#3- Re: UN: "International Day of Voilence Against Women" October 3, 2012 [5 Attachments]

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Progress achieved in India highlights  benefits of quotas for women, says UN official Courtesy Photos Attached: UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet. Photo: UN Women/Rick Bajornas  3 October 2012 – A top United Nations official today strongly encouraged governments to adopt special temporary measures, such as quotas, to boost the number of women in parliament and decision-making positions, pointing to the progress achieved by women in India as a result of affirmative action.   “Here in India, quotas have spurred one of the world’s greatest successes in women’s empowerment and grassroots democracy,” Michelle Bachelet said in her keynote address to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Conference of Women Speakers of Parliament, held in the capital, New Delhi.  Ms. Bachelet, the Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), highlighted India’s efforts to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment, stating that the successes of the world’s largest democracy can serve as an example to others.   Ten years ago women comprised less than five per cent of elected leaders in village councils in India; today, more than 40 per cent of local council leaders are women. “This dramatic and rapid change is the result of quotas,” said Ms. Bachelet, who is on an official visit to the country.  Globally, however, women – who constitute 51 per cent of the world’s population – are under-represented in the representative bodies that make key decisions affecting their lives. Currently, women average a mere 20 per cent of parliamentarians worldwide.  “That is why I am a strong advocate for affirmative action, for temporary special measures, such as quotas, until we have a level playing field,” said Ms. Bachelet.  She highlighted the Women’s Reservation Bill, passed by the upper house of India’s Parliament, that would set aside one-third of the elected seats for women in the lower house of the Parliament and in all legislative assemblies.   “If it becomes law, it could potentially lead to one of the most significant changes in India since independence in 1947,” she stated. “It will send a strong message to the women of India. And it will send a strong message to the world that India is leading the way for democracy, for women and for equality.”  Last year, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to increase women’s political participation, and the Executive Director reported that, one year later, progress is being made.   From Algeria to Libya to Senegal, more women serve as representatives in their national parliaments, Ms. Bachelet said. The number of countries reaching the 30 per cent mark of women in parliament has risen from 27 to 33, and 30 of these countries achieved this through temporary special measures such as quotas.  “It is a matter of straightforward justice, and it is also a matter of improving the democratic quality of representation. By having more women as legislators, more concerns – different concerns, will be brought to the public arena to respond to the diverse needs of society,” she stated.   Women leaders, she noted, have proved themselves to be strong advocates for many issues including girls’ education, clean water and sanitation, sustainable energy, decent work, healthcare, and pensions for the elderly.  “Having more women in politics also has a positive effect in terms of creating positive role models and a new vision of the future and what is possible,” stated Ms. Bachelet.  Also today, Ms. Bachelet met with private sector leaders at a high-level event hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry, at which she noted that research shows that unleashing women’s full economic potential by removing barriers and supporting equal opportunity increases growth and performance.  “Having more women in company boards, in senior management, supervisory positions and workers in the formal sector is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do,” she said. “It’s good for the bottom line.”  The UN official added that increasing women’s economic role is important for India and it is good for women and good for business. It is about engaging the productive capacity, creativity and talent of half the population, she noted, and maximizing their role and rights as formal sector workers in agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors as well as increasing their purchasing power as consumers.  “As a major economic force worldwide, India and Indian companies have the opportunity to set the standards in Asia in terms of women’s right to decent work,” said Ms. Bachelet.  During her three-day visit, the Executive Director will also launch a Regional Centre of Excellence for elected women representatives at the local level, during the National Leadership Summit hosted by the Indian Government in the city of Jaipur. International Day for the Elimination  of Violence against Women 25 November UN Home  Main Page  Secretary-General's Message  Fact Sheet  Documents  Videos  Resources  Secretary-General's UNiTE campaign UN Observances  “Violence against women and girls takes many forms and is widespread throughout the globe. […] On this International Day, I urge governments and partners around the world to harness the energy, ideas and leadership of young people to help us to end this pandemic of violence.  Only then will we have a more just, peaceful and equitable world.”  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Message for the International Day for the  Elimination of VIolence against Women  25 November 2011 By resolution 54/134 of 17 December 1999, the United Nations General Assembly designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and invited governments, international organizations and NGOs to organize activities designed to raise public awareness of the problem on that day. Women's activists have marked 25 November as a day against violence since 1981. This date came from the brutal assassination in 1960, of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic, on orders of Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961).  On 20 December 1993 the General Assembly, by resolution 48/104, adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. UN launches new initiative to empower rural women and girls Women lag far behind men in access to land, credit and decent jobs. Photo: UN Women     6  Print  Email  27 September 2012 – The United Nations today launched a programme to empower poor rural women through economic integration and food security initiatives.   “Accelerating Progress Toward the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women” is a five-year initiative that will focus on improving food and nutrition security, increasing rural women’s incomes, enhancing leadership and participation in rural institutions, and creating a more responsive policy environment at national and international levels.   “When women are empowered and can claim their rights and access to land, leadership, opportunities and choices, economies grow, food security is enhanced and prospects are improved for current and future generations,” said Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).   The programme will be carried out jointly by UN Women, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Food Programme (WFP). It will be implemented initially in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Nepal, Niger and Rwanda.   Women make up 43 per cent of the agricultural work force worldwide, and as much as 70 per cent in some countries. Often working longer hours than men, rural women are also the caregivers who look after children, the elderly, and the sick. In addition, many are small business entrepreneurs and investors who dedicate most of their earnings to the well-being of their families and societies.   However, most rural women and girls still face more obstacles than men in gaining access to public services, social protection, decent employment opportunities, and markets and other institutions.   “Together, UN Women, FAO, IFAD and WFP will generate synergies that capitalize on each agency’s mandate to advance gender equality,” UN Women said in a news release. “When women are empowered - economically and socially - they become leaders and agents of change for economic growth, social progress and sustainable development.”

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Informal justice systems must be integrated into  development programmes – UN study  26 September 2012 – Informal justice systems to resolve disputes must be integrated into broader development initiatives to guarantee the protection of human rights, since they are preferred by a large number of people in various developing countries, according to a United Nations study released today.  The report, Informal Justice Systems: Charting a Course for Human Rights-Based Engagement, argues that informal justice systems in countries such as Bangladesh, Ecuador and Malawi, among many others, “may be more accessible than formal mechanisms and may have the potential to provide quick, relatively inexpensive and culturally relevant remedies.”  Women, children and minorities in particular benefit from the impact of these systems, the report says, providing a source of empowerment for vulnerable populations.  “Informal or customary justice systems are a reality of justice in most of the countries where UNDP works to improve lives and livelihoods and government capacities to serve,” said Assistant Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Olav Kjorven.   “The evidence in this report illustrates the direct bearing such systems can have on women and children’s legal empowerment, covering issues from customary marriage and divorce to custody, inheritance, and property rights.”  The report – commissioned by UNDP, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and produced by the Danish Institute for Human Rights – is the most comprehensive UN study on this area of justice to date, UNDP said in a news release. The report draws its conclusions based on research carried out in 18 developing countries.   “There has been little research or literature on children and informal justice systems to date, and this study is important in beginning to document the issues around children’s engagement with informal justice systems,” said UNICEF Assistant Director Susan Bissell. “Reconciling the procedures followed by informal justice systems with children’s rights, and ensuring that international standards about children and justice are implemented, is a challenge that the report clearly documents.”  Both formal justice systems – government-supported laws, police, courts, and prisons – and informal or traditional systems can violate human rights, reinforce discrimination, and neglect principles of procedural fairness.   “The efficacy of working with informal justice systems requires that it be complemented by engagement with the formal justice system and with development programming that addresses the broader social, cultural, political, and economic context of informal justice systems,” the report says. Surveys in Somalia, it notes, found up to 80 per cent of the population preferred arbitration by clan leaders to engagement with the formal justice system.  The report points out that formal and informal justice mechanisms need to learn from and cooperate with one another to widen access to justice and protection of human rights to all citizens. Broader development initiatives in education and health may also help change the way informal systems are structured and help create an environment where human rights can be respected.  “The crucial value in this report lies in its emphasis on what can be achieved in terms of improving access to justice and human rights through informal systems,” Mr. Kjorven said.   “Changes should be evaluated over the long term, but training adjudicators, increasing the number of women in decisions-making posts, empowering paralegals and women’s groups to monitor and engage with customary leaders – all these efforts will continually improve individual and communal experiences of justice.” H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK) --- On Thu, 10/4/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote: From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> Subject: [camnetwork] #3- Re: UN: "International Day of Voilence Against Women" October 3, 2012 [5 Attachments] To: menf...@yahoogroups.com, cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, October 4, 2012, 3:09 PM   [Attachment(s) from H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV included below]

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

On World Mental Health Day, Ban calls depression under-appreciated global health crisis Patients at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Delhi, India. Photo: WHO/P. Virot 24  Print  Email 10 October 2012 – Terming depression, which afflicts 350 million people worldwide, an “under-appreciated global health crisis,”Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for an international effort to increase access to a wide variety of effective and affordable treatments and remove the social stigma attached to the illness. “Among the barriers to care and services are social stigma and the lack of general health care providers and specialists trained to identify and treat depression,” he said in a message marking World Mental Health Day, in which he noted that about 1 million people commit suicide every year, the majority due to unidentified or untreated depression. Among the barriers to care and services are social stigma and the lack of general health care providers and specialists trained to identify and treat depression. He stressed that although a wide variety of effective and affordable treatments are available to treat depression, including psychosocial interventions and medicines, these are not accessible to all people, especially those living in less developed countries and the least advantaged citizens of more developed nations. Mr. Ban noted that the UN World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting countries through its Mental Health Gap Action Programme, but added that depression is not simply a matter for health experts. “We can all act to relieve the stigma around depression and other mental disorders, perhaps by admitting that we may have experienced depression ourselves, or by reaching out to those experiencing it now. On World Mental Health Day, let us pledge to talk more openly about depression. “This is the first critical step to removing one of the barriers to treatment and helping to reduce the disability and distress caused by this global crisis,” he added, stressing that the illness diminishes people’s ability to cope with the daily challenges of life, and often precipitates family disruption, interrupted education and loss of jobs. Among the causes of depression, Mr. Ban cited genetic, biological, psychological and social factors, while stress, grief, conflict, abuse and unemployment can also contribute. Women are more likely to suffer depression than men, including following childbirth, he noted. In collaboration with WHO, writer and illustrator Matthew Johnstone tells the story of overcoming the "black dog of depression". Credit: WHO Beyond the 350 million people of all ages, incomes and nationalities who directly suffer from depression, millions more – family, friends, co-workers – are exposed to the indirect effects of the affliction, he noted. Mr. Ban’s message was echoed by the WHO, which underscored how depression interferes with the ability to function at work, school or home. “We have some highly effective treatments for depression. Unfortunately, fewer than half of the people who have depression receive the care they need. In fact, in many countries this is less than ten per cent,” Shekhar Saxena, Director of the Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, said. “This is why WHO is supporting countries in fighting stigma as a key activity to increasing access to treatment.”

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

5 October 2010 Secretary-General SG/SM/13164  OBV/920 Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York SECRETARY-GENERAL, IN MESSAGE FOR WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY, URGES END   TO EXCLUSION OF THOSE SUFFERING PSYCHOSOCIAL, RELATED DISORDERS   Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for World Mental Health Day, to be observed on 10 October: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights guarantee the right of everyone to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including to medical care and services, without discrimination of any kind. The constitution of the World Health Organization refers to the physical, mental and social aspects of our well-being, which are closely linked.  Mental illnesses seriously affect our bodies and our social relationships, while physical health problems, especially when severe and protracted, can lead to social isolation and mental illness. But many countries fall far short in treatment for those suffering with mental illness — even though it is relatively inexpensive and easy to deliver.  The vast majority of people with mental, neurological and substance-use disorders do not receive even the most basic care.  Yet such services are essential if we are to offer hope to some of the most marginalized people in the world, especially in developing countries, to live their lives in dignity. The World Health Organization's mental health Gap Action Programme is the global response to the high demand for these health services.  I call on all countries to embrace and fulfil the objectives of this programme.  With proper care, tens of millions of people could be treated for depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy and other illnesses. We must break down the barriers that continue to exclude those with mental or psychosocial disabilities.  There is no place in our world for discrimination against those with mental illness.  There can be no health without mental health. * *** * For information media • not an official record

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

Progress achieved in India highlights

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

In so far as Governments are under the armpit "Financiers of Power and Secret Cults"; In so far as Churches cannot print currency for Exchange of goods, services, life and death; In so far as citizens of nations are controlled by a private secret group worldwide via  different sexual and structural instruments that have been systematized and secularized then normalized into every tribe of the world,  In so far as the hand that gives stands over the hand that receives; In so far as God has no single nation yet on earth to claim total ownership; In so far as Schools and Universities have no Truth of Absolute proportions from God; It there fore suffices to say that it is not the place of Governments  or heads of churches and religions to decree the issue of homosexuality which is purely  an aspect of physical/spiritual nature; It is the role of Spiritual leaders, Traditional and Family Leaders  to educate the masses and uphold the purity of lineage and heart of men and women of different tribes and families of the world.  When private interest controls and fashions philosophy and miseducation, it is private interest to stand up above and beyond institutions, governments and corps of SATAN.   The core of the Universe is the individual, the family and the tribe (three levels of foundation).  It is therefore from these three basic units that the World will be refashioned, re-organized, re-educated, re-spirited and liberated. The World and Governments have been overly corrupted for the past two thousand years and six thousand year; can one President or leader of corps stand to change it over night?  The responsibility must be borne at the three cores of society by each and everyone. And that is the way of heaven; and that is the way I see it!!! Collective sins and global failures call for collective responsibility. -- H.E. Kum Nelson Bame Bame Ukraine draft law banning homosexual references violates freedom of expression – UN The rainbow flag waves in the wind at San Francisco's Castro District. Credit: Benson Kua 4  Print  Email 5 October 2012 – A new draft law criminalizing any reference to homosexuality in the media or public domain violates Ukraine’s commitment to freedom of expression and information, the United Nations said today, urging the country’s authorities to strengthen anti-discrimination laws for all citizens. On Tuesday, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted, at first reading, a draft law, which introduces anti-homosexuality amendments into four existing laws, as well as into Ukraine’s criminal code. If adopted in its current form, references to homosexuality in the media could result in fines or prison sentences of up to five years, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Addressing reporters in Geneva, an OHCHR spokesperson, Rupert Colville, said the draft law “is clearly discriminatory and runs counter to Ukraine’s international commitments to ensure freedom of expression and information.” He added, “It may also undermine the rights to health and equality before the law, and raises serious question marks over the country's adherence to fundamental human rights values, as contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention for the Protection of Human rights and Fundamental Freedoms.” The proposed law, Mr. Colville said, contradicts the recently adopted anti-discrimination law in the country, and added that to clear some of the contradictions Ukraine should strengthen its anti-discrimination law by making explicit references to sexual orientation and gender identity as possible grounds of discrimination. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated it expects Parliament to take into account Ukraine’s international obligations to protect minority rights during the second reading of the draft law, which will take place later this month. “We urge the Ukrainian authorities to take all necessary steps to strengthen individual human rights guarantees against discrimination, and note that the second reading of the draft law will provide an opportunity for the new parliament, which will be elected at the end of October, to rectify the situation,” Mr. Colville said. He added that OHCHR, in close partnership with international and regional organizations as well as national institutions and civil society organizations, is ready to assist Ukraine to “promote an inclusive anti-discrimination agenda and legislation that will be protective of the rights of all without any distinction.”

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Wed, 10/10/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> Subject: [AfricanTalk] UN: World Mental Health Day. To: menf...@yahoogroups.com, cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com

Date: Wednesday, October 10, 2012, 3:21 PM

Progress achieved in India highlights

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Roundtable in DC: The Tragedy and Hope for Syria By UPF Office of Peace and Security Affairs, Washington, DC    Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Summary report on the Roundtable on “The Tragedy and Hope for Syria,” hosted by the UPF Office of Peace and Security Affairs at The Washington Times, Green Room, September 26, 2012. The moderator was Hon. David Newton, former US ambassador to Yemen and Iraq, and currently adjunct scholar, Middle East Institute. The Syrian conflict began in March 2011, just one month after Egypt’s revolution. Today, over 20,000 have been killed in what is now a civil war between the government of Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his regime. Russia and Iran have inhibited the peaceful resolution of this conflict. 1/7      Unlike the case of Libya, to date, there has been minimal international involvement in this conflict. Many feel that more needs to be done immediately to pressure Assad to step down or otherwise enable the Syrian opposition to overcome the military superiority of the regime’s forces. Regardless of when Assad may fall, serious planning has been underway since January, facilitated by the U.S. through the U.S. Institute of Peace, to prepare a transition process for a more democratic Syria. Our forum invited Syrian and Middle East experts to explore the background and evolution of this year-and-a-half long conflict, where the civil war presently stands, the possibility of greater intervention by the West, the immediate impact of the conflict upon Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Israel, as well as the positions taken by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and the roles, counter-productive or productive, being played by Russia, Iran, the EU, and the U.S. We also discussed in depth the various potential outcomes of the civil war, including more pessimistic ones that involve the permanent fragmentation of the Syrian nation, as well as more optimistic ones that foresee a democratic and unified Syria as a viable possibility. Opening remarks by Dr. Antonio Betancourt, Director, Office of Peace and Security Affairs: Good afternoon distinguished guests, scholars, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us for a discussion of one of the most important topics currently facing the international community. On behalf of UPF International’s Office of Peace and Security Affairs, I welcome you to our roundtable discussion on the theme “The Tragedy and Hope for Syria.” After the horrific events that occurred in Benghazi, Libya, and subsequent two weeks of tense political protests that ricocheted throughout the Middle East due to an offensive amateur film, the world is now refocusing on the bleak situation in Syria. With President Assad’s refusal of international assistance in brokering a solution, and the Syrian army’s continual attacks against civilians, countries in and out of the region are desperate for a tenable solution. With an estimated over 20,000 dead and thousands more likely to follow, it is indispensable that the international community work with the necessary actors to prevent further death and destruction and lay out possible ways forward. But who should those actors be? Where does the United States fall in this discussion?  Who are the internal actors that may be useful in solving the conflict?  Who are those actors that consistently create barriers to peace?  There are many questions surrounding this issue and numerous possible answers. There are those of us who sincerely believe in the universal longing of individuals and the collective to find their sovereignty, the call for freedom, freedom of the mind, freedom of conscience, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. Many of us believe these social gifts are not mere Western inventions but universal aspirations of human beings regardless of their backgrounds. We can’t but hope that these gifts and blessings will be made available to the people of Syria to rebuild a country that can bring the maximum of peace and prosperity to all its people and to the region. There are many in our midst who doubt the process of “democratization” in the Arab world, who believe that this process will eventually work against our own interests, that totalitarian forces are using “democracy movements” to achieve sinister political ends, and that those cultures can never be fully democratic. To them I say, there may be a circumstantial period of confusion in which one political group or ideology takes advantage of the situation, as we see in the development of democracy in Tunisia, Egypt, and even Libya. That fear paralyzes the political will for action in Syria, and even in Israel and Palestine. But the reality is that the phenomena of one party rule or of totalitarian regimes using democracy as a façade are transient things. They are not sustainable anymore; they are short-lived, and bound to change because of the irreversible process of social media, the free flow of information and communication, best ideas, best practices, technological innovations, etc. This process unparalleled in the history of humanity is changing the minds of educated and uneducated public opinion. We are not in 1917, or the 1950s, or even the 1990s. Societies everywhere are fighting for participation in how to define and construct their destinies. The conditions for the imposition of a single ideology or one party rule are rapidly disappearing from the face of the earth. That applies to the Islamic world as well, where countries have been able to maintain a form of orthodoxy on “purity” of thought for centuries. They are in the middle of a universal transformation that will inevitably lead them to freedom and democracy, not Western style, but adapted to their culture and traditions. Today, we are privileged to have here experts in that area of the world, good minds in the field of mediation and peace-making to discuss Syria’s options.  Although there has been so much tragedy in this nation, there is always hope for a future better than the present. The Office of Peace and Security Affairs is part of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), an international NGO active in more than 140 countries in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN. UPF works actively worldwide to create a culture of peace and reconciliation. Our office in Washington puts together monthly programs where global problems that affect the international community are discussed and the results are disseminated to a constituency of Ambassadors for Peace numbered in the tens of thousands around the world. Many of these individuals are in leadership positions in governments, legislatures, academia, think tanks, mass media, and the private sector. It is a great pleasure to have a distinguished panel that will be led by our moderator, Hon. David G. Newton. Ambassador Newton, an adjunct scholar with the Middle East Institute and lecturer and TV commentator, returned home in 2004 after six years in Prague as the first director of Radio Free Iraq. Before that appointment, he had retired from a 36-year diplomatic career, having served as U.S. ambassador to Yemen and ambassador to Iraq.  Other tours included deputy chief of mission in Yemen and Syria, political counselor in Saudi Arabia, Near East division chief for intelligence and research, and director for Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and PLO affairs.  He received a presidential medal for his Iraq assignment, numerous Foreign Service awards, and a U.S. Army medal for outstanding civilian service. From 1990 to 1993 he was deputy commandant for foreign affairs and chairman of the national security policy department at the National War College, and from 2007-09 he was president of the National War College Alumni Association.  He received his B.A. from Harvard College and an M.A. from the University of Michigan. (End of Dr. Betancourt’s remarks) After welcoming the participants, Amb. Newton laid out the agenda. First, what are the various reasons that led us into such a violent struggle? Second, the situation of the minorities – Alawite, Kurd, Druze, Christian, and Ismaili. Third, potential outside intervention from the U.S., Russia, China, and the regional powers. The Ambassador outlined three possible outcomes: First, the regime crushes the opposition, which he doesn’t see as very likely. Second, the opposition wins out. Third, the violent situation continues. Dr. Murhaf Jouejati, a Syrian-born specialist, professor of Middle East studies at the National Defense University, and a member of the Syrian National Council (a coalition of exile opposition groups based in Turkey), called the situation in Syria a “catastrophe of huge proportions” and one of “unprecedented brutality.” Dr. Jouejati believes the regime is close to collapse. He cited three examples that support this view: First, more than 80,000 members of the opposition forces, largely composed of former Syrian soldiers who refused to fire on civilians. Second, the number of high-ranking military officials who have defected from the regime to the rebels. Third, the nation’s skyrocketing inflation and unemployment rates. Syrian President Assad, he said, isn’t concerned with sanctions, international courts, or condemnation. “Assad deems Syria as his family farm, and he is determined that if he is going to go down, he is going to take with him the rest of the country.” Dr. Jouejati condemned China, Iran, and Russia for sending military aid to support Assad. “The government of Russia is a partner in mass murder, and let history show that,” he said. Dr. Mark Barry, scholar with the UPF Office of Peace and Security Affairs, commented that the inhumanity in Syria should be considered in not merely political or sociological terms, but psychological. Assad’s contempt for his people is reminiscent of the communist genocide against the Ukrainian people, Pol Pot’s Cambodia, or how the North Korean leadership treats its citizens. Tom Dine, the former director of AIPAC (America-Israel Public Affairs Committee), and currently Senior Advisor, Syria Program, Search for Common Ground, said, “Syrian society is deeply, indeed dangerously, divided for and against the ruling family, among religious and tribal sects within Syria and among its bordering neighbors. Lethal force and chaos continue to increase.” As to what initiated the violence, another participant representing Search for Common Ground raised the issue of wide-spread corruption and its disrespect for human dignity. “This resentment against the regime was underlying and bubbling.” Any person who simply wants to go to the market has to pay off the policeman in order to park their car, and then another bribe to bring the goods home and another and another; this corruption is found throughout the government. James G. Jatras, former senior policy adviser to U.S. Senate Republican leadership, spoke about America’s responsibility in contributing to the situation. Throughout the history of the United States, he said, dictatorships were supported when it served the geopolitical interests of the U.S. In the case of Syria, he feels the U.S. was “awfully quick to pull the trigger on the demand for regime change.” By doing so, he feels we lost credibility and “guaranteed that Russia and China would be forced into the corner.” Tom Dine disagreed with Mr. Jatras’ opinion and emphasized the “corruption from top to bottom” in Syria as the primary cause, and characterized the civil war as “an internal strife situation.” Ralph Winnie of the Eurasia Center said the United States’ “best strategy from the outset should have been to talk about the chemical weapons” in Syria, and argue “that if they fell into the wrong hands of the radical Islamic groups then extreme instability would be generated in the region.” This would have been a much easier argument to sell to the Chinese and the Russians to get them to come on board, rather than deal with a civil uprising or calls of genocide. Winnie feels there would have been quicker international reaction, but that now the situation looks like “it could spiral out of control and radical Islamic fundamentalist groups are waiting to fill the vacuum.” From the perspective of the West, according to Dr. Jouejati, there is a rise of Islamic extremism, but initially, “there were peaceful demonstrators – Sunnis, Christians, Kurds – and there was no hint of Islamist terrorism.” He said the people called for freedom and dignity. It took quite awhile for the United States to say something about the situation because the U.S. was “concerned about its strategic interests,” rather than what he described as a simple problem. Dr. Jouejati said, “if we are to reduce it to its basic core, it is a small but ruthless dictatorship that is facing a popular uprising. Over time it is evolving into issues of weapons of mass destruction and sectarianism, but at its core, it is not dissimilar to what is happening to the entire neighborhood – it is a domestic issue.” Amb. Newton brought up the situation of the minorities – Christians and Kurds – caught in the middle of the violence in Syria. Dr. Jouejati said the Kurds, which are the largest ethnic minority in Syria make up 9% of the country’s population and have faced routine discrimination and harassment by the government. Recently, the government has granted citizenship to more than 300,000 Kurds. This is clearly a gesture by President Assad to appease and placate them. The Kurds want to make a deal – they want an autonomous state, however, if Assad gives the Kurds autonomy, then what about the other ethnic minorities: Alawite, Assyrians, Armenians, Circassians, etc.? Tom Dine raised the role of Turkey in dealing with Syria. Recently the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) moved their command center from Turkey to Syria. Turkey will continue as the rear base for supplies and reinforcements. The rebels have taken large areas of Syrian territory bordering Turkey. Besides Turkey, the Syrian conflict has spilled into Jordan and Lebanon. Relations between Turkey and Syria, once close allies, have deteriorated sharply. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan is committed, along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, among others, to bring about regime change in Damascus. It has allowed the Syrian opposition to set up headquarters in Istanbul, and it is arming and training the Sunni rebels. Mr. Dine pointed out that the mainstream of the population in Turkey is Sunni (more than 80%), but “they have never to my knowledge had the kind of sectarian bitterness that exists in either Lebanon or Syria, and that this conflict is being taken from the domestic level which is a dictatorship to regional sectarian warfare.” There was concern expressed that the Muslim Brotherhood has established its own militia inside Syria. There is no affiliation to the Free Syrian Army (FSA), but some worry their motivation is to foment jihad or struggle for Islam, and not work for the sake of a peaceful Syria. Ralph Winnie said Mustafa Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey tried his best to promote a pure secular society. Turkey has been a successful model for democracy in the region for many years, but recently, he says, “the whole system is cracking and they don’t seem to be influencing other countries.” Dr. Barry pointed out that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in his remarks to the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 25, focused on the importance of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), of which Iran is now the chair. In a world where nations cannot rely either on the West or the socialist camp, the Iranian leader sees the NAM as the third way that nations can follow. Barry says this is very relevant to the future of America foreign policy and its role in the Middle East. Amb. Newton spoke about the importance of religion in the Middle East and how it plays a significant role in the dividing line on the question of willingness to use violence as opposed to political means. Dr. Betancourt spoke about the role of religious leaders in reconciliation. He testified to the work of the Universal Peace Federation, specifically in bringing more than 10,000 Ambassadors for Peace from around the world to the Holy Land (2005-08) to dialogue. “Let us propose,” he said, “legitimate religious leaders who are willing to dialogue -- even some with radical views -- but willing to engage and use religion as an instrument of non-violence, not to divide, but to bring people together, and together find workable solutions.” The UPF has successfully facilitated negotiations in Liberia and Kenya. A participant from Search for Common Ground asked about the prospects of revenge killing. The present generation is being brought up to hate, particularly against the Shiite Alawites, which is the same ethnic minority as President Assad. Once he is ousted, and that was the accepted consensus of the panelists, will there be a bloodbath against the Alawites and the Shiites by the Sunni Muslims? Search for Common Ground promotes “programming dialogue that could plant the seeds now for the massive reconciliation that needs to be carried out down the road... How do you put a spoke in the wheel of the kinds of revenge killing that are taking place now that are going to happen?” Tom Dine said that despite what is going on now in Egypt and Syria, Israel in fact is very concerned about Jordan. They worry that King Abdullah is not strong enough to withstand the regional trend toward Islamization. There is a lot of disquiet in Jordan (along with a large inflow of Syrian refugees). Israel shares a long border with Jordan along the Jordan River, which differs from the very short border it shares with Syria and the buffer zone of the Sinai Peninsula as the border with Egypt. Dr. Betancourt said the game plan needs to be changed from zero-sum to a win-win. Part of the problem is the correlation between power and diplomacy and between diplomacy and the values of delivering respect and dignity to adversaries or even enemies who from our point of view may not deserve respect and dignity. For the sake of effective diplomatic negotiations you should not deny your adversary or enemy their dignity or respect. This old American tradition could turn “despots and terrible people into potential partners to negotiate peace.”  The fundamental principle, he said, is that all people crave recognition and dignity no matter how “bad” they may be. He related his experience serving as the emissary of Rev. Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church to North Korea. Although enemies for more than 40 years, Rev. Moon and Kim Il Sung were able to reconcile on a vision and work towards unifying the Korean peninsula. Betancourt had been directed by Rev. Moon to listen to the grievances of the North Koreans, but instead of responding with malice, defensiveness and anger, Rev. Moon said, “give them dignity and show them respect, even if you think they don’t deserve it, because once there is a respectful groundwork, then negotiations can begin.” Once one side begins to demonize the other then there can be no partners for dialogue since humans do not or cannot negotiate with “demons,” let alone craft a win-win outcome. Ralph Winnie asked about the role of NGOs in Syria. Dr. Jouejati said, “when the regime collapses, there will be an entire nation to reconstruct but only for those NGOs that do not have a political agenda … NGOs will be extremely necessary for reconstruction, not just physical reconstruction, but human reconstruction.” Dr. Jouejati said Syria is running out of money. The government has stopped providing education, health care and other essential services in some parts of the country, and has prompted the government to seek more help from Iran. The Bank of Syria reports it is down from $18 billion to less than $7 billion. The morale of the Syrian troops is “really in the basement.” The consensus among the participants is that President Bashar Al-Assad’s days are numbered. The regime will fall, perhaps it will make it to the end of this year, but not much further into 2013. Dr. Betancourt outlined the UPF perspective. It is the wish of the UPF that real leadership will emerge – from the U.S., Russia, China, and the UN – to come out with a viable negotiated way out in which there could be a win-win solution not just for the sake of the country, but the entire region. -- Participants Amb. David Newton, Adjunct Scholar, Middle East Institute Dr. Murhaf Jouejati, Professor, Middle East Studies, NESA Center Strategic Studies, National Defense University Dr. Antonio L. Betancourt, Director, Peace and Security Affairs, UPF-DC Office Mr. Tom Dine, Senior Advisor, Syria Program, Search for Common Ground Ms. Sonya Reines-Djivanides, Director, Track II Mediation Union, Search for Common Ground Mr. James G. Jatras, former senior policy adviser to U.S. Senate Republican Leadership Mr. Ralph Winnie, Director of Global Business Development, Eurasia Center David Boddie, Executive Director, Federal Allies Institute (observer) Mrs. Vicki Phelps, former senior editor, The World & I magazine Dr. William Selig, Deputy Director, Peace and Security Affairs, UPF-DC Office Dr. Mark P. Barry, Advisor, Peace and Security Affairs, UPF-DC Office

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK) --- On Thu, 10/4/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com>

Subject: UN and Informal Justice Systems./// Charting A course for Human rights-based Engagement

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

On Day for Eradication of Poverty, UN highlights needs for a holistic approach to helping word’s poor A woman and her children collect firewood and paper for baking bread in Ezbet Abd Rabbo, Gaza. Photo: Shareef Sarhan  Print 17 October 2012 – With inequalities growing dramatically both within and between countries over the last 10 years, the United Nations marked the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty today with calls to tackle not only the material aspects of the scourge but also its social and educational dimensions and the unequal access to justice. “Poverty is easy to denounce but difficult to combat,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for the Day. “Those suffering from hunger, want and indignity need more than sympathetic words; they need concrete support.” Mr. Ban stressed that during times of economic austerity it is even more crucial to put policies in place that will protect the most vulnerable. “As governments struggle to balance budgets, funding for anti-poverty measures is under threat. But this is precisely the time to provide the poor with access to social services, income security, decent work and social protection,” he said. “Only then can we build stronger and more prosperous society – not by balancing budgets at the expense of the poor.” With the fight against poverty at the core of the UN development agenda, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty has been observed every year since 1993, when the UN General Assembly designated this day to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries. This year’s theme for the Day, ‘Ending the Violence of Extreme Poverty: Promoting Empowerment and Building Peace,’ highlights the link between poverty and social unrest, as well as the need to provide people with the necessary skills to contribute to society. “Poverty is not merely a matter of minimum income thresholds or insufficient resources, nor must it be remedied only through charity or wealth redistribution schemes,” the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, said in her message for the Day. “There is educational, cultural, scientific and social poverty, which is the corollary of material poverty and must be combated with the same determination,” she added. “Poverty results in deprivation of individual capacities for development and in the lack of autonomy. Poverty eradication entails building each person’s capacity to create wealth and to tap each human being’s inner potential.” Ms. Bokova noted that despite overall economic development worldwide, more than one billion people live in extreme poverty, which the World Bank defines as living on less than $1 a day. “This situation is a violation of basic human rights and an obstacle to development,” she said. “Progress is within our reach. Since 2000, extreme poverty has been halved. This proves that with political will and the joint commitment of States, outcomes can be achieved. To succeed, we must redouble our efforts to combat new forms of poverty and social exclusion. We must also understand all aspects of poverty in order to tailor our response appropriately.” She stressed that quality education, scientific development and cultural diversity are essential strategic tools for developing human intelligence and enabling people to take control of their future. In a separate message, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty, Magdalena Sepúlveda, called on States to take immediate measures to ensure access to justice by the poorest segments of society, stressing that such access is a human right in itself and essential for tackling the root causes of poverty. “Without access to justice, people living in poverty are unable to claim and realize a whole range of human rights, or challenge crimes, abuses or violations committed against them,” she said. She also highlighted the financial, social and physical barriers that prevent the poor from accessing justice and perpetuate and exacerbate their disadvantage, noting that they are often unable to seek justice due to the cost and time of travel to a distant courthouse, fees charged for filing claims or lack of free, quality legal assistance. “Lack of information about their rights, illiteracy or linguistic barriers, coupled with entrenched stigma attached to poverty, also makes it harder for the poor to engage with the justice system,” she noted. “In such circumstances, a person living in poverty cannot uphold their rights or challenge injustice.” To mark the Day, representatives of governments and civil society will gather at UN Headquarters in New York to discuss how poverty violates fundamental rights and the need to build on the successes of the anti-poverty goals known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to intensify anti-poverty efforts. The eight MDGs, agreed on by world leaders at a UN summit in 2000, set specific targets on poverty alleviation, education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental stability, HIV/AIDS reduction, and a ‘Global Partnership for Development.’

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

United Nations E/RES/2012/33 Economic and Social Council Distr.: General 18 September 2012 Substantive session of 2012 Agenda item 13 (h) 12-42145 *1242145* Resolution adopted by the Economic and Social Council [on a proposal considered in plenary meeting (E/2012/L.30)] 2012/33. Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters The Economic and Social Council, Recalling its resolutions 2004/69 of 11 November 2004 and 2011/23 of 27 July 2011, Recognizing the call made in the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development for the strengthening of international tax cooperation through enhanced dialogue among national tax authorities and greater coordination of the work of the concerned multilateral bodies and relevant regional organizations, giving special attention to the needs of developing countries and countries with economies in transition,  Recalling the request to the Economic and Social Council made in the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development2 and the Outcome of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development 3 to examine the strengthening of the institutional arrangements to promote international cooperation in tax matters, including the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters, Recognizing that, while each country is responsible for its tax system, it is important to support efforts in these areas by strengthening technical assistance and enhancing international cooperation and participation in addressing international tax matters, including in the area of double taxation, Recognizing also the need for an inclusive, participatory and broad-based dialogue on international cooperation in tax matters, Noting the activities developing within the concerned multilateral bodies and relevant subregional and regional organizations, and recognizing the need to _______________ 1 See Report of the International Conference on Financing for Development, Monterrey, Mexico, 18–22 March 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.02.II.A.7), chap. I, resolution 1, annex, para. 64. 2 See General Assembly resolution 63/239, annex, para. 16. 3 See General Assembly resolution 63/303, annex, para. 56 (c). E/RES/2012/33 2 promote collaboration between the United Nations and other international bodies dealing with cooperation in tax matters, Welcoming the discussion in the Council on 15 March 2012 on international cooperation in tax matters,4 Taking note of the report of the Committee on its seventh session,5 1. Welcomes the work of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters to implement the mandate given to it in Economic and Social Council resolution 2004/69, and encourages the Committee to continue its efforts in this regard; 2. Takes note of the 2011 revised version of the United Nations Model Double Taxation Convention between Developed and Developing Countries, developed by the Committee, notes the publication of the English-language version, and requests that: (a) The Convention continue to be made freely available in downloadable form from the website of the Financing for Development Office of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat; (b) The Convention be translated into the other official languages of the United Nations and published in those languages as soon as possible after the publication of the English-language version; 3. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the role and work of the Committee, 6 and acknowledges the need for enhanced dialogue among national tax authorities on issues related to international cooperation in tax matters; 4. Recognizes the need for continued consultations to explore options with regard to the strengthening of institutional arrangements to promote international cooperation in tax matters, including on the issue of the conversion of the Committee into an intergovernmental subsidiary body of the Council; 5. Emphasizes that it is important for the Committee to enhance its collaboration with other international organizations active in the area of international tax cooperation, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; 6. Decides to hold a one-day meeting during the first half of 2013 to consider international cooperation in tax matters, including institutional arrangements to promote such cooperation; 7. Encourages the President of the Economic and Social Council to issue invitations to representatives of national tax authorities to attend the meeting; 8. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council on further progress achieved in strengthening the work of the Committee and its cooperation with concerned multilateral bodies and relevant regional and subregional organizations; _______________ 4 See E/2012/SR.8 and 9. 5 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2011, Supplement No. 25 (E/2011/45). 6 E/2012/8. E/RES/2012/33 3 9. Recognizes the work of the Financing for Development Office in developing, within its mandate, a capacity development programme in international tax cooperation aimed at strengthening the capacity of the ministries of finance and the national tax authorities in developing countries to develop more effective and efficient tax systems, which support the desired levels of public and private investment, and to combat tax evasion, and requests the Office, in partnership with other stakeholders, to continue its work in this area; 10. Stresses the need for appropriate funding for the subsidiary bodies of the Committee to enable those bodies to fulfil their mandates; 11. Reiterates, in this regard, its appeal to Member States, relevant organizations and other potential donors to consider contributing generously to the Trust Fund for International Cooperation in Tax Matters, established by the Secretary-General in order to supplement regular budgetary resources, and invites the Secretary-General to intensify efforts to that end. 49th plenary meeting 27 July 2012

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30 of your Britishisms used by Americans Continue reading the main story In today's Magazine Russian Church teaches teenagers Parkour The reformer beaten by the mandarins 7 questions on prizes Doctors and nurses forced to pick cotton The Magazine's recent article about the Britishisation of American English prompted readers to respond with examples of their own - here are 30 British words and phrases that you've noticed being used in the US and Canada. Autumn, n. The season between summer and winter. "'Autumn' is being used a lot more now instead of 'fall'." Alan, New York, US Bloody, adj. and adv. An intensifier: absolute, downright, utter. Sometimes in a negative sense. "There have been several instances where I've heard the term 'bloody' in regular conversation. I understand the urge to say it in certain situations, but I react with a jolt when I hear it. It just seems so... indecent. The use of 'bloody', in my view, is iconically British. When Americans try to use it, I think they're trying to sound like Michael Caine. I feel it's a deliberate contrivance to associate themselves with some perceived prestige in sounding British. Some Americans think that by saying 'bloody' everybody will assume that they have four more IQ points than everyone else. It's understandable. And completely true." Marshall McCorcle, Dallas, Texas, US Bum, n. The buttocks or posteriors (slang). "I have seen an increasing use of 'bum' for a person's backside here, both from local friends and from Americans on the web. While I am still perfectly fine with sitting on my butt, everyone else is getting all fancy talking about their bums." Jim Boyd, Des Moines, Iowa, US Chav, n. Pejorative term to express young person who displays loutish behaviour, sometimes with connotations of low social status. "The word 'chav' is starting to catch on in the US, thanks to YouTube videos. I overheard someone say, 'Nah I'm not buying those sneakers man, they are so chavvy' at a sports retailer." Jeff Bagshaw, US "Chav is becoming rather noticeable as a few Americans understand that not 'all British people are posh'. Boston/Cambridge is rife with international college students, so it may just be a blip, but I've heard it in a suburban grocery store in reference to some hooligans outside the store." Elaine Ashton, Lexington, Massachusetts, US Cheeky, adj. Insolent or audacious in address; coolly impudent or presuming. "I have loved using the word cheeky for about 10 years now." Daniel Greene, Phoenix, Arizona, US "Sometimes the British expression just says it better. I particularly like 'cheeky monkey'." G Griffin, Wethersfield, Connecticut, US Cheers, sentence substitute. A drinking toast, goodbye, or thanks. "I am hearing people say goodbye to each other with the British 'cheers'. Since I have always had a fondness for the Brits and things British, I enjoy hearing it instead of the worn out 'later' or 'see ya later'. Like it or not, the Yanks and the Brits are cousins, and that's that. Cheers!" Paul Phillips, Marblehead, US "Use of the word 'cheers' in place of 'thank you' is on the rise, perhaps among young people who have spent time with British people." Roddy McCalley, Joshua Tree, California, US Fancy, v. With reference to fondness or liking. "Our US friends really enjoyed fancied, as in 'she fancied him', and an item, as in 'are you two an item?'." David Fryer, Muscat, Oman "Fancy, as in I really fancy a pint." Paul W, New York City, US Continue reading the main story Britishism noun. A quality regarded as characteristic of British people, Britishness; (also, esp. in early use) pro-British influence or allegiance Variant of Briticism - a custom, linguistic usage, or other feature peculiar to Britain or its people Briticism in Collins Dictionary The Britishisation of American English Flat, n. An apartment on one floor of a building. "Just as British people are increasingly calling (particularly posh) flats 'apartments', my American friends report that property developers are now selling 'flats' in order to make them sound grander than they are." Beth, London Frock, n. A girl's or woman's dress. "Until very recently, 'frock' only appeared in North America in British books. I first read it in the Narnia series. No-one ever said it, and no-one ever used it in print. No-one outside of readers of British literature would even have known what it meant. Now I see it in print media about fashion all the time. This just started happening in perhaps the past five years, certainly no more than 10 years." Lee Boal, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Gap year, n. A year's break taken by a student between leaving school and starting further education. "We didn't do gap years much until recently, so we didn't have our own term for it other than 'year off'. The point of language is to communicate. If a new word or term fills a - sorry - gap, then it doesn't matter where it's from." Alden O'Brien, Washington DC, US Gobsmacked, adj. flabbergasted: struck dumb with awe or amazement. "I left the UK for the US more than 40 years ago. I first heard the word 'gobsmacked' about 10 years ago while visiting the UK. Perhaps because of the popularity of the programme Top Gear in the US, I now hear this used in the US." Duncan Connall, Rhode Island, US "I heard President Obama use the word 'gobsmacked'. How's that for a Britishism?" Stuart Hamilton, North Vancouver, Canada Holiday, n. A period in which a break is taken from work or studies for rest, travel, or recreation. "As a child I read Enid Blyton, and as an adult I was pleased to notice, at least in advertising, the use of the word 'holiday' to replace the less preferable, in my opinion, 'vacation'." Vicki Siska, Fort Collins, Colorado, US Innit, adv. A contraction of isn't it? Used to invite agreement with a statement. "I can't stop saying 'innit' - it's the perfect sort of ('sort of' in this usage is also a popular Britishism) ending to an informal declarative statement." Carolyn, Las Vegas, US Kit, n. A collection of personal effects or necessities. "I've noticed the adoption of the British term 'kit' for what athletes wear, in the place of what we Americans would generally call a 'uniform' or 'gear'. I notice it among those who follow tennis closely. People will refer to a player's 'kit', which often changes several times a year depending on the surface." Ana Mitric, Richmond, Virginia, US Knickers, n. An undergarment for women covering the lower trunk and sometimes the thighs and having separate legs or leg-holes. "My American friend just recently said 'I got my knickers in quite a twist'. I was amazed she didn't say 'panties'." Nadine, Seattle, Washington, US Loo, n. An informal word for lavatory. "Many of my friends now call the restroom 'the loo', although they haven't converted to saying 'loo-roll' - it's still toilet paper. Funny, since most of us won't say 'toilet' for the American 'bathroom'." Heather Revanna, Colorado, US Mate, n. A friend, usually of the same sex: often used between males in direct address. "It seems that Yanks enjoy English swear words but I don't believe British people are using typical Americanisms. I've never heard a Englishman say 'dude' but I am hearing Americans say 'mate'. I also don't believe British people are so overtly conscious of foreign influence as much as Americans care to be, especially in the Midwest." Paul Knight-Kirby, Rockford, Illinois, US Mobile, n. Short for mobile phone; a portable telephone that works by means of a cellular radio system ('cellphone' or 'cell' in standard American English). "I think the use of 'mobile' is a consequence of more international travel and wanting to be understood. I use mobile while elsewhere and it is creeping into my US-based language as well." Stuart Friedman, Middlesex, Vermont, US Muppet, n. A stupid person; from the name for the puppets used in the TV programme The Muppet Show. "I am a Brit living in Idaho. One of the biggest Britishisms I see, and have helped perpetuate, is the term 'muppets' to refer to brainless individuals. I love this term as it conjures images of the loveable Muppets but in reference to a person it definitely conveys a lack of intelligence or substandard education. In this state there are plenty of 'muppets'." George Hemmings, Idaho, US Numpty, n. A stupid person. "I have heard 'numpty' many times in the last few years. I get the impression that our American interpretation is more good-natured than it might be in the UK. It's used when calling a friend a numpty when he does or says something silly. Perhaps this is because there is a 'cuteness' to the pronunciation of the word." Jeffrey Timmons, Mayville, Wisconsin, US Pop over, v. Come by for a visit. "Recently, I've heard the phrase 'pop over' used by several different people. ('Why don't I just pop over and pick them up?')." Susan Moore, Indio, California, US Proper, adj. Appropriate or suited for some purpose. "I picked up the British use of 'proper' (as in 'a proper breakfast') while completing graduate work at Oxford in the mid-2000s. I hadn't realised just how prevalent it was in my own speech until a coworker asked me this year if it was a North Dakota thing, as that is the state where I grew up. It's definitely not a North Dakota thing." Jacquelyn Bengfort, Washington, DC, US Queue, n. and v. A line of people, vehicles, etc, waiting for something. "In the 'queue'. More online forms and automated voice responses to banking transactions say 'queue' instead of 'line'. I'm guessing that it makes more sense to use it because people aren't actually standing in a line if they're on the phone." Guy Hait, Chesterfield, Michigan, US "When I was in New York and waiting with an American friend to get into a bar, I called it a queue. She told me that in the US it was called a line. However, she commented that 'queue' was becoming more common because of the use of the term 'printer queue' in computing." David, Worcester Roundabout, n. A road junction in which traffic streams circulate around a central island. "'Roundabout' is the official word used to describe the traffic circle that was recently completed in our rather small city. Many feel that this sounds pretentious. I am originally from California where we used the term 'traffic circle'." Beth, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, US Row, n. and v. A noisy or violent argument, a quarrel with someone. "My husband and I often use the word 'row', most likely because we've heard it so often on public television. We think of it as a very common word among the Brits (like 'bloody') and we both assumed that most other people would recognise both the word and its meaning. Recently, my husband (who is very Southern and not bookish at all) used 'row' in a conversation with a buddy, only to learn that the friend had never even heard the word. We were astonished." Catherine Graves, Georgia, US Shag, v. To copulate with. "You guys missed the best one. 'Shag' is such a brilliant word and Brits cringe because of the vulgarity of it, while Americans don't realise exactly how rude it is and run around saying it like a toddler repeating Daddy's accidental swear word slip. I love it when you guys cringe over us picking up your words." Leona, Oxford "Thanks to Austin Powers, many Americans are familiar with the word 'shag', but don't seem to realise how truly coarse it is. It's used in polite society, and used to shock me, but now I accept the fact that usage differs in UK/US." Linda Michelini, Port Orange, Florida, US Skint, adj. Penniless, broke. "To hear terms like 'skint' for being broke, 'agony aunt' for opinion columnists, or 'yobbo' for upstart children has surprised me. Such words would never have been heard in this part of the world until only two or three years ago. There are only minor UK and Irish ex-pat communities over here, so to have this sudden and growing use of Britishisms is a linguist's delight." Anthony Hughes, Omaha, US Sussed, v. To work or figure out; to investigate, to discover the truth about (a person or thing). "My favourite Britishism has to be 'sussed' - 'I finally sussed out what he was talking about', 'leave them alone, they'll suss it out on their own'. I use it a lot and I always seem to have to explain it to people, then a few days on, I'll hear them using it and explaining it. It's a word/phrase that gets used often in my close circle of friends now." Bonnie Lee, Portland, Oregon, US Twit, n. A fool; a stupid or ineffectual person. "It seems to me the word 'twit' - a Britishism heard on Monty Python - is being used more frequently here in the US." Rachel Newstead, Appleton, Wisconsin, US Wonky, adj. Shaky or unsteady. "Some Britishisms that I have used include 'wonky', 'bung', and 'snarky'. They're fun, innit? It's hard for me to notice hearing these words in the US, because I talk to so many Brits online, so they sound normal now." Anne E, Pittsburgh, US

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, Republic of Korea and Rwanda obtain non-permanent seats on UN Security Council Foreign Minister Bob Carr (centre) chats with a colleague after Australia was elected one of five new non-permanent members of the Security Council. UN Photo/Evan Schneider 69  Print 18 October 2012 – The United Nations General Assembly has elected Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, the Republic of Korea and Rwanda to serve as non-permanent members on the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on 1 January 2013. The five countries obtained the required two-thirds majority of those Member States present and voting in the secret ballot, held at UN Headquarters in New York, to decide on the new composition of the Council, which deals with global peace and security issues. The 193-member Assembly elected Argentina, Australia and Rwanda in a first round of balloting, with the Republic of Korea and Luxembourg elected in a second round. The five newly-elected members will replace Colombia, Germany, India, Portugal and South Africa, whose terms end on 31 December 2012. The five permanent Council members, which each wield the power of veto, are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Non-permanent members Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo will remain on the Council until the end of 2013. Under the UN Charter, the Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 Members, and each Member has one vote. Under the Charter, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions. In addition, the Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, it can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security. The Council also recommends to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary-General and the admission of new Members to the United Nations. And, together with the General Assembly, it elects the judges of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

At dedication of memorial, UN chief lauds Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s global vision Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks at ceremony dedicating Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island in New York City. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe 2  Print 18 October 2012 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today paid tribute to a key figure in the formation of the United Nations, United States wartime President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who died just months before seeing his dream come true 67 years ago but whose global vision surmounting national boundaries still guides the world body. “No single person was more instrumental in the founding of the United Nations than Franklin Delano Roosevelt,” the Secretary-General told a ceremony at the dedication of a public space – the Four Freedoms Park – in honour of the US leader on Roosevelt Island in New York’s East River within sight of the UN Headquarters complex on the island of Manhattan. “He had the vision. He helped develop the plans. He even gave us our name,” Mr. Ban said of the man who first coined the term United Nations to depict the post-war world he envisioned in a 1942 declaration by the 26 countries then fighting against Germany, Italy and Japan. President Roosevelt died on 12 April 1945. The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the UN Charter had been ratified by a number of countries. In the lead-up to that moment, representatives of 50 countries had conferred in the US city of San Francisco to draw up the Charter. The park’s name, Four Freedoms Park, derives directly from that vision in which Mr. Roosevelt enshrined freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear as rights to be enjoyed by everybody everywhere on the face of the Earth. “President Roosevelt was driven by a global vision. He understood that an individual’s dreams were not restricted by that individual’s passport. He knew that aspirations could not be confined to national borders,” Mr. Ban said. “And he believed deeply that leaders everywhere must help people everywhere live those dreams.” “He did not live long enough to see the United Nations come to pass. Yet his words guide us every day as we seek to advance peace and security, promote development, and uphold human rights around the world,” the Secretary-General noted. Among those attending the dedication of the Park, a four-acre triangular expanse of green flanked by 120 trees that lead to a bronze bust of the President Roosevelt on a white granite open-air plaza, were New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former US President Bill Clinton and Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, a granddaughter of the late president. “More than 60 years later, the Four Freedoms remain a guide post, and this park will be a lighthouse. It will be a source of comfort knowing that FDR is looking out on the United Nations, and it will be a source of inspiration looking out on him from the 38th floor,” Mr. Ban said, referring to the executive offices at the top of UN Headquarters. He added, “We at the United Nations are also in the building business. And as we celebrate what you have built here today, we pledge to continue building on the goals and the values of the Four Freedoms and the United Nations Charter for all people and all time.”

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

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By UPF Office of Peace and Security Affairs, Washington, DC, USA    Wednesday, October 03, 2012 Washington, DC, USA - “The Face of Human Trafficking in America” was the theme for the monthly roundtable meeting of UPF's Office for Peace and Security Affairs on October 3 at The Washington Times. More than 60 people attended the nearly three-hour event co-hosted with the Women’s Federation for World Peace and the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area. The forum addressed the domestic issues of human trafficking and how the U.S. is affecting trafficking around the world 05/17

