kommunikation global | global perspectives – oktober | october 2008

Transcription

'Friedenskörbe' aus Ruanda
Corruption Nourishes Poverty
Konfliktgebiete
10-2008 | www.komglobal.info | www.global-perspectives.info
IPS Award for Lula
SUSTAINING DEVELOPMENT
DAUF
AS LEBENSELEX
IER VERSIEGT
DEM WEGXNACH
DOHA
www.ipsnews.net
INHALT | CONTENTS
EDITORIAL: The Road to Doha
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Longing for the Past Yet
Belonging to the Present
DIE WELT BESSER VERSTEHEN
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Since the Islamic Revolution in
1979, thousands of intellectuals, activists and poets have
left Iran, many fleeing to
Europe and the United States. A
new book brings together the
work of 18 Iranian poets from
this diaspora to share their
experiences with a wider
audience. 'Belonging: New Poetry by Iranians Around
the World' is an anthology edited and translated by
Niloufar Talebi.
Page 10
OPINION | ANSICHT
Persons Displaced During Conflicts Have
the Right to Return
By Thomas Hammarberg
Longing for the Past Yet Belonging
to the Present
Omid Memorian interviews
Niloufar Talebi, Editor of Iranian Literature
WINDOW ON EUROPE
Spain Debates Over Investigation
of Civil War Victims
By Tito Drago
Transgenic Crops' Days May be Numbered
By Mario de Queiroz
Push for Biofuels Losing Energy
By David Cronin
Serbia's Radical Party Cracks
By Vesna Peric Zimonjic
COVER STORY | TITELTHEMA
Sustaining Development for a Common Future
By Ramesh Jaura
Making Aid Effective
Ramesh Jaura interviews OECD
Secretary-General Angel Gurría
Home Stretch Bumpier Than Ever
By Thalif Deen
It Pays to Go Green
By Wonfgang Kerler
Indien setzt auf nachhaltiges Bauen
Von Keya Acharya
PERSPECTIVES | PERSPEKTIVEN
'Corruption Nourishes Poverty'
Ramesh Jaura interviews Huguette Labelle,
Chair of Transparency International
Wie Deutschland sich und Afrika helfen möchte
Von Hendrik Schott
CONFLICT AREAS | KONFLIKTGEBIETE
Israelische Pläne erhöhen Druck
auf Palästinenser
Von Mel Frykberg
Irakische Regierung riskiert einen Bürgerkrieg
Von Zainab Mineeia und Ali Gharib
Everyone Loses in the War of Silencing
By Mohammed Omer in Gaza City
Severe Hunger Can Help Taliban in Afghanistan
By Anand Gopal
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'Corruption Nourishes
Poverty'
"I am convinced that poverty
does not cause corruption, but
corruption causes poverty
because if you are in a country
with a lot of natural
resources, with a lot of money
moving in to the government,
but that money is being
diverted into fiscal havens,
instead of going in for the
development of a country that does mean that . . . we
will have poverty as a result," says Transparency
International's Chair Huguette Labelle.
Page 26
Deutsche Redaktion
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Karina
Böckmann
Heike
Nasdala
Grit
Moskau-P
Porsch
Bildredaktion, Layout & Graphik: Barbara Schnöde (Mail Boxes Etc.)
Titelbild: Young Boy Carries Kindling Home
UN Photo | Jawad Jalali
MEDIA
IPS Award for Lula
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IMPRESSUM | IMPRINT
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GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES | OCTOBER 2008
"Donor buy-in of the Accra
Agenda for Action shows that
there is political will to do aid
better. . . . We must capture
the progress made in the Doha
trade talks; we must close the
small gaps that separate the
parties and conclude this vital
development round. This is
about inclusive globalisation,"
says OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría in an exclusive interview.
Page 20
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www.ipseuropa.org
www.ipsnews.de
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EDITORIAL
The Road to Doha
September has been marked by a series of high-level meetings on trade and development, aid effectiveness, food crisis, Africa's development needs and the Millennium
Development Goals. Expectations have been raised that the Follow-up International
Conference on Financing for Development (November 29 – December 2) in Doha will
build upon these discussions to advance the UN development agenda. The Doha negotiations for the review of the Monterrey Consensus -- the North-South development
accord agreed in Mexico in 2002 -- take place in a year of global financial turmoil and
record-level global imbalances.
There are indeed serious challenges ahead. Great concerns remain about food and
oil prices, and about climate change. But, as OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría
pointed out in an exclusive interview (pages 20-21): "Donor buy-in of the Accra Agenda
for Action shows that there is political will to do aid better." He added: "Following the
July impasse in the Doha trade talks in Geneva, ministers came to Ghana knowing that they must not fail the
world's poorest yet again." But much more needs be done. "We must capture the progress made in the Doha trade
talks; we must close the small gaps that separate the parties and conclude this vital development round. This is
about inclusive globalisation. It's about creating jobs, increasing incomes, and ensuring energy efficiency and
global food security."
These issues also drew the focus of the high-level event on MDGs at the UN on Sep. 25. But world leaders and
top figures from the private sector, foundations and civil society participants did not walk in empty-handed. New
contributions and commitments amounting to some 16 billion dollars were pledged. These include more than 4.5
billion dollars for education, 3 billion dollars for combating malaria, and some 1.6 billion dollars (about 1.1 billion
Euros) to foster food security. Developing countries also announced commitments to mobilize domestic programmes aimed at achieving the universally agreed anti-poverty goals by the target date of 2015.
To help achieve Goal 8 (global partnership for development), Denmark is setting aside 3 billion dollars in 2009
for development assistance -- equivalent to 0.82 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) -- to combat poverty.
Two thirds of bilateral assistance are to be directed to Africa. 39 million dollars will go next year to ensure
follow-up to the recommendations of the Commission for Effective Development Cooperation with Africa. Ireland
committed to spend 0.54 per cent of its GNI towards achieving the MDGs in 2008 and increase spending to 0.7
percent of GNI by 2012. Japan pledged up to 4 billion dollar ODA loan over five years with special focus on infrastructure and agricul-tural development.
"I welcome these initiatives and commitments, but additional efforts are required to fill the remaining gaps,"
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at the conclusion of the meeting. Examples of remaining gaps included
an increase in ODA and progress towards a "pro-poor" trade deal in the Doha Round of international trade negotiations, he said. While the fate of trade talks hangs in the balance, in the Doha Outcome Draft Document circulated
on July 25, heads of state and government commit themselves "to eradicate poverty, achieve sustained economic
growth and promote sustainable development as we advance to a fully inclusive and equitable global economic
system".
Ramesh Jaura
Chief Editor
We focus on global affairs that include issues related to development cooperation but go farther.
We offer the perspectives of the Global South - the South in both the developed and developing countries.
We give voice to the voiceless.
We are open to all arguments and examine these carefully.
We offer in-depth perspectives based on facts.
Support us in our mission: [email protected]
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KOMMUNIKATION GLOBAL | OKTOBER 2008
Bild: gavethat.blogspot.com
'Friedenskörbe' aus Ruanda
Kigali – Korbmacherinnen in Ruanda erobern
den internationalen Markt: Mit Hilfe des Privatsektors und ziviler Organisationen exportieren
sie ihre 'Agasake' oder 'Friedenskörbe' in alle
Welt. Die Zusammenarbeit in Kooperativen
hilft, die Wunden zu schließen, die der Völkermord von 1994 aufgerissen hat. Auf einer Bank
vor einem Backsteinhaus in Gitarama, einer Stadt
40 Kilometer westlich der Hauptstadt Kigali,
sitzen drei Frauen. Sie lachen und erzählen sich
den neuesten Klatsch, während sie einen roten
Faden um einen Strang Stroh wickeln. Was wie
eine typisch afrikanische Handarbeit aussieht,
hat sich zu einer wirtschaftlichen Erfolgsstory
entwickelt. "Die Arbeit an den Körben erfordert
Kooperationsbereitschaft. Hass hat hier keinen
Platz", meint Eugenie Nyanzira von der Kooperative 'Rebunyuwe'. "Zusammen weben wir an
einer besseren Zukunft, an Frieden und Stabilität". In Rebunyuwe sind sowohl Hutu- als auch
Tutsi-Frauen organisiert – Mitglieder der Volksgruppe der Täter und der Volksgruppe der Opfer.
Das Blutvergießen vor 14 Jahren kostete etwa
800.000 Menschen das Leben. Ruanda gehört zu
den afrikanischen Ländern südlich der Sahara,
die in den Genuss von Handelsbegünstigen im
Rahmen des US-amerikanischen 'Africa Growth
and Opportunity Act' (AGOA) von 2000
kommen. Viele Exporteure haben in den vergangenen acht Jahren Versuchsballons gestartet,
um neue Handelsmöglichkeiten zu erschließen.
Die handgefertigten ruandischen Körbe gehören
dazu.
Frauen wurden von der ruandischen Regierung
ermutigt, sich zu Kooperativen zusammenzuschließen und ihre Körbe
an
Fair-TradeExporteure
zu
verkaufen.
Unterstützung
erhielten sie von der Weltfrauenorganisation
UNIFEM und anderen internationalen Organisationen. An einem Korb verdienen die Mitglieder
der Kooperative mehr als doppelt soviel wie
die Korbflechterinnen, die allein auf eigene
Faust für den heimischen Markt produzieren.
Die Gebühr, die beim Eintritt in die Genossenschaften anfällt, hat sich schnell amortisiert.
"Die Leute hier konnten sich lange nicht vorstellen, dass auch Frauen erfolgreich Geschäfte
führen können", sagt Janet Nkubana, die mit
ihrer
Schwester
Joy
die
WitwenHilfsorganisation 'Gahaya Links' gegründet hat.
"Wir haben sogar bewiesen, dass wir vieles
besser können als Männer." Gahaya Links exportiert mittlerweile bis zu 50.000 Körbe pro Jahr an
das US-Kaufhaus 'Macy's' und beschäftigt derzeit
3.000 Frauen."Die Körbe haben den Frauen nicht
nur wirtschaftliche Sicherheit gebracht, sondern
ein soziales Netzwerk geschaffen", erklärt
Donnah Kamashazi Gasana, Programmleiterin für
UNIFEM in Ruanda.
Malawi will nicht mehr auf den Regen warten
Lilongwe – Malawi wurde in den Jahren 1991,
2000 und 2005 von schweren Dürren heimgesucht. In einigen Teilen des Landes kamen Überflutungen hinzu, die 2007 große Teile der
Erträge zerstörten und die Wirtschaft des
Landes lahmlegten. Denn Malawis Wirtschaftsperformance ist eine Frage der Niederschlagsmenge. 70 Prozent der Einnahmen stammen aus
der Landwirtschaft. Obwohl der Sektor 85
Prozent der Bevölkerung des südostafrikanischen
Landes ernährt, können nur die wenigsten
Bauern auf Bewässerungssysteme zurückgreifen,
die sie vor Ernteausfällen in Dürrezeiten schützen würden. Das soll nun anders werden.
Das
wechselhafte Klima kann Wyson Chandanga,
einen Bauern in Mzimba im Norden Malawis,
nicht mehr schrecken. Er ist einer von
29.000 Farmern, die mit Unterstützung
der
UN-Ernährungsund Landwirtschaftsorganisation (FAO) kleine Bewässerungssysteme
und Wasserauffanganlagen im Norden Malawis
gebaut haben. Der Bauer hat in einem Trainingskurs gelernt, wie er die Ernährung seiner
Familie sichern, weitere Einkommensmöglichkeiten schaffen und Wasserstellen und Latrinen
von Keimen befreien kann. Auch mit Fragen
der
gesunden
Ernährung
und
Umweltschutzmaßnahmen wurde er vertraut
gemacht, wie der FAO-Sprecher Muwuso Chawinga erläutert. Sieben von zehn Haushalten in
Malawi haben in der Regel bereits vor Beginn
der nächsten Erntesaison ihre Vorräte aufgebraucht. Meist seien Dürre und Überflutungen
der Grund, so Chawinga: "Daher ist es wichtig,
dass das Land aus allen Jahreszeiten das Beste
herausholt, und die Bauern auch in der Trockenzeit ihr Saatgut ausbringen können." Obwohl
das
FAO-Bewässerungsprogramm
erst
in
diesem Jahr angelaufen ist, hat es bereits
für eine Diversifizierung des Anbaus gesorgt.
Bisher pflanzten die Bauern, die von dem
Projekt profitierten, in erster Linie Mais.
Inzwischen wurde die Produktpalette um
Kartoffeln, Bohnen und Reis erweitert.
Ausgezahlt hat sich das FAO-Projekt nicht nur
Sojaplantage in Brazilien
für Chandanga.
Photo: www.flickr.com
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Aus Vanuatu zum Kirschenpflücken nach Australien
Melbourne – Australien lockert seine rigiden
Einwanderungsbestimmungen und lässt jährlich 2.500
Saisonarbeiter aus der Pazifikregion mit befristeten
Visa ins Land. Die Regierung erfüllt damit einen
Wunsch der Obst- und Gemüsefarmer, die seit fünf
Jahren eine befristete Aufenthaltserlaubnis für
Erntehelfer aus den benachbarten Inselstaaten
fordern. Im Rahmen des Projektes können
Arbeitskräfte aus Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu und
Papua-Neuguinea eine Aufenthalts- und Arbeitserlaubnis für Australien beantragen, die innerhalb
eines Jahres bis zu sieben Monate gültig ist.
Die Regierung bezeichnet das auf drei Jahre angelegten Pilotprojekt als einen Beitrag zur nachbarlichen Entwicklungshilfe. Kritiker sprechen von einem
Etikettenschwindel. Die Lohnüberweisungen von ein
paar hundert Saisonarbeitern an ihre Familien
würden die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung armer
Inselstaaten wie Vanuatu nicht weiterbringen. Auch
die Arbeitslosigkeit in der Pazifikregion werde durch
das australische Projekt nicht verringert, begründen
sie ihre skeptische Haltung. Australiens Außenminister Stephen Smith bezeichnete das 'Pacific Regional
Worker Pilot Scheme' als einen Beweis partnerschaftlicher Verbundenheit mit der Region. "Angesichts der zwischen Australien und den Inselstaaten des
Pazifiks bestehenden historische Beziehungen ist die
Regierung verpflichtet, ihnen bei ihrer Entwicklung
Hilfe zu leisten", erklärte er.
David Crombie, der Präsident des Nationalen
Farmerverbandes (NFF), begrüßte das Projekt. "Es
kommt den Farmern und den Arbeitskräften gleichermaßen zugute", sagte er. Australiens Obst- und
Gemüsebauern leiden unter Arbeitskräftemangel.
Nach Angaben des Verbandes werden 22.000 zusätzliche Erntehelfer benötigt, weil derzeit Frischobst und
-gemüse im Wert von umgerechnet bis zu 554
Millionen Dollar auf den Feldern und Plan-tagen
verrottet.
Australiens Außenminister Stephen Smith
Bild: www.foreignminister.gov.au
"Die Erntehelfer von den Inseln können bei uns nicht nur
viel Geld verdienen. Auch das, was sie hier bei den besten
Obst- und Gemüsefarmern der Welt lernen, wird die Pazifikregion in ihrer Entwicklung einen entscheidenden Schritt
vorwärts bringen ", erklärte Crombie. Australiens Landwirtschaftsminister Tony Burke verwies ebenfalls auf die
Möglichkeit, mit dem Erntehelferprojekt zur Entwicklung
der benachbarten Inselstaaten beizutragen. Nach Ansicht
mancher Kritiker enthält das befristete Arbeitsangebot für
Migranten von den Pazifikinseln kein echtes Entwicklungspotential. "Ich fürchte, wenn es tatsächlich als Entwicklungshilfe gedacht ist, wird es komplett scheitern", betonte
Gaurav Sodhi, der als politischer Beobachter für das 'Centre
for Independent Studies' arbeitet.
Opfer sexueller Gewalt verklagt die Roten Khmer
Phnom Penh – In Kambodscha hat erstmals ein
Opfer sexueller Gewalt Beschwerde beim
Menschenrechtstribunal gegen die Roten Khmer
eingelegt. Beobachter hoffen, dass diese Initiative
weitere Missbrauchsfälle aus der Zeit des KhmerRouge-Regimes von 1975 bis 1979 ans Tageslicht
bringt und den Mythos bricht, es habe unter dem
Unrechtsregime
keine
sexuellen
Übergriffe
gegeben.
