few interesting events

BlogWorld took place 20-21st of September, so I strongly advice the website and the blog.

Future of Web Apps is planned for 8-10 of October in London. Souns like a niche event, but might be interesting for all bloggers.


Internet Hungary (14-15th of October) is a great idea for Hungarian speaking bloggers, like me, but it struck me that the website has no translation in English - at least I can't find it. Am I so blond?And do not forget that 15th of October is the Blog Action Day 2008, this year commited to the issue of poverty.

Amnesty newsletter

Dear Sylwia,

When I took a job in 1976 with a small human rights group called Amnesty International, I had modest expectations. Up to then, I had been a '60s radical dedicated to ending the war in Vietnam and fighting injustice here at home.

But I reached a point where I needed to make some money while I looked for the next big thing. Amnesty International was looking for a press officer, and I signed up.

Early in my career at Amnesty, I had coffee with Pavel Litvinov, a Soviet dissident who had been arrested for demonstrating in Red Square and thrown into the Soviets' brutal gulag prison system for five years. He told me the only thing that kept him going during those lonely years in prison was knowing that Amnesty International was out there working to secure his freedom.




Join me. Become a member of Amnesty International today.
Join amnesty now!

Donate by September 30th, and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar!

For a young activist like me, it was a startling realization -- that our actions could have real power, that Amnesty could literally open a prison door and save a life halfway around the world.

Amnesty International continues to mobilize thousands of people who have never been tortured or imprisoned for their beliefs to act on behalf of those who have. But we can't do it without you -- become a member today.

The world has changed dramatically since the Cold War, but from Darfur to Burma, people are still being jailed, beaten, even killed for attempting to defend their human rights.

Will you commit to improving human rights worldwide by becoming a member of Amnesty International today? If you contribute by September 30th, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar by a generous Amnesty donor -- up to $130,000.

You'll be joining a movement of 2.2 million people worldwide that produces extraordinary results. Prisoners of conscience are freed. Death sentences are commuted. Torturers are brought to justice. Governments are persuaded to stop their human rights abuses.

We are not waiting for a new administration in Washington, D.C. to reverse U.S. human rights practices. We are the agents of change that will make it happen. And this month, your donation will go twice as far.

If there's one thing I've learned in my 30-year career, it's that no other organization is more recognized for its tireless and effective work to defend human rights worldwide.

Thank you for your continuing commitment to our work.

Sincerely,

Larry Cox
Executive Director
Amnesty International USA

Amnesty US newsletter

Dear Supporter

Welcome to the Autumn 2008 issue of Action. The Beijing Olympics have been a spectacular sporting event but they've taken place against a backdrop of human rights violations. The Chinese authorities have prevented activists from expressing their views, holding many in detention when they have committed no crime and arresting journalists who have tried to report on human rights violations. Read more about the situation in China here

Regards,
Dugald McNaughtan
Activism, Amnesty International UK

Control arms

World is watching Help secure an Arms Trade Treaty. Two years ago 153 governments voted at the UN to develop an Arms Trade Treaty. Act now to ensure they honour this promise and deliver the treaty. Take action

Cluster bomb ban Good news Cluster bomb ban. On Friday 30 May, the UK signed a treaty banning cluster munitions, and in doing so, agreed to drop it's calls for exemptions and ban its two remaining cluster bomb systems. Read more

Loopholes closed in arms export controls Good news Loopholes closed in arms export controls. The UK government has announced several new measures to improve its own arms export controls. It will close loopholes on small arms brokering and trafficking as well as introduce controls on arms that could be used for torture. Read more

Amnesty on the web

ProtectTheHuman.com Amnesty's new socially based activism website ProtectTheHuman.com now features 'groups' functionality. Users can create groups based on Human Rights issues, hold discussions and post related content. Visit the site and provide us with feedback

Business and human rights

A young boy holds a banner which has 'clean up Bhopal now' written on it Good news Bhopal - Survivor organisations claim victory The Government of India announced that it will set up an Empowered Commission on Bhopal, and take legal action on the civil and criminal liabilities of Union Carbide and Dow Chemical. Read more

