Dear Big Mountain Supporters,
As you have heard on the Big Mountain list, Dineh representatives
made
interventions at the UN Commission on Human Rights. We also had
many
successful meetings with UN officials, US Department of State
officials, the
US Ambassador to the UN, German Parliamentarians, governmental
officials, Non
Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and support people.
To the best of our ability, what follows documents our tour
of Europe. Please
forgive any errors in the dates or times given for the meetings.
We wish to express our appreciation for the support of Liberato
C. Bautista,
Assistant General Secretary and Main Representative to the UN
for the General
Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church who
traveled to
Geneva to accredit and assist the Dineh; Nathaniel Orteza, Geneva
focal
person of The United Methodist Church; Eugenio Poma Anaguaya,
Rev. Bob Scott,
Marilla Schuller and Edna Orteza of the World Council of Churches.
Funding
for this trip was made possible due to their generosity and the
generosity of
Not Just Us Foundaiton, Gary and Kay Knack and other support people.
We wish to express our appreciation to Professor Harald Ihmig
for his
dedication, hospitality, help in planning meetings, and communication
with
support people throughout Germany. And we wish to expres our
appreciation to
all the people we did not mention but had the privilege to meet.
Yours sincerely,
Marsha Monestersky and Carlos Begay
European Itinerary
Departure: Phoenix 9:50 PM. British Air Arrive: London/Gatwick
4:00
PM
Leave: London/Gatwick 7:15 PM Arrive: Geneva 9:50 PM
Lodging: Mandat International
Address: 31, chemin William Rappard, 1293 Bellevue/Switzerland
Telephone: 011-4122-959-8855 Fax: 4122 959 8851
E-mail: gvem1278@mail.petrel.ch
Note: Mr. Liberato Bautista (Levi), Assistant General Secretary
and main
Representative to the UN for the General Board of Church and Society,
the
United Methodist Church traveled to Geneva for the week of April
9-17 to
support and assist the Dineh delegation. Accreditation was provided
by the
General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church
April 9, 12:00 PM, Levi met us at Mandat International to take
everyone to
World Council of Churches for a strategy meeting and the UN for
ground passes
to participate in the Commission on Human Rights and accompanied
us to the UN
to observe the Commission
April 9, 1:30 PM, Strategy and briefing meeting with Bob Scott,
Communications focal person, World Council of Churches
April 9, 4:00 PM, got UN ground passes, accreditation from
the General Board
of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church. Went over
to the
Commission on Human Rights to observe
Preparation of intervention on Item 11 (e) on Religious Intolerance
begins
April 10, 10:00 AM, Liberato Bautista met us at Mandat International
for
sightseeing
trip in Geneva
Preparation of intervention on Item 11 (e) on Religious Intolerance
continues
April 11, 11:00 AM, Bobby Costillo, Leonard Peltier Defense
Committee and
members of Association de Soutien aux Nations Amerindiennes (ASNA)
met us at
Mandat International for lunch excursion in Geneva
Preparation of intervention on Item 11 (e) on Religious Intolerance
continues
April 12-22, attended UN Commission on Human Rights
April 12, meeting at World Council of Churches to finalize
intervention on
Item 11 (e) on Religious Intolerance
April 13, 10: 00 AM, Peggy Scott and Liberato C. Bautista made
an
intervention at the Commission on Human Rights on Item 11 (e)
Religious
Intolerance
April 13, 11:00 AM, Meeting with the assistant to Sean Nicola
Beuze and the
Special
Rapporteur on Torture and Degrading Treatment. The Special Rapporteur
was not available due to delay in presenting before the Commission.
April 13, 3:30 PM Athebia Melsan, International Decade of
the Worlds
Indigenous
Peoples, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Palace
Wilson, Rm.
4050
Note: Athebia Melsan was in Paris and was unable to attend
meeting so we met
with Julian Burger, assistant to Madam Erica Irene Daes, Chairperson
of UN
Working Group on Indigenous Populations and Chairperson, UN Land
Rights Study
April 14-15, Peggy Scott and Kee Watchman traveled to Strassburg
to meet with
members of the European Parliament
April 14, 12:00-4:00 PM Tray Lunch meeting, Salle I, World Council
of
Churches.
Responsible: Marilla Schuller, Unit III, Justice, Peace and Creation
Preparation of intervention on Item 15 on Indigenous Issues begins
April 15, 2:00 PM meeting with Renate D. Bloem, UN Representative,
World
Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women
Preparation of intervention on Item 15 on Indigenous Issues continues
April 16, Dineh briefing and Press conference in the UN. Organized
by World
Council of Churches
Preparation of intervention on Item 15 on Indigenous Issues concludes
April 17, Sightseeing. Mailing of videos to support people
we would visit
throughout Germany
April 18, 11:00 AM Indigenous peoples strategy meeting at World
Council of
Churches. Responsible: Eugenio Poma Anaguaya, Consultant on
Indigenous
Peoples Issues
April 19, 8:00 AM Carlos Begay, Norris Nez, Lena Nez, 3 members
of the
delegation
returned to the US
April 19, 12:00 PM, Attended and did intervention at a US Department
of State
meeting with NGOs on Religious Intolerance
April 19, 2:00 PM, Meeting with Lynn Sicade, Indigenous focal
person and
representative from the US Department of State
April 19, 3:00 PM Interview with Robert James Parsons, Journalist
April 19, 4:00 PM, Leonard Bennally and Nathaniel Orteza, United
Methodist
Church
made an intervention in the Commission on Item 15, Indigenous
Issues.
April 20, 5:00 PM, Meeting with Lynn Sicade, representative
from the US
Department of State.
April 21, 2:00 PM Meeting with Lynn Sicade, representative
from the US
Department of State
April 21, 3:00 PM Meeting with Helen Corbett, General Secretary,
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO)
April 21, 4:00 PM Meeting with Henriette Rasmussen, Chief Technical
Advisor,
Project on the Indigenous Tribal Peoples, International Labour
Office (ILO)
April 22, 10:00 AM, Meeting with the Nancy Rubin, US Ambassador to the UN
April 22, 11:00 AM, Follow-up meetings with Rev. Bob Scott-Media
focal
person; Eugenio Poma Anaguaya, Consultant on Indigenous Peoples
Issues; and
Edna Orteza, Education focal person, World Council of Churches.
April 23, travel to Freiburg. 7:00 PM Meeting with Gunter
Wippel, his group
and other
interested persons. The Dineh were received by Guenther Wippel
April 24, 10:00 AM Participation in Earth Day events in Freiburg.
Responsible: Guenther Wippel
April 25, Travel to Hamburg. Received by Professor Harald
Ihmig
Responsible: Harald Ihmig
preparation for April 27 meeting
April 26, Sightseeing Hamburg
preparation for April 27 meeting
April 27, 4.00 p.m. Political talk and press conference in
the city hall of
Hamburg. Met with Ministers of Parliament, Churches, NGOs, press.
Did radio
interview
Responsible: Harald Ihmig and Saskia Henze from the green party.
April 28, Kee Watchman returns to the US
April 28, 7.00 p.m. Public meeting in Rauhes Haus, School of
Social Work,
College of Hamburg. Responsible: Harald Ihmig
April 29, Travel to Berlin. Received by Karl-Heinz Prestel
and Carola Thomas.
7.00 p.m. Meeting with Karl-Heinz, his group and other interested
people
April 30, Excursion to Horno (a resisting community fighting
coal mining)
with Karl-
Heinz and Carola, meeting with the people there
May 1, Meeting with Mayor of Horno and other representatives
Attend May day
events, return to Berlin
May 2, travel to Hamburg. Received by Harald Ihmig. Preparation for Bonn
May 3, travel to Bonn. Received by Katja and Kay-Uwe von Damaros.
5:00 PM Agropolitical seminar in the University of Bonn.
Responsible: Katja von Damaros
May 4, 1.00-6.00 p.m. Meeting with 7 Ministers of Parliament
in Bonn.
Responsible: Kay-Uwe von Damaros
May 5, travel to Heidelberg. Received by Marie, Michael, Martin.
1:00 PM Meeting with international secretariat of FIAN International
-right
to food
May 5, travel to Geneva. Return to Mandat International
May 6, 8:00 AM Leonard Bennally, Glenna Begay and Marsha Monestersky
return to
US