On September 27

On this day in ...
... 2002, East Timor (flag at left), as English speakers call the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, became the 191st member state of the United Nations. It was admitted by unanimous vote of the U.N. General Assembly, whose President noted that it "had been the first independent State to emerge in the twenty-first century." (In 2006, Montenegro became the 192d, and most recent, U.N. member state.) Composed of about 1.1 million people, East Timor is among the world's poorest countries.

(Prior September 27 posts are here, here, and here.)

ABA to honor Zimbabwean lawyers

This coming Saturday, August 1, at a luncheon meeting in Chicago, the Rule of Law Initiative of the American Bar Association will honor Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights with its 2009 Rule of Law Award.
The Zimbabwean group -- a public interest litigation organization operating in one of Africa's most treacherous environment's for human rights defenders -- is being recognized for its efforts at advancing the rights of persons in the country. Its impressive portfolio includes:
► Representing indigent individuals who have been illegally denied citizenship;
► Providing emergency legal aid to detained human rights defenders;
► Training legal practitioners, teachers, and traditional leaders on human rights; and
► Preparing lawyers for a future transitional justice project.
In addition to honoring the courageous lawyers and advocates who protect human rights in Zimbabwe, the giving of this award also provides an opportunity to reflect upon the state of human rights in that country in recent years:
► In June 2008, the U.N. Security Council condemned Zimbabwe's intimidation of political opponents, which resulted in the deaths of opposition activities and displacement of thousands. Despite the creation of a coalition government between President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF and the Movement for a Democratic Change leader earlier this year, Zimbabweans continue to struggle against an oppressive Mugabe regime in their quest to realize their human rights.
► On June 18, 2009, four members of the nongovernmental organization Women of Zimbabwe Arise were detained by police for peacefully demonstrating in commemoration of World Refugee Day. The women were assaulted while in custody, and then denied medical treatment for their injuries.
► On July 13, 2009, Mugabe supporters disrupted a national conference to draft a new Constitution, which would include provisions to curtail executive power.
Established in 1994, the Rule of Law Award is granted to leaders and countries that take "significant steps towards implementing democratic and market reforms" on the domestic level. Past award recipients of the Rule of Law Award include Pakistan's lawyers and judges who protested that country's purging of its judiciary; U.S. Supreme Court Justices Stephen Breyer and Anthony M. Kennedy; and Nataša Kandić, Founder and President of the Humanitarian Law Center based in Belgrade, Serbia.
Heartfelt congratulations to the courageous members of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and their peers!

Peace Prize goes to peacemaker

What a pleasure to see this year's Nobel Peace Prize awarded to a true peacemaker.
The winner is Martti Ahtisaari (right), the former President of Finland (1994-2000), who for years has done the hard work of diplomacy in the world's trouble spots. To name a few: Northern Ireland, where he served on the commission that secured disarmament there; Indonesia, where he negotiated peace between the government and rebels in the country's Aceh province; and, as posted here, Kosovo, which declared its independence earlier this year. At a Peace Prize press conference yesterday, Ahtisaari noted with approval that on the same day 2 states, Macedonia and Montenegro, had just recognized Kosovo 's statehood. (photo credit)
The Nobel Committee's announcement is in this Reuters video newsclip:

On June 28

On this day in ...

... 1838 (170 years ago today) , the Briton who'd been born Princess Alexandrina Victoria 19 years earlier was crowned Queen Victoria (right), a year and a week after she'd assumed the throne upon the death of her uncle William IV. Her reign, the longest in British history, lasted until her death on January 22, 1901. (credit for 1842 portrait)

... 2006, the international community gained its newest member when the General Assembly admitted the Republic of Montenegro as the 192d state in the United Nations. (map credit)