Europe

From 9 to 13th of November 2011 took place in Greece the Forum for Peace and Nonviolence in five different cities: Iraklion, Athens, Thebes, Corfu and Preveza. It provided excellent possibilities both for local activities and national coordination on the field of
nonviolence. It is already evident from various initiatives that came as a result of it.

During the last two centuries over 60 million of Europeans travelled to the Americas escaping the great wars or looking for a better life. When Latin Americans travelled back to Europe running away from military dictatorships and economic debacles the walls came up in “fortress Europe”. As the economic crisis in the Eurozone unfolds migration is again changing direction.

After four and a half days of representations from the City of London Corporation, Occupy London (represented by John Cooper QC and Michael Paget on behalf of named defendant Tammy Samede) and two litigants in person, George Barda and Daniel Ashman, the OccupyLSX hearing has concluded at the High Court with Christmas wishes being given to and by all concerned.

Arab League observers headed by Sudanese General Mustafa al Dabi, accompanied by government representatives, returned to Homs, epicentre of anti-government protests, for a second visit. Based on first statements to the press, Dabi said that the situation is Homs appeared “reassuring”, bur “further investigations” are needed, and that “20 experts will remain for some time”.

While Europeans were busily preparing for the festive season, Brussels quietly published a document that will have far-reaching consequences for everyone’s ability to see what they want on the internet. Plans contained in the CleanIt Project are supposed to create a clean internet without any terrorists/extremists. The new blueprint for the internet is a dangerous development.

2011 in figures: 66 journalists killed (16% more than in 2010), 1,044 journalists arrested, 1,959 journalists physically attacked or threatened,
499 media censored, 71 journalists kidnapped, 73 journalists fled their country, 5 netizens killed, 199 bloggers and netizens arrested, 62 bloggers and netizens physically attacked, 68 countries subject to Internet censorship

A tiny courtroom was yesterday the scene of the first of a four day hearing to decide if the City of London can evict the Occupy LSX campsite by St Paul’s Cathedral. At the same time a breather was given to the protesters as the Judge dealing with UBS (which used to mean Union Bank of Switzerland) request to vacate the Bank of Ideas postponed the case till January.

The world will remember Mr. Vaclav Havel as a great man who took several personal great risks to improve the situation in his country, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Sunday, the day that the Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician died died in his sleep at dawn after a lengthy illness, at the age of 75.

About two hundred Arabs of different nationalities attended the First Forum for The Awakening of the Arab Peoples. They analyzed the ‘Arab Spring’ and decided to start generating an environment of sharing and joint proposals that can help, somehow, the revolutions that are now taking place in their respective countries.

Paris – The Palestinian flag was raised for the first time at the Paris headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the agency marked Palestine’s admission as a full member.