Author: Afif Tabsh

Amnesty International

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Name of Organization: Amnesty International

Date of Origin: July 1961

Founder: Peter Benenson

Motto: It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness

Vision: Amnesty International’s vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.

Mission: Amnesty International’s mission is to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice  for those whose rights have been violated.

Objectives & Work:

Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights to be respected and protected for everyone.

They believe human rights abuses anywhere are the concern of people everywhere. So, outraged by human rights abuses but inspired by hope for a better world, they work to improve people’s lives through campaigning and international solidarity.

Their members and supporters exert influence on governments, political bodies, companies and intergovernmental groups. Activists take up human rights issues by mobilizing public pressure through mass demonstrations, vigils and direct lobbying as well as online and offline campaigning.


There are six key areas which Amnesty deals with:

  • Women’s, Children’s, Minorities and Indigenous rights
  • Ending Torture,
  • Abolition of the death penalty
  • Rights of Refugees
  • Rights of Prisoners of Conscience
  • Protection of Human dignity.


History:

In 1961 a British lawyer, Peter Benenson, launched a worldwide campaign, ‘Appeal for Amnesty 1961’ with the publication of a prominent article, ‘The Forgotten Prisoners’, in The Observer newspaper. The imprisonment of two Portuguese students, who had raised their wine glasses in a toast to freedom, moved Benenson to write this article. His appeal was reprinted in other papers across the world and turned out to be the genesis of Amnesty International.

The first international meeting was held in July, with delegates from Belgium, the UK, France, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and the US. They decided to establish “a permanent international movement in defense of freedom of opinion and religion”.

A small office and library, staffed by volunteers, opened in Peter Benenson’s chambers, in Mitre Court, London. The ’Threes Network‘ was established through which each Amnesty International group adopted three prisoners from contrasting geographical and political areas, emphasizing the impartiality of the group’s work.

On Human Rights Day, 10 December 1961, the first Amnesty candle was lit in the church of St-Martin-in-the-Fields, London.

In January 1962 the first research trip was undertaken.  This trip to Ghana, was followed by Czechoslovakia in February (on behalf of a prisoner of conscience, Archbishop Josef Beran), and then to Portugal and East Germany.

The Prisoner of Conscience Fund was established to provide relief to prisoners and their families. AI’s first annual report was published; it contained details of 210 prisoners who had been adopted by 70 groups in seven countries; in addition, 1,200 cases were documented in the Prisoners of Conscience Library.

At a conference in Belgium, a decision was made to set up a permanent organization that will be known as Amnesty International.

In 1963, Amnesty International now comprised 350 groups – there was a two-year total of 770 prisoners adopted and 140 released. The International Secretariat (Amnesty International’s headquarters) was established in London.


Website: www.amnesty.org

Lebanon: Democracy, Rule of Law & Hypocrisy

Afif Tabsh15 Comments

Another post that I find myself writing out of surprise and out of being ashamed of my fellow Lebanese.

For years now those in government, have been talking about democracy, about the rule of law, about using institutional channels to work rather than going on the ground, burning tires, closing roads and threatening. I sincerely supported them in the concept of rule of law and all that( though I do not support them in their political views, neither support the other side for sure)

Yet, at the slightest chance of threat to lose their positions in government through the same democratic and institutional patterns, they lose their logic and sense and then directly head to the streets.

Those same politicians who have been warning the Lebanese from any sort of chaos and street fights just few days ago…are now calling on their supporters to go to the street, to block roads, burn tires and participate in showing their “rage” (according to one of their spokesman’s choice of words).

I wonder if any of our politicians (from both sides) and their supporters (and I stress on supporters because I don’t blame the politicians as much as I blame those who vote for them!!!) have any sense of logic and honesty. Any kind of values and principles to live by and look up to…

I sincerely, honestly, deeply feel ashamed of those Lebanese who are cheering for this party or that. I pity those who are actually answering the call to go to the streets, those puppets that easily get exploited by the politicians to provoke chaos in our beloved country.

I dare you to say ENOUGH! Enough hypocrisy! Enough bullshit! Enough spreading fear amongst our streets and homes! ENOUGHHH!!

 

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UNESCO

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Name of Organization: UNESCO – United Nations Education, Science, Culture, Communication & Information Organization


Date of Origin: The Constitution of UNESCO, signed on 16 November 1945, came into force on 4 November 1946 after ratification by twenty countries.


Motto: Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.


Mission: UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information


Objectives:

  • Attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning
  • Mobilizing science knowledge and policy for sustainable development
  • Addressing emerging social and ethical challenges
  • Fostering cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace
  • Building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication


Predecessors of UNESCO:

The International Committee of Intellectual Co-operation (CICI), Geneva 1922-1946, and its executing agency, the International Institute of Intellectual Co-operation (IICI), Paris, 1925-1946.

