People in Need

SITUATION OF SYRIAN REFUGEES IS GETTING WORSE. PIN HAS RELEASED ANOTHER MILLION TO HELP

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 03:04:28 GMT

Prague, Amman, 24 April 2012 – People in Need has decided to immediately release another million crowns from the Club of Friends’ humanitarian fund to help the Syrian refugees in Jordan. The United Nations has registered over 10,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan. However, according to the government, there are over 100,000 Syrians in Jordan.

Humanitarian organizations estimate that at least 30,000 people are in urgent need of help. Jordan’s government offered Syrians free access to education and health services and many people survive thanks to help of their relatives. However, several hundred people cross the border every day and the local Jordan capacity to help Syrians is quickly becoming exhausted.

PIN has already released one million crowns from the Club of Friends’ humanitarian fund to support the underground networks of Syrian doctors called Doctors Coordinate of Damascus. Another million from the fund will go to help the Syrian refugees in Jordan.

“There are whole families with children here, with 18-year-old boys who have refused to join the army and kill their own people, along with abandoned children whose parents were shot or imprisoned when crossing the border,” Jan Mrkvi�ka, director of PIN’s Humanitarian and Development department, describes the situation in Syria, having personally spoken with dozens of Syrians in Jordan.

“There are many children here who, at the beginning, don’t speak at all,“ according to Jordan Noor Al Hussein organization’s psychologist F�tima describes the situation in a transit camp in a border town of Ramtha.

People in Need will support the work of Jordan organizations and Syrian volunteers that provide psychosocial help for the refugees or organize free time activities for children. PIN will also help satisfy basic needs of the mothers who have come to Jordan pregnant or with newborns.

"Few people here offer the refugees individual care — they don’t know who to turn to. Except for that, everyone here, from the six year old children to the adults, has experienced traumas and suffering hardly imaginable for us. They need professional care and also the feeling that the world hasn’t forgotten about them,“ Mrkvi�ka explains PIN’s approach. The number of refugees who urgently need help continues to grow. Join this cause and contribute to the donation collection for Syria.

Help can be sent directly to our account SOS Syria 92329232/0300

Or using the donation SMS in the form “DMS SYRIE“ sent to number 87777

People in Need is also helping directly in Syria. Thanks to the humanitarian fund of Club of Friends, PIN has bought 30 field kits, each of which contains a small surgical set with an oxygen cylinder, a pulse oxymeter, stretchers, an endotracheal tube, disinfection, tools for sewing, needles and needed medications.

In addition, two operating rooms in field hospitals were equipped with supplies, which can be used by the physicians to carry out complex procedures using special equipment for the treatment of thoracic and vascular injuries.

Kits and other medical equipment were divided between more than 30 groups of physicians working in suburbs of Damascus – in Homs, Daraa, Idlib and Deir ez-Zor – where they are being used to treat the wounded people during the protests. The underground network of doctors has received a contribution for its transportation and communication costs.

Human Rights Activist Detained in Eastern Cuba

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:04:29 GMT

Prague/Palmarito de Cauto, 16.4. 2012 - It has already been two weeks since Jos� Daniel Ferrer Garc�a was detained at his home in Palmarito de Cauto with his wife Belkis Cantillo, member of the Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White) movement. She was released; however, Jos� Daniel is still under arrest in the state security department of Versalles, Santiago de Cuba, without any charge or lawyer assistance. Moreover, reasonable concerns for his health have since been raised. The message sent out to the world by Cantillo is clear: “I am calling on the public international opinion to intercede on behalf of Jos� Daniel Ferrer Garc�a so that he is immediately released.” The non-violent activists will continue their civil struggle, no matter how severe the regime actions against them are. Once more, the international community is witnessing the Cuban government’s stance towards human rights activists.

On April 2nd, Jos� Daniel Ferrer Garc�a, the leader of the Cuban Patriotic Union (UNPACU), was detained at his home together with his wife at around 4 pm. Their children were present when the Cuban security forces detained them, and did not know where their parents were being taken. Belkis Cantillo Ramirez, member of the Damas de Blanco, was released in the evening hours on Friday, April 6th. This detention was part of the wave of repressions in the eastern provinces of Cuba, during which 43 arrests were performed altogether. As a result of the raid to the Ferrrer ́s house, Cuban security forces confiscated devices such as laptops, CDs, USBs, and other materials.

The Cuban Patriotic Union (UNPACU) was created as a platform to offer support to those Cubans who wish to express their disagreement with the current situation in Cuba in a pacifistic but not necessarily passive way. UNPACU organizes non-violent acts of resistance and invites the Cuban population to participate in their activities. The organization sticks to their motto, which reads: “Una Cuba con todos y para el bien de todos” (“One Cuba for everyone and for the good of everyone”).

