lundi 12 décembre 2016

Appel à des couloirs humanitaires.

LES CITOYENS DU MONDE APPELLENT A DES COULOIRS HUMANITAIRES A ALEP (SYRIE) POUR LAISSER ENTRER L’AIDE ET SORTIR LES CIVILS




L’Association of World Citizens (AWC) est choquée et révoltée par les attaques délibérées perpétrées par l’armée du Gouvernement syrien et les alliés étrangers de celui-ci contre les quartiers est de la ville d’Alep, sous le contrôle des forces révolutionnaires.
Nous condamnons fermement le refus persistant du gouvernement russe d’accepter aucune des résolutions proposées par la France au Conseil de Sécurité des Nations Unies pour une fin des bombardements menés par les troupes russes sur les secteurs d’Alep tenus par les rebelles.
Nous condamnons avec la même vigueur le refus constant des gouvernements syrien et russe de laisser ouvrir des couloirs humanitaires à l’intérieur d’Alep et depuis la ville, tant pour y laisser entrer l’aide d’urgence que pour permettre aux civils qui souhaitent quitter la zone de combat de le faire sans que leurs vies en soient mises en danger.
Nous en appelons aux gouvernements syrien et russe en vue de cesser leur obstruction à l’ouverture de tels couloirs et de créer enfin les conditions permettant, d’une part, à l’aide d’être acheminée aux zones qui en ont besoin, d’autre part, aux civils souhaitant fuir les secteurs subissant des attaques de chercher un abri en dehors d’Alep sans que ce soit à leurs risques et périls.
Enfin, l’AWC appelle à une solution politique en Syrie qui n’avalisât aucun fait accompli généré par des violations du droit international.

Peut-on réformer l'Onu ?

Un débat intéressant sur Public Sénat. 

Peut-on réformer l'ONU? C'est le thème du débat exceptionnel proposé par Nora Hamadi, qui reçoit Dominique de Villepin et Jean Ziegler après le documentaire "ONU: la diplomatie du silence" >> samedi à 22h56.

L'organisation des Nations Unies est-elle encore efficace ? Ses pouvoirs sont-ils trop importants ou au contraire trop limités ? Le droit de veto accordé aux membres permanents du conseil de sécurité est-il un frein à l'action de l'ONU ? Doit-il être réformé ? Nora Hamadi et ses invités ouvrent le débat.
Avec :
Jean ZIEGLER : Vice-président du comité consultatif du Conseil des droits de l'Homme de l'ONU,
Dominique DE VILLEPIN : Ancien ministre des Affaires étrangères, Ancien Premier ministre.
Présenté par Nora HAMADI.

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dimanche 11 décembre 2016

Civil March for Aleppo






Même si la ville citoyenne est totalement submergée par l'armée syrienne et soumis à un bombardement intense de la part de l'aviation russe, cette marche citoyenne se veut un symbole très fort à l'adresse de nos gouvernants et une marque de solidarité en faveur du peuple syrien. Le mouvement des citoyens du monde et par l'intermédiaire du Congrès des peuples ne peut que soutenir cette initiative et toute initiative en faveur du respect et de la protection des populations civiles qui pourtant sont sensées être protégées par les Nations Unies qui dans ce cas précis ont totalement et de manière lâche failli à leur mission ont raison essentiellement du droit de véto russe et chinois au conseil de sécurité remettant à nouveau cette défaillance de l'organisation des nations unies  sur la table des revendications prioritaires dans le cadre de réformes en profondeur que beaucoup réclament avec notamment la suppression pure et simple de ce privilège. 







A LOT of people in Europe is sitting those days and nights to make it possible. Join #CivilMarchForAleppo pic.twitter.com/aNgtdWABUZ

— CivilMarchForAleppo (@AleppoMarch) 1 décembre 2016







Partagez ce lien: https://twitter.com/AleppoMarch/status/804278962524450816







Partagez l'évènement facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/979588475478509/







(Take a deep breath and read. And think. No, you don't have to join us for the full march. Come for a day, or a week! Soon we will add more information: about the dates, how to get involved, etc)




It's time to act. 

We cant sit in front of our laptops and do nothing.

