Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-03-15-Speech-3-051"

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"en.20000315.2.3-051"2
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"Mr President, we can write all we like about human rights and we can report and discuss the issue, but unless we follow through on our intentions and the reports, they are meaningless. They gather dust on the shelves of the Commission and in the offices of well-meaning people and governments. We must show leadership as must the media, educational institutions and the churches; they have not shown such leadership in the past. Shame on us for ignoring Mozambique for so long and doing too little, too late. We are a continent that is sending USD 2 billion worth of weapons to drought-stricken Ethiopia and we cannot find a couple of helicopters to send urgently to save people drowning in Mozambique. It is a real shame on us and the other European institutions that we cannot respond to these kinds of disasters. Shame on us for allowing the children of Iraq to die at the rate of 5 000 a month. Half a million have died since the introduction of sanctions. There continues to be a barbarous war in Iraq. Bombing continues ruthlessly and unreported. It is a war against children and the innocent citizens of that country. We should intervene with the Security Council individually and collectively to ensure that medicines are delivered to the people. Shame on us for allowing the sale of arms and weapons to the Great Lakes region. Shame on us in the European Union for not stamping out racism and xenophobia which are endemic in my country and in the EU in general. Racism is a crime – a crime that is not pursued in the Union, an offence against a law that is not enforced in the Union. It is something we have a great responsibility to do something about. We are not doing anything whatsoever about it. The citizens of this Union are our judges and juries. Unless we show them leadership and a sense of purpose, a sense of direction, they will make their judgements in the coming years. We will have failed them unless we tackle racism and xenophobia in the European Union. I want to say to my government that we must do the same at home in Ireland."@en1
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