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.