The hunger strike of immigrants without papers at the Beguinage church in Brussels has finished with a small victory. Below the letter from Gilles Smedts of Belgian Humanist Party:

Good evening,

During the general meeting of this evening, the strikers accepted the proposal of the ministry for migration and put an end to the strike, after 57 days.

They obtained a residence permit for 9 months (white form, renewable) with a type C work permit.

It is a great victory, compared to result of the previous hunger strikes.

The joy was beautiful to see in the church of Béguinage, a very beautiful moment full of human warmness.
But let us not be misleaded, if the victory is beautiful, it remains small.

It relates to 147 people without papers for 9 months. The estimation is that there are 150.000 “without-papers” only in Belgium.

And the shameful European directive was indeed voted by the majority of the Belgian deputies at the European Parliament.

The remaining 147 strikers managed to maintain their unity on the essential aspects and the democracy in the decisions. It is certainly one of the keys of the small victory of today.

The personal commitment of two trade unionists of the CSC in the strike was certainly an important component, as well as the international campaign of faxes and emails of protest diffused through the humanist network. Sendings of more than 20 countries arrived to Belgium and to the Belgian embassies.

Thanks to all !

At the human level, being in agreement or not with the hunger strike, one can only humbly take off his hat to these men and women who fought with their harts for what they find just.

In any case, the close support of the strikers was an opportunity for a lesson of courage, determination and democracy.

The strikers will now wait for the promises to be put in concrete form before dispersing. They will remain at the church for a while.

The progressive refeeding began this evening with the distribution of a vegetable soup.

Thanks for continuing to send wellbeing so that all of them retrieve a full health!

Peace, Force and Joy

Gilles

Også på 22.6., før Empty Plate Picnic, der var arrangement hos FredsVagten, i solidaritet med 5 Million Peace March / The Big Hug in Jerusalem. Der holdte jeg, Juha Uski, en tale som Fredsvagt (og Humanist, selvfølgeligt). Det gik fint selvom jeg læste det hele fra papir. Andre talere var også gode, især jeg kunne lide Naveed Baig’s tale.
Juhas tale
Billeder fra Juha

Dansk:

I København, uanset af regnvejr, syv personer deltog i Tom Tallerken Picnic i Kongens Have. Regn stoppede en time før picnic og den første time af picnic var i solskin. Papirtallerkener med budskaber var sat op i træerne i have og vi diskuterede med folk som gik forbi. Mange gik at læse hvad stod på tallerkener i træerne. Vi skal gøre det igen næste søndag. Denne gang var der ikke så meget folk i have men hvis solen skinner så er der mange.

English:

In Copenhagen, in spite of the rainy day, seven persons took part in the Empty Plate Picnic at the Royal Gardens. The rain stopped one hour before the picnic and the first hour of the picnic was spent in sunshine. Paper plates with messages were hung in the park and discussions took place with passers-by. Many people went to read the plates hanging in the trees. We will do it again next Sunday. This time there were not many people in the Gardens but on a sunny day it is crowded.

Espanol:

En Copenhague, aunque era un dia con lluvias, siete personas participan en Picnic con Platas Vacios en el Jardin Real. La lluvia para una hora antes del picnic y la primera hora del picnic era con sol. Platas de papel con mensajes eran colgado en los arboles en el parque y discutimos con la gente presente. Mucha gente va a leer las platas que eran colgados en los arboles. Vamos a repetir la accion proximo Domingo. Este tiempo no era tanta gente en el Jardin pero si hay mas sol, va a ser mucha gente.

Billeder - photos - imagenes:
Juha’s photos
Pia’s photos

PICTURES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD — being updated in:
http://www.nenasili.cz/en/1604_photos-from-22nd-june

Council sigma-75

Activities january-june 2008

India – Vellore
Free Night Schools in several villages. Self Help Groups, blood donation, computer centre, tailoring training centre. Local level protagonism in Dalit Land Rights Movement, organising massive public rallies with thousands of participants.

India – Mumbai
International Humanist Youth Leadership Clubs launched in several colleges. It is a training in active nonviolence and humanization, including learning by doing through building humanist activist teams in slums, starting with human support campaigns.

Denmark – Copenhagen
Community for Human Development is active in peace and disarmament campaigns: petition signed by several Danish peace organisations and activists was handed to UK government in support of Scotland’s wish to become nuclear-weapons-free-zone. Participation in NATO Game Over massive civil disobedience action in Brussels. Participation in the international hunger strike campaign against US bases in Czech republic and Poland. Participation in the demonstration for the right to return for Palestinians to their zones of origin – protesting the military occupation by Israel. Participation in the international 5 Million Peace March event in Copenhagen, for Jerusalem as an international city of peace. Participation in the Danish Peace Watch and its continuous protest in front of the government palace.
Forming of the Bolivia Solidarity Committee with the first action of dialogue with the Danish Foreign Ministry about the Danish stand towards the crisis in Santa Cruz.

The bulletin of activities of the entire Humanist Movement is online in http://boletin.humanism.org/

This semester we have configured our council, now designated as Council 461, an autonomous council, with the orientor Juha Uski joining the General Assembly of the Humanist Movement.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=31484273160

det er ikke kun i Danmark hvor flygtninge er i fare.

The immigrants “without papers” who are in hunger strike since last May 8th at the Church of Béguinage in Brussels, (…)

Samtidigt som der er internationale sultrestrejke-dag, er der også arrangement om Jerusalem, fredens by. Velkommen! Ved FredsVagten, Christiansborgs Slotsplads, kl. 14-16

LÆS HER MERE INFORMATION OM “Jerusalem, fredens by” ved Fredsvagten 22. Juni

The hunger strikers Jan Tamas and Jan Bednar in Czech Republic finished their 21 days hunger strike. Others are continuing, among them Giorgio Schultze, the spokesperson of the European Humanist Forum.

The next big push in the worldwide campaign against the Star Wars system, now focused on preventing the building of the U.S. radar station in Czech Republic, is 22nd June, when there will be a one-day worldwide hunger strike. Anyone can participate in the protest in any place and framework, by fasting on that day.

In Czech Republic those continuing the hunger strike are taking each 24 hours political fast. The participants there are well known personalities from different fields. The British veteran peace organisation Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament writes:

“The growing protest comes at a crucial moment in Czech politics with parliamentary votes on the radar expected in the near future. The wafer-thin majority of the Government looks even shakier with the announcement that one of the six MPs from the junior coalition partner, the Czech Green Party, is to take part in the hunger strike. The Czech Green leadership has so far backed the radar but is coming under increasing pressure to withdraw support, and with it, any chance of Parliamentary approval for the US project. Around 70% of the Czech public oppose the plans.” The situation of the Czech Green Party is special also in relation to the Green Parties of other European countries as well as the USA: all of those parties oppose the radar.

POSTER: WORLD DAY OF FASTING 22 JUNE with more information (PDF)

Canadian poster:

http://www.outrageousdirective.org/
sign now, it is urgent