On July 29, CIVICUS and Article XIX with several other civil society organizations issued a statement expressing alarm about systematic restrictions on civil society freedoms of expression, association, and assembly in Venezuela. The statement cites the Venezuelan government’s is increasing restrictions on civil society, including limiting freedom of expression and persecuting human rights defenders.

On July 14, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called for an investigation of human rights organizations that allegedly worked with the United States government and received funds to “destabilize the Venezuelan government.” The signers of the statement believe this “in depth investigation” is an attempt to place restrictions on freedom of expression. The Venezuelan government uses various harassment tactics, such as public threats and judicial proceedings, to silence the opposition and to restrict human rights defenders and journalists. For example, Oswaldo Alvarez Paz, a member of the opposition political party, was arrested earlier this year for commenting on Venezuela’s involvement in the drug trade and was charged with “conspiracy against the government.” When Francisco Perez, a journalist, published an article on corruption in the local Valencia government, he was immediately reprimanded; on June 11, he was sentenced to 3 years and 9 months in prison, stripped of his professional certification, and ordered to pay a fine of about a US$20,000.

According to the statement, the growing restrictions on civil society are hindering Venezuela from developing stable international relations and calls on the Venezuelan government to take immediate steps to protect the human rights defenders.

Go to: www.civicus.org/civicus-home/1438 or www.article19.org/pdfs/press/venezuela-government-crack-down.pdf

To read statement from the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy (in Spanish), go to: http://www.democracialatinoamerica.org/965/caso-de-violacion-de-ddhh-en-venezuela-y-traicion-a-la-patria-contra-organizacin-sumate.html
 

 

 

On June 23-29, 2010, the World Youth Movement for Democracy (WYMD) held elections for its Leadership Board, which will be responsible for leading the Youth Movement for the next two years. The new Leadership Board includes Alex Fotoh (Cameroon) and Chiedza Gadzirayi (Zimbabwe) from Africa; Deewai Mabunga (Philippines) and Niwa Rahmad Dwitama (Indonesia) from Asia; Daria Taradai (Ukraine) and Pedro Silverio (Spain) from Europe/Eurasia; Sarah Iris Garcia (Guatemala) and Sixto Martínez (Venezuela) from Latin America & Caribbean; and Rami Shamma (Lebanon) from Middle East & North Africa. The board’s focus for the next two years will be on the further development of the Network, protecting youth activists in adverse circumstances, and increasing the knowledge of information and communication technologies among youth.

 

Go to: www.wymdonline.org  

 

 

 

The China Rights Forum’s special issue on “China’s Internet: Staking Digital Ground” describes the Chinese government’s “three narratives” about the Internet designed for three different audiences: a made-for-export version for foreign consumption, an internal narrative drawn from official government policy documents, and a “sanitized” narrative for the Chinese people. The clash of these narratives is vividly illustrated by two versions of an April 29 speech by China’s top official responsible for managing online information, which provided a blueprint for expanded legislative, regulatory, and administrative control of the Internet, including “preventing the infiltration of harmful information from overseas.” The objectives are to guide public opinion, unify thinking, and counter “the hegemony of Western media.” The special sanitized version of the speech, later published in China’s official media, omitted nearly all the references to government control and the suppression of disapproved content.

 

Go to: www.hrichina.org/public/contents/category?cid=175033       

 

The CIVICUS Participatory Governance Programme has launched the Participatory Governance (PG) Exchange, an online global platform for the development of knowledge sharing on participatory governance. Participatory governance is about empowering citizens to participate in processes of public decision-making that affect their lives. The PG Exchange consists of a virtual toolkit of over 50 PG tools and approaches and a selection of key resources and case studies for each tool. It also has space for the global PG Community of Practice (CoP) to engage in knowledge sharing and peer support.

 

Go to: www.pgexchange.org

 

From February 28 to May 27, 2011, the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society is providing its Emerging Leaders International Fellows Program & U.S. Diversity Fellowship at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. The fellowship is a professional development opportunity for Third-Sector practitioners to support community philanthropy and to help build capacity in their home countries. During this three-month fellowship, participants will receive nonprofit sector leadership training through seminars and applied research. Applications will be accepted through September 22, 2010.

 

Go to: www.philanthropy.org  

 

The “No Women. No Play.” Campaign, an initiative of the Hadi al-Mutif Program for Human Rights at the Institute of Gulf Affairs based in Washington, DC, seeks to raise awareness of the status of women in Saudi Arabia by focusing on their exclusion from professional sports, including participating in the Olympic Games. Women in Saudi Arabia are also excluded from running for political office, driving, and other activities, women are forbidden from playing sports. The campaign’s premise is that because this gender discrimination violates the Olympic Charter, which prohibits discrimination of any kind, the International Olympic Committee should ban Saudi Arabia from participating in the 2012 London Olympics unless the country overturns the ban on women in sports.

