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Human Rights
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| 08/02/2012
Darfur: New weapons from China and Russia fuelling conflict
| | A new report by Amnesty International highlights how arms sales from China and Russia fuel human rights violations in Sudan's Darfur region. February 8, 2012 International Arms sales from China and Russia are fuelling serious human rights violations in Darfur, Amnesty International said today. These arms transfers highlight the urgent need to strengthen the existing ineffectual UN arms embargo and for governments to agree an effective Arms Trade Treaty.
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| 08/02/2012
Darfur: New weapons from China and Russia fuelling conflict
| | A new report by Amnesty International highlights how arms sales from China and Russia fuel human rights violations in Sudan's Darfur region. February 8, 2012 International Arms sales from China and Russia are fuelling serious human rights violations in Darfur, Amnesty International said today. These arms transfers highlight the urgent need to strengthen the existing ineffectual UN arms embargo and for governments to agree an effective Arms Trade Treaty.
read more > more |
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| 08/02/2012
Darfur: New weapons from China and Russia fuelling conflict
| | A new report by Amnesty International highlights how arms sales from China and Russia fuel human rights violations in Sudan's Darfur region. February 8, 2012 Arms sales from China and Russia are fuelling serious human rights violations in Darfur, Amnesty International said today. These arms transfers highlight the urgent need to strengthen the existing ineffectual UN arms embargo and for governments to agree an effective Arms Trade Treaty.
read more > more |
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| 08/02/2012
Maldives: End use of excessive force against protesters
| | Police in the Maldives have reportedly attacked outgoing president Mohammed Nasheed and his supporters during a peaceful protest. February 8, 2012 International Maldives security forces must stop using violence against supporters of Mohamed Nasheedâs Maldivian Democratic Party, a day after he was forced to resign the presidency under the threat of violence by the military and police, Amnesty International said. Eyewitnesses told Amnesty International that Nasheed and a large number of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members were marching peacefully through the streets of the capital MalĂ© when police attacked them first and then failed to protect them from a violent counter demonstration. read more > more |
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| 08/02/2012
Maldives: End use of excessive force against protesters
| | Police in the Maldives have reportedly attacked outgoing president Mohammed Nasheed and his supporters during a peaceful protest. February 8, 2012 International Maldives security forces must stop using violence against supporters of Mohamed Nasheedâs Maldivian Democratic Party, a day after he was forced to resign the presidency under the threat of violence by the military and police, Amnesty International said. Eyewitnesses told Amnesty International that Nasheed and a large number of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members were marching peacefully through the streets of the capital MalĂ© when police attacked them first and then failed to protect them from a violent counter demonstration. read more > more |
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| 08/02/2012
Panama: Protester deaths need proper investigation
| | Two activists in Panama have been killed in clashes between security forces and the NgĂ€be-BuglĂ© people during anti-mining protests. February 8, 2012 International Panamaâs authorities must investigate allegations of excessive use of force by police after two protestors were killed during three days of clashes between security forces and the NgĂ€be-BuglĂ© people, Amnesty International said today.
JerĂłnimo RodrĂguez TugrĂ was allegedly shot dead by police in San Felix in eastern ChiriquĂ province on 5 February, and more than 40 others â including police officers â have reportedly been wounded during the demonstrations.
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| 08/02/2012
Maldives: End use of excessive force against protesters
| | Police in the Maldives have reportedly attacked outgoing president Mohammed Nasheed and his supporters during a peaceful protest. February 8, 2012 International Maldives security forces must stop using violence against supporters of Mohamed Nasheedâs Maldivian Democratic Party, a day after he was forced to resign the presidency under the threat of violence by the military and police, Amnesty International said. Eyewitnesses told Amnesty International that Nasheed and a large number of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members were marching peacefully through the streets of the capital MalĂ© when police attacked them first and then failed to protect them from a violent counter demonstration. read more > more |
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| 08/02/2012
Panama: Protester deaths need proper investigation
| | Two activists in Panama have been killed in clashes between security forces and the NgĂ€be-BuglĂ© people during anti-mining protests. February 8, 2012 International Panamaâs authorities must investigate allegations of excessive use of force by police after two protestors were killed during three days of clashes between security forces and the NgĂ€be-BuglĂ© people, Amnesty International said today.
