npearson's blog

Campaign to Ban Torture

npearson — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:48:46 -0500

This past June 26 marked the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The Center for Victims of Torture, along with the National Religious Campaign against Torture, and Evangelicals for Human Rights have launched the Campaign to Ban Torture. These three nonprofits have developed a Declaration of Principles to create a national consensus to reject torture and cruelty.

This international day of recognition provides an opportunity to share important and useful information that has been collected about understanding the facts about torture and cruelty. Hopefully this information will help people around the world to recognize that torture is inconsistent with our deeply cherished ideals, fails to garner actionable intelligence and sorely damages a nation's standing in the world when it uses torture and cruelty.

The Center for Victims of Torture and the Campaign to Ban Torture has developed this information from a torture survivor treatment perspective.

I am very interested to learn how others have recognized and supported victims of torture and if this information will be helpful to you and your efforts to ban torture.

March 21 - International Day Against Racism

npearson — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:27:47 -0500

Today, March 21, is recognized as the International Day Against Racism. The date is significant. On March 21 in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid "pass laws". As usual, it took a number of years, but in 1966 the United Nations General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.

Louise Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights states, Racial discrimination is wrong and harmful in itself. It is a denial of human rights, an affront to human dignity and a direct assault on the foundation of the human rights edifice – the principle of equality. Discrimination and bias also have a direct impact on a society’s development. A society that tolerates discrimination holds itself back, foregoing the contribution of whole parts of its population, and potentially sowing the seeds of violent conflict.

We have certainly seen in stark and tragic detail how discrimination can lead to violent conflict in far too many countries over the course of our human history. In the United States, it was fitting that on Tuesday, March 18, Senator Barack Obama made a speech he titled A More Perfect Union, addressing the question of racism that has been raised in the current US presidential campaign. It was not a only timely speech but essential to facing our collective history - a history of development that came at the expense of our first people's, African Americans, Asian Americans, Latin Americans, and other immigrant groups throughout our history. Racism persists today and few in the political arena have an interest in opening this perverbial "can of worms" that continues to eat away at the fabric of our nation.

This persistance of discrimination is a problem in every country. No, to be honest, in every community and more to the point, in every home. I can remember a "simple" song from the musical South Pacific - "You've got to be carefully taught" - it very powerfully tells the roots of racial discrimination. The words go like this:

“You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught.”

(Richard Rodgers)

What will we choose to teach the next generation? And how will be choose opporunities to re-educate ourselves, now that we're older, and hopefully wiser?

Kenya: Normal Human Reactions to Terrible Events

npearson — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 12:49:51 -0600

The terrible and traumatic events occurring in Kenya are threatening people’s safety. From our experiences here at the Center for Victims of Torture, we would like to offer some information that may be of help to our brothers and sisters in Kenya. This information can be of help to anyone, including those interviewing and assisting people who have survived horrible events - such as journalists, aid workers, or truth commission personnel.

You may be experiencing many reactions for the first time. For those who have had previous traumatic experiences, you may find that you are re-experiencing thoughts, emotions, symptoms, and fears associated with previous experiences. Although these feelings can be scary and distressing, it is important to remember that as human beings, these reactions are normal responses to situations involving widespread destruction, horror and violence threatening life.

For specific information about what you can do for yourself and others - download this document: Normal Human Reactions to Terrible Events

For an excellent "pocket size" reminder card titled "Caring for yourself in the face of difficult work" download this document: http://www.isu.edu/irh/handouts/Aid_Worker_Pocket_Card.pdf

When the situation regains stability, your responses are very likely to decrease over time. If you find this is not the case, seek help and assistance from others. You are not alone and there is help available.

In Kenya, the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) is an organization that may be able to connect you with counseling services. You can learn more about IMLU and their work through their website: http://www.imlu.org/

Journalists are very often in positions where they are highly explosed not only to threats against their own lives but listen to and interview the accounts from many others. The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma does research and posts information to help journalists understand how trauma affects them, as well as how to be sensitive when interviewing trauma victims. Their Web site is at: http://www.dartcenter.org/

Tips for interviewing trauma victims and their families:
http://www.dartcenter.org/quick_tips/interviewing.html

They have self-care for journalist tips at:
http://www.dartcenter.org/quick_tips/journalist.html

Here is a contact page with email to staff at the Dart Center:
http://www.dartcenter.org/about/personnel.php

Reporters without Borders has information for journalists regarding their safety and security. They also offer bulletproof vests for freelance journalists:
http://www.reseau-damocles.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=193

ProtectiOnline.org also has information, more related to how the media can protect human rights defenders in their work:
http://www.protectionline.org/-Media,26-.html

Let us know if you are aware of other resources that would be of help and assistance to people or if we can be of assistance in connecting you with the resources you need.

