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Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and OSCE Commitments Regarding Freedom of Religion or Belief
Comittments Regarding Freedom of Religion or Belief.pdf
The 57 participating States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have repeatedly committed to recognizing and respecting freedom of religion or belief. The 35 participating States of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe–the forerunner of the OSCE–signed the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, which included: "The participating States will recognize and respect the freedom of the individual to profess and practice, alone or in community with others, religion or belief acting in accordance with the dictates of his own conscience."
The OSCE's Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights has staff dedicated to freedom of religion or belief, led by a senior advisor. ODIHR legal reviews to help participating States comply with their OSCE commitments have included existing law and draft legislation on freedom of religion or belief. ODIHR only conducts such reviews after receiving a formal invitation from a participating State. A panel of OSCE/ODIHR experts on freedom of religion or belief assists OSCE/ODIHR, and the ODIHR director appoints the panel's 14 members every three years.
This compilation, developed by Helsinki Commission staff, covers CSCE/OSCE commitments on freedom of religion or belief in 16 documents from the Final Act to the OSCE Ministerial Council in 2015. It includes the document title, excerpted text, and links to the original document. Participating States have also made commitments relating to discrimination or hate crimes base on religion or belief. Some examples are in "OSCE Human Dimension Commitments: Thematic Compilation." This Helsinki Commission compilation only includes commitments on freedom of religion or belief. The Commission will update the compilation when new commitments on freedom of religion or belief are made.
Publication category:
U.S. Helsinki Commission Calls for Investigation, Accountability for Terrorist Act in Ukraine Separatist Region
WASHINGTON—In response to the downing of Malaysian Airlines MH17 in territory controlled by separatists in Ukraine, members of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) today called for unfettered access to the crash site for international investigators in order to establish responsibility for the killings in order to hold those parties accountable. "The downing of Malaysian Air flight 17 is an unspeakable tragedy. It did not have to happen and those responsible must be held accountable," said Senator Ben Cardin (MD), Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission. "As we mourn for those lost and share our heartfelt prayers with the victims' families, I encourage international efforts to establish what happened and who was responsible. In particular, I welcome the efforts and courage of the OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission team which has made its way to the crash site. I am extremely disappointed to learn that they were forced to depart after a mere 75 minutes due to aggression by the Moscow-sponsored separatists. "This heinous crime is a direct consequence of Russia's unjustified aggression in Ukraine which began with the annexation of Crimea nearly five months ago and has continued in two regions in eastern Ukraine, in violation of OSCE and other international norms. It is a direct result of Putin's destabilization of Ukraine. The top three leaders of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic are all Russian citizens and two of them are Russian intelligence operatives," continued Chairman Cardin. "Russia has continued to sponsor these terrorists with heavy weapons, equipment and men continuing to flow across the Russian border into Ukraine. If Russian involvement is confirmed, serious consideration needs to be given to designating the Donetsk People's Republic a Foreign Terrorist Organization and the Russian Federation a State Sponsor of Terrorism." Co-Chairman of the Commission, Representative Chris Smith (NJ-04), stated that "Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the 298 innocent victims, including 80 children, who perished, likely at the hands of Russian operatives. I urge the President to vigorously work for full access for identification and removal of victims' remains, and international investigation. The entire area should be treated as a crime scene – as the plane appears to have been shot down by a surface-to-air missile launched from a separatist-controlled area. This follows a pattern of actions where the rebels have shot down Ukrainian military planes and helicopters, most recently a Ukrainian military cargo plane earlier this week, for which they took credit." "I am profoundly saddened and outraged at the senseless loss of innocent civilians on Malaysian Airlines Flight 17," said Commissioner Representative Michael Burgess (TX-26). "I am extremely disturbed by the lack of access for international observers and first responders and by reports of looting and of people contaminating the crash site. Not only must we be able to conduct a proper investigation, but the remains of the victims must be treated properly and with the utmost respect. I am also troubled by reports that there may be other efforts by the separatists and Russian authorities to cover up what really happened."
Commission to Hold Hearing with OSCE Human Rights Appointees
WASHINGTON—Today the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) announced the following hearing: Anti-Semitism, Racism and Discrimination in the OSCE Region Tuesday, July 22, 2014 10:00 a.m. Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 562 Following an escalation of anti-Semitic hate crimes a decade ago, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) intensified efforts to combat prejudice and discrimination throughout Eurasia and North America. Since 2004, three Personal Representatives have been appointed annually by the OSCE Chair-in-Office (currently Switzerland) to address anti-Semitism; racism, xenophobia, and discrimination including against Christians and members of other religions; and intolerance and discrimination against Muslims. In an official joint visit to the United States, the Personal Representatives will address progress and ongoing challenges in the OSCE region a decade after the creation of their positions. The following witnesses are scheduled to testify: Rabbi Andrew Baker, Personal Representative on Combating Anti-Semitism Professor Talip Küçukcan, Personal Representative on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims Alexey Avtonomov, Personal Representative on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, also focusing on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians and Members of Other Religions
Chairman Cardin Floor Statement on 2014 OSCE PA Annual Session
On July 9, 2014, Senator Ben Cardin, Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and Senator Roger Wicker, Ranking Member of the Commission, held a colloquy on the Senate floor with Senator Tom Harkin to discuss the outcome of the U.S. delegation's participation at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) annual session from June 28-July 2 that successfully advanced priority security and human rights initiatives. Key among the U.S. initiatives was a resolution introduced by Chairman Ben Cardin condemning Russia's violation of international commitments by annexing Crimea and directly supporting separatist conflict in Ukraine. To watch the colloquy, click here.
Cardin, Smith Advance Security and Human Rights during Annual Meeting of European Parliamentarians
WASHINGTON - A bipartisan 8-member Congressional delegation led by Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chairman of the Commission on Security in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), visited Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova. In Baku, Azerbaijan, Representative Chris Smith (NJ-04), Co-Chairman of the Commission, headed the U.S. delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) from June 28-July 2 that successfully advanced priority security and human rights initiatives. Key among the U.S. initiatives was a resolution introduced by Chairman Ben Cardin condemning Russia's violation of international commitments by annexing Crimea and directly supporting separatist conflict in Ukraine. Upon passage of the resolution by a 3 to 1 margin, Cardin stated: "Russia is a member of this organization, but is violating its core principles. We must speak up in the strongest possible way and hold Russia accountable for its destabilizing actions and that is what we did here." Co-Chairman Smith received overwhelming support for his resolution on efforts to combat child sex trafficking. As the Assembly's Special Representative on Human Trafficking, Smith's initiative pressed for the formation of a notification system among countries regarding the travel of persons convicted of sex crimes against children, as well as increased cooperation between law enforcement agencies and with the travel industry to prevent child sex tourism. "This resolution provides a tool to mitigate the horrific abuse of children by sexual tourism," said Smith. "These predators thrive on secrecy, and so the goal is advance notification of sex offender travel so that children can be protected." In addition to Chairman Cardin and Co-Chairman Smith, the delegation included Commission Ranking Member Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Commissioner Representative Robert Aderholt(R-AL), Commissioner Representative Phil Gingrey (R-GA), Representative David Schweikert (R-AZ) and Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA). The U.S. delegation fielded two of the 18 resolutions considered at the annual session, as well as a total of 19 amendments to several of these resolutions. In an initiative related to Chairman Cardin's Ukraine resolution, Senator Wicker introduced language adopted by the Assembly recognizing the importance of the OSCE's military observation missions, including the inspections in Ukraine. Senator Wicker also participated in a dialogue with fellow parliamentarians on OSCE engagement with partner country Afghanistan. Senator Tom Harkin successfully offered amendments calling for access and equal opportunity for persons with disabilities, including calling for the ratification and implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by all OSCE participating States. Commissioner Representative Robert Aderholt achieved passage of language supporting the integration of Western Balkan countries into the EU and NATO, and, in a separate initiative, highlighted the plight of "disappeared" political prisoners in Turkmenistan and called on that government to finally come clean on the fate of these individuals, one of whom was a former OSCE ambassador. An initiative by Rep. David Schweikert encouraged increased outreach by the OSCE to Mediterranean Partner countries, while Rep. Phil Gingrey brokered an agreement calling for concrete steps to promote clean and affordable energy. Finally, Rep. Smith and Senator Cardin joined an initiative with the Canadian delegation to respond more vigorously to acts of anti-Semitism throughout the participating States. On July 2 the meeting concluded with the adoption of the Baku Declaration, containing broad policy recommendations for the OSCE and its 57 participating States in the fields of political affairs and military security, trade, the environment and human rights. While in Azerbaijan, the delegation also held bilateral meetings with the Government of Azerbaijan, including meeting with President Ilham Aliyev as well as representatives of civil society fighting for media freedom, rule of law and disability rights in Azerbaijan. Bilateral meetings in Georgia and Moldova In addition to attending the OSCE PA's Annual Session in Azerbaijan, Chairman Cardin led the delegation to stops in Tbilisi, Georgia, and Chisinau, Moldova, for bilateral meetings to discuss expanded ties with the United States as well as regional security in the wake of the crisis in Ukraine. In Georgia the delegation met with the President, Prime Minister, and the leadership of the United National Movement opposition party offering U.S. support and encouraging further democratic reforms, particularly in building a robust and independent judiciary free from corruption and untainted by politically-motivated prosecutions. In Moldova, the delegation met with the Prime Minister and key political leaders across the spectrum on the day the national parliament ratified an historic agreement with the European Union. The delegation also held consultations with the leadership of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, representatives of civil society, and the U.S. Embassy.
U.S. Helsinki Commission to Hold Briefing on OSCE Mediterranean Partners
