MINELRES: MRG eBulletin: July-September 2007

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Original sender: Minority Rights Group <no-reply@mrgmail.org>


News features

**MRG welcomes the election of pro-Kurdish MPs in Turkey, warns much
remains to be achieved**

24.07.07 - MRG welcomes the election of pro-Kurdish MPs in Sunday's
election in Turkey but notes that the victory highlights how much
work still needs to be done. 'Having independent candidates is a
positive development for the representation of Kurds in the Turkish
parliament. However, this win shows the reality of the election
system in Turkey, a system which includes a 10 percent threshold,
which forbids the use of languages other than Turkish in political
parties' activities (including congress and election campaigns),
which forbids alleging the existence of racial, religious and
linguistic minorities in Turkey, and forbids campaigning for the
protection and promotion of languages other than Turkish. These laws
need to be changed to ensure the effective participation of national
minorities.

http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=1788


**Sandinista's mixed legacy for Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast**

26.07.07 - Despite constitutional recognition and provision for
self-government, ethnic minorities on Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast fail
to profit from exploitation of natural resources on their native land
and are among the nation's poorest.

http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=1678


**As UN marks World Indigenous Day, Minority Rights Group
International warns of Trouble in Paradise**

9.08.07 - This summer as millions of holidaymakers set off to
wildlife parks and nature reserves across the world few are aware of
the damage their vacations cause to indigenous communities whose
lands and livelihood are lost in the name of tourism, an
international human rights group says.

http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=1682


**MRG condemns the series of attacks against Yazidis in Iraq**

15.08.07 - Minority Rights Group International on Wednesday condemned
the series of attacks against Yazidis in Iraq saying it clearly showed
how vulnerable and under threat minorities were in the country. 

http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=1944


**Afro-Peruvians not getting vital aid despite being worst affected
in Peru earthquake**

22.8.07 - Minority Rights Group International on Wednesday expressed
concern that one week after Peru&rsquo;s deadly earthquake crucial
humanitarian relief including food, water and medicine are still not
reaching the country&rsquo;s Afro-descendent community who were worst
affected.

http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=2056[/URLTEXT]http://www.minorityrights.org/?
lid=2056


**Iraq's Yazidis still living in fear a month after targeted
bombings**

14.09.07 - A month after the Iraq&rsquo;s worst sectarian attacks
that left some 200 people killed, the targeted community, the Yazidis
continue to live in absolute fear barely able to leave their homes.

http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=2172


**MRG applauds adoption of UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples**

16.09.07 - Minority Rights Group International (MRG) applauds the
adoption of the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Peoples - a
move that follows more than two decades of pressure from indigenous
organizations worldwide.

http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=2307


**Rights groups welcome new UN forum on minorities **

28.09.07 - The United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva
has today voted to establish a new Forum on Minorities Issues - a
breakthrough move welcomed by minority rights activists.

http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=2634


Comment and analysis

**One of Nicaragua's greatest achievements is in danger of being
reversed**

2.08.07 - Writing in Nicaraguan daily La Prensa, MRG&rsquo;s Chris
Chapman takes an incisive look at life today for Nicaragua&rsquo;s
Atlantic Coast communities 20 years after winning autonomy. 

http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=1742


**The partition delusion**

17.08.07 - After the Raj: The British handover was slapdash and
hurriedly achieved, yet they persist in reusing the same model.
MRG's Clive Baldwin writing in Guardian Unlimited Comment is
Free.

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/clive_baldwin/2007/08/the_partition_delusion
html


MRG in the news: a selection of the major stories featuring MRG

**Minority Religions Under Attack in Iraq**

The suicide bombings that ravaged the Yazidi sect in Iraq underscored
the fears of violence and insecurity binding many of the nation's
religious minorities, ranging from Christians who are fleeing their
ancient enclaves to a dwindling sect that follows the teachings of
John the Baptist.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6852573,00.html


**Costa Caribe con mucho rezago**

Han transcurrido veinte a&ntilde;os desde la promulgaci&oacute;n del
Estatuto de Autonom&iacute;a de la Costa Caribe de Nicaragua,
aprobado por la Asamblea Nacional en septiembre de 1987, y a&uacute;n
persisten limitaciones en su visi&oacute;n estrat&eacute;gica y de
desarrollo sostenible. No obstante, aparecen algunos signos de
esperanza que son opacados por un nivel de vida de sus habitantes,
que experimenta un prolongado rezago econ&oacute;mico y social.

http://impreso.elnuevodiario.com.ni/2007/08/06/politica/55575


**Black population worst affected in Peru earthquake denied
humanitarian relief**

One week after the deadly earthquake in Peru, vital aid and
humanitarian relief is being denied to the country&rsquo;s black
population who were worst affected, because of racial discrimination.

http://www.blackbritain.co.uk/news/details/2521/uk/


Coming up

MRG will be launching publications tackling issues affecting
minorities in Burma, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Kosovo in the coming
months. Check our website for details. Also MRG will be proud to
launch a brand new online World Directory of Minorities in December,
an indispensable tool for journalists, policy makers, students,
academics, researchers and individuals with an interest in minority
rights.


Publications - MRG's new blogs, reports, briefings, training manuals,
guides and study papers

**Minorities in Focus: personal accounts from the field**

MRG's Fundraising Coordinator, Cecile Clerc, blogs from Peru
whilst on a visit to donors and afro-descendent communities in and
around Lima. 

http://minorityrights.wordpress.com


**Droits des Minorit&eacute;s : Cl&eacute; pour la Pr&eacute;vention
des Conflits**

Ce rapport, Droits des Minorit&eacute;s : Cl&eacute; pour la
Pr&eacute;vention des Conflits, pr&eacute;sente des arguments 
convaincants quant &agrave; la n&eacute;cessit&eacute; de comprendre
les droits des minorit&eacute;s pour quiconque s&rsquo;occupe de
pr&eacute;vention et de r&eacute;solution de conflits.

http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=1300


**From Conflict to Autonomy in Nicaragua: Lessons Learnt**

This study aims to characterize the political and social processes
that led to autonomy, and to assess its results, both positive and
more mixed, in terms of the practical benefits that autonomy has thus
far delivered.

http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=969[/URLTEXT]http://www.minorityrights.org/?
lid=969[/LINK]


**Me|unarodna organizacija na trudot: Prira~nik za malcinstvata i
domorodnite narodi (Macedonian edn. of the ILO Handbook)**

Macedonian language edition of The International Labour Organization:
A Handbook for Minorities and Indigenous Peoples.

http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=884


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