What's bigger than a mammoth? I don't know either, but our next booksale already has, like a beloved child, many names: The Son of Mammoth. The Daughter of Mammoth. The Mammoth Returns. And so on. (The last one was called a Mammoth Booksale in case you've forgotten.)
Now it's time to put the date in your diary: Sunday 27 November.
Put also the time in your diary: 11am to 4pm.
And if you have a big enough diary, make also a note of the place: The Vibe Bar, on Brick Lane.
It's going to be just like the last time. Only bigger and better.
Friday, 28 October 2011
LGBT rights
No special rights, just the same human rights as for everyone else.
At our meeting a couple of weeks ago, we welcomed as a guest speaker Martin Lunnon, from AIUK's LGBT network. Martin first spoke about his personal experiences at the Belgrade Pride march only a few weeks ago. Last year the march went ahead, with heavy security to protect the participants. But this year's march was again banned at the last minute by the city authorities.
AIUK representatives have in the past few years also attended several other Pride events in eastern Europe, e.g. the Baltic states, Moscow, Poland, and Kosovo. Although these countries, some members of the EU, have anti-discrimination laws in place, they are not always properly enforced. There is open and violent hostility by political, civil and religious groups. A comparison was made to the Roma attacks we have taken action on in recent months. There is also some good progress, for example the situation in Poland seems much better than only a few years ago.
The aim of this work is to guarantee individual rights for all. The Pride actions have also created many vocal human rights activists in the countries in question, and developed links across Europe. Outside of Europe the situation is sadly often even worse, with constant threats of, and actual violence suffered by LGBT people. The death penalty is still the legal punishment for gay sex in several countries.
AI's work in this area begun properly at the International Council Meeting of 1991. The first lesbian prisoner of conscience was adopted in 1997. The UK LGBT network was also born around this time. In 1999 the first activist meeting was held in the UK. Today, AI has dedicated staff, working on decriminalisation of gay sex in Africa, relationship recognition in Latin America, and so on. There are networks in many countries, and LGBT issues have become a regular part of AI's work. Further information can be found at the AIUK website.
Martin also brought along an action for a man jailed in Cameroon for homosexuality and “attempted homosexuality”, and at risk of violence. Please complete the action!
At our meeting a couple of weeks ago, we welcomed as a guest speaker Martin Lunnon, from AIUK's LGBT network. Martin first spoke about his personal experiences at the Belgrade Pride march only a few weeks ago. Last year the march went ahead, with heavy security to protect the participants. But this year's march was again banned at the last minute by the city authorities.
AIUK representatives have in the past few years also attended several other Pride events in eastern Europe, e.g. the Baltic states, Moscow, Poland, and Kosovo. Although these countries, some members of the EU, have anti-discrimination laws in place, they are not always properly enforced. There is open and violent hostility by political, civil and religious groups. A comparison was made to the Roma attacks we have taken action on in recent months. There is also some good progress, for example the situation in Poland seems much better than only a few years ago.
The aim of this work is to guarantee individual rights for all. The Pride actions have also created many vocal human rights activists in the countries in question, and developed links across Europe. Outside of Europe the situation is sadly often even worse, with constant threats of, and actual violence suffered by LGBT people. The death penalty is still the legal punishment for gay sex in several countries.
AI's work in this area begun properly at the International Council Meeting of 1991. The first lesbian prisoner of conscience was adopted in 1997. The UK LGBT network was also born around this time. In 1999 the first activist meeting was held in the UK. Today, AI has dedicated staff, working on decriminalisation of gay sex in Africa, relationship recognition in Latin America, and so on. There are networks in many countries, and LGBT issues have become a regular part of AI's work. Further information can be found at the AIUK website.
Martin also brought along an action for a man jailed in Cameroon for homosexuality and “attempted homosexuality”, and at risk of violence. Please complete the action!
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Swish! Swap your clothes for human rights!
Dear sisters,CAST OFF YOUR CLOTHES AND BE FREE!
