Cluster Bombs

Try Not to Cry

OUTLANDISH AND SAMI YUSUF FOR ALL OPPRESSED CHILDREN

International Day of Peace

The International Day of Peace was established by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly in 1981 and was celebrated on the Third Tuesday in September. In September 2001, and after the efforts of Jeremy Gilley and the Peace One Day organization, the United Nations, with the leadership of Great Britain and Costa Rica, passed another resolution identifying September 21st as the official day of global peace and as Ceasefire Day. The resolution took effect September 21st 2002 amidst a world embroiled in constant war and turmoil. The first anniversary of the new peace day passed without anyone observing a ceasefire. Since then, however, more governments, countries, groups, businesses, and individuals are celebrating the day in their cities and homes.

The vast majority of war victims are women and children and there are currently at least 45 conflicts in progress around the world.

It is thanks to the efforts of Jeremy Gilley and his volunteers, efforts that spanned years and countless hours of travel, work, filming, and meetings with heads of state and United Nations officials that the day is being observed on a designated date.

According to Ahmad Fawzi, the UN Director of News and Media at the time, people should be patient and not feel discouraged that there were no ceasefire observances on the first anniversary of Ceasefire Day. The seed has been planted and it grows slowly through interviews, lectures, books, peace rallies, informational meetings, press releases, and one person and group at a time. Per Fawzi's words, we have to change our global culture from a culture of war to one of peace and that begins with every one of us.

Gilley captures his journey, the challenges, the hopes, and the process in a movie called PEACE ONE DAY. The world today seems more violent since September 11th, 2001, ironically the day that Ceasefire Day was to be announced by Kofi Annan when the two airplanes struck the World Trade Center.

Clowns Without Borders

Along the lines of Doctors Without Borders and Artists Without Border, Clowns Without Borders (CWB) offer children around the world the opportunity to maintain a sense of childhood and laughter in the middle of conflict and violence. CWB organizations can be found in the United States, Canada, France, Belgium, Spain, and Sweden. They visit different areas of conflict around the world.

Their motto: No Child Without a Smile

Children's Wellbeing: How the Richest Nations Care for Their Most Vulnerable

The true measure of a nation’s standing is how well it attends to its children – their health and safety, their material security, their education and socialization, and their sense of being loved, valued, and included in the families and societies into which they are born.

The recent Innocenti Report Card published in 2007 by UNICEF on the status of children in the wealthiest countries has shown one stark fact; that wealth is not an indicator of the well-being of children.

Twenty-one of the wealthiest nations were studied using 6 measurable dimensions: 1) material well-being, 2) health and safety, 3) educational well-being, 4) family and peer relationships, 5) behaviors and risks, and 6) subjective well-being.

1) Material well-being: three components were measured under this one; relative income poverty, households without jobs, and reported deprivation. US rank=15/21, well below the average.

2) Health and safety: 3 components were measured; health at age 0-1, preventative health services, and safety. US rank=21/21, the worst with high accidental death rates for children and infants.

3) Educational wellbeing: 3 components were measured; school achievement at age 15, beyond basics, and the transition to employment. 11/21.

4) Relationships: 3 components were measured: family structure, family relationships, and peer relationships. US rank=20/21.

5) Behaviors and risks: 3 components were measured: health behaviors, risk behaviors, and experience of violence. US rank 20/21.

6) Subjective wellbeing: 3 components; health, school life, and personal wellbeing. Information for overall US ranking is not available.

The study highlights the fact that there is serious child neglect in the richest countries. In a decade where we are spending billions of dollars every month to finance wars and to give tax breaks to large corporations, it is apparent that children are not benefiting from the wealth we have.

Do we need to change our moral framework of thinking to place the rights of the most vulnerable human beings above the bottom line? Should we advocate for the welfare of our children along human rights lines by making it illegal and immoral to neglect their overall wellbeing because we are too busy working, not parenting, and fighting wars that serve no constructive purpose? Can we make access to proper education, health care, and fulfilling life opportunities available in a well-planned and future oriented manner?

Children are the future. They are our collective investment as a humanity. How well we treat them and nurture their best qualities will determine our fate as a species.

