| Jr. Newtown Action Alliance |
Dear Gun Safety Advocacy Partners,
Nearly six months have passed since the tragic shooting on that dreadful winter day here in Newtown. Since then, nearly 4,400 more Americans have been killed by guns and Congress has done nothing to make our communities safer. This is unacceptable. We refuse to accept this outcome and we are going to do something about it. We hope that you will join us in this initiative to demonstrate to Congress and America that hundreds of organizations are coalescing to demand change to keep Americans safe from gun violence.
Members of the Newtown Action Alliance will be traveling down to Washington DC on June 12-13th to demand action on universal background checks. We will be returning home late on June 13th so that we can be home for the June 14th 6-month vigil activities. We will be hand-delivering the attached letters to key legislators in the Senate and House of Representatives, along with a list of Americans who have been killed since December 14, 2012. We would like to get as many like-minded organizations to co-sign these letters to form a huge coalition of support for the universal background checks that ~90% of Americans support. Can we count on you for support? We’ve made it simple – please click here to sign the letters that we will deliver in DC.
We would also love for you and your members to meet us in DC to help hand-deliver these letters and meet with lawmakers on the 12th and the 13th if you can. We also invite you and anyone you know to join us in front of the Capitol steps at noon on the 13th to form a Human Ribbon of Remembrance in memory of the 26 children and educators we lost six months ago, as well as all other Americans killed senselessly by a gunshot prior to and since that tragic day. Our goal is to turnout at least 500 people for the Ribbon of Remembrance. Please click here if you are able to join us in DC on the 12th and/or the 13th.
In addition to signing these letters, we hope that you can help spread the word about these plans. Please invite your members and followers to join us, either in person, or virtually, by signing up for this Thunderclap Campaign now. We will also be asking Americans to make some noise on social media to commemorate the six month anniversary and to demand action on universal background checks while we deliver our letters and lists in person. We will add the link to sign up for the ThunderClap campaign on our website when ready at newtownaction.org/ .
Will you join us to form a coalition much larger than the gun lobby? Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Members of the Jr. Newtown Action Alliance
Newtown, CT
P.S. As another example of our commitment and focus, we are also launching a new national PSA in support of universal background checks this week. You can view and share it here: http://youtu.be/Z6o8C0Nm_ms.. Hope you’ll join us in this push. |
| Submitted 6/3/2013 at 6:46 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| EU: End the terror in Syria |
http://www.avaaz.org/en/syria_end_the_terror/
Avaaz is helping incredibly brave Syrians document regime abuses and broadcast their footage to the world media. But now our network of peaceful activists is disappearing.
One writes, "Many of my friends/activists are missing. I don't know whether they have been arrested, dead or lying in a hospital somewhere." More than 400 civilians have been killed this week. In this intense crisis, let’s stand with our brave friends and urgently call on the EU, which maintains strong ties to Syria, to impose immediate sanctions on the leadership.
If enough of us urge the EU to enforce tough sanctions and an arms embargo now, we can help fracture the regime, encourage defections in the army and sustain demonstrators risking everything to break out of a lifetime of oppression. Let's build a petition now for strong and urgent action, which we will deliver to EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton and top EU officials meeting to discuss Syria later this week. |
|
| Submitted 5/30/2013 at 10:48 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| Not One More: Take a Stand Against Hate |
Human Rights Campaign wrote:
Hate crimes are not new for LGBT Americans, a stark reality of the second-class citizenship we as a community must endure. Discrimination is embedded in our nation's laws, trickling down into our backyard. It feeds the bullying that our youth face in school, the anti-LGBT rhetoric uttered by homophobic legislators who refuse to recognize our loving, committed relationships, and the hate crimes we suffer at the hands of bigots.
And yet, as we reel in shock and horror of losing yet another one of our brothers to a hate-motivated crime, we must ask ourselves what we are going to do about it.
It is a paradigm of our social conscience that love conquers hate, yet it requires us to act. It is time we stood behind that message in support of all LGBT Americans, in every aspect of life, at all levels.
HRC has written an open letter to the mayors of every major U.S. city, along with all 50 governors calling on each and every one of them to take a decisive stance in defense of the safety of its constituents. |
Sign HRC's open letter to elected officials to speak out against anti-LGBT violence. |
| Submitted 5/28/2013 at 7:10 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries: Stop telling teens they aren't beautiful; make clothes for teens of all sizes! |
change.org wrote:
“In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids,” “Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.”-Mike Jeffries Abercrombie & Fitch CEO
Anyone who’s been to Abercrombie & Fitch in the last few years has probably noticed that they don’t carry XL or XXL clothing for women and their waist sizes for men leave room to be desired. Why? Because, they don’t want overweight young people wearing their brand!
According to this popular teen clothing retailer "fat kids" will never be a part of the “popular crowd” and will therefore never be a part of their brand.
With two of Abercrombie’s biggest competitors, H&M and American Eagle, both offering XXL sizes for men and women; why would they possibly want to exclude average sized people from their brand?
Abercrombie’s attitude towards plus-sized teens derives from CEO Mike Jeffries. Jeffries has publically made inflammatory statements towards overweight teens and his desire for them not to be associated with his brand.
As a young adult who suffered from an eating disorder, through much of middle and high school, I remember looking at the ads for Abercrombie & Fitch or combing the racks and not seeing anything that fit me. As silly as it seems, as a kid, it made me feel worthless to not be able to wear the "it" styling that everyone else was wearing. For the 30.54 percent of teens that struggle through weight problems they know my sentiment. But now I know that I am not worthless; infact I am FULL of worth and it's time we show young people across the world that they are too! Instead of inspiring young people to make healthy choices and better themselves, Mike Jeffries and his company have told them they will never be good enough. Well he is wrong.
Mr. Jeffries owes young people an apology, because contrary to what he may believe, whether you can fit into Abercrombie or not, you are beautiful. It's time Abercrombie & Fitch to embrace that beauty! Please join me in this fight by adding your name to this petition and asking Abercrombie and Fitch to embrace the beauty in all sizes by offering XL and XXL sizes for women and men! |
Click here to sign petition on change.org |
| Submitted 5/23/2013 at 10:15 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| President Barack Obama: Support peace with justice in Colombia. |
View the Petition here
Change.org wrote:
For over fifty years, Colombians have suffered through unspeakable violence as a result of the internal armed conflict. U.S. policy has fueled this war for the last decade. After 12 years of Plan Colombia and $8.5 billion in mostly military aid, U.S. policy towards Colombia must now turn away from military solutions, and make room for peace. Colombians deserve a chance for peace and now is the time to advocate for a U.S. policy that supports the foundation for peace, with truth and justice! |
View the Petition here |
| Submitted 5/14/2013 at 8:01 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| Monsanto Monsters |
Watchdog.net wrote:
Monsanto isn't satisfied with just selling us herbicides and pesticides for coating our crops. Now they're using a European legal loophole to patent away varieties of cucumber, broccoli, melons and conventional ways of breeding fruits and veggies abroad -- forcing growers to pay them for the very seeds they're planting!
Don't let Monsanto keep buying up Mother Earth. If we can reach out to countries like Germany, France and the Netherlands where opposition to Monsanto is growing, we can force a vote among the state of the European Patent Convention to stop the biotech giant in its tracks.
We have a chance to stop Monsanto from setting a dangerous precedent and help fix the European patent laws for good. Will you join us?
PETITION TO EPC MEMBER STATES: We urge you to call on the EPO Administrative Council to close the loopholes that allow corporations like Monsanto to patent plants and conventional breeding methods today. |
sign the petition on watchdog.net |
| Submitted 5/6/2013 at 6:24 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| Fix the NDAA: No More Indefinite Detention |
Last year, Congress passed controversial provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)—Sections 1021 and 1022—that further entrench indefinite detention and a "global war" paradigm in US law. These provisions have made it more likely that anyone could be held without charge forever at Guantanamo or other US prisons, based on the flimsiest intelligence. People across the political spectrum have spoken out against the NDAA detention provisions and right now Congress is considering changes. Add your voice and call for repeal of Sections 1021 and 1022 of the NDAA.
http://blog.amnestyusa.org/us/can-us-citizens-now-be-detained-indefinitely/
Sign the petition on Amnesty International |
| Submitted 4/22/2013 at 7:25 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| 4 DAYS LEFT TO REJECT THE DANGEROUS KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE! |
Tomorrow marks three years since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, causing the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
Three years and the communities along the Gulf are still reeling from the impacts of this horrible disaster on their health and their environment. Three years and BP still has not fully paid their dues for the cost of the cleanup. Three years and we’re still letting Big Oil run dangerous operations that put our air, water, and wildlife at risk.
