Lost but Won (The Judas Kiss) There is a Judas amongst us writes Farhan Faisal from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
thinks that Israel might have planted a ‘Judas’ amongst the Arabs. Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, a notorious individual known for his kiss and betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief Sanhedrin priests in exchange for a payment of thirty silver coins. But who could this Judas character in the Middle East be? And why would he betray his own kith and kin? Why were the Americans and the Soviets interested in the Middle East?
What if they wanted him to act directly and bypass all foreign protocols? If these allegations were true then it is without doubt that Vice President, Spiro Theodore Agnew, was “conveniently” convicted of accepting bribes and hence, forced to resign. This was probably an act to remind Nixon that corporate America controls everything and that he must abide to their demands. But Nixon probably did not expect to be killed by “armed gunmen” which could have been backed by Israeli Mossad.
Another important issue to be addressed is President Nixon’s surprise visit to both Beijing and South Vietnam. Was he going to rally support from the Chinese to unite against the Soviet and lure them into this debacle? If yes, then his announcement for withdrawing the troops from ‘Nam was a sign of good will.’
It is only too convenient again that Gerald Ford got to be President. Remember that he has been claimed to have a hand in JFK’s murder and he gave away classified information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation about the Warren Commission. His history is tainted with black dots. So who is Corporate America and why are they keen to intervene directly in the Middle East crisis? Only time will tell us the truth.
But what if Corporate America wasn’t satisfied with President Nixon’s latest move?
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t is through defeat that we unite. It is through despair that we realize that we have so much in common with the ones that we fight against. It is extremely obvious that both the Arabs and Israelis would do anything to hold on to the conflicted piece of land. On one side, it is very passionate to hear from President Anwar Saddat that he will “take back from them what was unjustly stolen in 1967,” and on another hand, it is a futile response from Israel that they are ready to “face the consequences.”
ing and intriguing part of this entire affair was that Israeli General, Eli Zeira, had nothing to worry about. He was convinced that an Egyptian attack wouldn’t take place yet. Now the question that needs to be answered here is: Did General Zeira know something that the rest didn’t? Did he have an informer within the high ranks of the Egyptian Government? Remember that the date and day for the Israeli attack was not even confided to the Generals until a week before. Anwar Sadat ensured that this part of the plan was strictly classified.
The massive military exercise in the Suez Canal triggered alarms in Israel’s Military Intelligence Agency-Aman. This proved to be an intimidating move from the Arabs who were united in their cause and seemed determined. But the move to rally support for the Arab cause entered new heights when King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud promised to come to their aid if requested for a period of 10 years. This showed the world that an Arabian attack on the Jewish Land was inevitable.
If Israel really had an insider, which wouldn’t be a surprises considering Mossad has been “credited” with the best espionage services in the world, what could be the implications of having direct access to classified Egyptian information? How could this help the Israelis?
The stage for war was set on the 4th of August 1973 when Egyptian forces also brought in their naval vessels. But the most interest-
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Meanwhile in the International Press Room...
This writer speculates that Israel used this intel to gather information on the list of military shipments from the Soviets as an estimate on what to expect when they collide head on. They also could have gained access to the battle strategy. We need to note that the Egyptians have Scud-B missiles. This writer also
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Engaging Eritrea
The Hard Truth
The Country of Eritrea is in the Horn of Africa, and has been controversial for years; the Delegate of Eritrea was thus, an ideal interviewee for this reporter (Ananthakrishnan Narasimhan) from the African Union (AU). The transcript for the interview follows below.
In the seventh and final session of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), hectic negotiations were on to draft the final resolution that would help deal with multiple issues pertaining to the use of subsidies. Reporters from the International Press, Harsha Jayanthi and Prathyusha Ravichander, conducted a press conference in council to pose questions to the delegates on issues ranging from globalization to illegal trade. Excerpts:
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The Delegate of Eritrea presents his points before the African Union. Reporter (R): Sir, what is your stance on democracy and its relevance? Eritrea (E): Democracy is not just having elections once in five years and being a Banana republic for five years. It is about addressing people’s problems and distributing its resources to people as Eritrea does, inspite of several sanctions imposed on us. R: Sir, what do you feel about taking military help from Western countries?