We can't drink cafe latte and do nothing. 




We've had enough of clicking the sad or shocked faces on facebook and writing “this is terrible” and “we're so powerless”.




No, we are not! We are far too many! 




We are going to Aleppo. From Germany to Aleppo, along the so-called “refugee route”, just the opposite direction. 


We've been taught submission to war. We've been taught to be afraid of the powerful who pull the strings. We've been persuaded to take sides with "the good" and blame "the bad", to accept the division of people into the better and the worse, the ones who can sleep safely in their own beds and the ones who have to flee for their lives. "That's just the way it is" - we've been told.

But we refuse to take it anymore. We've just withdrawn our consent. We're ready to deny powerlessness.
We want to go and help people like us, who just were not lucky enough to be born in Berlin, London or Paris. We will not tolerate the siege of Aleppo anymore. Civilians for civilians, we will walk, hand in hand, from Berlin, through the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey, to Aleppo.

It's a long way. Just as long as the refugees had to come to save their lives. Now we want to do the same to save some other lives. And we're marching together in a big, big group.

We are just random, average people. We don't represent any specific political parties or organizations.

We're carrying these white flags to let the whole world know our message: Enough is enough. This war has to stop!

And this war can be stopped. This war can be ended with a few strokes of a pen. But even if we still have to wait for that, we can't wait and see the suffering of the people of Aleppo. No one deserves what they are going through. It's no longer a "normal" war if children's hospitals become the targets. We don't want to just observe it from a safe distance. And we won't! We're determined to shake this feeling of helplessness and start to act. We're determined, we're united and we will march as long as it takes. For peace.

Do you also think it's enough? Do you also want to do more than crying in front of your laptop? We've been passive for too long. Our tears and anger have to be transformed into action.

This is our action. We are going to Aleppo. What will happen then? Will they send bombs on our 5000-people crowd? Will they dare to do that?!
You think we are crazy? We think that it's crazy to sit and wait until everybody dies.

Let's not wait. Let's just go there and put an end to this madness.

We are starting on 26th December, from Berlin. In a group of 3000 people. Will you join us?

with love,
Anna from Poland, Thomas from Germany, Aleksandra from Poland, Stefan from Germany, Matt from South Africa, Anna from Finland, Joana from Portugal, Jagoda from Poland, Leen from Belgium, Olga from Poland, Karol from Poland, Paulina from Poland, Robert from Poland, Maria from Mexico, Grazyna from Poland, Jan from Norway, Agata from Poland, Agnieszka from Poland, Karolina from Poland, Julia from Poland, Magda from Sri Lanka,Joanna from Poland, Magda from Poland, Anita from Poland, Maciej from Poland, Ilaria from Italy, Nathalia from Brasil, Kasia from Poland, Marysia from Poland, Ewa from Poland, Marta from Poland, Kasia from Belgium, Dorota from Poland and many many more...

VERY SOON: more info about the exact route, plans, timeline

25 November is the day designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the “International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.




Violence against women is a year-round occurrence and continues at an alarming rate. Violence against women can take many different forms. There can be an attack upon their bodily integrity and their dignity. As citizens of the world, we need to place an emphasis on the universality of violence against women but also on the multiplicity of the forms of violence. We need to look at the broader system of domination based on subordination and inequality. The value of a special Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is that the day 

serves as a time of analysis of the issues and a time for a re-dedication to take both short-term measures – such as the creation of a larger number of homes for battered women – and longer range programs.
Both at the international UN level and at the national and local level, there have been programs devoted to the equality of women and to the promotion of women in all fields. Thus, it is important to stress that women are not only victims in need of special protection but also that women should participate fully and effectively in all aspects of society.
Nevertheless, women have largely remained invisible and inaudible by being allowed to have a key role in the “informal sector” - those sectors of the economy that are the least organized and are often left out of the statistics of the formal economy as if the informal sector did not count. Women have turned to the informal sector - or have been pushed into it – as a way of sustaining a livelihood for their families.
In the informal sector, women survive and often have a major responsibility for the economy of the whole family. Fathers are often absent by need or by choice. Some women do well in the informal sector and serve as a model – or a hope – as to what others can accomplish. Self-employed women are increasingly helped by micro-credit programs. Micro-credit loans are useful but rarely do such loans allow a person to move outside the informal economy.
Women's work in the informal sector accounts for a large proportion of total female employment in most developing countries of Africa, Latin America and Asia. Women work as food producers, traders, home-based workers, domestic workers, prostitutes and increasingly are engaged in drug trafficking – anything to earn an income to feed their children. The informal sector is their last hope for economic and social survival for themselves and their families.
Gender inequality and the walls built around the informal sector are the marks of the “silent violence” against women. Amartya Sen defined the major challenge of human development as “broadening the limited lives into which the majority of human beings are willy-nilly imprisoned by the forces of circumstances”. On 25 November, this day for the elimination of violence against women, we need to look closely at the many social, cultural and economic wall which imprison.
****************************************************
Rene Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens

jeudi 8 décembre 2016

Un clown, ça ne mérite pas de mourir




En Syrie et particulièrement dans les zones soumises aux bombardements aveugles de l'aviation russe, tout le monde est à égalité face à la mort. Les bombes et les missiles ne choisissent pas leurs cibles. Ils frappent combattants, civils, secouristes, animaux sans distinction et sans réaction sérieuse de la communauté internationale qui a oublié la valeur de la vie. Aujourd'hui, on a choisi de parler d'un personnage associé à la bonne humeur, un personnage inoffensif qui partout dans le monde fait rire les enfants. Hé ben Alep a perdu son clown qui est parti rejoindre les enfants arrachés à la vie dans un autre monde. 




Anas al-Basha , le clown qui tentait de réconforter les enfants d’Alep-est, tué le mardi 29 novembre 2016, lors d'une attaque aérienne russe sur le quartier Mashhad, dans la partie assiégée de la ville.

Quand la guerre sévit constamment, il est difficile de faire ressortir une mort plutôt qu'une autre. Mais Alep a perdu l'une de ses figures, connue et aimée : Anas al-Basha, 24 ans, a été tué mardi, victime d’une frappe aérienne. Il était le dernier clown d'Alep, et tentait de réconforter les enfants traumatisés par la guerre.
La photo est partout sur le web. On y voit le visage d'Anas al-Basha, coloré par des peintures de couleur orange, jaune et verte. Son nez, lui, est évidemment tout rouge. Il voulait faire oublier aux enfants les horreurs de la guerre, qui les entourent quotidiennement. Mais lui aussi a péri sous les bombes, sous un missile qui a touché le quartier assiégé de Mashhad, à l'est de la ville, selon Associated Press.

« Avec lui, les enfants souriaient »
Anas al-Basha était le directeur de l'association Space for Hope, une initiative locale contre vents et marées qui aide les civils vivant dans les zones d'opposition ravagées par la guerre en Syrie. Ce centre de bénévoles est surtout consacré à l'aide et au soutien de douze écoles et plus de 365 enfants dans l'est d'Alep.
Conseils, mais aussi support financier, les enfants étaient aidés de différentes manières et avaient tous perdu un de leurs parents. Le plus souvent, ils avaient même perdu les deux. Certains d'entre eux, nés au début du conflit il y a cinq ans, n'ont connu que la guerre.
« Ses sketchs brisaient les murs entre les enfants », a témoigné Samar Hijazi, une autre bénévole de l'association aujourd'hui réfugiée au Liban avant d'ajouter : « Dans le domaine de la garde d'enfants, tout le monde est épuisé. Nous devons trouver la force pour fournir le soutien psychologique et continuer notre travail ». 
D'autant plus que, quelques jours auparavant, les locaux de Space for Hope, qui se situaient dans une enclave particulièrement touchée par les bombardements, ont été détruits par les bombes. Les volontaires qui ont survécu à cette attaque ont dû interrompre momentanément leur travail. Tous gardent espoir de reprendre un jour leurs activités.
Source du texte en français, le quotidien Ouest-France
Children of Syria
Anas al-Basha, di 24 anni, era un assistente sociale ad Aleppo. Era il direttore del centro "uno spazio per la speranza", una delle tante iniziative locali importanti per i bambini, e forniva servizi della società civile nelle zone dilaniate dalla guerra in Siria. Egli faceva il clown...e con lui i bambini sorridevano e scherzavano.
Anas è stato ucciso Martedì 29 novembre 2016, durante un attacco aereo russo sul quartiere Mashhad, nella parte assediata della città di Aleppo-est.
Anas al-Basha, 24 year old was a social worker in Aleppo. It was the director of the center "a space for hope", one of many important local initiatives for children, and provided services of civil society in war-torn areas in Syria.
He was a clown ... and with him the children were smiling and joking.
Anas was killed Tuesday, November 29, 2016, during a Russian air attack on the Mashhad district, on the part of the besieged city of Aleppo-east.





