Our featured image shows Miriam Shlesinger (1947-2012), a human rights defender
HE WHO PERMITS OPPRESSION PERMITS CRIMES.-Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536)
Desiderius Erasmus in 1523 as depicted by Hans Holbein the Younger. The Greek and Latin words on the book translate to “The Herculean Labors of Erasmus of Rotterdam”.
CHARITY CORNER
This week we turn our attention to Reporters without Borders, who serve to protect our right to be informed. Being a journalist is fraught with danger. As of today, the press risk barometer shows:
Violations of press freedom barometer
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. They are the best conservationists--help that fact go viral.
A major calamity for indigenous people is racism. Help stamp it out.
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.
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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 call for the repeal of the Lebanese law that forces a girl to marry her rapist.
URGENT ACTION CASES
PERU
Urgent Action: Threats Against Environmental Defenders
The Chaparrí Reserve is a wildlife hotspot, particularly known for its population of the rare spectacled bear. Photograph: Mariana Bazo/Reuters
Alleged land traffickers harass and threaten members of the Save Chaparrí Defense Front of the Chaparrí Ecological Reserve in Peru. The members of the Front fear for their safety.
USA
Urgent Action: Withheld Evidence At Issue As Execution Nears
William Montgomery is due to be executed in Ohio on 11 April for a 1986 murder he says he did not commit. Six federal judges argued he should have had a new trial because a police report contradicting the state’s theory of the case was withheld from the defense.
CHINA
Urgent Action: 20 Relatives of Uighur Journalist Detained
Approximately 20 relatives of Gulchehra Hoja, a Uighur journalist living abroad, have been detained and are at risk of torture. Based in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China, her family members are all thought to have been targeted due to Gulchehra Hoja’s work.
VENEZUELA
Urgent Action: Detainee Missing in Venezuela
The fate and whereabouts of Gilber Caro, imprisoned in Venezuela for political reasons, have been unknown since the early hours of 2 March. Gilber Caro has been arbitrarily detained since 11 January 2017. He is being unlawfully tried before a military court despite being a civilian and Member of Parliament.
INDIA
Urgent Action: Indigenous Peoples Advocate Arrested for “Sedition”
Upendra Nayak, a 65 year old lawyer who defends the rights of indigenous Adivasi people, was arrested by the Odisha state police in eastern India on 20 February 2018 for his alleged links with Maoist armed groups, in relation to cases registered by the police over eight years ago. Upendra Nayak faces charges including ‘sedition’ under the Indian Penal Code and various sections of the draconian anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). If found guilty, he could face life imprisonment.
