stopping the genocide in darfur: fidelity divestment campaign expands targets - take action...

here's a note i received from my friends at the fidelity divestment campaign...

we are continuing and broadening the effort we began with the fidelity out of sudan campaign by launching investors against genocide...we are expanding the spotlight to include more investment firms with significant holdings in petrochina and asking them to guarantee genocide-free investments for the future...

we want financial institutions to commit to not investing in genocide...all our experience on the fidelity campaign, especially the tremendous response of supporters like you, reinforces our belief that americans do not want their family savings invested in companies that help fund genocide...with your help, we were recently able to deliver 150,000 petitions to fidelity expressing outrage over their investments in companies that help fund the genocide...

here's what you can do now to support the effort:

• visit www.investorsagainstgenocide.org to quickly and easily send an automated email to the companies on the target list...please take a minute to send a message to the new companies, even if you have already sent one to fidelity...then visit the press section for the latest news reports on our campaign...


• submit a shareholder resolution...we are organizing a series of shareholder resolutions to force consideration of divestment as part of annual mutual fund shareholder meetings...we've drafted the resolutions and are looking for more shareholders to submit them...so far we have volunteers for many different fidelity funds, but hope to have more coverage with fidelity and also with the other investment companies...if you would like to play a role in this important initiative, please send us an email at info@investorsagainstgenocide.org...
  
• forward this note to your friends...we need every supporter to help us find more supporters so our numbers become too large to ignore...

the expanded list of targets includes warren buffett's berkshire hathaway, the largest holder of petrochina, and the three largest american mutual fund companies: american funds, vanguard, and fidelity, which still owns $600 million of petrochina...in addition, franklin templeton is targeted, as the mutual fund with the largest holdings of petrochina, and allianz (pimco, nfj, and rcm funds), as the largest holder on the new york stock exchange...

together the 14 target companies serve well over 60 million households in the united states and hold over $12 billion worth of petrochina...action by these companies, whether together or individually, can surely move petrochina and sudan, and help bring about the end of the genocide...

while ethical investing may mean different things to different people, certainly there is a minimum standard upon which everyone agrees...looking back, who would support the idea of investing in firms that sought to make a profit by selling zyklon-b gas to the nazis or machetes for the genocide in rwanda?...looking forward, who wants their family savings and pension funds invested in companies that help fund genocide in our time?

americans need to demand genocide-free investing as a minimum requirement of the financial institutions that serve us...

learn more at http://www.investorsagainstgenocide.org/...

peace out <3

awesome news - maja stojanović saved from imprisonment in serbia...

this should make your saturday (morning) - a human rights activist from niš will not now face imprisonment, following the intervention by amnesty international and a coalition of serbian ngos...

maja stojanović was convicted by a serbian court for displaying posters in an unauthorized place...the posters had urged the serbian authorities to arrest and transfer alleged war criminal ratko mladić to the international criminal tribunal for the former yugoslavia (tribunal)...

after the appeals calling on the authorities of serbia to stop the imprisonment of maja stojanović, the president of serbia expressed his support for her...boris tadić stated that "the cooperation with the hague tribunal has a special value...this is not only the international obligation of serbia, but it is something we owe to our neighbours and to ourselves,"...

the serbian ngos decided to collect and pay a fine on maja stojanović's behalf, following the statement by the president...said sian jones, amnesty international researcher on serbia:

"For years, Amnesty International has been calling on the authorities of Serbia to take meaningful measures to deal with the past, including by arresting and transferring Ratko Mladić to The Hague and by supporting the Serbian NGOs working on war related crimes. Hopefully, after the statement by the President, the authorities start taking their international obligations more seriously."

to read more click here: serbia: pursue mladic not human rights activists

peace out <3

myanmar authorities step up crackdown on protesters...

the situation in myanmar (burma) continues to worsen with reports emerging of escalating attempts by the authorities to repress ongoing demonstrations...

amnesty international sources in the country report a much harsher crackdown on protesters yesterday...as of yesterday afternoon, monks were no longer visible on the streets of central yangon...but numerous demonstrators, estimated to number around 10,000, continued to defy the military...

soldiers are reported to have ordered crowds to disperse and go home or risk being shot...sporadic warning shots have been fired and there are unconfirmed reports of up to nine fatalities including a japanese photographer killed in yangon...

earlier reports described widespread use of tear gas against demonstrators and hundreds of arrests and beatings...witnesses told amnesty international of soldiers chasing demonstrators, who continue to take to the streets...

demonstrations around the world
slideshow: amnesty international joins protests across the globe

at least three key monasteries have been surrounded and raided by police and military, which seem to be gaining firmer control over the clergy...the shwedagon pagoda in central yangon is said to be under siege by military and police...

large numbers of arrests were made in overnight raids on monasteries in yangon by military and riot police...between 200 and 700 monks were arrested, as well as at least four opposition politicians...

phone lines are increasingly difficult to access, with reports suggesting the government is trying to shut down internet and telephone links to the outside world after a stream of blogs and mobile phone videos began capturing the dramatic events on the streets...

urgent international response critical
amnesty international is deeply concerned at the growing possibility of violence and bloodshed in the country...the human rights organization has called on the international community to act immediately and for the u.n. security council to send an urgent mission to the country...in a letter to the president of the security council, amnesty myanmar...amnesty international has urgently requested all asean countries to use all means at their disposal to influence myanmar to respect the human rights of all its citizens and resolve the current crisis without resorting to further violence...

join the global protest!
amnesty international members across the globe have begun a series of demonstrations outside myanmar’s embassies and high profile public locations calling for the myanmar authorities not to respond with violence and to respect the human right to peaceful protest...you can join a demonstration in your country: your support is urgently needed...some of the following demonstrations organised by or with amnesty international include:

• Belgium: Saturday 29 September at noon, at "Place De la Liberte"
• Chile: Thursday 27 September in Santiago at noon
• Czech Republic: Thursday 27 September and Saturday 29 September in the centre of Prague
• Hong Kong: Evening of Friday 28 September and Saturday 29 September
• Ireland: Saturday 29 September at 2pm in Dublin
• Italy: Afternoon of Friday 28 September in Rome; and Saturday in Milan
• Japan: Daily in Tokyo
• Luxembourg: Afternoon of Friday 28 September
• Malaysia: Morning of Friday 28 September
• Nepal: Monday 1 October, 2pm, in Kathmandu
• Norway: Friday 28 September in Oslo
• Philippines: Daily events
• Spain: Friday 28 September in Bilbao; Sunday 30 September in Castelldefels, Madrid, Molins de Rey and Tarragona
• Switzerland: Saturday 29 September, at noon in Geneva
• Thailand: Morning of Friday 28 September
• UK: Friday 28 September, at noon in LondonFor more information on these and other

take action!...call on the myanmar authorities to release protesters

peace out <3

protect burmese demonstrators from a violent crackdown...