The actual case of Jos� Daniel Ferrer Garc�a reveals the ongoing general violation of international human rights standards by Cuban authorities when dealing with opposition activists. It is a reminder of the conditions and the current state of liberties in Cuba that remain without any positive change, despite expectations. In the long term, the Cuban government does not show improvements regarding its willingness to involve the non-violent opposition in political dialogue. On the contrary, constant harassment and pressure from the security forces and political police seem to be the official response to their demands for change.

Issued and supported by:

Fundaci�n Hispano Cubana, Spain
International Society for Human Rights, Germany
People in Need, Czech Republic
Christian Democratic International Center, Sweden
Swedish International Liberal Centre, Sweden
Asociaci�n de Iberoamericanos por la Libertad, Spain

People in Need is collecting monetary donations for victims of Syrian conflict

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:04:34 GMT

Prague, 11^th April 2012 – People in Need began to collect donations that will be used to support the underground network of physicians in Syria, help war refugees, and aid projects related to the renewal of the country in the future.

Nowadays the help focuses on the direct humanitarian assistance to the wounded as well as those who had to flee their homes. Please join and contribute to the donation collection for Syria.

Help can be sent directly to our account SOS Syria 92329232/0300

People in Need has been supporting the underground network of physicians since February. In Syria, 59 physicians have already died and 556 of them have been detained. Some of them succumbed to the consequences of torture. “In the current situation it is very risky to deliver the humanitarian aid to Syria; the medical equipment and the other help must be smuggled across the border,” said Simon Panek, the director of People in Need.

“The regime persecutes not only those wounded but also people who try to help them. Physicians, whom we are trying to help, are lacking the basic equipment and they often treat patients in homes, garages and outdoors,” adds Panek.

“We still have a problem with sending medical equipment to the cities of Hama, Homs and Idlib, but we try to use different ways even though they are very dangerous,” said the representative of the underground network of physicians, Doctors Coordinate of Damascus, with which People in Need works.

People in need will use the means from the monetary collection to purchase the medical equipment and ensure conditions that allow the physicians to carry out even simple surgical procedures, which can often safe the lives of wounded people.

Other means will be used to help war refugees, of which according to UNHCR amounts to more than 40,000 people, although about 10,000 others still have not been registered. From the beginning of the riots, tens of thousands of people left Syria, mostly fleeing to nearby states like Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.

Thanks to the humanitarian fund of Club of Friends, People in Need bought 30 field kits, each of which contains a small surgical set with an oxygen cylinder, a pulse oxymeter, stretchers, an endotracheal tube, disinfection, tools for sewing, needles and needed medications.

In addition, two operating theatres in field hospitals were equipped, which can be used by the physicians to carry out complex procedures using special equipment for the treatment of thoracic and vascular injuries.

Kits and other medical equipment were divided between more than thirty groups of physicians working in suburbs of Damascus — in Homs, Daraa, Idlib and Deir ez-Zor — where they are being used to treat the wounded people during the protests.

Humanitarian crisis in Syria

According to the UN more than 9,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the conflict, which has lasted over a year. Nothing suggests that the situation will get better. Damascus has agreed with the six-point peace plan of the Arab League and the UN, which directs Syrian troops to pull out of the cities until Tuesday.

However, on Sunday Damascus conditioned the plan with written guarantees that the opposition will lay down their weapons and also asked that the states promise they will not provide money or weapons to insurgents.

Insurgents did not accept these conditions and the fights continue on. The Syrian government has not complied with any point from the peace plan, although they pledged to secure conditions for the humanitarian aid and a daily two-hour truce.

“In our opinion the plan for killing was adopted and the number of dead is just increasing. Of our medical staff, now 59 people are dead and 556 have been detained,” said the representative of the underground network of physicians Doctors Coordinate of Damascus to People in Need, adding that physicians in the conflict respect their independence and professionalism. „Our oath prevent us as doctors to follow any political thoughts in our career,” explained the doctor.

Even children are involved in conflict

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, discussed the systematic detention and torture of children. “They started to use a large number of children for many purposes. Hundreds of them were detained and tortured — it is horrible. They shoot them in the knee, they are held together with the adults in inhumane conditions, they have no access to the medical treatment or they are being held as hostages and sources of information,” said Pillay in the interview with BBC television.

According to the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, representatives of opposition groups also commit violence, such as kidnapping, detaining and torturing of security forces as well as supporters of the current government. “In a civil war that broke out here it is not possible to imagine that one of the conflict sides is good or bad. In our point of view, the best thing we can do is to help to physicians who treat the wounded under the Hippocratic Oath regardless to which side they belong,” says Panek.

