free screening in nashville monday november 13...be there!

I signed up to host a screening of "Outlawed" at my house Monday. I hope many of you can make it.

For more information see the email below.

RSVP at http://www.amnestyusa.org/america/attend.php?id=35

Screening of "Outlawed"Amnesty International Screening - "Outlawed"Come and learn about this important issue - Due to limited space, please be sure to email me in advance to let me know you're coming!

Venue: The home of Phillip VestIn Bellevue near Caboose Park
Location: 821 Stirrup DriveNashville, TN 37221
Date: November 13, 2006 at 7:00 PM

Thanks,
Phillip Vest
Amnesty International Nashville

really good news from the big easy...

only 4 or 5 years ago it would have been a struggle to hold a tennessee caucus at the annual southern regional conference of amnesty international...no, it WAS a struggle cause i was there! ... i mean 3 people do not a rich caucus make...

and from where i sit at the moment that was a looooooooooooooooooooooooong time ago...last night 12 people merged into 2 minivans and drove over 500 miles from nashville to nawlins' representing spring hill, nashville, middle tennessee state university, and tennessee tech ... 3 more people flew in today (all from mtsu) and more from other parts of the state may yet appear...

all that is to say that as a longtime amnesty international activist cum organizer this is very exciting...we have passionate, youthful people just beginning to acquire the tools they will need to help build a stronger human rights network and movement ... i'm committed to offering them the support, encouragement, and perhaps wisdom to become the next wave of leaders in the struggle to make human rights tangible in people's live around the world and to imbue their lives with the dignity we each deserve...

peace out from the big easy... <3

amnesty international's global write-a-thon...

26028 letters pledged!
439 write-a-thon participants registered so far!

this international solidarity event was initiated by activists at ai poland on december 10, 2002 in commemoration of International human rights day...this annual event involves tens of thousands of participants from more that thirty countries writing letters to make a powerful change in the lives of individuals, help stop violence against women and contribute to the release of prisoners of conscience around the world...an estimated 60,000 appeals were written and sent last year by letter writers from zimbabwe, peru, kyrgyzstan, japan, lebanon, the united states and elsewhere...

help us meet our goal of 50,000 letters by organizing a letter-writing event in your community...we'll provide all of the information and resources you need to make your event a success...

click here for more information and here for background on write-a-thons...

peace out <3

the u.s. senate must help end violence in darfur...

the u.s. senate can still do more to encourage the arab league, china and russia to press the sdanese government to admit u.n. peacekeepers immediately and save thousands of lives...

learn more...

take action...

peace out <3

"get your red hot holiday cards right here..."

you may not have heard this particular vendor at a baseball game but that's the beauty of cyber-venues - reality can be stretched and massaged to be more friendly, fun, clever even...

so what i'm sharing with you today is that if you send holiday cards to your friends and family members (and you probably do) then why not check out the beautiful cards available from amnesty international ...

fill those close to you with your warmest thoughts and support human rights at the same time...

peace out <3

amnesty international works!!!!

Charges Dropped Against Border Aid Workers

Mexico, USA: On September 1, U.S. District Judge Raner Collins dismissed the case against humanitarian aid workers Shanti Sellz and Daniel Strauss. Sellz and Strauss had been charged with transporting undocumented migrants after providing assistance to three men found in apparently life-threatening condition in the Arizona desert last July. Thanks to all who took action on their behalf!Download the interview with Daniel and Shanti as featured on Law and Disorder radio. MP3 format 15MB. 2006-09-01

Guantánamo detainee, Murat Kurnaz has been released!

Murat Kurnaz © Private"He is now again in the circle of his family. Their joy at embracing their lost son again is indescribable" -- statement from Murat's lawyer Germany, Turkey, USA: Murat Kurnaz, a Turkish national born in Germany and featured in AIUSA's Holiday Card action, was released on August 24, 2006 from Guantánamo. He had been held for four years and eight months without charge or trial. In January 2005, a U.S. federal judge cited his case as illustrative of the inherent unfairness and fundamental flaws of the administrative review process in Guantánamo. 2006-08-24

Marcelino Miranda, Leonardo Miranda, and Feliciano Pineda Freed

Marcelino Miranda (top left), Leonardo Miranda (lower left), and Feliciano Pineda (right). © PrivateHonduras: Leonardo Miranda, the last of three Honduran prisoners of conscience on whose behalf AIUSA has campaigned for the past year through its Special Focus Case project, was freed on August 15, 2006. Leonardo's brother Marcelino was freed on July 12, 2006, following a decision by the Honduran Supreme Court in June that acquitted Marcelino and Leonardo of a 2001 murder for which they were wrongfully imprisoned. On August 15, a lower court commuted Leonardo's sentence on another charge, resulting in his release. Amnesty believed the two brothers and another indigenous rights activist, Feliciano Pineda, were jailed in connection with their efforts to secure communal land titles for their communities in Montaña Verde. Pineda was released from detention in February 2006. The Casework Office extends its thanks and congratulations to all AIUSA activists, especially those in the Western Region, who took action on behalf of these three indigenous leaders. 2006-08-15

peace out <3

let it grow, greatly yield...