R: Your take on elections in Eritrea?
R: United Nations (UN) reports have said that 70% of your citizens face food scarcity. Your comments on this?
R: Sir, you mentioned your country was in a state of ‘war.’ Please substantiate.
R: Sir, your stance on Ethiopia and the conflict?
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“If globalization in the short term wasn’t possible, then what was the future of free trade, one of the essential pillars of global inte-
gration?” The response to this question came from the Delegate of Germany, who stated that countries had to think beyond their borders. A prime example, as stated by Germany, was the European Union – a group of countries which banded together to produce mutual policies in various sectors, including trade. The preceding discussion turned towards the core issue impeding free trade – subsidies. “What were the most dangerous effects of uncontrolled subsides?” The Delegate of China discussed that the serious impact of subsides on the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) blocked the spending for development. If it went on unchecked, under-developed countries could be stuck in a permanent state of low development for many years to come. China went on to state that the selection of products that could be subsidised was necessary to contain this problem. USA was in agreement, adding that subsides lead to unfavourable conditions
E: We cannot hold national elections due to our country’s state of war. We’ve held provincial and local elections.
E: As a country that has fought both, the United States of America (USA) and the and the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (indirectly), we don’t think any Western nation would provide military assistance with an unbiased agenda. Any conflict must be resolved through a mediation that respects the sovereignty of the nation.
E: Popularly called by the International Media as a ‘no-peace, no-war situation,’ Ethi-
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opia occupies our lands illegally even though our borders were demarcated. The sanctions imposed on us also affect our sovereignty, literally putting us in a state of war 24x7. We don’t know when they are going to strike, hence we have to be alert always.
he first question of the press conference, “What does globalization mean to you?” was addressed to the world’s greatest super powers – the United States of America (USA) and China. USA stated that it wanted the removal of all barriers – physical and mental, with the world coming together to cooperate without inhibitions. On the other hand, globalization for China was the complete integration of various markets and the setting up of a single, global economy. “How could such a state of affairs be achieved? Will it come about some day in the near future?” To this, the Delegate of the United Kingdom (UK) expressed that it was incredibly difficult and would require multiple policy changes in various countries.
Eritrea is able to feed her people; what UN says is only the usual story forced onto it by some nations that want to extend influence over us, which they have failed to do until now.
E: Until Ethiopia implements the Border Commission Report (which Eritrea has been supporting), the conflict will not end.
The press conference in session at the ECOSOC.
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for foreign products to survive, affecting trade. The following question dealt with “the types of subsidies that were the most dangerous for countries.” It was answered by the Delegate of New Zealand, who was of the view that food-related subsidies posed the most problems. This was because, the Delegate explained, food subsidies would keep on growing with population. Also, manipulating the food economy was dangerous, for one country’s mistakes could lead to global markets crashing, causing widespread suffering. This brought into the question of the lack of trust which existed between developed and non-developed countries. Speaking on this subject, Germany stated that trust can only be built when self-reliance has been achieved, and for this, much progress in the development of infrastructure must be done to achieve this aim. The Delegate of China added that it was vital to identify such countries and to form regional trade agreements with them to help them in getting a fair deal
in trade. The final point on this matter was stated by the Delegate of Russia (the Honstated Chairperson of the ECOSOC), which brought up the relationship with Ukraine. He stated that mutual respect was essential for any relationship to grow, and that such respect can only be gained with positive measures from both sides. The final question of the session was on the lines of illegal trade, which includes oil and other resources from disputed areas. The question also dealt with the idea of “trading resources from outer space.” The Delegates of USA and Germany responded to this question, saying that the World Trade Organization (WTO) already had in place strict rules to deal with these matters, but the root of the problem lay in determining true ownership between disputing countries.
Droning On for Far Too Long The drone has become America’s counter-terrorism weapon of choice, owing to the fact that it is unmanned, efficient, and involves no loss of lives on their side. But, does drone warfare really further what they’re trying to improve on? Kanishka Nambiar from the United Nations General Assembly (Disarmament and International Security) finds out.
On the subject of trading resources from outer space, the Delegate of USA’s view was that the area was still relatively new and more data was needed before a trade policy could be formulated for this sector.
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Delegates of the ECOSOC answer questions during the press conference.
