Spain Has Condemned Inappropriate World Cup Kiss. Can It Now Reckon With Sexism in Soccer?

Despite Rubiales' insistence he did nothing wrong, many saw his act as a sexist abuse of power that was no longer tolerable.

By The Associated Press

Published on 8/30/2023 at 2:18 PM

A demonstrator shouts slogans during a protest against the President of Spain's soccer federation Luis Rubiales and to support to support Spain's national women's soccer player Jenni Hermoso in Madrid on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)

MADRID (AP) — When Patricia Otero watched the president of Spain’s soccer federation tarnish the greatest victory in the history of women's sports in Spain by forcibly kissing a player on the lips during the Women’s World Cup medal ceremony, she was saddened — but not surprised.

For this amateur soccer player, the kiss that Luis Rubiales pressed on Spain forward Jenni Hermoso was simply the most public and notorious example of the treatment she and her teammates received as girls and young women.

“We have seen that all our lives,” the 30-year-old told The Associated Press from the southern city of Malaga, where she still plays soccer when not teaching high school. And when Rubiales tried to justify the kiss by saying it was like one he would have “given my daughters,” it sounded eerily familiar.

“I had a coach who would pat our butts, and always while acting friendly, saying, ‘You are like a daughter to me.’ And that was when you are still not adult enough to know what he is doing,” she said. “You think it is normal.”

While women still struggle for equality in Spanish soccer — Otero recalled how her team had to sell raffle tickets to play and clean their own locker rooms while boys did neither — the reaction, in Spain and beyond, to the globally televised kiss has been widespread condemnation.

Hermoso says it was not consensual, and despite claims to the contrary by Rubiales, public opinion is behind the 33-year-old player. The only continuing public support for Rubiales, 46, has come from his mother, who staged a short-lived hunger strike in protest of her son’s downfall before ending it Wednesday.

Even as the conduct of the most powerful man in Spanish soccer robbed global attention from the new world champions, Spain is taking steps to turn the crisis into a reckoning into the sexism that exists in the sport in a country where strides in other areas have placed it in the European vanguard of female gender equality.

Despite Rubiales' insistence he did nothing wrong, Spain’s government, its players' unions, soccer clubs, fans and most importantly, Hermoso and her teammates, saw his act as a sexist abuse of power that was no longer tolerable. FIFA, the world soccer governing body, suspended Rubiales for 90 days, and Spain’s government is moving to have him declared unfit to hold the post.

The condemnation of Rubiales, who also grabbed his crotch in a lewd victory gesture within sight of Spain's Queen Letizia and teenage daughter, Princess Sofía, following Spain’s victory in the Aug. 20 final, has spread beyond the government and the powers-that-be in soccer.

Fans at men’s games last weekend in the hugely popular La Liga chanted for Rubiales to go, while hundreds rallied in downtown Madrid in support of Hermoso.

Rubiales had the chance to step down on Friday. Instead, he delivered a tirade to his federation members, claiming to be the victim of a witch hunt by “false feminists.”

While sexism has historically run deep in Spain, Rubiales has found himself out of step with the country’s rapidly changing social mores.Women’s rights activism has been gaining ground for decades, but was supercharged in 2018 following a high-profile case of gang rape viewed as Spain’s “Me Too” moment.

Since then, laws have been passed protecting women’s right to abortion and promoting equality in the workplace. A law that defines sexual consent is seen as among the most ambitious in Europe.

In AP interviews with women in soccer and beyond, there was a consensus that an act like the one committed by Rubiales even 10 years ago would have been largely ignored.

Marisa Soleto, president of the feminist Women’s Foundation, said the country has undergone a seismic shift in recent years.

“What this shows is that ... Spanish society understands that you don’t have to hit a woman for a non-consensual act to be violent,” Soleto said of the kiss that has brought so much outrage.

The groundswell of support for Hermoso has found its slogan in “Se Acabo” — Spanish for “this is over" — started by Hermoso’s teammate and star player Alexia Putellas. It has since become a rallying call against Rubiales, even worn on T-shirts by Sevilla’s men’s players.

Lisa Banks, a Washington-based civil rights and employment attorney, said the Rubiales kiss was a “learning moment ... for men in power, for men in sports, that an assault is an assault, even if it happens in a moment of jubilation."

While Rubiales has succeeded in aligning nearly the entire Spanish political spectrum against him, there were some initial holdouts among the soccer leadership.

Rubiales' adamant refusal to step down — and claim he was the victim of a feminist smear campaign — was greeted last week by loud applause from the soccer federation's general assembly, whose 140 members include just six women. Spain’s women’s coach, Jorge Vilda, and men’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, were among those clapping.

But after FIFA suspended Rubiales, his last supporters abandoned him, and the regional federation heads are now demanding he resign.This week, prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation into whether the kiss was a sexual aggression offense, and the national women's soccer team has announced it won't play if Rubiales stays on.

For Beatriz Álvarez, the president of Spain’s professional women’s league, there is more behind Rubiales’ demise than "a war of the sexes or feminism.”

“The so-called ‘little peck’ ... is a kiss by a boss to a worker. He grabbed her head and gave her a kiss," Álvarez said.

"At that moment, Luis Rubiales was the federation president and had absolute authority over her.”

Hermoso has called the kiss and Rubiales' refusal to accept her insistence it wasn't consensual “the final straw."

“What everyone has been able to witness on live television during the celebration also comes with attitudes,” she said, "that have been part of our team’s daily life for years.”

Spain’s women players had to go to the extreme of rebelling against the federation last September to improve conditions for the team. Fifteen players said they would not continue to play for coach Vilda unless things changed, including what one female former assistant coach described as “treating the players like they were 12-year-olds.” The federation backed Vilda and only three returned to the World Cup squad.

There is some hope that the response to the kiss scandal will have a cascade effect in improving long-ingrained inequities in soccer, where the minimum salary for men in the first division is 182,000 euros ($197,000) but for women, just 16,000 euros ($17,400).

Pilar Calvo of Spain’s Association of Women in Professional Sports said her group has seen the number of complaints filed increase five-fold over the past week.

“We have seen all types (of complaints) over inequalities," she said, "from people who feel overlooked for sports scholarships, to complaints over when women can use sporting facilities, to inequality in prize money.”

Now all eyes are on the federation, to see if Rubiales can be definitively barred from returning and whoever takes his place can instill a new culture.

