Comments and questions from the Human Right now! event

On July 30 HRN! had a symposium on The role of (Japanese) INGOs in emergencies

Below are some of my notes, comments and questions 

Review of the role of NGOs and the place of Human rights and the human rights approach (HRA) in emergency situations

Need to promote the protection of rights of people in Tohoku as IDPs (not much talk about the HOW TO aspect of this)

The role of (Japanese) INGOs in emergencies

Working with G can be contentious

Concern over working with military in conflict area

Autonomous?

Independent agenda?

Guidelines?
Vision for a particular place and time how connected to the local people

Intl values?

Barriers?

From what standpoint?

We know the govt is slow an Ordinary people want to do something

re: Tohoku Vols are/were asked to hold back

If we had the system - We could better utilize the power of the vols

Help with sensitive things like photos and

Help people feel better about themselves just by being there helping, showing they care

Human touch – along side the professional work

Money + more money issue

Speed up the distributions

Role of vols must better understood

Speed and human touch important

Post cold war era - Role of orgs in emergency crisis expanding

Role of business and Ingos and local orgs also impt – not just G actors

See Nigeria Delta example

Role of HR and NGOs in Asia –  difficult

Particularly china and Burma

Japanese public - level of HR understanding

 The GP in Japan lack the basic understanding

At university class on HR, even 80% of his (?whose?) students do not even understand the basic concept of universal HR

Even in the npo/Ngo world in Japan human rights and the HRA is weak

Also getting funds for HR orgs is tough

In emergencies people are happy to give for emergency needs

Not for staffing and long term needs

Outside “natural” disasters little support – human made disasters are harder to get support for

HR issues are also often part of human made disasters

Ongoing questions

Can Japanese HR NGOs create own standard? Euro-American standard are hard to work with – in Asia only or as Japanese NGOs?

What about the double standards that exist? We do not always follow domestically what we @push for internationally. Bias in international policy and advocacy

Not always giving equal attention in our attention to the domestics HR abuses and policy development

What about the importance of domestic democratic development?

Need to develop ESC rights along side C & P rights

The role of NGOs in developing a public awareness about and debate about HR domestically is very important

Human rights Now! – Chair of the board

We need to stop seeing evacuees and IDPs in Tohoku as victims needing our protection

we need to promote a HRA

They are people with rights that need to be protection – not sad victims that need to be served

Ie. The temp housing: not built with any basic concept of HR respect, not built with an understanding or assessment of access, needs, daily life issues, shopping,

There was no element of HRA in the process for creating these.

Networking session

Spent time talking about2 issues

1. Capacity building – I have materials on vol mgt, proposal writing, outreach IEC etc. but these would need to be simplified for local groups in Tohoku … any ideas?

2 Been having a lot of talk about the need to for community organizing and communication facilitation

* been getting the same flack as I have in discussing this

Is the resistance to these concepts due to:

1. Ideas that people in the city cannot understand people in the country?

2. Preconceived notions about and/or lack of understanding about CO and communications training?

3. Lack of trained people in these fields in Japan?

4. Looking down on Tohoku people?