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o strategists behind the reigns, such as George W. Bush and Barack Obama, drones might seem like quite the weapon to help eliminate those who oppose the idea of ‘world peace.’ However, the subtle background is a lot deeper than that. As defined by various organizations, Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles, abbreviated as ‘UCAV,’ are so popular that they now have a popular name - ‘drones.’ Aircrafts of these types generally have no personnel aboard, thus reducing the cost of operation and increasing efficiency, for these vehicles can carry on missions for seemingly-infinite amounts of time [or unless they run out of fuel and ammunition] as they
aren’t bound by human fatigue. Chalk one up there for the machines, and a closer imminent world takeover by Skynet sure seems like it’s on the cards. The concept of using drones was first started by George Bush, and his legacy has been taken over by Obama. Statistics claim that the Obama administration has made nearly 1,600 drone strikes as of late, targeted at areas such as Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and even in the Philippines. While drone strikes might be an efficient way of killing terrorists, here’s what they forget: they sure aren’t an efficient way of making friends. The strikes in question, as put by
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some thinkers, might have deepened the conflict, and given rise to more oppressions in already devastated regions. According to various reports, nearly 400 innocent civilians have been killed by drones, one instance of victims also including a wedding procession, which rather instigates a war against terrorism, as opposed to fighting it. Drones have various means of firing like the ‘double tap policy,’ which involves drones firing over the same area of land in intervals to wipe out an initial wave of ‘targets.’ More times than not, innocent civilians and paramedics who arrive to help at the spot bear the brunt of these ‘strikes against terror.’
shooting the enemy’s medics, then you are inviting the enemy to shoot your medics.’ Imagine yourself to be an ordinary civilian in Pakistan. The United States of America (USA), prior to drone attacks, observes a set group of ‘target people’ for over a week to evaluate if they appear to conduct activities which might seem suspicious. Whilst this has worked out in many cases, there’s been many a case where innocent civilians have been killed, either as collateral damage (aerial strikes have large radii of explosions), or as the wrong target. It’s not clear how you could avoid being a target, considering members of such terrorist organisations are fair game. However, who pays the price of unneeded casualties?
The first Geneva Convention made specific provisions for the protection of sick and wounded personnel, including those treating them. It would have been well known to soldiers on both sides that it was illegal to target medical facilities, medical personnel or soldiers considered ‘horse de combat.’ Although this is rather more than a gentlemen’s agreement, the principle that enforces adherence is similar - ‘If you go around
After nearly a decade of killing extremists, it’s been noted that there’s been a significant rise in their numbers, thanks to the rise in the population of people with extreme ideologies. There’s this saying, or threat, that says, “For every Osama you’ve killed, four more would rise from the ashes.” While that was scorned at a while ago, in the light of how developments have turned out, it could just be right.
The Power of the Dragon Ajjeet Verghese from the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) gets talking to the Delegate of China to understand the nation’s views on trade and subsidies. Excerpts:
The Delegate of China stands tall in the ECOSOC. Reporter (R): What is your point of view towards free trade? China (C): Free trade is an aggressive marketing tool. It is good to overcome limitations bilaterally, and not regionally. It improves the economy of not just one, but both the countries involved in it. R: According to you, how do subsidies affect the market? C: Subsidies affect developed countries and in least developed countries in different ways. This matter differs from country to country. For instance, in China, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of people over the age of 60 years is quite low. Subsidies are very beneficial to both the developed and the least developed countries in such a scenario. R: What are your views on subsidies on the globalized world? C: When subsidies aren’t used properly,
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the economy suffers. Therefore, they should be studied for a long period of time and then passed by a country, like China, which has passed 14 integral subsidies since 1990. R: What are your views on import tariffs? C: Import tariffs need to be used moderately in the market. We need to make sure that the price of the import is lesser than the export, and that there are more exports made by the country, instead of imports. R: At the end of the session at the ECOSOC, have you thought about the type of resolution you would like to bring to the table? C: The main aim of China in this committee is to bring everybody’s focus towards a common goal. I would like to bring about a resolution that encompasses the harnessing power of new technology, green subsidies and alternative businesses for a green future.
