since May 1, 2003, when President Bush declared major combat operations over and the US military moved into a phase referred to as "stability operations," most units began to keep track of Iraqi civilians killed at checkpoints or during foot patrols by US soldiers.

Here in Baghdad, a brigadier general commander explained to me that it is standard operating procedure for US troops to file a spot report when they shoot a non-combatant. It is in the military's interest to release these statistics.

Recently, I obtained statistics on civilian casualties from a high-ranking US military official. The numbers were for Baghdad only, for a short period, during a relatively quiet time. Other hot spots, such as the Ramadi and Mosul areas, could prove worse. The statistics showed that 29 civilians were killed by small-arms fire during firefights between US troops and insurgents between Feb. 28 and April 5 - four times the number of Iraqi police killed in the same period. It is not clear whether the bullets that killed these civilians were fired by US troops or insurgents.

A good place to search for Iraqi civilian death counts is the Iraqi Assistance Center in Baghdad and the General Information Centers set up by the US military across Iraq. Iraqis who have been harmed by Americans have the right to file claims for compensation at these locations, and some claims have been paid. But others have been denied, even when the US forces were in the wrong.

The Marines have also been paying compensation in Fallujah and Najaf. These data serve as a good barometer of the civilian costs of battle in both cities.

These statistics demonstrate that the US military can and does track civilian casualties. Troops on the ground keep these records because they recognize they have a responsibility to review each action taken and that it is in their interest to minimize mistakes, especially since winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis is a key component of their strategy. The military should also want to release this information for the purposes of comparison with reports such as the Lancet study published late last year. It suggested that since the US-led invasion there had been 100,000 deaths in Iraq.

A further step should be taken. In my dealings with US military officials here, they have shown regret and remorse for the deaths and injuries of civilians. Systematically recording and publicly releasing civilian casualty numbers would assist in helping the victims who survive to piece their lives back together.

A number is important not only to quantify the cost of war, but as a reminder of those whose dreams will never be realized in a free and democratic Iraq.

Aid Worker Uncovered America's Secret Tally of Iraqi Civilian Deaths
By Andrew Buncombe
The Indpendent UK
Wednesday 20 April 2005

A week before she was killed by a suicide bomber, humanitarian worker Marla Ruzicka forced military commanders to admit they did keep records of Iraqi civilians killed by US forces.

Tommy Franks, the former head of US Central Command, famously said the US army "don't do body counts", despite a requirement to do so by the Geneva Conventions.

But in an essay Ms Ruzicka wrote a week before her death on Saturday and published yesterday, the 28-year-old revealed that a Brigadier General told her it was "standard operating procedure" for US troops to file a report when they shoot a non-combatant.

She obtained figures for the number of civilians killed in Baghdad between 28 February and 5 April, and discovered that 29 had been killed in firefights involving US forces and insurgents. This was four times the number of Iraqi police killed.

"These statistics demonstrate that the US military can and does track civilian casualties," she wrote. "Troops on the ground keep these records because they recognise they have a responsibility to review each action taken and that it is in their interest to minimise mistakes, especially since winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis is a key component of their strategy."

Sam Zia-Zarifi, deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch, the group for which Ms Ruzicka wrote the report, said her discovery "was very important because it allows the victims to start demanding compensation". He added: "At a policy level they have never admitted they keep these figures."

Exactly how many Iraqi civilians have been killed in the last two years is unclear. Iraq Body Count, a group that monitors casualty reports, says at least 17,384 have died. But the group bases its totals only on deaths reported by the media, and says it can therefore only "be a sample" of the total actually killed. Its website says: "It is likely that many if not most civilian casualties will go unreported by the media. That is the sad nature of war."

A peer-reviewed report published last year in The Lancet and based on an extrapolation of data suggested that 100,000 civilians may have been killed during the invasion and its aftermath. One of the report's author, Dr Richard Garfield, professor of nursing at Columbia University, said: "Of course they keep records and of course they pretend they don't. Why is it important to keep the numbers of those killed? Well, why was it important to record the names of those people killed in the World Trade Centre? It would have been inconceivable not to. These people have lives of value.

"We are still fighting [to record] the Armenian genocide. Until people have names and are counted they don't exist in a policy sense."

Ms Ruzicka, from California, was killed in Baghdad after her car was caught in the blast of a suicide bomber who attacked a convoy of security contractors on the road to the city's airport. She was in Iraq heading, Civic, the organisation she set up to record and document civilians killed or injured by the US military, and to seek compensation. She carried out a similar project in Afghanistan.

In her report, she wrote from Iraq: "In my dealings with the US military officials here, they have shown regret and remorse for the deaths and injuries of civilians. Systematically recording and publicly releasing civilian casualty numbers would assist in helping the victims who survive to piece their lives back together."

Colleagues of Ms Ruzicka at CIVIC (Campaign for Innocent Victims In Conflict) have vowed to continue her work. April Pedersen, a friend, said: "We are all committed to ensuring the work that Marla did is going to continue." Ms Ruzicka, whose funeral service is to be in California on Saturday, was also remembered on Capitol Hill where Senator Patrick Leahy, with whom Ms Ruzicka worked to achieve almost $20m in appropriations to help victims in Afghanistan and Iraq, paid tribute to her.

He said: "I want to... pay tribute to a remarkable young woman from Lakeport, California. In my 31 years as a United States Senator I have met lots of interesting and accomplished people from all over the world. We all have. Nobel prize winners, heads of state, people who have achieved remarkable and even heroic things in their lives. I have never met anyone like Marla Ruzicka." Meanwhile the Pentagon maintained its position that it did not keep numbers of civilians killed in Iraq.

'The public must know how many have died'

This is an edited extract of an article written by Marla Ruzicka a week before her death:

In my two years in Iraq, the one question I am asked the most is: "How many Iraqi civilians have been killed by American forces?" The American public has a right to know how many Iraqis have lost their lives since the start of the war and as hostilities continue.

In a news conference at Bagram air base in Afghanistan in March 2002, General Tommy Franks said: "We don't do body counts." His words outraged the Arab world.

During the Iraq war, as US troops pushed toward Baghdad, counting civilian casualties was not a priority for the military. Since 1 May 2003, when President Bush declared major combat operations over and the US military moved into "stability operations", most units began to keep track of civilians killed at checkpoints or during patrols by US soldiers.

Here in Baghdad, a brigadier general explained to me that it is standard procedure for US troops to file a spot report when they shoot a non-combatant. It is in the military's interest to release these statistics.

A number is important not only to quantify the cost of war, but as a reminder of those whose dreams will never be realised in a free and democratic Iraq.

(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. t r u t h o u t has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is t r u t h o u t endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)

New edition of AMARC’s InteRadio off the press

Montreal, April 20, 2005. The World Association of Community Broadcasters (AMARC) has just published the 2005 edition of its annual magazine InteRadio, the only publication that addresses the challenges and accomplishments of the community radio movement from an international perspective.

InteRadio examines key issues and trends affecting community radios worldwide from a communications rights perspective. It was first published in 1988, right before the celebration of the AMARC 3rd World Conference and General Assembly, in Nicaragua.

The 2005 edition of InteRadio presents insights into media policy, media concentration and the legal recognition of community radio in the United States and Latin America. It offers portrays of the community radio in Africa, Asia, and the Latin America regions, as well as in the province of Quebec, Canada. The issues of the World Summit on the Information Society and the participation of women in community radio are also discussed. In addition, this new issue of InteRadio highlights several community radio experiences with a global, regional and local impact.

Through InteRadio, community radio practitioners share with other radio ‘apasionados’ their stories, which convey practical knowledge, as well as the results of research. Visit http://interadio.amarc.org/012/01/index-EN.html to take a look at the 2005 issue (Click on the word InteRadio on the left menu).

AMARC International Office will mail a copy of InteRadio at no cost to all members in good standing (The annual subscription is $50 CAD for no-members). If you don’t receive your copy please write to amarc@amarc.org. If you would like to become a member please go to the membership section of http://www.amarc.org (membership fees start at $20 US).

The WMD's DemocracyNews
Electronic Newsletter of the World Movement for Democracy - www.wmd.org

CALL FOR ITEMS

POSTING NEWS:
We welcome items to include in DemocracyNews. Please send an email message to world@ned.org with the item you would like to post in the body of the message.

******************************************************************

Dear World Movement Participants:

The next issue of DemocracyNews will go out on May 4, 2005. In order to make DemocracyNews as useful as possible, we ask you to send us any items related to democracy work that you think would be of interest to others.

The next deadline for submitting items is ** April 27** Please send items to: world@ned.org.

You are encouraged to submit items under any area of democracy work. We welcome items announcing publications, upcoming events, reports on research, new Web sites, and other information, and we are most interested in posting requests for partnerships between organizations on collaborative projects, brief descriptions of collaborative projects already underway or completed, and ideas for new initiatives in which others may be interested. We hope DemocracyNews will be a source not only for information about participants' activities, but also for new ideas about strategies to advance democracy.

Please share this message with your colleagues.

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To subscribe send an email to subscribe-democracynews@lyris.ned.org.

If you do not have access to the Web and would like to access the materials mentioned above, please contact us by e-mail (world@ned.org) or fax (202-293-0755).

DemocracyNews is an electronic mailing list moderated by the National Endowment for Democracy as the Secretariat of the World Movement for Democracy. The material presented in DemocracyNews is intended for information purposes only.

AMARC Link Bulletin, Volume 9, number 1, April 2005
AMARC at the 5th World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil

AMARC participated in the 5th World Social Forum (WSF) held in Porto Alegre, Brazil from January 26th to 31st . AMARC organized or collaborated with partners of the Campaign CRIS in several events to analyze the challenges to communication rights from a civil society perspective. Summing up the six days of the forum, Steve Buckley, President of AMARC declared, “The 5th World Social Forum, will become a milestone in adopting the communication rights approach into the mainstream of social movements and civil society in general.” The following is a brief overview of AMARC’s participation in the Forum.

AMARC coverage at the WSF

An AMARC delegation comprising more than fifty journalists representing community radios from Latin America, North America, Africa, Europe and Asia covered the WSF activities in collaboration with Inter Press Service (IPS) and the Latin American Association of Radio Education (ALER), among others.

AMARC in the 49th Session of CSW

AMARC WIN was well represented in the recently concluded 10-year review and appraisal of the Beijing Platform for Action which took place in the context of the 49th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, USA.

Women Media Pool

AMARC WIN representatives became active members of the Women’s Media Pool (WMP), a coalition of media and information and communications groups that produced online and print publications as well as broadcast coverage during the 49th session of the UN CSW.

AMARC at WSIS PrepCom2 in Geneva

A delegation of AMARC including Steve Buckley, President; Gustavo Gomez, Director of the Legislations and Communications Rights Program of LAC; Lettie Longwe, AMARC Africa WIN Program Director; Francesco Diaisio, AMARC representative in Europe; and Arturo Bregaglio from Radio Trinidad in Paraguay, participated in the Second Preparatory Committee (PrepCom2) for the Tunis phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) held in Geneva, Switzerland, from February 17th to 25th.

AMARC’s 3rd Pan-African Conference

Content for the Sustainable Development on Community Radio in Africa is the theme of the 3rd AMARC Pan-African Conference that will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, from April 18th to 23th, 2005.

Radio Voices Without Frontiers

Radio Voices Without Frontiers (RVSF) traveled the world for its eighth time on March 21st in a multilingual 23-hour radio marathon against discrimination.

AMARC celebrated Women's International Day

On March 8 2005, AMARC celebrated Women's International Day in collaboration with the Feminist International Radio (FIRE) and the World March of Women in organizing an 8-hour international radio broadcast live from the 49th session of the CSW in New York.

Community Radios on the agenda of the IACHR

LATIN AMERICA. The regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC LAC) is satisfied with the outcomes of the hearing and meetings held from February 28- March 3, 2005 in Washington, within the framework of the 122nd hearing period of the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR).

Seminar on Legislation and Communication Rights

National representatives of AMARC LAC, program directors, members of the regional council and other special guests participated in a Seminar on Legislation and Communication Rights organized by the Legislation and Communications Rights Program of AMARC LAC, and held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from February 1-2.

Radio Sagarmatha and other community radios under threat in Nepal

Community and private FM radio stations have come under an unprecedented level of threat since Nepal opened its airwaves for non-governmental broadcasting about 8 years ago, and at stake is the radio stations’ survival. Following the take over by King Gyanendra of Nepal on February 1, 2005, all community and commercial radio stations have been ordered to broadcast songs only.

AmmanNet in Jordan receives license for FM transmission

JORDANIA. After five years of broadcasting over the Internet, the cabinet of Jordan last December approved AmmanNet’s request for an FM license. AmmanNet will be heard in radio stations throughout the capital city of Jordan.

Dja FM closed down

REPUBLIC OF CHAD. Dja FM, the first private station in Chad, was shut down following a decision made by the communication’s regulatory body, the High Council for Communication (HCC) on January 13th.

4th European Social Forum in Athens next fall

GREECE. After Florence, Paris and London, Greece will be the host of the European Social Forum now in its 4th edition. Once more, community media will be well represented after almost three years of inactivity at the European level.

7th Interministerial Conference on Mass Media

UKRAINE. The 7th Inter-ministerial Conference on Mass Media was held in Kiev from March 8-11. The event was organized by the Council of Europe (CoE), a European institution formed by 46 countries.

The Alan B. Slifka Master's Program in Coexistence and Conflict
Invites you to an International Symposium

"Beyond Disaster Relief:
Opportunities for Peace-building in Southeast Asia"

Featuring Keynote Speaker Ambassador Douglas A. Hartwick,
Senior Coordinator of the State Department's Tsunami Reconstruction Task Force

WHEN: THIS Thursday, April 21!!!!
WHERE: Rapaporte Treasure Hall, (Goldfarb Library, Brandeis University)
WHAT TIME: 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Refreshments will be served before and after the event, at 4:00 and 6:45 pm

In the aftermath of the tsunami in Southeast Asia, development and conflict resolution specialists are faced with the dual challenge of reconstruction and ending violent conflict. Come hear expert scholars and practitioners in the fields of conflict management, disaster relief and development discuss how disaster interventions can contribute to the building of sustainable peace in Indonesia and Sri Lanka

Also including panelists:
- Father Thomas Kocherry, Indian clergyman and leading figure of World Forum of Fisher People
- Daniel F. Curran, Director of Humanitarian Leadership Program, Harvard Business School
- Ted Johnson, Program Manager and Legal Advisor, Mercy Corps Conflict Management Group
- Dharitri Patnaik, formerly with ActionAid International/Mason Fellow, KSG, Harvard University
- Martha Thompson, NGO consultant and lecturer at Brandeis and Tufts Universities
- Laurence Simon, PhD, Director, Sustainable International Development Program, Brandeis
- Mari Fitzduff, PhD, Director, Slifka M.A. program in Coexistence and Conflict, Brandeis

Sponosored by these generous groups:
The Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School - Brandeis International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life - South Asian Students Association - Hindu Student Council - Korean Student Association - Chinese Cultural Connection - Activist Resource Center -
Southeast Asia Club - Peace, Conflict & Coexistence Department - Political Science Department - Graduate Student Association - International & Global Studies Department - Senate Diversity Committee - Student Union F-board - Office of Student Enrollment - Intercultural Center

On-campus parking is available - just ask security at the Brandeis entrance for a visitor pass
For driving directions to Brandeis University, visit: www.brandeis.edu/overview/directions.html
For further questions or concerns, please email: tamara@brandeis.edu

Dear Colleague,

Enclosed please find a copy of the annual Sadat Lecture for Peace
delivered by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III at the
University of Maryland on April 14, 2005. The lecture addressed "The
Future of U.S. Involvement in the Middle East," and particularly the
role of the U.S. in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. You can
view the lecture at the following link
http://www.bsos.umd.edu/sadat/BakerSpeech.htm or read the copy pasted
below.

Sincerely,
Shibley Telhami
Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland, College Park, and non-resident Senior Fellow at the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution

The Future of U.S. Involvement in the Middle East
Remarks by James A. Baker, III
at the University of Maryland Anwar Sadat Lecture for Peace
Thursday, April 14, 2005
College Park, Maryland

Anwar Sadat was a courageous visionary who contributed greatly to
Egypt, the Middle East and the world in the name of peace. The Camp
David Accords he did so much to bring about remain a model for
successful Arab-Israeli negotiations. Twenty-six years later, they stand
as living evidence that peace is possible.

Anwar Sadat also was very wise to marry a woman with the intelligence
and eloquence of Dr. Sadat. She is a freedom-fighter whose contributions
to equality continue to be as thought-provoking as they are admirable.

I am also very proud to receive an honorary doctorate from such a
distinguished institution as the University of Maryland. For that, I
thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot but believe that if President Sadat were
with us today, he would be amazed by the recent changes in the Middle
East. This is a time of great opportunity for resolving issues that have
festered for decades. In early January, President Bush said, "I believe
democracy can take hold in parts of the world that have been condemned
to tyranny. And I believe when democracies take hold, it leads to
peace."

The President's assertion was met with skepticism by some and with
downright mockery by others. Now, however, in April, a wind of change is
blowing in the Middle East. Among Arab reformers, there is a belief that
this wind has blown down a metaphorical Berlin Wall in the Middle East.

Criticism of the President has ebbed and skeptics are now asking
themselves a simple question, "Could Bush be right?" Is freedom, as
President Bush announced last month, "on the march" in the Middle East?

Only time will tell if there will be a flowering of democracy along the
banks of the Nile and the Euphrates. There are many hurdles yet to
overcome in a region that has been prone to heartbreaks and setbacks.

However, it is clear that something dramatic has happened in the Middle
East since the invasion of Iraq. Citizens are taking up the gritty
responsibility of self-determination. Listen how U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mark
Martins describes the effects of the successful Iraqi election.
"Democracy," Martins said, "is not a luxury car. It is an all-terrain
vehicle and good for fighting insurgency." He is right. What is
happening isn't always pretty, but it's sometimes very effective.

Perhaps nothing better represents what has happened in the Middle East
than the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon. "People power" is changing things
in Lebanon, much as it did in Ukraine months ago during the Orange
Revolution. As a result of the pressure, Syrian leaders have promised to
pull out all of their military and intelligence forces from Lebanon by
the end of the month, before the nationwide elections scheduled for late
May.

And, the development in Lebanon is only one part of a shaking-up of the
chess board in that region of the world. Just consider what else has
happened during the past two years in the Muslim World:

- Libya has given up its WMD program.
- Afghanistan, freed from the Taliban, has conducted a successful
election.
- Iraq experienced a 60 percent voter turnout for their election in
January. (While the jury is still out on the future of that country, the
election was a clear and compelling example of the exercise of
democracy.)
- Palestinians conducted a free and fair election in January when they
chose Abu Mazen to replace Yasir Arafat, a revolutionary who never
successfully made the transition to being a popular leader.
- Egypt said it will now hold multi-candidate elections for
president-not just one candidate.

While many factors undoubtedly contribute to these transformations, I
am biased enough to believe that American leadership heads the list,
starting with our involvement first in Afghanistan and then in Iraq. It
is becoming increasingly evident that toppling the regime of Saddam
Hussein has contributed to a growing impulse in other countries toward
reform.

Last month, King Abdullah of Jordan recognized this evolution that is
occurring. At first, he said, Arab countries feared that reform "was
going to be imposed from the outside." But now, he said, reform is no
longer taboo. It is being "openly debated" in the Arab world. Partly at
least, as a result of U.S. engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan, pressure
for reform is bubbling up from the grassroots in other countries.

Assisting this grassroots effort is the proliferation of satellite
television and of the internet, which are effectively spreading
information and ideas.

Increasingly, it is difficult for governments to control the news that
their people receive. As Nadim Shehadi of the Center for Lebanese
Studies at Oxford University recently said, "The regimes that are built
on the principle of controlling information-(like the old Eastern
Europe-style of controlling information and controlling thought, if you
like)-are not sustainable anymore. They are in a time warp."

The new technologies appear to be having the same effect on Middle
Easterners as televised news had on Americans during the Vietnam War.
Satellite television and the internet very well could be the voice of
democracy for the Middle East.

Of course, despite the encouraging trends, many problems remain that
will require leadership, attention, and involvement.

Among them is the need to use public diplomacy in the Muslim world to
better explain U.S. policies. Because a decades-long battle for the
hearts and minds of the Islamic world has just started. It is critical
that the Muslim world understand that we have no problems with Muslims
in general-only with extremists who advocate, promote, and execute
violence.

In the broader Middle East, there are three specific challenges facing
American policymakers:

The first challenge is fostering the emergency of a stable,
representative Iraq at peace with its neighbors. Whatever your views of
the wisdom of the war were originally, a hasty U.S. departure at this
point would diminish our credibility around the world and embolden
insurgents.

Furthermore, there are grounds for guarded optimism. Reconstruction is
going forward. Political parties are organizing. Iraqi security forces
are being trained. Progress may be slower than many had hoped, but it is
occurring.

Most importantly, Iraqis disproved critics who didn't believe the
country could successfully conduct the election for a 275-seat general
assembly on January 30. Iraq experienced a 60 percent turnout among
voters who risked their lives to go to the polls. Since then, General
John P. Abizaid, head of U.S. Central Command, has recently said that he
believes we have "gone from a primarily military environment to a
primarily political one."

So the purple finger may yet replace the car bomb as the most effective
agent of change in Iraq!

Still, we cannot and should not underestimate the difficulties ahead as
Iraq prepares for a December target date of establishing a working
constitution and a permanent government. An important hurdle was cleared
last Wednesday when the general assembly broke a 10-week political
deadlock to appoint a president and two vice presidents. And a day
later, Ibrahim Jaafari, a physician and longtime leader of one of
Iraq's major Shiite religious parties, was selected to serve as
prime minister.

But, until a permanent government is finally in place-(and possibly
longer)-we can fully expect attacks on Iraq and coalition forces to
continue, especially in Sunni areas. Civil war remains a possibility,
remote I think, but a possibility. And, neighboring countries could
meddle in Iraqi affairs, feeding ethnic and religious strife.

Given these realities, a protracted U.S. military presence appears
unavoidable. But it was encouraging to see U.S. military leaders say
that the training of Iraqi forces is going well enough to consider major
reductions in U.S. forces by this time next year.

Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is the second specific
challenge confronting the United States in this region. It will also
create immense pressure on other countries-(Saudi Arabia chief among
them)-to do likewise, setting off destabilizing regional arms races. Not
least, a nuclear Iran will raise the risk that deadly technology or
materials might find their way into the hands of terrorists bent on
using them against the United States.

The United States, and the international community, must insist on
absolute adherence to all commitments regarding nuclear weapons. Iran
has been a flagrant offender in this regard.

President Bush is right to embrace a multi-lateral effort to try to
halt progress by Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. And he is right to use
a mix of carrots and sticks in our approach to this challenge.

The European Union is currently taking the lead in negotiations with
Tehran aimed at extending Iran's temporary halt to its nuclear
enrichment program into a permanent, verifiable freeze. We are now
working with them thereby making possible the carrot of potential
accession to the World Trade Organization.

But we must also be prepared to use sticks. And there are, of course,
sticks that fall short of full-fledged military action, like political
and economics sanctions by the United Nations Security Council. Iran,
like North Korea, has a track-record of playing cat-and-mouse when it
comes to its nuclear programs. To be blunt, simple declarations of
intent are worthless.

And so, any agreements that are concluded must include provisions for
international inspections-any time and any place.

Third, and finally, but most importantly, the United States must work
to promote Arab-Israeli peace.

Two events-(the re-election of President Bush and the emergence of a
new Palestinian leadership in the wake of Arafat's death)-have created
a unique opportunity for negotiating peace between Arabs and Israelis.

I believe that this current window of opportunity is similar to the one
that existed in 1991. Then, Washington seized the moment to convent the
Madrid Peace Conference, the first-ever face-to-face meeting of Israel
and all of its Arab neighbors.

Today, the President should, of course, continue with his goal of
spreading democracy in the Middle East. And the January election in Iraq
was a critical step in the right direction. But it is imperative that
the President also actively promote peace between Israelis and
Arabs-something which I know he wants to do.

Stability in Iraq and peace between Palestinians and Israelis can be
pursued at the same time. In fact, addressing the latter improves the
changes of attaining the former. The road to peace doesn't run through
just Jerusalem or Baghdad. That is a false choice. Today it arguably
runs through both.

So the real question is how to take advantage of this window of
opportunity to achieve that peace. Specifically, what steps should be
taken? Who needs to do what?

An important first step has already occurred-Israel now has a
negotiating partner on the Palestinian side. That partner emerged
January 9th when Abu Mazen was elected as the Palestinian president. He
has displayed a commitment to end the violence and resume negotiations
with Israelis. He has cracked down on extremists and used very
conciliatory language towards Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has responded in kind, releasing
Palestinian prisoners and reducing the area of West Bank territory
falling within Israel's new security barrier. When Sharon and Mazen
have met, they seem to understand one another.

Now, Palestinian officials must continue to clearly and unequivocally
renounce "terror" as a means of achieving a political result-and call
upon their supporters to do likewise. And those Palestinians should
commit themselves to an unequivocal, good-faith effort to crack down on
terrorist groups targeting Israel.

In exchange, Israel should resume substantive negotiations for peace
without requiring that all terrorist activities cease in advance. To
require the absence of any terrorist act in advance simply empowers the
terrorists themselves to prevent the resumption of peace negotiations.

The United States should itself clearly embrace and articulate the
unequivocal, good-faith standard for the resumption of dialogue. The
United States should further prevail upon Israel to freeze settlement
activity in the occupied territories during the resumption of peace
negotiations, as called for by the "Road Map." Washington should do
everything that it can to encourage both sides to resume substantive
negotiations. And it should serve, where necessary, as a direct
participant in the talks, offering suggestions, brokering compromises
and extending assurances.

Finally, the Administration must make it unambiguously clear to Israel
that while Prime Minister Sharon's planned withdrawal from Gaza is a
positive initiative, it cannot be simply the first step in a unilateral
process leading to the creation of Palestinian "Bantustans" in the West
Bank.

I believe that the President made this point when he met Monday with
Sharon in Crawford, Texas. He also publicly criticized Israel's plans
for new housing units that would establish an unbroken presence from
Jerusalem to the settlement of Maale Adumim as being in contravention of
Israel's obligations under the Roadmap.

In February, the James Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice
University released a guide for the successful implementation of Israeli
and Palestinian commitments and a return to the Roadmap. We called the
policy paper the "Street Map to the Roadmap," and it recommends that the
Bush Administration assist the parties in turning unilateral action into
a comprehensive multilateral action program that leads to the renewal of
bilateral Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

The street map says that the task of American leadership should be to:

- Define the strategic direction of the Roadmap Implementation Process
by encouraging both sides to reach a cessation of violence as the
necessary framework for security action, encouraging the Palestinian
Authority to consolidate security reform and encouraging Israel to
implement the understandings reached regarding unilateral disengagement.
- Assist in capacity building supporting Palestinian governmental and
security reform, and Israeli disengagement. This will create a
sustainable security system respected by the population.
- Lead an internal effort supporting Palestinian economic
rehabilitation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to accompany Israeli
disengagement. This could include expert and financial support for the
creation of a formal Israeli-Palestinian border regime to operate along
the 1967 border.
- Provide "safety nets" for crisis situations. These can include
creating and maintaining a crisis management mechanism to keep the focus
of the parties on the peace process in spite of actions by spoiler
elements. The same verification mechanism that is employed to monitor
compliance with agreements by the parties should be used to verify that
the actions of spoiler elements are being addressed by the parties.
- Use the unique capital of US leadership to ensure an adequate
response to compliance and non-compliance by the parties.

Fostering the Arab-Israeli peace process will, of course, continue to
test American resolve, patience and leadership. But, in the end, the
United States cannot "create peace" in the Middle East. Only Arabs and
Israelis can do that. Washington's role is to help them. As the United
States continues with that role, above all else, we need to remember
five historical truisms about this dispute.

First, there is a Catch-22 regarding the issue and that is this: Israel
will never enjoy security as long as she occupies the Territories and
the Palestinians will never achieve their dream of living in peace in
their own state alongside as long as Israel lacks security. It is a
tragic version of the old chicken or egg question.

Second, there is no military solution because neither side will "win"
the conflict by dominating the other.

Third, a political process and dialogue are essential in the
Arab-Israeli dispute. Whenever the political process breaks down, there
will be violence on the ground.

- Fourth, hardliners on both sides have been the biggest impediment to
a solution, including Arabs who won't accept Israel's right to exist
and Israelis who want to keep the land.
- And fifth, only the United States can serve as an effective mediator
because of the country's special relationship with Israel.

In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, it is clear that the United States
must and will continue to play a key role in the Middle East, and we
have a variety of tools to address the challenges presented there.

There will be times when we must go it alone. We should not forget that
the surest and best test of a great power is its ability to act
unilaterally to protect its vital interests-when that is required. In
dealing with shadowy, stateless groups like Al Qaeda, we face a
radically different adversary. Preemptive military action against
terrorist groups and states that harbor them is not merely justifiable.
Sometimes, it is imperative.

However, if indeed we live in a "unipolar world," it is important that
America not be viewed as an empire. It is not, and does not intend to
be.

Indeed, our track-record-from rebuilding Western Europe and East Asia
after World War II to peacefully concluding the Cold War-proves that we
have a history of exercising our power in ways that advance the human
condition.

I would submit to you that the United States rightly views itself as
the final guarantor of international security, the chief engine of
economic growth, and the historic champion of democratic values around
the world. But it wants and need the cooperation of an international
community that cherishes freedom and free markets.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am optimistic that a better world is possible
for our children and grandchildren, and for those in the Middle East.

But a brighter future will require leadership. And I don't just mean
American leadership. I mean leadership by all those of good will-Arab
and Israeli alike-who would rather look forward with hope than back with
bitterness.

Anwar Sadat was such a leader-a man of vision, courage, and deep love
for his country.

The Middle East will need more like him in the challenging months and
years ahead.

Magical thinking in contemporary societies: effects, mechanisms and implications.

A symposium proposal for the XIXth Biennial Meeting of ISSBD, July 2006, Melbourne, Australia

Despite the popular view that Western societies strongly rely on science and rational thinking, magical practices and superstitions remain widespread (Jahoda, 1968; Luhrman, 1989), beliefs in the paranormal phenomena abound (Hergovich, 2003), and controversial religious cults, manipulative psychotherapies and outbursts of religious fanaticism are on the increase (Singer et al.,1986). The phenomenal commercial success of fiction based on magical effects (e.g., “Harry Potter”, “Lord of the Rings”) shows a strong public interest in magical phenomena. This suggests that magical thinking still plays a major role in contemporary societies. The question arises as to why, in spite of the progress of science, magical thinking remains so influential?