Les Citoyens du Monde appellent à des couloirs humanitaires à Alep (Syrie) pour laisser entrer l’aide et sortir les civils


-- AWC-UN
        Geneva Logo --

Les Citoyens du Monde appellent à des couloirs humanitaires à Alep (Syrie) pour laisser entrer l’aide et sortir les civils


L’Association of World Citizens (AWC) est choquée et révoltée par les attaques délibérées perpétrées par l’armée du Gouvernement syrien et les alliés étrangers de celui-ci contre les quartiers est de la ville d’Alep, sous le contrôle des forces révolutionnaires.
Nous condamnons fermement le refus persistant du gouvernement russe d’accepter aucune des résolutions proposées par la France au Conseil de Sécurité des Nations Unies pour une fin des bombardements menés par les troupes russes sur les secteurs d’Alep tenus par les rebelles.
Nous condamnons avec la même vigueur le refus constant des gouvernements syrien et russe de laisser ouvrir des couloirs humanitaires à l’intérieur d’Alep et depuis la ville, tant pour y laisser entrer l’aide d’urgence que pour permettre aux civils qui souhaitent quitter la zone de combat de le faire sans que leurs vies en soient mises en danger.
Nous en appelons aux gouvernements syrien et russe en vue de cesser leur obstruction à l’ouverture de tels couloirs et de créer enfin les conditions permettant, d’une part, à l’aide d’être acheminée aux zones qui en ont besoin, d’autre part, aux civils souhaitant fuir les secteurs subissant des attaques de chercher un abri en dehors d’Alep sans que ce soit à leurs risques et périls.
Enfin, l’AWC appelle à une solution politique en Syrie qui n’avalisât aucun fait accompli généré par des violations du droit international.

mardi 27 septembre 2016

Bonne nouvelle du jour: Accord de paix, en Colombie







 
 
(Droits réservés)
 

Le président colombien Juan Manuel Santos et le commandant en chef des Forces armées révolutionnaires de Colombie (FARC), Rodrigo Londoño, plus connu sous le nom de guerre « Timochenko », ont signé lundi 26 septembre, un accord de paix. Ce texte de 297 pages, conclu fin août à La Havane (Cuba), met un terme à 52 ans de conflit armé, la plus longue guerre civile d’Amérique latine. 

Les deux hommes ont paraphé ce traité, négocié pendant quatre ans, à l’aide d’un stylo fabriqué à partir d’une balle avant d’échanger leur première poignée de main sur le sol colombien, devant plusieurs centaines de dignitaires. L’accord prévoit la démobilisation des FARC et sa transformation en un parti politique.

En savoir plus sur http://www.lemonde.fr/ameriques/article/2016/09/27/l-accord-de-pays-historique-entre-la-colombie-et-les-farc-a-ete-signe_5003788_3222.html#2WVXXOJpysCc89vO.99
 
 

