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  • Suzanne Scholte Wins Seoul Peace Prize 2008

    Suzanne Scholte Wins Seoul Peace Prize 2008

    Seoul – September 3: Ms. Suzanne Scholte was named the recipient of the 2008 Seoul Peace Prize.

    The Seoul Peace Prize Committee (President, Chul-Seung LEE) held the final screening committee meeting on September 3 at the Korea Press Center and announced that Ms. Suzanne Scholte, a human rights activist and the president of the Defense Forum Foundation, was selected as the 9th Seoul Peace Prize laureate in recognition of her contribution to world peace she has made while working to promote the freedom and human rights of the North Korean people and the status of the Sahrawi refugees in West Sahara.

    President Lee said that the selection committee, comprised of 15 members from various fields in the nation, decided to award Ms. Scholte after a rigorous and careful screening process. The nominated candidates included incumbent and former presidents, politicians, international human rights and rescue organizations, and the leaders from the economic sector, religious groups, academia and the press.

    After starting her career as the youngest-ever adviser to a U.S. legislator, Ms. Scholte, the mother of three children, has served as president and chairwoman of human rights organizations such as the Defense Forum Foundation and the North Korea Freedom Coalition and has shown special interests in the human rights situations in North Korea. In particular, when South Korea was intentionally neglecting the human rights issues of North Korea in consideration of political relations while studying the Chinese face, Ms. Scholte addressed the North Korean human rights issues in a decisive manner and focused on unveiling the realities facing North Korean refugees around the globe and working out measures to improve such realities.

    Since 1996, Ms. Scholte has engaged in the efforts to improve human rights conditions in North Korea and such efforts finally led to the first hearing on the North Korean political prisoner camps in April of 1999 at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs. She testified at the hearing. She also hosted the first appearance in the United States of survivors of North Korea’s brutal political prisoner camps, Chul-Hwan Kang, Myong-Chul Ahn, and Soon-Ok Lee. She has raised the international awareness of the human rights situations in North Korea by testifying on the realities of the human rights violations and political prisoner camps in North Korea and the sufferings of North Korean defectors hiding in China before the Senate Judiciary Committee and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. In 2003, she also hosted the appearance of Mr. Jang-Yop Hwang, North Korea’s highest ranking defector, on Capital Hill, playing a leading role in getting the realities of the Kim Jong-il regime across the United States and the rest of the world.

    To help galvanize support for the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004, Ms. Scholte chaired and organized the first North Korea Freedom Day in April 2004 in Washington, D.C. The program included a Capital Hill rally attended by over 1,000 people, Congressional hearing, and demonstration at the Holocaust Museum, building the momentum that led to the unanimous passage of the North Korea Human Rights Act.

    Ms. Scholte has helped organize numerous Congressional hearings and briefings on North Korea. During North Korea Freedom Week 2006 and 2007, members of the U.S. Congress hosted hearings to expose North Korea’s illicit activities, the regime’s involvement with abducting citizens of Japan, and its continual holding of POWs from the Korean War. In addition, she hosted the largest delegation of defectors ever to visit the United States during North Korea Freedom Week in April 2008.

    In an effort to protest against the repatriation of North Korean refugees hiding in China to North Korea, Ms. Scholte conducted a campaign to wear rubber bracelets with a slogan of ‘Freedom to North Koreans’ during the 2008 Summer Olympics Games in Beijing, playing a leading part in raising the international awareness of the North Korean human rights issues. In addition, she has promoted the adoption of orphans of North Korean refugees while revealing their miserable conditions to the world and working to help improve their human rights.

    Prior to her engagement in the promotion of freedom and human rights for the people of North Korea, Ms. Scholte worked to promote the awareness of human rights violations in Cuba and the Soviet Union. Her work for the people of the two countries led her to recognize the serious human rights conditions in North Korea. In 1996, she first launched a program to bring defectors from North Korea to the United States to raise awareness of the human rights violations in North Korea through forums and seminars. The testimonies in the United States by the North Korean defectors in turn helped her make her mind again to work harder to disclose the miserable human rights situations in North Korea to the world.

    Ms. Scholte’s human rights activities and concerns are not confined to North Korea and North Korean defectors. She also has been working to raise awareness of the issue of the Western Sahara and the plight of the Sahrawi people. Western Sahara is the only colony in Africa under the rule of Morocco. Ms. Scholte made a petition to the U.N. General Assembly so that the U.N. could address the issues of the Sahrawi refugees and a referendum on their self-determination. She has been advocating the need for a free and fair U.N.-sponsored referendum for the Sahrawi people and working on enhancing awareness of the seriousness nature of the Western Sahara across the international community.

