wow, This is really big Move, Nezar Al Baharna the minister of state for forign affairs is on twitter and he is twittering right now about his move,
Before one or more minister opened a discussion blog, not personal blog, discussion to talk with others for 3 hours to answer qustion sent days ago, in the Bahrain Governement site, but now, we have him in our social network, those tools we are using them againest the regim, they are now with us using the same tools, honestly i am happy for that, at least it will show the audience the different type of thinking
so we are waiting for the rest of ministers and their moved with the new media
آه نعم كم كثير من الكلام الآن يمجد الشيخ الجمري رحمه الله، ماذا جرى لماذا هذا الصراع، ولماذا دائما يرتبط الاعلان هذه الايام باحياء ذكرى الشيخ الجمري، بمن سيحييه، بالاضافة الى صورة اكبر لمن سيحييه عن من سوف يحيونه، غريب جدا، فالشيخ رحمه الله بقي في المرض فترة طويلة، لم يذكروه إلا في الدعاء، أما الادعية فكانت شيء آخر يحصل، والآن احياء ذكرى الجمري بمشاركة (..) هل هذه هي الطريقة لاحياء العظماء، وبالتأكيد كلمات الرموز المبجلة التي ستحيي الجمري ستحاول جاهدة أن تقول لنا صراحة، أن الجمري لو كان على قيد الحياة، لكان معنا، وكل سيجتهد يروي القصص لاثبات ذلك وصدقوني، الطرفين سيقنعون أتباعهما فقط ولكن لن يتجرأ أحدهم فقط على أن يقول موقفه صراحة من بعض خطوات الجمري رحمه الله رحمك الله ايها الجمري، فقد صرت الحق الذي يجب أن ندور معك أينما درت
Today was our first day in the 2nd Arab blogger Meeting in Beirut and it was awsom
In the first session we get to know each other then they start defining the program agenda, then we have been devided to sessions and workshops, i joined firstly Anas who talked about meedan and his experience in breaking down the lingua borders, its was really a great session
the second session was with Sami benGharbeya and Jacob who talked about securing your site and the ethic of hack, we have a great depate on that, jacop showed us really good point about security, we should have a long meeting with him tonight with security marathaone
then we have a good presentation done by Razaniyyat from seirya about the blogspher and we were having a big debate with it, i agreed with her study but others did not
Yesterday the king issued and order on appointing the board of Bahrain Insitute for Political Development, based on the name that king choosed, you assume that the insitute is in its way to death, wow great names ha, Al hamar is the CEO, and what is the other names? its not based on development the political culutre in Bahrainl its clearly based on the loyality Al Khalifa Family , and its a clear message that Al Khalifa doesn't want any kind of political development in this country nor in human right ( as her previouse order to issue the council of human right in Bahrain, this royal family is leading this country and choosing the leaders - even in the opposition - just to have more time with this corruption that they cannot stop it as its have the power they need.
the member of this new board is following
HIS MAJESTY APPOINTED NABEEL AL HAMAR AS PRESIDENT AND FOUAD SALEH SHEHAB AS VICE PRESIDENT WITH THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE FOLLOWING : DR.IBRAHIM JAMAL AL HASHIMI, DR. MOHAMMED AHMED ABDULLA, DR.MOHAMMED WALEED AL MASRI, DR.MAI SULYMAN AL OTAIBI, DR.ABDULLA YUSUF AL HAWAJ, JAMEELA ALI SALMAN AND HUSSAIN RASHID AL SABBAGH.
Labour: Liberalised labour laws help country stand out from peers
By Abeer Allam
Published: November 9 2009 17:47 | Last updated: November 9 2009 17:47
When Bahrain abolished much of its expatriate sponsorship system this summer, the move sparked an avalanche of protests from the business community. Executives complained that the move would destroy their businesses and turn employees against them.
