Children

-Hubert H. Humphrey (1911–1978), U.S. Democratic politician, vice president speech, July 27, 1965, Detroit, Michigan.

Children are all born into this world full of adventure, hope, and life. It is the men and women who go before them that mold them and shape their futures. Parents, teachers and civil leaders, are the ones who lead these open minds and souls down the roads which they take into adult hood. Each generation should lead a better life than the one before…is what we say and dream. Nonetheless this is not the reality for countless millions of children around the world, children who; die from preventable diseases, live daily in hunger, receive little to no education, fight the wars of their fathers, are raped and abused mentally and physically. As a global society we’re missing that children are the opportunity for hope and change, they are the ones that can make a better and new world for us all. Children are the key to a better society, a better world…a better future! Let us not forget that children can change the world and we can guide them to do so.

Russia isn’t known for its openness to foreign or domestic NGO’s, or charities in general. Freedom and political will are bound tight in Russian philanthropy, regardless of intention or cause anyone can be placed in Russia’s stranglehold. Human Rights charities bare the brunt of the governments tight fisted rule, leaving many with even more speculation to the level of abuses within the country. Only those with something to hide draw the curtains!

On April 17, 2006 the Duma (Russia’s parliament) passed Law #7-FZ On Nonprofit Organizations, a law which regulates the activity of all the NGOs in Russia, some 500,000, including148,000 public policy organizations and 5,000 foreign NGO branches. Headed by the Justice Ministry and the Federal Registration Service. The law has been at the center of scrutiny since it was drafted in 2005, Putin claims the law is needed in the fight against terrorism and money laundering organizations that use NGOs as a cover. However many believe this is just a masquerade for an increasing authoritarian reign, tightening foreign influence and the involvement of certain civil and rights groups.

What does the law mean in the simplest terms?

• Russian NGOs had to re-register with the state, and thus could be refused registration.
• Annual reports must be filed with the authorities for Russian NGOs.
• Inspections can be carried out (which are often systematically target).
• Tighter control over foreign funding for Russian organizations.
• A foreign NGO can be ordered to end a program if it is perceived as a threat to Russian national interest.

The real issues with the law is its lofty wording, which leaves much of it open to the interpretation of the the government official, and leaving NGOs vulnerable. The most vulnerable groups are those working in Chechnya, International Human Rights, Children’s Right’s, Counter terrorism, Social & Cultural Rights, Health & Human Rights, HIV/AIDS , and International Justice.

The newest victim to Russia’s NG law occurred this week when Russia denied an entry visa to Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), preventing him traveling to Moscow to present a critical report.

“The (Russian) foreign ministry knew I was planning to come for a press conference. It cited a changing array of reasons for not issuing me a visa,” Roth told a news conference in Moscow by telephone from New York.

“This is the first time that Human Rights Watch has been refused a visa to Russia since the Soviet Union.”

“It’s also the first time that I personally have been refused a visa any place in the world since Nigeria’s Sani Abacha did so in 1997,” he said (Russia “denies visa” to U.S. rights campaigner).

HRW, along with other NGO’s have joined various rights groups in launching an attack on President Vladimir Putin and his government, for what they state is a deterioration in respect for human rights in Russia. Since Putin’s rise to power the heat has only increased for those in the human rights field and policy sector.

HRW’s 72 page report “Choking on Bureaucracy: State Curbs on Independent Civil Society Activism”, documents how the NGO law has been used to targeted various NGOs, mostly those working on controversial issues.

“With the new rules, NGOs live under a looming threat of harassment, and this is a serious threat to freedom of expression in Russia.” said Roth

The obvious strategic and almost witch hunt of NGOs in Russia leaves one to question the true democratic nature of a country willing to risk the rights and welfare of its citizens.  Only time will tell if the stranglehold will tighten or loosen.

Links and articles:
English Translation of the NGO Law, with Russian version
Russia’s NGO Law: An Attack on Freedom and Civil Society
Enforcement of the New NGO Law: A Deeper Look
The Russian NGO Law: Potential Conflicts with International, National, and Foreign Legislation
NGOs fear trouble as law comes into force
Rights Groups Complain Russia Is Stalling Funds
Kommersant - The Council Of Europe Examines The Provisions
Moscow Times - How Russia’s NGO Law Stacks Up
U.S. Helsinki Commission hearing on democracy in Russia
U.S. Official Says Law Part Of Antidemocratic Trend
U.S. State Dept. - Concern About Law’s Impact on Civil Society
Moscow Times - Putin Quietly Signed NGO Bill Last Week
Russia shuts foreign charity amid tighter NGO scrutiny

Uganda is Africa’s oldest conflict Since 1987, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has wreaked havoc on the people of northern Uganda, those bearing the brunt of this violence are children. Some 30,000 children have been abducted from their families and used as soldiers or sex slaves, while 12,000 civilians have been killed and 2 million displaced. Girls are often forced to be the ‘wives’ of their commanding officers, only to bare a new generation of child soldiers and sex slaves.

