From JULIA@hca.czWed Sep 27 09:51:52 1995 Date: Mon, 18 Sep 1995 13:14:40 EST From: Julia Glyn-Pickett To: book@katto.kaapeli.fi Subject: "Julia Glyn-Pickett" ->forward :Tuzla - final programme FOURTH ASSEMBLY OF THE HELSINLKI CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY - TUZLA, 19 - 22 OCTOBER. The fourth Helsinki Citizens' Assembly will be held in Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina, October 19-22, 1995 - the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the 5th anniversary of the founding of the hCa. Around 600 people will gather in Tuzla from all parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina, all parts of ex-Yugoslavia, as well as from the rest of Europe and beyond. More than two thousand will join them for the closing rally and concert on United Nations Day. The people of Tuzla elected a non-nationalist government in the 1990 elections. The Assembly is hosted by the Citizens' Forum of Tuzla, an NGO with 10,000 members which has campaigned to keep multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-confessional values alive throughout the conflict. Tuzla has housed more refugees than any other place. Just recently, it received at least 29,000 refugees from Srebrenica. The aims of the Assembly are: - To preserve the integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina. All agreements put forward in negotiations, including the latest American initiative, sanction the ethnic partition of Bosnia- Herzegovina. The Assembly will demand the reunification of Bosnia-Herzegovina and will propose ways in which this should be done. Key issues will be the war crimes' trials, the return of refugees, economic reconstruction and the promotion of civil society, including independent media, summer schools for young people and inter-religious dialogue. The hCa will also launch a new refugee commission for Europe to develop pilot projects dealing with the particular problems faced by refugees and displaced persons in areas of recent conflict. - To support Tuzla as a model of local democracy in Bosnia- Herzegovina. Many municipalities and NGOs will come from all over Europe to establish concrete links and projects which will provide economic and other support for the people in Bosnia- Herzegovina. Prior to the Assembly the Council of Europe plans to launch the Local Democracy Embassy in Tuzla so that municipalities throughout Europe who want to help Tuzla will have permanent representation there. The Tuzla Agency for Local Development Initiatives will also be launched at the Assembly; the Agency will promote a community approach to reconstruction so as to give the people of Tuzla a stake in their own future and to encourage young people to stay in Tuzla and rebuild the town. - To help build the international institutions capable of upholding an international rule of law, guided by international principles and not the geopolitical interests of individual states. Many participants will be coming from other conflict areas, especially from the former Soviet Union and Turkey and will be discussing the lessons of the Bosnian war for their own situations. Humanitarian intervention and peace-keeping will be a central topic at the Assembly. The Assembly will approve the hCa's State of Europe Report, which will be presented to the next year's Inter-Governmental Conference of the European Union. The Assembly will be a political event - a demonstration, a working conference and a festival for all those who want to make a stand against ethnic cleansing and genocide and in favour of the principles of humanity. For further information about the Assembly please contact: Helsinki Citizens' Assembly International Secretariat Milady Horakove 103, 160 00 Praha 6, Czech Republic Tel: + 42 2 32 32 59, Fax: +42 2 32 35 38 E-mail: hCa @hCa.cz or Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Western Liaison Office PO BOX 85893, 2508 CN The Hague, Netherlands Tel: +31 70 3555 444 Fax: +31 70 3555 199 E-mail: ikv@antenna.nl PROGRAMME Thursday, October 19 Arrival of participants Friday, October 20 Opening Ceremony 09.00-10.00 The Assembly will begin with two minutes silence in memory of the victims of the conflicts in former Yugoslavia. A short poetry reading by Julie Christie and Ferida Durakovic will follow with welcoming speeches from: Selim Beslagic, Mayor of Tuzla, Vehid Sehic, President of Tuzla Citizens' Forum and Mary Kaldor, Chair of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly. 10.00-10.30 Break 10.30-13.00 Plenary Round Table Does Any Hope Remain to Unite the Nations?: Lessons from Bosnia-Herzegovina Chair: Mient Jan Faber Invited speakers: Madeleine Albright (US Ambassador to the United Nations) Tadeusz Mazowiecki (former Special Rapporteur for Human Rights to the United Nations) Haris Silajdzic (Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina) Zdravko Grebo (University of Sarajevo, Professor of Law) Sonja Licht (Chair, Helsinki Citizens' Assembly) 13.00-14.00 Lunch 14.00-16.00 Workshops I - Assembly Themes Woman, Nationalism and Fundamentalism; Peace Keeping and Humanitarian Intervention in former Yugoslavia; Conflict Resolution; Citizenship and Nationality; Civic Economics; War Crimes; Local Democracy in Europe; Inter-confessional Dialogue; Civic Education; The Role of Media in Conflicts; Refugee Rights in Europe. (for further information on all workshops please see annex) 