It's not like you state your case, show the damage, the injustice... and then they say they're sorry and mend their ways.
 

 

Let's face it: some opponents are ruthless. They just don't seem to care. Public opinion doesn't sway their behaviour.

 

Take gold mining corporations that have wrought horrible, unspeakable environmental destruction. Some use cyanide — cyanide! — to extract from open pit wounds the 2% to 3% of precious gold content, leaving the remaining poisonous 97% to leach and seep, for generations.

 

Water. Public health. Farming and the right to eat. The environment. Global sanity. What can you do? Whole communities are at stake.

 

A number of mining companies don't care much about communities. They will, and they have, killed for the money. And once the money is gone, they're gone.

 

How do you influence a company that doesn't seem to care about anything? Faced with an opponent that is impervious to logic, human sensitivity and public pressure, where do you turn?

National Human Rights Institutions can be powerful vehicles for the promotion of human rights. This Featured Online Dialogue will focus on ways in which these mechanisms have utilized their mandates and resources to address issues of discrimination. New Tactics is pleased to host these experienced resource practitioners from eight countries.

Photo cc: bloomsberries.

 

A mock tribunal is not a kangoroo court. The more your mock tribunal adheres to recognized standards of a fair trial, and resembles the existing proceedings in your country, the more credibility the endeavour can earn.

 

We have explained previously how citizen-based mock tribunals make good use of premonitory power, discussed the impact of repressed testimonies towards making truth and reconciliation possible, and covered 14 things to think about before you organize a mock tribunal.

 

In this last piece on paralegal forums, we turn to practical advice on conducting non-governmental "trials", with some ideas for follow-up activities that can prolong and widen the tribunal's impact.

Photo cc: JaHoVil

 

When faced with problems such as weak or no enforcement of human rights law, or even the lack of proper national legal instruments, how can you determine whether a mock tribunal is the right tactic for you? What factors should you weigh in before you decide?

 

And if you thought a citizen-based tribunal could be a useful tactic, how would you go about organizing it? What are some of the steps involved in setting up such a large-scale, public event? For instance, how should you choose those who will play a direct part in it, especially judges (or commissioners)?

 

In A Mock Tribunal to Advance Change, Mufuliat Fijabi has helped us answer those questions. The following checklist includes some of her advice, and other tips.

 

You can quickly scan through the list to see what organizing a tribunal entails. The checklist includes 11 "before you organize" items, and 3 "early prep" tasks.

This is a request for ideas and experiences from you - the New Tactics online community, to share with leonida in Kenya.

I was on my way home last night, when I heard a story on the radio about "a human rights organization in Zimbabwe using mobile phones for their advocacy campaigns," and I thought, "wow that is innovative!" Then a few seconds later I realized that they were talking about our very own Kubatana!

The Olympics are one of the most visible, long-standing, global traditions that I can think of. Their roots are in ancient history, and yet somehow the global community has managed to maintain the excitement and goodwill surrounding them into present day.

photo cc: Fransesco Esposito and NASA (modified by P. Duhamel).

Human rights form the indispensable foundations that make it possible for human beings to lead meaningful, satisfying lives. They define the basic entitlements and freedoms that are our birthright. Centuries in the making, the new, growing culture of respect for human rights has been driving the modern push for democracy, development, and accountable governance.

Everyone is entitled to live in dignity, with their basic needs being met. We were all born with a heart longing to be free and equal.

Human rights are universal — they belong to individuals and also to communities. Human rights are interrelated and indivisible — none can be taken away without hurting the others.

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monthly eNewsletter test test

Photo cc: Mon Œil.

 

"Although you are standing here before us, you are standing before the entire nation and the international society by standing on the podium to share your sufferings and the violence you have suffered as women. The tribunal is long overdue."

— Senator Khairat Gwadabe, member of Nigeria's Upper House, quoted in A Mock Tribunal to Advance Change.

 

Problem 1: When laws are inoperative

 

In most countries of the world, the law says one thing, and the reality says another. That's because changing rules is easier than changing practices. Likewise, adopting laws is not as taxing as enforcing them. Hence the problem of ineffectual legislation.

 

So what can you do when human rights statutes say one thing, and the facts another? How can you bring the rule of law when it is systematically ignored or violated?

 

Problem 2: When there is no law

 

It gets worse. Sometimes no relevant legislation is even in place. Think of the dismal state of the law regarding the abuse of women, marital rape, and sexual violence in many countries. Violations are not only ignored with impunity, they are often trivialized, and may even be glorified. When the legal system offers no specific provisions, technically and legally, there is no abuse.

 

So how can you seek redress, when there are no lawful mechanisms, no statute you can invoke? If a practice or behaviour is not even seen as a problem, how can you hope to change it?

 

There is a seldom used format that has the power to reframe a problem into a paralegal framework, to bring violations into the spotlight, and call for real enforcement. Enter one tactic that bridges consciousness raising and the legal world: the non-governmental, or citizen-based "mock" Tribunal.

photo cc: mick y

 

When whole systems were erected for the sole purpose of repressing and silencing you, how do you recover your voice?

 

On far too many continents, in far too many remote villages, tumultuous townships and forgotten urban alleyways, whole generations have witnessed their pregnant daughters being raped as evening entertainment for armed men, have survived the terror of disappearances in the dead of the night, and have seen the charred bodies of their sons in bombed car carcasses.

 

Where can these communities turn for a silver lining of justice, a possibility to heal and recover, a sense that the future may be livable?

 

When the level of atrocities finally recedes, what great big tide can come to cleanse with salty waters the bruised bodies and tortured souls left as wrecks on the shores of history?

 

Truth be told. Reconciliation is hard. But the only thing harder than that, apparently, is a lifetime of bitterness and hatred, being eaten away with fantasies of revenge, and the unspeakable grief that secret crimes beget.

If you have wondered how to give all the people in your organization an email with the same domain, a good word processing software, and a way for people to donate to your organization – google is making a offer to non profits:

Google Translate is a powerful tool which can be used to render entire websites - not just single pages of text - into Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Russian, Korean, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese or Greek.

Today, March 21, is recognized as the International Day Against Racism. The date is historically significant. We have also recently seen in stark and tragic detail how discrimination can lead to violent conflict.

In the United States, it was fitting that on Tuesday, March 18, Senator Barack Obama made a speech addressing the question of racism that has been raised in the current US presidential campaign. 

Hi all,

For all you excited about these new technology possiblities, please take a look at the New Tactics del.icio.us page at

http://del.icio.us/newtactics

Hi Toni,

I am mailing you a thank you letter, but here is a more

informal way to thank you for your presentation last

** The following is an eNewsletter from http://www.humanrightstools.org **

March 26 - April 1

New Tactics in Human Rights’ featured online discussion for March focused on ways in which Truth and Reconciliation processes have and are being implemented to aid community healing. It is not too late to connect, discuss and share with New Tactics’ resource people who have served in a variety of roles related to TRC processes. Join our featured resource people NOW and share your own experiences, insights and questions.

INTRODUCTION

--- Dialogue ongoing...scroll down for the latest entry---

Engaging the media in human rights is an on-going challenge and opportunity. Join our featured resource people and share your own experiences, insights and questions.

Kenyans turned out en mass on December 27th, recording turnouts as high as 98% in some areas (the U.S. is lucky to get 60%). And now, because of fraudulent elections that gave way to ethnic tensions,  the country is still in a state of turmoil. In a month and a half, 1,000 people have been killed and over 300,000 people have been displaced according to the Red Cross.

Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan arrived in Kenya at the beginning of the month to mediate talks between the opposition leaders culminating in talks that have four main points. 

This question has been on my mind lately: What about Burma?