SCHOOL ACTION PACK
JANUARY–APRIL 2010
Shell: Clean up your act Two in three hurt: Help stop violence against women in PNG Thank you from Justine Amnesty International Australia www.amnesty.org.au
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010
Contents SECTION 01
UPDATES AND NEWS
SECTION 02
CAMPAIGNS 02.1 Demand Dignity: Petrol, poverty and pollution in the Niger Delta 02.2 Stop violence against women: Papua New Guinea 02.3 Act now for individuals at risk
SECTION 03
MAKE AN IMPACT 03.1 Getting noticed and getting members at the beginning of the year
SECTION 04
INFORMATION 04.1 Practical information and reminders
rg.au nesty.o www.am
IMPORTANT
!
e website Please visit th on our for the latest campaigns as s can circumstance y! change quickl
CAMPAIGN ACTIONS: AT A GLANCE Campaign
Action
Target
Demand Dignity
Shell: Clean up your act
Oil company Shell
Stop violence against women
Papua New Guinea
Prime Minister – Papua New Guinea
Individuals at risk
Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Democratic Republic of Congo, plus a thank you from Justine
Various
Refugees and asylum seekers
End the detention of children on Christmas Island. Extension of action in last school pack. See Section 1 for more details.
Write to students at Christmas Island school
Cover: A woman dries cassava in front of a gas flare close to the Niger Delta community of Iwhrekan © Kadir van Lohuizen/NOOR
Amnesty International is part of the global movement defending human rights and dignity. We work with people in Australia and our region to demand respect for human rights and protect people facing abuse. We campaign, conduct research and raise money for our work. Our active members, such as school action groups, play a vital role in achieving our aims through writing letters, sending online actions, organising creative awareness-raising activities and fundraising in their communities.
UPDATES AND NEWS
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010 | SECTION 01.1
STILL TIME TO WRITE TO STUDENTS ON CHRISTMAS ISLAND At the time of writing we were still receiving cards and letters from schools around Australia to be sent to students attending school on Christmas Island. Amnesty International opposes the offshore detention of asylum seekers who arrive by boat. They are detained on Christmas Island, 2,000km from mainland Australia. We are particularly concerned about the ongoing practice of detaining children on Christmas Island, many of whom arrive without their families. Some attend the local school along with children who live permanently on the island. In the last school pack we asked groups to write messages, cards or letters to the students at Christmas Island school. Some of these will be delivered to the school in December by Refugee Coordinator Graham Thom. ACT NOW We’ve decided to extend the deadline for this action to give those of you who were busy with exams last term a chance to take part. Please refer to the last school pack for full instructions or go to the website to download the briefing sheet. New deadline: 31 March 2010. Go to: www.amnesty.org.au/schoolaction
LET’S ACT ON IT – GIVE US A HUMAN RIGHTS ACT In October 2009 the report of the National Human Rights Consultation Committee was released. This followed a national consultation asking people what they thought about human rights protection in Australia. During the consultation more than 35,000 individual submissions were received. More than 10,000 of those came from Amnesty International supporters including school groups who called for our rights to be protected through a Human Rights Act. The report published by the committee revealed that more than 80 per cent of submissions were in favour of a Human Rights Act. Reflecting the support of the Australian community, the committee recommended that the government adopt a federal Human Rights Act. The Committee also made 30 other recommendations to better protect and promote human rights in Australia. A Human Rights Act for Australia would ensure that the human rights of all people are protected. The Act would be a national law that protects the fundamental rights of everyone in Australia – the rights outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights treaties. More at: www.amnesty.org.au/yourhumanrights
Messages of hope on their way from Australian schools to children detained on Christmas Island © AIA
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010 | SECTION 01.1
UNHEARD TRUTH IN THE HEART OF AUSTRALIA