“No Women. No Play.” will work to raise awareness of this issue internationally by partnering with other organizations, governments, and individuals, by hosting events. The campaign also plans to publish a policy paper on how the international community can advocate for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. The objective is to create international pressure for gender reform in Saudi Arabia and empower women within the country. 

Go to: http://twitter.com/NOWOMENNOPLAY

 

Call for Nominations: Palmer Prize for Diplomats
The Council for a Community of Democracy is now accepting nominations for a new award, the Palmer Prize. The Prize seeks to honor those diplomats who are actively engaged in the realization of the standards of the Warsaw Declaration. The award is intended for diplomats who display valor under difficult circumstances and take risks or are especially inventive in their sustained efforts to assist civil society to advance democracy in their countries of assignment. Our models for the award are drawn from the experiences highlighted in the Diplomat’s Handbook for Democracy Development Support, a work inspired by Ambassador Mark Palmer and by his exceptional service to the cause of democracy as United States Ambassador to Hungary during that country’s transition to democracy.

For more information, contact Matt Levy, levy@ccd21.org

To read the Warsaw Declaration, go to: www.ccd21.org/cd/docs/warsaw.pdf 

To read the Diplomat’s Handbook, go to: http://diplomatshandbook.org

 

 

The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide two research assessment grants to individuals and/or organizations to conduct research on, and prepare an assessment of, the legal framework for civil society in Somaliland and Puntland. Preference will be given to resident applicants from the Somaliland and Puntland regions of Somalia, but non-resident individuals or organizations who are active inside and in frequent communication with civil society in either or both regions may also apply. The application deadline is August 31, 2010.

 

Go to: www.icnl.org/researchgrant

 

 

 

On July 15, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) held an event, “Fifteen Years Later: Forward or Backward in the Balkans?,” marking the anniversary of the genocide at Srebrenica in Bosnia. The event included two panels, one on fact-finding, truth-telling, and memorialization, and a second on international engagement and the future of the region. The event also featured a keynote address by Vice President Biden’s national security advisor, Antony Blinken.

To read more about the event from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, go to: www.ushmm.org/genocide/analysis/details.php?content=2010-06-30  

To read about the event in DemocracyDigest, go to: www.demdigest.net/blog/regions/easterneurope/15-years-after-srebrenica-massacre-moral-imperatives-meet-political-realities-in-the-balkans.html   

 

 

In July, InformAction Kenya, a non-profit media production company with a focus on social justice based in Nairobi, released “Clearing the Air,” a short video about Kenya’s draft constitution and the upcoming constitutional referendum. On August 4, Kenya will vote on a proposed new constitution and whether to do away with the 2008 Constitution, which was written to establish peace in the country during a time of intense violence. In the video, several activists and experts speak about the need for constitutional reform as a means for change throughout the country. World Movement Steering Committee member from Kenya, Maina Kiai, narrates the video.

 

Go to: http://vimeo.com/13242621

 

 

 

The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network, a global network that promotes credible and transparent electoral processes with emphasis on sustainability, professionalism, and trust in the electoral process, recently released its July 2010 Global Newsletter. This edition provides articles on effective strategies for international election support, transparency and elections, and reflections from the recent elections in Togo.

 

Go to: www.aceproject.org/today/newsletter    

 

The Consortium on Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), in collaboration with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the International Republican Institute (IRI), and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), has launched ElectionGuide Digest, a project to expand the ElectionGuide Web site.  It highlights upcoming events and conferences on democracy and governance (DG) assistance, the latest DG research and reports, and original commentary from academics and practitioners working on DG issues.   In addition, it provides coverage of selected sub-national elections and an enhanced email newsletter.

 

Go to: http://digest.electionguide.org

 

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) published its 12th edition of IFES' Buyer's Guide to Election Suppliers.  As an industry-specific resource, it features information about companies selling goods and services used during electoral processes.  The Buyer’s Guide is read nationally and internationally by election officials, procurement managers, contractors, donor organizations, and other staff.  It is published annually and funded by participating companies.

 

Go to: www.ifesbuyersguide.com  

 

 

 

The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) and the Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust (YETT), in collaboration with young women’s networks and formations in Southern Africa, are hosting a Southern African Young Women’s Festival (SAYWF) in Harare, Zimbabwe, on October 24-28, 2010.  The Festival is designed to provide space for women between 18 and 30, to come together to share experiences and strategies, and to celebrate the potential they have to advocate for social justice in their respective communities.  Activities at the Festival will include panel discussions, talent shows, debate contests, inter-generational dialogue sessions, talk shows, music and film shows, and many other activities. Young women from Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are encouraged to apply to be part of the event.  The deadline for applications is August 15.

