Humanists for Social Justice and Environmental Action supports Human Rights, Social and Economic Justice, Environmental Activism and Planetary Ethics in North America & Globally, with particular reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other Human Rights UN treaties and conventions listed above.

Friday

DONATE: Michele Landsberg pays tribute to a pro-choice hero

'Norma you will be our inspiration,' Michele Landsberg pays tribute to a pro-choice hero | rabble.ca

Judy Rebbick says:
"With abortion back on the front pages, I am reproducing here a tribute from legendary feminist columnist Michele Landsberg to a hero of the pro-choice movement Norma Scarborough. It was delivered at a recent memorial to Norma, who died last year". Mary notes that the memorial was at Koffler House, the MultiFaith Center @ Uof T where we now have representation by Humanist Chaplains.

"...Norma made a huge contribution to our movement. Her steady and unflagging work behind the scenes was a backbone of the choice movement, but also as a spokeswoman her gift to us was enormous --- at a time when pro-choice activists were demonized as shrill harpies and baby-killing extremists, Norma put the face of mainstream Canada in front of the TV cameras: sane, temperate, progressive and good-naturedly articulate. We must mark the graves of our heroes and tend their memory with love, pride and gratitude. The strength they lent us when alive will be with us in the battles yet to come..." - Michele Landsberg

Canadians for Choiceis proud to announce the creation of The Norma Scarborough Emergency Fund. The Norma Scarborough Emergency Fund provides support to women who need to travel long distances to access a safe abortion in Canada. Shockingly, many Canadian women are still unable to access an abortion in their communities and often have to travel far, sometimes 20 hours, in order to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. Read Reality Check for more info about barriers women face when trying to access abortion services in their communities.

Wednesday

Write: Catholic, public schools must teach same sex-ed

Catholic, public schools must teach same sex-ed
This article is cross-posted on HumanistNews
But you may wish to consider logging in to comment online (or you can also comment in other papers).

Here is a sample post that just appeared

"Just because something is enshrined in a Constitution doesn't mean it's necessarily a good thing. Look at the US and their gun rights. That works well doesn't it? It's time for the government to grow a backbone and eliminate funding to Catholic once and for all. Especially if their going to defy the government. ONE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR ALL!!
Submitted by troygeorge at 6:36 PM Wednesday, April 28 2010

Monday

End Child Labor in the Cotton Industry | End Human Trafficking

Act Now to End Child Labor in the Cotton Industry | End Human Trafficking | Change.org
Update: The most exciting part is that this e-mail action campaign is working! J Crew was originally included as part of this action, but within hours the company contacted ILRF and agreed to take a public stance against the abuses in Uzbek cotton production. The post below has been edited to reflect J Crew's commitment to standing against child labor.

The International Labor Rights Forum has written a lot about the widespread use of forced child labor in the cotton industry in Uzbekistan. Every year, the government of Uzbekistan removes thousands of children and teachers from school and forces them to pick cotton to enrich the ruling regime. The cotton then ends up in the clothes we buy here in the US and around the world.

So far, global campaign efforts have led the government of Uzbekistan to sign the two International Labor Organization Conventions related to child labor, but as a new report released by ILRF earlier this month showed, the practice continued throughout this most recent fall harvest season. Many major global corporations have committed top stop sourcing Uzbek cotton (which is the demand of Uzbek human rights activists). But companies like Abercrombie & Fitch, Fred's, and Gymboree have not taken any action to stop forced child labor in the cotton industry. You can send them a quick message to stop this exploitation here.

Here are some easy ways to take action and make a difference!

1. Send an e-mail to Abercrombie & Fitch, Fred's, and Gymboree.

2. If you are on Facebook, become a "fan" of Abercrombie and Fitch and Gymboree to post a comment like this: Abercrombie and Fitch: When will you STOP using forced child labor in your cotton?

Friday

News: Israeli policy of deporting Palestinians from the West Bank on arbitrary grounds

*UN TREATY*  Geneva Convention, UDHR
"The new Israeli policy of deporting Palestinians from the West Bank on arbitrary grounds has kicked in with Ahmad Sabah, who has just been deported to Gaza and separated from his family in the West Bank. The measure contravenes the Geneva Convention of 1949 on the treatment of occupied populations, and it also goes contrary to the undertakings Israel made toward the Palestine Authority in the course of the Oslo peace negotiations. It is, of course, ethnic cleansing."

