First we wish a Happy New Year to all our friends and readers. May 2016 be a better year for human rights than its predecessors.
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 Labours 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 this link. https://embassy-finder.com/
WRITE FOR RIGHTS
In December, in connection with World Human Rights Day, December 10, Amnesty International sponsors this campaign of letter writing for human rights. You are invited to join in. Here are 12 egregious cases of gross violations of the human rights of individuals around the world.Do as many as you can.
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 Union of Concerned Scientists. In the wake of the need for action to combat climate change, the is an organization of independent scientists united to confront the real dangers confronting all of humanity. Their scientists and engineers develop and implement innovative, practical solutions to some of our planet’s most pressing problems—from combating global warming and developing sustainable ways to feed, power, and transport ourselves, to fighting misinformation and reducing the threat of nuclear war. This is a most worthy cause.UCS continues to receive recommendations from the United States’ premier
charity rating agencies, Charity Navigator, the Better Business Bureau,
and the American Institute of Philanthropy. Please 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 or to Cultural Survival could be forthcoming.
Protest-Harvard=Looting
This week we call upon you to urge Harvard University to behave in a responsible way toward the wetland region essential for the well being of the Guaneri people.The Iberá wetlands system in Argentina is one of the world’s largest freshwater bodies, but it is under threat. Vast monocrop pine and eucalyptus plantations have virtually eliminated biodiversity in more than half of the wetlands, devastating freshwater levels and dramatically affecting the livelihoods of the Guaraní Indigenous People who have lived in relationship with the lands for generations and depend on these ecosystems. Who's responsible? None other than Harvard University. Please sign the petition.
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 return to the issue of the scandalous treatment of migrant workers in Qatar where a football World Cup facility is being build by what is essentially slave labor. If you have not joined this campaign, please click and raise your voice to both Qatar and to FIFA.
VIETNAM
Vietnamese lawyer Lê Thu Hà, a human rights activist, was arrested on 16 December, at the same time as prominent human rights lawyer Nguyễn Văn Đài, a colleague. No other activists have been allowed to see her, and she is at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. Please act for her.
Miss Le Thu Ha at a local seminar on human rights issues
TUNISIA
Six Tunisian men have been convicted of ‘sodomy’ and jailed for three years, the maximum provided by Tunisian law. Please call for their release and for the decriminalization of consensual same-sex relations,
GUINEA
Following the wave or arrests of opposition members and trade unionists ahead of the 11 October elections, 10 of the at least 35 opposition members arrested in Koundara, northern Guinea, have been released on bail. The other 25, including a minor, are still in detention. Five trade unionists, including Jean Dougo Guilavogui, remain in arbitrary detention in Conakry, the capital. Their trial has been postponed and Jean Dougo Guilavogui has been denied access to adequate medical care. Please act for them.
CHINA
The crackdown on labor leaders continues. Since 3 December, the authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong have carried out a coordinated and wide-ranging crackdown on labour rights activists and labour organizations in the province. More than 25 people have been targeted. Please click and join the outcry.
First we wish a very Merry Christmas to all our readers who celebrate it and a Happy New Year to all. Let 2016 be a better year for human rights around the world.
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 Labours 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 this link. https://embassy-finder.com/
GOOD NEWS
Good news to share! After pressure from Walk Free supporters and other organizations, Norway has become the second country, after Niger, to ratify the Protocol to the Forced Labor Convention (better known as C29).1 This is important since the adopted Protocol only comes into force 12 months after being ratified by two member states.
Following the Norwegian Government’s action, the new Protocol will come into force on 9 November 2016. Please write to your foreign ministry and urge them to ratify the protocol that provides measures to prevent forced labor, to protect victims and give them access to justice.
WRITE FOR RIGHTS
In December, in connection with World Human Rights Day, December 10,
Amnesty International sponsors this campaign of letter writing for human
rights. You are invited to join in. Here are 12 egregious cases of gross violations of the human rights of individuals around the world.
Do as many as you can. You can also find more cases on Twitter at the hashtag #Write4Rights posted by Ai Wei Wei.
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 Reporters without Borders, which was founded in Montpellier (France) in 1985 by four journalists: Robert Ménard, Rémy Loury, Jacques Molénat and Émilien Jubineau. This association, registered as a non-profit organisation in France since 1995, soon took on an international dimension.