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PART2: #TWTAAS: THAT’S WHAT THEY ALL ACTUALLY SAID (AND DID)
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The Silver Bullet Cash transfers: A one step solution or a myriad of dangerous possibilities? Harsha Jayanthi from the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) finds out. On account of the Food Security Bill and other such measures, which place a greater emphasis on giving out subsidies, India is fast approaching this cap and seeks to raise it.
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f late, the issue of subsidies has been a major point of contention at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). India, along with other developing countries, has been in the eye of a rapidly building storm, as these countries have called for the subsidy cap to be raised. To understand this, we need to look into the basic idea of a subsidy –it is a form of aid given out by the Government, to reduce the price of certain goods, with the view of benefiting the common man. In India, subsidies go two ways – agricultural and consumer-based. In agricultural-based subsidies, a minimum support price (MSP) is set by the Government for the procurement of crops from farmers. Other forms of aid given to poor farmers include cheaper fertilizers and pesticides. On the other end of the chain, consumer subsidies offer cheaper food to end-users via the Public Distribution System (PDS). Problems start to arise, when the MSP is higher than the open market prices and the PDS prices are much lower than these market prices. The gap between the two is increasing steadily with time – the Government is raising the MSP to help poor farmers get a good deal for their produce, while also maintaining the low price of food grains at the PDS outlets. This results in an increase in the amount of trade-distorting subsidies. The present WTO cap stands at 10%.
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The world has reason to worry for India – and others like China, hold vast stocks of food grains; upon release, at prices well below the open market price, these could lead to a massive crash in global prices, severely affecting economies worldwide. To solve this problem, some policy-makers have proposed replacement of the subsidy system with a direct cash transfer system. Money could be given directly to the poor farmers, while they sold their produce at the standard market prices; the endconsumers could get cash, with which they can purchase food from ordinary stores. Such a measure has been mooted as a form of archetypical ‘silver bullet.’ The mammoth PDS system, riddled with leakages and complaints of incompetence could be scrapped. (A report has indicated that as much as 39% subsidized kerosene is stolen on account of this system.) However, silver bullets – or, in other terms – instant solutions do not exist. Many Delegates in council, when asked about cash transfers expressed opposition - stating that their countries found it much more beneficial to aid the consumers using indirect subsidies and benefits. When we move closer to the ground level, the reasons for the aversion become instantly clear. Outside every PDS outlet, there are long queues, comprised mostly of daily wage labourers, maids and various other people from the lower middle class. When asked about the possibility of saving up on the grocery bill by buying from such outlets, most middle class citizens – “ordinary people” expressed a degree of reluctance, due to the long waiting times in the queues, difficulty in getting ration cards, poor quality of food grains and social barriers. In a cash transfer system, the money will go
directly to bank accounts, with the aforementioned barriers removed, normal people, when presented with the opportunity would not opt themselves out. As a consequence, there will still be leakages. Another aspect of the system is that the PDS, for all its faults has developed a certain level of sophistication, reaching even the most far flung of places, where there are no stores. Closure of the PDS stores will mean people have to travel great distances just to buy their daily food grains. Furthermore, open market prices are fully subject to the effects of food inflation. Even if food prices doubled in a month, the cash allotment for the month will stay the same. Increasing the cash would require complex changes in government polity. A demonstration of this example is seen in the pension system, where a time period of ten years passed between revisions. At the outset, the government will find itself being forced to manipulate the open market price, to protect its citizens, hence restarting the subsidy cycle.
Another, less-discussed aspect of the cashtransfer system is that, the poor in developing countries have little knowledge in managing their money, partly due to high illiteracy rates. In most of the cases, the government cash will flow into bank accounts where the man of the family is the sole account holder. The chances are great that the money would end up being misused for buying alcohol and even illegal drugs. As part of women empowerment schemes, some Governments have announced that women will be allotted a bank account of their own. But even that is a stop-gap solution, for the woman will open herself to harassment by men, eager to get the money. So, to summarize, the cash transfer system brings into play a myriad of new problems, which would pose more difficulties than the existing subsidy system, because countries are largely inexperienced in dealing with them. Only in a more sophisticated world, this system would be successful.