The International Bureau of Education (IBE), Geneva, 1925-1968; since 1969 IBE has been part of the UNESCO Secretariat under its own statutes.


History:

As early as 1942, in wartime, the governments of the European countries, which were confronting Nazi Germany and its allies, met in the United Kingdom for the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education (CAME). The Second World War was far from over, yet those countries were looking for ways and means to reconstruct their systems of education once peace was restored. Very quickly, the project gained momentum and soon took on a universal note. New governments, including that of the United States, decided to join in.

Upon the proposal of CAME, a United Nations Conference for the establishment of an educational and cultural organization (ECO/CONF) was convened in London from 1 to 16 November 1945. Scarcely had the war ended when the conference opened. It gathered together the representatives of forty-four countries who decided to create an organization that would embody a genuine culture of peace. In their eyes, the new organization must establish the “intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind” and, in so doing, prevent the outbreak of another world war.

At the end of the conference, thirty-seven countries founded the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The Constitution of UNESCO, signed on 16 November 1945, came into force on 4 November 1946 after ratification by twenty countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Greece, India, Lebanon, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States. The first session of the General Conference of UNESCO was held in Paris from 19 November to 10 December 1946 with the participation of representatives from 30 governments entitled to vote.

The political divisions of the Second World War marked the composition of the founding Member States of UNESCO. It was not until 1951 that Japan and the Federal Republic of Germany became Members, and Spain was accepted in 1953. Other major historical factors, such as the Cold War, the decolonization process and the dissolution of the USSR, also left their trace on UNESCO. The USSR joined UNESCO in 1954 and was replaced by the Russian Federation in 1992 alongside 12 former Soviet republics. Nineteen African states became Members in the 1960s.

As a consequence of its entry into the United Nations, the People’s Republic of China has been the only legitimate representative of China at UNESCO since 1971. The German Democratic Republic was a Member from 1972 to 1990, when it joined the Federal Republic of Germany.

Some countries withdrew from the Organization for political reasons at various points in time, but they have today all rejoined UNESCO. South Africa was absent from 1957 to 1994, the United States of America between 1985 to 2003, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1986 to 1997 and Singapore from 1986 to 2007.


Website: www.UNESCO.org

Lebanon & Its Sovereignty: An Irony

Afif Tabsh17 Comments

Well I wasn’t planning on publishing a post today, but the current political stance in Lebanon is just too much for me to stay silent.

I ask myself, and all those reading my post, to take a deep breath and reflect on all what is going on and consider the following.

The US, Saudi Arabia, Syria, France, Qatar, Iran and last but not least Turkey are all supporting the Lebanese sovereignty, civil peace and rule of law. Nevertheless they allow themselves, so freely and so publicly, to engage in Lebanese politics, meet politicians, make deals, negotiate, threaten, support one group over the other…etc.

All that just to ensure our SOVEREIGNTY … ironic right?

Well it doesn’t stop there…they even hold meetings in their own countries (ie Saudi/US meeting in US, Turkey/Qatar/Syrian meeting in Syria..etc) to discuss and agree on HOW should Lebanon be governed in the coming phase. After that they exchange agreements, refuse deals, work on others and they come here to discuss it with the Lebanese politicians (not strictly the officials…they visit anyone and everyone they want from heads of political parties to individual parliamentarians to ex-ministers…etc) …so much for sovereignty!!

Mind you I’m not against diplomacy, international affairs and all the care that Lebanon has always had from the fellow Arab nations and the world, yet I don’t think any country EVER has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, in the internal affairs.

It’s funny and sad at the same time to see nations coming to teach us about diplomacy, democracy, rule of law, what’s right and what’s not…yet most of them just support one party and work with them in a way that ignites polarity in the country, links all the politicians’ decisions and actions with what is agreed on outside the country and put pressure on how should our government and officials act and work to suit the international agenda.

Lebanon..my dear beloved country, is struggling …gasping for a breath …and yet all those countries come in to support its sovereignty, but instead of saving it, they’re strangling us all!!!

Ironic…and very very sad

 

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International Organizations: A Series of Posts

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Hello my dearest readers,

It has been a while since I took the time to sit and write something for my blog, but I promise you that 2011 will be more abundant in posts than 2010 and I will do my best to keep the posts at as good a quality as they have been and better! 🙂

After asking around and checking the posts I have on my blog, I realized there has been a good vibe in general towards the series of posts on “International Clubs & Secret Societies” and many raised questions to know better about those clubs and societies.

In this context, and to take things one step further, I will be posting a series of posts on International Organizations. I will be selecting those that have been affecting our lives more than others, in one way or another. From UN related organizations (being a majority) to health organizations to Human Rights Organizations to Technical/IT/Engineering/Education…etc.

