A Happy Mother's Day Health Fair and Pannel Discussion

One woman dies every 90 seconds from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth around the world. Here in the United States, more than two women die every day from maternal health-related issues. Approximately half of these deaths could be prevented if good-quality maternal health care were accessible, to all women across the USA.

In order to shine a light on the maternal mortality crisis in the United States and around ...the world, we are hosting a Happy Mother's Day Health Fair, followed by A Mother Lost Every 90 Seconds: Maternal Health Accountability Dialogue. The event will take place in the Englewood community of Chicago, identified as having the highest rate of maternal mortality in the city of Chicago.

The event will start with a health fair from 5-6:30 pm. The health fair will feature food, raffle prizes and information from community health and wellness providers for expecting mothers and their families. Following the health fair, from 6:30-8:00 pm, there will be a panel discussion featuring local experts on maternal health.

Please join us as we shine a light on maternal mortality!' on Wednesday, May 4 · 5:00pm - 8:00pm  at TEAM Englewood Community Academy High School. 6201 S. Stewart Avenue, Chicago, IL 60621.

For more information about how you can Shine a Light on Maternal Health click here-----> http://www.amnestyusa.org/demand-dignity/maternal-health-is-a-human-right/shine-a-light-on-maternal-health-this-mothers-day/page.do?id=1021239

Mother's Day 2011: AIUSA's First Demand Dignity Campaign Spike

AIUSA is proud to formally announce the 2011 Demand Dignity Campaign spike (The first Campaign spike of this fiscal year)!

Mother’s Day 2011: Shine a Light on Maternal Health!
Saturday, April 23, 2011 – Sunday, May 22, 2011
     
During the four weeks around Mother’s Day (May 8th), AIUSA will be continuing to highlight working for the right to maternal health in the United States and around the world.

We have four main tactics:

1. LETTER WRITING (In the form of Mother’s Day Cards)
In a twist on the traditional Amnesty letter, the Demand Dignity Campaign is producing six new Mother’s Day cards. Members will write the cards to their elected officials and international decision makers, using Write-a-thon style case sheets. Individuals and groups can register to host a card-writing event at www.amnestyusa.org/mothersday.

2. LOBBYING (In-District Lobby Week)
In March, Representative John Conyers (D-MI) introduced the Maternal Health Accountability Act, a bipartisan bill that addresses the most urgent recommendations of Deadly Delivery. From April 29 to May 8, members will lead delegations to lobby their representatives in-district to support the bill. Members can register at www. amnestyusa.org/lobby .

3.  FILM SCREENINGS (Documentaries)
No Woman, No Cry
Christy Turlington Burns’s new documentary on maternal health around the world and in the United States has its broadcast premiere on the Oprah Winfrey Network on Saturday, May 7, 9:30 p.m. ET/PT. Members can host a house party to watch the premiere by signing up at www.amnestyusa.org/mothersday.
Dead Mums (Moms) Don't Cry
The campaign team has copies of this powerful BBC documentary on international maternal mortality, to loan to members for screenings any time between April 23 and May 22. Register at www.amnestyusa.org/mothersday.

4.  EVENTS
The Demand Dignity Campaign is working with the Midwest and Southern Regions to stage events in Chicago and Houston – two key locations for our maternal health work.

Gaddafi’s Forces Are Carrying Out a Campaign of Disappearances Inside Libya to Crush Growing Opposition

Libyan forces loyal to Colonel Mu’ammar al-Gaddafi have carried out a campaign of enforced disappearances of government critics, writers, journalists, pro-democracy activists -- and even children -- to crush growing opposition to his rule, Amnesty International said today in a new briefing paper.

The report by an Amnesty International team inside Libya details more than 30 cases of individuals who have disappeared since before protests began, including political activists and those suspected of being rebel fighters or supporters of fighters.

The organization said there is every reason to believe, given the circumstances of the enforced disappearances, that these individuals are at serious risk of torture and ill-treatment. The documented cases are believed to represent only a small proportion of the total number of people who have been detained or have disappeared in the custody of Gaddafi’s forces in recent weeks.