The City and Tower Hamlets Amnesty International Group would like to invite you to SWISH, an afternoon of unrivaled splendour (for ladies only, trans women welcome) on the afternoon of 22nd October at the Royal Inn on the Park, a really nice pub in Lauriston Road, Hackney E9 7HJ, on the edge of Victoria Park. You can bring along yesterday's cast offs from your boudoir and exchange them for trend-setting new fashions or the heady retro delights of a bygone era.
Drinks, refreshments, fun and agitation.
It will be a blast. Please come!
Entry suggested donation £8 waged / £4 unwaged.
22 October · 14:00 - 17:00
Royal Inn on the Park, 111 Lauriston Road, E9 7HJ
Street collection
The annual London-wide street collection by local groups took place again last Saturday. Our group decided to do continue with our fancy dress theme from last year, so passers-by on Brick Lane were treated to some superhero collectors, such as Shoreditch Girl and Superwoman here. A fantastic amount of money was raised for Amnesty, and I believe a good time was had by all!
Monday, 26 September 2011
Remembering Troy Davis
Last week saw hope, and then that hope quickly dashed, for Troy Davis. Despite a high-profile and world-wide campaign to get the courts in Georgia, USA, to grant him a retrial, Troy was executed on Thursday 22 September, after 20 years on death row. He had been convicted of a murder, based mainly on eyewitness testimony; seven of the nine witnesses have since recanted their evidence; many have said that police coerced them into their testimony; one has not spoken about the case at all; and the ninth is a suspect himself, who has even been heard to confess to the crime. Troy's case was clearly a tragedy, of someone most likely killed for a crime he did not commit.
At the moment, 139 countries in the world have abolished the death penalty, either in law or in practice. Last year, 67 countries still gave death sentences, but only 23 actually carried them out. Last year, at least 527 people were executed in the world outside China - there are no reliable figures for Chinese executions which are thought to number thousands every year. There has been progress in several countries, but 23 countries and 527 individuals plus an unknown number of Chinese people are still horrendous numbers.
And although it is perhaps easier to campaign against a clearly unjust execution, and for someone who appears innocent of the crimes they have been accused of, we should never forget that every execution is a crime against humanity, against article 3 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights ("Everyone has the right to life"). So whether for armed robbery in Belarus, for being gay in Uganda, for drug smuggling in Singapore, for racist murder in the US, or for “enmity against God” in Iran, death penalty is always, everywhere, for every crime, and every non-crime simply wrong.
Troy died with his dignity and humanity intact. His last words were to his executioners: "For those about to take my life, may God have mercy on your souls. May God bless your souls.” Troy's campaign is over. But we can still keep on working.
We can send a message of solidarity to Troy's family.
We can read more about Amnesty's death penalty campaign.
We can work for every future person waiting to be executed.
Wherever they are, whatever they have been convicted of.
We can end this crime against humanity.
And we can remember Troy.
At the moment, 139 countries in the world have abolished the death penalty, either in law or in practice. Last year, 67 countries still gave death sentences, but only 23 actually carried them out. Last year, at least 527 people were executed in the world outside China - there are no reliable figures for Chinese executions which are thought to number thousands every year. There has been progress in several countries, but 23 countries and 527 individuals plus an unknown number of Chinese people are still horrendous numbers.
And although it is perhaps easier to campaign against a clearly unjust execution, and for someone who appears innocent of the crimes they have been accused of, we should never forget that every execution is a crime against humanity, against article 3 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights ("Everyone has the right to life"). So whether for armed robbery in Belarus, for being gay in Uganda, for drug smuggling in Singapore, for racist murder in the US, or for “enmity against God” in Iran, death penalty is always, everywhere, for every crime, and every non-crime simply wrong.
Troy died with his dignity and humanity intact. His last words were to his executioners: "For those about to take my life, may God have mercy on your souls. May God bless your souls.” Troy's campaign is over. But we can still keep on working.
We can send a message of solidarity to Troy's family.
We can read more about Amnesty's death penalty campaign.
We can work for every future person waiting to be executed.
Wherever they are, whatever they have been convicted of.
We can end this crime against humanity.
And we can remember Troy.
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