Table of Contents

Letter from the Editor

Unheard Cries: Civil Unrest and Corruption in Bolivia
Australia's Indigenous Peoples
The Problem of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Get Involved: Start Your Own Newspaper

Comment: France's Extreme Anti-Religious Laws

Remember: send all comments, editorials, questions, and submissions to feedback@fiveminutestomidnight.org!

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Letter from the Editor

Welcome to the second issue of Five Minutes to Midnight in 2004, and the first issue that could be called truly global. In the last few weeks, Five Minutes to Midnight has undergone a massive change; one that has brought little new HTML code, but one that has affected the entire organizational structure of Five Minutes to Midnight and will, fortunately, allow Five Minutes to Midnight to grow beyond our wildest dreams.

As I write this, I am pleased to say that Five Minutes to Midnight now has subscribers and volunteers working in every continent, from Australia to Europe to North America! These dedicated volunteers are working on promotion, and the first large project that Five Minutes to Midnight has undertaken! Without them, and without everyone’s support and words of encouragement, this site would not be possible, and this publication would be nonexistent. Thank you!

Five Minutes to Midnight routinely releases a monthly issue with articles focusing on different parts of the world. What sets it apart is that everything is written by youth, and shows the world through their eyes and with their opinions. This is something that sets Five Minutes to Midnight apart and makes it what it has become today. To build on its success and open up new opportunities for both volunteers at Five Minutes to Midnight and youth around the world, we are moving into the creation of a book that will be available online for free and could also be ordered, at no cost, in print. This will cost us some money and orders will be limited, but interest has already been expressed from organizations in Australia, Pakistan, Nepal, and Brazil.

The creation of the book will include a three month long campaign on “Youth Rights and the Protection Thereof.” It will include articles from Five Minutes to Midnight, articles specifically geared toward the book, and photography and art from around the world. Some incredible photos have already been received, and more are coming soon. The campaign will run from April to June, and the book should be released in July or August 2004. If you are interested in helping out, please send us an e-mail at feedback@fiveminutestomidnight.org

So stay tuned, as that is just one of several things coming in the next few months!

            Thanks for reading,
                               Wojciech Gryc

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Unheard Cries: Civil Unrest and Corruption in Bolivia by Mark Cavdar

The citizens of the small land-locked country Bolivia are faced with several challenges. Keystone third-world problems of economic instability and mass-scale poverty are common; Bolivia is the poorest country in South America. Rather than lacking a suitable governing system like many other third-world countries, Bolivian citizens are faced with an even more daunting obstacle: being forced to face these seemingly insurmountable difficulties of poverty and instability with the apparent aid of a government as crooked as it is fractured. For nearly three years, the Bolivian government has been in negotiations with American corporations to export Bolivia’s plentiful natural gas resources. This extremely sensitive issue cost a leader his presidency and nearly a hundred civilian protestors’ lives, ultimately resulting in nothing more than an empty economic whimper after the lucrative contracts were given away to Indonesia. Now, faced with an inquiry into the cause of over 80 protestor deaths over the past ten months, the government of Bolivia once again finds itself at an ethical crossroad.

If nothing else, the oil contracts that the Bolivian government negotiated did achieve one dreadful goal: effectively dividing the nation. The oil contracts were ambitiously supported by the nation’s miniscule upper class. If Bolivia were to export its surplus of natural resources, it would provide a means for the country’s assets to funnel back into the pockets of the wealthy. While this business deal would technically work to the country’s favour, the fact that the government was blatantly overlooking the too-large number of citizens living in poverty whilst in negotiation was cause for both outrage and revolt. Protests and blockades began; trucks carrying oil towards Chilean ports for export were stopped by protestors, all in response to the natural resource contract negotiations. What first seemed like a standoff based on the virtues of the citizens’will against the government’s lust of economic prosperity quickly turned into a bloody blotch on the Bolivian government’s record.

