The fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and powerful Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, originates from the collapse of a 2022 power-sharing agreement between the two, that has impacted millions of civilians and triggered a humanitarian crisis.
One of the chief concerns is lack of civilian access to food. The current security and logistics challenges have reduced food security for millions across the country.
By improving food production and safeguarding agrifood systems, FAO, with assistance from the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the agency is hoping to provide greater food security now and in the longer term.
FAO plans to reach five million people across seventeen states with 10,000 tonnes of sorghum, millet, groundnut, and sesame seeds. The campaign will enable vulnerable farmers to plant up to three million tonnes of cereals between November and December this year, meeting the cereal requirements of around thirteen to nineteen million people.
Since 3 May, the World Food Programme (WFP) has been continuing emergency food operations after being forced to temporarily halt them due to the deteriorating security situation. The continued violence and access restrictions by the warring parties have made it extremely difficult for WFP to scale up its assistance in the region, however.
Support ‘paramount’
So far, FAO has delivered 3.3 tonnes of seeds to eight states and begun distributing them to farmers.
The agency has also raised nearly $20 million towards its $95.4 million goal of reaching fifteen million people with life-saving interventions including providing access to food, farming equipment, and restocking and protecting livestock herds.
Additionally, WFP has successfully provided food and nutrition assistance to over 1.4 million people across fourteen states since resuming operations in May, despite the continued fighting in the region.
Nearly 500,000 people have received WFP assistance in some of the hardest-to-reach areas of restive Darfur.
“The need for swift agricultural support in Sudan is paramount,” said FAO Representative in Sudan Hongjie Yang.
“Our goal is to navigate the complex security and logistical challenges to continue to reach farmers in the country with this time-sensitive assistance.”
The victims, who included members of the Masalit ethnic community, were allegedly killed last month by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militia, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said, citing credible information.
Local people were forced to dispose of the bodies in a mass grave outside the regional capital, El-Geneina , denying those killed a decent burial in one of the city’s cemeteries.
Mr. Türk condemned the killings in the strongest terms and called for those responsible to be held to account.
The RSF and the Sudanese army have been locked in fierce fighting since mid-April. Thousands have been killed and injured, and nearly three million people are displaced both within and outside the country.
At least 37 of the bodies were buried on 20 June in the roughly one-metre-deep mass grave in an open area called Al-Turab Al Ahmar, or Red Soil in English.
Another 50 bodies were buried there the following day, including those of seven women and seven children.
Those buried were killed by the RSF and their allied militia during the period 13 to 21 June in the districts of Al-Madaress and Al-Jamarek, located in El-Geneina, according to credible information gathered by OHCHR.
Many were victims of the violence that followed the killing of the Governor of West Darfur, Khamis Abbaker, on 14 June, shortly after he was taken into custody by the RSF. Others had died from untreated injuries.
Disrespecting the dead
The UN rights chief said he was “appalled by the callous and disrespectful way the dead, along with their families and communities, were treated.”
“There must be a prompt, thorough and independent investigation into the killings, and those responsible must be held to account,” he said.
Mr. Türk called on the RSF and other parties to the conflict to allow and facilitate searches for the dead, their collection and evacuation, in line with international law and regardless of ethnicity or other distinction.
Bodies lying in the streets
OHCHR said witnesses report that local mediation efforts for access to and burial of the dead have generally taken too long, leaving many bodies lying in the streets for days.
The family of a Masalit dignitary who was killed on or around 9 June by the RSF and their allies, reportedly had to wait 13 days before being allowed to collect the body.
Witnesses told staff that in cases where the RSF have allowed the collection of the dead, following mediation with Arab and other community leaders, they have refused to allow those injured to be taken to hospitals for medical treatment.
Ensure injured receive care
“The RSF’s leadership and their allied militia as well as all parties to an armed conflict are required to ensure that the dead are properly handled, and their dignity protected,” Mr. Türk said.
Furthermore, international humanitarian and international human rights law require all warring parties to ensure the injured receive medical care.
The High Commissioner called on the RSF leadership immediately and unequivocally to condemn and stop the killing of people, and to end violence and hate speech based on ethnicity.
In January 2023, President Metsola mandated the Quaestors to work on proposals to reinforce Parliament’s anti-harassment policies. Building on the recommendations of the Quaestors, the Bureau decided on 10 July to establish a mediation service and gave its political backing to the introduction of mandatory training for Members. The Bureau also agreed to improve the existing procedure of the Advisory Committee dealing with harassment complaints concerning Members.
