amnesty@ucb: Cal Students for Human Rights

We're alive!

2011-02-14T23:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers and Supporters,

Amnesty International at University of California, Berkeley is VERY much alive AND active. We have GREAT events coming up!

We'll be retroactively writing entries about the events we have hosted, the meetings we've had, and much more, so please be patient with us.

Sincerely,
The Amnesty Team

UCB Amnesty Protests Torture

2010-10-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

Fighting to focus the feisty camera and endless hours spent editing on an enigmatic computer program, I have created a piece worthy of its name: CalTV presents UCB Amnesty International's perspective on torture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smJAUYxTIWU

Thanks to all the people that came to the Education Committee's screening of Taxi to the Dark Side and especially to those who made their voices heard on this video.

-Jasmine

$130 Million for "African" health

2010-10-15T01:42:00.000-07:00

The newest article in the New York Times is titled Africa: $130 Million from the United States to Train Doctors in a Dozen Countries. For all of you human-rights concerned science or healthcare concerned students out there, this should come as a shock for you. Not the $130 part--the million part. The whole time i read this article, all i could think it what is the continent of Africa going to do with $130 million, build 20 hospitals and be able to pay their staff for 5 years?

The article promotes Obama's generous donation, coming from the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, as a significant gesture. Most of this money will be going towards combating the "brain drain" currently occuring in many countries in Africa by supplementing the salaries of doctors, supporting exchanges between doctors in the United States and various African countries, providing scholarships for "students from poor families" and technology that will let medical students present cases from remote locations.

After this sentence, questions should be running through your head like how can $130 million support ALL of these ambitions in 12 countries? The answer is, it cannot. A better question, how will the money be distributed--through local health NGOs, the WHO, the government? And if it is the government, we must ask who will really be benefiting from this money; my prediction is the urban hospitals of Nairobi and Dar Es Saalam, not the district hospitals in rural parts of Ghana.

This may seem critical, but I do applaud any effort towards improving the health care systems of some of these health-devastated countries, ridden with larger problems than the United States like an AIDS epidemic, chronic schistosomiasis problems and malaria. It is better to do something rather than nothing.

Food for thought.

Petition Drive with UCLA Amnesty

2010-10-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

Petition Drive with UCLA Amnesty was a success! The winner of the "petition competition" was UCLA Amnesty--UCLA chapter collected over 800+ signatures, calling for the Global MOMS Act to pass!

The UC Berkeley chapter managed to collect 400+ signatures.

It was great to see both chapters work together for a common cause; it even received some press coverage in the Daily Bruin: http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/article/2010/10/amnesty_international_clubs_contest_fights_maternal_mortality

If you have any ideas or suggestions, please feel free to email us at ucbamnesty@gmail.com

First General Meeting of Fall 2010

2010-08-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

Come to the Amnesty International at Berkeley's first general meeting of Fall 2010!

When: Thursday, September 2 at 8:00 p.m.
Where: 200 Wheeler Hall
What: Learn about what we do and how to get involved, meet amazing people, snack on delicious munchies, and have fun!

Check out our Facebook event! Invite your friends!

Email ucbamnesty@gmail.com with any questions. See you there!

Amnesty Goes to SF! 1st Fall Social!

2010-08-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

Join Amnesty International at Berkeley for our first social of the Fall 2010 semester!

We'll be headed across the bay to attend Amnesty USA's free screening of The Glass House, an internationally acclaimed Iranian film. Beforehand, we'll eat dinner together in the Mission District.

The Details:

When: Sunday, August 29 at 4:30 pm
Where: Meet at the Bancroft Way & Telegraph Avenue bus stop, where we'll catch the F line to San Francisco and a second bus to Artists' Television Access (992 Valencia Street)
What to bring: Your bus pass, dinner money, and $4 for the city bus in San Francisco

RSVP to the Facebook event here!

Email ucbamnesty@gmail.com with any questions, or call Stacy Suh at (714) 515-2288 on the day of the social. We hope to see you there!

Happy Summer!

2010-07-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Summer!

We here at UC Berkeley's chapter of Amnesty International hope you're enjoying your summer vacation before the start of the Fall 2010 semester at Cal.

Currently, we're busy working on exciting plans for the fall... Check back for updates soon!

In the meantime, email ucbamnesty@gmail.com to be added to our mailing list and to find out more information about getting involved. Be sure to join our Facebook group and follow our Twitter feed! Lastly, don't forget to find us at Calapalooza, Cal's annual student organization tabling fair, during Welcome Week on Thursday, August 26.

We can't wait to see you all sporting some gnarly tans, brah!

Peace,
Rachel Fryke
Co-Coordinator, Amnesty International at Berkeley

Event in SF Tomorrow: Deadly Delivery

2010-04-13T14:46:00.001-07:00

Hi, this is Stacy. I just wanted to let you know more about an amazing event tomorrow in San Francisco! You should definitely check it out! More information below:

Wednesday, April 14^th
5:30-7:30pm
San Francisco Public Library
Koret Auditorium
100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 Please RSVP to wbutkus@aiusa.org (415) 288-1800

Please join Amnesty International in partnership with UC Hastings Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, California OneCare and UCSF Safe Motherhood Program at the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health for a special briefing featuring international and domestic experts on maternal mortality and health care as part of the Global Maternal Mortality Crisis Speaker Tour.

Speakers will also include state and local leaders. Featuring:

Larry Cox, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA
Birma Abdulai Sheriff, Executive Director of Amnesty International Sierra Leone
Silvia Rosario Loli Espinoza, Executive Director of Amnesty International Peru
Yves Boukari Traore, Executive Director of Amnesty International Burkina Faso
Sara Elizabeth Rogers, Office of Senator Mark Leno
Maddy Oden, The Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation
Moderator - Diana Campoamor, President and CEO of Hispanics in Philanthropy

Every minute one woman dies as a consequence of complications during birth or pregnancy. That’s more than 500,000 women a year, one woman every minute of every day. These women do not die of diseases that can’t be treated or complications that can’t be prevented. They die because societies have yet to determine that their lives are worth saving. Health care is a human right for every woman regardless of her race or income status. Amnesty International will announce their support for Senator Mark Leno’s Single Payer Bill SB 810.

For more information about our report: Deadly Delivery: The Maternal Health Care Crisis in the USA please visit http://amnestyusa.org/demanddignity

V-Day at Berkeley's Teach-In on the Women of the Congo

2010-01-31T21:41:00.000-08:00

Remember last year's Raise Hope for Congo Speakers' Tour, when we brought in leading activists spreading awareness about the Democratic of the Congo's unheard story: the systematic rape of women as a weapon of war? This year, V-Day at Berkeley, a group that presents The Vagina Monologues to help end violence against women and girls, will raise the profile of the DRC through a special spotlight monologue. Before the actual showing of The Vagina Monologues, the group is hosting a teach-in on the current situation in the DRC and how we can help. Be sure to show your support!

V-Day at UC Berkeley's Teach-In on Women of the Congo
Wednesday, February 3 at 8:30p.m.
121 Wheeler Hall
RSVP to the Facebook event here.
vagmonsUCB@gmail.com

Amnesty Social: Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka

2010-01-31T21:38:00.000-08:00

Amnesty Social
Monday, February 1
6:30 p.m.
Wheeler Auditorium
RSVP to the Facebook event here.

We will be meeting as a group in front of Wheeler to wait in line for free tickets around 6:30. Bring food or snacks to share, as it doesn't start until 7:30. See you there!

"Rights and Relativity: The Interplay of Cultures"
Monday, February 1, 2010
7:30 pm | Wheeler Auditorium

Writer, playwright and poet, Wole Soyinka is the author of over thirty books. He was also the first African to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986. Soyinka has been an outspoken critic of many Nigerian military dictators and of political tyrannies worldwide, including the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe. He has been imprisoned several times for his criticism of the government, and has lived in exile at various points during his life. A consistently courageous voice for human rights worldwide, Soyinka is involved in numerous international artistic and human rights organizations, including the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the International Parliament of Writers.

Read more about the event here: http://townsendcenter.berkeley.edu/avenali_soyinka.shtml

Flow: For Love of Water Screening

2010-01-31T21:31:00.000-08:00

FREE Screening of Flow: For Love of Water
Thursday, February 11
7:00 p.m.
Unit 2 All Purpose Room
RSVP to the Facebook event here!

We are in a global water crisis...

A crisis of inequity: The average American uses 150 gallons of water per day; often, those in developing countries cannot find even five (the daily requirement is 13.2 gallons). Of the 6 billion people on earth, 1.1 billion do not have access to safe, clean drinking water, and every 15 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease.

A crisis of consumerism: Water is a $400 billion dollar global industry, the third largest behind electricity and oil. In 2007, US consumers spent $16.8 billion on bottled water alone, but it only takes $6 to supply 10 liters of safe water per day for a year.

A crisis of sanitation: Between five hundred thousand and seven million people get sick per year from drinking tap water, with 116,000 human-made chemicals found in public supplies.

A crisis of resources: Californiaʼs water supply is running out, with about 20 years of water left in the state.

Learn more about the global water crisis and how YOU can help! Featuring FREE food, a presentation by Professor Darren Zook, interactive discussions, and a FREE screening of the internationally acclaimed documentary "Flow: For Love of Water".

How to stay informed

2010-01-24T22:24:00.000-08:00

This is a random blog post, full of tips about staying informed! :)

Websites/blogs to consider:

UCB Amnesty International Blog! (Haha, shameless plug.)
http://www.change.org/ : Has A LOT of different issues, both domestic and international. This is probably the most comprehensive and inclusive.
http://www.amnestyusa.org/take-action-online/page.do?id=1031043: Online actions for Amnesty International. Sign up for the mailing list and you'll get a regular email/actions for AI.
http://blog.amnestyusa.org/: If you feel up to more reading, this is a great way (more in depth than just the regular emails) to keep track of all things Amnesty and more.
http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/: If you're interested in the Congo.
http://www.hrc.org/: Human Rights Campaign, all things LGBT.
http://www.hrw.org/ Human Rights Watch.

Tips for keeping track of everything:

If you feel overwhelmed by emails, Twitter feed is an EXCELLENT way to keep track of things. You can just read the headline (140 characters or less) and read more about it, if it intrigues you! Most nonprofits have a Twitter, and you can be informed that way. :)
Facebook. Join a fan page! Sign up under "Causes" application and receive regular updates, from Invisible Children to Amnesty International. Now you can feel less guilty about being on FB instead of writing that paper due tomorrow.
Sign up for the emailing list on the above websites! It's a painless way to receive updates without visiting 1235324 websites.
Reading the newspaper really does help. NY Times and NPR are great. BBC is good, too.
Come to the meeting. We'll keep you posted.

That's it. I hope that helped. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Also, creative advocacy ideas? Email them our (Elizabeth's/my) way!

1st General Meeting of 2010!

2010-01-20T23:45:00.001-08:00

It's time to wake up from your winter break hibernation and get excited to promote human rights at Cal!

Amnesty International 1st General Meeting of 2010
Tuesday, January 29 at 8:00 p.m.
88 Dwinelle Hall

Check out everything we've accomplished in the past, and what we need your help to do in the future!

RSVP to our Facebook event, and invite your friends!

See you there!