Between September 20th and October 19th, a total of 59 civilians were killed during protests, coupled along with more than 400 other citizens who were hospitalized with injuries. Forty-nine of those deaths came as a result of gunshot wounds; gunshots fired from the rifles of police officers trying to enforce some sort of crowd control. This number is shocking, exemplifying how police forces were not able to regulate the crowds and respond without violent counteraction to the protests. These violent clashes became reason enough for former President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada and his cabinet to resign on October 17th, handing over the reins of the country to Vice President Carlos Mesa Gisbert. As any politician is inclined to do at their time of election, Gisbert promised the people of Bolivia a slew of changes that would ameliorate the country’s current tarnished state. Along with these promises also came word that Gisbert would launch an independent and impartial investigation into the recent rash of police violence towards protestors. He dropped hints and made allusions to the difficulty that would ultimately come with this endeavor, but steadfastly assured the people that the inquiry would be equitable and non-biased. Bolivia, however, is not the poster child for equitable treatment in regards to federal investigations. This inquiry has too great a purpose to fall victim to the common weaknesses of Bolivia’s civilian justice system.

Bolivia’s Public Ministry is either tragically misinformed or willfully blind to the number of innocent lives police officers have taken while trying to curb protests. Records show that over the past 18 years there have been over 300 civilian deaths in protests, with thousands more injured or maimed. Yet, major human rights groups in Bolivia are unaware of any sort of reprimand or punishment to the police officers (save for three officers who burned a man alive in 1999 and are now serving a jail sentence) who committed these acts. Moreover, the independent thinking capabilities of Bolivia’s district attorneys is frequently compromised due to the provisional nature of their position. Rather than a fixed five-year term, Bolivia’s district attorneys stay on the job on a day-to-day basis, with zero job security and even less desire to cause any trouble with superiors. These factors in turn affect the civilian justice system’s means of carrying out non-biased investigations and hinder the credibility of any nationally launched inquest into the recent protestor deaths.

The internal corruption and lack of proper justice doesn’t end there. It is further evidence by the way police officers implicated in abuses against civilians are tried in a court of law. When military courts obtain jurisdiction over a case involving members of the Bolivian armed forces accused of abusing or murdering civilians, the resulting verdict is never a clean administration of justice. An almost inevitable acquittal greets every accused officer on their way out of the courtroom. Nowhere is this internal corruption more evident than in the case of Captain Robinson Iriarte Lafuente. Captain Lafuente was accused of killing a seventeen-year-old during a protest in April 2000. Using a loophole in the legal system, the jurisdiction of this case fell into the lap of the military courts after Lafuente argued that at the time he killed the civilian he was still on duty, albeit in street clothing bearing no military insignia whatsoever. In a brisk decision, Lafuente was acquitted and the charges against him were dropped. As if that were not enough, a promotion to Major was granted to Lafuente shortly after the case.

Were Major Lafuente’s actions merely in compliance with orders? The disturbing question one needs to ask themselves in regards to the situation in Bolivia is simply this: Is it right when a country’s government begins rewarding murderers for a job well done? Can those lost lives be justified by any means? These complete disregards of essential human rights, namely the right to life and freedom of assembly, have rooted injustice deep within the infrastructure of the Bolivian government.

The whole situation boils down to the age-old debate about the worth of blood and oil. Which is more valuable? 

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Australia's Indigenous Peoples by Chris Hockman

“In reckoning the numbers of the people of commonwealth, or of a state or other part of the Commonwealth, aboriginal natives shall not be counted.” (Australian Constitution, 1900)

There has been a long held belief in Australia that natives have difficulties in politics. The above statement, contained in Chapter VII, Article 127 of the Australian Constitution, shows this well. This act, however, was repealed in 1967 through the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginals) act # 55. This leads us to question if things have really changed. “All animals are created equal … but some are more equal than others.” This quote, from Animal Farm, sums up early settlers’ view on natives 

“Proclaimed in 1901, Australia’s Constitution is seen by many as an outdated document that lacks the flexibility to change with the times.” - Holloway

Peter Garrett sees the constitution as something outdated that needs change. However, he does recognise that there are those who do not wish to see such change and feel that it should be left the way it is. It is said that the greatest obstacle to changing the constitution is the Australian population’s conservatism. Garrett, however, disagrees and he prefers to point the blame at politicians who bend words, making the public dislike change. This can be seen when we look at the recent failed referendum for a republic. The wording, that “the Governor-General be replaced by President appointed by a two-thirds majority of the members of Commonwealth Parliament” was such that even republicans voted ‘no’. Garrett stated that the “recognition of Aboriginal Australians [should] be considered as possible changes to the constitution” with his work in the constitutional commission.

