Meanderings

This first time Blog has been on the web for almost two months now. As a novice Blogger I am slowly learning how to do various things but I am still fundamentally a beginner in this new world of cyberspace with lots more to learn. One of the things I am learning is that it is necessary for me to write a few of my own thoughts more often. Holding down a busy full time job, time is often the restraint but now that I have a few moments, here goes.

While the focus of my Blog is to put before you in one place, the extreme sufferings of so many of our brothers and sisters in the developing world, on my very first post I included a link to what I consider an excellent RTE TV interview given by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin last October. (Read the Post.) Despite all the inhumane suffering in those posted stories from around the world that first week, I received two extremely lewd and vulgar reactive comments (in my opinion, unprintable, even on the Internet where almost anything goes), not about the suffering from all around the world but rather accusing Archbishop Martin of being the head of a paedophile ring and how dare I regard anything he could possibly say as "excellent".

I confess to being shocked at these vulgar reactions for a number of reasons. First and foremost, despite a reasonably long life at the service of people in Ireland, England, the US and in the developing world, I have never before had unprintable comments such as these addressed to me personally. Perhaps the explanation is that the two people who wrote, were themselves victims of abuse by Church personnel and if so their reaction is understandable, and my heart goes out to them, as no human being should ever be put in such a sordid situation by anyone, least of all by Church personnel.

While not knowing Archbishop Martin personally, I have met him a few times and I know him to be a gifted and genuine human being, eager to be a witness to the love of God for all, in all his various responsibilities in heading up an Archdiocese of nearly one and a half million people. Unfortunately the clock cannot be turned back but I know of his concern and eagerness to right the wrongs of the past in so far as he can, especially in ensuring that no other child of the Archdiocese will ever again have to suffer the unspeakable indignity of abuse by Church personnel. He is so dedicated to this task that he has left himself open to being accused by his own priests, of exposing innocent priests to false accusations, as was witnessed a few months back where an individual was convicted and sentenced in court of a false accusation against one of his priests. His willingness to right the wrongs of the past was also seen recently when he released the 1962 report on the Artane industrial school and upset the Christian Brothers in the process. (Read story) I have no doubt whatsoever but that the Archbishop will continue to give his all in addressing this serious problem that has been inflicted upon our Church in recent years.

In fact, I will go beyond that and predict that the Catholic Church in Ireland has begun a journey in recent years that will see the Church being regarded as an example to the whole of society of best practice, in the important task of safeguarding our children. How soon this will happen will depend first of all, on the Church learning from it's own mistakes and responding to what it has learned, as it is has already begun to do, despite what the media might say. It will also depend on when the Irish government and society in general are ready to face the truth of what continues to happen on a daily basis in our country. Society in general and the media in particular, continue to ignore the reality that Church personnel have been responsible for only about 3% of the abuse of children in our country. While any percentage is totally unacceptable in a civilized society, who will take on the challenge of speaking out for the other 97%?

To the fourth estate I say: You have done your job in helping us face up to the great cancer in our Church; continue to challenge us and call us to greater responsibility, but please resist the temptation to gloat, to beat a dead horse, to regurgitate old stories to sell more newspapers or magazines and move on to assist the other 97%. See the lessons we are learning as a Church and let us work together in reaching out to making a difference to the lives of that 97%.

Since returning to Ireland in recent years, after almost 12 years working in a distant land, I have noticed the tendency of certain branches of Government (even some ministers) to jump on the bandwagon and take easy potshots at the Church. To our exalted elected brothers and sisters I say: We have begun to address the beam which unfortunately has infected our vision for many years, now the time has come for you to look at the beam in your own eye. You have to stop passing the buck to the HSE and accept your own responsibility to address the child abuse that still stalks our land. Appointing a Minister for Children looks good and gives the impression that you are really serious about addressing this problem. But deep down, you know and I know that having a Minister for Children and a HSE is not addressing the serious problem which confronts us. Safeguarding our children between 9 a.m to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday is not good practice. You do not have to be a sociologist or a highly qualified doctor to know that the time our children are most likely to be abused is between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. Monday to Friday. Can I further respectfully ask: "Who is safeguarding our children at weekends?"

