PREAMBLE: Canada’s Conservative government is copying failed US prison policies even as its favoured role model, the US Republican Party, repudiates them: policies that lead the US to having the highest incarceration rates in the world.
In Canada, a $2-billion prison-building bonanza is about to spawn more than two dozen new prisons as Conservative candidates make pre-election announcements on 8 prisons in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec, while in Ontario 3 minimum-security prisons will each get 50 new cells, and Quebec’s medium-security Cowansville Institution a 96 cell addition, in addition to new cells at another Quebec prison.[1]
The motivations behind Prime Minister Harper’s prison obsession appear ideologically driven and politically motivated. There is no evidence of increasing crime in Canada (the overall trend is actually down), nor is there good scientific evidence that incarceration is an effective solution to most of the crime that does occur. Nonetheless, Canada is now scrambling to expand the penitentiary system to house a surging inmate population due to legislative changes that were not properly costed in the first instance. According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, abolition of the 2-for-1 pre-trial custody credit will add 4,000 more inmates over the next 5 years, and other proposals including tightened parole rules and more mandatory minimum sentences will have similar effects. These ill considered legislative measures are creating a level of overcrowding that contravenes international standards on treatment of prisoners. It does nothing for rehabilitation, even as it displaces resources away from measures that could prevent crime in the first place.
It is difficult to imagine that any political party now so far into the throes of an election campaign could reverse its own “tough on crime” platform. However, we live in hope, and for this reason offer the following review of the just released and already much acclaimed NAACP policy report from the USA.
We have taken the liberty of minor paraphrasing, so as to focus on what is most relevant to Canada. However, the full report should be required reading by federal politicians of all stripes. Let us learn from this report which documents how Harperian “tough on crime” policies have already been shown to fail south of the border. QUESTION FOR THE ELECTION: Why copy failure?
References
1. Robb Tripp. Harper Government to announce more prison expansion. iPolitics.ca Postmedia News. January 10, 2010. http://ipolitics.ca/2011/01/10/harper-government-to-announce-more-prison-expansions/
2. NAACP. Misplaced Priorities: Over Incarcerate, Under Educate. April, 2011. http://naacp.3cdn.net/01d6f368edbe135234_bq0m68x5h.pdf Accessed April 13, 2011.
MISPLACED PRIORITIES – The Report
Misplaced Priorities, released by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), America’s leading Civil Rights group, focuses on the over-funding of prisons and under-funding of education in the USA (reference 2 above). The Report reveals how that nation is wasting financial resources on over-incarceration while depriving schools of resources that would help children in distressed communities - who, without adequate education, are at greatest risk of becoming the next generation of prisoners.
Misplaced Priorities examines research and analysis from leading experts on crime, public safety, and education policy, and analyzes new information gathered at neighborhood level to provide a unique local perspective on the national incarceration crisis in the USA. It was released in the context of a Smart and Safe policy framework that ensures public safety as a civil and human right for all communities, especially for the many communities in crisis. Instead of calling for “lock ‘em' up" practices to solve social problems, Smart and Safe was developed to meet public safety goals by meeting community needs and more effectively addressing violent crimes.
Misplaced Priorities: Over Incarcerate, Under Educate
The report’s key conclusion is that excessive spending on incarceration undermines educational opportunity and public safety in communities. States are thereby urged to lock away fewer prisoners for drug offenses, and to redirect some of the massive amount of money that goes to jails to schools.
The report has been endorsed by some politically unexpected allies: former GOP Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Grover Norquist, conservative founder of Americans for Tax Reform. "You have Tea Party activists and NAACP activists pushing the same bills," NAACP president Ben Jealous said during a PBS NewsHour report, referencing the prison reform movement in Texas.
Executive Summary – Selected Extracts
In Misplaced Priorities: Over Incarcerate, Under Educate, NAACP researchers assembled data from leading research organizations and profiled 6 cities to show how escalating investments in incarceration over the past 30 years have undermined educational opportunities. Misplaced Priorities is a call to action for public officials, policymakers, and local NAACP units and members by providing a framework to implement a policy agenda that will financially prioritize investments in education over incarceration, provide equal protection under the law, eliminate sentencing policies responsible for over incarceration, and advance public safety strategies that effectively increase healthy community development.
Misplaced Priorities echoes existing research on the impact excessive prison spending has on education budgets. Over the last two decades, as the criminal justice system came to assume a larger proportion of state discretionary dollars nationwide, state spending on prisons grew at six times the rate of state spending on higher education. In 2009, as the nation plummeted into the deepest recession in 30 years, funding for K–12 and higher education declined; however, in that same year, 33 states spent a larger proportion of their discretionary dollars on prisons than they had the year before.
Other Important Findings from Misplaced Priorities:
1. Over incarceration impacts vulnerable populations and destabilizes communities.
• The majority of the 2.3 million people incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails are people of color, people with mental health issues and drug addiction, people with low levels of educational attainment, and people with a history of unemployment or underemployment.
[Ed: In Canada, the situation is similar: for example, under current legal frameworks and practices, aboriginals are 7 times more likely to be incarcerated than non-aboriginals. Nothing in the Conservative “tough on crime” platform addresses these inequities.]
• The (USA) nation’s reliance on incarceration to respond to social and behavioral health issues is evidenced by the large numbers of people who are incarcerated for drug offenses. Among people in federal prisons, people in local jails, and young people held in the nation’s detention centers and local secure facilities, more than 500,000 people—nearly a quarter of all those incarcerated—are incarcerated as the result of a drug conviction.
• During the last two decades, as the criminal justice system came to assume a larger proportion of state discretionary dollars, state spending on prisons grew at six times the rate of state spending on higher education.
2. In the six cities profiled in the report, the NAACP research team found stark disparities. Approximately each year:
• In Texas, taxpayers will spend more than $175 million to imprison residents sentenced in 2008 from just 10 of Houston’s 75 neighborhoods (by zip code). These neighborhoods are home to only about 10 percent of the city’s population but account for more than one-third of the state’s $500 million in prison spending.
• In Pennsylvania, taxpayers will spend nearly $290 million to imprison residents sentenced in 2008 from just 11 of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods (by zip code). These neighborhoods are home to just over a quarter of the city’s population but account for more than half of the state’s roughly $500 million in prison spending.
• In New York, taxpayers will spend more than half a billion dollars ($539million) to imprison residents sentenced in 2008 from 24 of New York City’s approximately 200 neighborhoods (by zip code). These areas are home to only about 16 percent of the city’s population but account for nearly half of the state’s $1.1 billion in prison spending.
3. Incarceration impacts educational performance at the local level.
• For three cities—Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Houston—the research team examined the spatial relationship between “high-incarceration communities” and “low-performing schools” (as measured by mathematics proficiency). By grouping five different ranges of incarceration from the two lowest to the two highest, the authors have shown where high- and low-performing schools tend to be clustered:
◦◦In Los Angeles, 69 of the 90 low-performing schools (67 percent) are in neighborhoods with the highest incarceration rates;
◦◦In Philadelphia, 23 of the 35 low-performing schools (66 percent) are clustered in or very near neighborhoods with the highest rates of incarceration; and
◦◦In Houston, 5 of the 6 low-performing schools (83 percent) are in neighborhoods with the highest rates of incarceration.
Call to Action & Recommendations
Among a growing number of states that are finding better ways to manage their corrections systems, four states—Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York—have seen significant declines in their prison population as a result of policy changes that seek to re¬verse the trend of overspending on incarceration. However, the relative successes in these states have yet to spread across the nation or result in increased investments in education.
It is critical that all states prioritize education over incarceration. The NAACP calls for the downsizing of prisons and the shifting of financial resources from secure corrections budgets to education budgets. This can be accomplished if states accept the following recommendations:
1. Study the problem: Support federal, state, and local efforts to create a blue-ribbon commission that will conduct a thorough evaluation of the criminal justice system and offer recommendations for reform in a range of areas, including: sentencing policy, rates of incarceration, law enforcement, crime prevention, substance abuse and mental health treatment, corrections, and reentry.
2. Create reinvestment commissions: Support commissions charged with identifying legislative and policy avenues to downsize prison populations and shift savings from prison closures to education budgets.
3. Eliminate disparities in drug laws: Support efforts to eliminate disparities in sentencing between crack and powder cocaine at the state and federal level.
4. Increase earned time: Support reforms that would allow prisoners to earn an earlier release by participating in educational and vocational programming as well as drug and mental health treatment.
5. Support youth violence reduction programs: Support programs and policies to develop a comprehensive plan for implementing evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies for at-risk youth to prevent gang activity and criminal justice involvement.
6. Reform sentencing and drug policies: Eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing for drug offenses that help fuel drug imprisonment.
7. Use diversion for drug-involved individuals: Reform prosecutorial guidelines to divert people to treatment who would otherwise serve a mandatory prison term.
8. Shorten prison terms: Send young offenders who would otherwise receive mandatory sentences to structured programs to help them earn their GED and shave time off their prison sentences.
9. Increase parole release rates: Improve parole boards’ ability to use evidence-based strategies when making decisions to parole prisoners, thus improving parolees’ chances for success and increasing parole approval rates.
10. Reduce revocations of people under community supervision: Develop alternative-to-incarceration programs that will reduce the number of people sent to prison for technical violations.
11. Support reentry and the sealing of records: Support legislation that will close criminal records of certain offenders after they have not committed another crime within a certain number of years.
Reference: NAACP. Misplaced Priorities: Over Incarcerate, Under Educate. April, 2011. http://naacp.3cdn.net/01d6f368edbe135234_bq0m68x5h.pdf Accessed April 13, 2011.
OUR COMMENT
Given this backdrop of serious reexamination of failed US prison policies, and the sane response to the ensuing recommendations not only by Democrats but also Republicans, surely it is time that our own Conservative Party of Canada did some serious homework, and cleaned up its own misguided policies on crime? The current divergence between Canadian and US conservative thinking is odd indeed, especially given their otherwise close ideological bonds and operational ties. If a US Republican Party Epiphany was possible, then all is not lost here in Canada: how about a Conservative Epiphany? Alternatively why not throw the blighters out, or at least consider this as yet one more reason to continue to deny them a majority in parliament?
Showing posts with label Harper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harper. Show all posts
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Saturday, 18 December 2010
INTERNATIONAL & GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT - YEAR IN REVIEW 2010
PREAMBLE: This is our 4th annual review of topics that we covered over the year. We lead off with praise (“flowers”) and criticism (“fertilizer”) within three categories: global stewardship, international development, and human rights. Then follows a synopsis of each of the 12 blog themes throughout the year.
1. Global Stewardship
This year our pick of flowers for world leadership must go to South Africa for its enormous success in hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup of Football with evident warmth, safety and competence. This nation, much more than most, symbolizes the universal striving for world peace. So much is evident in its peaceful overthrowing of apartheid, and efforts to seek truth and reconciliation in its internal affairs. A standard is set for others to follow - we can all learn from South Africa. The blog itself celebrates the role of sport in the cause of world peace.
Our pick for the Fertilizer Prize is the recently concluded UN Climate Conference in Mexico. Its not that it was a complete failure, but that it – thanks to countries like our own (Canada) that have been foot-dragging their way forward (some would say backward) in finding ways (not) to meet this challenge – fall far short of what the world community should be doing.
We want to remain positive about the progress in Cancun, but it is very obvious that more fertilizer (this time in a positive sense) is needed. For those interested in examining an authoritative assessment of the outcome, we recommend visiting http://climateprogress.org/2010/12/02/un-climate-summit-in-cancun-mexico/
2. International Development
We make a post-humus gesture of flowers on this occasion to Frank Fenner who passed away at the ripe old age of 95. Fenner, an Australian, was a giant in the field of international and global health, most notably leading the WHO smallpox eradication certification effort, achieved in 1980.
Our choice of Fenner for flowers in this category is doubly relevant, given the poor progress achieved by the world on climate change (see: 2nd paragraph above, under Global Stewardship), as he is recently famous for the following quotation:
“Homo sapiens will become extinct, perhaps within the next 100 years” he told the Australian newspaper in June. “A lot of other animals will too. It’s an irreversible situation. I think it is too late.” Surely we must do more now than simply hope that he is wrong about this.
The Fertilizer award in this category, now in negative sense, goes collectively to the G8 group of countries, for their continuing dismal performance, especially when set against their continued failure to live up to a UN agreement in 1970 that committed rich nations to allocating 0.7% of their GNP for this purpose. Although Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Denmark and the Netherlands comfortably meet this target, no G8 nation gets close to it (range = UK 0.52, Italy 0.16). In fact, when compared with other nations monitored by the OECD, the G8 whose brief meetings cost billions of dollars, perform even less well than the rest.
Really now, with a G8 like this, who needs it?
3. Human Rights
We offer flowers to the International Criminal Court (ICC) the permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression (although it cannot currently exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression). The creation of the ICC is commonly viewed as the most significant reform of international law since 1945, giving teeth to the two bodies of international law that deal with treatment of individuals: human rights and humanitarian law. The court came into being on 1 July 2002 and can only prosecute crimes committed on or after that date. The official seat of the court is in The Hague, Netherlands, but its proceedings may take place anywhere.