"May we be free of torture, may there be peace in hearts and minds as our kindness spreads around the world."

these are the chants of protesters today in myanma...over 100,000 people flooded the streets of yangoon, marching against tyranny...

led by 30,000 monks, the marchers risk their very lives...the military dictatorship has stepped in and begun to crack down with force to quell the uprising...when the burmese last marched for freedom in 1988, the military murdered thousands...

you can, no please - YOU MUST - send a message to the u.n. security council today and urge them to oppose a violent crackdown and support genuine reconciliation and democracy...

ask president bush to urge a u.n. security council mission to myanma...

read amnesty international's letter to the u.n. security council...

download amnesty international's urgent action sheet for detained protesters ... you can share this with family, peers, church or other spiritual site members...

peace out <3

yoko ono celebrates success of instant karma for darfur with amnesty international...

i share the same october 9 birthday as john lennon (and jackson browne) so i have had a lifelong affinity for the music and cultural contributions of john lennon...and because john loved yoko i have always valued her as well...

so i was excited to learn that yoko ono has paid a visit to amnesty international's london headquarters to celebrate the success of the make some noise/instant karma album...the record has helped focus global attention on the human rights crisis in darfur...

the album, featuring tracks from top stars including u2, green day and snow patrol, has sold over half a million discs worldwide, going platinum in ireland and gold in italy...

the release was made possible by yoko's generosity in granting amnesty international the rights to all of john lennon's post-beatles songs and donating all music-publishing royalties to the project...

the artist and campaigner was also on hand to kick-start the latest make some noise for darfur campaign, which uses 'artivism' to raise awareness on the crisis...yoko said:

"I am very honoured that Amnesty International has shown this recognition of my efforts to promote the idea of a more peaceful world. I feel that we are all on the same path, a path I embarked on with my husband John many years ago."

ono's visit was also an occasion to highlight the fact that the conflict in darfur is not a forgotten one...amnesty international secretary general irene khan said:

"The album has helped increase global awareness of the massive tragedy that continues to unfold in Darfur, a crisis in which countless civilians have been left unprotected."

f.y.i...the u.n. and the african union are currently discussing the deployment of the largest peacekeeping force ever to the region...

take action: sign the darfur delivery note
background: yoko ono to celebrate make some noise/instant karma with amnesty international

visit the make some noise website

peace out <3

stand up against torture - join us in the "86 it" campaign...

i wanted to share with you an action that's pretty spot on - here's the skinny on amnesty international's fall 86 day "86 it" campaign...

86 days separate two infamous dates: october 17th marks the first year anniversary of the military commissions act (mca) and january 11th marks the anniversary of the first detainee held at guantánamo bay...both dates represent all that is wrong with this administration's policies: torture, indefinite detention, guilty until proven innocent...it's time to "86" the administration's failed policies and restore our nation's reputation as a leader on human rights...

amnesty international is calling on activists across the country to stand in solidarity against torture: to call for the closure of the detention facilities at guantánamo bay, the repair of the mca so that it reflects international legal norms, and the end of torture in the name of "security,"...

click here to find out how you can join the 86 days campaign...your efforts, along with thousands of other activists across the country, will help spread a strong anti-torture message in a big way...this 10/17 action guide has all the materials you'll need to get started: and, it is only just the beginning!...in the months to follow, i'll post new information on actions and mobilizations that will help you to continue to mobilize around this critical issue...upcoming actions will include:

• november: house party action kit-ghost of abu ghraib (coming your way in october)
• december: letter writing to detainee's families (coming your way in november)
• january: mobilization in protest of guantánamo bay's detention facilities (coming your way in december)

visit the 86 days of action campaign site and sign up for actions these coming months...with your support we will continue to shape the america you believe in as a nation that does not condone, legislate, or execute torture...

peace out <3

while the u.s. looks to "save face" a refugee crisis unfolds amid global apathy...

"The truth is, I am someone who loves his country. I was forced to leave Iraq because of the bad security situation. In addition, there are no services, no electricity, no water, no security. I and my family and many other families were forced to leave. However, if the situation became only 50 per cent better tomorrow I would return."

-- an Iraqi survivor of an abduction and torture, interviewed by Amnesty International in June 2007 in Syria --

the international community has not responded adequately to iraq's spiralling refugee crisis and is leaving the main host countries, syria and jordan, to shoulder too much of the responsibility...

in a report published today, millions in flight: the iraqi refugee crisis, amnesty international commends the syrian and jordanian governments for largely keeping their borders open to date, but it criticizes other states for doing too little to help them cope with the huge demands they face in meeting the needs of around 2 million iraqi refugees whom they now host...

according to the unhcr, at least four million iraqis are now displaced and their numbers are continuing to rise -- at an estimated rate of 2,000 people per day, making this the world's fastest growing displacement crisis...syria now hosts 1.4 million iraqi refugees and jordan an estimated half million or more, while 2.2 million are displaced but still remain within iraq...

said malcolm smart, director of the middle east and north africa programme at amnesty international:

"The desperate humanitarian situation of displaced Iraqis, including refugees and those who remain within Iraq, has been largely ignored by the world. A deepening humanitarian crisis and greater political instability across the wider region are looming, unless the international community meets its obligation to shoulder a fair share of the responsibility for protecting and assisting Iraqi refugees."

the report calls on states in the international community, in particular those who have participated in the u.s.-led invasion of iraq to assist jordan and syria by providing increased financial, technical and in-kind bilateral assistance to enable them to meet the health, schooling and other needs of the refugees...it also criticises the slow pace of resettlement of those considered most vulnerable among the iraqi refugees in jordan and syria, including victims of torture and other grave abuses, and calls for urgent steps to develop more generous refugee resettlement programmes...

