Commissions of Inquiry and Fact-Finding Missions on International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Guidance and Practice
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Gus Dur, As the President Is Usually Called
Indonesia Briefing Jakarta/Brussels, 21 February 2001 INDONESIA'S PRESIDENTIAL CRISIS The Abdurrahman Wahid presidency was dealt a devastating blow by the Indonesian parliament (DPR) on 1 February 2001 when it voted 393 to 4 to begin proceedings that could end with the impeachment of the president.1 This followed the walk-out of 48 members of Abdurrahman's own National Awakening Party (PKB). Under Indonesia's presidential system, a parliamentary 'no-confidence' motion cannot bring down the government but the recent vote has begun a drawn-out process that could lead to the convening of a Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) - the body that has the constitutional authority both to elect the president and withdraw the presidential mandate. The most fundamental source of the president's political vulnerability arises from the fact that his party, PKB, won only 13 per cent of the votes in the 1999 national election and holds only 51 seats in the 500-member DPR and 58 in the 695-member MPR. The PKB is based on the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), a traditionalist Muslim organisation that had previously been led by Gus Dur, as the president is usually called. Although the NU's membership is estimated at more than 30 million, the PKB's support is drawn mainly from the rural parts of Java, especially East Java, where it was the leading party in the general election. Gus Dur's election as president occurred in somewhat fortuitous circumstances. The front-runner in the presidential race was Megawati Soekarnoputri, whose secular- nationalist Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) won 34 per cent of the votes in the general election. -
Librarianship and the Philosophy of Information
University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal) Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln July 2005 Librarianship and the Philosophy of Information Ken R. Herold Hamilton College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac Part of the Library and Information Science Commons Herold, Ken R., "Librarianship and the Philosophy of Information" (2005). Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 27. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/27 Library Philosophy and Practice Vol. 3, No. 2 (Spring 2001) (www.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/lppv3n2.htm) ISSN 1522-0222 Librarianship and the Philosophy of Information Ken R. Herold Systems Manager Burke Library Hamilton College Clinton, NY 13323 “My purpose is to tell of bodies which have been transformed into shapes of a different kind.” Ovid, Metamorphoses Part I. Library Philosophy Provocation Information seems to be ubiquitous, diaphanous, a-categorical, discrete, a- dimensional, and knowing. · Ubiquitous. Information is ever-present and pervasive in our technology and beyond in our thinking about the world, appearing to be a generic ‘thing’ arising from all of our contacts with each other and our environment, whether thought of in terms of communication or cognition. For librarians information is a universal concept, at its greatest extent total in content and comprehensive in scope, even though we may not agree that all information is library information. · Diaphanous. Due to its virtuality, the manner in which information has the capacity to make an effect, information is freedom. In many aspects it exhibits a transparent quality, a window-like clarity as between source and patron in an ideal interface or a perfect exchange without bias. -
The Anti-Essentialism Paper
The New Pragmatism, Anti-essentialism, and What is Universal: It’s The Situation All The Way Down C. F. Abel Stephen F. Austin State University [email protected] The New Pragmatism, Anti-essentialism, and What is Universal: It’s The Situation All The Way Down C. F. Abel Stephen F. Austin State University [email protected] A well-known scientist once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the Earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: "What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise." The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, "What is the tortoise standing on?" "You're very clever, young man," said the old lady. "But it's turtles all the way down!" Introduction “New Pragmatism” attacks the very foundation of pragmatic thought by denying that we may ever have any definitive experience. As what we are experiencing is up for grabs, we can never know any situation that we may encounter, and we are left to ground both our knowledge and our values in our language games alone. This paper argues that this set of claims is founded on two errors, one regarding the nature of language games and the other regarding the nature of deconstruction. The “Old Pragmatism,” by way of contrast, is non-essentialist but not anti- essentialist, and it resolves the problem of how we might know “the situation,” given the subjectivity of our observations and the contingencies of our language games, by suggesting that our experiences can be understood as existing in, and constituted by, the totality of their particular instances or modes at the time of inquiry. -
