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Conscientious Objectors Day marked for a second year

Conscientious Objectors Day marked for a second year

PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON/REPORT: RUBY SHAW
Emeritus Prof Kevin Clements speaks at the Archibald Baxter Peace Garden in Dunedin where International Conscientious Objectors Day was marked yesterday.
Prof Clements had read a statement from the Peace Pledge Union, UK and said the threat of conscription around the world remained real.
Archibald Baxter Memorial trustee Tony Eyre said the day was commemorated in Dunedin for the first time last year and would continue to be marked annually.
"We're all surrounded by what's happening in Gaza, in Ukraine, Pakistan and India."
"It's not a historic thing."
The garden honours Otago conscientious objector Archibald Baxter, who refused to fight in World War 1.

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Ruth Richardson's state honour is a slap in the face for the poor
Ruth Richardson's state honour is a slap in the face for the poor

The Spinoff

time4 days ago

  • The Spinoff

Ruth Richardson's state honour is a slap in the face for the poor

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Children born into hardship have, in adulthood, twice the rate of heart conditions of those born into wealth. They also have far lower reading scores and educational results. Quite apart from being devastating in their own right, these deficits create colossal financial costs: the annual bill from child poverty in this country is estimated at anywhere between $12 billion and $21 billion. This is particularly ironic because Richardson's legacy on the right is one of financial rectitude: she is seen, in particular, as the author of the 1994 Fiscal Responsibility Act, which aimed to improve the transparency and long-term management of the government's accounts. But not only is this relatively small beer compared to the appalling damage poverty inflicts on people's lives, the long-term economic costs of increased hardship are an example of massive financial irresponsibility. Not that Richardson has ever been able to acknowledge as much. 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Haiti: Displaced Children Face Sexual Violence Risk
Haiti: Displaced Children Face Sexual Violence Risk

Scoop

time21-05-2025

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Haiti: Displaced Children Face Sexual Violence Risk

21 May 2025 Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, gang violence has permeated the capital Port-au-Prince and expanded into other regions, displacing over one million people. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than half of the displaced are children, meaning one in eight Haitian children has been uprooted in recent years. Children on the frontlines Such displacement puts an already vulnerable population further at risk, increasing their chances of malnutrition, sexual violence and abuse. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has documented a 1,000 per cent increase in sexual violence against children between 2023 and 2024. Continued displacement also puts children at risk of being recruited by gangs - they are already estimated to make up 50 per cent of all gangs in Haiti. OCHA said the shocking death of a six-year-old girl on 3 May after she was brutally raped in a temporary displacement site in Port-au-Prince was a stark reminder of the extreme dangers faced by children living in highly precarious conditions. 'This intolerable act shakes our conscience,' the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, Ulrika Richardson, said in a statement. 'No child should ever endure such violence. We hope that justice will be served." 'Acting together' Despite increased challenges to providing aid in Haiti, UN humanitarian partners have stepped up efforts to support survivors of sexual violence across affected regions. In the past few months, over 6,000 people, many of whom are women and children, have received psychosocial care. Additionally, 745 dignity kits have been distributed and 600 people have been reached by an increasing number of mobile care clinics. Partners are also implementing legal, medical and socio-economic reintegration services. However, the ability of UN agencies and partners to continue distributing this aid is impaired by severe underfunding. In relation to gender-based violence alone, the UN has only received five percent of the $11 million needed to continue providing life-saving services. "We cannot look away,' Ms. Richardson said. 'The suffering of Haiti's children is a call to our collective humanity. Acting together, in a coordinated and determined manner, is more necessary than ever to protect civilians and secure displacement sites.' Pregnant women deported UN humanitarians in Haiti have also expressed deep concern over the growing number of pregnant and breastfeeding women being deported from neighbouring Dominican Republic, in violation of international standards. For the past month, approximately 30 women who are pregnant or breastfeeding have been treated at humanitarian centres on the Haitian border. 'These expulsions raise serious humanitarian and human rights concerns, particularly when they involve pregnant women or mothers with very young children,' Ms. Richardson said. The deportations are part of a larger increase which witnessed over 20,000 deportations from the Dominican Republic in April alone, the highest number on record. The UN team in Haiti called for regional solidarity and migrational policies which uphold human dignity.

Conscientious Objectors Day marked for a second year
Conscientious Objectors Day marked for a second year

Otago Daily Times

time15-05-2025

  • Otago Daily Times

Conscientious Objectors Day marked for a second year

PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON/REPORT: RUBY SHAW Emeritus Prof Kevin Clements speaks at the Archibald Baxter Peace Garden in Dunedin where International Conscientious Objectors Day was marked yesterday. Prof Clements had read a statement from the Peace Pledge Union, UK and said the threat of conscription around the world remained real. Archibald Baxter Memorial trustee Tony Eyre said the day was commemorated in Dunedin for the first time last year and would continue to be marked annually. "We're all surrounded by what's happening in Gaza, in Ukraine, Pakistan and India." "It's not a historic thing." The garden honours Otago conscientious objector Archibald Baxter, who refused to fight in World War 1.

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