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February 03, 2009

Sri Lankan protests demand peace

Posted by Anna Bowen at 01:07 PM ET

As I rushed to Union Station on Friday to join the throngs of commuters brushing by each other to get a seat on the gotrain, thousands of Sri Lankan protesters were just ending off their successful protest in downtown Toronto. The crowd hoped to draw attention to what is being called the genocide in Sri Lanka. Peaceful protests drew thousands in other cities worldwide as urbanites in London, Australia, and Paris also witnessed human chains that reached several kilometers long and hunger strikes, all in efforts to help bring an end to the violence.
PHOTO: CITYNEWS.CA

The demonstrations were a public outcry, and protesters are asking governments to help end the military offensive against Tamil civilians in the north of Sri Lanka. Both the CBC and the BBC mistakenly reported that the protest was to end violence against the Tamil Tigers, much to the discouragement of protestors. The protests brought Sri Lanka to the media for the second time in 2009, following the death of Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga, editor-in-chief of The Sunday Leader, which occurred last month.

Democracy now reports that over 250,000 civilians are caught in the middle of this conflict. Reports of attacks on hospitals have also come to the forefront of the news. The Red Cross describes the situation as a humanitarian crisis. In part Friday's protesters at Union Station hoped to draw commuter and travellers' attention to the Tamil cause. The protests certainly grabbed headlines, but we'll have to wait and see what kind of intervention comes of the peaceful demonstrations.

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Reader comments:

Everyone is talking of war and its causes.

But none seems to talk of peace and a solution.

As a person with a great passion for peace and good governance, a new concept of a truly democratic system of governance with transparency has been devised that would not only contribute towards a lasting and positive peace in this country but also towards the much needed real progressive development of the entire country through good governance. This new concept is people-friendly and development oriented – the need of the day to this country as well as to all developing countries – the so-called Third World countries that intent to tap the doors of the First World

This alternative democratic system provides for the continuous participation of the people and that too in very large numbers, by expanding the present one chamber parliament into a seven chamber parliament functioning through a set of ‘councils’ at six different levels – as different links of a chain – sharing the different and distinct functions of the present parliament.
The members to these councils would be elected on the UN principle of one member for one country irrespective of its size or population. In this new system it is, ‘an equal number of members from similar administrative areas to the same or similar council’ to provide an opportunity for representation of the people on the basis of gender, age group, trade, political ideologies and ethnicity – in the true spirit of democracy.

This new concept of representatives that emerged with the formation of the UN is a refined and practical form of democracy – true to the correct meaning of the word.

The basic salient features of the draft proposal are:-

1. The expansion of the present parliament of one chamber to one of seven chambers through a set of councils at six different administrative levels each with a different set of members elected from different and distinct areas of administration

2. Each of these chambers (Councils) would deal with one or more distinct and defined functions of the present parliament but connected to achieve the desired aim in operation as a distinct and different links of a chain.

3. The 5th chamber (known as Regional Council) would, in addition to other functions, act as the 2nd chamber found in most countries that have a two-chamber parliament.

4. The members to these chambers (councils) would be elected on the accepted UN principle of one member for one country irrespective of the size or population of the country (administrative area). In this proposal it is an equal number of members from similar administrative areas to the same or similar chamber (council) so to provide an opportunity for representation on the basis of gender, age, trade, political ideologies and ethnicity – in the spirit of true democracy.

People must be made to realize that the installation of a truly democratic system of good governance with transparency would strengthen the economy, preserve nature and discourage fraud and mismanagement and thus benefit everybody and the whole country.

It is accepted that an ideal state of good governance cannot be achieved because there is no perfect world but to achieve an adequate level of good governance we must aim for the ideal situation.

As an active participant, a new concept of an alternative democratic system of governance, is being devised that would – in keeping with your stated goal – contribute towards a lasting and positive peace in this country.
This alternative democratic system provides for the continuous participation of the people through a set of ‘councils’ at seven different levels – as different links of a chain – sharing the different functions of the present parliament on area basis. That is, the present parliament is expanded to accommodate seven chambers, of which the first two have thousands of units the 3rd has 325 units, the 4th having 25 units and the 5th chamber known as Regional Council has four units. These four units would also act like the upper chambers functioning in most countries.
The members to all these councils would be elected on the UN principle of one member for one country irrespective of its size or population. In this new system it is ‘an equal number of members from similar administrative areas to the same or similar council’ to provide an opportunity for representation of the people on the basis of gender, age group, trade, political ideologies and ethnicity – in the true spirit of democracy – with the expectation that the elected representatives would serve the people with devotion, thus ensuring the much needed peace, prosperity and happiness.
This new concept of democracy is a great deviation from the prevailing and accepted form of democracy that is in practice. Though it is difficult to change old habits, people could be persuaded to see the benefits of the new system through proper awareness programs conducted effectively and efficiently since a wide consensus of opinion is necessary to give the final touches to the envisaged new concept of a truly democratic parliament. This new concept does not encourage dictatorial attitudes of any single or group of persons, but is people-friendly and development oriented, which is the need of the day to this country as well as to all developing countries – the so-called Third world countries that intent to tap the doors of the First world.

The above is just the concept of a set suggestions for a proposal towards a solution and humbly submitted for your kind perusal and comments.

LIVE AND LET LIVE. EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO LIFE.

Posted by: Sie.Kathieravealu at February 4, 2009 06:16 AM

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