Gorachand's Page

As World Citizens, we work to safeguard and implement all human rights – civil and political, economic, social, and cultural – as the foundation of a just world society. Today, we see the rise of a new spirit of liberty and democracy throughout the world. The old structures of oppression and domination are crumbling — those of caste, class, gender and nation. In place of repression, there are new institutions of popular participation. These efforts of transformation merit support. The path may yet be hard, but the direction is set. Your cooperation in these tasks is welcome.
Rene Wadlow, Representative to the United Nations, Geneva, Association of World Citizens

Sri Lanka: After the final round of armed violence: a need for a vision of the future. Citizens of the World call for creative responses to the challenge of new government structures.
Rene Wadlow*

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelan (LTTE) face military defeat on the last few square miles of territory they still hold. There are still civilians trapped between the LTTE and the advancing Sri Lankan army. Large numbers of displaced persons from the fighting are living in harsh conditions in temporary camps.

Thus the major issue today is no longer calling for negotiations between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE but rather to encourage all parties to look toward the future in a spirit of reconciliation.

The armed conflict, which began in 1983, has taken an estimated 70,000 lives with many wounded and lives broken. The psychological wounds are deep, and the healing of individual traumas with psycho-spiritual techniques is a real priority.

There is a need to develop governmental structures in which all citizens will feel that they belong and that their interests are safeguarded. Citizens of the World have often proposed federal structures as a way of respecting differences in a pluralistic society while providing the possibilities of joint action.

Such federal forms of government were agreed to in 1987 with the India-Sri Lanka accord leading to the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lanka Constitution. The Amendment provides for the establishment of provincial councils. Unfortunately, these councils have never become functional.

The suffering of the war may sow the seeds of future unrest and a desire for revenge unless steps are taken quickly to develop flexible structures which provide real regional autonomy.

We hope that you will join with other Citizens of the World in this call for creative responses in Sri Lanka

* Rene Wadlow, Representative to the United Nations, Geneva, Association of World Citizens

Hi
I'm Aaditya from India
I am a film student

I have made a video on world peace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly4bDl0ulf4

Plz watch it and comment and rate it!!!

please add this video to your blog/website/myspace/facebook account


.

Plz join my group on facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54261082633 and http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=64551173328

I have just returned from Geneva where the United Nations is preparing a conference to be held 20-24 April to look at current manifestations of racial discrimination and xenophobia. As a non-governmental organization in consultative status and active in human rights issues, the representatives of the Association of World Citizens participate in the preperations as well as in the conference.

In many parts of the world, there is an intensification of xenophobia - fear of the foreign- usually expressed as fear and rejection of the foreigner. We see propaganda against immigrants and the promotion of doctrines of cultural and religious superiority. Yet each situation is different. Thus, to prepare our contribution to the Conference, I would be glad to receive your experiences and analysis of the area where you live or know best concerning xenophobic currents and the rejection of cultrual diversity.

As things now stand, I think that I will stress three issues on which I have worked before, but I am open to other additions:

1) Migration. Migration for work is already an important world pattern and is likely to grow with the impact of the economic downturn. It is important to look at the ways that migrants are treated. The fear of migrants and their impact on society is an important factor in xenophobia.

2) Trafficking is an aspect and a particular form of the patterns of migration. There is a large underground economy linked to trafficking in persons. Trafficking is often treated as a police matter with little concern for the people so trafficked. Linked to the issue of trafficking is violence against women, especially women trafficked for the sex trade. While there are many forms of violence against women - often within the family - we can safely say that there is little trafficking of women for sexual purposes which is not associated with violence against women.

3) There is a need to strengthen the United Nations and regional institutions to deal with the consequences of migration and trafficking in persons.

I would be glad to receive your comments and suggestions at my personal email
wadlowz@aol.com. Thanks for your cooperation.

Rene Wadlow, Representative to the UN, Geneva, Association of World Citizens