Catégorie : World People

Linked with our presentation of Mohawks pass into another millennium.

Linked also with our presentation of an Indigenous Approach on Bridging the Digital Divide.

Kenneth Deer – Mohawk Nation, Canada. His Mohawk’s name is Atsenhaienton, which means “The fire still burns”.

On the Preparatory Committee of the World Summit he writes: We the Indigenous Peoples affirm our right to be part of the global information society on our own terms. However, the information society that is currently evolving has become another instrument for colonizing, assimilating and marginalizing Indigenous Peoples in a new and subtle way. We therefore emphasize that our participation in the building and implementing of the information society must be based on our right to self-determination and the recognition of our cultural diversity and distinctiveness as Indigenous Peoples.

We need to be represented with our own visions, philosophies and concepts on the conceptual framework of the information society and any action plan for its implementation. Moreover, our full and effective participation in the evolution of the information society must take place in equal partnership with its non-indigenous actors. We stress that we have the right to shape our future without the risk of losing our cultural identity. The information society and its four elements; knowledge, information, communications and ICTs, are cultural concept and expressions. Accordingly, our own culturally defined approaches, protocols, proceedings and obligations have to be respected by non-indigenous actors when implementing the information society. (KENNETH DEER, Mohawk).

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Linked with our presentation of DEPDC – Thailand.

The Shame: As the gap between rich and poor grows wider, destitute Asians are increasingly selling their most valuable property: their children. Accross Asia, tens of thousands of children from poor families are being sold into slavery, so that customers can use them as prostitutes, as laborers. Time surveys the lives of the region’s youngest victims.

Sompop Jantraka – Thailand

Their families sell them, and then SOMPOP JANTRAKA finds a life for Thailand’s army of female sex slaves. He is the founder and director of DEPDC, Development Education Programme for Daughters and Communities, which has been highlighted by the Skoll foundation in their New Heroes documentary series. The New Heroes is a PBS documentary series that will air on all national television on Tuesday, June 28th and Tuesday, July 5th. Hosted by Robert Redford, the new Heroes tell 12 dramatic stories of daring social entrepreneurs around the globe that focused on self-sustaining programs that gave long-term results for their target populations. (See the new Heroes).

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The appointment in July 2005 of a woman, Laurence Parisot, to head the Medef, le Mouvement des Entreprises de France, the country’s leading employers’ association, was a minor revolution. Her election is the « symbol of a modernity and boldness that was not necessarily expected of France’s employers », declared her predecessor, Ernest-Antoine Seillière; and Laurence Parisot is already flaunting her difference by her style: T-shirt and trousers, short hair, no make-up, we are a long way from the traditional « suit, tie and cigar » associated with the boss. But it is above all in her attitude that she is breaking new ground. « I define myself as a liberal, » she goes so far as to declare, when « this word has become a swearword in France », as one boss has whispered.

Laurence Parisot – France

But Laurence Parisot is setting out « to prove that liberal does not mean antisocial » and to do it by « explaining the economy to the French ». Her credo: « When business wins, everyone wins », and she is demanding greater flexibility in the labour market and tax cuts. « Life, health, love are insecure, why should work not be subject to the same law? », she ventures to ask. Her formula? « What’s good is what works. » (Read the rest of this article on www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/ ).

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Linked with our presentation of Sanctioning of Iran by Iranians.

She is a Visiting Scholar, Department of Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.

She joins the statement: Censorship is obscene, not women.

Golbarg Bashi – USA & Iran

She writes: I travelled to Iran the same year that Shirin Ebadi was awarded the Noble Peace Prize and
Zahra Kazemi was murdered in the dungeons of the Islamic Republic – the year was 2003. The two women who made Iran headline news in 2003 were from the same generation of feminist activists; Shirin Ebadi participating in the Reform movement as a human rights activist and lawyer, and Zahra Kazemi as a Canada-based photographer covering demonstrations in support of the Reform movement. Ebadi, a former judge, had helped change Iranian law to grant mothers custody of their sons until the age of seven (previously it was two), and raise the minimum age of marriage to 13 for girls and 15 for boys. Kazemi was audaciously in the streets taking photographs of the newfound hope the Reform movement had installed in Iranian people, now demanding freedom and democracy, for which she was arrested and died after having been subjected to torture and rape. (Read the rest of this long text of 23 pages on ParsTimes.com).

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Linked with our presentation of Human Rights Defenders Project – Bangladesh.

