Financial crisis and human rights, redux

A few months ago I wrote about the concern that the financial crisis might have a negative impact on human rights, and therefore on peace.  A few days ago, I saw an article from BBC news saying that Amnesty International has confirmed this is the case.   In a 400 page study, which covers 157 countries, Amnesty finds that:

“The global economic crisis is exacerbating human rights abuses…In its annual report, the group said the downturn had distracted attention from abuses and created new problems.
Rising prices meant millions were struggling to meet basic needs in Africa and Asia, it said, and protests were being met with repression.”

and…

“The world’s poorest people were bearing the brunt of the economic downturn, Amnesty said, and millions of people were facing insecurity and indignity.
Migrant workers in China, indigenous groups in Latin America and those who struggled to meet basic needs in Africa had all been hit hard, it said.
Where people had tried to protest, their actions had in many cases been met with repression and violence.
The group warned that rising poverty could lead to instability and mass violence.
‘The underlying global economic crisis is an explosive human rights crisis: a combination of social, economic and political problems has created a time-bomb of human rights abuses,’ said Amnesty’s Secretary General, Irene Khan.”

The article goes on to summarize the Report’s findings region by region–it’s not a pretty picture.   However, besides the sad evidence of intensifying human suffering and mounting social stress, I was impressed by how predictable this was (as the material I summarized in my previous post indicated).  Therefore, when people argue that ” ah well, there’s not much you can do about conflict and violence, since they are just part of human nature”, we can point to the fact that well informed observers, drawing on what has been discovered and documented in the past, saw this coming.   That, in a sense is the “good” news.  The “bad” news is, obviously, that neither the means nor the will existed on an adequate scale to do much about the social “tsunami” looming on the horizon.   Apparently, we could now make “early warning” work, but we are not yet ready or able to commit the resources to adequately “heed” the warnings we receive.

Ipeace

I’ve been receiving information about Ipeace for sometime, and finally checked it out (in fact, it looks like I’ve become a member–it’s not a complicated process ).   It is a peace community site, where members can interact, have a blog, send messages to each other, post photos, etc…  However, it has important goals, and has already organized some interesting projects.

Their “about” page is actually something they wrote for Google’s “Project 10 to the 100th” and is a nice read.  Here are a few (hopefully) informative passages:

“What one sentence best describes your idea?

Like carbon atoms connected to form a diamond, iPeace connects individuals through the web to form the strongest force of peace, which will unite, cooperate, and share with others to remove the spectrum of obstacles to peace.

Describe your idea in more depth.

Imagine a living organism made of people, regardless of their nationality, sex, religion, race or politics; imagine millions contributing and sharing freely their energy, talent, creativity and love; imagine an organism that keeps pouring money into initiatives, projects and causes that its members believe can help bring about peace; imagine an organism that can save lives:  this organism is iPeace.

iPeace is a hub for serious peace initiatives, a platform that actively supports, advertises, promotes and aids in financing them. It offers a forum where its community debates, discusses and educates each other on what projects to support.”

“The iPeace ideas highlight issues and topics surrounding peace in the widest meaning of the word. Whether it is the conflict in the Middle East, confrontations in Africa, human trafficking driven by poverty, crimes of hate spawns of prejudice, etc., it addresses issues like hatred, our shrinking freedoms, and violence. iPeace views reducing fear as its biggest challenge.”

They even made a little video for their Google presentation.

Here is the Ipeace poster:

Also, note the music player on the homepage.  Nice touch.  I’m currently listening to Moby “We are all made of Stars” (and we are you know, really…think about it)

PS.  Usual caveat applies:  I am informing and not necessarily endorsing.

