Amnesti International Sept 30-2011: Latest news and action

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Follow us Twitter Facebook Share email Send to a friend Dear Farhad, Global solidarity means different things around the world, last week we unified for Troy Davis, this week it's for the women and girls of Nicaragua. On Wednesday, thousands of women, men and children marched through Nicaragua's streets to demand women's rights in a country where sexual violence is shockingly widespread. They were joined in spirit by 50,000 Amnesty supporters from 40 countries. Each had each created a unique butterfly in a show of solidarity, giving strength to the marchers and showing the authorities that the world is watching. Read more about the campaign Kate Allen Director Holding corporates to account A bill now in Parliament would make it harder for victims to bring UK multinationals to justice for human rights abuses committed abroad. Yet we could still secure a crucial amendment to the bill – and your lobbying could make all the difference. Write to your MP  RBS pressure pays off Thanks to all of you who took action or made a donation, Royal Bank of Scotland have agreed to change their policy and cease their investments in companies involved in the production of cluster munitions. Find out how it happened  Chen Guangcheng still not free A year on from his release from prison, legal activist Chen Guangcheng and his wife remain under strict house arrest after a relentless campaign of harassment and persecution by authorities in China. Take action See a youth group in action I Talk Out Loud follows Eastlea School group's campaign to end stoning in Iran. The film is part of our Autumn term programme of school resources, activities and events to inspire a new generation of human rights defenders. Watch the film Watch Amnesty TV latest Living the good life (until the Taliban pop round), plus a look at life on Israeli borders and inside the heads of dictators. Watch episode 6 online now Go green AND support Amnesty Recycle your old mobile phone or printer cartridges and raise funds for us at the same time. It couldn't be simpler to get started - just order your freepost envelope by calling 08451 30 20 10 and quote 'Amnesty'. Alternatively, order your envelope online

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Amnesty International : Still fighting, no matter the odds

Still fighting, no matter the odds Dear Farhad, One by one, the police officer pressed the protestor's fingertips in ink. As he moved her fingers, he said in a low voice: "These are the hands of someone who is telling the truth." It was a whisper of humanity, mostly unnoticed, nestled among brutal episodes of police violence in Zimbabwe. Jenni Williams, founder of Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), tells this story so that you know your power as a member of Amnesty International. That police officer knew you were watching. He felt the full force of this human rights movement. Jenni feels your power, too. Arrested more than 34 times during her work advocating for the rights of Zimbabweans – including this past Wednesday - she has endured physical torture and prison conditions "tantamount to being put in hell." Jenni and WOZA are still fighting, despite the odds. From the death penalty to police brutality to violence against women, whether in the US or Zimbabwe, Amnesty stands against all human rights abuses. We've devoted the month of September to growing this movement, and every single member matters. Become a member during our September membership drive and we'll match your gift, dollar for dollar, up to $500,000 (that's up $200,000 from last week!). The simple truth is that without membership contributions there is no Amnesty International. We are completely independent from government or corporate interests. The more funds and supporters we have -- across the globe -- the greater our impact will be. We are 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers strong. But with great power comes great responsibility. This movement must only grow stronger. As Jenni says, "We long for the award of dignity and a bright future for our children." Please, join me as a member of Amnesty International now.   Sincerely, Larry Cox Executive Director Amnesty International USA P.S. Remember, your donations are automatically doubled, but only until Sept. 30, so don't let this opportunity pass you by. Click here to become a member. SPECIAL 50TH ANNIVERSARY OFFER Become a new Partner of Conscience monthly donor in September and you will receive a limited edition 50th anniversary Amnesty candle lapel pin. Do you want to double your impact? Make a donation to Amnesty before September 30 and your gift will be matched.* *Up to $500,000 SHARE THIS: © 2011 Amnesty International USA | 5 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10001 | 212.807.8400

Warning : FaceBook spying on you, even when you are logged off from it!

Hi everyone,

A few weeks ago I decided to leave Facebook, it was a hard decision since many of my friends and family are on facebook and it is one of the ways we have been following each others lives lately, plus it was nice to be able to feel close to them even thought we are so far away.

Facebook has become a giant spy machine, even with the help of my ad blocker, the script blocker all the spyware catchers, I have seen it sneaking into our private lives and step by step taking away almost everything we feel as 'our own' and put it in the hands of highest bidding buyers. The decision became final when FB helped UK police to track and imprison people who participated in the riots in London a few months ago as well as their continuous harassment of peaceful pro-Palestinian groups by closing their pages and accounts without any explanations or warnings.

