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Repression of Saharawi human rights activists continues
Latest news
16 March 2010
20 Sahrawis were injured by Moroccan police at a peaceful demonstration last week in El-Aaiun, Western Sahara. The protestors were demanding that the United Nations apply international law with respect to the Saharawi people's right to self-determination.
Brahim Sabbar, General Secretary of the ASVDH
Human rights activists Brahim Sabbar (left), the General Secretary of the ASVDH (Sahrawi Association of Victims of Grave Human Rights Violations Committed by the Moroccan State), and Neaama Asfari, a human rights defender and co-chairman of CORELSO (Committee for the respect of freedoms and human rights in Western Sahara), were brutally beaten and injured.
The ASVDH strongly condemns the brutal tactics being used by the Moroccan police to intimidate Saharawi human rights activists. The Security Council will soon discuss a report submitted by the General Secretary regarding Western Sahara's situation.
The ASVDH, as well as other organisations supporting the Sahrawi people, are calling on the United Nations to expand the mission of MINURSO (The United Nation's Mission for the Referendum in Western Saraha) to include the monitoring of human rights violations in the Western Saharan occupied territories.
Sri Lanka trade union makes headway in fight for wage increase
Latest news
11 March 2010
After much lobbying and campaigning, War on Want partner the Free Trade Zones & General Services Employees Union (FTZ&GSEU) has won government support for a 40% salary increase in free trade zones.
The FTZ&GSEU, a leading campaigner for workers' rights in Sri Lanka's free trade zones (FTZs), mobilised thousands of workers to push for private sector wages to be increased to levels in line with those in the public sector.
In recent years the wages of Sri Lanka's 250,000 private sector workers have fallen well behind their public sector counterparts. Currently the minimum wage for the private sector is RS 6,700 per month (approximately £37), compared to Rs 11,630 £65) for the public sector. The FTZ&GSEU has spearheaded a campaign targeting the Sri Lankan Board of Investment (BOI), the government body responsible for carrying out wage increases in the private sector. They are demanding that salaries in the public sector be made equal to public sector wages, with no exception for FTZs workers. Given Sri Lanka's rapidly increasing inflation rates, the growing gap between public and private sector wages is a particular cause for concern.
The FTZ&GSEU's campaign has included educating FTZ workers on the importance of demanding a fair wage increase. In early February 20,000 FTZ workers signed a letter rejecting the meagre Rs 500 (approximately £3) wage increase offered to them by factory owners and calling on the BOI to meet their call for a salary increase that at a minimum equals rates in the public sector. Workers also protested by arriving at work dressed only in white, generating widespread media attention across the country.
As a result of their efforts the FTZ&GSEU was granted a meeting with the Chairman of the BOI at which trade union leaders voiced the concerns of workers and pushed for a fair increase in wages. Earlier this month the Sri Lankan Ministry of Labour publically recommended increasing the private sector minimum wage by Rs 2,500 (approximately £14) and has ordered wage boards across the country to convene. These wage boards, which are made up of factory owners, worker representatives and government officials, will now enter into negotiations over salary increases.
Though the struggle for a fair wage will undoubtedly continues, the tireless campaigning of FTZ&GSEU has helped workers win a crucial first victory in a long process.
MPs back a supermarket watchdog
Latest news
08 March 2010
On Friday 5 March, Albert Owen's Private Member's Bill in favour of a supermarket watchdog passed its first debate in parliament, with 44 MPs to 0 voting in favour of it. The turnout - high for this sort of debate – and result are a great indication of the pressure put on decision makers by War on Want supporters, and the strength of the campaign that has built in recent years. Thanks to everyone who took time to write to their MP about the issue and to keep a watchdog visible in parliament.War on Want has been campaigning for several years to improve workers' rights in overseas supply chains, where we have seen routine exploitation, terrible conditions and poverty pay. A watchdog would help govern the relationship between the large supermarkets and their suppliers, controlling the damaging practices that have seen supermarkets forcing down prices and squeezing their suppliers, leading to a knock-on effect for workers' rights.
The bill will now go on to the next legislative stage, being considered in Committee. MPs from the three main parties all voted in favour of the bill and with the main spokesperson for each party pledging support, we are getting closer to this much needed body.
We are awaiting the date for the next stage of the bill, but it is likely that with an upcoming general election, parliament will be dissolved before enough time can be allocated for it to be passed.
Nonetheless, we now have cross-party support for the bill and will keeping the pressure on parliament in the run-up to and in the aftermath of the general election. Click here to see if your MP has signed EDM 822, in support of a watchdog. If not, please email them asking them to sign to publically show their support for overseas workers making goods for the UK.