“In the heart of this first world I found scenes more reminiscent of the third world. That Indigenous peoples experience human rights violations on a continent of such privilege is not merely disheartening, it is morally outrageous.” This was the reaction of Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan on visiting the Utopia homeland in November. Utopia is a group of Aboriginal communities five hours drive north-east of Alice Springs along dirt roads. More than 45,000 Aboriginal people are still subject to racially discriminatory measures, including compulsory quarantining of social security payments, as a result of the Government’s Northern Territory Emergency Response, or “Intervention”. “The blunt force of the intervention’s heavy handed ‘one size fits all’ approach cannot deliver the desired results, said Irene. “The Government will not secure the long term protection of women and children unless there is an integrated human rights solution that empowers people and engages them to take responsibility for the solutions.” More at: www.amnesty.org.au/poverty
CRUCIAL TIME FOR PLAN TO STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN AUSTRALIA Violence against women is entrenched in Australia. National surveys indicate that 57 per cent of women experience violence in their lifetime. Amnesty International has been campaigning for a national plan to end violence against women and children since 2005. The Australian Government has now committed to introducing a national plan to be agreed by state and territory governments in 2010. While the plan is being developed the Federal Government also announced some immediate actions it will take. These include implementing Respectful Relationship programs for school-age people to change attitudes and behaviours that contribute to violence. While it is good news that the Federal Government has committed to a National Plan of Action, we are currently pushing for the Plan to meet international good practice standards and to be adequately funded at both the state and federal levels. More at: www.amnesty.org.au/svaw
Amnesty International researcher Lucas Jordan interviews Topsy McLeod Ngal and Pansie McLeod Petyarr during Irene Khan’s visit to the Utopia Homelands. © Rusty Stewart.
NEW BILL BANS TORTURE AND DEATH PENALTY Amnesty International has welcomed a proposed law that confirms Australia’s opposition to torture and the death penalty. The Federal Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, recently introduced the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Torture Prohibition and Death Penalty Abolition) Bill 2009 into Parliament. If passed, the Bill would specifically prohibit torture and ensure states could not reintroduce the death penalty into their laws. Amnesty International has been working for decades to prohibit the use of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. We also campaign to outlaw the death penalty throughout the world.
CAMPAIGNS : INFORMATION AND ACTION
Demand dignity
✂
Shell: Clean up your act
I WANT SHELL TO COME CLEAN Oil spill at Ikarama, Bayelsa State. The picture was taken by Amnesty researchers in March 2008, eight months after the spill. There are often long delays in cleaning up after oil spills in the Niger Delta. © AI
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010 | SECTION 02.1
“
People living in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, have to drink, cook and wash with polluted water; they eat fish contaminated with oil and other toxins – if they are lucky enough to find fish at all; and the land they farm is being poisoned. The oil industry is destroying the natural resources they depend on for their survival – and one of the main companies responsible is Shell.
We experience the hell of poverty. Plants and
PETROL AND POLLUTION
animals do not grow,
The Niger Delta in the south of Nigeria has huge and valuable oil deposits which have been extracted for decades by the Government of Nigeria and by multinational companies. Shell is responsible for 80 per cent of oil and gas extraction in the area. Oil spills, gas flaring and pollution resulting from oil extraction are having a devastating impact on the land, rivers and the communities that depend on them.
the fish have died.
Oil spills result from deteriorating oil pipes, poor maintenance and human error, as well as from vandalism and theft of oil. Figures vary but according to the United Nations Development Program more than 6800 spills were recorded between 1976 and 2001. Gas flaring is also a problem. When oil is pumped out of the ground the gas is separated and most of it is burnt off as waste. This is extremely wasteful, damages the environment and there are concerns that it has a negative impact on human health. Nigeria has prohibited gas flaring since 1984 but the practice continues. PETROL AND POVERTY Hundreds of thousands of people are affected by the pollution and environmental damage caused by the oil industry and the impact on human rights is huge. The poor are particularly affected. Destruction of livelihoods More than 60 per cent of people in the region depend on the natural environment for their survival. Pollution kills fish and damages fishing equipment. Oil spills have polluted land used for farming, damaging the soil over the long term. In many cases, oil spills on soil have threatened a family’s only way of making a living.