JerĂłnimo RodrĂguez TugrĂ was allegedly shot dead by police in San Felix in eastern ChiriquĂ province on 5 February, and more than 40 others â including police officers â have reportedly been wounded during the demonstrations.
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| 08/02/2012
Panama: Protester deaths need proper investigation
| | Two activists in Panama have been killed in clashes between security forces and the NgĂ€be-BuglĂ© people during anti-mining protests. February 8, 2012 International Panamaâs authorities must investigate allegations of excessive use of force by police after two protestors were killed during three days of clashes between security forces and the NgĂ€be-BuglĂ© people, Amnesty International said today.
JerĂłnimo RodrĂguez TugrĂ was allegedly shot dead by police in San Felix in eastern ChiriquĂ province on 5 February, and more than 40 others â including police officers â have reportedly been wounded during the demonstrations.
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| 08/02/2012
Syria: Brutal assault on Homs must end
| | Amnesty International has called on Russia to make it clear to the Syrian government that the assault on the city of Homs must end immediately. February 8, 2012 International Russia and other countries with influence over Syria must act urgently to stop the bombardment of Homs, Amnesty International said today.
More than 200 people have been killed in Homs since Friday, the majority of them unarmed victims of shelling and shot by snipers.
While Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday met with President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syrian security forcesâ unrelenting bombardment of Homs continued and has since intensified.
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| 08/02/2012
Syria: Brutal assault on Homs must end
| | Amnesty International has called on Russia to make it clear to the Syrian government that the assault on the city of Homs must end immediately. February 8, 2012 International Russia and other countries with influence over Syria must act urgently to stop the bombardment of Homs, Amnesty International said today.
More than 200 people have been killed in Homs since Friday, the majority of them unarmed victims of shelling and shot by snipers.
While Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday met with President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syrian security forcesâ unrelenting bombardment of Homs continued and has since intensified.
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| 08/02/2012
Syria: Brutal assault on Homs must end
| | Amnesty International has called on Russia to make it clear to the Syrian government that the assault on the city of Homs must end immediately. February 8, 2012 International Russia and other countries with influence over Syria must act urgently to stop the bombardment of Homs, Amnesty International said today.
More than 200 people have been killed in Homs since Friday, the majority of them unarmed victims of shelling and shot by snipers.
While Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday met with President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syrian security forcesâ unrelenting bombardment of Homs continued and has since intensified.
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| 08/02/2012
Israel: Cancel plan to forcibly displace Jahalin Bedouin communities
| | A new report by Amnesty International urges the Israeli military to end demolitions displacing thousands of Bedouins in the West Bank. February 8, 2012 International Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak should cancel military plans to forcibly displace around 2,300 Bedouin residents of the West Bank to an area beside the Jerusalem municipal garbage dump, Amnesty International said today in a new briefing paper.
InStop the Transfer:Israel about to expel Bedouin from homes to expand settlements, the organization calls on the Israeli military to order an immediate halt to all demolitions in the 20 communities affected by the plan.
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| 08/02/2012
Israel: Cancel plan to forcibly displace Jahalin Bedouin communities
| | A new report by Amnesty International urges the Israeli military to end demolitions displacing thousands of Bedouins in the West Bank. February 8, 2012 International Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak should cancel military plans to forcibly displace around 2,300 Bedouin residents of the West Bank to an area beside the Jerusalem municipal garbage dump, Amnesty International said today in a new briefing paper.
InStop the Transfer:Israel about to expel Bedouin from homes to expand settlements, the organization calls on the Israeli military to order an immediate halt to all demolitions in the 20 communities affected by the plan.
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| 07/02/2012
Uganda: Anti-homosexuality bill âa grave assault on human rightsâ
| | Uganda's Parliament is urged to scrap the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Bill that has been re-introduced. February 7, 2012 Ugandaâs Parliament today re-introduced a proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill which Amnesty International considers a âgrave assault on human rightsâ that must be rejected. Some media reports indicate the death penalty provisions in original Bill have been removed, but other provisions remain inherently discriminatory and the continued attempt to further criminalise consensual sexual activity between individuals of the same sex is abhorrent. read more > more |
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| 07/02/2012
Egypt: Stop holding NGOs hostage
| | The Egyptian authorities are using a Mubarak-era law to prosecute civil society. February 7, 2012 International The Egyptian authorities should scrap a Mubarak-era law used to prosecute civil society and ensure its planned replacement upholds the right to freedom of association, Amnesty International said today.