Join us in saying NO to more spills and NO to the risky Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. Make your voice heard by Monday’s deadline.
Many of the Nobel Laureates on the PeaceJam board are working against the pipeline. If we want to protect our health, our environment, and our climate for future generations, we must end this cycle of allowing risky dirty energy projects to go forward and then suffering the consequences of terrible oil spills.
Here’s why stopping the Keystone XL pipeline is so important for protecting our planet: The Keystone XL pipeline would carry tar sands oil, which is more toxic and releases more global warming pollution than regular oil. NASA climate scientist James Hansen has said that if the Keystone XL pipeline is built it will mean “game over” for climate.
This pipeline would go straight through America’s heartland and we know from past pipelines that spills are bound to happen. When spills do happen, like we’ve just seen in Arkansas, it turns out that companies don’t know how to effectively clean up tar sands oil and it has already been causing health problems for many people living near the spill. And what could make matters even worse? Because of a legal loophole that doesn’t classify tar sands crude as “oil,” companies like Exxon are not required to fully pay for tar sands cleanup efforts.
This is infuriating, but we can stop this irresponsible pipeline if we show the Obama Administration that millions of their citizens are demanding it.
Help LCV reach their goal of sending one million messages to the Obama Administration by this Monday.
Until this Monday, April 22, the State Department is accepting comments on its review of the potential environmental impacts of the Keystone XL pipeline. That means that you have the chance to weigh in about the risks this dirty pipeline would pose to our health, environment, and future. But you have to send your message in by Monday or it won’t be counted!
Send a message now! |
| Submitted 4/19/2013 at 11:27 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| President Barack Obama: Take war with Iran off the Table! |
Change.org wrote:
After 10 years of war and a devastated economy, the American people need a foreign policy that focuses on diplomacy, not military intervention. Similar to the case of Iraq where we were misled into a tragic war, we are going down the same dangerous path by accusing Iran of developing nuclear weapons. Iran has continuously submitted to intrusive inspections, above and beyond what is required by Nuclear Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). None of these inspections have found any proof that Iran is developing a nuclear weapons program.
Despite this lack of evidence, a covert war on Iran is already under way. The U.S. government is funding opposition groups, flying spy drones over their territory, building up a military presence around their borders, and imposing devastating sanctions on the country that hurt the the Iranian people much more than the government.
We call on you to use diplomacy -- not crippling sanctions and threats of military intervention -- to deal with Iran. Don't take us down the same path as past leaders did in Iraq. |
Sign the letter to President Obama here
Learn about Iranian Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi here |
| Submitted 4/8/2013 at 8:14 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| Stop Killer Robots |
Nobel Women's Initiative wrote:
The six Nobel Peace Prize Laureates of the Nobel Women’s Initiative are joining international campaigners to call for a ban on autonomous weapons, or “killer robots.”
Automatic weapons are currently being developed with very little transparency. It is likely that these killer robots would be unable to distinguish between combatants and civilians. They would be incapable of showing mercy or recognizing surrender.
Many of the campaigners previously worked with Laureate Jody Williams on a successful international campaign to ban landmines. Williams stated,
“I know we can do the same thing with killer robots. I know we can stop them before they hit the battlefield.”
As campaigners around the world emphasize, this is not science fiction – killer robots are in development and pose a real humanitarian threat.
The “Stop the Killer Robot” campaign will launch in April 2013 in the United Kingdom. It will pressure leaders to commit to an international treaty banning killer robots and raise awareness among civil society. |
Visit NWI to learn more |
| Submitted 4/1/2013 at 10:45 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| Petition the U.S. Senate- Protect Internet Privacy: Stop CISPA! |
Change.org wrote:
Under the guise of cyber-security, CISPA (the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act) is a bill that would grant corporations the power to share our emails, Facebook messages, and other sensitive online data with the government - all without a warrant.
CISPA would kill online privacy as we know it - nullifying the laws that require big corporations to keep our information private from government agencies like the National Security Agency. Those corporations wouldn't have to notify you that they have done this and you wouldn't be able to take legal action against them if they made a mistake when sharing your information.
While strong information security is critical to privacy and civil liberties, CISPA does almost nothing to prevent this. All it does is give the government access to your information.
We beat CISPA last year when hundreds of thousands of Americans signed online petitions to let lawmakers know that our online privacy rights are not negotiable. But this bill is back and politicians who want the government to be able to read your emails and see what you purchase online are hoping you won’t speak out this time. |
SIGN THE PETITION HERE! |
| Submitted 3/28/2013 at 8:37 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| Congress passes Monsanto Protection Act, All hands on deck! |
Food Democracy Now! wrote:
We regret to inform you, but today Congress succeeded in passing Section 735, aka the Monsanto Protection Act, in the Continuing Resolution spending bill. Once again, Monsanto and the biotech industry have used their lobbying power to undermine your basic rights. We need you to contact Congress and tell them you are outraged. With the Senate passage of the Monsanto Protection Act, biotech lobbyists are one step closer to making sure that their new GMO crops can evade any serious scientific or regulatory review.
This dangerous provision, which we're calling the Monsanto Protection Act, strips judges of their constitutional mandate to protect consumer and farmer rights and the environment, while opening up the floodgates for the planting of new untested genetically engineered crops, endangering farmers, citizens and the environment.
We are asking that you take action here and then call Congress to shut down their phone lines until Section 735 is removed from the CR before the President signs. Join us in putting a stop to the Monsanto Protection Act! |
Sign an open letter to Obama here to tell him to veto this bill
Learn more about Monsanto and GMOs here |
| Submitted 3/21/2013 at 5:20 PM by Elizabeth H | |
| 48 hours left to tell your Senator to vote no on the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline |
League of Conservation Voters wrote:
CALL YOUR SENATORS FOR A CLEAN BUDGET!
In the next 48 hours, your senators will likely vote on amendments to the budget that would approve the dirty Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, slash investments in clean energy, weaken EPA clean air protections, and open public lands to drilling. The only way we can stop these attacks is if you call your senators now to make sure they vote for a clean budget that ends Big Oil handouts and protects our air, land, and water.
Here are simple instructions to make the call:
Call the capitol switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask to be connected to your senator’s office.
Once you're connected, tell them three things:
1. Your name and where you are from.
2. To support Senator Murray’s budget and vote against any amendments that would approve the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, weaken EPA protections, allow more drilling on public lands or undermine clean energy investments.
3. To end subsidies for oil companies because they already make huge profits every year and don’t need our taxpayer dollars. |
Click here to leave feedback on your call |
| Submitted 3/20/2013 at 8:13 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| Stop Using Dangerous Food Dyes in Our Mac & Cheese |
Change.org wrote:
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in the US contains the artificial food dyes Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. These unnecessary – yet potentially harmful - dyes are not in Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in other countries, including the UK, because they were removed due to consumer outcry. Kraft reformulated their product for the UK, but not for their fellow American citizens.
It’s time we demand the same here in the US!
Note: Yellow 5 (labeled asTartrazine) is also used in these products in Canada, and we're sure they don't want to have it in their food either!
That's why we are petitioning Kraft to remove all dangerous artificial food dyes? from their line of macaroni and cheese.
Here are the reasons we are asking Kraft to remove Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 from their Macaroni and Cheese.
Artificial food dyes...
- Are man-made in a lab with chemicals derived from petroleum (a crude oil product, which also happens to be used in gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt, and tar).
- Require a warning label in other countries outside the US.
- Have been banned in countries like Norway and Austria (and are being phased out in the UK).
- Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 are contaminated with known carcinogens (a.k.a. an agent directly involved in causing cancer).
- Cause an increase in hyperactivity in children.
- Have a negative impact on children’s ability to learn.
- Have been linked to long-term health problems such as asthma, skin rashes, and migraines.
- Add absolutely no nutritional value to the foods we are eating and are solely used for aesthetic purposes only.
To prove this last point we personally tested both the US and UK versions of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and found virtually no difference in color or taste (see the video above).
We both grew up eating this product, Lisa used to feed it to her kids, and it’s available at almost every grocery store across the country.
Our kids deserve the same safer version that our friends get overseas!
Kraft Foods is the largest food company headquartered in the United States. If Kraft changes their Macaroni and Cheese, we know this could inspire other food companies across the US to finally eliminate dangerous artificial food dyes once and for all.
Join us now and sign this petition. Together we can make a difference. |
Sign the petition now! |
| Submitted 3/18/2013 at 7:13 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| Response to Newtown Tragedy/Discussion Must Include Special Education: Fully Fund IDEA/Hold Schools Accountable |
-Change.org wrote:
For all those who either love a child with a disability or work with children with disabilities there is clearly a pivotal missing piece in the discussions over the last week concerning the tragedy in Newtown. While this horrific event has sparked much needed discussion about the need for gun control and how we as a nation need to address mental health in this country. What is missing from all this dialogue is how Adam Lanza fell through the cracks. For those of us involved in the special education process in this country we cannot help but question where was the intervention that this young man so desperately needed as we hear friends, neighbors, and his former teachers say that he was an individual who had Asperger's. Congress has delegated to our public schools an affirmative duty to act to identify, evaluate and develop appropriate programs for children with disabilities. All too often, however, our public schools shirk their responsibility and these children are left isolated, alone and marginalized. Adam Lanza may have been an individual with Autism, but it was not his Autism that caused him to perpetrate this unspeakable act. It was most likely the years of loneliness, isolation, and the failure to address the manifestations of his disability that caused mental illness to set in.
|
Sign the Petition today!! |
| Submitted 3/13/2013 at 10:19 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| Help Get Clean, Safe Drinking Water to Those Who Need It Most |
Across the globe, 22,000 children die each day from preventable causes. In Africa, nearly half of those deaths are from diarrheal diseases.
Population forecasts suggest that an additional 632 million people will need to gain access to improved sources to meet the Millennium Development Goal drinking water target. Accelerated progress is needed in sub-Saharan Africa, home to 37% of those without improved drinking water sources.
All told, nearly 900 million people still rely on drinking water sources that are unsafe.
UNICEF is the international leader in providing clean, safe drinking water to millions around the world who need it most. UNICEF is on the front lines, doing whatever it takes to stop children dying from lack of access to clean, safe water and sanitation.
22,000 children every day. With a focus on access to clean water, we can bring that number closer to ZERO.
Take action and sign this petition in support of supplying clean, safe drinking water to the world’s poorest populations. |
Visit change.org to sign a petition today! |
| Submitted 3/4/2013 at 11:25 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| Stop Unlawful Drone Killings |
What we already know about the US government’s policies on armed drones and other such killings reveals violations of the fundamental human right not to be arbitrarily deprived of life. But the government is still keeping secrets.
Urge the President and Congress to release the secret legal memo, along with the rest of the legal and factual underpinnings for the killings, and to bring US use of armed drones and other lethal force in line with our obligations to respect human rights, including by complying with law enforcement standards when acting outside of zones of armed conflict. |
Visit ,Amnesty International to learn more and for more information on how you can help |
| Submitted 2/25/2013 at 8:34 AM by Elizabeth H | |
| 1 Billion Rising |
| Stage a rising in your community, office, college, or school. Organize a flash mob at a landmark building/site, in the streets or in a nearby mall. Have a dance party, produce a theatrical...Visit www.onebillionrising.org |
| Submitted 2/4/2013 at 12:15 PM by Elizabeth H | |
| Support 2 Million Friends of Afghan People For Peace In Afghanistan |
Invitation to the international community asking people to support "2 Million Friends Of Afghan People For Peace In Afghanistan".
From: Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate and Ann Patterson, Peace People.
Mairead Maguire wrote:
Dear friends,
We will be visiting Kabul on 10th December, 2012, international day of human rights on behalf of the peace people, Northern Ireland. We have been invited by the afghan peace volunteers to join them in their ‘2 million friends’ and ‘ceasefire’ campaign and we will join the voices for creative nonviolence delegation USA, to Afghanistan.
The afghan peace volunteers are a grassroots group of Afghans who seek a life of nonviolence, equality, self reliance and unity across ethnic and national lines. They have no religious or governmental affiliation.
The afghan peace volunteers have chosen to ask for two million friends around the world remembering that in the last 40 years over 2 million afghan people have died from violence. They believe that a non- military nonviolent solution leading to peace in their country is the way forward and they say ‘a ceasefire in Afghanistan is an urgent necessity of conscience in the face of an ongoing preventable humanitarian emergency’.
On 10th December, the afghan peace volunteers will visit the un in Kabul to urge the Secretary General of the United Nations to broker a multilateral un negotiated ceasefire between all parties currently warring in Afghanistan.
On behalf of the afghan peace volunteers we invite you to visit the websites ‘ceasefire’ and the’2 million friends’ and enter your name in support of this important initiative for peace in Afghanistan.
Thank you for your support.
Mairead Maguire – Nobel Peace Laureate, Peace People
Ann Patterson, Peace People. |
Click Here to Join "2 Million Friends of Afghan People For Peace In Afghanistan
Click Here to Support the Cease Fire |
| Submitted 11/30/2012 at 3:03 PM by Kate C | |
| Stand with Malala, Pakistani Girl Shot by Taliban- Amnesty International |
Posted by Amnesty International:
It was a shocking act of violence: 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai was shot by Taliban gunmen, and her condition is slowly improving in a UK hospital after a bullet was removed from her brain. Two fellow students, Shazia Ramzan and Kainat Ahmed, were also injured in the attack.
The Taliban targeted Malala -- a child -- specifically for her human rights activism. Malala has bravely spoken out for the rights of girls to receive an education. Her father ran one of the last girls' schools to defy a Taliban ban against female education in Pakistan's Swat Valley, and both Malala and her family have received threats from the Taliban in the past.
Send a message of support to Malala, Shazia and Kainat, and to their schoolmates and friends: We stand with you and for the rights of women and girls everywhere.
Take Action by Clicking here! |
| Submitted 10/30/2012 at 2:54 PM by Jes W | |
| VOTE FOR MALYA! STOP RAPE AS A WEAPON OF WAR! |
Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams and The Nobel Women's Initiative have asked PeaceJammers to help an incredible woman win the CNN Hero of the Year award!
Since 2004, Malya Villard-Appolon and her organization KOFAVIV have helped more than 4,000 rape survivors find safety, psychological support and/or legal aid in Haiti. This is essential work in a place where rape has surged beyond belief since the earthquake in 2010.
The group distributed whistles to the women who, once they felt more secure, started working together for their own security and for political change.
VOTE FOR MALYA!
Help tell the story of women working to stop rape and gender-based violence in their communities in powerful and lasting ways.
Vote by clicking here
Spread the word on Facebook! Post this on your wall!
Vote for Malya Villard-Appolon to be CNN's Hero of the Year! Help Malya and her organization KOFAVIV, win $250,000 for their vital, life-saving work to protect and empower rape survivors in Haiti. You can vote for Malya at CNN Heroes 10 times per day, from each of your email addresses! http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/2012.heroes/malya.villard-appolon.html. |
| Submitted 10/2/2012 at 9:45 AM by Jes W | |
| Save the Maasai Tribe! |
Dear PeaceJammers,
Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire is supporting the initiative below and is asking you to do the same!
From AVAAZ.ORG
At any moment, a big-game hunting corporation could sign a deal which would force up to 48,000 members of Africa's famous Maasai tribe from their land to make way for wealthy Middle Eastern kings and princes to hunt lions and leopards. Experts say the Tanzanian President's approval of the deal may be imminent, but if we act now, we can stop this sell-off of the Serengeti.