Collision Course: The Rising Sun Nationalism and Patriotism are like two trains in the same track, writes Farhan Faisal from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
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t is impossible to simply put two oxymoronic words in the same sentence. Upon collision, they create chain reactions, which in turn leads to one big “BOOM.” This holds true for the idea behind Nationalism and Patriotism. But how is this connected to the tensions arising out of the Middle East? Israel was a creation due to the incessant efforts of the Zionists which was a nationalist movement aimed at creating a Jewish National home for the refugees from Europe. Nationalism and patriotism both show the relationship of an individual towards his or her nation. The two are often confused and frequently believed to mean the same thing. The popular definition of Nationalism is: “A necessary, although insufficient impulse sustaining liberty,” while Patriotism stands for a “Fundamental to liberty because pride in one’s nation-state, and a willingness to
defend it is necessary, as it is the basis of national independence.” In other words, Patriotism is the courage of national self-determination. Many skeptics believe that Nationalism is the poison, which consumes the country with hate and hostility and as a result, collapses it completely within. So the question that needs to be addressed here is: Has Zionism benefitted the Jewish folk? This writer argues that Zionism had no such sacred attachment or relationship with the Holy Land, i.e., Israel. The Zionist ties to these entities were based on grounds that were essentially political, historic, secular and national. Sympathy for the Jewish people because of their mistreatment at the hands of the Nazis, the now well-known ‘Holocaust,’ was the moral force that opened the gates and still is used to excuse the violations that have incurred. The Zionist state does not see the Holy
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Torah as the basis for its existence and its laws, and it even dares to compile a different system of law as a substitute. This writer is flabbergasted when the Zionists argue that Israel was the deed of their destiny. But if they believe in a God that calls for the genocide of innocent people, it only looks like the mind of a poor sadistic soul who has no moral and no respect to life than that of a divine Being with everlasting mercy. The Zionist state of Israel has openly defied the United Nations in the past and has paid no heed to the racist policies and human rights abuse criticisms against the Arabs. They have tried to bring down Palestinian villages down with bulldozers and occupy territories that are beyond it’s internationally mandated borders by violence. However, it has become a trend that anyone who is seen criticizing Israel is immediately labeled anti Semitic. But since the writer has argued that Zionism has nothing do with the Jews, this labeling is on shaky grounds. Anti Semitic is a racist movement where you show your hatred towards the Jews
in particular and Anti Zionism is a movement against an organization/idea. Also, we argue that not all Jews are Zionists and all Zionists aren’t Jews either. We believe that there are some who are determined to pit the Jews and the Arabs against each other until one vanquishes the other until only one remains. We also believe the current strategy that the Zionist entities would pursue would be to use its proxy i.e., the United States of America (USA) to clear their path from foreign protocols and to control media while they establish dominance over the entire Middle East. There is a power that is growing in the west, the Sun. This ‘Sun’ would look towards establishing a new world order, one that cries “freedom” but in reality is a prison that controls our thoughts. This Sun, the USA, will only survive until the Zionist ideology needs them. After which they will be disposed off. But why would the Zionists want total control of the Middle East? To understand this, this writer requests his readers to read the next article titled: No Man’s Land.
Death from Above Ranjini Ramesh from the United Nations General Assembly (Disarmament and International Secuirty) shares how drones have massacred the lives of thousands of people.
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he United States of America’s (USA) fascination with employing drones in their War on Terror began with the Bush administration in 2004, and was only reinforced with the arrival of the Obama administration. An estimated 2,500 to 3,600 people have been killed in the strikes through the course of the programme. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimates around 450-900 of these to be civilians, including 150-200 children. In May 2013, the US Government acknowledged for the first time that four US citizens had been killed as a result of the drone strikes. Around 1.5% of the casualties are reported to be high-value targets. The Peshawar High Court has ruled the attacks as illegal, inhumane, in direct violation of the UN Charter on Human Rights and constituting a war crime. The Obama administration counters that the attacks do not violate international law, and the method of attack is precise and effective. US military reports assert that the Al Qaida is being slowly but systematically routed as a result of these attacks, and they have served to sow the seeds of uncertainty and discord amongst their ranks. They have also claimed that the attacks have confused the Taliban, causing them to turn against each other. On the other hand, the numbers speak for themselves. According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism’s report, nearly 22% of the drone strikes’ casualties have been civilians. In December 2013, an American drone flying above Al Bayda province, in Yemen, fired on what US intelligence believed was a column of Al Qaeda fighters. The “column” was in fact a wedding party; twelve people were killed, and fifteen were seriously injured. Some of the victims, if not all, were civilians. This was not a freak incident. 22% is not a small margin of error by any scale. The US government tends to quote much smaller statistics, and writes these casualties off as collateral damage, which
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are unavoidable in order to ensure the safety of the American citizen against the terrorists who would, if they had their way, cause great damage and loss of life to the common American. The major issue posed by the Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles(UCAVs) is that they infringe the sovereignty of the nations USA is targeting. In case of Pakistan, there was tacit support from the government at least until 2011, with the Pakistan government even providing Shamsi Airfield as a base of operations for the drones. However, their current position, and that they have stopped collaborating on target intel and that the drone strikes are in violation of their sovereignty as a nation. Another problem with drones is the difficulty of assigning accountability. Current designs incorporate a human controller, who typically operates the drone from thousands of miles away, and is under considerably less risk than a team manning a fighter plane under similar circumstances. Besides, the US drone operations are conducted by the Special Activities Division of the CIA, somewhat appropriately abbreviated as S.A.D. This brings forth the issue of a civilian handling military operations, thereby becoming a combatant, with a questionable understanding at best of the responsibilities and consequences of international warfare. An accidental strike at a high profile civilian might spark an international incident with disastrous consequences. Yet another issue is that the US Government is very secretive about the process which it uses to select the targets, and the targets themselves. This lack of transparency leads to difficulty in ascertaining the validity of the basis for a drone strike. As long as the US doesn’t suddenly decide to bomb my house, I shall live in my imaginary world of safety. Even if it does decide to bomb my the best I can do is move, and ensure the safety of my laptop.
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if it was more stable, mentioned the delegate of Ghana. It also needs to be more transparent; the assessment documents that the APRM comes up with cannot be released to the public, as he mentioned. It also requires finance, and is not moving fast enough due to the review panel having a headcount of 10, and having to review 100-page documents.
Peering into the APRM The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), its repercussions and shortcomings were a hot topic of discussion in the African Union (AU). Ananthakrishnan Narasimhan reports.
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he APRM has four focal points, according to the Delegate of Libya: socio-economic development, spread of democracy, economic governance and corporate governance. Many nations laud the APRM and welcome it as a sign of progress; the Delegates of Comoros, Benin, Angola, Botswana, Lesoto, Rwanda (who mentioned that her nation was known for slaughter until the APRM review team had an opportunity to travel the length and breadth of the country and see the progress for themselves), Ghana, Egypt, Malawi and Mauritius, among other delegates, appreciated it. It is a step toward achieving the aim of the AU (which is bringing peace and democracy to all of its member nations); however, it has a lot of potential for misuse.
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The fundamental flaws of the APRM should be removed, said the Delegate of Eritrea. When a particular country is the head of the APRM forum, it would be glancing through the reports made by the APRM and deciding on action taken; if this country had hostile relations with a country involved in this report, it could take advantage and decide not to take any positive action at all. An example of this, as wittily pointed out by the Delegate of South Africa, is Eritrea and Ethiopia, who constantly target each other. Also, bigger nations could use the APRM to target the smaller nations. Thus, the reviews should be done with an altruistic intent, or it would not be of much use, as noted by the Delegate of Central African Republic. The APRM could be of a lot of use
The Delegate of Libya mentioned that the implementation mechanism is always the problem when it comes to the AU or the APRM; their promises are rosy and noble but the gap between them and the actual work done is rather large. Everyone loved it and mentioned it repeatedly in their speeches. The APRM is a requirement, surely; especially in
Egypt commending the APRM with swag. Some solutions to these issues were suggested as well; the APR should be incorporated properly into the AU and should be made voluntary, stated the delegate of Eritrea. Sierra-Leone mentioned that submitting the reports of the APRM to the AU committee would allow assessing of countries relatively, on a fair basis. Altruistic attitude of governments toward the reviews and reports would help as well. The review team should have an equal representation from all countries, said the delegate of Sudan; Eritrea added that its numbers should be increased as well. Nigeria seconded the point, mentioning that the human and institutional capacity of the APRM is a challenge. Angola mentioned that foreign influence in the APRM could be brought down by decreasing foreign funding of the APRM and getting funds from the AU nations themselves by exploiting resources better.
countries like Egypt where the people ‘want a change of president once a year,’ as said by the Delegate of Benin. If the APRM is revised, corrected and enhanced as aforementioned, the ‘dream of a peaceful Africa’ that the Delegate of Ghana mentioned will be realized soon.