Every citizen including priests, bishops, politicians and reporters have a responsibility to safeguard our children. It is part of the civic responsibility of every citizen. Following on from the responsibility of every citizen, it is primarily the responsibility of Government (our elected officials) not the Church, to guarantee that society protects our children. Perpetrators of abuse within and outside the Church have to be pursued and rooted out, but a policy that attempts to bring the Church to it's knees, however desirable that may seem in some quarters, does not relieve you of your responsibility to the other 97% of abused children. My argument is that a Government that is only concerned about our children from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, is not fulfilling it's responsibility to our children. There have been high profile media reports on heartrending tragedies during this past year, highlighting this lack of services, yet to date nothing has been done. Significantly, in one of these tragedies it was a priest, who was on hand over the week-end who was left to cope alone, in trying unsuccessfully to avert a tragedy, which saw the tragic death of two young children. I am left wondering why the members of the fourth estate have not pursued our elected officials for this irresponsibility with the same tenacity as they have rightly pursued our bishops?

My last word on this topic. It has been a highly profitable time to be a solicitor, barrister or lawyer. Many people in the Church feel that these qualified professional people are acting unjustly, in accepting or charging totally exorbitant rates. I myself know of a case where a solicitor received 33% of the total compensation claim. The Church is obliged and committed to pay compensation to genuine victims, but what is has a problem with is totally exorbitant fees and false claims. Unfortunately the Church in it's efforts to address these inequalities in our justice system, often appears to the outsider to be cold and not concerned about the victims. (This is probably why the Christian Brothers are upset with Archbishop Martin, as the report risks exposing them to more monstrous legal fees and possible false claims.)

With the public growing tired of Tribunals and their cost, I say to all our elected representatives: When the Inquiry into abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese reports next year, please resist the temptation to give more business to the legal profession by deciding on more tribunals/inquiries to investigate abuse in other dioceses. Why waste tax-payers money in investigating abuse cases that have already been investigated by the police? Resist the temptation to divert attention from your own responsibility to assist the other 97% of cases, most of which as yet, you do not know about. Make good use of taxpayers money to track down these abusers instead of regurgitating old stories you already know about. And perhaps you might like to look at the massive fees charged by our legal professionals, which more and more removes justice from the realm of the ordinary person.

Another reason I was shocked by the reaction of my two correspondents was that up until this week, these were the only comments I received on my blog. Not that I expect to be inundated with comments but I would have hoped that the stories of human suffering would have evoked an occasional comment. I have also just posted the story of the 26 yr. old in Wales who has just forked out £Stg.1,800 for medical attention for her pet hen. I am left wondering if our exposure to human suffering throughout the world in the media, is slowly leaving us immune to the reality of that suffering for so many of our fellow human beings. I thought of that as well this week, when a friend of mine told me that he was having serious reservations about attending an Irish wedding in a European country this coming week-end. He estimated that the c. 120 Irish guests will have paid well over 1 million Euro when all expenses are taken into account. That does not take into account the global warming consequences of such a decision to have a wedding on mainland Europe.

What direction is the Celtic Tiger taking, in accepting responsibility for our world and the daily suffering of so many of our fellow men and women?

Damage Is Extensive in Isolated Villages

CANETE, PERU August 24th: -- The villagers of Las Palmas set up camp in a pasture next to the cow and goat pens, pitching tepee-like tents fashioned of branches and plastic scraps. Women take turns at a communal outdoor kitchen preparing food for residents of this irrigated oasis, a patch of green amid the unforgiving coastal desert that stretches south from the capital Lima. Last week's 8.0 magnitude earthquake smashed a broad swath of Peru, collapsing thousands of buildings from the coast to the high Andes. The adobe homes of all 46 families in Las Palmas were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable. "Everyone is pitching in to help out," said Victor Ramirez, a village elder in this isolated agricultural hamlet. "The most important thing is that the children and the old people get something to eat, and that they have blankets at night."

Much of the public attention since the Aug. 15 temblor has focused on the devastated city of Pisco, where most of the more than 500 fatalities occurred. But, as inspectors have edged out into the countryside, it has become clear that the damage there is overwhelming, even though the number of casualties is lower. Reaching many hard-hit rural areas on buckled, debris-laden roads can be a challenge. Hardscrabble outposts such as Las Palmas and the nearby settlements of Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz -- all part of this sprawling township of Canete, home to almost 200,000 people -- are like Pisco in miniature, featuring row after row of collapsed mud-brick dwellings. Scores of villages and towns not found on many maps have suffered similar fates. "From the beginning, there was a lot of attention on Pisco, but as humanitarian teams have gotten out there we have begun to see the broad scope of the damage throughout the region," said Allen Clinton of CARE, a U.S.-based group among the dozens of aid organizations pitching in.

