ONGOING ACTIVITIES
Steve Sachs
Global Exchange joined with other organizations in a March 2, “coalition of concerned citizens blockade the coal-fired power plant that serves the US Capitol to serve notice that we will no longer accept business as usual that expands the use of coal — known to be a leading cause of climate change. This mass action will take place in conjunction with a gathering of thousands of youth climate activists.” For details go to: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Rp%2F9YK7XPC5omFwVUrB%2BT9Ni6ELKmgf7.
Planting Peace is, “A Resource Center for news and activities that seek to build a powerful coalition to bring about cooperation and synergy between the peace movement, the climate crisis movement, and the organic community.” Their web site includes extensive links to organizations, articles, videos and books that make the connections, at: http://organicconsumers.org/plantingpeace/index.cfm, Planting Peace is sponsored by the Organic Consumers Association: http://organicconsumers.org/.
Onesky, in March, was organizing citizens to meet with congressmen when they come home in April to build energy for passing strong anti-global warming legislation. For information go to: http://www.1sky.org/april-meetings-09.
Avaaz.com is concerned that, “Boilers, fridges, TVs and other products in our home produce 50% of all of Europe‘s carbon pollution! Europe could meet half of its current 2020 target to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change just through requiring these appliances to meet energy efficiency standards. And that would also save us all money on our electricity bill! Out of sight of the public, EU nations’ regulators are about to agree on a new set of standards. But vested industrial interests are pushing hard to water down the proposals.” For more information go to: http://www.avaaz.org/en/refrigerator_revolution_video/?cl=192253746&v=2951.
A number of peace organizations have been campaigning against sending more troops to Afghanistan and for seeking a political-diplomatic solution, while ending military involvement, including Peace Action: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/.
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CodePink is concerned, “While we appreciate the steps Obama took during his first week in office to bring our country back into line with international treaties by moving to close Guantanamo, to reject the Military Commissions Act, and to end torture, he also authorized unmanned drone attacks in Pakistan, in direct contravention of international law, and an attack in Afghanistan that resulted in the deaths of many civilians. With the end of the disastrous Bush years, we had hoped for a change in foreign policy direction. We do see glimmers of hope in the new administration’s reaching out to Iran for direct negotiations and in the appointment of George Mitchell as the special envoy to Israel and Palestine. But what we have seen this past week in Pakistan and Afghanistan is not encouraging.” For more information go to: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=H8fmGJUJ3P6W11u98vq1Zz71nqY4WfIO.
There has been continued complaint about alleged Israeli human rights violations during the attack and invasion of Gaza. The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, that includes both Israeli and Palestinian representatives, has urged the Czech presidency of the EU to support an impartial, international investigation into all alleged war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law committed committed during the Israeli offensive into the Gaza Strip by all those involved in the conflict (http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=32022>http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=32022). Meanwhile, Jordanians and Palestinians have been attempting to get the War Crimes Tribunal at the Hague to take up the issue of the Israeli Army’s acts in the Gaza War and whether or not they constitute war crimes (http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=32021>http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=32021).
The Israeli Peace Movement is speaking out against Israeli defense forces (IDF) intimidating villages that peacefully protest the illegal taking of their land, saying on February 22, “Nightly invasions to Palestinian villages in the West Bank: Imagine being awakened to the sound of a stun grenade. Imagine such a grenade landing in your front yard every night. This is the reality that residents of Palestinian villages who are struggling against the apartheid wall are forced to deal with since the attack on Gaza. These nightly invasions by the army, which terrorize villagers, are becoming ever more frequent. Invasions take place three to four time a week in the villages of Beit Likia and Bil’in. In the last week, the villages of Ma’asara, Ni’ilin and Jayus too have joined the list, as troops have been harassing those who participate and organize the village protests. During the invasions soldiers shoot tear gas and stun grenades into civilian’s houses. They also use rubber coated bullets and live rounds. On 13.2.09, two children were injured in their homes in Beit Likia, and a 60 year old woman was hit in the stomach. On that same night, soldiers reached the homes of Ma’asara popular leaders Muhammad Barjia and Mahmoud Zoahara, kept them for hours outside their homes in the cold with very little cloths, and caused damage to their property, threatening to arrest the two if demonstrations in the area were to continue. A report by Zoahara is attached hereunder. The media does not report these incidents, which have become a tiring routine of the reality of occupation. It seems that under this media blockade, army commanders feel free to carry out these crimes. Raise a voice and stop them!” A link to a video from Wednesday February 18, 2009 show the army invaded during the day to set a checkpoint and later at night, just to shoot some teargas and bullets. For more information contact Gush Shalom, P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, 972-3-5221732, info@gush-shalom.org, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rGnjNM25Y4.
