Amnesty International: 2010 so far: Burma, Shell & Gaza

July 2010

News from Amnesty International

Dear Supporter Looking back over the past six months, I'm extremely proud of all we've achieved together, from buying radios for Burma to taking action for individuals at risk. I'm currently waiting for news of Troy Davis' hearing, a case that could be a major turning point in the battle against the death penalty in the USA. We'll let you know as soon as there are any developments.  Thank you for standing up for human rights. We couldn't do it without you.  Sincerely, Kate Allen Director Burma: breaking through censorship In a country where access to information is restricted by the military junta, you have funded the distribution of over 4500 radios – giving entire communities access to unbiased broadcasts. Last chance to buy a radio  Gaza: applying international pressure Gaza has barely been out of the headlines, and you've been taking action in your tens of thousands: calling for an independent inquiry into the flotilla incident, the release of Gilad Shalit and an end to the blockade. Read the latest Shell: demanding a Niger Delta clean up As the world focuses on the unfolding disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, oil spills continue to devastate the Niger Delta. Thanks to you, we were able to highlight Shell's role in this, with full-page newspaper adverts on the day of their AGM. Read more Control Arms: cluster bomb ban comes into force After years of campaigning, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which formally bans the use of cluster bombs, is about to come into force. Find out more and join the celebrations Individuals: good news There have been positive developments in a number of cases this year, including Belarusian musician Igor Koktysh and the nine women human rights defenders in Nicaragua. Please call for the release of Patrick Okoroafor, who has been on death row in Nigeria since he was 14. Take action Events: spreading human rights awareness You can now book tickets for our Stand Up for Freedom gig at the Edinburgh Festival and Aftermath, a play about the forced return of asylum seekers to Iraq, currently running at the Old Vic in London.

If you have any queries or feedback about this email or Amnesty's work, please get in touch with our Supporter Care team at: sct@amnesty.org.uk or +44 (0)20 7033 1777

Fw: -please help saving the name Persian Guf on Google لطفا براي همه ايراني ها فوروارد كنيد

--- ا فوروارد كنيد To: Date: Monday, June 28, 2010, 1:10 PM با سلام   فکر می کردم که بعد از تلاش های بیهوده هعراب در رابطه با تغییر نام خلیج فارس ، دیگه اونا اقدام دیگری نکنند. چند هفته پیش من برایتان لینک پایین رو فرستادم و ازتون بابت رای دادن خواهش کردم. اما لازم که بدونید ، در اون روز تقریباً 150،0000 نفر رای داده بودند و سهم ما تقریباً بیش از 79% در مقابل کمتر از 21% بود اما امروز تعداد رای دهنده ها به بیش از 364،000 نفر رسیده ولی با تاسف فراوان سهم ما از 79% به کمتر از 75% رسیده واین یک فاجعه است. یادتون باشه که این رای گیری مربوط به کمپین 1،000،000 امضای شرکت گوگل است و نذارید که دوباره نام خلیج فارس به خلیج ع ر ب ی تغییر پیدا کنه   خوبه بدونید که شرکت گوگل مجبوره به هر درخواستی که به طور همزمان از طرف 5000 نفر و یا هر ارگان معتبر و ثبت شده ای ، بابت به رای گذاری یک قانون ، نام ، تعریف و . . . احترام بذاره پس رو این لینک کلیک کنید و رای بدید   http://www.persianorarabiangulf.com/index.php   بعدش این ایمل رو به هر کسی که میتونید فورواردش کنید.             __,_._,___ -- Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft's powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.

