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No. 5/February 2009

INTERNAL VOICES

Human rights A human rights catastrophe Feminicide concerns all of us The right to express yourself FAO for agricultural development

CoolPlanet2009 Human Rights Education 2009

If you have any suggestions, comments or would like to contribute to the magazine, please contact us at internalvoices@unric.org.

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Editorial After a long and cold winter, we welcome the approaching spring season. We look back and reflect on the past and we look forward to what the new year will bring.

2008 was the year of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This issue of Internal Voices is devoted to the theme of human rights. The first article in the Declaration states that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights". This is just as true today as it was sixty years ago, and it is just as important today as it was sixty years ago.

Even if it is no longer the year of the 60th anniversary, it is crucial that we never forget our human rights. We have to go on protecting them and informing people about them, because we cannot afford to take them for granted.

2009 will be an important year for the environment. In December, Copenhagen will host the UN climate change conference where we all hope that we will reach agreements that will preserve our beautiful planet so that many future generations can live to enjoy it. UNRIC kicks off the new year with an information campaign called CoolPlanet2009 which you can read more about in this issue of Internal Voices.

It is not just the climate that is alarming. There are conflicts going on all around the world and these past few weeks we have experienced the distressing upsurge in attacks on Gaza. Human rights are being violated everywhere, so we have to do more to protect the people suffering and their rights.

We have to ensure that we can keep living on this planet for a long time. It is the right thing to do.

Marie Halling UNRIC

Disclaimer: This publication is created by interns from UN agencies. The views and opinions presented in this publication are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations.

Editorial

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A human rights catastrophe

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A human rights defender

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The financial crisis and human rights

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Feminicide concerns all of us

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The right to express yourself

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When size shouldn’t matter

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Migration for Development

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History of Internal Voices In August 2007 a couple of UNRIC interns came up with the idea of creating an intern magazine. Two issues later the concept was expanded by the idea of contacting interns outside of UNRIC. The principle was to give to the United Nations interns an opportunity to get to know each other better, to express their opinion, and to read articles from other people who definitely have interesting backgrounds.

The issue you are reading now is the 5th one of the magazine.

Regulars This magazine is a means to Campaigns: CoolPlanet2009 strengthen relations inside the UN system as well as the result of a Human Rights Education 2009 collaboration between interns from different UN agencies. The maga- Column: Freedom of Expreszine’s initiative is solely originated sion by the imagination of the interns.

Agency Special: FAO The interns create this magazine from A to Z, writing the articles, taking pictures, drawing illustrations, and so on. Most of the work was undertaken in the spare time of each contributor, as well as during long hours at the office. Thanks to all the interns who created this issue and who so generously gave of their time and energy, and made this issue so rich and interesting.

Portrait: Sylvie Fouet Leisure Culture holiday traditions

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Contributors in this issue Alexandra Basha, Paula Carello, Anna Chrisp, Michela Costa, Céline Croon, Marie Halling, Katariina Juvonen, Line Lassen Kaspersen, Frøy Katrine Myrhol, Natalie Rulloda, Giulia Torricini, Annemiek Verduin, Tim Wiame, Karin Zilliacus

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A human rights catastrophe As United Nations and the world celebrate 60 years of human rights, this year brings a different anniversary for the Palestinian people. 60 years ago they became refugees without a homeland.

“I believe that the failure to create a Palestinian state as promised is the single greatest failure in the history of the United Nations.”

Photo: Milton Grant

A family in Khan Eshieh, a Palestine refugee camp on the outskirts of Damascus, operated by UNRWA.(1983)

Palestinians call it “Al-Nakba”, “The catastrophe”. For them it started the day Israel was created in 1948 and made hundreds of thousands of Palestinians homeless. Today, millions are living in extreme poverty under occupation in Palestine or in refugee camps in other countries, with little hope of a future with dignity.

UN failure The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which has its 60 years anniversary, states that all individuals have equal rights, regardless of nationality, race or any other status. But with a glance at the last decades and the recent aggressive Israeli attacks on Gaza, human rights seem as distant as ever for the Palestinian people.

