2 Topic - Thessaloniki International Student Model United Nations

Transcription

3rd Committee of the General Assembly
2nd Topic:
“Combating the glorification of Nazism and
other practices that contribute to fuelling
contemporary forms of racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance.”
TOPIC AREA B:
Combating the glorification of Nazism and other practices that
contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................ 3
DEFINITIONS ......................................................................................................................... 3
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND .................................................................................................. 4
NAZISM ................................................................................................................................... 4
THE NUREMBERG TRIBUNAL ........................................................................................................ 5
NEO-NAZISM AND OTHER PRACTICES TODAY ................................................................................... 5
Neo-Nazi organizations in Europe ....................................................................................... 6
Neo-nazi organizations in America, Asia and Africa ................................................... 8
NEO-NAZI PRACTICES AND IDEAS ....................................................................................... 10
NEO-NAZI PRACTICES AND HUMAN RIGHTS ....................................................................... 12
INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC ACTIONS ........................................................................ 13
INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS .......................................................................................................... 13
DOMESTIC ACTIONS ................................................................................................................. 14
IDEAS FOR PROPOSITION ................................................................................................... 15
BLOCK POSITIONS ............................................................................................................... 17
USA ...................................................................................................................................... 17
EUROPEAN UNION ................................................................................................................... 17
RUSSIAN FEDERATION .............................................................................................................. 17
UKRAINE ................................................................................................................................ 18
POINTS TO BE ADDRESSED ................................................................................................. 18
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................... 18
3rd Committee of the GA – Topic Area B
© 2015 by University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece, for Thessaloniki International Student Model United Nations.
All Rights Reserved.
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Overview
"Nazism lives in the egg of the snake".
An egg which was being hatched for years and years without anyone realizing its
existence. However, it seems that the crisis that occurred caused the breaking of the
egg and simultaneously the renaissance of the danger. As a result, the "snake" came
out and permeated all over the world.
Manifestations of hatred and violence against persons who are in one way or
another different, incited by extreme nationalism, racism and xenophobia, have
been a common sight for the developed countries especially in Europe. Extremist
political parties and movements as well as skinhead groups with radical
behavior have appeared in the political scenery causing a great danger for the
democratic function of the society. Fear has been spread not only to the groups
which are considered "targets" for the neo-nazi, but also within the society as a
whole.
The danger of "people hating people" is present and the "snake of Nazism" is
being fed every single day. The problem caused by these actions is common
among all states. As a result, the response to this challenge can only be based on
a mutual and cooperative approach.
Definitions
Nazism: the ideology and practice of the Nazis, especially the policy of racist
nationalism, national expansion and state control of the economy.
Neo-Nazi: a member of a fringe group inspired by Adolf Hitler's Nazis
Extremism: a tendency to go to extremes or an instance of going to extremes,
especially in politics.
Xenophobe: a person unduly fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign,
especially of strangers or foreign peoples.
Racial discrimination: the unfair treatment towards someone because he/she is
of a certain race or because of personal characteristics associated with race (such
as hair texture, skin color, or certain facial features).
Other practices, can vary from one state to another and may contain but not be
limited to religious extremism, political extremism, social extremism, far-right
parties that endorse nazism, organizations and groups that use violence against
homosexuals, immigrants and Romani people or groups and organizations with
anti-Semitic ideology.
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Historical Background
Nazism
Nazism appeared as a form of Fascism. Its main
difference with the latter was the element of antiSemitism and the goal of building a homogenous
society based on scientific racism.
The first Nazi Party was the German Workers’
Party(DAP) founded by Anton Draxler, a
politician with anti-Semitic, anti-capitalist and
anti-marxist
ideas,
in
“Do you now
January 1919.
appreciate the depth of
9 months later,
our National Socialist
Anton Draxler
Movement? Can there
organized a Party meeting during which he
be anything greater
was impressed by the ideas and the oratory
and more all
skills of a soldier. Without second thoughts, he
comprehending? Those
invited this “great speaker” to join the German
Workers’ Party. And so it began…
who see in National
Socialism nothing more
than a political
movement know
scarcely anything of it.
It is more even than
On the 12th of September 1919, Adolf Hitler
joined the DAP.
Hitler quickly managed to take the control of
the party and rename it to National and
Socialist German Workers’ Party. In the very
first point of the National Socialist Program it
was clearly declared that: “We demand the
unification of all Germans in the Greater Germany on the basis of the people's
right to self-determination”1. On the 31st of July 1932, 37% of the German
people voted for Hitler’s Party which came to power so as to become the first
ruling Nazi Party in history. One year later and after winning two more elections,
Hitler’s Party passed the Enabling Act, which rendered Hitler a dictator and
deprived the Reichstag of its power. Within months, all other parties were
banned and the Reichstag was replaced by a rubberstamp parliament which had
only one Party.
Hitler became “The Leader” (Führer).
Hitler then started the Second World War by invading Poland in 1939, which
caused the death of 2 million Polish and 3 million Soviet prisoners of war. He
also conceived and authorized the Holocaust, which caused the death of 7 million
people2 (mainly Jews but also Romani people) and promoted “eugenic policies”
1
2
For the full text of the program visit: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/imt/1708-ps.asp
Rummel, Rudolph (1994). Death by Government. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.
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based on the concept of racial hygiene, which caused the death of another 2
million people(mainly homosexuals, people with mental and physical disabilities,
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Adventists). The appalling scenes of the Holocaust and
the repellent and indelible memories that were caused still remain today and are
considered as the expression of the most distorted facet of the human race.
Following the German defeat in the Second World War and the unprecedented
horror of the Holocaust, Hitler’s Party lost its strength along with Germany itself.
Hitler died and his Nazi Party became a part of World History. However his “evil
legacy” never disappeared for good.
The Nuremberg Tribunal
In the aftermath of the Second World War, “the greatest trial in history3” took
place. The winning parties, meaning the United States, France, Great Britain and
the Soviet Union, all together appointed judges in an ad hoc Court, the
International Military Tribunal, which remained in history as the Nuremberg
Tribunal.
The Nuremberg Trial was the first ever penal trial of an international level and
its mission was to attribute the following counts:
Conspiracy to commit crimes alleged in other counts;
Crimes against peace
War crimes
Crimes against humanity
24 Nazi officials were brought to justice before the Court and 12 of them were
found guilty and were sentenced to death. 7 of them were sentenced to
imprisonment (either for the rest of their lives or for 20 years) and the rest were
acquitted. Since then, the Nuremberg Trial, regardless of the controversy that
occurred over its legitimacy, is considered to be the very first pillar upon which
the international criminal law was based. It was the first time that Nazi officials
were brought before justice.
Neo-nazism and other practices today
Edmund Burke once said that: “Those
who do not know History are
condemned to repeat it”. Neo-nazism
has risen again in many parts of the
world, causing horror in societies and
minorities. Attacks on immigrants, hit
squads, murders of “others”, pogroms
and army-like demonstrations have
appeared once again, threating to
3
This phrase belongs to Norman Birkett, one of the judges of the Court.
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spread danger and fear among people.
NeoNeo-Nazi organizations in Europe
During the last 5 years of economic recession, many countries within the
European family have faced the danger caused by the rise of far-right extremists
and neo-nazi groups. The presence of neo-nazi organizations in Europe has not
simply been limited to actions and demonstrations of their malevolent messages.
Many of them have been converted into official political parties and have
managed to win seats in their national Parliaments. Today, Neo-nazis are not just
a minor danger to society, but official groups of people that threaten the very
existence of the democratic principle.
Here follows a short reference to neo-nazi parties on the European Continent:
Germany: National Democratic Party
“Holocaust was a myth produced by parasitical people who were using a political
lie to muzzle Germany”, Günter Deckert, former leader of the Party (1991-1996)
They characterize themselves as the only remaining patriotic force in Germany.
