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| UN: International terrorism victims attend historic forum |
| 2008-09-10 |
| (AKI) - Former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, held hostage for over six years by left-wing guerillas, is among 18 terrorism victims who will on Tuesday attend an historic United Nations forum in New York. The forum is being convened by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the UN's headquarters and will also be attended by 10 experts. As well as Betancourt (centre in photo), Ashraf Al-Khaled, whose wedding in Amman, Jordan, was marred by terrorist bombings in November 2005 is among victims from all over the world who are due to attend, the UN said. The event will serve as an opportunity to put a human face on the suffering of survivors and their families, according to Robert Orr, Assistant Secretary General and Chairman of the UN's Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force "Terror not only dehumanises its victims, but also the societies it affects," Orr said. "We have all heard the voices of terrorists; too seldom do we hear the stories of their victims." The forum also seeks to change the "often-strained dynamics" between governments, who at times react defensively to criticism for not doing enough to help victims, and the victims themselves, who often feel their needs are not sufficiently addressed. It "will also provide a starting point for building a grand coalition against terrorism," Orr said. It is not intended to be a political event, but is "solely designed to focus on concrete ways to better support victims of around the world," Orr stated. "It will take strong partnerships between governments, civil society, and most importantly, the voices of victims of terrorism to move us ahead." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Betcha there will be no Juden there. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2008-09-10 17:31 |