50.50

A war that can be won


The UN's John Holmes on confronting sexual violence worldwide
Plus: blogging 16 days

Jane Gabriel
3 December 2007

At the Commission on the Status of Women in February 2007 the United Nations launched an agency wide campaign to 'Stop Rape Now'. John Holmes was then in his first week as Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and declared that tackling sexual violence against women in conflict was a "war that could be won".

Ten months into the job, having met women who have been mutilated by sexual violence in conflict, he told Jane Gabriel that he is a 'marked man': his commitment to reducing the violence against women through the work of the United Nations is increased, but the limitations of what the UN can do remain enormous.

How is the British police crackdown bill a threat to democracy?

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill creates new stop-and-search powers, allows the police to put more conditions on protests, and threatens Gypsy and Traveller rights to roam.

It's been met with mass protests from Bristol to Belfast. Is this bill a threat to our human rights – and is there any stopping it now?

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Hear from:

Gracie Bradley Director of Liberty
Moya Lothian-Mclean Politics editor at gal-dem
Luke Smith Founder of GRT [Gypsy, Roma and Traveller] Socialists
Zarah Sultana Labour MP
Chair: Nandini Archer Global commissioning editor, openDemocracy

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