TRIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF THE LONDON &
SOUTHEAST REGION
London & SE Region
ISSUE
22 JUNE 2014
United Nations Association
How can UNA Branches Make a Difference? th
How can UNA Branches Make a Difference?
1
Mainstreaming R2P in the UK
2
Peacekeeping: Time to Return to UN missions? 2
The Region’s Spring Council “Away Day” concluded successfully on 5 April. Congratulations and many thanks to Canterbury UNA – and Sheila Kesby in particular – for superb organisation and hospitality. Participants were asked: How can branches make a difference? UNA-UK’s national membership shrank 96% from 98,000 in 1949 to 3,800 this year. The UNA board, staff and members are, nevertheless, all determined to keep the organisation alive. One way to do so is to continue UNA’s tradition of working with other groups.
End War Rape 2014 Global Summit
2
Canterbury UNA has been doing just that very successfully.
R2P: Focal Point
3
Letter to the Editor
3
Listening to Kofi Annan
3
Palestine: a Personal View
4
Sri Lanka
4
Spring Council Workshops
5
Branch Reports
6
UNA Youth Conference in Edinburgh
6
In 2011, Canterbury UNA hosted the Region’s environment and sustainable development conference. The branch subsequently entered into partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University and the Abbots Mill Project to organise annual celebrations for UN Earth Day through linked conferences and exhibitions. The outcome of the 2011 conference provided action points for political engagement such as the branch’s lobby of Parliament ahead of the 2012 UN Earth Summit.
Invisible Helpers: Equine and Women
7
Carbon Offset Scheme
7
Forthcoming Events
8
Copy date for the next issue: 19 September 2014
Contribution guidelines and past issues, go to: www.unalondonandse.org
Editors: Neville Grant & Linda Leung (editor@unaondonandse.org)
The London and South East Region is part of UNA-UK, currently serving 23 branches in the Region. Views expressed in this membership newsletter do not necessarily represent the policy of UNA-UK or the Region.
In its fourth year of collaboration, the 2014 UN Earth Day celebration saw 20 local environment groups coming together to showcase their contribution to conservation and sustainability. The conference and workshops explored the implications of adopting the ‘Green Economy’ in accordance with the outcome of the 2012 UN Earth Summit (Rio+20). (See LaSER issue 18, page 3) The question we explored at the Spring Council was not HOW but WHY should we work with other groups. The UN is a unique international system, and by association, UNA-UK is also unique. But rather than making it superior, this makes UNA responsible for taking the lead in inter-group working to coordinate thinking and action to promote a common cause. Inter-group working is not just about being in the same room or on the same platform or sharing the spotlight and the money collected. The fundamental purpose is to strengthen, enrich and unite the people’s voice to politically engage with Parliament and, through that, with the United Nations. Subsequent discussion at the Spring Council was mostly about the ways and means. The perception of UNA-UK as leader was challenged on the grounds it would alienate other groups. Canterbury UNA interprets leadership as facilitation. In working with other groups, we must expect single issue groups to generate enthusiasm to right wrongs and pursue just causes. We ourselves must nevertheless insist on the internationalist framework without which no action, however well-intended, will be effective. Over 15 other groups are now involved in the Earth Day and UN Day celebrations that Canterbury UNA initiated. The UN Charter provides an inspiring focal point for working together; and UNA-UK provides the leadership that made it possible. More about the Spring Council on page 5.
www.unalondonandse.org
End War Rape 2014 Global Summit
Mainstreaming R2P in the UK In a UN APPG meeting in May chaired by Lord Hannay, Jennifer Walsh (UN Special Adviser on R2P) and Professor Jason Ralph (International Relations, University of Leeds) asked how the UK can live up to its responsibility to protect.
The UK government hosted an important summit on Ending and Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict (ExCel Centre 10-13 June). Co-chaired by Foreign Secretary William Hague and Angelina Jolie, Special Envoy for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the conference highlighted many of the issues of the campaign against sexual violence launched in 2012. One issue that came to the fore was not just violence in war, but violence against women that is endemic on a day-to-day basis; in this country too, not just overseas. One underlying theme is the need for gender education. Our young people are taught to respect other races and religions: but what of different genders?
