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April 23, 2010
UNICEF offers apology
Organization’s logo appeared on a PA hate ad.
RHONDA SPIVAK
Palestinian Media Watch recently revealed that an advertisement by a United Nations-funded Palestinian youth organization on official Palestinian Authority television showed an axe destroying a Star of David.
The United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) logo appeared on the bottom left of the ad. The large Star of David being destroyed had on it pictures of stars and stripes, presumably representing the United States, and an additional smaller Star of David, presumably representing Israel.
The advertiser, Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights Activation (PLAYARA), has been funded by UNICEF since 2000. PLAYARA’s website indicates that “PYALARA is registered as an NGO at the Palestinian Ministry of Interior Affairs” and that “PYALARA has been chosen by UNICEF as a major strategic partner in Palestine.” Since December 2000, PYALARA has produced a weekly two-hour television program called Speak Up. An average of 300,000 Palestinian children and teenagers watch every episode.
On the axe in the ad is the word “Boycott!” in the imperative tense and the show itself started, “The program Speak Up has decided to dedicate this program to a theme which is a national obligation upon each of us – the topic of boycotting Israel in all ways.” (PA TV, March 21, 2010)
The ad read that Speak Up is “produced in cooperation with PBC [PA TV] with the support of UNICEF.”
When this writer brought this advertisement to the attention of UNICEF, it wasn’t more than a day before UNICEF issued a condemnation of PYALARA.
In a statement dated March 23, UNICEF president in New York Caryl M. Stern denounced the “incorrect use of the UNICEF logo.” Stern wrote, “UNICEF does not endorse the use of violent imagery and abhors the inappropriate use of its logo to suggest otherwise.... UNICEF was not consulted by PYALARA about the use of its logo in a poster announcing a youth broadcast and it condemns the use of its logo to imply endorsement of political opinions. Neither the poster, nor the television program it advertises, reflect UNICEF’s policies or its views. UNICEF’s partnership agreement with PYALARA ended in January 2010.”
In the statement, Stern added, “Standard agreements with partners require prior approval in writing for the use of the UNICEF brand. PYALARA did not follow this process and UNICEF approval was not sought or granted.... Prior to this, UNICEF had worked with PYALARA from 2000 to provide children and young people with a forum to voice their ideas and reach out to their peers. UNICEF’s support was for media training, video documentation and peer-to-peer counseling, both in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
“Until this year, UNICEF provided approximately $100,000 US a year to PYALARA. In light of the latest development, UNICEF will be carefully reviewing any proposed future partnerships with PYALARA.”
On being contacted by the <I>Independent<P>, Emily Milroy, spokesperson for the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), wrote that CIDA’s disbursement to UNICEF in the fiscal year 2007/2008 was $148 million, and went down to $131 million in 2008/2009. When asked whether CIDA has ever funded or had any dealings with PYALARA, Milroy responded, “In 2004-05, CIDA provided direct funding to PYALARA ($54,500) through the Canada Fund. CIDA has not directly funded PYALARA since then.”
Regarding the PLAYARA advertisement that was run, Milroy said, “CIDA does not condone any activity that promotes the hatred of one group against another. CIDA takes this matter very seriously. CIDA is not currently providing direct or indirect funding to PYALARA.”
Rhonda Spivak is a Winnipeg freelance writer and editor of the Winnipeg Jewish Review.
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