The call follows yesterdayâs announcement that 43 people have been referred to a criminal court for trial as part of an investigation into the funding and registration of NGOs.
Amnesty International has called for the charges against them, based on Egyptâs repressive laws on civil society registration and foreign funding, to be dropped.
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| 07/02/2012
Egypt: Stop holding NGOs hostage
| | The Egyptian authorities are using a Mubarak-era law to prosecute civil society. February 7, 2012 International The Egyptian authorities should scrap a Mubarak-era law used to prosecute civil society and ensure its planned replacement upholds the right to freedom of association, Amnesty International said today.
The call follows yesterdayâs announcement that 43 people have been referred to a criminal court for trial as part of an investigation into the funding and registration of NGOs.
Amnesty International has called for the charges against them, based on Egyptâs repressive laws on civil society registration and foreign funding, to be dropped.
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| 07/02/2012
Uganda: Anti-homosexuality bill âa grave assault on human rightsâ
| | Uganda's Parliament is urged to scrap the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Bill that has been re-introduced. February 7, 2012 Ugandaâs Parliament today re-introduced a proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill which Amnesty International considers a âgrave assault on human rightsâ that must be rejected. Some media reports indicate the death penalty provisionsin original Bill have been removed, but other provisions remain inherently discriminatory and the continued attempt to further criminalise consensual sexual activity between individuals of the same sex is abhorrent. read more > more |
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| 07/02/2012
Uganda: Anti-homosexuality bill âa grave assault on human rightsâ
| | Uganda's Parliament is urged to scrap the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Bill that has been re-introduced. February 7, 2012 Ugandaâs Parliament today re-introduced a proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill which Amnesty International considers a âgrave assault on human rightsâ that must be rejected. Some media reports indicate the death penalty provisions in original Bill have been removed, but other provisions remain inherently discriminatory and the continued attempt to further criminalise consensual sexual activity between individuals of the same sex is abhorrent. read more > more |
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| 07/02/2012
Egypt: Stop holding NGOs hostage
| | The Egyptian authorities are using a Mubarak-era law to prosecute civil society. February 7, 2012 International The Egyptian authorities should scrap a Mubarak-era law used to prosecute civil society and ensure its planned replacement upholds the right to freedom of association, Amnesty International said today.
The call follows yesterdayâs announcement that 43 people have been referred to a criminal court for trial as part of an investigation into the funding and registration of NGOs.
Amnesty International has called for the charges against them, based on Egyptâs repressive laws on civil society registration and foreign funding, to be dropped.
read more > more |
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| 07/02/2012
Maldives must avoid persecution of ousted government
| | The Maldivian president has resigned following a police mutiny after a group of police officers joinedopposition-led protests. February 7, 2012 International The new authorities in the Maldives must avoid persecuting members of outgoing president Mohammed Nasheedâs political party, Amnesty International said today, after Mr Nasheed resigned following a police mutiny in the country. The former leader said in a televised statement on Tuesday that he was resigning âto prevent violenceâ, after a group of police officers joined opposition-led protests and took control of the state broadcaster in the capital Male. read more > more |
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| 07/02/2012
Maldives must avoid persecution of ousted government
| | The Maldivian president has resigned following a police mutiny after a group of police officers joined opposition-led protests. February 7, 2012 International The new authorities in the Maldives must avoid persecuting members of outgoing president Mohammed Nasheedâs political party, Amnesty International said today, after Mr Nasheed resigned following a police mutiny in the country. The former leader said in a televised statement on Tuesday that he was resigning âto prevent violenceâ, after a group of police officers joined opposition-led protests and took control of the state broadcaster in the capital Male. read more > more |
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| 07/02/2012
Maldives must avoid persecution of ousted government
| | The Maldivian president has resigned following a police mutiny after a group of police officers joined opposition-led protests. February 7, 2012 International The new authorities in the Maldives must avoid persecuting members of outgoing president Mohammed Nasheedâs political party, Amnesty International said today, after Mr Nasheed resigned following a police mutiny in the country. The former leader said in a televised statement on Tuesday that he was resigning âto prevent violenceâ, after a group of police officers joined opposition-led protests and took control of the state broadcaster in the capital Male. read more > more |
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| 07/02/2012
India: Security forces cannot claim immunity under AFSPA, must face trial for violations
| | Members of the Indian army must not be allowed to invoke a controversial law to avoid trial for human rights violations. February 7, 2012 International Members of the Indian army must stand trial when facing charges of serious violations of human rights, instead of hiding behind the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), Amnesty International said today.