According to the latest government figures, the quake destroyed or damaged 40,000 homes; most will have to be rebuilt. That estimate has been rising daily as assessment teams find new pockets of devastation. At least 100,000 people have been left homeless. More than 1,000 schools also suffered serious damage, the government said, leaving tens of thousands of students without classes in the midst of the South American winter and academic year. Roads, water lines, electricity and phone service have been knocked out. Bulldozers and dump trucks have just begun removing the tons of rubble and demolishing tottering structures. The recovery will take months, if not years, experts say. Although Pisco has been inundated with aid, relatively little government assistance has made it to the countryside, residents and local officials say. Private humanitarian groups, both domestic and foreign, have been filling in, delivering tents, food and other necessities, and dispatching medical teams and supplies. "Many outlying areas have been particularly hard hit," noted Aaron Skrocki, South American emergency coordinator for Catholic Relief Services. "These tend to be the most marginalized populations anyway. People usually don't have a lot more than the shirts on their backs."

The government's aid plan has been harshly assailed in Peru as chaotic and overly centralized. President Alan Garcia initially underplayed the damage; then, when the extent of the calamity became clear, he hastened to the ruins of Pisco in a frenetic flourish that drew criticism as more style than substance. Still, aid experts credit the government for setting up an effective airlift and successfully evacuating most of the seriously injured. Food and water have been arriving, if haphazardly, and no epidemic has materialized. As massive amounts of assistance have poured in from the United States, the European Union and elsewhere, humanitarian groups have been keen to avoid duplicating efforts. That task involves identifying gaps in aid coverage, usually in overlooked rural enclaves such as Las Palmas. "We want to coordinate aid without stepping on each other's toes," said Milo Stanojevich, CARE director in Peru. "When the aid comes, everyone wants it. It's a syndrome now." Indeed, the arrival of humanitarian convoys draws a reflex reaction: People immediately line up for whatever is available. "We need food, we need blankets, we need proper tents," said Susana Vizcardo, a mother of two near the front of a food queue. She and others in Santa Barbara, home to 147 families, have put up home-made plastic shelters on the town soccer pitch, a common practice here. Aid groups in Peru are scrambling to find proper tents, which are in extremely short supply.

In nearby Las Palmas, where the farmers grow corn, artichokes, yucca, potatoes and other crops, CARE was delivering a batch of coveted family tents, each with room for six people. The homeless quickly began tearing down their rough shelters and assembling the comparatively spacious tents. The aid group also delivered 50 blankets and almost 500 tins of tuna and bottled water. Community leaders are given the responsibility of ensuring equitable distribution. The gathered residents cheered as the aid workers prepared to leave. "We can use all the help we can get," Ramirez said. "Our homes are gone, but at least we still have our families."
By patrick.mcdonnell@ latimes.com

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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Mozlink’ for any or all of the articles/images placed here. The placing of an article does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
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Chicken's £1,800 leg amputation

A woman from South Wales has had to take out a bank loan to pay for her pet chicken's leg amputation. Vicky Mills was determined to save the life of her three-year old pet chicken, Lily after its limb was caught on a barbed wire fence. When the 24-year-old was told the bird's leg could not be saved, she opted to have it amputated, costing her £1,800. Because of the price of the surgery, Mrs Mills had to take out a bank loan and could not afford to go on holiday. Lily the chicken underwent seven operations and recovered successfully, even overcoming depression following surgery. Mrs Mills, who was given the chicken when it was only two days old, said the operation was worth every penny.
Given the suffering in our world, is this moral? Mozlink
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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Mozlink’ for any or all of the articles/images placed here. The placing of an article does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
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Priest: ‘I Will Go to Jail to Expose Child Abuse’

Daily Mail, Monday, July 09, 2007: AN IRISH Columban missionary priest who is facing a libel case after making accusations against a suspected child abuser has vowed to go to prison if found guilty of slander. Fr. Shay Cullen SSC, helped to smuggle a camera crew into a Philippines jail last year to expose how young children were being forced to share confined cells with adult prisoners some of whom were convicted child abusers. But one inmate who was filmed saying how he will ‘look after’ the young children in prison is now alleging that the crusading priest libeled him in the now-produced documentary, which was aired on CNN.

The Dublin-born cleric, who has spent more than 35 years in the Philippines bringing hundreds of child abuse cases to light, now says that he would rather go to prison than pay out any compensation or fine in the court case, which is due to start next month. ‘If the case goes to court, I will not pay bail for my freedom. I will willingly go to jail in a symbolic gesture on behalf of the thousands of children who are unjustly imprisoned and who suffer unbearable danger from adult prisoners,’ said the priest, who has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Fr Cullen also hopes that the television production companies will back him up: ‘I expect to see CNN and ITV assist us in our legal battle for truth and justice,’ he said. After the documentary was aired new legislation was immediately introduced to ensure that children were no longer held in adult cells. But Fr Cullen, who maintains that some children are still found by his team of social workers in adult prisons, claims that certain local city officials are behind the court case ‘because they want to get me’.

