Petition Tag - un

www.awhistleagainsthunger.org

Did you know that there are a billion people starving worldwide? Around 29,000 of children under the age of five - 21 every minute - die every day, especially due to preventable causes. More than half of these deaths are in fact, due to hunger.

It is my wish that with this message you feel motivated to help with the ‘1billionhungry.org’ project, a worldwide initiative proposed by the United Nations Organisation for Food and Agriculture (FAO), that I represent as Extraordinary Ambassador, which seeks to put together 1 billion signatures from all over the world with the aim to attract the attention of governments to act with the maximum priority with the eradication of hunger.

For this reason, we urge you to sign and promote this campaign together with fellow citizens; we would very much appreciate any collaboration you could give to promote this project among your friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances, which would help fulfil the proposed aims.

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www.1silbatazocontraelhambre.org

Sabías que en el mundo hay mil millones de personas que pasan hambre? Alrededor de 29,000 niños y niñas menores de cinco años – 21 por minuto –mueren todos los días, especialmente de causas que se podrían evitar. Es precisamente el hambre, la causante de más del cincuenta por ciento de estas muertes.

Es mi deseo que este mensaje te motive para colaborar con el proyecto "www.1billionhungry.org", iniciativa propulsada por la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación (FAO) a nivel mundial, de la que funjo como Embajadora Extraordinaria, con la cual se busca recaudar mil millones de firmas en todo el mundo, con el objetivo de realizar un llamado de atención a los gobiernos para que le otorguen la máxima prioridad a la erradicación del hambre.

Con este fin se requiere tu firma y el promover esta campana entre los ciudadanos, por lo que agradeceremos toda la colaboración que puedas brindarnos para que este llamado se reproduzca entre tus amigos, empleados y relacionados, y se logre el objetivo propuesto.

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For generations, long before the 1967 war that led to the occupation of the West Bank, the Bedouins let their sheep graze on their land, in the north of the Jordan Valley. These shepherds are very poor. But they do not complain.

The difficulties for the inhabitants began in the 1970s, when the village was declared a closed Israeli military zone. Some years later the Jewish settlements of Ro’i and Beka’ot were founded in the east of their land. Since then, Israel has imposed harsh restrictions on building and movement there that apply to Palestinians, effectively pushing them to leave area.

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Appeal on behalf of Mr. Shahin ZeinAli an Iranian journalist who is scheduled to serve a harsh sentence for activities namely membership in a legal political party and participating in peaceful gatherings.

We are writing to you on behalf of Mr. Shahin ZeinAli, a 29-year-old Iranian journalist who is scheduled to serve a harsh sentence for activities that do not appear to constitute a crime under the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, namely membership in a legal political party and participating in peaceful gatherings. What follows is the information that has caused us a great deal of concern.

According to the Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), in the morning of Wednesday, June 16, 2010, Shahin ZeinAli, a 29-year-old Iranian journalist was sentenced to two years, three months incarceration by Judge Pirabasi of the Revolutionary Court of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Reportedly, two years of the above mentioned sentence was for Shahin's alleged conspiracy against national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran through membership in a political party (Pan-Iranist Party). The remainder of Shain's sentence, 91 days, was for participating in illegal assemblies that resulted in chaos [presumably in the post- June 2009 disputed Iranian presidential election], interview with foreign media. Shahin will also have to pay a monetary penalty, in the amount of one million, five hundred Rial (approximately $150000).

Last year, Shahin was arrested at his residence, detained at Section 240 of notorious Evin prison in the north of Tehran. He was released after serving three weeks in solitary confinement. During the search of his home, his computer, computer files, academic and journalism-related books, news archives and other personal items were confiscated. Shahin has awaite the reurn of his personal property by the authorities to no avail. The security forces refuse to return to him what they have taken illegally from him.

Shahin was asked to present before Section 25 of the Revolutionary Court for last defence after four months of having no information on the status of his case. He attorney, Mr. Mohammad Mustafayee, continued his case to June 16, 2010, at which time he was notified of his two-year-three-month sentence.

We are asking the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the presiding judge, Mr. PirAbbasi, Mr. Larijani, the heard of Judiciary, and Mr. Seyed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to commute this unjust sentence and apologize to Mr. ZeinAli and his family for undue hardship and anxiety caused by Mr. ZeinAli's arrest and related events (search, seizure of property and solitary confinement).

