Thursday, 19 January 2012 13:29

Written by Ruairi Kavanagh

2 Comments

On January 7th, the feast of the Christian Orthodox celebration of Christmas, Serbian Prime Minister Boris Tadic made a highly publicised visit to Kosovo, to visit two important Orthodox religious sites. Visiting a country which his Government refuses to recognise, Tadic's visit necessitated a massive security operation involving the Kosovar Police, EULEX (the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo) with NATO led KFOR troops on stand-by.

The visit was sanctioned by the Kosovar Prime Minister, Hashim Thaci, on the basis that it was a religious visit and Tadic was not to engage in any political debate or make any political statements. Then, outside the monastery of Istok, a journalist asked the Serbian Prime Minister if his government would ever recognise Kosovo as a nation? 'Never', was his succinct reply. He also vowed not to dismantle Serbian institutions which remain in Kosovo, arguing that they were vital for the Serb minority in the country. The next day, Kosovar Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuci told Kosovar television that the Serbian Prime Minister would not be welcome again in Kosovo following his comments.

This swift verbal battle, played out via the media, is just the latest salvo in a continuing escalation of hostilities in relations between Pristina and Belgrade. The situation in Kosovo is reaching a critical phase. Aware that Serbia is eager to receive a roadmap to EU membership, the Pristina Government has, since late Summer, being trying to enforce its Northern borders in ethnically Serb areas. The first attempt to do so left one Kosovar police officer dead and another wounded, along with three civilians. Since then, Serbs have blockaded the region with a series of roadblocks and stand-offs with both NATO troops and both both EULEX and Kosovar Police.

Friday, 13 January 2012 15:20

Written by Niamh Griffin

0 Comments

As the economic crisis deepens in Europe, reaching budget targets for overseas development is ambitious but realistic according to a spokeswoman for the bloc’s aid programmes.

“I can’t predict accurately, I don’t know what could happen …There will be a new graded co-operation so we won’t (always) provide direct aid,” Catherine Ray, spokesperson for the EU Commissioner for Development said. “But our aim is to make sure people see that increasing aid is not a luxury.”

The commissioner has proposed cutting bi-lateral aid to 19 countries including India and Indonesia who are now deemed to be emerging economies and no longer in need of direct aid.

Ray said it is important for aid budgets to remain predictable, saying at present projects are under the 2007-2013 budget so cannot be changed.

Wednesday, 07 December 2011 15:36

Written by Niamh Griffin

0 Comments

A national plan to help prevent violence against women in war-torn countries was launched recently in Dublin.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said the initiative will promote recognition of violence directed specifically against women and girls in wartime, as well as increasing awareness of support needed for women from conflict areas now living in Ireland.

The plan also aims to increase the number of female gardai and members of the defense forces on peace-keeping missions.

Wednesday, 09 November 2011 22:35

Written by World and Media

0 Comments

As far back as 1990, future Nobel prizewinner, economist Amartya Sen wrote in the New York Review of Books that "a great many more than 100 million women are 'missing' due to inequality and neglect. He described it as "clearly one of the more momentous, and neglected, problems facing the world today."

Yet, two decades later, the problem persists. The World Bank recently reported that nearly 4 million women under 60 and girls still go "missing" each year due to pre-birth discrimination (95% in China and India) or excess mortality after birth (mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa, India and China). In total, over two million women and girls go missing in India and China every year.

The issue was debated in the Irish Senate on October 26. A motion (below) condemning "gendercide" - a term previously used by The Economist and others - was put by independent Senator Rónán Mullen, which called for pressure to be put on China and India, in particular.

A shorter amended motion (below) was put by Senator Ivana Bacik of Labour. It condemned "female infanticide and all other violations of the rights of women and girls" although it did not name any country nor refer to selective abortion or gendercide.