The Riverman Reports - Inc. Huttz World

Friday, March 26, 2010

Richard John Seddon, Prime Minister of New Zea...

Will Australai and New Zealand amalgamate, is it inevitable...

Australia and NZ merger 'inevitable'? Perhaps, but such a discussion would not be an isolated one; it would be be part of a wider discussion on republicanism.

Part One: Polls and opinion

Some 40 per cent of Kiwis supported a debate about New Zealand becoming a state of Australia. Photo / Steven McNicholFormer Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon believes a merger with Australia is inevitable.

A recent poll has found 40 per cent of New Zealanders support a debate about becoming a state of Australia.

The UMR Research poll surveyed a thousand people on both sides of the Tasman.

Approximately a quarter of Kiwis favoured the country becoming part of the Australia with 71% opposed to the idea.

37% of Australian respondents supported the merger, compared 52% against it.

Sir Don - who is also a former Foreign Affairs Minister and chair of the Trans-Tasman Business Circle - told TVNZ's Q&A programme that it was just a matter of time before a formal agreement is reached with Australia.

"We've got nearly half a million New Zealanders living in Australia anyway," he said.

"By the time the next generation comes around, technology and the movement of people everywhere, New Zealanders won't want to be in the situation of paying taxes in both countries and all the time going through immigration and Customs.

They'll want to try to eliminate all those things."

Sir Don believes the shift will be people-driven, rather then politically motivated.

"It's a debate that's going to go on, but no political leader in New Zealand is going to win an election advocating this issue."

But Labour party leader Phil Goff said there was no reason for a union with Australia.

He said although Australia had nothing to lose from it, joining with a much larger country would mean giving up our national identity.

"New Zealanders are proud of their culture, they are proud of their history, they are proud of their sense of identity."

He said working towards a single economic market between the countries could be achieved without a merger.

"When we can get the benefits of a closer economic relationship and a single economic market, what are the additional benefits of simply being the seventh state?

"It's about making decisions in New Zealand for New Zealanders by New Zealanders that really matter. We can have a closer relationship, we can get the best of both worlds. Submerging ourselves into Australia is not required to achieve that."

Former Prime Minister Mike Moore said New Zealand simply had to "toughen up".

"We will not solve our economic problems by becoming a state or two states of Australia."

Part Two: The Kiwi Riverman's opinion:

The above report is an interesting one. But as I said from the commencement of this post, such a discussion would be part of a wider discussion on the merits of republicanism. Australia will drive this discussion, and New Zealand would have to consider whether it could continue on on its own. When, not if, New Zealand as a society decides its future, the discussion will move to one of a merger with Australia.

It wouldn't be a simple merger as another state of Australia, but how New Zealand would fit in with a future expanding Australia. There could well be two states, or even three when considering Auckland's role. Auckland is becoming a "city state" with a quarter of New Zealand's population. The South Island is slowly becoming a different entity to the North Island. And its true that over a half a million New Zealanders already reside in Australia.

We should consider the origination of the Commonwealth of Australia: It was originally conceived as a "Commonwealth of Australasia", but the then Premier of New Zealand, Richard Seddon, pulled NZ out of the colony amalgamation discussions and our country went on to become a dominion on its own. Australia became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901, and New Zealand became a dominion a few years later. But of course neither country really becoame fully self-governing for a few years after that.

And the matter of a republic? There will be a bit more water flowing under the bridge yet; New Zealand is actually in the process of discussing the merits of a new flag, but this is actually premature when considering the possibility of an amalgamation of the two countries, and of course the republic matter itself.

New Zealand would have to consider the future of a number of pacific islands first: the Cooks Islands are technically part of New Zealand, Niue and Tokelau are territories and Samoa is getting closer to NZ every year as more and more Samoans become resident in the country. So there is more to consider than a straight amalgamation with Australia. There could well be a consideration for an Oceanic republic.

Acknowledgements: Newstalk ZB, NZ Herald, Peter Petterson.

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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

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New Zealand starvation case raises ethicacy issues - your opinion readers.