“I believe that the failure to create a Palestinian state as promised is the single greatest failure in the history of

the United Nations. We cannot avoid the bitter irony that next month we mark the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which enshrines the right to self-determination of these very same people”, the President of the 63rd General Assembly, Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, said on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

“Our message for this year was to ask people to take a look at that Declaration and see where the Palestinians fit into that, because if you look at the 30 articles, not one of them really applies to Palestinians. And I think it’s kind of a wake-up call for what’s been happening to these people for 60 years”, says the CommissionerGeneral of UNRWA, Ka ren AbuZayd.

He stated that the promise and the right of the Palestinian people to a homeland remains as remote as ever.

Attack on Gaza

Wake-up call The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is also marking its 60th anniversary but uses the word commemoration rather than celebration.

In December and January Israel attacked the Gaza strip, and more than a thousand Palestinians were killed.

Journalists were not allowed to enter Gaza by the Israeli government, which left few to report back to the international community. The UN Human Rights Council may send a fact-finding mission to Gaza to investigate violations of human rights.

Frøy Katrine Myrhol UNRIC

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A human rights defender

“The conflict in Palestine might also be referred to a crisis of human dignity.”

Observer Linn Aarvik at a demonstration for Palestinian rights in the West Bank.

Photo: Scott Smith

Linn Aarvik (25) is working as an observer in the West Bank in Palestine with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). The programme supports local and international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and bring a resolution to the conflict with a just peace, based on international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

What is the situation like in the West Bank right now?

The living conditions for most Palestinians in the West Bank are in general very poor. They are unable to exercise basic rights like the right to self-determination, freedom of movement, employment and other basic needs. The daily lives of an entire population are in one way or another affected by the Israeli occupation: military checkpoints and incursions, closures, settlements, the separation wall and the recently increasing settler violence. It might also be referred to as a crisis of human dignity. This was especially noticeable in the West Bank village of Jayyous where I was an Ecumenical Accompanier for the World Council of Churches. The village is cut off from two-thirds of their agricultural land by the separation wall built in 2003. Consequently the unemployment rate is now extremely high. The chosen few who have a permission to pass to the other side of the wall to cultivate their fields, are regularly harassed by Israeli soldiers.

Which experience made the most impression on you during your stay?

I was especially struck by the commitment the people of the village Jayyous showed to a non-violent struggle to end the occupation, despite the oppression and humiliation they face every day by the Israeli army.

Do you see a solution to the situation? What would it be?

Unfortunately, I think it’s moving in the wrong direction; Israel is unilaterally erecting walls when there should be cooperation across the borders. I believe that both the EU and the United States must put pressure on Israel to end the more than 40 years of occupation. A just peace must be based on international law, relevant United Nations resolutions and respect for human rights.

Frøy Katrine Myrhol UNRIC

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The financial crisis and human rights How the crisis threatens the attainment of the MDGs? The Millennium Development Goals Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Achieve universal primary education Promote gender equality and empower women Reduce child mortality Improve maternal health Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Ensure environmental sustainability Develop a global partnership for development Read more: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ Photo: Giacomo Pirozzi

At the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000 world leaders came together in an effort to fight poverty and inequality. They set out eight goals to be reached by 2015 called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

This commitment stemmed from the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR, along with civil and political rights, delineate social and economic rights.

“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services” (Art 25.1); “Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance” (Art 25.2); “Everyone has the right to education” (Art 26.1).

These are positive rights, i.e. rights that require a state to respect them (this does not mean that a state must abstain from acting which is required from negative rights). To guarantee social and economic rights, a state must define an adequate public policy and spend money to implement it.

It is the responsibility of every state to guarantee these rights to its citizens,

but their implementation depends on public spending opportunities and the capacity of public policy management. Some countries may have more difficulties than others to implement them. That is why the international community acts together to help less developed countries progress in the development and respect of human rights. The establishment of the MDGs is an incredible instrument to proceed in that direction.

Today, the MDGs are at a midpoint and significant results have been achieved, particularly in diminishing extreme poverty in Asia and North Africa where malaria, measles, and child education have been tackled.

However, there has also been a failure to address various commitments mentioned in the MDGs (e.g. the eradication of extreme poverty in SubSaharan Africa or the reduction of maternal mortality).

Most of the MDGs can still be achieved, but countries have to keep their commitment and act decisively in that direction. UN reports highlight that development aid, which has been on the rise throughout the 1990s and until 2005, is beginning to decline.

This trend must be reversed in order to promote and support the MDGs.