the report includes recommendations addressed to the members of the international community, highlighting the need to live up to their responsibility sharing obligations and to cease practices that further call the safety of iraqis into question such as forcibly returning rejected asylum seekers to iraq, cutting off assistance to those denied asylum and even revoking the refugee status of some iraqis...

to read the full report: iraq: millions in flight: the iraqi refugee crisis

peace out <3

advocate for the uighur ethnic group unjustly jailed in china...

in the wake of the jewish holiday yom kippur - the day of atonement - i post the final of four ramadan human rights actions that ask you to send a card of support to buoy the spirits of a human rights activist who is being persecuted simply for exercising democratic rights...

husein dzhelil, a canadian citizen and ethnic uighur from xinjiang uighur autonomous region (xuar) in northwest china, was detained in uzbekistan on march 27, 2006...he was handed over to chinese authorities in june and tried before a court in urumqi, capital of xuar, on february 2, 2007...although authorities had previously indicated dzhelil was sought for "terrorist" activities, it appears that no such charges were read at his trial...instead, he was reportedly questioned about his activities and those of others from the uighur ethnic group...

husein dzhelil claims to have been tortured while in chinese custody...chinese authorities reportedly threatened that he would "disappear" and "be buried alive" unless he signed a document that was later presented as a confession in court...mr. dzhelil reportedly protested the court's appointment of a defense lawyer, asking instead for one of his choice, and also called for canadian representatives to be present...these requests reportedly went unheeded by the court...

chinese authorities continue to mount a crackdown on the so-called "three evil forces" of "separatism, terrorism, and religious extremism" in xuar, which has resulted in serious and widespread human rights violations directed against the region's uighur community...amnesty international urges chinese authorities to clarify any charges brought against huzein dzhelil and reminds them that he is a canadian citizen who should be given access to canadian consular officials, lawyers of his choice, and family members while he remains in detention...

please send cards of support...you may write in english...if you would like to say:

"We are thinking about you" in the pinyin form of Chinese, you may write: "Wo men kaolu ni."

write to:
Husein Dzhelil
Baijiahu Jianyu
Wulumuqishi 830000
Xinjiang Weiwuer Zizhiqu
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

peace out <3

why now? what can I do to help for darfur? - a lot...

a friend of mine, meredith, opened the newspaper today, and here's what she told me that she saw:

the war in iraq, presidential candidates battling in new hampshire, and the slow housing market...there was little mention of the ongoing deadly conflict in darfur, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced 2.5 million people to date...

that's unacceptable...the people of darfur need your help to put this crisis at the top of our country and the president’s agenda...

please take a minute, and sign amnesty's global petition to help end the violence in darfur...what good will an online petition do? --more than you think...

by signing, you will join hundreds of thousands of activists who are urging president bush to guarantee the swift deployment of more than 26,000 peacekeepers and police - as mandated by the u.n. resolution six weeks ago...you will also ensure that he lives up to his promises to get u.n. peacekeepers on the ground, fund peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance, and keep our attention on displaced persons in chad and the central african republic as well...

on october 24, united nations day, amnesty activists and staff will deliver this urgent petition directly to the white house...and with the strength of our extraordinary numbers, the president will not be able to ignore our call for full deployment of all u.n.-a.u. peacekeepers by early 2008 to finally ensure peace and human rights for the people of darfur...but it will take each and every one of us signing our names and showing our unwavering support...

and, as we reported last month, Amnesty activists played an important part in the passage of the u.n. security council resolution authorizing the deployment of 26,000 peacekeepers and police in darfur by the end of this year...

our timing is critical...real progress has been made, now we must ensure that the u.n. resolution is quickly and fully implemented, and the violence ends...

help us reach the goal of a half-million signatures by october 24...please take two minutes of your time to sign the global petition for darfur today...

the people of darfur continue to suffer rape, killings and displacement, and remain deprived of fundamental needs such as food, water, medical care and shelter—every day...

you play an essential role in our global campaign to protect the people of darfur...thank you for your ongoing activism...

peace out <3

The progress of Rwanda happens in small steps

Rwanda has abolished the death penalty.

(let me repeat)

Rwanda has abolished the death penalty!!!!

So as a citizen of the USA I am simultaneously elated for the small steps of progress shown by a country that has seen so much death and corruption, and saddened that my own country continues to engage in a practice that violates a such a fundamental Human Right- the right to life.

Maybe we will see a day when Rwanda and the USA lead the world in Human Rights. It could happen. Small changes lead to big changes.

Until then, as you take action for the most recent prisoners of conscience in Morocco (see entry below) or for those included in the Ramadan Action for Human Rights, remember that the United States continues to allow a classist and racist system of "justice" to proceed. Remember and take action for your own country as well.

Here is the information about Rwanda on Amnesty International's website

"Rwanda abolishes the Death Penalty"

it's not a good time to be a pro-human rights muslim in morocco...

and with that i claim the title of king of understatement but as you read on please don't confuse me with the moroccan monarchy...

authorities in morocco have jailed members of the moroccan association for human rights (association marocaine des droits humains, amdh) in response to their peaceful advocacy of human rights...seven members of the amdh were arrested after participating in demonstrations on may 1, 2007...five were arrested in ksar el kebir (thami khyati, youssef reggab, oussama ben messaoud, ahmed al kaateb and rabii raïssouni) and two (nmehdi berbouchi and aderrahim krrad) were arrested in agadir...

thami khyati, youssef reggab, oussama ben messaoud, ahmed al kaateb and rabii raïssouni were convicted of "undermining the monarchy," and sentenced to three years' imprisonment and heavy fines...at the trial, they were reportedly not allowed to call defense witnesses...on july 24, 2007, a court of appeal increased their sentence to a total of four years...mehdi berbouchi and abderrahim karrad were also charged with offenses relating to "undermining the monarchy" and sentenced to two years' imprisonment and a heavy fine...

ten other amdh members were arrested in early june in beni ,mellal, after participating in a sit-in of solidarity with the first seven men arrested...out of these ten, three received suspended prison sentences, while one man, mohamed boughrine, was given a one-year prison sentence, which he is currently serving...amnesty international is calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the eight imprisoned amdh members, who it considers to be prisoners of conscience...