Phillipa Malpas, Auck Univ, says care home staff face ethical dilemma with Margaret Page's decision to starve herself to death

The actions of medical staff at Wellington's St John of God Hospital in allowing a woman to starve herself to death, are raising questions of medical ethicacy.

Margaret Page is disabled and terminally ill after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage 20 years ago. She has been living at the St John of God care home since 2006 and has not eaten for 11 days and has drunk only a small amount of water, because she no longer wants to live. Her separated husband has urged staff to force feed her, but the care home says it is her right to decide her fate. Three psychiatric assessments have found the 60-year-old is capable of making her own decisions.

Dr Malpas says it is a difficult situation.

"One of the principles that would come to mind would be the principle of do no harm and I guess you could ask the question, well, is it harmful in this situation to force her to eat? Is it harmful to allow her to do this?"

However, Dr Malpas says the law is very clear.

"Nobody who is competent can be forced to eat and drink or accept any medical treatment that they don't want even if that will end up hastening their death."

Dr Malpas says a competent person who forces another to eat or drink could be prosecuted for criminal assault, however an argument could be made that failing to force feed Mrs Page is assisting her suicide.

Ms Malpas says the ethical dilemma for staff in such situations is secondary to their obligations to the patient's will.

But aren't health professionals bound to take all care to ensure she is kept in the best of health? Do doctors till swear a hippocratical oath to do EVERYTHING in their power to ensure the woman's health?

Acknowledgements:

© 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

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Is this how the Brits treat their staff - by a Facebook message...

A 16-year-old UK girl who lost $21 while on an errand found out she lost her job when her manager posted a message on her Facebook page.

Chelsea Taylor was sacked from her Saturday job at a cafe via a heavily misspelt Facebook message, the Daily Mail reported.

Chelsea had been given $21 to go out and buy biscuits for the staff of Cookies, a cafe in Leigh in northern England.

When she lost the money she was notified of her dismissal with a Facebook message from manager Elaine Sutton.

"I had to tell the owner bout u losin that tenner coz obviously the till was down at the end of the day," the message read.

"she wasn't very pleased at all and despite me trying to persuade her otherwise she said I have to let u go."

Chelsea's mother Nicola said the Facebook dismissal was "appalling and heartless".

"I just can't believe they didn't even have the decency to tell her over the phone, let alone in person," she said.

"And to have the message all misspelt with capital letters and apostrophes missing is simply disrespectful and sets no example to other employees."

When Ms Taylor told Ms Sutton she lost the money she offered to replace it but the offer was declined.

Friday, March 19, 2010

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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

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Homophobia is sheer hypocrisy...

Mississippi's Homophobic Prom.

High schools around the United States are currently preparing for the event that many students look forward to their entire high school careers: prom. But this year, there will be no prom for the Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, Mississippi. Why?

School officials and school board members canceled the prom in order to prevent a lesbian student, 18-year-old Constance McMillen, from attending with her girlfriend.

After initially trying to ban just Constance and her date - an action that drew the threat of a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – the school decided to cancel the event for everyone rather than let the lesbian couple attend. That's right. No gay couples. No straight couples. No prom.

In response, people across the country have mobilized in support of Constance, who throughout this ordeal has stood up unashamed for who she is - and become a national hero for LGBT rights in the process. She now has hundreds of thousands of Facebook fans, and businesses volunteering to hold alternative proms for all Itawamba students to celebrate her courage in the face of discrimination.

There are also thousands of people taking action on Change.org, demanding that the Itawamba Agricultural High School change course and become a place where all students can enjoy events like prom - not just the straight ones. You can take action here.

As shocking as this episode is, the homophobia experienced by Constance is nothing new inside America's schools. Nationwide, nearly 90 percent of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender students report that they've been victims of verbal abuse in school, and more than 40 percent say they've been physically harassed.

That's why one of the few openly gay members of Congress, Rep. Jared Polis, is trying to move forward a piece of legislation known as the Student Non-Discrimination Act, which would move our schools one step closer to becoming safe spaces for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. You can help support his effort here.

