March 2010
March 2010
Contents
Announcements and Events
CIVICUS Announces Ninth World Assembly
NIMD to Release Publication on Democracy Assistance in the Middle East and North Africa
Defending Civil Society
CIVICUS Publishes Multilateral Human Rights Agreements
Civil Society Strengthening
Brazilian Group Calls for Increased Participation of Civil Society in the United Nations
Civil Society Promotes Ratification of African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance
Conflict Resolution and Transitional Justice
Human Rights Education Associates Offers Course on Transitional Justice
Elections
Association of European Election Officials Releases Report on Voter Registration Systems in Europe
IFES Releases Survey Findings on Public Opinion in Tajikistan
ACE Project Now Accessible Online and on Facebook
Gender Issues and Sexual Minority Rights
Call for Applications: Moremi Leadership Empowerment and Development Fellows Program
Center for Democratic Institutions in Australia Holds Women in Politics Training Course 2009
Good Governance, Transparency and Anti-Corruption
Indonesian Public Awareness Campaign on Anti-Corruption Launched
Human Rights, Equality and Access to Justice
NGO Forum on Cambodia Submits Report on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
EHAHRDP Biannual Newsletter Released
Amman Center for Human Rights Studies Publishes 2008-09 Progress Report
New Publication on Media Monitoring, Information Scanning, and Intelligence for Human Rights NGOs
Media, Freedom of Expression and Communication Technology
CIMA Releases Report on the Past and Future of Peacekeeping Radio
World Movement for Participants Mentioned in this Issue
Announcements and Events
CIVICUS Announces Ninth World Assembly
In February, CIVICUS officially launched the registration process for its Ninth World Assembly to be held on August 20-23, 2010, in Montréal, Canada. The CIVICUS World Assembly acts as a venue for civil society, donors, government, business, and media to convene and to work collaboratively towards strengthening the rights of individuals. This year’s assembly will address the issues of economy, development, and climate.
Go to: www.civicusassembly.org
NIMD to Release Publication on Democracy Assistance in the Middle East and North Africa
On March 26, the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), together with HIVOS and the University of Amsterdam, will hold an event for the release of its new publication, “Beyond Orthodox Approaches - Assessing Opportunities for Democracy Support in the Middle East and North Africa.” The publication features case studies on Morocco, Egypt, and Iran and discusses the possibilities for democratization in the region.
Go to: www.nimd.org/document/1792
Defending Civil Society Strengthening
CIVICUS Publishes Multilateral Human Rights Agreements
CIVICUS has compiled all agreements made by national governments to protect the rights of citizens and organizations to take part actively in shaping governmental and institutional policies and practices of their country. The “Compendium of International Legal Instruments and Other Intergovernmental Commitments Concerning Core Civil Society Rights,” released in February, is a dynamic tool meant to help protect the rights of civil society by promoting transparency.
Go to: www.civicus.org/content/Compendium_Jan2010.pdf
Civil Society Strengthening
Brazilian Group Calls for Increased Participation of Civil Society in the United Nations
Human rights defenders who participated in the Ninth International Human Rights Colloquium, organized by Conectas Human Rights, based in Brazil, have compiled the proposals drawn up during the workshops and lectures at the event and produced a document with suggestions on how to increase the participation of civil society in UN international mechanisms and to improve the effectiveness of these mechanisms in their promotion and protection of human rights. The document will now be sent to the United Nations as well as governments, NGOs, and civil society institutions.
Go to: www.conectas.org/noticia.php?not_id=398&idioma=en
Civil Society Promotes Ratification of African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance
On February 22-23, over 30 civil society organizations came together in South Africa to discuss strategies for the popularization, ratification, and implementation of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, which was adopted by the African Union in January 2007. The groups discussed the significance of the Charter, particularly in light of the recent resurgence of unconstitutional changes throughout the continent. The various groups have developed and published a declaration calling on all Africans to join in the effort to realize the ideals and objectives of the Charter by urging their governments to ratify and put it into action.