My aim in doing research and preparing for those posts is to provide an easy and quick way for people to get to know better about International Organizations all in one place without having to do much readying or researching. Yet by far it wont be a comprehensive list of organizations so your input and requests are highly welcomed if you would like me to post about any specific organization of interest.

Some of the organizations I have already in mind are World Bank, IMF, FCC, IEEE, FAO, ILO, Amnesty International, International Red Cross, UNDP, ITU, ESCWA, UNRWA…etc

Stay tuned for those quick-bite posts and I’m looking forward for your feedback, just tell me when you like’m and tell me when you don’t! 😀

Afif

The Secret…

Afif Tabsh8 Comments

 

A friend of mine gave me a DVD and a book titled “The Secret…” he asked me to watch the DVD before the movie since it somehow acts as an introduction for the book.

I did as he said and went through the DVD then the book and honestly I don’t feel it is quite right. Though I do agree with several parts and things said yet the whole “secret” lies in what the author, Rhonda Byrne, claims to be the “Law of Attraction” …yes simply one law to figure it all out.

This law supposedly allows you to get everything you want…infact the book claims the following :

The Secret has been passed down through the ages… coveted, hidden, lost, stolen, bought for vast sums of money, and known by some of the most exceptional people who ever lived: Plato, Galileo, Da Vinci, Beethoven, Edison, and Einstein, to name but a few.

The Secret book reveals how you can change every aspect of your life. You can turn any weakness or suffering into strength, power, unlimited abundance, health and joy.

Everything is possible, nothing is impossible. There are no limits. Whatever you can dream of can be yours, when you use The Secret.

 

But after actually reading the book it definitely seems a bit over rated…the law simply tells you that if you really focus hard on thinking and feeling about what you dream in life…you’ll get it. Yes yes you read right…so if you focus…think and feel…very hard on becoming a multi-billionaire…guess what..you will become one! … if you really focus on being happy and living safely you simply will …don’t bother if an earthquake, a tsunami, a car crash, a war breaks …you’ll just live only if you focus on it.

It got me wondering about all the people in Africa who die out of hunger, illness, fights… were they really not focusing on being happy? Living with money? Being safe? …are only the US and Europeans the ones who have had that “Secret” since ages or does it only apply to them or ?

I personally believe in being optimistic, working hard, serving your community, doing your best at everything you do, being ethical, taking care of those around you… that is more likely to get you somewhere and making you happy…and those around you as well.

The book simply focuses on selfishness, on asking the reader to be a self-centered individual thinking of the world as if it actually revolves around him/her. The book disregards the presence of God as the creator and omnipresent being. It pushes the reader to disbelieve in any higher being, any laws, rules, religion or social traditions and motivates him/her to focus on him/her self alone.

It asks you to be the center of the universe where you attract to you whatever you think and feel about the most, and so think of what you want and the universe will bring it to you…it will serve you whatever you wish.

I do ask my beloved readers to be critical of any self-help/improvement book or movie they read/watch. Infact to be critical and analyze anything and everything they read/watch/hear…to dig deeper than the words written or said…to check the background of the author and motives to what he/she wrote/said…

WikiLeaks… or is it?

Afif Tabsh6 Comments

WikiLeaks: A not-for-profit media organization founded in December 2006. Our goal is to bring important news and information to the public. We provide an innovative, secure and anonymous way for sources to leak information to our journalists (our electronic drop box). One of our most important activities is to publish original source material alongside our news stories so readers and historians alike can see evidence of the truth.

Atleast that is what they state on their website. This NPO, has been founded by Julian Assange, an Australian publisher and internet activist born in 1971.

So far they have been publishing “confidential” leaked documents from all walks of life and most notably the documents from the US Army about the war in Iraq, war in  Afghanistan, Congressional reports, Intelligence reports, Diplomatic letters between foreign ministries, embassies and so on and so forth…

Those “leaked” documents are not few…they are in the thousands…and hundreds of thousands..

Yet what I don’t understand is that with all this kind information “leaked” and published about the “most powerful nation in the world” along with its communication with its allies, its secrets, its embassies, armies…etc. How come the website, organization and founder is still there?

How come such a person with all those are working with him haven’t been silenced? How come all those documents are being leaked? Are the US governmental offices, army, congress, pentagon, corporations…so easy to hack? Or to get those thousands of documents leaked from? Is it like all saved on a single hard drive where someone can just pass by the data center of a Ministry/Congress/Pentagon and copy the files on his “flash disk” and simple go upload them online for the world to see?

How come so many confidential letters, documents, and reports can find their way out to the public…whether “anonymously” or not…it is just illogical. We’d be too naïve to accept things as they are…as is.

It gets me worried about what kind of world are we living in…though this NPO/Website is of great journalistic importance…of great value to freedom of speech and transparency…yet it gets me thinking about the meaning of “confidential” of “freedom of speech”  of “activism” …and the list goes on.

