Saturday, October 21, 2006

"1325 Award" - Advancing Gender Equality in Conflict & Peacekeeping


While on daily basis many women making history, doing peace work, constructing civil societies and redefining gender roles, very few are being recognized for the work they do. It is energizing to hear that this time, an amazing women from Liberia won the 2006 " 1325 Award". The award is given to an individual or a civil society organization in a conflict zone to promote the women's human rights and to increase political participation and presence at the decision making and peace negotiations.

The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 which was adopted unanimously on women, peace and security on the day of October 31st, 2000 is one of the important UN Resolutions that deserves to be more learned and recognized.

Etweda Cooper, a human right activist from Liberia who is also called "Sugars" is known for her speaking out: "she shows no remorse for her stance on issues of politics and human rights as they relate to women and children. Because of her leadership skills and ability to quickly organize and mobilize she proved to be the right person to let out the frustration of women who were being victimized during the hay days of the civil war in Liberia".

Elahe



"1325 Award" - http://www.1325award.nl/index.php?id=10&ln=en

PeaceWomen Newsletters:
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/1325News/1325ENewsindex.html

PeaceWomen "1325 Award" Article:
http://www.peacewomen.org/news/1325News/Issue81.htm






Thursday, October 05, 2006

Letter to the Editor


Arash Aramesh - Prof. Clive Leeman teaches English at Moorpark college. During my years at Moorpark,
I took every course offered by the good professor. His classes were always open to discussion
and he allowed everyone to speak his/her mind. Here is a letter Clive wrote to the Los Angeles
Times.


Letter to the Editor:
Los Angeles Times Demeans the Rule of Law

All nations which subscribe to the rule of law conform to a fundamental
principle--that nobody accused of a crime can be convicted and
sentenced without being charged and tried in a court of law.

The Bush administration has treated this principle with contempt im
Guantanamo and other places ever since 9/11, and a failure to be vigilant about
upholding this legal axiom is not only impugning the reputation of Congress but
beginning to permeate other institutions, including, regrettably, the Los Angeles
Times.

David Wise, in his article "Now who's leaking the secrets?" (Los
Angeles TImes, October 1, 2006), is critical of President Bush for his legally reckless
leaking of state secrets to suit his own purposes, but Wise is himself legally careless when
he describes one of the suspects recently moved to
Guantanamo, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, as "the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks,"
unfortunately omitting the ever necessary adjective alleged "mastermind."

In other words, the Los Angeles Times, like the Bush administration,
has already tried and convicted Shaikh Mohammed before he's even been
charged, let alone appeared in court.

If I had been that negligent when I was a cub reporter on a large metropolitan daily
newspaper many years ago, I would have been
seriously pilloried by my irate news editor for such an egregious breach of legal and
journalistic ethics.

Clive Leeman


postscript:
Ironically, just after I sent off my letter to the Los Angeles Times yesterday, NPR did a quick correction in another case on Talk of the Nation. A Lebanese journalist being interviewed on the show referred to the crimes committed by Rep. Mark Foley, and the interviewer said: "Hold it right there. Mark Foley is simply accused of these crimes." Somehow I don't think the interviewer would have rushed to the defense of the Muslim Shaikh Mohammed's legal rights as quickly as she did to defend the Republican Mark Foley's. Thanks and blessings, Clive

Sunday, October 01, 2006

A Lonely Clinton on Tape


Arash- After watching Chris Wallace's interview with President Clinton, I immediately thought of the days when Clinton was still president but no one paid any attention to him. Yes, I mean the days of post Monica Lewinsky scandal and in the midst of the 2000 presidential campaign.

During that time, most presidential advisors were either aiding Gore in his bid for the presidency or setting up their lobbying firms on "K" street.
The very thought of those days made me want to share this video clip with you.
Enjoy


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