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Perceptions of the "Unpeople"

It is comforting, the author states in this short article, to attribute the alleged "clash" between Islam and the West to their hatred of American freedom and values, as the president proclaimed after 9/11, or to a curious inability to communicate true intentions. Studies even by the government itself show, however, that throughout history any such clash has more to do with the American government's protecting its own interests in the Middle East, at the expense of many of the people. (Noam Chomsky, ZNet Commentary, 29 April 2006)

http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2006-04/26chomsky.cfm

(Added: Mon May 01 2006   Modified: Mon Jul 10 2006   Hits: 70)

A Humanitarian Disaster Unfolds in Eastern DRC

In a mist-shrouded valley between the Mount Nyiragongo volcano and a pair of its dormant cousins looming in Rwanda to the east, nearly 3,000 souls wait in limbo, having fled a conflict that has succeeded in making this lush corner in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo nothing less than hell on earth for its people. (IPS, 2008)

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41426

(Added: Mon Mar 17 2008   Hits: 70)

Aid agencies stymied by war in Sri Lanka

Nineteen months after the tsunami brought Sri Lanka an unprecedented rush of charity from abroad, international aid agencies find themselves hemmed in not only by surging violence in a long-running civil war but also by suspicion, hostility and, on occasion, deadly attacks. As the civil war between the rebel Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government continues to escalate, aid workers face increasingly difficult -- and dangerous -- conditions in the south Asian country. A number of high-profile attacks against humanitarian agencies and aid workers in the past month, along with restricted access to conflict zones and a lack of cooperation from the Sri Lankan government, have made humanitarian and aid missions much more difficult than in the past. (Shimali Senanayake and Somini Sengupta, International Herald Tribune /The New York Times, August 17, 2006)

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/17/news/lanka.php

(Added: Mon Aug 21 2006   Hits: 55)

Cote d'Ivoire: Peace as an Option (pdf)

The four-year crisis in Cote d'Ivoire could finally end if the government of national reconciliation continues to make progress toward presidential elections, meant to occur before 31 October. However, no political actors have yet given up the capacity for violence or committed themselves irrevocably to elections they may lose. The government should embark on a nationwide campaign to inform the public of necessary preparations, including identifying citizens entitled to vote and disarming and reintegrating ex-combatants. Major donor support is needed for all these steps. Prime Minister Banny should continue an inclusive dialogue with all political actors and social sectors to mobilise opinion behind the government and should continue working with President Gbagbo, who may be tempted to delay elections to prolong his power. If concrete results are achieved in the next few months, peace may finally be within reach. (Crisis Group, 17 May 2006)

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=4112

(Added: Thu May 18 2006   Hits: 156)

March 20 to 26, 2006: Iran-USA, beginning of a major world crisis

The Laboratoire europeen d'Anticipation Politique Europe 2020, LEAP/E2020, now estimates to over 80% the probability that the week of March 20-26, 2006 will be the beginning of the most significant political crisis the world has known since the Fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, together with an economic and financial crisis of a scope comparable with that of 1929. This last week of March 2006 will be the turning-point of a number of critical developments, resulting in an acceleration of all the factors leading to a major crisis, disregarding any American or Israeli military intervention against Iran. In case such an intervention is conducted, the probability of a major crisis to start rises up to 100%, according to LEAP/E2020.Written by LEAP/E2020 Saturday, 25 February 2006.

http://newropeans-magazine.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3463&Itemid=85

(Added: Mon Mar 06 2006   Modified: Thu Jul 13 2006   Hits: 74)

Nigeria: Want in the Midst of Plenty

Nigeria is a major oil producer, home to every sixth African, and one of the continent's great hopes - but it is very fragile. If internal fissures, massive poverty and economic disparities are left unchecked, persistent levels of violence could escalate and severely impact regional security. Widespread corruption and relentless exploitation of regional, ethnic and religious fault lines by a ruling elite has thwarted reform and stalled economic development. Despite more than $400 billion in oil revenue over three decades, nine of ten Nigerians live on less than $2 a day. While the 1999 return to democracy was welcome and overdue, the people remain dangerously disconnected from their government. The 2007 presidential election is an opportunity for transition to a more stable democracy, but only when every citizen becomes a stakeholder in its future can the country truly leave its troubled past behind. (Report from the International Crisis Group, July 2006)

