share information on human rights defenders, with special focus on human rights awards and laureates
On Saturday, the 19th of October 2013 , around 1:00 pm, Rocío Mesino Mesino, leader of the Peasant Organization of the Southern Sierra (OCSS ), was killed in the town of Mexcaltepec, municipality of Atoyac de Alvarez, in the state of Guerrero, Mexcio. Read the rest of this entry »
From 8 – 11 October 2013 took place the 7th Dublin Platform for Human Rights Defenders organised by Front Line Defenders. I share the impression as posted by Executive Director, Deon Haywood, of Women With A Vision [WWAV’s] who joined 145 activists from 95 different countries for the meeting. “This is a vital international forum for human rights defenders at risk, as many cannot speak freely in their own country. Through plenary presentations and working group discussions, defenders shared experiences, learned from each other and came up with new and more effective strategies for their security and protection. This year’s Dublin Platform also included a specific focus on the risks faced by women human rights defenders.”
When addressing this global community of activists during the Dublin Platform opening, Deon Haywood spoke of a choice that rang true for so many attendees: “To be a human rights defender is to make a choice between standing up for what is right and defending the rights of others, or passively accepting that there is no other way. Being here with 145 other human rights defenders from every corner of the globe, all of whom face very similar risks, reminds me of the rightness of our cause. When you see the energy and the commitment of the people in this room, then there is a real cause for optimism for the future.”
You can Join the Center for Story-based Strategy CSS and the New Tactics community for an online conversation on Change the Story: Harnessing the power of narrative for social change from October 14 to 18.
People and communities use stories to understand the world and our place in it. These stories are embedded with power – the power to explain and justify the status quo as well as the power to make change imaginable and urgent. …This conversation is an opportunity for human rights defenders to learn more about story-based strategy and how to integrate it into campaign planning. This is also an opportunity for those practitioners using story-based strategy to share their experiences, questions, and ideas with each other. Practitioners to lead this conversation are:
Danielle Coates-Connor, Conversation Facilitator of the Center for Story-based Strategy
Nathan Schneider of Waging Nonviolence
Soriano of Lionswrite Communications
Kathleen Pequeño of the Progressive Communicators Network
Nadia Khastaqir of the Design Action Collective
Kristi Rendahl of the Center for Victims of Torture
Lama Sangye and Justin Von Bujdoss of the New York Tsurphu Goshir Dharma Center
Chris Cavanagh of the Catalyst Centre
Dr. Cara Lisa Berg Powers of Press Pass TV
Laura Revels, Digital Storytelling Trainer
Shreya Atrey, practitioner.
September’s Conversation on Media Tactics for Social Change now has a summary posted and in November there will be a Conversation on Visualizing Information for Advocacy, in partnership with Tactical Technology Collective.
via Join our conversation on the power of narrative, this week!.
The Ahlul Bayt News Agency reports today that a court in Bahrain sentenced today political detainees, including activists and human rights defenders, to total of more than 400 years’ imprisonment and upheld the sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment against two children. All of the sentences were delivered under the internationally criticized and vague terrorism law. The court also reduced the sentences of two police officers who tortured a detainee to death from 10 years’, to 2 years’ imprisonment. On 29 of September 2013, the court held the ruling session in the case known as “February 14th Coalition”, in which 50 individuals were tried under the terrorism law, including human rights defender Naji Fateel, political activist Hisham Al-Sabbag and activist Rihanna Al-Mosawi. In first session when defendants spoke about the torture they were subjected to, but were ignored by the court. On the 5th of September, the legal defense team submitted a letter requesting a change of court due to the conflict of interest, and requested a medical committee to investigate the torture allegations from the defendants. The defense team then withdrew from the session based on Article 211 of the Criminal Procedure Law of Bahrain, which stated that the defense team can refuse the judges ruling in the cases mentioned in the previous article and in other cases which are prescribed by the law. Moreover, the defendants issued a statement boycotting the trial stating that the lack of an independent judiciary as one of the reasons. On the 29 September 2013, the court continued the trial and sentenced the 50 defendants in the case to a total of 430 years in prison: 16 defendants were sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment including Naji Fateel and political activist Hisham Al-Sabbag, 4 were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and 30 to 5 years. The BCHRs Acting President Maryam Al-Khawaja stated: “There was no due process in the entirety of this case which is why the defendants and their lawyers decided to boycott. From the time that the defendants were abducted, tortured and then sentences, nothing was done according to international standards of a fair trial. If these fifty people were really guilty of a crime, why was the only evidence presented confessions extracted under torture? This was a sham trial with a political verdict, they should be released immediately”.
via Bahrain Court Sentences 50 Shia Muslims to Total 430 Years Imprisonment / Names.
A recent 100-page report by Human Rights Watch, “Tightening the Screws: Azerbaijan’s Crackdown on Civil Society and Dissent,” documents the dramatic deterioration of the government’s record on freedom of expression, assembly, and association in the past 18 months. The authorities have arrested dozens of political activists on bogus charges, imprisoned critical journalists, broken up peaceful public demonstrations, and adopted legislation imposing new restrictions on fundamental freedoms.
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Not surprisingly this blog brings mostly ‘bad news’ or updates on HRDs in difficulty. It overlooks – like most other such sources of information – the day-to-day promotion work done by NGOs and activists. To remedy this a bit, here an arbitrary example of awareness building done all around the world: Brian Dooley, the director of the Human Rights Defenders program at Human Rights First, gave the commencement address to the 68 graduates leaving Ross School in East Hampton, NY.
Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of over 300 universities and colleges in 34 countries dedicated to promoting academic freedom and its constituent freedoms of thought, opinion, expression, association and travel. Read the rest of this entry »
JASS is an international feminist organization founded in 2003 by activists, popular educators, and scholars from 13 countries. Working with women and diverse organizations and social movements in 27 countries, JASS trains and supports activist leadership and grassroots organizing and builds and mobilizes alliances amplified by creative media strategies to influence change in discriminatory institutions, policies and beliefs. On its website JASS devotes attention to women Human Rights Defenders. It reads in part:
“The insecurity and backlash that women face around the world transcend national boundaries and test the limits of established NGO and civil society responses prompting a demand for fresh alternatives and stronger, more agile alliances and strategic action. States can no longer be relied upon to protect citizens; transnational, non-state actors are exerting increased but often behind-the-scenes influence; and violence is perpetuated by widespread impunity.
Growing levels of influence by organized crime and other non-state actors, along with devastating economic policies have deepened the global crisis, leaving women activists largely unprotected and constantly under threat. State institutions would rather invest in militarization and wartime policies than harness the political will to defend women’s rights. Not only are women activists victims of slander and backlash from outside perpetrators, but also suffer violence from within their own communities and movements. Doubly at risk, their protection is particularly complex.
Despite the risks, women have mobilized around the world, leading struggles against impunity and repression. Suffering threats, intimidation and even death in reprisal for their work, these women activists, many of whom have never identified themselves as human rights defenders, continue to fight on the frontlines of social justice, democracy and rights battles. Women defenders span all levels of activism, joined together by their mutual concerns for justice. They are diverse, from community leaders, teachers, mothers, union members and LGBTI activists who defend social and economic rights to indigenous women, feminists, lawyers, journalists, and academics to advance political and civil rights.”
When I saw that William Gomes was named ‘human rights ambassador‘ back in April 2012 my curiosity was piqued and I wondered how on earth I had never heard of him or his appointment. Which country or international organization had bestowed upon him this official function and title and why? A bit of internet research revealed that it is the Oregon-based news agency Salem-News.com that had given him the grandiose title because “in this rapidly changing world, we believe this newly-created position and program, are large steps in raising our effectiveness as a news agency“.
At first I was a bit annoyed that the well-known title had been appropriated by a journalist but then reflected that we already have quite a few of ‘Goodwill’ Ambassadors and that Amnesty International has a ‘Ambassador of Conscience Award’, so that the charge of inflation hardly stands. Moreover, the definition coined in 1604 by Sir Henry Wotton that “an ambassador is an honest gentleman sent to lie abroad for the good of his country” does not guarantee better reporting.
What is interesting is that Salem-News.com describes itself “as a tireless band of writers, many of whom constantly explore the stinging issues surrounding human rights violations all over the world. We have long been a voice for the downtrodden, the people who fight for human independence, and resistance movements in the world that battle fascism and state terrorism” and stresses “that human rights reporting is our centerpiece; and in that respect our reporters are all incredible ambassadors for humanity“. William’s qualities and credentials as a “new kind of journalist” are provided in florid detail with his involvement in the Global Independent Media Center, the Italian Asia news agency, and the Asian Human Rights Commission,
Tim King, News Editor for Salem-News.com, states “We are very excited about the inclusion of this new role for William, he is already seeing progress from his letters to high level officials who are capable of resolving serious issues. There are people in really tough circumstances in need of intervention, this will be an increasingly powerful method in helping draw public attention to the ordeals they face” and he encourage all of us to send a congratulations letter to: williamgomes.org@gmail.com!
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 