Wednesday, December 25, 2013

SAHARAWI WOMEN WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014


Saharawi women and the whole people of Western Sahara wish you Merry Chrismas and a very Happy New Year   wishing that in 2014 the saharawi people can enjoy at last a free and democratic country as the whole peoples of the world.
 
Let this New Year be the one, where all our dreams come true, so with a joyful heart, put a start to this year anew. Wishing you a happy and prosperous New Year 2014.
 

Saturday, December 7, 2013

SAHARAWI WOMEN: MANDELA HAS DIED BUT HIS LEGACY WILL NEVER DIE

Saharawi Women and the whole people of the Africa´s last colony, Western Sahara, express its condence to Nelson Mandela´s family and the entire people of South-Africa for the deth of the historic leader anti-apartheid and also as the first black President of a democratic Asouth-Africa.
 
Women from Western Sahara reaffirm that Madiba will be remembered for his high example, the magnitude of his work and the firmness of his convictions in the struggle against apartheid, and for his invaluable contribution to the construction of a democratic and just South Africa.
 
Saharawi Women are very grateful for the support and solidarity that South-Africa has given to the saharawi people who still struggling for a free and soverain Western Sahara whose people cry today due to this great lost but also assure to the world that the Nelson Mandela´s legacy will remain forever in heart of each daughter and son from Western Sahara.
 
The life of Nelson Mandela is without a doubt a fascinating one. Fewer men in history have done so much in the name of equality, freedom and peace. Nearly every nation in the world is interested in the biography of Nelson Mandela. The Nelson Mandela biography is sought everywhere. This is a man who transcends all languages. His biography exists virtually everywhere and in every language. He was, and is, a powerful and peaceful man. So where does the Nelson Mandela story begin?
 
In the small village of Mvezo , in the Transkien territories of South Africa, the Nelson Mandela bio began on July 18, 1918. He was not born with the name Nelson, but with his African name Rolihlahla , which literally means –pulling the branch of a tree, or in it's colloquial sense 'troublemaker' ( It seems Rohlihlahla Nelson Mandela certainly lived up to his given name, but in the best of ways).
 
No Nelson Mandela history would be complete without knowing who his parents were. His father was Henry Mgadla Mandela. Mgadla was one of the main councillors to the acting chief of the Thembu tribe. The Mandela name itself comes from one of the royal's in the Thembu tribe on Nelson's grandfather's side. Due to his grandmother's position though, that branch of the family was unable to succeed the throne. His mother was Nonqaphi Nosekeni. She was Mgadla's third wife. (Interestingly the famous Nelson Mandela has also had three wives).
 
Rohlihlahla's father died when the boy was nine years old (from tuberculosis). The Mandela biography continues with the young Mandela coming under the guardianship of Jongintaba Dalindyebo, who was regent and an heir to the Thembu throne.
 
Rohlihlahla Mandela was the first of his father's family to receive formal schooling. It was his school teacher Miss Mdingane who gave him the English name Nelson.
 
Nelson Mandela then went on to finish his Junior Certificate from a Wesleyan school and on to college where he studied for a Bachelor of Arts. Engaging in a boycott against university policies at the Fort Hare he was essentially kicked out and the Nelson Mandela story moved on.
 
Rejecting an arranged marriage from his guardian (regent Jongintaba) Manela Rohililaha Nelson escaped to Johannesburg. He completed his degree through correspondence and eventually became involved in the ANC (African National Council). From there it seems there was no looking back.
 
Once he became involved in the ANC there was no looking back in the Nelson Mandela life. Mandela and those who were with him took many actions against the injustice of apartheid. A system where one's color discriminated so totally against the basic laws of freedom was unthinkable (just as slavery) and yet it was a reality.
 
The Nelson Mandela bio continues with him becoming the leader of the African National Councils Umkhonto weSiswe - the armed wing. They organized protests and sabotages to bring to light the inequality that was happening throughout South Africa. While Mandela had worked hard to bring about understanding and change through peaceful methods, military and government targets were bombed (always with no intention of physical harm) to get the message across.
 
In 1962 Nelson Mandela was arrested and sent to prison. Many other ANC leaders were also arrested at this time. The biography of Nelson Mandela has much to show of the work he carried out during his imprisonment. He never gave up the struggle. He wrote many books and his main place of imprisonment came to be known as a place of learning. A man of peace, the Nelson Mandela life involves nearly 27 years of imprisonment. Songs have been written, and praises sung. The call for freedom was heard around the world.
 
Under President de Klerk, Nelson Mandela was finally released from prison in 1990. He returned as the leader of the ANC and fought on for freedom. Along with deKlerk he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
 
Nelson Mandela 1994 is elected president of South Africa; A triumph for equality and a triumph for peace. The world rejoiced in finally seeing a wrong come right. This does not mean that there is total equality and peace in South Africa yet. What it does mean is that one man who stands firm can make a difference for millions. The Nelson Mandela story is one of hope for all mankind.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR AMINATOU HAIDAR

The Saharawi famous human rights activist, Aminatou Haidar, has been awarded with another international recognition for her great efforts and struggle for peace and justice in her country: Westen Sahara.
 
Bremen Solidarity Award for the year 2013 has been awarded by the German Province of Bremen to the Saharawis activist and President of the Collective of Saharawis Human Rights Defenders (CODESA), Ms. Aminatou Haidar.
The committee overseeing the selection of the winner explained that Aminatou Haidar has been chosen for her record of defending the Saharawis’ human rights desert, praising the great efforts being made by CODESA President in order that the Sahrawis benefit from their natural resources, as a human right cannot be separated from the political and civil rights.
"Aminatou Haidar has frequently and boldly defended the rights of the Saharawis by peaceful mean. She still struggling to find a just solution to the question of Western Sahara by the same means," added the committee.
It went on saying that the Saharawis activist has worked hard to contact witz a number of politicians, diplomats and human rights groups to push for a solution to this issue.
Ms. Aminatou Haidar had been honored by many international human rights organizations, for her struggle to defend the Saharawis people’s human rights.
It should be recalled that Bremen Solidarity Award has, since 1988, been presented to people who campaign for freedom, democracy and human rights and who fight against colonialism and racism.
Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar were given this award.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

A SOUTH-AFRICAN WOMAN APPOINTED AS THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UN WOMEN

 
The Women from the what is considered the Africa´s last colony, Western Sahara, would like to express their warmest congratulations to Mrs. Mlanbo-Ngucka, for her appointment as the new Executive Director of United Nations Women (UN Women).
 
The Women from Western Sahara felt very happy  when in early August 2013 the United Nations Secretary General’s announcement that Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Deputy President of South Africa, was appointed as the new Executive Director of UN Women.
 
When the whole people from the Africa´s last colony, Western Sahara, and particularly the Saharawi Women knew about the official designation of the South-African leader Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka were very satisfied because it would be a great honnour for the all african women that a woman from our continent take this important place at the United Nations Orgaization.
 
Saharawi women wish you, dear south-african sister a lot of success in your new mission and not forget your sisters in Western Sahara who are still struggling por freedom and justice because of the ilegal moroccan occupation of their homeland.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

THE WASHINGTON POST: SAHARAWI WOMEN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE


The famous american newspaper The Washington Post has recently published an interesting article on the forgotten conflicto in Western Sahara. The american journalist Loveday Morris has visited the occupied Saharawi capital, Laayoune, and has written the following article in which has underlined the important role are playing the saharawi women in the struggle for freedom and justice in what is known as the Africa´s last colony: Western Sahara.
 

“This is a pride for us, that this is led by women,” said Aminatou Haidar, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and the most recognizable face of Western Sahara’s nationalist movement.
But as its duration shows, the campaign is an uphill battle that has so far been won by Morocco, which annexed most of Western Sahara after the Spanish withdrawal in 1976. Morocco argues that Western Sahara — home to abundant fishing grounds, lucrative phosphate mines and offshore oil — is an integral part of its territory and that separatists represent just a fraction of the population of about 500,000.
That is now probably the case, because Moroccan citizens — whom the Moroccan government entices to the area with tax breaks — are thought to outnumber the remaining 150,000 or so Sahrawis inside the territory by at least two to one.
The United States, like most nations, does not recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, but calls by the Sahrawi people for a referendum on independence have made little headway. Experts attribute that to a combination of Moroccan lobbying against the proposal, lack of international will to upset one of the region’s most stable countries and arguments between Morocco and the Sahrawis’ rebel-movement-turned-government-in-exile, the Polisario Front, over who should vote.
Moroccan officials argue that an independent Western Sahara is not viable and that longtime enemy Algeria is backing the cause to stir problems.
“There is no room for a failed state in the region,” Moroccan Deputy Foreign Minister Youssef Amrani told reporters in May. “It will fall into the hands of extremists.”
Despite the independence movement’s regular protests, the victories are small. Still, it appears to have brought about a shift in Moroccan government policy, which now officially supports making Western Sahara an autonomous region within the Moroccan state.
“Even if I don’t reach that day when the Sahara is independent, I am completely convinced that the next generation is going to live the day of independence,” Haidar said.  

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/in-western-sahara-women-play-large-role-in-forgotten-struggle-for-independence/2013/07/07/f46f23ec-dd06-11e2-85de-c03ca84cb4ef_story.html
   

Monday, July 1, 2013

MINISTER KHADIDJA HAMDI IN AN IMPORTANT AFRICA´S EVENT HELD IN ABUJA - NIGERIA -

An important Saharawi Women´s delegation led by the Minister of Culture, Mrs. Khadidja Hamdi has atended the second High Level Meeting of the Global Power Women Network Africa (GPWNA) held in Abuja, Nigeria from June 24th to 25th.  The main theme of this importtant continental conclave was  accelerating the implementation of commitment for women and girls, Socio-economic development amongst other things.

After this event, The First Lady of Nigeria Ms Dame Patience Jonathan has received the saharawi women´s delegation led by Minister Hamdi who reaffirmed solidarity with the struggle of Saharawi women for freedom and independence, praising, on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the remarkable and effective presence of Saharawi women in the various feminist events organized by Nigeria in the recent years.


During a reception on honor of the Saharawi delegation that attended the Second High Level Meeting of GlobalPOWEr Women Network Africa, Mrs. Jonathan expressed her desire to further diversify, develop and deepen the relations of partnership between Nigerian and Saharawi women to serve the interests of both sides, as to reflect the aspiration of the African woman to play her full role in pushing forward the wheel of development, democracy and human rights in the continent. She, in this regard, stressed the need to maintain constant communication between women from different parts of the continent to exchange  their experience and to identify the common objectives consultatively.

From her part, Head of the Saharawi Delegation and Minister of Culture Ms Khadija Hamdi expressed the gratitude of Saharawi women, and through them the Saharawi people as a whole, to Nigeria's people and government, for their principle of support to the Saharawi people. She, in particular, praised the personal sympathy and solidarity shown by Nigeria’s First Lady with the Saharawi woman in particular and the African one in general.

The Saharawi delegation has been in Abuja since June 27, after taking part at the Second High Level Meeting of the GlobalPOWEr Women Network Africa, which had convened in Abuja. The delegation includes Ms Fatma Al-Maehdi, the Secretary General of the Saharawi Women Union, Ms Sukeina Larabas, as an Advisor to the Presidency of the Republic, Mr Abbi Bachraya Bachir, the SADR Ambassador in Nigeria, and Mr Wadad Mustapha, who is in charge of a mission in the SADR embassy in Abuja.

The Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic's Minister of Culture, Ms Khadija Hamdi has also highlighted from Abuja the leading role played by Africa in supporting the struggle of Saharawi people, in a speech delivered last Friday on the occasion of the High Level Meeting of the GlobalPOWEr Women Network Africa, in the Nigerian capital.

Ms Khadija Hamdi talked about the flagrant violations of human rights being committed by the Moroccan state against Saharawi women in the occupied territory of Western Sahara. “The completion of Africa’s sovereignty requires awareness from African women to the suffering of Saharawi women and to the importance of showing solidarity with them to achieve self-determination and national independence,” said the Minister.

Recalling the situation of women in Africa, the Saharawi official indicated that the vestiges of colonialism and apartheid remain the umbrella under which all diseases nest, including AIDS, ignorance, backwardness and violence, amongst others.

This, added Ms Hamdi, requires real participation by women in decision-making positions, hence they are closest to recognize the everyday problems of the family and the community, calling for the liberation of women and youth initiatives, especially those complementary to the governments’ efforts, and to benefit from African capabilities and competencies specialized in the fields of research and the support of sustainable development programmes.

The minister, therefore, urged to intensify sensitization campaigns in all mass media and make use of social networking websites effectively, in a way that deepens Africa’s unity and integration, economically and culturally.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

SULTANA KHEYA´S INTERVIEW IN A FAMOUS AMERICAN NEWSPAPER

The famous american newspaer - USA TODAY - has published today,  june 9th 2013, a long interview with the saharawi human rights activist, Sultana Kheya. We invite you to read this interesting interview which was written by the american journalist Portia Walker.
 
