OMNI UNITED NATIONS HUMAN
RIGHTS DAY NEWSLETTER #5, THE UNIVERSAL
DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AT 66. DECEMBER 10, 2013. For a CULTURE OF PEACE, Compiled by Dick Bennett. (#1 12-10-08; #2 12-10-09; #3 12-10-11; #4
December 10, 2012).
My blog: War
Department/Peace Department
My Newsletters:
Index:
OMNI National/INTERNATIONAL DAYS Project
URL for all UN DAYS:
Contents of 2008, 2009, 2011 at end.
Contents 2012
Dance!
UN and Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders
CCR
UUSC
Witness for Peace
Americans for Peace Now
Contents 2013
UN Human Rights Day Celebrates UDHR
Two on Women:
Code Pink Women Lead to Peace, Syria
Human Rights Hero: Cynthia Brown
Vets for Peace Celebrates UN Human Rights Day
Death Penalty for Atheists
Jack Donnelly, Human Rights
Scholar
UNITED NATIONS Human Rights Day, 10
December
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Follow
#unrightsat20 on
2013
Theme: 20 Years Working for
Your Rights
"As we commemorate the 20th anniversary of
the Vienna
UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon
The UN General Assembly proclaimed 10 December as Human Rights Day in 1950, to bring to the attention ‘of the peoples of the world’ the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.
In
2013, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights marks20 years since its establishment.
The
United Nations General Assembly created the mandate of High Commissioner for
the promotion and protection of all human rights in December 1993. The General
Assembly was acting on a recommendation from delegates to the World Conference
on Human Rights held in Vienna
The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,
adopted by the World Conference, marked the beginning of a renewed effort in the
protection and promotion of human rights and is regarded as one of the most
significant human rights documents of the past quarter century.
TWO ABOUT WOMEN
December 10, 2013
Dear Dick,
After
three years of horrendous fighting, a death toll now exceeding 100,000 and more
than seven million Syrians forced to leave their homes, Syrian peace talks will
finally take place at the United Nations in Montreux , Switzerland
We
are excited to announce that CODEPINK and a coalition of women’s groups have
launched Women Lead to Peace,
a global alliance of women’s organizations calling for an immediate ceasefire
in Syria Switzerland
Women
will arrive in Montreux by January 20, 2014 toplan and learn from each other.
On January 21,
we will hold a Summit with testimonies from Syrian women and humanitarian aid
workers, testimonies from women from countries that made the transition from war to peace (such as Liberia, Ireland, Bosnia,
Rwanda) and testimonies from Arab women who have been leaders in non-violent struggles in countries such as Egypt and
Tunisia. The summit will end by modeling what the next day could and should
look like. On January
22, the day of the official peace talks, participants will be inside and
out with creative, beautiful
and exciting protests.
This
invitation is open to all peace-loving people. If you want to endorse as an
organization or an individual, email Perrine.
This is our opportunity to amplify the voices of women from all over the world,
especially from conflict zones. You can make it happen, by donating today to help us reach
our goal.
With courage to make women’s voices heard,
Alli, Kelleen, Janet, Jeremy, Jodie, Linda, Lisa, Medea, Nancy K, Nancy M, Noor, Roqayah, Sergei, and Tighe
P.S.: Today on International Human Rights Day, we celebrate the legacy of Nelson Mandela and recall his struggle and imprisonment for justice & equality. Today, we also celebrate the truth-telling of Pvt. Manning as she serves a 35-year prison sentence. She turns 26 on Dec. 17! Post or send us a Happy Birthday Chelsea Manning photo or message of support! We’ll make sure she receives it!
With courage to make women’s voices heard,
Alli, Kelleen, Janet, Jeremy, Jodie, Linda, Lisa, Medea, Nancy K, Nancy M, Noor, Roqayah, Sergei, and Tighe
P.S.: Today on International Human Rights Day, we celebrate the legacy of Nelson Mandela and recall his struggle and imprisonment for justice & equality. Today, we also celebrate the truth-telling of Pvt. Manning as she serves a 35-year prison sentence. She turns 26 on Dec. 17! Post or send us a Happy Birthday Chelsea Manning photo or message of support! We’ll make sure she receives it!
May 22, 2013 This
appeared in The Nation June 10-17, 2013.
REMEMBERING
CYNTHIA BROWN: Cynthia Brown died peacefully in her Manhattan Nicaragua
Cynthia led
the way for a generation of independent journalists and filmmakers—including Susan
Meiselas, Anne Nelson, Julia
Preston and Pamela
Yates, among others—who approached the coverage of events in
this hemisphere through the lens of human rights. Their reporting departed
strikingly from the normative framing of the Cold War years, in which the
inability to see past the threat of communism—as well as to recognize the
legitimate aspirations of regional populations to self-determination and
democracy—repeatedly led the United States into ill-advised alliances with
military dictatorships and politically repressive regimes.
Cynthia and
her contemporaries reframed our understanding of these issues and our role in
the hemisphere, and their reporting inspired efforts in Congress to blunt the
interventionist doctrine of the Reagan era. In the pages of The
Nation, Cynthia documented the ravages of US-supported
dictatorships in El Salvador , Guatemala , Uruguay and especially Chile
She worked
for seventeen years at Human Rights Watch, first as a
researcher for Americas Watch, later as the Americas
Watch representative in Chile, and then as the organization’s first program
director. Principled and uncompromising, committed to the facts and to
analytical rigor, she placed her distinctive mark on the emerging human rights
standards by which the performance of governments throughout the world came to
be measured.
