Ethiopia: Observers dismayed at further delay in trial of Daniel and Netsanet

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top Stories
- INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

___________________

ERITREA-ETHIOPIA DEADLINE EXPIRES TODAY
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Public Statement
(On Danile and Netsanet's case)
___________________

(Click on picture to act on behalf of Daniel and Netsanet)

[CIVICUS - Whiteband] Ethiopian anti-poverty activists Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie will remain in prison for at least another 24 days, as Judges in Ethiopia's High Court today delayed their verdict for the third time in two months, postponing it until 24 December.

"We are deeply dismayed by the court's decision to delay the verdict yet again. These numerous postponements are unacceptable and infringe the rights of these innocent civil society leaders to a fair and swift trial. But we will not be deterred - we and others around the world will continue to insist on their immediate and unconditional release ," said Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of CIVICUS and Co-Chair of GCAP.

After 25 months in prison, Daniel and Netsanet, both coordinators of the Global Call to Action against Poverty in Ethiopia , are the last two accused in the high profile Ethiopian treason trial that originally charged 131 politicians, journalists, organisations and civil society leaders in the wake of the country's May 2005 parliamentary elections. They were due to hear their verdict this morning in Addis Ababa, on charges of conspiracy to overthrow the government, specifically, "outrage against the constitution and constitutional order," which carries a possible sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty.

In delaying the verdict, the court announced that one of the judges is ill and must be replaced. The postponement is allegedly to allow the replacement judge to familiarise himself with the case.

___________________

Dr. Yacob Hailemariam to speak at Norfolk, December 5, 2007
(Event sponsored by Tidewater Peace Alliance and Amnesty International)

Dr. Berhanu Nega to speak at an Upcoming Conference - Linking Human Rights and Development: A strategy for Africa (December 6, 2007) (Sponsored by Amnesty International)
___________________

US department of state
Released on November 29, 2007

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Travel to Ethiopia Next Week

In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Secretary will attend a meeting with leaders from the African Great Lakes states to discuss issues of regional peace and security on December 5. She also will hold bilateral meetings with the Government of Ethiopia.
Also see: Rice to visit Ethiopia in rare Africa trip
___________________

Dueling Dictators: Newsweek

Newsweek - If there were an award for the most pointless war of the last 25 years, Ethiopia and Eritrea's 1998-2000 border battle might well take the prize.(More...)

___________________

ETHIOPIAN GOVT. FORCING UNTRAINED CIVILIANS TO FIGHT REBELS, REFUGEES SAY
McClatchy Newspapers



Ethiopian soldiers have forcibly drafted hundreds of civilians to fight separatist rebels in the desolate, predominantly Muslim Ogaden region in a shadowy military campaign supported by the Bush administration, according to more than a dozen refugees and former recruits who've fled to neighboring Kenya.(More...)
___________________

Today's Top Stories

-Revenge drives young Somali militant
-Ten more killed in north Mogadishu fighting
-Kenya arrests 12 suspected Ethiopian rebels
-Ethiopia, Eritrea tread a thin line
-Atrocities alleged in eastern Ethiopia
-Meles denies rights abuses in Ogaden
-Ethiopia: UN Humanitarian Chief Concludes Visit
-Somali PM works to put cabinet together
-Call to attack Uganda peacekeepers divides insurgency

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

Kasparov Warns of ‘Chaos’ in Russia - Released from jail after serving a five-day sentence for leading an opposition march, Garry Kasparov, the former chess champion, warned today that Russia was heading toward chaos under President Vladimir V. Putin.(More...)

-New Ebola Strain Blamed for Killing 16 in Uganda
-Sudan protesters: Execute teacher
-Musharraf Is Sworn In as a Civilian President
-Australia's new prime minister names his own cabinet
-Power Grab or Reform? Venezuelans Debate Vote




___________________

ETHIOPIAN ACTIVISTS IN COURT NOVEMBER 30TH AGAIN TO HEAR VERDICT IN TREASON TRIAL

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

29-11-07– Anti-poverty activists Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie who have faced several court delays to date, are scheduled to hear the verdict on treason related charges tomorrow FrIday, November 30th. If found guilty, they could face life imprisonment or death sentences.

“Justice delayed is justice denied,” Said Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of CIVICUS and Chair of Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP). “Sadly, these two activists are being tried for their commitment to bettering the lives of the people of Ethiopia. We all stand in solidarity with them” he added.

Daniel and Netsanet, both coordinators of the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) in Ethiopia, are the last two accused in the high profile Ethiopian treason trial that originally charged 131 politicians, journalists, organisations and civil society leaders. They have been detained since November 2005, on allegations of conspiracy to overthrow the government, specifically, “outrage against the constitution and constitutional order.”

Originally scheduled to give the verdict on October 8th, the High Court in Addis Ababa delayed it until November 22nd when again they delayed on the grounds one of the judges was ill in hospital.

-ENDS-

For more information or interviews, please contact:
Julie Middleton, Programme Communications Associate, Civil Society Watch, CIVICUS Tel: 27 11 833-5959, ext. 123 Julie.middleton@civicus.org

Ciara O’Sullivan, GCAP Media Coordinator at Tel: +34 679 594 809, ciara.osullivan@civicus.org

For more information on CIVICUS: www.civicus.org

For more information on GCAP Stand Up and Speak Out on 17 October: www.whiteband.org

Ethiopia: Top stories of the day

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

______________

PETITION FOR DANIEL AND NETSANET
(Family and Friends)

THE CASE OF ETHIOPIAN SOCIETY AND HR 2003
(EAC)
______________

"“I think it is crucial that Senator Inhofe communicate with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia about the strength and feelings of his constituents in Oklahoma. " - Oklahoma State Senator Connie N. Johnson



(L)Senator Connie N. Johnson (R)Oklahoma Representative Jabar Shumate

______________

Governor Henry Signs
African-American Centennial Plaza
Bill At Ceremonial Event
______________

-Eritrea-Ethiopia border deadline looms amid war fears
-Obang addresses students, faculty at Bethel University
-Starbucks opening farm support center in Ethiopia
-Somali media restrictions "ridiculous" - watchdog
-Somalia offensive after attacks
-Ethiopia bogged down in Somalia Meles Admits
-Canadian Sec. of State Commemorates Ethiopian Millennium


John Holmes, the U.N.'s humanitarian chief, right, greet residents of Kebridehar in the eastern Ethiopian region of Ogaden, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007. John Holmes, urged officials to allow freedom of movement and more aid agencies in the eastern Ethiopian region of Ogaden, where a low-level insurgency has escalated.(More...)

