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Peace & nonviolence
• Peace is the most powerful weapons that we posses, says Mandela“There is danger in military actions such as we saw in the case of Iraq and Kosovo when powerful nations acted unilaterally and in defiance of international convention. To the extent that world peace depends on respect for the authority of our international institutions, such actions are indeed a danger to peace because they undermine that authority. They send a message that the powerful will police the world. From there it is only a step to chaos in world affairs, as power is substituted for the security of collective and democratic decision.”
• Browse this interesting site, with a new exciting CD about Gandhi. Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal – a very comprehensive site. A Multimedia CD on Mahatma Gandhi: Interactive Multimedia, over 550 Photographs, 30 minutes of film footage, 15 minute of Gandhiji’s voice, Collected works of Mahatma Gandhi, more than 50,000 pages.
• Militarism – a Facilitator for Globalization A peace organization like WILPF has to renew its commitment to the principles of anti-militarism and at the same time develop further concrete proposals for the establishment of an international peace order. To get involved in the expansion of instruments of peaceful conflict resolution and collective security, so conflicts can be dealt with on an international level in a civil way. The search and demand for a constructive peace, as an integral structure of a sustainable international order, becomes more and more important. It is essential to think about the conditions for peaceful settlements of conflicts within states and on international level.
• The 2000 Review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty. A World Conference On nuclear disarmament, at the UN in New York, April 24 – May 29. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom is working through this initiative to support and encourage effective preparation for and participation in the 2000 Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty at the UN. This is a comprehensive, very professional site!
• Women and a Culture of Peace The Women and a Culture of Peace Homepage – with links also to many Culture of Peace sites, UN resolutions, Manifesto 2000, news and intercultural dialogues.
• Coalition for Global Solidarity – WSSD+5 For one week in Geneva, June 2000, the World Summit for Social Development+5 will bring together representatives of the UN and other international bodies, heads of state and government, and NGOs and citizens groups in a forum in which people from all levels of society, from all around the world, will come together to address the core challenges to social, cultural, political and economic development and human security at the dawn of the new millennium. Their goal, to work together to seek ways to overcome poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion, globally, and within each country of the world. The Norwegian People’s Aid’s (NPA) site.
Armament and the new Cold War
• The United States WANTS Russia to keep its nuclear warheads Great talking points on the ABM Treaty and the National Missile Defense (NMD) system that Clinton insists on developing. From the highly respected Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists which says: “You would think that 10 years after the end of the Cold War, the United States would be doing everything it could to get Russia to reduce its bloated, aging, and dangerous arsenal of approximately 6,000 deployed strategic nuclear warheads. You would be wrong…”
• India is not the most dangerous in the world The Times of India takes a look at the annual report of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, IISS, in London. “The latest survey has lost some of the earlier optimism of the institute experts who were seeing a glimmer of light after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of one of the two superpowers. Thus if one goes by the assessment, the world as a whole is becoming a more dangerous place.”
• The Weekly Defense Monitor The latest issue of this service from the Centre for Defense Information deals with what the objectives of U.S. foreign policy and military interventionism should be; with the price of a limited missile defence, and reflects on the parallels between the Korea and Vietnam wars.
Globalization – imperialism
• Samir Amin’s turn-of-the century analysis – a must read in the age of “globalization” The ratio used to measure inequality in the capitalist world (1 to 20 toward 1900; 1 to 30 in 1954-48; 1 to 60 at the end of the post-war growth spurt) increased sharply: the wealthiest 20 per cent of humanity increased their share of the global product from 60 to 80 per cent during the two last decades of this century –globalization has been fortunate for some. For the vast majority –notably, for the peoples of the South, subjected to unilateral structural adjustment policies, and those of the East, locked into dramatic involutions –it has been a disaster. (Takes some time to access).
• United Nations Development Programme, UNDP “Governance Tools” An excellent gateway to capacity development, globalization and debt, gender in governance, human rights, conflict-resolution, reconciliation, accountability, global resources network, governance in post-conflict situations, etc.
