21 Workers Die in a Fire at H&M Factory
Twenty-one workers died when the Garib & Garib Sweater Factory in Bangladesh, caught fire for the second time in six months. Local news media reported thick black smoke caused by burning acrylic yarn spreading throughout the building. Workers could not escape because exits were locked. Fire fighters had to cut the window grills to get in, hampering rescue efforts. The factory’s own fire-fighting equipment, they report, was "virtually useless." Garib & Garib makes sweaters for major apparel brands and retailers, including Swedish H&M, Canadian Mark’s Work Wearhouse, and Italian Teddy.
Please join us today in calling upon the brands, the employer and the government of Bangladesh to take immediate action to ensure justice for the victims, and to prevent these tragedies from occurring in the future. The death toll in the Bangladeshi garment industry since 2000 now stands at 230. Given widespread knowledge of the safety hazards in the garment factories in Dhaka, failure to act amounts to criminal negligence.
Thursday
GO: NDP hearing: Should Ontario End Fuding of Catholic Schools?
NDP Socialist Caucus public hearing: "Should Ontario end funding of Catholic schools?" OISE 252 Bloor St. West
Abby Deshman, representing the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
Jan Johnstone, Public School Trustee, Bluewater District School Board
Earl Manners, Human Resources Administrator, Trillium Lakelands District School Board;
John Orrett, Steering Committee, Socialist Caucus; Pres. of Thornhill Federal NDP
Michael Prue, NDP MPP, Beaches-East York
Peter Russell, Professor Emeritus, U of Toronto; Canadian Constitutional Expert
Chairperson: Barry Weisleder, Federal/Ontario co-chair, NDP Socialist Caucus
Audience members wishing to speak will be given 5 minutes each, until 10 p.m. adjournment.
Everyone welcome. Donation requested: $5 or PWYC.
For more info, contact: Julius (647) 728-9143 or John (905) 882-9334
(note: Ontario does not fund JUST Catholic schools, this is an error:)
(note: Ontario does not fund JUST Catholic schools, this is an error:)
Wednesday
News: International Womens Day: Afghanistan
Here is a good article + video on UNIFEM and UNICEF's panel on Women in Afghanistan, held as part of the 54th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
NEW YORK, USA, 9 March 2010 – More than eight years after the fall of the Taliban regime, the women of Afghanistan still face enormous challenges. Perhaps the most daunting of these are the continuing violence and insecurity that disproportionately impede women's access to essential rights and services for themselves and their children...
Like all of the 2010 Commission on the Status of Women events, the UNICEF-UNIFEM panel marked the 15th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted by the Fourth World Congress on Women in 1995. Among the provisions of the Platform for Action is an appeal for women's participation in conflict resolution at all levels of decision-making.
This year's Commission events also commemorated the 10th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which calls upon all governments to engage women in the prevention, management and resolution of conflict...Because they are so directly affected by the problem of conflict in Afghanistan, women must be an integral part of the solution. This was the consensus view at a recent panel discussion on Afghan women's participation in peace-building.
"Sustainable peace in Afghanistan cannot be achieved without the meaningful participation of women," said Elizabeth Gibbons, Associate Director for Gender Rights and Civic Engagement in UNICEF's Division of Policy and Practice. Ms. Gibbons urged the organizers of the upcoming Kabul Peace Jirga to place issues affecting Afghan women and girls high on their agenda. The jirga, a national meeting of leaders and elders, is set to convene in the Afghan capital in May.
"But peace-building is not about formal negotiations alone,"she added. "It is also about ensuring the tangible benefits of peace – including access to basic social services, such as education, health care and protection, access to livelihood opportunities and the creation of an enabling environment for the realization of human rights of all. These peace dividends need to be secured in the daily life of women, men, girls and boys on an equal basis."
While some might consider gender issues tangential to questions of war and peace, "it's never premature to talk about women's rights," said UNIFEM's Chief Advisor for Governance, Peace and Security, Anne-Marie Goetz, who moderated the panel. Indeed, she noted, in Afghanistan and other nations caught in conflict, women's empowerment "is key to establishing a secure and peaceful state."
