"Amnesty International After 50 Years: Looking Back and Looking Forward"

On March 4th, nearly a hundred people came out to hear Secretary-General of Amnesty International Canada, Alex Neve, discuss the past and future of the movement. Neve began in 1961 where Peter Benenson sat on a bench in London reading that two Portuguese citizens had been jailed for giving a toast to freedom. Beyond rage, Benenson decided that there must be a way to bring our voices together and channel our anger to make a difference. This idea began as a short appeal but soon launched into a worldwide movement.

"Do we celebrate this anniversary?" asked Neve. When we look at all that has gone wrong how can we celebrate? From ethnic cleansing in Rwanda and Yugoslavia, militant dictatorship in Chile, Apartheid in South Africa, and the effects of the Cold War it clearly has been a long, hard half century of human rights suffering.

In the fiftieth anniversary there is a lot to to hang our heads in shame and grieve. But there is also a great deal to celebrate. Human rights has come a long way since Benenson's time:

• There is "an impressive machinery of human rights instruments" - global webs of treaties, codes, tribunals, and conventions in place to protect individuals and groups.
  
• Three of the past five United Nations High Commissioners for Human Rights have been women.
  
• The establishment of the International Criminal Court in 2002
  
• Dozens of African countries have been freed from colonial rule and the end of Apartheid in South Africa.
  
• Democratization of former dictatorial countries - Chile, Philippines, Portugal...
  
• An estimated 44,000 individuals have been freed from prison and/or torture worldwide.
  

Nonetheless, Neve argued that the "most glorious human rights achievement" in the last fifty years has been the mobilization of millions of people lobbying, organizing, and fighting for the rights of all. There are currently 2.8 - 3 million Amnesty members globally.

Neve then delved into Canada's role in all of this. Canada has an enviable human rights record which is a source of our pride. Our nation has shown tremendous leadership from John Humphrey who drafted the UN Declaration on Human Rights, to Louise Arbour a former UN Commissioner for Human Rights, to Lester B. Pearson who won the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize for arranging the UN Emergency Force to settle the Suez Canal Crisis.

Recently, however, Canada has been coming up short in several areas. The failure to protect Omar Khadr, women's rights, Aboriginal rights (see Shameful Chapter in Canadian History - September 2009), our refusal to recognize water as a human right, the mishandling of Afghan prisoners, Canada's pro-Israel approach to the crisis in Egypt, and the inadequancy of regulating the conduct of Canadian businesses abroad.

So today we stand at a crossroads in a world much better and much different that Benenson's. We are often reminded that human rights are fragile and "it is crucial that we stand ready to act." There are still many issues that require our energy and attention. Just remember "Your voice matters."

Human Rights Day - Part 2

In just fifteen minutes I can save a life, release a prisoner of conscience, or reverse a government policy. This is the power of letter writing. I will validate this by providing some information on the letters I have written this past year.

I wrote ten letters during the 2009 Write-a-thon and four resulted in action:

In Nepal, workers and clients at the Women’s Rehabilitation Centre were encountering abuse and violence for their work in supporting women victims of violence. They now have an improved relationship with police and better police response as a result of pressure from last year’s Write-a-thon.

In Greece, the Minister of Citizen Protection of the Hellenic Republic promised a swift, impartial investigation into the assault on Konstantina Kouneva, a trade union secretary.

In the Ukraine, Belarusian opposition activist, Igor Koktysh was released and sent home after being detained for two and a half years.

Kareem Amer was released from prison in Egypt just weeks ago. He had been jailed for criticizing the president’s religious views on his blog.

Of the 28 letters I wrote this year three resulted in action: the release of Abdollah Sadoughi in Iran, the release of six doctors in Sudan, and President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso committing to lifting all financial barriers to emergency obstetric care and access to family planning, as part of a strategy to fight maternal mortality in the country. In addition, Yusak Pakage was released from prison in Indonesia, a case from the 2005 Write-a-thon.

