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RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN RIGHTS
E-Newsletter
Vol.2 No.8
February 28, 2000
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Religious Perspectives on Human Rights is now available online at: http://www.rghr.net
Religious Perspectives on Human Rights is a weekly e-newsletter issued by Buddhist, Muslim, Catholic and Christian Groups on Human Rights, initiated by the Asian Human Rights Commission.
Dear Friends
The speech made by the Pope John Paul II on Torture in 1978 is
included in the context of the 'Seminar on Torture, Inhuman
and Degrading Punishment' being conducted. The issues of
torture will be the focus of attention in the future. You will
find part III, the last part, of 'Spiritual Warriors'
by Atty. Perfecto Caparas. Finally Lin Chew of AHRC Human Rights
School reports on the 6th International Conference on Buddhist
Women, organized by Sakyadhita (Daughters of Buddha) in February
in Lumbini, the birth place of Buddha.
Please take note of our new e-mail address: rghr@ahrchk.org
1) Pope John Paul
II on Torture
2)
Spiritual Warriors: Part III - By Atty. Perfecto Caparas
3) International Buddhist Women's Conference By Lin
Chew
1) Pope John Paul
II on Torture
The Church and believers cannot remain insensitive and
passive, therefore, before the multiplication of denunciations of
torture and ill-treatment practiced in various countries on
persons arrested interrogated or else put in a state of
supervision or confinement. While Constitutions and legislation
make room for the principle of the right to defense at all stages
of justice, while proposals are put forward to humanize places of
detention, it is obvious, nevertheless, that techniques of
torture are being perfected to weaken the resistance of
prisoners, and that people sometimes do not hesitate to inflict
on them irreversible injuries, humiliating for the body and for
the spirit. How can one fail to be troubled when one knows that
many tormented families send supplications in vain in favour of
their dear ones, and that even requests for information pile up
without receiving an answer? In the same way we cannot pass over
in silence the practice, denounced on so many sides, which
consists in putting on the same footing those guilty, or presumed
such, of political opposition and persons who need psychiatric
treatment, thus adding to their pain another motive, perhaps even
harder to bear bitterness.
Source: The address made to the Diplomatic Corps in 1978
2)
Spiritual Warriors: Part III - By Atty. Perfecto Caparas
In human rights, too, lies the potency of unifying and
harmonizing the entire human race. With respect for human rights
as the foundation for a just and lasting peace and a relationship
of solidarity, harmony, interdependence, mutual help, and
cooperation. This being the case, spirituality - the very root
and core foundation of humanity, the shining jewels of human
rights - would rightly serve as the innermost core foundation of
our one family, one globe, living within and in the universal
cosmos. ?0-
Struggle through active non-violence How then does the
spiritual warrior for human rights pursue her/his quintessential
cause?
Harmlessness and non-injury serves as an implicit, underlying,
and core belief and principlestemming as it does from the pure
nature of the human spiritbehind the ferocious conviction of
human rights activists who march, write, shout, advocate and
fight in order to denounce rank injusticesslumdwellers driven
out from their shanties, farmers who at gunpoint are barred from
cultivating their own land, and prisoners who are tortured and
unjustly detained.
The energy that spurs the human rights activists to denounce
actually affirms the sacredness of man/woman's humanity.
Human rights struggle is a bold form of spirituality. One that
holds the value of sanctity of human life, dignity, and freedom
as inalienable, indivisible, and interconnected. One who holds
that a violation of the human rights of an individual diminishes
and weakens us all. The human rights fighter combines inner
reflection with enlightened action. For s/he strives to harmonize
and synthesize, to raise to higher levels the struggle, towards
newer and greater heights. Active non-violence serves as a potent
tool to advance the cause of human rights, which to the late Sen.
Jose "Ka Pepe" Diokno, is the greatest of all causes.