WASHINGTON - Today the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) announced the following hearing: Political Pluralism in the OSCE Mediterranean Partners? Wednesday, July 9, 2014 10:00 am U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Room SVC 203/202 The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and its Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) have cooperated closely through tangible projects, expertise exchanges, election assistance, conferences, and rich dialogue to advance human security with the OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation – Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia. A hearing of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe will serve as an opportunity to take stock of political developments among the Mediterranean Partners in the years following the popular uprisings that began in late 2010, now often referred to as the "Arab Awakening." This hearing will explore political transition among the Mediterranean Partners in terms of current developments in democratic reforms, civil society empowerment, political pluralism, and the role of international community engagement. The following witnesses are scheduled to testify: The Honorable William Roebuck, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Egypt and the Maghreb, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs The Honorable William B. Taylor, Vice President for Middle East and Africa of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) Dr. Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland and Brookings Institution Saban Center Non-Resident Senior Fellow Ms. Zeinab Abdelkarim, Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)
The Security, Economic and Human Rights Dimensions of US-Azerbaijan Relations
The hearing addressed security, economic, and human rights dimensions of U.S. - Azerbaijan relations ahead of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly 2014 annual meeting, taking place in Azerbaijan. Helsinki Commission Chairman Benjamin Cardin opened the hearing by speaking to these three dimensions. Regarding human rights, there are several concerns. Azerbaijan's presidential elections fell short of international standards and there are several individuals who have been harassed and detained because of their desire to report on events in Azerbaijan, raising concerns about freedom of the media. Chairman Cardin was joined by Eric Rubin, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of State, Thomas O. Melia, Miriam Lanskoy, and Brenda Shaffer.
U.S. Helsinki Commission to Hold Hearing on Azerbaijan
WASHINGTON - Today the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) announced the following hearing: The Security, Economic and Human Rights Dimensions of US-Azerbaijan Relations Wednesday, June 11, 2014 10:00 am Russell Senate Office Building Room 432 The Republic of Azerbaijan has been an ally of the United States since its independence in 1991. It is a supplier of energy to Europe and has played an important role in assisting the U.S. and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan through the contribution of troops and as a conduit for the Northern Distribution Network. Azerbaijan is a participating State in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and in May it assumed the rotating chairmanship of the Council of Europe (COE). Despite membership in both of Europe's leading human rights institutions, Azerbaijan has been consistently criticized for its undemocratic elections and its use of the judicial system to punish political opponents. As the U.S. Helsinki Commission prepares to attend the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Annual Session in Baku at the end of June, this hearing will examine the U.S.-Azerbaijan relationship and the impact of regional and domestic issues in Azerbaijan on that relationship. The following witnesses are scheduled to testify: Tom Melia, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Department of State Eric Rubin, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Department of State Miriam Lanskoy, Director for Russia and Eurasia, National Endowment for Democracy Brenda Shaffer, Visiting Researcher, Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies, Georgetown University
Cardin, Wicker Lead Colleagues in Urging Action to Free OSCE Observers Held in Ukraine
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Chairman and Senate Ranking Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, along with Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.), and Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.), have written to Secretary of State John Kerry urging him to take action to secure the release of observers being held by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. The senators also seek action to stem the tide of "other flagrant violations of human rights by pro-Russian militants" in the region. "In addition to the OSCE observers, several dozen people — journalists, activists, police officers, politicians — are reportedly being held captive in makeshift jails in Slovyansk … we continue to be deeply dismayed at the other flagrant violations of human rights by pro-Russian militants in eastern and southern Ukraine," the senators wrote. "These attacks and threats underscore the importance of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission and other OSCE institutions in Ukraine in assessing the situation on the ground and helping to de-escalate tensions. … "To be sure, the actions against pro-Ukrainian activists and minorities are the direct result of Russia's unfounded and illegal aggression towards Ukraine – first in Crimea and now in eastern Ukraine. … we commit to working with you so that the United States and its international partners can significantly increase the diplomatic pressure on Russia, especially through economic sanctions … Violations of human rights, particularly the rights of minorities, as well as gross violations of another nation's territorial integrity and sovereignty must not be tolerated." The text of the letter follows. April 30, 2014 The Honorable John Kerry Secretary of State United States Department of State 2201 C Street Northwest Washington, D.C. 20520 Dear Secretary Kerry: We write to you to express our alarm at the detention of members of a military observer mission operating under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). They are being held hostage by pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slovyansk. We urge you to do everything in your power to help secure their release. In addition to the OSCE observers, several dozen people — journalists, activists, police officers, politicians — are reportedly being held captive in makeshift jails in Slovyansk. Furthermore, we continue to be deeply dismayed at the other flagrant violations of human rights by pro-Russian militants in eastern and southern Ukraine. These include attacks and threats against minority groups, particularly Jews and Roma as well as Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians in Crimea. Supporters of a united Ukraine have been targeted as well, including a local politician and a university student whose tortured bodies were found dumped in a river near Slovyansk. The Joint Statement on Ukraine signed on April 17 by the EU, the United States, Russia and Ukraine calls on all sides to refrain from any violence, intimidation or provocative actions and condemns and rejects all expressions of extremism, racism and religious intolerance, including anti-Semitism. We fear both the spirit and the letter of this agreement have been breached. In recent days, we have seen troubling manifestations against ethnic and religious minority communities. The distribution of flyers in Donetsk calling for Jews to register their religion and property is a chilling reminder of an especially dark period in European history and we welcome your unequivocal remarks of condemnation. While the perpetrators of this onerous action have not been determined, one thing is clear: Moscow, which controls the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, is using anti-Semitism as an ingredient in its anti-Ukrainian campaign, utilizing its media as a vehicle. Perhaps more insidiously, among the various Russian special forces, operatives and agitators in Ukraine are members of neo-Nazi groups and the Black Hundreds, a reincarnation of the notorious Russian anti-Semitic organization that existed more than a century ago. Jewish communities in parts of eastern Ukraine are not the only ones with reasons to be worried. In Slovyansk, armed separatists have invaded Romani houses, beating and robbing men, women and children. Even Ukrainian-speakers, including Ukrainian-speaking journalists, have reportedly experienced intimidation in the largely Russian-speaking Donetsk oblast. At the same time, in the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula, Crimean Tatars continue to be threatened with deportation and attacked for speaking their own language in their ancestral homeland. Moreover, the most visible long-time leader of the Crimean Tatar community and former Soviet political prisoner Mustafa Dzhemilev, has reportedly been banned from returning to Crimea. Additionally, the separatist Crimean authorities announced that Ukrainian literature and history will no longer be offered in Crimean schools. We commend the Ukrainian government for its denunciation of attacks and threats against minorities and its pledge to find those responsible and bring them to justice. It is imperative that the Russian-controlled separatist groups cease their de-stabilizing, violent activity, which has left all minorities vulnerable. These attacks and threats underscore the importance of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission and other OSCE institutions in Ukraine in assessing the situation on the ground and helping to de-escalate tensions. They need to be permitted to operate unhindered in eastern Ukraine and to be allowed access into Crimea, which Russia has thus far blocked. We urge you to continue to do everything possible to facilitate their unimpeded access to all parts of Ukraine, including the provision of adequate resources. To be sure, the actions against pro-Ukrainian activists and minorities are the direct result of Russia's unfounded and illegal aggression towards Ukraine – first in Crimea and now in eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin needs to keep the Geneva promises and immediately rein in the militants and get Russian soldiers and other assorted operatives out of Ukraine. If not, we commit to working with you so that the United States and its international partners can significantly increase the diplomatic pressure on Russia, especially through economic sanctions. Violations of human rights, particularly the rights of minorities, as well as gross violations of another nation's territorial integrity and sovereignty must not be tolerated. Sincerely, Benjamin L. Cardin, U.S.S. Roger F. Wicker, U.S.S. Jeanne Shaheen, U.S.S. Richard Blumenthal, U.S.S. Barbara A. Mikulski, U.S.S. Brian Schatz, U.S.S. Michael F. Bennet, U.S.S. Christopher Murphy, U.S.S.
Cardin, Colleagues Ask Kerry To Urge NATO, OSCE To End All Defense Contracts With Russia
