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After eight months of repeated postponements, the Hungarian parliament ratified Finland's bid for Nato accession on Monday by 182 votes to 6. It did not take a decision on Sweden's accession, however. Turkey's ratification for the two Nordic accession candidates is also still pending. Commentators assess the current state of play.

Nicola Sturgeon's successor as leader of the Scottish National Party has been elected. Sturgeon, who recently resigned as first minister and was the first woman to lead the country, will be succeeded by Humza Yousaf, the first Muslim Scottish leader. Yousaf comes from an immigrant family from Pakistan. The former health minister is considered social liberal in his views and is a close confidant of his predecessor. The European press discusses what to expect from the new leader.

After the bank quake in the US, the tremors are reaching Europe. The share prices of Germany's largest financial institution, Deutsche Bank, dipped by almost 15 percent several times last week. Confidence in the banking system remains shaken, despite assurances from leading politicians. Europe's press discusses ways to restore it.

10th Anniversary of Anti-Discrimination Forum Trebinje Željka Šulc

Trebinje, 28 March 2023 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina supported today’s meeting of the Anti-Discrimination Forum Trebinje (ADF) to mark its tenth anniversary.

Ever since it was founded in 2013, the ADF has aimed to strengthen civil society organizations’ capacities to identify, report and address human rights concerns and discriminatory practices. The ADF has also worked tirelessly with decision makers at all levels to incorporate the needs of vulnerable groups and groups facing discrimination when developing legislation.

“The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina has been supporting the ADF for the past 10 years. ADF presents a unique platform for discussing human rights and anti-discrimination topic in Trebinje and Eastern Herzegovina. Members of the ADF are civil society organizations, public institutions from Trebinje as well as the Institution of Human Rights Ombudsman/Ombudsmen of BiH. Through all these years, ADF members, with the support of the Mission, have engaged in discussing and devising advocacy strategies on key human rights issues. The Mission is committed to continue supporting the ADF going forward”, said Esther Garcia Fransioli, Acting Head of Human Rights Section of the OSCE Mission to BiH.

Representative of the Institution of Human Rights Ombudman/Ombudsmen of BiH, Regional Centre Mostar, Naida Spužević, has been regular member of ADF Trebinje since its foundation. She noted:

“In the past years, the Ombudsman Institution has made a significant contribution to the work of ADF through open communication and counselling its members. The ADF also serves as an exchange platform between the Ombudsmen Institution’s Regional Office in Mostar and local CSOs and NGOs, not only in sharing of practices and experiences but also addressing concrete cases of discrimination and violations of human rights. The Ombudsman Institution will continue to support the promotion of human rights through the work of ADF as well as through contacts with individual NGOs and CSOs in eastern Herzegovina.” she said.

“The Association ‘International Centre for the Promotion of Human Rights’ is a regular member of the Anti-Discrimination Forum. I must highlight that the Forum created opportunities for networking of non-governmental organizations and discussion focused on issues of importance to the promotion and protection of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms, with an aim of building and developing a better, and more just society for all.” said the President of the Association, prof. dr. Aleksandra Vuković. “The Association participated in the work of the Forum - important topics discussed include labor and social legislation, anti-discrimination legislation with an emphasis on workplace bullying and harassment, employment, the right to healthcare and social protection, rights of national minorities, to name a few. In its further engagement and as part of the Forum, the International Centre for the Promotion of Human Rights will continue to highlight the importance of the principles of equality, tolerance and non-discrimination as the cornerstone of any democratic society.”

By SWAN
PARIS, Mar 28 2023 (IPS)

It’s a new direction for UNESCO, getting involved in movies, so to speak. The United Nations’ cultural agency and Netflix – the global streaming and production company – have partnered to “support” and “promote” Africa’s new generation of filmmakers, and the results will be revealed to the world from March 29, when six short films by young directors will be available in 190 countries via the video-on-demand platform.

The films are the winners of an “African Folktales, Reimagined” competition that was launched by both entities in 2021, attracting more than 2,000 entries, according to UNESCO.

Ernesto Ottone Ramírez, the agency’s assistant director-general for culture, said the joint initiative “pays homage to Africa’s centuries-old tradition, passing wisdom from generation to generation, from elders to the youngest”. He acknowledged that this is a departure for UNESCO whose work with streaming platforms have mostly focused on regulatory and policy issues.

Meanwhile Tendeka Matatu, Netflix’s director of film for Sub-Saharan Africa, said the company believes that “great stories are universal and that they can come from anywhere and be loved everywhere”. He said that what Netflix and UNESCO have in common is the desire to “promote the multiplicity of expression”.