Co-hosts: Dr. Antonio Betancourt – Director, Peace and Security Affairs, DC Office, UPF International Angelika Selle – President, Women’s Federation for World Peace USA Kathryn Wichmann – Director, Membership and Communications, United Nations Association Moderator: Cynthia Turner – Executive Director, Seraphim Global Speakers: Yvonne Williams – Executive Director, Trafficking In America Task Force Julie Southwell – Field Organizer, Mid-Atlantic Region, Amnesty International USA Barbara Amaya – A survivor of human trafficking for sexual exploitation ► Welcoming Remarks by Dr. Betancourt, UPF: As NGOs of the United Nations, the Universal Peace Federation and the Women’s Federation for World Peace support the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), which considers human trafficking a crime against humanity. The purpose of this roundtable is to provide a forum to discuss human trafficking, which is a form of modern-day slavery. Distinguished guests, members of the diplomatic community, scholars, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending this important discussion on one of the most important topics currently facing the international community, the looming transnational challenge of human trafficking in the 21stcentury. On behalf of UPF International’s Office of Peace and Security Affairs, the Women’s Federation for World Peace and the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area, I welcome you to this conference on the theme “The Face of Human Trafficking in America.” Human trafficking is a crime against humanity, and a crime so depraved that it calls upon each and every one of us to act as members of the same global family.   It is a crime that wreaks havoc upon the social fabric of each community, city, state, nation and region.  Every country in the world is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. Human trafficking has many forms, including forced labor, sex trafficking, child sex trafficking, debt bondage and involuntary domestic servitude.  In many ways, human trafficking is modern-day slavery.  It affects men, women and children alike.  It takes place in the poorest slums of the least-developed countries as it does in our own backyard in Washington, D.C.  Most human trafficking is facilitated by transnational criminal organizations, which have integrated networks, connections and resources that allow for their activities to go under the radar.  Human trafficking is usually coupled with a myriad of other criminal activities, such as the trafficking of money, drugs and arms. How does human trafficking relate to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, to which the Universal Peace Federation and the Women’s Federation for World Peace are committed? For Goals 1 and 2, poverty and lack of education make people more vulnerable to human trafficking. For Goal 3, human trafficking can lead to rape and the physical and mental abuse of women, which is a violation of women’s human rights and negates gender equality. For Goal 6, human trafficking can lead to the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDs. ► Remarks by Mrs. Angelika Selle, President of the Women’s Federation for World Peace USA: Good afternoon. The WFWP and women in general have something to offer to resolve issues. We bring another view to the table – from a mother’s perspective and a mother’s heart to help solve problems in a more unconventional way. Today we are addressing human trafficking. I also call it human slavery. It is one of the most hideous crimes that face our society today. It is a problem that exists on all continents and even in our own back yard. I had the opportunity in August to attend a forum on human trafficking on Capitol Hill in which various organizations presented their findings, yet not one of them could admit to any significant progress, let alone to stopping it. It seems the last hope that we have is to collectively come together as leaders of organizations, governments and churches – and work together and maybe make a change. I truly look forward to hearing from the speakers, because we need to educate ourselves on the issue. It is very complex. The Women’s Federation for World Peace was founded in 1992 by Mrs. Hak Ja Han Moon and the late Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon to proclaim a new “era of women.” It is not a feminist organization, because we believe and affirm that women are the feminine expression of God’s image and men are the masculine. Men and women are equal in value but different in their roles. Mrs. Moon is the mother of 14 children and has circled the globe many times with her husband and by herself. She visited the 143 WFWP chapters around the world. There are 40 here in the United States. WFWP International is a non-profit, non-governmental, international organization (NGO) in General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) and in association with UN Department of Public Information. Mrs. Moon’s favorite quotes are: “The history of today is calling for peace, reconciliation, compassion, love, service and sacrifice…. We live in an age in which the present problems cannot be solved by the masculine logic of power…. We must wage the movement to realize the True Love of living for the sake of others.” ► Introduction to the Moderator, Cynthia Turner: She is a founding member and the Executive Director of SeraphimGLOBAL, a 501(c)3 organization formed in 1996 to improve the health, education and socio-economic opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged populations around the world. Ms. Turner has a background in broadcast journalism and 33 years of experience in international development. She is also a member of the Women's Federation for World Peace and has been nominated to become an Ambassador for Peace. Throughout her career, Ms. Turner has been a strong advocate for integrating mental health and psychosocial services into national and community health systems and international development programs. She has developed and managed programs that include public awareness of trafficking, the recruitment of minors into gangs and aftercare services for victims of trafficking and street children in the U.S. and 12 countries. ► Remarks by Cynthia Turner: Thank you Dr. Betancourt, and the Universal Peace Federation staff for organizing this Roundtable and to The Washington Times and United Nations Association of the National Capital Area for hosting this forum on human trafficking in America and its global impact. Thank you, Mrs. Selle, for your leadership in promoting and celebrating the vital role of women in the family, community, business and the arts and in addressing the critical issue of trafficking. Thanks to the members of the audience for taking time from a probably overburdened schedule to participate in today's Roundtable and for your commitment to address the challenges of human trafficking in your country, your community. The intent of today's program is to educate, engage and encourage. Educate:  to raise awareness of trafficking and its impact, the progress that has been made (such as the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which has sparked a global movement to fight the causes of trafficking and to punish the perpetrators) and the challenges that are ahead of us. Engage: members of foreign governments in attendance today to: develop a multi-disciplinary and coordinated approach to addressing trafficking in their countries; foster government-NGO cooperation in their countries to increase investigations, prosecutions and convictions of traffickers and others involved in exploitation of people; provide necessary assistance to and protection of victims; develop regional,  national and local cooperation with law enforcement and international investigative organizations, customs, border patrols, NGOs, international watchdog organizations, transportation industry and business in combating trafficking. Encourage:  each participant in today's event, to take an active role in combating trafficking by: learning and being aware of the signs and symptoms of trafficking; reporting suspected cases of trafficking and exploitation; serving as a mentor to struggling families, single mothers and vulnerable children; supporting new legislation that requires convicted traffickers to be registered as sex offenders and increases the punishment for traffickers from the usual 5-8 years in jail that is the punishment in most states and that decriminalizes “survivors.” Starting with the global perspective, there are more than 27 million victims of human trafficking around the world. While this number is staggering, it is thought to be only a best guesstimate, as in the United States and so many other countries the incidence of human trafficking is under-reported.  In the United States, there is a clear link between gangs and trafficking.  Also, there are unsuspecting women and school-age children and adolescents who are brought to the United States from countries of the former Soviet Union, Africa and Asia with the promise of education and opportunity, only to find themselves in positions of forced servitude and prostitution. Human trafficking is the second-largest criminal industry in the United States, just behind drug and arms trafficking. I am sure many ask – how does this happen without any awareness of our family, law enforcement, media and educators. Our experience has indicated that people of subcultures do not tell – they turn a blind eye to trafficking and child exploitation. SeraphimGLOBAL's Director of Psychosocial Services has worked in the Northern Virginia mental health system for several years. Her data indicates that Caucasians report trafficking but Latinos and African Americans are not likely to tell about the perpetration of this kind of criminal activity by someone in their community. While the causes of human trafficking look different from region to region, nation to nation – there are common denominators. From Alexandria, Va., to Mumbai, India; Miami to El Salvador; Chicago to Kosovo; Los Angeles to Ghana; Congo and Tanzania, the root causes of human trafficking have five interrelated factors: Poverty – particularly single-parent households Sex abuse – victims of molestation Drug dependency – drugs and alcoholism Violence – intra-family violence/gangs Strained or absence of family relationship:  broken families Typically, we think these factors exist only in developing countries and affect only those involved in civil strife or war.  However, these factors exist in all cultures and geographic regions. For 20 years, SeraphimGLOBAL has worked to provide hope and healing to women and children who have struggled to survive at the hands of traffickers: first in El Salvador, where young boys were taken from school buses and soccer fields, handed a gun and put on an open truck to become a child soldier. Some of those same children became street kids after the war. Families emigrated to the United States or relocated to other parts of the country. Many families did not know the status of their children, while others discouraged them from returning to the family. Some were scarred by their treatment and refused to be reintegrated into their communities, and some were hardened by the trauma of being a child in the morning and a soldier at nightfall. SeraphimGLOBAL provides direct services to victims and psychosocial education to Ministries of Health and Education, health workers, NGOs, teachers, pastors and community leaders. Its approach is to build capacity and strengthen institutions, grassroots community organizations and systems to provide treatment and increase services for the survivors of human trafficking and the families of these victims. SeraphimGLOBAL works to strengthen aftercare facilities through education and skills development of health professionals and paraprofessionals. It retrains them to increase their capacity to effectively respond to complex trauma symptoms, psychological, emotional and irrational problems that survivors have to overcome in order to be functional in society. It is based on 20 years of research, neuroscience and evidence-based treatment that provides symptom normalization, stabilization of the nervous system, regulation of traumatic reaction, validation of anger and grief and empowerment of the fully integrated self. This model, which we have named SERVE, has been implemented in the United States and nine countries. There are 10 training modules in the SERVE model of treatment. SERVE represents: S - Symptom normalization E - Education of the brain's stress response R - Regulation of the autonomous nervous system V - Validation of anger and grief E - Empowerment of the fully integrated self Much of the focus of the training and counseling Seraphim provides is based on the relationship of mother to child and early family bonding.  Most adults have little or no recall of their childhood and bonding with their mother below the age of 3. Some events may be remembered down to age 2. However, the development of the mother-child relationship begins while babies are in the womb, and from infancy to 2 years is the period in which we begin to formulate memories, develop cognitive capacity, and, based on maternal warmth and interaction, become secure in establishing other relationships. Secure, grounded women and children who have strong identities and self-esteem are much less likely to become targets for traffickers. Seraphim clinical/psychosocial staff provide counseling and parenting skills to families, particularly single mothers, to provide them with the tools to help their family remain cohesive and strong. Building strong families, lifting people out of poverty, regarding our children as our most important gift, will go a long way toward eliminating the grip of traffickers. In closing, all nations must speak in one voice about the elimination of human trafficking and take necessary action to protect victims, provide aftercare support, improve legislation to make certain the perpetrators receive appropriate punishment while the victims are treated as victims and not criminals – and most importantly, create a strong global economy so that children are not sold and women forced into prostitution to feed the greed of traffickers. ► Remarks by Barbara Amaya, a Trafficking Survivor: Barbara was trafficked from the age of 13 from Fairfax, Va., to New York. As a survivor, Barbara is the “Face of Human Trafficking in America.” Six months ago, Barbara Amaya said, she was watching a story on television about teenage girls being trafficked for sex in her Northern Virginia neighborhood when she realized that she, too, had been the victim of sex trafficking – four decades earlier. “I didn't know I had been trafficked. I viewed myself as a prostitute,” she told the audience. Ms. Amaya writes a column called Telling It Like It Is for the Communities section of The Washington Times website. Ms. Amaya, now 56, said she was a 13-year-old runaway from Fairfax when she was sold into sex trafficking at 14th and Eye Streets in the District and later was taken to New York City, where she was trafficked for eight years. Like a lot of girls forced into sex trafficking, she said she had been abused as a child and, at 12, began running away from home. “I was a walking target,” she said. “I didn't have low self-esteem, I had no self-esteem. “I was raped so many times, I can’t remember. I became addicted to heroin and numb to what happened to me,” she said, adding that her trafficker dumped her when she was “no longer valuable to him.” Ms. Amaya described herself as “a survivor” and is now working to vacate her criminal record in New York City under a new New York state law, but lamented that “this is still happening to young girls. What happened to me is not unusual.” ► Remarks by Yvonne Williams, Founder and Executive Director of the Trafficking in America Task Force (TIATF): Since becoming aware of sex trafficking in 2004, Yvonne has worked indefatigably throughout the United States to educate people and create awareness about human trafficking and to mobilize citizens to stop it. Under Yvonne’s leadership, five Trafficking in America Task Forces have been formed, beginning with Kentucky, Wisconsin, Florida, Mississippi and Indiana. The opening of a new Task Force in Georgia is in progress. The vision of TIATF is to help eliminate the human trafficking of women, men and children in America; to provide a culture for our children free of sexual exploitation and slavery in which people know their own intrinsic value. In order to accomplish this we must affect the culture in America so that the climate for such blatant inhumanity changes. Let’s look at The Face of Human Trafficking in America: What are we dealing with? America is dealing with an epidemic of modern-day slavery known as human trafficking. We are in the midst of a new civil rights movement, but it is not unlike the former – it has only taken on a new face. Human trafficking is a manifestation of a continued theme that, at root level, is still a by-product of the class war and prejudices of old. It is driven by greed and a lack of value for oneself and, ultimately our neighbor. Some stats: • Trafficking Victims – about 100 per hour worldwide (876,000 a year) • The Magnitude of Human Trafficking in America: After drug dealing, human trafficking is tied with the illegal arms industry as the second-largest criminal industry in the world today. 56% of victims are women and children. 18% of international victims are used in the sex industry. 82% of the international victims are used in forced labor. 56% of the international children victims are used in forced labor (U.S. Department of State). According to the IOM, globally sex trafficking has decreased by 19% while labor trafficking increased 43% . • 300,000 potential new victims each year in America (Office of Justice Programs, 2009). The U.S. State Department’s 2011 TIP Report says there are 100,000 current victims. There are 313 million American citizens. 1 in 1,565 people are trafficked in America each year (based on 200,000 potential new victims). The question that needs to be answered is how many TOTAL victims are there in the USA today? • Approximately 800,000 victims annually are trafficked across international borders worldwide. (U.S. Department of State). Victims are generally trafficked into the U.S. from Asia, Central and South America, and Eastern Europe. So 1 in 8,750 people are trafficked between countries each year. Between 14,500 and 18,000 of those victims are trafficked into the United States (2005, U.S. State Department). 1 in 17,886 worldwide citizens are trafficked into the USA each year. • Trafficking is a $34 billion industry worldwide (In 2004 it was $9-12 billion) – $21 billion labor trafficking, $13 billion sex trafficking. (International Labor Organization). • Age 12 is the average age of a sex trafficked victim, and victims are used as many as 30 to 40 times a day, while the average is about 8 to 10 (if it is 10, then there are potentially an average of 2 million men buying illegal sex from girls and boys, men and women, every day). Over 50% of victims are from the runaway population: two-thirds of runaways return home within the first 48 hours. The other third are abducted by traffickers and are prostituted within 48 hours. 95% of runaways are from fatherless homes (Joy Ministries, NC), One-third of America’s children live in fatherless homes (the Fatherhood Initiative). 85% to 95% of women in prostitution are not there by choice. • 35% to 65% of the church is viewing or is addicted to pornography, including pastors. Could half of Christian men have a problem with porn, as so many of the statistics say? Porn is reported to be a $12 billion industry in the U.S. 50 percent of men viewed pornography within one week of attending a Promise Keepers stadium event. 54 percent of pastors said they viewed porn within the past year in a Pastors.com survey. In a 2003 Focus on the Family poll, 47 percent of respondents said porn is a problem in their home. • Where Does Trafficking Take Place? Truck stops; shopping malls (Minneapolis), military bases; prisons; schools; churches; the Internet, sex tourism. American businessmen travel internationally where no one knows them. College fraternities – Travel agencies created just for their convenience. • The most commonly searched word online by adults across gender lines is “sex.” 20% of men access porn at work. 17% of women access porn at work; 40 million U.S. adults regularly visit Internet porn websites. • 53% of Promise Keepers men admit they have looked at porn websites. 47% of Christians say they have a problem of porn in their home. 72% male - 28% female visit pornography sites. Larry Flynt states at the end of the documentary film “Pornodemic,” “The Genie is out of the bottle. We can’t put her back in. They’ll just have to live with it.” There are over half a million porn websites on the Internet today!  Most of the porn websites today are dedicated to certain niches to meet the changing appetites of consumers. The Internet is the crack cocaine of sex addiction. It is ruining marriages and ruining lives. • Pornography, Sex Crimes, and Human Trafficking: The FBI’s statistics show that pornography is found at 80 percent of the scenes of violent sex crimes, or in the homes of the perpetrators. (www.fightthenewdrug.org). The University of New Hampshire did a study that showed that the states with the highest readership of pornographic magazines like “Playboy” and “Penthouse,” also have the highest rape rates. • They also found that adult pornography was connected with each of the 1,400 child sexual molestation cases in Louisville, Kentucky, and child pornography was connected with the majority of them. • Many women and children who are being sexually exploited and trafficked are also being used for the production of pornography. Sometimes acts of prostitution are filmed without the consent of the victim and distributed. • Poverty is a root cause of international human trafficking, according to analysis conducted by the Institute for Trafficked, Exploited & Missing Persons (ITEMP). For the first time, ITEMP can statistically demonstrate poverty’s connection to international human trafficking. By comparing gross domestic product information with source/destination information provided in the State Department’s 2009 Trafficking in Persons report, ITEMP personnel discovered a strong correlation between a country’s per capita GDP and its odds of being a source or destination country for international human trafficking. • Every $1,000 increase in a country’s GDP makes the country nearly 10 percent more likely to be a destination for international human trafficking victims. Likewise, every reduction of $1,000 in a country’s GDP makes the country 12 percent more likely to be a source for international human trafficking victims. • Absent Father Syndrome: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, of the 72 million children in America, 24 million – one out of three – live in biological-father-absent homes. In the African-American community the figure is two out of three. Consequently, there is a “father factor” in nearly all of the social issues facing America today. Fathers make unique and irreplaceable contributions to the lives of children, boys and girls. Father absence produces negative outcomes for children. Societies which fail to reinforce a cultural ideal of responsible fatherhood get increasing amounts of father absence. Widespread fatherlessness is the most socially consequential problem of our time. • How is America affecting human trafficking around the world? America is the largest participant in human trafficking around the world. American men are buying American girls and boys. • Pornography has grown into a $10 billion business – bigger than the NFL, the NBA and Major League Baseball combined – and some of the nation's best-known corporations are quietly sharing the profits, including General Motors, (Subsidiary DirecTV), AOL Time Warner, Comcast, Marriott, Hilton, and Westin. • According to Adult Video News, an estimated 11,000 hard-core porn movies are produced in the United States annually, many of them in California's San Fernando Valley, where modern porn was born. • Pornography Consumption: China, South Korea and Japan seem to be the three biggest generators of porn-related revenue (consumption), with the United States coming in fourth. China, where pornography is officially banned, brought in about $27 billion in 2006, while the U.S. accounted for about half that at $13 billion. Per capita revenue, however, was much higher in the U.S. at $44.67 compared to China’s $27.41, although both countries were way behind South Korea’s per-person amount of $526.76. According to these numbers, South Koreans really love porn. • Purchasing illegal sex: (Source: The Johns Project – an interview with 4,000 men who have purchased illegal sex). Discovered that the majority of men buying prostituted women are aged 14 to 87; Mostly married. They buy illegal sex 7 to 8 times each week. Some are Pastors, professionals, and youth. Some are fathers teaching their sons to become a “man” for the first time. It discovered some women approve of their mate buying sex, as long as they come home. The report also revealed that many johns had been sexually abused as children. • Sex Tourism: White-collar American men are traveling internationally and purchasing children (doctors, lawyers, corporate executives). These groups / men go abroad because they are not known at their destinations. Travel businesses have been created specifically to promote sex tours. Human Trafficking Triangle: DISTRIBUTORS and greed: The question is “What is driving this insatiable thirst for money?” SUPPLY: The question? What is it in our nature (our culture) that has created such a magnet for traffickers to so easily obtain supply, whether for the sex or for the labor? DEMAND FOR PROFITS: Who is creating the demand for sex? Who is creating the demand for cheap labor? Our Culture: The question is: How do we affect our culture to enable us to provide it free of sexual exploitation and slavery? Some Strategies for a Slave Free America: Creating a cultural shift in America that will aid in stopping the supply and the demand for sex and cheap labor. What’s the goal? Affecting the next generation to think differently about themselves and about each other to stop the cycle. Accepting Responsibility: This is not solely a political issue. We, the voting public, have allowed our culture to become as it is. And, we, the people, are the ones to change it. We need to accept responsibility: As a nation, as individuals, as parents, as educators, as the church, as corporations, as the entertainment industry. We need to put human need before corporate greed. Education and Prevention: We must reach the men and boys, age group 25 and under. This is the age when boys / men are exposed to pornography for the first time. We must incorporate curricula in America’s schools into existing curricula such as history, economics, health education, creative arts, etc. There are efforts under way to get more prevention curricula spread around the country. States Need to Own This. We must educate citizens in every city in America through: Town hall meetings; Awareness booths in retail establishments; Resources for NGOs to conduct trainings; Press conferences to create collaborations with law enforcement, educators, citizens, NGOs. We need to engage churches in developing and healing the male population / the buyers of pornography Prevention (Eradication): We need a Mass Media approach during a high season of television participation – PSAs to run on prime-time television: Survivors to reach youth – “This is how it happened to me”; fathers to reach fathers; youth to reach youth; NFL and other sports figures to speak to youth / to men; NGOs: Legislative support is needed for developing strategic plans with resource support for NGOs working on the ground. Engaging the Parent(s): How can we get the information to parents about human trafficking so they can learn the signs that their child may be being coerced or threatened into performing sex acts? PTO meetings, parent groups, church groups, etc. in order to engage youth to protect themselves from sexual exploitation. We all must get involved in helping one another. TIATF suggests that a steering committee be formulated to create specific strategies with goals for the next 12 months to work towards demand reduction. And that we meet again in 12 months to report on the progress. Remarks by Julie Southwell, a Field Organizer with the Mid-Atlantic Region of Amnesty International: Amnesty International unites people from all over the world to fight for human rights, using its signature tactics of research, action, and advocacy.  Amnesty International supports civil liberties by keeping a vigilant watch on the rights of people around the world.  Through Amnesty’s dynamic campaigns and long-term casework, its members propel key human rights concerns and stories of individuals at risk into the international media to demand the attention of government officials, corporations, international institutions and policy makers.  Amnesty also combines high-level legislative work, media outreach and grassroots mobilization to shape and promote legislation and policies to protect individuals and advance human rights. Amnesty International, a grassroots human rights organization, was founded 51 years ago. It has 3 million members worldwide, and 300,000 members in the United States. AI works in many areas, including human trafficking. AI takes a three-step approach that includes education, action and advocacy. It has been instrumental in pressuring for passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, leading local advocacy campaigns directed towards authorities failing to provide protection, as well as on the international level. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 is the main U.S. law on trafficking. It created multiple levels of protection for victims of trafficking. The U-visa status was created by the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. It is designed to provide lawful status to noncitizen crime victims who are assisting or are willing to assist the authorities in investigating crimes. To obtain a U-visa, survivors of sexual violence may need to undergo a medical examination. However, many are reluctant to go to a hospital or clinic because they fear medical personnel will report them to immigration authorities. The reporting of undocumented survivors of sexual assault to immigration enforcement by hospital staff impedes the ability of survivors to seek justice and remedies that are available to them. Less than 20% of immigrant women who are undocumented and experience violence due to trafficking seek help from law enforcement agencies. The reason most often given for not reporting was fear that they would endanger their immigration status. Abusers often use their immigration status as a tool of control to prevent the victim from seeking help. A T-visa gives temporary non-immigrant status to victims of “severe forms of human trafficking” on the condition that they help law enforcement officials investigate and prosecute crimes related to human trafficking. If the victim is under 18 years of age, the law does not require cooperation with police to obtain a T-visa. Of the 5,000 T-visas available annually to survivors of human trafficking, statistics show that only 6% are actually utilized. On Nov. 13, 2005, more than 100 officers from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies raided five cantinas in northwest Houston, freeing approximately 120 women and girls. Agents arrested eight members of a human trafficking ring run by Maximino “El Chimino” Mondragon of El Salvador. Despite the cooperation of the trafficking survivors in the investigation and arrest of Maximino, more than 2 years after the raids, only 67 of the 120 women and girls present during the cantina raids had received T-visas. In some cases, survivors were initially mistaken as criminals. Closing Remarks by Dr. Betancourt: The Universal Peace Federation, established in 140 countries, is working actively to establish the culture of peace. A culture of peace centered on love as presented by the WFWP is cemented on the logic and the ethics of true love in all dimensions. This is a new area for us, but since the UPF Office of Peace and Security Affairs conducts one program every month related to hot spots of the world where the international system is at risk of being destabilized, we realize that human trafficking is one of them, so we are very grateful to the organizations that agreed to co-host this program. Closing Remarks by Mrs. Selle: I thank everyone for coming today. I especially want to honor the individuals and organizations that are actively engaged in confronting this terrible evil of human trafficking. Remember, you do not need a title to take on this battle. You all are powerful. We have many resources, beginning with our personal determination. Thank you very much.

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

UN Day Observed in Moscow    By UPF - Russia       Wednesday, October 24, 2012  Moscow, Russia - A UPF meeting commemorating UN Day took place in Moscow on October 24, the anniversary of the adoption of the UN charter in 1945. The leader of the UPF-Moscow chapter, Dmitry Samko, was MC for the event. At the beginning, Young Ambassador for Peace Elena Kolesnichenko shared about the problems of the youth, the potential of youth movements, and the cooperation of youth organizations toward fulfilling the UN Millennium Development Goals. Professor Andrei Volkov talked about the UN history and explained the current state of affairs in the United Nations. He emphasized the importance of NGOs cooperating with UN, especially in the field of creating international harmony. In his report, the leader of the UPF-Russia, Konstantin Krylov, told the guests of the program, representatives of different NGOs and organizations of culture, about the new UPF initiative to promote dialogue between Russian Federation and the European Union. He emphasized that UPF will in every way support the recent initiative of the Russian Federation Government to establish a visa-free passage between the Russian Federation and the European Union. There will be conferences and cultural programs aimed at dissolving barriers of distrust between the nations and peoples of the European Union and Russia. During the program, Artur Makarov, a poet, recited his poetry; Arseny Kritsky, vice-president of the International Foundation of Military and Historical Heritage, presented his project about Belarus–Russia cooperation. In commemoration of UN Day, the honored artist of Russia Vladimir Frolov sent his congratulatory address to the participants of the event. Here are his words: “The wheels of state often underestimate the human factor. Therefore, the activity of different NGOs in support of the system of values indicated in the UN Charter (adopted on October 24, 1945) is so important. The commitment of Ambassadors for Peace and their dedication to strengthening these values is not just a rhetoric gesture; it gains the power of heart’s confession. The devaluation of words and terms is much more dreadful than any financial collapse. When children cannot trust their parents, they become a lost generation; when people cannot trust politicians and religious leaders society reaps disorder, riots, bloodshed, and finally large-scale wars. The UN plays a special role in the modern world. One sage said: 'The purpose of establishing UN was not to create heaven on the earth but to prevent people from plunging into hell.' Without the United Nations the world would become much more chaotic and unpredictable. With all my heart, I congratulate Ambassadors for Peace, these spiritual knights! I sincerely hope to achieve together with you the noble purpose of creating universal happiness. “ This meeting was one of a series of UPF programs that promote the UN's ideas and values in order to create dialogue between cultures and establish peace in the world.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

As the United States embarks on Presidential elections, and especially a very unique election at a momentous epoch in eschatology, economy, arts, politics, morality, science and consciousness, we want to especially call for maturity and cosmic/unity consciousness that roots within the principles of the Universal Rights of Individuals and Nations, Corporations and races as entities that can once more demonstrate the level of consciousness that rises beyond the interest of factions and groups for profits and divide-and-rule politics and underground money laundry. The pathway for God and America is to demonstrate the examples of heaven to the rest of the tribes of the world that the world is a place of Principles rather than color, tongue, ..., and interests.  The values that define people and groups must embrace the larger for the smaller to exist and survive. God's "compass nation" is America.  And she must do the right thing from all her diversities and multiplicities.  Her utmost wealth is quality of spirit and principles of her people.  We must demonstrate again that America and we as people are beyond manipulation, misinformation, and are BEINGS that transcend the purchasing power of CASH. We most compellingly appeal to the hearts and brains of men and women across the nations and the world to do the right thing and vote the side that is closer to God.   Emotions must be moderated, origins put the dust bin; and mankind in this part of the world must once again show that the special people who were destined to be here and now are most fundamentally all embracing and conscious of the providential progress of America as a nation of all tongues, all brains, all spirits and all consciousness that is pivoted under the footstool of the Living God and the Ship of God.    The World and American businesses and bankers must once more understand and demonstrate that value over money is the core of principles that guide this generation to chose the most credible person to rule the land and the world.  Even if you die of hunger and power, stand by the principles and standards of the pilgrim fathers that sowed the principles of common cause with God at the Center of this piece of land that is called "America". May the peace of love and cooperation rather than hatred and competition guide all leaders and followers at all levels as the Presidential elections most contested in American history unveils in a few days before "God's Foundation Day" in the Age after the coming of the Messiah of all Tribes and Nations and Resource Giants. Conscience and Love never die. Peace and Actions for Progress!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS INTRODUCTORY NOTE The Charter of the United Nations was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945. The Statute of the International Court of Justice is an integral part of the Charter. Amendments to Articles 23, 27 and 61 of the Charter were adopted by the General Assembly on 17 December 1963 and came into force on 31 August 1965. A further amendment to Article 61 was adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 1971, and came into force on 24 September 1973. An amendment to Article 109, adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 1965, came into force on 12 June 1968. The amendment to Article 23 enlarges the membership of the Security Council from eleven to fifteen. The amended Article 27 provides that decisions of the Security Council on procedural matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members (formerly seven) and on all other matters by an affirmative vote of nine members (formerly seven), including the concurring votes of the five permanent members of the Security Council. The amendment to Article 61, which entered into force on 31 August 1965, enlarged the membership of the Economic and Social Council from eighteen to twenty-seven. The subsequent amendment to that Article, which entered into force on 24 September 1973, further increased the membership of the Council from twenty-seven to fifty-four. The amendment to Article 109, which relates to the first paragraph of that Article, provides that a General Conference of Member States for the purpose of reviewing the Charter may be held at a date and place to be fixed by a two-thirds vote of the members of the General Assembly and by a vote of any nine members (formerly seven) of the Security Council. Paragraph 3 of Article 109, which deals with the consideration of a possible review conference during the tenth regular session of the General Assembly, has been retained in its original form in its reference to a "vote, of any seven members of the Security Council", the paragraph having been acted upon in 1955 by the General Assembly, at its tenth regular session, and by the Security Council. PREAMBLE WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED  to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and  to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and  to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and  to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, AND FOR THESE ENDS  to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and  to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and  to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and  to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS  Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations. CHAPTER I: PURPOSES AND PRINCIPLES Article 1 The Purposes of the United Nations are: To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace; To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace; To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends. Article 2 The Organization and its Members, in pursuit of the Purposes stated in Article 1, shall act in accordance with the following Principles. The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members. All Members, in order to ensure to all of them the rights and benefits resulting from membership, shall fulfill in good faith the obligations assumed by them in accordance with the present Charter. All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered. All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations. All Members shall give the United Nations every assistance in any action it takes in accordance with the present Charter, and shall refrain from giving assistance to any state against which the United Nations is taking preventive or enforcement action. The Organization shall ensure that states which are not Members of the United Nations act in accordance with these Principles so far as may be necessary for the maintenance of international peace and security. Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter; but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter Vll. CHAPTER II: MEMBERSHIP Article 3  The original Members of the United Nations shall be the states which, having participated in the United Nations Conference on International Organization at San Francisco, or having previously signed the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942, sign the present Charter and ratify it in accordance with Article 110.  Article 4 Membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving states which accept the obligations contained in the present Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able and willing to carry out these obligations. The admission of any such state to membership in the United Nations will be effected by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. Article 5  A Member of the United Nations against which preventive or enforcement action has been taken by the Security Council may be suspended from the exercise of the rights and privileges of membership by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. The exercise of these rights and privileges may be restored by the Security Council.  Article 6  A Member of the United Nations which has persistently violated the Principles contained in the present Charter may be expelled from the Organization by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. CHAPTER III: ORGANS Article 7 There are established as principal organs of the United Nations: a General Assembly, a Security Council, an Economic and Social Council, a Trusteeship Council, an International Court of Justice and a Secretariat.  Such subsidiary organs as may be found necessary may be established in accordance with the present Charter.  Article 8 The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. CHAPTER IV: THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMPOSITION  Article 9 The General Assembly shall consist of all the Members of the United Nations.  Each Member shall have not more than five representatives in the General Assembly.  FUNCTIONS and POWERS  Article 10 The General Assembly may discuss any questions or any matters within the scope of the present Charter or relating to the powers and functions of any organs provided for in the present Charter, and, except as provided in Article 12, may make recommendations to the Members of the United Nations or to the Security Council or to both on any such questions or matters.  Article 11 The General Assembly may consider the general principles of co-operation in the maintenance of international peace and security, including the principles governing disarmament and the regulation of armaments, and may make recommendations with regard to such principles to the Members or to the Security Council or to both. The General Assembly may discuss any questions relating to the maintenance of international peace and security brought before it by any Member of the United Nations, or by the Security Council, or by a state which is not a Member of the United Nations in accordance with Article 35, paragraph 2, and, except as provided in Article 12, may make recommendations with regard to any such questions to the state or states concerned or to the Security Council or to both. Any such question on which action is necessary shall be referred to the Security Council by the General Assembly either before or after discussion.  The General Assembly may call the attention of the Security Council to situations which are likely to endanger international peace and security. The powers of the General Assembly set forth in this Article shall not limit the general scope of Article 10.  Article 12  While the Security Council is exercising in respect of any dispute or situation the functions assigned to it in the present Charter, the General Assembly shall not make any recommendation with regard to that dispute or situation unless the Security Council so requests. The Secretary-General, with the consent of the Security Council, shall notify the General Assembly at each session of any matters relative to the maintenance of international peace and security which are being dealt with by the Security Council and shall similarly notify the General Assembly, or the Members of the United Nations if the General Assembly is not in session, immediately the Security Council ceases to deal with such matters.  Article 13 The General Assembly shall initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of: a. promoting international co-operation in the political field and encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification; b. promoting international co-operation in the economic, social, cultural, educational, and health fields, and assisting in the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.  The further responsibilities, functions and powers of the General Assembly with respect to matters mentioned in paragraph 1 (b) above are set forth in Chapters IX and X. Article 14 Subject to the provisions of Article 12, the General Assembly may recommend measures for the peaceful adjustment of any situation, regardless of origin, which it deems likely to impair the general welfare or friendly relations among nations, including situations resulting from a violation of the provisions of the present Charter setting forth the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations.  Article 15 The General Assembly shall receive and consider annual and special reports from the Security Council; these reports shall include an account of the measures that the Security Council has decided upon or taken to maintain international peace and security. The General Assembly shall receive and consider reports from the other organs of the United Nations.  Article 16 The General Assembly shall perform such functions with respect to the international trusteeship system as are assigned to it under Chapters XII and XIII, including the approval of the trusteeship agreements for areas not designated as strategic.  Article 17 The General Assembly shall consider and approve the budget of the Organization. The expenses of the Organization shall be borne by the Members as apportioned by the General Assembly. The General Assembly shall consider and approve any financial and budgetary arrangements with specialized agencies referred to in Article 57 and shall examine the administrative budgets of such specialized agencies with a view to making recommendations to the agencies concerned. VOTING  Article 18 Each member of the General Assembly shall have one vote.  Decisions of the General Assembly on important questions shall be made by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting. These questions shall include: recommendations with respect to the maintenance of international peace and security, the election of the non-permanent members of the Security Council, the election of the members of the Economic and Social Council, the election of members of the Trusteeship Council in accordance with paragraph 1 (c) of Article 86, the admission of new Members to the United Nations, the suspension of the rights and privileges of membership, the expulsion of Members, questions relating to the operation of the trusteeship system, and budgetary questions. Decisions on other questions, including the determination of additional categories of questions to be decided by a two-thirds majority, shall be made by a majority of the members present and voting. Article 19 A Member of the United Nations which is in arrears in the payment of its financial contributions to the Organization shall have no vote in the General Assembly if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it for the preceding two full years. The General Assembly may, nevertheless, permit such a Member to vote if it is satisfied that the failure to pay is due to conditions beyond the control of the Member.  PROCEDURE  Article 20 The General Assembly shall meet in regular annual sessions and in such special sessions as occasion may require. Special sessions shall be convoked by the Secretary-General at the request of the Security Council or of a majority of the Members of the United Nations.  Article 21 The General Assembly shall adopt its own rules of procedure. It shall elect its President for each session.  Article 22 The General Assembly may establish such subsidiary organs as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions. CHAPTER V: THE SECURITY COUNCIL COMPOSITION Article 23  The Security Council shall consist of fifteen Members of the United Nations. The Republic of China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America shall be permanent members of the Security Council. The General Assembly shall elect ten other Members of the United Nations to be non-permanent members of the Security Council, due regard being specially paid, in the first instance to the contribution of Members of the United Nations to the maintenance of international peace and security and to the other purposes of the Organization, and also to equitable geographical distribution. The non-permanent members of the Security Council shall be elected for a term of two years. In the first election of the non-permanent members after the increase of the membership of the Security Council from eleven to fifteen, two of the four additional members shall be chosen for a term of one year. A retiring member shall not be eligible for immediate re-election.  Each member of the Security Council shall have one representative. FUNCTIONS and POWERS  Article 24 In order to ensure prompt and effective action by the United Nations, its Members confer on the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and agree that in carrying out its duties under this responsibility the Security Council acts on their behalf. In discharging these duties the Security Council shall act in accordance with the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations. The specific powers granted to the Security Council for the discharge of these duties are laid down in Chapters VI, VII, VIII, and XII.  The Security Council shall submit annual and, when necessary, special reports to the General Assembly for its consideration. Article 25 The Members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council in accordance with the present Charter.  Article 26 In order to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion for armaments of the world's human and economic resources, the Security Council shall be responsible for formulating, with the assistance of the Military Staff Committee referred to in Article 47, plans to be submitted to the Members of the United Nations for the establishment of a system for the regulation of armaments.  VOTING  Article 27 Each member of the Security Council shall have one vote.  Decisions of the Security Council on procedural matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members. Decisions of the Security Council on all other matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members including the concurring votes of the permanent members; provided that, in decisions under Chapter VI, and under paragraph 3 of Article 52, a party to a dispute shall abstain from voting. PROCEDURE  Article 28  The Security Council shall be so organized as to be able to function continuously. Each member of the Security Council shall for this purpose be represented at all times at the seat of the Organization. The Security Council shall hold periodic meetings at which each of its members may, if it so desires, be represented by a member of the government or by some other specially designated representative.   The Security Council may hold meetings at such places other than the seat of the Organization as in its judgment will best facilitate its work. Article 29 The Security Council may establish such subsidiary organs as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions. Article 30 The Security Council shall adopt its own rules of procedure, including the method of selecting its President. Article 31 Any Member of the United Nations which is not a member of the Security Council may participate, without vote, in the discussion of any question brought before the Security Council whenever the latter considers that the interests of that Member are specially affected. Article 32 Any Member of the United Nations which is not a member of the Security Council or any state which is not a Member of the United Nations, if it is a party to a dispute under consideration by the Security Council, shall be invited to participate, without vote, in the discussion relating to the dispute. The Security Council shall lay down such conditions as it deems just for the participation of a state which is not a Member of the United Nations. CHAPTER VI: PACIFIC SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES Article 33  The parties to any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security, shall, first of all, seek a solution by negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of their own choice.  The Security Council shall, when it deems necessary, call upon the parties to settle their dispute by such means. Article 34 The Security Council may investigate any dispute, or any situation which might lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute, in order to determine whether the continuance of the dispute or situation is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security. Article 35 Any Member of the United Nations may bring any dispute, or any situation of the nature referred to in Article 34, to the attention of the Security Council or of the General Assembly. A state which is not a Member of the United Nations may bring to the attention of the Security Council or of the General Assembly any dispute to which it is a party if it accepts in advance, for the purposes of the dispute, the obligations of pacific settlement provided in the present Charter.  The proceedings of the General Assembly in respect of matters brought to its attention under this Article will be subject to the provisions of Articles 11 and 12. Article 36  The Security Council may, at any stage of a dispute of the nature referred to in Article 33 or of a situation of like nature, recommend appropriate procedures or methods of adjustment.  The Security Council should take into consideration any procedures for the settlement of the dispute which have already been adopted by the parties.  In making recommendations under this Article the Security Council should also take into consideration that legal disputes should as a general rule be referred by the parties to the International Court of Justice in accordance with the provisions of the Statute of the Court. Article 37  Should the parties to a dispute of the nature referred to in Article 33 fail to settle it by the means indicated in that Article, they shall refer it to the Security Council. If the Security Council deems that the continuance of the dispute is in fact likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security, it shall decide whether to take action under Article 36 or to recommend such terms of settlement as it may consider appropriate. Article 38 Without prejudice to the provisions of Articles 33 to 37, the Security Council may, if all the parties to any dispute so request, make recommendations to the parties with a view to a pacific settlement of the dispute. CHAPTER VII: ACTION WITH RESPECT TO THREATS TO THE PEACE, BREACHES OF THE PEACE, AND ACTS OF AGGRESSION Article 39  The Security Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations, or decide what measures shall be taken in accordance with Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore international peace and security. Article 40 In order to prevent an aggravation of the situation, the Security Council may, before making the recommendations or deciding upon the measures provided for in Article 39, call upon the parties concerned to comply with such provisional measures as it deems necessary or desirable. Such provisional measures shall be without prejudice to the rights, claims, or position of the parties concerned. The Security Council shall duly take account of failure to comply with such provisional measures. Article 41 The Security Council may decide what measures not involving the use of armed force are to be employed to give effect to its decisions, and it may call upon the Members of the United Nations to apply such measures. These may include complete or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio, and other means of communication, and the severance of diplomatic relations.  Article 42 Should the Security Council consider that measures provided for in Article 41 would be inadequate or have proved to be inadequate, it may take such action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security. Such action may include demonstrations, blockade, and other operations by air, sea, or land forces of Members of the United Nations.  Article 43  All Members of the United Nations, in order to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security, undertake to make available to the Security Council, on its call and in accordance with a special agreement or agreements, armed forces, assistance, and facilities, including rights of passage, necessary for the purpose of maintaining international peace and security.  Such agreement or agreements shall govern the numbers and types of forces, their degree of readiness and general location, and the nature of the facilities and assistance to be provided. The agreement or agreements shall be negotiated as soon as possible on the initiative of the Security Council. They shall be concluded between the Security Council and Members or between the Security Council and groups of Members and shall be subject to ratification by the signatory states in accordance with their respective constitutional processes. Article 44 When the Security Council has decided to use force it shall, before calling upon a Member not represented on it to provide armed forces in fulfilment of the obligations assumed under Article 43, invite that Member, if the Member so desires, to participate in the decisions of the Security Council concerning the employment of contingents of that Member's armed forces.  Article 45 In order to enable the United Nations to take urgent military measures, Members shall hold immediately available national air-force contingents for combined international enforcement action. The strength and degree of readiness of these contingents and plans for their combined action shall be determined within the limits laid down in the special agreement or agreements referred to in Article 43, by the Security Council with the assistance of the Military Staff Committee.  Article 46 Plans for the application of armed force shall be made by the Security Council with the assistance of the Military Staff Committee.  Article 47  There shall be established a Military Staff Committee to advise and assist the Security Council on all questions relating to the Security Council's military requirements for the maintenance of international peace and security, the employment and command of forces placed at its disposal, the regulation of armaments, and possible disarmament. The Military Staff Committee shall consist of the Chiefs of Staff of the permanent members of the Security Council or their representatives. Any Member of the United Nations not permanently represented on the Committee shall be invited by the Committee to be associated with it when the efficient discharge of the Committee's responsibilities requires the participation of that Member in its work.  The Military Staff Committee shall be responsible under the Security Council for the strategic direction of any armed forces placed at the disposal of the Security Council. Questions relating to the command of such forces shall be worked out subsequently. The Military Staff Committee, with the authorization of the Security Council and after consultation with appropriate regional agencies, may establish regional sub-committees. Article 48  The action required to carry out the decisions of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security shall be taken by all the Members of the United Nations or by some of them, as the Security Council may determine. Such decisions shall be carried out by the Members of the United Nations directly and through their action in the appropriate international agencies of which they are members. Article 49 The Members of the United Nations shall join in affording mutual assistance in carrying out the measures decided upon by the Security Council.  Article 50 If preventive or enforcement measures against any state are taken by the Security Council, any other state, whether a Member of the United Nations or not, which finds itself confronted with special economic problems arising from the carrying out of those measures shall have the right to consult the Security Council with regard to a solution of those problems.  Article 51 Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.  CHAPTER VIII: REGIONAL ARRANGEMENTS Article 52 Nothing in the present Charter precludes the existence of regional arrangements or agencies for dealing with such matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security as are appropriate for regional action provided that such arrangements or agencies and their activities are consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations. The Members of the United Nations entering into such arrangements or constituting such agencies shall make every effort to achieve pacific settlement of local disputes through such regional arrangements or by such regional agencies before referring them to the Security Council. The Security Council shall encourage the development of pacific settlement of local disputes through such regional arrangements or by such regional agencies either on the initiative of the states concerned or by reference from the Security Council. This Article in no way impairs the application of Articles 34 and 35. Article 53  The Security Council shall, where appropriate, utilize such regional arrangements or agencies for enforcement action under its authority. But no enforcement action shall be taken under regional arrangements or by regional agencies without the authorization of the Security Council, with the exception of measures against any enemy state, as defined in paragraph 2 of this Article, provided for pursuant to Article 107 or in regional arrangements directed against renewal of aggressive policy on the part of any such state, until such time as the Organization may, on request of the Governments concerned, be charged with the responsibility for preventing further aggression by such a state.  The term enemy state as used in paragraph 1 of this Article applies to any state which during the Second World War has been an enemy of any signatory of the present Charter. Article 54 The Security Council shall at all times be kept fully informed of activities undertaken or in contemplation under regional arrangements or by regional agencies for the maintenance of international peace and security. CHAPTER IX: INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CO-OPERATION Article 55 With a view to the creation of conditions of stability and well-being which are necessary for peaceful and friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, the United Nations shall promote: higher standards of living, full employment, and conditions of economic and social progress and development; solutions of international economic, social, health, and related problems; and international cultural and educational cooperation; and universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. Article 56 All Members pledge themselves to take joint and separate action in co-operation with the Organization for the achievement of the purposes set forth in Article 55. Article 57  The various specialized agencies, established by intergovernmental agreement and having wide international responsibilities, as defined in their basic instruments, in economic, social, cultural, educational, health, and related fields, shall be brought into relationship with the United Nations in accordance with the provisions of Article 63. Such agencies thus brought into relationship with the United Nations are hereinafter referred to as specialized agencies. Article 58 The Organization shall make recommendations for the co-ordination of the policies and activities of the specialized agencies. Article 59 The Organization shall, where appropriate, initiate negotiations among the states concerned for the creation of any new specialized agencies required for the accomplishment of the purposes set forth in Article 55. Article 60 Responsibility for the discharge of the functions of the Organization set forth in this Chapter shall be vested in the General Assembly and, under the authority of the General Assembly, in the Economic and Social Council, which shall have for this purpose the powers set forth in Chapter X. CHAPTER X: THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL  COMPOSITION  Article 61 The Economic and Social Council shall consist of fifty-four Members of the United Nations elected by the General Assembly. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 3, eighteen members of the Economic and Social Council shall be elected each year for a term of three years. A retiring member shall be eligible for immediate re-election. At the first election after the increase in the membership of the Economic and Social Council from twenty-seven to fifty-four members, in addition to the members elected in place of the nine members whose term of office expires at the end of that year, twenty-seven additional members shall be elected. Of these twenty-seven additional members, the term of office of nine members so elected shall expire at the end of one year, and of nine other members at the end of two years, in accordance with arrangements made by the General Assembly.  Each member of the Economic and Social Council shall have one representative. FUNCTIONS and POWERS  Article 62  The Economic and Social Council may make or initiate studies and reports with respect to international economic, social, cultural, educational, health, and related matters and may make recommendations with respect to any such matters to the General Assembly to the Members of the United Nations, and to the specialized agencies concerned. It may make recommendations for the purpose of promoting respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. It may prepare draft conventions for submission to the General Assembly, with respect to matters falling within its competence. It may call, in accordance with the rules prescribed by the United Nations, international conferences on matters falling within its competence. Article 63  The Economic and Social Council may enter into agreements with any of the agencies referred to in Article 57, defining the terms on which the agency concerned shall be brought into relationship with the United Nations. Such agreements shall be subject to approval by the General Assembly.  It may co-ordinate the activities of the specialized agencies through consultation with and recommendations to such agencies and through recommendations to the General Assembly and to the Members of the United Nations. Article 64  The Economic and Social Council may take appropriate steps to obtain regular reports from the specialized agencies. It may make arrangements with the Members of the United Nations and with the specialized agencies to obtain reports on the steps taken to give effect to its own recommendations and to recommendations on matters falling within its competence made by the General Assembly. It may communicate its observations on these reports to the General Assembly. Article 65 The Economic and Social Council may furnish information to the Security Council and shall assist the Security Council upon its request. Article 66  The Economic and Social Council shall perform such functions as fall within its competence in connection with the carrying out of the recommendations of the General Assembly. It may, with the approval of the General Assembly, perform services at the request of Members of the United Nations and at the request of specialized agencies.  It shall perform such other functions as are specified elsewhere in the present Charter or as may be assigned to it by the General Assembly. VOTING  Article 67  Each member of the Economic and Social Council shall have one vote.  Decisions of the Economic and Social Council shall be made by a majority of the members present and voting. PROCEDURE  Article 68 The Economic and Social Council shall set up commissions in economic and social fields and for the promotion of human rights, and such other commissions as may be required for the performance of its functions.  Article 69 The Economic and Social Council shall invite any Member of the United Nations to participate, without vote, in its deliberations on any matter of particular concern to that Member.  Article 70 The Economic and Social Council may make arrangements for representatives of the specialized agencies to participate, without vote, in its deliberations and in those of the commissions established by it, and for its representatives to participate in the deliberations of the specialized agencies.  Article 71 The Economic and Social Council may make suitable arrangements for consultation with non-governmental organizations which are concerned with matters within its competence. Such arrangements may be made with international organizations and, where appropriate, with national organizations after consultation with the Member of the United Nations concerned.  Article 72 The Economic and Social Council shall adopt its own rules of procedure, including the method of selecting its President. The Economic and Social Council shall meet as required in accordance with its rules, which shall include provision for the convening of meetings on the request of a majority of its members. CHAPTER XI: DECLARATION REGARDING NON-SELF-GOVERNING TERRITORIES  Article 73 Members of the United Nations which have or assume responsibilities for the administration of territories whose peoples have not yet attained a full measure of self-government recognize the principle that the interests of the inhabitants of these territories are paramount, and accept as a sacred trust the obligation to promote to the utmost, within the system of international peace and security established by the present Charter, the well-being of the inhabitants of these territories, and, to this end:  to ensure, with due respect for the culture of the peoples concerned, their political, economic, social, and educational advancement, their just treatment, and their protection against abuses;  to develop self-government, to take due account of the political aspirations of the peoples, and to assist them in the progressive development of their free political institutions, according to the particular circumstances of each territory and its peoples and their varying stages of advancement;  to further international peace and security; to promote constructive measures of development, to encourage research, and to co-operate with one another and, when and where appropriate, with specialized international bodies with a view to the practical achievement of the social, economic, and scientific purposes set forth in this Article; and to transmit regularly to the Secretary-General for information purposes, subject to such limitation as security and constitutional considerations may require, statistical and other information of a technical nature relating to economic, social, and educational conditions in the territories for which they are respectively responsible other than those territories to which Chapters XII and XIII apply.  Article 74 Members of the United Nations also agree that their policy in respect of the territories to which this Chapter applies, no less than in respect of their metropolitan areas, must be based on the general principle of good-neighbourliness, due account being taken of the interests and well-being of the rest of the world, in social, economic, and commercial matters. CHAPTER XII: INTERNATIONAL TRUSTEESHIP SYSTEM  Article 75 The United Nations shall establish under its authority an international trusteeship system for the administration and supervision of such territories as may be placed thereunder by subsequent individual agreements. These territories are hereinafter referred to as trust territories.  Article 76 The basic objectives of the trusteeship system, in accordance with the Purposes of the United Nations laid down in Article 1 of the present Charter, shall be:   to further international peace and security;  to promote the political, economic, social, and educational advancement of the inhabitants of the trust territories, and their progressive development towards self-government or independence as may be appropriate to the particular circumstances of each territory and its peoples and the freely expressed wishes of the peoples concerned, and as may be provided by the terms of each trusteeship agreement;  to encourage respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion, and to encourage recognition of the interdependence of the peoples of the world; and  to ensure equal treatment in social, economic, and commercial matters for all Members of the United Nations and their nationals, and also equal treatment for the latter in the administration of justice, without prejudice to the attainment of the foregoing objectives and subject to the provisions of Article 80.  Article 77 The trusteeship system shall apply to such territories in the following categories as may be placed thereunder by means of trusteeship agreements:      a. territories now held under mandate;     b. territories which may be detached from enemy states as a result of the Second World War; and     c. territories voluntarily placed under the system by states responsible for their administration.   It will be a matter for subsequent agreement as to which territories in the foregoing categories will be brought under the trusteeship system and upon what terms.  Article 78 The trusteeship system shall not apply to territories which have become Members of the United Nations, relationship among which shall be based on respect for the principle of sovereign equality.  Article 79 The terms of trusteeship for each territory to be placed under the trusteeship system, including any alteration or amendment, shall be agreed upon by the states directly concerned, including the mandatory power in the case of territories held under mandate by a Member of the United Nations, and shall be approved as provided for in Articles 83 and 85.  Article 80  Except as may be agreed upon in individual trusteeship agreements, made under Articles 77, 79, and 81, placing each territory under the trusteeship system, and until such agreements have been concluded, nothing in this Chapter shall be construed in or of itself to alter in any manner the rights whatsoever of any states or any peoples or the terms of existing international instruments to which Members of the United Nations may respectively be parties.  Paragraph 1 of this Article shall not be interpreted as giving grounds for delay or postponement of the negotiation and conclusion of agreements for placing mandated and other territories under the trusteeship system as provided for in Article 77.  Article 81 The trusteeship agreement shall in each case include the terms under which the trust territory will be administered and designate the authority which will exercise the administration of the trust territory. Such authority, hereinafter called the administering authority, may be one or more states or the Organization itself.  Article 82 There may be designated, in any trusteeship agreement, a strategic area or areas which may include part or all of the trust territory to which the agreement applies, without prejudice to any special agreement or agreements made under Article 43.  Article 83  All functions of the United Nations relating to strategic areas, including the approval of the terms of the trusteeship agreements and of their alteration or amendment shall be exercised by the Security Council.   The basic objectives set forth in Article 76 shall be applicable to the people of each strategic area.  The Security Council shall, subject to the provisions of the trusteeship agreements and without prejudice to security considerations, avail itself of the assistance of the Trusteeship Council to perform those functions of the United Nations under the trusteeship system relating to political, economic, social, and educational matters in the strategic areas.  Article 84 It shall be the duty of the administering authority to ensure that the trust territory shall play its part in the maintenance of international peace and security. To this end the administering authority may make use of volunteer forces, facilities, and assistance from the trust territory in carrying out the obligations towards the Security Council undertaken in this regard by the administering authority, as well as for local defence and the maintenance of law and order within the trust territory. Article 85 The functions of the United Nations with regard to trusteeship agreements for all areas not designated as strategic, including the approval of the terms of the trusteeship agreements and of their alteration or amendment, shall be exercised by the General Assembly.   The Trusteeship Council, operating under the authority of the General Assembly shall assist the General Assembly in carrying out these functions.  CHAPTER XIII: THE TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL COMPOSITION  Article 86  The Trusteeship Council shall consist of the following Members of the United Nations:  a. those Members administering trust territories;  b. such of those Members mentioned by name in Article 23 as are not administering trust territories; and  c. as many other Members elected for three-year terms by the General Assembly as may be necessary to ensure that the total number of members of the Trusteeship Council is equally divided between those Members of the United Nations which administer trust territories and those which do not.  Each member of the Trusteeship Council shall designate one specially qualified person to represent it therein.  FUNCTIONS and POWERS  Article 87 The General Assembly and, under its authority, the Trusteeship Council, in carrying out their functions, may: consider reports submitted by the administering authority;  accept petitions and examine them in consultation with the administering authority; provide for periodic visits to the respective trust territories at times agreed upon with the administering authority; and take these and other actions in conformity with the terms of the trusteeship agreements.  Article 88 The Trusteeship Council shall formulate a questionnaire on the political, economic, social, and educational advancement of the inhabitants of each trust territory, and the administering authority for each trust territory within the competence of the General Assembly shall make an annual report to the General Assembly upon the basis of such questionnaire.  VOTING  Article 89  Each member of the Trusteeship Council shall have one vote.  Decisions of the Trusteeship Council shall be made by a majority of the members present and voting.  PROCEDURE  Article 90 The Trusteeship Council shall adopt its own rules of procedure, including the method of selecting its President. The Trusteeship Council shall meet as required in accordance with its rules, which shall include provision for the convening of meetings on the request of a majority of its members.  Article 91 The Trusteeship Council shall, when appropriate, avail itself of the assistance of the Economic and Social Council and of the specialized agencies in regard to matters with which they are respectively concerned. CHAPTER XIV: THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE  Article 92 The International Court of Justice shall be the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It shall function in accordance with the annexed Statute, which is based upon the Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice and forms an integral part of the present Charter. Article 93 All Members of the United Nations are ipso facto parties to the Statute of the International Court of Justice.   A state which is not a Member of the United Nations may become a party to the Statute of the International Court of Justice on conditions to be determined in each case by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. Article 94  Each Member of the United Nations undertakes to comply with the decision of the International Court of Justice in any case to which it is a party.  If any party to a case fails to perform the obligations incumbent upon it under a judgment rendered by the Court, the other party may have recourse to the Security Council, which may, if it deems necessary, make recommendations or decide upon measures to be taken to give effect to the judgment. Article 95 Nothing in the present Charter shall prevent Members of the United Nations from entrusting the solution of their differences to other tribunals by virtue of agreements already in existence or which may be concluded in the future. Article 96  The General Assembly or the Security Council may request the International Court of Justice to give an advisory opinion on any legal question.   Other organs of the United Nations and specialized agencies, which may at any time be so authorized by the General Assembly, may also request advisory opinions of the Court on legal questions arising within the scope of their activities. CHAPTER XV: THE SECRETARIAT Article 97 The Secretariat shall comprise a Secretary-General and such staff as the Organization may require. The Secretary-General shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. He shall be the chief administrative officer of the Organization. Article 98 The Secretary-General shall act in that capacity in all meetings of the General Assembly, of the Security Council, of the Economic and Social Council, and of the Trusteeship Council, and shall perform such other functions as are entrusted to him by these organs. The Secretary-General shall make an annual report to the General Assembly on the work of the Organization.  Article 99 The Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.  Article 100 In the performance of their duties the Secretary-General and the staff shall not seek or receive instructions from any government or from any other authority external to the Organization. They shall refrain from any action which might reflect on their position as international officials responsible only to the Organization.  Each Member of the United Nations undertakes to respect the exclusively international character of the responsibilities of the Secretary-General and the staff and not to seek to influence them in the discharge of their responsibilities. Article 101  The staff shall be appointed by the Secretary-General under regulations established by the General Assembly.   Appropriate staffs shall be permanently assigned to the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, and, as required, to other organs of the United Nations. These staffs shall form a part of the Secretariat.  The paramount consideration in the employment of the staff and in the determination of the conditions of service shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard shall be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. CHAPTER XVI: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS Article 102  Every treaty and every international agreement entered into by any Member of the United Nations after the present Charter comes into force shall as soon as possible be registered with the Secretariat and published by it.  No party to any such treaty or international agreement which has not been registered in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 1 of this Article may invoke that treaty or agreement before any organ of the United Nations.  Article 103 In the event of a conflict between the obligations of the Members of the United Nations under the present Charter and their obligations under any other international agreement, their obligations under the present Charter shall prevail.  Article 104 The Organization shall enjoy in the territory of each of its Members such legal capacity as may be necessary for the exercise of its functions and the fulfilment of its purposes.  Article 105  The Organization shall enjoy in the territory of each of its Members such privileges and immunities as are necessary for the fulfilment of its purposes.  Representatives of the Members of the United Nations and officials of the Organization shall similarly enjoy such privileges and immunities as are necessary for the independent exercise of their functions in connexion with the Organization. The General Assembly may make recommendations with a view to determining the details of the application of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article or may propose conventions to the Members of the United Nations for this purpose. CHAPTER XVII: TRANSITIONAL SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS  Article 106 Pending the coming into force of such special agreements referred to in Article 43 as in the opinion of the Security Council enable it to begin the exercise of its responsibilities under Article 42, the parties to the Four-Nation Declaration, signed at Moscow, 30 October 1943, and France, shall, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 5 of that Declaration, consult with one another and as occasion requires with other Members of the United Nations with a view to such joint action on behalf of the Organization as may be necessary for the purpose of maintaining international peace and security.  Article 107 Nothing in the present Charter shall invalidate or preclude action, in relation to any state which during the Second World War has been an enemy of any signatory to the present Charter, taken or authorized as a result of that war by the Governments having responsibility for such action. CHAPTER XVIII: AMENDMENTS  Article 108 Amendments to the present Charter shall come into force for all Members of the United Nations when they have been adopted by a vote of two thirds of the members of the General Assembly and ratified in accordance with their respective constitutional processes by two thirds of the Members of the United Nations, including all the permanent members of the Security Council.  Article 109  A General Conference of the Members of the United Nations for the purpose of reviewing the present Charter may be held at a date and place to be fixed by a two-thirds vote of the members of the General Assembly and by a vote of any nine members of the Security Council. Each Member of the United Nations shall have one vote in the conference.   Any alteration of the present Charter recommended by a two-thirds vote of the conference shall take effect when ratified in accordance with their respective constitutional processes by two thirds of the Members of the United Nations including all the permanent members of the Security Council.   If such a conference has not been held before the tenth annual session of the General Assembly following the coming into force of the present Charter, the proposal to call such a conference shall be placed on the agenda of that session of the General Assembly, and the conference shall be held if so decided by a majority vote of the members of the General Assembly and by a vote of any seven members of the Security Council. CHAPTER XIX: RATIFICATION AND SIGNATURE  Article 110 The present Charter shall be ratified by the signatory states in accordance with their respective constitutional processes.   The ratifications shall be deposited with the Government of the United States of America, which shall notify all the signatory states of each deposit as well as the Secretary-General of the Organization when he has been appointed.   The present Charter shall come into force upon the deposit of ratifications by the Republic of China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America, and by a majority of the other signatory states. A protocol of the ratifications deposited shall thereupon be drawn up by the Government of the United States of America which shall communicate copies thereof to all the signatory states. The states signatory to the present Charter which ratify it after it has come into force will become original Members of the United Nations on the date of the deposit of their respective ratifications.  Article 111 The present Charter, of which the Chinese, French, Russian, English, and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall remain deposited in the archives of the Government of the United States of America. Duly certified copies thereof shall be transmitted by that Government to the Governments of the other signatory states. IN FAITH WHEREOF the representatives of the Governments of the United Nations have signed the present Charter. DONE at the city of San Francisco the twenty-sixth day of June, one thousand nine hundred and forty-five.

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

So the handwriting is on the Wall.

God has shown you all and all of us that He is the Parent and Custodian of this Nation and the World.

God can break any iron and steel, any brick and any grain and any man-made structure. He can bring down the Crane of Civilizations and handy-brainy works of the eyes; he can bring down any life without guns and bombs.

God can use even the grains of sands and the winds and air alone without a war machine and teach lucifer and his cohorts of fallen angels that he is the fashioner of America and the World.

Those of you who think because you quantify and qualify the material world and print money and control nations and take out Presidents you do not like against the WILL of the People and the Living God, because your Grand Parents conquered Nations/Tribes likewise, and crown SATAN God of the Earth and his Cardinals,..., you must all bow your head before the Living God.

The God of America is not Mormon, Lucifer, shaitan, Bulzebubb, or Money.
The God of America and the World is not the Banker and the 700 families that control the FED. the ECB, and corrupting politicians and leaders worldwide and building SATANDOM.

You planned to carry helicopters and private jets and money and corrupt and intimidate the people against their providential Leader. You schemed against the Nation of God and God's plans. And he said "you will break it
well with $300 - $400 billion in the last minute let me see." Instead in the three days counting down to the Day OF Worship of SATAN you lost $300 -$400 billions. The next time God comes around you will loose ten times this and your lands will be broken up into 2-4 pieces. Says, the Living God.

God is angry and his hand is stretched out.

God wants America and the World to melt with the Messiah's Lineage and Word in Substance, in Blood, in sex, in True Love and in Peace of Heaven and Hierarchy of God -- not SATAN's.

And to the Citizens who allow evil leaders to conspire and contrive to divide-and-conquer the nation with race and money and color, God wants you all to have a taste of how WAR takes away the basics in other countries your bad leaders have torn apart like pieces of meat for their launch.

To those that believe in the Power of a thousand Trillion dollar empire controlling governments and churches, God wants you all to learn a lesson.
God is the ultimate ruler of the Skies and money and the Rivers and Oceans.

Be very very careful and leave our Businesses in Piece else God will claim your first and second Seconds and daughters!!

The next time he comes, He-She comes with fire from underground.
Retreat in your treacheries and schemes and evil under God's cosmos!!!

Is God not merciful? He reduced the winds and brought the waters so you can Change? He could have multiplied the damages by a hundred.

Fear and Respect the Living God from your clubs, down to your hearts and brains.

God Still loves America; and the People must stand strong within the winds and waters without Fear as the Pilgrim Fathers.

God hates men and women who act, speak and love with two tongues, to sexual organs, two faces and two hearts!!!

God Came down with the 700 hundred days as promised and touched over 60% of America so that all -- followers and leaders, good and bad should take greater responsibility and seek higher profits beyond this time and generation.

Conscience never dies; God and Conscience and everywhere you are!!!
God and Conscience will not forgive you all in the Wealthy class if you Kill President Obama and ly and misinform, and miseducate the People.

God Says: "Kennedy was the Last I allowed you to Kill"

God lives!!!

---- Bamephecy 21.3.

> -------------------------------------------------------------------THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED

> PREAMBLEWE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS

> DETERMINED to
> save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which
> twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind,
> and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human
> rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the
> equal rights of men and women and of nations large and
> small, and to establish conditions under
> which justice and respect for the obligations arising from
> treaties and other sources of international law can be
> maintained, and to promote social progress
> and better standards of life in larger

> freedom,AND FOR THESE ENDS to

> practice tolerance and live together in peace with one
> another as good neighbours, and to unite our
> strength to maintain international peace and security,
> and to ensure, by the acceptance of
> principles and the institution of methods, that armed force
> shall not be used, save in the common interest,
> and to employ international machinery for
> the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all

> peoples,HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO

> ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS
>  Accordingly, our respective Governments,
> through representatives assembled in the city of San
> Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be
> in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of
> the United Nations and do hereby establish an international
> organization to be known as the United Nations.
> CHAPTER I: PURPOSES AND

> PRINCIPLESArticle 1The Purposes of the

> United Nations are:To maintain international
> peace and security, and to that end: to take effective
> collective measures for the prevention and removal of
> threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of
> aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring
> about by peaceful
> means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and
> international law, adjustment or settlement of international
> disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the
> peace;To develop friendly relations among nations
> based on respect for the principle of equal rights and
> self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate
> measures to strengthen universal peace;To achieve
> international co-operation in solving international problems
> of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character,
> and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights
> and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as

> to race, sex, language, or religion; andTo be a

> centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the
> attainment of these common ends.Article
> 2
> The Organization and its Members, in pursuit of
> the Purposes stated in Article 1, shall act in accordance
> with the

> following Principles.The Organization is based

> on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its

> Members.All Members, in order to ensure to all of

> them the rights and benefits resulting from membership,
> shall fulfill in good faith the obligations assumed by them
> in accordance with the present Charter.All
> Members shall settle their international disputes by
> peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and
> security, and justice, are not endangered.All
> Members shall refrain in their international relations from
> the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity
> or political independence of any state, or in any other
> manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United

> Nations.All Members shall give the United Nations

> every assistance in any action it takes in accordance with
> the present Charter, and shall refrain from giving
> assistance to any state against which the United
> Nations is taking preventive or enforcement

> action.The Organization shall ensure that states

> which are not Members of the United Nations act in
> accordance with these Principles so far as may be necessary
> for the maintenance of international peace and

> security.Nothing contained in the present Charter

> shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters
> which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of
> any state or shall require the Members to submit such
> matters to settlement under the present Charter; but this
> principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement
> measures under Chapter Vll.
>
> CHAPTER II: MEMBERSHIPArticle
> 3
>  The original Members of the United Nations
> shall be the states which, having participated in the United
> Nations Conference on International Organization at San
> Francisco, or having previously signed the
> Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942, sign the
> present Charter and ratify it in accordance with Article

> 110. Article 4Membership in the

> United Nations is open to all other peace-loving states
> which accept the obligations contained in the present
> Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able
> and willing to carry out these obligations.The
> admission of any such state to membership in the United
> Nations will be effected by a decision of the General
> Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security

> Council.Article 5

>  A Member of the United Nations against
> which preventive or enforcement action has been taken by the
> Security Council may be suspended from the exercise of the
> rights and privileges of membership by the General Assembly
> upon the recommendation of the Security Council. The
> exercise of these rights and privileges may be restored by
> the Security
> Council. Article 6
>  A Member of the United Nations which has
> persistently violated the Principles contained in the
> present Charter may be expelled from the Organization by the
> General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security
> Council.
> CHAPTER III: ORGANSArticle

> 7There are established as principal organs of the

> United Nations: a General Assembly, a Security Council, an
> Economic and Social Council, a Trusteeship Council, an
> International Court of Justice and a
> Secretariat. Such subsidiary organs as may
> be found necessary may be established in accordance with the
> present Charter. Article 8
> The United Nations shall place no restrictions on
> the eligibility of men and women to participate in any
> capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal
> and subsidiary
> organs.
> CHAPTER IV: THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
> COMPOSITION Article

> 9The General Assembly shall consist of all the

> Members of the United Nations. Each Member
> shall have not more than five representatives in the General
> Assembly. 
> FUNCTIONS and POWERS Article
> 10
> The General Assembly may discuss any questions or
> any matters within the scope of the present Charter or
> relating to the powers and functions of any organs provided
> for in the present Charter, and, except as provided in
> Article 12, may make recommendations to the Members of the
> United Nations or to the Security Council or to both on any
> such questions or matters. Article

> 11The General Assembly may consider the general

> principles of co-operation in the maintenance of
> international peace and security,
> including the principles governing disarmament and the
> regulation of armaments, and may make recommendations with
> regard to such principles to the Members or to the Security

> Council or to both.The General Assembly may

> discuss any questions relating to the maintenance of
> international peace and security brought before it by any
> Member of the United Nations, or by the Security Council, or
> by a state which is not a Member of the United Nations in
> accordance with Article 35, paragraph 2, and, except as
> provided in Article 12, may make recommendations with regard
> to any such questions to the state or states concerned or to
> the Security Council or to both. Any such question on which
> action is necessary shall be referred to the Security
> Council by the General Assembly either before or after
> discussion. The General Assembly may call
> the attention of the Security Council to situations which
> are likely to endanger international peace

> and security.The powers of the General Assembly

> set forth in this Article shall not limit the general scope
> of Article 10. Article
> 12 While the Security Council is exercising
> in respect of any dispute or situation the functions
> assigned to it in the present Charter, the General Assembly
> shall not make any recommendation with regard to that
> dispute or situation unless the Security Council so

> requests.The Secretary-General, with the consent

> of the Security Council, shall notify the General Assembly
> at each session of any matters relative to the maintenance
> of international peace and security which are being dealt
> with by the Security Council and shall similarly notify the
> General Assembly, or the Members of the United Nations if
> the General Assembly is not in session, immediately the
> Security Council ceases to deal with such

> matters. Article 13The General

> Assembly shall
> initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose
> of: a. promoting international co-operation in the political
> field and encouraging the progressive development of
> international law and its codification; b. promoting
> international co-operation in the economic, social,
> cultural, educational, and health fields, and assisting in
> the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms for
> all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or
> religion. The further responsibilities,
> functions and powers of the General Assembly with respect to
> matters mentioned in paragraph 1 (b) above are set forth in

> Chapters IX and X.Article 14

> Subject to the provisions of Article 12, the
> General Assembly may recommend measures for the peaceful
> adjustment of any situation, regardless of origin, which it
> deems likely to impair the general welfare or friendly
> relations among nations, including situations resulting
> from a violation of the provisions of the present Charter
> setting forth the Purposes and Principles of the United

> Nations. Article 15The General

> Assembly shall receive and consider annual and special
> reports from the Security Council; these reports shall
> include an account of the measures that the Security Council
> has decided upon or taken to maintain international peace

> and security.The General Assembly shall receive

> and consider reports from the other organs of the United
> Nations. Article 16
> The General Assembly shall perform such functions
> with respect to the international trusteeship system as are
> assigned to it under Chapters XII and XIII, including the
> approval of the trusteeship agreements for areas not
> designated as strategic. Article

> 17The General Assembly shall consider and approve
> the budget of the Organization.The expenses of

> the Organization shall be borne by the Members as

> apportioned by the General Assembly.The General

> Assembly shall consider and approve any financial and
> budgetary arrangements with specialized agencies referred to
> in Article 57 and shall examine the administrative budgets
> of such specialized agencies with a view to making
> recommendations to the agencies concerned.
> VOTING Article 18Each
> member of the General Assembly shall have one
> vote. Decisions of the General Assembly on
> important questions shall be made by a two-thirds majority
> of the members present and voting. These questions shall
> include: recommendations with respect to the maintenance of
> international peace and security, the election of the
> non-permanent members of the Security Council, the election
> of the members of the Economic and Social Council, the
> election of members of the Trusteeship Council in accordance
> with
> paragraph 1 (c) of Article 86, the admission of new Members
> to the United Nations, the suspension of the rights and
> privileges of membership, the expulsion of Members,
> questions relating to the operation of the trusteeship

> system, and budgetary questions.Decisions on

> other questions, including the determination of additional
> categories of questions to be decided by a two-thirds
> majority, shall be made by a majority of the members present

> and voting.Article 19

> geographical distribution.The non-permanent

> members of the Security Council shall be elected for a term
> of two years. In the first election of the non-permanent
> members after the increase of the membership of the Security
> Council from eleven to fifteen, two of the four additional
> members shall be chosen for a term of one year. A retiring
> member shall not be eligible for immediate
> re-election. Each member of the
> Security Council shall have one representative.
> FUNCTIONS and POWERS Article

> 24In order to ensure prompt and effective action

> by the United Nations, its Members confer on the Security
> Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of
> international peace and security, and agree that in carrying
> out its duties under this responsibility the Security

> Council acts on their behalf.In discharging these

> nine members.Decisions of the Security Council on

> all other matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of
> nine members including the concurring
> votes of the permanent members; provided that, in decisions
> under Chapter VI, and under paragraph 3 of Article 52, a
> party to a dispute shall abstain from voting.
> PROCEDURE Article
> 28 The Security Council shall be so
> organized as to be able to function continuously. Each
> member of the Security Council shall for this purpose be
> represented at all times at the seat of the

> Organization.The Security Council shall hold

> periodic meetings at which each of its members may, if it so
> desires, be represented by a member of the government or by
> some other specially designated
> representative.  The Security Council
> may hold meetings at such places other than the seat of the
> Organization as in its judgment will best facilitate its

> work.Article 29

> The Security Council may establish such
> subsidiary organs as it deems necessary for the performance

> of its functions.Article 30

> The Security Council shall adopt its own rules of
> procedure, including the method of selecting its

> President.Article 31

> Any Member of the United Nations which is not a
> member of the Security Council may participate, without
> vote, in the discussion of any question brought before the
> Security Council whenever the latter considers that the
> interests of that Member are specially

> affected.Article 32

> Any Member of the United Nations which is not a
> member of the Security Council or any state which is not a
> Member of the United Nations, if it is a party to a dispute
> under consideration by the Security Council, shall be
> invited to participate, without vote, in the discussion
> relating to the dispute. The Security Council shall lay down
> such conditions as it deems just for the participation of a
> state which is not a Member of the
> United Nations.
> CHAPTER VI: PACIFIC SETTLEMENT OF

> DISPUTESArticle 33 The parties to

> any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger
> the maintenance of international peace and security, shall,
> first of all, seek a solution by negotiation, enquiry,
> mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement,
> resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or other
> peaceful means of their own choice. The
> Security Council shall, when it deems necessary, call upon
> the parties to settle their dispute by such

> means.Article 34

> The Security Council may investigate any dispute,
> or any situation which might lead to international friction
> or give rise to a dispute, in order to determine whether the
> continuance of the dispute or situation is likely to
> endanger the maintenance of international peace and
> security.Article

> 35Any Member of the United Nations may bring any

> dispute, or any situation of the nature referred to in
> Article 34, to the attention of the Security Council or of

> the General Assembly.A state which is not a

> Member of the United Nations may bring to the attention of
> the Security Council or of the General Assembly any dispute
> to which it is a party if it accepts in advance, for the
> purposes of the dispute, the obligations of pacific
> settlement provided in the present
> Charter. The proceedings of the General
> Assembly in respect of matters brought to its attention
> under this Article will be subject to the provisions of