Die Transsexuelle Som Southevy brachte den Mut
auf, ihr Schicksal öffentlich zu machen. Sie bewirbt
sich derzeit um eine Teilnahme an den Prozessen,
die im November 2007 nach Jahren der Vorbereitung mit einer ersten Anhörung faktisch anliefen.
Wie die inzwischen 68-Jährige berichtete, wurde
sie von den Roten Khmer in mehreren Haftzentren
gefangen gehalten, weil sie sich "moralisch verwerflich" und wie eine Frau verhalten hatte. Sie sei in
der Haft vielfach sexuell belästigt und wiederholt
von mehreren Rote-Khmer-Kadern vergewal-tigt
worden.
6
Zudem habe man sie gezwungen, sich das Haar kurz zu
schneiden, Männerkleidung zu tragen und die Ehe mit einer
Frau einzugehen. "Hätte ich diese Anordnungen nicht
befolgt, wäre ich getötet worden", sagte Southevy unlängst auf einer Pressekonferenz. Zehn Tage nach der Zwangshochzeit hätten Regierungsvertreter überprüft, ob die
Ehe vollzogen worden sei. "Wir mussten den Beweis antreten, dass wir Geschlechtsverkehr hatten", so Southevy.
Jeder Kambodschaner hat das Recht, seine Belange vor
das Tribunal zu bringen, darf freiwillig als Zeuge auftreten
und Informationen zur Verfügung stellen. Nach Angaben
des Gerichts sind bis Anfang September rund 1.800 Beschwerden und Anträge auf Teilnahme an den Verfahren eingegangen. In der Haft warten derzeit fünf hohe KhmerRouge-Funktionäre auf ihren Prozess. Angeklagt sind Kaing
Guek Eav, der auch als 'Duch' bekannte Leiter des Folterzentrums Tuol Sleng in Phnom Penh, Noun Chea, der
ehemalige Chef-Ideologe der Roten Khmer, Ex-Staatschef
Khieu Samphan, der frühere Außenminister Ieng Sary und
seine Frau, die ehemalig Minis-terin für Soziales Ieng
Thirith.
Perus Regierung richtet Geburtshäuser für Indígenas ein
Puerto Ocopa – In den Ureinwohnergemeinden Perus
bekommen die Frauen ihre Kinder in der Regel zu
Hause. So will es die Tradition. Doch aufgrund der
hohen Müttersterblichkeit hat die Regierung damit
begonnen, im Rahmen eines interkulturellen Gesundheitsprogramms besondere Geburtshäuser einzurichten. Dort können die Schwangeren im Kreise ihrer
Familie gebären. Die so genannten 'Casas de Espera'
sind einfache Häuser oder Hütten, in denen die
Frauen in Anwesenheit ihrer Verwandten ihre Kinder
zur Welt bringen können. In der Regel ist auch die
Dorfhebamme dabei. Bisher gibt es landesweit 390
solcher Häuser, langfristig soll jedes Gesundheitszentrum über ein Geburtshaus verfügen.
Puerto Ocopa ist eine kleine Gemeinde in der
zentralen Provinz Satipo im peruanischen Urwald, in
der 253 Familien vom Volk der Asháninka leben. "Die
meisten Familien haben fünf bis sieben Kinder,
obwohl manche sogar auf zwölf Kinder kommen",
weiß der Gemeindevorsitzende Sergio Pasos zu
berichten. Das Geburtshaus von Puerto Ocopa befindet sich noch im Bau. In der gesamten Provinz gibt es
bisher erst zwei für mehrere hundert Dörfer. "Wir
müssen die Frauen davon überzeugen, dass eine
Geburt unter ärztlicher Aufsicht einfach weniger
Risiken für die Mutter und das Kind birgt. Daher
haben wir dieses Programm entwickelt", sagt Lucy del
Carpio, Koordinatorin der Strategieprogramme für
Reproduktionsmedizin im peruanischen Gesundheitsministerium. "Früher brachten auf dem Land nur
zehn von 50 Schwangeren ihr Kind in einem Gesundheitszentrum zur Welt gebracht. Das bereitete uns
große Sorgen", so die Gesundheitspolitikerin. "Die
größte Gefahr sind schwere Blutungen nach der
Geburt", weiß Del Carpio. "Wenn die Frau dann nicht
in der Nähe eines Krankenhauses ist, stirbt sie."
Bild: Milagros Salazar/IPS
Nach amtlichen Angaben bekommen mittlerweile 24 bis
48 Prozent der Schwangeren in ländlichen Gebieten ihre
Kinder mit Hilfe eines Arztes oder einer Hebamme.
Die Müttersterblichkeit ist seither jedoch nur geringfügig
zurückgegangen. Noch immer sterben im Durchschnitt 185
Mütter je 100.000 Lebendgeburten. Von den 390 Casas de
Espera befinden sich nur 76 im Amazonasgebiet, wo rund
zwei Prozent der Bewohner Perus leben. In den Anden sind
dagegen größere Fortschritte zu verzeichnen, vor allem in
der Region um Cuzco im Süden des Landes. Allein hier gibt
es 140 solcher Geburtsstationen.
Oscar Arias für größeres EU-Entwicklungsengagement
Madrid – Der Staatspräsident von Costa Rica,
Óscar Arias, hat die Europäische Union
aufgefordert, eine Vorreiterrolle bei der Entwicklung Lateinamerikas zu spielen. Zugleich kritisierte
er die hohen Militärausgaben in der Region. Die
wahren Feinde seien "Hunger, Analphabetismus
und Umweltzerstörung", so der Friedensnobelpreisträger von 1987 in Madrid im Rahmen seiner
Europa-Reise.
Regierungen, die vor allem in ihren Militärhaushalt
investieren
und
dafür
Bildung
und
Umweltschutz vernachlässigen, sollten von den
Industriestaaten nicht länger unterstützt werden,
forderte Arias am 10. September auf einer Zusammenkunft mit Vertretern aus Politik und Wirtschaft
in der spanischen Hauptstadt. Zuvor war der
costaricanische Staatschef von Spaniens König Juan
Carlos und Regierungschef Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
empfangen worden. Nach seinen Angaben belaufen
sich die Militärausgaben der lateinamerikanischen
Länder im letzten Jahr auf 36 Milliarden Dollar.
Und das, obwohl der Subkontinent, mit Ausnahme
von Kolumbien, seit langem keine Kriege mehr erlebt habe,
mahnte Arias auf der vom 'Forum der Neuen Wirtschaft'
organisierten Konferenz in Madrid.
Allein mit dem Geld, das für Rüstung ausgegeben werde,
ließen sich die Millenniumsentwicklungsziele (MDGs) im
Bereich Bildung und Umwelt verwirklichen. Grundschulbildung für alle und ökologische Nachhaltigkeit sind zwei der
acht MDGs, auf die sich die Staats- und Regierungschefs von
189 Ländern auf der UN-Vollversammlung im September
2000 in New York geeinigt hatten. Der Friedensnobelpreisträger warnte vor der Gefahr eines neuen Kalten Krieges
mit Blick auf den jüngsten Konflikt in Georgien und die von
Russland und Venezuela angekündigten Militärmanöver in
der Karibik. Dass es auch anders geht, zeigt das Beispiel
Costa Rica. Bereits vor 140 Jahren führte das kleine Land in
Mittelamerika die allgemeine Schulpflicht mit kostenlosem
Unterricht für alle Kinder ein. 1948 schuf Costa Rica mit
einer spektakulären "Friedenerklärung an die Welt" seine
Armee ab und investiert die so eingesparten Mittel konsequent in Bildung und Naturschutz. In den Nachbarländern
Zentralamerikas sieht es dagegen anders aus.
7
OPINION I ANSICHT
'Persons Displaced During Conflicts
Have the Right to Return'
http://www.coe.int/t/commissioner/
About/welcome_en.asp
Photo: Commissioner for Human Rights
at the Council of Europe
By Thomas Hammarberg
A
rmed conflict and inter-ethnic
violence still force people to run
from their homes and seek refuge
in safer places. The outbreak of the war
in South Ossetia this August 2008 has
created a new wave of displaced
persons, some of whom may have to
wait a long time before being able to
return home. In Georgia, as in other
parts of the Caucasus and in former
Yugoslavia, there are still many who have
had to wait for more than a decade
following earlier conflicts and therefore
have been doubly victimized.
Having just returned from Russia and
Georgia, I have seen once again the huge
humanitarian challenge caused by such
forced displacement, compounded by a
polarized political environment. A large
number of the victims with whom I met
were deeply traumatized and some of
those in Georgia lacked the very basics,
such as beds, mattresses, blankets,
adequate
nutrition
and
medical
assistance. Parents were worried about
their children missing school.
It was also very sad to see that their
experiences have given rise to strong
feelings against their neighbour community; Ossetians towards Georgians and
vice versa. An unfortunate mix of fear
and hatred has taken root which may in
future make it more difficult for those in
the minority position to return. The
principle of the right to return must be
defended even in such situations and this
right must be ensured by the responsible
authorities. This requires that potential
returnees are guaranteed security which
in turn underlines the importance of
bringing those who caused the displacement to justice. It is also essential that
other living conditions are adequate, for
instance, that damaged houses are
repaired or rebuilt and occupied
property is returned to lawful owners.
In reality, such return may be very
complicated even when political and
material obstacles are removed. A hostile atmosphere is not easily talked or
bought away - as seen in Bosnia and
Herzegovina where displaced people
have sold their houses rather than move
back. Though this tendency may indicate
failure, it is important to underline that
return always must be voluntary, it is not
an obligation.
8
Voluntary – not an obligation
It is estimated that there are about 2.5
million internally displaced persons (IDPs)
in Europe today. The majority of them
fled or were chased away in situations of
inter-community confrontation; their
safety was in danger. Those who have
crossed international borders for similar
reasons and have no protection are seen
as refugees and have a different legal
status.
Unlike refugees whose protection by
host states is clearly provided for by the
1951 Convention relating to the Status of
Refugees, IDPs have not been the subject
of a special international treaty. This does
not mean that they are in a legal vacuum.
The European Convention on Human
Rights, for example, is applicable to them
if they are in a contracting state’s
territory. Indeed, the European Court of
Human Rights has on many occasions been
seized with applications and provided
relief to IDP applicants.
The Representative of the UN
Secretary-General on the Human Rights of
IDPs, has promoted three durable solutions which as a matter of principle
should be sought by the competent
authorities. He has made clear that States
have the duty to establish conditions and
provide the means which would allow the
displaced persons to enjoy one of the
following options:
•
•
•
Voluntary return: that the IDPs
returnto their homes or places
of habitual residence in safety
and with dignity;
Voluntary resettlement: that
they resettle in another part of
the coun try; and
Integration locally: that they
get support for their choice to
stay in the community where
they are and integrate there.
OPINION I ANSICHT
For obvious reasons, displaced persons tend to flee to areas where they would
not be in a minority position, where people from the same ethnic, religious or
national community live.
UN Guiding Principles on Internal
Displacement
In the course of any of these three possible
processes, all of which necessitate strenuous
efforts and determination on the part of the
State, the competent authorities should not
forget to ensure the full participation of the displaced persons themselves in the planning and
management of the required measures.
These State obligations are part of the United
Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement which restate the relevant international
human rights and humanitarian law standards.
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers
has recognised the importance of these principles
in their Recommendation on internally displaced
per-sons, which develops some of the principles
further on the basis of the existing Council of
Europe standards.
A systematic review of national legislation and
practice in order to bring such practice in line
with the UN Guid-ing Principles and other
relevant international instruments of human
rights or humanitarian law is highly recommended. These Principles are now particularly
relevant to member states who are directly or
indirectly involved in the current South Ossetian
crisis.
There are examples from recent history where
large groups of displaced persons have been kept
in unacceptable conditions and even in tent
camps. Their suffering has been used as a propaganda tool in order to illustrate that the political
problem left behind stays unresolved. Such a
policy is not acceptable; it amounts to keeping
already victimized people as hostages for political purposes. As the Committee of Ministers’
Recommendation 2006(6) underlines "member
states affected by internal displacement should
refrain from instrumental use of displaced persons for political aims”. IDPs have the right to
adequate living conditions while waiting for their
return or another longterm solution.
For obvious reasons, displaced persons tend to
flee to areas where they would not be in a minority position, where people from the same ethnic,
religious or national community live. However,
there are IDPs who either choose not to do this or
for whom this is not an option, the Roma for
example. Action plans on IDPs therefore need to
give particular attention to minority groups in
order to avoid a further cycle of violations. Many
persons from minority groups may need special
protective measures given that they may lack
proof of identity or residence before their
displacement.
Children are particularly at risk in these crisis
situations. Their rights must be protected and it
should be recalled that the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child continues to apply even
in the abnormal situation of forced internal or
external displacement. Children, especially
those who become unaccompanied during armed
conflicts, should be the subject of particular
attention and assistance by competent authorities in order to guarantee their basic needs and
rights, including housing and access to education. Women and girls are also at a heightened
risk of abuse and genderbased violence. Survivors of violence and torture require specific
support.
States have a duty
We also must not forget that States have the
duty to prevent displacement disasters from
taking place in the first place. The UN Guiding
Principles state that, "all authorities and international actors shall respect and ensure respect
for their obligations under international law,
including human rights and humanitarian law, in
all circumstances, so as to prevent and avoid
conditions that might lead to displacement of
persons" (Principle 5).
In modern Europe, the root causes of forced
displacement are found primarily in the more or
less violent emergence of nationstates and in
the lack of broadminded and tolerant policies
towards national minorities, as required by
European democratic values.
European history continues to teach us,
bitterly but clearly, that effective protection
and promotion of the rights of national minorities are essential for stability, democratic
security and peace on our continent. Governments have still to realize that the creation of a
climate of tolerance and dialogue is necessary to
enable ethnic and cultural diversity as a factor,
not of division, but of enrichment and cohesion
for European societies.
The Council of Europe provides a wealth of
standards for the protection of IDPs and, above
all, the prevention of their forced displacement.
Member states should reflect more profoundly
on them and adopt a genuinely proactive stance
in order to ensure the effective respect and
implementation of these principles by which
they are bound.
COE I GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Thomas Hammarberg is Commissioner for Human
Rights at the Council of Europe. This viewpoint is
also available at the Commissioner's website at
www.commissioner.coe.int
9
OPINION | ANSICHT
'Longing for the Past Yet Belonging
to the Present'
Interview with Niloufar Talebi, editor of Iranian literature, by Omid Memarian
Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, thousands of intellectuals, activists and poets have left Iran, many fleeing to Europe
and the United States. A new book brings together the work of
18 Iranian poets from this diaspora to share their experiences
with a wider audience.
'Belonging: New Poetry by Iranians Around the World' (North
Atlantic Books, August 2008) is a bilingual (Persian/English)
anthology, edited and translated by Niloufar Talebi, who is
passionate about making contemporary Iranian voices heard in
translation. She founded the Translation Project in 2003, a
nonprofit literary organisation and production company with
innovative projects in books, theatre and multimedia.
Telebi takes translations beyond the text, creating multimedia projects based on translated poetry, drawing on the
Iranian tradition of Naghali, or dramatic storytelling. She
studied comparative literature and trained in theatre, now
marrying the two skills to give Naghali (which traditionally
dramatises Classical Persian poetry) new content, and fusing
it with Western dramatic elements to reflect the IranianAmerican experience in modern society.
IPS correspondent Omid Memarian spoke with Talebi about
exile, censorship and the ageold relationship between
literature and politics. Excerpts from the interview follow.
Photo: Jules Cisek/IPS
Immigrant or exiled writers who continue to write in their mother tongue don't always have
the opportunity to communicate their work to readers in their host countries, since language
is the tool of their métier.
IPS: Can you tell us how the revolution and the political
situation in Iran have affected these poets' work?
Niloufar Talebi: The poets in 'Belonging' left their home
country, and are selfdefined as exiles, expatriates, immigrants or refugees. So their perspective is naturally politicised, some having more of a political bent than others. So,
for the most part, political themes were abundant in their
work, depending on how you define 'political'. One can argue
that any act of citizenry is a political act. Furthermore, three
decades have gone by since the defining political event
leading to their migration -- the 1979 Revolution -- and so
they also reflect new themes in their work, themes that have
to do with their recreating themselves, with their coming to
terms with being citizens of the world. As the title of the
book suggests, they live in the zone between longing for their
past and "belonging" in their present lives. In selecting the
poems for this volume, I decidedly featured a balance of
political and nonpolitical poems, including erotic, lyrical
and humorous poems.
IPS: What are the main characteristics of Iranian poetry
after the revolution?
Niloufar Talebi: In my research for the anthology, I was able
10
to find 140 poets living outside Iran and reciting in Persian.
No doubt this is a partial list, from which I translated about 35
poets, and eventually featured 18 in "Belonging", six from
each of the three generations reciting. What I noticed about
the work of the poets I studied for "Belonging" is that poets
practice a variety of poetic styles, and that the middle and
younger generations take great advantage of the artistic
freedom they have without the kind of censorship they would
be subject to inside Iran, which is different than the ways in
which writers inside Iran work around censorship.
IPS: Do you think reading Iranian poetry, at this particular
time, can be a way to understand the Iranian diaspora
better?
Niloufar Talebi: Well for one thing, poetry is where the human
experience is recorded. So to know a people, it makes sense
to take a good look at their poetry. Contemporary Iranian
poets are by and large unheard voices, whether they live in
Iran or outside, and whether they recite in Persian or in other
languages. We've read a number of memoirs by the Iranian
diaspora, but seldom have we read their poetry. So I see
Iranian poetry as an untapped source of information and
illumination, with the power to connect people rather than
divide them.
OPINION | ANSICHT
IPS: We don't see much Iranian literature in
western countries like the United States.
important for them to be exposed to emerging
voices.
Niloufar Talebi: Bottom line, the literature in
translation has to find readership in order to have
presence and impact. So the questions to ask are
whether enough work appears in translation,
whether they are the 'right' works for the readiness of the receiving culture during a particular
historical and aesthetic period, and whether the
translations are effective. Then there is the
question of the editor/publisher's willingness to
publish and invest in works of translation (which
compose only 0.3 to 3 percent of books published
annually in the U.S.).
IPS: What do you see as the relationship
between literature and politics in Iran or
elsewhere?
IPS: Why is such an anthology especially
relevant now?
Niloufar Talebi: Immigrant or exiled writers who
continue to write in their mother tongue don't
always have the opportunity to communicate
their work to readers in their host countries, since
language is the tool of their métier. "Belonging"
opens a channel of communication between
readers of English and Iranian poets who live
outside Iran and recite in Persian. Being a
bilingual volume, it also familiarises the Iranian
diaspora with the next generation of Iranian
poets. The diaspora tends to honour literary
figures of the time of the 1979 Revolution and
before. Their access to current information is
compromised due to the scatteredness of the
population, and their cultural knowledge is sometimes frozen in time. Even second-generation,
foreignborn Iranians adhere to their parents' set
of favourite authors, which is of course important
and not to be taken for granted, but it's also
Niloufar Talebi: Literature and art have always
played a role in social protest, in political expression, in Iran and elsewhere. Accordingly, censorship is a factor in the relationship between artistic
expression and the state. Though art and literature have been suppressed throughout history,
works of art have nevertheless managed to be
created, persisting under the worst conditions.
The same is true of the arts in Iran. Over the past
three decades, writers who stayed in Iran have
continued creating literature under censorship,
the number of women writers has multiplied, and
a huge body of criticism about writers living both
inside and outside Iran has emerged. Many banned
works, or works that are not put through the
Bureau of Guidance for publication permission are
embedded in blogs, accessible to the whole world,
until the blogs are discovered and shut down -and then they are embedded in new blogs. So all
in all, despite tremendous obstacles, Iranians
have found ways to express themselves in their
art.
IPS: Who is your audience? The Iranian
diaspora? Or every literature and poetry lover?
Niloufar Talebi: Both! American and IranianAmerican readers. I hope the average reader, and
not only the poetry connoisseur, is able to connect
with "Belonging". Poetry should not intimidate; it
should invite readers.
IPS | GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Iran's Rights Crisis Escalates
Under President Ahmadinejad's administration, Iran's human rights record has deteriorated markedly.
While the international community’s attention has focused on nuclear concerns, Iran has not been held
accountable for its violations of international human rights law. Human Rights Watch and the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran believe that any international efforts to engage Iran toward
reaching a resolution of the nuclear standoff should not come at the expense of attention to the human
rights crisis in Iran.
Human Rights Watch and the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran call on the Iranian government to:
•
•
•
Stop all executions of juvenile offenders and abolish the death penalty for juvenile offenders;
Release all political prisoners and persons jailed solely for exercising peacefully their right to
freedom of expression, association, and assembly;
Honour Iran’s standing invitations to the UN Special Rapporteurs and allow international human
rights or-ganizations to visit Iran to conduct research and advocacy.
[Excerpts from a background briefing note posted on its website by Human
Rights Watch on Sep. 18. For an un-abridged version please visit
http://hrw.org/backgrounder/2008/iran0908/iran0908web.pdf]
11
WINDOW ON EUROPE
Spain Debates Over
Investigation of Civil War Victims
By Tito Drago in Madrid
I
nternationally renowned Spanish
Judge Baltasar Garzón has unleashed
a heated debate in Spain by ordering
the authorities to provide information
on human rights crimes committed in
the 1936-1939 civil war and the subsequent 36-year dictatorship of General
Francisco Franco.
He will study the information in order
to decide whether the National Court
has
jurisdiction
to
investigate
complaints presented last year by
victims’ associations. Discreet support
for the resolution was expressed Sep. 2
by members of the administration of
socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
However, the move drew fierce
criticism from the main opposition
force, the centreright Popular Party
(PP). In dispute is whether the 1977
amnesty law and the Law on Historical
Memory, passed last year, closed the
issue once and for all, as the PP argues,
or whether there are still aspects that
can be clarified by the courts.
Lawyer Francisca Sauquillo, a socialist
lawmaker in the European Parliament,
told IPS that although the 2007 law does
not allow new trials to be opened on
political questions, it cannot stand in
the way of investigations on "crimes
against humanity." Under both national
and international law, no amnesty can
apply to crimes against humanity, said
Sauquillo, the founder and president of
the Movement for Peace, Disarmament
and Liberty (MPDL), which emerged
during, and in opposition to, the 19391975 Franco dictatorship.
Garzón’s resolution is aimed at gathering information in order to determine
whether or not the human rights violations in question can be classified as
crimes against humanity, said Sauquillo.
She argued that the judge’s plan is only
logical, given that there is no list of
names of the tens of thousands of victims
of the civil war and the dictatorship.
The judge’s decision was prompted by
complaints filed on Jul. 18, 2007, the
71st anniversary of the coup d’etat in
which Franco overthrew Spain’s Republican government, by the associations for
the recovery of the historical memory in
the regions of Catalonia, Andalusia and
Mallorca. These associations have
collected oral and written testimonies
about the victims of the Franco regime,
and have investigated unmarked mass
graves into which victims’ bodies were
dumped.
Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzón
Photo: www.typicallyspanish.com
The president of the Catalonian association, Manuel Perona, said that "after 70 years of
waiting, we now have hope that justice will be done on behalf of thousands of people who
continue to demand to know the where-abouts of their family members."
Hope that justice will be done
The president of the Catalonian association, Manuel Perona, said that "after 70 years
of waiting, we now have hope that justice will be done on behalf of thousands of
people who continue to demand to know the whereabouts of their family members."
Paqui Maqueda, vice president of the Andalusian victims’ association, also said she
hoped that the cases would finally be opened.
Margalida Capellá, a lawyer who belongs to the Mallorca association, told IPS that
the civil registers contain death records for victims of forced disappearance. She said
her organisation’s investigation of civil registers has turned up records on 198 deaths
and 400 disappearances.
OnSep. 1 night, Garzón ordered municipalities, parish churches and war cemeteries
to provide him with information on victims of the Franco regime.
The spokesman for Spain’s Catholic bishops’ conference told IPS that he had not yet
received any request, and thus declined to make a pronouncement on the issue.
Anselmo Álvarez, abbot of the Valle de los Caídos, told the press that 34,000 people
are buried in the cemetery there, all of whom were killed in the war. He added that
when he received Garzón’s request, he would study it and decide what to do.
12
WINDOW ON EUROPE
The associations that presented the legal complaints said that some
2,400 people were shot and killed in the San José cemetery in
Granada during the Franco regime and buried there in mass graves.
Prompt offers of cooperation
On the other hand, prompt offers of
cooperation came from the municipal
authorities in two large cities in Andalusia in the south: Granada and
Córdoba. In the former, Mayor José
Torres Hurtado and the rector of the
University of Granada, Francisco
González Lodeiro, both stated that
they would provide the information requested, although they clarified that
they did not believe they had much to
offer.
González Lodeiro also said he did not
understand why Garzón only asked for
information from his university, since
there "are other universities, like the
Complutense or the universities of
Salamanca and Oviedo, where professors were also shot and killed."
The associations that presented the
legal complaints said that some 2,400
people were shot and killed in the San
José cemetery in Granada during the
Franco regime and buried there in
mass graves.
Córdoba Mayor Rosa Aguilar of the
United Left (IU) coalition said her
government would cooperate with
Garzón to give answers to people who
are seeking the remains of their loved
ones, in order to give them a proper
burial, so that they can "rest in
peace."
But Garzón has challenges to
overcome. In February, the public
prosecutor’s office cited the 1977
amnesty law to request that the
complaints brought by the associations be dismissed.
A spokesman for the General Council
of the Judiciary (CGPJ), Juan Pablo
González, said it is not within the
competence of Judge Garzón to carry
out "historical investigations" or draw
up a census of those killed in the civil
war.
Spanish Dictator Francisco Franco (1892-1975)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
"Judicial show"
Another CGPJ spokesman, José Luis Requero, described what Garzón is doing as a
"judicial show." Even Judges for Democracy (JpD), which has a reputation as a
progressive association, criticised Garzón, who is internationally renowned for his
attempts to bring former military leaders of Latin American dictatorships to justice,
including Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990), whose extradition to
Spain he unsuccessfully sought.
JpD spokesman Miguel Ángel Jimeno said that before he can undertake legal
action, Garzón must be looking at a crime to which no amnesty or statute of limitation applies, committed by an individual who can be identified, in order to find out
who was guilty, and that for now these conditions do not exist.
Garzón also drew criticism from the press. The director of the Madrid newspaper
El Mundo, Pedro Ramírez, wrote in his Tuesday editorial that Garzón "is not seeking
to do justice but to use it for his own personal ends."
However, Garzón received support from other quarters. The council of National
Court judges defended his "professional integrity" and announced that it would ask
the CGPJ to make "an express pronouncement" with respect to the "unfair and
arbitrary opinions" expressed by the newspaper, one of Spain’s two leading papers.
In the judges’ view, El Mundo’s criticism went beyond the bounds of what is
permissible in terms of questioning judicial resolutions, and also called into
question "the professional integrity of magistrate Baltasar Garzón."
PP president Mariano Rajoy said he did not agree with "opening the wounds of the
past," and argued that digging around in the past "will not lead to anything, no
matter who does it."
But in the governing Socialist Party, both Zapatero and other leaders said they
respected and would continue to respect the decisions of the judiciary.
13
WINDOW ON EUROPE
Transgenic Crops' Days
May Be Numbered
By Mario de Queiroz in Lisbon
P
ressure from the president of
European Commission has not succeeded in advancing the cause of transgenic crops. In spite of the power wielded
by the executive organ of the European
Union, the bloc’s member countries are
gradually discontinuing the use of genetically modified seeds.
This is due in large measure to the
difficulty of convincing European farmers
to adopt the transgenic crop production
model, which is being promoted by biotech
giants, but also to increasingly vociferous
protests from civil society, which is
demanding that governments take an
active role, according to an expert interviewed by IPS.
Genetically modified (GM) organisms,
also called transgenics, are made in
laboratories by inserting genes from other
species of plants or animals into their
original DNA, in order to improve their
properties or confer resistance to external
factors like pests or insecticides.
Vectors, often viruses or bacteria, are
used to insert the foreign genes.
In Spain and Portugal, which have the
largest areas in the EU devoted to GM
maize cultivation, people are beginning
to question the benefits of sowing and
harvesting transgenic varieties of maize,
a crop native to the Americas which was
the staple food of a number of indigenous
cultures.
Maize was slow to be introduced in
Europe, because the Central American
areas where it was grown were colonised
by the Spanish at the time when the
Roman Catholic Church was conducting
the Inquisition, and they believed that
Europeans should not eat the same food
as indigenous peoples because, in their
view, the latter were not "children of
God." Widely used now as feed for
animals, maize has been the subject of
fierce contro-versy within the European
Commission.
"There isn't much that Europeans can do, but the power of numbers is
still on our side, and we can use them to back Stavros Dimas," she said.
For and against
On the one hand, Commission President
José Manuel Durão Barroso is in favour of
significantly increasing the production of
GM maize within the EU. On the other,
European Commissioner for the Environment, Stavros Dimas, is dead set against it.
The European Commission works like a
cabinet government and is made up of 27
Commissioners, one from each EU member
state, although they must represent the
interests of the EU as a whole, not just
their home country.
In October 2007, Dimas opposed European
Commission approval for cultivation in the
EU of two GM varieties of maize, Bt-11 and
1507, because "possible long-term risks to
the environment and biodiversity are not
com-pletely known, and environmental
effects resulting from the cultivation of the
GM maize lines are unaccept-able."
"However, the majority of the Commis-
14
sioners are in favour of GM maize, and the
final decision has been postponed twice
because a consensus could not be
reached," Portuguese biologist Margarida
Silva, the national coordinator of Plataforma Transgénicos Fora, comprising 12
Portuguese non-governmental organisations work-ing on agriculture and the
environment
and
networking
with
likeminded NGOs in the EU, told IPS.
Durão Barroso tried to convince Dimas to
withdraw his objections in April, while
simultaneously requesting an assessment
by the European Food Safety Authority,
"with the purpose of undermining the
legitimacy of Dimas' stance," according to
Silva, who is also a university professor.
Silva said that "the movement against
transgenics is growing in civil society
throughout Europe, and GM crops have
already been banned in several countries."
WINDOW ON EUROPE
EU policies on transgenics are based upon
Regulation 1829 on GM food and fodder,
adopted in 2003, and 2001 Directive 18 on
the deliberate release of transgenics into
the environment. According to these rules,
cultiva-tion and consumption of GM crops
can only be authorised after rigorous assessment of their risks.
Research on risks to human and animal
health is the responsibility of the European
Food Safety Authority, but authorisation of
GM plants and animals is ultimately up to
lawmakers in each of the bloc's member
countries.
Maize, the crop at the centre of the transgenics debate, has an annual production of
677 million tonnes, mostly for animal feed.
It is one of the four staple foods of humankind along with rice, wheat and potatoes,
according to the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Fifty-eight percent of total world maize
production is grown in countries in the
Americas, mainly in the United States,
which is also the cradle of genetic engineering technology and transgenic organisms.
The United States is the world's largest
producer of maize and accounts for nearly
half of global production. Large quantities
of fertilisers and herbicides are used on its
crops, which include hybrid and GM varieties.
Critics like Silva point out that it has been
proven that the large amounts of weedkillers used on transgenic crops pollute the soil
and endanger biodiversity.
Detractors of transgenics also say that
pests affecting GM grains develop resistance
to agrochemicals, so that ever higher doses
must be applied, with all their negative
effects on the environment.
The production of GM seeds for cultivation itself leads to extreme genetic uniformity between seeds, with a corresponding
loss of the natural diversity of crop strains.
Environmentalists who oppose transgenics are unmoved by the argument that the
higher productivity of these crops could
increase food production and end world
hunger.
"Feeding the world is not the goal, but
rather boosting the export incomes of the
big agribusiness companies that are
currently involved in the GM industry,"
Silva said.
Defenders of GM crops say that there is
no other solution. If, as expected, the
world's population doubles over the next
40 years, food production will have to be
increased by about 250 percent.
A huge, unified movement of people in
favour of declaring a moratorium on the
cultivation of GM crops has emerged in
Spain and Portugal, following a similar
decision taken in March by the French
government that invoked the "safeguard
clause" allowing an EU member state to
bypass a community directive.
