April 17 – AI on Human Rights 101 at Seattle City Hall

Join us on  Tuesday, April 17 from 5:30 – 7 pm for a panel discussion at Seattle City Hall in including Sara Schmidt from AI’s Western Regional office.

Human Rights 101 flyer image

Details from Seattle City Hall’s website:

Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell and the Seattle Human Rights Commission to host “Human Rights 101” forum

Seattle – What are human rights? Why do they matter in Seattle? How do human rights protect me? What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? How can I support human rights?

All people are born free and equal with dignity and rights. Each of us have human rights. Join us to learn how those rights are applicable to you, your loved ones, and your community. Learn how human rights protect against all forms of discrimination including racism. Acquire the tools to make a difference in your community and become an advocate for dignity and justice.

WHAT:
Presentation and panel discussion about human rights at the local level.

WHEN:
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

WHERE:
Council Chambers, second floor
Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue, Seattle 98104

WHO:
Councilmember Bruce A. Harrell
Sara Schmidt, Amnesty International, Western Region Field Organizer
Seattle Human Rights Commission
Seattle Office for Civil Rights

For more information, please contact Felicia Yearwood, Seattle Office for Civil Rights at 206-684-4537 or felicia.yearwood@seattle.gov.

The forum will be available for viewing on the Seattle Channel’s Web site afterward.

Facebook Event Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/events/286074148135388/

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April 3 – Amnesty International Seattle Monthly Meeting

Join us for our monthly meeting on Tuesday,  April 3, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the den at the Mosaic Coffee House, 4401 2nd Ave NE. First half hour is letter writing and socializing. Meeting starts at 7 pm.

Discussion will report backs Amnesty International USA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) last weekend and planning for upcoming events.

Agenda with links for facilitator Larry Ebersole below:

Amnesty International USA Local Group 4 of Seattle

Monthly Meeting, Tuesday, April 3, 2012: (6: 30 pm to 8:30 pm)

(Where: Mosaic Café in the Wallingford District of Seattle, see www.seattleamnesty.org >)

Agenda: Please DO ADD YOUR Projects or Concerns

 

6:30 to 7:00 – Letter Writing actions for Individuals at Risk;

7:00 to 7:15 – Introductions – “Please reply to the Question – if you could…what would YOU    do for human rights via events here in Seattle?”

7:15 to 7:40: Gleanings – from the Annual General Meeting from anyone? who participated?

7:40 to 8:10: Core Campaign Updates

-Individuals at Risk: No new updates? from December’s Writeathon; Shi Tao is on-going;

-Death Penalty Abolition/Just Alternatives – March 17th education event;

http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/death-sentences-and-executions-2011

-Security with Human Rights: on-going focus on Maher Arar “Airplane Apology Actions”http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/campaigns/security-with-human-rights

     [Fyi – new law suit against USA indefinite military detentions http://www.democracynow.org/2012/3/30/headlines#7 ];

-Demand Dignity: Oil and mining corporations are current focus – impacts on populace with focus on Nigeria, India; maybe? USA accountability, too?  http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/campaigns/demand-dignity/hold-corporations-accountable ;

 

New Report by AIUSA: “Hostile Terrain”: See below –

http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/usa-in-hostile-terrain-human-rights-violations-in-immigration-enforcement-in-the-us-southwest  ;

 

8:15?: Next Steps? Anyone?

-Want to do a film event? Panel discussion? Or too much energy for now?;

8:25: Announcements:

            -April 17th: Sara Schmidt  Presents, “Human Rights 101” – 5:30pm to 7:30pm, Seattle City Hall, Council Chambers, 810 Third Ave –   sponsored by Seattle City (governmental) Human Rights Commission & Commission on Disabilities/Civil Rights of City of Seattle (free – open to all! Accessible; ASL interpretation if arranged in advance; Info 206 684-4537, Sara Schmidt, sschmidt@aiusa.org >);

-Two Dinner Party-style events to assist allied immigrant rights groups in Seattle (TBA);

– May NATO Conference in Chicago: AI and AIUSA Letter – http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/news-item/letter-to-president-obama-prime-minister-cameron

-May 15: FYI – International Conscientious Objectors’ Day;

-June:

-Seattle Solstice Fair Info and Outreach Table;

-Seattle & International Day for Torture Victims and Survivors

Summer in Seattle?                                                                           

Resources: http://blog.amnestyusa.org/iar/race-matters/

See www.amnestyusa.org > for all campaign details; reports, news releases;

See www.seattleamnesty.org > for what Group 4 does to advocate for Amnesty Campaigns.

 ——–

The Mosaic Coffee House is a nonprofit coffee house located in Seattle First Church (behind the Dick’s Drive In on 45th Street in the Wallingford Neighborhood). Check for directions, free parking and bus line information at:http://www.mosaiccoffeehouse.org/directions.htm

Facebook Event for April Meeting: https://www.facebook.com/events/278195422255079/

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Mar. 17 – Troy Davis: The Human Face of the Death Penalty

Join Amnesty International and our allies from 5-6:30 pm, Saturday March 17 at The Keystone Church (5019 Keystone Place N in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle) for a multi-media presentation and discussion, Troy Davis:  The Human Face of the Death Penalty.

