Archive for November 15th, 2012

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15/11/2012

‘Serious Violations’ of Freedom of Association in Argentina, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Peru

Human Wrongs Watch

Geneva, ILO*,  15 November 2012 – The ILO has named Argentina, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Fiji and Peru – out of a list of 32 cases examined– as the most serious and urgent regarding freedom of association.

The ILO Committee on Freedom of Association examined cases concerning employers’ and trade unions’ rights to organize, collective bargaining and social dialogue.

**Image: Torch, by Antonu | Wikimedia Commons

The ILO supervisory body dealt with the murder of four workers and injury of two others in Argentina.

The murders happened during the eviction of over 500 workers, demanding decent housing, from a construction site in Mar del Plata in 2009.

The Committee recalled the importance of an immediate and independent judicial inquiry in such cases to clarify the facts, determine responsibility, punish those responsible and prevent the repetition of such acts. It requested the Government to communicate the outcome of the judicial inquiries underway.

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Posted in Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, The Peoples | Leave a Comment »

15/11/2012

World Philosophy Day – Think, Reflect, Dialogue

Human Wrongs Watch

The diversity of philosophies prevalent around the world is humanity’s greatest asset to building an inclusive and tolerant global citizenry, the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said, marking the tenth edition of World Philosophy Day on 15 November 2012.

Sculpture “The Thinker” by Auguste Rodin. World Philosophy Day takes place every November. Photo: Hans Andersen | Source: UN

In her message for the Day, UNESCO’s Director-General, Irina Bokova, called on nations to invest more in philosophical training for schoolchildren while stressing the “urgent need” to pass on to the world’s youth “the taste for philosophy, its rigour and its joys, from the earliest age.”

“UNESCO reaffirms the power of philosophy to change the world, because it can help us to change ourselves by giving weight to our indignation before injustice, lucidity to ask the right questions, and conviction to defend human dignity,” Bokova said.

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15/11/2012

Safety of Journalists: Why Should You Care? — UNESCO

Human Wrongs Watch

More than 600 journalists and media workers have been killed in the last ten years. In other words, on average every week a journalist loses his or her life for bringing news and information to the public, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)*.

Finalist of the eYeka competition in support of World Press Freedom Day | UNESCO

To end violence against journalists and to combat impunity, the United Nations Chief Executives Board approved the first ever UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and  the Issue of Impunity, in April 2012, in a process spearheaded by UNESCO.

Now, in order to advance the plan and produce concrete strategies, a second UN Inter-Agency Meeting will take place in Vienna, Austria on 22 and 23 November, convened by UNESCO and co-hosted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UNESCO reports*.

23 November is the International Day against Impunity, declared by the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), a network of 90 international, regional and local organisations worldwide.

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Posted in Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Middle East, Others-USA-Europe-etc., War Lords | Leave a Comment »

15/11/2012

Mass Demonstrations in Spain, Portugal, Italy against Austerity and Unemployment

Human Wrongs Watch

By WSWS* reporters, 15 November 2012 — Hundreds of thousands of workers took to the streets Wednesday [14 November] in a number of European countries to demonstrate against rapidly rising unemployment and the austerity measures dictated by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

**Photo: Kotsolis at English Wikipedia | Wikimedia Commons

General strikes in Spain and Portugal brought transport to a halt and led to the closure of many businesses and schools. Airlines were hit by strike action, with hundreds of flights cancelled. Trade unions in both countries claimed that millions of workers took part in the strikes.

Strike action officially began in Spain at midnight, with demonstrators already taking to the streets on Tuesday evening. Angry demonstrators in Madrid clashed with police at a number of locations.

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Posted in Market Lords, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples | Leave a Comment »

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