Honduran women’s rights group refuses to recognise new president
Latest news
05 March 2010
Amid reports of fraud and voter intimidation, Codemuh, a women's collective based in Honduras and a War on Want partner organisation, has been leading protests against the election of Porfirio Lobo Sosa, who was elected president of the country in late January.
Citing widespread voter repression, Codemuh, a leading women's grassroots organisation, has rejected the results of Honduras' recent election, its first since the June 2009 military coup. The coup, which saw the ouster of democratically elected Manuel Zelaya, was backed by the Supreme Court and the Honduran business and political elite.
As part of the National Front of Popular Resistance (FNRP), a coalition of civil society organisations that formed to campaign against the coup, Codemuh has been outspoken in its condemnation of Lobo. On taking power the new president's first act was to sign a decree granting amnesty to the soldiers, politicians and judges who supported the coup.
Codemuh has also expressed outrage at the new government's unwillingness to hold to account those who committed numerous human rights violations against Hondurans who took to the streets in defence of democracy. Over 40 protestors were killed and thousands of people have been beaten or thrown in jail.
Codemuh marked Honduran National Women's Day, celebrated on 25 January, by remembering two of their fallen colleagues, Wendy Avila and Olga Osiris Uclés, who died as result of tear gas fired by the police. Despite heavy police presence and strict security measures Codemuh was able to hold a march with participants shouting "no to attacks on democracy, no to attacks against women."
In a recent statement Maria Luisa Regalado, the organisation's General Coordinator, noted how the views of civil society groups like Codemuh are being ignored by the new government. "There is no institutional democracy to speak of in Honduras. Neither the president nor any politician, judge, soldier or police officer is recognised or respected by the people", says Regalado. Codemuh is calling on the international community to not recognise the new government. According to the rights group official recognition of the election results would serve to condone the many human rights violations meted out since the coup.
War on Want recently attended a meeting with Minister Glenys Kinnock, MP Colin Burgon and other NGOs to discuss ways to raise awareness of the human and labour rights violations being perpetrated by the new Honduran government.War on Want is calling on the UK government to reject the legitimacy of the November elections and the new government. We will also continue to work in solidarity with Codemuh to fight for the rights of Honduran workers.
New comedy acts added to Gig 2010
Latest news
18 February 2010
Andy Zaltzman, Janey Godley and Terry Saunders join Comedy Gig 2010, bolstering an already stellar line-up.
War on Want has added three top comedians to the bill at Comedy Gig 2010, the charity's annual benefit which features top-rate standup and biting political satire. On 4 March Saunders, Zaltzman and Godley will team up with other top performers, including Stewart Lee, Ed Byrne, Ian Stone, Ivor Dembina and Dan Antopolski, to raise money for War on Want's work fighting global poverty.
Janey Godley is a playwright, award-winning blogger, best-selling author and former columnist for The Scotsman. A runner-up for the Scotswoman of the Year, Godley ranked third in a Time Out readers' poll of top comedians.
A veteran of stand-up and radio, Andy Zaltzman is well known for his trenchant political commentary. In addition to his appearances on BBC Radio 4, Zaltzman has worked extensively with John Oliver, including on the TimesOnline's hit satircal podcast The Bugle.
Edinburgh Fringe stalwart Terry Saunders was the 2008 Chortle award-winner for Best Innovation in Comedy. A raconteur bar none, Saunders' evocative performances build "entire worlds of whimsy that an audience falls into only to emerge, as if from a gorgeous dream, an hour or so later." (Time Out)
Comedy Gig 2010 takes places on 4 March at the Shepherds Bush Empire. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketweb.
Bad news for Blackwater
Latest news
11 February 2010
As controversial mercenary firm Blackwater gets away with the massacre of 17 Iraqi civilians, Layla Auer from War on Want explains why private armies need to be regulated now more than ever.
The notorious US mercenary firm Blackwater, now known as Xe Services, has hit the headlines recently as contractors working for the firm have evaded responsibility for killing 17 Iraqi civilians three years ago at Nisoor Square. Two former Blackwater operatives also were arrested at the beginning of the year on murder charges. In both instances Blackwater was operating under contract with US government. With Blackwater currently a favourite to win a $1 billion Pentagon contract to train Afghan police, the company's profiteering from conflict zones at the expense of human rights looks set to continue.
Nisoor Square shootings
In 2007, mercenaries working for Blackwater opened fire at a busy crossroads in Baghdad, Iraq, killing 17 and seriously injuring many more. Some of the bodies of the Iraqi victims were so disfigured that they had to be identified by dental records.
During the occupation of Iraq, mercenaries working for coalition forces were given immunity from prosecution both in the United States and Iraq. But recently the United States government initiated a legal process that would empower the Justice Department to prosecute the Blackwater contractors for these killings.
In December 2009, the case against Blackwater was thrown out due to a procedural technicality over the way the defendants were questioned. The case was dismissed despite the judge's conclusion that the killings were unprovoked and that "the spectre of improper and potentially criminal conduct was apparent to government officials almost immediately after the incident."
At the end of January 2010 controversy over Blackwater's killing spree took another sordid twist. The Justice Department is currently investigating allegations that following the Nisoor Square massacre Blackwater attempted to bribe Iraqi officials. The bribe of about $1 million was meant to be in exchange for a guarantee that the company would be allowed to continue operating in the country.
Within the last few days, 250 former and current Blackwater staff have been ordered to leave Iraq within a week. The Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani expressed his dismay over the dismissal of the Blackwater charges, stating "We want to turn the page. It was a painful experience, and we would like to go forward."
Blackwater running riot in Afghanistan
Following the increase in mercenaries engaged in combat Iraq, private armies have been awarded an alarming amount of UK government contracts in Afghanistan. Recent figures revealed that private armies have secured contracts for Afghanistan worth more than £42 million from the British government for a two-year period from of the start of 2008 to the end of December 2009, more than twice the figure for Iraq in the same period. As the US and UK plan to send more troops to Afghanistan, there are now serious concerns about the use of private armies and the potential for further human rights abuses.
There is evidence to suggest similar human rights abuses at hands of mercenaries are already occurring. In May 2009 in Kabul two contractors working for a subsidiary of Blackwater allegedly opened fire on a civilian's car, killing two people and seriously injuring a third. The contractors had been training the Afghan National Army in the use and maintenance of weapons and weapons systems. The accused men were hired by Blackwater despite their suspect pasts with the US military, including instances of violence, drug use and insubordination. They face the death penalty if found guilty.
Stop private armies now
In the United States strident steps have been taken to hold mercenaries to account. In January 2010 congresswoman Jan Schakowsky proposed legislation to ban the US government from offering contracts to private armies. Yet the UK government — which has spent over £148 million of taxpayers' money on private army contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan — has rejected formal regulation in favour of a voluntary code of conduct where mercenary companies will be left to police themselves. This voluntary code is currently being drawn up by the government without any parliamentary oversight. War on Want is campaigning against voluntary codes of conduct. Only robust government legislation can regulate private armies. Innocent civilians living in conflict zones already face grave danger on a daily basis. Men roaming the streets with guns who are not held accountable aggravate this vulnerability. As the Blackwater shootings have proven, self-regulation of this deadly industry is not an option.
Stopping Supermarket Power
Latest news
10 February 2010
» Original article in La Bouche
Supermarkets have long been a large, visible and ever-growing presence on the UK high street. As these corporate giants expand here and across the world, governments herald their success as an economic miracle: profitable businesses that create jobs and can feed people cheaply in a recession. Yet just as supermarkets have become ubiquitous in the UK, the opposition to them has increased and is not going away. A diverse range of groups, from workers' rights organisations to food and diversity campaigners and Palestine activists have all found a common enemy in the large food chains.
But how did we get to this situation, and what's really the problem with these food giants? In short, the case of the modern-day supermarket reveals the disastrous effects on people and the environment that result from unregulated, free markets which invite concentrations of power and place profit above social welfare.
Large supermarkets operate on a global scale, sourcing their products from across the world. They do this in order to maximise their profits which in turn allows them to expand, grabbing more of the market share and shutting down businesses that cannot compete on price. As the economic power of supermarkets becomes more and more concentrated, they are able to buy in bulk and sell at below cost prices, allowing them to undersell smaller businesses and generally act as a larger presence than their rivals. This eventually means that smaller retailers are forced to close.
Competition between shops allows consumers to buy cheap food, but with negative consequences. The most visible one in the UK is a lack of diversity. Rather than supporting a myriad of small, individual and unique businesses, as it used to, the UK high street is increasingly nothing more than a large number of chains. When it comes to the food market, we see countless supermarkets springing up wherever they can, all selling identical products. Price is kept low (though not so low to stop supermarkets making huge profits), but choice is stifled and restricted.
A more hidden problem is the effect that supermarkets have on their suppliers, both here and overseas. Supermarkets don't just reduce prices magically; they do so by using their massive buying influence to force their suppliers to sell to them at a lower price. This kind of practice in recent years has seen UK farmers, particularly in the dairy industry, being forced out of business as supermarkets increase their demands for cheaper produce to unsustainable levels. This again restricts choice as well as destroying livelihoods.