A Jihad for Love Screening

2010-01-11T15:42:00.001-08:00

Join Amnesty International, during the ASUC's Spring Welcome Week 2010, for a FREE screening of A Jihad for Love!

What: A Jihad for Love Screening, with director/producer Parvez Sharma
When: Tuesday, January 19 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: 10 Evans Hall, UC Berkeley Campus
Price: FREE

Filmmaker Parvez Sharma will join Amnesty International to introduce his internationally acclaimed documentary A Jihad for Love on Tuesday, January 19 as part of the ASUC's Spring Welcome Week. The film explores the complex global intersections of Islam and homosexuality, and how gay and lesbian Muslims fight to reconcile their faith and their struggle for love. Refreshments will be available.

Check out the Facebook event, the film's website, or email ucbamnesty@gmail.com for more information! Don't miss out on this amazing event!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T12:29:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from Amnesty International at UC Berkeley!

Thanks to everyone who helped us achieve so much this past year! We spread human rights awareness and action throughout our campus community, with great events including our Raise Hope for Congo Speakers' Tour, two Hunger Banquets, Stand Against Poverty, numerous service activities and much more. We're all looking forward to hitting the ground running in 2010... Look out for some truly amazing campaigns in the future.

And while you're reflecting on 2009 and making plans for the year ahead, remember the tremendous impact human rights activism has on our world. Check out Human Rights Watch's year in review to celebrate some landmark human rights achievements! Keep fighting for a better planet! We need your voice.

Happy New Year! We can't wait to explore all that 2010 has to offer. We hope you join us on the journey! Have any ideas on how we can improve next year? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Hunger Banquet on CalTV

2009-12-10T02:36:00.000-08:00

Check out this report on November's Hunger Banquet event by CalTV, UC Berkeley's online TV station. CalTV has covered previous Amnesty International events, including Stand Against Poverty and the RAISE Hope for Congo Speakers' Tour.

Amnesty Human Rights Day Open House & Write-A-Thon

2009-12-02T20:05:00.000-08:00

Commemorate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by rubbing elbows with fellow human rights activists at the Amnesty International office in SF (for free)! Join us on Thursday, December 10 at 4:45 p.m. at the Berkeley BART station and we'll all travel to the city together!

There, we'll join Amnesty International members from around the Bay to chat, score some free hors d'œuvres, AND write letters to benefit prisoners of conscience around the world in Amnesty's Global Write-A-Thon!

Plus, Krishanti Dharmaraj, the Executive Director of Women's Institute for Leadership Development, and Gouri Sadhwani, Amnesty's Deputy Executive Director for Organizing, Membership and Campaigns will be speaking!

Interested in coming (I mean, it's Reading Week, it's Amnesty, and it's AWESOME!)? Check out the Facebook event, meet at the Berkeley BART with $7.30 in your hot little hand, and get ready for some major human rights networking, advocacy, and inspiration!

Lobby Dianne Feinstein for the Congo!

2009-12-02T19:51:00.000-08:00

Right now, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is faced with war, displacement, and malnutrition due to decades of violence. YOU can do something about it! Join us as we lobby Dianne Feinstein, asking her to support the Conflict Minerals Trade Act!

Meet on Tuesday, December 8 at 11:00 a.m. at the Berkeley BART station for a debriefing on the current conflict and the proposed legislation. After, we'll journey to SF to meet with Senator Feinstein's office. Be sure to bring appropriate attire, $7.30 for the BART fare, your driver's license, and your passion for human rights! You DON'T have to be an expert on the Congo... we just need you to lend your voice to an important opportunity to stand up for international justice!

Check out the Facebook event, and get pumped for Tuesday!

If you're interested, you MUST email Elizabeth at ehopper@berkeley.edu so she can tell Feinstein's office who's coming and they can put your name on a list for security.

Education Resources

2009-12-02T12:13:00.001-08:00

For news on the opening of the Sri Lankan refugee camps, follow these links:

For interviews with individuals who have just left the camps: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2009/12/091201_srilanka_kv.shtml

For The United Nations' reaction: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=a8uZmh84nO6A

For Amnesty's reaction: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hf35LIAw6krLNJQ448-CSnyFNLWg

For new on developments in Guinea, follow these links:

For information on the upcoming inquiry: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8376800.stm

For an eyewitness account of the massacre: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8281581.stm

For news about the arrest of a human rights official in Guinea: http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Guinea-Military-Arrest-Human-Rights-Official-78107702.html

Please don't hesitate to contact me (Ed) at ed.jones90@gmail.com if you want to get involved with educating our membership and the wider campus community next semester. Additionally, if you are interested in narrowing the cleavages between groups on our campus-get in touch! I would love to hear all of your ideas.

Amnesty Holiday Party!

2009-12-01T12:22:00.000-08:00

You're invited to the Amnesty International Holiday Party!

Don't be a Grinch... Come and your heart will grow three sizes!

When: Sunday, December 6 from 12-3
Where: TBD
What: Food, friends, games, mingling, Secret Santa gift exchange, holiday joy and merriment!
RSVP to the Facebook event!

Remember, this party is a potluck, so bring your favorite holiday treats to share, along with any games or activities you'd like to do!

Also, we're having a Secret Santa gift exchange, with a price cap of $10-15. If you're interested in being someone's Secret Santa (and getting a gift in return!), complete this form by 12/3.

Please feel free to contact us at ucbamnesty@gmail.com with any questions! Happy Holidays!

Ask Barbara Lee to Co-Sponsor the Congo Conflict Minerals Trade Act

2009-11-30T21:55:00.000-08:00

The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the deadliest conflict since World War II and over 5.4 million people have died. The violence is being fueled by the trade in conflict minerals: the armed groups earn money to continue their fighting by selling minerals that end up in electronic devices like cell phones and laptops (they earned an estimated $185 million from this trade in 2008 alone). One thing we can do to stop the violence in the Congo is to ask our representatives to support the Congo Conflict Minerals Trade Act, which would work to ensure that the trade in minerals stops financing armed groups in the Congo.

Read more about the bill here.

Ask Barbara Lee to co-sponsor the Congo Conflict Minerals Trade Act by calling her office at (202) 225-2661.

If Barbara Lee isn't your representative, you can contact your representative at http://www.house.gov.

You can also email your representatives at http://www2.americanprogress.org/t/1659/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=6281.

(If you get a response from Lee's office, let me know at ehopper@berkeley.edu!)

Recap: Hometown Shakedown

2009-11-18T23:08:00.000-08:00

Anaamika, Claire, Rachel and I went to Nancy Pelosi's office in San Francisco to support Invisible Children's lobbying efforts for the Lord Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009, which would commit President Obama to develop strategies to stop Joseph Kony, the leader of the LRA, and to support recovery efforts in northern Uganda and other LRA-affected areas.

We unfortunately could not meet directly with Speaker Pelosi, but we did have a meeting with the Deputy Director. She was extremely nice, receptive, and engaged. The meeting was a success! I thought the lobby meeting was extremely effective, especially with firsthand account of how things are in Uganda. Specific examples of how the organization dealt with the issue at hand were extremely powerful and convincing.

A few points to keep in mind:

When people saw our sign about stopping Joseph Kony and so forth, they were genuinely interested. A lot of people stopped by and talked to us.
The Deputy Director was impressed that so many people came in support of the lobby meeting.
Even though people seem apathetic, there are people who care.

To take action, write a letter to Senator Feinstein to co-sponsor this legislation. Here's a sample letter. If you want to get more involved with Invisible Children at Berkeley, contact Brittany at bdeyan@invisiblechildren.com.

Hometown Shakedown: Get Nancy Pelosi to sponsor the LRA Disarmament Bill!

2009-11-12T22:52:00.000-08:00

Here's the deal: Invisible Children, an organization raising awareness about child soldiers and the conflict in Uganda, have helped to promote the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament & Northern Uganda Recovery Act, which would recommit the United States to ending the LRA's reign of terror and rebuilding Ugandan communities. Backed by Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Sam Brownback (R-KS), the bill currently has the formal support of 27 Members of the Senate and 125 Members of the House. Invisible Children is sponsoring a "Hometown Shakedown" to get 50% of the House and Senate to co-sponsor the bill by the end of this year. In our district, both Barbara Lee and Barbara Boxer have co-sponsored the legislation, but Dianne Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi have not.

Join Amnesty International on Wednesday, November 18 as we trek across the Bay, join with other human rights activists, and ask Nancy Pelosi to support this important (and unprecedented) legislation! Afterward, we'll grab ice cream or something in SF!

Meet at the Downtown Berkeley BART station at 1:45. The cost roundtrip will be $7.30... If this isn't doable, please let us know and we'll arrange for a group to use the bus.

Check out the Facebook event, and invite friends! Contact ucbamnesty@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.

Prisoner of Conscience: Shi Tao

2009-11-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

You send an email. The next day, the government knocks on your door. End result? 10 years in prison.

Shi Tao, a Chinese journalist, was arrested and convicted to serve 10 years in prison for using his Yahoo email account to send information about a government order that dictated the media to downplay the upcoming 15th anniversary of crackdown on the pro-democracy activists. He was charged and convicted of "illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities."

This is an alarming case, which shows how the Chinese government uses the Internet to crack down on its dissidents.

Urge Yahoo! to stop violating human rights! Make a phone call. Here are the directions.

Write to the Prime Minister and let your voice be heard! Here's how.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Advocacy This Week: Maternal Health

2009-11-04T19:15:00.000-08:00

First Action: In Nicaragua, there is a complete ban on abortion. This means that even when the woman's life is in danger, abortion is illegal.

Amnesty International has completed a report on the origins, causes, and effects of the complete ban of abortion in Nicaragua. Click here to read more about this issue.

Call on Nicaragua to repeal the criminalization of abortion in all cases by signing a letter here. If you have more time, copy (or write) the letter in Spanish.

Second Action: Maternal healthcare access must be improved in Peru; countless indigenous women have died due to lack of access to care and more. Watch this video; it's about 5 minutes long, but very informative:

Urge President Garcia to improve access to maternal healthcare and more (providing better sexual and maternal health information, funding programs concerning maternal healthcare, etc). Either sign this letter (takes less than a minute) or write a letter of your own!

If you have any suggestions or preferences for advocacy next week or in the future, please let us know! :)

Hunger Banquet

2009-11-04T17:12:00.001-08:00

Join Amnesty International, Cal Dining, and Unit 3 at our upcoming Hunger Banquet for a taste of global poverty, inequality, and hunger!

Thursday, November 12 at 5:00 p.m.
Café 3 (Unit 3 Dining Commons)

Today, we live in a world of massive disparities. More than 2.5 billion people live in poverty, including over 39 million Americans. Over 1 billion suffer from chronic hunger. Every 3.4 seconds a child dies from hunger or preventable diseases... That's 25,000 children per day.

However, the world produces enough food to feed everyone. Farmers harvest enough grain alone to provide every human being on the planet with 3,500 calories a day.

This global hunger epidemic isn't about too many people and too little food. Hunger is about power, inequality, and limited access to resources.

Join Amnesty International and Unit 3 for an interactive evening highlighting the global crisis of food distribution disparities and what YOU can do about it. Check out the Facebook event, and invite your friends!

