Thomas Hammerberg is the new Commissioner for Human Rights in the Council of Europe. He was in a journalist in the early 70s. He than worked for amnesty international in Sweden. Mr. Hammerberg worked in Cambodia and was the UN special representative. Later on he was a member of the UN committee for children rights.

Nowadays he is the Commissioner for Human Rights. For him personally human rights are values not created in the west. It’s the general response of ordinary people which created the value of human rights. It is important to make them as a binding element. But even in Germany the work has to go on: Germany has to ratify the protocol, so that people who feel discriminated can go to the European curt.



Enforcement, implementation and information these are the gaps today. Mayor problem are still there and everywhere. Disabled people have not the same rights and some governments oppose the economic, social and cultural rights, like the US government, because they thing its not human rights. But we as human rights activists think that everything interrelates. They are necessary to improve and to practice democracy to have decent standards of living. We have the pleading to governments – and the same time we know that implementation is hard work. This has to be implemented in all spheres in politics. The have to be important for governments who are serious about human rights. That’s why he developed ten main points:

1. Seek for ratification of European standards. That has to be seriously. The same time they have to think about reaction.

2. Need to secure the independence of court system. For example in Western Europe there is a hidden open pressure against judges. We have to stop it. In Eastern Europe the court System is not independent so there is a daily struggle.

3. Establish monitoring systems. There are different models in different countries. There don’t have to be one main model – it’s just about principles. The “Paris Principles” have to be seen as the possible way.

4. Open door to NGOs. Without the NGOs we won’t have the kind of human rights discussion today. Therefore it is important for governments to think about contact and discussions with NGOs.

5. Free media as special monitoring. Systematic policy to secure free media is needed. A broad-based media is needed.

6. Human rights education is important. People have to get to know their rights. Even if we already had ¾ decades of discussions, we have not managed to establish a good system.
Especially that means:
- We have to secure a good education for the next generation
- We have to integrate it into school curriculum. There has to be a democratic education.
- We have to secure that professional hand on. We need their deeper education. We need to integrate this knowledge.
- We need a broader dimension. For every citizen media and politicians are important.

7. Clarify regional authority. EU standards are not only for governments. Its also binding to all authorities in the country. There is the lack of clarity. Economic, social and cultural rights are needed. They have to be taken on a local level. The special bodies have to coordinate between each other.

8. Cooperate actively with other countries. Treaties are essential as contract. So if one does wrong the other have to stop it. Peer monitoring is really important. Don’t torture. We need to see it in internal lights. Only with cooperation we can do it. We have to take part in human rights work and therefore we need to nominate experts who will be the international approach.

9. Introduce human rights in political process. Human rights are important and have to be high at political agenda. A regular debate is necessary. Human rights are not a problem for others it’s ours. Human rights budget discussion are rare in countries – it’s only about child rights.

10. Try to establish a system of comprehensive planning for human rights. There was 13 years ago the call for national action plans on human rights. We have to be aware of gaps.



The topics of Thomas Hammerberg are / as the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights he selected:
- he is going to go on with the visits of countries. 14 countries have to be visited. These needs will tell him the topics. The same time he has a broad outlook on other/all counties.
- protecting human rights in combat of terror
- protecting human rights of migrants
- protecting human rights in relation to Xenophobia

Topics related to this work:
- violence against children
- violence against woman
- rights for people with disability
- rights for LGBT. Getting more awareness on the wrong prejudices against LGBT people.
- treatment of Roma in Europe

today I have been on a one day conference organised by UNICEF Germany. It was about AIDS and the ongoing disease which will never get stopped, if not all countries of the world start to thing together how to stop it.

At 12.30 pm there was a press conference:
- Dr. Richard Kamwi, Health Minister of Namibia
- Regina Lesole “Miss Stigma Free” from Botswana
- Stephen Lewis, UN- Special commissioner für AIDS in Afrika
- Heide Simonis, Chairman UNICEF Deutschland
- Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, Federal minister for economic co-operation and development

So the talked and announced some main key points:



- Heide Simonis, Chairman UNICEF Deutschland

* AIDS is a worldwide epidemic happening
* especially for children
* every minute a child dies and haven’t reached the 2 birthday
* 15 millions people are orphans
* there is no political will of countries to hold together
* they are living bombs who bring this disease to other people


- Stephen Lewis, UN- Special commissioner für AIDS in Afrika

* UNICEF Germany is the most effective in the whole world
* 5% to 10% who need medicine are only getting it
* only 10% of infected woman in Africa are getting medicine
* there will be 15000-18000 orphans in 2010 because the communities are too poor
* that’s an gender based pandemic
*so we have to struggle for gender equality
* youth in Nigeria has only limited knowledge because they do not have access to information
* funding is a very serious worry
* poor countries are in trouble of debt
* but all the money is only there for war
* Why do we have so much money for conflict and so little money for human wealth?