President Metsola underlined
“Places of work must be safe and dignified. Improving and incentivising anti-harassment policies in the Parliament was always a priority for me. It forms part of my objective to reform the European Parliament to make it more efficient, transparent and fairer. And this reform has the potential to deliver. It pays special attention to measures that will better protect victims, it speeds up the processes and it focuses on prevention, through training and mediation”.
The decision establishes a mediation service to support Members and staff in resolving difficult relational situations and to maintain a positive and collaborative working environment, where conflicts are prevented or solved at an early stage. The established mediation service will act independently and be based on the universal principles of mediation: confidentiality, voluntariness, informality and self-determination.
Mandatory training for Members
In order to provide 360-degree support to Members, training on “How to create a good and well-functioning team”, consisting of five different modules, should be mandatory for Members and offered at the beginning and throughout their mandate as of next spring.
The content of the modules will cover the recruitment of assistants, successful team management, including conflict prevention and early conflict resolution, administrative and financial aspects of parliamentary assistance as well as harassment prevention.
Revision of the functioning of the Advisory Committee
A number of modifications were agreed to improve the existing rules codifying established best practices, aligning with recent case law and taking into account suggestions from the representatives of the Parliamentary assistants. For instance, the new rules aim to streamline and shorten procedures, putting in place additional options to protect complainants and support measures for the remainder of the complainant’s contract, when a case of harassment has been established.
A new restricted format of hearing is also agreed upon if needed in sensitive situations, such as complaints of sexual harassment. The modifications also supports strengthening the complainants’ and the Members’ obligation to cooperate with the committee, while maintaining the confidentiality of all their procedures in order to protect all parties’ privacy.
In addition to the proposals summarised above, the Bureau supported the principle of introducing an amicable termination of contract between a Member and their accredited parliamentary assistant.
All the measures agreed will be finalised in the coming meetings and accompanied by several awareness-raising campaigns.
Next steps
The Mediation service approved will be in place in the best possible timeframe. The existing training on harassment prevention will continue to be offered to the Members while the new mandatory training on “How to create a good and well-functioning team” for Members will be developed to be offered as of spring 2024, at the beginning of next term and through the legislature. The Constitutional Affairs Committee will work on this in order to incorporate this agreement into Parliament’s existing rules. In addition, additional staff will be allocated to the relevant service to ensure the necessary administrative support to the implementation of the decisions taken to strengthen Integrity, Independence and Accountability in the Institution.
In a resolution adopted with 365 votes in favour, 270 against, and 20 abstentions, Parliament calls the ethics body draft agreement “unsatisfactory and not ambitious enough, falling short of a genuine, ethics body” as envisaged by Parliament already two years ago.
Contentious points
It also regrets that the Commission has proposed that only five independent experts will be part of the body (one per EU institution) and only as observers, rather than the nine-person body composed of independent ethics experts that Parliament had previously asked for. MEPs insist that the ethics body should be able to investigate alleged breaches of ethical rules, and also have the power to request administrative documents (respecting MEPs’ immunity and freedom of mandate). It should have the authority to investigate alleged breaches of ethics rules on its own initiative and deal with individual cases if a participating institution or any of its members request it, they underline. MEPs also stress that the body should be able to issue recommendations for sanctions, which should be made public together with the decision taken by the respective institution or after a deadline.
Other key points raised in the resolution include the need for independent experts dealing with individual cases to work together with the member of the body representing the institution concerned, the body’s ability to receive and assess declarations of interest and assets, and its awareness-raising and guidance role.
MEPs also regret that the proposal does not cover the staff of the institutions, who are subject to common obligations already, and stresses the need for the body to protect whistleblowers, in particular European public officials.
Revision of Parliament’s rules
As for Parliament’s own efforts towards more transparency, integrity, and accountability, MEPs underline that Parliament is currently reviewing its framework with a view to strengthening procedures on how to deal with breaches of its rules (in particular the Code of Conduct), to better define its sanctions mechanism, and structurally reform the relevant advisory committee. They emphasise that in recent corruption allegations, NGOs appear to have been used as vectors of foreign interference, and call for an urgent review of existing regulations with the aim of making NGOs more transparent and accountable. Comprehensive financial pre-screening should be required for entities to be listed in the EU Transparency Register, ‘revolving doors’ incidents involving NGOs should be studied further in terms of conflicts of interest, and the future members of the ethics body must recuse themselves from files that pertain to work of NGOs from which they have received remuneration, MEPs emphasise.