FREE Admission * FREE Food * FREE Knowledge

Student Perspectives on Homelessness in Berkeley Survey

2009-11-04T17:06:00.000-08:00

Please take our Student Perspectives on Homelessness in Berkeley Survey!

One of our chapter's goals this year is to combat the misconceptions, generalizations, and conventional unawareness of students and community members regarding Berkeley's homeless population. We are developing a long-term project in which we hope to engage with different parties involved in or impacted by the issue of homelessness in Berkeley (i.e. students, community members, shelters, law enforcement, medical clinics, and, most importantly, the homeless themselves) in order to gather information that can later be shared with the larger University community.

We are conducting this survey to get a general idea about student perspectives on homelessness in Berkeley. Your input will serve as an important building block for our project. The survey includes five questions regarding how you view homelessness in Berkeley, and shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

Check out the Facebook event, and invite your friends!

We truly appreciate your participation! If you have any questions or comments regarding the survey or our project, please email ucbamnesty@gmail.com.

BUDGET CUTS INFO

2009-11-04T16:35:00.001-08:00

There is a Town Hall Meeting this Thursday at 7:30 PM in the Pauley Ballroom:

You will have the chance to ask the Chancellor about the Budget Cuts.

There is a central site with information here:

http://berkeleycuts.org/

SOME GREAT INFO TO READ/ SKIM:

My Geography 123 Professor, Gillian Hart, is very passionate about the issue.

She recommended that we all read what former Berkeley Professor Charles Schwartz has

to say about the issue. He is retired but has spent the past few years researching the subject

and has come up with some shocking and quite distressing data:

http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~schwrtz/

HIS LATEST LECTURE ON THE SUBJECT:

http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~schwrtz/Part_20.html

(Part of his series called "Financing the University")

LOOOVE,

Claire Sarraillé

Reproductive/Abortion Rights Info

2009-11-03T21:46:00.001-08:00

Sources used in today’s Education section at the General Meeting:

Amnesty’s policy on sexual and reproductive rights: http://www.amnesty.org/en/campaigns/stop-violence-against-women/issues/implementation-existing-laws/srr

Amnesty’s policy on abortion: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=17378

Amnesty’s report on the situation in Nicaragua: http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/nicaragua-complete-ban-abortion-violates-torture-convention-20090515

Research paper on the reasons why U.S women have abortions: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/psrh/full/3711005.pdf

Research paper on the reasons why women from 27 different countries have abortions: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/2411798.html

Abortion laws map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AbortionLawsMap-NoLegend.png

WHO report on reproductive health: http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/en/

The Proclamation of Tehran (see number 16): http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/l2ptichr.htm

CalTV Coverage of Stand Against Poverty

2009-10-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to CalTV, UC Berkeley's online TV station, for covering our Stand Against Poverty event!

Irene Khan and Larry Cox at Berkeley!

2009-10-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

Are you really bummed you couldn't attend Tuesday's event at USF featuring Irene Khan (Amnesty Secretary General) and Larry Cox (Executive Director Amnesty USA)? Fear not! Both speakers are coming to Berkeley tomorrow (Thursday) night to speak about Amnesty’s new Demand Dignity campaign, which fights global poverty by working to strengthen recognition and protection of the rights of the poor.

If you're interested in attending, join a group of Amnesty members at 7:00 p.m. on Sproul Plaza, right at the corner of Bancroft and Telegraph. Check out the event details:

"The Unheard Truth: Poverty and Human Rights": Irene Khan, Amnesty International's Secretary General
Introduced by Mitch Jeserich, KPFA Radio Producer

Thursday, October 29th at 7:30pm
First Congregational Church (2345 Channing Way at Dana, Berkeley, CA)

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door

See you there!

Shock Doctrine, California Style: Naomi Klein's Lecture at UC Berkeley

2009-10-28T00:29:00.000-07:00

Naomi Klein, author of No Logo and The Shock Doctrine, discussed the concept of the shock doctrine and the current financial crisis in California during the Mario Savio Memorial Lecture today at UC Berkeley.

After giving a brief nod to Chelsea Chee and Timothy DenHerder-Thomas (the recipients of this year's Mario Savio Young Activist Awards), as well as the participants of the September 24th walkouts, Klein proceeded to define the shock doctrine with an example. Three months after the levees of New Orleans broke, free-market advocate Thomas Friedman wrote an op-ed column in which he claimed the disaster presented an opportunity for converting the desolated public schools in New Orleans into private schools. Soon enough, it happened. The 5 charter schools occupying New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina multiplied into 40 post-Katrina, and the teachers' union that existed before the hurricane was largely disbanded after their union contract was shredded. In fact, a staggering total of 32 free-market "solutions" were presented for New Orleans, among which included breaking unions, converting New Orleans into a tax-free enterprise zone, distributing vouchers for private schools, and replacing public housing with mixed-use housing.

At this point, Klein spells out the definition of shock doctrine: using shocking situations to push through legislation that would not be passed under normal circumstances. The shock doctrine is, as she states, a "democracy-avoidance strategy."

Klein transitions to the current Californian crisis with a short excerpt from a documentary that highlights Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's strong free-market ideals and the numerous struggles and frustrations caused by public funding cuts: "If you don't want to lead the government," one irate woman says to a state panel, "stand aside and let someone else who does." Klein notes that one-third of teachers in Santee were laid off while the state is still giving millionaires 6-figure tax cuts. She also addresses the letter sent out by University of California President Mark Yudof yesterday, calling the fee increases discussed in the letter a "physical embodiment of a great injustice."

Klein then delves into the topics of banks, debt, and the prospects the UC system. She notes how Goldman Sachs's bonus payment last year, around $23 billion, is roughly equal to the current debt in California. The 2 critical situations creating the debt, Klein explains, were the collapse of a tax base and the transformation of private sector debt (belonging to banks) into public sector debt. She emphasizes that when people are not present to fight for their communities, as was the case of New Orleans where residents were provided one-way trips to other areas of the country, public spaces are eroded. However, she notes that the current situation in the UC system may be the opposite of the shock doctrine, where, instead of passing legislation when the community is panicking and disbanding, legislators and UC officials are actually uniting an opposition group with their extreme proposals. Klein offers hope for activists here in Berkeley, observing that the UC system, "...for all their flaws, [is] the embodiment of what you are fighting for."

In the spirit of the lecture series and as a tribute to Mario Savio, the great Free Speech Movement activist, Klein concludes her lecture with the uplifting sendoff, "You can win this thing, because this is a Mario moment!"

Demand Accountability for Torture

2009-10-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

After September 11, the U.S. has changed dramatically, including its policy and stance on torture.

From the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting and Strenghtening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act) to Military Commissions Act of 2006, the U.S. has taken steps backwards from its pre-9/11 era.

Now, one may argue that the post-9/11 era gives us no choice but to resort to torture. However, torture lowers the credibility of U.S. and prevents individuals from cooperating with the U.S. How can the U.S. call for action in improving human rights globally when it detains individuals without a trial and tortures to receive intelligence?

At the Speakers' Panel last Wednesday, former interrogator Matthew Alexander noted that the qualities that make a good person are the same as the qualities that make a good interrogator. Torture is unnecessary. Rather than obtaining valuable information, the image of U.S. is tainted by such brutal tactic.

To take action:

Call the White House (M-F 6AM – 2PM PST): 202-456-1414
Leave this message:
Hello, my name is ___ and I live in ___. I’m calling to urge President Obama to respect the law and:
--ensure that an independent commission of inquiry into torture is set up;
--ensure that anyone who broke the law is prosecuted
--and ensure that victims receive legal remedy.
Thank you.

For more information:

Guantanamo Fact Sheet
Military Commissions Act of 2006
USA PATRIOT Act
Bush Torture Memos Released by Obama (Huffington Post)

Stand Against Poverty: Take Action Now

2009-10-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

A HUGE thank you to everyone who came to Stand Against Poverty... it was a great event, and I hope you were as inspired by our awesome speakers as I was!

I wanted to post the links to the petitions that we wrote at the event here, for those of you who couldn't make it to the event:

MDG #1: Fight Poverty and Hunger:
The facts:
► Approximately 1.02 billion people in the world are hungry (http://www.one.org/c/us/issue/185/).
► In Southern Asia, 46% of children under 5 were underweight in 2006 (http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Resources/Static/Products/Progress2008/MDG_Report_2008_En.pdf#page=11)
► The global food crisis may push 100 million more people deeper into poverty (http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/poverty.shtml)

What you can do: Speak out about agricultural subsidies and unfair trade rules
“One of the biggest issues in development today is the massive subsidy that rich countries provide to their agricultural sectors. These subsidies depress world prices for agricultural commodities and make it impossible for poor farmers in the Third World to make a living. To make the matter worse, the G-8 countries also have high tariffs on Third World products.” (source: lecture supplement, IAS 115). One way that you can do something about the global food crisis as a resident of a G-8 country is to write to your representatives and senators about this issue.

Read more about different perspectives on the food crisis and what you can do:
Food First, http://www.foodfirst.org/
US Working Group on the Food Crisis: http://www.usfoodcrisisgroup.org/
One Campaign, Food Security in Focus: http://one.org/c/us/hottopic/3118/

Write to your senators and Representatives:
Barbara Lee
1301 Clay Street Suite 1000-N
Oakland, CA 94612

Dianne Feinstein
One Post Street, Suite 2450
San Francisco, CA 94104

Barbara Boxer
1700 Montgomery Street, Suite 240
San Francisco, CA 94111

MDG#5: Reduce Maternal Mortality
More than half a million women die each year from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth – one every minute. Most of these deaths could have been prevented. The complications are largely unpredictable, but they can be treated. Millennium Development Goal 5 seeks to cut maternal mortality by 75 per cent from 1990 levels by 2015. However, very few countries are on track to reach this target. In sub-Saharan Africa, where the problem is most acute, progress has been negligible.

Maternal Mortality in Sierra Leone
One in eight Sierra Leonean women die giving birth. Health care facilities are understaffed, lack basic equipment and medicines and are far from people's homes. Pregnant women and their families struggle to afford the costs of getting to a hospital and the costs of the care they would receive there.
Sierra Leone is recovering from 11 years of civil war, which ended in 2002. It will take time and a lot of outside help to rebuild what was anyway an underresourced health care system. But reducing maternal mortality is not impossible and should start immediately. Responsibility starts with the government: from the very top, the government must show its determination to tackle maternal mortality. Take action online: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=13162

Urge President Garcia of Peru to ensure access to maternal health care
Although Peru is a middle-income country, its maternal mortality rate is the second worst in South America. Low-income, rural, and indigenous women are most at risk. Peru has been a focus of the human-right-to-maternal-health community, and President Alan Garcia has promised better equity in maternal health funding. But he has yet to fulfill that promise.
Take action online: http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/sierra_leone/slpetition.php

Guinea/Sri Lanka Updates

2009-10-13T16:47:00.001-07:00

Some updates on issues that we’ve discussed in the last few weeks:

Protests in Guinea: Following the brutal reaction by the military leadership on protesters (discussed in the meeting last week) leading Unions called for a two day general strike. That strike is now in its second day and has, so far, been widely acknowledged with the streets being reported as very quiet with many people staying at home. The Government still refuses to acknowledge the extent of the killings on September 28th, putting the death toll at about one third of what has been reported by the United Nations and Human Rights organisations.

