Auteur/autrice : Heidi Barathieu-Brun

Linked with our presentation of African Women Committee on Peace and Development AWCDP.

She says: « My mission is to see the emancipation of rural women through functional skills development and access to micro-financing to ensure internally generated improvement. »

Specioza Naigaga Wandira Kazibwe was the elected Vice President of Uganda, serving from 1994 until 2003, being the first woman in Africa to hold that position. Dr. Kazibwe has been an advocate for women in their position in Africa. In collaboration with the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, she founded the African Women Committee on Peace and Development (AWCDP) in 1998 to help enable women’s participation in peace and development processes on the continent, an organization which she has chaired. Dr. Kazibwe has also been chair or a member of various national interest groups, including the Senior Women’s Advisory Group on the Environment, the Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited, and the Uganda Women Doctors Association. In 1998, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) awarded her the « Ceres Medal » for her « contribution to food security and poverty eradication » (see wikipedia).

Specioza Kazibwe – Uganda

As Africa’s highest-ranking female politician she tackles wife-beating taboo. She had spoken out about the beatings which she said were responsible for her separation from her husband. Wife-beating is not uncommon in Uganda where culture dictates that a man overrules a woman in every decision in a home. (Read the rest of this article on this page of BBCnews).

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Linked with our presentation of Youthcare International.

Linked also with our presentation of Some reports on Africa and Education.

Mr. Frederick Akhelumele – a Nigerian school teacher who has lived in Austria for many years, founded the organization in August 2002. Since then, Mr. Akhelumele has embarked on a mission to give children in Nigeria and other developing countries a brighter future through the agency of Youthcare International.

Frederick Akhelumele – Nigeria

In the final week of October, 2005, Dr. Rupp and a small team of Austrian sponsors visited Nigeria for four weeks. There they attended the official opening of the Ebhebe Project and experienced the first few weeks of the school in action. Below is a report from Dr. Rupp.

On the 25th November 2005, the school was officially opened in the presence of many important members of the Nigerian society including politicians, religious leaders, educators, doctors etc. Currently the school has eleven highly qualified teachers who instruct the classes according to the West African curriculum. The standard of education is quite high and comparable to European standards. Remedial teaching is also ongoing for a number of children between the ages of 12 and 14, who still cannot read and write properly. Healthy snacks are available to the children during the breaks. The children have often expressed how happy and proud they are to be attending the school. Security is provided by competent watchmen 24 hours per day. Mr. Akhelumele, the founder of Youthcare International, has remained there to teach and supervise the project. The executive directors from the Austrian company « print & more », Mr. Wolfgang Winkler and his wife Mrs. Angelika Winkler donated 2000 schoolbooks. Although start-up has been quite successful and inspiring, we still need a lot of support to sustain the current classes and to implement other vital aspects of the project. These include upgrading the current classes, finishing the kindergarten, completing and outfitting the computer centre, maintaining the remedial teaching programme for children and improving our efforts to disseminate information about AIDS. (Written on 09. Nov. 2005, read more on this page of Youthcare International).

Sorry, but all other informations by Google are only in german.

here these german links:

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Linked with our presentation For a fair sharing of time – Brazil households.

Linked also with our presentation of Women’s Leadership Center, Brazil.

She is the President of the Women’s Leadership Center, Brazil, and she was formerly president of the National Council on Women’s Rights. She is actively engaged in the cause of gender equality for more than thirty years. She was Co-chair of the Brazilian Delegation to the Beijing Women’s Conference. (See worldforum.org).

Rosiska Darcy de Oliveira – Brazil

About her book: A radical proposal that equality between men and women will only be achieved through the acknowledgment of their difference without hierarchy. « In no other book have I learned so much about women in the public sphere as in this impressive essay. In a continent whose culture has been marked by the work of great women from Sor Juana to Rigoberta Menchú-Rosiska Darcy de Oliveira is one of the most outstanding. »-Tomás Eloy Martinez, Rutgers University. Rosiska Darcy de Oliveira is arguably the most influential and visible feminist in Brazil. The emergence of the feminine as a paradigm for social change constitutes the landscape of her essay In Praise of Difference. And here the book: In Praise of Difference, The Emergence of a Global Feminism, Translated and with a preface by Peggy Sharpe, Subject: Women’s Studies/Latin American Studies. Cloth ISBN 0-8135-2557-8, Paperback ISBN 0-8135-2558-6. (See Rutgers Univ. Press, and also Univ of Oklahoma Lib.). Same in Portuguese Elogio Da Diferenca: O Feminino Emergente, 1st edition ISBN: 8511160175.