if you check out our metro nashville amnesty international listserve you'll see it was initiated in october of 2000 (which coincidentally was the last time i experienced a period of unemployment)...so "we've" been together for six years now...

those six years have witnessed a true ebb and flow in both participation and action, at some points being no more than lynne and myself ... and that's why this year is very exciting ... there is a gathering of young, bright, passionate, energetic persons around the ideas and ideal of amnesty international - the world's largest grassroots human rights organization and network..

the witness i bear emerged out of the past week ... wednesday (11th) five of us gathered to map out an action calendar for the activist (roughly the same as an academic year)...and this was an "extra" meeting that people had to demonstrate an abiding commitment to the cause and the work...and three of those persons - rosa, diba, and betsy - are from this emergent group of young leaders...

to follow-up on monday night (16th) we had six people at the monthly chapter meeting only 2 of which were at last week's meeting...with becky, amanda, jen, and diba (again) coming from this pack of courageous young activists ... but that's not all - amanda and becky come with very diverse amnesty experience...

so my personal and humble thanks to everyone who is coming together to build a special social action network ... and maybe more...

peace out <3

Let it grow, let it grow, greatly yield.

What shall we say, shall we call it by a name,
As well to count the angels dancing on a pin.
Water bright as the sky from which it came,
And the name is on the earth that takes it in.
We will not speak but stand inside the rain,
And listen to the thunder shouting I am! I am! I am! I am.

IMMIGRATION: MAKING SENSE OF THE DEBATE

IMMIGRATION: MAKING SENSE OF THE DEBATE
Tuesday, October 17
Nashville, TN
7 – 9 p.m

A fierce, heated national discussion and debate about immigration and related issues has been taking place in recent months. This discussion has certainly found its way into our own community in which immigrants, in large numbers, have come to live. In fact, between 1990 and 2000, Tennessee has witnessed the sixth greatest increase of immigrants (169%) and the fourth greatest increase of Latinos (278%) in the country.

Too often, the animated discussion and debate on immigration has been fueled by inaccurate information, volatile rhetoric, and questionable calls for action. What seems to be sorely needed is a sensibly and rationally framed conversation centered on reasonable dialogue and truthful information. To this end, a coalition of community organizations has organized an educational forum and discussion, Immigration: Making Sense of the Debate, which will be held at the Scarritt-Bennett Center on Tuesday, October 17, from 7 – 9 p.m This event is designed to break through the emotionally driven rhetoric coming from the far sides on this issue, to center on a thoughtful and constructive conversation on immigration and the positive steps that we can take to address the problems associated with it.

Presentations will be made Dr. Katharine Donato (Vanderbilt Professor of Sociology), Stephen Fotopulos (Policy Director – Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition), and Tom Negri (Tennessee Hotel Association), and will include testimonies of immigrant families. Reasonable solutions to the problems and challenges at hand will also be shared for consideration. There will be ample opportunity for audience interaction and response.

this blog has prescience!

on thursday the 12th we blogged about women in darfur bearing a huge burden of the violence (gender based) resulting from the genocidal government policy emanating from khartoum...

on friday the 13th amnesty international issued a public statement calling for protection of civilians as janjawid renew attacks on eastern chad...chad being the place that displaced refugees are fleeing to in order to escape the violence in darfur (western sudan)...

the report says in part: "Janjawid are once more crossing the border of Sudan and attacking villages in Eastern Chad. Several villages -- possibly up to 10 villages -- were raided in attacks starting 3 October."

for the full statement click here ... to sign the petition to help stop the killing in darfur click here ...

this blog rocks because either we are psychic or just damn good - you decide which...

peace out <3

women bear heavy burden of violence in darfur...

most of you are by now familiar with the crisis in (the) darfur region of the sudan ... but many of us do not realize or appreciate that much of the violence perpetrated in the darfur conflict has resulted in grave human rights violations against women...these violations against women and girls include abductions, rape and forced displacement...the only real protection being provided for Darfuri women and girls has been from african union mission in sudan (AMIS), despite significant restrictions on its capabilities...

here's a tool to assist you in learning more about this specific aspect of the crisis in darfur ...

Sameera's Tears
Watch two film clips from the documentary, "Sameera's Tears," with Rev. Dr. White-Hammond (grateful thanks to Liz Walker, journalist and co-founder of My Sister's Keeper, a grassroots organization supporting micro-enterprise projects for women in Sudan; without her permission, exhibition of this footage would not be possible).

Clip 1 (high-speed low-speed)
Clip 2 (high-speed low-speed)

for public education and outreach here in nashville we have a mounted and laminated set of the photo exhibit Yesterday My Village Was Burned available to install at faith communities (churches, mosques, synagogues), schools, businesses, or even home for a small handling fee...

for access to full background and available actions on the crisis in darfur click here ...

peace out <3

World Day Against the Death Penalty...

