SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION AT http://www.iacenter.org/racism/durbanreviewpetition


Send a message to President President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, Congressional leaders, Durban Review Conference Preparations Committee Chair Ms. Janat Al-Hajjaji, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Navanethem Pillay, U.N. General Assembly President d'Escoto-Brockmann, U.N. Secretary General Ban, members of the U.N. Security Council and U.N. member states including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Syria Venezuela, Sudan, Nepal, Pakistan, Oman, Mozambique, Libya, Miyanmar, Lebanon and others, and Major media representatives including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press, Reuters, Al Jazeera, the North Africa Journal, Egypt Today, the Beirut Times, the Jakarta Post, and the Sudan Mail. Let them know that you support this urgent appeal
for the Obama Administration to fully support and participate in the U.N. Durban Review Conference Against Racism in Geneva in April, and
for the Preparatory Committee to take all necessary steps for full governmental and Non Governmental Organization (NGO) participation in the conference.
Text of the Appeal:


Urgent Appeal for the Obama Administration to Fully Support and Participate in the U.N. Durban Review Conference Against Racism in April in Geneva

To: President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, Congressional leaders, Durban Review Conference Preparations Committee Chair Ms. Janat Al-Hajjaji, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Navanethem Pillay, U.N. General Assembly President d'Escoto-Brockmann, U.N. Secretary General Ban, members of the U.N. Security Council and U.N. member states including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Syria Venezuela, Sudan, Nepal, Pakistan, Oman, Mozambique, Libya, Miyanmar, Lebanon and others, and Major media representatives including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press, Reuters, Al Jazeera, the North Africa Journal, Egypt Today, the Beirut Times, the Jakarta Post, and the Sudan Mail.

I strongly support the participation of the United States in the Global UN Conference Against Racism scheduled to be held in Geneva, Switzerland from 20 - 24 April of this year.

It is an embarrassment for the Obama Administration to continue the Bush Administration's practice of refusing dialogue with others. Moreover, given the painful history of racism in the U.S. it is shameful for America to refuse to participate in a conference against racism.

All those who oppose racism and other similar forms of discrimination had hoped and expected that the Obama Administration, a source of great hope for change with a new agenda, would embrace the historic significance of this international gathering against racism.

The 2001 UN Conference on Racism held eight years ago in Durban, South Africa had the overwhelming support of people of the world - both through their governments and through thousands of delegates representing many hundreds of NGOs and organs of civil society.

Midway through that historic gathering the U.S. and Israel walked out because the latter was criticized for its apartheid practices against Palestinians. The Bush Administration also opposed concrete action to redress the history of hundreds of years of slavery and racism. How can we ever resolve these issues without participative dialogue?

In preparing for the April Conference against Racism the majority of countries from Latin America, Asia, and Africa, have shown an extraordinary willingness to operate on principles of open-minded compromise and dialogue with the United States. Rejection of this offer by refusing to even come to the table will be seen as an arrogant assault on the processes of diplomacy and will encourage the international community to brand the United States administration as one obstructing the struggle against racism.

I am shocked that the U.S. has also supported the marginalization of Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the Durban Review Conference, seeking to ensure that they are not able to participate or that their freedom of speech is strictly limited, for example, by failing to support an NGO Forum.

NGO participation, often through NGO Forums, has been an indispensable part of every major UN human rights conference. It is therefore essential that the Preparatory Committee and the High Commissioner for Human Rights make every effort possible to provide the resources and logistics for a vigorous public mobilization for the UN Durban Review Conference.

I urge the Preparatory Committee to take immediate steps to carry out their responsibility to facilitate NGO participation, especially the participation of NGOs from developing countries who have suffered the most from racism and other similar forms of discrimination.

I urge the Obama Administration to participate in this international gathering without threats or preconditions and in a spirit of mutual respect for all other nations, especially those whose people have suffered so grievously from racism.

Sincerely,
(Your signature will be appended here based on the contact information you enter in the online form at the link below:)

SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION AT http://www.iacenter.org/racism/durbanreviewpetition

Initiated and signed by
Ramsey Clark, Winner of United Nations Human Rights Award 2008
Conference of Non-GovernmentalOrganizationss in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations,
CONGO - Kayla Mahoffey
Curtis Doebbler Nord-Sud XXI
Robert Micallef, President International Youth and Student Movement for the United Nations (ISMUN)
Naji Haraj, Union of Arab Jurists
General Federation of Iraqi Women
Vanessa Ramos, Asociación Americana de Juristas/American Association of Jurists
The Becket Fund, Sadani Maoluaiiuro
International Action Center
Fight Imperialism Stand Together
Aloomi Zambia
M. Hamed Cheidh
Mohamed Aledellabe


