Human Rights in China Part 2

This week I am revisiting a site which is basically part of Amnesty International. Although there is plenty of information regarding the human rights situation in China, there seem to be few active campaign sites outside the recognized organizations. So just to keep you informed on some of the campaigns, I have supplied the link below.

http://www.protectthehuman.com/china
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Human Rights in China

China has entered the spotlight again with the expected execution of a British citizen on the 29th December. This has attracted much media attention and organizations such as Amnesty and Reprieve which I have discussed in previous posts are campaigning to overturn the decision. However, because of all this attention, I have decided to concentrate over the next few weeks on the general human rights situation in China rather than this particular case. The site this week was founded by Chinese students in 1989 but has much international input. It mainly is a source of information but it does have a couple of actions although one is now out of date but is of interest since it was designed to accompany the 2008 Olympics.


http://www.hrichina.org/public/index
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Last Refugee post

My last site on refugees only has one action that you can take part in unless you live in the United States but it does have a very interesting blog section that has new stories every week.

http://www.refugeesinternational.org/get-involved/take-action
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International Refugees

This site is relatively simple compared to many websites and goes straight to the point in encouraging you to take action on a number of issues regarding refugees all over the world. There is some background information on this United States based site if you look around but you may want to use other sites to get more information on their campaigns.

http://www.refugees.org/
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Refugees and Myths

Following on from last time, I have found another UK based site that is trying to improve the conditions of asylum seekers in the United Kingdom. It contains a few campaigns with the relevant information and links to other organizations. The second link below is a section on myths regarding refugees which you may find interesting.


http://www.refugee-action.org.uk/

www.refugee-action.org.uk/information/challengingthemyths3.aspx
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Refugees

The debate about refugees seems recently to be more controversial with some parts of the media being very hostile. I feel it is a crucial topic to address since people persecuted in their own countries often have no option other than to seek asylum. Many critics question how it is possible to distinguish authentic asylum seekers from so called economic migrants. However, that discussion is too complex for this blog particularly since we should remember that economic migrants also have human rights. Whatever your view, detention of refugees should be humane but often that is not the case. So below is a site that aims to improve the conditions of asylum seekers with an action section:

http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/
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Death Penalty Part 2

One of the organisations of the World Coalition against the Death Penalty which I looked at last time is the site below. It has lots of remarkable news, debates, recent information andplenty of campaign material. It is based in the United Kingdom with links around the world as well as having an Honourary President who was 17 years on Death Row before being released. I recommend having an in depth look at this professional looking site.

http://www.deathwatchinternational.org/
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Death Penalty

For the next couple of weeks I am going to concentrate on the highly debatable subject of the death penalty. While I personally believe that executing someone is wrong no matter how "evil" they are, I am aware that there is still a sizeable proportion that support this act in certain cases. My aim is not to have a discussion on whether the death penalty should ever be used although if you wish to know my personal feelings against this I will certainly oblige. My goal is to highlight the unreliability of many death sentences particularly since in all parts of the world, the legal system is far from perfect and many innocent people have been executed by error or for political or tyranical reasons.

So if you are against the death penalty have a look at this site below which gives the recent information on the fight to eradicate the death penalty in the world and the second link is the campaigns part of the site.

http://www.worldcoalition.org/

http://www.worldcoalition.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=197

Petitions

How effective are petitions? Well some people think they are useful while others feel that they are a complete waste of time. Below there are a few petition sites where you can start your own petition or sign others. These sites are very popular and cover a whole range of issues, some of which may interest you whilst others may seem totally menial. Apart from the UK Prime Minister's site, I cannot confirm the validity of the sites although they do look genuine but as usual take the usual precautions if you are asked for any personal details. I have yet to establish what the legalities are with petitions and what the legal obligations are when one is delivered. However, the more concise and reasonable petitions will usually make the company or body targetted give a response even if it is one refusing to do anything. However, sometimes letting companies know that there are major objections may make some listen.

http://www.gopetition.co.uk/

http://www.petitiononline.com/

http://www.petitionthem.com/

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/

http://www.ipetitions.com/
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Oxfam and Human Rights

Oxfam has a well known international reputation and does plenty of humanitarian aid. Although the website is ultimately interested in raising funds so that it can carry out its good work, there is a "Get Involved" section and a "Take Action" sub-section allowing you to try and make a difference. There is also plenty of news regarding a variety of issues and videos as well.

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/
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Freedom of Speech in Technology

With the introduction of the internet, everyone has the opportunity to put their point of view online. However, certain companies and political powers often do not wish to be criticized or scrutinized so sometimes they try to prevent freedom of speech. This site therefore highlights all abuses against this basic right and gives you the chance to partake in their actions. I have not investigated whether this site has any political allegiance but it does campaign for civil liberties so hopefully it will be fairly independent.

http://www.eff.org/
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Burma Campaign

This is one of the world's best known campaign organizations and it has been running since 1991. It has plenty of information and regular updates. Its material seems well researched and there are plenty of things that you can do to support the campaign. The only slight reservation I have had in the past are the economic sanctions they have called for since this may harm the burmese people more yet be ineffective against the abuses of human rights. However, I have noticed that the site now talks about targetted economic sanctions which does seem to be more logical although I am not sure if this was always the case and it is possible that I misunderstood their earlier campaigns. Anyway it is for you to decide what to support.

www.burmacampaign.org.uk
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Dev-Zone: Human Rights and World Action

Here is a site from New Zealand that has really outdone my blog. It has gathered information about various campaigns from different organizations and put them all together. Therefore you have over a hundred different actions to choose from with their origin mentioned. The site looks to be regularly updated but it obviously does not contain every campaign happening so you may want to check my previous and subsequent posts for other actions. I will give you their home page, the page for human rights actions and then the link for other actions but please do look beyond this since there is much more.

http://www.dev-zone.org/

http://www.dev-zone.org/knowledge/Take_Action/Actions_You_Can_Do_Now/Human_Rights/index.php

http://www.dev-zone.org/knowledge/Take_Action/Actions_You_Can_Do_Now/index.php
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Update Tonight

Physicians for Human Rights

Initially this site looks like it is for health professionals only but that is definitely not the case. It does offer internships and is run by members of the health sector in the United States but there is much more to it than that. There are a number of ongoing campaigns plus some individual actions on a variety of human rights issues. The site seems well maintained and you can subscribe to a free online newsletter informing you of all new actions.

http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/
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Afghanistan Human Rights

The elections have happened but the controversy is far from over. With several hundred reports of fraud, no overall winner and alleged disagreements between the USA and President Karzai, there is possibly more opportunity to influence world leaders to take action and improve conditions for all.

The first site below just gives you information about what is happening in the country although I do not know the source of its reports but it does often have articles from well known news agencies. It has no actions but as last week it allows you to contact either the Afghani Consul, the UN security council or your national political representative

http://www.e-ariana.com/

The second site is a campaign from Physicians for Human Rights which I will put on my blog next week and has a petition to try and make the USA Government investigate a massacre in 2001 in Afghanistan.

http://afghanistan.phrblog.org/
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Afghanistan

With all this week's media attention on Afghanistan regarding the upcoming elections, the official pardoning of a band of criminals by Karzai and the upcoming elections, I realised that most people including myself probably do not really know what really is going on. There is plenty of media coverage but it seems to be generally one-dimensional and actually can discourage interest in the everyday human tragedies happening.

Therefore, I have decided to signpost you to 2 sites this week that are covering the events from a more local point of view and highlight some of the atrocities being committed. Since Afghanistan is in the world political and military spotlight with the elections, this may be your opportunity to contact your political representatives and ask them to actually do something about the daily human rights abuses.