Probir Sikdar is a journalist from Faridpur writing for the Daily Janakantha. On 20 April 2001, during the time of the Awami League government, Probir Sikdar was confronted by a group of men threatening to kill him. While on his way on a motorbike to Faridpur he was stopped by few men who hurled a hand made bomb at him. These men also opened fired at him with their guns, spraying him with bullets and also attacked him with a long knife, attempting to sever his right hand. They then left the scene. He was taken to a hospital in Faridpur and from there to a hospital Dhaka. His left arm became dysfunctional from the knife attack and the doctors amputated his right leg which had been severely injured as a result of bullet wounds. He was later sent to Singapore for further treatment and, as a result, his left arm began to recover its movement. He is now using an artificial limb in place of his amputated leg.

Probir Sikdar – Bangladesh

Why: The attack on Probir Sikdar is believed to have been carried out by men hired by an alleged criminal whom Probir had written about outlining his links to a number of crimes during the liberation war in 1971. Probir also wrote a number of articles opposing terrorism, political crimes, fundamentalism, illegal activities of the government administration and law enforcement agencies of Bangladesh, which have reportedly fuelled further hostility towards him.

Legal Redress: Probir Sikdar’s brother-in-law filed a complaint with the police while Probir was receiving treatment for his critical injuries. The brother-in-law was unaware of all the circumstances of the attack so the complaint did not include the names of the likely culprits. An investigation officer met Probir Sikdar several times in Dhaka. Each time, Probir gave them the names and other information he had about the attackers. However, the names of the suspects were missing from the charge sheet.

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Action alert ! – Linked with our presentations of Centro Integral de Atención a las Mujeres (CIAM), and of Alert for Lydia Cacho Ribeiro – Mexico. And linked with Defending Women-Defending-Rights.org

Help Protect Mexican Women’s Rights Defender: Lydia Cacho Ribeiro, president of the Women’s Assistance Center in Cancun, Mexico, was charged with criminal defamation after implicating prominent businessmen in a child pornography ring. Evidence suggests that the prosecution was initiated to silence her activism on behalf of women and children. If she is convicted, she could face up to four years in prison. Lydia Cacho Riberio is a journalist and writter.

Lydia Cacho Ribeiro – Mexico

Born Mexico City april 1963. She is the daughter of Oscar Cacho, Engineer, and the French Feminist of portuguese origins, Paulette Ribeiro, a psicollogist that worked for more than 40 years in Mexico City as a therapist and an education activist in women´s rights (died 2002).

Lydia Cacho Ribeiro has published more than 1000 news and articles in mexican newspapers and she is Editor of the gender speciallized magazine Esta Boca es Mìa. She has also published pollitical essays, together with the University of Nuevo Leon, the University of Austin, Texas and the Universite Laval in Quebec, Canada.

She published the novel « Las provincias del alma » Ed. Demac 2001. A fiction story based on a true story about a houswife with HIV who dies of AIDS in Cancun, Mexico. Recently Random House-Grijalvo published an investigative report on Child pornography and organized crime. The story of Jean Succar Kuri a lebanesse pedophile who lives in Los Angeles California.

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Linked to IRANIAN PERSONALITIES ON THE ATOMIC CRISIS.

He co-signed an appeal to Iranian authorities on
July 2005 to release immediately Akbar Ganji. See also Akbar Ganji – Iran.

Excerpt: … This conference featured the participation of Ms. Leili Pourzand (Lawyer Women’s Issues researcher), Soudabeh Arghavan (Political Prisoner), Professor Sa’id Mahmoudi, Dr. Ne’mat Ahmadi (Lawyer), Dr. Khosro Shakeri and Mehdi Khanbaba Tehrani, and me. We each gave our views for twenty minutes to the members of the parliament, followed by a question and answer period … read more on Payvand’s Iran News.

..

sorry, no picture available of Mehdi Khanbaba-Tehrani – Europe & Iran

See also Democracy Digest.

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Human Rights Watch writes about Iran: Legal Constraints on Free Expression: The right to free expression is enshrined in the Iranian constitution and in international human rights treaties ratified by Iran. Article 23 of the Iranian constitution holds that “the investigation of individuals’ beliefs is forbidden, and no one may be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief.”177

Article 24 safeguards press freedoms.178

Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Iran ratified in 1975, states, “Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference,” and that “everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.”179

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Zinada Strogalshikova is from the Vepsy indigenous people from Russia and comes from a very humble background. Born in an indigenous setting, as a child she heard the word « education » many times and this made her try her best to go to school. She wanted to be a success and a role model to all other indigenous children in her community. She wanted to make a difference, and most of all make her family proud. She succeeded, and continued to advance her studies to the university level where she studied ethnology in the hope of discovering the indigenous peoples of Russia and helping them.