please send cards of support...if you would like to say,

"We are thinking of you" in french, you may write: "Nous pensons à vous."

write to:

Association Marocaine des Droits Humains (AMDH)

Appt no 1, Immeuble no 6

Rue Akenssous, Avenue Hassan II

Rabat BP 1740

Rabat 10001

MOROCCO

fax: 011 212 37 738 851

email: amdh@mtds.com

peace out <3

should the jena 6 remain targets of historical, institutional racism???

we interrupt this series of ramadan human rights actions for this poignant and current message...

today, thousands of activists will rally in jena, louisiana...they’ll be supporting the so-called "jena six,"...you can support them too, by demanding that the justice department review their case...the jena six are african-american high school students who, after a fight last december in which a white student was hurt, were arrested and charged--five of them with attempted murder...although justin barker, the white student injured in the altercation, was hurt badly enough to go to the hospital, he attended a school function later that evening...

the fight occurred during a period of high racial tension in the community, prompted by an incident in which several black students sat under a tree that's traditionally "whites only,"..the next day, three nooses were hanging from it...

in case you're not from the southern united states, that, represents to me, a lifelong white southerner, symbolic terrorism...

some of the charges were reduced, from attempted murder to aggravated battery...but that's still a crime that could land a seventeen-year-old in jail for fifteen years...there's good reason to think that the charges in the case are disproportionate, and reflect a pattern of unequal treatment of black and white youths in the area...please urge the justice department to investigate...

human rights don't start at the water's edge--there's urgent work to be done here at home...as always, thank you for raising your voice...

peace out <3

sakit zahidov is the 2nd in a series of ramadan actions for human rights...

sakit zahidov is a prominent journalist, poet, and satirist for the opposition newspaper azadlýq ('freedom'), well-known for his sharp criticisms of government officials in azerbaijan...this father of five children is now serving a three-year prison sentence on charges many believe to be politically motivated...amnesty international is concerned that mr. zahidov was denied a fair trial and may have been imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression...

interior ministry personnel arrested sakit zahidov on june 23, 2006 on a charge of "possession of illegal narcotics with intent to distribute,"...a statement issued by the ministry alleged that police had found 10 grams of heroin on sakit zahidov...after no evidence of drug-dealing was presented at his trial, the charge was reduced to use of illegal drugs...however, a urine test at the time of arrest reportedly showed no evidence of drug usage...

many observers believe that the arrest of sakit zahidov was politically motivated and that the heroin was planted on him in order to incriminate him...other political opponents of the government have been arrested in recent years on drug-related charges of dubious validity...sakit zahidov has stated that a police officer planted the drugs in his pocket after he was forced into a car at the time of the arrest...

amnesty international has called on the authorities to ensure that sakit zahidov receives an immediate retrial in compliance with international fair trial standards...

please send cards of support...if you would like to say,

"We are thinking of you" in a phonetic form of Azeri, you may write: "Biz sizin haqqinizda fikirlashirik."

write to:

Sakit Zahidov

Dash karxanasi, building 202

Boyuk Shor

Baku, rayon Neriman

AZERBAIJAN

peace out <3

a series of ramadan actions for human rights awaits you...

at the end of our monthly local meeting last night we, as usual, were given a writing action to take on behalf of someone whose human rights are being violated...

this action was part of a series of ramadan actions designed to bring together family, friends and members of your community to reflect on and take action to defend human rights...rather than a letter to government officials these actions ask you to send a simple message of support and encouragement to the people whose stories i have access to...

so i ask you here in this forum to write cards or letters in the spirit of sadaqa, remembering that "[charity is] a kind word (al-kalima al-tayyiba)" (bukhari 56:72)...the messages you send can renew hope and faith in the hearts of the people who receive them...here's the first of several that i will post...

maureen kademaunga is a sociology student and secretary general of the university of zimbabwe students executive council who has been arrested on more than six occasions for leading demonstrations against exorbitant education fees, mass forced evictions, and poor social services delivery...as a result of her efforts, she has suffered physical assault while in police custody and was also suspended twice for her activism...only after taking university authorities to court was she later reinstated...

on february 13, 2007, ms. kademaunga was arrested and detained along with approximately 30 others from the harare polytechnical college while taking part in a meeting to map a way forward for the higher education sector in zimbabwe..she remained in detention until february 16...her case has yet to be heard by the magistrate's court...

on march 29, 2007, she was arrested at the headquarters of the movement for democratic change (mdc), the main political opposition in zimbabwe...while detained, she was denied access to lawyers, received no food or drink, and was not allowed to go to the toilet...she was released the next day without charge...

maureen kademaunga is an example of the many human rights defenders that are under sustained attack by authorities and police in zimbabwe...repressive legislation continues to be used to obstruct their work...in 2006 alone, hundreds were subjected to arbitrary arrest, torture, ill-treatment and harassment...

please send maureen cards of support...a sample message of support might be:

"In solidarity with the important human rights work that you are doing. Keep it up!"

write to:

Maureen Kademaunga

Zimbabwe National Student Union

P.O. Box 3951

Harare

ZIMBABWE

peace out <3

women call for action in the fight against hiv and aids...

violence against women and girls is a global pandemic...at least one out of every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime...every year, millions of women are raped by partners, relatives, friends and strangers, by employers and colleagues, soldiers and members of armed groups...violence in the family is endemic all over the world; the overwhelming majority of victims are women and girls...

and then there are debilitating health issues...

over 40 million people worldwide live with hiv/aids...almost half are women and the number affected is increasing...violence against women is a key factor in placing women at high risk of contracting the virus...members of amnesty international's stop violence against women campaign team attended the ywca international women's summit on 'women's leadership on hiv and aids' in nairobi in july 2007...read their diary...

the conference finished with this call to action...

peace out <3

cuba releases prisoner of conscience held 13 years...

good news for you this morning - cuba's longest serving prisoner of conscience has been conditionally released following more than 13 years of incarceration...

francisco chaviano gonzález, president of an unofficial human rights group, was arrested by cuban state security police at his havana home on 7 may 1994 on charges of "revealing state security secrets" and falsifying public documents...