On October 10th, an international coalition of like-minded associations is joining together in an effort to abolish the death penalty worldwide. This year 53 human rights organizations, bar associations, trade unions, and local and regional authorities are promoting the theme of the death penalty being an egregious failure of justice. The five critical aspects being highlighted are child offenders, discrimination of foreign nationals, unfair trials, mental illness, and innocence. Last year, the World Day resulted in some 263 initiatives throughout the world in 46 countries.
_______________________________________________________
Act Now!

China – executes innocent people then sells their organs »
Iran – executes child offenders »
Saudi Arabia – executes foreign nationals after unfair trials »See our Ramadan actions »
United States – executes the mentally-ill »
Nigeria – executes defendants without legal representation »
____________________________________________________________

Amnesty International works of the abolition of the death penalty worldwide. Two thirds of the countries in the world – 129 – have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. In 2005, only 22 countries carried out executions. 94% of the 2,148 executions documented by Amnesty International took place in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.

Hundreds of events, debates, concerts, press conferences, radio interviews, exhibitions and plays will be organized around the world to condemn the death penalty. Mark the date to bring the message to the world: the death penalty is not justice.

Further information on the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty is available on their website at http://www.worldcoalition.org/ or email coalition@abolition.fr

garrison keillor on "the compromise"...

it's my birthday so i could take liberties if i chose, but since it's not about me but the issues i'm simply going to share garrison keillor's strong words of disappointment in the congress for accepting the current u.s. administration's efforts to drop support for provisions of the geneva conventions on the treatment of prisoners and continue to erode civil liberties protections here at home...

peace out <3>_____________

Congress' shameful retreat from American values
Garrison Keillor...October 4, 2006

I would not send my college kid off for a semester abroad if I were you. Last week, we suspended human rights in America, and what goes around comes around. Ixnay habeas corpus.

The U.S. Senate, in all its splendor and majesty, decided that an "enemy combatant" is any non-citizen whom the president says is an enemy combatant, including your Korean greengrocer or your Swedish grandmother or your Czech au pair, and can be arrested and held for as long as authorities wish without any right of appeal to a court of law to examine the matter. If your college kid were to be arrested in Bangkok or Cairo, suspected of "crimes against the state" and held in prison, you'd assume that an American foreign service officer would be able to speak to your kid and arrange for a lawyer, but this may not be true anymore. Be forewarned.

The Senate also decided it's up to the president to decide whether it's OK to make these enemies stand naked in cold rooms for a couple of days in blinding light and be beaten by interrogators. This is now purely a bureaucratic matter: The plenipotentiary stamps the file "enemy combatants" and throws the poor schnooks into prison and at his leisure he tries them by any sort of kangaroo court he wishes to assemble and they have no right to see the evidence against them, and there is no appeal. This was passed by 65 senators and will now be signed by President Bush, put into effect, and in due course be thrown out by the courts.

It's good that Barry Goldwater is dead because this would have killed him. Go back to the Senate of 1964--Goldwater, Dirksen, Russell, McCarthy, Javits, Morse, Fulbright--and you won't find more than 10 votes for it.

None of the men and women who voted for this bill has any right to speak in public about the rule of law anymore, or to take a high moral view of the Third Reich, or to wax poetic about the American Ideal. Mark their names. Any institution of higher learning that grants honorary degrees to these people forfeits its honor. Alexander, Allard, Allen, Bennett, Bond, Brownback, Bunning, Burns, Burr, Carper, Chambliss, Coburn, Cochran, Coleman, Collins, Cornyn, Craig, Crapo, DeMint, DeWine, Dole, Domenici, Ensign, Enzi, Frist, Graham, Grassley, Gregg, Hagel, Hatch, Hutchison, Inhofe, Isakson, Johnson, Kyl, Landrieu, Lautenberg, Lieberman, Lott, Lugar, Martinez, McCain, McConnell, Menendez, Murkowski, Nelson of Florida, Nelson of Nebraska, Pryor, Roberts, Rockefeller, Salazar, Santorum, Sessions, Shelby, Smith, Specter, Stabenow, Stevens, Sununu, Talent, Thomas, Thune, Vitter, Voinovich, Warner.

To paraphrase Sir Walter Scott: Mark their names and mark them well. For them, no minstrel raptures swell. High though their titles, proud their name, boundless their wealth as wish can claim, these wretched figures shall go down to the vile dust from whence they sprung, unwept, unhonored and unsung.

Three Republican senators made a show of opposing the bill and after they'd collected all the praise they could get, they quickly folded. Why be a hero when you can be fairly sure that the court will dispose of this piece of garbage.

If, however, the court does not, then our country has taken a step toward totalitarianism. If the government can round up someone and never be required to explain why, then it's no longer the United States as you and I always understood it. Our enemies have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. They have made us become like them.

I got some insight last week into who supports torture when I went down to Dallas to speak at Highland Park Methodist Church. It was spooky. I walked in, was met by two burly security men with walkie-talkies, and within 10 minutes was told by three people that this was the Bushes' church and that it would be better if I didn't talk about politics. I was there on a book tour for "Homegrown Democrat," but they thought it better if I didn't mention it. So I tried to make light of it: I told the audience, "I don't need to talk politics. I have no need even to be interested in politics--I'm a citizen, I have plenty of money and my grandsons are at least 12 years away from being eligible for military service." And the audience applauded! Those were their sentiments exactly. We've got ours, and who cares?