Gush Shalom, complaining that the Israeli government was missing a chance to move toward peace, stated in a press release, March 17, “When the Government of Israel starts speaking of ‘generous offers’, it is time to seek shelter and expect harsh times ahead. Where is the ‘generosity’ when those who keep 11,000 Palestinians imprisoned refuse to set free even 450 of them? Those whose hands are stained with the blood of 1300 Gazans, hundreds of them children – ‘a blood shed less than three months ago’ – wrap themselves in righteousness and hypocrisy, and refuse to release ‘prisoners with blood on the hands’ from years or even decades ago… A true generous offer would be to implement the prisoner exchange here and now, to reach a complete cease-fire in and around the Gaza Strip and remove the suffocation siege of its population, and go on to ending the occupation and concluding a full peace between the State of Israel and the Palestinian People. That is the only way to prevent new attacks on Israeli civilians – not the eternal incarceration of people whose positions were long since filled by others. After three years spent under the shadow of two unnecessary, murderous and failed wars, Ehud Olmert missed the last opportunity to end his term on a positive and hopeful note. He leaves the stage in deserved infamy, leaving behind a heritage of suffering and pain.” For more information contact Adam Keller, Gush Shalom Spokesperson, adam@gush-shalom.org, http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/press_releases/1237300359/.
On April 10, Gush Sahalom placed an add in Haaretz, “Obama And Netanyahu – Are about – To clash. In this confrontation, It is Obama Who represents – The true interests – Of Israel.”
Avaaz.org (avaaz@avaaz.org), in late January, was supporting a hunger strike by southern African citizens for justice and democracy in Zimbabwe. For more information see: The Save Zimbabwe Now campaign is coordinating the hunger strike: http://www.savezimbabwenow.com; “Save Zimbabwe activists begin hunger strike” – The Times, 1/25/09, http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/News/Article.aspx?id=924433; “A Growing Chorus In S. Africa Urges Action on Mugabe” – Washington Post, 1/25/09, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/25/AR2009012501896.html; “Police fire rubber bullets to break protest at SADC meeting” – ZimOnline, 1/26/09 http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=4158; “Special Report: Crisis in Zimbabwe” – The Times, last update 27 Jan 2009, http://www.thetimes.co.za/specialreports/Zimbabwe/Default.aspx?id=363615; MDC denies Zimbabwe deal claims – BBC – Jan 27, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7852978.stm. In February, Avaaz, stated, “It’s a dark day in the Middle East: the right-wing has won the most seats in Israel’s elections, and racist extremist Avigdor Lieberman is now the kingmaker in forming the next government.[1] Lieberman and his fellow leaders are promising to bomb Iran, attack Gaza with greater force, stop negotiations and crack down on Israel’s large Arab minority. This could kill all we’ve worked for in the Middle East. But many progressives in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) share our feelings — and they desperately need our solidarity today. Wherever extremists have triumphed, we have to organize to beat them. Many thought all hope was lost in the USA after the neo-conservatives’ victory — then progressives used the internet to come back from the wilderness, and achieved the unthinkable by putting Barack Obama in the White House.[2] In Israel today, the despair of the old peace camp opens up a powerful moment to build a fresh new voice against hatred and for peace.” “We have a strong network in Israel to work with already, with almost 10,000 Avaaz members and contacts with promising young organizers who are hungry for change. They just need our support to organize across divides, uniting Israel’s scattered constituencies for peace and justice. Many Israelis supported our global campaign for a Gaza ceasefire and joined their voices with ours on climate change, Burma, Tibet and Zimbabwe — now it’s time for us to stand with them.” For more information go to: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/change_in_israel.
ALLMEP was created in 2003 as, the umbrella association of some 60 NGOs working on grassroots coexistence, people-to-people activities between Arabs and Jews, Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East. ALLMEP’s initial efforts in Washington, DC obtained dedicated funds for these organizations within the Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation of USAID. Currently, ALLMEP is working for the establishment of an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace (IFFIPP) modeled on the International Fund for Ireland that played a crucial role in mitigating the ‘troubles’ in Northern Ireland. An increasing number of meetings have been held on the project, including, with members of Congress, the Department of State, USAID, and the White House, as well as with the General Director of the International Fund for Ireland, the Chair of the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, and chief Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, and Moroccan diplomats. “In the ebb and flow of diplomacy, the ups and downs of the peace process, these NGOs are a constant; they are on the ground modelling what Israeli and Palestinian politicians in the area have failed to achieve – tangible, concrete examples of what peace can look like. Their actions say that peace is no mirage, but a reality.” “The international community has invested in war in the Middle East for decades with the outcome of continuing violence. It is time to invest a greater percentage of our resources in creating peace. In the present world economy where extra funds may not be available, perhaps some monies will need to be diverted from swords to ploughshares”. (Rabbi Michael M. Cohen, “Establishing an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace,” Common Ground News Service, 19 March 19, 2009, http://www.commongroundnews.org.) For more information go to the ALLMEP web site: www.allmep.org.