Struggle for emancipation continues today

npearson — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:51:21 -0600

January 21 in the United States honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who at the age of thirty-five, was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. He turned over the prize money of $54,123 at that time to provide support to the civil rights movement. He was assassinated forty years ago on April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee.

He gave many famous speeches during the civil rights struggle of that time, but perhaps one of the most famous is his "I have a dream" speech given during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. The march was so large (250,000 people) that it was considered the largest demonstration ever seen in the nation's capital.

In that famous speech he cited the civil war period Emancipation Proclamation but called the United States to task for not delivering on that promisary note. Another 45 years later, the 2008 presidential candidates are raising the issues once again. I wanted to share just a few paragraphs of Dr. King's speech to share his words of inspiration that fanned the flames of hope, unity and action. We can call on that inspiration in our world today. I hope that his words will inspire all of us today to continue our many struggles for freedom, justice and liberation from all forms of oppression no matter where we may reside in world:

"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.

But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."

New Tactics Grant Partner Detained in Krygyz Republic

npearson — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:40:43 -0600

One of the New Tactics project grant partners, Tolekan Ismailova, director of the Human Rights Center/Citizens Against Corruption in Bishkek, Krygyz Republic, was arrested outside the parliament on December 18th along with 20 young people. After there release, Tolekan was re-arrested on December 20th along with 31 young people. They were peacefully protesting irregularities of the December 16th parliamentary elections.

For more information see the WLP Women's Learning Partnership website : A closed door sentancing took place on the evening of December 20th, behind closed doors and Tolekan was sentenced to 7 days and 7 nights. Most activists received sentences ranging from 5 to 7 days and some were fined.

For more in-depth information, please read this statement on the "I Don't Believe Action" drafted by Tolekan Ismailova and others.

To send a letter regarding the wrongful detention of non-violent activists please send letters to:

PRESIDENT
Kurmanbek S. Bakiev
Goverment House, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, 720003
Fax: +996-312-218-627
Submit letter online at:
http://eng.president.kg/feedback/ or http://eng.president.kg/president_ev/vopros/
Email: office [at] mail [dot] gov [dot] kg

UN SECRETARY GENERAL
Hon. Ban Ki-moon
United Nations Headquarters
First Avenue at 46th Street
New York, NY 10017, USA
Email: sg [at] un [dot] org

MINISTER OF JUSTICE
Kayipov Marat Tashtanovich
M.Gandi street, 32, Bishkek 720010, Kyrgyz Republic
Tel: +996-312-656-490
Fax: +996-312-656-592
Email: minjust [at] minjust [dot] gov [dot] kg

OMBUDSMAN OF THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC
Tursunbai Bakir Uulu
194 Moskowskaya str., Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
Tel: +996-312-218-622, +996-312-218-218-623
Fax: +996-312-650-807
Email: ombudsman [at] hotmail [dot] kg

PERMANENT UN REPRESENTATIVE FOR KYRGYZ REPUBLIC
Nurbek Jeenbaev
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 477
New York, NY 10017, USA
Telephone: +1-212-486-4214, +1-212-486-4654
Fax: +1-212-486-5259

Or, send letters to the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in your country
http://www2.un.int/public/Kyrgiztan/6/English/

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto assassinated

npearson — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:59:13 -0600

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed today at a political rally near the capital, Islamabad. News reports have said that she was shot just after addressing her supporters in a rally. A suicide bomb then exploded, further injuring Bhutto and resulting in the deaths of at least 20 other people.

Bhutto had left Pakistan amidst corruption charges where she would have been prosecuted by the military regime if she had not left at that time. Recently, she returned to Pakistan when she had brokered a deal with the military regime. While she stood for democracy, her deal to get back into politics in Pakistan also seemed to have posed a significant challenge to her image and supporters,

There is speculation that her funeral will be held in the next 24 to 48 hours. This has raised concerns about what will happen during the funeral. The mourning process is always very emotional. Her supporters will be reliving her assignation in just a day or two after the event rather than after a breathing space.