    As a human rights activist, Ms. Scholte has shown unlimited affection and interest in refugees across the globe whose human rights are not respected properly. Although she is interested in both the North Korean and Sahrawi refugees, it seems to her that the human rights situations facing North Koreans and North Korean refugees are more serious and severer. This has forced her to more concentrate on the North Korean issues even though she still believes that the Sahrawi people are also in desperate need, which leads us to imagine difficulties facing her as a human rights activist.

    At a time when countries are purposely neglecting the human rights conditions in North Korea for their political interests, Ms. Scholte has taken the lead in raising awareness of the miserable plight of North Korean refugees and encouraged the refugees who are seeking freedom. Highly evaluating these activities as a rare courageous achievement, President Lee said that, for all these reasons, Ms. Scholte was finally selected as the winner of the 9th Seoul Peace Prize.

    Upon hearing the news of her selection as the laureate, Ms. Scholte said, “I feel ashamed but also I feel honored. It is a great honor to receive this great prize even when I just did what I should do.” “Doing all that we can do for the promotion of the human rights for North Korea and North Korean refugees represents the conscience of the age,” she added.

    Ms. Scholte will formally receive a diploma, a plaque and an honorarium of US$200,000 at an awarding ceremony to be held on October 7 in Seoul. From this year, a certificate of honorary Seoul citizenship will also be awarded to the laureate.

    The previous winners of the Seoul Peace Prize, which has been awarded biennially from 1990, include former International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch, former U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz, Doctors Without Borders, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata, Oxfam, former President Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic, and Dr. Muhammad Yunus of the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh. Of them, Doctors Without Borders, Secretary-General Annan and Dr. Yunus later became the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize, respectively.

  • #2
    Description of Suzanne Scholte’s efforts for the Sahrawi People as President, Defense Forum Foundation and Chairman, U.S. Western Sahara Foundation

    - organized 45 Congressional fact finding missions to the Sahrawi refugee camps since 1993
    - established the U.S.-Western Sahara Foundation as a project of DFF in 1999
    - sponsored 7 Capitol Hill Forums on Western Sahara (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004)
    - sponsored 4 Congressional receptions focusing on Western Sahara (2002, 2006, 2007, 2008)
    - organized the first Christian prayer service held in the refugee camps (2002)
    - testified before the United Nation’s fourth committee on Western Sahara (2002, 2004,2005, 2007)
    - organized and testified before Congressional hearings and briefings (2005, 2007)
    __________________________________________________ ____
    Since 1993, Suzanne Scholte has been working to raise awareness of the issue of the Western Sahara and the plight of the Sahrawi people, in her capacity as President of the Defense Forum Foundation (DFF). Scholte has worked closely with Ambassador Moulud Said of the Sahrawi Republic and Carlos Wilson, who has been active in the Sahrawi cause since 1975 and heads the US-Western Sahara Foundation.


    Scholte believes that the Sahrawi people offer the greatest opportunity for the establishment of a pro-west, Muslim democracy, in North Africa, which can serve as a beacon of hope to that region and to Muslim leaders who believe in freedom, democracy and human rights.

    In 1993, there was little awareness of the issue of Western Sahara in the United States or among the Members of Congress, but as a result of Scholte’s efforts there is now solid support for the referendum for Western Sahara in the United States Congress, on-going projects by American organizations and citizens to help the Sahrawi refugees, a Congressional Caucus on Western Sahara, a working group on Western Sahara composed of NGOs and Congressional staff, and the U.S. Congress unanimously passed a resolution in support of the referendum.

    The following is a summary of Scholte’s work for the Sahrawi refugees over the past 15 years:

    Forty-Five Congressional Fact Finding Missions Organized: Since 1993, Scholte has organized 45 trips for hundreds of American citizens to visit the Sahrawi refugee camps. These missions have been composed of key Congressional staff members, journalists, leaders of Christian humanitarian organizations, and other non-governmental organizations. Nearly every American who has become involved in the Sahrawi issue was first inspired through these fact-finding missions and every major project being undertaken by Americans for the Sahrawis was inspired by these missions. For example, the following programs were established by individuals participating in these fact-finding missions:

    - Sahrawi Children Summer Sponsorship Program and Left Behind Project: a program to allow Sahrawi children to come visit the United States during the summer and a program for the children left behind in the refugee camps; Janet Lenz leads these programs.

