ARTICLE 26 Amnesty International USA Human Rights Education Program June 2004 - - - - - - - - - - - - Dear Educator Activist, The last few weeks have been very troubling. As the war in Iraq continues to bring heartache, frustration, anger, and a host of other emotions to people everywhere, the need for action is clear. What form that action takes needs to be self-defined by each of us but it must happen. Around the country, Amnesty International members are organizing to denounce torture. Join with others and urge the US government to take action to end abuses in Abu Ghraib and elsewhere and to hold accountable those responsible for torture. To find out more, go to: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=9115 To learn more about our on-going response to the treatment of detainees in Iraq and elsewhere, you can read the full text of Amnesty International's most recent letter to President Bush: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=9116 In addition, we have put together some background information on the Geneva Conventions. http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=9117 The events in Iraq have hit people in a way that is very direct but the reality is that there is great suffering and human rights abuses happening in countries and communities all around the world - in Sudan, in the Occupied Territories and Israel, in the United States. For the latest information from Amnesty International on countries around the world, visit our country index to access news, reports, actions and special features: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=9118 The more we understand what human rights are - what they mean to us as individuals, what they mean to our communities - the clearer our message will be to those who have the power to either deny and abuse these rights or fulfill and uphold them. Knowledge, understanding, action, change...we can work for nothing less. THE UNITED NATIONS Recently, the United Nations held its 60th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights. Human Rights Education was one of the topics of discussion. For a summary of those discussions, go to: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=9119 CURRICULUM FOR CHANGE We encourage you to join educators from around the country for an Educator Institute to Stop Violence Against Women July 21-24, 2004 at Seattle University in Seattle, Washington. During this four-day event, participants will share experiences, move toward broader understanding, and work together in finding solutions to this complex issue. For more information, contact the Western regional office - (415) 291-9233. You can also get more information at: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=9120 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The HRE program is looking for educators to review the following resources: - Environment and Human Rights - US History - Global Studies If you are interested please contact education@aiusa.org. We are also looking for educators to contribute articles, lesson plans and resource ideas to Article 26. If you are interested, please contact krobinson@aiusa.org FREE RESOURCE Finally, in honor of the important role educators play in helping young people create a just and positive future, YES! -- an ad-free, award-winning national journal offering inspiring stories of individuals and communities engaged in creating a just, sustainable and compassionate world - is offering teachers a FREE one-year subscription to its ad-free quarterly. Are you and your students ready for some good news? YES! profiles everyday heroes, young and old, at home and abroad, who are working on positive and practical solutions to a broad range of environmental and social justice problems. Educators find YES! a powerful tool for informing students about problems while also providing hopeful solutions that are already working, and channels for constructive action. YES! is published quarterly by the Positive Futures Network, an independent, nonprofit organization. Teachers can signup online : http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=9121 Over the course of the summer, this newsletter will be written by one of our outstanding interns. Their interest in human rights comes from a number of different sources but as always the case, they are inspiring and have so much to offer our work. My hope is that each one of our interns will have the opportunity to share their thinking with you and that together, we will continue our work in a way that is thoughtful, critical, reflective and, most importantly, hopeful. Peace, Karen ======== North American Human Rights Education listserv ======== Send mail intended for the list to <hr-education-na@hrea.org>. Archives of the list can be found at: http://www.hrea.org/lists/hr-education-na/markup/maillist.php If you have problems (un)subscribing, contact <owner-hr-education-na@hrea.org>. **You are welcome to reprint, copy, archive, quote or re-post this item, but please retain the original and listserv source.
[Reply to this message] [Start a new topic] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index] [Subject Index] [List Home Page] [HREA Home Page]