“They said there would be chaos in the market,” says Majeed al Alawi, the labour minister. “But cheap labour distorts the whole labour market. We want to ensure the human rights and contractual rights for expatriates are respected.”
In other Gulf countries, sponsorship, or kafala, gives employers scope to exploit foreign workers. Because they are dependent on obtaining consent before travelling, changing jobs, or being joined by their families, employers have leverage over them.
Expatriate workers dominate most high and low skilled labour markets in the Gulf. Bahrain has calculated that freeing its labour market will give it a competitive advantage. If foreign employees can switch jobs, they may move to better conditions or demand better salaries,reducing the salary gap between Bahraini and foreign nationals.
Labour reforms, which also extend unemployment benefit to Bahraini citizens, are part of the Bahrain’s Economic Development Board‘s plan to overhaul the labour and education systems. Fees for work permits for foreigners have been increased to BD200 ($533), and sponsors now pay a BD10 monthly fee for each expatriate worker.
Officials hope increasing the cost of foreign workers will induce employers to hire nationals. The policy, experts say, may be emulated by other Gulf states, where governments have focused on quota systems, which are open to abuse.
Periodic unrest in Bahrain is often galvanized by unemployment and under-employment among young Bahrainis, particularly from its Shia majority.
But the government says the plan should yield opportunities for all. Government efforts have reduced unemployment, with the official rate falling from 16 per cent six years ago to around 4 per cent.
But young Bahrainis are hard to please, business owners say. They show up for work for few days but then leave and go back to protest to the labour ministry. Many shun manual work and expect cushy government jobs.
“The private sector considers Bahrainis to be undisciplined, untrained and demanding,” says Mr Alawi. “Young people say salaries are too low, there is no future or benefit.”
Tamkeen, a BD66m ($175m) fund set up two years ago, supports vocational training and career development for Bahrainis. By offering loans to qualifying small and mid-size businesses that can pay up to 50 per cent of start-up costs for equipment, the fund subsidises companies that gradually replace foreign workers. It also retrains Bahrainis for the job market. It has helped as many as 5,600 companies in two years, officials say.
“We want Bahrain to be the first choice of employment,” says Nazar al Baharna, chairman of Tamkeen. “Raising the productivity should broaden the middle class and fill gaps in the business sector.”
Official statistics show that 460,352 foreign workers were employed until the second quarter, amounting to roughly 77 per cent of the labour force.
But at the end of the day, salaries drive the system. Bahrainis say they cannot afford to live with the low wages businesses pay foreign workers. Also jobs in the tourism industry are not welcome because they may mean serving alcohol.
Bahrainis, particularly from the Shia community, remain skeptical and suggest that factors unrelated to their skills are the real cause of unemployment.
“Shia are still second-class citizens,” says Ali Abdel Imam, political activist and blogger. He cites the scholarships and job positions, which he says favour Sunni candidates over Shia. In a job application to be an army nurse, his sister was required to specify her religious sect. She never heard back, he says.
“The gang that controls the decision-making is sectarian, that is the problem,” he says.
Today the king issued an order to founding a national human right establishment, from the first look you will like the idea if you know nothing about Bahrain, and if you think that the reform project is still in progress, but if you know the fact, if you know the real Bahrain, you will understand the game and how its been played
i don't give a shit about establishment , i will just highlight one point that its important for me , its very important for me any human right organization should be isolated from the governments support and interventions, this establishment issued by the king him self, and assigned tasks will be brought to this establishment only by the king or the government , no indvidsual caces should go to them, its written clearly in the royal order
"5 - THE REFRENCE... HIS MAJESTY AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITIES IN THE KINGDOM CAN DIRECT THE ESTABLISHMENT ON ISSUES RELATED TO ITS TASKS AND SHOW THEIR VIEWS."
