TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

Special to CPNN by Klara Ertl

From the 2d to 9th of August 2015, the 71st International Youth Congress of Esperanto (a.k.a. “Internacia Junulara Kongreso” or IJK) took place in the city of Wiesbaden, Germany. There were 300 participants from 35 countries, mainly young adults but also children, teenagers and older adults. They all had one common language: Esperanto.

Esperanto was initiated as an international bridge language with no country to be attached to, simple and easy to learn, and fair to everyone. Its initiator, L. L. Zamenhof from Poland, grew up in a country torn by cultural conflicts. The idea of peace was his chief motivation to dedicate all his efforts to this ambitious project, and peace still lies at the core of the Esperanto movement worldwide.

During one week, in and around the youth hostel of Wiesbaden, participants gave presentations and courses on various subjects, played music, sports and games, danced, talked, joked, debated and organized, bought and sold Esperanto books, magazines and music. They shared their knowledge, their skills and above all, their friendship. Young or old, poor or rich, and no matter which of the five continents they were from and how proficient they were at Esperanto – everyone was given a chance to express themselves, and listened to. Equality was also explicitly promoted: For example, some of the participants made an ongoing initiative to inform about and promote acceptance for transgenderism. There is a growing tendency among Esperanto speakers to add a new, gender-neutral pronoun (“ri”) to the traditional pronouns for male (“li”) and female (“ŝi”).

In 1985, at its General Conference in Sofia, UNESCO acknowledged the results obtained by the use of Esperanto in mutual understanding between peoples, and its potential for contributing to it in the future. It also invited all its Member States to introduce the study of Esperanto in schools and institutions of higher education. Though this is rarely done, it can easily be learned by informal means, especially through the Internet.

The next IJK will take place next summer in Wroclaw, Poland. But Esperanto meetings take place all year, and no matter where in the world, they create a space for cultural exchange, openness, and equality.

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Some links:

Homepage of TEJO (Worldwide Esperanto Youth Organization), which organizes this congress: www.tejo.org

Information about Esperanto: www.esperanto.net

Learning Esperanto: www.lernu.net

Main Esperanto Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/esperanto.grupo/

Is there a renewed movement of solidarity by the new generation?

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

by Dr. Diana Tashkova

In Bulgaria, 126 new cases of HIV were diagnosed during a period of 6 months. Overall, people infected with HIV in the country are officially 2169. Importantly, over 53% of the newly registered HIV-positive persons were found in cabinets and mobile clinics that offer free and anonymous testing and counseling.

In this regard, for the twelfth consecutive time the “Prevention and Control of HIV / AIDS Programme” in collaboration with the Ministry of Health organized the national summer campaign. The testing is voluntary and anonymous, which motivates a lot of people to check their status easily and anonymously.

The initiative started on 3th of August and will last until 13th of September. Many medical centers are available to provide free counseling and testing for AIDS. Regional health inspectorates and NGOs throughout the country are involved. In addition, the initiative provides counseling for sexually safe behaviors in order to avoid sexually transmitted infections among Bulgarians and guests of the country.

The medical centers are precisely selected to be in locations with increased tourist flow as seaside resorts, swimming pools and shopping centers and main streets in large and smaller settlements as well as in Roma neighborhoods. From August 3 until August 28, 2015, over 2000 people have so far been tested for AIDS.

HIV testing is offered by medical consultants at the Black Sea, near the pools and water parks in central areas and in the laboratories.

Furthermore, in the spirit of the event for two weeks in the capital, Sofia is hosting the photographic exhibition “Fieldwork teams of Bulgarian non-governmental organizations working on HIV / AIDS among vulnerable groups”.

Traditionally, the purpose of the summer AIDS Campaign is to raise awareness of responsible sexual behavior, condom use and the importance for each person to know the current HIV status as care for his/her own health and the health of the partner.

Solidarity with HIV-AIDS patients, Is it progressing?

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

An article by Jackie, Radio Free Brighton

David Cameron’s attempt to exploit the refugee crisis as a pretext for UK bombing of Syria is staggering in its cynicism and callousness. Especially considering the fact that Isis militants mostly congregate in heavily populated cities, UK bombing of Syria will inevitably lead to massive civilian casualties and many more refugees. The government is already killing people in Syria, despite having lost the parliamentary mandate to do this following the vote in the House of Commons in 2012.