‘The government’s jail bureau were shamed by the exposé of horrific conditions under which the children are incarcerated with adult prisoners, some of whom are even paedophiles,’ Fr Cullen pointed out. ‘They may be behind this because although the complaint was made by a former prisoner, he would have no financial means to file such a case or to even see the broadcast as he was in prison at the time.’
By Jason O’Toole
You are unlikely to read this story in our Irish Newspapers. Mozlink
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Contact Fr. Shay Cullen at the Preda Center, Upper Kalaklan, Olongapo City, Philippines.
e-mail: preda@info.com.ph
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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Mozlink’ for any or all of the articles/images placed here. The placing of an article does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
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UN Accuses Sudan Militia of Mass Abduction and Rape

GENEVA August 21st. — The United Nations' human rights office on Tuesday accused forces allied with Sudan's government of mass abduction and rape of women and girls in Darfur, acts it said could constitute war crimes. Its latest report, based on testimony from victims and witnesses, called on Khartoum to investigate reports that about 50 women were forced into "sexual slavery" after an attack on the rebel-held town of Deribat in South Darfur's Jebel Marra region last December. The abductees, who included many children, were held for about one month, and beaten and raped repeatedly, often in front of each other, the report from the office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said. "Witnesses indicated that the abduction, rape and other human rights violations that continued throughout the period were committed by the same group of men who conducted the actual attack," it said.

The report concluded that the Sudanese government bore responsibility for the abuses committed by the official Popular Defence Forces (PDF) militia and the Abu Gasim faction. Sudan's army had provided air and ground support for the raids which resulted in 36 civilian deaths. The UN report named three men as possibly sharing criminal responsibility for leading the attacks on Deribat, and the abductions and sexual abuse. "A series of violations have been committed that constitute both violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. Some of these may also constitute war crimes", it said. "The government should issue immediate clear instructions to all troops under its command including PDF and other militias that rape and other forms of sexual violence will not be tolerated, that they constitute war crimes," it continued.

An estimated 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million have fled their homes in Darfur since mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against the government in the vast western region in 2003. Sudan denies mass rapes in Darfur. On Monday Justice Minister Mohamed Ali al-Mardi said that reports by international rights groups on abuses were "criminal." "All reports...about genocide and mass rape are frivolous and obviated by malice," he told Reuters. "They are executing policies of other nations like the United States ... against Sudan." The U.N. report said a "pattern of mass abduction" which began with the Darfur conflict, appeared to be ongoing. The report covers a six-month period ending in May 2007.

The victims in Deribat, who were mainly from the Fur tribe, may have been targeted because the Fur community in Jebel Marra has been perceived as sympathetic to Sudan Liberation Army rebels who stayed outside the 2006 Darfur peace deal, it said. Jebel Marra region is a stronghold of Abdul Wahed Mohammed el-Nur, leader of a faction of one of the Darfur rebel groups.
STEPHANIE NEBEHAY
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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Mozlink’ for any or all of the articles/images placed here. The placing of an article does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
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Seven Negative Attitudes Pushed by Media

Like it or not, we live in a media driven world. We spend 11 hours a day bombarded by television, radio, Internet and other forms of media, a non-stop onslaught on the psyche, an ever-churning series of images, sound bites, opinions, and advertisements, but precious little substance. The media provides shared experience, collective memory. Unfortunately, many of the ideas we’re exposed to are negative and self-defeating. The pervasiveness of these negative ideas makes them hard to ignore; easy to internalize. If you’re curious about the cumulative effect of all this media upon the mind, here’s a list of 7 negative attitudes common in the media and tips for dealing with them.

1. Mindless Consumerism: The average Westerner is exposed to 247 commercials everyday. Buying things has become reflex, due partly to the ideal lifestyle flickering on the television: big house, giant 4 by 4, flat-panel television. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying life, but are you buying things to improve your life? Or to compensate for feelings of emptiness? Find something to believe in; fill the void with something real.

2. Poor Body Image: Never before in history have we been surrounded by so many examples of physical perfection, shaped by cosmetic surgeons, airbrushed by artists, and distributed by print and video. Remind yourself that fitness is more important than perfection. And while it’s true that Westerners outside the media are fatter than ever, even physically fit individuals struggle with a poor body image. Yes, attractiveness is an advantage, but your value runs deeper than your appearance, and those actors don’t look half as good without make-up and lighting.

