Human Rights & Civil Liberties

Anti-immigrant extremists are furious over a decision by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to exclude Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS), a nativist organization masquerading as an environmental group, from its annual meeting. In a press release this week, CAPS board member Stuart Hurlbert, an emeritus professor of biology of San Diego State [...]

Authorities in Kenosha County, Wis., are recommending criminal charges be filed against a 21-year-old University of Wisconsin-Parkside student who confessed to what initially appeared to be hate crimes. Khalilah N. Ford of Louisville, Ky., “confessed Friday evening when presented with evidence pointing to her involvement,” Kenosha County Sheriff Sgt. Bill Beth said in a statement released [...]

The economy may still be limping along and the Middle East in crisis, but at least President Obama can cross one item off the list of things keeping him up at night: According to Friday’s ruling by Georgia Administrative Law Judge Michael Malihi, the president is indeed a natural-born citizen eligible to run for office [...]

In the last several years, an obscure United Nations accord called Agenda 21 has emerged as something of a unified field theory for the antigovernment movement. On its face, Agenda 21 does nothing but provide countries and communities with a set of principals to grow smartly –– a plan, in short, to fight overpopulation, pollution, [...]

Camille Marino, a radical animal liberation activist who advocates violence against scientists who use animals in their research, was arrested on Saturday during a protest at the University of Florida. According to campus Police Chief Linda Stump, Marino now faces extradition to Michigan, where she could be jailed on charges of violating a protective order obtained [...]

A noose and two written threats directed at African-American students are triggering concern and an investigation on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside at the beginning of Black History Month. A black female student found a noose made of rubber bands in a common area in her dormitory on the campus in Kenosha on Wednesday [...]

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) has never been a pleasant organization. Its top leaders have warned shrilly of a “Latin onslaught,” defended a racist 1924 quota system, insisted that America needs a “European-American majority,” and fretted that Latinos are “outbreeding” white people. Its founder has sought ways to sterilize unmarried mothers, corresponded with [...]

A mosque under construction near Washington, D.C., was extensively damaged by vandals last weekend, but a regional imam said today there’s no indication yet that the vandalism was a hate crime. “It seems at this point that the vandalism was done by intoxicated individuals,” regional imam Yahya Luqman said of the damage done last weekend at [...]

An accountant who took his antigovernment “sovereign citizen” views to work with him is going to prison, and many of his former clients are faced with huge, unpaid tax bills. Timothy Garrison, 60, of Mount Vernon, Wash., was sentenced Wednesday to 42 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $95,626 in restitution after pleading guilty [...]

A self-described “sovereign citizen,” who also called himself a “Moorish American,” has been convicted in Fort Worth, Texas, of shooting at a police officer who tried to arrest him for traffic violations last summer. James Michael Tesi, 49, was taken into custody following the jury verdict Tuesday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. The 12-member jury immediately [...]

Timeline of a Execution is a photo exhibit done by Dr. Scott Langley that traces the path of an execution in the United States from the time visitors are allowed to the time of death. At this event, the photo exhibit will be displayed and Langley will be giving a speech. Following the speech will be a question and answer session.

No Tue, 2012-02-28 Tue, 2012-02-28 Grand Valley State University, 1110 Kirkhof Center 1 Campus Drive Allendale, MI 49401United States See map: Google Maps Event Facebook Page

Scott Langley, death row photographer, has covered cases such as Troy Davis and has many other exhibits, some of which focus on death row exonerates or celebrities who oppose the death penalty.

On February 28th at 7:15pm, Dr. Langley will be at Grand Valley State University to show his exhibit Timeline of an Execution, give a presentation, and host a question and answer session.

The event is free and open to the public.

Event Time: 7:15pm

In recent weeks, a Microsoft cell phone app that helps people use GPS to avoid high-crime areas has prompted a nationwide discussion about race, class and prejudice. Some praise the “avoid the ghetto app,” as the product has been unofficially dubbed, as a handy safety measure. Others worry it will reinforce false assumptions about race and [...]

It depends on what your definition of is … is. We all recall President Bill Clinton’s parsing of words during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Now, the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), composed of psychoanalysts and other therapists who believe that gay men and lesbians suffer can be “cured” through therapy, [...]

Taking a break from its usual offerings of “birther” propaganda, gay-bashing, and End Times prophecy, Joseph Farah’s online publication WorldNetDaily (WND) is promoting a new film, “Gates of Hell,” a propaganda piece supporting the Christian right notion that abortion is a vicious plot to destroy black America. “Gates of Hell” is a feature-length pseudo-documentary set in [...]

Everyone has heard of jailhouse lawyers. How about a jailhouse accountant – an antigovernment “sovereign citizen” doing time in New York – who got a $327,456 tax return from the IRS? Ronald Williams not only filed 12 fraudulent tax returns for himself while behind bars, he also reportedly helped at least 10 other New York state [...]

Please join Amnesty International Santa Cruz Local Group 5 for their 27th Annual Spaghetti Dinner, Silent Acution and Raffel. Adults $7, Seniors and Children (under 12) $5. Eat, drink, be merry and support human right.

No Sat, 2012-02-11 Sat, 2012-02-11 Live Oak Senior Center 1777 Capitola Road Santa Cruz, CA 95062United States See map: Google Maps

Please join Amnesty International Santa Cruz Local Group 5 for their 27th Annual Spaghetti Dinner, Silent Acution and Raffel. Adults $7, Seniors and Children (under 12) $5. Eat, drink, be merry and support human right.

Event Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm

Make A Date with New York City-Young Professionals of Amnesty International (NYC-YPAI) for our next event! Come celebrate your right to love and be part of a discussion on LGBT Rights as Human Rights! We'll grab a drink and talk about the status of DOMA, DADT and examine human rights violations affecting the LGBT community on a global scale.

By the end of the night, we will take action on several Amnesty International cases relating to human rights abuses affecting LGBT communities, including DOMA and DADT.

No Wed, 2012-02-15 Wed, 2012-02-15 Lolita Bar 266 Broome Street Lower East Side Manhattan, NY 10002United States See map: Google Maps NYC Young Professionals Amnesty International

WHEN: Wednesday, February 15, 2012. Doors open at 6:30pm. Program begins at 7pm.

WHERE: Lolita Bar on the Lower East Side (266 Broome St.)

COST: Suggested donation is $5. Happy hour prices start at $3 (including $5 margaritas). If you order the Amnesty drink special, part of the proceeds will go back to NYC-YPAI for future events!

RSVP: For more information or to RSVP, contact us at nyc.ypai@gmail.com.

Speakers:

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A Jewish community center in Paramus, N.J., apparently was a potential target of a 19-year-old New Jersey man arrested for two synagogue firebombings, authorities say.  In one of those bombings, a rabbi and eight members of his family narrowly awoke in time to escape their burning living quarters. Anthony M. Graziano, who apparently acted as a [...]

Amnesty International is co-sponsoring the screening of Education Under Fire, a powerful new film about the persecution of the Baha'i in Iran and their quest for higher education, from which they are banned.

No Wed, 2012-02-22 Wed, 2012-02-22 University of Washington - Seattle campus Seattle, WA 98105United States See map: Google Maps Education Under Fire

Amnesty International at the University of Washington - Seattle is proudly co-sponsoring the screening of Education Under Fire, a powerful documentary about the Baha'i Institute of Higher Education in Iran. The BIHE provides education for Baha'is who are banned from attending university in Iran, and this past fall was attacked and closed. The film follows the struggles of students, instructors, and families as they seek the basic right to education.

Event Time TBD

Join Amnesty members and volunteers from around the state for the statewide meet up on Sunday, February 12 from 10:00am - 3:00pm. Learn more about the work happening in Arizona and build your skills as a human rights activist!

No Sun, 2012-02-12 Sun, 2012-02-12 Arizona State University - Tempe campus Social Sciences Building Room 304 Campus map: http://www.asu.edu/map/interactive/?campus=tempe&building=SS Tempe, AZ 85281United States See map: Google Maps

Amnesty members from across Arizona will be participating in this meeting to learn more about AI's keey work and build skills for human rights activism. The meeting will include:

- Dicsussion and planning for upcoming priority campaign actions

- Update on the immigration report soon to be launched by Amnesty International (which focuses on Arizona and Texas)

- Skill-building sessions related to dialogue on difficult issues, lobbying and creative campaigning

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