In a condemnable development, the London Times reports ‘China is preparing to throw the junta in Guinea a lifeline in the form of a multibillion-pound oil and mineral deal, financed largely by soft loans. Such policies have already served China well with rogue and discredited regimes from Angola to Sudan. The move comes as the European Union, spurred on by France, the former colonial power, and the African Union are considering sanctions against Guinea if its young military leader, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, continues to renege on a deal to stand down in favour of free elections’.
I was considering that we should have a discussion in an upcoming week regarding what our attitudes are towards the ways that we should (or shouldn’t) adjust our economic relations with governments who violate the rights of their citizens.

Sri Lankan Camps: There has been (worringly) little news regarding any progress on the re-settlement of the hundreds of thousands of individuals displaced as a result of the civil war. Amnesty has today urged the Sri Lankan government to ‘respect the rights of all displaced people to liberty and freedom of movement; freedom of arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention.’ It observes that “Displaced people have not been allowed to seek alternative accommodations or start the process of rebuilding their lives. The Sri Lankan government continues to confine the displaced to closed camps, in crowded, uncomfortable and sometimes hazardous conditions.

I’ll post again as soon as there is more news on this issue.

Counter Terrorism With Justice Speakers Tour

2009-10-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

Do you want to learn more about the torture methods used during the Bush Administration, the status of detainment camps at Guantanamo Bay, or the current US policy on torture? Come to Amnesty International USA's Counter Terror with Justice National Speakers Tour and learn from the experts!

What: AIUSA's Counter Terror with Justice National Speakers Tour
When: Wednesday, October 14 at 6:30 p.m.
Where: 215 Boalt Hall, Room 105

Featuring:
-Matthew Alexander (former military interrogator)
-Laurel Fletcher (co-author of UC Berkeley report “Guantanamo and its Aftermath")
-Banafsheh Akhlaghi (Western Regional Director of Amnesty International USA)
-Tom Parker (Policy Director on Terrorism, Counterterrorism and Human Rights at AIUSA)

RSVP at the Facebook event, and bring a friend!

Thank You Berkeley Project!

2009-10-10T21:13:00.001-07:00

Today, a team of Amnesty International members participated in the annual Berkeley Project Day, along with hundreds of other Cal students. We had a great time helping out The Friends of Sausal Creek in Oakland. At the Joaquin Miller Park Nursery, we worked on creating and maintaining an engaging space for local environmental preservation.

A special thanks to site leader Nick! We all really appreciated our nicknames... well, we at least tried to pretend.

Check back soon for future community service opportunities!

Protests in Guinea

2009-10-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

On Monday the 28th of September, protests erupted in Guinea's capital Canakry, following the indication by de facto leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara that, contrary to his original pledge, he would run for election in January 2010. Between 80 and 160 people were killed with at least 1200 thought to be injured. It has been further alleged that a number of women were raped by troops.

Camara took power in a bloodless coup in 2008 following the death of the President. Events were condemned by, amongst others, the African Union, European Union, United States and former colonial power France. His premiership appeared, at its genesis, to have popular support but has since been marked by eccentric displays of power, corruption, nepotism and close relations with individuals linked to the drugs trade.

'Amnesty International is calling for an international commission of inquiry to investigate. (It) also called for an immediate halt to all supplies of security and police equipment to the Guinean government until it has taken practical steps to prevent violations by the security forces and has brought those responsible for Monday's acts to justice.'

Some particularly shocking accounts of the protests:

“The soldiers ripped the skirts off the women, leaving them naked. They hit them with truncheons and Kalashnikovs. I saw two soldiers throw a woman on to the ground and publicly rape her in view of the demonstrators. I was afraid. I saw a soldier rape a naked woman with his truncheon.”

“A young person, aged about 18, wearing a Lacoste t-shirt and blue jeans, fell, other people trampled him underfoot, he tried to get up, he hit the ground and moved his head. A soldier asked for him to be ’finished off’ and another soldier took out a dagger and cut his throat.”

Source: Amnesty International USA (also see for Amnesty's response)

Other sources for information on the protests and their historical context:
The protests: BBC, Guardian
Historical context: BBC, CIA World Factbook
Recent developments: Guinea opposition rejects unity bid, Guinea protests 'will continue'

Stand Against Poverty

2009-10-07T00:11:00.000-07:00

“We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a billion of them are currently subjected. We are committed to making the right to development a reality for everyone and to freeing the entire human race from want.” -Millennium Declaration

Join Amnesty International, and more than 116 million people worldwide, as we stand up against global poverty!

What: Stand Against Poverty at UC Berkeley
When: Friday, October 16 at 5:00 p.m.
Where: 145 Dwinelle Hall

Featuring:
-Keynote speaker Ananya Roy
-Ari Derfel on food security
-Cal Slam poetry
-The youth performers of Destiny Arts Center
-A panel of student and community organizers
-Interactive discussions on the Millennium Development Goals
-Information on how to get involved and take action
-And MORE!

Refreshments will be served. Be sure to wear red (this one time only) in solidarity!

Take Action for Prisoners of Conscience

2009-10-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Amnesty International has worked to free over 40,000 prisoners of conscience? You can help be a part of this--write letters for prisoners of conscience (people who have been imprisoned for their beliefs) at http://www.amnestyusa.org/individuals-at-risk/priority-cases/page.do?id=1106638. Some of the cases you can write letters for include:

Shi Tao, who used his Yahoo! email account to send a message to a U.S.-based pro-democracy website. In his email, he summarized a government order directing media organizations in China to downplay the upcoming 15th anniversary of the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy activists. Police arrested him in November 2004, charging him with "illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities." Authorities used email account holder information supplied by Yahoo! to convict Shi Tao in April 2005 and sentence him to 10 years in prison.
Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has worked to bring democracy to Myanmar. She has been under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years.
Karin Amer, a blogger who was sentenced to four years in prison for the "crime" of publishing material on the internet that was critical of Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

You can also work to protect human rights defenders such as Justine Masika Bihamba, who works for a women's human rights organization in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Because of her work, she and her family have been threatened and assaulted.

Letter writing is an important way to make a difference, and you can even write many of your letters online by following the links in this blog post.

Human Rights Defender at Risk: Justine Masika Bihamba

2009-10-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

Targeted for her human rights work in Democratic Republic of Congo, Justine Masika Bihamba's children were tied up at gunpoint by six army soldiers; her two children were assaulted, and the 21 year-old daughter was sexually assaulted. No charges have been brought up against these soldiers.

Take action today and call on President Joseph Kabila:

1) to conduct a full and impartial investigation into the attack

2) to urge him to bring the perpetrators to justice

3) to provide immediate protection Justine Masika Bihamba and her family.

Background Information (Link)

Sample Letter (Link)

Cool Upcoming Events 9/28

2009-09-28T23:46:00.000-07:00

FREE Screening of Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story
*Wednesday at 7 in Wheeler Auditorium
*Pick up tickets in Naia Lounge, SUPERB's office (basement of Eshleman), or the Cal Student Store

Marrow Registration Drive
*Friday, anytime from 9 to 5 in Heller Lounge (MLK Student Union)
*Register to save a life! It's easy!

Fair Trade + Wine Speaker Event
*Tuesday, October 6 at 12:30 in Haas School of Business, Cheit C125
*Learn about fair trade products, including wine, from experts!

Stay of Execution Granted for Kenneth Mosley

2009-09-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

In a surprising turn of events, the U.S. Supreme Court, intending to review his case further, granted a stay of execution for Kenneth Mosley (Dallas News).

We'll see how things turn out, but thanks for all your hard work!

Club T-Shirts!

2009-09-23T22:54:00.001-07:00

Here is the winning design for our club t-shirts! If you're interested, you can choose a unisex shirt, a fitted shirt, or a unisex tank. We're printing on American Apparel shirts (sweatshop-free), which will cost about $15 each. Email ucbamnesty@gmail.com with your desired style and size!

Sri Lanka Video

2009-09-23T21:56:00.001-07:00

Here is the video on Sri Lankan prison camps from yesterday's education update.

For more information on the current crisis, check out Amnesty International.

To take action, click here!

Feedback Survey 9/23

2009-09-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

Hey Amnestyans!

After our first four meetings, we would like to hear your thoughts and ideas on the progress of our organization. This survey includes ten questions on meetings, events, and the general club, and will take just a few minutes to complete. We appreciate your honest feedback!

Thanks!
Rachel & Danielle

Take Action Now: Stand up for the displaced in Sri Lanka

2009-09-21T22:55:00.000-07:00

Over 250,000 people remain detained in crowded, unsanitary conditions in Sri Lanka. Read on to learn what you can do about it.

What's happening in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka has been wracked for decades by a civil war between the government and the opposition Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which sought an independent state for the Tamil minority in the north and east of the island. During 2006 - 2009, the Sri Lankan military waged a series of offensives, forcing the LTTE into a progressively smaller area before eventually overrunning their territory in the northeast and killing their senior leaders, thus ending the war. In the final months of the conflict, the LTTE had forced thousands of civilians to stay in the war zone as human shields and prevented them from leaving. Repeated shelling and bombing of the area killed more than 7,000 civilians and injured at least another 13,000. Since the end of the fighting, the Sri Lankan government has refused access into the war zone to journalists and aid agencies; the fate of those civilians still in the war zone in its final days is unclear.

Over 280,000 civilians who had earlier fled the war zone have been placed by the government in overcrowded internment camps controlled by the military, which they are prevented from leaving.

Only a fraction of nearly 300,000 people who were displaced by recent fighting in the north east of Sri Lanka have been allowed to leave government camps since the war ended in May. More than a quarter of a million people remain detained and under military guard in crowded, unsanitary conditions that are still far below international standards. Civilians are also being subjected to a screening process to separate LTTE fighters from civilians. The process does not protect the rights of those being screened. There are reports of men disappearing after being screened by the security forces.

What can I do about it?
Write to the President of Sri Lanka expressing your concern for the nearly 300,000 people displaced by the recent fighting. Ask that the displaced civilians immediately be given freedom of movement: those who wish to leave the camps should be allowed to do so.

Take action online: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=12651

Sample Letter:
"Early in 2009, over 280,000 civilians fled the war zone in northeast Sri Lanka as the Sri Lankan military reconquered all the territory held by the opposition Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and killed their senior leaders, thus ending the 26-year-old conflict. Since the conclusion of hostilities in mid-May, the displaced civilians have been held in overcrowded, military-run internment camps. The Sri Lankan government will not allow the civilians to leave the camps until a screening process to detect suspected LTTE fighters among the civilians has been carried out. Aid agencies, journalists and human rights observers have not been given full access to the camps. Without independent monitors in the camps, the civilians are at risk of human rights abuses from the security forces.
I call on the Sri Lankan government to immediately allow the displaced civilians freedom of movement: those who wish to leave the camps should be free to do so. The camps should be placed under civilian, not military, management. Aid agencies, journalists and human rights observers should be promptly provided with full, unhindered access to the camps to carry out their functions and prevent possible abuses."

