tisdag 24 november 2009

The Greens in Tbilisi

I have just arrived to Georgia - 12 hours ago. I feel home as usual with my Green friends, I always feel welcome!
Tomorrow they will have a press conference about the drug traffic through the country. They want support from EU to investigate and control it.

On Saturday we will have a conference about Eastern Partnership and regional security in South Caucasus and Political Freedom in the region.

I will listen and learn.
The war has made a difference. But the Partnership with EU is their hope, as I have understood. Neither Russia nor USA.

This is of course about who is the owner of finite resources, who has got the power over the energy system and the transit through the country.
This is about the eco-crisis and climate justice. This is about a new Green deal!
Green jobs will make a change!

Green Thinking for Green Linking!
Still the Global Greens Charter is relevant! It was adopted 2001!
How can the Global Greens make impact on COP15?

Have a look at: www.globalgreens.org
and greensparty.ge

söndag 22 november 2009

European Greens Council and Coordinators of Global Greens


I thank you for the appointment and appreciate the nomination of Lena as treasurer and me as substitute in Global Greens Coordination. I am very happy about the role Sweden will play both on the European and Global level. I have become a "wise" substitute in Global Greens Coordination, as Catherine Grèze call me be below.

We will do our best and as Global Greens has used Green Forum account for fundraising, we have got a central role as Lena Lindström is the economist and I the chair person of Green Forum.


This is the letter from Catherine Grèze, outgoing GGC and now Member of European Parliament.



Dear Friends,

This is the names of the people elected in the European Council of Malmö last October for the new EGP Committee :


Monica Frassoni, Co-Spokesperson (Italy)

Philippe Lamberts Co-Spokesperson (Belgium)

Jacqueline Cremers, Secretary General (the Netherlands)

Lena Lindström, Treasurer (Sweden)

Stéphane Sitbon-Gomez (France)

Annalena Baerbock (Germany)

Alexey Kozlov (Russia)

Steve Emmott (UK, England & Wales)

Monika Vana (Austria)



This week-end there was a meeting of the new Committee and one of the points on the agenda was the nomination of the new delegates for the GGC, Global Greens Coordination.

Three members of the Committee have been decided upon :

Monica Frassoni (Spokesperson) : most of you know her, she was co-President of the Green Group in Parliament and has close ties with the present Group where she knows everybody. She is one of the leaders in the Italian Green party, fluent in Italian, English, Spanish, French and maybe other languages. She has always shown a great interest in the life of the parties round the world and I guess most of you have already met her.

Steve Emmot : I do not even dare present him as Steeve has always been a great help and volunteering for Global Green issues. He helped us a lot during the preparation of Sao Paulo and as a former Group collaborator has always followed the issues of International Trade, and WSF.
He is Englishman but the truth is he also speaks French.

Monica Vana : Monica is a Green from Austria. She has been General Secretary of the Austrian Greens and always took part in our global greens Workshop and in every event that we organised. She is committed on Gender issues. She is also one of the persons who has been setting up the local councillors network in Europe and a very enthusiastic person.

I really think the new 3 GGC members are a real asset for the Coordination. They have been involved with the Greens for a long time and will be a good link within the Committee and the European Greens.
They give an opportunity for a new involvement of European Greens on Global issues and will be able to give new perspectives.

The Committee also decided to have “in store” : three “wise” substitute if needed :

Eva Goës, who Chairs the Foundation of the Green Forum and whom you all know for her longlife involvement and is EGP Sweden delegate.
Juan Behrend, former EGP secretary general, whom I will not present to you !
Jean Rossiaud, EGP delegate for Switzerland, who is former member of Switzerland Parliament and has been involved in our Global Greens Workshops for a long time now. He has been following all WSF and he speaks Spanish and Portuguese as well as English. Jean has been active with his NGO involvement in Brazil.

And the General Secretary also welcomed my offer to be “used” punctualy as a ressource person, when needed !


Hopefully you will meet all these people in Copenhagen !

All the best,

lördag 21 november 2009

Vald till Global Greens Coordination



Fick detta brev 20/11 kl 20.29.

Hej!
Du blev vald som ersättare i GGC för EGP.

Ordinarie är Monica Frassoni, Monica Vana and Steve Emott. Övriga
ersättare är Juan and Jean Rosseud.

GRATTIS!
Lena

_______________________________

Ekonomichef Miljöpartiet de Gröna
Redovisningsansvarig stiftelsen Green Forum
Treasurer European Green Party
Tel: 46 8 545 224 55
Mobile: 46 70 675 75 14

Vad betyder det här? Jo, att jag är EGP:s, Europeiska Gröna Partiets, ersättare i Global Greens Coordination.

Från de fyra federationerna väljs tre ordinarie koordinatörer. De som valts som ordinarie ingår alla i EGP-kommittén (styrelsen). Vi andra är djupt engagerade i gröna globala frågor och samarbeten internationellt.

De Gröna i Amerika valde i oktober tre ersättare. Tydligen något som även Europas Gröna valde att göra. Inför COP15 verkar det vara de tre ersättarna, alla kvinnor, som kommer från Amerika; Flor de María Hurtado, Peru, Claudia Moy, Argentina, och Silvaine Zimmermann, Kanada.