Jacques Rupnik: Democracy Between Hope and Decay

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:04:56 GMT

We offer you the full transcript of the speech of Jacques Rupnik from the opening of One World Film Festival and grant of HOMO HOMINI Award to the underground network of Syrian doctors and medical staff known as Doctors Coordinate of Damascus.

Prague Crossroads, 6th March 2012

Good evening,

Thank you for inviting me to speak. People in Need is not only an organization that I have respected from the very beginning but I also know that V�clav Havel considered it to be the biggest, if not the only, successor of the ideas of dissent which he himself was trying to promote under different conditions. Therefore, I thank you for the invitation again. When Mr. Marek Svoboda approached me he said: “We would like you to evaluate the state of democracy in the world; you have fifteen minutes to do so. That means briefly.”

The briefest way I can evaluate such a thing is by breaking it into good news and bad news. The good news is that during the last year in different parts of the world we have seen the awakening of democracy from the bottom. In different contexts, whether it is the Arab spring or in Russia or somewhere else, democracy has developed in places where it didn’t exist and where we didn’t expect it to be.

The bad news is that on the other hand, while we once thought democracy was well established, we now see it in crisis today or exhausted and trying to get back up on its feet. Both cases have an impact on what I think is of interest to all of us — and that is our chance to support the efforts to spread human rights and democracy around the world.

First, the good news, which is that democracy has in fact been awakened from the bottom. The Arab spring is a common name the political scientists and journalists have given to these movements, which are otherwise very diverse. The parallels they made to the revolutions in Eastern Europe in 1989, which we have heard, were not always fitting but they had at least some relevance. First of all, they showed how fragile dictatorships can be. Dictatorships can unexpectedly collapse in only a few weeks or a few months. We can also see how quickly the domino effect of these democratic movements can spread. In this regard, it does resemble the years 1898 or 1989. Here some parallels exist and I think that the holders of these authoritarian regimes are well aware of them. There is a certain solidarity within dictatorships, so to say. Today, we can see this in the case of Syria, for example. Who is supporting Assad? Iran, Russia, and China, because they understand the connection. And the Russian citizens, for example, they understand it too. What happened in Moscow in December were the biggest demonstrations since 1991, since an attempted coup d’�tat which fortunately failed at that time. Thus there is a possibility of spreading of a democratic revolt but there is also solidarity between dictatorships.

The Arab spring is important for us by having gone against the stereotypes that have prevailed in the last twenty years, especially in the western world. The first of these stereotypes was the idea that civilizations clash, which means that civilizations exist where the idea of democracy doesn’t stand a chance because the religious or cultural fabric of their society is so different there. And the Arab spring showed first in Tunisia, in Egypt and afterwards in countries that this is the clash inside a civilization. We don’t know how this clash will turn out but it is a clash inside of this cultural and religious space. The second idea that we got used to way too easily in the west and that was proven false is that we always have a choice only between a military dictatorship and Islamic fundamentalism. And I don’t need to say which one we have mostly resorted to. In most cases we became reconciled to a military regime because we thought the other option would probably be worse... so it is either soldiers or “bearded men” and that is the only alternative. And the civic movements during the last year have shown that there is some kind of third force or third way, even though we are of course finding out that it will take a long time and require long-term effort. However, we truly don’t know which direction it will go in the end. What we do know is that at least there is a more open palate of possibilities. In Egypt, for example, they are discussing whether the Turkish model is attractive or adoptable for their country. That is where the catch is though.

First of all, even though the fall of dictatorship can come, as I said, very quickly, it doesn’t guarantee the success of a complete democratic transformation at all. And as I also said the “clash of civilizations” probably wasn’t the most fitting paradigm for understanding the region. However, we can’t simplify it in the other way by saying that the universal values of democracy have won. I would rather talk about the universal desire for freedom and dignity. Freedom alone isn’t value, however, it only gives the society a possibility to define in public debate and democratic process the values on which to build political, social and other institutions.

Secondly, from history we know that the makers of democratic revolutions usually aren’t those who set the direction later on. We saw how Egyptian elections went. We thought that originally they gave us a choice between soldiers and Islamists. Now after the Egyptian elections they are saying, “maybe the moderate soldiers and moderate Islamists could find some kind of compromise.” Those solutions are not necessarily democratic but it is clear that what is already in motion can hardly be stopped. At least in the case of Tunisia, I would say, that the chances are very good and the key country for them will be Egypt. Just like Poland was the key country for Middle and Eastern Europe, Egypt will be the key country for this region. However, the outcomes may also depend on us, on the ability of the EU to engage in this space. In the past when the Europeans were concerned with the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, first they were worried about their security – the Islamic terrorism, etc. – or migration… that is, how we are going to control the influx of migrants to Europe.