The last time this same corporation pushed the Maasai off their land to make way for rich hunters, people were beaten by the police, their homes were burnt to a cinder and their livestock died of starvation. But when a press controversy followed, Tanzanian President Kikwete reversed course and returned the Maasai to their land. This time, there hasn't been a big press controversy yet, but we can change that and force Kikwete to stop the deal if we join our voices now.
If 150,000 of us sign, media outlets in Tanzania and around the world will be blitzed so President Kikwete gets the message to rethink this deadly deal. Sign the petition now and send to everyone:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_maasai/?bJONjab&v=17086
The Maasai are semi-nomadic herders who have lived in Tanzania and Kenya for centuries, playing a critical role in preserving the delicate ecosystem. But to royal families from the United Arab Emirates, they're an obstacle to luxurious animal shooting sprees. A deal to evict the Maasai to make way for rich foreign hunters is as bad for wildlife as it is for the communities it would destroy. While President Kikwete is talking to favoured local elites to sell them on the deal as good for development, the vast majority of people just want to keep the land that they know the President can take by decree.
President Kikwete knows that this deal would be controversial with Tanzania's tourists -- a critical source of national income -- and is therefore trying to keep it from the public eye. In 2009, a similar royal landgrab in the area executed by the same corporation that is swooping in this time generated global media coverage that helped to roll it back. If we can generate the same level of attention, we know the pressure can work.
A petition signed by thousands can force all the major global media bureaus in East Africa and Tanzania to blow up this controversial deal. Sign now to call on Kikwete to kill the deal:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_maasai/?bJONjab&v=17086
Representatives from the Maasai community today urgently appealed to Avaaz to raise the global alarm call and save their land. Time and again, the incredible response from this amazing community turns seemingly lost causes into legacies that last a lifetime. Lets protect the Maasai and save the animals for tourists that want to shoot them with camera lenses, rather than lethal weapons!
With hope and determination,
Sam, Meredith, Luis, Aldine, Diego, Ricken and the rest of the Avaaz team
For More Information:
The Guardian: “Tourism is a curse to us”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/06/masai-tribesman-tanzania-tourism
News Internationalist Magazine: “Hunted down”
http://www.newint.org/columns/currents/2009/12/01/tanzania/
Society for Threatened People: Briefing on the eviction of the Loliondo Maasai
http://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/session12/TZ/STP-SocietyThreatenedPeople-eng.pdf
FEMACT: Report by 16 human rights investigators & media on violence in Loliondo
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/58956/print
Voices of Loliondo: Short film from Loliondo on impact of eviction on Maasai
http://vimeo.com/35311385 |
| Submitted 8/20/2012 at 2:48 PM by Jes W | |
| Say No to "Stars Earn Stripes!" |
Nobel Peace Prize Winner Jody Williams urges PeaceJammers to participate in raising their voices against the so-called reality show "Stars Earn Stripes."
The Nobel Women's Initiative is asking that people please write and snail mail letters of protest to the head of NBC at:
Mr. Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of NBC Entertainment,
30 Rockefeller Plaza
NY, NY 10112
Some points you could use in your letter include:
* War is deadly serious. It isn't entertainment and it isn't a "reality TV" show.
* The pairing of minor celebrities with US military and First Responders does not honor US military actually serving in conflict situations.
* As Military Families Speak Out Board Member Sarah Fuhro said, "Having my son return from two REAL wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan, with the cost of war carried in his body and heart, I find this deeply offensive. Having met wounded children and refugees from these and other wars, I find this disgusting.”
* The show comes across as a blatant tool for recruiting young people into the US military without in any way showing the real impact
of war.
* Despite hearing that the show portrays "live missions" where lives are "put in danger" that is not the truth. No one is shooting at the celebrities and their military teammates; they are not attacking real people but paper targets with outlines of a body on them and
no one is attacking them; they do not have to suffer the distress of killing civilians and/or see their buddies get killed in combat.
* Laili Ali laughs as she says how excited she is to play a "warrior princess." Another actor, in exclaiming how difficult and dangerous it all is says that he wishes he "hadn't let his agent talk him into it." Hardly the stuff of "real" and "dangerous" missions.
* We do not need more militarizing of US society and desensitizing people to the real costs and consequences of war.
* "Stars Earn Stripes" is also touted as a way for celebrities to raise money for their favorite charities for veterans. If NBC really wants to support such charities, they should just donate the money directly and not couple it with programming that comes across like propaganda and a recruiting tool for the US military.
For more ideas and points for your own letters, check out the protest letter of the 10 Nobel Laureates to NBC by clicking here.
Thanks for your support! |
| Submitted 8/20/2012 at 12:58 PM by Jes W | |
| Read and Share the 2012 Iran Human Rights Report! |
Click here to read the 2012 Iran Human Rights Report
A new report marking the 3rd anniversary of Iran’s Green Movement focuses on the human rights situation in Iran from the perspective of human rights activists, artists, filmmakers and performers.
The PeaceJam Foundation, with support of its board of 13 Nobel Peace Laureates, released the first of three 2012 Iran Human Rights Reports that calls on Iranian authorities to uphold Iran’s international commitments and human rights obligations as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Report provides a comprehensive perspective of human rights in Iran that includes statistics, narratives, and testimonials from former prisoners of conscience in Iran, and interviews with human rights experts.
PeaceJam needs YOU to read and share this report with everyone you know! Send the link out via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, your personal blog, and anywhere you think it will spark conversation!
Available for interviews:
• Shirin Ebadi, Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate
• Dawn Engle, PeaceJam Executive Director
For more information, please contact Kate Cumbo at kate@peacejam.org or by calling 303.455.2099 ext. 110 |
| Submitted 7/3/2012 at 2:12 PM by Alison W | |
| Stop Rape as a Weapon of War |
Because we envision a world without war, rape, and gender violence where women and men are equal;
Because rape and gender violence destroy individuals and families, entire communities and the fabric of society;
Because rape and gender violence have increasingly become a deliberate tactic of terror in war and other conflict situations;
Because in recent years along, massive numbers of women – and sometimes men and boys – have suffered not only the physical trauma of rape and gender violence in war and other conflict situations, but also the shame and stigma that often leaves survivors suffering in silence;
Because perpetrators of rape and gender violence go unpunished and impunity is the order of the day;
Because national, regional, and international commitments to end rape and gender violence in war and other conflict situations are either seriously inadequate or are not being enforced; and
Because women and girls, men and boys across the world demand and expect justice.
We call for:
Powerful and urgent leadership on the local, national, regional, and international levels to prevent and stop rape and gender violence and conflict situations;
A dramatic increase in resources for prevention and protection and for psychosocial and physical healing for survivors, their families, and communities, including concerted efforts to end stigma of survivors;
Justice for victims, including prosecution of perpetrators at national, regional, and international levels, and comprehensive reparation for survivors.
To join and take the pledge, click here! |
| Submitted 5/8/2012 at 10:24 AM by Alison W | |
| Tell Iran: Uphold International Convention on Civil and Political Rights! |
UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran: Immediately release all prisoners of conscience currently in detention.
Let Iranian officials know that you support holding up the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights!
Text from the letter sent to the Interest Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran:
We the undersigned ask the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the release of all prisoners of conscience currently held in Iranian prisons. In recent years, Iranian students have been deprived of exercising their right to freedom of speech and expression. They have been held behind bars simply for writing an article or criticizing the government's functions. According to records of the Office for Strengthening Student Unity, Iran’s largest Student Union, since the June 2009 presidential elections 634 students have been persecuted by way of intimidation tactics, arbitrary arrests, torture, and imprisonment. An additional 396 students have been deprived from their right to access education. Among these students is Bahareh Hedayat, a member of the Central Committee of the Office for Strengthening Student Unity. Bahareh was arrested in December 2009 after delivering a message via the internet on the occasion of National Student Day in Iran. She has been sentenced to nine and a half years of punitive imprisonment of which she has already served over two years. Majid Tavakoli a former Central Council member of Amirkabir University Student's Association has also been sentenced to eight years of punitive imprisonment after delivering a speech among university students on the occasion of National Student Day in Iran.
