Tangled Webs

It's a little hard to make sense of some of the things that happen under the guise of protection of human rights. Perhaps not all that surprising, since human beings find it exceedingly difficult to be truly non-involved, neutral and objective. Everyone has their biases, and unfortunately those who are tasked to be the most humanitarian-unbiased find it no simpler to leave their distinctive sense of discrimination behind than do most people.

And that seems to have been the case with former human rights bureaucrat Remy Beauregard, recently expired. Due, many would have it - and on the evidence that might seem to be a logical conclusion - to his furious exasperation at the turn events took, when his decisions as president of Rights and Democracy, a Government of Canada-funded NGO, were brought into question.

Mr. Beauregard was noted to have been present at an Arab League conference on freedom of association in 2008, a peculiar attendance for one dedicated to upholding human rights when it is rather well known that many Arab and Muslim countries are somewhat lax in their own observance of human rights.

A government appointed board member, chairman Aurel Braun and two other members of the board of the NGO, sent a critical evaluation of Mr. Beauregard's position to the Privy Council, alleging that Mr. Beauregard's actions in approving three grants totalling $30,000 to three groups critical of Israel, one located in the West Bank, one in Gaza, another in Israel without seeking the approval of the entire board represented a lack of professionalism.

Rights and Democracy board chairman, Mr. Braun, raised legitimate concerns with respect to the inadequacies of Mr. Beauregard's leadership. The evaluation stressed the need for "accountability and transparency" to the organization, along with tighter financial controls.
Mr. Beauregard was incensed when he discovered he was being criticized, claiming the allegations levelled against him represented "differences of opinion on specific political or policy issues."

That they were, along with a question respecting the balanced vision of Mr. Beauregard's professionalism. At a board meeting of the NGO, two distinct factions emerged; one which was critical of Mr. Beauregard's leadership, the other which defended him with honour and vigour. The exchange of opinions and the denunciations became so heated that they led to several resignations.

And, in the final analysis, likely led to Mr. Beauregard's death of a heart attack, immediately following the meeting.