Author: <span>Rene Wadlow</span>

Tension India-China Appeals

Tension Reduction on the India-China Himalaya Frontier.

On October 21, 2024, prior to the meeting of the Indian leader, Narendra Modi, and the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, the Indian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Subrahmanyam Juishankar, announced that an accord had been reached between Indian and Chinese authorities for a reduction of tensions along the 3,500-kilometer frontier between the two countries.

In 2020, there had been exchanges of fire between Indian and Chinese forces in the Tibet-Ladakh frontier area. There then seemed to be real possibilities that the violence would escalate. Thus, the Association of World Citizens (AWC) had made an Urgent Appeal, posted in July 2020 on its website and sent widely to contacts that might be helpful in reducing tensions. Today, the AWC is pleased with the new agreement and re-publishes its original 2020 Appeal.

Can Track II Efforts Reduce China-India Frontier Tensions?

July 3, 2020 at 7:52 AM

By René Wadlow.

In a June 24, 2020 message to the Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Mr. Vladimir Norov, the Association of World Citizens (AWC) expressed its active concern with the June 15 death of Indian and Chinese military in the Galwan River Valley in Ladakh on the India-China frontier and the possibility that the tensions will increase. While there have been brief discussions among Indian and Chinese authorities to prevent escalation, there have been no real negotiations. Negotiation is a basic political decision-making process, to facilitate compromise without loss of essential objectives.

The 1962 war during which some 2,000 persons were killed.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said on June 25 that since early May, the Chinese have been amassing a large contingent of troops and arms along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Also, within India, there has been a good deal of media attention, highly critical of China, given to the events.

In addition, there have been calls for a boycott of Chinese goods, and some Chinese products have been removed from Indian shops. Both Indian and Chinese spokespersons have made references to the 1962 war during which some 2,000 persons were killed.

Track II. Nongovernmental efforts.

The AWC believes that there is a need for prompt measures as the India-China tensions add to existing tensions between the USA and China as well as boundary issues with Asian States in the South China Sea.

There may be a role for “Track II” nongovernmental efforts and exchanges. Track I is official government to government diplomacy among instructed representative of States, usually diplomats from the Foreign Ministry.

However, governments have a range of officials on whom to call: intelligence agencies, the military, and “friends of the President” – trusted individuals within the executive entourage.

The Arrow and the Olive Branch: A Case for Track II Diplomacy.

Track II efforts are organized through nongovernmental organizations and sometimes by academic institutions. Such efforts can entail informal, behind the scene communications that take place in the absence of formal communication channels. The term “Track II” was coined by the U. S. diplomat Joseph Montville in The Arrow and the Olive Branch: A Case for Track II Diplomacy.

Track II efforts have grown as there is increasing recognition that there is a tragic disjunction between the United Nations tension-reduction mandate and its ability to intervene in conflicts when called upon. As Adam Curle, experienced in Quaker mediation efforts has written:

“In general governments achieve their results because they have power to influence events, including the ability to reward or to punish. Paradoxically, the strength of civilian peacemakers resides specifically in their lack of power. They are neither feared nor courted for what they can do. Instead, they are trusted and so may sometimes be enabled to play a part in peacemaking denied to most official diplomats.”

Those involved in Track II efforts must, nevertheless, have ready access to governmental decision-makers and Track I diplomats. As the World Citizen and Quaker economist Kenneth Boulding in a little verse writes:

“When Track One will not do,
We have to travel on Track Two
But for results to be abiding,
The Tracks must meet upon some siding”.

In the China-India frontier tensions, both sides must be convinced that there is a considerable sentiment for peace among their own supporters. In this conflict, which could slip into greater violence, there is an understandable tendency to look for short term answers.

Yet there is also a need for some involved in Track II efforts to have an over-all integrated perspective for both short as well as long-term transformation. Thus, there needs to be a “pool” of people with experience, skills and the ability to move fast when the need or the opportunity is there?

We are sure that there are groups in India and China which can rise to meet this challenge.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

Sudan Crisis Appeals

United Nations Calls For Action On Sudan Crisis

The United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan chaired by Mohamed Chande Othman of Tanzania said in its first 6 September 2024 Report that Sudan’s warring parties, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces as well as their respective militia allies have committed an appalling range of human rights and international humanitarian law violations including indiscriminate airstrikes and shelling against civilians, schools, hospitals, and vital water services.