This represents only the cases I have undertaken. Dozens of others prisoners have been released this year, countries have taken steps toward abolition of the death penalty, and governments have improved human rights because of the pressure created by thousands of other AI members worldwide.

My success rate usually averages around 15%. However, during Write-a-thons this increases to 30 or even 40 percent. The power of the pen!!

Please take time to write a letter. Cases and letter writing tips can be found here.

Human Rights Day - Part 1

December 10^th is a celebration of the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Amnesty International commemorates this occasion by engaging in an annual Write-a-thon. Amnesty members take action to stop the abuse of human rights outlined in the declaration, by appealing to governments (and others) for these violations to cease. We campaign to free prisoners of conscience, abolish the death penalty, protect refugees, and to end political killings, "disappearances", and torture.

Tens of thousands of people from over fifty countries take part in this event. In 2009, participants sent 730,000 letters and online signatures to stop human rights abuses.

On Friday, December 10th the Regina Amnesty International Community Group is hosting a Write-a-thon evening at the Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre - 2900 13th Avenue - beginning at 7pm. We invite you to listen to free local musicians Ink Road, Devon Floyd, Regan Hinchliffe, and the Local Onlyz and write a letter or two for those in need. We look forward to seeing you there!

Regina Amnesty International Community Group 91 website

Regina AI Write-a-thon event Facebook page

AI Canada Write for Rights website

Stolen Sisters - October 4th Vigil

On October 4th, 2004 Amnesty International Canada released "Stolen Sisters: A Human Rights Response to Discrimination and Violence Against Indigenous Women in Canada". The report inspects four factors which have contributed to an intensified risk of violence against Indigenous women in our cities:

1) social, economical, and political agents which have pushed Indigenous women into precarious situations such as prostitution, poverty, and homelessness
2) the failure of police to protect Indigenous women
3) the exploitation on the vulnerability of these Indigenous women
4) violence motivated by racism or belief that perpetrators will evade the law due to societal disregard to the welfare and safety of Indigenous women

Today over 582 Aboriginal women are missing or have been murdered since the 1970s in Canada.

Since the report was released every October 4th has become a day to commemorate the lives of murdered and missing Indigenous women and to bring awareness to this national tragedy. This year more than seventy communities across Canada are holding vigils. Please join the Sisters in Spirit initiative, the Native Women's Association of Canada, and Amnesty International Group 91 this October 4th and show your support. The event begins at the CBC Galleria at 4pm with art, painting, drumming, chili and bannock, and information tables. The candlelight vigil down Broad Street with start at 6:30pm.

Human Rights Day

December 10th is a very special day for every single one of us. For you see on that day in 1948 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN General Assembly. It consists of thirty articles describing basic human rights and freedoms inherent for ALL people regardless of sex, age, identity, religion, sexual orientation, or nationality. Every December 10th we celebrate this immensely valuable document.

For the last six years Amnesty International has honoured the declaration by holding a Global Write-a-thon. Last year over thirty-six thousand letters were written by Canadian participators alone. Over twenty-thousand letters were written in each of the 2006 and 2007 Write-a-thons.

Does writing letters work? It sure does! It lets governments, businesses, and individuals know that covert and clandestine activities will not go unnoticed. Our letters are acknowledged, heeded, and answered. Governments respond to public pressure. Every year prisoners of conscience and others wrongfully incarcerated are released after Amnesty Write-a-thons. During the 2008 Write-a-thon, letter writers demanded to know the whereabouts of Jestina Mukoko, a human rights activist in Zimbabwe. Mukoko had been abducted by state security officials on December 3rd, 2008. Her whereabouts were released on December 24th, after persuasion from thousands of Write-a-thon letters. She remained in custody until March 2nd, 2009 when she was released on bail following three months of international pressure. In September of this year, the Zimbabwe Supreme Court ordered a stop to the prosecution of Mukoko after hearing that she was tortured in custody.

This year I will be writing ten letters from December 6th - 12th. I encourage everyone to take time to write at least one letter as a tribute to the rights we take for granted every day in Canada. If you wish to sponsor my letter writing or make a donation to Amnesty International please contact me. For information on and appeals for the 2009 Write-a-thon please visit http://www.amnesty.ca/writeathon/.

