World Youth Movement for Democracy

December 2007 Newsletter

WYMD UPDATES 1) Happy New Year! DEMOCRACY ALERTS/APPEALS from the World Movement for Democracy 1) Russia: Human Rights Defenders and Journalists Beaten in Ingushetia 2) Kyrgyzstan: Uzbek Journalist Murdered 3) Somali: Journalist Murdered in His Home 4) Pakistan: Human Rights Activist Under House Arrest 5) Iran: Women’s Rights Activist Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison and Ten Lashes 6) Kosovo: Journalist Attacked 7) Myanmar: Civil Society Organizations Work to End Rights Abuses (Update) 8) Croatia: War Crimes Reporter Arrested HIGHLIGHTED ARTICLES, NEWS AND REPORTS FROM PARTICIPANTS 1) Report: Week of Actions "Crystal Night – Never Again!" (NIS) 2) Project: Apathy Is Boring (Canada) 3) Report: International Conference "1937 - 2007: the way to freedom from totalitarianism" (Russia) 4) News: NAYMOTE establishes youth democratic education center (Liberia) 5) Report: The Second Regional NGO Congress (Ukraine) 6) Project: Coalition Against Hate (NIS) HIGHLIGHTED NEWS FROM INTERNATIONAL PRESS 1) Putin party secures huge victory (BBC World) 2) Uzbekistan: No Real Choice in Presidential Elections (Human Rights Watch) 3) Bhutto assassinated (The Guardian) HIGHLIGHTED FORTHCOMING EVENTS 1) Training: "Democracy within the Euro-Med Context: Illusion or Reality?", Venice (Italy), April 20-27, 2008 2) 2008 CIVICUS Youth Assembly, Glasgow (Scotland), June 16-21, 2008 OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRANTS, FUNDING AND PARTICIPATION 1) European Master Degree in Human Rights and Democratization 2008/2009 (International) 2) UPEACE offers short courses in peace education (International) 3) World Social Forum 2008: January 26th Global Day of Action (International)

WYMD Updates

1) Happy New Year! WYMD International Secretariat is pleased to congratulate you on the new year 2008! During the past year many events happened that substantially influenced our work and the general political situation in the world. New threats to democracy emerged in different countries and regions of the world. But nevertheless, we’ve been working hard to promote democracy values in our countries and globally, as we used to in the previous years. Our Movement was also changing. The past year saw the Secretariat transfer from Brazil to Ukraine and some other developments. The number of participants of WYMD grows, and our joint actions are becoming more visible. 2008 must become decisive for our Movement. In April, as you probably know already, the Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy (that WYMD is part of) will take place in Kiev, Ukraine. The Secretariat will organize a workshop in its framework, where we plan to discuss the further development of the Youth Movement. Those of you who will be participating in the Assembly are invited to take active part in it! We hope that our work was of a help to you. And we aspire to continue our cooperation throughout 2008 and further.