On 4 February, Indiaâs Supreme Court stated that the Indian army could not invoke the AFSPA to avoid the prosecution of eight officers charged with the March 2000 killing of five Kashmiri villagers at Pathribal.
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| 07/02/2012
India: Security forces cannot claim immunity under AFSPA, must face trial for violations
| | Members of the Indian army must not be allowed to invoke a controversial law to avoid trial for human rights violations. February 7, 2012 International Members of the Indian army must stand trial when facing charges of serious violations of human rights, instead of hiding behind the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), Amnesty International said today.
On 4 February, Indiaâs Supreme Court stated that the Indian army could not invoke the AFSPA to avoid the prosecution of eight officers charged with the March 2000 killing of five Kashmiri villagers at Pathribal.
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| 07/02/2012
India: Security forces cannot claim immunity under AFSPA, must face trial for violations
| | Members of the Indian army must not be allowed to invoke a controversial law to avoid trial for human rights violations. February 7, 2012 International Members of the Indian army must stand trial when facing charges of serious violations of human rights, instead of hiding behind the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), Amnesty International said today.
On 4 February, Indiaâs Supreme Court stated that the Indian army could not invoke the AFSPA to avoid the prosecution of eight officers charged with the March 2000 killing of five Kashmiri villagers at Pathribal.
read more > more |
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| 03/02/2012
Paraguay: Land dispute victory for displaced indigenous community
| | After a two-decade legal battle, the Yakye Axa indigenous community in Paraguay can finally move away from a precarious roadside camp. February 28, 2012 International A land deal finalized this week between Paraguayan authorities and a land owner in the country’s central region will allow a long-displaced indigenous community to rebuild in safety and dignity, Amnesty International said today.
For almost two decades, the Yakye Axa indigenous community have fought a legal battle to return to their ancestral lands while around 90 families were forced to live in destitute conditions alongside a nearby highway.
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| 03/02/2012
Paraguay: Land dispute victory for displaced indigenous community
| | After a two-decade legal battle, the Yakye Axa indigenous community in Paraguay can finally move away from a precarious roadside camp. February 28, 2012 International A land deal finalized this week between Paraguayan authorities and a land owner in the country’s central region will allow a long-displaced indigenous community to rebuild in safety and dignity, Amnesty International said today.
For almost two decades, the Yakye Axa indigenous community have fought a legal battle to return to their ancestral lands while around 90 families were forced to live in destitute conditions alongside a nearby highway.
read more > more |
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| 03/02/2012
Paraguay: Land dispute victory for displaced indigenous community
| | After a two-decade legal battle, the Yakye Axa indigenous community in Paraguay can finally move away from a precarious roadside camp. February 28, 2012 International A land deal finalized this week between Paraguayan authorities and a land owner in the country’s central region will allow a long-displaced indigenous community to rebuild in safety and dignity, Amnesty International said today.
For almost two decades, the Yakye Axa indigenous community have fought a legal battle to return to their ancestral lands while around 90 families were forced to live in destitute conditions alongside a nearby highway.
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| 25/01/2012
China Must Avoid Excessive Force in Response to Tibetan Protests, says Amnesty International
| | China must avoid using excessive force in response to protests and allow independent monitors into areas of protest, Amnesty International said today after Chinese security forces in Sichuan Province reportedly fired on Tibetan protestors for a second successive day. January 25, 2012 AIUSA Contact: Sharon Singh,ssingh@aiusa.org, 202-675-8579 (Washington, D.C.) -- China must avoid using excessive force in response to protests and allow independent monitors into areas of protest, Amnesty International said today after Chinese security forces in Sichuan Province reportedly fired on Tibetan protestors for a second successive day. Chinese authorities have dismissed reports based on eyewitness accounts of deadly clashes between police and Tibetan protesters as"hype." read more > more |
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| 08/12/2011
Eyes on Nigeria
| | By incorporating satellite images, data from other remote sensing technologies, eyewitness testimonies, photos and videos, Amnestyâs interactive Eyes on Nigeria website vividly conveys the threats Nigerians face in their daily lives. June 1, 2011 Satellite image of gas flaring in Nigeria, courtesy of The American Association for the Advancement of Science AIUSA Check if content is Magazine *CORRECTION: The Spring/Summer 2011 print edition of Amnesty International magazine omitted the credit for the satellite image shown on page 19: the American Association for the Advancement of Science. We apologize for the error.
