Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Women's Learning Partnership: For Rights, Development and Peace

WLP is an international, non-governmental organization (NGO) in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

"The mission of the Women's Learning Partnership (WLP) is to advance communication and cooperation among and between the women of the world in order to protect human rights, facilitate sustainable development, and promote peace.
News items, actions, and resources can be found on their website, Facebook, and Twitter.





 Note: The Women's Learning Partnership may be an organization that might be of interest to some of our AI members. 

Americans for Responsible Solutions: Protecting our communities from gun violence

Americans for Responsible Solutions is an organization that was created by Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly to create commonsense solutions to protect our communities from gun violence.

"As gun owners and strong supporters of the Second Amendment, Gabby and Mark know we must protect the rights of Americans to own guns for collection, recreation, and protection. But they also agree with the vast majority of Americans, including gun owners, that commonsense protections from gun violence can prevent shootings from shattering communities like Tucson, Aurora, and Newtown."

Click here to read this important article, "Gabrielle Giffords: 20 Years After VAWA, There’s Much More Work To Do," published on TIME.com by Gabby Giffords. 

 Note: The Americans for Responsible Solutions may be an organization that might be of interest to some of our AI members. 

Victory in California: Gov. Brown Signs New Gun Violence Restraining Order in Wake of Isla Vista Shooting

VICTORY in California!! Thanks to all of our amazing advocates for all their hard work in getting AB 1014 signed into law!

READ our press release here.


Note: The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence may be an organization that mightAI  be of interest to some of our AI members. 

Update: Omid Kokabee Urgent Action NOW

Dear friends:

Omid Kokabee is an extraordinary young man. He is a promising physicist who was doing post-doctoral work at the University of Texas, Austin when he was arrested in January 2011 on a visit home to Iran. He has been in detention ever since and is serving a ten-year sentence on spurious and unsubstantiated charges of "communicating with a hostile government." Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience. Our campaign to win his release is made more urgent now that his health has deteriorated so badly and he is in urgent need of medical care, which he is not receiving. He should be released so that he can receive proper medical treatment. We have been joined in our campaign by 22 Nobel Physics Prize laureates who have signed letters to Iran's Supreme Leader calling for Omid Kokabee's release. Please take action right away and urge your contacts to do so. Please find below and attached our new Urgent Action. Thank you.

Best wishes,
Elise Auerbach
Iran country specialist, Amnesty International USA

Click here for more information about this Urgent Action (addresses, etc). 
 * Most Urgent Actions require a written letter. See our guidelines for writing letters.

HRANA Information for Sept 30, 2014

The following list includes actions from the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). It includes information about 7 cases: Alireza Rasouli, Golrokh Abrahimi, Mahnaz Hakimi, Reyhane Jabbari & Ashraf Nazari, Ali Salanpour & Jamaloddin Khanjani, Saman Nasim, and a report, "A Review of the Human Rights Situation in Iran." For entire list of Actions, click here.

Ai Weiwei’s @Large Exhibit Opens at Alcatraz - 99/28/2014

by
Hallman and his fellow volunteers constructed parts of Trace, one of seven installations by the Chinese dissident artist that make up a new exhibition at Alcatraz, opening to the public Saturday. The installation Trace features 176 portraits, all built using Lego bricks. Each portrait “represents an individual who has been imprisoned or exiled because of his or her beliefs, actions, or affiliations.”It will run through April 2015. (Reposted from AIUSA.) For entire article, click here.

New Calendar Events: FCNL Calendar 2014-2015

Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL): A Quaker Lobby in the Public Interest

"Nuclear weapons & Chemical weapons are extremely important issues for Human Rights.
Peace" 
     We have added the FCNL Calendar to our calendar of events. "FCLN was founded in 1943 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), FCNL's nonpartisan, multi-issue advocacy connects historic Quaker testimonies on peace, equality, simplicity, and truth with peace and social justice issues. FCNL fields the largest team of registered peace lobbyists in Washington, DC." For more information about Issues and Actions, please visit their website, their Facebook page, and Twitter
     Thank you, Farideh Kioumehr, one of our AI Madison Group #139 members, for sharing this information. 