we as NGOs don't have the right to talk to this establishment, its only the king and the constitutional authorities , and at the end the establishment have the right to SHOW THEIR VIEWS nothing more views
do you know now why i am disapointing from this regim
whenever its time for freedom of expression or thinking, the equasion became is either me ( my self) or others ( family, friends, society) and why is that equasion at the begening, i like to be free in thinking, i like to have my own ideas and my own believes , faith, pictures ,,etc, whenever i think about i am already programmed that there are others who i should care about what they are going to say about this idea, or that believe, why i programmed to think about them, and forgetten my self, the others became the first priority and me is the second, i should live in Contradiction for my life to go smooth, people doesnt accept you to be out of the box, they insist you shoud inside the stupid box, that box they Inherited from their old generations and they want to deliever it to the next generations without changes !!! all of what i am asking is to be free, nothing more, nothing less, freedom of expression,
some times i am thinking is it wrong with me or with the others
Lebanon’s High Society Gets to Know What Climate Change Really is
Beirut Takes Part in the Biggest Global Climate Action Ever
Beirut - October 24, 2009: Today The League of Independent Activists – IndyACT with its partners (British Embassy- Lebanon, American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce, and the Green Party of Lebanon) organized a “Green Carpet” Premiere screening for the blockbuster movie “The Age of Stupid” at the UNESCO Palace, which was attended by a big number of high-profile individuals from the Lebanese society.
“The Age of Stupid” is an enormously ambitious British drama-documentary about climate change, and has won several awards including 2009 Best Documentary Movie. The movie stars Oscar Nominated Pete Postlethwaite as an old man living in the devastated world of 2055, watching “archive” footage from 2008 and asking: “Why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?”
The event comes before less than two months to the Copenhagen negotiations for a new climate treaty, and is part of the Global Day of Action against Climate Change that witnessed more than 4500 actions in more than 177 countries. On this day, people from around the world took action from climbers with 350 banners high on the melting slopes of Mount Everest to government officials in the Maldives Islands holding an underwater cabinet meeting to demand action on climate change before their nation disappears. 350 parts per million is the most carbon dioxide concentration we can safely have in the atmosphere. The current CO2 concentration is 390 parts per million. IndyACT took charge of organizing more than 87 actions in this day all over the region.
The “Green Carpet” Premiere was attended by Ministers, Members of Parliament, Ambassadors, Famous artists, CEOs of corporations and other high-profile individuals. The biggest attraction of the event was a clear message to world governments by the Super Star, Ragheb Alama, around the urgency of having everyone working on climate change, and comparing it to a global war for survival. “I will be in Copenhagen, and I with the rest of the world will have our eyes on our leaders to make sure they reach a strong agreement that would save us from this disaster, and put us on a 350 pathway,” said Alama.
“Not one Arab government has adopted the 350 target so far,” said Wael Hmaidan, Head of the Climate Campaign in IndyACT. “Actually none of the Arab government has adopted formally any global CO2 concentration target, making us the weakest region in the climate negotiations”.Despite that climate change will devastate Lebanese and Arab economies and turn the whole region into a vast desert on the long term, most of the Arab governments treat the Copenhagen process with indifference. Earlier this month, the League slammed the Arab governments for this attitude and condemned especially the negative role played by Saudi Arabia to obstruct the negotiations.
IndyACT calls all the Arab governments to meet the aspirations of their citizens by adopting the 350 target, and making sure it gets adopted in Copenhagen.
المجتمع الراقي في لبنان يتعرف على حقيقة تغير المناخ مشاركة بيروت في أكبر تحرّك عالمي على الإطلاق من أجل المناخ
بيروت -- 24 أكتوبر ، 2009 : قامت اليوم، رابطة الناشطين المستقلين – إندي-أكت مع شركائها (السفارة البريطانية في لبنان، غرفة التجارة الأمريكية - اللبنانية، وحزب الخضر اللبناني) بتنظيم "سجّادة خضراء" للعرض الأول لفيلم "عصر الغباء" في قصر الأونيسكو، حضره عدد كبير من الشخصيات المرموقة من المجتمع اللبناني.
