Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a web page
Amnesty International Australia

Campaign newsletter April 08

 Forward to your friends
Dear friend,

The Great Firewall of China is one of the most complex internet censorship regimes in the world. To represent the Great Firewall we will be constructing huge yellow ‘walls’ in capital cities and regional centres all over Australia.

Beginning on April 30 - the 100 day countdown to the Olympic Games - we'll be asking you to help us tear down the Great Firewall brick-by-brick. Each brick contains an action aimed at the internet companies enabling censorship in China, such as Yahoo!, Google, Microsoft, Sohu and Baidu.

If you're not near a major city you can recreate the Great Firewall of China at your school, uni, town centre, park, or anywhere you have permission using our easy to assemble, fun and recyclable D.I.Y. kits.

Register to volunteer and help out at the walls or just come along and show your support. It’s time to tear down the wall!

Find out more about the Great Firewalls

 

In this edition

New report: 2007 world death penalty statistics

In a new report Amnesty International reveals that at least 1,252 people were executed in 24 countries in 2007, and up to 27,500 people are estimated to be on death row across the world. We are deeply concerned that many more people have been killed by the state, in secret, in countries including China, Mongolia and Vietnam.

Read the report

Sign the pledge to Close The Gap

It is a national disgrace that Indigenous Australians do not have the same access to health services that other Australians enjoy. Sign our pledge calling on governments to honour their commitments to Close The Gap.

Sign the Close The Gap pledge now

10,000 reach out for Kenya

On 27 February 2008, Amnesty International Australia joined 26 other Amnesty International sections and structures for an International Day of Action on Kenya.

Find out what happened

In other news

- Global Day of Action to ban cluster bombs
- Investigation needed into Israeli army killing of civilians
- Canada must pursue Omar Khadr’s repatriation
- Draft US Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples an historic opportunity
- Political violence in Zimbabwe must end
- Women’s lives shattered by public security crisis in shanty-towns of Brazil

More news

New positions at Amnesty

Want to be a part of an international human rights movement? We have two exciting positions:

Online Manager
Brisbane Regional Administration Officer

More jobs

  

Take the human rights pledge for China

Call on the Chinese Government and large internet companies to stop unwarranted restriction of freedom of expression on the Internet. If you've already signed the pledge you can forward it on to your friends and family. Use your freedom to help those whose voices are silenced.

Take action now

Candle Day of Action on China

Our annual Candle Day from 2-4 May in Victoria will raise awareness about human rights in China as we count down to the Olympics. You can get involved by helping out with preparations, joining our stalls, holding events in your local community, school or work, or supporting your local Amnesty group.

Register as a volunteer for Candle Day

Tibetans at risk of torture

Fifteen Tibetan monks were detained on 10 March for staging a peaceful demonstration in Barkhor, Lhasa, the capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region in China. There is no information of their current whereabouts or of any charges brought against them. They are at a high risk of torture and other ill-treatment.

Find out more and take action

Women’s lives shattered in shanty-towns of Brazil

In a new report Amnesty International has revealed the untold stories of women who are forced to live, bring up their children and fight for justice in Brazil’s lawless shanty-towns.

Read the report

Iranian labour activist released

Mahmoud Salehi, one of Amnesty International’s Individual Action cases was released from prison on Sunday 5 April 2008. Thank you to all activists who attended the Global Day of Action protest in Sydney's Hyde Park on 6 March, calling for his release.

More about the great news

On the blogs

- Download a Nu Wa mask!
- Join us for the Olympic Torch Relay in Canberra
- Al-Tanf camp trauma continues for Palestinians fleeing Iraq
- Weekly report: Smog, Rudd and Hu Jia
- The case of Omar Khadr
- The definition of ‘enemy combatant’

More China Campaign blogs

More about Amnesty International

You have the power to stop injustice. By becoming a member of Amnesty International Australia for $55 a year, you strengthen our voice to speak out against human rights abuses. You'll also receive a copy of our quarterly Human Rights Defender magazine.

We do not accept support from governments or political organisations for our campaigning work against human rights abuses, only from individuals like you. Please join today.

You were sent this email because you subscribed to one of our campaign newsletters with the email address, [email address suppressed]. If you would prefer not to receive this newsletter use this link to unsubscribe. For more information about all our campaigns please visit our website.

If you find this newsletter useful please add us to your address book so that our emails go straight into your inbox. Please also forward this email on to your friends.