Russia slams the door on prominent European Human Rights NGO

     It is true, Global human rights really are for everyone. When you have a powerful human rights NGO like the "Russian Justice Initiative" working for the people of Russia, it should make the world feel great!!  The RJI, according to the Turkish reporting agency, has won 109 cases worth 10 million Euros in favor of human rights abuse victims!

   They also have over 200 cases pending in the European Court of Human Rights. Unfortunately, The Russian administration is denying the NGO registration-in some important Caucasus citing lack of timeliness of filing. Hopefully, this powerful Human Rights NGO will find a way to get there registration completed and ensure that global human rights are for everyone! 

Malaysia to enact new law to end indefinite detention without trial!

Finally, to end an old law on the book dating back to colonial British rule to enact a new law which did   allow  a  rule to hold detainees indefinitely. Malysia has decided to enact legislation to provide detainees at most 28 days before they will be given a fair trial for whatever they are being held for. This is a huge step towards human rights advancement in a country that has certainly no been a role model for civil and judicial rights for criminally accused militant detainees. Global human rights are for everyone...get it? Click on the link above to get the source for this story.

Best,

William

Young Ukranian Man dies Supicious Death In Ukraine..Human Rights gone Wrong?

Greetings fellow bloggers and readers!

This story broke 2 weeks ago in Euronews. I would wish for you to pay attention to this one. I believe it is worthy of a human rights inquiry!!! According to the parents, their son died and was beaten and tortured while in police custody. Ukraine has a gentleman running for an official position in the country as a human rights protection Ombudsman. So, it is apparent that their is an ongoing problem within the country that they have apparently recognized.

    Everywhere their is a need to elevate the fact that Global Human Rights are for everyone!!! Please, if you get a few minutes, send an email to the Ukrainian Presidents office.! You can email the Ukrainian embassy in canada at:  emb_ca@ukremb.ca.  I know it is not the most direct route, but enough attention might get the pot of soup from cold to a little simmer, right?
How about an email to the US State department Human Rights office?  http://www.humanrights.gov

Let them know you are watching what goes on in the Ukraine. WE CARE about people. It is our mission to care about all types... every type of rights...  everywhere, correct?
   Thank-you to those that see my blog and follow it. Spend an extra minute. Forward this post. Tweet it. Put it into the spotlight on the Internet. Post it on Face-book. Let that family know that just lost their son two weeks ago, at the hand of the police in the Ukraine, that human rights are for everyone and that we care. Global Human Rights Are For Everyone!

Best
William

Trouble In Kohny-dise 2012

Unbelievable....Did you hear what the most successful video with over 100 million hits on Youtube, and co chairman and CEO of Kohny 2012 was setting the example doing this weekend in California? Frankly, I do not think anyone else really does either.Why do our most successful people seem to not be able to handle it? Either way, I have lost a great deal of respect for this man. He has embarrassed himself, his family, and the human rights world that meaningfully spend hours, weeks, months, years, decades on this cause. I hope he gets himself together and can somehow bounce back from this so someone might take anything he says seriously again. Click on the link above for the complete early story. Global Human Rights Are For Everyone!!

Best

William

Christian Pastor sentenced to execution in Iran

Young 34 year old in home Christian pastor and wife have children taken away and both arrested in Iran. The charges you ask? Refusal to renounce Christian faith and follow Islam. Although the Iranian constitution supposedly allows for a person to follow other than Islam apparently the government has had a change in heart. It is getting or should I say staying bad for human rights in Iran. Their is no such thing as freedom of religion at least not in this case. Click on the link in this title and read this heartfelt article. Lets hope that Iran has not already ended this young mans life. His faith is all that he might have left when he goes before the execution squad in secret....in Iran. make some noise for the International human rights NGo's to step up their vigilance! Tweet your followers, alert your Face book friends, contact your congressional representatives....no man should be executed because of their religious faith regardless of where they were born!!!

William

Greetings, I am Back..Renewed Vitality and New Book regarding Global Human Rights

It gives me great pleasure to announce the completion of my manuscript entitled 'So Many Humans, Too Few Rights. At this moment I am working out the details with the Literary Agent/Publisher. I am accepting advanced orders, but at this moment, I do not know what the price will be for the book. The better news is that I am going to announce here on this Blog, what the book will be about; at least in part. Hopefully, you will see an interest the same way you did in my writings on my Blog as evidenced by the way you gave me such support by following my Blog so closely.

The book basically is a content analysis and case study of three powerful N Go's, for example,  Amnesty International, whose mission it is to identify global human rights abuse, and then find a way to stop them by whatever means are legally possible!! What I did as a political scientist ,was to follow the plights of these 3 N Go's over a 15 year period commencing the end of the cold war(1989). I then compared the findings of human rights abuse with the human rights congressional resolutions announced in the United States Congress for the same 15 year period, 1989-2004. This I called a longitudinal study. 