"عصر الغباء" هو دراما وثائقية بريطانية طموحة جدا حول تغير المناخ، حاز على جوائز عديدة، من بينها جائزة أفضل فيلم وثائقي للعام 2009. بطل الفيلم هو مرشح جائزة أوسكار، النجم بيت بوستلثويت، حيث يلعب دور رجل مسن، يعيش في العالم المدمر في العام 2055، ويشاهد لقطات من "أرشيف" عام 2008 ويسأل : "لماذا لم نقم بوقف تغير المناخ عندما كانت الفرصة لم تزل متاحة لنا؟"
ويأتي هذا الحدث قبل أقل من شهرين على مفاوضات كوبنهاغن، لوضع معاهدة جديدة بشأن تغير المناخ، و يشكل جزءا من يوم العمل العالمي لمكافحة تغير المناخ، الذي شهد أكثر من 4500 نشاط في أكثر من 177 بلدا. في هذا اليوم، يقوم كثير من الناس، من جميع أنحاء العالم، بأنشطة متنوعة، من قيام 350 متسلق بوضع لافتات كبيرة على سفوح جبل إفرست الذائبة، إلى قيام مسؤولي الحكومة في جزر المالديف، بعقد اجتماع لمجلس الوزراء تحت الماء، للمطالبة باتخاذ إجراء بشأن تغير المناخ، قبل أن تختفي بلادهم عن وجه الأرض. 350 جزء من مليون هو التركيز الأعلى من ثاني أكسيد الكربون الآمن والمقبول وجوده في الغلاف الجوي. في حين أن التركيز الحالي لثاني أوكسيد الكربون CO2 هو 390 جزءا من مليون. وتتولى إندي-أكت تنظيم أكثر من 87 نشاطا، في مثل هذا اليوم، في جميع أنحاء المنطقة.
حضر العرض الأول وزراء ونواب وسفراء وفنانون ورؤساء شركات وغيرهم من الشخصيات المعروفة. وكان أهم حدث في هذا النشاط رسالة واضحة من النجم الساطع راغب علامة الى رؤساء الدول حول ضرورة عمل الجميع على تغير المناخ، والذي شبهه بحرب من أجل البقاء. "سوف أكون حاضراً في كوبنهاغن على أملْ أن تتوصَّلَ هذه الدول الى اتفاقيةٍ نهائيةٍ تنقذُنا من هذه الكارثةِ البيئية وتوصلُنا الى مستوى تركيز ثاني أوكسيد الكربون في الجو تحت 350 جزء بالمليون.
"ليس هناك حكومة عربية واحدة قد أعلنت اعتماد هدف 350 حتى الآن"، قال وائل حميدان، المسؤول عن حملة المناخ في إندي-أكت. "في الواقع أيا من الحكومات العربية، لم تعتمد رسميا، أي تركيز عالمي لثاني أوكسيد الكربون CO2 كهدف، مما يجعلنا المنطقة الأكثر ضعفا في مفاوضات المناخ". على الرغم من أن تغير المناخ، سوف يدمر الاقتصاد اللبناني والعربي، ويحيل المنطقة برمتها إلى صحراء واسعة على المدى الطويل، تتعامل معظم الحكومات العربية بلامبالاة مع عملية كوبنهاغن.
في وقت سابق من هذا الشهر، انتقدت إندي-أكت الحكومات العربية على هذا الموقف، ونددت خصوصا بالدور السلبي، الذي تلعبه المملكة العربية السعودية لعرقلة المفاوضات.
تدعو إندي-أكت جميع الحكومات العربية، إلى تلبية تطلعات مواطنيها، من خلال اعتماد 350 هدفا، والتأكد من أنه سيتم تبنيه عالميا في كوبنهاغن.