Write to:
His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Salutation: Your Excellency

For more information:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/sri-lanka-displaced-uncertain-future-government-unlock-camps-20090911
http://www.amnestyusa.org/all-countries/sri-lanka/page.do?id=1011241

URGENT: Stop the Execution of Kenneth Mosley

2009-09-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

Kenneth Mosley, a man convicted of capital murder, is scheduled to be executed in the State of Texas this Thursday, September 24, 2009.

On February 15, 1997, Mosley entered a bank in Garland, Texas, intending to rob it. Recognizing Mosley as the bank robber the previous month, someone called the police. Officer David Moore arrived at the scene and confronted Mosley who was waiting in line. A struggle occurred, and the two men crashed through a plate glass window; Moore was shot and fatally wounded.

At the trial, Kenneth Mosley testified that he had gone to the bank for robbery in order to obtain money to buy drugs and that he did not intend to kill the police officer. The defense presented only two witnesses on his behalf during the sentencing phase of the trial.

What Mosley's trial lawyer failed to mention in the trial was his abusive upbringing, exposure to toxic pesticides as a child, his possible frontal lobe damage, and his use of cocaine to self-medicate and treat his depression.

Kenneth Mosley's jury was not presented with a full picture of who they were sentencing. Therefore, Amnesty International is urging the Governor Perry and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to stop the execution of Kenneth Mosley.

To take action, click HERE.

For more complete information, click HERE.

Two Videos on the DRC

2009-09-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

Here are the two videos that I wanted to show at tonight's meeting.

RAISE Hope for Congo

Come Clean for the Congo

5 Minutes for Human Rights, 9/13/09

2009-09-14T00:29:00.001-07:00

Here are this week's human rights actions:

1) STOP FORCED EVICTIONS IN CHAD: Since February 2008, tens of thousands of people have been made homeless after being forcibly evicted from their homes in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena. Satellite images acquired by Amnesty International showed that about 3,700 structures had been destroyed in the city in a 12-month period, causing irreparable damage to the livelihoods of so many residents of N’Djamena. Amnesty International has confirmed that many of these evictions were illegal and in violation of international human rights standards and Chadian law. Call on the Chadian government to immediately cease all forced evictions and ensure that the rights of victims of forced evictions are respected. Take action here: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=12964

2) TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT TO FORGET ABOUT DARFUR: Remind President Obama not to forget about Darfur, and to work to develop a stronger policy to promote peace in Sudan. Obama needs to know that activists still want him to do more for Sudan--call the White House at (202) 456-1414 or contact Obama online at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/. For talking points to include in your letter or phone call, go to http://www.enoughproject.org/SudanNow/WhiteHouseTalkingPoints

If you want more information about how to write an effective letter for human rights, check out our last blog post at http://ucbamnesty.blogspot.com/2009/09/letter-writing-guide.html

Letter Writing Guide

2009-09-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

Even if you're a new member, you may have already guessed that letter writing is one of the most important things that Amnesty does. And there's a simple reason why: letter writing works. It's helped Amnesty to free over 40,000 prisoners of conscience (people who are imprisoned for their beliefs). We also combine letter writing with other components of advocacy, such as lobbying (meeting with our elected representatives to talk to them about human rights issues), and I'll tell you more about lobbying in a future post. For now, here's everything you need to know to write an effective letter about human rights:

Be polite and respectful. Don't use offensive language--it can backfire! Even when you are writing to governments that have poor human rights records, be sure to demonstrate that you are approaching the matter from a reasonable, well-informed perspective, and assume that your reader is also reasonable and willing to listen to and consider your appeal with an open mind. It's human nature: people are more accommodating if you are polite rather than accusatory.
Be clear and concise. Your letters are probably going to be read by workers in a government office who have little time to devote to each individual letter. Repeat key words, such as the name of the prisoner of conscience you are writing on behalf of. Keep your letters under a page (in some cases, a short paragraph is enough).
Use proper letter writing etiquette. Use proper openings, such as "Dear Senator B," or "Your Excellency," (the letter writing template Amnesty provides will tell you which one to use). Use proper closings, such as "Respectfully," or "Sincerely,". Conclude the letter with a sentence thanking the recipient for their time, such as "I thank you for your time and look forward to your prompt action on this important issue."
Know who you are writing to. Has the person you are writing to already made commitments to human rights? Thank them for their previous statements, then introduce what you are asking them to do now. Have they supported a human rights issue similar to the one you are working on now? Suggest that, by supporting your issue, they can further their work to support human rights.
Know what you are asking for and be constructive rather than merely pointing out a problem. Often, we write letters to our elected representatives in the United States; they may not actually be able to stop a human rights violation occurring in another country, but they can do things like speaking out against human rights violations and exerting other forms of diplomatic pressure. They can also vote for and co-sponsor resolutions in the House and Senate relating to a particular human rights issue. When you are writing letters to them, you want to be specific about what you are asking from them. Rather than just saying, "Dear Senator X, I am concerned about the situation in Country Y.", try saying something like, "Dear Senator X, I am concerned about the situation in Country Y, where Amnesty International has stated that mass atrocities are occurring. I believe it is our obligation to respond to these serious violations of human rights and call on you to co-sponsor Senate Bill Z, which is an important step in working to stop the violence in this region."
Think about why the person you are writing to should pay attention to you. If you are writing a letter to your senator or representative, mention that you are their constituent (ie, that you live in their district), and include your address at the bottom of the letter. (If you're from out of state, you can still write to California senators or representatives, but you should also write to your senators and representatives from back home if you can, because letters from constituents are more effective.) If you are writing a letter to a foreign government, you don't have the same leverage over them because you aren't their constituent, but you can still call on them to take a particular action by referring to international human rights treaties they have signed. For example, say that Country A is accused of practicing torture, but they ratified the Convention Against Torture. You could write something like, "I call on you to ensure that Country A does not practice torture and upholds the Convention Against Torture, which your country has ratified."

If you want to read a more in-depth guide, go to http://www.amnestyusa.org/individuals-at-risk/urgent-action-network/writing-an-appeal/page.do?id=1051043#100. If you want to read some sample letters, go to http://www.amnestyusa.org/individuals-at-risk/urgent-action-network/writing-an-appeal/page.do?id=1051043#101.

-Elizabeth

Human Rights News: 9/12

2009-09-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

In Uganda's capital city of Kampala, deadly riots continue into their third day. Since September 10, thirteen people have been killed, coupled with the injuries of many others, during violent protests. People have also looted and burned cars, buildings, and businesses.

This chaos stems from the planned participation of Buganda King Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II in World Youth Day ceremonies. This appearance of the kabaka, or king of the Baganda people, was since canceled by the government due to the sentiments of the Banyala people.

The Banyalas are a breakaway ethnic faction who reject the authority of the kabaka, and thus barred him and his delegation from their Kayunga district. However, the Baganda kingdom, the largest of Uganda's four ancient kingdoms, also claims this land. As such, clashes between the opposing ethnic groups and government security forces are now spilling into the streets. "Our king must be free to go where he wants," said Stephen Semagula, an 18 year-old student. "It's our land."

Amplifying the violence, Ugandan police forces have reacted to the protests with unnecessarily brutal force and aggression. Human Rights Watch reports police firing tear gas and live ammunition at nonviolent protesters, in addition to beating people with rocks and sticks. The Uganda Broadcasting Council, the government's media monitoring body, also censored radio reports of the violence. Human Rights Watch calls on the police to abide by the United Nations Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, which mandate the use of nonviolent means before force. According to Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch, "Violence during protests may require that the police use force, but it must be proportionate. Here it appears that the police use of live ammunition prompted an escalation in bloodshed."

Tensions between the government, led by President Yoweri Museveni, and the Baganda kingdom have intensified recently over issues of land, sovereignty and political power. In 1993, the traditional kingdoms of Uganda were reinstated, but with a largely ceremonial role to avoid potential political rivals.

For more on this story, check out Human Rights Watch, NPR, and CNN.

Join Amnesty International on Berkeley Project Day!

2009-09-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in helping your local campus community while also meeting fellow Amnesty International members?

You're in luck! Amnesty International is making a Berkeley Project Day team, and we'd love for you to join us!

Berkeley Project Day 2009 will take place on Saturday, October 16. The Berkeley Project works with local community organizers throughout Berkeley to arrange community service projects in which students and community members can participate. Last year, over 2000 volunteers helped on over 70 project sites.

If you'd like to participate, please email the following information to ucbamnesty@gmail.com ASAP.

1. Name
2. Email
3. Phone
4. Student ID #
5. Are you 18 or older?
6. Can you provide yourself with transportation (we're planning on taking a bus)?
7. Dietary restrictions (allergies, vegetarianism, veganism, etc.)
8. Special accommodations
9. T-shirt size

Thanks! We look forward to working with you!

FIRST Amnesty International Social

2009-09-11T14:52:00.001-07:00

Do you want to meet the fabulous people of Amnesty International, while enjoying delicious pizza and an amazing movie?

Join us at the first Amnesty social this semester! Meet at Cheeseboard Pizza (1512 Shattuck Avenue) at 5:00 p.m. this evening... and remember your $5 for 2 slices.

After, we'll walk over to Wheeler Auditorium for SUPERB's screening of Disney/Pixar's "Up" ($3 with student ID).

We hope to see you there!

5 Minutes for Human Rights, 9/6/09

2009-09-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Hope everyone had a good summer! For those of you who are new to our Amnesty International chapter, we focus on several human rights issues each week and encourage our members to write letters for them. Letter writing is one of the most important things Amnesty does: it has helped to free over 40,000 prisoners of conscience and Amnesty was awarded a Nobel Prize for its work! If you want to read some human rights success stories to see how much letter writing has done, check out http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-successes/page.do?id=1011281.

Here are this week's human rights actions--sign the petitions online, then come to our meeting on Tuesday to hand-write a letter to make an even bigger impact! We will also be having letter writing picnics on Memorial Glade at various points throughout the semester--so we will keep you posted about that!

1) STOP VIOLENCE IN THE CONGO: Did you know that the current conflict in the Congo, which has lasted over a decade, is the deadliest conflict since World War II? However, there's something you can do about it: many of the armed groups that are fighting in the Congo make money to continue their fighting by mining and selling minerals that are used in electronic devices like cell phones (if you remember the campaign about conflict diamonds/blood diamonds, conflict minerals are pretty similar). Want to make sure that the minerals in the electronics you buy don't end up supporting these armed groups? Learn more about conflict minerals and sign the conflict minerals pledge at http://www2.americanprogress.org/t/1647/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=135. Learn about the Congo Conflict Minerals Act of 2009 and write to your Senators about it at http://www2.americanprogress.org/t/1659/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=6273.

2) FREE AUNG SAN SUU KYI: Aung San Suu Kyi is a pro-democracy activist in Burma. She is a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and a truly inspiring figure (for more information about her and the pro-democracy movement in Burma: http://www.amnestyusa.org/all-countries/myanmar-burma/background-information-on-aung-san-suu-kyi/page.do?id=1011688). In August, she was sentenced by the military junta to 18 additional months of house arrest, and Amnesty international believes that her sentence was politically motivated and fails to meet international legal standards. Call on the government to immediately and unconditionally release Aung San Suu Kyi at http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=12656.

I hope to see you all on Tuesday at 7 (we will post our meeting location here ASAP)!

-Elizabeth

Leadership Applications Due Tomorrow!

2009-09-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder: Leadership applications are due on Sunday, September 6 at noon.

Available positions include:

Co-Coordinator (for returning members only)
Advocacy Director
Education Director
Financial Director
Publicity & Outreach Director

Please email ucbamnesty@gmail.com if you would like an application.

Thanks, and GO BEARS!

Human Rights News: 9/2

2009-09-02T22:45:00.000-07:00

In a report released today, Amnesty International urges President Obama to take the first step towards lifting the embargo against Cuba by not renewing the Trading with the Enemy Act on September 14.

According to Irene Khan, Amnesty International's Secretary General, not renewing the sanctions included in this expiring Act is "the perfect opportunity for President Obama to distance himself from the failed policies of the past and to send a strong message to the US Congress on the need to end the embargo". She maintains that the nearly half-century old embargo is "immoral and should be lifted" because it is "preventing millions of Cubans from benefiting from vital medicines and medical equipment essential for their health".

The embargo, which began in 1960 and was further tightened in 1962 in response to a heightened Cold War cooperation between Cuba and the USSR, restricts Cuba's ability to import "medicines, medical equipment or technologies from the USA or from any US company abroad," along with limiting other imports and travel. Even products produced outside of the US that have US patents or contain more than 20 percent US-manufactured parts cannot be exported. Because of this, the United Nations reports that "Cuba’s inability to import nutritional products for consumption at schools, hospitals and day care centres is contributing to a high prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia". UNICEF estimated in 2007 that 37.5 percent of Cuban children under three are affected. Furthering the problem, US syringe suppliers canceled UNICEF's 2007 order for three million disposable syringes when they discovered their products' Cuban destination. These actions have limited efforts to promote immunizations and fight HIV/AIDS on the island.

Ironically, President Obama has said that he will not end the trade band until Cuba, currently led by Fidel Castro's brother Raul, "frees political prisoners and improves human rights". However, this may be too high a price for the Cuban people to pay. Irene Khan states that "Although responsibility for providing adequate health care lies primarily with the Cuban authorities, governments imposing sanctions such as embargoes need to pay special attention to the impact they can have on the targeted country’s population."

Some progress has been made on lifting the embargo against Cuba. In 2000, Congress passed The Trade Sanction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, which allows the island nation to purchase US food, using only cash without the establishment of credit. Since 2001, Cuba has spent more than $4 billion on direct food transactions. Additionally, President Obama has stated a desire for softened US-Cuban relations, and "lifted the ban on Cuban-Americans visiting the island and sending money back to relatives who still live there" earlier this year. Amnesty International wishes to pressure both the President and Congress into continuing this trend.

For more on this story, check out Amnesty International, BBC, and CNN.

To ensure that citizens can access health care domestically, click here.

First Meeting TODAY!

2009-09-01T01:32:00.000-07:00

Please come to our first general meeting of the Fall 2009 semester. Food, friends, and taking action...

September 1
7:00 p.m.
201 Wheeler Hall

"The start to to a better world is our belief that it is possible." -Katherine Shaw
Check out the Facebook event here.

Human Rights News: 8/31

2009-08-31T21:08:00.000-07:00

Last week marks the third mass killing of Colombia's indigenous Awá people this year. On August 26, unidentified gunmen entered the Gran Rosario reservation and murdered 12 people thought to be in the same family, including four children and three teenagers.

According to Amnesty International, over 50 members of the Awá communities of Nariño have been killed since September 2008 by guerrillas, security forces and their paramilitary allies. These factions are vying for control of the region, linked to cocaine production and the drug trade. The Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, better known as FARC, alone have been tied the deaths of at least 27 indigenous people earlier this year.

Due to the raging chaos and violence in the region, human rights abuses run rampant and often target vulnerable communities like the Awás. In addition to murders, the indigenous people have been constantly inundated with torture, "death threats, the use of antipersonnel landmines in their territory, recruitment of children to serve as combatants in armed groups and massive forced displacement by various armed actors". Up to 4 million people, roughly the population of Kentucky, have been displaced as fighting between rebels and government forces continues. This makes Colombia home to the second largest number of internally displaced people in the world, surpassed only by Sudan.

While President Alvaro Uribe issued a statement saying the violence against the Awá people "pains our soul," little has been done by the Colombian government to investigate or stop the targeted violence against the Awá community. Susan Lee, Americas Program Director for Amnesty International, recently asked, "How many more have to die before the government acts to protect these communities?"

The Colombian Army itself may have been involved in the massacre. Tulia García maintained that the Army was involved in the murder of her husband Gonzalo Rodríguez earlier this year. She was among those killed in the latest attack. "Initial reports suggest that members of the Army may have massacred these people, with the purpose of eliminating and intimidating witnesses of atrocities," said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas Director at Human Rights Watch. "The government needs to make sure there is an effective investigation of this horrific crime."

Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch strongly suggest an investigation into the recent violence. Vivanco states that "In Nariño, as in many parts of Colombia, the conflict rages on and abuses are rampant, yet often civilians feel ignored by the state. Instead of pretending the conflict doesn't exist, the national government needs to do much more to protect civilians, ensure accountability for abuses, and provide assistance to the victims."

For more on this story, check out Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and CNN.

To protect human rights in Colombia, click here.

Human Rights News: 8/29, #2

2009-08-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

This graffiti, found in Najaf, Iraq, is a visible reminder of the recent onslaught of anti-gay violence at the hands of violent militias. It reads "Death to the People of Lot", a derogatory term, derived from the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, for homosexual men.

Militias, including the Mahdi army, have been targeting suspected gay men, or men not "masculine enough", with a systematic brutality. According to Human Rights Watch, "armed gangs have kidnapped men and tortured them, leaving castrated and mutilated bodies dumped in the garbage or in front of morgues". Death threats, blackmail, midnight raids, and abductions are not uncommon.

Mashal, a shopkeeper from Baghdad, was kidnapped, beaten, interrogated, and raped by a group of armed men this past April. He escaped with his life when his family sold all their possessions to gather enough ransom money. Many others, including several of Mashal's friends, have not been so lucky.

Many have identified the Madhi army of Moqtada al-Sadr, an Iraqi theologian and political leader known for his brutal aggression against opposition, as the driving force behind the killing campaigns. This group, the largest Shia militia in Iraq, defends its extreme homophobic violence as a moral crusade. However, the bloodshed is deeply rooted in politics. When the US deployed its military surge, the Madhi army retreated and lost much of its credibility. It now aims to recoup its legitimacy by murdering homosexuals and casting itself as the "defender of Iraqi manhood and morality".

Adding to the terrifying chaos, police and prosecutors have largely ignored the violence. Sometimes, they have even assisted the militias. Interior forces kidnapped one 21-year-old, suspecting that "gay people had access to western money". During his incarceration, he was raped and tortured, and saw the bodies of five other gay men killed by the police.

While some Iraqis agree with the brutalization of the homosexual community, most others fear a revival of sectarian and ethnic violence. "The same thing that used to happen to Sunnis and Shias is now happening to gays." The murders highlight the failure of the US-supported government to respond appropriately and effectively to this targeted violence, often perpetrated in the light of day. As of now, the rule of guns and hatred is trumping the power of fledgling democracy in the streets and neighborhoods of Iraq.

To read more on this story, check out Human Rights Watch.

To take action against similar anti-LGBT violence in Honduras, click here.

Human Rights News: 8/29

2009-08-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

This week, a report by the CIA inspector general called for a full criminal investigation into post-9/11 detainee abuse by the Bush administration. US Attorney General Eric Holder announced on Tuesday his plans for a preliminary review of torture allegations.

The CIA report, analyzing detention and interrogation activities, was actually completed in April 2004 but was suppressed from publication, despite the Freedom of Information Act. Some sections still remain "top secret" and shielded from public eyes. The report covers the period from September 2001 to October 2003, detailing a range of CIA abuses that constitute torture under US and international law.

According to Rob Freer, Amnesty International's researcher on the USA, this investigation cannot come soon enough. "The USA needs to ensure that every case of torture is submitted for prosecution, whether or not perpetrators claim to have been following orders, and those who authorized or ordered the commission of torture or other criminal abuse of detainees must also be brought to justice." He also calls for the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry to probe detainee treatment throughout the "War on Terror". He maintains that the commission "must not be used to block or delay the prosecution of any individuals against whom there is already sufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing," including senior officials who authorized or inspired the use of torture by lower-level CIA operatives.

The report includes descriptions of various abusive practices, such as exposing prisoners held in secret to mock executions, the brandishing of guns and electric drills, threats to kill other prisoners' children, waterboarding, and other forms of torture. According to Human Rights Watch, the US's track record for punishing these types of prisoner abuse has been "abysmal", despite plentiful evidence. No CIA operative has ever been held accountable, and only a few military personnel have been held to justice.

For more on this story, check out Human Rights Watch, CNN, and Amnesty International.

Take action and call on President Obama and Congress to hold allegations of torture accountable here.

Calapalooza!

2009-08-27T22:13:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Amnesty table at Calapalooza today! We loved meeting you all!

For those of you who entered our raffle, we will announce the winners over the weekend.

And just a reminder: Our first general meeting is on September 1 at 7:00 p.m. in 201 Wheeler Hall. We can't wait to see you!

FIRST General Meeting!

2009-08-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

FIRST Amnesty meeting of the semester... FIRST of September...Because it's time to put human rights FIRST!

Please join Amnesty International on Tuesday, September 1 at 7:00 p.m in 201 Wheeler Hall for an amazing meeting kicking off an exciting semester of campaigning for human rights education, advocacy, and action!

Included will be an overview of the organization, detailing possible campaigns, events, and leadership positions.

RSVP to the Facebook event, and feel free to invite your friends! See you there!

Amnesty@UCB: M.I.A.?

2009-08-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the recent lack of Human Rights News updates... I was moving, and temporarily computer-less. Look forward to a valiant return of daily blog updates starting tomorrow!

Human Rights News: 8/18

2009-08-18T22:08:00.000-07:00

As Afghanistan prepares for this Thursday's presidential and provincial council elections, the country faces many severe security and human rights challenges.

Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission has invited more than 440 foreign officials to oversee the August 20 elections, hopefully helping to prevent fraud and violence. However, as there are more than 26,000 polling stations and between 15 and 17 million registered voters, this international presence is modest at best. NATO, with the help of Afghan commanders, has fielded more than 300,000 troops to bolster security and ward off terrorist attacks.

A strong emphasis on security is essential due to the constant threat and aggression of the Taliban. While the Taliban's official regime ended in 2001, the Sunni fundamentalist organization continues to hold enormous power in the region. It has pledged to disrupt the elections using suicide bombings and attacks, threatening to kill any voting Afghan. Since Sunday, insurgents have attacked NATO convoys in the capital of Kabul and the southern and eastern provinces, killing dozens of civilians and several US and coalition troops. Today another attack occured in Kabul, when a suicide car bomb killed at least seven people and wounded over 50 more. Much of the violence has resulted from the troops' focus on clearing out the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar in order to enable citizens to vote.

This voting access is a primary concern for Human Rights Watch. "While holding elections is an achievement under the circumstances, questions remain about whether Afghans will really be able to exercise their right to vote," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

The participation of women is a chief issue, due to "cultural obstacles and the risk of attacks against women by the Taliban and other insurgent groups". Security arrangements for both women voters and candidates have been poorly managed, limiting the access of women to the ballot. Another concern is the abundant pre-election violence. In addition to the mounting civilian casualties, electoral officials, candidates, and campaign workers have been abducted, threatened, and killed. In an effort to scare voters and candidates into submission, the Taliban recently threatened to "cut off any finger that is stained with the indelible ink that is used to identify people who have cast their ballots". Human Rights Watch states that "the overall security situation than during the last elections, in 2004-2005", which was the first election since the overthrow of the Taliban. The recent and bloody resurgence of the Taliban has caused much of this instability, along with the turmoil and chaos inflamed by the US War in Afghanistan.

Other problems include the hasty and inefficient creation of armed tribal militias by the government, a biased electoral commission, abuse of government power, unequal media access for candidates, the risk of electoral fraud, and limited voting access for citizens in rural or Taliban-controlled areas. Envoys of donkeys, trucks, and helicopters will deliver ballots to more isolated locations, while international watchdog organizations will aid in election monitoring.

Despite the mounting challenges, many Afghans remain undeterred. As one female voter stated, "It's in our destiny to take our rights. We should not be scared of anyone." NATO maintains that it will ensure the security of "85 to 90 percent of registered voters to access election sites" by Thursday. Millions of Afghan voters are expected to turn out for this monumental election, hoping to change the nation's many problems, including corruption, poverty, illiteracy, gender inequality, and war.

To learn more about this story, check out NPR, Human Rights Watch, and CNN.

Take action and urge the Obama administration to end international violence against women here.

Human Rights News: 8/17

2009-08-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a new evidentiary hearing for Troy Anthony Davis, a man convicted of killing Georgian policeman Mark Allen MacPhail in 1991.

Davis maintains his innocence, and as of today, no physical evidence nor murder weapon has been found to support his death sentence. The case against him is based solely on inconsistent witness testimonies. Since the original trial, "all but two of the state's non-police witnesses from the trial have recanted or contradicted their testimony," according to Amnesty International. Many of these individuals have signed affidavits stating that they were "pressured or coerced by police into testifying or signing statements against Troy Davis". One of the two remaining witnesses against Davis is the defense's principle alternate suspect, Sylvester "Red" Coles, against whom nine individuals have signed implicating affidavits.
Because of the questionable evidence against Troy Davis, and due to the organization's strong stance against capital punishment, Amnesty International has rallied around Troy Davis and his family in the past years. Thanks to global activism, Davis has been issued three stays of execution. He will now have another chance to prove his innocence. In today's press release, director of AIUSA's Death Penalty Abolition Campaign Laura Moye said, "For years Amnesty International has maintained that this man's compelling case of innocence needs to see the light of day. Finally it will."
Troy Davis's situation is just one of many death penalty cases fought by Amnesty International. According to the organization, "The death penalty is the ultimate, irreversible denial of human rights... a system riddled with economic and racial bias and tainted by human error." Since 1973, over 130 people have been released from death rows throughout the country due to evidence of their wrongful convictions, with 10 releases in 2003 alone. A recent legislative audit in Kansas found that "the estimated cost of a death penalty case was 70% more than the cost of a comparable non-death penalty case." Amnesty International calls for the abolition of capital punishment worldwide and states that "two-thirds of the countries in the world – 137 – have now abolished the death penalty in law or practice."

For more information on Troy Davis, check out Amnesty International.

To take action and stop the execution of Jason Getsy in Ohio, click here.

Human Rights News: 8/16

2009-08-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

In wake of the June 12 Iranian presidential elections, Iran's Revolutionary Court is trying its third round of detainees today. Prosecutors read out charges against more than two dozen defendants.

Over 1000 people were arrested in the mass protests following the disputed re-election of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, an election steeped in possible fraud and conspiracy. Protesters, including politicians, journalists, and lawyers, were arrested for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government. This brutal crackdown by the Iranian authorities led to a massive global protest, and has created a lasting instability in the country.

The controversy has continued with emerging torture allegations. Both during and after the chaotic aftermath of the elections, police, prison guards, and the volunteer paramilitary Basij forces have used an alarming scale of force. Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, believes this violence to be coordinated against primarily peaceful protesters. "The number and scale of the abuses by both the police and Basij make it pretty clear that they must have been following orders...Investigation into the abuse needs to go right to the top to find out who gave the orders."

This abuse hasn't stopped after the protesters' arrest. According to Irene Khan, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, “Reports emerging from Iran allege that both men and women detainees have been raped and tortured in other ways, in some cases causing their deaths." Although Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, maintains that no evidence of torture or rape has been found, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei earlier ordered the closure of Kahrizak detention center and dismissed several guards and prison chiefs for prisoner abuse. Due to this suspicion of torture, Khan demands an immediate and independent investigation of the Iranian prison system with the help of international experts.

For more information on this story, check out Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and CNN.

To encourage President Obama to take a strong stand against torture, click here.

Human Rights News: 8/15

2009-08-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

Diplomacy works! Just ask Senator Jim Webb, a Democrat from Virginia, who today won the release of political prisoner John Yettaw.

Senator Webb met with Senior General Than Shwe, leader of the Myanmar military junta, and negotiated Yettaw's release. According to NPR, Yettaw, a 53-year-old American, had been sentenced to seven years of hard labor in prison for swimming to the home of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and staying there for two nights in May.

The senator also met with Suu Kyi during his two day visit to Myanmar, also known as Burma. The Nobel Peace Prize Laureate has been sentenced to a year and a half under house arrest, a sentence that was reduced from the originally mandated three years in prison. The pro-democracy opposition leader, a prisoner of conscience held solely for her political beliefs, has frequently been detained for the past 20 years. In addition to this "Ambassador of Conscience", the Myanmar military junta holds over 2100 other political prisoners, often in terribly poor conditions.

Senator Webb's visit to Myanmar, demanding the release of Yuttaw and exposing the plight of other political prisoners, is virtually unprecedented. He is the first member of US Congress to visit the country in more than a decade, representing a new commitment to foreign policy by the Obama administration. "It is my hope that we can take advantage of these gestures as a way to begin laying the foundations of goodwill and confidence building in the future."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also been promoting this type of foreign policy during her visit to Africa this week, notably raising awareness of the use of rape as a weapon and conflict minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

For more on this story, check out NPR and CNN.

To take action and demand the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, click here.

TOMS Campus Club at Berkeley

2009-08-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

In addition to my role as coordinator of Amnesty International, I moonlight as a campus representative for TOMS Shoes at Berkeley.

What is TOMS Shoes, you ask? Started by American traveler and humanitarian extraordinaire Blake Mycoskie in 2006, TOMS Shoes gives a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased, "One for One". So far, the One for One movement has given over 140,000 pairs of shoes to children worldwide, and plans to distribute over 300,000 pairs this year alone!

For all you fashionistas out there, TOMS Shoes gives an added perk. In addition to challenging and expanding traditional notions of consumerism, the company is also making waves in the fashion community. TOMS and its founder have been featured in countless fashion publications, including Vogue, Elle, Nylon, Teen Vogue, C, In Style, Seventeen, and more. Styles feature bold prints, classic colors, artist collaborations, and vegan materials, all at an affordable price.

If you're interested in being a part of this fantastic movement, check out TOMS Campus Club at Berkeley on Facebook and Twitter. We're planning lots of exciting activities and events for this year! And, who knows? There might be a 10% discount in it for you...

Amnesty International is on Twitter!

2009-08-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

For all those tweeters on Twitter without a serious case of Twitanoia, check out our twitterrific tweets as we tweet them... Just try not to be a twit.

Our Twitter account!

Location/time for Spring 2009 meetings

2009-01-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

Meetings for Spring 2009 will be held on Tuesdays at 7. We don't have a classroom yet, but if you email me at hopper.elizabeth@gmail.com, I will add you to our mailing list so that you know where the meeting will be.

New members: If you have any questions about what Amnesty does, you can check out http://www.amnestyusa.org or, for more information about our chapter, email ucbamnesty@gmail.com.

Free Screening of Blood Diamond TOMORROW!

2009-01-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

Come see a FREE screening of Blood Diamond, the 2006 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, and Jennifer Connelly!

Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: 2050 Valley Life Sciences Building

Join us after the film for a professor-led discussion of human rights issues present in the movie. Mona Cadena, the director of Amnesty International San Francisco, Professor Darren Zook, and other Berkeley faces will be speaking!

Snacks and refreshments will be available.

This event is part of Spring Welcome Week 2009, and is hosted by Amnesty International and the ASUC.

More information on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=122221080018&ref=ts

Stand Against Poverty

2008-10-19T15:05:00.001-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone who attended Stand Against Poverty on Friday!

Stand Against Poverty is a global campaign to fight global poverty and inequality and to support the Millennium Development Goals. To get involved in Amnesty's campaign against poverty, come to one of our meetings or email us!

Take Action Now: Expand the Arms Embargo on Sudan

2008-09-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

Despite the current UN ban on weapons to Darfur, arms continue to find their way into this conflict-torn region, helping prolong the conflict and contribute to the loss of life and home for thousands of innocent civilians. An October 2007 United Nations’ Panel of Experts report highlighted, for example, the Sudanese government’s use of Russian supplied Mi-24 helicopters for attacks in Darfur. Sudanese armed opposition groups committing grave human rights abuses in Darfur have also allegedly received arms from Chad.

What You Can Do: Call on your representatives to support Senate Resolution 660 and House Resolution 1462, which call for an expansion of the UN arms embargo. Right now, our chapter is urging Senator Feinstein to support this important legislation, because she is not a co-sponsor of the bill. Write a letter to her here... send it online or--even better--print a letter and bring it to the meeting next Tuesday and we'll mail it for you!

Take Action Now: Stop the Execution of Troy Davis (Updated 9/24/08)

2008-09-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

UPDATE, 9/24/08: The U.S. Supreme Court stayed the execution for Troy Davis, originally scheduled for Tuesday evening, until Monday September 29. The court will decide on Monday whether or not to hear Davis' appeal. You can still urge the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole to reconsider their decision: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=11288.

In the face of an overwhelming public outcry the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles shockingly refused to grant clemency to Troy Davis on Friday.

Mr. Davis' serious claims of innocence, which include the recantation of 7 out of 9 witnesses, have never been heard in court. Further, no murder weapon was found and no physical evidence linked Davis to the crime.

Troy Davis is scheduled to be executed by the state of Georgia on September 23 at 7pm.

The Board of Pardons and Paroles can still revisit Mr. Davis' case, so take action today: http://www.amnestyusa.org/troydavis.

Something else you can do: go to http://www.ktvu.com/deathrow/index.html to vote in a poll on the death penalty.

Events: First General Meeting

2008-09-01T23:03:00.000-07:00

The first general meeting for Amnesty International will be next Tuesday, September 9, at 7PM in 263 Dwinelle. Come to our meeting to learn more about Amnesty, get involved in our current letter writing campaigns, help brainstorm events for the semester, meet other human rights activists, and enjoy free food. I hope to see you there!

Events: Film Festival: Human Rights in South Asia

2008-09-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

Hey Amnesty members! Check out a great event that's happening at Berkeley this weekend!

