Asia

Queen Rania - YouTube's first official Visionary

Sameer Padania — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:24:13 -0800

Last update of the day - you'll recall that a few months back that Queen Rania of Jordan launched a YouTube channel aimed at "breaking down stereotypes about the Arab and Muslim worlds and to bridging the East-West divide." Three million views and 43,000 messages later, YouTube has awarded her its inaugural Visionary Award.

Voices Against Torture: Writers and Lawyers on the Way Forward

PEN — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:00:07 -0800

On Tuesday, December 16, 2008, ACS and the PEN American Center will host a panel featuring writers and lawyers discussing their work and its relationship to combating torture. This evening of law and literature examines the roles that lawyers and writers have played, and continue to play, in exposing human rights abuses and in reminding nations of their human rights responsibilities. As lawyers have fought for legal rights to be enforced, writers have awakened the consciences of nations, reminding citizens of the values that undergird rights.

Voices Against Torture: Writers and Lawyers on the Way Forward

PEN — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:00:07 -0800

Shoot on Sight

WITNESS Media Archive — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:16:41 -0800

Watch "Shoot on Sight" and contact Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon to demand UN Security Council action on Eastern Burma and to exert immediate pressure on the military junta in Burma to stop violence and enter dialogue throughout the country.

Shoot on Sight

WITNESS Media Archive — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:16:41 -0800

Schoolgirls attacked with acid in Afghanistan

aljazeeraenglish — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:20:09 -0800

A group of girls determined to receive an education have been scarred for life in southern Afghanistan.

They were walking to school in Kandahar when battery acid was thrown into their faces by two men. Three of the girls are now in hospital with serious burns.

Al Jazeera's David Chater reports. (November 12, 2008)

Let's Breakthrough Together Benefit Video - 2008

Breakthrough — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:26:19 -0800

On October 17, 2008, Breakthrough held it's Fourth Annual Let's Breakthrough Together Benefit Gala. Tune in to watch the video that was shown at the Gala that highlights our latest work in India and the U.S.

Saudi Activist on Hunger Strike: 'Fighting for freedom is worth the risks'

Priscila Néri — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:45:35 -0800

Dr. Mohammad Al-Qahtani joined several other activists this week in a 2-day hunger strike in Saudi Arabia to protest the unfair detention of 11 human rights activists. In this Skype webcam interview, Mohammad talks about the campaign and discusses how online tools are being used to call for justice within Saudi Arabia.

Of the 11 detained human rights activists, none of them have had formal charges or a trail date. Additionally, 9 are currently in solitary confinement and 10 of them have been detained since February 2, 2007 - 642 days and counting.

Saudi Activist: 'Why I joined the hunger strike...'

Priscila Néri — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:20:19 -0800

Maha Al-Qahtani joined several other activists this week in a 2-day hunger strike in Saudi Arabia to protest the unfair detention of 11 human rights activists. In this audio interview, Maha talks about the campaign and discusses how online tools are being used to call for justice within Saudi Arabia.

Looking for an Alternative

HCLU — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:22:27 -0800

More than 50 000 people are arrested and forced to undergo drug testing by the police in the Republic of Georgia every year. Most of these people did not possess any illicit drugs at the point of arrest and 70% of them test negative for illicit drug use. Although offenders have to pay high fines, treatment programs are underfunded by the government and the access to them is very limited. Thousands of the most marginalized users often spend years behind bars due to their inability to pay the fines. For more information visit drogriporter.hu/en