R2P has been gaining profile internationally, with the emphasis now placed on the need to prevent situations arising before crises occurred. This however, as Jennifer Walsh pointed out, was easier said than done. 20 years after the genocide in Rwanda, the Security Council condemned without reservation any denial of the genocide and urged member States to develop educational programmes to help prevent similar events. Unanimously adopting resolution 2150 (2014), the Council called upon States to recommit to prevent and fight against genocide and other serious crimes under international law. The Council also called upon States that had not yet ratified the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide to consider doing so as a matter of high priority. There were a number of challenges in implementation. One was to ensure a collective response by the inter-national community – and this did not necessarily mean a military response. Another issue was the different interpretations of R2P in different parts of the world. The biggest problem was perhaps that of mobilising individual states to respond to problems in their own country. Sri Lanka (p. 4) was a case in point. In 2012, the Internal Review Panel (IRP) on UN Action in Sri Lanka characterised UN efforts in the last stages of the war as a “systemic failure”. The UN had been accused of concealing death statistics in an effort to “retain access". As a result, the IRP had initiated the "Rights Upfront" plan designed to mainstream R2P. Jennifer Walsh noted that the way the UN Secretary General viewed his/her role could also be potentially important. Article 99 of the UN Charter says the SG "may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security." But some SGs were more proactive than others. One important step that governments can take to improve efforts to prevent and halt mass atrocities is the appointment of a national R2P Focal Point (launched in September 2010). This senior level official is responsible for supporting international cooperation by participating in a global network. Such appointment is a step that governments with differing levels of capacity in mass atrocity prevention can take to demonstrate their commitment. Professor Ralph raised questions about how committed the UK government was to R2P. He argued that much more could and should be done to prevent conflicts, create stability, and monitor warning signs, with a view to prevent, and, as a last resort, to respond. The letter that the editor received from the FCO (summarised on the next page) may cast some light on what the UK is doing - and whether it is doing enough.
A highlight of the summit was a mock trial of the UN Resolution 1325, with Cherie Booth acing as judge. The jury of several hundred agreed that Resolution 1325 was not yet effective.
Photo: Jane Grant and Leslie Abdela insist on the need to act. PAGE 2
Peacekeeping: Time to return to UN missions? Following the UK’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, the government can surely expect requests to contribute to UN peacekeeping missions. Westminster UNA’s annual conference at the Royal United Services Institute in Whitehall on 23 May set out to re-assess the UK’s potential role in UN peace-keeping missions, which, since its last major UN operations, have advanced greatly in complexity and in their robustness. The captive audience listened to a knowledgeable panel chaired by RUSI Director Mike Clarke exploring aspects of relevant UK expertise and addressing UN options for Ukraine. Melinda Simmons (Head, Conflict Department at FCO) indicated how the UK might tackle this challenge but no policy has yet been agreed. 75 embassies joined those from government
and other organisations laying wreaths at the Cenotaph in memory of those who died in the service of peace. The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas (photo below) provided musical support and proved popular with the many tourists who watched. A full report can be found on the UNA Westminster website. LaSER | Issue 22 | June 2014
LONDON AND SOUTH EAST REGION United Nations Association
R2P: Focal Point
Letter to the Editor
Readers may recall Alexandra Buskie, UNA-UK Responsibility to Protect Programme Officer, asking members to write to the FCO about R2P to shine a spotlight on the issue of the UK’s ability to prevent atrocities. LaSER received a response from the office of Rt Hon Mark Simmonds, Minister for Conflict Issues; summarised below.
Sir Mark Lyall Grant, UK Permanent Representative at the UN in NY, addressed UNA-UK members, the UN APPG and Chatham House on 15 May. Interviewed by past chairman Lord Hannay, he discussed some of the pressing issues facing the Security Council.