Toña Is, a player-turned-coach, led Spain’s women to the under-17 world title in 2018, and was an assistant coach for Vilda on the national team until she was fired by the federation in 2020. Now a policewoman in northern Spain, she said she was let go because of her internal complaints about sexism and other inappropriate behavior.

Now she feels vindicated.

“Time has finally shown that we were right, that there have been inappropriate episodes inside the federation for years,” she said.

“We must have zero tolerance for these types of sexist attitudes, not just in sports, but in society at large so that we don’t go through this again.”

___

By TERESA MEDRANO and JOSEPH WILSON

Spanish Women Players Spotlight Crisis of Abuse

All Players Deserve Harassment-Free Work Environment

Macarena Sáez
Executive Director, Women's Rights Division

@msaez_torres

Minky Worden
Director of Global Initiatives

MinkysHighjinks


Spanish football federation president, Luis Rubiales talks to Queen Letizia of Spain on stage during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Final match between Spain and England at Stadium Australia on August 20, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. © 2023 Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

When Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales refused to step down after kissing Spanish football player and 2023 World Cup champion Jenni Hermoso without her consent, he instead justified his actions. In a speech to the general assembly of the Spanish Football Federation, Rubiales centered himself as the victim, blamed “false feminism” for committing a “social assassination” against him, and shouted five times: “I will not resign!”

Rubiales’ obliviousness to sexual abuse and workplace harassment should finally force FIFA, football’s governing body, to do what it has long failed to do: address the culture of sexual violence and gender discrimination in women’s football.

Shockingly, there are sexual abuse complaints against at least twenty of FIFA’s 211 national federations.

Beyond Rubiales’ personal responsibility for his actions, FIFA, and all football associations have an institutional responsibility to stop violence and harassment of women players. It took FIFA almost a week to suspend Rubiales for 90 days. In the meantime, the Spanish Football Federation pressured Hermoso to back Rubiales, and when she denied the kiss was consensual, the federation threatened her with legal actions.

It is not uncommon for institutions to only blame the person committing the offense, who, when “caught,” is forced by public pressure to resign – a personal reputation management move. But then larger structural issues allowing for abuse remain and institutions keep working as usual, with no good mechanisms in place, and no systemic harms prevention and reparation approaches.

Women football players around the world have had enough and are furiously pushing for change. All players deserve the right to play football without concerns for safety in the workplace. They have the right to compete with the same economic conditions enjoyed by male football players. They have the right to have more female coaches and federation leaders. They have the right to play football without having to make a statement about their rights after every game.

The Rubiales case should focus the football leadership in Spain, Europe, and internationally on the need for long-overdue reforms to protect and respect women players. Implementation of such reforms should be a key consideration for FIFA when deciding the location of key events including the Women’s and Men’s World Cups. Above all, it should hasten FIFA’s reforms to protect women, including by setting up an independent Safe Sport Entity, to report and investigate abuse, protect survivors, and get abusers at all levels out of sport.

Rubiales’ speech was embarrassing and shameful. That’s when we said: ‘It’s over’

I spoke up against the Spanish federation in 2015 and never played for the national team again. Now we need real change

Veró Boquete
Wed 30 Aug 2023 

The situation in Spain with Luis Rubiales is hard to explain to an international audience because this is something historical and cultural in our country. In the 1970s women couldn’t play sport and that was the mentality we had in this country. From then until now, has a lot changed? Yes, but not as much as it should have because there are still a lot of people who have a sexist mindset.

Within sport, specifically football in this case, there are still a lot of sexist people. Most of the leaders within Spanish football are men and they are men from a certain generation with defined mindsets. What people outside Spain need to understand is that this problem goes much deeper. We are talking about a football federation but could be talking about any other federation or any other company.

What happened with Rubiales and Jenni Hermoso has had so much attention because it’s around football, around a World Cup final and with an indisputable action. It has gone global because of how it happened, the moment it happened and the importance it has had. But what if this hadn’t happened, if Rubiales hadn’t kissed Hermoso? We would be talking about how Rubiales is the best football federation president in the world, that Jorge Vilda is the best manager in Europe and the world and everything would continue as normal. We have hit a threshold and are at war to get change.

Luis Rubiales saga: how Spain hit back after World Cup kiss – video

How did Spain win the World Cup under these circumstances? In Spain, we’ve always had talent. That talent couldn’t shine before, but now it does because clubs are more professional, the players are more professional, conditions are improved and that at least allows you to compete evenly. Before we couldn’t and now we can.

We have a generation of fantastic footballers. It is not only those 23 players who were at the World Cup but those who stayed home and others who have never been called up. In the past few years, proper infrastructure has been facilitated and the players arrived at the World Cup able to compete. All those talents that are being formed at clubs are at an elite level, independently of who is the manager of the national team. Imagine if things had been done correctly and if we had had adequate leaders a long time ago. We would have been world champions 10 or 15 years earlier.

The problem is not the steps that need to be taken, it’s the ones that are going to be taken. I would like to see things done in a certain way, but I don’t know whether it’s possible or if whoever has the power will do them. But the message from Spanish society is clear. Now it’s the turn of the government, politicians, and corresponding organisations to act. It’s external people that must decide what will happen now and how will we change this.

The footballers and Spanish society have already said what the problem is, we have all seen it and there are no more secrets. People who are in certain positions cannot say: “I didn’t know about it.” Now everyone knows about it. The situation depends on those people who are there to work on doing things the right way. Are they going to remove Rubiales and put someone else similar in? Or will they carry out a structural reform, which is what should be done.

Veró Boquete (left) with Virginia Torrecilla before the Queen’s Cup final in Madrid earlier this year. 

Photograph: JuanJo Martin/EPA

The problem is not if Rubiales leaves or is fired – it is deeper than that. It’s something that we’ve been living and suffering for a long time. It was already the case when I played and it’s still the case with Rubiales, but it’s also all the people who work at the federation.

We saw it in the 30 minutes he spoke last week, where most people were applauding, smiling and positioning themselves in his favour. What we witnessed publicly is what some of us have seen and said privately over many years – well, since for ever really.

When Rubiales spoke in that press conference and said what he did, it seemed surreal. It was embarrassing and shameful. In that moment he allowed the frustration and deception to turn into anger. That is where all the reactions are coming from and that’s when we said, “that’s it, it’s over”.

Veró Boquete won 62 caps for Spain but was not picked again after the 2015 player revolt against the federation. She plays for Fiorentina in Serie A. She was talking to Alex Ibaceta.