WASHINGTON– In a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, – joined by 10 of his colleagues – asked the State Department to urge NATO member countries and participating states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to end all defense contracts with Russia in response to the country's illegal annexation of Crimea and violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. Cardin was joined by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Daniel Coats (R-Ind.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), David Vitter (R-La.), and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and U.S. Representatives Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), and Michael Burgess (R-Texas). "We believe the United States must show leadership by terminating all defense contracts with Russia and ask that you strongly encourage our NATO allies and OSCE participating states to take similar actions," the members of Congress wrote. "We urge you to lead the coordination among NATO and OSCE to halt trade involving military equipment with Russia immediately. We believe this is a crucial step in reestablishing a deterrent against further Russian aggression and strengthening the impact of our targeted economic sanctions against Russia." Text of the letter is below. April 14, 2014 The Honorable John Kerry Secretary of State United States Department of State 2201 C Street Northwest Washington, D.C. 20520 Dear Secretary Kerry: We write to express our support for NATO's decision to suspend military and civilian cooperation with Russia. We also ask that you further urge both NATO member countries and participating states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to work cooperatively to cease all trade involving military equipment with Russia in response to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. This would be a forceful next step by both international organizations (of which the United States is a member) to affirm that there is no more business as usual when it comes to bilateral trade of military equipment given Russia's hostile actions. As you are aware, two decades ago the Partnership for Peace program was implemented to foster trust between NATO member countries and the member states of the former Soviet Union, and to acknowledge a shared political commitment to creating lasting and inclusive peace in the Euro-Atlantic area. This integration with the member states of the former Soviet Union was predicated on shared values and common obligations to uphold international law. Likewise, the Helsinki Final Act, which has been signed by 57 OSCE nations, including the United States, affirmed our collective commitment to sovereign equality, respect for human rights, and fundamental freedoms. Russia violated these shared principles by disregarding its treaty obligations under the bilateral Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. We should immediately halt the trade in military equipment now that Russia has reneged on its commitment to abide by international law. Russia has clearly violated the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, and its actions are antithetical to the principles that NATO member countries like the United States seek to uphold. Nonetheless, significant bilateral trade in military equipment continues. The United Kingdom announced the Military Technical Cooperation Agreement with Russia in January 2014, which would provide a framework for Russian and UK defense companies to cooperate at an unclassified level and enable British and Russian arms producers to exchange defense components and technical data. France has continued an existing contract to sell two high-tech Mistral warships to Russia, and the Hungarian Ministry of Defense recently acquired three Mil Mi-8 transport helicopters produced by Rosoboronexport. Unfortunately and inexplicably, the United States is, at the time of writing, continuing with plans to receive 22 more Mi-17 helicopters from Russia as part of our ongoing assistance to Afghanistan. We believe the United States must show leadership by terminating all defense contracts with Russia and ask that you strongly encourage our NATO allies and OSCE participating states to take similar actions. We urge you to lead the coordination among NATO and OSCE to halt trade involving military equipment with Russia immediately. We believe this is a crucial step in reestablishing a deterrent against further Russian aggression and strengthening the impact of our targeted economic sanctions against Russia. We thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, BENJAMIN L. CARDIN United States Senate RICHARD BLUMENTHAL United States Senate JOHN CORNYN United States Senate ROGER F. WICKER United States Senate DANIEL COATS United States Senate CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY United States Senate DAVID VITTER United States Senate KELLY AYOTTE United States Senate LOUISE M. SLAUGHTER Member of Congress JOE PITTS Member of Congress MICHAEL C. BURGESS Member of Congress
Switzerland's Leadership of the OSCE
Hon. Benjamin Cardin, Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, presided over the hearing on the new Switzerland's leadership of the OSCE. He was joined by Didier Burkhalter. He was the president of the Swiss Confederation, foreign minister, and Chair in Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Mr. Burkhalter explained the priorities of the Swiss chairmanship: to contribute to fostering security and stability, to improving people's life, and to strengthening the OSCE's capacity to act. His mission was to enhance security, freedom, and responsability.
U.S. Helsinki Commission to Hold Hearing on OSCE with the Swiss President and Foreign Minister
WASHINGTON - The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) today announced the following hearing: Switzerland's Leadership of the OSCE Tuesday, February 25, 2014 10:00 a.m. Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 562 Scheduled to testify: His Excellency Didier Burkhalter, President of the Swiss Confederation, Foreign Minister and Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE President of the Swiss Confederation and Foreign Minister, His Excellency Didier Burkhalter, will testify before the Helsinki Commission in his capacity as Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The hearing takes place at the beginning of Switzerland's 2014 chairmanship of the 57-country OSCE, which is based in Vienna, Austria and best known for its work in promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law. President Burkhalter is expected to discuss the Chairmanship-in-Office's priorities and provide insights regarding the ongoing work of the OSCE. Switzerland's chairmanship comes at an important time in the development of an organization that operates on the basis of consensus and includes countries ranging from democracies to dictatorships. The OSCE region is facing challenges ranging from backsliding on human rights in some countries to the political crisis and recent violence in Ukraine.
U.S. Helsinki Commission to Hold Briefing on Human Rights in Turkmenistan
WASHINGTON - The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) today announced the following briefing: Disappeared in Turkmenistan's Prisons: Are They Still Alive? Thursday, February 20, 2014 3:00 p.m. Cannon House Office Building Room 122 Ten years ago, the Organization for Cooperation in Europe's Moscow Mechanism was invoked against Turkmenistan after hundreds were arrested in the wake of an alleged coup attempt. The resulting report detailed the lack of rule of law during the arrest process and subsequent trials, as well as the absence of information about the health and whereabouts of those imprisoned. And despite years of inquiries and a change in regime in Turkmenistan, the fate of many of those who have disappeared into Turkmenistan's prisons over the past ten years remains unknown. Their families deserve answers, and this briefing will take a new look at these cases. Turkmenistan has been characterized as one of the world's most repressive countries, with virtually no freedom of expression, association, or assembly. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom again recommended in 2013 that the Secretary of State designate Turkmenistan a "country of particular concern," and the State Department placed Turkmenistan on its "Tier 2 Watch List" for trafficking in persons - the second lowest category. Imprisonment has been used as a tool for political retaliation against those who do speak out, and Turkmenistan's prisons – closed to outside monitoring - are notorious for torture, poor conditions, and disease. The following panelists are scheduled to participate: Rachel Denber, Deputy Director, Europe and Central Asia Division, Human Rights Watch Catherine Fitzpatrick, Independent Expert on Eurasia Peter Zalmayev, Director, Eurasia Democracy Initiative Kate Watters, Executive Director, Crude Accountability Boris Shikmuradov, Editor, Gundogar.org
Kyiv Ministerial Held Amid Protests
On December 5 and 6, 2013, Kyiv hosted the 20th meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe while hundreds of thousands of protestors occupied Maidan Nezalezhnosti, Kyiv's central square. Although as 2013 OSCE Chair-in-Office, Ukraine had successfully shepherded a package of decisions to adoption in Kyiv, the meeting was dominated by demonstrations taking place throughout the country triggered on November 21 by the Ukrainian government's suspension of preparations to sign integration agreements with the EU. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland represented the United States. She began the Ministerial by meeting with civil society activists, which she described as her "most important event" in Kyiv. In her opening statement at the Ministerial, she highlighted three "worrying trends" in OSCE participating States: the persecution of journalists, the rising intolerance of minorities, and "democratic backsliding" into restrictive laws and practices that violate civil liberties.
Resolving Crises in East Asia Through a New System of Collective Security: The Helsinki Process as a Model
This hearing discussed the possibility of establishing an organization in East Asia similar to the OSCE, in order to increase cooperation and improve regional security. Witnesses cited curbing North Korea's nuclear ambitions, which have been condemned by Japan, China and South Korea, as a primary goal for such an organization. Witnesses also suggested that an OSCE-like mechanism could be used to mediate air security zone disagreements and regional maritime issues.
The OSCE 2013 Human Dimension Implementation Meeting
By Helsinki Commission Staff Overview From September 23 to October 4, 2013, the OSCE participating States met in Warsaw, Poland, for the annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM). The meeting was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) according to an agenda approved by consensus of all 57 participating States. The HDIM is Europe's largest annual human rights gathering and provides a venue for participating States and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to review the implementation of the full range of core human rights and fundamental freedoms (e.g., freedoms of speech, assembly and association; prevention of torture; right to a fair trial), as well as rule of law, free elections and democracy-building issues. National minorities, Roma, tolerance and non-discrimination are also on the agenda. In accordance with OSCE procedures, the agenda included three specially selected topics, each of which was given a full day of review. In 2013, those subjects were: 1) freedom of religion or belief, 2) freedom of assembly and association, and 3) democratic elections and election observation -- sharing best practices. U.S. Delegation The U.S. Delegation was headed by Ambassador Robert Bradtke. Newly confirmed U.S. Head of the U.S. Mission to the OSCE Ambassador Daniel Baer also participated. (During the HDIM, meetings of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna are suspended to facilitate participation by members of permanent missions to the OSCE in the Warsaw meeting.) Other members of the U.S. Delegation included Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Thomas O. Melia, Special Envoy for Combating Anti-Semitism Ira Forman, and Co-Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Katrina Lantos Swett. Helsinki Commission Chief of Staff Fred L. Turner and other Commission staff participated in all aspects of the delegation's work. Gavin Weise from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems served as a public member on the issue of democratic elections and election observation. Public Members have traditionally been included in U.S. delegations to OSCE human dimension meetings as a means of bringing special expertise to the delegation's work and to promote greater knowledge of the OSCE process in civil society. This Year's Meeting As the meeting opened, the high-profile case of imprisoned former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko remained unresolved, casting a pall on Ukraine's OSCE Chairmanship. GOLOS, a Russian NGO that reports on the integrity of elections in Russia, remained suspended in a wave of increased repression; Russian representatives protested against GOLOS participation at the HDIM. Former political prisoner and RFE/RL correspondent Dovletmyrat Yazkuliyev was not allowed to leave Turkmenistan to participate in the HDIM. Kazakhstani businessman Mukhtar Ablyazov and several of his former colleagues were held in various countries on the request of the government of Kazakhstan – while his wife and daughter were illegally deported from Italy to Kazakhstan. The U.S. statements from the HDIM, raising these and many other specific cases of concern, are available on the website of the U.S. mission to the OSCE (osce.usmission.gov). During the meeting, the United States held bilateral meetings with other OSCE participating States and extensive consultations with civil society. In addition, the United States organized a side event focused on one of this year's special topics, freedom of association and assembly, with a panel of activists from the Civil Society Platform: Yevgeniy Zhovtis, International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law (Kazakhstan), Valeria Rybok from the Center for Civil Liberties (Ukraine), Dmitri Makarov from the International Youth Human Rights Initiative (Russia), Aleh Hulak, Belarusian Helsinki Commission, and Rasul Jafarov from the Human Rights Club (Azerbaijan). Speakers described