The government thus far has been unable to do much to subdue the LRA, which often uses neighboring Sudan for the launch of their attacks. However progress may be possible as while other talks have failed, the latest talks in Juba, Sudan have now ended with the LRA signing an historic agreement. The agreement, which was signed Monday February 18, 2008, on how to deal with war crimes committed during the 21 year old conflict in northern Uganda.

“We have agreed that severe crimes committed by the LRA during the war will be tried under a special division of the High Court in Uganda,” said government spokesman Capt. Chris Magezi.

Why the sudden change of heart after a year and a half of talks? The agreement will allow the LRA’s ’serious’ crimes to avoid trial at the ICC. As for Joseph Kony, the LRA’s leader and his top two commanders, the ICC issued a statement yesterday declaring that their current ICC indictments would still stand. See more on the situation and earlier talks in my previous post, Child Soldiers in Uganda.

The news of the agreement has left many with mixed feelings of hopefulness and skepticism. Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International felt the agreement was only an unacceptable way around the law, while others such as Human Rights Watch appeared to feel it was a step in the right direction. Regardless in a conflict with such idleness for anything other than violence, all talks and agreements are a step in the right direction.

This week marks Uganda’s Child Soldier Awareness week, so please take this opportunity to learn more about the situation in Uganda and of child soldiers across the globe, of which there are some 300,000. Please see my other postings on child soldiers.

What Can you do?

A former child soldier’s life is not returned to them once the gun is removed from their hand, we must ensure that they are not forgotten. Former child soldiers remain at risk for further violations, such as physical, mental and sexual abuse, they are also at high risk for HIV/AIDS, and are also at risk to become abusers themselves. As a global community we must act to ensure that not only prevention plans, laws and disarmament policies are put into place, but that adequate and extensive rehabilitation of former child soldiers is given top priority.

Contact your Representative about the use of child soldiers, and the the importance of US support in international law and the passing of the aforementioned bills. Show your support for child soldiers and help fund DDR programs, and most of all use your voice to share the plight of child soldiers around the world, and the urgency to end this practice.

Links:
Child Soldiers 1379 Report
Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
World Revolution
The Middle East North Africa (MENA) Regional Network to Stop the Use of Children as Soldiers
Stolen Childhood
Children with Guns
War Child
Optional protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict
The Child Soldiers Project
USA Support Needed for International Campaign to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
Choike - Child Soldiers - In depth Information and Great Links
Human Rights Watch - Child Soldiers
Anna Kari - Has some amazing photos of Ugandan child soldiers
Invisible Children - Documentary about Child Soldiers and Night Commuters in Northern Uganda
NPR - Child Soldiers Fight Forgotten War in Uganda
Uganda Watch Blogspot
Arrest Warrant for Joseph Kony

“There are few more challenging places to have a healthy childhood than Haiti!”

-Adriano González-Regueral, UNICEF’s Country Representative
(UNICEF Press Release: Survival is Greatest Challenge for Haiti’s Children ).

The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti truly is a country in crisis, plagued by poverty, disease, infant mortality, high illiteracy rates, human trafficking, violence and abuse among high numbers of street children and hunger.

A recent AP article showed the gravity of hunger that Haitians are reduced to…eating mud. Mud cookies, which are made from dirt, salt and vegetable shortening, are many children’s only source of food some days, and are now a staple of a large number of Haitians diets. Increasing food prices, which are mainly due to increased oil prices and hurricane’s, have hit many already fragile Haitians hard. Haiti is a nation which relies on 40% of its food from imports for survival, but rising prices in a nation as poor as Haiti, have only burdened those who cannot carry what has already been placed upon them.

In 2006 UNICEF issued a Child Alert Report for Haiti, highlighting the increased need for support and action in the country and internationally. Haiti has the highest infant mortality rate in the world for children under 5 years old, with diarrhea, respiratory infections, malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS are the leading causes of death. However this is not the only large scale issue facing Haitian children. According to UNICEF; Some 60% of Haitians lack access to basic health-care services. Some 19,000 children are infected with HIV/AIDS. At least 2,000 children are trafficked every year to the Dominican Republic, forced to work as child labors. Less than half of the children attend school, with less than 2% finishing secondary school. In Haiti some 1,000 children are forced to work as messengers, spies and even soldiers for armed gangs in Port Au Prince, in addition there is an estimated 3,000 children enslaved as domestic workers.