    - Sahara Marathon: established in 2001, has now become an international annual event in which athletes from around the world compete to publicize the plight of the Sahrawi refugees; JEB Carney established the marathon.

    - English School: established to teach English to the refugees; Steve Hagens established the school.

    - Humanitarian Shipments: Several individuals and organizations have been involved in sending humanitarian food aid and medical supplies to the camps; Carlos and Nancy Huff were the main organizers.

    - Water Drilling Projects: were begun to help Sahrawis with irrigation and wells; Odo Sidahaya and Lifewater led these projects.

    - Prayer Trips to Western Sahara: the first Christian prayer service in the refugee camps for the Sahrawis was held in 2002 and has led to regular prayer events. Dan Stanley was the main organizer.


    Establishment of the U.S.-Western Sahara Foundation
    Scholte established the U.S.-Western Sahara Foundation in 1999 with Carlos Wilson, who serves as Executive Director, and a distinguished Board of Advisors including Congressman Donald Payne and Congressman Joseph Pitts and Ambassador Frank Ruddy. The purpose of the Foundation is to: 1) raise awareness of the issue of the Western Sahara and the need for a free and fair U.N.-sponsored referendum for the Sahrawi people; 2) provide a network for a far-reaching and ever-growing group of individuals and organizations across the United States that wish to see a free, fair and transparent referendum for the Sahrawi people and support the United Nation's activities to resolve this conflic! t peacefully; and 3) promote and coordinate humanitarian efforts for the Sahrawi refugees.

    Scholte and Wilson through the US-WS Foundation have sponsored letter writing campaigns, petition drives, humanitarian aid, and other grassroots activities to promote the referendum on self-determination and other activities. Wilson in addition leads efforts internationally that aim at blocking Morocco from exploiting the Western Sahara’s natural resources.

    Seven Capitol Hill Forums Organized: Scholte has organized seven forums on Capitol Hill on the Western Sahara issue. Speakers have included Sahrawi President Mohamed Abdelaziz and Ambassador Moulud Said (1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2004) as well as former MINURSO Deputy Chairman Ambassador Frank Ruddy (1995, 1997), Congressman Donald Payne (1999) and MINURSO military personnel: Navy Commander Doug Dryden (1997) and Air Force Major Scott Tate (1999), and Ambassador John Bolton (1998).

    Four Congressional Receptions Organized: Scholte has organized four Congressional Receptions to focus attention on the Western Sahara issue. The first was held in 2002 to honor the Noble Peace Prize nomination of Sahrawi Republic President Mohamed. In 2006, Scholte organized a reception to honor Aminatou Haidar, a Sahrawi human rights defender who was one of the disappeared and survived Morocco’s black prison. Haidar is known as the “Sahrawi Ghandi” for her peaceful efforts advocating for self-determination and human rights. In 2007, Scholte organized a reception for the Sahrawi refugee children who were visiting Washington DC for the “Be Their Voice Rally” for Western Sahara at Lafayette Park. In 2008, she organized a reception to see the photographs of the refugee camps taken by Spanish photographer Nacho Hernandez.

    First Christian Prayer Service in the Refugee Camps
    : Scholte helped organize a delegation of Christians from all over the United States to visit the camps and have a prayer service with and for the Sahrawi people and for the liberation of their homeland. It was the first Christian prayer service held in the camps and included Christians from the USA, Spain, and Muslims from Algeria and the Western Sahara.

    Testimony Before the United Nations’ IV Committee: Scholte has personally testified, and also organized others to testify, before the United Nations IV Committee (Decolonization Committee) in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2007. (She missed testifying in 2006 due to Hwang Jang-Yop’s visit to the USA and in 2006 due to Yoduk Story, as the IV Committee only hears testimony in early October.)

    Congressional Briefing and Hearing
    : Scholte helped organize a Congressional hearing on the Western Sahara in 2005 in which she helped arrange the witnesses and submitted testimony and a Congressional briefing in 2007 in which she helped arrange the witnesses and served as moderator.