Cynthia died way too young, but not before making a
huge difference in the times in which she lived. HAMILTON FISH
Read more: http://www.thenation.com/article/174498/noted#ixzz2VGWcj4jb
Read more: http://www.thenation.com/article/174498/noted#ixzz2VGWcj4jb
Veterans
For Peace!
December
2013: Celebrating Accomplishments and Looking Forward
November was an
eventful month for Veterans For Peace! Thank you to everyone who participated
in the Armistice Day Actions across the country surrounding November 11th.
During the weekend of November 22nd, members traveled across the nation
to attend the School of Americas Watch event at Fort Benning , GA
As 2013 comes to an
end, we continue our work of raising awareness of the Costs of War and
promoting a Culture of Peace in our communities. As always, the national
office offers you opportunities to take action this month. If you do,
please let us know so that we can help publicize your local work. Send photos,
videos, and reports to Casey at casey@veteransforpeace.org.
December 10th: United Nations Human
Rights Day
Human Rights Day is observed by the
international community every year on December 10th. It commemorates the day in 1948 that the United
Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. Many of our current national
projects revolve around human rights issues. Drone warfare has been
largely discussed as a violation of human rights. (Check out the article).
The treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo
Bay
“All human beings are
born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and
conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
—Article 1, United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
—Article 1, United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Spread the Message:
·
Write An Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor discussing "Human
Rights From a Veteran Perspective" or discussing any current projects of
VFP related to human rights issues.
·
Show a Movie: Invisible Wars and Dirty Wars are two
examples. You can also request a copy of Targeting Iran, a film by Andy
Norris from the national office for your chapter’s use.
·
Educate yourself and spread the message: Amnesty
International, United For Human Rights, Human
Rights Watch, Human Rights First,
You've probably seen the beautiful 12 page, 14
"x 11" wall calendar produced each year by the Syracuse Cultural
Workers. This year, calendars are available as an educational and
fundraising tool for chapters. You can purchase calendars at a discounted
rate of $7.50 and sell them at local events for $15 or $20 donations.
Contact dik@syracuseculturalworkers.comfor
information.
Christmas Truce of 1914
This December 25 we begin to remember and celebrate the
centenary of Christmas Truce of 1914.
On
Christmas Eve of 1914, ordinary soldiers made temporary peace with their
enemies, causing the Western Front to fall silent. The holiday season is
a good time to enjoy the music of the soldiers who laid down their
weapons and celebrated Christmas together in the trenches of World War I, and
to consider how we can bring this story of hope and humanity to others
throughout the coming year. December 2014, with the marking of 100 years since
this momentous occasion, is an opportunity to pay homage to the peacemakers of
1914. You can get more information about these efforts at info@veteranspeacecouncil.org.
In the spirit of the
Christmas Truce, VFP members have often reached out to out former
"enemies.” For example, a few years ago there was a gathering of Viet Nam
Veterans in Alaska Korea Israel
Looking Forward to
2014
In addition to taking
action this month, we can look forward at the upcoming year. What are
your chapter projects and local initiatives? What are your short and long
term goals? How can you achieve these goals? How can national office support
your work? In the January e-mail, a short survey will be available to
members to provide feedback about the monthly mailers, the calendar, and future
plans.
At a national level,
we are focused on the strategic plan and building a framework to implement our
goals of building peace, seeking justice, and educating the public about the true
costs of war. We are also focused on providing support to local chapters
and promoting the work of our members. In 2014, action ideas will be sent out to the entire membership nearly
one full month in advance. For example, February
action ideas will be e-mailed to the entire membership by the first Monday of January. If you have any questions
about the calendar, e-mail Casey at casey@veteransforpeace.org.
Address postal inquiries to:
Veterans For Peace
Death Penalty for Atheism
Seven Countries Have Death Penalty For
Atheism
Don’t tell anyone you’re an atheist if
you live in
Atheists and other religious skeptics suffer persecution or
discrimination in many parts of the world and in at least seven nations can be
executed if their beliefs become known, according to a report issued on Monday.
The study, from the International
Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), showed that “unbelievers” in Islamic
countries face the most severe – sometimes brutal – treatment at the hands of
the state and adherents of the official religion.
But it also points to policies in some European countries and the United States
The report, “Freedom of
Thought 2012″, said “there are laws that deny atheists’ right to exist,
curtail their freedom of belief and expression, revoke their right to
citizenship, restrict their right to marry.”
Other laws “obstruct their access to public education, prohibit
them from holding public office, prevent them from working for the state,
criminalize their criticism of religion, and execute them for leaving the
religion of their parents.”…
I received my PhD in Political Science from the
Most of my writings have been in the broad, multidisciplinary field of human rights. They include three books -- The Concept of Human Rights, Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice (second edition, 2003), andInternational Human Rights (third edition, 2006) -- and over fifty articles and book chapters, which have been translated into nine languages. I am perhaps best known for a series of articles on human rights and cultural relativism, which advance a strong argument for a relatively universalistic approach to implementing internationally recognized human rights. I have also written on the theory of human rights, the development and functioning of international human rights regimes, human rights and development, group rights, humanitarian intervention, and democracy and human rights. If you want to see a sampling of my work, the second edition of my best known book, Universal Human Rights, is probably the place to look. My current human rights work focuses on a book-length project comparing conceptions of human dignity, with extended case studies of the West and
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Universal Human
Rights in Theory and Practice
Cornell
University Press, 3rd Ed. 2013.
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Contents
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Reviews
Jack Donnelly
Jack Donnelly is Andrew Mellon Professor and
John Evans Professor at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at
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