Next steps
Parliament will participate in the negotiations with Council and Commission with President Roberta Metsola in the lead, aiming to conclude them by the end of 2023, and using its 2021 resolution as the basis of Parliament’s negotiating stance.
Stellar-mass black holes are celestial objects born from the collapse of stars with masses of a few to low hundreds of times that of our sun. Their gravitational field is so intense that neither matter nor radiation can evade them, making their detection exceedingly difficult.
Therefore, when the tiny ripples in space-time produced by the merger of two black holes were detected in 2015 by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), it was hailed as a watershed moment.
According to astrophysicists, the two merging black holes at the origin of the signal were about 30 times the mass of the sun and located 1.5 billion light-years away.
LIGO detector beam tube – illustrative photo. Image credit: Jeff Keyzer via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0
What mechanisms produce these black holes? Are they the product of the evolution of two stars, similar to our sun but significantly more massive, evolving within a binary system? Or do they result from black holes in densely populated star clusters running into each other by chance? Or might a more exotic mechanism be involved? All of these questions are still hotly debated today.
The POSYDON collaboration, a team of scientists from institutions including Northwestern, the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the University of Florida (UF), has made significant strides in simulating binary-star populations. This work is helping to provide more accurate answers and reconcile theoretical predictions with observational data.
“As it is impossible to directly observe the formation of merging binary black holes, it is necessary to rely on simulations that reproduce their observational properties,” said Simone Bavera, a postdoctoral researcher in the department of astronomy of the UNIGE’s Faculty of Science and lead author of the study.
“We do this by simulating the binary-star systems from their births to the formation of the binary black hole systems.”
An artist’s conception shows two merging black holes similar to those detected by LIGO. Credit: Aurore Simonnet/LIGO-Caltech-MIT-Sonoma State
Pushing the limits of simulation
Interpreting the origins of merging binary black holes, such as the one observed in 2015, requires comparing theoretical model predictions with actual observations. The technique used to model these systems is known as “binary population synthesis.”
“This technique simulates the evolution of tens of millions of binary star systems in order to estimate the statistical properties of the resulting gravitational-wave source population,” said Anastasios Fragkos, assistant professor in the department of astronomy at the UNIGE Faculty of Science.
“However, to achieve this in a reasonable time frame, researchers have until now relied on models that use approximate methods to simulate the evolution of the stars and their binary interactions,” he said. “Hence, the oversimplification of single and binary stellar physics leads to less accurate predictions.”
POSYDON has overcome these limitations. Designed as open-source software, it leverages a pre-computed large library of detailed single- and binary-star simulations to predict the evolution of isolated binary systems.
Each of these detailed simulations might take up to 100 central processing unit (CPU) hours to run on a supercomputer, making this simulation technique not directly applicable for binary population synthesis.
“However, by precomputing a library of simulations that cover the entire parameter space of initial conditions, POSYDON can utilize this extensive dataset along with machine learning methods to predict the complete evolution of binary systems in less than a second,” said Jeffrey Andrews, assistant professor in the department of physics at UF.
“This speed is comparable to that of previous-generation rapid population synthesis codes, but with improved accuracy.”
Introducing a new model
POSYDON, a major code development project, stands for POpulation SYnthesis with Detailed binary-evolution simulatiONs. Kalogera and Tassos Fragos, a former Ph.D. student in Kalogera’s group, are co-principal investigators of the project, which began at Northwestern in 2019 with support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Fragos, now with the University of Geneva, is a co-author of the study. The University of Florida joined the collaboration this year.
Previous models overestimated certain aspects, such as the expansion of massive stars, which impacts their mass loss and the binary interactions. These elements are key ingredients that determine the properties of merging black holes.
Thanks to fully self-consistent detailed stellar-structure and binary-interaction simulations, POSYDON achieves more accurate predictions of merging binary black hole properties such as their masses and spins.
The research team is currently developing a new version of POSYDON, which will include a larger library of detailed stellar and binary simulations, capable of simulating binaries in a wider range of galaxy types.
Over 52.6% of businesses note that ensuring the privacy of their customer’s data is their number one priority in the cyber security field. As cyber-attacks are getting more frequent, online security holds significant importance for individuals and businesses.
While the internet presents numerous opportunities, it also exposes us to certain risks, including data breaches, identity theft, and online tracking. Strengthening our online defenses becomes essential, and employing privacy-enhancing tools is vital in achieving this goal. Among these tools, residential proxies stand out for numerous reasons. By providing an added layer of protection, these proxies contribute to a safer and more secure browsing experience.
