Amnesty International Bournemouth Poole Christchurch Group

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

South America Newsletter January 2017

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The latest newsletter from the South America Team at AIUK – Ellie May (Brazil), Richard Crosfield (Colombia), Graham Minter (Rest of South America).

“Let us start by wishing you a Happy New Year! We hope you’re all rested after the holiday season and ready to get stuck into some human rights campaigning as we’ve got plenty to keep you busy over the next few months.

In this newsletter we have actions for Venezuela and Brazil and we’re excited to see the launch of the Amnesty Latin America wide platform for Human Rights Defenders. We also have updates from Colombia following our Colombia Coordinator’s meeting with the FCO and his written requests to the Colombian Ambassador.

Regional

On 9 December, Amnesty launched an online platform to register and raise awareness of attacks against territory, land and environmental rights defenders in Latin America.  The platform consists of an interactive map that displays individual stories of people and communities who defend these rights and who have suffered threats or attacks due to their work.  You can access the platform here.  [Read more…]

Write for Rights Site C Dam

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A century ago Helen Knott’s great-great grandfather signed a treaty with the Canadian government to protect his people’s way of life in the Peace River Valley, British Columbia. But instead of honouring that promise, the government has ignored it and authorised a massive hydro-electric dam that threatens the way of life of the indigenous communities in the region.

The Peace River Valley is home to numerous cultural and heritage sites with a history spanning 10,000 years. Now members of the West Moberly and Prophet River First Nations have gone to court, insisting the government honours the 100-year-old promise and stops work on the Site C dam. Even though the case has not been decided yet, the hydroelectric company has begun clearing the valley.

Owing to the number of communities affected,Amnesty are asking people to send messages online using Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #WithThePeaceRiver. These will be automatically added to our solidarity website, and shown at an Amnesty Canada event with the Peace River Valley communities in late 2016. More information (including how to write to President Trudeau) here, or go to the AI Canada page.

South America Newsletter December 2016

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The latest newsletter from the South America Team at AIUK – Ellie May (Brazil), Richard Crosfield (Colombia), Graham Minter (Rest of South America).

“We have three actions for you, one is a petition to sign Amnesty Brazil’s website concerning impunity, a second is on arbitrary detention in Argentina and a third on an attempt on the life of a HR defender in Colombia.
We also report on our recent meetings with the Argentine, Brazilian and Colombian embassies. We three also met with the FCO to discuss Amnesty’s human rights concerns in the region with the new Head of Department .

BRAZIL -Impunity Continues

A court in Brazil has decided to shelve the case of Eduardo de Jesus Ferreira – the 10-year-old boy killed by military police in April 2015.

Many of you will remember our work last year with his mother, Terezinha de Jesus, who bravely travelled Europe to raise awareness of the issue of extrajudicial executions.

The news is shocking considering a police investigation concluded that the police were responsible for his killing in November last year. [Read more…]

Amnesty International Quiz Update and Prize Question

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Just a quick reminder its our quiz night this Friday, 18th November. Details below, but please contact us via the blog if you want tickets. You can get in the mood by sending the answer to the following topical question – “What is the name of the hotel complex (originally built 1906) pictured below?” There will be a draw of correct answers received by this Friday morning at the quiz.
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Autumn Quiz Night

This is now organised for Friday November 18th, 7.30 for 8.00 prompt at the Brunswick Hotel, 199 Malmesbury Park Road, Charminster, Bournemouth BH8 8PX.
For those unfamiliar, our quizzes are informal but competitive! Our Spring Quiz was very popular, to the point it was overcrowded. We are now obliged to limit total numbers to 50 via a “virtual ticket” system. Please go to our event page for more information and to reserve your tickets. If you cannot do so, please leave a message (with contact details) on 07787350946. Teams of up to 6, entrance £5 a person.

Sally Hawksworth has agreed to keep everyone in order and politely ask you things you don’t know; David Rogers has promised to come up with some stunning questions. We also have a stunning raffle – donations of prizes will be very welcome. [Read more…]

Write for Rights 2016

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Every year Amnesty International has encouraged and helped groups send greetings cards to prisoners of conscience around the world in December. Traditionally there were just half a dozen names selected.  In recent years Amnesty has branded this as “Write for Rights” (W4R) and produced much more informative information leaflets, covering many more prisoners of conscience. We have always made this a mainstay of our December meeting.

If you would like to work on Write for Rights from home, or take to work on within a workplace or other organisation you belong to, please go to the AIUK site. You can download a PDF or follow up individual pages on the different cases.

We have been invited to have a W4R table at Direct Theatre Improv’s “Improvisation for the people!” at the Shelley Theatre, Boscome on December 4th, 7.30pm. This is billed as an “unscripted evening of crazy performance games, ludicrous scenes and bizarre stories, washed down with sumptuous songs and magnificent musicals!” But we hope to warm the audience up by getting them to sign some cards on their way in….

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