Land Rights were officially granted to indigenous Australians in the late 60s and early 70s, though 1881 saw some indigenous peoples from the Maloga mission appeal to the government of New South Wales and to the Crown for the recognition of land rights. These requests appeared to fall on deaf ears and as such, these men appealed again in 1887 to a new government. One of the men, William Cooper, wrote a letter to a minister at the time, saying that the area adjoining the mission was his ‘by divine right’. The Sydney Morning Herald, on the 12 December 1890, reported about the Maloga mission. The article quotes the petition as “we, the native blacks about Sydney, ask if you will be kind enough to give us a piece of land.” The article failed to really quote the petition in context, instead making it seem like those at the Maloga mission had asked for something that was not theirs. From these, it appears that Indigenous Australians had little to no political rights in the nineteenth century.

According to Attwood and Markus, Indigenous politics changed rapidly from

1920 to 1959. This, say the authors, is due to the introduction of many Indigenous Australian political groups. This period saw an increase in political rights for a number of people, and in particular, women. Indigenous Australians were still yet to be recognised. Throughout the late 1960s, Indigenous Australians started to gain much more rights. With a referendum, Indigenous Australians were formally classed as a group of people with all the rights of an Australian citizen.

Today, reconciliation is a very strong movement in Australia. Tickner states that “the process of reconciliation may be as important as the final outcome.” Reconciliation has been seen at many events. For example, on 28 May 2000, thousands of Australians (both indigenous and non-indigenous) walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the walk for reconciliation.

Indigenous Australian’s political rights have been an important part of Australian politics for many years. But how many political rights do Indigenous Australians have? Wright, a reporter for The Sunday Tasmanian, observed that Australia has a rapidly growing Indigenous middle class. Phillip Ruddock, Minister for Indigenous Affairs, was quick to praise the news saying that Indigenous Australians are “doing well.” However, Lionel Quartermain, head of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders Commission (ATSIC), while pleased with the news, felt that there was much more to be done.

It can be said that Indigenous Australians are underrepresented in Australian politics. The Queensland Labor Party has addressed this issue by creating a quota of indigenous politicians. This creates an issue similar to what the federal Labor Party dealt with recently: it can be said that while Indigenous Australians are underrepresented in politics, they may not want to be singled out and given seats, and could even be offended by this.

It cannot be denied that Indigenous Australians have more rights now than they did a hundred years ago. However it can also be said that there may be a proverbial glass ceiling for Indigenous people in Australia.

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The Problem of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by Kaley Kennedy

What is a person to choose when of the options presented, not one is truly acceptable?  Given the choice between acceptance in one’s society and ostracism, is it not human nature to choose acceptance, even if that acceptance comes at a very severe price?  Sadly, the truth is that a choice between ostracism and severe genital disfiguration is not really a choice. 

Each day, six thousand women are victims of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM); one every fifteen seconds.  The age of the women varies significantly. FGM is performed on girls any time between infancy and two months prior to the birth of their first child.  Although data can be difficult to collect on the rather secretive procedures, most NGOs agree that the highest rate of occurrence of FGM is in Africa, yet the practice is also seen throughout Aboriginal tribes in Asia and South America, as well as in many societies in the Middle East and Southern Asia.  It is important to realize, however, that for the most part, FGM is not a religious practice, but a cultural one. 

There are a number of different types of FGM, the most severe of these being Infibulation, also known as Pharaonic circumcision.  In this procedure, the woman’s entire clitoris is removed, as is the labia minor. The labia major is sliced and sewn together, with only a small hole left for bodily fluids to escape.  These account for about 15% of FGM mutilations in Africa. Other types of FGM include Sunna circumcision, Clitoridectomy, and excision. Often, before a woman is married or before she gives birth, she must be cut open to allow penetration or to allow the infant to pass through the birth canal.  After the birth of a child, women may be re-sewn if their husbands wish them to be, making the women “tight” for their husbands.