We urge the Iranian authorities to uphold Iran’s international commitments and human rights obligations as a signatory to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and immediately release all prisoners of conscience currently in detention.
To sign the Human Rights Petition, click here! |
| Submitted 4/10/2012 at 9:28 AM by Alison W | |
| Free Tibetan Filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen! |
Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen is serving a six-year prison sentence in China for "subversion of state power" -- simply because he dared to speak out about Tibetan human rights through his filmmaking. Demand his release now!
China has detained hundreds of Tibetans for peacefully exercising their human rights or for taking part in protests since 2008. Recently, Tibetan activists have set themselves on fire in protest of restrictions on basic freedoms and punitive security measures. The Chinese government has responded to the protests with mass arrests, imprisonment, and possible killings by security forces.
Dhondup Wangchen suffers from Hepatitis B and has not received the medical treatment he needs. It has been difficult to obtain reliable information about his condition.
Click here to call on the Chinese authorities to release Dhondup Wangchen immediately and unconditionally. |
| Submitted 4/5/2012 at 1:24 PM by Alison W | |
| Urge Congress: Pass the DREAM Act! |
The DREAM Act provides an opportunity to gain legal status for undocumented students who entered the country before the age of 15, have been physically present in the United States for at least five years, graduate from high school, and/or complete at least two years of college or military service.
Take action now for immigrants, youth and future generations by calling on your Members of Congress to support the DREAM Act.
Click here to urge Congress to pass the DREAM Act |
| Submitted 3/29/2012 at 1:43 PM by Alison W | |
| Support the UN role in executing ICC arrest warrants |
The recent spotlight on Joseph Kony, the Ugandan leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC), underscores the outstanding ICC arrest warrants for 11 other suspects of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide related to situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, the Sudan, and Libya.
Joseph Kony, Bosco Ntaganda, President Omar al-Bashir and other fugitives are often shielded by powerful supporters and states. The ongoing lack of justice means that most of these fugitives are free to commit more crimes, placing civilians in affected areas at great risk.
The 11 with outstanding International Criminal Court arrest warrants are:
•Democratic Republic of Congo: Bosco Ntaganda whom the ICC has charged with enlisting and conscripting children under 15. The Congolese government is shielding him following his integration into the national army.
•Uganda: Accused Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony and LRA commanders Vincent Otti (presumed dead), Okot Odhiambo, and Dominic Ongwen continue to evade trial after being charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes. They and the fighters they lead continue to move between the Central African Republic, north-eastern DRC and South Sudan and commit crimes.
•Sudan: President Omar al-Bashir has been charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Darfur region. He has yet to be arrested despite regularly conducting state visits abroad. Sudanese officials Ahmad Harun and Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein and accused “Janjaweed” leader Ali Kushayb are also at large.
•Libya: Saif al Islam Gaddafi and Abdullah al-Senussi are charged with crimes against humanity committed during the crackdown on protesters in Libya. Saif al-Islam was captured on 19 November 2011 but has not yet been surrendered to the ICC.
Click here to sign the letter of support urging the secretary general to take action in arresting ICC fugitives. |
| Submitted 3/22/2012 at 12:27 PM by Alison W | |
| Tell President Obama - Help Stop the Use of Child Soliders NOW! |
From South Sudan down to the DRC, the Lord’s Resistance Army, other armed groups, and all too often the national armies of the countries in which they operate, forcibly recruit children into armed conflict.
While the United States is supporting efforts to apprehend LRA leader Joseph Kony, it must also ensure that other armed groups and governments in the region cease recruiting child soldiers and help rehabilitate the children who are already soldiers.
Under international law, the participation of children under 18 in armed conflict is generally prohibited, and the recruitment and use of children under 15 is a war crime. Yet worldwide, hundreds of thousands of children are recruited into government armed forces, paramilitaries, civil militia and a variety of other armed groups. Often they are abducted at school, on the streets or at home. Others enlist "voluntarily", usually because they see few alternatives.
Such children are robbed of their childhood and exposed to terrible dangers and to psychological and physical suffering. They are placed in combat situations, used as spies, messengers, porters, servants or to lay or clear landmines. Girls in particular are at risk of rape and sexual abuse.
Urge Obama to renew pressure on governments in Central Africa to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
To send a letter to President Obama now, click here. |
| Submitted 3/13/2012 at 12:25 PM by Alison W | |
| Tell China: Release Tenzin Delek NOW! |
On January 26, 2003, a 28-year old Tibetan man, Lobsang Dhondup, was executed by China for crimes he did not commit. The death sentence of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche - a revered Buddhist teacher and community leader - was also upheld. Two years later his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment as a result of international pressure, but this innocent man remains in jail today, and his whereabouts are unknown.
TAKE ACTION: Send a letter to the Chinese government calling for his immediate release and for prison authorities to notify his family of where he is being held.
To send a letter TODAY, click here! |
| Submitted 3/12/2012 at 10:27 AM by Alison W | |
| Pledge Your Support - Eliminate the R-word |
Spread the Word to End the Word is an on-going effort to raise the consciousness of society about the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the word "retard(ed)" and encourage people to pledge to stop using the R-word. The campaign is intended to get schools, communities and organizations to rally and pledge their support.
To pledge your support, click here!
To learn more, visit Spread the Word to End the Word. |
| Submitted 3/5/2012 at 12:38 PM by Alison W | |
| Tell YOUR US State Senator: Stand Up for Tibet! |
You can help secure your Senators' support for Tibet.
Chinese security forces are opening fire on Tibetans who are protesting for freedom; at least five people have been killed in recent weeks. Tibetans are unequivocally demonstrating that they can no longer tolerate China's repression and are appealing to the global community to support their struggle for freedom and human rights.
To send a message to YOUR senator immediately asking them to stand up for Tibet, click here! |
| Submitted 2/28/2012 at 6:46 AM by Alison W | |
| Contact Obama NOW through the International Tibet Network! |
Xi Jinping arrives in the United States this weekend (12 February). President Obama will host a meeting with him at the White House on Tuesday 14 February. This visit is taking place as Tibetans in Tibet are irrefutably expressing their desire for freedom and we want to ensure that President Obama is committed to raising Tibet high on the agenda during his meeting and throughout Xi's visit.
The International Tibet Network has devised a NEW Online Action to send a Fax to President Obama. The message urges Obama to lead an international response to condemn China's repressive measures across Tibet and promote solutions to China's occupation.
The action can be sent and shared via this link and it is also a key promotion on Stand Up For Tibet.
Please share the action as widely as you can so that we can get as many faxes as possible to the White House before the meeting. Personal messages can also be sent directly to the White House fax to + 1 202 456 2461.
Protests are being organized throughout Xi Jinping's visit (12 to 17 February). Students for A Free Tibet have an up-to-date list of protests available here. If you are in the US please do join as many of these protests as you possibly can.
Too many Tibetans in Tibet have set themselves on fire and died in the past few months demanding Independence and that His Holiness The Dalai Lama return to Tibet. And, in the past number of months, too many Tibetans in Tibet have been killed and arrested for no good reason by the China's Police and Military. |
| Submitted 2/13/2012 at 7:46 AM by Alison W | |
| Sign the Pledge to Stand with Tibet - Urge Global Intervention NOW! |
16 Tibetans have set fire to themselves in eastern Tibet since March 2011; 14 since 26 September 2011. At least 12 have died including two nuns. These unprecedented acts are a cry to the outside world for help.
At least ten of these self-immolations are linked to Kirti Monastery in Ngaba, one of the largest and most influential monastic institutions in Tibet. China’s merciless and violent crackdown in Ngaba and throughout Tibet is intensifying Tibetan grievances and exacerbating the resentment felt across Tibet
This growing tragedy, if left unchecked, could spiral even further into a nation-wide crisis, unless the world acts now.
The international community, both citizens and governments, must Stand Up for Tibet. Global diplomatic intervention now will save Tibetan lives.