Monday, September 29, 2014

Bahrain: Ahmed al-Arab Sentenced to Life in Prison - Urgent Action 21/14

 AHMED AL-ARAB SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON
Ahmed Mohammad Saleh al-Arab has been sentenced to life imprisonment. After an unfair trial he was convicted of attempted murder and possession of explosives. He is still on trial in separate cases, and could face a total of 64 years’ imprisonment. Only 22 years of age.


Click here for more information and the address for writing letters.

* Most Urgent Actions require a written letter. See our guidelines for writing letters.

Uzbekistan: Human Rights Watch Report Sept 26, 2014

"This 121-page report presents disturbing new findings about the treatment of 34 of Uzbekistan’s most prominent people imprisoned on politically motivated charges. They include two of the world’s longest imprisoned journalists and others who have languished behind bars for more than two decades. Based on more than 150 in-depth interviews, including with 10 recently released prisoners, and analysis of newly obtained court documents, the report extensively documents the plight of many wrongfully imprisoned activists."

From Human Rights Watch
For more information, click here

Amnesty International | IRAN - Joint Open letter to the President Rouhani, Sept 24, 2014



"To: Dr. Hassan Rouhani
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Tehran
CC: Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Supreme Leader; Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani, Head of the Judiciary; Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Your Excellency,

"In particular, we urge you to re-affirm the standing invitation to visit Iran that the Iranian authorities issued to the UN’s Special Procedures in 2002 and to promptly give effect to that invitation by allowing and facilitating visits to Iran by relevant UN special rapporteurs, with priority given to the country mandate. We consider that your government has much to gain from meaningful engagement with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Your government can likewise benefit from engaging with other independent experts that the UN has mandated to examine human rights practices in states around the world. UN Special Procedures can advise governments on measures needed to strengthen legal and other safeguards in order to comply with their obligations under international human rights treaties."

For entire letter, click here.
Reposted from Amnesty International, Sept 24, 2014

Saturday, September 27, 2014

97 of Every 100 Rapists Receive No Punishment - NewsFlash

97 of Every 100 Rapists Receive No Punishment, RAINN Analysis Shows
(Reposted from Amnesty International USA Women's Human Rights Network Facebook post)

 Only three out of every 100 rapists will ever spend even a single day in prison, according to a new analysis by RAINN of Justice Department data. The other 97 will walk free, facing no consequences for the violent felony they have committed. Because rapists tend to be serial criminals, this leaves communities across the nation at risk of predators.
 "This staggering statistic sends a clear message to offenders that they can commit this horrible crime and get away with it. The single most important thing we can do to prevent rape is to put more rapists in prison," notes Scott Berkowitz, RAINN's president and founder. "That's why we have made it a priority to pass the SAFER Act and eliminate the backlog of untested DNA evidence from open rape cases."

Click here for entire article. 

Friday, September 26, 2014

Urgent Actions for Sept 26, 28, 30, October 1, and Oct 2, 2014

Please check back during the week. We will group the Urgent Actions as we receive them and place them here As always, all Urgent Actions can be found under the Urgent Action tab on the website. Most Urgent Actions require a written letter. See our guidelines for writing letters.
  • September 26 Countries include: Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Syria, The Gambia, Haiti 
  • September 28 Countries include: Bahrain and Egypt
  • September 30 Countries include: Iran and Myanmar  
  • October 1 Countries include: Haiti, Morocco/Western Sahara, Iran, and Mexico
  • October 2 Countries include: Ecuador and Bahrain 

Syria: Peaceful political activist Gebrail Moushe Kourie facing unfair trial - URGENT ACTION by Nov 7, 2014!

Syria: Peaceful political activist Gebrail Moushe Kourie facing unfair trial - URGENT ACTION by Nov 7, 2014

     Peaceful political activist Gebrail Moushe Kourie is to be tried by the Anti-Terrorism Court, which does not abide by international fair trial standards. He has been in custody since December 2013 and has been held in ‘Adra Prison since February. There are concerns that he may have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated. There is more information here and here.

Please note: Most Urgent Actions require a written letter. We have guidelines for writing letters on our website.

Join the Palestine Contingent to the Ferguson Weekend of Resistance - October 10-13, 2014

by Anna Baltzer, National Organizer
September 26th, 2014
 "Community leaders in Ferguson and St. Louis are calling on people of conscience to join them for a Weekend of Resistance October 10-13 to demand justice for Mike Brown and all victims of police violence; to stand together to challenge the systemic racism faced by black and brown communities in Ferguson, St. Louis, and across the nation; to keep the pressure on for broad, comprehensive change. Local groups including the Organization for Black Struggle and the St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee, joined by national groups listed below, are inviting those who support the Palestinian struggle for liberation to stand in solidarity with the people of Ferguson as part of a Palestine contingent in response to the call. We recognize that none of us is free until all of us are free. "

St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee
Organization for Black Struggle
U.S. Palestinian Community Network
Muslims for Ferguson
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
Council on American Islamic Relations - St. Louis
National Students for Justice in Palestine
Palestinian Youth Movement
American Muslims for Palestine
African Americans for Justice in the Middle East and North Africa


For more information, click here.

Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization focused on human rights. The objective of AI is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated." We realize that the conflict in Gaza and Israel can be viewed as a political, as well as, a human rights issue. We post this event as an informational post only.

AI Madison Group #139 Weekly Update - September 26, 2014

Greetings Everyone!
     If you are interested in learning to lobby for human rights, Amnesty International USA has several opportunities this fall. These opportunities include: (1) watching a video, “Raise the Roof,” (2) joining a conference call on Tuesday, September 30 at 8:30 pm Eastern Time, (3) participating in a webinar, “How to Lobby” that will take place Thursday, October 2 at 8:30 pm Eastern Time, and (4) receiving a resource packet full of ideas for lobbying. If you are interested, please contact Azam group139@aiusa.org.
     And, a BIG THANK YOU!
     We ask so much of you. We ask you to sign online petitions. We ask that you write letters. We ask you to be informed about human rights. We ask that you spread the word when you "like" and "share" Facebook and Twitter posts. Thank you for all that you do. You are truly awesome!
  -Debbie, AI Madison Group Weekly Update Editor

For entire Weekly Update, click here

Thursday, September 25, 2014

‘The killing of Michael Brown stung my heart’ Organizing for justice in Ferguson - Sept 24, 2014

‘The killing of Michael Brown stung my heart’ Organizing for justice in Ferguson
Reprinted from Amnesty International Midwest Office

"When I wake up, I check the news in Ferguson, Missouri, a 37 day old habit I picked up since the killing of Michael Brown. The cameras have gone, the smoke has literally cleared, but the organizing in the community is still going strong.
When I was in Ferguson, I wondered to myself if this would just be a blip on the radar, another example of the type of injustice that we see so much in communities of color across the country, or could it be something else? Had we slipped out of our paralysis into a movement?"
Click here for entire article. 

Iran: Urgent Action 242/14: Hunger-Striking Dervishes Critically Ill - Deadline November 6, 2014

     Nine jailed members of Iran’s Gonabadi dervish religious minority began a hunger strike on 31 August, in protest at the authorities’ harassment and persecution of Gonabadi dervishes across the country and are now critically ill. They are prisoners of conscience.  For more information click here.
     Thank you, Angie, for this information, action, and link.
  *Most Urgent Actions require a written letter. We have guidelines for writing letters on our website.

 For more information about Iranian Human Rights, click on this link for Iran Watch Canada (just one of many Human Rights organizations monitoring human rights in Iran) .


