Human Rights Action Update May 3-10

Miriam, human rights defender,1947-2012

We recently took a few weeks off. The violators did not. Bob Marley put it correctly:

This young lady in Berne is not taking the day off nor shall we to the extent of our ability:

Disclaimer: Any ads or commercial material appearing with this blog have been placed there without permission of the owner of the blog. Please ignore them.

 

HE WHO PERMITS OPPRESSION PERMITS CRIMES.-Erasmus (1466-1536)

Desiderius Erasmus in 1523 as depicted by Hans Holbein the Younger. The Greek and Latin words on the book translate to "The Herculean Labors of Erasmus of Rotterdam".

    

EMBASSY FINDER 

Survival International provides a useful tool for locating the embassy of any country in your country. http://embassy.goabroad.com/ You can also find embassies at https://embassy-finder.com/

CHARITY CORNER

This week we recommend supporting the efforts of Mercy Corps via Global Giving to help the refugees from the conflict in Syria.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.
This week we raise the issue of call your attention to the so-called "Pygmies" of central Africa. They along with others are victims of racism. Please open the site, choose an action and if you can donate.

Elders report that they cannot teach their children the traditional skills - because they cannot go into the forest.

© Salomé/Survival

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY

We have added this section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. This week we refer you to the the ILO’s Protocol on Forced Labor which is all about modern slavery. We call your attention to the anti slavery campaign. There you can sign up for action updates.The importance of checking your sellers' supply chains cannot be overemphasized.

You can download this book

Look for these logos:

 

  Find a campaign to work for. Light must be made to shine in the darkest of places. We call your attention to child slavery which can take many  forms.

Child slavery can mean anything from breaking rocks in a quarry, to working as domestic worker being a child soldier, to being forced to marry as a child. More than 5 million children around the world are in slavery.

URGENT ACTION CASES

USA 

Urgent Action: Execution Re-Set After 30 Years On Death Row 

Thomas Arthur, aged 75, is due to be executed in Alabama on 25 May. This is his eighth execution date since 2001, three times coming within a day of being killed. He maintains his innocence. This would be the first execution under the current Alabama governor. Please call upon the governor to stop his execution.

MYANMAR  

Urgent Action Update: Immediately Release Kachin Prisoner Of Conscience

Lahpai Gam has been discharged from hospital following some improvements to his health. Returned to a prison in Kachin State, he is a prisoner of conscience and must be immediately and unconditionally released and, in the meantime, provided with access to necessary health care and treatment. Please call for his immediate release and proper medical care

PHILIPPINES 

Urgent Action Update: Philippines Senate Must Oppose Death Penalty

Bills to reintroduce the death penalty in the Philippines are pending before the Senate, which resumed session on 2 May 2017. Despite the Philippines being a state party to an international treaty that commits it to the abolition of the death penalty, the House of Representatives have adopted measures contrary to this. Please take action on this issue.

INDONESIA 

Independent unions at Coca-Cola Indonesia, joined by IUF affiliates and other Coca-Cola unions, rallied in front of the Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia head office on May 8 in defense of the fundamental rights the company continues to systematically violate. Please join the protest.

Human Rights Action update March 29-April 5

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

 WE WISH ALL OUR JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN READERS AND FRIENDS A HAPPY PASSOVER AND EASTER.

Disclaimer: Any ads or commercial material appearing with this blog have been placed there without permission of the owner of the blog. Please ignore them.

 

HE WHO PERMITS OPPRESSION PERMITS CRIMES.-Erasmus (1466-1536)

Desiderius Erasmus in 1523 as depicted by Hans Holbein the Younger. The Greek and Latin words on the book translate to "The Herculean Labors of Erasmus of Rotterdam".

    

EMBASSY FINDER 

Survival International provides a useful tool for locating the embassy of any country in your country. http://embassy.goabroad.com/ You can also find embassies at https://embassy-finder.com/

CHARITY CORNER

This week we recommend Unitaf, a charity that provides services for migrant and refugee children who lack official status in Israel.

More than 4000

children and babies spend their lives in neglected  warehouses in south Tel Aviv. Unitaf was created to give them a better future.
Please donate to this worthy cause.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.
This week we raise the issue of enforced "progress." and its deadly effect on uncontacted tribes.  For example:


Please open the links and post them wherever you can.

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY

We have added this section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. This week we refer you to the the ILO’s Protocol on Forced Labor which is all about modern slavery. We call your attention to the anti slavery campaign. There you can sign up for action updates.The importance of checking your sellers' supply chains cannot be overemphasized.

You can download this book

Look for these logos:

 

  Find a campaign to work for. Light must be made to shine in the darkest of places.  Think of
Uzbekistan when you shop for clothing.

Over a million people are estimated to be forced to pick cotton in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan by their own governments every year.

CUBA 

Urgent Action Update: Prisoner Of Conscience Siblings Released

A family of four human rights defenders were arrested in Holguín, south-east Cuba, following the death of Fidel Castro. The three siblings, who began a hunger strike on 7 March, have been set free under conditional release. Their mother, Maydolis Leyva Portelles, currently under house arrest, remains a prisoner of conscience and must be released immediately and unconditionally. Please call for her release.

CHINA 

Urgent Action Update: Risk of Unfair Trial for Forcibly Returned Activist

Chinese activist Dong Guangping will be tried in April 2017 for “subverting state power” and “crossing the national border illegally”. Detained since his forcible return to China in November 2015, he has had no access to his family or a lawyer of his choice and is at risk of an unfair trial. Please act on his behalf.

USA

Urgent Action: Juror's And Victim's Parents Oppose Execution

Paul Storey, aged 32, is scheduled to be executed in Texas on 12 April. Among those who are calling for clemency are the parents of the man he was convicted of killing in 2006. One of the jurors who voted for the death sentence also opposes the execution. Please call for clemency. 

WORLD 

Stand with Rajendra - demand action on chrysotile asbestos now

    In partnership with Union Aid Abroad APHEDA, the global justice organization of the Australian union movement.

Rajendra Pevekar is a victim of the deadly global asbestos industry. His father worked in an asbestos company. As a result, both he and his mother now suffer from asbestos-related disease from secondary exposure.
 


Rajendra will speak out on behalf of the 107,000 people who die annually from asbestos-related disease. In May, the meeting of the Rotterdam Convention will take place in Geneva and Rajendra will face representatives from countries who are blocking asbestos from being added to the list of hazardous chemicals. Click and stand with Rajendra and all the other victims of asbestos-related disease.

Human Rights Action Update March 22-29

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

Disclaimer: Any ads or commercial material appearing with this blog have been placed there without permission of the owner of the blog. Please ignore them.

 

HE WHO PERMITS OPPRESSION PERMITS CRIMES.-Erasmus (1466-1536)

Desiderius Erasmus in 1523 as depicted by Hans Holbein the Younger. The Greek and Latin words on the book translate to "The Herculean Labors of Erasmus of Rotterdam".

    

EMBASSY FINDER 

Survival International provides a useful tool for locating the embassy of any country in your country. http://embassy.goabroad.com/ You can also find embassies at https://embassy-finder.com/

CHARITY CORNER

This week we recommend Direct Relief, rated highly by Charity Navigator. 

Where the aid goes

 

 INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.
This week we raise the issue of enforced "progress." and its deadly effect on uncontacted tribes.  For example:


Please open the links and post them wherever you can.

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY

We have added this section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. This week we refer you to the the ILO’s Protocol on Forced Labor which is all about modern slavery. We call your attention to the anti slavery campaign. There you can sign up for action updates.The importance of checking your sellers' supply chains cannot be overemphasized.

You can download this book

Look for these logos:

 

  Find a campaign to work for. Light must be made to shine in the darkest of places.  Think of
Uzbekistan when you shop for clothing.

Over a million people are estimated to be forced to pick cotton in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan by their own governments every year.

JAPAN 

Urgent Action Victory! Okinawa Activist Released On Bail After Five Months

Hiroji Yamashiro, 64 years of age, has been released on bail after five months in detention without being able to see his family. Arrested for his role in protests against new U.S. military construction projects in Okinawa, his next court hearing is scheduled for 27 March 2017.

CHINA 

Urgent Action Update: Tibetan Activist Remains Arbitrarily Detained

Prisoner  of conscience, Tashi Wangchuk, has been detained for over a year and has yet to be informed by Chinese authorities of the charges against him. Please take action on his behalf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CUBA

Urgent Action Update: Defender Sentenced After Criticizing Castro

 

Cuban authorities sentenced human rights defender Eduardo Cardet to three years in prison after holding him in provisional prison in Holguín, south-east Cuba, since November 2016. He is a prisoner of conscience who must be released immediately and unconditionally. Please act for him.

