We have a stall at Birmingham Pride this Sat, between approx 11 and 6, highlighting LGBT rights around the world, especially the case of Noxolo Nogwaza.

The stall will be in the Community Area (marked as ‘Village Green’ on this map) which is FREE to get into.

If you want to get there early, we will be meeting at 11 at the Green Room cafe on Hurst St, opp the Hippodrome (formerly known as the Coffee Room).  Otherwise come and find the stall in the community area, we’d love to see you there!

Saturday 18th May 2013

Meeting at York’s Bakery Cafe Newhall St B3 3NH (off Colmore Row)

Pride Planning 10.30am

We have a stall at Birmingham Pride later this month, where we will be highlighting LGBT rights around the world.  We will be especially focussing on the case of Noxolo Nogwaza, who was raped and murdered 2 years ago in South Africa for her sexuality and for helping to organise Pride events. Come along at 10.30 for coffee and planning, to look at how we can highlight this tragic case, and campaign for incidents like this to end around the world.

Then you are welcome to stay for:

Clapmob 11.45am

We will be repeating our clapping flashmob in solidarity with peaceful protestors in Belarus, where this form of protest is banned.  It’s very easy to join in, just bring yourselves!  Find out more about this protest, and see a video of our 2011 Clapmob.  If you can’t make the Pride Planning, but do want to join the Clapmob, meet at York’s Bakery at 11.45 for a quick briefing on what we’re going to do.

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/crushed_to_make_our_clothes_ss/?chiCRab

Standing Up for LGBT Rights

Thursday 9th May 2013 at 7:30pm

at Wragge & Co, 55 Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2AS.

Many people around the world face abuse, prison or even the death penalty just for being themselves.  With Pride celebrations coming up across the UK this summer, we’ll be looking at how we can stand up for LGBT people around the world.

Plus, if you’re new to the group, have any questions, or just fancy a friendly chat before walking over to the main meeting, you can always come to our pre-meeting:

7pm at Urban Coffee Company (Church Street Birmingham, West Midlands B3 2NP)

We look forward to seeing you there!

For more info, and to see how I’m getting on: https://www.livebelowtheline.com/blogs/12026?lang=en

Syria – Two Years On

Thursday 11th April 2013 at 7:30pm

at Wragge & Co, 55 Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2AS.

We’ll be hearing from from Jeni Dixon – Amnesty UK’s Country Co-ordinator for Syria – learning about how the peaceful resistance that began two years ago has given way to violent conflict, and exploring how we can help defend human rights in this terrible situation.

Plus, if you’re new to the group, have any questions, or just fancy a friendly chat before walking over to the main meeting, you can always come to our pre-meeting:

7pm at Urban Coffee Company (Church Street Birmingham, West Midlands B3 2NP)

We look forward to seeing you there!

Dear Supporter,

Today in New York, the world came to an historic agreement to regulate the $100bn arms trade, preventing for the first time the transfer of guns, bombs, tanks and bullets to countries where we know or suspect they would be used to commit abuses. Finally putting people’s rights above profits.

The rights of women in the Ivory Coast not to be raped at gunpoint, of families in Syria not to be blown up in their homes, and of children not to be armed and forced to shoot at other children.

And it was all thanks to you.

It was your donations that allowed our team of campaigners and lobbyists to be there in New York, ensuring the combined voice of millions of Amnesty supporters around the world was heard.

It was the letters you wrote, the friends you told about our campaign, the demonstrations and meetings you attended throughout our twenty years of campaigning – and the emails you sent right into the last 48 hours of negotiations, which helped strengthen the final Treaty text.

And it was your vocal support on Twitter that carried us through the final twists and turns of Thursday’s conference into today’s UN General Assembly vote.

It was thanks too to our partners in the Control Arms coalition, and to the UK Government and MPs who answered your call and fought for a treaty we can all be proud of.

We got our Treaty! Hear how it happened from our campaigner Verity

This campaign is particularly close to my heart. When I was in Afghanistan, I could see on the streets of Kabul the way almost every man was armed, the climate that created and the fear that ensued.

Practically every arms exporting country in the world has been selling to Afghanistan for so long that it is now awash with weapons. With so little regulation, it’s all too easy for arms to fall into the hands of human rights abusers – not just in Afghanistan, but all over the world.

This is what we set out to bring to an end.

It was an ambitious goal, but an important one because arms are at the root of so many of the abuses we are fighting against, from torture to violence against women. From today onwards, because of the Arms Trade Treaty, the world is a step closer to being a safer, fairer place.

Please tell everyone you know about this historic moment by sharing the good news on Facebook, Twitter or your blog. And if you would like to help us work towards our next human rights milestone, join Amnesty International today

Thank you – together we did it.

Kate Allen
Director
Amnesty International UK”

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