UNPO General Secretary and Members participated in the three day conference in Brussels, co hosted by ALDE and NRP, on topics such as nonviolent strategies and the first world Satyagraha, the situation in the Middle East and enlargement of the EU.

The Hague, 12 December 2007- UNPO General Secretariat and Members participated in the three day conference in Brussels, co hosted by ALDE and NRP, on topics of nonviolent strategies and the first world Satyagraha, the situation in the Middle East and enlargement of the EU.

Last week, from 06 to 08 December 2007, UNPO attended a conference in Brussels co-hosted by the Nonviolent Radical Party (NRP) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), which ended with the General Council of the NRP. The main topics of discussion during the three-day event were the situation in the Middle East and the Mediterranean countries, enlargement of the European Union and the first world Satyagraha, a philosophy and practice of nonviolent resistance developed by Mahatma Gandhi. In traditional violent and nonviolent conflict, the goal is to defeat the opponent or at least to meet one’s own objectives. In Satyagraha by contrast, the goal is to convert, not to coerce, the opponent. This initiative is intended to officially commence with the beginning of the new year 2008 and reach its peak during the Olympic Games in Beijing in August 2008.

Among the key speakers present were the Vice-President of the European Commission, Mr. Franco Frattini; the President of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament, Mr. Graham Watson; the Minister of European Affairs and International Trade of Italy, Ms. Emma Bonino; and Member of Parliament and Leader of the Radical Party, Mr. Marco Pannella.

A number of UNPO Members attended the conference, aiming to draw the attention of the international community to the urgent situations in their homelands. Representatives from UNPO Members included Khmer Khrom representative, Mr. Vien Thach; Southern Cameroons National Council Vice-Chairman, Mr. Nfor Ngala Nfor; Deputy Foreign Minister of Abkhazia, Mr. Maxim Gunjia; Montagnard representative, Mr. Kok Ksor; representative of the Somaliland government in Brussels, Mr. Mohamud Daar; representative of the Balochistan Peoples Party, Mr. Nasser Boladai; as well as the President of the World Uyghur Congress, Mr. Rebiya Kadeer.

The words on everybody’s lips were nonviolence and the need for a new, transnational, world order, as opposed to the traditional concept of the nation state. Among the propositions put forward to reach this goal was the strengthening of the African Union and its Human Rights Court and other regional judicial bodies around the world. Many discussions focused on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Whereas some participants proposed the idea of Israel as a future EU member state, others advocated for an establishment of a regional union where borders and nation states would be of less importance. The creation of a Palestinian state was for example put into question by some as it would reproduce the old flawed system of nation states. Both Ms. Rebiya Kadeer and the Sakharov Prize winner, Mr. Wei Jingsheng, spoke about the need to continue both nonviolent action and exerting pressure on China, especially in the light of the upcoming Olympic Games.

ALDE-NRP Announcement:

“The Life of Right for the Right to Life” is the motto that has animated great nonviolent struggles over the last decades, including the campaign against the massive deaths  caused by famine, or “Free Iraq! The only alternative to the war” (which was on the brink of success by sending Saddam Hussein into exile) or, most recently, the initiative for a Universal Moratorium on the use of the death penalty, which is still underway.

Last year, in 2006, the Nonviolent Radical Party Transnational and Transparty (NRP) launched a campaign for the First World Satyagraha, obtaining the support of prestigious personalities. This initiative aims to oppose the endemic ongoing wars and the likelihood of new devastating world conflicts. It puts forward the alternative of a structural democratic and federalist Reform of Territories, Regions and National States that have been structurally ravaged by war, famine and dictatorships that systematically engender war. Particular attention will be paid to the Middle East, especially after the outcome of the Annapolis Conference, but we will also look at other historically and structurally critical areas where quite often natural hard-won, historically acquired human rights, namely Liberty, Justice, Peace and Democracy, are either violently denied or obstructed while the international community, which should have the duty to ensure those rights are protected, stands by doing nothing.

The debate that will take place during the 3-day conference will focus on the situation in the Middle East and on those in Asia, in Africa, in the Balkan region and… in Europe! Indeed, against the backdrop of  a potential degeneration from a united European Motherland to a Europe composed of separate Fatherlands, we should re-launch the process of a federalist, democratic and peaceful expansion also in the European context.

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe continues to back wholeheartedly our liberal and democratic contribution, by co-promoting with us the Second Conference that will take place on 6 and 7 December and that will continue and flow into the meeting of the General Council of the NRP, which will end in the afternoon of 8 December 2007.

It is very likely that that the Assembly will be able to deliberate and organize for 2008 (Happy new year again!) the launch of the First World Satyagraha, which will officially commence in the wake of the new year. The initiative is intended to reach its peak contemporaneously with the holding of the Olympic Games in Beijing in August 2008.

The core idea is to simultaneously identify and assess all situations that deny the very fundamental human rights declared by the United Nations since its foundation and by many other instruments of international law. It is necessary to assert, or to win again, the respect of fundamental norms that regulate civil life, also thanks to entities such as the Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the UNPO (Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization).

