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Nigerian-based Professional Peace Advocacy Group Inaugurated in Austria
The inauguration of a professional peace advocating group called “Peace Advocates and Practitioners Organization Nigeria European Headquarters Austria (PAPONEHA) was held on 19.10.2024, with UN representatives, the Nigerian Embassy, a few selected international organizations, some dignitaries and personalities with impeccable character in attendance. It was an edifying expert gathering of intellectuals with noble ideas on how to contribute professionally in developing strategies that should effectively usher peace whenever and wherever a conflict arises around the globe.
PAPONAHA was an idea conceived and delivered after evaluation of contemporary crises and conflicts amongst homes, communities, war and threats of war among nations with empirical evidence of danger capable of igniting a third world war. The primary aim of the organization is to reconcile opposing parties, instil peace anywhere it steps in and sustain it. The organization also wants to help vulnerable people and assist those affected by war and violent conflicts. Correspondingly, the organization will equally create a platform where peace and conflict resolution etc. would be taught.
The president of the organization Mag. Dr Samuel Ogbonna officially declared the occasion open at about 4 pm Austrian time. In his welcome address he thanked Dr Dogondaji Haliru Bello, the Charge de Affairs of the Nigerian Embassy Vienna, – who was represented by Minister Florence Lola Ejim – all dignitaries and guests in the hall for the honoured invitation. He also recognized members of PAPONAHA and thanked them for their energy, time and the enthusiasm they exhibited in pursuit of a successful inauguration, and appealed to all to support the organization. The Master of Ceremony (MC) Chief Wise Ibeji, Eze Okonko, introduced Dr Ogbonna and other bigwigs of the occasion.
Delivering his speech titled “The Dream Comes Through”, he narrated the genesis of how the journey of PAPONAHA began. It was a comprehensive and a well-expressed presentation of the history of the organization and its challenges that started from his first visit on 26 July 2023 to Prof Paul Uche J. Mbakwe in Uturu, Umuahia, Abia State, to the inauguration day. Prof Mbakwe whom he described as a great thinker and a motivator “is the founder of PAPO Nigeria DG/Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT) Peace Advocates and Practitioners Organisation (PAPO/PAPONEHA) worldwide”, said Dr Ogbonna.
Conflicts around the globe like the situation in Sudan and in the Middle East, the threat of war from Iran, and the war between Hamas and Israel, Hezbollah and Israel, Russia and Ukraine etc. were all cited as imperative reasons for an urgent quest for peace.
Leaders of the invited organizations mounted the podium and gave eloquent speeches and praises expressing profound gratitude for such a honourable cause on how humanity regardless of race, religious background and political affiliation could live in peaceful co-existence. National Association of Nigerian Community Austria (NANCA) was also represented.
“PEACE BEGINS WITH ME, PEACE BEGINS WITH YOU” was the title of Lady Dr Chinedu Brown’s speech. She was not present at the occasion but was represented by Mrs Chinwe Agatha Egwuibe the wife of the Chairman of Igbo Cultural Society (ICS) who classily delivered her speech brilliantly. According to her, the Global Peace Index (GPI) developed by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), Austria ranks the 3rd most peaceful country in the world while Nigeria ranks 147th among 163 countries in the analysis. She appealed to Nigerians living in Austria to endeavour to contribute for peace back home.
Professor Mbakwe is the founder/Director General and BoT Chairman of PAPO-PAPONAHA. He is a lecturer at Abia State University, Umuahia. He flew in from Nigeria for the occasion. In his speech titled “THE EMERGENCE OF PAPO-NEHA: OUR MISSION AND OUR VISION,” he recounted and attributed the genesis of PAPONEHA emergence to a question one of his 2020/2021, 200-level law students of Abia State University, Umuahia asked him, precisely on 12 October 2020. He said the question inspired him into action that led to the formation of the group. He reiterated the aims and objectives of the organization and the importance of peace in the world. He thanked Dr Ogbonna and his team for a job well done, and officially inaugurated the group with some dignitaries called to the podium as witnesses.