And now to discuss the less uplifting news — the fatigue or even crisis of democracy in the West. Instances during which the western democracies can develop a series of democratic changes will rely on the following factors.

First of all, how much the relative fall of the west influence – not only European, but also USA – compensates for the accession of the authoritarian capitalism. We have seen it lately in Russia and China. After the year 1989, for a long time there existed a mantra — that the market and democracy are the same thing, and the term market democracy was created. We know that there can exist a market economy without a democracy. Even the general Pinochet knew that when he started the hardest market policy under the control of the army. Even Putin knows that and so do the Chinese people. They have a market without obstacles, without unions and other distractions.

Secondly – which can be applied mainly in the Arabian world, but also even somewhere else – where there is oil, democracy cannot thrive. The case of Algeria, for example, is very interesting. It is an incredibly rich country, which gives its young generation only the choices to hide or emigrate. The fact that market and democracy aren’t the same is something we can see also now in Europe. The markets are global – mainly the finance markets – although our democracies are national. So how can we decide in democratic circumstances about things on which we have none or only a small amount of influence? We’ve already seen a breakdown of the international finance markets, intervention of states which have tried to save these markets and then when the markets turn to these states and their governments only saying, “you are in debt.” Therefore, you have democratic governments under the control of the finance markets. Yes, they have the trust of the markets, they do have some arrangements which they dictate, but they’re loosing the trust of the citizens. This is how the protest movement — the movement of the indignant, the unsatisfied, and so on are created. The citizens are under the impression that the democratic institutions are deaf to their needs, their protests.

This phenomenon, but in an extreme form, we can see in Greece and Italy, where the space for democracy is less and the technocracy rises up. The best prime minister is not necessary the one who was elected and can step down, but the one after him who was established and who is a banker with the trust of the market. This technocracy, this emptying of a democratic space, that’s the real problem. I don’t know if Italy and Greece aren’t the signal in advance of a trend in Europe, but organizing elections right now in Greece, where the only program is to lower the status by the end of a decade (by) 25 %, is a de facto denial of democracy. You can have this technocratic government and when it won’t succeed the colonels can come back. These are the risks of the crisis we’re in and of the reaction in the form of technocracy.

The second possible reaction is populism, which has the opposite approach. Technocracy wants “policy without politics”. We have one agenda in which no one interferes from right or left, where no discussion takes place. Populism aims for the opposite — “politics without policy”. It offers extremely simple answers to what are truly complicated questions. A strong leader and mostly strong rhetoric pointed towards technocratic elites, minorities, newcomers and all of those who don’t belong to the “right Finns”. We can find such in every country. We can find this alternative in every country. This alternative of a national populism is spreading and it is a big problem for the EU, because one of the target audiences of national populists isn’t only the minorities and newcomers at home, but also the EU members across the border. The question is how it influences the EU.

If I should focus on one situation that should have our attention, I will point out Hungary. Recently I was in contact with my Hungarian friends, who are all concerned about what is happening under the rule of the Prime Minister Orban. All former dissidents are being mobilized. Gy�rgy Konrad uses the word “democratura” to describe this situation – it’s not democracy or dictatorship. Three hundred and fifty new laws, big control of news media, eight hundred journalists have been fired from television and radio and so on. The populists don’t like anything that is between government and citizens, anything of what Montesquieu called Corps Interm�diaires — all levels, connecting links, independent institutions like the constitutional court, independent justice or the central bank. All institutions, which they cannot control directly, are dangerous for them and therefore they are against them. That’s the attack against liberal democracy, which honors the distribution of power, constitutional system and respect for the law.

I don’t have to describe this situation any further – you know it’s not only just Hungary, it’s a problem for the whole of Middle Europe. The question is whether the situation in Hungary is just an enhanced problem, which can be seen even in Middle Europe and we can say, “we’ve survived the twins Kaczynsky, we’ll survive even Orban”. Or, as Gy�rgy Konrad suggested in our last conversation, what’s happening in Hungary is something like being setting apart from Europe, which he is afraid of. He sees that Orban is a “soft version” of the road to authoritarianism, which is more radical in Ukraine with Yanukovich and of course even worse with Putin or in Belarus. The further you go east, the stronger this trend appears, but essentially the biggest fears come from the fact that it’s not only about the question of democracy, but also geopolitical integration. These situations, while they’re taking place now in Hungary, we have to think about in the context of debates that are led within the European Union.

I’m concerned that my time is up, so I will summarize what’s most important of what I have said as it relates to the future of spreading democracy.