Från Asia-Pacific federationen kommer bl a Margaret Blakers, som lyckades genomföra Global Greens 2:a kongress, 2008, i Brasilien. Ett konststycke utan like!!

Jag ser fram emot att återse mina gröna globala vänner i Köpenhamn. Hoppas bara att jag hittar någonstans att sova - men finns det hjärterum så finns det stjärterum! Jag delar gärna rum med en drös gröna!

tisdag 17 november 2009

The Greens in Rwanda urgently need your support!




The Greens in Rwanda are repeatedly being stopped from holding their constituent congress. Threats, defamation and downright violence are methods used by government supporters to stop a real opposition from developing. The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) needs our support!

Four times the Greens in Rwanda have tried to gather to formally constiute their party - four times government supporters have stopped them. Today, there is no real opposition in Rwanda. It is obvious that president Paul Kagame's tactics to maintain that situation is to make it impossible for the Greens to hold their congress. Green supporters are harassed, smeared in the media and locked up.Hundreds of people with very limited financial resources have repeatedly travelled to congresses that have been stopped.

Green Forum has provided the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda with financial support to hold their congress and we will continue to do so until our Green friends have been allowed to constitute their party. But after four stopped congresses, the means of Green Forum, obtained from the Swedish International Development Agency, have almost run out. But with your help we can continue to support the Greens in Rwanda!

Make your contribution to Green Forum's account to support our Green friends in Rwanda!


Outside Europe

Bank account 99 6042 0140 9960
BIC code: NDEASESS
Bank: Nordea AB
Bank address: 105 71 Stockholm, Sweden

Mark your deposit with "Rwanda"!

Read more about the situation of the Rwandian Greens at the Global Greens home page: http://www.globalgreens.org/statements/rwanda_democracy

OBS! Another account in Europe
IBAN account: SE 29 9500 0099 6042 0140 9960




******************************************

måndag 16 november 2009

De Gröna i Rwanda är i akut behov av din hjälp!


De Gröna i Rwanda hindras gång på gång från att hålla konstituerande kongress. Med hot, smutskastning och handgripligt våld försöker regeringsanhängare hindra en verklig opposition att växa fram. The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) behöver vårt stöd!

Fyra gånger har De Gröna i Rwanda försökt samlas för att formellt konstituera sitt parti, och lika många gånger har regeringsanhängare hindrat dem. Idag finns ingen verklig opposition i Rwanda. Det är uppenbart att president Paul Kagames taktik för att bibehålla den situationen är att göra det omöjligt för De Gröna att hålla kongress. Gröna anhängare blir trakasserade, smutskastade i pressen och inspärrade. Hundratals personer med mycket begränsade ekonomiska resurser har om och om igen rest till kongresser som stoppats.

Green Forum har gett Democratic Green Party of Rwanda ekonomiskt stöd att genomföra kongressen och vill fortsätta göra så tills våra gröna vänner har fått konstituera sitt parti. Men efter fyra stoppade kongresser är de medel Green Forum får genom Sida nästan slut. Men med din hjälp kan vi fortsätta ge De Gröna i Rwanda stöd!

Sätt in ett bidrag på Green Forums konto för att stödja våra Gröna vänner i Rwanda!

Bg 367-8851 eller pg 140996-0

Bank: Nordea AB
Bankadress: 105 71 Stockholm, Sweden

Märk din insättning med "Rwanda"!

Läs mer om situationen för Rwandas Gröna på Global Greens hemsida: http://www.globalgreens.org/statements/rwanda_democracy

Maud Olofsson leker med sanningen

Först visste Maud inte alls vad avtalet innebar. Sedan kröp hon till korset...och nu är avtalet acceptabelt!

Vem står för förtroendekrisen?
Josefsson?
Olofsson?
Vem blir nästa?
Den utlandsbaserade norrmannen som inte har förnyelsebar energi som sin viktigaste uppgift?


De otydliga och oklara direktiven som Maud Olofsson stått för, måste bort!
Jag vågar inte tro att vd-bytet ska åtföljas av klarare bättre och grönare styrning från näringsministern.
Inget GRÖNT har skett på över tre år!

På en rak fråga om Öystein Löseth kommer att vara mera GRÖN, svarar han att det får andra bedöma.

Inte lovande!

söndag 15 november 2009

Stop uraniumprospecting in Ranua!

Urge Ranua's Municipal Council to Stop Uranium Prospecting

In Ranua - a municipality located in Lapland, Finland - the soil and
groundwater are in danger of being contaminated by uranium prospecting
and mining. On November the 16th 2009, the municipal council of Ranua
will give their final stance on the prospecting. The stance will most
likely be positive unless an action is taken to turn the municipality
board members' minds: the Center Party (KESK) members have made a
binding group decision to vote yes for the prospecting. Now it's the
time to put pressure on them and to let them know that they are being
observed all around the world!

An uranium mine in Lapland would lead to all the people who now get
their livelihood on berry or mushroom picking, collecting wild plants,
reindeer herding, fishing or agriculture to loose their source of
income. Mining and radioactive waste in the vulnerable northern nature
would also destroy these Europe's vastest wilderness areas for
forever. In many countries politicians and companies are watching
Finnish policy on nuclear energy and uranium mining to start a new
trend on nuclear energy. So this is not only a local issue but
important to all the people in Finland and other parts of the world!