The UK Government’s commitment to its responsibility to protect, particularly the preventative aspects, is part of a guiding principle of HMG's "Building Stability Overseas" strategy. HMG is committed to supporting work on the prevention of mass atrocities through strengthening the UK's early warning system. The preventative aspects of R2P means helping states to build good governance, the rule of law, inclusive and equal societies, and effective judicial and security sectors which all contribute towards building a preventative environment in which R2P crimes are less likely to occur. HMG actively supports capacity building in a number of countries, for example the UK has supported the development of the prosecution service in Ghana (the CJS). The UK has also deployed a civilian Human Rights expert from the Preventing Sexual Violence lnitiative UK Team of Experts, to Mali to work within the EU Training Mission. Current multilateral efforts to halt ongoing atrocities in fragile countries such as Syria, South Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR), have seen the UK supporting a UN peacekeeping mission to CAR and playing an active part in the adoption of a UN Resolution to help improve humanitarian access to Syria. The UK also provides direct support to the UN Joint Office for the UN Secretary General's Special Advisers for the Prevention of Genocide and R2P, as well as the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P), a leading NGO based in New York. The role of the UK Focal Point – led by the Director of Multilateral Policy - is to oversee and progress all these streams of work and embed the R2P concept into relevant HMG policies (protection issues and fragile states). Note: LaSER understands that the UK is trying to broker an agreement within the SC P5 to agree that any proposal to intervene on humanitarian grounds should never be vetoed by one of the P5. It appears that the Russians and Chinese are treating the proposal with some caution, as they regard some previous "humanitarian interventions “as an excuse for regime change (e.g. Libya). Our information is that what may be called "a gentleman's agreement" (sic) may emerge to avoid using the veto in genuine humanitarian situations.
Listening to Kofi Annan. Roger Hallam reflects. rd
By the time this issue of LaSER is published UNA-UK's 3 biannual Forum will have taken place. Many readers will have attended what, at the time of writing, promises to be a showcase event. In the run up to the Forum, UNA-UK mounted "taster" discussions at Chatham House and in conjunction with King's College with former UN secretary general Kofi Annan. (see Letter to Editor) After Annan's opening reflections on the major issues and changes of his term of office, the packed meeting turned to preselected questions from the floor. A recurrent theme, and one that picked up on the Chatham House event, was whether we were in a new cold war period. Annan hoped not, and noted that in most cases even powerful states sought stability. He suggested there was greater scope than perhaps hitherto acknowledged for regional organizations to play a role in conflict resolution. An eminent questioner was more pessimistic, but Annan held out the hope that cool heads would prevail even in the Ukraine crisis. In Syria, diplomacy led by a core group of local actors still had the potential to promote a resolution. Likewise as regards R2P, and despite the setback in Libya, when limited intervention became regime change, regional groupings and targeted sanctions (especially on the families and associates of oppressors) still had value. China too would recognise that its dominance in its region, which could not easily be constrained by regional bodies such as ASEAN, might if overemphasised damage its rapport with neighbouring countries. Annan responded to questions on climate change (more needs to be done, including in Africa), the ICC (some Africans see it as aimed at Africa, though cases have been submitted to it by Africans) and the succession to Ban Ki-Moon (regional rotation will remain, but a widened pool of candidates is desirable). Kofi Annan no longer heads what, to use Walter Bagehot's terms, can be described as the efficient parts of the world constitution, and today has become the epitome of its dignified parts (which strengthen the efficient parts by deepening respect for them). He does this with grace, but also with the informed realism of a diplomat who not only weathered but when necessary confronted some of the most profound challenges of our era. LaSER | Issue 22 | June 2014
However, the elephant in the room - Israel/ Palestine* - was not even mentioned until question time. Is this issue becoming marginalised? One problem seems to be that R2P implies commitments that are seldom delivered on. Another case in point is ISIS. ISIS - the self-proclaimed Islamic State of in Iraq and the Levant - does not just stand accused of serious war crimes, with the summary execution of civilians and captured soldiers. It also stands guilty of genocide, the definition of which is: "the deliberate killing of people who belong to a particular racial, political or cultural group." Beheadings and crucifixions of "apostates", or of those of a different religious persuasion, represent a serious affront to humanity, and can have no religious or moral justification. One could argue that all countries capable of intervention should be duty bound by R2P to intervene, particularly as ISIS wishes to impose its will on the whole Islamic world - and further afield. The 21st Century is surely not a time when mediaeval religious wars are to be allowed to make a come-back. The dangers of intervention are all too obvious: is this a reason for doing absolutely nothing? Jane Grant and M A Qavi and I went on a fact-finding mission to the West Bank (p. 4). I will be happy to speak at branches or regions about the visit. Please do get in touch.