Stop violence against women

Parvin Ardalan, one of five women's rights activists arrested in connection with a peaceful demonstration on 12 June 2006 demanding equal rights for women in Iran. Image courtesy of www.kosoof.com Women's rights campaigners in Iran. Women in Iran face far-reaching discrimination under the law. They are denied equal rights in marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance. Activists working to defend women's rights continue to face harassment by the Iranian authorities. Take action

Terrorism, security and human rights

Binyam Mohammed, Uk Resident detained at Guantánamo Bay © Private Health concerns for UK resident detained at Guantánamo Bay. Send an appeal to David Miliband to get UK resident Guantánamo detainee Binyam Mohamed moved out to a less harsh environment. Take action

LGBT rights

Turkish LGBT rights Turkish LGBT rights action. A local court in Istanbul ordered the closure of the Turkish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender solidarity organization, Lambda Istanbul. Such a closure violates the right to freedom of association. Take action

Events

The secret policeman's ball 2008 The secret policeman's ball 2008. Tickets for this year's Secret Policeman's Ball are now on sale. You can buy them here or read more about the event here.

Ways of supporting Amnesty

Join us Join us Amnesty relies on the support of individuals for 94% of our income. Become a member with a one-off payment of £24 or spread the cost through direct debit; concessions available for students and the unwaged. Find out more

What do you think of death penalty? Please, let me know!

Dear Sylwia,

Troy Davis is scheduled to be executed by the state of Georgia on September 23, even though his serious claims of innocence have never been heard in court.

Take action right now to stop this execution!

Troy Davis was convicted of murder solely on the basis of witness testimony, and seven of the nine non-police witnesses have since recanted or changed their testimony, several citing police coercion. Others have signed affidavits implicating one of the remaining two witnesses as the actual killer. But due to an increasingly restrictive appeals process, none of this new evidence has ever been heard in court.

Take action and then forward this action to ten friends!

On July 16, 2007, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles stayed Troy Davis’ execution, stating that it would “not allow an execution to proceed in this State unless and until its members are convinced that there is no doubt as to the guilt of the accused” (emphasis added). The failure of courts to hear the compelling evidence of innocence in this case means that massive doubts about Troy Davis’ guilt will remain unresolved.

Urge the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles to be true to its words and prevent this execution from proceeding!

In solidarity,

Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn
Director, Death Penalty Abolition Campaign
Amnesty International USA

Claudina Velásquez, or: when I was 19

Image via Wikipedia This girl was murdered when she was 19.
Let's just stop here for a sec, OK? What did you do when you were 19? Think about it!
When I was 19 I moved to Budapest leaving my parents, friends and my beloved cat, Czuga (quite similar to Manda on my sidebar actually) and head of to study Hungarian language! (do not ask me why, it just happened).
When I was 19 I was young, ambitious and extremely naive, as well as positive about all the opportunities awaiting me in this huge city. I felt I have all the time of the world to enjoy myself, to establish new friendships. I was alone, but happy - crazy, independent, free...I felt in love. I was introduced to Hungarian culture and I became the insider:)
When i was 19 a whole new world of Hungarian language opened to me - we have a saying in Polish according to which every new acquired language is a new soul we are gaining - it's an old, very traditional Slavic thinking, still - there must be something to it. Hungarians originated from the very same area of Asia as my fathers ancestors (I learned about his family, Korsak, history later on) and I always felt more at home in Hungarian standards and mentality, than I did in Polish culture. I learned to compromise, and became half-a-Pole, half-a-Hungarian in temrs of my national mentality. As with this, I was experimenting with almost everything!
I felt so happy and so ful of potential! I was about to begin American Studies, Hungarian and German Major too - I was about to study languages and literature, business and philosophy - all my favourite topics! And I new I will be able to do so much with the knowledge waiting just behind the corner!
When I was 19 I felt in love with Budapest. Did you ever fel in love with a place? Did you love it trully, so blind that even the worst experience would be forgiven? At the end of the day it was us, people, not the city I could blame...
When I was 19 I used to walk all evening long throught the city at night - completely safe - crossing few bridges, visiting my favourite streets and touching my favourite stones in walls; discovering new ones...
I was all new and I was just beginning my own experience of life...I began the happiness never really demolished by anyone so far!

