May 2016 Newsletter

Welcome to this edition of the Peace/Justice action email!

Last month was Genocide Prevention Month.  Part of this newsletter will highlight threes aspects from that focus: (a) a prolonged failure {Darfur; but including a worthy action); (b) an encouraging success; (c) Dynamics to keep an eye on.  At the end there will be some brief reflections on the topic.

In the last newsletter I indicated that I would provide a more detailed analysis of “Fear, Part II”.  Unfortunately that will have to wait for more time to finish.

 


THE FAILURE OF DARFUR;  ACTION: THE HOPE OF NEW SANCTIONS

The topic of genocide in Darfur – to use colloquial language – is “so last decade.”  The original 4- 5 years of international outrage and protest starting in 2004 could neither coalesce the international pressure needed nor dislodge President Bashir from power.  The world moved on.

Within Sudan, after a period of lower levels of violence (2011 – 2013) the government reconstituted the Janjaweed as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).  Since then the levels of violence and displacement almost rose to the original repugnant levels.  More ominous, Bashir has settled thousands of Arab foreigners in the villages of the displaced Darfurians.  Given Bashir’s recent push again to remove UN peacekeepers, the twisted referendum on Darfur’s provincial status among other things, it is not completely implausible that someday Darfur will cease to exist, although economic weakness and widespread unrest throughout Sudan lessens the traction for such an agenda.

To counter these destructive patterns, the Enough Project teamed together with others to develop  a new scheme of sanctions against the leaders of Sudan that is worthy of support.  It is highly targeted towards the leaders while having minimal negative impact on innocent civilians.

Take Action (US citizens only):
http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/51595/c/314/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=18143

 


RADOVAN KARADZIC IS CONVICTED OF GENOCIDE

The International Criminal Tribunal: has convicted Radovan Karadzic, a Bosnian Serb, of Genocide.  He was sentenced for his role in lethal ethnic cleansing operations, the siege of Sarajevo and the slaughter of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995.  Over 100,000 people died in the civil war in the former Yugoslavia.  Of the two other leaders originally on trial, Milosevic died in his cell in 2006 before his trial ended; Ratko Mladic is being tried separately.

Background:
Karadzic Convicted of Genocide [NYT, free access]

 

 


ICC INVESTIGATES GENOCIDE OUTSIDE OF AFRICA

The International Criminal Court (ICC; not to be confused with the International Criminal Tribunal that convicted Karadzic) has started its first investigation outside Africa.  The ICC was created in 1998 when the UN adopted the Rome Statute, creating the first permanent international court.  It has issued arrest warrants for 31 people; seven are in detention; three have been convicted and detained; several remain at large.  Until recently they were all from African countries.

Recently however the ICC started war crimes investigation in Russia-Georgia, its first investigation outside Africa.  For its many flaws, the ICC needs to be seen as a necessary court in a global world; in the coming decades it will continue to mature.

Background:
ICC and Russia-Georgia war crimes investigation [BBC]

 

 


U.S. JOHN KERRY DECLARES ISIS ACTION AS GENOCIDE

John Kerry, the Secretary of State, said that “Daesh is responsible for genocide against groups in areas under its control, including Yazidis, Christians and Shia Muslims”.  This is the first formal pronouncement by the U.S. administration of genocide since Darfur in 2004.  A brief analysis of motives and effects do not indicate any particular change in direction.
U.S. Declares ISIS’ attacks on Religious Minorities as Genocide [The Economist]

 

 

 


BRIEF REFLECTIONS ON GENOCIDE

 

Background: The Definition of Genocide

Identical to the wording of the 1948 Convention, Article 6 of the Rome Statute defines the crime of genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”.  There are five such acts which constitute crimes of genocide under article 6:

  • Killing members of a group;
  • Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
  • Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction;
  • Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
  • Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group;

 

For a more decent world we need to continue grappling with the notion of genocide.  Here are a couple of the basic issues:

  1. One of the chief criticisms of the ICC is that there are insufficient checks and balances in the whole process. While this aspect has self-serving agendas, there is nonetheless some merit to this concern which should be addressed.
  2. The most problematic word in the genocide definition is ‘intent’. You can have two situations where the actions are identical and the harm is equally devastating.  But one could be classified as genocide and the other as ethnic cleansing.The point is that the Convention needs to be updated.  Currently only ‘genocide’ formally obligates nations to take action.  The original Convention was written before ethnic cleansing gained coinage.  Thus it is much preferable to have both  above examples treated at the highest level of international obligation.  It is then only after the  perpetrators have been stopped and captured should the court make the determination of genocide or not.  To be clear, the distinction does need to be made – while both are heinous, genocide is more vile and needs to be treated as such in the courtroom.

 

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=== FOLLOW-UP TO PREVIOUS ACTIONS AND ARTICLES ===
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Indonesia and Shackling:

After the Human Rights Watch petition which this newsletter participated in, Indonesia’s minister of health in mid-April committed to providing mental health medication in all 9,500 community health centers across the country. This commitment is a positive step.  HRW will be monitoring the situation to ensure the crucial follow-through occurs.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/04/16/dispatches-turning-tide-shackling-indonesia

November 2014 Newsletter

Welcome to the November 29, 2014 edition of this Peace&Justice action email!

Given that this is a human right’s newsletter, the primary action is to take part in Amnesty International’s global Write-for-Rights campaign.  In addition there is an action related to Darfur and the UN’s mishandling of the situation, and an action to raise again the hope that the U.S. will ratify the Convention on Child Rights.

In addition are a couple of follow-up and other articles of note.

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Pour la traduction française: cliqueter ici; et cliqueter alors le bouton de traduction sur la page Web.
Para la traducción española: clic aquí; y entonces hace clic en el botón de traducción en la página web.

 

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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL WRITE-FOR-RIGHTS

Consider joining the annual Write-For-Rights campaign, where hundreds of thousands of people around the world write letters or take other actions on behalf of those unjustly detained, tortured, imprisoned!  It takes place during the first 2-3 weeks of December, coinciding with Human Rights Day, December 10.  You can join a group, take web actions, or better yet create your own group (they can supply you with all necessary material)!

Take Action:
Australia: http://www.amnesty.org.au/activist/campaign/35547/
Canada: http://www.writeathon.ca/
U.K.: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/issues/Write-for-Rights-2014
U.S.: http://write.amnestyusa.org/?ac=none_r

 

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DARFUR: TOWN WOMEN RAPED; UN REPORT IN DENIAL

On October 31 Sudanese forces entered the town of Tabit, reportedly beating the men and then raping 200 women, many of them girls.  The UN peacekeeping force (UNAMID) was 30 miles away.  They sent a team to investigate three days later but soon after arriving and reportedly getting a little corroborating evidence, the Sudanese forces kept them out for a week.  When UNAMID came back they could not get anyone to confirm the atrocity.  Their eventual report denied any rape had taken place. Given other corroborating testimony, this has shed light not only on this incident but has confirmed the suspicions of many about UNAMID’s compromised reporting in general.  Apart from creating a furor at the UN, it has now frayed relations with Sudan who has verbally asked UNAMID for an exit path.

The following petition by Waging Peace (UK) demands an immediate investigation into the mass rape, that the UN provide immediate medical and psychological treatment for the victims and that the government soldiers be held accountable for their brutal crimes, including compensation for the victims.

The event is sickening.  And on a revealing ironic note, the town – Tabit – was one of five towns that were designated in June as one of Darfur’s “model villages”, that is, suitable for the voluntary return of displaced persons.  It demonstrates what most people knew – the effort by the government to paint the conflict as over, is an utter farce (for fuller overall details of conditions of Darfur and Sudan see: Current Status  [UntilAll]).

Take Action:
https://www.change.org/p/un-security-council-protect-the-people-of-darfur

Background:
UNAMID Covers Up Darfur Atrocity [Foreign Policy]
Initial Report of Rape [Radio Dabanga]
Actual UNAMID Internal Report [Sudan Tribune; Eric Reeves]

 

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US: RATIFY THE CONVENTION ON RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

The US and Somalia (and newly created South Sudan) are the only countries who have not ratified the Convention on The Rights of the Child.  November 20 was Universal Children’s Day.  The action below was to tell U.S. President Obama to announce on that day that he will submit the treaty to the Senate for ratification.