 

 

USA 

Urgent Action: Execution Set After 25 Years On Death Row

Don Davis is scheduled to be executed in Arkansas on 17 April. He has been on death row for 25 years, having been sentenced to death in 1992 for a murder committed during a burglary in 1990. Twenty seven years old at the time of the crime, he is now 54. Please call for clemency and commutation of his sentence.

ITALY 

Urgent Action: Hundreds Of Roma At Risk Of Forced Evacuation

A community of approximately 1300 Romanian Roma is facing an imminent forced eviction from the informal settlement of Gianturco in Naples, in southern Italy. Around 200 of the Roma will be rehoused by the municipality in a newly built segregated camp in Via del Riposo. The rest risk being rendered homeless. The municipal authorities have so far failed to carry out a genuine consultation to identify adequate alternative housing. Please call for a halt to the eviction and humane treatment towards the Roma.

 

 INDONESIA 

Coca-Cola's bottler determined to stifle independent unions

Coca-Cola's Australian-based bottler Coca-Cola Amatil is systematically violating basic rights in an effort to stamp out independent and democratic trade unions at its Indonesian operations. And Coca-Cola corporate management in the US knows the full history but has failed to remedy the abuses.  Please speak up for abused workers.


 

Human Rights Action Update March 15-22

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

Disclaimer: Any ads or commercial material appearing with this blog have been placed there without permission of the owner of the blog. Please ignore them.

 

HE WHO PERMITS OPPRESSION PERMITS CRIMES.-Erasmus (1466-1536)

Desiderius Erasmus in 1523 as depicted by Hans Holbein the Younger. The Greek and Latin words on the book translate to "The Herculean Labors of Erasmus of Rotterdam".

    

EMBASSY FINDER 

Survival International provides a useful tool for locating the embassy of any country in your country. http://embassy.goabroad.com/ You can also find embassies at https://embassy-finder.com/

CHARITY CORNER

This week we recommend the clean water project 

WASH in Schools Target Challenge

Rotary’s Target Challenge to develop sustainable water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and education projects is being piloted in five countries: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, India, and Kenya.

 of the Rotary Foundation. They have a very high rating from Charity Navigator. Clean water is a major health issue around the world. Please help.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.
This week we raise the issue of enforced "progress." and its deadly effect on uncontacted tribes.  

"Progress" can kill

Please open the links and post them wherever you can.

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY

We have added this section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. This week we refer you to the the ILO’s Protocol on Forced Labor which is all about modern slavery. We call your attention to the anti slavery campaign. There you can sign up for action updates.The importance of checking your sellers' supply chains cannot be overemphasized.

You can download this book

Look for these logos:

 

  Find a campaign to work for. Light must be made to shine in the darkest of places. Look at the slavery situation in India, for example.

SOUTH SUDAN 

Urgent Action Victory! Former Governor Released Without Charge

Elias Waya Nyipuoch, former governor of Wau state, was released without charge on 14 March. He had been detained by the South Sudanese military since 26 June 2016. No further action is requested of the UA network. Many thanks to those who sent appeals.

USA 

Urgent Action: Clemency Board To Hear What Jury Never Did

Marcel Williams, aged 46, is due to be executed in Arkansas on 24 April. The jury never heard any mitigating evidence about his childhood of severe abuse and trauma. That evidence is now before the clemency board which will consider his petition on 27 March. Please call for clemency and the abolition of the death penalty.

USA 

Urgent Action: Four Young Children and their Mothers Detained for Over 500 Days

Antonio (7), Carlos (4), Josué (3), Michael (16) and their mothers Marlene, Lorena, Teresa and Maribel (all names changed to protect identities) have been held at the Berks County Residential Center, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre in Pennsylvania, for over 500 days. Each family is seeking asylum in the US after fleeing traumatic and life-threatening events, including kidnapping threats and severe physical and sexual violence, in their home countries of Honduras and El Salvador. The Berks County centre currently holds 34 families, many of whom come from the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, a region where Amnesty International has documented extreme levels of violence and insecurity. Please write on their behalf.

ARGENTINA 

Urgent Action: Indigenous Defenders Denied Right To Defense

On 20 March the oral trial against three members of the Chañaral Wichí Indigenous community for defending their territory will take place. These legal proceedings violate their right to defense and access to justice. Please protest on their behalf.

EGYPT Union leaders at IFFCO Egypt acquitted of criminal charges face retrial
13 March 2017 Urgent Action Workers at the IFFCO edible oils factory in Suez, Egypt are fighting to defend their union against employer brutality and government repression.  Please click and join the protest.

