Petition Tag - united nations

The American and the British invasion of Iraq is in the history of the United Nations and to international legal order, a near fatal blow and the institution is still trying to recover from it. Today Iraq has become a humanitarian disaster and furthermore the scourge of war appears to be raising its ugly head once more as being the normal course for the resolution of disputes between States.

The overwhelming opinion of international lawyers was that the invasion was illegal and the question of legality was of utmost importance to both the American and British governments in justifying the invasion.

The British nominee to the Court, Professor Greenwood has the notoriety for being the only prominent if not the only British international lawyer to argue that the invasion of Iraq was justified under international law. His grounds for justification have been doubted, dismissed and disgraced by international lawyers of global eminence.

His election would greatly erode the credibility of the Court and the confidence we as citizens of the world have of the Court. This is in the context of the Court being called to decide on some of the most important questions and disputes affecting mankind.

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The government of Zimbabwe is giving its impoverished citizens a stark choice: Vote for President Robert Mugabe in the upcoming election — or starve.

Millions rely on food aid in Zimbabwe, but yesterday the regime ordered that foreign aid organizations cease operations. The Zimbabwean government's own food aid programs are now the only source of sustenance for much of the population.

There is solid evidence that in order to receive food aid from the government, Zimbabweans must first show their party registration cards.

If they have a card from Mugabe's ruling party they can have access to food, but if they only have opposition cards they must turn over their national identification cards in order to receive the food they need.

The government holds onto the cards until after the June 27 election — meaning opposition party members will not be able to identify themselves when they go to vote.

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To sign the petition, please go to the bottom of this page.

[English]: Call on the European Union to ensure that the laws and practices of the United Nations internal justice system are fair and consistent with international human rights standards.

[Français]: Appel à l'Union Européenne pour assurer que les lois et les pratiques du système interne de la justice des Nations Unies soient équitables et conformes aux normes internationales des droits de l'homme.

[Български]: Покана за Европейския съюз да гарантира, че законите и практиките на Организацията на обединените нации вътрешната правна система, са честни и съобразени с международните норми за правата на човека.

[Čeština]: Přijet k Evropske unii, aby zajistila, že zákony a praxí ve Spojených národů pro interní systém soudnictví jsou spravedlivé a jsou v souladu s mezinárodními standardy lidských práv.

[Dansk]: Opfordrer Den Europæiske Union til at sikre, at lovgivning og praksis i De Forenede Nationers interne retssystem er retfærdige og i overensstemmelse med internationale menneskerettighedsstandarder.

[Deutsch]: Fordern Sie die Europäische Union auf, sicherzustellen, dass die Gesetze und Praktiken des internen Rechtssystems der Vereinten Nationen fair und im Einklang mit den internationalen Menschenrechtsstandards sind.

[Eesti]: Abipalve Euroopa Liidule, et teha kindlaks, kas ÜRO siseõiguse praktika ja süsteem on õiglased ning kooskõlas rahvusvahelise inimõiguse standardiga.

[Ελληνικά]: Πρόσκληση για την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση να διασφαλίσει ότι η νομοθεσία και τις πρακτικές των Ηνωμένων Εθνών και η εσωτερική δικαιοσύνη είναι δίκαιη και σύμφωνη με τα διεθνή πρότυπα ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων.

[Español]: Hacemos un llamado a la Unión Europea para garantizar que las leyes y las prácticasn en el sistema de justicia de las Naciones Unidas sean justas y coherentes con las normas internacionales de derechos humanos.

[Gaeilge]: Iarraidh ar an Aontas Eorpach deimhin a dhéanamh de go bhfuil dlíthe agus cleachtais chóras dlí inmheánach na Náisiún Aontaithe cothrom agus ag teacht le caighdeáin idirnáisiúnta chearta daonna.

[Italiano]: Appello all’Unione Europea per far sì che le leggi e la pratica del sistema di giustizia interno delle Nazioni Unite siano eque e conformi con le norme internazionali dei diritti umani.

[Latviesu valoda]: Aicina Eiropas Savienību nodrošināt, ka Apvienoto Nāciju Organizācijas iekšējo tiesu sistēmas likumi un prakse ir godīgi un saskaņā ar starptautiskajiem cilvēktiesību standartiem.

[Lietuviu kalba]: Skambink į Europos Sąjungos ,kad galėtum užtikrinti, jog įstatymų vykdymas, Jungtinių Tautų vidaus teisingumo sistemoje, yra teisingas ir atitinka tarptautinius žmogaus tesių standartus.

[Magyar]: Felkeresni az Európai Uniót megbizonyosodni hogy a törvényei és a gyakorlatai az Egyesült Nemzetek belső igazságügyi rendszerének korrektek és megegyeznek a nemzetközi emberi jogok szabvánnyal.

[Malti]: Sejha lil Unjoni Ewropeja biex tizgura li il ligijiet u l prattici interni gudizjarji tan Nazzjonijiet Unitichuma gusti u konsistenti ma l istandards internazzjonali tad drittijiet umani.

[Nederlands]: De Europese Unie oproepen ervoor te zorgen dat de wetten en gebruiken van het interne rechtssysteem van de Verenigde Naties eerlijk en consistent zijn en overeenkomen met de internationale mensenrechtenverdragen.

[Polski]: Wezwamy Unię Europejską do zagwarantowania, że prawa i praktyki wewnętrznego systemu wymiaru sprawiedliwości Narodów Zjednoczonych są sprawiedliwe i zgodne z międzynarodowymi standardami praw człowieka.

[Português]: Chamar a atenção da União Europeia para assegurar que as leis e as práticas das Nações Unidas para o sistema de justiça interno são justas e coerentes com as normas internacionais de direitos humanos.

[Română]: Apel la Uniunea Europeană pentru a se asigura că legislaţia şi practicile interne ale sistemului de justiţie ale Organizaţiei Naţiunilor Unite sunt corecte şi în concordanţă cu standardele internaţionale în domeniul drepturilor omului.

[Slovenčina]: Požadujte od Europskej únie, aby zabezpečila zákony a praktiky vnútorného súdnictva Spojených národov tak,aby boli spravodlivé a v súlade s medzinárodnými štandardmi ľudských práv.

[Slovenščina]: Pokliči na Evropsko unijo, naj zagotovi, da so zakoni in prakse Združenih narodov notranjega pravnega sistema pošteni in v skladu z mednarodnimi standardi človekovih pravic.

[Suomi]: Kehottaa Euroopan Unionia varmistamaan, että Yhdistyneiden Kansakuntien sisäisen oikeusjärjestelmän lait ja käytännöt ovat oikeudenmukaisia sekä yhdenmukaisia kansainvälisten ihmisoikeusnormien kanssa.

[Svenska]: Uppmanar Europeiska Unionen att se till att lagar och praxis för Förenta Nationernas inre rättsliga organ är rättvist och i linje med internationella normer för mänskliga rättigheter.

[Русский] : Обратитесь к Европейскому союзу с просьбой гарантировать, что законодательство и практика Организации Объединенных Наций во внутренней системе правосудия справедливы и совместимы с международными стандартами прав человека.

[中文]: 呼吁欧联盟，以确保在法律上和联合国内部审判系统的实施上公平，符合国际人权标准。

عربي:
دعوة الاتحاد الأوروبي من أجل ضمان أن تكون قوانين وممارسات نظام العدالة الداخلي للأمم المتحدة عادلة ومطابقة للمعايير الدولية لحقوق الإنسان

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My dear fellow Pakistanis and the world at large,

My country is ruled by a recently retired General who ruled us against our wishes for eight long years of our lives as a serving General and Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Army.

Now in his ninth year of rule he has locked up prominent members of the judiciary including the Chief Justice of the Country ands some other prominent lawyers. His Regime is at war with the people of Pakistan themselves in one form or another.