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=4274

(Added: Thu Jul 20 2006   Hits: 63)

"Don't Forget Us": The Education and Gender-Based Violence Protection Needs of Adolescent Girls from Darfur in Chad

More than 220,000 Sudanese from Darfur have fled the ongoing violence in their region and crossed the border into the desert of eastern Chad. Most of the refugees are now in camps; however, at the time of the Women's Commission visit, several thousand remained on the border or on the periphery of some camps, waiting to be registered. In the midst of this crisis is the education and reproductive health of adolescent girls being neglected? (Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, 2005)

http://www.womenscommission.org/pdf/Td_ed2.pdf

(Added: Mon May 29 2006   Modified: Thu Jul 13 2006   Hits: 152)

'I wanted to take revenge'

Girl soldiers are on the increase in Liberia and beyond. This article looks at why so many actively choose to fight and how important it is for them to be rehabilitated into society after the fighting is over. (Diane Taylor, Guardian Weekly, July 2006)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianweekly/story/0,,1824246,00.html

(Added: Wed Jul 26 2006   Hits: 215)

30 year war creates shadow of hunger over Eritrea

War and drought have reduced this East African country to a state of almost total dependence on food aid. Most of the fertile land was caught up in the conflict with Ethiopia, and now that peace has returned, farmers have found their land covered with land mines and their cattle stolen. This special report by Panos Features says Eritrea is destined to be dependent on food aid for some time to come. (Donica Tesfamariam, Panos, April 2006)

http://www.panos.org.uk/global/featuredetails.asp?featureid=1038&ID=1003

(Added: Tue Apr 04 2006   Modified: Tue Aug 29 2006   Hits: 317)

A 'tsunami' in the Democratic Republic of Congo every six months: Guterres urges help for one of the world's most under-funded emergencies

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres has issued an urgent plea to the international community to increase support for the desperately under-funded emergency in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. "This conflict is taking more human lives than the tsunami; we have a tsunami in the Congo every six months," Guterres said at a press conference Tuesday with the German Minister for Development Cooperation, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul. (UNHCR, May 18, 2006)

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&page=home&id=446c99072

(Added: Thu May 25 2006   Modified: Thu Aug 17 2006   Hits: 74)

A Long Way from Home: FNL Child Soldiers in Burundi

During the thirteen years of civil war in Burundi, children were recruited and used as combatants and general help by all sides in the conflict. Most of the rebel groups involved in the war have signed peace agreements with the government and have begun demobilisation. One rebel group that continues to fight against the government, the National Liberation Forces (Forces Nationales pour la Libération, FNL), continues to use children as combatants and for various logistical duties. This report outlines the situations and makes recommendations to the government, FNL and UNICEF on how to ensure child soldiers who served in the FNL are released from custody and to provide for their recovery and reintegration. (Human Rights Watch, June 2006)

http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/africa/burundi0606/

(Added: Tue Jun 20 2006   Modified: Thu Jul 13 2006   Hits: 102)

A Negotiated Solution To The Iranian Nuclear Crisis Is Within Reach

The urgency of halting the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and moving toward their elimination, could hardly be greater. As threatening as the crisis is, the means exist to defuse it. This article connects the present situation in Iran to historical Iran-US relations, and puts forward the options for resolving the crisis. (Noam Chomsky, Zmag, 19 June 2006)

http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2006-06/19chomsky.cfm

(Added: Wed Jun 21 2006   Hits: 91)

An Evaluation of Humanitarian Information Centers (HICs) including Case Studies of HICs for Iraq, Afghanistan, and Liberia

(ReliefWeb) August, 2004. The Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) is a common service of the UN System, managed by the Field Information Support Unit (FIS) of OCHA. The evaluation team was comprised of two independent consultants hired by USAID/ OFDA and DFID/ CHAD. The team was asked to examine the success of HICs in servicing the humanitarian community. Three case studies were to inform this - Liberia, Afghanistan and Iraq. This document looks at HIC performance in crisis stiuations, their role in decision-making and provides key recommendations for improving their effectiveness.

