July 25, 2002 - Friends of the Western Sahara: Join Friends of the Western Sahara
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July 25, 2002 - Friends of the Western Sahara: Join Friends of the Western Sahara
Join Friends of the Western Sahara
Join Friends of the Western Sahara
Marhaba!
Welcome to the webpage of the Friends of the Western Sahara.
We are a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) support network for the people of the Western Sahara. Our goal is to see the implementation of a free and fair referendum in the Western Sahara, one that respects both international legality and the human rights of the indigenous people of the Western Sahara - the Sahrawis.
Please look over our site and feel free to contact us with questions.
If you would like to join Friends of the Western Sahara, as either a RPCV or a supporting member or organization, please read our mission statement below and contact us (info@friendsofthewesternsahara.org).
Mission Statement for Friends of the Western Sahara
Friends of the Western Sahara is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) organization in support a free and fair referendum in the Western Sahara. Our goal is to see the Sahrawi people of the Western Sahara express their inalienable right to self-determination under conditions that are transparent and free from political coercion.
Friends of the Western Sahara is an organization that seeks to assert grass-roots pressure upon domestic and international policy makers toward a referendum in the Western Sahara. Our goal is to represent RPCV s who feel that the Sahrawis of the Western Sahara should have the opportunity to democratically choose whether or not to accept integration with the Kingdom of Morocco.
Friends of the Western Sahara support the implementation of an internationally monitored referendum, preferably the already underway 1988 United Nations/Organization for African Unity Peace Plan for the Western Sahara under the auspices of the United Nations Mission for a Referendum in the Western Sahara (Mission des Nations Unies pour le Référendum au Sahara Occidental - MINURSO).
Friends of the Western Sahara is a human rights organization based on the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We seek only to support the human rights of the Sahrawi people, the democratic right to self-determination, as outlined in the Declaration's 21st article, being one of the foremost.
Friends of the Western Sahara, with the informed consent of its members, will only join in coalitions, support initiatives, or sign petitions that agree with this mission statement.
Friends of the Western Sahara is not a political organization and will not throw its support behind political parties, entities, or nation-states, even democratically elected representatives. We believe in creating democratic space.
To join Friends of the Western Sahara, either as an RPCV, an RPCV support group, or as a supporting member, email
info@friendsofthewesternsahara.org
or visit our contact page.
Friends of the Western Sahara: Signatory Members and Organizations, Supporting Members and Organizational Program
General Signatory Members and Organizations |
Initial Signatories
Boyle, Fritz (Morocco 1999-2001)
Bringewatt, Jon (Morocco 1999-2001)
Chaffee, Mary Liz (Morocco 1999-2001)
Davis, Sharleen (Morocco 1999-2001)
Edwards, Ginger (Morocco 1999-2001)
Friedman, Brian (Morocco 1999-2001)
Grady, Rick (Morocco 1999-2001)
Hanlon, Siobhan (Morocco 1999-2001)
Helwig, Carol (Morocco 1999-2001)
Kaye, Stephanie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Knaup, Amy (Morocco 1999-2001)
LaFontaine, Carolyn (Morocco 1999-2001)
Lammers, Seana (Morocco 1998-2000)
Veronique Latimer (Morocco 1999-2001)
Lazar, Stephanie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Macecevic, Julie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Mundy, Jacob (Morocco 1999-2001)
Myers, Megan (Morocco 1999-2001)
Olson, Erin (Morocco 1999-2001)
Rubenstein, Ann (Morocco 1999-2001)
Sather, Monica (Morocco 1998-2000)
Shiffer, Erin (Morocco 1999-2001)
Siegel, Matt (Morocco 1999-2001)
Soper, Emmett (Morocco 1999-2001)
Stackhouse, Amy (Morocco 1999-2001)
Stinger, Valerie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Tritz, Julie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Whitehead, Kris (Morocco 1999-2001)
Andrew Longworth (Morocco 2000-2002)
Mary L. Martin (Tunisia, 1991-1993)
Michael Melick (Morocco 2000-2002)
Friends of Tunisia (~200 members)
Supporting Members |
Ambassador Charles F. Dunbar, Warburg Professor in International Relations, Simmons College, Boston. Fomer Secretary-General Special Representative for United Nations to MINURSO (1998) [see his Saharan Stasis on our resources page]. From 1962-1993 he was an American diplomat and during 20 years in the Mideast served as Charge d'Affaires in Afghanistan, Ambassador to Qatar and subsequently to Yemen. He also worked in Iran, Morocco, Algeria, and Mauritania. He holds an AB from Harvard College and an MA from Columbia University and studied at Princeton University as a State Department Mid-Career Fellow.
Dr. Stephen Zunes is an associate professor of Politics and chair of the Peace & Justice Studies Program at the University of San Francisco; senior policy analyst and Middle East editor for the Foreign Policy in Focus Project; research associate at the Center for Global, International and Regional Studies at the University of California-Santa Cruz.
Khatry Beirouk maintains Western Sahara On-line (www.wsahara.net), is a freelance writer and a software engineer.
Friends of the Western Sahara Organizational Program:
Friends of the Western Sahara (FWS) is open to all Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) as "general signatory" members. FWS members can also become members of the Coordinating Committee (see below). In addition, non-RPCV s can become "supporting signatory" members (see below).
General Signatory Membership
RPCVs who join the Friends of the Western Sahara (FWS) as a general signatory need only to agree with FWS 's mission statement to join.
A general signatory consents to the listing of his/her name, country and dates of service listed on the official web page of the organization, and listed on specific official communiqués of FWS as outlined below under "Communications".
There are no membership fees although donations are gladly accepted.
Coordinating Committee Membership
FWS members that wish to have greater input into the running of the organization, authorship of the communications, and long-term goals of the FWS can petition to join the FWS Coordinating Committee. Membership in the FWS Coordinating Committee will require initiative, responsibility, and leadership, but positions are open to any sincerely interested member.
Non-RPCV Supporting Signatory Membership
A person who did not serve in the Peace Corps can join the organization as a supporting signatory member. Supporting members must only agree with the FWS's mission statement and will have the same address confidentiality assurances as full RPCV members.
Members Role in Communiqués
FWS members will have their name, country and dates of service listed only on specific communiqués; this will pose as their "signature." For example, a letter to the UN Secretary-General or a US Senator urging the implementation of a referendum in the Western Sahara will contain a list of "signatures" from all the members of FWS.
Other communications, where all members' signatures are not necessary, will simply be signed Friends of the Western Sahara. For example, a press release will not contain a list of all FWS members but will simply be signed Friends of the Western Sahara.
FWS members' phone numbers, home address, email address, and other contact information, WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL AND WILL NOT BE RELEASED.
Canceling Membership
FWS members that no longer want to participate in the organization can leave at any time, thus removing their signature from all further communiqués.
Protocol for Sending Communiqués
All FWS communiqués will be released to all members and supporting members via email. All communiqués will be drafted in the spirit of the mission statement. FWS members that disagree with any communiqué can discuss their dissent with the Coordinating Committee to reach an appropriate resolution. If a FWS member disagrees very strongly with a FWS communiqué, the Coordinating Committee will inform the recipient(s) of said communiqué that said FWS member wishes to remove their "signature" from said communiqué.
Communiqué 3
Friends of the Western Sahara
PO Box 85381
Seattle, WA 98145-1381
info@friendsofthewesternsahara.org
26 July 2002
To: President George W. Bush
Cc: Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs William Joseph Burns, Congresspersons Joseph Pitts and Donald M. Payne
Dear Sir:
We, the Friends of the Western Sahara, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) support group for the people of the Western Sahara (the Sahrawis), are very concerned about the fate of the Western Sahara in these coming days.
It has been made clear to us that the UN Security Council is seriously considering the Draft Framework Agreement on the Western Sahara-proposed by the UN Secretary General's personal envoy to the Western Sahara, James Baker-as one possible resolution to the outstanding dispute over the Western Sahara. It has also come to our understanding that the United States Mission to the UN is actively supporting the Draft Framework Agreement in the Security Council deliberations.