The Save Darfur Coalition was concerned, in mid-February that, “The ICC [International Criminal Court] will reportedly seek [Sudan] President Bashir’s arrest. This game-changing moment demands smart diplomacy and bold leadership.” And is asking Americans to, “Call the White House and tell President Obama to appoint a Sudan ‘owner.’” “The right steps now could put Sudan on a path to peace. The wrong steps could send the country spiraling deeper into chaos and despair.” “There’s every reason to believe that Bashir may respond to an ICC decision by lashing out at civilians. President Obama must move quickly and boldly. He must rally world leaders to adopt a stance of zero-tolerance for retaliatory violence.” The coalition wants “President Obama to appoint a high-level official with the necessary stature, authority and mandate to bring peace to Sudan and its people.” For more information go to http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/icccall/8is8sgi4f7663dj8?.
The Coalition for Work with Psychotrauma and Peace (CWWPP) reports on the situation in its region in Croatia. “Although having an excellent geo-strategic position in the region and a huge potential in natural resources, due to various events that happened during past two decades, Vukovar-Srijem County remains one of the economically weakest counties in Croatia. Although efforts have been made to repair the physical damage to property and infrastructure, the impact of the war continues to impinge on all aspects of VSC’s social and economic life. This low economic activity in eastern Croatia creates a base for continuance of the crisis within society in post-war period. Mental and physical health in the region is not improving. Lack of competent and complete medical care leads to increased both psychological and physical problems. Drug treatment of patients is still the most common way of dealing with the problems. War traumas are not adequately treated and we see the transmission of traumas as one of the biggest obstacles to health and reconciliation. The issues such as suicides, domestic violence, alcoholism, high unemployment rates and low efforts aimed at reconciliation are still key issues to be dealt with. Further, funding for democratization continues to diminish. Thus, there are still many efforts ahead of us in order to make the region fit for integration into the European Union. We would also like to point that the donors are leaving this area and it is very difficult for organizations such as ours to find grants for variety of projects addressing the issues mentioned above.”
The number of clients is increasing, to about 20 individual clients and five new groups. There is one group in Osijek, one group in Vinkovci, and three groups in Vukovar. These groups educate people with varying backgrounds in communication, psychology, particularly psychological trauma, civil society, non-violent conflict transformation and human rights. The groups are given for a period of 2 hours per week. The total length of the program is flexible and depends on the needs and desires of the participants. Further, the Coalition has written a series of brochures on common problems with which we work. The topics of the brochures included: Depression, The group for the families of Schizophrenics, Schizophrenia, Domestic Violence, Anger Control, Suicide, Dependency on Prescription and Non-Prescription Drugs, Alcoholism, PTSD, Invalids, Former Soldiers, The Core Educational Group, etc. These brochures were distributed in strategic locations in Vukovar and other towns in Vukovar-Sirmium and Osijek-Baranja Counties. One of the results of these publications was the increase in clients. They will be published in the Documents Section of the CWWPP website in English and Croatian.
In education, CWWPP is continuing to offer intensive courses of four weeks and an optional project period, of one month in Post-Conflict Studies. There is also the possibility of assistance for Masters and Doctoral students. The CWWPP is working towards developing online educational programs for post-conflict areas, including development of: 1) the “Core Course” for non-professionals to give them the basic skills and knowledge to be able to carry out work in their own areas at a high level of competence; and in later stages, 2) program leading to a BA and an MA in post-conflict studies that will combine the theoretical and practical aspects of work in such areas. The aim is to provide relatively simple access to the degree course on the one hand and quality on the other. The CWWPP is creating a network of Subject Matter Experts with the professors and Ph.D. students from abroad who will be involved in the developing of the program. The CWWPP organized an introductory course in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) to give the basic knowledge of NLP to a group diverse in age and background in Vukovar, Croatia at CWWPP Headquarters. There were 15 participants to the course. The Coalition also has been offering a sociodrama workshop in Vukovar, to learn about different techniques of sociodrama in order to stimulate personal and social transformation.
