Tag Archives: Human rights

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Disappeare​d in Syria … S Brancaforte – Avaaz.org


Muntaha’s sixteen year old son was abducted from a peaceful democracy protest by Syrian security forces. She has spent the last eight weeks scouring the country for her child — braving warnings from the Syrian regime that her other son would also be “disappeared” if she continued with her search. Our urgent action now can help her son and the thousands of other disappeared Syrians.

Since March, almost 3000 people have been taken by regime forces and disappeared into secret jails. The international community has spoken out, but done little to stop this attack — but India, Brazil and South Africa have close ties to Syria and could push for an international human rights delegation to find the missing and reunite families with their loved ones.

Our massive global membership can force key leaders to act now, pressuring Syria to allow an international delegation to investigate the thousands of disappeared. Sign the petition — it is being delivered by high profile media outlets around the world including the Times of India, the Guardian, CNN, and Der Spiegel:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/syrias_disappeared/?vl

India, Brazil and South Africa dragged their heels on a Security Council resolution that would have allowed for strong international action on Syria. Still, they remain committed to democracy and peace and have called for an end to the brutality of Assad’s regime. We can hold them to account for their actions and demand they use their close Syrian ties to protect the democracy activists. An international human rights delegation could effectively reunite Syrian families and end the terror of disappearances for good.

The international media has already stepped in to help with our call. Today, major newspapers are launching massive interactive web tools that tell the stories of disappeared people like Muntaha’s son, explain the political crisis in Syria and link to our petition for urgent action. These newspapers not only reach readers around the globe, but also reach opinion makers, world leaders and decision makers directly. Our campaign makes this all possible!

When democracy protests rocked the Arab world, Avaaz sprung into action and, with thousands of donations from around the world, we broke a media blackout in the Middle East — supporting protesters across Syria and Yemen. Since then, our network of citizen journalists has generated almost 20% of all TV coverage out of Syria and our work with the emerging democracy movements has helped build a real alternative to the dictators that refuse to step down. But brutal regimes are still clinging to power and the courageous activists need our help now. Sign the petition to find Syria’s disappeared and forward to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/syrias_disappeared/?vl

Egypt and Tunisia showed that people power can win against oppression. Our global community has supported these democracy revolutions, helped broadcast the stories of the brave activists and the violence against them, and forced our governments to action. Now if we act together we can help find Yazan and the thousands of other stolen Syrians and see the dawn of a peaceful, democratic nation in Syria.

With hope and determination,

Stephanie, Sam, Wissam, Maria Paz, Rewan, Benjamin, Pascal and the whole Avaaz team

More information:

Syrian protesters seized at rate of one every hour, say activists (Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/28/syria-protesters-disappeared-avaaz

International activism comes to the rescue to find missing Syrians (Al Arabiya)
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/07/28/159687.html

Almost 3,000 Syrians listed as ‘disappeared’ (Financial Times)
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/bb3055fc-b872-11e0-b62b-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1TO2QmeIX

Protesters killed amid huge Syria protests (Al Jazeera)
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/07/2011722171756722811.html

Videos Appear to Show Violence in Syria (New York Times)
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/videos-appear-to-show-violence-in-syria/?scp=4&sq=syria&st=cse

Syria protests to intensify during Ramadan-activists (AlertNet)
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/syria-protests-to-intensify-during-ramadan-activists

In Syria-Qatar rift, a ‘shrewdly calculated divorce’ (France24)
http://www.france24.com/en/20110720-syria-qatar-rift-shrewdly-calculated-divorce-jazeera-assad

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Why I’m in Ames, Iowa …Judd Legum


As you may know, ThinkProgress has been hitting the road to ask tough questions and bring you the unvarnished truth from around the country.

For example, when Paul Ryan was booed by his constituents in Milton, Wisconsin, for defending his plan to privatize Medicare, the traditional media was nowhere to be found. But ThinkProgress was there to capture it all on tape. The clip was played dozens of times on national TV, and hundreds of thousands of people watched the video online.

Overall, our reporters have traveled to 20 states, interviewing nine presidential candidates and 56 members of Congress. We are making an impact and shaping the debate.

But this kind of on-the-ground reporting isn’t cheap. We need to raise $20,000 in the next week to keep our efforts going strong.

Can you pitch in $4 right now?    www.thinkprogress.org

This week, I’m in Iowa to cover the Tea Party Bus Tour — organized by a radical group advocating a return to the gold standard. Several GOP presidential candidates are scheduled to participate.

We’ll be visiting Ames, Iowa Falls, Webster City, Oskaloosa, Creston, and Council Bluffs. With your support, we’ll be able to keep this show on the road and keep holding the right wing accountable.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any comments or questions.