Vigil for Troy Davis, Oct. 2008 (one of many before his 9/21/11 execution)

Troy Davis’s case sparked international outrage when the state of Georgia executed him on September 21, 2011 despite a strong case of innocence. Troy’s case is emblematic of what is so broken in the U.S. Death Penalty system.

But Troy Davis, of course, was not just a case. Troy was a man with a devoted family and friends who loved him dearly. Documentary filmmaker, author, and Seattle resident Jen Marlowe knew Troy Davis and his family and worked for years to prevent his execution. Marlowe will talk about Troy’s case and about the human beings behind the headlines. Through video footage, photos, and stories about Troy and his family, including from the vigil outside the prison in Jackson, GA the night of Troy’s execution, the event will be a poignant reminder of the human impact of the death penalty.

Sarah Craft will also talk about the current efforts in Washington State to replace the death penalty with life without the possibility of parole. Advocates throughout the state have formed the Safe and Just Alternatives Campaign to raise awareness about the broken death penalty policy and to lead a legislative effort for repeal.

The event is co-sponsored by donkeysaddle projects, Amnesty International USA, Washington Coaltion to Abolish the Death Penalty, Western Washington Fellowship for Reconciliation, Safe and Just Alternatives, and University of Washington Center for Human Rights.

Facebook event at: https://www.facebook.com/events/345462552152053/

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Mar. 6 – Amnesty International Group 4 Monthly Meeting

Join us for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 6, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the den at the Mosaic Coffee House, 4401 2nd Ave NE. First half hour is letter writing and socializing. Meeting starts at 7 pm.

Discussion will likely include upcoming events, including Amnesty International USA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Denver from Mar. 30 – Apr. 1 and an event on Troy Davis: The Human Face of the Death Penalty at the Keystone United Church of Christ (5019 Keystone Place N, Seattle) 5-6:30 pm on Sat. Mar. 17 (details to be posted here soon).

The Mosaic Coffee House is a nonprofit coffee house located in Seattle First Church (behind the Dick’s Drive In on 45th Street in the Wallingford Neighborhood). Check for directions, free parking and bus line information at:http://www.mosaiccoffeehouse.org/directions.htm

Facebook Event for Mar. Meeting: https://www.facebook.com/events/313950601994545/

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Feb. 7 – Amnesty International Group 4 Monthly Meeting

Join us for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 7, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the den at the Mosaic Coffee House, 4401 2nd Ave NE. First half hour is letter writing and socializing. Meeting starts at 7 pm.

Agenda:

Meeting Agenda for Tuesday, February 07, 2012: Location – Mosaic Café in Wallingford, Seattle (see,www.amnestyseattle.org )

6:30pm to 7:00pmLetter Writing as part of Individuals at Risk Campaign;
7:00pm to 7:15pmIntro’s of participants by reciting selections from a book banned by Tucson, Arizona’s, School District (“History of Chicano/a Studies” by Rodolfo Acuna);

7:15pm to 7:40pm:                Review of January, 2012 Action Events:                    

Jan 11 “Oppose Guantanamo” at Seattle Federal Building

Jan 23rd Lobby Against Death Penalty and for Just Alternatives –

7:40pm                       Plan Next Actions!  Ideas invited!

8:00pm                       Announcements of upcoming Events & Actions

March 8th: International Women’s Day – Plan Something? Anyone heard of anything to enjoin?

March 18th: Special Event On Death Penalty – Details Soon;

March 30 to April 1st: Annual Amnesty International USA General Meeting, Denver, Colorado.  Subsidy Applications For AIPS – Due By This Friday February 10th; Western Regional Office subsidies for share hotel rooms – due soon (details on www.amnestyusa.org/agm );

 

The Mosaic Coffee House is a nonprofit coffee house located in Seattle First Church (behind the Dick’s Drive In on 45th Street in the Wallingford Neighborhood). Check for directions, free parking and bus line information at:http://www.mosaiccoffeehouse.org/directions.htm

 

Facebook event at: https://www.facebook.com/events/360187403999970/

 

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1/11 Candlelight Vigil Against Indefinite Detention, Torture and NDAA

Join Amnesty International, Washington State Religious Campaign Against Torture, and other justice activists on Weds. January 11, 5-6 pm in front of the Jackson Federal Building to

**Protest indefinite imprisonment without charges on the 10th Anniversary of the arrival of prisoners at Guantanamo. 171 prisoners remain at Guantanamo. Many have been cleared of any role in combat. Hardly any have been charged with a crime.

**Protest torture and other inhumane treatment of prisoners anywhere

**Protest Congress and the President’s action to “legalize” indefinite detention without charges or trial, and other violations of the Bill of Rights (part of the recently passed & signed into law NDAA, National Defense Authorization Act of 2012)

Wednesday January 11, 2012, 5-6 pm, on sidewalk outside of the Jackson Federal Building, 2nd avenue between Madison and Marion, downtown Seattle; if you can please bring a candle in a container to protect against wind (paper cups with holes in bottom work) and if you can, a sign indicating your opposition to indefinite detention and torture and/or your support of the Bill of Rights.

