Eritrea: Slender land, giant prison By: Ben Rawlence, openDemocracy, May 6, 2009 Eritrea has avoided international attention in recent years in ways that may have protected the Red Sea country's rulers from proper scrutiny but benefit no one else. Even those who recall that the continent's youngest state gained its unlikely independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a bloody thirty-year struggle may be shocked to hear that the optimistic nationalism of the 1990s has been dissolved under President Isaias Afewerki into a despairing void, causing thousands of Eritreans to flee the country that they fought so hard to establish. http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/eritrea-slender-land-giant-prison
Judge frees Zimbabwean rights activist, 14 others, after political intervention By: Associated Press, May 6, 2009 A human rights activist and 14 others were ordered freed on bail Wednesday after Zimbabwe's president and prime minister forced a judge to reverse her decision to send them back to the prison where they said they had been tortured. Harare Magistrate Catherine Chimanda ignited international outrage Tuesday by revoking bail for human rights advocate Jestina Mukoko and 17 others, saying prosecutors had formally charged them in a terrorism case. http://www.the33tv.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-af-zimbabwe,0,6477962.story
Kenyan women on abstinence strike: Why did they do it? By: Nekessa Opoti, Kenya Image, May 5, 2009 The backlash from Kenyans is not surprising. The chatter on social networking sites, and in email conversations, shows that many Kenyans do not believe that this was the right strategy. But first letís look at examples in recent history where women have gone on sex strikes to make political, human rights and economic statements. http://www.womeninandbeyond.org/?p=411s
Late Nigerian activist's son to see Shell in court By: Maria Sanminiatelli, Associaed Press, May 5, 2009 Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr. has been fighting for more than 13 years to make his late fatherís prediction come true. It will happen this month when relatives of victims of the Nigerian governmentís violent crackdown on residents of the oil-rich region, where Royal Dutch Shell had drilling operations, will get to challenge the deaths and injuries in a U.S. court. http://www.shellguilty.com/late-nigerian-activists-son-to-see-shell-in-court/
Zimbabwean migration camouflages human traffickers By: IRIN, May 5, 2009 To the untrained eye, the human tide surging through the South African border town of Musina is just that: a mass of people leaving behind Zimbabweís collapsed economy to seek job opportunities and a better life, or refuge in a neighbouring country. Sebelo Sibanda, of Lawyers for Human Rights in Musina, is a more acute observer; he sees changes taking place in a migration that is believed to number between one million and more than three million people. http://www.humanrights-geneva.info/Zimbabwean-migration-camouflages,4409
Video: Zimbabwean women affected by political violence speak out By: The Research and Advocacy Unit, May 4, 2009 In 2008, political violence erupted throughout Zimbabwe as a result of the contested national elections. Zimbabwean women of all ages, targeted for their political affiliations, were abducted from their workplaces and homes, raped, tortured, and beaten in secret torture centers. It is estimated that from May to July, state-sanctioned groups raped over 2,000 women and girls. http://hub.witness.org/en/HearUs-ViolenceAgainstWomeninZimbabwe#tabs_related_content
Africa: Reforming security forces By: Ernest Harsch, allAfrica, April 29, 2009 In Africa's new democracies, reformers are seeking to create armies that protect civilians and uphold human rights. "Liberia is building a new army and we are very strict regarding its standards," says Lieutenant Eric Dennis, who teaches international humanitarian law to recruits. In a country where previous armies - government and rebel alike - committed widespread atrocities, he hopes to help build a new institution that "will never tarnish the image of our army and our country. We want an army of professional soldiers." http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200904300768.html
Uganda: Kampala Declaration of Human Rights Defenders By: Protectionline, April 23, 2009 We, 85 human rights defenders from 45 African States, and 33 partners from across the world, gathered at the All-Africa Human Rights Defenders Conference held in Kampala, Uganda from 20 to 23 April 2009, and hosted by the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (EHAHRD-Net), in close collaboration with all other subregional networks: condemn the significant number of HRDs who have been killed in their efforts to promote and protect universal human rights since the All Africa Human Rights Defenders Conference of November 1998 held in Johannesburg. http://www.protectionline.org/spip.php?article8163&pmv_nid=2
AMERICAS