> Articles 11 and 12.Article 36 The

> Security Council may, at any stage of a dispute of the
> nature referred to in Article 33 or of a situation of like
> nature, recommend appropriate procedures or methods of
> adjustment. The Security Council should take
> into
> consideration any procedures for the settlement of the
> dispute which have already been adopted by the
> parties. In making recommendations under
> this Article the Security Council should also take into
> consideration that legal disputes should as a general rule
> be referred by the parties to the International Court of
> Justice in accordance with the provisions of the Statute of

> the Court.Article 37 Should the

> parties to a dispute of the nature referred to in Article 33
> fail to settle it by the means indicated in that Article,
> they shall refer it to the Security Council.If
> the Security Council deems that the continuance of the
> dispute is in fact likely to endanger the maintenance of
> international peace and security, it shall decide whether to
> take action under Article 36 or to recommend such terms of
> settlement as it may consider appropriate.Article
> 38
> Without prejudice
> to the provisions of Articles 33 to 37, the Security
> Council may, if all the parties to any dispute so request,
> make recommendations to the parties with a view to a pacific
> settlement of the dispute.
> CHAPTER VII: ACTION WITH RESPECT TO THREATS
> TO THE PEACE, BREACHES OF THE PEACE, AND ACTS OF

> AGGRESSIONArticle 39

>  The Security Council shall determine the
> existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace,
> or act of aggression and shall make recommendations, or
> decide what measures shall be taken in accordance with
> Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore international

> peace and security.Article 40

> processes.Article 44

> possible disarmament.The Military Staff Committee

> shall consist of the Chiefs of Staff of the permanent
> members of the Security Council or their representatives.
> Any Member of the United Nations not
> permanently represented on the Committee shall be invited
> by the Committee to be associated with it when the efficient
> discharge of the Committee's responsibilities requires
> the participation of that Member in its
> work. The Military Staff Committee shall be
> responsible under the Security Council for the strategic
> direction of any armed forces placed at the disposal of the
> Security Council. Questions relating to the command of such
> forces shall be worked out subsequently.The
> Military Staff Committee, with the authorization of the
> Security Council and after consultation with appropriate
> regional agencies, may establish regional

> sub-committees.Article 48 The

> action required to carry out the decisions of the Security
> Council for the maintenance of international peace and
> security shall be taken by all the Members of the United
> Nations or by some of them, as the Security Council may

> determine.Such decisions shall be carried out by

> the Members of the United Nations directly and through their
> action in the appropriate international agencies of which

> they are members.Article 49

> ARRANGEMENTSArticle 52Nothing in the

> present Charter precludes the existence of regional
> arrangements or agencies for dealing with such matters
> relating to the maintenance of international peace and
> security as are appropriate for regional action provided
> that such arrangements or agencies and their activities are
> consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the

> United Nations.The Members of the United Nations

> entering into such arrangements or constituting such
> agencies shall make every effort to achieve pacific
> settlement of local disputes through such regional
> arrangements or by such regional agencies before referring

> them to the Security Council.The Security Council

> shall encourage the development of pacific settlement of
> local disputes through such regional arrangements or by such
> regional agencies either on the initiative of the states
> concerned or by reference from the Security

> Council.This Article in no way impairs the

> CO-OPERATIONArticle 55

> With a view to the creation of conditions of
> stability and well-being which are necessary for peaceful
> and friendly relations among nations based on respect for
> the principle of equal rights and self-determination of
> peoples, the United Nations shall promote:higher
> standards of living, full employment, and conditions of
> economic and social progress and
> development;solutions of international economic,
> social, health, and related problems; and international
> cultural and educational cooperation;

> anduniversal respect for, and observance of,

> human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without
> distinction as to race, sex, language, or

> religion.Article 56

> All Members pledge themselves to take joint and
> separate action in co-operation with the Organization for
> the achievement of the purposes set forth in Article
> 55.Article
> 57 The various specialized agencies,
> established by intergovernmental agreement and having wide
> international responsibilities, as defined in their basic
> instruments, in economic, social, cultural, educational,
> health, and related fields, shall be brought into
> relationship with the United Nations in accordance with the

> provisions of Article 63.Such agencies thus

> brought into relationship with the United Nations are
> hereinafter referred to as specialized

> agencies.Article 58

> The Organization shall make recommendations for
> the co-ordination of the policies and activities of the

> specialized agencies.Article 59

> The Organization shall, where appropriate,
> initiate negotiations among the states concerned for the
> creation of any new specialized agencies required for the
> accomplishment of the purposes set forth in Article
> 55.Article
> 60
> Responsibility for the discharge of the functions
> of the Organization set forth in this Chapter shall be
> vested in the General Assembly and, under the authority of
> the General Assembly, in the Economic and Social Council,
> which shall have for this purpose the powers set forth in
> Chapter X.
> CHAPTER X: THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
> COUNCIL 
> COMPOSITION Article

> 61The Economic and Social Council shall consist

> of fifty-four Members of the United Nations elected by the

> General Assembly.Subject to the provisions of

> paragraph 3, eighteen members of the Economic and Social
> Council shall be elected each year for a term of three
> years. A retiring member shall be eligible for immediate

> re-election.At the first election after the

> increase in the membership of the Economic and Social
> Council from twenty-seven to fifty-four members,
> in addition to the members elected in place of the nine
> members whose term of office expires at the end of that
> year, twenty-seven additional members shall be elected. Of
> these twenty-seven additional members, the term of office of
> nine members so elected shall expire at the end of one year,
> and of nine other members at the end of two years, in
> accordance with arrangements made by the General
> Assembly. Each member of the Economic and
> Social Council shall have one representative.
> FUNCTIONS and POWERS Article
> 62 The Economic and Social Council may make
> or initiate studies and reports with respect to
> international economic, social, cultural, educational,
> health, and related matters and may make recommendations
> with respect to any such matters to the General Assembly to
> the Members of the United Nations, and to the specialized

> agencies concerned.It may make recommendations

> for the purpose of promoting respect for, and observance
> of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for

> all.It may prepare draft conventions for

> submission to the General Assembly, with respect to matters

> falling within its competence.It may call, in

> accordance with the rules prescribed by the United Nations,
> international conferences on matters falling within its

> competence.Article 63 The

> Economic and Social Council may enter into agreements with
> any of the agencies referred to in Article 57, defining the
> terms on which the agency concerned shall be brought into
> relationship with the United Nations. Such agreements shall
> be subject to approval by the General
> Assembly. It may co-ordinate the activities
> of the specialized agencies through consultation with and
> recommendations to such agencies and through recommendations
> to the General Assembly and to the Members of the United

> Nations.Article 64 The Economic

> and Social Council may take appropriate steps to obtain
> regular reports from the specialized agencies. It may make
> arrangements with the Members of the United Nations and with
> the specialized agencies to obtain reports on the steps
> taken to give effect to its own recommendations and to
> recommendations on matters falling within its competence

> made by the General Assembly.It may communicate

> its observations on these reports to the General

> Assembly.Article 65

> The Economic and Social Council may furnish
> information to the Security Council and shall assist the
> Security Council upon its request.Article
> 66 The Economic and Social Council shall
> perform such functions as fall within its competence in
> connection with the carrying out of the recommendations of

> the General Assembly.It may, with the approval of

> 72The Economic and Social Council shall adopt its

> own rules of
> procedure, including the method of selecting its

> President.The Economic and Social Council shall

> andto transmit regularly to the Secretary-General

> 80. Article 77The trusteeship

> territory.Article 85The functions of

> administering authority; andtake these and other

> actions in conformity with the terms of the trusteeship
> agreements. Article 88
> The Trusteeship Council shall formulate a
> questionnaire on the political, economic, social, and
> educational advancement of the inhabitants of each trust
> territory, and the administering authority for each trust
> territory within the competence of the General Assembly
> shall make an annual report to the General Assembly upon the
> basis of such questionnaire. 
> VOTING Article
> 89 Each member of the Trusteeship Council
> shall have one vote. Decisions of the
> Trusteeship Council shall be made by a majority of the
> members present and voting. 
> PROCEDURE Article

> 90The Trusteeship Council shall adopt its own

> rules of procedure, including the method of selecting its

> President.The Trusteeship Council shall meet as

> required in accordance with its rules, which shall include
> provision for the convening of meetings on the request of a
> majority of its members. Article
> 91
> The Trusteeship Council shall, when appropriate,
> avail itself of the
> assistance of the Economic and Social Council and of the
> specialized agencies in regard to matters with which they
> are respectively concerned.
> CHAPTER XIV: THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF
> JUSTICE Article 92
> The International Court of Justice shall be the
> principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It shall
> function in accordance with the annexed Statute, which is
> based upon the Statute of the Permanent Court of
> International Justice and forms an integral part of the

> present Charter.Article 93All Members

> of the United Nations are ipso facto parties to the Statute
> of the International Court of
> Justice.  A state which is not a Member
> of the United Nations may become a party to the Statute of
> the International Court of Justice on conditions to be
> determined in each case by the General Assembly upon the
> recommendation of the Security

> Council.Article 94 Each Member

> of the United Nations undertakes to comply with the decision
> of the International Court of Justice in any case to which
> it is a party. If any party to a case fails
> to perform the obligations incumbent upon it under a
> judgment rendered by the Court, the other party may have
> recourse to the Security Council, which may, if it deems
> necessary, make recommendations or decide upon measures to
> be taken to give effect to the judgment.Article
> 95
> Nothing in the present Charter shall prevent
> Members of the United Nations from entrusting the solution
> of their differences to other tribunals by virtue of
> agreements already in existence or which may be concluded in

> the future.Article 96 The General

> Assembly or the Security Council may request the
> International Court of Justice to give an advisory opinion
> on any legal
> question.  Other organs of the United
> Nations and specialized agencies, which may at any time be
> so authorized by the General Assembly, may also request
> advisory opinions of the Court on legal questions arising
> within the scope of their activities.
> CHAPTER XV: THE

> SECRETARIATArticle 97

> The Secretariat shall comprise a
> Secretary-General and such staff as the Organization may
> require. The Secretary-General shall be appointed by the
> General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security
> Council. He shall be the chief administrative officer of the

> Organization.Article 98

> The Secretary-General shall act in that capacity
> in all meetings of the General Assembly, of the Security
> Council, of the Economic and Social Council, and of the
> Trusteeship Council, and shall perform such other functions
> as are entrusted to him by these organs.
> The Secretary-General shall make an annual report to the
> General Assembly on the work of the
> Organization. Article 99
> The Secretary-General may bring to the attention
> of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may
> threaten the maintenance of international peace and

> security. Article 100In the

> PROVISIONSArticle 102 Every

> connexion with the Organization.The General

> SIGNATURE Article 110The present

> Charter shall be ratified by the signatory states in
> accordance with their respective constitutional
> processes.  The ratifications shall be
> deposited with the Government of the United States of
> America, which shall notify all the signatory states of each
> deposit as well as the Secretary-General of the Organization
> when he has been appointed.  The
> present Charter shall come into force upon the deposit of
> ratifications by the Republic of China, France, the Union
> of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great
> Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of
> America, and by a majority of the other signatory states. A
> protocol of the ratifications deposited shall thereupon be
> drawn up by the Government of the United States of America
> which shall communicate copies thereof to all the signatory

> states.The states signatory to the present

> Washington, DC, USA   Wednesday, October 03, 2012Washington, DC, USA -

> “The Face of Human Trafficking in America” was the theme
> for the monthly roundtable meeting of UPF's Office for
> Peace and Security Affairs on October 3 at The Washington
> Times. More than 60 people attended the nearly three-hour
> event co-hosted with the Women’s Federation for World
> Peace and the United Nations Association of the National
> Capital Area. The forum addressed the domestic issues of
> human
> trafficking and how the U.S. is affecting

> trafficking around the world05/17    Co-hosts:Dr.

> Antonio Betancourt – Director, Peace and Security Affairs,

> DC Office, UPF InternationalAngelika Selle –

> President, Women’s Federation for World Peace

> USAKathryn Wichmann

> – Director, Membership and Communications, United Nations

> AssociationModerator: Cynthia Turner
> – Executive Director, Seraphim GlobalSpeakers:Yvonne

> Williams – Executive Director, Trafficking In America Task

> ForceJulie Southwell – Field Organizer,
> Mid-Atlantic Region, Amnesty International
> USABarbara Amaya – A survivor of human

> trafficking for sexual
> exploitation► Welcoming Remarks by
> Dr. Betancourt, UPF:As NGOs of the United Nations,
> the Universal Peace Federation and the Women’s Federation
> for World Peace support the UN Convention Against
> Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), which considers human
> trafficking a crime against humanity. The purpose of this
> roundtable is to provide a forum to discuss human
> trafficking, which is a form of

> modern-day slavery.Distinguished guests, members of

> the diplomatic community, scholars, ladies and gentlemen,
> thank you for attending this important discussion on one of
> the most important topics currently facing the international
> community, the looming transnational challenge of human

> trafficking in the 21stcentury.On behalf of UPF

> of money, drugs and arms.How does human trafficking

> encourage.Educate:  to raise

> awareness of trafficking and its impact, the progress that
> has been made (such as the reauthorization of the
> Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which has sparked a
> global movement to fight the causes of
> trafficking and to punish the perpetrators) and the

> challenges that are ahead of us.Engage: members of

> foreign governments in attendance today
> to:develop a multi-disciplinary and coordinated
> approach to addressing trafficking in their
> countries;foster government-NGO cooperation in
> their countries to increase investigations, prosecutions and
> convictions of traffickers and others involved in
> exploitation of people;provide necessary assistance
> to and protection of victims;develop
> regional,  national and local cooperation with law
> enforcement and international investigative organizations,
> customs, border patrols, NGOs, international watchdog
> organizations, transportation industry and business in

> combating trafficking.Encourage:  each

> arms trafficking.I am

> sure many ask – how does this happen without any awareness
> of our family, law enforcement, media and educators. Our
> experience has indicated that people of subcultures do not
> tell – they turn a blind eye to trafficking and child
> exploitation. SeraphimGLOBAL's Director of Psychosocial
> Services has worked in the Northern Virginia mental health
> system for several years. Her data indicates that Caucasians
> report trafficking but Latinos and African Americans are not
> likely to tell about the perpetration of this kind of
> criminal activity

> by someone in their community.While the causes of human

> trafficking look different from region to region, nation to

> nation – there are common denominators.From Alexandria, Va., to Mumbai,

> India; Miami to El Salvador; Chicago to Kosovo; Los Angeles
> to Ghana; Congo and Tanzania, the root causes of human
> trafficking have five interrelated factors:Poverty –
> particularly single-parent householdsSex abuse –
> victims of molestationDrug dependency –
> drugs and alcoholismViolence –

> intra-family violence/gangsStrained or absence
> of family relationship:  broken familiesTypically, we think these

> factors exist only in developing countries and affect only
> those involved in civil strife or
> war.  However, these factors exist in all cultures and

> geographic regions.For 20

> years, SeraphimGLOBAL has worked to provide hope and healing
> to women and children who have struggled to survive at the
> hands of traffickers: first in El Salvador, where young boys
> were taken from school buses and soccer fields, handed a gun

> and put on an open truck to become a child soldier.Some of those same children

> became street kids after the war. Families emigrated to the
> United States or relocated to other parts of the country.
> Many families did not know the status of their children,
> while
> others discouraged them from returning to the family. Some
> were scarred by their treatment and refused to be
> reintegrated into their communities, and some were hardened
> by the trauma of being a child in the morning and a soldier

> at nightfall.SeraphimGLOBAL provides direct

> services to victims and psychosocial education to Ministries
> of Health and Education, health workers, NGOs, teachers,

> pastors and community leaders.Its approach is to build

> capacity and strengthen institutions, grassroots community
> organizations and systems to provide treatment and increase
> services for the
> survivors of human trafficking and the families of these
> victims.SeraphimGLOBAL
> works to strengthen aftercare facilities through education
> and skills development of health professionals and
> paraprofessionals. It retrains them to increase their
> capacity to effectively respond to complex trauma symptoms,
> psychological, emotional and irrational problems that
> survivors have to overcome in order to be functional in
> society. It is based on 20 years of research, neuroscience
> and evidence-based treatment that provides symptom
> normalization, stabilization of the nervous system,
> regulation of traumatic reaction, validation of anger and

> grief and empowerment of the fully integrated self.This model, which we have named

> SERVE, has been implemented in the United States and nine
> countries. There are 10 training modules in the SERVE model
> of treatment.SERVE
> represents:S - Symptom
> normalization
> E - Education of the brain's stress response
> R - Regulation of the autonomous nervous system
> V - Validation of anger and grief

> E - Empowerment of the fully integrated selfMuch of the focus of the

> training and counseling Seraphim provides is based on the
> relationship of mother to child and early family
> bonding.  Most adults have little or no recall of their
> childhood and bonding with their
> mother below the age of 3. Some events may be remembered
> down to age 2. However, the development of the mother-child
> relationship begins while babies are in the womb, and from
> infancy to 2 years is the period in which we begin to
> formulate memories, develop cognitive capacity, and, based
> on maternal warmth and interaction, become secure in

> establishing other relationships.Secure, grounded women and

> children who have strong identities and self-esteem are much
> less likely to become targets for traffickers. Seraphim
> clinical/psychosocial staff provide counseling and parenting
> skills to families, particularly single mothers, to provide
> them with the tools to help their family remain cohesive and
> strong. Building strong families, lifting people out of
> poverty, regarding
> our children as our most important gift, will go a long way

> toward eliminating the grip of traffickers.In closing, all nations must

> speak in one voice about the elimination of human
> trafficking and take necessary action to protect victims,
> provide aftercare support, improve legislation to make
> certain the perpetrators receive appropriate punishment
> while the victims are treated as victims and not criminals
> – and most importantly, create a strong global economy so
> that children are not sold and women forced into
> prostitution to feed the greed of traffickers.► Remarks by Barbara
> Amaya, a Trafficking Survivor:Barbara was trafficked from the
> age of 13 from Fairfax, Va., to New York. As a survivor,
> Barbara is the “Face of Human Trafficking in
> America.”Six months
> ago, Barbara Amaya said, she was
> watching a story on television about teenage girls being
> trafficked for sex in her Northern Virginia neighborhood
> when she realized that she, too, had been the victim of sex
> trafficking – four decades earlier.“I didn't know I had been
> trafficked. I viewed myself as a prostitute,” she told the
> audience. Ms. Amaya writes a column called Telling
> It Like It Is for the Communities section of The

> Washington Times website.Ms. Amaya, now 56, said she was

> opening of a new Task Force in Georgia is in progress.The vision of TIATF is to help

> eliminate the human trafficking of women, men and children
> in America; to provide a culture for our children free of
> sexual exploitation and slavery in which people know
> their own intrinsic value. In order to accomplish this we
> must affect the culture in
> America so that the climate for such blatant inhumanity

> changes.Let’s look at

> specifically to promote sex tours.Human Trafficking

> Triangle:DISTRIBUTORS and greed: The question
> is “What is driving this insatiable thirst for
> money?”SUPPLY: The question? What is it in our
> nature (our culture) that has created such a magnet for
> traffickers to so easily obtain supply, whether for the sex

> or for the labor?DEMAND FOR PROFITS: Who is

> creating the demand for sex? Who is creating the demand for
> cheap labor?Our
> Culture: The question is: How do we affect our culture to
> enable us to provide it free of sexual exploitation and

> slavery?Some Strategies

> for a Slave Free America: Creating a cultural shift in
> America that will aid in stopping the supply and the demand
> for sex and cheap labor. What’s the goal? Affecting the
> next generation to think differently about themselves and

> about each other to stop the cycle.Accepting Responsibility: This

> is not
> solely a political issue. We, the voting public, have
> allowed our culture to become as it is. And, we, the people,

> are the ones to change it.We need to accept

> responsibility: As a nation, as individuals, as parents, as
> educators, as the church, as corporations, as the
> entertainment industry. We need to put human need before
> corporate greed.Education
> and Prevention: We must reach the men and boys, age group 25
> and under.
> This is the age when boys / men are exposed to pornography
> for the first time. We must incorporate curricula in
> America’s schools into existing curricula such as history,
> economics, health education, creative arts, etc. There are
> efforts under way to get more prevention curricula spread
> around the country.States
> Need to Own This. We must educate citizens in every city in
> America through:Town hall
> meetings;Awareness booths in retail
> establishments;Resources for NGOs to conduct
> trainings;Press conferences to create
> collaborations with law enforcement, educators, citizens,

> NGOs.We need to engage churches in developing and

> healing the male population / the buyers of

> pornographyPrevention (Eradication): We

> need a Mass Media approach during a high season of
> television participation – PSAs to run on prime-time
> television: Survivors to
> reach youth – “This is how it happened to me”;
> fathers to reach fathers; youth to reach youth; NFL and
> other sports figures to speak to youth / to men; NGOs:
> Legislative support is needed for developing strategic plans

> with resource support for NGOs working on the ground.Engaging the Parent(s): How can

> we get the information to parents about human trafficking so
> they can learn the signs that their child may be being
> coerced
> or threatened into performing sex acts? PTO meetings,
> parent groups, church groups, etc. in order to engage youth
> to protect themselves from sexual exploitation. We all must

> get involved in helping one another.TIATF suggests that a steering

> committee be formulated to create specific strategies with
> goals for the next 12 months to work towards demand
> reduction. And that we meet again in 12 months to report on
> the progress.Remarks
> by Julie Southwell, a Field Organizer with
> the Mid-Atlantic Region of Amnesty International:Amnesty International unites
> people from all over the world to fight for human rights,
> using its signature tactics of research, action, and
> advocacy.  Amnesty International supports civil
> liberties by keeping a vigilant watch on the rights of
> people around the world.  Through Amnesty’s dynamic
> campaigns and long-term casework, its members propel key
> human rights concerns and stories of individuals at risk
> into the international media to demand the attention of
> government officials, corporations, international
> institutions and policy makers.  Amnesty also combines
> high-level legislative work, media outreach and grassroots
> mobilization to shape and
> promote legislation and policies to protect individuals and

> advance human rights.Amnesty International, a

> grassroots human rights organization, was founded 51 years
> ago. It has 3 million members worldwide, and 300,000 members
> in the United States. AI works in many areas, including
> human trafficking.AI
> takes a three-step approach that includes education, action
> and advocacy. It has been instrumental in pressuring for
> passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, leading
> local advocacy campaigns directed towards authorities
> failing to provide protection, as well

> as on the international level.The Trafficking Victims

> help.A T-visa gives temporary non-immigrant

> status to
> victims of “severe forms of human trafficking” on the condition that they help law enforcement
> officials investigate and prosecute crimes related
> to human trafficking. If the victim is
> under 18 years of age, the law does not require
> cooperation with police to obtain a T-visa.
> Of the 5,000 T-visas available annually to
> survivors of human
> trafficking, statistics show that only 6% are

> actually utilized.On Nov.

> 13,
> 2005, more than 100 officers from federal,
> state, and local law
> enforcement agencies raided five cantinas
> in northwest
> Houston, freeing approximately 120 women and
> girls. Agents arrested eight members of a
> human trafficking ring run by Maximino “El Chimino”
> Mondragon of El Salvador. Despite the cooperation
> of the trafficking survivors in the investigation
> and arrest of Maximino, more than 2 years
> after the raids, only 67 of the 120
> women and girls present during the cantina raids
> had
> received T-visas. In some cases, survivors were initially

> mistaken as criminals.Closing Remarks by Dr.

> Roosevelt’s global visionSecretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks at

> ceremony dedicating Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island

> in New York City. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe2 Print18 October 2012

> – Secretary-General Ban
> Ki-moon today paid tribute to a key figure in the formation
> of the United Nations, United States wartime President
> Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who died just months before
> seeing his dream come true 67 years ago but whose global
> vision surmounting national boundaries still guides the
> world body.“No
> single person was more instrumental in the founding of the
> United Nations than Franklin Delano Roosevelt,” the
> Secretary-General told a ceremony at the
> dedication of a public space – the Four Freedoms Park –
> in honour of the US leader on Roosevelt Island in New
> York’s East River within sight of the UN
> Headquarters complex on the island of Manhattan.“He had the vision. He
> helped develop the plans. He even gave us our name,” Mr.
> Ban said of the man who first coined the term United Nations
> to depict the post-war world he envisioned in a 1942
> declaration by the 26 countries then fighting against

> Germany, Italy and Japan.President Roosevelt died on 12 April 1945. The United

> Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945,
> when the UN Charter had been ratified by a number of
> countries. In the lead-up to that moment,
> representatives of 50 countries had conferred in the US

> city of San Francisco to draw up the Charter.The park’s name, Four

> Freedoms Park, derives directly from that vision in which
> Mr. Roosevelt enshrined freedom of speech, freedom of
> worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear as rights
> to be enjoyed by everybody everywhere on the face of the
> Earth.“President
> Roosevelt was driven by a global vision. He understood that
> an individual’s dreams were not restricted by that
> individual’s passport. He knew that aspirations could not
> be confined to national borders,” Mr. Ban said. “And he
> believed deeply that leaders everywhere must help people
> everywhere live those dreams.”“He did not live long enough to see the United
> Nations come to pass. Yet his words guide us every day as we
> seek to advance peace and security, promote
> development, and uphold human rights around the world,”

> the Secretary-General noted.Among those attending the dedication of the Park, a

> four-acre triangular expanse of green flanked by 120 trees
> that lead to a bronze bust of the President Roosevelt on a
> white granite open-air plaza, were New York City’s Mayor
> Michael Bloomberg, former US President Bill Clinton and Anna
> Eleanor Roosevelt, a granddaughter of the late
> president.“More than
> 60 years later, the Four Freedoms remain a guide
> post, and this park will be a lighthouse. It will be a
> source of comfort knowing that FDR is looking out on the
> United Nations, and it will be a source of inspiration
> looking out on him from the 38th floor,” Mr. Ban said,
> referring to the executive offices at the top of UN

> Headquarters.He added,

> non-permanent seats on UN Security CouncilForeign Minister Bob Carr (centre)

> chats with a colleague after Australia was elected one of
> five new non-permanent members of the Security Council. UN

> Photo/Evan Schneider69 Print18 October 2012 – The

> United
> Nations General Assembly has elected Argentina,
> Australia, Luxembourg, the Republic of Korea and Rwanda to
> serve as non-permanent members on the Security Council for

> two-year terms beginning on 1 January 2013.The five countries obtained

> the required two-thirds majority of those Member States
> present and voting in the secret ballot, held at UN
> Headquarters in New York, to decide on the new composition
> of the Council, which deals with global peace and security

> issues.The 193-member

> Assembly elected Argentina, Australia and Rwanda in a first
> round of balloting, with the Republic of Korea and

> Luxembourg elected in a second round.The five newly-elected

> members will replace Colombia,
> Germany, India, Portugal and South Africa, whose terms end

> on 31 December 2012.The five permanent Council members, which each wield

> the power of veto, are China, France, Russia, the United
> Kingdom and the United States. Non-permanent members
> Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo will

> remain on the Council until the end of 2013.Under the UN Charter, the

> Council
> has primary responsibility for the maintenance of
> international peace and security. It has 15 Members, and
> each Member has one vote. Under the Charter, all Member

> States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.In addition, the Council

> takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to
> the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to
> a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends
> methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases,
> it can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the
> use of force to maintain or restore international peace and

> security.The Council

> approach to helping word’s poorA woman and her children collect

> firewood and paper for baking bread in Ezbet Abd Rabbo,

> Gaza. Photo: Shareef Sarhan Print17 October 2012 – With

> control of their future.In a separate message, the UN Special Rapporteur on

> anti-poverty efforts.The eight MDGs, agreed

> in DC: The Tragedy and Hope for SyriaBy UPF Office of Peace and Security Affairs,
> Washington, DC   Wednesday, September 26, 2012Summary report on the Roundtable on

> “The Tragedy and Hope for Syria,” hosted by the UPF
> Office of Peace and Security Affairs at The Washington
> Times, Green Room, September 26, 2012. The moderator was
> Hon. David Newton, former US ambassador to Yemen and Iraq,
> and currently adjunct scholar, Middle East

> Institute.The Syrian conflict began in March

> 2011, just one month after Egypt’s revolution. Today, over
> 20,000 have been killed in what
> is now a civil war between the government of Bashar
> al-Assad and those opposed to his regime. Russia and Iran
> have inhibited the peaceful resolution of this

> conflict.1/7    Unlike

> the case of Libya, to date, there has been minimal
> international involvement in this conflict. Many feel that
> more needs to be done immediately to pressure Assad to step
> down or
> otherwise enable the Syrian opposition to overcome the
> military superiority of the
> regime’s forces. Regardless of when Assad may fall,
> serious planning has been underway since January,
> facilitated by the U.S. through the U.S. Institute of Peace,
> to prepare a transition process for a more democratic

> Syria.Our forum invited Syrian and Middle East

> experts to explore the background and evolution of this
> year-and-a-half long conflict, where the civil war presently
> stands, the possibility of greater intervention
> by the West, the immediate impact of the conflict upon
> Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Israel, as well as the
> positions taken by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and the roles,
> counter-productive or productive, being played by Russia,
> Iran, the EU, and the U.S. We also discussed in depth the
> various potential outcomes of the civil war, including more
> pessimistic ones that involve the permanent fragmentation of
> the Syrian nation, as well as more optimistic ones that
> foresee a democratic and unified Syria as a viable

> possibility.Opening remarks by Dr. Antonio

> Betancourt, Director, Office of Peace and Security
> Affairs:Good afternoon
> distinguished guests, scholars, ladies and gentlemen. Thank
> you for joining us for a discussion of one of the most
> important topics currently facing the international
> community. On behalf of UPF International’s Office of
> Peace and Security Affairs, I welcome you to our roundtable
> discussion on the theme “The Tragedy and Hope for
> Syria.” After the horrific events that occurred in
> Benghazi, Libya, and subsequent two weeks of tense political
> protests that ricocheted throughout the Middle East due to
> an offensive amateur film, the world is now refocusing on

> the bleak situation in Syria.With President Assad’s

> refusal of international assistance in brokering a solution,
> and the Syrian army’s continual attacks against civilians,
> countries in and out of the region are desperate for a
> tenable solution. With an estimated over 20,000 dead and
> thousands more likely to follow, it is indispensable that
> the international community work with the necessary actors
> to prevent further death and destruction and lay out

> possible ways forward.But who should those actors be?

> Where does the United States fall in this discussion? 
> Who are the internal actors that may be useful in solving
> the conflict?  Who are those actors that consistently
> create barriers to peace?  There are many questions
> surrounding this issue and numerous possible

> answers.There are those of us who sincerely believe

> in the universal
> longing of individuals and the collective to find their
> sovereignty, the call for freedom, freedom of the mind,
> freedom of conscience, democracy, the rule of law, and human
> rights. Many of us believe these social gifts are not mere
> Western inventions but universal aspirations of human beings
> regardless of their backgrounds. We can’t but hope that
> these gifts and blessings will be made available to the
> people of Syria to rebuild a country that can bring the
> maximum of peace and prosperity to all its people and to the

> region.There are many in our midst who doubt the

> future better than the present.The Office of Peace

> and Security Affairs is part of the Universal Peace
> Federation (UPF), an international NGO active in more than
> 140 countries in Special Consultative Status with the
> Economic and Social Council of the UN. UPF works actively
> worldwide to create a culture of peace and reconciliation.
> Our office in Washington puts together monthly programs
> where global problems that affect the international
> community are discussed and the results are disseminated to
> a
> constituency of Ambassadors for Peace numbered in the tens
> of thousands around the world. Many of these individuals are
> in leadership positions in governments, legislatures,
> academia, think tanks, mass media, and the private

> sector.It is a great pleasure to have a distinguished

> situation continues.Dr. Murhaf Jouejati, a

> Syrian-born specialist, professor of Middle East studies at
> the National Defense University, and a member of the Syrian
> National Council (a coalition of exile opposition groups
> based in Turkey), called the situation in Syria a
> “catastrophe of huge proportions” and one of
> “unprecedented brutality.”Dr. Jouejati believes
> the regime is close to collapse. He cited three examples
> that support this view: First, more than 80,000 members of
> the opposition forces, largely composed of former Syrian
> soldiers who refused to fire on civilians. Second, the
> number of
> high-ranking military officials who have defected from the
> regime to the rebels. Third, the nation’s skyrocketing

> inflation and unemployment rates.Syrian President

> Assad, he said, isn’t concerned with sanctions,
> international courts, or condemnation. “Assad deems Syria
> as his family farm, and he is determined that if he is going
> to go down, he is going to take with him the rest of the
> country.”Dr. Jouejati condemned China, Iran, and
> Russia for sending military aid to support Assad. “The
> government of Russia is a partner in mass murder, and let

> history show that,” he said.Dr. Mark Barry, scholar

> with the UPF Office of Peace and Security Affairs, commented
> that the inhumanity in Syria should be considered in not
> merely political or sociological terms, but psychological.
> Assad’s contempt for his people is reminiscent of the
> communist genocide against the Ukrainian people, Pol Pot’s
> Cambodia, or how the North Korean leadership treats its

> citizens.Tom Dine, the former director of AIPAC

> of the violence in Syria.Dr. Jouejati said the Kurds,

> which are the largest ethnic minority in Syria make up 9% of
> the country’s population and have faced routine
> discrimination and harassment by the government. Recently,
> the government has granted citizenship to more than 300,000
> Kurds. This is clearly a gesture by President Assad to
> appease and placate them. The Kurds want to make a deal
> – they want an autonomous state, however, if Assad gives
> the Kurds autonomy, then what about the other ethnic
> minorities: Alawite, Assyrians, Armenians, Circassians,

> etc.?Tom Dine raised the role of Turkey in dealing

> with Syria. Recently the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) moved
> their command center from Turkey to Syria. Turkey will
> continue as the rear base for supplies and reinforcements.
> The rebels have taken large areas of Syrian territory
> bordering Turkey. Besides Turkey, the Syrian conflict has
> spilled into Jordan and Lebanon. Relations between Turkey
> and Syria, once close allies, have deteriorated sharply.
> Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan is committed, along
> with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, among others, to bring about
> regime change in Damascus. It has allowed the Syrian
> opposition
> to set up headquarters in Istanbul, and it is arming and

> training the Sunni rebels.Mr. Dine pointed out that

> the mainstream of the population in Turkey is Sunni (more
> than 80%), but “they have never to my knowledge had the
> kind of sectarian bitterness that exists in either Lebanon
> or Syria, and that this conflict is being taken from the
> domestic level which is a dictatorship to regional sectarian
> warfare.”There was concern expressed that the
> Muslim Brotherhood has established its own militia inside
> Syria. There is no affiliation to the Free Syrian Army
> (FSA), but some worry their motivation is to foment jihad or
> struggle for Islam, and not work for the sake of a peaceful

> Syria.Ralph Winnie said Mustafa Atatürk, the founder

> of modern Turkey tried his best to promote a pure secular
> society. Turkey has been a successful model for democracy in
> the region for many years, but recently, he says, “the
> whole system is cracking and they don’t seem to be
> influencing other countries.”Dr. Barry pointed out
> that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in his remarks
> to the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 25, focused on the
> importance of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), of which Iran
> is now the chair. In a world where nations cannot rely
> either on the West or the socialist camp, the Iranian
> leader sees the NAM as the third way that nations can
> follow. Barry says this is very relevant to the future of
> America foreign policy and its role in the Middle

> East.Amb. Newton spoke about the importance of

> religion in the Middle East and how it plays a significant
> role in the dividing line on the question of willingness to
> use violence as opposed to political means.Dr.
> Betancourt spoke about the role of religious leaders in
> reconciliation. He testified to the work of the Universal
> Peace Federation, specifically in bringing more than 10,000
> Ambassadors for Peace from
> around the world to the Holy Land (2005-08) to dialogue.
> “Let us propose,” he said, “legitimate religious
> leaders who are willing to dialogue -- even some with
> radical views -- but willing to engage and use religion as
> an instrument of non-violence, not to divide, but to bring
> people together, and together find workable solutions.”
> The UPF has successfully facilitated negotiations in Liberia

> and Kenya.A participant from Search for Common Ground

> asked about the prospects of revenge killing. The present
> generation is being brought up to hate, particularly against
> the Shiite Alawites, which is the same ethnic minority as
> President Assad. Once he is ousted, and that was the
> accepted consensus of the panelists, will there be a
> bloodbath against the Alawites and the Shiites by the

> Sunni Muslims?Search for Common Ground promotes

> “programming dialogue that could plant the seeds now for
> the massive reconciliation that needs to be carried out down
> the road... How do you put a spoke in the wheel of the kinds
> of revenge killing that are taking place now that are going
> to happen?”Tom Dine said that despite what is going
> on now in Egypt and Syria, Israel in fact is very concerned
> about Jordan. They worry that King Abdullah is not strong
> enough to withstand the regional trend toward Islamization.
> There is a lot of disquiet in Jordan (along with a large
> inflow of Syrian refugees). Israel shares a long
> border with Jordan along the Jordan River, which differs
> from the very short border it shares with Syria and the
> buffer zone of the Sinai Peninsula as the border with

> Egypt.Dr. Betancourt said the game plan needs to be

> 2013.Dr. Betancourt outlined the UPF perspective. It

> Women25 NovemberUN Home Main Page Secretary-General's

> Message Fact Sheet Documents Videos Resources Secretary-General's UNiTE

> campaignUN Observances 

> “Violence against women and girls takes many
> forms and is widespread throughout the globe. […] On this
> International Day, I urge governments and partners around
> the world to harness the energy, ideas and leadership of
> young people to help us to end this pandemic of violence.
>  Only then will we have a more just, peaceful and
> equitable world.” 
> Secretary-General Ban

> Ki-moonMessage for the International Day for

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

When we say "America", we mean the Hidden Powers behind and beyond the Press. The Satanic Blood Lines that Control Policy, Money, Sex and Masses in "Animal Farm". God has spoken and warned via Prophets and Great Scholars and Seers but America heeds not.  America.  The God of of the Earth and planetary bodies, whose ends you do not know with all your Sciences and Technology put together, God has sent out the last warnings within the last three days. Any recalcitrance and blackhouse, and blackmarket determination to buy the Nation of God and create anarchy and confusion because you hate a President from a certain blood line will meet with natural and God resistance that America has never seen since the past 500 years. God will break your land up into pieces just as you plan to break up the people and elections into pieces and take over rulership. And it shall be written in the books of books for the next 2000 years. Your civilization and System will come under fire and water as Queens. God is very very Angry. America must melt like water that moves everywhere and melts into every rock and every soil.    Babylon city that refuses regulation and controls the Sons and Daughters of God from Nation to Nation will come to dust. In this New Age, in this new beginning after the flood and merciful intervention of God. You must march forward respecting the Souls of God and Children of heaven on Earth. If you fail, God will turn your Governors and leaders of the "Blackhouse" underneath and Trillions of paper notes into dust and water. Hear well Super Power, Hear God and Hear the People. The time and the four hundred hundred years of Slavery and Wardom is Over. God is reorganizing the planets (visible and invisible); God is reorganizing the waters and the Sun; God is into Action. The One Living God of all Times and all Tribes -- not the Supreme Being, Fallen Angel Lucifer you worship. If any Prophet and Servant of God Falls from Now On, A city in your Kingdom will Fall for everyone of them. "The Spirit World and God is Subject to the Earth and Lands and Waters you Live On",  Says the Living God.  You must all CHANGE worldwide.  The time has Come; and the time is NoW. God Says: "I have the Keys to your machines and to your war house; that warhouse is to liberate and empower and free my children, not enslave them.  That money is to empower and free my spirit and sons and daughters not divide and conquer them" "The last straw will bend your backs for ever in the next 1000 years --- Change!!! Change, And Change and Let Son of The Land to melt the People and Bloodlines. Change from top to bottom or Die with the Land I reserved for hundreds of years. Your Brains, machines and money put together cannot fight me, The God of the Planets." Be very very Careful. May God be heard via the Rat of the Physical Eyes.

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

(unedited) == Urgent == Forward to all Networks and Citizens Worldwide. The Elections of History, and the Way Forward for America.   Vote the less Evil Side the Purify it.   If not, God will Judge America Futher.     The problem of Racism is bigger than the problems of corruption, systems and processes. Racism is related to original position and original purspose of life and the universe. The problems of RACISM have got to do with the problems of systems and values and corruption embedded with it (racism).  A racist leader vying for public authority by manipulating the flaws of racial tendencies is not fit to lead a community, talkless of a nation.   I Fear that man who puts Racism and Pharoah above the “People and their Leader Possibility.”  The Bankers have money and monetary tools; the Government has Fiscal Power and military might born from the Spirit and not money.  At his second term Obama will Use the Power of Fiscal Policy and Reform to Counter the Monetarist and Indebtor of Nations and tribes.   The Taxation Power of Govermnet is its Right Hand tool; the monetary and borrowing Power of Government is its lefthand tool.   For the Corrupt Hawks above Nations and Civilizations, and Assassins of Governments and Presidents, the Monetary Policy is the tool to conquer nations and governments and Presidents.   The people must understand basic macro-economics.   The Government has the power to tax large corporations and run the nation from profit taxes.  But when an evil elite preceding an incoming President passes Laws to halt taxes so that Multi-national corporations can save profit incomes and expand overseas rather than at home,   When such a people and a Private Central Bank that sides with a certain blood line only to rule the lands and hard-ball the unleashing of democratic economic reform to preserve a financial hawks and money racketeers and plunderers of nations and governments for self-preservation, then enigmatic and collossal banding of the People and their governemnt is a sine-qua-non for the obliteration of a devilsh and ungodly systemic Rulership and Financial System across rivers and oceans.  It is not a play, it is not business  -- it is a war of wars to move economy, slavery and capitalism of a heavenly standard forward.     When demons manifest in broad daylight, When Lucifer manifests as an Angel and beauty of Light When birds start falling from the Skies When the Oceans push out the fishes When the Crust of the Earth spew out molten magma in abnormal quantities, When the Ice Mountains of the earth start melting When the lands that were for hundreds of years desert bring snow, and When the lands that were for hundrds of years snow/ice blocks brew heat and smoke over the poles, When the Nations that began World War One and World War Two, When the Leaders of the Nation that was once “God’s Compass” nation to others Wane in Spirit & moral and ask to take back “our country”; When the Melting Nation with multiple RACES and tongues and all tribes within, When that Nation raises a LEADER of philosophy and tongue like Hitler, Of better race, better bloodline, better brains, and better market, just as Hitler,   When Such a One stands in broad daylight and says, “Pharoah will not print money or loan the Slaves money, if He (from the closer blood line to Evil Ones) is not elected President, When the hidden Elite of Lucifer over the Governments and Peoples, decides to print money out of nothing to fund a Big Corruption unseen in history to oust a People’s President; When such an elite controlling all businesses worldwide, and Banks and Leaders of Nations turn theirs HEARTS against God and the People for too long;   When such group of men who have conquered Free Nations of God and indebted, enslaved and divided the tribes as factory slaves for too long, When such Cults enveloped in transparent ceilings of Evil forestalling God’s Providence of restoration and mimicking God’s social and economic transformations for thousands of years come head to head with God in the Nation and places God sents Prophets and Gurus from nooks of the planet collide head-to-head and spirit-to-spirit; When the blood of matyrs and True Liberators of the Lands have sooked the earth too deep and too long;   Then, God sends the deep and long fires, waters and winds unseen by eyes of BEINGS inhabiting the Earth.   BEINGS who understand the firmament only by Science and history but not by the premier unravelling Possibility of the unbounded possibilites and uncompetitive Living God. The God who molded the Planets, the Solar Systems known and unkown, the God who comes with visible and invisible energy across all places, all time, and all spirits.   The God of the Comos is not a material God from generation to generation; Yet that God is a God of Spirit and Energy and quantums of force, intelligence, knowledge, Light, waters, Air and Love combined with elements that men dwelling on the galaxy have no idea such elements exist.   The God of  Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Jesus Christ, Sun Myung Moon, the God of BAME and the God of all the Saints and Sages moves to action connecting the lives of  evil and goodness of bloodlines 4-5 generations down the line and bringing judgement and CHANGE when needed.  For such is the God who built the firmaments, and quantifies the relative proportions of plants, minerals, animals, waters, air, and sunlight to each and every respective element.   That God’s travail in One Day (production, distribution and consumption) supercedes the travail of nations put together over thousands of years.    He who melts metal and builds trenches of the Earth and creates objects that fly across the skies and waters works within the firmament as an ANT under an ant-hill; yet he who formed the mountains just as the planets has the powers to melt them as the blacksmith melts the iron rods in his hands.     The brain of men/women under the firmament of Yaweh is like the brains of  monkeys in the forest jumping from tree to tree without knowledge of  force of spiritual beings men capable of bringing down the entire forest of amazing billions of bio-diversity with common elements of machines, fire, or chemicals.   WHO POSSESSES THE GREATEST QUANTUM OF CHEMICALS, WATER, AIR AND FIRE TO ALTER THE LANDS OF NATIONS MADE BY MEN OF THE EARTH AND LUCIFER?  WHO POSSESSES THE POWER TO TEAR THE PLANETS LIKE AN ORANGE IS  SLICED INTO FOUR PIECES BY A CHILD?   The magnanimous ignorance of Powers of the Earth in Flesh is more magnanimous and stupid than the Earth and Solar systems itself.  When corruption of the Greatest power blinds the flesh and souls of beings that inhabit the Earth,   When the influence of money and men printing and controlling the quantity of machines and money across tribes of the globe becomes so great that the Living God cannot bear, He-She sends mixtures of water, air, fires and grains of sands to wash the planets; He-She moves the planets and Sunlight and extra planetary galaxies to adjust their relative positions to bring damage to machines in the air and even the electrical waves and energy waves that bind our system of living together.  Yaweh molded the planets for man/woman of evey tribe of this planet for the Life of the Principles he designed from the very beginning of the Earth.   When a civilization hidden for so long under unheavenly principles comes to the cross-roads of providential history with arrogance and secularisms and separitisms of SATAN long held of the past, such a people and their leaders, abusing other Peoples and the Soul of the Living God will come under Great and Terrible Judgement.  Such judgment wipes out economy, life, and the achievements of all sciences and technologies not grounded on the influence and standards of Goodness that benefits all the flesh of the Earth as Willed by the Living Forces of Nature and the True Living God.     After centuries of Slavery and exploitation of One bloodline by another bloodline; and dominion by One Lineage over another Lineage, the Living God is melting America and directing it with Living and Natural forces.  He brings signs of nature so the miseducated masses can see his direction and his hands.   The misinformed masses and the manipulated “RED” states that Remain RACIST over centuries and decades can no longer raise and vote leaders who stir and veer the minds and spirits of men and women of such standards of value.   The Coastal States clouded less racism yet with quantums of sexual and immoral and financial corruption that steers the direction of political and economic forces and tribes a certain way can no longer reve with the same vibrational energy and principles of antiquity.  The time for God on America has come.    And when multitudes vote such leaders who divide and rule the Nation and the world by Principles of Supremacy of One over another, in allegiance to a Satanic Pharaoh (a click of men) managing, designing and propelling the boat of Presidents and Nations for too long ungodly souls and intentions from the top down;   And when such an irresponsible multitude continues to choose the narrow view of life and the Universe, and when such narrow view of embrace and exclusivisms touches the hearts of peoples and flesh of Spirits here under and spirits gone ahead in the infinity of the existential cosmos, then the God of Spirit and matter that is subject to the physical world comes in descent of anger to kill the ignorant masses living as flesh for the skelecton of Satanic Societies.   America must stand up as an Aegis, as a Phoenix of heaven under the Sun.   With men and women who live beyond the petiteness of the self, that limits the purpose of tribe, race and nation and reduces the petitness of spirit into material and evolutionary SELVES trapped by the self-centred sprit of Lucifer crawling into the desires for less responsibility and feeding off the blood of sl;aves within, evil spirits above and warriors of satan within in the Echelon of pyramids of men of War Living and upsurping the real freedom of generations living and unborn with the crucibles of FEAR and WARS and DIVISIONS and exploitation of another for the Living Beast  -- SATAN.   God’s America and men of high conscience cannot vote leaders of increase and expanse of Fear and Seggregation.   If the masses fail to embrace the larger picture and the larger and higher standard of value and responsibiltiy that embraces all and God, America will rot within; she will decay within the states, within the cities and within different narrow classes and colors and her people will soon start fighting one another from within to the point that the empire will crumble eventually as one force.  America and Americans must understand this as they go to vote tomorrow.  They key question is whether to take America 100 years backward to 1913 or move her forward 200 years as God wants?  The vote will be a vote a for a Greater all Embracing Nation to which every citizen is responsible for the centre or irresponsible for the Centre and let its factions destroy it.  America and Americans will be blessed or blamed for the hatred or love and common sense that sees beyond yesterday and beyond today into a brighter future that lays the fertilizers of integration or disintegration of an empire long prepared by God as an example for all.  That love or hatred across economic/social classes and the embrace and melting of capitalists and laborers is necessary now for a better economic and spiritual system that benefits all nations and mankind and thus pave the way for a new era of peace worldwide.   If the mass consciousness of Americans dwindles to the pit to vote a Leader who upholds the same views as Hitler of Europe, America will come under the destruction of God and judgement and Wars of other Tribes and nations from afar; and just as she went on unjust offenses, she will receive unjust offensive attacks from hundreds of nations, for her morale and military and spiritual and sexual and financial corruption.  You must stand up with the winds and fire and waters within the body and temples of God that you possess and use it to counter the SATANIC  reeling on the loose and the caucuses of the Devil that has derailed America with classism, racism and immorality that roots itself in men of hight offices within the nation of God.   America and all its inhabitants must reverberate from within and across the STATES  in the Federation as men/women grounded by the Forces of Truth and Power that knows no limits of RACE, of city, of tongue, of income class, of Economic and Spiritual Class – yet as temples that impact the whole universe standing under the Sunlight of heaven to shine as a lamp for the Nations and Tribes of the Universe.   All Citizens and dwellers of this land must raise their heads and spirits across the sky and horizon of God and ask themselves where the nation and people and leaders are headed, the time for complete indemnity, repositioning and complete new direction is not tomorrow – it is now and today and here.  Any failures within this generation will impact the future of this environment and nations extensively.   Think and pray and use your spiritual energy, not just your desires within your flesh not just your self or your city or  your race.  He-She who embraces the larger entity and larger value will live and have life in abundance.  Those who dwell by the desire of self and their small city or small lines of values will perish.  This is the way to think to grow in responsibility and blessings that comes from all the tribes and nations and states and classes of people of our cosmos.  Only then can you receive greater blessings from God.   No problem can be solved by goind backwards to old and unworkable/unprincipled standards of leadership and followership.  No nation progresses by embracing old antiquated standards of rulership, socialization, integration and love; no nation or federation progresses by the power of one color or  one race or club but by the central and headwing ideology of Godism and God.   You must vote the side that is closer to God and work to improve that side once they win elections.   It is the responsibility of all entities to improve and purify society and government; no single individual alone can purify the society and government.  You must work and respect the indemnity of history to pay the price today and not tomorrow for the sins our bad ancestors, bad leaders, bad Presidents, and bad parents who miseducated and divided our bodies and spirits, then our races and philosophies for the benefit of SATAN and his CAUCUS.   Vote for the furture of a better America rooted in Conscience and Value – not by economic class of materials or favors.  Vote for a better world and a World for God living as Leader within through leaders in Flesh.  Vote for  Goodness that comes first through others before you, only then will all the blessings of heaven and Earth touch  down at your doorsteps.   Live by Courage and Responsibiltiy and Truth and embraces that extends beyond the rivers, the oceans and the skies; for only then will you be truly Rich and Truly blessed and truly SAFE in politics, economy, flesh and spirit.  Only then can you be the greatest gay, the greatest liberal, the greatest Republican, the greatest democrat and the greatest independent or headwing follower or leader.    You are the strings and chains of history.  Stand for America and the Future of the World by Standing for the Invisible Conscience, the Invisible God and the Invisible America.   May God Bless you all and all of us at this cross roads of History and Mankind.   Love and love and Peace.           Israeli Spy On U.S.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDTprJFhuIY&feature=relmfu   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGN5ZEO5cNc&feature=related   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLZqfNVukqM&feature=relmfu         Watch this and you will know we're in END TIMES! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6WVZJ_CFHQ&feature=endscreen&NR=1

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK) --- On Sat, 10/27/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com>

Subject: PEACE AND CONSCIENTIOUS LEADERSHIP AT A TIME OF A UNIQUE HISTORIC ELECTIONS IN THE US.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

POST ELECTION APPRECIATIONS AND DEVELOPMENTS I want to most heartily thank you all who made it to the ballot box yesterday. You went out in the cold and very challenging weather; You stood on long lines and bore the long thirst and hunger; You overcame the social programming of Pre-programmers who manipulate society and generations; You proved once more that the hope for a better society and world is far better than the desire for one day's food, clothing, house, and sex and easy life; You proved again and again that we have attained in majority, the level of consciousness that transcends the lines drawn by the devil; You proved again that the day of hope of God for men and women of every philosophical  and psychological background see in common spirit the common cause of common destiny for this generation and generations to come; You proved again that we all are indispensable for the future we must all nurture to improve the heavenly dignity and social esteem and spiritual/economic innate rights grounded beyond geography, race, politics and economics of intellectual, and financial conditioning and predispositions; You proved again and again that the war of hatred and segregation can be overcome in our time and the dreams of our ancestors gone, can be found and entrusted in the hands of the "generation of hope". You proved again that America is beyond material and money and the values that shape our invisible desires transcend the makings and clubs of Purchasers of the Nations and Tribes of heaven on Earth. You proved this by the love of Substance -- not for a man who is perfect -- but for a leader who stands in front of challenges unknown with courage and determination to engrave the pathway for the diverse human family in this Great and Wonderful Country Called America. You are inexorably and invariably the indispensable and most valuable instruments of the constructive God and Parent of Love and Peace and Vision with Sight that transcends the life, the materials, the intellect, the knowledge, the private meetings and the private discussions of fallen beings who peruse the Living Spirits as a joke.  You are all the Souls long coming for the completion of the Nation that  grows to complete the Living God. I am proud of you all and the utmost, yet indescribable sweat and blood and resources you put forward for the Side that is close to the "Seat Of Positivity and the Living God".  I applaud your genuine sacrifice and immeasurable propensity to uphold goodness and God from seeds sown in the voting of President B. H. Obama as Leader of the Democratic Era for America and mankind. God came, and you came to task.  And the vertical and horizontal axis of goodness triumphed over myopia, evil and exclusive clubs and actions and parties. More updates and sharing will follow in the coming days and months. My words cannot express in detail and profoundity of heart how grateful I am and proud of you all.   May God Bless you all.

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Mon, 11/5/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> Subject: This Election and the Future of America and the world == Vote the Side closer to God and Providence of Restoration. To: camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com Date: Monday, November 5, 2012, 6:52 AM

(unedited) == Urgent == Forward to all Networks and Citizens Worldwide. The Elections of History,

and the Way Forward for America.   Vote the less Evil Side then Purify it.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

At global conference, UN official highlights role of migration in promoting development Special Representative for International Migration and Development Peter Sutherland (left) with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. UN Photo/Evan Schneider 1 Print 21 November 2012 – Addressing a global summit on international migration today, the top United Nations official on the matter called on world leaders to target achieving “real results” on a series of migration-related challenges when the UN General Assembly holds a key meeting on cross-border movements next year. “Now is the time to commit to action on a range of practical measures,” the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Migration and Development, Peter Sutherland, said of the Assembly’s upcoming second High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. “I challenge each of you to come to the Dialogue with concrete proposals, and I pledge to bring my own practical suggestions so that we can achieve real results,” Mr. Sutherland told delegates gathered in Reduit, Mauritius, on the opening day of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD). The two-day summit marks the sixth annual meeting of the GFMD, which is a government-led initiative focused on what it calls the “growing importance of the linkages between migration and development.” Gatherings have been attended by representatives of around 160 UN Member and Observer States, as well as more than 30 international organizations, while between 200 and 400 interest groups have participated in the Forum’s related Civil Society Days meetings, which this year met in Mauritius on 19 and 20 November. “You have not gathered in Mauritius to dwell on your accomplishments over the past six years,” Mr. Sutherland said during his address. “You are here because this is a new, decisive moment in addressing this issue.” He called on delegates to bear in mind that the Forum was taking place this year as world governments, through the UN, were forging a global development agenda to succeed that set in 2000. In that year, world leaders and institutions agreed on a series of so-called Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that had a 2015 deadline for achieving poverty reduction and other landmark development targets. “With the right policies, migration can promote development,” Mr. Sutherland said. The Special Representative, named to the post in 2006, cited a need for global focus on such issues such as pensions and skills transfers, entrepreneurial and training opportunities for immigrants, and measures aimed at facilitating legal migration. “The benefits of migration are much higher when it occurs in a safe, orderly and legal fashion,” Mr. Sutherland said. “The price of irregular movements is far too high, especially for women and children.” The Special Representative said that developing countries increasingly understood the “power and potential” of their emigrant populations. “Governments are encouraging their migrant communities to invest in their home countries – and to return so they can bring back their talents,” he said. He added that many migrants who don’t return contribute to their homelands by sending back money in the form of “remittances.” “Last year, more than $350 billion was sent to developing countries by migrants,” Mr. Sutherland stated, though he said the costs of returning funds were “still too high.” “Migrants may work for hours just to earn pennies,” he added. “Through hard living and painful savings, they send money back home. That money feeds families, keeps children in school, and improves health. It should not be subject to exorbitant fees.” Mr. Sutherland also lamented that only three countries had ratified the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Convention on Domestic Workers, which he described as a “new treaty to help improve the rights of millions of migrant workers, especially women.” Adopted at the ILO annual conference last year, the Convention describes domestic workers as comprising mainly women and girls, many of whom are migrants or members of disadvantaged communities, and who are “particularly vulnerable” to workplace discrimination and other human rights abuses. Uruguay, Philippines and Mauritius have ratified the document, which will enter into force next year, since only two ratifications were necessary for that step. The ratifying countries are bound by the Convention, which includes rights to a minimum wage and rest times. THE GOLDEN LIGHT OF ALL ACQUISITIONS, KNOWLEDGE, INTELLIGENCE, POWER AND HONOR.   One of the most essential things you learn after going through a lot of schooling and claims of, especially having gone through a natural/true university(or universities) is not the direct substance and material you acquired and kept; the most vital is that you acquire/attain an everlasting, everuseful and everpresent consciousness of standard, value, process, heart and character to solve simple and complex matters, sustaining autonomous continuity in every domain, deciphering and  applying the appropriate sense of timing, sustaining the self only as part of the cosmic unified field wherefrom unbounded capacity-predictability of outcomes exist, nurturing unbounded creativity and use of intuition beyond the STARS and Cosmic Bodies, upholding the natural power of self-discipline/control in accomplishing any ends, and above all, the inculcation and retention of such a spirit that led you to attain such success(es) and the application of those very attributes/principles into daily life and the future.   The faster and sooner you master this, the less you have to keep being schooled by others and the less paper entitlements you need in life.  Life is a process and everything except the value we give our relationships is temporal.  Even Knowledge and Intelligence are relative and absolute only in time, space, providence and CONSCIOUSNESS.  The Greatest power of Humans and God and of the greatest beings in the universe lie not in that which has been possessed  -- rather in that which is given/giving.  The greatest person(s) of all time is(are) the person(s) of highest sacrificial giving, love and true unconditional service to others.  Would you rather be a person of the highest and greatest accumulations/entitlements across the cosmos or a person of the greatest historical  benevolence, embrace and joyful sharings?  And this is the foundation of cultivating peace, growth, political, religious economic and scientific progress and non-frictional success in all spheres of relationships, domains of professionalism and life.  The common sense of the common origin, the common survival, the common success/failure, the common destiny, the common capitalism, the common communism, the common socialism and the common stock of the common wealth of the common Universe, God and Men lies herein.  And this is the golden light of all knowledge, wealth, intelligence, power, war, peace, success, love and Cosmic Consciousness.

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK) --- On Thu, 10/18/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com>

Subject: Ambassadorial Relations - UPF October 3 Discourse on Peace and Security.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

On Day of Solidarity with Palestinians,  Ban stresses urgency of reaching two-state solution Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon greets Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority. UN Photo/Mark Garten     29 November 2012 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today stressed the urgency of stepping up efforts to get the Middle East peace process back on track, and urged Israelis and Palestinians to show courageous leadership to reach a two-State solution.  “Achieving the two-State solution, to which both Israel and the Palestinians have committed, is long overdue,” Mr. Ban said in his message marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.  “I call on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to show vision and determination. I also urge the international community to help them forge a credible political path that will meet the legitimate aspirations of both sides,” Mr. Ban added.  Established in 1977, the Day marks the date in 1947 when the General Assembly adopted a resolution partitioning then-mandated Palestine into two States, one Jewish and one Arab.  The Israelis and Palestinians have yet to resume direct negotiations since talks stalled in September 2010, after Israel refused to extend its freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory.  Tension in the region increased as violence broke out earlier this month, with rocket attacks against Israel from Gaza and Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. The eight days of violence left an estimated 158 Palestinians dead, including 103 civilians, and approximately 1,269 injured. Six Israelis – four civilians and two soldiers – were reportedly killed by Palestinian rocket fire and 224 Israelis were injured, the vast majority civilians.  The violence ended when a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas was declared on 21 November in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.  In his message, Mr. Ban, who recently met with leaders in the region, underlined the need to sustain the ceasefire and create the conditions that will allow the resumption of direct negotiations.  “The outlines of an agreement have long been clear, laid out in UN Security Council resolutions, the Madrid principles – including land for peace – the Road Map, the 2002 Arab Peace initiative and existing agreements between the parties,” he said. “What is needed now is political will and courage, as well as a sense of historic responsibility and vision for younger generations.”  The UN chief also called on Israel to cease settlement activity immediately, as this violates agreements and obstructs efforts towards peace. “Continued settlement activity in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is contrary to international law and the Roadmap, and must cease. Unilateral actions on the ground will not be accepted by the international community,” he said.  Regarding the General Assembly vote later today on a bid by Palestinians for Non-Member Observer State status, Mr. Ban stated that “this is a matter for Member States to decide. It is important for all concerned to approach this responsibly and constructively.”  He added, “The goal remains realizing the just and lasting peace for which generations of Palestinians and Israelis have been longing – a peace that will end the occupation that started in 1967, end the conflict and ensure that an independent, viable and sovereign State of Palestine lives side by side with a secure State of Israel.”  In her message to mark the Day, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, stated that lasting peace must be built on the basis of dialogue, understanding and reconciliation.  She also highlighted the agency’s activities supporting education for Palestinian children, helping to support the development and safeguard Palestinian cultural industries, and promoting freedom of expression in the region.  “These actions reflect UNESCO’s efforts to build peace from the ground up, on the basis of human rights and shared values. Education, culture, communication and freedom of expression are forces for solidarity – they are also the foundations for lasting peace,” Ms. Bokova said.