So send an email, call or fax the council members (see list below this
message). Write or call to the municipality council members. You can
do it in English or your own language (if not in Finnish or Swedish).
Tell them you are worried about the result of the vote on the 16th of
November. Urge them to vote NO for uranium prospecting. Add at least
one reason why you think they should not allow uranium prospecting in
the area.

More information about the situation in Ranua:

On the 1st of September 2008, Areva Resources Finland Oy gave their
application for a mining claim in the area of Asentolamminoja, on the
border between the Ranua and Rovaniemi municipalities, to the Ministry
of Employment and Economy.

On the claim area there are several marshes and small waters, that
are connected to the groundwater reserves. The area is part of the
watershed of the Simo river (i.e. the water flows to the river),
which is designated as a NATURA2000 area. There would be in sum
over 10 kilometres of drillings and they would extend below the level
of the groundwater reserves. Geological Survey centre of Finland, that
participates in the prospecting, denies the existence of the risk,
despite the fact that spoiling of the groundwater has often been a
direct consequence of uranium prospecting.

Around the world, uranium mining has produced extreme environmental
destruction, and in Europe it has been abolished precisely because
of environmental reasons. AREVA, the company active in Ranua, is
responsible for, among other things, enormous environmental
destruction in their mining regions in Niger, and in France for the
algae-based processing of mining tailings (i.e. leftover rock &
sediment), which created a public scandal. In Finland, AREVA is also
active with building the new (EPR) reactor in Olkiluoto, which by now
has turned out as a fiasco.

Ranua-based activists have tried to inform the decision-makers and
municipal inhabitants about the problems of uranium mining. They
have collected names for a ban on uranium mining at different
events, written to regional papers and arranged informational
events, among other things. However, a local civil movement has
quite limited power of influence, when put against the massive
lobbying machine of the uranium power industry, and the state's
energy policies, that favor mining in northern Finland.

Ranua Rescue campaign
ranuarescue@gmail.com
ranuarescue.blogspot.com (in Finnish)



Beispiel-Brief/Fax/E-Mail (moeglichst individuell anpassen):

Dear Sir/Madam,

on November the 16th 2009 you will be voting over the prospecting
claim of Areva Resources Finland Oy on the area of Asentolamminoja. I
wish you are going to to take a clear negative stance on the uranium
prospecting.

The French Areva is notorius in acting irresponsibly concerning
uranium mining and radioactive waste management even in it's own home
country. There is no reason to assume it to act differently in
Finland. Radioactive mining tails will stay radioactive for 100 000
years so the risk of a poisonous leak sooner or later is huge.

If you accept uranium prospecting in Ranua, you will be responsible
for the health risks the inhabitants of your community will have to
bear. You will be responsible for the spreading of radioactivity in
the environment. You will be responsible for higher cancer rates and
the early death of people you are supposed to represent.

If you take a stance against uranium prospecting in Ranua, your
community might not only prevent uranium mining on the grounds of your
municipality, but also set an example for other municipalities in
Lapland and the whole of Finland. If you speak against uranium
prospecting, you can stop these dangerous plans and stand up for the
interests of the local population.

Yours sincerely,





ALLE MAILADRESSEN IN EINER ZEILE:

Kimmo.Sarapaa@ranua.fi, Mirva.Salmela@ranua.fi,
Paivio.karttunen1@luukku.com, keijo.ruonala@osao.fi,
Jaanahosio@wippies.fi, Veijo.Illikainen@pp.inet.fi,
Kaisa.Illikainen-Niemela@alko.fi, Eila.Impio@pp.inet.fi,
Tarja.Impio@ranua.fi, Tuula.Karjalainen@pp.inet.fi,
u.karttunen@hotmail.com, rkuoksa@hotmail.com,
Hannu.Kuukasjarvi@pp.inet.fi, Jouni.Lohi@hotmail.com,
hannuniemin@pp.inet.fi, Matti.Nikula2@pp.inet.fi, sotka34@hotmail.com,
ismo.petajajarvi@gmail.com, Kirsi.Saaranen@luukku.com,
Tapio.Saukko@paliskunnat.fi, pitopalvelu.simontaival@pp.inet.fi,
Matti.Simontaival@pp.inet.fi, Toivo.Saaskilahti@luukku.com,
Viola.Tarujarvi@pp.inet.fi, Tuomas.Vanhala@roiakk.fi,
Lauri.Vaarala@ranuanautokoulu.fi, Anna-Maija.Osterberg@ranua.fi,




IM DETAIL - COUNCIL MEMBERS OF RANUA 2009-2012:

Salmela Mirva, chair, KESK
Tel: 040 522 7614
email: Mirva.Salmela@ranua.fi

Karttunen Päiviö, I vice chair, KESK
Pihlajatie 2, 97700 Ranua
tel: 040 576 8486
Sähköposti: Paivio.karttunen@luukku.com