Canadian Museum of Human Rights - September 19, 2014

"WINNIPEG — More than a decade in the making, the Canadian Museum For Human Rights holds its opening ceremonies Friday morning, following a Thursday evening gala for donors who added to the federal government’s support. It is the first national museum outside Ottawa, and the only one in the world dedicated solely to human rights.
      Exhibits begin with descriptions of the earliest efforts to articulate the dignities of humankind, from the ancient works of Zoroaster, Constantine and Cyrus the Great of Persia, through the Hindu virtue of causing no injury, or Ahimsa, up through the Magna Carta and the writings of Marx and Rousseau. Most exhibits, however, are contemporary."
 For the entire article, photos, and video, click here.

Heart and Soles Wisconsin Tour Report - Madison, WI Sept 23, 2014

Hearts and Soles Report
      Our Hearts & Soles tour got off to a stunning start in Madison yesterday!  We were joined by gun violence survivors, faith leaders, law enforcement officers and concerned citizens. Representative Terese Berceau and Chief Michael Koval joined us on the steps of the Capitol and spoke powerfully about the need for swift and immediate action.  WAVE members built a powerful display of 467 pairs of empty shoes – each one representing another man, woman or child lost to senseless violence.
      Over the next week, we’ll be stopping in cities all across Wisconsin.  And it will be clear that people from every part of our state are standing united to demand an end to the gun violence that claims an average of 467 lives in Wisconsin every year.
     To learn more about Hearts & Soles campaign for non-violence:
  • WAVE (Wisconsin Against Violence Effort) information 
  • Photos from the Madison event

A Solidarity Movement for Gender Equality: HeforShe

 A Solidarity Movement for Gender Equality: HeForShe is a campaign led by UN Women in which men all over the world are being encouraged to speak out against the inequalities faced by women and girls. Click here for more information and to take action.
 (Thank you to our member, Laya Esmaili, for sending us this information.)

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Iran: Release Ghoncheh Ghami Deadline: ASAP - Online Petition

Iran: Release Ghoncheh Ghami  Deadline: ASAP
Ghoncheh Ghavami is being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison solely for taking part in a peaceful protest for the right  to attend Volleyball World League matches. She was arrested in June and has spent much of the time since in solitary confinement. Join our call for her immediate release. Click here to call for her immediate release.
Note: We have FOUR online petitions for Ghoncheh Ghavami listed on our Online Petition tab. Please consider signing today! 


Syria: Scientist Facing Unfair Trial, Risks Torture - Urgent Action 239/14

Urgent Action 239/14: Syria - Scientist Facing Unfair Trial, Risks Torture
   Syrian physicist Faten Rajab Fawaz, a prisoner of conscience, is awaiting trial before a Military Field Court, whose proceedings are grossly unfair. She has been detained since 24 December 2011, seemingly as a result of her peaceful activism. Click here for more information. 

AIUSA October/November Lobby Week

      If you are interested in learning to lobby for human rights, Amnesty International USA has several opportunities this fall. These opportunities include: (1) watching a video, “Raise the Roof,” (2) joining a conference call on Tuesday, September 30 at 8:30 pm Eastern Time, (3) participating in a webinar, “How to Lobby” that will take place Thursday, October 2 at 8:30 pm Eastern Time, and (4) receiving a resource packet full of ideas for lobbying. If you are interested, please contact us at group139@aiusa.org

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Washington Post Reporter Jason Rezaian Suffers Severe Weight Loss in Prison - NewsFlash Sept 22, 2014

"Jason Rezaian and Yeganeh Salehi have lost a “shocking” amount of weight in prison, an informed source has told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. According to this source, the family of the imprisoned Iranian journalist Yeganeh Salehi was allowed to have their first visit with her and her Washington Post reporter husband Jason Rezaian on September 7, and they were astonished at the couple’s appearance."
      “The arrests of Jason Rezaian, Yeganeh Salehi, and a photographer are part of a worsening trend over the past two months of arrests and imprisonments of journalists in Iran,” said the Campaign’s Executive Director Hadi Ghaemi. “Reporters receive press cards and professional work permits from President Rouhani’s Guidance Ministry and they should guarantee the security of journalists who are authorized to work legally in Iran.”

For entire article, click here. 
(AI Group #139 Member, Farideh Kioumehr, contribution)

There are no human rights on a dead planet - News Flash Sept 21, 2014

 Why On Earth Is Amnesty International Joining the People’s Climate March? by Aaron Tovo 9/21/2014

"We are marching because we can’t afford to wait. Last year, United Nations independent experts came together for a landmark statement: “If we fail our environment, we fail to protect our human rights.” In fact, Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki Moon is marching with us."
" Governments, corporations and other institutions have failed terribly when it comes to climate change. Scientists have been delivering strong evidence of climate change and its impact for decades now. But even such direct evidence is not enough to motivate the real large scale changes that we need. History has shown that when our institutions fail on such large scale, the only force that can correct them is people raising their voices, taking to the streets, and not letting up until change happens. SO LET’S DO IT!"

For entire article, click here.

Monday, September 22, 2014

September 30: Lecture by Sheryl WuDunn at the University of Wisconsin-Madison 7:30pm at the Union Theatre

What an amazing opportunity! If you are in Madison, Wisconsin, plan on attending this lecture by Sheryl WuDunn, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, women’s rights advocate, and author of the book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women as well as the forthcoming book A Path Appears. For more information, click here.

Lecture sponsored by WUD Distinguished Lecture Series Committee. 

Iran: Iranian juvenile offender Saman Naseem - Urgent Action Deadline by October 31, 2014

Deadline: October 31, 2014: Iranian juvenile offender Saman Naseem has been convicted of taking part in armed activities against the state and killing a member of the Revolutionary Guards, while he was under 18. He could be executed at any time as his death sentence has been sent to the Office of the Implementation of Sentences.  Click here for more information.

Most Urgent Actions require a written letter. We have guidelines for writing letters on our website.

Urgent Actions for Sept 11-19; Sept 22-24 2014

Urgent Actions from Amnesty International for SEPTEMBER 11-19: Countries include: Peru, Colombia, China, Gambia, Bahrain, Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Iran, Myanmar, and Morocco. SEPTEMBER 22  includes:  Saudi Arabia.  SEPTEMBER 23-24 includes: United Arab Emirates, India, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, and Syria. Most Urgent Actions require a written letter. We have guidelines for writing letters on our website.
Link for entire list and details.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Gambia: Penalty of Life Imprisonment for aggravated homosexuality: Online Petition(s) ASAP

In Gambia, sex between people of the same sex is against the law.
But the Gambian authorities have launched a new attack on LGBTI people by introducing a new crime ‘aggravated homosexuality,’ with the penalty of life imprisonment. Click here  and here for two online petitions beseeching the Gambian government to reconsider this law.



AI Madison Group Weekly Update - September 19, 2014

Greetings Everyone!
     This week we have many online petitions, urgent actions (letter writing), news items, contributions from members, and calendar events to share with you. For our entire list be sure to visit our website and check out the tabs. Posts can also be found on our Facebook page and tweets are sent out to correspond with our postings. Any questions, let us know at group139@aiusa.org. We have a busy week ahead!
     Banned Book Week is September 21-27, 2014. "Banned Books don't only happen in the United States but it is, unfortunately a worldwide phenomena. The reason for banning books are complex but there is one common element, the aim to silence speech at any cost. Writers around the world have been arrested, exiled or murdered for their writing and their books banned or destroyed by governments afraid of the impact of their words in their country." - UCONN (Click here for full article.) For a list of banned books by country, click here.
     Thanks for all that you do and remember... "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
     -Debbie, Webmistress
Click here for entire Weekly Update

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Egypt: 25 ACTIVISTS ON TRIAL, THREE RELEASED ON BAIL - Urgent Actions

UA 322/1325 Egypt: ACTIVISTS ON TRIAL, THREE RELEASED ON BAIL 

     Leading activist and blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah, and activists Mohamed Abdel Rahman and Wael Mohamed Metwally were released on bail in the evening of 15 September 2014. Lawyers told Amnesty International that the court ordered the release of the three men on bail of 5,000 EGP (US$700.00). Lawyers added that the court did not have valid reason to keep the three men jailed. The other 22 defendants are out of prison and they are all facing the same charges.
     By the end of the court session, the court panel recused itself as that very same panel had already sentenced the 25 defendants, in their absence, to 15 years in prison in June. The case is now referred to the Court of Appeal which will assign it to another criminal court.
     All 25 defendants are charged for participating in an unauthorized protest outside the Shura Council in November 2013 and a range of trumped-up charges, including “assaulting the security forces”, “stealing a police radio”, “cutting off access to roads” and “interrupting the work of national institutions”. 
Click here for more information. 

Nigeria: Stop Torture of Mahmood and 50 Other People Deadline ASAP

Nigeria: Stop Torture of Mahmood and 50 Other People  Deadline ASAP
Fifteen-year-old Mahmood was arrested by the army, along with 50 other people – predominantly boys aged between 13 and 19. He was taken to the Sector Alpha military facility and tortured for three weeks. He had no contact with the outside world – including his family and lawyers. Soldiers made him walk and roll over broken bottles and watch other detainees being extra-judicially executed. Mahmood is just one of thousands of people tortured at the hands of the Nigerian police and military. The reliance on ‘confessions’ together with a corruption-riddled justice system provides the ideal setting. In fact, torture isn’t even a criminal offense in Nigeria. Click here to call on Nigerian authorities to stop torture at all detention centers, release detainees or charge them with an internationally recognized crime and allow them access to families, lawyers and medical care.

Banned Book Week Actions - September 21 to 27, 2014

Amnesty International works steadily and impartially to protect fundamental human rights of people of all walks of life. In conjunction with Banned Books Week, we direct attention to the plight of individuals who are persecuted because they produce, circulate, or read books or newspapers or other writings. Because of the proverbial "power of the word," many journalists and artists are under attack around the world - by governments and opposition groups - whether or not they are actually critical of those in authority or others seeking power.

For more information about these cases and urgent actions you can take today, click here. 

Reposted from AI Victoria: Iranian "Happy" Dancers Sentenced September 19, 2014

 "The group were arrested in May for their part in a YouTube video, which showed three men and three unveiled women dancing on the streets and rooftops of Tehran to the soundtrack of Pharrell Williams' song, 'Happy'. According to independent English-langaue site Iran Wire, six of the group were sentenced to six months in prison and 91 lashes. One of them was given a sentence of one year in prison and 91 lashes, a story posted overnight stated.
   All sentences suspended were suspended and will become null and void after three years, their lawyer Farshid Rofugaran said. “When it’s a suspended sentence, the verdict is not carried out, but if during this period a similar offense is committed, then the accused is subject to legal punishment and the suspended sentence will then be carried out as well,” he said.

*Thank you to  Farideh Kioumehr, one of our Amnesty International Madison Group #139 members, for this link that also provides more details about today's sentence. 
*9/19/2014 Link to update from Amnesty International.  
* 9/18/2014 Another document from Amnesty International, Link

Iran: 8 Prisoners Hanged, 4 Others Committed Suicide (September 10, 2014)

Iran: 8 Prisoners Hanged, 4 Others Committed Suicide (September 10, 2014)
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on Wednesday 10th September, 2014, eight prisoners with charges of possessing and carrying drugs were executed by hanging in Karaj, Ghezalhesar prison. Click here for more information.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Anniversary of United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples- News Flash

Anniversary of UN Declaration Reminder of Work Still to be Done, from the Prince Albert Daily Herald, Published on September 16, 2014
 "Seven years ago today, the United Nations passed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It is something that deserves recognition and celebration, but it is also a reminder that so much more work needs to be done."
Issues facing the First Nations (in Canada)
 
• One in four children in First Nations communities live in poverty, which is close to double the national average.
• Suicide rates among First Nation routes are alarmingly high among First Nation youth.
• Life expectancy of First Nations people is five to seven years less than other Canadians.
• First Nation children receive, on average 22 per cent less funding for child welfare services than other Canadian children.

