Comments on: Report: Human Rights Council in Geneva, 7th Session

By: t

Sun, 04 May 2008 06:01:13 +0000

test

By: ami

ami — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:42:35 +0000

mettaculture: your wise and encouraging words much appreciated. I would be interested by Dan’s comments as the Saharawi expert, (if I recall correctly) on this exchange of views:
The Racism session ended in a prolonged shouting match between Morrocco and Algeria. Morrocco had replied to an attack by one NGO which had called Morrocco’s occupation of the Western Sahara as the last colonial occupation (the same NGO in the same intervention had said that the only way Durban II would not harp on Israel would be if Israel first complied with a string of conditions, including withdrawing from all occupied territories before the end of the year)
Morrocco wondered angrily why Algeria had butted in to a reponse to the NGO, as Western Sahara was none of Algeria’s business. Algeria said it was, too, its business, and why had Morrocco built an electric fence.

I too, wondered why Algeria is so interested in this issue.

By: lbnaz

lbnaz — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:36:10 +0000

I concur. Excellently written and very informative post Ami. Thanks

By: Bialik

Bialik — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:15:04 +0000

Really good post, thank you. I look forward to more.

By: nomist

nomist — Sat, 03 May 2008 00:21:33 +0000

A really informative and thought-provoking article. I’m flattered to be quoted!

By: mettaculture

mettaculture — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:38:25 +0000

ami such conferences though no doubt a wearisome talking shop at times, and personally draining, are always worthwhile.

NGO land can be poisonous too, but when the best of activists are linked either;

to national mass membership organisations and/or opinion formers and media stakeholders then their gnashing at the heels of their government spokespersons at UN gatherings (and reporting back nationally on what they said in the name of their Government),

interupting their otherwise per diem funded shopping trips in Geneva, can really make a significant difference.

Some of those decent but tired looking beaurocrats will use the work of the rapporteurs to good effect (I myself have used such comments to nudge Governments to grudgingly support, or no longer obstruct country level NGO work).

Your prescence and others who refused to allow anti-semitism to creep in to the language of International Human Rights is greatly appreciated.

Shame on those who still do not realise that their oppositiion to ‘islamophobia’ is similarly not an anti-racist discourse but a wholehearted support for the imposition of international and national legal instruments supporting criminal libel and suppressing free speach and free association under the guise of religious non-discrimination.

I looked for the Islamobhobic party on the London ballot papers but diidn’t see one, how strange? I thought they were as common as Tories now!

By: Danny Smircky

Danny Smircky — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:59:09 +0000

Great post. Thank you.

By: adam l

adam l — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:16:47 +0000

Good work, solid reporting. well done.

By: Mrs Trellis

Mrs Trellis — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:03:54 +0000

ami, I’m afraid tidying up the links must wait until I’m no longer under the watchful eyes of my employers, i.e. this evening.

By: socialrepublican

socialrepublican — Fri, 02 May 2008 10:43:04 +0000

Thanks, Ami. Great post