You're Invited - West Hartford Screening

Dear ONE Member, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself as your Congressional District Leader for ONE and invite you to come meet me and other ONE members for a special screening of a documentary from our sister organization, Product (RED), called The Lazarus Effect. RSVP for the screening here. What: Volunteer Meetup, Screening of The Lazarus Effect Where: 35 Beverly Rd., West Hartford, CT 06119 When: Friday, June 25th 7:00 PM The Lazarus Effect details the live-saving effects of The Global Fund, and how 40 cents a day can provide life-saving pills to a person living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.  We are quite excited to be working with (RED) on the screening of such a powerful global health story. This will also be a time to meet other local ONE members as we grow our organization and unite our voices. Together, we can ensure that our elected leaders do all that they can to effectively fight HIV/AIDS and malaria, as well as hunger and poverty, in the poorest places on Earth. Please sign up for this screening and meet-up today. Thank you very much for your time and efforts with ONE.  I know that here in our own backyards and community, and with your help, we will truly make a difference in the halls of Congress.   Hope to meet you soon! Colleen Shay, ONE Congressional District Leader, Connecticut's 1st District  ONE.ORG | BLOG | PRIVACY | SUBSCRIBE | UNSUBSCRIBE | CONTACT US | ABOUT

Amnesty International: Investigate Gaza flotilla

Scores of people around the world understand that the collective punishment of the more than 1.4 million people in Gaza - mostly children - only leads to more human misery. Urge the Obama administration to push for ending the blockade of Gaza and call for an international inquiry. Dear Farhad, Earlier this week, Israeli forces stormed a six-ship flotilla carrying relief supplies and hundreds of activists to Gaza, which has been held under blockade by Israel for the last three years. Nine passengers were killed in the violent clash and dozens more were wounded. While Israel maintains that its forces acted in self-defense, the level of lethal force used clearly appears excessive. As tensions rise, the world is struck once again by the desperate situation imposed upon the 1.4 million men, women and children trapped inside the Gaza Strip. The UN Security Council has already been joined by a number of world leaders in calling for an impartial investigation into the incident. This is an important first step, but because of the international nature of the incident, we must push to ensure that any investigation is both international and independent. While Israel has the primary responsibility to investigate, we urge Israel to also invite relevant UN experts to actively participate in and contribute to the investigation. Although the U.S. administration has asked for an impartial and credible investigation by Israel, they've been reluctant to commit to an international inquiry. But the quicker the Obama administration pushes for deeper international inquiry, the better chance there is that those responsible for the deaths are held accountable and that these same tragic events won't occur again. Tensions remain particularly high as another ship heads toward Gaza this weekend1. Urge President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Representative to the UN Susan Rice to demand an international inquiry into the Gaza flotilla incident and to take immediate steps to end the blockade of Gaza. In our report, "Suffocating: The Gaza Strip under Israeli Blockade2", released earlier this year, we charted how Gaza has grown increasingly isolated over the years; becoming completely cut off from the rest of the world. The blockade is a form of collective punishment in flagrant opposition to international law. It does not target armed groups but rather punishes Gaza's entire population by restricting the entry of food, medical supplies, educational equipment and building materials. Unsurprisingly, its impact falls most heavily on those most vulnerable among Gaza's people: children, the elderly and the sick. Since more than half of Gaza's population is made up of children, it becomes brutally apparent that immediate steps must be taken to lift the blockade and end the misdirected punishment. Call for international inquiry into Gaza Flotilla incident and lift the blockade of Gaza! It's now or never for Gaza. "There is no question that we need a new approach to Gaza", a US official said yesterday3. Let President Obama hear that now is indeed the time to end the blockade of Gaza. Christoph Koettl Crisis Campaigner Amnesty International USA Scores of people around the world understand that the collective punishment of the more than 1.4 million people in Gaza - mostly children - only leads to more human misery. Urge the Obama administration to push for ending the blockade of Gaza and call for an international inquiry. Dear Farhad, Earlier this week, Israeli forces stormed a six-ship flotilla carrying relief supplies and hundreds of activists to Gaza, which has been held under blockade by Israel for the last three years. Nine passengers were killed in the violent clash and dozens more were wounded. While Israel maintains that its forces acted in self-defense, the level of lethal force used clearly appears excessive. As tensions rise, the world is struck once again by the desperate situation imposed upon the 1.4 million men, women and children trapped inside the Gaza Strip. The UN Security Council has already been joined by a number of world leaders in calling for an impartial investigation into the incident. This is an important first step, but because of the international nature of the incident, we must push to ensure that any investigation is both international and independent. While Israel has the primary responsibility to investigate, we urge Israel to also invite relevant UN experts to actively participate in and contribute to the investigation. Although the U.S. administration has asked for an impartial and credible investigation by Israel, they've been reluctant to commit to an international inquiry. But the quicker the Obama administration pushes for deeper international inquiry, the better chance there is that those responsible for the deaths are held accountable and that these same tragic events won't occur again. Tensions remain particularly high as another ship heads toward Gaza this weekend1. Urge President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Representative to the UN Susan Rice to demand an international inquiry into the Gaza flotilla incident and to take immediate steps to end the blockade of Gaza. In our report, "Suffocating: The Gaza Strip under Israeli Blockade2", released earlier this year, we charted how Gaza has grown increasingly isolated over the years; becoming completely cut off from the rest of the world. The blockade is a form of collective punishment in flagrant opposition to international law. It does not target armed groups but rather punishes Gaza's entire population by restricting the entry of food, medical supplies, educational equipment and building materials. Unsurprisingly, its impact falls most heavily on those most vulnerable among Gaza's people: children, the elderly and the sick. Since more than half of Gaza's population is made up of children, it becomes brutally apparent that immediate steps must be taken to lift the blockade and end the misdirected punishment. Call for international inquiry into Gaza Flotilla incident and lift the blockade of Gaza! It's now or never for Gaza. "There is no question that we need a new approach to Gaza", a US official said yesterday3. Let President Obama hear that now is indeed the time to end the blockade of Gaza. Christoph Koettl Crisis Campaigner Amnesty International USA

