Sorry about that folks. There was an issue with the file where someone's identity was embedded in it and we had to take steps to preserve their privacy.
Here is the text of the letter that you can copy and paste into a Word document, Rich Text Format document or a Text document:
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
Telephone:
xxxxxx xx, 2004
Deputy Secretary-General's Office
United Nations
New York, New York
United States of America
10017
Telephone 212-963-8010
Email: [email protected] and [email protected]
Attention: Madame Louise Frechette, Deputy Secretary-General
Dear Madame Deputy Secretary-General:
Re: Appeal and Request for Documents from an United Nations Department of Public Information File on a Former Associated Non-Governmental Organization called the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
My name is ____ and I reside in ____. It is my hope that you spare just a few moments from your very important dealings and consider my request.
In October 2001, pertinent information was requested from the Non-governmental Organization (NGO) Section of the Department of Public Information (DPI) within the United Nations (UN). The pertinent information dealt with confirmation that a NGO by the name of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York , Inc. (Watchtower) held an "associated NGO" status with the UN's DPI. Watchtower is the main corporation for the Jehovah's Witnesses religious organization.
By way of a letter dated October 11, 2001, Mr. Paul Hoeffel, Chief of the NGO/DPI section confirmed that the Watchtower was indeed an "associated NGO" with the UN's DPI from 1992 to about October 9, 2001 - at which time Watchtower requested termination of the partnership.
This issue is fascinating to thousands of people because the Watchtower leaders taught and still teach that the United Nations is the evil "scarlet colored wild beast" from the Bible's Book of Revelation and a "tool of the Devil". This is something I personally do not appreciate as the UN does such good work in saving and improving the lives of many adults and children on the planet.
Numerous people - non-Jehovah's Witnesses and former Jehovah's Witnesses and Jehovah's Witnesses - were absolutely stunned by the October 2001 news of the partnership. Yet many wanted actual proof of the Watchtower's partnership with the UN's DPI. Watchtower leadership indicated that the association with the UN was to use the UN's library only. However, the leadership indicated that they were completely unaware that they were actually partnering with the DPI, supporting the UN Charter and disseminating UN material on behalf of and in support of the UN. Even though it is a registered not-for-profit corporation in the United States of America, the Watchtower has refused to provide any documents on the matter including the corporation's original application forms they submitted to the UN's DPI.
This may not seem as an important issue to the United Nations. However, there are literally thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses - adults and children - who were seriously reprimanded, tortured and killed by many world governments for not properly adhering to governmental policy because the Jehovah's Witnesses leadership demanded non-adherence to any part of a political or military entity including the UN. Thus, there are literally thousands of people who are very interested to know if the Watchtower leadership was actually "partnering" with a governmental organization such as the DPI of the UN from 1992 to 2001.
Some people believed the UN letters, like Mr. Hoeffel's October 11, 2001 letter, on this subject. However, many more refuse to believe this incident happened until the actual application documents along with the magazine articles in support of the UN published by the Watchtower are released by the UN to quantify the UN's comments that the Watchtower had "voluntarily partnered" with the UN DPI as an "associated NGO". In order to try and expedite the process along, some people requested the following documents from the Head of the DPI in 2002:
- A photocopy of the original 1991 letter from the Watchtower to the DPI requesting an application form for "associate NGO" status with the UN's DPI.
- A photocopy of the 1991 DPI letter sent to the Watchtower in response to the Watchtower's 1991 request for an application.
- A photocopy of the 1991 Watchtower's cover letter and Watchtower application form that was submitted to DPI to obtain "associate NGO" status with DPI and any supporting documents provided by the Watchtower.
- A photocopy of the 1992 letter sent by the DPI or the NGO/DPI Committee approving the Watchtower's "associate status" and welcoming them to the partnership.
- A photocopy of the 1998 annual renewal application form for continuation of associate NGO status with DPI that was completed and signed by the Watchtower representatives and the letter sent back to the Watchtower from the DPI confirming their accreditation and annual membership status.
Also, it would be important to provide the public with a list of all magazine articles and publications that the Watchtower provided the UN's DPI to prove that the Watchtower disseminated UN material to the public.
It is my belief that the above photocopied documents could once and for all quantify the UN's position on this issue for those thousands of people who are very interested in this issue - especially for those who may have lost a loved one during the Malawi slaughter of Jehovah's Witnesses during the 1970s and 1980s and those who were jailed in Greece, Spain, France and other countries for refusing to join the government's military branch.
Unfortunately the Acting Head of the DPI, while confirming the Watchtower's status, denied the requests for the pertinent above-noted documents to be released. I believe he based his decision on the fact that the Watchtower's information in the DPI file was considered private and the UN has a policy of not releasing private files to the public. A similar United Nations letter dated March 4, 2004 and signed by Mr. Hoeffel was recently posted on the United Nations internet site at the following URL link:
http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/watchtower.pdf
I find this refusal to provide documents extremely odd since NGOs who obtain "associate status" with the UN are suppose to voluntarily agree to be "not for profit" and "transparent" - ie. open. I also find it odd that the DPI published documents such as the "Directory of Non-Governmental Organizations Associated with the Department of Public Information", 1999-2000 version, that clearly give the location information on the NGOs address, telephone numbers and their contact persons' names.
I am aware that in free countries such as the United States of America and Canada, there are "Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts to allow the public access to archived government documents. These Acts balance the people's rights to access government information while at the same time protecting the privacy of individuals and corporations.
Some of my friends have held discussions with your excellent legal counsel staff. They have indicated that there is no Freedom of Information and Privacy Act or similar resolution within the United Nations. Your learned counsel has indicated that the UN has released files in the past when certain law enforcement officials have requested them.
In this case, we are dealing with a public not-for-profit corporation who voluntarily agreed to be transparent in order to become an "associated NGO" with the UN's DPI. This is not a private person whose privacy needs protecting. This is not a private corporation whose secrets need protection from financial loss. This is not a country whose security needs protecting. This is a public corporation who voluntarily agreed to be transparent, agreed to support the United Nations Charter, agreed to disseminate UN information in 1991 and renewed that pledge every year until October, 2001, when their association with the UN became a matter of public knowledge.
I think a simple review of the Watchtower file documents within the NGO/DPI office can determine if there is something very private in these documents that could threaten the privacy of a person's life or a financial situation. I would be more than happy to receive any document in which you have "redacted" something from it to protect the rights and freedoms of others.
I noted that your staff has come up with an excellent idea of posting Mr. Hoeffel's March 4, 2004 letter on the Internet for all parties. Maybe the NGO/DPI section can scan and post the requested Watchtower documents and post them on the same UN internet site as the Hoeffel letter. As well, the NGO/DPI section could also use this internet site to list all public magazine articles that the Watchtower disseminated for the UN. For example, I believe your files contain the 1998 Watchtower article titled "A Long Job Finished" which was publicly disseminated for the United Nations through the November 22, 1998 Awake! Magazine.
Therefore, I appeal to you, Madame Secretary-General, to review this entire issue and hopefully you can find a way to provide all or some of the above requested documents to help the thousands of people understand exactly what the Watchtower leadership did in this case.
Thank you kindly for your time and please feel free to contact me at ------
Yours truly,
xxxxx
Sorry for the inconvenience.