Silva said France based its decision "on a
set of 25 scientific studies indicating risks
to the environment, farming and human
health derived from the cultivation of GM
maize."
In the southern Portuguese region of
Alentejo, which covers one-third of the
country's 92,000 square kilometres of
territory, "half of the farm units have given
up growing transgenic crops," Silva said.
More effective technology
Farmers prefer "more effective technology and practices, that pose fewer risks for the
environment, human health, and their own pocketbooks," she said. Although "in breach of the
law, the Agriculture Ministry refuses to release statistics, the scenario in Portugal shows that
a significant number of farmers first experiment with GM crops and then stop using them," she
said.
This phenomenon "is consistent with a recently published EU study of three regions in Spain,
which found that growing transgenic maize offered no economic advantage over conventional
maize to farmers in two of the areas," Silva said.
The biologist said that GM maize has been experimented with in the Iberian Peninsula since
2005 by Pioneer Hi-Bred International, a seed company belonging to the U.S. DuPont group,
and the Swiss corporation Syngenta, both "companies with a long history of agricultural pollution in Europe."
In addition to Portugal, the products of these corporations "have already affected farmers in
Germany, Aus-tria, Croatia, Slovenia, Spain and Italy," she said.
"Now that France, Hungary and Poland, Europe's main cereals producers, have forbidden the
use of GM maize in their territories, and Germany is in the process of following suit, the
Iberian countries (Spain and Portugal) should take heed and do the same," she said.
Silva was harshly critical of the Portuguese government for allowing the two corporations,
in partnership, to experiment for three years in the municipalities of Monforte and Rio Maior,
in the centre of the country, and in Ponte da Barca, in the north.
The green light given to Syngenta and Pioneer "makes no economic sense, is immoral, and
jeopardises the green and natural image of those municipalities and their tourism potential.
Approval has been granted to apply more herbicide, in a country that already suffers from
excessive agrochemical use," said Silva.
15
WINDOW ON EUROPE
Large-scale deforestation in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Guatemala and Uruguay has been attributed to trees on existing farmland being
cleared to make way for biofuel plantations, thereby harming the habitats of
many endangered species.
Push for Biofuels Losing Energy
By David Cronin in Brussels
T
he European Union's only directly
elected body has urged that a contentious target for using agricultural crops
to meet one-tenth of the bloc's transport
demands should be reduced. Since
leaders of the EU's 27 governments
formally set an objective last year that
biofuels should account for 10 percent of
all fuel used by cars, trucks and buses on
the Union's roads by 2020, it has encountered a storm of protest from environmentalists and human rights activists.
Even the EU's inhouse advisers on the
environment and scientific research have
questioned the wisdom of the target -officially aimed at tackling climate
change – at a time when the surge in food
prices encountered in many parts of the
world over recent months has been
widely blamed on the dramatic increase
in the use of farmland to produce fuel.
Although the governments have so far
declined to lower the level of their
ambition, members of the European
Parliament (MEPs) voted Sep. 11 that an
alternative target of 5 percent by 2015
should be established. A major review on
the impact of biofuels on human welfare
and the environment would then have to
be conducted before any further
targets are agreed.
Claude Turmes, a Luxembourg MEP and
a veteran campaigner on issues of clean
energy, described the vote as "a major
breakaway from the craziness of the
rush into agrofuels." He pointed out that
based on current trends, nearly 6
percent of the EU's transport would be
powered by biofuels within two years in
any event, without their production being
subject to any ecological or social criteria. The parliament, he noted, is now
insisting "we will have responsible
policies" before another growth in biofuel
use occurs.
"The vote by the European Parliament
recognises the serious problems associated with the largescale use of biofuels,"
said Adrian Bebb, spokesman for the
environment group Friends of the Earth.
"This is a welcome step in the right direction but much still needs to be done.
Using crops to feed cars is a false solution
to our climate problems and could lead to
the irreversible loss of wildlife, and
misery for millions of people in the
South."
He contends that biofuels do not appear
to offer an ecologically sound alternative
to oil, gas and coal. With the exception
of sugarcane in Brazil, few examples can
be cited of food crops for biofuels yielding environmental gains, he added.
Flavio Valente, secretarygeneral of the
FoodFirst
Information
and Action
Network (FIAN), has suggested that the
EU's support for biofuel production is at
loggerheads with its stated desire to
protect and promote human rights
throughout the world, including the right
to be free from hunger. "Who do you feed
first: cars and trucks, or people?" he
asked.
The right to food is enshrined in the
1966
International
Covenant
on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Later this year, the UN's general assembly
is expected to formally approve a protocol to that covenant that would allow
individuals to begin proceedings against
governments accused of violating
economic and social rights.
Catarina de Albuquerque, a Portuguese
lawyer who chaired a UN working group
on these issues, said it is "essential that
those countries who regard themselves
as human rights models -- I'm thinking
here of European states -- ratify the
protocol."
She pointed out that a number of EU
countries, including Britain, Ireland, the
Netherlands and Denmark, have not been
supportive of it. She also suggested that
it is wrong to focus solely on such rights
as freedom of speech, while ignoring the
right to be free of want.
"The time has come to give strong
support to the protocol and to defend
these rights as energetically as you
defend civil and political rights," she
said. "What is at stake here is the
credibility of economic, social and cultural rights."
A new report
A new report by Friends of the Earth
examines the effects of rising biofuel
production in Latin America, much of
which is then sold to Europe. Largescale
deforestation in Argentina, Brazil,
Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salva-dor,
Guatemala and Uruguay has been attributed to trees on existing farmland being
cleared to make way for biofuel plantations, thereby harming the habitats of
many endangered species.
One result is that food for fuel is often
being grown on previously unused land,
with pesticides and chemical fertilisers
causing serious damage to the soil. Working conditions on biofuel plantations are
frequently oppressive, with the use of
child labour reported in some instances.
Olivier De Schutter, United Nations
special rapporteur on the right to food,
has argued that evidence is mounting on
how biofuels are consuming large proportions of land and water.
16
WINDOW ON EUROPE
Serbia's Radical Party Cracks
By Vesna Peric Zimonjic in Belgrade
"
T
he curtain is coming down on one party...what
used to be the SRS (Serbian Radical Party) does
not exist any more...the life of the party I have
helped build in the past 18 years has ended." Those
words of Tomislav Nikolic (56), who was acting SRS
leader, shocked Serbia. The SRS is the ultranationalist
opposition party that Nikolic helped win a third of the
vote in the May parliamentary elections. The SRS
remains the biggest single party in the legislature.
Earlier this year Nikolic lost the presidential election
to President Boris Tadic; the difference was a mere
116,000 in an electorate of 5.5 million. Nikolic has
now been expelled from the party. But failing to win
the elections was not the reason for the expulsion.
The party leadership ordered him out on the orders of
SRS chief Vojislav Seselj, who stands trial for war
crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal for
former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at The Hague in the Netherlands.
Seselj has been in detention at the ICTY for five
years now, but he participates in decisionmaking
meetings over the phone, and dictates party policies.
Together with Nikolic he created the SRS in 1990.
Seselj ordered the expulsion of Nikolic because Nikolic
announced the SRS would vote in favour of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the
European Union (EU), which would bring Serbia closer
to EU membership.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
'High Treason'
Seselj called this "high treason" and an "unforgivable move of disloyalty." The EU and the United
States remain "the biggest enemies of Serbia," he
said. Seselj blames the EU and the U.S. for "tearing
Kosovo away from Serbia." Kosovo declared
independence from Serbia in February. The SAA
was, however, ratified by parliamentary majority;
the SRS abstained from voting, and Nikolic
announced his decision to form a moderate rightist
party of his own.
The party has not been given a name yet. "It
hasn't been decided yet, but it (the party) will be
open for EU integration...and balanced politics
between the EU and Russia," a party source said,
insisting on anonymity. "Keeping Kosovo in Serbia
will also be one of the goals."
Nikolic's breaking away from Seselj can only be
described as historic, Prof. Zarko Korac from
Belgrade University told IPS. "After 18 years of
hard-line nationalism we see the war-era politics
disappearing from scene. This society is ready now
to deal with recent past."
Together with former leader Slobodan Milosevic,
Seselj's SRS was one of the backbones of the
isolationist and warmongering policies of the 1990s.
The SRS said that Serbs in Croatia or Bosnia were
mostly "defending themselves" from Catholic or
Muslim "enemies", while "volunteers" and paramilitary units sent into the areas from Serbia proper
were "defenders of endangered Serbs."
The doctrine they officially handed out said no war
crimes were committed against Croats or Muslims.
Such views remain alive among many Serbs. But since
the transition to the market economy after the fall of
the Milosevic regime in 2000, most Serbs are preoccupied with improving living standards and a better
education.
"The times have radically changed since the 1990s,
and Nikolic clearly saw it," analyst Slavisa Orlovic
told IPS. "He steered his party towards the centre,
focusing on social issues such as unemployment and
poverty, rather than militant nationalism.
"Nikolic's success since Seselj went to the ICTY in
2003 was the result of attracting the socalled 'losers
in transition', a large part of the impoverished
Serbian society. Sceptical of the West and inclining
towards Russia, they are ready to believe him more
than pro Western parties."
17
Sustaining Development for a
Common Future
By Ramesh Jaura
T
he idea of sustainable development grew from
numerous environmental movements in previous decades and was defined in 1987 by the
Brundtland Commission in its report 'Our Common
Future' as "development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs".
This contributed to the understanding that
sustainable development encompasses a number of
areas and highlights sustainability as the idea of
environmental, economic and social progress and
equity, all within the limits of the world's natural
resources.
The Brundtland Commission, formally the World
Commission on Environment and Development
(WCED), known by the name of its Chair Gro Harlem
Brundtland (a former Prime Minister of Norway),
was convened by the United Nations in 1983. The
commission was created to address growing concern
"about the accelerating deterioration of the human
environment and natural resources and the consequences of that deterioration for economic and
social development".
In establishing the commission, the UN General
Assembly recognised that environmental problems
were global in nature and determined that it was in
the common interest of all nations to establish
policies for sustainable development. However, the
evidence on moving towards sustainability so far
appears to have been far from satisfactory.
Why sustainable development
The critical importance of sustainable development
(and all the interrelated issues associated with it) is
underlined by the fact that:
•
1.3 billion people are without access to
clean water;
•
almost half of humanity is lacking access
to adequate sanitation;
•
some 3 billion people are living on less
than 2.5 dollars a day;
•
approximately 2 billion do not have access
to electricity.
And this in an age of immense wealth in increasingly
fewer hands. The inequality of consumption (and
therefore, use of resources, which affects the
environment) is terribly skewed: "20 percent of the
world's people in the highest income countries
account for 86 percent of total private consumption
expenditures -- the poorest 20 percent a minuscule
1.3 percent", according to the 1998 United Nations
Human Development Report. Things have hardly
improved to the advantage of the world's poor since
then.
18
The Earth Summit in 1992, attended by 152 world
leaders attempted to highlight the importance of
sustainability. In fact 152 world leaders enshrined
sustainability in Agenda 21. The Agenda is a plan of
action and a recommendation that all countries
should produce national sustainable development
strategies. Despite binding conventions and numerous detailed reports, there seems to have been
little known about the details to ordinary citizens
around the world.
In the 10+ years since Rio, there has been little
change in poverty levels, inequality or sustainable
development, as the World Development Movement
notes. "Despite thousands of fine words the last
decade has joined the 1980's as another 'lost decade
for sustainable development' with deepening
poverty, global inequality and environmental
destruction."
Trends in sustainable
development 2008-2009
Efforts to reduce poverty and improve food
security in developing countries are hampered by
declining support for strong agricultural growth,
long considered a hallmark of successful poverty
reduction strategies, according to the '2008 Trends
in Sustainable Development' report published by
the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
The report highlights recent trends in agriculture,
rural development, land, desertification and
drought -- five of the six themes considered by the
UN Commission on Sustainable Development at its
16th session May 5-16 and to be discussed further
in the 17th session May 4-15 next year.
According to the report, strong agricultural
growth is four times more effective than growth in
other sectors in benefiting the poorest half of the
population. However, while many developing countries have posted gains in agricultural production,
distribution and exports, people living in areas of
high inequality and in isolation from the broader
economy typically benefit little from them.
Following is a snapshot of trends discussed in the
report:
•
Public spending on agriculture has fallen
in all regions except Asia over the past
generation, with the drop in Latin
America the most dramatic.
•
Foreign assistance for agriculture is at low
levels. In real terms, agriculture
accounted for just 4 per cent of bilateral
assistance in 2003, down from 16 per cent
in 1980.
'2008 Trends in Sustainable Development – Africa' found that since
the beginning of the new century, Africa has enjoyed faster economic growth than for several decades, thanks in part to improved
economic management and strong global demand for key export
commodities.
•
More regions have become net
food importers since the mid-1990s, including East Asia, Oceania and sub-Saharan
Africa.
•
Markets for valueadded exports
from developing countries are limited by
high tariffs and low brand recognition in
developed countries. Many developing
country producers are unable to meet
strict standards in developed nations.
•
Developing regions are likely to
stay mostly rural until 2020. South and
Central Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa will
remain more than 50 per cent rural until
2030.
•
Nonfarm income represents an
increasingly important share of rural
income in developing countries.
•
"No roads, no economic opportunities", particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
•
Two billion people live in
drylands, areas that have the world’s
lowest per capita GDP and highest infant
mortality rates. These populations are
especially vulnerable to further land degradation.
•
Droughts can be predictable,
making it possible to respond with regional
early warning systems. In Africa, droughts
tend to result in high mortality rates,
particularly in the sub-Saharan region, due
to the low level of preparedness. In some
developing countries, drought wiped out
more than 5 per cent of the previous year’s
GDP.
The report points out that strong agricultural growth has been a consistent feature
of countries that have successfully
managed to reduce poverty. GDP growth
generated in agriculture is, on average,
four times more effective in benefiting the
poorest half of the population than growth
generated outside agriculture, although
this effect declines as countries get richer.
Poverty rates have declined more rapidly
than undernourishment. Where inequality
is high and where a sizeable number of
extremely poor people live in relative
isolation from the broader economy, those
at the bottom of the income scale typically
benefit very little from economic growth.
Trends in Africa
Another report '2008 Trends in Sustainable
Development – Africa' found that since the
beginning of the new century, Africa has
enjoyed faster economic growth than for
several decades, thanks in part to improved
economic management and strong global
demand for key export commodities.
The report also found that despite such
success, achieving the Millennium Development Goals (agreed in 2000) remains a
challenge for sub-Saharan Africa, due to
widespread poverty. The publication was
launched at the 16th session of the
Commission on Sustainable Development,
which tackled pressing issues such as
agriculture, drought, and desertification
that impact many rural African economies.
Following are is a snapshot of trends spelt
out in the report.
•
Between 2001 and 2005, 10 nonoil producing countries registered annual
GDP growth rates above 5 per cent, including such agricultural nations as a Burkina
Faso, Ethiopia and Mali.
•
About 20 per cent of sub-Saharan
Africa's GDP is generated by agriculture. In
at least 20 countries, more than 70 per cent
of the labour force works in the sector.
•
More than one quarter of African
exports were headed to Asia in 2005,
compared to 9 per cent in 1990 and 14 per
cent in 2000.
•
The proportion of people living on
less than 1 dollar per day in sub-Saharan
Africa –- 41.1 per cent of the population –has been falling, but less rapidly than in
other developing regions. That figure is still
more than twice the level seen in the
developing world.
•
More than 500 million sub-Saharan
Africans lack access to modern energy. Per
capita electricity consumption in South
Africa is about 100 times the average
consumption in Sahel countries.
