Nobel Women's Initiative

On Tuesday, 10 June, the Campaign for a New American Policy on Iran (CNAPI) is organizing an innovative “Time to Talk to Iran” event on Capitol Hill. With the U.S. Capitol as a backdrop, Members of Congress, celebrities, former officials, and other citizens will use a row of 60’s-era red “hotline” telephones to talk directly to ordinary Iranian citizens.

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Today, 5 November, activists from more than 30 countries, from Afghanistan to Zambia, are participating in a Global Day of Action to Ban Cluster Bombs. In the worldwide act of solidarity, campaigners are calling on their governments to attend the Vienna Conference on Cluster Munitions, which will take place a month from today, and back the global treaty banning cluster munitions.

Find out how you can join the Cluster Munition Coalition's Global Day of Action to Ban Cluster Bombs.

If you are in the US, call your senators and ask them to support the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act (S. 594). Also read 'US Resisting Ban on Cluster Bombs'.  

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5 November 2007

Press Release : Cluster Munition Coalition

Global public unites in day of action to ban cluster bombs

 

(London, United Kingdom, 5 November 2007.) Public actions are taking place in more than 30 countries around the world today, from Austria to Zambia, as civil society calls on all governments to adopt immediate national moratoria on the use, trade and production of cluster munitions and participate in diplomatic discussions on a new international ban treaty in Vienna in one month's time.

 

The number of countries taking part in the first ever global day of action to ban cluster bombs is a sign of the public's commitment to achieving a new treaty. It is the public, particularly in states affected by these horrendous weapons, that is driving this process and we will not stop until a ban treaty is signed next year, said Thomas Nash, Coordinator of the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC).

 

Campaigners in Wellington, New Zealand kick started the events this morning by dropping thousands of cluster-bomb shaped leaflets across the city, mimicking the deployment of a cluster bomb strike. Silhouettes' representing the all too often anonymous victims of cluster bombs are being placed in cities including Sydney, Geneva, Vienna and Washington. In London, a giant wall is being constructed outside the Mayor's office where members of the public will post messages and cards in support of a global ban.

 

Today also marks a rare joint appeal by the United Nations, CMC, and UK-based Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund in support of the ban treaty with an advertising campaign featured in several newspapers worldwide. The UN is calling on all countries to freeze the use and trade of cluster bombs and negotiate an international prohibition on cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. The Cluster Munition Coalition urges all governments to act on this appeal.

The advert shows that as a precaution certain toys have been removed from the market because of the risk they pose to children. In some cases they have not caused any injury, but preventative measures have been taken. This is in stark contrast to cluster bombs, which are known to have killed and injured thousands of children worldwide largely a result of their colourful and intriguing shapes which attract children -- but cluster bombs are still available on the international market for potential future use.

UNICEF issued a statement today marking the Global Day of Action and highlighting the particular impact cluster bombs have on children, saying that it is with urgency that we encourage all Governments to develop a legally binding instrument prohibiting cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians, especially children.

Although public opposition to cluster munitions has existed for over 30 years, global public awareness intensified in 2006 after Belgium banned the weapon, Norway introduced a moratorium and the use of the weapon in southern Lebanon demonstrated beyond any doubt the urgent need for an international ban. As the international non-governmental Cluster Munition Coalition stepped up its calls for a new treaty, many states responded by joining a Norwegian-led initiative to conclude a new ban treaty in 2008, a process now known as the Oslo Process.

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Contact: Thomas Nash, CMC Coordinator +44 77 11 926 730

(English, French, Spanish)

Read the latest News on Disarmamement.

Learn more about Cluster Munitions in our Disarmament Issues page.

 

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Take Action for Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma

Write the United Nations Secretary General and the Security Council members

Urge the unconditional and immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as that of her fellow political prisoners. Urge the Security Council to pass a binding resolution to help bring about national reconciliation and democracy.

 

Send the letter below, or draft your own, to UN Secretary General and members of the UN Security Council. Or sign an online petition to the Secretary General.

Sample Letter:

His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon

Secretary-General

The United Nations

1 United Nations Plaza

New York, New York 10017-3515

 

Dear UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and members of the UN Security Council,

This September will mark a year since the Security Council placed Burma on your formal agenda. Yet, a binding resolution on Burma has not been reached. I urge the Council to take meaningful action on the human rights situation in Burma and pass a binding, non-punitive resolution to help bring about national reconciliation and democracy.

I am deeply concerned about the people of Burma and the security of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, whose sentence under house arrest was extended in May 2007.  I urge that Aung San Suu Kyi be unconditionally and immediately released from house arrest and that her fellow political prisoners also be released.