HE HAS RECENTLY GOT HIS FRAUDULENT ELECTION AS PRESIDENT ENDORSED BY A COMPLIANT JUDICIARY AND HAS SAID ON TV THAT HE WILL RESIGN IF HE GETS TO KNOW THAT HE IS UNPOPULAR WITH THE PEOPLE.

JOIN ME MY COUNTRYMEN AND ALL OTHER FREEDOM LOVING PEOPLE OF THE WORLD IN TELLING THIS DICTATOR HOW VERY UNPOPULAR HE REALLY IS SO THAT WE CAN PUT HIM TO HIS WORDS AND ASK HIM TO RESIGN...THE ATTACHED LETTER IS MY OPEN LETTER TO THE DICTATOR TO RESIGN IN AN HONOURABLE MANNER...we have to all stand up and be counted.

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By the late 1990s rapid advances in the life sciences had culminated in the successful cloning of mammals, with the potential for the development of cures to major diseases. It also seemed to be merely a matter of time before a human being was cloned – a possibility declared repugnant to human dignity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1997.

In 2001, France and Germany initiated a process in the UN General Assembly to negotiate an international treaty banning the reproductive cloning of human beings. The three-and-a-half year negotiation that followed was intense and charged with religious overtones about the 'moral status' of the human embryo and the ethical and legal appropriateness of human embryonic stem cell research. Two distinct camps emerged: (i) those states, including the United Kingdom, favouring a narrow ban limited to cloning for reproductive purposes; and (ii) those, including the United States and the Holy See, insisting on prohibiting all forms of human cloning, including for 'therapeutic' purposes.

The General Assembly ultimately adopted Resolution 59/280, containing the United Nations Declaration on Human Cloning, on 8 March 2005, by a recorded vote of 84 to 34, with 37 abstentions. The text of the Declaration calls upon member states both to adopt all necessary measures to protect adequately human life in the application of life sciences and to prohibit all forms of human cloning inasmuch as they are incompatible with human dignity and the protection of human life, while avoiding the distinction between cloning for reproductive as opposed to therapeutic or research purposes.

Several countries pointed to the ambiguity of the text as a reason for not supporting the Human Cloning Declaration, including the United Kingdom (which stated that the reference to human life 'can be interpreted as a call for a total ban on all forms of human cloning'), China ('the Declaration's wording is too confusing'), Spain (which deemed that the term human life 'is imprecise and could be subject to various interpretations'), India (which voted against the Declaration 'because some of its provisions could be interpreted as a call for a total ban on all forms of human cloning'), and South Africa (which 'would have preferred much clearer language that would clearly permit therapeutic cloning'). UN Doc. A/59/PV.82, at 4-7 (2005).

UN declarations are not binding but this is not to say that they are devoid of normative content. Given the almost universal representation of the United Nations, a common understanding at the international political level as to the basic policy position on a particular issue invariably exerts normative 'weight' on the subsequent development of binding legal rules. The fact that the Declaration has a certain normative value was cited by supporters of the comprehensive ban, including Costa Rica ('we have listened with concern as some delegations have understated the value of the new Declaration … we must recognize … the undeniable moral and political authority of its recommendations'), Nigeria (which 'cannot help but see it as only a stepping stone to a comprehensive convention on the total banning of human cloning') and the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya ('This is a step forward towards a future convention that would prohibit all forms of human cloning'). UN Doc. A/59/PV.82, at 8-10 (2005).

Cast against a background of rapid developments in the science, the negotiations on the proposed ban on the cloning of human beings revealed significant differences in world view. The Observer for the Holy See said: 'Regardless of its purpose and goals, human embryonic cloning was an assault on the integrity of the human person. Cloning a human embryo while planning its demise would institutionalize the deliberate, systematic destruction of nascent human life in the name of the unknown and questionable "good" of potential therapy or scientific discovery.' UN Doc. A/C.6/57/SR.16, para. 50 (2002).