Western society is under endless change, and sexual orientation seems to be another battle field which includes the nations high school children. Homophobia, despite one's own personal viewpoint, is becoming an evil within itself. Religion of whatever kind becomes tainted with sheer hypocricy.

Monday, March 15, 2010

THE KIWI RIVERMAN POST

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Forced marriages of under aged Muslim girls shockingly reported on New Zealand television..
.

A documentary program on New Zealand television shockingly revealed under age teenaged Muslim girls being forced into illegal marriages with older men in New Zealand. Such acts are common in other western countries, but until now were unknown by the general public here.

One girl has gone into hiding after being raped and forced by her despicable parents to "marry"the man.

Marriage is illegal under the age of 16 years in this country. Young people under 18 years need parental consent. The program dealt with cases of a 14 year old and a 15 year old forced to marry men by their parents. These people are Muslim refugees who are thumbing their noses at New Zealand law. New Zealand has generously given refuge to families from war-torn countries in southern Asia, the middle east and Africa. Is this is how they show their gratitude?

These people obviously consider NZ to be a soft touch. Mosque leaders deny any knowledge of these so-called marriages, but the various communities obviously know all about them. But they are undoubtably happening. Some girls are forced to go overseas to have a couple of children by their 'husbands'' to make them accept their situations.

The NZ Minister of Immigration denies there are the numbers to make any enquiries necessary about these so-called marriages. The British government which has concerns about forced marriages of children there, will make it a criminal offence to be a party to these marriages.

And that was how I wrote the above post on my community blogs earlier this week. New Zealand is a democratically elected secular society which does not have an "official' religion. Be that as it may, New Zealand is still basically a Christian society with many Christian religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, and a variety of smaller religions and sects. As well as these NZ has many other religions such as Muslim, Hindu and many other asian originated religions. All members of these are permitted and encouraged to operate with freedom and respect for their congregations here in NZ. While we don't actually have an official religion, the Anglican Church (Church of England) is still the major religion here.

We have opened our doors to immigrants and refugees from many countries around the globe, and all we have asked is that they respect New Zealand society and culture as they would their own back in their home countries. Some practices and behaviour have been questioned and answered by Islamic leaders as not being allowed by the Koran, but culturally acceptable in some countries. But they are not permitted under NZ law or culturally accepted here. These despicable forced marriages will not be permitted, and those involved could be deported back to their own countries, or perhaps to some other Muslim countries, under certain cirumstances. New Zealand may have to follow the lead of the United Kingdom and make it an offence to be a party to illegal forced "marriages" of children here. Of course such marriages cannot be recognised here because marriage is illegal under the age of 16 years , and those under 18 years must have parental consent.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

ALEXANDER NEVSKY SQUARE. SOFIA. With Bulgarian...

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Aliens' already exist on earth', Bulgarian scientists claim...

Aliens from outer space are already among us on earth, say Bulgarian government scientists who claim they are already in contact with extraterrestrial life.

"Aliens are currently all around us, and are watching us all the time," Mr Filipov told Bulgarian media.

Work on deciphering a complex set of symbols sent to them is underway, scientists from the country's Space Research Institute said.

They claim aliens are currently answering 30 questions posed to them.

Lachezar Filipov, deputy director of the Space Research Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, confirmed the research.

He said the centre's researchers were analysing 150 crop circles from around the world, which they believe answer the questions.

"Aliens are currently all around us, and are watching us all the time," Mr Filipov told Bulgarian media.

"They are not hostile towards us, rather, they want to help us but we have not grown enough in order to establish direct contact with them."

Mr Filipov said that even the seat of the Catholic church, the Vatican, had agreed that aliens existed.

He said humans were not going to be able to establish contact with the extraterrestrials through radio waves but through the power of thought.

"The human race was certainly going to have direct contact with the aliens in the next 10 to 15 years," he said.

"Extraterrestrials are critical of the people's amoral behavior referring to the humans' interference in nature's processes."