- Dr. Richard Kamwi, Health Minister of Namibia

* no medical school
* depending on delivery of outside of Namibia
* fundings are need



- Regina Lesole “Miss Stigma Free” from Botswana

* breaking barrier between working and non working class
* organisations led by people who are not professionals
* lack of human recourses
* everyone should get involved
* charring experience is needed


- Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, Federal minister for economic co-operation and development

* all responsible persons in the world have to work together
* its like 20 jumbo jets fall each day from sky
* Southern Africa has same number of AIDS orphans like the number of children in Germany
* MDGs are important

Special work of German government
- Africa with the next G8
- young women

The Federal Government co-operates already with 50 countries and has bilateral contact. Much money is clean-put, particularly into prevention with young humans - therefore we co-operate also along special companies.



I have also done some Interviews.

German: Heide Simonis, Chairman UNICEF Deutschland
link

English: Regina Lesole “Miss Stigma Free” from Botswana
link

German: Kathrin Heineman who was intern in an organisation in Botswana
link

Last weekend i had a great meeting wth young people from different places in Germany. 20 young students worked on the national acion plan. find more in franziskas blog ( http://franziska.tigblog.org/post/34091 ) .

I also had to write a text for an other page for the national council. You can find it here (sorry but it is in German :-) )

Bericht vom NAP Seminar

Vom 13. bis 15. Januar fand das erste Seminar zur Erarbeitung der Texte aus Jugendlicher Sicht für den Nationalen Aktionsplan für ein Kindergerechtes Deutschland 2005-2010 statt. 25 Jugendliche trafen sich in einer Jugendherberge in Leipzig und diskutierten zu den Themen Jugendpartizipation, internationale Verpflichtungen und Lebensstandards. Von jeweils einem Coach angeleitet, arbeiteten wir uns noch am Freitag in die verschiedenen Themen ein und diskutierten stark unserer Meinung und unsere Positionen. Gerade dies war sehr besonders, weil wir dadurch sofort das Gefühl hatten alle gleich zu ticken. Eine Herausforderung allerdings war die Positionen und Kommentare der 289 Fragebögen mit zu berücksichtigen. Wir laßen uns ein und filterten nochmals die Aussagen der Jugendlichen um dies mit einzubringen.
Freitag war der Ankunftstag: gegen 16.00 Uhr trudelten die ersten ein und fortan waren wir nur noch am reden und hatten keine freie Minute mehr. Am Abend wurde der allgemeine Verlaufsplan vorgestellt und wir teilten uns in unsere Gruppen auf. Wir stellten uns gegenseitig vor und erzählten aus welchen verschiedenen Bereichen wir kommen und wo wir aktiv sind. Danach machten wir uns einen geselligen Abend und bereiteten uns auf den nächsten Tag vor.
Am Samstagmorgen begann dann die eigentliche Arbeit. In meiner Gruppe diskutierten wir zu Jugendpartizipation und erarbeiteten uns den Weg der Partizipation im Älterwerden. Wir erarbeiteten uns Übersichten zu den Fragen: Wieso werden Jugendliche aktiv? Was machen Jugendliche? Wie können diese gefördert werden? Was ist die Besonderheit der Schule und Familie? Und wie kann man Jugendliche die bereits aktiv sind fördern? All diese Fragen waren ein wichtiger Schritt zum Enddokument, denn gerade durch die offene Diskussion zu diesen Fragen sammelten wir neue Impulse. Nachmittags teilten wir dann unsere Gruppe in mehrere Unterthemen und schrieben zusammen an verschiedenen Texten. Saskia und Katharina zum Beispiel schrieben an einem Text zu den Unterschieden zwischen kommunaler Partizipation und Partizipation in Städten. Die anderen versuchten sich an der Einleitung zum Bereich Partizipation und an weiteren Beispielen direkter und indirekter Partizipation in Bezug auf Jugendliche. Am Samstagabend schrieben wir dann unsere Brainstormingsätze nieder und fingen an diese zu sortieren. Auch später hatten wir viel Spaß und unterhielten uns noch bis spät in die Nacht über unsere Gründe wieso wir am NAP mitschreiben. Am Sonntag fassten wir dann alles zusammen und reflektierten noch einmal unser geschriebenes. Im Anschluss daran reisten die ersten schon wieder ab und die anderen arbeiteten noch weiter.

Im Groben und Ganzen fand ich das Wochenende als ein sehr interessantes und produktives treffen. Viele verschiedene Jugendliche, aus verschiedenen Bereichen, mit verschiedenen Partizipationsmotivationen, leisteten echt gute Arbeit, auch wenn es ziemlich in die Nächte herein ging. Es war echt cool Freunde wieder zu sehen und neue Freunde kennen zu lernen. Besten Dank für diese Erfahrung!

Today I met Martine, a girl from Luxembourg, who I firstly met in Mexico at the International Council Meeting from amnesty in August this year. She came to Berlin to visit her friend and so we spent some time together, also. We went to tadsheque tee bar, where we sat at the floor and relaxed. Talking about our great experiences working for amnesty international and organising big campaigns made us very proud. Thinking of the time in Mexico (see some old blogs, too) we agreed that it was such a great experience being there with a lot of students from all over the world, all being engaged for the same topic.
Martine is such a powerful girl, studying at the moment but hopefully will get a job in the board for amnesty in Luxembourg. I hope for her. She talked about her workings she had done this year and you could really feel her motivation – e.g. she organised a campaign against child soldiers and went to several schools to talk about this topic with young teens.
I hope to stay in contact with her and to hear more about the other young people who been at the ICM, too.

At the weekend I had been on a rhetoric workshop in the south of Germany somewhere very far away from Berlin. I meet more than 30 people from all over Germany there and we had been divided into two groups, to talk about presentation techniques and to find out more about our work we are doing. I had a lot of nice conversations, talking about the future of young people decision making and how young people could be involved. We spent the time in a youth hostel in a small village and it really begun to fall snow. :-)
On Sunday just 4 people and I stayed there, all the others left home because the workshop was finished. The people who stayed, organized the explanation for the meeting of our servicegroup youth with the German government, thought about which projects should be shown there and what to say opposite to them. It was quite good how we noticed later from our team in Berlin, but we did not have time to celebrate because we had to organise the meeting which took place immediately behind this from Tuesday to Wednesday.
It was the meeting of 15 theme coaches working on all the different topics for the national action plan for a youth friendly Germany 2005-2010. They presented their work the have done the last month, e.g. supervise youth projects and finding money for them, they voted their 15 projects which will get an start-payment for ongoing work and they talked a lot more…

It was so nice to meet them all, all the people with the same idea! I also met Wolfi again, who I met just one week before in the near of Hamburg and we planned our work for YOIS.

To find out more about Wolfi click here --> http://profiles.takingitglobal.org/wgruendinger

To find out more about YOIS click here --> http://www.takingitglobal.org/resources/orgs/view.html?OrgID=866

Hey friends,
again i had a good and really imteresting meeting with a lot of young people in Lueneburg near Hamburg. Met here with more than 25 people for the annnual conference of YOIS,an very active group of youth in Germany wanting to talk abou MDG and Sustainability. So again i met some people I never saw befor who are very engaed in this toppic. We had a lot of workshops and dicussions on Friday and Saturday – like we also visited three interesting discussion pannels bout MDG – and had a good election for the board of Yois at Sunday, too. I was ellected for the board of YOIS and now are coordinating the actions from YOIS in Germany, working together with 4 other board members to achieve the goals of YOIS. (by the way: more information about YOIS you can find at: http://www.yois.de

visiting three discussion pannels about MDG:
The three discussion pannels about MDG had been interesting if even sometimes not really good explained. At the first discussion forum a man, near 30 years old talkes about MDG. Jan Szcycinski, studied in Poland, is working as Communication officer at the UNDP in Poland. He talked about the emplemention of the MDG goals in Germany and spoke about some interesting campaigns in Poland. Than the second session was about the Global Marshall Plan Initiative explained by Frithjof Finkbeine. With a nice presentation he expalined us the topic of the work of the initiative. Later on there was an open debate with some people from Austria, a women working on MDG very long and two other interesting people. I liked it and i also got informed about the working from different ngos on the MDG.

During the day we talked about possible campaigns to achieve the MDGs and possible initiatives to get the attenntion of youth and to motivate them to get involved and start some action. Everyoneone came here is also involved in some other projects and presented it here. So we got some hints how to think about possible problems and how to react in difficult situations, finding possible co-op parrtners and think about developping own strategies.

