sarah milburn: crisis in darfur leaks into chad...

sarah milburn knows a good deal about that which she is speaking these days...milburn is one of amnesty international's country specialists for chad which is on the western border of the sudan where where the crisis stricken region of darfur is located..

what is a country specialist??? according to amnesty international they,

monitor the political situation in a country or region, collaborate with researchers at the International Secretariat in London, work closely with the members of AIUSA in developing and implementing strategies to promote human rights actions in relevant countries and serve as spokespersons for the organization.

she is advocating for us -that's you and me - to take action to urge chad to accept peacekeepers to protect civilians...

why??? because amidst the crisis of killing, famine, rape, and torture that defines darfur the chadian government is failing in its duty to protect civilians in eastern chad even in the wake of another massacre on march 30th in the villages of tiero and marena in western darfur...

it's so easy to take this action - i recommend you send both the e-mail and print out the letter version (and mail it ASAP), and hell, even fax a copy to ambassador mahamoud adam bechir of chad while you're at it...

you can do it in the time it'd take you sip down a glass of chardonnay or finish a cool sam adams - in fact you can do both at the same time...

so copy this post (or pimp it) and get others to take action with you and thank you...

here's sarah's full letter to me...

peace out <3

Dear Randy,

I am writing you today to ask for your help in protecting civilians in eastern Chad, as well as Darfur.

The Government of Chad must immediately admit UN peacekeepers to protect civilians in eastern Chad. Hundreds of unarmed civilians were killed on and around March 30 in the villages of Tiero and Marena, in the Dar Sila region of eastern Chad. These deaths were only the latest of thousands related to the conflict in Darfur, which has spread to eastern Chad, causing a regional human rights crisis. An estimated 120,000 people have been forced from their homes in eastern Chad, some of whom have been desperate enough to seek refuge in Darfur.

The Chadian government is failing in its duty to protect civilians in eastern Chad. Past assurances to the contrary, Chad's President Idriss Deby has recently said he would agree to only UN police, not UN peacekeepers with the resources and mandate capable of protecting civilians from attack. UN peacekeepers should be authorized to protect civilians in eastern Chad, as well as Darfur.

Thousands of Amnesty supporters have recently sent messages, placed calls and made in-person visits to Congress to tell their elected officials that they must do everything in their power to get UN peacekeepers into Darfur. But we must also press for the same protections for displaced Darfuri and Chadian civilians in eastern Chad. Please join our efforts by taking action today.

Sincerely,

Sarah Milburn
Chad Country Specialist
Amnesty International USA

who suffers shocking rates of rape???

and why's a good question too...

according to a new amnesty international report, native american and alaska native women in the united states suffer disproportionately high levels of rape and sexual violence, yet the federal government has created substantial barriers to accessing justice....native american and alaska native women are more than 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than other women in the usa...

check this - one in three native american and alaska native women will be raped in their lifetime ... 1 in every three!!!

and who's committing these heinous sex crimes??? in at least 86 per cent of the reported cases of rape or sexual assault against american indian and alaska native women, survivors report that the perpetrators are non-native men...

"Native women are brutalized at an alarming rate, and the United States government, a purported champion of women's rights, is unfortunately contributing to the problem," said Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA (AIUSA). "It is disgraceful that such abuse even exists today. Without immediate action, an already abysmal and outrageous situation for women could spiral even further out of control. It is time to halt these human rights abuses that have raged unfettered since this country was founded."

take action here, yes you, right now...

to watch a slide show - maze of injustice - click here...

you can download a pdf of the full report too...

stop violence against women - all women...

peace out <3

if you don't succeed in killing the first 5 times then try, try again...

from the diaries of the tennessee dude...

for the entirety of my tenure at the tennessee coalition to abolish state killing the state of tennessee sought to kill philip workman ... five times they set execution dates, once coming within 37 minutes of taking his life...and yet this case is infected with perjured testimony, police misconduct, withheld evidence, and a former medical examiner who was under indictment by federal authorities all making it clear that with more than reasonable doubt and a verdict and/or sentence renounced by five jurors that workman should, but has never, receive a new trial...

the video below outlines key issues that make it clear that lt. ronnie oliver was tragically shot by friendly fire while responding to the robbery of a wendy's restaurant in memphis, tn...a robbery workman has always acknowledged he committed...and that workman should not have been eligible for the death penalty according to tennessee law at the time of oliver's tragic death...

the video also includes oliver's daughter's plea for reducing workman's death sentence to life in prison - an appropriate punishment for the crime he actually committed...

click on these links for detailed information on the case related issues of perjury, official coercion of an "eyewitness" who did not see the shooting to perjure himself, judicial prejudice making a mockery of due process, a state medical examiner clearly confusing his role as relates to science and the role of others in judicial review, and the upholding of a district court judge's order that stayed workman's last execution date in september 2004...

a full accounting of the case and action request from amnesty international is available here...




peace out <3

r.e.m. covers lennon for darfur...

my man larry cox, the very intense and very cool executive director at amnesty international usa, sent this letter to me and because i'm so crazy for john lennon and the access that yoko has given amnesty to his musical treasure trove that i'm giving it up to you...

oh, and when i lived in athens ga from 78' - 85' i met michael, peter, mike, and bill - the r.e.m. dudes (and even hung at the old church where they practiced next to rick the printer's shop where i apprenticed for $1 and hour - or was that a day? - and ll the espresso and cheap yugoslavian red i could drink) - and my claim to fame with the rock n' roll hall of fame boys??? i told them,

"you're okay but i don't see you going any where,"

... ahhhhhhh, my bad...

but hey, remember --- instant karma's gonna get you...

here's larry's letter... peace out <3>

--------------------------------------------

Dear Human Rights Advocate,

Some things just go together – peanut butter and jelly, fireworks and the 4th of July, Laverne and Shirley. And let's not forget about music and human rights.

Throughout time, people and communities have leveraged their voices, instruments, lyrics and performance to pursue ideals of justice, freedom, and courage – and to confront and defeat danger and persecution.

Today more than 50 musical artists have joined our most recent international effort that harnesses the power of music to inspire and mobilize millions around the world to act and stand up to end the mass-scale violence taking place in Darfur, Sudan.

Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur – benefiting Amnesty International’s human rights work – will feature iconic songs by John Lennon recorded by an array of best-selling artists including Green Day, Christina Aguilera, Snow Patrol, The Postal Service and many more. The full album will be available in June, but you can get a sneak preview by downloading two advance songs by artists R.E.M and Los Lonely Boys available now on iTunes.

Don’t just read about our first two track releases – download them and hear for yourself why they are getting so much buzz.

R.E.M. – recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – performs Lennon’s "#9 Dream." With drummer Bill Berry back for this one recording, it marks the first time the entire band has been in the studio together since Berry retired in 1997. Download the song.Roots rock sensations Los Lonely Boys perform Lennon’s "Whatever gets you through the night." They dub their own sound as Texican Rock and Roll and bring a whole new perspective to the John Lennon classic. Download the song.

I'm so proud to kick start this campaign and call attention to the groundswell of Amnesty-led events and actions to help end the catastrophe in Darfur. To find out more about our campaign and our work visit www.instantkarma.org.

Almost 20 years ago, Amnesty made history with our Human Rights Now concerts – calling attention to human rights abuses around the world. With your enthusiasm and support, we will recapture the world’s attention through music and channel the momentum to help end the dire human rights crisis happening in Darfur.

Sincerely,

Larry Cox

Executive Director

leo dicaprio, conflict diamonds, and...us...

so last evening our local amnesty chapter hosted a screening of the leo dicaprio, djimon hounsou, jennifer connelly feature movie blood diamond and i gotta tell ya it's a pretty damn good movie...dicaprio plays a modern day sydney carton character (tale of two cities) who redeems himself pretty well albeit hollywood style...

unfortunately conflict diamonds are still driving violence, especially in sierra leone, sudan, and angola, and there remains over 300,000 children soldiers involved in these conflicts...and that's the saddest aspect of this particular human rights crisis marring the african continent...

so before the movie i took a few moments to send an online letter to my federal rep and senator (and printed out letters for the attendees to sign and mail) and already received this response from representative jim cooper (d), 5th congressional district tennessee:

April 25, 2007

Mr. tn_dude
Nashville, Tennessee 37216

Dear Mr. Dude:

Thanks for getting in touch with me about your concerns with the trade in conflict diamonds. I agree that it is important to recognize the relationship between high-value, easily extracted resources-including diamonds-and the funding of armed groups in many developing nations. This problem is especially acute in Africa, where long-running conflicts in Sierra Leone and Congo are fueled by money from the illicit trade in diamonds. In addition to the millions of deaths and human rights violations produced by these conflicts, these wars threaten to create large, ungoverned areas of Africa where terrorist organizations could thrive. These lawless areas are a direct threat to every American's security, and it is critical that the United States take steps to end these conflicts.

I strongly support the Kimberly Process to control the illicit trade of diamonds, and I look forward to passage of legislation by Congress to implement appropriate international trade controls. I appreciate your concerns on this important issue. If you have further concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me in the future.

Sincerely,

Jim Cooper
Member of Congress

if you're reading this letter you have time to learn more about conflict diamonds and to take action here, doncha'???

peace out <3

on tibet, nepal, and human rights education...

i found this letter from sonam dolker, a sophomore at international high school at laguardia, queens, ny quite interesting -- i hope that you do to, and check out amnesty international's human rights education page when you're done...

peace out <3

I am a third generation refugee from Tibet. My grandparents from my dad's side came to Nepal to seek refuge and gave birth to my dad and uncles in Solukhumbu, Nepal. My grandmother from my mom's side came to Nepal because her parents had arranged a marriage for her with a Nepalese trader from Taplejung, Nepal. However, they all came to Nepal to get away from the human rights atrocities in Tibet that were being committed by the Chinese government. Such human rights atrocities included the targeting of monks, nuns, freedom fighters and of anyone else who would hang a picture of H.H., the Dalai Lama on their wall. Even those who celebrated Lhosar, the Tibetan new year and the most important festival of the year were eligible for arbitrary arrests, severe torture and even mass murder by the authorities. Tibetans were being oppressed by the communist government of China who had annexed Tibet in the late 1950s with the world hardly even noticing. Many Tibetans sought refuge and became citizens of neighbouring countries such as Nepal, India, Bhutan and many more. Those who were lucky enough to escape unscathed, opened up various businesses such as carpet businesses in their new host countries. My mother and father resettled here in the United States for opportunities that Nepal couldn't offer. I followed to America 7 years later.

I have to admit that in all those years I spent happily in Nepal, never did I once think of Tibet. I couldn't care the least about Tibet. I thought of Tibet as my grandparent's country and of Nepal as my parents and my country. This notion that I had was the same notion that all my Tibetan and Nepalese peers had. I was born in Nepal, so Nepal is my country. I didn't think much of Tibet and didn't know or explore about the human rights side to what had happened to my people. I didn't know about the religious rights side to it either. Among all the countries that host Tibetans, Nepal has probably been the most unwilling. It doesn't allow any free Tibet activities and even the display of H.H. the Dalai Lama's picture in public is offensive to the government. All this 'hush hush' in Nepal about Tibet is because of its poor economy and its dependence on China for much financial backing. In private schools, they teach us the Tibetan language and history of Tibet from centuries ago but not the current situation in Tibet or about the struggle for freedom that is occurring today. This lack of activism regarding Tibet, the lack of awareness in the Tibetan population of Nepal, takes away the potential next generation of activists and change makers.

It was only after I came here to the United States, that I learned much about the country where 75% of me is from. I had learned all about the 25% of me that is Nepalese in Nepal. I could write scores of pages about Nepal but not a single page on the history of Tibet. Perhaps it sounded boring to me at that time, especially because of the lack of good teachers of Tibetan history and language. After I came here, my knowledge of Tibet didn't get any worse than it already was, instead I did have a stronger stance on the issue of Tibet than I did in Nepal. I learned all the things that I know about Tibet from my teachers here and from all of the activism that I see here on March 10th of every year. I had never heard of 'Students For a Free Tibet' (SFT) or about the 'Tibetan Youth Congress'. I never knew who was prime minister of the Tibetan government in exile.

This is why I think human rights education is so important. If I hadn't learned about the above mentioned issues from my teachers and from my Global Kids (a human rights education group) leaders, then I wouldn't have been inspired to be the leader that I am today and I would be another youth gone to waste. Today I'm a sophomore at International High School at LaGuardia, and an intern at Amnesty International, learning about things going on around the world and how I can be a part of a movement to make positive change in the world. Most importantly, I am learning how to educate others and creating awareness about human rights. I hope that this will inspire a domino effect with whoever this article may reach.

Sonam Dolker
Sophomore, International High School
LaGuardia, Queens, NY

forced evictions shatter lives in zimbabwe...

i first heard of the country of zimbabwe through the music of paul winter more than 30 years ago...and through time the beautiful tradition of their mbiri music has contrasted with the political life that has shattered the people of zimbabwe during both colonial and post-colonial time...

but it's just pissing me off to learn about the actions of the government of tyrant robert mugabe embodies in what is referred to as Operation Drive Out Trash...

rather than a plan to raze illegal buildings amnesty international asserts that the real plan is to evict poor zimbabwean slum dwellers who form the core of he opposition to the brutal mugabe regime...

when porta farm was wiped off the face of the earth it was the destruction of over 850 buildings that housed more than 6000 of the poorest people on the planet...and where was the proof??? lars bromley, a geographer with the american association for the advancement of science, paid for high resolution satellite photos that revealed the the tragedy...according to a story published in amnesty international's the wire last year,

The destruction of Porta Farm left thousands, including children and the elderly homeless, destitute and traumatized. They joined the hundreds of thousands of other victims of the government's Operation Murambatsvina -- a countrywide programme of mass forced evictions and demolitions of homes and informal businesses. The UN has estimated that in six weeks between May and July 2005, 700,000 people across Zimbabwe lost their homes, their livelihoods, or both.

the only bright spot here is the use of satellite imagery to expose the brutal nature of governmental lies that attempt to cover up massive human rights violations...the same tactic has been used by amnesty international in darfur and iraq...

peace out <3

iran is kind of sucking when it comes to human rights...

one of the first, okay well the first, things that amnesty international ever did was to work for the release of prisoners of conscience or pocs which are defined by amnesty international as:

"Any person who is physically restrained (by imprisonment or otherwise) from expressing (in any form of words or symbols) any opinion which he honestly holds and which does not advocate or condone personal violence." ... also exclude those people who have conspired with a foreign government to overthrow their own..."

and so it seems that the regime in iran is jailing prisoners of conscience out the yin yang including but not limited to teachers, students, and women's rights advocates...for example:

Dozens of teachers, mostly members of local Teachers' Associations or the National Council of Teachers' Associations, have been detained in recent weeks in connection with demonstrations which began in March 2007 by teachers demanding higher pay and working conditions.

and ...

Bizhan Sabagh, an engineering student at Mazandaran University who had previously been suspended by the university disciplinary committee for one term in connection with his student activities, was arrested on 14 April 2007 by security officials in front of the university...

not to mention that ...

Bizhan Sabagh, an engineering student at Mazandaran University who had previously been suspended by the university disciplinary committee for one term in connection with his student activities, was arrested on 14 April 2007 by security officials in front of the university...Five women active in the "Million Signatures Campaign" were arrested on 2 April 2007 while collecting signatures in support of an end to discriminatory legislation against women in Iran...

for the full story click here and stay tuned as we alert you to coordinated mass action that can be taken...

peace out <3

let mikey try it...he might help save darfur...

that's right, "let mikey try it, he hates everything,"...

you may recall this catchphrase from a life cereal ad campaign from a while ago...the idea was for mikey, who doesn't like stuff, to try this cereal as a guinea pig, one likely to let the older kids off the hook so THEY don't have to try it...

shocker of all shocks - mikey tries it and LOVES the cereal and all eat happily ever after - or sumpin sumpin sumpin...

well in this instance you could say that we - the local amnesty international faithful - said to markey (mark smith), "you try it," with the it being a lobby visit to the nashville office of republican senator lamar alexander...

and markey tried it - and you know what??? he LIKED it!!! you see mark smith, high school teacher paid 0$ to lobby for anything, had a meeting with michael schulz a field representative for senator alexander and shared with him why the senator should sign a letter to chinse president hu jintao regarding chinese policy with the sudanese government, the government that is responsible for the ongoing genocide in darfur the region in western sudan...

here's mark's report:

4/17/7

Greetings everyone,

I met with Michael Schulz (Field Rep.) at Alexander's Nashville office. It was our first meeting. Prior to our meeting he had been sent (from Washington) the request from Senators Lugar and Biden to sign the "Hu Jintao Letter" on the crisis in Darfur. I showed Mr. Schulz the list of twenty-nine Senators who had already signed on to the letter. We were both pleased with everyone's awareness and briefly discussed the relationship among Sudan, China, the United States, the United Nations, and the African Union. I left Mr. Schulz the information Amnesty International had prepared for the visit which included a copy of the letter to President Hu Jintao.

Mr. Schulz has been in the Nashville office since June when he moved from Alexander's Washington office. I let him know of my desire to begin an Amnesty Student Chapter at East High School next year and our interest in becoming familiar with Senator Alexander's Nashville office.

Senator Alexander had not signed the letter at the time of our meeting, but Mr. Schulz reminded me that the Senator was one of the first to bring attention to the crisis in Darfur. I am sending a copy of this missive to Mr. Schulz in hopes to receive news that Senator Alexander has joined his colleagues in asking China to become more influential in stopping the crisis in Darfur and signed the letter to President Hu Jintao before the April 20 deadline.

Happy trails

Mark Smith
Darfur Delegation Leader

and here's the remarkable thing about mark smith - he went to meet mr. schulz all by himself and it was his first lobby visit!

and what was the outcome of this rookie effort??? well here's the e-mail he received within 72 hours of his visit:

Good morning Mark,

Senator Alexander has signed the letter to President Hu Jintao.

Thanks...

Michael Schulz
Field Representative
Office of Senator Lamar Alexander
615-736-5129

so the moral of the story is not only should mikey and markey try it but so should bill, carrie, danielle, freddie, gil, heidi...

you get my point - congratulations mark on not just a job well done but on the job attempted in the first place...

peace out <3

have we forgotten about afghanistan???

all this bush administration proactive war stuff began in afghanistan did it not??? i was deep in the mountains in north georgia reuniting with an old friend when the bombings began there, when...end of october 2001???

and most of the news these days is about the interminable and in my opinion wasteful (and useless) war in iraq ... but isn't afghanistan the more appropriate place for our attention (and news) to be directed??? -

yes, civilians are up shit's creek in iraq but civilians are under threat in afghanistan and there aren't enough peacekeepers, soldiers, what have you to keep the taliban from being right where they were, all over again, before 9/11...

in fact, according to amnesty international:

Civilians are bearing the brunt of the conflict in Afghanistan, with local people caught up in the fighting between the Taliban, Afghan, US and NATO Forces. Suicide attacks, roadside bombs and other forms of violence pose a daily threat to the people in the conflict-ridden parts of the country.

The Taliban's military rulebook, or Laheya, explicitly sanctions the killing of teachers. If a teacher ignores a warning from the Taliban to stop teaching, he must be beaten. If he continues to teach “contrary to the principles of Islam”, he must be killed. A Taleban fatwa orders the death of anyone who supports the US-led intervention.

Scores of civilians have been deliberately killed by Taliban insurgents in the past two years after being branded "spies". Targets include election candidates, clerics, government and health workers and teachers. In April, three men were publicly hanged by the Taliban in the southern province of Helmand after being accused of spying for international troops.

The Taliban failed to distinguish between civilians and military targets in suicide attacks and attacks using improvised explosive devices such as roadside bombs. At least 756 civilians - including many children - were killed in 2006 in such attacks, according to UN and NATO figures.

The Taliban's stance towards civilians is inconsistent -- and far removed from its obligations under international law. A Taliban spokesperson told Amnesty International that attacking "unarmed" civilians was "forbidden". But he added that: "There is no difference between the armed people who are fighting against us and civilians who are co-operating with foreigners".

By deliberately targeting civilian workers, the Taliban are committing war crimes - and some of these crimes constitute crimes against humanity.

The Taliban must comply with the rules of international humanitarian law, to which they are bound. They must end indiscriminate attacks, such as suicide attacks in public places, and stop deliberately targeting civilians working for the government or with foreign organisations.

Read the full report:
All who are not friends, are enemies: Taliban abuses against civilians

peace out <3

perhaps we should listen to more returning troops , maybe???

even though this is a personal blog of amnesty international volunteers and is in no way any sort of official amnesty international blog we should be clear that neither the usa section nor the international organization holds any position for or against nation based armed conflicts...

on its official website http://www.amnesty.org/ it says:

AI is independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion. It does not support or oppose any government or political system, nor does it support or oppose the views of the victims whose rights it seeks to protect. It is concerned solely with the impartial protection of human rights.

and amnesty international cedes the right of a government to carry out an armed action so long as it conducts itself in accordance with the geneva convention and all international treaties related to the conduct of war...

VideoVets: Rose Forrest

so when it comes to the armed action in iraq amnesty researches, identifies, and reports on human righs violations that occur during the conduct of the war...

therefore rather than listen to any of us talk about how we feel let's listen to some of the returning iraqi war veterans...

peace out <3

VideoVets: Shelly Burgoyne

katrina victims not shunned by amnesty international southern regional office...

tom ashbrook, host of on point on npr, is broadcasting from the big easy this week wondering whether or not the country has moved on and left the victims of katrina and government lethargy in the dust...and the picture from nawlin's isn't good...

but i'm especially proud to be a member of amnesty international today...why??? amnesty international is ponying up the resources to help those human beings devastated by one of the worst disasters to ever strike the u.s. of a...

monika gerhart will start on april 23rd as the project coordinator of a new campaign to address the human rights violations of hurricane katrina. ..monika's work will be centered on the right to housing for katrina survivors, and she will be working to mobilize amnesty international's diverse structures in support of this campaign...

woot woot for amnesty intenational's commitment to housing as a human right...

peace out <3

corporate accountability doesn't have to be an oxymoron...

see the thing is that here in the u.s. the legal system treats corporations as an individual with all the rights inherent therein...which leads me to wonder why we don't expect corporations to maintain a level of "personal" accountability on par with what we expect from say "welfare mothers"...

in other words all companies have a direct responsibility to respect human rights in their own operations...and amnesty international believes that the business community also has a wider responsibility -- moral and legal -- to use its influence to promote respect for human rights...

i think that we should support national and international legal instruments (UN Norms for Business, Alien Tort Claims Act, International Right to Know) that promote greater corporate responsibility for human rights, including those that assure the risk of legal accountability if a company commits or is complicit in human rights abuses in their operations...

and on my mind most recently is that employees and individual contractors of u.s.government contracted companies are alleged to have abused, tortured and killed people in areas including iraq and afghanistan, but not a single one has been brought to justice...tell congress to demand accountability of contractors in the “war on terror”...

i'm just sayin'...check out amnesty's business and human rights site...

peace out <3

your front row seat for a free screening of blood diamond...

My dear dear friend,

I am writing to personally invite you to a free screening of the hit movie Blood Diamond on Wednesday evening March 25th at the Nashville Peace and Justice Center at 7:00 pm.

As you probably know I have been doing volunteer work with Amnesty International (AIUSA). I have been interested in human rights for some time and I have come to really appreciate the opportunities I have by working with AIUSA (Did you know that they won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1977?).



AIUSA is proud of its association with and support of the film Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly and directed by Edward Zwick. Hey, here's something I learned when I researched this movie:

Some diamonds have helped fund devastating civil wars in Africa, destroying the lives of millions. Conflict diamonds are those sold in order to fund armed conflict and civil war. Profits from the trade in conflict diamonds, worth billions of dollars, were used by warlords and rebels to buy arms during the devastating wars in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sierra Leone. Wars that have cost an estimated 3.7 million lives.

The movie is pretty amazing - set against the backdrop of the chaos and civil war that enveloped 1990s Sierra Leone. It is the story of a South African mercenary, and Soloma Vandy a Mende fisherman. Both men are African, but their histories and their circumstances are as different as any can be...until their fates become joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond that can transform their lives.

After the movie we'll have an informal discussion on personal and corporate responsibility related to commercial diamonds and actions that one can take regarding the devastating effects of conflict diamonds.

I would take it as a personal favor if you would make plans to attend the screening my dear friend. Just drop me a line back and let me know - oh, and you don't have to come alone.

I hope to see you there!

Warmly,

The Tennessee Dude

peter gabriel on human rights and citizen journalism...

from shock the monkey to now...here's the real peter gabriel...



peace out <3

two peas in a pod...

yep, that appears to be what the u.s. of a and egypt are...

according to a report which amnesty international published on 11 april in cairo:

the egyptian authorities are committing systematic abuses of human rights in the name of national security -- and a planned new anti-terror law could make the situation worse...

sound familiar???

or as mr. rogers might have been quoted, "can you say usa patriot act? - sure, sure you can - i knew you could,"...

the egyptian authorities are committing systematic abuses of human rights in the name of national security -- and a planned new anti-terror law could make the situation worse, according to a report which amnesty international published on 11 april in cairo...

thousands of egyptians have been locked up, with many sentenced after grossly unfair trials in emergency and military courts...torture and prolonged detention without trial are rife in detention centres across the country...a planned new anti-terrorism law, expected to be introduced following last month's controversial amendments to the constitution, could pave the way for further abuses...

egypt's sate security investigations (ssi) services enjoy huge powers under the state of emergency the government has maintained almost continuously for the past 40 years...torture is widely used by the ssi officers, but allegations are rarely investigated...

the country has also been a key destination in the "war on terror", with many egyptians and others suspected of terrorism transferred by the us and other governments to egypt, where they have been detained and tortured...the fate of some, who were victims of unlawful "rendition" by the us, remains unknown...