DEMOCRACY ALERTS/APPEALS from the World Movement for Democracy

1) Russia: Human Rights Defenders and Journalists Beaten in Ingushetia On the night of November 24, Oleg Orlov of the Russian human rights organization Memorial and three journalists from the private Russian news channel Ren-TV were abducted in the hotel “Assa” by unidentified masked men, beaten, threatened at gunpoint, and left naked in an open field in the village of Nesterovskaya in Ingushetia, a republic within the Russian Federation. Moreover, the abductors stole computers, equipment, personal items, and documents from the victims. The police are currently investigating the incident as a burglary and as an unlawful attempt to stop the work of professional journalists. However, Memorial believes that the investigation is inadequate, as police are not considering the fact that the victims were abducted, threatened with death, and intentionally harmed. Memorial calls on the government to fully investigate the crime and to allow journalists to carry out their work unhindered. Memorial also calls on the government to provide adequate protection for human rights activists. For more information from Memorial (in Russian), go to: www.memo.ru/hr/hotpoints/caucas1/index.htm   2) Kyrgyzstan: Uzbek Journalist Murdered On October 24, Uzbek journalist Alisher Saipov was murdered in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. According to the online newspaper ferghana.ru, Saipov was shot three times at close range by an unknown assailant. He is survived by his wife and infant daughter. Saipov founded the Uzbek language newspaper SIYOSAT (Politics), which focuses on current affairs in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. SIYOSAT covered topics including human rights abuses in Uzbekistan, the manipulation of the upcoming presidential election there, and the criminal activities of Uzbek security services operating across the border in Kyrgyzstan. Saipov also was a frequent contributor to ferghana.ru, uznews.net, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Voice of America. Many have speculated that his murder is a result of his journalistic work. In spring 2007, Saipov’s newspaper began unofficial circulation in Uzbek sections of the Ferghana Valley. Soon after, a campaign began within Uzbekistan to discredit Saipov. Because of his reporting of human rights abuses, many friends and colleagues were concerned about his safety during the period leading up to his murder, which was marked by attacks against him on Uzbek Web sites and surveillance of his office. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Reporters Without Borders, and the National Endowment for Democracy, the Secretariat of the World Movement for Democracy, have all made public statements condemning Saipov’s murder and calling on Kyrgyzstan to carry out a thorough and impartial investigation. For information on the murder and local reactions published by ferghana.ru (in Russian), go to: www.ferghana.ru/news.php?id=7494&mode=snews&PHPSESSID=a44eac6864bc2816cecbe71e634c0ebb To read the statement from Amnesty International, go to: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR580022007 To read the statement from Human Rights Watch, go to: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/10/25/kyrgyz17171.htm To read the statement by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, go to: www.osce.org/item/27572.html To read the statement by Reporters Without Borders, go to: www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=24277 To read the statement from the National Endowment for Democracy (in English and Russian), go to: www.ned.org/press/releases.html#nov0207   3) Somali: Journalist Murdered in His Home The National Union of Somali Journalists reports that on the evening of October 19, Bashir Nor Gedi, Acting Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson of Shabelle Media Network was murdered at his home by unknown gunmen. The murder appears to be a premeditated attack, according to his family members and eyewitnesses. Bashir is the eighth media person killed in Somalia since January 2007. After Shabelle Radio broadcasted the assassination of its boss, it stopped airing its normal programs and began airing verses of the Holy Quran for grief of the death. The Shabelle Media Network has been recently experiencing attacks on its journalists and its premises, and senior journalists of the network have fled from Mogadishu. Go to: www.wmd.org/documents/SomaliJournalistDemNews1107.pdf   4) Pakistan: Human Rights Activist Under House Arrest Pakistani lawyer and human rights activist, Ms. Asma Jahangir was put under house arrest on November 3. Jahangir was arrested for speaking out for democracy, for insisting the government obey the Constitution and respect individual rights, and for speaking against military leaders, including Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf. Her 90-day detention order charges activities "prejudicial to public safety and maintenance of public order." Jahangir has been a human rights activist for many years. In 1986, she helped found the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. The organization has championed women's rights, demanded an end to bonded labor, challenged blasphemy laws, defended media freedoms, and exposed official corruption. On November 4, the Commission was raided and 70 supporters were arrested. Jahangir’s is but one case in the recent crackdown. Police in Pakistan have arrested thousands of people, including lawyers and judges whom Musharraf accuses of undermining his efforts to protect Pakistan. On November 6, the International Crisis Group called on President Musharraf to immediately release Asma Jahangir and restore the country's constitutional order. To read the statement made by the International Crisis Group, go to: www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5145&l=1 For the Los Angeles Times article on Asma Jahangir, go to: www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-asma7nov07,1,1135158.story?ctrack=1&cset=true   5) Iran: Women’s Rights Activist Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison and Ten Lashes The Women’s Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace reports that Delaram Ali has been sentenced to two-and-half years in prison and ten lashes for her participation in the June 12, 2006 protest in support of women’s rights in Iran as a result of an appeals court decision. The protest was violently broken up by the police, and Ms. Ali sustained a broken arm as a result of the severe beatings. Complaints of excessive force were filed against the police, but last month the police were found innocent. During her original May 29, 2007 trial, Ms. Ali was sentenced to two years, ten months imprisonment and 20 lashes, but the appeals court slightly reduced the sentence. Ms. Ali is an activist in the One Million Signatures campaign, which aims to end discrimination against women in Iranian law. Go to: www.learningpartnership.org/advocacy/alerts/iranwomenarrests0307   6) Kosovo: Journalist Attacked According to the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) and the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), on October 16, Voice of America journalist Vesna Bojicic was assaulted by a masked man in her apartment in Caglavica, Kosovo. Her attacker warned her to take this, his "final warning," seriously, or he would kill her and abduct her child. This is the fifth time Ms. Bojicic has been physically assaulted in Kosovo since June 1999. In addition to these assaults, Ms. Bojicic has also received numerous verbal threats by phone and in person. The HLC believes that Ms. Bojcic is a target because of her professional work and critical reporting on the international administration of Kosovo, Kosovo institutions, the leaders of the Serb enclaves, and Serbian authorities. To date, international and Kosovo police have not conducted an effective investigation into any one of the assaults according to HLC, and none of the assailants have been brought to justice. The HLC and ANEM are calling upon Kosovo institutions to take all necessary measures to protect the physical well being and dignity of journalists, who, like Vesna Bojicic, are risking their lives for the well being of Kosovo society. ANEM is also appealing to all professional media and journalist associations, and to members of the general public who care about democracy, to demonstrate their solidarity with journalist Vesna Bojicic. To read the statement by HLC, go to: www.wmd.org/documents/HLC2007Oct.pdf To read the statement by ANEM, go to: www.wmd.org/documents/ASEM2007Oct.pdf   7) Myanmar: Civil Society Organizations Work to End Rights Abuses (Update) In the October issue of our newsletter, an alert was issued concerning the peaceful protests that were held in Burma and the resulting human rights abuses. A military crackdown has quashed the public protests and thousands of peaceful monks and protesters are right now being brutalized in secret prisons. Last month a number of organizations and World Movement participants condemned the actions of the Burmese government and mobilized support for the victims of the oppression. Since that alert went out, several more organizations have joined in solidarity to take action, as follows: On October 22, women activists of the ’88 Generation Students group and National League for Democracy, sent a letter calling on the United Nations to take immediate measures to help protect women in Burma from continuing human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention, ‘hostage-taking’, torture, other ill-treatment, and a lack of access to medical care. Most recently, over 200 participants from civil society organizations and trade unions from across Southeast Asia and beyond have called upon the leaders of ASEAN to postpone the signing of the ASEAN Charter due to the Burmese junta’s recent violent crackdown on peaceful protests. At the conclusion of the third ASEAN + Civil Society Conference (ACSC III) held in Singapore on November 2-4, all participants agreed that the current political crisis in Burma must first be resolved in accordance with basic human rights standards before ASEAN’s leaders can sign a Charter for a “caring, sharing community.” Participants urged ASEAN countries, particularly Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, to do more than issue strong statements and to take concrete action, including the imposition of an arms embargo and the stemming of the flow of resources to the military junta. There was also a call on the Indonesian government, as current Chair of the UN Security Council, to advocate the imposition of sanctions and other targeted measures, and for ASEAN to place more pressure on China and India to take concrete measures to push the Burmese military generals to engage in a democratic process of reform. To read the letter of appeal to the UN from women activists in Burma, go to: www.wmd.org/documents/BurmeseWomenDemNews1107.pdf To read more about the ACSC III conference, go to: www.forum-asia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1182&Itemid=132 To read the previous World Movement alert on Burma, go to: www.wmd.org/democracynews/oct07.html#2   8) Croatia: War Crimes Reporter Arrested On October 17, Zeljko Peratovik was arrested and charged with revealing a state secret following a search of his home in Zagreb. Police seized files and computers, but prosecutors have not yet decided whether or not to put him on trial. According to Reporters Without Borders, his arrest was prompted by posts on his blogs concerning war crimes committed in Gospic in the 1990s. Due to his reporting on war crimes, Peratovik has lost his job, been physically attacked, and is thought of as a traitor by many in the country who deny that Croatia has committed war crimes. Go to: www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=24063