• Rugova, moderate Albanian leader, warns war and wants Greater Albania Moderate Kosovar leader Ibrahim Rugova warned the Yugoslavian province could find itself again at war if it is not granted independence, in an interview with Der Spiegel magazine. The ethnic Albanian leader also backed the controversial notion of a “Greater Albania.” But:
• British diplomats train elite-in-waiting to take over after Milosevic. British diplomats are training a Yugoslav élite-in-waiting to oversee the country’s transformation to a civil society after the Milosevic regime falls. Senior Serbian figures in professional fields such as the military, law enforcement and academia are being brought to Budapest in neighbouring Hungary to design a blueprint for post-Milosevic Serbia, and prepare for the country’s re-integration into Europe. The New Serbia Forum, an initiative funded by the Foreign Office.
• How it is done: Taking over the Trepca mines: Plans and Propaganda Comparison of two documents, a November 1999 International Crisis Group (ICG) paper on the Trepca mining complex, and a February 2000 article in the Toronto Star by ICG consultant Susan Blaustein, provides an exceptionally clear glimpse into the workings of the “international community.” By Diana Johnstone (2-28-00).
• Doubts over UN ‘blending zone’ plan for Mitrovica The United Nations hopes to create an “ethnic-blending zone” in the centre of the divided city of Mitrovica in the latest attempt to overcome the hostilities between Serbs and ethnic Albanians. Deep divisions: ethnic tensions run high in the city of Mitrovica The initiative is part of an ambitious plan that envisages returning ethnic Albanians to the Serb-held north and constructing a new footbridge across the front-line River Ibar.But leaders of the city’s Serbs gave warning that there would be “war” if any Albanians returned, and a Nato officer said the plan was unworkable. By Julius Strauss in Mitrovica.
• West abandons dream of unified Kosovo and coexistence A year after Nato’s intervention, the West’s dream of Serbs and Albanians living together in Kosovo is dead. Diplomats openly concede that monoethnic cantons are the only solution to the province’s intractable hatred.
• Stratfor’s eminent “Kosovo One Year Later” Analysis Nine months after the war, the West faces a choice. It can increase its grip on Kosovo, committing more troops and confronting the KLA, or the alliance can resign itself to losing control of Kosovo.
What was the truth then? What is it today?
• Media Channel’s “Covering Vietnam” – the media’s role then.The a Channel has brought together an excellent selection of authors on “Vietnam: Perception, Revisited” – Philip Knightley, Danny Schechter, Edward Herman, Gilbert Manda, Peter Arrnett. How do they look back upon what happened and what we were told happened? What is war reporting then and now? What do you think we will say 25 years ahead about what we were told about, say, the bombing of Yugoslavia?
• Virtual lessons of the bombing of Yugoslavia One year on, what are the lessons of Kosovo, asks Michael Ignatieff? If future wars are virtual wars, requiring not mobilization and sacrifice, but virtual consent in the name of virtual values, then increasingly democracies may be willing to fight. This is why we need proper checks and balances to ensure the legitimacy of such wars.
The US as a world order problem
• Edward Said reflects on American injusticeIt is the organized, legalized cruelty and injustice of the American system that many of the country’s citizens actually cherish and, in this electoral season, want their candidates to defend and support, not just the cynical machismo of its random acts of violence like the gratuitous bombing of Sudan or last spring’s sadistic offensive against Serbia. Consider the following: a recently released report reveals that, with five per cent of the world’s population, the US at the same time contains 25 per cent of the world’s population of prisoners. Two million Americans are held in jails, of whom well over 45 per cent are African American, a number that is disproportionately higher than the black population itself…
• Oscar Arias’ Harsh Words for the US I tell my friends in Washington that it is time for the United States not only to be the military superpower it is, or the economic superpower it is, but also the moral superpower that it should be. . . . And it is not [a moral superpower] because its value system is wrong. That is for the U.S. to deal with: . . . so much greed, so much cynicism, so much hypocrisy, so much individualistic values. These values need to be replaced by more solidarity, by more compassion, by justice. . . . I don’t think we can really enjoy a more peaceful 21st century with the value system of the 20th century. Certainly, if you want to be that city up on the hill for the rest of the world to look at you with admiration, you need to change your value system.
Humanism, human rights and “humanitarian” intervention
• Compassionate killing. Can wars be fought for humanitarian reasons? Somalia 1992 . . . Haiti 1994 . . . Bosnia 1996 . . . Kosovo 1999 . . . The “humanitarian” military campaign has become a distinctive feature of U.S. foreign policy in recent years. But is it really humanitarian? Not at all, writes Noam Chomsky in his new book, The New Military Humanism (Common Courage Press).
