"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) turns 60 on 10 December 2008. On Human Rights Day 2007, the United Nations Secretary General launched a year-long UN system-wide advocacy campaign to mark this important milestone. The initiative celebrates the Declaration and the promise that has made this document so enduring: “Dignity and justice for all of us”."
(http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/60UDHRIntroduction.aspx)
So where do I see the world at this point? Last year at this time I would have been a cynic, but I believe that with the Obama election in the U.S., the world can begin thinking again, thinking about the grey areas that Bush denied people from exploring. The black and white of the "for us or against us" mentality created the enemy-ally, terror-peace, religious-secular dichotomies that shifted the thinking of many nations. With black and white politics came the polarization of states, the allowance of heads of state to marginalize people, and disregard for negotiation, compromise, and ultimately understanding. Obama brings critical thinking and discussion to both America and to the world. I really hope that this will create a trickle affect which will begin to unravel the "evil politics" of an ignorant "republican regime".
With that being said, my cynicism remains in the background; no matter the optimism created, there are still human rights violations committed on a daily basis in every part of the world. You just need to read my previous story taken from Somalia to see what still goes on. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is indeed a vision of where we should be, it will probably never happen, because the declaration is just a set of principles which are difficult to enforce in both legal and societal arenas. It is however still a vision we can strive towards!!!
Holocaust Memorial Berlin
Monday, December 8, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Disturbing Situation in Somalia
The following story speaks for itself...
Contrary to earlier news reports, the girl stoned to death in Somalia...was 13, not 23, Amnesty International can reveal.
Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow was killed on Monday, 27 October, by a group of 50 men who stoned her to death in a stadium in the southern port of Kismayu, in front of around 1,000 spectators.
Some of the Somali journalists who had reported she was 23 have told Amnesty International that this age was based upon a judgement of her age from her physical appearance.
She was accused of adultery in breach of Islamic law but, her father and other sources told Amnesty International that she had in fact been raped by three men, and had attempted to report this rape to the al-Shabab militia who control Kismayo, and it was this act that resulted in her being accused of adultery and detained. None of men she accused of rape were arrested.
“This was not justice, nor was it an execution. This child suffered a horrendous death at the behest of the armed opposition groups who currently control Kismayo,” said David Copeman, Amnesty International's Somalia Campaigner. http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/somalia-girl-stoned-was-child-13-20081031
Contrary to earlier news reports, the girl stoned to death in Somalia...was 13, not 23, Amnesty International can reveal.
Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow was killed on Monday, 27 October, by a group of 50 men who stoned her to death in a stadium in the southern port of Kismayu, in front of around 1,000 spectators.
Some of the Somali journalists who had reported she was 23 have told Amnesty International that this age was based upon a judgement of her age from her physical appearance.
She was accused of adultery in breach of Islamic law but, her father and other sources told Amnesty International that she had in fact been raped by three men, and had attempted to report this rape to the al-Shabab militia who control Kismayo, and it was this act that resulted in her being accused of adultery and detained. None of men she accused of rape were arrested.
“This was not justice, nor was it an execution. This child suffered a horrendous death at the behest of the armed opposition groups who currently control Kismayo,” said David Copeman, Amnesty International's Somalia Campaigner. http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/somalia-girl-stoned-was-child-13-20081031
Thursday, October 16, 2008
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
October 17th- "The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty has been observed every year since 1993, when the General Assembly designated this day to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries, particularly in developing countries - a need that has become a development priority." http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/poverty/
"...Poverty may be defined as a human condition characterized by sustained or chronic deprivation of the resources, capabilities, choices, security and power necessary for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights" (United Nations Committee on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, 2001)
We often see poverty as the root cause of social problems, but by digging deeper, we can see that it is symptomatic of the underlying factors which stop individuals from feeling safe and secure: discrimination, conflict, lack of access to proper food and water sources, displacement, etc.
"...Poverty may be defined as a human condition characterized by sustained or chronic deprivation of the resources, capabilities, choices, security and power necessary for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights" (United Nations Committee on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, 2001)
We often see poverty as the root cause of social problems, but by digging deeper, we can see that it is symptomatic of the underlying factors which stop individuals from feeling safe and secure: discrimination, conflict, lack of access to proper food and water sources, displacement, etc.
