Help the Oxfam Australia charity to demand world leaders keep to their word and provide decent health care for the world’s poorest people by knitting a patch for their giant baby blanket.
In the some of the world’s poorer countries, many mums don’t survive the birth their babies. In less than a year, half a million mums will die in poorly equipped hospitals because they can’t afford to pay health care fees. Numerous promises to end this travesty have falling well short in providing enough aid to deliver the medical services required to care for the sick.
Oxfam Australia is calling for knitters across the globe to help send a visual petition to world leaders in September 2008, to show that people won’t sit silently while this injustice continues. Oxfam are hoping for 250,000 ‘patches for poverty’ - one for every mum who should have survived pregnancy in the last six months.
If you’re stuck with old computers cluttering up your house and you were wondering what to do with them, then look no further. Dell computers are offering a recycling service to all owners who are looking to clear away old hardware in a variety of environmentally sound, convenient options for unwanted equipment.
Dell is happy to accept any brand of computer, keyboard, mouse, monitor or printer and pick it up from your home for approximately AU$36 per metro area. Plus, if you hand over a Dell product, they will recycle the product for free.
It’s great to see a company on the scale of Dell becoming involved in important environmental issues such as recycling. The sooner other companies follow their example the better for the planet as a whole.
To start recycling today contact Dell Recycling on 1800 465 890 or email recycling_dell_au@dell.com for more information.
Thousands of people attended Amnesty International UK’s demonstration outside the Chinese embassy in London to mark the anniversary of the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square.
Amnesty recreated the iconic ‘tank man’ image from Tiananmen Square, with survivor Shao Jiang standing in front of a real, full-sized tank outside Amnesty’s headquarters. Over 10,000 people across the UK signed a petition which was sent to the Chinese authorities on behalf of those whose children were killed by Chinese troops who opened fire on the peaceful protesters in Beijing on 4 June 1989.
The Tiananmen Square incident killed hundreds of people, with dozens of protesters still languishing in prisons after unfair trials. Many more activists have been arrested for questioning since the Chinese government’s actions in 1989.
Demonstrators laid thousands of red roses outside the Chinese embassy in a sign of solidarity for the mothers of those killed who are not allowed to mourn their child’s death publicly for fear of reprisals from the Chinese authorities. Along with the roses, a minute’s silence was held as demonstrators held aloft red roses in mourning for not just the fallen victims of Tiananmen Square, but also for those killed in the recent Sichuan earthquake.
Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said:
“We appealed to the Chinese government to support the Tiananmen victims’ families’ simple demand - the freedom to publicly mourn the deaths of their children without harassment and a full investigation into the events of June 1989. The Chinese authorities still deny their people the right to peacefully protest 19 years on from the Tiananmen Square crackdown. It’s never been more important for people here in the UK to stand up for human rights in China.”
Tiananmen Square survivor Shao Jiang said:
“Back in 1989 in Beijing I helped organise the pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square. I was arrested and held in prison for 18 months, followed by years of harassment and further detention. But I was still one of the lucky ones. Many of the participants were killed. I am here to commemorate the victims of the Tiananmen crackdown and to support the demands of the Tiananmen families”’
Amnesty International Australia are also getting involved with a campaign to make China’s broken promise to improve human rights become a reality for its people.
As part of Oxfam Australia’s Mid Year Appeal, they are highlighting the plight of the stone quarry workers in West India, who are one of the most disadvantaged groups in the world today.
The workers are made up of mostly women who have to work for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, in unbearable heat. Without portable water to drink, food to eat or a proper house to live in, migrant labourers working at the stone quarries have been severely let down. Not only are they paid as little as $1 a day, they are also exposed to serious amounts of dust concentration. This causes large amounts of respiratory problems and lung impairments for the workers who smash rocks all day in these appalling conditions. Radiological testing has shown that a massive 32.5 percent of all quarry workers are suffering from some form of possibly fatal respiratory problem
Lakshimbai Arjun Jadhav was only 12 years old when she started working in the quarry. She became married at 14 and now has 4 children of her own. Her husband can no longer provide for his family after being blinded by flying stone chips in the quarry. Lakshimbai now has to be a mother, a carer, AND a worker all in one day, just to help her family survive -
“I have worked in the mines every day, even when I was pregnant and on the day I went into labour. If I don’t go to work then I cannot feed my children, so I keep on breaking stones.”
Thanks to the sterling work of Oxfam Australia, the downtrodden quarry workers now have access to clean electricity, insurance, and most importantly clean drinking water This type of change does not happen overnight, but with your help it is possible to improve the lives of even the most disadvantaged people. These quarry workers want their children to have a better life, and with your support we can help make that dream become reality.
The RSPCA have slammed the Australian government’s annual kangaroo culling as a ‘killing frenzy’.
