International Human Rights Day 2005
Human Rights Day, on December 10, marks the anniversary of the United Nation’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. This year, BPF encourages friends and members to study and take action on human rights issues in three parts of the world:
Africa: Darfur
Asia: Burma
North America: Gulf Coast States
Africa: Darfur (S udan)
Situation
The western Sudanese region of Darfur is acknowledged to be a humanitarian and human rights tragedy of the first order. The humanitarian, security and political situation continue to deteriorate: atrocities continue, people are still dying in large numbers of malnutrition and disease, and a new famine is feared. According to recent reports by the World Food Program, the United Nations and the Coalition for International Justice, 3.5 million people are now hungry, 2.5 million have been displaced due to violence, and 400,000 people have died in Darfur thus far. The international community is failing to protect civilians or to influence the Sudanese government to do so.
Not since the Rwanda genocide of 1994 has the world seen such a calculated campaign of slaughter, rape, starvation and displacement. It is estimated that at least 250,000 people have died. More than 2 million people have been displaced from their homes and over 200,000 have fled across the border to Chad. The Sudanese government continues to flout international law with impunity.
Actions
- Wear a green ribbon or armband as a way to call attention to the suffering in this area of the world, and offer them this flyer to raise awareness. You may also want to ask your chapter, sangha, or dharma center to include this flyer as an insert in its newsletter.
- Invite members of your chapter or sangha to sign this petition calling for the U.S. to take leadership by establishing a mandate for an international peace force to protect citizens of Darfur.
For more resources
Save Darfur Coalition
Human Rights Watch: Darfur
Asia: Burma
Situation
Burma is ruled by one of the most brutal military dictatorships in the world; a dictatorship charged by the United Nations with a “crime against humanity” for its systematic abuses of human rights, and condemned internationally for refusing to transfer power to the legally elected Government of the country – the party led by Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
On September 20, 2005, Vaclav Havel and Desmond Tutu published a report commissioned from global law firm DLA Piper. The report found that Burma fits the criteria for United Nations Security Council (UNSC) intervention.
It calls on UNSC members to pass a resolution requiring the regime to work with the United Nations in restoring democracy to Burma, and to release Aung San Suu Kyi and all prisoners of conscience.
Actions
Organize an evening with your chapter or sangha to searn more about the situation in Burma. The event (or series of events) might include:
For more resources
Burma Campaign (United Kingdom)
Human Rights Watch: Burma
U.S. Campaign for Burma
Foundation for the People of Burma (affiliate of BPF)
North America: Gulf Coast States (U.S.)
Situation
Three months after Hurricane Katrina destroyed many parts of the Gulf Coast and hit New Orleans particularly hard, many survivors are still struggling to meet everyday needs such as food, shelter, and fair-paying jobs. The New York Times reports, "Relief legislation remains dormant in Washington and despair is growing among officials here who fear that Congress and the Bush administration are losing interest in their plight."
In the wake of Katrina, and subsequently Hurricanes Rita and Wilma, thousands of families have still not been reunited with their loved ones; there is a marked lack of local representation on decision-making bodies which will determine how to spend public dollars for reconstruction; and workers returning to the area are having difficulty finding jobs at fair wages. These are all human rights issues and clear and consistent organizing efforts are needed to call on the U.S. federal government to respond.
Actions
- Dec. 9 and 10: If you live near Jackson, MS, or New Orleans, LA, or can travel there, join the Gulf Coast Displaced People's Assembly and the March for Human Rights to call attention to these issues and demand justice. Download a flyer here.
For more resources
Community and Labor United
Katrina Information Network
The People’s Hurricane Relief Fund - 3565 Wheatley Street Jackson, Mississippi 39212
For more information: Please call (601) 346-5995
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