open Democracy News Analysis - 5050 - Comments

easlan on "The Iranian Nightmare"

easlan — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:08:44 +0100

We really are with you. We are watching. We are paying attention - we won't stop.

Tyranny will not be tolerated.

Today we truly all are Iranians.

svend on "The Iranian Nightmare"

svend — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:35:12 +0100

"Maybe there is a subconscious attitude among western spectators that thinks Iranians can not take the results of a democratic election if it's not who they liked most."

No. Not at all. We know why you're doing what you're doing.

We're with you.

Noosha Daha on "Iranian Elections 2009: A New Spring?"

Noosha Daha — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:35:53 +0100

Without going into an long winded intellectual debate on how the climate for women will NEVER change under this regime, I will illustrate it by one very simple story.
In 1981 I was a witness to the execution of a 15 year old child accused of premarital sex. The person who put the hood on her head before she was murdered, the person who sung the first words, "Allah O Akbar' as the child was thrown to her death was an Iranian woman.
Before we can eve talk about any changes in policies and 'human' rights, we must first clean our own diapers. Any woman who will be allowed to hold any valid office in Iran will be in the same mindset as the the woman who put the hood on that child.
Let's not forget the men who rule today were raised by these women. A change in "Farhang" (culture) first; then maybe a women in power will truly be a revolution

derop on "Polski Sun signals hope?"

derop — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:53:27 +0100

As a Palestinian, you may not at first "get" all of the jokes with which Twain's books http://www.ebook-search-queen.com/ebook/mark/mark%20twain.all.html are filled. But if you study Twain for two or three years, you'll know more about America and Americans than most people who were born and lived their lives in this country. Tell your friends: Read Mark Twain and get wise to America.

Lake Atitlan on "Imagining: Hope in Guatemala"

Lake Atitlan — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:28:50 +0100

I'm glad you visited Guatemala. Democracy needs all the help it can get in this part of the world. I wish you great success.

Greenconsciousness on "Having Women Involved in Decision Making is More Important than Ever"

Greenconsciousness — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:36:58 +0100

when you say women's issue do not substitute the word women for child. Not all women think it is in the interest of women to get pregnant in difficult economic times. Not all women want to fund maternity leave which leaves childless women to do the work of those who choose to breed. Not all women see the continual assumption that all women will naturally breed as being anything other than a sexist assumption that is not in the economic interest of women.

It is in the interest of women to remain childless and to build their economic security just as men do. It is in their interest to make women's issues really in women's best interest not the interests of men to have wives and children.

Franco on "Sheffield's Assist"

Franco — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:36:12 +0100

Hi Robert,

I was just going through my emails and one from Sheffield City of Sanctuary took me to your website.

Having been a refugee myself and family and having been lucky enough to obtain permanent residency in the UK and a home, I have been overwhelmed and touched by your immense help to those vulnerable people.

My deepest thanks to your family who have taken so many people into your home to provide those deeply in need of a roof on their heads and protection from deportation.

While the removal officers use so much force to carry our their jobs, I would like to extend my thanks to many other British people like Robert who have accepted us within their midst.
Where I live we have not encountered any discrimination or racial problems and my children are loved at school like any other Brit.

I think in general, the English people are very accommodating. I can imagine the experience they would go through if they came to live in the country side of my country of origin. It would not be any easier.

Please keep up the good job and stay in touch with me as well.

Francis

Shams on "Honour and shame: two sides of the stigma coin"

Shams — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:29:37 +0000

Hi Zohra,

I heard your discussion on feminism on Radio 4 this morning and was impressed by your comments. This made me search for you on the net and found these blog articles.

As a Man and a Muslim, I cannot understand why other Muslim Men feel reluntant to discuss the problem of violence within the Ummah for (as you say) the fear of stigmatization of the community or hijack by those with racist tendencies.

As Muslims, we have a duty to "encourage what is right and forbid what is wrong". This duty was emphasised severally and intensely in the Qur'an that a collective abandonment of this duty is a sin on the Ummah (Fard-Kifaya). So it iis not even an individual duty, but collective.

Did the Prophet (peace be upon him, whom you called your favorite feminist -LOL) support domestic violence or abuse? No! Even in his traditionally male-dominated community, he never raised his hands to hurt any of his wives and they surely tried his patience and anger (to such an extent that he withdrew from them all for a month). Hewarned against hurting free people the way slaves are treated and he encouraged kind treatments of slave and animals. If abuse and violence are discouraged, why not openly discourage it. Most men who shy form discussing it might probably be guilty of it.

Further, it is our duty to separate Islamic techings from cultural practices and we can not do that secretely. Open condemnation teachings younger ones to not follow the same practice. It further empowers people to challenge domestic abuse wherever and whenever it surfaces.

Finally, as Muslims we are not shy to self-cleanse. It shows the honesty and realistic nature of Islam. We cannot habour such diseases out of shame or shyness.

Please continue with your bold efforts, I pray God bless your efforts. Amin. Don't forget to support your efforts with prayers too.

Peace!
Shams

margie on "CSW and the Brief History of One Word......"

margie — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:19:41 +0000

As the author of that blog... my very own...just want to thank Open Democracy and Jane Gabriel for giving me the chance to rip off, explode. Hope it will wake up those who have influence to change minds and get action. Dispel also the myth that women are an homogenous "whole" and that somehow support and rights will "drip down" to the widows through that vast and ambiguous, "women" label. And get the CSW more on its toes not simply to "tolerate" the presence, as observers of the women's NGOs, but recognise them for their richness of knowledge and ideas and invite them to more equal participation in the decision-making processes at this annual event.

DPMO on "Fighting for the very poorest of the poor"

DPMO — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:42:54 +0000

the Agreement might only have the one reference, but this testament i would argue to your winning this bout of the ongoing fight. well done!

Klaus Holzapfel on "Adding insult to injury at the CSW"

Klaus Holzapfel — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:56:16 +0000

I know that many times you must be very frustrated to argue about facts that are really indisputable.

It reminds me of the science vs. creationism debate in the US.

But here lives are at stake - so the situation is a bit different.

I know this is a very hard battle to fight but I have the feeling time is with you and you are slowly getting the upper hand - even though at a slower pace than I'd like to see.

Hopefully we'll see some major shifts in sentiment rather soon.

Liza Fieldman on "Women, girls and human security"

Liza Fieldman — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:10:00 +0000

For one of my PhD papers at Oxford I've worked with Ana Navbalovaite and her ideas were worth bringing forward:
Esp the: Recommendations for enhancing human rights protection
The solutions put forth by different prominent actors within the UN (the Secretariat, 2005; the OHCHR, 2006) all propose institutional changes within the structure of the UN bodies in the hopes that increased efforts on the side of the latter can directly contribute to enhanced implementation at national level. As the present section points out, this avenue of change is highly problematic.

The 2005 Plan of Action of the OHCHR lays out two major challenges regarding the international human rights regime, of which the incidence of abuse is one, while implementation related issues are a second challenge . The latter is seen in the light of four implementation gaps within states, among which a knowledge gap, a capacity gap, a commitment gap and a gap in security, i.e. the thorny issue of state-perpetrated human rights violations. The OHCHR commits to protect and empower individuals to oppose and challenge the “gaps” in three ways: the engagement of countries (i.e. dialogue with national governments), the exercise of leadership (i.e. signalling abuses and possible occurrence of future violations) and partnership building (i.e. inter-agency collaboration within the UN) .

In other words, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights seeks to engage with governments in an enhanced dialogue and enhanced collaboration with other UN agencies as an attempt to push forward the implementation of its human rights protection agenda. What this action plan blatantly lacks is an explanation regarding the effects that such activities are supposed to have. On what grounds can the OHCHR expect that better dialogue with national governments will lead to stronger commitments in developing capacities and knowledge about abuses? Furthermore, in ways can enhanced dialogue contribute to the prevention of human rights violations? After all, most information that UN agencies have about human rights developments in various states often come from state agencies themselves and although the role of “international civil society” in providing data and information has been increasing, what UN actors know about the situation in any given country is often provided by governments themselves . Yet the action plan does not target any of the issues associated with issues of governments’ accountability and the primacy of governments – in spite of the fact that it is often the perpetrator – remains unquestioned. Sovereignty and the privileged status of states in dialogue with UN actors remains unchallenged.

The 2006 proposal for a Unified Standing Treaty Body – although originating in the same concern of poor implementation of human rights provisions among signatories – is a document of institutional reshuffling par excellence. The document details the bureaucratic difficulties that have resulted in the growth of human rights instruments over the past four decades and proposes a unified body that can streamline the reporting activities of national representatives, as well as offer a consistent and holistic approach to the interpretation of the treaties cross-nationally and across al treaties . The logic behind the proposal is that enhanced reporting procedures and standards indirectly induce enhanced reflective practices at state level, producing more engagement with human rights issues within state governments and relevant stakeholders .

kmader on "Well, is there a will?"

kmader — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:14:57 +0000

I am also a delegate at CSW 53 and have been following the gear campaign closely. I agree that political will is necessary for GEAR to be the success it needs to be.

kmader on "Joining two movements"

kmader — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:31:17 +0000

I agree! I am a young woman also attending CSW 53 and think that intergenerational cooperation and collaboration is absolutely one of the most important things we can do to continue building the strength and political will to create transformational change globally.

Great post, I look forward to reading more!!!

FariborzShamshiri on "Iran's virtual crackdown"

FariborzShamshiri — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:55:41 +0000

Hi Roja,

Do you guys updated this report to current and could you give us updated stats about censored feminist and women's rights activist’s weblogs and websites?

http://www.rottengods.com