A reason to celebrate. Mohammad Othman and Jamal Jumah, two Palestinian prisoners of conscience arrested for their human rights activism have been released within the last 24 hours.
(Jewish voices for peace) generated over 10,000 emails to US President Obama, and over 2,200 emails to the US Consulate in East Jerusalem complaining about the arbitrary detention of Mohammad Othman. You helped up flood the US State Department with phone calls as well.
Let's keep the pressure up to free Abdallah Abu Rahmah as well. Archbishop Tutu has called for his release. Tell President Obama to demand that Israel free Bil’in's nonviolent leader Abdallah Abu Rahmah
Dear Pres. Obama: Hours before you received your Nobel peace Prize, in the dead of night, Israel arrested a leading nonviolent organizer, (schoolteacher) Abdallah Abu Rahmah from the West Bank... During an August visit by the Elders to Bil'in, Tutu said: 'Just as a simple man named Gandhi led the successful non-violent struggle in India and simple people such as Rosa Parks and Nelson Mandela led the struggle for civil rights in the United States, simple people here in Bil'in are leading a non-violent struggle that will bring them their freedom. The South Africa experience proves that injustice can be dismantled.'
Wednesday
Donate: Help Haiti through the Humanitarian Coalition
Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Quebec, Save the Children Canada, Care Canada are united as The Humanitarian Coalition. All of them have a good record for involving local people in relief and rebuilding efforts.
News: Uganda, Evangelicals, Gay Rights, CBC
Great interview this morning on CBC with a priest from Uganda about how the evangelicals are manipulating local politics, by frightening Ugandans about their children. I can't link to it because the CBC programming links on the CURRENT are down. But if you have any actions, please post them.
Tuesday
NEWS: Google to cease censorship in China?
SAN FRANCISCO Google Inc. will stop censoring its search results in China and may pull out of the country after discovering that computers hackers had tricked human rights activists into opening their e-mail accounts to outsiders.
The change-of-heart announced Tuesday heralds a major shift for Google, which has repeatedly said it will obey Chinese laws that require some politically and socially sensitive issues to be blocked from search results that are available in other countries
Google disclosed in a blog post that it had detected a "highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China." Further investigation revealed that "a primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists," Google said in the post written by Chief Legal Officer David Drummond.
The change-of-heart announced Tuesday heralds a major shift for Google, which has repeatedly said it will obey Chinese laws that require some politically and socially sensitive issues to be blocked from search results that are available in other countries
Google disclosed in a blog post that it had detected a "highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China." Further investigation revealed that "a primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists," Google said in the post written by Chief Legal Officer David Drummond.
Write: Stop Walmart Sweatshops
Union Voice: Walmart has the ability to impact business as usual because of their large numbers of direct suppliers as well as indirect suppliers. Walmart is leading the worldwide race to the bottom in wages and working conditions. It has capitalized on global trade rules that allow full access to the U.S. market, even if products are made under conditions of extreme repression. Even at a time of great economic distress faced by most other companies, Walmart continues to boost record profits.
In order for Walmart to improve conditions in its supplier factories it must first fundamentally alter its business practice of demanding a continuously lower price from supplier factories – a price which renders those factories unable to pay workers a living wage. Further, Walmart must commit to supplying from those factories in which workers have democratic representation and the right to bargain collectively with their employer. Additionally, Walmart must open its supply chain to independent monitoring so that independent, unannounced, factory assessments may take place.
In order for Walmart to improve conditions in its supplier factories it must first fundamentally alter its business practice of demanding a continuously lower price from supplier factories – a price which renders those factories unable to pay workers a living wage. Further, Walmart must commit to supplying from those factories in which workers have democratic representation and the right to bargain collectively with their employer. Additionally, Walmart must open its supply chain to independent monitoring so that independent, unannounced, factory assessments may take place.
Write: Uzbekistan Child Labour campaign - Gymboree, Abercrombie and Fred's:
Every year, the government of Uzbekistan forces thousands of children and teachers out of the classrooms and into the fields to harvest cotton. Even now, with more than 25 major brands having made a commitment to stop sourcing their cotton from Uzbekistan, some of the worst forms of forced child labor continue to be used in the harvesting of cotton for clothing sold by major brands and retailers in the U.S. Abercrombie & Fitch, Fred's, and Gymboree have yet to make any formal commitment to eradicating the use of child labor in their cotton supply chain. Send an email here
DO: Shrink URLS for labor rights - till Jan 31
Until the end of the month - Instead of using BitLy to shrink your urls, use: 3BL.me
Thanks to a nifty new tool from 3BL Media, you can now generate funds to support non-profits while shrinking urls with a simple click at 3bl.me. Until January 31st, each time you use 3bl.me, 3BL Media will contribute 1 cent to be split equally among three non-profit beneficiaries, including SweatFree Communities. When you need those lengthy urls shortened for posting on twitter or on your blog/website, please remember 3bl.me!