I can not give you much more about the book than that or you might not want to buy it. Just kidding you, anyways the book is on its way to availability and should be available in several formats.

I hope you contact me with your interest in finding out how N Go's, human rights abuse, and the US Congress are or maybe are not on the same team when it comes to global  human rights abuse. If your in the education field, this might be the perfect book for the classroom to educate students, in political science or American Government course work. Obviously,you may want to give it a read and make your own decision.

Email me at: william.humanwrites.manosh7@gmail.com with your intent to order and the number of copies you may need. You may also email me at willman_66@yahoo.com That is an underscore after Willman. Thank-you.

Basic Human Rights in America Of Course!!!..But Still no Treaty To Protect our Children...

America the Beautiful of course I love her, but we are still a few steps away from becoming the leader that we could be. While the United States was a leader in the development of key human rights instruments, it has failed to ratify key treaties that would make that right real here at home. To cite just one example, "the United States is one of only two countries in the world that have not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which includes basic guarantees like the right to education and housing for children. The other country is Somalia, which lacks a functioning government." 

Many proponents feel we should  protect the homeless people that many of you have likely seen in your daily commutes. Am I correct, you have seen these unfortunate people? Of course it is likely you have a mixed feeling about there plights to homelessness whether it be drugs or alcohol or some other self affliction,but how do you really know what these peoples problems really stem from? Have you any proof? Hmmmm.. Kind of makes you wonder am I correct? I am not asking for some sort of pity party....... no you have me pegged wrongly. But,...... it is really so easy to judge one way or another or to sterotype the homeless for one reason or another?


Did you know that the United States is one of only two countries not to ratify a significant world treaty, to protect the rights of children? The other country being Somalia? Have a look at this post being that it is World Habitat Day.

Best

William

New and Revised Blog..New Approach ..New Will....Global Sex Traffic

 Dear fellow bloggers and previous followers of my blog. I have missed you while I took one year off from blogging to work on a manuscript, and to work on a very inportant personl relationship in my life. However, I never forgot about my readership or my insistency that Global Human Rights really are for Everyone indeed!

 Today, although brief I would like to point you to the link from a very recent September 30, 2010 US State Department release, regrading human trafficking and modern day slavery. As I have mentioned in my 2009 posts and you can review my archives, this is not a "new" phenomena. The US government has really stepped up due diligence with revitalized task forces and interagency involvement with the FBI and other agencies spearheding ever so important measures to shore up the 10 year old legislation entitled the 
Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000.

     According to the US State Departments official website, "Since the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 a decade ago, we have seen both appreciable progress and new trends. For instance, we have come to understand that men comprise a significant number of trafficking victims. Yet, we have also seen the feminization of modern slavery, with women making up a majority of those trapped in commercial sex as well as in forced labor situations.
We have found women held in modern slavery through deceit and force, picking cotton, mining conflict minerals, harvesting rice, toiling as domestic workers, dancing in nightclubs, exploited for pornography, and offered for commercial sex. We have come to understand the unique vulnerabilities of those who work in the home, with many countries not offering adequate legal protection to domestic workers. This feminization of modern slavery has been aided by growing numbers of women migrating for work and the increasingly unscrupulous and coercive nature of recruiting.
Such fraudulent recruitment practices affect both female and male workers. These practices include: work offers that misrepresent conditions, excessive recruitment fees, written contracts that workers cannot understand, and the switching of terms of employment after the original contract has been signed. In the so-called sex industry, recruiters do not merely make promises of a better life; they weave a tale of love and glamour that is quickly replaced by dependency and the abuse of what has been called “seasoning” – a term that is itself as offensive as the practice it describes. Traffickers are also changing their methods of control: they are using more female recruiters, more subtle forms of exploitation, and greater psychological abuse. And these techniques demonstrate how interconnected sex and labor trafficking are, as more and more cases are being brought around the world involving the sexual abuse – both in prostitution and by their bosses – of women who migrated on domestic worker visas. These migrant women have been raped and threatened with harm by supervisors who control their work environment."

     These are extremely important findings........ Please be informed, the United States under the Obama administration, for you Democrats out there,  is spearheading a serious campaign under Hillary Clintons Agency, to get to the bottom of this very difficult notion of modern day slavery.

My hat is off to the US State Department and I hope that they continue to keep up the good work as I will continue to, through my blog, keep as many people as I can informed of all there outstanding efforts to promote human rights on a global level.