METAPHYSICS and the WORLD CRISIS Victor B
METAPHYSICS AND THE WORLD CRISIS Victor B. Brezik, CSB (The Basilian Teacher, Vol. VI, No. 2, November, 1961) Several years ago on one of his visits to Toronto, M. Jacques Maritain, when he was informed that I was teaching a course in Metaphysics, turned to me and inquired with an obvious mixture of humor and irony indicated by a twinkle in the eyes: “Are there some students here interested in Metaphysics?” The implication was that he himself was finding fewer and fewer university students with such an interest. The full import of M. Maritain’s question did not dawn upon me until later. In fact, only recently did I examine it in a wider context and realize its bearing upon the present world situation. By a series of causes ranging from Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason in the 18th century and the rise of Positive Science in the 19th century, to the influence of Pragmatism, Logical Positivism and an absorbing preoccupation with technology in the 20th century, devotion to metaphysical studies has steadily waned in our universities. The fact that today so few voices are raised to deplore this trend is indicative of the desuetude into which Metaphysics has fallen. Indeed, a new school of philosophers, having come to regard the study of being as an entirely barren field, has chosen to concern itself with an analysis of the meaning of language. (Volume XXXIV of Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association deals with Analytical Philosophy.) Yet, paradoxically, while an increasing number of scholars seem to be losing serious interest in metaphysical studies, the world crisis we are experiencing today appears to be basically a crisis in Metaphysics. -
Ge.05-14028 -2
Distr. LIMITED E/CN.4/2005/INF.1 Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2005/INF.1 21 April 2005 ENGLISH/FRENCH/SPANISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS SIXTY-FIRST SESSION LIST OF ATTENDANCE ARGENTINA Representante: Sr. Alberto J. DUMONT Sr. Sergio CERDA Suplentes: Sr. Federico VILLEGAS BELTRAN Sra. Andrea REPETTI ARMENIA Representative: Mr. Zohrab MNATSAKANIAN Members: Mr. Artak APITONIAN Ms. Marta AYVAZYAN Mr. Levon MINASYAN Ms. Lilit SHAKARYAN Ms. Aline DEDEYAN Mr. Suren BAGHDASARYAN Ms. Ani GASPARYAN Mr. Gagik SARGSYAN GE.05-14028 -2- AUSTRALIA Representative: Mr. Mike SMITH Members: Ms. Marise PAYNE Mr. Richard SADLEIR Ms. Amanda GORELY Mr. James CHOI Ms. Julia FEENEY Ms. Lara NASSAU Mr. Mark SAWERS Ms. Rachel MOSELEY Ms. Clare STODDART Mr. Keir MACDONALD Ms. Rebecca LAMBERT Ms. Caroline MILLAR Mr. Andrew PORTER Mr. Richard SADLEIR BHUTAN Mr. Sonam T. RABGYE Representative: Ms. Kunzang C. NAMGYEL Alternate: Mr. Yeshey DORJI Members: Mr. Sonam WANGCHUK Mr. Chitem TENZIN BRAZIL Representative: Mr. Nilmario MIRANDA Alternate: Mr. Luiz Felipe DE SEIXAS CORRÊA Members: Mr. Carlos Antônio DA ROCHA PARANHOS Ms. Maria Luisa VIOTTI Mr. Antônio C.N. PEDRO Mr. Paulino Franco DE CARVALHO NETO Mr. Alan SELLOS -3- Ms. Maria Rita FONTES FARIA Ms. Claudia DE ANGELO BARBOSA Mr. Pedro Marcos DE CASTRO SALDANHA Ms. Luciana MANCINI Ms. Regiane Mara GONÇALVES DE MELO Mr. Christiano Savio BARROS FIGUEROA Ms. Andrea GIOVANNETTI Mr. Sergio RENAULT Mr. Mércio PEREIRA GOMES Ms. Marcia Maria ADORNO CAVALCANTE RAMOS BURKINA FASO Mme Monique ILBOUDO Représentante: M. Michel KAFANDO Suppléant: M. Moussa B. NÉBIÉ Membres: Mme Assétou TOURÉ M. François BADO DE SALLES M. -
PRAGMATISM and ITS IMPLICATIONS: Pragmatism Is A
PRAGMATISM AND ITS IMPLICATIONS: Pragmatism is a philosophy that has had its chief development in the United States, and it bears many of the characteristics of life on the American continent.. It is connected chiefly with the names of William James (1842-1910) and John Dewey. It has appeared under various names, the most prominent being pragmatism, instrumentalism, and experimentalism. While it has had its main development in America, similar ideas have been set forth in England by Arthur Balfour and by F. C. S. Schiller, and in Germany by Hans Vaihingen. WHAT PRAGMATISM IS Pragmatism is an attitude, a method, and a philosophy which places emphasis upon the practical and the useful or upon that which has satisfactory consequences. The term pragmatism comes from a Greek word pragma, meaning "a thing done," a fact, that which is practical or matter-of-fact. Pragmatism uses the practical consequences of ideas and beliefs as a standard for determining their value and truth. William James defined pragmatism as "the attitude of looking away from first things, principles, 'categories,' supposed necessities; and of looking towards last things, fruits, consequences, facts." Pragmatism places greater emphasis upon method and attitude than upon a system of philosophical doctrine. It is the method of experimental inquiry carried into all realms of human experience. Pragmatism is the modern scientific method taken as the basis of a philosophy. Its affinity is with the biological and social sciences, however, rather than with the mathematical and physical sciences. The pragmatists are critical of the systems of philosophy as set forth in the past. -
What Is a Philosophical Analysis?