The Olympic Movement and Peace

This is something about which I am just a touch skeptical, but I thought it merited some attention because the Olympics are such a high-profile event.   Certainly, before commercialization raised its not so pretty head on the scale we have now, the Olympics was definitely about “peace and understanding”; and these ideals are still (somewhere) at the core of the movement.  For instance, the Olympic Charter (in force since 2007) starts with these “Fundamental Principles of Olympism:

“Fundamental Principles of Olympism
1. Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of
body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a
way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for
universal fundamental ethical principles.
2. The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man,
with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.
3. The Olympic Movement is the concerted, organised, universal and permanent action, carried
out under the supreme authority of the IOC, of all individuals and entities who are inspired by
the values of Olympism. It covers the five continents. It reaches its peak with the bringing
together of the world’s athletes at the great sports festival, the Olympic Games. Its symbol is
five interlaced rings.
4. The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising
sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual
understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. The organisation, administration
and management of sport must be controlled by independent sports organisations.
5. Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion,
politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.
6. Belonging to the Olympic Movement requires compliance with the Olympic Charter and
recognition by the IOC.”

Apparently peace is mentioned at least three times in the Charter, so the link is clear at that level.   I also found this article explaining in some detail the connection between peace and the modern Olympic movement.   Here, for instance, is an indicative quote from Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937), one of the Founders of the modern movement:

“Wars break out because nations misunderstand each other. We shall
no have peace until the prejudices which now separate the different races
shall have been outlived. To attain this end, what better means than to
bring the youth of all countries periodically together for amicable trials
of muscular strength and agility? “

He also wrote something called “Ode to Sport” which deals with this theme:

“O Sport, You are Peace!

You forge happy bonds between the peoples

by drawing them together in reverence for strength

which is controlled, organised and self disciplined.

Through you the young of the entire world

learn to respect one another,

and thus the diversity of national traits becomes a source

of generous and peaceful emulation! “

If I try to be objective, I can still see this important part of the Olympic movement, but it’s not always easy.  As the reasonable Wikipedia article points out, there are grounds for critiquing the IOC and some of  its more recent actions (corruption issues) and decisions (selling the Olympic brand).  Still, if you watch the country teams coming into the stadium at the beginning, or going out at the end (forget about the mandatory blockbuster shows) you can still feel that universal spirit that makes the Olympics different from other high level sports competitions.

Will commercialization eventually kill off that spirit?  I certainly hope not, but my personal feeling is that it could if corrective action is not taken.

Something about Native American peace pipes (calumet)

All of us have probably seen some Hollywood images of “Indians” smoking “peace pipes”, and passing them around in a ritualistic context.  I guess we all know better than to put too much stock in what Hollywood shows us of traditional cultures (Tarzan comes to mind in this regard ).    In fact, “peace pipe” may not even be the right name for these ritual objects, and the term of French origin, calumet, is thought by many to be more accurate.

I found an interesting discussion of the calumet here (though I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the account–I’m learning and pretend to no special expertise in this field).  Here are a few passages for reflection:

“The clay pipe represents the clay body of the human (“Adam” means “red earth” in Aramaic), within which is contained the burning ember of life (i.e., the Breath Form or “living soul”). As one smokes, the thoughts and prayers of the communicant are carried heavenward in the smoke. The joint act of sharing the pipe was considered a common bond, or communion, among those who smoked.

In some respects, the use of the pipe is the Indian counterpart to the Christian concept of Holy Communion, wherein one takes the bread or wafer into one’s mouth, and the eating thereof is said to be partaking of the “body of Christ.” Similarly, the Indian takes the smoke into his body as a spiritual aid. The wafting, rising smoke of the pipe”

The author also describes the mythic origin of the pipe among the Sioux:

“According to Sioux ontology, the sacred pipe was brought to the Sioux Nation by White Buffalo Woman. She appeared upon the prairie and instructed two young men she met to return to their tribe and tell of her coming. When she arrived at the tribal encampment, she met with the elders and ceremoniously presented to them the sacred calumet (as the pipe is more properly known). She explained to them the meaning and use of the calumet, saying:

“With this sacred pipe you will walk upon the Earth; for the Earth is your Grandmother and Mother, and She is sacred. Every step that is taken upon Her should be as a prayer. The bowl of this pipe is of red stone; it is the Earth. Carved in the stone and facing the center is this buffalo calf who represents all the four-leggeds (the animals) who live upon your Mother. The stem of the pipe is of wood, and this represents all that grows upon the Earth. And these twelve feathers which hang here where the stem fits into the bowl are from Wanbli Galeshka, the Spotted Eagle, and they represent the eagle and all the wingeds of the air. All these people, and all the things of the Universe, are joined to you who smoke the pipe – all send their voices to Wakan-Tanka, the Great Spirit. When you pray with this pipe, you pray for and with everything.”

The elders listened intently and followed her instructions, and as she left the tipi, the mysterious woman exclaimed: “Behold this pipe! Always remember how sacred it is, and treat it as such, for it will take you to the end. Remember, in me there are four ages. I am leaving now, but I shall look back upon your people in every age, and at the end I shall return.”" As she walked away, across the prairie, she turned into a buffalo, and, bowing to each of the four quarters of the universe, disappeared.”

The peace pipe/calumet, is a powerful symbol of reconciliation:  reconciliation among humans, between humans and the elements and between humans and that which transcends them.  There is much here that should be preserved since it speaks to the enduring need to see the fundamental unity in apparently discordant forces.

…and don’t forget the Aussies!

There are several places to study peace and conflict resolution in Australia (John Burton was from Australia, after all).  Here is one at the University of Queensland:  the Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, or as it is known in our acronym afflicted world ACPACS .  ACPACS is:  “A centre of research and practice excellence in the areas of conflict analysis, prevention and management, mediation and conflict resolution, peace-building and development and post-conflict reconstruction.”

The “About” page sums things up nicely:

“The Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (ACPACS) at the University of Queensland operates on sites in Brisbane and Melbourne. It is a young, dynamic and progressive Centre and has already gained a considerable global reputation as a Centre of Excellence in the theory, research and practice of conflict analysis and resolution.

ACPACS is a centre of research and practice excellence in the areas of conflict analysis, prevention and management, alternative dispute resolution, peace-building and development and post-conflict reconstruction. The Centre is located within the Institute for Social Science Research at The University of Queensland.

The Centre is one of the largest providers of conflict resolution education and training in Australasia. It offers a comprehensive range of postgraduate programs to students and practitioners, and provides Professional Development workshops and courses for relevant areas of government, commerce and industry, and service providers.

ACPACS is cross-disciplinary and the only Centre in Australia to bring together:

* Peace and conflict studies
* International politics and development
* Alternative dispute resolution, mediation and law

The functions of the Centre are to:

* conduct research into the causes of international and national conflict; international security, nonviolent modes of conflict resolution and sustainable peace-building with special reference to the Asia-Pacific region;
* deliver high quality postgraduate programs and provide knowledge and practical skills in nonviolence, mediation, conflict resolution, peace-keeping and peace-building in the contemporary global context;
* provide advanced level short courses and training for government and non-government organisations engaged in peace-keeping, peace-building, development activities, humanitarian intervention, and work in conflict contexts; and
* offer expert advice to public and private sector organisations on issues concerned with conflict and its resolution, and specifically the role of the judicial and governance sectors in the achievement of structural stability and  peace.
* advance the understanding and knowledge of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes by conducting comparative research and state-of-the-art training in negotiation, mediation, cross-cultural conflict resolution and facilitation.”

There is more here than might at first meet the eye.  It is quite ambitious to “house” alternative dispute resolution people (often lawyers) and people who work on the ground in post-conflict peace building in the same place.  Some feel, for instance, that lawyers have kind of hijacked conflict resolution for their own ends (such as settling cases out of court because it takes too long to get into a court room).  However, if one views conflict as one problem with many manifestations, the ACPACS approach makes sense.

Anyhow, there are many kinds of information on this site including publications on various subjects for download, so take some time to click around.

IGbarb says:  More grease to your elbow mate(s)!

More on Human Rights Education

I have written previously about Human Rights Education, but I think the subject merits more consideration.   I have just finished teaching a course on 3rd world politics which touches on the cultural debate about human rights (Asian values, etc…), and I realized (again) that most people (even educated people) don’t have a very complete picture of what human rights are, how many covenants are already in place, how much consensus there really is already, etc…  It seems it is the differences, rather than the commonalities that get most attention (not that unusual, sadly).

So, again, what is the best way to move the global human rights discourse along?  Certainly, education.  Just google “human rights education” and see all the cool hits you get.  For instance, here is what Amnesty International says about it:

“Human rights education is both a lens through which to observe the world and a methodology for teaching and leading others.