Against this backdrop, the UN General
Assembly focussed in a highlevel meeting
on development in Africa on Sept. 22. The
guiding document was Secretary-General
Ban Kimoon’s report on 'Africa’s development needs: state of implementation of
various commitments, challenges and the
way forward' (document A/63/130), which
takes stock of those needs and identifies
actions that, if carried out, would ensure
that the continent's development imperatives are addressed as it moves towards the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as
well as other internationally agreed development goals.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
19
Ramesh Jaura interviews
OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría
Photo: OECD
T
he high-level forum on aid effective
ness early September in Accra took
"profound" decisions to change the way
aid is structured and delivered, OECD
Secretary-General Angel Gurría says. Decisions
were taken to channel aid in a way that does
not undermine local systems, leads to greater
untying of aid from policies and companies in
donor countries, and enables countries to
work their way out of aid, says Gurría in the
first interview to IPS by a head of the influential OECD (the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development), a grouping of
30 wealthy nations. Excerpts:
IPS: Are you happy with the outcome of the
Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness
that concluded Sep. 4 in Accra?
Angel Gurría: The Accra Agenda for Action
(AAA), the main outcome of the Third High
Level Forum, will help global efforts to deliver
aid more effectively The AAA signals profound
behaviour change for both donors and developing countries. It will drive the new aid
business model envisioned in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, agreed in March
2005.
We are encouraged by the fact that the AAA
is the product of wide and inclusive consultation among developing countries, multilaterals, OECD donor countries, hundreds of civil
society organisations from around the world,
non-traditional donors, global funds and
middleincome countries. Developing countries voiced their priorities from the beginning
of the process and the significant actions
embodied in the AAA reflect their major
concerns.
IPS: What would you describe as the salient
aspects of the Accra Agenda for Action?
Does it deliver on con-crete commitments to
20
make aid work for the poor?
Angel Gurría: The Accra Agenda for Action
will speed up the follow-through on commitments made in the Paris Declaration. For
instance, a key problem of the aid industry is
that donors too often deliver aid through
their own systems and channels, undermining
the local capacities for public management
and accountability. Now, under the AAA, if
they are not using countries' own systems
they will have to explain why, and work with
the country to develop plans for doing so.
• The AAA calls for transparency, a precondition for good public management -good governance -- in all countries.
• It pledges to reduce the prescriptive conditions donors attach to aid -- about how and
when money is spent -- and instead focus on
conditions based on the developing country's
own objectives, as set out in their national
development plans.
• It commits donors to make more progress in
ensuring that aid is not tied to purchases in
the donor country.
• It strengthens developing country ownership and accountability by committing them
to engage their parliaments and citizens and
to respect their international commitments
on gender equality, human rights, disability
and environmental sustainability.
• It ensures that donors will work effectively
in each developing country -- not overcrowding some sectors while ignoring others.
• It increases the predictability of aid, calling
on donors to commit mediumterm funding so
that developing countries can effectively
design their budgets and manage related
development programmes. This is especially
important in sectors such as health, which
depend on reliable longterm funding to
deliver drugs and to staff clinics.
IPS: European NGOs are deeply disappointed that there has been failure to progress on issues such
as tied aid and conditionality. Do you share their disappointment?
Angel Gurría: No. There has been considerable progress on these fronts, and the AAA calls for more. In
2001, DAC (Development Assistance Committee of the OECD) donors untied the majority of their aid to
the least developed countries. Now, in response to the AAA, they have agreed to untie their aid to the
heavily indebted poor countries. This means that aid to the 60 poorest countries is now mostly untied.
Eight DAC members have fully untied their bilateral aid -- Australia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, the
Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Four others have untied most of their aid -Denmark, France, Germany and Switzerland. The U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation provides its aid
untied, while the European Community opens its aid procurement to other donors on a reciprocal basis.
As a result, the share of aid recorded as untied has increased -- from 43 percent in 2002 to 53 percent
in 2006. The proportion reported as tied has fallen from 7 percent to 3 percent.
On another front, OECD data show that 60 percent of contracts go to companies not in the donor
territory, with more than 40 percent of these going to companies from developing countries.
The AAA calls on those donors who do not yet follow the general DAC trend towards increased untying
(Aus-tria, Canada, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain and the U.S.) to set out plans to increase the
share of their aid that is untied. I am confident that this will prompt further progress towards this important objective.
IPS: The executive director of the South Centre, Yash Tandon, has described the Paris Declaration
on Aid Ef-fectiveness agreed in 2005 as the rich nations' "collective colonialism." The main plank
of his argument is that the donors do not favour any inherent change in the governance structure
of the international aid system which continues to be donordriven and reflects donors' economic
and policy agendas. Would you like to comment on that?
Angel Gurría: The international community is finally aware of the need for developing countries to lead
the implementation of the Paris Declaration. This is why, as I mentioned earlier, the negotiation process
that led to the AAA was guided by developing countries, in partnership with donors and CSOs.
The AAA places emphasis on strengthening country ownership of development. This includes broadening
the definition of ownership to include parliaments, local authorities, and civil society. The AAA calls for
increased leadership from partner countries in making assistance demand rather than supply driven: it
calls on developing countries to identify where capacity needs to be developed. It establishes that
technical cooperation should be provided by local and regional resources, including through South-South
cooperation.
The AAA's call for donors to use national country systems as the first option for aid programmes will
ensure that national priorities are not bypassed. At the same time, donors are committing to delivering
results rather than pushing for visibility and attribution. This means changing organisational and staff
incentives to promote behaviour that is in line with aid effectiveness principles.
IPS: Does the Agenda go far enough to pave the way for the success of the UN MDG Summit later this
month and the Financing for Development conference end of the year in Doha, which will decide the
volumes of fi-nance to be made available for reducing poverty and tackling inequality?
Angel Gurría: Donor buy in of the Accra Agenda for Action shows that there is political will to do aid
better. Following the July impasse in the Doha trade talks in Geneva, ministers came to Ghana knowing
that they must not fail the world's poorest yet again. Despite success in Accra, there are serious
challenges ahead -- great concerns remain about food and oil prices, and about climate change. We must
capture the progress made in the Doha trade talks; we must close the small gaps that separate the
parties and conclude this vital development round. This is about inclusive globalisation. It's about creating jobs, increasing incomes, and ensuring energy efficiency and global food security.
As you know, many donors have made commitments to significantly increase their aid in the years
immediately ahead. Now more than ever, we call upon them to make the budgetary provisions needed to
provide predictable assistance in line with their promises. OECD will be tracking that aid and calling
donors to account if the numbers don't add up.
IPS: The last para of the Accra Agenda for Action says: "Today, more than ever, we resolve to work
together to help countries across the world build the successful future all of us want to see -- a
future based on a shared commitment to overcome poverty, a future in which no countries will
depend on aid." Do you see any realistic possibility of that happening one day?
Angel Gurría: In Accra we found common ground and sent a resounding message to the world: governments are serious about making development assistance work. What we achieved in Accra will contribute
to giving the 1.4 billion people who still live in extreme poverty an opportunity to improve their lives. We
are confident that it offers a breakthrough in the way assistance is delivered and in enabling countries to
IPS I GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
work their way out of aid.
21
Home Stretch
Bumpier
Than Ever
By Thalif Deen in New York
A
t a time when the world's cash-strapped
developing nations, particularly in Africa,
have admitted their inability to meet most
of the UN's eight Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), one Latin American country stands apart
-- confident it could even beat the deadline set
by the United Nations.
"Modestly and proudly, we announce to this
Assembly that Chile is achieving the Millennium
Goals set for 2015-- and ahead of time," Dr.
Michelle Bachelet, president of Chile, told
delegates. Addressing the 192-member General
Assembly Sep. 25, she said: "We can say that it is
possible to eradicate poverty, that it is possible
to emerge from underdevelopment and -- even
more importantly-- that it is possible to do so in
democracy and freedom."
Chile, which has almost tripled the size of its
economy between 1990 and 2008, has "advanced
strongly" on all fronts: health, education,
housing, quality of life and social cohesion, she
added, referring to some of goals set by the
United Nations. With a total population of over
16.4 million people, Chile's level of poverty has
dropped: from about 40 percent in 1989 to 13
percent today.
The Chilean president provided one of the few
bright political sparks in a gathering of over 100
world leaders, most of whom complained that
the ongoing food, fuel and energy crises were
undermining their attempts to achieve the MDGs
set by the General Assembly back in 2000.
The eights MDGs include a 50-percent reduction
in extreme poverty and hunger; universal primary
education; promotion of gender equality; reduction of child mortality by two-thirds; cutbacks in
maternal mortality by three quarters; combating
the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other
diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability;
and developing a North-South global partnership
for development.
The volatile situation has been aggravated by an
unprecedented economic crisis facing the United
States, described by some as a "gathering storm"
threatening to devastate the developing world.
22
UNFPA's Thoraya Ahmed Obaid | Photo: UN
'Make it happen'
Opening the high-level session following the
presentation of a short film, Make it Happen,
produced specially for the Sep. 25 event,
Secretary-General Ban Kimoon recalled the
ambitious objectives undertaken by member
states eight years ago he said many successes had
been achieved, with millions having emerged
from poverty, not only in China and India, but in
numerous other countries, including some of the
poorest ones. There were good prospects for
reducing extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.
"While we are moving in the right direction, we
are not moving quickly enough," Ban said.
Father Miguel d'Escoto Brockman (of Nicaragua), president of the General Assembly, warned
that the current financial crisis will have "very
serious consequences" that will impede the
significant progress, "if indeed any progress is
made", towards the targets established by the
MDGs, "which are themselves insufficient." He
added: "It is always the poor who pay the price
for the unbridled greed and irresponsibility of the
powerful," taking a passing shot at the staggering
700-billion dollar bailout, proposed by the U.S.
administration, to save the highstakes investment banks of New York from bankruptcy and
collapse.
"Millions of poor households have risen out of extreme poverty, not just in China
and India, but in many countries, including some of the poorest," Ban said.
44 on track to meet poverty goal
Asked if there were any other developing countries that have
made public pronouncements on meeting all of the MDGs ahead
of the deadline, Salil Shetty, director of the UN's Millennium
Campaign, told IPS: "Sadly, we don't really have easily accessible information at the country level in one place." He added:
"But we do know that 47 countries are on track to meet the
education goal, 44 countries are on track to meet the poverty
goal and 34 countries are on track to meet the infant mortality
goal."
Interestingly, Shetty said, this includes some of the poorest
countries of the world like Zambia, which is on track on six of
the goals. And some big countries like Brazil, which is on track
for all except the sanitation target, he added. The biggest
challenges, he said, are the environment goals and reducing the
maternal mortality rates by three-quarters.
Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, executive director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), said it would cost the world about six billion
dollars, less than a day-and-a-half of global military spending,
to stop women from dying in childbirth. "We will not achieve
the MDGs unless reproductive health and the rights of women
become a political and financing priority," Obaid told IPS. She
said the MDGs were designed "to put our world on a more secure
and sustainable path...And it is hard to envision a safe future
without safe motherhood."
The one-day high-level meeting Sep. 25 saw the creation of a
new coalition to meet the challenges facing MDGs: governments, non-governmental organisations, chief executive
officers of transnational corporations, faith groups and philanthropists.
"We know this approach will work," the secretary general said.
It has already worked, he said, to successfully fight malaria, a
disease that kills a child every 30 seconds. Ban has called for 72
billion dollars per year in external financing to achieve the
MDGs by 2015. "While the figure might seem daunting, it was,
in fact afford-able, particularly considering the 267 billion
dollars spent last year by countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on agricultural
subsidies alone," he added.
Kenyan President Mwai Kbaki singled out rising oil prices as a
factor in the current economic crisis facing most developing
nations. "I wish to make a passionate appeal to oil-producing
nations to consider the plight of non-oil-producing nations,
especially those in the developing world," he said. The rapid
increase in oil prices is hurting developing countries the most,
"and does not augur well for international peace and stability."
Rwanda confident
But Rwandan President Paul Kagame was more confident of his
battle against poverty. "In the context of fighting poverty and
achieving the MDGs objectives, our second generation poverty
reduction strategy is gathering momentum in Africa, East Africa
and in Rwanda, contextualised in greater stability and peace,"
he added.
Kagame said in Rwanda, one of the recent success stories in
Africa, "we are registering a healthy economic growth rate,
currently averaging seven percent annually, in an increasingly
open and conducive environment that encourages domestic and
foreign investors."
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon | Photo: www.unescap.org
Outlining some of the successes of the MDGs, the UN
secretary-general said that measles vaccinations have
prevented 7.5 million deaths. There have also been inroads
against AIDS, while there is a surge in school en-rolment in
several African countries following the abolition of school fees,
he added.
"Millions of poor households have risen out of extreme
poverty, not just in China and India, but in many countries,
including some of the poorest," Ban said. Still, he admitted
that sub-Saharan Africa actually saw the number of poor
increase between 1990 and 2005.
'Renewed appetite'
Pronouncing her verdict on the high-level meeting, Alison
Woodhead, spokeswoman for Oxfam International, told IPS:
"The summit has proven that there is a renewed appetite for
the fight against poverty." She said the high-level meeting has
injected new life into the MDGs. The sense of urgency on
maternal health and fighting malaria is genuine progress. But
the fact remains that this year there are more people living in
poverty than last year, she pointed out.
"The financial crisis and recent increases in food prices have
raised the bar even higher in meeting poverty goals," she said.
The big failure of the summit is the response to the food crisis,
she said, because world leaders have simply not risen to the
challenge, with commitments made months ago remaining
largely unfulfilled. "With one billion people suffering from
acute hunger, what we have seen this week is nowhere near
good enough," Woodhead said. IPS | GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
23
It Pays to Go Green
By Wolfgang Kerler in New York
A
new report shows how a greener economy could
eradicate poverty by creating tens of millions of
new jobs. But it will not happen solely through the
market's "magic hand", Achim Steiner, head of the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP) told IPS. "We are sending
signals that low-carbon, energy-efficient and less polluting technologies and production processes will be the
winners in the new emerging economy," he said.
Together with the International Labour Organisation
(ILO), the International Organisation of Employers (IOE)
and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC),
UNEP released on Sep. 24 a new report titled 'Green Jobs:
Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon
World'.
It shows the possible impact a emerging "green
economy" will have on the world of work. According to
the report, "investments resulting from efforts to reduce
climate change and its effects are already generating
new jobs". In Germany, for example, the number of jobs
in the renewable energy sector rose from 66,600 in 1998
to 259,100 in 2006. In the same year, the sector had more
than 2.3 million employees worldwide -- many of them in
developing countries like China and Brazil. The report
estimates that employment in the renewable energy
sector will surpass 20 million people in 2030.
Worth 2.7 trillion by 2030
Other sectors with a promising green job potential -- in
developed and developing countries alike -- are recycling, public transportation, improving energy efficiency
of buildings, smallscale sustainable farming and sustainable forestry management. By 2030, the volume of
the market for environmental products and services is
predicted to reach 2.740 trillion dollars per year, from 1.3
trillion at present.
But the report has some bad news as well. The number
of new, wellpaid jobs for poor people in developing
countries is still far from adequate. With 1.3 billion working people - or 43 percent of the global workforce -earning too little to lift them and their families out of the
poverty threshold of two dollars per person and day,
immediate action is required, experts say. The current
pace of economic transition "is absolutely not fast
enough" to tackle the challenges of climate change and to
substantially reduce unemployment and poverty, Steiner
said.
"It requires governments to take their responsibilities,
to invest and to plan," ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder
told IPS. Sustainable development will require more
cooperation between governments, employers and trade
unions. However, as the economy changes in a way that
creates new jobs, many already existing workplaces will
also change -- meaning the environmental impact of
enterprises and economic sectors will be re-duced,
ultimately to sustainable levels -- and other jobs will be
lost.
24
UNEP's Achim Steiner | Photo: UN
"You can have greener workplaces in any industry," Ronnie
Goldberg, vice president of the International Organisation
of Employers, told IPS. "But some industries eventually may
disappear or certainly become much smaller." For this
reason, the International Trade Union Confederation calls
for "just transitions" as Ryder said: "It means transition with
protection for displaced workers, which provides alternatives for them -- like retraining and new investment -- so
they can move with a minimum of suffering from where
they are today towards new opportunities."
The director-general of the ILO, Juan Somavia, stressed
that "green jobs are not decent by definition". Especially
in industries like waste management, many jobs are dirty,
dangerous and difficult. As natural resources grow scarce
and expensive, many new business ideas are born -- for
example the recycling of mobile phones. Unheard of in the
past millennium, it has emerged to a multi-million-dollar
business in recent years.
"Consumers' demand for proenvironmental goods and
services is exponentially increasing," Tim Augustin, PR and
marketing manager of the firm Greener Solutions in
Germany, told IPS. With branches in Britain and Germany,
it focuses on the recycling and trading of mobile phones.