• Sudan – The human price of oil Massive human rights violations by Sudanese security forces, various government allied militias and armed opposition groups, are clearly linked to foreign companies’ oil operations, Amnesty International stated as it released its report Sudan: The human price of oil today. “The civilian population living in oil fields and surrounding areas has been deliberately targeted for massive human rights abuses — forced displacement, aerial bombardments, strafing villages from helicopter gunships, unlawful killings, torture including rape and abduction,” said Maina Kiai, Amnesty International’s Director for Africa. “Foreign companies* are turning a blind eye…”
• It could soon affect the whole world… Falling water tables in China May soon raise food prices everywhere. Alert from the Worldwatch Institute’s director Lester R. Brown. Ask yourself how many more people around the world would NOT be able to buy more expensive food…
“En dag som berättigar till fest”, utropade den London-baserade al-Quds al-Arabi efter FN:s eldupphörresolution, “eftersom detta är första gången som Israel accepterar ett FN-beslut från en position som besegrad och inte som segrare”. Att ett arabisk-israeliskt krig för en gångs skull slutat med arabisk seger, är en helt dominerade åsikt i arabiska medier. Al-Quds al-Arabi tillåter sig att drömma om att det israeliska nederlaget skall leda till massflykt från Israel. Men i nästa andetag påminner tidningen om att Israel aldrig brukar genomföra sina internationella åtaganden och varnar för att förlorarna, liksom tidigare, kan hämnas genom att provocera fram inbördeskrig i Libanon. Med tanke på de otaliga massmediala vittnesmålen om det libanesiska folkets eniga motståndskraft förefaller risken för inre stridigheter i det sargade landet just nu liten. Men visst kan man urskilja nyansskillnader i libanesiska tidningar. Vänsterorganet al-Safir uppfattar FN-resolutionen som en komplott i syfte att rädda Israel från ännu större...
A donors’ conference, co-sponsered by the Burundian government, the Belgian government and UNDP will be held in Brussels January 12-13, 2004. This PressInfo offers a perspective on its urgency. See also TFF’s new Burundi Forum. Imagine for a moment that politics is about goodness and generosity. Where could a few million dollars of government aid and a few civil society organisations – guaranteed – win the hearts of extremely poor millions who want peace and already work hard to achieve it after 10 years of war and genocide? The answer is Burundi, the heart-shaped country in the heart of Africa. Burundi makes a good story from Africa. But what does the world know about Burundi, its problems and struggles? Burundi’s tough reality Here are the basic facts. Burundi’s population is about 7 million and it is number 171 out of the 175 countries on the UNDP’s human development index. Their life...
Peace is promoted by constructive proposals and dialogue Four preceding PressInfos have expressed concern over — and criticised — the ongoing, militarisation of the EU. Some will say: but there are no alternatives. We believe that there are always alternatives, that democracies are characterised by alternatives and choice, and that openly discussed alternatives will improve the quality and legitimacy of society’s decision–making. In addition, it is an intellectual and moral challenge to not only criticise but also be constructive. If we only tell people that we think they are wrong, they are not likely to listen. However, if we say: what are your views on this set of ideas and steps? — we may sometimes engage them in dialogue and sow a seed. Most people in power circles live their daily lives in in a time frame and a social space where certain ideas, viewpoints and concepts are just not...
“En dag som berättigar till fest”, utropade den London-baserade al-Quds al-Arabi efter FN:s eldupphörresolution, “eftersom detta är första gången som Israel accepterar ett FN-beslut från en position som besegrad och inte som segrare”. Att ett arabisk-israeliskt krig för en gångs skull slutat med arabisk seger, är en helt dominerade åsikt i arabiska medier. Al-Quds al-Arabi tillåter sig att drömma om att det israeliska nederlaget skall leda till massflykt från Israel. Men i nästa andetag påminner tidningen om att Israel aldrig brukar genomföra sina internationella åtaganden och varnar för att förlorarna, liksom tidigare, kan hämnas genom att provocera fram inbördeskrig i Libanon. Med tanke på de otaliga massmediala vittnesmålen om det libanesiska folkets eniga motståndskraft förefaller risken för inre stridigheter i det sargade landet just nu liten. Men visst kan man urskilja nyansskillnader i libanesiska tidningar. Vänsterorganet al-Safir uppfattar FN-resolutionen som en komplott i syfte att rädda Israel från ännu större...
