7th May, 2013 Kamil Alboshoka
No-to-Death Penalty Human Rights Organisation in Developing Countries
Introduction
This report wants to examine the history of NGOs in general and NGOs in developing nations in particular and also wants to examine how NGOs work different than other organisations. The report also wants to review the critical situation in developing nations that use death penalty against people. In addition, the report seeks to disclose the reasons behind using the death penalty against people, and how often the regimes in developing nations use the death penalty as a charge for people. The report wants to focus on the ways to work against death penalty in developing nations, and how this specific NGO is working to do this. Finally, the report will explain the future goals for this specific NGO.
Aims
The aims of this report are to explain that developing nations like Iran and Iraq are using the death penalty against offenders and also activities like people who are members of NGOs. Therefore, in this report I would like to discuss that the death penalty is not a suitable punishment for offenders, and also dreadful punishment for activities. The vast majority of death penalties are using in developing nations, so NGOs try to convince developing nations to decrease or abolish death penalty as a charge against people.
We were unable to establish our organisation in any countries belonging to developing nations due to the non-democratic systems in those countries. Therefore, we decided to choose the UK as our official place for our organisation because the majority of us live in the UK and have better access to human rights organisations. In addition, the UK is one of the countries that do not use the death penalty as a charge against offenders, and most importantly the UK is one of the most democratic countries that respect human rights issues and we can send reports and actions to the government to put developing nations under pressure to not use the death penalty.
Objective
The objective of this study is to understand the reasons behind the death penalty in developing nations like Iran. Moreover, to examine the pressure that our NGO is using against the death penalty to reduce death penalties or abolish the death rows in developing nations.
NGO
Helmich (1993) defined NGO as ''a non- governmental organization which is concerned with the social, economic, and political well being of a community of people. For example, human rights, environmental, social NGOs that work in local, regional, national and international.
The total number of international NGOs in 1909 were around 176, but the number reached 28,900 by 1993 (Commission on Global Governance, 1995), and the total spending for NGOs have also risen from $2.8 billion to $5.7 billion (OECD, 1994). The total number of NGOs in the USA as a developed nation is estimated at 1.5 million. However, the number of NGOs in developing nations like India are estimated to have around 3.3 million NGOs in 2009, the number of NGOs in Nepal increased from 220 in 1990 to 1,210 in 1993 (Rademacher and Tamang, 1993, p.34). Furthermore, the number of NGOs in Tunisia reached 5,186 in 1991 in comparison with 1,886 in 1988 (Marzouk, 1995).
According to the UN General Assembly in1989, the world should prepare to abolish the death penalty. Therefore, NGOs that work for human rights issue, particularly against the death penalty are trying to have contact with other campaigns like forced evictions, human rights in developing nations like the Middle East and North Africa to put regimes in developing nations under pressure by sending immediate action to abolish the death penalty (UN, 1989).
NGOs are also working in different ways and areas to help people to seek social change and improve the quality of life. However, NGOs that work for developments are the most obvious sector in the world, and includes both international and national organisations that work for human rights issues. Therefore, many NGOs are associated with international aid and donation, but there are other NGOs are finding the financial support through selling clothes or some goods (OECD, 1988, 1994, 1995).
The purpose here is to highlight that NGO can be mostly used in developing nations because many people are executed due to their activities against the regimes. The number of execution is high in China, Iran, and Iraq. The USA is only country from developed world still using death row for some circumstances. Death penalty in Pakistan is also so high. Accusing of selling drag and political case are highest reasons for death penalty in developing nations. However, there are many regimes in developing nations like Iran are using death penalty against minorities to suppress their activities. For example, non-Persian ethnic nations in Iran, particularly Ahwazi Arab who mainly live in the southwest and South of Iran have been subject to numerous pressures and suppressions from the Iranian regime. People in Ahwaz despite having 90% of Iran's oil, 80% of the country's gas, 50% of the country's steel, 30% of the country's water, 50% of Iran's sugar production, and 95% of the country's hydro-electric energy has the second highest unemployment rate in Iran (Justice for Iran, 2013).
