Just a note, I don't have time to live blog this, but through the UN's website the Durban 2 conference is being webcast which opened at 9am gmt+1.
I'm not sure if Ahmadinejad has given the opening speech as of yet, but it seems as though it is an open panel discussion opening the conference. (Correction, not sure he'll be speaking at all...)
At present, a spokeswoman from an American NGO, Gay McDougal- is speaking generally on the topic... (recorded video link) and has now finished speaking.
10am
Stéphane Hessel, (video link) Holocaust survivor and a drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is now speaking... talking about the genocide in Rwanda, now of the genocide of Indians (not American)...
Oh, now is saying that Obama is the denial of racism... wanting the US to get down to solving the problems...
In looking for more information on D2, I came across an archived video collection from Durban 1 if anyone is interested.
10:16
No, it looks like the UN's SG Ban Ki-moon... (just found the schedule)
I though Ahmadinejad was going to give an opening speech, but doesn't seem to be mentioned..
African and Indian dancing...
10:21
Ki-moon speaks (remember, no relation to Keith...) His english is rather good...
10:30
After a few minutes of speaking, he says he is sad that some are not participating, now quotes Lincoln, and quotes the International Declaration of Human rights.
Stresses participation, if not, voices can not be heard.
Next speaker... Ambassador Francisco José Lacayo... seem to have skipped Mr. Martin Uhomoibhi,
President of the Human Rights Council...
Interesting... talking about some form of a new participatory economy...
10:51
Last speaker was interesting, didn't catch his name as my video was dropping off.
Seems as though they are trying to get videos of the speakers up as fast as possible,there is a link to them off the webcast page here.
11:11
( I have to mention, some of the African speakers and delegates are wonderfully dressed in quite colorful clothing and gowns... really neat.)
They are now choosing a president for the Durban conference...
Cuban delegate now speaking, for the non-aligned movement...
Representative of India speaks, seconds nomination from Cuba, Amos Wako of Kenya (hope spelling is correct)
Wako is now confirmed, now to be seated and will speak.
11:15
Nice voice, sounds a little like James Earl Jones:)
(Kenya sidenote, DemocracyNow had a really interesting interview with Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai last Friday that is worth listening to/viewing. She has a book out not, iirc, called The Challenge for Africa regarding development and sustainability. She is also the one who started The Greenbelt Movement in Africa.
12:00
They seem to have be finished an hour early, and are now breaking for lunch, I think they said they will reconvene at 3:00...
Backtrack: there was a speaker who was speaking as I turned on the conference, Berthe Kayitesi, Rwandan Genocide Survivor, I'm adding her recorded video link here.
In related news while we wait...
Israel recalls envoy to Switzerland in Iranian dinner protest
Israel on Monday recalled its ambassador to Switzerland for consultations after the Swiss and Iranian presidents had a dinner meeting before the start of the UN World Conference Against Racism in Geneva.
Israel boycotted the UN conference, which started on Monday, over fears that it may become a platform for criticizing Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. The U.S., Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Sweden, Canada, Poland and Italy also pulled out over the weekend because of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's participation.
"An international conference in which a racist like Ahmadinejad, who preaches daily about Israel's destruction, is allowed to speak, says all that needs to be said about its character and purpose," Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was quoted as saying by Haaretz on Monday.
Lieberman also said that Iran has repeatedly called for the annihilation of Israel and the Iranian president is a well-known "Holocaust denier" and will give an address, "on the exact day that the Jewish people would be commemorating the deaths of some six million Jews killed in Europe by Nazi Germany and its allies."
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UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed his regret at the boycott, but warned that the economic crisis could lead to a rise in racism: "today's economic crisis, if not handled properly, could evolve into a full-scale political crisis marked by social unrest, weakened governments and angry publics."
"Some nations, who by rights should be helping to forge a path to a better future are not here," Ban said. "Outside these halls, interest groups of many political and ideological stripes shout against one another in acrimony."
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Palestinian water crisis deepens
A World Bank report blames Palestinian mismanagement and Israeli restrictions for severe water shortages in Palestinian areas.
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This has led to "systematic and severe constraints on Palestinian development of water resources", says the report.
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Water supplies continue to "operate in a very inefficient emergency mode, with far reaching economic, social and environmental consequences".
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The mismanagement is made worse by movement and access restrictions which Palestinians live under. As a result Israelis have about four times as much water available to them as people in the West Bank and Gaza.
Israeli officials said the report was "grossly misleading" as Israel has a much more developed industrial sector which could skew the assessment.
But in Gaza 150,000 Palestinians have no access to tap water at all, a report in the Palestine Telegraph says.
According to the local utility provider, several wells have been destroyed during the Israeli offensive earlier this year.
Since then only three out of 80 trucks with spare parts and pipes for the water system have been allowed to enter Gaza.
As a result the severe damages to two wastewater treatment plants could not be repaired and continue to affect water quality.