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We are alarmed by the humanitarian situation in Gaza. So far, over 1,417 Palestinians, including 447 children, have been killed, 6,268 have been injured and more than 250,000 people have been displaced from their homes*.
The deliberate blockade of water, electricity and other essential supplies is a ticking humanitarian bomb. Hospitals are now unable to provide critical health services, and medicine and food are running out fast.
Depriving food, water, and medicines as part of a ”complete siege” is not only a violation of international law but also a serious violation of basic human rights. It is retaliation, not defense.
With the stated goal of maximizing damage in the area, massive bombing is carried out by Israel in densely populated areas with nowhere for people to seek shelter or flee. Attacks on civilians are never acceptable, regardless of who is carrying them out.
A ground invasion is now imminent. Last night, Israel recommended 1.1 million people in northern Gaza to move to southern Gaza within 24 hours. But how will civilians find shelter and help in a trapped Gaza? Consequently, the UN is appealing to Israel to change this decision as such a move is impossible without ”catastrophic humanitarian consequences”.
The violence must stop, the hostages released, and international law followed. Civilians need to be protected!
Israel must fully respect the principles of proportionality, necessity and distinction between civilian and military targets.
The international community needs to take immediate and meaningful action to stop the indiscriminate violence and to protect the lives of civilians.
A humanitarian corridor to Gaza must be established immediately, in accordance with UN requirements. Medicines and food are needed for civilians.
We urge the Swedish government and other governments internationally, to urgently work for this as well as to contribute with increased humanitarian aid.
– Anna Sundström, Secretary-General Olof Palmes Internationella Center
*The numbers keep increasing.
New information for supplier invoices from June 1stFrom June 1st 2023, the information for supplier invoices to Olof Palme International Center will change, both for pdf invoices sent digitally and for invoices posted through regular mail. You will find the updated information on the regular info page from today and onward:
AFRY’s decision to leave Myanmar welcome but concerns remainVi välkomnar AFRYs beslut att dra sig ur de tre dammbyggen i Burma där företaget är involverade. Samtidigt är det häpnadsväckande hur ett företag av AFRYs kapacitet kan negligera vägledande internationella ramverk och riktlinjer för ansvarsfullt företagande och mänskliga rättigheter. Att jobba direkt med en militärdiktatur som är i krig med sin egen befolkning borde ha rest varningsflaggor hos AFRY för länge sedan.
Svenska företag som arbetar internationellt har ett ansvar att säkerställa att man inte bidrar till kränkningar av mänskliga rättigheter. Här har AFRY uppenbarligen brustit och man borde rimligen fundera på vilka konsekvenser detta bidragit till.
– Michael Haur, Asienchef på Palmecentret.
The Swedish engineering firm AFRY has announced its intention to withdraw from Myanmar, where it has been involved in controversial hydropower projects for over two decades. The undersigned organisations welcome the move to stop doing business with the military junta but remain deeply concerned about AFRY’s delayed response and failure to realise the gravity of its dealings with the Myanmar military.
AFRY’s decision to leave Myanmar comes after criticism from local and international human rights organisations. AFRY allegedly disregarded sustained opposition from communities affected by its dam projects, and continued to cooperate with and receive payments from Myanmar authorities after the military coup in 2021. According to leaked documents, obtained by Justice For Myanmar, AFRY received almost USD 5 million in consultancy fees directly from the Department of Hydropower Implementation of the junta’s electricity ministry.
AFRY’s conduct in Myanmar raises serious questions about the company’s human rights due diligence procedures. It took the company more than two years after the attempted military coup to announce its exit, and it chose to do business with the Department of Hydropower Implementation after it was illegally taken over by the Myanmar military, which stands accused of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. AFRY’s cooperation with the junta continued despite EU sanctions on the State Administration Council and junta leadership.
Now that AFRY has announced its intention to withdraw from Myanmar, we urge the company to:
The company’s shareholders and financiers, including several big Swedish banks, should also act to ensure that the company takes these necessary steps, which are in line with the investors’ own human rights commitments.
Olof Palmes Internationella Center
Curious about sustainable development, and how to make economics work for the people?Education and Training Unit for Democracy and Development provides training in Southern Africa to help bring about greater equality, social justice and access to rights and information.
Now you can also take part of some of ETU’s trainings online, at your own pace.