I urge the Government of Burma to ensure immediate, safe and unhindered access to all parts of the country, including to internally displaced people, so that the most vulnerable populations may receive humanitarian assistance.

In developing a strategy on Burma, I urge the UN to specifically address the role and experience of Burmese women and girls and take steps to implement the provisions of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. While Aung San Suu Kyi's courage highlights the role women play in processes of peacebuilding and reconciliation, the oppression she faces illustrates the junta's policy of systematic violence against the women of Burma.

Thank you for your attention to this most serious matter.

Sincerely,

Your name

Email address for Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon: inquiries@un.org

Email addresses for UN Security Council Members:

Belgium

Permanent Representative: H.E. Mr. Johan Verbeke

newyorkun@diplobel.be

 

China

Permanent Member

Permanent Representative: H.E. Mr. Wang Guangya

chinamission_un@mfa.gov.cn

Fax: +1 212 634 7625

Congo

Permanent Representative: H.E. Mr. Basile Ikouebe

congo@un.int

France

Permanent Member

Permanent Representative: H.E. Mr. Jean-Marc de la Sabliere

france@un.int

Fax: +1 212 421 6889

Ghana

Permanent Representative: H.E. Mr. Nana Effah-Apenteng

ghanaperm@aol.com

Indonesia

Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations

ptri@indonesiamission-ny.org

Italy

Permanent Representative: H.E. Mr. Marcello Spatafora

info.italyun@esteri.it

Panama

Permanent Representative: H.E. Mr. Ricardo Alberto Arias

emb@panama-un.org

Peru

Permanent Representative: H.E. Mr. Jorge Voto Bernales

misionperu@aol.com

Qatar

Permanent Representative: H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser

qsc@qatarmission.org

Russian Federation

Permanent Member

Permanent Representative: H.E. Mr. Vitaly Churkin

rusun@un.int

Slovakia

Permanent Representative: H.E. Mr. Peter Burian

mission@newyork.mfa.sk

South Africa

Permanent Representative: H.E. Dr. Dumisani S. Kumalo

ambassador@southafrica-newyork.net

Fax: +1 212 692 2498

United Kingdom

Permanent Member

Permanent Representative: H.E. Sir Emyr Jones Parry

uk@un.int

United States of America

Permanent Member

Ambassador: H.E. Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad

usa@un.int

 

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Other Action Campaigns:

The Women's League of Burma, Postcard Campaign

Shan Women's Action Network, Action Update

Free Aung San Suu Kyi, The Burma Campaign UK

Support UN Security Council Action on Burma, ALTSEAN-Burma

 

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Read the latest News on Burma.

Read about Burma's political history and repression at the hands of the military regime at our Burma Issue page.

Learn what you can do for the people of Burma at our Take Action page.

 

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Background

Iranian women are leading a landmark One Million Signatures campaign to collect one million signatures to demand an end to legal discrimination against women in Iranian law. In an effort to halt the grass-roots campaign, Iranian authorities have repeatedly blocked access to the campaign's website from within the country.

The campaign is a follow-up project to the June 12th demonstration for women's rights in Tehran where several activists were beaten and arrested.

The collection of a million signatures is only the first phase in this widespread campaign for women's rights in Iran. The Campaign intends to promote cooperation between activists advocating for positive social change by developing connections between a broad base of women's groups from different backgrounds. The organizers of the project are committed to increasing and improving knowledge through enhanced dialogue, collaboration, and democratic action. The Campaign's overall objective is to amplify the voices of women whose needs are often not addressed in Iran's national policy.


Take Action

Join Human Rights First letter writing campaign to defend these activists' right to organize.
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Background
On August 3, 2006 the government of Iran declared the Center for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) illegal and threatened its president, Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Shirin Ebadi, and her staff with prosecution if they continued their human rights activities. The CDHR reports on violations of human rights in Iran, defends dissidents and political prisoners pro bono and supports the families of such prisoners. Read more background here.

Take Action
Urge the government of Iran to reverse the threat to the CDHR and other human rights defenders and allow them to carry out their activities, free from intimidation and prosecution, according to Iranian and international law.

Send a letter to the government of Iran.

Visit Human Rights First Defender Alert to send a letter through their website, or see a sample letter below. Use it or better yet, adapt it and send one in your own words. Copy, cut and paste and edit it, then send it from your own email program. Send it to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and cc Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Ambassador to the United Nations Javad Zarif.

Their email addresses are:
President Ahmadinejad : dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki : matbuat@mfa.gov.ir and Ambassador to the United Nations Javad Zarif: iran@un.int

If you can, print a copy and fax the Interior Minister, Hojjatoleslam Mustafa Pour-Mohammadi at fax: +9821 8896 6767.