I salute Julian Assange for all his effort, time and guts to make it happen…yet I doubt he did this single-handed. Even if he has a troop of lawyers and volunteers to assist, if this was not “allowed” to happen I doubt it would’ve still been in existence…

Don’t get me wrong, I find the information extremely useful, important and eye-opening in a world full of deception and hidden agendas…But still things can’t be this easy…something feels cheesy (that rhymes hehe)

These are my two cents …but don’t take my word for it…tell me what you think! 😀

A Conundrum: Optimism & Reality

Afif Tabsh17 Comments

I feel that nagging, blaming others and feeling helpless about life is something we’re really good at…especially Lebanese.

No matter how educated or how illiterate, how young or old, female or male, with a high paying job or jobless…we got to nag about something…we got to find problems in everything from the daily issues, to political arena, to economics, to how the whole world is working…whatever issue it is..we can find something to nag about in it and we’re always the victims….but we just don’t do anything about it!

Somewhere in my mid-teens I realized that I tend to fly outside the flock…in numerous ways. This kind of used to make me feel not on the same mental/personal/social page with others my age…whether at school or neighbors or family or…etc. One of those “odd” things I have in me is being optimistic …or what some like to label me “Utopian”… I tend to look at the bright side..even in those stressful moments or when bad things are happening to me or around me…

It is like that quote that says “If life gave you lemons, make lemonade!” …some…or let me say many around me..don’t get it. They don’t see the option of “lemonade” they just see “oh crap, I gotta eat those?!” (metaphorically ofcourse).

So life and people I meet along the way tend to leave an impact in me, and infact many tried to explain to me, one way or another, that being a “pessimist” or  what they like to call them self “realistic” is well…wiser…more profound..more mature. But hey..talk to me here…how come being a pessimist is more profound? ..how come that if you are negative and nag about what you got or didn’t get in life, make you any more mature?

I have to say I’m happy with that “Utopian” title…and I live by it everyday…living that optimism…that positive thinking(I don’t mean that I don’t get sad, I don’t frown and I don’t have mood swings…its just that I tend to be positive most of the time)…I try being that kind of person that if I look back 50 years from now …I’d say I’m completely content, happy and proud of every decision I’ve made…and infact proud of that positive attitude that got me through those 50 years!

So here’s the conundrum for you…my fellow reader… does reality have to be negative, harsh, demanding and unfair (atleast it is according to what I hear people say about it) or can it really be more shiny, happier, safer, more heavenly than we think it is…???

I guess it is all in our heads, whatever we decide it is …it will be…but the trick here is not just to THINK of it this or that…its about ACTING on our thoughts and decisions.

So what is your choice???

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Reclaiming Semitism

Afif Tabsh10 Comments

Semitic: Of or pertaining to a subdivision of Middle Eastern and North African languages: Amharic, Arabic, Aramaic, Syriac, Akkadian, Hebrew, Maltese, Tigrigna, Phoenician etc. Semitic comes from modern Latin Semita, via late Latin from Greek Sēm ‘Shem’, son of Noah in the Bible, from whom those people traditionally descended from. (as per historical facts)

Anti-Semitism: Hostility to or prejudice against Jews. (as per Oxford’s dictionary)

But wait a minute, with all respect to the Jews the “Semitic” title contains much more than just Jews..how about the Aramaic? Syriac? Maltese? And Arabs?…

Yes… those people too have been treated with a lot of prejudice and “hostility”…especially Arabs who have been discriminated against and persecuted by the so-called “Democracies of the world” including but not limited to the United States of America, United Kingdom, France and the so-called  Jewish state of Israel. How come no one is calling them Anti-Semitic? How come no law is protecting those Semites as well?

In fact, Western Jewish prejudice against Arabic Jews in that illegitimate state of Israel have been exacerbating over the years. This is showing the true colors of prejudice and hatred against Arabs in the “Western World” due to the simple fact that this Anti-Semitism is being fueled by Western academic institutions, media, PR, and by the power of guns.

Moving away from the Middle East and to the global arena were most individuals with an Arabic name(whether Muslim, Christian or Jewish) are ill-treated and seen as a threat to the state whether at airports, police stations or daily life.
Arabs, no matter how educated, cultured and well-groomed are still treated as second class citizens in many countries of the world. With prejudice and hostility fueled by the world’s media and governments for political reasons and financial revenues…this has become truly a weight on the Declaration of Human Rights and the principles and values that the UN and most world democracies uphold.

In this context, I ask everyone, especially Semites,  to ponder about “Anti-Semitism” and reclaim it one way or another. Demand that your governments, policy makers, media, businessmen and civil society in all its branches stand up to the challenge of putting things straight.

Let there be no more prejudice or hostility against anyone in this world. May we all treat each other with humanity…our differences matter but our humanity matters more!