"In 2007, Greener Solutions Germany collected around
450,000 mobile phones -- a growth of 175 per cent
compared with 2006," Augstin said. An estimated 100
million mobile phones are replaced every year in Europe
alone.
Examples like this make Achim Steiner feel optimistic.
"When you look 30, 50 years down the line, we will be
producing the same quantity of goods with far less input
and far less waste coming out of it. The waste from one
production process becomes the input for another."
Indien setzt auf nachhaltiges Bauen
Von Keya Acharya in Bangalore | Deutsche Bearbeitung: Grit Moskau-Porsch
N
och sind Indiens Energiespargesetze für die
Bauwirtschaft unverbindlich. Dennoch hat das
wirtschaftlich boomende asiatische Schwellenland in
diesem Bereich schon mehr 'grünes' Engagement vorzuweisen
als die entwickelte Welt. Chandrasekhar Hariharan, der
Geschäftsführer des größten auf Nachhaltigkeit setzenden
indischen Bauunternehmens 'Biodiversity Conservation (India)
Limited' (BCIL) mit Sitz im südindischen Bangalore ist überzeugt: "Beim nachhaltigen Bauen liegen wir, was Tempo und
bebaute Fläche angeht, deutlich vorn."
Beim ökologischen Bauen geht es um Gebäude, die nicht nur
möglichst energieeffizient sind, sondern auch sparsam mit
Baumaterial umgehen und für Bauherren wie deren Kunden
gleichermaßen funktionell, finanziell und ästhetisch attraktiv
sind.
Nach Angaben von S. Raghupathy, Chef des vor acht Jahren
etablierten und in Hyderabad ansässigen Indischen Rats für
grünes Bauen ('Indian Green Building Council' – IGBC) hat sich
nachhaltiges Bauen von bescheidenen Anfängen im Jahr 2003
in nur vier Jahren gewaltig ausgedehnt: von rund 2.300
Quadratmeter auf 2,3 Millionen Quadratmeter. Bis 2010
sollen es jährlich über 90 Millionen Quadratmeter werden.
In Indien mit seiner rasant wachsenden Wirtschaft ist der
Bedarf an Industrie- und Bürogebäuden, Wohnhäusern und
Infrastrukturmaßnahmen gigantisch. Der Energieverbrauch,
der pro Kopf der Bevölkerung weit geringer ist als in westlichen Industrieländern, ist bei Gebäuden von 14 Prozent im
Jahr 1970 auf fast 30 Prozent gestiegen.
Bei den meisten indischen Gebäuden habe man sich bislang
an die Energie verschwendenden westlichen Vorbilder mit
ihren Klimaanlagen und Glasfassaden gehalten, kritisiert Mili
Majumdar, die stellvertretende Direktorin der Abteilung für
nachhaltige Bauwissenschaft am Institut für Energieressourcen (TER) in Neu-Dehli, dessen Projekt für nachhaltige
Richtlinien (GRIHA) sie ebenfalls leitet. "Angesichts des
rasanten Wachstums ist es dringend erforderlich, in Indien
energieeffizient zu bauen", betonte die Wissenschaftlerin.
Bauboom kann Nachfrage nicht decken
Im Zeitraum 2004 bis 2005 wurde in Indien eine Fläche von
insgesamt rund 40,8 Millionen Quadratmeter mit Wohn- und
Geschäftshäusern bebaut, das entspricht etwa einem Prozent
des jährlichen weltweiten Zuwachses an bebauter Fläche.
Dennoch kann das Wachstum des indischen Bausektors nicht
Photo: Keya Acharya | IPS
mit der Nachfrage Schritt halten. Die Nationale Bank für
Wohnungsbau hat errechnet, dass in den urbanen Zentren 8,9
Millionen Wohneinheiten fehlen.
Die preisgekrönte Wohnanlage T-Zed ('Towards Zero-Energy')
in Bangalore gilt als Musterbeispiel ökologischer Bauweise. Der
95 Häuser umfassende Komplex wird mit Regenwasser
versorgt, das in einem geschlossenen Kreislauf gesammelt,
aufbereitet und wieder verwendet wird. Die Wohnhäuser
werden mit Solarkraft beheizt und beleuchtet, und ein ausgefeiltes System, das ohne einen Kompressor auskommt und die
nächtliche Abkühlung nutzt, hält die Häuser kühl und staubfrei. "Wir haben sogar unser eigenes Trinkwasser", berichtet
Taranjit Nair, die mit ihren zwei Kindern in T-Zed lebt.
Das Forschungsinstitut TERI hat wesentlich zu den Bemühungen der Zentralregierung beigetragen, Richtlinien für ökologisches Bauen einzuführen. Der neue nationale Aktionsplan
zum Klimawandel enthält Maßnahmen für Energieeffizienz und
nachhaltiges Wohnen und stützt sich auf den Kodex für Energie
sparende Bauweise ('Energy Conservation Building Code' –
ECBC. Er soll für Geschäftshäuser mit einem Stromverbrauch
von 500 Kilovoltampere und mehr obligatorisch werden.
Grün und luftig
Mit seinem üppigen Grün und seiner angenehmen Belüftung ist
das 'India Habitat Centre' in Neu-Delhi TERIs Flaggschiff. In
seinem Fortbildungszentrum im 50 Kilometer entfernten
Gurgaon wird der Einsatz von so genannten Passivtechniken
vermittelt, mit deren Hilfe sich der Energieverbrauch von
Kühlung, Heizung und Beleuchtung verringern lässt.
Der IGBC in Hyderabad richtet sich bei seinen Standards für
nachhaltiges Bauen nach den Richtlinien des auch in einigen
westlichen Ländern verwendeten US-Zertifikats LEED
('Leadership in Energy and Environmental De-sign'). Nach
Ansicht von Kritikern ist dieses Öko-Gütesiegel für Indien
wenig geeignet, da es sich am westlichen verschwenderischen
Energieverbrauch etwa durch Klimaanlagen orientiert.
IGBC-Direktor Raghupathy hält die Kritik für unberechtigt.
"Die Prinzipien für nachhaltiges Bauen sind universell, zudem
werden die LEED-Kriterien ständig weiterentwickelt", sagte er.
"Auch die Einstellung zu energieintensiven Bürogebäuden
ändert sich. Schon die Aussicht, durch sparsamen Energie- und
Wasserverbrauch Kosten zu sparen, motiviert viele Bauherren,
sich dem IGBC anzuschließen", betonte der indische Experte.
IPS I KOMMUNIKATION GLOBAL
25
'Corruption Nourishes
Poverty'
Ramesh Jaura interviews Huguette Labelle,
Chair of Transparency International
A
new report by Transparency International (TI) lashes out
at some of the world's poorest countries for an "on-going
humanitarian disaster" and deplores the "wealthiest" for
not doing enough to stem graft. Launching the 2008 Corruption
Perceptions Index (CPI) Sep. 23, TI Chair Huguette Labelle said:
"In the poorest countries, corruption levels can mean the difference between life and death, when money for hospitals or clean
water is in play. . . . . But even in more privileged countries, with
enforcement disturbingly uneven, a tougher approach to
tackling corruption is needed."
Corruption is "robbing the people of their future" and their
lives, Labelle told IPS in an interview immediately after the
launch of the CPI that measures the perceived levels of publicsector corruption in a given country and is a composite index,
drawing on different expert and business surveys.
The 2008 CPI scores 180 countries (the same number as the
2007 CPI) on a scale from zero (highly corrupt) to ten (highly
clean). Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden share the highest
score at 9.3, followed immediately by Singapore at 9.2. Bringing
up the rear is Somalia at 1.0, slightly trailing Iraq and Myanmar
at 1.3 and Haiti at 1.4.
Asked what the wealthy nations could do to help low-income
countries combat corruption, Labelle said: "I would like to say,
they should start at home. And they should make sure that they
do not practice double standards."
Labelle has been awarded honorary degrees from twelve Canadian Universities and has held several important positions in the
Canadian government. She headed the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) from 1993 to 1999. She is currently
Chancellor of the University of Ottawa. She took over as TI's
chair three years ago.
Photo: Transparency International
Excerpts from the interview:
IPS: What is corruption?
Huguette Labelle: We see corruption as the abuse of public
trust, abuse of entrusted power for personal gain. It's a rather
broad definition but that's how we define it.
IPS: Why does fighting corruption matter?
Huguette Labelle: It matters a lot. Because we feel, based on
what we have seen around the world, that corruption really
prevents countries from developing. It nourishes poverty.
Because if the resources that should be going to the development
of a country are diverted to fiscal havens, the people are robbed
of their future, people are robbed of their lives.
In low-income countries, rampant corruption jeopardises the
global fight against poverty, threatening to derail the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The TI's 2008 Global Corruption
Report pointed out that unchecked levels of corruption would
add 50 billion dollars (35 billion euros) -- or nearly half of annual
global aid outlays – to the cost of achieving the MDG on water and
sanitation.
26
IPS: Would you say that there is a link between corruption and poverty?
Huguette Labelle: Personally I am convinced that poverty does not cause corruption, but
corruption causes poverty because if you are in a country with a lot of natural resources, with a
lot of money moving in to the government, but that money is being diverted into fiscal havens,
instead of going in for the development of a country that does mean that the school will not be
built, the health system will not be there and the infrastructure will be weak so that we will
have poverty as a result. So yes there is a direct link between corruption and poverty
IPS: How would you explain that despite the link between corruption and poverty in the
eight MDGs (agreed heads of state and government in 2000) corruption is not mentioned?
Huguette Labelle: Well. It has not been identified in the MDGs. And that's very interesting. If we
look back, prior to 1993, people did not even dare talk about corruption -- (and this) for a variety
of reasons. And it has only been in 1994. 1996, 1996 where it finally became part of the discussion, it became an issue nationally and internationally, and has been increasing. So to go back to
the MDGs: when they were agreed the corruption issue had not been taken on yet.
But, on the other hand, if you look at the UN Global Compact and the ten principles, corruption
was added after the other nine had been identified. (The Global Compact is a framework for
businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally
accepted principles). So we pushed a lot for that to happen and it has happened. And so it's now
part of that.
Look at the work of the (Vienna-based) UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) where they have
got more resources – because money-laundering which is very often the result of corruption -- is
moving so fast in the world now. And it also feeds into illicit arms, into illicit drugs. That office
has been strengthened.
We also saw the Secretary-General of the UN and President of the World Bank to announce -I was invited to be with them -- the cocalled STaR (Stolen Asset Recovery) Initiative -- to try to
deal with restitution of all the money that is taken out of countries, that should belong to the
people of countries from which it has been taken out because of corruption by corrupt leaders.
So there is a lot of things happening. As such StAR represents a global drive to help developing
countries recover assets stolen by corrupt leaders.
(StAR Initiative was announced at the April 2007 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund. It involves a partnership between the World Bank and the UNODC,
working with a range of other organisations including the International Monetary Fund, the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the regional development banks, the
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, Switzer-land, and developing countries.)
But at the end we got to find ways to get the people of a country, the civil society, responsible
media to put constant pressure on all governments at all levels.
IPS: What do you think the industrialised countries could do to help the developing countries fight corruption?
Huguette Labelle:First of all, I would like to say, they should start at home. And they should
make sure that they do not practice double standards. The continuing emergence of foreign
bribery scandals indicates a broader failure by the world’s wealthiest countries to live up to the
promise of mutual accountability in the fight against corruption. That's one kind of double
standards which leaves a state of confusion at the other end. So what is important is to be
consistent and coherent and not have double expectations.
Secondly they (wealthy countries) should ensure that in all the support that they do, they build
in transparency and integrity and that results be demonstrated. Thirdly they should ensure that
they provide the kind of support that the countries desire. Because very often though the institutions are there a country does not have the resources. To be able to ensure that these intuitions
are strong, especially the judiciary, the office of the auditorgeneral, for instance, support is
required.
IPS: Would you say that the level of economic development has an impact on corruption one
way or the other?
Huguette Labelle: That's a difficult question. Economic development should be something
positive. It should increase the money available for the development of infrastructure, for
social, physical and so on. It should be there to insist on the creation of jobs, although GDP
growth does not always translate into jobs. But in principle it should be positive. One has to be
very careful, though, where that money is going.. Because it is positive only to the extent that
people benefit and that it's economic growth with equity as opposed to 20 families becoming
extremely rich. But if the people do not feel any difference in their daily lives because nothing
has changed for them.
27
Wie DEUTSCHLAND sich
und AFRIKA helfen möchte
BM Steinmeier mit dem Außenminister von Togo, Prof. Léopold Gnininvi am 11.02.2008 in Lomé.
Photos: Hendrik Schott
Von Hendrik Schott in Bonn
"Erst diese Woche haben wir eine
Vereinbarung mit Nigeria unterzeichnet, mit der wir Gas gegen Technologie für dortige Firmen tauschen
wollen." Mit diesen Worten beschrieb
Bundesaußenminister
Frank-Walter
Steinmeier in einem Zeitungsinterview Ende August Deutschlands Bemühungen, auf dem afrikanischen
Energiemarkt verstärkt Fuß zu fassen.
Das Tauschmodell könnte der
Bundesregierung helfen, den Zugang
zu Afrikas Rohstoffen auszubauen,
um die Abhängigkeiten von den
derzeitigen Energielieferanten zu
vermindern. Wie Erfolg versprechend
sind diese Bemühungen? Mit welchen
Staaten möchte man verstärkt im
Bereich Energie kooperieren und
welche Rolle werden dabei die
erneuerbaren
Energien
spielen?
Werden beide Seiten gleichermaßen
von dem Tauschgeschäft profitieren
können?
Im Auswärtigen Amt hat man das
Problem erkannt. In seiner Rede zur
Eröffnung
der
diesjährigen
Botschafterkonferenz mit dem
Schwerpunkt Afrika verdeutlichte
Steinmeier, in welchen Bereichen
die lange vernachlässigte Zusammenarbeit mit Afrika für beide
Seiten auf profitable Weise intensiviert werden könnte:
Eine halbe Milliarde Afrikaner ohne Strom
Reiche Erdgasreserven
"Noch immer haben eine halbe Milliarde Menschen in Afrika
keinen Zugang zu Elektrizität. Dabei ist doch eine gesicherte
Energie- und Stromversorgung erste Voraussetzung für
Wachstum und Wohlstand", so der Minister zum Auftakt der
viertätigen Konferenz am 8. September "Wir wollen deshalb
dafür sorgen, dass zum Beispiel in Nigeria die Infrastruktur
für Stromerzeugung und Verteilung ausgebaut wird. Und
zwar mit sauberer Technologie aus Deutschland. Im Gegenzug erhält Deutschland Zugang zum nigerianischen Energiemarkt."
Die Botschaft war deutlich. Und sicherlich zur Freude der
zum Wirtschaftstag der Botschafterkonferenz angereisten
Unternehmensvertreter konnte Steinmeier bereits auf erste
Ergebnisse hinweisen.
Bei seiner Westafrikareise im Sommer 2007 hatte Deutschlands oberster Diplomat das Tauschgeschäft mit dem nigerianischen Präsidenten eingefädelt. Vor einigen Wochen
konnte dann in der nigerianischen Hauptstadt Abuja ein
Memorandum zur Energiezusammenarbeit unterzeichnet
werden.
In der Absichtserklärung werden einige Projekte genannt,
bei denen man zusammenarbeiten möchte. Durch die Kooperation im Erdgassektor, bei Instandsetzung und Neubau von
Kraftwerken und der Stromversorgung soll der nigerianische
Energiehaushalt bis 2020 auf jährlich 6.500 Megawattstunden mehr als verdoppelt werden.
Deutsche Firmen liefern Nigeria ihre Expertise für den
Ausbau der Energieinfrastruktur. Im Gegenzug sollen
Energieversorger aus Deutschland an der Ergasgewinnung
in dem westafrikanischen Land beteiligt werden. Die
bislang nur wenig erschlossenen Erdgasvorkommen
Nigerias sind nach Angaben des Auswärtigen Amtes die
siebtgrößten der Welt. Von den über 200 Billionen Kubikmetern Gas am Golf von Guinea entfallen rund 80 Prozent
auf Nigeria.