For the full report: Child Poverty in Perspective: An overview of child well-being in rich countries. A comprehensive assessment of the lives and well-being of children and adolescents in the economically advanced nations

UNICEF

Child Trafficking

Trafficking in children and women has prompted the establishment of international laws against such practices. Sex trafficking in girls and women is a global problem and it is found in most countries. Some countries provide a transit route for the victims. International law through the efforts of the United Nations, the United States and other organizations, has sought to eradicate this problem.

Women can be trafficked for the sex trade. Children are trafficked as domestic servants and also for the sex industry. Many remain locked up in basements and warehouses while they are being abused. War is one of the biggest contributers to the exploitation of women and children and to their trafficking across borders. Poverty drives many into the claws of traffickers.

Children are the most vulnerable group in all cultures. They are unable to protect themselves when abused by relatives or strangers, in peacetime and in war. I am profiling a few organizations that deal with this problem on an ongoing basis.

Marilyn.

Terre des Hommes A Swiss global child advocacy organization: http://www.childtrafficking.com/Content/aboutus.php


Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons US Department of State
http://www.state.gov/g/tip/


http://www.humantrafficking.org/content/about_us The purpose of this Web site is to bring Government and NGOs in the East Asia and Pacific together to cooperate and learn from each other’s experiences in their efforts to combat human trafficking. This Web site has country-specific information such as national laws and action plans and contact information on useful governmental agencies. It also has a description of NGO activities in different countries and their contact information.

United Stated Department of Justice (DOJ) Trafficking in persons — also known as "human trafficking" — is a form of modern-day slavery. Traffickers often prey on individuals who are poor, frequently unemployed or underemployed, and who may lack access to social safety nets, predominantly women and children in certain countries. Victims are often lured with false promises of good jobs and better lives, and then forced to work under brutal and inhuman conditions.

It is a high priority of the Department of Justice to pursue and prosecute human traffickers. Human trafficking frequently involves the trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation, a brutal crime the Department is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting. Trafficking also often involves exploitation of agricultural and sweat shop workers, as well as individuals working as domestic servants.

The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlaws slavery and involuntary servitude. The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (VTVPA) supplements existing laws and establishes new tools and resources to combat trafficking in persons and to provide services and protections for victims.

http://www.usdoj.gov/whatwedo/whatwedo_ctip.html

Coalition Against Trafficking in Women The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) is creating real and lasting changes in countries around the world by launching and supporting anti-trafficking projects in areas that few programs address: the links between prostitution and trafficking; challenging the demand for prostitution that promotes sex trafficking; and protecting the women and children who are its victims by working to curb legal acceptance and tolerance of the sex industry.

Please join CATW in putting a donation to work in our various campaigns and projects (See CATW’s campaign page). Your gift will support projects that prevent the sexual exploitation of women and children in 15 different countries.

The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) is a non-governmental organization that promotes women's human rights. It works internationally to combat sexual exploitation in all its forms, especially prostitution and trafficking in women and children, in particular girls.

CATW is composed of regional networks and of affiliated individuals and groups. It serves as an umbrella that coordinates and takes direction from its regional organizations and networks in its work against sexual exploitation and in support of women's human rights.

CATW brings international attention to all forms of sexual exploitation, including prostitution, pornography, sex tourism, and mail order bride selling. Working with national and international policy makers, women's rights and human rights advocates, and the United Nations, it promotes the fundamental human right of women and children, in particular, girls, to be free from sexual exploitation.

CATW prevents trafficking by educating boys and girls in schools and communities in different parts of the world and by training teachers, professionals, police, governmental authorities and the public about the harm of sexual exploitation and ways to resist and combat it.

CATW testifies before national congresses, parliaments, law reform commissions, regional and UN committees and commissions, and holds Category II Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Members serve as consultants to governmental commissions drafting new legislation on prostitution and sex trafficking, and against the sex industry.