Greenpeace International : 5000 signatures needed to help protect Lake Baikal

Act now: save Lake Baikal! Dear Friend, Nuclear waste exports to Russia are ending after a full generation of campaigning! French nuclear company AREVA will no longer use Russia as a garbage can for its nuclear waste. We've been opposing these shipments since 1984, when an accident at sea revealed that the radioactive exports had been taking place in near-secret for more than a decade. Following the most recent wave of opposition the shipments will end - another example that public pressure works! Russia may no longer be the final destination of AREVA waste - but your support is still needed to help protect its largest fresh water lake - Lake Baikal. A pulp and paper mill has received authorisation from the Russian government to dump toxic waste there. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lake Baikal is entitled to international protection - let's ask the head of UNESCO to step up and defend Lake Baikal. We only need around 5000 more signatures on the petition, please consider sharing it: Tweet in support of Lake Baikal. Share the petition on Facebook. Thank you for acting to save Lake Baikal! All of us, Greenpeace International http://www.greenpeace.org Facebook Twitter

Fw: Get ready for the World Cup 2010!

Get ready for the World Cup 2010! Hi Farhad, As football teams prepare for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, another team is also determined to succeed: Stand Up United, an international team defending human rights. They have one goal –equality, dignity and justice for all. Whether they defend the rights of migrants or of women, or of anyone else suffering violence and repression, they can be intimidated, threatened and sometimes even risk their lives. But they are able to continue their work because they have supporters from all around the globe. Check who's in the team and join the defenders And don't miss out! Amnesty International will bring you more news about Stand Up United throughout the World Cup 2010 Thanks, Activism Unit Join our Online communities Facebook   African | Arabic | Asia Pacific Youth | Bangla | India | Latin American Twitter       English | India | Spanish Amnesty International International Secretariat 1 Easton Street London, WC1X 0DW United Kingdom Become a member | Donate | Take Action

