Europe

Rights Work: Safety and Security of Human Rights Defenders

Violeta Krasnic — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:52:35 -0800

“Human right defenders protect others, but they have to think about their own security,” says Marie Caraj of Protection International. Who are the stakeholders and what are the actions needed to enhance safety and protection of defenders? Marie Caraj provides a summary of her organization’s main activities and outlines specific guidelines and strategies.

Rights Work: Human Rights Defenders in Montenegro

Violeta Krasnic — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:33:29 -0800

How do human rights defenders operate in a country where power “is captured by network of private interests”? Vanja Ćalović, the Executive Director of MANS - The Network for Affirmation of NGO Sector in Montenegro, tell us what happen to those who raise their voices and what is needed to fight those trying to silence them.

Rights Work: LGBT Advocates in Latvia

Violeta Krasnic — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:40:22 -0800

What are the major challenges that LGBT activists in Latvia encounter in their work? Evita Goša is the board member of Mozaika in Riga, an alliance of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgendered persons, and their friends. She describes how ignorance and stigma feed into repressive actions of various political actors in her country and outlines actions needed to bring greater visibility to and protection of LGBT rights.

Rights Work: LGBT Advocates in Latvia

Violeta Krasnic — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:40:22 -0800

Rights Work: LGBT Advocates in Latvia

Violeta Krasnic — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:40:22 -0800

The continuation of "Silenced NGO Partner" or "Polak's question - Round 3"

HCLU — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:59:04 -0800

It seems HCLU’s Silenced NGO Partner video (with more than 35.000 views on YouTube up to now) on the duel between Mr. Antonio Maria Costa, the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the Dutch psychiatrist Mr. Frederick Polak caused some disturbances in the still water. We learned that our video was not only popular among Dutch government officials, but also among staff members of various UN agencies, including UNODC itself. Mr.

The continuation of "Silenced NGO Partner" or "Polak's question - Round 3"

HCLU — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:59:04 -0800

Silenced NGO Partner

HCLU — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:54:54 -0800

WATCH OUR VIDEO ON THE GLOBAL DRUG CZAR BEING EMBARRASSED BY AN NGO REPRESENTATIVE! / This film was shot in March 2008 and was a major success on youtube. People sent hundreds of letters to the UNODC executive director.

Questions from a Parallel Universe

HCLU — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:45:37 -0800

HCLU was very glad that after we filmed Mr. Antonio-Maria Costa being embarrassed by Dr. Frederick Polak, a Dutch psychiatrist at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, he accepted the invitation of the IHRA to address the international harm reduction conference. We prepared a welcome package to Mr. Costa: offered people the possibility to pose a question to him. As Mr. Paul Hunt said in his speech on Sunday, the UN drug control system seems to operate in a parallel universe: HCLU is committed to initiate a dialouge between these universes for the benefit of both worlds.

Human rights precede drug control!

HCLU — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:41:14 -0800

Paul Hunt, UN Special Rapporteur highlights the discrepancies between drug control and human rights in his keynote speech in Barcelona, 10th of may 2008.