Lately I’ve been spending some time exploring and explaining the concept of humanitarian disarmament, including what it means in practice. This was spurred in part by a December 2011 decision by the New Zealand government to disband the longstanding position of Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control and provide the portfolio responsibility to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Murray McCully. It also follows concerns over the lack of effective resourcing for disarmament work by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. But this work has not been restricted to New Zealand – I’m also working to bring together a ’summit’ later in the year for campaigners working internationally in humanitarian disarmament to discuss at our work and future collaboration. Hence this logo and variations on it, which you may be seeing more of…
Sat 12 May 2012
Disarmament matters
Posted by Mary under New Zealand, disarmament
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Wed 4 Apr 2012
Gender, disarmament and mine action
Posted by Mary under New York, disarmament, mine action
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Women have been appointed to head both the disarmament and mine action sections of the United Nations (UN). This is the first time that women have served as chief of either of these UN agencies. (more…)
Sun 25 Sep 2011
Rest In Peace Wangari Maathai
Posted by Mary under Norway
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I found out through Twitter today that Wangari Maathai has passed away in Nairobi, Kenya after a batter with ovarian cancer. In New Zealand, the death of a great person is compared to the falling of a tōtara tree. Wangari is a giant tōtara, a woman of great standing in Africa and around the world. (more…)
Tue 5 Apr 2011
Social media as a foreign policy tool? Not in NZ
Posted by Mary under New Zealand
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Sun 1 Aug 2010
Cluster Bombs: Banned in New Zealand
Posted by Mary under CMC, New Zealand
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A new documentary film by Mary Wareham screened for the first time on August 1st, 2010. The 21-minute film entitled Cluster Bombs: Banned in New Zealand looks at the role of government and civil society in the process to create the convention. Made by Next Step Productions in cooperation with the Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition, the film screened at an event held in Civic Square, Wellington to celebrate entry into force of the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. (more…)
Mon 26 Apr 2010
The real volcano refugees
Posted by Mary under Geneva
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Last week I was stranded in Geneva, Switzerland for seven days following Iceland’s volcanic eruption. It was not a distressing experience: I had a comfortable hotel room, an office to go to, a conference to attend… Being restricted to watching CNN (the only English-language TV channel available) was about the worst inconvenience. Yet as CNN bleated on about the costly impact of Eyjafjallajökull on European airlines, it completely overlooked an important story. (more…)
Mon 12 Apr 2010
Desperate diplomats try disco
Posted by Mary under Geneva
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I am rarely in Geneva these days, but it seems like every time I set foot in the UN Palais des Nations, something really odd and unprecedented happens. Last time it was the Conference on Disarmament agreeing on an agenda for the first time in more than a decade. This time it was the ‘disco dancing’ contest by diplomats attending the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW). (more…)
Fri 6 Nov 2009
Obama’s Nobel Challenge
Posted by Mary under HRW, New York
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Right-wing bloggers blazed at the audible gasp that went up from the crowd when the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced (first in Norwegian, then English) that it had awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to US President Barack Obama. In its press statement, the Committee described Obama as heralding a “new climate in international politics” in which “multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position” with emphasis on “dialogue and negotiations” and the role played by the United Nations and other international institutions (tho not civil society). (more…)
Thu 1 Oct 2009
Me Rongo – Peace in Rekohu
Posted by Mary under New Zealand, Pacific
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At the end of September, I had the great privilege to visit the Chatham Islands as a guest of the Moriori people and part of a 50-strong delegation of officials and peace activists from New Zealand and overseas. We went to renew the Moriori code of non-violence and passive resistance and, in that special way, “bless” the World March for Peace and Nonviolence that began in Wellington on 2 October 2009 and will end in Argentina three months later. (more…)
Sun 9 Aug 2009
Freedom is clear in Fiji
Posted by Mary under HRW, New Zealand, Pacific
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My friend bought me a gift back from her mid-winter vacation in Fiji, a bottle of “Freedom Water” that promises the consumer the “power or right to act, speak, of think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.” I guess the thought is carefree, but hardly applicable to Fiji right now.
According to my friend, Kiwis holidaymakers should no longer expect a warm welcome in Fiji (no matter what you pay). Locals expressed support for the interim government put in place by the military regime two and a half years ago, while local media reported fluff and nothing of substance.
Fiji was the subject of collective hand-wringing at the Pacific Forum leaders meeting in Cairns last week. Human Rights Watch called for stronger action to tackle Fiji’s ongoing abuses. Australia and New Zealand secured “agreement” for a free trade deal with Pacific nations barring Fiji, while they weakened the climate change goal in the final communique.
“Freedom Water” is bottled of Fijian company Aqua Pacific, which has been criticised by pro-military bloggers. We should probably all be wary of bottled water – it might taste good, but it ain’t helping the planet…