They are viewed as a de facto national socialist party by the Germans mainly
because of the fact that the party is
continuously opposing the increasing
number of non-whites, Jews and Muslims in
Germany4. It is also legally considered as a
“threat to the constitutional order” in
Germany5. In 2012, members of the Party
appeared in the Parliament wearing a brand
called “Thor Steinar”, which is popular
among neo-Nazis. They were asked to take
their garments off, but refused and were eventually expelled from the
Parliament.
Hungary:
Hungary: Jobbik
In 2014 Tibor Ágoston, the deputy chairman of Jobbik's Debrecen and Hajdú-Bihar
County organisation, referred to the Holocaust as "holoscam"
They vigorously deny the
character of Neo-nazi and have
already embroiled in legal
actions against the free Liberal
Democrats
who
have
characterized them as such
4
Read here: http://www.austriantimes.at/index.php?id=12379
Read here: http://www.dw.de/german-state-launches-renewed-move-to-ban-far-right-npd/a15030180
5
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several times. They declare to be “a radically patriotic, conservative, Christian
party,” which fights for the protection of the Hungarian values. They have
repeatedly stated their opposition to global capitalism, they have attended antizionist demonstrations6 and they have expressed their views on the conspiracy
set up by the Jews to buy up Hungary7. Jobbik is the 3rd biggest Party in the
Hungarian Parliament with 23 out of 199 seats.
Greece: Golden Dawn
“We are not like LePen, we are the successors of the defeated people in 1945; we
are the national-socialists, the fascists. We are these fighters who will sharpen their
swords in the sidewalk and fight for the liberation of our home against the Jews
that want to occupy the whole world”, Nikos Michaloliakos, leader of the party
Golden Dawn is a nationalist party which
welcomed a dramatic increase of power
during the years of recession. This Party
does not accept the characterization “neonazi”, despite the fact that its officials are
known to have the Swastiga tattooed on
their skin and the SS symbols as a
decoration in their homes. Golden Dawn
vigorously
opposes
immigrants,
communists and homosexuals and proclaims the “Conspiracy of the Jewish”
against Greece.
Surprisingly, Golden Dawn managed to cast 400.000 votes during the last
elections that took place 3 years ago in Greece. This result, automatically, made
Golden Dawn the third biggest political party and the latter has been recognized
as the biggest surprise in the history of Greek elections.
Bulgaria: The Nationalist Party of Bulgaria
During the last 3 years, the tremendous rise of the immigrants’ flow in Bulgaria
has caused the rise of xenophobia. For the first time in Bulgarian history,
immigrants became a crucial element of the parties’ campaign for the elections of
May 2014. These circumstances gave birth to the Nationalist Party of Bulgaria
which was founded in 2013 and carried out anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant
demonstrations and attacks. “Blood and Honor” has been the main slogan of the
party, whose goal is to “cleanse Bulgaria from the foreign and alien immigrant
scum that has been flooding the towns of Bulgaria”8.
Read here: http://www.politics.hu/20130505/jobbik-anti-zionist-demo-goes-ahead-inbudapest/
7 BBC report dated 4th May 2013. Find it here: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe22413301
8 These words were used to describe the character of the party in a letter written by 112
respected Bulgarian intellectuals to the Chief Prosecutor
6
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Slovakia: Maria
Marian
ian Kotleba
Notorious for his anti-Roma speeches and often seen wearing a Nazi-style
uniform, Marian Kotleba has been a radical extremist politician. However,
contrary to the aforementioned parties, Marian Kotleba became a Governor.
More specifically, Kotleba won the election for governor of the Slovakian region
Banská Bystrica, beating Smer, who was the centre-left party's candidate.
Marian Kotleba was arrested in 2011 for hating speeches against the Roma
minority. It is also remarkable that in April 2012 he obtained ownership of plots
of land in the community, with several houses being inhabited by Roma people,
and announced his plans to “clean up” his land9.
NeoNeo-nazi organizations in America, Asia and Africa
Neo-nazi groups have also appeared on the American continent, mainly in the
USA. Their presence is not as intense as it is in Europe, mainly because of the fact
that American countries have attracted numerous immigrants during the last
century. However there are organized groups and parties led by neo-nazism.