Amnesty International: Thanks for Shaming Shell-Protect the Human

TAKING ACTION TOGETHER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS The ad van making people stop and think Dear Supporter, What a week! We've been amazed by you – our supporters, dismayed by the Financial Times and of course outraged by Shell. Thanks to your generosity and commitment to the people of the Niger Delta, we were able to realise our ambition of booking a full page ad in the Financial Times on the day of Shell's AGM. Then at 4:58pm the night before, the FT decided to pull the plug on the ad. It seemed like devastating news, but with so much at stake we couldn't despair. We had to find a way to make sure that shareholders still saw the message. We already had the Evening Standard on board and at the last minute we were able to place the ad in the Metro – a paper we knew shareholders would pick up on the way to the meeting. And if they didn't see the papers, they couldn't have missed the van outside the AGM (thanks to Steve who spent 12 long hours driving around London's financial district!). It was great to see the campaign hitting the streets and making an impact. This was your campaign – you made it all possible, and we completely understand if you're feeling disappointed about the FT's refusal to print the ad. It was a controversial decision – and one that led to more publicity for the ad and more people talking about Shell's operations in the Niger Delta than we could ever have planned or imagined. So you certainly gave Shell's shareholders something to think about. We will not give up until Shell cleans up its act and the people of the Niger Delta have their rights respected. We'll keep you updated. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you again for supporting this campaign. Yours sincerely, Naomi McAuliffe Campaign Manager – Poverty & Human Rights

Doctors Without Boarders: Global Vaccine Drive Faces Acute Crisis

DRC: Thousands Trapped By Fighting in Ituri MSF Frontline Podcast Survival Migrants and Refugees in South Africa Face Grave Dangers An MSF Nurse Recounts a Decade's Work in Colombia Forward This Newsletter | Unsubscribe | Twitter | Facebook | Donate Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent international medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters, or exclusion from health care in nearly 60 countries. New York office: 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY, 10001

CodePink Where can you get green tea, nuke protests, and mamas?

April 30, 2010 Dear Farhad, We will march with our Japanese sisters and thousands of internationals gathered in NYC for the historic Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty conference at the UN--Peace Action and a host of other peacemakers will be hosting a shadow conference this weekend at Riverside Church (with Ban-Ki Moon!). Don't miss it! Great speakers, connect with peacemakers from around the world and more! More info on the conference at www.peaceandjusticenow.org Sunday, May 2 NPT March/Rally & Peace Festival~Join people from around the world for a day of action! 1:30 PM  Women's contingent Meet Up @ 7th Ave & 39th St) 2:00 - 3:30 PM  Rally 3:30 PM  March across 42nd Street to the United Nations 4:00 - 6:00 PM  International Peace & Music Festival in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (look for the CODEPINK Table!) Tuesday, May 4th GREEN TEA PARTY with CODEPINK Osaka CODEPINK NYC, CODEPINK Osaka JAPAN & Granny Peace Brigade present: The Green Tea Party for a Nuclear Weapon- Free World! Let's enjoy the grassroots exchanges over a cup of genuine green tea from JAPAN !! Cost: Suggested donation of $10    When: Tuesday, May 4th, 6:30-8:30pm Where: Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (316 E. 88th Street) Join us for inspiring and creative grassroots exchanges as we serve green tea from Japan. Among the evenings activities will be: ~Making "Orizuru", paper crane peace bird ~Sing along :  "Genbaku Yurusumaji" ( No More A Bombing )  etc. ~A-Bomb victims speak out             ~"Kamishibai", Story Telling with pictures ~Reading Poems on A Bombing in Hiroshima ~Skit : Women's Peace actions in Osaka! ~and more! RSVP to Dana@codepinkalert.org   Mother's Day is in only 9 days! Sunday, May 9th  4th ANNUAL MOTHER'S DAY PEACE STROLL When: Meet at 11:30 a.m., (take off at NOON)  ending about 2pm. Stroll for as long as you can. Where: Merchants Gate, Columbus Circle, by the statue Celebrate Mother's Day in the spirit of Julia Ward Howe. Spread the message, "War is never a solution."   This Mother's Day, take a lively stroll with The Rude Mechanical Orchestra , your mothers, lovers, partners, friends, children, grans and perfect (or not so perfect) strangers. Share the original meaning of Mother's Day by leafleting all along the way with Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation. Route: Up Broadway to 66th Street, right to Columbus Avenue, up Columbus Avenue (where we'll share our leaflets with diners), to the flea/farmer's market at 76th Street, then cross to the Columbus Ave. Mother's Day Crafts Fair around the  American Museum of Natural History. We'll read the proclamation on CPW and 81 street, and then go into the park and stroll to  the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Bring: banners, signs of peace, sounds of peace, balloons. Be creative or not-it really doesn't matter. We supply:  leaflets (with Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation)   We envision a kind of spontaneously evolving stroll with pedestrians invited to join us.  5 or 500-we have a message of peace. Cancelled in case of rain, but a go if it's just overcast. SAVE THE DATES: Thursday, June 3rd PROPHECY Theater FUNDRAISER -- buy tickets NOW! See you in the streets--don't forget your pink! The women of CODEPINK NYC No Nukes Int'l Day of Action Sunday, May 2 starts at 1:30pm Green Tea Party w/ CODEPINK Japan May 4, 6:30pm Save the Date! Mothers Day Peace Stroll Sunday, May 9 Theater Event: The Prophecy June 3 Buy tickets NOW! unsubscribe from this list