many negative trends across Eurasian and Central Asian states, including onerous registration requirements for civil society organizations, restrictions on peaceful demonstrations, and prosecutions of protestors. The panel and other attendees also emphasized the importance of a network through which regional civil society organizations could share experiences and effective activities. Other side events were organized by ODIHR, participating States, and NGOs including Freedom House, Amnesty International, Human Rights First, the Open Society Foundations, and the German Marshall Fund. As at past HDIM meetings, some concerns were raised about the United States, including at side events focused on the abolition of the death penalty and on human rights and counterterrorism (which touched on Guantánamo, drones, and surveillance/privacy issues). Switzerland held a side event during the HDIM to preview its goals for its 2014 tandem chairmanship (with Serbia taking the lead in 2015). Switzerland indicated that its two over-arching human dimension priorities will be to enhance the involvement of civil society and to strengthen the implementation of human dimension commitments. During what promises to be an active and ambitious chairmanship, Switzerland plans to hold four regional workshops with civil society in Southeast Europe, the Southern Caucasus, Central Asia, and Western Europe. During the regular working sessions, several concerns were raised repeatedly, including violence against journalists, harassment of NGOs and restrictive NGO registration laws, and government actions against religious groups portrayed by some governments as non-traditional. Russia received significant criticism over its Foreign Agents law. (There also were a number of apparently Russian-sponsored "NGOs" which criticized the United States, supported independence for South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and hewed to anti-Baltic state themes.) Problems in Central Asia received considerable attention, including the disappearance of some prisoners in Turkmenistan and the cases of Vladimir Kozlov and Mukhtar Ablyazov in Kazakhstan. During the HDIM, the NGO Crude Accountability and the Civic Solidarity Platform launched a project called "Prove that They are Alive." Designed to follow up on the 2003 invocation of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism with Turkmenistan, the initiative is intended to compel the government of Turkmenistan to inform the families of those imprisoned in connection with an alleged coup attempt in 2002 whether their loved ones are still alive. As at previous HDIMs, the allocation of time during the meeting was highly problematic. Of the topics restricted to three-hour sessions, the subject of tolerance and non-discrimination was the most oversubscribed. This session included discussion of the implementation of existing OSCE hate crimes commitments; combating anti-Semitism, intolerance against Muslims and other religious groups; racism and xenophobia; and anti-LGBT bigotry manifested through, in particular, "gay propaganda" laws. In such oversubscribed sessions, speaking time was strictly curtailed to accommodate the dozens desiring the floor, while other sessions ended early with time unused. Notably, Thailand, an OSCE Partner for Cooperation, actively participated in this year's HDIM, perhaps in order to bolster its application to become a full OSCE participating State.
Bulgaria Holds Early Parliamentary Elections; OSCE Mounts Full-Scale Election Observation Mission
By Helsinki Commission Staff Country-Wide Street Protests Trigger Snap Elections In early 2013, 30 Bulgarian cities were rocked by demonstrations. In some instances, violence erupted between demonstrators and police. In addition, in the months immediately preceding the elections, six people committed suicide by self-immolation in acts of public protest and desperation. The street demonstrations were triggered by sharply rising electricity rates in a country widely described as the poorest of the EU's 27 members. Discontent was further fueled by dissatisfaction with political leaders across the board and widespread corruption. In February, following the street demonstrations, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov resigned, paving the way for May 12's early parliamentary elections. For those elections, 8,100 candidates stood for seats in the 240-member unicameral National Assembly allocated by proportional representation from 31 multi-mandate constituencies (with a 4% threshold for both parties and coalitions to enter parliament). Altogether, 63 parties (38 outside of coalitions and 7 coalitions) were registered as well as two independent candidates. The resulting ballot was roughly a yard long. OSCE Mounts Full-Scale Election Observation Mission The OSCE mounted a full scale Election Observation Mission (EOM) – the first in Bulgaria since 1997 and the first ever in an EU country. Eoghan Murphy (MP, Ireland) was appointed by OSCE Chair-in-Office Leonid Kozhara to serve as Special Coordinator and leader of the short-term observer mission (parliamentarians and observers seconded by OSCE participating States). The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) long-term observer team was headed by Miklos Haraszti. Roberto Battelli (MP, Slovenia) headed the OSCE PA delegation. Andreas Gross (MP, Switzerland) headed the observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). On Election Day, there were 158 observers deployed from 39 countries. Of an estimated 6.9 million voters (a number that, in any case, the OSCE and Council of Europe Venice Commission suggest may be high), 3,541,745 went to the polls. Voter turnout was at about 50 percent – the lowest turnout since the fall of communism – reflecting the voters' antipathy even more than apathy. Approximately 850,000 votes were cast for parties that failed to overcome the 4% threshold to get into parliament. Reportedly 107,799 Bulgarian citizens voted abroad, with 63,152 votes cast in Turkey. The Mysterious Case of the Extra Ballots The administration of the elections on E-Day was largely unremarkable. It was, however, preceded by two separate but related wiretapping scandals suggesting that the Ministry of Interior had bugged journalists and state officials. The day before the elections, an "extra" 350,000 ballots were discovered in a printing house in Sofia. (A week after the elections, it was reported that more than 2,000 extra stamps for electoral commissions had also surfaced.) In its preliminary findings, the Election Observation Mission drew particular attention to the alienation of voters, lack of confidence in the electoral process, concerns over ballot security (the "extra" ballots), and persistent allegations of vote buying or voter intimidation. (A final report from the Mission is forthcoming.) Roma and Other Minorities in the Electoral Context Bulgaria has a population of 7.36 million (from almost 8 million in the 2001 census and roughly 8.4 million in the 1992 census). This continuing drop reflects declining birth rates and labor migration to other parts of Europe. The ethnic Turkish minority comprises 8.8 percent of the population. Almost 5 percent of the population self-identified as Romani on the last census, but Roma are estimated to be roughly 10 percent of the population. Last year, the Bulgarian Government estimated that 23 percent of the working age population is Romani. The Bulgarian Constitution prohibits the formation of political parties on ethnic, racial or religious lines, which is contrary to OSCE and other international norms on freedom of assembly. The OSCE has criticized this restriction in previous reports on Bulgarian elections. The Electoral Code stipulates that the election campaign must be conducted in the Bulgarian language only, also contrary to standards on free speech and minority language use set out in the 1990 Copenhagen Document. These restrictions also impede get-out-the-vote efforts. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms is, de facto, an ethnic Turkish minority party, although it has largely been allowed to function with a wink and a nod from the authorities. After the elections, it was reported that Lyutvi Mestan, head of the MRF party, was fined in Sliven for campaigning in Turkish. Bulgaria's last two local and Presidential elections (which were held simultaneously in 2007 and 2011) were preceded by outbreaks of anti-Roma violence. In 2011, just a few weeks before the elections, 14 Bulgarian cities erupted into anti-Roma riots. In July 2012, the headquarters of the EuroRoma political party were firebombed, killing one man. The investigation has not produced any results. On April 8, 15 Romani civil society organizations withdrew from their advisory role with the National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Integration Issues, effectively deeming the government's work in this area and the consultative process to be a sham. There were no Roma in electable positions on the lists for any of the leading parties. As a result, the National Assembly produced by the May 12 elections will be the first Bulgarian parliament since the fall of communism to have no Romani MPs.
Ukraine's Leadership of the OSCE
This hearing focused on the Ukrainian leadership of the OSCE and OSCE priorities within Ukraine. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Leonid Kozhara spoke about Ukraine's progress on economic reforms and anti-corruption efforts and Ukraine's policy goals for their time in office, particularly on human trafficking. Chairman Cardin and Minister Kozhara also discussed Yulia Tymoshenko's imprisonment.
Democracy in Albania: the Pace of Progress
Prior to 1991, Albania was ruled by one of the communist world's most repressive regimes and was the only country in Europe refusing to participate in the Helsinki process. In the two decades following, the country made enormous strides to become a democratic state where human rights are respected and to become an active participant in European affairs, and became a member of the NATO Alliance in 2009. Despite this progress, Albania continues to struggle in building its democratic institutions and practices, including respect for the rule of law. As Albania prepared for parliamentary elections in June 2013, this hearing assessed the degree to which progress has begun to fall short of expectations at home and abroad, and what could be done to accelerate the pace of further reforms related to good governance.
U.S. Helsinki Commission to Hold Hearing on OSCE with Ukraine's Foreign Minister
The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) today announced the following hearing: Ukraine's Leadership of the OSCE Wednesday, May 8, 2013 2:00 pm Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 562 Scheduled to testify: His Excellency Leonid Kozhara, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Chair-in-Office of the OSCE Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Leonid Kozhara, will testify before the U.S. Helsinki Commission in his capacity as Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The hearing takes place one-third of the way through Ukraine's 2013 chairmanship of the 57-country OSCE, an organization based in Vienna Austria, and best known for its work in promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Minister Kozhara is expected to discuss the Chairmanship's priorities and provide insights regarding the ongoing work of the OSCE. Ukraine's Chairmanship faces formidable tasks in leading an organization that operates on the basis of consensus and includes countries ranging from democracies to dictatorships. The Ukrainian Chairmanship's priorities include finding new ways to address protracted regional conflicts, energy security, and human dimension issues such as human trafficking, media freedom, tolerance, democratic elections and efforts to improve implementation of commitments regarding fundamental human rights and freedoms.
Helsinki Commission Chairman Leads Delegation to Israel and Turkey before Attending OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Session
