All posts by CPNN Coordinator

About CPNN Coordinator

Dr David Adams is the coordinator of the Culture of Peace News Network. He retired in 2001 from UNESCO where he was the Director of the Unit for the International Year for the Culture of Peace, proclaimed for the Year 2000 by the United Nations General Assembly.

Guatemala: SEPAZ Graduates 82 ‘Multipliers of Peace’

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Guatemala Radio TGW (translation by CPNN)

The Secretariat of Peace (SEPAZ), through the distance mode of the School of Culture of Peace, organized the virtual course “My Peace Project” with the aim of encouraging participants in the values ​​of a culture of peace and non-violence.


SEPAZ executed three levels of training; in the first level, the conduct, values ​​and traditions of peace established in other countries were determined in reference to the Peace Agreements; at the second level, peace mechanisms were established; and on the third level, the creativity of the participants was engaged to form a culture of peace project.

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(Click here for the original Spanish version of this article.)

Question for this article:

Where is peace education taking place?

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The requirements for the people who participated in the virtual course “My Peace Project” were the following:

– Have completed the Virtual Diploma of Culture of Peace.
– Interest in generating proposals in favor of coexistence in Culture of Peace.
– Knowledge in the use of technology.
– The commitment to seek to carry out the Project Proposal.
– A minimum degree of empathy with others.
– Desire to get involved in the development of activities for peace.

Recognition to the «Multipliers of Peace»

During the closing ceremony Rigoberto Casasola, Deputy Secretary of Peace, presented the diplomas to the Peacemakers that culminated the virtual course “My Peace Project”, which lasted three months.

The project involved 82 people, including 55 women and 27 men in the age range of 18 to 61 years of age.

Mr. Andrés Chipix obtained the highest rating. He expressed his happiness upon receiving recognition from Casasola.

The Deputy Secretary of Peace highlighted the importance of these courses to form a “culture of peace” in Guatemalan society and to discourage recourse to violence.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

Restorative Justice in Brazil: Culture of Peace instead of Punishment

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

A blog from Justica Restaurativa em Debate

The Seminar on Restorative Justice, held by the National Justice Council (CNJ) on Monday and Tuesday (17 and 18/6), was an important step to advance the Judiciary in the application of this modality of conflict resolution and an opportunity to disseminate in society the precepts of a culture of peace instead of the principles of punishment.

The event brought together representatives of almost all state courts and judicial policy makers [emphasis by CPNN] at the Superior Labor Court (TST) in Brasilia in the debate on the current stage of Restorative Justice in the country. In addition, ongoing experiments and the guidelines to be adopted have been presented so that this method of dispute resolution is more intensely employed in Brazilian courts.


The message is optimistic, according to the coordinator of the Restorative Justice Management Committee of the CNJ, counselor Valtércio de Oliveira. “By holding this seminar, I felt that magistrates and servants are motivated to advance in this public policy of Restorative Justice.”

The counselor reported that the majority of the courts of law sent judges and servers to the seminar and that these representatives will be the multipliers of the methodology precepts in the states. “And with the backing of the CNJ,” he said. Valtércio also said that Restorative Justice is a seed that will germinate and grow, gaining more and more supporters.

Restorative Justice is, according to Resolution 225/2016, an “orderly and systemic set of principles, methods, techniques and activities of its own, aimed at raising awareness about relational, institutional and social factors motivating conflicts and violence, and through which conflicts that generate harm, concrete or abstract, are resolved in a structured way. ”

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(Click here for the original article in Portuguese)

Discussion question

Restorative justice, What does it look like in practice?

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With a different approach to the phenomenon of violence, this method of conflict resolution works with the accountability of aggressors and the repair of the damage in a way that allows the recomposition of broken social bonds.

The suggestions presented by seminar participants will support the formulation of a Development Plan to disseminate the practice of Restorative Justice. The idea is that planning becomes a guideline to the courts for applying the practice based on listening to victims and offenders and seeking redress for damages arising from aggression, violence and crime.

In the seminar, magistrates, servants and judicial policy makers highlighted the benefits of restorative justice as a counterpoint to the culture of punishment, especially in a context marked by the increase in crime in the country and an increase in the number of prisoners in the penitentiary system. According to data from CNJ’s National Bank for Prison Monitoring (BNMP), Brazil’s prison population is more than 800,000 inmates.

Workshops

During the morning of Tuesday (18/6), four workshops were held on the following topics: Implementation and structure of the Restorative Justice Policy, Training and improvement, Inter-institutional, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary system articulation and Implementation of safe and qualified spaces for Restorative Justice.

During the discussions, suggestions were made for the Judiciary, the Council, courts, magistrates and civil servants. The proposals include: conducting research by the CNJ to verify the effectiveness and effectiveness of this methodology of conflict resolution; articulation with the Executive Branch, the Public Ministry, Public Defenders and the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) to disseminate Restorative Justice as an alternative way of combating crime; definition of a specific public policy for the actions of the practice.

Participants also suggested actions to sensitize judges on this modality of dispute settlement, especially criminal magistrates; formation of Restorative Justice nuclei in prisons, schools and communities; and courses for the formation of people with profiles for the practice of Restorative Justice.

 At the end of the meeting, Judge Alexandre Takashima of the Court of Justice of Santa Catarina, who coordinated the debates, said that all the suggestions will be analyzed when the National Plan for Restorative Justice is formulated. The CNJ is expected to hold a public hearing on the subject in the second half of the yer.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Mexico: Ambassadors of Peace Project in the City Hall of Tláhuac

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from the Heraldo de México (translation by CPNN)

Embajadores de la Paz is a very noble project, whose objective is to add more people to promote and strengthen values, starting from culture, education and human rights.

The need to strengthen the social fabric through actions that allow society to develop in a better way, requires the commitment of all sectors so that, working as a team, we can achieve the much desired peace, said the deputy of the City Congress of Mexico, Rigoberto Salgado Vázquez.

The legislator explained that as part of his work as an elected representative is to generate the necessary conditions so that the residents of Tláhuac can have better tools to improve their quality of life, including respect for their human rights, better coexistence, as well as decent and safe environments and environments.

He pointed out that the objective of strengthening values, citizen empowerment and human rights as basic tools to achieve tranquility and well-being in the community, is to contribute to eradicating violence and to a better life for children and youth.

“We must recognize that there is a problem in the social fabric, which affects young people mainly, and that is why we are contributing to the rescue of spaces and those sectors that need help and better opportunities to improve their quality of life, starting from the Culture of Peace, “said Salgado Vázquez.

The Peace Ambassadors project arises from the need of the inhabitants of Tláhuac to raise their voices and demand from their leaders better living conditions, “where legislators must be the link between the neighbors and the authorities in order to resolve their problems. lawsuits, “acknowledged Salgado Vázquez.

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(Click here for the Spanish version of this article.)

Questions for this article:

How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

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“We have a responsibility with our community, with the neighbors, with the youth and children of Tláhuac, but it is also important that we join efforts and work as a team, since it requires the participation of all to achieve the objectives set,” he stressed.

The deputy explained that with this model an education will be promoted through workshops, forums, conferences, and thus be able to take the message to the families, communities, towns and colonies of Tláhuac, with the firm conviction of exercising the practice of peace.

“Peace is action, it goes beyond imagining a static moment; It is a series of activities that lead us to a state of well-being, through culture, learning, respect for the environment, as well as various challenges that must be put into practice.

He added that these actions were supported by a 30-hour training for two weeks, where participants developed skills to detect conflicts, alternatives to solve them, exchange ideas, encourage participation and a healthy coexistence for the welfare of the community in Tláhuac.

“It is important to create the links that allow us to reach the whole community, make them participants in decision-making and assume the commitment to contribute to generate better scenarios where a Culture of Peace predominates.”

In addition to this, measures to promote respect for human rights will be put into practice, as well as ensuring equality between women and men, generating opportunities for participation, exchange of ideas, through understanding, tolerance and solidarity.

“We are immersed in a complex social context, where violence takes over our spaces, breaking the tranquility of people, so it is essential to implement actions that allow us to recover and repair the social fabric, mainly in adolescents” added Salgado Vázquez.

The legislator for Tláhuac recalled that the issue is raised in the third article of the Declaration and Program of Action on a Culture of Peace implemented by the United Nations Organization, as a universal right that requires the full attention of governments and legislators.

“We are sure that together we will achieve our objectives, that we will live better and that we will have the peace necessary to develop day by day and be better citizens, more committed, participatory and supportive, generating an identity and taking care of our surroundings, and that this type of actions will be can sign in other scenarios of our city, “he said.

He added that this project aims to forge Ambassadors of Peace to focus their community work in the construction of shared welfare and peace, to generate social capital, especially in the various territories where needed.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Mexico: CODHEM fulfills its mission of promoting the culture of peace and respect for Human Rights

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from Asi Sucede

The Human Rights Commission of the State of Mexico (Codhem), through its Executive Secretariat, carries out an intense training and awareness-raising work to promote a culture of peace and respect for human rights, most recently for the populations of the municipalities of Chimalhuacán, Otzolotepec, Xonacatlán, Atlacomulco, Huixquilucan, Ixtlahuaca, Ixtapan de la Sal, Jiquipilco, San José del Rincón and Toluca.


click on the photo to enlarge

(Click here for a Spanish version of this article)

Question related to this article:

 

What is the best way to teach peace to children?

The executive secretary, Ricardo López Franco, said that this activity responds to the innovation policies established by the ombudsperson Jorge Olvera García to reinforce the promotion and socialization of human rights. The activity includes lessons given to students of different educational levels: in Chimalhuacán, on human rights; in Huixquilucan and Xonacatlán, the human right to a healthy environment; while in San José del Rincón, the prevention of addictions.

Promotion Circles of Human Rights, Values ​​and Duties were formed in the College of Bachelors of the State of Mexico (COBAEM) of Atlacomulco, with a goal to promote a better coexistence in the family and social environment.

Information Modules for the Promotion of Human Rights were established in schools and public squares in Chimalhuacán and San José del Rincón, as well as at the Crime and Delinquency Prevention Fair in Otzolotepec. The modules provided an opportunity to listen to the people and deliver training material on duties and human rights.

For elementary school students, the Art Gallery on Human Rights program was launched to encourage them to express themselves in an artistic way about how they understand and experience their rights to education, family life, and good health, among others subjects.

In Huixquilucan and Jiquipilco schools, puppet theaters were presented with different themes to strengthen the self-esteem of boys and girls and motivate the teaching-learning process. The puppet characters of Madi and Macario help them to know their values, human rights and duties.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

The projects to be showcased at the Paris Peace Forum 2019

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Press release from the Paris Peace Forum

In response to its annual Call for Projects, the Paris Peace Forum received more than 700 applications from project leaders in 115 countries seeking to expand their impact by participating in the 2019 Forum event. The one hundred projects chosen by the Selection Committee reflect a truly global perspective, representing all regions of the world. This year, nearly half (48%) are already implementing their projects across several continents or globally. Others are predominantly concentrated in Africa (12%), Asia (11%), Central and Latin America (10%), and the Middle East (7%).


A diversity of actors

Multi-stakeholder solutions are the key to addressing today’s complex global challenges. Crafting solutions together is the only path forward. The selected projects are led by several types of organizations, in particular states (8 projects), international organizations (17 projects), NGOs (34 projects), foundations (4 projects), and think tanks (6 projects) – reflecting some of the many actors that are actively working to make change happen.

Solutions to go beyond rhetoric

The Forum is centered on those who implement concrete solutions to the cross-cutting challenges of today’s world. From 11 to 13 November at la Grande Halle de La Villette in Paris, these selected project leaders will be able to showcase their innovative work in areas of peace and security, development, environment, new technologies, inclusive economy, and culture & education. It will be an opportunity for them to develop, energize, and raise visibility to their project by reaching thousands of actors from across sectors and specialties. Their participation will also bring invaluable practical insight to the Forum and facilitate the exchange of best practices on the most pressing challenges the world faces.

Project selected to participate include:
 
Wan Fambul = National Framework for Inclusive Governance and Local Developpement by Office of the Vice President of Sierra Leone
 Peace and security | Africa (Sierra Leone)

Wan Fambul Framework is designed to facilitate inclusive governance, community-centered, sustainable rural development leading to resilient and cohesive communities across Sierra Leone. The process has built structures to resolve long-standing conflict and engage communities to champion their own recovery and Development.

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Click here for the version in French)

Question(s) related to this article:

Global meetings, conferences, assemblies, What is the best way for delegates to interact afterwards?

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D50 Enterprise Digital Economy Summit by China Electronics Chamber of Commerce (CECC)
Inclusive Economy | Asia (China)

Based on the Charter of the United Nations and established international norms, the Entreprise Digital Economy Summit of Fifty Countries (D50) advocates for the principles of equity and justness, openness and transparency, co-negotiation, co-construction and mutual sharing, jointly establishing a consensus platform for dialogue, communication, cooperation and development among the global digital economies.
 
OKA: facilitating migrant access to information by Igarapé Institute
New Technologies | Latin and Central America (Brazil
)
Information is one of the first casualties of displacement crises. The OKA mobile phone app fills part of this knowledge gap by providing up to date geolocated data on federal-level public services in Brazil in areas such as housing, education, health, social, and legal assistance, communities, employment, and emergencies for voluntary and forces migrants.
 
Ecosystems, Companies, Sustainable Development: Rating in Protection the Earth by Socio-Ecological Union (SEU)
Environment | Eastern Europe and Central Asia

In line with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the objective is to assess the environmental impact of companies on the biosphere. The major companies of Russia and Kazakhstan have already been evaluated. The project can contribute to more social responsibility and corporate transparency of business in each country of the world, for each transnational company.
 
Akhlaquna by Qatar Foundation 
Culture and education | Middle East (Qatar)

How can we encourage people to continue doing good in the face of encumbering challenges? How do we ensure that virtue and morality are leading? Akhlaquna aims to award and support youth individuals to seek out change. It is a notion that can bring about a ripple-effect worldwide, and that can be replicated and sustained given that it depends on human effort.
 
Model Drug Law – national engagement in West Afrique and replication in one region by Global Commission on Drug Policy
Development | Africa

The project will target national policy makers, key civil society organizations, and journalists to significantly and sustainably strengthen the capacity for improved drug laws in West Africa. Given significant similarities, a replication for Eastern and Southern Africa where countries are affected by a heroin trafficking route is planned.
 
DISCOVER THE COMPLETE LIST HERE

Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Czech Republic: Prague crowds demand PM Andrej Babis step down

…. HUMAN RIGHTS ….

A report by Emmanuelle Chaze from Deutsche Welle (reprinted by permission)

Hundreds of thousands of anti-Babis activists flooded the center of Prague on Sunday [June 23] in the culmination of anti-government protests.

“Judging from the aerial photos, it looks like we’re about 250,000,” said Mikulas Minar, head of Million Moments for Democracy, the NGO organizing the protest, as crowds were filling Prague’s central Letna square earlier on Sunday.


(click on image to enlarge)

Carolina, a flight attendant from the south of the country, told DW she had traveled to Prague to take part in the protests because it “has simply become too much.”

“That’s why people from all across the country came here today, to show that it isn’t simply the people in the capital that are angry.”

Hannah, 31, a saleswoman, said she no longer agrees with the government: “Even in his own party (ANO), there are people against Babis who didn’t want him as a prime minister … now I think it is our turn to show that we disagree with how things are done.”

Previously, some 400,000 people signed a petition calling on billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis to step down amid allegations of fraud. The rallies were triggered after Babis appointed a close ally as the country’s new justice minister at a time when prosecutors are deciding on a potential indictment against him.

Many Babis opponents also claim the 64-year-old politician had collaborated with the communist secret police before the 1989 Velvet Revolution.

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Questions related to this article:

How effective are mass protest marches?

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Corruption and anti-corruption

Babis has built his reputation as the founder and head of his business empire Agrofert, which started in the early 1990s and grew to become the Czech Republic’s biggest private employer, encompassing over 250 companies.

The billionaire entered politics in 2011 by founding the ANO (YES) party on an anti-corruption platform, becoming finance minister and deputy prime minister in 2014. He was forced out of the Cabinet in 2017 over allegations of tax fraud and suspicious business dealings. However, the crisis brought down the government and triggered a parliamentary election, which saw Babis’ ANO place far ahead of its rivals.

During the campaign, Babis was hounded by charges of defrauding the EU for around €2 million ($2.28 million) in 2007. He has denied any wrongdoing.

In April this year, police said Babis should stand trial over the alleged fraud. Babis rejected the move as a political plot against him. When Justice Minister Jan Knezinek resigned over the probe, Babis replaced him with his own longtime adviser Marie Benesova.

Last month, Babis found himself fending off another crisis when preliminary results of a European Commission audit were leaked to the public. According to the draft document, Babis has a conflict of interest as his companies benefit from EU funding. Specifically, it found that Agrofert should not have received €17.4 million in EU subsidies. The prime minister dismissed it as “an attack on the Czech Republic.”

He also pledged not to resign.

Risky vote of no confidence

The opposition has called a no-confidence vote for next week. To oust Babis, the opposition would need to have his coalition partners, the Social Democrats, side against him, or have the Communist Party revoke their parliamentary support for the government.

However, some observers believe Babis could also turn to the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy party to stay in power.

A state attorney is set to decide whether Babis will go on trial over subsidies later this year.

Europe, HUMAN RIGHTS

PAYNCoP Gabon learns about the culture of peace

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Sent to CPNN by Jerry Bibang, National Coordinator of PAYNCoP Gabon.

The National Coordination of the Panafrican Youth Network for the Culture of Peace (PAYNCoP Gabon) took part, on Saturday, June 15, 2019, in a capacity-building workshop on the concept of “culture of peace” organized by the bureau of UNESCO in Gabon representing the United Nations.


Photo © PAYNCoP Gabon

The activity brings together several organizations working for the culture of peace in Gabon including the Panafrican Youth Network for the Culture of Peace, the Pan-African Network of Women for Culture of peace and sustainable development, women of the press for the culture of peace, Unesco clubs, etc.

For the organizers, the aim of this workshop was to provide the civil society organizations with a better understanding of the concept of “culture of peace” and tools for the implementation of activities related to this concept.

In his introduction, Mr. Fazzino, the Representative of UNESCO, welcomed the participation of the various organizations before recalling the goals of this workshop. It will be first to show how the culture of peace contributes to the objectives of sustainable development and how to take action through projects that can be financed. He provided guidance on how to seek funding.

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( Click here for the French original..)

 

Question related to this article.

Will UNESCO once again play a role in the culture of peace?

Youth initiatives for a culture of peace, How can we ensure they get the attention and funding they deserve?

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The first paper, moderated by Dr. Joris Tindy Poaty, PhD in philosophy and expert at UNESCO, focused on the origins of the concept of “culture of peace”, its definition and the international instruments related to this concept. The term was used for the first time at a congress in Yamoussoukro in 1989, while the culture of peace has its source in the constitutive act of the United Nations organization whose mission is to build a peaceful world, he recalled. A full definition of the culture of peace may be found in UN Resolution 52/13 of 15 January 1998.

UN resolutions relating the culture of peace include resolutions 1325 (women, peace and security), 2250 (youth, peace and security), 2419 as well as UNESCO’s recommendation on education for understanding, cooperation and international peace. Other important instruments that contribute to the culture of peace include the Seville Manifesto and the Manifesto 2000.

Participants also received a communication describing the process of project development. It was facilitated by an expert from the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (Unoca). From planning to evaluation, to the implementation of a project, all stages were explained to the participants in order to better equip them in project writing.

Noémie Dalle, a trainee at UNESCO, spoke about funding opportunities for projects related to the culture of peace. She reviewed funding opportunities in UNESCO, the United Nations system and other donors.

For the participants, this workshop responds to several concerns. “We are coming out with common language elements in terms of the culture of peace, but also the appropriate approach to project writing and especially the funding opportunities to launch projects on the ground” concluded Jerry Bibang, the Coordinator of PAYNCoP National Gabon.
 

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Sudan: top UN official demands cessation of violence and rape against civilians by security forces

…. HUMAN RIGHTS ….

An article from the United Nations

Following recent reports of attacks and rape by security forces and paramilitaries against the pro-democracy protesters in Sudan who have been holding a sit-in outside army headquarters in the capital, Khartoum, the United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, expressed  “grave concern” on Thursday [June 13] and called for an “immediate and complete” end to the violence.


Ahmed Bahhar/Masarib. Protesters take to streets in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. 11 April 2019.
(click on image to enlarge)

According to her Office, despite restrictions on communications in Sudan, reports of serious human rights violations have emerged since the beginning of the month.

These include reported rapes and gang rapes of protesters, women’s human rights defenders and women medical personnel working in hospitals near the sit-in perpetrated by the “Rapid Support Forces” or RSF – a paramilitary group run by the Sudanese Government, primarily composed of the Janjaweed, a party to the Darfur conflict – and other militias.

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Questions related to this article:

How effective are mass protest marches?

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“I demand the immediate and complete cessation of all violence against civilians including sexual violence,” stated Special Representative Patten, noting that the RSF have consistently been listed in the UN Secretary-General’s annual report on conflict-related sexual violence.

“[They] should take effective measures to prevent and punish sexual violence in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2467,” she added.

After the three-decade autocratic rule of President Omar al-Bashir ended in a military takeover in April, talks faltered in May between protesters and the ruling Transitional Military Council over a timetable for civilian rule.

On 3 June, security forces and paramilitaries fired on pro-democracy protesters  holding a sit-in outside army headquarters in the capital Khartoum, leaving a number of people dead and many more injured. Three days later, the African Union suspended the participation of Sudan in all its activities until the effective establishment of a civilian-led transitional authority.

Pending verification of the alleged incidents by relevant UN bodies, Ms. Patten highlighted the fact that “the weakness of the rule of law and a general climate of impunity” is further compounding a highly-volatile context.

“I urge the prompt investigation of all credible allegations of sexual violence and accountability for those responsible,” said the Special Representative, adding that she strongly supports the rapid deployment of a United Nations human rights monitoring team to examine the situation on the ground.

She also called upon the international community, including members of the UN Security Council, to use “all possible diplomatic channels with leaders of Sudan to pave the way for a swift transition to a civilian administration and an end to all forms of violence and intimidation against civilians”.

On Tuesday, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), sounded the alarm over the  killing and injuring of dozens of minors  in the protests backlash.

HUMAN RIGHTS, Mideast

Ivan Golunov case: Russian media mark victory over police

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from Deutsche Welle

After an unprecedented public outcry, Russian police have dropped questionable drug charges against investigative journalist Ivan Golunov and freed him from house arrest. What caused authorities to back down?


Three top newspapers covering Ivan Golunov’s arrest were in total solidarity: “I am/We are Ivan Golunov,” they read

There is an unwritten rule in Russia that when someone is arrested, that person will also be tried and sentenced. But on Tuesday [June 11], this rule was broken when drug possession charges against 36-year-old investigative reporter Ivan Golunov were dropped. Golunov, who writes for the dissident Meduzaonline platform, had maintained that Russian police were trying to frame him. Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev has now announced that those responsible for the trial will be fired.

Exceptional display of solidarity

In an exceptional display of solidarity, three leading liberal Russian newspapers — Vedomosti, Kommersant and RBK —  ran identical front pages  on Monday [June 10] declaring: “I am/We are Ivan Golunov.” Even pro-Kremlin, state-run media outlets and major television stations demanded Golunov be treated fairly.

Last weekend, pro-Golunov rallies were also held outside Russia’s embassy in Berlin. A spokesperson for the German government on Tuesday told DW that it welcomes Golunov’s release, saying: “The government is carefully monitoring Russian developments and the treatment of journalists, opposition politicians and civil society.” After various smaller pro-Golunov rallies in Russia over the past days, thousands had planned to take to the streets on Wednesday in support of the journalist, even though authorities had not approved the protest.

Until recently, few Russians were familiar with Ivan Golunov’s name. Yet Meduza, the online platform for which he writes, is widely known and respected throughout the country. It was founded in 2014 by exiled dissident journalists in the Latvian capital, Riga, and grew to become one of the most widely read Russian-language media outlets in the world. The site is particularly popular among the urban middle class.

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Question(s) related to this article:

Free flow of information, How is it important for a culture of peace?

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Golunov mainly publishes investigative reports exposing corruption in the Russian capital, for example regarding the procurement of plants or New Year’s Eve decorations for a party. Recently, the journalist had been researching illicit practices within the funeral industry and reportedly received threats.

In past years, Russians have repeatedly showed solidarity with individuals suspected of being prosecuted on the basis of trumped-up charges, like star director Kirill Serebrennikovor respected Chechen human rights activist Oyub Titiyev. But the massive pro-Golunov rallies of recent times surpassed these displays of solidarity by far.

Golunov’s case bears similarities to Titiyev’s, though the latter was sentenced for alleged drug possession. On Monday, however, word got out that the human rights activist would soon be released from jail. The announcement is seen as a move to ease tensions.

Further demonstrations loomed

There seem to be several explanations as to why Golunov’s case was thrown out. One is that those who had brought him to trial had not expected the tremendous show of solidarity in the media. When Russia’s three major liberal papers publicly sided with the investigative reporter, Golunov’s arrest transformed into a high-profile case. On the other hand, street clashes and anti-police violence could have followed, in particular due to Wednesday being Russia’s national holiday.

For months, pollsters have been documenting a growing willingness among Russians to protest. Russia’s government, which appears concerned by this development, has started giving in to the will of the people. Several weeks ago, for instance, Russian authorities surprisingly stopped the planned construction of a church in a popular Yekaterinburg park  after citizens protested against the move.

Appeasing Russians ahead of live Q & A?

The timing of Golunov’s release may also have to do with the Direct Line television show planned for June 20th, an annual live show during which Russians can phone in and ask President Vladimir Putin questions on air. Some media outlets had reported that the Kremlin had sought to sort out the Golunov case ahead of the live Q&A show, but Putin’s spokesperson denied this was so.
  
A further explanation for Golunov’s swift release may be that Putin plans to visit western Europe in early July and does not want the case to overshadow his trip. So far, it has been confirmed that the Russian leader will meet the Pope in Rome. And in spring, unconfirmed reports surfaced that Putin intends to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Petersburg Dialogue civil society summit near Bonn. Moreover, accusations of arbitrarily charging a dissident journalist would not cast Russia in a favorable light just as the country is set to rejoin the Council of Europe, the continent’s main human rights body.

Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Hong Kong protesters march demanding leader resign

…. HUMAN RIGHTS ….

An article from Deutsche Welle

Protesters, mostly in black, jammed the streets Sunday demanding that Hong Kong’s leader step down even after she suspended work on a controversial extradition bill.  

Leaders of the Civil Human Rights Front said they estimated that almost 2 million people had taken part. 


(click on image to enlarge)

The crowds, walking slowly and shouting “withdraw” and “resign,” spilled into the streets from downtown Victoria Park in the early afternoon and began marching toward the Central district, where the government headquarters is located. The rally continued until late on Sunday night.

“Our demands are simple. Carrie Lam must leave office, the extradition law must be withdrawn and the police must apologize for using extreme violence against their own people,” said bank worker John Chow as he marched with a group of his friends.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Saturday buckled under the pressure of sometimes violent protests over the past week and indefinitely shelved the bill in order to “maintain law and order and restore calm as soon as possible.” However, the proposals have not been completely withdrawn.

Lam apologizes

In response to Sunday’s renewed protests, the government apologized for its handling of the crisis.

“The chief executive acknowledged that the lack of government work has caused great contradictions and disputes in the community of Hong Kong,” it said in a statement. 

“Many members of the public are disappointed and saddened. The chief executive apologizes to the public and promises to accept it with the utmost sincerity and humility.”

The bill proposed a legal mechanism to allow Hong Kong residents and Chinese or foreign nationals traveling through the city to be extradited to mainland China. Lam argued that it would prevent criminals from seeking to hide in the financial hub.

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Questions related to this article:

How effective are mass protest marches?

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But critics believe it would tighten Beijing’s grip on the autonomous city, which is governed under a “one country, two systems” policy cemented during the British handover of Hong Kong in 1997.


While Lam said the bill had “laudable objectives” in combating international crime, protesters are concerned that an extradition agreement would allow Hong Kongers to be handed over to courts controlled by the Communist Party in mainland China, where a fair trial is not guaranteed.

Bill ‘must be withdrawn’

Some opponents of the extradition bill said that suspension was not enough.

“The bill’s legislative process is only suspended, but not completely withdrawn, which means there is a possibility that the government could restart the legislative process at some point in the future,” Ray Chan, a pro-democracy legislator in Hong Kong, told DW.

Lam avoided answering questions about whether she would yield to some protesters’ demands that she resign, requesting that citizens “give us another chance.”

The Beijing-appointed Lam added that she felt “deep sorrow and regret that the deficiencies in our work and various other factors have stirred up substantial controversies and disputes in society.”

Opposition to the extradition bill came from broad sectors of society, including the business community, professionals, teachers, students, pro-democracy figures and religious groups. 

Autonomy concerns

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. Hong Kong’s constitution, known as the Hong Kong Basic Law, grants the city a high level of autonomy, including executive and legislative powers and an independent judiciary.

While speaking to reporters on Saturday, Lam addressed concerns that the territory’s chief executive was being steered by the Central Committee in Beijing, saying that such an assertion was based on a misunderstanding.

“That is a view that does not sit well with Basic Law, and is not in line with the constitutional role of chief executive,” said Lam, adding that the Hong Kong executive was responsible both to the PRC and Hong Kong.

“The central people’s government has confidence in my judgment and they support me,” she said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the government “expresses support, respect and understanding” for Lam’s decision.

East Asia, HUMAN RIGHTS