In the fight against terrorism, citizens have all too often been forgotten. In addition to the state response, the strengthening of civil society is critical in formulating a long-term response to terrorism. During the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security, hold on 8-11 March 2005 in Madrid, they discusses the roles citizens can play in strengthening democracy and countering terrorism. She participated this working group 14 , to examine the impact of terrorism and political violence on civil society. They attempted to define the sometimes delicate relationship between the citizens and the terrorists. See also this page of Safe democracy foundation.

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She said « There are some social obstacles blocking the way of women from reaching judicial positions. But sometimes, the woman herself also hinders her own advancement. Part of it is personal incentive. Any change in the status of women in our country or in other Arab countries to reach a new position always needs a political decision. »

Tagreed Hikmat – Jordan

Tagreed Hikmat, Judge, International Tribunal for Rwanda, Jordan – Judge Tagreed Hikmat was the first female judge appointed in Jordan in 1996. Since then she has served as an Assistant to the Prosecutor General, Judge in the Court of Appeals, and currently as Judge in the Higher Criminal Court in Amman. In 2003, Judge Hikmat was also the first Arab woman judge to be elected to the International Tribunal for Rwanda. Prior to becoming a judge, she was an attorney representing cases in Jordanian civil and criminal courts for fourteen years, from 1982-1996. Judge Hikmat has also been a teacher in Amman from 1965-1978 and served as the Director of the Educational Institute in Amman until starting her career as an attorney. In addition, Judge Hikmat is a member and chairwoman of a number of Jordanian and international human rights and women’s organizations.

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Ayman Abd El-Aziz Nour (Arabic: أيمن عبد العزيز نور) is an Egyptian politician, a former member of that country’s Parliament and chairman of the al-Ghad party (Arabic: حزب الغد « Tomorrow Party »). He became famous around the world following his January 2005 imprisonment by the government of President Hosni Mubarak, which was widely understood as a politically motivated move by the state and caused a lot of internal anger as well as foreign pressure for his release. (Read the rest of this article on wikipedia).

Ayman Abd El-Aziz Nour – Egypt

Latest News on June 1, 2006 – A fire has caused serious damage to the headquarters of imprisoned Egyptian opposition leader Ayman Nour. No-one was injured in the blaze in his offices in the capital, Cairo. The police have said an electrical fault may have been the cause but Mr Nour’s wife suggested that there was evidence of arson. (Read the today’s article on BBC news).

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• 2006-05-01: Aïda Chouk – France;
• 2006-05-02: Snjezana Mulic–Busatlija – Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• 2006-05-03: Irene Rodriguez – Switzerland and Argentinia;
• 2006-05-04: Anat Biletzki – Israel;
• 2006-05-05: Ismat Chughtai – Pakistan-India (1915 – 1991);
• 2006-05-06: Abdullahi Ahmed an-Na’im – Sudan;
• 2006-05-07: Naw Zipporrah Sein – Burma/Myamar;
• 2006-05-08: Nuruddin Farah – Somalia;
• 2006-05-09: Ana Raffai – Croatia;
• 2006-05-10: Irina Yanovskaya – Georgia;
• 2006-05-11: Elahe Sharifpour-Hicks – USA & Iran;
• 2006-05-12: Thomas G. Weiss – USA;
• 2006-05-13: Dora Nkem Akunyili – Nigeria;
• 2006-05-14: Myla Jabilles Leguro – Philippines;
• 2006-05-15: Karen E. Mundy – Canada;
• 2006-05-16: Tarun Tejpal – India;
• 2006-05-17: Douangdeuane Bounyavong – Laos;
• 2006-05-18: Cheshmak Farhoumand-Sims – Canada & Afghanistan;
• 2006-05-19: Editor’s Concern;
• 2006-05-19: Khalida Messaoudi – Algeria;
• 2006-05-20: Bosiljka Schedlich – Germany & Croatia;
• 2006-05-21: Fatoumata Dembélé Diarra – Mali;
• 2006-05-22: Mahnaz Afkhami – Iran;
• 2006-05-23: Rita Thapa – Nepal;
• 2006-05-24: Evaristo Nugkuag Ikanan – Peru;
• 2006-05-25: Willy Randin – Switzerland;
• 2006-05-26: Medha Patkar – India;
• 2006-05-27: Veronica Khosa – South Africa;
• 2006-05-28: Bahey El-Din Hassan – Egypt;
• 2006-05-29: Yan Christian Warinussy – Indonesia ;
• 2006-05-30: Jeremy Corbyn – England;
• 2006-05-31: V. Mohini Giri – India;