High energy prices and the food crisis of 2008 posed serious threats to poor countries and the achievement of the MDGs. Currently, the global economic crisis, which has already evolved into a recession in most developed countries, risks worsening the situation by slowing down or even erasing the progress made until now.

In these moments of crisis and fear, donor countries may give up their international commitments to concentrate on their own situation. If a country decides to take this route, reverse effects may result. Because we live in a global economy and everything is interdependent, the wealth of developed countries depends on the wellbeing of developing countries.

As the Preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “Members States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamentals freedoms.” This pledge demands the cooperation of every state to work as hard as possible towards the achievement of the MDGs.

Giulia Torricini UNRIC

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Feminicide concerns all of us Women in Guatemala and Mexico do not enjoy the same rights and freedoms as women in more developed societies.

“Impunity, silence and indifference each play a role in feminicide.”

Yakin Ertürk addresses a press conference on her recent visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The truth regarding female homicide, or feminicide, is a phenomenon that does not only pertain to the crime perpetrated by men but also the State's failure to address this issue. According to Victoria Sanford, a researcher and author of the book Guatemala: From Genocide to Feminicide, “impunity, silence and indifference each play a role in feminicide."

Despite having ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1982 and subsequently ensured its transposition into national law, the Guatemalan Government has failed to effectively implement this legislation according to recent reports. Yakin Ertürk, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences has followed up on the current situation of women in Guatemala. Her findings show that little has changed since the 1980s.

The Peace Accords celebrated in 1996 put an end to the 36-year old armed conflict in the country and included provisions aimed at protecting the rights of the most vulnerable. However, because they were not properly

Photo: Devra Berkowitz

implemented, women did not benefit from the new atmosphere of peace.

Contrary to the purpose of the Accords, they continued to feel victimized by widespread discrimination, based not only on sex but also ethnicity and class.

Discrimination against Guatemalan women occurs in many different ways: murder, domestic violence, physical, sexual and psychological violence at the workplace, and trafficking.

There has been a sharp increase in the number of women murdered. According to police reports, 303 were murdered in 2001, 489 in 2004 and 590 in 2007. Six people were convicted of murder in 2006.

Between January and December 2003, more than 2,600 cases of domestic violence were reported, according to the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman. The international community learned of feminicide as a particularly important phenomenon in 1993 when bodies were reportedly found in Mexico's Ciudad Juaréz, located in the Chihuahua State. 377 women were murdered in this city between 1993 and

2005, according to official figures. At least 30 more have disappeared.

The federal government, having jurisdiction over these cases, adopted a plan to address the problem. However, the plan proved to be ineffective because it was designed to be implemented at a local level rather than at a national level. Despite this attempt, federal authorities failed to carry out proper investigations to bring the perpetrators of these brutal murders to justice, thus showing that the Mexican authorities have been unable to meet their human rights commitments.

We can draw several relevant conclusions from the work undertaken by the UN Special Rapporteur Yakin Ertürk: Violence against women is a multifaceted problem that requires a multifaceted solution involving close cooperation among three main actors – the State, the community and individual women. It concerns all of us.

Natalie Rulloda UNRIC

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The right to express yourself Imagine not being allowed to use your own language. What would you lose? What would you miss? Representing a minority language in a place where it is not recognized can be dreadful. But what makes languages so important?

As it is commonly acknowledged, human rights guarantee human beings an indisputable respect for their dignity as individuals both in their private lives and as members of society. But why should the use of your own language be considered a human right?

According to the ideas of social constructivism, language constructs our representation of the world. Hence, our ways of thinking and acting are affected by the use of language and changes in language. Ernesto Mayz Vallenilla, UNESCO’s chair of philosophy, actually claims that language is the very basis of our individual and collective existence.

One’s language works as a framework for the beliefs, customs and ideas that constitute the basis for a community’s conception of the world. The values of a community are expressed and communicated through language. Mr. Vallenilla argues that the right to speak and write using one’s own language is one of the most basic and immutable human rights.

Language and identity Lingual minorities are particular in the sense that they relate to the region and the history of the area. A multitude of sensitive issues can relate to a minority language, which may prevent actual discussion about the language and its rights.

Language also has a huge role in identity building. Mr György Schöpflin, Member of the European Parliament, has stated that if language is taken away, identity is built on religion and race. This, in turn, can create more tension–as the world has seen too many times. It is rarer that people fight a war over language than over religion.

