June 2014 Newsletter

Welcome to the June 29, 2014 edition of this Peace&Justice action email!

This issue deals with the horrible escalation of violence in Darfur and the rest of Sudan, as well as the Egyptian’s court refusal to rectify its original sham trial resulting in the mass sentencing of hundreds of people to death.

In addition you will find articles on the global groundwater crisis, the current global country index, and a new campaign to counter the notion that homosexuality can by “cured” via therapy.
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Pour la traduction française: cliqueter ici; et cliqueter alors le bouton de traduction sur la page Web.
Para la traducción española: clic aquí; y entonces hace clic en el botón de traducción en la página web.

 

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END ABHORRENT VIOLENCE IN SUDAN AND SOUTH SUDAN

The March newsletter raised the alarm bell regarding Darfur – the repugnant dynamics are back (see: Current Status  [UntilAll]).  Under the new guise called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), villages were again being razed, people killed or displaced, all linked back to Khartoum.  Recently even the New York Times highlighted the same abhorrent violence [‘Sudan Said to Revive Notorious Militias’, {requires registration}].  The violence also extends to previously noted areas in the Nuba mountains, and on both sides of the Sudan-South Sudan border areas. Pockets of famine and genocidal targeting are threatening both countries and the intensifying conflicts are pulling in neighboring states.

The advocacy group, Enough, now has the following action to help reinvigorate diplomatic actions to address the escalation of violence.  The U.S. has had a major stake in this area for years, helping to broker the 2006 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between North and South Sudan, as well as being involved in trying to end the Darfur conflict, mottled as some say those efforts were. The action also calls for full international reengagement (for non-US citizens, consider also forwarding this to your government).

Take Action (open to everyone):
Ask U.S. Government to Reinvigorate Sudan Diplomacy  [Enough]

 

 

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EGYPT FOLLOW-UP: STOP THE MASS EXECUTIONS

This newsletter previously recommended action to tell the Egyptian courts to stop the mass execution of over 500 people.  The courts proceeded, and appeals to both the court and the government have thus far had little or no impact.  Amnesty International considers the proceedings to be nothing short of a complete “travesty of justice.”  Thus they have initiated the following campaign to continue the pressure for a fair trial, which also includes a demand that the three Al Jazeera journalists be freed..

Take Action:
Tell Egypt to Stop Mass Executions  [Amnesty International]

 

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=== ARTICLES OF INTEREST ===
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Global Map of “Groundwater Footprint” and Stress

As has been highlighted here and elsewhere, water will likely become a major global tension-point in coming decades. We can see change in rivers, lakes and glaciers.  But for the first time we now have a map of the stresses being put on something we can’t see – groundwater levels.  In many ways this is even more ominous.  The following article, from McGill University and published in Nature, highlights a tool to start measuring the use (sustainable or not) of groundwater throughout the world.  It suggests that “groundwater footprint” may soon have the same coinage as “carbon footprint.”
Article and Actual Map of Global Groundwater Usage  [McGill University]

 

The 2014 Fragile States Index

Each year the Fund for Peace calculates its Fragile States Index which is published by Foreign Policy.  This newsletter again presents the annual data, which can make for interesting analysis of what is considered worthy of indexing and how the results are highlighted.
2014 Fragile States Index  [Foreign Policy]

 

New Campaign to End Gay Conversion Therapy

This newsletter has previously indicated the danger of “conversion or reparative therapy”, which is the notion that through therapy homosexual activity can be “cured”.  The medical community has abandoned such notions years ago.  And while some places have formally banned the practice (for example, the states of California and New Jersey in the US) it remains a topic of controversy.  Thus a new campaign has been launched to take direct aim at such notions.
New Campaign to End Gay Conversion Therapy  [TIME]

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Missed an action email?  An archive is kept at: www.UntilAll.org/archives.htm.

 

May 2014 newsletter

Welcome to the May 31, 2014 edition of this Peace&Justice action email!

This issue deals firstly with the widely publicized case of a pregnant Sudanese women sentenced to death [please note this newsletter was delayed to get the latest action].  Secondly this newsletter provides an update action to last year’s Bangladeshi factory collapse.
The blog associated with this newsletter is at: http://untilall.org/blogs/newsletter/.  Feel free to comment on any topic.

