E338 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks March 13, 1996 In addition to his outstanding work with the . We should remember aims at removing the obstacles to women's Steelworkers, Joel has played a crucial role in and honor women scientists, such as Marie active participation in all spheres of public and directing the course of Wisconsin's labor Curie, , and ; private life through full and equal share in eco- movement and has also been very active in a and women educators, such as Mary McCleod nomic, social, cultural, and political decision- variety of local and community affairs. From Bethune and Maria Montessori. making. It promotes the principle of shared 1981 until his retirement, Joel served as a We should remember and honor women power and responsibility between women and member of the executive board of the Wiscon- writers, such as Jane Austen, Mary men at home, in the workplace, and in the na- sin State AFL±CIO. He also was a member of Wollstonecraft Shelley, , tional and international communities. It advo- the Worker's Compensation Advisory Council Gertrude Stein, Virginia Woolf, Amy Chan, cates eradication of all forms of discrimination and the University of Wisconsin Board of Re- Alice Walker, Maxine Hong Kingston, Toni against women. gents. His outstanding efforts with these and Morrison, Simone de Beauvoir, Bing Xin, and The Platform for Action calls for strategic many other organizations have helped to im- Taslima Nasrin; and poets, such as Elizabeth action in the following areas of concern: pov- prove and maintain the quality of life for peo- Barrett Browning, , Maya erty, education and training, health care, ple throughout our State. Angelou, and Juana Ines de la Cruz. We women-focused violence, armed conflict, eco- Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the working men should likewise remember and honor women nomic structures and policies, the sharing of and women of the State of Wisconsin, I would artists, such as Georgia O'Keefe, Maria Mar- power and decision-making, advancement of like to thank Joel Vattendahl for his three dec- tinez of San Ildelfanso, and Frieda Kahlo. women, promotion and protection of women's ades of service and dedication. I wish him a And we should remember and honor women human rights, stereotyping of women in the happy and healthy retirement. government leaders, such as , media, natural resources and the environment, f , , Geraldine Fer- and discrimination against girls. raro, , Dr. Joycelyn Elders, Wilma Realizing these goals and addressing these COMMEMORATION OF WOMEN’S Mankiller, and Agnes Dill; and such inter- areas of concern will require a commitment by HISTORY MONTH national women leaders as Sylvia Kinigi, governments, international institutions, non- Prime Minister of Burundi, Lidia Geiler, Presi- governmental organizations, and the private HON. RONALD V. DELLUMS dent of Bolivia; Siramezo Bandaranaike, Prime sector throughout the world. Let us all here in OF CALIFORNIA Minister of Ceylon; Corazon Aquino, President Congress commit to doing our part to help re- alize these goals and address these concerns IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of the Philippines; Indira Gandhi, Prime Min- in our country and in other countries. To this Tuesday, March 12, 1996 ister of India, Benazir Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan; and Mary Robinson, President of end, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to Ireland. We should also remember such inter- House in cosponsoring and supporting H. commemorate Women's History Month. This is national leaders as Wangari Maathai, Kenyan Con. Res. 119, a resolution to support the a time to remember that women in this country environmentalist; Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese commitments made by the at and all over the world have historically been democracy activist and Nobel Peace Prize the Fourth World Conference on Women, and subject to oppression. This is a time to re- winner; Rigoberta Menchu', Guatemalan Nobel ask the entire body to do so. Additionally, we member that women in this country and all Peace Prize winner; Radhika Coomaraswamy, should ask our colleagues in the Senate to do over the world have been fighting and over- Sri Lankan academic and U.N. Special their part by immediately considering giving its coming this oppression within the context of Rapporteur on Violence Against Women; advice and consent to the Convention on the their own cultural traditions. This is a time to Gabriela Mistral, Chilean educator, poet, and Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination mourn the oppression of the past and present member of the U.N. Subcommission on Against Women, now before the Senate. This and celebrate the empowerment of women in Women; Sonia