Posts Tagged ‘Human Rights Defenders’
October 18, 2013
The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, on 16 October 2013 called on the Togolese Government to ensure a favourable environment in which human rights defenders can carry out their work. The Government can do this by fully implementing the existing legal framework, avoiding stigmatisation and fostering a spirit of dialogue and constructive criticism, she said at the end of her five-day mission to assess progress made in Togo since her last visit in 2008.
Compared to 2008, “The environment for defenders is more enabling now, but important challenges remain” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: defamation laws, fact finding, Geneva, Human right, human rights, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, journalists, LGBT, Margaret Sekaggaya, Margaret Sekaggya, Special Rapporteur, Togo, UN Special Rapporteur, United Nations, United Nations Human Rights Council, United Nations Special Rapporteur
October 17, 2013
In a move praised by local and international rights groups, Burma’s government, led by ex-general Thein Sein, has released 56 political prisoners. However, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners [AAPP] noted in a statement to the media that 133 political prisoners were still languishing in the country’s prisons. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: AAPP, activism, Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, Aung Myint, Burma, Burmese President Thein Sein, David Cameron, detention, freedom of demonstration, Hla Myo Naing, Human Rights Defenders, human rights lawyer, Karen, minority rights, Myanmar, political prisoner, political prisoners, prisoners of conscience, Rakhine, Rakhine State, release, Sittwe, Thein Sein, U Aung Myint
October 17, 2013
The Tulip Award for Human Rights Defenders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands has this year added a new element: an on-line poll to help select the winner. Anyone can go to http://www.government.nl/ministries/bz/news/2013/10/09/online-poll-for-human-rights-prize.html and choose which of the 44 nominees deserves the prize most. It closes on Friday 18 October Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights | 1 Comment »
Tags: Advocacy Organizations, awards, Frans Timmermans, human rights, Human Rights and Liberties, human rights award, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, international protection, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands, on-line, The Tulip Award, Tulip award
October 16, 2013
A group of United Nations experts has expressed serious concern at reports that Chinese human rights defenders have suffered reprisals for seeking to participate in a major UN human rights assessment of China. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, UN | 5 Comments »
Tags: Cao Shunli, Chen Guangcheng, Chen Jianfang, China, Civil society, Frank LaRue, Geneva, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, Human rights in China, illegal detention, Maina Kiai, Margaret Sekaggaya, reprisals, retaliation, UN Special Rapporteur, United Nations, United Nations Human Rights Council, Universal Periodic Review, UPR, woman human rights defender, Zhao Zhenjia
October 16, 2013
On 16 October Scoop News reports on a consultation, held on 25 September 2013 in Geneva, entitled Isolating Papua which highlighted the increasing practice of limiting access to the Papuan provinces of Indonesia. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: arbitrary arrest, arrrest, Asian Human Rights Commission, Coalition for Papua, conflict and peace, freedom of expression, Geneva, harassment, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, human rights violations, Indonesia, Jakarta, journalists, Lukas Enembe, meeting, Non-governmental organization, Papua, police brutality, side event, Special Procedures, UN, WCC, West Papua, World Council of Churches
October 15, 2013
Posted in Front Line, HRW, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: Africa, bloggers, Bunge La Mwananchi, Daniel Bekele, Dennis Itumbi, detention, Front Line Defenders, harassment, HRW, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Watch, International Criminal Court, Kenya, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Maina Kiai, police brutality, Ruth Mumbi, threats, Uhuru Kenyatta, United Nations Special Rapporteur, William Ruto, women human rights defenders
October 15, 2013
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.”
via “To be a human rights defender is to make a choice…”.
Posted in Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: activism, Advocacy Organizations, Deon Haywood, Dublin, Dublin Platform, Front Line Defenders, Human right, Human Rights and Liberties, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, international protection, meeting, Non-governmental organization, United Nations, women human rights defenders, WWAV
October 14, 2013
To launch its new In-Brief on reprisals against human rights defenders, the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights organized a side event at the 24th Session of the Human Rights Council. The round table discussion was presided by Prof. Andrew Clapham The main Conclusions are: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 4 Comments »
Tags: Andrew Clapham, defenders of human rights, Geneva Academy, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, human rights, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, International humanitarian law, international protection, International Service for Human Rights, ISHR, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Reprisal, reprisals, retaliation, side event, standard setting, UN Human Rights Council, United Nations, United Nations System
October 14, 2013
While 130 NGOs in Africa and elsewhere call in a joint letter to the African Union not to abandon the International Criminal Court, Bishop Desmond Tutu publishes in the New York Times of 10 October an excellent piece explaining why it is a terrible mistake. Here is it is in full:
CAPE TOWN — MEMBERS of the African Union will meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, today to discuss recent calls by some African leaders to withdraw from the International Criminal Court. These calls must be resisted. The continent has suffered the consequences of unaccountable governance for too long to disown the protections offered by the I.C.C. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Africa, African countries, African Union, AU, campaign, Desmond Tutu, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Watch, ICC, impunity, International Criminal Court, international justice, Protection International
October 14, 2013
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!.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: activism, Advocacy, audiovisual communication, conversation, Human Rights Defenders, internet, Mass media, Narrative, New Tactics in Human Rights, New Tactics online, on-line conversations, social change, Tactical Technology collective, television, Visualizing
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 