The government have increased the numbers allowed to be shot by commercial hunters from 5million every year to 7million. The Farmers’ Association of New South Wales claim a leap from 8million to over 13million in the past 12 months justify the extra Kangaroo culling. The Association also blame the overpopulation causing damage to fences, crops, and depletion of the Outback’s water supply. But with the meat Kangaroo goods now becoming a multimillion dollar industry, animal rights groups see this as an excuse for commercial gain.
It’s not just animal rights groups who disagree with the cull either. 8 Aboriginal elders scaled the fences of the former naval communications post in Canberra where a cull was taking place. Once inside the elders held a smoking ceremony, to ‘claim back their land’. Local Aborigines have been closely involved in the protest against the cull for several weeks.
“If you are going to treat us like trespassers you will have to arrest us and take us to jail. We are claiming our land and that’s what our sacred fire means.”
It is now possible to help fund the work of the RSPCA by using their charity credit card. MBNA will pledge £20 to the RSPCA for each card issued, with a further 25p being donated for every £100 spent.
Over 75% of the world’s 500million dog population are strays, a problem the WSPA are fighting to eradicate. With the lack of animal medical care in third world countries, most stray dogs can expect to contract fatal diseases through tumours and rabies. The WSPA are looking to develop sustainable dog population management throughout poverty stricken countries, whilst also funding mobile veterinary services.
The WSPA run recreational and school based workshops worldwide to help educate children and pet owners on the responsible treatment of animals, while also providing medical services for all animals, stray or cared for. The work is a never ending cycle, as one animal is vaccinated, another is put down, but the tireless efforts of the WSPA will continue to fight what to most would look like a lost cause.
Recent reports from the WSPA prove conclusively that bear farming is still an ongoing trade in China. The bears are generally locked in a cage no bigger than a telephone box, then have daily incisions into their abdomen to remove the bile from the gall bladder. The bile is then used in medicines as a treatment for chronic stomach disease and other related ailments, particularly gall stones.
Even though it has been medically proven that there are far more practical alternatives to bear bile, there arestill approximately 13,000 bears currently being farmed in Asia. Over the last 2 years the WSPA have managed to secure verbal agreements with both Vietnam and Korea to phase out bear farming, and hope that China will follow suit.
The WSPA are currently in direct discussion with high ranking officials in the Chinese government and lobbying companies to halt this unnecessary practice. Whilst mobilising support within the Chinese communities of the United States, the UK and Australia, the WSPA will demonstrate to China that practical alternatives to bear bile exist.
With the bile extraction procedure being extremely painful and traumatizing for the bear, the sooner this cruel ‘farming’ is halted the better. With Vietnam and Korea leading the way, surely China must realise that this barbaric method of cruelty done for the sake of producing medicinal goods should be consigned to the history books.
The WSPA are fighting hard to stop the dreadful sport of bear baiting, which is still being performed in countries such as Pakistan. The WSPA managed to halt an event in February, saving the lives of two bears, who would almost certainly have been murdered by dogs for the pleasure of a baying crowd.
The WSPA’s first attempt to confiscate the bears was met with fierce resistance from the event organiser, who makes a lucrative wage from staging such events. In reaction to the objection, an appeal was made to the bear owners personally, explaining that they could help them find an alternative livelihood away from this barbaric sport. Thankfully, the owners recanted, and allowed the bears to be taken into the care of the WSPA.
Working alongside the Punjab Wildlife Committee (PBRC), the WSPA have helped dramatically reduce the number of bear baiting events, through working with the Pakistani government to push for the prosecution of illegal bear owners and calling for greater action against bear cub poachers. Also, by creating the Kund Park Sanctuary, the WSPA have created a home and a possilbe future for confiscated bears who would struggle to re-adapt to life in the wild.
Environmental issues is one of the modern world’s top priorities, and today (Tuesday 22nd April) the globe becomes the stage for the annual ‘Earth Day’.
Earth Day was founded in 1970 by American Senator Gaylord Nelson, who organised the event as a nationwide demonstration on environmental issues. With thousands of colleges also getting involved in the organisation, more than 20 million people took to the streets and parks of America to show their solidarity against the harmful effect the U.S was having on the environment.
By 1992, Earth Day was being supported by 200 million people in 141 countries, and through this global support, the first ever United Nations Earth Summit was held in South America. Over 100 countries sent their heads of state to attend, and with over 170 governments involved, this was the largest environmental meeting in the history of mankind. From this summit, the Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) was set up. The CSD now hold annual meetings at U.N. headquarters to discuss the global prevention of pollution and climate change. With the global recognition of Earth Day, their international network now reaches over 17,000 organizations in 174 countries, with more than a half billion people participating in the event every year.
Along with Earth Day is Wednesday 29th March’s ‘Earth Hour’ supported by the World Wildlife Fund. Over a 250,000 people and 20,000 businesses worldwide have signed up to turn their lights off for one hour during the working day, with power companies set up to monitor the current change. Last year in Bangkok alone, the one hour electricity shut down caused the decrease of 73.34 Megawatts, or the equivalent to 41.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
It’s good to see so many people across the world getting involved with the enviromental problems the Earth is enduring. The more people who become aware of these issues the closer we get to save guarding the future, not just our families, but the world around us.