We take this opportunity to draw attention to the ICC’s recently launched Outreach Report 2010 and related video, which presents the ICC Outreach Unit’s work from 1 October 2009 to 1 October 2010. The English-language version of this report, the video, and previous annual reports are available on the ICC website.
And we close our awards section this year with a very big pile of very smelly Fertilizer for French President Nicholas Sarkozy for his treatment of the Roma. We agree with the findings of EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding, who, in September, likened the recent deportation of almost 1,000 Gypsies to Romania and Bulgaria to Vichy France's treatment of Jews in the second world war. No amount of histrionic pirouetting by the perfidious Sarkozy can allow his decision to stand as other than another blow to France’s patchy record in the annals of human rights.
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/14/roma-deportations-france-eu-disgrace].
2010 AS WE RECORDED IT...
January: FOOD 2030 - A NATIONAL REPORT WITH GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS
This issue highlighted the British Government’s new Food Strategy, released January 5th, 2010. It is a timely document, with implications for both the UK and the rest of the world. Here are some of the key findings:
Demand for food and energy will jump 50% by 2030 and for fresh water by 30%, as the world population tops 8.3 billion. Climate change will exacerbate matters unpredictably. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) predicts widespread water shortages across Africa, Europe and Asia by 2025. The amount of fresh water available per head of population will decline sharply during that time. The issue of food and energy security rose high on the political agenda last year during a spike in oil and commodity prices, but then slipped in priority with falling prices. At present, 30-40% of all crops are lost due to pest and disease before they are harvested, and future droughts and increasing salinity will affect growth and produce.
February: CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE BY PRIESTS AND COVER-UP BY CATHOLIC CHURCH
In this issue, we posted verbatim, a CNN report that outlined a decades old cover-up of child sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic priests in Ireland. The actions of Irish priests and the inaction of their church hierarchy represent the height of hypocrisy and flagrant criminal behavior, and bring into disrepute the entire edifice of organized Catholicism.
Although the action now being taken came about as a result of a commission of inquiry put into motion by the nation of Ireland, one then had to ask why this took so long and why no criminal charges have ever been laid.
The world has since learned from a leaked US diplomatic cable that the Irish government was forced to grant Vatican officials immunity from testifying.
[Reference: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/10/wikileaks-vatican-child-sex-abuse-investigation]
In our view, this clearly does not absolve the state itself from some share of the responsibility and the consequences. Clearly it does not absolve the Vatican, which now appears to have used its enormous influence to engage in obstruction of justice.
March: OVER A BILLION HUNGRY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD - IMF AND FAO REPORT
This issue gives space to the text of an International Monetary Fund report entitled “Hunger on the Rise” developed by David Dawe and Denis Drechsler, and based on The State of Food Insecurity in the World, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2009 (full citations provided in the blog).
In summary, world hunger spiked sharply in 2009, significantly worsening an already disappointing trend in global food security since 1996. The combination of food and economic crises has pushed the number of hungry people worldwide to historic levels.
April: DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE FOR HEALTH – NEW IMPLICATIONS ABOUT COMPARATIVE AID EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNMENT VS NON-GOVERNMENTAL FUNDING
This issue extracted from a report recently distributed by the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, referring to work jointly published in the Lancet by Harvard University, and the University of Washington, revealing that investment in the non-government sector may result in more favourable health spending by government than by investing directly in the government sector itself.
Specifically, the study found that debt relief, and development assistance for health (DAH) to government had a negative and significant effect on domestic government spending on health such that for every US$1 of DAH to government, government health expenditures from domestic resources were reduced by $0•43 (p=0) to $1•14. However, debt relief, and development assistance for health DAH to the non-governmental sector had a positive and significant effect on domestic government health spending.
May: MATERNAL MORTALITY – AN INTEGRITY TEST FOR POLITICIANS
For the lead item of this month’s blog, we presented the polite but authoritative view of the Lancet on Canada’s G8 Leadership, emphasizing the inadequacy of Canada’s approach to maternal health as a global public health issue, and followed this by the first good news in many decades, that maternal mortality globally is finally being reduced.
This issue was labeled “an integrity test for politicians” because many of (what Canadian Conservative politicians like to refer to themselves as) the “political class” appear intellectually challenged by scientifically sound evidence regarding the nature of the problem, and what works or doesn’t. It is also an ethical test… whether our ruling party is in it for cheap political gains among their home base, or whether higher reasoning will prevail in the interests of the health of millions of women around the world.
Postscript: Canada’s eventual funding commitments to address maternal and child health (MCH) excluded access to safe abortion, and made only weak provisions for family planning. (This observation was further elaborated in the September blog).
June: THE GAZA FOG OF ASYMMETRICAL VIOLENCE Need for International Inquiry
This issue presented verbatim, a recent report by Amnesty International, outlining the desperate situation of the people of Gaza due to the Israeli blockade. While this seemingly archaic military tactic continues to be excused by Israel as an act of self-defence, independent analyses have revealed this to be capricious in terms of the range of prohibited items, and it is obviously counter-productive to the peace effort although apparently good politics in Israel itself. On the ground however, the situation is nothing less than a humanitarian disaster, especially as over half the Gaza population are children.
July: FOOTBALL WORLD CUP PROMOTES SPORTS AS A FORCE FOR WORLD PEACE
We took the opportunity of the World Cup as a timely moment to take note of initiatives to bond international sport to the cause of world peace. Interestingly, this particular issue turned out to be the most frequently visited issue of our blog since it commenced in 2006!
August: HISTORIC UN RESOLUTION ON WATER AND SANITATION AS HUMAN RIGHTS
On 28th July, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on States and International Organizations to provide financial resources, build capacity and transfer technology, particularly to developing countries, in scaling up efforts to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all. The Assembly, in a text on the human right to water and sanitation, highlights that 884 million people lack access to safe drinking water and more than 2.6 billion are without access to basic sanitation.
Regretfully a full consensus was not achieved and the resolution was approved with 122 votes in favour, none against and 41 abstentions. We noted disappointment in our own Canadian government, which abstained from the vote, giving no adequate explanation.
September: MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS – OUR UNDERACHIEVING “LEADERSHIP”
Under United Nations auspices, from 20 to 22 September, a Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was held in New York. With five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the MDGs, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called on world leaders to accelerate progress towards these goals, the overall aim being to reduce World Poverty.
Despite the dire need of over a billion people living in poverty around the world, it is increasingly clear that few if any of the MDGs will be achieved by the target year of 2015. Clearly there is a crying need for a strong reaffirmation with donor policies and resources to match.
Unfortunately, recent years have witnessed a track record littered with false promises and broken commitments and in some instances shallow comprehension of what is needed to resolve on the major issues underlying world poverty. All too often, “world leaders” have pandered to their domestic political bases rather than genuinely taking on these issues.
October: CANADA LOSING ITS INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD – FOREIGN POLICY FAILURES AND "MAPLE SYRUP DIPLOMACY"
On October 12th, 2010, Canada lost in its bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council. Despite Canada’s tradition of global leadership, and having gained this seat on every prior bid for it, impoverished Portugal (pop 11.6 million) beat Canada by a virtual landslide. It is no exaggeration to say that, approaching the vote, Canada’s Conservative government revealed a sense of entitlement to the seat, being 7th largest donor of the UN, and hosting this year’s G8 and G20 meetings. Besides Prime Minister Stephen Harper making two appearances before the General Assembly during the run-up (having otherwise mostly ignored the UN), as a bizarre gesture, Maple Syrup gifts were given to representatives of UN members before the vote.
The juxtaposition of these events suggest that a combination of clumsy leadership and diplomatic ineptitude may lie at the root of this foreign policy failure. While Canada’s stated principles do create positive images, when you look closely at how they are interpreted under the Conservative government, the reality reveals a narrow vision that is too often arrogant, ignorant and ignoble.
November: CHINA SHAMES ITSELF - IMPRISONS MAN FOR PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCACY
In this issue we draw attention to how China is persecuting a man following his advocacy on behalf of public health, especially the health of children.
This is the first time we have given space to the issue of human rights in China. Like many other observers, we are impressed by China’s material advances and recognize its growing importance on the world stage. However, until human rights are elevated in importance, it will fall short of global expectations as a potential world leader.
December: INTERNATIONAL & GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT – YEAR IN REVIEW 2010…
This Issue!
AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!We extend to readers our best wishes for 2011, with hopes that the global challenges of recent years will be better understood and more humanely managed going forward. For this to happen we need more enlightened world leadership. PacificSci will continue to offer an independent view.
1. Global Stewardship
This year our pick of flowers for world leadership must go to South Africa for its enormous success in hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup of Football with evident warmth, safety and competence. This nation, much more than most, symbolizes the universal striving for world peace. So much is evident in its peaceful overthrowing of apartheid, and efforts to seek truth and reconciliation in its internal affairs. A standard is set for others to follow - we can all learn from South Africa. The blog itself celebrates the role of sport in the cause of world peace.
Our pick for the Fertilizer Prize is the recently concluded UN Climate Conference in Mexico. Its not that it was a complete failure, but that it – thanks to countries like our own (Canada) that have been foot-dragging their way forward (some would say backward) in finding ways (not) to meet this challenge – fall far short of what the world community should be doing.
We want to remain positive about the progress in Cancun, but it is very obvious that more fertilizer (this time in a positive sense) is needed. For those interested in examining an authoritative assessment of the outcome, we recommend visiting http://climateprogress.org/2010/12/02/un-climate-summit-in-cancun-mexico/
2. International Development
We make a post-humus gesture of flowers on this occasion to Frank Fenner who passed away at the ripe old age of 95. Fenner, an Australian, was a giant in the field of international and global health, most notably leading the WHO smallpox eradication certification effort, achieved in 1980.
Our choice of Fenner for flowers in this category is doubly relevant, given the poor progress achieved by the world on climate change (see: 2nd paragraph above, under Global Stewardship), as he is recently famous for the following quotation:
“Homo sapiens will become extinct, perhaps within the next 100 years” he told the Australian newspaper in June. “A lot of other animals will too. It’s an irreversible situation. I think it is too late.” Surely we must do more now than simply hope that he is wrong about this.
The Fertilizer award in this category, now in negative sense, goes collectively to the G8 group of countries, for their continuing dismal performance, especially when set against their continued failure to live up to a UN agreement in 1970 that committed rich nations to allocating 0.7% of their GNP for this purpose. Although Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Denmark and the Netherlands comfortably meet this target, no G8 nation gets close to it (range = UK 0.52, Italy 0.16). In fact, when compared with other nations monitored by the OECD, the G8 whose brief meetings cost billions of dollars, perform even less well than the rest.
Really now, with a G8 like this, who needs it?
3. Human Rights
We offer flowers to the International Criminal Court (ICC) the permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression (although it cannot currently exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression). The creation of the ICC is commonly viewed as the most significant reform of international law since 1945, giving teeth to the two bodies of international law that deal with treatment of individuals: human rights and humanitarian law. The court came into being on 1 July 2002 and can only prosecute crimes committed on or after that date. The official seat of the court is in The Hague, Netherlands, but its proceedings may take place anywhere.
We take this opportunity to draw attention to the ICC’s recently launched Outreach Report 2010 and related video, which presents the ICC Outreach Unit’s work from 1 October 2009 to 1 October 2010. The English-language version of this report, the video, and previous annual reports are available on the ICC website.
And we close our awards section this year with a very big pile of very smelly Fertilizer for French President Nicholas Sarkozy for his treatment of the Roma. We agree with the findings of EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding, who, in September, likened the recent deportation of almost 1,000 Gypsies to Romania and Bulgaria to Vichy France's treatment of Jews in the second world war. No amount of histrionic pirouetting by the perfidious Sarkozy can allow his decision to stand as other than another blow to France’s patchy record in the annals of human rights.
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/14/roma-deportations-france-eu-disgrace].
2010 AS WE RECORDED IT...
January: FOOD 2030 - A NATIONAL REPORT WITH GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS
This issue highlighted the British Government’s new Food Strategy, released January 5th, 2010. It is a timely document, with implications for both the UK and the rest of the world. Here are some of the key findings:
Demand for food and energy will jump 50% by 2030 and for fresh water by 30%, as the world population tops 8.3 billion. Climate change will exacerbate matters unpredictably. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) predicts widespread water shortages across Africa, Europe and Asia by 2025. The amount of fresh water available per head of population will decline sharply during that time. The issue of food and energy security rose high on the political agenda last year during a spike in oil and commodity prices, but then slipped in priority with falling prices. At present, 30-40% of all crops are lost due to pest and disease before they are harvested, and future droughts and increasing salinity will affect growth and produce.
February: CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE BY PRIESTS AND COVER-UP BY CATHOLIC CHURCH
In this issue, we posted verbatim, a CNN report that outlined a decades old cover-up of child sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic priests in Ireland. The actions of Irish priests and the inaction of their church hierarchy represent the height of hypocrisy and flagrant criminal behavior, and bring into disrepute the entire edifice of organized Catholicism.
Although the action now being taken came about as a result of a commission of inquiry put into motion by the nation of Ireland, one then had to ask why this took so long and why no criminal charges have ever been laid.
The world has since learned from a leaked US diplomatic cable that the Irish government was forced to grant Vatican officials immunity from testifying.