Mexican NGOs, Brigadier General, unite in letter against "Plan Mexico" By: Kristin Bricker, Narco News Bulletin, May 7, 2009 Yesterday, 72 Mexican civil society organizations and a Brigadier General of the Mexican Army sent the following letter to US Congress demanding that all military aid to Mexico be immediately halted. The letter comes as the US House of Representative is considering more than doubling 2009 funding for the war on drugs in Mexico. Human rights organizations from Mexico City and 21 of Mexicoís 31 states signed the letter. http://www.narconews.com/Issue57/article3519.html
Cuba: Sister of dissident 'Antunez' looks to sway lawmakers By: Lesley Clark, Miami Herald, May 7, 2009 The sister of a prominent black Cuban activist delivered a sharply worded letter from her brother Wednesday to three members of the Congressional Black Caucus who met last month in Cuba with Fidel and Ra˙l Castro -- but no dissidents. Berta Ant˙nez's visit comes as efforts to open Cuba to travel and trade heat up on Capitol Hill, and Ant˙nez said through an interpreter she didn't want Cuban democracy activists to be overlooked. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1035922.html
Peru: Perenco and armed forces break indigenous blockade By: Survival, May 6, 2009 A gunboat belonging to Peruís armed forces has broken through an Indian river blockade in the northern Peruvian Amazon. The gunboat, together with at least one boat belonging to Anglo-French oil company Perenco, broke the blockade at 5:15 am on 4 May. The blockade, organised by local indigenous people, is on the Napo river, one of the main tributaries of the Amazon. http://www.survival-international.org/news/4529
US: Another AWOL Iraq war resister moves to Canada By: Washington Peace Center, May 6, 2009 While home on leave in January 2007, Army Spc Kimberly Rivera made the life changing decision that she would not be returning to the Iraq War. Instead, she packed up the family car and drove to Canada with her husband and two children. She is currently one of about fifty AWOL US war resisters who are openly seeking sanctuary in Canada. This is her story. http://www.washingtonpeacecenter.org/node/1601
Venezuela: Police break up anti-Chavez march with tear gas By: Fabiola Sanchez, Miami Herald, May 6, 2009 Hundreds of Venezuelan police and National Guard troops broke up a protest march Friday with volleys of tear gas and blasts from water cannons that scattered a crowd of President Hugo Chavez's opponents. Officials said about 20 people were treated for minor injuries, mostly for inhaling gas, while one police officer and a demonstrator suffered small cuts when they were hit by hurled objects. Some marchers were carried away after being overcome by tear gas. http://www.miamiherald.com/1198/story/1027810.html
Immigration activists plan May Day rallies By: Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, May 1, 2009 Buoyed by perceptions of a bright political climate for immigration reform, thousands of activists plan to rally today in Los Angeles and nationally for migrant and labor rights. But even as President Obama, a Democratic Congress and many immigrant activists agree on the major outlines of a reform package, some Southern California activists say differences among them have shattered previous unity and resulted in plans to field separate marches. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-rallies1-2009may01,0,7459575.story
ASIA/ SOUTH ASIA
Burma: U.S. man arrested for entering Suu Kyi home By: Saeed Ahmed, CNN, May 7, 2009 About 20 police officers entered the tightly guarded home of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday, a day after authorities detained an American swimming away from the property across a lake. "We heard about it this morning. We don't know the reason yet," said Nyan Win, spokesman for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. "We think they are investigating the event of one U.S. citizen who went to the house using the lake." http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/07/myanmar.suukyi/index.html
Afghans protest over Farah deaths By: Al Jazeera, May 7, 2009 Afghans have staged an angry protest following the suspected deaths of up to 100 civilians in a US-led air raid in western Farah province. Shots were fired on Thursday as the demonstrators threw stones at government offices in the town of Farah, the provincial capital. Several people were wounded in the melee, Gul Ahmad Ayubi, a health department official, said.The protest came as a team of US and Afghan government investigators arrived in the Bala Baluk district to gather more information about Monday's incident. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/05/20095771939244767.html
Thailand: Burmese factory workers demand rights By: Khin Min Zaw, Democratic Voice of Burma, May 7, 2009 Factory workers in a Thai town close to the Burmese border yesterday held a protest in front of the Labour Rights Protection office to demand full wages and health care in the workplace. Burmese migrants working in a garment factory in Mae Sot had complained that wages were insufficient, and that working conditions were poor. http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=2498
Dozens held at Malaysian protest By: BBC News, May 7, 2009 Dozens of people in Malaysia have been arrested for taking part in opposition-led protests over who controls the parliament in the state of Perak. Police were deployed outside the state legislature, while inside ministers scuffled and shouted at each other. The state has become the focus of a power struggle between Malaysia's ruling party and the main opposition. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8037323.stm
China's web is watching By: Radio Free Asia, May 6, 2009 Citizens frustrated by official corruption have a new weapon on their side: the Web. Residents of Ruyou village near the provincial capital of Haikou were surprised to see the tomb of Wang Anchun in a photograph posted online as part of a campaign to protect burial grounds from nearby road construction works. According to Wang's epitaph, he was born in 1935 and was a former township chief and deputy director of the Chengmai county agricultural bureau. Shocked Chinese netizens lashed out at Wang as a corrupt official with feudal pretensions. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/Web-05062009093726.html
Taiwan: The retreat of freedom of the press bodes poorly By: Leon Chuang, Taipei Times, May 6, 2009 A few days ago, US-based Freedom House released a global survey entitled Freedom of the Press 2009 in which Taiwanís press freedom ranking fell by 11 places from last yearís list. It was no surprise that Taiwanís ranking dropped, but the size of the fall is much greater than expected and very worrying. More worrying still is the fact that Hong Kong has been relegated from the ìfreeî category to ìpartly free.î The lesson is that if Taiwanís media cannot resist penetration by China, Taiwan will before long go the same way as Hong Kong. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2009/05/07/2003442958
Nepal police clash with protesters By: Al Jazeera, May 7, 2009 Riot police have clashed with hundreds of female protesters from Nepal's communist party. About 500 women had gathered in front of the president's office in the capital, Kathmandu, on Thursday to demand that he dismiss the head of the army. A number of the protesters were injured after they were beaten with bamboo sticks as they tried to break through a police cordon around the building. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/05/20095710959777174.html
Pakistan: Freedom House condemns Uighur extraditions By: News Blaze, May 6, 2009 Freedom House condemns Pakistan's recent decision to violate international law by handing over a group of Uighur exiles to the Chinese authorities. The case is a disturbing sign of China's growing influence in the region and illustrates how vulnerable Uighurs, a Muslim minority group in Western China, are to persecution both inside and outside China. http://newsblaze.com/story/20090506161358zzzz.nb/topstory.html
Burmese opposition groups urge increased sanctions pressure By: Lalit K Jha, The Irraqaddy, May 6, 2009 Two major Burmese opposition groups have urged the US to maintain and stiffen its economic sanctions against the military junta until all political prisoners are released and the regime agrees to a meaningful dialogue with the National League of Democracy (NLD) and ethnic representatives. The text of the letter, written by the All Burma Monks Alliance (ABMA) and the 88 Generation Students to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was released to the press on Tuesday. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=15591
India: A story for Naga women By: Shiluinla Jamir, The Morung Express, May 6, 2009 Naga womenís protest yesterday happens in the backdrop of increased violence against women and the many forms of violence which are increasingly becoming intrinsic to our everyday realities in our communities. This march that we took yesterday should continue to be a process till we are able to reclaim our selfhood as women. Reading and listening to the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo might help us individual women in contributing towards gender justice and our rights in Nagaland. http://www.morungexpress.com/analysis/22622.html
China quake parents 'harassed' By: Michael Bristow, BBC News, May 6, 2009 Many parents want to return to the site of the schools in Sichuan that killed their children when they collapsed. But the authorities have previously stopped them going to the schools on sensitive occasions, and are said to be monitoring the parents ahead of 12 May. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8035124.stm
Maoist lock, Nepali key By: Kanak Mani Dixit, openDemocracy, May 5, 2009 After two days of constitutional and political crisis, the politics of Nepal took another twist when prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ("Prachanda') announced on the afternoon of 4 May 2009 that he would resign from leadership of the government. Towards the end of a fourteen-minute speech full of tirades against political opponents and pot-shots directed at New Delhi, Dahal suddenly announced that he was leaving his post. http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/maoist-lock-nepali-key