Afghanistan's Minister of Women's Affairs, Dr. Husn Banu Ghazanfar, reinforced that point with the force of harsh experience.
"The women of Afghanistan are emerging from three decades of extreme dehumanization," said Dr. Ghazanfar. "Sustainable peace cannot be discussed without reference to women's experiences of survival," she added, noting that women are "indispensible" for their "wealth of experience and knowledge in keeping their families and society alive in the midst of destruction."
Dr. Ghazanfar pointed out that the Afghan Constitution mandates women's participation in national peace, reconstruction and development efforts – as does the final communique from the international conference on Afghanistan held in London this past January. Moreover, she said, the National Plan of Action for Women in Afghanistan, launched in Kabul on International Women's Day last year, establishes women's right to security as a pillar of the peace-building process.
Ms. Azim pointed to significant progress made in the country since 2001, including gains in girls' education and women's access to professional opportunities. But major obstacles remain, she said. Among these are targeted violence against supporters of women's rights; attacks on girls' schools; a persistently high rate of maternal mortality; and lax enforcement of women's legal rights, especially in remote areas... Now, Ms. Azim warned, Afghan women face the prospect of having their hard-won rights further undermined in a negotiated settlement of the conflict with Taliban forces.
"We all want stability and peace, but not at the price of women's rights," she said. "We're told that women's rights are a development issue, not a security issue. But women's rights are part of what the fighting is all about."
NEW YORK, USA, 9 March 2010 – More than eight years after the fall of the Taliban regime, the women of Afghanistan still face enormous challenges. Perhaps the most daunting of these are the continuing violence and insecurity that disproportionately impede women's access to essential rights and services for themselves and their children...
Like all of the 2010 Commission on the Status of Women events, the UNICEF-UNIFEM panel marked the 15th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted by the Fourth World Congress on Women in 1995. Among the provisions of the Platform for Action is an appeal for women's participation in conflict resolution at all levels of decision-making.
This year's Commission events also commemorated the 10th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which calls upon all governments to engage women in the prevention, management and resolution of conflict...Because they are so directly affected by the problem of conflict in Afghanistan, women must be an integral part of the solution. This was the consensus view at a recent panel discussion on Afghan women's participation in peace-building.
"Sustainable peace in Afghanistan cannot be achieved without the meaningful participation of women," said Elizabeth Gibbons, Associate Director for Gender Rights and Civic Engagement in UNICEF's Division of Policy and Practice. Ms. Gibbons urged the organizers of the upcoming Kabul Peace Jirga to place issues affecting Afghan women and girls high on their agenda. The jirga, a national meeting of leaders and elders, is set to convene in the Afghan capital in May.
"But peace-building is not about formal negotiations alone,"she added. "It is also about ensuring the tangible benefits of peace – including access to basic social services, such as education, health care and protection, access to livelihood opportunities and the creation of an enabling environment for the realization of human rights of all. These peace dividends need to be secured in the daily life of women, men, girls and boys on an equal basis."
While some might consider gender issues tangential to questions of war and peace, "it's never premature to talk about women's rights," said UNIFEM's Chief Advisor for Governance, Peace and Security, Anne-Marie Goetz, who moderated the panel. Indeed, she noted, in Afghanistan and other nations caught in conflict, women's empowerment "is key to establishing a secure and peaceful state."
Afghanistan's Minister of Women's Affairs, Dr. Husn Banu Ghazanfar, reinforced that point with the force of harsh experience.
"The women of Afghanistan are emerging from three decades of extreme dehumanization," said Dr. Ghazanfar. "Sustainable peace cannot be discussed without reference to women's experiences of survival," she added, noting that women are "indispensible" for their "wealth of experience and knowledge in keeping their families and society alive in the midst of destruction."
Dr. Ghazanfar pointed out that the Afghan Constitution mandates women's participation in national peace, reconstruction and development efforts – as does the final communique from the international conference on Afghanistan held in London this past January. Moreover, she said, the National Plan of Action for Women in Afghanistan, launched in Kabul on International Women's Day last year, establishes women's right to security as a pillar of the peace-building process.