 

Go to: www.civicus.org/Osisa_Call%20for%20Applications.pdf  

 

 

 

On August 25-31, New Tactics in Human Rights (New Tactics) and Shaazka Beyerle of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC) will hold an online dialogue on Empowering Citizens to Fight Corruption.  The discussion will highlight how campaigns empower and mobilize citizens to counter corruption in their communities.  It is an opportunity to learn about and share experiences in these kinds of campaigns as well an exchange of ideas, resources, and stories.

 

Go to: www.newtactics.org/en/blog/new-tactics/empowering-citizens-fight-corruption  

 

 

 

In a report released on July 15, Amnesty International highlights serious concerns regarding ongoing insecurity and human rights violations in eastern Chad as an important UN peacekeeping mission starts to withdraw from the country. The report, Chad: “We too deserve protection” – Human Rights Challenges as the UN Mission Withdraws, argues that the withdrawal of the UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) will put more than 250,000 refugees from Sudan (Darfur) and 170,000 internally displaced Chadians, in addition to the local population in eastern Chad, at risk. Under the terms of a May 2010 UN Security Council (SC) resolution, MINURCAT is to completely withdraw by December 31, 2010.  Amnesty International calls on the Chadian Government, and the international community through the SC to take immediate steps to protect the human rights of the civilian population in eastern Chad.  Amnesty also calls on the UN Security Council to maintain a high level of engagement in eastern Chad to ensure that the security situation does not deteriorate during and after the withdrawal of MINURCAT.

 

Go to: www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AFR20/009/2010/en  

 

On July 4-5, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), based in Munich, Germany, organized peaceful protests and events around the world to commemorate the tragic events of July 5, 2009 in Urumqi, the regional capital of East Turkestan (also known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region or XUAR). According to WUC and others knowledgeable about the situation, on that day, Chinese security forces brutally suppressed a peaceful protest by Uyghurs in Urumqi and killed an untold number of protestors. Subsequently, the Chinese authorities imposed strong measures against the Uyghur population of East Turkestan. The WUC and its members urge the Chinese government, the UN, the EU, and national governments to take action to improve the human rights situation in East Turkestan.

 

Go to: www.uyghurcongress.org/en/?p=3097%20Press%20notes%20on%20demonstration%20in%20Munich,%20Germany  

 

The American Bar Association (ABA) has presented Zimbabwean lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa with its 2010 International Human Rights Award. The Award recognizes those who have made extraordinary contributions to the cause of human rights, the rule of law, and the promotion of access to justice. Mtetwa is the founding member and current Board member of World Movement participating organization Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and former president of the Law Society of Zimbabwe. She has extensive experience in the field of human rights.

 

Go to: www.abanet.org/litigation/committees/international/ihr_2010.html  

 

The Vietnam Human Rights Network is now accepting nominations for its 2010 Vietnam Human Rights Award. The Award recognizes those who work in the field of human rights in Vietnam and their fight for basic rights for the Vietnamese people. The winner(s) will be announced in early November 2010, and the Award will be presented at the Commemoration of the 62nd Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 2010. Nominees must be individuals or nongovernmental organizations currently active in Vietnam; must be involved in nonviolent work for the promotion and protection of the Vietnamese people’s human rights; and must have generated a positive influence inside and outside of Vietnam. Nominations must be submitted by an individual or an organization by September 30, 2010. No self nominations will be accepted.

 

Go to: www.vietnamhumanrights.net

 

To send a nomination, contact: vnhrnet@vietnamhumanrights.net

 

Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) has launched a new online course on the Rights of Refugees and Displaced Persons, which provides an overview of the institutions and mechanisms that serve to protect refugees and internally displaced persons. The course is self-directed and self-paced and combines text with multimedia, including videos and podcasts. There are also knowledge checks and quizzes to help the learner retain the information provided.

 

Go to: www.hrea.org/index.php?doc_id=1327

 

On September 22-28, New Tactics will hold an online dialogue on Self-Care for Activists: Sustaining Your Most Valuable Resource. The dialogue will address the risks of human rights work: fatigue, burnout, secondary and vicarious trauma, and stress. It will be an opportunity to exchange resources, approaches and ideas for how to address these risks.

 

Go to: www.newtactics.org/en/blog/new-tactics/self-care  

 

 

 

In June 2010, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) released its publication, From Principles to Practice: The Role of SA8000 in Implementing the UN Global Compact. A set of six case studies, it reviews companies using the SA8000 workplace conditions auditing standard to implement UN Global Compact commitments for labor relations. The publication was developed in cooperation with the UN Global Compact and Social Accountability International.

