Australians elect first Aborigine to Parliament

Australia has elected the country’s first Aboriginal member of the lower house of the parliament.  Ken Wyatt has been declared the winner in a Western Australian constituency for the conservative opposition Liberal Party, having won the seat of Hasluck.

While Australia waits for the government to form, indigenous groups are celebrating a landmark moment with the election of Wyatt, one of their own, into the House of Representatives in Canberra.

Wyatt said he had battled not only poverty but also racism to “break the brown glass-ceiling” and win his seat.

“As a child I learned that very early, and over the years I have had some extreme racism.  But look, you just take that in your stride,” Wyatt said. “You notice it.  What you hope to do is to change the way in which Australia thinks about its oldest living culture, to value it and then to move forward.”

Wyatt also said he wants to be not only a “torchbearer” for his constituency, but also the Aboriginal community.

His mother was a member of the “Stolen Generations” — tens of thousands of Aboriginal children forcibly taken from their families under state and federal laws in a bid to make them grow up like white Australians.

Australia’s original inhabitants suffer high rates of poor health, unemployment and imprisonment.  Their communities also see soaring levels of alcohol and drug abuse.  Poverty is endemic in many indigenous settlements, which are plagued by domestic violence and despair.

Government efforts over the years have failed to appreciably improve the lives of most Aborigines, whose life expectancy is about 10 years less than that of other Australians.

Ken Wyatt hopes to put such concerns back on the national agenda.

“Kenya mpya” – A new Kenya is born

NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya’s president signed a new constitution into law Friday that institutes a system of checks and balances and has been hailed as the most significant political event since Kenya’s independence nearly a half century ago.

Kenya’s new constitution is part of a reform package that President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga committed themselves to after signing a power-sharing deal in February 2008. That deal ended violence that killed more than 1,000 people following Kenya’s disputed December 2007 presidential vote.

“I feel honored to be your President at this moment because this is the most important day in the history of our nation since independence,” said the 78-year-old Kibaki. He was a senior official of Kenya’s independence party, the Kenya African National Union, when Britain handed over power in 1963 to its leader, Jomo Kenyatta.

Odinga said the new constitution was a major step in bridging Kenya’s political and ethnic divisions.

“No one could have thought that out of the bitter harvest of the disputed election and the violence that pitted our people against each other just two years ago, we would be witnessing today the birth of a national unity that has eluded us for more than 40 years,” Odinga said.

Friday’s event comes after an overwhelming majority of Kenyan voters adopted the new constitution in an Aug. 4 referendum. Kibaki’s signature formally marks the end of a decades-long struggle to cut down the massive powers of the presidency.

Patrick Gichuki, a street vendor, painted his body in the colors of the Kenyan national flag and the words “Kenya mpya” — new Kenya.

“We are happy to be Kenyans and we are happy that Kenya has a new constitution,” said Gichuki.

Now more power will be given to regions in the national distribution of money, goods – and patronage. A new, two-tier parliament will put a check on presidential authority, with a Senate that will represent regions. In addition, a candidate for president must win more than 50 percent of the vote, which will help unite competing tribal groups into parties based on policy preferences and not ethnic jingoism.

Another innovation: The cabinet will consist of technocrats, not elected members of parliament, and be limited in size, thus reducing the spoils system and cronyism for winning candidates. Kenyans will also be given a bill of rights that promises civil liberties. The charter also calls for cleaning up the often-corrupt judiciary.

Article 43 of the new Constitution creates an expanded Bill of Rights. In addition to civil and political rights, like freedom of speech or association, that protect citizens from state oppression, it provides for socio-economic or “second generation” rights including health care, housing, sanitation, food, safe water, social security and education.

Emmy Kosgei, who sang during the festivities and got all the VIPs dancing at the podium, said the signing of a new constitution signified a new beginning for the country and she was proud to be part of it.

“Most of us have grown up reading about such events as history,” she said. “But today we are a part of history.”

Turkey reopening ancient Armenian church to heal wounds

(from todayszaman.com)

Swallows dart around the dome of the 10th century Armenian church rising from an island set amid the turquoise waters of Lake Van. Tombstones with ancient Christian inscriptions and crosses lie scattered among the weeds in the garden, where day-trippers picnic in the shade of almond trees and sunbathe after a swim.

The serenity of the scene belies a traumatic past that haunts Turkey and Armenia to this day. For Armenians across the world, the church in eastern Anatolia is a testimony to centuries of persecution, deportations and mass killings at the hands of Ottoman forces.

Muslim Turkey and Christian Armenia are bitterly divided over their troubled history and the border between them remains closed despite US-brokered peace accords signed last year.

Today, the Church of the Holy Cross, which is now a state museum, has become a symbol of a tortuous reconciliation process as Turkey prepares to open the site on Sept. 19 for a one-day religious service that could become an annual event.