At first, the challenge I was talking about — the challenge for democratic changes, which comes from below — it can’t keep us calm. How could democracies stay passive toward the democratic changes, which develop in the mentioned areas? On the other hand, they can’t just wave a flag that reads “democracy promotion” while under the influence of a military intervention like in Iraq or Afganistan. After this experience, it’s over. The world has changed, it’s not unipolar anymore, but rather multipolar. Our western public opinion won’t accept it and we also don’t have the money for that. The war in Iraq costs thousands of billions dollars, while Afganistan costs two billion dollars every week. We just don’t have the money, which is why this form of support of the democracy must come to a hault, at least for now. But there is one challenge left for all of us as civil societies to help those to help themselves. To aid in the development of the civil societies in countries I have discussed or in those that People in Need helps. Our help, our involvement, has one condition.

Every spreading of a democracy must start at home.

Thank you for your time.

PIN Cash for Work projects help with recovery and development in northern Afghanistan

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:04:49 GMT

Zare area in northern Afghanistan has always been remote, underdeveloped and forgotten. Although it’s been through many crises, it has only been in the last ten years that it has received steady aid, which has focused on the areas where help is most urgently needed.

“There were many changes made recently – new roads, small water reservoirs, and humanitarian aid,” says Maruziballai, resident of Darai-e Kilma village. However, the living standard still remains very low and the farmers are able to feed themselves only in the years of good harvest.

Last year was not ideal for them. There wasn’t much snow in the winter, there was very little rain in the spring, and they experienced no water up until November. The resulting drought affected mostly those with rainfed land, peasants without additional incomes from their relatives working abroad.

“We are falling into debt. I own 150 000 Afghani now. And what can I do? I have no cows to cultivate land, so I have to borrow from the others to repay my debts,” says Faizullo, resident of Abdulgan Area.

The aim of People in Need (PIN) emergency assistance, funded by ECHO, was to overcome the crisis by giving enough money to 30% of the poorest population so that they may repay debts and secure enough food to survive. More than 4700 families have received 12 500 Afghani in cash donations to cover half of their food needs for a span of six months.

PIN staff must reach the beneficiaries on horses

Two thirds of those families received aid through Cash for Work, women headed households had to clean their houses and pass hygienic training in order to receive this aid, and about 700, mostly poor and disabled received aid unconditionally. Overall, more than 1 200 000 euros have been spent for the entire project.

((1)) But at first PIN teams had to visit each community. The main problem was not security, because the area was relatively calm. But after the dry year came a harsh winter with a lot of snow, and PIN staff faced difficulties in reaching some of the more remote villages. They eventually did so with enormous effort, sometimes on horses or by foot.

Beneficiaries have been selected in close cooperation with community. Community members identified the most vulnerable recipients, who were later verified as at risk by PIN field teams. Focus was given to infrastructure rehabilitation which would help people to face any upcoming crisis. Water reservoirs, water channels, or roads have been rehabilitated or constructed.

Without help of PIN, we must leave our house

The happiest part of the project is the distribution of money. Especially in the first round, when the beneficiaries were given 6 000 Afghani. It was too difficult for the PIN staff, because of inaccessibility for example.

“We had to sell so many livestock, because we had no food in our homes. Some people left their houses recently, and without this aid, we also had to do the same,” says Kalafshu, resident of Chahak village.

Such humanitarian assistance is an integral part of PIN’s efforts to make these communities resilient in the face of the recurring droughts in their area. PIN aims not only to help local farmers to recover from these droughts, but is also heavily invested in development oriented programs that help the local population diversify sources of income and improve upon their agricultural production.

�lov�k v t�sni: 20 years helping people in need

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:04:46 GMT

Czech humanitarian group People In Need (�lov�k v t�sni), organizers of the One World festival, celebrate 20 years

The fourteenth One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival that came to a close this month in Prague has now traveled on to 40 other cities and towns throughout the Czech Republic. Over 30,000 cinema visitors and more than 11,000 students through special screenings for schools, were recorded in Prague, increasing attendance numbers from One World 2011.

This year’s best film award went to Switzerland’s “Special Flight” — a 108-minute piece that takes viewers inside a detention center in Geneva. The traditional Homo Homini Award went to Doctors Coordinate of Damascus an underground network of Syrian doctors and medical staff.

A special component to this year’s festival honored the organizers behind it. Including documentaries and a timeline, a special website was created to celebrate People In Need (�lov�k v t�sni)— Central and Eastern Europe’s largest humanitarian NGO — who are marking their 20-year anniversary this year.

((1)) Founded officially by Senator Jarom�r �t�tina, Czech Televison, and the organization’s current executive director, �imon P�nek, People in Need (PIN) was started in 1992 by a group of half a dozen journalists, a philosopher, and P�nek, who was studying biology at the time. “Most of us had been against the former regime,” he told Czech Position.