For state supporters of research into the possible therapeutic applications of human embryonic experimentation, questions of the moral and legal status of the human embryo had to be balanced against considerations of, inter alia, freedom of research and the prospect of finding cures to major diseases. Ethical considerations were also referred to in support of embryonic stem cell research. The United Kingdom maintained that it would be 'indefensible to stop [stem cell] research and deny millions of people – and their families – the chance of new treatments which could save their lives'. A number of US and European medical and scientific groups expressed dismay over the adoption of the Declaration. It is important that a message is sent to the United Nations, making it clear that a declaration on human cloning for therapeutic reasons is needed.

It is useful to also go to the official UN website to find out about the Ad Hoc Committee on an International Convention against the Reproductive Cloning of Human Beings at: http://www.un.org/law/cloning

To learn more about human embryonic stem cell research, please visit http://www.isscr.org

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HOW CAN I HELP?

Currently, we need your help in putting political pressure on the United Nations body to establish a timetable for a declaration on human cloning for therapeutic reasons. The petition below calls for this essential declaration, so that progress in this promising medical research, the goal of which is to alleviate human suffering and to treat disease and disability, is not undermined by ideological and religious beliefs. The letter you are being asked to sign will go to each of the members of the UN Sixth Committee and to UN member states that support human embryonic stem cell research.

We will also be sending this to other key UN persons of influence, such as UN Secretary-General, Dr Ban Ki-moon; the Secretary of the Sixth Committee, Ms Mahnoush H Arsanjani; as well as the President of the UN General Assembly, His Excellency Mr Jean Ping.

Should you wish to support this action, kindly sign onto the letter with your name, e-mail address (confidential), and your country. In this way, we can include you as a signatory.

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The United Nations recently chose October 2nd as an "International Day of Non-
Violence."

This date is the birthday of Mohandas Gandhi, and was chosen in honor of the
man most consider an icon of nonviolence.

Gandhi was once asked by a reporter to give a message to the people. Gandhi
replied, "My life is my message." That's an ominous statement to those aware
of Gandhi's less-popularized beliefs. For the past sixty years, India has used the
mythical image of Gandhi as a pacifist hero as a vehicle to promote its agenda.

The reality is that Gandhi was a first-class racist committed to cloaking
deception and violence in pacifist terminology. It is appalling that the UN, which
was formed in part to facilitate international social progress and human rights, is
so blatantly promoting this man.

Gandhi's writing, compiled in an uncensored series of volumes by the
Government of India, is liberally sprinkled with verbal violence against the black
South African natives, who he termed "Kaffirs." His animosity towards black
people is almost tangible and his racism is undeniable. A brief but shocking
example illustrates Gandhi's racism.

He lived in South Africa prior to Apartheid, but at a time when the nation still
suffered segregation. In the city of Durban, there was a post office with two
doors - one for blacks and Indians and another for whites. Gandhi, of course,
was required to use the door for blacks and Indians. This deeply offended him,
not because of the segregation, but because he was "forced" to share a door
with blacks, which he felt was beneath him. Gandhi successfully lobbied to
correct this "problem" by building a third entrance for Indians, thus further
entrenching the South African policy of segregation.

In his Collected Works (CWMG), Vol. I, pp. 367-368, Gandhi wrote: "For the
present our efforts are concentrated towards preventing and getting repealed
fresh legislation. Before referring to that, I may further illustrate the proposition
that the Indian is put on the same level with the native in many other ways
also. Lavatories are marked 'natives and Asiatics' at the railway stations. In the
Durban Post and telegraph offices there were separate entrances for natives and
Asiatics and Europeans. We felt the indignity too much and many respectable
Indians were insulted and called all sorts of names by the clerks at the counter.
We petitioned the authorities to do away with the invidious distinction and
they have now provided three separate entrances for natives, Asiatics, and
Europeans."

When it came to pacifism, the quality for which Gandhi is most admired, he was
no better. Shortly before his assassination, as documented in his "Last Phase,"
Vol. II, p. 326, he said, "If we [India] had the atom bomb, we would have used
it against the British."

