Please take action to save the Human Rights Act

In this month’s newsletter we have updates on Colombia’s peace process and Urgent Action required to help protect Human Rights Defenders and Trade Unionists in the South-West of the country. We also have updates from the Team’s meeting with the All Party Parliamentary Group for Latin America where we discussed issues relating to Territorial, Land and Environmental Rights Defenders. Abuses by security forces remain a serious issue in the region with accusations of human rights violations by Chile’s security forces and accounts from the Amnesty staff in Rio on killings by military police ahead of the Rio Olympic games. We also have some good news regarding the rights of LGBTI people and the Arara Tribe in Brazil.

REGIONAL

On 20 April, we visited parliament for a meeting with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for South America. Accompanied by Tilly Lavenas from the Mexico and Central America Team and Kieran Aldred from the AIUK office, we had a very useful discussion, focused especially on Land, Territorial and Environmental Rights Defenders, and identified ways in which we can work together to promote human rights in the region.

CHILE

We have sent you a copy of a new Amnesty report about the failure of military courts in Chile to deal adequately with allegations of human rights abuses by the Chilean security forces, especially those committed by the carabineros, the militarised police force responsible for maintaining order during public demonstrations. You can still access it here.
We are seeking a meeting with the FCO to discuss this and you can still sign the petition on Amnesty Chile’s website here.  [Read more…]

Quiz nights have been a major social event and fundraiser for many years now. The Ye Olde George in the centre of Christchurch was our original venue – despite their function room being somewhat gloomy (and grubby) and their charging for the privilege. Sadly it is currently closed. Last year we returned to the Brunswick Hotel, Charminster – we’d been there many years ago. One of the oldest pubs in Bournemouth, it doesn’t overwhelm you with fancy decor and lights.

Numbers were rather low for our last Autumn Quiz in Poole, but we had well over 60 crammed into the Brunswick’s function room. David Brown again proved an excellent host, and May Stevens organised another stunning raffle.  We raised over £400 – a record for our quiz nights.

Thanks to the Brunswick for providing the venue (and manning a separate bar) for free.

Brazil

At the April meeting we had a fascinating talk by Richard Crosfield on Brazil. Richard is one of the hard working South American team of volunteers who coordinate and disseminate the mass of information into case files and actions. You’ve probably seen some of their newsletters on this blog.

Brazil is a vast land of many contrasts – in some quite liberal (they abolished the death penalty in the 19^th Century). But it was the contrast of people with great wealth living alongside the masses crammed into the favelas (slums) and in particular the numerous killings by police. These killings seldom lead to any prosecution of the perpetrators – such an example is our case file.

Richard also spoke about the challenges faced by the local offices in Brazil and how this hasn’t always led to actions for us to work on. But he flagged up the work coming linked to the forthcoming Olympics in the Summer.

Hello

Welcome to the latest news from your local Amnesty Group.
Our next meeting is Thursday, 14th April 2016 at 7.30pm at Moordown Community Centre, Bournemouth. There is going to be a….

Speaker on Brazil

Unfortunately the new Brazil country coordinator Ellie May, who was scheduled to visit, has been unwell. The good news is that Richard Crosfield, who had that brief until earlier this year and is still a big part of the South America Team, has agreed to come instead. The group has been associated with South American campaigns for most of its existence, and Brazil has always generated most work. We currently have an open action file centred on an individual in Brazil (more about this is now on the “take action” page of our blog).  The other big issue related to Brazil is, of course, the summer Olympics. This should be an ideal time to flag up human rights abuses in a country that is sensitive to international opinion.

If you are interested in reading more about some of the appalling issues in Brazil, find the South American Newsletter from August 2015 on our blog. This has a link to an Amnesty document “You Killed my Son“, which looks at the extraordinary number of killings by the police in Brazil. Although 47 pages, it does have a 4 page summary to start with – well worth reading.

So please put 14th April in your diary now. Please note that as Richard is travelling down and back to London, the meeting will start sharply and any “business” will be discussed at the end.

South America Newsletter

We have just posted the latest South American Newsletter to our blog – amnestyat50.co.uk There is a huge amount of information and several actions.  It does illustrate – in just one region – how much work Amnesty does, and how many Human Rights abuses are going on that don’t get into the press. Those coming to hear Richard on the 14th may like to follow up the Brazil section – in particular the “street cleaning” of street children ahead of the Olympics….

 Spring Quiz

We are back on track with our popular Spring Quiz. This is now organised for Friday April 22nd  at the Brunswick Hotel, 199 Malmesbury Park Road, Charminster, Bournemouth BH8 8PX.
For those unfamiliar, our quizzes are informal but competitive! Teams of up to 6, which can be formed on the night. Singles and couples get added to other teams, usually leaving teams with at least 4. Entrance to £5, pay at the door.  David and Rosemary Brown will return as hosts, so put it in your diary now.

AGM, Human Rights Act and Syria

These were all featured at our last meeting! For those interested the Chairman’s report has been posted on our blog, which does show how much we got up to in 2015.
Whilst it may appear all quiet on the proposed abolition of the human rights act, we are still expecting the long promised “consultation document” to be published this Spring. If you have not done so, please write to your MP. Your editor has put a copy of the letter he wrote to his MP Christopher Chope on our take action page.  Please download and adapt as you wish. Its worth noting that although Mr Chope does not share our views, he has replied saying he

“has made representations on your behalf to the Mimister responsible at the Ministry of Justice and shall let you know when I receive a reply.”

So do take action! There is also an “MP letter” you can download on Syria. We have now passed the 5th anniversary of the start of the crisis; Syria has become the epicentre of the world’s worst human rights & humanitarian catastrophe. There is also a link on this page to the latest Amnesty report on Syria.

Tapestry

Our group was quite involved in a Regional Action to create a tapestry depicting the various parts of Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is now displayed in the Chapter House at Salisbury Cathedral, on the way to the Magna Carta (please note, you don’t have to enter the Cathedral (and pay) if you just want to see the Tapestry and/or the Magna Carta). Its not clear how long it will be there – at least all April we hope. But check out salisburyai.com/tag/salisbury-cathedral/

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Here is the latest from the hard working South American Team:-

“We have lots of news on the region, an action you can take on Venezuela and there are two petitions, one each on AI Chile’s and AI Peru’s websites, to sign. And there’s good news from Chile on abortion law.

REGIONAL

Thanks to all of you who helped to publicise the launch of the report on State Violence against Women and Torture in Sexual and Reproductive Services on 7 March.  The campaign is now well and truly up and running and we shall be asking you to take further action.  Meanwhile, you can still sign the petition on AI Chile’s website here.

The International Secretariat teams dealing with South America except Brazil, are being moved to Lima.  (Brazil is already handled by the office in Rio de Janeiro).  All the staff will probably be new: most of our London-based contacts have left or moved to other jobs in the London office.   We therefore face a transitional period when the new staff will be learning the ropes and this may in turn affect our service to you.  So please bear with us during this period.

BRAZIL

Brazil is in the midst of a constitutional crisis. Legal actions were filed against former president Luiz Ignacio (Lula) Da Silva and other leaders of the ruling party linked to a corruption case. President Dilma Rousseff is also being investigated by the Parliament on accusations related to the funding of her presidential campaign. This investigation could lead to her impeachment and her removal from power.

President Rousseff should veto a counterterrorism bill whose overbroad and vague language could be used to undermine freedom of association and expression in Brazil, Human Rights Watch said 14 March in a letter to the president. [Read more…]