Also see:
-U.N. says "deep international concern" at Ogaden conflict



______________

IDAS 2007 Trainers Debate - Apologize for Colonialism

1st Proposition:
Alfred Snider, Director, World Debate Institute, University of Vermont, USA
Rhydian Morgan, Consultant, GRM Communications, UK
1st Opposition:
Neill Harvey-Smith, Consultant, Debate Chambers, UK
Branka Marusic, President, European Universities Debate Council, Croatia
2nd Proposition:
Sam Nelson, Cornell University, USA
Jens Fischer, Berlin Debating Union, Germany
2nd Opposition:
Loke Wing Fatt, S.A.I.D., Singapore
Uve Poom, Current Euros EFL Champion, Estonia

Ethiopia bogged down in Somalia Meles Admits

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

___________________

Also:
- Today's Top Stories
- INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES
___________________

THE CASE OF ETHIOPIAN SOCIETY AND HR 2003 (EAC)
PETITION FOR DANIEL AND NETSANET (Family and Friends)
___________________

Ethiopia bogged down in Somalia: Meles
BBC

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has acknowledged that his troops cannot withdraw from the conflict in Somalia. Mr Meles said he had expected to withdraw his soldiers earlier in the year, after Islamists had been driven out of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.(More...)

Also see:
Ethiopia Upgrades Military Budget Due To Eritrea Threat-Meles
Ethiopia to maintain crackdown on Ogaden rebels: PM

Today's Top Stories

-U.N. envoy arrives in volatile Ethiopian region
-VOA Amharic, Oromo Shows Jammed (VOA)
-Somali journalists banned from covering insurgents
-Desperate Somalia (Washington Post Editorial)
-AUDIO - Experts examine the Somalia crisis (PBS)

Keepers of the Lost Ark?
Smithsonian magazine



Through the centuries, Ethiopians have claimed that the ark rests in a chapel in the small town of Aksum, in their country's northern highlands. It arrived nearly 3,000 years ago, they say, and has been guarded by a succession of virgin monks who, once anointed, are forbidden to set foot outside the chapel grounds until they die.(More...)

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-Musharraf to quit army 'this week'
-Leaders attend Mideast Conference
-Oprah to campaign for Obama
-Violence worsens in Paris
-Airbus $30bil. deal With China
-U.N. index names best country to live in





___________________

Ethiopia: Top stories of the day

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

______________

PETITION SITE CREATED
FOR DANIEL AND NETSANET
(Family and Friends)
______________

African nations agree to $1bn Indian satellite project

A critical mass of countries are signing on to a plan for India to invest $1bn in the Pan-African e-Network satellite project, a joint initiative with the Africa Union aimed at developing the region’s ICT infrastructure.(More...)

Haile receives Inspirational Award

Legendary Ethiopian long-distance runner Haile Gebrselassie holds his 'Inspirational Award', Sunday, Nov. 25, 2007, in Monaco, during the World Athlete of the Year awards.(More...)

Somalia Swears In New Prime Minister

Somalia's parliament has sworn in Nur Hassan Hussein as the new prime minister of the war-torn nation. Mr. Hussein took the oath of office early Saturday in the southern town of Baidoa, where the parliament meets. He promised to perform his duties honestly.(More...)

Also see: New prime minister willing
to talk with insurgents

-Ethiopian army pays tribute to soldiers that died in Somalia
-VOA Amharic, Oromo Shows Jammed (VOA)
-New electoral board similar to old one say opposition
-LIFE AND DEATH IN MOGADISHU - VIDEO
-German Official: Human Rights Get Too Little Attention
-HR 2003 benefits all and sundry (ethiomedia)
-US pledges 25 mln dollars for restive Ethiopian region
-Somalia President Says He Wants More Control
-Multiplex cinema opens in Addis
-China in Africa: Developing ties
-Obscure athletes scoop Great Ethiopia Run



______________________________

Final Results of Internaional Debate Academy 2007

Tournament champs with UK's Rhydian Morgan in the middle: Filip Dobranic and Maja Cimerman

19 countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, UK, Germany, Rumania, Mongolia, Taiwan, India, USA, Serbia, Ukraine, Estonia, Canada, Singapore, Bosnia & Herzgovina, Russia, Slovenia, and Venezuela.
32 teams.
16 adjudicators.


Here are the results:

Semifinal Round

The motion is:
This House believes that women should get an equal position in war with men.

Hall A
1Gov Ceranic & Jankovic-Romano Serbia ADVANCE
1Opp Kerr & Belak Slovenia
2Gov Plostajner & Jakovac Slovenia ADVANCE
2Opp Gabric & Vlacic Slovenia
Judges: Branka Marusic (chair), Neill Harvey-Smith, Loke Wing Fatt, Steve Llano, Jens Fischer

Hall B

1Gov Kunej & Kranjc Slovenia
1Opp Dobranic & Cimerman Slovenia ADVANCE
2Gov Bellwood & Culy USA ADVANCE
2Opp Tertnik & Jenko Slovenia
Judges: Isabel Loewe (chair), Rhydian Morgan, Sam Nelson, Simon Grabrovec, Uve Poom

Final Round

This House believes that financial support from the state should be sufficient to live on without requiring work.

1Gov Bellwood & Culy USA
1Opp Dobranic & Cimerman Slovenia
2Gov Plostajner & Jakovac Slovenia
2Opp Ceranic & Jankovic-Romano Serbia

WINNER: Maja Cimerman & Filip Dobranic Slovenia

TOP SPEAKER: Anna Mojca England Kerr Slovenia

2 Spela Kranjc Slovenia
3 Simon Belak Slovenia
3 Spela Kunej Slovenia
5 Filip Dobranic Slovenia
6 Maja Cimerman Slovenia
7 Igor Jakovac Slovenia
8 Alia Bellwood USA
8 Edita Gabric Slovenia
10 Alexandra Neacsu Romania

Find it at http://debate.uvm.edu/dcpdf/IDAS2007FullTab.xls

MOTIONS FOR IDAS 2007 TOURNAMENT

Thanks to European Union program "All Equal, All Different" for the support of the equal opportunities motions during the tournament.

1. This House believes that all universities should have an equal opportunities officer.
2. This House believes the state should provide free education in the languages of ethnic minorities.
3. This House believes that the state should pay for trans-gender surgeries.
4. That this House would remove the right to refuse life-saving medical treatment.
5. This House would take a hard line against Iran.
6. This House believes that romantic relationships between university instructors and their students should be illegal.

SEMIFINALS:
This house believes that women should get an equal position in war with men.

FINALS:
This House believes that financial support from the state should be sufficient to live on without requiring work.

Stand by for an announcement of next year's International Debate Academy.

President-elect and Mayor Meet Debaters at International Debate Academy

Photo: Dr. Danilo Turk, President-elect of Slovenia, with students

When the International Debate Academy left its instructional home in the little town of Ormoz and made its way to Slovenia's capital, Ljubljana, it got the recognition of some of the most prominent politicians in the country.