At the turn of the 20th century, during the Second Boer War, Gandhi
volunteered to raise an Indian stretcher-bearer corps for the British Army.
Considering Gandhi's fervent racism, it's no surprise he wished to help suppress
the blacks of Africa. During the war, the British were responsible for the deaths
of approximately 20,000 black Africans, many of whom starved to death in
British concentration camps while Gandhi's stretcher-bearers assisted British
troops. Gandhi unwittingly accused himself of culpability for these deaths when
he wrote in his autobiography: "He who volunteers to serve a band of dacoits
(robbers), by working as their carrier, or their watchman while they are about
their business, or their nurse when they are wounded, is as much guilty of
dacoity as the dacoits themselves. In the same way those who confine
themselves to attending to the wounded cannot be absolved from the guilt of
war."

Gandhi's pacifism was eagerly abandoned whenever expedient. Although he
once said there were "no causes that I am prepared to kill for," in 1920 he
wrote, "When my eldest son asked me what he should have done, had he been
present when I was almost fatally assaulted in 1908, whether he should have
run away and seen me killed or whether he should have used his physical force
which he could and wanted to use, and defended me, I told him that it was his
duty to defend me even by using violence." (CWMG, Vol. XXI, p. 133)

Nonviolence was hardly useful in preventing Gandhi's death, so of course others
more capable of violence than himself were justified in defending him, his
unwillingness to "kill for [any cause]"be damned!

It is impossible to fully document Gandhi's abundant problems and hypocrisy in
such a short letter. Let us simply say that he never remotely epitomized
humanitarianism, social justice, or superior morality. According to G.D. Birla’s
"In The Shadow of the Mahatma," Gandhi told the British during WWII that
"Hitler is not a bad man." Should a man with such a warped moral compass be
distinguished as a symbol of nonviolence?

The Gandhian state of India is one of the most violent nations in the world
today, having overseen the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Christians,
Muslims, and Sikhs over the past 20 years. The myth of Gandhi is merely
packaged propaganda developed to benefit those in India who seek to hide their
violence by wearing his mantle of faux nonviolence.

In an age when circumstances force us to wage war against ideologies, the
world cannot afford to assist or even allow the continued propagation of the
Gandhi ideology. If we are not careful we might one day be forced to engage
Gandhism.

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Traditional Chinese has 5000 years of history compared to Simplified (created by the Chinese Communists which has only less than 60 years duration).

Imagine that Lee Pei's poem be changed to that ugly characters. It would be a shame to all of Lee's family and all other names, home [including China, Taiwan, Hongkong,...] and abroad.

So I would strongly say NO, NO, NO!!!

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The Convention of Rights of the Child is a declaration created by the United Nations on November 20th 1989. The bill, which is made up of 54 Articles addresses all aspects of rights that affect any persons under the age of 18.

According to B. Edmonds and W. Fernekes, authors of the Children’s Rights Handbook: the Convention not only includes rights that protect and provide for children but also rights giving children the highest standard of national or international legal rights available.

Overall the CRC acknowledges that people under the age of 18 have a right to a point of view and that these views are to be heard, and considered in all aspect of the minor’s welfare.

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I want to say NO to united nations' abolishment of Traditional Chinese in 2008.

You have no right to do that! This is regarding about the culture we have for more than 5000 years. We want to continue to use it!

Barbara Tang

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Taiwan unquestionably deserves membership in the United Nations. By any measure- national sovereignty, political development, protection of human rights, or economic growth — Taiwan meets the standards of UN membership.

Yet, Taiwan continues to be denied its rightful place in the UN. This mistake is made even more tragic for the lost opportunity it represents. As a member of the UN, Taiwan would have much to offer the world.

The People’s Republic of China asserts that it represents the people and government of Taiwan. Since the Chinese communists took control of China and established the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, however, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have been governed as separate countries. Neither has any control or jurisdiction over the other.

Taiwan sets its own policies, conducts its own national defense, and engages formal and substantive relations with other states of the world community. All political, economic, and trade agreements that cover Taiwan are negotiated with its government alone.

Global co-operation plays a key role in all endeavours for peace and prosperity. The international community cannot afford to shut out a responsible and peace-loving partner. Taiwan has participated in relief efforts and missions around the world.

