Some things to consider! (Paragraph 3 here: http://www.state.gov/p/eur/rls/rm/34606.htm I also want to commend your efforts to promote a United Nations General Assembly resolution on anti-Semitism. The United States worked very diligently with other nations last year to promote such a resolution condemning anti-Semitism and we were disappointed that it did not succeed. We were able to achieve three resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee and one resolution adopted by the Commission on Human Rights which recognized with deep concern the rise of anti-Semitism. It was also significant that one of the Third Committee resolutions was adopted by consensus. But the work must continue. The June Conference on anti-Semitism hosted by Secretary General Annan was also an important part of this process, during which he called on UN member states to "follow the excellent lead of the Berlin Declaration….condemning, without reservation, all manifestations of anti-Semitism and all other acts of intolerance…." (Look under---- Follow-on Conference on Anti-Semitism) http://www.state.gov/p/eur/rls/rm/34606.htm
Follow-on Conference on Anti-Semitism?
We also are looking at an invitation of the Government of Spain to meet in Cordoba next year on anti-Semitism. The Conferences in Vienna and Berlin were at high political levels and attracted considerable publicity. We hope that another OSCE meeting would focus on helping the OSCE members to implement the new commitments that they made in Maastricht and at Berlin. In other words, the Conference could be at a senior expert level and include an agenda designed to foster specifics of how to carry out the commitments in the areas of law enforcement, legislation and education.
The U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE, Stephan M. Minikes will be working with his 54 counterparts to determine how best to implement the Berlin Declaration, to include the possibility of a Special Representative for anti-Semitism and a follow-on meeting with-in the OSCE. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly met in Edinburgh earlier this month and in their concluding document they requested that the Bulgarian Chairmanship designate, a personal envoy of the Chairman-in-Office, to ensure sustained attention in fulfilling OSCE commitments highlighted in the Berlin Declaration.
One important aspect is how to manage our efforts at combating anti-Semitism in relation to other activities of the OSCE and ODHIR. As you know, the OSCE is in the final stages of planning the Conference on Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination which will be held in Brussels September 13 and 14, 2004 and is designed as a parallel event to the Berlin anti-Semitism Conference.
To what extent should future steps to curb anti-Semitic hate crimes be taken in parallel with anti-racist or xenophobic hate crimes? Currently, Ambassador Strohal’s mandate involves all tolerance issues. We certainly want to keep the European political focus on fighting anti-Semitism, but in the European political environment, if we can achieve more progress by combining this issue in the implementation with other current issues of concern for European societies such as racism, xenophobia and discrimination, why should we not do so? This is a question which we need to examine carefully for the future, and it relates to the decisions about a Special Representative and to the possibility of a follow-on Conference in Cordoba or elsewhere. This is especially an issue as European nations become more and more multicultural, resulting from more open borders and immigration within the new Europe, whole and free.
While these are important steps that have been taken so far, we are under no illusions that a solution to this problem is at hand. The roots of anti-Semitism are deep, and continuing tensions caused by terrorism and conflict in the Middle East make the issue more complex. President Bush and Secretary Powell have dealt with this issue in a firm and forthright manner and are doing everything possible to make anti-Semitism the historic anachronism that it is.
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Who's authority are Watchtower representatives placing themselves under when they attend these conferences? Who's permission are they requesting to attend? Who are they associating with?
What are they helping to promote at these conferences? How many times do we find the word "political" in these documents? What about the word "commitment?"
Are Watchtower reps really "standing" and waiting on Jehovah for protection? Or are they collaborating with "worldly political" organizations seeking their help and protection against hate crimes, torture, anti-semitism and other form of intolerance?
OSCE NGO Conference Application Form:
http://www.badongo.com/pic/150296
http://www.osce.si/docs/2005-06-08-09-cordoba-boj-proti-nestrpnosti-prijava-nvo.pdf
OSCE International Organizations Registration Form
http://www.badongo.com/pic/150300
OSCE Delegation Registration Form
http://www.badongo.com/pic/150302
What organization name must be included on application forms such as the ones above?
Watchtower Bible And Tract Society? European Association of Jehovah's Christian Witnesses?
What are some of the main messages and pledges associated at these Anti-Semitism conferences?
(see last paragraphs on this page)
http://germany.info/relaunch/politics/speeches/042804.html
But we must remember that the best intentions are not enough. They have to be followed up by political action. I therefore hope that this conference will produce concrete results and conclude with a clear message.
That message should be
- that we condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms as a violation of human dignity,
- that we will create instruments to record and monitor anti-Semitic incidents in the OSCE, so that we are in a position to counter them effectively,
- and that we make a political pledge to publicly and resolutely tackle all forms of anti-Semitism.
This pledge will bind us all. All states and citizens in the OSCE should know that their conduct vis-à-vis citizens of the Jewish faith will be measured against this yardstick.
We want to set standards for our actions. And we want to show the Jewish communities in our countries that their concerns for their safety and future in our midst are our concerns, too – our concerns and a basic issue for our democracies.
Thank you.
published April 28, 2004
(See pages 9-15 for registrations forms here:)
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/www/de/infoservice/download/pdf/friedenspolitik/ciogal0057.pdf
No matter which way you choose to look at the situation, it still spells out (HYPOCRISY AND APOSTACY) according to the Watchtower's own definition!
Cheers!