Beginning as what they called the Epicentrum and more officially the Lidov� Noviny Foundation, their headquarters were a small room in the offices of the parent newspaper. “Why there? There was an empty space and Lidov� noviny — giving us a base, phones, an account and most important: space in a daily paper to communicate with the public — played a large role in helping us start,” P�nek said.

Their objective was to not only report on crisis areas, but also deliver aid to them. Fueled by their desire for travel, a revolutionary spirit and strong disagreement with “ugly wars against civilians,” P�nek admits that they were somewhat naïve, idealistic and without any knowledge of the professional standards of a humanitarian organization. “It was an informal, revolutionary period,” he says.

((2)) With the realization that they needed to adopt a more professional structure in order to continue, �t�tina was designated as the editor-in-chief and P�nek took on the more operational matters – the duties they were naturally more inclined toward. Their first initiative was a collection to help war-torn Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1994, when the foundation was supported and hosted by Czech Television, they took on the name People In Need.

Today, although PIN is Central and Eastern Europe’s largest NGO with a budget of over half a billion Czech crowns per year and the implementation of “hundreds of pages of procedures,” P�nek says they remain a field-oriented organization and still follow the same sort of set of rules that they were following intuitively during the organization’s beginnings.

“Number one, if we provide some aid, we design it according to the needs of the people, we listen to the people,” P�nek explains. “Second, we are personally responsible — we personally deliver the aid, we make sure the publically collected funds are well spent. And the third, we try to be as transparent as possible.” He sums it up by saying it’s about critical thinking and common sense. “We always ask ourselves: is this really helping people, making a change — improving the situation?”

Today, PIN operates in over 20 countries with 11 offices in the Czech Republic, including their headquarters in Prague, and several offices abroad. Last year, their largest mission was in Pakistan. This year it’s Afghanistan. Overall, their presence is strongest as home, with 180 social workers in the country along with administrative and operational staff. The scope of their activities is vast, but falls under four key areas: Relief and Development, Informative and Educational Programs, Social Integration Programs and Human Rights and Democracy support.

With sometimes up to 75 percent of their budget allocated to their relief and development efforts, this area is by far their largest program. “It’s the department that started it all,” says P�nek. Their latest missions were established in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010, Pakistan after the floods of the same year and their campaign “SOS Somalia” in 2011.

Although only six percent of their budget was allocated to their human rights department in 2010, its inspiration is close to home. “[The human rights area of focus] is a kind of legacy of Charter 77, of dissidents. We carry on the same sort of support our dissidents got from Western Europe and the US during the regime,” P�nek told Czech Position.

As an example of the types of activities they might carry out, he mentions the translation of books for those residing in countries where they are not allowed to read them. “We do illegal things from the point of view of illegitimate regimes sometimes, but it’s from a higher principle, of basic freedoms – freedom of information, freedom of speech and so on,” he explains. “We try to break through obstacles, regulations, dictatorships.”

((3)) Of the other two pillars – education and the social integration programs - these efforts are being carried out most predominately in the Czech Republic. Education activities include One World in Schools and Variants – a program which focuses on bringing intercultural and global education practices into the Czech school system. Social inclusion activities, mainly focused on the Roma population, are perhaps the most challenging P�nek notes. “It’s very difficult, very long-term work, with not very tangible results,” he says. “They are very complex issues, but maybe not as visible as rushing into natural disaster areas. It’s very heavy daily, monthly, yearly work — working with marginalized people that are not understood by the vast majority of society. In some ways it’s more difficult than going to Afghanistan.”

Of PIN’s most memorable initiatives P�nek says that it’s difficult to choose, but the beginnings are embedded inside him. “The first two to three operations are deep in my memory, because I was relatively young. I was 25. I experienced the Balkan wars 30, 40 times – with convoys, flights, ambulance,” he says.

“I was mostly in Bosnia. I learned the language and had personal friends. Basically every month or two I was traveling there. It’s still deep in me.” Also remembering his time in Chechnya, he describes it as “a strong, brutal, scary situation.” Up until 2005, P�nek went into the field six to eight months out of the year. Since 2006, he travels two to three times per year for short missions. “You learn in the field; it’s the best way to learn.”

Of the organizations over 300 employees – a remarkable increase from PIN’s humble beginnings - around 50 to 60 are working abroad on permanent missions or in some cases traveling to different locations. For them as well as those at home in the Czech Republic, P�nek says “you need to have a strong social interest and a sense for social issues.” Those working abroad are asked why they want to do it.

“They must have an interest in other cultures, sympathy and empathy to them, creativity, intellect, good English and the ability to work under difficult circumstances,” explains P�nek. “Some countries are [less intense] of course, like Sri Lanka, but the Congo is very difficult; there is tension in the air, the potential for kidnapping and other such incidences is stronger.”