World Food Day
October 16th- "World Food Day provides an occasion to once again highlight the plight of 923 million undernourished people in the world. Most of them live in rural areas where their main source of income is the agricultural sector. Global warming and the biofuel boom are now threatening to push the number of hungry even higher in the decades to come." http://www.fao.org/getinvolved/worldfoodday/en/
In the past year there has been a lot of media attention given to the international food crisis/food security. For me, it comes down to economics; the basic food needs of all people on the planet can still be met, but we opt to grow crops to feed our cars rather than our people, and we raise the price of staples like rice and other grains, costing them beyond the means of low-income/no-income earners. Food is life, it should not be considered a privilege to have access to food, it should be a basic right.
In the past year there has been a lot of media attention given to the international food crisis/food security. For me, it comes down to economics; the basic food needs of all people on the planet can still be met, but we opt to grow crops to feed our cars rather than our people, and we raise the price of staples like rice and other grains, costing them beyond the means of low-income/no-income earners. Food is life, it should not be considered a privilege to have access to food, it should be a basic right.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Human Rights in Canada - Another Election
Another Canadian federal election is about to be called and this time, along with the regular rhetoric, it is important for us as the voting public to listen deeply to the fundamental belief systems that are driving this next campaign. Mr. Harper's conservatives (basically the Alberta Reform party brought to the national level) are, in my opinion, trying to align themselves more fully with the Bush(ian) mentality (that will hopefully die back south of the border with a democratic takeover this autumn). We live in a country defined by secular politics but being driven by a christian agenda which could prove to be to the detriment of our rational, fair, and peaceful state.
Everyday I read blogs written by right-wing activists across Canada who want to bring back a moral code of years past and to refresh "family values" by putting an end to non-white and non-christian immigration, by re-criminalizing homosexuality, and giving the nation the right to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. These voices have been supported by a government which has restructured the immigration system, wants to revisit same-sex marriage, and would like to see abortion made illegal.
The dreaded t-word (terrorism) has been used to such a level that global and national policies have made fear mongering and paranoid discussions societal pasttimes. The threat of terrorism has allowed this nation to undermine individual human rights in order to maintain collective security. How many people really know what Al-Qaeda is, understand the history of funadamentalism, or realize that many of those on the most-wanted list today were actually, at one point, trained or put into power by the US government? We go on blindly creating scapegoats in order to rationalize the judgements and condemnations we pass on to other people we know nothing about.
Canada has joined the propaganda bandwagon; we have neglected our duties in regard to international development, the environment, and human rights in order to put more resources into campaigns which are dividing us nationally and globally into "allies and enemies". We have the resources to understand issues, to critically assess the policies of our leaders, and to help guide the progress of Canada, but we often choose to steer ourselves towards complacency, and to justify our behaviour through a mis-guided belief that we have "come too far" to undo all of the things we've built up.
"[W]e who live in fortunate lands where we have inherited good things, are prone to accept good things,are prone to accept freedom, the most important of these good things, with an indifference which is the greatest threat to its continuance"
(Lester B. Pearson)
"The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing" (Edmund Burke)
Everyday I read blogs written by right-wing activists across Canada who want to bring back a moral code of years past and to refresh "family values" by putting an end to non-white and non-christian immigration, by re-criminalizing homosexuality, and giving the nation the right to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. These voices have been supported by a government which has restructured the immigration system, wants to revisit same-sex marriage, and would like to see abortion made illegal.
The dreaded t-word (terrorism) has been used to such a level that global and national policies have made fear mongering and paranoid discussions societal pasttimes. The threat of terrorism has allowed this nation to undermine individual human rights in order to maintain collective security. How many people really know what Al-Qaeda is, understand the history of funadamentalism, or realize that many of those on the most-wanted list today were actually, at one point, trained or put into power by the US government? We go on blindly creating scapegoats in order to rationalize the judgements and condemnations we pass on to other people we know nothing about.
Canada has joined the propaganda bandwagon; we have neglected our duties in regard to international development, the environment, and human rights in order to put more resources into campaigns which are dividing us nationally and globally into "allies and enemies". We have the resources to understand issues, to critically assess the policies of our leaders, and to help guide the progress of Canada, but we often choose to steer ourselves towards complacency, and to justify our behaviour through a mis-guided belief that we have "come too far" to undo all of the things we've built up.