Amnesty International focuses on a number of urgent human rights concerns in Nigeria, including extractive industry waste in the Niger Delta, forced evictions in Port Harcourt and Lagos, and communal violence and armed conflict across the country.
Learn More read more > more |
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| 21/07/2011
Azerbaijan activist convicted on'trumped up'drugs charge
| | Authorities in Azerbaijan must immediately release a member of an opposition youth organization sentenced to two and a half years in prison on fabricated drug charges, Amnesty International said today. July 21, 2011 AIUSA Authorities in Azerbaijan must immediately release a member of an opposition youth organization sentenced to two and a half years in prison on fabricated drug charges, Amnesty International said today.
Jabbar Savalan, a member of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party's (APFP) youth group, was apparently targeted for using Facebook to call for a“Day of Rage” inspired by protests in the Middle East and North Africa.
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| 20/07/2011
Remaining Hague War Crimes Suspect Finally Arrested, says Amnesty International
| | Goran Hadzic, the only remaining suspect wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, was arrested today in Serbia on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes in eastern Slavonia, Croatia. July 20, 2011 AIUSA Contact: AIUSA media relations office, 202-509-8194 (Washington, D.C.) -- As Goran Hadzic, the only remaining suspect wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, was arrested today in Serbia on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes in eastern Slavonia, Croatia, Sian Jones, Amnesty International's Serbia researcher, said: "This long overdue arrest will bring justice at last to the victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Croatia. read more > more |
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| 12/05/2011
Amnesty International Calls on Ugandan Parliament to Reject Legislation to Outlaw Homosexuality
| | (New York) -- Amnesty International today repeated its call to the Ugandan Parliament to reject a draconian anti-homosexuality bill, which would violate international law and threaten the lives of gays and lesbians. May 12, 2011 AIUSA Vote in Parliament Set for Friday (New York) -- Amnesty International today repeated its call to the Ugandan Parliament to reject a draconian anti-homosexuality bill, which would violate international law and threaten the lives of gays and lesbians. The bill would introduce the death penalty for some homosexual acts; it is set to be debated and voted on in the Ugandan parliament on Friday. Amnesty International this week mobilized its supporters worldwide to urge members of the Ugandan Parliament to reject the law. read more > more |
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| 06/01/2007
WACC's New Flyer
| | WACC has produced a new flyer which gives an introduction to WACC, its programme areas and publications. Please download the pdf file below, or contactKristine Greenawayif you need printed versions. Language versions in Spanish, French and German will soon be available. > more |
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| 02/01/2007
$100 laptop project launches 2007
| | The first batch of computers built for the One Laptop Per Child project could reach users by July this year. The scheme is hoping to put low-cost computers into the hands of people in developing countries. Ultimately the project's backers hope the machines could sell for as little as $100 (ÂŁ55). The first countries to sign up to buying the machine include Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan and Thailand. The so-called XO machine is being pioneered by Nicholas Negroponte, who launched the project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab in 2004. Test machines are expected to reach children in February as the project builds towards a more formal launch. Wireless networkingMr Negroponte told the Associated Press news agency that three more African countries might sign on in the next two weeks. The laptop is powered by a 366-megahertz processor from Advanced Micro Devices and has built-in wireless networking. It has no hard disk drive and instead uses 512 MB of flash memory, and has two USB ports to which more storage could be attached.
"I have to laugh when people refer to XO as a weak or crippled machine and how kids should get a"real'one"," Mr Negroponte told AP.
"Trust me, I will give up my real one very soon and use only XO. It will be far better, in many new and important ways." The computer runs on a cut-down version of the open source Linux operating system and has been designed to work differently to a Microsoft Windows or Apple machine from a usability perspective. Instead of information being stored along the organising principle of folders and a desktop, users of the XO machine are encouraged to work on an electronic journal, a log of everything the user has done on the laptop. The machine comes with a web browser, word processor and RSS reader, for accessing the web feeds that so many sites now offer. "In fact, one of the saddest but most common conditions in elementary school computer labs (when they exist in the developing world), is the children are being trained to use Word, Excel and PowerPoint," Mr Negroponte said. "I consider that criminal, because children should be making things, communicating, exploring, sharing, not running office automation tools."