Best

William:)

Request

Dear friend,
Greetings to you in the name of our heavenly God.This mail might come to you as
a surprise and the temptation to ignore it as unserious could come into your
mind; but please, consider it a divine wish and accept it with a deep sense of
humility. My name is simon taylor I,m a 65 years old man. I am British living in
Dubai (United Arab Emirate). I was a merchant and owned two businesses in Dubai.
I was also married with two children. My wife and two children died in a car
accident six years ago. Before this happened my business and concern for making
money was all I lived for. I never really cared about other values in life. But
since the loss of my family, I have found a new desire to assist helpless
families. I have been helping orphans in orphanage/ motherless homes. I have
donated some money to orphans in Sudan, South Africa, Cameroon, Brazil, Spain,
Austria, Germany and some Asian countries. Before I became ill, I kept $5
Million in a long-term deposit account in a finance/security company .
Presently, I,m in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for
oesophageal cancer. I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have
told me that I have only a few months to live. It is my last wish to see this
money distributed to charity organizations. Because relatives and friends have
plundered so much of my wealth since my illness, I cannot live with the agony of
entrusting this huge responsibility to any of them.
Please, I beg you in the name of God to help me collect the deposit and the
interest accrued from the company and distributes it amongst charity
organizations. your share of will be 30% of the total money for your help and
for any cost you incur during the process of collecting and distributing the
money to charity organizations.
I,m willing to offer you a reward If you are willing to help please reply as
soon as you can. May the good Lord bless you and your family.
Regards,
simon taylor
simontaylor77@live.co.uk

Gambia: President's death threats spark protests around Africa

Gambia: President's death threats spark protests around Africa - Afrik.com : Africa news, Maghreb news - The african daily newspaper

Gambia's President has apparently made an extremely alarming public statement.
Furthermore, I quote the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights
"a campaign by a coalition of pressure groups wants the African Union to remove the headquarters of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights from the Gambian capital, Banjul. A statement from the petition reads: “Mr. Jammeh’s declaration leads us to fear for the safety, security, and lives of ourselves and our colleagues.
This statement last year led up to this years political fallout:

" Gambia’s leader said he will “cut off the head” of any homosexual caught in his country claiming the Gambia was a country of believers while indicating that no sinful and immoral act as homosexual would be tolerated in the country. He warned all homosexuals in the country to leave, noting that a legislation “stricter than those in Iran ” concerning the vice would be introduced soon."

In addition here recently, Gambia's President made a bold statement on TV to invoke the previous statement above:
"If you are affiliated with any human rights group, be rest assured that your security is not guaranteed... we are ready to kill saboteurs. I will kill anyone who wants to destabilize this country. If you think that you can collaborate with so-called human rights defenders, and get away with it, you must be living in a dream world. I will kill you, and nothing will come out of it."

President Jammeh's comment has made the headline in Afrik.com. He has held a strong hand since his coup take over in 1994. His country is poor and depends on the peanut industry for its survival. Lets just hope that the President does not continue to liken his country to Iran's government like he announces publicly in this article. Definitely worth a post and a read!

william

RE: Petition to release arrested activists in Manipur, India

Dear William,

Thank you for endorsing the petition that we are facilitating calling for the unconditional release of the arrested activists in Manipur,India.

We now have 220 signatories in the petition. The deadline for signing this petition is today, September 26. We would like to request for everyone’s support by signing the petition directly on this link http://www.ipetitio ns.com/petition/ aipp-001/ index.html or by sending your name, email address, country and name of your organization to the following email addresses: robie@aippnet. org or aippmail@aippnet. org.

The content of the petition is provided below for your information. We will be sending the petition along with the collected signatures through fax and email to the concerned government officials of India and the State of Manipur on Monday.

As for the situation of those who were arrested, the 15 days police custody is yet to be over on September 30 and we hope that by then they will be released unconditionally. Protests are still continuing in Manipur though more difficult now because of the brutal repression of the State by arresting protest leaders and charging them under the National Security Act. Concerned groups in Delhi joined in the protest yesterday, September 24, calling for justice for the victims of fake encounters and repeal of the AFSPA. The groups in Manipur are hoping that the mobilization in Delhi will add to the increasing pressure to the concerned officials of Manipur to stop the human rights violations in the said State.

All for now. We will keep you posted on the updates of the situation in Manipur.

Regards,

Ms. Robie Halip

Asian Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) Foundation
108 Moo 5, Soi 6, Tambon Sanpranate
Amphur Sansai, Chiang Mai 50210, Thailand
Tel: +66 053 380 168 Fax: +66 53 380 752
Website: www.aippnet. org

Dear Friends,

The escalating political repression and reign of fear in Manipur, India needs urgent international support. Seven known activists of United Manipur Club Organisation (AMUCO) and an eco-activist Mr. Jiten Yumnam were arrested on 14^th September by the combined team of Imphal west police commandos and the Singjamei police. Their crime is nothing else but exercising their fundamental rights and freedoms by drawing national and international attention to the murder with impunity of Mr. Chungkham Sanjit and Ms. Thockchom Rebina (who was pregnant) by state forces and the public outcry in the state following this gruesome incident that took place last month.