For people in the developing world though, the situation is even worse. Supermarkets source products like garments from countries where they can get them much cheaper than in the West, through reduced labour costs. When they demand even cheaper clothes from suppliers, with the threat of relocation hanging over them, it is inevitable that cutbacks are passed down supply chains to the workers who actually produce the clothes. This has led to the huge sweatshop industry across south-east Asia where workers toil for a pittance with no hope of improvement in their work or lives.
A third major crisis that is being precipitated in part by supermarkets is around food production and sale itself. It's certainly true that supermarkets are able to seemingly work miracles in selling foods from across the world, all year round to its customers. But this model of food provision is unsustainable on a number of levels. The environmental cost of flying foods halfway around the world is obvious - alongside the packaging that accompanies it. Furthermore, the centralisation of food sales through supermarkets logically does not account for need - so mountains of food are thrown away or wasted in rich nations whilst people continue to starve across the rest of the globe.
This kind of paradox occurs simply because of the profit motive that governs all corporate activity, including that of supermarkets. While their current practices make financial sense, they will carry on. And with no proper environmental or social regulation governing what they do globally, this situation will continue.
It is this kind of amoral business model that also sees supermarkets continue to sell products that are produced on Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Selling these products helps to economically maintain the occupation of Palestine that has seen poverty, oppression and militarism rule the region for over sixty years. Again, it's money that makes the final call.
But against these economic giants, activists, trade unions and the general public are finding ways to fight back. On the question of Israeli settlement produce, consumers have organised boycotts, targeting supermarkets that stock them. Activists continue to come up with creative stunts and effective direct action to stop the sale of these goods and bring attention to the issues around the occupation.
In the UK, local campaigners, in conjunction with the Tescopoly coalition, have long been stopping new supermarkets opening along their high streets, using the technicalities of planning law, stubborn citizen opposition and political lobbying to win their case.
Meanwhile, as workers continue to suffer abuse in supply chains overseas, War on Want is leading the call for meaningful regulation of British companies. By making links with trade unions and activists in sweatshops, factories and plantations in the global south, their struggles are supported and voiced in the UK political arena. This same transnational solidarity is key to struggle for a better global food system.
As campaigners here look to limit the environmental and social costs caused by supermarkets, groups on the frontline - from Brazil to sub-Saharan Africa - are fighting for better local control of resources, using sustainable and environmental farming methods.
The inspiration from these different groups is what lies behind an upcoming event in London run by War on Want, ‘Fight Supermarket Power'. It aims to bring together and reflect some of the different groupings from the UK and overseas that are campaigning against the negative effects of supermarkets, allowing them to share skills, information and ideas for action. As the fight to stop supermarket power continues, this is the next point in the struggle.
Stop Arming Israel
Latest news
08 February 2010
Last year the British government sold millions of pounds worth of military equipment to Israel despite its continued human rights abuses and violations of international law.
Recently obtained figures show that in the first nine months of 2009 the UK government approved the sale of military equipment to Israel worth nearly £4 million. This includes small arms ammunition and components for snifer rifiles. The approval of these licences are in breach of the government's own arms export guidelines which state that arms should not be sold to countries where they could be used for internal repression.
In April 2009 the Foreign Secretary David Miliband announced a review of arms sales to Israel in light of Israel's attack on Gaza which left over 1400 people dead. Yet Israel's human rights violations continue today whilst more arms licences are being approved. The people of Gaza are still being held under a crippling seige and in recent weeks Palestinians campaigning against the Separation Wall in the Occupied West Bank are being targeted in a brutal crackdown on their freedom of expression and association.
In recent weeks villages affected by the illegal Separation Wall such as Ni'lin, Al Ma'sara and Jayyous are being subjected to regular night raids by Israeli soldiers, who have broken into homes, fired teargas, smashed windows and arbitrarily arrested and detained numerous Palestinians, including children.
Popular Committees working with War on Want partner organisation Stop the Wall have been specifically targeted. This follows the detention without charge of Jamal Juma' in December 2009 and Mohammad Othman in September 2009, both of whom worked for Stop the Wall. International pressure helped free them, but dozens more human rights activists are still languishing in jail, targeted solely because of their activism against the Wall.
War on Want is calling for a two way arms emgargo between the UK and Israel. The UK government remains complicit in Israel's human rights abuses unless it stops arming Israel immediately.
Hear Jamal Juma' speak at War on Want's AGM on 27 February.
Act now to Stop Arming Israel.
Rise in GM crops in Brazil alarms industry watchdog
Latest news
01 February 2010
War on Want partner the Alternative Agriculture Support Service (AS-PTA) has expressed major concerns about the rate at which genetically modified (GM) seeds are being approved for commercial use in Brazil. The organisation, which raises awareness of the dangers of GM seeds, has linked the rise in GM crop cultivation to the growing influence of multinational agribusiness.