According to the Finnish Minister of Immigration and Europe Astrid Thors, when ethnocentricity increases, nationalism increases which, in turn, creates language conflicts. “When you deny a minority, you deny an individual,” she says.

Photo: Johannes Jansson/Norden.org

requires three things: thinkers who can advocate for this issue, support of legislation and money to execute changes.

In addition, a relatively open-minded majority and a minority that participates in the society are important factors for a successful minority language.

“The way a state treats its minorities is a good measure of the quality of democracy,” stated the Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen in a seminar that focused on minority languages and their importance and future. The right and opportunities to use your own language reflects the status of democracy.

“The best way to promote a minority language is to give it an official status,” Mr. Miquel Strubell, Professor and author of the EU study Euromosaic, has stated. Not every country has the will or resources to do that but it is obvious that several improvements can be made with relatively little effort.

The importance of using your own language is self-evident. As Mr. Vallenilla put it, “it is with language that the most important and essential human rights emerge, take root and flourish”.

According to Mr Schöpflin, the way to a successful minority language

Katariina Juvonen

Measure of democracy

UNRIC

FINNISH-SWEDES Swedish in Finland is often presented as a good example of a minority language. The Swedish-speaking Finns make up about 6% of the population. Daycare and pre-school in Swedish is a requirement for Swedish-speaking families. The availability of education given in Swedish is a pre-requisite for the survival and growth of the Swedish language and culture in Finland. Finland belonged to Sweden until 1809, after which it became a part of Russia. When Finland became independent in 1917, Swedish remained as the language of administration for some time, but soon Finnish became the dominant

language. The future of Finnish-Swedes seems brighter than it did a few years ago as the predicted decline of the population has not occurred. Rather, the Finnish-Swedes are giving birth to more children than the average population, the emigration to Sweden has virtually come to a halt and many bilingual families enlist their children in Swedish schools. Also, Finnish-Swedes have an influential and enriching role in different areas of the society. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that Swedish is actually one of the two official languages in Finland, and hence its position is, to some extent at least, guaranteed.

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When size shouldn’t matter Size plays a big role in the relative lack of international interest in human rights issues in Equatorial Guinea.

“For those who live on the edge, Equatorial Guinea offers true adventure” spouts the legendary backpackers’ bible, Lonely Planet. Anyone with the slightest inkling of the daily reality in this tiny, overlooked West-African state would undoubtedly question such a tagline. Despite the significant wealth created since the arrival of major oil companies in the mid-1990s, Equatorial Guinea festers at the bottom of international rankings regarding basic human rights, human development and corruption.

No attention Size plays a big role in the relative lack of international interest in human rights issues in Equatorial Guinea. With a relatively small population, the resulting data gathered relating to torture, violation of freedom of the press, and other failures to comply with international human rights standards, fails to attract much attention.

Kuwait of Africa Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch may report their concerns about the torture of detainees, for example, but the numbers of those involved seem insignificant compared to those of countries with much larger populations.

Coupled with the fact that President Obiang appears to have no desire to flirt with weapons of mass destruction makes it difficult for Equatorial Guinea to make headlines. Furthermore, the significant rapprochement between the “Kuwait of Africa” and the US Administration since the discovery of massive oil reserves only encourages the affairs of the tiny nation to be kept off the global radar.

The plight of Equatorial Guinea constitutes a prime example of the international community often completely missing the point when it comes to the human rights movement. While numbers have a crucial part to play in measuring and tracking human rights trends across the globe, quantitative analysis cannot and should not be the ultimate tool for understanding human rights. The importance of human rights is unrelated to numerical data, their very definition and the justification for their existence and enforcement is rooted in philosophical reasoning and ethical principles. They are fundamentally qualitative, not quantitative.

Weakens the UN Human rights are primarily about individuals and apply to everyone, hence the notion of ‘universality’. A violation of these rights, whether it affects one person or thousands, is cause for concern and deserves attention. Ignoring such abuses undermines the entire universal argument and feeds criticisms of hypocrisy and injustice. And in doing so, it also weakens the international moral legitimacy of the United Nations itself.