Nepal politics in choppy waters By: Rhoderick Calmers, Mail Today, May 5, 2009 While India is preoccupied with elections, Nepal risks throwing away the chance of peace that its own successful polls delivered just a year ago. The immediate crisis stems from the Maoists' attempt to oust army chief General Rookmangud Katwal for disobeying government orders, a controversial move opposed even by their own coalition partners. President Ram Baran Yadav countermanded the sacking, arguing that he has the right to accept or reject government decisions. http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=6088&l=1
Zoya Phan: The face of Burmese protest By: Elizabeth Grice, Telegraph UK, May 5, 2009 Destiny is a big, portentous, overworked word. Zoya Phan never once uses it. But for her followers it is the only way to make sense of how she escaped persecution in the Burmese jungle and became, aged only 28, a human rights campaigner in the mould of her assassinated father, and the most powerful political activist for Burma living in Britain. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/authorinterviews/5256576/Zoya-Phan-the-face-of-Burmese-protest.html
China: "Workers joining students in Beijing demonstrations" By: Sophie Beach, China Digital Times, May 5, 2009 This year marks the 20th anniversary of the nationwide, student-led democracy movement in China, and the subsequent June 4th military crackdown in Beijing. To commemorate the student movement, CDT is posting a series of original news articles from 1989, beginning with the death of Hu Yaobang on April 15 and continuing through the tumultuous spring. http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2009/05/workers-joining-students-in-beijing-demonstrations/
China: Life is a trial for Chinese lawyer By: Barbara Demick, Los Angeles Times, May 5, 2009 For the family of Gao Zhisheng, a maverick lawyer under house arrest for years after confronting the Communist Party head-on, security was so tight that police sometimes sat in the bedroom of their Beijing apartment, insisting the lights remain on all night so they could keep an eye on them. On Jan. 9, Gao abruptly walked out of the Beijing apartment. When the police rushed after him, Geng and the two children left. Gao was seized at his brother's home in Shaanxi the morning of Feb. 4 and has not been heard from since, his family told human rights advocates. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-fg-china-lawyer5-2009may05,0,4105944,full.story
Nowhere safe for Vietnamese bloggers By: Le Thanh Trung, Viet Tan, May 4, 2009 A major leap forward for freedom of expression in Vietnam has been the rise of blogs. But this development has led to growing conflicts between bloggers, government authorities, and, potentially, multinational Internet service companies. Initially, bloggers who cared about national issues in Vietnam got connected over the Internet. After a period of trial and challenge, many developed into commentators on political issues and started to attract large readerships. The unprecedented explosion of information exchange caused concern among government authorities, who strictly control Vietnamís mainstream media. http://www.viettan.org/spip.php?article8547
Directory of 61+ women English-language China bloggers By: Elliott Ng, CN Reviews, May 4, 2009 Have you ever noticed that most English-language China blogs are written by men? While the universe of women English China blogs may be smaller, these blogs add voices that may hint at the differences in experience between foreign men and women in China. As a start, we compiled a directory of 48 61 women who blog about China primarily in English. Most of these bloggers are currently in China but some are not. The list also includes group blogs and anonymous blogs. http://cnreviews.com/people/bloggers/china-women-blogger-directory_20090504.html#comment-25597
Vietnam: End crackdown on labor activists By: Human Rights Watch, May 4, 2009 The Vietnamese government should immediately free activists who have been unlawfully imprisoned for peacefully campaigning for workersí rights, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. The 32-page report, ìNot Yet a Workersí Paradise: Vietnamís Suppression of the Independent Workersí Movement,î documents the Vietnamese governmentís crackdown on independent trade unions and profiles labor rights activists who have been detained, placed under house arrest, or imprisoned by the Vietnamese government in violation of international law. http://www.viettan.org/spip.php?article8545
China's commercialization of censorship By: Christopher Walker and Sarah Cook, Far Eastern Economic Review, May 2, 2009 The Chinese authorities continue to be among the worldís most repressive when it comes to press freedom. What may come as a surprise, however, is the growing commercialization of censorship in the country, where the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) is creating a 21st century media model that relies on the market to muzzle free expression. The irony is that the dominant Western narrative on China has it that market-oriented development would inevitably lead to liberalization, including, presumably, for the news media. http://www.feer.com/politics/2009/may56/Chinas-Commercialization-of-Censorship