The Methodists of Dallas can be fairly sure that none of them will be snatched off the streets, flown to Guantanamo Bay, stripped naked, forced to stand for 48 hours in a freezing room with deafening noise. So why should they worry? It's only the Jews who are in danger, and the homosexuals and gypsies. The Christians are doing fine. If you can't trust a Methodist with absolute power to arrest people and not have to say why, then whom can you trust?

- Garrison Keillor is a syndicated columnist and host of "A Prairie Home Companion."

put your faith where your mouth is...

true, i've adapted the adage but with good reason...october 22nd through the 24th is amnesty international usa's national weekend of faith in action on the death penalty...

the 9th annual...so we should give a great big shout out to kristin houle (or k-bear as she's known far and wide) and her buddies morgan and sue in aiusa's program to abolish the death penalty... S-A-L-U-T-E!!!

as k-bear likes to say, "The National Weekend of Faith in Action (NWFA) is an opportunity for faith communities, interfaith groups, human rights activists, and others to examine the death penalty from a faith-based or values-based perspective. Set aside some time during the weekend of October 20-22 for an activity or event that focuses on the death penalty issue, using the ideas and resources provided by Amnesty International USA as your guide."

anyhoo - here in tennessee between aiusa and the tennessee coalition to abolish state killing we've already signed up more than 40 faith communities and groups to participate...and what do these places receive for signing on??? well you get all sorts of ideas on how to engage your group, lots of materials including amnesty international's capital punishment fact sheets, and a copy of the dvd the empty chair or the exonerated (while they last)...

if you have questions or want to sign up a group (including your local or student amnesty international group) send an e-mail to either k-bear or myself...

peace out <3

amanda - meet the indigo girls...

"check, check, check..."

it's a sound you'll get well before the concert if you go early enough and it's something that amnesty international volunteers get to hear plenty of...thanks to angie hougas and nancy lutz who run the rhythm n' rights program for amnesty international...

and tabling at a concert is a great way to get new volunteers involved in your local chapter ... enter amanda van doorn...amanda recently moved to nashville after having worked with amnesty in college - she hooked up with us through the state chapter list on the amnesty website and volunteered right away to help us out with the october 3rd indigo girls concert at the ryman auditorium ... "the girls" - touring to support their 10th studio album release, despite our differences and celebrating their 20th anniversary of making music together - have been longtime supporters of the work of amnesty international and even played an anti-death penalty concert at the same venue in 1999 organized by the legendary steve earle...

here's amanda's account of the evening...peace out <3

The Indigo Girls were kind enough to allow Amnesty International to table at their concert they held in Nashville on Tuesday night. I had the pleasure of tabling with Lynne and we tabled beside volunteers from the Vote No on 1 campaign. We had several petitions at our table which were about: the situation in Darfur/Sudan, the disappearance of children in Sri Lanka, and the discrimination and violence women currently face in Guatemala. We also handed out flyers with information about our local group and encouraged people to sign up to be on the email listserve.

We had a great response and it was awesome to have the opportunity to talk to people about these various issues and the mission of Amnesty International. Everyone we talked to seemed receptive to our message and many concertgoers were excited to see that Amnesty was at the event. Being at this event allowed us to educate people on the issues mentioned above, while also giving us the chance to promote our group and establish new contacts.

In the end, it is all about getting out there and educating people, promoting awareness; tabling is an excellent opportunity to accomplish these tasks. You should never under estimate the power of action and your ability to help make a difference.

Thank you to the Indigo Girls for allowing us to be at their concert and thank you to all the people from Rhythm n' Rights who provided the Nashville chapter with this excellent opportunity.

17 year old kortney hartz rocks the world...

organizing is not only about nuts and bolts but its also about inspiration and motivation...and its about engaging people while they are still young enough to teach those of us who already "know," whattup... so here's some irie words from a a "long-time" human rights activist in nyc...

Resist and Desist

Kortney Hartz,
Senior at Elisabeth Irwin High School

Sudan, Iran, Uganda, Rwanda, Vietnam, Russia, Brazil
All within the vicinity of hate,
Two miles away from the tag line
Never Again.
And men take the bait of humanity's
Degeneration kept in a mason jar at the bedside
Of exploited power.
And those hippies replacing bullets for flowers
Aren't Americans
Because they don't understand how we win.
So, cut off your long hair and replace it with this hardware
Created by politicians that glorify silence through blood-encrusted reverence.
Who forgot about the whips and the colonization of our
Mother Country,
They took the slave-ship and called it a yacht
Bought and sold oppression without a mention to the
Livelihood of humanity.
So I get down on my knees for the Sudanese
who are waiting for the pressure of atrocity to implode the measure of guilt we all
supposedly feel.
Note that in my anger I can only speak for my weak soul
That can't bear the excursions that justice likes to take in times of need.
So put one hand over your heart and repeat after me
Resist and Desist Injustice.

peace out <3

rewarding good behavior...

we are quick to express our position on human rights issues to our elected officials and that's AWESOME ... and when one of them votes the correct way we should thank them and tell them why they did the right thing ... sort of like house training a puppy only not exactly ... :-)

i've just been told that representative jim cooper was the ONLY member of the tennessee delegation to vote against the irresponsible "compromise" torture bill...the ONLY one...i encourage everyone to contact jim cooper's office and tell him thank you...nashville office phone: 615-736-5295 ... washington d.c. office phone: 202-225-4311...

make another call, k'?