The Big Shift: The Decline Of Western Politics (Part I) – OpEd
August 30, 2023 

By Claudio Grass

Those of us who have read and studied political history, who have closely observed its evolution and especially those who have taken note of all the tactics and ploys used over the last couple of decades, will surely not be surprised by any of the findings and ideas I’ll outline in the following analysis.

I would still encourage the reader to read on, though. Because for the majority of citizens, taxpayers, savers and investors, this all might still be “breaking news” and even for those who have considered these points before, it can still inform them of future possibilities they didn’t know were possible or never thought could be.

 
The illusion of choice

From Europe to Australia and to the US, our western democracies, our “enlightened” societies and “advanced” economies, are all fantastically diverse. They have different “origin stories”, different cultural backgrounds and different ways and reasons for emerging and for continuing to exist. Nevertheless, there is one common denominator, a single attribute we all share in our pursuit of the “democratic ideal”.

The whole system is based upon the assumption that we have a choice. This is the core belief that our sociopolitical systems were built on in the first place and the fundamental presupposition that they continue to rely on: the idea that we, as ordinary citizens, as individuals, have a voice.

Through our vote, we can endorse good ideas and reject bad ones. We can choose how we want to begoverned and which set of rules we want to live by. We have a say, we have a seat on the table and we are (at least to some extent) “the masters of our fate, the captains of our soul”, to paraphrase Henley. This is how our system is supposed to work, at least.

Does it really work like that though? Do we really have an actual, meaningful choice? If we think about it seriously, even in the most simplistic terms possible, what does it truly mean in this day and age to have the choice, if that choice is between between “Left” and “Right”? How are these options distinctand what sets them apart? What exactly is the “USP” of these supposedly “polar opposite” alternatives?

The “old Left”

If you were to ask your grandma or even your mother to identify the difference between the political Left and Right, they would most likely converge on one point, and justifiably so, as that point came to define a whole generation and a half:

As they would remember it and as they would describe it: Their Left was anti-war. It was anti-imperialism, anti-expansionism, anti-conformism and, even predominantly anti-statism, since the “State” was at the time (aptly) recognised as an oppressive and misanthropic force. Those Leftists were the “Resistance”, the protectors of weak and the poor and the unfortunate.

They were the pacifists, the flower children and the hippies, the conscientious objectors and the bravest amongst us that protested against State crimes and trespasses that affected people they never met. They were the architects of the counterculture that questioned the State’s propaganda, that abhorred the atrocities of war and objected to the violence against their fellow humans. Indeed, no matter how naive or how childish their economic/fiscal/monetary ideas might have been, the values and priorities of the “old Left” were honourable, benevolent and philanthropic.

Their remedies to all these ills and evils, their solutions of “flower power” and “make love, not war” might seem juvenile, shallow and plain silly to us now. And of course they are. But at least they emerged from a place of human decency and compassion. No matter how misguided and practically counterproductive their “panaceas” were, the problems they identified and focused on were real, urgent and compelling – and most of all, they mainly plagued the weakest amongst us and they devastated their lives the most.

For example, their opposition to the Vietnam war sprang from basic human empathy. Naturally, there were sociopaths and opportunists among the protesters that saw an opening to gain power or to sell some extreme ideology, but the average student holding up a peace sign did for benign reasons. After all, it was the first time that the savagery of war was televised and they were the first generation to actually observe it.

The Left and the Right of the time were exposed to the same images. Many in the Right chose to prioritise their preexisting beliefs, political inclinations and (most cynically) their own interests over the evidence of their own eyes. Yet so many (if not most) members of that “old Left”, even if they were not directly impacted by it, stood up for something else, something other than themselves, something more important, more noble.

In fact, it can be argued that the “Leftie” reaction to these horrors made us all proud to be human. They were shocked and sickened by the true and unedited face of War, they were disturbed by its brutality and shaken to their core by its barbarism. And then were outraged. And then they were enraged. And then, crucially, they realised they could do something about it.

So many of them actually, truly cared – unlikely as it might seem to our cynical eyes today. So they mobilised, they organised, they recruited and they galvanised. And finally, they made a difference. Many of them (the optimist in me would hope “most”) were motivated by human empathy alone – others were radicalised by a toxic, collectivist ideology that was always doomed to crash and burn (just like it did every single time it was tried in real life).

However, there were also those precious few who did not simply follow what “felt right” or what was popular or convenient at the time, but instead made the effort to form their own opinion. They read everything they could have read, they actually doubted and argued and analysed and scrutinised the foundational principles and core tenets of the set of beliefs they eventually chose to adopt and abide by. It is thanks to those precious few that we have our idea of modern debate, of civilised, respectful, yet totally unshackled and unfiltered, real, meaningful dialogue.

Let us “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s”

Many of us might feel that this is a time when the mainstream media, the establishment and the Zeitgeist in general are all hostile towards people who hold conservative values or towards those who simply wish to preserve their historical identity and culture, or even those who merely want to be left alone. And regrettably, all this is most likely true at the moment.

But there was a time when the same was true for the “other side”. There was a time, not so long ago, that speaking out against an unjust and illegitimate war was a “fringe” opinion. There was a time whenfighting for civil rights (aka basic human dignity that today we take for granted) was not popular nor convenient and there was a time when defending the right of women to exist as equals, as sovereign individuals, and not as mere “grateful servants”, was clearly not the mainstream view. It took courage, it took selflessness, it took real grace and actual bravery to publicly embrace these opinions and to stick by them.

And this is why I admire and revere and so sorely miss those good old, decent, honourable “Lefties”. These good people, these true humanists, these hopeless romantics, these indefatigable Don Quixotes. We clashed and we differed in every conceivable way, apart from the only way that really matters. We had nothing in common, save for one thing: our unquestionable, unassailable respect for each other and for our fellow man.

That’s what I love and miss the most about this class of people: Like me, like you, no matter how deeply they believed in their ideas and how much they loved to win an argument, they loved humanity more. They would gladly be proven wrong if that meant that those around them would prosper, just like I could imagine nothing better than to see proof that the egalitarian utopia they envision (where everyone is provided for and nobody has to work anymore because of central planning or resource redistribution or Universal Basic Income or any other equivalent), could actually work for more than a week.

Claudio Grass is a Mises Ambassador and an independent precious metals advisor based out of Switzerland. His Austrian approach helps his clients find tailor-made solutions to store their physical precious metals under Swiss and Liechtenstein law. He is the founder of www.claudiograss.ch and recognized as an expert on monetary history, economics, and precious metals. A financial and economic speaker and publicist. He writes about global markets, international finance, geopolitics, history and economics. Claudio is a passionate advocate of free-market thinking and libertarian philosophy. Following the teachings of the Austrian School of Economics, he is convinced that sound money and human freedom are inextricably linked to each other.