Under the direction of Christophe Deloire, Reporters Without Borders organized its team of researchers by geographical area. The organization also gradually developed two essential and highly specialized spheres of activity: one focused on Internet Censorship and the New Media, and the other devoted to providing material, financial and psychological assistance to journalists assigned to dangerous areas
A large number of journalists have have paid heavily for their service to the cause of freedom of information. A total of 54 journalists are currently being held hostage worldwide, versus 40 this time last year - a 35% increase. Journalists are easy targets for radical groups such as the Islamic State and Al-Nusra Front, who use them not only for ransoms or leverage but also, and above all to impose a reign of terror and to silence their critics. It comes as no surprise that the most dangerous country is Syria, where entire regions are now “information black holes.” This is a most worthy cause. Please donate.
A few words from a laureate of the Netizen Prize, Huynh Ngoc Chenh of Vietnam.
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.so that
This week we call on you to help the the Wichi people of Argentina. Cattle ranching and logging have reduced their traditional habitat to the point that they have been left almost landless and without their livelihood. The local Salta authorities have, since 1966, repeatedly promised to recognise Indian territory in their province – but have failed to fulfill one single promise. Please take the steps requested in the site.
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:
Authorities in Thailand removed student activist Thanet Anantawong from hospital on 13 December where he was admitted for treatment. He is currently held in a military detention facility without adequate access to medical treatment, or to his family or lawyers. He may face up to 27 years’ imprisonment for a post he made on Facebook. Please act for him.
MYANMAR
There are increasing fears for the health of detained Kachin peace activist Patrick Kum Jaa Lee, who suffers from a number of medical conditions and may not be receiving the treatment he needs. He was arrested in Myanmar in connection with a Facebook post mocking the army. He is a prisoner of conscience, who must be released immediately and unconditionally. Please raise your voice.
CHINA
The crackdown on dissidents, the lawyers who represent them and the public that supports them continues. Four activists (Zhang Zhan, Wang Su'e, Qu Hongxia and Ran Chongbi along with several others whose identity is unknown) have been criminally detained after gathering outside a court in Beijing during the trial of prominent human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang. It is not known what charges they are being held under, and they have not had access to their lawyers or families. Several other activists who were taken away have not been heard from since, and it is feared they may also be in detention. Please act for them.
IRAN (not for Israelis, alas)
Iranian teacher unionist Mahmoud Beheshti Langroodi has been on hunger strike since November 26 to protest against his unfair trial and subsequent 9-year prison sentence. Please act for him if you can.
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 Labours 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 this link. https://embassy-finder.com/
GOOD NEWS
The Supreme Court of Israel has allowed a class action suit against a haredi radio station that refuses to allow women's voices to be heard. The suit was filed by Kolech, a religious women's organization. Cheers, read all about it.
WRITE FOR RIGHTS
In December, in connection with World Human Rights Day, December 10, Amnesty International sponsors this campaign of letter writing for human rights. You are invited to join in. Here are 12 egregious cases of gross violations of the human rights of individuals around the world.
Do as many as you can. You can also find more cases on Twitter at the hashtag #Write4Rights posted by Ai Wei Wei.
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 PAI (imPassioned Advocates for gIrls and women), a global organization advancing the right to affordable, quality contraception and reproductive health care for every woman, everywhere. Their mission of advocacy: "PAI champions policies that put women in charge of their reproductive health. We work with policymakers in Washington and our network of partners in developing countries to remove roadblocks between women and the services and supplies they need. For 50 years, we have helped women succeed by upholding their basic rights."
PAI has received top ratings from both the American Institute for Philanthropy and from Charity Navigator. More than 80 cents of every dollar PAI spends goes to critical program services. For more information about PAI, read our annual report or our 990 form. This is a most worthy cause. Please 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. This week we call on you to help the the Enawene Nawe, who live in an area of tropical forest in western Brazil. The state government has announced it will build a vast complex of hydroelectric dams upriver of the Enawene Nawe’s land. The Indians oppose the dams because they will pollute the water and destroy the fish which are an essential part of their diet. Please act now.
Enawene Nawe men perform the Yãkwa ritual, a
four-month exchange of food between humans and the ancestral spirits,
accompanied by dancing and chanting to the sound of flutes.