Highlighted Contributions from Youth and Democracy Groups

News on projects, issues and experiences; articles and reports; news of events and information on groups and organizations, from people working on youth activism and democracy issues. Please remember, we do not monitor groups, and do not wish to censor material. We hope the information here is truthful, but we expect that participants reading this information will try to gather as much information as they can about these groups and current affairs.   1) Report: Week of Actions "Crystal Night – Never Again!" (NIS) On November 9-16, 2007 the International Week of awareness-raising actions "Crystal Night - Never Again!" involved 24 groups of activists from 18 cities of Ukraine, Moldova and Russia in different awareness-raising actions promoting the ideas of tolerance, intercultural dialogue and anti-fascism. The International Week was held in the framework of the annual action of European Network "UNITED for intercultural action" devoted to the commemoration of the "Crystal Night" – the event known as the start of the Holocaust in Europe. In the NIS countries the awareness-raising week is coordinated by the international Youth Human Rights Movement and the Youth Network against Racism and Intolerance (YNRI). This year the issue of migration, as one of the top problems of modern Europe, was defined as the main focus of the Week. The participants discussed migration related problems with pupils, students and journalists. The movie festival against hate in Moscow, the intellectual game for tolerance in Krasnodar, the roundtable "Youth alternatives to fascism and indifference", a street action in Voronezh, exhibitions, school lessons, discussions in different cities and countries were organized by the participants during the Week. The detailed information and materials from previous actions are available at www.9-november.hrworld.ru.   2) Project: Apathy Is Boring (Canada) The Apathy is Boring Project is a national non-partisan project that uses art, media, and technology to encourage active citizenry, outreaching to a broad demographic of youth about how to be more involved in their communities and the democratic process. Apathy is Boring was born in January 2004, to fill a gap in youth representation in politics and democracy. The founders saw that many of their peers felt disengaged from the political process. They wanted to see youth voting rates increase while combating youth apathy. Apathy is Boring's first campaign began in February 2004, only a month after its conception, and was focused on getting out the youth vote during the 2004 federal election. Using digital media technology and an outreach campaign, Apathy is Boring was able to reach over 500 000 young people in Canada in two months. The website received over 400 000 hits and the project sent out digital e-cards to over 100 000 young people. By engaging youth who are disengaged, Apathy Is Boring aims to be the entry point for young people into lifelong active citizenry. The aim of the project is to really communicate with youth using a mix of creative, content-driven projects that engage, motivate and educate. The project organizers encourage you to check out the website www.apathyisboring.com, sign up for a profile, post your events & projects under action alerts and create your own online petitions.   3) Report: International Conference "1937-2007: the way to freedom from totalitarianism" (Russia) On November 26 in Voronezh, Russia, the international conference "1937-2007: The Way to Freedom from Totalitarianism" took place. The conference was devoted to the problem of remembrance of the Great Terror in the USSR in 1937-1938. The conference reviewed the enlightenment activities of the human rights and young civil activists during the past year. The conference was organized by the international YHRM and its partners in the cooperation with the international association "Memorial". The participants of the Conference were the activists of the international Youth Human Rights Movement from different cities of Russia, as well as from Germany, and also students and teachers of Voronezh universities who joined the international action "Remember the year 1937". During the year 2007 different awareness-raising actions devoted to the anniversary of the Great Terror – the campaign of repressions conducted by the state institutions of the USSR in 1937-1938, were united in the international action "Remember the year 1937" initiated by the Moscow "Memorial" and the international YHRM. Different events took place in the framework of the action - beginning from the lighting of candles on the 30th day of each month, and particularly on the 30th of October – the Day of victims of political repressions remembrance, and up to thematic lessons, cinema-discussions, etc. Participants of the conference discussed the civil practices of resistance to totalitarianism, awareness-raising and education programs in this field and the development of the international action "Remember the