The watchdog AS-PTA recently challenged the impartiality of the National Technical Commission for Bio-safety, a regulatory body set up by the government in 2005 to monitor the effects of GM crops on human health, the environment and growth of non-GM crops. AS-PTA has criticised the relationship between many of the Commission's members and multinational companies that deal in GM crops. Dr. Lia Giraldo resigned from the Commission over concerns about its bias, declaring that "the majority of those who are involved are biotechnology specialists and have a direct interest in the development of genetic engineering, whereas only a few are actually specialists in bio-safety."
AS-PTA has also accused the Commission of lacking "scientific rigour" and ignoring the safety procedures set out in the Cartagena Protocol, an international agreement which Brazil has signed that seeks to protect biological diversity from the risks posed by modern biotechnology.
The rise in GM crops has led to an increase in the use of powerful chemical pesticides, many of which are banned in other countries. Agro-chemical firms wield enormous political influence, and in 2008 industry lobbyists tried to block the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency from carrying out a safety assessment of agrochemicals used to cultivate GM crops. It was only after pressure from civil society groups, including AS-PTA, that the decision was overturned, allowing the survey of agrochemicals to proceed. The results of the study, released in 2009, revealed that a total of 12 agrochemicals were in breach of health regulations.
Despite these findings, multinational agribusinesses continue to win approval for their products. According to an AS-PTA spokesperson, "we only need examine the list of requests for authorisation filed with the National Technical Commission for Bio-safety to see how genetically modified seeds will play a big role, particularly in the expansion of the pesticide market."
AS-PTA plays a leading role in the GM-Free Brazil Campaign, a coalition of Brazilian NGOs, social movements and individuals who exert pressure on the government to implement effective forms of control over GM crops and dangerous agro-chemicals. The long-term goal of the coalition is to eliminate all GM crops from Brazil. War on Want is proud to support AS-PTA's work promoting alternative and sustainable agriculture based on small-scale farming projects.
Image copyright: Elcio Carriço
What we did in 2009 - Thank you!
Latest news
26 January 2010
Thank you for making 2009 a successful year in the campaign for global justice. Across the UK, you helped us get more people involved in the battle for a fairer world, so check out what we did in 2009 and email me if you want to get involved in 2010.
We kicked off the year with two inspiring events: we attended the World Social Forum in Brazil, and held 6 Billion Ways in the UK. Both these exciting spaces united people from around the world who are striving for a global system that prioritises the needs of ordinary people over profit and greed.
In the spring we took to the streets of London with thousands of campaigners, trade unionists and supporters to demand that our government Put People First in its response to the financial crisis. We then took our dead canary (wharf) to the G20 protests at the Bank of England on 1 April to take a stand against the "back to business" approach of the rich countries in propping up the failed economic system.
In the summer we took our supermarket trolley back on the festival circuit; special thanks to the thousands at Wychwood, Glastonbury and Womad who signed our petition to stop sweatshop exploitation by UK supermarkets and high street shops. We also held our summer Palestine reception and book launch with Ben White where we reported back from our trip to Palestine and the work of our partners on the ground in fighting the illegal Occupation.
In the autumn, we had a lot to campaign about! We protested against the G20's desire to let money rule the world, demanded that supermarkets play fair and demonstrated to stop the involvement of private armies in warfare. We also held a protest outside the Israeli embassy to demand that anti-Wall activists from our partner organisation in Palestine, Stop the Wall, be released from their detention without charge. On 13 January Jamal Juma' and Mohammad Othman were finally set free.
We also continued to demand an end to garment workers' exploitation by launching Love Fashion Hate Sweatshops at London Fashion Week. Thanks to all the schools, universities, trades unions and everyone around the UK who supported the campaign, especially delegates to the TUC, Coventry University Ethical Fashion Society and Stafford University Student Union, which each provided hundreds of pictures for our mosaic, which we handed in to Downing Street in December along with thousands of signatures. The campaign gained support as people danced at Swaparamas, ate cakes at Christmas fêtes and got involved at many more events which you organised.
These are just some things you helped us achieve in the fight against global poverty and injustice in 2009. We already have an exciting conference on supermarket power planned for February and several inspirational speakers from the South coming over in the spring. So do email me to get involved or to order free materials, reports, stickers, badges etc, and book War on Want speakers for your events in the months to come.
Let's make sure that throughout the new year we continue to resist global greed and oppression.
Nadia Idle
Activism & Outreach Officer
War on Want
Sweatshop workers pay the price for our bargains
Latest news
15 January 2010
» Original article in The Independent
The downward trend for clothes expenditure over the past decade is not because we are buying less. Far from it - the Noughties saw a vast surge in consumption levels of clothing and footwear. It is because the items themselves are so much cheaper now than they were 10 years ago.