16.00-16.15 Break 16.15-18.00 Workshops I (continued) 18.00-19.30 Dinner 19.30 Cultural Evening - Cafe Bloom Cafe Bloom will reproduce the informal atmosphere of a Central European coffee house and will be open on Friday and Saturday evening. Hosts Michael Ignatieff and Ferenc Miszlivitz invite you to join writers and intellectuals, such as Pierre Hassner, Smeranda Enache, Susan Sonntag, Adam Michnick and Timothy Garton Ash, in debates on Europe and Nationalism (Friday) and Balkan Identity (Saturday). - Tuzla Youth Theatre perform with Toby Gouth: 'The Festival of the Goat' A press conference will also be held after dinner at the Tuzla Press Centre. Saturday, October 21 09.00-13.30 Local Visits Visits to local industry, regeneration projects and civic institutions in Tuzla such as the University, schools and the Tuzla press centre will be organised by Tuzla Citizens' Forum and the hCa Tuzla office. The aim of these visits is to establish concrete links between NGOs, municipalities, educational institutes and media centres from outside the region with their counterparts in Tuzla. Participants will also have the opportunity to meet representatives from religious institutions, UNPRFOR, local hospitals and the refugee centre. 13.30 Lunch 14.30-1700 Evaluation and follow up of the visits in designated workshops 18.00-19.30 Dinner 19.30 Evening Events - Cafe Bloom reopens - Press Conference in the Tuzla press centre - Fringe meetings and self-organised workshops such as a presentation by the Balkan Peace Team and meetings of the hCa's youth and Roma sections. Sunday, October 22 9.00-10.30 Workshops II - hCa Projects Southern Balkans; Building a Civil Society in the NIS; Civic Perspectives on Armed Conflict: Kurds in Turkey; Citizens' Input into the EU Inter- Governmental Conference; Building an hCa Roma Network; Civic Economic Bulletin; Local Economic Development (Tuzla and Martin); Women and War: the Balkans and Transcaucasus; Refugee Rights: Job 22; hCa Summer Schools; Central European Dialogue. 10.30-10.45 Break 10.45-13.00 Workshops II (continued) 13.00-14:00 Lunch 14.30 Closing Rally The Tuzla Assembly will close with a rally and rock concert, featuring Meat Loaf, Indeksi from Sarajevo and other groups from former Yugoslavia, in the Tuzla sports stadium where more than two thousand people from all parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina, ex-Yugoslavia and Europe will unite in defence of the principles of humanity. Closing Speeches Martin Palous Lisbeth Palme Michel Rocard Sergey Kovalyov Jose Maria Mendeluci Giangiacomo Migone Annex Workshops I - Assembly Themes Women, Nationalism and Fundamentalism This workshop will provide an opportunity for women from diverse backgrounds to discuss the challenges they face in the context of nationalism and fundamentalism. Central to the workshop discussions will be the role of women in 'patriotic' or 'nationalist' movements and the impact of the rise in religious fundamentalism on women's identity. The workshop will also examine the impact ethnic conflict and nationalism has on the position of women in the family as well as the role of violence against women and women's activism in nationalist conflicts. Peace Keeping and Humanitarian Intervention in former Yugoslavia UNPROFOR operations in the former Yugoslavia are one of the largest in the history of UN peace keeping. At the same time they are also one of the most controversial. The following questions will be addressed by people who have direct experience of the conflict: how do we appraise UN PROFOR mandates and their implementation in the region and to what extent are they subject to political vicissitude; what has been the experience of the UN attempt at conflict prevention in Macedonia; is the UN responsive to pressures for change; are there areas in which the UN has worked productively with civic and administrative groups in the region and how can this experience be expanded; how do we assess civic initiatives for peace-making (including peace-keeping and peace enforcement) and humanitarian intervention in the region; how far can the hCa approach of combining local and regional initiatives go in this conflict? Conflict Resolution This workshop will examine the role civic groups play in conflict resolution, such as confidence building, in areas of ethnic conflict. Taking as a starting point the concrete work of hCa groups in Moldova and the Transcaucasus as well as projects in the former Yugoslavia, we will investigate the concrete possibilities and difficulties involved in this work. The workshop will also examine how the work of civic groups relates to official mediation and peace keeping operations under the auspices of, for example, the UN and the OSCE. Citizenship and Nationality In the context of the broader question of European citizenship (both of the European Union and individual European states), this workshop will focus on citizenship rights in the successor states of the former Yugoslavia. Together with a group of experts, the workshop will investigate citizenship laws in each of the new states and how they are linked to the ethnic principle. It will assess the de jure and de facto consequences of the new citizenship laws for those who have not yet been able to obtain citizens hip. Discussion will focus on the consequences of the citizenship laws, both in the former Yugoslavia itself as well as for refugees who live in