Bloggers Unite For Human Rights

May 15 is the day that Bloggers Unite has designated "Bloggers Unite for Human Rights", and I almost missed it! I've been busy with school and various life events, and almost forgot about it. Thankfully they emailed me a reminder.

When I first heard about this day I had in mind an article I wanted to write, but I don't have time to do it justice today, so it will wait for another day. Instead, I thought I'd talk about Amnesty International.

I first learned about Amnesty International when I was in high school, and my English teacher started up a group in the school. Later, I joined a local group and have been involved off and on for many years. I have had the opportunity to meet many inspirational people as a result of this involvement, including people who have been helped by Amnesty's work. The idea that one person writing a letter (or signing a petition) can make a difference has been proven - because with the help of an organization like Amnesty, one person's efforts are joined by the efforts of many others, and the weight of all those letters can and does get the attention of those we write to. If you would like to write a letter, or to see some recent calls for action, click here. If you need help with letter writing, here are some letter writing tips. They also just released a press release about the worsening situation in Zimbabwe.

In some countries, I could be thrown in jail for writing this blog. I write it for those who don't have that luxury. And I thank Amnesty International for inspiring me to educate myself about events happening around the world as well as in my own backyard, and for giving me the belief that yes, one person CAN make a difference.

Pangea Day Update

They just put up a 1-hour highlight compilation. A couple of hours after I finished posting, I'm still saying "wow" - this was a powerful broadcast. I highly recommend visiting PangeaDay.org and checking out all the inspirational films and information that is there. Many of the profiles contain multiple links for further investigation.

Pangea Day

Today was/is Pangea Day. Pangea Day is the brainchild of filmmaker Jehane Noujaim, who won the 2006 TED Prize, which included the granting of a wish to change the world. As a result of her wish, the world came together today to watch 24 short films from filmmakers around the world, as well as to listen to inspirational speakers and musical performances. It was broadcast in 7 languages to millions of people around the world through the internet, television, and mobile phones.

I missed the first hour and a half, but was enthralled by what I was privileged to witness. Rwandan singer-songwriter Jean Paul Samputu, who lost several family members to the genocide, spoke about forgiveness. "Forgiveness is a weapon against violence." He encouraged us to build an arsenal of it.

The film Encounter Point tells the story of the Middle East from a different point of view than is shown on the nightly news. It ends with a quote from an Israeli father. "If we who have lost what is most precious can talk to each other, and look forward to a better future, then everyone else must do so, too." (Tzivka Shahak) After watching the film, Robi Damelin, an Israeli woman whose son was killed by a Palestinian sniper, read a letter she wrote to the sniper's mother, calling for reconciliation. She is active in an organization called Bereaved Families Forum which unites Israeli and Palestinian families who have lost loved ones to the conflict. Another member of this organization, Ali Abu Awwad, a Palestinian peace activist, appeared on stage with her and also spoke.

Ishmael Beah was a child soldier in Sierra Leone until he was rescued by UNICEF. In his words: "We have a responsibility to expose ourselves to our world, to see our common humanity, to learn about other people -- not only in times of war, but in times of peace."

Laughter Club is a film, directed by Neil Davenport, about a phenomena which began in India, created by Dr. Madan Kataria whose goal is to have 1,000,000 laughter clubs around the world. It is already in 60 countries, although he didn't say how many clubs there are so far. After the film was shown, Dr. Kataria got his global audience (including myself, watching it at home over the internet) to stand up and "laugh for world peace."

An Iranian film, Sili (The Slap) directed by Ehsan Amani, tells this story: "A soldier, a young woman, a colonel, and an old woman board a train. Nobody, save one of them, can explain what happens next." I hope they put the film up for this one (as I type this, they haven't yet) because the ending was hilarious.

Scholar and writer Karen Armstrong spoke about compassion. "Every single one of the world's major faiths believes that it is not sufficient to just extend your compassion to those in your own group; you must take it to out to others as well." She said something else which I tried to note down quickly and I apologize if I didn't get it quite right, but this was her elaboration on The Golden Rule: "Look inside yourself and see what it is that causes you pain, then absolutely refuse, under any circumstances, to cause that pain to someone else." If anyone captured this quote more accurately, please feel free to post it in the comments here.

These were just a few of the highlights. If you missed it, don't despair. Visit the website. Many of the films are available for viewing, and you can read tons of comments that people have posted. If you click on the side link "Act: Make a Difference" there are links to many participating organizations who have posted calls to action. I feel so blessed that I heard about this event just in time to take part in it. It was phenomenal!

Humanitarian Crisis in Burma

With the death toll in the tens of thousands and expected to hit 100,000, the situation in Burma is devastating. But the problems go beyond those killed in the cyclone itself or its immediate aftermath. This article in today's Globe and Mail spells it out: the rice crop is gone along with the seedlings they need to plant a new rice crop; the water supply is contaminated across the region, which will lead to outbreaks of diseases; 1.5 million people have been left homeless; 24 million people are without electricity and running water; hospitals are overrun and schools are destroyed; many areas are only accessible by boat.

This article in the NY Times discusses some of the challenges faced by aid agencies, which include the problems of accessing remote locations as well as having to deal with a military government which hasn't been fully cooperative with their efforts, although there are signs indicating that this may be changing. There are also concerns that the aid will be siphoned off by the military and won't reach those who need it most. A sidebar in this article also includes a list of American organizations accepting donations.

Avaaz sent me an email about this crisis. They are collecting money for the International Burmese Monks Organization (for an article about the formation of this group click here). The money will be distributed by this organization directly to the monasteries in Burma, through their own grassroots network. Unfortunately this morning as I type this, none of the links to the Avaaz site are working, so I cannot check them, but I will post them in the hopes that later on in the day they will be back up:

To donate: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/burma_cyclone/3.php?cl=86139302

For information about the work Avaaz has been doing for Burma:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/burma_report_back/

One More Reason Not to Buy "Made in China"

A short news item in my local paper sent me on a web search. The caption on the photo read "Child labour probe" and the photo showed a couple of young girls who had just been rescued from a factory in China. There's plenty of news articles covering this issue out there - do a search for "China Child Labour Probe" and you'll find them. Most of them quote allegations of over 1,000 children having been sold to factories over the past five years. The first article I read was this one, which is from China's official English language newspaper. One comment that gave me pause:

The Dongguan government had investigated more than 3,600 companies that employ 450,000 people between Monday and Wednesday, but found that only a few small companies and workshops had hired children, a local government official said.

Now, it doesn't say how many inspectors were sent out, but they investigated more than 3,600 companies in only 3 days? No wonder they didn't find much.

This is the article I thought offered the best range of coverage, with a good bit of background to balance out the latest news. It puts the number of children rescued in these raids at 167.

Keep The Promise China

Amnesty International (Canada) has put together a blog for the countdown to the Beijing Olympics. This is a good place to look for:

- information regarding Amnesty's human rights concerns in China
- action opportunities
- information about what other activists are doing
- background documents and activism support materials

The blog is titled Keep The Promise China, so-named because of the promise China made when it was granted the 2008 Olympics Games:

“By allowing Beijing to host the Games you will help the development of human rights”
- Liu Jingmin, Beijing 2008 Olympics Games Bid Committee

There's a sidelink to subscribe for email updates. This is an excellent resource which I highly recommend that you visit often.