“This church is very important for Armenians, not only in Turkey, but across the world,” said Archbishop Aram Ateshian, a spiritual leader from Turkey’s surviving Armenian community.

“For decades, we could not say mass or have a religious service because it was forbidden by the government,” he said. With its conical dome, frescoes depicting saints and carvings of biblical scenes on its red stone outer walls, the church is considered one of the finest architectural examples that remain of the ancient Armenian civilization in Turkey, erased a century ago in tumultuous, violent events. Its scenic location, at the centre of the volcanic, salt lake, ringed year-round by snow-capped mountains, would make a natural draw for tourists to this poverty stricken region.

Restoration of the cross

Large numbers of Armenians lived in the nearby city of Van and in eastern Anatolia until they were expelled by Ottoman forces in 1915 during the chaotic break-up of the empire. At one point, there were 2,000 Armenian churches in Turkey, but only 45 are left standing. The rest, Armenian officials say, were destroyed, ransacked or turned into mosques or schools.

The church reopened in 2007 as a museum, following a $1.5 million renovation by the Turkish government. Despite pleas by church officials, a cross was not allowed on the church. Munir Karaloğlu, governor of Van province, said a cross will be placed on the dome before the mass and will remain there.

Officials in Van say hotels are fully booked and that the city is bracing itself to receive Armenians “from all over the world.” The Armenian Foreign Ministry did not comment on the mass, and officials in Yerevan said they have not received any invitation, but Armenian church officials saw hopeful signs of a change in attitude toward their faith.

Palestinians learn about the Holocaust at Yad Vashem

(from Haaretz.com)

Growing up in the West Bank, Mujahid Sarsur knew next to nothing about the Holocaust and saw little ground to sympathize with a people he saw as his occupier.

But thanks to an Israeli roommate overseas, the 21-year-old Palestinian student learned about the Nazi murder of 6 million Jews during World War II and discovered a new understanding of his Israeli neighbors.

Now he wants other Arabs to do the same. Sarsur heads one of a handful of Palestinian grass-roots groups seeking knowledge about the Holocaust.

On Wednesday, he led a delegation of 22 students to Israel’s official Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem. The students, fasting for Ramadan, listened closely to their Arabic-speaking guide’s explanations, and were left wide-eyed by the gruesome images of the death camps.

Girls in Muslim head scarves turned away in horror at the sight of Jewish corpses being shoveled into pits. They huddled together as they watched film from Auschwitz, where about 1 million Jews were put to death.

“The Holocaust is a huge part of Israeli society. We live so close to them and we need to understand them better if we are ever to live in peace,” said Sarsur, a junior at Bard College in New York. “If we change the way we think about the Holocaust, we can create bridges.”

Surveys show that Holocaust denial is common even among the 20 percent of Israeli citizens who are Arab and grew up under the Israeli educational curriculum.

Aumamah Sarsur, 22, an Israeli Arab and cousin of Mujahid Sarsur, said the Yad Vashem visit taught her that Jews were tortured and killed by the Nazis.

“I am not giving them legitimacy to come here and make their own country, but I get their point of view,” she said.

Dorit Novak, the director of Yad Vashem’s international school for Holocaust studies, called the visit a “blessed initiative” and hoped for continued dialogue to break down the stereotypes on both sides.

“I appreciate their principles, their courage, their curiosity and their willingness to come, listen and learn,” she said. “The Arab world is exposed to the Holocaust in a very distorted way. I know this is limited outreach, but I am willing to suffice with something limited in the reality in which we live.”

Ramadan held at a Canadian church

(from ctvcalgary.ca)

During the month of Ramadan Muslims conduct evening prayers every night at sunset.  In the Calgary area there isn’t enough space in local mosques for the influx of worshipers so some churches are offering a unique cross cultural solution.

Muslims take part in Taraweeh prayers every night during Ramadan. These prayers are taking place not inside a mosque but a church in Airdrie.

There isn’t enough space in Calgary area mosques for all the Ramadan worshippers so some Christian churches are opening their doors to Islamic worshippers.

One worshipper, Waqar Butt Islamic, told CTV Calgary, “They really cooperated with us. I met with them and they said warm welcome to you guys. You guys pray here, this is a good opportunity for us, for you guys to pray here.”

The reverend of the Airdrie United Church claims hosting the Muslim prayers doesn’t conflict with his congregations Christian values, rather it enhances them.

Rev. Dave Pollard of the Airdrie United Church, says, “We are sort of like long lost cousins, so to be able to promote an environment that would mend a rift as opposed to tearing it even further was, I think, a unique opportunity.”

Local Imams maintain by opening their doors to the prayers churches here show a tolerance not often found in the rest of the world.