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Regional Preparatory Meeting for Western Asia on “Science, technology and innovation for sustainable development”, 26 November 2012, Amman A regional preparatory meeting on the theme “Science, technology and innovation for sustainable development”, will be held on 26 November 2012, in Amman, Jordan. The meeting is organized in preparation for the 2013 Annual Ministerial Review of the UN Economic and Social Council, to be held in Geneva in July 2013, on the theme: “Science, technology and innovation, and the potential of culture, for promoting sustainable development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals”. It will be hosted by the Government of Jordan in cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  The meeting aims to bring together a diverse and comprehensive range of policy makers from the countries in the region, representatives of multilateral institutions, key donors, civil society and the private sector, to identify trends and challenges in regards to science, technology and innovation in the region. ----------------------------------------- 2013 ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review Regional preparatory meeting for Western Asia “Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development” BACKGROUND NOTE 26 November 2012, 1:00 – 5:15 p.m. Hashemite Auditorium in the Royal Scientific Society ESCWA Technology Centre El Hassan Science City Amman, Jordan ----------------------------------------------------------------- Concept Note Regional consultation for Western Asia in support of the 2013 Annual Ministerial Review of the UN Economic and Social Council “Innovation and technology for sustainable development” Amman, Jordan 26 November 2012 Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination

Department of Economic and Social Affairs

22 August 2012 2 Background The Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) is a key function of the UN Economic and Social Council established by Heads of State and Government at the 2005 World Social Summit. It was mandated as an instrument to track progress and step up efforts towards the realization of the internationally agreed development goals (IADGs), including the Millennium Development Goals, by the 2015 target date.1 Over the last six years, the AMR has assumed an important role to assess and review progress (or lack thereof) in the implementation of the IADGs. The first AMR was held in July 2007 in Geneva and focused on poverty and hunger (MDG1). The following AMR sessions focused on, respectively, goals related to sustainable development (MDG7) in 2008; health (MDG 4, 5, 6) in 2009; gender (MDG3) in 2010; education in 2011 (MDG 2 and 3); and productive capacity, employment and decent work in 2012. Each AMR session features three key elements: national voluntary presentations (NVPs), country-led regional consultations2 and a global review based on a comprehensive report by the Secretary-General. These elements are complemented by a number of side events organized at the global level, including an innovation fair; youth event; preparatory meeting and e-discussion on the AMR theme.3 The theme for the 2013 ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review is “Science, technology and innovation, and the potential of culture, for promoting sustainable development and achieving the MDGs”. Objectives and expected value-added The objective of country-led regional consultations is to support the preparations for the AMR and to enable countries to engage at an early stage in the process leading to the AMR session to be held during the ECOSOC high-level segment in Geneva, in July 2013. The initiative can also support the global review by focusing – in addition to the overall performance of the region in relation to science, technology and innovation – on one specific aspect of the AMR theme that is especially relevant to countries in the region. This ensures that the analysis that supports ECOSOC’s deliberations in July is genuinely global, taking into account regional variations in relation to the theme. The expected value-added of the meeting includes: In-depth examination of a specific aspect of the AMR theme particularly relevant to the countries in the region 1 A/RES/60/1, Para. 155 (c). 2 Most recently, for the 2012 AMR, in Japan, on “Promoting productive capacity, employment and decent work in Asia and the Pacific: a regional approach to sustained, inclusive and equitable growth and achieving the MDGs” (Kyoto, 7 December 2011); Ethiopia, on “Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as drivers of productive capacity and job creation” (Addis Ababa, 25 March 2012); and Uruguay, on “Productivity, Employment and Social Protection” (Montevideo, 27 April 2012). 3 For more information, see: http://www.un.org/ecosoc/newfunct/amr.shtml 22 August 2012 3 Review of progress on the use of science, technology and innovation for sustainable development and achievement of the MDGs in the region and related challenges, especially those that could best be addressed through regional cooperation Exchange of lessons learned and good practices Inclusion of key stakeholders – governments, civil society, UN system institutions and private sector – early in the AMR process Opportunity to launch (or prepare for the launch) of new partnership initiatives as part of the 2013 AMR session Proposed Focus The proposed focus of the meeting is: “Innovation and technology for sustainable development”. Some of the greatest successes in international development have occurred through the application of technology. Today’s technologies offer a new generation of solutions for reducing global poverty and improving sustainability. However, translating the potential of technology into development impact will only be possible if the right enabling environment is in place. The regional meeting provides an opportunity for key actors in the region to discuss the enabling factors and policy approaches that have driven innovation and sustainability efforts in Western Asia, and to share good practices for implementation. Format and modalities The regional preparatory meeting is recommended to be held as a half-day event, consisting of two plenary sessions. It should take place in the context of the meeting of the Board of Governors of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia’s Technology Centre, tentatively scheduled on 26 November 2012, in Amman, Jordan. The first session would be devoted to a brief introduction of the topic by a distinguished speaker followed by a roundtable discussion devoted to a dialogue on promoting a comprehensive enabling environment for science, technology and innovation in Western Asia, and facilitating the exchange of productive capacities among enterprises in the region. The composition of the roundtable should aim to incorporate diverse perspectives from relevant stakeholder groups to facilitate an interactive debate. The second session would be devoted a discussion of regional approaches for the achievement of sustainable development through harnessing global knowledge and technologies. Documentation A substantive background document to be prepared in advance of the event on the theme of the meeting will lay the basis for discussion and raise issues for debate. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), will contribute to the preparation of this document. As a follow-up to the meeting an analytical summary will be circulated (see below). Participation Target participants would include: 1) policy makers from the countries in the region with responsibility for the implementation of national development strategies; 2) representatives of 22 August 2012 4 multilateral institutions and key donors engaged with the theme of the meeting; and 3) representatives from the private sector, NGOs and other sectors of civil society. Outcome Firstly, an analytical summary of the presentations and discussions will be completed, which will capture the lessons that can be learned from the regional and country experiences. DESA will prepare this, in collaboration with UNESCO, ESCWA, and other potential partners. The summary will be presented and circulated during the ECOSOC high-level segment in July 2013. A senior representative of the host country will be invited to present the summary report. Similarly, the examples of best practices and any case studies presented would be made available at the AMR session, as well as disseminated through the ECOSOC website (through an open database). Secondly, the meeting will provide an important opportunity for key policy makers to develop new partnerships – both North-South and South-South – which could be announced at the AMR session in July 2013. Finally, the event will identify follow-up actions to be undertaken by the relevant stakeholders within the region in furtherance of the particular theme. Suggested logistical arrangements The Meeting will be held for a half-day in Amman, Jordan on 26 November 2012. It will be hosted by the Government of Jordan (tbc), in collaboration with the United Nations represented by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and other relevant partners. Suggested participants (70-80) would include the following: 1. Government representatives from the Western Asia region; 2. One Member of the ECOSOC Bureau 3. Officials from the United Nations 4. Representatives of other multilateral institutions, civil society and the private sector

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 Buenos Aires, Argentina - At its celebration of International Volunteer Day on December 5, UPF-Argentina will award prizes for its second annual Volunteering and the Common Good contest. Prizes will be awarded for outstanding volunteer work in the following categories: education, art and culture, integration of people with disabilities, spirituality and self help, health and wholeness, communication, environment and ecology, children, elderly, and sports and recreation. The Universal Peace Federation (UPF) is a global network of individuals and organizations dedicated to building a world of peace centered on universal spiritual and moral values.

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

http://www.upf.org/upf-news/142-americas/4806-he-mr-al-nasser-receives-leadership-and-good-governance-award-

H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser Receives Leadership and Good Governance Award           
 By Genie Kagawa, UPF Office of UN Relations    
 Thursday, November 15, 2012



New York, USA - Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser received UPF's prestigious Leadership and Good Governance Award at a special Award Ceremony held at the Millennium Hotel near the United Nations on November 15. On behalf of the UPF founders, the Award was presented by UPF's President, Dr. Thomas G. Walsh, and Secretary General, Mr. Taj Hamad.





H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser served as the President of the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and now serves as the High Representative Designate of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.

UPF presented this award to H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser in honor of his service as President of the 66th Session of the UN General Assembly at a time of great upheaval and turmoil in the world. That session shaped a time in history that will remain in people's minds for decades to come. It was a time of extremes, in climate as well as in social issues, such as extreme poverty, the severe financial crisis, and eruption of deep conflicts such as the ongoing violence in Syria. At the same time, the extraordinary phenomena of the Arab Spring inspired people to stand tall in their quest for freedom and dignity, justice, and peace.
 

It was in this environment that President Al-Nasser worked to develop a new paradigm for addressing conflicts by promoting dialogue among civilizations as a complementary approach to existing channels of conflict prevention, mediation, and peaceful resolution. He was able to forge closer ties with the NGO community by convening a “town hall” meeting with NGO representatives and engaging them as indispensable partners in building bridges of trust and cooperation that are necessary if the United Nations is to achieve its goal of bringing peace to the world.

In addition, President Al-Nasser organized an innovative celebration of World Interfaith Harmony Week to affirm the value of religion and interreligious dialogue and cooperation in peacebuilding. In this context, he encouraged faith leaders to assist in strengthening the pillars of his presidency: mediation of conflict, disaster prevention and response, sustainable development, and revitalization of the United Nations. He encouraged political consensus in the General Assembly for strengthening the governance of financial institutions in order to address the global financial crisis. He supported the work of UN Women in empowering women to address violence against women throughout the world.

In his Congratulatory Remarks, H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremic, President of the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly, supported UPF’s choice this year for the award with enthusiasm, saying that: “H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser has left a deep mark on the work of the United Nations General Assembly. A person in this position needs to reach out and understand people of different religions or of different sides of the aisle. It has been a time of great turbulence. In his future role at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, he will play in important role in a difficult time with a big task on his plate.”

H.E. Mr. Gyan Chandra Achayra, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Least Developed, Landlocked Developing, and Small Island States, in his remarks, stated that H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser “provided leadership in a critical time with great distinction and in adherence to the principles of the United Nations. He fully understood the nexus between peace and security and was equally aware of the issues of sustainable development; he organized programs and made valuable statements prior to Rio+20. We are looking for global understanding and global stability, and it is fitting that he is taking that role through his promotion of understanding and solidarity around the world.”

Dr. Hanifa Mezoui, Permanent Representative of the International Association of the Economic and Social Councils to the UN and ECOSOC, affirmed that H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser spread humanistic and moral values in his work through his emphasis on tolerance, compassion, and respect for all humanity. Noting his work ethic and insights into crucial issues, she paid tribute to his good nature, humility, enthusiasm for new ideas, and approaches aimed at improving people’s lives.

In his acceptance speech, H.E. Al-Nasser mentioned: “It was the overriding goal throughout my term as President of the General Assembly to apply these very principles of sound leadership and good governance to the challenges and issues facing the United Nations and its Member States."

True to the English translations of the Arabic names of H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser and his wife Muna, UPF representatives wished him the fulfillment of his dreams and desires and a life as prosperous as an “overflowing spring.”

The Leadership and Good Governance Award is UPF’s most distinguished award. UPF views good leadership and governance as essential to the task of building a lasting world of peace for all people. Honorees are carefully selected from people who have demonstrated exemplary capacity as visionary and competent leaders in various fields, manifesting both external excellence and internal excellence and upholding universal moral and spiritual values.

The event was attended by Permanent Representatives of Member States, the UN Secretariat staff, representatives of the NGO community, and leaders in business and the media.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

General Assembly grants Palestine non-member observer State status at UN Wide view of the General Assembly Hall as draft resolution to grant Palestine non-Member Observer State status in the United Nations is introduced. UN Photo/Mark Garten  Print 29 November 2012 – The General Assembly today voted to grant Palestine non-member observer State status at the United Nations, while expressing the urgent need for the resumption of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians leading to a permanent two-State solution. The resolution on the status of Palestine in the UN was adopted by a vote of 138 in favour to nine against with 41 abstentions by the 193-member Assembly. “We did not come here seeking to delegitimize a State established years ago, and that is Israel; rather we came to affirm the legitimacy of the State that must now achieve its independence, and that is Palestine,” the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, told the Assembly before the vote. Mr. Abbas noted that the world was being asked today to undertake a significant step in the process of rectifying the “unprecedented historical injustice” inflicted on the Palestinian people since 1948. “Your support for our endeavour today,” he said, “will send a promising message – to millions of Palestinians on the land of Palestine, in the refugee camps both in the homeland and the Diaspora, and to the prisoners struggling for freedom in Israel’s prisons – that justice is possible and that there is a reason to be hopeful and that the peoples of the world do not accept the continuation of the occupation.” Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, said his delegation could not accept today’s resolution. “Because this resolution is so one-sided, it doesn’t advance peace, it pushes it backwards,” he stated, adding that peace could only be achieved through negotiations. “There’s only one route to Palestinian statehood and that route does not run through this chamber in New York. That route runs through direct negotiations between Jerusalem and Ramallah that will lead to a secure and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” he added. “There are no shortcuts. No quick fixes. No instant solutions.”

The Israelis and Palestinians have yet to resume direct negotiations since talks stalled in September 2010, after Israel refused to extend its freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory.

“Today’s vote underscores the urgency of a resumption of meaningful negotiations,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said after the vote was finalized. “We must give new impetus to our collective efforts to ensure that an independent, sovereign, democratic, contiguous and viable State of Palestine lives side by side with a secure State of Israel. I urge the parties to renew their commitment to a negotiated peace.” Addressing the same gathering, the President of the General Assembly, Vuk Jeremic, appealed to “my dear friends from Palestine and Israel” to work for peace, to negotiate in good faith, and ultimately, to succeed in reaching the historical settlement. “I have no doubt that history will judge this day to have been fraught with significance – but whether it will come to be looked upon as a step in the right direction on the road to peace will depend on how we bear ourselves in its wake,” he said. “Let us therefore have the wisdom to act in furtherance of the goal I’m sure we all share.” In the resolution, the Assembly also voiced the hope that the Security Council will “consider favourably” the application submitted in September 2011 by Palestine for full UN membership. The Palestinian bid for full UN membership stalled last year when the 15-nation Council, which decides whether or not to recommend admission by the Assembly, said it had been “unable to make a unanimous recommendation.” Today’s action comes on the same day that the UN observed the annual International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Established in 1977, the Day marks the date in 1947 when the Assembly adopted a resolution partitioning then-mandated Palestine into two States, one Jewish and one Arab.   UN vote recognizes state of Palestine; US objects Enlarge Gallery People march in support of the Palestinian UN bid for observer state status, in the West Bank town of Jenin, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. The Palestinians are certain to win U.N. recognition as a state on Thursday … Related Content Enlarge Photo Palestinians celebrate as they … Enlarge Photo The results of a draft resolution … Enlarge Photo Members of the Palestinian delegation … Enlarge Photo Palestinians wave palestinian flags … Enlarge Photo Palestinians gather next to a section … Enlarge Photo in United Nations General Assembly, … Enlarge Photo A girl with the Palestinian flag … Enlarge Photo CORRECTS IDENTITY OF PERSON ABBAS … Enlarge Photo UN Ambassador Susan Rice walks … UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations voted overwhelmingly Thursday to recognize a Palestinian state, a victory decades in the making for the Palestinians after years of occupation and war. It was a sharp rebuke for Israel and the United States. A Palestinian flag was quickly unfurled on the floor of the General Assembly, behind the Palestinian delegation, as the final vote was cast. In an extraordinary lineup of international support, more than two-thirds of the world body's 193 member states approved the resolution upgrading the Palestinians to a nonmember observer state. It passed 138-9, with 41 abstentions. The historic vote came 65 years to the day after the U.N. General Assembly voted in 1947 to recognize a state in Palestine, with the jubilant revelers then Jews. The Palestinians rejected that partition plan, and decades of tension and violence have followed. Real independence, however, remains an elusive dream until the Palestinians negotiate a peace deal with the Israelis, who warned that the General Assembly action will only delay a lasting solution. Israel still controls the West Bank, east Jerusalem and access to Gaza, and it accused the Palestinians of bypassing negotiations with the campaign to upgrade their U.N. status. In the West Bank city of Ramallah, jubilant Palestinians crowded into the main square, waving Palestinian flags and chanting "God is great!" Hundreds had watched the vote on outdoor screens and televisions, and they hugged, honked their horns and set off fireworks as the final vote was cast. The tally came after a speech by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in which he called the moment a "last chance" to save the two-state solution. "The General Assembly is being asked today to issue the birth certificate of Palestine," the Palestinian leader declared. The United States and Israel immediately criticized the vote. "Today's unfortunate and counterproductive resolution places further obstacles in the path of peace," U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice said. "Today's grand pronouncements will soon fade and the Palestinian people will wake up tomorrow and find that little about their lives has changed save that the prospects of a durable peace have only receded." Calling the vote "meaningless," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Abbas of spreading "mendacious propaganda" against Israel in a speech he rejected as "defamatory and venomous." "The resolution in the U.N. today won't change anything on the ground," Netanyahu said. "It won't advance the establishment of a Palestinian state, but rather, put it further off." With most U.N. members sympathetic to the Palestinians, there had been no doubt the resolution would be approved. A state of Palestine has already been recognized by 132 countries, and the Palestinians have 80 embassies and 40 representative offices around the world, according to the Palestinian Foreign Ministry. Still, the Palestinians lobbied hard for Western support, winning over key European countries including France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and Ireland, as well as Japan and New Zealand. Germany and Britain were among the many Western nations that abstained. Joining the United States and Israel in voting "no" were Canada, the Czech Republic, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Panama. Despite Thursday's triumph, the Palestinians face enormous limitations. They don't control their borders, airspace or trade, they have separate and competing governments in Gaza and the West Bank and they have no unified army or police. The vote grants Abbas an overwhelming international endorsement for his key position: establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, the territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. With Netanyahu opposed to a pullback to the 1967 lines, this should strengthen Abbas' hand if peace talks resume. The U.N. action also could help Abbas restore some of his standing, which has been eroded by years of standstill in peace efforts. His rival, the Hamas militant group, deeply entrenched in Gaza, has seen its popularity rise after it responded with a barrage of rocket fire to an Israeli offensive earlier this month on targets linked to the militants. In a departure from its previous opposition, Hamas, which rules Gaza and refuses to recognize Israel, said it wouldn't interfere with the U.N. bid for statehood, and its supporters joined some of the celebrations Thursday. With its newly enhanced status, the Palestinians can now gain access to U.N. agencies and international bodies, most significantly the International Criminal Court, which could become a springboard for going after Israel for alleged war crimes or its ongoing settlement building on war-won land. However, in the run-up to the U.N. vote, Abbas signaled that he wants recognition to give him leverage in future talks with Israel, and not as a tool for confronting or delegitimizing Israel, as Israeli leaders have claimed. Speaking stridently at times Thursday, Abbas accused the Israelis of "colonial occupation" that institutionalizes racism and charged that the Jewish state is continuing to perpetuate "war crimes." Still, he said the Palestinians did not come to terminate "what remains of the negotiations process" but to try "to breathe new life into the negotiations" and achieve an independent state. "We will act responsibly and positively in our next steps," he said. The Palestinians turned to the General Assembly after the United States announced it would veto their bid last fall for full U.N. membership until there is a peace deal with Israel. Abbas made clear that this remains the Palestinians' ultimate goal — hopefully soon. The vote grants the Palestinians the same status at the U.N. as the Vatican, and they will keep their seat next to the Holy See in the assembly chamber.

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK) --- On Thu, 11/29/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com>

Subject: [Africanpolitics] This Month, UPF Honors H.E. Al-Nasser for Leadership and Good Governance. To: cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com Cc: menf...@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, November 29, 2012, 12:31 PM

http://www.upf.org/upf-news/142-americas/4806-he-mr-al-nasser-receives-leadership-and-good-governance-award- H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser Receives Leadership and Good Governance Award             By Genie Kagawa, UPF Office of UN Relations      Thursday, November 15, 2012

New York, USA - Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser received UPF's prestigious Leadership and Good Governance Award at a special Award Ceremony held at the Millennium Hotel near the United Nations on November 15. On behalf of the UPF founders, the Award was presented by UPF's President, Dr. Thomas G. Walsh, and Secretary General, Mr. Taj Hamad.

H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser served as the President of the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and now serves as the High Representative Designate of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. UPF presented this award to H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser in honor of his service as President of the 66th Session of the UN General Assembly at a time of great upheaval and turmoil in the world. That session shaped a time in history that will remain in people's minds for decades to come. It was a time of extremes, in climate as well as in social issues, such as extreme poverty, the severe financial crisis, and eruption of deep conflicts such as the ongoing violence in Syria. At the same time, the extraordinary phenomena of the Arab Spring inspired people to stand tall in their quest for freedom and dignity, justice, and peace.

It was in this environment that President Al-Nasser worked to develop a new paradigm for addressing conflicts by promoting dialogue among civilizations as a complementary approach to existing channels of conflict prevention, mediation, and peaceful resolution. He was able to forge closer ties with the NGO community by convening a “town hall” meeting with NGO representatives and engaging them as indispensable partners in building bridges of trust and cooperation that are necessary if the United Nations is to achieve its goal of bringing peace to the world. In addition, President Al-Nasser organized an innovative celebration of World Interfaith Harmony Week to affirm the value of religion and interreligious dialogue and cooperation in peacebuilding. In this context, he encouraged faith leaders to assist in strengthening the pillars of his presidency: mediation of conflict, disaster prevention and response, sustainable development, and revitalization of the United Nations. He encouraged political consensus in the General Assembly for strengthening the governance of financial institutions in order to address the global financial crisis. He supported the work of UN Women in empowering women to address violence against women throughout the world. In his Congratulatory Remarks, H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremic, President of the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly, supported UPF’s choice this year for the award with enthusiasm, saying that: “H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser has left a deep mark on the work of the United Nations General Assembly. A person in this position needs to reach out and understand people of different religions or of different sides of the aisle. It has been a time of great turbulence. In his future role at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, he will play in important role in a difficult time with a big task on his plate.” H.E. Mr. Gyan Chandra Achayra, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Least Developed, Landlocked Developing, and Small Island States, in his remarks, stated that H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser “provided leadership in a critical time with great distinction and in adherence to the principles of the United Nations. He fully understood the nexus between peace and security and was equally aware of the issues of sustainable development; he organized programs and made valuable statements prior to Rio+20. We are looking for global understanding and global stability, and it is fitting that he is taking that role through his promotion of understanding and solidarity around the world.” Dr. Hanifa Mezoui, Permanent Representative of the International Association of the Economic and Social Councils to the UN and ECOSOC, affirmed that H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser spread humanistic and moral values in his work through his emphasis on tolerance, compassion, and respect for all humanity. Noting his work ethic and insights into crucial issues, she paid tribute to his good nature, humility, enthusiasm for new ideas, and approaches aimed at improving people’s lives. In his acceptance speech, H.E. Al-Nasser mentioned: “It was the overriding goal throughout my term as President of the General Assembly to apply these very principles of sound leadership and good governance to the challenges and issues facing the United Nations and its Member States." True to the English translations of the Arabic names of H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser and his wife Muna, UPF representatives wished him the fulfillment of his dreams and desires and a life as prosperous as an “overflowing spring.” The Leadership and Good Governance Award is UPF’s most distinguished award. UPF views good leadership and governance as essential to the task of building a lasting world of peace for all people. Honorees are carefully selected from people who have demonstrated exemplary capacity as visionary and competent leaders in various fields, manifesting both external excellence and internal excellence and upholding universal moral and spiritual values. The event was attended by Permanent Representatives of Member States, the UN Secretariat staff, representatives of the NGO community, and leaders in business and the media.

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

UPF-Burkina Faso Accredited as Elections Observer By Mrs. Ilboudo Mau Ngoma, Secretary General, UPF-Burkina Faso    Friday, November 30, 2012  Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso - UPF-Burkina Faso has been accredited as an observer for the Legislative and Municipal elections on December 2.Authorities involved in the administration of the said elections throughout the national territory will facilitate the Ambassadors for Peace performing theirobservation mission, since the opening of the campaign on November 17 until 'the proclamation of the final results. The President of the National Electoral Commission urges civil and military authorities to allow Ambassadors for Peace to pass freely and to protect and assist them in fulfilling theirmission.

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV,
Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer
www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com

A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Thu, 11/29/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com>
Subject: This Month, UPF Honors H.E. Al-Nasser for Leadership and Good Governance.
To: cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com
Cc: menf...@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, November 29, 2012, 12:31 PM

http://www.upf.org/upf-news/142-americas/4806-he-mr-al-nasser-receives-leadership-and-good-governance-award- H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser Receives Leadership and Good Governance Award             By Genie Kagawa, UPF Office of UN Relations      Thursday, November 15, 2012

New York, USA - Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser received UPF's prestigious Leadership and Good Governance Award at a special Award Ceremony held at the Millennium Hotel near the United Nations on November 15. On behalf of the UPF founders, the Award was presented by UPF's President, Dr. Thomas G. Walsh, and Secretary General, Mr. Taj Hamad.

H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser served as the President of the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and now serves as the High Representative Designate of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. UPF presented this award to H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser in honor of his service as President of the 66th Session of the UN General Assembly at a time of great upheaval and turmoil in the world. That session shaped a time in history that will remain in people's minds for decades to come. It was a time of extremes, in climate as well as in social issues, such as extreme poverty, the severe financial crisis, and eruption of deep conflicts such as the ongoing violence in Syria. At the same time, the extraordinary phenomena of the Arab Spring inspired people to stand tall in their quest for freedom and dignity, justice, and peace.

It was in this environment that President Al-Nasser worked to develop a new paradigm for addressing conflicts by promoting dialogue among civilizations as a complementary approach to existing channels of conflict prevention, mediation, and peaceful resolution. He was able to forge closer ties with the NGO community by convening a “town hall” meeting with NGO representatives and engaging them as indispensable partners in building bridges of trust and cooperation that are necessary if the United Nations is to achieve its goal of bringing peace to the world. In addition, President Al-Nasser organized an innovative celebration of World Interfaith Harmony Week to affirm the value of religion and interreligious dialogue and cooperation in peacebuilding. In this context, he encouraged faith leaders to assist in strengthening the pillars of his presidency: mediation of conflict, disaster prevention and response, sustainable development, and revitalization of the United Nations. He encouraged political consensus in the General Assembly for strengthening the governance of financial institutions in order to address the global financial crisis. He supported the work of UN Women in empowering women to address violence against women throughout the world. In his Congratulatory Remarks, H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremic, President of the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly, supported UPF’s choice this year for the award with enthusiasm, saying that: “H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser has left a deep mark on the work of the United Nations General Assembly. A person in this position needs to reach out and understand people of different religions or of different sides of the aisle. It has been a time of great turbulence. In his future role at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, he will play in important role in a difficult time with a big task on his plate.” H.E. Mr. Gyan Chandra Achayra, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Least Developed, Landlocked Developing, and Small Island States, in his remarks, stated that H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser “provided leadership in a critical time with great distinction and in adherence to the principles of the United Nations. He fully understood the nexus between peace and security and was equally aware of the issues of sustainable development; he organized programs and made valuable statements prior to Rio+20. We are looking for global understanding and global stability, and it is fitting that he is taking that role through his promotion of understanding and solidarity around the world.” Dr. Hanifa Mezoui, Permanent Representative of the International Association of the Economic and Social Councils to the UN and ECOSOC, affirmed that H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser spread humanistic and moral values in his work through his emphasis on tolerance, compassion, and respect for all humanity. Noting his work ethic and insights into crucial issues, she paid tribute to his good nature, humility, enthusiasm for new ideas, and approaches aimed at improving people’s lives. In his acceptance speech, H.E. Al-Nasser mentioned: “It was the overriding goal throughout my term as President of the General Assembly to apply these very principles of sound leadership and good governance to the challenges and issues facing the United Nations and its Member States." True to the English translations of the Arabic names of H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser and his wife Muna, UPF representatives wished him the fulfillment of his dreams and desires and a life as prosperous as an “overflowing spring.” The Leadership and Good Governance Award is UPF’s most distinguished award. UPF views good leadership and governance as essential to the task of building a lasting world of peace for all people. Honorees are carefully selected from people who have demonstrated exemplary capacity as visionary and competent leaders in various fields, manifesting both external excellence and internal excellence and upholding universal moral and spiritual values. The event was attended by Permanent Representatives of Member States, the UN Secretariat staff, representatives of the NGO community, and leaders in business and the media.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Former Presidents Launch Latin American Presidential Mission - posted by GPC Social Media Team at Saturday, December 01, 2012 One of the most important events of the Global Peace Convention Atlanta 2012 was the Americas Summit: Presentation of the Latin American Presidential Mission. Seven former heads of state participated in the launch of the Presidential Mission amid a flurry of Latin American and US press. These seven former heads represented more than a dozen former Latin American Presidents attending the convention to introduce a new era of international relations between the United States and Latin America. Convention Co-Chair State Senator Emanuel Jones welcomed the group and acknowledged the collegial meeting of the minds he and the presidents have enjoyed over the course of the convention. “I don’t remember a time in our (Georgia) states history that we have had this many Latin American presidents convene in one place,” he noted.   With tapes rolling and cameras flashing, Senator Jones turned the Summit over to H.E. Marco Vinicio Cerezo of Guatemala to lead the announcement of the Mission. Cerezo explained the purpose of the mission -- speaking in his native tongue, but answered questions for the American press in English.   In conjunction with GPF’s convention theme: “Moral and Innovative Leadership: Building Healthy Families, Ethical Societies and a Global Culture of Peace,” Cerezo explained that as former heads of state of their respective countries, the presidents could still be useful in helping bring peace to Latin American nations in suffering and conflict by working with incumbent Latin American presidents and other organizations – like GPF – to bring peace and relief to its citizenry.   He referenced the problems facing Latin Americans after “the consolidation of democracy and the tension of confrontation and war in the near past.”   “We are going to take advantage of the willingness, experience, leadership and knowledge (of the former presidents) and make and analysis and proposal to the current presidents to resolve the different social economic and security problems in our countries,” stated Cerezo. “We have been in their shoes. … We still have influence with the population and in the country as former presidents. (We want) to continue working to resolve these problems.” he said. Kelley Jackson for firstClass inc. ----------------------------------------------------   Blog RSS Feed Dec 01 Say Yes to Peace - posted by GPC Social Media Team at Saturday, December 01, 2012 Co-Chair of the Global Peace Convention 2012, Dr. Robert A. Schuller's greetings at the Opening Banquet. "But you know, it is hard to say, 'No' to something you know you are suppose to say, 'Yes' to. It is hard to say, “No” to somebody who says, “Can you help me create world please?” It’s hard to say, 'No' when you know you are supposed to say, 'Yes'. Our goal is to create a tsunami of peace that is going to sweep around the world and just take every body in with the love of God because we all brothers and sisters, together, we are all one family under God and all it requires us to say is one small little three letter word, 'Yes'." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Nurturing Character and Creativity for Great Results Break-Out Session Moderator, Tony Devine, Ed.D., Executive Director of LeadIn; Mark Hyatt, CEO of Character Education Partnership; Dr. Asmat Khalid, Minister of Education for Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq; Mr. Geoffrey Cherongis, Nairobi County Director of Teachers Service Commission at the Ministry of Education in Kenya and Mr. Arnold Kashembe, the Research and Program Development Director of the Irish Peace Institute at the University of Limerick conducted an educational break-out session to convey their answers to that question. A common theme of the panel was the importance of character building and honing in on desirable life traits. Motivation, focus, dependability, an upstanding moral code and aspiration to improve were prevalent among these traits. Incorporating these characteristics into education and embracing creative expression are the keys to unlocking the best results in future generations of peace activists. Mr. Arnold Kashembe presented the Irish Peace Institute at the University of Limerick’s Linking Cities Project: Cross-Border Youth Character Leadership program, designed to uplift youth. The Project trains Master Facilitators in conflict resolution in school sports programs. “The perpetuation of peace through sportsmanship,” is an integral contribution to the communities it is in. The Character Competence Initiative, an initiative founded by The Global Peace Foundation after the Global Peace Convention 2010 in Nairobi, aims to build character and creativity by planting trees throughout Kenya, marked with traits such as steadfastness, honesty and humility. The planter of each tree is committed to growing with the trait marked on their respective tree. “Once you have good character, you have peace, and will be in a position to facilitate peace,” says Mr. Geoffrey Cherongis of Nairobi. Cultivating positive traits, sportsmanship and achieving a state of peace within one’s self is a start to the process of nurturing creativity for great results. ---------------------------------------   "Spirit of the UN" Awards Honor Extraordinary Individuals

By Genie Kagawa, UPF Office of UN Relations

Thursday, October 25, 2012 New York, USA - The magnificent qualities of the human heart, expressed through service to the United Nations, was celebrated during the 2012 Week of Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, October 22-25, a project of the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns (CSVGC-NY) at the United Nations, under the Chairmanship of Mrs. Sharon Hamilton-Getz. Universal Peace Federation is a member of the Executive Council of CSVGC-NY, represented by Genie Kagawa as its Vice Chair. Several UN NGOs and Committees came together to co-sponsor the week-long activities from October 22 to 26. Co-sponsors for the week included the NGO Committee on Children’s Rights, NGO Committee on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, NGO Committee on Human Rights, NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security, CoNGO, UN Social and Recreational Council, Feng-Shui Group, Enlightenment Society, UN Women’s Guild, Values Caucus, The Spiritual Caucus, and United Religions Initiative. Through the lens of "Riding the Waves of Change, Energy for All," the programs explored the challenges and successes in making the principles contained in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights come alive today and in the future. The CSVGC-NY Opening and “Spirit of the UN” Award Ceremony took place on October 22, during which the following five 2012 awardees were honored: H.E. Ambassador Lhatu Wangchuk, Permanent Mission of Bhutan to the United Nations Mr. James Sniffen, UN Environment Programme Mr. Peter Steward, Thanksgiving Foundation Ms. Pamela Kraft, Tribal Link Ms. Ray Acheson, Reaching Critical Will. Ms. Kraft commented that the ceremony was “unique and beyond special” and a thoroughly inspirational expression of heart. Tears were shed as stories were shared about the sacrifice and selfless investment of time and resources given in service to the disadvantaged sectors of our global society. The program of events coincided with the 67th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, with events ranging from a series of focused meditations, workshops, panel discussions, and group interactions. Events were anchored throughout the week by the “Keepers of the Sacred,” who guided the daily meditation sessions which touched upon various important topics at the UN: the "spirit of the UN"; women’s rights, human trafficking and children of war; 67th anniversary of the United Nations; environmental sustainability; human rights; eliminating extreme hunger and poverty; and promoting gender equality and empowering women. The finale of the week on October 25 included two programs, ending in a heartfelt Closing Ceremony. The first program, co-sponsored by CSVGC-NY Sacred and Transcendental Arts, Values and Business and Environment Collective Working Groups, focused on “Revealing the Divine Feminine: Unifying Oneness and Energy for All.” Moderated by Sharon Hamilton-Getz, panelists included Myra Godfrey of Hridaya Healing, Monika Mitchell of Good Business International, “Queen Mother” Dr. Delois Blakely, Harry Uvegi AspiralLink, and Ms. Pamela Kraft, each speaking on the essence of the “Divine Feminine” from a different perspective. The Healing, Transformation and Spirituality Working Group, chaired by Dr. Ani Kalayjian, UN Representative for Trauma Outreach and Prevention, touched on the theme “Achieving Energy for All Through Forgiveness and Gratitude.” Expert panelists Leysa Cerswell, Dr. Ani Kalayjian, and Cheryl Lazarus expounded on the healing methods and practices of forgiveness, as well as best practices for resolving conflict and pain. During the Closing Ceremony, through sharing and heart-to-heart-communication, participants explored the essence of peace and harmony with the Creator, with nature, and with each other. Participants gained greater insight on how the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals were impacted by the various cultural, political, economic decisions and ways of living of humanity.

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

At key technology conference, Secretary-General warns of ‘digital divide’ in Internet age Delegates arriving at the World Trade Centre in Dubai where the World Conference on International Telecommunications is being held from 3 to 14 December 2012. Photo: ITU 5  Print 3 December 2012 – The management of information and communication technology should be “transparent, democratic, and inclusive,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said of a major meeting organized by the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU). In a video message to the ITU World Conference on International Telecommunications, taking place in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, Secretary-General Ban called on Member States to maintain the free electronic flow of ideas and information, adding that the UN “stands behind the goal of an open Internet.” “A digital divide has no place in the information age and 21st-century knowledge economy,” he said. “Our overall objective must be to ensure universal access to information and communication technology – including for the two-thirds of the world’s population currently not online.” The 11-day conference – which is slated to run until 14 December – will bring an estimated 1,900 delegates from 193 nations together to review the current International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs), which function as the binding global treaty designed to facilitate international interconnection of information and communication services, as well as ensuring their efficiency and widespread public usefulness and availability. Although the treaty sets out general principles for assuring the free flow of information around the world, media reports have anticipated diplomatic clashes between Member States over the level of global oversight necessary in regulating the internet, with some delegates reportedly voicing concern that too much regulation would potentially stifle online freedom of expression and ease of communication. In his address, the Secretary-General affirmed the need for a free internet as part of the digital citizen’s “right to communicate” and share ideas across all media and all frontiers. “Information and communications technologies are transforming our world, opening doors, educating and empowering people, saving lives,” Mr. Ban said, pointing to the effects of social media and technology in driving the Arab Spring protests and similar democratization efforts around the world. “We must continue to work together and find consensus on how to effectively keep cyberspace open, accessible, affordable and secure for all,” he added.

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Russia Needs an Alternative to the “Kalashnikov” By DNI.RU News Agency    Thursday, November 29, 2012 UPF's contribution to a round table on "The role of secular and spiritual culture in the revival of human values" is noted in this report on DNI.ru Moscow, Russia - A round table on the role of culture as a means for grassroots diplomacy took place in the Moscow Center “Strategy” on November 29. Russia can become a spiritual superpower that will be known not only for its Kalashnikovs and Stolichnaya vodka but also for our great masters of culture and spirit. For this purpose, participants called for overcoming the period of spiritual and moral stagnation in Russian society and creating a new world vision. Modern society is on the threshold of global crises - political, economic, and ecological. Humankind has chosen a materialistic vector of development, and such development leads to a self-centered dead end. We are not united enough and have no reliable ideological support to effectively confront new civilizational challenges. According to participants of the Moscow Round Table on "The role of secular and spiritual culture in the revival of human values: Cultural exchange as an instrument of grassroots diplomacy," it is culture that can provide the basis on which a new world view will be built. Art in its various manifestations can effectively influence society. It would not be correct to separate culture into spiritual and the secular dimensions, because great authors draw inspiration from spiritual ideas. However, modern culture has deviated from its goal of protecting and promoting spiritual and humanistic values and suffers from a lack of ideas. "We are losing a part of our generation, which is raised on a pseudoculture, when the spiritual and moral values manifested in Orthodoxy are leveled and impaired by the flow of information which bypasses the leadership of the Church," noted the representative of the organization "Family of Russia," which is promoting family values as the basis of moral development. "They say that our time is devoid of ideology, being the post-modern period with no ideas. But there have always been ideas, from time immemorial: the values which are embedded in the works of art. The unity of the world is the main factor which is now being forgotten. And to remember this is our main task," said the painter and systematic thinker Andrei Vereshchagin. Commenting on the scandalous “Pussy Riot” activists, the experts noted that contemporary art is mainly represented by the school of protest, which does nothing to glorify the greatness of Russia. Therefore, the task is "to collect those bright and good forces" which will serve for the benefit of Russia and restore her ideological leadership. Russia can become a spiritual beacon for the whole world. "All nations are unique, and Russia occupies a special position between the West and the East," noted the representative of the international center of spiritual culture "Divya Loka," Ilya Kurilenko. "We have a different philosophy and methodology, but we are all humans and we live on one and the same planet; and if we don't respect each other and instead prevent revival of humanistic values, even if they belong to a different tradition, we will never reach world peace." The leader of the Universal Peace Federation-Russian, Konstantin Krylov, emphasized the special role of culture in grassroots diplomacy, especially in the regions where Russia is viewed with distrust and prejudice, including Georgia. He said, "Our task is to make our country to be famous not for "Kalashnikov" or "Stolichnaya", but mainly for Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky, and Dostoyevsky. I consider the role of culture as an important means of grassroots diplomacy." A number of cultural initiatives were presented at the Round Table, among them: workshop for young artists on the premises of the former factory located near the town of Egoryevsk in the suburbs of Moscow; the plan for constructing 108 temples for the unity of all religions in the Nizhniy Novgorod region; the historical-architectural complex "Parents' Blessing" in Kostroma related to the 400th anniversary of the Romanov House; and pilgrimage to Kumbha Melu, festival of yoga and unity that will take place in India in the winter of 2013 (the event is held once every 12 years, and tens of millions of spiritual seekers from all over the world are expected to converge on India). Participants were reminded that not long ago, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in his speech at the Asia - Europe Forum in Laos proposed holding an international conference on interfaith dialogue in Russia. According to him, it is necessary to seek a platform for interaction between religious leaders and civil society structures. The Russian News Service quotes the Prime Minister as saying " Living in a multinational country we have accumulated a rich experience, with a great number of nationalities." RIA “Novosti” has added that the Chairman of the government underscores that UNESCO is expected to be the central mechanism in intercultural dialogue, because it is experienced in this field.

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

UN launches $1.3 billion appeal for humanitarian needs in Somalia  4 December 2012 – The United Nations today launched a $1.3 billion humanitarian appeal to address the immediate needs of the Somali people over the next year and enhance resilience in the country, which has for decades been mired by conflict, drought, floods and food insecurity.  The appeal, which is part of three-year strategy, will go to 369 humanitarian projects targeting 3.8 million Somalis in need, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The strategy will be implemented by 177 national and international non-governmental organizations and UN agencies operating in Somalia.  “While the humanitarian situation in Somalia remains critical, the improvement in the food security situation and the new security and political landscape present opportunities to break the cycle of recurring crises brought on by drought and conflict,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Stefano Porretti. “By strengthening Somalis’ ability to cope with droughts and floods we can prevent future shocks from developing into a humanitarian catastrophe.”  After decades of factional fighting and lawlessness, the East Africa country has been undergoing a peace and national reconciliation process, with a series of landmark steps in past months that have helped to bring an end to the country’s nine-year political transition period.  However, it is still facing one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, with 1.1 million people who have been internally displaced and more than one million that live outside the country as refugees.  “The road to resilience will be long and difficult,” Mr. Porretti said. “There is an absolute imperative to continue supporting the humanitarian work in Somalia. The new three-year humanitarian appeal allows for greater continuity in programming and aims at responding to the existing emergency needs of the population in crisis in a sustainable manner.”  The 2013-2015 appeal, which was launched in the capital, Mogadishu, was presented by Mr. Porretti, along with the Minister of Interior and National Security Abdikarim Hussein Guled, who is responsible for humanitarian affairs.  “This is a humanitarian event, not a political one. It is the first humanitarian gathering in Mogadishu for over 20 years. Somalia and its people are happy that the humanitarian community is presenting the strategy to us on our home soil,” Mr. Guled said, according to OCHA.  The 2012 humanitarian appeal for Somalia has been 57 per cent funded, the humanitarian agency added, with over $668 million provided out of $1.1 billion requested.

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Mon, 12/3/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> Subject: UN: Secretary-General warns of ‘digital divide’ in Internet age. To: cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com

Date: Monday, December 3, 2012, 3:54 PM

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Japanese Tea Ceremony Held in Washington DC             By Joy      Thursday, November 15, 2012 Washington DC, USA - The Washington, DC office of UPF hosted the fall Japanese Tea Ceremony on a beautiful autumn day with multicolored leaves decorating the lawn. This is one of UPF's annual Culture of Peace programs for diplomats, Ambassadors for Peace, and friends of UPF. The tea ceremony has been practiced for thousands of years and offers a unique aspect of Japanese culture, which reflects the vision of peacemaking espoused by UPF. The Japanese staff of UPF wore the beautiful and colorful traditional kimonos to greet the guests. The 60 guests included ambassadors and other high-level diplomats from the Embassies of Austria, Bolivia, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Iraq, Kosovo, Laos, Montenegro, Central African Republic, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Ukraine. Along with Ambassadors for Peace and UPF friends, they enjoyed the tea, sweets, and Japanese cuisine. The guests spent time together developing friendships during the relaxed tea time at the Peace Embassy of the Universal Peace Federation. The Peace Embassy was decorated with a Japanese traditional scroll, ornaments, and autumn flowers arranged in the tradition of Ikebana, another Japanese tradition. Originally, green tea was not introduced as a commercial commodity to sell for profit but as a medicinal tea which cured diseases and promoted long life. Tea leaves were ground into a fine powder and added to hot water, then served freely to the common people who came to hear a sermon of the Zen monk Eisai in the 12th century. Cha-no-Yu ("Japanese tea ceremony") developed into a philosophy of the “Way of Tea” by elevating the mundane practice of drinking tea into a deeply spiritual discipline, bringing a Zen quality to the simple, but strictly disciplined, tea ceremony. "What we learn in the Way of Tea is how to respect others, live in harmony and peace, and gain a tranquility of heart. It also teaches beautiful manners and the etiquette of serving others," said host mistress, Tomiko Duggan. Sen-no-Rikyu, Grand Master of the Tea School of Ura in the 16th century, condensed the essence of the “Way of Tea” as Wa Kei Sei Jyaku, represented by four Chinese characters: Wa is the state of harmony and beauty that only creates a feeling of goodness. Kei is the attitude of respect for all things. This is not only a sincere respect for human beings, but for the sanctity of nature and all material objects. Sei is purification. The pure heart without flaw makes a person honest, truthful and sincere. Jyaku is the level of enlightenment when someone is in oneness with the universal principle. At this stage there is only tranquility in one’s heart. When guests attend the a ceremony in the a house in Japan, there are two entrances. One is for the host and the other is for the guests. The guest entrance door was made lower signifying humility, causing the guests to lower their heads to enter as a sign of respect to the tea master and to the other guests already seated in the room. This bowing down to enter also made the guests feel they were entering a different world, leaving behind their social status, selfish desires, and greed. The tea room is a place where the guests can mix freely with everyone regardless of rank and the usual strict social standing. In the tea house, all can cultivate their sense of appreciation of the forms of beauty provided in the setting and the special tea articles displayed. The host prepares the tea ceremony with a special heart, thinking “this is the one chance in life to meet these people and share tea.” This concept of a "once in a lifetime chance" is based on the idea that life is transient and each tea ceremony is a unique combination of people and experience that will never be repeated. This encounter is treated with utmost care and seen as having an eternal significance by the host. The essence of the teaching of the “Way of Tea” reflects the vision of UPF, which inspires the individual to reach out to the highest ideals of internal character and which can also be utilized as a guide in human affairs.  UPF's vision of humanity is to be “One human family under God,” living in accordance with universal principles of “living for the sake of others” and overcoming national, cultural, religious, and racial barriers. As human beings, we are all equal and believe the family is the place where each individual first learns and practices those values and principles which affect all human relationships during our lifetime. The family is a school of love and the very foundation of, or the corner stone for, building a world of peace. The warm environment of oneness based on love and respect between parents and children, mutual fidelity and love between husband and wife, trust and mutual reliance among siblings, is the manifestation of the model ideal family of peace, inspiring the individual to develop the highest ideals of character. The guests were able to experience an oasis far from their stressful daily work. It was an honor to invite people to the Japanese tea ceremony and share the vision of UPF to build a world of mutual respect, love, and good families, bringing true, lasting peace.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

K. Akasaka: Universal Values and the Responsibility to Protect By Kiyotaka Akasaka, President of the Foreign Press Center/Japan, Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations    Wednesday, November 07, 2012 Presentation to UPF-Japan's Peace Diplomats Forum on: “Universal Values and Responsibility to Protect:International Cooperation and Japan’s Role” November 7, 2012, Tokyo, Japan  I would like to thank the Universal Peace Federation for inviting me to talk on the timely topic of the development and application of a concept, responsibility to protect (R2P), that some might call new and revolutionary, others old and vague. The R2P has been much talked about by diplomats, academics and journalists, and this is just about the right time to clarify what we are talking about. A clearer understanding of the concept and its background will help policy makers in translating it into actual foreign policy and concrete actions. Universal values of human rights “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person”, according to Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. I know the year very well as it is the year when I was born. Therefore, to live in safety, liberty and security is a fundamental human right recognized by all states. In return, the sovereign state has the responsibility to protect its population. There is nothing new about this obvious statement. But the responsibility of the international community to act, when a state fails to live up to that responsibility, through the United Nations, is new. This is a new concept and we call it R2P. And while the R2P concept was endorsed at the 2005 World Summit and reaffirmed by the Security Council, these are still early days in the transition from theory to practice. The world has struggled with how to protect – and how to look after the welfare of citizens – for a long time. The Holocaust, and the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and Srebrenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in the 20th century, are a few horrific examples of our failures. Attitudes towards the responsibility of states to intervene in the affairs of another country to protect fellow human beings have changed considerably since these brutal tragedies. Two schools of thought on human security The task of human protection is complex. Over the past 20 years, since the end of the Cold War, there have been a number of different approaches, and different schools of thought, about how to deal with this vital question of saving peoples’ lives in another country. One of the most prominent approaches has been put forward by international development experts, including those in organizations like the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development – the OECD. These organizations have focused on what they described as “failed states” or “fragile states,” and have tried to work with them to implement special economic and development strategies. Another prominent approach to deal with the issue of human protection has been put forward by political and security strategists. Their contributions and ideas have largely focused on how to handle the political challenges faced when states fail to protect their citizens. Some of their ideas are referred to as “humanitarian intervention,” the “right to intervene,” “human security,” and, now, “R2P.” Generally speaking, development experts have tried to cope with the difficulty of helping people in a failed or fragile state through the creation of a set of common principles among donors - so that their aid can be effective - and do no harm to nation-building. States are fragile when state structures lack political will or the capacity to provide the basic functions needed for poverty reduction, development, and to safeguard the security and human rights of their populations. One of the agreed principles for dealing with failed and fragile states is to support the legitimacy and accountability of states by addressing issues of democratic governance, human rights, civil society engagement and peacebuilding. Another principle is to strengthen the capability of states to fulfill their core functions, such as ensuring security and justice, mobilizing revenue, and delivering basic services – like health and education. Interestingly, in 1994, the Human Development Report, produced by the United Nations Development Programme, introduced a new concept of security - one that moved away from security as defined solely for the nation-state, to one defined by security for the people – “human security.” The Human Development Report’s definition of human security included threats in seven areas: economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community and political security. Since the introduction of the concept of human security in 1994, two distinctly different schools of thought have emerged. One, promoted chiefly by Canada, focuses on the protection of individuals from violent conflicts, through measures such as conflict prevention and resolution, and peace-building. The other, promoted chiefly by Japan, focuses on root causes of human insecurity, including hunger, disease and natural disasters. I was directly involved in the very first days of establishing the Japanese foreign policy on human security in the late 1990s – when the question of human protection was at the top of the international agenda. Former Ambassadors Hideaki Ueda, Yukio Satoh and Yukio Takasu were original harbingers of the human security concept a la Japonaise. As you would have detected, the Japanese approach deliberately avoided entering into the delicate sphere of humanitarian intervention and national sovereignty. Rather than directly dealing with the issues of “freedom from fear”, Japan focused more on the issues of “freedom from want” – want of such basics as water, food security, poverty, education and health care. Canada tried in vain to woo Japan. Indeed, the concept of humanitarian intervention – the use of military force by states against another state for the purpose of ending extreme violations of human rights – was a burning issue in the 1990s, and particularly in the context of NATO’s intervention in Kosovo in 1999 – an intervention without the authorization of the United Nations Security Council. The “right to intervene” for humanitarian objectives has continued to be hotly debated since the 1990s, and its legitimacy, and selective use, remain controversial. The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) In the Millennium Report of 2000, then Secretary General Kofi Annan put forward a challenge to Member States, saying “if humanitarian intervention is, indeed, an unacceptable assault on sovereignty, how should we respond to a Rwanda, to a Srebrenica, to gross and systematic violation of human rights that offend every precept of our common humanity?” In response to this challenge, the Canadian Government established the International Commission on the Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS) in December 2001, and the Commission’s report, “The Responsibility to Protect” proposed that when a State fails to protect its people – either through lack of ability or a lack of will – the responsibility shifts to the broader international community. In the light of intense international discussion and suspicion about intervention, the outcome of the 2005 World Summit held at the United Nations endorsing the concept of R2P was indeed a remarkable achievement. The General Assembly adopted the Summit Outcome and the Security Council reaffirmed the provisions relating to the R2P. Here we saw, for the first time, the unambiguous acceptance by all governments of their individual and collective responsibility to protect populations from four heinous crimes: genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. Since 2007, United Nations Secretariat has worked diligently with Member States, regional and sub-regional organizations, civil society, and the academic community on ways to translate R2P from words to deeds, from concept to real, early, and coordinated action for the prevention of mass atrocities. Here, I would mention briefly the UN’s approach to the implementation of R2P, namely, the three pillars on which it rests, based on the UN General Assembly resolution: The first pillar is the responsibility of the state to protect its population from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity; The second pillar is the commitment of the international community to assist states to meet these obligations, including through national capacity-building; and, The third pillar is the responsibility of the international community of states to respond collectively in a timely and decisive manner when a state is manifestly failing to provide such protection. When non-coercive measures fail, enforcement under Chapter VII of the UN Charter will need to be considered by the Security Council. This means carefully crafted sanctions, including the use of force. The application of R2Ps Using this approach as the guide, the following years saw the application of R2P in several cases, including for example in Kenya and Guinea. These cases involved political mediation and national capacity building. The application of R2P was, therefore, limited to the first and the second pillar, not the third one. During the period from 2007 till early 2011, there were intensive discussions inside the UN Secretariat about how the concept could be effectively operationalized. There were some serious difficulties in the exercise due to varying views among member States of the General Assembly. Then the concept was given a great leap forward in March 2011. Security Council Resolution 1973 of 17 March 2011 on Libya was indeed a historic step forward in fulfilling the responsibility to protect civilians from violence perpetrated by their own government. Resolution 1973, which passed with 10 votes in favor and five abstentions (Brazil, China, Germany, India and Russia), recalled the responsibility of Libyan authorities to protect its population, and, acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, authorized Member States to take all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack. The establishment of a no-fly zone and the intervention of NATO completely changed the course of battle, and the regime of Colonel Gaddafi subsequently collapsed. “The age of impunity is dead” In his speech in Sofia, Bulgaria in May 2011, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon triumphantly proclaimed that the age of impunity was dead. He said, “Today, we are moving decisively towards a new age of sovereignty as responsibility, an era where those who commit crimes against humanity and violate the human rights of their people will be held accountable.” “We can expect that in the future the Security Council will increasingly place civilian protection at the center of the UN’s peace and security agenda.” While the Security Council resolution and its swift implementation were acclaimed by many as welcome developments, an analysis of subsequent international reaction including media coverage of Libya, also showed a number of issues of concern and questions about R2P and its application. Following the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1973 in mid-March 2011, the Council came in for some favorable praise for its “historic” decision to use force to protect civilians. At the same time, some in the media also began to wonder if R2P was being applied equitably and fairly, citing other flash points such as Syria and Cote d’Ivoire. In April 2011, charges of double standard, hypocrisy and selectivity mounted, with commentators pointing to the glaring absence of calls for R2P in Bahrain and Yemen. An editorial in the Washington Post noted that the West tended to intervene “only against regimes that are incapable of hurting us when we strike,” and pointed out, “If you are weak but vicious, expect to be bombed.” While the UN got high praise from many for its robust action in Cote d’Ivoire to “save lives” and end the political stalemate there, there were also comparisons of R2P to neo-colonialism, and questions about whether the UN military intervention in that country was to protect civilians – or to force political change. On the persistent question of inconsistency, John Bolton, former US Ambassador to the UN, wrote a piece asking why there hadn’t been interventions in other countries such as North Korea, Syria, Zimbabwe and Iran, and complained about R2P’s “political vagueness.” Nicholas Kristof, a journalist of the New York Times, meanwhile, argued that it was “better to inconsistently save some lives than to consistently save none.” In May 2011, with the turmoil continuing in Libya and violence in Syria, some journalists began to see links between regime change and R2P. Others equated the concept with military intervention. Questions were also raised about whether the quagmire in Libya had compromised R2P’s future. It appears that for Russia and China, the steps taken in the case of Libya apparently exceeded the resolution’s intent, and they have become increasingly hesitant to take the same path again in other conflicts. Syria and the R2P In Syria, at a time when unity is required, the Security Council has been thus deeply divided. On February 4 this year, the Security Council voted on a draft resolution supporting an Arab plan to resolve the crisis in Syria. At that point the UN estimated that over 7,500 people had been killed since the uprising started in March 2011. The draft resolution called on the Syrian Government to cease violence against its citizens and withdraw its armed forces. Thirteen members of the Council voted in favor of the draft, but China and Russia exercised their vetoes. The death toll in Syria has been mounting drastically since then. More than 30,000 people including thousands of children have reportedly been killed, and millions of people displaced within the country. We have been witnessing the immense human cost of failing to protect. The inaction of the Security Council to deal with the crisis in Syria has been criticized and many see a real danger that all the progress made so far on the R2P may be undone. For instance, in mid-October this year, the Prime Minister of Turkey, Mr. Erdogan, reportedly criticized the UN’s inaction, saying that world powers were repeating the mistakes they had made in Bosnia in the 1990s. He called for a change in the structure of the Security Council, where the reluctance of any one member can stymie action. Indeed, Syria is a critical test of the will and capacity of the international community to implement the third pillar of the R2P. Criticism against the inaction of the Security Council is warranted, but it should not be confused with criticism of the application of the whole concept of the R2P itself. Other pillars of the R2P for prevention The criticism against the R2P shows that much of public opinion has focused on the third pillar of R2P implementation - timely and decisive response by the UN Security Council - and not enough on the other two - prevention - which lie at the core of R2P. And the R2P has not been about Libya and Syria alone. You may recall that Security Council resolutions on Libya and Yemen referred explicitly to the R2P. General Assembly resolutions cited the R2P with regard to Syria, and the Human Rights Council did so on Syria and Libya. The High Commissioner for Human Rights and the two Special Advisers for the Secretary-General on the R2P have issued statements calling for compliance with the R2P in Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The defense of democracy in Cote d’Ivoire and the protection of Libyans were indeed spectacularly successful. The case of Libya was so successful that people in the world may have thought that the R2P would solve any other conflicts just like that. In retrospect, the Secretary-General’s proclamation in May 2011 that the age of impunity was dead and that the Security Council would increasingly place civilian protection at the center of the UN’s peace and security agenda was premature. Because, while the concept of the R2P gained more acceptance among UN member States, reform of the Security Council to be more effective and legitimate has not made any meaningful progress yet. The responsibility to protect has become a reality in some cases, but we do not yet have all the answers, including the vital reform of the Security Council. The conceptual, political, and operational development of R2P needs to continue. Recent history has shown that each case, each situation is different, and that the application of R2P is a work in progress under the current setup of the Security Council which we all know has serious flaws. We must remember that the R2P has three pillars, and that inability to apply the third pillar due to the inherent flaw of the Security Council should not be identified as the total failure of the R2P. It must also be noted that thanks to the development of the R2P, Governments are taking steps to build up their own national capacity to help prevent genocide and other mass atrocity crimes. For example, in April this year, US President Obama announced the establishment of the Atrocities Prevention Board and other steps to help the United States prevent and respond to mass atrocities. And countries from Costa Rica, to Denmark, and Ghana have established networks of focal points in Member State capitals for the prevention and halting of mass atrocities, under the R2P framework. International, regional, and sub-regional organizations are also helping states to meet their sovereign responsibilities to their populations. We must all, through dialogue, training, education, and public awareness-raising, work harder to prevent genocide and mass atrocities and to protect civilians from such crimes. Here I see the important role to be played by Japan in the light of its initiative on human security. Various activities under the initiative, including the use of the Human Security Fund, can be directed towards the prevention of mass atrocities. For example, the Fund may be provided to reduce civil insecurity and to strengthen intercultural communication and improve interethnic relations, as has been done in a recent project announced in July this year for Nicaragua with over 3 million dollars from the Fund. Despite the current difficulty in applying the third pillar of the R2P in Syria, I am confident that the R2P will continue to be a guiding principle in helping people in disparate needs of protection. Urgent need of Security Council reform While the R2P should not be identified as the action of the Security Council alone, it is indeed true that the Security Council’s paralysis is doing a lot of harm to the Syrian people. It also damages the credibility of the Security Council and casts a serious doubt on the future of the R2P that was hailed so much in the case of Libya last year. Hence the urgent need to reform the Security Council. Reform of the Security Council is overdue. The membership and its working methods must be reformed so that the Council can be more effective and its decisions more legitimate. Japan should be given a permanent or semi-permanent seat on the Council in the light of its ability to contribute and its own initiative on human security. I will not dwell on the subject as you are all aware of the problems involved in the reform of the Security Council. However, even if the composition of members of the Security Council is changed in the reform, it is most unlikely that the vetoes of the current five permanent members of the Security Council would be removed. Rather, additional vetoes may be bestowed on new permanent members in the reform. Backbones of the R2P Then, unless something else is changed, we would continue to have the problem in activating the third pillar of the R2P in a situation like Syria. In my view, that will require that all countries should embrace and share the fundamental values and principles of democracy and human rights which place the ultimate priority on the lives and security of people. These fundamental values are the backbones of the R2P as we saw in its historical background. The current impasse of the R2P clearly demonstrates that some important members of the UN Security Council do not put the highest priority on human security due to other factors which they consider more important than the lives of the people in the conflict. The problem of the vetoes of some members of the UN Security Council is a symptom, not the real cause of the problem. The real cause of the problem is the deficit of democracy and belief in fundamental human rights in some important members of the Security Council. If all countries agree on the fundamental values of democracy and human rights, then the initiation of the third pillar of the R2P would be possible even if some members still hold veto powers in the Security Council. They will find it difficult to use their vetoes if that runs counter the fundamental values they believe in. There is some hope for the future. For example, in September 2010, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao gave a television interview in the U.S. Prime Minister Wen summed up his political ideals into four principles: to let everyone lead a happy life with dignity, to let everyone feel safe and secure, to let society be one with equity and justice and to let everyone have confidence in the future. This is what I call the backbones of the R2P. Conclusion In conclusion, let me sum up my arguments on the R2P. First, the R2P has come a long way to becoming reality. Despite the current setback in Syria, the R2P will keep moving on. We should not be too disillusioned about the R2P because of the inability of the Security Council to act. It is the problem of the Security Council, not the concept of the R2P itself. For the second pillar of the R2P, there is much Japan can do from the point of view of its own human security initiative. Second, Security Council reform is vital, and urgently needed for the full realization of the three pillars of the R2P. Japan should be given a permanent or semi-permanent seat on the Council in view of its ability to contribute. However, if the vetoes of the permanent members remain, the third pillar of the R2P may continue to face difficulty in its application. Third, the fundamental problem may not be the vetoes, but the deficit of democracy and human rights in some important members of the Security Council. The fundamental values of democracy and human rights are the backbones of the concept of the R2P. Japan must join other countries in their efforts to help democracy and human rights being respected and promoted by all countries in general, and by China and Russia in particular.