Go to: www.africandemocracyforum.org/attachments/055_Final%20Declaration%20on%20African%20Charter.pdf
Conflict Resolution and Transitional Justice
Human Rights Education Associates Offers Course on Transitional Justice
From April 16 to July 11, 2010, Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) will hold a course on Human Rights and Transitional Justice. The course will provide a detailed introduction to the number of political mechanisms as well as legal instruments that promote and facilitate transitional justice and reconciliation processes. It will outline who the main actors are in these fields. Participants will apply these mechanisms to case studies and develop their own tools and possibilities to contribute to these processes. The application deadline is March 15, 2010.
Go to: www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=666&language_id=1
Elections
Association of European Election Officials Releases Report on Voter Registration Systems in Europe
In January, the Association of European Election Officials (ACEEEO), with support from the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), published “Developing Accurate Voters’ Lists in Transitional Democracies.” The report examines the voter registration systems in Central and Eastern Europe, based on information, data, and self-assessment of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) from the region. Case studies focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Macedonia, and Moldova.
Go to: www.un.org/democracyfund/Docs/ACEEEO_2nd_milestone_f.pdf
IFES Releases Survey Findings on Public Opinion in Tajikistan
Prior to the February 28 parliamentary elections in Tajikistan, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) released “Public Opinion in Tajikistan 2010: Findings from an IFES Survey.” The poll gives insight into Tajikistanis' political knowledge and their intentions on participating in the electoral process; issues of greatest concern to them (employment, economic growth, fighting poverty and corruption); and their overall assessment of the state of their country. It also sheds light into their views of the different political parties, democracy, and of Islam as state doctrine. This survey, the third national poll conducted by IFES in Tajikistan, also provides information about respondents’ perspectives on the economy, citizens’ rights and responsibilities, and the standing of women.
Go to: www.ifes.org/publication/4c5be7b79b40b3f79b6ae147cfa467fe/IFES_TajikistanSurvey_012510.pdf
ACE Project Now Accessible Online and on Facebook
ACE Project (also known as ACE Electoral Knowledge Network) is an online knowledge repository that provides users with comparative election data as well as news about specific elections, and serves as a forum for election practitioners to meet and share their knowledge and experiences. ACE Project seeks to supply election officials, electoral assistance providers, and stakeholders with the necessary information to increase the transparency and credibility of all electoral processes. It currently offers users a comparative survey of nine different election-related topics in over 180 countries, and also provides links to election reports, constitutions, and sample ballot papers for each country.
To learn more, go to: www.aceproject.org
To follow the ACE Project on Facebook, go to: www.facebook.com/pages/aceproject/304169885138
Gender Issues and Sexual Minority Rights
Call for Applications: Moremi Leadership Empowerment and Development Fellows Program
The Moremi Initiative for Women's Leadership in Africa is now accepting applications for its 2010 Moremi Leadership Empowerment and Development (MILEAD) Fellows Program for young African women leaders. The MILEAD Fellows Program is a one-year leadership development program designed to identify, develop, and promote emerging young African Women leaders to attain and succeed in leadership in their community and Africa as a whole. The one-year program targets dynamic young women interested in developing transformational leadership skills that help them tackle issues affecting women in their communities.
Go to: www.moremiinitiative.org
Center for Democratic Institutions in Australia Holds Women in Politics Training Course 2009
The second Center for Democratic Institutions (CDI) Women in Politics (WiP) course was held in December 2009 at the Australian National University in Canberra for 18 participants from 10 different countries. The annual WiP course builds the capacity of social and political actors in the region to improve women’s political representation. It was designed in particular for women intending to enter national politics in the Pacific Islands, whether as a candidate for elected office, a political party organizer, or a similar role in the democratic process. The course offers a unique opportunity for participants to learn and discuss Australian experiences and practices in promoting gender equality, as well as to share their own experiences.
Go to: www.cdi.anu.edu.au/cdinews/D_P/2009-10/2010_01_CDI.News_FEB_MAR.pdf
Good Governance, Transparency and Anti-Corruption
Indonesian Public Awareness Campaign on Anti-Corruption Launched
Indonesia Business Links (IBL) launched its “Public Awareness Campaign on Anti-Corruption” with the broadcast of a short video that aired on Metro TV three times a day on January 25-31, 2010. Metro TV is one of the largest television stations in Indonesia with nationwide coverage. The campaign video will also be broadcast on other TV channels, such as QTV and TVOne.
