Harry Belafonte - Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience

from Amnesty International Chicago Facebook page
March 24, 2015

     "Inarguably, one of the greatest human rights leaders of our time is Harry Belafonte. Over the past weekend, he spoke on the celebrity panel at Amnesty International's Art for Amnesty event to encourage artists of all genres to stand up for the rights of others.
     "Any violation of rights is a great violation," he told ESSENCE.com. "I see what young people are doing and how they're struggling for values and a level of existence that has in many instances eluded them. They're what makes the difference.""

Click here for entire article. 

More article links: 

• Harry Belafonte was awarded the 2013 Ambassador of Conscience Awards by Amnesty International. Click here for article. 
•  Harry Belafonte, Annie Lennox, Laura Poitras, Piper Kerman, Jesse Williams, and Nusrat Durrani to Re-launch Art for Amnesty at Amnesty International USA’s 50th Annual Gathering, Amnesty International USA, March 3, 2015.

Syria: Safe zone for Syrians, now! ONLINE PETITION

by Avaaz
 The Syrian air force just dropped chlorine gas bombs on children. Their little bodies gasped for air on hospital stretchers as medics held back tears, and watched as they suffocated to death. But today there is a chance to stop these barrel bomb murders with a targeted No Fly Zone. The US, Turkey, UK, France and others are right now seriously considering a safe zone in Northern Syria. Advisers close to President Obama support it, but he is worried he won’t have public support. That’s where we come in.

Click here for ONLINE PETITION.

More Links from Amnesty International

• Amnesty International USA: Syria
• Amnesty International: Eyes on Syria
• Amnesty International: Untold stories of Syria’s most vulnerable refugees

Women Get the Short End of the Stick in Iran and Can’t Even Protest - March 30, 2015 NEWS and ONLINE PETITION

Amnesty International USA
By Elise Auerbach 
  
     As if it weren’t bad enough. Iranian women face persistent systemic discrimination in terms of family law. New legislation being considered by Iran’s parliament is intended to roll back many of the gains women have made in the past decades and consign them to being barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.
     And on top of that, if they dare to protest about the inequities they suffer, they are sentenced to long prison terms, to be served in prisons where unsanitary conditions and medical neglect can quickly undermine their health.
     This is the fate of Bahareh Hedayat, an activist with The Campaign for Equality, a grassroots initiative, and a member of the Central Committee of the Office for the Consolidation of Unity, a national student body which has been active in calling for political reform and opposing human rights violations in recent years. She is currently serving a ten-year prison sentence in Evin Prison. She had been charged with a number of “offenses” including “interviews with foreign media,” “insulting the leader,” “insulting the president,” and “disrupting public order through participating in illegal gatherings.”

Click here for entire blog entry. 

Click here for ONLINE PETITION for "Bahareh Hedayat Should be Released Immediately"

Mexico: Demand Justice for Victims of Torture Deadline: Ongoing - ONLINE PETITION

It took a year for the authorities to offer to examine Claudia Medina Tamariz. They were due to assess her claim that she was violently beaten by marines — her bruised body providing key evidence against her torturers. But bruises heal, and torture victims like Claudia are being badly let down by a system that means they are denied timely and impartial medical examinations. Click here to call on the new Mexican Attorney General to reform the examination process.

Amnesty Human Rights Happy - VIDEO

 Published on Mar 14, 2015, (3:50 min)

Look: Human Rights make everyone Happy. Amnesty International says the next government must preserve our Human Rights Act and our happiness. Ask your election candidates!

#JusticeForFarkhunda

     Dozens of civil society activists have taken to the streets of capital Kabul and the city of western Herat province calling “Justice for Farkhunda”.They are carrying the photos of Farkhunda, taken during the brutally beating and killing, and ask government to severely punish those responsible for the cruel killing. In the meantime, Amnesty International has called on the National Unity Government of Afghanistan to drag to judiciary those involved in the killing as well as the security officials who were present at the site of the crime but did not act against it.

Click here for entire article. 

More articles about Farkhunda

•  'Farkhunda belongs to all of the women of Kabul, of Afghanistan,'The Guardian, March 28, 2015 
•   Afghan woman beaten to death in the streets was murdered because she dared to speak out against superstitious mullah and NOT because she burned the Koran, Daily Mail, March 28, 2015 
•  The Farkhunda shame, The Indian Express, March 27, 2015 
•  Woman's mob killing sparks global #JusticeForFarkhunda movement, CNN, March 27, 2015
•   Why I am ashamed to be a man in Afghanistan, BBC News, March 26, 2015
• How a slain Afghan woman became an unlikely champion for women’s rights, Washington Post, March 24, 2015
•  We want justice for FARKHUNDA- VIDEO (March 23, 2015 - 3:30 min)
•  Demonstrations in Kabul and Herat calling “Justice for Farkhunda,” Khaama Press,  March 23, 2015
•  Kabul mob attack: Women help bury 'wrongly accused' Farkhunda, BBC, March 22, 2015

AI Madison Group #139 Member Links and Petitions (Updated Weekly) - ONLINE PETITIONS and NEWS

We have such a wonderful membership! Not only do we hold human rights dear to our hearts but there are also  other issues such as the environment, poverty, children's health, etc that can be related to human rights but may not be addressed by Amnesty International. Here are some of those ONLINE PETITION links submitted by our members.

•  Nuclear Zero Lawsuits Update: Marshall Islands Appeals from Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
• HUGE NEWS: Major breakthrough in talks with Iran. Tell Democrats not to sabotage progress - Online Petition
• Time To Choose--Words or Action: Seeking peace between Israel and Palestine - Online Petition
• Historical Iranian information related to April 2nd nuclear agreement: Click here and here. 
• Maziar Bahari "An Iranian Odyssey" by (Film: 51 Mins) - A CIA Coup (1953)
•  PAAIA Welcomes Tentative Nuclear Agreement between P5+1 and Iran
• Please support the passage of SB 853 and HB 1161, the Ethan Saylor Center for Self-Advocates as Educators
• Los Angeles: Help Stop Secret Corporate Trade Deals! from Food and Water Watch
•  Pharmacists: No More Execution Drugs
•   3 Ways to Voice Your Opposition from Human Rights Campaign
• Secretary Kerry: Don’t export armed drone - ONLINE PETITION
• Petition for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
• Daily Kos: News, Community, Action - website
• Jewish Voice for Peace website
• The World Can't Wait: Stop the Crimes of your Government website
•  Alternet News website
• Population Connections: America's Voice for Population Stabilization website
• Human Rights Campaign online petition: Time is of the essence! Tell Arkansas Governor to VETO Discriminatory H.B.1228.
• David Simon, the creator of HBO’s The Wire and President Barack Obama sat down to talk honestly about the challenges law enforcement face and the consequences communities bear from the war on drugs. Listen to what they had to say:"A Conversation with President Obama and The Wire Creator David Simon. 
•  New Humanist Press Books for Women’s History Month!
  

Amnesty International Daily Urgent Actions for the Week of March 27 to April 3, 2015

Click here for entire list of URGENT ACTION for the week of March 27 to April 3.

      Countries for this week's Urgent Actions include: Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Colombia, Myanmar, Russian Federation, Turkey, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Cuba, and Mexico.


Note: Most Urgent Actions require a written letter. See our guidelines for writing letters.  Countries are added to this list during the week. The link contains all Urgent Actions for the week. 

Tell Obama: Don't Look the Other Way. Justice Must Be Delivered. - ONLINE PETITION

from Human Rights Watch

"Although President Obama’s decision to end the use of torture during his administration was the right choice, it’s an easily reversible one. Without the investigation and prosecution of US officials, Obama is sending the message that a future administration—with future justifications—can consider torture to be a viable option.

Click here for more information and ONLINE PETITION. 

Amnesty International Australia: What Does 500,000 mean? - Video

Published on Mar 26, 2015, 2:08 min
Last week I wrote about the power of ONE in our Weekly Update. Amnesty International just reached 500,000 members. Here's a really cute video demonstrating the power of 500,000 members.

Venezuela: Lack of justice for protest abuses gives green light to more violence

from Amnesty International

     Venezuela’s failure to effectively investigate and bring to justice those responsible for the deaths of 43 people and the injury and torture of hundreds during protests in 2014, is effectively giving a green light to more abuses and violence, said Amnesty International in a new report today.
The faces of impunity: A year after the protests, victims still await justice examines the stories of those who died or were arbitrarily arrested and tortured in detention during and after the protests that rocked the country between February and July 2014. Amongst the dead and injured were protesters, passers-by and members of the security forces. Some are still behind bars pending trial.

Click here for entire article.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights Poster

from Amnesty International Australia Facebook Page
March 27, 2015

    We love this simplified version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Zen Pencils. You can view the large version here.> http://ow.ly/q2P3x

Amnesty International Group #139 Weekly Update - March 27, 2015

Greetings Everyone!

     This week we would like to take you on a tour of our website. Our "tabs" include: Home, About Us/Join Us, Urgent Actions, Online Petitions, Human Rights News, Weekly Updates, Reports & Presentations, #139 Photos, #139 History, Videos, Blog, and Donations to #139. Posts are updated as we receive them which is almost daily. Our "sidebar" includes: Contact Us, Welcome, Take Action Now, Upcoming Events, Important Amnesty International Links, Important Human Rights Links, and Videos. As you can tell, the website is packed full of information and actions that you can access right now. We encourage all of our members to submit items for possible inclusion on our website, social media (Facebook and Twitter), and our weekly update. If you have any questions, please contact Azam at group139@aiusa.org or azamnrad@gmail.com.

     Have a wonderful week!

     -Debbie, Weekly Update Editor

Click here for entire Weekly Update. 

Release Human Rights Activist Mehdi Khodaei - ONLINE PETITION

from United for Iran
     Five years ago, my cousin Mehdi was arrested by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Prior to his arrest, Mehdi and I worked together as student activists on human rights issues throughout Iran. After a month in prison and continued threats from the Iranian government forced me to flee the country, I was eventually granted asylum by the United States, where I continue my activism. But Mehdi was not so lucky.
     Mehdi had been an active board member of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI), an organization known for exposing human rights abuses in Iran and helping the families of political prisoners. In 2009, Mehdi was actively involved in pro-democracy protests as a key organizer for the student wing of HRAI. He also worked to produce and distribute human rights pamphlets publicizing abuses by the IRI. The government responded brutally, and over 30 members of HRAI, including Mehdi, were arrested. Ultimately, Mehdi was sentenced to 7 years in prison for “propaganda against the system." 

Click here for more information and the ONLINE PETITION.

AIUSA: Statement from Amnesty International USA Board Chair Ann Burroughs and Executive Director Steven Hawkins following this weekend’s Annual General Meeting in Brooklyn

Amnesty International USA, March 24, 2015 

     “Inclusion is the promise of human rights. While Amnesty International has worked over the past 54 years to challenge discrimination and exclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, political opinion, age, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, disability, immigration or other status, we welcome thought-provoking conversations.
We are encouraged by the discussions held over the past weekend. We know that a culture of honest dialogue is essential to creating a welcoming, empowering and respectful environment for all people and a truly powerful, inclusive and effective movement.
     Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) believes that dismantling all forms of oppression is fundamental to eliminating human rights abuses and promoting human dignity. We are committed to being an organization whose membership is drawn from a wide diversity of communities; who addresses issues of critical concern to diverse communities, consistent with its mission and obligation to advance human rights globally; and who ensures the full participation of diverse communities in the leadership structure and decision-making processes of the organization.
     AIUSA’s leadership is committed to having an open door policy for staff, member leaders, and activists as we work together to create an environment of equity and fairness for all.”

Click here for entire statement.