Punjab police foil a new anti-Christian attack over false blasphemy claims


The story unfolded in the village of Dhok Syedan coming close to what happened in mid-August in Jaranwala, where 26 churches and over 200 houses were destroyed, when a convert to Islam tried to extort a Christian family. Strong "latent fears" and a widespread feeling of vulnerability prevail among Christians.



Rawalpindi (AsiaNews) – A bogus accusation of blasphemy made to hide an attempt to extort money almost triggered a new attack against Christians like the one that saw the destruction of over 200 houses and 26 churches in Jaranwala almost two weeks ago.

The unusually quick intervention by police averted another tragedy, but left unresolved the issue of the distorted use of the laws that punish those who desecrate the Qurʾān or insult the Prophet Muhammad.

Such acts are legally punished with life imprisonment or the death penalty but, in several cases, they have led to extrajudicial killings (even in prison) as well as attacks by angry mobs against defenceless people and unprotected targets.

The latest story took place in Dhok Syedan, a village located near Sheikhpur and Mohra Hayat, Rawalpindi (Punjab).

Local sources say that an attempt by a convert to Islam to extort a local family created the conditions that might have led to the destruction of Christian homes.

In order to sow confusion and incite residents, the convert threatened local Christians and urged Muslims to attack properties owned by Christians, most of whom were completely unaware of the blackmail attempt.

In this case, the prompt intervention by police nipped in the bud the threat and prevented a tragedy, but it confirmed once again the urgency of politically and legislatively reforming the blasphemy legislation and addressing its abuse.

The incident also sparked outrage among religious and civil leaders, who slammed the terror in which Christians often live in and stressed the need to improve intercommunal coexistence and harmony.

In an interview, Rev Liaqat Masih, a local Protestant clergyman, said that, “We had already alerted the city management, and their prompt response was vital. Residents are gripped by fear, and many have left their homes as a precautionary measure.”

Federal Human Rights Minister Khalil George visited the village. “Rumours of this nature are designed to incite tension between Muslims and Christians. We must remain vigilant and not succumb to unfounded rumours,” he said.

Police Superintendent Muhammad Waqas Khan was also present; he met with residents stressing that the latter should refrain from reacting to baseless rumours, which can only sow unnecessary panic.

“The harrowing incident in Jaranwala has sent shockwaves throughout the Christian community nationwide,” said Juliet Chowdhry, a trustee with the British Asian Christian Association. This “underscores the latent fears harboured by Christians, who often feel vulnerable.”

“The assertion that Christians should simply disregard baseless rumours is oversimplistic, especially given the existing evidence that underscores the perilous consequences such rumours can entail,” she explained.

“These falsehoods have been shown to inflame radicalised individuals, fanning the flames of intolerance within certain segments of the Muslim population and contributing to an already volatile atmosphere,” she added.

With Democratic control, Michigan's governor pushes for health care and climate change laws

By JOEY CAPPELLETI Associated Press
AUGUST 30, 2023 — 


LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave an outline of Democratic plans for the final months of the year in a speech Wednesday that included calls for funding paid family and medical leave, mandating a 100% clean energy standard and codifying protections ensured by the Affordable Care Act.

The second-term Democratic governor highlighted her policy priorities during a ''What's Next Address,'' following the first half of 2023 that saw the party roll back decades of Republican measures while implementing its own liberal agenda.

''What's next on the fall agenda for Michigan is: the health of our people; the health of our planet; the health of our economy; and the health of our democracy,'' Whitmer said Wednesday in Lansing.

Lawmakers are set to return to the state Capitol Sept. 5 after a two-month summer break. Michigan is one of the few states with a full-time legislative session and Democrats are looking to take advantage of every minute with control of the state House up for grabs next year.

''Our plans are ambitious, but they are achievable. Let's get them done,'' Whitmer said in her speech as legislative leaders looked on.

Michigan Democrats hold a ''trifecta'' — control of the state House, state Senate and the governor's office — for the first time in nearly 40 years and passed numerous long-sought measures in the first eight months of the year, including an 11-bill gun safety package and the repeal of a right-to-work law.

Whitmer has delivered a ''State of the State'' address at the start of each year, as most governors do, but her Wednesday speech ahead of the second half of the legislative session was a first. Democrats passed nearly every measure that Whitmer called for at the beginning of the year and her speech this week could once again provide a roadmap of what's ahead.

As neighboring states continue to tighten restrictions on abortion, Whitmer called for Michigan to further protect reproductive rights. She asked lawmakers to repeal ''politically motivated, medically unnecessary restrictions,'' on the procedure, such as a 24-hour wait period for patients. Voters in the state approved a ballot measure last year that codified abortion rights in the state Constitution.

''With a US Supreme Court stripping away basic rights, we must be proactive about repealing these antiquated state laws,'' Whitmer said.

One of Whitmer's more ambitious priorities was a call for legislation providing paid family and medical leave, which ''77% of Michigan workers do not have access to,'' according to her.

She also wants to pass legislation proactively protecting key provisions included in ''Obamacare," including one that requires insurers to cover preventive services, as the nation's health law continues to face legal challenges in federal court.

Republicans have been critical of a legislative session that they say so far has lacked bipartisanship, with many bills passing along party lines. They were also critical of a $82 billion budget that was approved in June and crafted primarily by Democrats.


Republican state Rep. James DeSana criticized Whitmer in a statement ahead of her speech for taking a ''victory lap'' days after Michigan was hit by multiple tornadoes that killed five people and left hundreds of thousands of customers without power.

Whitmer did not address the continued power outages across the state in her speech but said that the state's utility regulator, the Michigan Public Service Commission, ''needs more tools.''

Manual workers feared robots would take their jobs, soon discovered the robots could save their lives and their income


I spent hours at my desk, day and night, conceiving the robot which came to be known as Bandicoot. I pondered ideas and sketched plans. With every draft, I found myself closer to a solution. My body filled with electricity with every stroke of my pen. Finally, after months of work, the first prototype of a technologically advanced manhole cleaner came into view.

