Friday, January 29, 2010

News Articles Topic 2

The ongoing war between Google and China has come down to email hacking. Journalists in China face email Hijacking.
- Burma jails journalist
-Transnational Corporations
Related to the issue of human rights but not the topic 1 or 2:
Vietnam Jails Democracy Activists



Don't forget to mail your position papers to hsmun.hrc@gmail.com before the conference so they can be looked over.


Have a great weekend.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Papers/General Info/Resources

For all of you who have not started their position papers...better late than never right? (Not).

Here are some more links that might help you out.

Position Paper


Position Paper 2

A Quick Overview of the UN (essentially an Idiot's Guide)

Tricks of the Trade: Nuances, Tactics and Strategies of the UN

United Nations Resources:

(I shamelessly stole this from Harvard National Model United Nations page)
Official UN Organizations

The United Nations

Visit the official home page of the United Nations, including links to the various departments and bodies within the organization.

UN Member States

Information about all 192 member states is available here.

UN General Assembly
The General Assembly is the main body of the United Nations, encompassing all 192 member states.

UN Economic and Social Council

The Council coordinates the economic and social work of the United Nations and its agencies and institutions.

UN Security Council
Look up Security Council resolutions in addition to information about its membership, responsibilities, and powers.

Fundamental Documents

Charter of the United Nations

Read the document that established the United Nations on 24 October 1945, for details on its powers and responsibilities.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The General Assembly adopted in December 1948 this resolution proclaiming basic human rights and calling upon all nations to uphold them.

(THIS ONE IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL)
UN Documentation Center
A compilation of resolutions, press releases, and other documents issued by the committees of the United Nations.


Once again, Good Luck and see you February!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Background Papers!

Just a reminder that background papers are an excellent resource:

Human Rights and Transnational Corporations

The Rights of Foreign Journalists and Aid Workers

Good luck with your research, Delegates!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

News Articles

Aid Workers in Israel

Foreign Journalists Email Hacked in China

Casualties of Foreign Journalists Mounting in Afghanistan



Not pertaining to Topic 1 or 2, but recent news about the situation in Nigeria brings up the importance of human rights and the role of the United Nations.

Christian-Muslim Mayhem in Nigeria
Nigeria Religious Violence

Sunday, January 17, 2010

General HSMUN info

HSMUN is fast approaching! We hope that you have been working on your position papers which, don't forget, when finished please email to hsmun.hrc@gmail.com so they may be looked over.

Please, please, please do not write your papers/email them the night before the conference, for everyone's sake.

If there are any questions, do not hesitate to email us. There are many resources on the web and the HSMUN general website. The Delegate Resource page gives an overview of the conference, so please read this so not only are you prepared, but will make the experience much more enjoyable. The Rules of Procedure is available for download as well; please take a look at this as well.

Just an article about (aid worker's) human rights in North Korea:
Obama and Nortk Korea's Human Rights

Friday, January 15, 2010

Aid workers in Haiti

Sending Prayers for Haiti:
Red Cross
or
through a great non-profit organization called Partners in Health that provides relief and long-term development in Haiti since 1987.



Pertaining specifically to Topic 2, it is interesting to make note/research the effect a crisis of this scale has on the rights and actions of Aid workers.

Here is several articles that may/or may not be of importance to your research. In anycase, they are worth the read.
Rights Amid the Rubble (The fact that the website is called 'The Daily Beast' does take away some of it's credibility (a personal opinion) however, it should be noted that this entry is a BLOG))
Aid Workers could Face logistical Problems in Haiti

Aid Workers Heading to Haiti fear for their safety

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Background Papers

As many of you know, the background papers for the the topics for HSMUN have now been posted.

Here is the link to access the two papers pertaining to the Human Rights topics:

HRC Background Papers

It is extremely imperative that you search through this blog (& the web) and read what has been posted. The most important blog would be the one posted on November 20th which provides an example of a resolution, as one as the specific resolution for Topic 2. As well, January 4ths entry provides important information for research as well.


Good luck!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Recent Cases of Journalists in Danger

As the last post suggests there have been many recent incidents of journalists being kidnapped or killed while reporting abroad. Here I'll post some links about the more significant cases and some overall statistics and information you should look at when researching for this topic.
  • This is a site that tracks all incidents related to press safety, and has regional/country reports on the issue. It's a very useful starting point.
  • Reporters Without Borders, an NGO which works for press freedom and security globally.
  • Here are the vital statistics on journalist deaths, kidnappings etc for 2009.
  • A great article (with case studies) from the BBC on 'Reporting from the Danger Zones'.
  • Another general article from the BBC on journalist safety.

Now for the particular cases:

  • French journalists kidnapped in Afghanistan.
  • British and Spanish journalists kidnapped in Somalia.
  • Constant murders of Philippine journalists.
  • Video interview on the role of reporting during the Iran elections.

There have been a lot more cases of journalist kidnappings and murders over the past 10 years, and you can find them easily on the BBC by typing in some keywords in their search bar. I hope the above help, and good luck with further research!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Canadian Journalist Killed in Afghanistan


The topic for the HSMUN HRC 2010 has become a topic of debate in Canada as Michelle Lang, a journalist for the Calgary Herald, was killed by an improvised explosive device while reporting on the conflict in Afghanistan. This comes just weeks after the release of another Canadian journalist, Amanda Lindhout, who was held captive for more than a year in Somalia.

These situations beg the question of what rights should be granted to journalists abroad? While those of us living in nations that believe in freedom of the press are outraged by the capture or death of foreign journalists, we should also question why they were captured or killed. Michelle Lang was in a conflict zone, accompanied by four Canadian soldiers who were also killed. Those responsible for her death were attacking the foreign soldiers in the country and killed a journalist as well. Were her rights violated? Or was it just a tragic occurance considering she had been provided with security? What about the journalists who sneak across national borders illegally in order to report on conditions in countries such as Myanmar or Tibet, where even the local journalists face punishment for offenses such as taking pictures that may undermine the government? Should journalists face the same rules and punishments as normal citizens who disobey the governments in these nations, or is there a difference between the situations of normal citizens and journalists?

This is a longer video about the treatment of Amanda Lindhout and Nigel Brennan in Somalia: