Livewire - Amnesty International blogging for human rights

29 January 2009: As we have travelled about Gaza in recent days, compiling information about the circumstances in which unarmed civilians were killed, we have become exposed to the tragedies of so many families whose homes were destroyed and who are now homeless. The UN, quoting figures from the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics, says more than 4,000 homes have been completely destroyed while a further 17,000 others have been damaged and partially destroyed.

We have not ourselves tried to count each destroyed house that we have seen, but the figures quoted by the UN do not seem to be excessive compared to what we have observed on the ground. Entire neighbourhoods that I visited only a few months ago have now been reduced to rubble.

Continuar leyendo ‘Widespread destruction of homes’ »

28 January: We got to the site of the UFPA (Federal University of Pará) early that morning to set up the stand. The site is enormous and very well organised. The river draws a natural boundary in the east – the view is very pleasant, you can get on a little boat and visit the nearby islands.

The stand was set up in about an hour and the response has been great from the start. A good selection of Amnesty’s work is presented there and the petition and action post card on the two indigenous communities of Yaky Axa and Sawhoyamaxa who seek to recover their ancestral land has gained excellent support.

Continuar leyendo ‘WSF2009: Setting up and getting started’ »

Tuesday, 27 January: Under the Geneva Conventions, medical personnel searching, collecting, transporting or treating the wounded should be protected and respected in all circumstances. Common Article 3 of the Conventions says that the wounded should be collected and cared for, including combatants who are hors de combat.

These provisions of international law have not been respected during the recent three-week conflict in the Gaza Strip. Emergency medical rescue workers, including doctors, paramedics and ambulance drivers, repeatedly came under fire from Israeli forces while they were carrying out their duties. At least seven were killed and more than 20 were injured while they were transporting or attempting to collect the wounded and the dead.

Continuar leyendo ‘Attacks on ambulance workers’ »

27 of January: We are among the ninety thousand people who have registered in this years’ world social forum. Belem is hot and humid. We are getting ready for the opening march – the atmosphere is festive, it is only a few weeks to one of Brazil’s most famous and well attended carnivals.

The make up of the participants totally diverse and representative of the geography of the city – people from all around the world, communities from the most remote places on the planet, thousands of organisations, movements, individuals.

Continuar leyendo ‘WSF2009: A wonderful unifying experience’ »

Activists in Hungary proceeded to the American Embassy in orange jump suits to mark the Guantanamo anniversary on Jan 11, 2009. In front of the embassy, Kornel Simon recited a poem from Jumah al-Dossari as published in Poems from Guanánamo in Hungary.

Sebály Bernadett
Amnesty International Hungary

View pictures from AI Hungary and other AI section events