Neville Grant editor PAGE 3
www.unalondonandse.org
Palestine: a Personal View Neville and Jane Grant and M A Qavi visited the West Bank on a fact-finding mission. In March - just after the PLO and Hamas signed their accord, but before the Pope's visit - we visited the West Bank on a fact-finding tour. In theory, we knew about what has been happening in Israel-Palestine in the last 70-odd years, but we wanted to see for ourselves. We stayed at a guest house run by an Arab Women's Co-operative near Bethlehem. We were made very welcome, and it was like a home away from home. From there, we saw how the territory is being sliced up by the wall, by barriers check-points, and fenced-off roads (built to serve the Israeli-settlements). We saw the hills that used to surround Bethlehem with trees - now replaced by Israeli settlements; and we saw a refugee camp (Aida, built by UNWRA, which only two weeks previously had been raided at night by the IDF.) We saw how Palestinians are being denied access to the land they used to own and farm, and how, despite everything, they tried to maintain a normal human life - their humanity. 1 Hebron: This street in the old centre of Hebron was We visited the divided city of Jerusalem, where we had a two-hour briefing from the UN Office for the Co-Ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Occupied Palestinian Territory), which supplied us with copious statistics and information: the numbers of Palestinians killed or displaced year by year, the numbers of houses demolished, the amount of land taken over by the settlements.
closed down by the Israelis, and is known locally as "the Ghost town". All the houses and shops have been emptied, the Palestinian inhabitants "relocated". Schoolchildren still have to make their way down the deserted street to their school, past Israeli guards (and flags) - and WCC international observers protecting them from abuse by settlers. 2 Bethlehem is no longer surrounded by tree-covered hills, which have been largely replaced with massive Israeli settlements eating into Palestinian farmland.
We also visited Hebron, where we saw how Israeli settlers treat their Palestinian neighbours with almost psychopathic contempt, as they hurl rubbish - including children's nappies, and much worse - onto the street of Palestinians below the flats they settlers occupy. Neville will be available to give an illustrated talk about the visit to UNA regions and branches.
Sri Lanka In 2009 the Tamil Tiger rebels were all but wiped out by the Sri Lankan government armed forces, bringing a bloody end to a brutal 26-year long civil war. This unexpected outcome turned much received wisdom about the virtues of traditional conflict resolution and peace processes on its head. Dr Alan Bullion discusses. Sinhalese strongman President Mahinda Rajapakse decided that concerted force rather than endless rounds of negotiations would bring about for him a lasting solution. Also, he had rightly reckoned on the ‘inter-national community’ effectively turning a blind eye to the killing of thousands of men, women and children in the process. Although subsequently Channel Four has produced two excellent eye-opening documentaries, and belated criticism of the Sri Lankan regime has been voiced by UN and US representatives, the Commonwealth leaders (CHOGM) summit still went ahead in Colombo last November, effectively vindicating the hardline actions of Rajapakse. Only Canada actually boycotted the event, while India sent junior ministers, and from the UK, Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague both attended, whilst expressing their sincere regrets for the Rajapakse regime’s alleged past misdemeanours. Since 1987, however, successive PAGE 4
governments and bodies have become involved, largely through conflict resolution processes. The one exception was that New Delhi sent in its so-called ‘Indian Peacekeeping Force’, which stayed for 3 years, costing over 1,000 lives, and culminated in the assassination of former PM Rajiv Gandhi.
12-year-old Balachandran, son of the LTTE leader Prabhakaran, was taken into army custody and then shot 5 times at close range around 19 May 2009. Father Francis Joseph told of "a barrage of artillery, mortar, multi-barrel shelling and cluster bombs, weapons which Sri Lankan government denies using on civilians in the no fire zone. The cries of woes and agony of the babies and children, the women and the elderly fill the air that was polluted by poisonous and unhealthy gases and pierced the hearts of fathers and mother, of elders and peasants, of old men and women of all walks of life ..."
Since independence in 1949, successive Sri Lankan leaders have largely ignored the UN and other international bodies in their handling of minority issues. Indeed, when I was there in 1993, I saw an editorial headlined ‘UNwanted’ which argued that Sri Lanka was a sovereign postcolonial state, and did not need “interference” by the UN, UK or anyone else. Neighbouring regional power India similarly warned against such meddling, fearing the break-up of its own state, while the Tamil Tigers and their Sinhalese counterparts also agreed. After 1991, the UK, France, Canada, the Commonwealth, and most notably Norway, got involved at various stages. There were high hopes that Norway’s
more high-profile engagement would work, as in some other developing countries, but in the end it was regarded by Sri Lankan governments as too partisan towards the Tigers. Interestingly, earlier this year some UK government papers were released which revealed an SAS officer training presence in Sri Lanka in the mid-1980s, as well as India, apparently authorised by Thatcher’s Conservative government. What is certain though is that President Rajapakse will not appear before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, charged with war crimes. Sri Lanka is not considered strategic to world peace, unlike Afghanistan or Iraq. Indeed, the relative political stability of Sri Lanka, the holding of elections in Tamil-dominated areas, economic recovery, growing investment, returning tourists, and cricket tours, are all very reassuring to the ‘international community’, who flocked to CHOGM in droves, with the promise of ‘business as usual’. LaSER | Issue 22 | June 2014
LONDON AND SOUTH EAST REGION United Nations Association
Spring Council Workshops 4 workshops were conducted at the Spring Council. Canterbury UNA shared its experience of working locally with other organisations (see page 1). Key discussion points in other groups are summarised below.
Working with young people, students and university UNA groups | by Ian Elgie 1. To initiate collaboration, branches should focus on teachers in local FE/Sixth Form Colleges. Teachers in the following subjects should have a direct interest in the work of the UNA: World Development Studies, Politics, Sociology, Geography, Economics, and Business Studies. 2. Secondary schools should be approached through a school liaison committee member. Such a person could be an enthusiastic school teacher in Geography or Citizenship Studies who can link with other schools in the subject area. 3. Emphasise how engagement with local UNA branches can enhance UCAS applications and CVs and ultimately career and job prospects. 4. Link into educational programmes in schools and colleges such as Black History Month and special days associated with Human Rights or the environment. 5. Exploit social media, including YouTube and Twitter as youth tends to be more engaged with these more than membership per se. 6. Branches to undertake annual evaluation. Youth is dynamic and very mobile so one must constantly renew effort to bring in fresh faces and ideas. Engaging first year A level students should be encouraged as they will be usually involved for two years.
Lobbying local decision-makers and using the media | by Catherine Pluygers & Wendy Higgs The Working Group asked 5 questions: 1. What is our message? It needs to be very clearly expressed and include our UN/UNA message 2. Do we feel UNA-UK Head Office use the media enough? We do not. We feel it would be good to have an intern expressly for this purpose. 3. What do we mean by media available to us and how to access it? Written, spoken, social (twitter, blogging, facebook, emails), visual - internet, TV, film, press, radio. Letters to papers. Columns in free papers etc. But we do not exploit all these outlets nearly enough. 4. What is of Interest to the media? The media are looking for stories and if possible cultivate a relationship with a journalist. Timing is key. Give a local slant on a national/international issue, e.g. young Muslim girl and FGM (mindful that such stories need to be treated with great care and sensitivity). Education. A good dispute/row. A good story about an event or journey. Photographs, e.g. Blackheath and Greenwich UNA got almost a whole page with a picture-story in the Greenwich Mercury on an international art auction raising money for UNHCR's work with Syrian refugees. 5. How to sort out your own campaign - deciding what is the most effective media. Target the most effective media for your cause. Take time to design your approach, captions, and select photos. Branches can share experience through a media group.