CATW researches and documents the situation of women who have been trafficked and are in prostitution; educates the public about the extent of harm sustained by women and girls in prostitution; and galvanizes change through legislation and working with governments and international agencies to create/change/amend policy and legislation that support the right of every woman and girls to be free of sexual exploitation; and helps create and support alternatives for women and girls who have been sexually exploited.

http://www.catwinternational.org/about/index.php


United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Virtually no country immune from human trafficking, UNODC report shows
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press_release_2006_04_24.html

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a worldwide problem that cuts across cultural, religious, socio-economic and gender boundaries. It remains a far underreported problem and a culturally acceptable or ignored aspect of family and community life. The following statistics portray the national problem and give some helpful information. It impacts children as well who may end up becoming abusers or abused themselves. All information is obtained from the website of the Women's Shelter SLO

http://www.womensshelterslo.org/index.htm

Marilyn.

Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women, more than muggings, stranger rape, and car accidents combined.

• The United Way ranks domestic violence as the leading cause of birth defects.

• 3-4 million women are beaten by their husbands or boyfriends every year.

• A man beats his partner every 13 seconds.

• 1 out of every 2 women will be physically abused by their partner at least once.

• 4000 women and children are beaten to death every year .

• At least 25% of domestic violence victims are beaten while pregnant.

• 50% of all homeless women and children are fleeing domestic violence situations.

• 79% of spousal abuse is committed by men after the woman leaves.

• An intimate male partner murdered 42% of all female homicide victims.

• More than three million children witness acts of domestic violence every year.

• 95% of boys and 72 % of girls witnessing domestic violence will carry abuse into their own relationships.

• 1 out of 3 high school relationships includes domestic violence or rape.

• On average, a women is beaten 9 times before she placed the first call to police for help; only 7% of spousal assaults are reported to the police.

• 57% of women who are physically abused by their partners never tell anyone.

• 40% of assaults committed by a male partner on women begin during the first pregnancy; pregnant women are at twice the risk of battery.

Department of Justice Stats

Myths and Realities of Domestic Violence

Myth: The problem of domestic violence is greatly exaggerated.

Reality: National statistics reveal that every year three to four million women are beaten by their husbands or boyfriends, and every day, four die. Battery is the single most common cause of injury to women, more than auto accidents, rapes or muggings combined. Physical abuse is cited as the cause of one fourth of all suicide attempts by women. Twenty percent of visits by women to emergency rooms are the result of battering by their husbands or boyfriends.

Myth: In terms of domestic violence and spouse abuse, men and women are equally violent.

Reality: National crime survey data show that men commit 95 percent of all assaults on female spouses or girlfriends. Forty percent of all female homicide victims are killed by their husbands or boyfriends; only10 percent of male homicide victims are killed by their wives or girlfriends, and of these 7 percent were killed in self defense.

Myth: Men and women have always fought; it is natural.

Reality: There is occasional conflict in every family and relationship, but there is no need for violence. Wife beating is a crime of rage, power, and control. The batterer often thinks he has the right to control his partner through any means, even beating. Violence is never an acceptable way to solve problems.

Myth: Domestic violence only happens in the lower economic classes and minority populations.

Reality: Domestic violence occurs in families from all social racial, economic, educational, and religious backgrounds. In occurs in towns, suburbs, rural areas, and neighborhoods. Battered women with few economic resources are more visible because they seek help from public agencies and are counted in statistics. Women from middle and upper economic groups are more likely to seek help from private agencies.

Myth: Battering usually only happens once. It should be a private family matter, not a crime.

Reality: A battering incident is rarely an isolated occurrence; beatings escalate in frequency and intensity. Assault is a crime whether it is committed within or outside the family.

Myth: Battered women are masochistic and crazy; they provoke and enjoy their abuse.

Reality: Women do not provoke or deserve battering. They deserve a violence-free life. As does happen with rape, the attempt is made to blame the victim for the behavior of the attacker. Abusers commonly blame minor frustrations, alcohol and drug abuse, and the words or behavior or their partner for their battering. Their violence, however, is their choice. There are non-violent ways to deal with their anger.

A battered woman's reactions to the violence are normal, given the circumstances, and the reactions are often necessary for survival. She is not crazy. She still hopes her partner will change, and indeed, he may show remorse and there may be some good times; however, the good times and remorse happen less and less over time.

Myth: Men who abuse women are mentally ill and not responsible for their actions.