Jonah Gbemre Iwerhekan Community April 2008
SHELL CASE STUDY:
BODO, OGONILAND ‘If you want to go fishing, you have to paddle for about four hours through several rivers before you can get to where you can catch fish … some of the fish we catch, when you open the stomach, it smells of crude oil.” Fisherman, Bodo In August 2008, a Shell pipeline leaked more than 1,600 barrels of oil into local waterways at Bodo Creek. The burst pipe is the responsibility of the Shell Petroleum Development Company and it is not clear why Shell failed to stop the leak as required by Nigerian oil industry regulations. Although the oil spill deprived local people of their main source of food, little was done to address this. Eight months after the spill, Shell staff reportedly took food to the community, which was rejected as inadequate. Shell did not reply to Amnesty International’s request for a comment on the case.
Danger to health Communities have many serious concerns about the impact of the oil industry on health. However, neither the government nor companies appear to take the health risks seriously. Academic sources have questioned the safety of the food after oil spills and other pollution. Communities where oil spills have occurred describe how fish tasted like “kerosene” and caused stomach upsets. Local people complain of breathing and skin problems and other health issues after oil spills. For many years residents have complained that gas flares are seriously damaging their quality of life. Flares often continue for 24 hours a day in several areas, creating noise pollution and giving off permanent light. Often when gas is flared, not all the oil is burned off so oil droplets fall on waterways, crops, houses and people.
A man and a woman stand near an oil polluted site in Iwhrekan, Delta State. © Kadir van Lohuizen/NOOR
CAMPAIGNS : INFORMATION AND ACTION
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010 | SECTION 02.1
they cannot afford the high costs involved (lawyers’ and court fees, travel costs and, potentially, the cost of expert witnesses and scientific evidence)
Poverty and pollution have sparked protests against Shell and other oil companies. Some have been violent. Armed gangs have been involved in theft, property destruction and kidnapping oil workers. Amnesty International condemns this violence. In June 2009, tens of thousands of people fled their homes to avoid fighting between government forces and a group known as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta. EVADING RESPONSIBILITIES Both the Nigerian Government and the oil companies have neglected their responsibilities to the people of the Niger Delta. Nigeria has laws that require companies to make sure they are operating to internationally recognised standards as well as laws to protect the environment. But these laws are not properly enforced by the government. Oil companies have been taking advantage of Nigeria’s weak law enforcement for too long. They do not do enough to prevent environmental damage or to properly address the impact of their operations on people’s lives.
Women next to an oil wellhead that has been spilling crude oil near the community of Ikot Ada Udo since 2004. © Kadir van Lohuizen/NOOR
Tell him that you are from an Amnesty International school group in Australia.
•
Express your concern at the impact of Shell’s operations on the human rights of people of the Niger Delta.
•
Call on Shell to take action to clean up pollution caused by its operations and to do this in consultation with affected communities.
•
Call on Shell to assess and make public the environmental, social and human rights impacts of its work.
Send your letters to: Mr Peter Voser Chief Executive Royal Dutch Shell PO Box 162 2501 AN The Hague The Netherlands
➜
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME Please make a card with a ‘dirty’ handprint on the front and a message for Mr. Peter Voser on the back. You can cut out the one here or make your own. Use black paint for your handprint to represent oil. Please do not use Shell’s logo in your activities! Send your cards by 31 March 2010 to: Anne Montague, Youth Coordinator, Locked Bag 23 Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.
RESOURCES
Read the full report ‘Petroleum, pollution and poverty in the Niger Delta’: www.amnesty.org.au/action/action/21246
Watch Poison Fire – a 28-minute documentary about the Niger Delta. Go to Youtube and search under ‘Poison Fire’. (This film was not made by Amnesty International so does not necessarily represent our views). Campaign Digest (8 page), stickers and flyers Available from your local Action Centre.
DEMAND DIGNITY CAMPAIGN This case is part of our Demand Dignity campaign looking at human rights and poverty. We are focusing on three key issues that affect the world’s poor – forced evictions, maternal mortality and corporate responsibility.
Do not fill in your email address if you prefer us not to contact you directly.
•
•
Email: ________________________________________________________________________________
they would have long and difficult journeys to the Federal High Courts, which are located in state capitals
Write to Shell’s Chief Executive, Peter Voser
Date of birth: __________________________________________________________________________
•
SIMPLE ACTION
For Amnesty International use only
communities are rarely given information about the impact of oil companies’ operations on their environment and human rights
Come clean on the information it has on pollution in the region but hasn’t yet made public
School: __________________________________________________________ State: ______________
•
•
Yours sincerely,
they often lack awareness of their rights
Clean up Shell’s practices
• Disclose all information on the impact of oil operations on the environment and human rights in the Niger Delta, including any studies Shell may have done.