it was reported that moments before his arrest, a person believed to be unknown to him handed him a compromising document which was found by state security and used as a pretext for detaining him on the grounds that he was "highly dangerous"...

in april 1995 he was sentenced by a military tribunal to 15 years in prison, the maximum sentence for these charges under cuban law...amnesty international believed his trial did not conform to international fair trial standards and declared him a prisoner of conscience...

having served 13 years and three months of his sentence, he was conditionally released on 10 august...

a former mathematics teacher and married with three children, francisco chaviano gonzález is president of the national council for civil rights in cuba (consejo nacional por los derechos civiles en cuba - cndcc), whose work includes documenting the cases of cubans who have been lost at sea trying to leave the country...

he was reportedly beaten on several occasions at the time of arrest and again on 17 june 1999, when prison guards broke his tibia and caused injuries to his face, according to reports received by amnesty international...on several different occasions he undertook hunger strikes to draw attention to his conditions of detention...

francisco chaviano gonzález is the fourth prisoner of conscience to be released this year...however, dissident groups on the island do not believe that these releases represent an improvement in the human rights situation as those freed had served their full sentence or were eligible for early release...there are still 62 other prisoners of conscience imprisoned in cuba and many others whose incarceration is politically motivated...

drink a toast to francisco and his family this afternoon...

peace out <3

your simple action can help protect migrant workers in south korea...

i'm guessing that you didn't know that the republic of korea (south korea) became the first labor-importing country in asia to seek to protect the rights of migrant workers when it introduced the act concerning the employment of migrant workers (eps act) in august 2003...

despite the introduction of the eps act, migrant workers, both regular and irregular, continue to face discrimination in the work place and abuse by employers and state officials...they are vulnerable to a gamut of human rights abuses including withholding of payment, confiscation of identity documents, including passports, visa papers and identity cards, verbal and physical abuse and denial of access to health insurance and medical attention...migrant workers are typically engaged in dirty, dangerous and difficult work for which they receive little or no training and face discrimination in wages compared to south korean nationals...

women, who constitute roughly one-third of all migrant workers in south korea, are particularly vulnerable to exploitation such as discrimination in wages compared to their male counterparts, sexual harassment and violence...lack of mandatory health insurance affects women migrant workers who may become pregnant but cannot afford to pay for appropriate treatment or regular check-ups...reports suggest that even after miscarriages many migrant women continue to undertake the same heavy workload they did before becoming pregnant...many women who have experienced sexual violence claim that they were threatened by their employers with forcible return to their home country if they reported the incident...

you can add your voice to the thousands who oppose such systematic mistreatment...

migrant workers in south korea often work long hours on machinery with little or no training...others work with dangerous chemicals with inadequate protective equipment or safety training...when workplace accidents happen many migrant workers are reported to have received inadequate medical treatment and compensation...in some cases, employers of injured workers have refused to renew contracts, thereby denying them the right to stay in the country legally; compelling many of them into an irregular status...the ministry of labor has stated that all migrant workers, including irregular workers, are eligible to benefit from the industrial accident compensation scheme however this right has been denied in many cases...

since november 2003, the south korean government has implemented a series of crack-downs to arrest, detain and deport all irregular migrant workers...amnesty international has received persistent reports of poor conditions below the standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners...there are also reports of abuse by security personnel in detention facilities used to detain migrant workers pending deportation...amnesty international delegates found male guards watching closed circuit television that monitored women detainees and a nationwide survey in 2006 found that 5% of female detainees claimed to have been sexually abused by immigration authorities during body searches...the average length of detention of migrant workers appears to be prolonged, which in many cases makes this detention arbitrary with many being detained for much longer than the legally permissible 20 days...hygiene conditions and ventilation are very poor and many detainees are kept in spaces much smaller than the 6.1m2 decreed by the ministry of justice in 2006...

these poor conditions became tragically evident in a recent (12 february 2007) fatal fire at the yeosu detention center that left 10 dead and around 17 others injured...when the fire broke out the fire alarm system failed, the sprinkler system did not work, there were fewer guards on duty than required in law and the guard closest to respond to the fire did not possess a key to open the cells for the detainees...the fire raises serious concerns regarding the safety of other detention facilities throughout south korea...it is feared that the investigation into the fire is not addressing the lack of legal safeguards to ensure the installment and enforcement of full health and safety measures in all detention centers and means of enforcement, including the number of guards on duty and training of all staff in health and safety procedures...

send a message to the minister of justice highlighting your concerns regarding the treatment of migrant workers in south korea, in particular the conditions in detention facilities used to detain migrant workers pending deportation...

peace out <3

it's time to deliver the goods to the people of darfur...

so today is the online chat with a darfuri refugee so i thought some more background would serve us all well...

darfur today is a place of violence and terrifying insecurity...the people are trapped in a web of armed attacks that grow ever more complex with weapons readily available...janjaweed and paramilitary forces, armed by the sudanese government grow ever stronger while more and more armed opposition groups emerge...

fighting is often between groups including ethnic groups formerly on the same side...one thing has not changed: it is still civilians who pay the price...

'twas ever thus...

hundreds of people were killed in 2007 in fighting between ethnic groups...as arms proliferated disputes that, in the past, would be resolved by traditional reconciliation processes have led to mass killings...

one of the most recent attacks took place on 31st july during a ceremony to commemorate those killed in a previous attack...the government army was warned the day before that armed men were massing in the area but took no action...at least 68 people were killed...

in may and june 2007, more than 2500 people fled from south darfur making a painful 10-day trek to the central african republic...the refugees said they fled after janjaweed and government attacked daffaq between 12 and 18 may...

the camps to which refugees flee are constantly expanding beyond their capacity...there is increasing politicization and militarization...displaced women and girls in camps are vulnerable and also face rising violence within camps and within their families...the camps also come under attack from outside...