Ms. Azim pointed to significant progress made in the country since 2001, including gains in girls' education and women's access to professional opportunities. But major obstacles remain, she said. Among these are targeted violence against supporters of women's rights; attacks on girls' schools; a persistently high rate of maternal mortality; and lax enforcement of women's legal rights, especially in remote areas... Now, Ms. Azim warned, Afghan women face the prospect of having their hard-won rights further undermined in a negotiated settlement of the conflict with Taliban forces.
"We all want stability and peace, but not at the price of women's rights," she said. "We're told that women's rights are a development issue, not a security issue. But women's rights are part of what the fighting is all about."
Monday
News: International Women’s Day 2010 Message from UNAIDS Executive Director
International Women’s Day 2010
Message from UNAIDS Executive Director Mr. Michel Sidibé
Geneva, 8 March, 2010 – I pay tribute to women all over the world who have tirelessly supported the AIDS response—grandmothers, mothers, wives, sisters and daughters. The impact of AIDS would have been even more severe without their resilience, contributions and sacrifices.
Yet we have failed in protecting women and girls by denying them equal rights and equal opportunities. Nearly half the people living with HIV in the world are women. In sub-Saharan Africa more women are infected than men. AIDS is the leading cause of death in women of reproductive age worldwide.
Gender inequities, violence, lack of access to education, health and economic opportunities are making women vulnerable to HIV.
But we can change that.
We can end violence against women and girls.
We can stop new HIV infections among women and their children.
We can remove punitive laws, policies, practices, stigma and discrimination that block women.
We can enhance social protection for women.
We can ensure that all women living with HIV access treatment when they need it.
And most importantly -
We can restore their dignity and rights.
To do this we must challenge the status quo — men and women together. Innovative
programmes must bring women to the forefront of decision making. We have to create a
climate of security where women can access health and welfare services without fear or coercion. UNAIDS will support this through its five-year action plan Agenda for Accelerated Country Action for Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV.
Already change is happening. Women’s groups are uniting to speak out against all injustices and transforming communities. It is our duty to support these remarkable efforts. Let us not forget as a Chinese proverb rightly says–women hold up half the sky.
Contact: UNAIDS Geneva | Saya Oka | tel. +41 22 791 1697 | okas@unaids.org
UNAIDS
Leveraging the AIDS response, UNAIDS works to build political action and to promote the rights all of people for better results for global health and development. Globally, it sets policy and is the source of HIV-related data. In countries, UNAIDS brings together the resources of the UNAIDS Secretariat and 10 UN system organizations
Message from UNAIDS Executive Director Mr. Michel Sidibé
Geneva, 8 March, 2010 – I pay tribute to women all over the world who have tirelessly supported the AIDS response—grandmothers, mothers, wives, sisters and daughters. The impact of AIDS would have been even more severe without their resilience, contributions and sacrifices.
Yet we have failed in protecting women and girls by denying them equal rights and equal opportunities. Nearly half the people living with HIV in the world are women. In sub-Saharan Africa more women are infected than men. AIDS is the leading cause of death in women of reproductive age worldwide.
Gender inequities, violence, lack of access to education, health and economic opportunities are making women vulnerable to HIV.
But we can change that.
We can end violence against women and girls.
We can stop new HIV infections among women and their children.
We can remove punitive laws, policies, practices, stigma and discrimination that block women.
We can enhance social protection for women.
We can ensure that all women living with HIV access treatment when they need it.
And most importantly -
We can restore their dignity and rights.
To do this we must challenge the status quo — men and women together. Innovative
programmes must bring women to the forefront of decision making. We have to create a
climate of security where women can access health and welfare services without fear or coercion. UNAIDS will support this through its five-year action plan Agenda for Accelerated Country Action for Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV.
Already change is happening. Women’s groups are uniting to speak out against all injustices and transforming communities. It is our duty to support these remarkable efforts. Let us not forget as a Chinese proverb rightly says–women hold up half the sky.