By Helsinki Commission Staff En route to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Winter Meeting in Vienna, Austria, a delegation organized by the Helsinki Commission visited Israel and Turkey for talks on issues of key concern to U.S. foreign policy and the OSCE. These destinations in particular were selected to explore the impact on the OSCE region resulting from the ongoing tensions in the Middle East stemming from the active conflict and humanitarian crisis in Syria. The delegation was not only bipartisan but included Members from the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as two senior officials from the Department of Commerce. The delegation, which departed February 15 and returned on February 23, was led by Helsinki Commission Chairman Senator Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland and included Representatives Robert B. Aderholt of Alabama, Alcee L. Hastings of Florida and Mike McIntyre of North Carolina as well as Assistant Secretary of Commerce Michael C. Camuñez from the Helsinki Commission. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Europe and Eurasia Matthew Murray also joined the delegation. High Level Meetings in Israel The delegation's first stop was Jerusalem. Following a late arrival on Saturday, February 16, the delegation was briefed by Ambassador Daniel Shapiro and Consul General Michael Ratney in preparation for meetings on Sunday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, the Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations (Mossad), Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and other officials. High on the delegation's agenda were U.S.-Israeli relations, including economic cooperation, the peace process, renewal of Israeli-Turkish relations and regional security. President Peres welcomed the delegation in his residence and praised the work of the Helsinki Commission on human rights. Chairman Cardin and President Peres engaged in a lengthy conversation regarding the nuclear ambitions of Iran as well as human rights in that country. They also focused on investment and economic development in the region, particularly the need to provide employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people in the Arab world. Members of the delegation met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his cabinet offices for a wide ranging discussion on Iran, the peace process, violence in Syria, Israel-Turkey relations and economic cooperation between our two countries. The Prime Minister also offered a candid assessment of the January 22 parliamentary elections in Israel and his efforts to form a new government. Meeting with the delegation in the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad provided an overview of the economic and security situation in the West Bank, the status of Palestinian-Israeli relations and the peace process. The Prime Minister indicated that there is outright disillusionment with the peace process among the Palestinian people. What is badly needed, he said, is a sense of renewal and energy by both parties to return to negotiations. The remainder of the day included meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy, Dan Meridor, Central Bank Governor Stanley Fischer and a briefing by Israel's Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations (Mossad). The delegation departed early the next morning for Turkey. Fostering Security Cooperation with Turkey Chairman Cardin's delegation stopped in Ankara, Gaziantep, and Istanbul while in Turkey. In Ankara, the delegation met with President Abdullah Gul, Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, and Omer Onhon, former Turkish ambassador to Syria. The delegation prioritized international engagement in the Syrian conflict, the status of Syrian refugees, the urgency of improving Turkish-Israeli relations, the Middle East Peace Process, bilateral economic cooperation and ongoing human rights concerns in their consultations with Turkish government officials. The delegation was briefed by U.S. Ambassador Frank Ricciardone and his staff on bilateral U.S.-Turkish priorities and the security of U.S. embassies following the tragic February 1, 2013 attack on the embassy in Ankara. In Gaziantep, Chairman Cardin's delegation was the first group from Congress to visit the American detachment of the newly established NATO Patriot missile batteries. Members met with the troops stationed near Gaziantep and were briefed on security concerns emanating from the Syrian conflict and NATO efforts to ensure the security of Turkish communities near the Syrian border. The delegation was briefed by regional staff of the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance on their substantial efforts to meet the humanitarian needs of the Syrian people in refugee camps and ensure the necessary resources reach the internally displaced civilians within Syria. The delegation then proceeded to visit the central Turkish camp for Syrian refugees in Kilis, which is one of more than 20 such camps along the border. After a briefing by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Members had an opportunity to see the facilities. The Turkish government has independently made a substantial investment in Syrian humanitarian assistance through their camps. They urged the delegation to encourage the international community to contribute more financial support to address the lack of resources for the growing Syrian refugee population in the region. The delegation also met the camp leadership elected from among the refugees, which reflected the diversity of those displaced by the conflict. The camp leaders urged the delegation to act expeditiously to support the Syrian opposition before the positive perception of the United States irreparably diminishes among Syrian civilians. In Istanbul, the delegation participated in a discussion on the success of bilateral economic cooperation and overcoming barriers to increase U.S. investment in Turkey hosted by the Joint American Business Forum of Turkey and the Turkish-American Business Council. Members then convened a roundtable discussion with a diverse group of Syrian opposition activists based in Istanbul. The activists expressed an urgent interest in the future U.S. role in addressing the security and humanitarian impacts of Syrian conflict. The delegation also had an opportunity to meet with graduate students of Bahcesehir University to discuss the importance of international academic exchanges and youth professional development. OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Meets in Vienna The congressional delegation concluded in Vienna, Austria, to represent the United States at the Winter Meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA). Like the OSCE of which it is a part, the Parliamentary Assembly has been an important venue for important initiatives relating to the Helsinki Commission's work. Those initiatives include addressing specific human rights concerns in numerous countries and combating intolerance in society, organized crime and official corruption, and trafficking in persons. They also include promoting transparency in government and business practices. The United States has traditionally maintained a robust presence in the Assembly, assuring European friends and allies of willing U.S. engagement on issues of common concern and ensuring that the Assembly's work reflects U.S. interests. Representative Aderholt, for example, is currently an OSCE Vice President and sits on a subcommittee dealing with rules of procedure and an ad hoc committee focusing on reform and transparency of the OSCE. The Winter Meeting is a two-day event held at the Hofburg premises of the OSCE, allowing diplomatic personnel from this multilateral organization to report to the parliamentarians on security, economic, environmental and human rights developments across Europe and into Central Asia. The Winter Meeting also provides a forum for open debate of topical issues and to present ideas for resolutions to be considered later in the year. In the decade since it was first organized, the Winter Meeting has become second in importance only to the OSCE PA's Annual Session, which is held in June or July in different locations to consider these resolutions and adopt a declaration. In 2013, there were more than 200 parliamentarians in attendance. Ambassador Ian Kelly, the U.S. Representative to the OSCE, briefed the delegation soon after its arrival on the regional issues of interest to the OSCE, as well as organizational developments, from a U.S. policy perspective. Ukraine has taken the OSCE's chairmanship for 2013, and efforts continue to achieve progress on priority issues in time for a foreign ministerial scheduled for year's end. As it approaches its 40th anniversary in 2015, the OSCE is also seeking to develop its structural and substantive abilities in order to remain relevant to European security, but it must do so in the face of efforts by Russia and like-minded states to undermine the OSCE's human rights focus. OSCE PA President Riccardo Migliori of Italy opened the Winter Meeting with a call to find "solutions for the future" based on "the road map signed in our past," namely the 1975 Helsinki Final Act. The opening plenary was also addressed by Austrian National Council President Barbara Prammer, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier of Italy, and the Special Envoy of the OSCE Chair-in-Office, Viacheslav Yatsiuk of Ukraine. Additional discussions were held in each of the Assembly's three General Committees: the First Committee dealing with political affairs and security; the Second Committee with economic affairs, science, technology and the environment; and the Third Committee with democracy, human rights and humanitarian questions. Committee rapporteurs and guest speakers discussed current issues and the prospects for OSCE PA work in the coming year. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Camuñez was a featured opening speaker for the Second Committee, focusing on economic issues in particular. Calling for a "truly 21st century approach" to engagement on these issues within the OSCE, he focused in particular on work being done on energy security and sustainability. He also called for operationalizing OSCE commitments on good governance and transparency adopted at the 2012 Dublin Ministerial Council of the OSCE and asked parliamentarians to play their role by passing needed laws and encouraging government policies that reflect OSCE norms and goals. The Winter Meeting traditionally includes a closing joint-committee session to debate issues that are particularly relevant and timely. This year, the debate focused on how OSCE countries should respond to crises in Syria, the Sahara, and North Africa. Representative Hastings, speaking as the OSCE PA's Special Representative on Mediterranean Affairs, made a presentation that called on the parliamentarians to consider being in the place of the Syrian people as they flee their homes and lose loved ones, including children, while the world watches. He called on the participating States to halt the flow of arms to Syria, and insisting the Bashar al-Assad "must go," called for him to be held accountable for his crimes before the International Criminal Court. Chairman Cardin also spoke in the debate, reporting on the discussions the delegation had in Israel and Turkey regarding Syria and praising Turkey's efforts to accommodate massive inflows of refugees. During the course of the Winter Meeting, the OSCE PA convenes its Standing Committee, composed only of Heads of Delegation and officers, to shape the Assembly's work. Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Representative Christopher H. Smith, who was unable to attend the Winter Meeting, and Rep. Hastings each submitted to the committee written reports on their activities as Special Representative on Human Trafficking and as Special Representative on Mediterranean Affairs, respectively. Chairman Cardin participated in a lengthy debate on OSCE election observation, calling for the Assembly and the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to coordinate in the field and to take advantage of parliamentary leadership to make observation most effective. The delegation used its time at the Winter Meeting to engage in bilateral meetings with parliamentarians and officials regarding Helsinki Commission concerns, including the OSCE Chair-in-Office envoy Yatsiuk, OSCE Secretary General Zannier and ODIHR Director Janez Lenarcic of Slovenia. Representative Hastings also organized a working session with visiting delegates from the Mediterranean Partner countries in order to plan activity for the coming year that will strengthen the partnership between the Mediterranean Partners – Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia – and the OSCE. Representative Aderholt also met with human rights activist and opposition representative Andrei Sannikov to discuss common concerns in Belarus. Beyond the Hofburg, the delegation also met with Ambassador Joseph MacManus, who represents the United States at United Nations organizations based in Vienna, and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano of Japan. Nuclear proliferation was the main issue in these meetings. Chairman Cardin also was accompanied by the U.S. Ambassador to Austria, Willliam Eacho, as he paid tribute at the Austrian National Council to the Vienna-based organization CENTROPA and its American Director, Ed Serotta, for efforts to preserve Jewish memory in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Balkans and the Baltics for future generations. By all accounts, the Winter Meeting represented two days of healthy debate and discussion. The U.S. Delegation played an active role throughout the meeting, making presentations and responding to statements of others.


