03 June 2016

Malaysia is probably not the first country you think of when it comes to human rights violations. When Najib Razak became PM in 2009 there was hope of a democratic transition. The list of promises and good intentions was long: elimination of ethnic preferences, reduction in police powers and the promotion of free and democratic elections. In reality he did just the opposite, as the crackdown on political opponents and their persecution testifies.

Anwar Ibrahim is the leading opposition figure and has been imprisoned on preposterous charges brought under the sedition law with the justification that he is a threat to national security. Even the wearing of yellow t-shirts as a sign of opposition is prosecuted. Also, the social democratic PM of Penang has been prosecuted on mysterious charges, probably because he is successfully running the region and the island in a democratic way and sharing economic prosperity.

The European Parliament adopted a motion in relation to the Anwar case – with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure on Malaysia – in December last year as it is not only about the prosecution of political opponents, it is also, like Razak as PM, paving the way for Islamists, many of whom have left the country, not for opposition, but as foreign fighters in Syria.

The international community should be alerted to these developments in the region and at the very least the corruption of Malaysia’s PM should be brought to the headlines. All those of us who stand for the defence and indivisibility of human rights are alert to the situation and are trying to get a better focus on Malaysia. Anwar is certainly amongst those who deserve one of the Silver Rose Awards that SOLIDAR delivers every year in the European Parliament, but it is more important to report on the developments in the country itself and to show the ruling party and its PM that prisoners are in the spotlight even if they are in the shadow of a dirty and shady prison.

Malaysia is an important trading partner and trading spot for the European Union. Again the question is about preference: free trade or human rights instead of free trade only if human rights are respected. Human Rights are indivisible, and as the Human Rights Declaration says: dignity and rights belong together!

Join us at this year’s Silver Rose Award ceremony to continue spreading the message and support the campaign to free Anwar Ibrahim – citizen of Malaysia!

SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards – Join us on 14 June

In a world of rapid political and social change, mounting conflict and inequality, the need for progressive politics to ensure social justice and global solidarity is greater than ever. The 2016 edition of the SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards presents awards to our four winners for their courageous political choices, working on highly sensitive and very current political issues

As for the past 14 years the ceremony will take place in the European Parliament in Brussels. The ceremony brings together a wide audience of like-minded individuals with backgrounds in civil society, trade unions and politics, for a very much needed and timely celebration of global solidarity and progressive engagement. The SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards is made possible thanks to the support of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats and the Party of European Socialists (PES) and the media support of EurActiv.

Is it just another prize – one of many? By no means! Read here how SOLIDAR’s Secretary General Conny Reuter describes it.

If you would like to join us for this evening to honour our four awardees, you can find more information and the online registration here.

(!) Registration will close on Tuesday 7 June 2016

Together for Social Europe

Civic Space Monitor: tracking and promoting civic space in Europe and worldwide

02 June 2016

Last week, SOLIDAR participated in the meeting to kick off the CIVICUS Civic Space Monitor, a tool to track violations of civic space all around the world in real time. The tool will be developed in collaboration with more than 20 experts representing civil society organisations all around the world and will provide a rating of the openness of civic space and updated information about the latest developments regarding freedom of association, freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly.

In recent times we have witnessed the shrinking of civic space and the decreasing involvement of civil society in the decision making process all over Europe. Many governments in the European Union are enforcing laws that limit the space for civil society to operate freely. In most cases this is justified by the need to increase control and respond to security concerns. However freedom of association, expression and peaceful assembly are fundamental freedoms that cannot be traded off against the need to increase security. Any violations of those fundamental freedoms are a threat to the wellbeing of European democracies. Therefore SOLIDAR is eager to contribute to this ambitious and timely project by providing updated information regarding the state of civic society space in European Member States with the aim of denouncing violations and promoting the expansion of the space for civil society and for a truthful civil dialogue.

Find more about the CIVICUS Civic Space Monitor here.

Building Learning Societies

Imagining the learning community of tomorrow

02 June 2016

On 31 May and 1 June, the Lifelong Learning Platform held its Annual Conference in Bratislava, looking at the future of learning in times of rapidly evolving reality where there is a need to find and develop new methods to address current and future challenges. This event called on around 100 education, training and civil society experts and practitioners from Europe to propose ways to support collective commitment and solidarity in our communities.