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Sun, 12/2/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> Subject: Former Presidents Launch "Latin American Presidential Mission". To: cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com Cc: menf...@yahoogroups.com

Date: Sunday, December 2, 2012, 10:49 AM

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Illegal immigration drops after decade-long rise By By HOPE YEN | Associated Press – 6 hrs ago Enlarge Photo FOX News Videos - Legislation addresses path to citizenship for young illegal immigrants WASHINGTON (AP) — New census data released Thursday affirm a clear and sustained drop in illegal immigration, ending more than a decade of increases. The number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. dropped to an estimated 11.1 million last year from a peak of 12 million in 2007, part of an overall waning of Hispanic immigration. For the first time since 1910, Hispanic immigration last year was topped by immigrants from Asia. Demographers say illegal Hispanic immigration — 80 percent of all illegal immigration comes from Mexico and Latin America — isn't likely to approach its mid-2000 peak again, due in part to a weakened U.S. economy and stronger enforcement but also a graying of the Mexican population. The finding suggests an uphill battle for the Republicans, who passed legislation in the House last week that would extend citizenship to a limited pool of foreign students with advanced degrees but who are sharply divided on whether to pursue broader immigration measures. In all, the biggest surge of immigration in modern U.S. history ultimately may be recorded as occurring in the mid-1990s to early 2000s, yielding illegal residents who now have been settled in the U.S. for 10 years or more. They include migrants who arrived here as teens and are increasingly at risk of "aging out" of congressional proposals such as the DREAM Act that offer a pathway to citizenship for younger adults. "The priority now is to push a vigorous debate about the undocumented people already here," said Jose Antonio Vargas, 31, a journalist from the Philippines. "We want to become citizens and not face the threat of deportation or be treated as second class," said Vargas, whose campaign, Define American, along with the young immigrant group United We Dream, have been pushing for citizenship for the entire illegal population in the U.S. The groups point to a strong Latino and Asian-American turnout for President Barack Obama in last month's election as evidence of public support for a broad overhaul of U.S. immigration laws. Earlier this year, Obama extended to many younger immigrants temporary reprieves from deportation. But Vargas, who has lived in the U.S. since 1993 and appeared this year on the cover of Time magazine with other immigrants who lacked legal status, has become too old to qualify. "This conversation is a question about how we as a nation define who is an American," Vargas said, noting that if politicians don't embrace immigration overhaul now, a rapidly growing bloc of minority voters may soon do it for them. "If you want us to pay a fine to become a citizen, OK. If you want us to pay back taxes, absolutely. If you want us to speak English, I speak English. But we can't tread water on this issue anymore." Jeffrey Passel, a senior demographer at the Pew Research Center and a former Census Bureau official, said U.S. immigration policies will have a significant impact in shaping a future U.S. labor force, which is projected to shrink by 2030. Aging white baby boomers, many in specialized or management roles, are beginning to retire. Mexican immigration, which has helped fill needs in farming, home health care and other low-wage U.S. jobs, has leveled off. "Immigration is one way to boost the number of workers in the population," he said, but the next wave of needed immigrants is likely to come from somewhere other than Mexico. "We are not going to see a return to the levels of Mexican unauthorized immigration of a decade ago." The immigration shift may have an impact on the future racial and ethnic makeup of the U.S., pushing back official government estimates as to when whites will no longer be a majority in the country. The Census Bureau originally reported in 2008 that white children would become a minority in 2023 and the overall white population would follow in 2042. But the agency has since suggested the tipping points may arrive later, due to a slowdown in mostly Hispanic immigration. New census projections will be released next week. It all depends "on the availability of jobs as well as changes in federal and state immigration policies," said Mark Mather, associate vice president of the Population Reference Bureau. The immigration numbers are largely based on the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey through March 2011. Because the Census Bureau does not ask people about their immigration status, Passel derived estimates on illegal immigrants largely by subtracting the estimated legal immigrant population from the total foreign-born population. The numbers are also supplemented with material from Mather and William H. Frey of the Brookings Institution, who reviewed data released Thursday from the Census' American Community Survey. The data showed that 11.1 million, or 28 percent, of the foreign-born population in the U.S. consists of illegal immigrants, virtually unchanged since 2009 and roughly equal to the level of 2005. An additional 12.2 million foreign-born people, 31 percent, are legal permanent residents with green cards. And 15.1 million, or 37 percent, are naturalized U.S. citizens. Fewer Mexican workers are entering the U.S., while many of those immigrants already here are opting to return to their homeland, resulting in zero net migration from Mexico. In 2007, legal and illegal immigrants made up equally large shares of the foreign-born population, at 31 percent, due to ballooning numbers of new unauthorized migrants seeking U.S. construction and related jobs during the mid-2000s housing boom. Naturalized U.S. citizens then represented 35 percent. Broken down by geography and race, roughly half of all states last year posted declines or no change in their numbers of foreign-born Hispanics, including big immigrant states such as California and New York as well as economically hard hit areas in Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina, which previously had seen gains. Foreign-born Asians were a bigger source of population gain than Hispanic immigrants in California, New York, Virginia, Illinois and New Jersey. Newly moving into suburban communities, the Asian population spread out more across the southeastern U.S. and Texas, increasing their share in 93 percent of the nation's metropolitan areas. As a whole, foreign-born residents are slowly graying, with 44 percent now age 45 or older. They are more likely than in 2007 to be enrolled in college or graduate school (39 percent, up from 32 percent) and to be single (17 percent married, down from 22 percent). Births to immigrant mothers also are on the decline, driving the overall U.S. birth rate last year to the lowest in records dating back to 1920. "At least temporarily, the face of immigration to the U.S. is changing in terms of cultural background, education and skills," Frey said. "The fertility bump provided by past Hispanic immigrants may not be replicated in the future, especially if Asians take over a greater share of U.S. immigrants." House Republicans, seeking to show they are serious about addressing the immigration issue after being largely rejected by Hispanics in the election, voted last week to make green cards accessible to foreign students graduating with advanced science and math degrees from U.S. universities. The measure, strongly backed by the high-tech industry and touted as a boost to the U.S. economy, would have a net effect of extending more visas and eventual citizenship to students from India and China. It is opposed by most Democrats, the Obama administration and immigrant rights groups such as the Asian American Justice Center which want to see it packaged with broader legislation that extends legal status for illegal immigrants. These groups also oppose the proposed new 55,000 visas for foreign students because they would be offset by eliminating a lottery program that provides green cards to people with lower rates of immigration, mainly those from Africa. Senate Democrats on Wednesday blocked Republicans from bringing up the bill. A bill introduced by Sens. Jon Kyl of Arizona and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, who are retiring at the end of this session, seeks to offer some legal status to young immigrants. Critics say it falls short because it does not provide a path to citizenship, an issue that Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., describes as "non-negotiable." About 77 percent of Hispanic voters in the November election said they thought people working in the U.S. illegally should be offered a chance to apply for legal status, according to exit polling conducted for the television networks and The Associated Press. That is compared with 71 percent of Asian-Americans and 65 percent of voters overall. The political implications are great. Hispanics and Asian-Americans are the nation's two fastest-growing population groups, each increasing by more than 40 percent since 2000. A higher birth rate and years of steadily high immigration have boosted Hispanics to 17 percent of the U.S. population, compared with blacks at 12 percent and 5 percent for Asians. Even if the nation's estimated 11 million illegal residents do not attain citizenship, the nation's Hispanics, who made up roughly 10 percent of voters in November, are expected to nearly double their share of eligible voters by 2030. Asian-Americans, who now are 3 percent of voters, will also continue to increase. About 73 percent of Asian-Americans voted for Obama, second only to African-Americans at 93 percent and slightly higher than Latinos at 71 percent, according to exit polling. Asian-Americans don't strongly identify with either party, but they tend to cite jobs, education and health care as issues most important to them and generally prefer a big government that provides more services. Relatively new to the U.S. and religiously diverse, Asian-Americans also may have been repelled by Republican Mitt Romney's forceful stance during the primaries seeking "self-deportation" of immigrants as well as the GOP's sometimes narrow appeal to evangelical Christians, said Karthick Ramakrishnan, a political science professor at the University of California-Riverside who helps conduct a broad National Asian American Survey. While Mexicans make up about 55 percent of illegal immigrants and other Latin Americans represent another 25 percent, Asians make up a 10 percent share, many of whom overstay temporary visas. ___ AP Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report. ------------------------------------------------------- Pelosi Rips House GOP for Breaking By John Parkinson | ABC OTUS News – 4 hrs ago Enlarge Photo ABC OTUS News - Pelosi Rips House GOP for Breaking (ABC News) House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi today ripped House Republicans for scheduling a five-day break amid the " fiscal cliff" debate, asking why the chamber is not in session "trying to build confidence" and "find common ground" with only 26 days left until a mix of steep tax hikes and spending cuts take effect. "Here we are, Thursday in December. The talk around here is what's going on at the negotiating table. Is anything going on at the negotiating table?" Pelosi, D-Calif., wondered at her weekly news conference. "I can't even explain to my constituents why Congress isn't in session now trying to at least build bridges of understanding and representing." The GOP-controlled House concluded legislative business Wednesday afternoon after a light floor schedule this week. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor cancelled one day of legislative business previously scheduled for today, and also cut next Friday from the calendar. Cantor, however, announced Wednesday that he has added an unspecified number of days to the legislative calendar the week of Dec. 17. "I'm really surprised that the Republicans would leave," Pelosi said. "With all that needs to be done, [are House Republicans] avoiding the conversation? Sounds like people don't want to be in town for some reason." At least one top House Republican, however, stayed at the Capitol: House Speaker John Boehner. President Obama and Boehner spoke on the phone Wednesday afternoon, but no details were released about the conversation. An aide to the speaker said that "the lines of communication are open" today. Pelosi, who said she remains in close contact with the president, has repeatedly described a Republican counter-proposal this week as "an assault" on the middle class, seniors and the country's future. She also criticized the proposal for failing to detail how Republicans would specifically achieve savings if they refused to raise tax rates on the wealthiest taxpayers. "Why are we not here getting information?" Pelosi said. "What are we talking about here? What are we talking about when we say restructure entitlements? What does restructure mean? Destroy? Wither on the vine? Voucherize? Or does it mean let's work together to make these stronger and improve benefits for the beneficiaries?" But with a stalemate on tax rates, even negotiations between White House and congressional staffs seem to have ground to a halt. "It's hard to explain to anyone why there's even a mystery in the conversation that we shouldn't be having the upper 2 percent of our population paying its fair share," she said. "How do you start by saying we want to know what you're going to do to seniors before we will do what we know we have to do, which is make the wealthy pay their fair share?" Pelosi also doubted whether the GOP proposal, which called for $600 billion in health-care savings through changes such as increasing the eligibility age for Medicare, would create adequate savings. "Show me the money. I don't even know why that is something that people think is going to produce money. What are we going to do with people between 65 and 67?" she said. "It's not even the right thing to do, first and foremost, but is it a trophy that the Republicans want … to raise the rates for the wealthiest people in our country?" Lawmakers return to the House for legislative business Tuesday, three weeks before the "fiscal cliff" kicks in. The Senate is in session today.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Secretary-General's Message Everyone has the right to be heard and to shape the decisions that affect their community.  This right is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and fully integrated in international law, especially in article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Over the past century, we have made undeniable progress along the path of inclusion. Yet far too many groups and individuals face far too many obstacles.  Women have the right to vote almost everywhere, but remain hugely under-represented in parliaments and peace processes, in senior government posts and corporate boardrooms, and in other decision-making positions.  Indigenous people frequently face discrimination that denies them the opportunity to make full use of their guaranteed rights or fails to take account of their circumstances.  Religious and ethnic minorities – as well as people with disabilities or those with a different sexual orientation or political opinion – are often hampered from taking part in key institutions and processes.  Institutions and public discourse need to represent societies in all their diversity. More generally, in several parts of the world, we have seen alarming threats to hard-won gains in democratic governance.  In some countries, civil society groups face growing pressures and restrictions. Legislation has been introduced specifically targeting civil society organizations and making it almost impossible for them to operate.  Champions of democracy have encountered new confrontational measures.  We should all be troubled by such backsliding.  Even in societies with a good track record, there is room for improvement.  No country has succeeded in ensuring that all its inhabitants are able to participate fully in public affairs, including the right to be elected to public office and to have equal access to public services. Enacting new rights or removing unjust laws is not always sufficient.  Too often, discrimination persists in practice, creating barriers and mindsets that can be hard to overcome. Vibrant civil society groups are among the keys to the well-being and functioning of any nation, and the United Nations deplores measures taken to suppress them.  That is why, on this Human Right Day, the United Nations is highlighting the right to participate and the associated rights that make it possible – freedom of expression and opinion, and peaceful assembly and association. International law is clear:  No matter who you are, or where you live, your voice counts.  On this Day, let us unite to defend your right to make it heard. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Human Rights Day, 10 December Human Rights Day presents an opportunity, every year, to celebrate human rights, highlight a specific issue, and advocate for the full enjoyment of all human rights by everyone everywhere. This year, the spotlight is on the rights of all people — women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, the poor and marginalized — to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making. These human rights — the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, to peaceful assembly and association, and to take part in government (articles 19, 20 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) have been at the centre of the historic changes in the Arab world over the past two years, in which millions have taken to the streets to demand change. In other parts of the world, the “99%” made their voices heard through the global Occupy movement protesting economic, political and social inequality. Make your voice count! Share your thoughts about the right to participate in public life and political decision-making, using #VoiceCount. Take part in a series of four Goolge+ Hangouts between 22 November and 10 December to engage with senior UN officials and leading experts on the rights of minorities, persons with disabilities, the impact of business on human rights, and beyond. And, starting on 1 December, send us your questions using #AskRights. Selected questions will be answered by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, at a Human Rights Day Google+ Hangout. PREAMBLE Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people, Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law, Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations, Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge, Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.   ^ Top Article 1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. ^ Top Article 2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty. ^ Top Article 3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. ^ Top Article 4. No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. ^ Top Article 5. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. ^ Top Article 6. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. ^ Top Article 7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination. ^ Top Article 8. Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law. ^ Top Article 9. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. ^ Top Article 10. Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him. ^ Top Article 11. (1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence. (2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed. ^ Top Article 12. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks. ^ Top Article 13. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country. ^ Top Article 14. (1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. (2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. ^ Top Article 15. (1) Everyone has the right to a nationality. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality. ^ Top Article 16. (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State. ^ Top Article 17. (1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property. ^ Top Article 18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. ^ Top Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. ^ Top Article 20. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association. ^ Top Article 21. (1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country. (3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures. ^ Top Article 22. Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality. ^ Top Article 23. (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests. ^ Top Article 24. Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay. ^ Top Article 25. (1) 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, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection. ^ Top Article 26. (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children. ^ Top Article 27. (1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. (2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author. ^ Top Article 28. Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized. ^ Top Article 29. (1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. (2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. (3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. ^ Top Article 30. Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.   H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV,

Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Ban welcomes outcome of UN climate change talks in Doha Climate change is a growing cause of displacement in Africa, where some areas have been devastated by drought. Photo: UNHCR/B. Bannon 7 Print 8 December 2012 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday welcomed the outcome of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Doha, saying it paves the way to a comprehensive, legally binding agreement by 2015. The two-week meeting of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, wrapped up today in the Qatari capital, with delegates reportedly agreeing to extend the Protocol, whose first commitment period expires at the end of this year, until 2020. Under the Protocol, 37 States – consisting of highly industrialized countries and countries undergoing the process of transition to a market economy – have legally binding emission limitation and reduction commitments. “Doha successfully concluded the previous round of climate negotiations, paving the way to a comprehensive, legally binding agreement by 2015,” said a statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson. “The Secretary-General believes that far more needs to be done and he calls on governments, along with businesses, civil society and citizens, to accelerate action on the ground so that the global temperature rise can be limited to 2 degrees Celsius,” it added. Recent UN-led reports have pointed to the urgency of keeping global average temperatures from rising beyond an internationally agreed level of 2 degrees Celsius, beyond which climate change would have serious impacts. Earlier this week, Mr. Ban had expressed his hope for five key “deliverables” by governments in Doha, beginning with the adoption of a ratifiable second commitment period of the Protocol. He also expected progress on long-term climate finance, and ensuring that the institutions set up during previous conferences in Cancun and Durban to support mitigation and adaptation by developing countries – including the Green Climate Fund and the Climate Technology Centre and Network – are fully equipped and effective. In addition, the Secretary-General expected governments to demonstrate, with no ambiguity, that negotiations on a global and legally binding instrument remain on track, and to show how they intend to act on the gap between mitigation pledges and what is required to achieve the 2 degrees target. Today's statement said that Mr. Ban will increase his personal involvement in efforts “to raise ambition, scale-up climate financing, and engage world leaders as we now move towards the global agreement in 2015.” 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 ==============================================================\ UN environment agency launches initiative  to help Africa adapt to impacts of climate change UNEP launches new initiative to support climate change adaptation in Africa and enhance sustainable livelihoods and food security. Photo: UNEP 3 Print 6 December 2012 – The United Nations today launched a new initiative to support communities across Africa in adapting to the impacts of climate change which, if left unaddressed, could have major consequences for lives and livelihoods on the continent. The information portal known as the Africa Adaptation Knowledge Network (AAKNet), launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), will serve as a hub for knowledge, research, successful initiatives and collaborative partnerships on climate change adaptation. “It builds on ongoing efforts around the continent to mobilize existing knowledge and provide robust solutions to the major impact of climate change on lives and livelihoods in Africa,” the UN agency stated in a news release. Disasters such as severe droughts in the Sahel in 2012 and the Horn of Africa in 2011, noted UNEP, have brought into sharp focus the serious impacts on water, land, soil and other resources linked to climate change on the continent, and the need to build resilience to such pressures. Global warming is expected to pose serious challenges to sustainable development, particularly as most African economies depend on climate-sensitive sectors such as water, agriculture, fisheries, energy and tourism. “Yet the region lacks the capacity and resources needed to face the challenges of climate change – a problem that could have major economic consequences,” stated UNEP. The AAKNet aims to support climate change adaptation in Africa by providing services such as aggregating knowledge in addressing pertinent climatic risks and sharing information across regions and countries, and providing tailored support to countries in developing strategic planning processes for climate change adaptation. It also seeks to build partnerships with governments, research bodies, non-governmental organizations and others, with the aim of supporting climate change response. To reach those directly affected by climate change, the AAKNet initiative will also conduct workshops with community organizations, farmers, and other groups, to share knowledge and practical advice. The initiative comes as countries continue their negotiations at the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar, hoping to reach agreements on issues such as the way forward on climate finance, a response to the widening emissions gap, and an extension of the Kyoto Protocol. Under the 1997 Protocol, whose first commitment period expires at the end of 2012, 37 States – consisting of highly industrialized countries and countries undergoing the process of transition to a market economy – have legally binding emission limitation and reduction commitments. Today at the conference, which brings together the 195 Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the parent treaty of the Kyoto Protocol, participants underlined their commitment to a range of priority actions, reviewed progress and pledged to re-double efforts to reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). Six new countries – Chile, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Maldives, the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea – today joined an international effort aimed at fast action on reducing black carbon, methane, some hydrofluorocarbons and other SLCPs. This brings to almost 50 the number of partners in the Climate and Clean Air Coalition – a voluntary initiative aimed at maximizing the health, agricultural and climate benefits of swift action on SLCPs. Fast action on black carbon and methane have the potential to slow a global temperature rise by up to 0.5 degrees Celsius by 2050, reduce air pollution-related deaths by as much as 2.4 million and crop losses by around 30 million tonnes annually, UNEP said in a news release. Scientific assessments indicate that the near-term benefits in places like the Arctic and on glaciers in mountain regions could be even higher, it added. The Coalition, which was launched initially by six founding countries and UNEP in February this year, is already acting on several fronts. Among other actions, it is supporting an initial group of 10 major cities, including Rio de Janeiro, Lagos, Stockholm, Accra and New York, to accelerate methane reductions from landfills and black carbon or ‘soot’ from burning wastes. ############################################################### $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ UN disaster response study highlights challenges  faced by cash-strapped African towns UN disaster response study highlights challenges faced by cash-strapped African towns Moshi, Tanzania. Photo: Stig Nygaard 3 Print 5 December 2012 – Lacking both early-warning systems and risk-reduction budgets, medium-sized towns in Africa are poorly equipped to respond to emergencies provoked by natural disasters, rural-urban migration and ecosystem destruction, a United Nations report released today says. Most local government staffers have no direct access to computers, while information management systems are non-existent, according to the report, titled “City Resilience in Africa: A Ten Essentials Pilot,” and published by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). The office unveiled the 64-page report in Dakar, Senegal, at the Africities Summit, where almost 5,000 delegates representing African governments and their development partners from around the world are examining the impact of urbanization, among other settlement issues. “The report finds there is recognition of the value of disaster-risk reduction and the need to build resilience, but the means, knowledge and political commitment to do it are lacking,” the Director of UNISDR’s “Making Cities Resilient” Campaign, Helen Molina-Valdes, said in her address before the summit. “Indigenous local knowledge is valuable, but it’s not enough on its own, especially given the challenge of climate change across Africa,” she added in reference to the way the phenomenon of global warming is said by many scientists to be causing a rising number of extreme weather events. Ms. Molina-Valdes said the report’s findings – while based on assessments of three East African towns – were typical of the challenges faced by mid-sized centres throughout the continent. The study looked at the Kenyan towns of Narok (pop. 60,000) and Kisumu (pop. 200,000), and the Tanzanian town of Moshi (pop. 150,000). The agency said they were selected because they had signed up to its urban-resilience campaign, which assessed them against the campaign’s “Ten Essentials” for achieving resilience. “These three towns are not unique,” Ms. Molina-Valdes said. “Many cities and towns throughout Africa are struggling to meet basic urban infrastructural needs such as clean water, waste management disposal and drainage systems.” She added that disaster risk reduction was “not integrated into urban planning in many local governments.” Of the pilot towns, Narok suffers rampant poverty despite being a tourist town in Kenya’s Rift Valley; Kisumu is a major trade hub on the shores of Lake Victoria; and Moshi sits at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro near Tanzania’s border with Kenya, where it is susceptible to floods and drought, UNISDR said. Indeed, floods and drought comprise the most common hazards faced by all three, according to UNISDR. “The three local governments are not well equipped to respond to disaster events; interventions and support are limited and uncoordinated,” it said. “They are limited by funds, capacity, infrastructure and slow administrative links with regional and national authorities.” UNISDR’s Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa, Abdou Sane, highlighted at the summit the need to mobilize political leadership. “This remains a problem,” he said. “Strategic planning is rare at the city level, where the most vulnerable people are gathering in informal settlements, and where valuable economic assets are increasingly exposed to disaster risk.” Mr. Sane said the report should be seen as a wake-up call for national governments to focus on how to help urban centres effectively respond to emergencies. “This report is a very good reminder that, when we meet in these forums, we must focus on action and what works well,” he said. “Local government leaders are on the frontline of building resilience against climate change and extreme weather events, and must be given the resources by national governments to meet the challenges.” The summit, the sixth such event since the first in 1998, opened Tuesday, and will end Saturday.

H. E. Prof.  KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Wed, 10/17/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com>

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Wed, 10/17/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com>

Subject: The UPF Roundtable: The Tragedy and Hope for Syria. Sept 26, 2012. To: menf...@yahoogroups.com, cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com Date: Wednesday, October 17, 2012, 3:30 PM

Roundtable in DC: The Tragedy and Hope for Syria

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Thu, 10/4/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com>

Subject: UN and Informal Justice Systems./// Charting A course for Human rights-based Engagement To: menf...@yahoogroups.com, cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, October 4, 2012, 3:15 PM

Informal justice systems must be integrated into  development programmes – UN study  26 September 2012 – Informal justice systems to resolve disputes must be integrated into broader development initiatives to guarantee the protection of human rights, since they are preferred by a large number of people in various developing countries, according to a United Nations study released today.  The report, Informal Justice Systems: Charting a Course for Human Rights-Based Engagement, argues that informal justice systems in countries such as Bangladesh, Ecuador and Malawi, among many others, “may be more accessible than formal mechanisms and may have the potential to provide quick, relatively inexpensive and culturally relevant remedies.”  Women, children and minorities in particular benefit from the impact of these systems, the report says, providing a source of empowerment for vulnerable populations.  “Informal or customary justice systems are a reality of justice in most of the countries where UNDP works to improve lives and livelihoods and government capacities to serve,” said Assistant Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Olav Kjorven.   “The evidence in this report illustrates the direct bearing such systems can have on women and children’s legal empowerment, covering issues from customary marriage and divorce to custody, inheritance, and property rights.”  The report – commissioned by UNDP, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and produced by the Danish Institute for Human Rights – is the most comprehensive UN study on this area of justice to date, UNDP said in a news release. The report draws its conclusions based on research carried out in 18 developing countries.   “There has been little research or literature on children and informal justice systems to date, and this study is important in beginning to document the issues around children’s engagement with informal justice systems,” said UNICEF Assistant Director Susan Bissell. “Reconciling the procedures followed by informal justice systems with children’s rights, and ensuring that international standards about children and justice are implemented, is a challenge that the report clearly documents.”  Both formal justice systems – government-supported laws, police, courts, and prisons – and informal or traditional systems can violate human rights, reinforce discrimination, and neglect principles of procedural fairness.   “The efficacy of working with informal justice systems requires that it be complemented by engagement with the formal justice system and with development programming that addresses the broader social, cultural, political, and economic context of informal justice systems,” the report says. Surveys in Somalia, it notes, found up to 80 per cent of the population preferred arbitration by clan leaders to engagement with the formal justice system.  The report points out that formal and informal justice mechanisms need to learn from and cooperate with one another to widen access to justice and protection of human rights to all citizens. Broader development initiatives in education and health may also help change the way informal systems are structured and help create an environment where human rights can be respected.  “The crucial value in this report lies in its emphasis on what can be achieved in terms of improving access to justice and human rights through informal systems,” Mr. Kjorven said.   “Changes should be evaluated over the long term, but training adjudicators, increasing the number of women in decisions-making posts, empowering paralegals and women’s groups to monitor and engage with customary leaders – all these efforts will continually improve individual and communal experiences of justice.”

H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Thu, 10/4/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

The foundations of Human Rights is grounded on the principle of Inclusion and mutual co-existence. Common Sharing of Leadership and Followership is the Core of Democracy of all for all; common bond of heart is the root of governance and peace.  No Man, no woman is God over another human being!  No man and no woman is Satan over another human being.  No nation or Tribe, or Church or Society is sustained by brutal dictatorships!   No human is born to rule and lead others for a lifetime in the era after the eternalization of the Messiah.  No Leader or Slave is bound by the unprincipled actions and untenable system of diabolic human elements!  Mankind must now match on across (brotherhood and sisterhood = democracy of heaven) and end the era of Satanic Communism and its remnant dictatorship across the globe. The UN is not a crucible for the benefit of a few or at the mercy of manipulative contributors. The UN and the value of "One Family Under God" -- not under Satan, not under "Supreme Beings" is the Motion and Mantra of the True UN.  The Cabal or the Monetary Coiner and Indebtor of mankind will from this Day on See the hand of God and the Spiritual World right here on Earth more and more! This world and its Systems and People and Materials is for God and All first and foremost. Change or Die.  The time has come.  The time of Judgement is here! Long live UN Human Rights Day!!! Long Live Mandela-Value Consciousness!! Long Live Economic and Social Justice/Religious and Political Freedom!!! Long Live the United Nations. Long Live and Eternal Is the Freedom of God and Humans!!! God Never Dies; Conscience and Energy of Hope never Dies!!! ---  Ambassador Nelson Kum Bame Bame For God and Mankind  - in the era After the Returned Christ. On Human Rights Day, UN officials highlight how every voice counts Credit: DPI Graphic Design Unit 40 Print 10 December 2012 – United Nations officials today marked Human Rights Day by declaring that everyone has the right to be heard and to shape the decisions that affect their lives and communities. “International law is clear: No matter who you are, or where you live, your voice counts,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for the Day, observed annually on 10 December. “On this Day, let us unite to defend your right to make it heard.” This year’s theme for the Day, which is being observed through numerous events around the world, is ‘Inclusion and the Right to Participate in Public Life.’

International law is clear: No matter who you are, or where you live, your voice counts. On this Day, let us unite to defend your right to make it heard.

The General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on 10 December 1948 – and the date has since served to mark Human Rights Day worldwide. The UDHR sets out a broad range of fundamental human rights and freedoms to which all men and women, everywhere in the world, are entitled, without any distinction. In his message, Mr. Ban noted that there has been “undeniable” progress over the past century along the path of inclusion. However, far too many groups and individuals face obstacles, including women, indigenous peoples, religious and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities or those with a different sexual orientation or political opinion. “These are not just nice ideas,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, stated in her remarks to a Human Rights Day event in Geneva, referring to this year’s theme. “Millions of people have gone on to the streets over the past few years, some demanding civil and political rights, others demanding economic, social and cultural rights,” she said. “This groundswell is not simply a question of people demanding freedom to say what they think. “They have been asking for much more than that. They have been asking for their right to participate fully in the important decisions and policies affecting their daily lives. That means not only the democratic processes, but also the key economic decisions that can have such a huge impact on individuals, families, and even entire groups and nations.” In a separate statement for the Day, Ms. Pillay saluted all those who have suffered so much seeking what is rightfully theirs, saying that “we have a voice, we have our rights and we want to participate in the way our societies and economies are run.” The voices of too many women and girls, in particular, continue to be stifled through discrimination, threats and violence, the Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), Michelle Bachelet, said in her message for the Day. “This is holding back progress for women and for all members of society,” she stated. “Women’s participation is fundamental for sustainable development, peace and democracy. It is time to remove the barriers to women’s full and equal participation in the economy, in politics and in all aspects of public life.” Commenting on the Day, the UN peacekeeping chief noted how human rights are “at the heart” of the work carried out by the world body’s ‘blue helmets.’ “Human rights teams are integrated into our large peacekeeping missions – they are focussed on protecting and promoting human rights in countries emerging from conflict and histories of large scale abuses,” said the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous. “Just as importantly, they help build national capacities and institutions so that the people of these countries can work to protect and promote human rights for the long term,” he added. The human rights components of UN peacekeeping missions work in close cooperation and coordination with other civilian and uniformed components of peace operations, particularly in relation to the protection of civilians, addressing conflict-related sexual violence and violations against children, strengthening respect for human rights and the rule of law through legal and judicial reform, security sector reform and prison system reform. As part of today’s celebration, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is holding a high-level event at its Paris headquarters in support of girls’ education, with a special tribute to Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old girl who was shot by the Taliban in October for her efforts to defend the education of girls in her native Pakistan. ‘Stand up for Malala – Girls’ education is a right’ aims to accelerate political action to ensure every girl’s right to go to school, and to advance girls’ education as an urgent priority. Speakers include UNESCO’s Director-General, Irina Bokova, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown. “Whenever and wherever a young girl is forbidden from going to school, it’s an attack against all girls, against the right to learn, the right to live life to the full; and it is unacceptable,” Ms. Bokova stated last month in support for Malala, who is recovering in a hospital in the United Kingdom. UNESCO and the Government of Pakistan launched the Malala Fund for Girls’ Education at the event, with President Zardari announcing that his country would donate the first $10 million. In addition, participants adopted a Statement of Commitment to Girls’ Rights to Education, promising “to actively strive to make every effort to end all forms of violence against girls and to eliminate the obstacles that prevent them from attending school.” Observances for Human Rights Day also include a special event at UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday on the role of leadership in the fight against homophobia, which is organized by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and a number of permanent missions to the UN as well as international human rights organizations. News Tracker: past stories on this issue UN honours Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu for his contribution to human rights Related Stories UN Human Rights Council: new President will help promote human rights equitably UN officials condemn assassination of women’s affairs worker in Afghanistan UN refugee agency and NGO appeal to United States to do more to end statelessness UN officials urge support for integrated strategy to tackle crisis in Africa’s Sahel region More videos » In-depth Interviews Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson Ian Martin, Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya Press Releases Briefings International Community Must Unite to Uphold Principles of Protection, Dignity, Humanity, Secretary-General Tells Human Rights Day Event Despite Undeniable Progress, Far Too Many Obstacles Remain along Path of Inclusion, Secretary-General Says in Message for Human Rights Day On International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, Secretary-General Urges All Stakeholders to Challenge ‘Most Pervasive Human Rights Violation’ Secretary-General All Statements Selected Speeches Off-the-cuff Remarks Official Travels Spokesperson's Office Latest Statements Briefing Highlights Briefing Transcripts Press Conferences Notes to Correspondents Tools and Services Top Stories Archive UN Daily News UN System Links Peacekeeping Political Missions Stories the World Should Hear More About UN Publications Maps Databases UN Works News Magazines Social Media RSS Twitter Facebook Flickr Subscribe Contact UN News Centre Copyright | Terms of Use | Privacy Notice | Site Index | Fraud Alert | Help  =============================================================== Appel à la déclaration des biens de Paul Biya - Représailles: La voiture de Jean Marc Bikoko vandalisée à Yaoundé YAOUNDE - 10 DEC. 2012 © Lucien EMBOM | Cameroon-Info.Net  7 Réactions  Le leader de la plateforme des Organisations Non Gouvernementale appelée Dynamique Citoyenne, après sa conférence de presse donnée dimanche 09 décembre 2012, s’est réveillé dans la panique ce matin.  E-Mail  Imprimer  Réagir Bikoko - Voiture cassee Photo: © L.E./Cameroon-Info.Net Le leader de la plateforme des Organisations Non Gouvernementale appelée Dynamique Citoyenne, après sa conférence de presse donnée dimanche 09 décembre 2012, s’est réveillé dans la panique ce matin.  La voiture tout terrain de marque Toyota appartenant à l’ONG a été attaquée dans la nuit par des inconnus. Les assaillants munis de bidons d’essence ont voulu mettre le feu après avoir brisé les vitres vers 19 heures, mais le gardien de nuit alerté n’a pas permis aux pyromanes de boucler leur diabolique opération.  Saisis de panique devant la détermination de l’agent de sécurité, les malfaiteurs ont pris la poudre d’escampette abandonnant leur matériel de guerre au bureau de Bikoko sis à Emombo.  Cet assaut fait suite aux déclarations du responsable, tenus sur la fortune du président de la République du Cameroun. Jean Marc Bikoko a demandé ouvertement à Paul Biya de déclarer ses biens. Cette attitude n’a pas plu à certains proches du pouvoir qui, d’après des témoignages, veulent se positionner sur le plan politique.  Après les raids que Franck Emmanuel Biya vient d’essuyer par rapport à une affaire de milliards, la famille présidentielle traverse une zone de turbulences. Des médias se sont constitués en commando pour briser le moral aux Biya, qui ne demandent pas mieux que vivre dans la tranquillité. Paul Biya a toujours fait l’objet d’attaques personnelles qui visent davantage à ternir son image à l’intérieur comme à l’extérieur du Cameroun.  Le dirigeant de Dynamique Citoyenne affirme que la lutte va s’accentuer autour des valeurs républicaines. Dans une de ses prestigieuses interventions, le chef de l’Etat camerounais a prêché la République exemplaire. Des voix s’élèvent actuellement pour dire que l’exemple devrait venir de lui.  Bikoko a toujours été au centre de la controverse. On se souvient que quand il enseignait à Mbalmayo au collège Noa, les dirigeants de l’établissement lui avaient balancé une volée de bois vert parce que les élèves, émerveillés par ses enseignements, l’ont laissé prolonger le cours d’histoire et géographie. Plus tard des langues ont dit que le professeur fabriquait des révolutionnaires.  Son passage au sein de l’Union des Populations du Cameroun(UPC), a été marqué par des arrestations et des tabassages en règle. Ces traitements inhumains n’ont pas refroidi les ardeurs de ce combattant de la première heure. L’homme ne craint pas pour sa vie, nonobstant ce qui est arrivé.

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

UN chief deplores rocket launch by DPR Korea UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (file photo). UN Photo/M. Garten  Print 12 December 2012 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today deplored the rocket launch announced by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), calling it a clear violation of the Security Council’s demand that Pyongyang not conduct any launch using ballistic missile technology. The long-range Unha-3 rocket was reportedly launched from a site on DPRK’s west coast just before 10:00 a.m. local time. According to media reports, it soared over Okinawa, Japan, dropping debris into the sea off the Korean Peninsula, the East China Sea and waters near the Philippines. The launch was “all the more regrettable because it defies the unified and strong call from the international community,” said a statement issued by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson. “It is a clear violation of Security Council resolution 1874 (2009), in which the Council demanded that the DPRK not conduct any launch using ballistic missile technology.” That resolution imposed additional sanctions on DPRK after previous demands that the country not conduct any further nuclear or missile tests went unheeded. The 15-member Council is scheduled to meet this morning to discuss the latest developments. “The Secretary-General has been urging the leadership in Pyongyang not to carry out such a launch and instead to build confidence with its neighbours while taking steps to improve the lives of its people,” said the statement, adding that he is concerned about the negative consequences that this “provocative” act may have on peace and stability in the region. Mr. Ban is in close touch with the governments concerned. “He takes this opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to working for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula,” the statement added. H. E Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV,

Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Sun, 12/9/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com>

Subject: Human Rights Day, 10 December: H.E. Ban Ki-Moon's Message.

To: cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com Cc: menf...@yahoogroups.com

Date: Sunday, December 9, 2012, 10:36 AM

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Building Friendships and Service  before Profits Worldwide and across all families, tribes, nations and races by Corporations, Governments, and Civilians and Central Bankers is the Core Pathway to building a Human Trust-Fund for sustainable and cross-generational inter-racial, inter-spiritual/cultural and inter-economic Peace and Development for all --- and this will be a  New Civilization and Culture that transcends the barriers of all exclusivisms and pillars of Wars without end.  Service Before Profits and Peace Corps before military presence is the channel of Long term Cosmic intra-planetary preservation.   The consciousness of the Most Powerful Men and Women who stir wars and divisions comes to greater and Extra-ordinary Excellence and Achievement only via this concept/practice of Politics, Capitalism, Civilism, Communism, Socialism and Religion/philosophy/Economy.  Give more than you receive from top down and liberate God and mankind -- only then will Peace live amongst families/people/races/blocks and People live among people in Love and Peace of Original Destiny!!!

-- Ambassador Nelson Kum Bame Bame

Building Friendship through Service in Kavre, Nepal By UPF - Nepal    Sunday, December 09, 2012 Kavre, Nepal - “Building Friendship through Service” was the theme of the Religious Youth Service project at the Metta Center orphanage and monastery in Banepa in the Kavre District of Nepal December 2-9. This project attracted 47 participants from Russia, Egypt, Spain, Pakistan, and Bangladesh as well as Nepal. Activities included community-based service, education in values, leadership training, interfaith visits and dialogues, and cross-cultural learning experiences. Participants helped spread the message of love, humanitarian concern, and peace through service. Community-based service:  Participants helped renovate the orphanage and built a wall at the nearby Buddhist monastery, a key spiritual, social, and educational center for the people of Banepa and the nearby capital, Kathmandu. Values education and leadership training:  This was a strong part of the project, and different religious experts, educators, scholars, and development practitioners delivered high-quality sessions on building peace, creating strong relationship among religious groups, messages and concepts of different religions regarding peace, leadership, and strategic solutions for issues facing Nepal. Interfaith visits and dialogues: This was the most interesting part of the project, in which all participants visited different religious holy places, including a Buddhist monastery, Hindu temples, a mosque, and a church. During these visits various religious leaders shared about the history of religion in Nepal, peacebuilding strategies among the religious groups in Nepal, creating harmony, and promoting the message of love and humanitarian concern in the world. Cross-cultural learning experiences: Since participants came from different religions, languages, and cultures in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Eurasia, everyone was interested to know about the various languages, traditions, faiths, cultures, and religions. It was noteworthy that all participants respected each other and tried to adopt positive attitudes. In the closing ceremony, more than 100 people were invited from all walks of life, including politicians, government officials, lawyers, religious leaders, development workers, and educators. Most Ven. Ashwaghosha Maha Thero chaired the session and praised the idea of building friendship through service; he emphasized talking less and working more. In this ceremony representatives from the various countries presented a multicultural program. Participants from Russia, Egypt, Spain, Pakistan, and Bangladesh offered songs in their language; in addition, the Pakistanis presented their national anthem and a cultural dance. Hon. Ek Nath Dhakal, Minister of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation of the Government of Nepal, congratulated Mr. Piya Ratna Maharjan, director of RYS-Nepal, for arranging such a wonderful event in Nepal. He said in the history of Nepal this was the largest international service project. He also thanked participants for coming from different countries. Furthermore, he promised ongoing support for the orphanage.

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Thu, 11/29/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> Subject: This Month, UPF Honors H.E. Al-Nasser for Leadership and Good Governance. To: cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com Cc: menf...@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, November 29, 2012, 12:31 PM

http://www.upf.org/upf-news/142-americas/4806-he-mr-al-nasser-receives-leadership-and-good-governance-award- H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser Receives Leadership and Good Governance Award             By Genie Kagawa, UPF Office of UN Relations      Thursday, November 15, 2012

New York, USA - Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser received UPF's prestigious Leadership and Good Governance Award at a special Award Ceremony held at the Millennium Hotel near the United Nations on November 15. On behalf of the UPF founders, the Award was presented by UPF's President, Dr. Thomas G. Walsh, and Secretary General, Mr. Taj Hamad.

H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser served as the President of the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and now serves as the High Representative Designate of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. UPF presented this award to H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser in honor of his service as President of the 66th Session of the UN General Assembly at a time of great upheaval and turmoil in the world. That session shaped a time in history that will remain in people's minds for decades to come. It was a time of extremes, in climate as well as in social issues, such as extreme poverty, the severe financial crisis, and eruption of deep conflicts such as the ongoing violence in Syria. At the same time, the extraordinary phenomena of the Arab Spring inspired people to stand tall in their quest for freedom and dignity, justice, and peace.

It was in this environment that President Al-Nasser worked to develop a new paradigm for addressing conflicts by promoting dialogue among civilizations as a complementary approach to existing channels of conflict prevention, mediation, and peaceful resolution. He was able to forge closer ties with the NGO community by convening a “town hall” meeting with NGO representatives and engaging them as indispensable partners in building bridges of trust and cooperation that are necessary if the United Nations is to achieve its goal of bringing peace to the world. In addition, President Al-Nasser organized an innovative celebration of World Interfaith Harmony Week to affirm the value of religion and interreligious dialogue and cooperation in peacebuilding. In this context, he encouraged faith leaders to assist in strengthening the pillars of his presidency: mediation of conflict, disaster prevention and response, sustainable development, and revitalization of the United Nations. He encouraged political consensus in the General Assembly for strengthening the governance of financial institutions in order to address the global financial crisis. He supported the work of UN Women in empowering women to address violence against women throughout the world. In his Congratulatory Remarks, H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremic, President of the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly, supported UPF’s choice this year for the award with enthusiasm, saying that: “H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser has left a deep mark on the work of the United Nations General Assembly. A person in this position needs to reach out and understand people of different religions or of different sides of the aisle. It has been a time of great turbulence. In his future role at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, he will play in important role in a difficult time with a big task on his plate.” H.E. Mr. Gyan Chandra Achayra, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Least Developed, Landlocked Developing, and Small Island States, in his remarks, stated that H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser “provided leadership in a critical time with great distinction and in adherence to the principles of the United Nations. He fully understood the nexus between peace and security and was equally aware of the issues of sustainable development; he organized programs and made valuable statements prior to Rio+20. We are looking for global understanding and global stability, and it is fitting that he is taking that role through his promotion of understanding and solidarity around the world.” Dr. Hanifa Mezoui, Permanent Representative of the International Association of the Economic and Social Councils to the UN and ECOSOC, affirmed that H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser spread humanistic and moral values in his work through his emphasis on tolerance, compassion, and respect for all humanity. Noting his work ethic and insights into crucial issues, she paid tribute to his good nature, humility, enthusiasm for new ideas, and approaches aimed at improving people’s lives. In his acceptance speech, H.E. Al-Nasser mentioned: “It was the overriding goal throughout my term as President of the General Assembly to apply these very principles of sound leadership and good governance to the challenges and issues facing the United Nations and its Member States." True to the English translations of the Arabic names of H.E. Mr. Al-Nasser and his wife Muna, UPF representatives wished him the fulfillment of his dreams and desires and a life as prosperous as an “overflowing spring.” The Leadership and Good Governance Award is UPF’s most distinguished award. UPF views good leadership and governance as essential to the task of building a lasting world of peace for all people. Honorees are carefully selected from people who have demonstrated exemplary capacity as visionary and competent leaders in various fields, manifesting both external excellence and internal excellence and upholding universal moral and spiritual values. The event was attended by Permanent Representatives of Member States, the UN Secretariat staff, representatives of the NGO community, and leaders in business and the media.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

I worked with Kathy Rigney since 1997 and highly commended her sacrifices in all forms toward global building in Social and Economic Development spheres across the Globe.  She was overdue not just for commendation but for one of the most Publicly attributed compensations necessary for Global Persons who most conscientiously endure the stakes in Human and Economic Development beyond boundaries!

-- Ambassador Nelson Kum Bame Bame

UPF-Africa Leaders Kathy Rigney and Paterne Zinsou Awarded Honorary Doctorates By UPF - Benin    Friday, November 30, 2012 Cotonou, Benin - Katherine Rigney, Regional Chair of UPF-Africa, and Paterne Zinsou, Sub Regional Director of West Africa 1, received honorary doctorates from the New Covenant International University and Theological Seminary of Florida in the United States at a convocation at the Riviera Hotel in Cotonou on November 30. Dr. Katherine Rigney, who was sent by Rev. Sun Myung Moon to West Africa in 1975 and has devoted most of her life since then to Africa, was unable to attend and was represented by Dr. Mabel Osei. Dr. Paterne S. L. Zinsou is Sub-Regional Director of UPF's West Africa 1 Region, which includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Togo, and Chad. The doctorate degrees in honor of their work for a culture of peace, universal values, character education, and service to humanity were presented by Professor Edwin Korley, vice-president of the International Institute of Theology, representing the university. The ceremony was held in partnership with the government Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Minister in Charge of Relations with Institutions. The Benin government was represented by the Deputy Vice Minister, Dr. Yebeni Kouagou, of the Ministry of Higher Education. The Minister was attending a funeral and sent his congratulations through his representative. Former ministers, former parliamentarians, university professors, and academic deans from many private and national universities were present in support of the event, along with several high officials and Ambassadors for Peace. The convocation leader was Dr. Kenneth Balogoun, a dean of a private university in Benin. The ceremony began with a procession of awardees followed by university officials, with the audience standing. The Supreme Evangelist Henock Foundohou of the Christian Celestial Church, Dr. Balogoun, offered an opening prayer. The Opening Remarks were given by Professor Kogblevi Aziadome, former Minister of the Environment and Habitat, writer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of UPF-Benin. His speech was translated into French by Mr. Serge Gueli, former Secretary General of UPF-Benin. Then Professor Korley stated that Mrs. Katherine Rigney and Mr. Paterne Zinsou had fulfilled the criteria of the university of honorary doctorates and announced: “By the authority vested in me as the Representative of the President of our University and in the name of the Council and Senate, I confer on Katherine Rigney the Honorary Doctorate of Missions and on Paterne Zinsou the Honorary Doctorate of Ministry." Professor Korley stated that the university recognizes and places value on "God-fearing men and women of integrity who have affected and are still affecting, effecting, and positively influencing their generations in their various fields of calling and endeavor" by honoring their selfless and dedicated service to both the church and humanity. He invited Dr. Kouagou to present the certificates, while he shook their hands. Brief speeches were given by Professor Mensah, Dean of the University of Technical Science, and Dr. Kouagou. They congratulated the awardees, especially Dr. Rigney for her missionary life in Africa. Dr. Zinsou was invited to give a response. On behalf of Dr. Rigney, he thanked the New Covenant International University and Theological Seminary and promised to invest more of his time, his life, and his heart to serve God’s providence together with Dr. Rigney and others who are working for the sake of humanity. He promised to promote character education in society and the school curriculum. In his closing remarks, Professor Aziadome noted the need to celebrate people of probity and integrity during their life and uplift the value of integrity as the fundamental virtue of leadership. The Secretary General of UPF-Benin, Mr. Nestor Atindehou, and the Secretary General of UPF-Togo, Mr. Kagny Dieudonne, were present, along with Unification Church leaders of Benin, Andre Degbevi and his wife, and Togo, Rev. Kokou Henyon. Among the many Unification leaders and members were the head of the Women's Federation for World Peace in Benin, Mrs. Adele Dada, and former Vice President of the Unification Church in Burkina Faso, Rev. Harouna Nonguierma.   More Sharing ServicesShare | Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on digg Share on stumbleupon Share on google

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

UN praises Africa for leading way with landmark treaty protecting internally displaced people Internally displaced Somalis at a feeding centre in Dobley, Lower Juba region. Photo: UNHCR/A. Needham 2  Print 6 December 2012 – The United Nations refugee chief today saluted the “historic” entry into force of an Africa-wide treaty – the world’s first – that protects people displaced within their own countries by violence, natural disasters or large-scale development projects. “Around the world, the number of people forced into displacement within their own countries is growing,” said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres. “The Kampala Convention puts Africa in a leading position when it comes to having a legal framework for protecting and helping the internally displaced,” he added, using the shorthand name for the instrument, which was adopted by the African Union (AU) in the Ugandan capital in 2009. By its terms, the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, as the instrument is formally called, is entering into force exactly one month after the ratification by the 15th State, which was Swaziland. Whereas international conventions exist on behalf of people termed refugees after they have been driven across international borders, there had been no binding protections for internally displaced persons (IDPs). The treaty is “historic, and not just for Africa,” added Mr. Guterres in a news release from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Equal praise for the measure came today from the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of IDPs, Chaloka Beyani, who said the Convention serves as an “international model” for other regions to follow. “Today, Africa has achieved a milestone and demonstrated its leadership in addressing one of the most pressing humanitarian issues in the world,” Mr. Beyani said in a news release from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). “I believe that the significance of the Kampala Convention goes beyond Africa.” While the Convention is applicable and binding only in Africa, IDPs vastly outnumber refugees in the continent – Africa accounts for 10 million of the 26 million people worldwide who were driven from their homes by conflict or human rights-related violence in 2011, while floods and other natural disasters created “at least a further half million,” Mr. Beyani said. “While precise figures are not yet available, the continent is also impacted by displacement related to slow onset natural disasters, such as desertification and more frequent droughts, associated with the effects of climate change,” he added. According to UNHCR, the agency provides assistance to almost seven million IDPs in Africa – more than any other continent. The largest internally displaced populations are in Somalia, with 1.36 million IDPs, Sudan with 2.4 million IDPs, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it is estimated that there are more than two million IDPs. Under the Convention, States have “specific obligations to allocate resources, adopt national policies and strategies, and enact or amend national laws to ensure that displacement is prevented, and that IDPs are protected and supported until they reach a sustainable solution to their displacement,” Mr. Beyani noted. “If implemented well,” he continued, “it can help States and the African Union address both current and potential future internal displacement related not only to conflict, but also natural disasters and other effects of climate change, development, and even mega trends, such as population growth and rapid urbanization.” To date, 37 African countries have signed the instrument. The Special Rapporteur said it was vital that the international and donor communities now support African states and civil society in raising awareness and building the capacities to implement the Convention. He also urged any State that has yet sign or ratify the Convention, to do so, saying it “embodies principles of good governance, respect for human rights and preparedness so necessary to prevent and address the human crisis related to situations of internal displacement.” Independent experts, or special rapporteurs, are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back, in an unpaid capacity, on specific human rights themes. H. E.Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV,

Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Mon, 12/3/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> Subject: UN: Secretary-General warns of ‘digital divide’ in Internet age. To: cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com

Date: Monday, December 3, 2012, 3:54 PM

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

The Way I see it, the First World War and Second World Wars began as a result of fight for land/resources and over ideology for global dominance.  The averted Third World War (Nuclear Holocaust) was a test of men's brains across tribes and races.  Yet, the 4th World War or Third Major direct Global Confrontations will begin as a result of "Human Rights" violations.  From the quest of land for Supreme Beings, to the quest for Preservation of "Super Brains" or better still "Super-race", the divinity of human flesh and soul now comes into play, especially when the "Human Rights" of Super Individuals are violated in the era of growth and leveling of the pyramids of the globe.  The individual is the Core of the family, the Society, the Civilization, the Nation, the Race, the Block and the Cosmos, as well as the Spiritual and Physical Worlds. The Age of Greater Turbulence and transformations is here!    It is preventable; yet paradoxically inevitable, that all of mankind will pay a final price in the age after the coming of the Messiah before upholding the "Universal Rights of the Individual" usurped by Clubs, Nations, Colors, Ideologies and Corporations.   The speedy rise in the consciousness of mankind collectively is the only hedge that will prevent such holocaust that has now been unveiled and implanted by laws across nations.  Only metamorphic adjustment in governance and quantum democratization coupled with revolutionary transformations in the Respect/upholding of human rights by the last Dictatorships of the world will avert such a Global Conflict in Arms/Materials and life/death on Earth. And now, mankind must rise quickly as "One Family Under God" or perish as competitors on fronts of merchandize/currency differentials with unequal rights to life, business and existence.  May the wisdom of the  Ages hold us all, whilst the common sense of love bind blood and color, tongue-and-tongue, club-and-club, material-and-spirit, slave-and-master, righteous-and-unrighteous of all, for the sake of Peace On Earth. --- Ambassador Nelson Kum Bame Bame Obama signs trade, human rights bill that angers Moscow By Doug Palmer | Reuters – 2 hrs 10 mins ago Email Share Enlarge Photo Reuters/Reuters - U.S. President Barack Obama (seated) signs into law H.R. 6156, the Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal and Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, in the Oval Office of the White House …more   Article: Russia sharply criticizes U.S. human rights bill 6 hrs ago WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday signed a bill that brings U.S. trade relations with Russia into the 21st century but also ushers in a testy era in which the United States could publicly "name and shame" Russian human rights violators. The measure, which Congress passed by an overwhelming margin, allows Obama to establish "permanent normal trade relations" - or PNTR - with Russia by lifting a Cold War-era restriction on trade. It also directs Obama to bar Russian human rights violators from entering the United States and freeze any assets they have in U.S. banks. The provision is named in honor of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian anti-corruption lawyer many U.S. lawmakers believe was beaten to death in a Russian jail in 2009. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called the congressional approval of the bill "a purely political and unfriendly act." "I don't get why they would sacrifice U.S.-Russia relations in order to get some political dividends at home," Putin said. Moscow kept up the fiery rhetoric on Friday in a Foreign Ministry statement after Obama's signing. It called the law "shortsighted and dangerous" and an "overt interference into our internal affairs." The statement put most of the blame for the Magnitsky measure on U.S. lawmakers, but said it regretted Obama could not "overcome those ... who see our country not as a partner but as an enemy." U.S.-Russia relations have already been strained over the conflict in Syria and the treatment of critics of the Kremlin since Putin returned to the presidency in May. Russia last week banned imports of U.S. pork and beef containing ractopamine, a widely used feed additive the United Nation's food agency in July said "had no impact on human health" if residues stay within recommended levels. "Being a WTO member means Russia's import standards have to be based on sound science, but their plan to block U.S. beef and pork is anything but sound," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said, referring to the World Trade Organization, which Russia joined in August. He urged Moscow to reverse the move. The Magnitsky law directs Obama to publish the names of Russians deemed to be human rights violators, but allows him to keep some names classified if he decides that it is in the U.S. national security interest. Congress is due to receive the first list in 120 days and Obama must explain in advance any names he decides to keep secret. RUSSIAN LAWMAKERS RECIPROCATE The new law will be "of great benefit to both us and to the Russians," U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said. "We continue to call on Russia to investigate, prosecute and punish those responsible for the crimes committed against Mr. Magnitsky," he said. But Russia considers the Magnitsky provision an insult. On Friday the lower chamber of its parliament gave preliminary approval to a measure barring Americans who violate the rights of Russians from entering the country. It targets Americans involved in "unfounded or unjust" sentences against Russians - a nod to Viktor Bout, a Russian arms trader serving a 25-year prison term in the United States after what Moscow says was a politically motivated prosecution and an unfair trial. The Russian bill, expected to be signed by Putin before the end of the year, also targets Americans accused of abusing Russian-born adopted children and U.S. judges or authorities deemed to have been too lenient in such cases. Pro-Kremlin lawmakers have proposed the bill be named after Dima Yakovlev, a Russian-born boy who died at the age of 18 months after his adoptive U.S. family left him locked in a vehicle in Virginia in 2008. "It stretches the imagination to see an equal or reciprocal situation here," Ventrell said. "The issue of adoption is one that we've worked very hard with the Russians, it is something we've looked at carefully. But we just reject any attempt at trying to make a reciprocal comparison." Business groups pushed Congress for months to approve PNTR, which was needed to ensure U.S. companies get all the market-opening benefits of Russia's entry into the WTO. Without it, U.S. companies such as Caterpillar, Ford, JPMorgan Chase and others feared they would be at a disadvantage to competitors in other countries that already have full WTO relations with Russia. It was also needed to allow the United States to use the WTO dispute-settlement system to challenge any Russian actions it says unfairly restrict U.S. imports, although the two sides still need to formally establish full WTO relations in Geneva first. (Additional reporting by Andrew Quinn in Washington and Steve Gutterman and Alissa de Carbonnel in Moscow; Editing by Xavier Briand and Mohammad Zargham) H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV,

Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

A Commitment to Peace and Responsible Leadership in Indonesia By UPF - Indonesia    Saturday, December 08, 2012 Jakarta, Indonesia - In collaboration with the House of Regional Representatives and the Maya Bhakti Pertiwi Foundation, UPF organized an International Leadership Conference on the theme of Innovative Approaches to Peace, Leadership and Good Governance on December 8. The program held in the beautiful Auditorium of the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Jakarta was attended by over 300 leaders from all walks of life including government, politics, diplomatic corps, academia, civil society, women, youth, and business. More than 12 countries, including six foreign missions to Indonesia, were represented.

Through this conference, UPF seeks to support the Indonesian government in exploring innovative approaches towards building a peaceful and just society. By strengthening and upholding the Indonesian state philosophy of Pancasila* and the Four Pillars of the Nation, all Indonesian citizens will be able to live together in harmony irrespective of race, religion, ethnicity, etc. Recognizing the urgent need for leaders of integrity, Hon. Irman Gusman, Chairman of the House of Regional Representatives, readily agreed to co-host and inaugurate the seminar. Hon. Irman Gusman stated in his Welcome Message, “UPF’s wisdom in endorsing the state ideology of Pancasila and the Four Pillars of Nationhood demonstrates its vision for a strong and stable Indonesia, which I certainly appreciate very highly.” To encourage and support the Chairman in his efforts for peace, justice, and development of this nation and around the world, UPF-Indonesia presented him with an Ambassador for Peace appointment and is looking forward to further cooperation with the House of Regional Representatives as proposed by Hon. Gusman in his address. Leaders of international and national stature sent their messages of good wishes to the Conference. Rev. Hyung Jin Moon, chairman of UPF International, wrote, “UPF International understands the importance of Indonesia as a nation dedicated to peace, moderation, and human development for its entire people.” He continued: “True leadership has its foundation not only in external knowledge and practical experience, but also in moral and spiritual wisdom. The same is true for good governance. If we are to achieve lasting peace, we need men and women who embody the highest standards of excellence and apply these standards in their areas of responsibility.” Drs. H.A. Muhaimin Iskandar, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration, called the conference theme on Innovative Approaches to Peace, Leadership and Good Governance “very timely and relevant to the current situation of our country, not only in the field of manpower and industrial relations, but also in a broader field, namely political and interfaith issues.” The former First Lady of Indonesia, Dra. Sinta Nuriyah Abdurrahman Wahid, expressed her hope that the conference would produce policies that can overcome the challenges to leadership, peace and morality that Indonesians are facing today and achieve their dream of a just and prosperous nation. In his congratulatory remarks, Ir. H. Joko Widodo, the newly elected and popular Governor of Jakarta, said, “In this global era we need integrated leaders with their commitment in order for us to be able to deal with a number of problems a nation is facing.” Dr. Maya Rumantir Hutasoit, Founder/President of Maya Bhakti Pertiwi Foundation and Co-host of the event, warmly welcomed all participants and delighted the audience with songs for peace in the nation and the world, accompanied by a troupe of dancers whose traditional costumes showcased the great cultural diversity of this nation. On behalf of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Mr. Machasin explained the Ministry’s mission to serve all religious communities in Indonesia, which besides enhancing the religious life also includes the promotion of good governance and protection from misuse of religion as a tool of injustice. Dr. Taj Hamad, Secretary General of UPF International, touched the hearts of all present with his humorous greetings citing many paradoxes of the modern world. Dr. Chung Sik Yong, Chairman of UPF-Asia, helped the audience to understand the UPF Founder’s vision for peace and good leadership which is based on the desire to "live for the sake of others" like a parent who lives for the happiness of his children. The Vice Chairman of UPF-Indonesia's Advisory Board Dr. Payaman Simanjuntak moderated the Sessions II and III dealing with issues of “National Character Building Based on Pancasila and Universal Values” and “The Role of Interreligious Cooperation in Peacebuilding.” The speakers of these two sessions were of extraordinary caliber confirming the pluralistic nature of this country and the need to protect and further respect and cooperation among the followers of various religions and faith traditions even within the same religion. The deliberations invoked lively interaction with the audience. The conference ended with the inauguration of the Indonesian chapter of the Global Women’s Peace Network. In her presentation, Mrs. Genie Kagawa, Deputy Director of UPF's Office for UN Relations, laid out what the UN does for the empowerment of women throughout the world and how this new network can support the UN efforts. Mrs. Yenny Wahid, Director of the Wahid Institute and many other organizations, including a political party, spoke on the crucial role women can play in peace as well as nation-building. Keeping in line with the interreligious nature of the conference, representatives from all religions joined Dr. Maya Rumantir on stage to close the day with a prayer in their own tradition. Many participants later commented that this was the best conference they ever attended and are eagerly waiting for the next UPF event. *Note: Pancasila is the philosophical foundation of the Indonesian state: Belief in the one and only God, a just and civilized humanity, the unity of Indonesia, democracy guided by the inner wisdom in the unanimity arising out of deliberations amongst representatives, and social justice for all of the people of Indonesia.

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Wed, 12/12/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com>

Subject: Building of A World of Peace through Service and Giving First -- not bombing and Killing First!!

To: cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com Cc: menf...@yahoogroups.com

Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 9:17 AM

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

BAMEPHECY 120:  AFTER 12/12/12 A PARADIGM SHIFT IN HUMAN RIGHTS &  INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.

The Way I see it, the First World War and Second World Wars began as a result of fight for land/resources and over ideology for global dominance.  The averted Third World War (Nuclear Holocaust) was a test of men's brains across tribes and races.  Yet, the 4th World War or Third Major direct Global Confrontations will begin as a result of "Human Rights" violations.  From the quest of land for Supreme Beings, to the quest for Preservation of "Super Brains" or better still "Super-race", the divinity of human flesh and soul now comes into play, especially when the "Human Rights" of Super Individuals are violated in the era of growth and leveling of the pyramids of the globe.  The individual is the Core of the family, the Society, the Civilization, the Nation, the Race, the Block and the Cosmos, as well as the Spiritual and Physical Worlds. The Age of Greater Turbulence and transformations is here!

The time for Sea-Change and speedy mental/spiritual re-alignment across Oceans and skies has come.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

UPF-UK Peace Council Holds Annual Meeting By UPF - UK    Saturday, December 08, 2012 London, UK - The UPF-UK Annual Peace Council meeting on December 8 was a full day of the ideals and the activities of the Universal Peace Federation worldwide. There were the ideals and values as expressed by European UPF Chairman Dr. Yong Cheon Song and UK UPF-Chairman Jack Corley. The activities of local, national, European and other continents featured during the day. Mark Brann, UPF-Europe Secretary General, summarized developments worldwide especially reporting on the development of the European Leadership Conference series and the North Korean Medical Project. The Ambassador of Nepal, H.E. Dr. Suresh Chalise, was appointed Ambassador for Peace for his work in the Nepal peace process. He addressed the audience, describing meeting Father Moon and visiting South Korea for a UPF conference and his involvement as the adviser to a former Prime Minister. He has been an Ambassador to both the US and now the UK for the last three years. Robin Marsh and Margaret Ali reported on the 2012 activities of UK-UPF including several of the European Leadership Conferences. Christa Kamga spoke about the Youth Interfaith Council and the North Korean refugees book fair. She was followed by the remainder of the Youth UPF team, who made a group presentation about their projects. Neil O'Neil, Keldon Alleyne, Asuka Ohagi, Shabnam Khan and Adam Nazar explained the character education, 'evening with' (interviews with an inspiring person) and human rights education. There were reports and a speech regarding Libya's development. Mr Ahmed Shebani, the Founder of the Democratic Party of Libya, spoke of his vision for Libya. He perceives the opportunity for a prosperous, fair, just, and religiously tolerant and inclusive nation. He answered questions that revealed more of the contemporary situation of Libya and its relationship with its neighbors. He was followed by Amira El-Houderi, who has been involved in project called 'Destoori' to raise awareness on the local level in Libya of the democratic process of forming a constitution. She later was appointed Ambassador for Peace for her effort. One participant, Satish Desai, shared that the day was 'an event to remember. Participation by young members was great! The presentations by people from Libya were especially interesting. As a Hindu-Indian from the UK, I am truly happy that, by the grace of Allah and with the blessings of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), the Libyans have come out of their ordeal as free and democratic people. I cannot resist the temptation and wonder whether the old Italian influence is regenerating among new Libyans, which appeared through the presentations!' Building on the European Leadership Conference in the European Parliament earlier in the week, Charlotte Simon spoke of her experience of returning to the Democratic Republic of Congo when there was an invasion from Rwanda. She spoke of the suffering of women in eastern DR Congo, who have experienced mass rapes in the lawless, war-torn area. She spoke of the conflict minerals that are included in many of the laptops and mobile phones that are commonly used. Ambassador for Peace certificates were presented to Imam Mohammed Arif Hansrot, Amira El-Houderi, Harun Asif, Belinda Atim, Farah Jabeen, and Iyoud Daoudh. Farah Jabeen shared that it had been a great day full of activism, idealism, and an enthusiastic desire to make the world a better place. For photos click here. Note: In 2012, UPF-UK supported a series of international conferences: Moscow, Russia, on Peace and Security in the Multicultural Societies UNESCO in Paris, France, on a New Vision for Peace and Human Development Pristina, Kosovo, on Principles for Peace and Security in Kosovo Tirana, Albania, on the Role of Albanians in Securing Peace in the Balkans Parliament, London, UK, on Human Rights and the Protection of the Unempowered and Dispossessed UN in Geneva, Switzerland, on the Contribution of Families to Peace, Human Development and Prosperity Stortinget (Parliament) in Oslo, Norway, on Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future UN in Vienna, Austria, on Europe and Russia; Partners in a Globalized World Berlin, Germany, on a Future Vision for Europe The European Economic and Social Committee and the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, on How Can Europe Do More to Advance Human Rights?

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Building Friendship through Service in Kavre, Nepal

By UPF - Nepal    Sunday, December 09, 2012

Kavre, Nepal - “Building Friendship through Service” was the theme of the Religious Youth Service project at the Metta Center orphanage and monastery in Banepa in the Kavre District of Nepal December 2-9. This project attracted 47 participants from Russia, Egypt, Spain, Pakistan, and Bangladesh as well as Nepal. Activities included community-based service, education in values, leadership training, interfaith visits and dialogues, and cross-cultural learning experiences. Participants helped spread the message of love, humanitarian concern, and peace through service.

Community-based service:  Participants helped renovate the orphanage and built a wall at the nearby Buddhist monastery, a key spiritual, social, and educational center for the people of Banepa and the nearby capital, Kathmandu. Values education and leadership training:  This was a strong part of the project, and different religious experts, educators, scholars, and development practitioners delivered high-quality sessions on building peace, creating strong relationship among religious groups, messages and concepts of different religions regarding peace, leadership, and strategic solutions for issues facing Nepal. Interfaith visits and dialogues: This was the most interesting part of the project, in which all participants visited different religious holy places, including a Buddhist monastery, Hindu temples, a mosque, and a church. During these visits various religious leaders shared about the history of religion in Nepal, peacebuilding strategies among the religious groups in Nepal, creating harmony, and promoting the message of love and humanitarian concern in the world. Cross-cultural learning experiences: Since participants came from different religions, languages, and cultures in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Eurasia, everyone was interested to know about the various languages, traditions, faiths, cultures, and religions. It was noteworthy that all participants respected each other and tried to adopt positive attitudes. In the closing ceremony, more than 100 people were invited from all walks of life, including politicians, government officials, lawyers, religious leaders, development workers, and educators. Most Ven. Ashwaghosha Maha Thero chaired the session and praised the idea of building friendship through service; he emphasized talking less and working more. In this ceremony representatives from the various countries presented a multicultural program. Participants from Russia, Egypt, Spain, Pakistan, and Bangladesh offered songs in their language; in addition, the Pakistanis presented their national anthem and a cultural dance. Hon. Ek Nath Dhakal, Minister of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation of the Government of Nepal, congratulated Mr. Piya Ratna Maharjan, director of RYS-Nepal, for arranging such a wonderful event in Nepal. He said in the history of Nepal this was the largest international service project. He also thanked participants for coming from different countries. Furthermore, he promised ongoing support for the orphanage.

