People from the Sawhoyamaxa community taking part in a workshop with Amnesty International, Kilómetro 16, Paraguay, 27 November 2008. ©Amnesty International
Last night, we met with over 30 members of the communities who had just arrived in Asunción for the launch of our campaign.
It was motivating to remind ourselves why we were here – to support their campaign for the realisation of their rights – yet frustrating that our presence is even necessary. These communities have been demanding the return of their land through all available legal means for over 15 years, and despite all of their efforts and the support of other organizations, remain living in precarious conditions at the side of the road.
Throughout this campaign, we have sought to reflect the communities’ demands truthfully. During a meeting last night, we first presented our short report to the communities, translated into Guarani. We are also producing a radio version of the report to help them, and other Indigenous communities, to raise awareness about their situation.
Continue reading ‘Making sure the Paraguayan authorities feel the full force of support’
Comunidad Indigena Yakye Axa ©Amnesty International
We are here in Paraguay to launch our campaign for the rights of the Yakye Axa and Sawhoyamaxa Indigenous communities to their traditional land, in line with two binding judgements from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. We are calling upon the Paraguayan State to demonstrate its commitment to these communities and comply with these overdue rulings.
Our delegation received an affectionate welcome from President Fernando Lugo on Friday when we went to inform him of our campaign launch on Tuesday 31 March. We handed him a copy of the short report we will be launching with the Yakye Axa and Sawhoyamaxa indigenous communities, “We’re only asking for what is ours”. We also presented the President with a petition of over 3,000 signatures collected over the last two months from 54 countries.
Continue reading ‘Campaigning in Paraguay for Indigenous communities’ rights to their traditional land’
Amnesty International Mongolia’s youth group members organized the Close Guantánamo action in February with section members urging them to sign the petition for President Barack Obama during the all members’ meeting. 
In March, Youth’s group members have organized actions that introduced the Counter terror with Justice Campaign objectives and activities to the Police Academy club members.
Amar Ga
Amnesty International Mongolia
View pictures from this and other section events.
Vigil for Tissa in London ©Amnesty International
On Friday 6 March, the Sri Lankan Team at the International Secretariat organised a vigil outside the Sri Lankan High Commission in London to mark one year in detention for Jayaprakash Sittampalam Tissainayagam, known as Tissa to his friends and family.
Tissa has been named a Prisoner of Conscience by Amnesty International who believes that he has been imprisoned for simply carrying out his journalist activities. Tissa has become an emblematic case for what has become the fate of many journalists and media workers in Sri Lanka held under sweeping terrorist legislation.
Continue reading ‘Vigil for imprisoned journalist in Sri Lanka’
Anna Politkovskaya - murdered on 6 October 2006. ©Katja Tähjä
Friederike Behr blogs from Russia
The trial into the murder of Anna Politkovskaya has come to a close. During the last month, the proceedings took many twists and turns.
Before the New Year, Anna Politkovskaya’s children had raised doubts about the list of phonecalls their mother was said to have made before she was shot on 7 October 2006. The list provided by the Federal Security Service (FSB) was missing at least two calls from her children.
In the New Year, perhaps thanks to the many media reports about this, a new list presented by the mobile phone company included these two calls. The company explained that the difference between the lists was due to technical reasons.
Continue reading ‘Politkovskaya: many unanswered questions…’