[Reference: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/10/wikileaks-vatican-child-sex-abuse-investigation]
In our view, this clearly does not absolve the state itself from some share of the responsibility and the consequences. Clearly it does not absolve the Vatican, which now appears to have used its enormous influence to engage in obstruction of justice.
March: OVER A BILLION HUNGRY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD - IMF AND FAO REPORT
This issue gives space to the text of an International Monetary Fund report entitled “Hunger on the Rise” developed by David Dawe and Denis Drechsler, and based on The State of Food Insecurity in the World, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2009 (full citations provided in the blog).
In summary, world hunger spiked sharply in 2009, significantly worsening an already disappointing trend in global food security since 1996. The combination of food and economic crises has pushed the number of hungry people worldwide to historic levels.
April: DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE FOR HEALTH – NEW IMPLICATIONS ABOUT COMPARATIVE AID EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNMENT VS NON-GOVERNMENTAL FUNDING
This issue extracted from a report recently distributed by the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, referring to work jointly published in the Lancet by Harvard University, and the University of Washington, revealing that investment in the non-government sector may result in more favourable health spending by government than by investing directly in the government sector itself.
Specifically, the study found that debt relief, and development assistance for health (DAH) to government had a negative and significant effect on domestic government spending on health such that for every US$1 of DAH to government, government health expenditures from domestic resources were reduced by $0•43 (p=0) to $1•14. However, debt relief, and development assistance for health DAH to the non-governmental sector had a positive and significant effect on domestic government health spending.
May: MATERNAL MORTALITY – AN INTEGRITY TEST FOR POLITICIANS
For the lead item of this month’s blog, we presented the polite but authoritative view of the Lancet on Canada’s G8 Leadership, emphasizing the inadequacy of Canada’s approach to maternal health as a global public health issue, and followed this by the first good news in many decades, that maternal mortality globally is finally being reduced.
This issue was labeled “an integrity test for politicians” because many of (what Canadian Conservative politicians like to refer to themselves as) the “political class” appear intellectually challenged by scientifically sound evidence regarding the nature of the problem, and what works or doesn’t. It is also an ethical test… whether our ruling party is in it for cheap political gains among their home base, or whether higher reasoning will prevail in the interests of the health of millions of women around the world.
Postscript: Canada’s eventual funding commitments to address maternal and child health (MCH) excluded access to safe abortion, and made only weak provisions for family planning. (This observation was further elaborated in the September blog).
June: THE GAZA FOG OF ASYMMETRICAL VIOLENCE Need for International Inquiry
This issue presented verbatim, a recent report by Amnesty International, outlining the desperate situation of the people of Gaza due to the Israeli blockade. While this seemingly archaic military tactic continues to be excused by Israel as an act of self-defence, independent analyses have revealed this to be capricious in terms of the range of prohibited items, and it is obviously counter-productive to the peace effort although apparently good politics in Israel itself. On the ground however, the situation is nothing less than a humanitarian disaster, especially as over half the Gaza population are children.
July: FOOTBALL WORLD CUP PROMOTES SPORTS AS A FORCE FOR WORLD PEACE
We took the opportunity of the World Cup as a timely moment to take note of initiatives to bond international sport to the cause of world peace. Interestingly, this particular issue turned out to be the most frequently visited issue of our blog since it commenced in 2006!
August: HISTORIC UN RESOLUTION ON WATER AND SANITATION AS HUMAN RIGHTS
On 28th July, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on States and International Organizations to provide financial resources, build capacity and transfer technology, particularly to developing countries, in scaling up efforts to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all. The Assembly, in a text on the human right to water and sanitation, highlights that 884 million people lack access to safe drinking water and more than 2.6 billion are without access to basic sanitation.
Regretfully a full consensus was not achieved and the resolution was approved with 122 votes in favour, none against and 41 abstentions. We noted disappointment in our own Canadian government, which abstained from the vote, giving no adequate explanation.
September: MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS – OUR UNDERACHIEVING “LEADERSHIP”
Under United Nations auspices, from 20 to 22 September, a Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was held in New York. With five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the MDGs, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called on world leaders to accelerate progress towards these goals, the overall aim being to reduce World Poverty.
Despite the dire need of over a billion people living in poverty around the world, it is increasingly clear that few if any of the MDGs will be achieved by the target year of 2015. Clearly there is a crying need for a strong reaffirmation with donor policies and resources to match.
Unfortunately, recent years have witnessed a track record littered with false promises and broken commitments and in some instances shallow comprehension of what is needed to resolve on the major issues underlying world poverty. All too often, “world leaders” have pandered to their domestic political bases rather than genuinely taking on these issues.
October: CANADA LOSING ITS INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD – FOREIGN POLICY FAILURES AND "MAPLE SYRUP DIPLOMACY"
On October 12th, 2010, Canada lost in its bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council. Despite Canada’s tradition of global leadership, and having gained this seat on every prior bid for it, impoverished Portugal (pop 11.6 million) beat Canada by a virtual landslide. It is no exaggeration to say that, approaching the vote, Canada’s Conservative government revealed a sense of entitlement to the seat, being 7th largest donor of the UN, and hosting this year’s G8 and G20 meetings. Besides Prime Minister Stephen Harper making two appearances before the General Assembly during the run-up (having otherwise mostly ignored the UN), as a bizarre gesture, Maple Syrup gifts were given to representatives of UN members before the vote.
The juxtaposition of these events suggest that a combination of clumsy leadership and diplomatic ineptitude may lie at the root of this foreign policy failure. While Canada’s stated principles do create positive images, when you look closely at how they are interpreted under the Conservative government, the reality reveals a narrow vision that is too often arrogant, ignorant and ignoble.
November: CHINA SHAMES ITSELF - IMPRISONS MAN FOR PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCACY
In this issue we draw attention to how China is persecuting a man following his advocacy on behalf of public health, especially the health of children.
This is the first time we have given space to the issue of human rights in China. Like many other observers, we are impressed by China’s material advances and recognize its growing importance on the world stage. However, until human rights are elevated in importance, it will fall short of global expectations as a potential world leader.
December: INTERNATIONAL & GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT – YEAR IN REVIEW 2010…
This Issue!
AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!We extend to readers our best wishes for 2011, with hopes that the global challenges of recent years will be better understood and more humanely managed going forward. For this to happen we need more enlightened world leadership. PacificSci will continue to offer an independent view.
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS – OUR UNDERACHIEVING “LEADERSHIP”
PREAMBLE: Under the auspices of the United Nations, from 20 to 22 September 2010, a Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be held in New York. With only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the MDGs, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has called on world leaders to attend the summit to accelerate progress towards these goals, the overall aim of which is to reduce World Poverty. Visit the Summit website! http://www.un.org/en/mdg/summit2010/
Despite the dire need of over a billion people living in poverty around the world, the initial intentions behind the goals and efforts to showcase what had been achieved, it is increasingly clear that few if any of the MDGs will be achieved by the target year of 2015. Clearly there is a crying need for a strong reaffirmation with donor policies and resources to match.
Unfortunately, recent years have witnessed a track record littered with false promises and broken commitments and in some instances shallow comprehension of what is needed to resolve on the major issues underlying world poverty. All too often, “world leaders” have pandered to their domestic political bases rather than genuinely taking on these issues.
A case in point is Canada’s minority Conservative government whose leader Stephen Harper and fundamentalist colleagues ensured that this country’s commitment to address maternal and child health (MCH) excluded access to safe abortion, and made only weak provisions for the inclusion of family planning within Canadian funding commitments.
In fact, it is estimated that 20 million unsafe abortions occur around the world annually and that 70,000 of these result in the woman's death. Clearly there must be more emphasis on the provision of family planning, and removal of barriers to this practice and also quite obviously access to safe abortion, as a core element of a harm reduction strategy.
Harper’s approach to maternal health is in effect a northern echo of the Bush administration’s “global gag rule” (no funding for MCH unless abortion is specifically excluded), since repudiated by the Obama administration. Ironically, women in Canada long ago won the right to chose, so it is invidious that “Harper’s Canada” discriminates against these practices abroad.
There is still hope that Canada may amend this approach reasonably soon, with the return of a more compassionate philosophy. What is needed is to change the party in power, the only currently viable alternative being the Liberal Party of Canada, with (virtually guaranteed) support from all other parties: only the Conservatives (with little more than 30% public support) are holding up the need for enlightened policy.
We therefore endorse the following statement (Globe and Mail, Feb 2, 2010) made by the leader of that party, and of the official opposition Michael Ignatieff: “We want to make sure that women have access to all the contraceptive methods available to control their fertility because we don’t want to have women dying because of botched procedures, we don’t want to have women dying in misery.” This quote regains resonance in light of the looming MDG Summit next week in New York.
This example of Maternal and Child Health (MDG 5) is but one of the MDGs falling short of sufficient progress for any of them to be achieved by 2015 without an infusion of more genuine commitment by “world leaders” such as Mr Harper.
The eight MDGs are now listed for ease of reference:
Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education
Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality
Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases.
Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership of Development.
NOTE: This internationally agreed framework of 8 goals and 18 targets is complemented by 48 technical indicators to measure progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. These indicators have since been adopted by a consensus of experts from the United Nations, IMF, OECD and the World Bank.
As our feature for this issue, we present below a September 10, 2010 IPS Inter-Press Service report by Aprille Muscara (full reference below).
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT BLUEPRINT REVEALS URGENT UPHILL BATTLE
By Aprille Muscara
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 10, 2010 (IPS) - A document outlining the U.N.'s strategy to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 was finalised Thursday after months of heated negotiations.
The text, titled "Keeping the Promise – United to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals", will be formally signed off on by world leaders at the upcoming MDG summit, which is to be held here from Sep. 20-22.
The final 27-page version, obtained by IPS, differs considerably from the 14-page "zero draft" base text from which member states inserted, amended and removed passages.
However, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) worry that the completed text, called an outcome document, falls short of the substantial action plan it was hoped to be and is instead a rehash of already-made promises and generalised commitments.
"This document lacks the adrenaline boost to accelerate the MDGs, and with only five years left, world leaders coming together in New York must commit to concrete actions that will ensure all people are lifted from poverty in our lifetime," said Emma Seery, a spokesperson for Oxfam International.
Over the years, NGOs and aid groups have advocated for a human rights-based approach to tackling the MDGs. A review of the document at different draft stages reveals the addition of key human rights language, such as inclusion of the right to development, the right to food, the right to health and the right to education.
"We recognize that the respect, promotion and protection of human rights is an integral part of effective work towards achieving the MDGs," the final document states.
But notably absent from the list is access to clean water and sanitation, which the U.N. in a resolution declared a basic human right in late July. The resolution proved to be a divisive one, however, with 41 countries, including the United States, Britain and Canada abstaining from the vote.
Although water and sanitation is not explicitly framed as a human right in the final outcome document, they appear frequently throughout as basic needs essential to achieving the MDGs.
Absent, as well, is the assertion "that gender equality is a basic human right, a fundamental value and an issue of social justice" – a statement that was inserted during the draft process but failed to make it through to the end. The final version reads: "We acknowledge the importance of gender equality and empowerment of women to achieve the MDGs."
Indeed, the evolution of the outcome document, which at one point ballooned to 38 pages, reflects a process of political wrangling over touchy wording. With its numerous additions and amendments, the final product is at once more specific in its language yet still general in its pledges.
Language on peace and security matters appears to have been especially contentious. For instance, references to "armed violence," present in the zero draft, and "transnational crime" and "trafficking in persons," introduced in subsequent drafts, as posing threats to the attainment of the MDGs have been removed entirely in favour of the more benign "conflict."
However, one instance of both "foreign occupation" and "terrorism" – new additions – as hindering achievement of the MDGs appear in the final version, reflecting a political compromise between the Group of 77, a coalition of developing countries, and the European Union and the United States.
In the final stages of ironing out problematic language, the E.U. and U.S. and the G77 were often on opposing sides in typical developed-developing, North-South fashion.
It is common practice, a U.N official told IPS, for the relevant parties to go to extremes in their proposed amendments in anticipation of having to make concessions.
Thus, the G77's insertions that claim the current global financial structure – from trade to aid – is "non- inclusive," "ineffective" and "inadequate" for developing countries were removed in place of more watered down wording stressing the need to further reform international financial systems.
A greater focus on the particular needs of the developing world, rural populations and specific mention of regional efforts by the global South in attaining the MDGs are also additions, reflecting G77 bargaining.
Meanwhile, the importance of parliaments, national ownership in developmental efforts and mutual accountability for commitments made towards achieving the MDGs suggest concessions made to the West.
Among the other numerous differences from the zero draft is an acknowledgement of the impact of the world financial crisis, volatile food and energy prices and humanitarian emergencies in stunting developmental gains. And of the eight goals, the document characterises maternal health, MDG5, as making the slowest progress. [Emphasis Added]
Also added is a litany of references to U.N. conventions, agreements and agencies, which serves to reinforce the commitments and goals made in those forums, but also highlights the world body's role in ensuring the accountability of governments.
To this end, the final document requests a "Special Event" to take place during the 68th session of the general assembly in 2013, two years shy of the deadline, to follow up on efforts made toward achieving the MDGs.