To learn more about environment and climate, have a look at this course:
The course looks at sustainable development in an unequal world and the effects of climate change on our biodiversity. We will also cover topics such as water management, food security and access to greener energy and transport. Lastly, we will look at the effects of urbanisation on the sustainable development goals. (5 hours total)
If you want to know more about economics, this course might be for you:
This course teaches basic economics and targets progressive activists, policy-makers and politicians who have not studied economics. It focuses on understanding economic terms, broad theories, economic history, inequality and global relations, trade, globalisation and possibilities for inclusive and more equal economic development. (10 hours total)
They are also listed under Method materials.
The Olof Palme International Center and SOLIDAR are inviting change-makers to take part in a three-part training of trainers, that focuses on how to build alliances, develop policies and do advocacy for Just Transition. The training is global and will give you opportunities to exchange with other activists from around the world.
The training will take place during three half days, with some time apart: Feb 1st, 9th and 15th 2023. The sessions will be held from about 8.30 am-12.30 pm CET so that people can join in from several continents.
Read more and apply on the link below! The application is open until the 30th of January 2023.
Convocatoria de propuestas: Capacitaciones de Transición Justa en América Latina23 DE ENERO DE 2023, 24h00 hora de Bruselas
SOLIDAR está lanzando una convocatoria de propuestas como parte de su programa Organizando la Solidaridad Internacional (OSI), financiado por la Unión Europea (UE). Este mecanismo tiene como objetivo reforzar las acciones conjuntas de incidencia de Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil (OSC) locales, miembros y contrapartes de SOLIDAR que contribuyan al avance de los Derechos Económicos y Sociales, promoviendo una Transición Justa y defendiendo y habilitando espacios para las OSC en línea con la Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible.
Las acciones propuestas deben llevarse a cabo y ser lideradas por organizaciones activas en los siguientes países:
La Subvención en cascada incluye un lote: Lote 3: Acciones Temáticas, 3.1: Acción regional sobre Transición Justa
10.000 EUR (SOLIDAR puede cubrir el 85%, 15% a ser cofinanciado por el solicitante)
Puede enviar su propuesta por correo electrónico a cajsa.unnbom@palmecenter.se en español. Encontrará el paquete de solicitud completo a continuación:
Preguntas y Respuestas Frecuentes
This activity is being realized with the financial assistance of the European Union as part of the Specific Agreement No. CSO-LA/2018/402-422. The contents of this activity are the sole responsibility of SOLIDAR and can under no circumstances be taken as reflecting the position of the European Union.
The Training of Trainers will take part early winter 2022, and the organisation who is selected in this call for proposals to provide after-support (and possibly facilitate another round of the Training of Trainers) will do so in the first quarter of 2023. You will find more details about the project in the call for proposals – link below – under the Just Transition part.
We are welcoming proposals from partners working on the issues related to a Just Transition.
Deadline: 6th of November at 23:59.
It can also be found here in FR and here in ES
Call for proposals: Human Rights & Democracy Support to Civil Society in TürkiyeThe objectives are:
The specific objective of the support to civil society organisations is to strengthen CSOs as independent actors of good governance and development in their own right.
The specific objective is to contribute to an inclusive, participatory, empowered, and independent civil society and democratic space; and an inclusive and open dialogue with and between Civil Society Organisations.
The interested civil society organisations in Türkiye are welcome with a Concept Note (max two pages) providing for an Inception Phase, and an Organisational Description (max one page) written in optional format. Budget for the Inception Phase is restricted to maximum SEK 100 000.
Proposals are to be sent via email (to mailbox: application@palmecenter.se) before the 15th of August 2022.
Just in – toolkit for internal democracyHow about arranging a study circle on the topic?
Or answering a list of questions to get a quick visual overview of strengths and areas where action is needed?
Many of the exercises are learning by doing – just by using these tools you will be exercising internal democracy.
Workshop in climate and environmental integration, March 16thDate: March 16th
Time: 9.30-11 am CET
After active participation in the workshop you will be able to…
What’s the point of all this?
The benefit of practicing this is that we can become better at spotting climate and environmental risks that may undermine our progress.
Analysing our operations from a “green” perspective also means that we can contribute to environmental and climate action that strengthens our goals and the rightsholders we wish to support.
If we do not see the links between the planetary crisis and our goals, and act on them… our countries will be left dangerously unprepared and policies to counter the crisis will neither be adequate or just.
Sign up
Register here by March 10th if you want to join.