3. Roaming Eye: Television gives everyone (men in particular) the idea that the world is overflowing with beautiful, willing sex partners; even if it’s true (which depends largely upon your own skills with the opposite sex), that roaming eye, that tendency to want what you don’t have, can be destructive if not monitored and controlled. Like all the elements in this list, human nature is the root here. Remind yourself that relationships are built upon more than physical attraction.

4. Destructive Communication: Electronic media brims with insults and anger. On message boards, gentle persuasion has collapsed beneath the weight of incivility. In real life, victory is seldom obtained with witty one-liners or rude put-downs. Hone those communication skills. Learn to Persuade without offending. Connect.

5. Clique Mentality: As if cliques weren’t prevalent enough, television programs often have casts that are socially, ethnically, and racially homogenous. That’s fine; it’s free enterprise at work, for the most part, and not every story involves a melting pot. I make no bones about it; I’m simply reminding everyone not to be afraid of diversity in the real world.

6. Stereotypes: As evolved as we believe we are, television is overflowing with stereotypes: the dumb jock, the bubble-headed blonde, the geek with a pocket protector, all products of lazy writing. Most of us are smart enough to recognize a stereotype for what it is, but I question the subconscious impact of such repeated exposure. The best defense is to remind yourself that every human being deserves to be evaluated as an individual, no matter how prevalent or justified a stereotype might seem.

7. Danger Fixation: We’re wired to pay attention to danger, which is why the Discovery Channel broadcasts so many programs that show the world being destroyed by tsunamis, earthquakes, and giant asteroids; why the news leads with gunfire and bloodshed. Remind yourself that there are just as many positive forces in the world as negative; your focus on the negative is a matter of personal choice and perspective.

Listen, I’m not trying to say all media is bad; it’s not. Movies in particular can be wonderful works of art or much-needed distractions, and there’s nothing inherently evil about television, radio, print, or the internet; quite the contrary, all forms of media provide wonderful channels of communication. I’m simply saying that the media’s darker side is bound to seep into our collective conscience; it surrounds us. And we’re receptive to it.

Earlier this year, I watched a short film entitled Evidence. More art film than documentary, the film focused on the faces of a group of small children as they watched television: their blank expressions, comatose eyes. Every now and then, their facial expressions hitched in response to some image on the television, but for the most part, they appeared undead. I’ve never forgotten that film. And now, whenever I’m watching a sitcom or gameshow, I think of the way my own face must look, staring blankly up at the glowing screen. Sometimes, this compels me to turn the tube off and go outside, exchanging the gloom of the TV room for the calming brightness of sunlight, the sound of commercials for the chirping of birds; detaching from the hive mind long enough to find some peace and quiet and develop some memories (and a few ideas) of my own.

Read the original story.
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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Mozlink’ for any or all of the articles/images placed here. The placing of an article does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
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UN Plans for Possible Force in Somalia

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 20 (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council authorized on Monday an African Union force in chaotic Somalia for another six months and asked the secretary-general to develop plans for a possible U.N. troop replacement. In a resolution, approved unanimously, the council also threatened unspecified "measures" against those trying to thwart a peaceful political process, threaten force against the government or the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISON) or undermine stability in the region.

The United States is considering putting Eritrea on its list of state sponsors of terrorism for allegedly funneling weapons to insurgents fighting the Ethiopian-backed government in Somalia.
A U.N. monitoring group last month reported that huge quantities of arms, including surface-to-air missiles were provided by Eritrea to Islamic insurgents. Clashes between Islamist insurgents and Ethiopian-backed government troops have intensified in the past two months, despite the convening of a peace congress between Somalia's many clans and factions.

Somalia has been a byword for anarchy since the fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. The council's resolution asked Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to develop within 30 days "contingency planning for the possible deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping operation" to replace AU troops. This would include sending another assessment mission to the Horn of Africa nation. Few expect the United Nations to field a large force rather than provide financial or technical support to the AU unless fighting dies down and a viable peace process take place. African nations are pressing the United Nations to supply backup for Somalia similar to that initially provided for Sudan's war-torn Darfur region and then field its own force. The AU mission, which should number 8,000, so far consists of only 1,600 Ugandans. Calling the resolution "a very important decision," Congo Republic Ambassador Pascal Gayama, the current council president, said that at a minimum the United Nations should provide "financial, technical and logistical support ... so that African counties would be able to operate."