Building on the UN summit to address large movements of refugees and migrants

Building on the UN summit to address large movements of refugees and migrants

By Rene Wadlow
On 19 September 2016, the UN General Assembly held a one-day Summit on « Addressing Large Movements o Refugees and Migrants »  – a complex of issues which have become important and emotional issues in many countries. Restrictive migration policies deny many migrants the possibility of acquiring a regular migrant status, and as a result, the migrants end up being in an irregular or undocumented situation in the receiving country and can be exposed to exploitation and serious violations of human rights.
Citizens o the world have been actively concerned with the issues of migrants, refugees, the « stateless » and those displaced by armed conflcts within their own country.   Thus we welcome the spirit of the Summit Declaration with its emphasis on cooperative action, a humane sense of sharing the responsibilities for refugees and migrants and on seeking root causes of migration and refugee flows. There are three issues mentioned in the Summit Declaration which merit follow up action among the UN Secretariat, world citizens and other non-governmental organizations :
1) The migration of youth ;
2) The strong link between migration, refugee flows, and improving the structures for the resolution of armed conflicts ;
3)  Developing furher cooperation among non-governmental organizations for the protection and integration of refugees and migrants.
The Migration of Youth
Youth leave their country of birth to seek a better life and also to escape war, poverty, and misfortune. We should add to an analysis of trans-frontier youth migration a very large numbe of youth who leave their home villages to migrate toward cities within their own country.  Without accurate informaion and analysis of both internal and trans-frontier migration of youth, it is difficult to deelop appropiate policies for employment, housing, education and health care of young migrants  and refugees. It is estimated that there are some 10 million refugee children, and most are not in school.
Studies have noted an increasing feminization of trans-frontier migration in which the female migrant moves abroad as a wage earner, especially as a domestic worker rather than as an accompannying family member.  Migrant domestic workers are often exposed to abuse, exploitation and discrimination based on gender, ethnicity and occupation. Domestic workers are often underpaid, their working conditions poor and sometimes dangerous. Their bargaining power is severly limited. Thus, there is a need to develop legally enforeable contracts of employment, setting out minimum wages, maximum hours of work and responsibilities ;
The Association of World Citizens recommends that there be in the follow ups to the Summit, a special focus on youth, their needs as well as possibilities for positive actions by youth.
The strong link between migration, refugee flows, and improving the structures for the resolution of armed conflicts.
The United Nations General Assembly which follows immediately the Migration-Refugee Summit is facing the need for action on a large number of armed conflicts in which Member States are involved.  In some of these conflicts the United Natins has provided mediators ; in others, UN peace-keepes are present.  In nearly all these armed conflicts, there have been internally-displaced persons as well as trans-frontier refugees.  Therefore there is an urgent need to review the linkages between armed conflict and refugee flows. There needs to be a realistic examination as to why some of these armed conflicts have lasted as long as they have and why negotiations in good faith have not been undertaken or have not led to the resolution of these armed conflicts.  Such reflections must aim at improvements of structures and procedures.
Developing further cooperation among non-governmental organizations for the protection and integration of refugees and migrants.
We welcome the emphasis in the Summit Declaratin on the important rôle that non-governmental organizations play in providing direct services to refugees and migrants. NGOs also lobby government authorities on migration legislation and develop public awareness campaigns.  The Summit has stressed the need to focus on future policies taking into account climate change and the growing globalization of trade, finance, and economic activities.  Thus, there needs to be strong cooperation among the UN and its Agencies, national governments, and NGOs to deal more adequately with current challenges and to plan for the future. Inclusive structures for such cooperation are needed.
Rene Wadlow is the President of the Association of World Citizens, an international peace organization with consultative status with ECOSOC, the United Nations organ facilitating international cooperation on and problem-solving in economic and social issues.

mercredi 24 août 2016

19 Août ,Journée Mondiale de l'Aide Humanitaire 19 August, World Humanitarian Day

Dans de nombreuses régions du globe, les humanitaires travaillent, parfois au péril de leur vie, souvent dans l'anonymat le plus total. Même s'ils accomplissent un travail de fourmi, leurs interventions sont indispensables et permettent souvent à des populations de retrouver un minimum de dignité.
L'ONU a promulgué le 19 août, Journée Mondiale de l'aide humanitaire en espérant sensibiliser l'opinion publique à l'assistance humanitaire et à la nécessité de soutenir ces actions partout dans le monde.
Un don même minime peut représenter beaucoup s'il est bien utilisé sur le terrain.
"Les travailleurs humanitaires sont ceux que nous dépêchons sur place pour montrer notre solidarité avec ceux qui souffrent. Ils représentent ce qu’il y a de meilleur dans la nature humaine mais leur travail est dangereux..."
M. Ban Ki-moon, Secrétaire général de l'ONU
Journée mondiale de l'aide humanitaire 2010  (réf: http://www.journee-mondiale.com/246/journee-mondiale-de-l-aide-humanitaire.htm



