Ethics and Companies: Heading Human rights

L ’ hope democratic of Algerian youth

Samya Ramdane

In spite of an Algerian associative activism in full rise, the social situation and policy remain alarming: refractory leaders with the popular requests, rigid police force and people mined by the need for living suitably. Since the access to the presidency of Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 1999, although there was a fall of the islamist presence, the country remains source of internal tensions and criticisms on its interior policy. Human rights and democratic respect in line of sight, association RAJ has militated in this direction for 15 years.

L ’ Algérie seems well to go. It benefits D ’ a blaze from the oil prices whose barrel has not passed any more to the lower part of the 50 American dollars for several years. Strong of its hydrocarbons, it is placed in good posture on a market which prepares its energy following days. Politically, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika (FLN – Front of National Release) posts since his first election in 1999 the will D ’ to be a showpiece on L ’ international political chessboard. He refines his relations with L ’ OMC (World Trade organization), L ’ European Union or his neighbors African. In parallel, L ’ Algerian State seems all to put in œ uvre to make forget the bloody episodes related to the terrorist attacks of the Nineties: a voluntarist control of which the goal is a final return to calm and with peace. D ’ an external point of view, L ’ Algérie is thus on an ascending slope and is raised with brilliance of its last misfortunes. Nevertheless, last May the Western mediums underlined a weak participation in the legislative elections and a disengagement of the Algerians towards their political representatives. That S ’ would explain by a social situation in crisis, in particular due to a very high unemployment rate, in particular in the young people (approximately 65% of the population have less than 30 years and according to the official figures published by the ONS – the National office of the Statistics - the unemployment rate of the young people in January 2007 would be of 31%).

Since the black years of terrorism, the Algerians are on the breach. Sometimes being wary, they keep a œ it on the government actions, remain aguerris, critical and claim an interior stability. However, a good portion of the new generation of less than 30 years it having also faced the islamist devastations S ’ proves, it, more individualistic, in the search of this happiness spangles diffused with excess on television. Dreams in Technicolor qu ’ one always does not offer to them. On the spot, L ’ association RAJ (Gathering – Actions – Jeunesse) S ’ is precisely formed on this report that the Algerian population, youth at the head, since the Nineties are brinquebalée between pains, violences, promises, waitings and frustrations.

Young people in the middle of the debris

Following the legislative elections of 1992, which place at the 1st turn DID it (Islamic front of the Hello) with the capacity, some young people in France and Algeria S ’ worry about the lack D ’ information on the democratic theories near the young people, in particular in the popular quarters. It then seems necessary and urgent to their eyes to create an organization carried by young people, for young people, who is national, and independent of any political supervision. So D ’ to obtain L ’ approval of the Ministry of L ’ Intérieur, she N ’ announces officially qu ’ a side of her activities: cultural and social. But D ’ other values found their identity. RAJ and its 22 first “enRAJé (E) S” form then one of the first associative movements militant for the respect of the human rights, the democracy and justice. Voluntary and militant come from the popular quarters, the colleges, the universities … Soutenus by foreign foundations, their building sites D ’ action and of reflexion S ’ extend with the passing of years with for leitmotiv free Algeria in acts and thoughts. To announce its arrival, L ’ organization goes up, on May 3, 1993, one day devoted to freedom D ’ expression and of the press. In the same spirit, RAJ democratizes as of 1995 the universities D ’ be and tackles often left questions suspends of it such freedom, the rights of L ’ man, pluralism, L ’ independence, L ’ history … Of the political directors national and international are invited. The journalists cover these new platforms D ’ expression.

Conferences and public meetings in the districts and the schools of the country make it possible to sensitize people with the problems of the human rights. The network of voluntary S ’ fabric, becomes denser and more credit on the territory. High-school pupils go even further. They assert and obtain L ’ posting obligatory of the Universal declaration of the rights of L ’ Homme in all the police stations. In parallel, concerts, exposures and meetings S ’ organize successfully. L ’ association is pointed out little by little by the authorities following the installation D ’ events symbolically strong the such National Day of the Rights of L ’ Humain or the Day of the Woman. Beyond the institutions which block sometimes L ’ access to the meeting rooms, the members of L ’ association are subjected to police interpellations and recurring interrogations at the time of gatherings organized in the street.

On the base of the movements D ’ Octobre 88

Shortly after them its creation, RAJ founds one day of annual commemoration not to forget L ’ dash democratic D ’ Octobre 1988. True reference in L ’ spirit of enRAJé (E) S, these last movements constitute one of the keystones of their actions. This celebration makes regularly L ’ object D ’ prohibitions and of repressions by the forces of L ’ order. The night of October 4, 1988, of the riots burst in the streets D ’ Algiers. They extended gradually on all the territory and had as a claim a change of the political system. In the absence of the resignation of the President of L ’ time Chadli Bendjedid, a true upheaval of the Constitution took place: authorization of the multi-party system, creation D ’ a private press, enabling of the associative movements … Victoire paid at the price of blood: the violence of the confrontations marked these days D ’ Octobre. Several hundreds of people were killed by L ’ armed, D ’ others wounded, tortured … Whereas these movements marked a rupture with the policy of the country, aujourd ’ today still we are vis-a-vis délitement relations between L ’ State and the people.

Hakim Addad, general secretary of RAJ explains us why since situation N ’ did not evolve/move much: “L ’ state D ’ urgency set up in February 1992 and which should be voted every six months is still in progress aujourd ’ today. C ’ is an anticonstitutional practice preventing the associative actions by prohibiting L ’ access to the meeting rooms and by blocking the formation of new political parties D ’ opposition by a slowness D ’ attribution D ’ authorizations. Moreover, apart from the official trade union affiliated with the mode, all other trade unions known as autonomous N ’ did not receive L ’ approval of the capacity and are thus not regarded as interlocutors in the social dialogues. This N ’ is not all: since 2001, it is also interdict to assemble street demonstrations. ”

A sad report of the “democratic” situation Algerian which despite everything these publicity campaigns does not touch the population completely. To fight from day to day to nourish its family, to look after themselves, place themselves and especially work the first concerns represent. Alignment on the great international and historical values of the respect of the human rights and justice will thus pass by youth, lifeblood of the nation, which must definitively become aware that the country will not evolve/move without them.