- النهاية
ملاحظات للمحررين : للمزيد من المعلومات حول إندي-أكت يمكن الاطلاع على : www.indyact.org
صور عن هذا الحدث سوف تكون متاحة على : http://indyact.blogspot.com
لمزيد من المعلومات يرجى الاتصال ب : -- وائل حميدان ، المدير التنفيذي لIndyACT ؛ هاتف ، فاكس : +961-1-447192 ؛ موبايل : +961-3-506313 ، البريد الإلكتروني : whmaidan@indyact.org -- هبة فرحات ، مدير الاتصالات في IndyACT ؛ هاتف ، فاكس : +961-1-447192 ؛ موبايل : +961-3-320318 ، البريد الإلكتروني : comms@indyact.org
October 24th Events in the Middle East (and Central Asia):
Selected Highlights
Introduction:
On October 24, millions of people across the globe will participate in the most widespread day of environmental action in history, attending over 3,500 events in more than 160 countries. Organized by the grassroots campaign 350.org, participants are mobilizing to urge world leaders to support a clear solution to the climate crisis: reducing the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million.
From capitol cities to the melting slopes of Mount Everest, even underwater on dying coral reefs—people are holding rallies and visual demonstrations aimed at focusing attention on the 350 target.
Global highlights include over 300 events across China; major rallies at iconic landmarks like the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu, the Great Barrier Reef; the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; and 350 Masaii children hosting a traditional dance on their parched fields in Kenya.
This document highlights some of the 200 plus 350.org events planned across the Middle East and Central Asia for the October 24 International Day of Climate Action.
Key Contacts:
For events in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia:
Will Bates, 350.org Coordinator
will@350.org
For other events in the region:
Phil Aroneanu, 350.org Coordinator
Phil@350.org
For Arabic quotes and information on Middle East Actions:
Hiba Farhat
email: comms@indyact.org
phone: 009613320318
350.org Spokesperson for the Middle East:
Wael Hmaidan, 350.org Middle East and co-founder of IndyACT.
Email: whmaidan@indyact.org
phone: 009613506313
Actions and Events
Afghanistan:
In some of the first grassroots mobilizing on climate change in Afghanistan ever the Afghan Youth for Social Development and Tolerance will create a 300 square meter message, on the slopes of Paghman Mountain, “mother of the Kabul River,” that reads "SAVE OUR WORLD -- AFGHAN YOUTH FOR 350" using chalk.The youth organizers also anticipate participation from the Minister of Education and officials from the Afghan National Environment Protection Agency all joining in the call for 350.
Algiers, Algeria - More than 900 students at a government school in the country's capital will create aerial art by spelling '350' with their bodies. The students and teachers will spend the day discussing the effects of climate change on Algeria, and how ordinary citizens and the government can help solve it.
Cairo, Egypt - A group of youth activists and their friends and families are gathering with a 350 banner at the Pyramids in mid October. On October 24th the same youth activists are organizing a festival with music, film screenings, and performances to spread awareness on climate change and its effects on Egypt's resources.
Contact:
Sarah Rifaat
sarah.rifaat@gmail.com
+2 (0) 122560492
Iran:
Groups are coordinating across all of Iran in unprecedented ways on climate change to spread the 350 campaign to all corners of the country.In the West Mohammad and his friends will have lectures at least in 10 high schools which can inform hundreds of high school students and their families about climate change and 350.In the East, a group of postgraduate students from environment and natural resources faculties are preparing to have an educational event in Mashhad, the second biggest city of country, which can notify thousands of Iranians about climate change and 350.Also, another group has announced that they are going to spread the word by cycling in Torghabeh, one of the main tourist attractions in North East of Iran.
Beirut, Lebanon -350.org partner IndyACT and other groups will come together for a green-carpet screening of Age of Stupid, a climate change documentary, in the presence of celebrities, politicians and media. Earlier in the day, youth climate organizers will walk through the ruins of Roman Baths in the center of Beirut with goggles and 350 materials to highlight the danger of sea level rise in the coastal city.
