International Alert will be celebrating International Women’s Day on Thursday 8th March 2012, with an evening of fantastic female singers getting together to recognise women’s critical role in building peace around the world.

Tickets are £25, with the event being held at The Pheasantry Jazz Club, 152 Kings Road, London SW3 4UT, featuring -

• Barb Jungr
• Carol Grimes
• Eve Ferret
• Tina May

who will be lending their voices to highlight women’s strength, compassion and forgiveness in some of the world’s worst violent conflicts. More names may well be added to the bill, so be sure to order your tickets as soon as possible for what promises to be an unforgettable night.

Doors open at 7pm, with show time planned for 8.30pm. Simply click on the link below to order your ticket today and help raise much needed funds for International Alert.

> > Click here to order tickets today

Amnesty International UK will be meeting at Trafalgar Square in London on Saturday 11th February 2012 in support of the Global Day of Action. This demonstration for a human rights revolution is a peaceful protest to demand an end to -

• Poverty
• Corruption
• Discrimination
• Repression

Last year millions of ordinary people across Tunisia, Egypt, Syria and Libya fought with the courage of their convictions through people power against their repressive states.

Demonstrate for a human rights revolution from Amnesty International on Vimeo.

The rally will take place between 12-2pm, with speeches from the Director of Amnesty International UK, Kate Allen, as well as other prominent speakers. Amnesty hope that 2012 we see further solidarity as people peacefully demand change in pursuit of a human rights revolution.

Help Amnesty International Today

Amnesty International are the world’s largest and most influential human rights organisation. You can help support their amazing work on the front line from as little as £5 per month, for which you will receive :

• FREE 40 page magazine 6 times a year
• The opportunity to make your voice heard
• The peace of mind from knowing you are making a difference

>> You can help by registering your support with Amnesty today

Acclaimed group The Brown Derbies will be performing a special acappella show in aid of International Alert. The event, ‘Peace Sings!’ will give the guys a chance to show off their incredible singing talents for your pleasure in aid of the peace charity, who work hard around the world to try and bring reconciliation to violent conflict.

The Brown Derbies hail from Rhode Island in the States and are only in London for a short time so don’t miss out on this chance to see them perform. The gig takes place on Friday 20th January 2012 at -

St. George in the East
16 Cannon Street Road
London
E1 0BH

Tickets are just £12 each (with a free glass of wine included), so if you would like to purchase a ticket you can Nasseem on 020 7627 6863 or email fundraising@international-alert.org to buy tickets. There may be some available on the door, but personally I’d order beforehand as there’s a good possibility this event may sell out.

Tony Christie has just released a new single called ‘Steal the Sun’ in support of the Afghan Heroes charity. Released digitally on Sunday 23rd October 2011, the track was recorded at the world famous Air Studios, which is owned by legendary Beatles producer George Martin.

The song feature the Band of the Royal Marines and the RAF Choir, and of course Tony, who is best known for his hit single ‘Is this the way to Amarillo?’.

The Afghan Heroes was first founded in July 2009 in memory of Lee Scott by his mum Denise Harris. Lee was part of the Royal Tank Regiment who died during an explosion in Afghanistan. The charity gives support to soldiers in Afghanistan by sending them home comforts every year on Armed Forces Day, with the next one due on Saturday 30th June 2012. They also help provide holiday homes in the UK and a support network to the families of the Fallen.

> > Click here for more information on Afghan Heroes

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International Alert have recently started working in the UK, alongside many countries and continents across the globe, including -

• Africa
• Asia
• Middle East
• Latin America

by anticipating and managing conflicts without violence. Their aim is to help influence governments, and their policies, to help increase the prospects of peace across the world. Simply click on the link below to find out more information on their work and make a donation to help their fight for peace on the planet.

> > Click here for International Alert website

St Mungo’s is a charity based in London and the south of England which aims to prevent rough sleeping by providing shelter and support for the homeless. With over one hundred projects currently running, St Mungo’s helps thousands of homeless people every year.

By providing homeless shelters to get people off the streets and following this through with guidance and counselling to look at the reasons for their homelessness and then treatment and rehabilitation for those with drug and alcohol addictions, St Mungo’s are making a difference.

Another aspect of St Mungo’s work is to prevent the potentially vulnerable from becoming homeless. This includes people who have undergone a life change and who find it hard to adjust to living in society – such as the recently re-homed or convicts who are due to be released from prison. This support is vital in reducing the number of people that end up living on the streets and works towards the charities aim to end homelessness .

The work of St Mungo’s could not happen without it’s team of dedicated staff and volunteers, many of whom were once homeless themselves and were helped by the charity and in-turn have opted to support future generations of homeless people.

> > Click here for make a donation to St. Mungo’s

Great news for all you comedy buffs out there, as International Alert announce that they will be returning to the Comedy Store for another evening of fun and frolics. ‘Are You Taking the Peace?’ will be held on Monday 19th September 2011 to mark UN’s International Day of Peace, at the world’s most famous laughter house, the Comedy Store in London’s West End.

Tickets are just £16, or £14 for concessions, with doors opening at 7.30pm. The line up is quite stunning, and amongst those performing on the night will be -

• Stewart Lee
• Pete Johansson
• Rob Rouse
• Stewart Francis
• Alistair Barrie

Tickets for the event will be limited, so if you fancy a night of top notch laughter for an amazing cause, I’d click on the link below sharpish as these will be selling like hot cakes, and I’m not ‘Taking the Peace’!

> > Click here to purchase tickets

What is a Deki microloan gift certificate we hear you ask, well for as little as £10, your mum can help an entrepreneurial mum from a developing country  grow her business and safeguard her family’s livelihood,  and when it’s repaid, she can withdraw, donate or invest in another. It is called the ‘Mum-tiplier’ effect.

Deki Microloan recipients tend to be developing world mothers who are faced with issues of feeding, clothing and sending their children to school, and who run small businesses, many of which are thriving. These businesses often require small investments to increase profits and create sustainable incomes. Investments could be in items as humble as a sewing machine to make clothes, or a fridge to store food and whilst relatively small, the items have a huge impact on the business and livelihood of these woman, enabling them to earn a stable income and sustain their families for many years.

If you are interested in helping a mother from the developing world create a sustainable life for herself and her family, Deki gift certificates can be emailed direct.

All your mum needs to do is simply visit www.deki.org.uk and chooses an inspiring mum to invest in. She can even upload a photo and join Deki’s online lender community and regular updates enable her to see the loan’s impact first hand. Easy and ethical with maximum brownie points!

Mandie Armstrong, mother of two and Deki lender, Bristol says:

“It’s tough enough being a working mum in the UK. But it’s inspiring see the determination of these mothers working hard in developing countries to safeguard their family’s future. I love the fact that Deki helps me to not only invest in these women but also to see my loan’s impact first hand. With microloans, a little really does goes a long way. And if I can help them to help their families long-term, then that’s the perfect gift for me!”

>> You can help by buying a Deki Microloan Gift Certificate Today.

Despite all the success, it is debatable whether women have equal access to education or indeed whether simple increased access has provided decent employment opportunities for all women. Many women still work a double or triple day having to combine domestic responsibilities with the responsibilities of their careers. In Britain, women still have not achieved parity in pay for equal work despite what the law says, and women are much less likely to reach the highest levels of the board room.

Stereotypes promoted by the media have wrongly given women the notion that they must be superheroes, being able to successfully combine a high flying career with being a yummy mummy who within 30 minutes can whip up a fantastic meal after a full day of work. It is no wonder that women are more likely to suffer depression and other mental illnesses than men.

Technology, antibiotics and contraception have helped relieve the domestic burdens of cleaning and cooking, as well as reduce maternal death rates and enable women to control their fertility. Being able to be relieved of the burden of multiple pregnancies, women are now free to pursue their careers and improve the quality of their lives.

So whilst there is much to celebrate on this centenary International Women’s Day, there are millions if not billions of women who do not benefit at all from education or science and are still disenfranchised.

More than 50 per cent of the world’s population are women, yet they control only one per cent of the world’s wealth. This disparity means that a path to decent income for most women simply does not exist.

The rural poor simply have no access to well paid work, with sixty percent of the poorest people in the world being women, who must provide primary care for their family, produce food, work in the fields, carry water and cook.

Women still do not have equal access to education, with two thirds of all children who do not attend schools being girls. Those girls who do go to school still face a number of issues which may result in them dropping out. Many parents simply do not see any value in educating their female children, and many schools lack adequate toilet facilities making it problematic for adolescent girls.

Female representation in politics still remains dismally low, with women making up less than 16 percent of the world’s parliamentarians. Too many women continue to die from maternal causes, with many of those deaths and disabilities preventable.

On 8 March 2011 we will celebrate a hundred years of progress, but we must recognise that women’s empowerment is still a distant dream. We must continue to press for a better lot for women. Let’s hope it takes less than another hundred years for global leaders to act to ensure half of humanity contributes and benefits equally.

>> You can help by registering your support with Women And Children First today.

Amnesty International said that questions now surround the training methods and what is any human rights criteria were applied given Libya and Bahrain moving to violently crush internal dissent and public protests.

Amnesty International Northern Ireland programme director Patrick Corrigan said: “The PSNI [Police Service of Norhtern Ireland] has been involved in delivering training to security forces in Libya, Bahrain and other countries with atrocious human rights records.

“Given events in those countries, with the deaths of perhaps hundreds of innocent protesters at the hands of security forces, it looks as if the government’s risk-assessment system isn’t working. We need much tighter checks when training is being given to police forces with a history of human rights abuses.

“We call on the chief constable and the Northern Ireland policing board to look closely at recent events in Libya, Bahrain and other countries where they have helped to train the security forces, to ensure that much-needed lessons are learnt.

“A rigorous human rights assessment must be made before any future agreement to offer training to an overseas police force. In addition, the PSNI should carry out follow-up evaluation to ensure that any training offered results in an improvement in human rights and policing in that country.

“The Northern Ireland Policing Board should ensure that such criteria and assessments are applied to all such overseas training. In addition, we call for greater transparency around the delivery of such training, and ask that the chief constable openly declares such training in his annual report.”

Amnesty International is an international organisation whose sole objective is to help prevent human rights atrocities across the world and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated. The organisation helps people who cannot help themselves, and demands difficult answers from repressive governments.

How You Can Help :

Amnesty International are the world’s largest and most influential human rights organisation. You can help support their amazing work on the front line from as little as £5 per month, for which you will receive :

• FREE 40 page magazine 6 times a year
• The opportunity to make your voice heard
• The peace of mind from knowing you are making a difference

>> You can help by registering your support with Amnesty today.