David Frankfurter (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} dfrankfurter) wrote,@ 2004-04-26 19:01:00 |
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Support UNRWA
After many years of complicity with corruption and the abuse of Palestinian Arab children, UNRWA has finally taken some tentative steps to correct their ways - and as expected are experiencing tough resistance from the local committees.
One result of public scrutiny of international donations to the Palestinian Authority has been that elected representatives have finally become more responsive to their electorates' concerns. UNRWA has found it increasingly difficult to raise funds in the international community, and are, at last, taking action to reduce the corruption and level of incitement to violence amongst the children in their school system.
The Daily Star (Lebanon) reports that the recently appointed UNRWA Director General in Lebanon, Richard Cook is taking tough measures, but is meeting expected resistance .\amongst his 'beneficiary' population.
First, he dismissed 12 employees for stealing food rations. Credibly, the complaints are that only lower workers were punished, while the management who may have supported and encouraged them got away free. It's hard for us to judge from this distance, but if international funding finally gets to its destination undisturbed, then hopefully the millions in aid will become effective.
Then, he has implemented demands to de-politicise the school system and requested that UNRWA schools take down posters of children endangering themselves by throwing stones at Israeli troops and of the dead Hamas terrorist leaders, Rantisi and Yassin.
Local 'popular committees' held a heated debate with Cook in a two hour meeting. Sources close to the Palestinians brand Cook a 'failure' and are threatening to ban him from visiting the refugee camps.
UNRWA and Cook need to know that this tentative start has world support. Write and tell them so. Ask them to let you know of the medium and long term success of the initiatives they are taking. Tell them that if they can successfully and demonstrably wipe corruption and incitement to terror and introduce a peace curriculum to their schools you will ask your elected representatives to increase their funding of UNRWA.
Contact details:
Richard Cook
Director of UNRWA Affairs
Address: POBox 11-0947, Beirut 1107 2060, Lebanon
Office Location: Bir Hassan, Ghobeiri, Beirut
(opposite City Sportive)
Telephone: (+ 961 1) 840 490/1-6
Facsimile: (+ 961 1) 840 466
Office Location: Bir Hassan, Ghobeiri, Beirut
(opposite City Sportive)
Telephone: (+ 961 1) 840 490/1-6
Facsimile: (+ 961 1) 840 466