http://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/2004/hicevaluation-24aug.pdf

(Added: Fri Sep 17 2004   Modified: Fri Jul 14 2006   Hits: 418)

Big Gamble in Rwanda

This review in the New York Review of Books looks at the state of Rwanda as it slowly moves forward after the genocide of 1994. The review examines in detail the rule of Paul Kagame, who is characterised by some as an autocrat with little respect for human rights but by others as a well intentioned leader bent on doing what is necessary to stop his country from spiraling into conflict again.

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/19996

(Added: Tue Apr 17 2007   Hits: 118)

Burundi: Democracy and Peace at Risk

Since the new, democratically elected government came to power in September 2005, the first since 1993, there has been marked deterioration in Burundi's political climate. Led by the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), the government has arrested critics, moved to muzzle the press, committed human rights abuses and tightened its control over the economy. Unless it reverses this authoritarian course, it risks triggering violent unrest and losing the gains of the peace process. The international community needs to monitor the government's performance, encouraging it to adopt a more inclusive approach and remain engaged even after UN troops depart in December 2006. (International Crisis Group, 30 November 2006)

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/getfile.cfm?id=2660&tid=4553&type=pdf&l=1

(Added: Mon Dec 04 2006   Hits: 28)

CHAD: Residents prepare for war as rebels close in on capital

Soldiers are out in force on the streets of the Chadian capital N'djamena and residents are stocking up on cash and food in case of a descent into fighting after rapidly advancing rebel forces closed in on the city's outskirts late on Wednesday. (Reuters, 12 April 2006)

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=52774&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=CHAD

(Added: Thu Apr 13 2006   Modified: Fri Sep 08 2006   Hits: 51)

Chocolate now fuels war in West Africa?

Government and rebel leaders of the world's leading cocoa exporter, Ivory Coast, both siphoned off millions of dollars from the cocoa industry to finance the 2002-03 civil war that divided the once-stable and prosperous country in two, according to a recent report from Global Witness, a London-based group that focuses on resource-fueled corruption. (Blake Lambert, Christian Science Monitor, 17 July 2007).

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0717/p04s01-woaf.html?s=hns

(Added: Tue Jul 24 2007   Hits: 79)

Chomsky on Iran, Iraq, and the Rest of the World

Noam Chomsky is a noted linguist, author, and foreign policy expert. On February 9, Michael Shank interviewed him on the latest developments in U.S. policy toward Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and Venezuela. Along the way, Chomsky also commented on climate change, the World Social Forum, and why international relations are run like the mafia. (Michael Shank, COA News, Feb 26 2007)

http://www.coanews.org/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=1691

(Added: Fri Mar 02 2007   Hits: 147)

Communal Violence in Indonesia: Lessons from Kalimantan

International Crisis Group (ICG) 27 June 2001. html intro, pdf file format. Long-simmering tensions between indigenous Dayaks and immigrant Madurese suddenly exploded in the town of Sampit, Central Kalimantan, in the middle of February 2001. Within days, isolated killings perpetrated by both sides had developed into a one-sided massacre of Madurese by enraged Dayaks. In the following weeks the killings spread to other areas in the province and by early April almost the entire Madurese population had fled the province. The massacre of about 500 - and possibly many more - Madurese by Dayaks and the flight of virtually the entire Madurese community closely resembled two similar events in the Sambas district in the northern part of West Kalimantan in 1996-7 and in 1999 and highlighted the danger of violence spreading to West and East Kalimantan.