This symposium aims to address this question by raising a wide range of issues, in particular: (1) to what developmental tasks in children of various ages and adults does magical thinking respond? (2) is there a developmental change in magical beliefs of older children and adults if compared with those in young children? (3) can this be the case that a fundamental mechanism of magical thinking – participation – also underlies one of the most powerful phenomena of mass communication – suggestibility? (4) can magical thinking be used in brainwashing techniques for establishing new religious cults or preparation of suicidal terrorists? (5) what practical implications does magical thinking have for educational, clinical and other socially important goals?

References
Hergovich, A. (2003). Field dependence, suggestibility and belief in paranormal
phenomena. Personality and Individual Differences, 34, 2, 195-209.
Jahoda, G. (1969). The psychology of superstition: London: Penguin
Luhrman, T. M. (1989). Persuasions of the witch’s craft: ritual magic and witchcraft in
present-day England. Oxford: Blackwell.
Singer, M., Goldstein, H, Langone, H., Miller, J.S., Temerlin, M.K., and West, L.J.
(1986). Report of the APA task force on deceptive and indirect techniques of persuasion and control. www.rickross.com/reference/apologist/apologist23.html

Call for Papers
Journal of Multicultural Discourses
Editor-in-Chief: Shi-xu

'an exciting and much needed new development. The new journal will help to question existing assumptions about discourse analysis and ultimately widen understanding of the processes of language.’ Michael Billig, co-editor, Discourse & Society, University of Loughborough, UK

About the Journal
It is fair to say that existing international scholarly publications on language, discourse and communication have tended to favour the Western world. The philosophies, the concepts, the theories and the methods that are discussed are mostly of Western origin; if and when data from non-Western cultures are analysed, it is usually the Western paradigms that are employed, often without enough attention paid to local, particular contexts, including the concepts, concerns and intellectual traditions of those contexts. As a consequence, ideas, techniques, issues from non-Western communities are marginalised and opportunities for intercultural exchange and genuine scientific innovation missed. In these conditions, the international scholarly discourse remains largely univocal and acultural, though often under the guise of integration, generality and interdisciplinarity.
To promote intellectual diversity and to draw attention to marginalised discourse communities, Multilingual Matters, UK, a market-leading publisher in the fields of discourse and cultural studies, has launched a new journal, entitled Journal of Multicultural Discourses (ISSN 1744-7143). Edited by Shi-xu, Professor and Director of the Institute of Discourse and Cultural Studies, Zheijang University, China, and the first Chinese to edit an international journal in the human and social sciences, the journal will appear in early 2006.
The journal is devoted to scholarship that (1) explores intellectual traditions on language, discourse and communication especially outside dominant paradigms; (2) researches into practices in, as well as concepts about, language and communication in especially marginalized communities; and/or (3) develops multiculturalist approaches to language, discourse and communication.
More specifically, it publishes articles featuring one or more of the following six types of subject matter:
(1) On the form of language studies outside the mainstream: e.g. explorations in the history, philosophy, theory, concepts, methods or principles of the language scholarship of Asia, Africa or Latin America;
(2) On cross-fertilisation between culturally different intellectual traditions of language, discourse and communication: e.g. deliberations about how to conduct dialogue between culturally different intellectual traditions and/or how to generate innovative, local-and-global, multicultural approaches to human communication;
(3) On problems, issues, concerns of a marginalised discourse community: e.g. study of discourses of domination, prejudice, exclusion, solidarity, co-operation, empowerment or transformation in Asia, Africa, Latin America or minority communities within Western societies;
(4) On culturally different versions, accounts and narratives about issues, events or situations of global interest and concern: e.g. critical comparison of culturally varied discourses about terrorism, hegemony, the environment, peace, development or human rights;
(5) On the criticism of discourses about one’s own culture and about other cultures, groups or communities: e.g. critical study of imperialist or discriminatory discourses about minorities, non-Western cultures or otherwise disadvantaged ‘others’; and
(6) On the identification, creation or promotion of discourses in favour of cultural harmony and common progress: e.g. description of or proposal for ways of speaking about one’s own culture or about other cultures, communities and groups that enhance cultural solidarity and prosperity.
The journal features divergent disciplines, ranging from linguistics, discourse studies, communication studies, cultural studies, anthropology, literary criticism, philosophy, religion to pedagogy.
The Editor encourages the submission of high quality papers on topics relevant to the interest of the Journal of Multicultural Discourses. Reviews of important, up-to-date, relevant publications and proposals for special issues on relevant topics are also welcome. Manuscripts should be presented according to the guidelines for authors of papers that can be found at www.multilingual-matters.com and they should be sent to:
Professor Shi-xu Director, Institute of Discourse and Cultural Studies Zhejiang University 388 Yuhangtang Road 310058 Hangzhou China Tel:++86(0)571.88206208 Fax:++86(0)571.85029729 Email: submissions@multilingual-matters.com

Comments
‘I find this to be one of the most innovative and very timely additions to the network of publications in the social sciences…Journal's focus on restoring the balance of cultural-philosophical background perspectives in the social sciences is an admirable goal, which is likely to lead to revolutionary breakthroughs’ Jaan Valsiner, editor, Culture & Psychology and From Past to Future, Clark University, USA

International Editorial Board
Ien Ang, University of Western Sydney, Australia Molefi Kete Asante, Temple University, USA Felix Banda, University of the Western Cape, South Africa Jan Blommaert, University of Ghent, Belgium Narcisa Paredes Canilao, University of the Philippines, the Philippines Dariusz Galasinski, University of Wolverhampton, UK Gu Yueguo, Chinese Academy of the Social Sciences, China Isolda Carranza, National University of Cordoba, Argentina Howard Giles, University of California at Santa Barbara, USA Henry Giroux, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada Aydan Gulerce, Bogazici University, Turkey Monica Heller, University of Toronto, Canada Todd J.M. Holden, Tohoku University, Japan Victoria V. Krasnykh, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia Robert Maier, State University of Utrecht, the Netherlands Gabriella Modan, Ohio Sate University, USA Michaela Mudure, Babes-Bolyai University, Romania Rukmini Bhaya Nair, Indian Institute of Technology, India Abdullah Shunnaq, Yarmouk University, Jordan Lívia Mathias Simăo, Universidade de Săo Paulo, Brasil Kwesi Yankah, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana Robert Young, Oxford University, UK

Review Editor
Doreen Wu, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China International

Honourary Board
Michael Billig, University of Loughborough, UK Jaan Valsiner, Clark University, USA Shen Jiaxuan, Chinese Academy of the Social Sciences, China Wimal Dissanayake, University of Hawaii, USA Teun A. van Dijk, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain

Editorial Assistants
Wendy Zhao, Zhejiang University Heather Walker, University of Ulster

For further details, please contact Multilingual Matters at: Frankfurt Lodge Clevedon Hall Victoria Road Clevedon England BS21 7HH UK Tel: +44 (0) 1275 876519 Fax: +44 (0) 1275 871673 info@multilingual-matters.com Details are available on our website: www.multilingual-matters.com/multi/journals/journals_jmd.asp

Please see here a message from Paul Stokes:

Dear Members,
Further down find the draft programme for the Dublin Metaphorum (details from www.metaphorum.org).
Registration will be on the morning of the 5th May. Conference fee will be €70 for members and €130 for non-members, payable in cash (€).
I look forward to seeing you all.
Any queries do not hesitate to get in touch: paul.stokes@ucd.ie.
Best wishes,
Paul

Dublin Metaphorum Draft Programme

Wednesday 4th May

7:00 -9:00 Senior Common Room, UCD Belfied: Salon Philosophique with Margeret Heath and Ruth ? Dinner at 9:30 at Donnybrook Fayre.

Thursday 5th May

9:00-9:30: Registration at the Institute for the Study of Social Change/Geary Institute, Ground Floor Seminar Room.

Chair: A. Moscardini 9:30 – 12:30
Session 1 Governance
Paul Stokes: Designing Governance
Steve Wright: Looming struggles over border control
Raul Espejo: Towards Inclusive Governance
Luc Hoebeke: Representative democracy vs. participation: system 3 and system 5 characteristics
Angela Espinosa: Designing self governed communities with the VSM

Lunch 12:30 – 2:30 in the Norah Green Room, UCD Belfield

Chair: P. Stokes 2:30 – 5:30
Session 2 Applications
Betty Scheper: State - NGO
relations in Asia and their organisational integrity
Leonie Solomons & Alfredo Moscardini: Reflecting Sri Lanka’s peace quest in VSM iconographic language
Andrey Sergeyev: Using the VSM to Understand an Emergent Post-Soviet Economy
Leonid Ototsky: Stafford Beer’s work in Russia and beyond
Rod Thomas: Plans for reform versus utopian blueprints: On the difference between diagnosis and design

Dinner in Eden, Temple Bar, Dublin City from 7:30PM

Friday 6th May

Chair: A. Leonard 9:30 – 12:30
Session 3 Epistemology
Maurice Yolles: Knowledge Cybernetics
Ern Reynolds: Political Physics: or, How Westerners Think
Margeret Heath: Cybernetics and Utopia: The Role of Imagination (??)

Lunch on Campus at a variety of venues

Chair: M. Yolles 2:30 – 4:30
Session 4: Issues of Organization
Allenna Leonard: Accountability, Risk and the Systems Approach
Stephanie Heuer: Somebodies and Nobodies, overcoming the abuse of rank
Stefan M. Wasilewski: Rationalising Communication & Decision-Making as an Enterprise Risk Metric

4:30 – 5:15: Metaphorum Wrap-Up

Dinner in Ragazzi, 6.00 PM, Dalkey, County Dublin

Adair Linn Nagata has compiled this list of electronic research materials available wherever you are working:

Dear Colleagues and Students,

Here are some suggestions of electronic databases you can access from
any computer with Internet access, i.e., it is not necessary to be in a
library facility. Like all material on the Internet, you will have to
evaluate for yourself whether or not you consider what you find to be
reliable and helpful.

1. Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
http://www.doaj.org/

"This service covers free, full text, quality controlled scientific and
scholarly journals. We aim to cover all subjects and languages. There
are now *1530* journals in the directory. Currently *385*
journals are searchable at article level.
As of today *71917* articles are included in the DOAJ service."

In about 15 minutes, I found these journals that may be relevant to many
of you. Some of them are based at universities and that homepage may
also have other useful links to online resources that you may find valuable.

Journal of Intercultural Communication, IISN 1404-1634
http://www.immi.se/intercultural/

discourse analysis online, ISSN 1477-7843
http://extra.shu.ac.uk/daol/index.html

Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture
http://www.wmin.ac.uk/mad/page-880

"Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture (WPCC) is a
peer-reviewed journal, published twice a year in hard copy and PDF
format. WPCC recognises the interdisciplinary nature of the field of
Media and Cultural Studies, and therefore deliberately encourages
diverse methods, contexts and themes. Particular interests include, but
are not limited to, work related to Popular Culture, Media Audiences,
Political Economy, Promotional Culture, New Media, Political
communication, Migration and Diasporic Studies."

The Qualitative Report, ISSN 1052-0147
http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/index.html

Relevant links listed on this site:
Qualitative Research Resources

* Qualitative Research Web Sites
* Journals
* Textual Resources
* Syllabi
* Quality in Qualitative Research References

* Teaching Qualitative Research References

Ecology and Society: A Journal of Integrative Science for Resilience
and Sustainability (formerly Conservation Ecology)
http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/

2. Google Scholar:
http://www.scholar.google.com/

3. Questia: http://www.questia.com/

This is a subscription database with many books and articles and
features that allow you to create a "bookshelf" and store the materials
that interest you so that you don't have to download them unless you
want to. Having them in electronic format allows you to search easily
for relevant material and copy passages you want to quote without having
to retype them. Here's what they say about themselves.

"The World's Largest Online Library of Books
Questia is the first online library that provides 24/7 access to the
world's largest online collection of books and journal articles in the
humanities and social sciences, plus magazine and newspaper articles.
You can search each and every word of all of the books and journal
articles in the collection. You can read every title cover to cover.
This rich, scholarly content -- selected by professional collection
development librarians -- is not available elsewhere on the Internet.
Undergraduate, high school, graduate students, and Internet users of all
ages have found Questia to be an invaluable online resource. Anyone
doing research or just interested in topics that touch on the humanities
and social sciences will find titles of interest in Questia.

To complement the library, Questia offers a range of search,
note-taking, and writing tools. These tools help students locate the
most relevant information on their topics quickly, quote and cite
correctly, and create properly formatted footnotes and bibliographies
automatically. Questia provides a comprehensive research environment to
meet students' academic needs."

If you are aware of other resources like these, I would appreciate your
letting me know.

Regards,
Adair Nagata

Dear HumanDHS friends!

Dr. Thomas Daffern, Director fo the International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy in Wales and London, UK, is a co-convenor for the international peace research association peace theories commission. He kindly invites us to attend and present a paper on humiliation theory and peace theory.

THE NEXT IPRA CONFERENCE: JUNE 2006 IN CALGARY!

When?
June 26-30, 2006

Where?
At the University of Calgary, (UofC) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Main Theme?
"Patterns of Conflict, Paths to Peace"

More Details?
Click here.

For further information please contact:
Larry J. Fisk
Chair, Organizing Committee

IPRA 2006 Conference
Calgary, Canada
E-mail: larry.fisk@shaw.ca
Phone/fax: (403) 210-3184

Der Überblick: Neues Heft
Pfingstkirchen - Mit Moral zum Erfolg

"Pfingstkirchen - Mit Moral zum Erfolg" lautet der Themenschwerpunkt in
der neuen Ausgabe von "der überblick" ( www.der-ueberblick.de )

Warum wachsen Pfingstkirchen und charismatische Bewegungen besonders in
Entwicklungsländern so schnell? Warum sind sie in einigen Regionen schon
stärker als die etablierte evangelische und katholische Kirche zusammen?
Was soll man von ihren Heilungsritualen bei Krankheiten halten? Warum
haben mache Pfingstgemeinden bei der Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe Erfolg, während
so manche Entwicklungshilfeorganisation daran scheitert?

Diese und andere interessante Themen finden Sie in der neuen Ausgabe von
"der überblick" (Euro 5,50 + Versandkosten).
www.der-ueberblick.de (herausgegeben i.A. vom Evangelischen
Entwicklungsdienst und von Brot für die Welt).

Vergangene Schwerpunkte: Schönheit, Entwicklungspolitik, Fisch und
Welternährung, Afrika, Umgang mit Tod und Trauer weltweit, Bildung,
Migration, Tansania, Sklaverei heute, Energie, NGOs, Exil, Vorsorge,
Grenzen, Mexiko, Aids, Gefängnisse, Maghreb.

Mit freundlicher Empfehlung
die Redaktion

Dear friends!
Please read here Susmita's reflections on "Why Do People Join Terrorist Organizations?" This is part of her dissertation. She would love having your feedback. Please write to her at st2156@columbia.edu.
Thanks a lot!
Most warmly!
Evelin

Why Do People Join Terrorist Organizations?
© Susmita Thukral
2005

Both Psychology in general and Psychoanalysis in particular, have taken a lot of flak from the other social sciences for looking at terrorism through their very limited prisms and typical paradigms. As a result, it seems that the question of why people join terrorist organizations is far more useful since it throws light on the social and environmental factors that govern an individual’s decision to join a terrorist organization. As has already been indicated elsewhere in this paper, terrorism is by no means just an Islamist or Muslim phenomenon. Nevertheless, it is true that in the last decade or so, we have been witnessing and will continue to witness a deluge of large scale violence perpetrated by Islamic fundamentalist groups that have networked all over the world. Intensive sociological work has therefore been done on these groups in order to identify the psycho-social and environmental conditions and processes that give rise to terrorism. Some of the cardinal perspectives are outlined below.
Social and Political Grievances

A number of thinkers have looked at terrorism as an expression of large-scale, deep rooted social grievances within the Muslim population. Indeed, this approach regards terrorism not as a manifestation of psychopathology but as a strategy to remove the sources of their grievances and re-order the politics of the world in that direction. Silke (2004) for example, has noted that young males who have been marginalized from mainstream society are more likely to seek refuge in militant ideologies. Common grievances regarding their social and economic position bring them together and once they become a part of a terrorist organization they become even more alienated from their societies as a result of which their identification with the group ideology becomes even more rigid. There is nothing from the outside that challenges their beliefs anymore and soon they see themselves only in relation to the terrorist group. Such a scenario has been persistently found in organizations with separatist/nationalist agendas wherein individuals with a continued sense of discrimination come together as a group to redress the social system. Palestinian terrorist organizations are typical examples of such groups and for most Palestinians joining these organizations is a natural progression given the fact that they have large-scale societal acceptance for their ideas and actions. Post, Sprinzak and Denny (2003) through their interviews with incarcerated Hamas (Palestinian terrorist organization) terrorists have also reiterated that severe feelings of being victimized by being thrown away from their homes and the despair and helplessness that the situation engendered in them influenced them completely to join the terrorist group. For most of these groups, terrorism is a justified holy war or jihad for the sake of their causes. By engaging in violence and creating a fear or dread of that violence, terrorists seek to gain attention for their causes and recognition of their rights (Hoffman, 1998). The Black September attacks at the Olympics in Munich in 1972 by Palestinian terrorists are a classic example of the idea that terrorism is a way of attracting the world’s attention to marginalized groups and their struggles. Stern (2003) through her intensive study of cults such as the CSA (Covenant, the Sword and the Arm of the Lord), has also emphasized that cult leaders harness feelings of alienation, humiliation and marginalization to indoctrinate members into the group’s ideology. Individuals who join cults are lost beings who struggle with a profuse sense of meaninglessness in their lives. They lack a sense of purpose in life, live at the fringes of society and so, are especially likely to join cults to rescue them from their extreme sense of alienation and provide a definition of life. Cults function primarily because their members are cut-off from the rest of the world in a way that not only facilitates a strong fusion in between the members and the leader but also mesmerizes them into believing the delusional apocalyptic visions of the cult. Although an extrapolation of an understanding of cults to terrorist organizations is questionable, it can be concluded that long-standing social grievances have the capacity to violate individuals in very profoundly destructive ways, the reprisal of which can only be sought by destroying those who are held responsible.

Humiliation, Vengeance and Revenge

Perhaps, the most over-arching rationale that has been discerned by most scholars in the field, and correctly so, is the significance of humiliation in motivating thousands of individuals to join terrorist organizations. Human beings have a strong sense of justice and in many ways almost all conflict is a way of rectifying injustice by the parties involved.
Through his study of terrorists belonging to the IRA (Irish Republican Army) Silke (2004) has concluded that the personal histories of terrorists are full of accounts of humiliation and injustice by rival groups. Frequently, these terrorists have witnessed family members and friends being assaulted and killed and these experiences played a pivotal role in their joining terrorist groups.

The theme of humiliation also dominates the experiences of a whole nation of people, such as the Palestinians. Although not all Palestinians have joined the Intifada, Palestinian terrorist organizations have the support and approval of the common man in Palestine, for the whole country shares a history of humiliation that binds them in their nationalism. Studies have also suggested that popular support for suicide bombings is highly positively correlated with the frequency of the Israeli checkpoints that the Palestinians have to go through at a daily basis (Atran, 2004). Instances of strip-searches and other such humiliating acts while going through these checkpoints on their way home, is a common occurrence for most people in Palestinian who silently bear the torture that increases their travel time from a few minutes to hours together. As Silke (2004) has noted, for most of these Palestinians joining a terrorist organization is simply following a family tradition and it is something that everyone does. According to them, they are waging a holy war against this humiliation and restoring their honor and pride. They do not consider their actions to be terrorist violence but an answer to a higher spiritual calling that every Muslim must respond to. It is every Palestinian’s prime duty to protect himself and his people from any form of injustice. Terrorism from this stand point, then, is an expression of revenge and vengeance against real or perceived injustice and an attempt at reinstating one’s dignity and self-worth. For cultures that place a heavy premium on shame and honor like in the Arab world, humiliation is like death and an annihilation of the self. No wonder it can mobilize the most pernicious kinds of reactions that can range from killing the other to killing oneself rather than leading a dishonored life. Stern (2003) has very aptly quoted Juergensmeyer in saying that suicide bombing is a way to “dehumiliate” (p.54).

Terrorist organizations in other parts of the world, like the Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, also resound with the theme of humiliation as a major catalyst to resorting to terrorism. For them, American presence in Saudi Arabia and the Middle-East in general is highly unjust and humiliating. The relative deprivation theory has been called upon many times to explain that the terrorism originating from the middle-east represents a cry against colossal economic deprivation when brought on by the West. Lindner (2003) however, has remarked and correctly so, that deprivation in itself does not lead to large-scale conflicts, but that it is deprivation within the context of humiliation and one that is perceived as intentionally degrading or lowering, that leads to those conflicts. Based on the ideas presented above, it can be concluded that humiliation as a psychological experience has an irrefutable connection to terrorism and that dealing with this aspect of terrorism is a must if we wish to grapple with it in a sound way.

Jim Ludema and Diana Whitney, authors of "The Appreciative Inquiry Summit: A Practitioner's Guide for Leading Large-Group Change", cordially invite you to join them for their Appreciative Inquiry Summit Workshop May 24-27 in Chicago. This is a highly interactive, hands-on workshop that has produced breakthrough results for dozens of organizations.

The AI Summit is a process for getting the "whole system in the room" (30-3000 people or more) to launch meaningful and often revolutionary change. It has been used by McDonald's, BP, John Deere, Hunter Douglas, Nokia, US Cellular, British Airways, Roadway, Nutrimental, World Vision, the US Navy, and many others and is rapidly becoming a method of choice among leaders of change because of its capacity to unify people around a common vision and enable them to implement rapid whole system transformation.

This workshop is ideal for individuals and for teams working on a common change agenda. In addition to providing an introduction to the AI Summit methodology, offering a series of case studies of the AI Summit in action, and leading rich discussions in how to apply the AI Summit in a variety of settings, Jim and Diana work individually with each person or team to help design an AI Summit process tailored specifically to their project or organization.

Prior familiarity with Appreciative Inquiry is required. For more information or to register, visit the Corporation for Positive Change (CPC) website (www.positivechange.org) or contact Maggie at office@positivechange.org or phone 505.751.1232 (x2).

This workshop is one of five in the CPC CERTIFICATE PROGRAM in Appreciative Inquiry and the Practice of Change. Other 2005 CERTIFICATE PROGRAM workshops include:

- Foundations of Appreciative Inquiry (June 13-17, Boulder, CO; Sept. 12-16, Chicago)
- The AI Summit Methodology (May 24-27, Chicago; Nov. 7-10, Taos, NM)
- The Appreciative Leadership Development Program (Dec. 5-8, location TBD)
- AI in Action: A Practicum for Leaders of Positive Change (Oct. 12-14, Boulder, CO)
- Being Appreciative Inquiry (August 2-5; Taos, NM)

For more information or to register for any of the above workshops, visit the Corporation for Positive Change (CPC) website (www.positivechange.org) or contact Maggie at 505-751-1232 or office@positivechange.org.

DIGNITY INTERNATIONAL: MONTHLY NEWSBULLETIN - April 2005
===================================================

Dignity News
* Working Group on Budget Analysis & ESC Rights
* New Contacts for Dignity International
* 2004 Annual Report of Dignity International

Other News
* WSF International Council meets in Utrecht, Holland
* Wolfowitz to the World Bank, NGO reactions
* Get On Board, Driving from Africa to Scotland to meet the G8
* Global Week of Action on Trade, 10-16 April
* Send my Friend to School, 24-30 April
* Coca-Cola: unthinkable, undrinkable, Indian campaign for the company’s accountability

* ESC Rights at the 61st UN Human Rights Commission
* 34th Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Publications
* Kofi Annan’s new report: the proposals for a reinforced UN
* Millennium Development Goals Online Campaigning Toolkit for Civil Society, CIVICUS new release
* Kenya and Housing Rights, A new COHRE report launched

Announcements
* Manifesto for Transparency, Participation, Balance and Access

Forthcoming Events, Highlights
* First Summer School on Cinema and Human Rights
* The Washington Colloquium on the Inter-American Human Rights System
* 4th International Human Rights Academy

DIGNITY NEWS

*** Working Group on Budget Analysis and ESC Rights on its way. Five organisations, the International Human Rights Internship Program, the International Budget Group, FUNDAR, ESCR-Net and Dignity International joined forces to organise the first ever Linking and Learning Programme on Budget Analysis and ESC Rights. The 7-days intense Learning Programme took place from 11-19 March in Alcochete Portugal.

The programme aimed to introduce to the development and human rights fields skills in using budget analysis as a new tool for monitoring ESC rights observance.

20 participants highly evaluated the contents and context of the programme. It is hoped that an initiative of this kind will further strengthen this field of work and that a range of follow-up activities will take place in the near future.

To assist with information and exchange in this growing area of activity, participants of the Learning Programme requested ESCR-Net to move towards the formation of a working group on Budget Analysis and ESC Rights.

To know more on follow-up activities and to subscribe to the list serve send an e-mail to: ESCR-Budgets-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The core contents of the Learning Programme will soon be available at http://www.dignityinternational.org/A/P1/docs/budgetanalysisbinder.pdf
And at http://www.dignityinternational.org/A/P1/docs/binder.doc

ESCR-NET is preparing a report of the Learning Programme which will soon be available at
http://www.dignityinternational.org/A/P1/docs/budgetanalysisreport.doc

*** New contacts for Dignity International, From April 2005, the new mailing address and contacts for Dignity International will be:
Dignity International
2 Rue des Ecrivains
67000 Strasbourg
France
Tel: +33 873 600 142/ Fax: +33 388 363 709

E-mail addresses and websites remain at:
e-mail: info@dignityinternational.org
website: http://www.dignityinternational.org

*** 2004 Annual Report of Dignity International,An easy to read annual report of Dignity International in English is now available and can be accessed at: http://www.dignityinternational.org/A/P1/docs/2004annualreport.pdf

Portuguese and French versions of the annual report are under preparation.

OTHER NEWS

*** WSF International Council meets in Utrecht, Holland. The World Social Forum International Council (IC) met in Utrecht, Holland, from March 31 to April 2 2005. The meeting evaluated the V WSF that took place in Porto Alegre, from January 26 to 31 2005. The IC also discussed the direction that the WSF process will take, specifically, the WSF 2006, which will be decentralized, in different parts of the world. The WSF will be polycentric; this means it will have multiple centers.

The meeting was preceded by a conjoint seminar of the Expansion, Methodology, Thematic, Content, Communication and Resources Commissions, from March 28 to 30.

WSF 2006, polycentric: chapter Latin America will be in Venezuela
The International Council confirmed that the VI WSF, chapter Latin America, will take place in Caracas, Venezuela, during the same period of the World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland), at the end of January 2006. The Americas Hemispherical Council will meet on April 25th and 26th, in Havana, Cuba to discuss the beginning of the VI WSF and II Americas Social Forum construction processes.

There are still two more proposals of places where the polycentric WSF 2006 will take place: one in Africa and the other in Asia. The exact places and dates will be decided in regional meetings that should take place this year between April and May.

In the WSF process, the predicted events are:
- Mediterranean Social Forum, in Barcelona, Spain, from June 16 to 19 2005
- Caribe World Social Forum, in Martinique, in November 2005
- Asian Social Forum, in Pakistan, in November 2005
- European Social Forum, in Athens, in April 2006

Soon, the full report of the IC meeting will be on the WSF website. Please, wait.

The next meeting will be in Barcelona
The next IC meeting is supposed to take place this year from June 20 to 22, in Barcelona, Spain. The meeting will take place right after the I Mediterranean Social Forum (June 16 to 19). The IC commissions will also meet during the Med SF.

See:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/index.php?cd_language=2&id_menu=

*** Wolfowitz to the World Bank. Paul Wolfowitz, despite voices against, was unanimously appointed by the 184 country-representatives present at the meeting on 31 March, as the new president of the World Bank. Wolfowitz will take over the World Bank next 1st of June. Wolfowitz affirmed the fighting against poverty, especially in Africa, as his main goal: ˜Poverty reduction is a unifying goal and one that I believe in deeply". He added that he will focus his mandate on issues such as international trade, subsidies and private sector investment. For official Bank information on his appointment, see:
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20422192~pagePK:34370~piPK:34426~theSitePK:4607,00.html

Economic justice NGOs are highly critical with this appointment. "Paul Wolfowitz is the most controversial choice Bush could have made" said Njoki Njoroge Njehu, Director of the 50 Years Is Enough Network. "As the most prominent advocate of imposing the U.S.A's will on the world "the architect of the disastrous invasion and occupation of Iraq" this appointment signals to developing countries that the U.S. is just as serious about imposing its will on borrowers from the World Bank as on the countries of the Middle East. Coming on the heels of the nomination of John Bolton as Ambassador to the U.N., it reveals the contempt this Administration has for the international community."
For some NGO reaction to his appointment see http://www.50years.org/index.html
In a few days from 16-17 April, the World Bank and the IMF will meet for their annual spring gathering. Social & Economic Justice NGOs like 50 Years Is Enough Network and its partners will organise activities to demand 100% debt cancellation, the end of structural adjustment, and the cessation of economic violence against the Global South!

*** Get On Board, An African bus leaves Johannesburg and heads to Scotland. March 31st marked the start of a long 12 000 mile journey of a small African bus, which will be collecting messages of African people to deliver in Edinburgh, Scotland, on July 6, at the G8 summit. The G8 is composed by the heads of State or Government of the major industrial democracies (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK and the USA), which meet annually to deal with the major economic and political issues facing their domestic societies and the international community as a whole.
The African bus, then, rather than transporting passengers, it will be transporting the messages of people from South and East Africa and bringing these to the G8 leaders. These messages will form a challenge from the people of Africa to the world leaders to support, and not undermine, Africa´s own efforts to overcome poverty and injustice, especially focusing on the AIDS crisis in Africa and visiting people living with HIV and AIDS. Get on Board will be meeting people living in extreme poverty - those whose voices are rarely heard.
Follow the campaign day-to-day at http://getonboard.actionaid.org.

*** Global Action Against Poverty, two Action Weeks in April:

*** Global Week of Action on Trade, 10-16 April.This will be the first big event of 2005, which is, as many say, the year offering a unique chance to end definitively extreme poverty. The aim of the week is to challenge the free trade myth, which says that the only way to reduce poverty across the world is through more and more free trade, liberalisation and privatisation, and to expose the devastating results of Northern government policies which seek to impose free trade wherever they can. It is vital to show that trade is about more than business and economics "it is about food, water, health, education, livelihoods" that alternatives to the current trade system do exist. There is a strong global movement for Trade Justice. To publicise these ideas, many events are planned, from public debates, art competitions and votes for Trade Justice, to concerts and mass rallies.