•
Clean up the pollution
•
• Undertake a full clean-up of all oil pollution, in consultation with the communities that are affected, and report on this publicly and regularly
It is extremely difficult for the people of the Niger Delta to start legal proceedings against oil companies for several reasons:
•
As Chief Executive of Royal Dutch Shell I urge you to:
ACCESS TO JUSTICE
✂
We are calling on the new Chief Executive of Shell, Peter Voser, to come clean on the Niger Delta:
In addition, communities are rarely provided with information on the impacts of oil company operations on their environment and human rights.
Right to clean water Right to food Right to an adequate standard of living Right to earn a living through work Right to health and a healthy environment
I am very concerned about the impact that Shell’s activities are having on the people of the Niger Delta. Shell’s practices are stripping the inhabitants of their human rights and keeping them in poverty. Oil pollution has damaged crucial sources of livelihood for communities, including farming and fisheries. Shell has not done enough to address this.
• • • • •
TELL SHELL TO COME CLEAN
Dear Mr Peter Voser
Some of the rights affected by Shell’s operations in the Niger Delta:
Signature: ____________________________ Print name: ______________________________________
ACT NOW>>
Corporate responsibility involves investigating how companies, in this case Shell, contribute to human rights abuses and poverty and holding those responsible to account. In Australia we will be focusing on the human rights abuses that contribute to poverty among Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders.
A gas flare at Ughelli West, Nigeria © Kadir van Lohuizen/NOOR
Please leave your email address only if you are happy to be contacted with more information about Amnesty International.
EMAIL DATE OF BIRTH SIGNATURE SCHOOL AND STATE
CAMPAIGNS : INFORMATION AND ACTION
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010 | SECTION 02.2
Many voices, one message Stop violence against women in Papua New Guinea Violence against women in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is widespread. Two thirds of women experience physical violence at the hands of their husbands. In at least one region, it is close to 100 per cent. The Prime Minister of PNG, Sir Michael Somare, has publicly called on husbands to stop the violence, saying he is ashamed of the high levels in his country. Amnesty International believes it is his government’s responsibility to address violence in his country, as well as the discrimination and inequality that cause it. CAUSES OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN PNG Violence and lawlessness Most people responsible for violence against women are never arrested. Those that are arrested usually do not make it to court, and those that do make it court are rarely sentenced. Village courts often follow customary (traditional) forgiveness practices, where payment is made to the family of the victim. This is despite the fact that they are required by their own National Constitution to protect women’s rights, and therefore not dismiss violence against women as acceptable or excusable. Status of women Women are often treated as a commodity – something that can be traded or owned. This type of inequality is supported by customs such as polygamy (having more than one wife) or bride price (money or goods given to the family of a bride by the bridegroom or his family) which strengthen men’s belief that they own their wives. Women face severe inequalities in all spheres of life – social, cultural, economic and political. Political inaction The PNG Government has failed to take adequate action, frequently using the excuses of culture and a lack of resources. Amnesty International believes that the government must recognise the negative impact violence against women has on the whole population and make the best use of the resources it has.
JOSEPHINE’S STORY: NOWHERE TO GO Josephine’s husband beat her regularly. In 2007 she left her husband, seeking shelter with her parents. She also discovered she had contracted HIV from her husband. Since her family discovered her HIV status she has been beaten regularly by her brothers. Josephine desperately needs a place to stay. There are only three safe houses in the capital, Port Moresby, where she lives. These shelters are run without government assistance and are struggling with lack of money. The situation is worse outside the capital. The PNG Government must urgently provide more safe accommodation for women fleeing violence.