Die Bedeutung, die Steinmeier diesem Abkommen
beimisst, lässt sich auch daran ablesen, dass die deutsche
Delegation zur Deutsch-Nigerianischen Energiekonferenz
von Staatssekretär Heinrich Tiemann geleitet wurde, den
er persönlich im Dezember 2007 ins Auswärtige Amt geholt
hatte. Der Außenminister ist optimistisch, dass deutsche
Firmen nun endlich den afrikanischen Kontinent als Markt
entdecken: "Das Interesse der deutschen Wirtschaft ist
geweckt, denn die Chancen in Nigeria sind riesig."
Lange Zeit hatte man die boomende afrikanische
Wirtschaft jedoch einfach übersehen. Dieter Grau, für die
Bundesagentur für Außenwirtschaft für West- und
Zentralafrika zuständig, fasste kürzlich in einem Interview
mit der Deutschen Welle das wirtschaftliche Engagement
folgendermaßen zusammen: "Die deutschen Unternehmen
wollen in Afrika in erster Linie verkaufen. Aber kaum
jemand will investieren."
28
BM Steinmeier mit dem Gesundheitsminister von Togo, Kondi Charles Agba, Besuch des
Burulizentrums in Tsévié (Togo)
BM Steinmeier mit dem Außenminister von Burkina Faso, Djibrill Yipènè
Bassolé in Ouagadougou am 12.02.2008
Zusammenarbeit im Bereich erneuerbare Energien
Die verstärkte Zusammenarbeit im Bereich Energie könnte
dies nun ändern. Neben deutschen Firmen wie Eon Ruhrgas,
Bilfinger Berger, Siemens und Evonik dürfen auch Anbieter
aus dem Bereich erneuerbare Energien auf lukrative Aufträge
hoffen. Traditionelle und alternative Formen der Stromerzeugung sollen beim Ausbau der nigerianischen Energieinfrastruktur gleichermaßen zum Zug kommen. Die bis 2020
geplanten 20 Projekte umfassen die Bereiche Wasserkraft,
Wind- und Solarkraft sowie die Instandsetzung und den
Neubau von Kraftwerken, die mit Kohle, Öl und Gas
betrieben werden.
Von der Vorreiterrolle deutscher Unternehmen im Bereich
der alternativen Energien möchte auch Frank Asbeck, Chef
des weltweit führenden Photovoltaikanbieters SolarWorld AG
in Bonn, profitieren. Asbeck begleitet regelmäßig als Mitglied
der Wirtschaftsdelegation deutsche Spitzenpolitiker ins
Solarstrom für faire Entwicklung
Die SolarWorld AG möchte mit ihren Solarstromprodukten
dazu beitragen, dem Anspruch dieser Menschen auf eine
faire Entwicklung Rechnung zu tragen. "Mit unseren
Solar2World-Projekten legen wir den Grundstein für den
Aufbau einer weltweiten solaren Infrastruktur", so Asbeck.
Solarworld ist unter anderem in Malawi (Solarstrom für ein
Aidswaisenhaus), Kenia (Trinkwasserprojekt an Schulen),
Mali (ländliche Entwicklung und Bildung durch Solarstrom),
Kongo
(Krankenhausprojekt),
Uganda
(ComputerAusbildungszentrum) und Südafrika (solares WasserpumpenProjekt in Nationalparks) aktiv.
Der Vorstandsvorsitzende Asbeck lässt im Interview jedoch
keine Zweifel aufkommen, dass letztendlich nur ein
wirtschaftlicher Nutzen für Anbieter und Kunden der Photovoltaik und anderen Formen der erneuerbaren Energien in
Afrika zum Siegeszug verhelfen werden. Dies habe auch das
Beispiel des Mobilfunk-Booms in Afrika gezeigt.
In Nigeria sollen deutsche Firmen bei Projekten im Norden
des Landes zeigen, wie nutzbringend Solarstrom eingesetzt
werden kann. Aber auch in Angola, Ghana, Algerien, Mauretanien und vielen weiteren afrikanischen Ländern möchte
Deutschland in Zukunft mit seiner weltweit führenden
Expertise auf dem Gebiet erneuerbarer sowie traditioneller
Energien einen Beitrag zur Lösung der Energieversorgung in
Afrika und im eigenen Land leisten.
Hierzu passt auch, dass die Förderung nachhaltiger
Energien ein Schwerpunkt der deutschen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit mit Südafrika ist. Dies wurde Anfang September bei den deutsch-südafrikanischen Regierungsverhandlungen in Pretoria vereinbart.
Die Bundesregierung will gemeinsam mit Südafrika nach
Wegen suchen, um mit Hilfe deutscher Technologie die
südafrikanische Energiegewinnung energieeffizienter zu
gestalten.
Ausland und sieht insbesondere auf dem afrikanischen Markt ein
enormes Potenzial für seine Produkte. "Wir verkaufen gerade
wie geschnitten Brot in Angola Straßenbeleuchtungen. (…) Solarstrom ist in sämtlichen afrikanischen Ländern heute schon eine
wirtschaftlich günstige Alternative", betont Asbeck. Er erwartet
daher für die Zukunft "eine 100-prozentige ökologische, dezentrale Stromversorgung in Afrika".
Dennoch sind seine 'Solar2World'-Projekte in Afrika momentan
noch sehr stark von Idealismus geprägt: "Zwei Milliarden
Menschen weltweit haben keinen Zugang zum Stromnetz und
verbrauchen zur Energieversorgung Milliarden Tonnen umweltund gesundheitsschädlichen Kerosins. Solarenergie ist für diese
Menschen oft die einzige Chance, Licht zu haben, Arzneimittel
zu kühlen, Wasserpumpen zu betreiben, oder einen Computer
bzw. ein Mobiltelefon nutzen zu können", so der Chef der Photovoltaikfirma.
Energie und Klimapolitik
als Schwerpunkte der Zusammenarbeit
Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel und ihr Außenminister sind sich
einig, dass bei der Zusammenarbeit mit Afrika der Bereich Energie
und Klimapolitik einen Schwerpunkt bilden soll. Im Gegensatz zu
China will Deutschland bei seinen Projekten in Afrika für einen
Wissenstransfer an seine lokalen Partner sorgen. Diese Vorgehensweise soll Deutschland Vorteile gegenüber Konkurrenten wie China
oder Russland verschaffen.
Von Deutschlands Versuchen, seine Energiequellen zu diversifizieren, könnte auf diese Weise auch Afrika profitieren. Im Tausch für
Rohstoffe bekäme man in verstärktem Maße Zugang zur Spitzentechnologie insbesondere auf dem Gebiet der erneuerbaren
Energie, deren Einsatz in Afrika häufig die effizienteste Lösung
hinsichtlich der Energieversorgung darstellt. Es bleibt noch
abzuwarten, inwiefern diese Strategie erfolgreich sein wird, aber
es gibt zunehmend Hinweise, dass in naher Zukunft noch weitere
afrikanische Länder dem Modell der deutsch-nigerianischen
Energiepartnerschaft folgen könnten.
Das Beispiel Nigeria zeigt, dass ohne das verstärkte Engagement
des Auswärtigen Amtes die Bemühungen deutscher Firmen, im
profitträchtigen Energiesektor in Afrika Fuß zu fassen, wesentlich
geringere Erfolgsaussichten hätten. Im Rennen um Rohstoffe und
politische Einflusssphären in Afrika sind die Argumente Spitzentechnologie und Wissenstransfer als Trümpfe oftmals nicht
ausreichend.
Da trifft es sich gut, dass der Bundespräsident in seiner Ansprache
anlässlich des Empfangs für die Teilnehmer der Botschafterkonferenz einen weiteren Pluspunkt hervorheben konnte. "Wir Deutschen
genießen in Afrika einen guten Ruf", so Horst Köhler, der wie kaum
ein anderer deutschen Spitzenpolitiker den afrikanischen Kontinent bereist hat.
IPS | KOMMUNIKATION GLOBAL
29
Israelische Pläne erhöhen Druck
auf Palästinenser
Photo: Mel Frykberg | IPS
Von Mel Frykberg in Ostjerusalem | Deutsche Bearbeitung: Oliver Scheel
A
us Angst vor einer palästinensischen Bevölkerungsmehrheit in Ostjerusalem hat Israel etliche Maßnahmen ergriffen, um dort den Anteil der jüdischen
Bevölkerung zu erhöhen. Zurzeit werden die jüdischen
Siedlungen ausgebaut und Zusammenführungen palästinensischer Familien unterbunden.
Wie die israelische Bürgerrechtsorganisation 'Peace Now'
berichtet, hat Israel im vergangenen Monat Baupläne für
1.761 illegale Wohneinheiten mitten in Ostjerusalem
vorgestellt. Die Menschenrechtsgruppe 'B'Tselem' schätzt die
Zahl der Israelis, die sich illegal in Ostjerusalem aufhalten,
auf 192.000.
Nach internationalem Recht teilt die Grüne Linie Jerusalem
in einen jüdischen westlichen und einen palästinensischen
östlichen Teil, der jedoch seit dem Sechs-Tage-Krieg von 1967
unter israelischer Besatzung steht. Palästinenser betrachten
Ostjerusalem als ihre Hauptstadt. Israel erhebt Anspruch auf
die ganze Stadt.
Durch eine Grenzverschiebung wurden
etliche illegal gebaute israelische Siedlungen im Osten der
Stadt Westjerusalem zugeschlagen. Durch den Bau der
Mauer, die Israel vom Westjordanland trennt, erhöhte sich
die Zahl der Palästinenser, die auf der 'falschen' Seite leben,
was wiederum einen Rückgang der palästinensischen Bevölkerung innerhalb von Ostjerusalem nach sich zog.
Systematisch ausgesperrt
Den Vereinten Nationen zufolge wird mindestens ein Viertel
der 253.000 Palästinenser, die in Ostjerusalem leben, durch
die Mauer aus der Stadt ausgesperrt. "Die Israelis sind gerade
dabei, die letzten Schritte zur Judaisierung Jerusalems zu
unternehmen", sagt dazu Suhail Khalilieh vom Institut für
angewandte Forschung in Jerusalem.
Der erste Schritt sei die Besetzung Ostjerusalems gewesen.
Damals seien die Palästinenser auf einem Drittel des
Gebietes enteignet worden. "Den Abschluss bildet die Vollendung der Mauer. Sie wird den Anteil der palästinensischen
Bevölkerung in Jerusalem auf 15 bis 20 Prozent drücken", so
Khalilieh.
Ostjerusalem ist in vielerlei Hinsicht wichtig für die Palästinenser, nicht nur weil es ihnen nach internationalem Recht
zusteht, sondern auch aus religiösen, kulturellen und
wirtschaftlichen Gründen. Dort befindet sich die Al-AksaMoschee, das zweit wichtigste islamische Heiligtum, und der
Ort, an dem Christus angeblich ge-kreuzigt und beerdigt
wurde – was auch für die Minderheit der palästinensischen
Christen von großer Bedeutung ist.
Die Palästinensische Autonomiebehörde (PNA) setzt alles
daran, um den Palästinensern Ostjerusalem als künftige
Hauptstadt zu sichern. Doch die Bemühungen gleichen einer
Sisyphos-Arbeit, denn klammheimlich drängen immer mehr
israelische Siedler in die palästinensischen Viertel von Ostjerusalem vor und schaffen damit vollendete Tatsachen.
30
"Die Realität sieht anders aus"
Dies geschieht ungeachtet anders lautender Beteuerungen
israelischer Politiker. "Wir können eine Formel finden, bei der
bestimmte Stadtteile mit hohem arabischen Bevölkerungsanteil bei einem Friedensabkommen Teil der palästinensischen
Hauptstadt werden würden", sagte Verteidigungsminister
Ehud Barak.
Doch die Realität sieht anders aus. "Wenn ein Palästinenser
mehr als sieben Jahre außerhalb von Jerusalem lebt, verliert
er seinen Status als Bewohner mit dauerhaftem Wohnrecht
und die Berechtigung, Jerusalem betreten zu dürfen",
berichtet B'Tselem. Dies traf nach Angaben der UN 2006 für
1.360 Palästinenser zu. Für Israelis gelten solche Regeln
nicht.
Seit 2003 wird Frauen, die mit einem Israeli oder Palästinenser verheiratet sind, das ständige Wohnrecht in Ostjerusalem vorenthalten, auch wenn ihr Ehemann im Besitz des
Wohnrechts ist. Das Gleiche gilt für Kinder, deren Väter nicht
als ständige Bewohner Ostjerusalems anerkannt sind, selbst
wenn die Mütter das ständige Wohnrecht besitzen.
Doch es gibt noch ganz andere Barrieren für die Palästinenser in ihrer Hauptstadt: Während jüdische Siedler mit
Steuerleichterungen und massiven Investitionen in jüdische
Viertel geködert werden, plagen sich Palästinenser mit
allerlei Restriktionen herum. "Gelingt es einem Palästinenser,
sich eine Baugenehmigung zu beschaffen, muss er sich mit
Bauvorschriften herumschlagen, die teuer und nur schwer
einzuhalten sind", berichtet Khalilieh. "Außerdem dürfen
palästinensische Grundstücke nur zu einem Viertel bebaut
werden. Diese Regeln gelten wiederum nicht für Israelis."
Nach Schätzungen von Jeff Halper vom Israelischen Komitee gegen Häuserzerstörung (ICAHD) fehlen in Ostjerusalem
derzeit etwa 25.000 Wohnungen. Dennoch werden jährlich
mehr als 150 palästinensische Wohneinheiten zerstört.
"Zudem vergibt die Stadtverwaltung pro Jahr nur 150 bis 350
Arbeitsgenehmigungen", sagt Halper.
Gebäude, die ohne Genehmigung gebaut wurden, fallen der
Abrissbirne zum Opfer. Doch obwohl Palästinenser für nur
ein Fünftel aller illegal gebauten Häuser verantwortlich sind,
wurden drei Viertel der niedergewalzten Gebäude von ihnen
gebaut. Während in den jüdischen Nachbarschaften
schlimmstenfalls
Geschäftsgebäude
oder
Anbauten
niedergerissen werden, verlieren in palästinensischen
Vierteln ganze Familien ihre Unterkünfte, so B'Tselem.
Die Palästinensische Autonomiebehörde verhandelt zwar
weiterhin hartnäckig mit Israel, ist jedoch in einer schwachen Verhandlungsposition. "Bei einem Abbruch der
Gespräche würde Israel den Palästinensern den schwarzen
Peter zuschieben und den Ausbau jüdischer Siedlungen
vorantreiben", ist Khalilieh überzeugt.
IPS | KOMMUNIKATION GLOBAL
Irakische Regierung riskiert
einen Bürgerkrieg
Von Zainab Mineeia und Ali Gharib in Washington
B
erichte über Pläne der irakischen Regierung, die
sogenannte Erweckungsbewegung (Sahwa) aufzulösen,
lassen bei politischen Beobachtern die Alarmglocken
schrillen. Befürchtet wird, dass ein solcher Schritt eine neue
Welle der Gewalt oder gar einen Bürgerkrieg auslösen könnte.
Die Sahwa sind sunnitische Verbände, die von den USA finanziert werden und die im Irak Mitglieder des internationalen
Terrornetzwerks Al-Kaida bekämpfen. Bisher ist nur ein kleiner
Teil der geschätzten 100.000 sunnitischen Kämpfer in die
irakischen Sicherheitskräfte integriert worden. Befürchtet
wird, dass sich die Sahwa-Kämpfer aus einem Gefühl der
Enttäuschung heraus gegen die schiitisch dominierte Regierung wenden und eine neue Spirale der Gewalt auslösen
könnten.
Die meisten Sahwa-Mitglieder sind Sunniten, die mit den AlKaida im Irak (AQI) gebrochen und sich den US-Truppen
angeschlossen haben. Sie hätten wesentlich zur Verbesserung
der Sicherheitslage im Irak beigetragen, wie Pat Lang, ein
ehemaliger US-Geheimdienstagent, in einem Internetbeitrag
betont. Er warnt: "Kämpfer, die früher gegen uns und die
schiitisch dominierte Regierung waren, könnten sich aus Frust
erneut gegen uns wenden."