John Hilary is executive director of War on Want
Anti-Wall activists freed!
Latest news
13 January 2010
Jamal Juma', coordinator of War on Want partner organisation Stop the Wall, and Mohammad Othman, youth coordinator for Stop the Wall, have been freed after having been detained without charge by the Israeli authorities.
Their release marks a massive victory. Stop the Wall and War on Want would like to thank everyone who took action to help release Mohammad and Jamal.
Speaking on his release Jamal Juma' said:
"The massive support and actions of international civil society clearly made my imprisonment too uncomfortable for the Israeli authorities. This international solidarity has given our popular struggle against the Wall further strength. We are deeply 
thankful for all the efforts.
The reason for our arrests was purely political - an attempt to crush Stop the Wall and the popular committees against the Wall. We need to ensure that the campaign to free all of the anti-Wall activists and Palestinian political prisoners continues to grow. We have to combine our energies to ensure that the Wall will be torn down and the Occupation ends."
Stop the Wall has spearheaded the international boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel until it complies with international law» Act now to get the British government to impose a two-way arms embargo on Israel.
Free Jamal Juma’!
Latest news
22 December 2009
Both Jamal Juma' and Mohammad Othman were freed in January 2010. More here.
This arrest follows the imprisonment of Mohammad Othman, another Stop the Wall activist, and Abdallah Abu Rahmeh, a leading figure in the Bil'in popular committee against the Wall, as well as dozens more that are currently in prison for their action and advocacy against the Wall.
This latest arrest marks the escalation of Israel’s attack on Palestinian human rights defenders, and is just the latest example of their ongoing clampdown on the right to freedom of expression and the right to association.
Join the campaign for Jamal Juma’s release and for the freedom of the anti-Wall prisoners. It is crucial that global civil society stands in solidarity with their Palestinian counterparts.
War on Want believes such intimidation of human rights activists is unacceptable.
Background information
Israeli security first summoned Jamal for interrogation at midnight of 15 December. Hours later, they brought him back to his home. Jamal was handcuffed while soldiers searched his house for two hours as his wife and three young children looked on helplessly. The parting words of the soldiers were directed at his wife: she would only see her husband again through a prisoner exchange.
Jamal, 47 years old, was born in Jerusalem and has dedicated his life to the defence of Palestinian human rights. The main focus of his work is on empowering local communities to defend their human rights in the face of violations brought about by the Occupation. He is a founding member of a number of Palestinian NGOs and civil society networks. Juma' has been the coordinator of Stop the Wall since 2002. He is widely respected for his work and has been invited to address numerous civil society and UN conferences. His articles and interviews are widely published and his work has been translated into several languages. A highly visible figure, Juma' has never attempted to hide or disguise his activities.
Jamal Juma' is the highest profile arrest within an intensifying campaign of repression of grassroots mobilising against the Wall and settlements. After initially arresting local activists from villages affected by the Wall, the Israeli authorities have moved towards the detention of internationally known human rights defenders such as Mohammad Othman and Abdallah Abu Rahmah. Mohammad, another member of the Stop the Wall Campaign, was arrested nearly three months ago when returning from a speaking tour in Norway, where he had been promoting the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign. Since his arrest Mohammad has been held mostly in solitary confinement and subjected to lengthy interrogation sessions, threats and sleep deprivation. After two months of interrogation, Israeli authorities still could not press any charges against him and therefore passed an administrative detention order against him. Abdallah Abu Rahmah, a leading figure in the nonviolent struggle against the Wall in Bil'in, was taken from his home in the middle of the night a week before Jamal was jailed.
With these arrests, Israel aims to weaken Palestinian civil society and its influence on political decision making at the national and international level. This process clearly criminalises the work of Palestinian human rights defenders and Palestinian civil disobedience.
It is crucial that the international community combat Israeli attempts to criminalise human rights defenders struggling against the Wall. The Israeli policy of targeting organisers calling for Israeli accountability is a direct challenge to the decisions of governments and global bodies such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to hold Israel to account for its violations of international law. This challenge shall not go unmet.
For updates on Jamal's situation visit Stop the Wall's website, the campaign blog, facebook group and twitter page.
On Human Rights Day, Bangladeshi garment workers demand protections for trade unions
Latest news
18 December 2009
To commemorate Human Rights Day, the National Garment Workers' Federation (NGWF), a leading Bangladeshi trade union and War on Want partner, organised a large rally of several hundred garment workers in the capital Dhaka.
The marchers called on the government to protect the right to join and form trade unions, which is enshrined under the International Labour Organisation Convention on Freedom of Association. Bangladesh ratified this convention in 1972.
