Human Rights Declaration Passed
 

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples passed the other day, but it wasn't even mentioned in the news here. :confused:

After twenty years of work, it passed by a vote of 143 to 4 against. The four who were against were Canada, U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. :rolleyes: I find this really sad on a human rights level. :( Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

***

STATEMENT OF VICTORIA TAULI-CORPUZ , CHAIR OF THE UN PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES ON THE OCCASION OF THE ADOPTION OF THE UN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.

It is a great honor and privilege to address you all in this historic day. Through the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the United Nations marks a historical milestone in its long history of developing and establishing international human rights standards.* *

It marks a major victory for Indigenous Peoples who actively took part in crafting this Declaration. This day will forever be etched in our history and memories as a significant gain in our long struggle for our rights as distinct peoples and cultures.*

The 13th of September 2007 will be remembered as a day when the United Nations and its Member States, together with Indigenous Peoples, reconciled with past painful histories and decided to march into the future on the path of human rights. I thank very warmly all the States who voted for the adoption of the Declaration today. All of you will be remembered by us.

***

2 sets of laws
 

Whoa, this is explosive and a very complex issue.

Most definitely in the news a lot here but then we're headed to an election and most probably a total change of government in the next couple of months, plus we've had all these foreign heads of state here recently for their APEC meetings or whatever they did.

It may appear to be a sad reflection as a whole, however, apparently there were several issues in the text of the declaration which prevented our govt. here from signing it and similarly for New Zealand.

The Declaration was presented as a whole. There were issues with several points which prevented it being signed by the govt. of Australia... well that's what they're saying anyway.
I see it to mean that signing the declaration as it was finally presented as a whole would actually not have been a very good move especially for those without voices... such as children.

I don't often agree entirely with what our govt. at this present time is doing. In fact it's pretty darn rare these days. However, there were some things in the Declaration which would have been a really backward step.

2 sets of law

In my humble opinion, there are very serious reasons we shouldn't have two different sets of laws, one being customary law for indigenous people and the other for non-indigenous people. Seems a backward step to me considering what's going on in the poorer outback communities of Australia.

I'm not 100% sure why you feel that this is sad on a human rights level. What I think is sad is seeing that children are being abused because indigenous communities have not been able or willing to deal with the issue.

What I think is sad is that some of these communities are so overloaded with enormous health issues from alcohol abuse and chroming that it's actually seems to me to be criminal for services from our government not to be stepping in to address these issues!

That's been happening for years up until now and more and more children are being abused. Every single time someone stepped in to help there was enormous backlash about not interfering in indigenous affairs. Give me a break. Who wants to watch our children dying. Why is the death rate so high and why is the age of death so low for our indigenous populations. Why? Because everyone is tip-toeing around trying not to step on someone else's shoes or customs or land or whatever.

This is not new. This was going on when I was a child growing up in the sticks and going to school and basically living with the local communities and even though I was a chld... I knew what was going on and that's half a century ago. Sadly, not much has changed in some areas. Lots changed for the better in other ways for our indigenous people though.

If there is something seriously wrong, and there IS here, then giving one law for one group and one law for another is not ever, ever going to save the children and the sick and the abused and the homeless and the hungry because our indigenous people are a really quiet, beautiful, peaceful people. Always have been and ironically I see it as being very sadly unfortunate in a way because sometimes you can be just too "easy going" and peaceful and uninvolved and it works against you when there are things to actually fight for and attempt to change.

While I'm still all riled up and angry thinking about what's going on in my own country, let alone thinking about what's going on that is worse in other places in the world, let me just say that nothing will ever move forward if there is a return to separatism or segregation.

This is 2007. This is not 1788 or 1901. People need to work together not separately to fix what is not just and to fix what has been done in the past and to move forward. There is so much to do here regarding health and education issues especially.

This is a health based forum, so I'm not really wanting to talk politics here but that is what this post is all about... politics, so now I'm butting out again.

hunan rights are good but i distrust the un like the plauge

http://www.reformtheun.org/

maybe that link is good

Lara - I didn't mean to upset you with this post.

Clouds - There are very few (if any) organizations I trust, but I can think of no other group that bothers to consider protecting human rights among people. Everyone else seems to be more focused on promoting themselves and protecting economic interests. Is money more important than humanity? :confused:

What bothers me most is the hypocrisy. The four countries who voted against this are the ones who boast the loudest about achieving peace and understanding with native nations. We celebrate it every year and claim to honor them. People dress up like them and claim a desire to follow the "red road," but none of them speak up when the human rights of natives are being violated. :(

Yes, on the surface it appears to be a great thing! I just wish that the world people's (especially those running the UN) would take things to heart and follow through.

TC!

usa or brazil or canada may have forced indians to get sterilised in the past or lose money

so did indias indura ghandi-she sterlized east indians i think

so whites arent the only mean people

sorry just found this
 

come over here, uk, the only place on earth that actually gives more "human rights" to rapists murderers etc . and as of today its against health and safety laws for our police force to chase, apprehend, or "protect in the public interest" anyone....
I'm sorry someone i don't know died,I'm sorry to say his life does not have an influence on my life, but the ruling from the highest court in the u.k does.
i cannot comprehend why a jury of people managed to return the verdict that means our police force now have to worry more about who they upset rather than who they apprehend!!!
"oh look there goes a suspect.... hold on a moment this might be a health and safety issue..... oh.... hold a second he/her might be suicide bomber!..just check with HQ ooops....................now that we've checked .we'll just go in in pick up the pieces at least we didnt infringe anyones rights to blow up themselves/everyone else!!
stupid stupid ruling
why?