Since 2003, PIN is one among 7 members of Alliance 2015 (www.alliance2015.org) — a network of NGOs engaged in humanitarian and development activities. Now consulted as an expert in the NGO sector, PIN has played a role in shaping policies on inclusiveness in Czech education, foreign policy and human rights issues and the handling of cooperation abroad. “We started as a service provider, as activists, but now we are starting to be a center of expertise,” says P�nek. [Remarkably] “In the beginning we planned to be together for one or two years.”

— Joann Plockova is a Prague-based freelance journalist

The Article was published on Czech Position (28. 3. 2012).

European Commissioner was pleased with project of PIN in DRC

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 02:03:28 GMT

In the beginning of March European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva visited projects of People in Need (PIN) in Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Commissioner was pleased with the evident transition she saw in Kakemenge from emergency work to development, with the relative stability and security that has come to Kitutu Health Zone, allowing for increased establishment of livelihoods. She was also pleased with the bringing in of clean water systems, and also the steady accompaniment in health care delivery that has been provided by PIN.

The Commissioner noted the truly comprehensive support PIN has provided to Kakemenge Health Center in particular, and the zone in general, and was particularly interested in the next phase of PIN's work.

((1)) A step-by-step exit strategy which will work toward training health center managers and the central health zone team in financial management strategies which will strengthen their capacity to function independently in the future.

Specifically the Commissioner responded to questions about the issue of drugs deliverty, and the need to strictly monitor it. She was informed about PIN’s commitment to on-the-ground, intensive evaluation systems and close cooperation with the local partner, the Central Health Bureau.

PIN educates new farmers or beekeepers in Mongolia

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:04:29 GMT

“Mongolian technical and vocational education system is deeply rooted in socialist times and urgently needs modernization,” says Petr Drbohlav, People in Need (PIN) Regional Coordinator for Asia. PIN is supporting the upgrading of Technical and Vocation Education and Training in Mongolia.

It is doing this by implementing an Development of agriculture and agro-processing vocational education and training project funded by Czech Development Agency (CZDA) aimed at developing a skilled labour force and decreasing unemployment.

Although Mongolia has started to focus more on vocational education training, trades for the agricultural industry receive less emphasis than mining or construction trades. As an economic sector of secondary priority, agriculture lacks skilled labour and current technical school graduates are not being prepared to meet the industry’s skilled employment requirements.

Vocational schools do not have sufficient resources and funding to keep up with the needs of the labour market. This is particularly acute in industries where new and emerging technologies are being applied to the workplace at an ever-increasing rate.

Consequently, PIN, through CZDA, provides necessary training aids and agricultural training equipment for five trades currently being taught in Sukhbaatar, Zaamar, Zuunkharaa and Sant vocational schools. “We have selected these areas because they have the highest unemployment rate among the young people in the country,” explains Petr Drbohlav.

((1)) However, the skills needed by many employers still cannot be provided to the degree necessary. There will continue to be a need for vocational schools to establish close working cooperation with industry to ensure that training meets the needs of business for highly skilled Mongolian workers.

PIN and the Agency of Vocational Education and Training announced a call for proposals to support vocational schools to support newly-introduced agricultural trades such as forestry, orchard, gardener, fishers and others.

Skill training in farming or wool processing

Along with vocational education support, PIN is also working to improve employment in the areas of Mongolia where unemployment rates are the highest. We organized short-term skill training in 2011 such as beekeeping, wool processing, pig farming and vegetable production.

Participants feedback was positive and they expressed gratitude to our donors for providing them new skills and opportunities to increase their household income. Many of them have already started small home businesses based on the skills and knowledge acquired through the training.

“Beekeeping is an excellent window of opportunity. The demand for honey and honey products highly exceeds supply,” claims Ganchimeg Tsedendamba, PIN Program Manager. “Who knows, in the future we might teach Mongolian peasants to produce honey wine,” adds Petr Drbohlav.

From training to own business

Ms. Otgonjargal, participant from wool processing training, has started her wool processing business with her relatives. “Even though it seemed to be a big dream to have my own business, I started it with a lot of enthusiasm and support from trainers. At the beginning I thought about feeding my family but now, with this expanding business, it is more of feeding all employees and their family and continuing to provide employment to them," she says.

"I am also thinking of opening a small souvenir shop next to my workshop. I need to improve my business skills and make new connections and make a variety of slippers and wool souvenirs. But most importantly I am so glad I have started my business," she adds.