It is our strong belief that the Draft Framework Agreement neither keeps with international legality nor with recognized standards of human rights in that it denies the Sahrawi people their inalienable right to self-determination, as granted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Many international bodies, including the UN and the International Court of Justice, have recognized and constantly re-affirmed the Sahrawis' right to self-determination.
Only a free and fair referendum in the Western Sahara can deliver both a lasting and just solution to the Western Sahara conflict. Any resolution that denies the Sahrawis their rights will only further deepen a conflict that has stifled regional cooperation and development. By sidestepping an honest and transparent referendum in the Western Sahara, and pursuing a limited autonomy agreement, the UN and the United States risk being perceived as uninterested in both international legality and human rights, a perception that does not benefit efforts to build an international community founded on respect for the law and basic notions of democracy and morality.
Our recommendation to you, Mr. President, and to the US Mission, is for MINURSO (the UN Mission for a Referendum in the Western Sahara) to implement a free and fair referendum in the Western Sahara as soon as feasible. By all accounts, such a referendum could well take place by the end of this year. The only thing missing is the political will.
As the world celebrates and applauds the self-determination and independence of East Timor, let us not forget that there are still people in the world who have yet to enjoy such basic freedoms.
Sincerely, Friends of the Western Sahara (RPCV Name, Country and Dates of Service)
Boyle, Fritz (Morocco 1999-2001)
Bringewatt, Jon (Morocco 1999-2001)
Davis, Sharleen (Morocco 1999-2001)
Edwards, Ginger (Morocco 1999-2001)
Friedman, Brian (Morocco 1999-2001)
Hanlon, Siobhan (Morocco 1999-2001)
Helwig, Carol (Morocco 1999-2001)
Kaye, Stephanie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Knaup, Amy (Morocco 1999-2001)
LaFontaine, Carolyn (Morocco 1999-2001)
Lammers, Seana (Morocco 1998-2000)
Veronique Latimer (Morocco 1999-2001)
Lazar, Stephanie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Macecevic, Julie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Mundy, Jake (Morocco 1999-2001)
Myers, Megan (Morocco 1999-2001)
Olson, Erin (Morocco 1999-2001)
Rubenstein, Ann (Morocco 1999-2001)
Sather, Monica (Morocco 1998-2000)
Shiffer, Erin (Morocco 1999-2001)
Siegel, Matt (Morocco 1999-2001)
Soper, Emmett (Morocco 1999-2001)
Stackhouse, Amy (Morocco 1999-2001)
Stinger, Valerie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Tritz, Julie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Whitehead, Kris (Morocco 1999-2001)
Communiqué 2
Friends of the Western Sahara
PO Box 85381
Seattle, WA 98145-1381
info@friendsofthewesternsahara.org
25 July 2002
To: Secretary of State Colin Powell
Cc: United States Mission to the United Nations, United Nations Secretary General.
Dear Sir:
We, the Friends of the Western Sahara, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) support group for the people of the Western Sahara (the Sahrawis), are very concerned about the fate of the Western Sahara in these coming days.
It has been made clear to us that the UN Security Council is seriously considering the Draft Framework Agreement on the Western Sahara-proposed by the UN Secretary General's personal envoy to the Western Sahara, James Baker-as one possible resolution to the outstanding dispute over the Western Sahara. It has also come to our understanding that the United States Mission to the UN is actively supporting the Draft Framework Agreement in the Security Council deliberations.
It is our strong belief that the Draft Framework Agreement neither keeps with international legality nor with recognized standards of human rights in that it denies the Sahrawi people their inalienable right to self-determination, as granted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Many international bodies, including the UN and the International Court of Justice, have recognized and constantly re-affirmed the Sahrawis' right to self-determination.