Partho Burman

August 24, 2023

Manhole cleaning remains one of the most dangerous jobs in India. Many lose their lives from accidents, suffocation, and contracting diseases.

 | Photo courtesy of Genrobotics

INTERVIEW SUBJECT

Vimal Govind MK, 28, is the CEO and a product architect of Genrobotics Innovation Pvt. Ltd. He attended Kuttippuram Technical High School up to tenth grade before studying computer science and electronics at a technical high school run by the Human Resources Department in the district of Malappuram. He earned his mechanical engineering degree at MES College of Engineering. Vimal originally wanted to join the Indian Army like his father Manikandan, but saw how engineering could be a way to serve his country. Since starting his company, Vimal has met the UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India’s Minister of Finance talked about Vimal’s device and the use of robots for manhole cleaning in her recent budget speech to the country.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Manhole cleaning in India remains a dangerous job due to the many risks it entails, such as electrical shocks, diseases, chemical drain openers, potential suffocating, and heavy lifting, among others. Bandicoot was created to specifically lower the risk of danger by sending a robot to do the job, controlled by the worker. Since its creation, the company has helped over 3,000 workers in India.

TRIVANDRUM, India — One evening while watching television, I saw a news report about three manual laborers from Kerala who died while cleaning out a manhole. Like we so often see in India, they entered the manhole with no safety equipment and suffocated to death. My heart broke.

While India forbids this kind of work, it continues. The manholes need cleaning and people risk their lives for the income it generates. As an engineer, I wanted to do something. My colleagues Arun George, Nikhil NP, and Rashid Bin Abdulla Khan and I had started Genrobotics and through our work, we began brainstorming ways to build a robot to clean manholes. We wanted to ensure no one would endanger themselves like this again. Today, our firm employs 350 people. We produce 30 to 40 robots each month.
From an idea on a sketch pad to a live prototype, Bandicoot revolutionizes manhole cleaning

I spent hours at my desk, day and night, conceiving the robot which came to be known as Bandicoot. I pondered ideas and sketched plans. With every draft, I found myself closer to a solution. My body filled with electricity with every stroke of my pen. Finally, after months of work, the first prototype of a technologically advanced manhole cleaner came into view. At first, it looked like a rat but morphed into something more like a spider.

Members of the board, my team, and I sat on the edge of our seats as we watched the first test of the prototype. We all felt anxious as we awaited the results. When Bandicoot successfully accumulated a ton of trash, we leapt out of our seats in excitement. We had a lot invested. Bandicoot combines a variety of materials including carbon fiber, basic steel, and aluminum alloys. The prototype cost over a 25 million rupees to make, or over 300,000 U.S. dollars. In total, to make it flawless, we invested over a billion rupees.

When we first introduced workers to Bandicoot, they seemed reserved, anxious, and frightened. They feared the robot would steal their jobs, leaving them with no way to make ends meet. We reassured the workers, “You will still be required to operate the robots.” Hearing our words, they instantly relaxed and became eager to learn.

I felt incredible joy standing there amongst them, talking about the project. I explained the training we would provide and assured them of their job security. Slowly, they began to open up to us.
Bandicoot helps more than 3,000 manual scavengers in India

Once we officially launched the model, a town in Kerala, the same location where the men died in the manhole, implemented the robot. When we heard about these workers using our model for the first time, it warmed our hearts. We aim not only to save lives, but to give the workers a sense of dignity and pride in what they do.

By operating the machines instead of going into the manholes themselves, they no longer put their lives at risk. It takes three people to clean one manhole and those three people can only clean two manholes per day. Bandicoot tackles up to 12 manholes per day, getting the job done quicker and in a safer fashion. Its automated system can finish up a job in less than 45 minutes, even in the worst cases like when a manhole has been neglected for years. When it comes to frequently cleaned manholes, Bandicoot can take minutes.

The Genrobotics team standing next to their prototype. | Photo courtesy of Genrobotics

Seeing so many people embrace our creation felt incredible. Manual scavenging, as it is called in India, is not only dangerous but limiting. A man cannot work consistently, or for an extended period, submerged in water. Bandicoot can operate in any duct without a suction restriction. As it removes debris and obstructions, the water in the sewer system begins to flow naturally.

So far, Bandicoot has helped more than 3,000 manual scavengers in India, improving safety and the quality of their lives. The investment by municipalities breaks even in a year and a half and the robot can live for up to 10 years. It’s beneficial for everyone.

To further our good work, my team started the Genrobotics Foundation as a nonprofit. The foundation’s five-person team can train 15 families, mostly from the sanitation industry. We offer skill development, entrepreneurial training, and provide the tools necessary for them to start their own businesses if they choose to leave their risky jobs behind.

I have given my blood, sweat, and tears to Genrobotics. On the heels of losing my father and seeing my family struggle financially, it offered an incredible outlet and opportunity. Attracting grants and investors afforded us our start and today, with products like Bandicoot, we are saving lives.

Lawyer from Jordan forced to marry her rapist at 15 years old, found refuge in Canada

The knife went through my palm, and I yelled out in pain. Once he saw the blood, he stopped, as if the sigh of it calmed him down. He took me to the nearest pharmacist, but they refused to help. They were scared for me and wanted to call the cops.

Tala Elamine
August 26, 2023

Lana lived in constant fear, imprisoned in her room for months at the hands of her abusive half-brother. After graduating from law school, she escaped to Canada, where she started working in humanitarian law in order to help others in similar situations. | Photo courtesy of Kili Wei on Unsplash

INTERVIEW SUBJECT
The names in the story have been changed to protect the victim.
Lana is a 24-year-old lawyer from Jordan. After graduating from law school, she traveled to Canada to seek refuge from the abusive situation that awaited her back in her home country. She completed her master’s degree in 2021. Today, she remains vocal about social justice and equality through her work and on her social media platforms.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Violence against women is still a major problem in Jordan, with domestic violence, sexual harassment, and honor killings prevalent in some communities. Despite improvements in the status of women in Jordan, more still needs to be done to address gender-based violence and increase women’s engagement in both society and the labor market, according to rights activists.


CANADA — Since my early childhood, great pain and sadness plagued my life. I grew up in Jordan, in a family of nine children, six of whom were my half-siblings. In 2014, at the age of 14, a 26-year-old man I never met before raped me. That horrific moment stayed with me my entire life. My father filed a complaint with the Grand Criminal Court of Oman.

After that, the Family Protection Program placed me in a reconciliation home for a month to keep me safe. After three years of investigation, the Criminal Court convicted my rapist to 20 years in prison. While I felt relieved they put him away, I never recovered from what happened. For years, it set the stage for the abuse I would continue to endure at the hands of my own relatives. While I kept my dreams and ambitions high, my life in Jordan and the constant dangers I faced prevented me from seeing a way out.