Contact: UNAIDS Geneva | Saya Oka | tel. +41 22 791 1697 | okas@unaids.org
UNAIDS
Leveraging the AIDS response, UNAIDS works to build political action and to promote the rights all of people for better results for global health and development. Globally, it sets policy and is the source of HIV-related data. In countries, UNAIDS brings together the resources of the UNAIDS Secretariat and 10 UN system organizations
WRITE: Full enquiry for the Afghan Detainees Torture Enquiry
Reposted from the Galloping Beaver:
I think that it is undeniable that there must be a fully public, non-partisan inquest, preferrably by a provincial coroner or similar authority that is more than arm's length away from the federal government.
From the CBC:
"Federal government documents on Afghan detainees suggest that Canadian officials intended some prisoners to be tortured in order to gather intelligence, according to a legal expert.
If the allegation is true, such actions would constitute a war crime, said University of Ottawa law professor Amir Attaran, who has been digging deep into the issue and told CBC News he has seen uncensored versions of government documents released last year".
If the allegation that Afghan prisoners were purposely sent to be tortured turns out to be true, I want people sent to jail. And by jail I don't mean country club Conrad Black minimum security jail, either. I want to see them walking the yard at Millhaven. And by people I mean every single person in the chain of command that approved or did not act to stop this - right up to the Cabinet level, including the Prime Minister. If it happened under the Liberals and Paul Martin knew about it, fine, jail his retired ass, too. This is not about politics or the party currently in power. This about Canada upholding basic human rights. We may have gotten a lot of things related to human rights wrong in the past - from residential schools to head taxes to incarcerating the Japanese during World War Two - whichever party is in power, but we have never tolerated outright evil like this. This must be investigated, fully and completely and in the full light of day, with nothing redacted or left unexamined to "protect operational security" or any other bullshit reason the people involved want to try to cite to save their asses. My Canada does not include torture.
I think that it is undeniable that there must be a fully public, non-partisan inquest, preferrably by a provincial coroner or similar authority that is more than arm's length away from the federal government.
From the CBC:
"Federal government documents on Afghan detainees suggest that Canadian officials intended some prisoners to be tortured in order to gather intelligence, according to a legal expert.
If the allegation is true, such actions would constitute a war crime, said University of Ottawa law professor Amir Attaran, who has been digging deep into the issue and told CBC News he has seen uncensored versions of government documents released last year".
If the allegation that Afghan prisoners were purposely sent to be tortured turns out to be true, I want people sent to jail. And by jail I don't mean country club Conrad Black minimum security jail, either. I want to see them walking the yard at Millhaven. And by people I mean every single person in the chain of command that approved or did not act to stop this - right up to the Cabinet level, including the Prime Minister. If it happened under the Liberals and Paul Martin knew about it, fine, jail his retired ass, too. This is not about politics or the party currently in power. This about Canada upholding basic human rights. We may have gotten a lot of things related to human rights wrong in the past - from residential schools to head taxes to incarcerating the Japanese during World War Two - whichever party is in power, but we have never tolerated outright evil like this. This must be investigated, fully and completely and in the full light of day, with nothing redacted or left unexamined to "protect operational security" or any other bullshit reason the people involved want to try to cite to save their asses. My Canada does not include torture.
Friday
SIGN: ACLU petition re Google and the NSA file sharing
Sign here If you do not have a US address, just scroll to the bottom of the page to change the country of origin. You can also forward it to others who may wish to sign. You may also hope that Canada is vigilant about personal data and a similar agreement with 'security' databases.
The Washington Post reported that Google is negotiating an information-sharing agreement with the National Security Agency (NSA) to help the company defend its networks. The NSA is part of the military, and its primary mission is spying. It collects the equivalent of the contents of the Library of Congress every six to eight hours, every single day. And in the last decade, it turned its surveillance efforts inward on the American people -- in violation of the law and the US Constitution.
The ramifications of companies like Google working with the NSA are frightening. Google and other private companies must figure out how to protect our sensitive information without giving the government access to it.
