Group Newsletter October 2020
Welcome to the latest newsletter.
The next meeting is on Thursday 8th October 8.00pm – on ZOOM. Obviously our plans to return to Moordown Community Centre have been put on hold. Do join us if you can. There will be campaign updates and a discussion on future plans. In particular we will review plans for our Syria talk on October 21st (see below).
Please reply to this newsletter if you would like the Zoom invite. |
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The Syrian Conflict: the Human Impact
This talk by the Revd Dr Andrew Ashdown is now scheduled (over Zoom) for Wednesday 21st October 2020 at 7.30pm. There is more about the speaker, the content and how and why we have arranged it on the blog. There is also a link to his slides so you can get a feel for whether its something likely to be of interest to you.
The main thing to flag up here is that we are likely to promote the event and/or let other groups know about it. There is a limit on Zoom to the number of participants allowed. So please let us know asap if you wish to attend. As ever, just reply to this newsletter, or use the contact link on the blog.
https://amnestyat50.co.uk/syrian-conflict-the-human-impact |
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The UK Human Rights Act came into force 20 years ago, on 2nd October 2000.Its aim was to incorporate into UK law the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights. There have been numerous commitments, reports and other comments over the past decade on the Governments intention towards the European Convention on Human Rights, but in particular the Human Rights Act.
Last month the Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, whilst dismissing any threat to the European Convention, said of the Human Rights Act:-
“I think it needs to be looked at carefully. We’re working on ways on which we can examine that and do it in a mature and sensible way.”
As maturity and good sense haven’t been much in evidence recently, we have reason to be concerned. Please visit AIUKs page on the Human Rights Act, with a link through to a petition.
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/issues/human-rights-act |
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South America Newsletter October 2020
The latest newsletter is on the website – as ever full of updates and links to happenings throughout the continent, including three Amnesty reports. One of these looks at the use of quarantine measures.
Whilst some quibble about 2 week quarantine in the UK, in some countries, including Venezuela, El Salvador and Paraguay authorities have taken particularly strict measures which have included placing tens of thousands of people in state-run quarantine centres under the custody of the military and the police.
Amnesty International believes that the way that the authorities have implemented mandatory quarantine has converted a public health intervention into a punitive response. This has disproportionately impacted low-income communities, and refugees and migrants returning to their countries of origin.
https://amnestyat50.co.uk/south-america-newsletter-october-2020 |
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