The publication of the BAS researchers report concerning communicating with aliens comes in the midst of a controversy over the role, feasibility, and reform of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

Last week it lead to a heated debate between Bulgaria's Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, and President Georgi Parvanov.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

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Monday, March 08, 2010

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THE KIWI RIVERMAN POST

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Chile's Socialist Rebar: Chile...

Naomi Klein: It is Chile's democratic, socialist roots, not the free-marketers who prevailed after Pinochet's coup, that are to thank for the strict building codes that have protected citizens from the earthquake.
.Haiti: A Creditor, Not a Debtor Haiti
Naomi Klein: It is we in the West who owe it reparations.
.The Courage to Say No Global Warming & Climate Change
Naomi Klein: The G-8 powers are willing to do just about anything to get a deal in Copenhagen. But the urgency doesn't come from a desire to stop climate change.
..A particularly distasteful case in point. Just two days after Chile was struck by a devastating earthquake, Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens informed his readers that Milton Friedman's "spirit was surely hovering protectively over Chile" because, "thanks largely to him, the country has endured a tragedy that elsewhere would have been an apocalypse.... It's not by chance that Chileans were living in houses of brick--and Haitians in houses of straw--when the wolf arrived to try to blow them down."

According to Stephens, the radical free-market policies prescribed to Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet by Milton Friedman and his infamous "Chicago Boys" are the reason Chile is a prosperous nation with "some of the world's strictest building codes."

There is one rather large problem with this theory: Chile's modern seismic building code, drafted to resist earthquakes, was adopted in 1972. That year is enormously significant because it was one year before Pinochet seized power in a bloody U.S-backed coup. That means that if one person deserves credit for the law, it is not Friedman, or Pinochet, but Salvador Allende, Chile's democratically elected socialist President. (In truth many Chileans deserve credit, since the laws were a response to a history of quakes, and the first law was adopted in the 1930s).

It does seem significant, however, that the law was enacted even in the midst of a crippling economic embargo ("make the economy scream" Richard Nixon famously growled after Allende won the 1970 elections). The code was later updated in the nineties, well after Pinochet and the Chicago Boys were finally out of power and democracy was restored. Little wonder: As Paul Krugman points out, Friedman was ambivalent about building codes, seeing them as yet another infringement on capitalist freedom.

As for the argument that Friedmanite policies are the reason Chileans live in "houses of brick" instead of "straw," it's clear that Stephens knows nothing of pre-coup Chile. The Chile of the 1960s had the best health and education systems on the continent, as well as a vibrant industrial sector and rapidly expanding middle class. Chileans believed in their state, which is why they elected Allende to take the project even further.

After the coup and the death of Allende, Pinochet and his Chicago Boys did their best to dismantle Chile's public sphere, auctioning off state enterprises and slashing financial and trade regulations. Enormous wealth was created in this period but at a terrible cost: by the early eighties, Pinochet's Friedman-prescribed policies had caused rapid de-industrialization, a ten-fold increase in unemployment and an explosion of distinctly unstable shantytowns. They also led to a crisis of corruption and debt so severe that, in 1982, Pinochet was forced to fire his key Chicago Boy advisors and nationalize several of the large deregulated financial institutions. (Sound familiar?)

Fortunately, the Chicago Boys did not manage to undo everything Allende accomplished. The national copper company, Codelco, remained in state hands, pumping wealth into public coffers and preventing the Chicago Boys from tanking Chile's economy completely. They also never got around to trashing Allende's tough building code, an ideological oversight for which we should all be grateful.

Thanks to CEPR for tracking down the origins of Chile's building code.

Acknowledgements:NEWSTRUST: Naomi Klein, The Nation, March 8,2010

About Naomi Klein:

Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist and syndicated columnist and the author of the international and New York Times bestseller The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism (September 2007); an earlier international best-seller, No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies; and the collection Fences and Windows: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Globalization Debate (2002).

Sunday, March 07, 2010

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Overseas technology companies will have to find Kiwi directors within New Zealand...

Google, Microsoft, TelstraClear, Cisco and Dell are among technology companies that would have to find Kiwi directors for their New Zealand businesses if moves to tighten up company registration processes are approved.

Commerce Minister Simon Power is considering whether all New Zealand-registered businesses should be required to have at least one New Zealand-resident director after receiving a report from officials which engaged in "targeted consultations".

The rule change is one of a package of measures floated by Mr Power in January, after it was discovered an Auckland-registered shell company, SP Trading, had been implicated in shipping arms to Iran.

Mr Power said it would be consistent with requirements in other countries, including Australia, Canada and Singapore.

A spokesman for the minister says that if the Government decides to press ahead, that would probably require a change to the Companies Act and interested parties would be able to have their say at a select committee.

Mr Power said there had been an increase in the number of businesses registering with the Companies Office that had only overseas shareholders and directors. They comprised about 5 per cent of more than 1125 firms that were newly registered in January.

Microsoft, Cisco and Google's New Zealand subsidiaries all have just two directors – the minimum number allowed – all based in the United States.

Google and Dell refused to comment.

Microsoft New Zealand managing director Kevin Ackhurst says it would comply with any requirements and didn't see any particular upside or downside "but I haven't seen the full details of the proposed changes, so it is hard to comment on what might come in place".

Cisco New Zealand managing director Geoff Lawrie says the company would not shirk from legal responsibilities but he is unsure what having a New Zealand director would mean.

"We don't have a board structure. That is consistent with just about every international organisation represented here I would think."

Mr Lawrie says that from the point of view of preventing undesirable activities by shell companies, it might be more important that companies had a "responsible officer" in New Zealand rather than a resident director.

TelstraClear believes efforts to harmonise regulations between Australia and New Zealand could mean that having only Australian directors may remain allowable, even if the law is changed.

"The governments of New Zealand and Australia are working toward a single economic market framework to ensure transparent and ethical business practices," says spokesman Chris Mirams. "The initiative is designed to form a seamless trans-Tasman environment for established, credible businesses such as TelstraClear, that operate on both sides of the Tasman."

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Institute of Directors chief executive Nicki Crauford forecasts some overseas firms might seek to appoint a "token" local director if caught by the rule change. But she would not recommend anyone take on a company directorship without proper payment as a board seat comes with the risk of "huge liabilities".

The practicalities for overseas-owned firms were unclear. "If they currently hold their board meetings in the United States, then are they going to fly a New Zealand resident to those once a month and is it going to be practical for that person to be legitimately involved in the business?

"I suppose they could dial-in, but I guess if they never physically go to a board meeting they would not be terribly effective in the role."

Thursday, March 04, 2010

The spectre of eugenics raises its insidious face in New Zealand...

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Chris Ford writes: The pronouncement by Act NZ MP David Garrett that he would like to see abusive mothers paid an incentive to sterilise themselves has exposed the New Right's hidden agenda towards the poorest sections of our society.

While the Act Party have publicly distanced themselves from Garrett's comments, I would go so far as to say that this exposes the real eugenics agenda on the part of some prominent individuals on the New Right. Indeed it was during the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century that eugenics caught on as a means of exerting control over the ability of so-called 'undesirable' people, namely, the poor, disabled people, people with mental illness, sex workers and those experiencing drug and alcohol addiction, etc, to reproduce children.

The first person to espouse eugenic theories at great length was the British scientist Sir Francis Galton who drew on the work of his half-cousin Charles Darwin (the father of modern evolutionary theory). Eugenic theories caught the attention of both neo-classical theorists on the right and (sadly) some early socialists on the left. Therefore, eugenics attracted the support of people across the ideological spectrum during that period including Sydney and Beatrice Webb (early Fabian socialists), Peter Fraser (Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand), John Maynard Keynes (liberal economist), Marie Stopes (one of the world's first family planning advocates) and most notoriously Adolf Hitler (Nazi German dictator).

Each of these individuals believed in the application of eugenic theories to contain certain 'undesirable' sectors of the population. For example, the Nazi German programme of genocide against the Jewish, ethnic minority, disabled and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities in Germany and Occupied Europe was one of the most well known eugenics programmes of its kind. However, those otherwise great exponents of social democracy, the Swedes, continued with their own eugenics programme until 1975. Other countries (including New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Canada) through the promotion of low level policies of social control over indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities and disabled and mentally ill people continued to apply eugenic theories, albeit, on a smaller scale until the mid-1970s.