The Washington Post reported that Google is negotiating an information-sharing agreement with the National Security Agency (NSA) to help the company defend its networks. The NSA is part of the military, and its primary mission is spying. It collects the equivalent of the contents of the Library of Congress every six to eight hours, every single day. And in the last decade, it turned its surveillance efforts inward on the American people -- in violation of the law and the US Constitution.
The ramifications of companies like Google working with the NSA are frightening. Google and other private companies must figure out how to protect our sensitive information without giving the government access to it.
Wednesday
Sign: Letter against censoring Gaza photography exhibit in Montreal
Protest Censorship: From Muzzlewatch
CJPME’s Human Drama in Gaza Photo Exposition features 44 photos, taken before, during and after last winter’s 22-day assault on Gaza by professional photographers from Israel, Palestine, and the West. Produced by CJPME, and funded through private donations, the Montreal stop at Cinema du Parc is the first in a series of cross-Canada shows. Canadians for Justice and Peace (CJPME) in the Middle East just sent out this action alert. You can see some of the photos in the video on the above page.
"On Monday, Feb. 15th, Cinema du Parc received an email insisting that CJPME’s Photo Exposition, Human Drama in Gaza, be immediately removed from the Cinema. The email was from a legal representative of Gestion Redbourne PDP Inc., the owners of the building housing Cinema du Parc. The Cinema has hosted dozens of expositions in the past three years, and this is the first time that such action has been taken. This move on the part of Redbourne seems entirely political, to muzzle the message of Human Drama in Gaza"
If you live outside Montreal, click here to protest this action.
If you live in Montreal, click here to protest Redbourne’s action and to support the Cinema and the Exposition.
Cinema du Parc has been great partner in the hosting of the Exposition in Montreal, and is standing its ground in the face of Redbourne’s action.
CJPME’s Human Drama in Gaza Photo Exposition features 44 photos, taken before, during and after last winter’s 22-day assault on Gaza by professional photographers from Israel, Palestine, and the West. Produced by CJPME, and funded through private donations, the Montreal stop at Cinema du Parc is the first in a series of cross-Canada shows. Canadians for Justice and Peace (CJPME) in the Middle East just sent out this action alert. You can see some of the photos in the video on the above page.
"On Monday, Feb. 15th, Cinema du Parc received an email insisting that CJPME’s Photo Exposition, Human Drama in Gaza, be immediately removed from the Cinema. The email was from a legal representative of Gestion Redbourne PDP Inc., the owners of the building housing Cinema du Parc. The Cinema has hosted dozens of expositions in the past three years, and this is the first time that such action has been taken. This move on the part of Redbourne seems entirely political, to muzzle the message of Human Drama in Gaza"
If you live outside Montreal, click here to protest this action.
If you live in Montreal, click here to protest Redbourne’s action and to support the Cinema and the Exposition.
Cinema du Parc has been great partner in the hosting of the Exposition in Montreal, and is standing its ground in the face of Redbourne’s action.
Monday
Sign: Anti-death penalty law for Uganda
If you haven't signed the petition yet, here it is. Avaaz says: Uganda’s parliament is preparing to pass a brutal new law that would punish gay people with prison -- even death.
Initial international criticism drove the President to call for a review. But after a well-funded and vicious lobbying effort by extremists, the bill looks set to be passed -- threatening widespread persecution and bloodshed. Opposition to the bill is rising, including from the Anglican church. Ugandan gay rights advocate Frank Mugisha writes, "This law will put us in serious danger. Please, sign the petition and tell others to stand with us – if there’s a huge global response, our government will see that Uganda will be internationally isolated by the proposed law, and strike it down."
Note, the petition is being supported by activists INSIDE Uganda, and will be delivered to President Museveni and the parliament at the end of this week by top Ugandan civil society and Church leaders.
Initial international criticism drove the President to call for a review. But after a well-funded and vicious lobbying effort by extremists, the bill looks set to be passed -- threatening widespread persecution and bloodshed. Opposition to the bill is rising, including from the Anglican church. Ugandan gay rights advocate Frank Mugisha writes, "This law will put us in serious danger. Please, sign the petition and tell others to stand with us – if there’s a huge global response, our government will see that Uganda will be internationally isolated by the proposed law, and strike it down."
