Yearly Archives: 2010
Top UN Rights Official Condemns Imprisonment of Malawi Gay Couple
May 17 was international day against homophobia. As UNAIDS noted at the time, “Of the 192 member states of the United Nations, 85 have laws that still criminalize homosexual behavior.” Apparently one of those countries is Malawi, where a gay couple was sentenced to 14 years of hard labor and imprisonment for…being a gay couple.*
Embedded With Afghan Civil Society – Part 2 – The Long Haul to Bamiyan
In May 2010, I was given the opportunity to accompany the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization (AHRDO), an NGO that promotes human rights through arts and culture, as its staff conducted participatory theater workshops as psycho-social therapy and organized civilian war victims to take an active role in shaping the national debate over the government’s intention to negotiate with some of the insurgent factions currently battling Afghan and international forces.
Iran Day at the UN
Lots of goings on around the UN and Iran. As it happened, I attended a small press briefing with Ban Ki Moon at UN headquarters yesterday. He described the recent Brazil/Turkey fuel exchange deal as a potentially “positive step in building confidence if followed by broader engagement with the IAEA and international community.” Meanwhile, moments before the conference began, Secretary Clinton declared to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that all five members of the Security Council have agreed on a draft sanctions resolution on Iran.
Embedded With Afghan Civil Society – Part 1 – Leaving Kabul in Darkness
In May 2010, I accompanied the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization (AHRDO), an NGO that promotes human rights through arts and culture, as its staff conducted participatory theater workshops as psycho-social therapy and organized civilian war victims to take an active role in shaping the national debate over the government’s intention to negotiate with some of the insurgent factions currently battling Afghan and international forces.
Embedded With Afghan Civil Society – Introduction
Afghanistan is more than a war, and though violence is spreading, much of the country remains peaceful. Events in Afghanistan seldom make headlines abroad unless they involve violence, fanaticism or government malfeasance. Regrettably little attention is paid to civilian life, which goes on –because it must– in spite of deteriorating security.
For Guinea, The Vibes are Good
A political milestone has just been marked in Guinea: the campaign for the first round of the presidential election was launched yesterday, the first free and open competition for the country’s top leadership post since independence in 1958. The first round of the election is scheduled for June 27, with a potential second round slated to occur 2 weeks later, should no absolute majority emerge from the first round of voting.
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The SC; HRC; DPRK; South Sudan
The SC: The Security Council today held its last consultations under the Council Presidency of ROK. Tomorrow, Russia will take over the rotating Presidency of the Security Council for March under Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
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The SG; Mali; Middle East; Palestine
The SG: At the Fifth Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Vienna, Austria today, the SG emphasized the role of youth in ensuring a “prosperous, equitable and peaceful future.”
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The SG; DRC; HRC; Palestinian Prisoner
The SG: In Ethiopia over the weekend, the SG is now in the United Arab Emirates. Today he met with Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, where the two discussed developments in the region, including Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, and in the Middle East Peace Process.
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