The Seattle Vigil will be one of many actions around the country. See the National Religious Campaign Against Torture website http://www.nrcat.org/ and also Amnesty International USA‘s Day of Action website http://www.amnestyusa.org/events/sign-up-day-of-action-against-guantanamo for more information.

*(UPDATE) SPONSORS:

Washington State Religious Campaign Against Torture (WSRCAT), National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), Amnesty International-Group 4, Amnesty International USA, Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation, Code Pink, American Civil Liberties Union-Washington (ACLU-WA).  Additional co-sponsors are being added.

Facebook event for vigil at: https://www.facebook.com/events/342940329049422/

Additional action you can take:

Please watch and forward our new Amnesty International comedy/satire short film Happy World Travel about Guantanamo, indefinite detention, torture and Islamophobia to promote Amnesty International’s Global Day of Action to Close Guantanamo. Please email the film to friends and share it on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.

Link to Happy World Travelhttp://youtu.be/uJPkILquXWo

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Jan. 3 – Amnesty International Monthly Meeting

Join us for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 3, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the den at the Mosaic Coffee House, 4401 2nd Ave NE. First half hour is letter writing and socializing. Meeting starts at 7 pm.

Actions will include Chinese New Years cards to Shi Tao in prison in China since April 2005 for sending an e-mail to a US based democracy website about government orders to the media to downplay an upcoming Tiananmen Square crackdown anniversary.  Upcoming events to be discussed include a protest on Weds., Jan. 11, 5-6 pm, at the Jackson Federal Building, on the 10th anniversary of  prisoners arriving at Guantanamo (details, including a social media action, to be posted soon).

Other topics and actions you can take include:

Justice for Melissa Roxas and other victims of state-sponsored human rights violations in the Philippines.  Melissa is an American citizen who was abducted and tortured in May 2009. Information at: http://justiceformelissa.org/

Take action for housing as a human right in the US as part of AI’s Demand Dignity Campaign online at: www.amnestyusa.org/foreclosures

To be added to newsletter list for Demand Dignity, send email to demanddignity@aiusa.org

The Mosaic Coffee House is a nonprofit coffee house located in Seattle First Church (behind the Dick’s Drive In on 45th Street in the Wallingford Neighborhood). Check for directions, free parking and bus line information at:http://www.mosaiccoffeehouse.org/directions.htm

Facebook event at: https://www.facebook.com/events/125035984281057/

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Dec. 6 – Amnesty International Seattle Monthly Meeting

Join us for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, December 6, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the den at the Mosaic Coffee House, 4401 2nd Ave NE. First half hour is letter writing and socializing. Meeting starts at 7 pm.

Discussion will include planning for upcoming events including the our December 11 write-a-thon, noon -2 pm at Chaco Canyon in the U District (see previous post) and a local event in solidarity with AI’s January 11 action in Washington DC: “10 Years Too Many: National Days of Action Against Guantanamo“.

CLOSE GUANTANAMO RALLY

The Mosaic Coffee House is a nonprofit coffee house located in Seattle First Church (behind the Dick’s Drive In on 45th Street in the Wallingford Neighborhood). Check for directions, free parking and bus line information at:http://www.mosaiccoffeehouse.org/directions.htm

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/228442780561390/

 

 

 

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Dec. 11 Write-a-Thon at Chaco Canyon in the University District

Join us Sunday, December 11, noon – 2 pm at Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe, 4757 12th Ave NE, Seattle (at the corner of  NE 50th St. & 12 th Ave. NE in the U District) to write for rights at our annual write-a-thon.

2010 Write-a-Thon at Chocolati

Join hundreds of thousands of people around the world in marking International Human Rights Day this December by taking part in Amnesty International’s Write for Rights Global Write-a-thon – the world’s largest human rights event. Through letters, cards and more, we take action to demand that the human rights of individuals are respected, protected and fulfilled. We show solidarity with those suffering human rights abuses, and work to bring about positive change in people’s lives.

More information, including this year’s cases, at: http://www.amnestyusa.org/writeathon/

RSVP to our Facebook event at: https://www.facebook.com/events/294802207207631/

 

 

 

 

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Nov. 1 – Amnesty International Meeting, Mariah Ortiz Featured Speaker on ICM

Join us for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, November 1, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the den at the Mosaic Coffee House, 4401 2nd Ave NE. First half hour is letter writing and socializing. Meeting starts at 7 pm.

Our featured speaker will be Mariah Ortiz, who will be talking about her experience at AI’s International Council Meeting (ICM) which happened near Amsterdam in the Netherlands this summer.
For further information see AI’s blog on the ICM: http://amnestyicm.wordpress.com/

The Mosaic Coffee House is a nonprofit coffee house located in Seattle First Church (behind the Dick’s Drive In on 45th Street in the Wallingford Neighborhood). Check for directions, free parking and bus line information at:http://www.mosaiccoffeehouse.org/directions.html

Facebook event at: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=255783137807625

 

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