America
Here follows a brief record of the neo-nazi groups in America:
USA: National Socialist Movement
”We demand that the State
shall make it its primary duty
to provide a livelihood for its
citizens. If it should prove
impossible to feed the entire
population, foreign nationals
(non-citizens) will be
deported.” From the Party’s
declaration
The
National
Socialist
movement is considered to
be the largest group of neonazis in the USA. Their first
demand is a union of all whites for a great America based on the principle of selfdetermination10. They also share the view that no Jew or homosexual should be
member of the nation. In the last proposition of their declaration, they commit
themselves to sacrifice their very lives to translate their demands into action.
Chile: El Martillo Del Sur
“We cannot use the word genocide for everything. It loses its terrible meaning”,
Elliot Quijada”
9
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/220542.pdf
25 Points of National American Socialism
10
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They believe in their own God and respect everyone’s religion or belief as long as
he or she does not cause problems to the
nation and does not use violence against
them. However, although they denounce
violence, they have been involved in
many crimes and murders which were
finally attributed to them.
Argentina: Partido Nuevo Triunfo
“We won’t give up! Instead, for every one
of us, five of them will fall”
It is considered to be a neo-nazi, national and socialist party and has repeatedly
expressed its anti-Semitic views by denouncing the “Zionist Occupation
Government”. In their website they have a section describing their heroes. All
photographs share the same caption: “Killed by zionism”. Its leader believes that
Argentina is meant to become the next country to be governed by a Nazi Party.
Costa Rica: Partido Nacional Socialista Costarricense
“We fight for our rights, the rights of the white Costa Ricans!”
Recently heard and realized in their true
dimensions, the neo-nazi in Costa Rica were
organized under the umbrella of hatred against
the Jews, the communists, the black, the
homosexuals, the Asian but mainly the
immigrants
from
Nicaragua,
Colombia,
Lebanon and so on. They consider themselves
as fighters of the orders given to them by Adolf
Hitler. The Party was created in 2003 and
dissolved in 2010. However other neo-nazi
movements took its place, such as Resistencia
Ideológica Nacional Socialista de Costa Rica and
Nuevo Orden Social.
Uruguay: Euroamericaner
“What we demand for a safe and selfdetermined nation is the establishment of
the fourth Reich”, from the declaration
“Frente nacional Revulotionario”
The authorities of Uruguay characterize
Euroamericaner as a neo-nazi and antisemitic movement whose members believe
that they are the successors of Adolf Hitler.
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They cooperate with others groups such as the “Poder Blanco” and they oppose
every homosexual or black person.
Neo-nazi groups are not that popular in Asia, however it is true that in this part
of the World the existent neo-nazi groups have mainly religious and not ethnic
targets 11 . Last but not least, it is obvious that there are no neo-nazi
organizations in Africa, a continent whose peoples have been the main victims of
this ideology.
Africa
In Africa things are a bit different. In this part of the world we do not meet Nazis,
since Africans have suffered from the Nazi threat. However in this continent it is
true that we meet some other practices that contribute to the fueling of racism.
African countries are mainly a combination of numerous national groups or
tribes whose people share strong bonds with each other. These national ties, the
ethnic tribes, the prior existence of slaves and religious intolerance have been
the mine of great upheavals and combats within the African states. The sensible
balance between these strongly different groups of people was vigorously
aggravated by the colonial forces. During the period of colonialism, the
conquerors designed provinces by drawing lines without taking into account the
ethnic homogeneity of the people. Thereby, colonialism created a prosperous
land for the spreading of hate among different and already depressed by the
colonialists, people.
Neo-nazi Practices and Ideas
Neo-nazi groups may have some differences from State to State, but they do
share some common elements. The stepping stone of their ideology is the word
“others”. Hitler used this word to characterize Jews and Romani people and it
eventually ended up being enclosed in the doctrine of Neo-nazism.