Ultimately, despite its acknowledgement of the uneven advances made thus far, the document reflects the urgent uphill battle left on the path to 2015.
"Progress on other MDGs is fragile and must be sustained to avoid reversal," it states.
Source: Muscara A. Development Blueprint Reveals Urgent Uphill Battle. IPS Inter-Press Service. Geneva Sept 10, 2010. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52788
Despite the dire need of over a billion people living in poverty around the world, the initial intentions behind the goals and efforts to showcase what had been achieved, it is increasingly clear that few if any of the MDGs will be achieved by the target year of 2015. Clearly there is a crying need for a strong reaffirmation with donor policies and resources to match.
Unfortunately, recent years have witnessed a track record littered with false promises and broken commitments and in some instances shallow comprehension of what is needed to resolve on the major issues underlying world poverty. All too often, “world leaders” have pandered to their domestic political bases rather than genuinely taking on these issues.
A case in point is Canada’s minority Conservative government whose leader Stephen Harper and fundamentalist colleagues ensured that this country’s commitment to address maternal and child health (MCH) excluded access to safe abortion, and made only weak provisions for the inclusion of family planning within Canadian funding commitments.
In fact, it is estimated that 20 million unsafe abortions occur around the world annually and that 70,000 of these result in the woman's death. Clearly there must be more emphasis on the provision of family planning, and removal of barriers to this practice and also quite obviously access to safe abortion, as a core element of a harm reduction strategy.
Harper’s approach to maternal health is in effect a northern echo of the Bush administration’s “global gag rule” (no funding for MCH unless abortion is specifically excluded), since repudiated by the Obama administration. Ironically, women in Canada long ago won the right to chose, so it is invidious that “Harper’s Canada” discriminates against these practices abroad.
There is still hope that Canada may amend this approach reasonably soon, with the return of a more compassionate philosophy. What is needed is to change the party in power, the only currently viable alternative being the Liberal Party of Canada, with (virtually guaranteed) support from all other parties: only the Conservatives (with little more than 30% public support) are holding up the need for enlightened policy.
We therefore endorse the following statement (Globe and Mail, Feb 2, 2010) made by the leader of that party, and of the official opposition Michael Ignatieff: “We want to make sure that women have access to all the contraceptive methods available to control their fertility because we don’t want to have women dying because of botched procedures, we don’t want to have women dying in misery.” This quote regains resonance in light of the looming MDG Summit next week in New York.
This example of Maternal and Child Health (MDG 5) is but one of the MDGs falling short of sufficient progress for any of them to be achieved by 2015 without an infusion of more genuine commitment by “world leaders” such as Mr Harper.
The eight MDGs are now listed for ease of reference:
Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education
Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality
Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases.
Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership of Development.
NOTE: This internationally agreed framework of 8 goals and 18 targets is complemented by 48 technical indicators to measure progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. These indicators have since been adopted by a consensus of experts from the United Nations, IMF, OECD and the World Bank.
As our feature for this issue, we present below a September 10, 2010 IPS Inter-Press Service report by Aprille Muscara (full reference below).
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT BLUEPRINT REVEALS URGENT UPHILL BATTLE
By Aprille Muscara
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 10, 2010 (IPS) - A document outlining the U.N.'s strategy to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 was finalised Thursday after months of heated negotiations.
The text, titled "Keeping the Promise – United to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals", will be formally signed off on by world leaders at the upcoming MDG summit, which is to be held here from Sep. 20-22.
The final 27-page version, obtained by IPS, differs considerably from the 14-page "zero draft" base text from which member states inserted, amended and removed passages.
However, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) worry that the completed text, called an outcome document, falls short of the substantial action plan it was hoped to be and is instead a rehash of already-made promises and generalised commitments.
"This document lacks the adrenaline boost to accelerate the MDGs, and with only five years left, world leaders coming together in New York must commit to concrete actions that will ensure all people are lifted from poverty in our lifetime," said Emma Seery, a spokesperson for Oxfam International.
Over the years, NGOs and aid groups have advocated for a human rights-based approach to tackling the MDGs. A review of the document at different draft stages reveals the addition of key human rights language, such as inclusion of the right to development, the right to food, the right to health and the right to education.
"We recognize that the respect, promotion and protection of human rights is an integral part of effective work towards achieving the MDGs," the final document states.
But notably absent from the list is access to clean water and sanitation, which the U.N. in a resolution declared a basic human right in late July. The resolution proved to be a divisive one, however, with 41 countries, including the United States, Britain and Canada abstaining from the vote.
Although water and sanitation is not explicitly framed as a human right in the final outcome document, they appear frequently throughout as basic needs essential to achieving the MDGs.
Absent, as well, is the assertion "that gender equality is a basic human right, a fundamental value and an issue of social justice" – a statement that was inserted during the draft process but failed to make it through to the end. The final version reads: "We acknowledge the importance of gender equality and empowerment of women to achieve the MDGs."
Indeed, the evolution of the outcome document, which at one point ballooned to 38 pages, reflects a process of political wrangling over touchy wording. With its numerous additions and amendments, the final product is at once more specific in its language yet still general in its pledges.
Language on peace and security matters appears to have been especially contentious. For instance, references to "armed violence," present in the zero draft, and "transnational crime" and "trafficking in persons," introduced in subsequent drafts, as posing threats to the attainment of the MDGs have been removed entirely in favour of the more benign "conflict."
However, one instance of both "foreign occupation" and "terrorism" – new additions – as hindering achievement of the MDGs appear in the final version, reflecting a political compromise between the Group of 77, a coalition of developing countries, and the European Union and the United States.
In the final stages of ironing out problematic language, the E.U. and U.S. and the G77 were often on opposing sides in typical developed-developing, North-South fashion.
It is common practice, a U.N official told IPS, for the relevant parties to go to extremes in their proposed amendments in anticipation of having to make concessions.
Thus, the G77's insertions that claim the current global financial structure – from trade to aid – is "non- inclusive," "ineffective" and "inadequate" for developing countries were removed in place of more watered down wording stressing the need to further reform international financial systems.
A greater focus on the particular needs of the developing world, rural populations and specific mention of regional efforts by the global South in attaining the MDGs are also additions, reflecting G77 bargaining.
Meanwhile, the importance of parliaments, national ownership in developmental efforts and mutual accountability for commitments made towards achieving the MDGs suggest concessions made to the West.
Among the other numerous differences from the zero draft is an acknowledgement of the impact of the world financial crisis, volatile food and energy prices and humanitarian emergencies in stunting developmental gains. And of the eight goals, the document characterises maternal health, MDG5, as making the slowest progress. [Emphasis Added]
Also added is a litany of references to U.N. conventions, agreements and agencies, which serves to reinforce the commitments and goals made in those forums, but also highlights the world body's role in ensuring the accountability of governments.
To this end, the final document requests a "Special Event" to take place during the 68th session of the general assembly in 2013, two years shy of the deadline, to follow up on efforts made toward achieving the MDGs.
Ultimately, despite its acknowledgement of the uneven advances made thus far, the document reflects the urgent uphill battle left on the path to 2015.
"Progress on other MDGs is fragile and must be sustained to avoid reversal," it states.
Source: Muscara A. Development Blueprint Reveals Urgent Uphill Battle. IPS Inter-Press Service. Geneva Sept 10, 2010. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52788
Friday, 14 May 2010
MATERNAL MORTALITY – AN INTEGRITY TEST FOR POLITICIANS
PREAMBLE: One of the world’s most intractable public health problems is the high mortality of women due to pregnancy related causes. Over several decades (until recently), maternal mortality in developing countries appears to have been non-responsive to a range of interventions, perhaps because of inadequate intervention design or the inability to scale these to a level that can have impact on population health. In many countries, social and health policies that could facilitate the status of women, particularly in their right to make independent decisions with regard to their own health, have remained underdeveloped; it is of low priority in the world’s male-dominated political systems. Health services also have been inadequate to help lower maternal mortality: insufficient attention to prevention and inadequate access to treatment services of quality when critically needed.
Most donor countries recognize maternal health as a global public health priority. However, in Canada (under the regime of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper), this global imperative is being sacrificed to partisan politics of the most ill-informed kind: it risks becoming a platform for the “religious right” to rail against the use of donor funds for abortion rather than to address in a holistic manner the most important needs of women that can assure improvement in their health.
Only last year, the administration of US President Barack Obama rescinded the global “gag order” of the preceding Bush regime, that required recipients of US aid – even in the realm of reproductive health – to deny access to safe abortion services if accepting US funds. This enlightened policy shift brings the US international development policy in line with that of the global community generally. It is ironic therefore that Canada – once a leader in this respect – appears to be taking a giant step backwards. Given the removal of access to safe abortions from the frame of reference, it is extremely doubtful that a recent Request for Proposals to guide the policy of the Canadian government in this regard, could attract anyone with a rigorous track record in this area of international health development.
Taking Africa as an example, as the recent "African Century" series of articles in the Globe and Mail (ref: May 11, 2010 issue) makes clear, more than 90% of Africans live in countries where abortion is restricted. It is legally prohibited in 14, while in others it is only permitted only to preserve the life or physical health of the woman. As a result, virtually all of the estimated 5.6 million abortions performed annually in Africa are unsafe, carrying with an unconscionable risk of complications and death.
Simply put, along with access to contraception, antenatal care, safe deliveries, reliable transportation to advanced care when this is urgently required (otherwise known as emergency obstetric care, which includes surgical intervention if needed as well as prompt treatment of post-partum infection and hemorrhage), access to safe abortion is part of any coherent plan to improve reproductive health and reduce maternal mortality. Knowing all this, and both the health and international development arms of the Canadian government surely should know this, to specifically and deliberately exclude funding of safe abortions in an aid package aimed at reducing maternal mortality would render the donor complicit in those deaths.
We labeled this issue “Maternal Mortality – an Integrity Test for Politicians” after realizing that many politicians are intellectually challenged by the technical nature of what is scientifically sound evidence regarding the nature of the problem at hand, and what works or doesn’t in addressing it. It is also an ethical test… in essence whether they (the ruling political party) are in it for cheap political gains among their home base, or whether higher reasoning will prevail in the interests of the health of millions of women around the world. Just how the G8 countries deal with this in their upcoming meetings will be a direct reflection of their collective political integrity. Based on public utterances to date, it seems like all the G8 countries except Canada may pass this test.
For the lead item of this month’s blog, we therefore attach below the polite but authoritative view of the Lancet on Canada’s G8 Leadership. This we follow by the first good news in many decades, that maternal mortality globally is finally being reduced.
CANADA'S G8 HEALTH LEADERSHIP
The Lancet May 8th, 2010
As a World Report in The Lancet today shows, Canada's pledge, as host of this year's G8 Summit, to make maternal and child health one of its key issues is moving forward. At a meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia (April 27—28), the G8 development ministers agreed to back Canada's provisional set of principles to improve the health of women and children in developing nations.
Canada should be praised for making maternal and child health a priority issue for the G8. As an Article by Margaret Hogan and colleagues in today's issue shows, around 350 000 women die during childbirth every year. 9 million children younger than 5 years also die every year. Most of these deaths are preventable. Canada's health plan to address this situation is still thin on details but it promises to include training and support for frontline health workers; better nutrition and provision of micronutrients; treatment and prevention of diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, and sepsis; screening and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS; family planning; immunisation; and clean water and sanitation.
However, a few key elements are missing from the framework. For example, there is no talk of emergency obstetric care. This omission is likely to be an oversight and should be rectified. Improving access to safe abortion services is also absent from the plan. Sadly, this omission is no accident, but a conscious decision by Canada's Conservative Government not to support groups that undertake abortions in developing countries.
This stance must change. 70 000 women die from unsafe abortions worldwide every year. The Canadian Government does not deprive women living in Canada from access to safe abortions; it is therefore hypocritical and unjust that it tries to do so abroad. Although the country's decision only affects a small number of developing countries where abortion is legal, bans on the procedure, which are detrimental to public health, should be challenged by the G8, not tacitly supported. Canada and the other G8 nations could show real leadership with a final maternal health plan that is based on sound scientific evidence and not prejudice.
Source: The Lancet, Volume 375, Issue 9726, Page 1580, 8 May 2010
SUMMARY: Maternal mortality for 181 countries, 1980—2008: a systematic analysis of progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5
(Note: Details of source and authorship given below)
Background: Maternal mortality remains a major challenge to health systems worldwide. Reliable information about the rates and trends in maternal mortality is essential for resource mobilisation, and for planning and assessment of progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5 (MDG 5), the target for which is a 75% reduction in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) from 1990 to 2015. We assessed levels and trends in maternal mortality for 181 countries.
Methods: We constructed a database of 2651 observations of maternal mortality for 181 countries for 1980—2008, from vital registration data, censuses, surveys, and verbal autopsy studies. We used robust analytical methods to generate estimates of maternal deaths and the MMR for each year between 1980 and 2008. We explored the sensitivity of our data to model specification and show the out-of-sample predictive validity of our methods.