Ruonala Keijo, II vice chair, SDP
Laurintie 4 A 8, 97700 Ranua
tel: 0400 820 988
email: keijo.ruonala@osao.fi

Hosio Jaana, KESK
Rynkänpuolentie 3, 97700 Ranua
tel: 040 747 7289
email: Jaanahosio@wippies.fi

Illikainen Veijo, KESK
Kirkkotiensuu 4, 97700 Ranua
tel: 040 184 9289
email: Veijo.Illikainen@pp.inet.fi

Illikainen-Niemelä Kaisa, SDP
Laurintie 4 as 7, 97700 Ranua
tel: 040 822 0923
email: Kaisa.Illikainen-Niemela@alko.fi

Impiö Eila, KOK
Kuusitie 4, 97700 Ranua
tel: 0400 893 556
email: Eila.Impio@pp.inet.fi

Impiö Tarja, KESK
Mursuahontie 6, 97765 Impiö
email: Tarja.Impio@ranua.fi

Karjalainen Tuula, SDP
Paavonahontie 5, 97700 Ranua
tel: 040 770 0327
Tuula.Karjalainen@pp.inet.fi

Karttunen Ulla, KESK
Kirkkotie 53, 97700 Ranua
tel: 050 539 7453
email: u.karttunen@hotmail.com

Kuoksa Rauno, Parempi Ranua -ryhmän yhteislista
Pudasjärventie 236, 97700 Ranua
tel: 0500 599 800
email: rkuoksa@hotmail.com

Kuukasjärvi Hannu, KESK
Simojärventie 146, 97700 Ranua
tel: 040 721 3896
email: Hannu.Kuukasjarvi@pp.inet.fi

Lohi Jouni, KESK
Kuukassalmentie 4, 97780 Kuukasjärvi
tel: 044 266 0880
email: Jouni.Lohi@hotmail.com

Nieminen Hannu, Parempi Ranua -ryhmän yhteislista
Pekkalantie 509, 97665 Pohjasperä
tel: 040 737 1986
email: hannuniemin@pp.inet.fi

Nikula Matti, Parempi Ranua -ryhmän yhteislista
Kataja-ahontie 2 B, 97700 Ranua
tel: 040 564 9726
email: Matti.Nikula2@pp.inet.fi

Pernu Jouko, Parempi Ranua -ryhmän yhteislista
Peurantie 7-9 A 1, 97700 Ranua
tel: 044 083 0213
email: sotka34@hotmail.com

Petäjäjärvi Ismo, KESK
Kettuharjuntie 2, 97665 Pohjasperä
tel: 040 592 5086
email: ismo.petajajarvi@gmail.com

Saaranen Kirsi, KESK
Simontie 185, 97715 Raiskio
tel: 0400 859 565
email: Kirsi.Saaranen@luukku.com

Saukko Tapio, KESK
Toljantie 178, 97700 Ranua
tel: 0400 185 904
email: Tapio.Saukko@paliskunnat.fi

Simontaival Jouko, KESK
Peurajärventie 43 A, 97700 Ranua
tel: 0400 169 475
email: pitopalvelu.simontaival@pp.inet.fi

Simontaival Matti, Parempi Ranua -ryhmän yhteislista
Toljantie 63, 97700 Ranua
tel: 0400 698 835
email: Matti.Simontaival@pp.inet.fi

Sääskilahti Reijo, KESK
Posiontie 342, 97760 Saariharju
tel: 0400 398 995

Sääskilahti Toivo, KESK
Ruonanpirtintie 6, 97715 Raiskio
tel: 0400 968 249
email: Toivo.Saaskilahti@luukku.com

Tarujärvi Viola, KESK
Simojoentie 9, 97715 Raiskio
tel: 040 534 7929
email: Viola.Tarujarvi@pp.inet.fi

Vanhala Tuomas, KESK
Kirkkotie 25, 97700 Ranua
tel: 0400 698 159
email: Tuomas.Vanhala@roiakk.fi

Väärälä Lauri, KOK
Tuomaantie 1 G, 97700 Ranua
tel: 0400 393 923
email: Lauri.Vaarala@ranuanautokoulu.fi

Österberg Anna-Maija, KESK
Kirkkotie 57, 97700 Ranua
tel: 040 562 5237
email: Anna-Maija.Osterberg@ranua.fi

onsdag 11 november 2009

Mr Netanyahu - riv dessa murar!





“Riv denna mur” uttalades av den konservativa ledaren för västvärlden – President Ronald Reagan – när han besökte Berlin – för länge sen.

Vid 20-årsfirandet av Berlinmurens fall gratulerade världens ledare varandra. Men glädjen är ganska ihålig med tanke på västvärldens ansvar för en växande mur – den mellan Israel och Palestina.
Bilden visar hur Israel successivt kväver Palestina genom utöka bosättningarna i stället för att avveckla dem.



Man undrar hur en nation av överlevare efter förintelsen kan agera som de gör. Israels nyockuperade bosättningar tar över – tar hand om dricksvattnet och pumpar sin avföring till de av palestinierna uråldigt ägda landområdena. Ständigt kommer Israels soldater och annekterar (stjäl) nya områden för att härbergera nyinflyttade israeliter.