It may seem stunning to some to think that the US, who helped shape the Convention, has not ratified it.  As the background articles indicate, US failure to ratify it stems largely from concern over the possibility of it undermining parental authority. Many countries include formal reservations and declarations of interpretations, so that the Convention won’t override national interpretations of their laws and customs.  Given that all other Western countries with the same basic standards on issues of concern have not been affected by ratifying the treaty, such US concerns do not seem to be grounded in reality, but rather agendas.

US-ONLY: Tell President Obama to Sign:
Tell Obama to Ratify Treaty

Background:
Why is US Against Children’s Rights?  [TIME]
Why Won’t US Ratify Child Rights Convention?  [The Economist]
Actual Convention on Rights of the Child

 

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ISLAMIC STATE (ISIS / ISIL)

The emergence of a new, well-funded, tech- and media-savvy terrorist group that uses grotesque acts and images as one of its chief vehicle for spreading fear and gaining recruits, has caught the Western world scrambling to react.  Analysis of this truly despicable group abound; there is little to add.  Short-term actions have already been implemented. Such actions at best can only contain the immediate situation and by their fast-reaction nature contain terribly compromised elements that easily spark other sometimes worse results.

This newsletter would be remiss not to note this new repugnant dynamic.  Specifically, how do we dissipate ISIS, so that it is only known as a footnote in history? Bombs and bullets (and intelligence gathering and other tactics) may reduce some immediate threat, but they cannot dispel an idea that has gained such deadly traction. For that one needs the long-term classic nonviolent strategy of strengthening the reasonable voices on all sides.  This will be explored more in the next newsletter.  One role is to use Islam itself to combat the horrible distortions (and yet that somehow have appeal) and provide a more solid and compelling alternative vision.  Given that 85% of the victims of Islamic terrorism are Muslims [Sanders: The Myth of the Muslim Tide], no one has a greater stake in this than Muslims.  The following is a sample:
Using Islam To Combat ISIS [Huffington Post;  MPAC]

Stay tuned for more on how this seemingly hyper-idealistic strategy can actually contain much grip.

 

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=== FOLLOW-UP TO PREVIOUS ISSUES ===
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Bee Decline Now Evidence Of Bird Decline

A decline in bee populations due to a new pesticide (neonicotinoid family) has previously been highlighted in this newsletter.  Now a Dutch study has linked it to a decline in the bird population, though it need further work.
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-28216810
http://commondreams.org/news/2014/07/24/notorious-neonics-pervasive-midwest-waters-study
 

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=== ARTICLES OF INTEREST ===
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Is Selection Process for UN Peacekeepers Flawed?

Reports coming from some of the top UN troop-contributing countries indicate that many troops are not adequately educated regarding basic human right.  Often they come from areas which have poor human right records.  Examples were given where UN troops, when previously in their country, were part of serious rights violations.  For others, it is a “reward” thus reducing any motivation to take seriously the UN mandate.  In 2012 the UN set up guidelines for this overall issue but the vetting  process thus far seem unable to address basic flaws.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=100415

 

Is U.S. Public TV Dominated by the One-Percent?

In a world where traditional meda is continually squeezed thereby diminishing the range of voices heard and in-depth journalism, one presumes that atleast in the public broadcast sphere there is a better range.  Yet a study by FAIR has found that most U.S. public broadcasting stations have governing boards dominated by the corporate sector.  Even billionaire David Koch sits as a trustee.

While recognizing the value of business people to ensure sound fiscal policies, the point raised here is one of dominance.  On the one hand those from the corporate world constitute 84% of the governing bodies and most are drawn from elite entities.  On the other hand there is a dearth of other areas – few academics, and almost no journalists, educators, artists and leaders of nonprofit groups.
http://fair.org/extra-online-articles/who-rules-public-tv/