year 1937" in the up-coming year.   4) News: NAYMOTE establishes youth democratic education center (Liberia) On December 7, 2007 NAYMOTE with funding from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) opened a youth center in Bong County. The center will be managed by the Bong Student Union-BONSU and is housed in the National Muslim Council Building. Its overall goal is to develop young political leaders by promoting their active engagement with various political processes, policy debates, dialogue, democracy and civic education. The center shall also support the idea of guiding youths away from potential conflicts by fostering tolerance, diversity, respect for the rule of law and constituted authorities. Additionally, youths shall be assisted to acquire basic civic skills and knowledge that would ingrain democratic values, principles and concepts in them and impel their meaningful contributions to the building a vibrant democratic culture. Activities at the center will predominately focus on directing the energies of young people towards constructive engagements that holds the promise of yielding long term positive impact on their communities. The center will train young people and stimulate them to volunteer their services and support them to enter the political arena with one concerted voice and with their own goals.   5) Report: The Second Regional NGO Congress (Ukraine) The Congress became a continuation of the pilot project proposed by the Conference of International NGOs of the Council of Europe after the Third summit of the heads of the Council of Europe member states (Warsaw, May 16-17, 2005). The First Congress took place a year ago, in March 2006, in Warsaw. The Second Congress was organized in Kiev by the Conference of International NGOs of the Council of Europe, the Laboratory of Legal Initiatives (Kiev) and the International "Renascence" foundation – Ukraine. The aim of such congresses is to create a platform for dialogue among the leaders of NGOs and to discuss the role that NGOs play in the development and consolidation of democracy, to analyze the possibilities and perspectives of regional cooperation, to work out resolutions and recommendations on the NGO activity in the region. The Kiev Regional Congress gathered more than 200 NGO leaders and activists from Ukraine, Poland, Belarus and Russian Federation. The priority was given to participants from these countries, because of the fact that the process of democratization of Russia and Belarus still remains hard and the governmental pressure on NGOs and civil society makes it difficult for independent initiatives to exist. At the same time the analogical processes in Ukraine and Poland came to a more or less successful conclusion and the experience of these countries can be used in countries where the democratic institutions and mechanisms are weak. Apart from the participants from these 4 countries the NGO leaders from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Slovakia and Baltic countries took part in the Congress as well. The Congress was also attended by the representatives of the INGO Conference of the Council of Europe, international experts and the mass-media. The focus of this Congress was the situation with freedom of assembly and freedom of association in Russia and Belarus, the need in developing cooperation in Baltic-Black Sea region and the importance of establishing the mechanisms for sharing experience among the representatives of the NGOs from different countries.   6) Project: Coalition Against Hate (NIS) In the beginning of 2007, the creation of the Coalition Against Hate - a wide association of human rights and civil organizations of the former Soviet Union started under the guidance of the Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union (UCSJ), the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG) and the international Youth Human Rights Movement (YHRM). At the moment of its creation the Coalition comprised about 30 different organizations. One of the first projects of the coalition is an online information resource - the blog under the same name (www.coalitionagainsthate.org) which is to serve as a vital means of communication allowing the Coalition to share and publish critical information about antisemitism, xenophobia and religious discrimination. Its mission is to document objective monitoring-based facts, incident reports, analysis, and op-ed-style opinions, posted by coalition leaders. These items will be documented in English and Russian. Any organization after undergoing the registration process can participate in collecting and disseminating the information on the blog topics, post and comment in the blog. It is supposed that this resource will become a unique and strong foundation for collecting and disseminating information and opinion, as it reaches a broader audience than the coalition partners could reach on their own--from other bloggers to various governments world-wide. Check out WYMD's Resource Page for toolkits, guides, and more articles.