The first site is Canadian based and attempts to report the facts. If you go to the home page you can find lots of reports updated everyday about various "Global Security" issues.

http://www.afghanconflictmonitor.org/human_rights/

The second site is from Afghanistan and does have some very interesting sections but I do not know how unbiased it is and from what political angle it comes from

http://kabulpress.org
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International Freedom of Expression Exchange

This site was formed in Canada in 1992 and highlights injustices against "Freedom of Speech" throughout the world. It is regularly updated and has regional sections so you can find out what is happening in each continent. It contains a mixture of information, action that we can all partake in and a campaign's section often working in conjunction with other similar organizations. I recommend taking a bit of time to view all aspects of this site.

http://www.ifex.org/
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Human Rights First

I have found another site that is based in the USA but has action that people all over the world can participate in. The organization appears to be a charity lobbying for changes and has various appeals that it carries out, often allowing you the opportunity to read their concerns and support them should you wish.

http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/
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Reporters without Borders

One of the links from last week's post brought me to this site which concentrates on the "Lack of Freedom" when reporting all over the world. The site covers issues in virtually every country in the world, many of which we do not hear about in the mainstream media.

To take action, click in the "Work with us, Petitions" section. Otherwise there is plenty of information and lots to keep you occupied. One of my nexts posts will hopefully be looking at the recent alleged genocide in China.

http://www.rsf.org
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United for Iran

After the initial media coverage of the disturbances following the recent election results, the world's press seems to have focussed their attention elsewhere. However, all has not quietened down and this looks like it could continue for many weeks to come.

The following site appears to concentrate solely on organising a worldwide event to highlight the current issues. Should you not wish to participate, you maybe interested in the links of the organisations supporting the event. I will be investigating them closer in the following weeks and possibly returning to issues in Iran as well depending on what happens.

http://united4iran.org/
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Witness: For Human Rights

Once again I have found another website that is highlighting the issue of human rights across the world. It contains blogs, a facebook and twitter section, the latest news as well as videos about various happenings all over the globe.

To take action you can either click on their "Act Now" section or go through to "The Hub" part of the website.

http://www.witness.org/
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CHANGE: A Social Website Against Inequalities

Whilst surfing through the internet for new sites relevant to the last few posts, I kept finding links to the organization Change.org. I therefore decided to investigate it further and found that it is basically a huge networking site dedicated to campaigning against a huge variety of issues. Now the one problem is that it is based in the USA and therefore set up for campaigns in America. However, I have contacted them and clarified that anyone in the world can join up but not everyone can join in some of the petitions. Nevertheless, the beauty of this site is that it can inform you about various campaigns without you having to sign up and you can take your own individual action to support the particular cause. The other advantage is that it appears to be regularly updated and quite proactive.

http://www.change.org/
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Protect the Human

The site I am signposting you towards here is basically part of the Amnesty International Organization but it concentrates directly on the action you can take. The other difference is that it is set up more like a social networking site so you can see who else in the world is taking part as well as how many people are participating. The one setback is that you have to sign up with a username to join in the campaigns which may put some of you off. However, I will also give you the Amnesty web address where you do not need to register and can do exactly the same campaigning.

http://www.protectthehuman.com/

http://www.amnesty.org/
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Investment in Genocide

Following on from last week's theme, I stumbled across a site that has done research on what some well known and big companies invest their money in. The site allows you to take action on various levels depending on whether you have a stake in the particular company or not. There are many action tips and also some information about why the site encourages you to inform yourself about the companies that are helping to perpetuate genocide. I have not checked that their information is corroborated by other sites but I will let you all make your own decisions on whether to accept their findings or to do some more research yourself.

http://investorsagainstgenocide.net/
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Campaign Against Genocide

Following on from the events in Sri Lanka, I found the website "Genocide Watch" that gives a brief update on the situation. It is a site that keeps the general public aware of any genocide issues happening in the world. However, it only really has information and does not allow you to become involved unless you sign up to their pledge.

http://www.genocidewatch.org/

This led me to search even more and I have found a very impressive, user friendly and positive site that is aimed at US citizens but has action tips that we can use all over the world. There are also links to other sites that are covering these issues, some of which I have referred to in previous posts.