All neo-nazi groups share hatred against the “others”. With the word “others”
neo-nazis may characterize the Jews, the homosexuals, the immigrants, the
Muslims or the Christians and so on. The manifestation of this feeling constitutes
the actions of the neo-nazi groups.
Neo-nazis do not denounce violence. On the other hand, they often resort to
violence so as to demonstrate their hatred against their targets. Pogroms against
minorities, repression of events and demonstrations different from or against
their beliefs, murders of “others”, “special recruitment methods” for their
members, army-like demonstrations and “special schools” for members are some
of the ways that the neo-nazis use to declare and empower their presence in
society.
11
For example the Burmese Neo-Nazi movement, read here:
http://www.asiasentinel.com/society/burmese-neo-nazi-movement-rising-against-muslims/
10
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Take a look at the following facts and cases as an example:
Czech neo-nazis attempt a Pogrom against Roma in Ostrava
Approximately 700 neo-nazis were
gathered in a square in Ostrava so as to
start their already announced and
organized march. However they deviated
from their predetermined route and
headed towards the Halfway House,
which is occupied by Romani people. They
threw bottles and stones and they set up
fires shouting: “Gypsies to the gas chambers”. 60 of them were arrested.
Neo-nazi attack against gay activists in St. Petersburg
It was the 17th of May
2012,
when
approximately 300 gay
activists
gathered
to
celebrate the day against
homophobia.
Some
kilometers nearby, neonazis had organized a
demonstration
which
ended up to be converted
to an attack against the
activists.
The
latter,
having
realized
the
danger, wrapped up the celebrations and were escorted into buses by the police.
However groups of neo-nazis, stopped the buses, threw smoke grenades and
broke the windows with globes and rocks in an attempt to fear the activists.
Several of them were seriously injured that day.
A series of murders linked to neo-nazis: The Bosporus Serial Murder Case
in Germany
Between 2000 and 2007, the German courts judged a series of murders
motivated by racial instincts. The victims were mainly doner-kebab vendors and
greengrocers while the Attorney General of Germany stated that the murders
had links with the Neo-nazis. 10 people died because of the hatred expressed by
this group against these people. Most of them were ethnic Turks, but one Greek
and one German policeman were also killed.
The biggest demonstration of the neo-nazis:
The marches of Dresden
Dresden had been the meeting point for the neonazis from all over the World for years. On the
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13th of February, neo-nazis were gathering in Dresden to celebrate the memory
of the bombing of Dresden by the Allied Forces during the Second World War. In
2009, 6.500 old and new Nazis participated in the march. These marches were
gradually being blocked by the police and the people and they were eventually
ceased for good in 2012 in a memorable day for the local community.
Neo-nazi practices and Human rights
Neo - Νazi practices do not only threaten the political life and the legal order of
the states, but they also constitute a threat to fundamental human rights. Usually
the targets of Neo-Nazi practices are people belonging to different ethnic or
racial groups, whose rights are guaranteed under the provisions of the:
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR),
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination,
The UN Charter,
The Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of
Discrimination based on Religion or Belief and
The Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic,
Religious and Linguistic Minorities.
The promotion of racism, xenophobia and hatred towards people, who do not
share the same characteristics with them or are of a different race, religion or
ethnicity, through the practices of the Neo-Nazi are first and foremost a threat to
the alienable right to life of those people. Unfortunately, violent attacks have
been launched not only against persons of foreign origin, refugees or members of
a minority group, but also against those who dare to challenge the rightfulness of
the acts committed by the Neo- Nazi groups. These attacks have often led to the
deprivation of the life of the targets and to a great violation of their human
rights.
More than that, the speech delivered by the Neo-Nazis is often – if not alwayscharacterized as hate speech since it tends to incite intense and irrational
emotions of opprobrium enmity and detestation towards these target groups,
harming the enjoyment of their rights as well as their dignity and reputation.
Besides, this is the reason why hate speech is not protected under the right to
freedom of expression, as enshrined in various international legal documents,
while it violates the prohibition of any advocacy of racial, religious or national
hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence set
forth by article 20 ICCPR and safeguarded under the principles of equality and
non-discrimination, as prescribed in articles 2 of the ICCPR and ICESCR
respectively.