    Background on Sahrawis and Western Sahara: Western Sahara is the only colony in Africa that has not been de-colonized, because it was invaded by Morocco when Spain withdrew from the territory in 1975. Most of the Sahrawi people live in refugee camps in the Sahara desert located outside Tindouf, Algeria, awaiting a referendum on self-determination that was first promised by Spain in 1974; reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice in 1975 (the day Mo! rocco invaded their country); and then promised again by the United Nations (UN) when it arranged a cease fire between the invading ! Moroccan army and the Sahrawi. The Sahrawi believe in freedom, democracy, and human rights, including equal rights for women and religious freedom. Although living in refugee camps, the Sahrawi have established the Sahrawi Republic and elect their leaders, including president, camp governors and administrators, through democratic elections. Unlike most Muslim societies, women serve in leadership positions and enjoy equal rights. The Sahrawi have adopted a constitution modeled after the American constitution and have pledged to have religious freedom when they return to their homeland, even inviti! ng Christians to establish churches in Western Sahara when it is free. (Their tolerance of religious freedom and respect for human rights has led the Saudi government to ban them from Mecca, where Muslims are requ ired to visit during their lifetimes.) While most Sahrawi live in refugee camps in Algeria, a significant number live in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara, where they have been brutally treated by the Moroccan authorities leading Freedom House to name “Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara” as one of the world’s ten worst regimes.

    The Sahrawis renounce all violence and have worked for their rights through peaceful means relying on the rule of law to gain their long sought vote on self-determination.
    Dernière modification par jawzia, 10 décembre 2008, 19h35.

    Commentaire


    • #3
      voilà ce qu'elle a fait notre activiste
      Prayer Trips to Western Sahara: the first Christian prayer service in the refugee camps for the Sahrawis was held in 2002 and has led to regular prayer events. Dan Stanley was the main organizer.
      a church in the middle of tindouf ..sous le couvert des droits de l'homme
      je comprends pourquoi on parlait d'evangelisation en algerie
      cellà en est bien une et assez bien deguisée en plus
      Dernière modification par Bennis, 10 décembre 2008, 19h49.

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      • #4
        Le Polisario s'active tout azimut. Tous les relais (ajoutés les uns aux autres) feront monter la pression en prévision du prochain round de négociation.

        Commentaire


        • #5
          Un idée sur notre dame qui a des amis pas trés recommandables comme Ramsfeld , Bush , des marchands d'armes
          Voilà celle que Abdelaziz le Marakchi autorise à ouvrir des eglises evangeliques dans les camps alors que Boutef combat ces memes églises en Kabylie



          http://ibnkafkasobiterdicta.********...-du-polisario/

          Publié le décembre 8, 2008 par ibnkafka

          Vous avez sans doute lu il y a quelque temps, dans les catacombes cybernautiques du séparatisme, que la Defense Forum Foundation présidée par Suzanne Scholte, avait obtenu un prix à Séoul, the Seoul Peace Prize (1).

          Inouï, n’est-il pas? Cette ONG étatsunienne s’intéresse à deux pays exclusivement: le Maroc - surtout son Sahara - et la Corée du Nord, et elle est l’oeuvre quasi-exclusive de sa présidente, Suzanne Scholte


          Suzanne Scholte, ancienne directrice de cabinet de Mac Sweeney, représentant républicain du Texas entre 1985-1989, est fondatrice du Defense Forum Foundation, une ONG qui a compté l’humaniste Donald Rumsfeld parmi ses financiers jusqu’en 2001. Elle serait membre de l’International Board de Christian Solidarity Worldwide, une ONG principalement consacrée aux droits religieux des chrétiens dans les pays musulmans et asiatiques. Des sites évangélistes la considèrent comme une des leurs, et elle s’exprime elle-même en ce sens, par exemple dans Christianity Today:

          Abdelaziz el Marrakchi l’aurait donc invité à ouvrir des églises à Tindouf - alors que ses hôtes algériens emprisonnent des convertis - what gives?
          Elle est secrétaire de Christian Solidarity Worldwide, qui se donne la mission suivante:
          CSW-USA was founded in 1997 to be the United States partner organization of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (founded in the UK in 1981). CSW and its various partners exist to serve the persecuted Christian church through advocacy, aid and prayer.
          Elle a travaillé pour plusieurs ONG conservatrices - Fund for a Conservative Majority et American Conservative Union:

