Word: nordmann
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...amphitheater. BANGKOK Situated about 40 km southwest of Bangkok, Khok Kham is home to a great number of shorebirds, drawn by the area's mud flats as well as the salt pans at the nearby fishing port of Samut Sakhon. Look out for the spoon-billed sandpiper and Nordmann's greenshank, both classified as globally threatened. A log book at the local Bird Centre contains reports of sightings and current locations of nests...
...simpler matter than joining the E.U. And a "no" vote, proponents say, would shut Switzerland out of global decision making and undercut its role as a diplomatic mediator. "In a world where image is very important, we would be seen as selfish and arrogant," says Fran?ois Nordmann, the Swiss ambassador to international organizations. "It's time to have our say, to take responsibility, to share the burden carried by other nations...
...When the organization first came to Geneva in 1946, postwar fear of communism was rife and the cautious Swiss decided to stay outside. In a 1986 referendum, 76% of voters rejected membership; distrust of the Soviets, as well as political squabbles between superpowers, was blamed for the defeat. Today, Nordmann says, "the international environment is different and the U.N is different. We can no longer hide behind the shield of neutrality...
...approved a controversial initiative allowing Swiss troops on peacekeeping missions to carry weapons, despite SVP's cries that such a move would compromise the country's neutrality. The government is hoping the same open-minded attitude will lead to a "yes" vote on March 3. "If it doesn't," Nordmann says, "the world would not understand why we insist on keeping our head buried in the sand." Given Switzerland's geography, that is particularly hard...