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Congo Suffers Under Caveats The republic of Congo, or Zaire, is located right in the centre of the African continent. Althrough immensely rich with minerals and oil, Congo remains to be one of the poorest countries in the world, with many of its people facing food insecurity. At the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Congo consequently holds a place of immense importance as it debates on improving international trade, in the hope that the right resolution would most definitely bring a better deal for millions of poor citizens. Harsha Jayanthi interviews the Delegate. Excerpts: Reporter (R): What does the republic of Congo hope to achieve in the ECOSOC? Congo (C): Congo hopes that nations with sound technical training and technological advancements will help Congo in developing its resources for the betterment of its people. Also, it hopes to revise its ties with the United States of America (USA) and France. R: So, which would you say affects the Congo economy more - the lack of technology or the protectionist subsidies of other countries? C: Lack of technology, because it is this which has left the country of Congo incapable of tapping several oil reserves, fields and mineral ores. Also, renewable sources of energy like hydroelectric power generation has been in the process of developing for too long now. ‘ R: It has been said that if trade barriers were reduced by as little as 33%, the worldwide wealth would increase by billions, most of the wealth will go to least developed countries like Congo. Do you think developed countries should be more liberal to help countries like yours? C: Countries such as the United States of America and France have helped Congo in exploring its reserves but yet, if they relaxed their trade, then the Congolese government will do its best to make use of the opportunity. R: Speaking of the USA, your President recently blamed their “trade distorting subsidies” for damaging the
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Congo food economy. What is your plan of action on this front? C: Like I said, as an individual government, it would be difficult for us to take any drastic measures such as cutting ties with USA; but their export policies on food and import of our oil/petrol can help us in stabilising our country and ties with them. R: That’s a fair argument. A recent report has stated that, “Six out of ten people in Congo are food insecure.” What would you say is the reason for this? - High food prices or lack of availability of food? C: Congo itself is not very self sufficient when it comes to food including cereals, pulses. etc. Moreover, what might be one of the reasons for this is the malpractices involved in its free trade, leaving the poor to become poorer, and wealthy people gaining instead. Another issue that worries the Government is smuggling of goods, diamonds. R: Some people have mooted the use of cash transfer to solve some of the problems of getting aid to the poor. What is Congo’s stand on this proposal? C: The Congolese government, as such, does not indulge directly in these affairs. The aid is given by the Government, especially to those in regions which are un urbanised/uninhabited in the form of subsidies for them to improve their farming and sustain their resources. R: Which forms of subsidy are more important? - agricultural or consumer
Congo asks for support in the ECOSOC. C: Agricultural, because it remains underdeveloped. And, we believe once it improves, naturally other things will fall in place. We do not want people dying of malnutrition or starvation anymore. R: Over the course of the committee, we have seen a divide between the developed countries bloc and the Least Developed Countires (LDCs). What are your thoughts on this? - Is there any way to bridge the gap? C: Congo believes that this gap can be bridged only if developed countries change their focus and recognise LDCs and their potential. It would benefit the world if countries such as ours are not isolated in the trade processes. One suggestion would be, for USA to help Congo un-tap its oil fields with its scientific abilities and in turn, Congo can become a significant contributor to natural gas and petrol exports over the world.
R: Finally, to summarise, what resolutions is Congo planning to move today? C: Congo does require subsidies as of now, and with the appropriate aid, the government assures to improve the conditions within the stipulated amount of time so that in another 30 years, we and every other nation is self sufficient and we can do away with subsidies. Also, at the time of crisis, if developed countries shifted then attention to nations like ours, the utilisation of our resources can be done for the world’s good.
R: Regarding Congo’s growing trade in minerals, have other countries’ policies affected it positively or negatively? C: Congo, for now maintains relations with USA, France, and Russia. So, even though the mineral trade is improving, it has not been effective enough for us to get into cordial relations with the others. On the whole, it would be difficult to say if it is positive or not yet, until we stabilise majorly.