The organization called for an immediate stop to this “outrageous” campaign in violation of international law. Malcolm Smart, director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa program, said: “It appears that there is a systematic policy to detain anyone suspected of opposition to Colonel al-Gaddafi’s rule, hold them incommunicado detention, and transfer them to his strongholds in western Libya.”

He warned that Colonel al-Gaddafi could be held responsible in an international court for any crimes committed by his forces during this conflict. “All those who are detained simply for peaceful activities in support of the protests must be released immediately and given safe passage home,” said Smart.

Amnesty International called on Colonel al-Gaddafi and those around him to allow immediate independent access to those detained in order to check on their safety and help protect them from torture, and to urgently inform their families of their whereabouts.

The organization also urged those holding detainees to ensure that all alleged or known fighters who are captured are treated humanely in line with international law, and to give them immediate access to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Gov. Quinn Signs Death Penalty Ban

A historic day for Illinois! Today Governor Quinn signed the ban on the death penalty into law! Read more about it here: http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2011/03/quinn-signs-death-penalty-ban-commutes-15-death-row-sentences-to-life.html

Good work everyone!

LIBERATION SQUARE/IMMIGRATION RIGHTS MARCH!!!!!!

Come Join Amnesty as we collaborate with several area community and immigrant organizations, In an All Day Event, inspired by the Tahrir Square and subsequent protests in the Middle East. This event will take place on March 10^th and runs from 12:00pm to 6:00pm in downtown Chicago. It will start with a gathering at Union Park, where teach-ins and workshops will be held and then followed by a march past Boeing headquarters and on to Daley Plaza for the Coming out of the Shadows (youth immigrant) Rally.

Here are links for more information on the event:

http://moratoriumondeportations.org/

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=154510054605230

International Women's Day Event

Amnesty International Chicago invites you to join us for our:
International Women’s Day Event
March 7, 6:00-8:00 PM.
University Center Conference Chicago
Loop/River Room 2nd Floor
525 S State Street, Chicago 60605

For this event, Amnesty International USA, Midwest Regional Office is partnering up with Oxfam and Chicago Fair Trade for this International Women's Day Event. Alisa Roadcup from the Amnesty International USA Women’s Rights Co-Group will speak on the panel with a speaker from each of the other two partner organizations.

Amnesty International Accuses U.N. Security Council and African Union of Failing the People of Libya with ‘Half-Hearted’ Response as Violence Flares

Amnesty International today accused the international community of failing the people of Libya in their hour of greatest need as violence spirals and Colonel al-Gaddafi threatens to “cleanse Libya house by house”.

The organization said the response to the Libya crisis by the U.N. Security Council fell shamefully below what was needed to stop the spiralling violence , and called for concrete action, including an immediate arms embargo and assets freeze.

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday issued a statement calling for an end to the violence and urging Libya to act with restraint and respect human rights, but took no substantive measures.
Amnesty International also criticized the African Union, which has not convened its Peace and Security Council to address the human rights crisis in Libya.

“Colonel al-Gaddafi has publicly made clear his readiness to kill those who oppose him in order to stay in power,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary-General. “This is unacceptable. Colonel al-Gaddafi and all those reporting to him need to know that they will be held personally accountable under international law for the crimes they commit.”

“His threats make the half-hearted response from the international community even more shocking. What Libyans need now is not mere words of concern but immediate, concrete action.”Amnesty International said that as a bare minimum the Security Council must impose an immediate arms embargo against Libya and an asset freeze against al-Gaddafi and his key security and military advisers.

The call came as Colonel al-Gaddafi gave a speech in which he called protesters “cockroaches” and “rats,” and compared the situation to China, saying that national unity had been “more important than the people of Tiananmen Square."Amnesty International also criticized the response of the African Union to the unfolding crisis, which has seen hundreds killed and persistent reports of mercenaries being brought in from African countries by the Libyan leader to violently suppress the protests against him.“

It is outrageous that the African Union Peace and Security Council has not even met to discuss the emergency taking place in one of its own member states,” said Salil Shetty. Amnesty International called on the African Union to ensure that its member states, particularly those bordering Libya, are not complicit in human rights abuses in Libya. The organization also urged the Arab League, which yesterday banned Libya from participation in its meetings, to act at once on its public commitments, in particular by launching an independent Arab investigative committee into the crisis in Libya.

