Swiss Abroad

Swiss help peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo

This content was published on Jan 20, 2002 The 160 mostly unarmed Swiss volunteers who make up the “Swisscoy” mission in the Serbian province provide mainly logistical support and help in reconstruction efforts. The pioneer platoon is made up of civilians serving with Swiss militia army. Swiss neutrality means they cannot play an active role in peacekeeping, and they have to be protected…

Swiss Politics

Sudanese factions sign ceasefire agreement

This content was published on Jan 19, 2002 The agreement was reached on the sixth day of talks between representatives of the Sudanese government and members of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and were mediated by both Swiss and United States officials. Joseph Bucher, Switzerland’s special envoy for conflict management and head of the Swiss team, described the deal as a “significant…

Swiss Politics

Poverty and gender gap strains Eastern Europe

This content was published on Jan 18, 2002 This year the theme for the one day conference was, “Tradition and Change; Emerging Tensions in Eastern Europe”. HEKS; which supports aid projects all over the world on behalf of Switzerland’s Protestant church, invited local representatives from a variety of Eastern European projects to Zurich to talk about their work and their lives. Armin Rieser,…

Swiss Politics

Polls show Swiss still divided over UN

This content was published on Jan 17, 2002 One of the polls, conducted by the MIS-Trend Institute in Lausanne, shows that 57.3 per cent of Swiss citizens are for UN membership. However, there were more ambiguous findings from a second poll by the Zurich-based GfS Research Institute, which showed that only 50 per cent of the electorate would vote to join the UN.…

Swiss Politics

Great and good join forces to promote integration

This content was published on Jan 15, 2002 Intralink aims not only to help foreigners get to grips with life in Switzerland, but also to allay Swiss fears about foreigners and to assist them in understanding other cultures. The initiative has being endorsed by the four parties in government, as well as business, churches, and organisations representing the interests of foreigners in Switzerland.…

Swiss Politics

Swiss mediated Sudan talks focus on ceasefire

This content was published on Jan 15, 2002 Sudanese government officials and members of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army, (SPLA), are attending the week-long meeting, which is being mediated by both United States and Swiss officials. Joseph Bucher, Switzerland’s special envoy for conflict management, is heading up the Swiss team. On Monday the Swiss Foreign Ministry said no statement of the negotiations would…

Swiss Politics

Right wing party attacks government’s UN campaign

This content was published on Jan 12, 2002 During a party conference, Ueli Maurer accused the government of trying to influence the nationwide vote on UN membership on March 3 with tax incentives. He called this practice a major lapse in the cabinet’s policies and accused the government of manipulating the people’s opinions with public money. “Such practices will kill our direct democracy,”…

Swiss Politics

ICRC furious at being dragged into UN vote campaign

This content was published on Jan 12, 2002 “We absolutely refuse to be used in any way as an argument in this campaign,” said ICRC spokesperson, Antonella Notari An “outraged” ICRC said it “noted the abusive references made to its name, emblem and activities” in a poster circulated by the Federal Committee for a Neutral, Sovereign and Democratic Switzerland, which is campaigning for…

Swiss Politics

Swiss expatriates keen on e-voting

This content was published on Jan 10, 2002 The Organisation for the Swiss Abroad has expressed disappointment about Wednesday’s cabinet decision. But the head of the organisation, Rudolf Wyder, said he understood the concerns presented by e-voting. “There are technical difficulties to be solved, it is relatively costly and there is the problem of security of the votes, which have to tackled.” But…

Swiss Politics

Asylum seekers on the rise in Switzerland

This content was published on Jan 8, 2002 According to the Federal Office for Refugees, the number of people seeking asylum last year in Switzerland rose by 3,052, to stand at 20,663. Officials said the increase was probably due to tougher economic conditions pushing migrants to seek a better life in European countries. Nearly 17 per cent of requests for refugee status –…

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Swiss help peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo

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Sudanese factions sign ceasefire agreement

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Poverty and gender gap strains Eastern Europe

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Polls show Swiss still divided over UN

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Great and good join forces to promote integration

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Swiss mediated Sudan talks focus on ceasefire

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Right wing party attacks government’s UN campaign

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ICRC furious at being dragged into UN vote campaign

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Swiss expatriates keen on e-voting

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Asylum seekers on the rise in Switzerland

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