We got our senators on board, now how 'bout Congress?

Great Job TN! Both of our Senators will be signatories in a letter to the Arab league expressing the vital importance in carrying out UN Security Council Resolution 1706 and use all diplomatic means to get UN Peacekeepers on the ground in Darfur.

Unfortunately, only one of our nine members of Congress is a signatory as well. Rep. Bart Gordon from Murfreesboro and Cookeville signed the letter today.

The letter's deadline is tomorrow, so please call your representative and urge them to sign the Darfur letter sponsored by Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ-04) and Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA-12).

If you would like to know who your member of congress is and his/her contact info, click here.

this is NOT a theoretical concern...

i don't think so...is the answer to the following question:

could 45 retired admirals and generals, military leaders and former dod officials be wrong about preserving the indivisible and universal provisions of humane treatment embedded in the geneva convention???

that includes 5 former members of the joint chiefs of staff!!! former u.s. chairman of the joint chiefs of staff john vessey, said:

"If such legislation is being considered, I fear that it may weaken America in two respects.

• First, it would undermine the moral basis which has generally guided our conduct in war throughout our history.
• Second, it could give opponents a legal argument for the mistreatment of Americans being held prisoner in times of war."

the signatories asked legislators to "consider the impact that redefining Common Article 3 would have on Americans who put their lives at risk in defense of our Nation...We believe their interests, and their safety and protection should they become prisoners, should be your highest priority as you address this issue."

Tell your Senators to block any legislation governing the treatment of detainees that does not follow and improve upon the principles laid out in the Graham-Warner-McCain proposal.
Click here to take action today!

legislative compromise sells out geneva convention...

as it stands "the compromise" merely substitutes one injustice for another...while the right of the accused to be present at trial has been strengthened, the measure still permits the introduction of evidence long considered untrustworthy...the revised rules allow evidence obtained through "coercion," despite decades of court decisions that such testimony is inherently unreliable...likewise, the bill permits the use of hearsay evidence unless the accused can prove that the evidence is unreliable...but the accused will never be given a fair chance to do so, as the prosecution is permitted to keep sources and methods used to obtain that evidence secret...

Larry Cox, Amnesty International USA's Executive Director, issued the following statement in response to the proposed agreement reached by President Bush and Senate Republicans regarding detainee legislation:

"Amnesty International is deeply disturbed by the proposed compromise between Senate leaders and the White House on detainee legislation. Without further clarification the legislation leaves loopholes big enough to drive a Humvee through. The parties appear to have negotiated themselves right back to the starting line. The core of the public debate between senior Republican leaders and the administration largely hinged on the president's ability to interpret the Geneva Conventions as he saw fit and as he basically granted himself authority to do in the war on terror. Key Senators argued, rightly, that the Conventions must stay intact. Yet, in the alleged 'win-win' compromise, it appears that the president can reinterpret the Conventions, amend the War Crimes Act and even give a greenlight to treatment long-considered torture. Without additional clarity, the proposed agreement betrays American values of justice and long-held agreements and obligations on basic humane treatment. There can be no compromise for torture.

This is not a time for electoral calculations on either side of the aisle. Winning or losing elections doesn't matter if the price of victory is a profound betrayal of principle -- and, make no mistake about it, the proposed legislation has that potential. This bill could confirm America as a nation unbound by human rights standards Americans lived by, fought for and promoted for decades."

amnesty international has launched the "america i believe in" campaign because we believe that the united states is facing a defining moment: the nation can continue to be one of the world's leaders on human rights or lose its moral authority on fairness and justice...some of the campaign activities have included advertisements in major print and online publications and personal calls and visits to congressional members...actually, over the past week, amnesty international members and other citizens sent nearly 50,000 letters to congress urging lawmakers to keep the conventions intact and not to cede the nation's values...

keep those calls coming in...

so i said, "your call can help turn the tide,"... "make a call this week,"...

and the reply was like, "oh yeah, how do you know?"...

well here's what i do know, no question, without a doubt - if you don't call you make NO DIFFERENCE at all...

zip, zilch, zero, nada...that's the only guarantee you have - do nothing, accomplish nothing...

the crisis in the darfur region is at a crucial point...a u.n. peacekeeping operation must be deployed immediately to protect civilians in darfur...that won't happen without u.s. pressure...our government won't act unless you speak out...

so call right now...

and check out the new amnesty international magazine cover story, "darfur: a call to action." ...