Human Rights Action Update March 8-15

Miriam, Human Rights Defender, 1947-2012

Disclaimer: Any ads or commercial material appearing with this blog have been placed there without permission of the owner of the blog. Please ignore them.

 

HE WHO PERMITS OPPRESSION PERMITS CRIMES.-Erasmus (1466-1536)

Desiderius Erasmus in 1523 as depicted by Hans Holbein the Younger. The Greek and Latin words on the book translate to "The Herculean Labors of Erasmus of Rotterdam".

    

EMBASSY FINDER 

Survival International provides a useful tool for locating the embassy of any country in your country. http://embassy.goabroad.com/ You can also find embassies at https://embassy-finder.com/

CHARITY CORNER

This week we direct your attention to the AFYA Foundation whose vision and mission is to make a positive impact on the health of people in developing countries in Africa and the Caribbean. Please read the page, select a worthy project and donate.

Afya Foundation Partners with JDC, Consulate General of Ecuador to Send Medical Supplies to Ecuador’s Earthquake Victims

How it works?

Afya collects and delivers critically needed surplus medical supplies, hospital equipment, and humanitarian provisions for acute and ongoing health crises worldwide.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.
This week we raise the issue of enforced "progress." and its deadly effect on uncontacted tribes.  

"Progress" can kill

Please open the links and post them wherever you can.

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY

We have added this section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. This week we refer you to the the ILO’s Protocol on Forced Labor which is all about modern slavery. We call your attention to the anti slavery campaign. There you can sign up for action updates.The importance of checking your sellers' supply chains cannot be overemphasized.
Look for these logos:

 

  Find a campaign to work for. Light must be made to shine in the darkest of places.

A worker inside a textile factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh producing jeans. Around 4 million people, mainly women, work in the garment industry in Bangladesh, the second largest in the world. The industry is worth around GBP12.5 billion a year. Workers often are significantly underpaid and forced to work in extremely difficult conditions.

Photo credit, GMB Akash

 A worker inside a textile factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh producing jeans. Around 4 million people, mainly women, work in the garment industry in Bangladesh, the second largest in the world. The industry is worth around GBP12.5 billion a year. Workers often are significantly underpaid and forced to work in extremely difficult conditions.

Photo credit, GMB Akash

INDIA 

Urgent Action Victory! Detained Journalist Released On Bail 

Santosh Yadav was released from prison on 9 March 2017, over a week after the Supreme Court of India granted him bail. Detained since September 2015, it is believed that he was targeted for his work among Indigenous Adivasi communities in Bastar district, Chhattisgarh. He is required to report to the local police station daily. Speaking to Amnesty International India, Santosh Yadav said, “I want to thank Amnesty from the bottom of my heart. No one supported me, or came to meet me in jail, like you did.”

SUDAN 

Urgent Action Victory! Three Human Rights Defenders Freed

Three human rights defenders Khalafalla A. Mukhtar, Midhat A. Hamdan and Mustafa Adam have been released after being sentenced to time served by a court in Khartoum, Sudan. The three, who were released on 6 March, had been in detention since their arrests on 22 May 2016. Earlier in January, the court dropped all charges against Arwa Elrabie, Al Hassan Kheiry and Raye Imany Leyla. Thanks to all who helped.

USA

Urgent Action: Virginia Execution Reset As Doubts Persist

Ivan Teleguz, a Ukrainian national, is scheduled to be executed in Virginia on 25 April. He maintains his innocence of the 2001 murder for which he was sent to death row in 2006. Please call for his execution to be stopped and his sentence commuted.

COLOMBIA 

Urgent Action: Over 300 Displaced Due To Paramilitary Incursion

An incursion by paramilitaries and subsequent armed confrontation between them and guerrilla groups forced a mass displacement of families and the potential confinement of surrounding communities in Peña Azul, Chocó department, in north-western Colombia. The increase in paramilitary activity in the area is placing residents of rural areas of Chocó department at risk. Please write to express your concern for the safety of rural communities and to demand action against paramilitary groups.

INDONESIA 

Urgent Action Update: Minority Religious Leaders Convicted Of Blasphemy

Three followers of the ‘Millah Abraham’ religious belief have been convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to between three and five years’ imprisonment. They have all been convicted for peacefully manifesting their right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and must be immediately and unconditionally released. Please demand their release in the name of freedom of religion. 

TURKEY 

14 union leaders face prison

Fourteen leaders and members of Turkish union TÜMTİS’ Ankara branch are facing imprisonment on politically-motivated charges dating back to 2007.  Demand their unconditional release.