Reality: Battering is a learned behavior from childhood experiences and from social messages condoning violence against women. Psychological tests have repeatedly shown that men who abuse women do not differ from the "normal" male. Lenore Walker's study showed that batterers had learned as children that violence was an appropriate response to anger. Abusers are not out of control, but are trying to get control over their partner with demands, threats, and physical abuse. They deny and minimize the violence, and blame their partners for their violence. Their violent behavior will continue as long as society continues to refuse to threat their violence as the serious crime that it is and impose serious consequences.

Myth: Alcohol and drug abuse cause domestic violence.

Reality: Alcohol and drug abuse do not cause domestic violence. The violence may be more severe, however, when alcohol or drugs are involved. Alcohol and drugs may also intensify existing violent behavior. Rates of simultaneously occurring domestic violence and alcohol abuse vary from as low as 25 percent in some studies, to as high as 80 percent in other studies.

Many batterers do not abuse alcohol or drugs and many alcohol or drug abusers do not batter. Chemical dependency treatment will not cure battering; the two problems need to be dealt with separately. The alcohol abuse rate for abused women is the same as that of the general female population, 7 to 14 percent. Their alcohol abuse does not justify their being battered.

Myth: Batterers cannot change.

Reality: The criminal justice system can hold batterers accountable for their actions and court order the choice of jail or counseling. Men who batter can learn to take responsibility for their own behavior and can learn non-violent ways to act and communicate. The programs for men who batter, however, are only as effective as the willingness of the batterer to change.

Myth: Once the battering stops, everything will be okay.

Reality: There is also psychological, emotional, and sexual abuse which often continues even when the battering has stopped. These behaviors must also stop before the healing can start.

Women who are abused feel fear, depression, anxiety, helplessness, anger and embarrassment. A lowered self-esteem can develop from constant insults and put downs by her abuser. She is often isolated by her partner and has lost touch with friends and family. She may be afraid that she will be blamed by them for the violence. The support of friends, family, and the community is necessary for her to recognize her strengths and to believe that she is a good person who deserves a violence-free life. Recovery from abuse is a process and can take a long time.

Myth: Domestic violence is only a family problem.

Reality: Domestic violence is still viewed by many as just a family problem, even though the effects are serious. It is a crime that can result in serious injury or death. Social problems such as alcoholism, drug addiction, juvenile delinquency, suicide, and runaway children are increased by violence in the home. Businesses lose $3 to 5 billion dollars each year because of absenteeism resulting from abuse, and $100 million in medical costs. Communities spend millions of dollars every year on intervention. Society suffers when individuals and families are destroyed by domestic violence.

Referenced from: Annotated Bibliogrpahy on "Spouse Abuse. Wife Abuse The Facts. Response to Violence in the Family and Sexual Assault." National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Report. April 1985 National Woman Abuse Prevention Project. 1989. Washington DC.

Landmines: The Indiscriminate Killer

Killing does not always stop when wars are over. It has been the custom of many a nation or group to litter the landscape with landmines, a fact that has contributed to killing and maiming, especially of children, across the globe. Today, I am profiling an organization that has been working to alleviate the hardships of this unjust, brutal, and indiscriminate form of warfare.

Landmines left by retreating forces have caused the deaths of many children, adults, and farm animals. They have robbed children of their ability to live safely in their homes and neighborhoods. MAG (Mines Advisory Group) is a British based organization that helps the victims of war in clearing the landmines and trains the locals in ways to escape poverty and deprivation.

Marilyn

MAG (Mines Advisory Group) is one of the world's leading humanitarian organisations providing conflict-affected countries with a real chance for a better future.

We clear the remnants of conflict from some of the world's poorest nations, we educate and employ local people and help provide solutions for those trapped by poverty and economic devastation through no fault of their own.

Operating since 1989 and having worked on a variety of conflict-related projects in around 35 countries, MAG is also co-laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded for our work with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Our aims are:

• To deliver on our promise to save lives and build futures globally by implementing our innovative solutions for conflict-affected communities.
• To enable governments and institutions to address the needs of conflict-affected communities through funding our activities.
• To work with partners and others who share our impact-driven approach and further enable people to escape from the poverty and suffering caused by conflict.
• To create awareness and secure public contributions so we can provide an effective response to the wider problems caused by the presence of remnants of conflict
  
• http://www.mag.org.uk/index.php?p=316&s=0.