"Today, poverty prevails as the gravest human rights challenge in the world. Combating poverty, deprivation and exclusion is not a matter of charity, and it does not depend on how rich a country is. By tackling poverty as a matter of human rights obligation, the world will have a better chance of abolishing this scourge in our lifetime...Poverty eradication is an achievable goal."
Louise Arbour UN High Commissioner for Human Rights http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/2006/
The reason I use the above quote coincides with Louise Arbour's visit to Sri Lanka in September. Her report to the UN looked at human rights violations which relate to the upturn in the conflict, the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), LTTE tactics, etc.
From the standpoint of someone who is trying to help people regain their livelihoods, this is sometimes seen as a pointless task. Just as many of the initiatives we are working on begin to uplift communities out of poverty and fears about their futures and their security, another attack occurs, a bomb explodes, people are forced back into subsistence, hoping that peace will come to their areas once again.
The government of Sri Lanka does not accept Louise Arbour's report, nor will it accept the UN's invitation to act as a monitoring body within the country. Last week over 1000 Tamils in Colombo were arrested following two bombings in the city. No just cause was given, most of the people have been released, and the government still justifies its actions.
Happy Human Rights Day Sri Lanka
Holocaust Memorial Berlin
Monday, December 10, 2007
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Living with... and speaking out HIV/AIDS Stigma
Just a short video which looks at the problems faced by those living with HIV/AIDS.
World AIDS Day
December 1st is World AIDS Day, a day to become more aware of HIV/AIDS, to actively take part in an AIDS Day event, or to pass on some knowledge you may have about HIV/AIDS.
At present, there are an estimated 33 million people worldwide living with HIV; The number of AIDS related deaths is at around 6 000 people per day. Although much of the problem is due to funding, inability for the poor to buy antiretrovirals, and lack of education in some regions of the world, it is my belief that the root cause is from the stigma which is still attached to the disease. The resulting discrimination makes it difficult for those infected to seek help and feel supported.
"Stigma can lead to discrimination and other violations of human rights which affect the well-being of people living with HIV in fundamental ways. In countries all over the world, there are well-documented cases of people living with HIV being denied the right to health-care, education, and freedom of movement, among others."
http://www.aidsportal.org/overlay_details.aspx?nex=50
Country specific policies don't help matters. Uganda's homophobic regulations do not allow programs which could help cut-down on HIV transmission, the USA believes its "abstinence" program is the way to go, and will not fund any programs which promote condom use, and countries such as China try and sweep the problem under the carpet (although forecasters state that China's HIV potential is at around 50 000 000 people).
At present, there are an estimated 33 million people worldwide living with HIV; The number of AIDS related deaths is at around 6 000 people per day. Although much of the problem is due to funding, inability for the poor to buy antiretrovirals, and lack of education in some regions of the world, it is my belief that the root cause is from the stigma which is still attached to the disease. The resulting discrimination makes it difficult for those infected to seek help and feel supported.
"Stigma can lead to discrimination and other violations of human rights which affect the well-being of people living with HIV in fundamental ways. In countries all over the world, there are well-documented cases of people living with HIV being denied the right to health-care, education, and freedom of movement, among others."
http://www.aidsportal.org/overlay_details.aspx?nex=50
Country specific policies don't help matters. Uganda's homophobic regulations do not allow programs which could help cut-down on HIV transmission, the USA believes its "abstinence" program is the way to go, and will not fund any programs which promote condom use, and countries such as China try and sweep the problem under the carpet (although forecasters state that China's HIV potential is at around 50 000 000 people).
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Remembrance Day
"Remembrance Day (Australia, Canada, United Kingdom), also known as Poppy Day (Malta and South Africa) and Armistice Day (France, New Zealand, and many other Commonwealth countries; and the original name of the day internationally) is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and civilians in times of war specifically since the First World War. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_Day
I have always believed that there is absolutely NO justification for war. Remembrance Day for me is not so much about the sacrifices made by those during periods of war, but more as an overall reminder of its futility. We continue to make the same mistakes, we sensationalize it, we celebrate it: country invasions, genocide, ethnic cleansing, terrorism, and the list goes on...what have we really learned?
We put billions of dollars into military spending each year at the expense of health care, education, and fundamental rights and security. Destroying lives seems more a priority than saving them.
I have always believed that there is absolutely NO justification for war. Remembrance Day for me is not so much about the sacrifices made by those during periods of war, but more as an overall reminder of its futility. We continue to make the same mistakes, we sensationalize it, we celebrate it: country invasions, genocide, ethnic cleansing, terrorism, and the list goes on...what have we really learned?