Using the UNA-UK structure to generate branch input into policy formation | by Neville Grant UNA policy derives from three sources - members writing in to UNA, the biennial policy conference, and the Board. 1. Support UNA-UK's campaigns. Keep in touch with UNA-UK's campaigns, as mentioned on the website, and take action as appropriate. Often you may be asked to add your name to a letter or a petition. The more names added the better. 2. Take advantage of your UNA-UK membership. Actions taken by UNA-UK HQ will tend to have a greater strategic impact than actions taken by your branch. We would like to think that an action by a region would carry some weight, but again, in my view, going through UNA's channels is more likely to get a result in the long run. Eventually. UNA-UK is extremely well informed, and there is a fair chance that an issue you raise may already have been acted on. But even if this is the case, it is still good to write, if only as a reminder of the importance of an issue. UNA-UK always appreciates hearing from members on policy issues. Remember, UNA-UK cannot keep all guns firing at maximum muzzle velocity on all issues all the time: specific windows in the maelstrom of public events - conferences, crises, publications of new reports etc. - are often the best time to address a relating issue. When raising an issue, reference to specific actions taken or not taken by HMG/ UN/UN agency is always desirable. There is no need to wait until Policy Conference time (every two years) to take an initiative. You can contact your Board member (in this case Roger Hallam, who is Chair of the Region and on the board of UNA-UK), the Policy Committee, or the Policy Box on the website (www.una.org.uk/policy-suggestion). 3. Policy conference. Observe the governing rules which may vary over time. E.g. there may be a requirement to have 6 UNA members to sign a proposal. There used to be formal requirements – a motion following a formal recipe but it was felt that this deterred members from saying what they wanted in their own words. The preferred term now is "topic" rather than motion. LaSER | Issue 22 | June 2014
PAGE 5
www.unalondonandse.org
Branch Reports Visit to UN HQ in New York | March 2014 Brian and Jane Beeley, Tunbridge Wells UNA Having attended UNA meetings in Britain for decades, we recently got to see the United Nations headquarters for ourselves. During a visit to New York, we were given a tour by a member of the UK Mission - a nephew - who told us his role ranges from hours of careful and sensitive negotiation about the precise wording of significant documents to visits to troubled countries receiving aid (plus the very occasional informal soccer game with counterparts from other national missions). The familiar rectilinear shape of the building on Manhattan’s East River is as imposing close-up as it is in film and photograph but we were also impressed with its ground level aspect out onto the water. There were crowds of visitors in groups or individually despite the cold of March in the Big Apple. Large rooms were full of people debating current issues: we hit a day when discussions of women’s rights were filling available spaces to overflowing. In the halls and lounges small groups of representatives and what looked like lobbyists chatted earnestly. We were firmly ushered away when we strayed too close to a Latin American representative’s speech to a scrum of film crews.
nowadays sometimes seen at best as a bureaucratic assemblage of assorted agencies and peace-keeping initiatives reporting to a debating centre in New York which does not always manage to bring a sense of common purpose to its member states. But a visit to the HQ in Manhattan leaves one in no doubt that if the UN did not exist, we would have to invent it.
AGM Lewisham UNA | 10 June 2014 Report by Gurbakhsh Garcha The AGM was well attended. Participants heard John Hilary, the Director of War on Want, speak eloquently on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) currently being secretly negotiated by the US and the EU Commissioners. TTIP would mean a massive upheaval in economic power away from political control, in favour of the power of the big corporations. TTIP would also mean deregulation on a massive scale, the creation of new markets at the expense of services such as the NHS that we in Europe see as public, and giving rights to corporate investors that could override national and regional legislation. Marlboro was currently suing the Australian Government over the brown-paper packaging of cigarettes introduced in the interests of public health.
Electronic screens showed what was happening and where. But one could retreat to the calm of the Library or reflect on the great figures and moments in the UN’s past depicted in huge murals and statuary in the corridors and conference chambers.
TTIP was being negotiated in secret, was not receiving the press coverage the issue needed, and could be passed by the EU on the nod. Above all, it was irreversible, and needed public scrutiny urgently.
Faced with its constraints and problems, the UN is
The socialist choir Strawberry Thieves performed at the AGM (photo).
UNA Edinburgh Youth Conference Charlene Misago received a grant from the London & SE Region to attend the Edinburgh UNA Youth Conference. The conference, held on 2 February at the University of Edinburgh, was organised by the university’s UNA youth branch. Conference topic included responsibility to protect and atrocity prevention; with guest speakers: Ian Martin, former Special Representative of the Secretary-General; Jess Gifkins and Aidan Hehir. A great debate began between the speakers about whether R2P is just a theory in the world of international relations or if it is actually a practical concept that could make changes in the world. Part of the day that I most enjoyed was networking. I was able to enhance my confidence mingle with other guests and enjoy conversations on topic brought up in the R2P debate. During the networking period I spoke to the current UNA Youth president Apurv Gupta who gave me great advice on career prospects, on starting a UNA Youth at my University and having confidence in all