Personal diary of John Barnabas (aka Barney) Leith
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09-12-01_ARC_Copenhagen_statement.pdf (92 KB)
The Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) have issued a Statement of Faith for the upcoming Copenhagen climate summit on behalf of nine of the world’s major religions, which together reach out to 85 per cent of the world’s population.
The eyes of the world are on Copenhagen [...]
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Speaking at the UN General Assembly during the past week, Iran’s President Ahmadinejad professed concern for justice, freedom and human rights. He claimed that Iran is “one big and unified family” with full legal rights for religious minorities.
How interesting that Mr Ahmadinejad should decide that it was time to try to sweet-talk world leaders with [...]
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My friend Ineke Gijsbers, a Baha’i who lives in the north east of England, is in New York for the 17th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development.
She’s there on behalf the national governing council of the UK Baha’i community and will be part of the international delegation representing the Baha’i International Community.
These UN [...]
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I was very happy to learn last night that Canada’s resolution condemning Iran’s appalling human rights record was passed in a vote at the UN General Assembly’s plenary session yesterday.
Yes votes totalled 69. There were 54 No votes and 57 Abstentions. Iran tried to prevent a debate and vote by tabling a No Action Motion [...]
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Next to the Word of God the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is one of the most important documents in human history.
Yes, I know it is not enforceable. Yes, I know its provisions are widely ignored. Yes, I know it is an imperfect document. But the fact that those states that were members of the [...]
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The Times has today published an open letter signed by a number of prominent human rights campaigners, academics, lawyers and church leaders calling on the government of Iran
… to allow full and unfettered access to education for all members of the Iranian Baha’i community, and to cease the harassment of Baha’is at any and all [...]
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Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lawrence Cannon, has issued a statement welcoming the adoption by the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee of a resolution condemning Iran’s appalling human rights abuses (as I reported here):
The adoption of this resolution is a clear signal of the international community’s concern for the human rights of people in Iran. [...]
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Thank goodness! Iran’s attempt to stop debate on the motion resolution initiated by Canada at the UN General Assembly, condemning Iran’s appalling human rights record failed.
No action? No!
As expected, Iran tabled a “no action” motion, which would have prevented the General Assembly’s Third Committee debating Canada’s resolution. But 81 states voted against this no action [...]
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The UN General Assembly’s Third Committee is soon to consider a Canadian resolution condemning Iran’s human rights abuses – including the persecution of the Bahá’ís. The resolution is backed by the EU and by many other countries.
But Iran has been working hard to scupper any debate on the resolution, as Canada.com reports:
Iran is pulling out [...]
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Yesterday was the hottest day of the year in London so far in 2008 and we lined up to for the “Walk of Witness” for the Millennium Development Goals. Bishops as far as the eye could see! Purple cassocks combined oddly with sun hats – no mitres here – and the bishops’ wives’ dresses and [...]
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