GRACE’S STORY: NO PROTECTION In early 2009 Grace’s mother went to the police and made a complaint against Grace’s partner, who was frequently violent towards her. When the police went to arrest him, he escaped into the surrounding hills. The police dropped the matter, saying they had more urgent matters to attend to. When Grace’s partner returned he continued to physically abuse her. When her mother went back to the police they said they did not have a car to use to find him and make an arrest. Grace went to a shelter run by a church organisation. She received counselling and legal assistance. The PNG Government must introduce a law that specifically addresses violence in the family. By keeping it hidden away as a private matter, women are left unprotected and those responsible are free to continue committing abuses.
Locals and visitors raised awaeness of violence against women in PNG at an International Women’s Day event at Porebada (a village near Port Moresby). A canoe race was held where the Stop Violence against Women canoe was launched. © AI
NAME
For Amnesty International use only
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010 | SECTION 02.2
•
announce publically the amount of funding committed for safe houses and how to access the funds.
•
introduce and enforce specific domestic violence laws.
•
commit to the above three points in front of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in July 2010.
•
announce publically the amount of funding committed for safe houses and how to access the funds.
•
introduce and enforce specific domestic violence laws.
•
commit to the above three points in front of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in July 2010.
We will present them to the Prime Minister of PNG along with those collected by other Amnesty International supporters from around the country.
Women gather on the steps of Papua New Guinea’s parliament in 2007, after the country’s only female MP, Carol Kidu, presented a petition to the house demanding the government do something to stop violence against women. © AAP Image/Lloyd Jones
Papua New Guinea women at an Amnesty International human rights training session in Mount Hagen. Despite the difficulties they encounter, many women in Papua New Guinea are taking up the struggle for protection from violence and redress for victims. © AI
Dear Prime Minister Somare,
Australia is PNG’s nearest neighbour and gives a large amount of aid to the country. It must encourage the PNG Government to do more to stop violence against women.
SIGNATURE
commit financial and other support to organisations currently providing shelters for women and children fleeing family violence.
Please return your signed petitions by 31 March 2010 to: Youth Coordinator, Amnesty International Australia, Locked Bag 23, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.
SCHOOL AND STATE
•
Get your whole school involved by getting them to sign the enclosed petition. Feel free to think of creative or visual ways of presenting your petition.
NAME
Amnesty International thinks that the PNG Government must identify and address the root causes of violence against women, prosecute those responsible, and provide support to survivors. In particular it must:
The more voices, the louder the message
formally commit to the above three points when reporting on steps taken by the Government to end discrimination and violence against women at the 46th Session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in July 2010.
NEXT STEPS
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME
•
The PNG Prime Minister was one of the Pacific Island leaders who committed to ending violence against women at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Cairns in August 2009.
introduce and enforce specific domestic violence legislation.
•
•
In 2002, the PNG Government introduced the Sexual Offences and Crimes against Children Act which covers things such as rape and sexual assault. However, the law does not address violence in the family, nor has it been properly implemented.
announce publically the amount of funding committed towards safe houses and to establish a transparent process for accessing these funds.
•
Send your letters to: Rt Hon. Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare Prime Minister PO Box 639 Waigani National Capital District Papua New Guinea Salutation: Dear Prime Minister
•
It ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1995.
commit financial and other support to organisations currently providing emergency accommodation to women and children fleeing family violence.
•
•
PNG has taken a number of positive steps in recent years:
We, the undersigned, call on the Government of Papua New Guinea to:
POSITIVE STEPS
Please leave your email address only if you are happy to be contacted with more information about Amnesty International.
www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/iwd
commit financial and other support to organisations currently providing shelters for women and children fleeing family violence.
DATE OF BIRTH
•
Write letters to the Prime Minister of PNG, Sir Michael Somare, calling on the government to:
Return all petitions to your local Action Centre by 31 March 2010. This petition will be presented to the Right Honourable Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, Prime Minister of PNG.
SIMPLE ACTION
A Western Highlands woman is informed by a nurse at Mt Hagen Hospital that she has contracted HIV from her husband. © AFP Photo
This is a great day to organise an event, stall or assembly to collect signatures for our petition (see Act Now section). For more information about International Women’s Day go to the United Nations website:
Women in PNG urgently need the Government to start taking action by introducing a law against domestic violence and providing more safe houses for women and children fleeing violence.