Amnesty International has called for an independent UN investigation into the recent unrest in Tibet, with the Chinese government sealing off the region to the world’s press. Due to the reported deaths in Tibet the Olympic torches global procession has now turned into an embarrassing showcase for the 2008 Beijing Games.
The Olympic torch relay started on May 2nd, and is planned to be arriving in Beijing on August 6th. In that time the torch will have travelled 137,000 miles around the globe, stopping in 21 nations in 6 continents. But what should be a symbol of worldwide unity has descended into a subject of mass protest against the Chinese Governments abuse of human rights in Tibet. The “Get China out of Tibet” campaign has been around for many years but few people know what is actually about.
The History of China’s Rule of Tibet
The unrest between China and Tibet has been ongoing for over half a century. In 1949, Tibet was seen as a peaceful land and an independent state from China. In the same year, the newly formed Communist Party, the ‘Peoples Republic of China’ (PRC) held talks with Tibetan officials in Indian to discuss China’s plans to control Tibet’s national defence. Also, the PRC demanded that Tibet be officially acknowledged as a part of China. The Tibetan Government refused to comply with these sanctions and the neutral ground discussions were terminated.
On October 7 in 1950, China’s Red Army sent 40,000 soldiers to attack the Tibetan frontier in six places simultaneously. They easily overwhelmed the small Tibetan territorial army of 8,000 in two days, killing half of Tibet’s troops. With China’s devastation of Tibet’s inadequate army, the once peaceful country had no other choice but to negotiate with the PRC. During these meetings Tibetan officials were intimidated with violent threats and taken captive. The Tibetan officials signed the “Agreement of the Central People’s Government for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet” However, their agreement was unofficial and did not bind either the Dalai Lama or Tibet’s government. Even though the PRC knew this, they still carried out a ceremonial signing and revealed to the world that the “Peaceful Liberation of Tibet” was successful. The Chinese military forces were then allowed to occupy Tibet and also to control their foreign dealings. This agreement also allowed Tibet’s own government to remain, and the country would still be religiously independent. On September 9, 1951, 3,000 Chinese soldiers entered the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, with another 20,000 troops being prepared for occupation. Though assurances of religious freedom remained, 9 months after the treaty was signed the Tibetan people started their first resistance against the Chinese.
In the last 60 years over 1 million Tibetans have been killedin battles, with over 6,000 religious buildings being destroyed.
On March 10th 2008, what began as a peaceful protest by orange robed monks to commemorate a failed uprising in 1959, turned into chaos. Over 4,000 Tibetans gathered to call for the Dalai Lama to be returned to power from his exile in India. China have since accused the Dalai of organising the demonstration (the largest and most sustained for 20 years) to press for Tibetan independence ahead of the Olympics, though the Dalai Lama himself claims not to be seeking full independence at all.
On the 4th day of the demonstration the Chinese government ordered a crackdown on the demonstrators, with vicious fighting spreading across the Tibetan capital city of Lhasa. Hugely differing reports of the number killed during the fighting have been released, with China claiming a mere 19 people to Tibet’s 140. Chinese police have claimed to have caught more than 800 people involved in the Lhasa violence, with another 280 people allegedly turning themselves in. 15 Tibetan monks have also been detained, though their current whereabouts is unknown. All national information received from Tibet is being censored by Chinese authorities, with all foreign journalists barred from the country since the unrest.
The violence in Lhasa has created a political time bomb for the Chinese government as Beijing prepares to play host to the Olympic Games in August. Global outrage at China’s reaction and use of lethal force to quell the Tibetan demonstrations has seen huge condemnation of their staging of the Olympics. The traditional running of the torch has come under heavy disruption from protestors across the globe, with a number of previously organised participants dropping out due to safety fears, and also in rejection to the Chinese government’s handling of Tibet and other human rights issues.
During protests in London, ex-Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq had the torch ripped from her grasp by a protestor.
The 17-mile torch relay in Paris finally dissolved into cancellation, with the torch being extinguished 4 times by human rights demonstrators. 3 human rights activists climbed part of the Eiffel Tower to hang anti Communist banners, whilst 3 activists raised flags from the cables of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge in protest. With similar action planned for all the stops on the torch’s world tour, the Chinese government must now be regretting their decision to stage the longest torch relay in Olympic history.
How can you help?
In China expressing your opinion can result in a jail sentence. Amnesty International fight for the non censoring of the media in China, and against the use of torture and the death penalty. Amnesty International Australia actively campaigns for freedom of expression and human rights in China. They are the world’s largest human rights organisation, and were founded in 1961. They currently have nearly 2 million members across 150 countries.
By donating to Amnesty International you can help their fight against the continued denial of expression and information, as they seek the publication of the truth from the government about practices not just in Tibet, but also in all parts of China.
Donation4Charity.org and Charity-gifts.org are web sites privately owned by Venturian Media Litd and are in no way a part of or associated with any of the charities featured on the sites.
