Reporting on Conflict | Media Watch Blog

• News source:
• first published 22 November 2011
• Guardian
• By Peter Hallward

Occupy movements in the US went on the offensive last week, a few days after police forcibly cleared tents in cities from New York to Oakland. In addition to holding their ground in the face of violent intimidation, they began to interrupt business as usual. Rejecting the logic that compels the poor to bail out the rich, they restricted access to New York’s stock exchange, they marched on bridges and subway stations, they targeted banks and corporations, they overwhelmed university campuses. Meanwhile, in defiance of an eviction order, Occupy London undertook a “public repossession” of an abandoned office building and began its conversion into a “bank of ideas”; in its first couple of days, this new variation on a public university has already arranged a full schedule of meetings and talks about privatisation, tax havens, globalisation, direct democracy, the Tobin tax, photography and contemporary fiction. More forceful protests against neoliberal austerity measures and other forms of tyranny, meanwhile, have continued in Tahrir Square and in cities across Europe and the Middle East.

• News source:
• 2 December 2011
• JURIST
• By Sarah Posner

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Friday urged the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation into crimes against humanity committed by the Syrian government. Pillay said that during the eight-month uprising the death toll in Syria has surpassed 4,000 with tens of thousands arrested and over 14,000 detained as a result of the crackdown. The Human Rights Council established an Independent International Commission of Inquiry to investigate the human rights violations in Syria during the eight-month uprising. Pillay stated:

The Commission’s report documents widespread, systematic and gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by Syrian authorities by acts such as: killing of children by beating or shooting during demonstrations, arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment. It records at least 256 deaths of children—I understand since increased to 307 children—and instances of schools being used as detention facilities, demonstrating the State’s disregard for children’s right to education and personal safety. The Commission collected evidence of sexual violence against civilians, especially sexual torture of male detainees and children and sexual assaults upon women in places of detention.

• News source:
• 2 December 2011
• Human Rights First
• By Neil Hicks

Political parties with clear Islamic identities appear to be gaining a majority in preliminary results from Egypt’s first round of parliamentary elections: the Muslim Brotherhood backed Freedom and Justice Party has around 40% of the vote and a further 25% went to the more extreme Salafi, An-Nour party.  While the Brotherhood and the FJP have pledged to respect democratic principles and the rights of other Egyptians, the Salafis are explicitly hostile to the rights of women and minorities and to freedom of expression.

These parties believe that the law of God is superior to that of men and that they are in unique possession of the authoritative interpretation of the divine will.  Their apparent strength is bad news for human rights in Egypt, but it should focus the minds of those who wish to see Egypt’s democratic transition move forward.

Here are five reasons not to give up on Egypt’s democratic transition at the first hurdle…

• News source:
• 2 December 2011
• New York Times
• By Aung San Suu Kyi

• News source:
• November-December 2011
• Peacemakers Trust

Did you know that Peacemakers Trust work has no paid staff? This means our overhead is low and your donor dollars go farther. In 2012, Peacemakers Trust would like to expand its work in three major ways all of which require funding for additional expenses or honoraria for students, interns, educators or researchers:

• Peacemakers Trust online bibliographic resources
• Education
• Research on peacebuilding

We would welcome your partnership as a donor or funder. Peacemakers Trust is pleased to announce its registration with CanadaHelps for secure online donations by individual or instituional subscribers.

Here is some more information about donating to Peacemakers Trust.
Here is more information about CanadaHelps.

Year-end gift acceptance

This is to let you know that Canadian law requires charitable organizations to receipt donations in the year they are received. Cheques and money orders sent by mail must be:
• dated in the current year,
• the envelope both metered (if a stamp is not used) and postmarked prior to December 31 of the current year,
• and delivered within one week of New Year’s Day in order for an official receipt for tax purposes to be issued for the current year.

• News source:

“FROM TALK TO ACTION’ – PROGRESSING BEYOND THE TYPICAL CONFERENCE TOWARDS STRATEGIC ACTION COLLABORATIONS TO ADVANCE MEDIATION, CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION AND PEACEBUILDING PROCESSES IN ASIA PACIFIC

Since 2001, the APMF has organised four successful Mediation Conferences throughout the Asia Pacific region in Australia, Singapore, Fiji and Malaysia. Traditionally, these conferences have provided an exceptional opportunity for an array of academics, policy makers, practitioners and students from diverse countries to share their knowledge and skills while building networks in a stimulating environment. During the 4th APMF Mediation Conference in Malaysia (2008), participants’ identified the need for access to a “collaborative strategic dialogue and action planning space” in which they could collectively and more comprehensively contribute to the advancement of mediation, other conflict transformation and peacebuilding processes in the region. The APMF Executive and Summit Coordination Committee are committed to provide this vital “space” through a collaborative Summit that offers opportunities for stimulating dialogue (e.g. discussions with renowned international, regional, national experts and professional colleagues); knowledge building and skills sharing (e.g. course, field trip and mentoring opportunities, sharing research findings, etc.); the identification and engagement of cross-cutting and themed Mediation Action Groups; the design and implementation of strategic Mediation Action Plans; and through dynamic networking opportunities. Collaboratively designed and driven by proactive delegates, the Summit process and resulting outcomes have real potential to contribute to and advance mediation, other conflict transformation and peacebuilding processes in culturally fluent ways across the Asia Pacific region.