SOLIDAR Foundation’s strategic programme on building learning societies concentrates on fostering the process of social inclusion, integration, and social justice. This concept endorses learning as a tool for the empowerment of individuals to deal with the challenges of modern-day life and fosters resilience as well as a sense of civic and social responsibility within the local community. In SOLIDAR Foundation’s view, we need to intensify our work to strengthen the process of building inclusive and learning societies that have the capacity to address both the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow.
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Organising International Solidarity

SOLIDAR at the 105th ILO Conference in Geneva

SOLIDAR partner from Honduras speaking at ILO’s global supply chain committee

31 May 2016

On 30 May 2016, SOLIDAR attended the First Sitting of the Committee on the Global Supply Chain during the 105th session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva.

As part of the SOLIDAR delegation, Evangelina Argueta from Red de Sindicatos de Maquila de Honduras (RSMH – Network of Maquila Unions of Honduras), was given the floor during the first sitting of the Global Supply Chain committee. During her speech, she highlighted the following key recommendations that the Committee should take into consideration while drafting its conclusions:

• Trade unions and social dialogue do not contradict job creation. On the contrary, sustainable economic development – as enshrined in the 2030 Agenda, strongly depends on social dialogue and decent work.
• The Union Network Maquila Honduras considers it necessary that an international convention on decent work should be adopted in the global supply chains in order to ensure that in all countries there are legal mechanisms to prosecute companies (and their subcontractors) who have violated the rights of workers. Such international standards should be based on the principle of corporate responsibility for the actions of subcontractors and service providers.
• The Union Network Maquila Honduras calls for the adoption of international labour standards that would prevent competition between industries to result in a reduction of social standards and labour rights. The instrument should actively support the defence and expansion of our achievements in Honduras.

You can read the full speech here.
See the Video of Evangelina’s speech here.

SOLIDAR mobilising for social justice at the International Labour Conference 2016

01 June 2016

From 30 May until 3 June 2016, SOLIDAR will attend the 105th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC), in Geneva.

In the framework of the SOLIDAR regional EU-funded programme in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) on Freedom of Association, Decent Work and Social Protection, SOLIDAR is attending the ILC with a delegation of civil society representatives from Jordan and Lebanon to follow the discussions in the Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) and the Committee on Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience.

This year, in addition to the shortlisted cases on the violations of ILO Conventions, the work of the CAS will focus on decent work and labour migration, by addressing the Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 97), the Migration for Employment Recommendation (Revised), 1949 (No. 86), the Migrant Workers (supplementary provisions) Convention, 1975 (No. 143) and the Migrant Workers Recommendation, 1975 (No. 151), as part of the 2016 Committee of Experts’ 2016 General Survey.

SOLIDAR will be following the discussion with Linda AlKalash, the Director of Tamkeen Fields for Aid in Jordan, Ahmad Awad, the Director of the Phenix Center for Economics and Informatics Center in Jordan and Ahmad Dirani, Coordinator of the Lebanese observatory of workers and employees rights and voice civil society concerns on child labour, migrant workers and migrant domestic workers’ rights in Jordan and Lebanon.
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SOLIDAR at 105th ILO Conference – Global Value Chains: A binding Treaty is needed!

03 June 2016

This week, between 30 May and 3 June, SOLIDAR Network has been participating in the 105th ILO International Labour Conference (ILC). During the event, SOLIDAR members FOS (Belgium), Solidar Suisse (Switzerland), OGBL-Solidarité syndicale (Luxembourg) and a representative of the Trade Union Maquilas Network of Honduras (Red sindical de las maquilas de Honduras) have been following the work of the Committee on Decent Work in Global Value Chains (GVCs).

GVCs refers to the “cross-border organisation of the activities required to produce goods or services and bring them to consumers through inputs and various phases of development, production and delivery”. The ILO report on this topic highlights that while GVCs may have contributed – especially in developing countries – to the creation of employment and opportunities for economic and social development, “the dynamics of production and employment relations within the global economy, including in some global supply chains, can have negative implications for working conditions”. Indeed, low wages, insecure and precarious work, unsafe work, lack of social protection, child labour and forced labour, together with tax avoidance practices are frequent in GVCs. Dramatic events, such as the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in 2013, are the results of a business strategy based on reducing costs by lowering working conditions.
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