other parts of Europe. Civic Economics This workshop will examine the role civic groups play in the redefinition of economic development. Trade unions, consumers groups and environmental movements, as well as humanitarian organisations all provide an alternative space for economic regeneration, especially in regions of conflict. The civic-based approach to economic development that such groups generate is an important alternative to both the traditional centrally planned command economy and crude free market economic policies. The workshop will assess the ways NGOs can increase their bargaining power through increased co-operation with those international institutions which define the financial and economic framework of economic development. It will also examine the role of NGOs in the regeneration of local economies in war-torn regions and how this can act as a means of preventing further destabilisation. War Crimes War crimes in the former Yugoslavia are well documented. They were one of the principal reasons for UN intervention in the conflicts. In this context, the work of Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Taduesz Mazowiecki was extremely important, as was the contribution made by the NGO community. For a number of reasons the establishment of an International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague has been of historical importance; not least because it shows a fundamental change in the approach taken by the international community to the treatment of war crimes. However, the Tribunal is also caught in a conflict between justice and peace as a number of those individuals indicted for war crimes continue to be partner to the international community's negotiations. In the workshop a team of human rights' experts, led by Tadeusz Mazowiecki, will examine the lessons which can be drawn from the experience of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia. The workshop will also evaluate the work of the War Crimes Tribunal and the UN Centre for Human Rights and examine the role of NGOs in this process. Local Democracy in Europe Local authorities are often those with the closest ties to people. In this sense local democracy plays a pivotal role in strengthening the active involvement of ordinary citizens in the decision-making process. In conflict areas and war-torn regions, municipalities often have the greatest insight into the local needs. They are also ideally placed to preserve harmonious co-existence between different groups. Taking as a starting point the idea that local democracy can be seen as a prerequisite for peace and a multi-cultural society, the workshop will evaluate the decentralisation process in Bosnia-Herzegovina within the framework of the Washington Agreement (March 1994) and examine international programmes to support the process of democratisation at the local level. Inter-Confessional Dialogue: What do we expect? A group of young people from the Balkans and Tuzla will meet shortly before the Assembly in a 'mini summer school' for inter-religious and civic dialogue. This workshop will bring the initiative to its conclusion. A group of thirty young people will address a panel of religious leaders from the different denominations in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Serb-Orthodox; Catholic and Islam), as well as sections of the NGO comm unity actively involved in the issue of inter-religious dialogue, with the question ' Inter-religious dialogue: What do we young people expect from religious leaders?'. Civic Education If we want to strengthen democracy, legal and constitutional provisions guaranteeing the rule of law and respect for human rights and formal democratic institutions are not sufficient. Ordinary people also need to incorporate democratic values into their daily attitudes and behaviour if we are to build a strong civil society as a guarantee for democracy. It is for this reason that civic education - the transmission of knowledge, attitudes and patterns of behaviour which people need in order to be responsible citizens - is essential. Civic education can be provided as a part of the school curriculum. At the same time, civic groups have an equally important role to play in this process, providing hands-on expertise. This workshop will investigate the priorities and different methods of co-ordinating the working relationship between civic groups and schools to strengthen civic education programmes in our societies. The Role of Media in Conflicts: Support for Independent Media Integral to the survival of the non-nationalist option in Tuzla, in particular, and Bosnia-Herzegovina and the territories of the former Yugoslavia, in general, are strong, sustainable and independent media. This section of the Assembly's programme, co-organised with Tuzla Press Centre and the Co-ordinating Centre for Independent Media in the Balkan Region, will combine debates about media and conflict with practical training sessions for young journalists in Tuzla on Sunday. Participants will also have the opportunity to visit local media in Tuzla and explore possibilities for long-term support. The workshop debates will bring together a number of prominent local and international editors, journalists and media representatives (AIM, Radio Free Europe, BBC, Rapporteurs Sans Frontiers, Open Media Research Institute) to address questions such as: the transformation and redefinition of media in conflict situations; media as a confidence building measure; the need for good local networks and how to disseminate information outside of traditional channels; media in post-conflict situations: creating a sustainable media. An integral part of the workshop will also be to strengthen the working relationship between journalists from the territories of the former Yugoslavia, South Eastern Europe and outside the region. Because of time constraints the workshop and training sessions will focus on the territories of the former Yugoslavia. However, journalists from other conflict regions, especially the Transcaucasus, will also attend and there will be an opportunity to both compare experiences and explore possibilities for future co-operation. Refugee Rights in Europe As a result of the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia millions of refugees and displaced persons are dispersed throughout Europe. This work shop will investigate a number of problems currently facing these refugees. The first part of the workshop will focus on the situation of refugees and displaced persons in the former Yugoslavia in general and Bosnia-Herzegovina in particular. The second part of the workshop will focus on the refugee policies of other European states, the implications of the Schengen agreement and the policies of some European institutions. In order to guarantee refugees a minimum standard of rights as Citizens of Europe the workshop will also reflect on proposals for a European Charter. In this context the refugee policies of national governments will also be reviewed. Workshops II - hCa Projects Southern Balkans This workshop will evaluate hCa projects in the Southern Balkans. These projects include the Centre for Multi-Cultural Living in Macedonia, the Lagonisi Initiative, Greek-Macedonian dialogue and Serb-Albanian Dialogue on the Kosovo issue. The workshop will apply the hCa approach to the resolution of disputes and conflicts, based on the promotion of dialogue and democratic debate at the level of civil society. This will be placed in the context of current developments in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The workshop will focus on whether the southerly pressure of escalation towards Kosovo/a and Macedonia requires a different approach to conflict resolution and, if so, how much scope there is and in which direction and which instruments should be used to achieve this. Special attention will also be paid to Serb-Albanian dialogue on the Kosovo/a issue. The workshop will take the form of an inquiry in order to identify the activities, current and future, of each of the participating groups and organisations. The workshop will aim to ensure the long-term concrete commitment of the participating NGOs and civic groups to continue the process of dialogue and debate within and across their communities. Building a Civil Society in the NIS The project includes a number of activities aimed at the development of civil society and democratic traditions, as well as the protection of human rights in the countries of the NIS. This workshop will be divided into two sections. The first part will focus on the work in the Trans- caucasus. At present, most projects in the region concentrate on the resolution of basic regional problems - military, political and social. For example, confrontations between Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and within the Azerbaijan - Armenia - Nagorno Karabakh 'triangle'. The measures currently employed vary from programmes for the psychological rehabilitation of war victims and projects for the social and economic integration of refugees into a new social environment, to meetings between individuals from the countries involved in the conflicts. Such dialogues promote mutual understanding and co-operation. The projects adopt a step-by-step approach to conflict resolution, thus helping to eliminate the original causes of confrontation as well as creating a permanent space for dialogue. The second part of the workshop will discuss the broader geopolitical area of the NIS and will focus, in particular, on the activity of hCa groups in Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and Crimea. Civic Perspectives on Armed Conflict: Kurds in Turkey The focal point of this workshop will be to investigate the Kurdish issue in Turkey. This is no easy task, given the continuing escalation between the Turkish army and the PKK. Over the last two years, the Turkish hCa has focused on a project for twinning between towns from the East and West of Turkey with a third European partner. Apart from general information on the present situation, this workshop will also offer the opportunity to discuss concrete possibilities for such twinning projects in the future. Citizens' Input into the EU Inter-Governmental Conference In 1996 the European Union will hold the Inter-Governmental Conference to amend the Maastricht Treaty. This is of equal importance for European Union member states and Europe as a whole. At present the process is limited to the closed circles of governments and EU bureaucrats. Many of our hCa committees, such as the French, the English and the Czechs, are preparing a citizens' input into this process. Through a series of meetings, in which people from outside the EU are able to express their views on the future of European integration, the hCa aims to broaden both