Her assassination comes just days after President Musharraf lifted the state of emergency. This tragic event raises concerns about far more violence arising in the coming period. The military is clearly not able to maintain control. This may lead to either further escalation of the use of the military - especially if the upcoming demonstrations in Pakistan are not strictly peaceful. The military would certainly use any hint of violence as a reason to crack down again with great force. If another state of emergency is called there will not be a chance for free and open elections in Pakistan – if that was even a possibility at all anyway. Perhaps another possibilitiy will emerge, that the current military leaders will be more willing to sacrifice President Musharraf in order to put another face into the “driver’s” seat to maintain their long term interests.

Naked Noodles in Harare

npearson — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:22:30 -0600

The situation for citizens in Zimbabwe is becoming dire. I was very recently in Harare and though very calm looking on the surface, just a bit deeper examination yields a different story.

As you drive through the streets of Harare you see long cues of people that sometimes go on for more than a full block. When I asked what people were lining up for I was told, “they are waiting to get money out of the automatic cash machines.” The machines are still set up to provide only 5 million Zimbabwean dollars (ZD) at one time. Since a package of pork link sausages costs over 9 million ZD – each person has to keep putting in their cash card over an over in order to try to get enough money. To make matters worse, the cash machines are running out of money at such a rate that Zimbabweans are desperately seeking the funds they need to survive.

If you can imagine, a teacher’s salary is about 40 million ZD per month. But if one tries to comprehend what little one can buy with that salary today it is absolutely terrifying. This very meager shopping basket will cost you 51.1 million ZD and won’t feed you much beyond one day.

2 kilo of flour – 5 million
1 package of 6 - pork sausages – 9 million
2 tomatoes – 300,000
1 jar marmite – 36 million
1 bottle of water – 500,000
1 banana (yes just one) – 300,000

We went out to each at a restaurant and wanted to order a plate of Pad Thai Noodles. We were told that the noodles would come without toppings. When we asked what this meant, we were told the noodles would be plain. We joked about the “naked noodles” that arrived at the table – but the cruel joke on the Zimbabwean people is the truly naked selves in the grocery. Even if you do have the money to buy, there’s very little available in the stores to actually taken home, and almost nothing available is Zimbabwean produced.

The “official” exchange rate posted at the hotel was 30,000 ZD to 1USD. At check out, they used a 900,000 ZD to 1USD rate. A story reported in the International Herald Tribune on Wednesday, December 5 stated that the Zimbabwe currency “had slumped to four million to the dollar on the black market Tuesday [December 4] on a shortage of Zimbabwe dollar notes.” (A new low in Zimbabwe, by Brian Latham) But the rate on the streets fluctuates wildly from day to day and even hour to hour.

People are buying the scarce goods in the supermarket and turn around to sell it at twice the price or more on the street – sometimes just outside the supermarket door. It seems that people are desperate to find a way to create income with the ever rising costs of surviving from one day to the next.

For many, their link to survival comes from their family members who are living and working in others countries. They send other currencies home that are keeping their families alive.

For those who don’t have family outside, the situation is especially dire. When I was getting on the plane in Johannesburg to make my way back toward the US, I was talking with a South African couple who told me they recently gathered boxes and boxes of canned goods and other commodities as donations to elderly in Zimbabwe who’s fixed incomes have left them literally starving.

It’s hard to believe how the people of Zimbabwe can carry on for much longer under this strain.

Landmark dates to remember

npearson — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:41:33 -0600

Landmark dates to remember this coming week:

Tell us how you're making change on these important human rights struggles.

1 December is World's AIDS Day - the 2007 theme is "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise - Leadership". You can get more information from the World AIDS Campaign (WAC), who chose Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise main theme for World AIDS Day observences through 2010.

3 December, International Day of Disabled Persons the 2007 Theme is: "Decent work for persons with disabilities". For more information you can go to United Nations Enable - Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities

10 December is International Human Rights Day - the 2007 and year-long campaign theme leading up to the 60th Anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights is , “Dignity and justice for all of us.”

The New Tactics project has some great resources sharing how others have used successful tactics to make change on these issues in their countries. For example:

HIV/AIDS - check out the tactical notebook Engaging Key Stakeholders: Ensuring the right to HIV/AIDS education and health services and how CARE-Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Truck Driver’s Federation created a highly innovative and successful method of reaching truckers to prevent HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Disabilities - during the New Tactics International Symposium Mental Disabilities Rights International (MDRI), Kosovo shared how they used video as a tool to expose abuses against those with mental disabilities.