Findings: We estimated that there were 342 900 (uncertainty interval 302 100—394 300) maternal deaths worldwide in 2008, down from 526 300 (446 400—629 600) in 1980. The global MMR decreased from 422 (358—505) in 1980 to 320 (272—388) in 1990, and was 251 (221—289) per 100 000 livebirths in 2008. The yearly rate of decline of the global MMR since 1990 was 1•3% (1•0—1•5). During 1990—2008, rates of yearly decline in the MMR varied between countries, from 8•8% (8•7—14•1) in the Maldives to an increase of 5•5% (5•2—5•6) in Zimbabwe. More than 50% of all maternal deaths were in only six countries in 2008 (India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo). In the absence of HIV, there would have been 281 500 (243 900—327 900) maternal deaths worldwide in 2008.
Interpretation: Substantial, albeit varied, progress has been made towards MDG 5. Although only 23 countries are on track to achieve a 75% decrease in MMR by 2015, countries such as Egypt, China, Ecuador, and Bolivia have been achieving accelerated progress.
Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Source: Hogan MC, Foreman KJ, Naghavi M, Ahn SY, Wang M, Makela SM, Lopez AD, Lozano R, Murray CJL. Maternal mortality for 181 countries, 1980—2008: a systematic analysis of progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5. The Lancet, 375, 9726, 1609 - 1623, 8 May 2010.
Most donor countries recognize maternal health as a global public health priority. However, in Canada (under the regime of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper), this global imperative is being sacrificed to partisan politics of the most ill-informed kind: it risks becoming a platform for the “religious right” to rail against the use of donor funds for abortion rather than to address in a holistic manner the most important needs of women that can assure improvement in their health.
Only last year, the administration of US President Barack Obama rescinded the global “gag order” of the preceding Bush regime, that required recipients of US aid – even in the realm of reproductive health – to deny access to safe abortion services if accepting US funds. This enlightened policy shift brings the US international development policy in line with that of the global community generally. It is ironic therefore that Canada – once a leader in this respect – appears to be taking a giant step backwards. Given the removal of access to safe abortions from the frame of reference, it is extremely doubtful that a recent Request for Proposals to guide the policy of the Canadian government in this regard, could attract anyone with a rigorous track record in this area of international health development.
Taking Africa as an example, as the recent "African Century" series of articles in the Globe and Mail (ref: May 11, 2010 issue) makes clear, more than 90% of Africans live in countries where abortion is restricted. It is legally prohibited in 14, while in others it is only permitted only to preserve the life or physical health of the woman. As a result, virtually all of the estimated 5.6 million abortions performed annually in Africa are unsafe, carrying with an unconscionable risk of complications and death.
Simply put, along with access to contraception, antenatal care, safe deliveries, reliable transportation to advanced care when this is urgently required (otherwise known as emergency obstetric care, which includes surgical intervention if needed as well as prompt treatment of post-partum infection and hemorrhage), access to safe abortion is part of any coherent plan to improve reproductive health and reduce maternal mortality. Knowing all this, and both the health and international development arms of the Canadian government surely should know this, to specifically and deliberately exclude funding of safe abortions in an aid package aimed at reducing maternal mortality would render the donor complicit in those deaths.
We labeled this issue “Maternal Mortality – an Integrity Test for Politicians” after realizing that many politicians are intellectually challenged by the technical nature of what is scientifically sound evidence regarding the nature of the problem at hand, and what works or doesn’t in addressing it. It is also an ethical test… in essence whether they (the ruling political party) are in it for cheap political gains among their home base, or whether higher reasoning will prevail in the interests of the health of millions of women around the world. Just how the G8 countries deal with this in their upcoming meetings will be a direct reflection of their collective political integrity. Based on public utterances to date, it seems like all the G8 countries except Canada may pass this test.
For the lead item of this month’s blog, we therefore attach below the polite but authoritative view of the Lancet on Canada’s G8 Leadership. This we follow by the first good news in many decades, that maternal mortality globally is finally being reduced.
CANADA'S G8 HEALTH LEADERSHIP
The Lancet May 8th, 2010
As a World Report in The Lancet today shows, Canada's pledge, as host of this year's G8 Summit, to make maternal and child health one of its key issues is moving forward. At a meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia (April 27—28), the G8 development ministers agreed to back Canada's provisional set of principles to improve the health of women and children in developing nations.
Canada should be praised for making maternal and child health a priority issue for the G8. As an Article by Margaret Hogan and colleagues in today's issue shows, around 350 000 women die during childbirth every year. 9 million children younger than 5 years also die every year. Most of these deaths are preventable. Canada's health plan to address this situation is still thin on details but it promises to include training and support for frontline health workers; better nutrition and provision of micronutrients; treatment and prevention of diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, and sepsis; screening and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS; family planning; immunisation; and clean water and sanitation.
However, a few key elements are missing from the framework. For example, there is no talk of emergency obstetric care. This omission is likely to be an oversight and should be rectified. Improving access to safe abortion services is also absent from the plan. Sadly, this omission is no accident, but a conscious decision by Canada's Conservative Government not to support groups that undertake abortions in developing countries.
This stance must change. 70 000 women die from unsafe abortions worldwide every year. The Canadian Government does not deprive women living in Canada from access to safe abortions; it is therefore hypocritical and unjust that it tries to do so abroad. Although the country's decision only affects a small number of developing countries where abortion is legal, bans on the procedure, which are detrimental to public health, should be challenged by the G8, not tacitly supported. Canada and the other G8 nations could show real leadership with a final maternal health plan that is based on sound scientific evidence and not prejudice.
Source: The Lancet, Volume 375, Issue 9726, Page 1580, 8 May 2010
SUMMARY: Maternal mortality for 181 countries, 1980—2008: a systematic analysis of progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5
(Note: Details of source and authorship given below)
Background: Maternal mortality remains a major challenge to health systems worldwide. Reliable information about the rates and trends in maternal mortality is essential for resource mobilisation, and for planning and assessment of progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5 (MDG 5), the target for which is a 75% reduction in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) from 1990 to 2015. We assessed levels and trends in maternal mortality for 181 countries.
Methods: We constructed a database of 2651 observations of maternal mortality for 181 countries for 1980—2008, from vital registration data, censuses, surveys, and verbal autopsy studies. We used robust analytical methods to generate estimates of maternal deaths and the MMR for each year between 1980 and 2008. We explored the sensitivity of our data to model specification and show the out-of-sample predictive validity of our methods.
Findings: We estimated that there were 342 900 (uncertainty interval 302 100—394 300) maternal deaths worldwide in 2008, down from 526 300 (446 400—629 600) in 1980. The global MMR decreased from 422 (358—505) in 1980 to 320 (272—388) in 1990, and was 251 (221—289) per 100 000 livebirths in 2008. The yearly rate of decline of the global MMR since 1990 was 1•3% (1•0—1•5). During 1990—2008, rates of yearly decline in the MMR varied between countries, from 8•8% (8•7—14•1) in the Maldives to an increase of 5•5% (5•2—5•6) in Zimbabwe. More than 50% of all maternal deaths were in only six countries in 2008 (India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo). In the absence of HIV, there would have been 281 500 (243 900—327 900) maternal deaths worldwide in 2008.
Interpretation: Substantial, albeit varied, progress has been made towards MDG 5. Although only 23 countries are on track to achieve a 75% decrease in MMR by 2015, countries such as Egypt, China, Ecuador, and Bolivia have been achieving accelerated progress.
Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Source: Hogan MC, Foreman KJ, Naghavi M, Ahn SY, Wang M, Makela SM, Lopez AD, Lozano R, Murray CJL. Maternal mortality for 181 countries, 1980—2008: a systematic analysis of progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5. The Lancet, 375, 9726, 1609 - 1623, 8 May 2010.
Saturday, 15 March 2008
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN GAZA WORST IN FOUR DECADES
PREAMBLE: This issue features a report recently released by six international humanitarian NGOs (Amnesty International, Christian Aid, CAFOD, CARE, OXFAM, Save the Children, Trocaire), documenting the situation in Gaza as the worst since the 1967 war between Israel and its neighbours. The deterioration can be attributed mostly to the period since mid-2007 when Israel imposed a blockade. For "balance", we cite two reports from Israeli media; we also recognize that – like Canadians and their government –the views of all Israelis are not necessarily reflected in the policies of their government.
Canadian Complicity: This report should be of particular concern for Canadians, especially because Canada (under the minority Conservative government of Stephen Harper) is the only member country to vote against a recent United Nations Human Rights Council motion calling for immediate international action to force Israel to allow fuel, food, medicine and other essential items to be sent to the Gaza Strip, to reopen border crossings and to end its “grave violations” in the occupied Palestinian territory. References: 1. http://presscue.com/node/45049 2. http://radio.un.org/detail/8975.html
The UN Human Rights Council motion expressed deep concern about the “incessant and repeated Israeli military attacks and incursions,” which had killed and injured many Palestinian civilians. The resolution demanded “that the occupying power, Israel, lift immediately the siege it has imposed on the occupied Gaza Strip, restore continued supply of fuel, food and medicine and reopen the border crossings.” It called for protection of civilians in occupied Palestine in line with human rights law and international humanitarian law, and urged all parties to refrain from violence against civilians.
The text also called on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), to report to the Council at its next session on the progress made towards implementing the resolution. The High Commissioner Ms. Arbour (a respected Canadian jurist) told the Council’s special session that the situation for both Palestinians and Israelis will continue to deteriorate unless both parties to the conflict and the international community take broader steps to action. “All parties concerned should put an end to the vicious spiral of violence before it becomes unstoppable,” she said. “To this end, they must ensure accountability for breaches of international humanitarian law and violations of international human rights law through credible, independent, and transparent investigations.”
Ms. Arbour added that the Israeli practice of collective punishment, disproportionate use of force and targeted killings continued, as did the Palestinian militants’ practice of indiscriminate firing of mortars and rockets into Israel.
Shortly afterwards, in early March 2008, Louise Arbour tended her resignation. While denying pressure to leave, there is no doubt she has been under continuing pressure from various interests for being such a forceful advocate for human rights. While Ms Arbour gave family reasons for stepping down, the fact that her own country Canada voted uniquely against this UN Human Rights Council resolution should not be ignored.
Reference: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/un-high-commissioner-human-rights-resigns-20080310
Feature Report: A HUMANITARIAN IMPLOSION.
Basic Services: The blockade is destroying public service infrastructure in Gaza. The Israeli government prevents repair and maintenance of electricity and water service infrastructure in Gaza by prohibiting the import of spare parts. The impact of this is amplified by Israel’s parallel punitive restrictions on fuel and electricity. Hospitals cannot generate electricity to keep lifesaving equipment working or to generate oxygen, while 40-50 million tons of sewage continues to pour into the sea daily 14. In September 2007, an UNRWA survey in Gaza revealed a nearly 80% failure rate in schools grades four to nine, with up to 90% failure in Mathematics. In January 2008, UNICEF reported that schools in Gaza had been canceling classes that are high on energy consumption, such as IT, science labs and extra curricular activities.
Basic Medical Supplies and Access to Treatment: As a result of fuel and electricity restrictions, hospitals are currently experiencing power cuts lasting for 8-12 hours a day. There is currently a 60-70 % shortage reported in the diesel required for hospital power generators. According to the World Health Organization, the proportion of patients given permits to exit Gaza for medical care decreased from 89.3% in January 2007 to 64.3% in December 2007, an unprecedented low. It is important to note that even those patients who are granted permits to exit Gaza are often denied access at the crossing itself. Twenty-seven such cases were reported in the month of October alone. WHO has been monitoring the access of patients to specialized health services not available within Gaza. One main indicator monitored since October 2007 is the death of patients due to lack of access to referral services. During the period October-December 2007, WHO has confirmed the deaths of 20 patients, including 5 children.
A New Policy for Gaza: The blockade has effectively dismantled the economy and impoverished the population. Israel’s policy affects the civilian population of Gaza indiscriminately and constitutes a collective punishment against ordinary men, women and children. The measures taken are illegal under international humanitarian law. Israel has the right and duty to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks against its civilian population, but the current policy fails to provide Israel with increased security and has led to increasing polarization. As the head of UNRWA has pointed out, ‘Hungry, unhealthy, angry communities do not make good partners for peace.’ International efforts should be directed towards securing a swift end to the blockade of Gaza. Israel’s current policy of isolation and refusal to engage with all elements of the Palestinian leadership only closes doors to negotiations while reinforcing the political and humanitarian crisis. There is an urgent need for Palestinian dialogue and reconciliation in order to create and sustain a credible and effective peace process with Israel. The international community must provide the political support to facilitate such an undertaking. To date, failure to address the situation in Gaza has harmed both Palestinians and Israelis and has been detrimental to the broader peace process itself.
Source: Amnesty International, Christian Aid, CAFOD, CARE, OXFAM, Save the Children and Trocaire. The Gaza Strip: a humanitarian implosion. Embargoed until March 6, 2008 http://my.ynet.co.il/pic/news/5.3.08/embargoedGazalowreswithout.pdf
As Reported in the Israeli Media
ISRAEL NEWS: The situation for 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is worse now than it has ever been since the start of the Israeli military occupation in 1967. The current situation in Gaza is man-made, completely avoidable and, with the necessary political will, can also be reversed. Gaza has suffered from a long-term pattern of economic stagnation and plummeting development indicators. The severity of the situation has increased exponentially since Israel imposed extreme restrictions on the movement of goods and people in response to the Hamas take over of Gaza and to indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israel. This report illustrates the gravity of the current situation across key sectors.
