Archive for June, 2014

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21/06/2014

One Million People, in Particular Children, Displaced in "Liberated" Iraq

Human Wrongs Watch

Senior United Nations officials on 20 June 2014 expressed deep concern about the humanitarian situation of the estimated one million people displaced so far this year in Iraq, particularly children, who are reportedly now being recruited and used by militias on all sides.
Children in the Khazar IDP camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Photo: UNAMI

Children in the Khazar IDP camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Photo: UNAMI

“We have received worrisome information that children are taking part in hostilities,” said the Special Representative of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui.

Her office on 20 June 2014 confirmed that incidents of underage boys being armed, manning checkpoints, and in some cases used as suicide bombers, have been documented.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and affiliated organizations are listed in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict for recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming of children, and attacks on schools and hospitals in Iraq. In 2013, three children were killed every other day in attacks, shelling, or in cross-fire, more than double the number of children killed and maimed in 2012.

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Posted in Middle East, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples, War Lords | 1 Comment »

19/06/2014

Nuclear Forces Reduced While Modernizations Continue – SIPRI

Human Wrongs Watch

Stockholm, june 2014 — Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on 16 June 2014 launched its annual nuclear forces data, which assesses the current trends and developments in world nuclear arsenals. The data shows that while the overall number of nuclear weapons in the world continues to decline, none of the nuclear weapon-possessing states are prepared to give up their nuclear arsenals for the foreseeable future.*

Source: International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)

Source: International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)

At the start of 2014 nine states—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea—possessed approximately 4000 operational nuclear weapons.

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Posted in Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Market Lords, Middle East, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples, War Lords | 1 Comment »

19/06/2014

Depleting World's Resources – Metal Prices Rise up by 176%, Rubber by 350%, Energy by 260%

Human Wrongs Watch

Nairobi — Rapidly rising prices – metal up by 176 per cent, rubber by 350 per cent, and energy by 260 per cent since 2000 – signal a potentially crippling trend of increasing costs as current consumption patterns rapidly deplete the world’s non-renewable resources, according to a new report released on 7 June 2014.*
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Photo source: UNEP

Photo source: UNEP

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Decoupling 2: Technologies, Opportunities and Policy Options, produced by the United Nations Environment Programme-hosted International Resource Panel (IRP), says the numbers demonstrate that the negative effects of unsustainable use of natural resources are already being felt, further backing the argument with a rise in volatility of food prices: 22.4 per cent from 2000 to 2012 compared to 7.7 per cent from 1990 to 1999.

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Posted in Africa | 1 Comment »

18/06/2014

'Haven’t we have already done enough damage?' Ron Paul warns against Iraq invasion

Human Wrongs Watch 

By Russia Today (RT)* , 18 June 2014 — Former congressman Ron Paul is refusing to curb his condemnation of the current White House’s foreign policy, blasting United States President Barack Obama further in a new op-ed concerning possible US intervention in Iraq.

Paul at the 2007 National Right to Life Committee Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, June 15, 2007.| Wikimedia Commons.

Paul at the 2007 National Right to Life Committee Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, June 15, 2007.| Wikimedia Commons.

An editorial published on Paul’s website on Sunday reiterates previously remarks made by the longtime lawmaker in recent days in which he’s spoken out against American interventionism, particularly with regards to rumors that the US military will soon take action in war-torn Iraq.

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“The same foreign policy ‘experts’ who lied us into the Iraq [W]ar are now telling us we must re-invade Iraq to deal with the disaster caused by their invasion!” the three-time presidential hopeful exclaimed in an op-ed published on the Ron Paul official site.
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“They cannot admit they were wrong about the invasion being a ‘cakewalk’ that would pay for itself, so they want to blame last week’s events on the 2011 US withdrawal from Iraq. But the trouble started with the 2003 invasion itself, not the 2011 troop withdrawal. Anyone who understands cause and effect should understand this,” he wrote.

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Posted in Middle East, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples, War Lords | 1 Comment »

18/06/2014

Economic Growth Is Anything But “A Rising Tide Lifting All Boats”

Human Wrongs Watch

By Roberto Savio*

Rome, June 2014 – Not a day goes by without news on the growing inequality that is the telling indicator of the kind of economic model in which we have put ourselves, following the neoliberal binge unleashed by the Washington Consensus. The idea that economic growth is “a rising tide lifting all boats”, as the late Margaret Thatcher declared when she announced war on the welfare state, and its twin “capital will trickle down to everybody”, are now totally discredited.

McKinley ProsperityPublic Domainview terms Northwestern Litho. Co, Milwaukee - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress. | Uploaded by NativeForeigner Created on between 1895 and 1900 | Public Domain | Wikimedia Commons.

**Campaign poster showing William McKinley holding U.S. flag and standing on gold coin “sound money”, held up by group of men, in front of ships “commerce” and factories “civilization”

Facts, as it has been said, are stubborn. And the facts have been demonstrated in an extensive statistical analysis by French economist, Thomas Piketty, (author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century) who, on the basis of the data from the last two centuries, proves that capital obtains a greater reward than work.

So, in any country, economic growth is distributed in an unequal way between salaries for all and what goes to the rich.

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Posted in Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Market Lords, Middle East, Mother Earth, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples, War Lords | 2 Comments »

17/06/2014

Each Year, 24 Billion Tons of Fertile Soil Are Eroded; Urgent Need to Stop Desertification

Human Wrongs Watch

17 June 2014 – Marking the World Day to Combat Desertification, United Nations officials today emphasized the importance of restoring degrading lands to avoid or soften the potentially disastrous impacts of climate change.*

[Desertification in Namibia. Photo: UNEP/A.Gloor/Namibia] Desertification in Namibia. Photo: UNEP/A.Gloor/Namibia

Desertification in Namibia. Photo: UNEP/A.Gloor/Namibia

“Land degradation, caused or exacerbated by climate change, is not only a danger to livelihoods, but also a threat to peace and stability,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for the World Day, observed annually on 17 June.

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Posted in Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Market Lords, Middle East, Mother Earth, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples | 1 Comment »

17/06/2014

UN 'Deeply Alarmed' at New Wave of Violence Against Religious Minorities in Sri Lanka

Human Wrongs Watch

16 June 2014 – The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights voiced her deep alarm today at inter-communal violence taking place in south-western Sri Lanka in which several people have reportedly been killed and scores injured.

Outside a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka. Photo: IRIN

Outside a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka. Photo: IRIN

“The Government must urgently do everything it can to arrest this violence, curb the incitement and hate speech which is driving it, and protect all religious minorities,” said Navi Pillay.

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Posted in Asia, The Peoples | 2 Comments »

16/06/2014

Elderly Women, Victims of Sexual Violence, Property Grabbing, Torture

Human Wrongs Watch

15 June 2014 – Did you know violence and abuse against elderly women, the worlds fastest growing demographic group, range from sexual violence, property grabbing, financial abuse and increasingly, extreme violence against older women accused of witchcraft? Throughout history, women described as witches have been persecuted, tortured and murdered.*

Women in Kenya. Photo: IRIN

Women in Kenya. Photo: IRIN

According to an upcoming UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) report on aging, citing civil society organizations, that practice continues today.

Witchcraft accusations that are used to justify extreme violence against older women are reported in 41 African and Asian countries, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, India, Kenya, Malawi, Nepal and Tanzania.

Older widows are often those most at risk. Older women are at particular risk due to widespread discriminatory attitudes and practices, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his message on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

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Posted in Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Market Lords, Middle East, Mother Earth, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples | 3 Comments »

16/06/2014

Elderly Persons, Vulnerable to Physical, Psychological and Financial Abuse… Everywhere

Human Wrongs Watch

15 June 2014 – Warning that elderly people in all societies can be vulnerable to physical, psychological and financial abuse, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed to the international community to adopt measures to address all aspects of this routinely under-acknowledged public health, social and human rights issue.*

Elderly woman refugee. Photo: UNCHR

Elderly woman refugee. Photo: UNCHR

The global population of people aged 60 years and older is expected to more than double, from 542 million in 1995 to about 1.2 billion in 2025.

Ban made this call on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, which aims annually to spotlight the global social issues affecting elderly people.

The commemoration also brings the attention of the international community on the safeguarding of older human beings from mistreatment and suffering. In his message on the Day, the UN chief emphasized the particularly high vulnerability of elderly women to widespread discriminatory attitudes and practices.

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Posted in Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Market Lords, Middle East, Mother Earth, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples | 3 Comments »

15/06/2014

Peace Movements’ Common Vision: The Abolition of Militarism

Human Wrongs Watch

By Mairead Maguire*, Nobel Peace Laureate, TRANSCEND — Keynote address at Sarajevo Peace Event – 6 June, 2014 — We are all aware that this is the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo which led to the start of the First World War in l9l4.

It Shoots Further Than He Dreams by John F. Knott. War cartoon depicting the Kaiser shooting a canon labeled "Militarism." First published on March 26, 1918. | Source: http://www.archive.org/stream/warcartoons00knot#page/n55/mode/2up Author: John F. Knott | Wikimedia Commons

**It Shoots Further Than He Dreams by John F. Knott. War cartoon depicting the Kaiser shooting a canon labeled “Militarism.” Date: March 26, 1918. | Author: John F. Knott | Wikimedia Commons

What started here in Sarajevo was a century of two global wars, a Cold War, a century of immense, rapid explosion of death and destruction technology, all extremely costly, and extremely risky. A huge step in the history of war, but also a decisive turning point in the history of peace.

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Posted in Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Market Lords, Middle East, Mother Earth, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples, War Lords | 1 Comment »

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