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Pour la traduction française: cliqueter ici; et cliqueter alors le bouton de traduction sur la page Web.
Para la traducción española: clic aquí; y entonces hace clic en el botón de traducción en la página web.

 

 

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SUDAN: PREGNANT WOMAN CONDEMNED TO DEATH

A Sudanese court has sentenced a pregnant woman, Mariam Yahya Ibrahim, to hang for apostasy after she married a Christian man.  The death sentence would be carried out two years after she gives birth.  In addition she will receive 100 lashes for adultery (her marriage is not deemed valid) once she has recovered from giving birth.  Amnesty International has created a petition to protest against this horrible violation of human rights.  Amnesty considers Mariam to be a prisoner of conscience (violates freedom of thought, conscience and religion), her flogging to be torture, and is against the death penalty.

[Update: May 27: Mariam gave birth to a baby girl, Maya]

[Breaking News: May 31: Sudan’s Foreign Ministry has announced that the case will be repealed.  Thus the original action here has been removed (just before I was to send this newsletter).  But because this came from the Foreign Ministry and not the court itself, the spotlight should remain until Mariam is actually freed and all charges have been repealed.  Thus I delayed this email until I found the following replacement action.

Take Action:
Keep Pressure on Sudan – Demand Mariam be Freed!
Background:
Sudan: Pregnant woman faces death for apostasy   [BBC]
Sudan’s twisted history of using religion   [Al Jazeera]

Darfur and thus Sudan have been part of this newsletter’s longitudinal study.  We know how the political power remains an influx, multi-voiced dynamic (which has also been labelled, dysfunctional;  see: Current Status  [UntilAll]).  But it is unknown whether this incident bubbled up from obscurity or became a useful distraction.

 

 

 

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BANGLADESHI FACTORY COLLAPSE FOLLOW-UP ACTION

Last year’s massive building collapse in Bangladesh killed over 1,100 people and injured countless others.  After a global protest, the corporations that profited from this tragedy were to pay into a $40 million fund to be collected by the International Labour Organization.

But one year later, less than half the money has been donated — and 15 retailers, including Ascena (Lane Bryant), JCPenney, and Benetton, are refusing to pay up.  Worse, very little has changed within Bangladesh.  Survivors and their families are still struggling, and little has been done to affect long-term change.  Thus consider the action below to demand that these retailers uphold their obligation to the Bangladeshi workers now!

Take Action:
Tell Companies to Keep Promise and Donate to Fund   [Watchdog.net]

 

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=== FOLLOW-UP TO PREVIOUS ISSUES ===
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SYRIA: Latest UN Report

A recent UN report has summarized the extent of the ongoing, four year-old tragedy in Syria.  Almost two-thirds of Syria’s population suffers from extreme poverty because of the civil war, calling it “catastrophic”.  Over 150,000 people have been killed.  Nearly 50% of Syria’s labor force is unemployed, and the country’s gross domestic product has shrunk by an estimated 40% since 2011. Losses from damage are estimated at $143.8 billion.  Full details:
 UN Report on Syria   [Reuters]

 

MALI: Violence Flares

This newsletter originally noted the unrest that was occurring in Mali, and later, highlighted the issue of Mali’s coup in 2012.  Since then France came in to overtake the northern area held by the Tuareg rebels.  France remains concerned about Islamist strongholds.  In the past few days there has been further fighting, whereby Tuareg separatists repulsed an attempt by Mali’s army to take control of their stronghold of Kidal.  A ceasefire has been agreed to, for now.  The point of this update is to note that as long as underlying issues remain unresolved, violence will remain near the surface.
Latest fighting   [Reuters]
Refugees divided on future of northern Mail   [IRIN]

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=== ARTICLES OF INTEREST ===
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When is civil society a force for social transformation?

The cluster that is called civil society, particularly though not exclusively in terms of number of charitable originations, has grown enormously for the last few decades.  The following essay probes the dynamics and asks why there is not a similar reduction in the social ills they try to address.  The essay even suggests there has even been a less positive impact than before.  The author offers two primary reasons.
Civil Society and Social Transformation   [openDemocracy]

 

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Missed an action email?  An archive is kept at: www.UntilAll.org/archives.htm.