News & Views | 05.01.10 - 5.02.10

Home | About Us | Donate | Signup | Archives | Search Saturday - Sunday 05.01.10 - 05.02.10 Headlines... Oil Spill May Be Five Times Bigger Than Previously Thought http://act.commondreams.org/go/442?akid=47.98895.t2ACRc&t=2 Fears for Crops as Shock Figures From America Show Scale of Bee Catastrophe http://act.commondreams.org/go/443?akid=47.98895.t2ACRc&t=5 Obama Calls for Reforms in Election Funding http://act.commondreams.org/go/444?akid=47.98895.t2ACRc&t=7 BP Enjoys Lobbying Strength, Close Ties to Lawmakers as Federal Investigation Looms http://act.commondreams.org/go/445?akid=47.98895.t2ACRc&t=9 Protests Mark May Day http://act.commondreams.org/go/446?akid=47.98895.t2ACRc&t=11 Deepwater Horizon: Conservationists Warn of 'True Catastrophe' for Wildlife http://act.commondreams.org/go/447?akid=47.98895.t2ACRc&t=13 and more... **************************************************** Help us reach our Spring Goal. We can't do it without YOU! Thank you! **************************************************** Video... Bill Moyers Journal: Jim Hightower and American Populism http://act.commondreams.org/go/448?akid=47.98895.t2ACRc&t=16 and more... **************************************************** Views... Randall Amster | Was the Gulf Oil Spill an Act of War? You Betcha http://act.commondreams.org/go/449?akid=47.98895.t2ACRc&t=18 David Michael Green | Suicide by Regressivism http://act.commondreams.org/go/450?akid=47.98895.t2ACRc&t=20 Caroline Arnold | Truth Wasn't Murdered May 4. People Were http://act.commondreams.org/go/451?akid=47.98895.t2ACRc&t=22 Michael Winship | The Lowdown from Hightower http://act.commondreams.org/go/452?akid=47.98895.t2ACRc&t=24 Bill Quigley | Fire on the Bayou: Non-Stop River of Oil Heads to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida http://act.commondreams.org/go/453?akid=47.98895.t2ACRc&t=26 Nick Clark | From the Wetlands in the Gulf, 'They Saw It Coming' http://act.commondreams.org/go/454?akid=47.98895.t2ACRc&t=28 Dan Froomkin | Stop Robert Rubin Before He Kills Again http://act.commondreams.org/go/455?akid=47.98895.t2ACRc&t=30 and more... --