Support Ezra Nawi

Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 21, at 8.30, the final sentencing of Ezra Nawi will be given at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court (Peace Court).

The judge, Eilata Ziskind, found Ezra guilty of assaulting two border police officers and participating in a riot, during a house demolition in the West Bank, in the village of Um el-Hir in February, 2007.

Ezra was convicted based solely on the the border police officers' testimonies, while the video footage from the event clearly showed that Ezra did not use violence in his protest against the injustices of the occupation.

The sentencing was supposed to be given a month ago, but was postponed since the judge tried to examine the possibility of reducing the punishment to community service. Ezra refused to comply with this attempt, as he continues to claim his innocence, and refuses to concede to an Israeli legal system which is blind to the principles of justice and truth.

Let us all meet in front of the courthouse tomorrow morning, in a silent vigil, to support our friend and his struggle for justice and equality.

Yours,
The Committee Supporting Ezra Nawi

Forced evictions in Nigeria

Short film about forced eviction in the Ngofaka-polo Waterfront community Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Njemanze and Abonnema Wharf are within the project site of a commercial entertainment project called "Silverbird Showtime". UN-HABITAT estimates that "the Silverbird Showtime project" alone will lead to land clearance affecting between 100,000 and 150,000 people.

EU leadership on child poverty now more important than ever

EUROCHILD press release

One in every five children lives in poverty in the EU according to latest figures; in Romania it's one in three[1]. These figures are based on pre-crisis data from 2007 and the situation is worsening: according to Eurochild members, demand for children's services is increasing, whilst budget cuts in some countries are having a disproportionately negative impact on children[2].

The time is now

Government representatives, NGOs, regional authorities, cities, trade unions and employers are meeting from 15 to 16 October in Stockholm for the 8th European Round Table on Poverty and Social Exclusion[3] to reinforce the EU's commitment to social inclusion in times of recession. It is a crucial time: 2010 will be the European Year against Poverty and Social Exclusion and it will be the year the EU has to adopt a new vision for 2020. Meanwhile there is a deepening social crisis the effects of which will be felt long after future economic recovery.

Don’t compromise the necessary investments in children

Short term savings mean long term costs, both in terms of reduced tax earnings and costs linked to preventable social problems like criminality, substance abuse, domestic violence, obesity etc. Prevention is always better than cure, but it requires bold efforts to reduce structural inequalities: to provide affordable, accessible and high quality services for all – in particular early years care and education and to introduce progressive family policies including well-paid parental leaves and flexible working hours[4].

The EU should strengthen its leadership

Successive European Council conclusions have already identified child poverty and child well-being as a top priority for member states, and important recommendations were agreed by all member states in 2008[5]. But according to Eurochild members, there is still a huge gap between aspiration and reality and the current crisis risks undermining any past commitments[6].

That is why in this Round Table on poverty and social exclusion, Eurochild is calling on member states to reinforce EU action[7] by moving towards an EU recommendation which would include the following key action:

Ø clear poverty reduction targets,

Ø an annual scoreboard on child poverty and child social inclusion,

Ø better monitoring and reporting on member States progress,

Ø more stakeholder participation,

Ø stronger mutual learning, and

Ø a clear link between the fight against child poverty and fulfilment of children rights.

Learning from one another

There are some good initiatives from which we can draw lessons. In his speech to the Round Table workshop, Brian Gibbons Welsh Assembly Member and Minister for Social Justice and Local Government refers to legislative proposals that place a duty on all devolved public bodies in Wales and local government to fight child poverty[8]. But as he stressed, there are no quick fixes. “What has taken decades and generations to put in place, will not be easily eradicated”, he said.

As stated by Jana Hainsworth, Eurochild Secretary General, “levels of child poverty in Europe today are completely unacceptable. They are a denial of children’s rights and a waste of human potential. We cannot wait for action. Investment now will save money in the future. It will also create a fairer society for all where every child can fulfil their true potential.”