The first proof came from Sweden, the FB management had to answer to some questions from the Swedish 'data inspektionen' that is the main legal authority in Sweden protecting citizens privacy and preventing companies from abusing it. The admitted that the posting and 'likes' of every individual user on FB has been captured and sold to several companies and to help them find the right advertisement for the individuals via direct mail (via FB status and ads, e-mail, SMS or direct phone calls). 

The second even scarier story came out the other day from Nik Cubrilovic (Entrepreneur, hacker and writer) who provided us with an alarming and dangerous act by FB that makes it possible to follow every 'digital' move of all the FB user even when they are logged off FB.

http://nikcub.appspot.com/logging-out-of-facebook-is-not-enough

His blog is pretty technical, but to summarize it, it means that EVERYTIME you visit a web site that has integrated FB into it, your page visits are tracked by FB and reported back to their database. 

"With my browser logged out of Facebook, whenever I visit any page with a Facebook like button, or share button, or any other widget, the information, including my account ID, is still being sent to Facebook,"

"They definitely have the information stored," Cubrilovic told VentureBeat in an interview today. "As to what they do with it, you can only speculate."

The other minor issue is the new integration of Spotify and FB, which means EVERYONE will know what music you are listening to, by everyone, it means your friends and your family, their friends and family and all their friends and families which makes it a VERY LARGE group of people!

Facebook recently integrated itself with Spotify, and now posts every song you play on Spotify to Facebook for all your friends to see (you may have opted in to this feature without even realizing it). If you'd like to keep your Justin Bieber obsession private, though, here's how to turn off Spotify's new Facebook features.
http://lifehacker.com/5843847/how-to-keep-spotify-from-broadcasting-your-music-taste-to-all-of-facebook

Nothing special here, but who knows what else FB is sharing with the whole world?

I chose the easy way out, I cut my connection to FB, lost all my contacts and blocked all the following sites

facebook.com 
facebook.net 
fbcdn.com 
fbcdn.net

to access my browser with the help of my ad blocker and script blockers.

I am not saying you should do it too, but this is something to think about next time you receive an e-mail or SMS from those you don't know and wonder where they got your information!

Cheers,

Farhad

News & Views | Weekly Top Ten

Week ending Friday September 23, 2011    Readers' Choice / Most Read Views... Tim Karr: Welcome to Your Hungarian Internet Jim Hightower: DuPont's Herbicide Goes Rogue John Nichols: Thousands Cheer Bernie Sanders' Appeal to Obama, Super Committee: Make the Rich Pay for Deficits Richard Wolff: The Truth about 'Class War' in America Robert Fisk: Why the Middle East Will Never Be the Same Again David Michael Green: All the Bad News That's Fit to Print Glenn Greenwald: The Geithner Mystery Solved Frances Moore Lappé: The Food Movement: Its Power and Possibilities David Benjamin: The End of Economics: Down Reagan's Rabbit Hole George Monbiot: A Billionaires' Coup in the US Readers' Choice / Most Read News... Wall Street Protesters Inspired by Arab Spring Movement It worked in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Now, taking their cue from social-media fueled uprisings in places like Egypt and Iran, a band of online activists hopes it will work on Wall Street. Obama Targets Wealthy With 'Buffett Tax' The populist measure, which some say is designed to appeal to voters, will propose a new tax on people making more than $1m a year as part of his deficit recommendations to Congress on Monday. Republicans Cry 'Class Warfare' Over Millionaire Tax Leading Republicans on Sunday spurned as "class warfare" an administration proposal dubbed "the Buffet rule" that would ensure millionaires are taxed at the same rate as the middle class. Rise of the Super Weeds Skyrocketing Toxic Chemical Use An estimated 11 million acres are infested with "super weeds," some of which grow several inches in a day. These weeds boost costs and cut crop yields. Progressives Vow to Challenge Obama in Democratic Primaries The proposal seeks to have a slate of six candidates run against President Obama, each representing a field in which Obama has drifted toward the corporatist right. US Murder of Troy Davis Sparks International Outrage Troy Davis may be dead, but his execution Thursday in the American state of Georgia has made him the poster boy for the global movement to end the death penalty. Occupy Wall Street Day 5: The Protesters Speak The encampment in the square looks ramshackle but in fact is highly organized, and looks rapidly on the way to becoming a fixture of downtown Manhattan life – if the police let the protesters stay there. Bill Gates to Support "Robin Hood" Tax The Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist appears poised to endorse the adoption of a controversial financial transactions tax (FTT) to be used as a new source of development aid for poor countries. Corporate Media Blackout of Ongoing Wall Street Protest Thousands of activists continue to Occupy Wall Street, but you wouldn't know much about this from the corporate media--outlets that seem much more interested in Tea Party protests. Tens of Thousands March Against Nuclear Power in Tokyo The demonstration underscores how deeply a Japanese public long accustomed to nuclear power has been affected by the March 11 crisis, when a tsunami caused meltdowns at three nuclear reactors. Home About Us Donate Subscribe Archives Readers' Video Choice Meltdown: The Men Who Crashed the World The first of a four-part investigation into a world of greed and recklessness that led to financial collapse. Common Dreams Breaking News and Views for the Progressive Community. Independent, non-profit newscenter since 1997. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. www.commondreams.org You are subscribed to the Common Dreams Weekly Newsletter as F.Abdolian.blogi@blogger.com. Click here to unsubscribe.

