Friday, November 15, 2013

Human Rights Should Not Be Utilised Any Longer To Recreate A New Violent Conflict

By Laksiri Fernando -November 15, 2013

Dr. Laksiri Fernando

Commonwealth, Member Responsibilities and Human Rights

“While people talk of a commonwealth, every man seeks only his own wealth”– Thomas More (Utopia, 1516)

It is always easy to criticise, but difficult to be relevant and responsible. This applies not only to human rights but also to all facets of governance or more pertinently to ‘good governance.’ Didn’t the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth unaware of the ‘human rights record’ of Sri Lanka when they decided to have the next summit in Colombo at the last summit held in Perth in 2011? They did.

Of course people are free to change their minds on any matter on earth, but could that be considered responsible when it comes to international relations and diplomacy of the highest order? It could hardly be the case if and when facts were clear from the beginning, however controversial. Sri Lanka should have a fair go, whatever the weaknesses or violations of the present regime and the government, because the matters pertinent to the Commonwealth are supposed to be the matters of the common people more than of the government.

If the present summit decides not to handover the leadership of the CHOGM to Sri Lanka for the next two years, it would be a slap on the face of the people of the country more than the government. It is also not the politically correct policy for a multilateral organization like the Commonwealth. Not that I am speculating that it would be the case, or would happen even by accident, but that is what some of the agitators are furiously advocating even at this last moment. Read More

An Open Letter To C’wealth Heads

By Saroj Jayasinghe -November 15, 2013 |

Prof Saroj Jayasinghe

An Open Letter To The Commonwealth Heads Of Governments – Make Global Peace Your Primary Agenda!

Activities relating to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2013) are progressing in earnest, and Foreign Ministers and Heads of State are now busy formulating proposals that include, the negotiating points from the perspective of the Commonwealth on the United Nation’s Global Development Goals of 2015 (i.e. successor to the Millennium Development Goals of the UN that is scheduled to ‘expire’ in 2015). This open letter to the Commonwealth Heads of Governments is to draw their urgent attention to a crucial factor facing humanity and the biggest human-made disaster, namely, war.

Since the origin of human history, wars have cost billions of human lives. From as recent as the beginning of the Second World War (i.e. past 75 years or so), wars between nations have killed and maimed more than a billion. They have decimated millions within minutes (e.g. due to dropping of nuclear bombs), annihilated whole civilisations, created millions of displaced populations and crippled billions mentally and physically for a life-time. Furthermore, they destroy environments and whole ecologies, forever, and contribute to climate change. In short, wars have the ability to destroy all our development agendas overnight. Furthermore, wars across borders and invasions are probably the most powerful promoters of internal strife and conflicts within nations, as they lead to a breakdown of their social fabrics, and promote a culture of violence. The unfolding chaos in Iraq is a painful reminder of how a country could tear itself to pieces and spiral towards worsening violence after invasion. Therefore, a set of global development goals that does not tackle the issue of wars between nations (in addition to conflicts within nations) will be akin to the mythical Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burnt….