India: Boycott keeps Kashmir voters home By: The Peninsula, May 1, 2009 A separatist boycott stifled voter turnout yesterday in Kashmir as Indiaís multi-stage general election moved into districts known for their staunch opposition to New Delhiís rule. When the polls closed only 26 percent of the 1.1 million eligible voters in Kashmirís Anantnag-Pulwama constituency -- a militant hotbed -- had cast their ballots, the regionís chief electoral officer B R Sharma told reporters. http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=India&month=May2009&file=World_News200905018033.xml
CENTRAL ASIA
Uzbekistan: How to get rid of unwanted journalist? By: Ferghana, May 6, 2009 The case of prominent Uzbek journalist and human rights activist Dilmurod Sayid, arrested at the end of February 2009 on suspicion of blackmailing, finally came to conclusion. Today, the case is transferred to Samarqand oblast court on criminal cases. However, the date of trial is not announced yet. The journalist already spent two months in Kattakurgan pretrial detention center. Meanwhile, the government came with new accusation articles: "Repeated or dangerous recidivism blackmailing" and "Preparation, counterfeiting of documents, stamp, seals, forms and their distribution or use". http://enews.ferghana.ru/article.php?id=2531
Kazakhstan: State support and censorship on the internet By: Adil Nurmakov, Global Voices, May 6, 2009 The process of creating start-up projects and interesting web-ideas has already started last year naturally, as a consequence of lowered cost of Internet access and higher speed on the intra-Kazakhstani traffic. A number of blog platforms, social networks, photo- and file hostings, citizen journalism websites and podcast portals. In recent months, the state has revealed its steadfast interest in the virtual space. It has funded several projects from the budget - and as they promise, ìit is only a beginningî. http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/06/kazakhstan-state-support-and-censorship-on-the-internet/
EUROPE
Georgia frees three activists arrested in protests By: Ellen Barry, New York Times, May 7, 2009 Georgia on Thursday released three opposition activists whose detention sparked a violent protest, saying the move was a response to an appeal by the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II. Several opposition leaders, with a crowd of around 200 supporters, climbed over barricades and tried to break into a police building on Wednesday night, demanding the prisonersí release. Police beat them back with clubs, and about 30 people were reported injured. It was the first outbreak of violence since the anti-government opposition began organizing street protests on April 9. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/world/europe/08georgia.html?_r=1&ref=world
Belarusians declared hunger strike in front of European Commissionís building in Brussels By: Charter '97, May 7, 2009 A hunger strike of protest has been announced by activists of the Belarusian-European Association (BEZ). Activists of the Belarusian-European Association are set to hold a hunger strike in front of the building of the European Commission and the Council of Europe in Brussels. During the rally leaflets with information about indefinite hunger strike of the political prisoner Mikalay Autukhovich and a call to Europeans to show solidarity are to be distributed, Radio Svaboda informs. http://www.charter97.org/en/news/2009/5/7/17971/
Polish police and workers clash in Warsaw By: United Press International, April 30, 2009 At least 50 workers were injured in a clash with Warsaw police during anti-government protests against job cuts, authorities said. Three policemen were also hurt when some 5,000 workers of the Polish National Railways and several hundred shipyard workers from the Baltic Sea port of Gdansk protested against the Polish government's economic policy, Polish Radio said Thursday. In the demonstration Wednesday, protesters burned tires and tossed firecrackers at riot police. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/04/30/Polish-police-and-workers-clash-in-Warsaw/UPI-28611241095508/
MIDDLE EAST/ NORTH AFRICA
Iran: Movement of one thousand bloggers supports Mousavi for presidency By: Hamid Tehrani, Global Voices, May 6, 2009 Supporters of two leading reformist presidential candidates, former prime minister Mir Hussein Mousavi and former parliament speaker, Mehdi Karroubi are using the internet, including blogs and Facebook, to beef up their chances of being selected as presidential candidates by the Guardian Council in June's election. In this post, we look at Mousavi supporters as a first journey into Iran's election cyber-battleground. Around 1000 bloggers have announced that they support Mir Hussein Mousavi. Their names and web addresses are published on Mirhussein.com, a website created by ìa big group of bloggers supporting Mousavi.î http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/06/iran-movement-of-1000-bloggers-supports-mousavi-for-presidency/