Die Schmerzgrenze der Erweckungs-Verbände könnte
politischen Beobachtern zufolge bald erreicht sein, sollte die
Regierung von Premierminister al-Maliki die Integration in die
irakischen Streitkräfte weiter verschleppen und die Möglichkeit einer völligen Auflösung der Sahwa-Verbände andeuten.
Während die Sahwa-Kämpfer von Bagdad nicht als organisierte
Kampftruppe anerkannt werden, erhalten sie von den USA
jeweils 300 US-Dollar monatlich.
In Berichten ist davon die Rede, dass al-Maliki und sein
innerer Kreis offenbar auf Distanz zu den USA gehen. Darauf
ließen auch die jüngsten "anmaßenden" Militäroperationen des
Irak in Basra und Sadr-Stadt schließen. Aus dieser "Anmaßung"
heraus seien auch die Pläne zu sehen, die Erweckungsbewegung trotz ihrer Nähe zu den US-Streitkräften und der Gefahr
für die Sicherheit im Lande aufzulösen.
Schwerwiegende Probleme unter den Sunniten
"Die Regierung al-Maliki hat wirklich vor, die Sahwa-Milizen
aufzulösen und sie nicht in die nationalen Sicherheitskräfte
integrieren. Doch die (George W.) Bush-Regierung fordert die
Eingliederung von mindestens 50.000 Kämpfern", so Juan Cole
von der Universität Michigan. "Es gibt einen Konflikt zwischen
Al-Maliki auf der einen und den US-Amerikanern auf der
www.iraqslogger.com
anderen Seite über die Zukunft mit der Sahwa-Bewegung."
Cole sieht auch innersunnitische Machtkämpfe als Ursache
des Problems. Bei der Wahl 2005 boykottierten viele Sunniten
die Wahl, doch die Irakisch-Islamische Partei (IIP) nahm teil
und wurde zum einzigen politischen Sprachrohr der Sunniten.
Al-Maliki unterstützte die IIP, die Teil seiner Regierungsallianz
ist, und zog sich damit den Unmut der Sawah zu, die nun
befürchtet, bei den kommenden Wahlen keine Beachtung zu
finden. Die Provinzwahlen in Anbar im Westen des Irak, das
die USA Anfang September unter die Kontrolle des Irak
gestellt haben, wurden allerdings auf unbestimmte Zeit
verlegt.
Mit dem Zwist innerhalb der Sunniten befasst sich auch ein
Bericht der irakischen Nachrichtendienst 'Sotali-raq.com'.
Darin wird ein führendes Mitglied der Sahwa zitiert, das die
IIP beschuldigt, falsche Sahwa-Büros in Anbar und Bagdad
eröffnet zu haben, um die Bewegung zu diskreditieren. Die
IIP wies den Vorwurf zurück und berichtete im Gegenzug von
Angriffen der Sahwa-Bewegung auf ihre Parteizentrale.
Ob al-Maliki wirklich bestrebt ist, die IIP als einziges
politisches Sprachrohr der Sunniten zu etablieren, ist reine
Spekulation. Tatsache ist, dass er aus seiner Abneigung
gegenüber der Sahwa schon lange keinen Hehl mehr macht.
"Der Staat kann die Miliz nicht akzeptieren, ihre Tage sind
gezählt", wird Jalaladeen al-Sagheer, ein ranghohes Mitglied
der Al-Maliki-Koalition, von der 'New York Times' zitiert.
Den Zorn der Sahwa hat sich die Regierung bereits mit der
Entscheidung zugezogen, Haftbefehl gegen 650 Mitglieder
der Erweckungsbewegung zu erlassen, von denen einige
bereits verhaftet worden waren. Die Aktion drängte etliche
Sahwa-Kämpfer in den Untergrund.
Marc Lynch, Professor der George-Washington-Universität,
warnt in seinem Internet-Tagebuch, dass sich die irakische
Regierung mit ihren jüngsten Aktivitäten auch den Groll der
USA zuziehen. Am 8. September kündigte al-Maliki immerhin
an, er werde ein Fünftel der Sahwa-Milizen in die irakischen
Sicherheitskräfte aufnehmen und bezahlen. Damit ist jedoch
nicht geklärt, wie viele Kämpfer wirklich profitieren. Regierungssprecher Ali al-Dabbagh gibt die Gesamtzahl der SahwaKämpfer mit 50.000 an, die USA hingegen sprechen von
100.000.
"Das klingt für mich nach einer Rezeptur, die 85.000 äußerst
unglückliche Sahwa-Kämpfer zurücklassen wird", schrieb
Lynch. "Wir werden sehen, was nun passiert. Doch die Art und
Weise, wie die Kerle von der irakischen Regierung behandelt
IPS
wurden, bin ich nicht optimistisch."
31
Everyone Loses in the War
of Silencing
By Mohammed Omer in Gaza City
o much is missing as you walk down the street along the shops of Gaza. Food
and medicines kept out by the blockade enforced by Israel; but also newspapers once a part of the street landscape. Al-Hayat-Al-Jadeeda and Al-Ayyam,
two newspapers loyal to Fatah, are not around any more. And for once, you couldn't
blame the Israelis for censorship.
Of the two big Palestinian territories, Gaza is ruled by Hamas, and the West Bank
by Fatah. Fighting between the two groups has led to a silencing of voices on both
sides. Hamas affiliated police forces banned three newspapers in Gaza Jul. 28 this
year; of them Al-Quds has now been allowed in. Earlier in June the West Bank
authorities banned Falsteen and Al-Risalah, two newspapers affiliated with Hamas.
"We have given them some guidelines to report more professionally, but they have
refused to deal with us," Hamas spokesman Taher Al-Nounno told IPS, speaking of the
Fatah publications. "The newspapers have been publishing lies and instigating
unrest." In the West Bank, Nimir Hamad, political advisor to Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas, said "Al-Rasalah and Falasteen are both propagandist
papers calling for strife, they are publishing extremist and fundamentalist thinking."
S
Arrested
Journalists and camera crews working for a Hamas-owned television station in the
West Bank were arrested. So were journalists working for Fatah-supporting media in
Gaza. Both sides have closed radio stations, and both have confiscated media equipment.
The international watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF, Reporters Without
Borders) has said that at least nine media outlets have ceased operating in Gaza since
July 2007, when Hamas took control of Gaza after a landslide win in elections in
January 2006. Of these outlets, three were state owned, and six privately owned.
The Basic Law of the Palestine Authority (PA) declares that every person has the
right to freedom of thought and expression. But in 1995 the PA passed a law against
criticism of the Palestinian Authority or its president. That law is now being implemented in the attacks on newspaper offices and journalists.
The law does not apply to foreign media. But Human Rights Watch has noted that
an increasing number of independent journalists are opting out of the region because
the risks are too many. And far too often now, nobody is around to report the many
abuses that take place. "Over the past 12 months, Palestinians in both places (the
West Bank and Gaza) have suffered serious abuses at the hands of their own security
forces, in addition to persistent abuses by the occupying power, Israel," HRW has
stated.
The HRW report says that since taking control of Gaza last year, Hamas has tortured
detainees, carried out arbitrary arrests of political opponents, and clamped down on
freedom of expression and assembly. And that Fatah has done exactly the same.
Israel brought censorship to this Promised Land long back. In 1971 then Israeli prime
minister Golda Meir wiped the name of Palestine off all maps produced in Israel.
Israeli occupation forces declared all Palestinian symbols like flags and posters
illegal.
During the first Intifadah (1987-1992), the name given to the Palestinian uprising,
and again in the second (since September 2000), Israeli authorities have closely
censored Palestinian publications, ordering removal of 'security' related information.
Israeli authorities have arrested media personnel, beaten them up and denied them
press cards. RSF says Israeli soldiers have shot at least nine Palestinian journalists.
But beyond Israel and the Palestinian factions, the blame for censorship lies with
those champions of freedom, the European Union and the United States, HRW says.
That arises from the funding and the political protection they have given to security
forces, it says.
Photo: Mohammed Omer | IPS
32
Photo: Anand Gopal | IPS
Severe Hunger Can Help Taliban
in Afghanistan
By Anand Gopal in Kabul
I
f 11-year old Zayainullah doesn't bring home
enough money today, he says he will get beaten.
"We don't have food and my aunt threatened me,
saying I have to bring back enough money to buy
bread," he says. Like every day, he is sitting
curbside on a busy Kabul street, begging for spare
change. Shirtless and one armed, his distended
belly signals that he suffers from severe malnutrition. "We have always had food difficulties but our
problems are growing worse by the day," he adds.
Like Zayainullah, millions across the country face
acute food shortages, according to a series of
recent reports. A devastating drought, an unusually
harsh winter, high food prices and general war and
insecurity are driving the food crisis and may spark
a major humanitarian disaster, agencies say.
The British charity Oxfam announced recently
that the country is facing some of the worst conditions in more than 20 years. Nearly 5 million
Afghans face severe food shortages, the agency
estimates. More the 42 percent of the country lives
in extreme poverty -- less than 10 dollars per month
-- according to the Afghanistan Central Statistics
Bureau. According to the Brookings institution, 45
percent of the country is experiencing food poverty.
In the drought plagued northern province of
Badghis, officials say that severe hunger may kill up
to 80 percent of the population. "Up to a thousand
families have fled the province," in recent months,
Badghis MP Muhammad Yaqoob tells IPS. "Our young
people are going to Iran for work and food, but
many of them are dying along the way." In many
western provinces, such as Faryab, drought is
killing much of the livestock and locals are selling
their animals at extremely low prices to avoid
losing them for nothing.
Eating grass
In Ghazni, conditions deteriorated to the point that
reports emerged this past spring that locals were
eating grass to survive "I used to drive a truck," says
Payman Ganun of the neighbouring Logar province.
"But there is no food, and I haven't found a job." Today
Ganun roams the streets of Kabul with his younger
brother, begging for handouts.
The food shortages have fallen particularly hard on
children. The United Nations Children's Fund says that
20 percent of children fail to reach their fifth birthday
because of malnutrition. The scale of the disaster is
pushing aid agencies to demand more funding.UN
agencies and the Afghan government issued a joint
appeal for 404 million dollars in July and the World
Food Program (WFP) says that to date it has received
25 percent of this. The U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) has pledged to donate 50,000
tonnes of wheat, while the WFP and the Pakistani
government recently inked a deal to loan 50,000
additional tonnes. Kabul and the World Bank signed a
deal for an 8 million dollar grant to develop irrigation
systems and address other infrastructure concerns.
Aid has traditionally been slow in coming for Afghanistan -- the amount of aid delivered per capita ranks far
below other wartorn societies -- and nearly 40
percent of all aid spent returns to the donor in the
form of profits and living expenses, according to the
Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief. But in
addition to humanitarian concerns, without adequate
aid to address the hunger crisis analysts say that
desperate Afghans will be driven into the hands of the
Taliban.
Ajristan, the Ghazni district where residents said
they were forced to eat grass, is now a Taliban stronghold, according to locals. "The Taliban have 100
percent control here," says area resident Fazel Wali.
The WFP says it is continuing to distribute food to
those families affected by fighting, such as residents
in the districts near Kandahar. A major NATO offensive
in the area in July caused the displacement of
thousands of families, especially from the Arghandab
district. In addition to the harsh winter and extended
drought, high food prices have pushed many into
insecurity. Neighboring Pakistan has also contributed
to the difficulties by repeatedly blocking food exports
to Afghanistan.
33
MEDIA
IPS Award for Lula
By Katherine Stapp in New York
IPS Director General Mario Lubetkin (L) presents IPS International Achievement Award
2008 to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Photo:Mithre J. Sandrasagra | IPS
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who rose from a
poor childhood to lead a growing economic powerhouse that
has placed the ideal of inclusive prosperity at the centre of
its development policies, received the Inter Press Service
(IPS) International Achievement Award Sep. 22.
"We would like to honour you because you fought side by
side with the landless and deprived, and for your efforts in
initiating and supporting policies towards social inclusion
and peaceful resolution of conflict, and the full exercise of
basic human rights and freedoms, not only in Brazil but
among sister nations in Latin America," said IPS Director
General Mario Lubetkin.
The award ceremony was held at the United Nations headquarters in New York on the eve of the high-level segment of
the 63rd session of the General Assembly. In his acceptance
speech, Lula emphasised the importance of a free and
vibrant media in the global fight against poverty and marginalisation. "As we move toward social justice and pluralism,
the independence of sources is fundamental for a democratic dialogue that is enlightened and balanced," Lula said.
"Free access to information is also fundamental in building a
world that is more fair and prosperous."
"We know that one of the pillars of democracy and freedom
is a free press. . . . IPS has brought greater pluralism and
diversity to the international press. For 44 years, IPS has
given voice to the voiceless. IPS is more than crucial than
ever in the creation of South-South dialogues and alternatives to the existing alliances."
Lula's rise to power
Lula was born in 1945, the seventh of eight children, in the
small town of Garanhuns, Pernambuco State. He started
working at the age of 12 in a dry cleaning shop, later finding
jobs as a shoeshine and office boy. Lula first became
involved in Brazil's labour union movement while working at
a factory in Sao Paulo. In 1975, he was elected head of the
large Metallurgists' Trade Union. Four years later, he helped
lead a strike of 170,000 steel workers.
"His political career is a good demonstration of the virtues
of democracy," said Enrique Iglesias, secretary general of the
Ibero-American Conference, a political, cultural and
34
economic cooperation initiative in Latin America and the
Iberian Peninsula. "The virtue of giving the chance of
becoming president of one of the biggest nations on Earth to
a worker with a long history of leadership in a workers'
union," said Iglesias, who gave the keynote speech at the
ceremony.
In 1980, Brazil's military dictatorship cracked down on the
organised labour movement, using the National Security Law
to imprison several prominent leaders, including Lula, who
served 30 days in jail. That same year, Lula founded the
Workers' Party, which would eventually catapult him to the
presidency after nearly three decades without direct
elections. He came to office in October 2002 with 53 million
votes. He was reelected in October 2006, garnering about 58
million votes. Lula's generous social programmes have been
widely credited with lifting millions of Brazilians out of
poverty. For example, to tackle the problem of malnutrition, which affects an estimated 15.6 million Brazilians, the
Lula government devised Fome Zero (Zero Hunger). The
fund builds cisterns in Brazil's semiarid region, fights child
labour, strengthens family agriculture, subsidises food and
other essential items for the poor, and many other things.
Fome Zero requires families to send their children to school
and get regular vaccinations.
Lula's government has also cancelled more than 1.7 billion
dollars in debts owed by the poorest countries, and participates in numerous South-South cooperation projects,
including sustainable farming initiatives in Cuba and some
African countries. "This type of information is not always
publicised by the big media outlets in Brazil and abroad,"
Lula said. "For that reason, we need IPS to be an example for
the creation of other similar agencies."
The IPS International Award was created in 1985 to honour
journalists and world leaders who contributed to peace,
human rights, gender empowerment, good governance and
social and economic equity. Past winners include First Lady
of France Danielle Mitterrand (1991); President of Finland
Martti Ahtisaari (1994); U.N. Secretary-General Boutros
Boutros-Ghali (1996); Graca Machel, First Lady of South
Africa (1998); and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan
(2006).
GLOBAL COOPERATION COUNCIL (Nord-Süd-Forum) e.V. - GCC Forum
advocates dialogue for international understanding and interaction for change in the interest of a
genuine worldwide cooperation. It was founded under the name "Nord-Süd-Forum" on February 25,
1983.The newly emerging world calls for a departure from the entrenched patterns of thinking. Instead
of clinging on to enforcing military security, for example, there is need to help usher in global human
security.
Precisely this is what GCC Forum endeavours. While serving as a platform for dialogue, it facilitates
within the framework of HumAN Development Services - HANDS - an exchange of practical experiences.
Thereby we are supported by several institutions and organisations as well as committed individuals,
on whom we could always rely since the inception of the North-South-Forum, the precursor of the GCC
Forum.
Contact: 0700 - 47738767 | E-Mail: [email protected]
I M P R E S S U M
KOMMUNIKATION GLOBAL · GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
MAGAZIN ZUR INTERNATIONALEN ZUSAMMENARBEIT
MAGAZINE FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
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ISSN 1617-5352 (PRINT EDITION) · ISSN 1617-5735 (INTERNET EDITION)
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kommunikation global | global perspectives – oktober | october 2008

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