http://campaignagainstgenocide.com/
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Sri Lanka

As promised, I have decided to try and write a piece about the recent "ceasefire" in Sri Lanka and the humanitarian tragedy in the recent major battle. I was surprised that it was quite difficult to find any sites that allowed people all over the world to take action on recent events. I decided to stay clear of any organization that potentially could have some political, tribal or religious bias since there are allegations and counter-allegations from all sides. I have therefore decided to take a slightly new approach this week by signposting you to a site that has no public campaigns but which you can use to take your own action. Now you may think that you alone may not be as effective as an organized campaign such as those done by Amnesty. However, I think that there is also the possibility that an independent voice could actually have an effect especially if other people reading this blog do the same. Therefore, the first site gives information about the conflict in Sri Lanka and what they suggest should be done by different factions and organizations (Note the site has not been updated since the ceasefire). You can therefore write to those organizations or politicians and ask them make sure people are treated well, humanitarian aid is given and that war crimes are investigated. You could even write to your local politician or leaders of the major world powers. There have also been issues concerning freedom of speech with several top journalists being threatened or killed according to Amnesty.

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=6070&l=1

http://www.un.org/en/

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Darfur Update

This week I did want to make a change in direction and concentrate on more environmental issues. However, the situation in Sri Lanka made me think I would continue writing about Human Rights' issues a bit more.

A few posts back I concentrated on Darfur but I have found another site that has several suggestions that you can follow to keep pressure on the international community to take action.

The extra attraction is that it has plenty of information on other humanitarian situations throughout mainly Africa. Although they may not have any particular suggested action in many cases, several of the same campaign proposals for Darfur could be used for the other countries. For the next post I will see if there is anything that can be done in the case of recent happenings in Sri Lanka.

http://www.wagingpeace.info/
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Association for Women's Rights and Ciudad Juarez

After hearing news about the situation in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico regarding the murder and disappearances of hundreds of women over several years, I thought it would be useful to find campaigns regarding this issue. Apparently after all this time, an International Tribunal may hear some of the reports. However, my search unveiled various old campaigns but nothing that seems to be recent. Unfortunately, it is as if the whole affair has been swept under the carpet.

Therefore, I have found a site with much information about issues affecting women throughout the world that dealt with this issue in 2002. It does give some campaigning ideas that you may wish to pursue (Link at the end). Searching on the internet will reveal previous campaigns should you wish to know more and I will put the other links I found in the comments section at a later date.

The site, however, is a very good source of information on a variety of issues facing women all over the world and has action appeals that you can get involved in and it seems to be updated regularly.

http://www.awid.org/

Section of site for Ciudad Juarez:

http://www.awid.org/eng/Issues-and-Analysis/Library/Globalizing-Actions-Against-Impunity-of-Feminicides-in-Ciudad-Juarez
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Child and Women's Abuse

I apologise for the last week but I had a problem gaining internet access. Anyway, following on loosely from last time, I have decided to introduce you to the site below since it highlights different work that is going on particularly in the UK to protect the rights of women. The site refers to itself as a feminist organization in the title which may be off putting for some people due to certain feminist organizations receiving negative press criticism. However, I believe that each site must be judged on its merits and media reports can at times be misleading. Therefore, I recommend that you concentrate on the links section of the site which can signpost you to a variety of different projects and campaigns happening to protect women's rights. However, the whole site has much more than just links and has an abundance of research material.

http://www.cwasu.org/
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End Violence Against Women

The site below loosely links in with the previous two weeks since there is some information on "Honour" killings. However, the site is more concerned with general violence that is perpetrated against women as well as gender inequality. It does not seem to be as well known as some other organizations although it does have links with Amnesty. There is a blog section that is updated every few weeks as well as information on previous action taken by the site's founders and general facts and information with their sources. Once again there is a "Take Action" section aimed at UK citizens which will allow you to follow up any of the issues that concern you.