We put billions of dollars into military spending each year at the expense of health care, education, and fundamental rights and security. Destroying lives seems more a priority than saving them.
Pakistan- On the Verge
Musharraf has declared a state of emergency, has suspended the constitution, and has ousted members of the supreme court (replacing them with his own supporters).
The military rule in place is denying fundamental rights to its citizenry, including a crackdown on human rights activists, the media, the the legal sector, and political opponents.
"On the pretext of fighting militants, General Musharraf has mounted a coup against Pakistan’s civil society." Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/11/04/pakist17241.htm
The military rule in place is denying fundamental rights to its citizenry, including a crackdown on human rights activists, the media, the the legal sector, and political opponents.
"On the pretext of fighting militants, General Musharraf has mounted a coup against Pakistan’s civil society." Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/11/04/pakist17241.htm
Saturday, October 20, 2007
UN Day
United Nations Day was declared in 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly to be 24 October, the anniversary of the coming into force of the Charter of the United Nations. United Nations Day is to be devoted to making known to peoples of the world the aims and achievements of the United Nations Organization. United Nations Day is part of United Nations week, which runs from October 20th to October 26th.
The United Nations has been taking a bit of a beating over recent years. Some feel it is too bureaucratic, others feel it has outlived its utility, but I believe that even with the challenges it faces, the UN has come to symbolize the ideals for a fair and just world. It's not easy being an organization which has a membership of 6 billion!
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (and the accompanying 30 articles) is well worth a read, giving us a reminder that each human is unique, "valid", and deserving of respect. http://www.hrweb.org/legal/udhr.html
The United Nations has been taking a bit of a beating over recent years. Some feel it is too bureaucratic, others feel it has outlived its utility, but I believe that even with the challenges it faces, the UN has come to symbolize the ideals for a fair and just world. It's not easy being an organization which has a membership of 6 billion!
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (and the accompanying 30 articles) is well worth a read, giving us a reminder that each human is unique, "valid", and deserving of respect. http://www.hrweb.org/legal/udhr.html
Monday, September 17, 2007
"Out" and About!
I officially came-out to my colleagues and to much of the NGO community in Colombo, Sri Lanka, through an article I wrote on being a gay ex-pat. This country still has laws against homosexuality; so does that also make me officially "illegal"?
I was hesitant to come-out because of those laws and because of my fear of an aggressive reaction, but it was really quite easy. My workmates listened to me intently, asked to read my article, and then asked me questions about gay issues that I thought were only known to a "secret" community. My rights were in tact, I was treated with respect, and I didn't feel in the least bit threatened. I realize that my colleagues are educated, work in the NGO sector, are in positions to uphold humanitarian principles, and represent a miniscule portion of the Sri Lankan population, but this gave me hope that things have the potential for change.
With that being said, however, I had to reflect on other parts of the world that are dealing with the aggression and intolerance that I had feared. Geoff, my partner, read an article about Uganda's regression on GLBT rights, quoting a piece from the Minister of "Ethics and Integrity". With a name like that, it must be in a position to uphold all that is good and righteous in the country. I searched for more information on this and found a couple of other articles that looked at other parts of Africa, namely Nigeria, and Cameroon. Wow, this world really has a long way to go!!! http://direland.typepad.com/direland/
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Guantanamo Bay- America: the world's most powerful hypocrisy
What is going on in Guantanamo, or rather why is it still going on? Although prisoners have been returning to their home countries (16 Saudis two days ago), there has been no suggestion of fairness to those held without trial, some for up to 6 years.
The sixth amendment states: "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_Amendment_to_the_United%20_States_Constitution
Amnesty International: Signature spot commercial ad
This is the same video that was posted earlier in the year but had a problem so this is a re-post. T
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Saudi Arabia- No Rights for Guest Workers
Living in Sri Lanka not only allows me to learn about human rights issues taking place here, it also opens my eyes to the abuse faced by many Sri Lankan guest workers abroad. There has been a lot of news recently about a young women on death row in Saudi Arabia because of accusations of her killing a child under her care. Rizana Nafeek was only 17 when she went to Saudi Arabia, faking her documents to allow her to work abroad. The story of the child's death has become controversial in that it has uncovered unjust processes which allow Saudi authorities to arrest, detain, and pass judgement on guest workers.
It also has brought to light many other cases of abuse faced by workers from other countries such as Indonesia. "Nour Miyati, an Indonesian domestic worker, sustained serious injuries and lost her fingers due to gangrene in 2005 after her employer locked her up, physically and verbally abused her and deprived her of food. She then faced a countercharge of making false accusations against her employer, and was sentenced to 79 lashes". http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/08/17/saudia16699.htm
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