"Shameful Chapter in Canadian History"

Last Thursday two hundred people packed a university lecture hall to hear Mr. Alex Neve, Secretary-General of Amnesty International Canada, speak on behalf of Indigenous people around the world. Two years almost to the date, the "most neglected and overlooked people of the world" were finally acknowledged after twenty-two years of negotiations and debate. On September 13th, 2007 the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was supported by 143 nations in the assembly. At the time only four countries voted against the proposal: Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and most surprisingly of all - Canada. "It was a source of great shame and embarrassment that my own country chose to stand on the wrong side of this human rights milestone," Neve asserted.

Neve began by providing a brief history of how the declaration and Canada's decision came to be. In 1945 national leaders came together to ensure that the human rights atrocities of World War II would never be repeated. This led to the founding of the United Nations (1945) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). The International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights followed in 1966. Neve accentuated three important aspects involved in these declarations. First, all were universal in nature; guaranteeing rights for each and every individual. Secondly, they were government-driven rather than originating from grassroots lobbying. Finally, governments laboured to create these documents under "challenging Cold War circumstances."

Governments soon recognized that particular rights and individuals needed more attention due to their vulnerability or nature. Conventions on racial discrimination, discrimination against women, against torture, and on the rights of children and refugees were formulated in the '60s, '70s, and '80s. In 1982 the United Nations perceived that Indigenous peoples across the world were among the poorest, unhealthiest, and least educated in their respective countries. The push to develop a declaration of their rights began.

By 2005 the draft of the declaration had nearly halted and there were fears of it remaining unfinished. Nation members of the Working Group persisted in accomplishing the job. Canada, which had previously been indifferent in contributing to the draft, became more active in the drive to complete the declaration. However, three key events in 2006 turned Canada "from bridge-builder to foe of the declaration." The first was a change in government; the Conservatives defeated the Liberals in the January 2006 election. Secondly, in March the United Nations called for an overhaul and the Commission of Human Rights was dismantled and replaced by the Human Rights Council. Lastly, and most significant was Prime Minister Harper's first international visitor in May of 2006. Australian Prime Minister John Howard, staunchly opposed to the document, persuaded Harper to his side. The new government "which had not uttered a previous word" about the convention was now against it. Leading up to the fall 2007 vote on the declaration, Canada along with Australia, New Zealand and the US did all they could to lobby against it.

Why? Why did Canada become hostile to the declaration? Neve argues that there was never a clear public answer. A few arguments include: it is inconsistent with the Canadian Constitution, it risks reopening treaty negotiations, collective rights of the document would undermined individual rights, or that it violates national defense acts. Regardless, these answers are vague and never elaborated on. In fact the constitution counters most of these excuses.

Who cares if Canada did not sign the Declaration? To begin with, Canada's reputation as a human rights leader has been tarnished. Our nation has been a consistently powerful voice for the protection of human rights, starting with our central role in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Secondly, rejecting the declaration suggests that it does not apply to our country. Thirdly, in a world lavish with human rights abuses, we need international leaders. As a country with a significant Aboriginal population, Canada's voice matters in setting an example to other nations. Finally, Canada has not done enough to alleviate "the gravity of injustices" experienced by our Aboriginal population:

• Since 1971, the Lubicon Cree of northern Alberta have been in opposition with governments over rights to the land on which they live.
• The disappearance and murder of Aboriginal women is so prominent in Manitoba that the government formed a joint police task force to review cases of missing women last month.
• Aboriginal child protection agencies receive less funding than non-Aboriginal protection organizations.

Neve urged all attendees to "bring this shameful chapter in Canadian history to a close." Please call or write letters to your Member of Parliament, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and encourage your friends to do the same.

Take action

Find your Member of Parliament

N.B. In April 2009 the Australian government, under new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, officially approved the Declaration. The United States and New Zealand governments are currently rethinking their positions.