Greenland – the world’s largest island, a continent of its own with only 57.000 inhabitants. I visited it for the first time in May 2005. I flew across the inland ice to Nuuk, the tiny capital with some 14.000 inhabitants. I was overwhelmed by the pride and kindness of everyone I met as well as by the unique natural beauty. Unfortunately, due to weather conditions during my ten-day stay I could get nowhere else but Nuuk. Fortunately, however, among those I met was Gitte Arvegaard, a Danish lawyer and negotiator employed by the local government, Greenland Home Rule. She turned out to be an enthusiastic photographer with a lot of pictures taken during various trips around Greenland. So this Greeland series is the result of our cooperative effort. We both hope you enjoy it and are stimulated to visit Greenland – about which you may read more here. Finally, if you want to...
Jan Oberg’s storyof how he met Sir Paul Liverpool – where else to meet Paul McCartney? Paul’s old class mate and TFF Associate, Jonathan Power introduced me to Paul McCartney in Liverpool at an informal reception. It was held at what used to be their school, now the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and we were there to celebrate that Jonathan had written Amnesty International’s 40th Anniversary book. This happy event for “righting wrongs and writing songs” gave me an opportunity to meet Paul and tell him about TFF and get straight to the matter: would he consider making a donation in support of our work for peace? While I was probably the only one with such a wish that day, I was certainly not the only one who wanted to shake hands and talk with him. In the last minutes before Paul was to leave, Jonathan brought us together and we got about three...
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“En dag som berättigar till fest”, utropade den London-baserade al-Quds al-Arabi efter FN:s eldupphörresolution, “eftersom detta är första gången som Israel accepterar ett FN-beslut från en position som besegrad och inte som segrare”. Att ett arabisk-israeliskt krig för en gångs skull slutat med arabisk seger, är en helt dominerade åsikt i arabiska medier. Al-Quds al-Arabi tillåter sig att drömma om att det israeliska nederlaget skall leda till massflykt från Israel. Men i nästa andetag påminner tidningen om att Israel aldrig brukar genomföra sina internationella åtaganden och varnar för att förlorarna, liksom tidigare, kan hämnas genom att provocera fram inbördeskrig i Libanon. Med tanke på de otaliga massmediala vittnesmålen om det libanesiska folkets eniga motståndskraft förefaller risken för inre stridigheter i det sargade landet just nu liten. Men visst kan man urskilja nyansskillnader i libanesiska tidningar. Vänsterorganet al-Safir uppfattar FN-resolutionen som en komplott i syfte att rädda Israel från ännu större...
Greenland – the world’s largest island, a continent of its own with only 57.000 inhabitants. I visited it for the first time in May 2005. I flew across the inland ice to Nuuk, the tiny capital with some 14.000 inhabitants. I was overwhelmed by the pride and kindness of everyone I met as well as by the unique natural beauty. Unfortunately, due to weather conditions during my ten-day stay I could get nowhere else but Nuuk. Fortunately, however, among those I met was Gitte Arvegaard, a Danish lawyer and negotiator employed by the local government, Greenland Home Rule. She turned out to be an enthusiastic photographer with a lot of pictures taken during various trips around Greenland. So this Greeland series is the result of our cooperative effort. We both hope you enjoy it and are stimulated to visit Greenland – about which you may read more here. Finally, if you want to...
Jan Oberg’s storyof how he met Sir Paul Liverpool – where else to meet Paul McCartney? Paul’s old class mate and TFF Associate, Jonathan Power introduced me to Paul McCartney in Liverpool at an informal reception. It was held at what used to be their school, now the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and we were there to celebrate that Jonathan had written Amnesty International’s 40th Anniversary book. This happy event for “righting wrongs and writing songs” gave me an opportunity to meet Paul and tell him about TFF and get straight to the matter: would he consider making a donation in support of our work for peace? While I was probably the only one with such a wish that day, I was certainly not the only one who wanted to shake hands and talk with him. In the last minutes before Paul was to leave, Jonathan brought us together and we got about three...