The First Iraqi Human Rights Film Festival attracted hundreds of people

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 04:03:40 GMT

The first Iraqi human rights film festival Baghdad Eye took place in Baghdad at the end of February. Hundreds of people visited the opening ceremony and the movie screenings inspired by the One World Festival held annually in the Czech Republic and Brussels by the organisation People In Need.

Among the festival visitors were Martin Kobler, UN Secretary-General for Iraq, Francesco Motta, the Chief of the Human Rights Unit of UNAMI and Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Iraq or Jozef Vrabec, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Iraq. The UN High Representative for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, also sent a videogreeting expressing her support for the festival during its opening ceremony.

„Visitors were interested mainly in the topic of violence and discrimination against women and freedom of expression and opinion,“ said Monika Jamborova, the Head of the Iraqi Mission of People in Need, also emphasizing the fact that the audience had watched the movies with genuine interest. It was predominantly students and their teachers that came to Hakim Hall at Baghdad University, where the screenings took place.

Visitors had an opportunity to watch 11 documentaries in three thematic blocks, five of which were dedicated to topics specifically relatad to Iraq. „One of the most successful movies was "The Power of Powerless" which documents the Czech transition from dictatorship to democracy. When this film screened, the hall was almost full,“ stated Monika Jamborova. After each of the thematic blocks, open discussions about the movies followed.

The festival dealt not only with the rights of women and the freedom of expression but also with the rights of children and youth. „These are some of the most acute issues in Iraq,“ said Kasim Abid, the director of the Baghdad Eye Festival to AFP agency. „The civil society in Iraq was destroyed in the past decades and people have no idea about their rights,“ he added also mentioning that the Baghdad Eye is the first attempt so far to help people understand the concept of human rights through documentary movies.

People in Need provided the organizing partners Iraqi Cultural Support Organisation and Independent Film and Television College mainly with basic know-how and mentoring. „The partners were given the list of movies to watch and select the suitable ones. Thanks to the sponsors of the festival - Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNAMI Human Rights Office, UNDP, UNESCO and UNICEF, they had the funds needed for subtitling, purchasing of authors rights, as well as for preparing the festival in general,“ said Hana Urbanova, Head of PIN Iraqi programmes in the Czech Republic.

The Festival is, however, not over now. According to the organizers, festival sequels will be held in other Iraqi cities in the coming months and there is a possibility that the festival will again be organized next year.

One World Transports You to 72 Countries

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 04:03:56 GMT

Tuesday, 6 March 2012 marks the start of the 14^th One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, hosted annually by People in Need. For the next ten days, the festival will feature 106 documentary films from 44 countries. We welcome the Prague public to come learn about the human rights situations in 72 different countries from around the world. This year’s festival programme includes films that highlight Protests, Unrest, and Revolt and will focus on the expressions of discontent organized by young people in the Arab world as well as in a number of democratic nations around the globe. In support of expanding democratic values, the festival’s first screening will be of the winning images from Burma’s Film Festival — “The Art of Freedom” — as well as the first major documentary images from Syria.

Aside from politically focused films, the festival will also feature a category titled “With or Without You”, which will explore interpersonal relationships and present day family patterns. Furthermore, the “So-Called Civilization” category will feature environmental films that emphasize human lifestyles and man’s relationship with the environment. If you’re interested in Czech productions, Czech documentaries and short films will make an appearance at this year’s One World as well.

Concerts and panel discussions on current human rights topics such as Arab Spring or development assistance will take place and as per tradition, audience members will also have the opportunity to do Q&A sessions with the filmmakers, Czech experts, and international guests. This year’s One World festival promises to be an opportunity you won’t want to miss — be sure to take advantage and learn about the most pressing human rights issues in our world today.

People in Need

SITUATION OF SYRIAN REFUGEES IS GETTING WORSE. PIN HAS RELEASED ANOTHER MILLION TO HELP

Help can be sent directly to our account SOS Syria 92329232/0300

Or using the donation SMS in the form “DMS SYRIE“ sent to number 87777

Human Rights Activist Detained in Eastern Cuba

Issued and supported by:

People in Need is collecting monetary donations for victims of Syrian conflict

Help can be sent directly to our account SOS Syria 92329232/0300

Humanitarian crisis in Syria

Even children are involved in conflict

Jacques Rupnik: Democracy Between Hope and Decay

PIN Cash for Work projects help with recovery and development in northern Afghanistan

PIN staff must reach the beneficiaries on horses

Without help of PIN, we must leave our house

�lov�k v t�sni: 20 years helping people in need

European Commissioner was pleased with project of PIN in DRC

PIN educates new farmers or beekeepers in Mongolia

Skill training in farming or wool processing

From training to own business

The First Iraqi Human Rights Film Festival attracted hundreds of people

One World Transports You to 72 Countries

For festival webpage click HERE