the content of and participation in the debate. The results of this parallel citizens' process will be published (the hCa State of Europe Report) and presented to the preparatory Reflection Group of the European Union in December 1995. The workshop will therefore act as an editorial for the report as well as prepare the final meeting in Brussels. Building an hCa Roma Network Since the Ankara Assembly the hCa has worked to build a network for Roma and non-Roma working on the issues facing Roma communities throughout Central and Eastern Europe. The hCa Roma section is currently in the process of opening a Roma Centre which would act as a documentation and training centre as well as a clearing-house for Roma activities. The aims of the workshop are twofold: to conduct an enquiry into the specific situation, (legal, economic and social), of Roma in the former Yugoslavia, especially the impact of 'ethnic cleansing' on this section of the former Yugoslavia and to examine the practicalities of the Roma Centre in Brno (Czech Republic). The Civic Economic Bulletin In 1994 the Economy & Ecology Commission, started its own bulletin - 'Economy and Ecology in Transition'. The aim of the Bulletin is to publish both theoretical ideas and practical approaches to the economic and ecological problems of the transition period. It provides a positive perspective on the transition process, with a particular focus on citizens' participation in economic transformation. So, for example, the first issue contained contributions on topics such as 'Western Investment: A Motor for Growth?' and 'Co-operation Between Bulgaria and Turkey', as well as a report on the Martin experience of arms conversion. This workshop will act as an editorial for forth-coming issues, as well as examine more practical problems such as the bulletins promotion and distribution. Local Economic Development: Tuzla and Martin The hCa Economy and Ecology Commission currently focuses on two concrete projects which realise the hCa idea of civic economics. The Martin Project is a local economic conversion project in a defence- dependent region of Slovakia. The project focuses on training for the local NGO and business communities. It also facilitates exchanges between trade unions and provides the means for representatives of the project to visit municipalities and similar programmes for local redevelopment in western Europe. The Tuzla Project focuses on civic reconstruction in a conflict zone. At present the hCa office in Tuzla acts as facilitator for contacts between local regeneration projects in Tuzla and a wide variety of support groups throughout Europe. This work will continue under the auspices of the Tuzla Agency for Local Development Initiatives, which will be launched at the Assembly. The aim of the Agency is to support and promote a community approach to reconstruction so as to give the people of Tuzla a stake in their future and to encourage young, energetic people to remain in Tuzla and rebuild their town. Women and War: the Balkans and Transcaucasus This second session will focus on practical activities and will be an opportunity for women to exchange information and advice. The aim of the workshop is to develop new ideas for campaigning, advocacy and practical support work around women in ethnic conflict. In addition, the workshop will look at women's involvement in the humanitarian effort, refugee work and securing the release of hostages. In particular, this workshop will provide a forum for women from war-torn regions in the Transcaucasus to exchange experiences with women in similar situations in former Yugoslavia. Refugee Rights: Job 22 Project Job 22 is a project initiated by the hCa Sarajevo office and supported by the local UNHCR office. As a result of the war and the collapse of the unified legal system, millions of refugees lack information and have no access whatsoever to legal advice to claim their rights. The objective of Job 22 is to provide legal assistance to refugees both within Bosnia- Herzegovina as well as outside the country vis-a-vis personal and property rights, (employment rights, citizenship rights, family and matrimonial rights). Special target groups among the refugee population are the illiterate, the mentally ill and war orphans. The workshop will provide information about how Job 22 functions and establish new links with partner organisations. hCa Summer Schools This workshop will carry on from the Civic Education workshop and will focus on how civic groups and the hCa can use summer schools as a means of promoting civic education. The workshop will evaluate the experience of the summer schools for Inter-Religious Dialogue that have taken place in the Balkans over the last three years. It will conclude by setting out priorities for future hCa summer schools. Central European Dialogue hCa committees in Slovakia and the Czech Republic have been working on projects and dialogue sessions which focus on relations between states and minorities. Dialogues have dealt with the often sensitive question of minority rights in the context of Hungarian-Slovak, Czech-Slovak and Czech-German relations. It is the aim of this workshop to integrate these separate activities into a wider dialogue which will include all Central European states. In this context, the workshop, convened by the Czech hCa, will outline concrete activities and proposals for widening the project.