“En dag som berättigar till fest”, utropade den London-baserade al-Quds al-Arabi efter FN:s eldupphörresolution, “eftersom detta är första gången som Israel accepterar ett FN-beslut från en position som besegrad och inte som segrare”. Att ett arabisk-israeliskt krig för en gångs skull slutat med arabisk seger, är en helt dominerade åsikt i arabiska medier. Al-Quds al-Arabi tillåter sig att drömma om att det israeliska nederlaget skall leda till massflykt från Israel. Men i nästa andetag påminner tidningen om att Israel aldrig brukar genomföra sina internationella åtaganden och varnar för att förlorarna, liksom tidigare, kan hämnas genom att provocera fram inbördeskrig i Libanon. Med tanke på de otaliga massmediala vittnesmålen om det libanesiska folkets eniga motståndskraft förefaller risken för inre stridigheter i det sargade landet just nu liten. Men visst kan man urskilja nyansskillnader i libanesiska tidningar. Vänsterorganet al-Safir uppfattar FN-resolutionen som en komplott i syfte att rädda Israel från ännu större...
Greenland – the world’s largest island, a continent of its own with only 57.000 inhabitants. I visited it for the first time in May 2005. I flew across the inland ice to Nuuk, the tiny capital with some 14.000 inhabitants. I was overwhelmed by the pride and kindness of everyone I met as well as by the unique natural beauty. Unfortunately, due to weather conditions during my ten-day stay I could get nowhere else but Nuuk. Fortunately, however, among those I met was Gitte Arvegaard, a Danish lawyer and negotiator employed by the local government, Greenland Home Rule. She turned out to be an enthusiastic photographer with a lot of pictures taken during various trips around Greenland. So this Greeland series is the result of our cooperative effort. We both hope you enjoy it and are stimulated to visit Greenland – about which you may read more here. Finally, if you want to...
Jan Oberg’s storyof how he met Sir Paul Liverpool – where else to meet Paul McCartney? Paul’s old class mate and TFF Associate, Jonathan Power introduced me to Paul McCartney in Liverpool at an informal reception. It was held at what used to be their school, now the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and we were there to celebrate that Jonathan had written Amnesty International’s 40th Anniversary book. This happy event for “righting wrongs and writing songs” gave me an opportunity to meet Paul and tell him about TFF and get straight to the matter: would he consider making a donation in support of our work for peace? While I was probably the only one with such a wish that day, I was certainly not the only one who wanted to shake hands and talk with him. In the last minutes before Paul was to leave, Jonathan brought us together and we got about three...
1942James Paul McCartney is born in Liverpool on June 18th. 1956Paul writes his first song, I Lost My Little Girl. 1957Paul meets John Lennon at St. Peter’s Church Fete, Woolton, Liverpool. He joins his first group, The Quarrymen and performs in his first gig at The New Clubmoor Hall, Liverpool, on October 18th. 1960Formation of The Beatles, who play residencies in Hamburg and at The Cavern in Liverpool. 1961First Beatles recordings issued in Germany, as the backing group for Tony Sheridan. 1962The first Beatles Parlophone recording, Love Me Do, reaches number 17 in the British charts. 1963The birth of Beatlemania. Please Please Me gives the group their first British Number 1. She Loves You cements their success. Please Please Me and With The Beatles albums released. 1964First triumphant American tour. The Beatles perform at the Royal Command Performance and release their first film, A Hard Day’s Night. Their single I...
By JONATHAN POWER August 16, 2000 LONDON – Remember the summer of ’98? In the sweltering, torpid heat of a Roman august, charged with exhaust fumes, the international community gave its overwhelming approval to the establishment of an International Criminal Court that will enable those accused of “crimes against humanity” to be tried and, if convicted, sentenced. Only seven nations opposed or abstained from the motion, including Israel, China, India and the U.S.A. where the Pentagon had successfully waged bureaucratic guerrilla war to undermine the initially sympathetic stance of President Bill Clinton. Two years on we can now see what an epochal event that was. In a the stroke of 120 pens it changed the climate on political thuggery. After numerous half-starts and false starts ever since the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials that convicted the war criminals of the Second World War, the world at last had agreed en masse a common...