The new user interface, known as Sugar, has been praised by some of the observers of the One Laptop Per Child project.
It doesn't feel like Linux. It doesn't feel like Windows. It doesn't feel like Apple," said Wayan Vota, who launched theOLPCNews.com blogand is also director of Geekcorps, an organisation that facilitates technology volunteers in developing countries. "I'm just impressed they built a new (user interface) that is different and hopefully better than anything we have today," he said. But he added:"Granted, I'm not a child. I don't know if it's going to be intuitive to children." Trial versions of the operating system in development can be downloaded to be tested out by technically-minded computer users around the world. Source:BBC > more |
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| 20/11/2006
Nelson Agyemang visits WACC in Toronto
| | The Rev Nelson Agyemang, National Apostle of the Fountain of Leadership Church and Apostolic Network, from Ghana visited the WACC Secretariat on Friday 17 November during a short stopover in Toronto. During a meeting with programme staff he outlined his work and the activities of his Church and had the opportunity to learn more of WACC's programmes. Before leaving he submitted an application, on behalf of his organisation, for corporate membership in the Association. Rev Agyemang is pictured here with the General Secretary, Randy Naylor. > more |
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| 19/11/2006
Statement from AMARC 9 conference
| | We, the participants of the Amarc9 conference held in the Jordanian capital Amman on Saturday November 11, 2006, request the following: 1. Lifting all restriction on the work of media institutions, journalist organizations and journalists whether they be in the form of detention or arrest, arbitrary and closing or restricting the work of media organizations. 2. Requesting government to respect international laws and treaties that focus on the issue of the freedom of expression. 3. Governments should separate themselves from the involvement in media. An independent media body can be established that can experience legal immunity. Ministries of Information, where they exist, must be banned. 4. Access to information and citizen's rights in media must be guaranteed through clear constitutional amendments. 5. Legal and administrative structures must be created that guarantees the establishment and development of community media and community radio without administrative or financial restrictions. 6. Developing a package of media lws that guarantee press freedom and the freedom of expression and the exercise of media work without restrictions. 7. Activating citizen's role in the work of media institute by creating a mechanism that allows for the free expression of journalists. 8. Work must commence towards the establishment of a training institute that is professionally equipped. A professional journalistic ethos should be established with the aim of sponsoring the honour and ethics of this profession. 9. New and independent funding sources or public funding must be found in order to empower media organisations with equipment and trained personnel. 10. Effort must be exerted to empower the courts to be independent so that they can be the only party enstrusted to look into media cases and to address them based on principles of democracy and freedom. > more |
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| 15/11/2006
Communication for Peace
| | Peace is the greatest challenge facing the world, the way to survival or extinction, according to the General Secretary of the International Peace Research Association. Speaking at the organization's biennial conference in Calgary, Canada, Luc Reychler stressed the importance of peace research which he says Âimplies leadership by people young and old who respond with intellectual and moral energy to crises or challenges in meaningful ways. The conference, held 29 June to 3 July under the theme Patterns of conflict, paths to peace, attracted 400 researchers, teachers and activists. Majid Tehranian, director of the Tokyo-based Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research, told conference participants that the opposite of peace journalism is not, paradoxically, war journalism. The opposite, is what he calls Âmuddled journalism where information is presented with so little context it is practically useless. Tehranian decried the notion of objectivity saying, ÂWe are all biased and some of us are prejudiced as well. Johan Galtung, whose theories of direct violence and structural violence, and of negative and positive peace, are the foundation of peace studies today, presented real-life examples of peace mediation undertaken during the past year. Galtung dismissed moralizing as a dead end. What you need, he said, is a proposal, a good idea. In order to have a chance of success, a mediator needs empathy for all sides and an ability to respond instantly and creatively to sudden developments. A First Nations (aboriginal Canadian) woman recalled the story of her grandmother telling her to throw a rock into a river. As Doreen Spence watched the ripples it created move downstream with the flow of the water, her grandmother pointed to the ripples and asked, ÂWhat imprint will you leave on the planet for seven generations to come? Her question hung on the minds of many at the conclusion of the conference. (The full version of this article appears in the current issue of Media Development 4/2006.) > more |
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| 13/11/2006
Democratising the media