Dr. Danilo Turk, President-elect of Slovenia, addressed the debaters and judges at the opening ceremonies. Dr. Turk won an overwhelming mandate for President. He served for years as Kofi Anan's assistant at the UN in New York. He cautioned the debaters to understand the audience and not just the opponents in the debate and to recognize, in debating about equal opportunities, the distinction between discrimination and rational difference. He also answered several questions from the debaters, including how to respond to lies spread against you in politics.

Photo: Zoran Jankovic with tournament top speaker, Anna Mojca England Kerr.

Zoran Jankovic is the newly elected mayor of Ljubljana. He encouraged the debaters about visiting Ljubljana and indicated future cooperation with ZIP. ZIP will be co-sponsoring a conference in April to take place in Ljubljana. For more information, see http://debate.uvm.edu/betterworld.htm

Both politicians recognized the importance of debate in Slovenia, with Dr. Turk indicating he had been following it for several years.

Elimination Debates at International Debate Academy

Photo: Vesna, Tuna, Mario, Milan

The semifinals have just begun at the Faculty of Economics in Ljubljana.

The motion is:

This House believes that women should get an equal position in war with men.

Hall A
1Gov Ceranic & Jankovic-Romano
1Opp Kerr & Belak
2Gov Plostajner & Jakovac
2Opp Gabric & Vlacic
Judges: Branka Marusic (chair), Neill Harvey-Smith, Loke Wing Fatt, Steve Llano, Jens Fischer

Hall B

1Gov Kunej & Kranjc
1Opp Dobranic & Cimerman
2Gov Bellwood & Culy
2Opp Tertnik & Jenko
Judges: Isabel Loewe (chair), Rhydian Morgan, Sam Nelson, Simon Grabrovec, Uve Poom

Results to come soon.

International Debate Academy Tournament Slovenia Tab Now Available

Photo: Neill Harvey-Smith judging

The semifinals take place this morning, but the tab is now up and available. My thanks to Jens Fischer for his assistance.

Find it at http://debate.uvm.edu/dcpdf/IDAS2007FullTab.xls

Full results coming soon.

Academy Concludes and Moves on to Ljubljana for the Tournament

In the small town of Ormoz, Slovenia, there were a lot of different languages being spoken as people from seventeen different nations gathered to focus on Worlds/BP format debating for six days, from 17-22 November 2007.

The program is sponsored by Z.I.P. (Za in Proti, Institute for Culture of Dialogue, the Slovenian national debate program) and the World Debate Institute (University of Vermont USA) and is now in its fifth year.

People attended who are citizens of: Slovenia, USA, UK, Germany, Singapore, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Ukraine, Estonia, Russia, Bosnia, Taiwan, Canada, India and Mongolia.

The program had a number of illustrious faculty members, including:

• Loke Wing Fatt, SAID Singapore and WUDC breaking judge.
  
• Jens Fischer, Germany, Chief Adjudicator at Euros.


• Neill Harvey-Smith, WUDC finalist and Chief Adjudicator for Euros
  2008, now with Debate Chambers, United Kingdom.


• Steve Llano, USA national champion coach, St. Johns University, USA.


• Branka Marusic, President of European Universities Debating Council, Croatia.


• Rhydian Morgan, Chief Adjudicator at numerous UK tournaments, now with GRM Communications, United Kingdom.


• Sam Nelson, USA national champion coach, Cornell University, USA.


• Uve Poom, Europeans EFL Champion and Euros 2008 organizer.


• Bojana Skrt, World Schools EFL Champion coach twice, Slovenia.


• Alfred Snider, USA national champion coach, Director of World Debate Institute, University of Vermont, USA.

With sixty people occupying the Hotel Ormoz, the days were full of learning activities. Each day included a morning lecture, a drill and exercise session, and then a full critiqued debate. Afternoons consisted of two slates of elective classes (where students can pick from 4-5 different subjects to attend), followed by another full critiqued debate. Evenings were free, but included a number of social events, such as the country exhibition and the kitsch party.

The following are some of the elective topics:
Poom:

• Intl relations 1


• Intl relations 2


• Economics for idiots


• Debating about rights
  
  Fatt:


• Research methods


• Humor


• Rebutting


• Motion analysis
  
  Marusic:


• Motion interpretation


• Case division


• Counter proposals
  
  Morgan:


• Style vs. substance


• Identifying clash


• Newman hierarchy


• Principles of criminal justice


• Zen debating - knifing without the knife


• Derivation of rights
  
  Harvey-Smith:


• Economics with NHS, aka how to win debates on economics against economists, by an economics grad.


• Politics with NHS, aka how to win debates on political theory against politics students, by a politics postgrad.


• Philosophy with NHS, aka how to beat utilitarians in debate, by a philosophy postgrad.


• Law with NHS, aka how to beat lawyers in debates about law, by a man who hates lawyers.


• Extensions; how to speak brilliantly as the third speaker in British Parliamentary debates.
  
  Snider:


• Note-taking before and during the debate


• Your 15 minutes prep and how to use it


• Mine is bigger than yours, comparing arguments
  
  Llano:


• Samurai debate


• Classical rhetorical theory


• Advanced opposition strategy
  
  Skrt:


• Strategy: How do we debate when we do not have a clue about the topic? What do we do when the first government comes out with a really bad case? ….
  
  Nelson:


• Tricks are for Kids. The role of the trickster in argumentation and its implications for current debate practice.


• Public speaking like you mean it! How to be a persuasive speaker


• Make love not war. Rejecting the warrior narrative in debate and replacing it with a more functional mindset: Debater as lover!


• Games people play. Debate games that teach you how to hone your debate skills.
  
  Separate coaching electives were held, including:


• Experiential learning - Poom


• Drills and games to teach debate - Fatt


• Adjudication - Harvey-Smith


• Training program model - Snider


• Team based research strategy - Llano


• Running university debate club: keep them coming, keep them staying, keep them motivated. Skrt


• Fundraising for the university debate club. Skrt


• Organising debate tournament. Skrt


• Organising public debate. Skrt
  

One other event of note was the show debate that was staged by the faculty. Steve Llano and Bojana Skrt chaired a debate on the motion; this House would apologize for colonialism. The first government team was Alfred Snider and Rhydian Morgan, the second government team was Jens Fischer and Sam Nelson, the first opposition team was Neill Harvey-Smith and Branka Marusic, and the second opposition team was Loke Wing Fatt and Uve Poom. The debate was a spirited affair, but was fairly serious (unlike many show debates) and tried to provide real examples to the student audience. The video will be posted online very soon. No decision was announced and the students kept talking about their individual decisions late into the night.

With sponsorship grants to debate motions on the issue of equal opportunities, many of the motions shared this these. Motions for the practice debates included:

• This House would bring George W. Bush to trial for war crimes.


• This House believes in cultural and racial assimilation.


• This house would support an independent state for the Kurdish people.


• This House supports affirmative action to solve for the effects of discrimination.