I lived in constant fear for my life; a prisoner in my own home

Shortly after the prison sentence, more problems arose. My older half-brother Joseph started emotionally and physically torturing me. He blamed me for the rape I endured, saying I brought shame on our house. He tried to kill me more than once. The first time it happened after school, when he came to pick me up. Though I resisted getting in the car, he forced me in and drove us to our building. Once there, he pulled out a knife and led me to the roof. He attempted to stab me multiple times in the neck. Terrified, I fought back, pushing the blade with my hands.

The knife went through my palm, and I yelled out in pain. Once he saw the blood, he stopped, as if the sigh of it calmed him down. He took me to the nearest pharmacist, but they refused to help. They were scared for me and wanted to call the cops. We immediately got out of there and I alerted my father to what happened, but nothing could be done. My half-brother had very dangerous connections with gangs and threatened to give them my name if any of us talked.

On top of my half-brother’s incessant torture, my parents began to receive threats from the family of the man who raped me. They pressured my father to drop the case and get their son out of prison. When my father refused, they threatened to kidnap my younger siblings and kill them. They even told my parents they would tell everyone I was not a virgin and tarnish our family name. In our country, it saddens me to say that most people still hold outdated misogynistic ideas. They place the blame on women for everything and make our lives hell.

After hundreds of threats, they forced me to marry my own rapist

Their threats continued for months, until finally, they offered my father the chance to marry me off to my rapist so our family name remained intact, and their son would be a free man again. After a lot of pressure, my father agreed, under the condition I would be allowed to divorce him after a month. I felt betrayed, disgusted, and beyond terrified. For days, I struggled to eat, feeling nauseous every time I left my bedroom.

Dark thoughts clouded my mind day and night. A few weeks later, my rapist got out of prison, and we were married. I was 15 years old. Two months later, he divorced me as agreed. About a year later, due to my half-brother Joseph’s constant psychological abuse, I decided to run away from home, but I didn’t know where to go. I ran to a hill near our house and waited. Suddenly, I felt a hand grip my shoulder. I turned to discover Joseph, shouting and angry. He threatened to push me off the top of the hill.

I called for my father, who rushed to where we were, scared of what my half-brother might do to me. While Joseph stood raging, my father took me back home in a hurry. On the walk back, my entire body trembled with fear. After that, Joseph forbade me to leave the house, except to go to school. Everyone in our family feared him, so no one contested his orders. His connections to the Houthi militia in Yemen terrified us.

 
Amidst the constant suffering, I began to forge my own path

I constantly lived in fear for my life. Locked away in my bedroom, I felt like a prisoner, trapped with an abusive man who followed my every move. If anyone else in my family attempted to intervene, he would beat them up, too. He beat up my mother several times, until she became too scared to ever go near him again. I had to defend myself alone.

Our family led a terrible, unhappy life for years due to everything that happened. We were also very poor, which added to the nightmare. I became so depressed I tried to take my own life more than once. Eventually, my parents took me to a psychiatrist. My therapy sessions lasted for five years, up until I graduated high school.

I felt robbed of my childhood and my own identity. Despite studying hard, I struggled to concentrate in school, and failed my tests four times. Still, I felt determined to succeed, seeing it as my ticket out of hell. Every single day, I buried myself in books. I worked diligently until the early morning hours. After a while, I finally graduated and got a scholarship from the German Duffy scholarship program to complete a bachelor’s degree in law. My choice of career stems from a deep love for justice. All I wanted was to help others in the way I wished someone helped me.
Becoming an activist to help others, and finding refuge in Canada

Eventually, I graduated from the college with honors. I received the award for the best litigator in the electoral virtual trial competition of 2020. An American doctor, impressed by my grades, offered to fund my master’s degree. Simultaneously, I starred in various Yemeni television shows such as “What’s There?,” a political series about the suffering of Yemeni women at the hands of terrorist groups. This series touched me deeply, having experienced similar turmoil.

When the show aired, I received countless death threats from Yemeni citizens. I also discovered that many women in fashion and media in Yemen were being detained and tortured in prison, simply for their professions. After I began posting on social media to raise awareness on these issues, my half-brother found me and started threatening me again. That is when I realized I needed to leave Jordan for good. I heard about courses in New York on feminism, and I applied. I was accepted, and even received a U.S. Visa. The World Youth Council covered all the expenses for the trip.

After the course, I traveled to the Canadian border and explained my story to the guards. I asked them for asylum in Canada because I was too terrified to go back home. I knew Canada was the only place I could consider home. All I want is to finally know peace, to achieve my dreams, and work hard to fight for women. I want to continue my work as a volunteer, and to be the best lawyer I can be. While I may never move on from my past, I can choose to let it push me towards good. I can use it to make a positive change in the world and to leave some sort of impact.

First gay rugby club in Latin America creates space in sports for LGBTQ+ community

Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I placed my foot on the grass. The crowd began chanting, and a sense of empowerment filled us. Ciervos Pampas healed so many wounds I carried from childhood, offering me a chance for a fresh start.


Mariela Laksman

ORATO

August 30, 2023
Members of Ciervos Pampas compete in their rainbow socks in rugby tournaments in Latin America. | Photo courtesy of Ciervos Pampas

INTERVIEW SUBJECT
Caio Varela was born in Brazil before moving to Argentina. He has a master’s degree in international relations and law, with extensive experience in management, political science, and policy planning and implementation. He is now the President of Ciervos Pampas, a rugby team that seeks to make people from the LGBTQ+ community more visible within the sport.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Inclusive Rugby was born in November 1995 with the formation of the first ever gay inclusive rugby union, the Kings Cross Steelers RFC. The foundation of the club sparked the beginning of a much larger gay inclusive rugby movement and the eventual creation of the International Gay Rugby Association and Board. There are some 85 inclusive rugby clubs in existence around the world today. Ciervos Pampas is the first LGBTQ+ rugby club in Latin America.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — When I joined the rugby club Ciervos Pampas, every time I stepped onto the field, my body filled with electricity. Upon an anti-xenophobic, anti-racist, and anti-homophobic platform, people began to take notice of club. They looked at the team members and questioned our sexuality. [Ciervos Pampas is the first sexually diverse rugby club in Latin America, committed to the human rights of LGBTQ+ people.]