http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/
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"Honour" Killings and Beyond

Following on from last week, I have found a site that continues tackling the issue of "Honour" Killings as well as stoning and whippings. Again there is an action section as well as individual cases that have been highlighted. The site has links to several other organizations that are fighting the same issues as well as having different views from around the globe. The "Who We Are" section also makes an interesting read.

http://www.stop-killing.org/
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"Honour" Killings

"Unreported World" on Channel 4 follows news stories that usually do not make the headlines and last Friday I soberly watched a report on "Honour Killings". The programme made me investigate the subject a bit more and I have found a useful site that is campaigning against this throughout the world. This subject has many worrying dimensions since in certain communities where there is pressure to stop these killings, people are now forcing women to commit suicide. Much work is needed on this issue since in many cases it is seen as normal and acceptible by many members of the communities where this occurs. The site below has lots of information but if you scroll down quite a bit you will eventually notice on the left hand side a "Take Action" section. I will also put in the link for the original "Unreported World" Programme.

http://www.stophonourkillings.com/

http://www.channel4.com/video/unreported-world/catchup.html
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Human Right's Watch

Amnesty International is probably the best known organization dealing with violations of Human Rights but the site below also has an international reputation and as you will see covers all kinds of issues from around the globe. The site is very professional with reports, publications, appeals, action you can take and more related to injustices happening in the world. Since the site is straightforward to follow and has lots of information, I will keep this week's post short.

http://www.hrw.org/
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From Darfur to World Peace

Once again Darfur remains in the headlines with a UN peacekeeper killed there today and the recent announcement that the Sudanese Government wants all foreign aid charities to leave within a year following the 13 charities that have already been prevented from working. There are similar situations happening throughout the globe but on different scales. What has lead me to choose this week's link is that it has information on Darfur as well as other countries in the region where there is conflict and genocide. The site has fairly recent updates and a link to take action on the crisis in Darfur.

For those of you who have not followed this blog on a weekly basis, the last 2 posts have dealt with the same issue and if you click on the first post of the January section of my blog, you can get the links to see what the well known organizations such as Amnesty are doing on this and other issues.

As with all these sites, I must stress that I cannot be responsible for any of their content and in many cases I have not been able to fully examine the site. However, for those who have been following this blog, I hope it has become clear that I am not trying to stir up controversy, just highlight injustices and ways we can all hopefully make a small difference in the long term. Feel free to make any comments but be aware that I am moderating comments rather than accepting them randomly.

http://www.wagingpeace.info/
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Darfur: Back in the Spotlight

Ironically, a couple of days after doing my last post for this blog, an international arrest warrant was issued for Sudan's President. The outcome of this is unclear since it is very unlikely that any actual immediate action will be taken to bring the President to trial. The most worrying aspect appears to be the threat by the Sudanese Government to refuse certain humanitarian workers to continue to work in Sudan which could lead to even more innocent deaths. The whole debate about these recent developments is at an initial stage since this dramatic turn in events initiated by the International Criminal Court has received support as well as criticism. I therefore have decided to direct you to the link below which in turn can signpost you to several organizations all over the World concerned with the suffering in Darfur. I have not had time to investigate all the links so in various cases I am unaware of their stance and their activities.

http://www.justice4darfur.org/
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Darfur: Another forgotten conflict

The name of this region of Sudan is probably recognised by a lot of people due to the media coverage. However, what is happening now? As with most media coverage, the initial shock and interest factor seems to vanish and everyone goes back to "normality" and forgets. The reality is that little has changed and people are continuing to suffer. So below is a site that specifically is tackling the issue of the problems in Darfur. It has information about the start of the conflict as well as the latest press releases. It is a site that is aimed primarily at citizens of the United States but there is plenty there that anyone can become involved in. This is probably going to be an ongoing campaign for a long time.

http://www.savedarfur.org/
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Global Campaigns

Global Exchange is an organization that appears to have been running for 20 years. It covers issues from human rights, fairtrade, the environment and more. The site is very easy to use and has many campaigns that you can participate in as well as having plenty of information regarding all the main global injustices.