We demand a coordinated international response by world leaders to condemn China’s repressive measures in the affected regions and across Tibet, and to institute multi-lateral mechanisms to advocate for the Tibetan people. Most immediately, we call on China to withdraw its security forces from Tibet areas now, and stop the ongoing harassment and torture of monks.
Click here to sign the pledge! |
| Submitted 2/8/2012 at 8:24 AM by Alison W | |
| Urge President Obama: Pledge To Veto SOPA/PIPA |
From Demand Progress-
Today has been amazing, but there's one thing that could completely stop SOPA and PIPA in their tracks: President Obama has expressed concerns about the bills, but hasn't pledged to veto them.
There's enough opposition to these bills now that even if they pass, the won't be able to overcome a veto.
A promise to veto the bills will force opponents into a full retreat, and be the perfect way to cap off this week's protests.
We'd be able to declare a victory for the Net, free speech, and democracy.
Please urge President Obama to promise to veto SOPA and PIPA:
Click here to sign the petition!
For more information on SOPA/PIPA, Click Here. |
| Submitted 1/19/2012 at 8:43 AM by Jes W | |
| Tell the Denver Broncos to Take a Stand! |
Within the last few months the Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants have all made videos for the It Gets Better campaign to benefit the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. These teams have spoken out against bullying and hatred in our society. The Giants became the first professional sports team to make a video for the campaign and numerous other teams have stepped-up to help inform LGBT youth that it gets better and help avert suicide.
We are urging the Denver Broncos to set an example for the rest of the Colorado teams by making an "It Gets Better" video. The It Gets Better campaign started last fall following the alarming number of gay teen suicides around the country. The "It Gets Better Project" is a website and organization dedicated to helping "young people who are lesbian, gay, bi or transsexual see how love and happiness can be a reality in their future." We hope the Broncos will continue fostering its impressive record of community service by taking it to a new level. Sign this petition to let the Denver Broncos know that you're a fan and that you want to see them make an "It Gets Better" video.
Tell the Denver Broncos to be the first NFL Team to make an "It Gets Better" video now by signing clicking here to sign this petition. |
| Submitted 12/19/2011 at 9:45 AM by Jes W | |
| SAVE THE INTERNET! |
Right now, the US Congress is debating a law that would give them the power to censor the world's Internet -- creating a blacklist that could target YouTube, WikiLeaks and even groups like Avaaz!
Under the new law, the US could force Internet providers to block any website on suspicion of violating copyright or trademark legislation, or even failing to sufficiently police their users' activities. And, because so much of the Internet's hosts and hardware are located in the US, their blacklist would clamp down on the free web for all of us.
The vote could happen any day now, but we can help stop this -- champions in Congress want to preserve free speech and tell us that an international outcry would strengthen their hand. Let’s urgently raise our voices from every corner of the world and build an unprecedented global petition calling on US decision makers to reject the bill and stop Internet censorship.
Foryears, the US government has condemned countries like China and Iran for their clampdown on Internet use. But now, the impact of America's new censorship laws could be far worse -- effectively blocking sites to every Internet user across the globe.
Last year, a similar Internet censorship bill was killed before reaching the US Senate floor, but it's now back in a different form. Copyright laws already exist and are enforced by courts. But this new law goes much further -- granting the government and big corporations enormous powers to force service providers and search engines to block websites based just on allegations of violations -- without a trial or being found guilty of any crime!
Sign below to stop US censorship, and save the Internet as we know it:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_internet/?vl |
| Submitted 11/30/2011 at 4:33 PM by Jes W | |
| Day of Action to End Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict |
Did you know that up to 500,000 women were raped during the Rwandan genocide?
Did you know that over 64,000 women were raped in Sierra Leone?
Did you know that over 40,000 women were raped in Bosnia-Herzegovina?
Did you know that over 1,000 women are raped every day in Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo?
Enough is enough.
Today is the Nobel Women's Initiative international day of action against sexual violence in conflict.
Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi and Mairead Maguire will TAKE A STAND to end rape in war. We urge you to TAKE A STAND in your home country and join them virtually.
Following the unprecedented conference in Montebello, Quebec where they hosted over 120 women from around the world to discuss strategies to address sexual violence, the Laureates will be TAKING A STAND in Ottawa - addressing Canadian parliamentarians and urging them to take the lead to end rape in war. Together - through online action - we can take this message to governments all over the world.
Take a stand:
Go to the UN Action Stop Rape Now website at http://bit.ly/m4GiDb and download the sample letter asking your elected official for increased action against sexual violence in conflict - and send it! Tell your government you are TAKING A STAND!
Write a blog post, tweet or share on Facebook. We will be posting video messages and live-tweeting throughout the day - letting you know what ACTION we are taking.
Make sure to check the Nobel Women's Initiative blog and follow the #endrapeinwar hashtag. Use it in your posts - let's make it trend!
Sample tweets:
Hundreds of women will be raped today. TAKE A STAND and send a letter to your gvt urging to #endrapeinwar http://bit.ly/m4GiDb
Almost 48 women are raped every hour in Congo. TAKE A STAND and send a letter to your government urging to #endrapeinwar http://bit.ly/m4GiDb
Women Nobel Laureates are taking a stand to #endrapeinwar. TAKE A STAND and send a letter to your gvt urging action: http://bit.ly/m4GiDb
Sample facebook posts:
As you sit at your computer right now, hundreds of women around the world are being raped as a strategic tactic of war. Tell your government: enough is enough! TAKE A STAND and send a letter to your elected official urging them to take action. link: http://bit.ly/m4GiDb
Women Nobel Peace Laureates are TAKING A STAND to end sexual violence in conflict. Why don't you? Send a letter to your elected official urging them to be a leader by acting to end rape!
link: http://bit.ly/m4GiDb
Be sure to let us know when you have TAKEN A STAND by:
sending us an email (web@nobelwomensinitiative.org)
tweeting: #itookastand #endrapeinwar
or click the I TOOK A STAND button on our website!
We hope you will join us!
-Nobel Women's Initiative |
| Submitted 5/26/2011 at 11:15 AM by Betsy L | |
| Help Those Affected by the Tornado in Joplin, MO |
On Sunday, May 22, Joplin Mo. was struck by a devastating tornado. According to NPR, "it was the deadliest single twister in the U.S. in nearly 60 years and the second major tornado disaster in less than a month." As of Monday, 116 people lost their lives, with searches still underway for missing persons. Much of this town of 500,000 is destroyed, including a hospital, schools, businesses and homes.
Please help the people of Joplin and volunteer efforts underway. Below are a list of different ways that folks can provide support at this time.
* If you are in Missouri, call 2-1-1 (800-427-4626) to join volunteer efforts), or contact a local volunteer reception center.
* Donate blood. Last heard, there was a great need for O+.
* Call 573-443-4523, go online to http://uwheartmo.org/, or text JOPLIN to 864833 to make a donation with Heart of Missouri United Way! . A MO family has pledged to match up to $50,000 in donations made to this fund, beginning Tuesday morning, and 100% of proceeds go straight to Joplin with ZERO overhead.
* Southwest Missouri Bank has established a fund: Red Cross Joplin Tornado Fund. SMB made an initial deposit of $10,000. Donations accepted at any open SMB branch or by mail:
SMB
Red Cross Joplin Tornado Fund
110 N Neosho Blvd.
Neosho, Mo. 64850 |
| Submitted 5/24/2011 at 8:53 AM by Jasmin M | |
| Free Political Prisoner Bahareh Hedayat in Iran |
Click here to sign a petition to help free Bahareh Hedayat!
Click here to visit and like the Free Bahareh Hedayat page on Facebook!
Read below for more information about Bahareh Hedayat:
Bahareh Hedayat, a prominent student and women’s rights activist, is suffering at the hands of the Iranian authorities in Iran’s notorious Evin prison. Bahareh is a leading member of Iran’s pro-democracy student movement, Daftar-e Takhim-e Vahdat (Office for Consolidating Unity), and was active in the One Million Signatures Campaign for women’s equality.
Bahareh has received one of the heaviest and harshest prison sentences to date. She has been imprisoned for over one year under severe conditions in the women’s ward of Evin Prison in Tehran. The injustices and oppression inflicted upon Bahareh are retaliation for her peaceful activism as a university student and as an advocate of equality for women in Iran.