We thank you in advance for your kind and prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

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Animal Rights should be equivalent to Human Rights. No cruelty. No violence. I guess there's no need to say more.

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The Commonwealth has been silence on the issues of Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual & Trangendered (LGBT) people's persecutions and discrimination going on in many of its member-countries. Gay people in these countries are being denied access to healthcare, arrested and jailed, sentenced to death, exposed to public and state homophobia and denied state protection.

In the last Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2009) held in Trinadad and Tobago on November 27-29 2009, it was disappointing and appalling that the Commonwealth turned blind eyes to the Ugandan Anti-Homosexual Bill proposing death penalty to gay people and did not issue a statement nor discuss it even when that bill was top of the agenda for HUman Rights through out the world at that time.

Also, on the case of 2 young men arrested and detained in Malawi, charged on accusation of homosexuality since December 29 2009, the Commonwealth has kept mute and made no official statement. This means that some citizens of the Commonwealth can be denied their right just because they are gay or lesbians.

This continued silence of the Commonwealth therefore sends the wrong message to these countries and the general public that the Commonwealth supports these injustice and discrimination.

Of the 53 Commonwealth member-countries, 40 still criminalise same-sex relations, mostly under anti-gay laws that were originally imposed by the British colonial government in the nineteenth century. This is disgraceful to the Commonwealth when its core principles includes equality, non-discrimination, opportunity for all, liberty of the individual and human dignity.

If the Commonwealth continue in this silence, it is not only living short of its own principles, but it is assuring these countries that they can also ignore these pillars of justice.

Please sign this petition with us.

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The 15th branch of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran found Amir Reza Arefi guilty of Moharebeh, and based on articles 186, 187, 189, 190, 191 and 46 of the Islamic Penal Law sentenced him to death.

The 21-year-old Arefi is married and was arrested before the June presidential election on April 15th, 2009.

Arefi's lawyer, Mohammad Mostafai, said the 21-year-old man was sentenced in Tehran on February 17. The revolutionary court also ruled that Arefi tried to plant bombs at polling stations during the presidential election in June; But Arefi was arrested two months before the vote was held.

The 15th branch of the Revolutionary Court has found my 21-year-old client guilty of Moharebeh for his alleged membership in the Anjoman Padeshahi (an exiled monarchist group) and based on articles 186, 187, 189, 190, 191 and 46 of the Islamic Penal Law, has sentenced him to death.

Mostafaie and his client have 20 days to file an appeal.

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I am writing to strongly urge the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to lobby for the immediate return of Fiji to the rule of law and Democracy.

Human rights have been abused, citizens are terrorised, umiliated and interrogated without counsel. Citizens have been killed, brutalised and tortured by the military. Women raped by the military has become a daily occurrence.

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“Enough is enough, Öcalan’s health is our health”

The Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan, has been kept on the one man prison island of Imrali since 15th February 1999. This island prison, declared a forbidden area by the military, is being administered such that unlawful treatments are the norm. Hence, Mr Öcalan is under intense solitary confinement. On 1st March 2007 Mr. Öcalan’s lawyers presented documents of laboratory reports on samples of Mr. Öcalans hair, which showed chronic poisoning. Due to these conditions Öcalan is suffering from serious health problems, and yet no diagnosis has been made and no significant treatment has been undertaken.

Abdullah Öcalan was transferred to a new prison on the island of Imrali on 17th November. In his weekly meeting with lawyers he said:

‘‘I have been finding it hard to breathe because of the air-conditioning system here. My situation is becoming worse due to these conditions. I am living here in a semi-conscious, half dead’’ he stated. Referring to the new prison, Öcalan said that it was a recommendation by the CPT (European Committee for the Prevention of Torture). He went on to comment: ‘‘The new prison was recommended by the CPT and ECHR (European Court of Human Rights). This place is their project. They are also responsible for me being held here and for these conditions. I sent a report to the CPT and ECHR regarding my conditions here. In this report, I stated that my conditions needed to be changed. I said, ‘You are responsible for this situation, take account of your responsibilities, and protect the rights that you have guaranteed’.”

‘‘Furthermore, human rights activists must be able raise their voices in the face of all these violations and say, ‘Disclose Öcalan’s situation: what is going on there?’ and call for a clear public statement. It must be requested of the CPT that they reverse this mistake and improve conditions. They need to come and inspect this place: this is their duty. The CPT came before and inspected the (old) prison. It was the CPT that recommended for me to be moved to an F-type prison; they requested the construction of this prison and the creation of these conditions: it is written in their reports. All of this was requested by the CPT. They told me that my conditions here would be better, but this has not happened: my conditions are worse than before. They need to come here and see their creation. They cannot fool us, they must not try it. I am assessing my transfer here as a coup: I am defining it as the 17th November coup.’’