The report wants to expand on theme by explaining that NGOs can work difference to change the critical situation against people in developing nations. For instance, NGOs can help to spread the voices of people who sentence for death penalty in developing nations like Iran, NGOs can bring attention of other people to specific case through mostly campaigns. NGOs put developing nations under pressure to stop or decreasing the death penalties. Therefore, western Africa temporarily stopped death penalty against binder people. Move steps to move away from death penalty and abolishing death penalty (Amnesty international , 2013).
Campaigns made by NGOs make progress to abolish death penalty in developing nations. NGOs put western countries under pressure to not selling goods that used for the death penalty to developing nations. For example, Western countries banned selling equipment to Vietnam to use for the death penalty. Therefore the death penalty decreased in that country (Amnesty International, 2013).
Amnesty international (2013) mentioned that the vast majority of death penalties are belonging to 4 developing countries like China, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. The number of death row increased in some countries like Iran and Iraq. The official number of people who were executed in 2012 reached 682 people in the world that does not include China. 75% of this death penalties where in Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia. Therefore, it is clear to show that the number of death penalty in 2012 and 2011 were high (Amnesty International, April 2013).
According to Amnesty International on 10th April 2013, 1722 people were sentenced for the death penalty in the world in 2012, but the number in 2011 was 1923 people. In 2012, 58 countries used death penalty, but in 2011 it was 63 countries. Some countries in developing nations like Botswana, Gambia, India, and Pakistan, and Japan from developed nation resumed death penalty despite global pressure against them to abolish the death penalty.
The death penalty in developing nations is extremely high and concern for activities who work at NGOs. For instance, more executions in China that rest of the world put together. 1000s execute every year but the regime in China only publishes specific number of people who often execute. Iran has the second highest level of executions worldwide in 2012, most for drag-related and political activities. Many activities died under torture, particularly activities that belong to non-Persian nations, specifically Ahwazi Arab. Executions in Iraq almost doubled from 2011in comparison with a few years ago. The death penalty in Afghanistan is also high after ''confessions obtained under torture'', and two people executed for crimes committed in Yemen when they reportedly were under 18 year-old (Amnesty International, 2013).
The death penalty is often used against people who believe to have linked with drag, but the number of death row against people who have different political ideas against regimes have increased. In some countries like Iran, the death penalty is often used in public to frighten people into not activating against the regime. For example, 4 Ahwazi were executed in Jun 2012, but the regime has not given the bodies to their families in order to frighten people and their families (UK Foreign office, August 2012).
This report wants to argue that the death penalty is concerning because many people in developing nations lose their lives due to their activities. For example, 5 people belong to Ahwazi Arab people sentenced for death penalty because of their cultural activities (UK foreign office, August 2012 and January 2013).
There are global organisations that work for human rights issues like Amnesty International, Human Rights watch and others for the case of death penalty, particularly in developing nations. There are also many NGOs working against the death penalty in developing nations. However, due to non-democratic systems in developing nations many NGOs are not allowed to spread voices about that case in developing nations and many members itself are arrested and some are sentenced for the death penalty. However, there are many organisations that work out of developing nations mainly western countries to spread voices of people who sentenced to the death penalty. Therefore, it is clear to demonstrate that more NGOs can get better result of decreasing number of death row in developing nations (Fowler, 1990).
The reports wants also to expand on theme by suggesting that sending action to people who are members of the NGO to make them aware of the critical situation can be helpful, sending report to countries that have open system and making campaigns can also be helpful. In addition, for individual cases, my NGO usually tried to engage with governments to convince them to overturn sentences directly. In developing or authorities countries where the government is not very transparent like Iran this can be difficult. One way around this is to try to create as much international pressure on the government as possible, this can be done through, for example media exposure, or campaigning activities like organising demonstrations, letter writing campaigns, or through social media.
