which system of oppression do you ponder over your morning cereal...

i'm about to leave for a workshop on dismantling racism here in kalamazoo michigan but at the moment its another "ism," another system of oppression that bothers me and informs my posting this morning...

as i sit here and wonder about wtf is going on in iran i then think that it's not so different i temperament to attitudes and actions right here in my own country...i think what would happen here in the u.s. if the religious radical right had control of the federal government...which leads me to wonder inside my head what's the difference between fundamentalist ideological protestant and a fundamentalist ideological muslim...

having wondered thought aloud i';m asking you to help free 17 men charged with "homosexual conduct" in iran...

as i understand it up to 17 men remain in detention after being arrested at a private party in esfahan province, central iran on may 10...they may have been tortured or ill-treated and remain at risk of such abuse...

these men were among 87 people reportedly arrested at the party...those still detained are believed to have been wearing clothes generally associated with women at the time of their arrest...

please urge iranian authorities to review the cases of all who were arrested and ensure that those still detained are protected from torture or ill-treatment...

peace out <3

with love from me to you...

Dear Blog Reader,

Thank you so much for working to create a better world through theswe postings with Amnesty International. Today, I want to share with you how your efforts are saving lives and inspiring change across the globe.

"It was because of [Amnesty] that 10 years became 10 months... Thank you for the work you've done!" - Jennifer Latheef

When Jennifer Latheef, a photojournalist from the Maldives islands near Sri Lanka, was arrested and imprisoned for peaceful protest of political repression and prison deaths, she was given a 10-year jail term for "terrorist" activities. But an intensive letter-writing campaign by Amnesty's Urgent Action Network helped force her captors to improve her treatment and ultimately won her freedom after just 10 months!

Watch them tell their stories!

"When the situation seemed absolutely desperate and we really felt lonely, we began to receive cards ... We really needed to know we were not alone." -
Oksana Chelysheva

When Oksana Chelysheva was subjected to death threats and systematic government harassment for her work as a journalist reporting on the torture, abduction, and secret detention of civilians by Russian forces in Chechnya, Amnesty called upon its members to rally around her. And you responded with a tremendous outpouring of cards and letters expressing your support.

Click here to watch Amnesty's interview with these two remarkable human rights defenders at our Annual General Meeting this past spring.

There are so many more reasons for hope. Amnesty's Urgent Action Network has also secured these recent victories:

• A court suspended the sentence of acclaimed Russian environmental activist Andrei Zatoka in response to Amnesty's emergency campaign demanding his immediate release. Zatoka's wife was overjoyed upon hearing of his release, exclaiming "We won! Andrei is freed!" Click here to read more.
  
• Annadurdy Khadzhiev, a political leader in Turkmenistan's exiled opposition party, was released by Bulgarian officials in February and will not face extradition. Click here to read more.

Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your continued support of our work. With mounting human rights abuses around the world, we need you now more than ever. As Jennifer Latheef so eloquently observed after her release, "It's empathy that rules the world." Sincerely,Larry CoxExecutive DirectorAmnesty International USAP.S.

Please support Amnesty's Urgent Action Network and help save more lives.

peace out ya'll <3

how to do amnesty has never been so easy...

if your google search brought you here then you're probably interested in amnesty related to the immigration issue - sorry, that's for another post...this is about how freakin' darn e-z it is to start and run a local chapter of amnesty international (or any other group for that matter)...

amnesty has produced an activist's toolkit for years in order to make local organizing easier for either the novice or the more experienced activist...in the past it's been a hard copy but in the last two years that toolkit is available on-line and it is soooooooooooooooo helpful...

the activist toolkit has something for everyone!...information to help new groups get started, useful tips on running an existing group, lots of great ideas for planning events and activities, and a calendar of significant dates that you may want to plan events around...it also provides a crash course on how amnesty operates, how to get in contact with staff and volunteer leaders, and a variety of other useful resources...

my favorite view of the toolkit is via the sitemap - normally i avoid site maps but this one is so well formatted that i could just about ask it to move in and live with me...

so if you need some ideas on how to run a local organization - any kind really - check out the toolkit today...you're gonna write me and thank me i'm betting (and you're welcome)...

peace out <3

my memorial day responsibility...

the tag line - you have the right to know... and that then means that those who know have a responsibility to teach...

human rights as delineated in the universal declaration of human rights mean little if people don't know what they are...youth for human rights international is an independent non-profit corporation headquartered in los angeles, with the purpose to educate people in the universal declaration of human rights so they become valuable advocates for tolerance and peace...

today's video - part of yfhr's public service announcement campaign - is about the responsibility to educate peopla about their huma rights...

peace out <3

at the intersection of art, history, and the struggle for dignity...

my grandfather was a teenager in the russian czar's white army doing border patrol in 1915 when he told his patrol partner that he thought he heard something and was going to check it out...he kept walking...oddly he wound up in moultrie, georgia where my father was born...that's how a bunch of jews ended up in south georgia in spite of the presence of the ku klux klan whom you may know didn't care too much for jews...

between the russian revolution in 1917 and the fall of the soviet union in 1991, some 25 million people were held in the soviet forced labor camp and internal exile system known as gulag...the combination of endemic violence, extreme climate, hard labor, meager food rations, and unsanitary conditions led to extremely high death rates in the camps...

the national park service, in a unique partnership with the gulag museum at perm-36, the international memorial society, and amnesty international usa (aiusa), presents the first exhibition on the belbaltlag - 1932...it comes courtesy of central russian state and photo archive...

the manzanar national historic site and eastern california museum host GULAG: Soviet Forced Labor Camps and the Struggle for Freedom, february 17 to october 21, 2007...admission is free...

manzanar is located six miles south of independence californian on u.s. highway 395 and contains exhibits and audio visual programs related to the world war II internment of japanese americans...

you can visit http://www.gulaghistory.org/ to take a virtual tour of the exhibit, learn more about the gulag experience, and follow the traveling exhibit of a soviet gulag in the united states...

for more information please the museum at: 760-878-0258 and please visit for easy access to information on directions, lodging, and dining; as well as extensive information on this stirring exhibit...