After 1st March 2007 the Kurdish people made their voices heard through mass meetings and hunger strikes asking for Mr. Öcalan’s health to be taken seriously and for the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) to send an independent body of doctors to Imralli Island to treat Mr. Öcalan.

If we take a look at the last three reports of the CPT before this visit, we can see that none of the advisory notes made by the CPT were taken seriously by the Turkish authorities. Instead Mr Öcalan’s situation and the conditions have become worse. The Turkish authorities, just as with all other international agreements, do not respect the CPT reports.

All of these issues have lead to the rising concerns of the Kurdish people which are increasingly leading to our demands for a response. It is unacceptable on humanitarian grounds that the Kurdish people’s leader’s life can be sacrificed in order to appeal to the sensitivities of Turkey.

To stay silent in the face of these procedures imposed against the Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan, means to condone the Turkish state’s annihilation policy towards the Kurds. Due to the international support the Turkish state is receiving, it is continuing its pursuit of policies of violence and neglecting all attempts at a peaceful and democratic solution.

Regarding Abdullah Öcalan’s health, we call upon the European Council and the CPT to pressure Turkey into taking the CPT’s advisory proposals seriously. We call upon all people who believe in democracy and human rights; “do not remain silent towards the crimes of the Turkish authorities against the Kurdish people”.

Our indefinite demonstration will last until the European Council and CPT will make a statement regarding the results of the laboratory findings from the samples of the Kurdish people’s leader, the carrying out of the necessary treatment, and the transfer of Abdullah Öcalan from the one man prison island of Imrali.

As a young Kurd I call upon everyone to support our humanitarian demonstration to make the European Council and CPT make a move.

As a young Kurd I say “Öcalan’s health is my health, do not harm my health”.

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En los últimos diez años, la Trata de personas ha acaparando cada vez más la atención global; muchos gobiernos a través del mundo están desarrollando políticas y leyes para combatirla, y se están gastando cientos de millones de dólares a escala mundial. El próximo paso lógico sería examinar estos esfuerzos para combatir la Trata de personas y así, evaluar cómo se están poniendo en práctica las medidas contra la Trata (incluyendo la forma en que se está gastando el dinero) y cuáles son las consecuencias de estas medidas.

Necesitamos urgentemente un examen riguroso de la situación. Cada vez más, a los defensores de los Derechos Humanos y activistas de todo el mundo les preocupa que estas medidas contra la Trata de personas estén conduciendo a aún más violaciones. Tenemos que preguntarnos lo que los gobiernos realmente están haciendo para prevenir la Trata y proteger los derechos de las personas Tratadas. ¿Está funcionando? ¿Quién se beneficia? ¿Los derechos de las personas que emigran, o que regresan a sus países de origen, están mejor protegidos por las políticas de lucha contra la Trata?

CASO. El Gobierno de la India consideró a las trabajadoras migrantes como una “categoría particularmente vulnerable” y “dictó una orden que prohíbe que cualquier mujer trabajadora del hogar por debajo de la edad de 30 años sea empleada en el Reino de Arabia Saudita, bajo ninguna circunstancia.” La preocupación es que las mujeres puedan ser abusadas sexualmente o ser víctimas de la Trata en condiciones de explotación. Para evadir esta prohibición, las mujeres tienen que tomar opciones de migración más arriesgadas que sus contrapartes masculinos, lo que las hace aun más vulnerables a abusos en el lugar de destino. “(Daño Colateral, Capítulo India, GAATW p. 129).

Como parte de nuestro trabajo de lucha contra la Trata de personas, es necesario hacer que los gobiernos rindan cuentas sobre sus obligaciones internacionales de Derechos Humanos mediante la revisión de sus esfuerzos y que hagan los cambios apropiados para garantizar que todas las medidas contra la Trata sean eficaces y esté basadas en los Derechos Humanos.

Esta petición forma parte de “Pare, Mire, Escuche!” de la GAATW la Acción Urgente, para hacer un llamado por un Mecanismo de Revisión, y será presentada a los gobiernos durante la cuarta conferencia de Estados Parte de la Convención de las Naciones Unidas contra la Delincuencia Organizada Transnacional y sus Protocolos (incluido el Protocolo para prevenir, reprimir y sancionar la Trata de personas).