Juan Cole, as always, keeps track of the ground game, as well as the political fallout.

News: A heroine for Women's Rights in Kenya

Defending Women in Kenya
Inspiring story of a Human Rights lawyer and advocate in Kenya.
"..When violence erupted after Kenya's flawed 2007 general election, leaving over a thousand people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced, Ann and her team sprung into action... Her organization documented the sexual and gender-based violence experienced by women in the post-election violence. That documentation assisted a commission that investigated the violence, and is now being used by the International Criminal Court.

One of Ann's goals is a changed constitution - one that guarantees equal rights for everyone, regardless of gender, class or ethnicity. She believes the free-flow of information is essential for this to happen.

Therefore, Ann's organization has set up a radio station, Safari Africa. She hopes it will be one of 210 community-based radio stations - one for each of Kenya's constituencies. By helping Kenyans generate their own media and discuss topics important to them, Ann hopes to encourage peoples' participation in governance. Providing people with information, Ann believes, is necessary to help people shake off oppression, and help them make strong decisions for themselves, their communities, and Kenya. Ann's team is also taking on other controversial issues through the radio venture. In a single day recently, the station's website covered issues that stir passionate debates in East Africa, such as the rights of homosexuals, government corruption, judicial failure, and police abuse of sex workers.

All her activism comes with a price. Ann has been arrested and brutally beaten at peaceful protests, sexually assaulted by the police, and threatened by politicians. Staff members at her organization are constantly concerned about her -- and their -- security

Thursday

DO: Reduce Your Footprint One Month At A Time

Reducing Your Footprint One Month At A Time | Care2 Healthy & Green Living

Earth Day: Big things. Lobbying for action on Climate Change, GM payoffs to Monsanto, Labeling of country of origin and toxic ingredients (links and topics at the right side), here are LITTLE things you can do at home.
You can follow the article links to find recipes for non-toxic household cleaners (baking soda whipped with organic dish liquid to clean the bathub, etc.)

Monday

SIGN: Why We Should Care about Family Planning this Earth Day

Why We Should Care about Family Planning this Earth Day

Here is a petition. You can sign this as an international petitioner, or a US resident.
Family planning programs save lives. Yet millions of women around the world lack access to critical reproductive health services like contraceptives, pregnancy and childbirth care, and HIV prevention programs.
Amidst the worldwide financial crisis, few investments bring as positive of a return as family planning. According to a study by UNFPA, every $1 invested in family planning could save up to $31 in government spending on education, food, health, housing, water and sewage services. These programs reduce unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortion, lower HIV infection rates, slow the depletion of natural resources, and foster more peaceful, stable societies.

Fortunately, the Obama administration has proposed a nearly nine percent increase for international family planning and reproductive health services. If appropriated by Congress, the overall funding level for FY2010 would be the largest funding level ever approved for these life-saving programs.

Sunday

DO: How to Make Organic Alternatives to Roundup Weed Killer

How to Make Organic Alternatives to Roundup Weed Killer | eHow.com

You may have been following the Millions Against Monsanto campaign recently on facebook.

So for your spring garden, here is a great little article on how to make a natural alternative to RoundUp Weed Killer.

The active ingredient that makes Roundup Weed Killer so effective is glyphosate. Unfortunately, the surfactant in Roundup is said to be even more toxic than glyphosate, and in combination, the two are more toxic still! Rather than expose yourself and family (not to mention animals and wildlife) to glyphosate that has been linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, try these organic alternatives to Roundup Weed Killer to have a weed free lawn and garden.
(p.s. Did you know most of the big pest control companies, like Orkin, are Mormon, btw? They are a big employer of  missionaries when then come back from their 2 years proselytizing abroad)

Friday

SIGN: SalmonAreSacred.org | the Get Out Migration

SalmonAreSacred.org | Wild Salmon are sacred,the Get Out Migration

David Suzuki posted this petition on Facebook - asking the Canadian Government to apply farming regulations to Fish Farming: 
Stop buying and selling industrial net-cage farmed salmon. Salmon Farms GET OUT of our Oceans:
We the undersigned stand against the biological threat and commerce of industrial net-cage feedlots using our global oceans. The science is clear: these operations risk wild salmon populations by intensifying disease and deplete world fishery resources to make the feed. They privatize ocean spaces and threaten our sovereign rights to food security.