[1] Eurostat, At-risk-of-poverty rate (by age group), Eurostat website

2 Overview of members analysis see www.eurochild.org. According to a UK survey of 2,000 primary school, pre-school, nursery and health professionals in regular contact with children and young people, one in 10 have seen an increase in cases of suspected child neglect over the past year. 15% felt the recession was partly responsible; Action for Children - website. In Ireland almost one quarter of proposed budget cuts (€1.28 billion) will directly impact on children and those in disadvantaged families including changes to the child benefit system, charges to access health services, cuts in education and the youth justice system; Children’s Rights Alliance - website

3 8th European Round Table on Poverty and Social Exclusion, 15-16 October, Stockholm

4 For a detailed analysis of the economic case for investment in prevention and universal services for children: Action for Children - website; A recent OECD report also confirmed that investing in young children is critical: OECD report (2009), Doing Better for Children

5 Social Protection Committee report: Child Poverty and Well-Being in the EU Current status and way forward, 2008

6 Ending child poverty in the EU, Eurochild Synthesis Report, February 2009

7 Eurochild Position Paper: Eurochild calls for action on Child Poverty and Well-Being, October 2009

8 Welsh Government website: Children and Young People

9 Eurochild is a network of organisations and individuals working in and across Europe to promote children’s rights and improve the quality of life of children and young people. Eurochild’s work is underpinned by the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Please find here the links to today’s press release, our call for action and our report on the impact of economic and financial crisis on children & young people.

MTV EXIT Cribs

Promo produced for MTV EXIT campaign to raise awareness of human trafficking

Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits Greece

Strasbourg, 05.10.2009 - A delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) carried out a visit to Greece from 17 to 29 September 2009. It was the Committee’s fifth periodic visit to Greece.

The visit provided the opportunity to assess progress made since the previous periodic visit in September 2005 and the ad hoc visits of February 2007 and September 2008. In the course of the visit, the CPT’s delegation examined the treatment and conditions of detention of persons held in a number of prisons and in aliens detention centers, including in the eastern Aegean and the Evros region.

The delegation also visited police and border guard establishments with a view to examining the conditions of detention and the safeguards in place, both in relation to persons suspected of a criminal offense and those held under Aliens legislation.

In the course of the visit, the delegation met the Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice, Athanasios ANDREOULAKOS, Head of Penitentiary Policy, Christina PETROU, and the Chief Prosecutor of the Court of Cessation, Ioannis TENTES, as well as senior officials from the Greek Police Force and representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Interior and Justice. The delegation also met the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Greek National Commission for Human Rights, and several members of non-governmental organizations.

The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:
- Mario FELICE, Head of delegation (Maltese),
- Anna GAVRILOVA-ANCHEVA (Bulgarian)
- Emilio GINES SANTIDRIÁN (Spanish)
- Marija DEFINIS-GOJANOVIC (Croatian)
- Stefan WEINBERG-KRAKOWSKI (Swedish)

They were supported by Hugh CHETWYND, Head of Unit, and Marco LEIDEKKER of the CPT's Secretariat, and assisted by two experts, Martin LOMAS, Team leader at Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales, United Kingdom, and Alan MITCHELL, Former Head of the Scottish Prison Health Care Service, United Kingdom.

The delegation visited the following establishments:

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Interior

Achaea Prefecture
Patras Police Stations (1st, 2nd , 4th and 5th precincts)
Patras Transfer Centre

Athens Prefecture
Omonia Police Station
Petrou Rali Alien holding facility
Holding Areas at Athens Airport
Moschatou Police Station
Piraeus Alien holding facility

Alexandroupolis Prefecture
Alexandroupolis Police Station
Feres Border Guard Station
Soufli Police and Border Guard Station

Chios Prefecture
Chios Town Police Station

Kavala Prefecture
Kavala Police Station
Neo Karvali Border Guard Station

Lesbos Prefecture
Mytilini Police Headquarters
Pagani Special holding facility for illegal immigrants

Orestiada Prefecture
Filakio Special holding facility for illegal immigrants
Neo Himonio Border Guard Station
Orestiada Police Station

Phocis Prefecture
Amfissa Police Transfer Centre

Rodophi Prefecture
Venna Special Holding facility for illegal immigrants

Serres Prefecture
Serres Police Station
Siderokastro Police Station

Thessaloniki Prefecture
Thessaloniki Airport Holding facilities
Dodecanesis Street Police Station
Kordello Border Guard Station
Monasterou Police Station

Xanthi Prefecture
Xanthi Police and Border guard Station

Ministry of Merchant Marine

Chios Port detention facility
Mytilini Port detention facility
Patras Port detention facility

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Justice

Amfissa Prison
Chios Judicial Prison
Korydallos Men’s Prison (for a targeted follow up visit)
Korydallos Women’s Remand Prison (for a targeted follow up visit)
Malandrino Prison
Patras Prison
Thessaloniki Prison
Thiva Women’s Prison

Council of Europe Press release

you can find here the Council of Europe anti-torture Committee recent (30.06.2009) report on Greece after their visit in September 2008.