Dear Yossi, This appeal & letter was posted on the SPME Faculty Forum that was distributed today.. Please post it on Hasafran. We have already posted this on our website. Sincerely, Advocacy Committee of Librarians for Fairness [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.librariansforfairness.org
IFLA MEMBERS ASKED TO SEEK CLARIFICATION ABOUT " LIBRARIES FROM HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVES" By Edward S. Beck, President, SPME Gerald M. Steinberg, Bar-Ilan University Published in: SPME Faculty Forum in cooperation with NGO Monitor February 20, 2008 Librarians from around the world are being asked to contact the International Federation of Library Associations to seek clarification about an upcoming conference on "Libraries from a Human Rights Perspective" based upon the letter below from Gerald Steinberg, Executive Director of NGO Monitor and Founding SPME Board Member. Email addresses for IFLA officials are listed below. Please forward and copy all comments and comments to NGO Monitor at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thank you, February 20, 2008 Claudia Lux, President International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) P.O. Box 95312 2509 CH The Hague Netherlands E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _ (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ) Dear Ms. Lux, As Executive Director of NGO Monitor (http://www.ngo-monitor.org /, I am writing to request clarification regarding the IFLA's plan to hold a conference on "Libraries from Human Rights Perspective http://www.rchrs.ps/aboutC.html " in cooperation with the _Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies http://www.ngo-monitor.org/article.php?id=1797 (RCHRS), March 31-April 2, 2008. This partnership appears to be entirely inconsistent with the IFLA'a mission of promoting the professional interests of "library and information services and their users." NGO Monitor's analysis demonstrates that, despite its stated mission to develop internal norms of Palestinian democracy and respect for human rights, some of statements focus on condemnations of Israel, and its activities often contribute to conflict and fail to condemn violence. For example, RCHRS has often referred http://www.rchrs.org/ArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=46&type=1 to Palestinian terrorists as "martyrs". Following the March 2002 suicide bombing attacks and the Israeli response, RCHRS _issued a statement http://www.rchrs.org/ArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=47&type=1 promoting the false claim that Israel committed "massacres" in Jenin and Nablus. RCHRS has also accused Israel of "terrirorist [sic] crimes," and making children the "sacrifice for the racial hatred [sic]." As a political organization, RCHRS consistently calls for "_ pressure on the Israeli Government" to "deter it from violating the international law_ http://www.rchrs.org/ArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=63&type=1 ", and has stated that " _all world countries should adhere to their ethical and political responsibilities in putting an end for the Israeli racial aggression." http://www.rchrs.org/ArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=43&type=1 Such rhetoric clearly reflects an extreme pro-Palestinian political position, which ignores RCHRS' mandate to promote "_a culture of tolerance and respect for human rights_ http://www.rchrs.org/maintexts.aspx?text=1 ," and does not contribute to mutual understanding and conflict resolution. In addition, RCHRS is an active _member http://www.rchrs.org/default.aspx of the _the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network_ http://www.ngo-monitor.org/article/palestinian_ngo_network_pngo _ (PNGO), which plays a major role in promoting campaigns to delegitimize and demonize Israel. These activities include the NGO Forum of the 2001 Durban conference, which promoted demonization and boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel, and has been widely renounced as a form of political warfare. I hope that the information provided in this letter will lead the officials and members of the IFLA, as well as the funders (including SIDA and the Government of Sweden) to reconsider the implications of holding this activity in cooperation with RCHRS. Prof. Gerald Steinberg Executive Director, NGO Monitor Cc: Sjoerd Koopman, IFLA Co-ordinator of Professional Activities ([EMAIL PROTECTED] ) Members of the IFLA ([EMAIL PROTECTED] _ (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ) ) Director-General, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) Ambassador Elisabet Borsiin Bonnier, Embassy of Sweden, Tel Aviv Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) =========================================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org