January 2015 Newsletter

Welcome to the January 30, 2015 edition of this Peace/Justice action email!

Due to other pressing projects, this will be a minimal newsletter edition.  There is a single action – a follow-up action on Darfur.  If you want to take other actions, I have included links to some of Amnesty International’s websites.  In them you will find actions from LGBT issues, to issues of torture, denial of freedom, and so on.

Plus there is a huge “Thank you!” for the amazing response to the global Write-for-Rights campaign.

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Para la traducción española: clic aquí; y entonces hace clic en el botón de traducción en la página web.
 

 

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DARFUR: 2015 STARTS WITH ATROCITIES

Sudan’s President Bashir has recently initiated yet another deadly campaign against the people of Darfur.  Since the start of January, bombings and assault have displaced over 30,000 people with an unknown death toll (400,000 displaced in 2014).  With description of “cleansing” entire areas such as parts of East Jebel Mara, this has repulsive echoes of the early days of the Darfur crisis (for fuller overall details of conditions of Darfur and Sudan see: Current Status  [UntilAll]).

In addition, the U.N. is planning to further cut-back its forces, largely due to pressure from Sudan, even as violence has drastically increased.

A petition has been created to press the U.N. into more robust action.  Tell the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Powers, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, to the new wave of bombings.

Take Action:
Tell UN Security Council to Protect People of Darfur

 

 

 

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TAKE MORE HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION

While I have a list of other possible actions to take, I have not had time adequately to investigate them.  Thus if you want to take other human rights actions, please go to any of the Amnesty International websites.

Take Action:
Australia: http://www.amnesty.org.au
Canada: www.amnesty.ca
U.K.: http://www.amnesty.org.uk
U.S.: http://write.amnestyusa.org
International site: www.amnesty.org

 

 

 

 

 

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=== FOLLOW-UP TO PREVIOUS ISSUES ===
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Amnesty Write-For-Rights Campaign Success

A big “Thank you” goes out to all who participated in Amnesty International’s annual international Write-For-Rights letter writing campaign in December!  Over 3 million actions have been tallied so far – simply amazing!

 

UN Arms Trade Treaty Takes Effect

On December 24, 2014, the UN Arms Trade Treaty took effect, regulating the international trade in arms trade.  This newsletter has advocated for this treaty, although its effect is tied to broad support, especially from the large arms exporters.  Thus far, sixty-one nations have ratified it and thus are bound by it.   Of the large arms exporters:

  1. Britain, France and Germany have signed and ratified it;
  2. Russia, China and Pakistan have not even signed it;
  3. The world’s largest exporter, the U.S., has signed it but is unlikely to ratify the treaty since it requires approval by its Senate, and the concerns of the National Rifle Association (NRA) hold sway.

In the January 2013 newsletter the concerns of the NRA were explored as honestly as possible, although in the April newsletter the overall logic regarding the treaty concerns was deemed to be “incredulous” (although I remain open to further dialogue).
Announcement of UN Treaty (Reuters)
Actual UN Treaty Text

 

Western Sahara: Nonviolent Women’s’ Resistance

This newsletter raised the issue of problems brewing in sub-Saharan Africa long before they became mainstream news.  While many issues remain bleak, there are also signs of hope.  The following article highlights a nonviolent women’s resistance movement:
Nonviolent Women’s Resistance in Western Sahara  [openDemoracy]

 

 

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=== ARTICLES OF INTEREST ===
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Ten Wars to Watch for in 2015

Here is the annual list from International Crisis Group:
http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/op-eds/2015/guehenno-10-wars-to-watch-in-2015.aspx

 

 

One Almond Requires One Gallon of Water

 

The following article combines two environmental sub-themes of this newsletter: (a) our disconnection between what we consume and the resources to produce it; (b) the growing issue of water.  And please note that it is a separate question regarding how much of that gallon of water is left to use again.
Almonds, California and Water   [Mother Jones]

 

February 2013 newsletter

Welcome to the Thursday February 28, 2013 issue of this Peace&Justice action email

This issue provides a single brief focus – the disheartening tenth anniversary of the Darfur crisis.  It had to wait until today for the related actions on Darfur.  Due to this tight timing the issue of Mental Health will become the focus of next month’s edition.

 

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TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF DARFUR CRISIS

The start of the Darfur crisis is usually either associated with February 26 when rebel forces made their first public appearance, in an attack on a Golu garrison.  or it is anchored to April 25, when the rebels achieved a victory never seen before, even during the unrelated 20year plus 20 year North-South war – they overran the El Fasher airport, destroying several aircraft and capturing the Air Force commander.  The latter event is what caused Sudan’s President Bashir to unleash the Janjaweed in combination with government ground and air forces. That said, the build-up to this eruption was years and even decades of neglect and also targeted campaigns against the people of Darfur.

Darfur has been the longitudinal study of this newsletter for several years, although at the time it was an utterly disheartening thought that the crisis not only would last this long, but would remain in such an unresolved state.  All of my Darfuri contacts that I have recently talked to, remain quite pessimistic about Darfur’s near-term future.  Readers who have been following this newsletter will know that while Darfur has slipped off the news radar screen, that within Darfur things have changed in many ways but almost none for the better.  Bombing and attacks have continued; at least two million people remain displaced in camps of which many are getting restricted aid in attempts to force them back home where often homes no longer exist or are occupied by foreigners sympathetic to the government.  And much more: see Darfur Current Status (UntilAll).

Today, February 28, 2013, was the start of a push to reignite diplomatic efforts on Darfur which also means on Sudan as a whole.  The U.S., U.K and Australia have called for renewed focus and action (see: Letter to Foreign Secretaries).  The demands are nothing new, but as with most human dynamics it is a question of timing.  While at the moment I can’t see much that may play a positive role, who can say what might come?  Thus consider taking the following actions.

Take Action:
Petition to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

Petition to US Secretary of State Kerry

 

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

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UWAA: This endeavour is being placed under the overall rubric of “Until Well-being is Achieved for All.”