Click here for entire article.
Click here for link to United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Australia: Stop the Demolition of Aboriginal Homelands Community of Oombulgurri Deadline: ASAP

Australia: Stop the Demolition of Aboriginal Homelands Community of Oombulgurri Deadline: ASAP
The Government of Western Australia plans to flatten the Aboriginal homelands community of Oombulgurri within days. People from all over the Kimberley have lived there for generations and now it’s under threat. If the plans go ahead, not only will forty houses, a school, and a health clinic be destroyed, but sacred sites may also be damaged in the process. Click here to join our urgent call to stop the demolition, and to protect sacred Aboriginal sites in Oombulgurri.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

United Nations World Peace Day - Sept 21, 2014

United Nations World Peace Day - Sept 21, 2014
 To mark the 30th anniversary of the General Assembly Declaration on the Right of Peoples to PeacePDF document, the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace is the “Right of Peoples to Peace”. This anniversary offers a unique opportunity to reaffirm the United Nations commitment to the purposes and principles upon which the Organization was founded. The Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace recognizes that the promotion of peace is vital for the full enjoyment of all human rights.
For more information, click here. http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/


My Body, My Rights International Amnesty Campaign - News & Online Actions

My Body, My Rights Amnesty International Campaign - News & Online Actions
Being able to make our own decisions about our health, body sexuality and reproductive life is a basic human right. Yet all over the world, many of us are persecuted for making these choices – or prevented from doing so at all. That's why we've launched our global campaign: My Body, My Rights.
  • For information and online actions, click here for the AIUSA's information. 
  • For information and online actions, click here for Amnesty International Global information.



Amnesty International "Stop Torture" Campaign - Online Action TODAY!

Everybody in the world has the right to live free from torture. Torture is never, ever justified. It is illegal, barbaric and inhumane. Torture is banned under International law, but despite this global ban, in countries all over the world - including in the U.S. - people just like you are tortured. Together we can stop it. Read more »

Online Action for these priority cases: 

AI Regional Conferences: Midwest - October 24-26, 2014

2014 Regional Conferences
The 2014 Regional Conferences promise to be some of the best ever. We can promise that no matter which AIUSA region you call home, you'll have an incredible time hearing from inspiring speakers, networking with other activists, learning about the most pressing human rights issues of our time, and developing your organizer skill set. We'll have information soon on agendas, speakers, and more so check back often. Mark your calendars now!

Midwest - October 24-26, 2014 | Sheraton St Louis City Center, St. Louis, MO
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
 
*Midwest registration and hotel discount (Special offere expires on Saturday the 20th of September.)


Sunday, September 14, 2014

Iran: Online Petition for Ghoncheh Ghavami: Sign TODAY!

Click here to sign this petition for Ghoncheh Ghavami who was arrested for protesting the ban on women attending sporting events in Iran.
"A British woman has been in an Iranian prison for more than two months for trying to watch a men’s volleyball match. Ghoncheh Ghavami, 25, was arrested along with more than a dozen women as they tried to enter a stadium where the Iranian national men’s team was playing Italy on 20 June."
*For more information click here.
Thank you, Wayne, for creating this petition.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Sunila Abeyesekera - Tireless Defender of Human Rights, 1952-2013, Sri Lanka

AI Madison Weekly Update - September 12, 2014

Greetings Everyone!
    
     "The deliberate targeting of civilians for attack can never be justified and is always an abuse of human rights." This quote is from an Amnesty International memorandum that was sent out on September 9, 2011, and was titled, "In Memoriam" [remembering 911]. Today, the deliberate targeting of civilians continues and we must work even harder to stop the abuse of human rights.
Click here for the entire Amnesty International message.  
     This week our contributors include: Wayne Kinos, Angie Hougas, Azam Niroomand-Rad, and Debbie Lloyd. We encourage our Group #139 members to submit items for posting on our website, Facebook, Twitter, and our Weekly Update. For posting consideration, please send your Amnesty International and human rights news and actions to
group139@aiusa.org.
     Have a wonderful week!
     -Debbie, Webmistress
Click here for entire Weekly Update.