Improve understanding Bringing Equatorial Guinea back into the global spotlight may undermine its desirability as the ultimate mysterious travel destination, but surely this would be a worthy price to pay if it could improve the lives of its long-suffering population. As the UN celebrates the 60th anniversary of the UDHR, it is an opportunity to improve our understanding of the human rights movement and the ideal moment for a critical look at the hypocrisy of disregarding human rights violations when it is economically expedient.

Picture: data.un.org

As a Junior Professional Fellow with the United Nations University Office at the UN in New York, I help implement the overall mandate of the office, which is to act as a bridge between the academic “think-tank” activities of the UNU network and the policy-makers at UNHQ. In particular, I organize events and seminars to disseminate the policy research produced by the UNU network, work on marketing to improve the visibility of UNU within the UN system as a whole and assist with translating and proofreading the intellectual product of our New York Office.

A six-month program, this internship has given me a unique opportunity to make a real contribution to the work of a misunderstood but fascinating agency within the UN system, simultaneously offering valuable possibilities for professional and personal development, an intimate understanding of life “behind the blue wall” of the UN and the chance to live and work in one of the world’s most exciting and vibrant cities.

Anna Chrisp UNU, New York Office

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Migration for Development The aim of the EC-UN Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JM&DI) is to help NGOs, local authorities and migrant organizations to become more effective actors for development.

The Migration for Development Knowledge Fair took place at Musée du Cinquantenaire in Brussels, December 1-4 2008.

Photo: Migration for development

The EC-UN Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JM&DI) was launched in early 2008. It seems to be a very promising scheme in pushing forward the UN and the EC´s development agendas. The aim of this Initiative is to help small-scale actors (NGOs, local authorities, migrant organizations) to become more effective actors for development. By enhancing their capacities, the use of opportunities linked to development that international migration can bring about, can be maximized.

The JM&DI is a 3-year, 15 millionEuro programme financed entirely by the European Commission and implemented by the UNDP Office in Brussels, in partnership with several agencies: UNHCR, ILO, UNFPA and IOM. In an interview, Mr. Philip Peirce, Programme Manager of the Programme Management Unit (PMU) of the JM&DI, stated: ‘The Joint Initiative is innovative for a number of reasons: firstly, substantively, because of the clear focus on civil society and local government groups as target beneficiaries; secondly, institu-

tionally, because of the joint dimension of its title, both a ‘One UN’ inter-agency effort, and collaboration between the UN system (and IOM) and the European Commission’.

When asked about the challenges faced by the JM&DI, he declared ‘The aim and challenge is to convince developing world governments, developed world donors and small-scale actors themselves that civil society and local government units have much to contribute to making migration work for development.’

At the end of October, Mr. Peirce and Ms. Riallant (the deputy of the JM&DI PMU) both attended the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), in Manila, the Philippines. Mr. Peirce stated: ‘Manila was a great experience, especially the civil society days, where I found myself truly energized by the great work already being undertaken in the field of migration and development, and the warm reception the Joint Initiative received from all parties.’

The thematic window of Migrant

Rights is central to this Initiative as it is in the international arena. It is a very sensitive and topical issue for the various stakeholders involved because of the lack of respect for them in various countries around the globe. The Joint Initiative addresses this area from a human rights based approach, used nowadays by all UN agencies in their programming. By financing concrete interventions in this area, the JM&DI intends to contribute to the achievement of higher standards and protection of migrant rights.

The first event of the JM&DI was the organization of a Knowledge Fair, which took place 1-4 December 2008 in Brussels. The Fair gathered practitioners active in the field of migration and development from different parts of the world, with the aim of facilitating an exchange of views, experiences and lessons learned in this field.

Paula Carello UNDP JM&DI

CAMPAIGNS PAGE

Change or your climate will!

Climate change is an even hotter topic this year as negotiations for a new climate agreement are speeding up. UNRIC’s new information campaign CoolPlanet2009 is designed to help the process.

Exchange ideas and initiatives The centerpiece of the campaign is a website that will be launched in February.

The year 2009 is widely regarded as a crucial year in the global combat against climate change. To mark this, UNRIC, the United Nations Information Centre for Western Europe, has launched a European public information campaign called CoolPlanet2009.

The site features a wall of events that allows individuals to post their projects, initiatives and ideas; big or small, they can be anything from art and entertainment to conferences and tree planting. The wall will enable people to locate partners, events, and campaigns to participate in. The projects will inspire others to act and create support networks.