Sultana Khaya is covered in bruises. The deep purple welts run up her legs and across her arms — the result of one of many beatings she says she's received from the police.
 
Her crime is calling for independence for Western Sahara, a Colorado-size territory in southwest Morocco, where many of the indigenous people have been fighting for self-determination for nearly four decades.
 
In 2011, the Arab Spring revolutions swept away many of the rulers in North Africa. But the royal regime of Morocco is firmly in place because of reforms that have made an uprising less likely and independence for the disputed desert people of Western Sahara even less so.
"We are protesting here for independence and the return of the refugees around the world in order to construct a country," says the prominent Western Saharan human rights activist Mohammed Daddach.
 
Advocates for independence say the Arab Spring began not in Tunisia as is commonly reported but at the Gdeim Izik protest camp in Western Sahara in 2010 when thousands of pro-independence activists gathered to voice objections to discrimination, human rights abuses and poverty. Mass protests hit the rest of the country in February 2011.
 
The difference here is that the demonstrations failed to gain momentum.
Morocco is unlike the deposed rulers of those countries, whose regimes were foisted upon the people in recent history. The royal family of Morocco first came to power nearly 500 years ago and its past has much to do with Morocco's present.
 
"The Moroccan monarchy has been around for hundreds of years and that goes a long way," says Alexis Arieff, analyst in African affairs at the Library of Congress. "Many Moroccans fear that without the monarchy, Morocco would fall apart and be divided tribally and ethnically."
 
Moroccans trace their lineages back to Arab invaders, Berber tribesman and indigenous Africans, all brought under the Alaouite Dynasty in the 17th century. Its Barbary pirates were feared the world over, and it was the first to recognize the United States as a nation independent from England.
 
The monarchy resisted colonization by the French and Spanish and in the 1950s won independence for the country. The current king, Mohammed VI, is thus part of a dynasty that has ruled Morocco since the 1600s and that traces its origins to the Islamic prophet Mohammed, meaning the king is not just head of state but an important religious leader.
Arab kingdoms such as Morocco, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have proved much more durable than republics, and Morocco's combination of reform and credibility seems to have succeeded.
"The monarchy goes both ways: They can claim religious legitimacy and they can claim modernization legitimacy," Arieff says.
 
Some experts credit the king's deft handling of the first signs of dissent for his resilience. When protesters took the streets in February 2011, he drafted a new constitution and called elections. When the moderately Islamist Justice and Development Party won the elections, the king appointed its leader, Abdelilah Benkirane, prime minister.
 
Moroccan officials say changes in response to the citizenry date back even further.
"We have started our reform process more than 10 years ago. Today we are consolidating," explains Youssef Amrani, minister-delegate for foreign affairs. "We were listening to our people. We have political parties, we have trade unions, we have civil society. We have the leadership and the legitimacy — nobody was putting into question the role of the king."
 
Geography also plays a part in the survival of the current system. Morocco is 12 miles from Spain and thousands of miles from the unrest of the Middle East. Dividing it from the revolutionary fervor of Libya and Egypt is Algeria, a closed and secretive nation that went through a grim and violent civil war in the 1990s and whose government appears to have crushed the revolutionary impulses in its society.
 
However, despite reforms, the Moroccan king still retains charge of the military and religious authorities, and dissent continues to be punished.
Seventy of the activists who protested against the regime during the 2011 demonstrations remain in prison and a popular rapper, "El Haqed," recently spent a year in jail for penning a song about police corruption.
 
But there is comparatively little pressure on the regime to change, and even in volatile Western Sahara people are calling for independence not revolution.
Daddach says the people here don't wish to sweep away the rulers as has happened in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt to their east.
 
"What we work for is peaceful demonstrations with no violence, no stone-throwing and with no words that would touch the dignity of the Moroccan sacred elements — God, the homeland and the king," he says.
 
Some simply want better working conditions. One of the greatest grievances of the Western Saharan people, known as the Saharawi, is that their land's resources such as ample fishing reserves and valuable phosphorus mines are exploited by the Moroccan state with little benefit for the native residents.
 
But there is little high-level international interest in pressing the Western Sahara issue.

