Minutes/Notes

Amnesty International Group #642

25 August 2005  

Special Focus Update.  We understand that Mr. al-Humsi has started eating.  Nevertheless, little progress is being seen in his case.  The Midwest Region may assign us a new special focus case, but we can also continue to work on Mr. al-Humsi  

Pride Festival Participation.  Arrangements and assignments were discussed at the meeting.  An Amnesty International banner was discussed for the Gay Pride March.  Bret and Mayra have one and Haji may also have one.   

Subsequent to our meeting, we received word that our registration has been received and we may set up at Bayfront beginning at 9 : 00 AM Saturday, September 3 .  There will be volunteers to direct us as to where to set up.  We were asked to check the website (www.dspride.com) for details in the coming week.   

Update on Summer AIUSA Board meeting.  The AIUSA Board meeting discussed abortion.  It was on the agenda because of the Stop Violence Against Women campaign.  Amnesty International - USA supports international human rights law on abortion.  Where it is offered it should be safe and affordable.  

Update on International Council Meeting.  Amnesty International continues to take no position on abortion rights.  The membership will be consulted on this issue (in order to educate the membership) and a chairs forum will be conducted in the short term to consider (a) decriminalize abortion, (b) abortion in case of rape, incest or mother’s life is at risk, and (c) access to medication services in cases of complications from abortion.  These decisions will be made in 2006 .  All other decisions related to abortion (i.e. whether AI will advocate on behalf of women's universal right to abortion) will need to come back before the next ICM in 2007.   

For the time being, Amnesty continues to take no position on abortion.     

A “Use of Force” resolution was also debated.  The adopted resolution states that Amnesty's general position continues to be no position on use of force.  However, in exceptional circumstances, AI may call for the use of force (for example, in cases of genocide or crimes against humanity), and Amnesty can also oppose the use of force in certain exceptional circumstances.  Amnesty International decided not to tie itself to the Security Council position.  Content of the debate included opposing use of force in Iraq while calling for use of force in Rwanda.  It will take time for Amnesty International to have more developed internal policies on when to call for/oppose the use of force.  

Combating Torture Events for the Fall.  The date of October 6 , according to Jan’s emails, has been set for a speaker from the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT).  The plans are for the event to be at 7 : 00 PM in the UMD Rotunda, Library.  Jan has been working with Cindy Christian, Alworth Institute, about arrangements.  Cindy will make a poster that we can all help distribute and she will reduce it for a mailing/postcard.  

CVT states that they will send a senior staff person for this event.   Colleen Beebe, Director of Education for Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights (www.mnadvocates.org) has told Jan that they would be happy to help with a “Torture Destroys Us All” exhibit in Duluth.   

Jan and Cindy suggested the following questions for the speaker:

What is torture?

What are the results of torture?

How do deal with denial/political purposes?

Is there a time when it is okay?

Implications for a society that accepts it?

Consequences internationally when a world leader condones it?

 Mayra and Haji have exchanged emails ( 8 - 11 - 05 ) about possible movies to show in conjunction with this event.  

Groups are being recruited to cosponsor, including the Baeumler-Kaplan Holocaust Committee and the UMD Student Amnesty group.  Hal will check with the UW-Superior student Amnesty group to see if they will co-sponsor.  Would someone invite the Scholastica group?  

Close the School of the Americas Speaker.  The date is September 28 .  See the July 11 minutes for more details.  Joel Kilgour will have a table at the Pride festival.  We will explore the possibility of combining our table with theirs.  Do we have confirmation of the September 28 ^th date?  Do we have confirmation from the College of Saint Scholastica?  

Other items.  It was suggested that we could do some local action on housing.  Henry Banks and Ben Small, the CHUM community organizer, are working on a speaker.  We could work with them.  Ben may do a “sleep out” that we could participate with.   

Hal attended the American Psychological Association meetings in Washington, D.C. August 18 - 21 .  Hal reported briefly on events sponsored by the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence (Division 48 of the American Psychological Association; http://www.webster.edu/peacepsychology/) and Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR; www.psysr.org).  A listing of these sessions appears below.  Hal is writing notes from each of these sessions.  You may receive copies of his notes by sending an email to him.  

1024 Symposium: Cost of War—American and cross-cultural experiences in Iraq  

1215 Symposium: Nuclear proliferation—psychologists as change agents in the global community  

Division 48 presidential address: Political forgiveness and international affairs  

Women in Black vigil.  Friday morning Hal stood in the vigil with Women in Black on K Street in front of the Washington Convention Center.  There were 30 of us.  We handed out 500 pamphlets.  Women in Black (For Justice and Against War) is an international network of women opposed to war and militarism.  It has been honored with the Millennium Peace Prize for Women, awarded by the United Nations Development Fund for Women.  The movement began in January 1988 , one month after the first Palestinian Intifada broke out.  The web site is http://www.womeninblack.org/  The Duluth-Superior Women in Black group conducts a vigil outside the Army recruiting office on Superior Street in Duluth at noon on the first and third Wednesdays of the month.   

2194 Mary Robinson—Bridging the language of human rights and development. She is the former President of Ireland.  As a barrister she got Ireland to provide condoms and ensure the rights of LBGT people.  Subsequently she served as High Commissioner for Human Rights for the United Nations.  She is now serving as Director of “Realizing Rights, Ethical Responsibilities, and Globalization”-a collaborative organization including Columbia University and an agency in Switzerland.  The web page for Realizing Rights may be found at http://realizingrights.org  

3073 Symposium on terrorism including (a) inadequacy of an evil-insane attribution and (b) child soldiers and youth suicide bombers: implications for terrorism prevention  

3126 Arie Kruglanski, Terrorism: the psychology of a tool.  A scholarly paper.  

3202 Invited panel discussion: Israeli Palestinian conflict by citizens working to bring about peace.  

3250 Invited address: Hugh B. Price Development revolution: Mobilizing communities for the 21 ^st century civil rights movement. What an interesting background.  He was one of the Black students who benefited from Brown vs. Board of Education in Washington, D. C. in 1954 .  He has served as VP of the education channel in New York City, VP of the Rockefeller Foundation, and President of the Urban League for 9 years.  He spoke on mobilizing communities of conscience for the 21 st century rights movement.   

4133 Rebuilding communities in the aftermath: After the Taliban by NGOs working in Afghanistan.   

Other sessions not listed above, but of possible interest to members of Group # 642 include (a) an address by Judith Rodin, President of the Rockerfeller Foundation, about her work as President of the University of Pennsylvania to work with the ghetto community in rebuilding it and integrate it with the University.  What a career she has had.  She has done a lot of research on women’s health including eating disorders, HIV/AIDS, etc.  She received the APA Lifetime Achievement Award at this convention and (b) a symposium on advocating for women—internationally, nationally and locally including women at the UN, at the capital hill, and advocating through local rape crisis agencies.  

A full list of the sessions Hal attended including feminist symposia, feminist invited addresses, and films may be obtained by sending him an email.  

Several other web pages of interest include:  

United for Peace & Justice (http://www.unitedforpeace.org/) is a coalition of more than 1300 local and national groups throughout the United States who have joined together to oppose our government’s policy of permanent warfare and empire-building recommended by PsySR.  

Win Without War (http://www.winwithoutwarus.org/ is a coalition of national organizations representing broad constituencies that aim to Keep America Safe by advocating that international cooperation and enforceable international law provide the greatest security for the United States and the world. The coalition offers a mainstream, patriotic voice for engaging opinion makers, activating concerned citizens, and communicating effectively to the media recommended by PsySR.  

Global Action to Prevent War (http://www.globalactionpw.org) recommended by Sharon D. Welch in her most recent book, After Empire: The Art and Ethos of Enduring Peace.  

United States Institute of Peace (http://www.usip.org)  

Witness for Peace (http://witness@igc.apc.org)  

Southern Poverty Law Center (http://www.tolerance.org)  

If you have other web sites of interest, I would be happy to include them in the next month’s minutes.  

Finally, Hal mentioned the Physicians for Human Rights (http://www.phrusa.org/) and their appeal for us to sign their petition against torture at http://www.phrusa.org/no-torture/  

Prepared by Hal Bertilson

27 August 2005