Highlighted News from the International Press and Human Rights Groups

1) Putin party secures huge victory (BBC World) December 3, 2007 The United Russia party of President Vladimir Putin has secured more than 60% of the vote in Sunday's election, preliminary official results indicate. Only two other pro-Kremlin parties and the opposition Communists appear to have got sufficient votes to pass the threshold needed for seats in the Duma. United Russia said the result showed Russians supported Mr Putin's course. The US has urged Moscow to investigate claims of voting irregularities by opposition leaders and the OSCE. United Russia has admitted there were some irregularities on Sunday, but said they were not significant enough to affect the result. Mr Putin has said a strong result would give him the authority to retain political power after his presidential term ends next year, possibly as prime minister. With nearly 98% of ballots counted, the Central Election Commission announced on Monday morning that United Russia was leading with 64.1%, while the opposition Communists trailed with 11.6%. Only two other parties - the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia and A Fair Russia, which are allied to United Russia - are on track to clear the 7% threshold required to qualify for seats. The result would mean pro-Kremlin parties would have the two-thirds majority in the Duma required to able to amend the constitution. Yabloko, the standard-bearer of the liberal left in the country, was a distant sixth with only 1.6% of the vote. The election commission said the turnout amongst Russia's 109m voters had been 63%, up from 56% in the last parliamentary election four years ago. United Russia's leader, parliamentary speaker Boris Gryzlov, hailed the result as a signal from Russian voters that they wanted President Putin to retain influence and his policies to be maintained even after he leaves office in 2008. "The vote affirmed the main idea - that Vladimir Putin is the national leader, that the people support his course, and this course will continue," he said after the results of exit polls were announced on Sunday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the result was "extremely important from the point of view of continuation... of the reforms started in the last eight years". Mr Putin is constitutionally obliged to stand down after his second term as president ends in March next year. Mr Peskov said Mr Putin planned to "transfer his presidency to another man" following the presidential election in March, while United Russia announced it would nominate its candidate for the post at a party congress on 17 December. The BBC's James Rodgers in Moscow says United Russia's landslide win on Sunday will enable Mr Putin to continue wielding great influence in politics - even if he is no longer in high office. However opponents have been crying foul. The Communists and several smaller opposition parties have said they will mount a legal challenge in the Supreme Court. Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov said the election had been the "most irresponsible and dirty" in the post-Soviet era and warned that the new parliament would be a "subsidiary of the Kremlin, a rubber-stamp factory". The election also came under strong criticism from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Read the full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7124027.stm Visit BBC website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/   2) Uzbekistan: No Real Choice in Presidential Elections (Human Rights Watch) December 21, 2007 The Uzbek presidential election on December 23 cannot be free or fair, said Human Rights Watch today. Uzbekistan's longstanding and well-documented record of restricting opposition political activity and independent media prevents any semblance of a competitive electoral process. "None of the conditions exist for free and fair elections," said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director of Human Rights Watch. "While there are four candidates, it would be absurd to speak of a competitive process. There is no real choice." The Central Election Commission has approved four candidates – including President Islam Karimov – to run in the election. However, an interim report by the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights’s Election Observation Mission, which is part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), covering the period December 5 - 15, stated that "all candidates publicly support the policies of President Karimov. There are no debates between candidates and no campaign materials of a competitive nature, which has been explained by Uzbek traditions not favoring confrontational election campaigns." Opposition political parties cannot operate freely in Uzbekistan, and there has not been a single election there that the OSCE has found to be free or fair. Opposition parties and movements such as Birlik (Unity), Erk (Liberty), Ozod Dekhkon (Free Peasant Party) and the Sunshine Coalition are denied registration or prevented from holding meetings. In March 2006, Sanjar Umarov and Nodira Khidoiatova, who are Sunshine Coalition leaders, were sentenced to 14 and 10 years in prison, respectively, on a variety of politically motivated charges. Umarov’s sentence was later reduced to seven years, while Khidoiatova was conditionally released. Umarov’s lawyer, Vitaly Krasilovsky, fled the country after articles in the state-controlled media accused him of supporting terrorists. The government severely restricts free expression and persecutes independent journalists whose work is critical of the authorities. Many websites providing critical information on Uzbekistan are blocked by the authorities and are not accessible to people in the country, including www.ferghana.ru, www.muslimuzbekistan.org, the Human Rights Watch website, and others. However, the Uzbek state-run media does provide airtime to foreigners who praise the conduct of the elections and the state of democracy in Uzbekistan. Read the full article: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/12/21/uzbeki17644.htm Visit HRW website: http://hrw.org   3) Bhutto assassinated (The Guardian) December 28, 2007 The assassination of the Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto last night triggered violent convulsions across the country, casting grave doubts on elections scheduled for January 8 as well as marking a dark finale to a tragedy-strewn life. Angry scenes erupted in cities across the country, where enraged supporters torched businesses and trains, attacked police and blocked roads with burning tyres. Gunfire rang out on the streets of Karachi, the port city where Bhutto spent much of her life. Two months after her triumphant return from exile, a gunman fired several shots at Bhutto as she left an election rally in Rawalpindi, hitting her in the neck and chest. Seconds later a fireball caused by a suicide bomb engulfed her bulletproof car and killed at least 20 supporters. The former prime minister was rushed to a nearby hospital where distraught supporters burst through doors, smashed windows and tried to storm into the operating theatre where surgeons struggled to save her life. She was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. Supporters wept and crumpled to the ground outside the hospital. Cries of "Musharraf is a murderer" and "Long Live Bhutto" rang out. Initial suspicions for the attack fell on Islamist militants who had previously threatened to kill the 54-year-old scion of Pakistan's greatest political dynasty. Late last night there were unconfirmed reports that al-Qaida had claimed responsibility on an Islamist website. In October, Bhutto survived a suicide attack on her homecoming parade in Karachi that killed 140. The assassination is the climax of an extraordinary chain of crises to have rocked Pakistan in the past nine months as President Pervez Musharraf sought to consolidate his grip on power amid sieges, suicide bombings, high political drama and a surge in Islamist violence. In a brief televised address Musharraf declared three days of mourning. "This is the work of those terrorists with whom we are engaged in war," he said. "We will not rest until we eliminate these terrorists." Analysts said Musharraf might seize on the turmoil to postpone the January poll and possibly reimpose the emergency rule he established on November 3 but lifted shortly before Christmas. Riaz Malik, of the opposition Pakistan Movement for Justice party said many fingers would be pointed at the Musharraf regime. He said: "The impact will be that Pakistan is in more turmoil - it will be the start of civil war in Pakistan. There is a very real danger of civil war." The UN security council held an emergency session to discuss the assassination in the nuclear-armed country, which it described as a threat to international peace and stability. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, said he was "shocked and outraged". In a statement urging countries to cooperate with the Pakistani authorities, the security council "underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism to justice". Read the full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/pakistan/Story/0,,2232724,00.html Visit The Guardian website: http://www.guardian.co.uk

Highlighted Forthcoming Events

1) Training "Democracy within the Euro-Med Context: Illusion or Reality?", Venice (Italy), April 20—27, 2008 As the conception of democracy is not the same in the different countries, there are many democratic systems with different levels of participation... the idea of democracy is not identical, not only between both sides of the Mediterranean sea, but also among countries of the same geographical area. The purpose of the training seminar is to share and reflect on the concept of democracy, in particular within the Euro-Med context, and to understand better the roots of democratic process throughout history and its links with the implementation of Euro-Mediterranean projects. The active participation of the young people is a main part of the democratic process that the program can support. The course is organized by the Italian National Agency of the "Youth in Action" program in co-operation with the SALTO Euro-Med Resource Centre. Accommodation, travel and activity costs will be covered by the organizers. Deadline for applications is February 28, 2008. For more information, or to apply, please see http://www.salto-youth.net/euromed.   2) 2008 CIVICUS Youth Assembly, Glasgow (Scotland), June 16-21, 2008 The CIVICUS Youth Assembly will build on the fantastic success of the 2007 Youth Assembly and will offer young delegates a program and a space to develop and commit to action internationally. The theme of participation in civil society will be explored over the course of the event and delegates will learn about issues that effect billions of people worldwide. The program will develop not only delegates knowledge, but also build personal capacity through a series of workshops and skills development sessions. Delegates will be fully supported to attend and places are free of charge, as the organizers will cover all your accommodation, food and program events. This year some delegates also can receive their travel expenses reimbursement. In attending the Youth Assembly delegates will also go on to participate, as full delegates, in the CIVICUS World Assembly where they will have a voice and opportunity to meet and influence some of the world's leading NGOs, groups and individuals who are committed to the creation of a more just and equitable world. For more information, please see http://www.civicusyouth.org/

Opportunities for Grants, Funding and Participation

1) European Master Degree in Human Rights and Democratization 2008/2009 (International) The European Master's Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation (E.MA) is an intensive one-year academic programme to educate professionals in the field of human rights and democratisation, and provide its graduates with practical work experience. It is a multidisciplinary programme that reflects the indivisible links between human rights, democracy, peace and development. E.MA is organized by the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC). The programme offers an action and policy-oriented approach to learning about international relations, law, philosophy, history, anthropology, political science and sociology. Students have the opportunity to meet and be taught by leading academics, experts and representatives of international organisations (including European Union representatives) while studying in a multi-cultural environment. The programme offers a full semester in Venice and a semester in one of the 39 participating European universities. E.MA is open to both EU and non-EU citizens. The deadline for application for the academic year 2008/2009 is 14 March 2008. For more information and to apply, please visit http://www.emahumanrights.org or http://www.eiuc.org.   2) UPEACE offers short courses in peace education (International) The Costa-Rica based University for Peace, mandated by the United Nations, is in the fourth year of the Peace Education M.A. programme. The programme has already graduated over 40 talented students, many of whom are working in important positions in which they are promoting peace through education. This year, for the first time, UPeace is opening some of the Peace Education courses to outside participants as short courses. For more information, please see http://www.upeace.org/academic/masters/PE_brochure0708.pdf   3) World Social Forum 2008: January 26th Global Day of Action (International) The World Social Forum is an open meeting place where social movements, networks, NGOs and other civil society organisations opposed to neo-liberalism and a world dominated by capital or by any form of imperialism come together to pursue their thinking, to debate ideas democratically, to formulate proposals, share their experiences freely and network for effective action. The World Social Forum is characterised by plurality and diversity, is non-confessional, non-governmental and non-party. In order to set its own agenda and to increase the impact of the thousands of expressions and manifestations undertaken by the Forum’s participants, the Forum organizers invite all men and women to undertake a week of action which will culminate in a Global Day of Mobilisation and Action on January 26, 2008 and to carry out throughout it creative actions, activities, events and convergences focusing on the issues and expressed in the ways they choose. For more information please visit www.wsf2008.net.

Your voice

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