NSCAG, February 11th 2024
Nicaragua Language Teachers’ Exchange
The National Education Union (NEU) is offering a unique opportunity to NEU members who are experts in the teaching of Spanish to primary or secondary school pupils. This is a partnership project between the NEU, Nicaraguan teachers’ union ANDEN and NSCAG and is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share teaching skills, show solidarity with teachers in Nicaragua and to see and experience the country, visit its schools and meet its people. For further information and to apply please email international@neu.org.uk
Nicaragua in the Third Summit of the South of the G77+China
The Nicaraguan government’s statement to the Summit referenced in particular climate justice, solidarity with Palestine and the impact of illegal unilateral coercive measures (sanctions).
To read the statement in full see here.
Palestine
The Nicaraguan government has warned western governments to stop arming Israel Nicaragua and has urged the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada to cease promptly the provision of arms, ammunition, technology, and/or components to Israel, expressing concerns that such supplies may have been utilized in actions that could facilitate acts of genocide in Gaza. In a press release issued on 1st February, the government stated that it will ‘hold the four countries responsible under international law for gross and systematic violations to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the crime of Genocide, international humanitarian law and customary law, including the law of occupation’. See more here.
Nicaragua has honoured the Palestinian people by inaugurating a street named after Gaza and a recreational park named for Palestine in its capital Managua.
Now that the International Court of Justice has ruled that South Africa’s claims of genocide against Israel are plausible and ordered Israel to “take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope” of the U.N. Convention on Genocide, the question is how Israel and its backers will respond.
In 1984, Nicaragua filed a complaint against the US in the ICJ following in relation to US policies of arming, training and financing the contra rebels who were fighting to overthrow the Nicaraguan government, as well as mining the country’s harbours. The International Court of Justice found the US guilty of arming and training an illegal paramilitary organisation (the contras), mining Nicaragua’s harbours, and imposing a trade embargo. The Court ordered the US to cease all aggression against Nicaragua and pay reparations. The US refused to accept the verdict of the Court or to pay the estimated $17 billion damages. Two months later, the US Congress approved a further US$105 million funding to continue financing the contra war. And to this day, the reparations ordered by the ICJ have never been paid. Two recent articles address the comparison with the Nicaraguan complaint and ask the question as to how Israel (and its backers) will respond and whether the US will seek to block the ruling. These can be found here and here.
Sanctions
The deceptively named Restoring Sovereignty and Human Rights Act is advancing through the US Congress This Act, which is designed to do the exact opposite of promoting sovereignty and human rights is a way of imposing collective punishment on the Nicaraguan people and will only serve to hurt the poorest and most vulnerable in society. For more on the Act, its content and its likely impact see article by Jill Clark-Gollub here
Webinar Recording – Nicaragua: Working to Make Earth Green again.
On 21 January, our international partner, the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition, hosted a webinar featuring Ambassador Valdrack Jaentschke, who led the Nicaragua government delegation to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28). The webinar addressed the way in which Nicaragua is combating climate change, both in Nicaragua through its renewable energy and other programmes, and in the international arena through its leadership and concern for the earth. A recording of the webinar can be found here
UN Approves Cooperation Programme with Nicaragua
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) approved a new cooperation programme with Nicaragua, for the period 2024-2028, for US$8.8 million. This programme is focused on strengthening national capacities for the integral development of the population with emphasis on sexual and reproductive health. Jaime Hermida Castillo, permanent representative to the United Nations, said that this programme has been built with the coordination of the Nicaraguan government and UNFPA, which will reinforce the current public policies of the National Plan for the Fight against Poverty and for Human Development 2022-2026. He also reiterated the government's commitment to a development model focused on poverty reduction, integral development, protection, progress and welfare of all Nicaraguans, with inclusion and without distinctions.
The ‘Human Rights Industry’ and Nicaragua
Why do United Nations human rights bodies focus on some countries, but not others? Why do organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International appear to ignore important evidence presented to them? And why do the media repeat stories of human rights abuses without questioning their veracity? To read an article by John Perry based on the recent book by Alfred de Zayas, see link here
Redefining US-Latin American Relations
An excellent article by Medea Benjamin and Steve Ellner – see link here.
Speakers
Just a reminder that we are happy to provide speakers for regional/branch meetings (online or in person). Just email me on nscag@nicaraguasc.org.uk if you would like a speaker for one of your meetings. In solidarity
Louise
Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Action Group
www.nscag.org
Twitter: @NSCAG_UK