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Showing posts with label common good. Show all posts
Showing posts with label common good. Show all posts

Monday, February 17, 2025

"Whatever our nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status, the international community on December 10 1948 made a commitment to upholding dignity and justice for all of us..."

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

Preamble

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, therefore,

The General Assembly,

Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction. 

Article 1

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.... READ MORE   https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

 [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine ]

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages. The UDHR is widely recognized as having inspired, and paved the way for, the adoption of more than seventy human rights treaties, applied today on a permanent basis at global and regional levels (all containing references to it in their preambles). 

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Whatever our nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status, the international community on December 10 1948 made a commitment to upholding dignity and justice for all of us.

How Does International Law Protect Human Rights?

International human rights law lays down obligations which States are bound to respect. By becoming parties to international treaties, States assume obligations and duties under international law to respect, to protect and to fulfil human rights.  The obligation to respect means that States must refrain from interfering with or curtailing the enjoyment of human rights. The obligation to protect requires States to protect individuals and groups against human rights abuses. The obligation to fulfil means that States must take positive action to facilitate the enjoyment of basic human rights.

Through ratification of international human rights treaties, Governments undertake to put into place domestic measures and legislation compatible with their treaty obligations and duties. The domestic legal system, therefore, provides the principal legal protection of human rights guaranteed under international law. Where domestic legal proceedings fail to address human rights abuses, mechanisms and procedures for individual and group complaints are available at the regional and international levels to help ensure that international human rights standards are indeed respected, implemented, and enforced at the local level.... READ MORE  https://www.un.org/en/about-us/udhr/foundation-of-international-human-rights-law

Saturday, December 28, 2024

We will always carry their memory in all we do...

 António Guterres

 
Even in the darkest hours, @‌UN personnel are a constant beacon of hope and light. 
 
As 2024 draws to a close, I pay tribute to them, particularly those who made the ultimate sacrifice in carrying out our vital mission. 
 
We will always carry their memory in all we do.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Balt Sun: Unemployment, poverty at the root of Israeli-Palestinian conflict [Letter] by Roger Lawson

International Flower Auction in the Netherlands
 [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bs-ed-israel-20140715,0,2095905.story#vcomment

Letter writer Eric Rozenman concludes that the Palestinian "celebration" of the killing of three Israeli teenagers last month is noteworthy because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly announced his regrets and said the perpetrators would be brought to justice ("Sun offers false equivalence between Israelis and Palestinians," July 11).

Further, Mr. Rozenman concludes that the Arab rejection of a "two-state solution" over the last several years is evidence that the Palestinians would rather engage in conflict than have peace.
I have read many versions of this same story over the last 30 years. Kill or be killed is often the theme in American newspapers. The real reasons for the conflict are not addressed.

How many commentators and analysts have been "on the ground" to evaluate the basis for this long-standing conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians? How many have witnessed the humiliation, not just of Palestinians, but Israeli Arabs? There are many reasons for conflict, but unemployment in Palestine and the struggling economy there are major factors.

In the early 1990s, as a research scientist working at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, I was asked to join a project designed to provide new employment opportunities for the Palestinians in Gaza. Governance of Gaza had just been turned over to the Palestinians. In cooperation with Israeli scientists, the Foreign Agricultural Service of the USDA, the Department of State, an Israeli ornamental plant grower and the assistance of the American Embassy in Tel Aviv, I went to Gaza and identified growers who would participate in the project.

At the expense of the Palestinians, a new greenhouse was constructed in Gaza, where a new and improved flower bulb crop was introduced. In the second year of production several thousand cut flowers were sent to the international flower auction in the Netherlands where they brought the highest price ever received for this crop at the Dutch auction. Although there were plans to introduce additional flower and other horticultural crops for production in Gaza, the program was canceled at the beginning of the Second Intifada.

An improved economy based on agriculture will improve the lives of Palestinians. There are more than 1.5 million residents of Gaza where there is 40 percent unemployment and the majority of the population is under sixteen years of age.

Unemployed people see no future and thrive on conflict. At one time, many Palestinians were employed in Israel. But as the conflict recurred, those employment opportunities were closed. Gaza produces not only flowers, but fruits and vegetables. Delays in shipment through Israel at the border have often resulted in ruined crops that are unsuitable for export.

There are many reasons for the current outbreak of violence, but if there is ever to be peace there must be a recognition that Palestinians have a right to develop an agricultural economy without the current restrictions. Border inspections of Gaza produce or allowing third-party inspection of products at the point of production are feasible solutions. Under the current state of affairs everyone loses.

I have been to Gaza three times and have had cooperative research projects with Israeli scientists on a range of subjects over the years. Headlines of blame stoked by "experts" who have never been on the ground there will continue to exacerbate the conflict. If that continues there will never be peace.

Roger Lawson, Columbia

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Arabs urge U.S. to keep up Mideast peace push

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki: "We are committed as Palestinians and Arabs to the negotiation process and the April 29 date and continuing to deal with the efforts that the American administration and John Kerry are making to find a way out of this crisis..."

 [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

Arab Foreign Ministers and their delegations attend the Arab Foreign Ministers' meeting at the Arab League headquarter in Cairo. April 9, 2014. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
CAIRO (Reuters) - The Arab League called on the United States on Wednesday to keep up efforts to salvage Middle East peace talks that are on the brink of collapse, blaming Israel for a crisis that has led Washington to evaluate its role in the negotiations.

At a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, the Arab League said Israel was responsible for the "serious predicament" facing the negotiations, citing its failure to release about two dozen Palestinian prisoners as one of the major causes.

"(The ministers) called on America to continue its efforts for the resumption of the negotiation track that obliges Israel to implement its commitments ... according to the agreed time frame," a League statement said.

The U.S.-brokered negotiations plunged into crisis last week after Israel, demanding a Palestinian commitment to continue talking after the end of the month, failed to carry out the promised release of about two dozen Palestinian prisoners.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas responded by signing 15 global treaties, including the Geneva Conventions on the conduct of war and occupations, on behalf of the State of Palestine, a defiant move that surprised Washington and angered Israel.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who had hoped to reach a peace deal by April 29, said on Friday that Washington was evaluating whether it was worth continuing its role in the Middle East talks, saying it was "not an open-ended effort".

Israel announced on Wednesday a partial freeze in high-level contacts with the Palestinians in retaliation for their signing international conventions it contends they are not entitled to endorse before formal establishment of a state.

Underscoring the Palestinians' main concern - economic measures imposed by Israel - the Arab League said Arab states must meet their financial commitments to the Palestinian Authority "to provide an Arab financial safety net".

Under interim peace deals, Israel collects and transfers to the PA some $100 million a month in taxes on goods imported into the Palestinian territories. Israel has previously frozen the payments during times of heightened tensions ...READ MORE

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BBC News Profile: The League of Arab States, or Arab League, is a voluntary association of countries whose peoples are mainly Arabic speaking or where Arabic is an official language.
Its stated aims are to strengthen ties among member states, coordinate their policies and direct them towards a common good.