The purpose of the campaign is to raise awareness on environmental issues and to mobilize citizens to support a new climate agreement set to take place in Copenhagen in December 2009. It is the second big public information campaign by UNRIC.

In addition, the website will include information on climate change and how individuals can act in a climate friendly manner in their daily lives.

The campaign was introduced in November 2008 at a conference held jointly by the Road to Copenhagen initiative and Icelandic singer Björk, who was the first member of civil society to join the CoolPlanet2009 campaign.

Get involved!

Civil society plays an important role in mobilizing support for a new climate agreement and in influencing our leaders to make the right choices. By working with civil society organizations, taking part in discussions and events and making small changes in our everyday lives, everyone can help raise awareness about climate issues.

When it comes to climate change, our everyday actions do matter.

Katariina Juvonen UNRIC

If you want to receive updates on the project, please join the campaign’s e-mailing list and write to projects@coolplanet2009.org.

CAMPAIGNS PAGE

2009—The Year of Human Rights Education

Photo: Shehzad Noorani

2009 is a busy year in the international sphere. Besides reconciliation, astronomy, the gorilla and the environment, this year is dedicated to human rights education. UNRIC is taking this issue seriously, mainly because of the importance and success of the 2008 campaign “Know Your Rights”, created to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Human Rights Education campaign will be aimed at students and teachers from primary, secondary and tertiary levels, as well as ministries, different kinds of associations

like NGOs, and anybody wanting to know which tools are available to learn something about human rights.

The website should be ready by the end of February and you will be able to find it here: www.humanrightseducation2009.org The website will present stories from students and teachers on how to teach and learn human rights. The website will be an opportunity to share experiences, to learn successful methods from each other, and perhaps also tips on what should be avoided.

Your contributions are welcome! If you are a specialist on this topic and if you wish to contribute to the campaign, contact us at croon@unric.org.

Céline Croon UNRIC

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Freedom of Expression Freedom of expression, or freedom of the press, is often described as one of the most essential human rights, because without it many human rights violations would never surface.

“I have merely reported what I have witnessed, no more than that.”

- Anna Politkovskaya

In observance of International Women's Day, participants march from the centre of Monrovia to the Temple of Justice, home of the Liberian Supreme Court, where they staged a peaceful sit-in protest against gender-based violence.

This issue of Internal Voices is dedicated to human rights, an issue which merits great attention. It is as relevant today as it was in 1948 when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was first adopted. Even before the Declaration was adopted, the UN General Assembly discussed its importance in 1946: “Freedom of information is a fundamental human right and the touchstone of all the freedoms to which the United Nations is consecrated.”

I am sure that you, just like me, do not always remember to appreciate your freedom of expression. You probably take for granted everyday things that you may say or do (e.g., discussing your political opinions in public with your friends, participating in demonstrations that are not in line with the general political stance of your government). In many countries, these actions may be seen as radical and could result in prison, persecution or even death.

Photo: Eric Kanalstein

You probably do not always appreciate your fundamental right to write down your ideas or thoughts, as we have the privilege of doing in the pages of Internal Voices. But maybe we should be more thankful. Maybe we should appreciate the fact that we can write without fear of being imprisoned by our government and make publications without fear of being killed.

“Journalism is a hard business, especially when it’s done well and courageously. Every once in a while, one of our colleagues stands out, far, far, above the pack, for the stunning quality and raw courage of their work.

Anna Politkovskaya was such a reporter—a woman who made all of us proud to call ourselves journalists.

May her memory be a blessing, an inspiration and a beacon.”

On October 7th 2006, Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist renowned for her belief in freedom of expression and her professional courage in defending this right, was murdered. It is widely believed that her assassination was due to her brave and lonely coverage of the brutal human rights violations in the Chechen War.

So, my dear colleagues, I recommend you take a moment and appreciate this wonderful opportunity we have to express our views and I wish you all the luck with your use of this fundamental human right!

Karin Zilliacus UNRIC

Thomas Friedman, the Pulitzer Prizewinning New York Times journalist, wrote:

AGENCY SPECIAL PAGE

FAO: Assessing agricultural development “We must get farmers to produce!”

Mr. Jacques Diouf, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has argued. That is one of the most important ways to reduce hunger.

