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News
A high-level UN body today approved formal jurisprudence that elaborates the rights and practical recommendations for the protection of migrant domestic workers worldwide. In a vote this afternoon, the UN Committee on Migrant Workers adopted the guidance in the form of a “General Comment” that interprets the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, one of the nine core international human rights treaties.
Domestic work accounts for as much as 10% of total employment in some countries, yet almost every country of the world excludes domestic work from its national labour laws and protections. Working in private homes, the workers are almost entirely unseen and unprotected. Estimates suggest that well over half of all domestic workers in many countries are migrant. As noted in the General Comment, “migrant domestic workers are at heightened risk of certain forms of exploitation and abuse.” Women, who are the vast majority of domestic workers worldwide, and child domestic workers are exceptionally vulnerable.

“Our members around the world, and particularly in Asia and the Gulf countries, have long been concerned about the suffering of these workers,” explains Johan Ketelers, Secretary General of the International Catholic Migration Commission, which together with Caritas Internationalis was one of the principal non-governmental organizations that worked on development of the new guidance. Over the years, ICMC itself and with partners has operated safe houses and shelters in Asia, the Middle East and Europe to provide rescue, protection and assistance to maids and other domestic workers fleeing abusive conditions, from being locked in the house and forced to work twenty-hour days, seven days a week without break to battery and sexual violence at the hands of their employers.

This is the first time that such a high-level international body has taken up their plight as a group directly. This is also the first time that the Committee on Migrant Workers has adopted formal guidance under the 1990 Convention. “The fact that this guidance deepens application of one of the core international human rights treaties is extremely important, and we welcome it,” notes Mr. Ketelers, “The new guidance is also relevant to the adoption by the International Labour Organization of a separate international rights convention pertaining to all domestic workers, which is expected in June 2011.”

The 1990 Convention has been ratified by 44 countries, many of which are the origin of millions of domestic workers worldwide, including Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, Honduras, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh, Cambodia and Indonesia are among the other countries from which large numbers of migrant domestic workers originate that have moved towards ratification by signing the Convention.

To ensure that the guidance was evidence-based and would be effective for the protection of rights, ICMC and Caritas worked with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International NGO Platform on the Migrant Workers Convention to gather for the Committee research and experience from around the world. A synthesis of that input and reference to information submitted from 75 countries in the separate ILO process is available at http://www.icmc.net.
“We were struck at how commonly the rights of migrant domestic workers are violated, cross-cutting borders, cultures and all regions,” explains Mr. Abdelhamid El Jamri, Chair of the UN Committee on Migrant Workers. “The new guidance addresses abuse that is worldwide, rights that are universal, and practical recommendations that have global application. There is no cultural exception to the obligation to respect basic human rights.”
Independent UN Experts urges Governments to focus on Victims of Trafficking

The UN's Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, told gathering of anti-trafficking experts in Bratislava this week that countries at every stage of the trafficking process must find effective avenues of redress for victims.

"This is a fundamental human right and should be guaranteed to all victims of human rights violations including trafficking."
Experts, gathered from a variety of sectors, discussed how better help can be given to trafficked people, with the discussions intended to form the basis of Ms. Ezeilo's report to the UN <"http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/">Human Rights Council in June 2011 on the rights of trafficked persons.
Discussions focused on the existing normative framework and the content and scope of the right to find effective remedies.
"Trafficked persons must be able to access competent and independent authorities and receive reparations for the harms they have suffered, including compensation," said Ms Ezeilo.

"Access to information, legal assistance including free legal aid, and regularization of their residence status while seeking remedies are necessary pre-conditions for trafficked persons to exercise their right to an effective remedy. "States' responses in this field should also be tailored to fulfil the human rights of specific groups of trafficked persons such as children."
The Special Rapporteur, who assumed her position in 2008, works in an independent and unpaid capacity, presenting an annual report on the subject of human trafficking to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council.

Obama’s Very Good Week - NYTimes.com

One Opinionater says President Barack Obama has had a good week. He has returned to his place of political ideology of network liberal strike which places him in one political point in the universe but with the kowledge that he has to make compromises and work with others to achieve his goals.
Good analysis.
Obama’s Very Good Week - NYTimes.com

In Obama Tax Plan, Boost for Job Creation - David Leonhardt - NYTimes.com

Stick with Obama's plan you guys, he has the American people at heart. Yes, it's not a perfect deal but so is the world. Nothing is perfect and to live, thrive and survive we must make compromises. The American people have spoken in the last election and they have dictated that they want the Republican to have a stronger voice and Obama must respect that because it's the people that put him in the White House. He cannot become a dictator and make all the choices without the public input. If things go awry, the people will have to take some of the blame. Those who oppose Obama's are short sighted and arrogant and have not learned the lesson of the past election. I urge them to humble themselves and listen to the American people and stick by a leader who is wiser than most of the rest put together.

In Obama Tax Plan, Boost for Job Creation - David Leonhardt - NYTimes.com

Girl, Get Me Started! » Aretha Franklin’s Health Woes Continue

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul is having some health problems. At 68 things begin to go wrong but for heaven's sake Aretha you have to get your weight under control. We do want our Queen to be around for a long time. True God is in control of our destiny but we're in control of what we eat. This is not done with meanness but with true compassion and love for you because you are my all time favourite Queen, there is no other like you sweetheart.

Girl, Get Me Started! » Aretha Franklin’s Health Woes Continue

Obama Caves on Tax Cuts for Wealthy, Capitulating to 'Bush-McCain Philosophy' | | AlterNet

Obama Caves on Tax Cuts for Wealthy, Capitulating to 'Bush-McCain Philosophy' AlterNet

I believe that Mr. Obama did not recapitulate. He is listening to the American people. They created the government they want and they wanted President Obama to work with the Republicans and that’s what he is doing and that’s the wish of the people. It is totally against what the President would have wanted did he have the majority in the house but why should he hold up a bill dilly-dallying when poor people are starving and need the respite of a tax break.


A government can only do so much. A wise government knows when to compromise. There are always hard choices to be made. Mr. Obama, as far as I read him, is not in government to boost his self-image or to accumulate accolades or money; he is there for the people. He strikes me as a person for whom doing the right thing, the honest think is at the core of his politics. For a man like him, giving in to the Republican’s need to fatten the pockets of their rich friends, relatives and business partners, is worth the price of ensuring that the average American does not suffer.

At the end of the day, the American people would have themselves to blame if the economy takes even longer to bounce back because they have deliberately tied the hands of the man who has the vision and the ability to pull America out of the abyss that the former Republican government has left it in. How quickly we forget. The short memory span of the aging population and even shorter one of the twitter generation is dubious political leaders’ dream. They know that whatever they have done will quickly be forgotten as fresh lies are piled on.

Those who will criticize Obama for his decision to go along with the Republicans are as short-sighted as the general population and are ego-driven. Their kind of leaderships is one-upmanship and let’s sees who will win. It’s all about what men are about, arm wrestling for personal power, forgetting what is at stake. This is where Obama shines. He is not all about himself. He does not need tax breaks. He had a good life outside of the White House. He is the voice in the wilderness crying out for the American people, the ordinary folks, folks like his mother who had to worry about her medical bills, insurance and all that while fighting for her life. Do you see where this man’s motivation is coming from? I rest my case.