Note, the petition is being supported by activists INSIDE Uganda, and will be delivered to President Museveni and the parliament at the end of this week by top Ugandan civil society and Church leaders.
Friday
GO: 5th annual rally for Missing Women from Turtle Island
Rabble.ca alert..
Start: Feb 14 2010 - 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location(s) Police HQ 40 College St. at Bay, Toronto, ON
Over 500 Indigenous women have been murdered or gone missing –- most over the last 30 years –- on Turtle Island. We come together in defense of our lives and to demonstrate against the complicity of the state in the ongoing genocide of Indigenous women and the impunity of state institutions and actors (police, RCMP, coroners’ offices and the courts) that prevents justice for all Indigenous Peoples.
By the way, this alert is hosted by riseup.net (Seattle). You may be interested in their statement of principles - looks pretty Humanistic to me!
Principles
The purpose of our organization is the creation of a free society organized along the following principles:
* Democracy: A free society depends on a free media and organizes civic, social, and economic life using the principles of participatory democracy arising from direct action and public accountability. Those affected by a decision have an opportunity to participate in that decision.
* Equality: All people are welcomed as part of a free society. All people are equal and all labour is valued equally.
* Diversity: All people in a free society are different, and space for their difference is paramount to their equality.
* Security: Every human in a free society has secure access to meet their basic needs of food, shelter, health care, information, education, and transportation.
* Creativity: A free society values culture, art, and leisure as fundamental needs. Every person has the right to their own culture and to practice creative expression.
* Self-Determination: A free society is decentralized and all localities are autonomous and self-determined so long as they do not infringe upon the other basic principles of a free society.
* Interdependence: Communities in a free society are dependent on one another through mutual aid and exchange.
* Justice: All people have the right to be free from coercion, threat, and violence. A justice system should reside in the community it affects, seek resolution rather than revenge, and should work towards abolition of authoritarian prisons and jails.
* Peace: A free society uses conflict as an opportunity to learn from divergent views, opinions and experiences, with the goal of crafting agreements and taking actions that affirm the humanity and basic rights of all parties.
* Ecology: Humans live in balance with, and are part of, the natural world. A free society recognizes the right to clean water, clean air and food free of industrial toxins and genetic engineering.
* Economy: In a free society the means of production should be placed in the hands of the people, empowering communities to organize meaningful employment, and provide a responsible and sustainable standard of living which tries to meet the needs of all people.
Start: Feb 14 2010 - 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location(s) Police HQ 40 College St. at Bay, Toronto, ON
Over 500 Indigenous women have been murdered or gone missing –- most over the last 30 years –- on Turtle Island. We come together in defense of our lives and to demonstrate against the complicity of the state in the ongoing genocide of Indigenous women and the impunity of state institutions and actors (police, RCMP, coroners’ offices and the courts) that prevents justice for all Indigenous Peoples.
By the way, this alert is hosted by riseup.net (Seattle). You may be interested in their statement of principles - looks pretty Humanistic to me!
Principles
The purpose of our organization is the creation of a free society organized along the following principles:
* Democracy: A free society depends on a free media and organizes civic, social, and economic life using the principles of participatory democracy arising from direct action and public accountability. Those affected by a decision have an opportunity to participate in that decision.
* Equality: All people are welcomed as part of a free society. All people are equal and all labour is valued equally.
* Diversity: All people in a free society are different, and space for their difference is paramount to their equality.
* Security: Every human in a free society has secure access to meet their basic needs of food, shelter, health care, information, education, and transportation.
* Creativity: A free society values culture, art, and leisure as fundamental needs. Every person has the right to their own culture and to practice creative expression.
* Self-Determination: A free society is decentralized and all localities are autonomous and self-determined so long as they do not infringe upon the other basic principles of a free society.
* Interdependence: Communities in a free society are dependent on one another through mutual aid and exchange.
* Justice: All people have the right to be free from coercion, threat, and violence. A justice system should reside in the community it affects, seek resolution rather than revenge, and should work towards abolition of authoritarian prisons and jails.