Mrs Florence Lola Ejim, a Minister and the representative of the Nigerian Embassy Vienna, was proud as a Nigerian and encouraged all and sundry to spread the good news about the organization, as she urged members of the group not to relent in their quest for peace because everyone needs peace. She promised that Nigerian Embassy will support any noble cause such as being championed by PAPONAHA whenever necessary and possible.
In his vote of thanks, Engr. Okeke John who is the financial secretary of the organization thanked all that graced the ceremony and reminded them that the inauguration was just the beginning of miles ahead.
Let me firmly and finally lend my voice here once more without any ambiguity that the path members of the group have chosen is a noble one. I am quite sure that they are not oblivious of the challenges ahead. Therefore, as professionals and intellectuals, I am optimistic that with dedication, perseverance, consistency to strive for fairness at all times, and applying wisdom in implementing what is just and right, the fundamental objective of the group in the globe will not be elusive.
Indeed, we all need peace.
♦ Uzoma Ahamefule, a refined African traditionalist and a patriotic citizen writes from Vienna, Austria. WhatsApp: +436607369050; Email Contact Uzoma >>>>
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Trump wrote on his favorite social network that “REPUBLICANS MUST KILL THIS BILL!”
He linked to a PBS “NewsHour” interview with Jodie Ginsberg, the CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, who urged the Senate to pass the legislation.
Known as the PRESS Act, the Protect Reporters From Exploitative State Spying Act would prevent the government from forcing journalists to reveal their sources and limit the seizure of their data without their knowledge.
According to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, one of the many groups advocating for the bill, “The PRESS Act would bar the federal government from using subpoenas, search warrants, or other compulsory actions against journalists to force the disclosure of information identifying confidential sources as well as other newsgathering records, except in very limited circumstances. It would also broadly limit the government’s ability to use the same actions against third parties, including email providers and search engines, to seize journalists’ data, with narrow exceptions.”
The bill has been passed by the House of Representatives twice with bipartisan support, and it has Republican sponsors in the Senate, but it has been stalled for months in the Senate Judiciary Committee, with Sen. Tom Cotton is said to be holding up the measure.
Cotton’s office did not respond to a request for comment about his position on the bill.
After Trump’s reelection earlier this month, press advocacy groups redoubled their efforts to get the legislation signed into law before the end of President Joe Biden’s term.
After Trump’s reelection earlier this month, press advocacy groups redoubled their efforts to get the legislation signed into law before the end of President Joe Biden’s term.
“It’s really important that we have that federal shield law to protect journalists at the federal level,” Ginsberg said on PBS. “We know that Trump is interested in going after whistleblowers, people who leak. And it’s absolutely essential that they are protected… and that journalists are allowed to do their job.”
Several media outlets and newspaper editorial boards have urged readers to contact their senators and lobby for the passage of the bill.
“Hostility toward the news media in the polarized politics of the day makes it more urgent than ever to ensure that reporters can continue to pursue their essential role as watchdogs,” The New York Times editorial board opined last month.
But “Senate Democrats are running out of time” to pass the law, WIRED reporter Dell Cameron wrote last week. Democratic lawmakers have focused on confirming Biden’s judicial nominees during the lame-duck session.
Trump’s edict on Wednesday may have sealed the bill’s fate while also raising public awareness of the issue.
Trevor Timm, executive director of Freedom of the Press Foundation, told CNN that Trump should reconsider his position because “the PRESS Act protects conservative and independent journalists just as much as it does anyone in the mainstream press.”
“Democratic administrations abused their powers to spy on journalists many times, too,” he said. “The bipartisan PRESS Act will stop government overreach and protect the First Amendment once and for all.”
“Much of the reporting Trump likes, from the Twitter files to stories poking holes in the Russiagate conspiracy, came from confidential sources,” Timm observed. “Many Trump supporters from Rep. Jim Jordan to Sen. Mike Lee are champions of the PRESS Act because it would protect all journalists, including many who reach primarily conservative audiences. That’s good for the public, whether they voted Republican or Democrat.”