Saturday

GO: CSRT » mining (in)justice conference

CSRT » mining (in)justice conference
From a Facebook group - here is an upcoming conference in Toronto. Thanks, Tanya!


Mining (in)justice: at home and abroad is a conference on the Canadian mining industry (including Tar Sands) set to take place in Toronto on the weekend of May 7-9, 2010. It will feature leaders in movements against Canadian mining companies both within and outside of Canada and provide space for growing our own movements in alliance with communities impacted by this industry.
This is a follow-up conference to last year’s mining conference, which brought over 20 front line defenders to share their stories and strategize solutions to ending corporate impunity and strengthening the struggles against destructive mining projects around the world.
This year, we are expanding the conference into a 3 day event, providing more space for participants to meet each other, form alliances, and plan actions to foster a movement in solidarity with impacted communities.
for more information and to find out how to get involved! solidarityresponse.net, e-mail: csrtoronto@gmail.com

Also notice, the BC Government trying to ban this film called Blue Gold, about a gold and copper mine in northern British Columbia, it says is biased in favour of the Tsilhqot’in First Nation, who are opposed to the project.

Friday

GO: Art for AIDS Exhibit - Gladstone Hotel, Toronto

Art for AIDS Exhibit - The Gladstone Hotel (Toronto) | Art for AIDS International

On April 9th join Art for AIDS International at the famous Gladstone Hotel on 1214 Queen Street West in Toronto to celebrate the launch of a new exhibition featuring both local and international art made to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.
All the work is for sale with proceeds benefiting Art for AIDS International as well as projects in sub-Saharan Africa benefiting women and children affected by HIV/AIDS.

This event is being hosted in collaboration with the Gladstone Hotel and will run from April 5th to April 11th in the Second Floor Reception Space. The Official opening will occur on April 9th from 7 - 10pm

JOIN: Jane Goodalls Foundation

UofTtix   Goodall reflects on the incredible insights her 50 years of research have offered into our closest animal relatives & the extraordinary change the world has seen since 1960, for people, for animals, & for the environment.

Jane Goodall is appearing at Convocation Hall today - this is not a late posting, as the tickets have long been sold out - though no doubt there will be scalpers, but we may eventually be able to see her remarks somewhere on the UofT website. I've met her (years ago) at the UN, and she is remarkable, and tireless. Here is a place to keep in touch with the Canadian branch of her foundation, which also sponsors:

Sustainable Livelihoods Project in Uganda

JGI Canada recently received funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for a three-year project in Uganda, called the “Sustainable Livelihoods Project”. The project aims to restore forests and waterways, improve the livelihoods of local people, and engage them in environmental education so that their local practices and use of natural resources are in line with what their ecosystem can support, now and in the future.

Thursday

WRITE: Climate Change Accountability Act, Bill C-311

from CarbonSlim:
When Harper prorogued Parliament earlier this year, a number of Bills died, including Bill C-311, the Climate Change Accountability Bill. Bill C-311 is not dead yet. It is currently in third reading with a crucial vote slated for April 14.

What’s the Big Deal? – If passed, Bill C-311 will become the Climate Change Accountability Act, and would set Canada’s greenhouse gas targets at 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050 – targets scientists say would prevent dangerous global warming. The Conservative government’s current target is 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 (for more on our government’s behaviour on climate action, click here).

The Conservatives don’t like Bill C-311. They recently slated a vote on April 14 to determine whether it should go to third reading even though Parliamentarians voted yes it should during second reading a year ago. Because of the short notice, there is a fear that not enough MPs, particularly Liberals, will be around to vote. “If the vote fails, the Bill dies,warns Andy Blair, Legislative Assistant to Bruce Hyer, MP  Thunder Bay - Superior North.

This is where you come in. - Please email your MP to let them know you support Bill C-311 and that you request that they be present to vote in favour of it. The message can be short and sweet, but please write!

To find your MP, click here and enter your postal code: