Dec. 10: World Day for Human Rights

I’m running out the door to go teach, so I’m letting Amnesty International do the talking. (Roll over the image to light the candle.)

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Bloggers Unite for Human Rights: Darfur

Today is Blog Catalog’s “Bloggers Unite for Human Rights” day, which is certainly timely. After weighing several different topic ideas, I’m going to use my post to urge the United Nations to take action in Darfur. From Human Rights Watch:

“The conflict in Darfur is in its fifth year. Sudanese soldiers and government-backed militias have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur by waging a campaign of “ethnic cleansing” and forced displacement by bombing and burning villages, killing civilians, and raping women. An estimated 2.5 million people have been forced from their homes and at least 200,000 are dead as a result of the violence. These attacks continue to take place today.

“A hybrid United Nations/African Union Peacekeeping force for Darfur was authorized in July 2007. However, because of obstruction by the Sudanese government, barely one-third of the force has been deployed . . . Sudan has repeatedly stated its refusal to cooperate with the Court or hand over the suspects. No senior government official has been made subject to targeted UN sanctions in relation to the events in Darfur.”

The situation in Darfur can often feel overwhelming. Yet anyone can join in pressuring the United Natons to take specific action to deploy the remaining 2/3 of the authorized peacekeeping force.

• Human Rights Watch has an editable message, for sending via email or ptinting in letter form, as well as auto-links to the ambassadors of all Security Council members.
  
  
• Not a letter writer? Save Darfur offers information on divesting from mutual funds that own stock in companies that help fund genocide in Darfur. (First Lady-hopeful Cindy McCain just divested $2 million of her own holdings in mutual funds with ties to Sudan.)

Today’s mitzvah: Take action for Darfur.

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World Press Freedom Day

UNESCO has designated May 3rd as World Press Freedom Day, noting the anniversary of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. It’s so easy to take freedom of expression for granted in the U.S., but many writers — and bloggers — are not so lucky.

This year’s focus is press censorship in China, especially with the Olympics coming up. The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) provides animated commentary:




What can you do to show your support for World Press Freedom Day? Support Amnesty International USA’s “Call for an Olympic Year of Freedom of Expression in China.” This web site link allows you to send an email message to Chinese representatives urging release of journalists imprisoned for speech issues, including Shi Tao:

Using his Yahoo! account, he emailed a US-based website, sharing the details of an internal government directive barring media reports that could fuel unrest during the 15th anniversary of Tiananmen Square crackdown. Shi was sentenced to 10 years in prison for “illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities.” Disturbingly, Yahoo! provided information to the government for his prosecution. Call on the Chinese Government to release Shi Tao from detention immediately and unconditionally, to ensure that foreign and domestic journalists are provided full media freedom and that the right to freedom of expression and information is protected online.

Today’s mitzvah: How might you support World Press Freedom Day?

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Be Irrepressible

I’m going to be away from the blog for a day or three and was trying to figure out how to keep the content fresh. Amnesty International gave me an idea with their “Irrepressible.info” campaign. As a response to internet censorship in many countries, A.I. is urging each of us to publish fragments of censored information on our own web sites and blogs. They’ve facilitated this process by creating buttons that auto-update with new fragments each time the host page is accessed or refreshed. You’ll see one of these buttons in the right-hand margin here on Daily Mitzvah. The fragments come from many sources, but my favorite in the rotation is the greater London weather forecast — included as a reminder that several countries currently block their citizens’ access to the BBC’s web site.

Today’s mitzvah: Consider adding censored fragments to your own web site or blog. The widgets are available by clicking here. And everyone can click the censored button for a link to a pledge to oppose internet censorship and more information on the campaign. See you in a few days!

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Write A Letter: Support Buddhist Monks in Myanmar

It’s Sunday: do I go to church or find a convenient excuse to stay home? For me this isn’t a big deal. My Quaker / Disciples of Christ / Episcopalian background gives me a wealth of choices -- and confidence that my religious leaders will not be arrested if they choose to speak out against their government.

In Myanmar, which many prefer to call Burma in protest against the military dictatorship, more than 4,000 Buddhist monks have been jailed, a result of national protests in October. How can you help? Amnesty International has posted a sample letter than can be faxed, emailed, or snail mailed to Myanmar’s Foreign Minister. AI believes these letters put pressure on the regime by reminding them that the world is watching.

Today's mitzvah: Let the jailed monks and other peaceful protesters know that the world has not forgotten them. Click here to send a letter, fax, or email message to Myanmar's Foreign Ministry.

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