As he wrote: "There is no cause greater than the cause of
human rights." The form of struggle that ensures that the
struggle would be based on enlightened awareness, on virtues that
negate and counteract latent injustice, hence, a counter-culture,
a counter-force to socio-cultural bases of structural injustice
and oppression.
Thus, the struggle is for humanity's affirmation carried
out by means of affirmative, proactive and non-violent yet potent
and militant mass and collective actions mobilizing the vast
segments of society: the critical mass. We struggle in the realm
of consciousness and hearts. This, even as we learn from the
painful lessons of decades of fratricidal war in our own country.
And if need be, should the strong and the mighty become so mired
in the arrogance of their own power, where all other peaceful
means fail, through another non-violent revolutionthe
birthright of our people.
3) International Buddhist Women's Conference By
Lin Chew
The Sixth International Conference on Buddhist Women, held
from Feb 1-7 in Lumbini, Nepal, under the title: "Women as
Peace makers: Self, Family, Community, World".
It was an impressive gathering. About 170 participants, at
least two thirds of whom were nuns, gathered in the birth place
of Buddha to exchange information and learn new skills and ways
for improving their own practice of the precepts of Buddhism and
for creating a more peaceful world for all humanity. Participants
came from Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Canada, China,
Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan,
Thailand, United Kingdom, USA.
The days were filled with many informative presentations of
different monastic traditions and "Buddhist" themes as
"teaching Compassion" and "Loving Kindness";
"Dharma Education for Women in Nepal", and interactive
workshops on peace-building, health and leadership. But it was
most enlightening for me to hear the nuns (all very 'woman-conscious')
speaking of their struggle to gain equal status with the monks in
the monastic life, and their concern for the education of girls,
not only for those who aspire to become "Bhikkhunis"
(ordained nuns) but for all girls and women.
Some quotes, summarised from different presentations:
"...in Cambodia, there was the big work of
reconciliation after the destruction of the war; but now the
tasks of women is only doing housework and serving monks. We are
now working to achieve equality - as teachers, as
counsellors. We have formed a nun's association, and spread
our thoughts through publications, distributed through 13
provinces; there is one on women's rights. We run training
courses for nuns in local communities, to get awareness of women's
rights."
"....in Myanmar, in pre-modern times women have always
been active in the Sangha....but the monks will not allow
revival of the Bhikkhuni Sangha (nun's order); they will not
recognise their sisters, will not take responsibility for their
education. But conditions are changing. New generations of
educated nuns are studying and working for changes; nuns are also
in the forefront of social welfare, running homes for the aged,
orphanages, gaining recognition from the government for their
good works."
" ...in New Zealand, the Buddhist Sangha is growing,
but patriarchal structures are transferred to the Sangha;
structures and history only support male spirituality, in
training, women and men have different syllabusses and women are
given only the preliminary teachings. There are but few women
leaders, both in Buddhism and Judaism in New Zealand, both still
discriminate against women. "
"..in Sri Lanka the Bhikkhuni Sangha was recently
re-established. Nuns now practise 311 precepts and also engage in
socail activities"
",,...Vietnam is a very small country, has been until
25 years ago, in war: with the Chinese, the French and the
Americans. So women suffer very much; after preparing to get
married, husbands have to go to war. Every time husbands come
back, women get children. They bring up their children without
their husbands; they also care for their own and their husbands'
families. Without the men, the society needs the work of the
women; we have to work for money for the family, also for the
temples; in the evenings we pray for the war to stop, for
husbands to come back. .....There is a separate Bhikkhuni
Sangha, the nuns are very independent, and take are of the
education of young nuns, religious and secular; we run a clinic
for aryuvedic and western medicine, a maternity clinic and a home
for the disabled.
"...in Tibet, (the Tibeten nuns present are living in
India) we think religion should not be afraid of political
conflict. We try to live in peace and teach people to live in
peace, whether in education or in the monastic way.......The
education of nuns is the key to their self-realization and their
potential to help others in community. Being a woman is very
important, sometimes we don't realize it; we can learn from
the roles of women and mothers. We have a project - running
a school for nuns from outlying areas, in Dharmsala and around
there are 500 Tibetan nuns; in Dharmsala there is a reception
center, from where nuns who arrive are transferred to nunneries.