We intend to acknowledge and pay specific attention to the dramatic and urgent situations of certain Asian realities, such as Tibet, East Turkestan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Burma. The threats and dangers that have historically accompanied the development of the democracy in Taiwan will also be discussed.

6 December (9.00-18.30) - European Parliament - Room PHS01A002

7 December (9.00-20.00) - European Parliament - Room ASP 3G3

8 December (9.00-12.30) - European Parliament - Room ASP 3G3

The Conference will focus on the following issues:

- Annapolis, the day after: what peace for the Middle East?

- European enlargement

- First World Satyagraha

- Peace and Freedom in and from the Middle East

- European Mediterranean Fatherland

Click below for:

Mr. Daar's speech, Representative of Somaliland in Brussels.

Mr. Enver Can's Speech, Acting Chairman of the World Uyghur Congress

Mr Nfor’s Speech, Vice-Chairman Southern Cameroons National Council

List of participants:

Franco FRATTINI, Vice-President of the European Commission • Graham WATSON, MEP, President of ALDE Group at the EP • Annemie NEYTS, MEP, President of the European Liberals, Democrats and Reform Party • Emma BONINO, MP, Minister of European Affairs and International Trade of Italy • Monica FRASSONI, MEP, Co-President of Green Group • Marco PANNELLA, MEP and Leader of the Radical Party• Pandeli MAJKO, MP, Former Prime Minister of Albania • Gianni VERNETTI, UnderSecretary of Foreign Affairs, Italy • Wei JINGSHENG, Sakharov Prize • Khaled Fouad ALLAM, MP Italy • Thich GIAC DANG, Monk, Unified Church of Vietnam • Rebiya KADER, President, World Uyghur Congress • Pandeli MAJKO, MP, Former PM of Albania • Oumar KHANBIEV, Chechen Dissident • Cesare SALVI, Vice President of the Senate, Italy • Vien THACH, Khmer Khrom Federation • Amin BAKHTIAR, Executive director of the International Alliance for Justice, Iraq • Taha AKSOY, MP, Turkey, Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Department, AK Party • Paola BALDUCCI, MP- Italy •  Enver CAN, Uyghur Activist • Zeynep DAGI, MP, Turkey, Chairman Euromed Parliamentary assembly • Karim ABDIAN, Ahwazi Representative • Natale D'AMICO, Senator, Italy • Rola DASHTI, President, Kuwait Economic Society • Virgilio DASTOLI, Head, EU Commission Representation, Italy • Marta DASSÙ, Editor in Chief Aspenia, Italy • Walid SALEM, Director, Panorama Center • Marc DAUGHERTY, Journalist, Israel • Antonio DEL PENNINO, Senator, Italy • Sergio D'ELIA, MP - Italy • Benedetto DELLA VEDOVA, MP - Italy • Franco GUNJIA MAXIM, Vice Foreign Minister, Abkhazia • Huang CIPING, Chinese Dissident • Mohamud Abdi DAAR, Representative of Somaliland • Ibrahim SAAD EDDIN, Arab Organization for Human Rights, Egypt • Zeynal IBRAHIMOV, Nonviolent Radical Party Representative, Azerbaijan • Scott Robert JOHNSON, Montagnard Activist • Pietro MARCENARO, MP, President of Human Rights Committee of Chamber of Deputies • Adrian KARATNYCKY, President, Orange Circle • Arben XHAFERI, MP, President of DPA, Macedonia • Michael KAU, Ambassador of Taiwan, Belgium • Marina SIKORA, Nonviolent Radical Party Representative, Hungary • Zlatko KRAMARIC, MP, Croatia • Boaz WACHTEL, Green Leaf Party, Israel • Kok KSOR, Montagnard Leader • Carlo LEONI, MP Vice president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies,  • Matteo MECACCI, Nonviolent Radical Party Rep at the UN • Ymut MLO, Montagnard Activist • Nfor NFOR, Secretary General, Southern Cameroon National Congress • Mauro DEL BUE, MP - Italy • Artur NURA, Nonviolent Radical Party Rep, Albania • ONG Thong Hueung, Representative, the Sam Rainsy Party, Belgium •  Marco PERDUCA, Vice-President of the Nonviolent Radical Party Senate • Cesare ROMANO, Professor, Loyola University, USA • Sulejman RUSHITI, Minister for Education, Macedonia • Francesc MORATA, Professor Barcelona University • Federica SABBATI, ELDR Secretary General • Ahmet SOZEN, Professor, Eastern Mediterranean University • Mabel VAN ORANJE, Co-Chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations, UK • Ivan KRASTEV, Centre for Liberal Strategies Sophia • Vanida THEPHSOUVANH, LAO Movement for Human Rights • Ali Abu AWWAD, Chairman, Al - Tariq • Arnold TREBACH, Trebach Institute • Maurizio TURCO, MP - Italy • Turgay AVCI, Foreign Minister, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus • Boaz WACHTEL, Green Leaf Party Israel • André WILKENS, Director, Open Society Institute, Belgium • Bichara KHADER, Director, Contemporary Arab World Study Center, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium • Marino BUSDACHIN, Secretary General, UNPO.