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Alarmed at rising violence, Ban urges protection of civilians and end to Syria fighting A Syrian refugee family in Halba, northern Lebanon. Photo: UNHCR/F.Juez 17 December 2012 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is alarmed by the continued dramatic escalation of violence in Syria over the past several days, and the grave danger facing civilians in areas under fire, according to his spokesperson. There have been “extremely worrisome” reports earlier this week of a mass killing of civilians in the village of Aqrab near Hama, as well as alleged firing of long-range missiles in some areas of the country, said a statement issued on Sunday night by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson. Continued bombing raids by fixed-wing military aircrafts and attack helicopters on populated areas have been amply documented, it added. There were also reports on Sunday of aerial bombing amid intense violence resulting in many casualties among Palestinian refugees in the Yarmouk camp in the capital, Damascus. “The Secretary-General firmly condemns this escalation of armed violence, in particular the shelling of population centres and attacks against civilians. He calls on all sides to cease all forms of violence,” said the statement. “The Secretary-General reminds all parties in Syria that they must abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians,” it added. “Targeting civilians or carrying out military operations in populated areas, in an indiscriminate or disproportionate fashion that harms civilians is a war crime.” At least 20,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed there since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 21 months ago. In addition, more than 2.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to UN estimates. According to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) – which is the main provider of education, health, social and other basic services to five million registered Palestinian refugees across the region – there are some 500,000 Palestinian refugees in Syria. UNRWA said it is following up on the reports of the casualties at the Yarmouk camp. “Thus far, a significant number of Palestine refugees, as well as Syrians, have been killed, injured and compelled to leave. The killings in Yarmouk today send a clear and unfortunate signal that calls by UNRWA and others on all parties to spare civilians and to respect the neutrality of Palestine refugees are going unheeded,” the Agency said in a statement. UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, Filippo Grandi, has appealed to the Syrian authorities, and all parties to the conflict, to safeguard the security of Palestinian refugees wherever they reside in Syria. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than half a million Syrian refugees have now been registered or are awaiting registration in four neighbouring countries – Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey – and North Africa. The refugee agency said the numbers are currently climbing by more than 3,000 per day, and the total number of refugees could increase to 700,000 by the end of the year. Over the weekend, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, and European Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva appealed to all parties in the conflict to respect international humanitarian law, to provide unhindered access to humanitarian aid and to ensure the safe passage of civilians fleeing the fighting. “Millions of Syrians are affected by this conflict and hundreds of thousands are uprooted and on the move in search of safety,” Mr. Guterres said during a joint visit to Lebanon to view refugee projects. “Getting help to them is difficult and dangerous. And those seeking protection in neighbouring countries are often in extreme danger right up to the borders. The safety of the civilian population is of paramount importance,” he stressed. Meanwhile, the Security Council is scheduled to hear a briefing on Syria from the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, in a closed-door session later today. H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV,

Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

In year-end news conference, Ban flags UN’s challenges and successes in ‘tumultuous’ 2012 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon holds end of year press conference. UN Photo/Mark Garten 19 December 2012 – “The gains of 2012 position us for further advances in the years ahead. We have seized some opportunities, but failed on many others. Too much of our progress is lost to conflict or remains fragile for want of investment and commitment. There is too little emphasis on prevention, people and global citizenship. Far too often, short-term thinking trumps long-term vision.” These were among the observations made today by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the start of his end-of-year news conference, during which he highlighted progress and challenges encountered by the world body and international community throughout the past 12 months. “A tumultuous year is coming to a close. 2012 saw tension from Syria to the Sahel, and from Eastern Congo to the Korean Peninsula,” he told journalists at UN Headquarters in New York. “Turmoil tested us, once again, on our founding obligation: to stop conflict and build peace.” “At the same time, the United Nations helped to lay foundations for progress on the top challenge of the 21st century: sustainable development,” he added. On the issue of Syria – where at least 20,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 21 months ago – Mr. Ban expressed his deep concern over the increasing militarization of the conflict and the potential for atrocities being committed along sectarian lines. The conflict in the Middle Eastern country has displaced more than 500,000 people, with many of those seeking refuge in neighbouring countries – the number is expected to grow as fighting continues and as winter takes a hold in the region. In addition, according to UN estimates, there are an estimated four million people inside Syria who need urgent humanitarian assistance, including an estimated two million internally displaced persons (IDPs). “Neighbouring countries face a huge financial burden in sheltering and caring for them… I call on the international community to respond generously and urgently to the humanitarian appeal launched today in Geneva,” he said, referring to the launch of a $1.5 billion appeal by the UN and its humanitarian partners to assist civilians affected by the conflict over the next six months, including those inside the country as well as those taking refuge beyond its borders. The UN chief noted that he is considering convening an international donor conference, in close coordination with key partners, early next year. He also urged the international community to unite firmly behind the Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, who has been engaged in mediation efforts to find a “peaceful, political solution that brings democratic change while preserving the fabric of Syrian society and the peaceful coexistence of its communities.” Turning to the Africa’s Sahel region, which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, the Secretary-General noted that some 20 million people across nine countries are in crisis, “their lives upended by a volatile mix of drought, hunger, poor governance, drug trafficking, terrorism and extremism.” He made particular mention of the situation in Mali, which he described as “urgent.” The West African nation has been dealing with a range of security, political and humanitarian problems since the start of the year. Fighting between Government forces and Tuareg rebels broke out in the country’s north in January, following which radical Islamists seized control of the area. The renewed clashes in the north, as well as the proliferation of armed groups in the region, drought and political instability in the wake of a military coup d’état in March have also uprooted hundreds of thousands of civilians. Just last week, the Secretary-General and the Security Council called for an end to military interference in politics there, following the arrest of a Prime Minister by members of the country’s armed forces, which subsequently led to his resignation and the dismissal of the Government. “We must do all we can to help Malians restore their democracy, recover their territory, address the humanitarian crisis and end the shocking human rights violations,” he said. “Dialogue and negotiations should be pursued seriously even as military options are carefully prepared.” The UN chief welcomed the appointment of a new Prime Minister, Django Sissoko – succeeding Cheick Modibo Diarra – as an opportunity to bring new momentum to Mali’s political process. The Secretary-General noted that the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains the scene of instability, including sexual violence committed by combatants on all sides. The region has been beset with renewed violence involving armed groups – notably the 23 March Movement (M23) – which in turn has led to greater humanitarian pressures in a region already experiencing dire humanitarian problems. “The time has come for the international community to rethink its approach to the DRC and the Great Lakes region – the underlying causes of the conflict in the region must be addressed in a comprehensive manner,” he said. Referring to a recent “provocative” rocket launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Secretary-General observed that the act had raised regional concerns and defied the international community – and that he looks forward to the outcome of Security Council consultations on an appropriate response. He added, “In Northeast Asia, at a time when many countries are undergoing leadership transitions, I hope high priority will be given by the new leaders to building a more prosperous future based on stability and the peaceful resolution of disputes.” Mr. Ban said the recent killings of health workers in Pakistan were cruel, senseless and inexcusable acts, which he condemned in the strongest terms, in addition to calling on all concerned to do their utmost to create a secure environment to provide life-saving health services to Pakistan’s children. The Middle East peace process, the Secretary-General stated, is in a “deep freeze,” with the two sides – Israelis and Palestinians – seemingly more polarized than ever, and a two-State solution farther away than at any time since the Oslo process on the matter began in 1993. “I am deeply concerned by heightened settlement activity in the West Bank, in particular around Jerusalem. This gravely threatens efforts to establish a viable Palestinian state,” Mr. Ban said. “I call on Israel to refrain from continuing on this dangerous path, which will undermine the prospects a resumption of dialogue and a peaceful future for Palestinians and Israelis alike – let us get the peace process back on track before it is too late.” The Secretary-General made note of the political transitions taking hold in Libya, Myanmar, Somalia and Yemen, as well as the successful holding of elections in Sierra Leone last month and the impending end of the UN peacekeeping mandate in Timor-Leste at the close of 2012. He described the closure of the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) as a measure of the south-east Asian nation’s progress on the path from fragility to stability. In that vein, he noted that Egypt’s own political transition is at another critical moment – the North African nation has experienced violent clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsi, as the country considers a new constitution in the wake of the fall from power of former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. “I have spoken with President Morsi in recent days and expressed my hope that the transition will be able to move forward in a peaceful, consensual manner,” Mr. Ban said. “My hope is for compromise on all sides so that Egypt can focus on its pressing socio-economic needs and build a ‘pyramid of democracy’ in the heart of the Arab world,” he added. “This is an Egyptian led process. It will take time. It is crucial for Egyptians to resolve their differences through dialogue and build a new Egypt that respects and protects the rights of all.” Referring to these international concerns as a whole, the Secretary-General said that the United Nations has mobilized to face these and many other tests, stating that “all our tools are at work: from peacekeeping and good offices to human rights monitoring, humanitarian relief and development assistance.” Turning to broader international themes, the UN chief said that the global economy continues to leave too many people behind, with continuing weak economic growth meaning that it will take a long time to ease the global jobs crisis. “Our response must protect – and invest in – the world’s poorest people and nations,” he stated. Mr. Ban said that over 2012, the United Nations also took major steps to advance economic and social progress and to build solid foundations for long-term peace. He cited the adoption by UN Member States in September of a landmark declaration on the rule of law and the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) as examples of this. Held in Brazil in June, Rio+20 saw world leaders acknowledge the importance of an inclusive, transparent, strengthened and effective multilateral system to better address the urgent global challenges of sustainable development. One of its main outcomes was the agreement by member States to launch a process to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals, which will build upon the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – set in 2000 for achievement by 2015 or earlier – and converge with the post-2015 development agenda. “We aim to build on the progress we have made towards the Millennium Development Goals – and press harder as the deadline approaches,” Mr. Ban said. On the issue of climate change, the Secretary-General said the recent UN Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar, had provided what is needed to keep the international community on track for a comprehensive, legally binding agreement on the issue by 2015. “That is what governments have pledged to do, and it is what they must achieve,” he said. “As a spur to what we know will be very difficult negotiations, I intend to bring world leaders together in 2014.”

The two-week meeting of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, wrapped up today in the Qatari capital, with delegates reportedly agreeing to extend the Protocol, whose first commitment period expires at the end of this year, until 2020. Under the Protocol, 37 States – consisting of highly industrialized countries and countries undergoing the process of transition to a market economy – have legally binding emission limitation and reduction commitments.

Mr. Ban said he would have more to say about his forward-looking agenda in the New Year.

News Tracker: past stories on this issue

UN needed more than ever after ‘remarkable and extraordinary year’ – Ban Related Stories Security Council urges implementation of UN strategy against Lord’s Resistance Army Responding to human rights report, UN official calls on Iraq to end executions Security Council extends UN peacekeeping force in Golan Heights UN chief congratulates Park Geun-hye on election as new president of Republic of Korea Listen to related stories and interviews from UN Radio Secretary-General's end-of-year press conference - 19 Dec. '12

More videos » In-depth Interviews Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women

Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström Vuk Jeremić, President of the General Assembly Press Releases Briefings Secretary-General Appoints Replacements for Outgoing Members of Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters Press Conference by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at United Nations Headquarters Secretary-General Congratulates Republic of Korea’s President-Elect on Poll Win

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Address to the 66th General Assembly: "We the Peoples" by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, General Assembly, 21 September 2011 Mr. President, Distinguished Heads of State and Government, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, Late next month, a child will be born ... the 7 billionth citizen of our planet Earth. Let us assume this child is a girl. Most likely she will be poor. She may or may not grow up to be healthy and strong. If she is especially lucky, she will be educated and go out into the world, full of hopes and dreams. Beyond that, we know only one thing with certainty: she will enter a world of vast and unpredictable change ... environmental, economic, geopolitical, technological, demographic. The world's population has tripled since the United Nations was created. And our numbers keep growing.  So do the pressures on land, energy, food and water. The global economic crisis continues to shake businesses, governments and families around the world. Joblessness is rising. Social inequalities grow wider. Too many people live in fear. Excellencies, The UN exists to serve those in whose name it was conceived ... “WE THE PEOPLES.” During the past five years as UN Secretary-General, I have traveled the world to meet people where they live, to hear their hopes and fears. Two weeks ago I visited Kiribati and the Solomon Islands. Villagers told me of their fear of climate change. Rising seas are washing into their homes. One day, they might be swept away entirely. A young girl named Tamauri mustered her courage to speak. “What will become of us," she asked. "What can the United Nations do for us ... " Today, I pose her question to all of you ... distinguished Heads of State and Government and leaders of the world. What can we do ... How can we help our people find greater peace, prosperity and justice in a world of crises ...? Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, As I reflect on my time in office during the last five years, I am full of passionate conviction ... unshakable faith in the enduring importance of this noble United Nations. Today, I would like to share with you my perspective on the way ahead. As I see it, we have five imperatives ... five generational opportunities to shape the world of tomorrow by the decisions we make today. The first and greatest of these is sustainable development ... the imperative of the 21st century. Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth ... these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women's empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all. Rio+20 must succeed. We must make progress on climate change. We cannot burn our way to the future. We cannot pretend the danger does not exist ... or dismiss it because it affects someone else. Today, I call on you to reach a binding climate change agreement ... an agreement with more ambitious national and global emissions targets. And we need action on the ground, now ... on cutting emissions and on adaptation. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Energy is key ... to our planet, to our way of life. That is why we have launched a pioneering new initiative, Sustainable Energy for All. We must invest in people ... particularly in education and women's and children's health. Development is not sustainable unless it is equitable and serves all people. We must intensify our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and more. Today, I urge you to think even bigger and beyond the 2015 deadline. Let us develop a new generation of sustainable development goals to pick up where the MDGs leave off. Let us agree on the means to achieve them. Excellencies, A second great opportunity: prevention. This year, the UN peacekeeping budget will total $8 billion. Consider the savings if we act before conflicts erupt ... by deploying political mediation missions, for example, rather than troops. We know how to do this. Our record proves it ... in Guinea, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan. To prevent violations of human rights, we must work for the rule of law and stand against impunity. We have carved out a new dimension for the Responsibility to Protect. We will continue. To prevent runaway damage from natural disasters, we must work for better disaster-risk reduction and preparedness. And let us remember: development is ultimately the best prevention. Today, I ask your support. Let us commit the resources required. Let us raise “prevention” from an abstract concept to a core operating principle, across the spectrum of our work. Ladies and gentlemen, A third imperative: building a safer and more secure world ... our core responsibility as the United Nations. This year we were sorely tested. In Côte d'Ivoire, we stood firm for democracy and human rights. Working closely with our regional partners, we made a difference in the lives of millions of people. In Afghanistan and Iraq, we will carry on our missions with determination and commitment to the people of these proud nations. In Darfur, we continue to save lives and help keep peace under difficult conditions. Our success demands the cooperation and full support of the international community, the parties on the ground and the Sudanese Government. In Sudan, the parties to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement must work together to prevent conflict and settle outstanding issues. In the Middle East, we must break the stalemate. We have long agreed that Palestinians deserve a state. Israel needs security. Both want peace. We pledge our unrelenting efforts to help achieve that peace through a negotiated settlement. We must be innovative in maximizing the unique force for good that is UN peacekeeping. We are pioneering new approaches. We have strengthened our field support and reconfigured the architecture of peacekeeping operations. In places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone, we are building peace by advancing civil society, promoting the rule of law and creating institutions of honest and effective governance. Today we are capable of more rapid and effective response than ever before, and we will continue. We remain the world's first emergency responders ... in Pakistan, Haiti and beyond. It is essential that we continue to build on our most innovative and effective tool for humanitarian relief ... the Central Emergency Response Fund, or CERF. Famine in Somalia continues to spread. I appeal to you: help save the children of the Horn of Africa. As we learned in Fukushima and elsewhere, nuclear accidents do not respect national borders. We need global action. We need strong international safety standards to prevent future disasters. Let us keep pushing on disarmament and non-proliferation. Let us fulfil the dream ... a world free of nuclear weapons. Ladies and gentlemen, The fourth big opportunity: supporting nations in transition. This year's dramatic events in North Africa and the Middle East inspired us. Let us help make the Arab Spring a true season of hope for all. In Libya, we are deploying a new UN support mission to assist the Libyan authorities establish a new government and legal order, consistent with the aspirations of the Libyan people. Syria is a special concern. For six months we have seen escalating violence and repression. The Government has repeatedly pledged to undertake reforms and listen to its people. It has not done so. The moment to act is now. The violence must stop. Others also look to us. A country may be emerging from war. It may be moving from autocracy to democracy, from poverty to a new prosperity. The UN must help that country find the right path. That may involve support to restore justice or build back public services. It may mean helping to organize elections or write a constitution. Our challenge today is to cement this progress ... and apply the lessons learned. Nowhere is this challenge more clear than in our efforts to help South Sudan build a functioning state after decades of conflict. Fifth and finally: we can dramatically advance our efforts in every sphere by working with ... and working for ... women and young people. Women hold up more than half the sky and represent much of the world's unrealized potential. They are the educators. They raise the children. They hold families together and increasingly drive economies. They are natural leaders. We need their full engagement ... in government, business and civil society. And this year, for the first time, we have UN Women ... our own unique and powerful engine for dynamic change. I am especially pleased to see so many women at this year's General Assembly. I welcome, in particular, the next speaker ... Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, the first woman in UN history to open our General Debate. We can be proud of how many women leaders we have at the United Nations. We will continue our policy of promoting women at all levels of the Organization. And we will focus on the new generation. Young people are more than our future. They are also our present, both in numbers and how they drive political and social change. We must find new ways to create decent jobs and opportunities for them ... around the world. Excellencies, These are extraordinary challenges. We cannot respond in ordinary ways. We need one thing above all else ... solidarity. That begins with the obvious: without resources, we cannot deliver. Today, I ask governments that have traditionally borne the lion's share of the costs to not flag in their generosity. Budgets are tight. Yet we also know that investing through the UN is smart policy. Burden-sharing makes the load lighter. Scaling back is no answer. To the rising powers among you, whose dynamism increasingly drives the global economy ... with power comes responsibility. For all, I ask that you give what you can ... expertise, peacekeepers, helicopters. Never underestimate the power of your leadership. Again and again, I have seen how the smallest nations make some of the largest contributions to our work. Governments cannot do the job alone. To deliver for those in need, we must broaden our base and extend our reach. We must harness the full power of partnership across the Organization. Our successes against malaria show the way. We see the transformative power of partnership in our Every Woman Every Child initiative, with funding commitments of more than $40 billion ... four times the annual UN budget. When we combine the UN's unparalleled convening authority and technical resources with the various strengths of governments, the private sector and civil society, we are a formidable force for good. Ladies and Gentlemen: Finally, we must adapt to changing times. At this time of austerity, we must do more with less. We must invest the global taxpayers' money wisely, eliminate waste and avoid duplication by Delivering as One. Accountability and transparency remain our watchwords. We are accountable to the Member States. Yet we cannot become more efficient without their strong and consistent support. We need to streamline the budget process and help the UN to deliver at a cost no nation can match on its own. We must keep pushing to build a more modern and mobile workforce ... a UN that is faster and more flexible, a UN that innovates and draws on the power of social media and new technologies, a UN that helps solve real-world problems in real-time. Last but hardly least, let us do everything we can to protect our UN staff. We have lost so many lives; the UN has become too soft a target. Today, we remember with gratitude those who serve with such dedication in so many dangerous places. Excellencies, Distinguished Heads of State and Government, Here in this great hall, the shrinking islands in the vast Pacific may seem far away. Yet I hear that young girl's plea as clearly as if she were next to me. Perhaps that is because, 60 years ago, I was that child. The United Nations is the answer, as it was then. Standing here today, I hear many millions of other young boys and girls ... asking our help, looking for hope. “WE THE PEOPLES.” Seven billion now look to us ... the world's leaders. They need solutions. They demand leadership. They want us to act. To act with compassion, courage and conviction. To act in concert ... nations united at the United Nations. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen: Let us carry on this journey together. Thank you. =============================================== And it shall be written that when the Corporations that control the governments gave dead senses and sensibility to the urgent call of 2011, a part of New York State was destroyed by nature; colossal destruction that looked like the bombs of WWII they threw on Nations.  And it shall be written that as the Population clocked and clicked 7 billion, the agenda for God and Satan to come head-to-head in KKKmerica unveiled and the hands of God was visible even to pagans in the land, in its monetary and fiscal jamboree, in its political gymnastics, in its racial and ungodly underpinnings -- prompting God to begin unleashing of disasters that would only halt by the intervention of the Messiah of Second Advent who came and went to the Spirit World at this cross-roads of history; as the mass ignorant crowds waited on.  And the land of "Babylon and her instruments" will never again be the same, as the Angels put one leg on the ocean and another leg on the land for judgement. And it will be written that consciousness had dwindled to the bottom of the ocean; men had lived and fed off the flesh and brain of one another rather than the souls of one another.  A few men in a small part of the world had brought the universe into a hell on earth.  They had taken over the lands, forests, rivers, tribes and nations in the form of disguised Financial Instruments and Corporation -- And God's only tool of Salvation was to reposition the dark and Invisible Galaxies and Solar systems and Change the behavior of the Sun and Moon to intervene with the few the Messiah had prepared from all the Tribes of the Globe.  And the time is now and across.!!!

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

In Memoriam: Hon. Aloysia Inyumba, Minister for Gender and Family, Rwanda By UPF - Canada    Thursday, December 06, 2012 Toronto, Canada - Hon. Aloysia Inyumba, Minister of Gender and Family Promotion of  Rwanda, passed away in Kigali, Rwanda on December 6 at age 48 after a long illness. Hon. Inyumba was the keynote speaker at the national conference in Toronto of UPF and the Women's Federation for World Peace-Canada on June 9, 2012. Speaking on the theme "Promoting Strong Family Values - Foundation for a Peaceful Nation," she reported about the importance of socialization and education in the family as well as giving a compelling description of the special role of families in promoting a culture of peace after the Rwanda genocide of 1994. She will be remembered by her people as a woman of integrity, tenacity, and great love. Her message to Canada's women: "Be honest, be active, and be articulate," has been empowering. To read her address at the conference, click here. The Women's Federation for World Peace in Canada has had a deep interest in Rwanda for many years through raising funds to support an elementary school there and building personal connections between the women of Rwanda and Canada. A Canadian, Lieutenant-General Roméo Antonius Dallaire, had been the commander of the United Nations peacekeeping force for Rwanda in 1993 and 1994. He tried to prevent the impending genocide but he could not take effective action because of the limitations of the UN mandate for the peacekeeping force. Following the genocide, Canada contributed to an international effort to re-establish Rwanda’s social institutions and infrastructure, and in 2004 the Canadian Parliament declared April 7 as a Day of Remembrance of the victims of the Rwandan genocide. As a young graduate from Makerere University, Hon. Inyumba was active in founding the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) in 1987. She became Commissioner for Finance/Treasurer during the RPF liberation war, during which she ably raised and managed the revolutionary movement’s funds. Inyumba skillfully worked out fundraising mechanisms that enabled RPF obtain the financial power needed to topple the genocidal regime of Juvenal Habyarimana and stop the genocide that left over one million dead. Very frugal, she utilized every penny well and became an icon, one of the most loved RPF leaders, respected across the political spectrum. Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi on Twitter was full of praise: "A. Inyumba has been among pioneers in building foundations of unity and reconciliation among Rwandans after 1994 genocide," he wrote, adding in a second Tweet: "Rwanda has lost a great woman A. Inyumba with special love of the country and its people."

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

The Living God has seen the Sweat and Blood of the People of Syria, God's face is now 100% against this Leader of the "Farm Plantation" and goats/pigs "His Presidential Innerman" fallen Soul sees as collateral damage. The blood and spirits cry out to the entire spirit World with global helplessness. And the spirit World and the Living are coming for Mr. President -  He should leave on time before it is very very late!!! In a matter of few weeks to months, this Dictator will be out.  Other Dictators around the World should learn a lesson and adjust very quickly.  It is the global democratic era!!! An era with a new form of democracy and International Human Rights Standard for Peace and War. --H.E. Kum Nelson Bame Bame. Obama: US recognizes Syria's main rebel group By By MATTHEW LEE | Associated Press – Tue, Dec 11, 2012 Enlarge Photo Associated Press/Manu Brabo - Free Syrian Army fighters aim their weapons, close to a military base, near Azaz, Syria, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. The gains by rebel forces came as the European Union denounced the …more WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama declared Syria's main opposition group the sole "legitimate representative" of its country's people Tuesday, deeming the move "a big step" in the international diplomatic efforts to end Syrian President Bashar Assad's embattled regime. Obama said the newly formed Syrian Opposition Council "is now inclusive enough" to be granted the elevated status, which paves the way for the greater U.S. support for the organization. "Obviously, with that recognition comes responsibilities," Obama said in an interview Tuesday with ABC News. "To make sure that they organize themselves effectively, that they are representative of all the parties, that they commit themselves to a political transition that respects women's rights and minority rights." Recognition of the council as the sole representative of Syria's diverse population brings the U.S. in line with Britain, France and several of America's Arab allies, which took the same step shortly after the body was created at a meeting of opposition representatives in Qatar last month. Obama's announcement follows his administration's blacklisting of a militant Syrian rebel group with links to al-Qaida. That step is aimed at blunting the influence of extremists amid fears that the regime may use or lose control of its stockpile of chemical weapons. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday that the Syrian government seems to have slowed preparations for the possible use of chemical weapons against rebel forces. Last week, U.S. officials said there was evidence that Syrian forces had begun preparing sarin, a nerve agent, for possible use in bombs. "At this point the intelligence has really kind of leveled off," Panetta told reporters traveling with him to Kuwait, where he will visit U.S. troops at the start of a four-day trip. "We haven't seen anything new indicating any aggressive steps to move forward in that way." U.S. recognition of the opposition council is expected to be a centerpiece of an international conference on the Syria crisis in Morocco this week. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had been due to attend Wednesday's meeting in Marrakech but canceled her trip because she was ill with a stomach virus, her spokesman, Philippe Reines, said. Instead, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns will lead the U.S. delegation. On Monday, Clinton designated Jabhat al-Nusra, or "the Support Front" in Arabic, a foreign terrorist organization. The move freezes any assets its members may have in U.S. jurisdictions and bars Americans from providing the group with material support. The designation is largely symbolic because the group is not thought to have holdings or support in the United States, but officials hope the penalties will encourage others to take similar action and discourage Syrians from joining. That step was part of a package intended to help the leadership of the Syrian Opposition Council improve its standing and credibility as it pushes ahead with planning for a post-Assad future. The administration took further action Tuesday against extremists on both sides, with the Treasury Department setting separate sanctions against two senior al-Nusra leaders and two militant groups operating under the control of the Syrian government. Two commanders of the pro-Assad shabiha force also were targeted. "We will target the pro-Assad militias just as we will the terrorists who falsely cloak themselves in the flag of the legitimate opposition," said David S. Cohen, the department's sanctions chief. More significant, though, is the upgraded status for the council. It's expected to be accompanied by pledges of additional humanitarian and nonlethal logistical support for the opposition. It's unlikely that the U.S. would add military assistance to that, at least in the short-term. Providing arms remains a matter of intense internal debate inside the administration, officials said. The U.S. had been leading international efforts to prod the fractured Syrian opposition into coalescing around a leadership that would truly represent all of the country's factions and religions. Yet it had held back from granting recognition to the group until it demonstrated that it could organize itself in credible fashion. In particular, Washington had wanted to see the group set up smaller committees that could deal with specific immediate and short-term issues, such as governing currently liberated parts of Syria and putting in place institutions to address the needs of people once Assad is ousted. Some of those committees could form the basis of a transitional government. Officials said the U.S. evolution in recognizing Syria's opposition would closely mirror the process the administration took last year in Libya with its opposition. "I would remind you of how this went in the Libya context where we were able to take progressive steps as the Libyan opposition themselves took steps to work with them, and to advance the way we dealt with them politically," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Monday. In that case, Libya's National Transitional Council moved from being "a'' legitimate representative to "the" legitimate representative of the Libyan people. While the revolution was still going on, the council then opened an office in Washington, and the administration sent the late Ambassador Chris Stevens to Benghazi, Libya, as an envoy in return. The move also opened the door for Libya's new leaders to access billions of dollars in assets frozen in U.S. banks that had belonged to the Gadhafi regime. The move could allow the Syrian opposition to set up a liaison office in Washington with a de facto ambassador. It is unclear, however, given the level of violence in Syria and the potential threat of chemical weapons, if the U.S. would soon send a representative to rebel-controlled areas of the country. The conflict started 20 months ago as an uprising against Assad, whose family has ruled the country for four decades. It quickly morphed into a civil war, with rebels taking up arms to fight back against a bloody crackdown by the government. According to activists, at least 40,000 people have been killed since March 2011. ___ AP National Security Writer Robert Burns in Kuwait City and AP writer Julie Pace in Wa

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

THE END OF THE ROAD FOR PRESIDENT BASHAR ASSAD

The Living God has seen the Sweat and Blood of the People of Syria, God's face is now 100% against this Leader of the "Farm Plantation" and goats/pigs "His Presidential Innerman" fallen Soul sees as collateral damage. The blood and spirits cry out to the entire spirit World with global helplessness. And the spirit World and the Living are coming for Mr. President -  He should leave on time before it is very very late!!!

Mankind must pass through a heavenly and participative leadership-brotherhood to see Peace and God.  At this very cross-road, mankind(leaders) will come face to face with God or Satan and will be judged by both sides of God and Satan.  At this very juncture Presidents will choose whether to surrender power to Satan for God's victory or slaughter their own people for the quest to stay as Dictators in Power.   Even with all the powers from God or Satan, the test on the table  will probe whether or not such Leaders can share their offices or cause genocides.   It is not about "sense of entitlement" or sense of "capability" -- it is most fundamentally about the depth and breadth of conscience and True Leadership.

In a matter of few weeks to months, this Dictator will be out.  Other Dictators around the World should learn a lesson and adjust very quickly.  It is the global democratic era!!! An era with a new form of democracy and International Human Rights Standard for Peace and War.

All Leaders, Rulers and Influential persons of heavenly and Natural Goodwill should boycott this President under our Solar System.  He crossed the heavenly numbers of 3, 7, 12, 21, 40 and 70 in various decimals and multiples.  He has violated natural and human laws. All must turn their backs against this Ruler and Killer of Peoples over 40,000.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Human Rights Day Commemorated in Brussels By UPF - Belgium    Wednesday, December 05, 2012 Brussels, Belgium - The UPF, Women's Federation for World Peace, and the European Economic and Social Committee organized a European Leadership Conference in Belgium on the theme "What More Can Europe Do to Advance Human Rights" December 4 and 5. Europe has led the world in advancing understanding and implementation of human rights. And yet all too often "man's inhumanity to man," with all the consequent suffering it causes, predominates. The overall topic chosen as the theme of the conference reflected the fact that its dates were chosen to coincide with and be part of the celebrations for UN Human Rights Day 2012, the 63rd such occasion commemorating the signing of the historic UN Declaration of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms on December 10, 1948 in the wake of the horrors and appalling violations of human rights wrought by World War ii. The topic chosen was “What More Can Europe do to Advance Human Rights?” The first day of the conference was co-hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee, UPF, and WFWP and was held in its airy and spacious state-of-the-art conference room atop its impressive Brussels headquarters. On the second day, sessions five and six took place at the Hotel Leopold and sessions seven and eight took place at the European Parliament. Session 1: What More Can Europe Do to Advance Human Rights? Chaired by distinguished former Belgian diplomat, Ambassador Robert Vandemeulebroucke. He reminded all present of the tremendous support for human rights given by the European parliament, situated nearby, including through its award of the Sakharov Prize. The first speaker, Dr. Aaron Rhodes, is a former Director of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (1993-2007), which championed human rights among the 56 members of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). He was also a co-founder of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and of the Freedom Rights Project. He praised UPF for its ability (due to its independent standing) to bring together people who don’t normally come together and as an example of how civil society can highlight important ideas and principles and bring them to the attention of peoples and governments. Dr. Rhodes described the significant contribution to human rights made by the European Union. For example, the EU insisted that for candidate countries to join the EU, they had to meet well-defined criteria as regards the Rule of Law and human rights. He said that nothing has worked better to encourage positive change than the leverage afforded by the goal of EU membership, although unfortunately once states have joined the EU, their progress slows down. One such example, he said, was Turkey, which changed its human rights policies to conform to EU standards, but when the possibility of Turkey’s EU membership seemed to fade, its progress also faded. In concluding, Dr. Rhodes said that one of the most serious challenges facing the European Union today is to ensure that its policies reflect the democratic choices made by its citizens, in whose name they are implemented. The second speaker, Mr. Doudou Diène, is a former Director of the Division of Inter-cultural Projects at UNESCO and United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (2002—2008). In his remarks, Mr. Diène suggested that Europe needs to move from preaching human rights to practicing them, pointing to the tendency to side-line human rights since the events of 9/11. Amongst the challenges Europe is currently facing in terms of human rights, Mr. Diène cited the situation of religion, which is coming increasingly under suspicion, with the growth of islamophobia and continued anti-Semitism. While acknowledging the validity of the separation of church and state, he urged that religious believers should be allowed to practice their faith. To the problem of multiculturalism in Europe, Mr. Diène proposed looking at and putting together the common values of the various religions. He concluded by saying that multiculturalism is a reality and we have to recognize this; we should not polarize society but rather avoid moving towards inter-culturalism, by recognizing the specificities of each community so that they can live together harmoniously. The third speaker was Dr. Yong Cheon Song, Chair of UPF-Europe. He reminded everyone that this year the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the European Union for having contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe over six decades. In referring to the vision of the founder of UPF, the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon, Dr. Song said that, “human rights violations can only ever be finally eliminated by connecting our lives to God, so that we have the ability to love. The more connected we are to the love of God, the more unlikely we are to violate the human rights of others.” He described how Rev. Moon felt responsible to set an example in this respect, by forgiving those who tortured him and going to North Korea to meet Kim Il Sung, the very man who had sent him to almost certain death in a prison camp decades earlier. Dr. Song issued a poignant plea that, “the time has come for human rights to be connected to God and religion,” and that, “this is the single most important step which has to be taken to advance the cause of human rights in Europe.” Citing Rev. Moon’s proposal for the creation of an interreligious council at the United Nations, Dr. Song suggested that such an assembly be created also at the heart of European institutions to bring the wisdom of the world’s faiths to bear on their deliberations. He concluded with an appeal for anyone concerned with preserving human rights to also protect marriage and family, since these two institutions, more than any others, were God given for educating people about love and, by extension, how to respect the human rights and dignities of all peoples. Session 2: How Can Interreligious Cooperation Prevent Racial, National, and Religious Prejudice? Chaired by Dr. Lydia Bonte, Professor of Afro-American Religion and Biblical Exegesis at the Faculty for the Comparative Study of Religions in Antwerp As the first speaker she introduced Rev. Dr. Christiaan Vonck, Rector of the Faculty for the Comparative Study of Religions in Antwerp, in partnership with the Free University of Brussels and a leading figure in European interreligious circles who concurred with Dr. Song’s presentation in saying that religion plays an important role and that interreligious dialogue is very important if conflict is to be addressed. He cited a motion from the World Council of Churches stating that “we need new ways to understand universality and to learn to live our faith in dignity while respecting each other.” Dr. Vonck described new religions as manifestations of the truth and said that if people do not respect those from other religions, this leads to problems and can lead to extremism. They are positive manifestations of what he called “interreligion.” Theology divides while religion unites. Dr. Vonck praised Rev. Moon for presenting a way of life in which people can work together while retaining their own religious traditions and affiliations. The second speaker, Rabbi Joseph Abittan, is a Rabbinical Professor and Interfaith Coordinator for the Alpes Maritimes Rabbinical district in France. Rabbi Abittan set the stage for the following day’s debate at the European Parliament by declaring that “the conscience must distance itself from ideas incompatible with the unique God, such as hatred and torture, and must be rooted in the ethics of justice and freedom.” He said that secularism is a legal framework favorable to freedom of religion. However, the Bible’s ideals must be introduced into the secular institutions of democracy. If we restore the memory of religion we can open a way to a meaningful life for ourselves. Europe must reject a communitarian process of group education based on specific identities and rights, which results in isolation, as this would be contrary to the European Community’s ideas, which are defined as a common memory, common values, shared beliefs, and a high degree of mutual solidarity. \ The third speaker, Sheikh Dr. Hojjat Ramzy, chair of the education committee for the Muslim Council of Britain and Professor of Islamic Studies at Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom, pleaded for better interreligious cooperation to prevent conflicts. He said that such cooperation faced three main obstacles - namely the idea that such cooperation will block one’s own faith, interreligious hatred, and the misunderstanding of other religions passed down through the generations. He described how in the migration to Medina in 622 C.E., there was a constitution drawn up between the Jews and Muslims which put an end to the conflicts between them, and suggested that the contents of this constitution could be used today to help solve interreligious conflicts. Echoing Rev. Moon’s call for an interreligious council, Dr. Ramzy stated that religion today straddles continents, whereas borders are man-made, and so a formal international body is perhaps needed for the meeting of different religions across the world which could intervene in areas of conflict. Such a body, he said, could overcome the obstacles preventing religions from working together and demonstrate that religion is a force for good. Session 3: The Future of Democracy in Europe: Why Are Women Important to Leadership and Decision-making? haired by Corinna Pummer, a Ph.D. student at the University of Graz in Austria and President of Aufwind, an association conducting educational activities and promoting children’s rights in Peru The first speaker was Ms. Angela Melo who has been Director for the Division of Human Rights and Philosophy in the Social and Human Sciences Sector at UNESCO since March 2009. She was previously Commissioner and Vice President of the African Commission for Human Rights from 2001 to 2009 and Special Rapporteur on Women’s Rights in Africa from 2001 to 2007, as well as President of the Working Group on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Ms. Melo noted that UNESCO received the Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights, and that the award ceremony for 2012 would take place on December 10, with Archbishop Desmond Tutu being the laureate. She reformulated the question of “What can Europe do more for human rights?” as “what strategy should we have to improve the reality of human rights, so as to make it our way of life?” She said that “democracy must allow us to make reforms without violence and requires good governance. This was the exclusive role of men in the past, but women have gained their place in the workplace, but not yet in positions of social responsibility, and a social change is needed. This change must come from women. They are the catalysts of a new conception of human life and human dignity, even if this change is not yet visible.” In concluding, she asked, “Could women be the motor of economic growth?” Women could influence the economic structure and have a direct influence on the control of access to resources. In speaking of human rights, we should look at inherent values. UNESCO’s program of education for all and education first is considered to be a leader in this domain. The second speaker was Mrs. Carolyn Handschin, President of Women’s Federation for World Peace in Europe. She started by citing the courage of the Mirabal sisters, four Dominican political dissidents who opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. On November 25, 1960, three of the sisters were assassinated. In 1999, the sisters received recognition from the UN General Assembly, which designated November 25 each year as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in their honor. These sisters did not consider themselves as leaders, she said. Leadership does not demand a title but is a mind-set to act when things need to be done. Citing UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which “reaffirms the important role of women and calls for their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security,” she said that what women should bring to the table is their specifically feminine qualities in order to complement the masculine ones contributed by men. She called for a paradigm shift to a system of shared leadership from matriarchy and patriarchy to what she termed “familiarchy.” Citing UNESCO, she said that ennobling the relations between men and women as partners in development and peace would involve charting a new depth of intellectual, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of masculinity and femininity. The third speaker was Ms. Aslihan Tekin, a legal and policy consultant on EU affairs and an expert on human rights at the international and EU levels. She also represents different civil society organizations at the EU level and is the Brussels representative of KAGIDER (the Turkish Association of Women Entrepreneurs). She pointed out that human rights makes no distinction between women and men. In a democratic society, we expect the government to respect all the citizens’ rights, but, in reality, women are discriminated against at all levels. The ratio of women in decision making positions is very low, even in the EU Commission, where only 9 out of 27 representatives are women. To solve this problem, we must use existing legislation. Many countries have legislation which can be used by women, but the implementation process is too slow, so we have to follow up on the implementation of this legislation at all levels. In conclusion, she pointed out that women’s participation is of crucial importance to Europe’s economy, so there is also a business case for women’s participation. The European GDP could be greatly increased by increasing women’s participation.\ Session 4: Human Rights in Europe: Fundamental Freedoms in a Multicultural and Multi-religious Society Chaired by Mr. Peter Zoehrer, Secretary-General and Chief Editor of FOREF (Forum for Religious Freedom in Europe) The first speaker, Dr. Aaron Rhodes, is an international human rights activist, university lecturer and essayist based in Hamburg, Germany. He served as Executive Director of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights between 1993 and 2007, during which period the IHF was engaged inter alia in human rights challenges in the Balkans, in Chechnya, and in Central Asia, and the organization expanded significantly. He is also co-founder of the Freedom Rights Project and in 2008 was made an honorary citizen of Austria for his “contributions to the Republic.” Dr. Rhodes explained that he started the Freedom Rights project to look into the way human rights are being treated now, because of his concern about the proliferation of human rights instruments. He said that, “the UN human rights system has doubled in size and is becoming a bureaucracy. In the Universal Periodic Review, so many claims are referred to as human rights claims. Dictatorial states are given an easy time because they talk about services they give to their citizens and real concerns are overlooked.” In his intervention on the subject of Multiculturalism in the Framework of Human Rights, he explained that the human rights documents were designed to work in a multicultural environment, and the question that we should ask is “whose culture is being violated when rights are said to be violated on the basis of culture, such as in Iran?” Incitement to violence is outlawed for a good reason, but incitement to hatred and discrimination are much more vague terms. Russia cited religious hatred to punish the music group “Pussy riot.” In his concluding remarks, Dr. Rhodes said he feared that in a rush to deal with diversity, European societies are retreating from the very principles that ensure that citizens can freely deal with deep differences among them, and that peaceful dialogue in civil society requires a principled stand for freedom of expression. He said he firmly believes that preserving peaceful co-existence in a multicultural society depends on respecting human rights above all. The second speaker was Johannes Cornelis "Hans" van Baalen, a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. He was a Member of the Dutch House of Representatives from 1999 until 2002 and from 2003 until 2009. He has been a Member of the European Parliament since July 2009, where he is leader of the Dutch VVD Delegation and generally seen as one of the party's “heavy-weights”. Mr. van Baalen explained that the EU was founded after World War II but that Europe was not able to unite politically. Europe started therefore as an economic union and the EU Parliament was initially only an advisory body and it focused on human rights, instituting the Sakharov prize for example. Today, the EU parliament is based on the Treaty of Lisbon and has a real position as a parliament and the European Union has taken human rights as part of their concerns, so the parliament really has something to say about human rights. In the European parliament, we try to bring human rights together with international trade treaties. Mr. Van Baalen explained that he is the chair of the EU parliament’s Japan delegation in which he holds discussions with his Japanese counterparts on many issues. They are currently entering into negotiations on free trade and therefore also discuss the issue of human rights. He said that it was important to defend freedom of speech, rather than being politically correct and, echoing Dr. Rhodes’ comments, he said that “the right not to be tortured is very different from having good housing. If you broaden human rights too much, you lose the essential nature of human rights. Freedom of religion is also closely related to freedom of speech. Freedom of religion is also a basic human right.” In closing and asking to be excused due to other pressing commitments, he said he looked forward to future participation in conferences. The third speaker was Mr. Jura Nanuk, Founder and President of the Central-European Religious Freedom Institute based in Budapest, Hungary. He spoke on the topic of “Religious Freedom in Hungary and the New Law on Minority Faiths.” Mr. Nanuk said he was inspired to start his institute by an anonymous quote, “Sometimes I want to ask God why He allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world, but I’m afraid He may ask me the same question.” He explained that many religious groups lost their status as churches as a result of the new law passed in the Hungarian Parliament earlier this year. Many voices were raised against this law and a programme was started in which different religious groups came together despite the fear of losing their positions. Under international pressure, some improvements have been made, but the struggle is still on for many minorities. He reminded us that many Jews were deported during World War Two. The Jews were told that they didn’t have enough members to be registered. Mr. Nanuk thanked UPF for enabling him to raise this issue at a previous European Leadership Conference in the UK parliament. After the publication of an open letter, the question of religious freedom in Hungary was raised in the European parliament and a complaint was filed to the Hungarian ombudsman. All these actions combined culminated in Hungary starting to reconsider its law in October, after receiving pressure from various sources. The final speaker was Mr. Willy Fautré, Director of Human Rights without Frontiers, who spoke on the topic of “Sects or Religions? – A Human Rights Perspective”. He started by saying that the closing words of Jura Nanuk made an appropriate transition to his topic of “sects” versus religions, because in many countries a distinction is made and bodies are put in place to deal with these so-called “sects.” He explained that the term “sect” has a pejorative connotation and is considered to be different from a religion and, thus, its members are not entitled to the same protection. This kind of approach is indicative of a propensity to lump things together, to discriminate and to exclude, which is hard to justify and harder still to excuse, and so is injurious to religious freedom. He said that the UN does not make any distinction between religious communities on the basis of their number of members or historicity. The UN never endorses the term “sects” or “cults” and he always refuses to fight on the battlefield of the journalists who use this terminology, but relies instead on international law, which rejects these terms. “National laws should be consistent with international law,” he affirmed, explaining that in the Western world, the state first gives a bad name even to a legally registered religion by labelling it a “sect” and then discourages people from joining it. In his concluding remarks, he mentioned the problems faced by religious minorities in Japan, whose members have been kidnapped and confined against their will in an attempt to “deprogram” them. He said that this problem has been ignored by the Japanese authorities, who treat it as a “family matter” and by the international community and added that his organisation was probably the first to investigate this issue. He illustrated the fallacy of this attitude by pointing out that 20 years ago a man beating his wife was considered a family matter and therefore the police did not intervene. He concluded the final session of the first day of the conference with a quote, asking “What is a religion? It is a 'sect; which succeeded!” Later in the evening most participants journeyed together into the centre of old Brussels to enjoy the Christmas spirit present there in the old town area with its Christmas market and lights and to dine at a restaurant on Belgian cuisine of various kinds. This social and cultural element was much enjoyed by all and enabled participants to bond more closely and more personally in a relaxed and informal way. Session 5: Youth Perspectives: The Right to Information for Young People and Human Rights Education – Foundations for a Democratic Europe Chaired by Mr. Robin Marsh, Secretary General of UPF-UK The first speaker was Mr. Tobias Troll, Advocacy Officer with Developing Europeans Engagement for the Eradication of Global Poverty and the Confederation for Cooperation of Relief and Development NGOs. He explained that his organizations work both in developing countries and in education in their home nation. The relationship between human rights and education is based on the UN framework on the Convention on the Rights of the Child approved in 1989, to which all countries except Somalia and the USA are signatories. This means that it is legally binding on states everywhere. Also, its provisions are quite ambitious. For example, it states that people 18 years old and above should have the full rights of citizenship and are not citizens to be. They therefore have something to contribute. He then went on to explain about the three aspects of human rights pertaining to education - namely rights through education, rights to education, and rights in education. The second speaker was Ms. Illaria Esposito, a member of the Council of Europe Advisory Council on Youth and a trainer in human rights education. She began by showing one of the Council’s videos dealing with human rights. She explained that In terms of human rights education, the Council of Europe speaks about all the issues that young people are facing today. This video attempts to link the grass roots work with the decision making authorities, in order to improve the lives of young people, using a rights based approach. Young people elected by NGOs contribute to the decisions made in the Council of Europe. In some countries there are youth councils which are recognized by the member states. This contributes to the right to participation of young people. “Living, learning, acting for human rights” is a programme currently under way. There is also a program on intercultural dialogue, which includes a Roma youth action plan. The third speaker was Mr. Bogdan Pammer, Youth Director of UPF-Europe, who spoke about how UPF youth committees around Europe are dealing with these issues. He first quoted the so-called “Böckenförde” dictum: “The liberal secular state lives on premises that it cannot itself guarantee.” He mentioned that it is human beings that violate human rights and that human rights violations are often committed “along the borders of identity”. He said that, “our practical focus is to work with those people who want to make a difference but feel that they don’t have the power to do so.” This involves providing practical skills and sustainable tools which go beyond the initial excitements. According to him, the “universal” in UPF doesn’t refer to “peace on Mars”, but to something “holistic”! “When we talk about Human Rights, we always refer to something higher and in UPF we have the concept of “one family under God”, which is not a theological concept”, he added. And he concluded by saying that “a lot of power springs from the power of conscience. Young people have a lot of power but can easily become disillusioned. Hatred and revenge give so much energy, but we have to develop the same kind of energy for the sake of goodness,”. Session 6: Towards Peace-loving Global Citizenship Chaired by Mr. Patrick Jouan, director of UPF’s UNESCO office The first speaker was Mr. Peter Zoehrer, Secretary-General of “Forum for Religious Freedom” (“FOREF”) who spoke about Reverend Moon’s autobiography, “As a Peace Loving Global Citizen”. He began by asking why a religious leader would get involved in human rights at a time when many people accuse religions of being the cause of war? He said that this was because that was not the original purpose of religion and explained that Reverend Moon’s view of the role of religion in human rights was that it emphasized the spiritual nature of man and rejected hatred and violence and should advocate the practice of love and bring about reconciliation. He then went on to describe the path of suffering that Reverend Moon had gone through in his attempts to bring about a world of peace, which included spending almost three years in a North Korean prison camp. He went on to establish the Unification Church in a mud hut he created in Busan in South Korea when he was a refugee with just one set of clothes. Even at that time, he preached that many people would come to Korea to learn about peace. He went on to establish an international movement and is particularly well known for his “Marriage Blessing” ceremonies, based on the belief that inter-religious and intercultural marriage is the key to world peace. He concluded by saying that based on Reverend Moon’s vision, UPF is campaigning for the establishment of an Inter-religious Council at the U.N. which would provide spiritual guidance for the politicians. The second speaker was Mrs. Carolyn Handschin, president of WFWP Europe, who spoke on the topic, “Towards an era of participation: family culture as a paradigm and tool for prevention and cure”. She explained that WFWP was founded in 1992 with the motto that humankind is one family sharing one home, the earth. She said the deeper side of working for peace is not just to have housing, for example, but to have homes. She said that one of the key programmes of WFWP is the ‘bridge of peace’ ceremony in which women from different backgrounds, even enemy nations or groups, come together to overcome differences. She said that there had been many deep experiences stemming from these ceremonies. Currently, WFWP is involved in humanitarian programs and is getting into government advocacy. Mrs Handschin said that, “in terms of human rights, we are thinking more about peace making and conflict resolution, but from the viewpoint of Eleanor Roosevelt, we are dealing with human rights in terms of dealing with the person next to us”. She went on to explain about the many conferences WFWP was organizing, frequently with the active participation of numerous UN agencies. The final speaker was Mr. Mark Brann, Secretary General of UPF-Europe, who provided an overview of UPF’s vision, projects, and activities, with a special emphasis on human rights. He started by explaining that UPF is not a membership organization, but rather a network of like-minded people based on 5 principles of peace which he explained in detail. He described some of the many peace initiatives that UPF has initiated around the world, including in the Middle East and its successful contribution to bringing to an end the Maoist insurgency in Nepal, when that faction accepted the idea that we are all “one family”, although not necessarily “under God”. Since Reverend Moon’s visit to North Korea, as previously described by Peter Zoehrer, there have even been many cultural exchanges and a World Peace Centre has been established in Pyongyang with freedom of religion accorded to Unificationism. Mr. Brann conveyed the exciting news that UPF hopes to hold a European Leadership Conference there next year and concluded by explaining how UPF had become a major NGO dealing with interfaith matters and had had meetings with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and had held European Leadership Confrences throughout 2012 in various parts of Europe. The morning concluded with the appointment of several new Ambassadors for Peace and testimonies from two pairs of “roommates” at the hotel who came together in unity thanks to the conference, namely two religious leaders, Sheikh Dr. Hojjat Ramzi and Rabbi Joseph Abittan, and two young women from Nigeria, one from the Islamic north and one from the Christian south. While holding each other tightly, the Nigerians explained how when they had first been paired together in one room they had experienced fear and mistrust. However, gradually they felt drawn to speak together the whole night long and ended up as inseparable as twins. After a delicious lunch at the Hotel Leopold participants walked together to the nearby European Parliament forth the final two sessions of the conference. These sessions were co-sponsored by the NGO Freedom from Torture and hosted by Dr Charles Tannock, a British Member of the European Parliament from the Conservative Party and formerly a practicing psychiatrist. Dr. Tannock was also previously Vice-President of the Human Rights Subcommittee of the Parliament from 2004–07 and is currently Vice-President of the European Parliament Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly as well as UK Conservative Party Foreign Affairs Spokesman and Co-ordinator (Spokesman) on the Foreign Affairs Committee for the European Conservative Group. He was also appointed a Commissioner for Human Rights of the British Conservative Party in 2011. Session 7: Prevention and Eradication of Torture Chaired by Dr Charles Tannock, Member of the European Parliament As its first speaker it featured Mr. Keith Best, a former U.K. Conservative Party Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom. He has held many key positions in national level bodies safeguarding the rights of ordinary people and is currently the Chief Executive Officer of ‘Freedom from Torture’ which helps the victims of torture. Mr. Best explained that Freedom from Torture is designed to care for torture survivors and help them get to the UK, as well as to campaign against torture in the UK. He explained that his organization deals with torture as defined in the UN convention against torture of 1985, a definition that was later extended by the World Health Organization to include perpetrators of organized violence. Rape, he said, was also torture and fitted this pattern of abuse and he explained that multiple rape is widely used in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a social tool. Freedom from Torture deals with as many as 1,500 torture victims every year and Mr. Best said he is amazed by their courage when giving evidence, which is the only way to bring change. In answering the question why torture remains so widespread, in spite of the many international protocols banning its use, he explained that there are still those who argue that torture can elicit valuable information. Recently, he said, there has been some controversy in the UK about the extradition of Mr. Abu Qatada to Jordan, because the evidence against him may have been based on torture. Baroness Manningham-Buller, former Director General of MI5, stated in the BBC ‘Reith lectures’ that torture is never justified. One State that still tortures is Sri Lanka, he said, and in recent high court injunction proceedings, 2 cases of people being returned to that country were overturned, because any perceived association with the Tamil Tigers is taken as an indication of the risk of torture. In conclusion, he said that “torture still exists because of a lack of political will. The fight against torture is like the fight against slavery. William Wilberforce came up against similar opposition. We must continue the fight. Will it ever wholly disappear? I fear not, but we can hope for the universal condemnation of such abuse.” The second speaker was Ms. Philomène Uwamaliya, a torture survivor from Rwanda, who gave a moving and courageous testimony of her own experience. She said that according to Manfred Novak, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture from 2004 to October 2010, torture is still practiced in 90% of countries worldwide and the current Special Rapporteur, Juan Mendez, has said that in more than half of these countries, torture is systematic. Ms. Uwamaliya said that during genocide in her country, torture was part of the day to day life and that she lived in fear and learned to close her eyes to it. Her own experience left her with an overwhelming feeling of guilt and shame which caused her to lose trust in people and organized institutions. It was only a few years later when she went to Freedom from Torture that she was able to come to terms with her experience and begin to talk about it. With therapy, she began to rebuild her life and was able to understand how much torture had affected her. She and other former clients from Freedom from Torture have since established the Survivors Speak Out Network to help other victims and bring the criminals to justice. She urged participants to press their respective governments to become signatories of the optional protocol of the Convention against Torture. All governments say they oppose torture, she concluded, but in order to put through legislation on a European level much effort will be required. Amongst the comments from the floor, Carolyn Handschin thanked Philomène for her courage in speaking about this issue and said that “her intervention had completely changed the place that this issue had for her.” In answering the question of how participants could support this campaign, Mr. Best advised visiting Freedom from Torture’s website which details their activities.\ Session 8: The Prevention of Sexual Violence Especially in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo Chaired by the host, Dr. Charles Tannock, Member of the European Parliament The first speaker, Humphrey Hawksley, BBC World Affairs Correspondent and author, compared the efforts of the United States in this matter with the inadequate response of the EU to the 'conflict minerals' that are to be found in many laptops and mobile phones. Most of these are sourced from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); they fund and give rise to the war-torn region's violence and notorious rape statistics. Following this, Chris Yates, Vanessa Bateson, and Kate Downey, all employees of one of the world’s largest banking groups who have formed their own pressure group on this issue, described the link between the coltan used in most high-tech gadgetry in most homes in developed nations and the violent oppression of the mining communities in eastern DRC that is a major global source of the mineral. The staggering number of rapes and the impunity felt by the perpetrators in this lawless region make the area one of the worst places for human rights abuses in the world. Chris Yates stated that the eastern DRC is commonly described as the rape capital of the world. They said that pressure on a corporation's shareholders and consumers could lead to a more rapid reduction in the mining of conflict minerals than legislation would. They cited the four years taken to bring in the US Dodd Frank law that has still not been implemented. The final speaker was Charlotte Simon, who originated from the eastern DRC but who now lives in the UK, gave a personal testimony of her hometown when there was an invasion by Rwandan troops in the 1990s. She spoke passionately of the need to stop the killing, rape and torture in the region that occurs with impunity. She emphasized that between 5 and 10 million people had been killed in eastern DRC in the last 40 years. Charles Tannock MEP later raised this question with senior EU officials, who agreed with the need for legislation. Subsequent meetings on this topic are being planned. (If interested please contact p...@uk.upf.org ) Concluding remarks for the session and for the conference itself were offered by UPF-UK Secretary General Robin Marsh and included a warm vote of thanks to Charles Tannock MEP for his willingness to host the last two sessions of the conference in the Parliament and for his excellent, sensitive and inclusive chairmanship of proceedings, which drew a warm round of applause from the 100 or so participants. Robin Marsh explained that from a civil society perspective, UPF’s slogan is that the world is one family under God, so we have to care about those who are suffering the most. Presentation "What More Can Europe Do to Improve Human Rights?" by Dr. Yong Cheon Song, Chairman, UPF-Europe

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Wed, 12/19/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> Subject: UPF/UN: In Memoriam: Hon. Aloysia Inyumba, Minister for Gender and Family, Rwanda To: cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com Cc: menf...@yahoogroups.com

Date: Wednesday, December 19, 2012, 5:01 PM

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

DR Congo: initial findings by UN confirm human rights violations amid recent violence Women wait for food to be distributed at the Mugunga III camp in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Photo: UNHCR/S.Kpandji 18 December 2012 – Preliminary findings by United Nations investigators have documented at least 126 rapes and the killing of two civilians – one a minor – during a probe into human rights violations in a part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that recently experienced a new eruption of violent clashes and civilian displacements, a UN spokesperson said today. A parallel investigation by the armed forces of DRC, known by the French acronym FARDC, has led to the arrest of nine FARDC soldiers, two in connection with the rapes, and seven in connection with lootings, the spokesperson, Martin Nesirky, told a news briefing at UN Headquarters in New York. The probes are focused on allegations of violations committed between 20 and 30 November in and around Minova, a town close to the city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in the eastern DRC, which fighters from the 23 March Movement (M23) armed group occupied on 19 November. According to media reports, there have been allegations that FARDC soldiers raped dozens of women in Minova during the army’s retreat from Goma. The UN investigators are with the UN Joint Human Rights Office (JHRO), a collaboration between the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Mr. Nesirky said two JHRO teams visited the Minova area this month and interviewed more than 200 people, though investigations are ongoing. “The UN Mission is supporting the (DRC) military justice procedure in conducting thorough investigations into these allegations to ensure that the perpetrators are identified and held accountable,” he said. Addressing reporters after briefing the UN Security Council on the latest developments involving the M23 on Tuesday evening, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous, confirmed that 126 women had been raped during the M23’s offensive, and that many of the violations may have, in fact, been committed by troops belonging to the FARDC. He pointed out that due to the “allegations of terrible violations,” a UN report inquiring into the events would be released later in January. In addition, Mr. Ladsous conceded that there were concerns regarding the “many movements of various elements” in the provinces of North and South Kivu, especially the M23, which, he said, were being “followed very closely” by the UN. Nevertheless, he denied reports that up to 4,000 soldiers belonging to the mainly Hutu armed group known as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) were closing in on Goma. “There have been movements around the area of Goma, but in the hundreds, not in the thousands,” he said, adding the MONUSCO was “very much on the alert, patrolling constantly to monitor the situation.” Meanwhile, in his comments at the news briefing earlier in the day, Mr. Nesirky noted that MONUSCO officials met today with DRC’s Vice Prime Minister Mutombo Bakafwa Nsenda, who also serves as Minister of Defence, to share initial findings. He added that MONUSCO is working with the DRC Government to identify the FARDC units in which the arrested soldiers served. According to Mr. Nesirky, identifying the units will allow MONUSCO to review the exact nature of any support in accordance with the UN Human Rights Due Diligence Policy, which contains principles to be followed on the part of any UN entity when supporting non-UN security entities. The investigations come amid continuing tensions in the region even though the M23 – made up of former national army troops who mutinied in April and named after a 23 March 2009 peace agreement that they reportedly say has not been implemented – ended their occupation of Goma after 11 days and are now in political talks with the DRC Government in the Ugandan capital of Kampala. Media reports have said the M23 also face allegations of killing and raping civilians and looting towns during the clashes that took place last month. The reports also highlight that several other armed groups in the area have been involved in the wider regional violence. According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), almost 400 women and girls were sexually assaulted amid the regional fighting and advance on Goma. “Women and girls in the displacement camps are living in constant fear of being attacked or sexually molested,” a UNICEF spokesperson, Marixie Mercado, said in an interview with UN Radio. Separately, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today issued an alert about the presence of armed groups in and around a camp west of Goma hosting up to 15,000 of the estimated 177,000 civilians driven from their homes amid the M23 advance. The armed groups were “fuelling worries” among the inhabitants of the Mugunga III camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), said a UNHCR spokesperson, Adrian Edwards, who added that the agency saw their presence as a “serious concern.” Already this month, armed men have staged at least three attacks, Mr. Edwards said. In one, they raped several women and looted supplies in the camp, while in another, three people were shot and wounded when gunmen looted several homes around Mugunga III and demanded goods or money. A third attack left two people inside the camp injured by gunfire after four armed men “apparently looking for aid items, including plastic sheeting” entered, according to Mr. Edwards. While Mugunga III is one of 31 established IDP sites throughout North Kivu province, Mr. Edwards told the UN News Centre that the precarious regional security situation meant that UNHCR had access to “very few.” “Civilians must be kept out of harm’s way and any deployment of armed men in densely populated areas should be avoided,” he said at the briefing in Geneva, adding that the presence of armed men at any refuge was a “threat to the civilian character of the camps,” and something UNCHR had “repeatedly urged all sides to respect.” “It exposes IDPs to risks of violence in violation of their fundamental rights, including the right to physical safety and integrity,” Mr. Edwards noted. He added that fighting farther north in the eastern DRC has caused about 4,000 people to flee into South Sudan, where – before the latest influx – there were 18,408 DRC refugees. “Most of the new arrivals are women with small infants and separated or unaccompanied children,” he said. “UNHCR is prioritizing identification of the unaccompanied children to ensure that those most at risk, particularly adolescent boys, are protected.”