Go to: www.blip.tv/file/3128288
Human Rights, Equality and Access to Justice
NGO Forum on Cambodia Submits Report on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
In February, the NGO Forum on Cambodia, together with the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee and the Housing Rights Task Force, submitted “The Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Cambodia” to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The report demonstrates that indigenous peoples in Cambodia are reporting extensive and serious problems with regard to natural resources. Recommendations made in the report include enforcing the Land Laws in Cambodia so that indigenous peoples do not lose their land; holding the courts and military accountable for not protecting indigenous peoples; and allowing indigenous peoples to participate more actively in decision making processes.
To read the report, go to: www.wmd.org/documents/0310dn13.pdf
To read the World Movement’s installment of “What’s Being Done on Enhancing the Political Participation of Minority Peoples?”, go to: www.wmd.org/wbdo/sept08.html
EHAHRDP Biannual Newsletter Released
The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (EHAHRDP) recently issued its biannual newsletter, “Defenders in Focus”. The newsletter offers an overview of some of the activities that EAHRDP undertook between July and December 2009, including their attendance at the 12th session of the UN Human Rights Commission, the 46th session of the African Commission, and trial observation training in Geneva. The newsletter also mentions the organization’s capacity-building efforts in which they set up workshops for women and minority human rights defenders, and also discusses EHAHRDP’s encouragement of coalition meetings in Burundi.
To read the newsletter, send an email to advocacy@defenddefenders.org.
Amman Center for Human Rights Studies Publishes 2008-09 Progress Report
The Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS) has released its annual report detailing the projects and activities it undertook during the year. The Amman Center is a Jordan-based organization that aims to strengthen civil society in Jordan and in the Arab World by promoting a general level of awareness and sensibility towards human rights and democracy. The report describes how in 2009 ACHRS led several training courses for media workers and journalists, human rights education courses for high school and university students, and published many works about the value of human rights protection.
Go to: www.achrs.org/english/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=5&id=23&Itemid=59
New Publication on Media Monitoring, Information Scanning, and Intelligence for Human Rights NGOs
Human Rights Information and Documentation Systems, International (HURIDOCS) recently released “Media Monitoring, Information Scanning, and Intelligence for Human Rights NGOs.” The report provides ideas for efficient media monitoring and advice for filtering, evaluating, and piloting information flows. It describes how Web information management tools can provide automated support for information monitoring, and illustrates how a professional project framework for information scanning activities can help to avoid common information management pitfalls.
Go to: www.huridocs.org/tools/tools/Media%20monitoring
Media, Freedom of Expression and Communication Technology
CIMA Releases Report on the Past and Future of Peacekeeping Radio
In February, the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) released the report, “Broadcasting in UN Blue: The Unexamined Past and Uncertain Future of Peacekeeping Radio,” which examines the role that peacekeeping radio stations have played in post-conflict countries and offers recommendations to help UN radio services make lasting contributions to free media. This report was written by Bill Orme, who has served for the past seven years at the United Nations Development Program as a senior advisor on media development and strategic communications.
Research
American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation Launches International Democracy Memory Bank Project
On March 3, the American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation launched “Civic Voices: An International Democracy Memory Bank Project.” For the project, students from around the world recorded stories of activists in their communities who have participated in movements for human rights and democracy. This collection of narratives will contain transcripts of every interview submitted to the Democracy Memory Bank, as well as excerpts from selected videos.
Go to: www.civicvoices.org/default.aspx?ResourceTypeID=10&c=1
World Movement Participants Mentioned in this Issue
CIVICUS – www.civicus.org
Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) – www.nimd.org
Conectas Human Rights – www.conectas.org
African Democracy Forum (ADF) - http://africandemocracyforum.org
Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) – www.hrea.org
Center for Democratic Institutions (CDI) - www.cdi.anu.edu.au
East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network –
Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS) – www.achrs.org
Human Rights Information and Documentation Systems, International (HURIDOCS) – www.huridocs.org
Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) – http://cima.ned.org
American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation - www.aft.org
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