I do at university as it will help me push forward into better things. The second part of the conference was a talk by John Ericson, Chief of the Outreach Unit in the UN Office of Human Resources Management, on Careers in the UN. He answered questions such as "what’s the best language to learn to get a job in the UN?" "If I get an interview in NYC will they pay my travel expenses? "Do I have to intern at the UN to get a job there?" This part of the conference was very informative and answered many of the questions I had about starting a career in the UN and the types of internships available. This conference was a unique experience for me. It was my first UNA Youth conference and turned out to be more than I expected. I am grateful to the Webster family and the Streatham UNA for their support and to the London and SE Region for funding my travel. I look forward to more opportunities from UNA UK for the younger generations to excel and improve their skills through networking events such as this one. PAGE 6
LaSER | Issue 22 | June 2014
LONDON AND SOUTH EAST REGION United Nations Association
Invisible Helpers: Women's views on the contribution of working donkeys, horses and mules to their lives th
2014 is the UN International Year of Family Farming. On 14 May, Catherine Pluygers attended a meeting hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Agriculture and Food for Development. This APPG focusses on the small-holder farmers who provide food for most people in the under-developed world. These farmers are usually women. The meeting saw the launch of The Brooke Charity’s report Invisible Helpers which found that whilst working donkeys, horses and mules provide crucial support for women in developing countries, they are being overlooked in international gender and livestock policy. The charity is calling for greater recognition of the role of working equine animals. The meeting was chaired by Lord Cameron of Dillington. Speakers included Delphine Valette (Head of Influencing, the Brooke UK), Fred Ochieng (Regional Representative, the Brooke, East Africa), Elizabeth Waithanji (Gender and Livestock Research Institute) and Daniela Battaglia (Livestock Production Officer and Focal Point for Partnerships relating to the Livestock Sector, UN Food and Agricultural Organization). Equines (donkeys, mules and horses) play a fundamental role in the lives of women in the developing world; and healthy animals empower women and their families. The report focused on the perspectives of women (in Ethiopia, Kenya, India and Pakistan) on the impact of these animals had on their lives. The research used the UK Department for International Development’s sustainable livelihoods framework. DFID'S categorisation of livelihood assets (human, natural, financial, physical and social) was considered from a gender perspective for working equines. The report highlighted the vital role equines played in the lives of women in the under-developed world. Working equine animals help to lessen the burden on women’s lives. 77% ranked donkeys, horses and mules as the most important of all their livestock. They generate income, help with household chores, give women an increased social status and, importantly, help women collect food and water for other livestock.
As a charity, the Brooke provides veterinary clinics and teaches and helps women keep their animals healthy. To download the report, visit www.thebrooke.org
All groups interviewed used equines for household chores. Most (91%) said they were the most important livestock used for these tasks. 97% of all women interviewed used their equines for income generation which in turn pay for food, goods, schools and healthcare. Ownership of a working equine animal effectively gives women a voice and influence in decision making within their communities.
A Carbon Offset Scheme for You all to Ponder and Support Eastbourne UNA proposes planting trees in Uganda. A major contributor to anthropogenic climate change is the rate of increase in CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
Globally we are all responsible for the problem, rich and poor alike, but some of us are in a more privileged position to do something about it. Together with small effort we can make a big difference. As they say in Swahili, ‘haba na haba hujaza kibaba’ (drop by drop fills the pot).
We can help offset some of this pollution with a carbon capture and storage scheme offering a great benefit to cost ratio. Eastbourne UNA would like your support for a scheme which involves planting trees in Uganda. Nothing special in that you may think. But please give it a little of your time and reflect on the potentially huge benefits to very needy communities at what to us is a very low cost. Rural Ugandans are amongst the least responsible for our climate crisis, yet are amongst the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
LaSER | Issue 22 | June 2014
kamu kamu gwe muganda "Stick by stick makes a bundle" Ugandan proverb
Eastbourne UNA is hoping to get a wide support for the scheme from its local community - businesses, institutions and individuals. It would make this task so much easier if we could show that the UNA itself gives it full support. The contribution of each branch to the scheme is simply the membership number x 1.6 x 33p (cost of planting one tree to absorb 1 tonne of CO2). Thus a branch of say 50 members would contribute £26.40.