Around midnight on December 31, 2009, after the fraudulent June 2009 elections, Bahareh was arrested by the Intelligence Ministry of Iran for the fifth time over the past four years and was initially placed in solitary confinement in Ward 209 of Evin Prison. On May 5, 2010, after an unjust trial, the authorities laid 16 charges against her. Bahareh was sentenced to 9 ½ years’ imprisonment—one of the harshest sentences a student movement leader has received in recent years.
In December 2010, while serving her sentence in Evin Prison, Bahareh published a statement in honor of “Students’ Day” along with two other imprisoned student activists. Because of this act, Bahareh was again called to the municipal court to face new charges.
From the moment of her arrest on December 31st 2009, she has spent three months in solitary confinement, has been deprived of temporary leave from prison, and over the past three months her weekly visitation rights and phone privileges have been revoked.
Before December 2009, Bahareh was arrested on four other occasions. Over the past three years, this brave and unremitting activist has spent Nowruz (the Iranian New Year) behind bars. |
| Submitted 4/3/2011 at 10:52 AM by Jaala H | |
| Save the PeaceJam AmeriCorps VISTA team! |
On February 19, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, legislation that would make deep cuts in government spending for the rest of the fiscal year. The measure – which eliminates the Corporation for National and Community Service and its programs [including AmeriCorps VISTA] -- passed 235-189.
PeaceJam is supported by a team of 13 AmeriCorps VISTAs across the United States. Their work is extremely valuable and it would be a great loss to PeaceJam if this legislation is passed in the final spending package.
We know H.R. 1 – as it passed the House – will not be the final funding package. The bill has been sent to the Senate for their consideration, and the Senate and the President will have opportunities to shape and influence the final spending package. But Congress must reach a compromise before April 8 or the government will shut down.
Difficult decisions on funding priorities will have to be made in the next few weeks and we have to work very hard to ensure that any compromise restores funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service. Programs that speak out the loudest will be saved. Others will not.
Please take two minutes to take action below and pass this info on to your networks. Call your Representatives and Senators today and explain what will be lost if H.R. 1 becomes a reality. It is important that you ask that funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service be restored in the final spending bill.
Click here for simple talking points when you call your Senators and Representatives.
Click here to learn how your representatives voted.
Current VISTA Members and Site Supervisors, please keep in mind the following Corporation for National & Community Service rule: Grantee staff and program participants may not (1) attempt to influence legislation or (2) participate in, or endorse, political events of activities, if they are doing so while charging time to a Corporation-supported program, accumulating service or training hours towards an education award, or otherwise performing activities supported by the Corporation. Individuals may exercise their First Amendment rights, including participating in the political process, on their own initiative, on their own time, and using non-Corporation funds and resources. To clarify, use your personal phone or your personal email, on your personal time, to contact your members of Congress. |
| Submitted 2/28/2011 at 9:42 AM by Jen C | |
| Send a message to Aung San Suu Kyi |
U.S. Campaign for Burma says:
Add your name to our message or personalize a message to Aung San Suu Kyi today telling her you stand with her in her quest to bring democracy to Burma.
Help us create a groundswell of worldwide support for Aung San Suu Kyi to show Burma's dictator Than Shwe that he cannot continue to ignore Suu Kyi's call for dialogue.
We will share your words of support and encouragement directly with Suu Kyi in Rangoon.
U.S. Campaign for Burma and supporters like you are a critical part of her global network. Show Aung San Suu Kyi the power of our network today. |
Click here to take action! |
| Submitted 12/17/2010 at 12:46 PM by Betsy L | |
| Free Nobel Peace Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo |
Nobel Peace Prize recipient Liu Xiaobo was charged with "inciting subversion of state power" and given an 11-year prison sentence on December 25, 2009 simply for co-authoring a proposal for political and legal reform in China. Freedom of expression must be protected by the state in China, in line with Chinese constitutional guarantees and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which China has signed. Urge Chinese authorities to release Liu Xiaobo immediately and unconditionally.
Click here to learn more and take action. |
| Submitted 10/15/2010 at 2:50 PM by Ryan H | |
| Call your Ambassador to urge the UN to take action in Burma |
Right now, the European Union is drafting a resolution on Burma that will be introduced at the UN General Assembly meeting (UNGA) which will begin on the 3rd week of September. Send an email or make a phone call to make sure this resolution calls for the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into Crimes Against Humanity in Burma.
Click here to send an email.
Review these instructions to make a phone call:
1) Dial one of the numbers below and ask to speak to the corresponding ambassador (if you are not able to call, please email or fax).
Hi, may I speak to Ambassador XXX, I would like to ask him to support an UN Commission of Inquiry into Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes in Burma.
Ambassador's Contacts
(1) His Excellency Mr. Pedro Serrano, Ambassador, Acting Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations Tel. (212) 371 3804
Fax (212) 758 2718
Email: delegation-new-york@ec.europa.eu
(2) His Excellency Ambassador João Vale de Almeida, European Union Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to the United States
Telephone: (202) 862-9500; Fax: (202) 429-1766. Email: catherina.bagnall@ec.europa.eu
2) It is likely that they will ask you to leave a message with his assistant.
Hi Ambassador XXXX. As you may know, the United States has already pledged its support for a UN-led Commission of Inquiry into crimes against humanity in Burma. This is a much needed step as the military regime in Burma has been brutally suppressing ethnic minorities and human rights defenders for more than four decades. Recently, the level of violence has been on the rise. Since 1996, the regime has burned down over 3,500 villages, and instances of rape and forced labor by the military are well documented. That is why I urge the EU to join the United States, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Australia in calling for this important measure towards accountability and justice in Burma.
* We know that the EU is writing a draft resolution on Burma that it will submit at the upcoming UNGA 65th session. We want the EU to make sure that its draft resolution includes a call to Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to set up a Commission of Inquiry.
* We believe that this is the right moment to take this action to pressure the regime to stop its sham election and to start negotiations with the democratic opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi for real and sustainable national reconciliation and democratization.
3) You may want to leave your number in case they would like to call you back.
If you have any further questions about why you should support a Commission of Inquiry in Burma, feel free to call me at XXXXX
4) Thank them for taking the message!
5) Email myradah@uscampaignforburma.org to let us know how the call went. |
| Submitted 9/9/2010 at 2:31 PM by Betsy L | |
| Give 67 minutes for Nelson Mandela |
Nelson Mandela gave 67 years of his life fighting for the rights of humanity. Will you give 67 minutes of your time on July 18th to help build a better world?
The Elders have joined the former President of South Africa in a special message of support for Mandela Day.
In a new video message the Elders and Mr Mandela urge people everywhere to give 67 minutes of their time to reach out to others in their communities.
Check out more HERE |
| Submitted 7/14/2010 at 1:51 PM by Betsy L | |
| Iranian mother faces death sentence |
Iranian mother Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, accused of adultery, has been sentenced to death by the Iranian government.
The original death sentence was to be death by stoning. The Iranian government has said the "stoning charge" will be reviewed, however the death sentence remains. According to a petition for her release, "Knowledgeable Iranian human rights activists, including Amnesty International, question the veracity of this statement and remain deeply concerned about Ashtiani’s fate."
Ashtiani has already received 99 lashes as a result of the accusations.
To read more about Ashtiani's situation,
CLICK HERE.
To sign the petition to stop death sentence proceedings,
CLICK HERE. |
| Submitted 7/13/2010 at 3:59 PM by Kate P | |
| Urge the U.S. to Join the Mine Ban Treaty Now! |
HELP US MAKE HISTORY
The U.S. may never have been closer to joining the Mine Ban Treaty! A letter, signed by 68 senators, was delivered just this week calling on the Obama administration to join the Mine Ban Treaty. Sixty-eight is a special number because it represents the Senate two-thirds majority we would need for ratification if the administration sends the treaty to the Senate for consent.
But we need your help to make sure this happens! Last night Avaaz.org launched an international petition calling on the U.S. to join the treaty. At the time of writing, we already have 55,000+ signatures. Avaaz will deliver the petition to President Obama once we have 200,000 signatures. Add your name now at http://www.avaaz.org/en/obama_ban_mines/96.php.