And this girl, who hapens to wear a T-shirt from Budapest, had a chance for the same experience. She was a student of law faculty in Guatemala. She was found dead on the 13th of August 2005. She was not as lucky as we are - born in the wrong country?
'Families seeking help from the authorities are often faced with indifference and discrimination, and a particularly worrying tendency to blame the victim's behaviour or background for their death. Claudina's father told Amnesty International "The investigator said they thought Claudina was a nobody because she was wearing sandals and a belly button ring."
Despite such obstacles, Claudina's family have been'
It is a fact that 'In 2005, 665 women were killed - 25% up on the previous year, 10 times the rate in the UK, and not one killer caught. With no fingerprint or DNA database, no crime or victim profiling and no forensic science, killers go free and witnesses do not talk.'

Claudina was a lovely young girl, full of potential and free to become whoever she wants to be, yet she was deprived her basic right - right to live.

That is the reason why I decided to run the challenge for Amnesty International and chose her story as my own. If you think I am running it for myself, you are wrong. I was misused but I am alive and I kept my faith in law, truth and independence - my own one.

I will do nything I can (and this really DOES NOT COST me a lot!) to help organisations fighting for similiar rights to be established and respected in other countries. Simply, because I am lucky and I can;)

You can help too - just donate the money you plan to spend for your evening pint to my cause instead.:) Thank you!

Claudina Velásquez, 19

PIX: BBC News
See this girl? He name was Claudina Velásquez. I will tell you more about her tomorrow....

Ms Wu and Ms Wang - did China change after Olympics?

OK, I have been reading news about all the achievements during the Olympics but I am still not convinced if the country will change at all...Yes, I am damn sceptical! Krease Chan is making a very valid point on Amnesty Blogs about reality of ordinary people vs. political statements. Would you like to be sentenced for a year of re-education through labor for disturbing public order? (I am sorry, I cannot help but think back to the times when as a student of ELTE university I would hold small parties in my rented flat in Budapest and have police knocking on my door - just simply asking me to turn the volume lower - since it's regular to have neighbours calling police istead of coming over themselves, hehe). This is not funny though. Both ladies are about 80 years old!!!
Amnesty Blogs has more interesting posts, so go and check it out!

State of panic...

..is what I am in! I am not able to run 5 km without stopping! Why is it so difficult?! I spent my summer training as much as I can, but I do not think it's enough. OK, I did nothing for 3 years, still, I am not 60! I do not smoke! I hardly ever drink! I changed my diet and I eat properly! And, oh Lord! - I GAVE UP CHOCOLATE!
I am so annoyed with my own body!


Additionally, I have received my number and the actual route of the run. I feel shitty about myself but I hope I will be able to try it out at least the day before:/ (to see the point where I will stop and start walking?! ahhh!). I must admit that this whole idea of collecting money for charity really works - I might not do much, but my own daily sacrifice and the frustration I have to put up - if only I could measure it in £'s! - is enormous! My dear friends, like Javi, donate to keep me going because they know my personal experience of slight domestic violence and they understand my reasons.
They keep telling me it's not about running the run. Still, no matter how funny the idea of becoming the last person to arrive is - I will burn in shame if I do not deliver. Burn, like the Amnesty candle on my t-shirt:P

If you still want to support Amnesty, do donate though! I am going through all this humiliation just to help few people out! You can as well...

Amnesty news

Dear Amnesty Supporter

This month we have an exciting event coming up at the Human Rights Action Centre with readings from the play 'Life on the Borderline'. We also urge you to take action in the case of Shamameh Ghorbani who has been sentenced to 100 lashes by the Iranian authorities

Activism Team
Amnesty International UK

Event

Life on the Borderline. Writer Hoshiar has spent 8 years as an asylum seeker. Set at a border crossing, this play incorporates both his own experiences, and some of the many stories told to him by other asylum seekers. Book this event

The event takes place at the Human Rights Action Centre on Tuesday 9 September. For more information please click on the flyer:

Actions

Iran: Fear of flogging Shamameh Ghorbani has been sentenced to 100 lashes, after being found guilty of adultery at a retrial. Her sentence could be carried out at any time. Take action

News

Suspension of stoning executions a welcome step if carried out. Amnesty International has welcomed the recent announcement by the spokesperson for Iran's Judiciary that execution by stoning has been suspended Read the report

You can always find out more on these and other issues on the Women's Action Network pages of our website.

A bit of shocking truth

'South Africa 'You know our African culture. They think women are to be beaten. You can discipline a woman by beating her. So from my husband's background, his parents, his family, they believe in beating your wife. I was stabbed with a bread knife by my husband...'

Check the whole film in here...

Guantanamo again

Thanks to the generosity of thousands of human rights supporters like you, we've launched our Guantánamo Cell Tour, bringing a life-sized replica of a Guantánamo prison cell to cities across America.
The cell gives ordinary Americans a chance to see and feel what it's like to be prisoner at Guantánamo - and send an unequivocal message that torture is wrong and detention without trials is un-American.
Could you make a gift today to help Amnesty take this powerful message to more cities and towns across America?
Our Guantánamo Cell Tour is designed to recruit more activists across the country to put additional pressure on Congress to close down Guantánamo prison once and for all. We want to take the cell to key Congressional districts, the political conventions, and other cities and towns nationwide.
The tour has already made stops in Miami and Philadelphia and now moves on to Portland, Maine. The first leg of our tour will culminate in a five-day stop (June 25-29) on the National Mall in Washington, DC prior to our lobbying meetings there and in-district ahead of the July 4^th holiday. Along the way, thousands of Americans will have a chance to experience what it's like to be inside a Guantánamo cell, as well as record a protest video from inside the cell, which we'll post onto YouTube.
Are you able to give $50, $100, or even $250 today to help take the Guantánamo cell to more cities? Your gift will be used to fund online ads and leaflets for activists to publicize the tour, provide fuel for additional stops in the Midwest and California, and conduct media outreach while the cell is on the road. You and I have never had a better chance to bring some much needed reality about Guantánamo prison to ordinary Americans. Please make a financial contribution to help Amnesty bring a powerful, pro-human rights message - and the cell - to even more cities this summer!

Thank you for continued commitment to ending the use of torture and defending human rights around the world.
Sincerely,
Larry Cox
Executive Director
Amnesty International USA

Join our demonstration

Dear friend,

The Amnesty UK community has blown away all expectations. Together, we've gathered well over 10,000 petition signatures for the Tiananmen Mothers and chipped in for hundreds of bouquets -simply amazing. Now it's time to take our message straight to the Chinese Authorities, and we need your help.

Please join us this Wednesday, 4th June to deliver our petition and place over 10,000 roses outside the Chinese embassy-each one representing another Amnesty supporter standing up for justice with the Tiananmen mothers. The international press will be on hand and the Chinese government will be watching closely, so we need a big crowd to show overwhelming public support. Can you join us this Wednesday evening in London?

WHAT: Demonstration for the Tiananmen Mothers and human rights in China
WHEN: Wednesday, June 4th. 6:00 - 7:00 PM.
WHERE: Chinese Embassy, 49-51 Portland Place, London W1B 1JL. Click here for map.
(Near the Regents Park & Great Portland St. Tubes on the Bakerloo, Circle, Metropolitan, and Hammersmith & City lines)
MAJOR SPEAKERS: Wei Jingsheng, Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition; Xie Ze, Director, Friends of Tiananmen Mothers in the UK; and Shao Jiang, former student leader from Tiananmen Square 1989.