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=1455

(Added: Fri Nov 15 2002   Modified: Wed Jul 12 2006   Hits: 180)

COTE D'IVOIRE: Infrastructure crumbling in rebel-held north

Public infrastructure in the rebel-held north of Cote d'Ivoire has become so broken down that the region is at severe risk of epidemics caused by water-borne diseases, a senior United Nations official warned on Friday. Cote d'Ivoire, once one of the most stable, economically powerful and best developed countries in West Africa, has been split in two since an attempt to topple President Laurent Gbagbo failed in September 2002. Some 10,000 UN and French peacekeepers monitor a ceasefire and a buffer zone between the rebel north and the government south. (IRIN, 29 September 2006)

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55774&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=COTE_D_IVOIRE

(Added: Mon Oct 02 2006   Hits: 25)

CrisisWatch N°36, 1 August 2006

In 36 months of publishing CrisisWatch, the International Crisis Group has not recorded such severe deteriorations in so many conflict situations as in the past month. The Middle East erupted with full-scale conflict between Israel and Hizbollah in south Lebanon, and there was a major escalation in Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Insecurity and sectarian violence surged in Iraq, claiming over 100 civilian lives daily. Somalia sits on the brink of all-out civil war, which is drawing in the wider region: Ethiopian troops entered Somalia to support the transitional federal government, and Eritrea is arming the opposing Union of Islamic Courts. In Sudan, implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement was at a standstill, with rebels split, and fighting, over the agreement. The Mumbai bombings that killed over 200 had wider implications for the normalisation process between India and Pakistan. Tensions rose dramatically on the Korean Peninsula after Pyongyang fired seven test missiles. The situation also deteriorated in Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire and Haiti. Four situations showed improvement in July 2006: The Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Timor-Leste, and Cyprus. (ICG, 1 August 2006)

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=4296

(Added: Wed Aug 02 2006   Hits: 109)

Dangerous Liaisons (PDF 531 Kb)

Global Witness, December 2004. The continued relationship between Liberia's natural resource industries, arms trafficking and regional insecurity. A briefing document submitted by Global Witness to the UN Security Council.

http://www.globalpolicy.org/security//////////////////////issues/liberia/2004/1208dliaisons.pdf

(Added: Mon Feb 21 2005   Modified: Thu Feb 08 2007   Hits: 167)

Darfur Bleeds: Recent Cross-Border Violence in Chad

The crisis in Darfur, Sudan, which has been trickling into Chad for the better part of three years, is now bleeding freely across the border. A counterinsurgency carried out by the Sudanese government and its militias against rebel groups in Darfur, characterized by war crimes and "ethnic cleansing," has forcibly displaced almost two million civilians in Darfur and another 220,000 people who have fled across the border into Chad. The same ethnic "Janjaweed" militias that have committed systematic abuses in Darfur have staged cross-border raids into Chad, attacking Darfurian refugees and Chadian villagers alike, seizing their livestock and killing those who resist. This report is based on a Human Rights Watch research mission to eastern Chad in January-February 2006. (Human Rights Watch, February 2006)

http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/africa/chad0206/

(Added: Thu May 04 2006   Modified: Thu Jan 18 2007   Hits: 182)

Football fever reunites Ivorians

Ivory Coast has been wracked by civil war since 2002, and thousands of its 17 million citizens have perished. However, its World Cup Team, the Elephants, consists of players from all parts of the country, and is seen by many Ivorians as a unifying force. (James Copnall, BBC News, 8 June 2006)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5052876.stm

(Added: Wed Jun 21 2006   Hits: 53)

Genocide: Debunking the Myths

Minority Rights Group. Genocide is a legal term, which according to different opinions, is either over used or not used frequently enough. It is nevertheless commonly understood to define the very worst and most abhorrent crime against humanity, deserving of universal condemnation and punishment. Recently attention has focused on the situation in Darfur and debate has once again turned to the issue of genocide and the legal responsibility of the international community to act if such a definition is confirmed. Here, MRG takes a close look at what genocide actually is in an attempt to throw out some myths and establish the truth beyond the apparent confusion. However, beyond the legal and political debate, MRG's message is clear, that whether the international community chooses to define a situation as genocide or not, it does not absolve it of the responsibility to act when innocent civilians face slaughter and persecution.

http://www.minorityrights.org/features/features_genocide.htm

(Added: Thu Oct 07 2004   Modified: Thu Jul 13 2006   Hits: 92)

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