The people of Taiwan want to contribute further and be a part of the UN’s effort to create a shared future for all of humanity. Without UN membership, Taiwan is denied an important means of collaborating with international partners.

The United Nations must uphold the principle of universality and invite Taiwan to lend a hand in making the world a better place after all.

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May 17, 2006

Do not abolish Traditional Chinese.

The United Nations has an obligation to protect cultural assets, not to abolish!

There are 36 million people in Taiwan that use TC and double that in the whole world.

Computer aids have eliminated all the disadvantages of Traditional Chinese.

Keep TC in the free world.

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The 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet (Gedun Choekyi Nyima) was born on April 25, 1989. In May 1995 Gedun Choekyi Nyima was 6 years old when he and his parents were kidnapped from their home in Tibet by the Chinese government. Widely known as the World's Youngest Political Prisoner, he has been missing for almost 9 years.

In Tibet, Panchen Lama is a title like Vice-President or Prime Minister. Panchen means Great Scholar and Lama means Religious Teacher.

This missing boy will grow up to be a great leader if released and allowed to pursue his religious studies in freedom.

So please add your signature to this petition for the speedy release of the 11th Panchen Lama. Thank you for your support.

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This petition was created on 9/24/03 to garner support to be sent to the President of the United States and the members of Congress to formly withdraw from the United Nations, ending all funding of said organization.

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The necessity and urgency of fair and accurate oversight of the 2004 US Presidential Elections is of paramount concern for hundreds of thousands of people who know for fact that their vote did not count. Whether it was by means of physically preventing voting at the polls, an intentional miscount of their vote, or purposeful deception that rendered their vote ineligible, a significant portion of the American population does not feel that the 2000 Presidential Election was executed with democracy and fairness in mind.

The American people have not been given any reason to believe that 2004 Presidential Election will be any different.

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The United Nation isn't doing anything to stop the goverment of Macedonia that is commiting Genocide which takes the lives of thousands of people.

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On Sunday, October 28, 15 Pakistani Christian martyrs and their security guard were massacred as they quietly worshipped in their church in the Punjab town of Bahawalpur . Nine more were wounded. In China, Christians are routinely persecuted, beaten and jailed, and the same persecution of Christians goes on in some African nations as well.

Many Islamic countries routinely persecute Christians to various degrees and Christians are often forced to meet and worship in secret in the Muslim world. Dayna Curry and her fellow Shelter Now relief workers are held prisoner by the Taliban in Afghanistan -their alleged offense, preaching Christianity. http://www.christianactivities.com/missions/story.asp?ID=1701.

In Pakistan, a country considered to have a tolerant view of Christians, churches must have a security guard to protect them, and on Sunday, October 28, even that extreme measure was not enough to insure that these people could worship in peace without fear of attack.

It is time for the leaders of the world to take note that the people of the world object to this widespread persecution of Christians around the world.

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The most heinous crime of mankind was comitted by terrorists on September 11, 2001. The world has only a small number of terrorists. The vast majority of humankind is good. The good men and women of this world should show their solidarity against terrorists by getting out on the street on a specific day of Solidarity at a specific time and forming a human chain of goodwill.

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Ever since the revolution in 1979, the women of Iran have been treated unfairly. Their lives are almost completely ruled by the men who almost always make the decisions for them. Many new laws that were made in the revolution promote discrimination against women. An example of such a law is stated in Article 201; "During stoning, a man is put in a hole up to his waist and a woman up to her chest." The law provides that if a person who is to be stoned manages to escape, he or she will be allowed to go free. Since it is easier for a man to escape, this discrimination is literally a matter of life and death. Help stop such discrimination against women and sign our petition; it is a matter of life and death.

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The United Nations needs a rapid deployment volunteer force(paid by UN peacekeeping budget) that is properly trained in peace making and peace keeping. This force should be available on call in days after a conflict is recognized as needing attention to stop the war. A 6,000 member UN force that is rapidly deployed could save millions of lives with minimal expenditure.

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