peace out <3

outreach is creating ways to make connections...

so why start a blog???

i mean after all everybody and their mother has started a blog in the past 3 years - only the most ardent luddite has been left out of this loop...

but last night betsy and lindsay attended their first ever amnesty international meeting because of this blog ... they went to the amnesty international usa website, found the page for tennessee chapters, and clicked on the nashville group website link that we had posted less than weeks ago...

and they hooked up with us...that's called outreach - that's what i'm talkin'' about...

so whether it's free ads in local weekly papers, listserves, flyers, networking, or a host of other outreach mechanisms, building a human rights movement turns on making it possible for people hook up with you and get involved...

just like betsy and lindsay!

pro-torture guidelines rebuffed by senate committee...

a week ago we reported on president bush's full-scale assault on human rights ... yesterday the president was apparently "bitch-slapped" by members of his own party...

...a senate committee dealt a bipartisan rebuff to president bush by approving military tribunal legislation that would give more legal protection to detainees than the administration wants...

...four of the 13 republicans on the senate armed services committee joined all 11 democrats to pass their version of the measure, rejecting bush's proposal to bar defendants from seeing classified evidence prosecutors may want to use in court...former secretary of state colin powell endorsed the senate approach, warning that the bush administration is risking the safety of u.s. troops and worldwide opinion by permitting harsh treatment of detainees...

...the committee acted just hours after the president made an unusual visit to capitol hill to urge support for his proposals on domestic eavesdropping and military tribunals. Bush warned the senate version would restrict the ability of intelligence operatives ``to interrogate people who have information about future attacks,"...

for coverage on president bush's so what defense check out the daily show clip entitled trial and terror - OUCH!!!

peace out <3

global day for darfur...

if you think that because the international community has yet to stop the events in darfur from replicating the tragedy in rwanda you should chill out -

THINK AGAIN!!!

Sunday, September 17th is Global Day for Darfur -

a day of rallies around the country and world, including a major rally in New York City to coincide with the convening of the 61st General Assembly of the United Nations, to urge immediate international action for Darfur.

Save Darfur Rally & Musical Performances by:
Big & Rich ** O.A.R ** Lupe Fiasco
Sunday, September 17th 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

In Manhattan's Central Park East MeadowDownload

the flyer for this event (PDF).

_________________________

In Nashville that day,

Tennesseans Against Genocide is presenting

Darfur Diaries,

a powerful hour-long documentary, at

3:30 PM at The Belcourt Theatre,

2102 Belcourt Ave, Nashville.

Klint Alexander, an attorney specializing in international law, will speak briefly on what's preventing international action at this time and why action is justified.

reach out and touch (a lot o') someone(s)...

tennessee is a pretty big albeit awkwardly shaped state ... from the southwest corner (near memphis) to the northeast corner (past johnson city) it's somewhere between 500 and 600 miles (that's between 800 and 960 km for those of us from outside the silly u.s.)...

so if you want to check in (in real time) with other human rights organizers and activists here in the volunteer state you got basically 2 choices - chat rooms and conference calls ...

well chat rooms are a little messy and people like myself type w/2 or 3 fingers so a conference call is really the best option ... and now there are no fee conference call facilitators whereby participants simply pay the cost of the the long distance call itself...

so what'll we talk about??? well, we'll find out what campaigns each group wants to work on so that we can coordinate efforts and maximize outcomes, mobilize for the regional conference in new orleans, see how we can support our statewide stop violence against women campaign coordinator, and plan for a statewide face-to-face in the spring (prolly' somewhere in middle tennessee as a geographic compromise), and at baseline set foundations for building relationships and trust...

so if you're around a week from today (next wednesday) call in at 8 p.m. eastern by calling 1-712-432-2323 and using code # 58156 ... we got nothing to hide...

peace out <3

on-line discussion friday: brutal killing of women in guatemala...

human rights (and women's) organizer samantha mathis shares this with us:

"Last year, while visiting Guatemala I learned of an appalling reality; women walk the streets with fear that they could at any moment be abducted and killed. According to the Guatemalan National Civilian Police (PNC) the number of women killed has risen steeply from 303 in 2001 to 665 in 2005. 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."

i was there 11 years ago for a month but naively thought things had improved ... naive at 48 - busted!...

This is a human rights scandal that must be addressed immediately.

and i concur completely with samantha...so what's your first step???

join amnesty international for an online discussion on friday september 15, with hilda morales, renowned guatemalan lawyer and advocate for families of the victims of femicide....check out what the challenges have been for advocates like hilda and family members of the victims, what the guatemalan government's response has been and why these killings are on the rise. please submit questions by wednesday september 13...

peace out <3

freedom of speech includes freedom to publish...

banned books week...september 23-30...

during banned books week,..amnesty international directs attention to the plight of individuals who are persecuted because of the writings that they produce, circulate or read...traditionally, banned books week activities take place at the end of september -- but the featured cases are not confined to a week...they continue to need your action...

click here to see and take action on some of these cases...

peace out <3

president bush’s full-scale assault on human rights...

did you see it too or was i dreaming???

two days ago, president bush on national television defended cruel and humiliating treatment of detainees and proposed legislation that would legalize the sham military commissions that the supreme court recently repudiated in hamdan v. rumsfeld reaffirming fair trial standards for detainees in u.s. custody...

the u.s. president justified torture...again...

with this brazen move, president bush has launched an all-out assault on human rights and the rule of law..torture?...secret prisons?...unfair trials?...impunity for law breakers?...this is not the america i - we - believe in....the america we believe in does not use torture...the america we believe in would never hide people in secret prisons...the America we believe in leads the world on human rights...

president bush undermining the rule of law constitutes a crisis ... please act with the urgency and sense of purpose that President Bush's full-scale assault on human rights demands...

please support amnesty international today!

peace out <3

there are lives in the balance...join CAN...

that's the title track from the 1986 release from jackson browne (click here for full lyrics)...

i bring this up in relationship to the issue of torturing for profit and the outsourcing of work to private military contractors by the u.s. department of defense (et.al.)...which is primarily a recent phenomenon under secretary of defense donald rumsfeld...

here's what bennett freeman, a former u.s. state department official who has worked to help make american corporations more careful about human rights when they do business in places of violent conflict, has to say:

"Two years ago today, the US Army released the Fay/Jones report, which confirmed that prisoners at Abu Ghraib had been brutally abused by interrogators and translators working for private companies contracted by the US government and military. The report asked the Attorney General to look into the cases of abuse – yet two years later, most of these cases remain untouched. Victims and their relatives have had no access to justice, and private companies operating in zones of conflict are getting the message that torture is a part of business as usual."

fact is the u.s. government has outsourced billions of dollars in contracts to private companies, leaving to civilians some of the most essential and sensitive functions in the war, including providing security for u.s. government personnel and reconstruction projects, operating and maintaining weapons systems, translating during interrogations and conducting interrogations...despite weak reporting requirements placed on private security firms, allegations have surfaced implicating civilians working for the u.s. government in mistreatment of iraqi and afghan civilians...

learn more about amnesty international usa's efforts to hold private military contractors accountable for human rights violations in the "war on terror..."

join the corporate action network to find out more ways you can take action to ensure private military companies and other corporate actors are upholding human rights...

They sell us the President the same way
They sell us our clothes and our cars
They sell us every thing from youth to religion
The same time they sell us our wars
I want to know who the men in the shadows are
I want to hear somebody asking them why
They can be counted on to tell us who our enemies are
But they're never the ones to fight or to die

peace out <3

mental illness and justice...not...

u.s. district judge thomas phillips ruled this week that daryl holton is competent to waive his death penalty appeals...holton, a "volunteer," is scheduled for execution on september 19th...

now here's the rub - holton has suffered from major depression and psychosis for more than twenty years...however, holton's murder of his four children, an egregiously tragic event, might never have happened if he had been receiving proper treatment through the years...holton was suffering from these conditions at the time of the crime, and he has a long series of suicidal impulses which may now be guiding his behavior, especially taking into account his recent decision to die by electrocution...

and it is a public relations ruse to consider the execution of such "volunteers" as consensual... in an amnesty international usa report released in april 2001 called the illusion of control, the human rights organization argues that a decision taken by someone who is under threat of death at the hands of others can never be considered consensual...executions like (tim) mcveigh's are a form of premeditated killing, says amnesty, "a human rights violation that is a symptom of a culture of violence, not a solution to it."...

amnesty international usa remains on the cutting edge at the intersection of mental illness and the death penalty with articles such as cruel and inhumane: executing the mentally ill and groundbreaking reports like the execution of mentally ill offenders ... click here to see what michael j. fitzpatrick, executive director, national alliance on mental illness (nami) had to say about this amnesty international report...

stay tuned for actions opposing this execution or send an e-mail to threedoginn@bellsouth.net

peace out <3

overcome obstacles to engage people...

Last week the Belcourt screened The Road to Guantanamo and we were invited to table and/or canvass, which I prefer to do, before and after the film. Our group has been known for doing a great job of collecting signatures, petitions and bringing new members to Amnesty International. The participation was phenomenal! Ten Nashville-area Amnesty activists participated and although the film did not get "box office numbers," we were still able to spread the word and hope.

People consider me as one more of an aggressive activist in that I don't mind taking people out of their comfort zone in order to tell them about the horror in Guantanamo Bay detention cells. By doing that, I get to speak to people who wouldn't normally approach an Amnesty table. Among the people who did not want to sign the petition were, an Argentinean professor at Vanderbilt who was not a citizen, an uncle of a soldier in Iraq, and another guy who was too busy philosophising and not acting.

However, for the most part, we found that people were very supportive of our work. Of course, it's also true that most of the people were the kind of people that would pay to see an independent film on Guantanamo Bay. This is where things need to change. We have to stop talking within our movement and go beyond it.

As Board member for AIUSA, I hope to work with my colleagues to direct Amnesty in that direction. We are at a key point in Amnesty's history. In the coming months, the strategic planning consultants will identify the obstacles that keep us from reaching our goals; we are also addressing many more issues that may be controversial withinn our OWN movement. Finally, the current administration put a lot of effort into silencing our voices.

