Vaclav Havel comments on Human Rights Council election in New York Times

Vaclav Havel is former Czechoslovak and Czech president; an import personality not only in central Europe but in the whole world. He contributed to the smooth transition from communism to liberal capitalism and he was leading 10-day peaceful Velvet revolution in 1989 in Czechoslovakia.

He wrote over 20 plays and numerous non-fiction works, languished 5 years in prison and served 14 years as president.

For me, Vaclav Havel is a courageous disident in tough times when it was more convinient to throw away one's character and behave as a pig (like Napoleaon in Orwel's Animal Farm).

Klobuk dolu, pan Havel!!!

May 11, 2009
Op-Ed Contributor

A Table for Tyrants

By VACLAV HAVEL
Prague

IMAGINE an election where the results are largely preordained and a number of candidates are widely recognized as unqualified. Any supposedly democratic ballot conducted in this way would be considered a farce. Yet tomorrow the United Nations General Assembly will engage in just such an “election” when it votes to fill the vacancies on the 47-member Human Rights Council.
Only 20 countries are running for 18 open seats. The seats are divided among the world’s five geographic regions and three of the five regions have presented the same number of candidates as there are seats, thus ensuring there is no opportunity to choose the best proponents of human rights each region has to offer.
Governments seem to have forgotten the commitment made only three short years ago to create an organization able to protect victims and confront human rights abuses wherever they occur.

...

View the whole article at

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/opinion/11havel.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=vaclav%20havel&st=cse

The Bottom Billion

Dear Calico's fans,

this is the very first time that I am posting something on our blog so I am a bit nervous ;)

Anyway, I've just finished reading a book and I found it very interesting so I would like to share some of it with you. The book was written by Paul Collier, Professor of Economics and Director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies at Oxford University. The book's title is The Bottom Billion; Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It.

The author is talking about failing states, where lives the bottom billion of world's population. These countries are stuck in poverty and wont change unless we (and they) do something about it. OK, this is nothing you didn't know about before. But the interesting part of the book are author's suggestions of instruments and action to fight the poverty in these countries.

But that is all I will tell you. I truly recommend reading it. I can even pass it to you guys when you are next in Paris ;)

Bonne lecture!

Song of the dAy!!

i know that Steve Tyler face's is not so pleasure to see.. however this song is a good energizer to face the rest of the week!

JADED- Aerosmith (click here..)

Ski, wine, great food and a bit of economy

Lets welcome Davos 2009!

what can we expect from it?? more tax?!!!?? more Paul Krugman instead of Ellen Degeneres on my TV???

According BBC, this year the 'party' will sound a quite different, with more political space in the agenda..

Next meeting!!

i was wondering today about some place to gather with some friends if we are not able to go to Calico's Jack again. So, I've found THE GREAT AFRICAN RUN... (http://www.budapestbamako.org/en/)

i already started to create my own team. I am looking for a Lada and a navigator.. if you wanna join me feel free to reach me ! =)

who was calicos????

John Rackham (December 21, 1682 – November 18, 1720 in Jamaica), also known as Calico Jack Rackham or Calico Jack, (often spelled Rackam or Rackum in contemporary documentation), was an English pirate captain during the early 18th century. His nickname was derived from the calico clothing he wore.

Is not he old enough to be the NY pub owner's??

this is the first one!

welcome to Calico's daily.. the place where you can find some special point of view!