Antisemitism är avskyvärt! Judar (och palestinier) har okränkbara människovärden! Men Israels politik är oförsvarlig!

Den 9 nov firades Berlinmurens fall - samtidigt demonstrerade man i Ni´lin genom att riva en del av muren! Kolla denna länk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xh4ouc8Lac

Jag är stolt att ha varit där och stött folket i deras och vår gemensamma kamp för att riva alla murar i världen!

Stoppa de nya bosättningarna!

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/ekot/artikel.asp?Artikel=3245776

fredag 6 november 2009

Bakgrund

Västbanken ockuperas av Israel
Ända sedan det korta inbördeskriget 2007 är den palestinska myndigheten uppdelad på två geografiska områden. Sunni-islamistiska Hamas kontrollerar Gaza och sekulära Fatah styr Västbanken.
Västbanken är ockuperat av Israel sedan sexdagarskriget. 2,4 miljoner palestinier bor på Västbanken, men där finns också omkring 150 judiska bosättningar.
President på Västbanken är Fatahledaren Mahmoud Abbas.
Gazaremsan är en smal kustremsa längs Medelhavet. 2005 flyttades alla judiska bosättningar från området och israeliska trupper lämnade Gazaremsan, men israelerna kontrollerar fortfarande luftrum, territorialvatten och gränsövergångar.
Över en miljon palestinier bor på Gazaremsan.
Gazaremsan styrs i dag av Hamas efter att partiet fått 65 procent av mandaten i lokalvalet.
Ismail Haniya är Hamas högste ledare i Gazaremsan.

torsdag 5 november 2009

Det israeliska folket får inte fred och frihet förrän det palestinska folket får det


Äntligen dags att besöka Palestina efter att ha studerat Palestinas utveckling sedan 80-talets början, händelserna på Västbanken och i Gaza. Fördrivningen av palestinierna 1948 till flyktigläger, har jag aldrig förlikat mig med. Hur kan ett folk som utsatts för folkmord ge sig på ett annat? Varför förgör man varandra?

Mina värsta farhågor besannades under mitt studiebesök. Nationalismen! Jag hörde hur fäder uppfostrar sina barn att det endast finns ett land – Palestina. Samma sak på den andra sidan – det finns endast ett land - Israel.

Det som inger hopp är Al Mubadara, ett mittenparti, med Dr Mustafa Barghouthi som talesman, omtalad och respekterad i hela världen och den store förhandlaren mellan parterna både mellan Israel och Palestina som mellan Hamas och Fatah. Det var också han som lyckades lyfta upp Goldstonerapporten i rampljuset. Al Mubadara mobiliserade busstransport för 1000 medlemmar till Ramallah, där folk gick ut på gatorna och krävde att få reda på innehållet i rapporten. Sedan tog Dr Barghouthi upp densamma i Genève.

Många i partiet härstammar från PMRS, Palestinian Medical Relief Society, som startade redan 1979! De gör ett fantastiskt jobb. De mobila sjukhusen fungerar och behövs ute på landsbygden, där byar och städer skärs sönder av murar som slingrar sig som ormar för att skydda israeliska bosättningar. Bosättningarna har kraftigt byggts ut efter Osloavtalet. Syftet var det motsatta - att avveckla och hindra ytterligare bosättningar.

Vi får se hur det tidigare sjukhuset på 10 minuters köravstånd, hamnat i det ockuperade palestinska Jerusalem och blivit otillgängligt. Vi får se checkpoints (inalles 576) på nära håll och att de öppnas efter behag för de tusentals människor som arbetar på andra sidan muren. Vi får se olivlundar som kapats vid rötterna för att skapa ”säkerhetszoner”. Vi får se hur folk demonstrerar vid muren och beskjuts av tårgas och avloppsvatten. Vi får se hur ungdomar arbetar med icke-våld som lösning på ockupationen. Vi får se kvinnors urkraft att framställa organiska produkter trots att avloppen från bosättningarna regleras ut på deras fält och blandas med deras källvatten.

Alla vi möter kämpar mot sharialagarna, mot fundamentalismen, mot tidigt ingångna äktenskap men för jämställdhet. Vid besök på Women´s house, kan vi konstatera att de har kommit långt. Den heta linjen är förstås hemlig och huset ligger avsides. Där finns psykolog och personalen har utvecklat ett nätverk med medicinskt ansvariga utanför väggarna. Upplysning och utbildning av föräldrar, polis, unga par och familjer är ett självklart inslag och de använder sig av psykodrama vid rehabilitering.

Förutom aktiva politiker, träffar vi organisationer som arbetar med personer med funktionshinder, vars uppgift är att informera och hävda sina rättigheter för att kunna kräva sin rätt och inte gömma sig i sina hem utan komma ut i samhället som alla andra.
Ett besök på universitetet i Betlehem är lärorikt. Att studera där kostar 800 USD per termin. För de flesta är det omöjligt att gå där utan stipendium, vilket gör att de studerande är väldigt motiverade. Makabert var att man under intifadan skjutit en missil genom väggen in i biblioteket!

För framtiden betyder dessa ungdomar allt. De åker kanske utomlands en period för att slutföra sina studier, men kommer tillbaka för att bygga upp sitt land. De vill arbeta med icke-våld, bojkotter, manifestationer, kampanjer och förverkliga en tvåstatslösning.