The government, instead of acting on the murder cases have decided to use its iron fist to quell legitimate public outrage resulting in further violations of the fundamental rights of its citizens by arresting local leaders and activists. As India claims to be the biggest democracy in the world, it is ironical that its citizens are now cowering in fear in the face of a brutal armed force that has no regard to democratic processes and human rights.

The public outcry over the killings itself is not because they are shocked by the incident but because they have been reeling under such circumstances for so long that they have no choice but to come out as though they no longer fear death. If it was not for Tehelka, a national news magazine, that was able to capture the entire sequence of the murder, it would have been just another ordinary incident (http://www.tehelka. com/story_ main42.asp? filename= Ne080809murder_ in.asp).

The combined forces of Singjamei Police and Imphal West Police Commandos arrested Mr. Jiten Yumnan from the Imphal Airport just before his departure to Delhi in September 14, 2009. After few hours later, the leaders of AMUCO were also arrested from their office. Mr. Olnam Bikramjit and Ms. Ms. Mutum Ongbi Ebemhal were arrested last September 1 by elements of the Imphal West Police Commandoes. Due to this crackdown, many of the community leaders and activists are now in hiding since they are being hunted down by the state agencies.

It has been reported that those arrested are facing charges of waging war against the government of India under Section 447/436/427/ 34; unlawful association and other related offences and Section O of the Official Secret Act- leaking information to others. There are fears being expressed that they may also be charged under the notorious National Security Act (NSA). These laws are inconsistent with and in direct violation to the international human rights obligations of the India government who has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and other human rights instruments.

Below is a sign on petition for the government of India to take necessary actions in line with its international obligations in upholding the fundamental rights of its citizens. The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) is thereby requesting your support by signing this petition. Please send your name and/or name of your organization and country to Robeliza Halip: robie@aippnet. org, aipp@aippnet. org. BEFORE SEPTEMBER 26, 2009 or directly sign the petition by clicking on this link http://www.ipetitio ns.com/petition/ aipp-001/ index.html. We also encourage you to submit directly your letter of concern to the government officials of India as indicated in the Petition letter. We shall be updating you on the situation in Manipur, India.

PETITION FOR THE RELEASE OF ARRESTED ACTIVISTS IN MANIPUR, INDIA

(To sign this petition please click on this link: http://www.ipetitio ns.com/petition/ aipp-001/ index.html)

To

MR. Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister of India

South Block

Raisina Hill, New Delhi

India

Fax: +91-11-23019545/ 23016857

Mr. Okram Ibobi,

Chief Minister & Home Minister of Manipur,

Chief Minister's secretariat Babupara,

Imphal 795001 Manipur INDIA, Tel: +91 385 2221833, 2220137 (O);

2220136, 2222683 (R) Fax: + 91 385 2221817,

Email: cmmani@hub.nic. in

Pratibha Patil Devi,

President, Office of the President, Rashtrapati Bhawan,

New Delhi, 110004 INDIA Tel: +91 11 3016767 (Joint Secretary),

3014507 (Personal Secretary), Fax: +91 11 3017290,

3014570E-mail: presssecy@alpha. nic.in or Pressecy@Sansad. nic.in

Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of India

Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg

New Delhi-110001 INDIA

Tel: +91 11 23074448, Fax: +91 11 2334

0016E-mail: mailto: chairnhrc@nic. in

Mr. Chidambaram, Hon’ble Ministry of Home Affairs,

Griha Mantralaya Room

No. 104, North Block Central Secretariat, New Delhi 110001

INDIA Fax: +91 11 2301 5750, 2309 3750, 2309 2763

Email: websitemhaweb@ mha.nic.in

Chairperson Manipur State Human Rights

Commission Room No. VIP-II, State Guest House

Sanjenthong, Imphal-795001 Manipur

INDIA Tel: +91 385 2410473 (O) / 2447438

(R), Telefax: +91 385

2410472E-mail: mhrc@man.nic. in

It has come to our knowledge that seven known activists of United Manipur Club Organisation (AMUCO) and an eco-activist Jiten Yumnam were arrested on 14^th September by the combined team of Imphal West Police Commandos and the Singjamei Police. Adding to that is the earlier arrest and detention of 2 Apunba Lup Leaders, Mr. Oinam Bikramjit and Ms. Mutum Ongbi Ebemhal. We are deeply concerned by arrests and detention taking place in the state of Manipur following the anger and protest by mass-based organizations over the broad daylight killing with impunity of Mr. Chungkham Sanjit (27), S/o, Chungkham Khellen of Khurai Kongba Sajor Leikai and a pregnant woman Ms. Thockchom Rebina (23), W/o Thockchom Chinglensana of Lamsang, Imphal West.