Again with a lot of work I got home to berlin and had a nice meeting with Franziska from tig, but that´s an other blog.

Nice greetings and heaer from you

Marc

Sometimes I get really shocked how many projects about youth here are in Berlin. Last week I met Eric Schneider who has created an own ngo called PNYV ::: Positive News & Youth Views (Website: http://www.pnyv.org)


He forwarded me an Email in the beginning of this week. It was about youth in UNO and I thought it is some kind like a joke. But than I went there to the meeting this evening and I was really surprised. We really have the possibility to send two youth delegates to the UNO conferences who are representing the thoughts of youth in Germany. I never thought about this, but I am sure I will try to apply.

This two young people will have a lot of travellings to different cities in Germany where they will meet a lot of young people to talk with them about their ideas and there thoughts. They will speak about the UNO and about the rights of children. Than later they will prepare themselves for going to the UNO congress in New York in September 2006 and than in October they will return to Germany and they will write a publication and will bring some advices home to our national parlament.

I think it’s really a good idea to include young people like this.

If you want to read more about this just look up the German site: http://www.jugenddelegierte.de

Today we relaunched our internet site www.shout-for-your-right.org. We are still working hard to present you also a version in English upcoming next year, but at the moment it’s still a lot of work even just for the German one (www.schrei-fuer-dein-recht.de). Anyway from today on we hove uploaded a lot of new photos and if you are really interested you can find our concept in a English version at http://concept.shout-for-your-right.org .

At the moment we are also trying to influence some other ngo´s like we are looking to make some forums in 2006 in all big cities in Germany. Active youth should meet each other and talk about different themes. In the end of the year we will have a big meeting for bringing together all the input the youth have here in Germany. We are trying to speak with some high levelled people if the would like to participate this meeting. Anyway we already have the support from ashoka Germany and Yois Germany. Also a lot of NGOs and the National Coalition for the realisation of the youth action plan 2005-2010 would like to join us.

I am also trying to bring these NGOs together and to make an INTRANET between us all. I already talked to inwent but at the moment they can’t help us. Hm… I will ask other computer related people. We can already use the Intranet from Yois Germany and Aktion weißes Friedensband but we have to look how we can sort all our comments.

More about all our plans you can find in a German version at: www.schrei-fuer-dein-recht.de

Today I started my work for the questionnaire for Kindernothilfe. I have to finish some last thinks and than I will send it to all the NGOs I have to ask. I hope they will have time, even if it’s winter holiday… :-(

Anyway I am trying to build up some kind like open forum about this topic because I already found a lot of different PDF documents about the topic of youth involvement and how to grow up the motivation of youth to join a organisation and to participate. That’s why I built up a site about this topic which can be found if you look under my internet site http://www.marcludwig.de or if you look up directly at http://studie.marcludwig.de . There you can find the ended version of my questionnaire and also all the PDF documents I am working with – and there are really a lot of interesting ones. There are even some in English like the ones I found at tigs internet site. Later you will find there e a short summary about this topic.

Please look up: http://studie.marcludwig.de

hey greetings from London.
nice to spend some time here and relax at the moment.

this evening we went to cinema and watched the really good film the constant gardener.

i don´t know when it will start in germany but for me it was a really good film since 2 month :-)

Plot: In a remote area of Northern Kenya, the region's most dedicated activist, the brilliant and passionate Tessa Quayle (Rachel Weisz), has been found brutally murdered. Tessa's traveling companion, a local doctor, appears to have fled the scene, and the evidence points to a crime of passion. Sandy Woodrow (Danny Huston), Sir Bernard Pellegrin (Bill Nighy), and the other members of the British High Commission assume that Tessa's widower, their mild-mannered and unambitious colleague Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes), will leave the matter to their discretion. They could not be more wrong...

The career diplomat's equilibrium has been exploded by the loss of the woman he was deeply devoted to. They were opposites whose attraction sustained a marriage, the memories of which now spur Justin to take decisive action for the first time in his life and diplomatic career. Haunted by remorse and jarred by rumors of his wife's infidelities, Justin surprises himself by plunging headlong into a dangerous odyssey. Determined to clear his wife's name and "finish what she started," Justin embarks on a crash course to learn about the pharmaceutical industry, whose crimes Tessa was on the verge of uncovering, and journeys across two continents in search of the truth. His eyes are soon opened to a vast conspiracy at once deadly and commonplace, one that has claimed innocent lives, and is about to put his own at risk.