Mohamed Chande Othman (2012). By United States Embassy, Dar es Salaam, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

The armed conflict that has displaced almost 8 million people.

     The current armed conflict which began on 15 April 2023 between two former allies is led on the one side by General Abdel Fattah Al Burham of the Sudanese Armed Forces and on the other by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known by his battle name of Hemedhi, of the Rapid Support Forces.  The conflict, which has spread to 14 of the 18 provinces of Sudan has killed and wounded tens of thousands of civilians, displaced nearly 8 million people and forced two million to flee to neighboring countries and beyond.

Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan. By Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (nicknamed Hemedti) (2022). By Government.ru, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Attacks against ethnic minorities, particularly the Masalit in Western Darfur.

     As the Fact-Finding Mission Report highlights, the warring parties targeted civilians through rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence, arbitrary arrest as well as torture and ill treatment.  Assults have been carried out against ethnic minorities in particular the Masalit in West Darfur.

     The Fact-Finding Mission, mandated by the Human Rights Council in October 2023, carried out a wide range of discussions and interviews.  As the Expert Member of the Mission Mona Rishmawi said:

“These findings should serve as a wakeup call to the international community to take decisive action to support survivors, their families and affected communities and hold perpetrators accountable.  A comprehensive approach to transitional justice is vital for addressing the root causes of the conflict and ensuring accountability.”

    In light of the many difficulties, there have been calls for UN peacekeepers to be sent to Sudan.

 Efforts for a ceasefire and the start of negotiations by the Personal Envoy for the Sudan of the U.N. Secretary-General have led to no advances.  Thus wider action is needed.  Mohamed Othman has said:

“The international community must support the Sudanese aspiration for an inclusive and representative civilian government that respects the rights of all citizens, fostering a path toward equality, justice and sustainable peace in Sudan.” In light of the many difficulties, he has called for sending U.N. peacekeeping forces to Sudan.  “Given the failure of the warring parties to spare civilians, it is imperative that an independent and impartial force with a mandate to safeguard civilians be deployed without delay.  The protection of the civilian population is paramount, and all parties must comply with their obligations under international law and immediately and unconditionally cease all attacks on the civilian population.”

     As the deployment of an independent and impartial force depends on the U.N. Security Council the focus for action shifts from the Human Rights Council to the Security Council.  We appeal for vitally needed action now.

René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

Credits:

Featured Image: Adult woman of the Laarim Tribe smoking in a pipe, Kimotong, South Sudan By Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Pact for the Future Appeals

Pact for the Future: A Partly Open Door for…

The Pact for the Future was accepted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in a three-stage process. The first stage was a nearly year-long drafting of the document with many small revisions in the 56 paragraphs setting out the goal of a renewed UN better able to guarantee peace and development. The second stage was a last moment motion by the Russian Federation which asked for a vote, finding some of the wording, especially on human rights, too strong. The Russian motion was put to a vote with 143 States voting for the text of the Pact, 15 abstentions, and 7 opposed (Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Sudan, and Nicaragua.)

After this vote, the President of the General Assembly called for a vote by acclamation. Everyone applauded, some more vigorously than others. Thus, the Pact was adopted by consensus.

They must be fit for the present and the future.

The Pact should be seen as a springboard for action rather than as an end point. With the 193 UN members potentially involved in drafting the document, there was a need for compromises and general ideas rather than any new specific proposals.

The Pact is a reaffirmation of the goals and processes of the UN system, but it also notes the need for constant renewal. In paragraph 6, the Pact states,

“We recognize that the multilateral system and its institutions, with the United Nations and its Charter at the center, must be strengthened to keep pace with a changing world. They must be fit for the present and the future – effective and capable, prepared for the future, just, democratic, equitable and representative of today’s world, inclusive, interconnected and financially stable.”

Paragraph 9 states, “We also reaffirm that the three pillars of the United Nations – sustainable development – peace and security, and human rights – are equally important, interlinked and mutually reinforcing. We cannot have one without the others.”

Action Days.