(Note: Using government data, the average UK household consumes 3400kWh of electricity per annum which equates to 1.6 tonnes CO2) One may feel that simply planting a few trees isn’t going to do much to help, but let us remember the wisdom of many cultures over the ages at times of great challenge: cooperation becomes everything: ‘kamu kamu gwe muganda’ (stick by stick makes the bundle – a proverb from Uganda). Working together makes us stronger – it unites us in a common cause. We hope that members will take the time to read through the details of the scheme and feel they can give it their support. Full information can be found on our Eastbourne website together with payment details: www.unaeastbourne.org.uk PAGE 7
www.unalondonandse.org
Forthcoming Events The UN Security Council – how does it work and is it time for reform? 15 September 2014, 7.30pm Putney Methodist Church (corner of Gwendolen Avenue and Upper Richmond Road, Putney SW15) Putney & Roehampton UNA Speakers: David Wardrop (Chair of Westminster UNA); and Vijay Mehta (Chair of Uniting for Peace) Refreshments served. Enquiries to Rob Storey (Chair 07776 356 334) or Jo Stocks (Secretary 020 8870 5536) Summer Social Seminar Care in the Community! What’s this really all about? 5 July 2014, 2.30 – 5.00pm 5, the Terrace, Canterbury, CT2 7AJ
Canterbury UNA Against the backdrop of how the ‘Health for All’ policies of the World Health Organisation help with local health & social services, we focus on the Alzheimer’s Society’s programme for building supportive communities. Stalls: Bring & Buy; Plants & Produce; Arts & Crafts; Books and a Raffle Afternoon Strawberry Tea ENTRANCE £3 All welcome Proceeds to the Alzheimer’s Society & Canterbury UNA RSVP (for catering purposes) and/or for more information contact: Sheila Kesby, 07765 915 173 / s.kesby339@btinternet.com
Annual UN Cathedral Service for World Peace 26 October 2014, 6.30pm The Nave of Canterbury Cathedral Tea & wine reception, 2.00 – 4.30pm Darwin Conference Suite, University of Kent Canterbury UNA 2.00pm: Bruce Kent of UNA and MAW will give a presentation entitled “Saving Future Generations from the Scourge of War: Can we help the UN achieve its Primary Aim?” 3.15pm: Afternoon Tea & Wine Reception 6.30pm: UN Service for World Peace, to be opened by the Procession of the Peacemakers and will feature a new Swords into Ploughshares (Isaiah 2:4) Drama. Everyone is welcome to come to both the Service and the Reception or to either one. RSVP (for catering purposes) and/or for more information contact: Sheila Kesby, 07765 915 173 / s.kesby339@btinternet.com Palestine: A Personal View 9 July 2014, 7.15 for 7.30 pm Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8EP
PAGE 8
The Chilcot Enquiry The Iraq Inquiry, commonly known as the Chilcot Inquiry after its chairman, Sir John Chilcot, is a public inquiry into the UK's role in the Iraq War. The inquiry was announced in June 2009 by the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The purpose was to establish the way decisions were made, to determine what happened and to identify lessons to ensure that in a similar situation in future, the British government is equipped to respond in the most effective manner in the best interests of the country. The Cabinet Office has, to date, held up publication of the enquiry on the grounds that revealing personal communications between Bush and Blair days before the invasion would later present a "significant danger" to British-American relations. The report, long delayed by protracted negotiations between the inquiry and Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood, is likely to be published before the end of this year. However, only the "gist" of talks between Tony Blair and George Bush before the Iraq war was to be published. The UK government has turned down requests to publish the full documents and transcripts on the grounds that doing so could prejudice future relations between the two countries. Sir John Chilcot has indicated that the inquiry has now been granted permission to "disclose quotes or gists of the content" to help explain its conclusions. UNA-L&SER has long pressed for publication of this Chilcot report, and expects to arrange a meeting to discuss it soon after its publication.
Does the UK have a credible race equality strategy or is a new vision required? 26 June 2014 from 6.30pm Room 4A, House of Lords (enter through the Cromwell Gate and allow 20 minutes) Westminster UNA Lord Herman Ouseley, former Chair, Commission for Racial Equality; Rachel Zaltzman, Head of EHRC Human Rights and Respect Programme and speakers from major political parties review policies on race and diversity ahead of the 2015 general election. For full details, go to ‘future events’ on UNA Westminster website at www.unawestminster.org.uk or to register online via www.eventbrite.co.uk
London and Southeast Region Neville and Jane Grant will speak about their recent visit to the West Bank in an illustrated talk. They will be joined by Sara Halimah (Medical Aid for Palestinians) on the situation in Gaza. All welcome. Info: Roger Hallam roger.hallam1@btinternet.com * Sara Halimah is the Programme Manager for MAP. She has been at MAP for three years, working closely with the field teams in Lebanon, Gaza and West Bank. Prior to this, Sara worked at the Department for International Development. She is also a keen advocate for women’s rights, focusing on the Middle East and parts of Asia. You can follow her on twitter @sara_halimah".
LaSER | Issue 22 | June 2014