But back to covering the real reasons behind the emergence of eugenics. Nascent capitalist societies in the pre-Welfare State era, such as Britain, New Zealand and Australia, saw a burgeoning in the numbers of poor and unemployed people. This was due to the inherently fickle, cyclical nature of capitalism and the introduction of new mass production techniques which saw many groups considered to be previously economically valuable in the pre-industrial age such as, for example, disabled people, cast out into the margins of society due to the rise of unemployment and underemployment. In those times as well, the notion grew up of the need to classify the poor into two convenient categories, the so-called 'deserving' and 'un-deserving' poor. The bourgeois (wealthy) and petty bourgeois (middle class) were encouraged to dispense charitable aid to the 'deserving poor' who were seen as people with the ability to motivate themselves back into lowly paid work. The 'undeserving poor' who constituted people within the abovenamed groups were left to fend for themselves as best they could and through, for example, the near mass institutionalisation of disabled people and those with mental illness, they were sometimes completely excluded from society altogether. The ultimate hope was that many would die as a result and no longer be a burden upon the bourgeoisie and many sadly did.

The modern broad left has largely discarded eugenics and has placed greater emphasis on improving the social and economic status of marginalised groups such as single parents, disabled people, people with mental illness and those living in extreme poverty. On the other hand, the New Right and some of their supporters continue to cling onto some notions of eugenics in order to scapegoat unpopular minority groups who are viewed on the right as the new 'undeserving' poor. These include indigenous groups ( for example, Maori and Aboriginal peoples), ethnic minorities (who mostly hail from immigrant backgrounds) and single parents, amongst others. With the emergence of the New Right and their neoclassical agenda of shrinking the size of the state, there has been a need to scapegoat these and other groups. This has been done in order to popularly advance free market economic and social agendas which have seen the rise of social inequality. Therefore, it's a pretty easy shot to call for the sterilisation of criminals, drug users and violent single mothers. It gets the talkback lines humming, it gets the letter writers clicking pen and clacking keyboard, it gets the bloggers (like me) debating the issues in cyberspace.

But the 'dog whistle' code is there for those who are most receptive to it. With David Garrett's call think Maori. Think Pacific Island. Think state house. Think 'poor white/brown trash'. Think welfare bludger. Think social parasite. Garrett and his right wing ilk (who include such luminaries as Paul Henry, Michael Laws, etc, who have all been known to make similar comments) find it easy to plant these ideas into the popular subconsciousness.

Therefore, eugenics hasn't completely died off in the 21st century. It is alive and well. To exploit a terrible and real issue like intergenerational child abuse in this way is wrong. What is really needed to address this issue are anti-poverty programmes; social support for all parents across the socio-economic spectrum that recognises the value of raising children; violence prevention, drug and alcohol counselling and parenting courses for those deemed most at risk of perpetrating intergenerational abuse; and ongoing support from adequately funded state and community agencies for this at-risk group.

The reality though is is that Garrett and other right wingers of their ilk don't want to pay more taxes to do this. They are more interested in propagating seemingly easy fix solutions like offering one-off bribes to the poor to control their reproductive ability. They would, therefore, deny the right of people to seek help in order to become better parents. After all, we want a violence free world for all our kids - and it isn't going to be achieved by what is, on the face of it, a highly racially discriminatory solution.

Acknowledgements: Chris Ford: Read here

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

More than a thousand activists and experts attended this week's Fourth World Congress...

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GENEVA, Feb 25 (IPS) - More than 1,000 activists and experts attending this week's Fourth World Congress Against the Death Penalty in this Swiss city are building a network of cooperation to support local organisations campaigning for human rights in countries that retain capital punishment.

One-third of the world's countries still apply the death sentence, and 1,290 persons were executed in 2008, according to Amnesty International (AI).