The submissions to the film contest went through a first selection process, before being narrowed to 21 candidates, who presented their projects to an international jury. The judges – including film mentors – then selected six finalists: from Kenya (Voline Ogutu), Mauritania (Mohamed Echkouna), Nigeria (Korede Azeez), South Africa (Gcobisa Yako), Tanzania (Walt Mzengi Corey) and Uganda (Loukman Ali).

Each finalist won $25,000 and a production grant of $75,000 to create their short movie with a local production company, UNESCO said. The films were completed earlier this year, and their streaming (as an “anthology”) will begin with the 6th Kalasha International Film and TV Market in Kenya, a three-day trade fair taking place March 29 – 31.

Speaking at an in-house “advance” showing of the films at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, Ottone Ramírez said the agency was “particularly pleased” that the short films captured “not only the culture of Africa, but also the cultural diversity within Africa”.

Some observers privately expressed concerns, however, that any association with global streaming platforms could lead to formulaic storytelling or could undermine local film ventures – a fear that Ottone Ramírez said was unfounded.

He told SWAN that the filmmakers had complete freedom, and that the films were their own vision. What Netflix “put at their disposal”, he said, was access to an experienced film partner, as well as financial and technical support. (The “Netflix-appointed supervising producer” was Steven Markovitz from Big World Cinema, an African production company based in Cape Town, South Africa.)

UNESCO says the partnership illustrates a “shared commitment to the continent’s audiovisual industries, which generate jobs and wealth” and that the creative industries “are an asset for the sustainable development of the continent”.

The creative industries are also an opportunity for companies seeking to expand into new markets, which could be mutually beneficial, observers say. While Nigeria and a few other countries have well-established filmmaking sectors, many African directors might benefit from international support.

Anniwaa Buachie, a Ghanaian-British actress and filmmaker, told SWAN that “budget” is one of the biggest constraints for independent films. “You cannot go back and re-shoot, money is tight, which also means time is limited. You just have one chance to make sure you get the right shots, the right lighting, etc.”

Some of the industry challenges are highlighted in a report UNESCO produced in 2021 on Africa’s film sector, titled The African film Industry: trends, challenges and opportunities for growth. The report found that the sector could create some 20 million jobs and generate 20 billion dollars in annual revenue on the continent. With the survey, UNESCO could identify the need to create capacity building and to “scale up” efforts by policy makers – using Nigeria as one model, Ottone Ramírez said.

(Read here: The African film Industry: trends, challenges and opportunities for growth – UNESCO Digital Library)

It was on the completion of the report that UNESCO decided on the current project, Ottone Ramírez told SWAN. At the same time, Netflix was also seeking to launch a project in Africa, so talks began on a partnership, with “months” of discussion about the format and the call for applications, he added.

As for “priorities”, UNESCO hoped to include indigenous languages and gender equality in the project, he said. Alongside English and French, the winning films are made in a variety of languages including Hausa, KiSwahili, Runyankole, Hassaniya Arabic, and isiXhosa – reflecting the UN International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032).

Many of the stories also centre on women characters, with topics including domestic violence and the struggle for equality within patriarchal structures.

“It shows us how important this subject is for the young generation of African filmmakers,” Ottone Ramírez said. “I would say it was the main theme in each of the 21 pitches before the final selection. We’re seeing another way of storytelling.”

Part of the aim was equally to boost opportunities for women filmmakers – something that has already been happening with the long-running FESPACO film festival in Burkina Faso – and to focus on directors living in Africa, Ottone Ramírez told SWAN.

During the selection of the winning pitches, UNESCO and Netflix acted as observers, leaving the choice to the international jury, he said.

Aside from being able to produce their films, perhaps the biggest advantage to the winners is that they have access to a global platform, which Netflix said it is “proud” to provide.

“We know Africa has never lacked in talent and creativity” said Matatu, the Netflix director. “What has been in short supply, however, is opportunity. Emerging talents often struggle – they struggle finding the right resources and the visibility to fully unleash their potential and develop their creative careers.”

The winning short films will potentially reach some 230 million subscribers of the video-on-demand platform around the world, he said – an unprecedented opportunity for these young filmmakers. – SWAN

Industry mentors were Bongiwe Selane, Jenna Bass, Pape Boye, Femi Odugbemi, Leila Afua Djansi, and Tosh Gitonga.

