international library for a responsable world of solidarity ritimo

Le portail rinoceros d’informations sur les initiatives citoyennes pour la construction d’un autre monde a été intégré au nouveau site Ritimo pour une recherche simplifiée et élargie.

Ce site (http://www.rinoceros.org/) constitue une archive des articles publiés avant 2008 qui n'ont pas été transférés.

Le projet rinoceros n’a pas disparu, il continue de vivre pour valoriser les points de vue des acteurs associatifs dans le monde dans le site Ritimo.

conceptual mapping > building peace

building peace

dossier

Struggling to survive : children in armed conflict in the the Democratic Republic of the Congo

> April 2006, 72 p. (pdf)

Children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) endure some of the most miserable treatment found anywhere in the world, despite outward signs of progress in DRC, such as the creation of a power-sharing transitional government, the presence of the United Nations’ largest peacekeeping operation and billions of dollars granted by donors for postconflict reconstruction. In 2006, DRC continues to endure the world’s deadliest humanitarian crisis, with more than 38,000 people dying every (...) read

date of on-line publication : 14 March 2007

dossier

Partnership Africa Canada (PAC)

Killing Kimberley ? Conflict diamonds and paper tigers

> Occasional Paper n° 15, November 2006

The « Kimberley Process » began in 2000 as a series of meetings among governments, NGOs and the private sector to solve the problem of conflict diamonds. Eventually, more than 70 governments joined to create the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) which began in 2003 to regulate the international trade in rough diamonds. In some ways, the KPCS has been very successful. But during 2005 and 2006, it started to become clear that the KPCS had weak spots. Implementation in some countries (...) read

date of on-line publication : 8 February 2007

dossier

Partnership Africa Canada (PAC)

The lost world : diamond mining and smuggling in Venezuela

> Occasional Paper n° 16, November 2006

Venezuela, a country that annually produces an estimated 150,000 carats of diamonds, has officially exported none since January 2005. Although it is a member of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) for controlling rough diamonds, it has essentially dropped off the KPCS radar. Recent efforts to halt illicit mining in Venezuela have led only to violence and death. A combination of high taxes, ineffective currency controls and bureaucratic ineptitude has driven Venezuela’s diamond (...) read

date of on-line publication : 8 February 2007

KHATIB Ghassan

Middle East crises : inextricable from each other

> Bitterlemons international, December 14, 2006, Edition 46, Volume 4

The double standard that has resulted from the US compromising international legality because of its relations with Israel is a major cause of the regional hostility toward America. To understand the different conflicts in the Middle East, it is important to understand their growing interrelation. This interrelation is growing to an extent that it is becoming nearly impossible to understand one conflict in isolation. Similarly, solving one requires dealing with the others. More and more (...) read

date of on-line publication : 20 December 2006

dossier

Amnesty International

Amnesty International calls for an urgent UN inquiry on violations of international law by both Israel and Hizbullah

Amnesty International is calling on the United Nations to set up an international commission empowered to investigate the evidence of violations of international law by both Hizbullah and Israel and to make provision for reparations for the victims. From the outbreak of the war between Hizbullah and Israel in July 2006, Amnesty International called on both sides to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law (the rules of war), particularly those relating to the (...) read

date of on-line publication : 24 November 2006

NASSAR Ibrahim

Palestinian National Unity Government : does it bring solutions?

> Alternatives International, october 2006, number 6

http://alternatives-international.ne (...)

Following its unexpected victory in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) elections, Hamas found itself facing major political, social and economic obligations. The initial post-election-shock caused many to be thrown off balance, leading to a reaction that was not carefully considered.
This has resulted in confusion, unrealistic expectations and illusions, and has produced political paralysis and chaos. Its end result has been a social and political crisis, bringing the Palestinian situation to the brink of explosion.
Amazed with its electoral success, Hamas raised its expectations, believing it was given an absolute mandate to make political, social and historic reforms on the Palestinian scene. Moreover, Hamas believed the success guaranteed it complete control over the Palestinian agenda and the legitimacy to override anything that contradicted its own vision. This conviction was reflected in Hamas’ position towards the PLO and its insistence that the PLO should be reshuffled to match the electoral outcomes in the West Bank and Gaza.
Hamas did not realize that its victory was not an absolute mandate, but instead reflected the frustration and desperation of the Palestinian people as well as their search for solutions. Therefore, whether it recognizes it or not, Hamas’ legitimacy following its victory is based on its ability to manage its political, economic and social obligations. A failure to meet these obligations would delegitimize their continued rule.
The existing circumstances require the ability to maneuver, to overcome difficulties and tensions, and to avoid an all-out confrontation.Disregard for the complicated Palestinian and international dynamics, and the challenges of the struggle in Palestine, is akin to leaping into an abyss of ideological rhetoric over substance-in the end there are political, social and economic questions that must be dealt with.
Hamas needed the experience of the past months to transcend the euphoria of its electoral success and to admit that it is not able to face the obligations of the Palestinian situation alone. It reached the conclusion that a national unity government would guarantee a way out of the crisis. Moreover, it has now been able to discern that it must lower its expectations, allow interaction with other political forces and enter into compromises.
To read the article and the issue (pdf), click here  read

date of on-line publication : 14 November 2006

The role of Small Arms in African Civil Wars

> Pambazuka News

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category (...)