Rather important is the violation –caused by the Neo-Nazi practices- of many
other fundamental human rights, such as the right to privacy and personality
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through unlawful attacks on the targets’ honor and reputation, the right of
children to have access to education regardless of their race or ethnicity, the
right to equal participation in cultural activities and last but not least, the right to
participation in public life without any fear of being attacked or ridiculed.
However, despite the illegality of their actions, the Neo-Nazi by being citizens of
states that are obliged to protect fundamental human rights, are also attributed
these rights. In other words, like all individuals residing in a lawful state, Neo –
Nazis enjoy the right to freely express their opinions in public, to manifest their
religion aiming at the persuasion of people adhering to a different religious
doctrine to change their faith and to peacefully assemble, in order to promote
their views, as long as the exercise of these abovementioned rights falls within
the respective normative framework.
This creates the so-called problem of “conflicting rights”, meaning rights, which
when exercised violate the rights of others. “Ones person’s freedom ends where
another person’s freedom begins”, as wisely said by Judge Oliver Wendell
Holmes. That is to say, that the simpler way for a state to secure the protection of
these vulnerable target groups while not violating the rights of Neo-Nazi people
is to only lawfully restrict the rights of the latter, when not respecting the
fundamental human rights of their targets, on the basis of proportionality.
International and domestic actions
International actions
The weakness
The International Community has not yet stood united against the Nazi threat.
The controversy over the battle between anti-nazi measures and the conflicting
rights of individuals manifesting extreme opinions has caused some States to
express their denial to assume an active stance against the glorification of
Nazism.
Despite the fact that a series of GA Resolutions have been adopted (ex.
A/RES/69/L.56, A/RES/68/150, A/RES/67/154 etc), the abstention of the
European states along with the refusal of the United States of America to vote in
favor of them on the basis that they are too restrictive on freedom of expression
and assembly, have substantially weakened the “reflexes” of the international
community vis-a-vis the uprising of Nazism. This weakness of the international
community to stand united in front of the Nazi threat is perfectly described in
the Durban Review Conference procedures.
The Durban Review Conference
The Durban Review Conference took place between the 20th and 24th of April
2009 in Geneva, Switzerland. Its goal was the evaluation of the progress made
according to the goals that were set in the World Conference against Racism,
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Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South
Africa, in 2001.
The Durban Review Conference did not have any representatives from Australia,
Canada, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, and the
United States. These abstentions urged the Secretary-General of the UN, Ban KiMoon, to mention during his opening speech the following: "Some nations who
by rights should be helping us to forge a path to a better future are not here.
Outside these halls, interest groups of many political and ideological stripes
shout against one another in acrimony”12. To make matter worse, the Iranian
President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered a speech during which he
condemned both Israel and the West for their policies. His speech was
characterized by many states as a “speech of hatred” and urged many
delegations, mainly Europeans, to leave the hall while Ahmadinejad was still
speaking.
At the end, the conference managed to reach an outcome which was
characterized as a historic one. However, at the end of the day everyone was
speaking about the hatred of Ahmadinejad and the abstention of the aforementioned States.
Domestic Actions
Ban of the Holocaust denial
Many countries, mainly European ones, have outlawed the denial of the
Holocaust and thus punish those who publicly approve of or deny the Holocaust.
More specifically, the denial of the Holocaust is punishable (with some
differences) in France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Lichtenstein, the
Czech Republic, Bosnia Herzegovina, Belgium, Austria and Hungary.
In Hungary, though, the first man to be charged with the denial of Holocaust
experienced a very interesting treatment. The Court sentenced him to 18 months
in prison with a suspension of 3 years and simultaneously imposed to him to
choose among the local Holocaust Memorial Museum, Auschwitz and Yad
Vaschem in Jerusalem to visit 3 times a year with the obligation of recording his
observations. He took the first option.