Iran: Number of journalists and bloggers arrested on May Day increases to five By:Reporters Without Borders, May 6, 2009 Reporters Without Borders has learned with concern that two other Iranian journalists and bloggers were arrested in Tehran during the May Day demonstrations in the centre of the city on 1 May. Their arrests bring the total number of journalists and bloggers currently held in Iran to 14. Among them three women. The newly reported arrests were those of Nikzad Zangane, who keeps a blog (http://www.nik-nevesht.blogspot.com/), and Amir Yaghoubali, who writes for the daily Etemad and the website Wechange, also known as Change for Equality (http://www.4equality.info/). http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=31202
Deep disquiet over Iraq press law By: Basim al-Shara, Hadeel Kamil, and Dhirgham Muhammed Ali, IWPR, May 6, 2009 Journalists warn proposed media legislation does little to help them hold authorities to account. A proposed law designed to protect the press may end up obstructing it because of a failure to guarantee access to information, they say. Journalists admit the planned legislation addresses some of the threats they encounter in their work. But, they say, it ignores many of the obstacles. http://www.humanrights-geneva.info/Deep-disquiet-over-Iraq-press-law,4408
Israeli activist to be jailed for caring By: Neve Gordon, Guardian, May 6, 2009 Ezra Nawi was ridiculed and arrested for trying to protect people's homes.His "crime" was trying to stop a military bulldozer from destroying the homes of Palestinian Bedouins from Um El Hir in the South Hebron region. These Palestinians have been under Israeli occupation for almost 42 years; they still live without electricity, running water and other basic services and are continuously harassed by Jewish settlers and the military. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/may/06/israel-human-rights-police
Iran: Court to review journalist's conviction By: Thomas Erdbrink, Washington Post, May 6, 2009 An Iranian appeals court will review the conviction of imprisoned Iranian American journalist Roxana Saberi next week, a judiciary spokesman said Tuesday. The announcement of the review came after Saberi's family agreed not to employ a group of prominent lawyers headed by Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/05/AR2009050501707.html
Palestine: Numbers game By: Simona Weinglass, The New Republic, May 6, 2009 Though Shaheen is not a Hamas soldier, he is on the front lines of a different battle: the P.R. war that has erupted since the end of hostilities. As head of the Economic and Social Rights Unit for the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), he is one of the people behind the fatality figures beamed across the world this past winter. On March 12, the PCHR released its most recent statistics: 1,417 dead, including 926 civilians, 255 non-combatant police officers, and 236 fighters. http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=f470f8e7-49ae-4eb1-a8ac-1a2326ae9c9f
Iran: Saberi ends hunger strike By: BBC News, May 6, 2009 The jailed US-Iranian reporter Roxana Saberi has ended a two-week hunger strike, her father Reza Saberi says. Roxana Saberi, 32, began eating again on Monday evening. She started the fast on 21 April to protest against an eight-year jail sentence for spying. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8035249.stm
Egyptian journalist experiences police state first hand at May 4 anti-Mubarak demo By: Sarah Carr, Menassat, May 5, 2009 Egyptian activists held demonstrations on Monday, Hosni Mubarak's birthday, to protest what they said were the Egyptian president's failed domestic policies. Five people were arrested and 17 detained throughout the day. Journalist Sarah Carr, who had her equipment confiscated during the demonstration, has this personal account of the days protests. http://www.menassat.com/?q=en/news-articles/6498-journalist-gives-personal-account-crack-down-anti-mubarak-demo
Yemen 'curbing freedom' of press By: BBC News, May 5, 2009 Two media freedom campaign groups have criticised Yemen for what they say are attempts to suppress reporting about protests in the south of the country. The groups say the popular al-Ayyam newspaper has faced harassment and the confiscation of thousands of copies. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8034913.stm
Iran: Report on second day of widespread protest by teachers By: Iran Human Rights Voice, May 3, 2009 On Monday, according to an announcement by the Iranian Teachers Union Center, thousands of teachers, protesting a breach of contract and presenting other demands, stayed away from their classes and entered the second day of protest. http://www.ihrv.org/inf/?p=2245