ASSOCIATION FOR INDIA'S DEVELOPMENT (Berkeley chapter)
presents

FILM FESTIVAL: HUMAN RIGHTS IN SOUTH ASIA
http://berkeley.aidindia.org/node/13
FILM FESTIVAL WEEKEND

Saturday, September 6th, 4 - 6 pm and

Sunday, September 7th, 11am - 2 pm

AT: 110 SOUTH HALL, UC BERKELEY
Directions on campus: http://berkeley.edu/map/maps/BC34.html

Panel discussion and pizza!
All films are subtitled in English

Admission is free to all

Even as India celebrates 61 years of freedom from colonial rule, we must remember that the battle for freedom did not end in 1947. Many communities in India, and in the other South Asian countries, continue to struggle for political and economic equality. The films being screened this weekend depict peoples' struggle against forces of economic imperialism, corporate globalization and the state's imposition of neo-liberal models of economic development.

FEATURED FILMS

Saturday, September 6th, 4-6 pm

Tales from the Margins by Kavita Joshi [2006, 23 minutes]
Documents human rights abuses in the state of Manipur, India and argues that the use of security personnel to quell public dissent is a violation of democratic norms.
New State, Old Problems by The Campaign to Release Binayak Sen and Ajay T. G.[10 min, 2008]
Fifteen months ago, Dr. Binayak Sen, pediatrician, public health specialist and national Vice President of the People's Union for Civil Liberties(PUCL), was arrested on patently false charges of sedition, and charged under the repressive "Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act." Concerned people from around the globe protested this arrest, including Ajay TG, a filmmaker and a colleague from PUCL, who made a movie documenting Dr. Sen's lifelong commitment to issues of community health and human rights. Ironically, almost a year after Dr. Sen's arrest, Ajay T.G. was also arrested under the same repressive laws. Dr. Sen and Ajay, both earned the ire of the government for opposing Salwa Judum. This film provides viewers with some background to the arrests of Dr. Sen and Ajay T.G., including brief introductions to the State of Chhattisgarh, the Chattisgarh Mukti Morcha, the Naxalites and Salwa Judum.
Anjam (The Consequence) by Ajay T. G.[20 min, 2008]
A film on the life and work of Dr. Binayak Sen. Traces the evolution of Dr. Sen's life as an activist from his college days, to his involvement in the miners' struggles in the Dalli Rajhara mines, and setting up the Shaheed Hospital, and finally to a human rights activist as he recognized the inalienable bond between human rights and health rights.
The Other Side of the Boom by Special Broadcasting Services, Australia Reporter: Jonathon Matthews. [22 min, 2008]
The rural poor in central India feel left out of the financial windfall from India's economic success, and are increasingly turning their support to the anti-government Maoist rebels known as "Naxalites". Video journalist Jonathon Matthews seeks out the rebels – and the government-backed vigilante group, Salwa Judum, that opposes them –to ask whether the terrible cycle of violence that's affecting two thirds of the Indian continent can possibly end. The ongoing violence has pitted neighbor against neighbor, converted the area into a civil war zone, with hundreds of villages burnt, scores of people murdered, entire communities displaced and at least 50,000 people forced into squalid government camps.

Sunday, September 7th, 11 am - 2 pm

Development Flows From the Barrel of a Gun by Biju Toppo and Meghnath [2003, 55 minutes]
Questions state-sponsored development that doesn't take into account people's actual needs.
Resilient Rhythms by Gopal Menon [2002, 65 Minutes]
An unflinching look at the reality of issue of caste–based discrimination in contemporary India, and the role of the state in perpetuating such discrimination.
It's A Boy! by Vani Subramanian [2008, 29 minutes]
Explores the imbalance in sex ratios in Indian society caused by female foeticide and infanticide, and the state's promotion of gender selection technologies as a tool of population control. It presents various perspectives including that of feminist activists, religious leaders, elected officials, etc. Finally, the film offers a portrait of the pressures of patriarchy by interviewing members of a matrilineal community in North-Eastern India, some members of which have begun to demand adherence to norms of patriarchy.

For detailed synopsis of films, visit http://berkeley.aidindia.org/

Organized by: ASSOCIATION FOR INDIA'S DEVELOPMENT (Berkeley and Bay area chapters) & FRIENDS OF SOUTH ASIA

Fall Updates

2008-08-27T22:09:00.000-07:00

New members: want to learn more about what Amnesty does? Click here!

Hope everyone had a great summer! It's time for another year of human rights activism, so here's a preview of our events over the next few weeks:

Tabling at Calapalooza.
First General Meeting: We're still working out the details, but we will send an announcement out to our e-mail list as soon as we find a classroom and time. If you still need to be added to our e-mail list, contact ucbamnesty@gmail.com.
More events: Come to our first general meeting to vote on what human rights film you think we should show at our next film screening, and learn more about other great events! Possible events for the upcoming semester include speaker events, letter writing campaigns, lobbying our representatives in Sacramento, rallies, special advance screenings of films, concerts, you name it!

Take Action Now: Stop Violence Against Women

2008-08-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

Did you know?
At least one out of every three women worldwide are beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, with rates reaching 70% in some countries.
What can you do?
Ask your Senator or Representative to co-sponsor the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA). This act will create a comprehensive, integrated approach to addressing violence against women. To learn more about IVAWA, click here.

To ask your senator to co-sponsor IVAWA or thank them if they are already a co-sponsor, click here. (If you want to find out whether your senator has already co-sponsored IVAWA, click here. If you live in California, Barbara Boxer is already a co-sponsor, but Feinstein isn't.)
To ask your representative to co-sponsor IVAWA, click here. (If you want to find out whether your representative has already co-sponsored IVAWA, click here. There are currently only four co-sponsors in the House--so e-mail or call your representatives to change that!)
Want to do more? You can call or write to your representatives, because elected officials are even more likely to listen if someone calls or handwrites a letter. To contact your senator, click here. To contact your representative, click here.

Take Action Now: China's Olympic Legacy

2008-07-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

The Beijing Olympics start next week. Take action now to promote human rights in China!

Call on President Bush to use his visit to the Olympics this summer to pressure China to improve its human rights record.
Click here to take action!
Defend freedom of expression in China. Imagine being arrested for something as simple as sending an e-mail. In April 2004, the Chinese journalist Shi
Tao used his Yahoo! email account to send a message to a U.S.-based pro-democracy
website. In his email, he summarized a government order directing media organizations in China to downplay the upcoming 15th anniversary of the 1989
crackdown on pro-democracy activists. Police arrested him in November 2004,
charging him with “illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities.” Authorities used email account holder information supplied
by Yahoo! to convict Shi Tao in April 2005 and sentence him to 10 years in prison. China currently has the largest recorded number of imprisoned journalists and cyberdissidents
in the world. As of July 2006, Amnesty International had documented
at least 54 Chinese Internet users believed to be imprisoned for such acts as signing
petitions, calling for an end to corruption, disseminating health information, or
planning to establish pro-democracy groups.
Click here to call for the release of Shi Tao and promote freedom of expression in China!
Protect human rights defenders in China. Human rights defender Hu Jia has been sentenced to three years and six months’ imprisonment. Amnesty International considers Hu Jia to be a prisoner of conscience.
Click here to call for the release of Hu Jia!
China has the power to bring peace to Darfur. Did you know that China is Sudan's largest oil consumer? Or that China is Sudan's largest trading partner? Or that China has provided 90 percent of small arms purchased by Sudan since 2004? Call on China to use its influence in Sudan to pressure the government to stop the genocide in Darfur.
Urge China to take concrete steps to help stop the genocide in Darfur!

Take Action Now: End Sexual Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo

2008-07-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been described as one of the worst places on earth to be a woman. Hundreds of thousands of women and girls have become victims of brutal rape, used as a tool of warfare. Please join concerned advocates around the country in ensuring that their voices are heard. We can help bring hope and peace to women in the Congo!

House Resolution 1227 has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives condemning the sexual violence occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo and calling for the United States and the international community to demand an end to this cycle of violence.

What is House Resolution 1227, and how will it help? House Resolution 1227:

Urges the United States Agency for International Development and international community to provide victims and potential victims of rape with greater assistance for health care services, psychological and social counseling, and legal advice;
Calls on the government of the DRC to end the widespread sexual violence by holding all armed groups, including members of the Congolese armed forces and police, accountable for their actions;
Calls on the UN Security Council to take immediate steps to ensure that the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Congo, MONUC, is fully funded to increase troop presence and deploy in areas where sexual violence is most prevalent.

What can you do? First, click here to find out if your representative is already a co-sponsor of House Resolution 1227. If they aren't, write to them to urge them to co-sponsor House Resolution 1227. If they are already a co-sponsor, click here, then edit the letter to thank them for co-sponsoring the resolution and urge them to ask other representatives to become co-sponsors as well.

Want to do more? Call your representative (visit http://www.house.gov/ to find them) to ask them to co-sponsor House Resolution 1227. You can also learn more about the Congo at http://www.congoglobalaction.org/.

Take Action Now: Stop Violence in Zimbabwe

2008-07-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

Amnesty International has documented unlawful killings, torture and other ill-treatment, including beatings, as well as harassment and intimidation of mainly Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters and human rights defenders in Zimbabwe following elections on 29 March 2008. By the end of May dozens of people had been killed and over 1600 people had been treated for injuries sustained from politically related violence. A week prior to the elections on June 27, Amnesty International revealed that 12 bodies have been found in various areas of Zimbabwe. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, swayed by the massive violence lodged against civilians, has withdrawn from the run-off presidential elections against President Robert Mugabe.

AIUSA is now calling on governments in Zimbabwe’s neighboring countries to protect human rights in Zimbabwe. Visit http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=10531 to send a letter to Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, President of the Republic of Zambia and Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), asking him to protect human rights in Zimbabwe. To learn more, visit http://www.amnestyusa.org/zimbabwe.

Take Action Now: Justice for Victims of Tiananmen Square Crackdown

2008-06-10T18:51:00.000-07:00

According to Amnesty International, "The Tiananmen Mothers, relatives of victims of the 1989 military crackdown on protestors in China, have repeatedly submitted petitions to the government on a number of issues in relation to the events of 1989. In consequence, they have been subjected to harassment, discrimination and arbitrary detention. Call on the Chinese authorities to allow the Tiananmen Mothers to carry out their peaceful activities, to release those imprisoned in connection with the 1989 protests, and to carry out a full, independent and impartial investigation into the crackdown."

Click here to read about the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Click here to take action to demand justice for victims.

About Amnesty

2008-06-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

Founded in London in 1961, Amnesty International is a Nobel Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with over 1.8 million members worldwide. Amnesty International undertakes research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights.

The UC Berkeley chapter of Amnesty International works to promote human rights through advocacy and education. Some of our past events have included:

"Eye on Human Rights" film festival. Our festival featured a free advance screening of the film Darfur Now, as well as the films Arna's Children and Thirst.
A panel discussion about the situation in Darfur, held at the Free Speech Movement Cafe.
A dinner/discussion series: a free dinner accompanied by a discussion of a current human rights issue
Letter writing and activism campaigns covering issues such as the murders of women in Ciudad Juarez, torture at Guantanamo, conflict diamonds, and the genocide in Darfur.