"The Egyptian authorities must come clean and disclose the number, names, nationality and current whereabouts of all terrorism suspects extradited, subjected to 'rendition' or otherwise transferred into their custody from abroad," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director of AI's Middle East and North Africa Programme. “It must also lift the shroud of impunity that protects those who torture in the name of the state."

as the government prepares new anti-terrorism legislation, amnesty international urged it to allow united nations human rights experts on torture and on countering terrorism to visit the country...

read the full report Egypt – Systematic abuses in the name of security

peace out <3

six major metropolitan police departments take the pledge...

oh, so you don't know what pledge i'm talking about???

As part of the campaign following the release of AIUSA's Stonewalled report, activists asked police departments to sign a pledge to take concrete steps to end targeting of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) individuals for police abuse and misconduct.Police Departments that have signed the pledge so far:

• DC Metropolitan Police Department
• San Antonio Police Department
• Fargo Police Department (ND)
• Lexington Police Department (KY)
• Memphis Police Department (TN)
• Atlanta Police Department

and the key findings of the report???

Profiling and Selective Enforcement
AI's research has revealed that law enforcement officers profile LGBT individuals, in particular gender variant individuals and LGBT individuals of color, as criminal in a number of different contexts, and selectively enforce laws relating to "morals regulations," bars and social gatherings, demonstrations and "quality of life." AI's findings indicate that race continues to be a motivating factor in presumptions of criminality, and that racism compounds the homophobic and transphobic treatment of LGBT people of color by police. The targeting of LGBT people of color by law enforcement mirrors the systemic racism found in policing in the USA in general, and is consistent with previous AI documentation. Read more »

Sexual, Physical and Verbal Abuse
Reports to AI indicate that sexual, physical and verbal abuse frequently occur together. Sexual and physical abuse by law enforcement against LGBT individuals are often accompanied by homophobic and transphobic slurs. In addition, verbal abuse against individuals perceived to be LGBT is often sexualized, in particular toward lesbians and transgender individuals. Read more

Searches and Detention
AI has received reports of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of LGBT individuals during arrest, searches and detention in police precinct holding cells. Read more »

Police Response to Crimes Against LGBT Individuals: Fear of Reporting; Police Failure to Respond and Inappropriate Police Response
AI is concerned that U.S. authorities are failing to act with due diligence to prevent and investigate crimes against LGBT people. Reports to AI indicate a pattern of police failing to respond or responding inappropriately to "hate crimes," domestic violence and other crimes against LGBT individuals, particularly crimes against LGBT individuals of color, immigrants and other marginalized individuals. Read more »

Training and Accountability
69 percent (20 out of 29) police departments responding to AI's survey reported that they provide training on issues relating to LGBT individuals or communities. 28 percent (eight out of 29) of police departments responding to AI's survey reported that they do not have any training on LGBT issues. In the four cities studied in greater detail, police departments reported providing the following LGBT-specific training. Read more »

Identity-based Discrimination
The report's findings strongly indicate that police abuse and the forms it takes often are specific to different aspects of the victim's identity, such as sexual orientation, race, gender, or gender identity, age or economic status. Stonewalled highlights the treatment of LGBT individuals in the hands of police within the larger framework of identity-based discrimination, and demonstrates how the interplay between different forms of discrimination - racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia - make certain populations within the LGBT community more likely to be targeted for abuse. Read more »

for more amnesty international successes click here...

peace out <3

what do yoko ono, warner brothers, and amnesty international all have in common???

they said it could never happen again...but it is happening...armed conflict in darfur, sudan has left over 300,000 dead, forced more than 2.5 million people from their homes and placed millions of people at risk of starvation, disease and further attacks...

in response, amnesty international, in collaboration with warner brothers records, yoko ono and over 55 of the world's best-known artists, will release the album "instant karma" on june 12th...yoko ono generously granted rights to john lennon’s entire solo songbook to use as the centerpiece of this project and to inspire and invigorate a new generation of human rights activists...

love the ono...

» Take action for Darfur»

» Download the debut track from R.E.M.on iTunes

» Read more about the project

and stay tuned for an upcoming track by green day on april 30th...

peace out <3

you can be the difference you want to see...

from the diaries of the tennessee dude...

founded in london in 1961, amnesty international is a nobel prize-winning grassroots activist organization with over 1.8 million members worldwide...there are many ways to get involved...

Become a Member Today

let me be clear with you - i do not work for amnesty international usa, or aiusa (but that i could - but alas nashville, tennessee is simply not a locale where one can get hired to do much human rights organizing much less for the premier grassroots human rights organization in the usa) ... but what i am is an annual dues paying member and a volunteer leader (the state death penalty abolition coordinator for tennessee and a member of the multicultural assessment and advisory committee or the maac)...so it could even be said that i pay for the privilege of working to build an effective and inclusive human rights movement here in the ol' us of a...

let's talk reality here shall we??? amnesty international not only talks the talk but walks the walk and community based volunteers like me are one reason why...but we couldn't be nearly as effective without the support of the amnesty international infrastructure including staff and that's what your membership supports: verifiable, independent research and reporting, training, on-line and face-to-face action tools, constantly updated reports on issues across the board and countries around the world, and coll blogging like i do over at the program to abolish the death penalty blog...

