MINELRES: Minority Rights Group International - e-bulletin - April 2004

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Minority Rights Group International - e-bulletin - April 2004 

Welcome to the Minority Rights Group International (MRG) email bulletin
for April 2004. Simply click on the links below in order to access the
full news release or publication on MRG's website, or alternatively
visit our site at:  http://www.minorityrights.org

In this e-bulletin: 

- Darfur crisis tests global pledge to prevent genocide 
- UN Special Adviser on Genocide welcomed, but more is needed 
- UN Special Representative needed to prevent another Rwanda 
- The Roma - Kosovo's forgotten victims 
- Kenyan constitutional review in crisis claim minority and indigenous
groups 
- MRG adds international dimension to Cameroon Mbororo rights case 
- Borok minority of north-east India victims of military and development 
- Right to Development 'Task Force' established 
- MRG BBC Radio 4 Appeal - presented by George Alagiah 
- Events and Advocacy 
- Focus On: the future of the right to development 
- Vacancies: Maternity cover for MRG's South East Europe projects 
- Worth a closer look - useful sources of information, analysis and
debate 
- New Publications form MRG 
- MRG Briefing - Genocide and Minorities: Preventing the Preventable 
- MRG Annual Review 2003 

News 

Darfur crisis tests global pledge to prevent genocide 
A breakdown of the current fragile ceasefire in the Darfur region of
Sudan could trigger a further, rapid escalation in the violence leaving
the international community helpless to respond with sufficient speed to
save lives warns MRG. The continuing conflict in Darfur is an immediate
test of the resolve of the United Nations to act upon its pledge never
again to allow genocide. The 45-day ceasefire, which came into effect on
11 April has reportedly already been broken, leading to calls for urgent
measures to be put in place to address security and humanitarian needs
and for the implementation of genocide prevention mechanisms.

http://www.minorityrights.org/news_detail.asp?ID=248 

UN Special Adviser on Genocide welcomed, but more is needed 
At a special meeting to observe the International Day of Reflection on
the 1994 Rwanda Genocide,  UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, announced
an Action Plan to Prevent Genocide, to involve the whole United Nations
system. MRG has been campaigning for two years for the establishment of
a special representative on minorities and the prevention of genocide,
and it welcomed in particular today the creation by the
Secretary-General of a Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide.
'The Special Adviser will put a spotlight on the gravest rights
violations', said MRG. 

http://www.minorityrights.org/news_detail.asp?ID=242 

UN Special Representative needed to prevent another Rwanda 
Ten years after the Rwandan genocide could the international community
prevent the systematic slaughter of hundreds of thousands of women, men
and children happening again? Unless urgent changes take place the
answer is 'no', according to minority rights and conflict resolution
experts in a briefing by Minority Rights Group International (MRG),
which shows that it is minorities that are overwhelmingly likely to be
the victims of genocide.

http://www.minorityrights.org/news_detail.asp?ID=241 

The Roma - Kosovo's forgotten victims 
The recent upsurge in ethnically-based violence in Kosovo has unhappily
returned this part of South-East Europe to the world's headlines.
However, attention has been exclusively focused on the Albanian and
Serbian communities, ignoring the impact of the violence on all Kosovo's
communities (including the Turks, Bosniaks, Gorani, Ashkaelia and
Egyptians), and in particular the most disadvantaged group, the Roma. 

http://www.minorityrights.org/news_detail.asp?ID=239 

Kenyan constitutional review in crisis claim minority and indigenous
groups 
The constitutional review process in Kenya has reached its final stages
after the presentation of a draft Constitution to the Attorney General
on 23rd March. However a constitutional court has ruled that Kenya's
parliament be given powers to alter the final constitution document, a
move which minority and indigenous representatives claim could seriously
weaken important provisions for minority and indigenous rights, which
they have lobbied hard to achieve.

http://www.minorityrights.org/news_detail.asp?ID=247 

MRG adds international dimension to Cameroon Mbororo rights case 
MRG legal experts submitted an amicus brief regarding a case involving a
member of the Mbororo community in Cameroon to a Military Tribunal in
January. The sameTribunal has found a Company Commander of the Bamenda
gendarme, Captain Fosting Benjamin, guilty of torture, arbitrary arrest
and detention against a member of the community following the extensive
legal efforts of Mbororo NGOs and consideration of MRG's brief. MRG are
pursuing this case in a wider context of violence against the Mbororo,
intertwined with ongoing disputes over community rights to grazing land. 

http://www.minorityrights.org/news_detail.asp?ID=257 

Borok minority of north-east India victims of military and 'development' 
The Borok people of the north-east Indian state of Tripura have
highlighted dual concerns over the activities of multinational
corporations and large scale development projects, and military
operations in the region, which they claim have led to forced
displacement and widespread rights violations including killings and
arbitrary arrest. Representatives have called for the return of Borok
lands and the immediate cessation of government military offensives
against Borok communities.   