H.H. Coffee house owners, publicans and off-licence owners!
DELI-EXTRA STOUT is now available by the glass served by a pump at over two hundred places in Amsterdam and more than a hundred places Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht.
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The DELI BROUWERIJ brews only first quality Extra Stout Stout and no Brown Stoutand other inferrior qualities.
Sales of Stout by the glass from a pump, introduced into the Netherlands by the DELI-BREWERY, ensures publicans that on cold and rainy days they can sell their usual amount of beer.


text:
Spirit of Fi Yi Yi
Photograph by Jeffrey David Ehrenreich from Fire in the Hole: The Spirit Work of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors
Pernell Russell and Daron Crawford
Authors of Beyond the Bricks at their book release.
Carol Rodriguez and Jean Verdin
From Monique Verdin's book Return to Yakne Chitto
WHAT IS COLLABORATIVEANTHROPOLOGY ?
The Neighborhood Story Project is a nonprofit collaborative anthropology organization in partnership with the University of New Orleans. Since 2004, we have produced books, exhibits, events, and curriculum that are based on the storytelling, knowledge-sharing, ethics, and joy of co-creativity.
At the NSP, we use the methods of participant/observation~learning by doing~to support our mission of "Our stories told by us." To co-produce projects that tell the stories of the cultures of our region and develop strong cross-cultural dialogues, we work in different mediums ~ creative nonfiction, in-depth interviews, photography, installations, music, conversations, parades. We believe in the power of creating archives through books and exhibits, as well as direct experiences through programs at our workshop and with partners around the city and world. Follow our social media and subscribe to our newsletter to learn more about how to get involved. Below you will find articles, videos, and curriculum that share more about our projects and the co-creation process.
JUST RELEASED!!
Our curriculum on teaching about race, culture, and civil rights organizing in New Orleans uses conversations with civil rights leaders and musicians in Talk That Music Talk as a foundation for students to learn about anthropology, photographic archives, active listening, conducting life history interviews, and organizing "moving classrooms" that are inspired by the pedagogy of the youth-based organization Tambourine and Fan. Download the curriculum for free and contact us about reduced prices of books for classroom sets.
From 2008-2010, the NSP collaborated with anthropologist Maya Haviland as she studied our methods as part of her book on co-creativity. Here are two chapters that include an interview with co-founder and director Rachel Breunlin, as well as Maya's chapter on her collaborative ethnographies with us in South Louisiana and Western Australia.
"Our Stories Told By Us": The Neighborhood Story Project in New Orleans, a chapter in Telling Stories to Change the World by Rachel Breunlin, Abram Himelstein, and Ashley Nelson.
How is traditional jazz connected to social justice and education in New Orleans? A six-minute documentary by Elephant Quilt on our book, Talk That Music Talk, features civil rights leader and co-founder of Tambourine & Fan, Jerome Smith, musicians who worked on the book, and the co-editors, Bruce Sunpie Barnes and Rachel Breunlin.
WWNO's The Reading Life with Victor Harris, Rachel Breunlin, and Jeffrey David Ehrenreich. Hosted by Susan Larson, the episode is dedicated to the creation of Fire in the Hole.
"The Last Brass Band? Musical Mentorship and Social Justice Organizing," an article by Bruce Sunpie Barnes and Rachel Breunlin about the NSP ethnography Talk That Music Talk published in Smithsonian Folkways Magazine Image from Tambourine & Fan's parading curriculum.
A short film, "Danny Barker On Young People Organizing Bands in New Orleans" produced by Ebony Dumas with the Neighborhood Story Project and Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans
The New York Times article, "At the Track: Before the Starting Gate and After the Finish," by Campbell Robertson, tells the story of "Letters from the Backside," the NSP exhibition with letters written home by people who work at the New Orleans Fair Grounds during the horse racing season.
Neda Ulaby's two-part series on National Public Radio's All Things Considered explores our book with the Tulane City Center, Cornerstones: Celebrating the Everyday Monuments and Gathering Places of New Orleans' Neighborhoods. The first (top image), "Charting New Orleans' Everyday Landmarks takes us to Liuzza's By the Tracks and the Sportsman's Corner in Central City. The second (bottom image), "New Orleans Vacant Lot Brings Neighbors Together," takes place on the corner of N. Roman and Columbus in the Seventh Ward.
"The Creole Heart: CD Project Celebrates South Louisiana Language, History, ' by Missy Wilkinson from The New Orleans Advocate, December 17, 2017.
A collection of images from Bruce Sunpie Barnes and other photographers included in the NSP's Talk That Music Talk was featured in "The Beat Goes On: The Ongoing Legacy of Brass Band Music in New Orleans," a photo essay curated by Nicole Crowder for The Washington Post's "In Sight." [Photograph of Benny Jones Sr. by Bruce Sunpie Barnes]
In Memory of Royce Osborn, Way Downtown, a short film the Neighborhood Story Project produced with Spyboy Productions and Nine Times Social and Pleasure Club in 2010 celebrating second line dancing.
Eve Troeh's beautiful radio documentary of members of Nine Times reading stories from their book, Coming Out the Door for the Ninth Ward, to jazz music on NPR's All Things Considered
Publisher's Weekly article,"Looking Beyond the Hood," about the first year of the Neighborhood Story Project in 2005. Photograph by Rachel Breunlin of Ashley Nelson working on her book, The Combination, about the Lafitte Public Housing Development.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: C++ Automatically detecting where shared_ptr is compared to NULL We have a large legacy codebase with commonly referenced pointer types that are, for various reasons, better suited to being shared_ptrs.
shared_ptrs are nice drop-in replacements for regular pointers except for NULL checks.
Throughout the code we have regular NULL checks on these pointers and after conversion to shared_ptrs these null checks will always pass.
Does anybody have a nice way of automatically detecting these cases:
if (foo == NULL) // when foo is a boost::shared_ptr
?
We are not yet on C++11 but will be soon.
Example:
// declared elsewhere as :   boost::shared_ptr<T> foo;
if (NULL != foo) //always true when shared_ptr.  Correct check when raw pointer
{
      foo->DoSomething();
}