Women in PNG are calling for an end to the violence. In 2007 they presented a petition with more that 6000 signatures calling for action. Add your voice to their calls and make the message louder.
Violence against women in PNG is widespread. Across PNG two thirds of women experience physical violence at the hands of their husbands. In at least one region, it is close to 100 per cent.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 8 MARCH
Stop violence against women in Papua New Guinea
ACT NOW>>
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010 | SECTION 02.2
For Amnesty International use only
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010 | SECTION 02.2
CAMPAIGNS : INFORMATION AND ACTION
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010 | SECTION 02.3
“
ACT NOW
Hi everyone, I am lost for words to express my deep
For individuals at risk
gratitude for your support
Amnesty International takes action to help individuals whose human rights have been abused or are in danger of abuse. We do this by writing to governments or other authorities responsible for this abuse. Sometimes we write directly to those suffering the abuse to give them hope and let them know that people are working hard to help them.
Be assured that the
in these difficult times. cards you have sent have fortified thousands of women in Nord Kivu who
Letter-writing – a quick guide: • Give brief details about each case in your letters
had lost hope. I would
•
Letters don’t have to be long but they should always be polite
•
Say who you are and where you are from to illustrate that people from all over the world of different ages and backgrounds are concerned about the case.
•
like to say to each one of you how grateful I am. Once again, thank you.
Make clear that your concern is strictly about human rights. Remember that Amnesty International does not oppose or support any government or political system.
Justine Masika Bihamba
ACT NOW>>
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Thank you from Justine
Write to the President of the DRC, asking him to: • Immediately protect human rights defender Justine Masika Bihamba and her family.
Justine Masika Bihamba is a human rights worker in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She and her family have been targeted by the military because she coordinates the women’s rights organisation Synergie des Femmes contre les Violences Sexuelles (SFVS). In September 2007, soldiers forced their way into Justine’s home while she was out and assaulted two of her children. After military police refused to arrest the men, claiming that there was no evidence against them, Justine lodged a legal complaint. Despite promises that justice would be done, the men have still not been arrested. The men continue to threaten Justine. Her two daughters have fled abroad.
•
Conduct an investigation into the attack on Justine Masika Bihamba’s family and promptly bring those responsible to justice.
•
Allow human rights defenders in the DRC to carry out their work free from harassment.
Write to: President Joseph Kabila Cabinet du Président Palais de la Nation Kinshasa/Gombe Democratic Republic of the Congo Salutation: Your Excellency So we can let Justine know you have taken action for her, please send a copy of your letter to Amnesty International. You may also attach a small card or note for Justine. (See overleaf for address).
Justine Masika Bihamba says thanks. © Private
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010 | SECTION 02.3
ACT NOW>>
NEPAL
Support Rita and her work for women Human rights defender Rita Mahato has received threats as a result of her work assisting women who have suffered from acts of violence. She is a health adviser at the Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC), which has been attacked by men who object to the centre’s work. The police have failed to provide Rita with protection, or investigate the threats, and she fears for her life. Rita documents cases of violence against women in Bastipur Village in the Siraha district of Nepal. She then registers the cases with the police, assists in the arrest of those responsible and gives legal and medical support to the women. In June 2007, between 60 and 70 men arrived at the WOREC offices and threatened Rita Mahato and other staff and insisted that they leave the village within five days. The same month, around 20 people threw bricks at the WOREC office. Despite reporting these incidents to the police, no action was taken. Rita Mahato feels threatened and fears for her life, yet she continues her crucial work defending the rights of women.
Rita Mahato – defending women’s rights in Nepal. © Dixie
Write to the Inspector-General of Police in Nepal asking him to: • investigate the threats against Rita Mahato and her colleagues. • implement laws that enable Rita Mahato to carry out her human rights work without being threatened. • develop a national plan of action to implement the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which would enable human rights defenders to carry out their work without fear of reprisals. Write to: Ramesh Chand Thakuri Police Headquarters GPO Box 407 Naxal, Kathmandu Nepal Salutation: Dear Inspector General So we can let Rita know you have taken action for her, please send a copy of your letter to Amnesty International. You may attach a small card or note for Rita and her colleagues at WOREC.
