Amnesty International Bournemouth Poole Christchurch Group

local news & events Amnesty International group for Bournemouth, Poole & Christchurch

South America Newsletter October 2024

by

AIUK SOUTH AMERICA TEAM OCTOBER 2024 NEWSLETTER

Dear Friends
This month we bring you news from Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Peru. 
Highlights are:

  • Regional: Amnesty has called on seven South American Presidents to strengthen action to reduce the risk of wildfires after recent record fires had a devasting impact on indigenous territories
  • Colombia: We have an Urgent Action calling for those threatening and harassing Jani Silva to be brought to justice
  • Argentina: We have a new Urgent Action urging Congress to insist on the passage of a law to improve pensions for older people.
  • Venezuela: Amnesty has called for the extension of the mandate of the UN’s International Independent Fact-Finding Mission for Venezuela
  • Brazil:  Global Witness reports that 25 land and environmental defenders were killed in Brazil during 2023
  • Chile: President Boric has promised to push for the repeal of a dictatorship-era law that rules out most investigations of crimes against humanity committed under General Pinochet.
  • Peru: Former President Alberto Fujimori, who was convicted of human rights abuses and corruption, has died aged 86.
  • Uruguay: Human Rights Watch report Uruguay’s shortcomings in meeting the support requirements of people with disability

REGIONAL

August and September 2024 saw record fires across South America, with several millions of hectares burning not only in rainforests of the Amazon basin, but also in diverse ecosystems stretching across entire countries.  Amnesty has published an Open Letter addressed to the presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru calling for governments to ramp up action to extinguish wildfires, strengthen efforts to abandon fossil fuels, protect territories of Indigenous Peoples and provide guarantees to environmental human rights defenders.

COLOMBIA

Marino Pavi Julicue, indigenous leader, killed 16 December 2023 in Toribio, Cauca

Amnesty has issued a new Urgent Action : On 10 September Jani Silva, a defender of land, territory and the environment in the Colombian Amazon (department of Putumayo), received a phone call threatening to “blow you up, car and all”. Jani and her association ADISPA have protection measures in place, provided by the government’s National Protection Unit (UNP). We call on the Colombian authorities to identify those responsible and to bring them to justice. Please take action. This is the letter we sent at our last meeting.

Global Witness reports that in 2023 Colombia was the most dangerous country in the world for land and environmental defenders ‘with a record 79 defenders killed last year compared to 60 in 2022, and 33 in 2021. With 461 killings from 2012 to 2023, Colombia has the highest number of reported environmental defender killings globally on record.’ [Read more…]

Jamnesty September 2024

by

Thanks to everyone who supported our Jamnesty at Chaplin’s & The Cellar Bar last Saturday. We raised a fantastic £1300. Unfortunately persistent rain curtailed performances outside, and made for a slow start, but soon the Cellar Bar filled up. And we sold lots of cake! Many thanks to Nic, Connie, Geoff and all the staff at Chaplins. And a big thanks to all the music acts and poets who performed to help raised money for Amnesty International. Also local businesses and people who donated raffle prizes

Welcome!
Millie Watson and Roxanne Phillips
Amica
Blues band For Pete’s Sake, with local group founder (1986!) member Keith Dear on vocals
poet Hester
Westbourne Strings
We sold plenty of cakes!
Roxanne Phillips
poet C W Blackburn
Mik ‘n Simon
poet Rosanna
Roxanne Phillips and Millie Watson
the cake kept selling…

Pierina Nochetti Video

by

This is a translation (by technology, rather than human);-

“Well, my name is Pierina Nochetti.  Two years ago I was accused of asking “Where is Tehuel”,  a young trans man who disappeared. I am a municipal worker, and the municipality of Necochea are the ones accusing me of being the writer of this graffiti.

I am very grateful and honestly, I don’t know, I would like to reach to your hearts as you reach to mine. Because, the truth is, that a significant movement has been made for my acquittal. We want to fill walls, sidewalks and all kinds of things with murals and stickers. And I am truly very grateful for all your support.

It’s hard for me, in everyday life, to be able to wake up and keep going.  I don’t know, I have to smile and also not believe that protesting is wrong.”

 

Urgent Action Argentina

by

A new Urgent Action for Argentina has been published. It’s not yet on the AIUK website, so please follow the link below to take action.

President Javier Milei vetoed a bill that had been passed by Congress to improve pensions for older people. This was to adjust for the large loss of purchasing power they have suffered in recent months. This Urgent Action is to urge the Congress to insist on approving the law as a measure towards the guarantee of a dignified standard of living for older people.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr13/8497/2024/en/

(if you prefer to work with the Spanish version its here https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr13/8497/2024/es/)
This is a letter to the Chamber of Deputies; not specifically to one Congress person.

Email
We have been sent individual congress members to email.  There are four main targets:-

• Congressman Rodrigo De Loredo: rdeloredo@hcdn.gob.ar
• Congressman Germán Pedro Martínez: gpmartinez@hcdn.gob.ar
• Congressman Miguel Angel Pichetto: mpichetto@hcdn.gob.ar
• Congressman Cristian Ritondo: critondo@hcdn.gob.ar
then an additional seven…
1. Congresswoman Pamela Caletti
pcaletti@hcdn.gob.ar
2. Congressman Juan Manuel López
julopez@hcdn.gob.ar
3. Congresswoman Ana Carla Carrizo
ccarrizo@hcnd.gob.ar
4. Congressman Martín Tetaz
mtetaz@hcdn.gob.ar
5. Congresswoman Silvia Lospennato
Slospennato@hcdn.gob.ar
6. Congresswoman Luana Volnovich
lvonovich@hcdn.gob.ar
7. Congresswoman Mónica Fein
Mfein@hcdn.gob.ar
If you email please also CC Amnesty Argentina so they can track the emails sent and be able to share with other authorities at direjecutiva@amnistia.or.ar
With both letters and emails, please CC (or write directly to) the fairly new Ambassador in London.
Her Excellency Mrs Mariana Edith Plaza
Ambassador of Argentina
The Embassy of the Argentine Republic
65 Brook Street
London W1K 4AH
ambassadors-office@argentine-embassy-uk.org
Social Media
As with most Urgent Actions we are supplied a link to an internal folder with social media suggestions (and sometimes other assets). Please let David know if this is something you would like more information on.

Please write to your Member of Parliament

by

Apologies to those living in Christchurch, but most of you are still getting used to having a new MP.  And, hopefully, one with a much more progressive outlook than the person they replaced.
As an Amnesty International supporter you can help. Let your MP know you want them to commit to supporting and defending human rights in this country and internationally. You can download this pre-forma letter to edit and send. Please personalise as much as you can.
If you are not sure of your MP, check here- https://www.theyworkforyou.com/ – you can also send them a message via this site. But some of us still believe posting a letter has more impact. MPs do reply!
Still write if your MP hasn’t changed – let them know you are a supporter of Amnesty International.  Ask them as your MP to commit to supporting and defending human rights in this country and internationally, both in parliament and more widely.
https://amnestyat50.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Template-for-post-election-letter-to-MP.docx

Facebook