          (...)Pour complèter le tableau des sympathies politiques de Suzanne Scholte, on peut donc préciser qu’outre Bush 43, l’autre récipiendaire de la charité politique scholtienne est l’ex-sénateur républicain de Virginie George Allen, évangéliste, accusé d’avoir voulu nier ses origines juives pour des raisons religieuses et battu suite à une insulte raciale - “macaque” - lancé à un travailleur électoral de couleur de son concurrent démocrate. Voilà donc un élément supplémentaire, qui complique un peu l’image de philanthropie désintéressée relayé par les (rares) articles de presse la concernant.
          Entre parenthèses, on notera que le cas de Suzanne Scholte n’est pas unique: un autre supporter proéminent du Polisario - et de Suzanne Scholte - aux Etats-Unis est le représentant républicain de Pennsylvanie Joe Pitts (fortement évangéliste - “Joe was born in Kentucky in a family of strong Christian faith, a faith he has passed on to his own three children“), dont le site contient une page consacrée au Polisario - il se présente comme engagé en faveur des droits de l’homme mais a voté en faveur des fameuses “military commissions” universellement décriées.
          Résumons donc: une républicaine évangéliste qui fait campagne pour le Polisario et contre la Corée du Nord, avec dans son association des anciens dignitaires civils et militaires, militants républicains ou néo-cons - en général pas vraiment le type de personnes susceptibles de sympathiser avec un mouvement de guérilla arabe socialiste et soutenu à bras-le-corps par un pays arabe tiers-mondiste, l’Algérie… Les faits sont là, mais je ne parviens pas à trouver l’élément manquant qui permettrait d’expliquer cela.
          Pour être honnête, il faut préciser que les supporters du Polisario aux Etats-Unis ne se recrutent pas seulement parmi les néo-cons ou évangélistes (Aminatou Haïdar a ainsi obtenu le Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award cette année, qui lui a été remis des mains du sénateur Ted Kennedy, sénateur réputé le plus à gauche du sénat), et des néo-cons et évangélistes soutiennent le Maroc - par exemple Elliot Abrams.
          (1) C’est principalement l’activité de Suzanne Scholte contre le régime nord-coréen qui lui a valu le prix - sur les quatre pages du communiqué de presse, deux relatent son engagement contre le régime nord-coréen et un paragraphe son engagement pour le séparatisme sahraoui.
          Dernière modification par chicha51, 10 décembre 2008, 20h20.

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          • #6
            Le Polisario s'active tout azimut. Tous les relais (ajoutés les uns aux autres) feront monter la pression en prévision du prochain round de négociation.

            Jawzia

            ......................................

            Ça prouve surtout qu'il y a le feu à la baraque et que les soutiens se tarissant pour le Polizabal et son mentor , on cherche même les soutiens les plus douteux

            Commentaire


            • #7
              Et ce sont ceux qui fricotent avec tous les sionistes de la planète qui s'offusquent des activités de cette dame !! Quelle hypocrisie !

              Faudra vous faire une raison, parce que tous les relais et soutiens sont bons à prendre et contribueront à hâter la "solution finale".

              Commentaire


              • #8
                Et ce sont ceux qui fricotent avec tous les sionistes de la planète qui s'offusquent des activités de cette dame !! Quelle hypocrisie !

                Faudra vous faire une raison, parce que tous les relais et soutiens sont bons à prendre et contribueront à hâter la "solution finale".

                Jawzia
                .............................


                On s'offusque de rien , c'est pas nous qui jugeons les autres( en les traitant de pro-sionistes) et qui allons traficoter avec les néo-conservateurs , les plus proches alliés des sionistes
                Voila ou se situe l'hypocrisie .

                Commentaire


                • #9
                  Les militants sahraouis sillonent la planète, les personnalités, associations et autres fondations s'activent en mode "synchrone', c'est de bon augure.

                  Les sionistes, c'est du coté de Tanger qu'ils ont été vu la dernière fois.

                  Commentaire


                  • #10
                    Les militants sahraouis sillonent la planète, les personnalités, associations et autres fondations s'activent en mode "synchrone', c'est de bon augure.
                    Jawzia


                    .................................................

                    Ils l'ont fait depuis 33 ans au frais du contribuable algérien pour un résultat nul.

                    C'est pas maintenant que le mur de Berlin est tombé , que les dictateurs à corrompre des républiques bananieres se font rares , que même des pays comme la Norvège bottent les fesses aux séparatistes qui ont trop abusé de son hospitalité ,que les choses vont changer.

                    Croire que des neo-conservateurs ( plus interessés par la propagation de l'evangile qu'autre chose) , des communistes agonisants vous seront d'un certains secours ,c'est se foutre le doigt dans l'oeil.

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                    • #11
                      The previous winners of the Seoul Peace Prize, which has been awarded biennially from 1990, include :
                      former International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch, former U.S. Secretary of State Gorge P. Shultz, Doctors Without Borders, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata, Oxfam, former President Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic, and Dr. Muhammad Yunus of the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh. Of them, Doctors Without Borders, Secretary-General Annan and Dr. Yunus later became the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize, respectively.

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