Human rights education related resources - we have many tactical notebook resources featuring human rights education. I'd like to draw attention to the Women's Human Rights Education Program for Women in Turkey in commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign and it's 2007 theme - "Demanding Implementation, Challenging Obstacles: End Violence Against Women" (November 25 to December 10)

Taking on Violence Against Women and women's empowerment with Pink Taxis

npearson — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:38:03 -0600

From Moscow to Dubai to Bombay women are making the streets safer by becoming drivers of pink taxi cabs. Women understand all too well what being vulnerable feels like at a physical level. What should be a simple and safe way to travel - getting in a taxi to go from one doorway (from work) to the next doorway (home) - all too often has ended in rape or death. The women driving the Pink Taxi cabs are not only creating a safe way for women to make their journey, they have broken with many traditions by entering a predominately male occupation, breaking stereotypes and earning decent wages for their work.

It's very interesting that the Pink Taxis must be booked ahead of time. It makes me think that this also helps to protect the women drivers as well as their passengers. You can read more about the Pink Taxis in Moscow when it just began in August 2006 Pink Taxi received just 20 calls. By February 2007 the company was averaging 140 calls per day but could only answer 70 - needing to find a way to expand.

A fleet of women-only taxis began in Dubai in January 2007 and by May the number of women-only taxis was in such high demand that the fleet was set to double in size.

The first women-only taxis began in the UK and now looking to expand in Mexico. This is an example of great tactic transferability.

Can we also find ways for women who can't afford a taxi to get safely from one place to next as well? That really means that we have to deal with the root of the problem - stopping violence against women in all areas of life.

Malaysian High Court Stands Up Against Torture

npearson — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:44:15 -0500

In a recent e-newsletter I received from FORUM-Asia I was very excited to see highlighted a "landmark case in Malaysia granting a [human rights activist who was a] former detainee RM 2.5 million (about US $ 0.74 million) for his detention and torture in 1998 under Malaysia’s highly controversial Internal Security Act (ISA).

Abdul Malek Hussein, who now heads polls watchdog Malaysians for Free Elections (Mafrel), was detained for 57 days under the draconian act for addressing a demonstration at the height of Malaysia’s Reformasi movement, which was sparked by the controversial sacking of then deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus ruled that Abdul Malek’s arrest and detention were made in bad faith under Article 5 of the Federal Constitution. He added that the nature of the interrogation was clearly for a political purpose, and was not based on genuine concern for national security."

For the full artlcle see: http://www.forum-asia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1160&Itemid=131

As one can see, the wheels of justice turn slowly. Abdul Malek Hussein was detainined in 1998. He was drawing close to a decade long struggle. For too many, this justice has never arrived. But this case provides hope because this is a landmark not only for Malaysia but for all those seeking justice. The point is not the monetary reparations provided, the real point is the acknowledgment that the detention, ill-treatment and torture were wrong. It sends a tremendous signal to the government that the high court of justice in Malaysia stands against this behavior and is requiring the government to pay for this wrongful behavior. We work for the day when courts in every country around the world take this stand against torture.

The Center for Justice and Accountability in the United States has also worked tirelessly to bring torturers to justice. I hope these rulings inspire others to act against impunity.

Peace Building Opportunities

npearson — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 11:44:10 -0500

Yesterday, September 21, marked the International Day of Peace. It made me think about the flip-side of peace. So I googled “conflicts in the world today” and found an interesting quote on The Carter Center website, “There were 118 major armed conflicts in 80 different locations between the end of the Cold War and 2004. The majority of these were civil wars. In 2003 alone, 19 major armed conflicts occurred in 18 locations throughout the world, only two of which were fought between states.”

I want to share a story of hope and give one concrete example from the New Tactics database of how people still in the midst of one of these internal conflicts in their own community and daily life worked to contribute toward peace:

"The Community Trust Fund (CTF) involved youth volunteers as Peace Facilitators to reduce friction between internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities (or residence of temporary settlement of IDPs) in Sri Lanka. The CTF was successful in introducing a non – violent conflict resolution program at the community level by mobilizing youth volunteers in an effort to bring IDPs and host communities together. The youth volunteers’ work contributed to the creation of village peace committees comprised of leaders in both communities." (Use "CTF" in the key word search to read more about this example)

We look forward to having you share your own examples of how people are building and creating opportunities for peace in your communities. Please share your experiences with us.