Congo is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world. With a population of over 75 million, it is the most populous officially Francophone country, the fourth most populous nation in Africa and the nineteenth most populous country in the world.
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No Man’s Land It doesn’t matter who owns which piece of land. After all, we return as ashes and dust to that very land we fought for, writes Farhan Faisal from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
‘remnant’ of the religion of Abraham that had come to them. That ‘remnant’ of the Truth had taught them to show hospitality. To this day, the hospitality of the Arab has survived. The same religion of Abraham should have taught those Jews to show gratitude to hospitable ‘grass-hoppers.’
I
t is very interesting when one realizes that history has been an effective tool in understanding man. The process is like a cyclic poem written by time that haunts mankind. But nothing can be more provocative or scandalous when one takes into account the various analyses and interpretations of our own historical events that has not been given due credit, especially if these analyses reflect the death of innocent civilians. The story behind the creation of a Jewish State in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula is rather very intriguing. As we all know, the Jewish people trace their origin to Abraham, who advocated in the idea of a monotheistic religion- Judaism, whose progeny- Jacob, is the patriarch of the 12 tribes of Israel. These descendants of Abraham crystallized into a nation after the exodus from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. They occupied Israel as a mandate from God as the Holy Land. Over the years, there have been a lot of conflicts surging in this region as this site, which is considered to be holy by the Jews, Christians and Muslims. The Jews, have been victimized over the last couple of centuries. Be it, the destruction
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of the Temple of Solomon, the exile of Jews by the Babylonians, the decimation by the Greeks from Judea, etc. But the most important factors for the creation of the state of Israel on the ground of “sympathy” was the Jewish Holocaust during the hypocrite Nazi rule. A single, yet a relevant question arises. How is it ethical to displace a people who have been resident to a site for centuries based on a politico-religious enterprise? Did the League of Nations and the United Nations play a blind game? But before we answer that question, let us take a look at what the former Israeli Prime Minister Shamir said, “A land without people for a people without land.” Then, if the Arabs are not ‘people’, if they are just ‘grasshoppers’ as he once declared, did they not permit the Jews to dwell amongst them for more than two thousand years? The Arabs guaranteed to the Jews security of life and property while they lived amongst them in the Arab lands for more than two thousand years. The Arabs did all of this and more at a time when Europeans had closed their doors to the Jews, or had reluctantly allowed them to live in ghettoes. Arabs did this because they still possessed a
For nearly 30 years since the birth of Israel, the world has watched in amazement the calamitous threading of Jewish ‘footsteps’ in an ever-expanding Israel. That expansion has not as yet ceased. Despite the appearance that Israel is besieged and is circling her wagons to better protect herself from an Arab onslaught, the reality could be that Israel is preparing to unleash a major war on the Arabs through which the frontiers of the Jewish State would dramatically expand to embrace the Biblical Holy Land, i.e., “from the river of Egypt to the
River Euphrates. This implies control over all of the Gulf oil, which the rest of the world is extremely dependent on. So, as this writer summarizes, he is only more perplexed. A civilization that has its roots at a site for centuries can be displaced only to satisfy the needs of a certain community based on religious grounds. This is done without taking into consideration the plight of displaced people. Especially when one takes into account the brutality of the surging wars that has gripped the Middle East for decades with the support of international bodies and the aid of the then superpowers. All this confusion raises the question as to who really takes ownership of any piece of land. What if we believed and lived with the idea that every piece of land that we tread on was nobody’s? What if every land was ‘No Man’s Land?’
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INTERNATIONAL PRESS - SSN MUN 2014
Head of International Press Noorain Mohammed Nadim
Internal Head of International Press Sankaran Vaidyanathan
Reporters
African Union - Ananthakrishnan Narasimhan ECOSOC - Ajjeet Verghese, Harsha J., Prathyusha R, UNGA-DISEC - Kanishka Nambiar, Ranjini Ramesh UNHRC - Kasthuriramanan Sivaguru UNSC - Farhan Faisal, Sreenivas V. Rao
Photographers
Arun Mozhi Chaitanya Reddy Rajan Alwan Sudesh Krishnakumar
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