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 upon you to support Slave Free Seas, an NGO dedicated to putting a stop to slavery on board ships at sea. Slave Free Seas is a team of the world’s foremost legal experts on human trafficking at sea. Slave Free Seas has the expertise and global legal resources to implement jurisdiction-specific strategies to identify tainted supply chains; promote accountability and ensure that victims are provided remedies for the harms committed against them. Slave Free Seas (SFS) is a charitable trust based in New Zealand. The mission: “To fight the business of modern slavery on the seas”
Twenty-one people among those detained during anti-government protests in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, have been sentenced following concerns of violations of their right to a fair trial. Amnesty International received reports during the protests of excessive use of force and clashes between the security forces and protesters, as well as arbitrary detention. Please act for them.
VIETNAM
Prisoner of conscience Tran Thi Thuy, currently serving an eight year sentence in Viet Nam, is being denied medical treatment for a tumor on her uterus in circumstances that could amount to torture. Although diagnosed by a prison doctor and despite being in severe pain, she has been told she will receive no treatment unless she “confesses” to the crimes for which she was convicted. Please raise your voice to protest this atrocity and demand her immediate and unconditional release.
JORDAN
The Jordanian government is refusing to let 12,000 Syrian refugees enter the country, including pregnant women, children and elderly people. They are now stranded in a remote desert area on the Jordan-Syria border. Please call for their admission to Jordan in light of the principle of non-refoulement.
CHINA
Zeng Feiyang
Last we we alerted you to the crackdown on labor activists in China. We now call your attention to a petition by the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions Globalization Monitor. Please open the link and sign.
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 Labours 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 this link. https://embassy-finder.com/
GOOD NEWS
This year the Connecticut Supreme Court struck down exemptions to the state’s 2012
death penalty ban, which had excluded the 11 inmates currently on death
row. The court determined that that the death penalty fails to meet ‘contemporary standards of
decency’ and serves no ‘legitimate penological purpose.’ Connecticut can
now stand fully among the 19 states, plus the District of Columbia,
that have abolished the death penalty. Cheers for Connecticut.
WRITE FOR RIGHTS
In connection with World Human Rights Day, December 10, Amnesty International sponsors an annual campaign of letter writing for human rights. You are invited to join in. Here are 12 egregious cases of gross violations of the human rights of individuals around the world.Do as many as you can.
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 IsraAID. It is a means of donating to relief projects world-wide The Mission: "IsraAID, founded in 2001, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to providing life-saving disaster relief and long term support. For over a decade, our teams of professional medics, search & rescue squads, post-trauma experts and community mobilizers, have been first on the front lines of nearly every major humanitarian response in the 21st century. Our mission is to efficiently support and meet the changing needs of populations as they strive to move from crisis to reconstruction/rehabilitation, and eventually, to sustainable living."
South Sudan as an example of the activity
Donations are tax deductible in the U.S. (501c3) and Israel (sec. 46) It is highly rated by the Israel Gives monitor. Read more. Please 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. This week we call on you to help the Khanty people of Siberia, Russia. The Khanty are semi-nomadic, as are most herding peoples. In their homeland, the Siberian taiga, temperatures can reach as low as -50 degrees Celsius, and little grows. Traditionally, the Khanty have moved around with their reindeer, sometimes staying in ‘chum’ (reindeer-skin teepees), and sometimes in log houses in which a fire is kept burning at all times. Moss is stuffed between the logs for insulation. The Khanty depend largely on reindeer for their food and livelihood, getting most of their nutrition from the animals. They also hunt and fish, gather berries, and sell reindeer and furs that they have hunted in order to purchase other supplies. They are suffering pressure from oil companies that steal their territory in order to drill, Please open the site and take whatever steps you can of those suggested.
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 ask you to call for the immediate release of anti-slavery activists in Mauritania. Biram Dah Abeid is a leading anti-slavery activist in Mauritania, the country with the highest prevalence of slavery in the world. The organization he founded, the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement has fought for the freedom of countless men, women and children. Please call for the release of Biram Dah Abeid and his fellow activists who are sitting in a prison cell for their work to end slavery in Mauritania.
CHINA/ISRAEL
Please join the demand that the Israeli and Chinese governments not go ahead with a deal to import some 20,000 Chinese construction workers into Israel.
This would entail huge human rights abuses and gross exploitation.
