By Stephen Kopko

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON D.C., United States – Washington, D.C. has become the latest city that will recognize same sex marriage. The Washington D.C. City Council passed a same sex marriage bill that would allow gay couples to marry within the city’s jurisdiction today. Before the passage of the legislation, the city recognized those same sex couples that were married in states or cities that allowed gay marriage.

The City Council passed the legislation by an eleven to two vote. The bill will now go to Mayor Adrian Fenty for approval. Mayor Fenty has promised to sign the same sex marriage legislation before Christmas. After the Mayor signs the legislation, it must survive a thirty day legislative review period before it becomes law.  The legislation also must be reviewed and passed by Congress, who controls the budget for Washington, D.C. 

Opponents of the bill are seeking two avenues in which the same sex legislation could be defeated. The first strategy that they are employing is lobbying Congress. Bishop Harry Jackson, pastor of Hope Christian Church said that he and his group, Stand4MarriageDC, will ask Congress not to approve the legislation.  Already, Republicans and conservative Democrats are trying to find ways for blocking the legislation. One of the ways is to attach a rider to future Washington, D.C. appropriations bills. However, many Congressional leaders are worried about usurping local autonomy. To defeat the legislation, both the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as President Obama, would have to disapprove of the legislation.  The second strategy that opponents are going to use to try and prevent the same sex marriage bill from becoming law is through a referendum.

The Roman Catholic Church also opposing the passage of the bill. It stated that if the same sex marriage bill was passed, it might limit some of their social service programs. These programs help Washington, D.C. residents with adoption, homelessness, and health care. Also, the Church said that they would not extend spousal benefits in health care and retirement to same sex couples. 

Supporters of the bill as well as many of the City Council members were happy with the passage. They saw the approval of same sex marriage as a step in the right direction after New York did not approve of same marriage. One couple even became engaged shortly after the passage of the bill in the same meeting hall in which it passed.

For more information, please see:

MSNBC – D.C. City Council Votes to Legalize Gay Marriage – 15 December 2009

NY Times – D.C. Council Approves Gay Marriage – 15 December 2009

Washington Post – D.C. Council Approves Bill Legalizing Gay Marriage – 15

 

By Brenda Lopez Romero
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ruled today that the Mexican State is responsible for the triple femicides that occurred in 2001 in Juarez and Chihuahua. Mexico was legally sanctioned for damages and reparations in the amount of of $847,000 for the victims families. 

The Mexican government was accused of the murders of Esmeralda Herrera Monreal, fifteen years old; Laura Berenice Ramos Monárrez, seventeen years old, and Claudia Ivette González, twenty years old.

Additionally, the Court ruled that Mexico must remove the barriers to the suit for these three murders and was ordered to raise a monument within a year in memory of the victims and maintain a permanent website with information on all the women, teenagers, and girls that have disappeared since 1993.

IACHR also condemned Mexico for the killing and disappearance of women that have occurred since 1993.  The Court considered the homicides as “alarming” and ruled that Mexico violated anti-discrimination rights of women and children, the right to life, integrity, personal liberty, integrity of the victims families, and did not meet its duty and obligation to protect its citizens. 

The Court acknowledged that Mexico had “realized a recognition of partial responsibility … but had not adopted reasonable measures, in accordance to the circumstances of the case, to find the victims alive.”  Furthermore, the Court stated that there was a common denominator in all the cases, the fact that all the victims were females. Mexico attributed the homicides to various motives, but conceded that the overriding factor was the “influence of the culture of discrimination against women.”

The Secretary of State stated “that it was worth mentioning that most of the orders of the judgment refer to actions that the fed and state government have already implemented.” 

For more information, please see:

Los Angeles Times – Court Cites Rights Failure by Mexico in Juarez Killings of Women – 11 December 2009

The Associated Press – OAS Court Condemns Mexico Probes of Women Slayings – 11 December 2009

The New York Times – Mexico: Rebuke on Investigation of Murders – 11 December 2009

By Stephen Kopko   

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States President Barack Obama accepted the Nobel Prize for Peace in Norway today. Obama accepted the award after asking Congress for an additional thirty thousand troops to fight the war in Afghanistan. During his acceptance speech, Obama gave his reasons for increasing the number of troops to continue the war in Afghanistan. 

In October, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the President the Nobel Prize for Peace. The award surprised many people around the world. Obama had only been in office less than a year before he was awarded the coveted prize. Obama was also surprised by the committee’s decision. After being notified of the recognition, Obama stated that he did not deserve to be in the company of past Peace Prize winners. He was humbled by the selection and would use it to promote important international objectives. These objectives include nuclear nonproliferation, settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and correcting the downturn in the global economy. 

Obama’s acceptance speech today focused on the current conflict in Afghanistan. Obama began his speech by saying that he was honored and humbled by being considered and recognized for the Peace Prize. He then stated that he admired past winners of the award that promoted nonviolent movements including Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi. Obama then turned attention to the situation in Afghanistan. He stated that evil exists in the word and that he must defend the people of the United States against that evil, stating: “A nonviolent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince Al-Qaida’s leaders to lay down their arms.” 

Obama’s speech also outlined his definition of just war. He stated that the use of force is not cynical, but is a “recognition of history.” He then outlined three ways in which war is just. According to Obama, when a nation acts in self defense, in helping or aiding an invaded nation, and when acting in a humanitarian capacity after a nation murders its own citizens, force could be used. Obama also stressed how the United States should act when it is faced with using force. Wars should be fought according to the “rules of conduct.” He rejected the use of practices such as torture and the murder of innocent people. 

For more information, please see:

Christian Science Monitor – Left and Right, Pundits Applaud Obama Nobel Peace Prize Speech – 10 December 2009

MSNBC – Accepting Peace Prize, Obama Defends War – 10 December 2009

CNN – Nobel Peace Prize is “Call to Action” – 9 October 2009

By Brenda Lopez Romero
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Obama Administration moved to settle a contentious case as “an important step towards reconciliation … I heard from many in Indian Country that the Cobell suit remained a stain on the nation-to-nation relationship I value so much” stated President Obama. He also said that he was proud the step had been taken. The Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said “this is an historic, positive development for Indian country.”

The Native American plaintiffs alleged the Interior Department mismanaged billions of dollars in national resources income from their lands. The Cobell class action lawsuit was filed in 1996. The government deal would provide $1.4 billion for 300,000 tribe members as compensation and set up a $2 billion fund to buy land from them.

The issue began with the 1887 Dawes General Allotment Act, which divided reservations into individually allotted parcels per Indian family, creating massive amounts of “surplus” land, usually very rich in natural resources, that was then handed over to white-owned industries. The federal government promised to compensate for the land loss. However, private land ownership is largely a foreign concept within Indigenous societies, peoples that generally view land as a communal asset.

Given that history, issues eventually arose over the adequate compensation that was promised. The class argued that the government, which was to oversee the Indian trust, actually mismanaged billions of dollars in oil, gas, grazing, and timber royalties.

(PHOTO: Ms. Cobell, Courtesy of BBC News)

The named plaintiff, Elouise Cobell (citizen of the Blackfoot Nation) welcomed the settlement, but she said there was “no doubt” the final amount was “significantly” less than what was actually deserved by Native Americans.  Based on their calculations, they estimate that they are owed $47 billion. Nonetheless, Cobell stated: “today is a monumental day for all of the people in Indian Country that have waited so long for justice.” Cobell also remarked, “did we get all the money that was due us? Probably not… but there are too many individual Indian beneficiaries that are dying every single day without their money.”

The Department of Interior plans, as part of the settlement, to buy back individual trust interest from individuals to free up lands for the benefit of tribal communities, but conceded that some class members would likely be distrustful of selling their interests. As an incentive to sell, the deal includes funding set aside up for to five percent of the value of the interests to go to higher education and vocational scholarships for Indigenous students.

In order for the settlement funds to become available Congress must pass legislation appropriating funds and approving the deal. Salazar said he hoped that this would occur before the end of the year.

For more information, please see:

BBC News – US to Pay $3.4bn to Settle Native Americans Land Case – 8 December 2009

Bozeman Daily Chronicle – American Indians at MSU Praise Cobell Settlement – 8 December 2009

Indian Country Today – Obama Administration Moves to Settle Cobell – 8 December 2009