Ban of the Swastiga and the Nazi symbols
Contrary to the denial of the Holocaust, banning the
Swastiga has never been a simple matter. In Germany these
symbols are outlawed and it was this country which tried
to pass an EU decision to make this ban a European one.
However, the EU Commission has never voted in favor of
the ban of the Swastiga and the other nazi symbols mainly
because of objections arisen primarily based on freedom of
expression.
12
http://www1.rfi.fr/actuen/articles/112/article_3529.asp
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The racial motives as a “worsening circumstance”
In some countries, such as Spain, the denial of the Holocaust is not forbidden,
however there are provisions that show the care of the legislation towards the
battle against Nazism. For this reason, under Spanish Criminal law, racism and
xenophobia are aggravating circumstances, meaning that crimes committed with
racial motives are treated in a stricter way than the basic ones.
Ideas for Proposition
Education
Education has been a tool in the hands of the Nazi Propaganda. The Nazi tried to
build the educational system in such a way in order to develop pupils devoted to
the idea of the Aryan race. Today, it is evident that the role of education is of
utmost importance not only because of the vulnerable age of the children but
also because of the fact that the neo-nazi practices use schools as a great
opportunity for recruitment.
The role of education in Nazi Germany
Both the educational system
and the content of the school
lessons were set in such a way
that created a network that
would produce adults loyal to
Hitler.
Teachers
were
inspected by the local Nazi
authorities and those who
were considered disloyal,
would
lose
their
jobs.
Moreover, students were
given motives so as to report
anti-nazi behavior by the
teachers.
As soon as Hitler gained
power, he ordered the
creation of Elite Schools, the
graduated students of which
would become members of
the Nazi Party and the
German Army. Lessons such as History and Biology were changed dramatically.
For example, the defeat of 1918 was taught to be a conspiracy plotted by the
Jews and the Marxists against the German people while in the meantime biology
studies aimed to make the allegations of the superiority of the Aryan race seem
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realistic: "no boy or girl should leave school without the complete knowledge of
the necessity and meaning of blood purity."
The role of education in the battle against neo-nazi
Nowadays, there are those who claim that banning an ideology such as Nazism
will have no effect or, to make matter worse, will have reverse effects. These
people neglect that education is the very first pillar upon which the combat
against neo-nazism should be based. The latter also claim that teaching pupils
the real face of Nazism cannot be limited to the lessons in the timetable. Pupils
must also realize the suffering of the victims and the amount of horror that was
caused to the mankind by the Fuhrer. Specific history classes, international
students’ workshops and seminars, as well as school campaigns have been
launched in some States in a try to highlight the significance of solidarity and
respect.
Law Enforcement
“It's about time law enforcement got as organized as organized crime”.Rudy
Giuliani
As mentioned above, there are actions linked to the ideology of a neo-nazi which
are outlawed in some countries. There is no doubt that the rise of neo-nazism
can be controlled through law enforcement. However, an organized system of
law enforcement is a matter of political will. Nowadays, most of the neo-nazi
parties are very-well organized networks of people with a distinct hierarchic
structure. It is common sense that this kind of structure cannot be dealt with any
other way rather than law enforcement. Moreover, there are states that
characterize the racial motives as an “aggravating circumstance” in a criminal
act. In simple words, the one who attacks a person because of his color would
face a heavier penalty than the one who attacks a person without racial motives.
It is, finally, true that each country has its own way of dealing with nazi or racist
criminals. Exchanging policies and measures is not only desirable but also
necessary due to the fact that Nazism and its outcomes are not only internal
phenomena but also global ones.
Effective propositions to the end of maximizing the efficiency of law enforcement
constitute the following: the ratification or accession to the Discrimination
Convention by the states, the incorporation of its provisions into domestic
legislation, the adoption of necessary legal reforms, the introduction into
national criminal law of the aggravating circumstance of racist motivations, the
strengthening of the states’ capacity to address racist and xenophobic crimes,
police training, diversity within law enforcement agencies etc.