"Morocco is a very close ally of France and the United States; Paris and Washington don't want to jeopardize their excellent security and economic cooperation with Rabat, which could be the cost of forcing peace in Western Sahara," says Jacob Mundy, assistant professor at Colgate University and author of Western Sahara: War, Nationalism and Conflict Irresolution.
"It's not going to be resolved until there is a crisis. Something major has to happen to shake things up."

Sultana Khaya still refuses to give up hope.
"This will not slow me down," she says. "I'm still determined to go on and to continue the struggle."

Sunday, May 5, 2013

SAHARAWI WOMEN TAKE PART IN THE MAY 4TH HISTORICAL DEMONSTRATIONS

We, the women and the whole people from Western Sahara express our support and solidarity with the saharawi population which is living in the occupied cities mainly in the saharawi capital, L´Aayoun, where thousands of citizens carried out peaceful demonstrations on the occassion of the visit of the main international media such as CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times etc.
 
The occupied city of El Aaiun, capital of Western Sahara, witnessed on saturday evening, May 4th,  huge mass demonstrations calling for the right of Saharawi people to self-determination and the extension of MINURSO´s prerrogatives to include the protection and monitoring of human rights in what is known as the Africa´s last colony: Western Sahara,
In Matalaa quarter, thousands of Saharawi demonstrators staged a peaceful protest, where they raised Saharawi flags and chanted a number of national slogans.
The protest was tightly besieged by different Moroccan repression and intelligence apparatus, in official and civil clothes. Similar demonstrations also took place at the streets of Sidi Mohamed Daddach, Ras Al-Khaima and Al-Inaach
 
Many saharawi women participated in the May 4th historical demosntrations where they peacefully demanded the legitimate right of their people to self-determination referendum, guaranteed by the Charter of the United Nations which the MINURSO was created for and to which both parties agreed upon, the release of Saharawi political prisoners, respect for human rights and stop the exploitation of their natural resources by the new colonizers.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

SAHARAWI WOMEN CONMEMORATE THE WOMEN´S DAY

Saharawi Women as part of that huge movement that is struggling for peace, justice and iqual rights as men, have conmemorated the International Women´s Day organizing several activities not only in the Saharawi Refugee Camps but also in the occupied cities of Western Sahara and in overseas.
 
The Saharawi Women´s Association in Europe (AMSE) has invited the human rights activist, El-Ghalia Djimi, to a conference that was scheduled on this occassion where it has payed a great tribute to all those women and men who sacrificed their lives for freedom and justice in the Africa´s last colony: Western Sahara.
 
Mrs.Djimi has explained in her speech the genesis of the occupied Western Sahara conflict, expressing the serious problem of violations of human rights perpetrated by the Moroccan authorities against the Saharawi people.

She also expressed the brutal and bloody repression policy conducted by Morocco, through arbitrary arrests, beatings, incommunicado, torture, rape, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, ejecting of people from helicopters and burial of living Sahrawis.
 
The United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March during International Women’s Year 1975.
 
Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions.
 
International Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe. Since those early years, International Women’s Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women’s movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women’s conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic arenas.
 
Increasingly, International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

SAHARAWI WOMEN CONDEMN THE MOROCCAN MILITARY TRIAL´S SENTENCES AGAINST 25 HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS





The Women from the Africa´s last colony: Western Sahara express strong condemnation to the veredict of the Moroccan Military Court  against the 25 saharawi human rights activists .
 
Last saturday night, February 17th, the Rabab Military Court issued the ignominious sentences which we consider as unfair and injust because it violates the international law and the most basic human rights principals and because they are civil citizens not militaries.
 
The Moroccan military court of Rabat issued Saturday night to Sunday unfair sentences against the 24 Saharawi political prisoners, known as Gdeim Izik group, ranging from two years to life in prison, informed the Saharawi activist Al-Mami Amar Salem from outside of Rabat military court.
According to the source, the court sentenced Abdeljalil Lamgeimad, Abdallahi Lajfawni, Brahim Ismaili, Lamjaid Sidahmed, Boutangiza Mohamed Bachir, Sbaii Ahmed, Mohamed Bani, Abdalla Abbah to life imprisonment, while it sentenced Hasanna Alia to life in prison in absentia.
30-year prison terms against Annama Lasfari, Hasan Addah, Mohamed Bourial and Banga Sheikh.
25-year jail terms against Jouna Babit, Lafgir Mohamed Mbarek, Al-Bakay Al-Arabi, Lajdair Mohamed Mbarek, Al-Husein Azzawi, Haddi Mohamed Al-Amin, Toubali Abadallahi and Daf Deich.

20-year prison enforce against Mohamed Al-Ayubi, Jadda Al-Bachir and Mohamed Tahlil.
Abderhman Zaiu and Tagi Mashdufi sentenced to two years in jail, they have already served their terms in custody, so they were released.
In their last speeches during the trial, the group reaffirmed that they are political prisoners advocating for the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination, expressing thanks and recognition for lawyers, international observers and Saharawi families who have been rallying since the beginning of the trial outside the court, in Saharawi cities, south Morocco and in the Saharawi refugees.
To recall, the group was arrested following the Moroccan military attack on Gdeim Izik protest camp on 8 November 2010.
The 24 Saharawi political prisoners are accused of “hurting internal and external security of the state, forming a criminal group and assaulting public officials during the performance of their functions.”

These charges were categorically denied by the group during 4 days of the hearing.
Several international human rights organizations, intellectuals and lawyers called for the “unconditional release” of the group, and denounced the trying of civilians before a martial court.
The trial, opened on Feb 1st, attended by several international observers. It was highly condemned nationally, internationally and inside Morocco.
 
Saharawi women launch an urgent appeal to the international community and mainly the European Unión´s governments to put pressure on the moroccan government to release the 25 saharawi human rights activists and also to demend the UN Security Council to give MINURSO´s mandate to monitorize the human rights in the occupied Western Sahara, ilegally occupied by the Kingdom of Morocco sice more than 38 years ago.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

PLEASE SIGN PETITION FOR ENDING VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN OCCUPIED WESTERN SAHARA

We, the women fromWestern Sahara ask every person to sign in the petition launched by the President of the Center for Justice and Human Rights, Mrs. Kerry Kennedy and the spanish Oscar-winning actor, Javier Bardem, in which both of them ask every person all ove the world to sign in the petition to the United Nations Security Council for giving MINURSO´s mandate to look after the respect of human rights in the occupied cities of Western Sahara.
Some international media have covered the petition luanched by the Mrs. Kennedy and Mr.Bardem for signing every peace-loving person all over the world for ending the violations in the saharawi occupied cities.
In just two months, the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) is up for renewal. Javier Bardem and I have teamed up to raise awareness for the need to include a human rights mandate in MINURSO.
Please watch the video below, see Javier's incredible documentary Sons of the Clouds, and visit www.rfkcenter.org to sign our petition to the UN.

Kerry Kennedy says in this video: "In August of last year, I led an international delegation to evaluate the human rights situation of the Sahrawi people in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara and in the Sahrawi refugee camps near Tindouf, Algeria. We witnessed firsthand the overwhelming presence of security forces and violations of basic human and civil rights that Sahrawi citizens live with every day. Last week, these violations made news again as more than twenty Sahrawi civilians who have been in detention for two years since the dismantlement of the Gdeim Izik protest camp appeared before the military court in Rabat, Morocco. Their trial was postponed for the fourth time to February 8, 2013.
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CqDPHSBMQTc

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

THE SAHARAWI MINISTER OF CULTURE INAUGURATES THE NATIONAL LIBRARY

The Saharawi Minister of Culture, Khadija Hamdi, has supervised on January 17th the inauguration of the National Library, a project in collaboration between the Saharawi Ministry of Culture, the UNHCR and the Algerian Association for Media and communication among Youth.
The ceremony was attended by several saharawi authorities and the President of the Executive Office of UNHCR in Tindouf, Mrs,Zainab Shij Ali, President of the Algerian Association for Media and Communication , Farhat Mohamed Saaid.
The National Library includes a number of books dealing with the Saharawi cause in all its aspects and dimensions, novels highlight the Saharawi Heritage, as well as encyclopedias and books in literary, scientific, cultural and social fields, as well as reading rooms.
In her speech, the Minister of Culture, considered the National Library as a space which could lead to "enrich acknowledge of the Saharawi readers and researchers" thanking all contributors in this literature accomplishment in the Saharawi refugee camps. For her part the representative of UNHCR, Zainab Shij Ali, indicated that her Organization will work to promote the National Library for contribution in saving the Saharawi heritage and History.