• This House would grant immunity to dictators who step down voluntarily.


• This House believes that there should be no religious holidays recognised as national holidays.


• This House believes the criminalisation of hate speech is a bad idea.


• This House believes all public bathrooms should be unisex.
  
  On Friday morning everyone boarded a bus for Ljubljana where they were housed in a dormitory and a tournament is now going on at the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Administration and the Faculty of Economics.
  
  More on the tournament in a separate post.
  

Protesters Ask Senator Inhofe to Be Fair (text and Video)

Ethiopian-Americans and Friends of Ethiopia in Oklahoma for HR 2003 Ask Senator Inhofe to Be Fair(text and Video)

Ethiopia: Verdict on Daniel and Netsanet Put Off Again

The verdict in the case of Ethiopian anti-poverty campaigners Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie, which was expected today, has been postponed again because a judge is in hospital.

The last evidence in the case was presented in Ethiopia's Federal High Court on 2 August. The two prisoners have been waiting since then to hear their verdict, first while the court completed its annual recess, and then for a further six weeks after the judges said that they needed extra time to consider all the evidence.(More...)

Also:
-PETITION SITE CREATED FOR DANIEL AND NETSANET (Family and Friends)
-Background Notes on trial of Netsanet and Daniel

Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of having "declared war"

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top Stories
- INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES
_________________________

-WAITING FOR JUSTICE: Qaliti Qalkidan on Daniel and Netsanet
-Frontline issues an appeal on behalf of Daniel and Netsanet
_________________________

Eritrea said on Wednesday arch-foe Ethiopia had "long since declared war" on Asmara by refusing to implement a five-year-old border ruling marking their shared frontier.

Analysts and diplomats fear heightened tensions on the Horn of Africa rivals' frontier could erupt into a new conflict seven years after they fought a war that killed some 70,000 people.(More...)

_________________________

Verdict to be passed on Ethiopian activists this Thursday
Background Notes on trial of Netsanet and Daniel
PETITION SITE CREATED FOR DANIEL AND NETSANET (Family and Friends)
_________________________

Today's Top Stories

-Ethiopia urges quick deployment of peacekeepers
-Ethiopia: Govt. denies reports of Ogaden attacks
-UN Chief to visit Ethiopia (OCHA)
-Letter to US senate committee on armed services (Keif Schleifer)
-Great Ethiopian Run Set For Sunday
-Dashen Bank to launch MasterCard
-'One million' homeless in Somalia
-Kenya repatriates refugees to Mogadishu amid protests
-Researchers, think tank key to Africa’s development
-Jolie's adopted girl conceived during rape: mother

Legend to become fact? - A major archeological find has been unearthed in Ethiopia. About 20 days ago, The Tigray Tourism Bureau, came upon an unspecified number of clay tablets with inscriptions in Sabean- the semitic lingua franca of the Sabean and later Aksumite empires and the tongue of the Queen of Sheba. The find in due time is expected to add more corroboration of the Ethiopic origins of Makeda – more famed as the Queen of Sheba – a woman who remains a hotly contested item of possession between Ethiopian and Yemenite peoples.(More...)

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

Obama ahead in new Iowa poll

A new Washington Post/ABC News poll of likely Democratic caucus-goers has Barack Obama leading the primary field with 30 percent, compared with Clinton at 26 percent and John Edwards at 22 percent.(More...)



-Musharraf in Talks on Exiled Rival
-French strikes escalate, economic toll mounts-
-Olmert hopes for peace deal with Palestinians in 2008
-Cambodia genocide tribunal opens
-UN HIV estimates reduced to 33m




_________________________

Too much aid to Afghanistan wasted on contractors' profits, expensive expatriate consultants and quick-fix projects

Despite more than $15 billion of aid pumped into Afghanistan since U.S.-led and Afghan forces toppled the Taliban in 2001, many Afghans still suffer levels of poverty rarely seen outside sub-Saharan Africa.

"The development process has to date been too centralised, top-heavy and insufficient," said a report by Oxfam.

By far the biggest donor, the United States approved a further $6.4 billion in Afghan aid this year, but the funds are spent in ways that are "ineffective or inefficient", Oxfam said.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) allocates close to half its funds to the five largest U.S. contractors in Afghanistan.

"Too much aid is absorbed by profits of companies and sub-contractors, on non-Afghan resources and on high expatriate salaries and living costs," the report said.

A full-time expatriate consultant can cost up to $500,000 a year, Oxfam said.
[...]
Spending on development is dwarfed by that spent on fighting the Taliban. The U.S. military is spending $65,000 a minute in Afghanistan, Oxfam said.
[...]
Violent incidents are up at least 20 percent since last year, according to U.N. estimates, and have spread northwards to many areas previously considered safe.

More than 200 civilians have been killed in at least 130 Taliban suicide bombs and at least 1,200 civilians have been killed overall this year — about half of them in operations by Afghan and international troops.

Oxfam called on the 50,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan to take greater care not to hurt civilians, particularly in air strikes. The lower number of troops in Afghanistan than in Iraq — less than a third as many in a much bigger country with a larger population — leads to a greater reliance on air power.

There are four times as many air strikes in Afghanistan as in Iraq, Oxfam said. <Common Dreams>

Meanwhile, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been very very generous to private contractors. Here's the top 100 private contractors, 2004-2006. In first place: KBR at $16 billion (2002-2004 they made $11 billion. Next on the list, DynCorp International at 1.8 billion.

Funny (not so much in a ha-ha way), more than $20 billion in contracts went to foreign companies whose identities (at least so far) are impossible to determine. The largest of these contracts is worth more than $6 billion, for "miscellaneous items".

Ethiopia: US senator to visit country, second week of protest planned asking for support on rights bill

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top STORIES^Updated
____________________________________

-Verdict to be passed on Ethiopian activists this Thursday
-Background Notes on trial of Netsanet and Daniel
-PETITION SITE CREATED FOR DANIEL AND NETSANET (Family and Friends)
____________________________________

Second Week Peaceful Demonstration in Front of Senator Inhofe's Office in Oklahoma City

Senator Inhofe will be going to Ethiopia in a couple of weeks, the peaceful demonstrators will request Sentor Inhofe visit the families of the massacred people in June and November 2005. The protestors will also request that Senator Inhofe visit Daniel Bekele and Nesanet, the human rights defenders who are still languishing in jail. The protesters will request that Senator Inhofe give equal time to the opposition. Last but not least, the protesters will request Senator Inhofe give full support to H.R.2003.(More...)

Family members of a refugee from Ogaden region in Ethiopia sit on the ground in Dadaab, northeastern Kenya, November 16, 2007. The effect of the Ogaden crisis is being felt in neighbouring Kenya, where more Ogadenis than usual have been trickling into the three massive Dadaab camps.(More...)

TODAY'S TOP STORIES

-Ethiopia: army claims killing Ogaden rebels
-Ethiopia 'bombs' Ogaden villages (BBC)
-Ethiopia's refugees recount horrors of conflict (Reuters)
-Somali orders country's oldest rights group shut down
-The long search for a Somali PM
-Islamist insurgency grows in Somalia
-U.S. Embassy Donates Books to Educational Institutions
-Bekele finds happiness after tragedy





____________________________________

We Don't Negotiate With Dams

According to the Washington Post,

The largest dam in Iraq is in serious danger of an imminent collapse that could unleash a trillion-gallon wave of water, possibly killing thousands of people and flooding two of the largest cities in the country, according to new assessments by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other U.S. officials.

Even in a country gripped by daily bloodshed, the possibility of a catastrophic failure of the Mosul Dam has alarmed American officials, who have concluded that it could lead to as many as 500,000 civilian deaths by drowning Mosul under 65 feet of water and parts of Baghdad under 15 feet, said Abdulkhalik Thanoon Ayoub, the dam manager. "The Mosul dam is judged to have an unacceptable annual failure probability," in the dry wording of an Army Corps of Engineers draft report.

Via the ever brilliant Bors Blog

Ethiopia: army claims killing around 100 Ogaden rebels

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top STORIES^Updated
_________________________

Second Week Peaceful Demonstration in Front of Senator Inhofe's Office in Oklahoma City

-AUDIO-VOA ON CUD's U.S. DELEGATION FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE
_________________________

-PROTESTERS WANT US INHOFE TO SUPPORT RIGHTS BILL (AP)
-PETITION SITE CREATED FOR DANIEL AND NETSANET (Family and Friends)
-REMEMBER, THE ETHIOPIAN MARTYRS OF JUNE AND NOVEMBER, 2005 FOREVER! (Professor Alemayehu G. Mariam)
_________________________

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) - Ethiopian officers on Friday claimed their forces had killed some 100 rebels in the Ogaden region over the past month where its forces are cracking down on insurgents, state media reported.

Government troops had also captured hundreds of rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) fighters, state-owned Ethiopian television reported. They had been regrouping in the Lander area of southeast Ogaden. The army operation started on October 17.

"Around 100 terrorists from the ONLF have been killed after regrouping in the Lander area," the television quoted Colonel Gebregziabher Beyene, an army field commander as saying.(More...)

_________________________

• ABUJA DECLARATION: LAUNCH OF FEDERATION OF AFRICAN JOURNALISTS
• THE COUNTRIES THAT SHAME AFRICA (Declaration Adopted at the African Journalists Congress)
• New Federation of Journalists Launches with Scathing Attack on “Countries that Shame Africa”

_________________________

TODAY'S TOP STORIES

NPR: Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan

[AUDIO] - Bill Fletcher discusses escalating violence in Somalia, rising political tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the latest on the North-South dispute in Sudan. Fletcher is the senior scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies.[NPR - AUDIO]

Maid abuse under scrutiny

(Picture - An Ethiopian maid hangs washed clothes as she stands on a balcony in Beirut, Lebanon Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007. AP Photo) Thousands of foreign domestic workers in the Arab world face abuse at the hands of their employers.(More...)



-Ugandan peacekeepers attacked in Somalia
-EU CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IN SOMALIA
-ETHIOPIA: COUNTRY BOTTOM AT UN TRADE AND DEV'T INDEX
-ETHIOPIA LAST IN AFRICA CELL PHONE USE
-FUGITIVE SOMALI ISLAMIST URGES JIHAD ON AU TROOPS
-INT. COMMUNITY TURNING A BLIND EYE: FORMER SPOKESPERSON
-STATEMENT FROM DR. YACOB HAILEMARIAM (CUD External Affairs)
-US AFRICA COMMAND WILL AID SECURITY: GENERAL
-GEBRSELASSIE HEADING FOR HISTORIC MARATHON TRIPLE
-ETHIOPIAN ADOPTION AGENCY BACKS ANGELINA JOLIE

Rasta roots explored in rare US (Smithsonian) exhibition



An unprecedented year-long exhibition at the prestigious Smithsonian Institute aims to demystify the mystique of Rastafarism exploring the roots of what has become a global emerging religion.



Rastafarism, with its resistance to colonialism, racism, is a philosophy, a religion and a way of life, which is growing in international populariy. The movement believes that Ethiopia is the Biblical promised land.(More...)






_________________________

Second Week Peaceful Demonstration in Front of Senator Inhofe's Office in Oklahoma City

Ethiopian-Americans and Friends of Ethiopia in Oklahoma for H.R.2003

Second Week Peaceful Demonstration in Front of Senator Inhofe's Office in Oklahoma City on Tuesdy November 20, 2007

Senator Inhofe will be going to Ethiopia in a couple of weeks, the peaceful demonstrators will request Sentor Inhofe visit the families of the massacred people in June and November 2005. The protestors will also request that Senator Inhofe visit Daniel Bekele and Nesanet, the human rights defenders who are still languishing in jail. The protesters will request that Senator Inhofe give equal time to the opposition. Last but not least, the protesters will request Senator Inhofe give full support to H.R.2003.

ETHIOPIAN-AMERICANS and FRIENDS of ETHIOPIA in OKLAHOMA For H.R. 2003

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2007
WEEK-TWO OF PEACEFUL PROTEST AT SENATOR INHOFE’ S
OKLAHOMA CITY OFFICE

Contact Person:
Mr. Muluneh Zeleke, (Spokesperson)
Phone: 405-314-4560
ALL MEDIA INVITED!

In front of Senator Inhofe’s Oklahoma City office located at:
1900 NW Expressway Suite 1210
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
TIME: 11:00 AM
Purpose:

1)On-going campaign to create awareness among constituents of Senator Inhofe about H.R. 2003, the “Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007”
2)As constituents, to continue to petition Senator James Inhofe, to give his full support to the Democracy and Human Rights Bill: HR 2003.


OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – “I was sorry to learn of your opposition to H.R.2003, the “Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007.” I know you have a strong personal tie to Ethiopia and that you have been charmed by the personable Prime Minister Meles Zenawi (as have I). I believe, however, that H.R.2003 is sound legislation in holding the feet of the ruling TPLF to the fire to live up to its rhetoric about what you refer to as a positive democratization process… I hope you will reconsider your position on H.R.2003 and join your colleagues in the House of Representatives in striving to promote democracy and human rights in Ethiopia. By not standing in the way of Senate concurrence in this significant foreign policy initiative, you will be serving your constituents well. Please let me know if I can provide you with any additional information about the current situation in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.”
- Open letter from OSU Professor Ted Vestal (author of “Ethiopia, A Post-Cold War Africa State”) to Sen. James Inhofe, November 13, 2007
-
“…in Ethiopia, in reality it (HR 2003) focuses only on shortcomings while blatantly ignoring the unprecedented progress the country has made…While I agree that the violence and intimidation that took place in the country after the 2005 election was an unnecessary use of excessive force, the Government of Ethiopia has taken significant steps to regain a democratic process that is fair and respectful of human rights…I believe the bill takes the wrong approach by placing demands on a friend and ally that has made obvious advancements in democracy and human rights.
I hope when it comes to this side, if it does come in this form, that we will be able to resoundingly defeat it. I look forward to being in Ethiopia in about 3 weeks. I will certainly hope that I don't have to go over there after having something like this pass the Senate.”- Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), U.S. Senate, October 17, 2007

“…and has visited the nation four times. He’s very involved in the country and knows the leadership of that country very well. He’s not just doing this from Washington, D.C. He’s actually been there and seen it and knows the issues of that country."- Mr. John Collison, Senator James Inhofe’s District Director,
Associated Press, November 13, 2007

Ethiopian-Americans and Friends of Ethiopia in Oklahoma for H.R.2003 invite fellow Oklahomans, who support Democracy and Human Rights in Ethiopia to join the on-going effort to engage Senator Inhofe, by participating in the peaceful rally. If you are unable to attend the peaceful protest, please hand deliver this press release, fax and/or call Senator Inhofe and ask him to give his full support to HR 2003.

Washington, DC Office: (202) 224-4721 (tel); ( 202 ) 228-0380 (fax)
453 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING, WASHINGTON, DC 20510-3602
Oklahoma City, OK Office: (405) 608-4381 (tel); (405) 608-4120 (fax)

PRESS RELEASE FROM ETHIOPIAN-AMERICANS AND FRIENDS OF ETHIOPIA FOR H.R.2003 IN OKLAHOMA

(Picture - OKLAHOMANS at the Pro-H.R.2003 demonstration, Nov. 13, 2007)

Ethiopians demonstrate outside Oklahoma office of Senator Inhofe (Associated Press)

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES^Updated!
- International News^Updated!
- VIDEO OF THE DAY (CNN’s new documentary on athlete Haile Gebrselassie)
__________________

Senator Inhofe on not currently having a hold on HR 2003:
Inhofe, Press Office

"I do not currently have a hold on the Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007 as it is still being considered in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has not yet been reported in its final form." - U.S. Senator James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.)

EXTREMELY URGENT ACTION ALERT IN SUPPORT OF H.R 2003 (The Coalition for H.R.2003)
__________________

(Nov 13, 2007 - demonstration outside the Oklahoma City office of U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - About 75 protestors attended a demonstration outside the Oklahoma City office of U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe, saying he is blocking consideration of a bill that addresses human rights in Ethiopia. But a spokesman for Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, says the senator has not placed a hold on the bill, which has not yet reached the Senate floor.

The spokesman, John Collison, says he planned to meet with the protest leaders on Tuesday afternoon. During the peaceful protest, held across the street from 1 of Oklahoma City's major shopping malls, many demonstrators held U.S. flags, while others held the red, yellow and green flag of Ethiopia.

The bill, which passed in the U.S. House, decries Ethiopia's recent human rights record and opens the door for sanctions.
__________________

ETP – A Brief Commentary

If, God forbid, another senseless war starts between Ethiopia and Eritrea; it is very dangerous and unwise to assume, as some have, that military victory for the government of Eritrea over its Ethiopian counterpart will bring about democracy. It is as absurd as soliciting a demon to perform an exorcism. Not only would it not work; but it will most definitely lead to severe setbacks.

President Isaias, one of the world’s nastiest dictators, is awfully interested in becoming a super power in that region. Hence, there is no foreseeable scenario in which a militarily victorious Eritrean government, which doesn’t even pretend to care for the civil liberties of its own citizens, could work for the establishment of a strong and democratic Ethiopia.

Also see:
-SPEECH BY DR. BERHANU NEGA ON
ETHIOPIA’S NATIONAL SECURITY

__________________

AUDIO - VOA REPORTS ON THE FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE BY "ARENA TIGRAY FOR DEMOCRACY AND SOVEREIGNTY"

KINIJIT VANCOUVER TOWN HALL MEETING: [Pictures] - [Video]

ETHIOPIAN TROOPS IN SOMALIA WELL OVER 50,000 : MILITARY ANALYSTS
VOA - Military analysts say Ethiopia sent as many as 2,000 fresh troops to Somalia in the past week, to bolster a force estimated to be in excess of 50,000.[Listen to the AUDIO report]

__________________

Today's Top HEADLINES

-Ethiopia backed Somali govt. cracking down on media
-UN ENVOY SAYS SOMALI WAR CRIME SUSPECTS SHOULD FACE ICC
-NPR: Thousands Flee Violence in Mogadishu-AUDIO
-Somalia's War Flares Up Again
-GEBRU'S PARTY INTENDS TO REGAIN ASSAB LEGALLY
-AI: Human rights defenders face possible life imprisonment
-Democracy or Sovereignty? (Professor Solomon Terfa)
-Clan Leader Hiding After Ethio-Backed Crackdown - AUDIO
-Assassins Target Somali Journalists (Washington Post)
-Ethiopian-Somali forces hunt out arms (AFP)
-Children die in Somalia violence (CNN)

International News

-Obama's Superb Speech Could Catapult His Bid
-Hamas rounds up Fatah activists
-Pakistan opposition speaks out despite crackdown - VIDEO
-Ex-pilots, military officers call for new UFO probe

VIDEO OF THE DAY

CNN’s new documentary on athlete Haile Gebrselassie



Click here for - PART 2 of CNN’s documentary
Click here for - PART 3 of CNN’s documentary




__________________

Robert Jensen on Oppression

How do we explain the fact that most people's stated philosophical and theological systems are rooted in concepts of justice, equality, and the inherent dignity of all people, yet we allow violence, exploitation, and oppression to flourish? Only a small percentage of people in any given society are truly sociopaths, engaging in cruel and oppressive behavior openly and with relish. Feminism helped me understand the complex process, which tends to work like this:

--The systems and structures in which we live are hierarchical.
--Hierarchical systems and structures deliver to those in the dominant class certain privileges, pleasures, and material benefits.
--People are typically hesitant to give up such privileges, pleasures, and benefits.
--But, those benefits clearly come at the expense of those in the subordinated class.
--Given the widespread acceptance of basic notions of equality and human rights, the existence of hierarchy has to be justified in some way other than crass self-interest.
--One of the most persuasive arguments for systems of domination and subordination is that they are "natural."

So, oppressive systems work hard to make it appear that the hierarchy -- and the disparity in power and resources that flow from hierarchy -- is natural and, therefore, beyond modification. If men are naturally smarter and stronger than women, then patriarchy is inevitable and justifiable. If white people are naturally smarter and more virtuous than people of color, then white supremacy is inevitable and justifiable. If rich people are naturally smarter and harder working than poor people, then economic injustice is inevitable and justifiable. And, if human beings have special status in the universe, justified either on theological or biological grounds, then humans' right to extract from the rest of Creation whatever they like is inevitable and justifiable.