You can find out about specific issues or see what is happening in particular parts of the world. There is also a section on the main global agreements and certain powerful global bodies that influence many worldwide policies. You can attend events or start up groups although remember this is a United States based organization. This site should keep you occupied for a while.

http://globalexchange.org/
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Civil Liberties

"Liberty" is a very well known organization that regularly appears in the media and has had representatives on Question Time on the BBC. The site covers a variety of issues and does take a strong stance on many of these issues.

Governments all over the world are now tackling "Terrorism" and often their measures taken can have an impact on civil liberties. How much "freedom" are we prepared to give those in power to "protect us"? Do we need to think of the long term impact certain political decisions have on our civil liberties and whether in the future it could lead to the abuse of power? Whatever your views, the website has plenty to say on many issues.

http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/

Personally, anything that restrains our civil liberties worries me. My blog is not about trying to convince you to have the same views as me and I try to remain as impartial as possible. However, one of my recent UK civil liberties concerns is the introduction of biometric passports and ID cards and if you wish to investigate this further please view the following site.

http://www.no2id.net/

In the field of civil liberties there are also a lot of theories about abuse of power by Governments, global domination and conspiracies. I do not intend to cover these at any stage in my blog but if you wish more information, please leave something in the comment section (which I moderate so I will not show your comment unless you wish it to be seen) and I can pass this onto someone who has investigated these subjects further.

What does your Member of Parliament stand for?

My apologies to many people reading my blog this week since the link I am going to give you is only directly relevant for people living in the United Kingdom although it contains interesting information for everyone. The procedure elsewhere may well be similar but I do not as yet have information about Parliaments in other countries.

In many of the sites I have mentioned, one recurring suggestion is to contact your MP. This is something that we all have the right to do but often forgo. I believe that MPs do take notice when several of their constituents write to them about the same matter although this does not guarantee that any positive action will happen. When I have contacted my local MP in the past, I have received a response even though the outcome may not have been what I exactly desired but at least it makes the MP in some way accountable to the people that vote for them.

The charitable site below has very useful information about every MP from how they vote on various issues to how to write to them. If you wish to contact an MP who is not from your constituency, I believe this site prefers you to not to use them. This should not deter you since many politicians also have their own websites which are easy to find using internet search engines.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/
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Human Trafficking Part 2

This is such a huge topic that I have decided to dedicate a second posting to it. There are so many different organisations attempting to deal with this problem that I am sure you could find plenty more than I have given by doing a basic internet search. This week I intend to give the remainder of the websites that I have found that deal with human trafficking but I will return in the future to specifically tackle trafficking used in the sex industry.

The first site has some active campaigns that you can become involved in as well as having useful information.

http://www.stopthetraffik.org

The second site is very compact and appears to tackle the issue from various angles but to participate in their activities does not look so straightforward as with some other websites. It does look very political although since I have not joined any of their campaigns this maybe a wrong assumption.

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

The last site this week has some useful tips and does not overload you with information like some of the other ones I have mentioned.

http://www.endhumantrafficking.org/
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Human Trafficking

Following on from last week, I've decided to look at the worldwide human trafficking that seems to be increasing yet because we rarely come face to face with its victims it is easy to forget. There is a huge industry in this market affecting women, children and men. Occasionally the media may highlight tragic incidents but we rarely hear about people effectively enslaved in our society, working in terrible conditions and often ill treated.