| | George Clooney, the famous son of journalist Nick Clooney, featured a video on MySpace,"Footage From Sudan and Chad," providing images and substance for what many believe to be a story marginalized by major media. Adding George Clooney's celebrity attraction to a captive audience on MySpace ensured that the message, the reality of suffering and death in Darfur, reached many, many people. Conversely, had even the story been carried on the evening news more regularly, I believe there are people who watch television news and there are those who do not. MySpace was a mechanism to reach those who may not watch otherwise. National Public Radio's Morning Edition carried a story about Darfur on November third. Citing part of the frustration by the United States and the United Nations as the refusal of the Sudanese government to cooperate and allow diplomatic intervention, the use of a blog and a podcast figured prominantly in international discourse. Read morehere > more |
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| 12/11/2006
Disney's PR Strategy Unhealthy for'Little Consumers'
| | Disney says it's concerned about kids'eating habits. But the company can't turn down the huge profits associated with helping junk-food companies market to children. The announcement this week by Disney that the company is placing nutrition guidelines on licensed food products aimed at children (along with kid-friendly meals at theme parks) is just the latest effort by Corporate America to save its tarnished image. Read morehere > more |
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| 12/11/2006
North Korea, Turkmenistan, Eritrea the worst violators of press freedom
| | New countries have moved ahead of some Western democracies in the fifth annual Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press Freedom Index, issued today, while the most repressive countries are still the same ones. ÂUnfortunately nothing has changed in the countries that are the worst predators of press freedom, the organisation said, Âand journalists in North Korea, Eritrea, Turkmenistan, Cuba, Burma and China are still risking their life or imprisonment for trying to keep us informed. These situations are extremely serious and it is urgent that leaders of these countries accept criticism and stop routinely cracking down on the media so harshly. Read morehere > more |
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| 06/11/2006
Daniel Davies on the Lancet study, Peggy Charren on the FCC and indecency
| | When a study in the British Medical journal the Lancet found that hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have died as a consequence of the war, the Lancet was dismissed by George W. Bush, who called its methodology flawed. American media outlets also cast doubt, calling the peer-reviewed findings"disputed" and pointing to lower, less scientific numbers as more reliable. Daniel Davies, a writer for the Comment is Free blog on the website of London's Guardian, will join us to explain why the critics are wrong. Read morehere > more |
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| 28/10/2006
Marines Without a Beach and Soldiers as Citizen Journalists
| | You cannot see much out of an armored Humvee, and even if you could, you have no chance to identify the enemy until first you come under attack. YouÂve got all these weapons, and youÂve been told that youÂre a mighty warrior, a Spartan, but what are you going to shootÂthe dogs? YouÂre a Marine without a beachÂ
Reduced to giving candy to children, and cut off by language and ignorance from the culture around them, they work in such isolation that the potentially positive effects of their presence usually amount to nilÂ
Many had joined the Corps in response to the September 11 attacks, now four years past, but the emotions that once had motivated them had been reduced by their participation in an enormously bureaucratic enterprise, and by the tedium of war. FineÂthey were probably better soldiers for it. These were not the taut warriors portrayed in action movies. As they shed their helmets and body armor, they emerged as ordinary five-foot-nine-inch, 150-pound middle-class Americans, sometimes pimple-faced, and often sort of scrawny. Some of them were mentally agile, and some quite obviously were not. Read morehere > more |
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| 28/10/2006
Human Rights Video Blog
| | It includes footage of the Zimbabwean police and security intelligence services breaking up a peaceful demonstration by members of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trades Unions (ZCTU) on September 13th.The police repeatedly beat the demonstrators, who are calling for the provision of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for the treatment of HIV, a minimum wage, and stabilisation in the prices of certain basic commodities. The bulk of the video involves interviews with the ZCTU members describing the events of the day, and the actions of the police. Ethan and Rachel Rawlins have kindly provided a transcript. When news of the beatings originally leaked out, trades unions in other countries strongly condemned Robert MugabeÂs hardline approach with legitimate and peaceful demonstrations. Last week a court dismissed the police report on the incident, and postponed the trial of the ZCTU protestors until October 17th, to give the Criminal Investigation Department time to conduct a thorough investigation of the allegations of police torture. When footage of the protests was smuggled out of Zimbabwe on DVD to South Africa this week, it prompted the head of one of South AfricaÂs labour unions to say that she would give President Thabo Mbeki a copy of the DVD of the beatings in a meeting with him on Friday. Read morehere > more |