Learn how residential proxies enhance online security and how to choose the option that suits your needs.
The ever-evolving digital landscape poses a range of risks and challenges even for a true internet power user. Here are some of the most common online security threats:
Online tracking. Websites often track users’ IP addresses, allowing them to monitor and collect data on browsing behavior and online activities.
Data breaches. Major data breaches occur frequently, exposing personal information such as passwords, email addresses, and financial data to malicious actors.
Identity theft. Hackers exploit security vulnerabilities to steal identities, leading to financial losses and reputational damage.
What are residential proxies?
Residential proxies act as intermediaries between your device and the target you are accessing online. They route your internet traffic through a pool of IP addresses assigned to residential users by ISPs (Internet Service Providers). These IP addresses are associated with real devices connected to residential networks, making this type of proxy appear as if the requests are coming from genuine users.
Unlike datacenter proxies, which use IP addresses from datacenters, residential proxies provide a higher level of anonymity and credibility. Websites and online platforms often identify residential proxies as legitimate users. This makes residential proxies ideal for various purposes, including protecting your online identity, managing multiple accounts, or collecting publicly available data.
Adding an extra layer of security with residential proxies
Users get more than just masking their original IP address when equipping themselves with residential proxies. Although some use cases only apply to advanced internet users, knowing this powerful tool’s capabilities is important.
Enhancing online anonymity with residential proxies. Once equipped, it is nearly impossible for websites to track your location or identify your real IP address. By utilizing IPs originating from real residential addresses, they enhance privacy and reduce the risk of being targeted by cyber attackers or intrusive advertisers.
Bypassing geo-restrictions. Some websites and social media platforms employ geo-blocking measures or impose access limitations based on IPs. Residential proxies allow users to access content that may be restricted or unavailable in their location.
Managing multiple accounts. Individuals and businesses often need to manage multiple accounts across various platforms and regions. Residential proxies help to hop between different accounts without triggering account restrictions or bans, as each account can have a distinct IP address. This is especially valuable for social media & SEO managers, researchers, and marketers with multiple social media or eCommerce accounts.
Social media automation tasks. For marketing gurus and businesses, residential proxies help to run various automation tools for platforms that employ advanced anti-bot software.
Collecting publicly available data. Web scraping is another common use case when residential proxies come in handy. Marketers and researchers can scrape website data without experiencing CAPTCHAs, IP blocks, and bans.
Market intelligence. Businesses that want to stay ahead of the competition should gear up with residential proxies to monitor their rivals’ prices and developments. Residential proxies also help to collect market trends and adapt to ever-changing consumer behavior.
How to choose a residential proxy provider?
Although, according to Statista research, users are getting more concerned about protecting their online identity, enabling multi-factor authentication, or turning off third-party cookies is simply not enough. Residential proxies are the go-to choice to safeguard sensitive information and enhance your browsing experience. But what should you look for when choosing a proxy provider?
Pristine reputation and reliability. Look for genuine user reviews, testimonials, and feedback. A reputable provider will have a track record of delivering high-quality and reliable services.
IP pool size and quality. The quality of the IP addresses in the provider’s pool is crucial. Make sure they offer genuine residential IP addresses from a range of locations. Also, check the IP pool size to ensure you can rotate IPs without experiencing any restrictions.
High-level encryption. A trusted residential proxy provider should offer robust security measures and encryption protocols to protect your data and maintain online privacy. Look for providers that offer features such as HTTPS encryption and SOCKS5 support.
Connection speed and success rates. Test the connection speed and performance of the residential proxies before committing to a provider. Slow or unreliable proxies can hinder your online activities and impact your security.
Tech customer support. Choose a provider that offers advanced 24/7 support through live chat or email, so whenever you encounter an issue, an assistant will help you solve the problem.
Pricing and commitments. Compare the pricing and plans offered by different providers. Consider your budget and the value for money. Also, look for a provider that offers a free trial and money-back guarantee.
Bottom line
As the online landscape becomes increasingly complex and risky, safeguarding personal information and online identity is vital. Residential proxies offer a valuable and budget-friendly solution enhancing online security and privacy by providing anonymity, bypassing restrictions, and supporting a range of use cases for individuals and businesses.
Young leaders for Human Rights and Peace at the UN. 2023 (Photo credit: TS)
Global youth activism for human rights receives recognition as Scientology’s Human Rights Office commends Youth for Human Rights Summit.