The U.N. envoy to Somalia, Francois Lonseny Fall, told reporters last week that prospects for a U.N. mission continued to depend on political progress in Somalia. But he said the AU expected U.N. troops to replace or absorb its contingents in six months. "When your house is on fire, the neighbors come with a bucket of water," Kumalo said. "But the neighbors are not the fire engine. The fire engine is the United Nations." The AU's Peace and Security Council last month agreed to extend its force in Somalia for six months and called for the U.N. to deploy peacekeepers. "The problem that the African Union has is that it doesn't have the resources," South Africa's U.N. Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo said. "The African Union is doing the job that the U.N. is supposed to be doing."
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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Mozlink’ for any or all of the articles/images placed here. The placing of an article does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
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Sudan Forces Attack Volatile Darfur Camp

KHARTOUM, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Sudanese forces surrounded and attacked Darfur's most volatile camp on Tuesday to flush out rebels they say are behind recent attacks on police, an army source and camp residents said. The move on Kalma camp, home to 90,000 people, follows two attacks in the past week on police posts in South Darfur, one near Kalma and the other inside al-Salam camp. One policeman was killed and eight injured. "At 6 a.m. the government of Sudan moved 2,000 soldiers to surround the camp -- army, police and border intelligence," said Abu Sharrad, a spokesman for Kalma camp. Sharrad, who called Reuters from inside the camp, said government forces had opened fire but it was unclear if anyone was killed or injured. "We still cannot tell. They are still surrounding the camp," he added. An army source said those who attacked the police posts were believed to be in Kalma camp, where rebels have previously taken refuge. "This is an administrative, organisational operation to restore internal security," he said, adding the army was not involved, only police forces.

The United Nations said it is continuing to monitor the situation. "We are indeed concerned to receive reports of armed activity in the area," said Murizio Giuliano, spokesman for the U.N. Office for Humanitarian Affairs. Kalma camp is one of Darfur's most volatile. Government offices were torched and officials expelled from the camp in 2005. Last year frustrated camp residents rioted, looting an African Union police base in the camps and hacking to death their Sudanese translator.

The 7,000-strong African Union force in Darfur has failed to stem the violence despite a 2006 peace deal. While large-scale fighting has largely ended, rebels and militias have fractured creating lawlessness and uncontrolled banditry. International experts estimate some 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million driven from their homes since mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003. Khartoum agreed to a 26,000-strong joint U.N.-AU force which will absorb the AU mission and try to stop violence which has hampered the world's largest aid operation in Darfur. Some 500,000 people are out of reach of relief workers. On Tuesday the U.N. rights office said allied government militias had attacked a village in the central Darfur Jabel Marra region, accusing them of mass rape and abductions which could constitute war crimes. It called on Khartoum to investigate reports that about 50 women were forced into "sexual slavery" after an attack on the rebel-held town of Deribat last December. The area is seen as supporting the Darfur rebel Sudan Liberation Army founder and chairman Abdel Wahed Mohamed el-Nur, who rejects a May 2006 Darfur peace deal signed by only one of three negotiating rebel factions. The U.N. report said a "pattern of mass abduction" which began with the Darfur conflict, appeared to be ongoing. The report covered a six-month period ending in May 2007.
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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Mozlink’ for any or all of the articles/images placed here. The placing of an article does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
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Legal Bid Fails to Stop Nigerian Family's Deportation

Dublin Ireland August 14th: A last-minute legal challenge to stop the deportation of a Nigerian mother and her two children has failed. Lawyers acting for Olivia Agbonlahor, her autistic son Great (6) and his twin sister Melissa failed in their application to the High Court for an injunction to defer their removal from the State. The family are expecting to be deported later today. Campaigners for the family argue that Great, who has been receiving one-to-one treatment for his condition, will be treated like an outcast in Nigeria.

Last Tuesday the family - who have lived in Ireland for five years - were escorted from their home in Co Kerry to Dublin in preparation for deportation to Nigeria. Ms Agbonlahor and her children had lived in Clonakilty before moving to Killarney last year. Supporters staged demonstrations at the Immigration Bureau this morning and appealed to the Minister for Justice, Brian Lenihan, to reverse the decision. The supporters said if Great is deported, he will face a life without treatment, in a society where autism is not understood. But at 1.30 today, their lawyer, Kevin Brophy, told waiting media the family were being deported. "I feel embarrassed and ashamed for what this Government have done to this family and this child," Mr Brophy said. Ms Agbonlahor and her children were expected to arrive back in Lagos later today, he said.