Palestine: Rorschach "Rachel" By: Andrew O'Hehir, Salon, May 3, 2009 Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Simone Bitton's documentary "Rachel," which premiered this week at the Tribeca Film Festival, is what's not in it. Bitton, a Moroccan-born Jewish filmmaker who spent many years in Israel and now lives in France, conducts a philosophical and cinematic inquiry into the death of Rachel Corrie, the 23-year-old American activist who was killed under ambiguous circumstances in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip in March 2003. http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/btm/feature/2009/05/03/rachel/
Group says Iran, Turkmenistan among '10 worst countries to be a blogger' By: Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, May 1, 2009 The Committee To Protect Journalists says Iran, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia, and China are among the "10 worst countries to be a blogger. "In a new report, the New York-based journalism advocacy group says Myanmar, ruled by a military regime that heavily censors print and broadcast media, is the worst place in the world to be blogging. http://www.rferl.org/content/Group_Says_Iran_Turkmenistan_Among_10_Worst_Countries_To_Be_A_Blogger/1619910.html
Syria: UN rules dissident's detention illegal By: Amnesty International, April 29, 2009 Syrian authorities should immediately free Dr. Kamal Labwani, a prominent political and human rights activist, following a UN finding that his detention is arbitrary and thus unlawful, a group of leading human rights organizations said today. The groups called on nations engaged in dialogue with Syria to make the release of Dr. Labwani and other activists a priority. http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGPRE200904291041&lang=e
Egypt after Mubarak By: Stephen Glain, Middle East Online, April 28, 2009 Cairo is burning -- in installments. It is a distinctively Egyptian joke, resonant as it is with politics, history and resignation. Last year, several of the city's landmark buildings burned under mysterious circumstances. In August, the top floor of the Parliament's Shura Council went up in flames as firemen, apparently short of adequate water supplies, looked on. A month later, the National Theatre was gutted. In November, thugs attacked the offices of the opposition El Ghad party with blowtorches while party members huddled inside and riot police stood by. http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/opinion/?id=31745
OCEANIA
Maldives: President scoops up human rights award By: Maryam Omidi, Minivan News, May 6, 2009 President Mohamed Nasheed has been awarded the Anna Lindh prize, a human rights award given in commeration of the Swedish foreign minister who was assassinated in 2003. The US$19,000 prize was awarded to Nasheed for his role in bringing democracy to the Maldives as well as his commitment to human rights and climate change. The president said the prize would act as a ìtestament for the brave and diligent efforts of all ordinary Maldivians.î http://www.minivannews.com/news_detail.php?id=6466
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
Religious bullying is a problem around the world By: Walter Rogers, CS Monitor, May 7, 2009 Western civilization has become far too tolerant of religious intolerance that masquerades as freedom of religion. Young people today are taught not to be "judgmental," but without making critical judgments, how can we curtail threats to individual liberty? And amid such intellectual tapioca learning itself becomes irrelevant. http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0507/p09s01-coop.html
A protest against 'protest chic' By: Charlie Porter, Guardian UK, May 7, 2009 It was reported last week that Tilly Gifford from Plane Stupid has been photographed with her fellow protesters for Vogue, while newspaper supplements have written about "protest chic", another example of fashion finding endless mileage in putting "chic" after any word to which it bears no real relation. It's an editorial godsend: suddenly everyone has stopped spending money on luxury goods, but people are protesting ñ let's write about their clothes instead. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/may/07/protest-chic-fashion-industry
Audio: The political impact of new media in the Middle EastóA conversation with "Abu Aardvark" By: Creig Zelizer, May 5, 2009, Peace and Collaborative Development Network New media technologies have reshaped political communications throughout the Middle East. Marc Lynch, widely known by his nom de blog, Abu Aardvark, looked at a variety of digital phenomena, from strikes in Egypt organized on Facebook and blogging by members of the Muslim Brotherhood, to online citizen journalism in Jordan and Internet feuds in the Iraqi insurgency. Lynch assessed the significance of these phenomena and how they threatenóor tacitly supportóthe prevailing power structure in the Middle East. http://www.internationalpeaceandconflict.org/forum/topic/show?id=780588%3ATopic%3A136471&xgs=1
How technology can help human rights By: Marcus Chan, SF Gate, May 5, 2009 So it turns out that the popular Flip video camera is good for more than just capturing YouTube stunts or your son's soccer game. And the virtual world of Second Life is more than a place to hook up. Try using those technologies to advance human rights. These were just a couple of examples mentioned at The Soul of the New Machine, a conference hosted by UC Berkeley to showcase how technology and new media are being used to promote justice and human rights around the world. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/techchron/detail?&entry_id=39539