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| 28/10/2006
World congress on communication for development shopping for an identity
| | After the formal greetings and a string of political and international organisation figures lining up to express their good intentions towards communication for development, the World Congress on the Communication for Development (WCCD) really got started with an introductory plenary session explaining what the goals of the congress were. The WCCD drafting team is composed of the Âusual suspects from the World Bank, the FAO, as well as The Communication Initiative  an organisation based in Canada. It has already released a draft document containing a number of recommendations for rejuvenating and giving the field of Âcommunication for development some impulse. read morehere > more |
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| 23/10/2006
Reporters on the Job
| | When the main subject of today's story,"Africa After War: Paths to Forgiveness," introduced herself to staff writer Abraham McLaughlin she said her name was Atto Betty. The order of names she used was typical among folks in this part of Uganda and in other rural parts of Africa - her clan name first, and her individual name second. In the West, of course, we'd know her as Betty Atto. "It's a small thing but also hugely symbolic of what I see as the basic difference between Western and African culture - Western individualism and African communalism," says Abe. "Western culture essentially revolves around individuals - celebrities, biographies, individual and human rights, etc. But in many places in Africa," he says,"it matters much more where you come from and which family or clan or ethnic group you belong to. Group identifiers, in fact, are arguably far more important than each individual's identity." Read morehere > more |
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| 23/10/2006
Making the Web Accessible For All
| | Despite many efforts to move away from those most traditional interfaces - the ubiquitous computer keyboard and mouse - they remain the bedrock on which nearly all computer interfaces rest. But for those who find it difficult to use a standard computer there is a raft of user-friendly add-ons and upgrades to help things go more smoothly. We live in a world that demands us to communicate in many different ways, usually with the computer at the very heart of it. Read morehere > more |
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| 13/10/2006
CMD Issues Full Rebuttal of RTNDA Claims
| | The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) released today a full rebuttal of claims made against its April 2006 report,"Fake TV News: Widespread and Undisclosed." The report tracked television stations'use of video news releases (VNRs), narrated pre-packaged segments produced by public relations firms for their clients. The report documented 77 television stations airing VNRs or related materials; not once did stations disclose the client behind the segment. The report led the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch an investigation of the 77 stations named, in August 2006. Read more onPRWatch > more |
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| 11/10/2006
Save the Children ad banned
| | A Save the Children Fund marketing campaign has been banned by the advertising watchdog after complaints that it distressed children by implying that those with brown eyes might die young. The mailshot ad used a leaflet and an envelope that showed a close-up of a child of African origin and text stating:"If you have brown eyes, you're more likely to die young." The reverse of the envelope showed a close-up of the eyes of a child of Asian origin with the same text. Read moreMediaGuardian > more |
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| 11/10/2006
Lloyd Shot Dead by US Troops.
| | ITN reporter Terry Lloyd was shot in the head by American troops as he was being driven to hospital, the inquest into his death was told today. An account by an Iraqi witness that was read out at the inquest in Oxford claimed Lloyd was still alive after the original attack on his car but was killed by US troops as he was driven from the scene. The unnamed driver's account, which was read out by the deputy assistant coroner for Oxfordshire, Andrew Walker, gave new details of the last moments of Lloyd's life. Read more atMediaGuardian > more |
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| 10/10/2006
The Web as Political Weapon
| | John Harris of the Washington Post has noticed that the three largest recent political controversies have stemmed from work done by digital inhabitants. In the article, New Media a Weapon in the New World of Politics, he notes the connections between the recent scandals involving Mark Foley, George Allen, and Bill Clinton were representative of the new, web-driven age of American politics." Read more on Slashdot > more |
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| 09/08/2006
Indonesian Christians to be Executed, Muslims to get Amnesty for Same Crimes?
| | (August 9, 2006) The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org has just become informed that the execution date has been set for three Christians involved in the Poso conflict. The men are to be executed on Saturday, August 12, at 12:15am. While these men have admitted their involvement in the conflict, they were the only ones charged in a conflict in which massive numbers of Muslims participated. >> Read more |
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