Zinaida Strogalschikova – Russian Federation / Barents region

She continues her studies and work on the traditional culture of her people, and now works in the scientific center in Carelia, her hometown. Listening to Zinaida, speaking softly but with a lot of power, you see wisdom in her. The Russian indigenous peoples are proud to work closely with her for their advancement in their territories. There are many challenges ahead, especially in that many indigenous peoples do not yet know of the establishment of the Permanent Forum and its objectives. But even the fact of its establishment is very important for indigenous peoples, especially today, when new government policies are being formulated.

map of the Barents region

another Barents region map.

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Linked with our presentations of Dalit Women and Reservation Policy, and also of DALIT WOMEN: The Triple Oppression of Dalit Women in Nepal.

And linked with our presentation of Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) – Nepal

She says: « Nepalese Dalit issue is always hidden in national and international level. We want equal society to live as human beings (not ‘men’). So we want your solidarity to eliminate caste (Untouchability) from society. » (Read more here).

Sorry, I can not find any photo of Durga Sob, Nepal (see also my comment ‘Brave women without photos‘).

She works for the Feminist Dalit Organization.

The hazards, which Dalit women in Nepal are subjected to, are double: one from the caste based socio-economic discrimination of occupational communities they belonged to, and another from the gender based discrimination in the prevailing patriarchal male dominated society. The ramifications of these hazards having direct impacts on their socio-economic and political conditions are even manifold, and have led to their general exclusion from the mainstream of the society they live in. Durga Sob, a noted Dalit woman activist, has even described the prevailing conditions as “the triple oppression” emphasizing the multiplicity of these ramifications occurring in the forms of untouchability, economic exploitation, illiteracy, low-life expectancy, political non-representation, sexual exploitation, slavery and so on. (Read more on NepaDalitInfo).

NGOs call on Member States to adopt Draft Convention on Enforced Disappearance:

Dring the National Seminar on Raising Dalit Participation in Governance: Ms. Durga Sob in her speech expressed during the first session, that the lack of participation of the Dalits, including the Terai Dalits in the governance is the main reason for the backwardness of this community. In the third session Dalit activist and Chairperson of FEDO, Ms. Durga Sob presented her paper on « Dalit Women and Reservation Policy. » In her paper, Ms. Durga Sob stated that the government ignored the problems of the Dalit women. She also said that the protective actions in favour of Dalit women could not be properly implemented. She expressed surprise as to how the Dalit population declined by 3% in the 2001 census. She concluded that since the Dalit women are triple victims from society, males and economic and social conditions, they should be given due participation at different levels through reservation. (Read this long debate about Nepal on Friedrich Ebert Stiftung).

(See National Seminar on Raising Dalit Participation in Governance.

She is Permanent Representative of Guatemala to UNESCO Executive Council, with Portfolios in the PFII: Economic and Social Development; in Education; in Culture; and in Gender and Women’s Issues. She has a Lincence in Educational Administration.

Otilia Lux de Coti – Guatemala

The (UN) Council of the Permanent Forum of Indigenous Peoples’ ten elected, for a three-year term, the following members by acclamation, beginning on January 1, 2005:

Eduardo Aguiar de Almeida (Brazil), Yuri Boychenko (Russian Federation), Njuma Ekundanayo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), William Ralph Joey Langeveldt (South Africa), Otilia Lux de Coti (Guatemala), Ida Nicolaisen (Denmark) and Qin Xiaomei (China). (Read more here, and also here).

She says at an UN press conference on 23 May, 2003: « Indigenous participants proposed more recommendations than denouncements. The Permanent Forum has two principle challenges. The first is to make our recommendations addressed to States and cooperating agencies a reality; the representatives of the Indigenous Peoples of the world have repeatedly said they want to see themselves reflected in the policies that affect them…we all want to see the work of the Permanent Forum receive funding and support. We applaud the joint work of Indigenous Peoples, UN agencies and States. » Otilia Lux de Coti, of Maya Kiche ancestry, emphasizes the collective vision. « In twenty years we want to see this contribute to the alleviation of poverty and eliminate discrimination and move forward to building just and democratic societies. »

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