peace out <3

take a small action to stop human trafficing in montenegro...

it should sicken you...

human trade, slave markets, the buying and selling of people – these are words and phrases that, to many people, echo a brutal and distant time in our past...but to the countless women, men, and children trafficked every year, these words coldly define the horror of their lives...trafficking is a global phenomenon where victims are sexually exploited, forced into labor and subjected to abuse...trafficking is a crime under international law that requires international cooperation to address...

montenegro is a source, transit, and destination country for women and girls trafficked internally and internationally for the purpose of sexual exploitation...you can urge the authorities of montenegro to ensure that the country's legal framework is in accordance with the council of europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings...

so set aside your primping or pumping for four minutes - the time it takes to take your temperature with an old fashioned thermometer - copy and paste this letter, add your name and address at the bottom, print it, sign it, and mail it...

then continue on with your day...and after you forward the link to this blog to someone take a moment to smile about how well your five minutes were invested...good job!

peace out <3

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ministar pravde Miras Radovic

Ministar pravde u Vladi Republike Crne Gore

Vuka Karadcica 3

Podgorica, 81000

SCG

RE: Foster financial support for shelters for women and girls, in close cooperation with independent non-governmental women’s groups

Dear Ministar pravde Radovic:

I welcome the signature by Montenegro on the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. Montenegro is a source, transit, and destination country for women and girls trafficked internally and internationally for the purpose of sexual exploitation. I urge you to ensure that Montenegro’s legal framework is in accordance with the Convention and to fully implement the Convention.

According to the Explanatory Report to accompany the Council of Europe Convention, “when trafficking in human beings is concerned, special protected shelters are especially suitable and have already been introduced in various countries.” I urge you to foster financial support for shelters for women and girls, in close cooperation with independent non-governmental women’s groups, either by providing funding from your budget, by providing housing for a shelter, or by providing land on which a shelter may be built. I also urge you to ensure that adequate financial resources are made available for the development and support of independent non-governmental organizations opposing domestic violence and human trafficking.

Furthermore, in implementing the Convention, legislation should prohibit the forcible return and detention of trafficked persons. Also, I urge you to add “abduction” to the definition of trafficking as set out in article 3 (a) of the Palermo Protocol.

Finally, I urge you to codify the measures of witness protection in the statute on criminal procedure, by implementing the UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime (Article 24) in the Statute on Criminal Procedure (Article 8), so that the safety of the witness is guaranteed.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

your name and address here...

a note from larry about green day on american idol...

Wednesday night, Green Day performed as the special guest on American Idol - promoting Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur , benefiting Amnesty's work.

Their stellar performance broadcast our message - to stand up and speak out for the children, women and men in Darfur - to over 50 million viewers.

And because you have shown your commitment to Amnesty, I thought you might like to see a sneak peek of Green Day's upcoming music video, "Working Class Hero," at http://youtube.com/instantkarma .

The album also features U2, Black Eyed Peas, Snow Patrol, R.E.M., Postal Service, Regina Spektor and more - 23 classic John Lennon songs newly recorded by today's greatest artists on 2 CDs.

You can preorder the CD now!

Or preorder the album on iTunes and get 10 bonus tracks!

Help us maximize this incredible momentum and tell your friends about the album and campaign by sending them to www.instantkarma.org .

This is an exciting time for Amnesty International, and I'm glad you can be a part of the excitement. I'll keep you posted on the latest breaking stories and actions, and together, we will finally put an end to the violence in Darfur.
Thanks so much,

Larry Cox

Executive Director

Amnesty International USA

amnesty international finally gets the cyber-universe...

i for one got into publishing by apprenticing at a literally greasy basement print shop with a multilith 1250 in athens ga around 1980....you know doing layout with film print typesetting text, an old, damp darkroom, burning metal plates, and he toxic smell of fresh ink and mold wafting sensually through the air...those were the days...

but when i saw amnesty international's 2007 report on-line while sitting here in, well, whatever i'm wearing, early in the morning i had to just say, "ahhhh, the gold old new days,"...

the video, audio, and photos section is simply something you couldn't print in hard copy...and you can check out secretariat irene khan's thoughtful intro, all the amnesty campaigns, identify which countries have signed which human rights treaties, get all the latest facts and figures...hell, they even tell you how to tag and blog and spread the word!

it's even available in five languages so check it out today and share it with all your friends who have room for both american idol and amnesty international in their lives...

peace out <3

global webcast: the struggle for freedom of expression in cyberspace...

on june 6th, amnesty international and the observer newspaper will use the internet to link activists from around the world to discuss the struggle against internet repression and to celebrate the irrepressible desire of people for freedom of expression...

the event will include internet gurus, cyber dissidents as well as net activists, writers and journalists, such as:

• jimmy wales (wikipedia)
• richard stallman, cory doctorow (boing boing)
• yu ling (wife on imprisoned cyber- dissident)
• sami ben gharbia (tunisian dissident)
• ron deibert (citizen lab)
• dan gilmor (citizen media)
• markus beckedahl (network new media)
• kevin anderson (guardian)
• sina motalebi (iranian journalist)
• and you...

wherever you are, you can watch and contribute to the debate live by webcast - simply bookmark this page and click back on june 6th, or sign-up » for amnesty's corporate action network (can) and we'll send you a reminder and direct link to the webcast that day...

listen to bbc journalist clark boyd talking about the event and internet repression...
listen to cory doctorow, from the blog 'boing boing', talk about technology and freedom...
learn more about amnesty's campaign to end internet censorship »

peace out <3

you don't have to be queer to support lgbt human rights...

Do you support human rights for everyone or only "those people" who look, think, and act like you...

As is our tradition Amnesty International will march in solidarity with Nashville's LGBT community in this year's Pridefest parade on June 2nd. We will carry our banner and possibly other signs. If you would like to march with Amnesty please r.s.v.p. to his e-mail. The parade route is about 5 blocks down Elliston Place from the Krispy Kreme at the corner of Church/21st N/ Elliston to Centennial Park. We do not have a table this year so you are free after the parade.
Parade Representatives will report to Parade Check-In for entry verification by 10:30 AM. Groups should line up and be ready in marching formation by 11:00 AM. If your representative has not checked in by 11:30 AM, your group will march at the end of the parade, per the discretion of the Parade Director. Marchers will lead the parade this year.

For more on Amnesty International's LGBT program OUTfront click here.

Randy Tatel

Amnesty International

Local Chapter Coordinator

aiusa149@bellsouth.net

threedoginn@bellsouth.net

http://www.aiusa149.blogspot.com/

http://www.amnestyusa.org/

restore habeas - an american tradition we fought and died for...

last fall, when congress passed the military commissions act, it included a section that prohibited any non-citizen in u.s. custody that the president designated an "enemy combatant" from going to court and exercising the most basic human right – the right to go before a court and ask the government to show that they have a basis for their detention...this prohibition on filing a writ of habeas corpus has meant that people who have been in u.s. custody for more than five years continue to be held with no meaningful judicial review...

you can help change this...during the week of june 26th, 2007, activists all over the country will be visiting the district offices of their elected officials or coming to washington, d.c. to tell congress to restore the centuries-old writ of habeas corpus...your elected official's vote is critical to the success of this initiative...

your voice is needed in support of due process and the rule of law to let congress know that the america you believe in does not hold people indefinitely on the judgment of the executive...

» Apply to be a delegation leader

» Register to participate in a delegation

» Send a message to your elected officials

peace out <3

disappeared, but not silenced by the cia...

khaled el-masri was kidnapped by the cia, tortured and thrown in a secret prison in afghanistan...his fight for the truth and ameasure of justice is unraveling a web of clandestine intelligence operations and dirty diplomatic secrets...

on new year's eve, 2003, while vacationing in mcedonia, khaled el-masri was abducted, drugged, tortured and then bundled away to a notorious secret prison in afghanistan known as the salt pit...the brutal kidnapping of masri, a 43-year-old car salesman from a small german town, is one of dozens of illegal transfers of terror suspects the cia has carried out in a practice called extraordinary rendition...

during his incarceration, masri, a german citizen of lebanese descent,repeatedly pleaded his innocence and demanded counsel...in desperation, he joined a hunger strike on march 5, 2004; after 37 days u.s. officials began force-feeding him through a tube...after repeated interrogations andthe appearance of a mysterious german intelligence agent called "sam," the cia eventually concluded that masri did not, in fact, have ties to terror organizations...nearly five months after his kidnapping, masri's captors returned him to macedonia and released him on a dark and deserted roadnear the albanian border...

masri returned to his home, only to find that his wife and children had moved to be with relatives in lebanon after he had disappeared (they have reunited)...he eventually turned to european, german and u.s. courts to demand an account of his kidnapping and imprisonment... three cases are currently pending: german prosecutors are investigating a criminal case, a german parliamentary committee is looking into the german government's role in the abduction, and masri, with the help of american civil liberties union attorneys, has filed a civil suit in u.s. courts against former cia director gorge tenet...

legal proceedings in both countries had stalled, but there have been encouraging signs in recent weeks...the aclu has appealed the decision by the u.s. district court in alexandria, va., to dismiss masri v. tenet on the grounds that a trial would expose "state secrets."...in late january, after months of hesitation, german prosecutors finally issued arrest warrants against 13 cia agents suspected of involvement in the abduction...and german parliamentary hearings are continuing, despite the denials by german officials of having any role in the case...

when amnesty international magazine interviewed masri in neu-ulm, he vowed to continue his fight to end extraordinary renditions and demand an official apology for his mistreatment...

click here to read the interview that cameron abadi conducted with masri...

peace out <3

mumia abu-jamal back front and center...

from the diaries of the tennessee dude...

he has been incarcerated on pennsylvania's death row for the past 24 years...his death sentence was overturned by a federal judge in 2001, prosecutors now want to have the capital sentence reinstated...

his name is mumia abu-jamal...and love him or hate him his case has generated more controversy and received more attention, both national and international, than that of any other inmate currently under sentence of death in the united states...

his lawyer robert bryan, has said he will challenge the fairness of the original hearing and seek a new trial...human rights activists say the original trial was marked by racial prejudice and legal inconsistencies...coming out of the philadelphia jurisdiction it should be on the shoulder's of prosecutors to prove otherwise...while the death penalty is clearly racially biased based on the color of the victim in philadelphia the system is bona-fide pure racist any which way you look at it...

people who have closely studied the case assert that he was denied the right to due process of law and a fair trial, alleging that the trial judge was a racist and that the prosecution made sure that there were no black jurors in the case...at the time, judge albert sabo, the trial judge in the 1982 hearing, is alleged to have told three people in his chambers:

"I'm going to help 'em fry the nigger."

court stenographer terri maurer-carter made the charged allegation in a 2001 affidavit...judge sabo died in 2002...pretty hard to get a fair trial in a courtroom like that...

bryan said he was hoping to win a new and fair trial for his client:

"The goal is for our client to be free. Nevertheless, he remains in great danger. If all is lost, he will be executed,"...

in february 2000 amnesty international outlined the case in the report a life in the balance: the case of mumia abu-jamal...in light of the contradictory and incomplete evidence in this case, amnesty international took then and takes now no position on the guilt or innocence of mumia abu-jamal however the organization expressed its concern that political statements attributed to him as a teenager were improperly used by the prosecution in its efforts to obtain a death sentence against him...

the case has a life and symbolism beyond its own narrow legal confines and that in and of itself makes it a case worth your continued eye...

peace out <3

children in colombian peace community need five minutes of your time...

i share the fears of many for the safety of inhabitants of the comunidad de paz de san josé de apartadó - peace community of san josé de apartadó, have been heightened by fresh threats against the civilian community by army-backed paramilitaries...

february 21st was the 2nd anniversary of the massacre of 8 people in the peace community of san josé de apartadó...witnesses say that members of the colombian military committed the massacre...paramilitary presence in the peace community continues despite the supposed demobilization in that region...these paramilitaries continue to collaborate with the military and have renewed threats against human rights defenders in san josé de apartadó...to learn more just click here...

what can we do?? join me in calling on the colombian government to guarantee their safety and to dismantle paramilitary groups immediately...

in less than 5 minutes after clicking here you will have sent either e-mails or printed out letters to mail that will let the colombian government that they are under very close surveillance...

still not done??? excellent, click here to watch and spread the word about mark fiore’s new animation: "colombia clean!”

peace out ya'll <3

hungary: justice denied to victims of rape in the home...

“At least 85% of them are whores: but they do not manage to come to an agreement. They are prostitutes: overtly or secretly…”
A police officer and expert on rape issue

the government in hungary is failing to protect women from rape and sexual violence in the home...widespread prejudice, government inactivity and deficiencies in the criminal justice system mean that many women are denied justice...

many cases never reach court...women are reluctant to report rape, fearing reprisals and having to go through a humiliating reporting procedure...the police frequently do not conduct proper investigations and forensic evidence is not gathered properly...those who do reach court face the obstacle of public attitudes that it is acceptable for a husband to force his wife to have sex and that it is the woman who provokes rape...

“I have worked as a judge for 10 years, but to tell you the truth, I myself would not report rape. It is the victim who has to defend and prove everything”.
Woman judge.

the government of hungary must act now to stop this abuse...

take action!

write to the prime minister of hungary to urge him to ensure that women and girls are properly protected from rape in the home...

Please send appeals to:
Prime Minister:
Ferenc Gyurcsány
1055 Budapest Kossuth Lajos tér 1-3.
Hungary
Fax: (+36 1) 441-2112
E-mail: Ferenc.Gyurcsany@meh.hu

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to express my concern about the insufficient measures taken to protect and ensure redress for women who are survivors of intimate partner rape and sexual violence.

I am concerned at the low level of reporting by women of intimate partner rape and other crimes of sexual violence in the home in Hungary; at the often inadequate response by the state, police and judiciary to complaints of sexual violence by women; and the continued existence of social attitudes which reinforce the belief that it is acceptable for a husband to force his wife to have sex.

I urge you to fulfill your international obligations to protect women and girls by appropriately addressing the issues of rape and sexual violence in the home as a matter of urgency. I urge you to take all the necessary steps in order to address rape and sexual violence in the home in Hungary. In particular,

• Ensure that legal changes and procedural reforms within the police and judiciary take place in order to adequately protect and give redress to women who are survivors of rape and sexual violence in the home in Hungary.
• Ensure that specialized support services for women who are survivors of rape and sexual violence are available across the country, and that health care and social workers are appropriately trained about the realities, experience and needs of these women.
• Organize and fund a national public awareness campaign, in cooperation with civil society organizations, to challenge existing prejudices around rape and sexual violence in the home, leading to discriminatory treatment, stigmatization of victims and inadequate response to their complaints.

I appeal to you to take all the necessary steps in order to address and break stereotypes around the issues of rape and sexual violence in the home in Hungary.

Yours sincerely,

peace out <3

this is not your mother's oldsmobile...

yesterday we were joined by my colleague and friend nograysunflowers who is teaching english in the land of the midnight sun for the summer semester and look forward to her continuing contribution to the conversation...

so amnesty international has sections in some 150 different countries, like japan, so we can check in through he amnesty international usa web site, select japan from the select a country menu under the heading what's going on where in the upper right corner and you'll learn that...

Elections in September increased the majority of the ruling party. The deployment of Japanese troops as overseas peacekeepers renewed public debate on whether to revise Article 9 of the Constitution which defines Japan as pacifist.

In November, the former President of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, left Japan for Chile where he was arrested at the request of the Peruvian authorities, pending an extradition request.

The 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, and renewed efforts by the government to secure a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, increased tensions in the east Asia region. The government was criticized for its continued failure to apologize adequately and provide full reparations for wartime crimes against humanity such as forced sexual slavery, and for the way Japanese history textbooks portray its past aggressions.

The Diet (parliament) debated but did not adopt a Bill first submitted in 2003 to establish a national human rights commission.

The government indicated that it would accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by 2009.

so right now you can Ensure Justice for Survivors of Japan’s Military Sexual Slavery and take actions in less time that it takes to get your shoes back on at the end of an airport security line...and look for more postings from tokyo and beyond...

peace out <3

Global Human Rights- A Stark Reminder

In Tokyo, just outside the school where I currently work, is the infamous war shrine visited every year by the emperor and other top Japanese officials on the anniversary of Japan's WWII defeat. It essentially houses internationally condemned war criminals from Japan's WWII campaign.

After having lived in China the previous year (perhaps the greatest victim of Japan's "expansion") the irony is not lost on me. Japan is considered one of the safest and most advanced countries of the modern world, yet in this quiet shrine, religion, politics, government and international relations all collide.

It represents a continued rift in the Asian world with China, Taiwan, South and North Korea protesting the enshrinement of class A war criminals as a subtle affirmation and blessing of Japan's aggressions. And while the shrine operates independently of the Japanese government, it is reminiscent of Japan's State Shinto, with the palace sending an official emmisary every year.

This is why we need global human rights organizations. The idea of impartiality protects us as humans without regard to the country to which we belong. Though Japan has reject militarization and done so much on behalf of environmental issues, the shrine is a reminder that any country can become an aggressor. And any one of us could be the target.

as if iraq didn't have enough headaches already...

let's add honor killings to the list...

fortunately, the kurdish regional government (krg) publicly condemned the recent stoning to death of du'a khalil aswad, a 17-year-old yezidi girl, and the subsequent summary killing of 23 yezidi workers, near the northern city of mosul, reportedly by a sunni muslim armed group...

in their may day public statement the krg pointed out that the "honour killing" of du'a khalil aswad took place in the area administered by the iraqi government, not the krg, and called for her killers to be brought to justice...

according to wikipedia an honor killing is a murder, nearly exclusively of a woman, who has been perceived as having brought dishonor to her family...such killings are typically perpetrated by the victim's own relatives and/or community and unlike crimes of passion or rage-induced killings, usually planned in advance...

according to amnesty international the krg stated in its statement that there had been 40 convictions for so-called honour killings in the kurdistan region since the kurdish parliament amended the law in 2002 to remove a provision in the iraqi penal code allowing lenient sentences for perpetrators of "honour crimes", and that at least 24 other cases are pending...

amnesty international has written to the krg requesting details of these cases, including the names of all those who have been tried for alleged "honour crimes" since the law was changed, how many were convicted and the sentences imposed in each case...the organization has also written to the iraqi government to seek information about investigations into the stoning to death of du'a khalil aswad and the subsequent murder of 23 yezidi workers, and calling for the perpetrators of these crimes to be brought to justice promptly and fairly and without recourse to the death penalty...

amnesty international is also urging the iraqi authorities to amend the law to ensure that "honour killings" are made a serious criminal offence and to take concrete measures to protect all those at risk of becoming victims of "honour crimes"...

for an excellent background story on this act of murder read killing for honor by laura jamison in amnesty international's magazine...help spread the word...

peace out <3

motivating high school kids with the crisis in darfur...

as senior high school youth prepare for graduation it seems a good time to ask the question, "what does it take to get high school kids motivated to participate in political actions, say, in the way they were in the late 50's (african-american youth motivated by the reverend martin luther king, jr. and his collegial peers) and middle class white youth of the 60's and early 70's motivated by opposition to the vietnam war and bobby kennedy?"...

perhaps it's the high school teacher, the one who is him or herself motivated and sees their role as one of more than training kids to take tests but to be tested by the burning moral an ethical issues of the day...

one of those is my local amnesty international colleague lynne robinson who teaches ell at mcgavock high school in nashville...lynne uses human rights curriculum as a part of her ell classes...

and so it is that adrian bahan has motivated youth at mcgavock high school to learn about and act on those lessons...this is just a reminder that each of us can always do a little bit more, be a little creative when it comes to motivating youth to act...as "elders" it's our job and responsibility to find ways to connect and reach out and set examples in ways that will catch their attention...

here's a brief exchange between adrian and myself as part of that reminder...now go and do something yourself, in your home, in your neighborhood, and in your schools...

peace out <3

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

Hey Randy,

thank you so much for letting me use the pics. They are going to add a new dimension to our campus wide awareness drive. I have developed a lesson plan to get students aware and involved of the situation and would be more than happy to share it with you if you are in contact with any other educators. I think that having the students go around collecting petitions along with a letter writing campaign would be an excellent extension of the unit plan. One group of students are really into soccer and they want to see if there is a way to get money for athletic shoes and soccer balls to NGO's to distribute to the kids in IDP camps. I thought that was a fantastic idea. What if we had a campus wide shoe and soccer ball drive? Is it feasible to send deflated balls and shoes halfway around the world? I know from research that what the aid agencies really want is money, but it might be easier to offer students a choice on what they can donate. Anyway, I'm just glad that my students are displaying some empathy and realizing that through a collective effort, they can affect change.

Adrian Bahan

885-____ex. ___

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

From: aiusa_tn_dude

Sent: Thu 5/3/2007 2:05

To: Bahan, Charles A (MNPS)

Cc: Lynne Robinson;

Subject: Re: Darfur materials

Dear Adrian,

I received your contact information from your colleague Lynne Robinson. She shared that your class had been studying the situation in Darfur and that you were looking for an action or something interactive for your students to work with on Darfur.

I sent with Lynne a photo exhibit <http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/sudan/photo_exhibit.pdf> that can be installed easily on the classroom walls, some action postcards on Darfur, as well as a petition <http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/sudan/sudan_petition.pdf> . The more students might take the latter outside the classroom to spread this action would be really nice. You will find endless on-line actions and background materials on Darfur at this Amnesty International web page <http://www.amnestyusa.org/Our_Issues/Darfur/page.do?id=1041028&n1=3&n2=52> .

Our local Amnesty International chapter has a blogsite <http://www.aiusa149.blogspot.com/> as well as a myspace page <http://www.myspace.com/aiusa149> . There have been a few postings re: Darfur on the former...

http://aiusa149.blogspot.com/2007/04/sarah-milburn-crisis-in-darfur-leaks.html

http://aiusa149.blogspot.com/2007/04/let-mikey-try-ithe-might-help-save.html

http://aiusa149.blogspot.com/2007/01/let-us-install-darfur-photo-exhibit-in.html

http://aiusa149.blogspot.com/2006/11/buck-stops-here-help-darfurians-now.html

http://aiusa149.blogspot.com/2006/10/women-bear-heavy-burden-of-violence-in.html

Maybe we could chat...I have some curriculum tools that may be of interest to you in the longer term related to human rights education generally. I hope that these tools are useful.

Randy Tatel

Amnesty International

Local Chapter Coordinator

1306 McAlpine Avenue Nashville, TN 37216

tel: 615-650-2938

mobile: 615-473-2950

aiusa149@bellsouth.net

threedoginn@bellsouth.net

http://www.aiusa149.blogspot.com/

http://www.amnestyusa.org/

should we have protected civilians in lebanon, the former yugoslavia, afghanistan, iraq...

did you know that in the last ten years u.s. cluster munitions have been used in or near civilian-populated areas in these countries with devastating consequences to civilians...when used in or near civilian areas, cluster munitions run a serious risk of violating the international humanitarian law prohibition on indiscriminate attacks...

cluster munitions also often leave large numbers of unexploded sub-munitions on the ground, presenting a grave danger to civilian lives similar to landmines...but you can take citizen responsible action by urging your u.s. senators to co-sponsor the cluster munitions civilian protection act of 2007 (s. 594), which seeks to prevent the u.s. use or export of cluster bombs with high dud rates and for civilian-populated areas...it was introduced by senators feinstein, leahy, mikulski, and sanders...

originally developed to attack concentrations of infantry, u.s. cluster munitions are increasingly being used in or near civilian-populated...cluster munitions are considered to have an indiscriminate effect, and when used in civilian-populated areas, present a very high risk of violating the international humanitarian law prohibition on indiscriminate attacks...

in the last ten years, several major recipients of u.s. arms exports have used cluster munitions in civilian-populated areas...including israel firing hundreds of thousands of cluster munitions in the villages like Ainata and Rashaya al-Foukar using U.S. cluster bombs...and the colombian military dropping a cluster bomb from a u.s. supplied helicopter on the village of Santo Domingo in 1998, killing 11 adults and 6 children...

find out more about the issue and regardless of your position on military conflict please take action to protect civilian bystanders from brutal and unwarranted death and injury from the use of indiscriminate cluster bombs...

peace out <3

history in the making...new jersey bill to abolish death penalty clears senate judiciary committee...

yesterday was amazing...just a day after tennessee executed philip workman (see posts on this critical case at my other blog http://blogs.amnestyusa.org/death-penalty) the new jersey senate judiciary committee voted 8-2 in favor of legislation that would abolish their death penalty and replace it with life without the possibility of parole...i am so proud of the 7 years worth of work that is behind this small step...the most amazing thing is the way that they have organized murder victim's family members against the death penalty (yes, read that line again)...here's their press release...peace out <3

Vote to implement study commission recommendations comes after testimony by victims’ family members, law enforcement, and others

Trenton – The New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee voted today to pass S-171, a bill to replace the death penalty with life without parole, to the full Senate floor.

The vote came after several hours of public testimony featuring members of the New Jersey Death Penalty Study Commission, which was formed when New Jersey lawmakers enacted a moratorium on executions last year.

“The study commission set up by the legislature spent six months holding hearings, conducting research, and examining the death penalty from every angle,” said Celeste Fitzgerald, Director of New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. “They reached an overwhelming consensus in favor of life without parole over the death penalty. It is only logical that the legislature is acting to implement that recommendation.”

Among those testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee today were West Orange Police Chief James Abbott and Hudson County Prosecutor Ed DeFazio, representing the County Prosecutors’ Association. Both members of law enforcement began their work on the study commission favoring the death penalty, but after examining the facts concluded that the system was broken and should be scrapped.

“What I learned throughout our six months of study opened my eyes to the reality of the death penalty,” Chief Abbott told the Judiciary Committee today. “It turned out that what sounded good in theory was actually a complete failure in practice. Most importantly, what I learned about the death penalty convinced me that there was simply no way to fix it and make it right.”

The New Jersey Death Penalty Study Commission was a bipartisan group of 13 members that included two sitting prosecutors, the police chief, a former Supreme Court justice who had upheld death cases, murder victims’ family members and victims’ advocates, and others.

“This was a tough on crime commission of law enforcement, victims’ family members, and other experts,” Fitzgerald continued. “They looked at the facts and heard from the people of New Jersey that it was time for the death penalty to go. Today’s committee vote is simply one more reflection of the public sentiment that the death penalty has been a miserable failure and a distraction from meaningful public safety policies.”

The legislation passed by the Judiciary Committee included a recommendation that any funds saved by replacing the death penalty with life without parole be used to expand services for homicide survivors. That provision was also adopted from the study commission’s recommendation after the commission heard testimony from more than a dozen victims’ family members who supported abolishing the death penalty and pleaded for increased services to support their healing.

Yesterday, a coalition of more than 50 family members of murder victims released a letter to the Judiciary Committee in support of the legislation. “To be meaningful, justice should be swift and sure,” they wrote in their letter. “Life without parole, which begins immediately, is both of these; the death penalty is neither.”

####

Celeste Fitzgerald

Director

New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Chatham Office: (973) 635-6396

Trenton Office: (609) 278-6719

http://www.njadp.org/

10,000 crane birds for freedom of expression in belarus...

no doubt i am an american kid at heart...i mean when i hear belarus i immediately think i am the walrus koo koo ka choo...for no apparent other than off centered alliterative reason...

but i digress...let's make some noise

a legend says that if you fold 1,000 origami crane birds, your wish will be granted...origami cranes have come to symbolise peace after the second world war...the wish today of hundreds of thousands of amnesty international activists including myself is for belarus to restore freedom of expression and proceed with the immediate and unconditional release of all those who are detained for the legitimate and peaceful expression of their views...

our appeal is in particular for the release of youth opposition leader zmitser dashkevich.... zmitser was sentenced in november 2006 to one and a half years' imprisonment for 'organizing or participating in an activity of an unregistered non-governmental organization', under article 193, part 1 of the criminal code...the article was added to the criminal code in december 2005 as part of a series of amendments that introduced penalties for civil society organizations and other outspoken critics of the government, in the lead-up to the presidential elections in march 2006...

what if everyone who criticized dubya were tossed in the slammer!!!

join make some noise and add your crane to free zmitser dashkevich! ..for your ready made origami print-out and a 'how-to' video, click here...take a picture of your best origami crane(s) and upload it in the form below...make some noise will then put all pictures online and track the progress towards the 10,000 cranes appeal...once your picture has been uploaded, put your crane(s) in an envelope addressed to:

Minister of Internal Affairs
Vladimir V. NAUMOV
ul.Gorodskoi Val 4
220615 Minsk, BELARUS

origami - hehe --

peace out ya'll <3

sung to the tune of "if i were a rich man,"...

but the lyrics would be...

"if i were in michigan...bada biddle biddle biddle bada la la la..." - or something to that effect...

why???

well, in 1984, a company called union carbide was responsible for the worst industrial disaster in history in bhopal, india...40 tons of deadly gas was released. 7,000 people died in the next few days and 15,000 have died since from illnesses related to the accident...

may 10th is dow's annual shareholders meeting...students for bhopal and amnesty international are organizing a protest at the meeting to send a message to dow that corporate irresponsibility will not be tolerated, and to demand that dow:

• CLEAN UP toxic wastes and contaminated groundwater left by this disaster
• FACE TRIAL, and ensure that Union Carbide and Warren Anderson present themselves in the Indian Courts
• COOPERATE with authorities assessing the long-term health consequences of the explosion
• MAKE PUBLIC information about the toxicity of reaction products released during the leak

over 100,000 victims still suffer from illnesses because of this event...in a 1989 settlement, union carbide agreed to pay $470 million to victims...however, $330 million still has not been paid to the victims...in addition, the site is still heavily contaminated and residents are continuously being poisoned without access to clean drinking water...in 2001, the dow chemical company based in midland, michigan (hence the mangled show tune ya'll) bought union carbide and with it, its liabilities...dow refuses to clean up the spill. more information visit »

22 Years & 20,000 Dead: DOW Clean Up Bhopal Now!

peace out <3

shouldn't we properly train los angeles police first???

it was the beating of rodney king on tape by l.a. police that moved rock star peter gabriel to found the witness campaign...

so it stands to reason that before the u.s. takes it upon itself to "train" police and military from around the world we should get our own domestic training right first...

i'm just sayin'...

yet the united states government trains approximately 100,000 foreign police and soldiers from more than 150 countries each year...one of the purported benefits of this training is that it instills respect for human rights and democratic institutions...but the vast majority of u.s. training courses do not include specific instruction in the human rights or humanitarian law obligations that soldiers must obey...unfortunately, many of the government forces the u.s. has trained have poor human rights records...

unless by human rights you mean torture, kidnapping or "disappearances", and ill treatment of detainees...

all of this cost of tens of millions of dollars...tens of thousands study in the u.s. at the approximately 275 known military schools and installations that provide training; the u.s. trains many more in their own nations through a variety of programs...closure of the u.s. army's recently renamed school of the americas (SOA) has been the principal focus to date of campaigners concerned about the human rights impact of u.s. military and police training...but SOA is just the tip of the iceberg...the map above represents only a partial listing of all the schools and installations in the u.s. that provide foreign military training...

it's not only about "what's in your wallet" but "what's in your backyard,"...

peace out <3

five men beat transvestite activist in honduras while police watch...

police are supposed to serve and protect...don't ask josef fabio estrada to confirm that supposition...

estrada, a transvestite activist in honduras, was beaten by five men on april 20 while police officers encouraged the attackers and reportedly prevented others from coming to his aid, according to amnesty international...estrada was injured and has received no medical attention in police custody....he was jailed for attempted murder charge when he tried to defend himself while his attackers were set free...

hmmmmmmmmm...justice...hmmmmmmmmmm...

further, estrada, a coordinator of the asociación arcoiris transvestite group, has been held on attempted homicide and robbery in the state penitentiary, normally reserved for convicted prisoners, not those awaiting trial...

his reportedly being held in the so-called "cell of death," which houses prisoners suffering from tuberculosis, hiv/aids and mental illness...colleagues from asociación arcoiris who visited him on may 1 noted that he had received no medical attention, and had visible injuries from the beating...

WTF...$#!&;%*&*%!*%&#!^!

amnesty international usa has written to roberto flores bermudez, hgonduras's ambassador to the united states, to express concern, and called on his office to ensure the safety of the members of asociación arcoiris...

estrada and two other transvestite sex workers had been working in a gay/transvestite district in comayagüela, tegucigalpa, when they were stopped and searched by police...almost immediately, estrada was set upon and beaten by five men, while a police patrol car sat parked nearby...

the officers reportedly watched, laughed and offered encouragement to the attackers, shouting, "Kill the faggot, beat him!"...the police allegedly prevented two other sex workers from intervening...estrada reportedly used a broken bottle found on the ground to defend himself...at this point the police finally intervened...they arrested and handcuffed estrada, but let his attackers go free...

lgbt rights activist donny reyes, the asociación arcoiris treasurer, was detained by police in comayagüela in march and held in a cell where he was raped and beaten...he has been intimidated by police since he lodged a formal complaint...the asociación arcoiris was forced to move its office this month because of police intimidation and harassment...amnesty international is concerned that donny reyes and other members of arcoiris may be in grave danger...

according to non-governmental organizations in honduras, 200 lgbt people were murdered between 1991 and 2003...

peace out <3

you took action and an environmental defender was freed...

amnesty international (ai) is happy to report that andrei zatoka was released from jail on january 31...andrei had been detained on december 17 by local police at the airport in his home city of dashoguz...there were allegations that he was targeted to punish him for his peaceful work as an environmental activist...he and his supporters are grateful for the appeals sent by amnesty international's urgent action network on his behalf...

work on behalf of individuals is the foundation of amnesty international's work...ai began as a letter writing appeal in 1961 on behalf of six prisoners of conscience (someone imprisoned solely for the peaceful expression of their beliefs)...over the years we have found that as we work to free individuals, we also raise awareness about human rights abuses affecting millions...

become a member or take action today...

peace out <3

green day joins the fray...

in association with warner bros. records, green day just released its cover of john lennon's classic song working class hero, proceeds of which will go to support amnesty international's campaign to stop the violence in darfur...

the full album, instant karma: the amnesty international campaign to save darfur will be available on june 12th, and will include lennon tracks covered best-selling artists - including u2, r.e.m., christina aguilera, the black eyed peas and jackson browne.

with hundreds of thousands already killed and another 2.5 million civilians forced to flee their homes, the u.s. government considers the atrocities in darfur genocide...the need is great, but we believe if we each take one small action, collectively, we can end the violence...start today by downloading a track.

Download Green Day's "Working Class Hero"

Download R.E.M.'s debut track "#9 Dream"

Find out how your efforts are making a difference in Darfur

peace out <3

As soon as you're born they make you feel small

By giving you no time instead of it all

Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all

A working class hero is something to be

A working class hero is something to be

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school

They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool

Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules

A working class hero is something to be

A working class hero is something to be

When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years

Then they expect you to pick a career

When you can't really function you're so full of fear

A working class hero is something to be

A working class hero is something to be

Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV

And you think you're so clever and class less and free

But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see

A working class hero is something to be

A working class hero is something to be

There's room at the top they are telling you still

But first you must learn how to smile as you kill

If you want to be like the folks on the hill

A working class hero is something to be

A working class hero is something to be

If you want to be a hero well just follow me

If you want to be a hero well just follow me

richie rocks but dwayne is a racist dillweed???

senate bill 0162 (tennessee) just plain sucks...no wait, it's just plain racist!!!