Picado, Judge on the Inter- Convention will do much to help realize wom- the present and in the future. American Court of Human Rights; and Ger- en's rights around the world. It entered into Let us remember that the same fundamental trude Mongella, Tanzanian government min- force on September 3, 1981, and more than rights and freedoms held by men are also held ister and organizer of the Fourth U.N. Con- 80 nations are already parties. Again, Mr. Speaker, on this day, it is an by women, that women have the same rights ference on Women. to freedom of expression and religion, to indi- These are only a few of the many noted honor to pay tribute to women and celebrate vidual autonomy and privacy, and to vote and women of the arts, sciences, and leadership Women's History Month. hold government office; that women have the who deserve mention. In addition to these f right to an equal education, equal opportunity women, we should acknowledge and honor all URGING MEMBERS TO READ in employment, and equal pay for equal work; the unsung women who work tirelessly for little ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS IN BOLIVIA and that women have the right to be free from or no pay in the home and in the charitable sexual discrimination and harassment, sexual sector. HON. JIM McDERMOTT and physical assault, and spousal abuse. Women's rights has been on the inter- OF WASHINGTON I challenge my colleagues to remember and national agenda since 1975, when the U.N. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES honor women who have made their mark on General Assembly declared 1975 the Inter- history, and whose work for recognition of national Women's Year, and when 1976±85 Tuesday, March 12, 1996 women's rights and freedoms has benefited was declared the U.N. Decade for Women. In Mr. MCDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I would like both women and men. These countless 1985, a U.N. Conference on Women was held to take this opportunity to enter into the women include: Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner to evaluate achievements made and work still RECORD this letter to Secretary of State War- Truth, Belle Hooks, and Flo Kennedy, advo- to be done to realize women's rights. Much ren Christopher regarding human rights in Bo- cates for the rights of women and African progress has been made since 1975, but still livia. Twenty-eight nongovernmental organiza- Americans; , Lucy much remained to be done. tions from the United States wrote this letter to Stone, , , Hil- Consequently, last September, in Beijing, ask the United States Government to ensure lary Clinton, , Eleanor Smeal, China, the United Nations held the Fourth that Bolivian antinarcotics police receiving and Dr. Homa Darabe, advocates for women's World Conference on Women. At that con- United States assistance comply with Bolivian rights; and and Emma Gold- ference, women from all over the world came and international laws when carrying out ar- man, advocates for education, autonomy, and together. These women came from every con- rests and that the United States support Boliv- responsibility concerning sexuality, reproduc- tinent, from every cultural and religious tradi- ian measures to improve human rights. tion, and birth control. tion, from countries of every economic situa- I am particularly interested in this letter be- We should also remember and honor tion, but these women all agreed that women's cause it highlights the human rights situation women civil rights leaders, such as Rosa rights are human rights. They reached con- in the Andean nations receiving antinarcotics Parks, Dorothy West, , Juanita sensus on a Platform for Action that will be assistance from the United States. I think it is Jones Abernathy, LaDonna Harris, Loretta the cornerstone for realizing equal rights and important that we monitor how U.S. assistance Armenta, Nadine Gardimer, Lani Guinier, and freedoms for women throughout the world. is used to ensure that it is used for its stated . We should remember and The Platform for Action recognizes that purpose, and that it does not contribute to honor other social reformers, such as Harriet empowerment of women and equality between human rights violations in the Andean nations. Tubman, , , Doro- women and men are prerequisites for achiev- Our commitment to support human rights thy Day, , Dorothy Dix, Helen Kel- ing political, social, economic, cultural, and en- around the globe requires congressional atten- ler, Florence Nightingale, Mother Theresa, and vironmental security among all peoples. It tion to this matter. March 13, 1996 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E339