EINPresswire.com/ BRUSSELS-NEW YORK, BRUSSELS-NEW YORK, BELGIUM-USA, July 13, 2023. / The Human Rights Office of the Church of Scientology International congratulates Youth for Human Rights International on its Summit at the United Nations, which equipped young activists around the world with the tools to achieve their humanitarian goals.
At this 17th Youth Summit held on July 6-8 inside the UN headquarters, in New York, young leaders from all around the world, including Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Oceania, received wisdom and experiences from Nobel Peace Prize laureates and human rights experts. Organized by Youth for Human Rights International, the Summit was hosted by the Permanent Mission of Timor-Leste to the United Nations and co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Ireland, Albania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The theme of this year’s Summit was:
“IMAGINE: EQUALITY. DIGNITY. UNITY – Young people make it a reality”.
Delegates gathered in the hall of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, where international human rights icons guided and encouraged them to persevere in achieving their goal: to make human rights a reality by raising awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta, 1996 Nobel Peace Prize winner, welcomed delegates in a recorded presentation. “The hope represented by the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights never dies – he said – With your actions today you are making the world you will live in a better place. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations paves the way for a better world. Thank you for continuing to carry the torch and forging a path towards the ideals we share ”.
2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a date whose celebrations have started all over. The UDHR document has been the first one to ever define the fundamental rights that all peoples of Earth poses.
“It is appaling that 75 years later our world continues to face preventable humanitarian crises such as human trafficking, hunger as well as abuse of the environmental richness, while over 30 nations are still involved in conflicts, from large-scale wars to terrorist insurgencies. It is clear to me, and to everyone willing to open their eyes and look, that the 30 rights are still treated at some degree as wet paper, rather than tirelessly work to fully implement the for billions of people on the planet” said Ivan Arjona, representative of the Church of Scientology for the European Institutions and the UN.
Those who drafted the document urged governments and civil society already in the very preamble to “work by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive national and international measures to ensure universal and effective recognition and observance”.
It was in December 2011, when the United Nations General Assembly, after being requested specially by civil society and allies in governments, adopted the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training. The declaration calls on member states to “implement human rights education and training”. Yet 12 years later, little has changed.
Youth delegates from around the world co-authored a statement which they read out at the Summit, in which the demand for all UN member states to make human rights education compulsory in schools in their countries.
As evidence of the possibility of doing so, the participants of the Summit were briefed by Jorge Luis Fonseca Fonseca, Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica and the Representative of Youth for Human Rights Costa Rica, Braulio Vargas, on how they helped to pass legislation mandating human rights education in all schools in Costa Rica, thus instilling human rights into the fabric of the nation.
Other keynote speakers at the Summit include Timor-Leste’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Karlito Nunes; the Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations, Ambassador Ferit Hoxha; the Immediate Past President of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Dr. Ira Helfand, Nobel Peace Prize winner for 1985 and 2017; the Co-Founder and President of Eyes Open International, Harold D’Souza; Movement Forward, Inc. Chief Operating Officer Jared Feuer; retired Associate Justice of the Philippine Court of Appeals and chair of the Independent Commission Against Private Armies, Monina Arevalo Zenarosa; and Northwest Vista College assistant professor Haetham Abdul-Razaq, Ph.D.
More than 400 officials, ambassadors and representatives of United Nations Permanent Missions, NGO representatives, academics and members of civil society, including from Italy, attended the two-day conference, at the end of which dignitaries signed a proclamation and request for human rights education in all schools.
The event was broadcast on the United Nations website and watched by human rights activists, educators and members of Youth for Human Rights chapters in countries around the world.
The final day of the Summit was hosted by the Church of Scientology Harlem Community Center. Delegates attended a workshop where they acquired skills in planning and executing their human rights education initiatives. Each of them has drawn up a human rights action plan that will help them achieve their goals for the coming year.
The Human Rights Office of the Church of Scientology International congratulates Youth for Human Rights International on the scale and impact of this summit. The Church has sponsored and helped organize each of the previous 16 Youth Summits. Defending human rights is an integral part of the Scientology religion. The Creed of the Church of Scientology, written in 1954 by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, begins with:
“We of the Church believe: That all men of whatever race, color or creed are created with equal rights.”
The Church of Scientology and its parishioners support Youth for Human Rights International by making it possible to provide its materials free of charge to educators, human rights organizations, and community and civic leaders who wish to educate others about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Artificial intelligence is likely to significantly impact over a quarter of currently existing job positions. Image credit: Ümit Yıldırım via Unsplash, free license
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), over a quarter of all jobs within 38 member countries rely on skills that could be easily automated in the upcoming artificial intelligence (AI) revolution.