Photo by Nilufer Demir/DHA/Reuters.

More than any other European country, Britain bears direct culpability for the current refugee crisis. It has, along with the United States, been the chief architect of the current Middle Eastern inferno of increasing hatred and endless war. Most of the refugees are fleeing from countries Britain has invaded or otherwise militarily destabilised in recent years: Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. Yet Britain is also among the EU countries with the lowest intake of refugees, and it imposes numerous restrictions and obstacles on people seeking refuge, breaking Article 14 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights which states that “everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution”. In August 2013 The Migrants’ Files project by European Press found that 30,000 refugees and migrants had died in their attempt to reach Europe since 2000.

Our humanity is bound up with the humanity of the refugees from UK wars

Refugees Welcome Here
National Demonstration
12 September | 2pm
Assemble Marble Arch | London
March to Downing Street
Organise events where you live
Facebook Event »

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The refugee crisis, Who is responsible?

How can there be a political solution to the war in Syria?

Readers’ comments are invited on this question and article. See below for comments box.

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Only one heart didn’t melt at the pictures of the three-year-old Syrian Kurdish boy’s dead body washed up on a Turkish beach: David Cameron’s. He responded by refusing to take anymore refugees. But he is still promising to try and make parliament agree to more bombing of Syria. This will only force more refugees to flee Syria. And then David Cameron will let them drown too.

The refugee crisis across Europe is growing worse by the day as thousands flee war and chaos.
Many have died in the most terrible circumstances, suffocating in lorries or drowning during dangerous crossings of the Mediterranean.

They are being treated terribly by many of the government’s of Europe, including our own. The majority of these refugees are the victims of war, many of them fleeing the disasterous conflict in Syria.

David Cameron’s statement yesterday aims to justify further war and bombing rather than helping the refugees. He is refusing to take any refugees in Britain, one of the world’s richest countries.

Stop the War has come together with many other organisations to call for a national demonstration in London. We are also urging our members, supporters and groups to take any action they can on that day where they live, alongside anti-racist and refugee groups.

Successive British governments have spent billions on wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, plus on covert intervention in Syria. The outcome has been destruction of infrastructure across the Middle East, the growth of terrorism in the region, and the displacement of millions.

Their only solution is further war, even though it is increasingly obvious that this option is only creating yet more chaos. Just as we oppose wars, we try to show solidarity with its victims.

Please do everything you can to support this day of solidarity with refugees. If you want any help or further information, please contact the Stop the War national office. Email: office@stopwar.org.uk | Tel: 020 7561 4830

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

An article by Diana Tashkova

At the present time, many children and their families are victims of violence, or being sexually abused in the family. In fact, European Union citizens in Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria are the most frequent victims of human trafficking in Europe. In addition, the majority of cases that were studied between 2009 and 2013 by Europol shows that 40 percent of victims of human trafficking in Europe came from Romania, 18 percent from Hungary and 11 percent from Bulgaria. The majority of victims of human trafficking are women and girls, and a high proportion of them are sexually exploited. Human trafficking is truly a global epidemic.

Logo of the Bulgarian-Swiss Cooperation Programme

In addition, some children have had bad experiences in their families, in schools and in their communities. Therefore, the project “Trauma Center for Children and Families” was launched with financing from the Swiss-Bulgarian Cooperation Programme. It is implemented by the Foundation Animus Association. Its purpose is to provide a psychological support and recovery after traumatic situations. The Families Centre also includes a correspondence program. It provides an opportunity for children and parents to get consultations via email and remain anonymous.

The project aims to complete the model of the existing social system in Bulgaria by introducing an innovative social program. It offers a support program for children and parents, as well as a community support program.

The child support program is also beneficial for children with communication problems or difficulty adjusting to their social environment, such as those who want to overcome the loss of a parent, parental separation, domestic violence or sexual violence. They may be troubled from having been adopted, placed in foster families or reintegrated into their biological families which they express as problem behavior at home or school.

The support program is for parents who need advice on problems they have in raising their children. In addition, the community support program offers training; it uses multidisciplinary approaches that offer help. The Trauma Centre offers support to prospective adoptive parents and children. It provides opportunities for youth and adults to overcome difficulties without carrying the baggage of the past.

(Click here for the original French version of this article.)

Rights of the child, How can they be promoted and protected?