RIGHTS: Native People Demand Self-Determination October 18th, 2006
Dear Editor
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a good thing, however the Australian government does not sit on the UN Human Rights Council and has objected to Human Rights and Social Justice for our Peoples here in Australia since colonisation. At present the Coroner handed down her findings in relation to the murder of Mulrunj Doomadgee in Palm Island, QLD (Queensland) while in custody. The Coroner found that the deceased was kicked to death. The Premier of QLD and the Police Commissioner refused to stand this Police Officer down and support the impending charge that should ensue a criminal act. This could be seen as a conspiracy to pervert the course of Justice as this had been the third inquiry into the matter. The first ensued the illegal incarceration of 19 people after the reaction that prevailed after the findings of the first inquiry. The Australian government and their police forces are in breach of Constitutional Law by the use of Discretionary Powers that exists here in this country. The Law is the Law is the Law. We have to still march for Justice in this country and with the incarceration rate of Aboriginal peoples escalates and the continuous deaths in custody both in prisons and psychiatric wards. Australia is legalising Genocide.
Lee Anne Nangala Daylight-Lacey
Founder
National Indigeous Human Rights Congress Australia
One has to wonder what U.S. concessions James Baker is willing to give Iran and Syria, both self-declared enemies of the U.S. and Israel. Both Iran and Syria are committed to the anihilation of the democratic Jewish state.
POLITICS-US: Democrats to Seize At Least Half of Congress October 14th, 2006
Dear Editor:
The Democrats are hoping that voters will think that [Florida Representative Mark] Foley is a bad person, (No doubt here) and Foley is a Republican, therefore all Republicans are bad, so we won’t vote for Republicans this time.
I don’t think that this will happen. Almighty God gave voters a brain and I think that they will use them.
Respectfully,
Murvyn R. West
*****
Dear Editor:
Good job on this. However you missed one big point. As soon as the election is over, the Neocon cabal will have so many lawsuits concerning the inside job of 9/11, that he will go to prison and that is a fact.
The only thing that will prevent it, is if his criminals carry out another attack. When backed into a corner, this madman will do anything. Because if you have not figured it out yet (who was to gain?), you have not woke up from the nightmare that has already began. As journalists and news people, please be very concerned that with the new legislation etc, a loved one or close friends may get locked up with no rights at all. Then what are you going to do? Well the
answer to that is, it will be too late and due to the silence you will be forever in your own conscience be nothing other than a fascist propaganda tool.
Thank you for your time,
Ron
It it starting to seem very obvious to me although it may not be obvious to some that poor Iraqis are being paid to cause violence at the behest of the U.S. government so that they can divide and conquer Iraq. How pathetic is that. But that is the way it looks to me. Either that or
Iraqis are just plain being lied to by the U.S. government and the United States is fomenting trouble between various groups where there was peace before. This stuff just does not happen without an apparent reason. They are being infiltrated by someone who is opening their mouth and causing this kind of problem and those listening are too ignorant or naive to not see it coming to them.
n. aishah
AFRICA: Elephant Overpopulation Keeps Cull Debate Simmering October 9th, 2006
Dear Editor:
You could have mentioned that CAMPFIRE (Community Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources) receives its revenue from hunting fees. The reason Kenya lost so many elephants to poaching is because they banned sport hunting. The local communities and wildlife department lost a revenue source and it became more profitable to cooperate with poachers. They also lost a security service in that armed sport hunters were no longer in the bush to scare off poachers.
Cheers,
Mike Core
Ventura, California
USA
P.S. - I have hunted in Zimbabwe three times and have killed two elephants. I have spent well over $45,000 US doing so.
RIGHTS: Gender Violence a Universal Norm, Says U.N. October 9th, 2006
Dear Sir or Madam,
I would like to see the press pick up this story in relation to both the Amish murders and to Foley’s emails as indicating that men collude with men to ignore and hide violence, to protect each other from dishonour, inconvenience and embarassment rather than protecting the women and children from the men. This is a ripe story, and one that will not change until men stop colluding with each other.
Thank you.
Tanis Day, PhD
Canada
EDUCATION-IRAN: Students Brace for Second ‘Cultural Revolution’ October 6th, 2006
Dear Editor,
I read your article about the prevailing education concerns in Iran with interest. It helped me understand why we have recently received an increase of 1000% in the inquires from students in Iran wanting to study at our school in Canada.
Thank you for the informative article.
Sincerely,
Christiaan Bernard
International Assistant Director of Admissions
The Art Institute of Vancouver
DEVELOPMENT: Exports A Way Out of Poverty? October 5th, 2006
Dear Editor:
Great article. But the poor countries in Africa do not want someone to teach… they want donations. A beggar does not want to work….we know, because we talked to the senior government officials of Sierra Leone, Burundi, Cameroon, Namibia, Botswana. All of them say: “Come and invest in our country and you will be successful,” meaning “Come and spend money in our country but do not expect us to change.”
It is different in Vietnam…they do want teachers as has been in China.
CORRUPTION-KENYA: An Amnesty Perhaps Not Worth Its Weight in Gold October 5th, 2006
Dear Editor:
Those who stole taxpayers’ money must be made to pay it all back. They also have to be given a punishment that shows that stealing taxpayers’ money is a crime. The people who stole this money were trusted and put in positions of running the affairs of the country. It would be even more corrupt if they were to be excused from punishment just because they are able to pay back. At any rate, having already stolen and showed how corrupt they are, how can they be trusted to reveal the correct amount they stole and to pay it all at once? Apart from imprisonment, a large part of the punishment must be to take all their properties in order for the taxpayer to recoup what is lost and to be able to use that in running the affairs of the country such as education, health and fight against poverty.