Dr Barghouthi sa i förra veckan på The Daily Show i USA: Det israeliska folket får inte fred och frihet förrän det palestinska folket får det. Fred kräver civilkurage därför ska vi stärka de goda krafter som finns på båda sidorna! Riv murarna och stängslen! Jag vill skynda på världssamfundet. 40 års ockupation är inhumant och ett grovt brottmot de mänskliga rättigheterna! Det är 20 år sedan Berlinmuren revs - nu är det hög tid att dessa murar rivs!

Eva Goës

Green Forum

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onsdag 4 november 2009



http://www.globalgreens.org/statements/rwanda_democracy
Global Greens urgently call on Rwandan President Paul Kagame to remove obstacles to the creation of Green Party in his country

Global Greens urgently call on Rwandan President Paul Kagame to remove all obstacles to the creation of a Green Party in his country and to ensure the security of all those supporting this initiative

(Brussels 3rd of November 09) The Global Green Coordination urgently calls for the clear intervention of Rwandan President Paul Kagame to ensure the democratic rights and the security of the peaceful and democratic green activists who participated in the founding Congress of the Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) held on the 30 of October.

This call expresses the deep concern of the Global Greens at the news from Rwanda that the founding Congress of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) was violently disrupted by people suspected to be members of the security services . Delegates of DGPR are also being harassed, intimidated and imprisoned by RPF/Government authorities at the local level.

The reaction of the National Police present at the event is very suspicious. Instead of providing the necessary security to the Party Congress, the police decided to cancel the meeting. The two provocateurs that violently interrupted the Congress were released by the police only a few hours later. At the same time, a campaign of harassment, intimidation and even detention of the members of the DGPR at the local level seems to be taking place. According to our information, this is happening in several areas. Here are just some of the districts where this intimidation is occuring: Kibagabaga Cell, Kimironko Sector in Gasabo District; Nyamirama Sector, Kayonza District; Bibare Cel, Kimironko Sector, Gasabo District; Nyagatovu Cell, Kimironko Sector, Gasabo District, and in Kinamba Sector, Gasabo District.

The Global Green Coordination, representing 89 green parties from around the world, calls on its member parties to contact the Rwandan Embassies in their respective countries calling on the Government of Rwanda to provide the maximum security to all DGPR members and ensure that any form of political harassment is stopped immediately.

At the same time we will inform all our parliamentarian groups including the Green Group in the European Parliament to consider the possibility of taking initiatives in relation to these accusations.

We will use all foreign visits of President Kagame to ask him to ensure the full and genuine democratic rights of all Rwandan citizens and to put an end to the systematic obstacles that are preventing the birth of a democratic Green party in that country.

The members of the Global Green Coordination

tisdag 3 november 2009

Mayor who blocked Green Party meeting resigns


From RWANDA NEWS AGENCY
http://www.rnanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2263&Itemid=26


By Administrator
Tuesday, 03 November 2009
The district mayor who was at the center of a row involving the yet to register Democratic Green Party of Rwanda has resigned citing “personal reasons”, reports say.
Mr. Rutayisire Origène tendered his resignation Monday to the Nyarugenge district council but did not detail why he was giving up his office, state radio said. The council is set to decide on whether to accept Mr. Rutayisire resignation.

Last month, he found himself in the firing line after – under unclear circumstances, he withdrew permission for the Green Party to meet just minutes before the start of its founding congress on October 02. He however denied any wrong doing.

Mr. Rutayisire also tenders his move-out at a time when several local and central government officials are facing possible prosecution on corruption and embezzlement. Several officials of the Gasabo district neighbouring Nyarugenge are now in detention for misusing several hundred million francs, and the mayor herself is under investigation.

måndag 2 november 2009

A Sad Day for Democracy in Rwanda

In a day marked by chaos and, possibly, sabotage, the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) was prevented for the fourth time in as many attempts from holding a legally organized meeting to become an officially recognized political party.

In Rwanda, a new party must collect at least 200 notarized nomination
signatures nationwide to register as an official party, including at
least five from each of the 30 districts of Rwanda. On October 30th over
600 Green supporters had come to the capital city of Kigali to give
their signatures, which would form part of the Greens’ registration
dossier with the Ministry of Local Government. Instead they were driven
away by police after the meeting was disrupted by unidentified men, who
forcefully penetrated the packed-to-capacity hall and threw a chair at
the seated crowd — hitting a woman, while shouting repeatedly “FPR oyee”
in French in support of the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF in
English). People began to flee while others tried to fight-off the
assailants. According to the Rwanda News Service “people could be seen
falling as they ran out and away from the St. Paul hall premises, owned
by the Kigali Catholic Diocese. Deafening shouting could be heard as
people scattered to different directions. Party leaders could be seen
running up and down - seeming to have lost control of events.”

Curiously, the six police officers present began dispersing those who
were trying to restrain the attacker, rather than the attacker himself.
Within ten minutes, several dozen more appeared, some wielding guns and
batons. Backed by this armada, the Police Superintendent told the
hundreds of delegates that the meeting would not be allowed to continue
because the “situation could get out of hand.” “Due to security reasons,
we are asking the organizers of this meeting to postpone it,” he said,
as people inside and outside the hall shouted back in protest.