In full, Amnesty International called on:·

The United Nations Security Council: to immediately impose an arms embargo on Libya preventing transfer of equipment and personnel, implement an asset freeze against Colonel al-Gaddafi and his senior military and security advisers and state unequivocally that crimes under international law in Libya will be investigated and punished.

The African Union and its member states: to immediately investigate reports that armed elements are being transported from African countries to Libya, acting to secure the land borders into Libya and monitor suspicious flights.·

The U.N. General Assembly: to immediately suspend Libya from the 47-member UN Human Rights Council.· The UN Human Rights Council: to deploy a fact-finding mission to Libya to make rapid recommendations on human rights abuses and whether a referral to the International Criminal Court is warranted.

Libya and neighboring countries: to facilitate the safe departure of those who wish to leave Libya.

Middle East Uprisings

Here is a link to the Amnesty International USA blog. This blog informs you about the current uprisings in the Middle East. You can sign up and subscribe to stay informed...
-------> http://http://blog.amnestyusa.org/tag/mideastuprising/

As the World Stood in Solidarity with the Egyptians

Thousands of people rallied in cities across the world on Saturday, February 12th to demand respect for human rights in the Middle East and North Africa as part of a global day of action organized by Amnesty International.

Activists, trade unionists, students and Amnesty International supporters created a sea of red, black and white - the colors of the Egyptian flag - in countries from Switzerland to South Korea in a day of "solidarity and defiance."

“Across the Middle East and North Africa, and around the world, ordinary people who held little hope for a better future just two months ago are realizing now that change truly is possible,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International's Secretary General, who led events in London’s Trafalgar Square.

“Today, as we raise our voices, our placards and our fists, we have joined them in solidarity and defiance." Rallies were held in cities across Australia, Benin, Canada, Germany, France, Mali, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and many other countries.

The event in London was linked to Egypt Tahrir Square, the center of mass protests calling for human rights and political reform.

The rallies were organized by Amnesty International and supported by the International Trade Unions Congress, Human Rights Watch, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network and the Arab Program for Human Rights Activists, among others.

"We stand in defiance against all those who try to suppress this growing movement of people standing up for their rights, facing down injustice and offering hope for a better future," said Shetty.

Mass anti-government demonstrations have flared across several countries in the Middle East and North Africa in recent weeks, with many protesters killed, injured or detained. Amnesty International is urging all state authorities in the region to respect human rights.

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers who campaign for universal human rights from more than 150 countries. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied

STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE EGYPTIAN PEOPLE

Join Amnesty International USA and global partners in a global day of action this SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12th at the Egypt Consulate Chicago from 12-1pm to stand in solidarity with the Egyptian People demanding an end to repression and respect for human rights and freedom!

Press for Accountability in Kyrgyzstan

On June 10th, fighting broke out in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan between rival ethnic gangs composed of Uzbek and Kyrgyz youths. The resulting violence spilled out into the major urban centers of Osh and Jalal-Abad, with Uzbek minorities taking the brunt of the damage. Arson, looting, and killings took place throughout Uzbek-dominated districts, and Amnesty experts are only now uncovering the full scale of the desturction.

Using satellite imaging technology, Amnesty has revealed that as many as 1600 structures were destroyed in the violence. It is estimated that upwards of 400,000 people have been displaced, with many families still living in makeshift structures-- afraid of returning to their homes where they may face renewed terror.

Amnesty's satelite photographs also located enormous SOS signs painted in the streets-- cries for help from the international community which were large enough to be seen from outer space, but were met with indifference here on Earth.

We have the power to change this situation. Call for an impartial investigation into the violence and atrocities. Amnesty has uncovered many instances of law enforcement officers in Kygyzstan turning a blind eye to the violence, silencing journalists, and ignoring the rights of the people they are hired to protect. Make sure that these indivuals are not the ones who end up heading the investigation. Help us fight for justice and accountability in Kygyzstan.

Turn the Tide of the Immigration Debate

A fever of anti-immigrant sentiment is sweeping the nation and it is up to us to turn the tide. We all worried that this would happen as soon as Arizona's openly discriminatory and unfair SB1070 immigration bill was signed into law-- a bill which in effect makes racial profiling legal. Now, our worst fears have been confirmed.

In three days, SB1070 will go into effect, but the tragedy does not end there. Nine other U.S. states are considering similar policies. Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia all have anti-immigrant bills up for consideration, and many other states and smaller localities are poised to follow suit.

As soon as one state was able to sign discrimination into law, anti-immigrant forces everywhere were encouraged by this dubious "success." We have to act now to make sure the insanity ends here. Let the world know that immigrants too have human rights and that these rights are non-negotiable. You can take action online here. Take the time. Make the difference.

Sri lanka Event a Success

Today, Thursday July 22nd, the Amnesty International Midwest Office took a trip to Federal Plaza to raise awareness about war crimes in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka has been racked for almost three decades by a bloody civil war between the Sri Lankan state and the Tamil Tigers-- a separatist group seeking an independent state for the island's Tamil minority. The civil war finally came to an end last year, but at the cost of thousands of civilian casualties and hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people. The internally displaced have been subjected to poor living conditions and had their freedom of movement restricted by the authorities for most of last year. What is more, many victims of past crimes have been left without recourse to justice.

Amnesty International is calling on the international community and the United Nations to support an independent, impartial investigation into past atrocities and war crimes in Sri Lanka-- to demand accountability and to ensure that no one's human rights in Sri Lanka will be violated again. The Sri Lankan government is currently conducting its own investigation into the history of the civil war, but as one of the parties to the conflict, it can hardly be expected to be impartial-- it also has a poor record of investigating abuses in the past and holding those guilty accountable.

We must end impunity for war criminals and take a step toward righting past wrongs. Amnesty does not favor one side or the other in the Sri Lankan civil war-- both sides have committed gross atrocities, including bombing civilians, using human shields, and conscripting child soldiers. Accountability means holding both sides to the higher standard of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The interns at the Amnesty Midwest office held signs, distributed literature, and explained to the passers-by what is taking place in Sri Lanka and what needs to change. Our most important task of the day, however, was to collect signatures for a petition to President Obama, demanding that the United States provide international support and leadership on this issue. We received numerous positive responses from those who visited with us, and we thank the people of Chicago for their interest.

Help us keep the struggle for human rights in Sri Lanka alive. You can take action online here and here. Make your voice heard.

Tribal Law and Order Act passes!

Another victory for Amnesty International and for women's rights! The Tribal Law and Order Act has passed the House of Representatives and will soon be signed into law by president Obama. Thank you for your support and hard work making this bill a political reality.

Support the Tribal Law and Order Act

An important bill is about to come before the House and it is essential that it be passed. This bill could mean an end to arbitrary violence against Native American and Native Alaskan women. These women face truly horrific rates of rape, abuse, and sexual violence-- far higher than any other group of women. In interviews conducted by Amnesty, some indigenous women reported that every woman they knew in their community had experienced sexual violence at some point in their past. Most such cases are never reported to the authorities-- fewer still are brought to a just conclusion.

Statistics gathered by Amnesty report that nearly 86% of reported rapes against indigenous women are committed by non-Native men-- a brutal reminder of this country's ghastly history of cruelty and violence against the continent's original inhabitants.

The Tribal Law and Order Act will put an end to what Amnesty has called a "maze of injustice"-- meaning the nebulous legal zone between state, federal, and tribal law in which abused Native women find themselves. In this legal grey area, indigenous women are often stranded without any recourse to higher authorities. Make sure that the House passes this bill as soon as possible and helps put a stop to sexual violence. Take action now.

Sri Lanka Event Thursday 22

The Amnesty Midwest Regional office is hosting an event on Thursday in downtown Chicago to raise awareness about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. The event will be held in Federal Plaza from 12-1PM and will include petitions and a membership drive.

Sri Lanka's decades-old civil war has finally come to an end, but the reign of terror and impunity has not. The perpetrators of much of the violence and abuse of the war years remain unpunished and accountability is far from being restored. Perhaps more importantly, Sri Lanka is home to 12,000 displaced persons who live in a horrifying, rights-free condition. They are subject to poverty, arbitrary arrest, and frequent unfounded accusations of involvement with the defeated LTTE (Tamil Tigers)-- the radical separatist group which fought the Sri Lankan government during the civil war.

Those within Sri Lanka who seek to draw attention to thse issues-- including journalists, writers, and couraeous iondividuals, often face detention and abuse for their willingness to speak out.

Help us bring these injustices to an end. Join us Thursday for a day of awareness and activism.

Release Filep Karma

Amnesty is pleased to announce the release of Yusak Pakage, an Indonesian prisoner of conscience and Amnesty International priority case. Pakage was arrested for raising the flag of his native Papua, the symbol of that province's independence from the Indonesian state. He has spent the last six years of his life in prison for exercising his right to free expression and political dissent.

We celebrate his release-- however, another Amnesty priority case, Filep Karma, who was arrested with Pakage for the same crime, remains behind bars. What is worse, Karma's health is failing and he may not live to see the day of his release. Help us support Filep Karma and call on the Indonesian state to free him at once. You could help us save a life.

Stop the Iranian Government's Revolving Door of Death

The Iranian Government maintains what Amnesty has described as an "assembly line of execution"-- not an unfair characterization of a "justice" system in which a mother of two may face death for the crime of adultery.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is accused of engaging in an "illicit relationship outside of marriage"-- for this, she was scheduled to be stoned to death. This horrifying procedure involves being buried up to one's waist and having heavy stones hurled at one's head until one dies. Stoning is one of the most cruel and painful methods of execution in the world, which is why many organizations committed to abolishing the death penalty give its abolition particular emphasis.

Thankfully, the international outcry from Amnesty and its allies in the human rights community prevented the execution from taking place. However, Ashtiani remains behind bars and the Iranian government is refusing to say what fate awaits her. We absolutely must keep the pressure on if we are to save this woman's life and ensure that her two children do not lose a mother.

Meanwhile, the Iranian government has plans to execute countless other individuals-- get it right, execution and capital punishment are inexcusable, whatever the means used.

Take action to save lives. Ensure that the Iranian government does not get away with its crimes. Stop the revolving door of death.

Bring War Criminals to Justice

Amnesty International is calling on the United States government and the international community to steps toward global cooperation and support the International Criminal Court.

Currently, a wall of impunity surrounds the war criminals responsible for the atrocities in Darfur-- very few have been brought to justice and the most ruthless perpetrators roam free, often committing the same crimes they have been engaged in for the past seven years. We need international accountability. We demand justice for the victims of the war crimes in Darfur.

This is why we must strengthen the International Criminal Court. Do your part. Take action now!

An Amnesty success story-- and another reason to keep up the fight

We are pleased to announce the release from Guantanamo Bay of Mohammed al-Odaini, a young man who was detained without charge or trial for eight years-- from the age of 18 to 26. He will be returning to his home country of Yemen after spending a good part of his young life in jail for no legitimate reason.

We would like to thank the many Amnesty supporters who sent letters and postcards demanding Odaini's release and standing up for the human rights of all. We would also like to congratualte those who organized events, screenings and vigils. Finally, we at the Midwest Regional Office, located in Chicago, can take personal pride in the fact that two local groups in our region-- Local Group 50 in Chicago and Local Group 139 in Wisconsin-- took up Odaini's case with particular instistence.

Amnesty members and supporters like you make the difference. Your letters and acts of solidarity may well have saved a life.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.