Palestine: What Hope Peace – documentary film screening in Taunton

11 Feb

poster-with-text-2bKerry-anne Mendoza is an independent journalist who has been championing the Palestinian cause since her first visit to Israel and Palestine when she was a young student in 2002 and has made several visits since then, most recently during the height of Operation Protective Edge in August 2014.
She has now made a documentary film showing the side of the story that our mainstream media does not acknowledge. It features eye opening and heart breaking first-hand testimonies from Israelis and Palestinians working against the odds for a just peace in the Middle East as well as archive footage and Kerry-anne’s own eyewitness experience during her visit last summer.  Also some startling historical background and several testimonies from the Russell Tribunal.

This is being shown at the Creative Innovation Centre in Taunton on Friday 13 March.  Bar from 7.00pm for 7.30pm start.

Kerry-anne will be at the screening and there will be a Question and Answer session at the end.

Here is a link to the event on the CIC website which gives further information about the film, the venue and ticket booking etc.

Tags: , , , ,

Next Taunton Amnesty Group Meeting Tues 10th February

3 Feb
178228-My Body My Rights briefingOur next monthly meeting is on Tuesday 10th February at the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton, TA1 3DH.  8pm start.
All are most welcome to join us for campaign updates, news and actions and to find out more about human rights and the work of Amnesty International. Our monthly action is for the My Body My Rights campaign and we’ll also
be discussing our casefile on the Mansoura women in Egypt.
Note: there is parking at the rear of the church; ring the bell at the rear entrance if there is no-one there to let you in. Check the board by the entrance door for which room we are in.
We look forward to seeing you there.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Good news from Burma

21 Jan
Dr. Tun Aung

Dr. Tun Aung

We have received confirmation that our group’s ‘adopted’ prisoner of conscience in Burma, Dr Tun Aung, was released at about 10am GMT on Monday and is now with his family. Our group Chairman, Martin Shirley, said: ‘We are delighted to hear that Dr Tun Aung had been released from his unjust sentence, and hope that there will soon be no more prisoners of conscience left in Burma’s prisons. Heartfelt thanks to everyone who has written on behalf of Dr Tun Aung since we took up his case just over two years ago. This is very much part of what Amnesty is all about.’

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Stop the Execution of Reggie Clemons in Missouri

13 Jan

action.retrievefileOn February 4th, the Missouri Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Reggie Clemons’ case. He was sentenced to death in St. Louis as an accomplice to a 1991 murder. Allegations of police coercion, prosecutorial misconduct, and a ‘stacked’ jury in his case were compounded by inadequate trial attorneys. Despite so many lingering questions, Missouri still might execute Reggie Clemons.

The Clemons case illustrates many of the flaws of the US death penalty system. Urge Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to prevent an execution.

Please write to Governor Jeremiah W. Nixon to ask him stop the execution of Reggie Clemons. You can do this via this link.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Next Taunton Amnesty Group meeting Tuesday 13th January

5 Jan
wordcardOur next monthly meeting is on Tuesday 13th January at the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton, TA1 3DH.  8pm start.
All are most welcome to join us for campaign updates, news and actions and to find out more about human rights and the work of Amnesty International.
Note: there is parking at the rear of the church; ring the bell at the rear entrance if there is no-one there to let you in, and check the board by the entrance door for which room we are in.
We look forward to seeing you there.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Write for Rights

10 Dec

Xmas2014_croppedThanks to everyone who came to the meeting last night to write greetings cards to people suffering human rights abuses around the world.

You can find information about the people featured in this year’s Write for Rights campaign here.

We also made decorations for our Write for Rights Christmas tree and consumed some lovely home-made mince pies!

You can go and see our Christmas tree at the United Reformed Church’s Christmas Tree Festival, Paul Street, Taunton TA1 3PF, on Fri 12th and Sat 13th Dec (10.30am-4.30pm) and on Sun 14th Dec (2-5.30pm). For more details, click here.

And finally, the Taunton Amnesty Group would like to wish you all a peaceful and happy festive season!

Next Amnesty Taunton Group meeting Tuesday 9th December

3 Dec

Amnesty_Bauble_largeJoin us at our next monthly meeting on Tuesday 9th December at the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton TA1 3DH. 8pm start.

We will be writing greetings cards to prisoners of conscience for Amnesty’s Write for Rights campaign, making decorations for our tree at the United Reformed Church’s Christmas Tree Festival (12-14 December), and consuming a mince pie or two!

All are welcome to join us.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Report from our November meeting

18 Nov

 

imagesWrite for Rights Campaign 2014: Amnesty’s greetings card campaign for Christmas is under way!

‘It only takes a few minutes to write a card or letter. But this simple act brings hope and comfort to people suffering human rights abuses.’ Amnesty received this message from Serkalem Fasil, whose husband is serving 18 years in jail in Ethiopia. The family received thousands of messages last year:

‘I want to convey Eskinder’s gratitude and my own to everyone who has taken part, taken action or sent us letters. For him, it’s a huge source of encouragement and moral strength. The regime will be forced to release him and other prisoners of conscience. That kind of pressure, they can’t resist for ever.’

Look out for Taunton Amnesty’s Write for Rights Campaign Tree at the United Reformed Church’s Christmas Tree Festival 12th-14th December.

For the November Monthly Action we called on the USA to ratify the 25 year old Convention on the Rights of the Child. Despite having signed the Convention in 1995, the USA has still not ratified it – the only country, besides Sudan, to fail.

We meet at 8pm on the second Tuesday of the month at the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton. Join us in December to send off Write for Rights Cards and eat mince pies!

Tags: , , , , , , ,

The EU Torture Trade: Sale Must End Now

13 Nov

stick_web_final_0Struggling to keep a crowd in check with your ordinary truncheon? This spiked baton delivers maximum impact with virtually no effort! And thanks to loopholes in EU laws, you can trade in an array of gruesome torture equipment like this right here in Europe.

Sign the petition calling on the EU to fix the flaws that allow people to profit from torture.

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Pakistan woman sentenced to death for blasphemy

31 Oct

Asia Bibi

122085_aasia_bibi_and_familyPakistani Christian Asia Bibi, sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2010, has had her appeal rejected by the Lahore High Court of Appeal. Asia Bibi, who is 45 years old and has five children, was initially found guilty of blasphemy on 8 November 2010 and sentenced to death under Section 295C of Pakistan’s Penal Code for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad during an argument with a Muslim woman.

There are serious fair trial concerns. Asia Bibi claims the evidence of her alleged blasphemy, which has been accepted by successive courts, was fabricated, and that she did not have access to a lawyer during her detention and the final day of her trial in 2010. Asia Bibi’s lawyer has maintained that the case against her is based on hearsay. Human rights activists have voiced concerns that judges of the Lahore High Court may have rejected the appeal out of fear for their safety. Religious groups demanding her execution were present in court.

Asia Bibi has been kept in almost total isolation for her own protection since she was first arrested in 2009. Her mental and physical health have reportedly deteriorated during her time in detention including on death row, and her family and lawyers continue to fear for her safety. In December 2010, a prominent Islamic cleric offered half a million Pakistani rupees (about US$5,000) to anyone who killed Asia Bibi.  The blasphemy laws are often used to settle personal disputes, and those accused of blasphemy often become targets of violence.

To find out how you can help Asia Bibi click here: https://amnestytaunton.wordpress.com/?page_id=122&preview=true

Tags: , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →