Items related to "Human Security Gateway: Humanitarian Intervention". Fri, 16 May 2008 0:30:32 +0000 Fri, 16 May 2008 0:30:32 +0000 robert_hartfiel@sfu.ca (Robert Hartfiel) Wed, 14 May 2008 16:10:44 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24370 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24370 Cette étude porte sur les termes et les circonstances dans lesquels le gouvernement canadien a construit et légitimé la politique de sécurité du Canada en Afghanistan de 2001 à 2007. Par la mobilisation des grilles analytiques des approches théoriques postmoderne et constructiviste critique aux Relations internationales, l’auteur identifie et décrit un processus de renouvellement de l’internationalisme canadien dans le sens d’une politique étrangère davantage interventionniste, fondée sur une redéfinition des notions de souveraineté et de territorialité, ainsi que sur un rapport problématique entre militarisme et développementalisme. (date de publication = septembre 2008) SOURCE: Centre d'études des politiques étrangères et de sécurité Centre d'études des politiques étrangères et de sécurité Wed, 14 May 2008 14:42:05 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24365 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24365 The Council has been discussing, both at the experts level and in informal consultations, the humanitarian situation in Myanmar since Cyclone Nargis struck the country on 2 May 2008. France has been pushing for Council action but, at the time of writing, it was unclear if France would put a draft resolution on the table. It seems that a text is being consulted with various members of the Council and that it may appeal to member states to offer emergency aid and assistance and urge the government of Myanmar to establish a coordinating mechanism to assist and facilitate in the delivery of aid. SOURCE: Security Council Report Security Council Report Wed, 14 May 2008 13:36:54 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24362 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24362 Speakers: Chris Beyrer, M.D. Department of Epidemiology Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Patrick Marcham Director, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief National Security Council (NSC) Ky Luu Director Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) Moderated by: Derek Mitchell Senior Fellow and Director for Asia CSIS International Security program SOURCE: Center for Strategic and International Studies Center for Strategic and International Studies Tue, 13 May 2008 11:56:38 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24323 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24323 The armed conflict and humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan has become a rallying cry for Western civil society, and is held to represent the worst series of ongoing human rights violations in the world today.Yet try as it might, the international community has not been able to stall the bloodshed, nor has the government in Khartoum shown great interest in pacifying the restive region. On Wednesday April 9, FRIDE held a closed seminar on international organisations’ response to the Darfur crisis. It is generally accepted that the outcome of the missions (UNAMID and EUFOR) in the region is highly unpredictable, and that the UN, the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) are facing one of the largest humanitarian crises of the 21st century, testing the credibility and reputation of all three organisations. SOURCE: Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior Tue, 13 May 2008 11:53:52 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24322 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24322 This article presents a theory of obligation in the context of humanitarianism. Its foundational assumption is that there exists a moral imperative to assist the structurally dispossessed and functionally abused. It builds particularly on the cross-disciplinary work (both academic and applied) of anthropologists, but also of political scientists, sociologists, human rights specialists, and others. The links between human rights and humanitarianism are stressed, while suggesting principles that can guide humanitarian organizations as they serve those in need. Humanitarianism is defined as “crossing a boundary;” risk usually is encountered by the service provider as scarce resources are used to help the vulnerable. Obligation is defined, in part, as “what one should do.” A theory emerges as the “morally possible” and the “materially possible” intersect. Notions of human dignity are shown not to be appropriate in orienting the real-world work of humanitarians; notions of fairness are more appropriate as humanitarian work is organized and implemented. “Pragmatic humanitarianism” occurs as principled guidelines and achievable actions merge, and as non-neutral stances are taken as (for example) refugees are assisted. Humanitarian aid is shown to be fundamentally a moral relationship based on the obligation of “those who have” to address the felt needs of “those who have not.” Examples from Bosnia are featured. SOURCE: Journal of Humanitarian Assistance Journal of Humanitarian Assistance Mon, 12 May 2008 14:10:54 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24308 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24308 On May 2, 2008, Cyclone Nargis swept through Burma’s delta region, devastating a country that was already on the brink of a humanitarian crisis. The death toll is likely to mount to over 70,000, and as many as two million people have been displaced from their homes. There are alarming reports of entire villages destroyed, their populations missing. The international community must rally around a UN-led response to the crisis, set aside political disputes with the government of Burma, and begin preparing for not only immediate assistance, but also medium- and long-term stabilization and reconstruction plans. Burma was ranked as one of the poorest countries in the world before Nargis hit. (See Burma: A New Way Forward). Though comprehensive assessments in the aftermath of the cyclone have yet to get underway, the delays in response are raising fears of cholera, malaria, malnutrition, and even starvation in isolated parts of the delta. SOURCE: Refugees International Refugees International Thu, 08 May 2008 16:22:03 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24255 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24255 Alors même que la ville méridionale chinoise de Shenzen servait de cadre à une reprise du “dialogue” entre des représentants du gouvernement de la République Populaire de Chine et des émissaires de sa Sainteté le Dalaï Lama, icône du peuple tibétain, que le Président chinois Hu Jintao mettait en ordre ses dossiers bilatéraux avant de s’envoler (mardi 6 mai) pour un déplacement « historique » dans l’archipel nippon, un puissant cyclone se dirigeait depuis la baie du Bengale vers le sud-ouest de la Birmanie. Ses rafales de vent destructrices (jusqu’à 240 km/h) frappèrent samedi et dimanche de larges pans du territoire, semant du delta de l’Irrawaddy à la capitale commerciale Yangon, chaos, drame et désolation. Alors que le bilan des disparus demeure provisoire, les victimes du cyclone Nargis se compteraient déjà par dizaines de milliers : au bas mot 15 000 morts et 30 000 disparus ; bien davantage, selon le propos de divers observateurs (cf. ministre thaïlandais des Affaires étrangères), redoutant que cet état des lieux ne s’alourdisse considérablement dès lors que l’accès à diverses zones jusqu’alors impénétrables deviendra possible. Une tragédie nationale comme le pays n’en a pas connu. La pire qu’ait souffert l’Asie depuis le tsunami de décembre 2004 (180 000 morts). SOURCE: Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques Thu, 08 May 2008 15:14:10 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24252 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24252 A cyclone in Myanmar last weekend has so far left tens of thousands dead and missing and many more homeless, exposing the vulnerabilities of a repressed population under an isolationist military regime. Even while the government sought international aid, its resistance to allowing entry to Western agencies has resulted in a delay in relief efforts (BBC). Daily estimates of the death toll have mounted, with a U.S. diplomat saying the number of fatalities could rise up to 100,000 (WashPost). SOURCE: Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations Thu, 08 May 2008 15:12:29 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24251 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24251 Recommandations d'aupres une série de trois documents de travail qui entend aider les membres du CCCI, et les milieux universitaires et de réflexion sur les politiques, à bien examiner le cadre des " États non viables ". À voir aussi: Introduction ; Partie 1 de 3: LES DÉFAILLANCES DU CADRE DES « ÉTATS FRAGILES » ; Partie 2 de 3: L’APPROCHE PANGOUVERNEMENTALE FACE AUX « ÉTATS FRAGILES » ; Partie 3 de 3: LES DROITS DE LA PERSONNE ET LA POLITIQUE DES « ÉTATS FRAGILES » SOURCE: Conseil canadien pour la coopération internationale Conseil canadien pour la coopération internationale Thu, 08 May 2008 15:08:30 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24250 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24250 Premiere partie d'une série de trois documents de travail qui entend aider les membres du CCCI, et les milieux universitaires et de réflexion sur les politiques, à bien examiner le cadre des " États non viables ". À voir aussi: Introduction ; Partie 2 de 3: L’APPROCHE PANGOUVERNEMENTALE FACE AUX « ÉTATS FRAGILES » ; Partie 3 de 3: LES DROITS DE LA PERSONNE ET LA POLITIQUE DES « ÉTATS FRAGILES » ; Recommandations SOURCE: Conseil canadien pour la coopération internationale Conseil canadien pour la coopération internationale Thu, 08 May 2008 15:00:31 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24248 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24248 Troisième partie d'une série de trois documents de travail qui entend aider les membres du CCCI, et les milieux universitaires et de réflexion sur les politiques, à bien examiner le cadre des " États non viables ". À voir aussi: Introduction ; Partie 1 de 3: LES DÉFAILLANCES DU CADRE DES « ÉTATS FRAGILES »; Partie 2 de 3: L’APPROCHE PANGOUVERNEMENTALE FACE AUX « ÉTATS FRAGILES »; Recommandations SOURCE: Conseil canadien pour la coopération internationale Conseil canadien pour la coopération internationale Thu, 08 May 2008 14:58:18 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24247 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24247 Deuxième partie d'une série de trois documents de travail qui entend aider les membres du CCCI, et les milieux universitaires et de réflexion sur les politiques, à bien examiner le cadre des " États non viables ". À voir aussi: Introduction; Partie 1 de 3: LES DÉFAILLANCES DU CADRE DES « ÉTATS FRAGILES »; Partie 3 de 3: LES DROITS DE LA PERSONNE ET LA POLITIQUE DES « ÉTATS FRAGILES »; Recommandations SOURCE: Conseil canadien pour la coopération internationale Conseil canadien pour la coopération internationale Thu, 08 May 2008 14:52:03 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24245 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24245 L'introduction d'une série de trois documents de travail qui entend aider les membres du CCCI, et les milieux universitaires et de réflexion sur les politiques, à bien examiner le cadre des " États non viables ". À voir aussi: Partie 1 de 3: LES DÉFAILLANCES DU CADRE DES « ÉTATS FRAGILES » Partie 2 de 3: L’APPROCHE PANGOUVERNEMENTALE FACE AUX « ÉTATS FRAGILES » Partie 3 de 3: LES DROITS DE LA PERSONNE ET LA POLITIQUE DES « ÉTATS FRAGILES » Recommandations SOURCE: Conseil canadien pour la coopération internationale Conseil canadien pour la coopération internationale Wed, 07 May 2008 10:11:35 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24183 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24183 Le 16 février 2003, au lendemain de la plus grande mobilisation pacifiste connue à ce jour, le New York Times titrait en première qu’il existait maintenant un véritable contrepouvoir à l’hégémonie américaine, celui de la société civile mondiale. Bien qu’il soit difficile de soutenir une telle thèse ce contrepouvoir reste immensément diffus et hétérogène il n’en reste pas moins qu’il existe aujourd’hui une variété d’acteurs nonétatiques qui prennent position souvent quotidiennement sur une vaste série d’enjeux qui affectent autant les pays du Nord que ceux du Sud. Parmi ces acteurs, trois grands ensembles, les organisations non gouvernementales internationales (ONG), les réseaux de militants et les mouvements sociaux transnationaux sont particulièrement importants autant par leur capacité de mobilisation que par les liens qu’ils créent à travers les frontières et la compréhension commune qu’ils apportent des grandes problématiques de l’heure, l’environnement, la pauvreté, la souveraineté alimentaire, la condition féminine, les droits de la personne et évidemment, la paix (Caouette 2007). SOURCE: Groupe d'Étude et de Recherches sur la Sécurité Internationale Groupe d'Étude et de Recherches sur la Sécurité Internationale Wed, 07 May 2008 10:03:29 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24182 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24182 Les Battlegroups, appelés les « Groupements tactiques 1500 » (GT 1500) sont nés de l’opération Artémis. En effet, suite à l’accord franco-britannique de Saint-Malo conclu en 1998, est apparue la nécessité pour l’Union européenne de « disposer d’une capacité d’action autonome soutenue par des forces militaires crédibles ». Le Sommet européen d’Helsinki a défini en 1999 l’Objectif global 2003 qui vise à permettre à l’Union de disposer d’une capacité de réaction permettant le déploiement de 50 000 à 60 000 hommes dans un délai de soixante jours. Mais lorsqu’en 2003 Kofi Annan s’adresse à l’Union européenne au sujet du problème congolais, elle fait appel à un contingent beaucoup plus modeste. Le concept adopté permet à l’Union européenne de disposer, à tout moment, d’une force de réaction rapide de l’ordre de 1 500 hommes et qui peut être déployée en dix jours sur un théâtre d’opérations extérieur. SOURCE: Groupe d'Étude et de Recherches sur la Sécurité Internationale Groupe d'Étude et de Recherches sur la Sécurité Internationale Wed, 07 May 2008 09:15:43 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24175 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24175 Entre le 19 et le 27 août 2007, une première manifestation est orga nisée à Rangoon par deux mouvements d’opposition birmans : la Ligue Nationale pour la Démocratie (LND), le principal parti d’opposition dont la secrétaire générale est Mme Aung San Suu Kyi (Prix Nobel de la Paix en 1991 et assignée à résidence depuis 2003) et le mouvement Génération 88, groupe informe d’anciens étudiants ayant participé au grand soulèvement de l’été 1988 dont la répression brutale a fait quelque trois mille morts. SOURCE: Programme Paix et sécurité internationales - Université Laval Programme Paix et sécurité internationales - Université Laval Mon, 05 May 2008 15:12:23 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24142 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24142 The changing nature of armed conflict has had a dramatic impact on the security risks facing humanitarian personnel. Historically, the safety of humanitarian aid delivery was secured through the consent of the relevant Parties to the conflict. However, non-international ethnically-motivated armed conflicts, failed and failing states, and insurgency-based warfare have fundamentally challenged the viability of this traditional security paradigm. In confronting today's complex security climate, humanitarian organizations are faced with a diverse menu of alternatives to enhance their security. The debate over armed protection that has sharply divided the humanitarian community is explored in this paper, including a critique of specific armed protection options. Tensions between the safe and efficient delivery of aid, and principles of impartiality, neutrality and independence are discussed. SOURCE: Canadian Red Cross // Liu Institute for Global Issues Canadian Red Cross // Liu Institute for Global Issues Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:36:08 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24005 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24005 Le Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l’homme (HCDH) admet de plus en plus la nécessité de soutenir davantage les efforts déployés au niveau de l’ensemble du système des Nations Unies pour rétablir rapidement et concrètement l’état de droit et l’administration de la justice grâce aux missions menées dans les pays sortant d’un conflit. À l’issue des conflits et des crises, les pays se trouvent exposés à la faiblesse ou à l’inexistence de l’état de droit, à l’insuffisance des moyens en matière d’application des lois et d’administration de la justice, ainsi qu’à la multiplication des violations des droits de l’homme. Cette situation est souvent aggravée par le manque de confiance de la population à l’égard des autorités publiques et par la pénurie de ressources. En 2003, le HCDH, en tant qu’organe des Nations Unies chargé de coordonner à l’échelle du système les initiatives concernant les droits de l’homme, la démocratie et l’état de droit, a entrepris l’élaboration d’instruments de l’état de droit en vue d’assurer à long terme et de façon durable la capacité des institutions à répondre à ces besoins dans le contexte des missions des Nations Unies et des administrations de transition. Ces instruments de l’état de droit fourniront des conseils pratiques aux missions de terrain et aux administrations de transition dans des domaines critiques liés à la justice de transition et à l’état de droit. Chacun de ces instruments peut être utilisé de façon indépendante, mais s’inscrit par ailleurs dans une perspective pratique cohérente ; ils sont censés exposer les principes de base dans les domaines suivants : cartographie du secteur de la justice, poursuites du parquet, commissions de vérité, assainissement et supervision des systèmes judiciaires. La présente publication définit un cadre opérationnel pour le processus d’assainissement et de réforme institutionnelle ; elle vise à aider le personnel de terrain des Nations Unies à résoudre les problèmes posés par la réforme des institutions et du personnel dans les pays sortant d’un conflit, par la mise au point de processus d’assainissement destinés à exclure des institutions publiques les personnes dont l’intégrité est déficiente. Ce document comprend trois parties : le concept d’assainissement dans le contexte de la réforme institutionnelle et de la justice de transition ; les conditions politiques de la réforme dans les pays sortant d’un conflit ou d’un régime autoritaire – mise en évidence des sources du mandat en matière de réforme institutionnelle, priorités suggérées d’une réforme transitoire du personnel, et projet de stratégie de consultation et d’information de la population ; et enfin les directives pratiques proprement dites. SOURCE: Nations Unies // Haut commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l'homme Nations Unies // Haut commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l'homme Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:29:34 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24003 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24003 Le Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l’homme (HCDH) admet de plus en plus la nécessité de soutenir davantage les efforts déployés au niveau de l’ensemble du système des Nations Unies pour s’employer rapidement et concrètement au rétablissement de l’état de droit et à l’administration de la justice grâce aux missions menées dans les pays sortant d’un conflit. À l’issue des conflits et des crises, les pays se trouvent exposés à la faiblesse ou à l’inexistence de l’état de droit, à l’insuffisance des moyens en matière d’application des lois et d’administration de la justice, ainsi qu’à la multiplication des violations des droits de l’homme. Cette situation est souvent aggravée par le manque de confiance de la population à l’égard des autorités publiques et par le manque de ressources. La présente publication expose différentes considérations de base concernant les poursuites du parquet ; elle vise à aider le personnel de terrain des Nations Unies dans la tâche qui consiste à définir les approches permettant de résoudre les problèmes posés par le fait d’engager des poursuites contre les auteurs de crimes tels que les actes de génocide, les crimes contre l’humanité et les crimes de guerre. Les conseils proposés portent essentiellement sur les difficultés d’ordre tant stratégique que technique auxquelles se heurtent lesdites poursuites au niveau national, et présentent les principales exigences applicables à toutes les actions ainsi menées : un engagement politique clair en faveur de l’obligation de rendre des comptes ; une stratégie bien définie ; l’assurance de doter les initiatives engagées des moyens nécessaires et de la capacité d’enquêter et de poursuivre les crimes en question ; l’obligation de prêter une attention particulière aux victimes ; une bonne connaissance de la législation pertinente ; une juste appréciation des compétences requises en matière de gestion des procès et, enfin, un engagement résolu en faveur de la régularité des procédures. SOURCE: Nations Unies // Haut commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l'homme Nations Unies // Haut commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l'homme Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:38:43 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23990 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23990 UNHCR estimates that more than 4 million Iraqis are currently displaced from their homes, including some 2.2 million inside Iraq and up to 2 million refugees. In addition, Iraq continues to accommodate some 41,000 refugees who are in need of protection and assistance. UNHCR has a limited presence in Iraq with international staff restricted to Baghdad and Erbil. The operation relies on a network of national officers, implementing partners and Government counterparts. The Office has developed innovative mechanisms through which it extends its protection and assistance responsibilities. Nonetheless, securing access to those most in need continues to be a major challenge. SOURCE: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:51:47 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23952 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23952 Set within the complex contemporary context of international interventions, UN peacekeeping operations have now evolved into peace operations. The emergence of the concepts of human security and the responsibility to protect have raised expectations that UN peace operations should deal with both macro and micro level insecurity in conflict and post-conflict situations, especially in the case of failed or collapsed states. Reflecting this development, the question of an appropriate framework in which to conceptualize peace operations has also been debated. This essay considers a conceptualization of UN peace operations from a conflict resolution perspective and analyses the case of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), using a framework of conflict transformation. It argues that the impartiality of UN operations has been reconceived in terms of the values of 'human security' and the 'responsibility to protect', making it vital to explicitly articulate the meaning and implications of 'value-based' impartiality. SOURCE: Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:47:41 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23951 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23951 This article examines the UNHCR operation in Pakistan during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan as a case study for the tension between UNHCR's strictly humanitarian mandate and the diverging interests of states. After situating the Afghan refugee crisis in the broader historical context of the Cold War, it analyses a number of documents from the UNHCR archives with a focus on the humanitarian principles that guide UNHCR's work on the one hand, and the influence of states and their political, economic, or military objectives on the UNHCR's operation on the other. It concludes that UNHCR was aware of the negative impact of states’ policies and actions on the humanitarian nature of its operation. However, due to the power difference between UNHCR and its members states as well as states hosting its operations, UNHCR had to accept these negative effects in order to assure minimum assistance and protection for the Afghan refugees in need. SOURCE: Refugee Survey Quarterly // University of Oxford Refugee Survey Quarterly // University of Oxford Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:24:53 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23944 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23944 On September 6 and 7, 2007, the Project on the Means of Intervention and the Strategic Studies Institute co-sponsored a conference on “Air and Land Power in Counterinsurgency Operations: Implications of a Civilian Center of Gravity” in Washington, D.C. The two-day conference considered counterinsurgency (COIN) from a variety of perspectives, anticipating challenges and opportunities in the forthcoming development of joint COIN doctrine. The Project on the Means of Intervention aims to advance understanding of humanitarian challenges that arise in the context of using military force. Since 2000, the Project has brought active and retired officers from the United States military and other security specialists together with members of the human rights and humanitarian communities to consider how humanitarian considerations are factored into, and affected by, military intervention. The Project is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and is based at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Through a series of workshops, conference reports and working papers, the Project explores the significant intersection of military concerns about the efficient and effective use of force with humanitarian concerns about minimizing harm to civilians during war. More information is available online at: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/cchrp/programareas/nshr.php SOURCE: Harvard University // John F Kennedy School of Government Harvard University // John F Kennedy School of Government Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:26:32 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23876 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23876 It has been almost 15 years since Somali militias shot down two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters over the capital Mogadishu and killed 18 American servicemen in a battle that also killed more than 1,000 Somalis. Since that fateful day in 1993, which had followed decades of American involvement that contributed directly to Somalia’s brokenness, the United States has largely turned its back on the fate of the Somali people. U.S. involvement has been rooted in counter-terrorism efforts in which the suffering of the Somali people has barely been factored beyond the sending of humanitarian band-aids to cover gaping human rights wounds. The crucial requirements for reconstructing a state—which are the basic elements, on paper, of U.S. counter-terrorism policy—have received little beyond rhetorical support. SOURCE: ENOUGH Project ENOUGH Project Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:51:44 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23873 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23873 This month marks the 14th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, which is commonly considered to have begun on April 6, 1994. One aspect of the genocide that has received little attention in English-language media is the close relations that existed between the French military and the armed forces of the "Hutu Power" Rwandan government. In collaboration with the pro-government Interahamwe militias, Rwandan army officials are held to have been largely responsible for organizing the massacres perpetrated against the Tutsi civilian population and moderate Hutu from April to July 1994. The massacres are estimated to have claimed some 800,000 lives. They took place against the background of a civil war between Rwandan government forces and the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF): a rebel force led by Paul Kagame, the current Rwandan president. In light of France's support for the Rwandan government of the time and the ambiguities of the allegedly "humanitarian" mission -- dubbed "Operation Turquoise" -- dispatched by France to Rwanda in June 1994, victims groups and critics of French African policy have long accused the French government of complicity in the genocide. Their efforts led to the formation in 2004 of a "Citizens' Commission of Inquiry" on the French role in the Rwandan genocide. SOURCE: World Politics Review World Politics Review Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:48:49 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23856 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23856 This paper serves as a background document to help frame discussion at the Food Security Forum in Rome, April 2008. It focuses on policy and institutional reform issues centered on the links between chronic and transitory crises. The first part of the paper provides an overview of trends and future challenges. The second considers effectiveness of the “humanitarian system” in addressing food insecurity and whether the current institutional set-up is fit for service. The third part examines links between “chronic” and “transitory” food insecurity, and whether current approaches to prevention and response appropriately bridge these two forms of vulnerability. A concluding section highlights key issues, raising questions on gaps in the humanitarian system’s analytical capacity, its programmatic practices, and on food security policy more broadly. SOURCE: Tufts University Tufts University Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:09:59 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23851 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23851 Ce mémoire analyse la politique d'engagement de la France en Côte-d'Ivoire à travers deux grandes parties. Dans un premier temps, il étudie pourquoi l’intervention française en Côte d’Ivoire a été une nécessité, d’une part, en raison des liens existant entre les deux pays, et d’autre part, pour éviter une guerre civile qui aurait entraîné des milliers de morts et sans doute la partition du pays. Dans un deuxième temps, il explique pourquoi la politique mise en oeuvre par la France a montré ses limites, plaçant les forces françaises d’interposition dans un bourbier et mettant en danger les nombreux ressortissants résidant en Côte d’Ivoire. SOURCE: Institut d'études politiques, Lyon, France Institut d'études politiques, Lyon, France Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:13:09 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23849 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23849 Cette enquête a permis de dégager et d’analyser les liens spécifiques entre le conflit en RDC et les facteurs de risque et de vulnérabilité au VIH, et d’en évaluer l’impact sur les populations affectées. En même temps, elle a mis en lumière la réponse mise en oeuvre par rapport à la protection, la prévention, le traitement, la coordination et le suivi-évaluation à Bunia dans le district de l’Ituri, dans la ville de GOMA et dans les territoires de Rutshuru et Masisi dans la province du Nord Kivu, à Uvira dans la province du Sud Kivu, et Moba et Mitwaba dans le Katanga. Facilitée par le HCR en partenariat avec le secrétariat de l’Onusida, l’enquête a bénéficié de la participation active de l’Equipe Conjointe VIH des Nations Unies, (BIT, FNUAP, HCDH, OCHA, OIM, OMS, PAM, UNDP (Fonds Mondial), UNICEF, UNIFEM), du gouvernement congolais (PNLS et PNMLS) ainsi que de la société civile et des ONG internationales et locales (SWAA, GTZ et CEFI). Les données récoltées confirment que les guerres qui ont ravagé l’Est de la République Démocratique du Congo, ont forcé les populations à fuir, privant ainsi les déplacés internes de leurs biens et des structures familiales qui les protégeaient, et aggravant ainsi leur vulnérabilité au VIH. Les femmes mariées si pas ravies, ont abandonné leurs maris appauvris pour trouver des hommes en uniformes, onusiens ou militaires. Les veuves et les étudiantes se sont également dirigées vers ces hommes en uniforme puissants et nouveaux riches. Le mouvement de ces femmes vers des hommes mobiles et à risque d’infection accroît leur propre risque d’infection au VIH. Quelques jeunes de Nord Kivu ont été forcés de migrer en Ouganda, ce qui pourrait aggraver leur risque d’exposition quand ils s’y rendent seuls et fréquentent les professionnelles du sexe. Si cette migration est un phénomène important, il pourrait faire propager le virus d’une région à l’autre. SOURCE: Nations Unies // Haut commissaire des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés Nations Unies // Haut commissaire des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:55:01 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23847 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23847 Le principe de distinction est la pierre angulaire des Protocoles additionnels de 1977. Cette brochure expose succinctement les exigences auxquelles doivent se soumettre toutes les parties à un conflit armé, à savoir faire la distinction entre civils et combattants, entre biens de caractère civil et objectifs militaires. Elle décrit non seulement la protection conférée par les Protocoles additionnels aux personnes qui ne participent pas au conflit, mais aussi la protection à laquelle les combattants ont droit. SOURCE: Comité International de la Croix-Rouge Comité International de la Croix-Rouge Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:32:28 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23845 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23845 Le but de la présente publication est d’aider les États à établir ou à améliorer les mécanismes devant leur permettre de vérifier la licéité des armes nouvelles et des nouveaux moyens et méthodes de guerre, en application de l’article 36 du Protocole I additionnel aux Conventions de Genève de 1949. Son élaboration a fait suite à une réunion d’experts organisée par le CICR en janvier 2001 et à l'adoption par les États parties aux Conventions de Genève, lors de la XXVIIIe Conférence internationale de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge, de l’Agenda pour l’action humanitaire. En effet, l’Agenda engage les États à garantir la licéité de toutes les armes nouvelles et de tous les nouveaux moyens et méthodes de guerre, en les soumettant à un examen rigoureux et pluridisciplinaire. Des experts gouvernementaux de dix pays ont apporté leurs commentaires aux projets précédents du présent document. SOURCE: Comité International de la Croix-Rouge Comité International de la Croix-Rouge Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:24:07 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23810 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23810 In late 2006, a statistical study of deaths that occurred after the invasion of Iraq ignited a storm of controversy. This Lancet study estimated that more than 650,000 additional Iraqis died during the invasion than would have at pre-invasion death rates, a vastly higher estimate than any previous. But in January, a World Health Organization study placed the number at about 150,000. The conflicting findings highlight just how difficult it is to gather reliable information in a war zone. But they also show the increasing involvement of statisticians in informing responses to humanitarian crises. In addition to the work in Iraq, statisticians have gathered evidence that has aided in the prosecution of Slobodan Milosevic, guided reparations for the civil war in Sierra Leone, and helped determine the needs of Katrina survivors, among many other projects. SOURCE: Science News Science News Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:12:29 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23809 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23809 World is Witness, a new “geoblog” from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Genocide Prevention Mapping Initiative, in partnership with Google Earth, documents and maps genocide and related crimes against humanity. The initial entries are from a recent Museum visit to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to learn about the legacies of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. Visit us again soon for more posts from the field. SOURCE: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:56:43 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23808 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23808 It is a grave humanitarian crisis: 1.5 million Iraqi refugees living in deplorable and declining conditions in Syria and Jordan. They are clustered not in camps but in overcrowded urban neighborhoods, crammed into dark, squalid apartments. Many have been traumatized by extreme violence. Their savings are dwindling; many cannot afford to pay for rent, heat and food; few have proper medical care. After meeting with refugees, leaders in both Syria and Jordan and United Nations experts, we came to the inescapable conclusion that this crisis could endure for years and that much more help is needed now. There is absolutely no denying that the United States has a special responsibility to help. The sectarian violence these Iraqi refugees have fled is a byproduct of the invasion and its chaotic aftermath — yet America has paradoxically done far less than its traditionally generous response. But while the United States must lead, the scale of this humanitarian emergency and its uncertain duration require international contributions, including the active participation of European and Gulf Arab states. SOURCE: The New York Times The New York Times Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:40:51 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23793 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23793 Overall, the development of the European security and defence policy (ESDP) and the deployment of ESDP operations have been nothing less than impressive. At the time of writing the EU has, within a five-year period, initiated twenty-one ESDP operations, on three continents, of which about a dozen are presently ongoing. The rapid growth of this completely new field of activities for the EU has placed new demands on the whole system of ESDP decision-making. Contrary to most EU policy areas, decision-making concerning ESDP operations involves all member states at all times and with a right to veto the process at any time (with the partial exception of Denmark). This examination of the European Union’s decision-making process for launching EU-led peace support operations captures and describes the dynamics of the process and investigates the working methods of ESDP decision-making. It reveals that the intergovernmental character of this process is more fluid and involves fewer formalised steps than one would imagine at a first glance. At times the processes preceding the launch of an ESDP operation can also be surprisingly quick, although at other times it displays bottlenecks for instance in the force generation process constraining efficiency and rapidity of decision-making. One of the biggest challenges facing the EU today relates to capacity – in terms of planning, funding and availability of civilian and military personnel and equipment for ESDP operations. SOURCE: Danish Institute for International Studies Danish Institute for International Studies Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:37:59 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23792 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23792 Th is report explores the problematique surrounding the European Union’s decision-making process for launching EU-led peace support operations, and asks the questions: How are these complex decisions chiselled out, and why do the EU operations take the shape they do? ThTh e analysis commences by identifying the three main “institutional structures” involved in ESDP decision-shaping and making, namely the intergovernmental Council structure, the support structure of the Council General Secretariat, and the supranational Commission structure, and explores their individual as well as overlapping competences in relation to EU crisis management operations. Th e lion’s share of the report closely investigates the working methods of the ESDP decision-making process. Despite, or maybe because of, the intergovernmental character of this process, it is more fl uid and involves considerably fewer formalised steps than one would imagine at fi rst glance. Th is report attempts to capture and describe the dynamics of the process, concluding that at times the processes preceding the launch of an ESDP peace support operation can be surprisingly quick despite the dense and complex institutional structure. However, there still exist bottlenecks, for instance in the force generation phase, constraining efficiency and rapidity of the process. One of the biggest challenges facing the EU today relates to capacity – in terms of planning capacity for operations, as well as funding and availability of troops and other categories of personnel for ESDP operations. SOURCE: Danish Institute for International Studies Danish Institute for International Studies Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:00:32 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23788 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23788 The lives of tens of millions of people around the world are threatened by conflict, ethnic violence, drought and natural disaster. A large number of organizations - governmental, non-governmental, and United Nations - are devoted to providing humanitarian assistance to helping victims of humanitarian disasters survive. Humanitarian aid to persons impacted by conflict or natural disaster is a growth industry. In 1990, international humanitarian assistance amounted to about $2 billion; by 2000 the total was up to nearly $5 billion. The huge humanitarian crises in Afghanistan and several regions of Africa likely mean additional large increases in humanitarian in 2002 and again in 2003. The United States is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance with its share in recent years amounting to about 35 percent of the world total The 15 member countries of the European Union plus the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) are the second largest donors, and Japan ranks third. SOURCE: International Council of Voluntary Agencies International Council of Voluntary Agencies Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:58:38 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23702 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23702 What is the meaning of military transformation? How is Canada responding? This paper provides a brief historical view of military transformation, identifies a framework for understanding transformation, and examines Canada’s approach in each area. It argues that Canada has taken steps with regard to a number of discrete areas associated with military transformation. But in Canada, military transformation has come to be associated with initiatives that were launched in the 2005 Defence Policy Statement. They include the creation of a Standing Contingency Task Force for the rapid deployment of military force abroad, a changed command structure to reflect an increased focus on defending the homeland, and greater strength in the area of special operations forces. Progress in these specific areas has been challenged by ongoing operational commitments. From this perspective the overall picture is one of “transformation on hold,” as Canada continues to determine its future course in Afghanistan. SOURCE: Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:18:31 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23693 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23693 The effects of cluster munition use have been a persistent humanitarian problem for decades. History has shown that many models have problems of accuracy and reliability. In nearly every conflict in which they have been used on a large scale, there have been serious humanitarian consequences. Large numbers of cluster submunitions have failed to detonate as intended and instead left a long-term and deadly legacy of contamination. Their use in populated areas has also had direct and indirect impacts. All too often it is civilians who are killed and injured, and it is fragile post-conflict societies which must deal with the social and economic costs of these weapons. Although the international community has begun to address the problems of explosive remnants of war generically through the adoption of Protocol V to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, it is widely acknowledged that the specific problems caused by cluster munitions need to be urgently addressed. Discussions in recent years in the Group of Governmental Experts of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and among the 47 States associated with the Oslo Declaration on Cluster Munitions as well as reports by a variety of organisations have identified important issues that require frank and in-depth dialogue at the expert level, as well as political decisions, if progress is to be made. SOURCE: International Committee of the Red Cross International Committee of the Red Cross Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:34:26 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23684 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23684 The International Expert Conference, “Security and Humanitarian Action: Who is Winning?”, comes at a propitious moment. Eight months-plus after September 11, the dramatic and lethal terrorist events in New York and Washington remain fresh in mind. At the same time, enough of an interlude has passed to establish their profound impacts on popular attitudes in the United States and abroad, on security and humanitarian policy, and on national budgets and legislation. This background paper seeks to identify the major issues of policy and operations for humanitarian organizations both as a function of global terrorism and, no less important, in relation to responses in the form of anti-terrorism strategies. The analysis draws on a conference held three years ago at the White Oak Plantation in Yulee, Florida, sponsored by the Humanitarianism and War Project. While the reality of terrorism did not figure in the discussion then, the conference explored tensions during the first post-Cold War decade between North American and European perspectives, between the delivery of emergency relief and the protection of basic human rights, and between practitioners and researchers. Today’s preoccupation with terrorism has confirmed and deepened some of the fissures identified three years ago. SOURCE: International Council on Human Rights Policy International Council on Human Rights Policy Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:38:03 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23612 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23612 Five years after the US -led invasion, Iraq remains a deeply violent and divided society. Faced with one of the largest displacement and humanitarian crises in the world, Iraqi civilians are in urgent need of assistance. Particularly vulnerable are the 2.7 million internally displaced Iraqis who have fled their homes for safer locations inside Iraq. Unable to access their food rations and often unemployed, they live in squalid conditions, have run out of resources and find it extremely difficult to access essential services. The US , the government of Iraq and the international community must begin to address the consequences of leaving Iraqis’ humanitarian needs unmet. As a result of the vacuum created by the failure of both the Iraqi Government and the international community to act in a timely and adequate manner, non-state actors play a major role in providing assistance to vulnerable Iraqis. Militias of all denominations are improving their local base of support by providing social services in the neighborhoods and towns they control. Through a “Hezbollah-like” scheme, the Shiite Sadrist movement has established itself as the main service provider in the country. Similarly, other Shiite and Sunni groups are gaining ground and support through the delivery of food, oil, electricity, clothes and money to the civilians living in their fiefdoms. Not only do these militias now have a quasi-monopoly in the large-scale provision of assistance in Iraq, they are also recruiting an increasing number of civilians to their militias - including displaced Iraqis. SOURCE: Refugees International Refugees International Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:04:26 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23512 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23512 Nothing short of an international intervention will stop the genocide in Darfur. Africa Action calls on the U.S. to do everything necessary to secure the rapid deployment of the complete peacekeeping operation authorized by United Nation Security Council Resolution 1769 to protect civilians and humanitarian efforts. This must be coupled with new diplomatic efforts to engage Darfuri civil society with rebel groups and the Sudanese government in a political peace process. The U.S. and the international community must pursue both these strategies as part of a comprehensive approach to nationwide peace for Sudan. This will require increased diplomatic engagement to support the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the North-South civil war. A coherent Sudan policy by the U.S should address marginalization in Sudan's hotspots outside Darfur including Abyei, Southern Kordofan, Eastern Sudan, and the far North of the country. SOURCE: Africa Action Africa Action Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:49:04 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23511 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23511 This report summarizes the findings of a major research project on the constraints, challenges, and compromises affecting humanitarian action in confl ict and crisis settings. The building blocks are 12 case studies of local perceptions of humanitarian action, conducted in 2006 and 2007 in Afghanistan, Burundi, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Liberia, Nepal, northern Uganda, the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Sudan. The approach is evidence-based. Findings have been distilled through an inductive process involving interviews and focus group discussions at the community level aimed at eliciting local perceptions on the functioning of the humanitarian enterprise. Additional data was collected through interviews with aid staff and other knowledgeable observers at the country level. All in all, more than 2,000 people provided inputs into the research. SOURCE: Tufts University // Feinstein International Center Tufts University // Feinstein International Center Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:43:09 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23474 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23474 Google Earth's new mapping programme takes you on a virtual reality tour with the UN refugee agency of some of the world's major displacement crises and the humanitarian efforts aimed at helping the victims. The first use of this geospatial tool focuses on refugees and displaced people located in remote areas of Chad, Iraq, Colombia and Sudan's volatile Darfur region. Sit in front of your computer and, with a few clicks, see, hear and develop an emotional understanding of what it is like to be a refugee. Highlighted are not only the physical area of the camp and surrounding country, but key parts of daily life such as education and health in photo, text and video format. Within seconds, Google Earth brings the daily life of a refugee camp into your home thousands of kilometres away. SOURCE: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees // Google Earth United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees // Google Earth Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:48:21 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23469 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23469 For 15 years, he's been a "grocer" for Africa's destitute. But he's never seen anything like this. Pascal Joannes' job is to find grains, beans and oils to fill a food basket for Sudan's neediest people, from Darfur refugees to schoolchildren in the barren south. Lately Joannes has spent less time shopping and more time poring over commodity price lists, usually in disbelief. "White beans at $1,160," the white-haired Belgian, 52, cries in despair over the price of a metric ton. "Complete madness! I bought them two years ago in Ethiopia for $235." Joannes is head of procurement in Sudan for the World Food Program, the United Nations agency in charge of alleviating world hunger. Meteoric food and fuel prices, a slumping dollar, the demand for biofuels and a string of poor harvests have combined to abruptly multiply WFP's operating costs, even as needs increase. In other words, if the number of needy people stayed constant, it would take much more money to feed them. But the number of people needing help is surging dramatically. It is what WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran calls "a perfect storm" hitting the world's hungry. SOURCE: Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:50:55 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23451 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23451 Sudan's National Islamic Front regime has begun its sixth year of genocidal counterinsurgency warfare in the vast western region of Darfur, targeting African civilian populations perceived as the primary support for fractious rebel groups. Given the length of the conflict, news reports have inevitably taken on a grimly familiar and repetitive character that obscures the impending cataclysm of human destruction. Without significant improvement in security on the ground -- for civilians and the humanitarians upon whom they increasingly depend -- deaths in the coming months will reach a staggering total. What Khartoum was unable to accomplish with the massive violence of 2003-04, entailing wholesale destruction of African villages, will be achieved through a "genocide by attrition." Civilians displaced into camps or surviving precariously in rural areas will face unprecedented shortfalls in humanitarian assistance, primarily food and potable water. SOURCE: Reeves, Eric Reeves, Eric Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:50:04 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23450 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23450 This overview attempts to bring together the most substantial data and reports about the nature and scale of the current humanitarian crisis in Darfur, and to put this information within the context of the immensely threatening environment facing aid workers throughout the region. It draws on a range of materials, including the most recent UN Darfur Humanitarian Profile (No. 30, reflecting conditions as of January 1, 2008). The sources for data, surveys, and anecdotal information are diverse, both on the ground in Darfur and within the international humanitarian community. Much information was provided exclusively on a confidential basis; non-confidential information comes chiefly from reports in the public domain, or public interviews by humanitarian officials. SOURCE: Reeves, Eric Reeves, Eric Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:26:32 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23442 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23442 The momentum for the election has continued during the past week. Positive developments included a recommitment by three major parties of the Seven-Party Alliance to campaign peacefully and cooperate at the district level. However these commitments need to translate into reality on the ground – which has too often not been the case. While campaigning was peaceful in many constituencies, incidents of election-related violence and intimidation by party workers continued, with frequent and sometimes severe clashes between political parties in many districts. The Young Communist League and other Maoist cadres continued to be involved in the largest proportion of these incidents. There is also mounting evidence of State resources being deployed for partisan ends. SOURCE: United Nations Mission in Nepal United Nations Mission in Nepal Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:05:27 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23439 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23439 Aceh, la province la plus au Nord de l’île indonésienne de Sumatra a été terriblement éprouvée par le raz de marée qui a balayé l’île en décembre 2004. La vague a déferlé sur plus de 800 km de littoral, laissant derrière elle 169.000 victimes et 600.000 sans-abris. A certains endroits, pas un seul bâtiment, route ou arbre n’a survécu à son passage. Des régions entières ont disparu à jamais. Sumatra a été ensuite frappée par un séisme le 28 mars 2005, qui a coûté la vie à près de 1.000 personnes sur l’île de Nias. Le monde devant cette catastrophe a fait preuve de générosité, et pour les agences travaillant sur place, l’objectif a été au bout du compte d’offrir aux autochtones d’Aceh de meilleures conditions de vie que celles qui existaient auparavant sur le littoral, sans faire de discrimination entre les gens riches et pauvres, ou les femmes et les hommes. Dans une région appauvrie déchirée par un conflit, cela représentait une opportunité exceptionnelle. SOURCE: Oxfam International Oxfam International Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:09:10 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23427 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23427 To the surprise of many observers, the principle of the “responsibility to protect” (R2P) was enshrined in the Outcome Document adopted by the heads of state and government at the United Nations Millennium +5 Summit in September 2005. The concept was initially developed in 2001 in the Report of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS). In their report, the members of the Commission argued that when a state is unwilling or unable to protect its citizens from massive human rights violations such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, the principle of non-intervention yields to the international responsibility to protect. This embraces three specific responsibilities: the responsibility to prevent, the responsibility to react, and the responsibility to rebuild. In this issue of Foreign Voices, Thelma Ekiyor from the West Africa Civil Society Institute and Professor Mary Ellen O’Connell from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, discuss whether this new concept means a way forward in dealing with atrocity crimes or whether it rather causes new problems. Both authors were speakers at the International SEF Symposium 2007 on “The Responsibility to Protect – Progress, Empty Promise or a Licence for ‘Humanitarian’ Intervention” that took place on 29-30 November 2007 in Bonn. SOURCE: Foreign Voices // Development and Peace Foundation Foreign Voices // Development and Peace Foundation Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:34:32 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23420 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23420 The ICRC is the only humanitarian organization with a large-scale operation in Gereida camp in South Darfur, where it continues to provide for the basic needs of over 120,000 displaced people. This gallery presents the latest in a series of images illustrating the organization's activities throughout Darfur, providing for basic needs, health services, war wounded surgery, water and agricultural support. SOURCE: International Committee of the Red Cross International Committee of the Red Cross