V.T.XXXIV - Deaths of Journalists in Brazil II

      This post is a summary of three reports. Two published at the same place, BBCBrasil.com and on the same day, April,27,2012. One has the title " In twenty years, around 70% of the deaths of journalists stayed unpunished in Brazil." Another, " United Nations condemns deaths of journalists in Brazil." Both written by Luis Kawaguti, and translated by me. Other was published at Deccanherald.com, on December,18, 2012. With the title, " 139 journalists killed on the job in 2012."

      According to the American organization Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) there were 20 murderes between 1992 and 2012, being that 14 were not punished. Brazil was classified by the committee in 11st place among the countries where there is more impunity against press professionals. However, the survey of the CPJ is outdated. The organization counted in 2012 only the death of the journalist Mario Randolpho in Vassouras. According to the survey of the CPJ, the most part of the victims were journalists reporting on corruption cases, however more common than murderes are the threats and intimidation cases.

     The Office of the High-Commissariat of Human Rights of the United Nations condemned on friday the murder of journalist Dêcio Sá in Maranhão State. The organization called of "troublesome trend" the fact of another journalist murdered in the country in less than four months. " We are worried with what seems to be a troublesome trend in the deaths of journalists, what is affecting the practice of free speech in Brazil," said the spokesman of the office, Rupert Colville. The office requested that measures of protection should be adopted immediately to avoid new crimes of this kind.

     A total of 139 journalists from 29 countries lost their lives while doing their jobs in 2012, the Press Emblem campaign (PEC) said. Many of those deaths came among reporters covering the conflict in Syria. After the Iraq war, the civil strife in Syria has become the bloodiest episode for journalists since the beginning of the 21st century. Somalia ranks second among the world`s most dangerous countries for journalists with a death toll of 19, while Pakistan comes in third with 12. Meanwhile three Latin America countries remain on the most-dangerous list this year. In Mexico and Brazil, both ranked fourth in the world, at least 11 journalists were killed up to now. And in Honduras there were at least 6.

     

V.T.XXXIII - Deaths of Journalists in Brazil

    This post is a summary of two reports with the same issue. 1) "In ten years, 2012 already is the most violent year for journalists." Published on June,1st,2012, at Estadao.com.br   2) "Journalist and girlfriend are killed." Published on February,9th,2012, at Extra.globo.com  (translation by me).

     In just five months, 2012 already is the most violent year for journalists in a decade, according to  Interamerican Society of Press, four journalists were killed in the country in crimes related to their profession.

     " This is a threat to the freedom of speech." Said Marcelo Moreira, head of Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism. " When a journalist shut up, who suffer is the society." He adds. The violence in the country, has distinct natures but, he highlighted that there is a less visible threat: political crimes. The four journalists killed this year were victims from this kind of crime.

       According to the International Institute of Security of News, put in 2012 Brazil as the third worst country for journalists. Press organizations protested about more security and heard from government the promise to creation of an observatory of violence against journalists, and the press organizations also ask for the federalization of these crimes, with investigation by the federal police.

       The journalist and blogger Mario Randolpho Lopes, 50 years-old was found killed together with his girlfriend in Barra do Piraí - RJ. He was the owner of an online newspaper called " Vassouras na Net."

       The president of the National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ) Celso Schroder said, " It`s a repugnant, hideous crime, not only because killed a person, but also because this is an offense to journalism, fundamental activity for democracy".

       Randolpho is the fourth journalist killed in the Rio de Janeiro State in less than two years. Last year were killed the journalist and owner of the newspaper "Panorama Geral" in Angra dos Reis, the president of the newspaper "Entre Rios" in Três Rios, and another was found killed strangled in Barra de Sao Joao in the north of the state.

OECD Launches Skills Strategy to Boost Jobs and Growth

            This post is a summary of a article published at OECD.org on May,11,2012. Title is above.

       Boosting investment in education, skills and training now is the key to strong, sustainable and shared growth in the future, according to the OECD skills strategy.
       The skills strategy, to be discussed by ministerial meeting, acknowledge that with public finances under pressure, governments have tough budgetary decisions to make but spending on education and skills is an investment for the future and must be a priority.
       OECD secretary-general Angel Gurría, said: " Skills have become the global currency of 21st century economies, they transform lives and drive economies. Government must invest more effectively in the education and skills that people will need in tomorrow`s workplace. They need to deploy their talent pool more strategically so that these investments translate into better jobs.
       Today in many countries a third of adults lack the minimun core skills needed to engage in further learning and get a good job. The social and economic costs are huge: OECD analysis shows that people with poor skills are at much risk of unemployment, poverty and reliance on social benefits.
       In the short-run, the focus should be on helping youth acquire the skills required by the labor market. The OECD skills strategy provides a framework for countries to analyse their strenghts and weaknesses and recommends ways they can develop the skills. Among its recommendations are that countries should:
       - Improve the quality of learning outcomes by putting skills-oriented learning.
       - Involve employers and trade unions more closely on developing training programmes.
       - Help local economies to move up the value-added chain, foster entrepreneuship and stimulate the creation of high-skilled jobs.
       To help countries get a clearer picture of their workforce`s skills, the OECD is carrying out a survey of adult skills. The results will be published in October 2013. The OECD has also developed an online portal: Skills.OECD.org , it features data and analysis on 40 countries and links to OECD work on skills.

Leaders of the Americas: Protect your Human Rights Defenders

        This post is a summary of a article published at Huffingtonpost.com on April,10,2012 and was written by Lisa Haugaard. The complete title is,"Leaders at the summit of the Americas: protect your human rights defenders."

        Alexander Quintero campaigned for justice for the victims of Colombia`s 2001 Naya river massacre, committed by paramilitary forces. "It could have been any of us," said a sobbing defender, as she told me about Alexander`s May 2010 assassination.

       Nahum Palacios Arteaga was the anchor for a tv station in Honduras. He was reporting on land conflicts, where campesinos leaders were being threatened and murdered. Hitmen killed palacios and his friend, a doctor, in March 2010.

       Miguel Gonzalez Ramiro was a member of the banana workers union in Guatemala. He was killed in February 2012. He is the seventh former member of the workers union killed. Killing human rights activists or defenders, as we call them, harms not only the people, their friends and family. It aims to destroy an organizing process and derail a struggle to defend the rights of many.

       Every eight days a human rights activist was killed in Colombia in 2011. Nineteen journalists have been killed in Honduras since June 2009. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has also singled out Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Venezuela as especially dangerous for  human rights defenders.

       Who is behind the violence? Sometimes it is government agents, including police or military, in other cases, it is paramilitary groups or organized crime.

      Human rights defenders and journalists in Latin America face harassment by government of all political stripes: from being jailed on baseless charges and subjected to illegal surveillance to newspaper editors who are sued by government officials.

      Where there are risks, government should establish protection programs. Defenders say the most important action is investigate and prosecute the attacks against them. Latin American governments should take advantage of human rights support and monitoring provided by the UN (United Nations) and OAS (Organization of American States). It is disturbing that governments such as Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela have recently tried to limit the role of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and special rapporteur on freedom of expression.

     The United States government should speak out more for defenders in the Americas. It has  an absolute obligation to take action, including enforcing human rights conditions.

    There is always rhetoric about democratic values at these summits. Yet real democratic values include the space for people to defend their rights on a daily basis.