According to the report, the economic isolation of the 1.5 Palestinians living in Gaza has worsened unemployment and poverty and caused education and health services to deteriorate. Over a million people – 80% of the families - in the Strip are currently dependent on food supply from international aid agencies, compared to 63% of the families in 2006. Additionally, the number of trucks allowed to enter Gaza daily currently stands at only 45, compared to an average of 250 in the past. The Israeli ban on the transfer of raw materials has led to the freezing of 95% of industrial projects. As a result, almost all the factories in the Strip have gone bankrupt and forced to close.
Hamas' takeover of the Strip has also had a devastating effect on the local economy. Between June and September 2007, the rate of Palestinians earning less than $1.2 a day rose from 55% to 70%. The unemployment rate in Gaza currently stands at 40% and experts believe it might soon reach 50%. In the last year alone, some 75,000 people have lost their jobs.
Hike in Food Prices: The closure on the Strip and the collapse of the local economy have also contributed to a sharp increase in food prices. In 2007, Gazans spent 62% of their income on food supplies, compared to only 37% in 2004. The prices of flour and milk climbed 34% and 30% respectively between May and July 2007. Rice prices jumped by 20% over the same period.
As a result of the limited fuel and electricity supply, hospitals in Gaza face long power cuts, which last up to 12 hours a day. The report states that 18.5% of Palestinians who applied for medical treatment outside the Strip were rejected in 2007 and that the number of Palestinians who were approved treatment outside Gaza dropped by 25%. Twenty people awaiting an entry permit to Israel to receive medical treatment have died between October-December 2007, including five children.
'Exert greater pressure on Israel': The report's authors call on the UK government and the European Union to exert pressure on the Israeli government to lift the blockade on Gaza and refrain from limiting fuel and electricity supply to the Strip. The groups also urge the UK and EU to help mediate a truce between the Palestinian factions, in order to facilitate talks between Israel and the PA. The report further calls on the Palestinian terror groups to cease rocket attacks and refrain from targeting civilians, and urges Israel to stop strikes in Gaza.
Source: Israel News March 6, 2008/yNetNews.com Mar 6, 2008
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3515538,00.html
JERUSALEM POST: For more on Israel’s rejection of the report, laying blame on Hamas, visit Jerusalem Post, March 7, 2008. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1204546412033
Canadian Complicity: This report should be of particular concern for Canadians, especially because Canada (under the minority Conservative government of Stephen Harper) is the only member country to vote against a recent United Nations Human Rights Council motion calling for immediate international action to force Israel to allow fuel, food, medicine and other essential items to be sent to the Gaza Strip, to reopen border crossings and to end its “grave violations” in the occupied Palestinian territory. References: 1. http://presscue.com/node/45049 2. http://radio.un.org/detail/8975.html
The UN Human Rights Council motion expressed deep concern about the “incessant and repeated Israeli military attacks and incursions,” which had killed and injured many Palestinian civilians. The resolution demanded “that the occupying power, Israel, lift immediately the siege it has imposed on the occupied Gaza Strip, restore continued supply of fuel, food and medicine and reopen the border crossings.” It called for protection of civilians in occupied Palestine in line with human rights law and international humanitarian law, and urged all parties to refrain from violence against civilians.
The text also called on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), to report to the Council at its next session on the progress made towards implementing the resolution. The High Commissioner Ms. Arbour (a respected Canadian jurist) told the Council’s special session that the situation for both Palestinians and Israelis will continue to deteriorate unless both parties to the conflict and the international community take broader steps to action. “All parties concerned should put an end to the vicious spiral of violence before it becomes unstoppable,” she said. “To this end, they must ensure accountability for breaches of international humanitarian law and violations of international human rights law through credible, independent, and transparent investigations.”
Ms. Arbour added that the Israeli practice of collective punishment, disproportionate use of force and targeted killings continued, as did the Palestinian militants’ practice of indiscriminate firing of mortars and rockets into Israel.
Shortly afterwards, in early March 2008, Louise Arbour tended her resignation. While denying pressure to leave, there is no doubt she has been under continuing pressure from various interests for being such a forceful advocate for human rights. While Ms Arbour gave family reasons for stepping down, the fact that her own country Canada voted uniquely against this UN Human Rights Council resolution should not be ignored.
Reference: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/un-high-commissioner-human-rights-resigns-20080310
Feature Report: A HUMANITARIAN IMPLOSION.
Basic Services: The blockade is destroying public service infrastructure in Gaza. The Israeli government prevents repair and maintenance of electricity and water service infrastructure in Gaza by prohibiting the import of spare parts. The impact of this is amplified by Israel’s parallel punitive restrictions on fuel and electricity. Hospitals cannot generate electricity to keep lifesaving equipment working or to generate oxygen, while 40-50 million tons of sewage continues to pour into the sea daily 14. In September 2007, an UNRWA survey in Gaza revealed a nearly 80% failure rate in schools grades four to nine, with up to 90% failure in Mathematics. In January 2008, UNICEF reported that schools in Gaza had been canceling classes that are high on energy consumption, such as IT, science labs and extra curricular activities.
Basic Medical Supplies and Access to Treatment: As a result of fuel and electricity restrictions, hospitals are currently experiencing power cuts lasting for 8-12 hours a day. There is currently a 60-70 % shortage reported in the diesel required for hospital power generators. According to the World Health Organization, the proportion of patients given permits to exit Gaza for medical care decreased from 89.3% in January 2007 to 64.3% in December 2007, an unprecedented low. It is important to note that even those patients who are granted permits to exit Gaza are often denied access at the crossing itself. Twenty-seven such cases were reported in the month of October alone. WHO has been monitoring the access of patients to specialized health services not available within Gaza. One main indicator monitored since October 2007 is the death of patients due to lack of access to referral services. During the period October-December 2007, WHO has confirmed the deaths of 20 patients, including 5 children.
A New Policy for Gaza: The blockade has effectively dismantled the economy and impoverished the population. Israel’s policy affects the civilian population of Gaza indiscriminately and constitutes a collective punishment against ordinary men, women and children. The measures taken are illegal under international humanitarian law. Israel has the right and duty to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks against its civilian population, but the current policy fails to provide Israel with increased security and has led to increasing polarization. As the head of UNRWA has pointed out, ‘Hungry, unhealthy, angry communities do not make good partners for peace.’ International efforts should be directed towards securing a swift end to the blockade of Gaza. Israel’s current policy of isolation and refusal to engage with all elements of the Palestinian leadership only closes doors to negotiations while reinforcing the political and humanitarian crisis. There is an urgent need for Palestinian dialogue and reconciliation in order to create and sustain a credible and effective peace process with Israel. The international community must provide the political support to facilitate such an undertaking. To date, failure to address the situation in Gaza has harmed both Palestinians and Israelis and has been detrimental to the broader peace process itself.
Source: Amnesty International, Christian Aid, CAFOD, CARE, OXFAM, Save the Children and Trocaire. The Gaza Strip: a humanitarian implosion. Embargoed until March 6, 2008 http://my.ynet.co.il/pic/news/5.3.08/embargoedGazalowreswithout.pdf
As Reported in the Israeli Media
ISRAEL NEWS: The situation for 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is worse now than it has ever been since the start of the Israeli military occupation in 1967. The current situation in Gaza is man-made, completely avoidable and, with the necessary political will, can also be reversed. Gaza has suffered from a long-term pattern of economic stagnation and plummeting development indicators. The severity of the situation has increased exponentially since Israel imposed extreme restrictions on the movement of goods and people in response to the Hamas take over of Gaza and to indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israel. This report illustrates the gravity of the current situation across key sectors.
According to the report, the economic isolation of the 1.5 Palestinians living in Gaza has worsened unemployment and poverty and caused education and health services to deteriorate. Over a million people – 80% of the families - in the Strip are currently dependent on food supply from international aid agencies, compared to 63% of the families in 2006. Additionally, the number of trucks allowed to enter Gaza daily currently stands at only 45, compared to an average of 250 in the past. The Israeli ban on the transfer of raw materials has led to the freezing of 95% of industrial projects. As a result, almost all the factories in the Strip have gone bankrupt and forced to close.
Hamas' takeover of the Strip has also had a devastating effect on the local economy. Between June and September 2007, the rate of Palestinians earning less than $1.2 a day rose from 55% to 70%. The unemployment rate in Gaza currently stands at 40% and experts believe it might soon reach 50%. In the last year alone, some 75,000 people have lost their jobs.
Hike in Food Prices: The closure on the Strip and the collapse of the local economy have also contributed to a sharp increase in food prices. In 2007, Gazans spent 62% of their income on food supplies, compared to only 37% in 2004. The prices of flour and milk climbed 34% and 30% respectively between May and July 2007. Rice prices jumped by 20% over the same period.
As a result of the limited fuel and electricity supply, hospitals in Gaza face long power cuts, which last up to 12 hours a day. The report states that 18.5% of Palestinians who applied for medical treatment outside the Strip were rejected in 2007 and that the number of Palestinians who were approved treatment outside Gaza dropped by 25%. Twenty people awaiting an entry permit to Israel to receive medical treatment have died between October-December 2007, including five children.
'Exert greater pressure on Israel': The report's authors call on the UK government and the European Union to exert pressure on the Israeli government to lift the blockade on Gaza and refrain from limiting fuel and electricity supply to the Strip. The groups also urge the UK and EU to help mediate a truce between the Palestinian factions, in order to facilitate talks between Israel and the PA. The report further calls on the Palestinian terror groups to cease rocket attacks and refrain from targeting civilians, and urges Israel to stop strikes in Gaza.
Source: Israel News March 6, 2008/yNetNews.com Mar 6, 2008
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3515538,00.html
JERUSALEM POST: For more on Israel’s rejection of the report, laying blame on Hamas, visit Jerusalem Post, March 7, 2008. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1204546412033
Monday, 1 October 2007
IS CLIMATE CHANGE AN ACT OF AGRESSION?
PREAMBLE: In this issue we abstract an article carried by The Economist (on-line edition Sept 24th, 2007). The article reported on Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni's declaration that climate change is an act of aggression by the rich world against the world’s poor. We also note, on the same topic, the following statement from the Church World Service (CWS): "The issue for CWS is how climate change frames development and justice", said Rajyashri Waghray, who directs education and advocacy for the CWS.
For stark contrast we note Canada’s uncertain posture, now quoted from a Globe and Mail Editorial of September 26: “Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s progress from a climate-change skeptic to an environmental convert has been a perplexing odyssey. After a half-hearted attempt to tackle greenhouse-gas emissions late last year, his Conservative government hurriedly introduced new regulations and incentives, which made a good start in fostering reductions. Earlier…(in September), in Australia, he even announced his personal commitment to ‘careful environmental stewardship’. That seemed heartfelt. Now it is fair to question the sincerity of that conversion. On… (Sept 24), at a UN climate change conference aimed at saving the Kyoto Protocol, Mr Harper announced that Canada had asked to join a rival climate-change pact, the Asia-Pacific Partnership. The six members of that pact include nations that have refused to ratify the protocol, such as the United States, and others among the world’s worst polluters, such as India and China. Together they account for nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions”.
And now The Economist’s discussion of the Ugandan Prime Minister’s proposition, and their assessment of the situation and implications in Africa...
CLIMATE CHANGE AS AN ACT OF AGGRESSION
At a recent African Union summit, Uganda's president, Yoweri Museveni, declared climate change an act of aggression by the rich world against the world’s poor. Indeed, if predictions of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) hold true, climate change may have a graver effect on Africa than on any other continent. One may well ask…Why should the poorest die for the continued excesses of the richest?
According to The Economist, the IPCC's most recent regional report raises the spectre of rising mortality. It predicts a minimum 2.5°C increase in temperature in Africa by 2030; drylands bordering deserts may get drier, wetlands bordering rainforests may get wetter. The panel suggests the supply of food in Africa will be “severely compromised” by climate change, with crop yields in danger of collapsing in some countries.
In the drylands, water may become a critical issue. Soaring temperatures and erratic rainfall may dry up surface water. Between 75m and 250m Africans, out of the 800m or so now living in sub-Saharan Africa, may be short of water. The soil will hold less moisture, bore-holes will become contaminated, and women and girls will have to walk ever greater distances to fetch water. Vegetative cover will recede. The IPCC guesses that 600,000 square kilometres (232,000 square miles) of cultivable land may be ruined.
Warming may also hurt animal habitats and biodiversity. More algae in freshwater lakes will hit fishing. The glaciers of Uganda's Rwenzori mountains, of Tanzania's Kilimanjaro and of Kenya's eponymous mountain may disappear; only 7 of the 18 glaciers recorded on Mount Kenya in 1900 still remain. At the same time, a likely rise in sea levels may threaten the coastal infrastructure of northern Egypt, the Gambia, the Gulf of Guinea and Senegal.
There are two caveats to this gloomy scenario: 1) some parts of Africa may benefit from climate change. Increased rainfall in highland areas in eastern Africa could, for example, be beneficial. 2) though climate-change models have improved, they have been unreliable in Africa; the detail is guesswork.
Still, states The Economist, some scientists think that climate change may be even crueler to parts of Africa than the IPCC predicts. The important point, they say, is not the degree of warming but the continent's vulnerability to it. A University of Pretoria study estimates that Africa might lose $25 billion in crop failure due to rising temperatures and another $4 billion from less rain. The already impoverished drylands would suffer most. Some cite the war in Sudan's Darfur region as proof of the damage done by climate change, soil erosion and overpopulation.
Unfortunately, in the opinion of The Economist, few African leaders have grasped the scale of the challenge... Most oil-producers have squandered their bonanza. Nigeria has failed to plan for how to stem the dreadful pollution in its oil-producing Delta region or to prevent desertification tearing at the fabric of its dry Muslim north. South Africa is only just beginning to own up to its coal addiction. Uganda's Mr Museveni is fighting off a rare insurrection from his supporters against plans to turn a piece of Ugandan rainforest over to farming. The World Meteorological Organisation says that weather-data collection in Africa has recently got worse, just as the need for accurate figures has grown; many of the automatic weather stations it helped set up have fallen into disrepair. The African Union has done little to sound the climate-change alarm.
Kenya's president, Mwai Kibaki, says that Africa should “join hands” with its friends in the rich world over climate change. He wants more carbon-trading projects to come to Africa; so far, most have gone to Asia. His advisers admit that Mr Kibaki's ambitious plan to turn Kenya into an industrial country by 2020 worries environmentalists, but say that reforestation, thermal power and better management of water and grazing would, if they materialized, offset the damage.
Africa emits far less carbon than other continents, so its recently faster-growing economies do not gravely menace its environment. Some rich-country consumers, however, want to punish African countries for air freighting northwards some of their produce, from flowers to wine.
Hardier new varieties of staple crops, drip irrigation schemes and technologies such as solar power should help Africa adapt to climate change. But so can simple shifts in policy. For instance, a government decision in Burkina Faso to let farmers own the trees on their land has increased the country's tree cover.
The Economist’s conclusion: As the G8 rich countries are failing so far to fulfill the promises they made in 2005 to boost aid to Africa, the continent should not expect much new money to protect the environment. In the short run, Africa's own politicians need to take a lead, even if the people most culpable for the damage done by climate change live elsewhere.
Sources:
. Church World Service and partners prepare to act on climate change. May 2, 2007. http://www.churchworldservice.org/Educ_Advo/news/2007/climatechange.html
. Globe and Mail. Lead Editorial. Sept 26, 2007.
. Economist.com. Global Warming in Africa – drying up and flooding out. Sept 24, 2007. http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9163426
COMMENT: What is important about the contrasting viewpoints presented, from those of President Museveni, to the Church World Service, The Economist, to the anti-Kyoto stance of Prime Minister Harper and the Asian-Pacific partnership, is that ultimately they highlight climate change as an ethical issue that almost inevitably will come up as a focus for discussion at the UN negotiations on climate change scheduled for Bali in December.
For stark contrast we note Canada’s uncertain posture, now quoted from a Globe and Mail Editorial of September 26: “Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s progress from a climate-change skeptic to an environmental convert has been a perplexing odyssey. After a half-hearted attempt to tackle greenhouse-gas emissions late last year, his Conservative government hurriedly introduced new regulations and incentives, which made a good start in fostering reductions. Earlier…(in September), in Australia, he even announced his personal commitment to ‘careful environmental stewardship’. That seemed heartfelt. Now it is fair to question the sincerity of that conversion. On… (Sept 24), at a UN climate change conference aimed at saving the Kyoto Protocol, Mr Harper announced that Canada had asked to join a rival climate-change pact, the Asia-Pacific Partnership. The six members of that pact include nations that have refused to ratify the protocol, such as the United States, and others among the world’s worst polluters, such as India and China. Together they account for nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions”.
And now The Economist’s discussion of the Ugandan Prime Minister’s proposition, and their assessment of the situation and implications in Africa...
CLIMATE CHANGE AS AN ACT OF AGGRESSION
At a recent African Union summit, Uganda's president, Yoweri Museveni, declared climate change an act of aggression by the rich world against the world’s poor. Indeed, if predictions of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) hold true, climate change may have a graver effect on Africa than on any other continent. One may well ask…Why should the poorest die for the continued excesses of the richest?
According to The Economist, the IPCC's most recent regional report raises the spectre of rising mortality. It predicts a minimum 2.5°C increase in temperature in Africa by 2030; drylands bordering deserts may get drier, wetlands bordering rainforests may get wetter. The panel suggests the supply of food in Africa will be “severely compromised” by climate change, with crop yields in danger of collapsing in some countries.
In the drylands, water may become a critical issue. Soaring temperatures and erratic rainfall may dry up surface water. Between 75m and 250m Africans, out of the 800m or so now living in sub-Saharan Africa, may be short of water. The soil will hold less moisture, bore-holes will become contaminated, and women and girls will have to walk ever greater distances to fetch water. Vegetative cover will recede. The IPCC guesses that 600,000 square kilometres (232,000 square miles) of cultivable land may be ruined.
Warming may also hurt animal habitats and biodiversity. More algae in freshwater lakes will hit fishing. The glaciers of Uganda's Rwenzori mountains, of Tanzania's Kilimanjaro and of Kenya's eponymous mountain may disappear; only 7 of the 18 glaciers recorded on Mount Kenya in 1900 still remain. At the same time, a likely rise in sea levels may threaten the coastal infrastructure of northern Egypt, the Gambia, the Gulf of Guinea and Senegal.
There are two caveats to this gloomy scenario: 1) some parts of Africa may benefit from climate change. Increased rainfall in highland areas in eastern Africa could, for example, be beneficial. 2) though climate-change models have improved, they have been unreliable in Africa; the detail is guesswork.
Still, states The Economist, some scientists think that climate change may be even crueler to parts of Africa than the IPCC predicts. The important point, they say, is not the degree of warming but the continent's vulnerability to it. A University of Pretoria study estimates that Africa might lose $25 billion in crop failure due to rising temperatures and another $4 billion from less rain. The already impoverished drylands would suffer most. Some cite the war in Sudan's Darfur region as proof of the damage done by climate change, soil erosion and overpopulation.
Unfortunately, in the opinion of The Economist, few African leaders have grasped the scale of the challenge... Most oil-producers have squandered their bonanza. Nigeria has failed to plan for how to stem the dreadful pollution in its oil-producing Delta region or to prevent desertification tearing at the fabric of its dry Muslim north. South Africa is only just beginning to own up to its coal addiction. Uganda's Mr Museveni is fighting off a rare insurrection from his supporters against plans to turn a piece of Ugandan rainforest over to farming. The World Meteorological Organisation says that weather-data collection in Africa has recently got worse, just as the need for accurate figures has grown; many of the automatic weather stations it helped set up have fallen into disrepair. The African Union has done little to sound the climate-change alarm.
Kenya's president, Mwai Kibaki, says that Africa should “join hands” with its friends in the rich world over climate change. He wants more carbon-trading projects to come to Africa; so far, most have gone to Asia. His advisers admit that Mr Kibaki's ambitious plan to turn Kenya into an industrial country by 2020 worries environmentalists, but say that reforestation, thermal power and better management of water and grazing would, if they materialized, offset the damage.
Africa emits far less carbon than other continents, so its recently faster-growing economies do not gravely menace its environment. Some rich-country consumers, however, want to punish African countries for air freighting northwards some of their produce, from flowers to wine.
Hardier new varieties of staple crops, drip irrigation schemes and technologies such as solar power should help Africa adapt to climate change. But so can simple shifts in policy. For instance, a government decision in Burkina Faso to let farmers own the trees on their land has increased the country's tree cover.
The Economist’s conclusion: As the G8 rich countries are failing so far to fulfill the promises they made in 2005 to boost aid to Africa, the continent should not expect much new money to protect the environment. In the short run, Africa's own politicians need to take a lead, even if the people most culpable for the damage done by climate change live elsewhere.
Sources:
. Church World Service and partners prepare to act on climate change. May 2, 2007. http://www.churchworldservice.org/Educ_Advo/news/2007/climatechange.html
. Globe and Mail. Lead Editorial. Sept 26, 2007.
. Economist.com. Global Warming in Africa – drying up and flooding out. Sept 24, 2007. http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9163426
COMMENT: What is important about the contrasting viewpoints presented, from those of President Museveni, to the Church World Service, The Economist, to the anti-Kyoto stance of Prime Minister Harper and the Asian-Pacific partnership, is that ultimately they highlight climate change as an ethical issue that almost inevitably will come up as a focus for discussion at the UN negotiations on climate change scheduled for Bali in December.
Wednesday, 1 August 2007
FIRST THEY CAME… VIGNETTES IN THE DISMANTLING OF DEMOCRATIC MYTHS
PREAMBLE: In this issue we offer a selection of extracts from reputable sources that focus on the disastrous trajectory of the current US administration in undermining the beliefs that underpin western democracies. We dedicate the issue to Pastor Martin Niemoller (1892–1984), whose famous poem “First they came…” about the inactivity of German intellectuals during the Nazi rise to power and the subsequent purging of their chosen targets, group by group, most devastatingly to German Jews.
For historical perspective on this poem visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came...
The Sidebar addresses Canada’s posture on US Foreign Policy, and related vignettes.
SUPPORT BUILDING FOR IMPEACHMENT
Impeachment is the first step under the US Constitution for removing a president from office, a process by which possible crimes may be investigated and charges laid. In a Gallup survey recently released by USA Today, 36% of respondents believe there is justification for Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against George W. Bush. [1] Since 2006, Democratic lawmakers have openly discussed Bush’s impeachment, either for not telling the truth about his reasons for going to war in Iraq, and/or for authorizing wiretapping of Americans. [2] State and local governments can also play a major role in the impeachment process by sending charges to the Congress for it to act on. Eleven states have initiated Impeachment Resolutions. Vermont has passed its resolution, while numerous cities and counties have also passed such resolutions. Efforts are now underway in several other states to initiate impeachment. [3]
Sources: 1. Angus Reid Global Monitor. July 12, 2007. http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/16461 2. Atlanta Progressive News, Global Research. March 11, 2006 http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=20060311&articleId=2085 3. Editorials and information on how to impeach Bush and Cheney. http://www.impeachbush.tv/impeach/bystate.html
THE TRAGIC CASE OF THE STATELESS UIGHARS
Tirana, Albania: Ahktar Qassim Basit says he is not angry about the 4 years he spent incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay. He and fellow Muslims from western China’s Uighar ethnic minority, were living in a hamlet near Tora Bora (Afghanistan), when US Forces bombed the area in 2001.Taken prisoners, then interned at Guantanamo, the men were “freed” after being found to pose no threat to the US. Their captors mumbled a perfunctory apology before flying them to Albania as “refugees” versus repatriation, citing China’s past treatment of the minority. Living for over a year in a squalid government refugee centre under armed guard, they are told that to gain their liberty, they must first learn Albanian to get work permits, and somehow must accomplish this on their own; they are losing hope of seeing their wives and children again.
Source: Tim Golden. New York Times. June 10, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/10/world/europe/10resettle.html?amp;amp;amp;ei=5088&en=5c446ec162d28fc6&ex=1339128000&partner=rss&pagewanted=print
NOTE: US political influentials such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell are now pressing for closure of the Guanatamo prison camp, surely too long a silence. BBC News June 11, 2007.
WEB OF DECEIT – Book Review
Because of restrictions imposed by the Special Tribunal prosecuting Saddam Hussein, the role of the US and its allies in his crimes was never explored at his trial. This investigative history reveals the full extent of western complicity in Iraq. The deceit described by author Barry Lando, ranges from CIA backed coups to help the Baath Party seize power, to the US encouraging Saddam to invade Iran, to America’s willful ignorance of his chemical weapons use, and the tragic impact of trade sanctions, maintained long after being proven ineffective and despite huge numbers of Iraqi civilians (mainly children) dying as a result. An unrestricted international trial might have divulged these facts, but victor’s justice prevented it. Most media coverage has ignored these facts; Web of Deceit breaks the silence.
Reference: Lando B. Web of Deceit - the History of Western Complicity in Iraq: from Churchill to Kennedy to George W Bush. Doubleday Canada. 2007.
NOTE: Lando is a graduate of Harvard and Columbia universities, and for 25 years was an investigative producer with 60 Minutes.
BELATEDLY UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW
For several years, President Bush has claimed that congressional authority to attack Afghanistan after 9/11 was a “declaration of a war on terror” that gave him power to decide who combatants are and incarcerate them in military prisons indefinitely without charges, even foreign nationals living legally within the US. On June 11, 2007 in a 2-1 decision, a 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected this claim, demonstrating how threatening this policy is to the US Constitution and the rule of law. The court said that the Constitution and precedents made it clear that foreigners living legally in the US have the same right to due process as any citizen.
Source: Editorial. International Herald Tribune. June 13, 2007.