The long term future for most Haitian children is one of continued struggle.

Related Links and Articles:

Haiti’s President-elect René Préval pledges to put children on top of political agenda

Haiti: Grim reality for street children

Last week, on February 12th, UNICEF issued a press release urging donors to give some $856 million to aid women and children and women who have been victimized by such emergencies as the conflicts in Chad and Kenya, to natural disasters such as the floods in Mozambique. Launching its Humanitarian Action Report 2008, UNICEF stated that the funds are to be used to provide urgent assistance in the areas of health, education and nutrition.

There are a number of countries in urgent need of assistance including; Kenya where there are some 150,000 children, half of the estimated population that have been driven from their homes in the recent violence. In Chad there is an estimated 30,000 of those forced from their homes, some 52,000, who are vulnerable, many of which are children and in need of immediate assistance. Other countries with considerable needs are the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), the CAR (Central African Republic), Pakistan and the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea.

However the greatest needs still remains in Sudan, where sexual and gender-based violence remains an immense concern as the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) continues to rise. There are some 2 million IDPs in Sudan, leaving camps stretched beyond capacity and aid agencies battling to meet the needs of those displaced as the conflict continues after nearly 5 years.

In reaction to the 230 page reports release, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, stated in a message to the Governing Council of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome on February 13th that efforts must be greatly increased to tackle poverty, especially in the realm of agriculture.

“This must be the year the international community renews its commitment to the needs of the weak, the disadvantaged, those who have been excluded from the mainstream of global society.”

Repeating his request that 2008 be the year that the international community seriously and effectively seeks to address the plight of the “bottom billion”, the poorest of the world’s poor.

A recent report published on February 5th, by the World Bank has found that those countries in the Middle East and North Africa need drastic improvements and repairs to their education systems in order to meet the demands the global world. “The Road Not Traveled: Education Reform in the Middle East and North Africa”, takes an in depth look into the two regions, giving a very detailed and comprehensive economic analysis of the impact of education investments on the region. The report highlights that the last 40 years of educational investments have now closed the gender gap in the primary schools, thus resulting effects have been an almost universal education. Nevertheless, the regions face continued challenges due to globalization and the “increasing importance of knowledge in the development process.”  Both regions continue to lag behind East Asia and Latin America in both literacy levels and the average number years of school attendence among those 15 years and older.

“Since education is the main source of knowledge creation, the task is clear,” the report says. “The education systems must be changed to deliver new skills and expertise necessary to excel in a more competitive environment.”  In todays shrinking global world education is the key, but the key must fit more than the domestic lock…it must be a universal key to open all global doors.

Human rights organization Amnesty International has called for an end to forced evictions in Cambodia. Thousands of families have already been moved from their homes in the center of the capital Phnom Penh, and more evictions are set to follow. The authorities say this is a necessary part of Cambodia’s development. But in its report Amnesty disputes this, and says there has been a lack of accountability and consultation with local communities. Members of threatened communities from across Phnom Penh are fighting on, although their homes may soon be reduced to rubble. (BBC)

Hundreds of schools closed, roads were empty and shops were shuttered in districts in Nepal’s southern plains on Feb. 13 at the start of a strike by ethnic Madheshi groups to press for regional autonomy. Violent ethnic protests in the region last year claimed at least 45 lives, throwing a shadow over Nepal’s peace process after a decade-long civil war with Maoist rebels ended in 2006. Three Madheshi groups, saying they represent the dominant ethnic community of the fertile Terai plains, have called the indefinite strike aimed at blocking roads to Kathmandu and other hilly areas of landlocked Nepal. (Reuters)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is deeply concerned about the growing number of civilian casualties, including children, resulting from the deteriorating security situation across Sri Lanka. Since the beginning of this year, the ICRC has observed an increase in the number of civilians killed or injured in targeted and/or indiscriminate attacks. In the first six weeks of 2008, more than 180 civilians were reported killed and almost 270 injured in a series of attacks on civilian buses, railway stations and individuals in Colombo, Dambula, Kebhitigollewa, Madhu, Okkampitiya and Welli Oya. (ICRC)

An independent UN expert Feb. 13 hailed progress in Saudi Arabia on advancing the status of women but urged more action to prevent gender-based violence and raise their profile in public life. “Women of Saudi Arabia, in full respect of their societal values, appear ready to embark on a new stage of engagement in contributing to the advancement of their society and that of the coming generations of women and men,” the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences, Yakin Erturk, said in a statement after visiting the country from Feb. 4-13. (UN News)