Send your cards or copies of your letters to: Youth Coordinator, Amnesty International Australia Locked Bag 23, Broadway, NSW 2007 Australia or email scanned copies to: anne_montague@amnesty.org.au
ACT NOW>>
SAUDI ARABIA
Domestic worker at risk of execution
Write to the King of Saudi Arabia calling for: • the death sentence against Siti Zainab Binti Duhri Rupa to be commuted (changed to a less severe sentence).
Siti Zainab Binti Duhri Rupa from Indonesia has been detained in Saudi Arabia since 1999. She had been working in Saudi Arabia and allegedly confessed to the murder of her employer, a crime that carries the death sentence.
•
Siti Zainab to be given full and immediate access to legal help, translation facilities and medical assistance if necessary.
•
Information on the charges against her and details of any trial proceedings that have taken place.
•
Work towards the abolition of the death penalty in Saudi Arabia
At the time of her arrest the police reportedly suspected her of suffering from mental illness. She was convicted and sentenced to death. She was denied legal help before her trial and is not known to have had adequate translation or legal representation during her trial. Amnesty International has concerns about the reliability of her alleged confession. We draw the Saudi Arabian authorities attention to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights that has urged states not to impose the death penalty on a person suffering from any form of mental disorder. Amnesty International is concerned that Siti Zainab may be at imminent risk of execution.
Write to: King Abdullah Bin ‘Abdul’ Aziz Al-Saud Office of His Majesty the King Royal Court Riyadh Saudi Arabia Please send a copy of your letter to Amnesty International. You may also attach a small nonreligious card or note for her personally from you.
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010 | SECTION 03.1
Banners are a great way to get your message across, as shown by these New South Wales activists protesting the Death Penalty. © AIA
MAKING AN IMPACT
A few tips on how to get noticed and get members at the beginning of the year
GETTING NOTICED Hold a stall • Choose a location where lots of people pass by •
Display large posters or banners. Small leaflets won’t be seen in a large space
•
Give away freebies – stickers, posters, fair trade chocolate
•
Make sure you have an action for people to do at the stall
•
Advertise the details of your first meeting on your stall.
Make a banner Hang a large piece of cloth onto a large flat area of wall (sheets from a charity shop are good options)
1 2
Project an image or words using a data projector onto the cloth (or print onto a piece of acetate used for over-head projectors and project onto the cloth). Use chalk or pencil to trace the image/words.
3
Paint directly onto the banner using the outline you have just traced (acrylic paint is best). If painting the banner on the floor, put newspaper or plastic sheeting underneath!
4
Or cut out the image or words you have just traced and glue onto another piece of cloth.
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010 | SECTION 03.1
Your first mee ting
Planning • Plan the fir st meeting ve ry early in the agenda before term. Set a cl hand and get ear other people to help you. • Try and av oid clashes w ith any other meetings or cl • Try and ho ubs. ld meetings in the same room . • Give yourse lves plenty of time to set up the room. • Put up a no tice or poster on th e meeting in. door of the ro om you are • Have a qu ick run throug h of the agenda sure that you and timing to are all clear. make Publicity • Make anno uncements – use assemblie school newslet s, your daily ro ters and websi ll call and tes. • Run a publ icity stunt – dr ess up, run a campaign mystery poster • Send a rem inder on the da y of the meetin and assemblie g through teac s. hers • Give out fly ers over break times. • If you have an email list, Facebook, MyS send a reminde pace or Twitter r the day befo page, re. If you have SMS people. phone numbe rs,
Keeping up the interest: your next meetings
r Packs, website and you Use the School Action n pla you p sletter to hel local Action Centre new meeting. r you for us the main foc content of your meetings • Regularly change the mple: show a video, to retain interest, for exa cussion on a human dis a invite a speaker, have ative session – design rights theme, run a cre ners. new posters / flyers, ban m lude the latest news fro • Try to regularly inc any ate and celebr Amnesty International website for the the to Go s. rie sto s succes latest. a so each item on the agend • Allocate a time to you stay on track. at you can achieve in the • Be realistic about wh time you have. an agenda. • Take turns to create
•
g At the meetin what from the start
e it clear Be clear: Mak ill cover w the meeting re you can – visual aids whe se U : al su vi Be DVDs. , Powerpoint, e.g. flip charts to contribute ask everyone e: iv ct ra te in e B to discussions though we it clear that al Be fun: Make n be fun us issues it ca deal with serio ternational an Amnesty In being part of school group ople and elcome new pe W g: in m co el Be w group. Thank el part of the fe em th e ak m g for d of the meetin them at the en pe to see ll them you ho coming, and te xt meeting! them at the ne ies from the se success stor Be positive: U y st that Amne website to show ks. or w l Internationa campaign ays include a w al e: tiv ac e B as the ones in meeting such action in your this pack. e, place and Agree on a tim Be organised: d get xt meeting an plan for the ne ntact details. everyone’s co
PLAN AN EVENT
ay and involved straight aw Get people interested . ion act gn pai nt or cam by planning for an eve l Women’s Day on the ona ati ern Int m ter This ion. opt 8th March is a good n in small groups Run a brainstorm sessio ups of 2–3. gro o • Split people int nutes to come up with • Give them 5–10 mi nt/action ideas for your chosen eve their ideas or, if time is • Ask each group for short, their best idea go. Write up ideas as you a(s) up decide on which ide • With the whole gro are best. Be realistic!
