LGBT History Month

We’re nearly at the end of LGBT History Month. Go to this official website to read more. Also, see a powerful, individual blog post to understand the importance of having this month set aside to think about LGBT history and issues. Jon.

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Syria – Reports

For detailed information from reliable sources on the current situation in Syria, go to the following links: Human Rights Watch; how much are the Arab League visitors actually seeing? BBC online report – on the tremendously brave and important work of rights activists in Syria; Amnesty Middle East Group – from the country coordinators of [...]

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Social Media and the riots – one to discuss

Social media such as Twitter and Facebook have been in the news this year from Egypt to Birmingham. Are they forces for positive change, as shown by their use in the Arab Spring uprisings, or ways for looters to keep one step ahead of the police? The Open Rights group, “protecting your rights in the [...]

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Armenian Genocide Day – 24th April

This year Easter Sunday, 24th April, coincides with the memorial day for those Armenians who were killed or died in massacres or deportations by the Ottoman Turks during and after the First World War. The generally accepted figure is around 1.5 million deaths – one point five million. The modern state of Turkey still refuses [...]

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Group takes Action on Syria and Torture

When the group met on Thursday 14th April, we took action on cases for Syria.  I spoke to the group about human rights in Syria while Rebecca Cordell of Freedom from Torture (formerly The Medical Foundation for the Victims of Torture) spoke about the excellent work of her organisation with a close look at what [...]

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Thursday Round-Up

One of the most enjoyable meetings I’ve been to. Theme: Gay Rights (or, too often, the lack of rights) around the world.  We split into four groups to discuss, separately, the situation in Serbia, Lithuania, Jamaica and Uganda.  Problems range from contentious anti-homosexual legislation being discussed in Uganda (including punishments for not reporting gay people [...]

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Secret Evidence

I recently received an email from my friend and freelance journalist, Paul Donovan.  If you attended our October meeting last year, he came up from London to speak to us about terror, security and human rights. He has written an article which was published in the Independent last week about secret evidence.  This coincides with [...]

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World is Witness

One of our members posted this link on our facebook page. The World Is Witness is a geoblog by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in conjunction with Google Earth in mapping and documenting genocide and related crimes against humanity. If you’re on Facebook they also have a group page. Many thanks for the link [...]

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Witness

Witness is a New York based Human Rights organisation, who use video and online technologies to open people’s eyes to Human Rights violations. Watch their videos, read their blog and participate in the conversation about ‘What opened your eyes to Human Rights’.

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Performers Needed

Are you a musician? Part of a band? A singer? or simply someone with something meaningful to say? Central Birmingham Amnesty International Group in conjunction with Writers Without Borders are putting together an exciting concert of music and performance to celebrate 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to take place at the Library Theatre in Chamberlain [...]

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