JEFFREY C. KING WHAT IS A PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS? (Received 24 January 1996) It is common for philosophers to offer philosophical accounts or analyses, as they are sometimes called, of knowledge, autonomy, representation, (moral) goodness, reference, and even modesty.1 These philosophical analyses raise deep questions. What is it that is being analyzed (i.e. what sorts of things are the objects of analysis)? What sort of thing is the analysis itself (a proposition? sentence?)? Under what conditions is an analysis correct? How can a correct analysis be informative? How, if at all, does the production of philo- sophical analyses differ from what scientists do? The purpose of the present paper is to provide answers to these questions. The traditional answers to the ®rst and last of these questions are that concepts are the objects of philosophical analysis and that philo- sophical analyses differ from the results of scienti®c investigation in being conceptual analyses. Like many philosophers I am suspicious of the notions of concept and conceptual analysis as traditionally understood. Though the critique of these notions is beyond the scope of the present work, the answers I shall give to the questions raised above shall not invoke concepts (understood as things distinct from properties).2 I count it as a virtue of my account that it is able to provide answers to the questions raised above without an appeal to concepts. And to the extent that it has been felt that concepts are needed to answer these questions, the present account weakens the case for positing concepts. Before addressing these questions, however, we shall make the simplifying assumption that analyses are given in a ªcanonical formº. -
Directory of Special Procedures
Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights The Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council are independent JUNE especially women and children in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea human rights experts with mandates to report and advise on Ms. Maria Grazia Giammarinaro Mr. Marzuki Darusman human rights from a thematic or country-specific perspective. English, French English The system of Special Procedures is a central element of the [email protected] [email protected] United Nations human rights machinery and covers all rights: civil, cultural, economic, political, and social. As of 1 April 2015, there are Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights 55 Special Procedures (41 thematic mandates and 14 mandates 2015 reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence in Eritrea relating to countries or territories) with currently 77 mandate-holders. Mr. Pablo de Greiff Ms. Sheila B. Keetharuth English, Spanish English, French With the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner [email protected] [email protected] for Human Rights (OHCHR), Special Procedures undertake country visits; act on individual cases and concerns of a broader, structural nature by sending communications to States in which they bring Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of Independent Expert on the situation of human rights unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of in Haiti alleged violations to their attention; conduct thematic studies and human rights convene expert consultations, develop international human rights Mr. Gustavo Gallón Mr. Idriss Jazairy standards, engage in advocacy, raise public awareness; and provide English, French, Spanish English, French, Arabic advice and support for technical cooperation. -
Words of Welcome by Pierre Schori, Chairperson of the Olof Palme
Words of welcome by Pierre Schori, chairperson of the Olof Palme Memorial Fund, at the Award ceremony of the 2012 Olof Palme Prize in Stockholm, Sweden, 25 January 2013 A very warm welcome, Radhia Nasraoui and Samar Badawi to this august hall, where members of the Second Chamber of the Swedish Parliament used to meet. We thank the Social Democratic Parliamentary group for hosting us here today. A special welcome to the members of the Palme family. Welcome also to members of the Swedish government and Parliament, of the United Nations branches, the diplomatic Corps and the Ministry for foreign affairs, to former prime minister Ingvar Carlsson and his succesor as leader of the Social democratic party, Stefan Löfven, to the spokesperson of Miljöpartiet, Gustaf Fridolin,and other members of political parties, trade unions, the cooperative movement, of the the National Swedish Police Board, the Folke Bernadotte Academy, welcome to representatives of international and national non- governmental organisations and the European parliament, media, publishers and the business sector, think tanks, universities, youth, students' and women's organizations, of arts and culture, theater and film, representatives of the organization Jews for Peace between Israel and Palestine, of the Red Cross and its Center for treatment of tortured people, Save the Children, Greenpeace, the Salvation army, Amnesty, the Civil Rights Defenders and Foundation for Human Rights and all other citizens here present committed to human rights and the legacy of Olof Palme. Dear Radhia and Samar, all of us have come here this afternoon to honour you and our absent friend, who most regrettably was not allowed to leave his country, your husband, Samar, Waleed Sami Abu al-Khair. -