•
Create a plan that need to be done to What: List all the things make your event a reality calendar with weeks and When: Draw up a large to be when each task needs days marked. Discuss calendar. done and write up on the for each task. Who: Ask for volunteers s so that you can make Have regular catch-up ng. sure plans are progressi
INFORMATION
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010 | SECTION 04.1
Show off your activism! We would like to start profiling school action groups’ activities in these packs. Please contact your local action centre with details of what you’ve been up to and you may just make it into the next pack. If you have photos, even better!
Registration for 2010 now open We ask that all school action groups register with us officially each year. The 2010 registration form is now available at: www.amnesty.org.au/schoolaction. Please fill out the form and return it to your local action centre (contact details over the page).
FEEDBACK CARDS Thanks to those of you who filled out the feedback card in the last pack. We’ve decided to extend the deadline for this to 31 March 2010. All returned cards will go into a draw to win a prize. So if you still have the card, fill it in and send it back. It’s a freepost address so it couldn’t be easier!
i
Help us h e you and W lp IN!
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ON THE WEB Remember to check the website regularly for updates. Join our social networking sites too and start contributing. Home page
www.amnesty.org.au
School action pages www.amnesty.org.au/schoolaction Facebook
www.facebook.com (search for Amnesty International Australia)
www.twitter.com/amnestyoz
MySpace
www.myspace.com/amnestyoz
YouTube
www.youtube.com/AIAustralia
CONTACT US
SCHOOL ACTION PACK JANUARY–APRIL 2010 | SECTION 04.1
Phone a friend
South Australia/Northern Territory
Did you know you have a local Action Centre to help your group? They have access to all kinds of information including free materials to help you organise your group, event or human rights actions.
Email: santschools@amnesty.org.au
ACT/Southern NSW
Tasmania
Call:
02 6202 7500
Email: tasaia@amnesty.org.au
Fax:
02 6202 7508
Call:
Call:
08 8110 8100
Fax:
08 8110 8101
80 South Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000
03 6221 1000
Suite 8, Level 1, The Bunda Building, 134 Bunda Street, Canberra ACT 2600
First Floor, 130 Macquarie Street Hobart TAS 7000
New South Wales
Western Australia
Email: nswschools@amnesty.org.au
Email: waaia@amnesty.org.au
Call:
02 8396 7670
Call:
08 9476 4800
Fax:
02 8396 7677
Fax:
08 9476 4801
Level 1, 79 Myrtle Street Chippendale NSW 2007
Suite 70, City West Centre Plaistowe Mews, West Perth WA 6005
Queensland/Northern NSW
Victoria
Email: qldschools@amnesty.org.au
Email: vicschools@amnesty.org.au
Call:
07 3136 6400
Call:
03 9412 0700
Fax:
07 3216 0235
Fax:
03 9412 0720
Level 1, 354 Brunswick Street Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Suite 8, 134 Cambridge Street Collingwood VIC 3066