GMF
Commodities and Foreign Investors - Protecting the Rights of Communities and Preventing Conflict (the Chad Example)
Tuesday, 18 June 2013, 4:00 p.m., Room C
![Image UNI127513: © UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0881/Sokol UNICEF Advocate for Children Affected by War Ishmael Beah reads from and discusses his book ‘A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier’ with recently released former child soldiers, at a UNICEF-assisted transit centre for the children, in the town of N’dele, capital of the northern Bamingui-Bangoran Prefecture. From 18 to 23 August 2012 in the Central African Republic (CAR), UNICEF Advocate for Children Affected by War Ishmael Beah met with children recently released from participation in armed groups, in the northern town of N’Dele, near the border with Chad. The children are presently staying at a UNICEF-assisted transit centre run by the Danish Refugee Council. Mr. Beah also witnessed the release of 10 children from the armed group Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP), at a nearby military camp. Mr. Beah was himself forcibly recruited into armed forces during the civil war in his country, Sierra Leone. He was released from these forces in 1996 with assistance from UNICEF – a story he recounts in his 2007 bestselling book, ‘A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier’. Mr. Beah shared some of these experiences with the children in N’Dele and read them portions of his book. “When you are conditioned to function in war, it takes time to know that something else is possible. I went through that myself,” he told the children. He later remarked, “These children have been through so much, but their release marks just the beginning. Many of the children have little to return to … [and] urgently require special care over the long term.” The transit centre aims to help the children overcome some of the effects of the abuse, exploitation and violence they have been subjected to and participated in. It provides counselling support, basic education, sport, cultural activities and vocational skills training for 45 children aged 10–18 years. Three of the children presently at the centre are girls. Amid proliferating conflicts in the Central African Republic – one of the world’s poorest countries – numerous national and foreign armed groups use children to work as guards, combatants, domestic servants and sex slaves, amongst other roles. In Bangui, the capital, Mr. Beah also met with government and other officials to press for additional support to ensure an end to the forcible recruitment of children into armed groups. Worldwide, thousands of children continue to be deprived of their most basic rights through association with armed forces and groups. UNICEF continues to advocate for their release and supports ongoing rehabilitation and reintegration efforts that, since 1998, have assisted more than 100,000 children to integrate back into their communities.](https://static.dw.com/image/16575440_303.webp "Image UNI127513: © UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0881/Sokol UNICEF Advocate for Children Affected by War Ishmael Beah reads from and discusses his book ‘A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier’ with recently released former child soldiers, at a UNICEF-assisted transit centre for the children, in the town of N’dele, capital of the northern Bamingui-Bangoran Prefecture. From 18 to 23 August 2012 in the Central African Republic (CAR), UNICEF Advocate for Children Affected by War Ishmael Beah met with children recently released from participation in armed groups, in the northern town of N’Dele, near the border with Chad. The children are presently staying at a UNICEF-assisted transit centre run by the Danish Refugee Council. Mr. Beah also witnessed the release of 10 children from the armed group Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP), at a nearby military camp. Mr. Beah was himself forcibly recruited into armed forces during the civil war in his country, Sierra Leone. He was released from these forces in 1996 with assistance from UNICEF – a story he recounts in his 2007 bestselling book, ‘A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier’. Mr. Beah shared some of these experiences with the children in N’Dele and read them portions of his book. “When you are conditioned to function in war, it takes time to know that something else is possible. I went through that myself,” he told the children. He later remarked, “These children have been through so much, but their release marks just the beginning. Many of the children have little to return to … [and] urgently require special care over the long term.” The transit centre aims to help the children overcome some of the effects of the abuse, exploitation and violence they have been subjected to and participated in. It provides counselling support, basic education, sport, cultural activities and vocational skills training for 45 children aged 10–18 years. Three of the children presently at the centre are girls. Amid proliferating conflicts in the Central African Republic – one of the world’s poorest countries – numerous national and foreign armed groups use children to work as guards, combatants, domestic servants and sex slaves, amongst other roles. In Bangui, the capital, Mr. Beah also met with government and other officials to press for additional support to ensure an end to the forcible recruitment of children into armed groups. Worldwide, thousands of children continue to be deprived of their most basic rights through association with armed forces and groups. UNICEF continues to advocate for their release and supports ongoing rehabilitation and reintegration efforts that, since 1998, have assisted more than 100,000 children to integrate back into their communities.")
Hosted by Bonn International Center for Conversion
The international economy depends on resources that are exploited in developing nations. Resource wealth is seen as a chance of development for poor countries. But foreign investors and corrupt governments are often more interested in profits than in the lives of the people. Ultimately, the local economy suffers, corruption undermines governance structures, the environment is destroyed and human rights of the inhabitants are violated.
When oil was found in Chad, hopes for a better future were high. Communities in the oil-rich area were promised better lives and the whole country was to benefit from the oil profits. Oil extraction was designed as a model project by the Chadian government and the World Bank to prove that good governance in the oil sector is possible. Ten years after the first oil started flowing in 2003, the communities' hopes for a better future have been shattered. Local conflicts have arisen from practices of monetary compensation. At the national level, the model of good governance has been altered and oil money has been used to bolster the army.
The workshop will focus on the following questions:
- Why has oil wealth not translated into development for Chad?
- How have ten years of oil extraction influenced conflicts in the country?
- How is the local population coping with the oil industry in their neighborhood?
- How can civil monitoring capacities of governments, civil society and international bodies be enhanced to better understand the ramifications of extraction of natural resources in conflict regions? How can they serve the media?
- How can media convey information that contributes to educating and sensitizing the stakeholders in the region as well as consumers in the North?
The workshop will include presentations of maps and photographs as well as satellite monitoring capacities.
Moderation:
Guesnet, Lena
Researcher, Bonn International Center for Conversion, Germany
Panelists:
Djiraibe, Delphine
Co-Founder, Chadian Association for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, Chad
Horta, Dr. Korinna
International Finance, Human Rights and Environment Campaigner, Urgewald,Washington/Lisbon, United States/Portugal
Selg, Fabian
Freelance Researcher Associated to BICC, Bonn, Germany
Zint, Martin
Journalist, Mühltal, Germany
Complete workshop on soundcloud:
WS40 - Commodities and Foreign Investors - Protecting the Rights of Communities and Preventing
- Date 21.03.2013
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- Date 21.03.2013
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