Soon, they labeled us “the queer team,” but rather than be offended by it, the members of Ciervos Pampas chose to stand proudly, thinking deeply about they message we wanted to convey. So much debate exists in the world of sports. We wanted to create a safe space where everyone felt included. The rugby players do not ask permission to play. We occupy the field regardless. Every step I take toward the goal signifies taking a stand against those who refuse to give us space.

Discriminated against as a child, joining an anti-homophobic rugby team lit up my world

As a young boy, I grew up with a love for sports which followed me into adulthood. Yet, as a gay man, I faced so many obstacles trying out for teams. Long before I understood my sexuality, I felt like the odd one out at school. So often, teachers discourage me from playing. “It isn’t really for you,” they would say. Their energy felt unwelcoming, and I struggled to find my place within the sports I loved.

Ciervos Pampas began as a group of friends passing a rugby ball to one another on the beach, but they slowly assembled a team. Something exciting took place when they moved from the sand to a big practice field. More and more people began to show up.

When they finally held an open call for players, I leapt at the opportunity to join. I felt an eagerness to meet other passionate athletes and quickly, I knew I was home. In my rugby club, it feels like family. We support one another. Before every game, we gather around in our rainbow socks and chant together as a team.

An air of camaraderie and equality floats through the room, motivating us to do our very best when we step on the field. In time, Ciervos Pampas even created educational programming on things like gender identity, sexual orientation, racism, and xenophobia, all within the context of the sport of rugby.

Regardless of our struggles, we remain adamant about changing the tone of the sport

When we played our first official tournament, it felt surreal. We knew we needed more training, but participating filled us with excitement. Historically, the LGBTQ+ community remained excluded. To finally compete amongst incredible players felt freeing. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I placed my foot on the grass. The crowd began chanting, and a sense of empowerment filled us. Ciervos Pampas healed so many wounds I carried from childhood, offering me a chance for a fresh start.

We have lived many intense moments together as a team, including the loss of a dear teammate. Having battled depression for a very long time, at just 22-years-old, our friend took his own life. In the farewell letter he left behind, he said that Ciervos Pampas was one of the best things that ever happened to him. The pain of that loss hit us incredibly hard, and we vowed to honor him with every single game played from that day forward.

Images from Latin America’s first gay Rugby Team | Photos courtesy of Ciervos Pampas

On the field, donning our pink jerseys, blue shorts, and rainbow socks, our identity feels like a revolution. Historically, rugby revolves around sexist and macho ideologies. We fight against that by reinventing the tradition. On our team, we emphasize brotherhood and support. We build our own little healthy rituals, hoping to inspire those around us. After each training, we gather under a tree, start a fire, and cook burgers on the grill.

We invite the opposing team and share a meal and drinks. This enables us to forge connections beyond each other and embrace an even greater diversity. The world of sports is constantly transforming, and being part of that change makes me feel so grateful. Our vision remains simple: to build a place where anyone can do anything they set their heart to, in an environment where no hate is tolerated.

Syrian Refugees and Immigrants Face Intensified Shadow Campaign from Turkish Authorities

Syrian refugees and immigrants claimed that Turkish police officers were exploiting them. Following the May presidential election, authorities have been administering exaggerated document checks.


23/08/2023 - By European Views IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

TRIMMING THE NUMBER OF SYRIAN REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS

Turkey initiated a silent campaign to cut the number of Syrian refugees and immigrants within its borders. The increase came following President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s victorious re-election campaign in May. However, it runs ahead of crucial municipal elections to be held in 2024.

Migration in Turkey has become a primary issue in the past years. Currently, the country accommodates at least 3.6 million Syrians after the war started in their home country. Other migrants including Africans, South Asians, and elsewhere in the Middle East are drawn to Turkey. They are enticed by the high standard of living, and accessibility to the European Nation, considered the greatest destination for most people.

Erdogan wanted to minimise the prevalence of migrants and refugees after the 2019 local elections. It was during this time that opposition parties called upon growing anti-immigrant notions in the region. The displeasure against new arrivals has heightened during a worsening economic situation amid skyrocketing costs and inflation.

One of the many noticeable demonstrations of the newly-implemented anti-immigration policies is the recurrence of police spot checks. Turkish police stop suspected individuals who illegally stay in the country and check the legality of their residency documents.

“After Erdogan promised to send at least one million Syrians back, the interior ministry instructed the police to increase regular checks of relevant documents. A simple mistake, such as the absence of a residency card, can lead to the detention and eventually deportation of a Syrian,” said a source who refused to provide a name.

In May, Erdogan declared to send a million Syrians back to the country’s north. It’s a “safe zone” that the Turkish army and its allies have established.
Voluntary Repatriation or Deportation

Voluntary return was the primary intention of the Turkish government to cut the number of Syrian refugees and other migrants. However, they can face deportation due to technical violations of residency permits.

Syrians must work and live in the city where they registered. Likewise, they must acquire permission to set forth to another city despite a short stay.

Some of these refugees and migrants work in bigger cities like Bursa, Kayseri, or Istanbul. However, most of them work without the necessary authorisation or registration. This is why police organised checkpoints in particular areas, especially where refugees will possibly work.

In July, at least 950 Syrians faced deportation based on the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) data. Between 2016 and 2022, 539,332 returned to their country voluntarily. However, refugees with the correct papers are not being spared from inspection. One Syrian factory worker revealed that they undergo police control at least twice a week and experience mistreatment.

PLANS TO REPATRIATE A MILLION SYRIAN REFUGEES

In the coming year, Turkey will repatriate a million Syrian refugees. Lebanon, on the other hand, started to deport some of them. Even if over half of these refugees in the Middle East want to return to Syria one day, just 1% plan to return in the next year.

International law forbids repatriating refugees against their will. At the same time, persuading Syrian refugees to return voluntarily is a prolonged scheme that might not tangle with normalising the Assad government.

Middle Eastern leaders are stabilising terms with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. They anticipate sending Syrian refugees back to their home country. However, it’s too early to start extraditing the 5.5 million Syrians who fled and escape the war there.

Most refugees wouldn’t want to return because of the ongoing war regardless of headlines and normalisation campaigns. Russians send nonstop airstrikes and other forces continue bombarding the country’s northern half.

Some Islamic State members stayed in Syria and five foreign armies remain active in the region. It includes multiple other forces and mercenary groups. If Syrian refugees return to their home country, what kind of future awaits them, especially the children?

