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.

Human Rights Action Update March 1-8

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 Global Fund for Women as we mark international women's day.Courageous women and girls around the world are demanding power and resources to realize their rights. Join them and raise your voice in the fight for gender equality.

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.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is #BeBoldForChange. And the need to be bold could not be more timely. Recent research by the World Economic Forum predicts that the economic gender gap won’t close entirely until 2186. Yes, you’ve read that right! That’s over 170 years away or, put another way: a girl child born today could hope to see her great, great, great, great, great-granddaughter achieve gender equality.

Read More

 

TURKEY  

Urgent Action Victory! 

Imprisoned Woman In Urgent Need Of Surgery Released
Sibel Çapraz was conditionally released from prison on 28 February. She had been in pre-trial detention for almost one year and was in need of medical treatment and an urgent operation. Her release  means she will be able to obtain the vital medical care she needs.

SOUTH KOREA 

Urgent Action Update: Activist Held In Solitary Confinement

Lee Jin-young is being held in solitary confinement after being formally charged under the National Security Law (NSL) for the online distribution of materials that are deemed, by South Korean authorities, to ‘benefit’ North Korea. If found guilty, Lee Jin-young could face up to seven years in prison. Please act on his behalf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HUNGARY 

Please call for the release of Ahmed H who has been arrested on trumped up terrorist charges--part of the world wide campaign of AI. His case is highlighted on the AI home page,

MYANMAR 

Urgent Action Update: Pastors Face Imprisonment For Trumped Up Charges

Following international pressure, the Myanmar Army announced that two missing Kachin pastors, Dumdaw Nawng Lat and Langjaw Gam Seng, are now in police custody and face what Amnesty International believes to be politically motivated charges. If convicted they would face up to 6 years in prison. There are concerns for their health in detention.  Please call for their release.

PERU 

Urgent Action Update: Indigenous Community Remains Displaced

The 21 families of the Ash?ninka Meantari Indigenous community, in the Central Peruvian rainforest, remain displaced from their land due to fear that armed individuals will return and act on the death threats they previously made. Please act on their behalf.  

 

AUSTRALIA 

The Lactalis/Parmalat lockout of its entire workforce at Echuca in the State of Victoria, Australia continues. These workers need your support. If you have not already done so CLICK HERE to send a message to the company, calling on it to immediately lift the lockout and enter into negotiations for a fair agreement.

Human Rights Action Update February 22--March 1

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  Meds & Food for Kids,(aka Medika Mamba) which is dedicated to saving the lives of Haiti’s malnourished children and other nutritionally vulnerable people. It has a perfect rating from Charity Navigator. 

Medika Mamba has a more than 90% success rate of curing malnutrition. Malnutrition in Haiti is the result of a combination of factors, most of which are not addressed by rescue operations and handouts.

Jobs & Training

By providing jobs for Haitian people, we help to break the cycle of poverty that leads to malnutrition. Medika Mamba is made in Cap Haitien, Haiti.

Agriculture

By purchasing raw materials in Haiti and sharing knowledge with farmers about how to improve their crops, we help develop markets and encourage production and growth. MFK agronomists work with farmers, helping to improve the quality of their peanuts and their yield.

Research & Development

MFK engages in research to development to test the efficacy of RUTF products for use in a spectrum of nutritional deficiencies. In addition, MFK works with local farmers and partners to test varieties of peanuts and farming strategies that will help farmers improve yields and produce peanuts free from aflatoxins.

01

Treatment

02

Jobs & Training

03

Agriculture

04

Research & Development

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 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.
Look for these logos:

 

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

Outlaw forced child marriage in Niger

 

Three-quarters of girls in Niger are married before they are adults. Child marriage often amounts to slavery, for example, when girls have not given their free and full consent, are subjected to control, exploited and unable to leave,  so outlawing it is an important step towards protecting Niger children.
Right now young girls are being married off to older men.

TURKMENISTAN 

Urgent Action Victory! Independent Journalist And His Mother Released 

On 15 February independent Turkmenistani journalist Khudayberdy Allashov and his mother, Kurbantach Arazmedova, were given three-year conditional sentences after being found guilty of possessing chewing tobacco. They were released form the courtroom. No further action is required, thanks to all who helped.

USA 

Urgent Action:  

Sara Beltran Hernandez fled domestic and gang violence in El Salvador in November 2015 to live with relatives in the US. She has been held in a detention centre in Texas since then, despite having a claim to asylum. She is in urgent need of medical attention and must be released on parole pending the resolution of her asylum claim. Please take the requested actions on her behalf.

VIET NAM 

Urgent Action Update: Growing Health Fears For Prisoner Of Conscience 

Denied proper medical treatment by prison authorities since April 2015, when she was first diagnosed with a tumour on her uterus, Trần Thị Thúy is no longer able to walk without assistance. A prisoner of conscience, she has been detained since her arrest in 2010 and has expressed fears of death due to appalling prison conditions. Please call for her immediate and unconditional release and for medical care for her.

RWANDA 

Urgent Action: Journalist Missing For More Than Six Months

Journalist John Ndabarasa was last seen in Kigali on 7 August 2016. More than six months later, there is no news on his whereabouts or on the progress of the police investigation into his disappearance. Please query the police about their investigation.

NIGERIA

Government must intervene to support sacked dockworkers. Thousands of dockworkers in Nigeria are struggling to support their families since losing their jobs in December 2015. Please click and join the protest.