In memory of Sergio Vieira de Mello (1948-2003)


The United Nations General Assembly has designated 19 August as “World Humanitarian Day” to pay tribute to aid workers in humanitarian service in difficult and often dangerous conditions.  19 August was designated in memory of the 19 August 2003 bombing of the UN office building in Baghdad, Iraq in which Sergio Vieira de Mello,  UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and at the time Special Representative of the UN Secretary General was killed along with 21 UN staff members. Over 200 UN employees were injured. The exact circumstances of the attack are not known, and why USA and UN security around the building was not tighter is still not clear. A truck with explosives was able to dive next to the building and then blew itself up.
Sergio de Mellow had spent his UN career in humanitarian efforts, often with the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees and at other  times as Special Representative of the UN Secretary General. As an NGO representative to the UN in Geneva and active on human rights issues, I knew him during his short 2002-2003 tenure as High Commissioner for Human Rights. Many of us had high hopes that his dynamism, relative youth (he was 54) and wide experience in conflict resolution efforts would provide new possibilities for human rights efforts. His death along with the death of others who had been Geneva-based was a stark reminder of the risks that exist for all engaged in humanitarian and conflict resolution work.
This year the risks and dangers are not just memories but are daily news. On 3 May 2016, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2286 calling for greater protection for health care institutions and personnel in light of recent attacks against hospitals and clinics in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Afghanistan.  These attacks on medical facilities are too frequent to be considered “collateral damage.” The attacks indicate a dangerous trend of non-compliance with world law by both State and non- State agents.  The protection of medical personnel and the  treatment of all the wounded − both allies and enemies − goes back to the start of humanitarian law.
wc00The Association of World Citizens has stressed the need for accountability, including by investigation of alleged violations of the laws of war.  The grave violations by the Islamic State (ISIS) must be protested by as wide a coalition of concerned voices as possible. There is a real danger that as ISIS disintegrates and no longer controls as much territory, it will increase terrorist actions.
The laws of war, now more often called humanitarian law, have two wings, one dealing with the treatment of medical personnel in armed conflict situations, the military wounded, prisoners of war, and the protection of civilians. This wing is represented by the Geneva (Red Cross) Conventions. The second wing, often called The Hague Conventions limit or ban outright the use of certain categories of weapons. These  efforts began at The Hague with the 1900 peace conferences and have continued even if the more recent limitations on land mines, cluster weapons and chemical weapons have been negotiated elsewhere.
human02_400The ban on the use of weapons are binding only on States which have ratified the convention. Thus the current use of USA-made cluster weapons in Yemen by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition is, in a narrow sense, legal as the USA, Saudi Arabia and Yemen have not signed the cluster weapon ban. The Association of World Citizens was one of the NGOs leading the campaign against cluster weapons. My position is that when a large number of States ratify a convention (which is the case for the cluster-weapons ban) then the convention becomes world law and so must be followed by all States and non-State actors even if they have not signed or ratified the convention. The same holds true for the use of land mines currently being widely used by ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
The current situation concerning refugees and internally-displaced persons can also be considered as part of humanitarian law.  Thus those working with refugees and the displaced within their country are also to be honored by the World Humanitarian Day.  To prevent and alleviate human suffering, to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the human person − these are the core values of humanitarian law.
There needs to be a wide public outcry in the defense of humanitarian law so that violations can be reduced. The time for action is now.
 ************************************************
Rene Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens

vendredi 12 août 2016

Un parlement mondial maintenant




Laissons le peuple décider - Un parlement mondial maintenant !
Si vous pensez que notre système politique actuel est inadapté pour faire face aux défis mondiaux croissants, vous n’êtes pas seul ! Rejoignez notre semaine d’action du 20 au 30 Octobre pour appeler à la création d’un Parlement mondial qui permettra à tous les citoyens d’être réellement représentés.











Pour rappel:  http://www.uef.fr/semaine-mondiale-d-action-pour-un-parlement-mondial-17-26-octobre-2014