Image Credit: Mstyslav Chernov/WikimediaCommons

Almost Three Quarters of Ireland’s Workforce has Experienced Discrimination

A new survey of Irish workers has revealed that the majority say they have been the victim of and/or have witnessed discrimination at work.

Image by Kate Sade/Via UnSplash/https://unsplash.com/license
24/08/2023 - By Antoinette Tyrrell MEMBER STATE MONITOR

The 2023 Workplace Equality Survey, carried out by the Matrix Recruitment Group reveals that 72% of workers have had discrimination issues in their place of employment. Of those, 20% said they have personally experienced discrimination at work and 32% say they’ve witnessed it. One in five said they have both witnessed and been a victim of discrimination in the workplace.

In its sixth year, the 2023 survey of more than 1,400 adults covers a wide range of workplace issues including discrimination, racism, workplace bullying, and gender pay gaps.

Inequality in relation to pay and age at 30% are the most common forms of discrimination prevalent in the workplace according to the findings, alongside gender discrimination at 25%.

Other types of workplace discrimination experienced or witnessed by respondents include:Discrimination against people with a disability at 17%
Discrimination based on nationality at 16%

Discrimination based on being a member of the traveller community at 14%

Pay transparency is important according to 92% of respondents and in relation to pay discrimination, 44% of respondents said they know a colleague of the opposite sex with the same role and responsibilities who is being paid more than them. Of those, 56% were female.

The Gender Pay Gap Information Act was implemented in Ireland in 2021 and associated regulations require employers to report their gender pay gap each year, and the measures that are being taken to eliminate or reduce the gap. Under the terms of the EU Pay Transparency Directive which came into force earlier this year, employers with 250 or more employees are required to report on their gender pay gap on an annual basis and those with 150 or more employees to report every three years.

In both the 2022 and 2023 Workplace Equality Survey, ageism in the workplace was identified as an issue by 78% of respondents. More than two thirds of those surveyed said that workers over the age of 50 have fewer promotional opportunities then their younger colleagues, a jump of 19 percentage points on last year’s findings.

More than 68% of workers surveyed said that parenthood impacts a woman’s career progression, highlighting the gender bias that prevails in the workplace.

​The sixth Matrix Workplace Equality Survey was conducted online in July 2023 among 1,419 adults working across a broad range of industries, sectors and regions.

Image by Kate Sade/Via UnSplash/https://unsplash.com/license

UN chief warns that rise in global distrust and improvements in nukes are ‘recipe for annihilation’

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 30, 2023

United Nations General Secretary António Guterres addresses a news conference during the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.

 (Themba Hadebe/AP)


UNITED NATIONS — An alarming rise in global distrust and division coupled with efforts by countries to improve the accuracy and destructive power of nuclear weapons is "a recipe for annihilation," the United Nations chief warned Tuesday.

In a statement marking the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that with nearly 13,000 nuclear weapons stockpiled around the world, "a legally binding prohibition on nuclear tests is a fundamental step in our quest for a world free of nuclear weapons."

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty has 196 member states — 186 have signed it and 178 have ratified it, including eight in the last 18 months. But the pact has taken effect because it needs ratification by the eight nations that had nuclear power reactors or research reactors when the U.N. General Assembly adopted the treaty in 1996.

At a high-level meeting of the 193-member assembly to observe the day there was no indication that those eight countries — the United States, China, Egypt, Iran, Israel, North Korea, India and Pakistan — were moving toward ratification.

Iranian diplomat Heidar Ali Balouji said his country "shares the frustration of non-nuclear weapon states against any delays in ending nuclear testing," but he made no mention of ratifying the treaty. He said that "the cornerstone for ridding the world of nuclear threats" rests squarely with countries with nuclear weapons.

U.N. disarmament chief Izumi Nakamitsu told delegates she stood before them "with a sense of urgency" because while the treaty has provided the foundation for "the global taboo against nuclear testing," trends are undermining it.

"The rising tide of nuclear risk threatens to engulf the hard-won gains in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation achieved over the last three decades," she said. "This includes the gains made against the testing of nuclear weapons" which has been done only by North Korea in the 21st century.

Robert Floyd, head of the U.N. nuclear test ban treaty organization, said, "Globally we're facing challenging, worrying times." But, he added, "Momentum towards universality is increasing: Recently, both Somalia and South Sudan made public commitments to sign and ratify the treaty."

The Netherlands' U.N. ambassador, Yoka Brandt, speaking on behalf of 28 mainly Western nations, said it is of "vital importance and urgency" to have the treaty enter into force.


Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its "threats of nuclear use and testing seriously undermine" and negatively affect disarmament and nuclear nonproliferation efforts, he said.

The group, where the United States is an observer, also condemned North Korea's six nuclear tests since 2006 "in the strongest terms" and expressed deep concern that Pyongyang is reportedly preparing for a seventh test, Brandt said.

European Union Charge d' Affaires Silvio Gonzato said Russia's announcement of its readiness to conduct a nuclear test is inconsistent with its ratification of the treaty, "and risks undermining confidence in the treaty in these turbulent times."

The EU also demands that North Korea comply with U.N. Security Council sanctions banning any nuclear testing, saying that the North "cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear weapon state," Gonzato said.

The date to protest nuclear testing commemorates the closing of the former Soviet Union's nuclear test site at Semipalatinsk, now part of Kazakhstan, on Aug. 29, 1991.

Kazakhstan's U.N. ambassador, Akan Rakhmetullin, reminded the world's diplomats that following the first atomic bomb detonation in 1945, "at least eight nations have carried out a total of 2,056 nuclear tests, around one-quarter of them in the atmosphere, causing severe long-term harm and suffering to humanity and the entire planet."

Kazakhstan is "extremely anxious" over increasing geopolitical tensions, threats to use nuclear weapons and "the trend towards nuclear sharing, which can lead to further proliferation and weapons accumulation," he said.

Ambassador Teburoro Tito of the tiny Pacific island nation of Kiribati said the United States and Britain carried out 33 nuclear tests on Kiritimati, its atoll also known as Christmas Island, in the 1950s and 1960s.

The tests left a "tragic legacy" for the atoll's 500 residents who received little protection, Tito said. Many complained afterward of untreatable illnesses and health complications, "most of which resulted in death," he said. There were numerous cases of cancer, congenital disabilities and abnormalities with newborn babies, he said.

Tito urged the U.S. and United Kingdom to support citizens of Kiritmati who "continue to suffer from not only physical medical problems caused by radiation exposure, but also post traumatic and intergenerational harm from these weapons of mass destruction."