Amnesty International believes that learning about human rights is the first step toward respecting, promoting and defending those rights. The Human Rights Education program (HRE) was established in order to facilitate the teaching of human rights. Designed to support teachers of kindergarten through college as well as educators working in non-formal settings such as community associations and cultural forums, HRE is dedicated to promoting the human rights principles and positive value system that are set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

…or UNESCO:

“Human rights education is an integral part of the right to education and is increasingly gaining recognition as a human right in itself. Knowledge of rights and freedoms is considered a fundamental tool to guarantee respect for the rights of all. UNESCO’s work in human rights education is guided by the World Programme for Human Rights Education.

Education should encompass values such as peace, non-discrimination, equality, justice, non-violence, tolerance and respect for human dignity. Quality education based on a human rights approach means that rights are implemented throughout the whole education system and in all learning environments.”

…and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:

“Human rights can only be achieved through an informed and continued demand by people for their protection. Human rights education promotes values, beliefs and attitudes that encourage all individuals to uphold their own rights and those of others. It develops an understanding of everyone’s common responsibility to make human rights a reality in each community.

Human rights education constitutes an essential contribution to the long-term prevention of human rights abuses and represents an important investment in the endeavour to achieve a just society in which all human rights of all persons are valued and respected.

The High Commissioner is the coordinator of United Nations education and public information programmes in the field of human rights (General Assembly Resolution 48/141).

OHCHR is working to promote human rights education by:

* Supporting national and local capacities for human rights education in the context of its Technical Cooperation Programme and through the ACT Project, which provides financial assistance to grass-roots initiatives;
* Developing selected human rights education and training materials;
* Developing selected resource tools, such as a Database on Human Rights Education and Training, a Resource Collection on Human Rights Education and Training and a Web section on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
* Globally coordinating the World Programme for Human Rights Education.”

IGBarb says:  Sounds like a plan!

The University for Peace

Readers of this blog know I have mentioned several university programs for studying peace.  However, informed readers might feel I have overlooked a “big” one:  The University for Peace (Universidad para la Paz) in Costa Rica.  So, this is me trying to make up for that omission.

Upeace, as it is known, is distinguished by being a “UN-mandated Graduate School of Peace and Conflict Studies”:

“Costa Rica abolished the death penalty in 1882, and its army in 1948. Since 1865, Costa Rica has offered asylum to those facing persecution for political reasons. From 1907 to 1918, Costa Rica hosted the Central American Court of Justice, which was the first permanent international tribunal that allowed individuals to take legal action against states on international law and human rights issues. In that tradition, efforts to establish the University for Peace began at the United Nations under the leadership of the President of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Carazo. On 5 December 1980, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted resolution 35/55 which sets out in its annex the International Agreement for the Establishment of the University for Peace. The Charter of the University forms part of that agreement.”

Its mission is:

“to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for peace and with the aim of promoting among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence, to stimulate cooperation among peoples and to help lessen obstacles and threats to world peace and progress, in keeping with the noble aspirations proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations”.

..and …

:The Charter of the University sets out in its appendix the following general principles:

1. The persistence of war in the history of mankind and the growing threats against peace in recent decades jeopardize the very existence of the human race and make it imperative that peace should no longer be viewed as a negative concept, as the end of conflict or as a simple diplomatic compromise, but rather that it should be achieved and ensured through the most valuable and most effective resource that man possesses: education.
2. Peace is the primary and irrevocable obligation of a nation and the fundamental objective of the United Nations; it is the reason for its existence. However, the best tool for achieving this supreme good for humankind, namely education, has not been used.
3. Many nations and international organizations have attempted to attain peace through disarmament. This effort must be continued; yet facts show that man should not be too optimistic as long as the human mind has not been imbued with the notion of peace from an early age. It is necessary to break the vicious circle of struggling for peace without an educational foundation.
4. This is the challenge that now faces all nations and all men as the twenty-first century approaches. The decision must be made to save the human race, which is threatened by war, through education for peace. If education has been the instrument of science and technology, there is all the more reason to use it to achieve this primary right of the human being.”

They have a very well thought out and innovative curriculum (consider the scope and variety of Master’s degrees available), and their campus outside San Jose looks (at least from the pictures I’ve seen) like a beautiful and, well, peaceful place.  However, I have heard from someone who has worked with the institution that there have been financial challenges from time to time (again too much spent on war, and not enough on peace, right?) which have sometimes hampered the program’s development.  Still, there are now regional programs, including one in Africa, and a Centre for Executive Education (note the British spelling ).

As far as I can tell, there are significant efforts being made to assist Upeace to fulfill its historic and world embracing mission, and that has to be all to the good.  The site is chock full of information and…

IGBarb says:  check it out!

More Peace “Visuals”

Everybody likes “eye candy”, and, of course, “a picture is worth a thousand words”….So here are a few more nice peace-related pictures I’ve run across.

Visualize Peace (very important idea, btw)

From a Peace Rally in Honolulu (Hawaii–but you knew that, right?)

Collateral Damage (makes a good point…”collateral” to whom or what?)

Plastic Bucket for Peace

Spiritual Walk for Peace in Oklahoma

Peace Flag from San Francisco

Pokemon for Peace (I really like this one!)

BTW, if anybody out there has links to more nice peace images please pass them on (I would prefer that they not be too partisan if possible…thanks)

Star Trek and Peace

I guess just about everybody on the planet knows the new Star Trek movie just came out (I’m not even going to link to anything since it is a no brainer to find sites about that ).  However, SciFi gets people thinking (sometimes, anyway), and one of the tech/gadget blogs I read, Gizmodo,  had an interesting post about “Why we need to reach the stars (and we will)” .  The article itself is food for thought whether or not you agree with it.   For instance:

“…even if we are able to discover a propulsion method that could get a spacecraft close to the speed of light, it will still take hundred of years to reach an star system with planets similar to Earth. By the time the news get back to us, we all will be dead.”

OR

“…since we don’t know how everything works, there still may be something that opens the way to faster-than-light space travel. Discovering the unknown—like physicists have been doing since the Greeks—and harnessing new math and theories into new technology is our only way to spread through the Universe in a way that makes sense to Humanity as a whole. You know, like Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica or Star Wars: Travel across the Universe in hours or days, not in centuries or millennia.”

However, what really captured my attention was the link between the “Star Trek” scenario (ie humanity going out to find what Arthur C. Clarke called our playground among the stars) and peace:

“The fact is that I’m convinced that interstellar travel will happen. You and I will probably not see it, but if Humanity can survive self-annihilation, I’m sure we will achieve it.”

AND

“Ultimately, the most important thing will not be getting the answers to these eternal questions. The most important thing will be the process of reaching for the stars. Because if we manage to get there, it would mean that we managed to survive as a species. That is the only way we can develop the engineering and the resources needed to build something like the Enterprise. Survive self-destruction, solve the problems we have here, collaborate, work as species, not as countries or corporations.

That’s what space exploration and interstellar travel is all about. Only if we manage to go beyond our petty fights and stupid wars, only if we work together towards a better future, we will be able to go where no one has gone before. And be back to tell about it before dinner gets cold.”

Exactly!

IGBarb says:  Live long and prosper!

Another “Imagine” related site

Since I know many people are interested in peace symbols and peace images, I went looking again, and discovered “Imagine Peace” .   As far as I can tell this is a project of photographer Donald Verger , to collect and post images of peace (understood broadly).

As he explains:  “Started, the morning after the London sadness… remembering John Lennon’s wish/song/image… for PEACE…”  (presumably he is referring to the Transit Rail bombing in July of 2005.

Here are a few that I really like (but please go there and look for yourself):

“Imagine” from Diane S.

Wagon Wheel of Peace

something from Evaristo Buendia-Carrera

lovely swans from Gemm Ferrane

“Give Peas a Chance” (yup, you guessed it–I love this one!)

From June Marie Sobrito

I don’t know if this site/project is still active, however as is it provides some wonderful images and points us to some talented people who seem to be committed to peace and peacefulness.

(I would have preferred to actually show some of the images here, but they are copyrighted and I am trying to be law-abiding.  They are worth the effort to click, believe me )