In practice, it was easier to stress sustainable development since the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals had already been set out, through progress is very uneven. For peace and security, there are Articles 25 and 26 stating that, “We will advance the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. We will uphold our disarmament obligations and commitments.” A culture of peace is mentioned in a number of places, but no specific steps are set out.

For two days prior to the governments’ discussion and voting on the Pact, there was what were called “Action Days” to which were invited Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs), academics working on UN issues, and the representatives of business corporations involved in international trade. The two days were certainly a time for networking if not for “action”.

Facilitate more the representation of youth, which can only be via NGOs.

The Pact is a partially open door for UN cooperation with NGOs stating in a general way the “participation of relevant stakeholders in appropriate formats.” More specifically, the Pact calls to “Facilitate more structured, meaningful and inclusive engagement of nongovernmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council in the activities of the Council in line with ECOSOC resolution 1996/21”. The door of the Pact was most open to youth calling for an increase in the representation of youth, which can only be via NGOs. We will have to see what, as NGO representatives, we can make of the partly open door.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

Muhammad Yunus Appeals

Village Bank Founder Becomes Interim Leader of Bangladesh.

Muhammad Yunus, the founder of the microcredit banking system in Bangladesh, the Grameen Bank (which translates as “Village Bank”) was sworn in as the interim leader of the Bangladesh government on 8 August 2024.  The former leader Sheikh Hasina resigned and then fled to India driven out by the protests first of students and then by other sectors of the population during which some 400 persons were killed by the military and the police.  Muhammed Yunus has called for calm and an end to uncontrolled violence often directed against the minority Hindu population.

PM in a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Ms. Sheikh Hasina, in New Delhi on September 08, 2023. By Prime Minister’s Office (GODL-India), GODL-India https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Informal Sector.

    Muhammad Yunus is an economist.  Now 84 years old, he is retired from teaching, originally at the University of Chittagong, the port city of Bangladesh.  As an economist, he was quickly aware of rural poverty in many parts of the country and the unrest of the tribal minorities in the Chittagong Hill Tracks.  He developed the concept of the Grameen Bank, small loans, especiallly to women, in order to improve their trading efforts. 

Much of what is called “the informal sector” – marginal to the more developed economy – are the efforts of market women and women small producers.  With small loans which must be repaid before a new loan is possible,  women are able to have more security and can expand their business.

Plaque from the Place du Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Paris. By Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The success of the Grameen Bank approach has lifted many from the cycle of poverty and instability. 

    The Grameen Bank approach spread to nearly all areas of Bangladesh and then to other countries, especially in Africa.  The success of the Grameen Bank approach has lifted many from the cycle of poverty and instability.  In recognition of the impact of the Grameen Banks, Muhammad Yunus was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2006.

    Muhammed Yunus has formed an interim government of 16 persons, mostly drawn from civil society organizations, including two, Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, both 26 years old, who were leaders of the student movements which overthrew Sheikh Hasina who had been in power for 15 years – whose government had become increasingly authoritarian. 

Bangladeshi student activist Leader Nahid Islam. By DelwarHossain, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Asif Mahmud is speaking in front of the media at the Bangladesh Secretariat (2024). By DelwarHossain, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Bangladesh Transition. 

However, Muhammad Yunus has promised that elections will be held shortly but that calm must be restored first.  He faces difficult tasks, but he is a fresh mind outside the narrow political milieu.  We must wish him well in his vital efforts.

    René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

Credits:

Featured Image: Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus championed his concept of social business as a way to release deprived people from the ‘prison’ of welfare at a special summit hosted by the University of Salford on Saturday 18 May. By University of Salford Press Office, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
World Court Appeals

World Court: Focus on Palestinian Territories.

  At a time when Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip are under violent tensions, the  International Court of Justice ( The  World Court), on 19 July 2024, published its  Advisory Opinion, “Legal Consequences Arising From Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory Including East Jerusalem“. 

The request for an Advisory Opinion came from the U.N. General Assenbly in 2023.The drafting by the World Court judges followed the oral hearings in February 2024 of the representatives of 50 States, the written statement of the Israeli authorities, and a voluminous dossier by the United Nations Secretary-General on U.N. investigations and peace-making efforts.

The Violence against Palestinians.

    The international law framework concerns the standards set for the administration of occupied terrritories and the duties of an occupying power.  The Advisory Opinion sets out the legal consequences for Israel, the legal consequences for other States, and the legal consequences for the United Nations.

    The Advisory Opinion does not offer new information. Non-governmental organizations, both in Israel and international, have documented in sad detail much of the violence against Palestinians, the home destruction by Israeli military forces, the increased presence of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and many other forms of discrimination. 

What will be the consequences of the Advisory Opinion?.

The  World Court considers this information as reliable, and the information can serve as the basis of its deliberation without asking for new investigations.

    The question which is now open is “What will be the consequences of the Advisory Opinion?” The World Court has no enforcement provisions for its decisions. The impact of the World Court depends for the most part on what national governments decide to do and on what pressure non-governmental organizations can develop.  The tensions in the wider Middle East are real, and the Advisory Opinion may provide an impetus for action. The Association of World Citizens is devoted to strengthening international law and will follow these efforts with strong interst.

  René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

Credits:

Featured Image: Damage following an Israeli airstrike on the El-Remal aera in Gaza City on October 9, 2023. By Palestinian News & Information Agency (Wafa) in contract with APAimages, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Nuclear Weapons Appeals

Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons: Need for New Common Security Approaches.

Government representatives and some Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) are participating from July 22 to August 2, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland in the Preparatory Session for the Review Conference on the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Chairman’s Statement.

As the political and strategic situation in the world can evolve over time, the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) had as one of its provisions (Article VIII) that a review conference be held every five years to judge the situation and to see if new elements should be added. At the end of each Review a “Chairman’s Statement” must be agreed upon by all the States present.

Picture found in Honkawa Elementary School in 2013 of the Hiroshima atom bomb cloud, believed to have been taken about 30 minutes after detonation of about 10km (6 miles) east of the hypocentre. By Honkawa Elementary School [1], Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

United Nations (UN) disarmament negotiation.

The NPT, which had taken 10 years to negotiate, was proclaimed in 1970, and the first Review Conference was held in Geneva in 1975. As the Review Conference was a meeting of the States Party to the Treaty and not a regular United Nations (UN) disarmament negotiation, NGO representatives had more opportunity for interaction with governments. NGO texts were considered as “official documents” and were printed and distributed by the conference secretariat.

I was asked to chair the group of NGO participants, which I did both in 1975 and 1980. As a result of my chairing the NGOs at the 1975 Review, I was invited to Moscow to discuss with Soviet military and arms control specialists. I have remained concerned with the issues ever since.

The Three Fundamental aspects of the Treaty.

Each Review Conference has been concerned with the three fundamental aspects of the Treaty: non-proliferation, promotion of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and the disarmament initiatives of the five nuclear-weapon States when the Treaty was signed: the USA, USSR, the United Kingdom, France, and China as set out in Article VI.

To make matters more complicated but politically realistic, the policies of nuclear-weapon States which have not signed the NPT – India, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea – color the discussions of each Review. Iran is a State Party to the NPT, but questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities and if nuclear material is being enriched to weapon-production levels.

An Elephant in the Room.

The nuclear weapons of Israel and their meaning for Middle East policies have long been “an elephant in the room” – too large not to notice but too dangerous to deal with if anything else in the Review process is to be done. In 1995, there was an annex to the final Chairman’s Statement of the Review proposing that a conference on a potential nuclear-weapon-free Middle East should be called. In practice, “the time was never ripe”, but the concept is still there.

The Rapacki Plan.

The concept of nuclear-weapon-free zones has been an important concept in disarmament and regional conflict-reduction efforts. A nuclear-weapon-free zone was first suggested by the Polish Foreign Minister, Adam Rapacki, at the UN General Assembly in October 1957 – just a year after the crushing of the uprising in Hungary.

The crushing of the Hungarian revolt by Soviet troops and the unrest among Polish workers at the same time showed that the East-West equilibrium in Central Europe was unstable with both the Soviet Union and the USA in possession of nuclear weapons, and perhaps a willingness to use them if the political situation became radically unstable. The Rapacki Plan, as it became known, called for the denuclearization of East and West Germany, Czechoslovakia and Poland.

The Polish Foreign Minister, Adam Rapacki. By Public Domain.

The Rapacki Plan was opposed by the NATO powers.

The Plan went through several variants which included its extension to cover reduction of armed forces and armaments, and as a preliminary step, a freeze on nuclear weapons in the area. The Rapacki Plan was opposed by the NATO powers, in part because it recognized the legitimacy of the East German State. It was not until 1970 and the start of what became the 1975 Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) that serious negotiations on troop levels and weapons in Europe began. While the Rapacki Plan never led to negotiations on nuclear-weapon policies in Europe, it had the merit of restarting East-West discussions which were then at a dead point after the Hungarian uprising.

The Treaty of Tlatelolco.

The first nuclear-weapon-free zone to be negotiated – the Treaty of Tlatelolco – was a direct aftermath of the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962. It is hard to know how close to a nuclear exchange between the USA and the USSR the Cuban missile crisis was. It was close enough so that Latin American leaders were moved to action. While Latin America was not an area in which military confrontation was as stark as in Europe, the Cuban missile crisis was a warning that you did not need to have standing armies facing each other for there to be danger.

Protesters in Hyde Park London October 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. By Don O’Brien, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Denuclearization of Latin America.

Mexico, under the leadership of Ambassador Alfonso Garcia Robles at the UN, began immediately to call for a denuclearization of Latin America. There were a series of conferences, and in February 1967 the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America was signed at Tlatelolco, Mexico. For a major arms control treaty, the Tlatelolco was negotiated in a short time, due partly to the fear inspired by the Cuban missile crisis but especially to the energy and persistence of Garcia Robles and the expert advice of William Epstein, the UN’s Director of Disarmament Affairs.

The Treaty established a permanent and effective system of control which contains a number of novel and pioneering elements as well as a body to supervise the Treaty.

Alfonso Garcia Robles (1981). By Marcel Antonisse, CC BY-SA 3.0 NL https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en, via Wikimedia Commons.

Superman is not coming to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

On September 8, 2006, the five States of Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan – signed a treaty establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone. The treaty aims at reducing the risk of nuclear proliferation and nuclear-armed terrorism.

The treaty bans the production, acquisition, deployment of nuclear weapons and their components as well as nuclear explosives. Importantly, the treaty bans the transportation of nuclear weapons as both Russia and the USA have established military airbases in Central Asia where nuclear weapons could have been placed in times of crisis in Asia. Superman is not coming to rid the world of nuclear weapons. World Citizens need to take the problem to UN delegates by themselves. 

Leadership for a Middle East Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.

It is an unfortunate aspect of world politics that constructive, institution-building action is usually undertaken only because of a crisis. Perhaps the growing pressures in the Middle East could lead to concerted leadership for a Middle East nuclear-weapon-free zone. The IAEA has the technical knowledge for putting such a zone in place. Now there needs to be leadership from within the Middle East as well as from the broader international community. There are urgent needs for new common security approaches.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

Credits:

Featured Image: Nuclear explosion By Burnt Pineapple Productions, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Track Two Diplomacy Appeals

When there are No Governmental Negotiations: Build Stronger Track…

The continuing armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, the explosion of violence in the Middle East, tension-filled relations between China and Taiwan, and tensions between the two Korean States are all indications that armed violence, systematic repression, waves of hate and xenophobia are strong today.  There is a real danger that they will grow.  There is an accumulation of unresolved human rights violations which can lead to armed conflicts.  To meet these negative challenges, we who uphold the unity of the human family must organize ever more effectively.

Track Two Efforts Needed to Reduce China-India Frontier Tensions.

Track One Diplomacy.

    There have been some efforts at mediation through the United Nations and by the leaders of individual States to encourage ceasefires and the start of negotiations in good faith, but with no visible results for the moment.

    These governmental efforts can be called Track One Diplomacy.  Track One Diplomacy is official governmental negotiations with the backup resources of governmental research and intelligence agencies.  There can also be Track One “back channels” of informal contacts.

Ongoing Armed Conflicts and the Need for Stronger Track.

Track Two Diplomacy.

    Track Two Diplomacy is a non-official effort, usually by an nongovernmental organization (NGO) with backup resources of academic institutions.  The use of non-official mediators is increasing in light of governmental inaction.  Track Two Diplomacy talks are discussions held by non-officials of conflicting parties in an attempt to clarify outstanding disputes and to explore the options for resolving them in settings that are less sensitive than those associated with formal negotiations. 