Best,
Judd Legum
Founder, ThinkProgress.org

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Tell UW: Cut the contract with human rights abuser


Can you imagine handing millions of dollars to a corporation charged with everything from racial discrimination and poverty wage rates to union busting and price gouging?

Neither can the students of the University of Washington.

That’s why they started a campaign to urge UW President Phyllis Wise to cut the university’s contract with food service provider Sodexo, an international human rights abuser. Click here to sign their petition.

http://www.change.org/petitions/stand-with-40-uwashington-students-who-were-arrested?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&alert_id=iJpiuKFvCW_TyRIWBJMSA

The world’s 22nd largest employer, Sodexo has a record of human rights violations that has been condemned by the National Labor Relations Board and Human Rights Watch. In the last decade alone, they’ve been accused of:

•Failing to provide safety equipment required by Colombian law, such as hardhats, to workers at their Carbones de la Jagua coal mine.

•Segregating Guinean employees, including managers, from European and other non-Guinean staff during meals at an iron mine in Simandou.

•Paying U.S. workers such low wages that they qualify for federal anti-poverty programs and denying requests for overtime.

•Intimidating—and retaliating against—workers in the U.S., Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Morocco in response to attempts to unionize.

What’s more, Sodexo has a nasty habit of cheating clients. One Sodexo scheme to squeeze extra cash from New York’s public institutions resulted in a lawsuit and a $20 million settlement.

Yet President Wise isn’t budging.

Over the past seven months, UW students have led protests, delivered letters, and met with administration officials in an effort to prevent their tuition dollars from flowing into Sodexo’s deep pockets.

Rather than engaging with students, UW officials are throwing up barriers to dialogue.

In fact, UW officials chose to arrest 40 students attending sit-ins rather than talk to them.

UW students need public support to break the gridlock.

To stand with Washington students and pressure President Wise to cut UW’s contract with Sodexo, sign here:

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Uganda Gay Death Penalty – We Won!! …Avaaz.org


Uganda‘s anti-gay law has failed! It looked sure to pass last week, but after 1.6 million petition signatures delivered to Parliament, tens of thousands of phone calls to our own governments, hundreds of media stories about our campaign and a massive global outcry, Ugandan politicians dropped the bill!

It was down to the wire – religious extremists tried to push the bill through on Wednesday, and then convened an unprecedented emergency session of Parliament on Friday. But each time, within hours, we reacted. A huge congratulations to everyone who signed, called, forwarded and donated to this campaign – with our help, thousands of innocent people in Uganda’s gay community do not wake up this morning facing execution for whom they chose to love.

Frank Mugisha, a courageous leader of the gay community in Uganda sent us this message:

“Brave Ugandan LGBT activists and millions of people around the world have stood together and faced down this horrendous anti-homosexuality bill.The support from the Avaaz global community has tipped the scales to prevent this Bill going forward. Global solidarity has made a huge difference.”

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs’ Office also wrote to Avaaz:

“Many thanks. As you know, thanks to a very large extent to the intensive lobbying and combined effort of you, other civil society representatives, EU and other governments, plus our delegation and embassies on the ground the Bill was not presented to the Parliament this morning.”

This fight is not over. The extremists behind this bill could try again within just 18 months. But this is the second time we’ve helped defeat this bill, and we’ll keep going until the hate-mongers give up.

Transforming the deeper causes of ignorance and hatred behind homophobia is an historic, long term struggle, one of the great causes of our generation. But Uganda has become a front line in that struggle, and a powerful symbol. The victory there echoes across many other places where hope is desperately needed, showing that kindness, love, tolerance and respect can defeat hatred and ignorance. Again, a huge thanks to all who made it happen.

With enormous gratitude and admiration for this amazing community,

Ricken, Emma, Iain, Alice, Giulia, Saloni and the whole Avaaz team.

Media highlights:

Anti-gay bill shelved:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13392723

Avaaz’s response to the outcome in the Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/13/uganda-anti-gay-bill-shelved

Ugandan President did not back bill because of “criticism of human rights groups”:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/05/13/international/i042638D37.DTL

Anti-gay bill delayed amid outcry:

http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Uganda-shelves-anti-gay-bill-20110513

Uganda’s “kill the gays” bill defeated:

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE74C0HP20110513

~ my 2cents ...

Monday mashup &some News


Today, President Obama held a White House Forum Commemorating Women’s History Month and will be addressing the Nation tonight about Libya 4:30 Pacific Time 7:30pmET –

In the summer of 2009, Americans and the World saw Neda, a student die for protesting for the right to speak out freely and some say she became the symbol to carry on. Unfortunately, we all know that the regime or government cracked down on the protesters in such a way that made us all gasp. The events in Iran shocked, offended and made most of us cry given the protests started out as peaceful demands for a new way of life, freedom to speak, better wages etc. That uprising became backburner news given the US had our own problems but quietly something was smoldering something the World can no longer turn away from. I have no idea how the US, UN or the NATO can actually help create change, help change practices so ancient that we all agree the devil is in the detail and that was in 2009. I will admit that my first experience in watching a human being shot, killed and die was during the Iran uprising because whoever was behind the video camera would not, could not, and did not stop filming. I was shocked, very sad, felt like a voyeur, and cried watching brave Iranians die. While I did not feel good about it being captured on camera for all to see before their family members were notified but it was a fight for freedom and life in the making of what I have chosen to call freedom fighters. In addition to Neda, a young man shot while protesting in Iran filmed as it happened, there were people surrounding him crying, yelling to make him breathe, and asking why he will not breathe. As the tragic events unfolded we viewers watched as someone else puts pressure on his chest but he died…that was the first time i had ever seen such a thing. I was angry, sad and hoped everyone in the streets of Iran knew that Americans and the International community were watching, demanding, and praying the abuse, atrocities, and assaults would stop. As in everything else life gets in the way and your own life takes a front seat and that Middle Easterner, Arab and or African becomes back burner news because well what can we as individuals do to help what with two wars waged by the last guy who btw didn’t end them either.

Now, or at least since February 2011 that we all know of, the World watches again while more senseless acts of terror and genocide coming from the Continent of Africa. Once inside it’s called the Arab World with an outdated autocratic system still brandishing ancient practices as Dictators and or Kings along with their forces against their own people in horror. The problem is someone got a taste of what could be, an opportunity to say what they want. The idea someone even risked speaking up and out about the possibilities of better wages, housing, that the trickledown theory just doesn’t work and low and behold there were others who feel the same way, maybe hundreds, thousands, actually millions of people mostly young educated and progressive thinking human beings wanting freedom of the ways of oppression and slavery.

The facts are that about 9000 people were reported murdered by Gadhafi forces in matter of a few weeks in Libya because they want freedom from oppression, please. I don’t know about you but that has got to upset anyone with compassion. If that wasn’t enough information came out that the Women being mistreated, left out of a reshaping a new Egypt even after getting rid of Mubarak the army or men -are also subjecting women to virginity checks in Egypt. In Libya, a woman burst in to a hotel yelling and screaming that pro-Gadhafi men had raped her and while the security fought the foreign press, smashing cameras this woman managed to give her story. I want to say thank you to the savvy person who managed to capture most if not all of the horrible incident on film, though she was dragged and taken away to who knows where at the time it was happening. I believe she is yet another symbol of the oppression women are subjected to and while the security stated she was going to jail, is said to have been released to her family, but I think this is a situation that warrants a call to the International Human Rights Organization.

I think about my generation who did not personally experience slavery of the 1800’s nor have i ever March for an issue with the idea that this could be the day that i die for wanting to be treated equality. Yes, slavery and discrimination still exists on so many levels here in the 21st Century and in my opinion the definition twisted by those with money, public servants or hold high offices who either engage or accept both as a way of life . Today, Americans watch and debate the good, bad or the ugly reasons to help the protesters, rebels and or freedom fighters in Africa and the Middle East. The hesitation to help is somewhat understandable but the way some seem to analyze it out loud is a real lesson in humanitarian behavior, how code words are used which when you break it all down, if not for the oil would Libyans get help from the French, the UK, and Italy, all who have more at stake.

The Social Network Media, which helped start the journey of change in Africa and the Middle East can no longer be ignored and has let the proverbial possibilities out of the bottle and while these tools of ancient practices refuse to accept change there are many who feel persuing freedom and happiness is well worth the risk of virtual death.

Other News …

**Contaminated water found in Japan’s underground tunnels

**Libyan rebels close to key Gadhafi locations

**Syrian troops fire at their own people

**Japan suffers another big quake 6.5 on Sunday

**A sample of rainwater in Boston finds a very small amt of radiation might be linked to Japan’s crisis

**

**President to Address Nation on Libya

To discuss U.S. role in conflict

http://www.c-span.com/Events/President-to-Address-Nation-on-Libya/10737420538/

**Lawmakers Return to Funding Debate and Situation in LIbya

Gov’t. funding runs out April 8

http://www.c-span.com/Events/Lawmakers-Return-to-Funding-Debate-and-Situation-in-LIbya/10737420511/

Pentagon Contracting System in Question

Wartime panel calls hearing

http://www.c-span.com/Events/Pentagon-Contracting-System-in-Question/10737420454/

Ruth Simmons, President of Brown University, examines how the legacy of slavery has shaped the history of America’s academic institutions. Her keynote address was part of an Emory University conference on the role of slave labor in the building of numerous American universities.

http://www.c-span.com/Events/Slavery-and-the-University–Emory-University/10737420473/