With the crowd dispersed, the party could not get signatures from the
hundreds waiting inside and outside the hall. To DGPR founder and
interim president Frank Habineza, the disruptions that began just before
the meeting commenced at 10 A.M. are no accident. “We have established
the man who started the shouting and threw chairs is an ex-soldier in
the Rwandan army and a former employee of Military Intelligence,” said
Habineza. “Another one was from the Local Defense Forces. This was a
well-planned sabotage done by security operatives. One of them even had
something like a gun-pistol, and this was seen by the US and Netherlands
Envoys and many others.”

“The police were not helpful at all. It looked like they were
compromising us,” added Habineza. “They released the ones who caused the
trouble and instead arrested our members, one of them a mother.
Thankfully our members have been released but were forced to make
statements to the police. They were asked why they decided to be members
of our party.” Several people are injured, and woman went to intensive
care with back injuries. Others complained bitterly that they had lost
property including phones, handbags, wallets and money.

This was the second time in less than a month that a DGPR meeting was
broken up before signatures could be submitted. On October 2nd, more
than 900 people from all 30 of the country’s districts had traveled from
across Rwanda to a similar meeting in Kigali, only to be told at that
time by the Nyarugenge District Mayor that, even though the Greens had
secured a location and a notary, it had to resubmit their request for
permission to hold the meeting.

On October 1 the Notaire (Notary Public) had called Habineza at 5 P.M.
to tell him that the Notaire would not be available the next day to
verify the DGPR signatures, because the Minister of Justice had not
granted him permission to do so. “When I called the Minister of
Justice,” recalls Habineza, “he told me the Notaire does not need his
permission to conduct such a function. Who can we believe? What are we
supposed to do?” Twice earlier the DGPR had to postpone their delegate
conferences because the Notaire claimed he is not in position to notify
the party’s nomination signatures. This time they found another notary,
but then were told they had to reapply anyway.

The continual delays have cost the DGPR great financial expense,
something the fledgling party can ill afford. But perhaps the human cost
its members have had to incur has been even greater. In a country where
84% of the people live on less than $2 a day, many supporters traveled
long distances at great personal cost and sacrifice to be in Kigali,
some bringing babies and others abandoning their jobs to be at the event
that did not happen. “I don’t know how I will get back to Rusizi
district [in western province] - a five hour journey, moreover without
accomplishing what had brought me here,” said Annonciata Nyirakanyana
while breast-feeding her son, after the October 2nd event was cancelled

Party Founded in August 2009

The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) was officially launched on
August 14th, 2009, at a press conference at the Hotel Laico Kigali, with
an audience including representatives from the Embassies of the US,
Sweden and the Netherlands, as well as the BBC, SABC, Newvison-Uganda,
Africa Press Agency and Umuseso Newspaper. Perhaps unknowingly
foreshadowing the challenges the new party would soon face, Habineza said:

“Today is a great day for Rwanda. Time has finally come where Rwandans
can boldly stand for their democratic rights and values, where Rwandans
can live without fear of being arrested or reported to the secret police
and be charged for imaginary cases. Time has reached when Rwandans can
ask the political leaders to answer for their bad governance and
corruption cases. Today is the day, when Rwandans are standing up to say
NO and publicly demand for their rights. This is the day, when all the
people of Rwanda who are not in accordance to the ideology of the ruling
party can speak out their mind and sleep without fear of any kind. Today
we ban negative words, used to undermine humanity in Rwanda, such as,
‘IGIPINGA’ (not in line with the current regime), ‘UMWANZI W’IGIHUGU’
(enemy of the state) and many other bad words being propagated.”

At the same time, Habineza laid blame at the hand of the RPF led
government. “We would also wish to express our serious disappointment
with its failures in various sectors, such as: unfair distribution of
resources (land distribution in Eastern Province) the parliament that
defends only political interests and not peoples’ interests-sic! (full
of women and passed a law against mothers), mal-functioning government
institutions (such as corruption in local government structures and
ministries), non-government organizations that are closing offices due
to lack of funds and others much favored and with big budgets because
they are considered pro-government, the private media (which has been
denied advertisements from government institutions and thus limping) and
many more other failures. It is due to these failures and despite the
visible progress in terms of infrastructures development, health,
education, ITC and others. The majority of Rwandans continue to suffer
from extreme cases of poverty, hunger, diseases, injustices, illegal
arrests, extra-judicial imprisonment, political persecutions, lack of
good governance and non-respect for human rights.”

The party’s strategy was to quickly gather its nomination signatures and
then hold a platform convention with the idea of challenging the 2010
elections, but only if the constitution and electoral laws were changed.
DGPR Secretary General Andrew Muganwa said that there had been lack of
democracy in Rwanda since monarchical time and the RPF was
“blind-folding the world with imaginary multi-party politics, when in
reality it was a single party taking decisions and others follow.”