http://www.minorityrights.org/news_detail.asp?ID=260 

Right to Development 'Task Force' established 
The UN Commission on Human Rights currently meeting in Geneva has
adopted a resolution on the right to development establishing a
High-Level Task Force on the implementation of this right. The objective
of the Task Force is to assist the Working Group on the Right to
Development to fulfil its mandate, and will include consideration of
solutions for implementation of the right to development and the
dissemination of best practice in this area. MRG has lobbied to help
achieve this goal and welcomes the strong vote in favour of this
resolution (49 votes in favour, 3 against). 

http://www.minorityrights.org/news_detail.asp?ID=258 

MRG BBC Radio 4 Appeal - presented by George Alagiah - Sunday 25 April,
9.26 PM/Thursday 29 April, 3.27 PM 
Lalji is one of India's 'untouchables', the 160 million people who
occupy the lowest rung in India's caste hierarchy. The untouchables are
ostracized not because of something they have done, or any threat they
pose - just because of where their birth places them in the caste
system. The discrimination they face has been called a 'hidden
apartheid'. Minority Rights Group International campaigns to end this
discrimination. This means challenging not just poverty, but also trying
to change people's hearts and minds. We all need to be touched. Please
reach out today and make a donation by clicking on the link below. 92-95
FM & 198 LW. Donation line 0800 044 044 (open 25 April-1 May).

http://www.minorityrights.org/Radio4.htm 

Events and Advocacy 

UN Commission on Human Rights, 60th session - Geneva -  15 March - 23
April 
MRG staff are attending the 60th session of the CHR where they have
delivered interventions including a statement on the situation of women
belonging to minorities. Women of the Twa (Pygmy) communities in the
Great Lakes region of Africa, Roma communities in South East-Europe and
those in the Darfur region of Sudan, were highlighted as of particular
concern. With five other NGOs, MRG raised ongoing concerns regarding
caste-based discrimination and analogous forms of inherited social
exclusion calling for greater international recognition of the problem
and action to address it.

<http://www.minorityrights.org/International/int_stat_main.asp 

For further information about events and other MRG regional and
international advocacy and programmes activities, visit our website or
contact us at the address below.

Focus on: the future of the right to development 

According to MRG's Legal Standards Officer and expert on the right to
development, Dr Margot Salomon, the future of the right to development
is in fact upon us, and institutionally, various UN bodies and agencies
are making important headway on the issue. The establishment of a
High-Level Task Force on the implementation of the right to development
is an important initiative and offers the potential for additional
progress, for example towards the achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals.

<http://www.minorityrights.org/International/int_stat_detail.asp?ID=85 

Vacancies 

MRG will shortly be recruiting a maternity cover post to coordinate our
programmes of training, public dialogue meetings, advocacy, publications
and organisational capacity building in South East Europe.  For full
details and application forms visit MRG's website from 21st April 2004.

http://www.minorityrights.org/job_vac.asp 

Worth a closer look 

The Burma Campaign UK 
The Burma Campaign UK is part of a global movement for freedom and
democracy in Burma. Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi leads the
struggle for democracy. "Please use your liberty to promote ours" she
asks. For further information visit their website at:

http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk 

MRG does not necessarily endorse or support the views or opinions
expressed here or on external websites. To have your organization
considered for listing please email: graham.fox@mrgmail.org 

New MRG Publications 

Genocide and Minorities: Preventing the Preventable - MRG Briefing 
Without urgent change, the genocide of minorities will happen again.
This is the stark warning offered by a new MRG briefing coinciding with
the 10th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. But as MRG establishes,
genocides do not just happen. They are preceded by social developments
and structures that divide societies and provoke violence. The roots of
conflict are often to be found in discrimination, exclusion, disregard
and humiliation. If genocide is to be prevented, dehumanizing politics
must be rejected and counteracted, and vulnerable groups must be
protected.

http://www.minorityrights.org/Advocacy/Genocide2004.htm 

MRG Annual Review 2003 
Promoting cooperation and understanding between communities has long
been an important part of MRG's work, states Mark Lattimer, in his 2003
Director's report. 'If there is a base of mutual cooperation between
different ethnic or religious groups, conflict is less likely to
develop. If majority populations understand the needs of minorities,
abuses will decrease. And preventing violations of human rights is a lot
better than publicizing violations after they occur'. Click below for
the full 2003 MRG Annual Review.

http://www.minorityrights.org/admin/download/pdf/AR2003.pdf 

MRG welcomes your comments on this e-bulletin and our work in general,
and greatly values your opinions and information. We hope that you will
find this e-bulletin useful, however, it is not our intention to send
you unwanted messages. If you wish us to remove you from this list,
simply reply to minority.rights@mrgmail.org stating 'un-subscribe' in
the subject line.  

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is a non-governmental
organization working to secure the rights of ethnic, religious and
linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples worldwide, and to promote
cooperation and understanding between communities.

MRG is a registered charity no. 282305, and has consultative status with
the United Nations Economic and Social Council and observer status with
the African Commission for Human and Peoples' Rights.

Contact MRG: 
Floors 2-4, 54 Commercial Street, London, E1 6LT, UK
Tel: 020 7422 4200      
Fax: 020 7422 4201
email:   minority.rights@mrgmail.org
http://www.minorityrights.org