Mr Brophy said other Nigerian nationals due to be deported today had their deportations put back until September but that the Government had decided the Agbonlahor family were such an embarrassment they must go immediately. "We always knew we had difficulties from a legal point of view," he said. "She [Ms Agbonlahor] was hoping the Minister would be drawn into the discussion on humanitarian grounds," Mr Brophy said. He said it was outrageous the Minister had not stepped in and that the pressure had shown in Great who was demonstrating behavioural problems from the stress. Ms Agbonlahor had no support in Nigeria Mr Brophy said, adding she had one night's accommodation organised for her arrival and did not know where she would go from there.

Ms Agbonlahor's husband, Martins, was still in Italy he said. Ms Agbonlahor and her children fled Italy because they say her husband, who is an author, received death threats. Mr Brophy said although Mr Agbonlahor would become an Italian resident within two years, because his wife and children had now been deported, they would never be eligible under European Union law.
From ireland.com
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President Pledges to Rebuild Peruvian Port City

Garcia says reports of looting exaggerated

Aug 20, 2007 – Peru's president vowed yesterday to rebuild quake-shattered Pisco as desperate families huddled in makeshift shelters and a beefed-up military presence appeared to put a stop to looting. Rescuers searched rubble with sound detectors and infrared cameras, but hopes of finding more survivors are dwindling, officials said. President Alan Garcia told a news conference in Pisco the government was planning to rebuild the port city, which lost 85 per cent of its houses to Wednesday's 8.0-magnitude quake. Officials say the quake killed at least 540 people. "We have many homes, fishermen's wharfs to rebuild," said Garcia, adding the government would provide basic homes of two bedrooms that families could expand. Garcia accused the media of exaggerating reports of looting, "which in very few cases actually occurred," he said. "But you could say that despite a few small incidents, order has been re-established."

Some 280 flights had arrived with more than 540 tonnes of food and other supplies, and navy ships had brought potable water, Garcia said. "No one is going to die of thirst or hunger in these cities," he said. Long lines emerged in the rubble-strewn streets of Pisco as aid groups parked trucks and distributed water, food, clothing and other supplies. Most appeared orderly, though the day before some people who had lined up 500-deep rushed an army truck when it ran out of the food and supplies it was giving out. Garcia, who vowed to re-establish order "regardless of what it costs," said yesterday troops in Pisco had increased from 400 to 1,200. Authorities set up food distribution points in Pisco, but the flow of aid still seemed slow for the estimated 80,000 people in the three cities most affected by the quake.

Destruction was centred in Ica and Pisco, about 200 kilometres southeast of the capital, Lima. A third city, Chincha, was also hit hard. Up to 80 per cent of people in quake-hit urban areas may be without clean water and many rural areas still have not been reached to assess damage, said Save the Children aid worker Dominic Nutt. "The situation is probably worse than first imagined," Nutt said. In a soccer stadium, families took refuge in a half-dozen makeshift shelters made of cardboard and blankets held up by wooden poles. "It is very cold at night and we don't have blankets. We don't have water. The tents have not arrived," said Maria Tataja, 38, who was sharing shelter with nine others. Miguel Soto, a police officer, said many food trucks were not getting through.
By Frank Baja, Associated Press
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UN Considers Top Darfur Post for Controversial Rwandan

UNITED NATIONS Sat 18 Aug 2007 (Reuters) - The United Nations is seriously considering allegations of human rights violations against a Rwandan general, nominated as deputy commander for the new U.N.-African Union force in Darfur, a U.N. official said Saturday. The African Union has approved Rwandan Maj. Gen. Karenzi Karake for the post but the United Nations has not yet confirmed it, despite pressure from Rwanda, which fields some 2,000 of the 7,000 AU troops now in Darfur. "We are aware of these allegations and we take them seriously," the U.N. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We are consulting with the African Union and the government of Rwanda on the matter."

The joint U.N.-African Union operation aims to protect civilians in Sudan's western Darfur region, where more than 2.5 million people have lost their homes and an estimated 200,000 have died in the past four years. The Brussels-based United Democratic Forces, an opposition group, has accused Karake of supervising extra judicial killings of civilians before and after the Tutsi-led Rwanda Patriotic Front rebels took power in Kigali following the genocide. In 1994 militant Hutus killed some 800,000 Rwandans, mainly Tutsis. Rwanda's U.N. ambassador, Joseph Nsengimana, was quoted on the allAfrica.com Web site as saying that those raising the allegations had simply run out of ideas to complain about. "The whole world and the diplomats at the U.N., the Sudanese government and people of Darfur have appreciated the role that our troops in Darfur have played," Nsengimana said. "Why can't these people develop in their thinking because they seem to be out of touch with the way Rwanda is changing?" he was quoted as telling the BBC's Great Lakes service. No immediate comment from Kigali was available.