A: You could convert all the pointers to your class, which will encapsulate shared_ptr, and overload it's "operator==" function to detect NULL comparisons and count them, or handle them properly. You can either stick with this proxy class, or after counting (and for example dumping to the log file) all comparisons decide whether to switch to shared_ptr or not.

A: A colleague provided this solution, which is pretty much exactly what I'm after:
Put into a common header (and added the parameters in reverse order as well)
template<typename T>
bool operator!=(int null, const boost::shared_ptr<T>& p)
{
    typedef typename T::intentional_error error;
    return false;
}

template<typename T>
bool operator==(int null, const boost::shared_ptr<T>& p)
{
    typedef typename T::intentional_error error;
    return false;
}

Gives a compile time error at the location of all comparisons between shared_ptr and int.

A: if (foo) should work. Also if(foo.get()) works

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
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AMC Sets Premiere Dates for 'Walking Dead' Spinoffs
WARNING: Spoilers for The Walking Dead comic series follow.
If you're a fan of AMC's The Walking Dead, you almost certainly know the story points that were changed from the source material—even if you haven't read the comics. Maybe you remember the outcry when Glenn (Steven Yeun) wasn't the first person Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) killed in that infamous lineup scene. Maybe you heard rumblings that Ezekiel (Khary Payton) wasn't going to make it out of the Whisperer storyline, only to see him alive and heading to the Commonwealth. You almost certainly caught the outrage that accompanied Carl's (Chandler Riggs) death, given that he sticks around way, way longer in the comics.
But what about romantic relationships? Many of them, too, are different — and some of the pairings might surprise you. Here are eight couples from the source material that never made it to the TV series.
'The Walking Dead' Cast Previews Season 10 'Finale' & What's Next (VIDEO)
The Walking Dead, Returns 2021, AMC
Dale and Andrea
Yes, really. While they had a father-daughter bond on the show, in the comics, Dale and Andrea were romantically involved (and yes, the age gap between them still existed). Bonus fact: in the comics, Dale took the death that went to the show's Bob (Lawrence Gilliard, Jr) — you know, the whole being-devoured-by-cannibals-while-also-having-been-bitten-by-a-walker demise.
Carl and Lydia
To be fair, this same kind of dynamic happened on the show, given that Sam (Matthew Lintz) had a brief romance with Lydia (Cassady McClincy). But in the comics, Carl and Lydia's courtship lasts far longer, though at the story's conclusion, Carl ends up with Sophia, who most certainly didn't die at the farm.
Rick and Andrea
The relationship between Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) is perhaps the closest this dynamic came to being translated to the screen. In the comics, though, it's Andrea who Rick eventually falls in love with and who Carl grows to see as his mom. We're happy Michonne didn't meet Andrea's fate, though; comics Andrea dies at the conclusion of the Whisperer War after sustaining a bite to her side.
Carol and Tyreese
There certainly wasn't anything romantic between these two on the drama, given that Carol killed Tyreese's (Chad L. Coleman) girlfriend in an attempt to stop a deadly virus from spreading at the prison. In the comics, however, they're in a relationship… which ends badly, after Carol discovers he's cheating on her. The show's nod to this very well might be pairing them together in the latter half of Season 4 when the group was split up, but that didn't culminate in anything romantic—if they're bonded by anything, it's the trauma of knowing the tragic fates that befell the Samuels girls.
Michonne and Morgan
In the comics, these two get together before All Out War and the Negan storyline. Their relationship has its ups and downs, but Michonne does love him—it's tragic, then, that she has to be the one to put him down after he succumbs to a bite wound. On the show, the closest these two came to a relationship was Michonne stealing Morgan's peanut butter protein bars. Twice.
Eugene and Rosita
This pairing was hinted at on the show, given Eugene's (Josh McDermitt) long-standing unrequited crush on Rosita (Christian Serratos), but it never came to be. In the comics, however, Rosita does eventually get together with Eugene. That said, she dies in the Whisperer War—her head is on one of the spikes.
Gene Page/AMC
Michonne and Ezekiel
The show gave a clever nod to the comics storyline between these two earlier in Season 10, when they shared a kiss (he even said something to the effect of, "In another life, perhaps.") In the comics, Michonne and Ezekiel have a romantic relationship, which she breaks off, though she later seems to regret doing so after he dies.
Aaron and Jesus
It's not entirely clear whether this did or didn't happen at some point during the show's six-year time jump. In the comics, though, the relationship between Aaron and Jesus is quite a bit different; they become a couple around the time of the Whisperer War, and they remain together at the end of the series (so Jesus doesn't die by Whisperer). They're also the ones who kill Beta.
BONUS: Negan and Lucille
Okay, this isn't, strictly speaking, a romantic relationship (although I think we can all agree Negan loves his barbed wire baseball bat). But it's worth noting that in the comics, Lucille—the bat, not Negan's late wife—sticks around longer and gets a more iconic exit; when Negan fights Beta, he swings Lucille down on his back and it (she?) snaps in half. Oh, the horror!
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Resources - Cornice Environmental Consulting Ltd.
BC Oil and Gas Research and Innovation Society (formerly SCEK) - Research to inform environmental and social matters related to oil and gas exploration and development in BC.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Aquatic Species Details. Including popular sport fish, species at risk and invasive species.
Alberta Rivers - flood advisories, view all current surface water data for Alberta.
Alberta Wildfire - Wildfire locations; up-to-date information on wildfire conditions and hazard level, and report a wildfire.
Audubon Bird - browse the field guide, search for bird sightings nearby, log and list sightings.
My Moose - In response to a decline in BC moose populations, this tool The province developed the app in consultation with the B.C. Wildlife Federation and with financial support from the Habitat Conservation Trust. Citizen Science effort, it is used by hunters and outdoor enthusiasts to contribute moose sightings via the app or website.
Oceanwise - over 1,800 Ocean Wise restaurant locations, markets and supplier venues to help make smart, sustainable seafood choices.
PlantWise - a collaborative BC program that helps gardeners and industry understand which plants are invasive and harmful to our communities.


We're all about great food, fun times, and the best burgers in Venice.
Location All Locations BrewBurgers Pub & Grill Tamiami Trail BrewBurger's Pub and Grill Commercial Ct.
Place order at the location where you will PICK UP. Delivery ONLY at the Island Location. Try Venice' Best Burger, Salads, Super Sandwiches and Icy Cold Beer.
Copyright BREWBURGERS 2019 - All Rights Reserved.


text:
    <meta http-equiv="content-type" content=""/>
    <title>WSO2 Complex Event Processor 3.1.0 Release
        Notes</title>
    <link href="./tools/cmd/css/wsas-dist-doc.css" rel="stylesheet"
          type="text/css" media="all"/>

WSO2 Complex Event Processor(WSO2 CEP) 3.1.0
    Release Notes

11 April 2014

WSO2 CEP is a lightweight and easy-to-use Open Source Complex Event Processing
    Server (CEP) is available under the Apache Software License v2.0.WSO2 Complex
    Event Processor identifies the most meaningful events within the event cloud,
    analyzes their impacts, and acts on them in real time. Its built to be extremely
    high performing and massively scalable.

This is based on the revolutionary WSO2 Carbon platform,
    and is based on the OSGi framework to achieve the better modularity for
    your Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). This also contains a lots of new
    features and many other optional components to customize the behavior of the
    server. Further, if you do not want any of the built in features, you can
    uninstall those features without any trouble. In other words, CEP can be
    customized to your SOA needs.

WSO2 Complex Event Processor is shipped with Siddhi and supports plugable back end
    runtimes as features which can be installed via WSO2 Carbon Feature Management.
    Siddhi is a Complex Event processing Engine developed by WSO2 engineers to achieve very high
    performance and massive scalability

An open source product, WSO2 Complex Event Processor is available under the
    Apache Software
        License (v2.0).
    This includes all of the extra integration and management
    functionality as well.

    The WIKI based documentation is available at

        http://docs.wso2.org/wiki/display/CEP310/Complex+Event+Processor+Documentation

Key Features

Support Multiple Input Event Adaptor Types - WSO2 CEP supports WSO2Event, SOAP, HTTP, JMS, Email, File, Kafka
        input adaptor types

Support Multiple Output Event Adaptor Types - WSO2 CEP supports WSO2Event, SOAP, HTTP, JMS, Email, SMS, Logger,
        Kafka, MySQL, Cassandra output adaptor types

Support for multiple event formats such as XML, JSON, Map, Text & WSO2Event

Siddhi Query Partitioning

Siddhi Event Tables to use historical data within real time processing

High Availability Deployment

Output rate limiting support for Siddhi

Monitoring Support - WSO2 CEP supports system, per execution plan/per deployment artifact monitoring.

Tracing Support - WSO2 CEP supports tracing a message at multiple stages of the event flow.

Event Flow Support - WSO2 CEP supports visualizing the event flow within the system.

Event Simulator - WSO2 CEP supports an easy gui to send sample events to test the event flow.

Sample framework for CEP

Easily Integrates with Enterprise System - by RESTful HTTP protocol with JSON, JMS MAP/XML/Text messages, SOAP
        and Email

Support for Long Duration Queries - Supports periodic snapshots to a scalable persistence store (Apache
        Cassandra).

Tightly Integrates with WSO2 Business Activity Monitor - for recording and post processing of events with
        Map-Reduce via Apache Hadoop.

Realtime Dashboard using WSO2 User Engagement Server

Siddhi Extensions

Event Adaptor Extension

Configuration based class loading mechanism for Siddhi

Arbitrary key values pair support for WSO2 Events

New Features In This Release

 High Availability and Fail-Over for WSO2 CEP

 Improve performance for thrift events

 Implement Passthrough Feature for all components

 Gadget gen tool to create gadgets for CEP dashboard

 Input Event Adaptor - File Tail Reader

 Output Event Adaptor to log events on the screen

 HTTP input event adaptor

 Configurable cache sizes for siddhi event table caches

 Support small Batch within Sliding Windows

 Event Flow Visualizer

 Event Simulator

Reporting Problems

Issues can be reported using the public JIRA available at

    https://wso2.org/jira/browse/CEP

Contact us

WSO2 Complex Event Processor developers can be contacted via the mailing lists:

For Developers:
dev@wso2.org

For details on subscriptions see

    http://wso2.org/mail

Alternatively, questions can also be raised in the stackoverflow:

Forum
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/wso2/

Training

    WSO2 Inc. offers a variety of professional Training Programs, including
    training on general Web services as well as WSO2 CEP, Siddhi, WSO2 BAM,
    Data Services and a number of other products.