CWWPP is again offering its Internship/Academic Program, this summer, in Post-Conflict Studies, to give the participant an impression of the reality of a post-conflict area and to assist in refining his/her academic skills. The program is practice-based to suit the needs of the student. The 4-Week Program, June 29 – July 26, comprises a series of seminars and forums given by local politicians, religious leaders, economists, and physicians, workers in non-governmental organizations and workers in international organizations. These provide a platform for discussion of a wide range of subjects using the situation of Vukovar and surroundings as an illustration of post-conflict conditions in general, encouraging the participants to think about these situations creatively, and to form their own opinions about them. An optional four-week period, July 27-August 22, is also offered in which participants will be assisted in carrying out a short research project, writing a 7500 word paper and giving a seminar on the research topic. The 2-Week Program, offers students insights into the post war cultural landscape in Vukovar, and looks at their importance for community building in the context of European integration, 14 years after the end of the 1991-1995 war. The focus is on culture and identity and on conservation and interpretation of cultural heritage. The program, which is much less demanding than the 4-week intensive internship, offers the opportunity to study various aspects of culture and society through community activities with active engagement, allowing the student to interact with peers in host families.
The Exit festival, which now last four days, came into being in 2000 as an act of rebellion against the regime of Slobodan Milosevic that had been keeping Serbia out of touch with the outside world for years. That summer, thousands of young people from Novi Sad gathered in the university campus park near the Danube where concerts, parties and art performances took place. There were also discussions and debates where the young people were able to express their opposition to the imposed nationalism, xenophobia, censorship and repression of the Milosevic regime. The event lasted for 100 days and its grand finale was the ‘Get out to Vote’ party, which was held one day before the elections that saw the downfall of Milosevic. The festival now lasts for four days. For more information visit www.exitfest.org.
InterChange, Toronto, and the CWWPP, Vukovar, continue to work as partner organizations in developing programs in education and research on a multi-centric basis. CWWPP remains involved with the project on history of Jews of the Vukovar region, recently finishing photographing records from the State Archives of Osijek. If additional funding secured, the next step in the research will include collection of relevant information in Archives of Sremska Mitrovica, Subotica, Belgrade and Zagreb. For more information contact the Coalition for Work with Psychotrauma and Peace, office@cwwpp.org, ,tel. +385-32-450991, fax +385-32-441975; in Croatia: M. Drzica 12, 32000 Vukovar; in The Netherlands: Ds. S. Tjadenstraat C81, 9663 RD Nieuwe Pekela http://www.cwwpp.org/.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) announced “Solving the EU-Turkey-Cyprus Triangle: New Crisis Group webpage,” February 23, 2009, that because solving the Cyprus problem has reached a critical stage, ICG has launched a frequently updated website on “the nexus of issues surrounding Cyprus, Turkey and the European Union,” at: http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5908&l=1.
The International Center on Nonviolent Conflict develops and disseminates knowledge about the use of nonviolent strategies in obtaining rights, justice and democracy. For more information contact the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict. 1949 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 725. NW, Washington, DC 20006 (202)416-4720, www.nonviolent-conflict.org.
The Harvard Kennedy School, Organizing: People, Power and Change is an online program developed with Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education, designed to help leaders of civic associations, advocacy groups, and social movements learn how to organize communities that can mobilize power to make change. The program represents an online learning opportunity for nonprofit and non-governmental organization managers to interact with colleagues from around the world. This program is designed for teams of three or four individuals seeking to improve their performance and their ability to organize. It will combine online lectures with small group sessions facilitated by a coach. The program is designed to support teams of leaders conducting real-life organizing projects that support their organization’s ongoing work. It welcome teams from organizations including NGOs, unions, non-profit organizations, advocacy groups, and other social movements. For more information contact the Program Director, Ty Henry, (617)496-6082, ty_henry@ksg.harvard.edu. www.hks.harvard.edu/execed/oppc.
Boston Research Center (BRC) founder Daisaku Ikeda’s annual peace proposal for 2009, “Toward Humanitarian Competition: A New Current in History.” available on online, argues that even as we critique the excesses and failures of modern capitalism, we must remain mindful that competition can be a great source of energy and vitality in human society. The way forward, says Ikeda, is through a “competition to contribute the most to society.” He identifies “three pillars” for stimulating this humanitarian competition: sharing of action through tackling environmental problems; sharing of responsibility through international cooperation on global public goods; and the sharing of efforts for peace toward the abolition of nuclear arms. BRC publishes a newsletter that is distributed via E-mail. For more information go to: Boston Research Center, 396 Harvard Street Cambridge, MA 02138, (617)491-1090, www.brc21.org.
