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