here's a bill, pushed by white men such as senator dwayne bunch - r (for racist) cleveland - that would prevent the state from ever banning american indian mascots at schools - that's right, make it illegal to ever make it illegal to restrain a school from using native american icons or imagery as a mascot - i believe that senator bunch has all but wrapped this bill up in the usa patriot act and the war on "terror" ... in my neighborhood we refer to people who act like bunch as a "dillweed," - we don't know what it means but when you see it you KNOW we're not happy with him...

now choctaw activist evangeline lynch says that it is "disrespectful and unconstitutional," ... that, "We are not mascots, we are human beings," but this here southern white male says bunch's bill is just plain racist - period!

our local amnesty international chapter is helping to bring richie pless to nashville...here's some of what richie wrote to me:

My name is Richie Plass. I am a Menominee, Stockbridge/Munsee Indian from northern Wisconsin. I have been fighting the mascot/logo issue since 1968. Our non-profit group, Changing Winds Advocacy has developed a traveling exhibit on Native American Imagery...Our exhibit is titled, "Bittersweet Winds"...I call it the, "Good the Bad and the Ugly" of Native Imagery...It has over 150 items ranging from great photographs, craft work, documents, letters and other items both good and bad that use Native images..I also have some items as it relates to mascots and logos...Please visit our web site: http://www.changingwinds.org/ and you can read all about the exhibit and see some photos. Also, if you go to my web site you'll be able to read my story, "I Was A Teenage Mascot" and see first hand what I went through and why I continue my efforts with this issue.

so richie is coming to nashville and amnesty international 149 is collaborating with local activists and advocates to protect in this instance cultural rights...the universal declaration of human rights proclaims the indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights...it equally recognises civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights...political circumstances related to the cold war divided this whole into civil and political (cp) rights on the one hand and economic, social and cultural (esc) rights on the other...ecs rights have also been regarded as second-class rights...it has been shown, however, that without the adequate living conditions that these rights ensure cp rights cannot be fulfilled.

wish us well and write to senator bunch sen.dewayne.bunch@legislature.state.tn.us and let him know that you don't approve of denigrating native american culture by passing racist and unconstitutional legislation...

peace out <3

we took a step, together, against femicides in guatemala...

i spent a month in guatemala in 1995 in an immersion program and really came to admire the people i met in alta and baja verapaz...so the work that we are doing to stop violence against women in guatemala is very dear to my heart...

say what??? you know not of what i speak???

between 2001 and march 2006, over 1,900 guatemalan women and girls have been brutally murdered...exceptional cruelty and sexual violence characterize many of the killings...some of the victims had their throats cut, were beaten, shot or stabbed to death...many of their bodies show signs of rape, torture, mutilation or dismemberment...amnesty international continues to call on the guatemalan government to demonstrate its political will to investigate these crimes, prosecute the offenders, and stop the killing...

and on march 27, 2007 the house committee on foreign affairs unanimously approved house resolution 100 (h. res. 100), condemning the over 2,500 killings of women in guatemala sponsored by congresswoman hilda l. solis (d-ca)...the resolution passed with 84 cosponsors...consideration of the resolution by the full house is expected in the coming months...

thanks to all who took action to make this possible!!! we will keep you updated on the progress of this resolution...

meanwhile keep up the heat by organizing around these actions in your neighborhood and with your friends and family...

paz con justicia <3

olympics create opportunity to leverage china???

"We must make efforts to create a harmonious society and a good social environment for successfully holding the 17th Communist Party Congress and the Beijing Olympic Games[...]We must strike hard at hostile forces at home and abroad, such as ethnic separatists, religious extremists, violent terrorists and 'heretical organizations' like the Falun Gong who carry out destabilizing activities."
-- Zhou Yongkang, Minister of Public Security --

hmmmmmmmmmm...equating "harmony' and "stability" with kicking the ass of your own citizens seems a little hard-lined doncha think??? and yet that appears to be the posture of the chinese government as the countdown towards its hosting of the 2008 summer olympics...

there is every reason for you and i to be deeply concerned that such 'strike hard' policies continue to be used to constrain the legitimate activities of a range of peaceful activists in china, including journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders...

you're gonna want to watch the competition and i don't begrudge any of us that...but just as we needed to know about the treachery of hitler's third reich even as we watched news reels of jesse owens defeating the the pride (sic) of the aryan nation we need to be aware of the heinous human rights issues and records in chine as we prepare for 2008...

just as these games offer a strategy to force beijing to pressure the sudanese government to respond to the genocide in darfur there may be other opportunities to leverage china on their own abysmal human rights record...

but to do that you gotta know some of the background...to get a thorough overview of internal chinese repression grab a cup of coffee or tea and read this amnesty international overview...

peace out <3

five minutes will bring you closer to native american and alaska native women...

that's right - just five minutes...takes that long to toast a pop-tart...go ahead, time it --

• stick one in the toaster
• review the slide show
• contact congress on-line
• return to eat your gooey warm pop tart...now that pop tart tastes better, eh???

this is a follow-up to saturday's posting ... you see this week amnesty international usa released a groundbreaking report that exposes the us government’s failure to protect native american and alaska native women from sexual violence...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 us... more than one in three native american or alaska native women will be raped at some point in their lives...

that's right...set three women down on a sofa and one of them will be raped in their lifetime...

but why are native american and alaska native women at such risk of sexual violence?... a complex maze of tribal, state and federal jurisdictions created by the u.s. government often allows perpetrators to rape with impunity and in some cases even encourages assaults... according to pauline musgrove, the executive director of the spirits of hope coalition,

"women don’t report because it doesn’t make a difference. Why report when you are just going to be revictimized?"

impunity for perpetrators and indifference towards survivors contribute to a climate where sexual violence is seen as normal and inescapable...native american and alaska native women often:

• do not get timely – or any – response from the police
• may not get forensic medical examinations
• may never see their cases prosecuted

so that's the deal with my pop tart challenge -i want you to join voices with native american and alaska native women and take action to stop the violence...urge congress to support funding to improve safety and justice for indigenous women in the us...

now go ahead and eat that pop tart...

peace out <3