CHINA
Four prominent labour activists have been criminally detained in what appears to be a coordinated crackdown on labour rights organizations in Guangdong province, south-east China. The whereabouts of four other activists are currently unknown, and several others have been questioned. This crackdown comes at a time of escalating industrial tensions in the region. The page is from AI Switzerland but is in English. Please act on behalf of Zeng Feiyang, Zhu Xiaome, Deng Xiaoming and He Xiaobo. In addition, the whereabouts of four other labour activists, Peng Jiayong, Meng Han, He Minghui and Tang Jian are unknown, raising fears that they have also been detained. Demand justice for them as well.
BAHAMAS
Jean Marie Justilien, a Haitian national, was shot in the back of the neck during an immigration raid in June 2015, and detained and charged with illegal entry into the Bahamas. On 2 December he was found not guilty, but was transferred to Carmichael Road Immigration Detention Centre where he remains deprived of his liberty. He is at risk of ill-treatment and needs urgent medical attention. Please call for his release.
REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Congolese political opposition member, Paulin Makaya who has been detained since 23 November was finally brought before an investigating judge of the High Court of Brazzaville on 1 December. He is held in pre-trial detention at the central prison of Brazzaville facing three different charges. Please act on his behalf.
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 Labours 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 this link. https://embassy-finder.com/
WRITE FOR RIGHTS
In connection with World Human Rights Day, December 10, Amnesty International sponsors an annual campaign of letter writing for human rights. You are invited to join in. Here is a case for write for rights.
Teodora del Carmen Vasquez
Jailed for 30 Years After Suffering a Still-Birth
Teodora suffered a still-birth in 2007, after the rapid onset of serious pain while she was at work. Police in El Salvador arrested her as she lay in a pool of blood. She was later sentenced to 30 years for 'aggravated homicide', presumed guilty of 'abortion' rather than the victim of pregnancy complications. Please act for her.
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 Orr Shalom. Orr Shalom is Israel's largest non-profit organization providing residential and therapeutic services to children who have been removed from their homes because of severe abuse and neglect.
Donations are tax deductible in the U.S. (501c3) and Israel (sec. 46) It is highly rated by the Israel Gives monitor. Please donate, yesterday was giving Tuesday.
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 call on you to help the Zoe tribe of Brazil. They have lived in the forest from time immemorial, but contact with white missionaries decimated their numbers. They are curious about the outside world, but are vulnerable to diseases that whites bring to them. The challenge is to enable and help the Zo’é to understand and interact equally with the outside world, without compromising their health or land. Please write as requested in the site to the Brazilian Justice Minister asking for protection of the Zoe people.
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 upon you to demand that FIFA and the world football community do something about the enslavement of the workers who are building the facilities in Qatar. Migrant workers in Qatar are living, working and dying in modern slavery to bring the world the 2022 World Cup. FIFA must use its influence over Qatar to improve the working conditions for these workers.Squalid, overcrowded accommodation. Brutally long days working in the blistering heat. Regular abuses of rights such as having passports withheld or being lied to about the nature of promised work. Please click and join the protest.
BURKINA FASO
In (belated) honor of the recent day against violence against women, November 25, we profile the courageous girls who are standing up to forced marriage in Burkina Faso. Please click is support of these girls who need all the help they can possible obtain.
Because no one can force you to love someone Rose, aged
15, has lived at this shelter for six months. “My father gave me in
marriage to a shepherd. He already had a wife. I ran away the day of my
wedding.” Rose’s favourite subject is history. She hopes to be a teacher
one day.
COLOMBIA
Two human rights defenders are in danger after receiving death threats, apparently from paramilitaries, in Colombia's Pacific Coast city of Buenaventura, Department of Valle del Cauca. Please act for them.
CHINA
On 27 November 2015, human rights defender Mr Guo Feixiong was sentenced to six years in prison by the Tianhe District People's Court in Guangzhou.
Two other human rights defenders, Messrs Liu Yuandong and Sun Desheng, received three and two and a half year sentences respectively. Please take action.
The South Korean government has declared war on the country's trade unions. Please join the protest.
MYANMAR
Workers at the Bagan Hotel River View in Myanmar (Burma) are determined to defend their union in the face of management hostility and government ineffectiveness in enforcing basic trade union rights. Please click to support them.