    For additional support information please refer to

        http://wso2.com/training/course-catalog/

Support

    WSO2 Inc. offers a variety of development and production support
    programs, ranging from Web-based support up through normal business
    hours, to premium 24x7 phone support.

    For additional support information please refer to
    http://wso2.com/support/

For more information on WSO2 Complex Event Processor, visit the
    WSO2 Oxygen Tank

Thank you for your interest in WSO2 Complex Event Processor

    -The WSO2 Complex Event Processor Development Team

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
About FDCO
The First Decade Company FDCO is a specialized group in providing products and services to industries like Operation, Maintenance, Cleaning, Sterilization, and Information Technology. Our professional technical services in facilities management based on a long history of more than 20 years in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and GCC provide a full range of technical solutions, maintenance, cleaning, and sterilization for commercial, industrial and residential facilities.
FDCO has proven its leadership with a proven track record with a group of selected clients in almost all regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The company opened its second branch in the United Arab Emirates in the Emirate of Dubai.
With specialized teams of more than 500 technicians and workers located throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, we provide reliable, preventive, and corrective maintenance solutions for all categories of residential, commercial, and industrial properties.
FDCO provides products and services via its subsidiaries as mentioned above.
FDCO SERVICES
Operation Services
Operation of government facilities and the private sector
Cleanliness of government facilities and the private sector
Hygiene and sterilization of commercial complexes
Providing labor for loading and unloading to warehouses and others
Providing technicians for all professions
Residential building maintenance
Maintenance of government complexes
School maintenance
Maintenance of communication systems and networks
Contracting and finishing services
Electricity works
flooring work
gypsum work
Facility management for Mega Mall
FDCO has formed a team to support the operation and maintenance of the facilities consisting of a commercial complex in addition to the supporting facilities for the complex from warehouses, power and housing, the project team consists of 32 members with a variety of technical, support and security services.
Maintenance and cleaning of the StripMall commercial complex
A project to provide facilities management services that include 32 commercial stores. The services include cleaning, security and general maintenance of the commercial complex. The team consists of 20 teams divided into two shifts
Facilities management for apartments and villa complex
Operation and maintenance of a large residential complex consisting of 1500 villas and apartments The scope of work includes the provision of maintenance and general cleaning services and the operation of support services facilities such as the club, swimming pools and playgrounds.
Operation and maintenance of government facilities
Providing facilities management services that include a technical team for maintenance, operation, and administrative support for facilities that include government buildings and warehouses for the entity and affiliated entities. It has a range of warehouse support services for more than 21 warehouses across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The number of employees is more than 52.
Operation services for warehouse facilities
Operation services for warehouse facilities across the whole kingdom with more than 150 staff of different technical services to support inbounding and outrebounding activities.
Client: Confidential
Date: 26th April, 2013
Regions: Jeddah, Dammam, Riyadh, Tabouk, Qasim, Najran, and Jazan
Operation Project for Motel in Northern Region
FDCO structured a team to support the operation of a model in the norther region of Saudi Arabia, the project include 32 of teams with a diverse range of technical and support services.
Logistical support services to 21 warehouses across KSA
FDCO and its subsidiaries provide a range of warehouse support services to more than 21 warehouses across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The staff size of more than 220 across 3 shifts for 24/7 operation.
Construction technical services in UAE
FDCO and its subsidiaries provided technical services for a MEGA construction project in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.


text:
California Banjo Extravaganza
w/ Tony Trischka, Sammy Shelor & Bill Evans
Saturday, November 16, 2013, 8:00 pm (doors open at 7:00 pm)
plus afternoon workshops
$26.50 adv / $28.50 door
Start: November 16 8:00 pm
Banjo mini-camp workshops starting at noon
The 2nd Annual California Banjo Extravaganza lifts off at the Freight with local five-string favorite Bill Evans bringing in two all-time banjo greats, Sammy Shelor and Tony Trischka, along with a band of bluegrass all-stars.
Tony just might be the most influential banjo player in the roots music world. Ever since he heard the Kingston Trio play "Charlie and the MTA" in 1963, he's been cooking up banjo magic. The New York Times has dubbed him "the godfather of what's sometimes called new acoustic music," Billboard Magazine has called him "one of the most impressive banjoists alive," and the Banjo Newsletter has declared him the "most influential banjo player of the latter part of the 20th century." He's won several IBMA awards and an Independent Music Award, as well as earning a Grammy nomination. In addition to his more than 30 albums, he's worked on films and documentaries – Driving Miss Daisy and Give Me the Banjo – appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage, and Late Night with David Letterman, launched the online Tony Trischka School of Banjo, and published two books.
Sammy is a five-time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association's award for Banjo Performer of the Year, as well as the winner of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. He leads the red-hot Lonesome River Band, which recently celebrated their 30th anniversary. When he was four years old, his grandfather gave him a banjo fashioned from the lid of an old pressure cooker, and after learning his first two songs, he moved on to a real banjo. By age ten, he was performing in local bands in and around his hometown of Meadows of Dan, Virginia, and at 19 he joined a band which eventually became the Virginia Squires, bringing him under the influence of banjo legend Sonny Osborne. Sammy has been a banjo innovator for his entire career. If you walk around at just about any gathering of banjo aficionados, you're likely to hear licks and phrases that he originated.
Bill is also an author – his Banjo for Dummies is the best-selling banjo instructional book in the world – and, like Sammy and Tony, he's a banjo life force. His latest album, In Good Company, topped international folk and bluegrass charts and made numerous "Best of 2012" lists. In addition to co-hosting the popular All-Star Bangers & Grass monthly concerts in Kensington, Bill has recently played at the Freight with Melody Walker & Jacob Groopman, David Bromberg, the Hard Road Trio, and the Jazzschool Bluegrass Ensemble, which he directs.
John Reischman on mandolin, Jim Nunally on guitar, Chad Manning on fiddle, and Sharon Gilchrist on bass will join Sammy, Tony, and Bill to make some unforgettable music tonight at the Freight!
Visit Tony Trischka's website
Visit Bill Evan's website
Visit John Reischman's website
Vist Jim Nunally's website
Visit Chad Manning's website
Visit Sharon Gilchrist's website


text:
«Провини наші» () — британсько-американська кримінальна кінодрама режисера Адама Сміта, що вийшла 2016 року. Стрічка розповідає про гонщика, який вирішив зав'язати зі своїм кримінальним життям. У головних ролях Майкл Фассбендер, Брендан Глісон, Шон Гарріс.

Вперше фільм продемонстрували 9 вересня 2016 року у Канаді на міжнародному кінофестивалі у Торонто, а в Україні у широкому кінопрокаті показ фільму розпочався 16 березня 2017.

У ролях

Створення фільму

Знімальна група

 Кінорежисер — Адам Сміт
 Сценарист — Аластер Сиддонс
 Кінопродюсери — Андреа Калдервуд, Гейл Іген і Аластер Сиддонс
 Виконавчі продюсери — Джошуа Астрахан, Роза Ґарнетт, Фредерік В. Ґрін, Пітер Гемпден, Філ Гант, Норман Меррі і Комптон Росс
 Композитор — The Chemical Brothers
 Кінооператор — Едуард Гро
 Кіномонтаж — Крістіна Гетерінгтон і Джейк Робертс
 Підбір акторів — Шахін Баіг
 Художник-постановник — Нік Палмер
 Артдиректор — Андреа Матесон
 Художник по костюмах — Сюзанн Кейв.

Виробництво
31 жовтня 2013 року видання «The Hollywood Reporter» повідомило, що Майкл Фассбендер буде виконувати головну роль у фільмі дебютанта Адама Сміта за сценарієм Аластера Сиддонса. У травні 2014 року було оголошено, що в акторський склад, окрім Фассбендера, також увійшли Брендан Глісон, Шон Гарріс, Ліндсі Маршал, Рорі Кіннер.

Сприйняття

Оцінки і критика
Від кінокритиків фільм отримав змішані відгуки: Rotten Tomatoes дав оцінку 57 % на основі 61 відгуку від критиків (середня оцінка 5,5/10). Загалом на сайті фільм має погані оцінки, фільму зарахований «гнилий помідор» від фахівців, Metacritic — 50/100 на основі 16 відгуків критиків. Загалом на цьому ресурсі від фахівців фільм отримав змішані відгуки.

Від пересічних глядачів фільм отримав змішано-погані відгуки: на Rotten Tomatoes 29 % зі середньою оцінкою 2,7/5 (1 101 голос), фільму зарахований «розсипаний попкорн», на Internet Movie Database — 6,0/10 (2 284 голоси).

Ольга Кривітченко на ресурсі «Moviegram» написала, що це «кострубата спроба Гая Річі з паралельного всесвіту зняти інді-драму про нездорові сімейні стосунки (таку собі «Маленьку міс Щастя») в декораціях театру абсурду».

Нагороди та номінації

Джерела

Виноски

Посилання

Фільми англійською мовою
Кримінальні фільми Великої Британії
Фільми-драми Великої Британії
Кримінальні фільми США
Фільми-драми США
Фільми-пограбування
Фільми про мафію
Фільми Film4 Productions
Фільми A24
Фільми Lionsgate Films

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Henry Beveridge may refer to:

 Henry Beveridge (historian) (1799–1863), Scottish lawyer, translator and historian
 Henry Beveridge (orientalist) (1837–1929), Indian Civil Service officer and orientalist in British India