The OECD further stated that workers are concerned about the possibility of losing their jobs to AI. Although there is currently limited evidence of AI significantly impacting jobs, this may be due to the early stages of the revolution.
The 2023 Employment Outlook report from the Paris-based organization revealed that jobs with the highest risk of automation account for an average of 27% of the labor force across OECD countries, with eastern European nations being the most vulnerable. These high-risk jobs were defined as those requiring more than 25 out of 100 skills and abilities that artificial intelligence experts consider easily automatable.
A robotic assembly line in a car factory. Image credit: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles via Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
While 27% is the average indicator, in some countries up to nearly 37% jobs can be significantly impacted by artificial intelligence solutions in near future.
A survey conducted by the OECD in the previous year found that three out of five workers expressed fear of losing their jobs to AI within the next decade. The survey involved 5,300 workers from 2,000 firms in manufacturing and finance sectors across seven OECD countries. At the time of this earlier survey, generative AI systems like ChatGPT did not exist on the market yet.
Despite concerns about the impact of AI, two-thirds of workers who are already working with AI reported that automation had made their jobs less dangerous or monotonous.
OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann emphasized the significance of policy actions in determining how AI will ultimately affect workers. He stressed the need for governments to assist workers in preparing for these changes and capitalizing on the opportunities presented by AI.
The OECD highlighted that measures such as minimum wages and collective bargaining could alleviate the wage pressures posed by AI, while governments and regulators must safeguard workers’ rights to ensure they are not compromised.
The Cult Observatory is not in charge of providing psycho-social or legal assistance to victims of cults. It does, however, direct enquirers to the appropriate support services and provides general legal information. The abuses and sufferings described are very diverse in nature, says the Observatory.
According to the Observatory, victims are people who declare that they are suffering or have suffered from cultic manipulation or the consequences of cultic manipulation of someone close to them.
The Observatory points out in the text of its Recommendation that “the notion of victims is in reality broader than that given by legal definitions. Alongside direct victims (former followers, etc.), there are also collateral victims (parents, children, friends, relatives, etc.) and silent victims (former followers who do not denounce the facts but who are suffering, children, etc.)”. It is also careful to take certain oratorical precautions and not to endorse the state of a person claiming to be a victim.
On the judicial front, “legal assistants can only intervene and provide help if a criminal complaint is lodged, which is rarely the case in the cultic context,” states the Observatory. However, the concept of “cult” does not exist by law, and “the cultic context” even less so.
It’s true that in all areas of human relations (family, marital, hierarchical, professional, sports, school, religious…), victims find it difficult to lodge a criminal complaint for a variety of psychological or other reasons.
However, in the religious context, and in particular in the Roman Catholic Church, the number of victims of documented and proven sexual abuse cases which are or were liable to criminal punishment is countless worldwide. At the time these abuses were committed, the real victims remained silent, and thousands refrained from pressing charges. Singling out and stigmatizing so-called “cults” outside the general religious context can only give a truncated view of reality. Cults” do not exist in law.
Who has to pay for the victims? The State, and therefore taxpayers?
All over the world, there are and have been victims of various kinds of religious, spiritual or philosophical groups. The state does not provide any financial support for the psychological care of the said victims.
The Catholic Church has unilaterally and finally decided to purify its ranks, identify and document alleged cases of abuse, deal with complaints in courts or in other contexts, and intervene financially to cover damages caused by members of its clergy. Legal action leading to fines, financial compensation of proven victims by the judiciary or prison sentences may also be necessary.
In our democracies, the legal channels are the safest. The first help to be given to people claiming to be victims is legal: helping them to lodge a complaint and then trust the justice system to establish the facts, confirm or not the status of victims, and include in its judgments adequate financial compensation for any psychological damage.
This is the only credible way to determine whether there has been a violation of the law by a particular religious group, whether there have been victims and whether they should be compensated.
The Cult Observatory is a center for information and advice. It can therefore legitimately issue an opinion and make a recommendation to the competent Belgian authorities. However, it has lost credibility since its opinion concerning alleged sexual abuses of minors committed within the Jehovah’s Witness movement and supposedly hidden by the religious hierarchy was totally disavowed by a Belgian court for lack of evidence in 2022.
An advice from the Cult Observatory caught at fault by the Belgian justice system
In October 2018, the Cult Observatory published a report on alleged sexual abuse of minors committed within the Jehovah’s Witness community and asked the Belgian Federal Parliament to investigate the matter.