"[W]e who live in fortunate lands where we have inherited good things, are prone to accept good things,are prone to accept freedom, the most important of these good things, with an indifference which is the greatest threat to its continuance"
(Lester B. Pearson)
"The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing" (Edmund Burke)
Saturday, June 21, 2008
World Refugee Day 2008
June 20, 2008 is World Refugee Day:
The refugee challenge in the 21st century is changing rapidly. People are forced to flee their homes for increasingly complicated and interlinked reasons. Some 40 million people worldwide are already uprooted by violence and persecution, and it is likely that the future will see more people on the run as a growing number of push factors compound one another to create conditions for further forced displacement. http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/events?id=3e7f46e04
The refugee "crisis" is on the rise, and it's not just due to war and famine, it's about people who are marginalized, segregated, and unable to create livelihoods for themselves and their families. World Refugee Day is about reflecting on what we as priviledged people have, and learning how to empathize with those who struggle on a daily basis to feel safe and secure.
World Refugee Day for me is also about appreciating those people who have created homes in Canada, the UK, the USA, etc and have become advocates for human rights and dignity, and who have learned to value peace and contribute positively to their new countries.
T
The refugee challenge in the 21st century is changing rapidly. People are forced to flee their homes for increasingly complicated and interlinked reasons. Some 40 million people worldwide are already uprooted by violence and persecution, and it is likely that the future will see more people on the run as a growing number of push factors compound one another to create conditions for further forced displacement. http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/events?id=3e7f46e04
The refugee "crisis" is on the rise, and it's not just due to war and famine, it's about people who are marginalized, segregated, and unable to create livelihoods for themselves and their families. World Refugee Day is about reflecting on what we as priviledged people have, and learning how to empathize with those who struggle on a daily basis to feel safe and secure.
World Refugee Day for me is also about appreciating those people who have created homes in Canada, the UK, the USA, etc and have become advocates for human rights and dignity, and who have learned to value peace and contribute positively to their new countries.
T
Thursday, June 12, 2008
State of the world's human rights 2008
Why haven't we learned from all the mistakes of the past!!!???
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Gambia- A Human Rights Disaster Zone
President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia has declared war on homosexuals:
He promised "stricter laws than Iran" on homosexuality and said he would "cut off the head" of any gay person found in The Gambia. This comes at a time when the country is set to be the host nation of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7416536.stm
As a devout muslim, and as someone trying to hold on to power in a developing nation, Mr. Jammeh is using scapegoating means in an attempt to show his strength as a leader...it is through these means however, that he is showing himself to be unfit to be in the presidential position.
Throughout history "leaders" have used fear as a way to further marginalize the already marginalized, have created genocidal campaigns to do away with the "enemies within", and have appealed to the lowest common denominators within their countries to further their causes. History repeats too often and we are not learning from our mistakes. National leaders have a responsibility to treat every individual within their countries with respect and dignity regardless of how they may feel about their religions, lifestyles, etc. Mr. Jammeh is really just a coward who cannot face his own inabilities, and in turn masks them by bullying the weak.
T
He promised "stricter laws than Iran" on homosexuality and said he would "cut off the head" of any gay person found in The Gambia. This comes at a time when the country is set to be the host nation of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7416536.stm
As a devout muslim, and as someone trying to hold on to power in a developing nation, Mr. Jammeh is using scapegoating means in an attempt to show his strength as a leader...it is through these means however, that he is showing himself to be unfit to be in the presidential position.
Throughout history "leaders" have used fear as a way to further marginalize the already marginalized, have created genocidal campaigns to do away with the "enemies within", and have appealed to the lowest common denominators within their countries to further their causes. History repeats too often and we are not learning from our mistakes. National leaders have a responsibility to treat every individual within their countries with respect and dignity regardless of how they may feel about their religions, lifestyles, etc. Mr. Jammeh is really just a coward who cannot face his own inabilities, and in turn masks them by bullying the weak.
T
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Most Homophobic Place on the Earth?
And the winner is (according to Time Magazine): JAMAICA!
Gone are the days of Bob Marley's "One Love" and images of a Caribbean paradise filled with reggae's gentle rhythms.
Those have been replaced by lyrics advocating violence to homosexuals, religious views that create hate in the minds of the already marginalized, and a number of recent murders of gay men/women and attacks on human rights activists.
"Reggae's anti-gay rhetoric has seeped into the country's politics. Jamaica's major political parties have passed some of the world's toughest antisodomy laws and regularly incorporate homophobic music in their campaigns. "The view that results," says Jamaican human-rights lawyer Philip Dayle, "is that a homosexual isn't just an undesirable but an unapprehended criminal."http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1182991,00.html
There is a bit of a silver lining within all of this; some of Jamaica's artists have signed the "reggae compassionate act" (a campaign begun by 'Stop Murder Music') which has "succeeded in convincing some of the most notoriously homophobic figures in reggae and dancehall music to stop singing violently anti-gay lyrics..." This is not necessarily out of the goodness of their hearts, but due to cancellations and loss of revenue these artists have faced...it's a start. http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1650585,00.html?iid=sphere-inline-bottom
T
Gone are the days of Bob Marley's "One Love" and images of a Caribbean paradise filled with reggae's gentle rhythms.