With the DGPR, Rwanda has eleven political parties, with six of them
recently forming a coalition with the ruling RPF. Only two can be
regarded as real opposition while the others are not yet allowed to
operate. At the same time Habineza argues that the entire electoral
process is faulty from registration to vote counting, leading to obvious
vote rigging.

“Why hold expensive electoral processes when the winner is known before
elections? Its only months to the presidential elections, but no one has
declared their candidature, no one is allowed to campaign because the
constitution was manipulated. Our party would not be involved in such an
exercise that deprives our members of their democratic rights,” Habineza
noted.

“Everything in Rwanda needs to change for the sake of democracy. The
institutions need to work independent of the government and political
parties need to have sound voices like other democracies,” said
Habineza. “The RPF has manipulated all the laws to its advantage. The
constitution is changed without any consultations. There is no
functioning civil society, no press freedom, not even freedom of
association.

The DRGP thought they had just that on October 2nd, when they gathered
900 strong in Kigali to collect nomination signatures. Then despite
prior permission, their meeting was abruptly cancelled by the district
mayor. Immediately afterwards the DGPR issued a call for international
Green support. Signed by Habineza, Toussaint Hinvi of the Green Party of
Benin and Coordinator for West African Greens Network, and Board member
of Burundi Green Movement Anne Marie Bikirabake, the appeal generated
response from Green Parties in Europe, North America and Africa,
petitioning Rwandan President Paul Kagame to remove all obstacles that
are hindering the registration of the DGPR.

In its letter, President Sylvio Michel of Vertes-Fraternels of Mauritius
demanded that Kagame use his powers to “facilitate the party in
formation by instructing and or advising the relevant officials” who are
dealing with the registration process “to do whatever they are required
to do”. Edmond Edouard Gouan, president of the Parti Ecologique Ivoirien
in the Ivory Coast wrote that “this is not the first time such tactics
are being used to delay and or deny true and long lasting evolvement of
democracy in Rwanda”, and Rwanda needs to “observe and respect all legal
provisions relating to the formation and establishment of political
parties.”

The Green Party of Canada’s (GPC) Leader Elizabeth May linked the DGPR’s
status to Kagame’s professed claim to support action on climate change,
stating “Rwandan society can and should be among the leading societies
on the African continent in the efforts to combat climate change and
environmental degradation” and that the GPC “stands in solidarity with
the aspirations of the peoples of the continent of Africa to have their
nations and communities embrace and build democratic societies
democratic, inclusive and peaceful society.

With the events of October 30th, the international Green response has
only begun to grow. The Green Party of the United States issued a
statement on November 2nd, “We protest all violence and obstruction
aimed at peacefully organizing political parties throughout the world.
We especially deplore actions taken to prevent our fellow Green Parties
in other nations from participating in the political process. The
Rwandans who’ve been blocked, intimidated, and injured by provocateurs
are heroes in the struggle for democracy.

Next Steps

For the 32 year old Habineza, who is also one three African Greens on
the Global Green Coordination – the coordinating body of the Global
Greens, this international support is very timely and welcome. Since his
days as a student at National University of Rwanda in Butare, the
intellectual capital of the country, Habineza has been working on issues
of democracy, justice and the environment in his country. While a
student in 2000, he challenged Rwandan Brigadier General Richard
Rutatina with controversial questioning: demanding to know why the
General denied that Uganda never assisted Rwanda in the struggle during
the General’s visit to the university and threatening the General with
incarceration.

An advocate for a free press in a country where most of the media is
controlled overtly or covertly by the government, in 2002 Habineza
worked for the now defunct Rwanda Herald newspaper whose publisher was
declared ‘persona non grata’ after the paper published an editorial
calling for the release of former President Pasteur Bizimungu, after
which the paper was shut down by local police. In 1999 Habineza started
the Rwanda Wildlife Clubs (RWC) on campus to promote preservation and
expansion of trees around campus. Its now called Rwanda Environmental
Conservation Organisation. After graduating he served as Principal
Secretary to the former Minister for Lands, Environment, Forestry, Water
and Mines, Drocella Mugorewera, who is now in political exile.
Ultimately it was ongoing violation of human rights, combined with
environmental destruction and the lack of the basic tenets of a civil
society that led Habineza and others to found the DGPR.

Neither human rights nor environmental health can be achieved in a
non-democratic, un-free, dictatorial and tyrannical regime, according to
Habineza, who calls for the privatization of government media organs to
allow for their independence to report on these and others of his
country’s ills.

In a radio interview with the BBC after the October 30th meeting was
disrupted, he said that the DGPR would not be deterred. Habineza said
the disruption was clearly planned and he suspected ties to the
governing RPF. Accusing them of hiding behind such actions, he said “If
they want to want to prevent us from going to the elections [in 2010]
and receive 99% of the vote, let them say it.” Vowing to fight on,
Habineza added “Enough is enough. We can never go backward. We are only
going forward.”

The DGPR plans to hold another delegates congress soon, but only after
assurances from the government to provide security for its members. They
are also calling for the international solidarity and action. Referring
to the Rwandan genocide that left between one-half million and a million
Rwandans dead, Habineza said “The International community can not commit
the same mistake like it did in 1994, when genocide was happening and it
just kept quiet. We need international support now.”

For more information: www.rwandagreendemocrats.org