For unjust hierarchies, and the illegitimate authority that is exercised in them, maintaining their own naturalness is essential. Not surprisingly, people in the dominant class exercising the power gravitate easily to such a view. And because of their power to control key story-telling institutions (especially education and mass communication), those in the dominant class can fashion a story about the world that leads some portion of the people in the subordinate class to internalize the ideology.

For me, feminism gave me a way to see through not only male dominance, but all the systems of illegitimate authority. I saw the fundamental strategy they held in common, and saw that if we could more into a space in which we were true to our stated ideals, we would reject those systems as anti-human. All these systems cause suffering beyond the telling. All of them must be resisted. The connections between them must be understood.

I thought this was a brilliantly succinct summary of how systems of oppression, dominance, and hegemony maintain themselves. He is also very good at connecting different forms of oppression, showing how they are all interrelated... racism, patriarchy, capitalism, and this ecological nightmare. Read the rest of "King of the Hill"

Also, on white privilege, read Jensen's comment on this blog post

ETHIOPIA: PRESS RELEASE, FORMER PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE/JOURNALISTS

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- International News

(Serkalem Fasil, baby son Nafkot, born June 2006, while she was in
prison and husband Eskinder Nega who was detained separately
holding a copy of their newspaper Menelik, which was shut down when they were arrested - Amnesty International photo)

[PRESS RELEASE FROM FORMER PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE/JOURNALISTS: ADDIS ABEBA]
TODAY'S TOP HEADLINES

SOMALIA PEACEKEEPERS 'NOT VIABLE': UN HEAD (The idea of deploying UN peacekeeping troops to Somalia is "neither realistic nor viable", the UN head has said)

US URGES RESTRAINT TO AVERT NEW ERITREA-ETHIOPIA WAR (The United States on Friday urged Eritrea and Ethiopia to pull back troops from key border areas and use "maximum restraint" to avert a new war)

--AUDIO REPORT: VOA on the vigil for Daniel, Netsanet
--AUDIO REPORT: DW on the vigil for Daniel, Netsanet
--DEMONSTRATION IN FRONT OF SEN. INHOFE'S OFFICE OKLAHOMA
--Military build-up continues on Ethio-Eritrea border
--Corpses litter Mogadishu after overnight battle
--DEAD ETHIOPIANS DRAGGED IN MOGADISHU - AGAIN! (AFP)

• Crowd drags corpse, echoing 1993 brutality (CNN)
• Insurgents drag dead Ethiopians in streets (Reuters)
• PICTURE-REUTERS (Warning: graphic Pic.)
• Somalis drag Ethiopian soldier's body (Associated Press)
• Bodies dragged through Mogadishu (BBC)
• Ethiopian soldier dragged in streets (SA)

--ETHIOPIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SPECIAL REPORT (English)
--AUDIO –Dr. Befekadu Degife on the kinijit crisis (VOA)
--AI Urgent Action (5 Ethiopians at risk of torture)
--FREED JOURNALIST DONATES PRIZE TO AMNESTY
--ETHIOPIA'S REVISED ELECTION LAW (Many are already referring to it as the “Kangaroo Election Law”; judge for yourself)
--Relief agencies bolster operations in the Ogaden
--AFRICOM Commander Rejects Militarization Charge

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

-Merkel, Bush to focus on Iran in talks at Texas ranch
-Bhutto under house arrest in Pakistan
-Faint hope for Myanmar as Suu Kyi meets her party
-US Senate Confirms Mukasey as Attorney General
-Georgian parliament approves state of emergency





____________________________

Abuse in the Teen Rehab Industry

In 2005, the U.S. Government Accountability Office was asked to investigate the allegations of child abuse and neglect at residential "treatment centres" (also commonly known as "boot camps," "wilderness programs," or "behavior modification facilities"), including the deaths of 10 children. As mentioned before, these horrible places abuse kids on the parents' dollar.

The report (PDF) just came out. From USA today:

The congressional investigative agency selected 10 deaths to examine in depth and found reckless practices, inadequate training and misleading marketing. It also found what Rep. Todd Platts, R-Pa., called "horrific" examples of abuse.

Other common problems included:

• Ineffective management
• Untrained staff
• Inadequate nourishment
• Reckless or negligent operating practices
• Inadequate equipment

The agency is examining how such facilities are regulated and is expected to make recommendations next year.

ETHIOPIA: FREED JOURNALIST DONATES PRIZE TO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- International News

___________________

^New!ETHIOPIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 103RD SPECIAL REPORT (English)

^New!AUDIO – Interview with Kinijit executive committee member and head of finance Dr. Befekadu Degife on the kinijit crisis (VOA)

^New!AI Urgent Action (5 Ethiopians from the Ogaden region forcibly returned from Somaliand to Ethiopia, now believed to be incommunicado detention and at risk of torture)

^New!ETHIOPIA'S REVISED ELECTION LAW (Many are already referring to it as the “Kangaroo Election Law”; read and judge for yourself)
___________________

(Serkalem Fasil, baby son Nafkot, born June 2006, while she was in
prison and husband Eskinder Nega who was detained separately
holding a copy of their newspaper Menelik, which was shut down when they were arrested - Amnesty International photo)

(Amnesty International) - A former prisoner of conscience has thanked Amnesty International (AI) by donating a journalism award to the organization. Serkalem Fasil was freed from an Ethiopian jail in April, following extensive campaigning by human rights NGOs including AI. Her ordeal was recognized when she picked up a Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women’s Media Foundation.

She has decided to give the prize money to AI and the Committee to Protect Journalists. AI Secretary General Irene Khan paid tribute to her courage in the face of grave human rights abuses.

"I am extremely touched by this strong and brave gesture of support for global human rights by a former prisoner of conscience who is still at risk. As requested, we will be allocating this unusual and selfless donation to our international work," said Ms Khan.(More...)