For all of these reasons, I'm most inspired when I work locally, with a group and talk to the "outsiders" of our movement." I enjoy talking to those uncles, professors and pseudo-intellectuals because, even though I may not change their mind, I have done my job, and others will too. Little by little - effort by effort - we've gotta keep the bells of human rights ringing.

the america that you and i believe in...

• does not torture people...
  
• does not hold people at guantanamo bay without charges, without trials, without hope and without end...
  
• does not kidnap people off the street and ship them to nations known for their brutality...
  
• defends human dignity and promotes human rights for all...

amnesty international is mobilizing people of conscience across all 50 states to re-affirm america's commitment to human rights...take the first step and help us reach our goal of 50 memberships each day of september...

click here now -- thank you...

music with a message: spotlight on JAGUARES...

amnesty international launched Make Some Noise about a year and a half ago ... MSN is about music with a message...this ground-breaking venture from amnesty international mixes music, celebration and action to protect individuals wherever justice, freedom and equality are denied...with exclusive john lennon covers, artist videos and opportunities to make an impact...MSN is meant to inspire a new generation to stand up for human rights...

the most powerful group to emerge from this project is JAGUARES...they play before crowds of 100,000 in mexico and have played before huge audiences when touring the u.s...

the group's latest album, Cronicas de un Laberinto (Chronicles of a Labyrinth), is a statement about how mexico is still searching for the right mix of social justice and economic prosperity...for example on the bittersweet tune Madera (Wood), lead singer saul hernández envisions a wood that "is resistant to all weeping" and "resurrects in ciudad juarez" -- a reference to the unsolved killings of hundreds of women in the cities of juarez and chihuahua (highlighted in amnesty international's campaign to stop violence against women)...

check out the jaguares page on amnesty international's make some noise site or check their official web site (in spanish) out by clicking here...

oh yeah, go out and MAKE SOME NOISE!

peace out <3

this male says statutory gender equality is long overdue...

i think back to the very early 80's and the effort to pass the equal rights amendment here in the united states...so as i recall this was no long "feminist" treatise or male-bashing, rather it was concise, simple, and historically justified...in fact here's the actual text...

Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

but did you know that the era was written in 1923 by alice paul, suffragist leader and founder of the national woman's party...she and the nwp considered the era to be the next necessary step after the 19th amendment (woman suffrage) in guaranteeing "equal justice under law" to all citizens...and the era was introduced into every session of congress between 1923 and 1972, when it was passed and sent to the states for ratification..the seven-year time limit in the era's proposing clause was extended by congress to June 30, 1982, but at the deadline, the era had been ratified by 35 states, leaving it three states short of the 38 required for ratification...it has been reintroduced into every congress since that time....

so this post is more than a simple u.s. history lesson - it's global...

here's the thing -- male domination and subjugation transcends cultural barriers and is responsible for the failure of passage of the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW) which would establish a minimum set of standards for combating discrimination against women for all signatories (nations)...

but let's return to the u.s. for a second ... while 183 countries have ratified CEDAW the united states is one of only 9 countries that have failed to do so...so who joins the u.s. in opposing legal gender equality...lessee..

there's iran, somalia, qatar, sudan (which includes darfur), tonga, palau, nauru, and oh yes - the cook islands...

that's some company...

back in 1980 i really believed that the era would pass - and it still may - but you can help us work to pass CEDAW while living right here in tennessee by working with the stop violence against women campaign, educating and raising awareness about the ways in which male dominion results in the diminution of dignity for the less privileged, non-male gendered among us...

peace out <3

about the many - about the one...

in a nutshell human rights is a HUGE concept about the indivisibility and universality of the components necessary to live life in a dignified manner - a right is for every single human being or it is no right at all...

now amnesty international began more than four decades ago -- the story of two portuguese students sentenced to seven years imprisonment for raising a toast to freedom horrified british lawyer peter benenson (click here for the rest of the story)...

and today, while the demands of educating about, organizing around, and exposing the abuses of human rights is a daunting job working on individual cases remains an integral part of the work of amnesty international...

so today i ask you to TAKE ACTION on behalf of filep karma and yusak pakage, prisoners of conscience in indonesia...

For peacefully raising a flag, Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage may spend the next decade or more in prison in Indonesia.

On December 1, 2004, some 200 people participated in a nonviolent ceremony outside Abepura in Papua Province during which the Morning Star flag, a symbol of Papuan independence, was raised in commemoration of the declaration of Papuan independence in 1962. The commemoration is celebrated annually by some Papuans. While approximately 200 people took part in the December 1 ceremony, hundreds more local people watched from the edge of the fields.

SPEAK OUT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS!

Please send politely worded letters to the President of Indonesia, urging him to bring about the immediate and unconditional release of Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage.

Write to:
Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
President of Indonesia
c/o The Ambassador
Embassy of Indonesia
2020 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036

For more background on their cases click here...

peace out <3