It is not an over-statement to say that small arms in Africa have played the major role in every political conflict, from South, East and West Africa. Baffour Dokyi Amoa writes that “Conservative estimates indicate that there are about eight million small arms and light weapons in West Africa alone. Of the 640 million small arms circulating in the world, it is estimated that 100 million are found in Africa.”  read

date of on-line publication : 26 September 2006

WARSCHAWSKI Michel

The future of Israel at stake

http://www.alternativenews.org/index (...)

The following article was written 30 July at 6.00 a.m., an hour before the announcement of the tragic news of the Qana massacre on Israeli radio. Unfortunately, the massacre was already visible in the content of my writing even before hearing the terrible news:
“In these wars, lives of civilians are not only of very limited value, like in any other war, but considered as a legitimate target, guilty of supporting terrorism, actively or passively, a terrorism which is, in fact, part of their very culture. In ten years, we witnessed a gradual evolution of the dominant discourse: from terrorist groups, to terrorist states, to terrorist peoples...”
Nothing is missing from the original text except a deep feeling of failure, an immense rage and a renewed commitment to take to the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to denounce Israeli barbarism, from within the belly of the beast.  read

date of on-line publication : 1 August 2006

Questions and Answers on Hostilities Between Israel and Hezbollah

> Human Rights Watch

http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006 (...)

On July 12, Hezbollah launched an attack on Israeli positions on the Israeli side of the Lebanese border, killing three Israeli soldiers and capturing two. In response, Israel launched air and artillery attacks against targets throughout Lebanon, including Beirut’s international airport, bridges and highways, and Hezbollah offices. It also instituted an air, sea, and land blockade. According to media reports at the time of writing, Israeli attacks have killed at least 110 civilians and wounded more than 235 in Lebanon. Hezbollah forces have launched more than 800 rockets across the border into northern Israel, as far south as Tiberias (35km/22 miles south of the border), killing 12 civilians and injuring more than 100. The following questions and answers set out some of the legal rules governing the various actions taken by Israel and Hezbollah to date in this recent conflict. Human Rights Watch sets out these rules before it has been able to conduct extensive on-the-ground investigation. The purpose is to provide analytic guidance for those who are examining the fighting as well as for the parties to the conflict and those with the capacity to influence them.
This Q & A addresses only the rules of international humanitarian law, known as jus in bello, which govern the way each party to the armed conflict must conduct itself in the course of the hostilities. It does not address whether Hezbollah was justified in attacking Israel, whether Israel was justified in attacking Lebanon for the conduct of Hezbollah, or other matters concerning the legitimacy of resorting to war. In accordance with its institutional mandate, Human Rights Watch maintains a position of strict neutrality on these issues of jus ad bellum because we find it the best way to promote our primary goal of encouraging both sides in the course of the conflict to respect international humanitarian law.  read

date of on-line publication : 17 July 2006

dossier

Amnesty International, IANSA, Oxfam International

Guns or Growth?

Assessing the impact of arms sales on sustainable development

> Control Arms Campaign, June 2004, PDF, 100pp.

http://www.oxfam.org/en/policy/guns- (...)

Excessive or inappropriate arms purchases are a drain on social and economic resources which developing countries cannot afford. The countries of Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East hold 51 per cent of the world’s heavy weapons. It is shocking how few governments make a serious attempt to consider the impact on development of their arms exports. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) agreed in September 2000 by all 189 UN member states will not be achieved if resources are diverted from this vital task by inappropriate arms transfers. The assessment methodology must recognise that the potential consequences of an arms transfer are not always clear-cut, and weigh these consequences alongside the legitimate security needs of the country and respect for international human rights standards in the governance of its people. The costs of meeting these needs, and the way in which they are met, have to be viewed in relation to the development situation of the country: are the benefits of the transfer in meeting legitimate security needs greater than their cost in terms of the impact on the development of the country? Even if the legitimate security needs of a state do take precedence, is the importing government likely to abide by international human rights and humanitarian law?

 read

date of on-line publication : 9 May 2006

0 | 10 | 20

© rinoceros - Ritimo in partnership with the Fph via the project dph and the Ile de France region via the project Picri. Site developed using SPIP, hosted by Globenet. Legal mentions - Contact

ritimo