FIRME Y DISTRIBUYA LA SIGUIENTE PETICION, Y APOYE LA ACCION URGENTE INSTANDO A UN MECANISMO DE REVISION DEL PROTOCOLO INTERNACIONAL DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS SOBRE TRATA DE PERSONAS.

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Over the last ten years, human trafficking is gaining increasing global attention; many governments around the world are developing policies and laws to combat it, and hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent worldwide. The logical next step would be to examine these efforts to combat trafficking to assess how anti-trafficking measures are being implemented (including the way money is being spent) and what consequences they are causing.

We urgently need a rigorous review of the situation. Increasingly, human rights defenders and activists world-wide are concerned that these anti-trafficking measures are even leading to further violations. We need to ask what is actually being done by governments to prevent trafficking and to protect the rights of those that have been trafficked. Is it working? Who is benefiting? Are the rights of people migrating, or returning to their home countries, better protected by anti-trafficking policies?

CASE: The Indian Government considered women migrant workers a “particularly vulnerable lot” and “issued an order prohibiting any female household worker below the age of 30 from being employed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under any circumstance.” The concern was that women may be sexually/physically abused or trafficked into exploitative conditions. To avoid this ban, women have to take riskier migration options than their male counterparts, making them more vulnerable to abuse at the destination point.” (Collateral Damage, India chapter, GAATW p.129).

As part of our work to fight against trafficking in persons, we need to hold governments accountable to their international human rights obligations by reviewing their efforts and make appropriate changes to ensure that all anti-trafficking measures are effective and human-rights based.

This petition is part of the GAATW Stop, Look, Listen! urgent action calling for the implementation of a review mechanism and will be presented to governments during the fifth conference of states parties to the UN Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime and its Protocols (including the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons) - October 2010.

SIGN THE PETITION BELOW, AND SUPPORT THE URGENT ACTION TO CALL FOR A REVIEW MECHANISM OF THE INTERNATIONAL UN PROTOCOL ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

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Burma is located in South-East Asia and shares the border with China, Laos, Thailand, Bangladesh, and India. The military has dominated government since General Ne Win led a coup in 1962 to 1988. In 1988, students led the mass uprising and eventually managed to topple the one party rule led by General Ne Win. Another military regime came to power on 18 September 1988 and gunned down more than 3000 peaceful protesters. Due to the increase domestic and international pressure, junta promised to hold the election in 1990 and National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi won the landslide victory. The ruling junta refused to hand over power and instead put Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest and imprisoned thousands of political dissidents.

"If this country is to achieve genuine democracy, the result of the elections of 1990 must be recognized. It must be recognized by the military regime, as it has been recognized by the people, and by the world at large. It is through this recognition that we will be able to make genuine progress in Burma. The results of the 1990 General Elections must be implemented is a resolution already taken by the United Nations. We already know that the General Assembly of the United Nations has accepted the notion that the will of the people has been expressed in the 1990 General Elections. This is something we cannot abandon. It will be to the detriment of our country if after an election has been held the results are not honoured and we do not resist attempts to trivialise it", once Aung San Suu Kyi insisted.

We cannot ignore the lives of people scarified in 1988 mass uprising when more than 3000 people were gunned down, we cannot forget 2007 Saffron revolution when soldiers and riot police beaten and opened fire on Buddhist monks and peaceful demonstrators and we cannot close the eyes to the suffering of the heroes of Burma who are now in prisons and who were in prisons sacrifice their lives, faced torture and brutal treatment in order to show their aspiration for democracy.

A tremendous responsibility rests upon the United Nations Organisation to a far better end, and we are looking for a more positive and bolder lead of the United Nations as military regime is trying to nullify the results of the 1990 elections result by planning to hold another election in 2010.

Burmese people show their destiny, their will and sacrifice their lives already. United Nations must step up further in order to solve Burma crisis and actions needed to be taken practically focusing on to implement 1990 Elections result. The solution for the crisis of Burma is to recognize 1990 election result to restore democracy and rule of law where everyone can enjoy the freedom of speech, press, beliefs and assembly that emphasizes the protection of individual rights.

This is time to take actions and not words. Military government bought the time for 20 years and we should not let it happen anymore. United Nations must set out the dead lines to transfer power to Aung San Suu Kyi’s party National League for Democracy (NLD) by 2010. We don't want any more waiting games. General Assembly of the United Nations has accepted the notion that the will of the people has been expressed in the 1990 General Elections. International community strongly condemned the junta for refusing to allow elected representatives to meet as a People's Assembly and for failing to honour the results of the elections and hand over power. UN General Assembly has since 1991 passed successive annual Resolutions calling on Burma "to restore democracy and implement the results of the 1990 elections".

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The most important high-level meeting to combat poverty for 6 years takes place in a few days time (September 25) presided over by UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon. It is tasked with nothing less than the delivery of the Millennium Development Goals themselves - providing clean water, sanitation, medical care and education to the world’s poorest people.

Please put your name to the letter below which we will be presenting to the Secretary General.

For more information on the work of Stamp Out Poverty, please visit: www.stampoutpoverty.org.

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Herein a short list of historic facts in support of a distinct official name, other than that of the region of Macedonia of Northern Greece, that will replace the UN official term F.Y.R.O.M. / the former Yugoslav republic with capital the city of Skopje.

· FYROM is a state with a fabricated conscious / identity crafted during the Cold War Era by Joseph Marshal Tito to prevent the unification of the region known as FYROM with Bulgaria (same ethno- linguistic makeup) - at the same time annex Historic Macedonia of Northern Greece.

·The citizens of FYROM, for the most part, are ethnic Slavs (last names end in –ski ) and ethnic Albanians.

· According to the official state census during the Ottoman Era, the primary ethnic groups in the geographic region of Macedonia were: Greek, Bulgarian, and Turkish. History does not record the existence of an identifiable Macedonian ethnic group.

· The region of Macedonia in Northern Greece is over 90% of Historic Macedonia, which is in fact the region that all the major archeological findings have been found. Thus, the region of FYROM is a fringe geographic region to the core Macedonian mainland.

· The region of FYROM covers what was at the time of antiquity part of Paeonia and part of Dardania and was located north of Macedonia.

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Russia is convinced that the idea of Kosovo's independence is far-fetched. Nobody had even mentioned it before NATO bombed Yugoslavia in 1999. At that time, the discussion centered on various parameters of autonomy and a change in Yugoslavia's federal structure.

Russia's foreign minister called on Thursday (February 21, 2008) for talks on the status of Kosovo, whose parliament declared independence on February 17, to be resumed.

Tensions have escalated in Belgrade, with thousands of Serbs gathering in the capital to protest against Kosovo's independence. Groups of activists broke into United States and Croatian embassies in protest against the countries' support for Kosovo's secession.

Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Moscow: "Talks on Kosovo's status should be restarted," and warned that the unilateral declaration could have consequences which "could harm Russia's relations with the EU and the United States."

Serbia said on Wednesday(February 20th, 2008) it would utilize all possible political and diplomatic means to maintain the country's territorial integrity in the wake of Kosovo's declaration of independence. "Serbia's internationally recognized borders have been unilaterally violated," Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic told a news conference.

(thanks to various pages from http://en.rian.ru/ )

Why is Serbia’s Province of Kosovo so important to Serbs? Consider, first, that Kosovo is the historical heart and religious soul of Serbia. Hundreds of Serbian Orthodox churches, monasteries, and holy sites in Kosovo attest to this. But our full answer would have to include that what is happening in Kosovo today is of far reaching importance for the entire world.

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We are a pro-democratic movement in Somaliland, comprising independence human rights organizations, operating under national level nongovernmental umbrellas and networks wish to request your support for an issue that is close to the hearts of three and half million persons who live in Somaliland. This is the matter of United Nations membership and recognition for republic of Somaliland.

The Republic of Somaliland is a free and peace-loving state, and its democratically elected government is the only one that represents the interests and wishes of the people of Somaliland.

The nascent democracy in Somaliland needs support against those who hate freedom, democracy and universal human rights. It is time the leaders of United State and United Kingdom as well as other world leaders support and grant international recognition to Republic of Somaliland before the fundamentalist groups linked international terrorists networks such as Al Qaida come to ruin the peace, fragile democracy institutions, human rights culture and stability Somaliland has achieved.

Definitely, that the recognition of Somaliland would enhances the security of the United States of America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia including Middle East and that of the Africa including Horn of African region. Non-recognition, however, will have disastrous consequences and induce terrorism to thrive and spread beyond the Horn of Africa region and world as well.

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English:
Whereas Carla Del Ponte failed to indict top ranking Serbian/Yugoslav National Army (JNA) officials who were responsible for heinous war crimes in Vukovar, Croatia; instead, Del Ponte only focused on the town of Ovcari and JNA officers Mrksic, who was sentenced to 20 years, Sljivancanin, sentenced 5 years and Radic who was acquitted altogether.

These pathetic and meaningless verdicts show the ICTY's bias and political agenda which is clearly not in the interest of any justice.

Whereas the appropriate measures need to be undertaken by the ICTY to correct these unjust verdicts given to Mrksic, Sljivancanin and Radic as quickly as possible.

Croatian:
Carli del Ponte nije bilo za cilj osuditi najvise rangirane oficire bivse JNA tj tada vec srpske voske koji su odgovorni za najvece i najgnusnije zlocine pocinjene u Vukovaru,Hrvatska. Umjesto toga del Ponte se fokusirala samo na zlocine pocinjene u Ovcari tako da su oficiri JNA Mrksic, kaznjen sa 20 godina zatvora,Sljivancanin samo 5 godina a Radic je oslobodjen optuzbi.

Ove sramotne presude pokazuju koliko je MKS za bivsu Jugoslaviju politicki sud i da nije u sluzbi pravde. Zbog toga je potrebno poduzeti energicne mjere kojima cemo ispraviti nepravdu haaskog tribunala tako da se pravedno kazne naredbodavci zlocina poceinjenih u Vukovaru i okolici

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Now Taiwan is working hard to join the UN.

Due to China's objection and no American support, we must support Taiwan's rights.

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The Darfur conflict is an ongoing armed conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan, mainly between the Janjaweed, a militia group recruited from the tribes of the Abbala Rizeigat (Bedouin Arabs), and the non-Baggara people (mostly land-tilling tribes) of the region.

The Sudanese government, while publicly denying that it supports the Janjaweed, has provided money and assistance and has participated in joint attacks with the group, systematically targeting the Fur, Zaghawa, and Massaleit ethnic groups in Darfur. The conflict began in July 2003. Unlike in the Second Sudanese Civil War, which was fought between the primarily Muslim north and Christian and Animist south, in Darfur most of the residents are Muslim, as are the Janjaweed.

After fighting worsened in July and August 2006, on August 31, 2006, the United Nations Security Council approved Resolution 1706 which called for a new 17,300-troop UN peacekeeping force to supplant or supplement a poorly funded, ill-equipped 7,000-troop African Union Mission in Sudan peacekeeping force. Sudan strongly objected to the resolution and said that it would see the UN forces in the region as foreign invaders. The next day, the Sudanese military launched a major offensive in the region. (See New proposed UN peacekeeping force)

Estimated number of deaths in the conflict vary widely. According to Sudan's government, 9,000 people have been killed; most NGOs use 200,000 to over 400,000, a figure from the Coalition for International Justice that has since been cited by the United Nations. As many as 2.5 million are thought to have been displaced as of October 2006.[3] (See Counting deaths section, below) The mass media once described the conflict as both "ethnic cleansing" and "genocide," and now do so without hesitation. The some in the United States government has described it as genocide, although the United Nations has declined to do so.

In March 2007 the U.N. mission accused Sudan's government of orchestrating and taking part in "gross violations" in Darfur and called for urgent international action to protect civilians there. Not much action has taken place.

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Every human being in this world has the right to live in peace even in Sri Lanka. Since 1983 there has been nothing but political chaos in the iceland of Sri Lanka.

More facts about the civil-war in Sri Lanka can be found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_conflict_in_Sri_Lanka. Before the tsunami, dec. 2004, there has been around 68.000 casualties due to the war. Tsunami death toll: around 40.000 and leaving 1.5 million people in poverty north, north east and south in Sri Lanka and even after the cruel disaster of the nature back in 2004, the civil-war escalated to continue taking 4.000 casualties the last 15 month. The fact is since 1983 Sri Lanka/Tamil Eelam has lost more then 100.000 people of it's population which seriously affecting the country in many many ways.

One of the importent topic is the poverty and casualties which the war (Northern regions) and Tsunami (North, North-East and South-East People) brought to the people of Sri Lanka/Tamil Eelam.

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The long history of exploitation and maltreatment of African people by European airlines can no longer be ignored. In fact, they must stop.

The petition below is a rallying call for an end to such exploitation and maltreatment which are obvious to any one who travels to and from Africa with any one of these European airlines.

Specifically, this is our position: Since African people are a part of the human race, European Airlines should treat them with respect and dignity, just like they treat any other group of human beings who are not Africans. As such, the apparent maltreatment of Africans by the European airlines will no longer be ignored.

We must stop this maltreatment NOW.

Note: This is a suppliment to the original petition published in 2004. For details, see: http://www.liberateafrica.org/petitionairlines.html

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When asked, "What can Princeton students do [to help]?", Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel responded, "Write a petition to the President. If every student at Princeton University signs it.."

Perhaps something can be done. Violence and destruction are raging in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Since February 2003, government-sponsored militias known as the Janjaweed have conducted a calculated campaign of slaughter, rape, starvation and displacement in Darfur.

It is estimated that 400,000 people have died due to violence, starvation and disease. More than 2.5 million people have been displaced from their homes and over 200,000 have fled across the border to Chad. Many now live in camps lacking adequate food, shelter, sanitation, and health care.

The United States Congress and President George W. Bush recognized the situation in Darfur as "genocide." Darfur, "near Hell on Earth," has been declared the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today.

Yet the administration has been slow to act on these declarations. The goal of this petition is to remind and encourage the President to act on his pledges.

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The Right to Cover.

Many countries around the world either have already passed or are in the process of passing a ban against women's head cover in public schools and government institutions. The rationale is to unify the appearance of the citizens/students to avoid division and bring harmony amongst them. The harmony comes from within; taking away individuality will create division in societies.

It is difficult for some groups of special interest around the world to accept that veiled women are victims of incomprehension due to colonization, secularism, and orientalism, and the negative interpretation of cultural and individual difference. Veiled women are constantly portrayed as subordinate figures with passive attitudes and no professional affiliations, who are marginalized and subjugated by religious obligation and oppression.

Associating veiled women with submission and the unveiled with liberation is a pure social injustice. Wearing a veil is a choice and a personal mark of distinction not a symbol of inequality of sexes and the confinement of women. Let us not forget that in the Sikh culture, the man covers his head as well. The veil, to millions of women, is a gesture of identity and intellectual self-affirmation. It is a liberation of societies' compulsion and male pressures of how women should look or dress. For the veiled women, professing their cultural individuality does not contradict the adherence to the uniform codes in public schools or government offices. Women should be respected for their minds, hearts, and souls not their appearances. No one has the right to stigmatize, demonize, or ridicule any head covering for Nuns, Sikh, Muslim, Orthodox Jews or Amish.

The right to veil is protected by many spiritual doctrines:

" It is not like the daughters of Israel to walk out with heads uncovered" and ".. a woman who exposes her hair for self-adornment brings poverty." Menachem M. Brayer, The Jewish Woman in Rabbinic Literature

"... So she took her veil and covered herself" Genesis 24:65

"She maketh herself coverings" proverbs 31:22

"And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head - it is just as though her head were shaved. If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or shaved off, she should cover her head. " (I Corinthians 11:6).

"O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their bodies (when abroad) " (Quran 33:59

Examples of some of the countries, which have passed a ban/law against Hijab (head cover), in one sort or another: Turkey, France, Tunisia, Singapore, Algeria, Russia

Examples of some of the countries, which have been contemplating the same action: Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Australia.

Examples of some of the countries, which have been harassing or depriving head-covered women from career advancements: United States, England, and many others

Veiled women (and head covered people) of the world, consider these bans to be a clear violation of their human rights. Everyone has the right to equal public education and employment regardless of the choice to cover. It is essential that human rights be protected under the law. These bans are unjust and they negatively affect the social, spiritual, educational, and economical growth of millions of women around the world who chose to be veiled.
Moreover, these bans clearly breach and violate articles { 7, 18, 20, 21, 22, 26, 30 } of The United Nations Human Rights Declaration

We are calling on all people of conscience, freedom of choice supporters, civil liberties and human rights groups around the world to support the women's right to veil.

We urge the United Nation to step in and take an action against any government that passes a ban against veiled women.

Here are the human rights that have been violated:

Universal Declaration Of Human Rights Adopted by UN General Assembly Resolution 217A (III) of 10 December 1948
THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

7- All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of the Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

18- Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

20- (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association

21- (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.22- Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co- operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

26- (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

30- Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

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Harriet, a year 2 on our bus (69), is behaving unacceptably. Examples: Hitting, Swearing, Punching, Kicking and even Licking other passengers.

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