C E B O . org

Posted 3:23 PM by Mary

Reuters: Iraq Conflict Has Killed A Million Iraqis: Survey

LONDON - More than one million Iraqis have died as a result of the conflict in their country since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, according to research conducted by one of Britain’s leading polling groups.0131 07

The survey, conducted by Opinion Research Business (ORB) with 2,414 adults in face-to-face interviews, found that 20 percent of people had had at least one death in their household as a result of the conflict, rather than natural causes.

The last complete census in Iraq conducted in 1997 found 4.05 million households in the country, a figure ORB used to calculate that approximately 1.03 million people had died as a result of the war, the researchers found.

The margin of error in the survey, conducted in August and September 2007, was 1.7 percent, giving a range of deaths of 946,258 to 1.12 million.

Posted 1:15 PM by Mary

www.inthesetimes.com/

Latin America Banks on Independence
The new Bank of the South shatters neoliberal economics
By Mark Engler
[Mark is a journalist who has spoken at CEBO events]

Latin American leaders launched the Bank of the South at a ceremony in Buenos Aires on Dec. 9, 2007. The back will support regional development in order to wean the region of institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

In the closing weeks of 2007, a region in revolt against the economics of corporate globalization issued its most unified declaration of independence to date.

On Dec. 9, standing before the flags of their countries, the presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay and Venezuela, along with a representative from Uruguay, gathered in Buenos Aires and signed the founding charter of the Banco del Sur, or the Bank of the South.

The Bank of the South will allow participating governments to use a percentage of their collective currency reserves to strengthen Latin America’s economy and promote cooperative development. It plans to begin lending as early as 2008 with around $7 billion in capital.

By itself, the bank represents a serious challenge to U.S.-dominated institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). As part of a larger trend, it signals a major break from the policies of “free trade” neoliberalism that dominated in the region throughout the ’80s and ’90s.

Posted 11:29 AM by Mary

Geneva-Paris, January 11, 2008.
FIDH.org
The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), in the framework of their joint programme, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, welcome the decision by the Jordan Government to withdraw from Parliament the Bill of Law on Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), which was seriously threatening freedom of association in Jordan.

On January 8, 2008, the Jordan Government decided to withdraw a controversial draft law on NGOs from the Lower House of Parliament. This Bill had been proposed on October 9, 2007 by the Ministry of Social Development, and was seriously threatening freedom of association in Jordan as it was endangering the independence of NGOs [1].

In particular, this Bill of law contained a number of provisions that would have given the Ministry of Social Development the power to refuse to license any NGO without having to give any reason. The Ministry of Social Development could also have dissolved any association for the following reasons: if “meetings were held without the presence of representatives from the Ministry”, if “the association got any agreement with any agency without prior approval of the Ministry” or “for having in a meeting less number than the minimum required in registration or having doubts on fines or giving inaccurate information”.

Posted 11:24 AM by Mary

Gabon Government Lifts Suspension of NGOs
publishwhatyoupay.org
Publish What You Pay (PWYP), the global civil society coalition campaigning for more transparent management of oil, gas and mining revenues, welcomes the decision by the
government of Gabon last night to lift the suspension of 22 Gabonese non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), including the groups that comprise the PWYP Gabon coalition. With the suspension lifted exactly one week after it was announced, the NGOs are free to resume their activities without restriction.
“This is a major victory for civil society in Gabon and affirms our ability to operate freely and speak out on public interest issues, such as how oil and mining revenues are managed,” said Marc Ona, President of Brainforest, one of the previously suspended Gabonese NGOs, and Coordinator of PWYP Gabon. “It also sets a powerful precedent for civil society in other countries to similarly work without interference or harassment from the government.”

Posted 11:16 AM by Mary

Cleanclothes.org

FFI 'CASE CLOSED'
At the beginning of 2008, Clean Clothes Campaign and India Committee of the Netherlands (CCC and ICN), and Fiber & Fabrics International along with its subsidiary Jeans Knit Private Limited (FFI/JKPL), have resolved their differences as to labour conditions at the Indian clothing production facilities of FFI/JKPL. In consultation with local organisations and unions in Bangalore, an Ombudsperson in Bangalore will be appointed to resolve future problems. Should employees, local organisations, CCC or ICN have any complaints concerning labour conditions, they can submit these to the Ombudsperson, who will attempt to resolve them. Employees will be free to organise themselves in a union of their choice. On the basis of this agreement, CCC and ICN are confident that any violations of labour rights will be reported in a timely fashion and will be resolved in a correct manner. Parties therefore no longer require the courts to provide judgement on the difference of opinion as to the allegations put forward by local Indian organisations, and disputed by FFI/JKPL, as to events lying in the past (2005/2006). Therefore, the Indian company withdraws all legal proceedings, and CCC and ICN bring to an end all campaigns against FFI/JKPL and the Dutch jeans brand G-Star. CCC and ICN applaud the fact that G-Star, as the most important former client of FFI/JKPL restores their commercial relationship with FFI/JKPL

Posted 11:12 AM by Mary

BAHRAIN: Arrests, website bans and a restrictive NGO law
An interview with Ghada Jamsheer, Head of the Women's Petition Committee in Bahrain
http://www.civicus.org
Bahrain is a precarious place for civil society. While independent civil society organisations are allowed to operate, their activities are severely restricted and activists are frequently harassed. Many human rights websites as well as blogs are blocked, and their writers have often been sentenced on criminal charges. The government has also recently introduced a draft NGO law, which has been highly criticised by civil society. CIVICUS Civil Society Watch speaks to Ghada Jamsheer, the head of the Women's Petition Committee in Bahrain, about some of the challenges facing civil society, as well as restrictions on her work.

Posted 11:56 AM by Mary

The US Human Rights Network is made up of organizations and individuals working to bring the United States into compliance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other internationally recognized human rights instruments by applying the standards and principles within those instruments to domestic and foreign policy priorities.

How to Protect Our Human Right to Return and Recover

As many of you may be aware, Walter Kälin, the Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons, began his US visit on January 14, 2008 in Washington DC. Mr. Kälin will also visit Houston, New Orleans, Gulfport and Biloxi from January 15th-January 18th. The visit is co-sponsored by Network member organization, Advocates for Environmental Human Rights (AEHR) in conjunction with Brookings – Bern Project on Internal Displacement, Institute for Southern Studies, and the Black Leadership Forum, Inc.

Mr. Kälin's visit is in conjunction with the release of the Institute for Southern Studies publication entitled Hurricane Katrina and the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement: A Global Human Rights Perspective on a National Disaster. The study focuses on the government's response to those displaced by Hurricane Katrina through the lens of international standards, specifically the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.

Below is the link to a panel discussion which included Ajamu Baraka, Monique Harden and Walter Kälin that took place at the Brookings Institute and was carried live by C-SPAN.Cspan archives