The downside of friends: Facebook's hacking problem By: Claire Suddath, Time, May 5, 2009 You get a quick message from a friend on Facebook, click on the link and absentmindedly log in to a website pretending to be Facebook. This is what happened last week, when scammers unleashed a new attack on Facebook, collecting users' log-in information and passwords and pilfering victims' "friends" lists to target the next dopes. http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1895740,00.html
Study: Press freedom declining around the world By: AFP, May 1, 2009 Press freedom declined around the world last year, deteriorating for the first time in every region, according to a study released on Thursday by Freedom House. Out of the 195 countries and territories covered in the study, 70, or 36 percent, were rated "free," 61 (31 percent), were rated "partly free" and 64 (33 percent) were rated "not free," the organization said. Freedom House, which is funded by the US government and private groups and has been conducting an annual study of press freedom since 1980, said that 72 countries and territories were rated free the previous year. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ikKrj_t-OsjGLubkxzh8XTdGQISA
NOTICES
Event: Stand up, an evening of comedy for Palestine By: The Jersusalem Fund for Education and Community Development, May 8, 2009 DC's funniest stand up comedians (according to their Moms), live music, fundraiser for Palestinian charities. Mingle, eat and laugh for a good cause! Thursday May 21, 2009. http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/ht/a/GetImageAction/i/5630
Campaign: ìNot for Saleî educates consumers on free labor companies By: DigiActive, May 4, 2009 Co-founded by David Batstone and his former student, Mark Wexler, ìNot for Saleî is an online campaign aimed at aiding activists against human trafficking. The campaign attempts to increase awareness of the global crimes of human trafficking and slavery, and provides a platform for finding solutions to the international crisis. The Not for Sale Campaign ìequips and mobilizes Smart Activists to deploy innovative solutions to re-abolish slavery in their own backyards and across the globe.î http://www.digiactive.org/2009/05/04/campaign-not-for-sale-educates-consumers-on-free-labor-companies/
Join the Peace X Peace Team: Program Director By: Peace X Peace, January 13, 2009 Deadline: May 31. Peace X Peace is an international women-led organization that connects women over the internet to promote dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflict and to support actions that improve the status of women and families. We use circle principles of communication and we foster alliances with other like-minded groups. At www.peacexpeace.org, women share their experiences and expertise as other women connect with them across cultures for mutual benefit. http://www.peacexpeace.org/content/en/employment/programdirector
Front Line: Small grants and fellowships By: Front Line, May 8, 2009 Front Line has a small grants program which in 2008 awarded 142 grants worth 288,403 Euros to Human Rights Defenders at risk around the world. Grants are given to organisations working for human rights as well as to individual human rights defenders at risk. Grants are given for the specific purpose of strengthening the protection of human rights defenders at risk. Front Line has also launched an internship to provide support for the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights. http://frontlinedefenders.org/en/front-line-small-grants-and-fellowships
Women PeaceMakers Program By: University of San Diego, Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Made possible through a generous grant from the Fred J. Hansen Foundation, the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice's (IPJ) Women PeaceMakers Program invites four women from around the world who have been locally involved in human rights and peacemaking efforts. Women accepted into this program are seeking ways to further their peacemaking efforts in their home countries. The Women PeaceMakers Program is a selective program for leaders who want to document, share, and build upon their unique peacemaking stories. http://peace.sandiego.edu/programs/women.html
2009 Drivers of Change Awards By: NGO Pulse, deadline 10th July 2009 The Southern Africa Trust invites entries for the 2009 Drivers of Change Awards, which recognise outstanding new ways of working to overcome poverty in Southern Africa.The Award has four categories of civil society, business, government and individuals. The judges will among other things look for outstanding examples of different sectors working together, particularly government, business, and civil society. In the business category, the awards encourage working with others to do responsible business. http://www.ngopulse.org/opportunity/2009-drivers-change-award