FEBRUARY 15, 1996. by Bolivian antinarcotics forces. Neverthe- Office of Social Concerns, Maryknoll Sis- Hon. WARREN M. CHRISTOPHER, less, the United States shares responsibility ters. Secretary of State, Department of State, for those abuses. The U.S. government pro- NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Washington, DC. vides funds and technical assistance to all of Justice Lobby. DEAR MR. SECRETARY: We are writing to the Bolivian agencies involved in Open Society Institute. express our deep concern regarding human counternarcotics activities and, as just Pax Christi U.S.A. rights violations occurring as a result of noted, to the antinarcotics courts. Bolivia Peru Peace Network. antinarcotics operations in Bolivia. On has passed laws, created institutions and Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet. March 1, 1996 the Administration is slated to adopted antinarcotics strategies shaped by U.S. Catholic Conference. announce its annual ‘‘certification’’ of coun- U.S. concerns and pressure. Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. tries cooperating with U.S. antinarcotics ob- We urge you to ensure that the U.S. gov- The following individuals also signed on to jectives. As you undertake your review of ernment no longer underwrites human rights the letter: Melina Selverston and Cynthia antinarcotics efforts in Bolivia, we urge you abuses in Bolivia by adopting policies more McClintock. to look closely at those violations to seek sensitive to the political, economic and so- f ways to work with the Bolivian government cial cost of antinarcotics operations in Bo- to implement measures that could improve livia. Specifically, we urge the U.S. govern- the protection of human rights in that coun- AFTERMATH OF THE MARC TRAIN ment to: CRASH; HONORING THE CREW try. Support revisions in Law 1008 which would Human rights abuses remain pervasive in AND THE JOB CORPS ensure that Bolivia’s judicial procedures for the Chapare, the rural area in which most of drug offenses meet international due process Bolivia’s coca is grown and cocaine base pro- norms and standards. duced. For years, the antinarcotics police— HON. STEPHEN HORN Ensure that Bolivian antinarcotics police trained and funded with U.S. assistance—has OF CALIFORNIA receiving U.S. assistance and support comply run roughshod over the local population, car- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES rying out arbitrary searches and arrests, with Bolivian and international laws when stealing the meager possessions encountered, carrying out arrests. Wednesday, March 13, 1996 Provide the necessary support to enable and manhandling and beating individuals the Bolivian antinarcotics police to establish Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, a few short weeks during raids and interrogations. Impunity ago, many Americans were shocked by the for abuses committed by antinarcotics police effective complaint and review procedures to is the norm. If investigations are initiated, hold abusive agents accountable. loss of life in the Amtrak/Maryland Commuter they are cursory and incomplete; sanctions Expand reporting on human rights abuses Rail [MARC] railroad tragedy. Among those are rarely imposed. stemming from antinarcotics operations in who died were eight outstanding young people Social unrest and conflict in the Chapare the State Department’s annual human rights who were turning their lives around: Dante increased significantly over the second half report for 1996. Swain, 18, Baltimore; Michael Woodson, 26, of 1995, as a result of stepped-up coca The issue of drug abuse is important to the American people and deserves the attention Philadelphia; Diana Hanvichid, 17, eratication efforts. Last spring, the U.S. gov- Woodbridge, Virginia; Lakeisha Marshall, 17, ernment sent the Bolivian government a let- of our nation’s leaders. U.S.-supported coca ter stating that Bolivia would be treated as eradication efforts in Bolivia, however, have Capitol Heights, Maryland; Carlos Byrd, 17, ‘‘decertified’’ and therefore ineligible for yielded little results in reducing the amount Baltimore; Claudius Kessoon, 20, Landover, U.S. assistance if it did not, among other of cocaine coming into the United States, Maryland; Thomas Loatman, 23, Vienna, Vir- conditions, meet coca eradication targets. In and few independent observers believe they ginia; and Karis Rudder, 17, Elmhurst, New response to the U.S. ultimatum, the Bolivian can ever succeed in reducing the flow of co- York. Three fine MARC train crew members government stepped up antinarcotics oper- caine to our country. At the same time, they also died while heroically trying to save the have increased social tensions and fostered ations despite well-founded fears that these passengers instead of themselves: Richard actions would unleash a wave of violence. As human rights abuses. In crafting future pol- predicted, the eradication efforts sparked icy, adoption