Syed Soharwardy Al Madinah of the Calgary Islamic Centre told us, “This is excellent! I think it helps people understand each other. It brings good understanding of each other. It opens up minds and hearts of different faiths and different beliefs.”

Universala Kongreso de Esperanto en Havano (Kubo)

(Note: the yearly esperanto conference just occurred, this year in Havana, Cuba. This is the official resolution produced)

La 95-a Universala Kongreso de Esperanto, kunveninta en Havano (Kubo) kun 1002 partoprenantoj el 59 landoj,

Konsiderante, ke Unuiĝintaj Nacioj deklaris la jaron 2010 Internacia Jaro de Interproksimigo de Kulturoj, konstatas

– ke la diverseco de kulturoj en la mondo grave kontribuas al la riĉeco de la homaro;

– ke jam dum 123 jaroj Esperanto kiel neŭtrala lingvo helpas konstrui pontojn inter popoloj kaj kulturoj, kaj

– ke la Universalaj Kongresoj de Esperanto, kunigante homojn el plej diversaj landoj tra la mondo, mem atestas tiun kapablon konstrui pontojn,

Deklaras la deziron de la Esperanto-parolantoj kunagi kun Unuiĝintaj Nacioj kaj Unesko por stimuli komprenemon inter popoloj kaj samtempe protekti la identecon de ĉiuj homgrupoj,

kaj invitas Unuiĝintajn Naciojn kaj Uneskon plene eluzi siajn rilatojn kun Universala Esperanto-Asocio por efike realigi siajn celojn.

Havano, 24 julio 2010

---

Translation to english:

The 95th Universal Esperanto Congress, convened in Havana with 1002 participants from 59 countries, in light of the fact that the United Nations declared the year 2010 to be the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, hereby proposes the following:

WHEREAS the diversity of cultures in the world vitally contributes to the richness of humankind;
WHEREAS in the 123 years of Esperanto’s existence as a neutral language, it has helped to build bridges between peoples and cultures, and
WHEREAS the Universal Esperanto Congress, consisting of people from many diverse countries throughout the world, itself demonstrates this capability to build bridges

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that

It is the desire of Esperanto speakers to act together with the United Nations and UNESCO in order to stimulate the desire for common understanding between peoples, while simultaneously protecting the identity of all groups, and to invite the United Nations and UNESCO to fully make use of their relationships with the Universal Esperanto Association in order to put these goals into effect.

– Havana, Cuba, the 24th day of July, 2010.

Turkey’s first private Kurdish TV channel to boost unity

(excerpted from Zaman)

Two years after the state-owned Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) launched a full-time Kurdish broadcasting station, Turkey’s first-ever private Kurdish TV channel, the Gaziantep-based Dünya TV, has begun trial broadcasts with the aim of boosting unity and brotherhood in Turkey.

Dünya TV comes at a time when Turkey has accelerated its efforts to settle its long-standing Kurdish issue. The use of the Kurdish language was prohibited following Turkey’s 1980 military coup until the year 1991. Under pressure from the European Union to strengthen the rights of the country’s Kurdish minority, TRT began broadcasting documentaries and news in Kurdish in 2004, but only for about 30 minutes each week. TRT 6, however, has been broadcasting 24 hours a day for the past two years. The dedication of one of TRT’s channels to broadcasting in Kurdish was welcomed as a late, but positive, move that could strengthen unity between Turks and Kurds.

“On these lands where we lived together with [Kurds], seeds of dissension are now being sown. But in spite of our differences we have always lived together. We have many common points. The differing points are just our differences, which add color to our lives. With the programs we will broadcast, we will promote Kurdish culture, one of the different colors of our country, to the world, including the Kurdish people,” Remzi Ketenci, the general manager of Dünya TV, told Sunday’s Zaman.

Noting that the government took a noteworthy step by launching TRT 6, Ketenci says government officials have described Dünya TV as the sister of TRT 6. “Representatives from leading civil society organizations in the region have also delivered their messages to us underlining that our initiative is of crucial importance. The locals are also delighted with the launch of Dünya TV. They can hardly hold back their tears when they see the Kurdish-dubbed version of ‘Sırlar Dünyası’ [World of Mysteries] TV series, which they have been watching in Turkish for years,” he says.

Speaking to Sunday’s Zaman, Dünya TV’s news coordinator, Erhan Topal, said they will try to shed light on the realities of the region with an understanding of human-based journalism. “Breaking developments in the region will, of course, have a place in the news bulletin. But we will not generalize these events. Unfortunately, bitter events in the region overshadow its beauties. We will try to underline these beauties,” he said.

U.S. representatives attending Hiroshima memorial for the first time

(AP) HIROSHIMA, Japan – The site of the world’s first atomic attack swarmed with tens of thousands of people Thursday as Hiroshima prepared for a memorial that will for the first time have representatives from the United States and other major nuclear powers.

Washington’s decision to attend the 65th anniversary event on Friday has been welcomed by Japan’s government, but has generated complex feelings among some Japanese who see the bombing as unjustified and want the United States to apologize.

“Americans think that the bombing was reasonable because it speeded up the end of the war. They try to see it in a positive way,” Naomi Sawa, a 69-year-old former teacher, said after paying her respects to the dead. “But we were devastated.”

About 140,000 people were killed or died within months when an American B-29 bombed Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. Three days later, about 80,000 people died after the United States attacked Nagasaki. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, ending World War II.

Concerns that attending the ceremony — an emotional event beginning with the offering of water to the dead and the ringing of a bell to soothe their souls — would reopen old wounds had until this year kept the U.S. away.

Former President Jimmy Carter visited Hiroshima’s Peace Museum in 1984, after he was out of office. The highest-ranking American to visit while in office is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who went in 2008. Neither went for the annual memorial.

But to gain wider attendance, Hiroshima has taken great pains to ensure that the memorial will be a forward-looking event, a key to getting Washington to participate. Japanese officials said it is important to use the anniversary as a chance to push nuclear disarmament, not revisit history.

That message appears to have resonated.

Friday’s memorial is to be the largest gathering yet, with representatives from 75 countries and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. John Roos, the ambassador to Japan, will represent the U.S. French and British dignitaries were to join for the first time as well.

The presence of the U.S. has been hailed by officials in Hiroshima and Tokyo as a breakthrough and a sign of President Barack Obama’s desire to push ahead with his ambitious goal of creating a world without nuclear weapons.

“We believe the attendance of the nuclear powers will bolster a global desire to abolish nuclear weapons,” Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba said in a statement.

Ban, who visited Nagasaki on Thursday before arriving in Hiroshima, said this year’s memorial will send a strong signal to the world that nuclear weapons must be destroyed.

“The only way to ensure that such weapons will never again be used is to eliminate them all,” he said. “There must be no place in our world for such indiscriminate weapons.”

Katsuko Nishibe, a 61-year-old peace activist, said she welcomed the decision to send Roos, but added that she thought it was dangerous to think that the bombing of Hiroshima was justified.

“I don’t think it was necessary,” she said. “We have a very different interpretation of history. But we can disagree about history and still agree that peace is what is important. That is the real lesson of Hiroshima.”

Cluster Bomb Ban Takes Effect

(from RTTNews) – A landmark international treaty to ban cluster munitions took effect on Sunday, requiring nations that have ratified the treaty to stop making munitions, dispose of stockpiles within eight years, and clear contaminated areas within 10 years and help affected communities and survivors.

The cluster bomb ban–officially known as the Convention on Cluster Munitions–entered into force six months after 37 countries, including Britain, France, Germany and Japan, ratified the 2008 treaty signed by 107 nations.

However, major cluster bomb-producing nations, China, Russia, the United States and Israel are among those who have refused to sign the accord, which also obliges signatories to stop the use and transfer of the deadly weapons.

The U.S., which according to the Cluster Munition Coalition is the world’s largest producer with the biggest stockpile of 800 million bomblets, says it will ban the weapon from 2018.

Pope Benedict XVI hailed the treaty as an “encouraging sign” that nations can make progress toward disarmament and improved human rights.  Speaking Sunday outside Rome he said his first thoughts go to the numerous victims “who have suffered and continue to suffer serious physical and moral damage … because of these insidious weapons.”

“With the coming into force of the new treaty, which I urge all states to commit to, the international community has shown wisdom, clear-sightedness and perseverance to obtain a significant result in the area of disarmament and international humanitarian rights,” he added.

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) chief Jakob Kellenberger said Sunday’s milestone “stigmatizes the use of cluster munitions.”

“We hope that the entry into force will also affect the practice of states that have not yet adhered to the treaty,” he added.

The munitions split open before impact and scatter multiple–often hundreds–of smaller submunitions, or plastic bomblets, the size and shape of a tennis ball over a wide area. However, many of them fail to explode immediately and can lie hidden for years.

Even decades after the original conflict is over in countries such as Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, these munitions have killed and maimed civilians, including children, in large numbers.

The United Nations estimates almost half of all casualties are from Laos, where people are still at risk of being injured from unexploded bomblets.

The U.S. Military dropped more than 2 million tons of explosive ordnance, including an estimated 260 million cluster munitions, between 1964 and 1973 at the height of Vietnam War, mainly to disrupt enemy supply lines that passed through Laos.

Experts say that around 30 per cent of bomblets failed to explode on impact, and over two-thirds of the country is still contaminated and they kill or injure about 300 people a year.

(To read more on the the cluster bomb clean-up need in Laos and the U.S. role, click on the link below.- RGS)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-Issues/2010/0801/As-cluster-bomb-ban-takes-effect-the-view-from-Laos