Children's Hope Internationa: Private yacht benefit cruise; a real success

On Friday August 26th, Children's Hope International Literacy & Development (C.H.I.L.D.) hosted yet another successful event to help indigent children thrive by receiving the education and support they so desperately need. Aboard a beautiful 40 foot yacht provided by Pacific Time Travel impeccably managed by Mr. Mac Dilani, guests as well as members of the Board set sail from Newport Coast for a delightful cruise including music, dancing and presence and support by the charmingly sensational Shaun Toub.    The evening was received with much praise from the attendees as there was not an empty spot on the dance floor, courtesy of the fabulous DJ Nima. Dinner was also a big hit as it was provided by Hatam Restaurant featuring their delicious kabobs and remarkable Persian cuisine. Not surprisingly the candlelit yacht was at full capacity before it set sail into the starry night, ensuring another successful and enjoyable event.   In addition thanking Mr. Shaun Toub, the film and television actor best known for his roles in Crash, The Kite Runner, Iron Man and The Last Airbender; the C.H.I.L.D. Board of Directors wishes to thank all of its dedicated volunteers and this event's attendees who have made accomplishing C.H.I.L.D.'s mission possible through their generous contributions.   During the cruise, C.H.I.L.D. received commitments from donors to sponsor 20 refugee students of the school in Van, Turkey for an entire academic year.   This year's largest event; the C.H.I.L.D. Gala will be held on November 19th at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine, California. For tickets as well as corporate sponsorship opportunities please call C.H.I.L.D. at (714) 545-3050. Children's Hope International

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Amnesty: Georgia killed Troy Davis

	The state of Georgia has executed Troy Anthony Davis.
	Dear Farhad, I've been down here at death row, and we just heard the horrific news. After a torturous delay of more than 4 hours, the state of Georgia has just killed Troy Anthony Davis. My heart is heavy. I am sad and angry. The state of Georgia has proven what we already know. Governments cannot be trusted with the awful power over life and death. Today, Georgia didn't just kill Troy Davis, they killed the faith and confidence that many Georgians, Americans and Troy Davis supporters worldwide used to have in our criminal justice system. Wende, on our Abolish the Death Penalty Campaign team, met with Troy Davis yesterday to convey the support that he has had from all of you. He asked us to deliver this message back to you: "The struggle for justice doesn't end with me. This struggle is for all the Troy Davises who came before me and all the ones who will come after me. I'm in good spirits and I'm prayerful and at peace." Let's take a moment to honor the life of Troy Davis and Mark MacPhail. Then, let's take all of our difficult feelings and re-double our commitment to abolition of the death penalty. Please pledge to continue this fight because it is far from over. This Friday at 7 pm EST, please join us for a special call to discuss Troy Davis' case, what your work means for the death penalty abolition movement as a whole and what we can do next. I am Troy Davis. You are Troy Davis. We will not stop fighting for justice. Thank you for everything you have done to make your voice heard. In Solidarity, Laura Moye Director, Death Penalty Abolition Campaign Amnesty International USA		Not in my name The state of Georgia may have taken one life tonight, but they cannot stop our struggle for all the Troy Davises of the world.
© 2011 Amnesty International USA | 5 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10001 | 212.807.8400