members receive a subscription to amnesty international, our membership magazine...members are also eligible to vote in elections, join volunteer networks, and take advantage of the members section of this web site. JOIN NOW. »

oh yeah...peace out <3

unfair trials underway at guantánamo bay...

the first proceeding under the new military commissions took place last week with the arraignment of Australian national david hicks...amnesty international was on the ground and reporting back real-time the details of the trials...the kangaroo court marked the latest setback for human rights and justice...



to read the amnesty international report on these trials click here...

to write a letter to the editor click here...

to take direct action click here...

don't let fearmongering make you less of a compassionate, connected, and caring person than you already are...

peace out <3

bianca jagger on the abolition of the death penalty: a discussion...

in the aftermath of the execution of saddam huissain there were marches in paris during the third world congress on the death penalty (note the amnesty banner prominent in the line-up) ... this is a conversation with human rights activist bianca jagger on the issue (don't hold her former marriage to that mick guy against her)...



peace out <3

sister helen prejean has some thoughts germaine to nebraska...

from the diaries of the tennessee dude...

sister helen is likely to compare a moratorium on executions to a cease fire - a period of time where overt conflict is set aside so that thoughtful negotiations can take place...

the current nebraska legislative session seems to support this analysis...its unicameral legislative body failed by a single vote to end capital punishment...

regarding the continuing consideration of death penalty legislation senator greg adams, one of 24 senators to vote for repeal said,

"I pushed the green light, for what I believe were the right reasons...I believe there is a place for capital punishment. I think it's a huge issue. We had a great, structured debate. Lobbyists tell us that there's rarely been a time where all the senators were in their chairs, at once, listening. They also say it was one of the most intellectual debates to be held in a long time, maybe since 1988."

now an intellectual debate on capital punishment on any state capitol hill is - pardon the pun - to die for...and regarding the ongoing policy discussion, well, the issue of emotion, according to adams, threatens to cloud the situation...

"What exacerbates this more is that we have an execution set for May 8," Senator Adams said. "We need to deal with the policy, not the emotion.

and so we return to sister helen prejean's position...senator adams acknowledges that the rhetoric becomes hot when an execution date approaches and by hot we mean that emotion and not policy outcome calculus rule the day - organizers around the country on this issue will generally acknowledge this reality...and so it becomes a cornerstone of the rationale for supporting a moratorium on executions that rational and thoughtful policy discussion is what will move us closer to the day when we say good-bye to the wasteful and off-target policy response to murder that is the death penalty...

peace out <3

this has dr. cox from scrubs saying "oh my gawd"...

from the diaries of the tennessee dude...

part of being strategic is managing the message and i sooooooooooooooo get that...but if that was all there was to life why did g_d grant us the wisdom to create the blogosphere - you know, the place where mark twain would have gone were he still alive when people did or said something so incredulous, aesthetically heinous, or just plain jaw-dropping culturally value-contrary that moderation, restraint, and yes, even best behavior must be tossed blithely to the wind...

are you with me so far??? good, i'd hoped i hadn't left you in the dust cause this just gets my craw on so many levels...

two missouri republicans - now why for gosh darn sakes in a bipartisan needy world does it have to be two republicans - have proposed a law that would create an execution team and mandates that the identifies of the team's members be kept confidential... i mean setting aside the whole issue of little-d democracy and the silly notion that government policy making and execution (that pun just slipped right out there, really, like a greased pig through a crack in the wall of an abattoir) should be open-door with unfettered access by citizens, taxpayers, or the electorate what is really being said here???

i don't mean to sound anything less than humble here but my mother is proud of what i have chosen to do with my life so i'm having a hard time grasping why a highly-skilled someone would choose to engage in professional behavior that their mother wouldn't gladly share in that holiday letter that has become so popular - you know the ones where you tell who did what, which babies were born, who was married or divorced, and what jarvis the hampster did that was so golly gee cute that he joins the family in the picture on the holiday card in which the letter is bundled - i mean who wouldn't be proud of a medical professional for example who participates in a methodical homicide that takes the life of a human against his or her will ... i mean jeesh, here on easter weekend why wouldn't you just call up rush limbaugh and share with america on some 250,000 watt super station located just over the mexican border how your boy or girl just makes you all warm and fuzzy with their intentional life choices...

but seriously i digress...

so rep. danielle moore, r-fulton says that "under this bill, members of the execution team will be protected from a smear campaign"...

oh my gawd - i mean what's to smear here ... they didn't propose this bill because they want to protect some minimum wage workers in the missouri corrections system who can choose between the work they do or perhaps a job at hardees - you know where they sell those monster biscuits that includes enough pork that if the aforementioned greased pig actually did escape the slaughterhouse that it would only keep hardees from selling a single monster biscuit - but they have done this to protect a medical professional who likely has plenty of disposable income without moonlighting as a ghoulish consultant of homicide methodology...seriously that's class discrimination at the policy level...

and besides, these medical professionals should see if there aren't consultant gigs with hardees what with these monster biscuits clogging arteries like cement poured into a county water line...

ahhhhhhhhhhhhh...i needed to get that off my chest...thanks for listening...

peace out <3

lgbt rights activist donny reyes reportedly beaten by police...

question is do you give police brutality a pass among things that tick you off and move you to action??? you say no but what if the victim is a member of the lgbt community??? still you say no??? well good, you appear to support human rights and don't appear to be a homophobe - so check this out...

