FUTURE TALKS Newsletter Issue 07 Future of Human Rights Forum July 2014

 

Future of Human Rights Forum: Project Updates • TEN Campaign: celebrating the launch rally on July 25th! • TEN Campaign: civil society support and participation • Global Crises: FHR Forum lends its support to the local response • Communications Assistance Project: highlights and successes

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TEN Campaign Celebrating the launch rally on July 25th!

TEN Campaign makes waves at Place des Nations!  

TEN Campaign served as an effective platform for cooperation amongst likeminded organizations and individuals. New partnerships were formed between relevant stakeholders that will contribute to the establishment of future events and initiatives that advocate for a reduction of military expenditures worldwide.

 

TEN Campaign would like to thank everyone that came out to voice their support for a 10 percent reduction of global military expenditures, and a reallocation of these funds towards in-state and external development programs. The inaugural rally took place July 25th from 1-3pm at Place des Nations, in front of the United Nations Office in Geneva. The rally attendees represented over a dozen non-governmental and international organizations devoted to peace, development, the environment, disarmament, demining, and more! Some of these organizations included the International Peace Bureau, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Geneva Center for Humanitarian Demining, Democratic Control of Armed Forces, Demilitarize Canada, and more! The event also featured members of the Swiss press, including reporters from World Radio Switzerland.  

The hope is that by bringing leading experts, individuals, and organizations together as a single voice for change, civil society can have greater success and influence when lobbying states for a reduction of military expenditures. Reaching a global consensus on this issue remains a priority, particularly in light of the ongoing global conflicts affecting so many regions of the world today.  

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TEN Campaign Civil society support and participation

 At the inaugural rally, TEN Campaign participants were posed the following scenario, and given the opportunity to write in their response: the average cost of a military tank is 5.5 million USD, or 5 million CHF; what would you rather spend this money on? Participants were also asked to vote on key priority issues, and determine where they would like to see the 10 percent reduction reinvested. Results are as follows:

TEN Campaign received an overwhelming response to this question, with answers that included: • Helping kids and the earth • Investing in small and medium-sized businesses that address

drivers of poverty, economic insecurity and resource conflicts • Electricity and water for the people of Gaza • Environmental protection • Education and youth unemployment • Casas para Ducianos en Columbia • Health and primary education • Ouvertures d'écoles dans les pays en voie de

développement • Gender responsive programs and green jobs creation • Food for the world  

 

 

   

 

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Global Crises FHR Forum lends its support to the local response

 

Highlighting human rights crises in Africa and the Middle East  In light of the global human rights crises currently ongoing, the FHR Forum team engaged local initiatives to raise awareness about some of these key issues. FHR Forum participated in the following: #BringBackOurGirls One hundred days after Boko Haram militants staged a raid on a school in north-east Nigeria, kidnapping over 200 girls, the international community continues to voice its outrage.

Advocacy group, Walk Free, called on concerned citizens to host a vigil on July 23rd to show solidarity with the missing schoolgirls and their parents. Walk Free writes, "By holding a vigil to mark 100 days since the kidnappings, we can...help empower the girls’ families to demand continued action from the Nigerian Government and its partners." In addition to the vigil sta

staged by FHR Forum, other vigils were staged across the globe from Abuja, to Los Angeles, to Islamabad.

Israeli-Palestinian solidarity event FHR Forum attended a peaceful demonstration at Place des Nations in Geneva to show solidarity with the victims of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This demonstration coincided with the Human Rights Council Special Session on the situation in Israel/Palestine, which has resulted in over 600 deaths.

 

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CAP celebrates its successful launch in 3 countries  

Proposal of the Month: International Human Rights: Problems of Law, Policy, and Practice Author: Hurst Hannum, Lillich, S. James Anaya, Dinah L. Shelton Organization: Human Rights Committee Summary: This offers an accessible, problem-based pedagogy that gets students to consider human rights issues from a political, as well as legal, perspective. Thoroughly updated, it explains the impact of the 2006-2007 reform of the United Nations' human rights system, including creation of a new UN HRC and the impact of the 2007 declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples.  

Contact Details For more information or to donate, please email us at: info@fhrf.org, visit us on our website: www.fhrf.org or come see us in person at our Geneva headquarters  

Communications Assistance Project Highlights and successes

Lebanon Relief and Reconciliation Syria (R&R Syria) launched its summer program on July 1, 2014. The program will continue for three months and will touch approximately 300 students. Incorporated into this program will be the CAP proposal writing competition and art competition. FHR Forum will also be providing R&R Syria with technical equipment to facilitate English, I.T., and peace-building coursework. Materials will arrive on the ground in Lebanon within the first half of August. Thus, additional R&R Camp updates will be available in the next addition of the Future Talks newsletter.

 

       

 

 

Ukraine CAP Ukraine (left photo) began on June 1, 2014, and will continue for the next four months. Students have begun to grasp tenets of basic English grammar and vocabulary through their English, I.T. and human rights coursework. FHR Forum has sent technical materials, in the form of computers, to facilitate the program. Students will also complete the art and proposal writing components of CAP within the month.  

Tajikistan CAP Tajikistan (right photo) is well underway and operating successfully! CAP Tajikistan began on June 16, 2014 and involves approximately 50 students. Students have already begun to deliberate on topics for their human rights proposals, and will be submitting their proposals to FHR Forum as early as September 15, 2015. Until then, they will continue to study English, I.T. and human rights.