THE KENYA DEBT RELIEF NETWORK

Linked to our presentation of Moving politics … to the people on January 25, 2006.

Also linked to our presentation of Wahu Kaara – Kenya on January 25, 2006.

The Network’s first activity was a debt procession in April 2000 in Nairobi. The procession was to raise awareness among citizens, the government and international financial institutions on the impact the heavy debt burden has on the provision of social services and to expose the bad economic governance that exist in the government as well as in the international financial institutions.
The procession was considered a threat by the government and was crushed by the police who later arraigned the network members and their supporters to court.

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NIDG – Network Institute for Democratic Globalisation

NIGD aims at promoting global democratization by producing and developing emancipatory knowledge for democratic movements, organizations and states. NIGD’s work is based on the conviction that globalization as coming-together-of-humanity must be based on cross-cultural dialogue concerning both philosophical fundamentals and concrete reform proposals. NIGD projects are usually joint endeavours with a number of partners from the global south.

NIGD operates from Helsinki, Finland, and Lima, Peru. NIGD was founded in Helsinki in 1997, according to the Finnish law on public associations. It emerged from the Finnish follow-up process (1995-1997) to the UN Secretary-General’s annual reports on democratization. In 1998 – 2002, NIGD received annual funding from the Nottingham Trent University, UK, which has also been the site for many of NIGD’s activities. In addition, and since 2002, NIGD’s activities have been funded projectwise.

NIGD conducts research, publishes Discussion and Working Papers and organises workshops, seminars, and conferences. Consultancy work is also among NIGD’s activities.

NIGD has been involved in transnational campaigns, for instance for a currency transactions tax and, more generally, for global democratization. NIGD aims at strengthening global civil society and is also a founding member of the International Council of the World Social Forum.

See them at the WSF 2006 in Bamako, Caracas and Karachi.

See the rest on their site by above link.

The Civil Society after WSIS

A conference, entitled where to go from Tunis will be held on February 21-22 2006 in Copenhagen, in the National museum of Denmark. Discussed will be the impact of WSIS Tunis on global development in general, and specially in the future of the information society.

How to insure that ICTs become a real source of development, what will be the role of the Civil Society in the implementation of the Tunis results.

The themes: national ICT stategies; local access to ITC; Human Rights and ICT; International follow-up mechanism to the WSIS-process – with special focus on the Internet Governance Forum and the ECOSOC Commission on Science and Technology.

Participation on the conference is free of charge, lunch and refreshments are included.

Information and register on www.una.dk/wsis, or contact Ms. Jane Johnsen at jane@una.dk.

Kurdistan Save the Children (KSC)

Linked to our presentation of Hero Ahmad – Iraq on January 19, 2006.

Kurdistan Save the Children (KSC) is a Kurdish, non-governmental, children’s organization, founded in 1991 by Mrs Hero Ahmed Talabani. We work for the benefit of all children, and run projects nationwide to improve, develop, and support the lives of children.

We work mainly in Iraqi Kurdistan, but as the need for help is enormous in central and southern Iraq, we have also extended some of the activities to include Baghdad, Kirkuk, and other areas liberated since the Iraqi liberation Operation. We plan to extend into the whole country in the near future, but the speed of development depends on the security situation.

Our main office is in the city of Sulaimaniya in Iraqi Kurdistan. We are also registered in the UK under the name of Kurdistan Children’s Fund (KCF). The office in London handles our various matters: finance, administration, distance sponsorship, fund-raising and recruitment.

Due to the confusion in this country, between the name of our charity and that of ‘Save the Children-UK’, ‘Kurdistan Save the Children in the UK’ (KSC) was changed into ‘Kurdistan Children’s Fund’ (KCF). Ever since, the organisation has consisted of two parts with different names, but both working for the same cause. KCF is the international, London based fundraiser, while KSC works as the local implementing partner and fundraiser in Kurdistan.

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Human Rights Watch

Added December 13, 2008: linked with Kenneth Roth – USA, with After Guantánamo; with Cop violence up due to the culture of impunity, and with The price of rights.

One of the important NGOs of these times has proven his value by publishing last November the report about CIA camps of torture in East-Europe. As often, the big medias had not jumped on the news, as it came ‘only’ from an NGO.

Now these days in January, our german speaking Swiss journal for dead dogs, the Sonntagsblick, published a paper out of the Intelligence group world (a fax from Egypt to the British office), unfortunately not cripted, and other Intelligend Groups like the Swiss capted it.

No official statement, declaration, reaction or information. Now our dead dog press had his day, as the same news out of a governmental leack is much more worth than given by the NGO world. Now the European big medias are jumping high.

In any way: thanks to Human Rights Watch. See their recent pages about Tortures and Abuses.

See also our different January pages of our World Peoples Blog, and our blog Humanitarian Texts.

Committee for Freedom of Speech and Expression – Uzbekistan

Linked to our presentation of Mutabar Tadjibayeva – Uzbekistan on January 15, 2006.

The Website of the Committee for Freedom of Speech and Expression, Uzbekistan is actually unavailable.

Derechos.org, a NGO defending Human Rights, writes about the Freedom of Speak and Expression: this is one of the most fundamental rights that individuals enjoy. It is fundamental to the existence of democracy and the respect of human dignity. It is also one of the most dangerous rights, because freedom of expression means the freedom to express one’s discontent with the status quo and the desire to change it. As such, it is one of the most threatened rights, with governments – and even human rights groups – all over the world constantly trying to curtail it’. … This page is just being born, but in the future we hope to provide you with thorough information about what freedom of speech means, why it is important to protect it and what are the attempts to curtail it. Meanwhile we hope you find the information we do offer useful … (Read here more of this article).

links:

blogrunner;

reporters without borders;

Again: op-icescr & NGOs

Linked to our presentation of Manfred Nowak on January 10, 2006:

Also linked to our presentation of Special Rapporteur on Torture on January 10, 2006.

It is again time for action: Found on choike.org (a best source for human rights informations), this anouncement – from Monday 6 to Friday 17 February 2006, governments and civil society representatives are meeting in Geneva to discuss future work on the development of an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).The meeting of this « Open-Ended Working Group » will report back to the Commission on Human Rights in its upcoming session (15 March to 23 April 2004), with recommendations for future actions on the development of the Optional Protocol, an individual complaint procedure to the ICESCR.

The meeting is a pivotal point in the campaign for the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR in determining whether governments move forward towards drafting – and ultimately adopting – the Optional Protocol. Four of the six international human rights treaties currently have Optional Protocols. An Optional Protocol to the ICESCR, similar to the one that has been in place for 25 years under the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), is important for ensuring that full recognition is accorded to economic, social and cultural rights.

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Women Living under Muslim Laws WLUML

Linked to our presentation of Zazi Sadou – Algeria on January 5, 2006. And also linked to our presentation of Shadow Report on Algeria on the same date.

About us: WLUML, Women Living Under Muslim Laws is an international solidarity network that provides information, support and a collective space for women whose lives are shaped, conditioned or governed by laws and customs said to derive from Islam.

For more than two decades WLUML has linked individual women and organisations. It now extends to more than 70 countries ranging from South Africa to Uzbekistan, Senegal to Indonesia and Brazil to France.

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International Campaign to Ban Landmines ICBL

Linked to our presentation of Jemma Hasratyan – Armenia on January 2, 2006.

Also linked to our presentation of The History of Anti-Landmine Efforts on January 2, 2006.

International Campaign to Ban Landmines ICBL – Since it was formally launched by six nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in 1992, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) has remained focused on its call for a ban on the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of antipersonnel mines, and for increased resources for mine clearance and victim assistance. The ICBL is a broad-based coalition of over 1,400 organizations in 90 countries worldwide, coordinated by a committee of thirteen member organizations and a staff of six.[1]

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Armenian Association of Women with University Education

Linked to our presentation of Jemma Hasratyan – Armenia on January 2, 2006.

Armenian Association of Women with University Education – Armenia. Contact: aawue@arminco.com. The Armenian Association of Women with University Education (AAWUE) works to support the advancement of women in Armenia. AAWUE offers a two-year program to educate and train the next generation of women leaders of Armenia, and to inform the public about the integral relationship between human rights, women’s rights, and civic activism in a democratic society. The program provides training at both the beginning and advanced levels for women activists. Dr. Jemma Hasratyan is the President.

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Lawyers without Borders

Linked to our presentation of Luc Walleyn – Belgium on December 30, 2005.

They write about themselves: ‘We are the world’s largest organization of volunteers lawyers committed to providing pro bono services to Rule of Law initiatives, Human Rights work, and non-gemental organizations from around the world’.

Go to their website to read more.

Blue Star Church – USA

Linked to our presentation of Rev. Mother Mary Elizabeth Thunder – USA on December 27, 2005.

The Church of the Blue Star came forth from a Vision of Thunder and her Elders in 1988. At that time, a non profit entity called Blue Star Inc. was born in the State of Texas. At that same time, a Church was formed and sanctioned by the State of Texas called the Church of the Blue Star. Since 1988, the head of the Blue Star Church has been and continues to be Rev Mother Mary Elizabeth Thunder.

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Center for Human Ecology Study of Highlands CHESH – Viet Nam

Linked to our presentation of Tran Thi Lanh on December 26, 2005.

Center for Human Ecology Study of Highlands (CHESH), Viet Nam, linked to our presentation of Tram Thi Lanh, December 26, 2005.

Read here the Report of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations on its eighteenth session.

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Afghan Institute of Learning AIL – Creating Hope International CHI

Linked to our presentation of Sakena Lida Yacoobi on December 24, 2005.

AIL Afghan Institute of Learning is committed to bringing peace and dignity to Afghan people as they struggle to overcome oppression, devastation, and injustice wrought by the last quarter century of war and instability.

Discussing Afghan Women Group

AIL’s internationally recognized work is improving the health and education of Afghan women and children, relieving their suffering after three decades of war and civil strife, and enhancing the quality of their lives.

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