Contact:
Hiba Farhat comms@indyact.org +961 3320318
Pakistan:
Islamabad, Pakistan: There will be seminar on the importance of climate change and 350 in two schools at Islamabad. The environment secretary of Pakistan would be coming for the event, there is also a possibility that the environment minister would be coming for this event.
Karachi, Pakistan: The Pakistan Youth Climate Network, Karachi will host a “flash-mob” event in their home city, a spontaneous gathering to draw attention to the crisis of global warming and the need to return to 350 ppm. At 2 pm sharp, students and citizens will gather with face-masks, banners and placards to call for increased air quality and climate action.
Chitral, Pakistan: In response the rapid changes already being experienced in the Hindu Kush region of northern Pakistan, the citizens of the Chitral and Kalash valleys will be doing a number of activities for the 24th including speech contests on climate change amongst the students, speeches from environmental experts highlighting the importance of a healthy globe for humanity, structuring environment protection groups at schools in Chitral town and the Kalash valleys of Chitral, and a free-style polo match to gather the community and discuss issues of climate change and 350.
Aleppo, Syria: A group of concerned citizens will march from the Saadallah Jabry Square to the City Council builiding, collecting signatures along the way, and educating the citizens of Aleppo about 350 and climate change. They will present the petition to the Mayor of Aleppo, asking that he take steps to reduce CO2 emissions by reducing the number of cars on the road and asking students to bike or walk to school instead of taking the bus every day.The same group will run a series of workshops at schools in the weeks leading up to October 24, educating students about climate change.
350 at the Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Students of Babel will be holding an October 24 event in front of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the old world seven wonders, to call on all government leaders to take action on climate change. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the most important historical witness about how much our ancestors cared about their environment. But as a result of years of neglect, now all what we can see of it is ruins.
Uniting across Borders: Israel/Palestine/Jordan for 350: On October 24, concerned citizens from the three countries surrounding the rapidly shrinking Dead Sea will put aside their political differences to rally together in support of the 350 parts per million CO2 target and a strong deal in Copenhagen. In Israel, Palestine and Jordan, crowds will form a 3, 5, and 0 respectively, with their bodies to show that climate change is an issue that requires cooperation above and beyond stale political rhetoric.
Contacts:
Jordan: Abdel Sultan asultan@foeme.org +962 777280823 Palestine:Iyad Aburdeieneh iyad@foeme.org+972 522553966 or +972 599606542
350 Middle East Spokespeople
Wael Hmaidan, 350.org Middle East and Co-founder of IndyAct
Wael Hmaidan is a co-founder of IndyAct, the League of Independent Activists, and the head of the ‘Arab Climate Campaign’ in the organization. The campaign aims at achieving a strong post-2012 climate policy in the region. After successfully organizing events in six Arab countries during a 2007 day of action on climate change (including a climate walkathon in Beirut), IndyAct helped establish the Arab Climate Alliance to push strong climate policy through the Arab League. Mr. Hmaidan has more than 10 years experience in climate change campaigning in the Arab World. His work on this issue started in his capacity as the Greenpeace campaigner for theArab World, where he helped established the energy and climate change campaign in the region. He participated as a policy expert and speaker in several regional and international climate events. He is also a regional advisor to the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources of Germany (BGR) andUN-ESCWA, as well as a steering committee member of the Global Alliance for Incineration Alternatives (GAIA), a global NGO network working on waste management and climate change.
Wael Hmaidan
email: whmaidan@indyact.org
phone: 009613506313
General Press Inquiries for the Middle East:
For assistance contacting event organizers, Arabic quote requests or other press inquiries please contact:
مرحبا بكم في عالمي الجديد، والذي سأقوم بنقل رؤيتي المتواضعة فيه إليكم حول البحرين وطني وموطن أجدادي، برؤية بسيطة قد تصيب وقد تخطئ ولكنها بالنهاية رؤية مختلفة عن السائد المألوف في بلدي