 

Go to: www.cipe.org/publications/papers/pdf/CIPE-SAI-UNGC_for%20web.pdf  

 

 

 

In July, the World Movement updated its final installment of “What’s Being Done On…” The installment, “What’s Being Done on the Protection of Journalists?,” features case studies on threats to journalists in Russia, Somalia, and Venezuela. The installment now includes "Brutal Censorship: Targeting Journalists in the North Caucasus," a video of a presentation given on June 15 by journalist and Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow Fatima Tlisova of Russia. The World Movement has also added a link to an interview with Marguerite Sullivan, Senior Director, Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) on the alarming number of jailed bloggers in the world. Finally, the installment now includes a comprehensive list of World Movement DemocracyAlerts on journalists facing danger since 2002.

 

To view "Brutal Censorship: Targeting Journalists in the North Caucasus," go to: www.wmd.org/resources/whats-being-done/protection-journalists/presentation-targeting-journalists-north-caucasus  

 

To read the interview with Marguerite Sullivan, go to: www.wmd.org/resources/whats-being-done/protection-journalists/interview-center-international-media-assistance  

 

To read the list of World Movement DemocracyAlerts on journalists, go to: www.wmd.org/resources/whats-being-done/protection-journalists/democracyalerts-journalists  

 

The Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA), in cooperation with the Center for Global Communication Studies at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication, has released a new report, “Evaluating the Evaluators: Media Freedom Indexes and What They Measure.” The report examines the strengths and shortcomings of existing media freedom indexes and offers recommendations to improve them. In view of the breadth and depth of these studies, the report recommends that organizations that evaluate press freedom continue to refine their methodology by increasing technical sophistication, cultural neutrality, and transparency, and that they incorporate digital media into their evaluations.

 

Go to: http://cima.ned.org/reports/evaluating-the-evaluators-media-freedom-indexes-and-what-they-measure.html

 

On July 22, the Liberia Media Initiative for Peace Democracy and Development (LMI) announced the launch of its new program, “DUCOR Debates.” The DUCOR Debates are a monthly interactive democracy forum that is conducted in a town hall format to debate key national issues in Liberia. It will facilitate face-to-face meetings between Liberian leaders and the people. At least 50 members of the public will be included in each meeting, where they can raise any major concern. The Debates will be broadcast on a network of 40 partner radio and TV stations across Liberia. LMI has already held the first debate, which featured the candidates of a by-election in the south-eastern regional county of River Gee.

 

Go to: www.heritageliberia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=862:nec-lmi-hold-debate-for-candidates-in-river-gee-bi-elections-tomorrow-&catid=25:politics  

 

On September 14-16, in Vienna, Austria, the South East Europe Media Organization (SEEMO), together with the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), will hold a conference, “Media in South East and Central Europe and EU: Hate Speech and Stereotypes in the Media, Role of Media in Conflicts and War, Professional Standards and Education of Journalists.” SEEMO hopes to address the problem of hate speech and other unprofessional behavior in South East Europe since the Kosovo War in the 1990s. SEEMO expects over 70 leading media professionals to participate.

 

Go to: www.seemo.org/activities/events/eventsseemoada-vienna2010.html  

 

 

 

In July, the Heinrich Boell Stiftung released its paper, “Climate Change and Democratisation: A Complex Relationship,” which explores how climate change affects democratization efforts and how democratization can mitigate greenhouse emissions and climate adaptation. The paper examines whether democracy at the country level and global climate change matter to each other. It also asks how democracy can be advanced in the face of adverse effects of global warming and extreme weather events. In connection with the paper, Heinrich Boell has initiated an online debate on the subject featuring policy makers, practitioners, and scientists. The debate is open to the public to view.

 

Go to: www.boell.org/web/index-622.html

 

Democracy Resource Center Announces Digital Library on Democracy
In its July electronic newsletter, the Democracy Resource Center announced the Digital Library on Democracy features full-text publications produced by Network for Democracy Research Institutes (NDRI) member institutions and provides scholars, activists, and others interested in democracy promotion and related issues with access to an online repository of materials. The Digital Library currently houses over 1,500 publications from twenty-one NDRI member institutes many of which are in developing and transitional countries.

Go to: http://bit.ly/ndrilibrary  

 

 

The Policy Association for an Open Society (PASOS) recently published a new policy brief, “Walking the tightrope of democracy aid - A long and winding road towards 'flexible', well-targeted EU funding for democracy and human rights," by Vera Rihackova, Senior Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, Czech Republic. It includes an analysis of the implementation of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (Country-Based Support Schemes) in Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. It also includes an assessment of the progress towards more flexible EU democracy funding and the impact of the Lisbon Treaty on European democracy assistance.

 

Go to: www.pasos.org/content/download/60024/236522/file/PASOS_EIDHR_policybrief1June2010.pdf