Millions of people are getting ready to take action to say that "free trade is not working" and to call on governments and the international financial institutions to "stop forcing economic liberalisation on the world's poor" http://www.april2005.org/

*** Send my Friend to School, 24-30 April. The aim of the week is to deliver the urgent message to world governments, education is the key to end poverty!
Governments have to be strongly called upon to live up to their promises made on education five years ago when they signed up to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for ending world poverty. The MDGs set out eight priority actions to halve world poverty by 2015. This year, they will break the first of their promises - to get as many girls as boys into classrooms by 2005. Such a failure costs lives: this year alone, one million children will die, who would have lived if governments had kept their 2005 promise on girls" education.
See how you can act at
http://www.campaignforeducation.org/action/action_2005.html

*** Fax action Campaign, Coca-Cola: STOP destroying lives, livelihoods and communities in India. April 2005 has been designated as the month of actions against Coca-Cola, and there will be actions around the world to hold Coca-Cola accountable for its crimes in India, Colombia and all over the world. Coca-Cola in India is considered guilty of causing severe water shortages for communities all across the country; polluting groundwater and soil around its bottling facilities; distributing its toxic waste as fertilizer to farmers; selling drinks with extremely high levels of pesticides. Communities in India are calling upon the support of the international community to pressure Coca-Cola to stop all these atrocities.

See how to act at http://www.indiaresource.org/action/faxcoke.php
Source: Choike

*** The United Nations Commission on Human Rights (14 March "22 April. The UN Commission on Human Rights is the world" foremost human rights forum, established in 1946. It is currently in session.

At the beginning of the session (30-31 March) the Commission considered specific issues related to the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR), stressing the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights. During these days there were interventions from:

- Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group to consider options regarding the elaboration of an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on ESCR (Catarina Albuquerque); the Independent Expert on the effects of structural adjustment policies and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly ESCR; the Independent Expert on human rights and extreme poverty (Arjun Sengupta), and the Special Rapporteur on the right to food (Jean Ziegler).

According to Sengupta, poverty as to be regarded as deprivation of human development, and extreme poverty as an extreme or severe deprivation. Above all, if extreme poverty could be identified in itself as a violation of human rights, it would become an obligation for both the concerned States and the international community to make the best efforts directly to remove it.

Ziegler reaffirmed the idea of all human beings having the right to live in dignity, free from hunger - eradicating hunger and poverty is not only a question of finding resources, it is a question of Governments and other actors refraining from taking actions that caused great hunger, poverty and inequality.

Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs), speaking mainly about the violation of those rights in many countries. Several NGOs called attention to the fact of the lack of effective national legislation or its insufficient application impedes people from fully enjoying their economic, social and cultural rights as enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Further details on the 61st session of the UN Commission on Human Rights can be found at
http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/index.htm

*** 34th Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - The 34th session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights will meet in Geneva from 25 April to 13 May. The Committee will consider state party reports from Zambia, China, Norway, as well as from Serbia and Montenegro.

One of the main priority items for the Committee will be the consideration and adoption of a draft general comment on the right to work. NGO submissions to the committee will be considered on the afternoon of Monday 25 April 2005.

For a full agenda and state party reports, please see: http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cescr/cescrs34.htm

PUBLICATIONS

*** A New Report by the UN Secretary General.On the 21st March, Kofi Annan presented to the United Nations General Assembly his new report: ‘In larger freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all’.

Annan presented now the report, for it to be discussed in September 2005, at the Summit in New York, when world leaders are bound to discuss the progress of the Millennium Declaration (2000), which set the Millennium Development Goals venture. The report is a very comprehensive one, dealing with material as well as structural problems of the UN. Annan reinforces the need of strengthening the UN in order of being capable of respond to today’s pressing challenges, and for that, proposing changes in the General assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Secretariat as well as defending the creation of a Human Rights Council to substitute the actual Commission on Human Rights.

To Annan, "we will not enjoy development without security, we will not enjoy security without development, and we will not enjoy either without respect for Human Rights..we must act together and now is the time to act!"

A Summary of the Report can be fund at : http://www.un.org/largerfreedom/executivesummary.pdf

*** A New Tool Kit on the MDGs, CIVICUS recently released its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Online Campaigning Toolkit for Civil Society. Civil society organisations who are or would like to be involved in MDGs can now build MDG campaigns with a free online toolkit released by CIVICUS. The toolkit aims at providing a framework for the development of strategies customised for different national and regional contexts. It provides basic information on MDGs, advice on how to plan a campaign, a range of essential campaigning tools, practical campaigning skills as well as a number of case studies on MDG campaigns that have been taking place around the world.
Toolkit is available at www.civicus.org/mdg/1-1.htm.

*** Kenya and Housing Rights, A new COHRE report launched - 3 March 200 - Kenya emerged in late 2002 from the legacy of authoritarian rule with a new coalition government facing enormous challenges. In the capital Nairobi, more than half the city lives in informal settlements in slum-like conditions.

But threats of mass evictions in early 2004 led to a national campaign involving the Kenyan Coalition Against Forced Evictions and leading churches. Organisations like COHRE carried out international advocacy: see Letters sent to Government of Kenya. The evictions were suspended on 1 March 2004 after some demolitions were carried out.

COHRE then carried out a fact-finding mission into housing rights of Nairobi to investigate continuing threats and the provision of alternatives. The mission report Listening to the Poor documents the experiences of victims of demolitions as well as those still living under the threat of eviction. You can also see an Executive Summary of the report in Swahili(coming soon) and English plus the media release of 3 March 2005.

Improving conditions in informal settlements is also a major challenge, particularly ensuring the accountability of local officials and the extension of slum upgrading. Yet, the mission report documents a tendency to ignore residents in housing projects and programmes, a problem that will need to be urgently redressed to ensure the success of these programs.
COHRE is also supporting litigation efforts to ensure victims of forced http://www.cohre.org/kenya/1.html

COHRE also has just released the first number of its new bulletin - Quilomb@ - which from now on will be produced on a monthly basis. Quilomb@ is a publication about the struggle of the Quilombos people of Brazil for land and property rights - a struggle COHRE is closely involved in through its Americas Programme, based in Porto Alegre (Brazil).
English version at:http://www.cohre.org/quilombos/downloads/Boletim-Marco-05-Ingles.pdf
Portuguese version at:http://www.cohre.org/quilombos/downloads/Boletim-Marco-05-portugues.pdf

ANNOUNCEMENTS

*** Manifesto for Transparency, Participation, Balance and Access.Open Letter to the United Nation’s World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Activists and organizations are calling for an immediate participation of civil society and consumer-interest non-governmental organizations within WIPO’s activities. Specifically, but not limited in the two nest meetings: the Inter-sectionals Intergovernmental Meeting (11-13 April 2005) and in the Permanent Committee on Cooperation for Development Related to Intellectual Property (14-15 April 2005).

Civil society calls for participation at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)'s activities. This participation would provide a balanced discussion on WIPO's Development Agenda and on the IP system in general, observing an equilibrium between IP right holders and consumers. They also urge that WIPO plays its role in making access to knowledge feasible for humanity, bearing in mind different needs and stages of development.

Sign the letter online at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/wipo/petition.html

FORTHCOMING EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS

*** The European Inter-University Centre (EIUC) for Human Rights and Democratisation is organising the first EIUC Summer School on Cinema and Human Rights, which will be held in Venice from 25 August to 15 September 2005. The aim is to bring together students and professionals involved in both the fields of Human Rights and Cinema to reflect on the use of cinema as an instrument for enhancing human rights awareness.
See: www.cinemahumanrights.org

*** The Washington Colloquium on the Inter-American Human Rights System. A first annual meeting on Human Rights convened and organized by the American University Washington College of Law and its Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law,. The colloquium will take place on May 26-28 2005, in Washington D.C. The goal of the colloquium is to initiate an annual series of conferences in which representatives of academic institutions, civil society organizations, and government will convene to debate the central questions that affect the functioning of the Inter-American Human Rights System.

Contact information: hracademy@wl.american.edu
See: http://www.wcl.american.edu/humright/hracademy/2005/meeting.cfm

*** The 4th International Human Rights Academy will take place, from 16 to 29 October 2005, in Cape Town, South Africa. This is a course offered by the Human Rights Centre of Ghent University (Belgium), the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights at Utrecht University, the Faculty of Law of University of the Western Cape (South Africa) and the International Federation of Health and Human Rights Organisations. This is a course designed to provide high quality legal education in comparative international human rights and in humanitarian law, with emphasis on the practical aspects in the various fields including health. Courses include the Universal System of Protection of Human Rights, the Regional Systems of Protection of Human Rights, International Criminal Law, International Humanitarian Law and Transitional Law.

Application Deadline: 1 June 2005 For more information, see www.law.ugent.be/pub/humanrightsacademy

New York University International Trauma Studies Program

Since 1997, the International Trauma Studies Program http://www.nyu.edu/trauma.studies has provided intensive training in trauma theory, treatment and prevention for a diverse professional population of health and mental health professionals, attorneys, human rights and community activists, artists and media professionals. ITSP offers trauma preparedness and response training to government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and universities both in the United States and abroad.

Now accepting applications for:

The 2005-06 Training Program in International Trauma Studies

This nine month training program includes:

Nine intensive one and a half day workshops, run by visiting local and international faculty who are renowned experts in the trauma field;

Nine monthly integrative seminars providing participants opportunities to share their own work and host visiting experts;

A Class Project that actively integrates theory and methods taught in the course; and

Externships in a research group, clinical or community setting, available for local and international participants who wish to enhance their learning experience;

Topics covered in the program:

 An overview of trauma theory, intervention, and prevention in response to traumatic events domestic, communal, natural and human made catastrophes;

 Practical skill building for everyday work and life;

 Intensive training in individual, family and community oriented interventions based on a resilience framework;

 Best practices in international psychosocial response;

 The political, moral, and human rights dimensions of traumatic suffering and humanitarian intervention; and

 Multidisciplinary approaches including the arts, literature, performance, media, and oral history.

A certificate of completion is awarded to participants with consistent attendance and successful completion of the final project.

Application deadline, June 1, 2005

2004-05 Faculty and Presenters

Course Professor: Jack Saul, Ph.D.; ITSP Faculty: Nancy Baron, Ed.D., Esther Perel, M.A., Carol Prendergast, JD., Steven Reisner, Ph.D.; Visiting Faculty and Seminar Leaders: Pauline Boss, Ph.D., Claude Chemtob, Ph.D., Sara Cobb, Ph.D., Allen Feldman, Ph.D., William Friedrich, Ph.D., Judith Landau, M.D., Carlos Sluzki, M.D., Ruti Teitel, JD., Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., Stevan Weine, M.D.

The NYU International Trauma Studies Program is based in the Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital.

For information, contact:

International Trauma Studies Program 212.691.6499
New York University 212.807.1809
155 Avenue of the Americas 4th Floor trauma.studies@nyu.edu
New York, NY 10013 http://www.nyu.edu/trauma.studies

CGNews-PiH
April 13, 2005
***********

The Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity, brought to you
by Search for Common Ground, seeks to build bridges of understanding
between the West and the Arab World and countries with predominately
Muslim populations.

Please note: The views expressed in the articles and in CGNews-PiH are
those of the authors, not of CGNews or its affiliates.

**********

UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL ARTICLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR RE-PUBLICATION.

Common Ground News Service- Partners in Humanity

Article #1
Title: 'She' TV gives voice to Arab women
Author: Will Rasmussen
Publication: The Christian Science Monitor
Date: April 4, 2005
Rasmussen looks into a television station that caters to women and
women's issues in the Middle East, trying to empower women by
questioning taboos and provoking controversy. Discussing challenges
that women face in their societies, the programs invite responses from
religious clerics as well as women viewers, showing a diversity of
perspectives that is not often heard in such a public forum.

Article #2
Title: A woman's reflection on leading prayer
Author: Yasmin Mogahed
Publication: Middle East Times
Date: March 30, 2005
Considering the very controversial issue of Islamic woman leading
prayer, Mogahed adds a unique perspective. She defends the position
that men should lead prayer, drawning not only religion but also the
broader context of male-female relations around the world.

Article #3
Title: Behind diplomacy, Iran sees a fight coming
Author: Scott Peterson
Publication: The Christian Science Monitor
Date: March 31, 2005
Peterson tries to decipher the various signals Iran and the United
States are exchanging over the issue of Iran's alleged nuclear weapons
program, and considers the political, military and social implications
of economic or political incentives or military action

Article #4
Title: How to Win Friends in the Mideast
Author: Rami G. Khouri
Publication: Los Angeles Times
Date: March 31, 2005
In this article, Khouri provides some concrete advice to Karen Hughes
and Liz Cheney as they take on the responsibility of revamping global
public diplomacy and the promotion of democracy throughout the Middle
East.

**************************

~YOUTH VIEWS~
This week our youth views article was co-written by American University
of Beirut student, Marwa Abou Dayya, and Harvard student, Alex Fortes.
Fortes and Abou Dayya write about their participation in th Soliya
Connect program that engages American and Arab college students in
dialogue through weekly online videoconferences.

*************************

YOUTH VIEWS
In Bridging Gaps, Dialogue is Key
Marwa Abou Dayya and Alex Fortes
April 12, 2005
Since the events of September 11, 2001, and especially since the
beginning of the Iraq War in March 2003, the relationship between Arab
states and the United States has been particularly contentious. As
participants in Soliya Connect, a program that engages American and
Arab college students in dialogue through weekly online
videoconferences, we have discussed with our peers the politics,
policies, and perceptions that divide these two regions. Encouraged by
our surprising agreement and driven by our often-heated debates, we
have attempted to better understand the issues that spark the greatest
controversy between Arab and American nations. Through examination of
our own views and our understanding of our respective cultures, we have
identified three major areas of disagreement: Israel-Palestine;
democracy, rights, and war ethics; and media objectivity. We believe
that a better understanding of these issues, with an unwavering
commitment to dialogue, is a vital initial step in disentangling the
Arab-American tensions so prominent today.

The most viable proposal we can make is to maintain a serious
commitment to increased dialogue and interaction between the two
regions. This dialogue must transcend the normal interactions of
diplomacy and work to place members of the society in every discipline
at a discussion table, to air perceptions and grievances and to help
clear up confusions. Programs such as Soliya are well designed to
address this problem, but they do not go far enough. The United States'
relationship to Israel, and implicitly, Israel's relationship to the
Arab world, plays a pivotal role in American-Arab relations. Therefore,
a dialogue between Americans and Arabs must also include Israelis in
order to be as productive as possible. The Lebanese government
currently prohibits interaction between Lebanese citizens and Israelis.
Throughout the course, we honored this rule and did not interact with
Israelis at any point in the program; however, we think that it is
vital for the interests of the whole region to open up dialogue fully
between Israelis, Americans, and Arabs, at least in the context of
programs with goals of fostering understanding such as Soliya. We
therefore propose an effort to lobby the Lebanese government to modify
this rule and exempt programs that aim at increasing understanding
among the different cultures. It is also important to note that the
United States, in its diversity, presents a less problematic arena in
which to enhance American-Arab relations. By fostering dialogues among
Americans of various backgrounds and those of Arab descent, we can
soothe internal tensions having to do with the conflict without needing
to address the more entrenched divides one encounters when dealing with
the Middle East.

Since the Arab relationship to America is so heavily marked by the
conflict in Israel and Palestine, commitment to resolution of this
conflict must be the first priority of American foreign policy in the
Middle East. While under the Clinton administration the United States
did make earnest attempts to mediate between the two parties in the
conflict, the Bush administration has until very recently been less
willing to take an active role as mediator beyond putting forth
proposed terms of peace. What has replaced the emphasis on Israel and
Palestine only serves to further aggravate American-Arab relations -
the war in Iraq. While the justifications for this war were various and
poorly corroborated, one of the chief ones stated by the American
leadership is bringing democracy to the Middle East. As a general
policy goal, this is meritorious; using war as a means to achieve it,
however, is anything but. The U.S. must instead emphasize reform from
within, aiding it through trade liberalization and political support of
popular liberal revolutions of the society. Achieving a democratic
Middle East must be done on the terms of the people of the Middle East.
It is the burden of Arab States to cooperate in prosecuting the most
destructive elements of Arab society; however, in so doing, these
governments risk being perceived as pawns of the United States and
losing popular legitimacy. The subtleties of these interactions and the
circumstances surrounding them are extremely complex and beyond the
scope of this piece to address comprehensively. Even so, a commitment
to more enlightened policies - both at the level of international
politics and at the level of cultural dialogue and exchange - furthers
our goal of cooperation and reconciliation.

We emphasize that maximizing social interaction and cultural exchange
through various forms of dialogue - whether they be sponsored by NGOs,
governments, educational institutions, or legitimate elements of the
mass media - is central to decreasing the tension between American and
Arab cultures. This joint piece by a Lebanese Muslim and an American
Jew is itself a testament to the compromise and consensus that can be
achieved between the two; any and all steps taken to further this goal,
no matter how small, are positive.
**Available for reprint.

*********
Article #1
'She' TV gives voice to Arab women
Will Rasmussen

BEIRUT, LEBANON - Television talk-show host Matilda Farjallah shifts
forward in her chair and looks the white-bearded Sunni sheikh sitting
across the table directly in the eyes. "Tahzeeb al-mara ["instructing
the woman"] is discussed in the Koran. Does it allow instructing a
woman by beating her?" she asks. Men, the sheikh responds, can instruct
women - but "only with words."

Yet, the sheikh adds, if the woman doesn't seem to get the message,
the husband can strike her.

"But only lightly with a ruler," the sheikh says, "and only on the rear
end."

Ms. Farjallah grows animated, her elbows lifting from the table. "Some
men," she says, "take advantage of the Koran and say: 'It is written,
We can beat women. It is within our rights.'" Dialogue like this isn't
common in the Middle East, but it's being dished out every day by Heya
(Arabic for "she") satellite television station, broadcast to an
estimated daily audience of 15 million women, from illiterate denizens
of remote villages in Egypt to Prada-clothed fashionistas in Beirut.

Tune in to Heya during the day, and you'll find shows on fashion,
cooking, or home decoration. But the station, carried on the digital
Nile Satellite television channel, is bent on more than just
entertainment.

"Our goal is to empower women," says Heya's founder, Nicolas Abu Samah,
who launched the station two years ago. "We want to question taboos and
provoke controversy."

Repression of women was listed as one of the Arab world's
three "deficits" in the United Nation's 2002 Arab Human Development
Report, along with a lack of political freedom and illiteracy. Mr. Abu
Samah, who spent 15 years in England with the Filmali Production Co.,
says his station does not make political statements or take stances on
religious matters. It simply raises tough questions.

Heya's potential audience is 100 million women across the Middle East,
nearly 70 percent of the region's TV viewers, according to Abu Samah.

Illiteracy is high among women in the region, and Abu Samah says
satellite TV is an important way of reaching them.

The station boasts a staff of about 60, with correspondents in Syria,
Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, and North Africa.
Studios are in Beirut and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

About 70 percent of staff members - and all of the top managers - are
women, Abu Samah says.

Farjallah's show, "Al-Makshouf" ("The Uncovered"), is one of a number
devoted to political and social issues for Arab women, from domestic
violence to workplace discrimination to sex before marriage. "We try to
tackle all the core issues," she says. "We're involved in contentious
legal or religious issues all the time."

For the episode on domestic violence, Farjallah invited a young mother
named Rola Heidar who said she was regularly beaten by her husband and
her father.

On the air, Farjallah usually rests thoughtfully on her elbows, but can
play hardball. She is direct and forceful even with Ms. Heidar,
demanding: "Why didn't you leave him?"

Heidar, wearing a black mask to conceal her face, says her children -
babies at the time - "would die if I left, because he doesn't bring
food home."

That episode was particularly heated, with the sheikh bearing much of
the ire from the all-female panel.

"Is there a law that says that if a man beats a woman, she can leave
the house?" asks one panelist, an Algerian writer.

"Every problem has a solution," the sheikh answers. "If a law separated
her from her husband, are her problems over?" He urges Heidar to inform
the authorities about the beatings.

Another panelist, representing a women's rights group in Lebanon,
responds: "If she goes to the police, they'll laugh at her and not take
her seriously."

The sheikh says the beatings Heidar faces are the result of "a bad
education and a misunderstanding of the religion."

Farjallah insists her show isn't just talk. "We try to take action on
these issues," she says, adding: "We invite guests to share their
problems, but we try direct help as well - not just raise awareness."

She set up a hot line so viewers could call to offer Heidar help and
also listed the phone number for a women's rights group.

"In part of another episode we hosted 20 poor families on the show and
got [Lebanese Industry Minister] Leila Solh and [Saudi billionaire]
Prince Al-Walid bin Talal to help them," she says.

Farjallah's show, however, isn't the only one on Heya that's been
pushing buttons. The station's "Morning Show" addresses issues such as
prostitution, divorce, HIV/AIDS, and so-called honor crimes.

Even the news is geared toward women's issues. "From Day to Day"
examines news related to women from around the globe. The news is a
springboard for discussion between the anchor and a commentator, both
women.

A recent episode tackled depression among mothers after childbirth, the
pros and cons of invitro fertilization, and an employer who asked
female applicants to send in "sexy" pictures.

While the channel aggressively tackles social issues, it never directly
criticizes religious authorities or political leaders in the Middle
East. For that reason, Abu Samah says he's never faced censorship.

"Sometimes we have to choose our words carefully, but we can still get
the issues across," he says.
Source: The Christian Science Monitor
Visit the website at: www.csmonitor.com
Distributed by the Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity
with permission.
Please contact Lawrenced@csps.com for reprint permission.

**********
Article #2
A woman's reflection on leading prayer
Yasmin Mogahed
On March 18 Amina Wadud led the first female-led Jumma (Friday) prayer.
On that day women took a huge step toward being more like men. But did
we come closer to actualizing our God-given liberation?

I don't think so.

What we so often forget is that God has honored woman by giving her
value in relation to God - not in relation to men. But as western
feminism erases God from the scene there is no standard left - but men.
As a result the western feminist is forced to find her value in
relation to men. And in so doing she has accepted a faulty assumption.
She has accepted that man is the standard and thus a woman can never be
a full human being until she becomes just like a man - the standard.

When men cut their hair short women wanted to cut their hair short.
When men joined the army women wanted to join the army. Women wanted
these things for no other reason than because the "standard" had them.

What women didn't recognize is that God dignifies both men and women in
their distinctiveness - not their sameness. And on March 18 Muslim
women made the very same mistake.

For 1,400 years there has been a consensus among scholars that men are
to lead prayer. Why does this matter to Muslim women? The one who leads
prayer is not spiritually superior in any way. Something is not better
just because a man does it. And leading prayer is not better just
because it's leading. Had it been the role of women or had it been more
divine, wouldn't the Prophet have asked Aisha or Khadija, or Fatima -
the greatest women of all time - to lead? These women were promised
heaven - and yet they never led prayer.

But now for the first time in 1,400 years we look at men leading prayer
and we think, "that's not fair". We think so although God has given no
special privilege to the one who leads. The imam is no higher in the
eyes of God than the one who prays behind.

On the other hand only a woman can be a mother. And God has given
special privileges to mothers. The Prophet taught us that heaven lies
at the feet of mothers. And no matter what a man does he can never be a
mother. So why is that not unfair?

And yet even when God honors us with something uniquely feminine we are
too busy trying to find our worth in reference to men, to value it - or
even notice. We, too, have accepted men as the standard; so anything
uniquely feminine is, by definition, inferior. Being sensitive is an
insult, becoming a mother - a degradation. In the battle between stoic
rationality (considered masculine) and selfless compassion (considered
feminine), rationality reigns supreme.

As soon as we accept that everything a man has and does is better, all
that follows is just a knee jerk reaction: if men have it - we want it,
too. If men pray in the front rows we assume that this is better, so we
want to pray in the front rows, too. If men lead prayer we assume the
imam is closer to God, so we want to lead prayer, too.

A Muslim woman does not need to degrade herself in this way. She has
God as a standard. She has God to give her value; she doesn't need men.

In fact, in our crusade to follow men, we, as women, never even stopped
to examine the possibility that what we have is better for us. In some
cases we even gave up what was higher only to be like men.

Fifty years ago society told us that men were superior because they
left the home to work in factories. We were mothers. And yet we were
told that it was women's liberation to abandon the raising of another
human being in order to work on a machine.

Then after working we were expected to be superhuman - the perfect
mother, the perfect wife, the perfect homemaker - and have the perfect
career. And while there is nothing wrong, by definition, with a woman
having a career, we soon came to realize what we had sacrificed by
blindly mimicking men. We watched as our children became strangers and
soon recognized the privilege we'd given up.

And so only now - given the choice - women in the West are choosing to
stay home to raise their children. According to the US Department of
Agriculture, only 31 percent of mothers with babies and 18 percent of
mothers with two or more children are working full-time. And of those
working mothers, a survey conducted by Parenting magazine in 2000 found
that 93 percent of them say that they would rather be home with their
kids, but are compelled to work due to 'financial obligations'.
These 'obligations' are imposed on women by the gender sameness of the
modern West and removed from women by the gender distinctiveness of
Islam.

It took women in the West almost a century of experimentation to
realize a privilege given to Muslim women 1,400 years ago.

Given my privilege as a woman, I only degrade myself by trying to be
something I'm not - and in all honesty - don't want to be: a man. As
women we will never reach true liberation until we stop trying to mimic
men and value the beauty in our own God-given distinctiveness.

If given a choice between stoic justice and compassion, I choose
compassion. And if given a choice between worldly leadership and heaven
at my feet - I choose heaven.
**Yasmin Mogahed is an Egyptian-American freelance writer.
Acknowledgement to Media Monitors Network (MMN)
Source: Middle East Times
Website: www.metimes.com
Distributed by the Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity.
Copyright permission has been obtained from the author for publication.

**********
Article #3
Behind diplomacy, Iran sees a fight coming
Scott Peterson
As concerns mount over its nuclear program, fear of a US strike is
spurring Iran to strengthen its defenses.

TEHRAN, IRAN - From Washington, the rhetoric calls for diplomatic
solutions to the nuclear standoff with Iran. But Tehran also hears a
growing drumbeat for war that echoes the build-up to US invasions of
Afghanistan and Iraq. In preparation for any strike on its budding
nuclear facilities, Iran is making clear that the price will be high -
burnishing its military forces, boosting its missile program, and
warning of a painful response against US and Israeli targets in the
region.
"They see a fight coming, regardless of what they do, so they are
getting ready for it," says a European diplomat in Tehran, referring to
ideologues who think a US invasion is a "very real prospect." Even
moderate conservatives fear the "Iraqization of the Iran dossier," says
the diplomat. The result is that Iran is "constantly trying to project
strength" and is developing a new doctrine of asymmetric warfare.

President Bush, who included Iran in his "axis of evil," has called
speculation about a strike "ridiculous," but says all options are open.
Earlier this month, the US added modest incentives of WTO membership
and spare aircraft parts to bolster Britain, France, and Germany as
they negotiate with Iran over its nuclear program. But the US last week
refused to consider a security guarantee, as proposed by the head of
the UN's nuclear watchdog agency.

Experts say Iran has many assets to draw upon in case of attack:

* Iran has been upgrading its Shahab-3 missile, which can reach Israel
and US forces in the region. Iran's armed forces have conducted high-
profile military exercises since last fall.

* Iran is reported to have set up sophisticated air defenses around its
nuclear facilities. US officials in February said pilotless US drones
had been sent from Iraq since last year to sample the air for traces of
uranium enrichment. Iran has confirmed that it is excavating deep
underground tunnels to protect some nuclear facilities.

* Ukraine's new pro-West lawmakers are investigating "smuggled"
shipments of a dozen Soviet-era Kh-55 cruise missiles - designed to
carry a 200-kiloton nuclear warhead 1,860 miles, virtually undetectable
by radar - to Iran in 2001. A Russia-Iran satellite launch deal is to
provide digital maps for more accurate targeting, according to Moscow
analyst Pavel Felgenhauer.

* Western diplomats are raising concerns that Iran is "quietly building
a stockpile" of sophisticated military equipment, such as 2,000 armor-
piercing sniper rifles and night-vision goggles, acquired through legal
purchases as well as under a UN anti-drug program, the Associated Press
reported last Friday.

Beyond this, civilian hard-liners have been recruiting suicide bombers
to kill US troops in Iraq, or Israelis. Though derided by some
officials as not serious, by last June 15,000 had signed up, according
to Knight-Ridder.

"It is code to America: 'If you hit us, we will play dirty, using
Hizbullah and volunteers to hit the US across the region," says the
European diplomat, echoing analysts who note that Iran can swiftly
destabilize Iraq, activate militant cells, and close the Strait of
Hormuz to oil traffic. "There is an enormous danger of miscalculation."

That possibility, and the examples of US-engineered regime change in
Afghanistan and Iraq, are causing Iran to hedge its bets.

"If I was a student of [Prussian military strategist Karl von]
Clausewitz, I would do as the US does: I would talk incentives, and [at
the same time] design a theater of war against the enemy," says Abbas
Maleki, a former deputy foreign minister who heads the Institute for
Caspian Studies in Tehran.

In response, says Mr. Maleki, Iranians are focusing on three
possibilities: a surgical strike on nuclear facilities; a three-month
rolling air attack; and a six-month "troops on the ground" option.

"Iran must be very, very cautious to avoid any attack," says Maleki,
who maintains ties to Iran's leadership. "We have conventional weapons
designed for neighboring threats like Saddam Hussein and the Taliban -
not to fight a superpower. But we must defend ourselves."

Talking up that defense is almost daily news in Iran, where supreme
leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iranians are "accustomed to the
harsh and threatening language of the enemy," and told Iranian nuclear
officials last week to ignore US threats and continue their work. The
Revolutionary Guards "must be ready all the time," he said, "to stand
up to ... acts of bullying."

Analysts say any military action by the US could boost unpopular
conservatives.

"Iranians are very patriotic, and though there is a lot of
dissatisfaction with the regime, they oppose an attack," says Nasser
Hadian-Jazy, a political scientist at Tehran University with close ties
to the Khatami government. "It would be like Sept. 11 in the US, which
brought the neocons into power. A US attack could bring our neocons
into power."

Many experts agree that a military attack aimed at nuclear sites could
propel Iran's leadership to kick out UN inspectors and withdraw from
the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

As a signatory of the NPT, Iran has been relatively cooperative so far.
Despite numerous Iranian reporting violations, and delays visiting
certain sites, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says its
inspectors have found no evidence of a weapons program.

Adding to concern in the West, the Asian Wall Street Journal reported
last week that US intelligence has received tens of thousands of pages
of Farsi-language designs and test data, dated from 2001 to 2003, to
modify the Shahab-3 missile to carry a "black box" that, the report
says, US experts "believe is almost certainly a nuclear warhead."

Similar leaks about Iraq's alleged weapons activities prior to the
invasion proved crucial to making the case for war, but were later
disproved. The Journal reports that US officials first thought "the
find might be disinformation, perhaps by Israel," but "are now
persuaded ... the documents are real."

A complete 14-month reassessment of US intelligence on WMD threats
ordered by the White House, and using pre-war errors about Iraq as a
case study - is to be presented to President Bush Thursday. A lengthy
classified section is reported to have found serious gaps in US
knowledge of Iran's programs.

"Nobody knows exactly how they are doing it, where they're doing it,
and how far along they are - all the stuff which is critical to know if
you were to launch a strike," says Kenneth Pollack, a former CIA
analyst now at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

"Rather than setting back the nuclear program, [a strike] could
accelerate it," says Mr. Pollack, author of "The Persian Puzzle: The
Conflict Between Iran and America." "That's actually sinking in with
the [Bush] administration."

Diplomats in Tehran say the US and Europe last month hammered out a two-
page agreement on how to "march together" in dealing with Iran - a big
change for an administration that has long dismissed the European
initiative.

But such moves come amid a host of reports from the US and Israel of US
special forces operating clandestinely in Iran already, searching for
evidence of a nuclear weapons program; the use of unmanned drones; and
even Israeli commandos training for their own strike dressed in
Revolutionary Guard uniform and using dogs strapped with explosives.

Showing improved abilities is part of Iran's deterrent strategy, though
most equipment is "aging or second rate and much of it is worn,"
Anthony Cordesman, a veteran Mideast military analyst at the Center for
Strategic and International Studies in Washington, wrote in December.
Even the Soviet KH-55 missiles delivered to Iran may have been
substandard, Ukrainian defense attorneys now say, though Iran could
reverse-engineer them.

Still, Iran has the largest military in the region, with 540,000 active
troops and 350,000 more in reserves. In addition to more than 1,600
battle tanks and 1,500 other armored vehicles, Mr. Cordesman
writes, "there is considerable evidence that [Iran] is developing both
a long-range missile force and a range of weapons of mass destruction."

Ironically, any strike could bury Iran's already weakened
moderates. "This action will really work against democracy and
reformers in Iran, and I believe the Americans know that," says Mostafa
Tajzadeh, a former deputy interior minister and adviser to Khatami. "If
we are pessimists, we would say they want hard-liners to [solidify]
control."

Source: The Christian Science Monitor
Visit the website at: www.csmonitor.com
Distributed by the Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity,
with permission.
Copyright permission can be obtained by contacting Lawrenced@csps.com.

**********
Article #4
How to Win Friends in the Mideast
Rami G. Khouri
BEIRUT - The United States recently appointed Karen Hughes and Liz
Cheney to revamp two persistently enigmatic and largely failed
policies: global public diplomacy and the promotion of democracy
throughout the Middle East.

If these two able officials want to do a better job than their
predecessors in grasping why this noble American mission to promote
freedom is received with such skepticism, scorn and even resistance
around the world, and not just in Arab-Islamic lands, here's what they
should ponder:

* Style. As that great British thinker Mick Jagger once said: "It's
the singer, not the song." Washington's manner is often aggressive and
threatening. It uses sanctions and the military and unilaterally lays
down the law that others must follow or else they will be considered
enemies and thus liable to regime change.

People don't like to be bullied or threatened, even if change would be
for their own good.

* Credibility. The U.S. track record has hurt, angered or offended
most people in the Middle East. By primarily backing Arab dictators and
autocrats or supporting the Israeli position on key issues of Arab-
Israeli peacemaking, credibility has been lost.

The priority issue for most Arabs - whether Palestinians, Iraqis or
others - is freedom from foreign occupation and subjugation. If
Washington uses war and pressure tactics to implement United Nations
resolutions in Lebanon and Iraq but does nothing parallel to implement
U.N. resolutions calling for the freedom of Palestinians from Israeli
occupation, it will continue to be greeted with disdainful guffaws in
most of the Middle East.

* Consistency. The United States could have promoted freedom and
democracy in Iraq without waging war and spending $300 billion, getting
more than 1,500 Americans killed and 10,000 injured (and perhaps
100,000 Iraqis killed) and creating a massive anti-American backlash
throughout the world.

It could better promote democracy and rally Arab democrats by telling
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Tunisian President Zine el Abidine
ben Ali that being president without any meaningful legal opposition
for more than 20 years is long enough. The U.S. could support term
limits for Arab presidents.

* Motive. Perpetually changing the motive for the war in Iraq hurts
American credibility. We've been told that invading Iraq was about
weapons of mass destruction, links with Al Qaeda, imminent threats to
the United States, homegrown brutality against the Iraqi people,
stopping threats to neighbors and, now, spreading freedom and democracy
throughout the Middle East. Some of these rationales may one day prove
to be correct. In the meantime, the collection of half a dozen is
crippling to placing any trust in Washington.

* Context. The Arab states suffer massive internal pressures from
issues of population, identity, demography, economy, environment,
ideology, crises of citizenship rights versus statehood obligations and
secularism versus religiosity, and the perpetual pressure from foreign
armies. In this wider context, the issues of freedom and democracy are
dwarfed by the more pressing imperatives of stable statehood,
liberation from foreign occupation, meeting basic human needs, and
stopping foreign armies.

* Legitimacy. There is no global consensus that the United States is
mandated to promote freedom and democracy, or that this is the divinely
ordained destiny of the United States. There is such a mandate, though,
in the charter of the United Nations, in Security Council resolutions
to end foreign occupations and international legal conventions - most
of which the U.S. resists, ignores or applies very selectively.

No surprise then that virtually the whole world resists the United
States.

* Militarism. The American use of preemptive war for regime change
creates more problems than it solves. Promoting freedom and democracy
through the guns of the Marines doesn't work for many people outside of
Republican and neoconservative Washington circles.

* Relevance. The value of individual freedom as defined in American
culture runs counter to how freedom is understood in most of the Middle
East and the developing world. There, people sacrifice individual
liberties for the protection and the communal expression of belonging
to a bigger group - the family, tribe, religion or ethnic or national
group.

All of these are real concerns, derived from modern historical
experience, and they act as the primary constraint to any meaningful
Arab cooperation with the U.S. But the good news is that they all can
be overcome through better communications between Arabs and Americans
and more consistent, lawful policies by everyone concerned.

** Rami G. Khouri is a syndicated columnist. This piece is used by
permission of Agence Global.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Visit the website at: www.latimes.com
Distributed by the Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity.
Copyright permission has been obtained from the author for publication.

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SAHIL magazine

Call for Written Contributions

In Sahil magazine we will publish the contributions of writers from all over the world on the topic of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) in the light of Religion/Religions. Considering the importance of this most important social institution ‘religion’ we at Sahil have decided to dedicate the whole issue on CSA and religion.

We would appreciate the suggestions/action plans on how we can use religion as a tool to protect our children from sexual abuse. If you want to send us your contribution, then send it to us at:

P.O. Box # 235, Islamabad, Pakistan. Or
E-mail: mag@sahil.org

You can send your writings in English or Urdu. The editors reserve the right to make the final decision.

Submissions on CSA in the light of religion/religions are welcomed for Sahil’s upcoming issue by 10th May 2005.

Sahil magazine is a quarterly publication of Sahil (NGO). Sahil is the only organization of Pakistan which is exclusively working against the issue of child sexual abuse with the vision that no one has to be a victim of CSA. For information about Sahil please visit: http://www.sahil.org.

With regards,
Zahid Shahab Ahmed
(Program Officer Print-Networking)
Address: Sahil, No. 13, First Floor, Al-Babar Centre,
F-8 Markaz, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Tel: +92-51-2260636, 2856950
Cell: +92-300-8506527
Fax: +92-51-2254678
shahab_zahid@yahoo.com
www.sahil.org

September 21, World Peace Day

Dear Friends

I hope this letter finds you well.

I am writing to invite you to make your commitment for World Peace Day, September 21, 2005.

As you may know the feature-length documentary 'Peace One Day' charting the evolution of the Day is complete and we are doing everything we can to inform the world's people of the Day's existence. The film has become a valuable tool in the awareness raising process and has played (or is about to play) at seventeen international film festivals with broadcasts either passed or planned on nine national television stations with others in negotiation. For details of all these and other special screenings around the world please visit www.peaceoneday.org .

In terms of your own commitment for September 21, 2005, there are many creative ways of celebrating the Day and suggestions can be found on the website. You may have already decided how you will be marking the Day and we look forward to receiving your commitment at your earliest convenience so that it can be posted on our website to inspire others to become involved.
If you haven't already decided on what to do, one suggestion that you might wish to consider is screening the 'Peace One Day' documentary on September 21, 2005 to family, friends, work colleagues, at schools, universities or in your local community. Not only would these screenings raise awareness amongst the individuals who see the film, but also help to inspire others to make their own commitments for September 21, 2006 moving the world that much closer to a moment of global unity.

Should you wish to show the film on the Day, we would be happy to offer you a discounted price for the Peace One Day DVD of £10 including postage and packaging to anywhere in the world. Simply include your daytime telephone number with your commitment and someone will call you to take your order. It is important to everyone at Peace One Day that this suggestion is not perceived as a fundraising exercise, but a specific and effective way of inspiring others to observe the Day in future years.

Whatever commitment you make for the Day, please let us know and if you'd like to, please film the proceedings on any format (although preferably digital) for possible inclusion in the sequel to the Peace One Day documentary, currently in production. Images can be sent to Peace One Day at the address below.

I very much look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your continued support.

With best wishes

In peace

Jeremy Gilley
Director, Producer
Jeremy Gilley
Director, Producer
Peace One Day
Block D The Old Truman Brewery
91, Brick Lane
London E1 6QL
Tel: +44 (0) 207 456 9180
Fax: +44 (0) 207 375 2007
Email: info@peaceoneday.org
www.peaceoneday.org

Megaconference Jr. is a project designed to give students in elementary and secondary schools around the world the opportunity to communicate, collaborate and contribute to each other's learning in real time, using advanced multi-point video conferencing technology. Presenters will design and conduct videoconference-based presentation and activities focused on both academic and cultural issues. Participants will be able to address questions to presenters and to collaborate with geographically diverse peers in collaborative learning activities, thus building international cultural awareness.

The conference addresses local and national curriculum standards in multiple subject areas. It will also help students and teachers develop the capacity to effectively utilize high-speed networks, videoconferencing and other emerging technologies to enhance learning experiences.

Megaconference Jr. 2005 Planning Timeline
2/7/05 - Participant Registration Opens
2/18/05 - Presenter Proposals Submission Opens
4/15/05 - Cut off date for accepting Presentation Proposals - EXTENDED
4/25/05 - Acceptance Notification of Presenters
4/29/05 - Cut off date for accepting General Participants
May 19, 2005 - Megaconference Jr. 2005

Megaconference Jr. ListServ Mailing List
To subscribe to the Megaconjr Listserv:
Send an email to listserv@lists.cciu.org
In the body of the message type:

Subscribe megaconjr Your First Name Your Last Name

To send a message to everyone on the list use:
megaconjr@lists.cciu.org

This 'newsletter' is being sent out as a feature to provide regular updates to interested people about current additions to the Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace web site.

Upcoming Events http://www.peace.ca/upcoming.htm :

APRIL 30, 2005 DEADLINE FOR FUNDING APPLICATIONS - DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR MAKING YOUR COMMUNITY SAFER? The Community Mobilization Program under the National Crime Prevention Strategy can help make it happen. We are seeking proposals for projects that: • Help to strengthen individuals, families and communities with a focus on children, youth and school based programs. • Address the root causes of crime such as abuse, violence, lack of parenting skills, drug and alcohol abuse. • Promote community partnerships and public awareness of crime prevention. Community based non-governmental organizations can qualify for one-year grants (up to $25,000 or $30,000) to assist in undertaking social development projects. For information, advice and application packages contact: National Crime Prevention Strategy website at: www.prevention.gc.ca

Problem Identification Topics http://www.peace.ca/problem.htm :

Uninspiring and Shocking Quotes http://www.peace.ca/uninspiringquotes.htm :

“The American way of life is a weapon of mass destruction … It is impossible for 4.5% of the world’s population to use 40% of the resources without stealing.” S. Brian Willson http://www.brianwillson.com

“It is time to break down a make believe mythology … If the world carries on the way it is going, there will be a major ‘die-off’ – likely in Africa and Asia, if not beyond.” S. Brian Willson (see also http://dieoff.org)

Pot calling the kettle black: Another edict from the Washington tribal ethnic group. I guess the same applies to the leaders of any country. Submitted by Darrell Rankin - Excerpt from Melbourne Herald Sun March 21, 2005: On the political front, Mr Rumsfeld warned Iraq's political leaders they had to be "darned careful" about the make-up of their new government. "The important thing is that they be competent people. They have to be darned careful about making a lot of changes just to be putting in their friend or to be putting in someone else from their tribe or from their ethnic group." "This is too serious a business over there and the United States has got too much invested and too much committed and too many lives at stake for people to be careless about that," he said.

"Our strength as a nation state will continue to be challenged by those who employ a strategy of the weak using international fora, judicial processes, and terrorism." (U.S. Department of Defense 2005 National Defense Strategy, At page 5 under "Our Vulnerabilities", http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2005/d20050318nds2.pdf ). Analysis by Prof. Barry E. Carter, Georgetown University Law Center: It is a bit surprising to read that the Pentagon, in a document signed by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, says that international fora (presumably including the United Nations) and legal processes (presumably including the U.S. courts) are apparently on a level with terrorism and part of "a strategy of the weak." Analysis by Howard N Meyer, author THE WORLD COURT IN ACTION: … members may be shocked but should not be surprised that the World Court for judging among the nations and the International Criminal Court for trial and the punishment of world class criminals, (together being the organs of global justice,) would be so contemptuously characterized in an official United States Document. The Scalia test for "original intent" would tell us "What you see is what you get:" that is, that is, the words used by Mr Rumsfeld should be understood in light of their plain meaning. It is a tragic reality that military leaders and their cohorts in our schools, colleges, and media, have discredited international "judicial processes," that were brought into being by forgotten American heroes, the leaders of the peace movement of a century ago, united in their effort with the founding leaders of our American Society of International Law. Only those eager to complete the militarization of our beloved country, launched during Reagan's administration, when they were junior officers, suffused now with hubris as they have become generals and admirals, could be so arrogant. Would that those who wish for a "culture of peace" understand that only by civil administrators with the courage to demolish a culture of war can we remove the militarism that is subverting the land of the free.

“Enter John Bolton, who, as the former US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security for the Bush administration, is responsible for drafting the current US policy towards Iran. In February 2004, Bolton threw down the gauntlet by stating that Iran had a 'secret nuclear weapons programme' that was unknown to the IAEA. 'There is no doubt that Iran has a secret nuclear weapons production programme', Bolton said, without providing any source to back up his assertions. This is the same John Bolton who had in the past accused Cuba of having an offensive biological weapons programme, a claim even Bush administration hardliners had to distance themselves from. John Bolton is the Bush official who declared the European Union's engagement with Iran 'doomed to fail'. He is the Bush administration official who led the charge to remove Muhammad al-Baradai from the IAEA. And he is the one who, in drafting the US strategy to get the UN Security Council to impose economic sanctions against Iran, asked the Pentagon to be prepared to launch 'robust' military attacks against Iran should the UN fail to agree on sanctions. … John Bolton has made a career out of alienating the Russians. Bolton was one of the key figures who helped negotiate a May 2002 arms reduction treaty signed by Presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin in Moscow. This treaty was designed to reduce the nuclear arsenals of both America and Russia by two thirds over a 10 year period. But that treaty - to Russia's immense displeasure - now appears to have been made mute thanks to a Bolton-inspired legal loophole that the Bush administration had built into the treaty language. … John Bolton's nomination as the next US Ambassador to the United Nations is as curious as it is worrying. This is the man who, before a panel discussion sponsored by the World Federalist Association in 1994, said 'There is no such thing as the United Nations.' For the United States to submit to the will of the Security Council, Bolton wrote in a 1999 Weekly Standard article, would mean that 'its discretion in using force to advance its national interests is likely to be inhibited in the future.' But John Bolton doesn't let treaty obligations, such as those incurred by the United States when it signed and ratified the UN Charter, get in the way. 'Treaties are law only for US domestic purposes', he wrote in a 17 November 1997 Wall Street Journal Op Ed. 'In their international operation, treaties are simply political obligations.'” Scott Ritter former UN Chief Weapons inspector in Iraq, 1991-1998 author of 'Iraq Confidential: The Untold Story of America's Intelligence Conspiracy'.

Who's Who (World Level) http://www.peace.ca/whoswho.htm :

Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) celebrate the start of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development by highlighting the links between environmental and global education and international cooperation. For more information, visit www.eecom.org

Information Resources (World Level) http://www.peace.ca/info.htm :

Three very important books, provided courtesy of Dr. Shall Sinha with thanks, 'Hind Swaraj by Gandhi', 'The Kingdom of God Is Within You' by Tolstoy and Gandhi's version of Ruskin's book, 'Unto This Last' (the latter two had a profound effect in shaping Gandhi’s philosophy) are now available on the internet at the following addresses (5 Star Must Reading):
www.ssinha.com/HindSwaraj-Gandhi.doc
www.ssinha.com/TheKingdomOfGodIsWithinYou-Tolstoy.doc
www.ssinha.com/UntoThisLast-Gandhi.doc

Friends, take two minutes to see the beautiful "Wage Peace" movie about the situation in Iraq and among US military created by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) http://afsc.org/iraq/

Physicians for Global Survival announces the launch, in pdf format, of a kit of resource materials on how to be active on nuclear disarmament issues at a community level. "Resource Kit for Community Involvement in Nuclear Disarmament Efforts" http://www.pgs.ca/updir/Resource_Kit.pdf . The kit includes background information and planning materials on: Mayors for Peace - background information and suggestions on how to get your Mayor involved; Lanterns for Peace Ceremony to Commemorate the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 2005 is the 60th anniversary of those catastrophic events. The "how to's" of planning a commemoration ceremony in your community; Shadow Painting Project. How to create a powerful memorial to the innocent victims of the first atomic bombings - people who were instantly vaporized leaving behind only their shadows. How to plan the event, mix the water-soluble paint etc. ; Background information on the threats posed nuclear weapons and efforts to eliminate them; Tools for working with the media. For more information: Debbie Grisdale, Executive Director, Physicians for Global Survival (Canada), #208-145 Spruce St., Ottawa ON CANADA K1R 6P1; Tel: 613 233 1982 / Fax: 613 233 9028; email pgs@web.ca ; web site www.pgs.ca

Compare your income with the rest of the world – click http://www.globalrichlist.com/index.php

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Report on UN reform was released March 21, 2005 (see www.un.org/largerfreedom ).

Proposals/Solutions http://www.peace.ca/proposal.htm :

BUDDHIST ECONOMICS by E. F. Schumacher http://www.schumachersociety.org/buddhisteconomics.html

Inspiring Quotes http://www.peace.ca/inspiringquotations.htm :

“I must forgive so that the desire for revenge does not corrode my being … This has to do with our world view as Africans: I can be human only in relationships. Our greatest good is communal harmony. Revenge and anger subvert this.” Desmond Tutu

“Compassion is not just feeling with someone, but seeking to change the situation. Frequently people think compassion and love are merely sentimental. No! They are very demanding. If you are going to be compassionate, be prepared for action!” Desmond Tutu

See the following new reports posted on our web site:

An Inventory of Peace Things To Do - a comprehensive list of things that we need to do to start to build a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World. http://www.peace.ca/inventorytodo.htm

Drafting a Protocol to Guide our Conversations and Relationships http://www.peace.ca/CCOPPprotocol.htm A summary of the highly recommended books Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most; Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High; Crucial Confrontations: Tools for Resolving Broken Promises, Violated Expectations and Bad Behavior; and The Practice of Peace. 5 Star Must Reading.

Consensus - useful resources on consensus http://www.consensus.net

Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership, and Change - Don Beck & Christopher Cowan, 1996, Blackwell Publications: Malden, MA. As human consciousness moves toward a more worldcentric perspective, there is an evergrowing push for leaders to move from traditional hierarchical leadership approaches to more holistic leadership approaches. What is often missing in this shift of paradigms is an understanding of the stages of human development and the corresponding type of leadership and kind of learning required at each stage. The following outline of MEME dynamics taken from Spiral Dynamics is designed to fill this gap and provide a clearer picture of the emerging role of leadership. Click here to see an excellent 16 page summary of the book. 5 Star Must Reading. http://www.peace.ca/spiraldynamics.pdf

The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life: A Book of Practices, by Rosamund Stone Zander & Benjamin Zander, 2000. Click here to see an excellent 7 page summary of the book. 5 Star Must Reading. http://www.peace.ca/possibility.pdf "Anything is possible."

Getting Haiti Right This Time: The U.S. and the Coup, by Noam Chomsky, Paul Farmer, Amy Goodman and Democracy Now! “They came for the Vietnamese, and I didn’t speak up because I was not a Vietnamese. Then they came for the Chileans, and I didn't speak up because I was not a Chilean. Then they came for the Panamanians, and I didn't speak up because I was not a Panamanian. Then they came for the Nicaraguans, and I didn’t speak up because I was not a Nicaraguan. Then they provided support for acts of genocide against the Mayan Indians in Guatemala , and I didn’t speak up because I was not Mayan. Then they came for the Afghanis, and I didn’t speak up because I was not Afghani. Then they came for the Iraqis, and I didn't speak up because I was not an Iraqi. Then they spread depleted uranium, and I didn’t speak up because I did not have to live or die in it. Then they tortured and killed people, and I didn’t speak up because I was not one of them. Then they came for the Haitians and I was a Canadian, so I didn't speak up....by the time they come for the Canadians there was nobody left to speak up for anyone." Read substantial excerpts from this enlightening book. http://www.peace.ca/haiticoup2004.htm

Our Silent Complicity: Canadian Media Mum on Haitian Disaster, by Yves Engler http://www.peace.ca/haiticanadianmedia.htm

Tactics Used Against Peacebuilders and Civil Society and the Unsuspecting Public:
Faking Civil Society, By Jonathan Schell http://www.peace.ca/fakingcivilsociety.htm The strategy of faking civil activity has a long tradition - read and beware.
Managing Activism: A Guide to Dealing with Activists and Pressure Groups, by Denise Deegan http://www.peace.ca/managingactivism.htm
Money talks: How Saudi Arabia influences public opinion by funding exp ert commentators , by Daniel Pipes http://www.peace.ca/moneytalks.htm
The Battle For Your Mind - Mass Mind Control Techniques In America, By Dick Sutphen http://www.peace.ca/massmindcontrol.htm

Questions? contact Bob Stewart at stewartr@peace.ca

We are hosting a major upcoming event:
Fourth Annual Peace Education Conference in Canada November 24 - 28, 2005 http://www.peace.ca/CanadianAgenda2004.htm at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. If you would like to be part of the organizing team, contact Bob Stewart at stewartr@peace.ca
And finally – a song, submitted by JoyAve LightHeart to the old tune 'Frere Jacques'!

"PRECIOUS

You are precious! You are precious!
Yes You are! yes You are!
You are very precious! You are very precious!
Yes You are! yes You are!

I am precious! I am precious!
Yes I am! yes I am!
I am very precious! I am very precious!
Yes I am! yes I am!

We are precious! We are precious!
Yes We are! yes We are!
We are very precious! We are very precious!
Yes We are! yes We are!"

Words 1996 by JoyAve LightHeart

Joy says, “I have these words on little cards, which I love to give out wherever I go. The back of the cards states:

"It is vitally important for each one of us to remember we are Precious children of our Creator, and that all life is Precious! ! ! It seems that if everyone knew this, there could be no more wars (inside ourselves or in our world)!”

WORLD CONGRESS FOR EDUCATION AND CULTURE OF PEACE
Congress and Exhibitions Centre
Santiago de Compostela
23rd-25th May, 2005

Information: paz@sgep.org
Fax: 981-561956
Tfno.: 981-554053/ 981-561956
www.sgep.org
Rúa do Valiño 13- 1º
15703- SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
GALICIA
(ESPAÑA)

Organizing Committee
Honorary President:
Wangai Maatthai, Noble peace award, 2004
President:
Manuel Dios Diz, President of the Galician Seminary of Education for Peace
Vice Presidents:
Cora Weiss, Director of the Hague Appeal for Peace
Colin Archer, Secretary General of the International Peace Bureau
Ana Isabel Prera, Director of the Culture of Peace Foundation
Jesús Beltrán, President of the Educational Psychology and Psychopedagody Association.
Miguel Anxel Santos Rego, Director of the ICE atUSC
Manuel Deaño, Director of AEDES
Moisés Lozano Paz, Coordinator of the Permanent Seminary of Education for Peace
Ramón Sánchez Rodríguez, Professor of Philosophy at USC
Lois Trigo, Director of CEIP López Ferreiro
Agustín Dosil, President of Familias Mundi

Presentation
Education for Peace is a specific field which forms part of the educative challenge typical of an asymmetric “global village”, where some disparities continue to grow instead of decreasing. Millions of children do not have access to basic education in many countries of the world. At the same time, education suffers a serious wastage in wealthy countries due to many diverse causes: the trivialisation of ethical principles, the transference of family responsibilities to schools and teachers, the image culture, the exaltation of multiple forms of violence or the predominance of technical training over humanistic education, to mention but a few.

The objective of this World Congress, in which outstanding figures of this subject are to participate, is to analyze the important role of Education for Peace, and its presence in educational projects of institutions, family education, audiovisual matter, etc. This congress is directed not only towards professionals and students more directly involved with this subject, but also to all those concerned about this important dilemma.

The WMD's DemocracyNews
Electronic Newsletter of the World Movement for Democracy - www.wmd.org

March 2005

POSTING NEWS:
We welcome items to include in DemocracyNews. Please send an email message to
world@ned.org with the item you would like to post in the body of the message.

******************************************************************

CONTENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS
1. Africa Democracy Forum Launches New Web Site and Newsletter
2. CSID Conference: "Democracy and Development: Challenges for the Islamic World"
3. Conference Focusing on Reform Processes in South Caucasus
4. Call for Nominations: The Agfund International Prize
5. New Edition: Guide to European Union Funding for NGOs
6. World Movement Steering Committee Member Receives Medal of Freedom Award

CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING
7. International Conference: "Global Democracy: Civil Society Visions and Strategies"
8. Asian Democrats Develop Strategies for Transition to Democracy
9. Call for Applications: Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society International Fellows Program 2005
10. Knowledge Share Toolkit

CONFLICT RESOLUTION
11. New Publication from the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, South Africa

ECONOMIC REFORM AND THE BUSINESS SECTOR
12. Atlas's Templeton Freedom Prizes Recognize Work by Institutes in Asian Countries and Former Soviet States

ELECTIONS
13. IDEE Issues Final Report on 2004 Elections in Belarus
14. Delegation of Iraqi Women Visits IFES

HUMAN RIGHTS
15. What's Being Done on...Human Rights Networking?
16. Burmese Human Rights Group Criticizes the Report to European Commission
17. Political Prisoners Released in Azerbaijan
18. New Book on Human Rights Case in Paraguay
19. International Human Rights Academy to be held in Cape Town, South Africa
20. John Humphrey Freedom Award Seeks Nominations

INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRACY ASSISTANCE AND SOLIDARIY
21. Call for Action: Support Imprisoned Burmese Nobel Peace Prize Recipient
22. Policy Brief: EU Democracy Assistance to Belarus

INTERNET, MEDIA, AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
23. The Southeast Asian Centre for E-media (SEACeM) Offers Technology Assistance to WMD Participants
24. Berkeley China Internet Project Launches "China Digital Times"
25. Open Media Fund to Support Media in the Middle East and North Africa

POLITICAL AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION OF YOUTH
26. Call for Applications: Youth Leadership Program in Kenya, June, 2005

POLITICAL PARTIES AND POLITICAL LEADERSHIP
27. PFHRD Press Release: Drafting of Bhutan's New Constitution Excluded Civil Society

RESEARCH
28. NDRI Releases Latest Issue of Democracy Research News

RULE OF LAW
29. CIPE Feature Articles: "Building Rule of Law: From Buzzword to Reality" and "Corruption: Concepts, Types, Causes, and Consequences"

WOMEN'S ISSUES
30. Ditchley Foundation Conference: The Role of Women in the Developing World
31. Women Peacemakers Network Formed in Pakistan
32. Shan Women's Action Network in Thailand Launches New Web Site
33. Online Bulletin on Women's Political Engagement

34. WORLD MOVEMENT PARTICIPATING NETWORKS, ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS

1. Africa Democracy Forum Launches New Web Site and Newsletter
The Africa Democracy Forum (ADF), a network of democracy activists that was formed in 2000, launched its new Web site on March 31, 2005. The Web site allows the ADF to share information about its activities and contains various resources and publications for the African democracy community. The inaugural issue of the ADF's bi-monthly newsletter was also released on March 31. The newsletter aims to serve as a platform for intellectual discourse and leadership on human rights, democracy, and governance in Africa. Contributions are welcome. The ADF is affiliated with the World Movement for Democracy.
Go to: www.africademocracyforum.org/.
For more information about the newsletter, email: newsletter@africademocracyforum.org

2. CSID Conference: "Democracy and Development: Challenges for the Islamic World"
The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) will hold its sixth annual conference: "Democracy and Development: Challenges for the Islamic World" on April 22-23, 2005, in Washington, DC. CSID's conference will examine the common barriers to development, identify factors needed to ensure proper economic and political development, and focus on the inter-relatedness of democracy and development in the Islamic world. Also, this forum will examine how the classical concepts of shura (consultation) and ijma (consensus) lend themselves to the development of democratic institutions in today's modern world and how traditional views on gender roles affect women's participation in the political sphere.
To view the tentative program and to register for the conference, go to: www.islam-democracy.org/ or email the conference coordinator at: sein@islam-democracy.org.

3. Conference Focusing on Reform Processes in South Caucasus
Some 60 political authorities, academics, and actors debated the reform process in three South Caucasus countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) and their prospects for European integration at a conference on March 18-19 in Tblisi, Georgia. The conference, "Constitutional/Political Reform Process in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan: Political Elite and Voices of the People," was organized by International IDEA and the Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development. The policy and research papers presented at the conference will be published and shared with authorities and civil society representatives in each country for further policy decisions. The papers on Georgia, in particular, are intended to influence current constitutional policy debates.
To view the policy papers and to learn more about the conference, go to:
www.idea.int/europe_cis/reform_05.cfm

4. Call for Nominations: The Agfund International Prize
The Agfund International Prize for pioneering development projects is awarded annually by the Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND). The prize honors projects in developing countries that work to alleviate human suffering and pain. Pioneering projects implemented by international or regional organizations, nongovernmental organizations, or individuals are eligible for nominations. The nomination deadline is April 30, 2005.
For more information and nomination forms, go to: www.agfund.org/english/prize/index.htm.

5. New Edition: Guide to European Union Funding for NGOs
The European Citizen Access Service (ECAS) has released the 10th Edition of A GUIDE TO EUROPEAN UNION FUNDING FOR NGOs: ACCESSING EUROPE'S LARGEST DONOR. This newly revised and updated edition provides information about opportunities from the EU and other funding sources that are available to NGOs. The Guide also offers an important list of tips and contacts to help organizations identify sources and obtain funding.
For more information and to order online, go to: www.ecas.org/Publications/2374/default.aspx?ID=294

6. World Movement Steering Committee Member Receives Medal of Freedom Award
The Mongolian Democratic Union awarded the President of the Education for Democracy Foundation (FED), Krzysztof Stanowski, with the Medal of Freedom on April 1, 2005. The FED, based in Poland, has been working with the American Federation of Teachers in Mongolia to hold 'train-the-trainer' programs and form a team of experienced local democracy activist trainers. Since 1997, the FED has conducted over 100 workshops for 1,200 Mongolian trainers, NGO leaders, teachers, and student and parent council members with the Center for Citizenship Education and the Democracy Education Center. It has organized several internships in Poland for trainers and teachers from Mongolia and published brochures in Mongolian on issues related to civic education and civil society. Mr. Stanowski is a member of the World Movement's Steering Committee.

To learn more about the Education for Democracy Foundation, go to: www.edudemo.org.pl

CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING

7. International Conference: "Global Democracy: Civil Society Visions and Strategies," May 29-June 1, 2005
The Montreal International Forum (FIM) invites participants to explore and share ideas at its international conference, "Global Democracy: Civil Society Visions and Strategies." Global Democracy 2005 will take place on May 29-June 1, 2005, in Montreal, Canada, and is open to everyone, especially representatives and actors from: civil society organizations, multilateral institutions, government, business, labor, indigenous communities, the academic world, and the media.
For more information, including a preliminary program, registration information, and list of invited people, go to: http://g05.netedit.info/en/index.aspx.

8. Asian Democrats Develop Strategies for Transitions to Democracy
On March 9-10, 2005, democrats in Asia came together for the second strategy workshop of the World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA), entitled "Assisting Transitions to Democracy in Asia," in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Participants from at least 20 organizations discussed various strategies to assist the democratization processes in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan and Singapore. Upon the conclusion of the workshop, specific strategies were drafted by country presenters and participants to help promote greater freedoms of expression and association in each country. The workshop participants also issued a press statement addressing immediate concerns about current political situations in the region. The workshop was organized by the Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA), and was part of a series of three WFDA workshops. The WFDA is a coalition of democracy networks and organizations in Asia working to advance a democratic agenda in the region, and was created, in part, to serve as a platform for World Movement participants in Asia.
Go to: www.wfda.net/activities_strategy.htm
To read the statement issued by the WFDA, go to: www.wfda.net/news_detail.htm?id=25

9. Call for Applications: Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society International Fellows Program 2005
The Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society is now accepting applications for its 2005 Fellows Program. The Senior International Fellows Program provides professional development training for Third-Sector practitioners from outside the United States who are at an advanced stage in their careers. The program is designed to help build Third-Sector capacity in the Fellows' home countries. Fellows are based at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Fellows attend weekly seminars, learn about the work of key agencies and foundations, meet with nonprofit representatives, and study U.S. and international community foundation models.
For more information and application procedures, go to: www.philanthropy.org/programs/intnl_fellows_program.html

10. Knowledge Share Toolkit
Bellanet International recently launched a Knowledge Share Toolkit that contains tools designed to facilitate collaboration and the exchange of knowledge and expertise of peers, co-workers, and partners. The Knowledge Share Toolkit includes descriptions of methods and techniques for facilitating open transparent discussions at workshops and events and organizing activities and projects.
To download the toolkit, go to: http://tinyurl.com/4l5k3

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

11. New Publication from the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, South Africa
The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in South Africa recently published a new book, PIECES OF THE PUZZLE: KEYWORDS ON RECONCILATION AND TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE. Addressed to citizens, activists, and scholars, PIECES OF THE PUZZLE is a practical and wide-ranging guide to understanding the key social, political, and cultural terms of transitional justice and reconciliation. South African and international experts offer concise and direct replies to some of the most common questions and problems that appear when nations wrecked by historical conflict begin the work of democratization and reconstruction.
For ordering information, email orders@blueweaver.co.za.
To learn more about the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, go to: www.ijr.org.za/.

ECONOMIC REFORM AND THE BUSINESS SECTOR

12. Atlas's Templeton Freedom Prizes Recognize Work by Institutes in Asian Countries and Former Soviet States
The 2005 Templeton Freedom Prizes for Excellence in Promoting Liberty at the Atlas Economic Research Foundation celebrates the work and dedication of nonprofit organizations. The Prize program is organized by four separate categories: Ethics and Values, Free Market Solutions to Poverty, Social Entrepreneurship, and Student Outreach. The first place prizes were awarded to: Bulgaria's Access to Information Program, India's Centre for Civil Society, International Development Enterprises India, and the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. The New Economics School of Georgia received the second place.
To learn more about the winners and the Atlas Foundation, go to:
www.atlasusa.org/reports/2005%20TFA%20Press%20Release.html

ELECTIONS

13. IDEE Issues Final Report on 2004 Elections in Belarus
The Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe (IDEE) recently issued its final report of its monitoring mission to Belarus. IDEE organized an independent observer mission consisting of 18 journalists from Eastern Europe to monitor the Belarusian elections on October 9 - 18, 2004. The observer group investigated the General Elections and the Republican Referendum on proposed amendments of the Belarusian Constitution. The final report contains what IDEE considers evidence proving how the elections and referendum were fraudulent. This report includes the individual monitors' reports, articles, and documents that provide specific and concrete examples of how the will of the Belarusian people was jeopardized.
For a copy of the report, contact, idee@idee.org
For more information about IDEE, go to: www.idee.org/.

14. Delegation of Iraqi Women Visits IFES
On March 7, the Iraqi Women's Democracy Initiative delegation, comprised of civic and government leaders, visited the headquarters of the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) for a conversation about political development and IFES' assistance programs in Iraq. Delegates included the State Minister for Women's Affairs from Northern Iraq, a member of the Iraqi Islamic Party, a member of the transitional national Assembly, and an officer in the Iraqi Ministry of Planning. IFES' election assistance in Iraq was discussed, as well as IFES' Electoral Violence, Education and Resolution (EVER) Project in the country and possibilities for future cooperation.
For more information, go to: www.ifes.org/searchable/ifes_site/pressroom/main.htm.

HUMAN RIGHTS

15. What's Being Done on...Human Rights Networking?
This section of the World Movement for Democracy Web site focuses on four case studies highlighting different approaches to networking among organizations promoting and protecting human rights. In addition, the issue includes a list of various global and regional human rights networks around the world, a list of online resources, and a list of international intergovernmental human rights institutions.
Go to: www.wmd.org/action/Mar-May05/Intro.html

16. Burmese Human Rights Group Criticizes the Report to European Commission
On April 1, 2005, the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (Altsean-Burma) issued a statement urging the European Commission (EC) to reject the recommendations of a recent report on Burma. The report is said to argue in favor of revising the EU sanctions against Burma and engaging with the Burmese military regime. The report was scheduled to be presented at the European Commission conference on Burma Day, April 5, 2005. Altsean-Burma is critical of the report and offers responses to each of its 12 policy recommendations.
To read the statement by Altsean-Burma, go to:
www.mizzima.com/archives/news-in-2005/news-in-april/01-April05-04.htm
For more information and other reactions to the report, go to:
www.eubusiness.com/afp/050328080912.lnmyvwzz and
www.fidh.org/article.php3?id_article=2335

17. Political Prisoners Released in Azerbaijan
Human rights groups in Azerbaijan welcomed the recent presidential decree that released 53 individuals detained as political prisoners. However, the rights groups expressed concern that some prisoners arrested on political motives still remained in jail despite the decree. President Aliyev issued the pardon in response to pressure from the Council of Europe. The Aliyev government has been facing increased criticism and international pressure to improve the human rights conditions in Azerbaijan.
To read the full article, go to: www.humanrightshouse.org/dllvis5.asp?id=3098

18. New Book on Human Rights Case in Paraguay
The Georgetown University Press announces the recent publication of BREAKING SILENCE, THE CASE THAT CHANGED THE FACE OF HUMAN RIGHTS by Richard Alan White. The book details the history of the famous international case of Filartiga v. Pena. The book gives a non-fiction account of the murder-torture of 17- year old Joelito Filartiga that took place in Paraguay in 1976 and his family's struggle for justice.
For more information, go to: http://press.georgetown.edu/detail.html?session=d9b7d649c3254cdf4e2af9060a8846de&cat=1&id=1589010329

19. International Human Rights Academy to be held in Cape Town, South Africa
The International Human Rights Academy provides a human rights program organized every year in South Africa and in Europe by the Human Rights Center of Ghent University (Belgium), the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) at Utrecht University, the Faculty of Law of University of the Western Cape (South Africa), and the International Federation of Health and Human Rights Organizations (IFHHRO). The fourth annual Academy will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, on October 16-29, 2005. The various intensive courses that make up the Academy are designed to provide high quality legal education in comparative international human rights and in humanitarian law, with an emphasis on the practical aspects in the various fields. Scholars and professionals with knowledge of human rights law are invited to apply by June 1, 2005.
For more information and the application, go to: www.law.ugent.be/pub/humanrightsacademy/introduction.html

20. John Humphrey Freedom Award Seeks Nominations
The Montreal-based Rights & Democracy is currently accepting nominations for the John Humphrey Freedom Award, which is presented every year to an organization or person who has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion of human rights and democratic development. The award consists of a grant of $25,000 as well as a speaking tour of Canadian cities to help increase awareness of the recipient's human rights work. The deadline for nominations is April 15, 2005.
Go to: http://www.dd-rd.ca/frame2.iphtml?langue=0&menu=m05&urlpage=english/about/brochureHumphrey2

INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRACY ASSISTANCE AND SOLIDARITY

21. Call for Action: Support Imprisoned Burmese Nobel Peace Prize Recipient
In celebration of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's 60th Birthday (June 19, 2005) and in solidarity with the Burmese democracy movement, the US Campaign for Burma calls on individuals and organizations around the world to take part in the following campaigns:
"House Arrests" across the United States in solidarity with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; a birthday card campaign helping US Campaign for Burma collect at least 6,000 birthday cards by June 1, 2005; and protests at Burmese embassies around the world. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma's democracy movement, has been under house arrest since May 2003. There are over 1,400 detained political prisoners in Burma.
To learn more how you can participate, go to: www.uscampaignforburma.org/action/alerts.html.

22. Policy Brief: EU Democracy Assistance to Belarus
On March 24, 2005, The Pontis Foundation of Slovakia released a policy brief on "EU Democracy Assistance to Belarus: How to Make Small Improvements Larger and More Systematic." Following the fraudulent 2004 elections in Belarus, the EU pledged to support civil society and the democratization process. The policy brief details the results of the current process and outlines further possibilities for EU democracy assistance for Belarus.
To contact the Pontis Foundation, email pontis@pontisfoundation.sk or go to: www.pontisfoundation.sk/en/.

INTERNET, MEDIA, AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

23. The Southeast Asian Centre for E-media (SEACeM) Offers Technology Assistance to WMD Participants
The Southeast Asian Centre for E-media (SEACeM) is offering technology assistance to organizations participating in the World Movement for Democracy. SEACeM will offer the following services: (1) Free web and email hosting; (2) Content Management System that provides for easy updating and maintenance of Web sites; (3) a system for organizations to register new members, renew memberships, and receive donations online; and (4) an online advertising system that allows efficient banner management and provides statistics to evaluate the effectiveness of advertising. World Movement participating organizations interested in receiving these or other ICT services should contact SEAcEM directly.
For more information, go to: www.seacem.com
To submit your requests, contact: prem@seacem.com

24. Berkeley China Internet Project Launches "China Digital Times"
China Digital Times (CDT) is a collaborative news Web site covering China's social and political transition. CDT aims to use a new generation of participatory media technology to create a fully interactive network that will track and report news, facilitate conversations and debate, and share resources and knowledge in a virtual Chinese community. CDT is run by the Berkeley China Internet Project of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. The Project is directed by Xiao Qiang, a member of the World Movement Steering Committee.
Go to: http://journalism.berkeley.edu/projects/chinadn/en/

25. Open Media Fund to Support Media in the Middle East and North Africa
With the goal of supporting diverse media and improving the quality and plurality of news media in the region, Internews Network will provide grants to nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations and individuals in the Middle East and North Africa. Grants will be awarded to applicants that propose innovative projects related to monitoring information media, educating professionals and students, and supporting new media programs or publications designed to improve the situation of women and youth in the region.
To learn more, go to: www.internews.org/prs/mideast/menaomf_20050314.htm or email proposals to: nalami@internews.org.

POLITICAL AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION OF YOUTH

26. Call for Applications: Youth Leadership Program in Kenya, June 2005
A leadership training course for African youth, "Certificate in Youth Participation for Africa's Development Processes," will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 6-17, 2005. This leadership training is being offered jointly by the African Youth Parliament and the Coady International Institute. The program targets youth leaders in Africa and in the African Diaspora to build on their existing skills, equip them with further leadership skills, and empower them with information and networking opportunities to effectively engage the African Peer Review Mechanism processes in their countries. Applications are open to all young Africans between 20-28 years of age who are in positions of leadership and are involved, or are interested in getting involved, in the African Peer Review Process at their country levels.
For more information, including the application, go to the Coady International Institute's Web site: www.stfx.ca/institutes/coady/ie_index.html.

POLITICAL PARTIES AND POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

27. PFHRD Press Release: Drafting of Bhutan's New Constitution Excluded Civil Society
On March 26, 2005, the Kingdom of Bhutan announced the draft of its first constitution. Chief Justice of Bhutan, Sonam Tobgye, headed the constitution drafting committee. A copy of the constitution is available online in Dzongkha and English for review and discussion prior to the referendum later this year. However, the People Forum for Human Rights and Development (PFHRD) in Bhutan noted that the constitution is not available in Nepali language, which is spoken by 40 percent of the population in the southern part of the country. In addition, PFHRD has issued a press statement condemning the fact that the constitution was written by government officials without any involvement of pro-democracy civil society groups who have been calling for a constitution for over 10 years. PFHRD believes the constitution does not truly represent the will of the people of Bhutan since political parties, NGOs, and human rights groups were not involved in the drafting process.
To contact PFHRD Bhutan, email: skpfhrd@most.com.np.
To read a copy of the new constitution of Bhutan, go to: www.kuenselonline.com.

RESEARCH

28. NDRI Releases Latest Issue of Democracy Research News
The Network of Democracy Research Institutes (NDRI) released the March-April issue of its quarterly e-newsletter, Democracy Research News. The newsletter provides information on the activities and publications produced by NDRI member institutes. The NDRI is a membership association of institutions that conduct and publish research on democracy and democratic development. It is one of several functional networks affiliated with the World Movement for Democracy.
Go to: www.wmd.org/ndri/ndri-march05.html

RULE OF LAW

29. CIPE Feature Articles: "Building Rule of Law: From Buzzword to Reality" and "Corruption: Concepts, Types, Causes, and Consequences"
In March 2005, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) published two online articles as part of its Economy Reform Feature Service. The first, "Building Rule of Law: From Buzzword to Reality," written by Jean Rogers, Deputy Director of CIPE, describes the essential framework of a functioning democratic society based on rule of law and highlights successful private sector-led approaches to building such societies. Rogers argues that a functional legal system is not only key in building economic foundations, it is also crucial in safeguarding democratic values. The second article, "Corruption: Concepts, Types, Causes, and Consequences," written by Boris Begovic of the Center for Liberal-Democratic Studies, highlights the many problems of corruption, as well as possible solutions, and argues that political will remains the most important prerequisite for an effective anti-corruption strategy.
Go to: www.cipe.org/publications/fs/index_date.htm

WOMEN'S ISSUES

30. Ditchley Foundation Conference: The Role of Women in the Developing World
The Ditchley Foundation, located in the United Kingdom, will hold a conference on April 8-10, 2005, to address the role of women in the developing world. The conference, which is by invitation only, will address the role of women in development and conflict prevention, and identify priorities in gender issues for the next two years. The first plenary session will open with a presentation by Lesley Abdela who will share her experience in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Iraq, followed by Zainab Salbi, President of Women for Women International, and High Commissioner Mabuza of South Africa.
For more information, contact the Conference Secretary, Jeannie Wise, at: confsec@ditchley.co.uk.
To learn more about the Ditchley Foundation, go to: www.ditchley.co.uk/.

31. Women Peacemakers Network Formed in Pakistan
At the International Women's Day 2005 celebration event held in Jhang city, Pakistan, 28 women's groups from six rural districts of Pakistan signed a resolution forming the Women Peacemakers Network. The Women Peacemakers Network aims to work with others from the community to empower women to play a role in the promotion of peace in the family and society, as well as to equip women with conflict resolution skills. The first meeting of the network was held on March 10, 2005, and was organized by Anjuman Bra-e-Khawateen (Association of Women), one of the founding organizations.
For more information, contact the ABK coordinator: abkjhang@yahoo.com.

32. Shan Women's Action Network in Thailand Launches New Web Site
Shan Women's Action Network (SWAN), a network of women in Thailand and along the Thai-Burma border, recently launched its new Web site. The site includes information about the SWAN's programs, publications, and networking efforts, as well as an Action Update. SWAN is a founding member of the Women's League of Burma (WLB), an umbrella organization comprising 12 women's groups from Burma.
Go to: www.shanwomen.org/.

33. Online Bulletin on Women's Political Engagement
Onlinewomeninpolitics.org, a network of Asia Pacific women involved in politics, governance, decision-making, and transformative leadership, recently released the newest issue of its Online Women Bulletin. The issue contains summaries of the information available on the Network's Web site, announcements of events, and women-focused news stories.
To request a copy of the Bulletin, contact: onlinewomeninpolitics@capwip.org
Go to: www.onlinewomeninpolitics.org

34. WORLD MOVEMENT PARTICIPATING NETWORKS, ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

Africa Democracy Forum - www.africademocracyforum.org/
Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA) - http://www.asiademocracy.org
Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (Altsean-Burma) - http://altsean.org/
Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development - www.cipdd.org/
Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) - www.islam-democracy.org/
Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe (IDEE) - www.idee.org/
Institute for Justice and Reconciliation - www.ijr.org.za/
International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) - www.ifes.org
International IDEA - www.idea.int/
Krzysztof Stanowski ,Education for Democracy Foundation (FED) - www.edudemo.org.pl
People Forum for Human Rights and Development (PFHRD) in Bhutan - skpfhrd@most.com.np
World Forum for Democratization in Asia - www.wfda.net
Pontis Foundation - www.pontisfoundation.sk/en/.
Rights & Democracy - www.dd-rd.ca/
Shan Women's Action Network - www.shanwomen.org/
Xiao Qiang, China Digital Times - http://journalism.berkeley.edu/projects/chinadn/en/

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To subscribe send an email to subscribe-democracynews@lyris.ned.org.

If you do not have access to the Web and would like to access the materials mentioned above, please contact us by e-mail(world@ned.org)or fax (202-293-0755).

DemocracyNews is an electronic mailing list moderated by the National Endowment for Democracy as the Secretariat of the World Movement for Democracy.
The material presented in DemocracyNews is intended for information purposes only.
The WMD's DemocracyNews
Electronic Newsletter of the World Movement for Democracy - www.wmd.org

Reexamining Human Rights
Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
21st Annual Conference, November 3-5, 2005

The Stayer Center
Marian College
Fond du Lac, WI

Human rights comprise one of the fundamental areas of interest in peace and conflict studies, providing much of the vocabulary and concepts for both theoretical and practical endeavors in this field. The purpose of this conference is to provide a forum for scholars, policy makers, practitioners, and concerned citizens to come together for the purpose of reexamining their understanding of human rights, and how those understandings are relevant to the conflicts the world faces, both currently and in the foreseeable future.

The conference committee seeks paper and roundtable proposals from all disciplines, occupations, and backgrounds. The only requirement is that the proposals seek to address some aspect of human rights, and to relate those rights to the nature of human conflict and the hope for eventual peace.

We invite proposals on any topic related to the reexamination of human rights, including (but not limited to):

Health Race Sovereignty Democracy
Trade Globalization Justice Citizenship
Land Reform Environment Development Children
Women Disabilities Genocide Sexuality

Proposal submissions should include contact information and a brief description of the paper topic or proposed roundtable theme.

Send proposals by June 1, 2005 to:

Brandon Claycomb
(bclaycomb@mariancollege.edu)
Philosophy Program
Marian College
45 S. National Ave.
Fond du Lac, WI, 54935.

This conference is sponsored by the Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies and by Marian College and its Social Justice Committee.

*Dr. John Davies is currently Co-Director of the Partners in Conflict and Partners in Peacebuilding Projects, and Senior Faculty Associate with the Center for International Development and Conflict Management (CIDCM), Department of Government and Politics, at the University of Maryland.

The WMD's DemocracyNews
Electronic Newsletter of the World Movement for Democracy - www.wmd.org

The World Movement is pleased to announce the Web site posting of "WHAT'S BEING DONE ON... HUMAN RIGHTS NETWORKING?"
www.wmd.org/action/Mar-May05/Intro.html

This installment highlights different approaches to networking among organizations promoting and protecting human rights. Whether focusing on a single human rights issue or a broad spectrum of topics, all human rights groups share a common goal: human dignity and respect for rights. To achieve their objectives, they rely on variety of methods, including networking. Some groups thus form unofficial or official human rights networks to become more effective.

Such networking allows groups to gather and verify important information on human rights abuses; distribute information among large numbers of people; share knowledge and experiences with each other; and increase the efficiency of their work through shared knowledge, reduced costs, project partnerships, human rights campaigns, and mutual solidarity.

IN THIS INSTALLMENT:

This installment includes the following case studies that describe four different approaches to human rights networking:

(1) HUMAN RIGHTS HOUSE NETWORK--established the idea of shared housing for human rights groups to provide increased security and collaboration, while decreasing costs.
(2) HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION ASSOCIATES -- builds its community through various education programs.
(3) SOUTH ASIA HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTATION CENTER -- relies on its extensive contacts in each region to gather and verify information.
(4) JALAL-ABAD REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS NETWORK in Kyrgyzstan -- reaches out to people in the most remote areas of the country.

Each case study features an interview with a representative of the network.

The installment also includes a list of various global and regional human rights networks around the world, a list of online resources, and a list of international intergovernmental human rights institutions. Please note that these are not comprehensive lists. We welcome your suggestions of any other networks or resources that we might add. Please send information to world@ned.org or by fax to +1-202-293-0755.

Previous themes for this section of the World Movement Web site include Breakthrough Elections; Cross-Border Assistance; Internet and Other Media; Women's Participation in Politics; Strengthening Local Governance; Peace Building and Democracy; Civic Education for Democracy; Transparency, Accountability and Access to Information; Political and Civic Participation of Youth; Using Advocacy to Achieve Democratic Reform; and Promotion of Labor Rights. They are available in the "What's Being Done On...?" archives.

Go to: www.wmd.org/action/Mar-May05/Intro.html or visit the World Movement Web site (www.wmd.org) and click on "What's Being Done On...?"

Please share this message with your colleagues.

Thank you very much.
World Movement for Democracy
1101 15th Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005-5000
Fax: 202-293-0755
E-mail: world@ned.org
Web: http://www.wmd.org

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To subscribe send an email to subscribe-democracynews@lyris.ned.org.

If you do not have access to the Web and would like to access the materials mentioned above, please contact us by e-mail(world@ned.org)or fax (202-293-0755).
DemocracyNews is an electronic mailing list moderated by the National Endowment for Democracy as the Secretariat of the World Movement for Democracy.
The material presented in DemocracyNews is intended for information purposes only.

Join us for a great weekend at the Conflict Transformation Program,
a message sent to us by Ron Kraybill:

This invitation goes to readers of my listserve, who may be interested in joining us at the Conflict Transformation Program for what promises to be a great weekend.

Ron Kraybill
-------------------------------------

YOU ARE INVITED TO CELEBRATE the 10th anniversary of the Conflict
Transformation Program at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg,
Virginia, June 3-5, 2005. Come for:

*opening speech by John Paul Lederach, founding director of the Conflict Transformation Program
*teachings by Howard Zehr and other recognized leaders in the peace and social justice field
*entertainment by American folk musician John McCutcheon and Israeli-American actress Noa Baum
*stimulating conversations with peacebuilders from around the world
*delicious food and comfortable accommodations in a relaxed, lovely setting

All offered at the ridiculously low price of $125 for two nights' lodging, five meals, two evening performances, and 15 choices of workshops. (You may also sign up for just part of the weekend.)

Come for a retreat with your family and friends! The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia is beautiful in early June...

For more information or to register, visit:
www.emu.edu/ctp

For best rates and choices of workshops, registration must be received by
May 6th.

***HELP US GET THE WORD OUT WITHOUT WASTING POSTAGE AND PAPER--PLEASE
FORWARD THIS NOTICE TO EVERY PEACE-LOVING PERSON OR LISTSERV YOU KNOW!***

Bonnie Price Lofton
Director of Development
Conflict Transformation Program
Eastern Mennonite University
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22802
Office phone: 540-432-4234
Cell phone: 540-578-2830
www.emu.edu/ctp

--------------

By Ron Kraybill. To contact the author, write to kraybilr@emu.edu.
For info about the author, or the Conflict Transformation Program where he teaches, see http://www.emu.edu/ctp/

To add an address to the list, send mail to "listmgr@emu.edu", with the following command in the body (NOT in the Subject) of your email message:
subscribe paxserve EMAILADDRESS.

For example, someone whose email address is bush@whitehouse.gov would type the following command in the body of the message:
subscribe paxserve BUSH@WHITEHOUSE.GOV
(One command not yet received!)

April 6, 2005

Dear Friends,
This is the second issue of Peace Across the Atlantic, a newsletter about peace and human rights campaigns and organizations in the United States. In this issue, we are focusing on the theme of peace efforts by veterans, soldiers and their communities. The newsletter is attached.
for Peace,

Dorie & Eric
Dorie Wilsnack und Eric Bachman
Bridges of Encouragement
Milchstr. 83, D-32120 Hiddenhausen, Germany
Tel: ++ 49-5221-689708, Fax: ++ 49-5221-689741
Email: transnationalbridges@gmx.org

PEACE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
News about Grassroots Peace Activities in the USA
Issue No. 2 / 2005

This is the second issue of Peace Across the Atlantic, a newsletter about peace and human rights campaigns and organizations in the United States. In this issue, we are focusing on the theme of peace efforts by veterans, soldiers and their communities. This may seem like a surprising topic because there is a traditional assumption that peace activists and soldiers hold opposing views. When you read the descriptions below of the anti-war campaigns and reconciliation projects undertaken by veterans groups and soldier's families, you will see that within these communities too, there are strong voices for peace. The groups we list in this newsletter are only one portion of those active in this field. By introducing them them to you, we hope to open doors to new information and new contacts

If you are a new reader who has not subscribed, you will find a subscription form on the last page.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Theme for this issue:
Peace Efforts Among Veterans, Soldiers and their Communities
Recent Campaigns and Actions
Protesting the War in Iraq
Vermont War Resolutions on Iraq

Veterans Groups
Veterans for Peace
Iraq Veterans Against the War
Veterans Against Iraq War
Operation Truth
Vietnam Veterans Against War
National Gulf War Resource Center
Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation

Veterans' familie
Military Families Speak Out
Gold Star Families for Peace
Mother Speak

Conscientious Objectors
Military War Resisters
War Resisters Support Group

Campaigning for the Civil and Human Rights of Veterans
GI Rights Hotline
Survivors Take Action Against Abuse by Military Personnel
Swords to Plowshares

Reconciliation and Rebuilding
Iraq Water Project
Jhai Foundation
Veterans Vietnam Restoration Project

Witnessing the Human Cost of War
American Friends Service Committee: Eyes Wide Open

Additional Web Links

If You Want To Do More
Who We Are
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PEACE EFFORTS AMONG
VETERANS, SOLDIERS, AND THEIR COMMUNITIES

The peace and human rights groups that we highlight in this issue are organizations of soldiers, veterans, their families, and their communities. They are groups campaigning to end the war in Iraq, to bring about healing and reconciliation from previous wars, or to end the practice of war altogether. They are also demanding that American society turn away from its television screens and hear the truth about the war in Iraq and military life in the United States.

Soldiers and veterans speaking out for peace bring a strong, new voice to the peace movement. Some of them are not pacifists and some may be opposed solely to the war in Iraq, but they all have principled beliefs in human rights, human dignity and democracy. Some have become pacifists as a direct result of their personal experience of war and violence. All of them are taking courageous action in the current U.S. political climate, when they speak out publicly against the popular images of war and patriotism. With their personal experience of war, the voices of these soldiers, veterans and military families for peace have influenced members of the American public who are not usually open to anti-war messages.

Background Information on this Theme

Since 1973, there has been no military conscription in the United States, although there are rumors that it may start again. All young men are required, however, to register with the U.S. government when they are 18, in case there will be a future need. The U.S. armed forces are currently made up of people who have volunteered for their military service. However, many people enlist for economic rather than patriotic reasons. The military offers them financial security, job training, and even may pay for their university education, benefits that they would not get in the regular economy.

The National Guard, which is organized in each state, is a form of military service that has allowed people to live a civilian life and hold regular jobs, while training for the military on weekends and summers. Their traditional role has been to provide protection and assistance within their own state. But in both the Gulf War and the war in Iraq, National Guard troops have been called up in large numbers to fight abroad. National Guard troops tend to be older than regular soldiers, with jobs and families, and many have been deployed for long periods of time, which causes difficulties for their communities.