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a significant update to its policy regarding the lawful admission requirement for naturalization applicants.
Effective November 14, 2024, this change clarifies the burden of proof for lawful permanent residents (LPRs) seeking to become U.S. citizens.
The new guidance specifies that naturalization applicants need only demonstrate lawful admission for permanent residence at the time of their initial entry or adjustment of status. This marks a departure from the previous interpretation, which considered subsequent reentries into the United States.
This policy update aligns with a recent decision by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Azumah v. USCIS. The court determined that USCIS’s earlier interpretation imposed an additional requirement not found in the statute. The court ruled that applicants should only need to prove their lawful admission at the time of their initial admission or adjustment to LPR status, rather than at any subsequent reentry.
This change is expected to simplify the naturalization process for many applicants, as it removes a layer of complexity related to their travel history. Under the new policy, USCIS will focus on an applicant’s initial admission or adjustment to LPR status, meaning that subsequent reentries will not be considered in determining lawful admission. This shift could significantly benefit long-term LPRs who have maintained their status but may have faced complications during later travels.
By narrowing the scope of what is required for naturalization, USCIS aims to provide a clearer and more consistent process for applicants.
The updated guidance is effective immediately and applies to pending requests as well as new applications filed on or after November 14, 2024. It has been incorporated into Volume 12 of the USCIS Policy Manual.
This change is part of USCIS’s ongoing efforts to streamline immigration processes and align them with recent legal interpretations, ultimately reducing barriers for eligible LPRs seeking to become U.S. citizens.
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(AP) — Three daughters of Malcolm X have accused the CIA, FBI, the New York Police Department and others in a $100 million lawsuit Friday of playing roles in the 1965 assassination of the civil rights leader.
In the lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court, the daughters — along with the Malcolm X estate — claimed that the agencies were aware of and were involved in the assassination plot and failed to stop the killing.
At a morning news conference, attorney Ben Crump stood with family members as he described the lawsuit, saying he hoped federal and city officials would read it “and learn all the dastardly deeds that were done by their predecessors and try to right these historic wrongs.”
The NYPD and CIA did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, which was also sued, declined comment. The FBI said in an email that it was its “standard practice” not to comment on litigation.
For decades, more questions than answers have arisen over who was to blame for the death of Malcolm X, who was 39 years old when he was slain on Feb. 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom on West 165th Street in Manhattan as he spoke to several hundred people. Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, Malcolm X later changed his name to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz.
Three men were convicted of crimes in the death but two of them were exonerated in 2021 after investigators took a fresh look at the case and concluded some evidence was shaky and authorities had held back some information.
In the lawsuit, the family said the prosecution team suppressed the government’s role in the assassination.
The lawsuit alleges that there was a “corrupt, unlawful, and unconstitutional” relationship between law enforcement and “ruthless killers that went unchecked for many years and was actively concealed, condoned, protected, and facilitated by government agents,” leading up to the murder of Malcolm X.
According to the lawsuit, the NYPD, coordinating with federal law enforcement agencies, arrested the activist’s security detail days before the assassination and intentionally removed their officers from inside the ballroom where Malcolm X was killed. Meanwhile, it adds, federal agencies had personnel, including undercover agents, in the ballroom but failed to protect him.
The lawsuit was not brought sooner because the defendants withheld information from the family, including the identities of undercover “informants, agents and provocateurs” and what they knew about the planning that preceded the attack.
Malcolm X’s wife, Betty Shabazz, the plaintiffs, “and their entire family have suffered the pain of the unknown” for decades, the lawsuit states.
“They did not know who murdered Malcolm X, why he was murdered, the level of NYPD, FBI and CIA orchestration, the identity of the governmental agents who conspired to ensure his demise, or who fraudulently covered-up their role,” it states. “The damage caused to the Shabazz family is unimaginable, immense, and irreparable.”
The family announced its intention to sue the law enforcement agencies early last year.
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