The Observatory said it had received various testimonies from people claiming to have been sexually abused, which led to a series of raids on Jehovah’s Witness places of worship and homes.
These accusations of sexual abuse were strongly contested by the religious community. The Jehovah’s Witnesses felt that this was damaging to them and their reputation, and took the case to court.
In June 2022, the Brussels Court of First Instance ruled in favor of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and condemned the Observatory.
The Brussels Court of First Instance also ordered the Belgian State to publish the judgment on the Observatory’s homepage for six months.
The court’s decision was welcomed by Jehovah’s Witnesses, who had denounced a “particularly infamous rumor” targeting their community of some 45,000 members and sympathizers in Belgium.
The Cult Observatory recommends public funding for organizations with little credibility or transparency
The Observatory states that one of its main partners on the French-speaking side, the Service d’Aide aux Victimes d’Emprise et de Comportements Sectaires (SAVECS) of the Planning familial Marconi (Brussels), has “helped and counseled people who declare that they suffer or have suffered from cultic manipulation or the consequences of cultic manipulation of a loved one,” but that it has closed its doors for budgetary reasons.
On the Dutch-speaking side, the Observatory says it works in collaboration with the non-profit organization Studie en Adviesgroep Sekten (SAS-Sekten), but the association’s volunteers are no longer able to handle requests for assistance, which remain unanswered.
The Observatory praises the expertise and professionalism of these two associations.
However, preliminary research on these two organizations raises reservations about their transparency, and consequently about the reliability of the Observatory’s opinion.
The SAVECS website contains no annual activity report, nor does it mention any information concerning the victim support cases handled by them (number of cases, nature, religious or philosophical movements concerned, etc.).
The Centre de Consultations et de Planning Familial Marconi is also silent on the question of help for cult victims. The Centre Marconi carries out the following activities: medical consultations; contraception, pregnancy monitoring, AIDS, STDs; psychological consultations: individuals, couples and families; social consultations; legal consultations; physiotherapy. It also offers “a service to help victims of cultic influence and behavior – SAVECS -: psychological listening and consultation, prevention, discussion groups”. Helping the victims of sects therefore appears to be very peripheral to its mandate.
SAS-Sekten is an organization set up in 1999 in the wake of the Belgian parliamentary report on cults, which has a page on the Flemish Region’s official website informing the region’s inhabitants about the existing social assistance services. Although help for cult victims is listed as the first item of its mandate, there is no activity report on this subject either. Again, a total lack of transparency and a huge gap between what is stated and what is maybe achieved.
SAS-Sekten’s current visible figure is a former Jehovah’s Witness who took the movement to court on charges of discrimination and incitement to hatred. In 2022, he lost the appeal, his charges were being declared unfounded.
Human Rights Without Frontiers considers that public funding of such groups, as recommended by the Cult Observatory, is not credible and that another solution must be found.
France’s bad example, not to be followed
On 6 June 2023, French media reported that the distribution of public funds to dubious associations had led to the resignation of the president of France’s Cult Observatory (MIVILUDES) against the backdrop of the Marianne Fund scandal, of which he was the manager under the authority of his minister, Marlène Schiappa.
On October 16, 2020, a secondary school teacher, Samuel Paty, was beheaded by an 18-year-old Muslim extremist for showing his students cartoons of Mohammed published by “Charlie Hebdo.” Following the French government’s initiative, the Marianne Fund had then been launched by Minister Marlène Schiappa (Initial budget of 2.5 million EUR). The aim was to finance associations fighting against Muslim fundamentalism and separatism. Subsequently, Minister Schiappa argued that cults were no less separatist and fundamentalist, and that anti-cult associations should be financed from this fund. Some of them close to MIVILUDES had then been “prioritized” and had “benefitted of privileges”, which was welcome given their financial difficulties. On 31 May 2023, the General Inspection of the Administration (IGA) issued a first report on what is known in France as the scandal of the Marianne Fund.
Complaints have been lodged against several French anti-cult associations.
The Belgian state and taxpayers should not be used to bail out the finances of non-transparent associations.
Surge of Religious hatred / In recent times, the world has witnessed a disturbing increase in premeditated and public acts of religious hatred, particularly the desecration of the Holy Quran in certain European and other countries. During the Fifty-third Session of the Human Rights Council, Nazila Ghanea, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, delivered a powerful speech urging the international community to confront intolerance, discrimination, and violence based on religion or belief.
I will try to delve into the key points raised in Ghanea’s speech, underscoring the significance of non-discrimination, adherence to international human rights frameworks, and the pressing need for fostering tolerance within our societies. (You can watch the full video with the transcript below).
According to Nazila Ghanea, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, it is imperative to ensure that no individual is subjected to discrimination by any State, institution, group of persons, or individuals based on their religion or belief.
The tireless efforts of the Special Procedures and the Coordination Committee revolve around fostering understanding, coexistence, non-discrimination, and equality for all individuals, guaranteeing their right to enjoy fundamental freedoms and human rights without prejudice or bias.
Manifestations of Religious Hatred and Intolerance:
Ghanea underscores the fact that religious intolerance and hatred manifest in various ways across the globe. As she aptly stated,
“Intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief is experienced in numerous ways, transcending geographical boundaries. It includes distinguishing, excluding, restricting, or showing preference based on religion or belief.”
These acts not only impede the equal enjoyment of human rights but also contribute to the perpetuation of societal divisions and tensions, undermining the very essence of harmonious coexistence, which at times (readers should be aware of that) is instigated by government agencies in Europe for example in Belgium, France, Hungary, Germany and others.
The Escalation of Public Acts of Intolerance:
Public acts of intolerance have witnessed an alarming surge, particularly during times of political tension. Ghanea draws attention to the underlying political motives behind these orchestrated displays of intolerance, stating,
“The political motives and purposes behind these engineered public displays of intolerance reveal their true nature: the instrumentalization of religion and belief to propagate hatred.”
@unitednations SR on FoRB Alerts of Surge in Acts of ReligiousHatred ReligiousHatred Surge of Religious hatred / In recent times, the world has witnessed a disturbing increase in premeditated and public acts of religious hatred, particularly the desecration of the Holy Quran in certain European and other countries. During the Fifty-third Session of the Human Rights Council, Nazila Ghanea, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, delivered a powerful speech urging the international community to confront intolerance, discrimination, and violence based on religion or belief. This article aims to delve into the key points raised in Ghanea’s speech, underscoring the significance of non-discrimination, adherence to international human rights frameworks, and the pressing need for fostering tolerance within our societies. READ ARTICLE ON: https://www.europeantimes.news/2023/07/un-sr-forb-alerts-surge-religious-hatred/
According to Ghanea, it is crucial to unequivocally condemn such acts, regardless of their origin or the individuals responsible, in order to preserve tolerance, civility, and respect for the rights of all.
Reaffirming Commitment to Human Rights Frameworks:
Ghanea emphasizes the vital importance of upholding international human rights frameworks and bolstering commitments to combat intolerance and violence based on religion or belief. She asserts, “The responses of national authorities to these acts, as well as related incidents, should be in line with international human rights law.” Nurturing collaborative networks, facilitating constructive actions, and promoting interfaith dialogue can create an environment that fosters religious tolerance, peace, and respect.
Protecting Freedom of Expression and Combating Hate Speech:
The freedom of religion or belief and the freedom of expression are deeply interconnected, she says in the statement, enabling individuals to voice their opinions against intolerance and hostility. Ghanea rightly points out, “Freedom of expression is crucial in combating negative stereotypes, presenting alternative viewpoints, and nurturing an atmosphere of respect and understanding among diverse communities.” Although international law prohibits the advocacy of hatred that incites discrimination or violence, it is vital to evaluate each situation contextually, ensuring a fair and comprehensive analysis points out the statement given at the Urgent debate during the 53rd Human Rights Council.
The Role of Leaders and Communities:
Ghanea highlights the pivotal role of political, religious, and civil society leaders in countering intolerance and promoting diversity and inclusion. These leaders hold the power to condemn acts of hatred unequivocally and foster understanding among communities. As Ghanea firmly states, “We stand united against those who deliberately exploit tensions or target individuals based on their religion or belief.”
Conclusion:
Confronting the rising tide of acts fueled by religious hatred necessitates united efforts to promote non-discrimination, tolerance, and understanding. Upholding international human rights frameworks, without ignoring those happening in Europe, unequivocally condemning acts of intolerance, fostering dialogue, and safeguarding freedom of expression are vital steps in building inclusive and harmonious societies.
By rejecting those who exploit religious tensions and target individuals based on their beliefs, we can strive towards a world where individuals can freely practice their religion or embrace their chosen beliefs, safe from discrimination and violence. As Nazila Ghanea aptly affirms,
“Our responses to these acts must be firmly grounded in the framework of international human rights law.”
Nazila Ghanea, UN SR on FoRB, 53rd Session UN Human Rights Council