Write or visit an embassy near you. A list of Iranian embassies world wide can be found here.

Please see below for this alert in Farsi.

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Dear President Ahmadinejad,

I have recently learned that on August 3 the interior ministry announced that the Center for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR), co-founded by Nobel peace laureate Dr. Shirin Ebadi, was an illegal organization and violators would be prosecuted, as it had not obtained a proper permit. It is my understanding that under the Iranian constitution such non-governmental organizations operating peacefully and within the law are not required to obtain permission.

Your government also has an obligation to protect human rights defenders under the 1998 U.N. Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. It declares that individuals and associations have the right to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms, to develop and discuss new human rights ideas and principles and to advocate their acceptance. As a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, your government claims to respect human rights.

Now is an opportunity to take a stand for human rights, and I urge you to do so by reversing the threat to the CDHR and other human rights defenders and allowing them to carry out their activities, free from intimidation and prosecution, according to Iranian and international law.

Sincerely,

Download a pdf of this alert in Farsi here.

Read more »

Donate to women's organizations on the ground providing relief and support to civilians during the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, Palestine and Israel. Support women and children, who are disproportionately affected by the violence, however you can.

Here are some partners who you may wish to consider supporting:

• The Collective for Research and Training on Development-Action (CRTD.A), which promotes gender equality and the leadership of Arab women, is working with the Zicco Relief Centre to secure basic supplies for women and children affected by the conflict. Donate via Global Fund for Women (see below) or directly (see instructions below).

• Helem, a Lebanese group promoting the rights of sexual minorities and women, has shifted its center to a refugee intake point, providing blankets, food, and other basic supplies for the refugees from south Lebanon.

• The International Women's Commission (IWC), brings together Palestinian, Israeli and international women dedicated to an end of the Israeli occupation and a just peace based on international law (including relevant UN resolutions), human rights and equality. The IWC aims to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through immediate final status negotiations leading to a viable sovereign Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel on the June 4, 1967 borders. It works for an ongoing and comprehensive reconciliation in order to realise a mutually secure and sustainable peace and co-existence.

• Global Fund for Women does not implement relief efforts but provides grants to organizations on the ground, including those listed above, who do. They can also simplify the donation process by quickly granting funds to those on the ground. They have ensured their grantees that they may use any moneys from open grants to address the current situation, and they are bolstering their efforts to provide necessary services and supplies, and supporting their calls for peace. See their Response to the Middle East Crisis.

• To donate to Helem directly, visit their site or use these bank details: 1. Bank Address: Audi Bank SAL, Sodeco Branch, Sodeco, Beirut - Lebanon
  2. Bank telephone number: + 961 1 612792
  3. Bank fax number: + 961 1 612793
  4. Post address: P.O.BOX: 11-2560, RIAD EL SOLH, 1107-2808, BEIRUT
  5. Account Name: CRTD-A
  6. Account number: 832593-461-002-044-01 (US$)
  7. ABA/SWIFT number: AUDBLBBX
  8. Name and address of corresponding US bank (in case needed):
  Audi Bank -USA
  USA Building
  19 East 54th Street,
  New York, N.Y 10022 USA
  Phone: +1 212 833 1000
  Swift Code: AUS AUS 33

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Read the latest News on the Middle East.

Read our Middle East Issue page.

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On June 12th, a peaceful demonstration of Iranian men and women in Tehran, held to call for an end to discriminatory laws against women, turned violent as police used force to disperse the gathering. A number of women and girls were beaten and 70 people, including 28 men, were arrested. Policewomen were used for the first time, pitting women against women.

Most of the detainees have been released, yet Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoini, head of the Alumni Association of Iran, a former student leader and Member of Parliament who has been a leading critic of the government's human rights practices for several years, remains in detention.

In the days leading up the demonstration, authorities harassed and arrested many prominent women's rights activists, and threatened organizations supportive of the rally. Shirin Ebadi is now Mr. Mousavi Khoini's attorney and reports "he remains in prison without permission to see visitors. He is ill and needs his medication." Ebadi has also accepted the case of some of the women who were beaten and imprisoned following the June 12 demonstration.

Send a message to the Iranian authorities in support of the demonstrators demanding equality of men and women before the law, and call on the Iranian government to release Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoini immediately and unconditionally. Urge an end to the persecution of nonviolent activists expressing their rights to free speech and assembly, and an investigation into the police beatings.

See the Defender Alert and sample letter at Human Rights First.

Read more background here .

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