Human Rights Action update November 5-11

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

HE WHO PERMITS OPPRESSION PERMITS CRIMES.-Erasmus

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 this link. https://embassy-finder.com/

USA GOOD NEWS

The United States Supreme Court issued a stay of execution in the case of Ernest Johnson shortly before he was due to be put to death in Missouri on 3 November.

EU/TURKEY 

The European Commission says criminal cases against journalists have curtailed media freedom

We note with approval that the European Union has issued a report highly critical of the status of democracy and human rights in Turkey. In particular, it notes considerable backsliding in the area of freedom of expression. If Turkey has hopes of becoming part of Europe, it indeed must improve its human rights and democracy position.

CHARITY CORNER 

In the wake of the closing of the Titan and Pollyanna blogs, we are continuing the charity corner here.  This week, the we refer you to the Deworm the World Initiative, a foundation that seeks to fight parasitic illness in developing countries. The Deworm the World Initiative is led by Evidence Action; its aim is to advocate for and provide technical assistance for the implementation of deworming programs for preschool- and school-aged children.

DtWI was founded in 2007,2 and is currently active in Kenya, India, and with a nascent program in Vietnam, while looking to expand to other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.
Its program in Kenya is fully supported by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and the Ending Neglected Diseases (END) Fund through 2016. The charity is highly rated by  GiveWell, an NGO that evaluates charities. Please peruse the site and donate.

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.

Amongst the Baka, childcare is shared with fathers spending approximately half the day near their babies.

This week we call on you to help the so-called "Pygmy" people of Central Africa. The name is a collective term for several hunter-gatherer tribes who live in the forests of central Africa. They are also called ‘forest peoples’. Their future is threatened by logging and agriculture which is destroying their forests, and conservation schemes which evict them from the forests that remain. Please write to the President of Cameroon on behalf of these tribes

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY  

We have added a new section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. We refer you to the site of Walk Free where you can find a large number of campaigns against manifestations of slavery in different countries. The number of people living in slavery is of the order of 35 million, which indicates the extent of the problem. We suggest that you look up the Fair Trade movement in your country and make an effort to avoid buying slave-produced products.   Look for this logo:

This week we call your attention to trafficking for sexual exploitation. On this page, you will find several important campaigns. Chose one or all of them and join the struggle against this pernicious form of abuse of human beings.

UZBEKISTAN 

 In 2005 Dilorom Abdukadirova, a farmer,  joined thousands at a protest to voice her concerns about the economy.
 










When the police opened fire on the protesters she ran for safety to the border where she received a refugee visa for Australia. Upon her return she was imprisoned and is subject to torture. Please help free a prisoner of conscience.

MYANMAR 

After almost eight months in hiding, prominent student unionist Lin Htet Naing has been detained for his role in organizing student protests in Myanmar. Over 50 students are currently in detention for taking part in the protests.
 
 Lin Htet Naing is a prisoner of conscience who must be immediately and unconditionally released. Please act.

GREECE

As weather worsens, thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers are facing inhumane conditions after arriving on the Greek Aegean islands following dangerous and life threatening journeys. They are also at risk of violence by police and members of far-right groups. Please call upon the Greek government to enhance its efforts to protect and to help them.

VIETNAM 

Blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh and his assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy have been held without trial in Viet Nam since May 2014, in excess of the time allowed under national law.
 
 Following a visit in late October by his family and lawyer, there are increasing concerns for Nguyen Huu Vinh’s health and conditions of detention. Please act on their behalf.

USA 

Act now: Demand fair, safe working conditions for poultry workers. They work for very low wages under unsafe conditions. Join the Oxfam petition.