A Joint Civil Society Statement on the Tragedy in the United States

In the wake of the tragic events that took place in the United States of America on 11th September 2001, we wish to extend our deepest condolences to all who have lost loved ones and to the millions more whose lives have been affected. The horrific scenes we have witnessed remind us that all too often, in many places around the world, innocent people are the victims of conflict and aggression beyond their control.

During this time of shared grief, we pay tribute to citizens, non-profit organizations and rescue workers whose acts of bravery and volunteerism sum up the best of our common humanity. We urge continued support for the important work being done by a range of civil society organisations to help people affected by this current crisis as well as by the increasing political violence around the world.

At the global level, we want to raise our voices for peace, justice, human rights and the rule of law. Those who have planned, carried out or abetted these appalling crimes must be brought to justice. This tragedy makes plain the need for a system of international justice, relying on rules of evidence, proof of guilt, respect for rights and due judicial process.

We should resist efforts to target people because of their race, religion, ethnic background or appearance, including immigrants in general and people of the Islamic faith and Arab community in particular. We note with great concern the attacks against people believed to be Muslims or from the Arab community and the desecration of mosques and Sikh Temples.

Great care must be taken in the use of language and images. Neither justice nor peace will be served by the demonisation of particular communities. As leaders in civil society, we have an obligation to ensure that every part of the community is respected, that its voice can be heard, and that human rights and public safety for all are upheld. We appeal to the media to act responsibly in their use of imagery or inflammatory language. We also wish to stress the vital role of information and communications to promote informed debate and decision-making.

While emotions are running high, we urge restraint on the part of political leaders. To react with wisdom and long-term effect, leaders must not act in haste, unilaterally, or indiscriminately. We call for a strong commitment to human rights, international law and humanitarian concern in any actions that are taken. We should be motivated by the demand for justice, not revenge, and by the pursuit of peace, exhausting all peaceful measures so that many more innocent victims do not suffer. We feel strongly that there is no purely military solution to the kinds of acts that we saw last week. Indeed, the blunt instrument of war may further intensify a cycle of violence and attract new recruits to terror.

We do not underestimate the difficulty or the urgency of the task facing political leaders. But we are convinced that a safer world for all can only be achieved by the extension of human rights and the rule of law. As they act to prevent such attacks in the future, we urge governments to uphold the fundamental civil liberties that underpin democratic participation. We believe that in a world afflicted by vast inequality, governments and citizens alike have a responsibility to work for sustainable development and social inclusion. Across the whole range of non-profit activities for the public good, we encourage civil society organisations to redouble their efforts to weave anew the torn fabric of our lives.

We appeal to world leaders to protect and strengthen the institutions of civil society. We believe firmly that robust local and national communities - linked internationally and inspired by an ethos of compassion and tolerance - are our best defence against those who would sow hate and destruction.

A key strength of civil society is its diversity. We, as a group of concerned organisations, encourage our colleagues in civil society across the world to give practical expression to the objectives of this statement in ways they deem most appropriate. In addition, we invite other organizations to add their endorsement to this statement.

Finally, we hope that from the pain and sorrow of recent events hope may yet rise again for the establishment of a more peaceful, just and sustainable world order.

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation

Amnesty International

Oxfam International

World Alliance of YMCAs

World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts

OneWorld International

Association for Progressive Communications

World Organisation of Scout Movements

Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID)

International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE)

United Way International

Worldwide Initiative for Grantmaker Support (WINGS)

War Resisters International

Womankind Worldwide

International Association of Educators for World Peace

Institute of Cultural Affairs International

Counterpart International

Women’s World Summit Foundation

International Society for Third Sector Research

Big Brothers Big Sisters International

International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL)

Physicians for Social Responsibility and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War

The Council on Foundations (USA)

State of the World Forum (USA)

PACT International (USA)

Cultural Restoration Tourism Project (USA)

Cross-Cultural Solutions (USA)

National Conference for Community and Justice (USA)

Parents Forum (USA)

Pathways to Peace (USA)

Alliance for Nonprofit Management (USA)

Physicians for Social Responsibility (USA)

World Pulse (USA)

eActivist.org (USA)

Institute for Sustainable Communities (USA)

Armenian Assembly of America: NGO Training and Resource Center (USA)

Tahoe-Baikal Institute (USA/Russia)

Oxfam - Great Britain

ActionAid (UK)

Save the Children (UK)

Catholic Institute for International Relations (UK)

National Council for Voluntary Organisations (UK)

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

NICVA - the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (UK)

British Overseas NGOs for Development (UK)

International Service - UNAIS (UK)

Panos Institute - London

International Childcare Trust (UK)

Social Action for Health (UK)

Susila Dharma (UK)

Pattaya Orphanage Trust (UK)

Sense International (UK)

Servite Sisters' Charitable Trust Fund (UK)

International Records Management Trust (UK)

Benson - Waterhouse Public Sector Consultancy (UK)

Christian Outreach Relief (UK)

Women’s Information Center (Finland)

NGO Publishing House (Finland)

North-South Institute (Spain)

Anadola University - IIBF, Eskisehir (Turkey)

The Academy for the Development of a Democratic Environment (Malta)

United Nations Association (New Zealand)

Save the Children Fund (New Zealand)

IPS Programme on Civil Society (New Zeland)

Latin America Solidarity Committee, Aotearoa (New Zealand)

Volunteering SA (Australia)

National Centre for Citizenship (Australia)

Volunteering New South Wales (Australia)

Philanthropy Australia

School of Volunteer Management (Australia)

The Smith Family (Australia)

Positive Outcomes (Australia)

University Support Foundation (Columbia)

FES Foundation (Colombia)

GADIS - Grupo de Analisis y Desarollo Institucional y Social (Argentina)

Instituto Venezolano de Estudios Sociales y Políticos (Venezuelan Institute for Social and Political Studies)

Comision Nacional de Seguimiento (Uruguay)

Instituto de Comunicacion y Desarrollo (Uruguay)

International Islamic Charitable Organisation (Kuwait)

Hope Village (Egypt)

Arab Program for Human Rights Activists (Egypt)

Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights

Resource Council for Iran

Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law (Kyrgyzstan)

The Research Institute of Environmental Law, Wuhan University (China)

NGO Research Center, Tsinghua University (China)

Development for the Poor (Bangladesh)

Uttaron Samaj Kallyan Samity - USKS (Bangladesh)

Star Kampuchea (Cambodia)

Volunteer 21 (Korea)

Network for Community Empowerment (Pakistan)

Institute of Overseas Pakistanis - IOP

Pakistan Association for Continuing/Adult Education (PACADE)

Indus Resource Centre (Pakistan)

Centre for Community Development and Environmental Research (Nepal)

ActionAid (India)

UNESCO Club (India)

i0 City Clean (India)

Welfare Club (India)

Child Relief and You (India)

Centre for Alternative Development Initiatives (Philippines)

Asia Pacific Public Affairs Forum (Taiwan)

Chinese Youth Peace Corps (Taiwan)

National Youth Commission (Taiwan)

North-South Institute/Institut Nord-Sud (Canada)

Canadian Food for the Hungry International

CoDevelopment Canada

Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (Canada)

Farm Folk/City Folk Society (Canada)

Harry Singer Foundation (Canada)

Mills Garthson & Associates (Canada)

Global Village Nanaimo (Canada)

Canadian Consortium for International Social Development

Hungarian Business Leaders Forum

Hungarian Peace Association

Association of Non-Profit Human Services of Hungary

European House (Hungary)

Centre for Development Research (Bulgaria)

Alternatives for Education and Culture (Bulgaria)

Research Triangle Institute (Romania)

The Open Estonia Foundation

Estonian Journalists Union

Mittetulundusühingute ja Sihtasutuste Liit (Estonia)

Estonian Anti-AIDS Association

People to People (Estonia)

Estonian Association

Network of Estonian Nonprofit Organisations (Estonia)

Renaissance (Poland)

Association for the Forum on Non-Governmental Initiatives (Poland)

Fundacja Dla Niepenosprawnych (Poland)

Macedonian Business Lawyer Association

Civil Society Development Foundation (Czech Republic)

Dr FP Haaz Social Assistance Foundation (Ukraine)

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly National Committee of Georgia

Women's Informational Center (Georgia)

Non-Governmental Publishing House, ‘Mika - Peaceful Caucasus’ (Georgia)

International Youth Network - Eurasian Dialogue (Georgia)

MWENGO (East and Southern Africa)

Tororo District NGO Forum (Uganda)

Partnership (Cameroon)

Inter-Africa Group (Ethiopia)

Democracy Development Programme of South Africa

NICRO - National Institute for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of Offenders (South Africa)

Planact (South Africa)

Themba Lesizwe - South African Network of Trauma Service Providers

Centre for International Political Studies (South Africa)

Centre for Alcohol/Drug-Related Research (South Africa)

Sibambene Development Communications (South Africa)

Project Literacy (South Africa)

Youth Empowerment Network (South Africa)

Nature Friends’ Foundation - Fondation Naturama (Burkina Faso)

Learning and Development Kenya

Individual Endorsements:

Josep Xercavins i Valls, Ad Hoc Secretariat, Ubuntu - World Forum of Networks

Joyce Kazembe, SAPES Trust (Uganda)

Sarah Melendez, CEO, Independent Sector (USA)

Fergus Watt, World Federalists of Canada

Barbara Williamson (Canada)

Michael Kew (Canada)

Sibongile Mauye, National Association of NGOs (Zimbabwe)

Rana Riaz Saeed, Development Advocates and Lobbyist (Pakistan)

G Poyya Moli, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University (India)

Ron Burkard, World Neighbours (USA)

Jenny Lyman, George Washington University Law School (USA)

Dr. Mohammed AlMbaid, Independent Scholar and Researcher (Palestine)

Vicente Garcia-Delgado, Individual Associate, CIVICUS (Spain/USA)

Suzanne Smith Hamilton (New Zealand)

Colin Heyman (UK)

Dr. Peter AC Moore (UK)

Melissa Eystad, World Spirit Consulting (UK)

Chris Dammers (UK)

Claire Kruger (South Africa)

Chris Holloway

21 September 2001

For further information visit the special ‘Civil Society Responds’ website at http://www.oneworld.net/csresponse, the CIVICUS website at http://www.civicus.org