donny reyes is the treasurer of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (lgbt) rights group asociación lésbico, gay, travesti y bisexual arcoiris, which was set up in 2003...police raided arcoiris’s offices on 12 June and 1 July 200 6, taking documents and destroying computers and furniture...about 2 and a half weeks ago lgbt rights activist donny reyes was reportedly arbitrarily detained by police in the comayagüela district of the capital, tegucigalpa, on 18 march...

all i'm asking you to do is write a few letters, in fact the same letter to several parties because the collective, coordinated action of people like you and me produces results (some near term and others far term - ever hear the phrase the arc of the universe is towards justice?)...

for full background on the case click here...to take action easily on-line by printing out the letter to mail or by sending an e-mail click here...

in less than 10 minutes you can join thousands of us and make a difference...what are you waiting on???

peace out <3

and there's also an easter action for human rights...

as a jew i know that easter is one of the biggies for my christian friends but i wanted to know more so i checked in at jewishencyclopedia.com for some insight...even there it's, uh, dicey and out of focus for me but the historical parallels are interesting...

name given by anglo-saxons to the christian passover as the feast of resurrection, and rather incorrectly used for the jewish passover ... n the course of time it appears that custom and tradition differed in the various churches of the east and the west, some laying stress upon fiday as the historical day of the crucifixion, others again adhering more to the jewish custom of celebrating the fourteenth day of nisan; but as the anti-judean element obtained ascendency, the connection of the jewish and the christian passover was severed ...

and so a link that was once jewish in character became more ritually pagan in character...for more detail click here...

nonetheless as is passover then easter is a ritually important religious holiday and reflection upon it deserves that individuals might take action on behalf of those suffering repression and mistreatment (and even execution) as jesus did at the hands of the romans so here are 3 opportunities...

ERITREA – Imprisoned Protestant Pastors

CHINA – Mao Hengfeng

GUATEMALA – Claudina Velásquez

peace out <3

new website design makes amnesty international usa more accessible...

perhaps only an amnestyphile such as moi would have noticed but amnesty international usa launched its redesigned web site this week and as a seinfeld character might have said, "it's spectacular,"...

human rights covers a BROAD ARRAY of categories including political, civil, economic, cultural, and social rights...and therefore consists of a HUGE BUNDLE of issues from a-w (arms trade to the war on terror)...

therefore creating a web site that is user friendly and supports an interested person in navigating through the denseness of the topic at hand is critical and well, truthfully, the older layout was not it...

some of the features i like about the new layout are it's horizontal rather than vertical format (matching most computer screens more readily), its 4 pull down menus that make it easier to see what's available and how to get there, it's much easier on the eyes resulting in less strain, the what's going on where feature allows you to match an issue with a country of interest in a nano-second, and if you simply want to take a quick on-line action and get out of there it makes that easy too...

so check out the new site and let us know what you think...

peace out <3

passover action for human rights...

growing up as a jew you remember passover pretty damn well...i mean we're talking about being slaves and the exodus from bondage (well that particular one anyway)...and you remember it symbols - salt water for the tears shed by slave ancestors, harosetz symbolizes the mortar we put between the bricks when we were slaves, parsley the bitter herb or maror symbolizes the bitterness of slavery...

thus all of these items are a part of the passover seder, a tradition rich in symbolism, that personally involves participants in a key event in judaism: the redemption of the jewish people from bondage...

so when i saw that amnesty international usa had a passover action i thought that's pretty cool -taking action for human rights during a holiday that commemorates a time of deep human rights violation suffered at the hands of a racist regime...

that is with its emphasis on freedom from oppression, the seder can be a fitting place to address current human rights concerns so please write letters on behalf of these cases featured below at any point throughout the passover holiday...but preferably sooner rather than later!

ISRAEL – Tove Johannsson

BELARUS – Zmitser Dashkevich

CHINA – Shi Tao

peace out <3

mark your calendar: free screening of blood diamond april 25th...

amnesty international has been producing or supporting cool cultural projects for most of its institutional life...in 2006 amnesty partnered with global witness to support the feature length smash movie blood diamond the story of danny archer (leonardo dicaprio), a south african mercenary, and solomon vandy (djimon hounsou), a mende fisherman (trailer below)...



the nashville chapter of amnesty international is hosting a free screening of blood diamond on wednesday april 25th at the nashville peace and justice center - say tuned for details or e-mail the tennessee dude for more info...

peace out <3

restoring the concept of due process to immigration discourse...

The Night of 1,000 Conversations

Atlanta Bread Company

1720 West End Avenue

6:00 p.m.

Current reactionary laws against immigrants go too far and deny basic due process to millions of people who live in the U.S. That’s why members of Liberty & Justice for All are working to restore due process to our immigration system this year.

On Thursday, April 5, 2007 thousands of people all across the country will come together in living rooms, basements, back yards, community centers, schools, and places of worship to work towards immigration reform that restores basic civil liberties and human rights, protects our core American values of fairness and justice, and defends due process for everyone.

Help us create a grassroots movement that brings America closer to it’s founding values – to build a country that truly lives up to it’s vision.

For more information contact Betsy Collum at 706-676-0343 or betsywcollum@yahoo.com

This conversation is being organized and facilitated by the Nashville chapter of Amnesty International...