News Tracker: past stories on this issue

Situation in Kivu provinces of eastern DR Congo remains ‘tense and fragile’ – UN spokesperson Related Stories Ban welcomes UN General Assembly resolutions eliminating female genital mutilation World governments agree to boost global status of UN environmental agency Ban and Security Council condemn fatal shooting down of UN helicopter in South Sudan Documented cases of human rights abuse emerge against M23 armed group in DR Congo

Listen to related stories and interviews from UN Radio

In-depth Interviews Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström

Vuk Jeremić, President of the General Assembly Press Releases Briefings Security Council Sanctions Committee on Democratic Republic of Congo Draws Attention to Two Recommendations in Final Report of Group of Experts Secretary-General Hails Secretariat’s Renovation as ‘Rebirth of an Architectural Masterpiece for the Twenty-first Century’ Condemning Shooting Down in Jonglei of UN Helicopter, Secretary-General Demands South Sudan Government Take Measures to Prevent Reoccurrence of Attacks

H. E. Prof.  KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

THE CREEPING WARS FROM WITHIN AND A SUBTLE AGENDA? Since the fall of Russian Communism, the most treacherous hands of the very hands that financed and legislated the Atheistic view of communist blocks are today the very and the most dangerous hands that try to reshape our universe in Finance, Politics, Economy and Global Structuring of Peoples, Nations and Religious/family Values.   Such dangerous "hands" should not be given into by FEAR or Profits to reshape America by BUDGETS or laws purchased with the very blood of peoples of the Universe to engage a New World Order that destroys Goddom and systematically implants Satandom.  A slow and purposeful "Communization" of the masses from a balanced Entrepreneurial Capitalism to a few top-heavy Entrepreneurial Capitalism with aggravated secularism will be no different from an atheistic Communist State where a very few control Laws, Money, Economy, and all labor and spirituality.  Such a transformation of Society via Money(Budget) that excludes the most essential diversity of peoples and interests, and weakens the power of Government to free itself from Debt in any generation is an abysmal plan of a very few Satanic hands with global Satanic Agenda.   America is God's Chosen Nation to influence the World in multi-varied angles, shapes and forms.  She and her people must see clearly the direction of things in Budgets, in Centralized Globalized Treasury-ing and Spiritual conditioning of people and families.   Communism is not just an ideology via laws and military; communism is also a military of "Spiritualists and Financiers" of a different Order who can slowly usurp a godly democracy into a "satanic communism" via Classism, oligarchic-monopolies, Fiscal and Monetary Policy coupled with the subtlety of formalized educational miseducation and mass media  brainwashing of a whole generation. Wake up True Christians; Wake up True Godists.  Wake up God's Universe!!! God never dies!!! --- H.E. Kum Nelson Bame Bame Communism: A New Critique And Counterproposal Questions & Answers II. Materialism 5. Explain the concept of partisanship which Communists advocate, and then briefly criticize it. Communists maintain that in class society, all the old philosophies served to protect the benefit of a particular class. They say, for example, that the philosophy of Aristotle justified eternal rule by the ruling class in Ancient Greece, and that the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas defended the hierarchy centering on the Papal rule of the Middle Ages. But, the value of the philosophy itself should be evaluated by how precisely it deals with truth, even though it may have been utilized by a certain class as a result. The value of a philosophy should be decided by the degree of truth it contains, not by its partisanship. 6. Explain briefly the characteristics of mechanistic materialism and Feuerbach's materialism. (1) Mechanistic materialism (a) It states that just as a machine is a complex entity composed of various parts, so each thing is a body constituted of its various constituents. Therefore, an individual thing (a constituent) is regarded as more important than the whole (the constituted body). (b) It states that just as a machine begins to move only when it is given power from outside, so the movement of the universe receives its motive power of movement from an external source, that is, God. Therefore, mechanistic materialism must eventually fall into idealism. (c) It regards movement only as a repetitive movement, and not as developing movement through which new quality ceaselessly appears (2) Feuerbach's materialism (a) Opposing Hegel's idealism, he maintained that God did not create man, but man created God. (b) Spirit is a product of matter which comes into existence when matter is reflected upon in the brain. Man is a higher animal which developed from animals through the process of evolution. (c) But, since man has will, emotion, and love it is possible to remodel societies by remodeling man. (d) Marx accused Feuerbach of not applying materialism to the solution of social problems, and denounced him as being "a materialist from the waist down and an idealist from the waist up." 7. Explain the Communist concept of matter, and then criticize it. (1) Lenin maintained that, since matter is independent of man's spirit and is an objective substance, in philosophy matter should be dealt with by philosophical concept, not by the physical concept which requires seeking for the cause of matter physically. (2) It is an unreasonable assertion that the physical concept cannot be the philosophical concept, because the attitude of seeking the cause of matter physically is the study of ontology (the philosophical explanation of the nature of existence), which deals with the natural substances. (3) According to today's physics, the concept of matter is different from that held by Marx and Lenin. Physics has come to regard a wave of energy which has no mass as the ultimate cause of matter. According to the modern concept of matter, matter is no different from spirit, in the sense that the ultimate cause of matter is invisible substance which has no mass. (4) If it should be proven in the future that a wave of energy has a purposeful nature, a scientist will have to conclude that matter and spirit are the two aspects of one substance which exists in the world of cause. 8. Criticize the assertion of Communist materialism that spirit is the product of matter, from the viewpoint of the relationship between spirit and matter. (1) Communist materialism insists that spirit is the product of matter, because man, who has spirit, came into being as the result of the development of the material universe over several billion years. But this assertion cannot tell what existed before the universe, nor has it any ground on which to reject the counter-hypothes is that the cause of the universe is spirit. (2) They maintain that spirit is the product of matter because mental disorder results from damaged brain cells. But in the case of a radio, it is clear that the voice of an announcer is not created inside the apparatus, but that it comes from outside of the radio. The function of a radio is nothing but the transforming of the electrodynamic wave into sound. But, if the apparatus should be out of order, then the disorder of sound comes about. Likewise, it can be asserted that man's spirit is not created in the brain but rather manifests itself through the brain. Materialism cannot refute this. (3) They say that spirit is the "product" of matter and at other times, the "function" of matter. It spirit is the product of matter, then spirit is separable from the brain once it is produced, just as an animal's offspring is a product of their mother. If so, spirit must be essentially the same thing as a soul. On the other hand, if spirit is the function of a brain, then the function must be unable to react upon its mother body (the brain). But in reality, spirit gives stimuli to its mother body, the brain, and makes the physical body act. (4) Therefore, we must conclude that spirit is neither the product nor the function of matter, but a phenomenon of consciousness resulting from the give-and-take action between mind and brain cells. Only based upon this proposition, can we explain these facts without contradiction. 9. Criticize the Communist way of applying the concepts of matter and social phenomena. (1) Communist materialism applies the concept of matter and spirit to production relations and ideological forms in society respectively. And they maintain that, as spirit is the product of matter, so ideological forms (the superstructure) are the product of production relations. But it is evident that this assertion is wrong because of the historical facts (for example, ideological forms such as religions, art, and parts of laws from the ancient ages still remain, even though iDroduction relations have changed completely). (2) The concepts of matter and spirit should be applied to economic goods in society and man's consciousness (will) respectively. Both production relations and productive forces include the two parts of economic goods and man's will. We should regard the relationship between economic goods and man's will as that between object and subject, which have give-and-take action with each other 10. Criticize the viewpoint of Communist materialism concerning motility and historicity of matter. (1) Motility (a) Communist materialism says that movement is the mode of existence of matter, and that there can be no matter separate from movement. They further maintain that movement is not given from outside, but results from unity and struggle of opposing elements in contradiction within matter. But, they cannot tell why this contradiction is produced within matter; furthermore, the concept of contradiction was originally used to explain the cause of development, but also they regard contradiction as the cause of circular movement and repetitive movement which are not development. This is unreasonable. In other words, they cannot explain why the same contradiction causes development at one time and at other times causes repetitive movement and circular movement. (b) According to Unification Thought, all individual beings are regarded as beings which have mutual interaction, that is, they are connected bodies. Thus, their mode of existence is inevitably circular movement. If they are living beings, and if they multiply, their mode of existence turns into developing movement in the shape of a spiral. This happens as the result of the combination of circular movement and progressive movement, with the aim of moving toward some definite direction. The cause of movement is considered as the giveand-take action between subjective elements and objective elements. In case the subject has life, this action becomes the developing origin-division-union action and appears as developing movement. (2) Historicity (a) Communist materialism regards all things as the objects of human practice. Not only mountains, fields, grass, trees, animals and seas but also the sun, the moon and stars are the objects of human work and research which are human practice. Practice is connected with all the class struggles either directly or indirectly, because human history has been the history of class struggle. Since class struggle has historicity, all practice has historicity and therefore all things, which are the objects of practice have historicity. Consequently, Communists assert that in order to be able to deal with matter correctly, they must be engaged in historical class struggle. (b) But, this is an erroneous view. It is true that matter (all things) is not only the object of cognition, but also the object of practice (dominion) and therefore has historicity, but the content of historicity is quite different. Human history is not the history of class struggle, but the history of struggle between good and evil. All things have been drawn into this struggle between good and evil and have been suffering damage and grief, while ''waiting with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God" (Romans 8:19). The historicity of all things is not the historicity which is connected with class struggle, but the historicity which is connected with God's providence. 11. Criticize the view of man in Communist materialism. (1) The Communist view of man is based upon Darwin's theory of evolution (the theory of natural selection). According to the Communist view, while a species of ape was doing labor (social labor), language developed as a necessary tool of labor, and then reason developed. While living together, they came to set up rule, morality, religion, etc. for their own convenience, and slowly dignity of personality and rights came to be acknowledged. Therefore, man's significance as a man lies not so much in personality, freedom or rights as in social labor. Since Communist society is the society in which man's social labor is guaranteed and developed in the most perfect way, it is the greatest duty for man to participate in the Communist revolution in order to build the Communist society. Those who are against or are obstructing the revolution may be slaughtered like animals, as reactionary elements. This is because the Communists regard man as merely a higher animal. (2) It is only a hypothesis that a species of ape evolved into man. Today the discontinuous mutation theory of evolution by DeVries is considered to be more appropriate than the theory of evolution by Darwin. If man is only a higher animal, there is no ground on which to reject the view that the weak should become the victim of the strong, nor ground to assert man's right to dignity and freedom. Everyone, without exception, has desired to maintain freedom and dignity of personality as if they were life. ("Give me liberty, or give me death. "-Patrick Henry). What is the reason? It is because freedom, right and personality are derived from the sacred original human nature. Dignity is attributed only to sacredness. Personality and freedom were not authorized a posteriori for the need and convenience of social life but were inevitably required to satisfy the desires of the innate original human nature. Speaking from the viewpoint of the Unification Principle, personality, freedom, right, reason, etc. can be attributed to the Original Image and its Divinity. Reason is especially attributed to the spirit mind of the spirit man. Therefore, a species of ape did not become man through labor, but man, the creation of God, began to work to attain dominion over all things. Through working, man's intelligence (creativity), innately given, gradually developed. Man was not created from some other things like an ape, but was created to be the lord of dominion over all things.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Dear all, We have come across time, place, flesh, spirit and consciousness in our galaxy in the milky way in which we are born billions and trillions of life years apart from other angles of the material cosmos.  Yet, we came to inhabit planet Earth on which God destined for man/woman to live and make family and love and life and lineage of heaven in the purity of the highest intelligence, elightenment and consciousness of unity and love within the Peace Principles of God (the unbounded transcendent cosmic force). We came to be beings of Spirit incarnating and transpiring materials and place and time by the design of the "All Present" parent of mankind.  Yet for the diversion of purpose of life God sent us Christ to elevate our consciousness into God consciousness and Unity&Love Consciousness that melts all the fears and desires of the material world.  For this reason the "Christ" was born as the first Adam, as the example of all human beings and as the True Son of God - a divine Spirit with all knowledge and intelligence, yet with abundant love that surpasses the all things material and mental.  And for this reason we came to commemorate Christmas and the New Year.    In the life of thousands of years gone by on our planet (though hundreds of years on other planets; and few days on some planets) we invoke the consciousness of unity and love of the True God via his True Son Christ that we may become like him and beyond into perfection as our heavenly father is perfect and WILLFUL beyond life and life(death).  As the year closes in and as time clocks around the orbit and axis of the material we live on, the ball of balls of the God, our parent, and as we see and cross sunlight within and sunlight without, we come to the depths of a cosmos of unbounded consciousness wherein primitivity and the boundaries of self evaporate within the melting UM of the One Vibrational Field and One electrical Field that is our Vast Cosmos of LOVE and PEACE. AND MAY THE PEACE OF GOD AND LOVE OF THE GIVE-AND-TAKE BETWEEN FLESH AND BODY, BODY AND BODY, FAMILY AND FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY, BUSINESS AND BUSINESS, NATION AND NATION, RACE AND RACE AND SPIRIT VS SPIRIT AND THE LIVING GOD AND ALL CREATION COME INTO THE PLAYANDDISPLAY OF THE WONDERS OF INFINITE POSSIBILITIES OF LOVE WITHOUT END AND RECREATION WITHOUT LIMITS, UNITY WITHOUT SHAPE AND HEARTS WITHOUT FLESH --- THE DREAM OF OUR ORIGINAL TRUE-PARENTS. AND AS THE STARS AND PLANETS RE-ALIGN, SO MUST MANKIND RECOURSE TO HIS/HER ORIGINAL NATURE AND DESTINY. JUST TO SAY IN SIMPLE TONGUE "HAPPY CHRIST CONSCIOUSNESS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR" . GOD NEVER DIES!!! MAY GOD BLESS US ALL!!! ======================= Planetary Alignment   If several planets are orbiting the sun at known speeds and current positions, how many years will it be before those planets are perfectly aligned? This is a frequently asked question, but it's a bit tricky, because it involves the issue gravitational harmonics, which tend to force the periods of the planetary orbits to be rational multiples of each other. However, setting this aside, and assuming arbitrary real constants for the periods of the planets, the answer is that - except in very special cases - the planets will never be perfectly aligned (assuming we have more than two planets).   Consider the hands of a clock-like mechanism.  Suppose the hands are initially aligned at "12 o'clock", and the angular velocities of the first two hands are w1 and w2 radians/sec, respectively.  How often will those two hands be perfectly aligned?  This is equivalent to asking how often two planets will lie along a straight line through the sun (i.e., the center of the clock). The positions of the two hands at any time t are w1 t and w2 t, and they are aligned if and only if (w1-w2) t  is an integer multiple of 2p.  Therefore, the two hands are aligned at the time values given by     However, if we include a third hand on the clock, with angular velocity w3, and assume it was also aligned initially at t = 0, then it will be aligned with the first hand at the times     All three hands will be aligned simultaneously only when both of these equations are satisfied, which implies  k (w1-w3)  =  j (w1-w2)  and so     Since j and k are integers, it follows that (w1-w3)/(w1-w2)  must be a rational number. But suppose     In this case the ratio (w1-w3)/(w1-w2) equals the square root of 2, which is irrational. Thus the three hands will never come into perfect alignment, except in the special case when all three speeds are rational multiples of each other (as in the case of a real clock mechanism). This corresponds to the fact that three planets with arbitrary real angular speeds will never again (after initially being aligned) all lie along a single line through the Sun.   However, it isn’t necessary to restrict our attention to alignments that include the Sun. We can typically find an infinite sequence of alignments between three planets, i.e., configurations in which the three planets lie along a single line, although this line does not pass through the Sun. This type of alignment is illustrated below.     Arbitrarily assigning the positions to be along the positive x axis at time t = 0, the positions of the three planets have the coordinates     A necessary and sufficient condition for the three planets to lie on a single line is that the slope of the line through planets 1 and 2 must equal the slope of the line through planets 2 and 3.  Thus the three planets are aligned if and only if     Clearing fractions and re-arranging terms, this is equivalent to the condition     This is just the signed area of the triangle formed by the planets. The vanishing of this area is equivalent to the three points being co-linear. Substituting from the previous expressions for the coordinates and simplifying the resulting equation, we find that the planets are aligned at every times t satisfying the condition     For perfectly circular orbits, Kepler’s third law is GM = w2r3 , so with appropriate choice of units for t and r we can express this entirely in terms of the three radii and the time as follows     If the radii are expressed in astronomical units (i.e., if re = 1 is the Earth’s orbital radius), then the units of time are     Of course, this alignment equation doesn’t account for orbital eccentricities, or for deviations of the orbits from the ecliptic, but it does give a general idea of the patterns of alignment that would be expected for planets with roughly circular orbits at those three radii.  To illustrate, let f(t) denote the left hand side of the alignment equation, with the radii r1 = 0.387, r2 = 0.723, and r3 = 1, corresponding to the orbits of Mercury, Venus, and Earth. The function f(t) versus t is as shown below for a typical five-year period.     This shows that there are usually four discrete alignments of these three planets every 1.566 years. However, the function is not exactly periodic, as can be seen from the slight variations in the shape of the function from one “cycle” to the next. By examining a longer time scale, we can see that these variations themselves are cyclical, with a period of roughly 49.2 years. Once per period, the shoulder inflection point of f(t) passes through zero, so once every 49.2 years there is a period of about one month during which these three planets (if they were in idealized circular orbits), would be more or less continuously aligned. One such prolonged syzygy is shown in the plot below.     Midway between each of these prolonged syzygies is a switchover during which one zero-crossing pair disappears and another appears, as shown below.     Similarly we can evaluate the syzygy functions for other combinations of three planets. For example, the function for Venus, Earth, and Mars over a typical ten-year span of time is shown below.     This shows that the lowest distinct quasi-period for these three planets is over six years.   Exact linear alignments of four or more planets do not generally occur, but we can produce a function whose magnitude is a measure of the non-linearity of four planets by adding the squares of two three-planet syzygy functions.  For example, if f123(t) is the function for Mercury, Venus, and Earth, and f234(t) is the function for Venus, Earth, and Mars, then the function     equals zero if and only all four planets are co-linear. Beginning with all four planets on the positive x axis at t = 0, the value of F(t) over the first ten years is shown below.     The first close approach to co-linearity occurs at 0.92 years. The arrangements of the four planets in relation to the Sun at this time is shown in the figure below.     This configuration has the feature that the other three planets are all in the same direction from the Earth, so they would all be in visible conjunction. An expanded view of F(t) near zero shows that the next close approach to perfect linearity occurs at 3.15 years, when the configuration is as shown below.     In this case the other three planets are all on one side of the Earth, but they are also aligned with the Sun, and Mars is on the opposite side of the Sun, so this impressive configuration would not be very visible from the Earth. The next extremely near approach to perfect co-linearity of these four planets occurs at about 6.385 years, when the planets are arranged as shown below.

H. E. Prof.  KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Sat, 12/15/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com>

Subject: Bamephecy 120: A paradigm Shift In Human Rights & International Relations. 12-12-12

To: cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com

Date: Saturday, December 15, 2012, 1:45 PM

BAMEPHECY 120:

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

are 10 Vice President Joe Biden gives two thumbs up following a Senate Democratic caucus meeting about the fiscal cliff … What is Fiscal Cliff? The media has made the obligation of corporations that were given a taxation break by the Bush Regime, come to look like a right to an eternal economic life without responsibility.  Responsibility is the core of Development, ownership and heavenly freedom.   However, the Bulls of Wall street have coined a new terminology to escape gross responsibility while tapping gross profits and exploitation of a people and nation to look like a danger to all --- the real danger only is that the "the barbarous lion, and cannibalistic economic system"  needs to be understood by children and parents and Nations and tribes.   The lion fears the prey going away.  And coin a term of fear and misleading the masses "fiscal cliff".    What nation a barbarous unconscionable economic wealthy class that refuses to take responsibility after being given the Bushy days task haven.  How will such a nation build up and support it unemployed, old, sick, exploited and marginalized  classes by entrepreneurs and central bankers who loot both government and civilian without end and generation after generation?   Fiscal heaven for government after thieves hijacked a nation for 8 years and misled it to prey on the world and on its own citizens.  What a finely dressed and lipstick group of fellows -- who teach and preach and act with four tongues and four arms? The Corporations must pay their fair share of the vast wealth they have amassed across continents while increasing the gap between very poor and very  wealthy with the Bush hunting era. A massive monetary debt era for war on iraq was not questioned. Such era and taxation breaks for the extreme wealthy - has given America today as never seen a greater unemployment and middle-class destruction the world has ever seen.  To breach that gap necessitates a sustained and renewed conscience for all corporations to reduce their greed and corruption of the political class and take full energy and spirit to renew a nation misdirected for twelve years.  Just at the rescue of the principles of a President sent by God.   The corruptors and lobbyists of mankind must let Barack Obama do his job for the people and mankind.   Responsibility that breaches the gaps of yesterday and today are a sine-qua-non for a better world.   The case of today is a case of great caution.  Monetary and fiscal tools are crucibles for governments to build not drain generation after generation and not for quick personal gains against a destroyed generation at the alter of financial hawks. America is land of free and home of the brave to challenge to Financial Crooks of Europe who indebt and enslave generation after generation of Americans and Nations via selfish and ungodly Financial and Media manipulation. There is no garbage as "fiscal cliff". Free America and God with Senators and Congressmen who work for the people above all  than the Indebtors of nations and Tribes and assassins of Presidents~!!! Long live Abraham Lincoln, Long live Martin Luther King, Jr. Long live God's Chosen Nation. ================================ --- H. E. Kum NELSON BAME BAME Updated 4:25 pm ET A hard-fought bipartisan compromise passed in the Senate early Tuesday to spare all but the richest Americans from painful income-tax hikes teetered on the edge of collapse as angry House Republicans denounced its lack of spending cuts. While House Speaker John Boehner considered whether to bring the Senate-passed measure to the floor for a vote Tuesday, Majority Leader Eric Cantor told fellow Republicans in a closed-door meeting that he opposed the legislation negotiated by Vice President Joe Biden and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and passed by the Senate 89-8 shortly after 2 a.m. Cantor told the group he could not back the bill in its current form, according to two officials in the room, which could leave open the possibility of an attempt to modify the package and send it back to the upper chamber. But Democrats there have signaled that changing the compromise risks killing it. A report released by the Congressional Budget Office Tuesday complicated matters further still. The nonpartisan group "scored" the Biden-McConnell compromise as likely adding nearly $4 trillion to the federal deficit over 10 years, hardening opposition among many Republicans seeking further spending cuts. The country technically went over the “fiscal cliff” at midnight, triggering across-the-board income-tax increases and deep, automatic cuts to domestic and defense programs. Taken together, those factors could plunge the still-fragile economy into a fresh recession. Financial markets were closed for New Year’s Day, potentially limiting the damage from the partisan impasse in dysfunctional Washington at least until Wednesday. Time was running short for another reason, however: A new Congress will take office at noon on Thursday, forcing efforts to craft a compromise by the current Congress back to the drawing board. “The Speaker and Leader laid out options to the members and listened to feedback,” Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck said in a statement emailed to reporters. “The lack of spending cuts in the Senate bill was a universal concern amongst members in today’s meeting.” “Conversations with members will continue throughout the afternoon on the path forward,” Buck said. As House Republicans raged at the bill, key House Democrats emerging from a closed-door meeting with Biden expressed support for the compromise and pressed Boehner for a vote on the legislation as currently written. “Our Speaker has said when the Senate acts, we will have a vote in the House. That is what he said, that is what we expect, that is what the American people deserve…a straight up-or-down vote,” Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters. Conservative activist organizations like the anti-tax Club for Growth warned lawmakers to oppose the compromise. The Club charged in a message to Congress that “this bill raises taxes immediately with the promise of cutting spending later.” Under the compromise arrangement, taxes would rise on income above $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for households, while exemptions and deductions the wealthiest Americans use to reduce their tax bill would face new limits. The accord would also raise the taxes paid on large inheritances from 35% to 40% for estates over $5 million. And it would extend by one year unemployment benefits for some two million Americans. It would also prevent cuts in payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients and spare tens of millions of Americans who otherwise would have been hit with the Alternative Minimum Tax. And it would extend some stimulus-era tax breaks championed by progressives. The middle class will still see its taxes go up: The final deal did not include an extension of the payroll tax holiday. Efforts to modify the first installment of $1.2 trillion in cuts to domestic and defense programs over 10 years -- the other portion of the “fiscal cliff,” known as sequestration -- had proved a sticking point late in the game. Democrats had sought a year-long freeze but ultimately caved to Republican pressure and signed on to just a two-month delay while broader deficit-reduction talks continue. That would put the next major battle over spending cuts right around the time that the White House and its Republican foes are battling it out over whether to raise the country's debt limit. Republicans have vowed to push for more spending cuts, equivalent to the amount of new borrowing. Obama has vowed not to negotiate as he did in 2011, when a bruising fight threatened the first-ever default on America's obligations and resulted in the first-ever downgrade of the country's credit rating. Biden sent that message to Democrats in Congress, two senators said. “This agreement is the right thing to do for our country and the House should pass it without delay,” President Barack Obama said in a written statement shortly after the Senate vote. There were signs that the 2016 presidential race shaped the outcome in the Senate. Republican Senator Marco Rubio, widely thought to have his eye on his party’s nomination, voted no. Republican Senator Rand Paul, who could take up the libertarian mantle of his father Ron Paul, did as well. Biden's visit -- his second to Congressional Democrats in two days -- aimed to soothe concerns about the bill and about the coming battles on deficit reduction. “This is a simple case of trying to Make sure that the perfect does not become the enemy of the good,” said Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings, one of the chamber’s most steadfast liberals. “Nobody’s going to like everything about it.” Asked whether House progressives, who had hoped for a lower income threshold, would back the bill, Cummings said he could not predict but stressed: “I am one of the most progressive members, and I will vote for it.” H. E. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV,

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

--- On Thu, 12/27/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> Subject: Happy New year to All!! To: cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, December 27, 2012, 9:52 AM

Dear all, We have come across time, place, flesh, spirit and consciousness in our galaxy in the milky way in which we are born billions and trillions of life years apart from other angles of the material cosmos.  Yet, we came to inhabit planet Earth on which God destined for man/woman to live and make family and love and life and lineage of heaven in the purity of the highest intelligence, elightenment and consciousness of unity and love within the Peace Principles of God (the unbounded transcendent cosmic force). We came to be beings of Spirit incarnating and transpiring materials and place and time by the design of the "All Present" parent of mankind.  Yet for the diversion of purpose of life God sent us Christ to elevate our consciousness into God consciousness and Unity&Love Consciousness that melts all the fears and desires of the material world.  For this reason the "Christ" was born as the first Adam, as the example of all human beings and as the True Son of God - a divine Spirit with all knowledge and intelligence, yet with abundant love that surpasses the all things material and mental.  And for this reason we came to commemorate Christmas and the New Year.    In the life of thousands of years gone by on our planet (though hundreds of years on other planets; and few days on some planets) we invoke the consciousness of unity and love of the True God via his True Son Christ that we may become like him and beyond into perfection as our heavenly father is perfect and WILLFUL beyond life and life(death).  As the year closes in and as time clocks around the orbit and axis of the material we live on, the ball of balls of the God, our parent, and as we see and cross sunlight within and sunlight without, we come to the depths of a cosmos of unbounded consciousness wherein primitivity and the boundaries of self evaporate within the melting UM of the One Vibrational Field and One electrical Field that is our Vast Cosmos of LOVE and PEACE. AND MAY THE PEACE OF GOD AND LOVE OF THE GIVE-AND-TAKE BETWEEN FLESH AND BODY, BODY AND BODY, FAMILY AND FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY, BUSINESS AND BUSINESS, NATION AND NATION, RACE AND RACE AND SPIRIT VS SPIRIT AND THE LIVING GOD AND ALL CREATION COME INTO THE PLAYANDDISPLAY OF THE WONDERS OF INFINITE POSSIBILITIES OF LOVE WITHOUT END AND RECREATION WITHOUT LIMITS, UNITY WITHOUT SHAPE AND HEARTS WITHOUT FLESH --- THE DREAM OF OUR ORIGINAL TRUE-PARENTS.

AND AS THE STARS AND PLANETS RE-ALIGN, SO MUST MANKIND RECOURSE TO HIS/HER ORIGINAL NATURE AND DESTINY.

THE CENTRAL BANKERS, THE ENTREPRENEURS, THE GOVERNMENTS AND CITIZENS OF NATIONS MUST ALIGN.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

What is Fiscal Cliff? FORWARD TO ALL NETWORKS

The media has made the obligation of corporations that were given a taxation break by the Bush Regime, come to look like a right to an eternal economic life without responsibility.  Responsibility is the core of Development, ownership and heavenly freedom.   However, the Bulls of Wall street have coined a new terminology to escape gross responsibility while tapping gross profits and exploitation of a people and nation to look like a danger to all --- the real danger only is that the "the barbarous lion, and cannibalistic economic system"  needs to be understood by children and parents and Nations and tribes.   The lion fears the prey going away.  And coin a term of fear and misleading the masses "fiscal cliff".

What  a GROUP of  barbarous unconscionable economic wealthy class that refuses to take responsibility after being given the Bushy days taxation haven.  How will such a nation build up and support its unemployed, old, sick, exploited and marginalized  classes by entrepreneurs and central bankers who loot both government and civilians without end and generation after generation?   The monetary policy system is controlled by private hands wherefrom U.S. government borrows money that indebts the masses.   Such borrowings render the Nation a slave to few Super-powerful Private hands.  Even so, when money is borrowed and invested most disproportionately into wars, such debt is incurred for the benefit of the warring enterprise classes and central bankers. Conversely, high borrowing for domestic and capital investment of U.S government (on behalf of its people) will empower and enable the disproportions of slavery and economic and social injustices, even if such debts are to be paid in the future by all classes (central banking families, entrepreneurs and laboring classes) equally bearing the burden.   The purchased Senators/congressmen today seem to what U.S Government not to possess the high-power of taxation income.   After four years of fighting the Obama Administration and targeting it from having adequate financial resources via monetary policy (in an era of tax breaks, i.e. low government income from taxation), the extremist hawks that want to see a weak government that cannot engage in pareto economic development, has now engaged in techniques and tactics with media brainwashing, to avoid the Obama Administration from gaining sufficient funds from taxation after a long disproportionate windfall era for the Capitalist Class by a former President who emerged from families of that class. The monetary policy (borrowing from private bankers to run a government) is the left hand of a government’s earning power, as the government can be given a debt ceiling.   On the other hand, the Fiscal Policy is the “Right ARM” of acquisition of any government, as the government can use it to amend economic and social injustices and disfavoring economic environment out of the influence and direct power of private bankers who pray for governments to always be in poverty and decadence and cycles of returning to borrow from them.  Such Private Bankers will always engineer social fears and schemes to not allow any incumbent U.S government gain freedom of much needed currency out of their (Central Bankers) realm of control and thereby subsequently pay off enough debts and break loose from the net of INDEBTORS of Governments.  So what we see now is a congregation of the powers of Central Bankers and Entrepreneurs of the highest Classes of Capitalism who do not want to see the status-quo shakened or changed for the betterment of all.     This is a war against Obama, the destined President of the U.S.  It is a war to prevent the Obama Administration from leveling the mountains of “slave masters vs. slaves.” In the history of the U.S and the World, these are well organized forces across Europe and America that have teamed up to influence Congress and Senate to reduce the amount of Money available to the Obama Government. What the hell is fiscal cliff?  When preceding Administrations collected taxes to run the government it was not a problem.   The real problem here in America and across the World is for the Ruling Class after losing elections to try to gear the government in the direction they want via budgetary and fiscal policies.  It is disrespectful.  It is abysmal.  It is disgraceful and a play over the common sense and intelligence of the People and the Living God. They fear that Enough Income in the hands of Obama will free the People from a “Debt-based” system – wherein the government always has a rope around its neck like a goat chained on the farms.   They fear and misled and misinform the masses.   They fear to be equal to all other human beings under the sun.  They fear the equality of God and freedom of all.  And that is the real problem and the real war.   Fiscal heaven for government after thieves hijacked a nation for 8 years and misled it to prey on the world and on its own citizens.  What a finely dressed and lipsticked group of fellows -- who teach and preach and act with four tongues and four arms? The Corporations must pay their fair share of the vast wealth they have amassed across continents while increasing the gap between very poor and very wealthy with the Bush hunting era.  For twelve years, they kept super profits overseas, they increased branches of corporation in China and other continents; they did not use those super profits to increase jobs and equality at home.  What a greedy set of people!!!   A massive monetary debt era for war on Iraq was not questioned.  Just because it benefited the “rightful few.”

Such era and taxation breaks for the extreme wealthy - has given America today as never seen a greater unemployment and middle-class destruction the world has ever seen.  To breach that gap necessitates a sustained and renewed conscience for all corporations to reduce their greed and corruption of the political class and take full energy and spirit to renew a nation misdirected for twelve years.  Just at the rescue of the principles of a President sent by God.   The corruptors and lobbyists of mankind must let Barack Obama do his job for the people and mankind.

The World has seen how the Monetarists did everything with debt ceiling and budget cuts to block the President of the United States from executing his Agenda for economic development for all.  Now these Monetarists have intruded into Government’s Fiscal policy by purchasing senators and the media to weaken the government’s income power and economic marshal plan via “Fiscal CLIFF” invention.     These men and women and system is to be condemned.      It is to be apprehended by all peoples of conscience and value. Slavery and discrepancies on racial and economic class lines will never leave America and the Economic and Political System, if this is not redressed right now at this moment of history. The Responsibility that breaches the gaps of yesterday and today are a sine-qua-non for a better world.

The case of today is a case of great caution.  Monetary and fiscal tools are crucibles for governments to build not drain generation after generation and not for quick personal gains against a destroyed generation at the alter of financial hawks.  America is land of free and home of the brave to challenge to Financial Crooks of Europe who indebt and enslave generation after generation of Americans and Nations via selfish and ungodly Financial and Media manipulation.   There is no garbage as "fiscal cliff".

Free America and God with Senators and Congressmen who work for the people above all,  than the Indebtors of nations and Tribes and assassins of Presidents~!!!

Long live Abraham Lincoln, Long live Martin Luther King, Jr. Long live God's Chosen Nation. ================================ --- H. E. Kum NELSON BAME BAME

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

-- UN: Analysis suggests 60,000-plus killed in Syria By By BASSEM MROUE and FRANK JORDANS | Associated Press – 6 hrs ago Email Share 1 Enlarge Gallery Syria in crisis Related Content Play Video Video: Raw: Dozens Killed in Syria Airstrike1:02 BEIRUT (AP) — At least 60,000 people have been killed in Syria's civil war, with monthly casualty figures steadily increasing since the conflict began almost two years ago, according to a new analysis released Wednesday by the United Nations. The death toll is a third more than the figure of 45,000 given by activists opposed to the regime of President Bashar Assad — the first time that the global body's estimates are higher. It comes as activists report that a Syrian warplane blasted a gas station near Damascus on Wednesday, killing and wounding dozens of people and igniting a huge fire in what could be one of the bloodiest attacks in weeks during the 22-month conflict. Independent experts compared 147,349 killings reported by seven different sources — including the government — for the study, which was commissioned by the U.N. human rights office. By removing duplicates they arrived at a list of 59,648 individuals killed between the start of the uprising on March 15, 2011, and Nov. 30, 2012. In each case, the victim's first and last name, the date and the location of his or her death were known. "Given there has been no let-up in the conflict since the end of November, we can assume that more than 60,000 people have been killed by the beginning of 2013," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a statement. "The number of casualties is much higher than we expected, and is truly shocking." The real death toll is likely to be even greater because reports containing incomplete information were excluded and a significant number of killings may not have been documented at all by the sources available. "There are many names not on the list for people who were quietly shot in in the woods," Pillay's spokesman Rupert Colville told The Associated Press. The data, which didn't distinguish among soldiers, rebels and civilians, also show that the killing in Syria has accelerated. During the summer of 2011, shortly after the uprising against Assad began, the monthly death toll stood at around 1,000. A year later, an average of 5,000 were killed each month, the U.N. said. Most of the killings occurred in Homs, followed by rural Damascus, Idlib, Aleppo, Daraa and Hama. At least three quarters of the victims were male. "The failure of the international community, in particular the Security Council, to take concrete actions to stop the blood-letting, shames us all," Pillay said. "Collectively, we have fiddled at the edges while Syria burns." The U.N. rights chief warned that thousands more would die or suffer terrible injuries if the conflict continues, and repeated her call that those responsible for the killings — which in some cases could amount to war crimes — should be held accountable. "We must not compound the existing disaster by failing to prepare for the inevitable — and very dangerous — instability that will occur when the conflict ends," she said. "Serious planning needs to get under way immediately, not just to provide humanitarian aid to all those who need it, but to protect all Syrian citizens from extra-judicial reprisals and acts of revenge" like those seen in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and Congo, she said. What began with peaceful protests has evolved into a full-scale civil war in Syria, with scores of armed groups fighting regime forces across the Arab country. Anti-regime activists said Wednesday that a single Russian-built MiG fighter fired a missile that hit the gas station, setting off an inferno in the eastern suburb of Mleiha. Black smoke billowed from the site. An amateur video posted online showed charred bodies and gruesome carnage at the scene. Mohammed Saeed, an activist who visited the site, said the missile struck as drivers waited in line with their cars at the station. Syria has been facing a fuel crisis, and people often must wait for hours to get gasoline. Meanwhile, rebels have been targeting airports, including the Mannagh military helicopter base near the Turkish border. THE WORLD MUST URGENTLY COME TO THE AID AND RESCUE OF THE SYRIAN PEOPLE.

THE END OF THE ROAD FOR PRESIDENT BASHAR ASSAD

The Living God has seen the Sweat and Blood of the People of Syria, God's face is now 100% against this Leader of the "Farm Plantation" and goats/pigs "His Presidential Innerman" fallen Soul sees as collateral damage. The blood and spirits cry out to the entire spirit World with global helplessness. And the spirit World and the Living are coming for Mr. President -  He should leave on time before it is very very late!!! Mankind must pass through a heavenly and participative leadership-brotherhood to see Peace and God.  At this very cross-road, mankind(leaders) will come face to face with God or Satan and will be judged by both sides of God and Satan.  At this very juncture Presidents will choose whether to surrender power to Satan for God's victory or slaughter their own people for the quest to stay as Dictators in Power.   Even with all the powers from God or Satan, the test on the table  will probe whether or not such Leaders can share their offices or cause genocides.   It is not about "sense of entitlement" or sense of "capability" -- it is most fundamentally about the depth and breadth of conscience and True Leadership. In a matter of few weeks to months, this Dictator will be out.  Other Dictators around the World should learn a lesson and adjust very quickly.  It is the global democratic era!!! An era with a new form of democracy and International Human Rights Standard for Peace and War. All Leaders, Rulers and Influential persons of heavenly and Natural Goodwill should boycott this President under our Solar System.  He crossed the heavenly numbers of 3, 7, 12, 21, 40 and 70 in various decimals and multiples.  He has violated natural and human laws. All must turn their backs against this Ruler and Killer of Peoples over 40,000. --H.E. Kum Nelson Bame Bame.

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Jerusalem Forum on Interfaith Cooperation Addresses Sacred Texts By UPF - Israel    Thursday, December 20, 2012 Jerusalem, Israel - The second convening of the Jerusalem Forum for Interfaith and Cooperation among Religions took place at the Mishkenot Sha'ananim, a magnificent location overlooking the old city of Jerusalem. A group of 13 scholars and religious leaders representing Judaism, Christianity, and Islam gathered on December 20 for studying sacred texts and conducting a candid discussion. One of the outcomes of the first meeting of the forum was the decision to regularly study together the holy scriptures and main thoughts of the various religions. Thus, after a short self-introduction we conducted three short sessions: reading texts from Islam, Judaism, and Christianity and learning from them. Starting with Islam, a short presentation about the five pillars of Islam was given: Muhammad, peace be upon him, was the last prophet who was sent by God. The five pillars are of Islam are the creed, five daily prayers, charity, Ramadan fast, and Haj – pilgrimage to Mecca. Continuing with Judaism, a paper of several Jewish texts was given to the participants, under the subject of "Viewing Peace in Judaism," which addressed the conflict between the will for peace and the need to follow an absolute truth and lead a life of absolute justice. Concluding with Christianity, a paper with several Biblical excerpts was circled among the participants to help understand the connection between the role of Christ as a gateway for the people and in correlation to the role of the temple. Following the presentations by an imam, rabbi, and priest, a vigorous discussion took place. The following points were deliberated: As in the first meeting of the forum, the issue of the status of women in religion was brought up. The issue was dealt with indirectly, since it was not an official topic of the sessions. Two major views among the participants were expressed: some thought that the status of women in their religion as well as in other religions should be reformed, while the others expressed satisfaction with the way their religion treats woman, claiming that any bad treatment of women is a misuse of the holy scriptures. To properly address this issue, it was decided to invite for the next meeting the wives of the religious leaders so they could take part in this important discussion. Regarding forging a path for peace, some participants expressed difficulties within their own religion that create barriers for dialogue and peace. Others saw religion as a natural road for peace and harmony, especially among those stemming from the same Abrahamic faith and believing in the same one God who calls for peace and love among all human beings. In the first meeting of the forum, Sheik Samir Aasi from Acre touched the hearts of the participants in sharing his strong belief in peace and striving to achieve it even at the cost of opposition among his own people. In this meeting, it was Sheik Halil Elbaz from the Bedouin town Tel-Sheva in the Negev who moved the participants, by sharing with the forum about the haj pilgrimage he made last November to Mecca, and the deep religious experience he had there. The participants were very impressed and thanked him for sharing his religious insights with them. Several questions were raised. Regarding Islam, would it be possible to give charity also to the needy people from other religions? As for Christianity, could the idea of unity be considered among not only the followers of Jesus but other religions as well? Another question regarded a central sentence from the Jewish prayer that asks God to bring peace upon Israel, disregarding the rest of the world. Dr. Nurit Hirschfeld, the director of UPF's Jerusalem Office for Interfaith and Cooperation among Religions, concluded the discussion by expressing her wish to continually strive for a deeper level of dialogue among the religions and engage in a process of self-reflection to facilitate that goal. The warm and pleasant atmosphere felt throughout the meeting made time fly by and brought all participants to join in a formidable lunch, over which the lively discussion continued and new friendships were forged.

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Fri, 12/21/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> Subject: UPF/UN: Human Rights Day Commemorated in Brussels To: cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com Cc: menf...@yahoogroups.com

Date: Friday, December 21, 2012, 4:11 PM

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Washington DC Forum: Tensions between China and Japan By William Selig, Deputy Director, UPF Office of Peace and Security Affairs, Washington, DC, USA    Wednesday, December 19, 2012 Washington DC, USA - UPF's Office of Peace and Security Affairs held forum on the theme of "Tensions between China and Japan: Could the Senkaku / Diaoyo Islands Territorial Dispute Spin Out of Control?” at The Washington Times on December 19. The main points of the discussion were as follows: China’s motivation behind the Senkaku/Diaoyu dispute is to prevent a rebellious precedent from forming. The chance of a serious security crisis or new “Cold War” forming from this dispute is unlikely, though several nations have an investment in ensuring stability. There are a number of nonviolent options to resolve the Senkaku/Diaoyu dispute.   Chinese Motivation: China’s motivation behind the Senkaku/Diaoyu dispute is to prevent a rebellious precedent from forming. The motives for agitation behind the island dispute, beyond a common desire to survey and utilize potential natural resources, differ between Japan and China. Japan views maintaining the islands as a way to solidify its national influence in the region and project its strength, as well as provide a security buffer against an expanding China via U.S. security cooperation obligations. China fears that allowing the Japanese to seize the island would set a dangerous precedent for protesting Chinese control of territories. This may prompt territories such as Taiwan and Tibet, areas that China claims or controls, to initiate their own protests for self-control. China’s revived agitation over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands provides the country an opportunity to rally nationalist support for Chinese self-determination and solidify their control of other territories appropriately.  Security Risk: The chance of a serious security crisis or new “Cold War” forming from this dispute is unlikely, though several nations have an investment in ensuring stability.  The seriousness of the security situation is an uncertain concern. Many argue that China is building up its military forces for aggressive expansion, rather than exclusively for defense, and radical forces in Japanese politics such as Tokyo governor Ishihara may push for more aggressive action on Japan’s side, or seek to escalate the conflict as an excuse to push for relaxed restrictions on Self Defense Force (SDF) operational capability. General consensus among the discussion group was that outright violence was too contradictory to the interests of both sides and their allies to be of significant concern. China has an opportunity to prove to the international community that it can act according to internationally accepted rules and standards by resolving the dispute peacefully with Japan and Taiwan as partners. On the other side, U.S. political and economic investment in the region make it unlikely that Japan will be permitted any truly overt aggressive maneuvers without the aid of its ally. Possible Solutions: There are a number of nonviolent options to resolve the Senkaku/Diaoyu dispute.  Suggestions included a joint resource survey of the islands and surrounding territory, and if resources were found a joint development agreement. Another solution was a peace park or war memorial acknowledging the actions and sacrifices made by both nations and their allies during World War II to be constructed on the islands, establishing them as a site of peaceful exchange and dialogue. Finally, there was the suggestion of an analysis of the dispute by the international community using neutral definitions and legal precedents, to be conducted by a neutral third party. If necessary, this would lead to international adjudication. All nonviolent suggestions were received positively by UPF representatives. A noteworthy suggestion was the possibility that Japan might sell the islands to China. Should Japan’s economic situation may compelled the to do so while China’s economic strength continues its ascent, Japan could choose to sell the islands to raise cash for the nation. The idea was considered by participants, though doubt was expressed due to the historical controversy surrounding such a decision.  Participants: (moderator) Dr. Alexandre Mansourov, visiting scholar, U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins SAIS; Col. Yoshihiro Iseri, Military Attaché, Embassy of Japan; Tenzin Dickyi, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; Adelina Martins, Charge d’affairs, Embassy of Timor-Leste; Sonia Maia, Second Secretary, Embassy of Timor-Leste; Dustin Damon and Andrew Lyboldt, National Intelligence University; Justin Bresolin, Intern, Korea Economic Institute; Dr. Yoko Moskowitz; Kenneth Freelain, Host and Producer, International Definition TV Program; (host) Dr. Antonio Betancourt, Director, Peace and Security Affairs, UPF International; Dr. Mark P. Barry, advisor, UPF; and Dr. William Selig, Deputy Director, Peace and Security Affairs. Background: China claims discovery and control of the islands as far back as the 14th century. In 1895, after its defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese ceded the islands to Japan. Around 1900, the Japanese government gave permission to businessman Koga Tatsushirō to build a fish processing plant. In 1932, the government sold three of the islands to the Tatsushirō family. By 1940, the business failed and the islands were abandoned. At the end of WWII, with Japan’s surrender, the islands came under the jurisdiction of the United States. In 1972, the U.S. returned the islands to Japanese control. Also in 1972, the Taiwanese and Chinese governments officially began to declare ownership of the islands. In the 1970s, the son of Koga Tatsushirō, the family that had owned the fish plant, sold four islands to the Kurihara family. After that, the Japanese government paid the Kurihara family an annual fee to rent the islands. One of the islands is rented by Ministry of Defense and is used by the U.S. military to practice aircraft bombing.  On September 11, 2012, the Japanese government nationalized the islands by purchasing them from the Kurihara family for about $26 million. Since the transaction was announced, violent protesters have taken to the streets in China and Japan. DISCUSSION: Dr. Alexandre Mansourov, visiting scholar, U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (moderator), structured the discussion as follows: Why is the issue being raised now? A few years ago, the Sino-Japanese territorial dispute was barely mentioned. What has changed in the past year to bring such heated debate to the point of violent protests in the capital cities of Japan and China? Why should it be important to the United States and what are the policy implications to our nation’s economic, military, and political strategy? What recommendations can our roundtable participants propose to the Universal Peace Federation that can be brought to our worldwide network of Ambassadors for Peace? Why is the issue of the territorial dispute between Japan and China being raised now? Essentially, both nations have maintained a quiet policy to agree to disagree, however, troubles began last summer when 14 Chinese were arrested by the Japanese after landing on one of the islands and publicly claiming it for China. As anti-Japanese protests spread across China, the Japanese government quickly decided to formally purchase the islands from their private Japanese owners. In September, tens of thousands of Chinese, some carrying portraits of Mao, poured into the streets in anti-Japan protests. Hundreds of Japanese-model cars were trashed. In October, China boycotted the IMF’s annual meeting in Tokyo. In December, a Chinese military surveillance plane flew over the islands. Japanese fighter jets were sent in, but the Chinese plane was gone by the time the jets arrived. Japan’s electoral campaign was being waged during this period of tension and nationalistic pride. On Dec. 16, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won a resounding victory in the Diet. The new Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, ran on a platform that called for sovereignty over the islands. In his first post-election interview, he said Japan would not cede “one millimeter” of the islands to China. The participants suggest there are powers in Japan which support the LDP as part of a strategy to change Japan’s pacifist constitution and expand the authority and upgrade the Japan Self-Defense Forces into a full-scale military force. Currently, the SDF is confined to the islands of Japan. Dr. Mansourov postulated that if the drama about the territories was just an election ploy to get the LDP elected, then now that the elections have passed, the issue may die out by itself. Andrew Lyboldt, National Intelligence University, does not believe the issue will fade away anytime soon. A strong sense of nationalism in China and Japan has come to the surface and will be played out in different ways. Along with the recent elections in Northeast Asia, a new generation of leaders with more hawkish backgrounds makes this transition a particularly sensitive period. Dr. Antonio Betancourt, director, Office of Peace and Security Affairs ,raised the issue of Japan’s recent troubles in the context of the energy crisis. There was a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant after an earthquake and tsunami in 2011. As a result, Japan is phasing out using nuclear power as a primary energy source. Japan is looking for alternative energies. “If the shipping lanes are interdicted, and if the forecasts about the gas and oil resources near the disputed islands are verified, then the territorial dispute could become an issue of national strategic value, and Japan would be forced to do whatever it has to make sure that the Islands remains part of Japan's territory, including a strong response to China.” Justin Bresolin, from the Korea Economic Institute believes the resources may have played a part in making the disputed islands a hot-button issue, but he doesn’t see it as a major factor. “There’s so many other lines to pursue for energy,” including a project with Mongolia. Plans are underway to bring solar and wind power produced in the Gobi desert to cities in Japan. He also referred to purchases by Japan of natural gas from the U.S. Participants expressed concern that the territorial dispute could become a chapter in a new Cold War. Dr. Mansourov gave the example of the Berlin blockade (1948-49) when the Soviet Union blocked access to Berlin. In response, the Western Allies organized an airlift to carry supplies to the city. Dr. Mansourov said this “sounded the opening shots of the Cold War between the two superpowers, so here’s my question, if this territorial dispute is allowed to continue, will we look back in 10 or 20 years, and see this as the opening chapter in the new Cold War?” He asked, “Is this a harbinger of an upcoming confrontation between the superpowers and depending on which way it’s resolved, will it determine how all future confrontations be resolved? Japan is an ally of the United States, and so if it chooses to challenge China, will the United States come to its assist its ally?” Dr. William Selig, deputy director, Office of Peace and Security Affairs spoke about the history of animosity between China and Japan, mentioning, for example the invasion of Manchuria and the Nanking Massacre. “With so much bloodshed between these two nations, would it take much to ignite a spark that would lead to conflict?” What’s referred to as the century of humiliation that China suffered under Japanese imperialism has created a groundswell of emotion just under the surface as a result of China’s defeat in its wars with Japan. Dr. Yoko Moskowitz, a Japanese-born US citizen said, “China is an expansionist power. It wants not only economic hegemony, but also political hegemony. China bypassed Japan in 2010 as the second largest economy. We need to understand the Asian mind. These are extremely competitive, hard driven people.” Dr. Moskowitz explained that last summer when the territorial dispute hit the headlines, it was the governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara who called on the government to buy the islands. Governor Ishihara is “a right-wing strong macho type man and dangerous to Japanese foreign policy.” She believes both countries are “trying to use this dispute politically,” but where as Japan is trying to secure its own safety and protect its resources, China’s motivation is clearly “to expand their territory.” Dr. Betancourt spoke about the changing ideological factors in this issue. “There was a time in the PRC and Taiwan,” he said, “when political forces overruled the economic forces but now there are powerful economic forces within the government in China and in the private sector in Taiwan who look very closely at this problem. They are concerned that this dispute will have major economic and financial repercussions. The impact will not only affect China’s economy, but all over the world. China’s economic footprint is embedded in almost every country in the world from Europe to South America.”  Why should this issue be important for the United States and what are the policy implications? The region of the territorial dispute is one of the most important trade corridors in the world. There must be freedom of navigation in the South China and East China seas. These sea-lanes impact many nations besides China and Japan including, India, Vietnam, Philippines and Malaysia. Mr. Lyboldt emphasized the important relationship the U.S. has with Japan. The alliance is more crucial today than ever, especially in light of North Korea and China. The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan (signed January 19, 1960) is the bedrock of relations between the two nations. Dustin Damon, National Intelligence University agreed that the U.S.-Japan security alliance ties our nations together. If there is a military conflict, the U.S. is obliged under the alliance to intervene. This past September, U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China that U.S. policy is that the Senkaku islands are covered by the U.S.-Japan security alliance, and the U.S. is obliged under the alliance to intervene if there is military conflict. In addition to the alliance issue, Mr. Lyboldt raised the importance to maintain stabilization of the area and the worldwide implications to the global economy. Asia is a region of vital importance to the United States. That’s why the Obama Administration is orchestrating its “Asia Pivot.” What happens in Japan and China, especially in the economic realm has major impact on the United States and all our allies. As much as we are ready to support Japan and maintain our treaty obligations, the U.S. is also a good friend of China and would not want to hurt that relationship. China is the world’s second largest economy and America’s second largest trading partner. Dr. Mansourov said, “We cannot let U.S.-Chinese relationships take a major hit and suffer as a result of the deterioration in Chinese Japanese relationships on the issue of the islands.” Mr. Bresolin expressed further concern about the impact of the territorial dispute on the regional economics affecting not only China, but the countries that trade with China. “It could have very serious implications.” China has enormous import and export trade with Japan, South Korea, and all of the other South Asian nations. Dr. Mansourov said, “If there’s any disruption there in trade and investment and economic relations caused by the escalation of this territorial dispute then all of our economies will suffer.” Kenneth Freelain, Host and Producer of the International Definition TV Program, raised concern about the defense and strategic issues. Last September, the U.S. announced plans to deploy an advanced radar system in Japan in response to North Korea’s missile arsenal. The U.S. and China are allies and have worked out two U.S.-China Joint Statements (issued in November 2009 and January 2011). The U.S. welcomes China’s role in maintaining peace in the world, and likewise China has welcomed the United States as an Asia-Pacific nation. The U.S. is walking a tightrope to maintain a fair-handed approach in order to satisfy both nations. Dr. Betancourt expressed an important concern about China. He pointed out that the U.S. “has been the long-term protector of the maritime sea lanes of communication along with the British Empire, but mostly in the last 50 years the U.S. has held that role.” He said, “many experts in the U.S. do not see China as a fair player equal to the U.S. in the protection of the sea lanes of communication keeping them open in fairness for every one.” Dr. Mansourov said, “The principle of freedom of navigation is an important global value worth defending and if China can guarantee the freedom of navigation, then the world community will have to accept them. However, it may take more than a single generation to be convincing because of the long record of very different behavior. Will PLA Navy’s newly inaugurated aircraft carrier group be used to shutdown the sea lines and make sure only the Chinese ships enjoy the freedom of navigation in the high seas around China's shores or not? In conclusion, the territorial disputes are important to the United States because of their connection with (1) the alliance of global stability; (2) the health of the U.S.-China relationship; (3) a robust global economy; and (4) global common values including freedom of navigation. How can the question of the territorial disputes be resolved? For the final part of the roundtable discussion, the participants dealt with the important issue of resolution. Is there a historical precedence for this sort of problem? What is a best-case scenario? Mr. Lyboldt questioned if the two sides could join forces and come to an amicable arrangement to divide the land or resources so that it would be a win-win scenario? It could be through bi-lateral discussions or perhaps through the International Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the United Nations. Dr. Betancourt made an interesting comparison between China and the U.S. and made a recommendation. He said, “China is in today's global markets and trade what the U.S. was back since the middle of the 19th century in which we were the major supplier of products and commodities to the world. The economic growth and development in Europe and the rest of the world was thanks to the supplying engines of the US across America. So it’s not in China’s interest to commit economic suicide. There are economic voices within China which should not be underestimated. These are powerful groups who defend Chinese economic interests. The logical move is to mobilize our economic interests —U.S., Japan, Korea, and Asian allies who are intertwined with the Chinese economy and work with them to bring restraint on these countries so things don’t get out of hand. In other words, let the economic partners, who are the stakeholders, flex their muscle to keep the political players in line. Dr. Mansourov raised the military option. “Do you believe that a military solution is impossible?” Although many wars have been started over disputed territories, none of the participants felt it was probable, and quickly dismissed the possibility. Mr. Bresolin said, “A full-scale conflict would be so catastrophic to all the players that I think it’s highly unlikely. If war does break out, it would not be because of this issue but because a bunch of other issues.” He said, “I personally believe that the absolute worst-case scenario would be a naval standoff between the People's Liberation Army and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. There would be a lot of saber rattling and maritime trade would come to a halt.” Dr. Betancourt echoed Dr. Moskowitz’ early remarks regarding Japan’s right wingers who have been maneuvering for the past 65 years to change the SDF into an actual military force. “They have not been able to do it. They needed an issue. They are using Chinas real military build up, plus a defense issue close to their home such as the disputed islands and created an artificial conflict that would justify the mobilization of the masses of the people on the street to call their congressmen and diet members to support a change of the military structure and strategy of the nation.” Dr. Mansourov said this same explanation was given by the Rodong Sinmun, the official mouthpiece of the (North) Korean Workers’ Party. Dr. Moskowitz pointed out that the Liberal Democratic Party took 294 of the 480 seats that were up for grabs in Japan’s recent election. That means that since they hold the majority of the seats they can pass any kind of law they want. Adelina Martins, Charge d’affaires, and Sonia Maia, Second Secretary of the Embassy of Timor-Leste shared an important lesson about the power of diplomacy. The nation of Timor-Leste, a country in Southeast Asia, declared its independence from Portugal in 1975, whereupon it was invaded and occupied by Indonesia. Thanks to the United Nations, an agreement was finally worked out and the nation became independent and a member of the UN in 2002. Dr. Mansourov said, “This is a great example of how a little guy in a very small country was able to confront one of the largest countries in the world and reach a settlement to the mutual satisfaction of both sides essentially through the appeal to the international community.” Another proposal to resolve the dispute made was if Japan could sell these Islands to China? Dr. Mansourov explained the story of how Russia sold the territory of Alaska (known as Russian America) for $7.2 million to the United States in 1867. It was the period after Russia had fought a war with Turkey and was badly in need of cash to pay its bills. Alaska had no particular value to Russia at that time, so the deal was made. For discussion purposes, could Japan find itself in such dire economic straits (maybe not today, but in 10-20 years) because of its various problems—energy, aging population, slow economic growth, sinking birthrate, radiation—and turn to China and make a deal to sell the islands? It would have to calculate not only the value above ground, but the oil, gas, mineral, and fishing potential value below the ground and in the sea. Another creative idea emerged after lively discussions. Could not an East Asian Economic Community amalgamation be created (in the future) to capitalize on the increasing gross national trade investment and cooperation? It could be modeled after the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which is a trilateral trade bloc between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. A trade agreement for the China Sea could benefit all the nations. Dr. Betancourt described the work of the Universal Peace Federation, the host organization of the roundtable. He said the goal of the UPF is to work towards a world characterized by interdependence, mutual prosperity and universal shared values. The UPF has offices in more than 150 nations and has a successful track record of bringing competing parties to the negotiating table. The UPF, he said, could act as an honest broker in any such facilitation and negotiations. China is aggressively investing all over the Western Hemisphere and around the world, including in Colombia, the home nation of Dr. Betancourt.  China now has the capital and the U.S. has the technology. Dr. Betancourt said we must cultivate a culture that promotes a mutual exchange for the benefit of both parties. In conclusion: The military scenario was dismissed as too catastrophic and improbable, but several nonviolent options were proposed: (1) Bilateral discussions between China and Japan. (2) Mobilize the financial stakeholders and get them to exert influence. (3) Japan sells the islands to China. (4) Develop an East Asian co-prosperity community scenario. (5) The intervention of a third party in the role of a mediator, for example, Timor-Leste or India.

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

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[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

US troops arrive in Turkey for Patriot missiles By SUZAN FRASER | Associated Press – 5 hrs ago Email Share 1 Enlarge Photo FOX News Videos - Military may help Turkey operate Patriot missiles Related Content

Enlarge Gallery Syria in crisis

Play Video Video: Deadly violence rages in Syria as US troops arrive in Turkey2:16 ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — U.S. troops have started to arrive in Turkey to man Patriot missiles meant to protect the NATO ally from potential Syrian warheads, the U.S. military said Friday. The United States, Germany and the Netherlands are each deploying two batteries of the U.S.-built defense system to boost ally Turkey's air defenses against any spillover from Syria's nearly 2-year civil war. The Patriot systems are expected to become operational later this month. The Stuttgart, Germany-based U.S. European Command said in a statement that U.S. personnel and equipment had started arriving at Turkey's southern Incirlik Air Base. Some 400 personnel and equipment from the U.S. military's Fort Sill, Oklahoma-based 3rd Battalion were to be airlifted to Turkey over the coming days, while additional equipment was expected to reach Turkey by sea later in January, the Command said. NATO endorsed Turkey's request for the Patriots on Nov. 30 after several Syrian shells landed on Turkish territory. Last month, NATO said the Syrian military has continued to fire Scud-type missiles, although none had hit Turkish territory, and said the alliance was justified in deploying the anti-missile systems in Turkey. Ankara is supporting the Syrian opposition and rebels and is providing shelter to Syrian refugees. More than 1,000 American, German and Dutch troops are to be based in Turkey to operate the batteries. NATO said the Americans will be based at Gaziantep, 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Syria. The Germans will be based at Kahramanmaras, located about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the Syrian border; the Dutch at Adana, about 100 kilometers (66 miles) west of the border. Navy Vice Adm. Charles Martoglio, the Command's deputy chief, reiterated that the Patriots' deployment is for defensive purposes only and would not support a no-fly zone "or any offensive operation," in Syria, according to the Command's statement. "Turkey is an important NATO ally and we welcome the opportunity to support the Turkish government's request in accordance with the NATO standing defense plan," it quoted Martoglio as saying. Syria is reported to have an array of artillery rockets, as well as medium-range missiles — some capable of carrying chemical warheads. These include Soviet-built SS-21 Scarabs and Scud-B missiles, originally designed to deliver nuclear warheads. Last month, a top military commander from Iran — a key Syrian ally — warned Turkey against stationing the NATO systems on its territory, saying such a move risks conflict with Syria.

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Child recruitment by armed groups in Central African Republic must end – UN Former child soldiers draw in a UNICEF-assisted transit centre in the Central African Republic (CAR). Photo: UNICEF/Brian Sokol 4 Print 4 January 2013 – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today called on the Central African Republic (CAR) to immediately stop child recruitment by rebel groups and pro-government militias amidst reports of increasing use of this practice. “A number of rebel groups and various pro-government militias have become more active in recent weeks in the capital city of Bangui and across the country,” said the UNICEF Representative for CAR, Souleymane Diabate. “Reliable sources have informed us that children are newly being recruited among their ranks. These reports are of serious concern.” “Our team on the ground is working with partners to monitor, verify, and respond to grave violations of child rights, including recruitment into armed groups – those at greater risk are children who have lost their homes, are separated from their families or were formerly associated with armed groups,” Mr. Diabate added. According to UNICEF, even before the latest round of violence in CAR erupted in December last year, about 2,500 children – both girls and boys – were associated with multiple armed groups, including self-defence groups, in CAR. The UN agency estimates that this number will rise because of the recent conflict. Over the past weeks, widespread looting and violence occurred in the country as an alliance of rebel groups known as ‘Séléka’ attacked several towns in the northeast and threatened to march on Bangui. This week, the group reportedly halted their advance on the capital and agreed to start peace talks in Gabon. CAR has a history of political instability and recurring armed conflict. State authority is weak in many parts of the country, which are largely controlled by rebel groups and criminal armed groups, according to the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA). Coupled with ethnic tensions in the north, frequent armed incursions by rebel elements from neighbouring countries and the presence of members of the armed Ugandan group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), have added to insecurity and instability in CAR, which also has 170,000 people displaced internally. UNICEF said more than 300,000 children have already been affected by the violence in CAR and its consequences, including through recruitment, family separation, sexual violence, forced displacement and having limited access to education and health facilities. In particular, the agency is highly concerned about the involvement of youth under 18 years of age who may be forced to fight, carry supplies, perform other support roles and be abused as sex slaves by armed groups. “Recent commitments under international law by the Government and some rebel groups to keep children out of the fighting must be respected,” said Mr. Diabate. “All violations must stop. It is critical that everything is done to protect these children and keep their families safe.” UNICEF has worked in CAR since 2007 with both the Government and rebel factions to secure the release of more than 1,000 girls and boys from armed groups and self-defence groups and support their reintegration into families and communities. However, the volatile security situation has hampered the delivery of humanitarian assistance to affected communities and has led UNICEF to relocate 14 international staff and consultants last week. The agency has established an operational crisis centre for CAR in the city of Yaounde, Cameroon, where it said it will continue to work with partners to conduct emergency activities. In relation to the latest violence, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council have condemned the attacks involving ‘Seleka’ and called for a halt hostilities. They have also called on both the Government and the rebels to resolve the current crisis through dialogue, and to abide by the 2008 Libreville Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which was signed by the Government and the three main rebel groups and which helped bring an end to conflicts inside CAR. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in CAR (BINUCA), Margaret Vogt, has remained in close dialogue with the key parties and has offered support to political negotiations.

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK) --- On Fri, 12/21/12, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com>

Subject: UN: Human Rights violations Found in the Congos.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Promoting the Northeast Asia Peace Initiative in Russia By UPF - Russia    Monday, December 31, 2012 Moscow, Russia - UPF-Russia works toward a peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula in consultations with Russian and foreign experts and through electronic media and face-to-face communications. Konstantin Zharinov, coordinator of UPF-Russia’s Northeast Asia Peace Initiative, works as a volunteer with the initiative in addition to holding a full-time job. Since he developed the Russian-language www.onekorea.ru website, he has become well-known in the circles of Korean experts in Moscow. His site is respected by both the North and South, which is very rare. In Russia, one has easier access to North Koreans than elsewhere, and he is using these opportunities to build personal relations. He has met with embassy officials from both the South and North, and he participates in every Korea-related event in Moscow as a representative of UPF. It is important to note that he does not take sides and accuses neither the North nor the South. To maintain such a balance is very complicated. The following is an account of 2012 events that he participated in or helped to organize: Caring for veterans of the Korean War Mr. Zharinov partnered with a Moscow school to create a museum dedicated to the Korean War, and the items in the exhibits come both from the North and the South. On the 62nd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, the Museum of Air Defense Troops in the city of Balashikha, Moscow region, held a commemoration on June 23 with the participation of the Moscow City Council of Korean War Veterans. Ambassadors for Peace and Mr. Zharinov were key participants. Opening doors through electronic communications The onekorea.ru website has been updated, and the number of daily visitors continues to grow. The site is maintained by Mr. Zharinov. The number of experts who offer their comments on the site has grown considerably. Two Russian experts began contributing their analyses on a regular basis. A Moscow - Beijing video bridge on the theme of "New U.S. Policy in the Asia-Pacific Region" took place in the RIA Novosti press center on January 16; Dr. Vladimir Petrovsky was an organizer of the event on the Beijing side. A second video bridge on the theme of the "Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula: New Leader of North Korea - New Opportunities?" took place on February 23. A presentation about the Russian pavilion at EXPO-2012 in Yeosu, South Korea, took place in the Cultural Center of the Republic of Korea Embassy on March 23. Reporters from onekorea.ru visited EXPO-2012 on May 11; they were the only Russian journalists who attended the opening ceremony and were warmly welcomed by employees of the press center in the Russian pavilion. The journalists had the opportunity to survey the exhibition together with the General Commissioner of the Russian Pavilion, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Georgy Kalamanov. During the 2morrow/Tomorrow international independent film festival, a reporter from onekorea.ru participated in the October 6 press conference of the world-famous South Korean film director Kim Ki Duk. The news agency RIA Novosti hosted a press conference on the "Asian Vector of Russia's Development and Bilateral Cooperation with South Korea" on October 23. Experts in the gas industry shared about prospects of constructing a trans-Korean gas pipeline and the significant potential for cooperation between Russia and South Korea in the field of energy. Reporters from onekorea.ru participated in the North Korea exhibition of contemporary art “North Korea in the Rays of the Spring Sun” that was opened by the DPRK Ambassador to Moscow, Kim Yong Dje, and a deputy of the State Duma from "Russia the Just," Alexander Chetverikov, on November 23. Reporters from onekorea.ru were guests at a December 18 party for Russian bloggers who entered a competition initiated by South Korea's tourism industry on the theme "The So Different Korea"; onekorea.ru was entered in the competition. This was the first contest in Russia for the best web sites or social networking pages about the Republic of Korea. The results of the competition will be published in March 2013. People-to-people diplomacy The 16th academic conference of scholars from the U.S., Russia, and CIS countries on the topic of the "Korean Peninsula: On the Eve of Changes" took place at the Far East Institute of RAS on March 29 and 30. Mr. Zharinov represented UPF at the event. The all-Russia academic conference of young researchers into Korean issues took place on March 31 at the Institute of Asian and African Countries of Moscow State University. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of South Korea Wee Son-Nak welcomed the audience. A "Lesson for Peace" was offered to the 11th-grade students at the Cheongshim High School in Gapyeong, South Korea, on May 9. The focus was the history of Russian-Korean relations, differences between the cultures, and various world views. An international conference on "One Korea - The Dream of the Entire Korean Nation" took place at the Rushotel in Moscow on October 3. The conference marked the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Advancement of South-North Korean relations, Peace and Prosperity on October 4, 2007. The organizer of the forum was the Association of the Koreans of the YPU with the support of the Embassy of North Korea. The conference was attended by the North Korean Ambassador in Moscow, Kim Yong Dje. An informal dialogue with the Governor of Gyeonggi Province in South Korea, Kim Moon-soo, with Russian researchers of Korean history took place at the Ukraine Hotel in Moscow on October 25. Discussions focused on the relations between the two Koreas. A Russian-Korean conference at the MGIMO-IFANS on "International and Political Aspects of the Issues of Settlement on the Korean Peninsula" took place at the Moscow State Institute of Foreign Affairs (MGIMO University) on November 15. Among the Russian participants in the conference were professors of MGIMO University; on the Korea side were scholars from the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security. On the first anniversary of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, representatives of UPF-Russia offered condolences at the embassy of DPRK in Moscow, on December 17.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Human Rights & Democracy:   The Strength of Democracy lies not in that which is established, rather in that which is emerging;   the strength of democracy lies not in the critiques and speedy brutal reactions from quick judgement rather in the patience and tolerance that illuminates social ills and evils in its greatest quantum and the mustering of collective actions to rise against it at the right time and at the right place with the right spirit while respecting natural principles and processes.   The greatest strength of democracy lies not in condemnation and destruction but rather in responsibility and conscious unending efforts and innate capacity of human spirits to rise up and do the impossible where no possibility is in sight, yet with hope and faith in the unbounded consciousness of great souls and men and women of a great civilization stirred by spirit rather than by material, ego, rationality, fear and boundaries.    …., And that is how we came to see a man with only $12 thousand per annum in a nation where only powers with over $12 billion or more per annum in currency talk, come to lead a nation by spirit and determination and unimaginable stealth and support of nature and humans who reason beyond the noise of media and the custodians of gold and silver and fiat money.   Democracy and freedom is rooted in the respect of boundaries and possibilities and due process, respecting natural laws and time and God.  Yet, enfolding and harnessing the uncompromising value of Conscience and uncompromisable universal Rights of all Humans equally, beyond the Purchasing Power of any material that exists under the sun.  There is no freedom without responsibility and no responsibility without freedom.  The lines must be respected.  The deity of the individual and boundaries must be respected from the smallest to the biggest transactions within the cosmos.  Yet eternal inaction is dead of God.  The spirit, the process and timing is more important than the action itself.   And this is the democracy and freedom of God. The freedom and consciousness of God is to melt in the individual first then family second; the freedom and and consciousness of man is to melt ultimately in the freedom and consciousness of God ultimately first and secondly in the spouse then society.  No Messiah/Leader comes to stand between man and God for eternity.  Such Ones are only messengers of the Living God and directors of the Road Ahed.  Yet individuals are not born to be ultimate God’s and Police officers or lieutenants behind others.  The Manifestation of God via Man is for Man and fallen Sick humans to self-heal and self-develop directly to the source of ultimate origin, division and Union.  And this is the root of Unity Consciousness and Peace in all spheres.   Democracy of heaven is here – it is the era of a new governance and heading toward an Age human Brotherhood on Earth.  The forestalling of Satanic Democracy will attempt to precede it, yet it will be short-lived!

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

No to it is the Wisdom of God!!!  Long Live the Wise President of the United States.  In the Era After the Messiah is eternalized; in the era after the first and second Messianic fulfilments, mankind must LIVE by LOVE, Wisdom and Cosmic + Unity Consciousness in Positivity than Negativity (defense). --- America has a Wise President, the World has a Wise Leader -- A Leader for mankind. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ‘Star Wars’: Obama White House says no to Death Star petition Jan. 12, 2013 | 7:30 a.m. The Obama administration has responded to a petition for the government to build a Death Star. (Lucasfilm) Whether you voted for Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, it’s good to know the president isn’t a Sith Lord. After more than 34,000 people petitioned the White House to “secure resources and funding, and begin construction of a Death Star by 2016,” the White House released an official statement cleverly titled “This Isn’t the Petition Response You’re Looking For,” rejecting Darth Vader’s weapon of choice. “The Administration does not support blowing up planets,” wrote Paul Shawcross, chief of the Science and Space Branch at the White House Office of Management and Budget. “Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?” PHOTOS: ‘Star Wars’ at the box office The response also rebuffs the petitioners’ notion that a Death Star would be a smart economic move; any job creation the Death Star spurs would be undermined by its $850-quadrillion ($850,000,000,000,000,000) price tag. The statement goes on to tout the International Space Station, NASA and its Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office (C3PO), and a new telescope that will be more powerful than the Hubble. “Even though the United States doesn’t have anything that can do the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, we’ve got two spacecraft leaving the solar system and we’re building a probe that will fly to the exterior layers of the Sun,” the response states. “We don’t have a Death Star, but we do have floating robot assistants on the Space Station, a President who knows his way around a light saber and advanced (marshmallow) cannon, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is supporting research on building Luke’s arm, floating droids, and quadruped walkers.” Shawcross ends the petition response with a recruiting message. “If you do pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field, the Force will be with us!” the statement concludes. “Remember, the Death Star’s power to destroy a planet, or even a whole star system, is insignificant next to the power of the Force.” -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ― Lao Tzu “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” ― Lao Tzu Believe a Child will never walk; use force and beat his legs every day so that s/he will walk, and create a human being that will never walk(cripple); then reap the fruit of force and impatience.  Man has a choice to use the Brain and its delegates(body parts) or use his spirit and the creator's. --- Nelson Kum Bame Bame “Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being. Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.” ― Lao Tzu,  “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom(consciousness).  Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power(consciousness).  If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich(conscious).” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name.” -  Lao Tzu Tao Te King,  “Can you focus your breath as supple as a newborn child? Can you cleanse your vision till there is no blemish?” We mold clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that makes the vessel useful. The five colors blind the eye. The five tones deafen the ear. The five flavors stale the palate. The chase for preys deranges the mind, too much treasure impedes one’s growth. The Master acts on what he feels not what he sees, so allows things to come and go. Tao Te Ching

H. E. Prof.  KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Fri, 1/4/13, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com>

Subject: UPF/UN: Promoting the Northeast Asia Peace Initiative in Russia /// Peace & International Relations

To: cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com, cameroons...@yahoogroups.com

Date: Friday, January 4, 2013, 6:14 PM

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

In Memoriam: Lord Tarsem King By Robin Marsh, UPF-UK    Wednesday, January 09, 2013 Lord Tarsem King of West Bromwich passed away January 9 at age 75. He was the UPF - UK Patron and a UPF Presiding Council Member. He was a fatherly man who was willing to support a wide range of good causes. He believed in interfaith dialogue and activities as a way to remove misunderstandings and grow relationships that would facilitate community cohesion. Lord King spoke about this issue numerous times in the UK, in a conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, and in visits to South Korea. With his help many other groups were supported to develop humanitarian platforms such as MonCher, an organisation to help Mongolian Street Children; the Association for the Development of Mongolian Women in Europe; and the British Chinese Accounting Association, who support the Love Bridge to assist Chinese orphans. He had an innate sense of fairness and decency that informed his decisions to support the human rights of women, persecuted groups, and disadvantaged minorities. He hosted the UN International Women's Day annually for several years and numerous human rights conferences often with the support of the UPF - UK and the Women's Federation for World Peace - UK. He hosted several conferences that highlighted issues of violence, both domestic and sexual, against women. He commented on the unfairness of the decision not to allow women Bishops in the Anglican Church of England. He supported raising the awareness in the UK of Satguru Ram Singh Ji, who, among many other accomplishments, many promoted a non-violent opposition to British rule in India before the campaigns of Mahatma Gandhi began. He hosted a number of conferences to raise awareness of steps that precede genocide and were a prelude to the Holocaust. It became an annual event to highlight this issue in the House of Lords around the time of the UN Holocaust Remembrance Day. There were numerous human rights issues that were raised and promoted with excellent good sense under his stewardship. Those issues included the prevention and eradication of torture, the violence caused by greed for conflict minerals in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and the persecution of minorities or disadvantaged groups in nations such as North Korea, China, and nations in the Middle East. He was energized by the annual Youth Achievement Awards event he hosted each July. He listened intently to each young person's testimony of their public service or meritorious work. He often said those events made him feel young again. In this way he supported the development of Youth UPF and WFWP youth activities. Lord King demonstrated a wisdom and enthusiasm for the importance of the family. He expressed this wisdom in the regular UN International Day of Families events he held. He enjoyed presenting the UPF Family Award to worthy families. He and Lady King also participated in the marriage rededication and blessing event of the Universal Peace Federation and addressed other similar marriage rededication and blessing occasions.  It was in his role as a member of the UPF's Presiding Council that he could express the heart of many of the close contacts and long-standing supporters of Father and Mother Sun Myung Moon in the eulogy to Father Moon that he will be remembered by many worldwide Unificationists. His visit to South Korea, changing his schedule on the sudden news of Father Moon's passing, and the sincere preparation for that speech was very moving. Part of this speech is included here:  'I can think of no one who has devoted himself more thoroughly to the promotion of interfaith understanding and cooperation. Long before interfaith had become a mainstream idea, Father Moon has been its champion. He has even called upon the United Nations to take interfaith more seriously and to establish an interfaith council within the United Nations system. Father Moon was no stranger to suffering and conflict. He witnessed first-hand the brutality of a North Korean communist prison camp and the horrors of the Korean War. He always stood strong against dictatorship, for the sake of freedom and democracy, and especially religious freedom. If there is no religious freedom, humanity will decline. Thus Father Moon was always leading the way in the promotion of religious freedom. Father Moon also taught us to appreciate the value of marriage and family. He, together with Mother Moon, blessed in marriage millions of couples worldwide, calling each to pledge fidelity, true love, and devotion to God. By strengthening marriage and family there is hope for the future. In the Sikh tradition, marriage and family are sacred. This is our fundamental teaching. Therefore, Sikhs around the world can understand and appreciate Father Moon’s teaching. Mother Moon, you have visited the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and shared the vision of Father Moon. The people of the United Kingdom are grateful for your life of service to the highest and most noble ideals. In closing I want to say once again how honoured I am to have known Father Moon. To Mother Moon and the entire family I extend my heartfelt appreciation and encouragement as we go forward to build a world of lasting peace.' Lord Tarsem King of West Bromich will be missed by the UPF and their friends for all the campaigns that he has supported so enthusiastically over many years as well as for the values of public service that he typified in his life. Lord King attended Punjab University in India. From being deputy head of the Mathematics Department at Great Barr School in Birmingham, UK, and running his own successful business, he became a local councilor, then mayor of Sandwell near Birmingham, and the first Sikh to be made a member of the House of Lords of the Parliament in the United Kingdom. He was a member of the National Policy Forum and a representative on the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, contributing to the formation of European Union regional policy.

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

--- On Fri, 1/4/13, H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV <nelso...@yahoo.com>

Subject: UPF/UN: Promoting the Northeast Asia Peace Initiative in Russia /// Peace & International Relations

To: cameroon...@yahoogroups.com, camero...@yahoogroups.com, camne...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, afric...@yahoogroups.com, african...@yahoogroups.com, "Menchum Worldwide" <menchumw...@googlegroups.com>, WECUD...@yahoogroups.com, "Nigerian Politics" <naijap...@yahoogroups.com>, African...@yahoogroups.com, Afric...@yahoogroups.com, ub_a...@yahoogroups.com, UB_A...@yahoogroups.com, MENF...@yahoogroups.com, cameroons...@yahoogroups.com

Date: Friday, January 4, 2013, 6:14 PM

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Satanists planning rally  for Florida Gov. Rick Scott By Eric Pfeiffer, Yahoo! News | The Sideshow –  Florida Gov. Rick Scott has some unexpected, and likely unwanted, new support (Logo from Satanic Temple website/Scott … Florida Gov. Rick Scott may have earned himself a new constituency, but the devil is in the details. Local news site WPBF.com reported that a group of Satanists plans to hold a rally outside Scott's office on Jan. 25 to support the governor’s signing of a bill that allows students to pray at school events. "We've gotten such a response, it's just impossible for me to know what that translates into," Satanic Temple spokesman Lucien Greaves told WPBF, regarding how many will show up at the rally. “You don’t build up your membership unless people know about you,” Greaves said in a separate interview with the Palm Beach Post. “So this allows us to get our message out in public. We’re hoping it will reduce the stigmatism.” The Satanic Temple was launched in 2012 with what Greaves described as being “more or less an online community.” The group’s website describes itself as being different from other, better-known Satanic organizations. Greaves said the rally is part of a larger ongoing effort at making the group’s beliefs more commonplace in mainstream discussions of religion and belief. From the website: “Though we have far to go before public education leads to a mainstream embrace of our Satanic religion, we feel that our own public ‘coming out’ will go a long way toward raising the consciousness of the populace … and the social environment has never yet been better prepared for the welcoming of a new Satanic era.” The group’s founder, Neil Bricke, is scheduled to speak at the rally. "We feel it's time for Satanists to come out and say exactly who we are," Greaves said. So, what does Scott think of the newly organized support? "This is a great country. Everyone has a voice," Gov. Scott's press secretary wrote in an email to ABCNews.com. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Justice Clarence Thomas breaks seven-year silence in court By Liz Goodwin, Yahoo! News | The Lookout – 3 hrs ago Email Share 2 U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in 2010. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)Justice Clarence Thomas said four words in oral arguments on Monday, breaking his silence on the bench for the first time in nearly seven years. The justice's remark came during a jocular exchange over whether a defense attorney in a death-penalty case was qualified for the job because of her Ivy League degree. Based on the transcript, it appears Thomas' four-word retort made his colleagues laugh, but no one's really sure what he said: JUSTICE SCALIA: She was a graduate of Yale law school, wasn't she? [Louisiana lawyer Carla] SIGLER: She's a very impressive attorney. JUSTICE SCALIA: And another of his counsel, Mr. Singer—of the three that he had—he was a graduate of Harvard law school, wasn't he? MS. SIGLER: Yes, Your Honor. JUSTICE SCALIA: Son of a gun. JUSTICE THOMAS: Well—he did not -­ (Laughter) MS. SIGLER: I would refute that, Justice Thomas. Some who were in the courtroom said Thomas made fun of his alma mater, Yale, in his comment, which wasn't fully recorded in the transcript by the court reporter. Billy Freeland, a law student who attended the oral argument, wrote that he thought Thomas said, "That's not effective counsel," joking that going to Yale would not qualify an attorney. But John Derosier, a Louisiana district attorney who works with Carla Sigler on the case, told Yahoo News that she is not sure what Thomas' exact words were. "As soon as he started saying anything people started laughing and then it messed it up," Derosier said. The full audio of the exchange will be released on Monday. Thomas has had a strained relationship with Yale, refusing his permission to let the school hang his portrait in its halls and writing that it was a mistake for him to attend the school. He wrote in his memoir that the school's use of affirmative action in admissions meant that employers assumed he was not as qualified as his white peers when he graduated. He's said he keeps the diploma in his basement instead of hanging in his office. The last time Thomas spoke was also in a death-penalty case, when he asked a defense attorney in 2006 about whether racial stereotypes affected the case. The New York Times wrote in 2011 that Thomas has said he is self-conscious about his Georgia accent and has also complained that it's tough to get a word in edgewise during oral arguments because of his eight chatty colleagues. Before 2006, he asked questions at oral arguments around 10 times a year, still a far lower rate than his colleagues, before lapsing into total silence after that last death-penalty case question. Explore Related Content 1 - 4 of 20 File photo of U.S. Supreme Court Justice … Supreme Court's Thomas breaks nearly … Reuters Ashton to inherit death penalty cases … Justice Clarence Thomas Speaks ABC OTUS News More from Yahoo! News Glenn Beck announces plan for Independence, USA The Lookout - 17 mins ago All aboard? Paul Ryan supports Marco Rubio’s immigration reform … The Ticket - 1 hr 36 mins ago NARAL picks a new president amid push for younger supporters The Ticket - 2 hrs 42 mins ago L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa raises national profile with … The Ticket - 2 hrs 52 mins ago Ohio teacher claims discrimination due to her fear of childr … The Lookout - 2 hrs 57 mins ago Jenny Sanford says she’s not running for Congress The Ticket - 3 hrs ago No Labels enters n

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Independent UN panel urges action amid ongoing human rights abuses in Syria conflict UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Syria members: Chairperson Paulo Sergio Pinheiro (left) and Karen Koning AbuZayd. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré 18 February 2013 – A United Nations independent panel investigating human rights violations in Syria today called for urgent action to ensure justice for the crimes committed, adding that it will submit a list of names next month of those believed to be most responsible for the atrocities. “The situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic has continued to deteriorate,” the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria stated in its latest report, which was released today in Geneva. “Since 15 July 2012, there has been an escalation in the armed conflict between Government forces and anti-Government armed groups. The conflict has become increasingly sectarian, with the conduct of the parties becoming significantly more radicalized and militarized.” The Commission – which comprises Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, Karen AbuZayd, Carla del Ponte and Vitit Muntarbhorn – has been mandated by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to investigate and record all violations of international human rights law in Syria, where possibly up to 70,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. “There is a need to act urgently to ensure that there is justice for the crimes committed,” the panel stated in its report. “By collecting first-hand information and documenting incidents, the Commission is laying the foundation for accountability, whether at the national, regional or international levels. In March 2013, a confidential list of individuals and units believed to be responsible for crimes will be submitted to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,” it said. Although the Government has yet to allow the Commission to undertake investigations inside Syria, the 445 interviews conducted from 15 July 2012 to 15 January 2013 found that large parts of the country are scenes of “continuous combat, involving more brutal tactics and new military capabilities on all sides,” according to a news release on the report. “The war has taken on sectarian overtones, permeated by opportunistic criminality, and aggravated by the presence of foreign fighters and extremist groups.” According to the report, Government forces and affiliated militia committed the crimes against humanity of murder, torture, rape, enforced disappearance and other inhumane acts. War crimes and gross violations of international human rights and humanitarian law – including arbitrary arrest and detention, unlawful attack, attacking protected objects, and pillaging and destruction of property – were also committed. Anti-Government armed groups have committed war crimes, including murder, torture, hostage-taking and attacking protected objects, the report continued. They continue to endanger the civilian population by positioning military objectives inside civilian areas. Where armed groups carried out bombings in predominantly civilian areas, it had the effect of spreading terror and amounted to the war crime of attacking civilians. “The violations and abuses committed by anti-Government armed groups did not, however, reach the intensity and scale of those committed by Government forces and affiliated militia,” the panel added. In addition, Government forces, affiliated militias and anti-Government armed groups have violated the rights of children. Incidents of children being killed, tortured and raped by pro-Government forces were recorded. Children under the age of 15 have actively participated – including as fighters – in hostilities as part of some of the anti-Government armed groups. “Ensuring the accountability of all parties for crimes committed is imperative,” stated the Commission, which outlined a series of detailed recommendations – to the Syrian Government, anti-Government armed groups, the international community, the Human Rights Council and the Security Council – and emphasized the need to counter a “growing culture of impunity,” including through referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Commission highlighted the urgent need for the parties to the conflict to commit to a political settlement to end the violence, which has left some four million people in Syria, including at least two million internally displaced persons (IDPs), in need of humanitarian aid. UN humanitarian agencies and their partners are reaching more and more people inside the country with assistance. Over the weekend, an inter-agency mission delivered a first batch of critical relief items to 6,000 IDPs in Karameh in north-western Idlib province, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported. “This joint relief convoy, involving eight UN agencies, demonstrates that outreach is possible from inside Syria,” said Radhouane Nouicer, the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria. “It encourages us to continue to increase our efforts to reach more people in need across the country.” Separately, the UN also delivered a significant quantity of medical supplies to Aleppo and much-needed winter items and hygiene kits to Hama, where recent fighting resulted in large-scale displacement in rural areas.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

THE AMBASSADOR FOR PEACE MARGARET THATCHER MOVES ON TO GLORY. The life of Margaret Thatcher – timeline https://www.google.com/search?q=ambassador+for+peace+margaret+thatcher&hl=en&sa=N&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ei=L0djUaalMsPz0gGN4ICoBQ&ved=0CGEQsAQ4Cg&biw=1440&bih=736   A look back at the key events in the life of Britain's first female prime minister Margaret Roberts in 1951. Photograph: Fox Photos/Getty Images 13 October 1925 Margaret Hilda Roberts born in Grantham, Lincolnshire. 1940 Attends the University of Oxford to read chemistry and law. Becomes president of the Oxford University Conservative Association, her first political job. 1950 Fights and loses her first parliamentary election to be MP for Dartford. 1951 Marries Denis Thatcher. 1959 Elected Conservative MP for Finchley. October 1961 Harold Macmillan appoints her junior minister of pensions and national insurance. 1970 After the Conservative victory in the 1970 general election, Edward Heath appoints her secretary of state for education and science, but she loses the position in the 1974 general election defeat. February 1975 Wins leadership challenge against Edward Heath. 4 May 1979 Thatcher is elected Britain's first female prime minister. She retains the position for 11 and a half years, making her the longest serving prime minister of the 20th century. 2 April 1982 Argentina invades the Falkland Islands. Within days Thatcher sends a huge military task force to the southern Atlantic. 14 June 1982 British forces recapture Port Stanley. Argentina surrenders in what is seen as a resounding victory for Margaret Thatcher, confirming her "Iron Lady" nickname. 9 June 1983 Margaret Thatcher wins her second general election with a majority of 144 seats in the wake of the Falklands war that greatly increased her popularity. Unemployment was at 3 million. 6 March 1984 A national miners' strike begins under NUM leader Arthur Scargill, in response to the closure of uncompetitive mines. Riots and the miners' strikes dominate the news as Britain edges towards chaos. The strike collapses after a year, prompting the government to press ahead with its legislation restricting trade union rights. 12 October 1984 Thatcher is the target of an IRA bomb that explodes during the Conservative party conference at the Grand Hotel in Brighton. She escapes uninjured. Five people were killed, including Conservative MP Sir Anthony Berry. 11 June 1987 Thatcher wins a third general election with a majority of 101 seats. 1 April 1990 The hugely unpopular community charge, or "poll tax", is introduced. Protests against the tax turn into riots. November 1990 A tearful Thatcher leaves Downing Street after losing the support of the party over differences on European Economic Community policy and the poll tax debacle. 30 June 1992 Takes her seat in the House of Lords as Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven. 22 March 2002 Doctors advise Thatcher to give up making public speeches for health reasons after suffering a series of strokes. 1 July 2002 Thatcher publishes a book on international relations, which includes the controversial idea that the UK should leave the EU and join Nafta. 26 June 2003 Thatcher's husband Denis dies at the age of 88. They had been married for 52 years. 13 October 2005 Thatcher marks her 80th birthday at party in a Hyde Park hotel with the Queen and Prince Philip among the guests. 13 September 2007 Gordon Brown invites Thatcher back to 10 Downing St for a visit. 30 January 2008 David Cameron presents Thatcher with a lifetime achievement award at a Great Britons award ceremony. 7 March 2008 Thatcher is admitted to hospital after being taken ill at a House of Lords dinner. Released the following day. 12 June 2009 The former prime minister suffered a broken arm in a fall. She underwent surgery and left hospital at the end of the month. 23 November 2009 Thatcher returned to Downing Street again for the unveiling of an official portrait at No 10. 8 June 2010 David Cameron, the first Conservative prime minister for 13 years, invites his predecessor to Downing Street for a private meeting. 14 October 2010 A party is held for the former prime minister's 85th birthday in Downing Street, but Thatcher is unable to attend after being taken ill with flu. She was taken to hospital and discharged two weeks later. 1 November 2010 Thatcher comes top in a YouGov/AOL poll naming the world's most influential women. 29 April 2011 Although invited, Thatcher is unable to attend the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton for health reasons. 6 January 2012 The film The Iron Lady is released, starring Meryl Streep as Thatcher and prompting a wave of media coverage analysing her time in office. 8 April 2013 Thatcher's death is announced at the age of 87.           "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher dead at 87   By Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton   1925 Margaret Hilda Roberts is born in Grantham, Lincolnshire,  on Oct. 13 to Alfred and Beatrice Roberts, owners of a local grocery business. 1936 Margaret goes to Kesteven & Grantham Girls’ School. 1943-47 Attends Oxford, studying chemistry at Somerville College. 1950 Works as a research chemist. Runs for a seat in Parliament for the first time. She loses but gains national notoriety for being the youngest female candidate.     LONDON | Mon Apr 8, 2013 3:47pm EDT (Reuters) - Margaret Thatcher, the "Iron Lady" who transformed Britain and inspired conservatives around the world by radically rolling back the state during her 11 years in power, died on Monday following a stroke. She was 87. Britain's only woman prime minister, the unyielding, outspoken Thatcher led her party to three election victories, governing from 1979 to 1990, the longest continuous term in office for a British premier in over 150 years.   A grocer's daughter with a steely resolve, she was loved and loathed in equal measure as she crushed trade unions, privatized vast swathes of British industry, clashed with allies in the European economic bloc and fought a distant and improbable war to recover the Falkland Islands from Argentinian invaders. She struck up a close relationship with U.S. President Ronald Reagan in the Cold War, backed the first President George Bush during the 1991 Gulf War, and declared that Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was a man she could "do business with". "Very few leaders get to change not only the political landscape of their country but of the world. Margaret was such a leader. Her global impact was vast," said Tony Blair, whose term as Labour prime minister from 1997-2007 he acknowledged owed a debt to the former leader of his Conservative opponents. "Some of the changes she made in Britain were, in certain respects at least, retained by the 1997 Labour government, and came to be implemented by governments around the world," said Blair. Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron cut short a visit to Europe to return to Britain after the death was announced and British flags on government buildings and royal palaces across London were lowered to half mast. President Barack Obama led an outpouring of tributes from the United States: "America has lost a true friend," he said. Mourners laid roses, tulips and lilies on the doorstep of her house in Belgravia, one of London's most exclusive areas. One note said: "The greatest British leader" while another said to "The Iron Lady", a soubriquet bestowed by a Soviet army newspaper in the 1970s and which Thatcher loved. But, in a mark of lingering anger at a woman who explained her belief in private endeavor by declaring "there is no such thing as society", someone also left a bottle of milk; to many Britons, for scrapping free milk for schoolchildren as education minister in 1971, she remained "Maggie Thatcher, Milk Snatcher". The former premier died peacefully on Monday morning at the Ritz Hotel after a stroke. Having retreated into seclusion after being deposed by her party, the death of her businessman husband Denis in 2003 and creeping dementia had kept her out of the public eye for years. She had been in poor health for months. Lord Bell, a spokesman for the family, likened her to her hero Winston Churchill - a comparison echoed on the recaptured Falkland Islands - while Cameron said she would go down as Britain's greatest peacetime prime minister. "We've lost a great leader, a great prime minister and a great Briton," Cameron said. "The real thing about Margaret Thatcher is that she didn't just lead our country, she saved our country." The government said Thatcher would have a ceremonial funeral with military honors at London's St. Paul's Cathedral, which falls short of a full state funeral, in accordance with the wishes of her family. Parliament, where she deployed fearsome and forensic debating skills that drew on her training as both a research chemist and a courtroom advocate. COLD WARRIOR The abiding domestic images of her premiership will remain those of conflict: huge police confrontations with mass ranks of coalminers whose year-long strike failed to save their pits and communities; Thatcher riding a tank in a white headscarf; and flames rising above Trafalgar Square in the riots over the deeply unpopular "poll tax" which contributed to her downfall. "I found her to be confrontational, dogmatic, abrasive, she attacked people in her own country and didn't listen to people in her own party," recalled Caspar Joseph, 51, a history teacher in Manchester. "She was destructive, nihilistic. "I will be raising a glass. I have some 1992 Dom Perignon which I have been saving for either the birth of my first grandchild or the death of Margaret Thatcher ... but actually I might drink some Argentinian wine - her attitude was contemptible over the Falklands." Some opponents said on social media that they would hold a party to celebrate her death while a website set up to ask if Thatcher was dead had received 180,000 likes by midday and was updated with a large block-capital "Yes. To those who opposed her she was blunt to a degree. "The lady's not for turning", she once informed members of her own Conservative Party who were urging her to moderate her policies. In power, she faced plotting inside her party from those who thought she was unreasonably divisive. While often deeply unpopular at home, especially in the crippled industrial heartlands of the north, Thatcher's strength won her praise and high regard in Washington, Berlin and Moscow. She formed a strong alliance against communism with Reagan and was rewarded by seeing the Berlin Wall torn down in 1989, though she opposed German unification, warning Gorbachev that a combined East and West Germany would come to dominate Europe. "Thatcher was a politician whose word carried great weight," said Gorbachev, who sought to reform the Soviet Union and improved ties with the West but failed to avert its collapse. Months before Gorbachev succeeded as Soviet leader, Thatcher famously said of him: "We can do business together". 'IRON LADY' Brought up in a flat with no hot water above her father's grocery shop in the eastern English town of Grantham, Margaret Hilda Roberts learned thrift and hard work from her Methodist father Alfred before winning a place at Oxford University to study chemistry. She met her wealthy husband Denis, a divorcee a decade her senior, at a Conservative dinner party. They married in 1951 but the young Thatcher faced snobbery from the party grandees: she was female and far too lowly. "She was the shopkeeper's daughter from Grantham who made it to the highest office in the land," Cameron said. "Margaret Thatcher took a country that was on its knees and made Britain stand tall again." As Conservatives and Labour traded power and blame for an economic and diplomatic decline in the early 1970s, Thatcher was maneuvering behind the scenes and surprised the party by winning the leadership from former premier Edward Heath in 1975. She made her mark - after a makeover that changed her hair and her voice - by focusing on fiscal prudence and common sense - potent messages when made against the backdrop of the 1978-79 "winter of discontent" when strikes brought Britain's economy to a halt and the Labour government seemed in thrall to the unions. "HANDBAGGINGS" Thatcher's used confidence in her own views to test others' opinions but ruffled many feathers, especially among Conservatives barons who found her populist views on free enterprise for all both brash and corrosive to traditions. Those who crossed her path, particularly in Europe, were subjected to withering diatribes referred to as "handbaggings". Her personal credo, founded on competition, private enterprise, thrift and self-reliance, gave birth to a political philosophy still referred to as "Thatcherism". Millions in Britain pay tribute to her radical policies, such as the selling off of public housing to its tenants. "A lot of people, my contemporaries from where I grew up, didn't like her," said Mark Guard, a 48-year-old filmmaker who grew up in public housing. "But I bought my first property age 22. I thank her for getting me out of that council estate." Placing a bunch of flowers outside her house, he added: "She was a very patriotic leader of this country and I think she changed it for the better." But many recalled past bitterness, including in Northern Ireland where republican leader Gerry Adams said she had caused "great suffering"; she took a hard line during a hunger strike in which 10 prisoners died in 1981, and three years later she survived a deadly Irish bomb attack on her party conference. Liam Porter, a 49-year-old Belfast Catholic said: "My first memory of her was she took the milk away from the schoolkids and then there was the hunger strike and the Falklands war. "The first thing I thought when I heard it this morning was ‘ding dong the witch is dead'." Thatcher clearly relished her strongwoman poster image and famously humiliated Geoffrey Howe, one of her most respected senior ministers, in front of the entire cabinet, helping to spur his resignation and her own downfall. But behind the doors of her Downing Street residence she would insist on making tea for her ministers, take care over her impeccable outfits and relax with whisky and water after the 18-hour days which became the norm of her rule. "Her outstanding characteristics will always be remembered by those who worked closely with her: courage and determination in politics, and humanity and generosity of spirit in private," said John Major, her successor as Conservative prime minister. Thatcher's combative opposition to greater European integration antagonized allies in Europe and her own ministers but which still strikes a chord with those in Britain today who fear being drawn into the troubles of the struggling euro zone. "She saved the pound and if we didn't have the pound we'd be another Greece or Portugal," said Jack Hikmet, who has owned a pharmacy in Thatcher's constituency of Finchley for 35 years. In a few tense weeks at the end of 1990, Thatcher fell from power as some of her most senior ministers, including Howe, turned on her in what she said later was treachery. Thatcher never really recovered from her ousting. "We are leaving Downing Street for the last time after 11 and a half wonderful years and we are very happy that we leave the United Kingdom in a very, very much better state than when we came here," Thatcher said. For many, the tears she shed that day gave a shocking glimpse of human frailty behind the handbag. The British economy had doubled in size under her rule. Descending into dementia after years at the top table of world politics, Thatcher became almost a recluse, living out her life behind the white-stucco walls of her Georgian townhouse. "Everyone wants to be immortal. Few are. Mrs Thatcher is," said Maurice Saatchi, the ad man behind some of her most potent election campaigns. "She developed all the winning arguments of our time: free markets, low tax, a small state, independence, individuality, self-determination. The result was a revolution in economic policy and three election victories in a row." (Additional reporting by Estelle Shirbon, Stephen Addison, Rosalba O'Brien, Christine Murray, Dasha Afanasieva, Paul Sandle and Mike Holden in London, Ian MacKenzie in Edinburgh, Sonia Oxley in Manchester and Steven Gutterman in Moscow; Editing by Giles Elgood and Alastair Macdonald)         Margaret Thatcher, a political phenomenon, dies aged 87 Britain's first female prime minister whose three terms broke the pattern of postwar politics Share 946     inShare4 Email Anne Perkins The Guardian, Monday 8 April 2013 08.27 EDT Margaret Thatcher was a global figure, dubbed the Iron Lady, but her time in power was often mired in controversy. Photograph: Graham Whitby-Boot/Allstar/Sportsphoto Margaret Thatcher, who has died aged 87, was a political phenomenon. She was the first woman elected to lead a major western power; the longest serving British prime minister for 150 years; the most dominant and the most divisive force in British politics in the second half of the 20th century. She was also a global figure, a star in the US, a heroine in the former Soviet republics of central Europe, a point of reference for politicians in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. In Britain, the Thatcher years were a watershed. After them, the ideals of collective effort, full employment and a managed economy – all tarnished by the recurring crises of the 1970s – were discredited in the popular imagination. They were replaced with the politics of me and mine, deregulation of the markets and privatisation of the state's assets that echoed growing individual prosperity. Thatcher did not cause these changes, but she legitimised and embedded them. Her belief in the moral authority of the individual and the imperative of freedom of choice led left as well as right to reappraise the welfare state. Her perception of economics, society and Britain's place in the world continue to shape British politics. It is often claimed that she gave no warning of the revolution she was about to unleash when she won her first majority in 1979. In fact, although the official manifesto was opaque, her speeches in the years between defeating Edward Heath for the leadership of the Conservative party in 1975 and coming to power laid out the ideology that underpinned her policies over the next 11 years. Thatcher was pragmatic about her methods but constant in her targets: socialism, the Labour party and above all the collectivist state that Labour, abetted by one-nation postwar Conservatism, had constructed. She believed that the state was a burden on private enterprise. Its cost was crippling the economy and overloading it with debt. Vested interest had been allowed to flourish, most notably in the trade unions but also in the nationalised industries of coal, steel and telecommunications. Many others shared her analysis. The strength of her beliefs gave her the courage to push on where others might have conciliated. She came to ignore criticism with a ruthlessness that was in the end her undoing. She was not the only person who saw a world divided between good and evil. What marked her out was a willingness to say so, abroad as well as at home. Soviet leaders, after years of detente, were startled to find their regime denounced as the embodiment of inhumanity, bent on military expansion. Before she had won a general election vote in the UK, Thatcher had won the sobriquet overseas of the Iron Lady. Only an outsider could have given birth to an ideology as iconoclastic as Thatcherism, and Thatcher always regarded herself as a challenger of the status quo, a rebel leader against established power. What mattered to her was less the breadth of her support than the depth of her convictions. In time, there grew around her a mythology that rooted her absolute faith in the individual in her upbringing above the grocer's shop in the Lincolnshire town of Grantham. She was the second of two daughters of Alderman Alfred Roberts and his wife, Beatrice. The two girls were educated at Kesteven and Grantham girls' school, and at 17 Margaret won a place to study chemistry at Somerville College, Oxford, where she was tutored by the future Nobel prizewinner Dorothy Hodgkin (with whom she remained on respectful terms, despite Hodgkin's passionate opposition to nuclear weapons). She graduated in 1947. Less than two years later she was selected to contest the hopeless Kent seat of Dartford, despite the reservations of some party activists who were appalled at the prospect of a 23-year-old woman as their candidate. She contested Dartford in both the 1950 and 1951 general elections. It was at a social function after her first adoption meeting that she met Denis Thatcher, a businessman with a passion for rugby who had earlier rejected the chance of fighting the seat himself. Denis drove the candidate back to London. Well-off, divorced and amiable, Denis ran his family paint firm, which was later absorbed into Burmah Oil. They were married in December 1951. In 1953, their twins, Mark and Carol, were born. Denis, it was claimed, spent the day at a cricket match – Carol later called their marriage "a partnership of parallel lives" – and while still in the maternity hospital, Margaret signed up to study for her bar finals. She was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1954. For a young woman with a new family, to become an MP was unprecedented. But in 1958, she was selected for the rock-solid north London constituency of Finchley, the seat she represented from October 1959 until she retired at the general election in 1992. In October 1961, after only 20 months on the backbenches, the then prime minister, Harold Macmillan, made Thatcher a junior pensions minister (a job she later gave to her own successor, John Major). It would be nearly 30 years before she returned to the backbenches. In 1967, with her party in opposition, she was promoted to the shadow cabinet by the new party leader, Heath, and when he won the election of June 1970, she became education secretary, the only woman in the cabinet. Here, her public reputation was made as "Thatcher the milk-snatcher", the minister who cut spending by ending universal free milk for primary school children. It was a defining moment, but also a rare breach of the Conservatives' unwillingness to disturb the postwar consensus. Much more in keeping was her continuation of Labour's plan to replace grammar schools with comprehensives. But she was at the ringside as Heath's experiments in monetarism and industrial relations legislation crashed and burned. Heath resumed the interventionist policies of the 1950s. In February 1974, as a miners' overtime ban prompted power cuts and the introduction of a three-day working week, Heath asked: "Who governs Britain?" He lost the general election. Thatcher later claimed she had always been uncomfortable with Heath's consensual approach. At the time, however, she was silent and loyal. However, after Harold Wilson narrowly won a second election victory in October 1974, Thatcher was among the embryonic new right preparing to challenge Heath. Its intellectual leader was Keith Joseph, but his chance of leading the party vanished with a notorious speech, claiming that the poor had too many children. Thatcher decided she would put her name forward for the contest. "Someone who represents our viewpoint has to stand," she told Joseph. Denis told her she was out of her mind, a view echoed in every newspaper. To a party that could not decide whether it was worse to be female or to be suburban, she appeared entirely unelectable. Yet she defeated Heath in the first ballot and four other contenders in the second. The beaten favourites included William Whitelaw, the man who was later her indispensable deputy. She won in an ambush that capitalised on discontent with Heath rather than positive enthusiasm for her. As a result, she was never sure of her party: "Is he one of us?" became the defining question of the next 11 years. Many of her backbench colleagues shared the prevailing view in the Labour government that Thatcher's leadership made the Tories unelectable. She worked assiduously to meet a barrage of criticism – criticisms that often focused as much on attributes of gender as on matters of policy. Her hair, her clothes and particularly her voice were attacked. Politics remained a largely male preserve, about the strength to confront, whether it was trade union power, economic crisis or Soviet threat. Thatcher's only cabinet-level experience had been in a relative backwater. She had always conformed to the norms of a woman in public life. Engaged in discourse largely with men, she observed the conventions, flirted, sometimes shouted and occasionally wept. Her advisers emphasised the feminine, softened her appearance and lowered her voice. Yet she was always most authentic when she was defiant. If a single phrase captured her political identity, it was from her 1980 party conference speech: "This lady's not for turning." She played by the rules that demanded that she present herself as soft and yielding, but by her diligent attention to detail, the concentration of her focus, and her appetite for conflict, ultimately she subverted them. Thatcher drew up a new settlement with the welfare state, and organised labour and the City in a way that rewarded enterprise and individual effort over the collective and the communitarian. She regarded group interests, from trade unions to the professions, as protectors of privilege. Although monetarism had already been forced upon the preceding Labour government by the International Monetary Fund, under Thatcher it was presented as a crusade, until it was discreetly abandoned in the mid-1980s.As the global slump reached its nadir in early 1981, she and her chancellor, Geoffrey Howe, defied all appeals for Keynesian-style reflation. In the first budget of the administration, VAT was nearly doubled to 15% while personal taxes were slashed – the top rate of income tax from 83% to 60%, and the standard rate from 33% to 30%. Over the next 10 years, the standard rate came down to 25%, and the top rate to 40%. Interest rates were to be the principal method of controlling the money supply. Removing exchange controls was the first symbolic piece of deregulation. In September 1982, unemployment – which became the de facto weapon against the trade unions – reached 3 million. A series of employment acts were introduced which ended trade unions' traditional show-of-hands votes and brought in secret pre-strike ballots as well as decennial votes on the political levy. Wages councils were constrained. In a second tranche of legislation in the late 1980s, the closed shop and secondary strike action were outlawed. Thatcher thought the government had no role to play in public sector pay negotiations or in seeking to secure industrial peace. The steelworkers were the first to clash, and although, in 1981, planned pit closures were aborted to avert a miners' strike, by early 1984 the government was prepared – literally – for what was to be the last stand of the old trade union movement in its heavy industry heartland: the year-long showdown with the miners that culminated in mass closures and ultimately privatisation. Thatcher shrugged off record personal unpopularity and relished facing down her critics. But she would not have survived without the crisis on the left which led to the formation of the breakaway Social Democratic party. In 1981 there were riots in Brixton, south London, Toxteth in Liverpool and Manchester's Moss Side. From March 1984, striking miners and police were in frequent, violent confrontation. In 1985 Brixton erupted again, and there was rioting too in the Handsworth area of Birmingham. In the same year PC Keith Blakelock was murdered during disturbances on the Broadwater Farm estate in Tottenham, north London. Privatisation, which came to be a fundamental of the Thatcherite mission, was only hinted at in 1979, and in the depression of the early 1980s caution prevailed. When the ailing nationalised motor manufacturer British Leyland ran into trouble in early 1980, Joseph, then Thatcher's industry minister, bailed it out like a Heathite. Nonetheless, in 1980-81 more than £400m was raised from selling shares in companies such as Ferranti and Cable and Wireless. Later came North Sea oil (Britoil) and British Ports, and from late 1984 the major sales of British Telecom, British Gas and British Airways, culminating at the end of the decade in water and electricity. By this time these sales were raising more than £5bn a year. Conflict was at the heart of Thatcher's style. But it is a myth that she never ducked a challenge. Ever a pragmatist, she was astute in the fights she picked. The battles during her first term, from 1979 to 1983, ranged across a forbiddingly wide terrain and set the tone for the years to come. Not all of the challenges were sought: the IRA was behind many of them. In August 1979 Lord Mountbatten and 18 soldiers were murdered in separate attacks. In April 1980, she authorised the SAS to launch their live-on-TV rescue of 19 hostages from Iraqi-trained terrorists in the Iranian embassy siege. The following year, she refused to intervene to prevent the deaths of Bobby Sands and nine other republican hunger strikers in the Maze prison in Northern Ireland. The IRA's mainland bombing campaign that ensued added to the impression of a government under siege. Airey Neave, who had run Thatcher's leadership campaign, had been assassinated by the Irish National Liberation Army just before the 1979 election. She lost another intimate, Ian Gow, at the hands of the IRA 10 years later. On 12 October 1984 the Provisionals' campaign nearly claimed Thatcher herself. Five people died in the bombing of the Grand hotel during the Conservative party conference in Brighton. Others, including the cabinet ministers Norman Tebbit and John Wakeham, were seriously injured. The prime minister responded with resilience. Betraying no sign of shock, she delivered her speech to the conference later the same day, as planned. She was already negotiating with Dublin what was to become a year later the Anglo-Irish agreement, an attempt to improve security co-operation for which she faced down her Ulster Unionist friends and conceded the acceptance of an Irish dimension in the affairs of Northern Ireland. She did not seek a settlement, but with hindsight the agreement can be read as a major step in the peace process. The conflict with which she was most closely identified, and the one that arguably rescued her from being just a one-term wonder, was the Falklands war. On 2 April 1982, General Leopoldo Galtieri invaded the islands in the South Atlantic. Discussions about a leaseback and the removal of a naval patrol vessel had been misread as a sign that Britain was ready to abandon its distant colony. Thatcher, ignoring the initial advice given to her by much of her cabinet – and inspired by the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Henry Leach – took the extraordinary risk of dispatching a taskforce to retake the islands. While negotiations for a peaceful outcome stuttered on through the US secretary of state, Alexander Haig, the Royal Navy steamed south. On 21 May the British landed and on 14 June the Argentinians surrendered. Less than a year later, the Conservatives were returned with a majority of 144 over a divided opposition. Thatcher's years in office were bookended by two defining events of global significance. On Christmas Day 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Ten years later, the Berlin Wall came down, heralding the collapse of the Soviet empire. The invasion of Afghanistan reinforced Thatcher's belief in the expansionist intent of the Soviet empire. She became the evangelist for America's ambition to upgrade its own and Nato's nuclear defences with Cruise and Pershing missiles. In 1980 she announced Cruise would come to Britain. As a result, the perimeter fence around the RAF base at Greenham Common, Berkshire, became the centre for a decade of anti-nuclear campaigning by women's groups. She negotiated to upgrade Britain's independent nuclear deterrent by acquiring Trident II, at a cost of £7.5bn. Yet for all the attention to hardware, Thatcher always believed its citizens would be the ones to destroy the Soviet empire. Visiting the Berlin Wall in 1982, she prophesied that it would be brought down by the "anger and frustration of the people". She promoted co-operation and fostered relations with Poland and Hungary, encouraging their leaders to imagine a world after communism. At the same time, she sought out modernisers in the Soviet Union and brought Mikhail Gorbachev, when he was still a relatively minor figure in the Politburo, to the attention of Ronald Reagan as a man "to do business with". She made a triumphant visit to Russia in 1987 where she was mobbed by the public and took the argument against communism direct to live television, "as if she was fighting a byelection in Moscow North," this paper's correspondent wrote. If her subsequent reluctance to accept German reunification suggests her belief in the people was less deep-rooted than she would claim, she was a leading force in undermining the power of the Soviet Union. In her battle against communism, she marched in step with the US. She and Reagan were in particular sympathy (sorely tested when, in October 1983, the US invaded the Caribbean island of Grenada, a Commonwealth member), although she disagreed strongly with his dream of major nuclear disarmament. That, she considered, was a threat to European security. The Westland affair early in 1986 marked the beginnings of Thatcher's break with Europe. She preferred to see the ailing British helicopter company merge with the American Sikorsky rather than accept the European solution that her defence secretary and leading critic, Michael Heseltine, had wanted. He resigned. In the ensuing row, Thatcher came close to being implicated in the deliberate discrediting of her rival. Her protege, the trade secretary Leon Brittan, was forced to resign. Her pro-Americanism was sealed in April 1986 by her support, alone in Europe, for the US bombing raid on Libya. Thatcher had originally been a supporter of Britain's membership of the Common Market and Labour's complete rejection of it after the successful referendum in 1975 only strengthened its appeal to her. However, she was elected in 1979 on a promise to seek a budget rebate, a preoccupation that dogged every summit for her first five years until she reluctantly agreed a settlement at Fontainebleau in 1984. A period of relative calm, during which Thatcher advocated speeding up the single market negotiations followed, until the passage of the Single European Act in 1987. At that point, she realised that her ideal of Europe as a trading partner, a market for British goods and services where remaining trade barriers would wither away, was at odds with the vision of closer political integration shared by the European commission president, Jacques Delors, and most other European nations. Her battles against it became one of the deadly fissures in her relations with her cabinet. It is one of the paradoxes of an era that will be remembered for its hostility to the EU that in the Single European Act (which led to the Maastricht treaty), Thatcher ceded more control over British affairs than any prime minister before, while in sponsoring the Channel tunnel, she established a permanent land route to the continent. In 1988, she made a speech in Bruges attacking "creeping Euro-federalism". Throughout the following year, her chancellor, Nigel Lawson, fought for a date for sterling to join the exchange rate mechanism (ERM), to which the UK was committed and which would allow interest rates to fall. Thatcher was determined that the value of the pound should not be pegged to European currencies. Protesting at the influence of the economist Alan Walters as a rival centre of advice, Lawson resigned. Thatcher's desire to build a free-market Europe was matched by her attempt to strengthen the role of the individual against the state at home. The election of June 1987 produced another landslide, her third election victory. It heralded a programme of radical public sector reform intended to assert the power of the consumer and bring market discipline into schools and hospitals. The 1988 Education Act brought in city technology colleges and grant-maintained schools, free of local authority control. Housing action trusts further limited local councils' room for manoeuvre. A purchaser-provider split was introduced into the NHS. The rhetoric of public spending cuts continued, although the records show that public spending rose every year in her time in office, declining only as a share of GDP. Local councils, particularly Ken Livingstone's Greater London council, were among Thatcher's most effective critics. Her response was the poll tax, properly known as the community charge, levied on an individual basis that would link council spending to local taxes. She ignored advice that such a tax would be impossible to collect and that it was also severely regressive. In March 1990 there were protests and riots in a mass rejection of an unjust tax. Meanwhile the party splits over Europe were reaching a climax. Geoffrey Howe, an early and loyal Thatcherite, had supported Lawson over Britain's membership of the ERM. Only the threat of their resignation had forced her to agree to join. In revenge, Howe was sacked as foreign secretary and made leader of the House and deputy prime minister. In October 1990, as Thatcher stood at the dispatch box after the Rome summit (where she had been ambushed with demands for further integration) dismissing, it seemed, any progress at all with "No! No! No!", Howe finally resolved to resign. The defiance that had once so impressed her party, and many in the country, now sounded dangerously deluded even to some of her closest supporters, especially those in marginal seats. It took less than 10 days – from 13 November when Howe made his resignation speech to 22 November when Thatcher announced her resignation – for Conservative MPs to eject her. At the 1992 election, Thatcher retired from the Commons and took a seat in the Lords. Powerfully affected by a sense of injustice, she found it hard to desert the field of domestic politics. Her only consolation was that in ensuring the accession for her favourite, Major, she denied it to Heseltine. But she was soon letting it be known that Major was not, after all, one of us. After his defeat in May 1997, his successors – with the exception of Iain Duncan Smith – were found to be disappointments too. The first of her two volumes of memoirs, The Downing Street Years, appeared in 1993, followed two years later by The Path to Power. She also established the Thatcher Foundation, which, funded by the large fees she could command for public speaking in the US and Japan, was intended to promote her ideas, not least in the emerging democracies of eastern Europe. In March 2002, after a series of minor strokes, she gave up public speaking. Thatcher broke the pattern of postwar politics and changed its nature. Labour accommodated rather than reversed her attack on the welfare state and left her employment legislation almost untouched. When the Conservatives finally returned to power in May 2010, in coalition with the Liberal Democrats, David Cameron and George Osborne shared her priorities and used her language. So complete, it seems, was her undermining of the role of the state that even the catastrophic failure of deregulated markets has yet to trigger a reappraisal. It is a paradox of her period in office that, while seeking to limit the scope of government, she introduced a style of command and control, top-down, centralised authority that strengthened it and has proved hard for her successors to resist. It has leaked into the way political parties are managed, so that they struggle to regenerate a spirit of local activism. Some of the most valuable institutions of civil society from the churches to the trade unions have been scarred by her attacks on collective enterprise. Denis, to whom Thatcher had awarded a baronetcy in her resignation honours, died in 2003. She is survived by Mark and Carol and her two grandchildren, Michael and Amanda. • Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Lady Thatcher, politician, born 13 October 1925; died 8 April 2013 ·         More on Margaret Thatcher ·         Tributes paid to groundbreaking but divisive leader • Former British PM dies after a stroke aged 87 • Cameron praises Thatcher's 'lion-hearted love' for Britain • Guardian survey: 50% say she was 'positive' for UK ·         No state funeral for Thatcher ·         Live Thatcher dies – news and reaction ·         Margaret Thatcher dies aged 87 ·         David Cameron leads tributes to Iron Lady ·         Reaction from around the world ·         Britain divided on Thatcher record, but 50% claim positive contribution – poll ·         Falklands mourn 'number one person in our history' ·         Comment ·         Editorial: the lady and the land she leaves behind ·         Margaret Thatcher's Britain: we still live in the land Maggie built Jonathan Freedland: The coalition is maintaining Thatcher's project of rolling back the frontiers of the state, dismantling the settlement that held from 1945 until it unravelled in the 1970s ·         What did Margaret Thatcher do for Britain? Panel verdict ·         Glenn Greenwald: Margaret Thatcher and misapplied death etiquette ·         Steve Bell's cartoon ·         Further coverage ·         Is Thatcher Dead Yet? website creators face Twitter threats Creators face angry tweets after website updated to read 'Margaret Thatcher is dead. This lady's not returning.' By Charles Arthur ·         Margaret Thatcher's death greeted with street parties in Brixton and Glasgow ·         In Margaret Thatcher's hometown, a solitary bouquet of tulips ·         Little sympathy for Margaret Thatcher among former opponents ·         The films that defined the Thatcher era ·         What is Thatcherism? ·         Margaret Thatcher's political legacy remains impossible to avoid ·         Thatcher's children: a tale of twins with mixed blessings ·         Margaret Thatcher: the villain of political pop ·         Who is Margaret Thatcher? Confusion reigns online ·         Michael Billington: Thatcher casts long shadow over arts ·         Analysis ·         No-nonsense Iron Lady punched above UK's weight on world stage Margaret Thatcher's time in office saw a series of momentous global challenges in which Britain was often intimately involved ·         Did Margaret Thatcher transform Britain's economy for better or worse? ·         How Britain changed under Margaret Thatcher, in 15 charts ·         The look: from the pearls to the handbag ·         Michael White on Thatcher's legacy ·         Poll: should Thatcher receive a state funeral? ·         Multimedia ·         Lady Thatcher: 'the prime minister who changed the world' - video obituary Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee, Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin and late Labour pollster Philip Gould look back at the life and legacy of Margaret Thatcher ·         David Cameron: Thatcher saved our country ·         Jeffrey Archer: she changed country for the better ·         A life in pictures ·         From the archive ·         23 November 1990: Thatcher resigns More from the Guardian Margaret Thatcher dead at 87 following stroke 08 Apr 2013 How Britain changed under Margaret Thatcher. In 15 charts 08 Apr 2013 Margaret Thatcher: a life in pictures 08 Apr 2013           Factbox: British reaction to the death of Margaret Thatcher Related Interactive Timeline: Margaret Thatcher's life The Iron Lady The life of Margaret Thatcher.  Slideshow  LONDON | Mon Apr 8, 2013 12:12pm EDT (Reuters) - Here are some of the British reactions to the death of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher on Monday: DAVID CAMERON, PRIME MINISTER, CONSERVATIVE LEADER "Today is a truly sad day for our country. We've lost a great prime minister, a great leader, a great Briton. "As our first woman prime minister, Margaret Thatcher succeeded against all the odds, and the real thing about Margaret Thatcher is that she didn't just lead our country, she saved our country. And I believe she'll go down as the greatest British peacetime prime minister." NICK CLEGG, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, LIBERAL DEMOCRAT LEADER   "Whatever side of the political debate you stand on, no one can deny that as prime minister she left a unique and lasting imprint on the country she served. "She may have divided opinion during her time in politics but everyone will be united today in acknowledging the strength of her personality and the radicalism of her politics." ED MILIBAND, LEADER OF OPPOSITION LABOUR PARTY "The Labour Party disagreed with much of what she did and she will always remain a controversial figure. But we can disagree and also greatly respect her political achievements and her personal strength. "She also defined the politics of the 1980s. David Cameron, Nick Clegg and I all grew up in a politics shaped by Lady Thatcher. We took different paths but with her as the crucial figure of that era." TONY BENN, LABOUR MINISTER IN THE 1970S, POLITICAL OPPONENT "She did make war on a lot of people in Britain and I don't think it helped our society." TONY BLAIR, FORMER LABOUR PRIME MINISTER "Very few leaders get to change not only the political landscape of their country but of the world. Margaret was such a leader. "Her global impact was vast. And some of the changes she made in Britain were, in certain respects at least, retained by the 1997 Labour Government, and came to be implemented by governments around the world." JOHN MAJOR, THATCHER'S IMMEDIATE SUCCESSOR AS CONSERVATIVE PRIME MINISTER "Her reforms of the economy, trades union law, and her recovery of the Falkland Islands elevated her above normal politics, and may not have been achieved under any other leader. "Her outstanding characteristics will always be remembered by those who worked closely with her: courage and determination in politics, and humanity and generosity of spirit in private." PETER TATCHELL, CIVIL RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER "Margaret Thatcher: extraordinary but heartless." "Thatcher initiated policies that paved the way for the current economic crisis: the decimation of Britain's manufacturing base, the get-rich-quick business mentality, the promotion of the free market and the poorly regulated banking sector." KEN LIVINGSTONE, FORMER LABOUR MAYOR OF LONDON, THATCHER FOE "She created today's housing crisis, she produced the banking crisis, she created the benefits crisis. "She decided when she wrote off our manufacturing industry that she could live with two or three million unemployed and the legacy of that (is) the benefits bill that we are still struggling with today." "In actual fact, every real problem we face today is the legacy of the fact she was fundamentally wrong." PAUL KENNY, GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE GMB LABOUR UNION "Mrs Thatcher was a powerful politician who will be remembered by many for the destructive and divisive policies she reigned over which in the end, even in the Tory (Conservative) party, proved to be her downfall. "Her legacy involves the destruction of communities, the elevation of personal greed over social values and legitimizing the exploitation of the weak by the strong." BORIS JOHNSON, CONSERVATIVE MAYOR OF LONDON "Her memory will live long after the world has forgotten the grey suits of today's politics." (Reporting By Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Michael Roddy)     http://www.dhpro.net/photogallery.html   http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/04/08/kevin-cullen-thatcher-actions-inflamed-the-troubles/nv2ONhkY0dKTCoTxwuWbHK/story.html   http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/04/08/margaret-thatcher-prime-minister-dies/2062487/   http://www.websitesrcg.com/border/why-the-border.html   http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2013/apr/08/miliband-clegg-local-elections-cameron-madrid     http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/apr/08/life-of-margaret-thatcher-timeline   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/peace/   http://www.upf.org/component/search/?searchword=thatcher&ordering=newest&searchphrase=all   http://www.hindustantimes.com/photos-news/Photos-AishwaryaRaiBachchan/aishwaryapeaceday/Article4.aspx   http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2011/12/margaret-thatcher-201112   http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/oral/thatcher/1.html   http://www.canada.com/news/national/Thatcher+inspired+because+from+principle/8212755/story.html   http://video.msnbc.msn.com/mitchell-reports/51468925/#51468925   http://video.msnbc.msn.com/mitchell-reports/51468831/#51468831     http://www.upf.org/programs/speeches/209-h-moon-vision-and-leadership   http://community.omtimes.com/forum/topics/invitation-to-work-with   http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Margaret+Thatcher+saw+Berlin+Wall%27s+fall+as+German+threat+to+peace,...-a0211043814   http://ph.news.yahoo.com/the-new-peace-ambassadors--armed-with-charm--influence.html   http://article.wn.com/view/2012/12/28/Secret_files_reveal_Margaret_Thatcher_blasted_Ronald_Reagan_/#/related_news     http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/773527.shtml#.UWNIaVeHCB4   http://www.jpost.com/International/PM-Thatcher-a-true-friend-of-Jewish-People-Israel-309090   http://hotair.com/archives/2013/04/08/breaking-margaret-thatcher-passes-away/       IT IS A LIFE PURPOSEFULLY LIVED.

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

In Memoriam: Baroness Margaret Thatcher By Mark Brann, Secretary General, UPF-Europe    Monday, April 08, 2013 It was with deep regret that all at Universal Peace Federation learned of the passing on April 8 of our renowned former Prime Minister and dear friend Baroness Thatcher, after a stroke. We join with so many others around the nation and the entire world in mourning her passing and expressing our heartfelt condolences to her family - particularly her two children, Mr. Mark Thatcher and Mrs. Carole Thatcher. Our thoughts and prayers at this sad time are with Lady Thatcher herself (may she truly rest in peace!) and with her surviving family! (Photo on left is Lady Thatcher meeting Dr. Thomas Walsh, Universal Peace Federation International President, to receive a Leadership and Good Governance Award.) Although a certain sense of sadness is inevitable, we feel it is nevertheless far more a time to celebrate the remarkable life and accomplishments of someone who was truly a figure of global and by no means merely British or European influence and, by common consent, one of the greatest ever British Prime Ministers. Although every person has their flaws and not all her views would reflect UPF values, Lady Thatcher was a great champion of freedom around the world, both through her tireless opposition to Soviet-backed communism and to tyranny in all its forms. Also her insistence on the importance of the responsibility of the individual as the basis for building a free, just, and prosperous society, values that UPF very much shares and seeks to realize in all that it does. What was not commonly known to most was that Lady Thatcher held UPF's Founder, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, and many projects and activities of his in high regard. There is no doubt that she felt a  profound empathy and respect towards him based on his tireless devotion to exposing the wrongs of global communism and in promoting the core values of "family, faith and freedom." That empathy was strengthened by her own often deeply painful experience of working desperately to change things for the good of all and finding that all kinds of negative forces came against her and that she was vilified for her efforts. This, as she surely realized, was a recurring theme in both of their lives! In 2007, on the 25th anniversary of The Washington Times (also founded by Rev. Moon) she sent a touching DVD tribute to be shown to the distinguished audience at the celebration in that city. This included, among many others, the 41st U.S. President, George H.W. Bush. In it she acknowledged the newspaper's important role in combating global communism, a contribution that had moved President Ronald Reagan to credit the paper on the occasion of its 10th anniversary in 1992 by saying "Oh yes, and together we won the cold war." She also lauded the newspaper's core journalistic and other values. In 2008 Lady Thatcher was proud and visibly moved to receive UPF's Leadership and Good Governance Award, one instigated by Rev. and Mrs. Moon and received by many other prominent world leaders over the years. She can be seen to the right the citation and wearing the accompanying gold medal with UPF-Europe Secretary General, Mr Mark Brann at the award ceremony in London. She expressed herself as being always willing to help. "If ever you need me, just give me a call," she said with real feeling. And she was always as good as her word. Thus in 2010, being informed of Rev. Moon's 90th birthday celebrations she composed a special birthday greeting letter in her own hand expressing the hope that it would be a "splendid occasion." Baroness Thatcher will be deeply missed by many, but there can be no doubt that her legacy will live on for generations and be an important part of the world of lasting peace that UPF is committed to help build! Credit for Photos: Mr. Andy Johnson The Leadership and Good Governance Award is presented by the Universal Peace Federation to people manifesting standards of excellence in leadership, integrating professional expertise and practical wisdom with moral and spiritual principles. Candidates from all fields and realms of governance are considered, including leaders from religion, government, non-governmental organizations, corporations, and educational institutions. Recipients include current and former heads of state and government, parliamentarians, and significant religious leaders throughout the world.

H. E. Prof. KUM Nelson Bame Bame IV, Ambassador -UPF-UN,  Senior Banker, Manager, Entrepreneur, Engineer www.bamekum.com,  www.bamebame.org, www.bamekum.org, www.bamebame.com A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Spring Week of Goodness Launched in Moscow By UPF - Russia    Friday, April 26, 2013 Moscow, Russia - The long-awaited Spring Week of Goodness under the motto "We are creating our future together!" was launched in Moscow on April 20. Each year there is a growing number of people wishing to participate in cleaning streets and parks, planting trees, giving charity concerts, assisting children and war veterans, and taking part in sports activities. Each year, UPF and the Young Ambassadors for Peace organize various events during Russia's Spring Week of Goodness. 05/19      Youth Community, under the Department for Culture of the Moscow Government, UPF, and the Land and People charitable foundation, with assistance of the Izmailovsky City Park for Culture and Recreation organized "All Together!" on April 20 and 21. Despite the cloudy weather, at the main stage of the Izmailovsky Park many volunteers assembled to contribute to improvement of the surroundings. It is a good feeling to help benefit nearby people, especially when many of them are young families and visitors to the capital who are walking in the park to take a breath of fresh air, enjoy the singing birds, and find refuge from the bustle of the city. A few hours of collecting old leaves and trash as well as doing other useful work passed quickly, especially for those who worked in groups, where they could enjoy the additional pleasure of communicating and keeping alive the spark of volunteering. On completion of the activity, those who wished stayed to enjoy pleasant conversation over a cup of hot tea; and then each participant received a letter of thanks from the organizers and an invitation to future programs of the kind. Even more enthusiasts gathered together on Sunday, April 21, a cool day, for activities including a sports components and even a captivating flash-mob dance promoting a clean world. As it turned out, at three venues in Moscow and in several cities of Russia guys from the Chisto Lyubie movement organized simultaneous flash mob dances with one simple goal: to draw attention to the purity of not only on the streets, but also in the hearts! One of initiators of the event, Dmitry Samko, Secretary General of UPF-Russia, shared about the Run Hour program taking place simultaneously in ten cities of Russia during the Spring Week of Goodness. All who wished went for a run in the Izmailovo Park, and at the end they were welcomed by another event organizer, Eugenia Beginina from Youth Community, with plenty of green balloons, symbolizing the pure world. And, of course, each participant launched his balloon into the sky much to the delight of families with children! At the end of the two-day program volunteers participated in a Play Football Make Peace tournament, where in a friendly but highly competitive atmosphere the UPF team became the champion. The team from the Healthy Youth Foundation was the second, and bronze medals were handed to the Dream Team from the Youth Community. Organizers hope that such a vivid and memorable start of the Spring Week of Goodness in the Izmailovo Park will give impetus to further volunteer projects and strengthen the desire of the younger generation to continue their deeds of goodness!

[H.E. KUM Nelson Bame IV]

Message for the International Day of Families 2013 Tuesday, May 14, 2013 Families hold societies together, and intergenerational relationships extend this legacy over time. This year’s International Day of Families is an occasion to celebrate connections among all members of the constellation that makes up a family. It is also an opportunity to reflect on how they are affected by social and economic trends – and what we can do to strengthen families in response. Unemployment is forcing many young people, often eager for independence, to rely on their parents longer than they would have hoped. The lack of affordable and quality childcare is complicating efforts by parents in dual-earner families to combine their work and home obligations. Inadequate pensions and care for older persons demands more attention as we succeed in our goal of extending lives. These challenges make family support more important than ever – for the young person seeking a job while living with their parents, for the grandparent who relies on their children for shelter and care, and for the many members of extended families who take on childcare responsibilities. Around the world, family members are doing their part. They deserve support from policy-makers and decision-makers, from public institutions and private businesses. There is a growing recognition around the world that we need to strengthen policies promoting intergenerational solidarity and support intergenerational programmes and initiatives. Evidence shows that adequate pensions and caregiver support help not only older persons but whole families. Intergenerational programmes promoting volunteering among the young and old benefit all generations. Opportunities for people of all ages to bond revitalize whole communities. Intergenerational initiatives also address global development priorities. They counteract inequality and exclusion, encourage active citizenship and even improve public infrastructure through community-based projects. On this International Day of Families, I call on governments, civil society, families and individuals to support initiatives that bring people together across generations toward build a healthier world for all.