Since there is no conscription, there is no option for conscientious objection before one joins the military. Once in the military, if a soldier has a change-of-heart and becomes opposed to all war, he or she can apply for conscientious objector status and asked to be released from the military contract, but the application process is difficult and acceptance is not assured.
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RECENT CAMPAIGNS AND ACTIONS

Prostesting the War in Iraq – March 2005

People in 800 U.S. towns and cities, in all 50 states, marked the two-year anniversary of the U.S. bombing and invasion of Iraq with anti-war events. This is more than double the number of events on the first anniversary of the war last year. United for Peace and Justice and International ANSWER, the two main anti-war coalitions, emphasized local protests this year rather than to trying to organize only large demonstrations in a few major cities.

Over 4,000 people marched and rallied in Fayetteville, North Carolina, which is the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army base. Organizers reported that this was the largest anti-war demonstration in Fayetteville's history. Military families, veterans and soldiers took the lead in organizing the event and calling for an end to the war in Iraq. According to reports, at least 20 active duty GIs defied military orders and came to listen.

Some of the protests took place in very conservative parts of the country. A vigil, march, and public meeting in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, drew more than 500 participants, which one organizer described as “the largest anti-war event in Lancaster at least in the past three decades, possibly ever.” In Sandpoint, Idaho, a town with a population of about 7000, in a county that voted almost 2-1 for Bush, a lively crowd of 195 people took part in a peace march through town, and 120 attended a community forum on war and peace. A church in Blacksburg, Virginia hosted a candlelight peace vigil with about 20 participants, the first directly anti-war event held at the church in recent years.

For more information:
United for Peace and Justice: www.unitedforpeace.org
International ANSWER: http://answer.pephost.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ANS_homepage

Vermont War Resolutions on Iraq

On March 1st, in 58 towns and cities in Vermont, local citizens participated in their communities' annual Town Meetings, at which they voted on two resolutions related to the war in Iraq. One called for the State Legislature to investigate the impact that National Guard deployments are having on Vermont's readiness for a natural disaster or other emergency. The other proposal asked the U.S. Congress and the president to take steps to withdraw American troops from Iraq. In 50 of the Town Meetings, the resolutions passed.

Town Meetings have been a tradition in Vermont towns for more than 200 years. On the first Tuesday in March, local citizens meet in each town to elect local officers and vote on budgets. It is also a time when they discuss the civic issues of their community, state and nation. This year, a network of Vermont residents and peace organizations, called the Vermont Network on Iraq War Resolutions, organized local petition campaigns to get the anti-war resolutions placed on various Town Meeting agendas. In each locale, the proposed resolutions fostered lively and impassioned discussions among the townspeople, both before and during the meetings. The results showed that people across all political lines have serious questions about the war. In Vermont, the use of National Guard troops is a particularly important issue to many people because half the State's National Guardsmen are currently deployed and four of them have been killed in Iraq.

The impact that these votes will have on national U.S. policies is indirect, but it can be quite powerful. Vermonters have given the American public an example of how ordinary citizens can play an active role in demanding accountability from the Federal government. Already, towns in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Oregon are considering similar proposals.

For more information: www.iraqresolution.org
or about Vermont's Town Meetings, an example of local democracy: http://www.sec.state.vt.us/townmeeting/citizens_guide.html
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VETERANS GROUPS

Veterans for Peace

Veterans for Peace (VfP) is an organization of “Veterans Working Together for Peace and Justice through Nonviolence”. Founded in 1985, its 4400 members include veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War. Their main goals are to raise public awareness about the costs of war and to abolish war as an instrument of international policy. They take their peace message to war commemorations and anniversaries, and they send it with delegations to conflict zones and post-war regions such as Central America, Southeast Asia, and Iraq. During the Balkan conflict, they arranged for more than 100 wounded children to receive hospital treatment in the U.S. In 1999, they started the Iraq Water Project (see below). Many people are active in VfP at the local level through one of its 111 chapters. Chapter 108 in Arizona has created a display called “Voices for Peace,” which they take to schools and libraries. Members of Chapter 78 in Florida speak at workshops for young people on alternatives to military service. Chapter 22 in Northern California takes their bus,”The Spirit of Garberville,” on trips across the U.S, to meet with other veterans along the way and take part in peace demonstrations.
For more information: www.veteransforpeace.org

Iraq Veterans Against the War

A growing number of U.S. soldiers and veterans who have served in Iraq are beginning to question the war. Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) was created to give a voice to those who are opposed to the war and want to bring the troops home now. IVAW also supports Iraqi reconstruction, and campaigns for the rights of veterans and soldiers now and upon their return home. The group's membership includes anyone who has served in the military since September 11, 2001. IVAW began in July 2004 with 8 members and by December, there were over 150, including some soldiers still in Iraq. Their activities include public speaking and reaching out to more veterans by leafleting near military bases, as well as raising funds to support projects that help civilian Iraqi war victims.
For more information: www.ivaw.net

Veterans Against the Iraq War

Veterans Against the Iraq War (VAIW) is a coalition of American veterans of any war who support the U.S. troops, but oppose the war with Iraq and any other nation that does not pose a clear danger to the United States. They oppose the unilateral and pre-emptive intervention by the U.S. because they feel it sets a dangerous precedent, it creates unnecessary financial burdens for Americans, and it distracts the government from dealing with those who did actually carry out terrorist acts against the U.S. They feel that the best way to support the troops is to bring them home from Iraq immediately. VAIW goes beyond protest and invites people to exchange ideas about what better actions the U.S. and the American people could be taking. On their web page, they have created an online forum to address the question: What would be a sensible international policy for the United States, one that provides security while promoting democracy?
For more information: www.vaiw.org

Operation Truth

Operation Truth is a non-partisan veterans' organization for soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. They do not take a stand on whether the war in Iraq is right or wrong, but they are courageously outspoken in their criticism about how the war is being handled and how the military is treating soldiers. Their goal is to amplify the voices of soldiers in the public dialog and to reveal the kinds of unnecessary hardships that the troops are facing. For example, the rising death toll gets media attention, but little scrutiny is given to the number of troops who are wounded and permanently disabled.

They raise concerns and questions about the shortage of effective armor, about the health risks to soldiers posed by the military use of depleted uranium in U.S. weapons, and about the inadequate health care coverage that veterans receive when they return. They question the large-scale use of private contractors in Iraq and whether this undermines an effective military. They reveal and challenge the second-class treatment given to Reservists and National Guardsmen and they challenge the practice of “Stop Loss” whereby a soldier's enlistment is extended involuntarily beyond his/her contract obligations. The public hears very little about these issues, and rarely hears about them directly from the soldiers and veterans themselves. Through their web page, where stories can be posted, and through other activities, Operation Truth provides vets with a supportive environment to tell the truth about their service, and then conveys this crucial information to the wider public.
For more information: www.optruth.org

Vietnam Veterans Against the War

Vietnam Veterans Against the War is a national veterans organization that was organized in 1967 to give voice to the growing opposition among servicemen and women to the war that was still raging at the time in Southeast Asia. Since then VVAW has contributed those voices to the protest movements against the wars in Central America, the Gulf War and the war in Iraq. It continues to address issues that affect the lives of Vietnam veterans, such as the negative health effects of exposure to Agent Orange, but it also addresses the needs of newer veterans and servicemen/women by providing military counseling. During the recent U.S. elections, the Vietnam War became a controversial topic once again, and the American public was reminded of the powerful moral voice against war that VVAW brings to the debates about the war. On their web site, they write, “We will continue to oppose senseless military adventures and to teach the real lessons of the Vietnam War.”
For more information: www.vvaw.org

National Gulf War Resource Center

The Gulf War produced a toxic legacy which continues to devastate the environment of the Persian Gulf and to cause serious health problems for the soldiers who have served there. The U.S. government has refused to acknowledge the serious claims of thse who suffer forom Gulf War Syndrom and has failed to investigate the causes or provide adequate medical care. To meet this need, dozens of grassroots groups have formed to assist fellow veterans. These grassroots groups provide assistance to veterans in the form of counseling and referrals. The National Gulf War Resource Center (NGWRC) was created to serve these local groups.. Troops serving in the Gulf War were exposed to oil well fire pollution, radio-toxic depleted uranium, and low-level chemical and biological warfare agents. Some were sprayed with pesticides and still others were used as human guinea pigs to test vaccines and an anti-nerve-agent pill. NGWRC helps people find the help they need, publishes self-help publications for veterans with health problems, and monitors how Gulf War veterans are served by the U.S. Veterans Administration.
For more information: www.ngwrc.org

Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation

The purpose of Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) is to serve and advocate for the victims of war around the world. It was originally founded in 1980 by two Vietnam veterans. In 1981, they made a reconciliation journey to Vietnam, which was unprecedented at that time. Their trip inspired them to campaign for the eventual lifting of the U.S. trade embargo against Vietnam. It also led them to begin a humanitarian assistance program that addressed the Vietnam War's dangerous legacy of landmines. Later, they expanded their landmine work internationally, and helped to organize the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which won the Nobel Peace Prize. VVAF continues to work on landmine issues in post-conflict countries. Their Post-Conflict Rehabilitation Programs operate in Angola, Ethiopia, Cambodia and Vietnam and they support rehabilitation programs in Central America and Sub-Saharan Africa. They are also helping Vietnam to conduct a full survey of three provinces which were heavily damaged during the war, to assess the impact of landmines and unexploded ordinance there.
For more information: www.vvaf.org
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FAMILIES OF SOLDIERS AND VETERANS

Military Families Speak Out

Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) is an organization of people who are opposed to the war in Iraq and who currently have relatives or loved ones in the military. It was formed in 2004 and currently has 2000 member families. It is highly unusual and courageous for the families of soldiers to speak out against a war when the soldiers are still fighting. MFSO members explain that they have both a special need and and a unique role to play in speaking out against the war. It is their loved ones who are, have been, or will be on the battlefront, risking injury or death. It is their loved ones who are returning scarred from their experiences and who will have to live with the injuries and deaths that the military intervention has caused among innocent Iraqi civilians. MSFO members try to convey their views to the public through media interviews and opinion pieces in the newspapers. They speak at peace demonstrations and some have taken part in delegations to Iraq. MSFO also serves as a support network for families facing similar situations. Their web site includes a forum where others members of military families can write about their experiences and feelings.
For more information: www.mfso.org

Gold Star Families for Peace

Gold Star Families for Peace (GSFP) is a new organization of families of soldiers who have died in war, primarily in Iraq. The term “Gold Star Families” is used in the U.S. to refer to families of soldiers who have died as a result of any war. As Gold Star Families for Peace, these families are taking a courageous and outspoken public stand against the war in Iraq. Their organization has two goals: to end the U.S. occupation and to serve as an emotional support network for all Gold Star families. By campaigning to bring the troops home, they hope to prevent other families from experiencing the same kind of pain that they have. Through public speaking at conferences and demonstrations, and through active media outreach, they try to raise awareness in the U.S. about the true human costs of the U.S. invasion/occupation. Their members publicly question the government's rationale for going to war, and they have tried unsuccessfully to meet with Pentagon officials in order to pose their questions in person.
For more information: www.gsfp.org

Mother Speak

Mother speak was created by a woman writer in Berkeley California who, in 2004, was also the mother of a soldier serving in Iraq. She traveled to Iraq that year with a delegation of writers, teachers, artists and activists. She was able to visit her son and she was also able to meet Iraqis and to interview Iraq mothers. The mothers interested her in particular. She wanted to know more about their lives and hear their views. Out of this experience her project was born. She is collecting interviews from around the world to produce a book featuring mothers with children engaged in or affected by the War on Terror. She has collected interviews from American, Iraqi, Afghan, Israeli and Palestinian mothers. Many of them are posted on her web page. Her goal is to foster understanding across national and social cultures, to uncover the commonalities between people and to celebrate rather than shrink from the differences.
For more information: www.motherspeak.org.
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CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS

Military War Resisters

Questions about the legality and purpose of the war in Iraq have led some soldiers to decide to resist their military service. Some are objecting specifically to the war in Iraq or to the way it is being handled. Others, as a result of their experiences in Iraq, have become Conscientious Objectors (CO) who are opposed to all wars. Although applying to leave the military as a CO is a legal option in the U.S., many CO applications are rejected.

Some resisters have already served prison terms for their refusal or are currently involved in the legal process. Some have simply gone underground and are labeled by the military as deserters. A growing number are choosing to go to Canada where they have applied for political asylum. Unlike its supportive policy toward resisters during the Vietnam War era, the Canadian government is being cautious and reviewing each case individually. Recently, the first request to be heard, that of Jeremy Hinzman, was denied and he will be appealing the decision.

A few of these resisters have chosen to make their war resistance very public, holding press conferences and creating web sites, in order to inform other Americans. You can view some of their web sites to read their personal stories and to send them messages of encouragement.

Camilo Mejia took a one year jail term instead of returning to Iraq. www.freecamilo.org
Kevin Benderman refused a second deployment to Iraq. www.bendermandefense.org
Jeremy Hinzman fled to Canada to avoid going to Iraq. www.jeremyhinzman.net
Brandon Hughey fled to Canada to avoid going to Iraq. www.brandonhughey.org
Carl Webb deserted the Army when he was ordered to serve in Iraq beyond the length of his contract (an Army practice called Stop-Loss). www.carlwebb.net
Pablo Paredes refused to board his ship which went to the Persian Gulf. www.swiftsmartveterans.com

War Resisters Support Campaign

The War Resisters Support Campaign is a coalition of community organizations in Canada. Their goal is to get the Canadian government to adopt a policy of allowing U.S. war resisters refuge in Canada. They have launched a petition drive, part of which states, “We call on the Canadian government to demonstrate its commitment to international law and the treaties to which it is a signatory by making provision for U.S. war objectors to have sanctuary in this country.” Their campaign has attracted support from well-known figures in Canada's arts and literature community. Presently, while each claim for refugee status is handled individually by the Immigration and Refuge Board, they organize shows of public support for each individual resister.
For more information: www.resisters.ca
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WORKING FOR CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS

The GI Rights Hotline

The GI Rights Hotline is a telephone number that soldiers and their families can call at any time to get information and advice about legal discharge issues and other civil rights. (A “GI” is an enlisted or former enlisted person in the U.S. military.) The phone line is maintained by a coalition eleven peace and human rights organizations. The hotline provides advice on conscientious objection, discharges, as well as grievance and complaint procedures. The coalition includes both national peace organizations and local projects that are providing military counseling to people in their communities. One of the participating organizations, the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors, publishes a printed guide called Getting Out: A Guide to Military Discharges. Another, Quaker House, operates a military counseling center near the Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina.
For more information: http://girights.objector.org

Survivors Take Action Against Abuse by Military Personnel

Survivors Take Action Against Abuse by Military Personnel (STAAAMP) was formed to provide support and to struggle for justice for people who have experienced abuse or mistreatment at the hands of military personnel. People who report that they have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence, lesbian and gay baiting, harassment, or racial discrimination from military personnel often find that the military institutions will ignore their claims or refuse to believe them. STAAAMP provides a hotline where victims of abuse can call and receive emotional support and referrals to legal, medical and psychological assistance. STAAAMP documents abuse cases in order to inform the public about the problems. They also campaign for stronger proactive civilian oversight of those military institutions that have ignored or neglected abuse cases.
For more information: www.staaamp.org

Swords to Plowshares

Swords to Plowshares, which takes its name from Isaiah 2:4 in the Bible, is a community organization in San Francisco that helps and supports veterans in need. War causes wounds and suffering that last beyond the battlefield, and their goal is to heal the wounds and restore dignity, hope and self-sufficiency to people who are veterans. They provide counseling and assistance in employment, housing and legal issues. Their approach is to foster a strong veterans' community whereby veterans can help veterans. One of their projects is the Veterans Academy, where previously homeless veterans can live in a supportive community, participate in counseling and take courses to expand their vocational skills. The Academy is a place where men and women who have been trained for war can now be trained in the skills they need for economic independence and personal growth.
For more iformation: www.swords-to-plowshares.org
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RECONCILIATION AND REBUILDING

Iraq Water Project

The Iraq Water Project is a project of Veterans for Peace that works in close association with Life for Relief and Development (LIFE) , a humanitarian aid NGO founded by Iraqi-Americans. The Iraq Water Project was first developed in 1999 as a way to help Iraqi communities overcome some of the health problems they faced as a result of the Gulf War and economic sanctions. The project consisted of teams of veterans, who paid their own expenses, working with local Iraqis to repair water treatment plants. By 2003, the Project had repaired 6 plants and ensured that 85,000 people would have clean drinking water. The project's primary goal has been to save lives. Its secondary goal has been to inform Americans about the situation in Iraq.

The 2003 war in Iraq temporarily halted the project but has intensified the need. Most of the water treatment plants they had repaired have been damaged by the violence and looting. The facility they built in one of Falluja's neighborhoods stopped operating after the fighting there, but the damage was minor and re-repair is possible. Despite the ongoing risk of more war in the area, Life for Relief and Development, which continues to have an office in Falluja, has begun the repairs. They have contracted work out to Iraqi construction firms and they've asked the Iraq Water Project to again participate. Soon there should be clean water reaching another 15,000 Falluja residents.
For more information: www.iraqwaterproject.com

The Jhai Foundation

The Jhai Foundation is an organization working for reconciliation. It grew out of the relationship between a Laotion from the Plain of Jars, a region heavily bombed during the Vietnam War, and a Vietnam veteran who participated in that bombing. Since it began six years ago, the Foundation has developed relationships with Lao partners in more than 25 villages. From these relationships, they have helped the Laotians identify their community needs and create sustainable plans for achieving them. The Jhai Foundation then provides technical assistance for these development and education efforts. One of the programs they fostered in this way is the Jhai PC and Communication System, a foot-powered computer and wireless communications network designed for use by villagers in remote rural areas. They also helped to set up a cooperative of coffee growers in one area and a cooperative business of women weavers in another village. They taught local villagers how to do their own fundraising for the school buildings they needed. Most of the work of the Jhai Foundation, including the tasks requiring special skills, is carried out by people who volunteer: ¼ are Laotians, ¼ are Laotian-Americans, ¼ are U.S. veterans, and ¼ are people from around the world who just want to help.
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Veterans Vietnam Restoration Project

The Veterans Vietnam Restoration Project (VVRP) is a small organization which sends teams of veterans to Vietnam to reconcile with the Vietnamese and to work with them on humanitarian projects. The Project was founded in 1988 and since then, 19 teams have been sent. The teams are primarily veterans but they also include other family members. Many of the projects have involved assisting in building health care facilities or facilities for disabled Vietnamese veterans and their families. After a three-day orientation, each team of 4-8 people works on the site for two weeks, and then has two weeks to visit other sights in Vietnam. Some veterans use this time to return to places they remember from the war. Some participating veterans report that the experience of the Restoration Project has been profoundly healing for them: to work side by side with people they once considered their enemy, and to help rebuild a land that they, as soldiers, were involved in partially destroying.
For more information: www.vvrp.org
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WITNESSING THE HUMAN COST OF WAR

American Friends Service Committee: Eyes Wide Open

The American Friends Service Committee is a national peace and justice organization which is based on Quaker values. To provide Americans with a visual reminder of the tragic loss of life in the Iraq War, they have created an exhibit called Eyes Wide Open. The exhibit consists of pairs of boots symbolizing the lost lives of U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Alongside the boots stands a wall of remembrance with the names of more than 11,000 Iraqi civilians who have been killed since the U.S. invasion.

Eyes Wide Open is a traveling exhibit, which has already been in over 50 towns and cities across the U.S. With each passing week, more boots are added to represent the newly fallen. For many Americans, for whom the war in Iraq is slightly removed from their daily lives, the exhibit's visual depiction of the loss of life has a profound effect. It helps people to realize the human price that the war is costing – and to grieve. The AFSC sponsors say that besides being a memorial to those who have died, Eyes Wide Open is a witness to the belief that no war can justify its human costs.

For more information see: www.afsc.org/eyes where you can also view a powerful video about the “Wage Peace Campaign”. To view a poster which shows a dramatic image of the exhibit see: www.afsc.org/eyes/images/desktops/1024x768-color.jpg
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ADDITIONAL WEB LINKS

Blake Lemoine, seeking CO status, convicted by military court of disobeying orders::
http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/stwb/BlakePress/PressConfInvitation.html

Interview with Aidan Delgado, military conscientious objector who witnessed atrocities at Abu Graib: http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/20935/

Veterans for Common Sense: www.veteransforcommonsense.org

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IF YOU WANT TO DO MORE

If one of the descriptions above triggers your interest or inspires you, you may want to follow up on what you read. What can you do? Here are a few suggestions:

Learn more: You can start by looking at the group's web site and following links to other web sites and organizations.

Share the information: Do you know organizations in your community that have a similar focus to one of the groups you read about? Please pass the information on to them. You are encouraged to republish this information and to translate it into other languages. Please mention Peace Across the Atlantic as the source. Please let us know where it has been republished (or send us a copy).

Write a “fan letter”: If you read about a particular U.S. group in these pages, and you find their work inspiring, send them an email and tell them so! Write your message in English if you can. Even a very short and simple letter will carry a powerful message of encouragement. If a group's postal or email address is not included in our description, you will find it on their web site.

Your feedback and suggestions are both welcome and important. Are there particular types of peace or human rights groups that you would like to learn more about? You can email us your suggestions.

You can make a donation to Bridges of Encouragement. Help us continue to keep you and others informed about peace and human rights efforts in the United States. Transfer a donation to one of the banks accounts below: (Mark “for BRIDGES ”)
Friedenskotten Lippinghausen e. V.
Account No. 135 616 400, Volksbank Herford, BLZ Nr. 494 900 70
or
Versöhnungsbund e.V.
Account No. 400 906 72, Sparkasse Minden-Lübbecke, BLZ 490 501 01
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WHO WE ARE

Peace Across the Atlantic is one part of a networking project called Bridges of Encouragement, which seeks to build stronger ties between peace and human rights activists in the United States and activists in Europe and other parts of the world. Currently Bridges of Encouragement focuses on efforts that will offer encouragement and support to American activists as they struggle to change U.S. military practices and government abuses of human rights and civil liberties. Such cooperative and collaborative activities will strengthen peace and human rights groups in every country.

Peace Across the Atlantic is researched and edited by the Coordinators of Bridges of Encouragement, Dorie Wilsnack and Eric Bachman. Dorie and Eric are U.S. Americans with extensive experience in the German, U.S. and international peace movements. The information in this newsletter is derived from public reports of the organizations described. This email newsletter is published once a month, in German and English. Back issues are available by request.

Many thanksto Elisabeth Herbert, Heike Huschauer, Davorka Lovrekovic-Sufiar; and Winfrid Eisenberg who volunteered their time to tranlsate this issue into German.

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Peace Across the Atlantic
a project of
Bridges of Encouragement
Dorie Wilsnack and Eric Bachman
Milchstr 83, D-32120 Hiddenhausen, Germany
Tel: ++ 49-5221-689708 Fax: ++ 49-5221-689741
Email: transnationalbridges (at) gmx.org

6. April 2005
Liebe Friedensfreundinnen und -freunde,
Dies ist die zweite Ausgabe von Peace Across the Atlantic, ein Infobrief zu Friedens- und Menschenrechtskampagnen und organisationen in den Vereinigten Staaten. In dieser Ausgabe liegt der Schwerpunkt auf dem Thema Veteranen, Soldaten und ihr Umfeld.

Herzliche Gruesse,
Dorie & Eric
Dorie Wilsnack und Eric Bachman
Brücken der Ermutigung
Milchstr 83, D-32120 Hiddenhausen, Germany
Tel: ++ 49-5221-689708, Fax: ++ 49-5221-689741
Email: transnationalbridges@gmx.org

PEACE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
( Friedensbrücken über den Atlantik )
Nachrichten über graswurzel Friedensaktivitäten in den USA
Ausgabe 1/2005

Dies ist die zweite Ausgabe von Peace Across the Atlantic, ein Infobrief zu Friedens- und Menschenrechtskampagnen und –organisationen in den Vereinigten Staaten. In dieser Ausgabe liegt der Schwerpunkt auf dem Thema Veteranen, Soldaten und ihr Umfeld. Dies scheint überraschend zu sein, wird doch traditionell angenommen, Friedensaktivisten und Soldaten hätten durchgehend gegensätzliche Ansichten. Beim Lesen über die Antikriegskampagnen und Versöhnungsprojekte durch Veteranen-Gruppen und Soldatenfamilien, werden Sie feststellen, dass es auch innerhalb dieser Gemeinschaften starke Stimmen für den Frieden gibt. Die Gruppen, die in diesem Infobrief aufgelistet sind, stellen allerdings nur einen Teil der Aktivitäten auf diesem Feld dar. Indem wir sie Ihnen vorstellen, hoffen wir, Türen zu öffnen für neues Wissen und neue Kontakte.
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Inhaltsverzeichnis
Theme dieser Ausgabe ist:
Friedensarbeit durch Veteranen, Soldatinnen und Soldaten und Menschen in ihrem Umfeld

Kampagnen und Aktionen aus jüngster Zeit
Proteste gegen den Krieg im Irak – März 2005
Vermont’s Resolutionen betreffend den Krieg im Irak

Veteranen-Gruppen
Veteranen für den Frieden
Irak-Veteranen gegen den Krieg
Veteranen gegen den Irak-Krieg
Operation Wahrheit
Vietnam Veteranen gegen den Krieg
Nationales Hilfszentrum für Golf Kriegs Veteranen
Stiftung Vietnam Veteranen Amerikas

Familien der Soldaten und Veteranen
Militär Familien nehmen kein Blatt vor den Mund
Gold Star Familien für den Frieden
Mütter Sprechen

Kriegsdienstverweigerer
Soldaten, die den Kriegsdienst verweigern
Kampangne zur Unterstützung von Kriegsdienstverweigerern

Für die Zivilrechte und die Menschenrechte
Telefonnotruf für GI Rechte
Überlebende handeln gegen den Missbrauch durch Militärangehörige
Schwerter zu Pflugscharen

Versöhnung und Wiederaufbau
Wasserprojekt Irak
Jhai Stiftung
Veteranen Vietnam-Wiederaufbau-Projekt

Zeugen der Menschlichen Verluste durch Kriege
Amerikanischen Quäke-Hilfswerk: “Augen weit geöffnet”

Zusätzliche W-Links

Wenn Sie mehr tun wollen

Wer wir sind
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Friedensarbeit durch
Veteranen, Soldatinnen und Soldaten und
Menschen in ihrem Umfeld

Die Friedens- und Menschenrechtsgruppen, auf die wir in dieser Ausgabe unser Augenmerk richten, sind Organisationen von Soldaten, Veteranen, ihren Familien und den Menschen in ihrem Umfeld. Es sind Gruppen, die das Ende des Irakkrieges propagieren, die Heilung und Versöhnung für vergangene Kriege herbeiführen, oder die das Instrument Krieg als solches abschaffen möchten. Auch verlangen sie von der amerikanischen Gesellschaft, dass sie sich einmal abwendet vom heimischen Fernsehbildschirm um die Wahrheit über den Irakkrieg und den Militarismus in den Vereinigten Staaten zu hören.

Soldaten und Veteranen, die sich für den Frieden aussprechen, stellen eine neue und starke Stimme innerhalb der Friedensbewegung dar. Einige von ihnen sind keineswegs Pazifisten, einige sprechen sich lediglich gegen den Krieg im Irak aus; aber sie alle glauben grundsätzlich an Menschenrechte, an die Würde des Menschen und an die Demokratie.
Manche sind durch ihre persönlichen Kriegs- und Gewalterlebnisse zu Pazifisten geworden. Was sie alle eint, ist der Mut, den sie beweisen innerhalb des derzeitigen politischen Klimas in den USA öffentlich gegen die populären Vorstellungen zu Krieg und Patriotismus einzutreten. Durch ihre persönlichen Kriegserlebnisse haben diese Soldaten, Veteranen und Militärfamilien für den Frieden viele Mitglieder der amerikanischen Öffentlichkeit erreicht, die ansonsten nicht unbedingt offen waren für Antikriegsbotschaften.

Hintergrund zu diesem Thema
Seit 1973 gibt es keine Wehrpflicht mehr in den Vereinigten Staaten; Gerüchte sagen, dass sie wieder eingeführt werden könnte. Immerhin sind alle jungen Männer, die das 18. Lebensjahr vollenden, verpflichtet, sich von der Regierung registrieren zu lassen für den Fall zukünftiger Verwendung. (Durch das Fehlen eines Meldesystems können nur durch die genannte Registrierung alle Wehrfähigen erfasst werden – Anmerkung der Übersetzerin). Derzeit bestehen die amerikanischen Streitkräfte aus Freiwilligen. Allerdings melden sich viele Menschen eher aus wirtschaftlichen denn aus patriotischen Gründen. Das Militär bietet ihnen finanzielle Sicherheit, Berufsausbildung und eventuell sogar die Bezahlung eines Universitätsstudiums – Leistungen, die ihnen ansonsten verschlossen wären.

Die in jedem Einzelstaat organisierte National Guard (Nationalgarde) ist eine Art Militärdienst, der den Menschen ein Zivilleben und einen Zivilberuf erlaubt. Die militärische Ausbildung findet an den Wochenenden und im Sommer statt. Ihre traditionelle Rolle ist die Sicherstellung von Schutz und Hilfe in ihrem eigenen Staat. Aber sowohl im Golfkrieg als auch im Irakkrieg wurde eine große Zahl von Nationalgardisten einberufen zu Übersee-Kampfhandlungen. In der Regel sind Mitglieder der National Guard älter als reguläre Soldaten und haben Beruf und Familie. Viele von ihnen sind schon sehr lange im Irak stationiert, was zu großen Schwierigkeiten in ihrem privaten Umfeld führt.

Da es keine Wehrpflicht gibt, gibt es auch keine Möglichkeit der Wehrdienstverweigerung aus Gewissensgründen vor dem Eintritt ins Militär. Erst als Mitglied der Streitkräfte kann ein Soldat, falls er oder sie die persönliche Überzeugung überdenkt und sich gegen jeglichen Krieg stellt, einen Antrag stellen auf den Status als „Conscientious Objector“ (Gewissensverweigerer) und darum bitten, von seinem Vertrag entbunden zu werden. Aber die Antragstellung ist schwierig und eine Befürwortung ist nicht garantiert.
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KAMPAGNEN und AKTIONEN
aus jüngster Zeit

Proteste gegen den Krieg im Irak – März 2005

Leute in 800 U.S. Gemeinden und Städten in allen 50 Bundesstaaten prägten den zweiten Jahrestag der Bombardierung und Invasion des Irak mit Anti-Kriegs Veranstaltungen. Das ist eine Verdoppelung der Zahl der Veranstaltungen, die letztes Jahr zum Anlass des ersten Jahrestages stattfanden. „Vereint für Frieden und Gerechtigkeit“ (United for Peace and Justice) und International ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism – d.h. “Handle jetzt um den Krieg zu stoppen und Rassismus zu beenden”, die Abkürzung heißt zu deutsch: „Antwort“), die beiden großen Anti-Kriegs Koalitionen, haben sich dieses Jahr mehr auf lokale Proteste konzentriert statt zu versuchen, nur ganz große Demonstrationen in einigen wenigen Großstädten zu organisieren.