Sponsored by:
Nord Sud XXI and International Action Center
nordsud21.ch
www.iacenter.org
c/o Solidarity Center
55 West 17th St 5C
New York, NY 10011
For further information call: (212) 633-6646
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Join the Global BDS Action Day, 

March 30th

launched at the WSF 2009 in Belém

In December 2008, Israel decided to mark the 60th anniversary of its existence the same way it had established itself – perpetrating massacres against the Palestinian people. In 23 days, Israel killed more than 1,300 and injured over 5,000 Palestinians in Gaza. The irony of history is that Israel targeted those Palestinians – and their descendants - whom it had expelled from their homes and pushed into refugee-hood in Gaza in 1948, whose land it has stolen,
whom it has oppressed since 1967 by means of a brutal military occupation, and whom it had tried to starve into submission by means of a criminal blockade
of food, fuel and electricity in the 18 months preceding the military assault. We cannot wait for Israel to zero in on its next objective. Palestine has
today become the test of our indispensable morality and our common humanity.

We therefore call on all to unite our different capacities and struggles in a

Global Day of Action in Solidarity with the Palestinian people and
for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel on March 30th.

The mobilization coincides with the Palestinian Land Day, the annual commemoration of the 1976 Israeli massacre of Palestinians in the Galilee in struggle against massive land expropriation, and forms part of the Global Week of Action against the Crises and War from March 28 to April 4.

We urge the people and their organizations around the globe to mobilize in concrete and visible BDS actions to make this day a historic step in this new anti-apartheid movement and for the fulfilment of the rights and dignity of the people and the accountability of the powerful. In our March 30th BDS actions, we will particularly focus on:

• Boycotts and divestment from Israeli corporations and international corporations that sustain Israeli apartheid and occupation.

• Legal action to end Israel’s impunity and prosecute its war criminals through national court cases and international tribunals.

• Cancelling and blocking free trade and other preferential agreements with Israel and imposing an arms embargo as the first steps towards fully fledged sanctions against Israel.

The time for the world to fully adopt and implement the Palestinian call for boycotts, divestment and sanctions is NOW. This campaign has to become an urgent part of every struggle for justice and humanity, by adopting widespread action against Israeli products, companies, academic and cultural institutions, sports groups, international corporations supporting Israeli policies of racism, ethnic cleansing and military occupation and pressuring governments for sanctions. It must be sustained until Israel provides free access to Gaza, dismantles the Apartheid Wall and ends its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands; recognizes the right of the Arab Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and respects, protects and promotes the rights of the Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties.

For more information see: http://www.bdsmovement.net/

For information on how to join the action day and how to develop BDS action in your country, organization and network, please contact the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC) at: info[at]bdsmovement[dot]net No Trackbacks

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Worldwide Activism, Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, February 12th, 2009

In recent weeks, the Basque Country has seen a significant amount of BDS activities. Collectively, people throughout the country have come together and
sent out the message that BDS is the most effective manner of pushing for the dismantling of apartheid in Palestine.

Demonstrations calling for BDS have taken place in at least 30 cities, with some 30,000 people taking part in them. The actions have involved cooperation between all strata of Basque civil society, creating links between various social movements, and intertwining the Basque and Palestinian national struggles.

Trade unions have also been heavily involved in the mobilization, will all trade unions in the Southern Basque Country taking part in a demonstration in Bilbao calling for a boycott of Israel. The demonstrators also demanded that the municipality of Bilbao sever its contract with Veolia, which would have the French company managing the city’s bus service. Over ten municipalities have responded to this surge of public pressure and have issued statements calling for a severing of ties with Israel.

Many more demonstrations and actions are planned for the months to come in order to ensure that this momentum for BDS is sustained throughout the country. From 25 - 26 February, Askapena, the International Organization of Basque Leftists and Independents, will campaign against concerts put on by Noa in Donostia-San Sebastian. They will also launch and distribute a statement for cultural boycott, based on the call issued by PACBI, to sporting, cultural and academic groups in the Basque Country. Additional municipalities are also expected to put their support behind the BDS movement, and campaigns will be launched against any Zionist event that is scheduled to take place in the country.
For photos, please visit http://flickr.com/photos/soniko/ No Trackbacks

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Worldwide Activism, Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, February 13th, 2009

Irish civil society and trade unions have voiced thier support of BDS following the assault on the Gaza Strip. A number of groups and individuals from Irish civil society have again called for BDS, while the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) is set to launch a boycott of Israeli goods.

A full-page advertisement was published in The Irish Times on 31 January 2009 explaining the situation in Palestine and calling for BDS. The signatories of the letter, who represented various groups in Irish civil society, demanded that the Irish government cease its purchases of Israeli military products,
call for an arms embargo, and veto the proposed upgrades in EU – Israel relations. The Irish people were called on to boycott Israeli goods and services.

The ICTU has also announced its intention of launching a boycott of Israeli goods. This development came after senior members who visited Palestine on
a fact-finding mission were shocked by the situation on the ground. The ICTU represents trade unions across Ireland, with 55 unions totally 600,000 members,
approximately 31% of the Irish workforce.

These actions join the growing movement that has made tremendous steps since Gaza. All over the world, trade unions, universities and civil society groups are working to institute various forms of BDS in support of Palestinian rights.

Source URL = http://stopthewall.org/worldwideactivism/1847.shtml No Trackbacks

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Worldwide Activism, Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, February 13th, 2009

Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, has become the first of any college or university in the US to divest from companies on the grounds of their involvement in supporting the ongoing occupation of Palestine.

This landmark move is a direct result of a two-year intensive campaign by the campus group, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). The group pressured Hampshire College's Board of Trustees to divest from six specific companies due to human rights concerns in occupied Palestine. More than 800 students, professors and alumni have signed SJP's "institutional statement" calling for the divestment.

The proposal put forth by SJP was approved on Saturday, 7 February 2009 by the Board. SJP has stated that Hampshire has distanced itself from war crimes
and occupation by following through with the divestment measures.

Meeting minutes from a committee of Hampshire's Board of Trustees confirm that "President Hexter acknowledged that it was the good work of SJP that brought
this issue to the attention of the committee." This groundbreaking decision follows in Hampshire's history of being the first college in the country to divest from apartheid South Africa 32 years ago, a decision based on similar human rights concerns. This divestment was also a direct result of student pressure.

The six corporations, all of which provide Occupation forces with equipment and services in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip are: Caterpillar, United Technologies, General Electric, ITT Corporation, Motorola and Terex. Furthermore, university policy prevents the reinvestment in any company involved in the illegal occupation.

For more, go to the
HSJP website at http://www.hsjp.org/ No Trackbacks

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A member of [the Israeli] Anarchists Against the Wall (AATW), Shachaf Polakow, will be embarking on a speaking-tour in the US and Canada, from Feb 1st to March 9th, in order to raise money for the mounting legal costs of our activities. The funds are more desperately needed now, as an internal assault on dissidents is waged by the state these days, along with its assault on Gaza. Detailed information on dates and locations will follow soon. ---- for more information please contact aatwtour[at]gmail[dot]com No Trackbacks

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The David Duke / Memphis story gets even more interesting

X-Yahoo-Newman-Property: groups-email-ff-m

Friends:

Here is an update on the struggle with David Duke. I have been in the war room with Representative Duke for the past 48 hours and have been working with him to call the 200+ registered conference attendees and advise them of the alternate plans.

I also organized the press conference for Duke yesterday, which was attended by four network affiliates and a variety of newspapers. Just google the Memphis tv affiliates (Channels 3, 5, 13, and 24) to watch the coverage.

One unnamed journalist did write an honest recap, which he privately e-mailed to Duke last night. You can read it for yourself below.

We're fighting like lions here in Memphis to show that we won't let our most basic rights be taken from us. David Duke was not even allowed to sleep in a hotel room yesterday that he reserved for his private accommodation. I was with him at The Drury Inn in Memphis when its manager and two police officers came to remove Duke after they declared him to be a "security risk."

When you don't have the right to assemble, to have your legally binding contracts be honored, or even book a hotel room, then you have no rights at all. Never before have I seen more clearly the writing on the wall. This is the future we can expect unless we stop it. As much pain as I've endured this week, I still consider it to be an honor to suffer for the Cause...to live on the front lines.

The strain has been almost unbearable, but we will meet; we will have this conference on Saturday.

I will write more about this next week after I have time to rest. I haven't slept or eaten very much at all since Monday.

Sincerely,

James Edwards
http://www.thepoliticalcesspool.org/

==============================================================


The biased, dirty, lying Memphis Commercial Appeal Newspaper

The following is a letter we received from a journalist who attended Dr. David Duke's press conference on Thursday, November 6th.

I am a journalist who attended Dr. David Duke's press conference today and I was shocked by the biased newspaper article I saw on the Commercial Appeal website about it. I can't write about it in the publication I work for because I would lose my job for simply telling the truth about this matter.

I don't agree with the politics of David Duke, but I consider myself a real journalist who aspires to write honestly and not bring my own prejudices to my work. I treat everyone, whether I agree with them or not with the same degree of respect and fairness. That's why I referred to Dr. David Duke with the "Dr." title, just as my articles on Dr. Martin Luther King refer to him with "Dr." because that is his proper title. Dr. Duke is a PhD just as Dr. Martin Luther King was.

The Commercial Appeal article headlined: "Duke says white power conference set for new location." In actual fact, Dr. Duke does not and has never used the slogan, "White Power." The first thing Dr. Duke did at the press conference was to point out that he wasn't a "White Power" advocate but a white civil rights advocate. He also clearly stated he was not a "white supremacist" but believed in equal rights for all "even for white people." He contends that Whites face widespread racial discrimination in affirmative action hiring, promotions, scholarships and college admissions, and that government immigration policies will damage the long term, intrinsic interests of whites. The EURO president also said that there are thousands of groups in America that openly promote the interests of African Americans, Mexican Americans and Jewish Americans, so why shouldn't Whites have the right to defend their rights and heritage.

He went on to relate that his original conference with over 100 rooms rented at the Whispering Woods Hotel was canceled after threats on the life of the Hotel Manager and his wife and children, and after Desoto county declared a State of Emergency. He said that America is not free when terrorist threats can prevent Americans from exercising their rights to assemble peaceably and speak freely. One of the scheduled conference speakers, a English-fluent human rights attorney from Moscow, Russia, Masha Vallachenko, expressed her shock at the cancellation saying, "I had always believed that America was the land
of the free, but now I am not so sure."

Reporting on the cancellation of the original meeting, the Commercial Appeal reporter wrote,

"The European-American Unity and Rights Conference was scheduled at the Whispering Woods Hotel and Conference Center in Olive Branch, but the hotel later canceled the contract after the nature of the conference came to light and controversy soon followed."

No, the conference was canceled after the hotel received terroristic threats and after a State of Emergency was declared in Desoto County by the Sheriff's Office.

There has been no outrage by the media or by authorities at this provocation. I wonder what the Commercial Appeal would be writing if a NAACP national conference would have been canceled by White terrorist threats? The outrage would have been national if not world wide. The FBI would have certainly sent a task force down to
uncover and prosecute the violators of civil rights.

Once The Drury Inn found out that the press planned to interview David Duke in his hotel room at 2 pm today, they refused to allow it. Dr. Duke honored the hotel's request and met with the press meeting outside on public property. Later, the Drury Inn kicked Dr. Duke out of the hotel completely, saying that he couldn't stay at the Drury Inn because the hotel had received threats. I wonder what the reaction to all this would have been if Jesse Jackson had been kicked out of the Drury Inn.

None of this was reported by the Commercial Appeal, in fact they didn't even mention the cause of the cancellation of Duke's conference: terrorist threats against this organization and the hotel. America is now allowing punks who make threats to take away our most precious constitutional rights of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. The human rights lawyer from Russia, had every right to be shocked by the fact that we are no longer the land of the free, and we Americans have every reason to be ashamed.

Through all this, David Duke and EURO will meet somewhere in the Memphis area on Saturday and Sunday. No Trackbacks

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Interview with Tahar Boumedra from Penal Reform International

Tahar Boumedra  
CAIRO, May 29 (IPS) - Is Islamic law -- Sharia'a -- the only legal instrument regulating the death penalty in Arab and Muslim countries?

"No, the death penalty in most Arab and Muslim countries is regulated and applied according to positive laws -- man made law -- and not according to Sharia'a," says Tahar Boumedra, Penal Reform International's (PRI) Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

In an interview with IPS journalist Baher Kamal, Boumedra explains how this issue was debated during a three-day regional conference on the death penalty, which ended in Alexandria on May 14.

"Some delegates -- they came from nine Arab countries -- tried to use Islamic law to argue against the abolition of the death penalty," says Boumedra. "But actually death penalty laws go far beyond anything Sharia'a law ever sought to impose."

The conference, co-organised by PRI and the Swedish Institute in Alexandria, issued the "Alexandria Declaration" calling for a moratorium on executions as a step towards abolishing the death penalty in the Arab region.

IPS: The "Alexandria Declaration" calls on Arab states to comply with the U.N. General Assembly's resolution on the death penalty of last December. This called for states that have not yet abolished the death penalty to establish a moratorium on executions and work progressively towards abolishing capital punishment. Did your discussions in Alexandria achieve any development in this regard?

TAHAR BOUMEDRA (TB): Well, to a certain extent, our discussion in Alexandria reflected somehow the diversity of opinion on the death penalty expressed in the Third Committee of the U.N. General Assembly during the drafting of the moratorium resolution.

At the end of our discussions we agreed to state in the Declaration that the death penalty was a "violation of the most fundamental human right, the right to life". We also agreed that this sanction had not succeeded anywhere in deterring criminality or preventing it.

IPS: Did you focus on the death penalty in the Arab region in particular or in the Islamic countries in general?

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