This gruesome murder done with impunity, as you are aware, has been covered visually by the well-reputed national newsmagazine, TEHELKA that generated serious concerns from the larger society in India as well as from the international community including the human rights mechanisms of the United Nations.

The outcry and actions of the local people were in line with the exercise of the people’s fundamental rights and freedoms, guaranteed by international human rights instruments. Being a democratic country, we expect the authorities of India to deal with such cases in a fair and just manner, and to ensure that such actions done with impunity will not happen again. However, we are deeply saddened by consequent response by the Indian government to resort to political repression through arbitrary arrests and detention of activists.

We strongly believe that the arbitrary arrests and detention of activists named below and the charges hurled against them are in violation to the international human rights obligation of the government of India, particularly relating to the Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) that the government of India has ratified.

1. Likmabam Tompok (50) s/o late Gouramani of Maklang Mayai Leikai,

2. Th Dinesh (39) s/o Gambhir of Sega Road Takhellambam Leikai,

3. Irom Brojen (40) s/o Gouramani of Haorang Khunou,

4. Samjetshabam Nando (48) s/o Gouragopal of Pangei Awang Leikai,

5. Chung- shel Koireng (39) s/o Chungshel Mongsho of Thang- meiband Koireng Khul,

6. Amom Soken (41) s/o Kanhai of Wangoo Tera,

7. Taorem Ramananda (50) s/o Dhananjoy of Patsoi Part II, and

8. Yumnam Jiten (32) s/o late Achou of Kwakeithel Mayai Koibi

9. Mr. Oinam Bikramjit from Oinam Mamang Leikai, Bishnupur District. Mr. Bikramjit is also the president of the United Peoples Front (UPF), Manipur

10. Ms. Mutum Ongbi Ebemhal, 70 of Uripok Sorbon Thingel, Imphal West District Manipur

This is a matter of serious concern as more leaders and activists are being targeted and being hunted down. This will further enrage the general public and intensify the conflict and the government is clearly responsible for the situation in this case.

We the undersigned civil society organizations and concerned individuals appeal to your good office to intervene and uphold the fundamental rights and freedoms of your citizens based on the state's human rights obligations under international laws, and safeguarding democratic principles and values. We highly value your position and capacity to address the situation in Manipur in facilitating justice, peace and security, consistent with human rights principles. With great sense of urgency, we urge your intervention and address our following demands:

· To drop the charges made to those arrested as these are in violation to the human rights obligations of the government of India to the international community and facilitate their immediate and unconditional release from detention.

· To facilitate their medical check-up to determine if they were subjected to torture. If this is the case, those involved shall be dealt with accordingly in the interest of justice for the victims.

· To ensure the safety of those arrested, their families, and also their colleagues; and that those detained be allowed to seek medical and legal services.

· To confine the barracks and immediately prosecute those involved in the extra judicial killings of Chungkham Khellen and Thockchom Rebina on the 23rd of July 2009 by the Manipur Police Commandos

· For the government of Manipur to put a stop to fake encounters to justify killings and to refrain from arresting leaders and activists.

· To guarantee in all circumstances the protection of the rights of activists and human rights defenders to carry out their legitimate activities without fear of reprisals and free from restriction including judicial harassment. Along these line, armed forces of the state should be made aware and respect the fundamental rights of the citizens, and to stop acts of intimidations, threats and the like especially to the protesters.

· To repeal repressive laws including the National Security Act and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 that are not consistent with international human rights instruments

Thank you for your attention.

Hi,

This is a forwarded message from contacts of mine in Manipur, India. If you choose click on the link and sign your name. Its that simple.

I wanted to draw your attention to this important petition that I recently signed:

"RELEASE OF ARRESTED ACTIVISTS IN MANIPUR, INDIA"
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/aipp-001?e

I really think this is an important cause, and I'd like to encourage you to add your signature, too. It's free and takes less than a minute of your time.

Thanks!
------------------------------

---------------

Once again, thanks for signing the petition!
Sincerely, -iPetitions Campaigns Team

p.s. If you would like to start your own free petition, you can do so here:
http://www.ipetitions.com/start-petition

--
Best Regards
Global Human Rights Are For Everyone Get It?
http://wwwhumanwrites.blogspot.com

Marianne's Brother in Florida
Mr. William Manosh

Petition to release arrested activists in Manipur, India

Hi,

This is a forwarded message from contacts of mine in Manipur, India. If you choose click on the link and sign your name. Its that simple.

I wanted to draw your attention to this important petition that I recently signed:

"RELEASE OF ARRESTED ACTIVISTS IN MANIPUR, INDIA"
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/aipp-001?e

I really think this is an important cause, and I'd like to encourage you to add your signature, too. It's free and takes less than a minute of your time.