What must not be forgotten is that these corrupt members of govenrment did not steal from the government but from the people of the country. The government itself has shown defficiency in dealing fairly in such affairs. As it is members of the government are already trying to cook up ways, including legislation, of helping their ‘friends’ to dodge paying for their deeds.
yours,
Rose Tuelo Brock
IRELAND
(former teacher at Kenya High, Nairobi)
TRADE: EU Move Could Bring Disaster to the Poor October 5th, 2006
Dear Sir,
I must say, with due respect, that I disagree with the emotive analysis of War on Want’s John Hilary. Peter Mandelson is not trying to aggressively “force” open the markets of Least Developed Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. He wants to conclude strategic partnerships with emerging economic powerhouses who already have similar arrangements in place with Europe’s competitors. As rapporteur of the European Parliament’s EU-India Trade Report, I have worked closely with India’s Commerce team, including Kamal Nath, to devise the parameters of a Free Trade Agreement with India, which both sides consider to be a “win-win” scenario.
Moreover, the “Global Europe Strategy” does not sweep aside existing EU commitments; it is one strategy within a plethora of EU trade, aid and development policies. The EU Trade Commissioner has stated time and again that there will be no European retreat from multilateralism. The Doha Development Round remains the most effective way to increase liberalisation and ensure the equitable distribution of the benefits of globalisation. Nevertheless, a WTO deal does not preclude the conclusion of “WTO-Plus” arrangements that build on multilateral liberalisation by addressing areas that are related directly to Europe’s trading strengths not yet fully addressed by WTO rules or standards.
My report made it clear that trade relations cannot be divorced from development and human rights concerns, which is why Commission President, Barroso made a pledge at the G8 Summit in Gleneagles to increase EU “Aid for Trade” spending to 1 billion euros a year. International trade can be a powerful driver of economic growth and poverty reduction, but it is not a silver bullet. Despite India’s astonishing growth, nearly 4 million Indians still live on less than a dollar a day. To continue to lift people out of pockets of poverty, India’s trade reforms must complement its development policies. EU assistance must be directed to lagging regions and under-represented social groups; capacity building efforts must focus on the poorest states, enabling them to use funds effectivelt; and investment must provide funds for priority education and rural health programmes.
Yours Sincerely,
Sajjad H. Karim
European Parliament Rapporteur on EU-India Trade and Economic Relations
Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for the North West of England
POLITICS-US/MIDEAST: “Strategic Consensus” Redux? - By Jim Lobe October 5th, 2006
Dear Jim
But isn’t there a final twist to the current US approach…trying to establish a linkage between the Palestinian/Israel problem and their perception of the Iranian problem i.e. Israel to move on the Pal/Israel problem IF the US gets something done on the Iranian “problem”. I think you should have pinpointed that attempted linkage. Not that we think the linkage thing is viable but it should have been mentioned… for the sake of the factual record.
DEATH PENALTY: NGOs to Push U.S. on Moratorium October 4th, 2006
Sirs:
I have been against the death penalty since I was a child. I am a Christian who believes strongly what it teaches. Jesus Christ tells us to love our enemys and care for them. If they are shown the kind of love and care they really need, there would be much less crime here in America.
I personally have been in prison for two and a half years for a crime I hadn’t done. If I would have been left out early enough, my hate and anger would have made me kill at least two people involved in my case… I am glad for the experience I went through, as it has also shown me why so many men and women end up back into crime. They are not treated in the way they should be, both inside and mainly outside after they are out. I haven’t gone through near the things that many have gone through with society. In most prisons the inmates are treated totally with health problems they have also. I have met men and women that I would trust much more than many on the streets. My heart goes out for all of those who are in our prisons.
My prayers will continue for the work you are doing. I wished I had the money to help support you in your needs.
POLITICS-US: War on Terror Returning to Its Cradle October 4th, 2006
Dear Editor,
Khalilzad appointment back to Afghanistan would be an oxymoron. Sanctions again on Pakistan would most likely result in loss of Pakistan as an ally. Pakistan would then be free to pursue the freedom movement in Kashmir. Most Pakistanis are fed up with the ungrateful westerners.
The Islamic fundamentalists would welcome such moves and also China would love it. West would go out of the frying pan and into the fire of Afghanistan.
Situations like that in Kirkuk are not unique in the world. All such situations can either be solved by ethnic divide (which is extremely traumatic and often deadly) or by the principle of individual human rights, by which every individual enjoys - by law - equal rights, regardless of his ethnicity or religion. There are actually no other way to deal with such situations. Those who prefer to see ethnic violence increase, should turn their back on human rights as a yardstick for government performance.
JAMAICA: Grieving Father Takes on Police Impunity October 2nd, 2006
Dear Editor:
A Civilian Review Board as a solution
Can Mr. Fox sue the police department civilly? Maybe the presumption of innocence is buttressed on a less stringent level of doubt. Is it possible that there could be formed a civilian review board that makes known the procedural faux pas of the Jamaican Police Department? The argument put forth by proponents of the tactics use by the police department is one hard to find fault with, given the societal malaise in which the police operate. As a Jamaican, I am very aware of the problems of Jamaican society, and the near impunity in which those who perpetrate crime operate. A civilian review board might be a toothless organization but at the least it would make public the wrongs committed by police in Jamaica. Also, maybe each police officer should have their bullets imprinted with a signature of some sort that enables an accurate identification of who is responsible for shootings in situations like these. Possibly there might be room in the Jamaican Constitution or in local governing by-laws that enable this. Mr. Fox’s son should not have been killed, and despite what wrong he stood accused of there is a need for due process, or else — as we all know — the police becomes the criminals as well.
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