The U.N. official stressed that rules and regulations require that all U.N. personnel, especially those in leadership roles, "must embody the highest levels of professionalism, integrity, respect for diversity and accountability." "The United Nations depends on member states to vet all candidates, presumably including with regard to allegations of human rights abuses," he said. The official said the United Nations also welcomed "any information that organizations or individuals may have regarding such allegations against candidates for U.N. appointments."

The U.N. Security Council last month authorized up to 19,555 military personnel and 6,432 civilian police, in addition to the 10,000 peacekeepers are currently in southern Sudan to monitor a peace agreement between Khartoum and former rebels. Karake, 46, has been Chairman of the Military Tribunal of Rwanda since January 2006. Before that, he held several senior positions in the Rwandan Army.
By Evelyn Leopold Reuters
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Amnesty Ends Abortion Neutrality

Amnesty International has confirmed its controversial decision to back abortion in some circumstances, replacing its previous policy of neutrality.

The human rights group will campaign for women to have access to abortion in cases including rape and incest. The initial decision was taken in April, but Amnesty delegates meeting in Mexico gave it overwhelming support. Christian organisations, including the Roman Catholic Church, have threatened to withdraw support from the group.

The decision in April by Amnesty's executive committee to support access to abortion for women in cases of rape, incest or violence, or where the pregnancy jeopardises a mother's life or health was greeted with an outcry by churches. Roman Catholic leaders in particular accused Amnesty of betraying its commitment to human rights, and a senior Vatican official called on Catholics to stop funding it.

But Amnesty's international council - meeting in Mexico - has overwhelmingly supported the decision, insisting it was upholding the ability of women to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights free from coercion and violence. Amnesty has been working in countries where widespread rape has been used as a weapon of war, and others in which women seeking abortions can be severely punished.
By Robert Pigott Religious affairs correspondent, BBC News
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A New Breed of Hero

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 11 (IPS) - In September 2000, at the United Nations Millennium Summit, world leaders came together and agreed to a set of time-bound and measurable goals and targets for combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women. Called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Summit's Millennium Declaration also outlined a wide range of commitments in human rights, good governance and democracy.

There is now a group of teens from the United States who are looking to take the initiatives of the MDGs into their own hands. Labeled the HERO Youth Ambassador Program, the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA), in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), started HERO as an awareness-building and fundraising initiative. Supporting children living in HIV/AIDS-affected communities in sub-Saharan Africa, the programme strives to better the lives of children who have been orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS using comprehensive, holistic school-based support. The HERO programme is currently run in Namibia and South Africa.

The programme is still in its infancy, having had its pilot launch in the summer of 2006. Gabrielle Armand, the executive director of communications and marketing for UNA-USA, told IPS: "This was the first year the programme officially had a full application process behind it." According to Armand, they worked with media partners Hearst Corporation and Cosmo Girl Magazine to go through the countless applications they received for the 2007 programme. "We were pleasantly surprised that a tonne of young adults actually wanted to do this and we got hundreds of submissions...We were really looking for young people who were well rounded, who had community service in their past, who had an interest in doing this beyond themselves and were willing to go on an experimental journey with us," said Armand.

Dayna-Joy Chin of Scarsdale, New York (known as DJ amongst the group), who went to Namibia, first watched her older brother Christian prepare for his trip to Africa as a HERO Youth Ambassador in the pilot programme. "I wanted to do this because I learned from my brother and the youth ambassadors from last year just how amazing it was to be there. Based on the stories they told me and the pictures I saw, I wanted to make a small difference," Chin said. According to Chin, Namibia was different because the youth ambassadors were stationed in one location for the entire month. They worked at three different schools, helping with maintenance projects, such as building fences and laying bricks, and then having afternoon camp days with the children and forming a close bond with them. "There was this one little boy who was a little troublemaker but everyone's favourite, who sat on my lap. That day we made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and he offered me a bite of his sandwich. For him to share that with me, even though having food there is important, was really touching," said Chin.

UNA-USA hopes to expand the HERO programme to include students from around the world as well. There are plans for next year to bring in students from Canada, Mexico and Britain. The goal going forward is to eventually have some students representing each of the African nations, Eastern and Western Europe and Asia. As an added bonus to past participants, UNA-USA has created job opportunities for them to come back and help ease the new groups into the experience and also to keep them connected.
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