Turkey: Supporting Mosul from the sidelines
At the moment Turkey is supporting forces forming to retake Mosul from IS by assisting America to train and equip Syrian rebel forces in Turkey, strengthening border security and upgrading discussions with the international coalition. Turkey also has influence among the Sunni Arab tribes of Mosul and other Sunnis, which allows it to collect human intelligence. A Turkish security official requesting anonymity said, ‘1.3 million people live in Mosul, at least 300,000 people will escape toward the Turkish border. We have to get ready for this potentially massive wave of immigration. Sadly Turkey is not at all ready for this serious issue.’ Another Turkish intelligence official said that Turkey is the only country with considerable influence with all Mosul tribes and other Sunni Arabs; and Turkey could easily be an intermediary, talking to all the parties and potentially achieving results with minimum bloodshed.
Switzerland: Geneva - Supporting the Human Rights of Christians
Part of a statement released at the 28th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on the 13 March said, ’The Middle East is living in a situation of instability and conflict. The consequences are disastrous for the entire population of the region. The existence of many religious communities is seriously threatened. Christians are now especially affected. These days even their survival is in question. Efforts to build a better future for all are frustrated. We witness a situation where violence, religious and ethnic hatred, fundamentalist radicalism, extremism, intolerance, exclusion, destruction of the social fabric of whole societies and communities are becoming the features of a non-viable political and social model, endangering the very existence of many communities, the Christian community in particular. We are confident that, all civic and religious leaders in the Middle East, will join us in addressing this alarming situation by building together a culture of peaceful coexistence. In our globalised world, pluralism is an enrichment.
Turkey: Supporting Mosul from the sidelines
At the moment Turkey is supporting forces forming to retake Mosul from IS by assisting America to train and equip Syrian rebel forces in Turkey, strengthening border security and upgrading discussions with the international coalition. Turkey also has influence among the Sunni Arab tribes of Mosul and other Sunnis, which allows it to collect human intelligence. A Turkish security official requesting anonymity said, ‘1.3 million people live in Mosul, at least 300,000 people will escape toward the Turkish border. We have to get ready for this potentially massive wave of immigration. Sadly Turkey is not at all ready for this serious issue.’ Another Turkish intelligence official said that Turkey is the only country with considerable influence with all Mosul tribes and other Sunni Arabs; and Turkey could easily be an intermediary, talking to all the parties and potentially achieving results with minimum bloodshed.
Christian businesses fighting the sex trade
Every night in Sonagacchi, in India, more than 10,000 women stand in line waiting to be picked up for sex. Many of them were trafficked into prostitution. But now Freeset, a Christian business, has bought a building that will transform India's most infamous sex district. The 20,000-square-feet Gateway building is situated at the front of the red light district, but it will not be turned into more brothels where probably 1,000 women would be working. The new space will give Christian businesses the opportunity to employ women and free them from sexual slavery. One of the biggest issues facing those who want to start businesses in Sonagacchi is a lack of space. The Gateway building would act as a business incubator, gradually helping more and more freedom businesses to start and so providing an increasing number of opportunities for Sonagacchi's women.