Those have been replaced by lyrics advocating violence to homosexuals, religious views that create hate in the minds of the already marginalized, and a number of recent murders of gay men/women and attacks on human rights activists.
"Reggae's anti-gay rhetoric has seeped into the country's politics. Jamaica's major political parties have passed some of the world's toughest antisodomy laws and regularly incorporate homophobic music in their campaigns. "The view that results," says Jamaican human-rights lawyer Philip Dayle, "is that a homosexual isn't just an undesirable but an unapprehended criminal."http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1182991,00.html
There is a bit of a silver lining within all of this; some of Jamaica's artists have signed the "reggae compassionate act" (a campaign begun by 'Stop Murder Music') which has "succeeded in convincing some of the most notoriously homophobic figures in reggae and dancehall music to stop singing violently anti-gay lyrics..." This is not necessarily out of the goodness of their hearts, but due to cancellations and loss of revenue these artists have faced...it's a start. http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1650585,00.html?iid=sphere-inline-bottom
T
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
World Health Day
April 7th was World Health Day...whoops, sort of missed it, better late than never I guess.
I've posted a link below for an organization that has some pretty interesting stuff on HIV/AIDS and sexual health in general.
AVERT is an international AIDS charity; I really like the variety of media it uses to educate, to question our perceptions of HIV/AIDS, and to help us understand the issues faced by positive persons dealing with discrimination and stigma. It uses narratives, quotes, videos, quizzes, photos, editorials, etc, to really get various points across.
T
http://www.avert.org/
I've posted a link below for an organization that has some pretty interesting stuff on HIV/AIDS and sexual health in general.
AVERT is an international AIDS charity; I really like the variety of media it uses to educate, to question our perceptions of HIV/AIDS, and to help us understand the issues faced by positive persons dealing with discrimination and stigma. It uses narratives, quotes, videos, quizzes, photos, editorials, etc, to really get various points across.
T
http://www.avert.org/
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Absence Makes the Mind Grow Stronger?
Hi everyone, I know I've been away for some time, just trying to re-adjust to life back in Canada.
I hope this absence hasn't been viewed as a sign that I've lost interest in my thinking on human rights. On the contrary, since coming back to Vancouver, I've been hypersensitive to what's going on and"mildly" appalled at the thinking that occupies the minds of people living in this comfortable and relatively carefree environment (based on my middle-class perspective).
I hope this absence hasn't been viewed as a sign that I've lost interest in my thinking on human rights. On the contrary, since coming back to Vancouver, I've been hypersensitive to what's going on and"mildly" appalled at the thinking that occupies the minds of people living in this comfortable and relatively carefree environment (based on my middle-class perspective).
Random Thoughts:
We are at a point in human history when it is becoming increasingly important to know the names of cast members on a reality tv program, to try and gain 15 minutes of fame by outdoing 5th graders on basic knowledge questions, and to read mindless tabloids which make us feel better about ourselves at the expense of a celebrity's misery. Why do we do everything in our power to merely be entertained, to stop expanding our minds, and to stop questioning?
A polarity is growing between the religious right, the atheistic right, and the cause searching left (perhaps I fit into one of these categories); our inability to find common ground and to moderate our thinking in all cases is leading to a conflict brought on by a list of details occupying our "righteous" minds. We don't really want to find truths, we want to believe in our versions of them, and even uphold them when the fallacies are discovered.
It is said that the world is getting smaller in this age of globalized communication, transportation, trade, etc, but the paradox is that we are losing our connection to one another, and losing the ability to build and support relationships; we fill ourselves up with information which is usable in the here and now and we disregard meaning. Perhaps it is a coping mechanism for the increased bits of data we receive each day, but it seems detrimental to the "rational nature" of our species. Discussion, dialogue, and philosophical debate bring us closer to an understanding of ourselves, and to eachother, but we are learning to disregard those methods at the expense of newer and faster systems.
And my point is:
Fundamentally, it is stated, that each person in the world wants one thing...to be valued as a human being, and to be treated with respect and with dignity. It sounds like pretty simple stuff, so how is it that we have gotten to a point where a human life is a commodity which can be thrown away, sacrificed, given less value than another commodified life, or simply ignored? We value image, we ascribe status, and we forget to connect with the fundamental reality which lies behind that which our minds have created.
T
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