 

Le jeûne du mois de ramadan est le quatrième pilier de l’Islam. Il est observé par des millions de musulmans chaque année. Cependant, le jeûne peut être difficile pour beaucoup, surtout lorsqu'il s'agit de maintenir son énergie tout au long de la journée.

Súlyos rendszerszintű problémákat és hiányosságokat tárt fel a londoni rendőrségnél végzett átfogó vizsgálat, amelynek eredményét a napokban tettek közzé.

A 363 oldalas jelentés, amelyet Louise Casey, a brit kormány társadalmi ügyekért felelős különmegbízottja állított össze több mint egyévi munkával, olyan jelenségeket azonosított a Scotland Yard – hivatalos nevén Metropolitan Police (Met) – állományában, mint a rasszizmus, a nőgyűlölet és a homofóbia. A jelentés szerint ezek a megnyilvánulások intézményi szinten vannak jelen a legnagyobb brit rendőri szervezeten belül.

A tanulmány különösen „mélyen gyökerezőnek” nevezi a Scotland Yard soraiban feltárt rasszizmust és homofóbiát, és megállapítja azt is, hogy a rendőrség vezetői állománya évtizedek óta nem hajlandó tudomásul venni ezt a jelenséget. A vizsgálati jelentés szerint a londoni rendőrség iránti lakossági bizalmat az is kikezdi, hogy a rendőri állomány összetétele egyáltalán nem tükrözi a tízmilliós brit főváros sokszínűségét.

London lakosságának többsége nem fehér brit etnikai hátterű, a londoniak húsz százalékának nem az angol az anyanyelve, mindeközben a Scotland Yard állományának 82 százaléka fehér, 71 százaléka férfi, és többségük nem is Londonban lakik – áll a jelentésben. Casey úgy fogalmaz a tanulmányban, hogy „ilyenformán a Met nem is hasonlít a londoniak többségére”. A jelentés számos esetben tárta fel, hogy a szolgálathoz újonnan belépő rendőröket – különösen a rendőrnőket – kollégáik durván megalázó „beavatási szertartásoknak” vetik alá.

A tanulmány megállapította azt is, hogy a Scotland Yardon belül gyakorlatilag nem léteznek olyan vezetési módszerek, mint a munkaerő-tervezés, nincs stratégiai szintű igény- és képességfelmérés a szervezeten belül, a toborzási tevékenység és a jelöltek szűrése alacsony színvonalú, és nem alkalmas az olyanok távol tartására, „akik csak azért akarnak (rendőri) hatalmat, hogy visszaéljenek vele”. Mindemellett nincs a londoni rendőrségnél központi kiképzési nyilvántartás sem, így könnyen előfordulhat, hogy egyes rendőrök olyan feladatokat látnak el, amelyekre nem kaptak kiképzést – áll a vizsgálati jelentésben.

A vizsgálat elvégzésére 2021 októberében adott megbízást a Scotland Yard akkori főparancsnoka, Cressida Dick. Ennek közvetlen előzménye a közelmúlt legtraumatikusabb bűncselekménye volt, amelyben a Scotland Yard egyik rendőre brutálisan megerőszakolt és meggyilkolt egy fiatal nőt.

Wayne Couzens, aki a Scotland Yard fegyveres diplomáciai védelmi elitalakulatának tagja volt, 2021. március 3-án éjjel, szolgálaton kívül, rendőrigazolványát felmutatva London egyik déli kerületében megállította, megbilincselte és bérelt kocsijába kényszerítette a gyalogosan hazafelé tartó 33 éves Sarah Everardot. Couzens csaknem 130 kilométert autózott áldozatával, akit a délkelet-angliai Dover közelében, egy elhagyatott helyen megerőszakolt, majd egy övvel megfojtott. A rendőr a holttestet megpróbálta elégetni, majd az áldozat maradványait egy tóba dobta. Couzenst a londoni büntetőbíróság még abban az évben tényleges életfogytiglani börtönre ítélte.

Azóta még egy hasonlóan súlyos bűncselekményre derült fény: egy David Carrick nevű rendőrt, aki szintén a Scotland Yard fegyveres parlamenti és diplomáciai védelmi elitalakulatának tagja volt, a múlt hónapban ítéltek életfogytiglani szabadságvesztésre, miután a vádirat szerint 2003 és 2020 között legalább 24 – de a hatóságok feltételezése szerint valószínűleg ennél sokkal több – alkalommal követett el nemi erőszakot általa elrabolt és gyakran napokig fogva tartott nők ellen.

 

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