There are a lot of NGOs like no-to-death-penalty NGO is focusing on making campaign against the death penalty. For example, putting pressure on governments through advocacy/lobbying work, media exposure or mobilising members around the world, and also constantly reminding leaders/people that the death penalty is a human rights violation that causes a lot of suffering, and does not have any benefits. For instance, there is no evidence to show that the death penalty affects crime rates in anyway. Moreover, contacting western countries, particularly the UK to put developing countries that use death penalty under pressure is another way of working. Contacting UN and also UNHCR, making campaigns, asking developing nations to stop death penalty.
What is more, this report wants to give an example of how our NGO works to decrease death penalty in developing nations. For example, our campaign, such as protest and writing campaigns put Iran under pressure to not executing 5 Ahwazi Arabs although their death row uphold by revolutionary court. We put other developing nations under pressure to stop death penalty against activities. The future of our goal is to stop the death penalty in developing nations, and help them for better movement to have better system.
Conclusion
The report tends to suggest that NGO is a non-governmental organisations that works nationally and internationally to publish people's voices and putting regimes under pressure. The number of NGOs in the world increased in comparison with the past, for instance, there are considerable number of NGOs are working for human rights, environments and others. The number of death penalties in developing nations is extremely high, particularly in China, Iran and Iraq against activities, appositions and others. Therefore, this NGO focus on abolishing the death penalty in developing nations and helping people to move and access democratic systems through putting regimes in developing nations under pressure by use of campaigns like demonstration and writing letter to human rights organisations, western countries, UN and also regimes in developing nations, and also making lobby with the Media to publish abusing and dreadful situation that people, particularly activities and oppositions face in developing nations by their regime.
The report also tends to conclude that NGOs gain achievements for some cases to reduce the number of death penalty in the world like putting western countries under pressure to not selling equipment to Vietnam to use for death penalty. My NGO is also focusing to abolish the death penalty in developing nations and help people for equal rights, particularly ethnic and religion minorities.
------------------------------------------------------
References and bibliography
Michael, E. Hulme, D. (1995) ''non-governmental organisations performance and Accountability''. UK: London
Desai, M. Redfern, P (1995). ''Global Governance''. USA: New York
Schabas, W. (1996). ''The Death Penalty As Cruel Treatment and Torture''. USA
General Assembly (20th November,1989) '' http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/44/a44r025.htm''.
Human Rights Council extends mandates on Syria, Iran and freedom of religion or belief (22 March 2013) '' http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13179&LangID=E''.
Justice for Iran (February, 2013). '' Seeking Rights to Cultural Identity: The Deathly Struggle of Ahwazi Arab Activists''. '' http://justiceforiran.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Al-Hiwar-Report-EN-21FEB.pdf''.
Foreign & Commonwealth Office (August, 2012). '' Iran's shameful abuse of human rights continues''. '' https://www.gov.uk/government/news/irans-shameful-abuse-of-human-rights-continues''.
Amnesty International (2012). ''Death sentence and executions''. ''http://www.amnesty.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_23136.pdf''.
Amnesty International (2013). ''Death row Ahwazi Arab men on hunger strike''. ''http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE13/014/2013/en/568e6b7f-af31-44dc-a223-7bf6eba88de7/mde130142013en.pdf''.
Human Rights Watch (2012). ''Iran: Halt Execution of Arab Activists''. '' http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/07/11/iran-prevent-execution-arab-activists''.
UN Special Rapporteurs condemn ongoing executions in Iran. Ahmed Shaheed the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial. Juan E. Mendez; office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 28 June 2012 (http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=12301&LangID=E)
European Parliament (14Jun,2012). ''The situation of ethnic minorities in Iran''. (http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P7-TA-2012-0265&language=EN&ring=P7-RC-2012-0309)
7
RSS Feed