Thanks!
------------------------------

---------------

Once again, thanks for signing the petition!
Sincerely,  -iPetitions Campaigns Team

p.s. If you would like to start your own free petition, you can do so here:
http://www.ipetitions.com/start-petition

--
Best Regards
Global Human Rights Are For Everyone Get It?
http://wwwhumanwrites.blogspot.com

Marianne's Brother in Florida
Mr. William Manosh

The 15th Annual Report of the Network of Concerned Historians

Oh my gosh. I discovered this newly released document which depicts global human rights abuses. I will just say it is a "site-map," from a historian point of view, regarding human rights abuse from almost every country that has been criticized for human rights abuse! I felt OBLIGATED to share the link on this blog. If there is any country that you may have an interest in, it is likely you will find factual information about historical references to there human rights abuses, in detail, including names of perpetrators, dates of offenses, and citations, to include sources for that information. It's an awesome bookmark reference, that should be shelved as such for information relating to any type of human rights research, by country, that you might be conducting from a historical perspective.

I know that after perusing it, quite thoroughly, there was way to much information to just randomly pick a particular country , so I decided to do a brief overview of the contents of this free, online reference. I hope you will enjoy it. As much work that went into it, I am sure that you will find it to be invaluable to your human rights bookshelves as an online PDF resource.

William

U.S. Faces Doubts About Leadership on Human Rights

U.S. Faces Doubts About Leadership on Human Rights - washingtonpost.com

According to Column Lynch at the Washington post.com:

"But, as the U.N. General Assembly gets underway this week, human rights activists and political analysts say the new approach has undercut U.S. leadership on human rights issues."


Column Lynch of course is a highly regarded writer at the post so we will not question his analysis, but I am curious why the US is always considered to be the Lone Ranger on Human Rights issues? The examples listed in the article are related to the way in which the US government wishes to handle Darfur, (an on-going human rights nightmare), criticism of the new membership within the Human Rights Council , and last but not least, Sri Lanka. Column has some great points, don't get me wrong, but is it so bad that the US wishes to express an agenda that they deem to be appropriate not only for "international" relations, but also for "US" interests as well? This is the balancing act that every country must consider when they elect to become members of a supranational organizations which are far beyond the scope of nation-state interests alone. There is a certain sacrifice of your "own" state sovereignty that you must make and the United States is the most powerful nation in the world; and having recognized that, our decisions must not be made "lightly."

This is where I think the media sometimes misunderstands the intentions of the United States and questions the Uni-Power status we now hold since the end of the cold-war in 1989. Of course new challenges have arisen since the fall of the great Soviet Empire. Nevertheless, the realm of human rights is undoubtedly still paramount to the US, as evidenced by our recent renewed commitment to the Human Rights Council, and our cooperation with the United Nations overall.

William

Science and human rights

"Science and human rights are inextricably linked in many ways. In 1913 former academy member Albert Einstein said in an address to the California Institute of Technology:

"It is not enough that you should understand about applied science
in order that your work may increase man's blessings. Concern
for man himself and his fate must always form the chief interest
of all technical endeavors."



By Eliot Stellar, National Academy of Sciences (U.S.). Committee on Human Rights

This post is about a scientific journal published in 1988 to specifically address the nexus between science and human rights. This is uncharted waters for many "political scientists" approach to human rights, so I thought it to be "nice" when I discovered this journal. Therefore I posted the forward and will briefly discuss where this scholarly journal's analysis looks to be heading. Much to my surprise a very prominent man is mentioned right from the get go!

"The creation of a Committee on Human Rights by the National Academy of Sciences in 1976 was but the formalization of a longstanding concern of the academy about humanitarian issues.

For many years, academy officers have taken private action through fellow scientists, sister academies, and research councils throughout the world in behalf of threatened colleagues. In the 1950s, the academy helped find positions in the United States for Hungarian scientists who had fled their country. In 1966, it provided assistance to Argentine students whose education was interrupted by the closing of the University of Buenos Aires by finding institutions in the United States where they could study.

It is noteworthy that a large number of the academy's roughly 1,500 members are foreign born; many fled their countries of birth because of abuses inflicted upon them and their families by repressive governments. Many of those scientists have gone on to make outstanding contributions to the science and welfare of their nation of adoption, the United States of America."

The authors begin by quoting Albert Einstein which I think is great. But even better is the fact that they acknowledge the human rights assistance they had lent to there scientific colleagues in contribution to there work in science in the name of human rights in my opinion is quite remarkable. Furthermore, "the creation of a Committee on Human Rights by the National Academy of Sciences in 1976, was but the formalization of a longstanding concern of the academy about humanitarian issues." This is even more remarkable evidence of a direct link or nexus between science and the humanities. It is good to see scientists with all there wonderful theories and such, reach across disciplinary studies into the arts and humanities, and into the files of social sciences, in the name of human rights and, to dedicate an entire scholarly journal to science and human rights. The link provided will take you to this journal which provides open access online via Google books. I hope you enjoy.

William

Global Human Rights! Not New News!

This post is taken from a book entitled:

Worldwide education statistics: Enhancing Unesco's Role

By James W. Guthrie, Janet S. Hansen, Michael W. Kirst,National Res

I am particularly interested in the "global" aspects of this books inherent approach to the notion of human rights. The book was published in 1995. This is the quote I would like to review:

"Fifty years ago, international relations were dominated by a legacy of fear and distrust between many nations and groups of nations. Today there is a global investment and trade economy, an understanding (at least intellectually) of worldwide ecological interdependence, an emerging international consciousness about human rights and humanitarian issues, and an intense reliance on human capital formation to sustain a nation's global competitive status and internal civic structure.

Research in macroeconomics, international relations, and comparative sociology document these developments and inform our understanding of them. They are highlighted in studies of the global economy and the role of highly skilled personnel in fostering national competitiveness (Reich, 1991), in research on the global expansion and legitimation of education and its transnational influences (Schriever, forthcoming; Ramirez, 1993), and in the literature on the rise of human rights as a global standard (Forsythe, 1991) and its implications for the comparative study of efforts to upgrade the status of women (Stromquist, 1995). The new globalism has gone hand in hand with studies that direct attention to worldwide economic trends and cycles, to international emphasis on education and science for sustainable development, and to human rights issues, especially as they affect women, children, and minorities."

This is of course a 14 year old analysis of a very modern problem that has not gone away. Perhaps it has even worsened in many respects in some regions of the world.Yet it had been very much recognized by scholars as a global problem in 1995 and I am sure as I continue with the research for this blog, I will go back into book and scholarly archives and discover even more literature that demonstrates that there had been globally significant issues which definitely implicated women children and of course minorities even way earlier than 1995. My point is that global human rights are not a new notion. They have been "around" for a very very long time!

William

U.S., Iran: So Much To Discuss!

U.S., Iran: So much to talk about -- latimes.com

Absolutely there is much to discuss with Iran! See my post dated 9/10/2009 from Cultural Relativism or Human Rights at http://culturalrealtivism.blogspot.com/
url: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=105845&sectionid=351020101.

Here you will find President Ahmadinejad's of Iran's philosophy in which he claims that "We are not in the race for development." Well, among other political agenda items such as the horrendous human rights abuse allegations following the recent elections, I am sure that nuclear talks will be in the forefront of discussions in the upcoming October 1st meeting. The LA Times does a great job explaining what has already been all over the media and the internet regarding the human rights abuse that has occurred in Iran this year especially! Lets hope that the US, the newest member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, will lead the way in the Nuclear talks as well as the human rights talks on the first of the month!

William

Rights Group Says Burma Has Intensified Political Arrests

VOA News - Rights Group Says Burma Has Intensified Political Arrests

Voice of America again is on top of human rights and politics in Burma. According to VOA:
"Human Rights Watch says Burma's military government has doubled the number of political prisoners over the past two years.

The New York-based advocacy group Wednesday said Burma is holding more than 2,200 political prisoners, with 100 people jailed in recent months.

Burma has dismissed criticism of its human rights record and says it is implementing a so-called "road-map to democracy." The plan includes holding national elections next year for the first time in 20 years.

Human Rights Watch says Burma should immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners in Burma if the elections are to have any credibility.

The United States is reviewing its policy toward Burma to determine how best to encourage the government to reform. The top U.S. diplomat for Southeast Asia, Scot Marciel, said Wednesday that review will be concluded soon.

He said even if the policy changes, the ultimate goal will be for Burma to release political prisoners and have a more inclusive political process.

Human Rights Watch of course is not the only reporting agency to have a watchful eye on Burmese Human Rights matters. According to official CIA Factbook
records Burma has had problems with trafficking in persons:

"current situation: Burma is a source country for women, children, and men trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; Burmese women and children are trafficked to East and Southeast Asia for commercial sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and forced labor; Burmese children are subjected to conditions of forced labor in Thailand as hawkers, beggars, and for work in shops, agriculture, fish processing, and small-scale industries; women are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to Malaysia and China; some trafficking victims transit Burma from Bangladesh to Malaysia and from China to Thailand; internal trafficking occurs primarily from villages to urban centers and economic hubs for labor in industrial zones, agricultural estates, and commercial sexual exploitation; military and civilian officials continue to use a significant amount of forced labor; ethnic insurgent groups also used compulsory labor of adults and unlawful recruitment of children; the military junta's gross economic mismanagement, human rights abuses, and its policy of using forced labor are the top causal factors for Burma's significant trafficking problem tier rating: Tier 3 - Burma does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; military and civilian officials remain directly involved in significant acts of forced labor and unlawful conscription of child soldiers (2008)."