Mehr als 4000 Leute kamen zusammen und marschierten in Fayetteville, North Carolina, dem Standort von Fort Bragg, einem der großen Armee Stützpunkte. Die Organisierenden erklärten, das sei die größte Anti-Kriegs Demonstration in der Geschichte von Fayetteville. Militär-Familien, Veteranen und Soldaten waren die Haupt-Organisatoren dieser Veranstaltung mit ihrer Forderung, den Krieg im Irak zu beenden. Es wurde berichtet, dass mindestens 20 Soldaten im aktiven Dienst sich direkten Befehlen widersetzten und kamen um zuzuhören.

Manche der Proteste fanden in sehr konservativen Teilen des Landes statt. Ein Protestmarsch und eine öffentliche Versammlung in Lancaster, Pennsylvania brachte mehr als 500 Teilnehmer zusammen, was einer der Organisatoren beschreibt als: „Die größte Anti-Kriegs Veranstaltung in den letzten drei Jahrzehnten, vielleicht auch überhaupt“. In Sandpoint, Idaho, einer Stadt mit einer Bevölkerung von ca. 7000, in einem Staat, der fast 2 zu 1 pro Bush gewählt hat, eine lebhafte Schar von 195 Leuten an einem Friedensmarsch durch die Stadt teil und 120 fanden sich zu einem Gemeinde Forum zu Krieg und Frieden ein. Eine Kirche in Blacksburg, Virginia lud zu einer Friedensmahnwache ein, bei der jeder der 20 Teilnehmenden ein Kerzenlicht trug. Das war die erste direkte Anti-Kriegs Veranstaltung, die in den letzten Jahren in dieser Kirche abgehalten wurde.

Web-Seiten:
Vereint für Frieden und Gerechtigkeit : www.unitedforpeace.org
International ANSWER: http://answer.pephost.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ANS_homepage

Vermont’s Resolutionen betreffend den Krieg im Irak

Am 1. März haben die Bürgerinnen und Bürger von 58 Orten in Vermont an der jährlich stattfindenden Bürgerversammlung (Town Meeting) teilgenommen und über zwei Resolutionen betreffend den Krieg im Irak abgestimmt. Die eine forderte die Verwaltung auf zu ermitteln, welchen Einfluss der Einsatz der Nationalgarde im Irak auf die Bereitschaft Vermonts hat, auf eventuelle Katastrophenfälle zu reagieren, während die andere den U.S. Congress und den Präsidenten aufforderte, Schritte zu einem Rückzug der amerikanischen Truppen aus dem Irak einzuleiten.

Bürgerversammlungen sind in Vermont seit mehr als 200 Jahren Tradition. Am ersten Dienstag im März treffen sich die Bürger jeder Stadt, um die Stadtverwaltung zu wählen und über das Budget zu entscheiden. Ebenso werden Themen, die Stadt, Staat und Nation betreffen, diskutiert. Ein Netz von Vermonter Bürgerinnen und Bürgern und Friedens Organisationen, das sich „Vermonter Netz für Resolutionen zum Krieg im Irak“ (Vermont Network on Iraq War Resolutions) nennt, hat lokale Kampagnen organisiert, um die Anti-Kriegs Resolutionen auf die Tagesordnung der verschiedenen Bürgerversammlungen setzen zu können. In allen Lokalen waren diese Resolutionen Anlass zu heftigen und leidenschaftlichen Diskussionen unter den Leuten, sowohl vor als auch während der Versammlungen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Leute quer durch das politische Spektrum ernsthafte Fragen zum Krieg haben. In Vermont ist der Einsatz der Nationalgarde-Truppen ein besonders empfindliches Thema für viele Leute, da im Moment ungefähr die Hälfte aller, die dem Staat in der Nationalgarde dienen, im Irak eingesetzt sind und vier von ihnen bereits gefallen sind.

Die Auswirkung dieser Wahlergebnisse auf die nationale US Politik wird indirekt sein, kann aber nichts desto trotz recht wirksam sein. Vermont hat der amerikanischen Öffentlichkeit ein Beispiel gegeben, wie gewöhnliche Bürgerinnen und Bürger eine aktive Rolle spielen können, indem sie Verantwortlichkeit von der Bundesregierung in Washington verlangen. Städte in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania und Oregon überlegen bereits ähnlich Resolutionen einzubringen.

Web Seiten: www.iraqresolution.org
und für Info über Vermonter Bürgerversammlungen (Town Meetings) , Beispiele lokaler Demokratie: http://www.sec.state.vt.us/townmeeting/citizens_guide.html
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VETERANEN-GRUPPEN

Veteranen für den Frieden
Veterans for Peace

„Veterans for Peace“(VfP) ist eine Organisation von „Veteranen, die für Frieden und Gerechtigkeit mit gewaltfreien Methoden zusammenarbeiten“. Die 1985 gegründete Organisation mit 4400 Mitgliedern vereint Veteranen aus dem Zweiten Weltkrieg, Koreakrieg, Vietnamkrieg und dem Golfkrieg. Ihr Hauptziel ist es, die Öffentlichkeit über die Kosten des Krieges und über die Abschaffung des Krieges als Mittel internationaler Politik aufzuklären. Sie machen ihre Friedensbotschaft bei Gedenkveranstaltungen und Jahrestagen sichtbar und sie entsenden Delegationen in Kriegs- und Nachkriegsgebiete wie z. B. nach Mittelamerika, Südostasien und in den Irak. Während des Balkankonfliktes ermöglichten sie es über 100 verletzten Kindern, in Krankenhäusern in den USA behandelt werden zu können. 1999 starteten sie das „Iraq Water Project“ (siehe unten) . Viele Menschen sind auf lokaler Ebene in einer der 111 Gruppen aktiv. Die Gruppe 108 in Arizona hat eine Ausstellung „Voices for Peace“ (Stimmen für den Frieden) entwickelt, die sie in Schulen und Büchereien zeigt. Mitglieder der Gruppe 78 in Florida sprechen in Workshops mit jungen Menschen über Alternativen zum Militärdienst. Die Gruppe 22 in Nordkalifornien fährt mit ihrem Bus „The Spirit of Garberville“ durch die USA, um unterwegs andere Veteranen zu treffen und an Friedensdemonstrationen Teil zu nehmen.
Für weitere Informationen: www.veteransforpeace.org

Irak-Veteranen gegen den Krieg
Iraq Veterans Against the War

Eine wachsende Zahl von US-Soldaten und Veteranen, die im Irak eingesetzt waren, beginnen den Krieg in Frage zu stellen. „Iraq Veterans Against the War“(IVAW) wurde gegründet, um denen eine Stimme zu geben, die gegen den Krieg sind und die Truppen jetzt nach Hause bringen wollen. IVAW unterstützt auch den Wiederaufbau im Irak.. IVAW führt Kampagnen für die Rechte der Veteranen und Soldaten jetzt und bei ihrer Rückkehr. Mitglied in der Gruppe kann jeder werden, der nach dem 11. September 2001 im US-Militär gedient hat.

IVAW begann im Juli 2004 mit acht Gründungsmitgliedern; im Dezember 2004 gab es über 150 Mitglieder, von denen sich einige noch im Irak befinden. Ihre Aktivitäten bestehen aus öffentlichen Vorträgen, Ansprechen weiterer Veteranen durch Verteilen von Flugblättern in der Nähe von Kasernen und in Geldsammlungen zur Unterstützung von Hilfsprojekten für zivile irakische Kriegsopfer.
Weitere Informationen: www.ivaw.net

Veteranen gegen den Irak-Krieg
Veterans Against the Iraq War

„Veterans Against the Iraq War“ (VAIW) ist ein Zusammenschluss amerikanischer Veteranen, aus allen Kriegen welche die US-Truppen zwar grundsätzlich unterstützen, sich allerdings gegen den Krieg gegen den Irak und gegen jede andere Nation, die keine Gefahr für die Vereinigten Staaten darstellen, engagieren. Sie sprechen sich gegen den einseitigen und vorschnellen Angriff der Vereinigten Staaten aus, weil sie glauben, dass ein gefährlicher Präzedenzfall geschaffen wurde, dass der amerikanischen Bevölkerung unnötige finanzielle Belastungen aufgebürdet werden und dass die Regierung abgelenkt wird von der tatsächlichen Bekämpfung derjenigen, die ihre Terrortaten in den USA begangen haben. Sie sind überzeugt, dass die beste Unterstützung für die Truppen die sofortige Rückkehr aus dem Irak ist. VAIW protestiert nicht nur, sondern lädt Menschen ein zu einem Ideenwettbewerb um bessere politische Handlungsmöglichkeiten der Vereinigten Staaten und seiner Bevölkerung. An dieser Diskussion kann in einem Forum auf der Webseite der Organisation teilgenommen werden. Die Frage lautet: „Wie könnte eine vernünftige Außenpolitik der Vereinigten Staaten aussehen, die Sicherheit schenkt und für Demokratie wirbt?“
Weitere Informationen unter: www.vaiw.org

Operation Wahrheit
Operation Truth

„Operation Truth“ (Operation Wahrheit) ist eine überparteiliche Veteranen-Organisation für Soldatinnen und Soldaten, die im Irak und in Afghanistan gedient haben. Sie beziehen keine Stellung darüber, ob der Krieg im Irak richtig oder falsch ist, aber sie äußern mutig und vernehmbar ihre Kritik darüber, wie der Krieg dort geführt wird und wie das Militär die diensttuenden Soldaten behandelt. Ihr Ziel ist es, die Stimmen von Soldaten im öffentlichen Dialog deutlich hörbar zu machen und die unterschiedlichen unnötigen Härten für die Truppen aufzudecken. Zum Beispiel steht der steigende Tribut an Menschenleben in den Medien im Mittelpunkt, jedoch wird den verletzten und dauerhaft Geschädigten kaum Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt.

Sie erheben ihre Stimmen und stellen Fragen über den Mangel an effektiver Rüstung, über die Gesundheitsrisiken für die Soldaten beim militärischen Einsatz von Munition mit abgereichertem Uran, und über die unzureichende Gesundheitsversorgung der Veteranen nach ihrer Rückkehr. Sie stellen den ausgedehnten Einsatz von privaten Sicherheitsdiensten in Frage aus Sorge, dass er einen effektiven Einsatz des Militärs unterminiert. Sie legen die Zwei-Klassen-Behandlung der Reservisten und Angehörigen der „National Guard“ offen und kritisieren die Praxis des „Stop Loss“, bei der die Dienstzeit eines Soldaten/einer Soldatin über die vereinbarte Vertragslänge ohne deren Zustimmung verlängert wird. Die Öffentlichkeit hört wenig über diese Themen, noch seltener von den direkt betroffenen Soldaten und Veteranen. Durch ihre Webseite, auf der persönliche Geschichten ins Netz gestellt werden können, und durch andere Aktivitäten, schafft „OperationTruth“ ein unterstützendes Netzwerk, um die Wahrheit über den Militärdienst zu offenbaren, und macht dann diese Informationen der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich.
Für weitere Informationen: www.optruth.org

Vietnam Veteranen gegen den Krieg
Vietnam Veterans Against the War

“Vietnam Veterans Against the War” (VVAW) wurde 1967 als nationale amerikanische Veteranen-Organisation gegründet, um der wachsenden Kriegsgegnerschaft von Soldatinnen und Soldaten gegen den damals wütenden Krieg in Südostasien eine Stimme zu geben. Seitdem hat VVAW stets seinen Beitrag geleistet zu den jeweiligen Protestbewegungen gegen die Kriege in Mittelamerika, den Golfkrieg und den Krieg im Irak. VVAW fährt aber auch fort, die Themen zu benennen, die das Leben von Vietnam-Veteranen heute noch beeinflussen wie z.B. die Gesundheitsprobleme durch den Kontakt mit dem Entlaubungsgift Agent Orange. Aber auch die Bedürfnisse jüngerer Veteranen und Soldatinnen und Soldaten werden aufgegriffen z.B. durch die Bereitstellung von Beratungsstellen. Während des vergangenen US-Wahlkampfes wurde die kontroverse Diskussion um den Vietnam Krieg wieder aufgegriffen und die amerikanische Öffentlichkeit nahm die kraftvolle moralische Stimme der Veteranen gegen den Krieg zur Kenntnis. Auf der Webseite der Organisation ist zu lesen: „Wir werden uns auch weiterhin gegen sinnlose Militär-Abenteuer einsetzen und die Lektionen, die uns der Vietnam-Krieg lehrte, weiterverbreiten.“
Weitere Information unter: www.vvaw.org

Nationales Hilfszentrum für Golf Kriegs Veteranen
National Gulf War Resource Center

Die Hinterlassenschaft des Golf Kriegs sind Gifte aller Art, die weiterhin die Umwelt am Persischen Golf zerstören und den Soldaten, die dort gedient haben schwerwiegende Gesundheitsschäden verursachen. Die US Regierung hat sich geweigert, das „Gulf War Syndrome“(Golfkriegssyndrom) als ernsthafte Erkrankung der Opfer anzuerkennen und hat versäumt, Untersuchungen durchzuführen oder auch nur angemessene medizinische Hilfe zu leisten. Das führte dazu, dass Dutzende von lokalen Gruppen entstanden sind, die die Veteranen beraten und an die richtigen Stellen verweisen. Das Nationale Hilfszentrum für Golf Kriegs Veteranen („National Gulf War Resource Center“ - NGWRC) wurde von diesen Organisationen gegründet, um dem wachsenden Bedürfnis nachzukommen. Truppen, die im Golf Krieg gekämpft haben, waren der Schadstoffbelastung von brennenden Ölquellen, radioaktivem giftigem abgereichertem Uran und geringen Mengen chemisch-biologischer Gifte ausgesetzt. Manche wurden mit Pestiziden besprüht und andere als menschliche Versuchskaninchen für Impfstoffe und Anti-Nervengas-Pillen benutzt. NGWRC hilft den Geschädigten Hilfe zu finden, publiziert Selbsthilfe-Broschüren für Veteranen mit gesundheitlichen Problemen und überwacht, wie Golf Kriegs Veteranen von den verantwortlichen Stellen der US Regierung betreut werden.
Web-Seite: www.ngwrc.org

Stiftung Vietnam Veteranen Amerikas
Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation

Der Zweck der „Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation“ (VVAF) ist der Service für und die Vertretung von Kriegsopfern weltweit. Gegründet wurde die Stiftung 1980 von zwei Vietnam-Veteranen. 1981 machten sie gemeinsam eine Versöhnungsreise nach Vietnam, zu der Zeit noch völlig beispiellos. Die Reise inspirierte sie zu einer Kampagne mit dem Ziel, das US-Handelsembargo gegen Vietnam aufzuheben. Außerdem riefen sie ein humanitäres Hilfsprogramm ins Leben, die gefährliche Hinterlassenschaft von Landminen in Vietnam betreffend. Später weiteten sie die Anti-Landminen-Arbeit international aus und halfen bei der Organisation der „International Campaign to Ban Landmines“ (Internationale Landminenverbotskampagne), welche schließlich den Friedensnobelpreis erhielt. Auch heute noch engagiert sich VVAF mit Anti-Landminen-Arbeit in Ländern nach einem kriegerischen Konflikt.

Ihr „Post Conflict Rehabilitation Program“ (Nachkriegswiederherstellungsprogramm) existiert und arbeitet z.B. in Angola, Äthiopien, Kambodscha und Vietnam. Daneben unterstützt VVAF auch solche Programme in Mittelamerika und in saharanahen Ländern Afrikas. In Vietnam hilft die Organisation bei der Leitung und Durchführung einer Untersuchung zur Wirkung von Landminen und Blindgängern in drei Provinzen, die während des Krieges besonders schwer beschädigt worden waren.
Weitere Informationen unter: www.vvaf.org
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FAMILIEN der SOLDATEN und VETERANEN

Militär Familien nehmen kein Blatt vor den Mund
Military Families Speak Out

“Militär Familien nehmen kein Blatt vor den Mund” (Military Families Speak Out – MFSO) ist eine Organisation von Leuten, die gegen den Krieg im Irak sind und Angehörige im Militärdienst haben. Die Organisation wurde 2004 gegründet und hat momentan 2000 Mitglieder-Familien. Es ist sehr ungewöhnlich und braucht Mut, wenn Familien von Soldaten gegen den Krieg Stellung nehmen solange die Soldaten noch im Feld sind. Mitglieder von MFSO-Familien erklären, dass sie sowohl ein spezielles Bedürfnis haben gegen den Krieg zu sprechen, sowie eine einzigartige Rolle unter den Kriegsgegnern spielen. Es sind ihre Angehörigen, die entweder an der Front sind, waren oder sein werden, Verwundungen oder gar Tod riskierend. Es sind ihre Angehörigen, die mit ihren Erfahrungen belastet zurückkehren und die mit dem Tod und der Vernichtung leben müssen, die das Militär unter unschuldigen irakischen Zivilisten angerichtet hat. MFSO Mitglieder versuchen ihre Meinung durch Presse-Interviews, Leserbriefe und Kommentare in Zeitungen an die Öffentlichkeit zu bringen. Sie sprechen bei Friedens Demonstrationen und manche von ihnen sind Mitglieder von Delegationen in den Irak. MFSO spielt auch eine Rolle bei der Unterstützung von Familien in derselben Situation. Die Internet Seite der Organisation hat ein Forum, in dem andere Mitglieder von Familien im Militärdienst über ihre Erfahrungen und Emotionen schreiben können.
Die Web-Seite ist: www.mfso.org

Gold Star Familien für den Frieden
Gold Star Families for Peace

Gold Star Familien für den Frieden („Gold Star Families for Peace“ - GSFP) ist eine neue Organisation von Familien, deren Angehörige als Soldaten im Krieg, vor allem im Irak, gefallen sind. Der Begriff „Gold Star Families“ bezieht sich in den U.S.A. auf alle Familien von Soldaten, die in einem Krieg gefallen sind. Als „Gold Star Families for Peace“ vertreten diese Familien ihre Opposition gegen den Krieg im Irak mutig und unverblümt in der Öffentlichkeit. Die Organisation hat zwei Ziele: Die US Besatzung zu beenden und anderen Gold Star Familien eine emotionale Hilfe zu bieten. Mit ihrer Aktion, die dafür kämpft, die Truppen nach Hause zu bringen, ist nicht zuletzt die Hoffnung verbunden, anderen Familien das Leid zu ersparen, das ihre Mitglieder erfahren haben. Durch öffentliche Reden bei Konferenzen und Demonstrationen, sowie durch aktiven Medien-Kontakt versuchen die Familien die US-Öffentlichkeit über den wahren menschlichen Preis der Invasion, bzw. Besatzung zu informieren. Sie stellen öffentlich die Gründe der Regierung für die Invasion in Frage, allerdings haben sie erfolglos versucht, mit Beamten des Pentagon persönlich darüber zu diskutieren.
Die Web Seite ist: www.gsfp.org

Mütter Sprechen
Mother Speak

“Mother Speak” (Mütter Sprechen) wurde von einer Schriftstellerin in Berkeley, Kalifornien gegründet, deren Sohn 2004 im Irak diente. Sie reiste in diesem Jahr mit einer Delegation von Schriftstellern, Lehrern, Künstlern und Aktivisten in den Irak. Es war ihr möglich ihren Sohn zu besuchen und sie lernte Irakis kennen und hatte die Möglichkeit, irakische Mütter zu interviewen. Die Mütter interessierten sie ganz besonders. Sie wollte mehr über ihr Leben lernen und ihre Ansichten hören. Aus dieser Erfahrung wurde ihr Projekt gegründet. Sie sammelt Interviews von der ganzen Welt, um ein Buch über Mütter mit Kindern herauszugeben, die am „Krieg gegen den Terror“ beteiligt oder davon betroffen sind. Sie hat eine Sammlung von Interviews mit Müttern aus Amerika, Irak, Afghanistan, Israel und Palästina. Viele davon sind auf ihrer Web-Seite zu lesen. Ihr Ziel ist es, Verständigung über nationale und soziale Grenzen und Kulturen hinweg zu fördern, Gemeinsamkeiten zwischen den Völkern zu entdecken und zu feiern, statt vor den Unterschieden zurückzuschrecken.
Die Web Seite ist : www.motherspeak.org
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KRIEGSDIENSTVERWEIGERER

Soldaten, die den Kriegsdienst verweigern

Fragen zur Legalität und zum Grund des Krieges im Irak haben dazu geführt, dass einige Soldaten sich dazu entschlossen haben, den Militärdienst zu verweigern. Einige protestieren ausschließlich gegen den Krieg im Irak oder gegen die Art und Weise, wie er dort geführt wird. Andere sind durch ihre Erfahrungen und Erlebnisse im Irak zu „Conscientious Objectors“ – CO (Verweigerer aus Gewissensgründen) geworden, die sich gegen jeglichen Krieg aussprechen. Obwohl der Antrag auf Entlassung aus dem Militärdienst aus Gewissensgründen eine legale Möglichkeit in den USA ist, werden viele der Anträge abgelehnt.
Einige der Verweigerer haben schon Gefängnisstrafen ableisten müssen für ihre Verweigerung oder wurden in einen Rechtstreit verwickelt. Einige sind einfach untergetaucht und werden vom Militär als Deserteure behandelt. Eine wachsende Zahl wählt den Weg nach Kanada, wo sie einen Antrag auf politisches Asyl stellen. Hatte die kanadische Regierung zur Zeit des Vietnamkrieges eine unterstützende Haltung gegenüber den Verweigerern eingenommen, ist sie heute sehr vorsichtig und beurteilt jeden Fall individuell. Kürzlich wurde der erste Fall bekannt, bei dem der Antrag von Jeremy Hinzman abgelehnt wurde und er Widerspruch dagegen eingelegt hat.
Einige wenige Verweigerer haben sich dazu entschlossen, ihre Kriegsablehnung sehr öffentlich zu machen, indem sie Pressekonferenzen gaben und Internetseiten einrichteten, um die amerikanische Öffentlichkeit zu informieren. Sie können einige der Webseiten besuchen, ihre persönliche Geschichte lesen und ihnen Nachrichten der Ermutigung schicken.

Camilo Mejiaging lieber ein Jahr ins Gefängnis, als wieder in den Irak zurück zu gehen. www.freecamilo.org
Kevin Bendermanverweigerte eine erneute Stationierung im Irak. www.bendermandefense.org
Jeremy Hinzmanfloh nach Kanada, um nicht in den Irak zu gehen. www.jeremyhinzman.net
Brandon Hugheyfloh nach Kanada, um nicht in den Irak zu gehen. www.brandonhughey.org
Carl Webbdesertierte aus der Armee, als ihm befohlen wurde, im Irak Dienst zu tun über die Vertragslänge hinaus (eine „Stop-Loss“ genannte Praxis der Armee). www.carlwebb.net
Pablo Paredesweigerte sich, das Schiff zu besteigen, das für den Persischen Golf bestimmt war. www.swiftsmartveterans.com

Kampangne zur Unterstützung von Kriegsdienstverweigerern
War Resisters Support Campaign

Die “War Resisters Support Campaign” ist eine Organisation von lokalen Organisationen in Kanada. Ihr Ziel ist es, Einfluss auf die kanadische Regierung zu nehmen, dass diese US Kriegsdienstverweigerern Asyl gewährt. Sie haben eine Unterschriftensammlung gestartet, in der es heißt: „Wir fordern die Kanadische Regierung auf, sich zu den von ihr unterzeichneten internationalen Verträgen sowie zum Völkerrecht zu bekennen, indem sie Vorkehrungen trifft um den US Kriegsdienstverweigerern Zuflucht in diesem Land zu bieten.“ Ihre Kampagne hat von prominenten Vertretern aus der kanadischen Literatur- und Kunstszene Unterstützung erhalten. Solange jeder Antrag auf politisches Asyl individuell von der Einwanderungs- und Flüchtlingsbehörde behandelt wird, zeigt die Organisation öffentliche Unterstützung für jeden einzelnen Verweigerer.
Für mehr Informationen: www.resisters.ca
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Für die ZIVILRECHTE und die MENSCHENRECHTE

Telefonnotruf für GI Rechte
The GI Rights Hotline

Die „GI Rights Hotline“ (Telefonnotruf für GI Rechte) ist eine Telefonnummer, die Soldatinnen und Soldaten und ihre Familien jederzeit anwählen können, um Informationen über ihre Rechte auf Entlassung aus dem Militärdienst und auch andere Bürgerrechte zu erhalten. (Ein GI ist ein derzeitiger oder ehemaliger Soldat bzw. eine Soldatin beim US Militär.) Diese Telefonberatung wird von einer Koalition von elf Friedens- und Menschenrechtsgruppen unterhalten. Die Koalition vereint sowohl national arbeitende Friedensorganisationen und lokale Initiativen, die in ihren Gemeinden militärrelevante Beratung anbieten. Eine der beteiligten Organisationen, das „Central Committee for Conscientious Objection“ - CCCO (Zentralkomitee für Kriegsdienstverweigerung), gibt eine Beratungsbroschüre heraus: „Getting Out: A Guide to Military Discharge“ (Aussteigen: Ein Leitfaden zur Entlassung aus dem Militärdienst). Eine andere Organisation, Quaker House (Quäkerhaus), unterhält ein Beratungszentrum in der Nähe von Fort Bragg, einem großen Militärstandort in North Carolina.
Für weitere Informationen: http://girights.objector.org

Überlebende handeln gegen
den Missbrauch durch Militärangehörige
Survivors Take Action Against Abuse by Military Personnel

„Survivors Take Action Against Abuse by Military Personnel“ – STAAAMP (Überlebende handeln gegen den Missbrauch durch Militärangehörige) wurde gegründet, um diejenigen zu unterstützen, die Missbrauch durch Militärangehörige erlebt haben. Menschen, die berichten, dass sie sexuelle Übergriffe, häusliche Gewalt, Hetze gegen Lesben und Homosexuelle, Belästigungen oder rassistische Diskriminierung durch Militärangehörige erlebt haben, müssen oft feststellen, dass die Militärinstitutionen ihre Forderungen ignorieren oder sich weigern, ihnen zu glauben. STAAAMP unterhält eine Telefonberatung, wo sich Opfer von Missbrauch melden können, um emotionale Unterstützung zu erhalten und weiterführende Informationen über rechtliche, medizinische und psychologische Hilfestellungen. Sie setzen sich dafür ein, dass es eine aktive und stärkere zivile Aufsicht bei den militärischen Institutionen gibt, die solche Missbrauchsfälle ignoriert haben oder nachlässig gehandelt haben.
Für weitere Informationen: www.staaamp.org

Schwerter zu Pflugscharen
Swords to Plowshares

Schwerter zu Pflugscharen (Swords to Plowshares) - der Name bezieht sich auf die Bibel (Jesaiah 2:4 ) - ist eine lokale Organisation in San Francisco, die Veteranen hilft und sie unterstützt. Krieg verursacht Wunden und Leiden, die vom Schlachtfeld mit nach Hause gebracht werden. Das Ziel der Organisation ist es, die Wunden zu heilen und Würde, Hoffnung und Selbständigkeit der Veteranen wieder herzustellen. Psychologische Beratung und Hilfe bei der Job- und Wohnungssuche sowie in Rechtsfragen werden angeboten. Ihr Ziel ist es, eine starke Veteranen-Gemeinschaft aufzubauen, so dass sich die Veteranen gegenseitig helfen können. Eines der Projekte ist die „Veteranen-Akademie“, in der ehemals obdachlose Veteranen in einer Gemeinde, die sie unterstützt, leben können, wo sie beraten werden und an Kursen teilnehmen können, um sich beruflich weiterzubilden. Die Akademie ist ein Ort wo Frauen und Männer, die für den Krieg trainiert wurden, jetzt Fachwissen erwerben können, das sie brauchen, um finanziell unabhängig zu werden und sich selbst weiter zu entwickeln.
Web Seite: www.swords-to-plowshares.org
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VERSÖHNUNG und WIEDERAUFBAU

Wasserprojekt Irak
Iraq Water Project

Das „Iraq Water Project“ (Wasserprojekt Irak) ist ein Projekt der „Veterans for Peace“ (Veteranen für den Frieden), die eng mit der „Life for Relief and Development – LIFE“ (Leben für Unterstützung und Entwicklung) zusammen arbeiten, einer von irakischen US-Amerikanern gegründeten NGO (Nichtregierungsorganisation) für humanitäre Hilfe. Das „Iraq Water Projekt“ wurde 1999 entwickelt, um irakischen Kommunen zu helfen, einige der Gesundheitsprobleme zu bewältigen, die durch den Golfkrieg und die Wirtschaftssanktionen entstanden waren. Das Projekt bestand aus Veteranen-Teams, die für ihre eigenen Ausgaben aufkamen, und zusammen mit Irakern vor Ort am Wiederaufbau der Wasserwerke arbeiteten. Bis 2003 hatte das Projekt 6 Wasserwerke repariert und damit das Trinkwasser für 85.000 Menschen sichergestellt. Das Hauptziel des Projektes war es, Leben zu retten. Das andere Ziel war es, die Amerikaner über die Situation im Irak aufzuklären.

Der Krieg 2003 im Irak hat das Projekt zeitweilig aufgehalten, aber die Notwendigkeit intensiviert. Die meisten Wasserwerke, die sie repariert hatten, sind durch die Gewalt und die Plünderungen zerstört worden. Das Werk, das sie in einem Stadtteil von Falluja aufgebaut hatten, musste nach den Kämpfen dort die Arbeit einstellen, aber der Schaden war gering und eine erneute Reparatur ist möglich. Trotz des hohen Risikos von weiteren Kämpfen in der Region, hat LIFE, das weiterhin ein Büro in Falluja unterhält, mit den Reparaturen begonnen. Sie haben die Arbeit an irakische Unternehmen vergeben und das „Iraq Water Project“ gebeten, sich erneut zu beteiligen. Bald sollte es möglich sein, dass weitere 15.000 Bürger von Falluja wieder sauberes Wasser erhalten.
Für weitere Informationen: www.iraqwaterproject.com

Jhai Stiftung
The Jhai Foundation

Die „Jhai Foundation“ ist eine Organisation, die für Versöhnung arbeitet. Sie entstand durch die Beziehung eines Laoten von den Bergen von Jar, einer Gegend, die während des Vietnamkrieges stark bombardiert worden war, und eines Vietnam-Veteranen, der an dieser Bombardierung teilgenommen hatte. Seit dem Beginn vor sechs Jahren, hat die Stiftung mit über 25 Gemeinden in Laos persönliche Kontakte aufgebaut. Über diese Beziehungen haben sie die Laoten unterstützt, ihre Bedürfnisse für die Gemeinden zu ermitteln und nachhaltige Pläne zum Erreichen dieser Ziele zu entwickeln. Die Jhai Stiftung bietet dann technische Hilfestellung für diese Bemühungen im Bereich Entwicklung und Bildung. Eins der Programme, die sie so auf den Weg gebracht haben, ist das Jhai PC and Communication System (Jhai Computer und Kommunikationssystem), ein Computer- und drahtloses Kommunikations-Netzwerk (das Strom dafür wird durch Tretkraft erzeugt), das für die Dorfbewohner in weit entlegenen ländlichen Gebieten konzipiert wurde.
Sie halfen auch dabei, in einer Gegend eine Kooperative von Kaffeebauern aufzubauen und in einem anderen Dorf eine Kooperative der Weberinnen. Sie brachten den lokalen Dorfbewohnern bei, wie sie für das nötige Schulgebäude selber Geld sammeln konnten. Die meiste Arbeit der Jhai Stiftung wird von Freiwilligen gemacht: Ein Viertel sind Laoten, ein Viertel sind laotische Amerikaner, ein Viertel sind US Veteranen und ein Viertel sind Menschen aus unterschiedlichen Ländern, die einfach nur helfen wollen.
Für mehr Informationen: www.jhai.org

Veteranen Vietnam-Wiederaufbau-Projekt
Veterans Vietnam Restoration Project

Das „Veterans Vietnam Restoration Project“ (VVRP) ist eine kleine Organisation, die Veteranenteams nach Vietnam entsendet zur Versöhnung mit dem vietnamesischen Volk und zur Mithilfe in humanitären Projekten. VVRP gründete sich 1988. Seitdem waren 19 Teams in Vietnam. Die Teams bestehen in erster Linie aus Veteranen; aber auch andere Familienmitglieder arbeiten mit. Die Aufgabe vieler Projekte vor Ort ist die Hilfe beim Bau von Gesundheitseinrichtungen oder Einrichtungen für kriegsversehrte vietnamesische Veteranen und ihre Familien. Nach einer dreitägigen Einführung arbeitet jeweils ein 4- bis 8-köpfiges Team zwei Wochen lang auf einer Baustelle. Im Anschluss haben die Teams zwei Wochen Zeit für eine Besichtigungsreise. Einige Veteranen nutzen diese Zeit, um an Orte zurückzukehren, die sie aus dem Krieg kennen. Einige Teilnehmer berichten davon, wie heilend sie das Wiederaufbauprojekt empfunden haben, arbeiteten sie doch Seite an Seite mit Menschen, die sie einst als Feinde betrachtet hatten und halfen sie doch, ein Land wieder her zu stellen, an dessen Zerstörung sie als Soldaten damals mitgewirkt hatten.
Weiter Informationen unter: www.vvrp.org
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ZEUGEN der MENSCHLICHEN VERLUSTE durch KRIEGE

Amerikanischen Quäker-Hilfswerk: “Augen weit geöffnet”
American Friends Service Committee: Eyes Wide Open

Das “American Friends Service Committee“ – AFSC (Amerikanischen Quäker/Hilfswerk) ist eine nationale Friedens- und Menschenrechtsorganisation, die auf der Grundlage der Quäkerprinzipien arbeitet. Um den Amerikanern eine sichtbare Erinnerung an die Verluste von Menschenleben zu ermöglichen, haben sie eine Ausstellung mit dem Namen „Eyes Wide Open“ (Augen weit geöffnet) zusammengestellt. Die Ausstellung besteht aus Stiefelpaaren, jedes Paar steht für einen im Irakkrieg gefallenen US Soldaten. Entlang der Stiefel verläuft eine Mauer der Erinnerung mit den Namen von über 11.000 irakischen Zivilisten, die seit der Invasion der USA im Irak getötet worden sind.

„Eyes Wide Open“ ist eine Wanderausstellung, die schon in über 50 Städten und Gemeinden in verschiedenen Teilen der USA zu sehen war. Jede Woche werden weitere Stiefel dazugestellt um die neu Gefallenen zu repräsentieren. Auf viele Amerikaner, für die der Krieg im Irak nicht so viele Berührungspunkte in ihrem Alltag bietet, macht diese sichtbare Darstellung des Verlustes an Menschenleben einen tief bewegenden Eindruck. Es hilft ihnen zu verstehen, wie viele Menschenleben dieser Krieg kostet – und gibt Gelegenheit zu trauern. Das AFSC will damit nicht nur ein Denkmal für diejenigen setzen, die gestorben sind - „Eyes Wide Open“ will Zeugnis ablegen für die Überzeugung, dass kein Krieg diese verlorenen Menschenleben rechtfertigen kann.

Für mehr Informationen: www.afsc.org/eyes. Dort kann man auch ein sehr beeindruckendes Video über die „Wage Peace Campaign“ (Kampagne Führe den Frieden) sehen. Um ein Poster mit einem eindrücklichen Bild aus der Ausstellung zu sehen siehe: www.afsc.org/eyes/images/desktops/1024x768-color.jpg
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zusätzliche WEB-LINKS

Blake Lemoine,möchte den Kriegsdienst verweigern, ist von ein Militärgericht wegen Befehlsverweigerung verurteilt:
http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/stwb/BlakePress/PressConfInvitation.html
Interview mit Aidan Delgado, Soldat, Kriegsdienstverweigerer, war Zeuge der Untaten in Abu Graib: http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/20935/
Veterans for Common Sense (Veteranen für gesunden Menschenverstand): www.veteransforcommonsense.org
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Wenn Sie mehr tun wollen

Wenn einer der Berichte Ihr Interesse geweckt hat oder Sie anregt, könnten Sie den Wunsch haben das Gelesene weiter zu verfolgen. Was können Sie tun? Hier sind ein paar Vorschläge:

Mehr erfahren: Sie können damit beginnen, auf die Webseite der Gruppe zu schauen und Links zu anderen Seiten und Gruppen zu verfolgen.

Teilen Sie die Informationen mit anderen: Hat eine der Gruppen, über die Sie gelesen haben, einen ähnlichen Schwerpunkt oder ähnliche Interessen wie eine Gruppe oder einzelne, mit denen Sie zusammenarbeiten? Bitte geben Sie die Information dann entsprechend weiter! Sie können auch uns über solche Gruppen informieren - wir könnten sie vielleicht mit zusätzlichen Informationen und US-Kontakten versehen.

Wir ermutigen Sie auch, diese Information weiter zu verbreiten und sie in andere Sprachen zu übersetzen. Bitte erwähnen Sie Peace Across the Atlantic als Quelle. Bitte lassen Sie uns wissen, wo etwas abgedruckt wurde - oder schicken Sie uns eine Kopie.

Schreiben Sie einen „Fan-Brief“: Wenn Sie auf diesen Seiten über eine bestimmte US-Gruppe lesen und ihre Arbeit anregend finden, schreiben Sie ihnen eine E-Mail und erzählen ihnen das! Wenn Sie können, schreiben Sie in Englisch. Selbst ein kurzer und ganz einfacher Brief wird eine starke Botschaft der Ermutigung sein. Wenn die Post- oder E-Mail-Adresse einer Gruppe hier nicht vermerkt ist, werden Sie sie auf der entsprechenden Webseite finden.

Ihre Vorschläge und Ideen sind sowohl sehr willkommen als auch für uns wichtig. Gibt es Themen die Sie besonderes interessieren? Welche Fragen haben Sie über die USA? Schreiben Sie uns ein E-Mail.

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WER WIR SIND

Peace Across the Atlanticist Teil des Netzwerk-Projekts Bridges of Encouragement, das versucht, stärkere Verbindungen zwischen Friedens- und Menschenrechtsaktivisten in den USA einerseits und in Europa und anderen Teilen der Welt andererseits herzustellen. Z.Z. konzentriert sich Bridges of Encouragement darauf, amerikanischen Aktivisten bei ihrem Kampf für Veränderungen der US-Militärpraxis und des Regierungsmissbrauchs der Menschen- und Bürgerrechte Ermutigung anzubieten. Solche Zusammenarbeit wird Friedens- und Menschenrechtsgruppen in Europa ebenfalls stärken.

Peace Across the Atlanticwird erarbeitet und herausgegeben von den Koordinatoren von Bridges of Encouragement, Dorie Wilsnack und Eric Bachman. Dorie und Eric sind US-Amerikaner mit breiter Erfahrung in der deutschen, amerikanischen und internationalen Friedensbewegung. Die Informationen in diesem Rundbriefes werden den öffentlichen Berichten der vorgestellten Organisationen entnommen. Dieser kostenlose E-Mail Rundbrief wird monatlich in Deutsch und Englisch herausgegeben. Vorherige Ausgaben verschicken wir gerne auf Anfrage.

Vielen Dank an Elisabeth Herbert, Heike Huschauer, Davorka Lovrekovic-Sufiar, and Winfrid Eisenberg für Ihre ehrenamtliche Übersetzungsarbeit.
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Peace Across the Atlantic
ein Projekt von
Bridges of Encouragement
Dorie Wilsnack and Eric Bachman, Milchstr 83, D-32120 Hiddenhausen, Germany
Tel: ++ 49-5221-689708 Fax: ++ 49-5221-689741
Email: transnationalbridges (at) gmx.org
ViSdM: Eric Bachman

NEWSLETTER FROM THE HUMAN RIGHTS HOUSE NETWORK

1) Belarusian authorities more violent, says Viasna
The Human Rights Center Viasna is extremely concerned about the intensified repressions against representatives of the democratic opposition the last months, the organisation said in a recent statement. Viasna urged the 61st session of the UN Commission on Human Rights to adopt a resolution on the situation of human rights in Belarus and prolong the mandate of the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Belarus.

2) Uganda: Government bows to opposition pressure on the omnibus Bill
Last Friday, the cabinet bowed to growing pressure against the Constitution Amendment Bill and instructed the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs to withdraw it from Parliament. -This is no doubt a victory for the opposition, not the least the human rights sector of it, says Martin Masiga of HURINET, but one we should perhaps have waited to inflict upon Parliament.

3) Kenya: FIDA Castigates Rape Case Ruling
Federation of Women Lawyer Kenya (FIDA), one of the organisations in the Human Rights House Project in Nairobi, is pressing for a reviewed ruling in a case where a man who raped an 11 year old girl was placed on a three year probation. The Chairperson of FIDA, Joyce Majiwa (picture) said such lenient sentences would not deter rapists.

4) Azerbaijan's Ombudsman criticizes officials
- Government officials and police are the worst violators of citizens’ rights. Chairmen of courts and mayors turn a blind eye to complaining people coming to see them. Moreover, there are problems with state registration of legal entities, including NGOs in the country. My appeals to the Justice Ministry over such complaints remain unattended for months, said Ombudsman (Human Rights Commissioner) Elmira Suleymanova while presenting her annual report to the parliament.

5) Round Table on Chechnya without Chechen separatists
A Parliamentary Assembly Round Table of the European Council regarding Chechnya took place in Strasburg on 23 of March. Representatives of Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov, who was killed in March, were not invited. Rebel envoy Akhmed Zakaev was invited, but he refused to attend.

6) Mass beatings by Russian riot squad
Hundreds of people were brutally beaten by the riot squad in the Russian town Blagoveschensk in December. More than 10.000 demonstrators recently demanded retirement of the responsible and compensations for damages. The Moscow Helsinki Group and other NGOs support the demands and ask for the responsible to be brought to trial.

7) Croatian Counter Intelligence violated human rights?
The human rights of the five journalists accused by the Counter Intelligence Service (CIS) for media-intelligence conspiracy against Croatia were not violated by the CIS, the Parliamentary Committee for Internal Affairs and National Security has concluded. Tin Gazivoda, who is a member of the Civic Committee for the Oversight of the Secret Services, said the CIS has disturbed the dignity of the journalists.

8) Poland: Legal assistance for the poor
Last month, the Polish government adopted a draft law ensuring free legal assistance for poor people. The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights was consulted in the drafting of the law that around 200 000 persons are expected to benefit from annually.

9) Rebiya Kadeer: - From this time on, I am free
- I can talk to anybody I want, I can see anyone I want, I can walk on the street with bigger steps. I can hug my relatives. I can kiss my children. I can smile at my people. I can work for my people, and I can work for the entire Uyghur nation. I can shout out ´Greetings´ to my people. For the rest of my life, I will create my own history, said Rebiya Kadeer when she arrived in Washington, rejoicing at her unexpected release from Chinese prison.

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Dear Africanists in the Nordic countries,

The Nordic Africa Institute would hereby like to remind you of the Nordic Africa Days 2005. The conference will be structured around lectures given by internationally known scholars and workshops led by researchers at the Nordic Africa Institute.
The conference is aimed at students and researchers in the Nordic countries. The number of participants will be limited to around 100 and selection will take place on the basis of submitted abstracts of papers to be presented in one of the workshops. Last day for abstracts is April 20. Please visit the website for more information.
http://www.nai.uu.se/sem/conf/ad2005/ad.introsve.html

Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Best regards,
Karolina Winbo and Nina Frödin
The Nordic Africa Institute
P O Box 1703
751 47 Uppsala
SWEDEN
Phone: +46-18-56 22 51 (direct)
+46-18-56 22 00 (switchboard)
Fax: +46-18-56 22 90
E-mail: karolina.winbo@nai.uu.se
Internet: http://www.nai.uu.se

The Nordic Africa Institute hereby issues an invitation to the Nordic Africa Days 2005.

The conference will be structured around lectures given by internationally known scholars and workshops led by researchers at the Nordic Africa Institute.
The invitation is aimed at students and researchers in the Nordic countries. The number of participants will be limited to around 100 and selection will take place on the basis of submitted abstracts of papers to be presented in one of the workshops.
Nordiska Afrikainstitutet in Uppsala serves as a research, documentation and information centre on modern Africa for the Nordic countries.
It promotes research and studies on Africa in the Nordic countries and co-operation between African and Nordic researchers as well as disseminates information about current African issues. It is financed jointly by the Nordic countries and governed by a Programme and Research Council.

CALL FOR PAPERS
The number of participants will be limited to around 100 and selection will take place on the basis of submitted abstracts of papers to be presented in one of the workshops. Abstracts should reach the Institute by April 20, 2005.
They should not be longer than 500 words. An abstract should ideally contain a statement about the problem that has been investigated, which theories were applied, how the data were collected and analysed and the main findings. The relevance of the paper for the theme of the group should be made clear. Before May 1, the Nordic Africa Institute will contact those whose abstracts have been accepted. Final papers should reach the Institute by August 28 at the latest. Recommended length: 4000–7000 words.

WORKSHOPS
• Everyday Realities of “Globalising” Cities in Africa
• Globality and African Religions
• Pictoral Arts and Photography in Africa – Roots and Routes in Tradition and Modernity
• Sex and Gender in Africa: Critical and feminist approaches
• Ways of Suffering: Experience and endurance
• Rural Livelihood Strategies and Natural Resource Governance in Africa in Local and Global Context
• The Challenges of Reconstruction and Peace-Building in Post-Conflict West Africa States

FINANCIAL TERMS / CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
The Nordic Africa Institute will cover accommodation expenses, including breakfast, for two nights (Fri/Sat and Sat/Sun) in a shared twin room. A limited number of single rooms will be available at extra cost.
The participation fee is SEK 400 and has to be paid upon the registration.
The Nordic Africa Institute will contribute towards the travel costs for participants after approval of submitted request. We only consider the transportation with the lowest fare possible from your point of departure. As a governmental institution we are abided by law to always use the lowest price. Please remember to save your receipts (original) for the registration.
Enquiries can be addressed to Karolina Winbo or Nina Frödin, +46 18 56 22 00 or karolina.winbo@nai.uu.se, nina.frodin@nai.uu.se.
Abstracts and papers are to be sent to karolina.winbo@nai.uu.se or Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Karolina Winbo,
Box 1703, 751 47 Uppsala, Sweden.

NORDIC AFRICA DAYS
30 September – 2 October 2005, Uppsala, Sweden

This message is sent to us by Virginia Swain:

Implementing the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World (2000-2010)

• Patron: Mr. Anwarul K. Chowdhury, High Representative and Under-Secretary-General, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.
• Director: Virginia Swain
• Reconciliation Leadership™ arises from the leader’s vocational calling, skillbuilding, and a commitment to be at peace in oneself and in service to others for a post-competitive society. In an initial consultation, potential participants are shown how this program can enhance their own life and work challenges. They are encouraged to try one or two courses before enrolling in the whole program.

*The Practice of Reconciliation Leadership™ Friday-Sunday, May 13-15, 2005, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Worcester; ,Tuesday-Thursday, July 26-28, United Nations, New York; Friday-Sunday October 7-9, Cambridge; November 18-20, Tiverton, December 9-11, New York
*The United Nations and the Harmonization of Nations: An Evolving Process Accelerated by the Tsunami Disaster? Monday-Friday, April 18-22, 777 United Nations Plaza
*Work, Purpose, Place and Peace Friday-Sunday, May 20-22, CRRC Counseling Center LLC,, Tiverton, RI.
Writing a personal mission statement for the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World (2001-2010) and the Millennium Development Goals
Mentoring with Virginia Swain, Director NY (prerequisites: The Practice of Reconciliation Leadership™ and/or Work, Purpose, Place and Peace)
Cross Cultural and Multiethnic Aspects of Reconciliation Leadership™ Friday-Sunday, June 3-5, 2005, Crowne Plaza Hotel Worcester (prerequisite: The Practice of Reconciliation Leadership™ or Work, Purpose, Place and Peace or The United Nations and the Harmonization of Nations)
Reconciliation of Polarities Friday-Sunday, August 26-28, CRRC Counseling Center, LLC, Tiverton, RI (prerequisite: Work, Purpose, Place and Peace)
*Designing and Implementing Interventions for Community, Institutional and Global Change
Monday-Friday, August 15-19 United Nations Plaza, 7th floor
*Sustainability Aspects of Reconciliation Leadership™ Friday-Sunday, September 9-11, Tiverton, RI
Anger and Conflict Management Friday-Sunday, September 23-25, Tiverton, RI NY (prerequisites: The Practice of Reconciliation Leadership™, Work, Purpose, Place and Peace, Reconciliation of Polarities)
Re-Visioning the Relationship between Man and Woman. Friday-Sunday, October 28-30, Tiverton, RI (prerequisites: The Practice of Reconciliation Leadership™, Work, Purpose, Place and Peace, Reconciliation of Polarities
The Practice of Reconciliation Leadership™ II Friday-Sunday, November 11-13, Tiverton, RI (prerequisite: all courses listed)
Integration Module and Certificate Ceremony Friday-Sunday, December 2-4, Tiverton, RI (prerequisite: all courses listed)

Call for an interview at 508-753-4172, ext. 3 or 508-245-6843 (cell). The 2005 Certificate Program is Year One of Three. Certificates are granted after each year. *Starred courses have no prerequisites. People who are not in the Program may take open courses. For more information, go to www.global-leader.org, The courses support the Millennium Development Goals of the Heads of State in 2000 at the United Nations.

RESEARCHER: Conflict Transformation: Theory and Practice

The Berghof Research Center for Constructive Conflict Management, Berlin, is recruiting a third member for its core research team. This key appointment will complement the existing team, supplemented by short-term Research Fellows and by Associate Researchers, in fulfilling the ambitious Research Agenda of the Center.

The Center’s work focuses on the the analysis of practical conflict transformation, through the methodology of action research. Research output aims either to analyse such practice, or to develop tools from theory to support such practice. The Center is currently drafting its Research Agenda for the next two years, and topics for further study will include: the dynamics of societies in transition to peace, non-state armed groups, civil society groups in transition, reconciliation and the legacy of past violence, and more. The Center works in close partnership with its sister organisation, the Berghof Foundation for Peace Support, which currently manages practical interventions in Sri Lanka and in Georgia/Abkhazia, with further interventions contemplated for other conflict contexts. The post of Researcher will reflect this partnership, in that a significant amount of the workload will relate directly to analysis of, and support for, such specific initiatives in practical conflict transformation. The appointee will also be expected to share responsibilities for the Centre’s work in networking with academics and practitioners, and to contribute to the organisational life of the Center, including some supervision of students’ and associated researchers’ work.

More general information is available on the Research Center’s website (www.berghof-center.org), the Berghof Handbook website (www.berghof-handbook.net), and the website of the Berghof Foundation for Peace Support (www.berghof-peacesupport.org).

Applicants should hold a PhD in a relevant discipline (Peace Studies, Conflict Resolution, etc.) and a record of publication relevant to the areas indicated above. English-language skills to publication standard are essential. Also desirable are: experience of action-research methodologies, experience of practice projects in the field of conflict transformation, familiarity with the interface of theory and practice, and a working knowledge of the German language.

This full-time post is funded for three years, at the BAT IIa level of the German public service payscale. The starting date for the position is 1 July 2005, or as soon after as possible. Applicants should send a full CV and a covering letter of intention, preferably by email, to:

Dr David Bloomfield
Director
The Berghof Research Center for Constructive Conflict Management
Altensteinstr. 48a
14195 Berlin
Germany
david.bloomfield@berghof-center.org

All applications must be received by close of business on Friday 29 April 2005.

Please read here a message from Virginia Swain:

Dear Friends

Tomorrow from 12-2 p.m. there is a special broadcast on the Centenary of Dag Hammarskjöld on the UN webcast. If you are able, I invite you to view it. http://www.un.org/webcast/index.asp

I have a great admiration for the former Secretary-General of the UN who was killed in a plane crash in the Congo on a mission.

I quote from his spiritual memoir, Markings. “To all that has been, thanks. To all that shall be, Yes.”

Sir Brian Urquhart, one of the speakers, inspired me to design the course I’m giving at the UN April 18-22: The United Nations and the Harmonization of Nations: An Evolving Process Accelerated by the Tsunami Disaster?

Sir Brian believes the next step of the UN is Article 1.4 of the Charter, for the UN to be a “centre for the harmonization of nations.” .He worked closely with Dag Hammarskjöld and has written his biography.

Virginia

Virginia Swain, Director
Institute for Global Leadership
Box 20044
Worcester, MA 01609
508-753-4172, ext 3
www.global-leader.org

04 April 2005
All Indicated times are New York time (GMT -4)
12:00noon Special Event -United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library Lectures and Conversations Series commemorating the centenary of the birth of Dag Hammarskjöld: Featuring H.E. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, is expected to open the event. Mr. Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information,will interview Sir Brian Urquhart ,former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and H.E. Mr. Jan Eliasson , endorsed candidate for the Presidency of the sixtieth session of the General Assembly.

Workshop: "Hiroshima and Nagasaki for College Teachers":

Dear Friends,
It would be greatly appreciated if you would inform interested associates, listservs, etc., about this upcoming ONE-WEEK workshop, our fourth, "Hiroshima and Nagasaki for College Teachers," June 27 - July 1, 2005, Workshop details at http://titan.iwu.edu/~physics/Hiroshima.html

This year, 2005, is of course the 60th year after 1945.

Here is a comment from a 2002 participant, "...greatly appreciated the time and trouble you put into obtaining course materials. These are a tremendous boost in developing similar courses at our home institutions. In particular the book by Glasstone and your course notes were extremely useful. My main reason for taking this workshop was to obtain materials that might help me develop an interdisciplinary course for our university honors program. I found this course to be perfect, with its combination of physics, history, politics, economics, and world affairs."

We expect the workshop to be repeated in July 2006.

All best wishes,
Ray Wilson

Raymond G. Wilson, Ph.D.
Emeritus Associate Professor of Physics
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, IL 61702-2900
TEL: 309-556-3176
Home Page: http://titan.iwu.edu/~rwilson/
Hiroshima Panoramas: http://titan.iwu.edu/~rwilson/hiroshima/
"Hiroshima and Nagasaki for College Teachers"
June 27-July 1, 2005 Workshop at
http://titan.iwu.edu/~physics/Hiroshima.html

Message from The Change Agent:

Hello,
I am looking for submissions on building peace for an adult education
publication called the Change Agent. Our audience is mainly adult
learners and teachers in the US, though we welcome submissions from
any country! Our publication, unique within the adult education community,
promotes social justice as an important part of the adult learning
experience.

Our next issue is trying to capture stories, lessons, ideas, and
curriculum on building peace at home, in the community and in the
world.
I am looking for writing from students, activists, and teachers.
Please see the attached call for articles for submission details.

I am also interested in finding resources on activities and curriculum
that help students think through the individual work we all have to do
to "be peace" (working through anger, resentment, considering
forgiveness instead of vengeance, etc.). If any of you know of good
resources I would be so grateful to know of them.

If you have a great lesson that you have used and want to share it
with our readers, I would really encourage you to submit a write-up of it.
Include a description of the lesson, how it was used in class, and how
it worked out (students' responses, reactions, actions). This is a
nice way to present lesson ideas and give other teachers a sense of the
potential outcome.

If you would like any more information, please feel free to contact me
directly at aorlando@worlded.org.

I hope you'll consider submitting something!

Best,
Angela Orlando, Editor
Angela Orlando
Change Agent Editor
World Education
44 Farnsworth Street
Boston, MA 02210
tel: 617-482-9485
fax: 617-482-0617
email: angela_orlando@worlded.org

Check out The Change Agent online at:
www.nelrc.org/changeagent

La Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme annonce la mise en place d'un nouveau programme de bourse post-doctorales:

PROGRAMME « HERMES »
Accueil de jeunes chercheurs étrangers, en sciences sociales et humaines, dans les universités et centres de recherche en France

Pays concernés :
- Asie : Chine, Inde, Indonésie, Malaisie
- Amérique latine : Argentine, Brésil, Chili, Mexique, Pérou
- Afrique du Sud
- Europe centrale et orientale

Descriptif du programme

Présentation

Le programme HERMES a pour objectif de permettre à de jeunes chercheurs postdoctoraux en sciences humaines et sociales, originaires des pays mentionnés ci-dessus, d'effectuer des séjours de recherche en France. Ces séjours, d'une durée comprise entre 3 et 9 mois, sont conçus pour permettre aux chercheurs invités :
- de réaliser un projet de recherche individuel au sein d'un laboratoire d'accueil,
- de s'insérer dans des réseaux scientifiques français et européens,
- d'établir des coopérations durables entre leurs institutions d'origine et les établissements d'accueil.

Les laboratoires d'accueil en France - unités de recherche universitaires ou appartenant à un organisme de recherche, à Paris ou en région - sont choisis par les chercheurs invités. Ce choix s'effectue en concertation avec la direction scientifique de la Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (FMSH). Celle-ci peut aider les candidats à établir les contacts nécessaires.

Le programme HERMES a été mis en place à l'initiative du Ministère des Affaires Etrangères (MAE), en relation avec la Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (FMSH) et le département Sciences de l'Homme et de la Société du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). La FMSH a été identifiée comme l'opérateur scientifique et administratif du Programme HERMES.

La FMSH - Paris (www.msh-paris.fr) regroupe, autour d'instruments collectifs de travail, des chercheurs et des centres de recherche de différentes institutions (EHESS, CNRS, FNSP, Universités de Paris) et de diverses disciplines, travaillant sur les principales aires culturelles du monde. Elle constitue une plate-forme de collaboration scientifique nationale et internationale. Ses initiatives s'inscrivent dans deux perspectives visant à entretenir et relancer en permanence une dynamique scientifique : l'interdisciplinarité et l'internationalisation de la recherche.

Domaines scientifiques concernés par le programme HERMES

Toutes disciplines des sciences sociales et humaines, avec une priorité pour des projets de recherche portant sur des problèmes du monde contemporain. Une approche interdisciplinaire des problématiques de recherche est encouragée.

Montant de la bourse

Le montant de l'allocation mensuelle destinée à couvrir les dépenses d'hébergement et de séjour est de 2000 ¤ (Euros) ; les frais d'assurance médicale sont également pris en charge. Des aides complémentaires peuvent éventuellement être accordées pour la prise en charge de frais de documentation et de participation à des activités scientifiques en France et dans les pays voisins.

Les frais de voyage entre le pays d'origine et la France seront pris en charge sous certaines conditions.

Conditions de candidature

- Les candidats doivent être titulaires d'un doctorat (ou d'une qualification équivalente).
- Ils doivent appartenir à une institution de recherche liée aux universités, aux académies des sciences, ou à un organisme de recherche de leur pays.
- La limite d'âge est fixée à 40 ans.
- Une pratique courante du français et/ou de l'anglais est souhaitée ; il est indispensable que le candidat maîtrise une des langues de travail du laboratoire d'accueil.

Procédure

Les dossiers doivent impérativement être soumis de deux façons :
1) Un dossier partiel par voie électronique (Formulaire de candidature, CV, liste des publications, projet scientifique)
2) Le dossier complet par voie postale

obtenir le formulaire de candidature, les candidats peuvent soit le télécharger (sous la rubrique Appels d'offres), soit s'adresser par écrit à la FMSH, A l'attention de Mme Neli Dobreva, Télécopie : +33 (0)1.49.54.21.33, courriel : ndobreva@msh-paris.fr
Les dossiers originaux doivent être envoyés à l'adresse postale suivante :

Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme
Direction scientifique - Programme Hermès
54 Boulevard Raspail
F - 75270 Paris Cedex 06

Ils doivent comprendre :
- 1 - un formulaire de candidature (à télécharger)
- 2 - un curriculum vitae
- 3 - liste de publications
- 4 - un programme de recherche détaillé et paginé, en français ou en anglais
- 5 - la copie du diplôme de doctorat
- 6 - des lettres de recommandation émanant de personnalités scientifiques et de responsables d'institutions de recherche du pays d'origine du candidat et, si possible, de personnalités scientifiques françaises ou européennes
- 7 - une lettre du responsable de l'institution ou du laboratoire de recherche en France qui s'engage à accueillir le candidat et à diriger ses travaux pendant la durée de son séjour

Date limite de dépôt des dossiers de candidature : 31 mai 2005

NB : Début du programme le 1er septembre 2005, sous réserve des derniers accords des services traitants du ministère des affaires étrangères.