Palestinian armed groups killed civilians on both sides in attacks amounting to war crimes

Amnesty International
March 26, 2015

Photo: Picture taken from the southern Israeli city of Sderot shows rockets being fired from the Gaza strip into Israel, on July 13, 2014 ©JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images
Palestinian armed groups displayed a flagrant disregard for the lives of civilians by repeatedly launching indiscriminate rockets and mortars towards civilian areas in Israel during the conflict in July and August 2014, said Amnesty International in a new report published today.
Unlawful and deadly: Rocket and mortar attacks by Palestinian armed groups during the 2014 Gaza/Israel conflict provides evidence that several attacks launched from inside the Gaza Strip amount to war crimes. Six civilians in Israel, including a four-year-old boy, were killed in such attacks during the 50-day conflict. In the deadliest incident believed to have been caused by a Palestinian attack, 11 children were among 13 Palestinian civilians killed when a projectile fired from within the Gaza Strip landed in the al-Shati refugee camp.

Click here for entire article.

Dominicans of Haitian Descent Are Stateless: End the Crisis Now! - ONLINE PETITION

Reposted from Amnesty International Caribbean/Caribe/Caraïbes Facebook post
    Yolanda was denied the right to lodge a complaint when she suffered domestic violence and file for child support because she didn't have an identity card. Thousands in the Dominican Republic are denied social life. In September 2013 the Constitutional Court of the country deprived them of their Dominican nationality. Yolanda's fault? Being of Haitian descent, like thousands more.

Click here for ONLINE PETITION and more information.

Saudi Authorities Must Put an End to Public Flogging of Blogger - ONLINE PETITION

 Raif Badawi is STILL behind bars waiting for justice! Blogging is not a crime. Freedom of expression is a human right.

Please act now to let Saudi authorities know the world is watching! You are not forgotten!!!

Click here for ONLINE PETITION.

Joan Baez and Ai Weiwei to receive top Award from Amnesty International

Amnesty International

March 24, 2015

     Legendary folk singer Joan Baez and world-renowned artist Ai Weiwei – both committed activists – will be the joint recipients of Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award for 2015, the human rights organization announced today.

Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award is the organization’s top honor, recognizing those who have shown exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through their life and work.

 

The Award will be presented at a ceremony in Berlin on 21 May 2015, with speakers including singer-songwriter Patti Smith.

Click here for more information. 

Iran: Release Iranian women’s rights activist Bahareh Hedayat - ONLINE PETITION

 Encouraging the participation of women in student groups, promoting gender equality in the law, supporting political reform, opposing human rights violations—and speaking to the foreign media about all of these issues—led to a series of arrests and a lengthy prison term for 33-year-old Iranian women’s rights and student activist Bahareh Hedayat. Bahareh was arrested on December 31, 2009 in the wake of the 2009 presidential election, charged a range of “offences” related to her activism as part of the Campaign for Equality and as a member of Iran’s largest student organization, the Central Committee of the Office for the Consolidation of Unity. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Bahareh is a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful expression of her political beliefs.

Click here for more information and ONLINE PETITION.

Madison, WI: Justice for Tony Robinson Conference Call tonight March 24th at 6:00 pm

Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice 
   We will be co-hosting a conference call to discuss the racial disparities in Dane County and how people can support on Tuesday March 24th at 6:00 pm.   To join the call online with video and webinar access click here at the time of the call. https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/669600133
To join the conference from your phone call:  
213-416-1560 Code: 471 4618
     Life is precious and the time to act is now.  Please join us in building this movement for racial justice.  

Board of Directors,
Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice

Click here for more information and complete statement from the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice.

Amnesty Interational URGENT ACTIONS for the Week of March 20 to March 27, 2015

Click here for entire list of URGENT ACTION for the week of March 20 to March 27.

      Countries for this week's Urgent Actions include: United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Belarus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mexico,China, Bahrain, Kuwait, Russian Federation, and Sierra Leone.

Note: Most Urgent Actions require a written letter. See our guidelines for writing letters.  Countries are added to this list during the week. The link contains all Urgent Actions for the week. 