The protestors aimed to bring attention to the fact that despite the country's Labour Law, which protects the right to freedom of association, in practice most workers who attempt to organise face hostile resistance from employers. The garment workers demanded that the national government guarantee this fundamental human right, as well as enforce the country's existing labour laws.
On the same day in Dhaka another rally was organised by the Export Processing Zones (EPZ) Workers' Center - sister organisation started by the NGWF in 2000. At the demonstration over hundred workers marched under a banner that read "Trade Union Rights - Human Rights Rally". The NWGF has been campaigning for the rights of EPZ workers, who are prohibited from forming trade unions.
Bangladeshi workers joined in solidarity with garment workers in Thailand and the Philippines who were fired by Triumph International, a clothing manufacturer. NGWF President, Amin Amirul, wrote a letter to the CEO of Triumph International demanding the company reinstate all fired workers and resolve the problem through dialogue with the workers and their trade union.
Factory employment rights under threat
Latest news
08 December 2009
» Original article in Central American Report
Bosses have used the coup to squeeze workers, says Laia Blanch of anti-poverty organisation War on Want.
COLECTIVA DE MUJERES Hondureñas (Honduran Women's Collective - CODEMUH) is a women-led rights organisation and long-term partner of War on Want that works to empower women workers in Honduras' Export Processing Zones (EPZs). Over the last 20 years, the maquiladora industry has become an integral part of the Honduran economy. CODEMUH has monitored and documented violations of human and employment rights in its garment factories, especially among women workers.
The Honduran maquila industry is one of the largest exporters of textile products to the US and the leading exporter to Central American and Caribbean countries, and is highly dependent on these markets. Employing around 133,000 people, of whom 70 percent are women, the main product is clothing, including well-known brand names such as WalMart, Adidas, Hanes, HBI, Fruit of the Loom and GAP. Though the maquila industry has brought much needed investment to Honduras, the benefits are limited to a minority and have come at the expense of basic employment rights.
In the aftermath of the coup, CODEMUH, together with other Honduran grassroots organisations, has campaigned against abuses of human and employment rights in the maquilas. In July, it reported that workers were forced by factory owners to join in the so-called Marchas de la Paz (Peace Walks) organised by the de facto president, Roberto Micheletti, and financed by the business community with the support of the military. While the majority of workers opposed the coup, they felt forced to attend these rallies two or three times a month for fear of losing their jobs.
They were told they would be paid the daily minimum wage (around 100 lempiras - roughly £3), but CODEMUH informed War on Want they received nothing. In fact, after attending demonstrations they were forced to make up for ‘lost' time by working an extra day. They were also required to work two additional hours each day without pay in response to a curfew imposed by the de facto government. CODEMUH has condemned this flagrant violation of Article 23 of the Honduran Labour Code, which states that "workers cannot take advantage of the profit or utilities made by the owners and never assume their risk and losses".
CODEMUH has denounced the actions of the Honduran Council of Private Companies, which has used the crisis to try to push through reforms that would relax employment laws in EPZs. Under the proposed changes, factory owners would be allowed to employ workers on a temporary or part-time basis. For EPZ workers, who already face appalling working conditions, long hours and low pay, such legislation would result in the loss of social security benefits, more job insecurity and other long term consequences affecting their livelihoods. CODEMUH has campaigned against these proposed reforms, while raising awareness among women workers of the impact of the coup on their civil liberties and employment rights. Working in partnership with CODEMUH, War on Want is dedicated to exposing and taking action against the violation of human rights in sweatshops.
Worker's testimony - San Pedro Sula
My name is María López* and I'm a Honduran garment worker at the Elcatex factory of the Canahuati- Lovable company group. We produce for international companies such as Hanes Brand Inc, HBI, WalMart, JC Penny and Jockey. A few days ago, the factory owner forced us to participate in the Marchas de la Paz organised by the de facto government, business class and Evangelical and Catholic Church leaders. They mobilised four buses full of men and women workers. During the protest they told us to shout "Viva Micheletti", and when the CNN helicopter was approaching us we were told to say "Queremos paz"(We want peace) and "Qué viva el Presidente Micheletti" (Long live President Micheletti).
I participated in this march because I was not aware of the situation. And what will I do without my job?
* This worker's name has been changed to protect her identity
» For more information on CODEMUH, visit their website (in Spanish)
Over 2,000 sign our letter to Primark
Latest news
01 December 2009
Over 2,000 sign our letter to Primark CEO Paul Marchant calling for an end to sweatshop exploitation.
War on Want's letter to Primark CEO Paul Marchant now has over 2,000 signatures calling for an end to Primark's exploitation of the sweatshop workers who produce its clothes. Primark has ignored their plight - but with your help we will tell Primark and its shareholders that enough is enough.
On 4 December 2009, Primark's parent company will hold its Annual General Meeting in Central London, and we will be there to hand over our letter and deliver our message that sweatshop exploitation has to stop.
Thousands more have already signed up to War on Want's Love Fashion Hate Sweatshops campaign that calls on the goverment to end sweatshop labour. Love Fashion Hate Sweatshops is also endorsed by television star Jo Wood, pop singer Little Boots, actors Gael Garcia Bernal and Ashley Jensen and clothes designer Betty Jackson. Among other backers are TV personality Tony Robinson, actor-playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah, comedians Jo Brand and Francesca Martinez and gardener Bob Flowerdew.
War on Want launches student photo award
Latest news
19 November 2009
The Document photo award will honour the nation's top student photographersWar on Want has teamed up with key industry professionals and graphic designers to launch Document, a student photography award focusing on global poverty issues. The award, which is currently accepting submissions, asks student from across the UK to depict poverty through landscapes, still lifes or a series of portraits.
Winners will be selected by an expert panel which includes Roger Tooth, head of photography for The Guardian, Stephen Ledger Lomas, photographic director of Dazed & Confused magazine and Lauren Heinz, Editor Foto 8 Magazine. Chairing the panel will be Conrad Tracey from Arts University College at Bournemouth.
All of the shortlisted entries will be exhibited at a central London viewing on 21 - 28 January, with additional dates to be scheduled for Nottingham and Bournemouth.
The award seeks photographic representations of poverty, with a focus on the financial crisis and its impact worldwide. Students are encouraged to uncover the cross-border integration that defines our current economic system, where the decisions taken in the City of London and Wall Street have far-reaching consequences for communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
For more information on the award, including on how to enter, visit Document's dedicated website.
United in struggle
Latest news
09 November 2009
On 24-25 October 2009, War on Want partner the Alternative Information Centre (AIC) and the Occupied Palestine and Syrian Golan Advocacy Initiative (OPGAI) held a two-day conference in Bethlehem called ‘United in Struggle against Israeli Colonialism, Occupation and Racism'. War on Want volunteer Sirine Rached attended the conference and reports back on its findings and impact on future strategies.
Who pays for Primark’s high profits?
Latest news
05 November 2009
» Original article in Liberal Conspiracy
British companies have been battered by the financial crisis. Yet Primark, one of Britain's largest retailers, continues to thrive. Fuelled by the retailer's impressive sales growth of 7%, AB Foods, the group which owns Primark, yesterday announced £655 million in yearly earnings. The future looks bright for the high street chain.
How is it that Primark has been able to post lucrative profits while the rest of the country plunges deeper into recession?
The answer lies in its business dealings with overseas suppliers. To obtain cheap garments as cheaply as possible for sale in the UK, companies like Primark squeeze suppliers in developing countries. The net result of this practice, however, is a vicious race to the bottom in which overseas workers are hit the hardest.
The conditions facing men and women in factories making clothes for top high street brands are simply scandalous. According to original research carried out by War on Want, garment workers in sweatshops across Bangladesh earn as little as 7p an hour and face up to 80-hour weeks. Abuse at the hands of factory owners is endemic, with women workers particularly at risk.
The British public is well aware of these abuses, thanks to widespread media coverage and high-profile exposés of the industry. But while it's widely agreed that sweatshops must be put to an end, the best approach for doing so has not always been clear.
Boycotts carry the risk of shutting down factories which, in spite of their draconian conditions, are a crucial source of employment. These jobs are backbreaking and offer paltry wages, but they're better than having no work at all.
At the same time, relying on companies to regulate themselves isn't working. By signing up to voluntary codes of conduct, some companies have pledged to improve conditions in their supply chains. Such measures, however, are unenforceable. Clothing companies continue to source from sweatshops around the globe, skirting their own rules for the sake of their profits.
If these tactics have largely failed, what is the most effective way to fight sweatshop exploitation?
The new Love Fashion Hate Sweatshops campaign offers members of the public an alternative solution - firm government regulation of the fashion industry. Endorsed already by thousands of people, the campaign demands the UK government guarantee workers supplying UK companies basic rights, like a living wage and the right to join a trade union.
If the past is any guide, Primark's announcement of record-breaking profits will not cause it to rethink its business practices. Real and lasting change in the garment industry can only be achieved through strong government intervention, which in turn must come from public pressure.
UK citizens have long made it clear that they desire a world without sweatshops. Now it's up to us to make that happen.
Jesse Lerner-Kinglake is Communications Officer for War on Want
Bangladeshi workers take the fight for a living wage to the streets
Latest news
21 October 2009
This weekend several hundred Bangladeshi garment workers formed a human chain to protest against poverty wages, urging the government to fix their minimum wage at Tk 5,000 per month.
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