Many nuns have been in prison, and have been tortured. In our
Tibetan Nuns' Project we want to run health worker an
teacher trainings; we also try to get rid of patriarchal
tendencies. In Dolma Ling nunnery there will be a higher
institution for nuns and lay people; we also provide for the
older nuns in the mountains, who do not or cannot study any
more."
It was clear from the presentations that there are abundant
resources within Buddhism for engagement in human rights work;
the workshops on health, leadership and Peace-building, all built
on Buddhist precepts of individual responsibility for removing
the conditions of suffering; universal compassion and
"loving kindness" as basis for solidarity with the
whole of humanity; and living in "mindfulness" to
acquire the right knowledge about the human condition. These are
solid foundations for human rights action; living the Buddhist
precepts consientiously means studying, analysing (knowing) and
acting in solidarity with all those who suffer......and are
struggling to achieve freedom.
Explicitly applying human rights principles in the practice of
Buddhism means using the specific framework and language for
study and analysis (acquiring right knowledge) as well as for
action (practising compassion). Consciousness of one's
rights and freedoms entitles one to demand and claim these
rights. The human rights system offers a strategy, both locally
and at supra-national level if need be, to protest and demand
accountablity from states for the violation of human rights,
which is the cause of inequalities, injustices and of suffering
in the world. Human Rights uniquely, embody goals as well as
principles of action : in striving towards the inclusiveness,
egalitarianism and democracy which are the fundaments of the
human rights regime, we must make sure our own working and
relational processes are also non-discriminatory, inclusive and
democratic.
Affirmation of universal human rights for each and every human
being entitles each one of us to claim and guard her human
rights, at the same time realizing that these rights only have
reality when the rights of everyone else are also realized and
protected.
As the Buddha said, each one must walk her/his own path to
enlightenment........
The last session of the Conference was "envisioning
Sakyadhita for the future".
Among the main proposals listed were: to work in war, conflict
countries at peace-building; to work on human rights, form
advocacy groups on issues like Tibetan cause and trafficking
(sale) in girls; to promote education for girls (great need for
voluntary English teachers); to undertake more social work /
social action; to establish independent and self-supporting
nunneries; to strive towards de-centralisation of Sakyadhita to
become a movement, with autonomous regions or countries having
their own responsibility and resources. For these, more skills
will be needed: a.o., community-building (for nunneries);
leadership and training for participation.
The Conference was organised by Sakyadhita : Daughters of the
Buddha. Sakyadhita's continuing mission is the empowerment
of Buddhist women in their quest to transform their lives, their
communities, and contribute to peace in the world. According to
Sakyadhita Secretary, the Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo:
"An important aspect of Sakyadhita's mission has
been awakening women to their own potentialities and imparting
the confidence and training needed to maximize those
potentialities. Among people in Western countries, this has
involved educating people and correcting the misconception that
the ender problem has been solved. Among people in Asia, it has
meant educating people about the attainments of nuns and laywomen
in the early Buddhist texts and the achievements of women in
other Buddhist countries. Sakyadhita members have published
numerous books documenting their research on women in Buddhist
cultures. As a result of Sakyadhita members' efforts, more
women are now being included more often in Buddhist forums and
Buddhist women's concerns are more frequently being
discussed. The justification of Sakyadhita's work is not
simply to benefit women. Our work stems from the realization that
inequalities lead to injustices and injustices inevitably lead to
strife. Gender inequalities are the cause of violence perpetuated
daily in homes around the world - homes where young people
learn the values and habits that affect the rest of their lives.
Strengthening women is a way of correcting inequalities,
preventing violence and injustice, and building more peaceful
societies at the most fundamental level - the family......"
Posted on 2000-02-28
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