TODAY'S TOP HEADLINES

-Border Tensions Raise New International Alert - AUDIO^New!
-Ethiopian theology students HUNGER STRIKE over politics and Beyonce's visit with patriarch^New!
-UN to open office in Ethiopia's troubled Ogaden^New!
-Rebels Threatens to Step up Attacks on Ethiopians - AUDIO^New!
-Ethiopia: govt. says wants talks, not war with Eritrea
-Ethiopia, Eritrea Fighting Could start Within Weeks: Report
-New Eritrea-Ethiopia war fears: BBC
-ETHIOPIA SENDING MORE TROOPS INTO SOMALIA (Reuters)

• Ethiopia deploys more troops to Somali capital (AFP)

-Large blasts target Ethiopian troop convoy
-Succession Poses Challenge for Yusuf, Ethiopia - AUDIO
-Ethiopian rebels claim killing of more than 270 troops
-Ethiopia: Malnutrition in Ethiopia Still Alarming
-KINIJIT CANADA UPDATE: Report

• Toronto pictures
• Calgary pictures
• Birtukan Mideksa's speech at Calgary - AUDIO

-UN cleared to start relief work in rebel Ethiopian region
-PM Meles Addresses 4th Federalism Conference (ENA)

___________________

Ethiopians in Kenya under attack: Audio report (VOA)
Kinijit youth conference at Arlington, VA - Audio (VOA)
Obang Metho: Speech at the Little Ethiopia Annual Festival
___________________

CRISIS GROUP: ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA - STOPPING THE SLIDE TO WAR (The International Crisis Group (Crisis Group) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation, with some 145 staff members on five continents.)
___________________

International News

-Police and Bhutto supporters clash
-Sarkozy aims to win back American hearts
-Iran's nuclear program "irreversible": president
-Giuliani, McCain pick up key conservative backing
-Nazi prosecutors still hunt death head doctor




___________________

Lib Lit: Progressive Partisan Fiction

An article in the magazine Steve took home referred to a Canadian policeman who had died in Haiti. It stated that the police officer had died "for Haiti."

At home, Steve greeted Ming who was in the living room editing their latest "Action Alert." Steve immediately emailed the author of the magazine article.

"Didn't you mean to write that the officer died 'in Haiti' rather than 'for Haiti'?" he asked.

The reporter replied promptly and initially attempted to argue that there was no difference between writing "for Haiti" or "in Haiti." Steve replied asking if the reporter would write that the 9-11 hijackers died "for the US." The reporter then claimed that he had written "for Haiti" out of respect for the officer's family.

Steve replied: "What about the families of the people murdered by Canada's allies in Haiti? Why must respect for the policeman's family involve misleading people about our crimes in Haiti and negating the humanity of our victims?"

Steve received no further reply.

Excerpt from "The Publisher" by Joe Emersberger, a short story in which "A Canadian newspaper publisher confronts his complicity in the Canadian, US and corporate backed coup and mass murder in Haiti". Found on LibLit, Liberation Lit blog.

Liberation Lit publishes "progressive partisan" fiction (stories only). Stories are published online on a rolling basis and will be periodically collected in book form, in whole or part. Lib Lit prefers to publish fiction that may be deemed too partisan or didactic, or otherwise overtly factual and political, for publication by most corporate presses.

Why partisan fiction? Quoting V. F. Calverton, they explain:

"Most of the literature of the world has been propagandistic in one way or another…. In a word, the revolutionary critic does not believe that we can have art without craftsmanship; what he does believe is that, granted the craftsmanship, our aim should be to make art serve man as a thing of action and not man serve art as a thing of escape."

(ht Znet)

Preparation Letter to Attendees

I am really glad you decided to participate at IDAS 2007 and I am sure together we will create a great event. I would also kindly ask everybody who registered in case something goes wrong and you can not participate, you let as know as soon as possible, because we do need to inform the venues about the final number. There are a little more than 70 participants from 17 countries, 4 continents comfirmed their participation for the whole Academy and there are around 15 debaters coming only for the tournament.

Here are some more details about the Academy, more details you can find at: http://debate.uvm.edu/idas2007.html, which I do recommend you check on regular basis till the beginning of the Academy.

Topic area: majority of the topics will be from the field of equal opportunities. You can find the list of topics and some research material on the IDAS web page.

Locations:
- From 17th – 23rd morning, Hotel Ormož, Vrazov trg 35 – it is the center of Ormož, 5 minutes walk from the train station. You can not get lost, Ormož is a small town.
- From 23rd 12.00 (registration) to Sunday 25th, Dijaški dom Bežigrad, Kardeljeva ploščad 28, Ljubljana. Please, go to http://www.ljubljana-tourism.si/ to find the map and the direction to come to the dorm.

Beginning of the Academy: The full calendar of Academy in Ormož and tournament in Ljubljana is available on the web page. Here I would just like to stress that the Academy starts on Saturday, the 17th at 17.00, so you are expected to come before that.

On Friday morning, the 23rd we will go to Ljubljana (the transport will be arrange by us), where the tournament will start at 14.00. The final debate will be at 12.00 on Sunday, the 25th November, the guest speaker being a mayor of Ljubljana Zoran Jankovič.

Participation fee: You are expected to pay the participation fee upon arrival in cash. You will get the official comfirmation of the payment. Here are the things which are covered by your participation fee, trainers voluntary work and other trainer in kind countribution, like their travel expences, ZIP and sponsorship from Office for youth and the action All equal – all different.

- Full board in Ormož, starting on the 17th with dinner and finishing on the 23rd with lunch; in Ljubljana starting with dinner on the 23rd, finishing on Sunday, the 25th with breakfast. In case you are staying extra nights in Ljubljana or coming earlier in Ormož, you need to pay directly to the hotel, however you do need to inform us about it.

- Transportation from Ormož to Ljubljana.

- Lectures, material, organisation.

All the other expences are yours, from extra nights, extra meals, transportation and everything else.

Social: There will be a country exhibition organised on Sunday evening. This is an event in which all of you need to participate: bring food, sweets, drinks, gifts, souvenirs, information about you country, music, dances you put it in display and you share all of these with all the participants. We are having participants from 17 countries, so we can expect a really great country exhibition.

Dress code: We are very informal, however, you can be if you want to, dress how you feel. Have in mind we are arranging the reception in Ormož mayor castle and that at the tournament finals there will be Ljubljana mayor coming.

Transport to Ormož: We are not organising pick ups and we do not organise the transport from Ljubljana to Ormož, this is up to you. Here is the list of trains for Ormož from Ljubljana and the information about the transportation from the airport to Ljubljana. Ljubljana train and bus station are together.

TRAINS TO ORMOŽ

Ljubljana 7.40 Ormož 10.25
Ljubljana 12.50 – Pragersko 15.08 arrival/departure 15.10 – Ormož 15.41
Ljubljana 17.25 – Pragersko 19.29 arrival/departure 19. 44 – Ormož 20.15

For the ones who are coming from Zagreb and Belgrade, change the train in Zidani most – you do not need to go to Ljubljana.

The train ticket one way from Ljubljana to Ormož is between 9 and 10 EUR.

BUS FROM LJUBLJANA AIRPORT TO LJUBLJANA

There are two different bus companies transporting from the airport to Ljubljana bus and railway station (they are together). It takes 30 to 45 minutes, costs 4,5 EUR.

7.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00
5:45 6:40 10:55 12:40 14:30 16:00 17:30 18:25 22:55 00:00

CONTACT NUMBERS:
Sintija Dobrotinšek, + 386 (0) 31 658 971
Bojana Skrt, + 386 (0) 41 423377

Looking forwad seeing you in Slovenia,

Bojana & Sintija