"The NGOs provide food and blankets. They cannot provide security," a displaced person from Mershing camp explains.

rape and sexual slavery continue to be carried out with complete impunity...for example, on 26 december 2006 in deribat village, about 50 women were abducted and systematically raped by armed men...many children watched what happened to their mothers and some were raped themselves...

for years, the internally displaced have campaigned for a u.n. force to protect them...amnesty international is calling on the peacekeeping mission to help to ensure the safe, voluntary and sustainable return of the displaced to their homes and ensure the protection of women and other vulnerable groups from violence...

in order to ensure that attention to human rights abuses against the people of darfur does not fade in the wake of a decision to send a joint u.n.-a.u. peacekeeping mission to the region, thousands of activists including many from amnesty international, will be staging worldwide demonstrations in a global "day for darfur" on sunday, 16 september...

for more information on events go: to http://www.globefordarfur.org/

take action now! - sign the make some noise petition...

read more: darfur: ‘when will they protect us?’ civilians trapped by violence in sudan

peace out <3

it's time to tear down guantanamo bay one pixel at a time...

"We could never gain as much from that torture as we lose in world opinion. It's not about the terrorists, it's about us. It's about what kind of country we are."

- John McCain -

i believe and i want you to believe that we have the power to finally close guantánamo bay baby...the detention camps there are now synonymous with torture and injustice, and they've scarred the united states' reputation as a defender of human rights without making us any safer...

check that again - without making us any safer...

from across the political spectrum, across the globe, calls are mounting to shut down guantánamo bay and either charge and try those imprisoned or release them...

join me now and help strike the final blow to the bush administrations' failed policies at guantánamo bay...so sign the petition and get your pixel today....then ask your friends and family to do the same...once we reach 500,000 signatures, the prison will come down, and we'll have the political power to end this human rights disgrace...

take the step and help build the numbers we need...

tear down guantánamo now!

peace out <3>

an example of what amnesty international does: above the law - police brutality in angola...

it has become politically incorrect to refer to police officers as "pigs" (see 60's in the u.s.) but the fact is that pc or not it is sometimes accurate and warranted...

police in angola are responsible for persistent human rights violations, with few perpetrators ever brought to justice...

a climate of arbitrary arrests and unlawful detention, torture and ill-treatment, deaths in police custody and extrajudicial executions is exposed in a new amnesty international report...officers that commit such abuses have almost total impunity...

angolan police regulations force officers to comply with all orders from their superiors, irrespective of whether the instruction is unlawful or not...according to muluka-anne miti, amnesty international's researcher on angola:

"Due to the requirement of complete obedience in the Angolan police force, police officers often carry out orders without questioning the legality of their actions," said Muluka-Anne Miti, Amnesty International's researcher on Angola. This has resulted in officers participating in illegal actions, such as mass forced evictions and the beating of suspects and their families. Police perpetrators of such violent actions must be taken to court and brought to justice -- and the victims should receive full reparation for their suffering."

the angolan national police is relatively underdeveloped following the 27-year-long civil war, which ended in 2002...a 10-year police modernization plan has seen human rights training become part of the police training curriculum...however, amnesty international continues to learn of police brutality and impunity...

this is the heart and soul of what amnesty does effectively - research, verify, and report human rights violations across all borders and boundries...

in february 2007, francisco levi da costa was found beaten to death in a cell in a police station in luanda, the angolan capital...it was reported that he had been brutally beaten by police for four consecutive days...the police stated that an investigation was being carried out – as they have in other similar cases - but these investigations have still not been concluded and no one has been held responsible for the deaths...said muluka-anne miti:

"The only way to stop the continuing human rights violations by the police is for police officers to be held accountable for their actions in a court of law. The Angolan police must revise their disciplinary regulations to ensure that they contain provisions stipulating that all law enforcement officials have both a right and a duty not to obey unlawful orders -- particularly orders that could lead to a violation of human rights. It should also include provisions for the protection of officers who report or oppose such orders."

so if you believe that the work of amnesty international is vital please become a member...if you join at the $50 level or higher you will receive a free copy of the instant karma 2 cd set...

peace out <3

your chance to join an online chat with a darfuri refugee garelnabi...

i'd like to share an inspiring story with you...it's about a young man who faced enormous personal tragedy in war-torn darfur, and turned his experience into action by speaking out against the atrocities he saw with his own eyes...

i invite you to join a live web chat hosted by garelnabi, a darfuri refugee and activist – this thursday at 1pm eastern (10am pacific)...

garelnabi fled his north darfur home in 2003, after janjawid and sudanese government forces killed 60 people in his village, including his grandmother, brother, younger sister, and uncle...his mother, two sisters, and a brother currently live in a refugee camp in eastern chad...

he will share his story, discuss his role as an activist, and answer your questions during the live web chat...

you can submit a question for garelnabi before the chat , then join him this thursday at 1pm est (10am pst)...

peace out <3

The Devil Came on Horseback

This weekend a wonderful documentary about the genocide in Darfur came to the Nashville area. The Devil Came on Horseback opened Friday afternoon at the Belcourt Theatre. This movie focuses on the experiences of former U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle. The movie takes a close look at the current Darfur, a place where an Arab run government is systematically destroying villages and displacing, raping, torturing, and killing black African citizens.

Our local chapter got the privilege to table at the Belcourt for all eight showings this weekend. (A big shout out to our volunteers for getting all eight shows covered!) Our table focused on getting signatures for the Global Petition for ending the genocide in Darfur. October 24, 2007 is the close date for the petition and Amnesty is actively working to obtain half a million signatures. Currently Amnesty only has 50,000 signatures left to make it to their goal. We collected 138 signatures.

If you haven’t already done so, please follow the link below and sign the online petition.