3BL stands for the organization's commitment to the Triple Bottom Line: people, planet, and profit. Its mission is to "advance and promote Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through effective communications."
Thanks to a nifty new tool from 3BL Media, you can now generate funds to support non-profits while shrinking urls with a simple click at 3bl.me. Until January 31st, each time you use 3bl.me, 3BL Media will contribute 1 cent to be split equally among three non-profit beneficiaries, including SweatFree Communities. When you need those lengthy urls shortened for posting on twitter or on your blog/website, please remember 3bl.me!
3BL stands for the organization's commitment to the Triple Bottom Line: people, planet, and profit. Its mission is to "advance and promote Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through effective communications."
NEWS: China to Be Short 24 Million Wives, Study Says
In another China story, selective abortion of females means "24 million more men than women over the next decade, according to a study that warns the imbalance will dash many young men's chance at marriage and lead to increased crime. China enforces strict family planning controls, including limiting most couples to having one child. Because of a traditional preference for male heirs, many families terminate pregnancies of girl babies in order to be able to continue trying for a boy. Infanticide of baby girls has also become a problem". NY Times.
Sunday
News: China buys majority in TarSands
Treehugger: "A huge Chinese tar sands investment has been formally approved by the Canadian Federal government. It's up to Chinese engineers and managers, now, to make the oil extraction and distribution cost-efficient enough to get the desired financial returns. With state-owned China National Petroleum Corp. reporting an investment of up to $1.7 billion in the tar patch they'll have a good shot at it.
I assume they will pump Tar Sands oil over the Rockies, either directly across western Canada, or by routing south and then west toward US ports. (Update: TransCanada pipeline extension to US Gulf Coast a possibility.) I'm also assuming that the Chinese managers will do the bare minimum for pollution control in Canada. For US citizens, this eliminates the once-comforting notion that we could solidly depend on our 'friendly neighbor to the north' to keep the cheap oil flowing to us. Scratch that condescending idea. China will get dibs in the event a global oil shortage or a North American oil price dip, relative to the global average. Welcome to the reality show of Geopolitical Peak Oil."
I assume they will pump Tar Sands oil over the Rockies, either directly across western Canada, or by routing south and then west toward US ports. (Update: TransCanada pipeline extension to US Gulf Coast a possibility.) I'm also assuming that the Chinese managers will do the bare minimum for pollution control in Canada. For US citizens, this eliminates the once-comforting notion that we could solidly depend on our 'friendly neighbor to the north' to keep the cheap oil flowing to us. Scratch that condescending idea. China will get dibs in the event a global oil shortage or a North American oil price dip, relative to the global average. Welcome to the reality show of Geopolitical Peak Oil."
DO: Sign FB petition on Afghan Detainees
From: "I am Canadian and I Care about the Abuse of Afghan Detainees"
I encourage you all to sign the petition on the Canadian Civil Liberties Association website calling for an inquiry into the transfer of Afghan detainees.
It's important that since the hype has worn down slightly following Stephen Harper's comments last week that we continue to be strong and loud about this issue. There are many ways, small and large, to keep the issue alive: encourage your friends to join this facebook group, strike up conversations with strangers in coffee shops on the topic, call or email your MP. Don't let Stephen Harper win by letting this issue die.
I encourage you all to sign the petition on the Canadian Civil Liberties Association website calling for an inquiry into the transfer of Afghan detainees.
It's important that since the hype has worn down slightly following Stephen Harper's comments last week that we continue to be strong and loud about this issue. There are many ways, small and large, to keep the issue alive: encourage your friends to join this facebook group, strike up conversations with strangers in coffee shops on the topic, call or email your MP. Don't let Stephen Harper win by letting this issue die.
Saturday
Sign: CBC Poll - Add Afghan detainees to CBC Poll - Jan 14 deadline
The CBC has a new poll that asks Canadians what issues they would like to see CBC News ask politicians and the detainee issue is on the list.
CBC QUESTION POLL
The poll has risen to 60% from 47% - add your numbers and your voice! This alert was sent from the group "I am Canadian and I Care about the Abuse of Afghan Detainees", which you can join on Facebook.
CBC QUESTION POLL
The poll has risen to 60% from 47% - add your numbers and your voice! This alert was sent from the group "I am Canadian and I Care about the Abuse of Afghan Detainees", which you can join on Facebook.
Friday
Join: the facebook group Canadians against ProRoging Parliament
Canadians against ProRoging Parliament (facebook) "For those fed up with Harper's undemocratic behaviour, tell your MP to get back to work on January 25th". You can find out the locations of the Jan 23 rallies.
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