What is Amnesty International? - VIDEO

Published on Jun 6, 2013, (4:14 min)

     Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 3 million supporters, members and activists in over 150 countries and territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion, and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. After more than 50 years of groundbreaking achievements, Amnesty International is now embarking on a major process of evolution, to adapt to the dramatic changes in the world we operate in, and to increase the impact of our human rights work. We are introducing a new, global way of working -- with a distributed centre and Regional Hubs of research, campaigns and communications -- because we owe it to the people we work for to be the most effective force for freedom and justice that we can, globally. As we develop this process -- in line with the long-held desire of our international membership -- we will post regular blogs, articles, stories and personal accounts to explain what is happening, and why it is important to those on the human rights front line. Come with us on our journey by reading our blogs here , and then help us make a real difference to people's lives by becoming a member or supporter of Amnesty International.

Speak up for kids in detention - ONLINE PETITION

from Amnesty International Australia
The recent Human Rights Commission report on children in detention puts forward a clear case for why we need to immediately release all kids from Australian detention centres.
Currently there are 221 children being held in mainland detention centres, and a further 119 children on Nauru. The Commission's report provides disturbing evidence of the harm inflicted on children in detention, with kids as young as 12 exposed to high degrees of violence, committing acts of self-harm, and experiencing significant mental health problems

Click here for ONLINE PETITION and more information.

AI Madison Group #139 Member Petitions (Updated Weekly) - ONLINE PETITIONS and NEWS

     We have such a wonderful membership! Not only do we hold human rights dear to our hearts but there are also  other issues such as the environment, poverty, children's health, etc that can be related to human rights but may not be addressed by Amnesty International. Here are some of those ONLINE PETITION links submitted by our members.

•  Sigrid Fry-Revere: What can Iran teach us about the kidney shortage? (TEDMED)
  
•  Tell Governor Jindal to back off his attacks on Planned Parenthood

Iran: Support Nasrin Sotoudeh leading Iranian human rights lawyer - ONLINE PETITION Update

Change.org Call to Action submitted by one of our members
Nasrin Sotoudeh, a leading Iranian human rights lawyer, winner of 2008 and 2012 United Nation and Sakharov Human Rights awards, has become the symbol of non-violent civil society movement in Iran.
On October 15th of 2014, with the pressure from Ministry of Intelligence, Iranian Bar Association deprived her of practicing her profession for five years. Since October 18th of 2014, in protest to this unlawful action, she has staged a sit-in in front of the Iranian Bar Association and has vowed to continue this until “The right to freely work and practice one’s profession is recognized for people who think differently.”

Click here for link to ONLINE PETITION and more information. 

Amnesty International General Meeting Brooklyn: Live Streaming Videos

Plenary 1: Moment to Moment, (145 min)

Streamed live on Mar 22, 2015

     This plenary will bring inter-generational perspectives to understanding how we sustain our work and commitment over time, and how we build a stronger and larger movement across constituencies.

We believe every action taken to defend and advance human rights makes the global human rights movement stronger and ever more unstoppable. Gather with activists from protest movements in Ferguson, Missouri; Brazil; Mexico; Hong Kong; and New York City and let's elevate all the ways we sustain activism and drive impact while celebrating our collective power to create solutions that move us forward together.

Plenary 2:  Art for Amnesty: Gatekeepers of Truth, (2hrs, 7 min)

Streamed live on Mar 21, 2015

Amnesty International has a long tradition of working with artists to amplify the stories and voice of human rights defenders through film, music, art, and other media. Hear Harry Belafonte, Annie Lennox, Jesse Williams, Piper Kerman, Nusrat Durranni, Lemon Andersen, Favianna Rodriguez, Jesse Krimes, Jie-Song Zhang, Brandan Odums, Laura Poitras, and moderator Toure discuss the fight for human rights through music, culture, and arts.

Plenary 3: Sustaining and Growing our Movement, 134 min)

Streamed live on Mar 22, 2015

     This plenary will bring inter-generational perspectives to understanding how we sustain our work and commitment over time, and how we build a stronger and larger movement across constituencies.

Amnesty International Ireland: Launches YES campaign for marriage equality - PRESS RELEASE

      Launching the campaign, Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland said: 
“May 22 will be an historic date. It is a day when we all, as Irish people, have a chance to stand for a Republic of equals. A day when we can more fully realise equality for all of our people. It is fitting that we are launching this campaign outside the GPO. Here, almost a century ago those who proclaimed our Republic, asserted that Ireland would value and cherish all of its people equally. 

   “Love does not discriminate, and neither should our laws. 
LGBT people should be free to love, and have the right to commit to the person they love and to celebrate that love. Ireland will be the first country to put this proposition to a popular vote by referendum. We can, if we join together for equality and turn out to vote on 222 May ^d, make history by enshrining the right of equal access to civil marriage in our Constitution. We can work to further realise an Ireland that is a based on equality and human rights, and voting YES in May will bring us one step closer to that goal.”

   Grainne Healy, Yes Equality spokesperson commented: 
“There are now eight weeks until the people of Ireland will decide if we wants to make history voting Yes and sharing their freedom to marry with lesbian and gay people. We ask to share the freedom to marry because we value marriage and know its significance. We also know that Irish people are fair minded and their instincts tell them that voting yes is the fair thing to do.”

Click here for entire PRESS RELEASE.

Seven women peacemakers who should be on your radar

Global Post, March 17, 2015
    The following is part of a GroundTruth initiative supported by the Ford Foundation called VOICES. The mission of VOICES is to present the ideas and opinions of those who are less frequently heard in the media, including women, people of color, sexual minorities, citizens of the developing world and young people.

•  Humaira Saqib, The news disruptor — Afghanistan
•  Malika Jurakulova, The reformer — Tajikistan
•  Visaka Dharmadasa, The uniter — Sri Lanka
•  Mossaret Qadeem, The guardian — Pakistan
•  Ala Ali, The peacebuilder — Iraq
•  Farida El-Allaghi, The activist in exile — Libya
•  Ozlem Yasak, The advocate — Turkey

Click here for entire article.

Reminder: The Nowruz action can be taken through mid-April! - LETTER WRITING and PHOTO ACTIONS

"The First Day of Spring Should Not Be Spent Behind Bars in Iran," By Elise Auerbach 

      This year we ask activists to remember talented physicist Omid Kokabee, women’s rights activist Bahareh Hedayat, student activist Zia Nabavi, human rights attorney Abdolfattah Soltani, journalist and Kurdish rights activist Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand, trade union activist Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, and the seven leaders of Iran’s Baha’i community. All are unjustly imprisoned. Many of them are ill and in urgent need of medical attention being denied to them by the authorities.We insist that the authorities release them immediately and unconditionally.

     Our friends from Scholars at Risk have shared with us their plans for taking the Nowruz action. They are taking photos of five SAR staff members each holding their cards addressed to five different prisoners of conscience. Each photo will be incorporated into three-part collage graphics (photo of staff member, photo of prisoner, and a short bio of the prisoner with the call to action) which they will share via social media over the five days leading up to Nowruz.

     We encourage everyone to take pictures of themselves with their Nowruz cards and post the pictures on Facebook page and we'll add them to our website photo achive.

Click here for entire article. 

 

Berlin Film Festival: Banned Iranian Director Panahi's Taxi wins Golden Bear

   
Published on Feb 14, 2015

     A yellow cab is driving through the vibrant and colourful streets of Tehran. Very diverse passengers enter the taxi, each candidly expressing their views while being interviewed by the driver who is no one else but the director Jafar Panahi himself. His camera placed on the dashboard of his mobile film studio captures the spirit of Iranian society through this comedic and dramatic drive.

     Taxi is Panahi's third film since he was banned from making films by the Iranian authorities and forbidden from travelling in 2010. It was filmed covertly as the director drove a taxi around Tehran. British stars Sir Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling won best actor and actress for their roles as a married couple in Andrew Haigh's 45 Years. Taxi sees Panahi share his thoughts on contemporary Iran with passengers in the back of his cab, using a mounted dashboard camera to evade the scrutiny of the Iranian authorities. It was one of 19 films vying for the prestigious Golden Bear award, including more high-profile fare from directors such as Wim Wenders, Terence Malick and Peter Greenaway. Taxi is an 82 minutes drama.

• BBC: Panahi's Taxi wins Golden Bear, Feb 15, 2015 
•  Variety: After ‘Taxi’ Wins Berlin Golden Bear, Jafar Panahi Asks For His Film To Be Shown In Iran, Feb 16. 2015
•  Reuters: Banned Iranian director Panahi's 'Taxi' wins Berlin's Golden Bear, Feb 14, 2015

Amnesty International: Syria: Turn The Lights Back On - ONLINE PETITION

 The lights are going out across Syria.

Satellite images show that since the start of the conflict in Syria 83 percent of the lights have been extinguished due to four years of unrelenting crisis.

In the darkness, the people of Syria are being forgotten. Don’t let the International Community abandon them.

Click here for information and petition.

AI Madison Group #139 Weekly Update - March 20, 2015

Greetings Everyone!

     As I am sitting here in Boston attending a professional conference, I’m thinking of the many Amnesty International activists attending the Amnesty International General Meeting (AGM) in Brooklyn this same weekend. How exciting it must be to join together and share the passion of working together for human rights! This year, certain sessions at the conference will be live-streamed so that we, who are unable to attend, may listen in. Click here for more information. If you are one of the lucky ones able to attend, report back to us and spread the news.

     Much has been said about the Power of One. YOU can make a difference. Yes, YOU. We have almost 50 members in our local AI Madison Group. We have almost 500 likes on our Facebook page. We have almost 50 followers on Twitter. If YOU, pass on our Weekly Update, Facebook posts, Tweets, or Actions (petitions, calls, letters, etc) to ONE more person that increases our message and actions by one (and who knows how many more people). If each of our 600 members, followers, and likes passes on our message and actions to their friends, the math is mind-blowing. ONE person can make a difference and that ONE person is YOU!

    

     -Debbie, Weekly Update Editor

Click here for entire Weekly Update.

St. Lucian LGBT Activist Kenita Placide’s Resilience in the Face of Tragedy, Murder, Arson, and Violence

March 18, 2015

     Think it’s hard to be gay in the United States? Kenita Placide, from St. Lucia, humbly describes her courage in the face of astonishing adversity.

Want to see a room full of activists and journalists completely spellbound?
Last December, The Daily Beast convened the first installment of Quorum: Global LGBT Voices. We hosted eleven TED-style talks, panels, and discussions.  The room was full of longstanding activists, journalists, and members of New York’s LGBTQ community.
You could’ve heard a pin drop when St. Lucian activist Kenita Placide told her story, which is being published today. It’s a story of family tragedy, and her resilience in the face of it.  It’s the story of someone who had three friends murdered for being LGBT. And it’s a story of a grassroots organization—United & Strong St. Lucia—whose offices were vandalized just one week before Kenita traveled to the United States to give her talk.

Click here for entire article. 

Amnesty International General Meeting Streamed Live- Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!

     For the first year ever, selected sessions of the 2015 Annual General Meeting will be live streamed from the venue in Brooklyn, NY on both the AIUSA website and the Activists Resource Community (ARC). 

Live Stream Schedule:

Sessions on the AIUSA Website

Friday (EDT):           4:00PM—5:00PM         Opening Plenary Session: From Moment to Movement 

Saturday (EDT):       8:00AM—9:15AM        Shaping the Global Movement: 2015                                                                                                     International Council Meeting

Sunday (EDT):         12:45PM—2:15PM       Closing Plenary: Sustaining and Growing Our                                                                                       Movement

Sessions on the Activist Resource Community (ARC)

Friday (EDT):             7:45PM—8:45PM         AIUSA Board of Directors Town Hall Meeting

Sunday (EDT):           8:00AM—9:30AM         AI’s Strategic Goals and Global Campaigns                                                                                         Consultation

                                  9:45PM—10:45PM       Board Candidates Forum

If you have not created an account or haven’t logged in for a while on the Activist Resource Community, go HERE! Please allow one business day for our records to update before logging in. If you need assistance please email, arcsupport@aiusa.org.

We look forward to having you join us!

Adam Ray Cross, Membership Mobilization