of the measures we have out- Orr, James Quillen, James Majors, all of Mary- violent confrontations with coca growers, re- lined could result in significant improve- land. sulting in at least seven deaths, scores ments in the human rights situation in Bo- The young people were enrolled in the Job wounded and hundreds arrested. Careless and livia and would send an important message Corps at the time of their deaths. They were indiscriminate use of force by the Bolivian to the Bolivian people regarding U.S. con- participants in one of the oldest and most suc- police against those opposing coca eradi- cern for human rights. cessful Federal programs that gives at-risk cation policies is disturbingly frequent. Thank you for your attention to our con- youth a chance to build positive lives for them- Since mid-January, the Bolivian anti- cerns. narcotics police have undertaken massive Representatives from the following organi- selves. They were striving to create the kind of sweeps in the Chapare, arbitrarily detaining zations signed on to the February 15, 1996 let- lives that the MARC train crew members had over three hundred people. Those detained ter to Secretary of State Warren Christopher made for themselvesÐresponsible, productive, are typically held several days and released addressing human rights concerns as a result and hard working. The ideals of the Job Corps without charges; indeed, without ever being of U.S. anti-narcotics policy in Bolivia: represent the dreams of these young people presented to a judge. On January 29, the po- Washington Office on Latin America. and the lives of the MARC train crewmen. lice also broke up a peaceful hunger strike in Maryknoll Society Justice and Peace Of- The Job Corps was born in 1964, during the support of the women protesting the govern- fice. ment’s coca policies and threw over fifty American Friends Service Committee, Great Society of Lyndon Johnson. It is one of people into jail. Neither Bolivian law nor Washington, Office. that era's most productive and effective off- international human rights standards permit Carnegie Endowment for International spring. As the Nation's largest and most com- these warrantless arrests of individuals Peace. prehensive residential job training and edu- against whom there is no evidence of partici- Catholics For Justice, Latin American cation program for at-risk youth, the Job Corps pation in criminal conduct. The government Task Force, Diocese for Kansas City-St. Jo- has provided more than 1.6 million disadvan- is clearly using police powers to stifle lawful seph, Missouri. taged youth with a pathway to prosperity and political opposition to its policies. Given the Center for Concern. proximity of a decision on certification, we Church of the Brethren. productivity. Some Job Corps graduates have also suspect the Bolivian government is de- Clergy for Enlightened Drug Policy. become millionaires, Ph.D.s, judges, psycholo- taining hundreds in the hopes of impressing Columban Justice and Peace Office. gistsÐeven a World Heavyweight Boxing the United States with its antidrug commit- Comboni Peace and Justice Office, Cin- champion [George Foreman]. ment. cinnati, OH. The Job Corps was established as a public- The Bolivian antinarcotics efforts also Latin American Studies Program, Cornell private partnership. Under a contract with the continue to rely on special judicial proce- University. U.S. Department of Labor, private industry op- dures that violate fundamental due process Criminal Justice Policy Foundation. considerations. Under Bolivia’s Law 1008, Drug Policy Foundation. erates almost 80 percent of the Job Corps those who are formally charged with drug of- Fellowship of Reconciliation Task Force centers. The remaining centers are managed fenses—no matter how minor—are impris- on Latin America and the Caribbean. through contracts with such Government oned without the possibility of pre-trial re- Foundation on Drug Policy and Human agencies as the Forest Service, the U.S. Fish lease and must, even if acquitted, remain in Rights. and Wildlife Service, and the National Park prison until the trial court’s decision is re- Inter-American Dialogue. Service. viewed by the Supreme Court, a process that North American Congress on Latin Amer- Job Corps students are young people be- takes years. The U.S. government provides ica (NACLA). funding for the salaries and expenses of spe- Guatemala Human Rights Commission/ tween the ages of 16 and 24 who are making cial prosecutors for the antinarcotics courts. USA. a determined effort to achieve a productive, We recognize the United States does not International Labor Rights Fund. responsible life. Job Corps statistics show that encourage or condone human rights abuses Maryknoll Society. their determination pays off: Seven out of ten