An example of the law enforcement
16
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Greece: The prosecution against the leadership of the neo-nazi party
“Golden Dawn”
Following the murder of a young rapper with anti-fascist sentiments, Pavlos
Fyssas, and the accusation of a MP of Golden
Dawn of having ordered this murder, the story
of the criminal character of this political party
began to unfold. Military exercises, personal
arsenals, stable and secret hierarchy,
involvement in attacks and murders are some
of the elements that led the Prosecutor of the
case to submit a 700 pages report, asking from
the Appeals Council to proceed to trial for the members of the Golden Dawn for
criminal acts under the umbrella of a criminal organization. 26 members of the
third biggest political party in Greece are now in jail while their trial is pending.
Among them, we find the leader of the party, Nikos Michaloliakos and other
party officials.
Block Positions
USA
The United States of America seems to be unwilling to vote in favor of a
resolution aiming at combatting Nazism. This happens mainly due to the fact that
it is the Russian Federation who almost always submits a Draft Resolution on
this matter and thus the USA chooses not to back it up due to political reasons.
Moreover the USA considers the anti-nazi measures as a strong restriction on the
freedom of expression and assembly.
European Union
European countries and especially the EU member States have been unable to
coordinate their voices with regards to this crucial topic. During the Durban
Review Conference, the Italian Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini stated that the
inability of the European Union to agree on a common basis was: “a very serious
mistake, because it shows our inability, despite all the words uttered in this
connection, to come up with at least a lowest common denominator on a basic
problem: namely the struggle against discrimination, on behalf of which we in
Brussels so often speak out"13.
Russian Federation
The Russian Federation has frequently struggled to set the topic of Nazism in the
UN agenda in every chance given. Russia was the submitter of the resolution
A/RES/69/L.56, which among others condemned the denial of the Holocaust. It
is obvious that Russia has a strong interest in setting the topic of Nazism in the
13http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/legacy/thereporters/markmardell/2009/04/eu_split_over_racis
m_conferenc.html
17
www.thessismun.org
UN agenda, since in this manner they exert pressure to the Ukrainian
government which was characterized as “neo-nazi” by President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine
Ukraine was the country that suffered from both conflicting sides during the
Second World War. Its stance over the condemnation of Nazism is depicted
clearly on the explanatory statement after the state’s negative vote on the
A/RES/69/L.56 of the 3rd Committee of the General Assembly: “Ukrainians
equally condemn Hitler and Stalin as international criminals for what they have
done to us. ... Until and unless the notions of Stalinism and neo-Stalinism are
equally condemned along with nazism and neo-nazism and other forms of
intolerance Ukraine will not be able to support the draft presented by Russia. …
We deem it totally unacceptable and wrongful to take to the manipulations with
history and twist the essence in pursuance of one’s aggressive political agenda.
This is, unfortunately, how the penholder of the draft resolution is handling this
matter”.
Points to be addressed
Which rights are threatened or violated by the glorification of Nazism?
What kinds of actions do neo-nazi organizations and parties pursue and
which are their effects?
Which are the common elements between the practices of all neo-nazi
and quasi neo-nazi parties?
Which is the role of education in combating the glorification of Nazism
and which are the prospects of a wider international and regional
cooperation on this field?
How can law enforcement as a general principle and a primordial solution
contribute to the matter?
What role can the media and/or international NGOs play in terms of
awareness-raising?
Can community dialogue (round tables, working groups, seminars etc) be
of any help?
Bibliography
“Death by Government”, Rummel, Rudolph (1994)
“Nazism, 1919-1945 : a documentary reader”, Noakes Jeremy
“Nazism : a historical and comparative analysis of National Socialism”,
Mosse George
http://www.austriantimes.at/
http://www.politics.hu/
http://www.bbc.com/news/
http://www.state.gov/
18
www.thessismun.org
http://www.asiasentinel.com/
http://www1.rfi.fr/
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/
http://www.kathimerini.gr
The Judgement of the International Military Tribunal of the1st October
1946, available at:
http://crimeofaggression.info/documents/6/1946_Nuremberg_Judgeme
nt.pdf
19
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2 Topic - Thessaloniki International Student Model United Nations

Transcription

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