The website below has a few campaigns that we can all become involved in as well as having lots of information. Unfortunately, I have not investigated it much so I cannot give more indications about it.

http://www.antislavery.org/index.htm

There are also a number of other sites (such as the three below) that tend to be based in the United States that give useful information but to become involved in their campaigns may require financial donations. Although most of the sites I refer to always require donations, the aim of this blog is to allow people to take action without necessarily feeling the need to donate or become affiliated to a particular group. Some of the below sites also may have very useful campaign material that you may feel is not directly relevant to you.

http://www.catwinternational.org/

http://www.ahavakids.org/

http://www.humantrafficking.org/

The last site this week is a blog that I have not read but it does seem to have lots of links that potentially could be interesting.

http://www.abolishhumantrafficking.com/
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Violence Against Women and Children

This particular subject is so big that I have decided to cover some of the issues today and over the next few weeks I will inform you of more organizations involved in this field. I have decided to signpost everyone to a site I have only found recently but it mixes very useful information with certain campaigns. It is UK based but many of the points raised will be relevant to most if not all countries. Although at first glance it may seem like a support network for women and young people who have suffered from domestic violence, please take the time to review the extensive information since there is something available for everyone. Violence against women and children is more widespread than we imagine but it is something that seems to be hidden. I think the most comforting thought is that there does seem to be a big support network around, one that many are probably never aware of. Perhaps the challenge is to raise the profile of this issue so that people do not suffer in silence or do not think that violence against them is acceptable or tolerable.

www.womensaid.org.uk/
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Who is Ethical?

Everyday we use or consume many products that are made by various different companies, but do we really know how these companies operate and whether they have good ethical standards? Recently we have seen new products that are "organic" or "fairtrade" but often they are more expensive and there has been debate to whether these labels actually do mean improved ethics.

Below are some links about everyday products we use and the companies that manufacture them, in some cases awarding an Ethiscore (often scored out of 15). Some of these sites require subscription fees to gather all the information, but they do give some general information and give you a starting point to investigate further should you desire.

www.ethicalconsumer.org/

www.corporatecritic.org/

www.fairtrade.org.uk/

It may also be of some interest to browse the dispatches section of Channel4's website which tackles a variety of issues and has online debate.

http://www.channel4.com/news/dispatches
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Environmental Issues

The environment is now becoming a major issue both politically and socially. Although many people are in favour of saving our planet at least in principle, the reality is that many of us just like our home comforts too much including myself.

Below are some well known organisations that address environmental issues on different scales, some of which are sometimes quite radical and others that appear more mundane. I am not necessarily in agreement with all their arguments and methods used but it ignites debate.

http://www.foe.co.uk/

http://www.greenpeace.org/

http://www.encams.org/

There are little things we can do to protect the environment and to save energy which I may touch on more in the future. If you are into recycling it might just be worth finding out what exactly your council does collect. For instance, soft plastic packaging (ie yoghurt pots, meat or fish packaging, tubs etc) now can be recycled, sometimes at local supermarket car parks. You may even want to use surf the web using Blackle instead of Google to save some power. Whatever search engine you use, you may want to review them in more detail since there has been some serious criticisms about some of them tracking information. I'll leave you to investigate that if you wish and make your own decisions.
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Arms Trade

The arms trade is one of the biggest businesses in the world and it influences us wherever we live. In the United Kingdom, guns and knives seem to be a lot more prominent and easy to acquire. Simultaneously, civil wars in numerous countries continue to flourish as weapons still seem to pour into them from various sources.

The solution is not simple but the website below has interesting reports, campaigns and links to other sites. I have not yet examined much of the site but what I have read has been an eye opener.

Some of the organisations in the Human Rights section of my blog posted in January 2009 also deal with this subject.

www.caat.org.uk/
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Human Rights

Human rights abuses seem to be happening daily yet the general media rarely seems to give much importance to these issues. There are so many traumatic stories and many organisations trying to improve the lives of people suffering. I try to steer clear of purely political campaigns but it has to be said that politics is often a central issue.

Below are some sites that enable you to join campaigns, send emails, sign petitions, write letters to the authorities or become even more involved. I leave it to you to judge which are worthy.

http://www.amnesty.org/

www.avaaz.org/

www.waronwant.org/

If you wish to find more sites on specific issues, use of a normal search engine will be sufficient.
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