Linked with our presentation of Guild of Service – India.

Linked also with our presentation of Transforming Approaches to Conflict Resolution.

She says: « The building of peace is a constructive activity. There is nothing passive about either the concept or the state of peace ».

V. Mohini Giri – India

Dr. V. Mohini Giri has served as Chairperson of the Guild of Service since 1979. Guild of Service is a social service organization which, among its projects, helps the displaced widows of India. Dr. Giri has also served as Founder President of the War Widow Association since 1971 and as Founder Trustee of the Women’s Initiative for Peace in South Asia since 2000. A social activist and leader in the women’s movement, specializing in human rights and gender justice, Dr. Giri is renowned both nationally and internationally for her committed work in empowering women politically, socially, legally and economically.

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Linked with our presentations of Make Poverty History – Treat Humanity properly, and also of Towards a global solidarity. See also Remembering British Unions.

He said about his proudest achievement in parliament since 1997: « The detention of General Pinochet for 503 days in Britain helped to change the political climate in Chile, which means there is now a real prospect of him being put on trial. I am delighted that the government has put so much money into housing repairs, but in a second term they must put money into new council housing in London ».

Jeremy Corbyn – England

In January 2003 he visted the US to conduct and participate to anti-Irak-war demonstrations. See all texts and photos on this page of the Traprock Peace Center.

Excerpt of a debate about War-on-Iraq: … Of the speeches that stick in my memory – obviously Tony Blair’s speech. Not that I agreed with it, in fact I intervened on it. Kenneth Clarke I thought made a very strong case and Chris Smith made I thought a very logical case against the war, and Tam [Dalyell]. It was a day when, while there was a three-line whip on, obviously there was huge pressure being put on, in a sense, with the numbers opposed it would be impossible to completely whip on that. It would have to be done by persuasion. That’s why enormous effort was put into the persuasion of MPs, including alleged threats and dangers, and endless lists of who might vote against, who might abstain. We, at one stage, found we had a list of 200 plus Labour MPs who were possibly going to vote against – and we ended up with a 139, plus Dennis Skinner (who was very ill in hospital and couldn’t be there, but I always include Dennis in the anti vote).

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Linked with our presentation of Statement … The West Papua Case.

And linked with our presentation of Petition Letter the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization.

Indonesia maintains control over West Papua, using military might to deny the indigenous peoples their human rights and silence demands for self-determination. Since its invasion in 1963, an estimated 100,000 Papuans, about 15% of the population, have been killed by Indonesian armed forces and militias. Read more on Canada’s West Papua Action Network.

Mr. Warinussy’s untiring efforts for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in West Papua have made him a role-model for his community and for future generations. Confronted with summary executions, torture, sexual violence and massive appropriation of indigenous land by Indonesia’s armed forces and multinational companies, Mr. Warrinussy works tirelessly towards ending impunity for those who commit these crimes against humanity and the environment of his homeland. (Read more on this page of Pacific Peoples’ Partnership PPP).

Yan Christian Warinussy – Indonesia

2005 John Humphrey Freedom Award – Rights & Democracy is honored to present Papuan human rights activist Yan Christian Warinussy with the 2005 John Humphrey Freedom Award.

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