Physically, the trauma of the procedure is harsh.  Women are often plagued with severe bleeding and infection. FGM is usually performed with primitive tools that have not been sanitized, and the constant opening and re-sewing with unclean instruments often means that a woman can never escape the pain of her circumcision.  After the procedure, the women’s legs may be bound together for up to 30 days, and medicinal pastes can also be applied to the wounds. While the procedure causes physical damage, many cultures believe it to be necessary for the survival of the woman, her husband, or unborn child. Indeed, there are cultures that believe that if an unborn child touches the woman’s clitoris, it will die. The same myth holds true for the woman’s husband.

While the physical consequences of the procedure are clearly evident, the psychological damage is much more vague. FGM is seen in most cultures as a type of initiation ceremony, guiding a girl into womanhood. Often, if a woman does not carry through with this procedure, she is unable to get a husband and is looked down on as unclean and sub-human by her family and culture.  It is often said that the parts of the genitalia removed are the masculine parts of a woman, and consequently, the procedure makes women more docile and modest.  Docility and modesty are not only two characteristics synonymous with traditional women in patriarchal societies, but also of victims of severe trauma or abuse.

It is logical to say that nearly all the countries that practice FGM are countries with strong patriarchal values. A common reason for FGM is that it minimizes sexual desire and arousal in women and in turn, deters women from being unfaithful to their husbands.  The ability for a woman to make a proper choice to be faithful is often doubted in these cultures and, therefore, parents get their daughters circumcised so that they may be attractive for potential husbands, and to be able to live the life of a loyal wife, often the only role available for a woman.  If the woman is not circumcised, she will not only be rejected by potential husbands, but also brings disgrace to her family. 

Although FGM is quite a horrendous practice, it is also one that remains close within a family or tribal unit.  Because it is a domestic or private issue and the perpetrators are not government officials, the issue was not considered by most to be a human rights issue.  The past decade has seen FGM and other horrendous cultural practices brought to the forefront of the fight for human rights. The 1993 World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna went as far as to stress the importance of “the eradication of any conflicts which may arise between the rights of women and the harmful effects of certain traditional or customary practices." 

The recognition of FGM as a human rights issue forces people to look at the lack of gender equality in many countries. Essentially, the main reason for FGM is to control a woman’s sexuality and, similarly, her autonomy. Without solutions to help further the advancement of women in the societies that practice FGM, the practice will continue.  Since women in these societies are oppressed and often uneducated, they continue their culture’s tradition or are coerced into the procedure.  It is important that women be offered more roles in society. Otherwise, there will never be an end to the extreme pain and suffering caused by female genital mutilation. 

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Get Involved: Start A Newspaper by Wojciech Gryc

One of the most important things in the world is the transferring of information and news. As days go by, people are bombarded with information on a regular basis, through advertisements asking them to spend their money or news reports informing them about the events of the day. The dissemination of information is an important job and usually done by large organizations and corporations, though there are small groups of people working in independent media outlets. Many of these sites work well and provide news of the utmost quality.

However, there is room for improvement and the filling of niches. One of the biggest misconceptions in creating media or working within the world of current events is that many people must read your work. This, however, is untrue. Although it is a bonus to know there are hundreds of people reading your articles, one of the finest parts of producing a news report of some sort is to actually get it done. The research, newly gained knowledge, and analytical thinking skills you eventually develop are well worth the effort.

There are many different outlets one can use to develop such a media source. Depending on your circumstances, a few of them may be readily available to you. If you attend high school or a post-secondary educational institute, chances are you have a school newspaper, or the ability to start one. Such a paper usually focuses on school events and issues, but there is nothing wrong with adding a social justice or current events section, or even making it the focus of the paper! Indeed, starting a newspaper as a class project is another example of the above, and integrating it directly into the school curriculum is a great way to get some attention.

Starting such a paper or even a magazine outside the school environment is the same, though a little riskier in that you must find an audience. With a school newspaper, your audience comes with the project: it is everyone that attends your school. Starting from scratch, however, is much more difficult, as finding and possibly narrowing your target market is a must. This, however, can allow you to focus the project on a specific topic that will appeal to that niche market.

