Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012
We are greatly concerned for the well-being of Liu Xia, the widow of Liu Xiaobo. A video interview with her has surfaced, leaving more questions than answers. She appears as our featured image this week.
You may find the video and analysis online.
HE WHO PERMITS OPPRESSION PERMITS CRIMES.-Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536)
EMBASSY FINDER
CHARITY CORNER
This week we call your attention to Wild Earth Allies, a charity that has a perfect rating with Charity Navigator. Their mission statement:
Our mission is to protect vital areas of our natural world for the benefit of wildlife, habitats, and people by inspiring collaborative action. Our organization is built on important values—optimism, cultural respect, shared learning, and integrity—and we run lean, which has earned us the top nonprofit ranking from Charity Navigator for many years.
Please open the site and donate to this worthy cause.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming. Tribal people suffer from a variety of forms of discrimination, such as forced “development.” They are also victims of so-called conservation whereas they have conserved the forest for millennia.
As satellite imagery shows, indigenous reserves are the main barrier to Amazon deforestation in Brazil.
© Google Earth
Tribal peoples need voices, like yours, to join their own. They need you to help them. Together we can stop the conservation con.
How you can help
THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY
We have added this section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. This week we refer you to the the ILO’s Protocol on Forced Labor which is all about modern slavery. We call your attention to the anti slavery campaign. There you can sign up for action updates.The importance of checking your sellers’ supply chains cannot be overemphasized.
You can download this book
Look for these logos:
Find a campaign to work for. Light must be made to shine in the darkest of places. We invite you to join Freedom United and to participate in the abolitionist movement against modern slavery.
Look for these logos:
Find a campaign to work for. Light must be made to shine in the darkest of places. We invite you to join Freedom United and to participate in the abolitionist movement against modern slavery. Please join the call to close the Libyan slave markets.
URGENT ACTION CASES
PARAGUAY
Urgent Action Victory! Journalists Out Of Immediate Danger
Menchi Barriocanal and Oscar Acosta, Paraguayan journalists and married couple who were threatened with imprisonment by President Horacio Cartes, have stopped receiving threats and seem to be out of immediate danger of being arbitrarily detained. Thanks to all who helped.
USA
Urgent Action Victory! Four Families Ordered Released From Detention
On 17 August, four-year-old Carlos and 16-year-old Michael along with their mothers, Lorena and Maribel (all names changed to protect their identities), were ordered released from Berks County Residential Center in Pennsylvania by an immigration judge after nearly 700 days in detention. This follows the release of two other young boys and their mothers held in Berks for over 22 months on 7 and 14 August.
Thanks to all who helped with these cases.
UKRAINE
Urgent Action: 76-Year Old Crimean Tatar Protester In Detention
76-year old Crimean Tatar Server Karametov was arrested on 8 August by the de facto authorities in Crimea while engaging in a peaceful protest and sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention on charges of resisting police. He is a prisoner of conscience, with Parkinson’s disease, who must be immediately and unconditionally released.
POLAND
Urgent Action: Journalist Facing Charges For Exposé Book
Tomasz Piątek, an investigative journalist for Gazeta Wyborcza, is facing criminal prosecution for his exposé book, “Macierewicz and his secrets” (Macierewicz i jego tajemnice), in which he makes allegations of purported links between Antoni Macierewicz, Poland’s Minister of Defense and the Russian intelligence services.
VENEZUELA
Urgent Action Update: Detainee’s Fate And Whereabouts Unknown
Raúl Isaías Baduel was unexpectedly taken from his cell at Ramo Verde National Military Detention Centre, Caracas, at dawn on 8 August 2017. There has been no information regarding his whereabouts since.
Belarus: Stop attacks on union leaders
Gennady Fedynch, chairman of the Radio and Electronics Industry Workers Union (REP) and member of the IndustriALL Executive Committee and Ihar Komlik, REP chief accountant and leader of the REP Minsk city organization,
Union leaders have been arrested on trumped up charges. Please act.