The participants usually include scholars, senior journalists, former governmental officials, and former military officers.  They must be in close contact with national leaders and the secretariat of international organizations such as the U.N.

Track Two tasks.

    Track Two talks are convened specifically to foster international interaction regarding political issues dividing nations and to find ways to reduce these tensions.  In order to carry out these crucial Track Two tasks, NGOs must become stronger, have greater access to the media, increase their networks to more countries, and develop greater cooperation among themselves.  These challenges require a wise use of current resources, both financial and human as well as efforts to increase them. 

Dialogue with the representatives of governments must be continued.

    There is a need to increase cooperation with universities and other academic institutions for background information and analysis.  Government representatives always look for factual errors in NGO presentations as a way to discredit the whole presentation.

    Dialogue with the representatives of governments must be continued and, if possible, made more regular.  States will continue to be important agents in the world society.  Therefore, we must try to be in contact even when government actions are unreasonable, even criminal.

    As Kenneth Boulding, a Quaker economist who often participated in Track Two efforts wrote

    “When Track One will not do
      We have to travel on Track Two.
      But for results to be abiding
      The Tracks must meet upon some siding.”  (1)

Notes.

(1) Quoted in John W. McDonald with Noa Zanolli, “The Shifting Grounds of Conflict and Peacebuilding
(Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2008).

    René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

Masoud Pezeshkian Appeals

Iran: A Glimmer of Hope.

The election on 5 July 2024 of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian offers a glimmer of hope for a reduction of tensions in the Middle East and an improvement of living conditions in Iran.

Masoud Pezeshkian, who was Minister of Health, 2001-2005, and a long-time member of the parliament will have to navigate skillfully within the constraits of Iran’s political order in which the Supreme Guide Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his inner circle hold most of the political power.  The second round of the election process between Pezeshkian and the conservative hard-liner Saeed Jolili makes Pezeshkian look like a liberal.

Ali Khamenei – Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei. By Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Woman-Life-Liberty.

    On the level of the general population, there is an aspiration for change, for a reduction of the high level of inflation, and an improvement in the standard of living.  The election, caused by the accidental death of the then President, Ebrahim Raisi, came at a time of long-simmering popular grievances highlighted by the wide-spread demonstrations held under the theme of “Woman-Life-Liberty” after the death at the hands of the “Morality Police” of Mahsa Amini.  On the domestic front, much is expected of Masoud Pezeshkian to overcome wide-spread alienation. His openness to dialogue and reform will be closely watched.

Thousands turn out in Melbourne to stand in solidarity with protests that have broken out in Iran following the death of 22-year old Mahsa (also known as Jina or Zhina) Amini at the hands of the country’s brutal dictatorship and its ‘morality’ police. By Matt Hrkac from Geelong / Melbourne, Australia, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Tensions and Armed Conflicts in the Middle East. 

    On the international level, Iran is deeply involved in many of the tensions and armed conflicts in the Middle East.  The need for tension-reduction measures are urgent, but there seem to be few possibilities for good faith negotiations for the moment. 

The recent NATO Summit in Washington has highlighted Iran’s supply to Russia of drones and missiles used in the Ukraine conflict. It is not clear what role a president can play in Iran’s foreign policy.  Again, Pezeshkian’s words and deeds will be closely watched.  Much will also depend on the efforts of other governments to propose tension-reduction measures.  There are glimmers of hope, not yet a shining light.

Ex President Ebrahim Raisi of the Islamic Republic of Iran. By Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

   

René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

Credits:

Featured Image: Masoud Pezeshkian, By Mehr News Agency, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Israeli-Lebanese Tensions Appeals

Increased Israeli-Lebanese Tensions: Conflict Resolution Measures Urgently Needed.

On June 6, 2024, United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an urgent ceasefire in the armed conflict on the Lebanese frontier between the armed forces of Israel and the armed militia within Lebanon of Hezbollah.

Clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli military along the Israel-Lebanon border have recently increased in scope in terms of both the territory under fire and the weapons used. Already 100,000 Israelis and an equal number of Lebanese have been forced to flee their home. UNIFIL – the U.N. peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon – has not been able to prevent this escalation.

United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. By Quirinale.it, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons.

Lebanon: Israel’s White Phosphorous Use Risks Civilian Harm.

The Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) Human Rights Watch, in a new report called Lebanon: Israel’s White Phosphorous Use Risks Civilian Harm, stated that white phosphorous, which poses a high risk of burns and long suffering, was used by Israeli forces in at least 17 towns in southern Lebanon since October 2023.

Amnesty International has also documented the use of white phosphorous in southern Lebanon. In addition, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health says that the white phosphorous attacks have caused hundreds of forest fires in Lebanon.

99of9 / * The map is made by Thomas Blomberg using the UNIFIL map, deployment as of July 2006 as source., CC BY-SA 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.

A Gaza Strip ceasefire, while necessary, is only a first step in the process needed of negotiations in good faith among Israelis and Palestinians.

An end to the armed conflict in the Gaza Strip remains the key to ending the hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli military. Hezbollah has stated that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is a precondition for stopping its attacks. Currently, there are discussions among Egyptian, Qatari, and U.S. mediators on a ceasefire with phases. The U.S. proposals were set out by U.S. President Biden on May 31, 2024, but progress is very uncertain.

A Gaza Strip ceasefire, while necessary, is only a first step in the process needed of negotiations in good faith among Israelis and Palestinians. On October 8, 2023, in light of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israeli settlements, the Association of World Citizens (AWC) had stated.

A picture of a Hezbollah sign over the highway in South Lebanon near the Litani River. By Eternalsleeper, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

As Citizens of the World, we call for a ceasefire in the Israeli-Palestinian armed conflict:

  • The release of all hostages held by Hamas and other Palestinian groups.
  • The release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, often under administrative detention without trial.
  • Preventing the extension of the conflict to the frontier of Lebanon through negotiations with Hezbollah.
  • Preventing an increase in violence on the West Bank among Israeli settlers and Palestinian villages.
  • The start of negotiations in good faith for a political solution that ensures freedom and the collective safety of Israelis and Palestinians.

The Association of World Citizens believes that these proposals can build on a pool of shared values, create a climate of dialogue and trust, and set the stage for a new political reality.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

Ebrahim Raisi Appeals

Iran Deaths: New Elements in the Troubled Middle East.

23 May 2024 – On 19 May, the helicopter with President Ebrahim Raisi of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, and the governor of the East Azerbaijan Province crashed into a mountain near the Azerbaijan-Iran border. They had attended a ceremony to mark the start of a joint Azerbaijan-Iran dam project.

President Raisi, a Shiite Muslim cleric was elected President in 2021. Ebrahim Raisi was considered close to the leader of the country, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and seen as a possible successor to Khamenei who is 84 and has suffered health problems in recent years.  Raisi was a “hardliner” and repression of unacceptable ideas, especially on the part of women, continued in full force during his years as President.

Ex Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian. By Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. By Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The death of Ebrahim Raisi.

The first Vice President Mohammad Mokhber now holds the post of President. Elections are to be held within 50 days according to the Constitution.  The death of Raisi will probably have little impact on domestic Iranian policy as most likely someone with similar views will be elected President.  More liberal candidates will probably be excluded under one pretext or another. However, the impact on foreign policy may be greater.

The first Vice President Mohammad Mokhber. By Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Tensions between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

Iran plays a role in many of the tensions in the wider Middle East: Israel-Palestine, Syria, Iraq-Kurdistan-Turkey, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan-Pakistan. One of the most potentially violent situations concerns the Hezbollah armed movement in Lebanon.

Hezbollah is strongly supported by Iran but is not under Iranian control. Tensions between Hezbollah and Israeli forces are permanent with exchanges of rockets and drones.  Some 100,000 Israelis have moved from the Lebanese frontier area for greater safety.  They push the Israeli government to take stronger measures against Hezbollah.

A possible role for nongovernmental efforts.

Thus, there is a need for increased efforts for conflict resolution and the start of negotiations in good faith.  So far there have been few signs of such negotiations on the part of government representatives. Discussions in the United Nations Security Council are often blocked by the veto and by fundamental differences among governments. 

There may be a possible role for nongovernmental efforts, but there is no forum to present such NGO proposals for the moment.  As representatives of peace-making NGOs, we have to keep our eyes open for new possibilities.

Professor Rene Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

Credits:

Featured Image: Picture by jorono, Pixabay