There have been recent talks between high level US officials and Burma. But, otherwise there has not been significant relations and human rights is now going to be a top priority especially with the US re-joining the United Nation's on the Council in the most recent developments. This is a good opportunity for Burma to show they are willing to comply with international human rights standards.

William

Egypt:New Human Rights Report Enroute To Geneva, Will it Matter?

Egypt: Overcoming torture, human rights abuses « Bikya Masr

Bikya Masr runs an outstanding human rights blog among other involvement with politics in Egypt and I have followed his work closely. His latest report concerning new human rights development in Egypt is worth a share. According to his blog:
"The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) believes that the recent report sent to Geneva by the National Council for Human Rights is an opportunity for the country to establish new laws to help combat torture and human rights abuses in the country."
Of course for Egypt this is incredible news as this is a country with a poor human rights record which we can discuss with more detail. Furthermore Bikya continues:

"Despite the hope, ANHRI “is quite cautious regarding these efforts and declarations especially that the Egyptian government did not admit the existence of any problem to start with,” highlighting one of the growing tenuous issues facing rights in the country.

According to the watchdog, the Egyptian government “mentioned nothing to be the reason behind the deteriorating human rights condition in Egypt in the last four years.”

If you ask the government of Egypt there is no problem with human rights. Why then did the ANHRI have to send a report to Geneva Switzerland to begin with? Why then did a convicted convict for torture be returned to work in Egypt as a police officer?

Furthermore, CIA Factbook

indicates that Egypt's human rights record has not been one of great respect"

"current situation: Egypt is a transit country for women trafficked from Eastern European countries to Israel for sexual exploitation, and is a source for children trafficked within the country for commercial sexual exploitation and domestic servitude, although the extent to which children are trafficked internally is unknown; children were also recruited for domestic and agricultural work; some of these children face conditions of involuntary servitude, such as restrictions on movement, non-payment of wages, threats, and physical or sexual abuse tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Egypt is on the Tier 2 Watch List for the third year in a row because it did not provide evidence of increasing efforts to investigate and prosecute traffickers; however, in July 2007, the government established the "National Coordinating Committee to Combat and Prevent Trafficking in Persons," which improved inter-governmental coordination on anti-trafficking initiatives; Egypt made no discernible efforts to punish trafficking crimes in 2007 and the Egyptian penal code does not prohibit all forms of trafficking; Egypt did not increase its services to trafficking victims during the reporting period (2008)
Illicit drugs:
transit point for cannabis, heroin, and opium moving to Europe, Israel, and North Africa; transit stop for Nigerian drug couriers; concern as money laundering site due to lax enforcement of financial regulations" This does not go well for the international communities outlook of Egypt overall from a human rights perspective whatsoever. Global Human Rights Are For Everyone! William

20 yr old Christian Man Tortured in Pakistan Jail?

Rights Group in Pakistan Seeks Answers on Christian’s Death - NYTimes.com
Prominent Human Rights group sources allege that a 20 yr old young Christian man was found dead in his cell with evidence of torture found on his body. Christians are a minority in Pakistan being a Muslin dominated state. The man's death is under investigation. According to the report from NY Times.com:
"Mr. Fanish was arrested on Saturday in the village of Jathikai and charged with blasphemy, a controversial statute often used against minorities in Pakistan, human rights groups say. A Muslim family accused him of "desecrating a Koran", but his local supporters said the family claimed he had been "admiring their daughter."

Furthermore according to the Times:

"The police said Mr. Fanish had hanged himself in his cell, using a strip of material ripped from his clothing. The Joint Action Committee for People’s Rights, an alliance of more than 30 human rights groups, said in a statement it had talked to witnesses who saw marks of torture on his body.

The group said evidence in the case “raises strong suspicion of the involvement of the jail officials” in Mr. Fanish’s death.

Ms. Jahangir said local politicians often collude with attackers, covering up their crimes, partly out of a deep-seated prejudice against minorities — Christians and Ahmadis, a minority sect in Islam — and out of a reflexive sympathy with other Muslims."

Apparently, we will quite possibly not get to the bottom of this, but maybe there is a chance. There is a strong coalition of Human Rights groups "The Joint Action Committee For Peoples Rights "on it" so we will see how they manage. Let us just hope that this young man's family receives some sort of justice for whatever happened to there son in that Pakistani jail cell for "blasphemy against a Koran". Please, is this really a trumped up way of getting rid of non-believers of anything other than the Muslim faith?

William