Tunisia: Freedom of Expression Under Siege
Tunisia: Freedom of Expression under Siege Report of the IFEX Tunisia Monitoring Group on the conditions for participation in the World Summit on the Information Society, to be held in Tunis, November 2005 February 2005 Tunisia: Freedom of Expression under Siege CONTENTS: Executive Summary p. 3 A. Background and Context p. 6 B. Facts on the Ground 1. Prisoners of opinion p. 17 2. Internet blocking p. 21 3. Censorship of books p. 25 4. Independent organisations p. 30 5. Activists and dissidents p. 37 6. Broadcast pluralism p. 41 7. Press content p. 43 8. Torture p. 46 C. Conclusions and Recommendations p. 49 Annex 1 – Open Letter to Kofi Annan p. 52 Annex 2 – List of blocked websites p. 54 Annex 3 – List of banned books p. 56 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) is a global network of 64 national, regional and international freedom of expression organisations. This report is based on a fact-finding mission to Tunisia undertaken from 14 to 19 January 2005 by members of the IFEX Tunisia Monitoring Group (IFEX-TMG) together with additional background research and Internet testing. The mission was composed of the Egyptian Organization of Human Rights, International PEN Writers in Prison Committee, International Publishers Association, Norwegian PEN, World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) and World Press Freedom Committee. Other members of IFEX-TMG are: ARTICLE 19, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), the Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES), Index on Censorship, Journalistes en Danger (JED), Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), and World Association of Newspapers (WAN). -
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS on the FRONT LINE Debut A5.Qxp 04/04/2005 12:04 Page 2 Debut A5.Qxp 04/04/2005 12:04 Page 3
debut_a5.qxp 04/04/2005 12:04 Page 1 HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS ON THE FRONT LINE debut_a5.qxp 04/04/2005 12:04 Page 2 debut_a5.qxp 04/04/2005 12:04 Page 3 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders / FIDH and OMCT Human Rights Defenders on the Front Line Annual Report 2004 Foreword by Lida Yusupova debut_a5.qxp 04/04/2005 12:04 Page 4 Drafting, editing and co-ordination : Catherine François, Julia Littmann, Juliane Falloux and Antoine Bernard (FIDH) Delphine Reculeau, Mariana Duarte, Anne-Laurence Lacroix and Eric Sottas (OMCT) The Observatory thanks Marjane Satrapi, comic strip author and illustrator of the annual report cover, for her constant and precious support. The Observatory thanks all partner organisations of FIDH and OMCT, as well as the teams of these organisations. Distribution : this report is published in English, Spanish and French versions. The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) authorise the free reproduction of extracts of this text on condition that the source is credited and that a copy of the publication containing the text is sent to the respective International Secretariats. FIDH – International Federation for Human Rights 17, passage de la Main d'Or – 75 011 Paris – France Tel.: + 33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 – Fax: + 33 (0) 1 43 55 18 80 [email protected] / www.fidh.org OMCT – World Organisation Against Torture 8, rue du Vieux-Billard – Case postale 21 – 1211 Geneva 8 – Switzerland Tel.: + 41 22 809 49 39 – Fax: + 41 22 809 49 29 [email protected] / www.omct.org debut_a5.qxp 04/04/2005 12:04 Page 5 FOREWORD UNITED AGAINST HORROR by Lida Yusupova Human rights defenders in Chechnya have to work in an extremely difficult environment. -
Special Procedure Mandate-Holders Presenting to the Third Committee
GA66 Third Committee Subject to change – Status as of 7 October 2011 Special procedure mandate-holders, Chairs of human rights treaty bodies or Chairs of Working Groups presenting reports Monday, 10 October (am) • Chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Ms. Silvia Pimentel – oral report and interactive dialogue. • Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Ms. Rashida MANJOO report and interactive dialogue. Wednesday, 12 October (pm) • Chair of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Mr. Jean Zermatten, – oral report. • Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children, Ms. Marta SANTOS PAIS. • Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Ms. Najat M’jid MAALLA. Monday, 17 October (am) • Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, Mr. James ANAYA. Tuesday, 18 October (am) • Chair of the Committee against Torture, Mr. Claudio GROSSMAN – oral report and interactive dialogue. • Chair of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, Mr. Malcolm David Evans – oral report and interactive dialogue. • Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of punishment, Mr. Juan MENDEZ Wednesday, 19 October (pm) • Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Mr. Ahmed SHAHEED. • Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Mr. Tomas Ojea QUINTANA. • Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Mr. Marzuki DARUSMAN. Thursday, 20 October (am) • Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Mr.