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/site/c.jhKPIXPCIoE/b.2803551/k.2B81/The_Global_Petition_for_Darfur/apps/ka/ct/contactus.asp?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2803551&en=lvLRJ4OSKhKPK2PKIaKWKbOXJnLUKaMUJoI3KkN6LzG

TAKE ACTION NOW. DEMAND CHANGE!

somalia proves unsafe place to practice professional journalism...

human rights abuses continue, and not surprisingly, in the land of black hawk down...

journalists in mogadishu and other parts of southern somalia are at higher risk of violence this year on account of their reporting than ever before so far, seven media workers have been killed with impunity; four have been shot and wounded; several have been detained for short periods; and more than 30 have tried to flee the country to seek refuge in kenya...

are the producers of entertainment tonight even remotely concerned???

new death threats from unidentified quarters have been made against officials of the national union of somali journalists (nusoj)...on thursday, shabelle radio's website said that its reporter abdirizak warsame had been arrested, beaten and robbed at a police checkpoint after identifying himself as a journalist...several media offices -- particularly the hornafrik media network of eight radio stations, tv channel and website, which has lost five staff in recent years -- have been shut down for some periods by various authorities or been violently attacked.

yours truly, and oh yes, amnesty international, is calling on the transitional federal government (tfg) to conduct prompt, effective and impartial investigations into these criminal acts of killing or threats of violence against journalists and to bring those responsible to justice...said lynn fredriksson, advocacy director for africa at amnesty international usa:

"The U.S. government must also use its significant influence with the TFG to ensure it works to foster a political environment in Somalia that respects -- rather than fears -- the role of journalists."

the intensifying abuses and reprisals indicate a disturbing pattern of violations of the right to freedom of expression and the media, as recognized in international and regional human rights standards and somalia's transitional federal charter...

all parties to the conflict should make public declarations of commitment to protect media freedom and the legitimate rights of journalists, who are now a high-risk group alongside other human rights defenders in the present conflict...and these steps would prove helpful:

• special protective measures by the authorities to stop violence, threats and harassment targeted against media workers on account of their journalistic work...
• the kenya government to lift its eight-month border closure to asylum seekers from somalia in order to allow journalists and other civilians at risk to seek protection...
• an urgent "press freedom initiative" from the international community -- u.n. agencies, international organizations and non-governmental organizations -- to prevent further violence, including close monitoring and advocacy and solidarity visits...

just to make it more real for you three journalists killed in the past month have been named as:

1. abdulkadir mahad moallin (known as "kaskey") of radio banadir, killed on august 24
2. mahad ahmed elmi of capital voice radio, shot dead on august 11
3. ali iman sharmarke, head of hornafrik media, killed by a car bomb on august 11

the perpetrators of attacks on journalists in 2007 have not been identified yet the tfg police have made no arrests...

wtf???

and even amid the conflicts of 2006-7, journalists of the vigorous private media have worked openly, held training workshops or received international training to improve their professional standards of work..they have sought actively to protect their impartiality and safety and tried to obtain support from the authorities for their professional work...

most attacks on journalists were targeted, but abdulkadir mahad moallin "kaskey", aged 20, was killed as a result of the general lawlessness randomly affecting thousands of civilians, when bandits attacked a bus in which he was travelling from mogadishu after a training workshop to his home region of gedo...

peace f___ing out <3

help me help you to continue to remember darfur's forgotten women...

let's face it people, living in darfur every day is a challenge...every night is a fight for survival...and for displaced darfuri women the threats and violence are even worse...

at the border camps between chad and darfur, hundreds of thousands of displaced women and girls face the threat of abduction and gang rape, each accompanied by serious psychological trauma...

it happens every day while women are collecting firewood or water – mostly at the hands of sudanese armed militias, as an amnesty delegation discovered in may...these attacks are rarely disclosed, and local authorities often refuse to intervene on behalf of vulnerable women...

with your help as a committed activist, we are mobilizing to end this brutal violence...please urge the u.n. security council to authorize a peacekeeping force in eastern chad ensuring protection for the women of darfur....

your actions have been paving the road to peace in darfur...

this summer, with active support from amnesty international activists, the u.s. senate unanimously passed a resolution calling on china to use its influence to end the violence in darfur...the resolution asks the chinese government to use its economic leverage to urge sudanese president omar al-bashir to open sudan’s doors to u.n. peacekeepers immediately...

chad's ambassador in washington gave direct credit to amnesty international usa at a press conference to announce a reversal in chad's policy, which will now allow u.n. and other peacekeepers into eastern chad...

and, as i reported last month, you activists played an important part in the passage of the u.n. security council resolution authorizing the deployment of 26,000 peacekeepers and police in darfur by the end of this year...

but until all of these u.n. boots are on the ground, our efforts cannot waver - so I will continue to ask for your action to help protect the people of darfur....

after four long years of crisis in darfur, i ask that you maintain your unwavering support to end the devastating armed conflict there...you will continue to be presented with opportunities to make your voice heard, as well as updates on our successes...

in the meantime, please visit us at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=lkI3JaPNKjL0ImI&s=9iLPL2MFLfJMKZNLItH&m=ftJNKZOFLhJ6G for more information and at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=foJPITNyFdJFJ1K&s=9iLPL2MFLfJMKZNLItH&m=ftJNKZOFLhJ6G for the most updated news and actions...

and call in on thursday, september 13th for a live online chat with darfuri refugee and human rights advocate garelnabi abusikin....

peace out <3

accident at the intersection of mental illness and the death penalty...

before you dismiss something like what i lay out below consider the seriousness of mental illness, especially when it goes undiagnosed and untreated, and that specifically there are many types and gradations of depression...i struggle with both dysthymia and seasonal affective disorder and do not have access to any affordable health care...

please act now to prevent another prisoner-assisted homicide...

daryl holton was convicted in 1997 of murdering his four children, aged 4-12...at the trial, an expert for the prosecution even agreed that severe depression can "affect one's judgment and thought processes" and cause delusions...since then, holton has pursued what he has called a strategy of "consistent, calculated, deliberate, and selective procedural default rather than one of wholesale waiver of appeals."...but, however he may describe it, dearyl holton is "volunteering" for his execution...despite suffering from a major depressive disorder, courts in tennessee have ruled that daryl holton is competent to waive his appeals and "volunteer" for his execution...

since the united states resumed executions in 1977, 128 "volunteers" have been executed - such cases are often referred to as prisoner-assisted homicide, or state-assisted suicide...but consider this - a decision taken by someone on death row to end his or her life through execution can never be consensual...moreover, it cannot disguise the fact that the state is involved in a premeditated killing, a human rights violation that is a symptom of a culture of violence, not a solution to violent crime.

therefore please ask governor phil bredesen to grant clemency for daryl holton!

peace out <3

if you're going to kathmandu maybe take bob seger as a bodyguard...

my sister is traveling to nepal in november for a spirtual retreat at a buddhist monastery outside kathmandu...so when i read that three bombs exploded almost simultaneously in and around nepal's capital sunday, killing at least two people and injuring 13 i was concerned...this is the first attack on kathmandu since a communist insurgency ended last year...