Nevertheless, there was marked global progress towards abolition of the death penalty in 2008, said the London-based rights watchdog.

In fact a real change in the history of the death penalty has occurred over the last 30 years, said Mario Marazziti, spokesman for the Community of Sant'Egidio, a Rome-based organisation that promotes international relations founded on human rights and North-South interdependence.

Back in the 1970s, only 23 countries had abolished the death penalty, by removing it from the statute books or ceasing to practice it, whereas today United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reports that 141 nations have taken this step, or 139 countries according to AI, said Marazziti.

The discrepancy arises because "specialist organisations may have access to confidential information that one or two executions have been carried out in a couple of countries, without any publicity," so there is doubt about the status of one or two countries, the Italian expert said.

So "we have around 140 countries without the death penalty, out of 192 in the world," said Marazziti, who added that the figures "indicate a real acceleration in at least the past 20 years."

As well as strengthening an international support network for those campaigning against court-ordered executions, the World Congress, which ends Friday, is planning a common strategy for the U.N. General Assembly session in December that is due to discuss a resolution for a moratorium on the death penalty.

An appropriate strategy must include simultaneous action in every region of the world, Marazziti told IPS. The Community of Sant'Egidio is calling on South Africa, Russia and Brazil to commit themselves to this effort, and help bring in other players like Mexico and Chile, he said.

That way, it cannot be argued that this is a European initiative, or the product of a single school of thought. It will be a demand made by the whole world, the expert said.

Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of Spain, which currently holds the EU rotating presidency, confirmed that he will push for approval of the death penalty moratorium resolution at the U.N. General Assembly.

Opening the World Congress on Wednesday, Zapatero said his government wishes to establish an International Commission Against the Death Penalty. Such a body would be a great help in securing universal application of an effective moratorium by 2015, as a step towards total abolition, he said.

The year 2015 was not chosen at random: it coincides with the deadline approved in 2000 by U.N. member countries for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which set targets for slashing hunger, poverty and disease and improving education, health, equality and preservation of the environment.

"As well as slavery and torture, the death penalty must be consigned to history. It's a barbaric and old-fashioned way of interpreting justice," said Marazziti.

"I think the MDGs mean that life must be respected under any circumstances, even when there is suspicion of a crime," he said. "I want that to be respected, because not all the MDGs are respected."

The countries where the most executions took place in 2008 included China (1,718), Iran (346), Saudi Arabia (102), the United States (37), Pakistan (36), Iraq (34), Vietnam (19), Afghanistan (17), and North Korea and Japan (15 each).

Changes are happening in the United States, Marazziti said. Even in the state of Texas, where there is a high level of support for the death penalty, "only eight new death sentences were handed down in 2009 whereas the previous annual average was 48. And (the states of) New Jersey and New Mexico have abolished the death penalty within the last two years," he added.

In China, two things have happened. "The Supreme Court removed the power to pass death sentences from the local courts two years ago, and observers said that this should bring about a reduction of up to 30 percent in new death sentences," he said.

And a few days ago, "the Supreme Court published official guidelines instructing tribunals not to give the death penalty except for very heinous crimes or crimes against the state. So, this is another good sign," Marazziti said.

Last month, Mongolia abolished the death penalty. Uzbekistan had already done so, and Kazakhstan has eliminated it for ordinary crimes.

Marazziti highlighted the cases of Cambodia, Rwanda and Burundi, "three countries that have really suffered the last three big genocides in contemporary history, yet feel that only without the death penalty can a reconciliation process be started in their societies. Otherwise revenge, and the thirst for revenge, will never end."

These countries' abolition of capital punishment is "a very symbolic and meaningful step that can be an answer to those countries that say: 'We have a high level of violence, we need the death penalty'," he stressed.

"I think that we are experiencing a positive trend to eradicate the death penalty in the world," said the Italian expert.

Originally many African societies did not have the death penalty. It arrived hand in hand with colonialism, because African nations copied European constitutions and many other customs, he pointed out.

But on this issue, Africa is now changing faster than the other continents, he concluded.

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