Please join us to add your voice to this crucial event. You're also encouraged to bring a rose, and make a flag, a headband or a t-shirt, instructions and templates are available for download here. And don't forget to forward the invitation to your friends and family who might also be interested in standing in solidarity with the Tiananmen Mothers.

Can't make it to London? Click here to see a list of local demos planned in other cities across the UK.

This Wednesday is the 19-year anniversary of the brutal crackdown in Tiananmen Square. We gather on this day to appeal for justice for the Tiananmen mothers and all the Chinese people whose human rights are in jeopardy. The Director of Friends of the Tiananmen Mothers UK, Xie Ze, describes it below:

"In 1989 hundreds of people, including my cousin Wang Nan, were killed because they stood up for justice and equality. Every day since, their families have sought justice. We are still waiting...

What we have lost can never be restored. But this gathering today shows that we are not alone."

This is a huge opportunity for people all over the world to show just how much support the Tiananmen Mothers really have. They have waited 19 years for justice - we want that wait to end. Please join us on Wednesday evening, in London or at a city near you.

Together, we can begin to transform this day from a tragic anniversary into a historic step forward for human rights in China, in Britain and around the world.

I hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Kate Allen

P.S. If you haven't signed the petition or contributed for a bouquet, there's still time to be counted before Wednesday's big demonstration. But you have to act fast. You can still add your name here, or follow this link if you have already signed but wish to make a donation.

yesterday, today

Yesterday I have managed to organize my friends and drag them all to Camden Town so that I can do my planned tattoo and convince A. to do hers. Well, I must say it was a lovely afternoon, mainly because of their company, which I am very grateful for! Thanks guys! I met M. too, who perfectly a year ago lived with A. and gave me and my son a home for a few - the most critical - days. It was shocking for all of us to realize it was sooo long time ago!
I was lucky with the tattoo, and experienced quite a post-modern way of 'having it done'. I was sitting there (Camden Piercing and Tattoo Studio, High Street, 02072677876) with two tattooists (one Italian, one...hm..no idea...he was joking throwing different countries, but I think he was Brazilian in the end), listening to them talking a mixture of Spanish-Portuguese - French, speaking to three quite silly American girls and listening Rammstein...but all this proved more than fruitful. I met an interesting person (author of my tattoo) and got a wonderful piece of art on my back (really well done!). It heals extremely quickly: I could sleep on my back and today we could already take quite a good pic of it.
Voila, here's my Fire-Snake symbol and the Chinese Dragon:

After arrival to Wantage and settling Dawid down after weekend away, I opened my inbox and...
wow! I have my first donation! Magda, you are my Angel!:)
It made my day!:) (together with the check for my first sold picture and an sms from dear Jane!)

Day 1, 113 days to day 0.

Day Zero is the 7th of September 2008 when I have to run in the Adidas Women Challenge representing Amnesty International (Amnesty For Women Rights).

Today is the first day of my training. I take it very easy, starting with swimming. It took me two weeks to convince myself to do just that properly, so WELL DONE!
Currently my training possibilities are restricted to one hour of my lunch brake (lunch eaten in front of PC), so I need to make sure I do take it.

Swimming was cool today, I did 10 lengths and I think it helps to set up a daily goal too.
By the 8th I was dying.
The 9th was still hard.
The 10th went smooth and I actually enjoyed it better than the very few at the beginning. How bizarre.

Now I am sitting at my desk and all aching. How not bizarre.


Once I manage to swim every day, I can start jogging in the gym. By the time my parent come over to help me out with Dawid, I will be fit enough to do some serious running.
So I think I am pretty ok, although I still do not know how long the actual run is. I didn't bother checking...I might regret that part:/

As for now I am being strict to myself and sticking to the fist of the top 10 rules of training: RESTING!:)

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Guantanamo prisoner released after 6 years!

Here is the newsletter itself:

'Dear Sylwia,

In the face of impossible odds, your thousands of letters made a huge impact last week.

On May 1st, Sami al Hajj was released from Guantánamo Bay prison after six and a half years in detention. Al Hajj was a focus of our write-a-thon in December and was adopted by Amnesty groups across the country.

Sami was a journalist for the television station al-Jazeera. In 2002, he was assigned to cover the conflict in Afghanistan. While traveling in Pakistan, Sami al Hajj was stopped by Pakistani police and detained.

He was handed over to U.S. forces, taken to Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan, and ultimately to Guantánamo He was never charged with a crime, yet was held and allegedly tortured for six years.

Upon being released, Sami flew to Khartoum, Sudan. His health was in such bad condition that he had to be carried off on a stretcher.

Amnesty International won't stop until everyone held at Guantánamo is given the chance to defend themselves in an impartial court of law or set free.

This week, Amnesty launches a massive new initiative to bring a life-sized replica (3D tour) of a maximum security Guantánamo Bay prison cell to cities across America.

RSVP to attend or volunteer at the Cell Tour events.

Starting in Miami with special events this Thursday and Saturday, we will show visitors what it's like to experience the harsh realities of illegal detention and prolonged isolation. Visitors will be able to record 30 second videos protesting illegal detention from inside the cell.

Thank you again for your passion and hard work.'

Check Sami's Wikipedia site:
'he web-site http://prisoner345.net/sami-haj reports that Sami had throat cancer in 1998, which went into remission.^[11] He had been prescribed anti-cancer drugs, which he was supposed to take every day, for the rest of his life. The site reports that Sami's anti-cancer drugs have been with-held from him. The site also reports that guards shattered Sami's knee, that his injury also requires medical treatment, and that medical treatment for this injury was also being with-held.'

And other link with comprehensive story here.

I simply cannot believe that this is happening in 21st century...

15th fo May - Bloggers Unite for Human Rights

15th of May is the Blogger Unite for Human Rights Day organized by Amnesty International USA office. Join the Facebook event here!

“Bloggers Unite for Human Rights” challenges bloggers to draw attention to urgent human rights issues facing our world today and encourage their readers to take simple actions through Amnesty International’s online action center.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BLOGGERS TAKE PART!

CHOOSE YOUR TOPIC. Write about a topic close to your heart or focus on one of the three issues below. Remember to include a link to a relevant online action.

1. CENSORSHIP IN CHINA ► China currently has the largest recorded number of imprisoned journalists and cyber-dissidents in the world. Learn more at http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/china

► ► Blog about censorship in China and ask readers to sign the action asking Yahoo not to violate human rights in China: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=5433

2. ILLEGAL DETENTIONS AT GUANTANAMO BAY ► The U.S. detention facility at Guantánamo has become a global symbol of U.S. human rights violations, including illegal detention, denial of fundamental legal rights, and torture. Learn more at http://www.tearitdown.org.

► ► Blog about Guantanamo Bay and ask readers to sign the tearitdown.org pledge.

3. CRISIS IN DARFUR ► The conflict in Darfur, Sudan, has led to some of the worst human rights abuses imaginable, including murder, rape, abduction and displacement. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed and over 2.5 million civilians have been displaced. Learn more about the crisis at http://www.amnestyusa.org/darfur

► ► Blog about the crisis in Darfur and ask readers to take action: http://www.amnestyusa.org/darfur/action/page.do?id=YCA0052148000E&n1=3&n2=52


Invite your friends and use the power of your worlds to change something!

China is getting ready

Amnesty International once again picked up on an important issue so please check their site, Google it for blogs or go to this site. I find the work of MUW on this project stunning! Believe me, the one above is still a 'light' photo message!
“In the name of ensuring stability and harmony in the country during the 2008 Olympic Games, the Chinese Government continues to detain and harass political activists, journalists, lawyers and human rights workers. Get involved: www.amnesty.sk”

Check the Color Orange campaign for UK as well...

Let me know what you think!

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