IRAQ’s HUMANITARIAN DISASTER
The US-led invasion in March 2003 caused many civilian casualties, but did not immediately create a major humanitarian crisis or set off mass migration. Soon after however, counter-insurgency operations, including attacks on Iraq cities eg., Falluja, led to increased mortality and displacement affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Beginning in 2006, sectarian clashes and communal violence led to rising death and injury, with massive new displacement.[1]
According to OXFAM child malnutrition rates have risen from 19 % before the US-led invasion in 2003 to 28% now, and 8 million people are in need of emergency assistance.[2] This includes:
• 4 million who are ‘food-insecure and in dire need of different types of humanitarian assistance’
• >2 million displaced people inside Iraq
• >2 million Iraqis in neighbouring countries, mainly Syria and Jordan, making this the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world.
According to the United Nations Development Programme, 1/3 of the population now lives in poverty.[1] Education has broken down. Worse, basic needs such as drinking water, food, sanitation and electricity are not being met. Hospitals lack basic supplies and are understaffed. The international relief system is not able to respond to the growing humanitarian challenges.
References:
1. Global Policy Forum. July 11, 2007. http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/attack/crisisindex.htm
2. OXFAM Briefing Paper. July 30, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/18_07_07_oxfam_iraq.pdf
JUXTAPOSING MORAL CHOICES
“But what is $1.5 billion in today’s world? That is what we spend every day on the Pentagon. That’s our daily military budget. So here is the calculation, and here is the choice. One day’s Pentagon spending would provide all sleeping sites in Africa with five years of bed-net coverage, to fend off a disease (malaria) which kills millions every year. That’s a choice. We haven’t made it. My suggestion is, the Pentagon take off next Thursday”.
Source: Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University. Convocation Address to Ursinus College. As reported in: New York Times, June 10, 2007.
US DOMESTIC IMPACTS OF THE IRAQ WAR Example: Education
13 Days in Iraq: $3.4 billion = Cut in education budget in President's FY 07 budget from FY 06 funding support for the arts, technology and parent resource centers.
2.5 days in Iraq: $ 664 million = Perkins Loan program cut in president's FY 07 budget (would help 463,000 low-income students attend college).
9 hours in Iraq: $99 million = Even Start (eliminated in President's budget).
Source: Congressman John Murtha (Pennsylvania D). Information Clearing House. July 13, 2006. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13976.htm
THE ASSAULT ON REASON – Book Review
According to former US Vice President Al Gore’s new work “The Assault on Reason”, the Bush administration, in pursuit of its “war on terror”, has violated international laws and norms of conduct, seriously damaged alliances, and thrown away the global goodwill that emerged following 9/11. Gore also addresses global warming, the insidious power of televised control of public discourse, and the role of wealth in US politics, and calls for a rebirth of democracy. Parenthetically, we note that current impacts and consequences of global warming dwarf terrorism, even while noting that the latter has been hyper-stimulated by the war in Iraq.
According to Gore, the Bush Administration’s use of extra-judicial measures at home and abroad has undermined basic principles of law, justice, human rights and democracy. The Geneva Conventions are not being observed (termed “quaint" by the Attorney-General Gonzales), despite the seminal role of the US in their origins. By facilitating torture the Administration has placed its own troops at moral hazard and also physical risk (in the event of their capture). Its practice of “extraordinary rendition” (kidnapping “terror suspects” and forcible relocation to marginal states for interrogation so as to circumvent habeas corpus), has resulted in imprisonment and torture of innocent people (see sidebar on Canadian Mahar Arar). More troubling, it has suppressed its own legal processes in support of what appear to be show trials, in which defence lawyers are unable to gain access to information that would allow them to properly defend their clients. A code of secrecy prevents evidence of human rights abuses from coming to light.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, some 90% of Guantanamo Bay inmates, held without charge, are innocent of any unlawful activity.
Background Source: BBC World. Mystery Flights. June 10, 2007.
Reference: Gore A. The Assault on Reason. The Penguin Press. New York. 2007.
A BREAKDOWN IN TRUST
July 24: “I don't trust you” asserted Sen. Patrick Leahy, Vermont Democrat, and chair of a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight panel, to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's on his handling of the U.S. Attorneys firings and civil liberties abuses by the FBI. He stated doubts about the sincerity of Mr. Gonzales' vow to fix "problems" at the Justice Department, and criticized his promise to better police the use of counter-terrorism information gathering tools as insufficient. "With a history of civil liberties abuses and cover-ups, this administration has squandered our trust," Mr. Leahy said. The criticism is bipartisan: ranking Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania, stated "a very heavy cloud" hangs over the Justice Department, and asked "Is your department functioning?" Mr. Gonzales did not respond to these criticisms in the opening statements, but instead asked the panel to help the Justice Department fight terrorism.
Source: Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times. Posted July 24, 2007. http://video1.washingtontimes.com/fishwrap/2007/07/i_dont_trust_you.html
For historical perspective on this poem visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came...
The Sidebar addresses Canada’s posture on US Foreign Policy, and related vignettes.
SUPPORT BUILDING FOR IMPEACHMENT
Impeachment is the first step under the US Constitution for removing a president from office, a process by which possible crimes may be investigated and charges laid. In a Gallup survey recently released by USA Today, 36% of respondents believe there is justification for Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against George W. Bush. [1] Since 2006, Democratic lawmakers have openly discussed Bush’s impeachment, either for not telling the truth about his reasons for going to war in Iraq, and/or for authorizing wiretapping of Americans. [2] State and local governments can also play a major role in the impeachment process by sending charges to the Congress for it to act on. Eleven states have initiated Impeachment Resolutions. Vermont has passed its resolution, while numerous cities and counties have also passed such resolutions. Efforts are now underway in several other states to initiate impeachment. [3]
Sources: 1. Angus Reid Global Monitor. July 12, 2007. http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/16461 2. Atlanta Progressive News, Global Research. March 11, 2006 http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=20060311&articleId=2085 3. Editorials and information on how to impeach Bush and Cheney. http://www.impeachbush.tv/impeach/bystate.html
THE TRAGIC CASE OF THE STATELESS UIGHARS
Tirana, Albania: Ahktar Qassim Basit says he is not angry about the 4 years he spent incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay. He and fellow Muslims from western China’s Uighar ethnic minority, were living in a hamlet near Tora Bora (Afghanistan), when US Forces bombed the area in 2001.Taken prisoners, then interned at Guantanamo, the men were “freed” after being found to pose no threat to the US. Their captors mumbled a perfunctory apology before flying them to Albania as “refugees” versus repatriation, citing China’s past treatment of the minority. Living for over a year in a squalid government refugee centre under armed guard, they are told that to gain their liberty, they must first learn Albanian to get work permits, and somehow must accomplish this on their own; they are losing hope of seeing their wives and children again.
Source: Tim Golden. New York Times. June 10, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/10/world/europe/10resettle.html?amp;amp;amp;ei=5088&en=5c446ec162d28fc6&ex=1339128000&partner=rss&pagewanted=print
NOTE: US political influentials such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell are now pressing for closure of the Guanatamo prison camp, surely too long a silence. BBC News June 11, 2007.
WEB OF DECEIT – Book Review
Because of restrictions imposed by the Special Tribunal prosecuting Saddam Hussein, the role of the US and its allies in his crimes was never explored at his trial. This investigative history reveals the full extent of western complicity in Iraq. The deceit described by author Barry Lando, ranges from CIA backed coups to help the Baath Party seize power, to the US encouraging Saddam to invade Iran, to America’s willful ignorance of his chemical weapons use, and the tragic impact of trade sanctions, maintained long after being proven ineffective and despite huge numbers of Iraqi civilians (mainly children) dying as a result. An unrestricted international trial might have divulged these facts, but victor’s justice prevented it. Most media coverage has ignored these facts; Web of Deceit breaks the silence.
Reference: Lando B. Web of Deceit - the History of Western Complicity in Iraq: from Churchill to Kennedy to George W Bush. Doubleday Canada. 2007.
NOTE: Lando is a graduate of Harvard and Columbia universities, and for 25 years was an investigative producer with 60 Minutes.
BELATEDLY UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW
For several years, President Bush has claimed that congressional authority to attack Afghanistan after 9/11 was a “declaration of a war on terror” that gave him power to decide who combatants are and incarcerate them in military prisons indefinitely without charges, even foreign nationals living legally within the US. On June 11, 2007 in a 2-1 decision, a 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected this claim, demonstrating how threatening this policy is to the US Constitution and the rule of law. The court said that the Constitution and precedents made it clear that foreigners living legally in the US have the same right to due process as any citizen.
Source: Editorial. International Herald Tribune. June 13, 2007.
IRAQ’s HUMANITARIAN DISASTER
The US-led invasion in March 2003 caused many civilian casualties, but did not immediately create a major humanitarian crisis or set off mass migration. Soon after however, counter-insurgency operations, including attacks on Iraq cities eg., Falluja, led to increased mortality and displacement affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Beginning in 2006, sectarian clashes and communal violence led to rising death and injury, with massive new displacement.[1]
According to OXFAM child malnutrition rates have risen from 19 % before the US-led invasion in 2003 to 28% now, and 8 million people are in need of emergency assistance.[2] This includes:
• 4 million who are ‘food-insecure and in dire need of different types of humanitarian assistance’
• >2 million displaced people inside Iraq
• >2 million Iraqis in neighbouring countries, mainly Syria and Jordan, making this the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world.
According to the United Nations Development Programme, 1/3 of the population now lives in poverty.[1] Education has broken down. Worse, basic needs such as drinking water, food, sanitation and electricity are not being met. Hospitals lack basic supplies and are understaffed. The international relief system is not able to respond to the growing humanitarian challenges.
References:
1. Global Policy Forum. July 11, 2007. http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/attack/crisisindex.htm
2. OXFAM Briefing Paper. July 30, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/18_07_07_oxfam_iraq.pdf
JUXTAPOSING MORAL CHOICES
“But what is $1.5 billion in today’s world? That is what we spend every day on the Pentagon. That’s our daily military budget. So here is the calculation, and here is the choice. One day’s Pentagon spending would provide all sleeping sites in Africa with five years of bed-net coverage, to fend off a disease (malaria) which kills millions every year. That’s a choice. We haven’t made it. My suggestion is, the Pentagon take off next Thursday”.
Source: Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University. Convocation Address to Ursinus College. As reported in: New York Times, June 10, 2007.
US DOMESTIC IMPACTS OF THE IRAQ WAR Example: Education
13 Days in Iraq: $3.4 billion = Cut in education budget in President's FY 07 budget from FY 06 funding support for the arts, technology and parent resource centers.
2.5 days in Iraq: $ 664 million = Perkins Loan program cut in president's FY 07 budget (would help 463,000 low-income students attend college).
9 hours in Iraq: $99 million = Even Start (eliminated in President's budget).
Source: Congressman John Murtha (Pennsylvania D). Information Clearing House. July 13, 2006. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13976.htm
THE ASSAULT ON REASON – Book Review
According to former US Vice President Al Gore’s new work “The Assault on Reason”, the Bush administration, in pursuit of its “war on terror”, has violated international laws and norms of conduct, seriously damaged alliances, and thrown away the global goodwill that emerged following 9/11. Gore also addresses global warming, the insidious power of televised control of public discourse, and the role of wealth in US politics, and calls for a rebirth of democracy. Parenthetically, we note that current impacts and consequences of global warming dwarf terrorism, even while noting that the latter has been hyper-stimulated by the war in Iraq.
According to Gore, the Bush Administration’s use of extra-judicial measures at home and abroad has undermined basic principles of law, justice, human rights and democracy. The Geneva Conventions are not being observed (termed “quaint" by the Attorney-General Gonzales), despite the seminal role of the US in their origins. By facilitating torture the Administration has placed its own troops at moral hazard and also physical risk (in the event of their capture). Its practice of “extraordinary rendition” (kidnapping “terror suspects” and forcible relocation to marginal states for interrogation so as to circumvent habeas corpus), has resulted in imprisonment and torture of innocent people (see sidebar on Canadian Mahar Arar). More troubling, it has suppressed its own legal processes in support of what appear to be show trials, in which defence lawyers are unable to gain access to information that would allow them to properly defend their clients. A code of secrecy prevents evidence of human rights abuses from coming to light.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, some 90% of Guantanamo Bay inmates, held without charge, are innocent of any unlawful activity.
Background Source: BBC World. Mystery Flights. June 10, 2007.
Reference: Gore A. The Assault on Reason. The Penguin Press. New York. 2007.
A BREAKDOWN IN TRUST
July 24: “I don't trust you” asserted Sen. Patrick Leahy, Vermont Democrat, and chair of a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight panel, to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's on his handling of the U.S. Attorneys firings and civil liberties abuses by the FBI. He stated doubts about the sincerity of Mr. Gonzales' vow to fix "problems" at the Justice Department, and criticized his promise to better police the use of counter-terrorism information gathering tools as insufficient. "With a history of civil liberties abuses and cover-ups, this administration has squandered our trust," Mr. Leahy said. The criticism is bipartisan: ranking Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania, stated "a very heavy cloud" hangs over the Justice Department, and asked "Is your department functioning?" Mr. Gonzales did not respond to these criticisms in the opening statements, but instead asked the panel to help the Justice Department fight terrorism.
Source: Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times. Posted July 24, 2007. http://video1.washingtontimes.com/fishwrap/2007/07/i_dont_trust_you.html
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