It is ironic that most of the conflicts today - even those rooted in deep economic or social inequalities - seem to have a distinct religious angle. Religion has unparalleled mobilising power, to the extent that it sometimes can distract from the political, social and economic aspects of a conflict. This raises important questions for civil society activists. Is religious loyalty incompatible with greater citizen participation in public life? How is it that we find that citizens around the world, especially youth, are coming forward to assert their religious identity in the public arena in increasingly visible ways? Can the mobilising power of religion be used to focus attention on global poverty and related issues in a non-sectarian manner?

European Union governments should quickly express their opposition to the new American Servicemembers Protection Act (ASPA), passed by the U.S. Senate on December 7, Human Rights Watch urged in a letter to EU foreign ministers.

Protecting workers' fundamental human rights is one of the principal tasks of the ICFTU, and it is fitting that we should remember the trade unionists who have lost their lives or their freedoms as we celebrate International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2001.

The Mountain Voices website is an attempt to make the mountains debate of 2002 and beyond more inclusive by highlighting the perspective of those experiencing development and change first-hand. The archive will eventually contain over 300
interviews from 10 different mountain communities. Visitors can search for
oral testimonies by location and by theme - including environmental knowledge, migration, education, social change, culture and custom,
economics and identity.

In this strong interview, the narrator speaks movingly about her land and the impending move, and especially about being separated from those who look out for her – the informal support network. Her husband died recently and perhaps this has added to her sadness about moving. Some statements are almost biblical in their cadence and style, for example: “It will remain as a rock on my heart when I think of the place that I am being removed from”, and “Truly we do not know as to what caused these dams in the land of God.”

The narrator starts by giving a brief history of the village. When first asked about resettlement he is positive about it. He considers that more people will benefit from than be hurt by the project. He says that the water project has promised 50 years of compensation, and says that if this is not correct he will complain to the government. However, he regrets leaving such good pastures for animals, and leaving behind ancestors’ graves.

Though difficult to follow at times, this interview with Robert, a 30 year old farmer from the Sabaot people yields interesting and illuminating material, and the narrator describes many of the problems which he perceives face the Sabaot. Intermarriage between his people and the neighbouring Bukusu is, for him, the main reason why there have been changes in his culture, particularly in relation to education, social relations, language, technology, and agricultural practices. Although this has led to what he perceives as positive changes, such as the introduction of new agricultural technology and cash crops, he laments the loss of language and custom, and the social disruption that has come about. This interview highlights the ambiguity the Sabaot seem to feel towards the changes that have been affecting their society, a theme that runs through most of the testimonies in this collection.

This report seeks to measure the threats that unregulated access to small arms and light weapons pose to civil populations and relief and development agencies. Also considered are the enduring social and economic consequences of armed violence - particularly in relation to how they undermine sustainable development.

According to AFP (agence France Presse), the Democratic Republic of Congo is going to ratify the Rome Statute as stated by the Minister of Justice Ngele Masudi on December 6, 2001 in Kinshasa. The Minister of Human Rights , Ntumba Luaba, added, "It is in the best interest of the DRC to ratify the Rome Statute for the ICC not only because it is a victim of an unjustified aggression, but also because it is a State of Law which has accepted the jurisdiction of the International Court."

There some signs that the strong concerns raised by civil society groups over the proposed EU definition of terrorism is having some effect on the original proposal put forward by the Commission which clearly extended the definition of terrorism to include protests and other democratic activities.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has issued a clarion call for the rights of the individual, declaring that "the sovereignty of states must no longer be used as a shield for gross violations of human rights".

Downing Street has renewed its backing for Home Secretary David Blunkett as the controversy continues over his remarks on race.
Prime Minister Tony Blair's official spokesman welcomed the debate sparked by Mr Blunkett's call for ethnic minorities to do more "to belong" in the UK.

Though democracy is still fragile, basic freedoms and civil liberties are expanding throughout the continent, say the Global Coalition for Africa's annual report.

Joaquim Chissano, the Mozambican President, today announced that he will not stand for a third term in office in the 2004 general elections, ending debate over whether he should stay or go.

Leader of Zimbabwe's main opposition party says his party and the ruling party of President Robert Mugabe should sign a non-violence pact ahead of next year's presidential elections. Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), says he is prepared to share the stage with Mugabe and publicly denounce violence which is now prevalent on the Zimbabwean political scene.

A number of South Africans of Jewish descent have chosen to express themselves on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "as a matter of conscience and concern for the safety and well being of the Israeli and Palestinian Peoples and for world peace". This is the text of their declaration.

There are increasing indications that the US has honed a hit list of countries to target for military action in rogue regions across the globe where it believes terror cells flourish. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times which details the possible targets, Somalia, where central government hardly exists, is causing increasing concern in Washington.

Karamojong pastoralists in northeastern Uganda have voluntarily handed in some 7,000 illegal weapons since the beginning of a government-sponsored disarmament programme on 2 December, according to the Ugandan authorities.

The Rwandan government has promised to offer further evidence concerning exploitation of Congo's resources.

South Africa has finally started to voice alarm and impatience over the crisis in Zimbabwe, but Pretoria lacks guaranteed leverage to ensure political and economic normalisation in its northern neighbour.