Through joint efforts of the FAO, the World Food Program, the World Bank and a UN Task Force, European Institutions have provided €1 billion. This assistance, labeled: “the Food Facility,” was created in response to the soaring food prices seen in 2007/2008. The number of hungry people in the world has reached 963 million, 94 percent of them living in developing countries.

Additionally, the 2009 harvests are threatened by high oil and input prices.

“The Food Facility” will provide agricultural support such as seeds and fertilizers to the most vulnerable groups during the next three years.

Through long-term investments in the agricultural sector, FAO works to achieve “a world without hunger” by providing technical assistance supported by research and data collection.

In Brussels, policy makers at the EU and ACP levels are reminded of the importance of agricultural sector development and provided with technical assistance through knowledge sharing, publications, conferences, personal

relations and technical support by experts.

Like all UN agencies, FAO works for the promotion of human rights worldwide – the right to food being the number one of the Millennium Development Goals. The large number of specialized UN agencies in this field is attributed to cross-cutting issues involved in development work (e.g., migration, humanitarian aid, infrastructure development). The role of the UN is to “come together to devise solutions and forge collective action on global challenges.” Thus, the agencies should be seen as supplementary to each other rather than competitors for funding.

So, how do we cut hunger by half? As stated by Mr. Diouf, a key element is getting farmers to produce – now, and in the long term. Population estimates predict the African population will reach 2 billion by 2050 – food production on the continent must therefore triple. However, triggering a supply response in Africa and in other developing countries cannot simply be done by increasing prices or demand. Unless farmers have access to inputs, markets, and a fixed income generation or safety net, the likelihood of them turning to markets rather than home consumption is grim. Market orientation increases

specialization which, in turn, leads to productivity gains. Thus, underlying structures (e.g., governance and infrastructure) of the agricultural sector must be improved.

What is the status of the UN’s goal?

Soaring food prices have driven millions of households into food insecurity and have worsened the situation for those that were already insecure. The absolute number of hungry people in the world is estimated at more than 800 million. However, given world population growth of about half a billion in the same period, the relative number is declining. The current rising trend is highly alarming and requires massive attention from the international community.

With the Food Facility’s involvement, there is hope of a more sustained and committed attention towards the agricultural sector. In the words of Christopher Barrett of Cornell University: "There is a direct trade-off between humanitarian relief and longer-term investment in addressing underlying structural causes of human suffering.

That is why it is so important to identify and employ best practices, to steward scarce resources wisely."

Line Lassen Kaspersen FAO

Millennium Development Goal No. 1: Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger.

The goal to be reached by 2015 follows the 1996 FAO World Food Summit declaration of reducing the number of hungry people in the world by 50%; this is the main focus of the FAO and its partners.

Sudanese farmer harvests FAO seeds

Photo: Fred Noy

PORTRAIT PAGE 14

The whole world is her field She was born in the city of pirates, Saint Malo, France, and growing up by the sea and with family from the Caribbean, the Middle East and Europe, Sylvie Fouet has always been in contact with many different cultures. She has learned that bridging is the key to making this world a better place. In her work as a programme adviser at UNICEF she focuses on putting the world’s children on the agenda.

Sylvie Fouet is a passionate and devoted member of UNICEF’s staff in Brussels. She has been working here since 2006 and with UNICEF since 2003. She has also worked for other UN agencies, the EU and nongovernmental organizations, and all the different countries she has been based in make up a long list. Her interest in other countries started early on and she chose to attend universities in three different countries: France, Germany and the UK. She speaks several languages and explains that that is the way it has always been in her family. A mix of

languages and cultures. “It’s nice, you learn to be more open to things and you are not afraid of something that is different,” she says while stroking her camel-bone necklace from the Middle East.

Even if Sylvie Fouet is happy in Brussels she wants to go back to the field at some point, and her face lights up as she talks about her experiences in the field.

“I have always wanted to work hands-on. What I like about UNICEF is that we are there before, during and after an emergency,” she explains.

When asked about specific experiences from the field that stand out, she is quiet for a little while before she eagerly starts talking about one experience from the city of Al Fashir in Darfur. Many of the children there had experienced horrific acts such as rape and violence. UNICEF came and set up child-friendly spaces, which are areas designated for

children only, serving as a safety net and bringing a sense of normality to the children and adolescents in the refugee camps.

“It was interesting to see the evolution. The place started to belong to them and it was great to see the smiles come back. At first I saw very sad eyes and then I saw the changes in the faces of the children,” Sylvie Fouet says as her own eyes glow with compassion.

She also mentions the importance of teamwork in the field and learning from the natives of a country.

In many respects the UN house in Brussels is a very different working place from the field where the office sometimes is merely a tent, but Sylvie Fouet explains that it is not that different after all. It does not matter where you are. “You listen to the needs and then you try to find solutions,” she says.

She talks about the importance of recharging after working in the field and not risking your health by being burnt-out. Free-time is important and when Sylvie Fouet is not working she enjoys horse-back riding, cooking and taking part in cultural events. “You cannot do a good job if you forget yourself,” she concludes.

Marie Halling UNRIC

A Child-Friendly Space in Darfur, Sudan

Photo: Sylvie Fouet

LEISURE PAGE 15

Cultural holiday traditions

Different countries have different, sometimes peculiar traditions. Four UNRIC Interns write about their typical Christmas traditions from their own countries.

SWEDEN: Saint Lucia A girl in a white gown, a crown of candles and a red satin sash tied around her waist is followed by girls in white gowns with tinsel in their hair and boys wearing cone-shaped hats adorned with stars. Sound strange? It is a common sight in Sweden on the 13th of December, the day Saint Lucia is celebrated. All over the country girls and boys dress up like this and sing Christmas carols and special Lucia songs.

St. Lucia was originally from Syracuse in Italy. According to the legend she carried down food to the poor people living in the dungeons and to be able to carry as much food as possible she used the candles around her head for light. St. Lucia is generally thought of as a person who brings light in dark times. For this reason the celebration suits the dark winter in Sweden very well.

Traditionally you eat “lussebullar�- Lucia buns made with saffron and raisins, as well as gingerbread cookies.

Marie Halling, UNRIC

Saint Lucia brings the light to the middle of dark winter time.

Photo: Marie Halling

THE NETHERLANDS: Sinterklaas The Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas starts at the beginning of November, or earlier if it was up to the shops, when the old bishop Sinterklaas (or Sint Nikolaas) leaves his castle in Madrid to travel by steamboat to the Netherlands and Belgium together with his black-man helpers.

The Dutch children place their shoes next to the chimney in their house, and fill the shoe with carrots for the horse of Sinterklaas and they sing a song for him. When the children behave badly their parents will warn them and say that Sinterklaas will come and put them in a bag and take them back to Spain, but if they have been good this year their shoes will be filled with candy the next day.

Annemiek Verduin, UNRIC

LEISURE PAGE 16

ITALY: Befana A very peculiar tradition celebrated in Italy in the month of January is the legend of the Befana. The Befana is believed to be an old, shabby lady, who flies on her broomstick during the night between the 6th and the 7th of January and secretly visits Italian homes. While everybody is asleep, she fills stockings that have been put up by children the night before. Those who have been good during the previous year can expect to receive plenty of chocolate and candies, but the bad ones will find their stockings filled with black coal the next morning! In more recent times, the Befana has decided to soften up a bit by providing fake sugar-made coal pieces instead of the real ones.

The origins of the Befana are quite uncertain, most likely though it can be seen as a cross contamination of cultural elements of Christianity with ancient pagan traditions. Celebrations aimed at welcoming the New Year throughout many centuries have been mixed with the religious festivities of the three Wise Men’s arrival, celebrated in other European countries as well.

Michela Costa, UNRIC

BELGIUM: The Epiphany In Belgium and in the northern part of France, there is one more holiday at the beginning of the year: the Epiphany. It happens on the 6th of January but is often postponed to the following Sunday, so it is usually held on the second Sunday of the year.

In the Christian tradition, the discovery of the divine essence of Jesus occurred on this day. But today, it is more of an excuse to eat cake. As everybody gathers around the table where the frangipane cake (almond pastry) is placed, the youngest child crawls under the table and names each person in attendance while another person designates each part of the cake to a specific person. Why make such a fuss? Because there is a small figurine hidden in the cake and the person who gets that piece will be crowned king for the day! Of course, he will choose his queen among the other guests (and vice versa if the first crowned person is a woman).

Tim Wiame, UNRIC