here's some more we should know about the human rights situation in nepal...

although the situation in nepal has improved somewhat in the past year, many serious human rights concerns remain...in april 2006, months of pro-democracy demonstrations forced king gyanendra to reinstate parliament..a ceasefire was declared between the government and the maoists, and prisoners of conscience were released...on nov. 7, 2006 a peace agreement was signed by the interim government of the seven party alliance and the communist party of nepal (maoist)...it is hoped that the peace agreement will pave the way to a lasting peace, and protection of human rights in the country...in January 2007, the maoists joined the interim government...elections to a constituent assembly, originally to be held in june, will now be held in november 2007...

over 13,000 people were killed in nepal's 10-year-old civil conflict...thousands more suffered grave human rights abuses committed by both government security forces and maoist cadres...these abuses included thousands of arrests without charge or trial, extrajudicial killings, abductions, disappearances, and widespread torture...

amnesty international’s current human rights concerns include continuing impunity for past grave abuses, lack of clarity about the fate of those who disappeared during the conflict, continuing maoist abuses such as abductions, increasing violence by armed groups in the terai, and persistent abuses of economic, social, and cultural rights of women, dalits, and other groups...

nepal's vibrant human rights movement continues to be at the forefront of the ongoing struggle for peace, justice, and human rights in nepal...here are some interviews with, and information about, some of nepal's human rights defenders..

• interview with: krishna pahadi
• interview with: subodh raj pyakurel
• interview with: suvash kumar darnal
• interview with: rameshwar nepal
• society of the families of the disappeared

please take action and demand the government of nepal investigate the fate of the disappeared...sanjiv kumar karna, a 24-year-old student in janakpur was picnicking with a group of friends when he and ten others were arrested by a group of joint security force personnel...they were reportedly brutally beaten before being interrogated...

so please take action and go learn something about the political situation (in addition to the human rights situation) in nepal...

peace out <3

the problem with child soldiers worldwide...

an estimated 250,000 children are exploited each day in state-run armies, paramilitaries and guerilla groups around the world...

250,000 each day...

called "child soldiers," they serve as combatants, porters, human mine detectors and sex slaves...their health and lives are endangered and their childhoods are sacrificed...

starting this month, amnesty international usa begins a four month push to urge more u.s. senators to pressure foreign governments to end their support for recruiting and using child soldiers by co-sponsoring the child soldier prevention act (s. 1175)...join now by emailing colby goodman to ensure you receive all of the materials for the fall, including information on a photo exhibit, post cards, and a lobbying guide...

according to the u.s. department of state, governments in nine countries are implicated in supporting the recruitment or use of child soldiers either in their own armed forces or supported armed groups...for example, independent reporters have accused the chadian government of using child soldiers...other countries that have been implicated include: burma, burundi, colombia, cote d'ivoire, democratic republic of congo, sri lanka, sudan, and uganda...for more information, see aiusa's backgrounder and hrw's map ...there is also a q&a page you can refer to...

this month aiusa is encouraging you to use this petition to gain signatures in support of s. 1175...use or pass this petition around at public tabling events or individual meetings...at the end of september, we'll make available materials for you to hold a photo exhibit in your community or school for the month of october...in november and december, we'll be doing lobbying of your u.s. senators in your home states...

peace out <3

this video on amnesty international is worth your 4 minutes...

this 4 minute vid demonstrates the cool that is amnesty international for you - check it...

peace out <3

with little good news to show it's time to shut down guantanamo...

it is now over five years since the first detainees were transferred to the detention camp at the u.s. naval base in guantánamo bay, cuba...

cuba...

despite widespread international condemnation, hundreds of people of more than 30 nationalities are still there: without charge, and with little hope of obtaining a fair trial...

basta - enough is enough!

guantánamo bay is a symbol of injustice and abuse and it must be closed down...everything that does happen happens too slowly and wrecks the lives of already marginalized people...

jumah al-dossari was amongst a group of 16 saudi arabian nationals transferred from guantánamo to saudi arabia on 16 july 2007...according to media reports, all 16 were immediately taken into custody upon their arrival for investigation by the saudi arabian authorities...

al-dossari, a joint saudi/bahraini citizen, is believed to have attempted suicide at least 13 times whilst in u.s. custody...his brother-in-law, who spoke to al-dossari on the phone after his return, told the media that:

His mother, brother and sister have seen him in Riyadh and they say he is well and he was very pleased to see them... For five years, he was there, but now he has come back and that is great... We are very happy... He called me and I talked with him -- his health seems better than before because he is back.

up to 77 saudi arabian nationals have been released from guantánamo and returned to saudi arabia...all were detained on arrival...most have reportedly been released, but amnesty international does not know how many are still detained and on what grounds...approximately 53 saudi arabian nationals are still held in guantánamo...

according to the u.s. department of defense, approximately 360 men remain detained in guantánamo...

join the flotilla and shut this abomination down...

peace out <3

good news from the sudan! - environmental defender freed...

it is with great joy that i share with you the news of the release of dr. mohamed jalal ahmed hashim, a prominent opponent of the construction of the kajbar dam in sudan, who was arrested on june 16th...he was released from detention on august 25th...

he expressed his sincere thanks to amnesty international, explaining that so many faxes arrived that the security services holding him suspected that he was a very important person with many contacts worldwide...since several of the faxes mentioned his diabetes, prison medical staff started to check his diabetes every day...

upon his release dr. ahmed hashim said to amnesty international:

''In Sudan to have someone detained unlawfully is so common that people just worry about being tortured, not about being detained.''

he was released after he agreed to sign a statement saying he would not engage in public political activities; he said he agreed because his fellow detainees had signed the same statement...

several other people opposed to the dam's construction were arrested at the same time as dr. mohamed jalal ahmed hashim, among them mujahed mohamed abdallah, abdallah abdelgaum, alam eldin abdelghani, osman shamat, imad mirghani sid ahmed, and osman ibrahim...

all have since been released!!!

many thanks to all corporate accountability network members who sent appeals on behalf of these environmental defenders...you can help other individuals at risk and learn more about corporate accountability for human rights by visiting the CAN website...

peace out <3