Only a free and fair referendum in the Western Sahara can deliver both a lasting and just solution to the Western Sahara conflict. Any resolution that denies the Sahrawis their rights will only further deepen a conflict that has stifled regional cooperation and development.
By sidestepping an honest and transparent referendum in the Western Sahara, and pursuing a limited autonomy agreement, the UN and the United States risk being perceived as uninterested in both international legality and human rights, a perception that does not benefit efforts to build an international community founded on respect for the law and basic notions of democracy and morality.
Our recommendation to the US Mission is for MINURSO (the UN Mission for a Referendum in the Western Sahara) to implement a free and fair referendum in the Western Sahara as soon as feasible. By all accounts, such a referendum could well take place by the end of this year. The only thing missing is the political will.
As the world celebrates and applauds the self-determination and independence of East Timor, let us not forget that there are still people in the world who have yet to enjoy such basic freedoms.
Sincerely, Friends of the Western Sahara (RPCV Name, Country and Dates of Service)
Boyle, Fritz (Morocco 1999-2001)
Bringewatt, Jon (Morocco 1999-2001)
Davis, Sharleen (Morocco 1999-2001)
Edwards, Ginger (Morocco 1999-2001)
Friedman, Brian (Morocco 1999-2001)
Hanlon, Siobhan (Morocco 1999-2001)
Helwig, Carol (Morocco 1999-2001)
Kaye, Stephanie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Knaup, Amy (Morocco 1999-2001)
LaFontaine, Carolyn (Morocco 1999-2001)
Lammers, Seana (Morocco 1998-2000)
Veronique Latimer (Morocco 1999-2001)
Lazar, Stephanie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Macecevic, Julie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Mundy, Jake (Morocco 1999-2001)
Myers, Megan (Morocco 1999-2001)
Olsen, Erin (Morocco 1999-2001)
Rubenstein, Ann (Morocco 1999-2001)
Sather, Monica (Morocco 1998-2000)
Shiffer, Erin (Morocco 1999-2001)
Siegel, Matt (Morocco 1999-2001)
Soper, Emmett (Morocco 1999-2001)
Stackhouse, Amy (Morocco 1999-2001)
Stinger, Valerie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Tritz, Julie (Morocco 1999-2001)
Whitehead, Kris (Morocco 1999-2001)
Communiqué 1
Friends of the Western Sahara
PO Box 85381
Seattle, WA 98145-1381
info@friendsofthewesternsahara.org
To:
UN Security Council
UN Secretary General
Cc:
The White House
The US Senate
The US Congress
29 April 2002
Dear Sirs and Madams:
With great concern we are watching the UN Security Council determine the fate of the Sahrawi people of the Western Sahara.
Presently, our fear is that the Sahrawis will not be able to express their right to self-determination as granted by international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
It is our belief that a referendum, preferably continued under the auspices of MINURSO, is the only just and viable option for a solution to the Western Sahara. Anything short of a free and fair expression of the Sahrawis' democratic rights will make a mockery of international law and the United Nations.
As returned Peace Corps volunteers from Morocco we are intimately aware of the subtleties involved in this dispute; yet we are also aware that a people's inalienable right to self-determination, however contradictory to the political ends of others, is something that must be upheld if we are to remain consistent in our shared vision of a world based on democracy and justice-a vision that Peace Corps volunteers have worked to attain for the past forty-one years.
It is deepest hope that the UN Security Council shares this vision with us and will work towards the free expression of the will of the Sahrawi people.
Sincerely,
Friends of the Western Sahara:
John Bringewatt (RPCV, Morocco 1999-2001)
Brian Friedman (RPCV, Morocco 1999-2001)
Emily Hazelton (RPCV, Morocco 1999-2001)
Stephanie Kaye (RPCV, Morocco 1999-2001)
Veronique Latimer (RPCV, Morocco 1999-2001)
Jacob A Mundy (RPCV, Morocco 1999-2001)
Mathew Siegle (RPCV, Morocco 1999-2001)
Valerie Stinger (RPCV, Morocco 1999-2001)
(FWS Communiqué 1)