Severe flooding caused by weeks of heavy rain is now known to have left 48 people dead and some 40,000 families homeless, authorities in Bolivia say. Two rivers in one of the worst-hit provinces, Beni, have broken their banks and are threatening to cut off the main city in the region, Trinidad. The government has declared a state of emergency and launched relief efforts. Among the worst-hit areas are the eastern provinces of Beni and Santa Cruz as well as Cochabamba in central Bolivia. Several thousand people have been moved from areas at risk in Beni. (BBC)

Sexually transmitted diseases have spread so widely in some Aboriginal communities that mass treatment without individual testing, even for children as young as 10, is the only way to fight the problem, according to a medical paper published Feb. 4. The authors of the paper in The Medical Journal of Australia, Dr. Frank Bowden and Dr. Katherine Fethers, contend that the traditional method of screening and treating people individually is not working because patients often move on before their test results have been returned and because of a lack of resources. (NYT)

More than a city that is pro-child we must work to see a world that is pro child, a world where children no longer have to live in fear. A world in which children are not the pawns of war, the heartless victims of political roulette, the unwitting legacies of ruthless leaders…the children for which childhood has no meaning. For the world in which children are allowed to be children is the world in which we will find peace.

Take the time this Valentines day to show kids in need that they are loved!

Save the Children’s Campaign - Sharing Your Love for Children on Valentine’s Day
Click to Give - Send a Valentines and help hunger or child’s health

Suicide bombers have become a mainstay in today’s modern warfare, we have become hardened by their continual actions and rarely does one become shocked to see headlines like, “suicide bomber kills 11″. Modern suicide bombing began in the 1980’s during the Lebanese Civil War, and has since spread to more than 12 countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Palestine and Israel, with attacks in some 30 countries. The use of suicide bombers has dramatically increased since its modern beginnings in the 198o’s which saw an average of 4.7 attacks a year to 180 attacks a year in the first half of the 2000’s (The Moral Logic and Growth of Suicide Terrorism Fig. 1, p.128).

While suicide bombing incidents are now steadfastly becoming a weapon of modern warfare, these human bombs are most often not the sound and hungry disciples that their leaders and trainers portray in their rhetoric. Just this month two suicide bombers in Iraq where discovered to be mentally disabled, as following the deadly attack both bombers where revealed to have Downs Syndrome (Blasts in Iraq markets kill 91). Sadly the use of the disabled as suicide bombers is hardly an isolated case. A 2007 study in Afghanistan, found 80% of the suicide attackers had some kind of physical or mental disability (Disabled Often Carry Out Afghan Suicide Missions).

These are not heartless killers, but manipulated people who’s minds and bodies have been enslaved by the terror that is placed upon them over and over by those who see vengeance as a tool which wins battles. This misguided approach to warfare not only hinders the ability to win wars, but leaves countless victims that are manipulated into acts for which they do not understand the extent of their actions. Yes, it is true that many suicide bombers go forth with these acts of a sound mind and their own free will, but we must remember that what makes someone act in such a manner is still based on deception and misconception. However it is not these actors in which sends fear into society the most, it is the acts of mere children.

The use of child suicide bombers appears to be increasing, and while many children are educated and reared into this deadly fate, many are thankfully saved or removed before their actions have deadly consequences. Many have seen the images of infants and toddlers dressed in mock suicide bomber outfits in Palestine, and while they may not commit such acts when they grow-up, their fate is one undoubtedly leaning towards violence.

Many children are being taught the ways of suicide bombing in religious schools, others by their parents or other relatives, however it is the use of religious schools that are on the rise. In Pakistan this has been seen with the use `madrassah’ (seminary schools) as a source point of indoctrinating children into the life and death of a suicide bomber seems to be increasing. Rehma, her husband Shaukat fearfully removed their son Zarak from the seminary, and packed then moved the entire family away after they where shocked at his talk of suicide bombings and paradise (Child suicide bombers “victims of the most brutal exploitation”). In Pakistan the there were 56 suicide attacks in 2007 alone, a number which many fear will only rise in 2008.

The question of weather or not these children are terrorist or victims seems clear to many…they are victims of those who brainwash and lead them to this future less life. It is the cowards who prey on the innocent, never seeming to take action themselves, they just continue to spew this deadly rhetoric and watch as their victims take the lives of other innocent victims, that are the true terrorists.

Please see my previous posts on child suicide bombers here.