Then visit the USCBL site at www.uscbl.org and email your own letter to President Obama and Secretary Clinton using the templates we have created through our CapWiz tools. |
| Submitted 5/20/2010 at 3:02 PM by Bradlee A | |
| Stop Oil Drilling in the Arctic Before It Starts |
Within the remote waters of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas – off the coast of Alaska – swim gray and bowhead whales, more than 3,000 belugas, and endangered fin and humpback whales.
But this region will see new guests within weeks: ships from Shell Oil, bent on drilling five exploratory oil wells.
The disaster in the Gulf is a tragic reminder that there is no fail-safe way to drill for oil offshore. Help us stop oil drilling in the Arctic before it ever begins – and avert another offshore drilling disaster.
Under the Bush Administration, millions of acres of the Arctic Ocean were leased to Shell Oil. The Wilderness Society and other conservation groups were able to convince the Obama Administration to review leasing plans there. The WildAlert community's support had a big impact. Now Interior Secretary Salazar's safety review is due out by May 28th, so we have a small window of time to influence his decision.
An oil spill in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas would have devastating consequences on the marine life there, far from ports or any clean-up support. In fact, Coast Guard commandant Admiral Thad Allen, who is overseeing response efforts in the Gulf, told a recent Senate field hearing in Alaska that oil spill cleanup is "significantly more difficult" in colder temperatures and the [Arctic] region has "limited response resources and capabilities."
Take Action Now to Block Oiling Drilling in the Arctic |
| Submitted 5/14/2010 at 11:09 AM by Bradlee A | |
| Email Your Senators for Burma |
The military regime in Burma continues to commit egregious human rights violations that are so widespread and systematic that they amount to crimes against humanity. Against this tyranny the people of Burma are engaged in one of the worlds most inspiring freedom struggles.
Burma's popularly supported democratic opposition, led by the world’s only imprisoned Nobel Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has called for the world to cut the regime's financial lifelines. In response to this call Congress passed the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act in 2003, which prevents millions of dollars from entering the pockets of the regime and its cronies.
The act must be renewed every year. This is no time for the US to turn its back on Burma's democratic opposition. With sham elections coming up designed to legitimize military rule and the Burmese army increasing hostilities against ethnic minorities in Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi and the people need our support more than ever.
Click here to take action. |
| Submitted 5/7/2010 at 11:54 AM by Bradlee A | |
| Support civil and human rights in Iran |
In support of 2003 Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Shirin Ebadi, we the people ask UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to reject the Islamic Republic of Iran's bid for membership in the Human Rights Council.
Please sign the following petition: Click to sign petition
We hope that by rejecting the Islamic Republic of Iran’s bid for membership in the Human Rights Council, you will draw the Iranian authorities’ attention to their wrongdoings, and that you will also make that country’s membership to the council conditional on the implementation of UN resolutions on human rights violations in Iran, in particular the resolution 64/176 of December 2009.
 |
| Submitted 4/22/2010 at 3:47 PM by Pantea B | |
| Become a PeaceJam Partner with Adolfo’s Aldea Schools in Argentina |
Send donation to PeaceJam with a cover letter.
Adolfo and his colleagues run two schools in Argentina for over 400 of the most needy youth, many of whom are “street children”. The schools provide youth with remedial reading and writing instruction, job-skill training in trades such as plumbing, carpentry, rabbit breeding, bee-keeping, teachings in social justice and human rights, and a safe educational community for the youth. PeaceJam programs have the unique opportunity to partner with these schools which are in desperate need of support and resources.
The Aldea Schools need support with the most basic operating expenses which include the cost for buses to bring the youth from rural areas out to the countryside where the schools are located. The schools also grow their food and have livestock to be able to feed the youth a fresh wholesome meal every day (for most, it is the only meal they get each day). They have staff who tend the gardens and the livestock and others that cook the meals for the youth.
Monthly Costs:
Aldea School – Rodruguez
• Buses to transport 300 youth to and from the school each day: $1,000
• Cooks to prepare the food for the youth: $400
• People to tend the gardens and livestock: $400
• Electricity: $250
Total Monthly Costs: $2,050
Aldea School – Pilar
• Buses to transport 100 youth to and from the school each day: $500
• Cooks to prepare the food for the youth: $400
• People to tend the gardens and livestock: $400
• Electricity: $250
Total Monthly Costs: $1,550
Take Action
Donate to Aldea: Host a fundraiser to help keep the Aldea Schools open! Send your donation to the PeaceJam Foundation with a letter indicating the amount of money to be donated and which of the Aldea Schools you would like to support (you may also indicate which of the above costs you would like your donations to cover). The PeaceJam Foundation will wire the funds to the Aldea Schools. Aldea will send receipts for costs paid through your donations.
Become an Aldea PeaceJam Partner: Through PeaceJam, you can become a partner program with one of the Aldea Schools. This partnership will include on-going email, letter, and/or video communication between your program and the youth in your Aldea partner school, collaborative Global Call to Action projects, joint fundraisers, and the potential for exchange visits with your Aldea partner school. The possibilities are endless! The PeaceJam Foundation and Adolfo’s Foundation staff will work directly with you to develop the partnership activities. To become a partner school, contact Kate Cumbo at kate@peacejam.org |
| Submitted 4/6/2010 at 9:51 AM by | |
| Stand with Suu Kyi Photo Action |
Burma's military rulers have detained Nobel Peace Prize Winner and prisoner of conscience Aung San Suu Kyi for 14 of the last 20 years. Although she is imprisoned, Suu Kyi's message of hope and dignity remains strong. Show your support for her and human rights in Burma!
Help Amnesty International gather at least 2,100 photos to represent the 2,100 political prisoners detained in Burma. You can take pictures anywhere - at school, near local landmarks, with community leaders - get creative!
Click here to download your "Stand with Suu Kyi" sign and post your photo today! |
| Submitted 3/16/2010 at 12:44 PM by | |
| Join International Campaign To Abolish Nuclear Weapons |
Forty years ago today, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty entered into force. Now it’s one of the most widely ratified treaties in the world.
However, after 40 years, the time has come to ask if governments globally have made enough progress towards realizing the treaty’s promise of a nuclear-weapon-free world. The answer is clearly “no”. Despite reductions in global stockpiles, there are still more than 23,000 nuclear weapons across the globe, many of them on hair-trigger alert, ready to be used within minutes of a command.
But we have an important opportunity to change the current state of play, and we need your help.
This May key decision makers from 189 countries — almost every country in the world — will meet in New York for a major month-long review of the NPT. Our task is to persuade them to set a bold action plan for nuclear abolition. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is calling for governments to make a firm commitment to negotiate a comprehensive nuclear weapons ban.
This new treaty — known as a Nuclear Weapons Convention — would outlaw the development, testing, possession and use of all nuclear weapons, and put in place the mechanisms needed to eliminate them. We’re under no illusion that the journey to abolition will be easy, but it must start now. In fact, with a President in the White House who shares the vision of world without nuclear weapons, right now is the best chance we have ever had.
Together we can generate a powerful groundswell of public support, in every continent, for a world free of nuclear weapons.
Here’s what we’re asking you to do today on the NPT’s 40th anniversary:
* Write to your UN ambassador: Write a letter to the head of your country’s UN mission in New York using our simple online form, and one of our team will hand-deliver it! Explain why you feel so passionately about abolishing nuclear weapons, and call on your government to support a Nuclear Weapons Convention at the NPT Review Conference.
* Please make a donation of $20 or more: ICAN needs to step up its efforts in the lead-up to the NPT Review Conference, but we can’t do it without generous contributions from supporters like you. Donations of as little as $20 can make a big difference when they come from hundreds of people. Every dollar counts.
And remember: NWC doesn’t just stand for “Nuclear Weapons Convention”. It also stands for “Now We Can”. So let’s work together and make nuclear abolition a reality! We thank you for your continued support.
In peace,
The ICAN team
http://www.icanw.org |
| Submitted 3/4/2010 at 9:37 PM by | |