Of course, starting such a paper is risky and may be expensive. Chances are it may not be successful right away, and so a lot of work must be put in. There are, luckily, easier ways to do to do this. The first of these is to start an online journal, usually called a blog. Blogs can be created on many different sites, including www.tripod.com and www.blogspot.com. They are free, created automatically, and exactly like keeping an online journal. However, making it focus on political issues is something that can attract many readers, and if you live in political hotspots, can make your site and publication extremely successful.

One prominent example of starting such a blog is Salam Pax. Though its authenticity is sometimes doubted, the blog was started and updated during the war in Iraq. The author was a resident of Baghdad and kept those abroad updated of what was happening within the city. It was an instant success, with thousands of people keeping track of what was happening. In fact, it was such a success that “Salam Pax: The Clandestine Diary of an Ordinary Iraqi”, a book, is now available online and even in bookstores!

Working with friends and developing your own website is another option, and one that takes blogging one step further. Blogs are simple and easy to create and update. The downside, however, is that they do not allow much freedom. By creating and updating your own website, you can be in charge of the layout, and if working with friends, can create an issue that is released on a regular basis (just like Five Minutes to Midnight). Aside from taking up some time, promotion is also free. Through the use of large websites like Taking IT Global, www.takingitglobal.org, and many others, you can spread the word for free. Furthermore, you may find a large number of interested volunteers who will want to help you with your projects.

No matter what you do, whether your newspaper ends up being digital or in paper form is completely up to you. There are a few important tips, however, that will allow you to be successful with your project regardless of its physical structure.

Aside from producing well written and thoroughly researched articles, keep in mind that image is important! If your layout is plain and does not have anything that will attract the people who happen to stumble by your product, the chance for success becomes extremely small. However, keep in mind that a simple layout is not necessarily a plain layout. A simple layout that presents the information well and does not bombard the reader with useless ads or pieces of information can sometimes be the key to success.

Make your idea spread like wildfire! By building a website and mailing list, you make it very easy to transfer information among people. Incorporate methods of sending the site to friends and getting them to subscribe at the click of a button! The same approach is a bit more difficult with paper-based products but is nevertheless possible. Incorporating articles that stand out, and maybe articles that people can, for example, easily detach from the paper and give to friends, is one way to spread the word. Before starting such a project, it may be useful to read some marketing books. “Unleashing the Ideavirus,” a book that focuses on fast-paced marketing, is available for free at www.ideavirus.com and is incredibly useful.

Finally, make your product different! Rather than reporting the same news that your local newspapers and media conglomerates release every day, focus on something that is either not reported on, or modify the way the news is written, released, or presented. Making it free also helps, but is not always possible.

Starting your own newspaper is, in some cases, an arduous process. It is, however, also very rewarding. If you enjoy journalism or are interested in current events, it is something that should definitely not be overlooked. The many different options, topics, and methods of promotion all allow for people of different backgrounds and interests to take part, and in the end, seeing that first issue being released and read is an exciting experience.

Have any questions? Send me an e-mail: gryc@rogers.com

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Comment: France's Extreme Anti-Religious Laws by Wojciech Gryc

Many people generally accept the idea that state and religion must be separate, and thus, governments running nations must be secular. A prominent example is the war in Iraq, with the Coalition Provisional Authority's mission to ensure a secular government that protects the rights of all people in Iraq. However, it seems that a serious mistake is now being made by France, which has confused the difference between secularism and a lack thereof.

When discussing the importance of secularism, one must note that the concept focuses on a lack of religious bias in government and political affairs. This means that religion and state must be kept separate. In other words, a secular government does not involve itself in religious affairs, whether this means supporting a specific group or denying the rights to another group. As many are aware, France is now considering the passage of a law that will disallow students from wearing religious symbols in public schools.

The fact that this is a blatant disregard of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which states that people are free to worship and support any religion they please, is quite obvious. Of course, the UDHR has limits, allowing governments to stop people's manifestation of religious beliefs if doing so may cause harm to others. The wearing of a large cross or the Muslim hijab, a headscarf for women, however, is quite painless and neutral when it comes to politics and indeed, does not support any sort of violent extremism.

Some proponents of the anti-religious laws disagree and say that by banning the wearing of religious symbols, one may finally begin fighting religious, crisis-inducing extremism. Wearing a crucifix doesn't lead to terrorism, and wearing a Jewish yarmulke is not known to cause violent outbursts on a regular basis. The same goes for the hijab; it is not the religious symbols that cause extremism, but rather, it is the segregation and targeting of specific persons, which is exactly what the French government will do by passing a law clearly targeting a certain religious group. Observing January 17, the International Day of Action, where protests were held around the world to show the French that Muslims and non-Muslims alike do not support anti-religious laws, should be a sign of things to come. The situation is bound to get worse if the law passes, with more - not less - extremism. Segregation and religious intolerance only proves extremists to be correct, and helps them recruit more people.

The goal of a secular government should not be to ban religion, but to treat all religions equally. However, when a nation chooses to pass anti-religious laws that have a disproportionately adverse effect on a certain religious group, it leaves this all-important non-religious shelter and moves into a divided world. To deny people their right to act upon their beliefs is to befuddle religious law, thus blurring the separation between state and religion and making the former into a biased atrocity.

And this is only one point in the support of religious diversity. In an increasingly globalized world, it is important to preserve culture. By supporting different forms of religion and worship, one preserves and respects the differences between people and promotes growth and support amongst them. Moreover, where does one draw the line? If wearing a crucifix or hijab can be construed as extremism, then so can wearing a large, ugly, orange hat or large red shoes.. Surely, such objects cause criticisms and may lead to conflict, and yet both, I am sure, are allowed in French law.

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Sources for "Unheard Cries: Civil Unrest and Corruption in Bolivia"

Vivanco, José Miguel. "Bolivia: Letter to President Carlos Mesa Gisbert." Human Rights Watch. 22 December 2003. <http://hrw.org/english/docs/2003/12/22/bolivi6848.htm>

"Bolivia: Strengthen Investigation into Protest Deaths." Human Rights Watch. 22 December 2003. <http://hrw.org/english/docs/2003/12/22/bolivi6847.htm>

"Bolivian natural gas will have to wait." MercoPress. 22 December 2003. <http://www.falkland-malvinas.com/Detalle.asp?NUM=3037>

Sources for "Australia's Indigenous Peoples"

"1999 Referendum Report." Australian Electoral Commission. 8 December 2003. <http://www.aec.gov.au/>

Attword, Bain, and Andrew Markus. The Struggle for Aboriginal Rights. Sydney: Unwin, 1999.

"Call to Boost Indigenous Political Involvement." Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 24 November 2003. <http://web20.epnet.com/>

Garrett, Pter et al. Political Blues. Sydney: Hodder & Stoughtpn, 1987.

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. London: Penguin, 1945.

Stawell, Geoffrey. The Australian Constitution. Canberra: Australian Government, 1975.

Tickner, Robert. Taking a Stand. Sydney: Unwin, 2001.

Wright, Lincoln. "Brighter Black Futures." The Sunday Tasmanian [Hobart], 14 September 2003.

Sources for "The Problem of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)"

"Female Genital Mutilation - A Human Rights Information Package." Amnesty International. 30 January 2003. <http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/intcam/femgen/fgm1.htm>

"Female Genital Mutilation In Africa, The Middle East & Far East." Religious Tolerance. 30 January 2003. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/fem_cirm.htm>

Sources for "Comment: France's Extreme Anti-Religious Laws"

"France Moves Closer to Banning Muslim School Scarves." Scotsman.com. 28 January 2004. 30 January 2004. <http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2462648>

Graff, James. "Should France Ban Head Scarves?" TIME Europe. 30 January 2004.
<http://www.time.com/time/europe/magazine/article/
0,13005,901040209-586181-1,00.html>

"Universal Declaration of Human Rights." United Nations. 30 January 2004. <http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.htm>

"Viel of Tears." The Economist. 15 January 2004. 30 January2004. <http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2354550>

Yahmed, Hadi. "French Physician Refuses To Treat Hijab-Clad Women." IslamOnline.net. 24 January 2004. 30 January 2004. <http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2004-01/24/article09.shtml>