* Peace: A free society uses conflict as an opportunity to learn from divergent views, opinions and experiences, with the goal of crafting agreements and taking actions that affirm the humanity and basic rights of all parties.
* Ecology: Humans live in balance with, and are part of, the natural world. A free society recognizes the right to clean water, clean air and food free of industrial toxins and genetic engineering.
* Economy: In a free society the means of production should be placed in the hands of the people, empowering communities to organize meaningful employment, and provide a responsible and sustainable standard of living which tries to meet the needs of all people.
Tuesday
SIGN: the IRC petition on the UN Convention on Children's Rights
For nearly 20 years, 193 nations have stood up one by one to declare their commitment to protecting children, but only two countries in the world have yet to ratify the UN's convention: Somalia and the United States.
Don't let another year go by without the United States' ratification of the UN Convention. Sign the International Rescue Committee's petition to urge Obama to ratify the CCR convention. You can folow the work of the IRC (including reporting from Haiti) on their blog: blog.theirc.org.
Don't let another year go by without the United States' ratification of the UN Convention. Sign the International Rescue Committee's petition to urge Obama to ratify the CCR convention. You can folow the work of the IRC (including reporting from Haiti) on their blog: blog.theirc.org.
Friday
JOIN: Turkish Girl buried alive for talking to boys
The Guardian: Turkish police have recovered the body of a 16-year-old girl they say was buried alive by relatives in an "honour" killing carried out as punishment for talking to boys
The girl, who has been identified only by the initials MM, was found in a sitting position with her hands tied, in a two-metre hole dug under a chicken pen outside her home in Kahta, in the south-eastern province of Adiyaman.
Police made the discovery in December after a tip-off from an informant, the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported on its website. The girl had previously been reported missing.
The informant told the police she had been killed following a family "council" meeting. Her father and grandfather are said to have been arrested and held in custody pending trial. It is unclear whether they have been charged. The girl's mother was arrested but was later released.
Media reports said the father had told relatives he was unhappy that his daughter – one of nine children – had male friends. The grandfather is said to have beaten her for having relations with the opposite sex.
A postmortem examination revealed large amounts of soil in her lungs and stomach, indicating that she had been alive and conscious while being buried. Her body showed no signs of bruising.
The discovery will reopen the emotive debate in Turkey about "honour" killings, which are particularly prevalent in the impoverished south-east. Official figures have indicated that more than 200 such killings take place each year, accounting for around half of all murders in Turkey.
You may wish to joinStopHonourKillings.com, which is an international movement, and posts actions, letters, petitions, etc.
There is a good discussion of "honour killings", anger in immigrant communities about youth adopting western lifestyles, patriarchal and gender bias in various communities HERE.
The girl, who has been identified only by the initials MM, was found in a sitting position with her hands tied, in a two-metre hole dug under a chicken pen outside her home in Kahta, in the south-eastern province of Adiyaman.
Police made the discovery in December after a tip-off from an informant, the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported on its website. The girl had previously been reported missing.
The informant told the police she had been killed following a family "council" meeting. Her father and grandfather are said to have been arrested and held in custody pending trial. It is unclear whether they have been charged. The girl's mother was arrested but was later released.
Media reports said the father had told relatives he was unhappy that his daughter – one of nine children – had male friends. The grandfather is said to have beaten her for having relations with the opposite sex.
A postmortem examination revealed large amounts of soil in her lungs and stomach, indicating that she had been alive and conscious while being buried. Her body showed no signs of bruising.
The discovery will reopen the emotive debate in Turkey about "honour" killings, which are particularly prevalent in the impoverished south-east. Official figures have indicated that more than 200 such killings take place each year, accounting for around half of all murders in Turkey.
You may wish to joinStopHonourKillings.com, which is an international movement, and posts actions, letters, petitions, etc.
There is a good discussion of "honour killings", anger in immigrant communities about youth adopting western lifestyles, patriarchal and gender bias in various communities HERE.
Tuesday
News: Haiti Feed
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