C E B O . org

Posted 10:22 PM by Mary

TOPIC: MDGs, ONE campaign
ISSUE: WTO, Poverty, Debt relief
ACTION: Petition for DEC.13 WTO meeting
SPONSOR: Whiteband.org, Oxfam.org, BigNoise
LINK: www.whiteband.org/act/wto
LINK:
www.maketradefair.org

On 13 December the World Trade Organisation will meet in Hong Kong. As representatives from around the world sit down they must take decisive steps to ensure that trade justice is delivered to the world’s poorest people.Europe's representative, Peter Mandelson - European Commissioner for Trade - has it in his power to make trade justice a reality. Email him to tell him to do so

As the developing world's representatives, key leaders from the South (G20, G33, ACP, LDC and AU) have it in their power to stand up to rich countries pressure and continue to press for trade justice. Email them to tell them to act

TOPIC: CEDAW, Violence against Women
ACTION: Reconcile House and Senate bills to extend VAWA
SPONSOR: UCC, et,.al.
LINK: www.ucctakeaction.org.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has provided critical support for local communities in domestic violence and intervention work for over ten years. VAWA's funding authorization expired on September 30, 2005. Although Congress voted to continue funding it at 2005 levels through December 17, final passage of the Violence Against Women Act 2005 is still uncertain. Without a new VAWA bill, there will be no funding stability and new programs will be delayed.

The Senate passed its version of VAWA 2005 in October. The House passed a less comprehensive version of VAWA 2005 as part of the Department of Justice's yearly authorizing and spending bill. The House version failed to include important provisions regarding services for immigrant women and women of color. The Senate version includes many of the provisions dropped by the House, but failed to extend coverage for unemployment insurance, a key protection for domestic violence survivors who lose their jobs when fleeing from violence.

TOPIC: Refugees
ACTION: Request Temporary Protected status in US for Haitian Refugees
SPONSOR: Women’s Commission
LINK: http://capwiz.com/wc/issues/alert/

The State Department has said “there are no safe areas in Haiti.” The head of UN peacekeeping operations said in June that conditions in parts of Haiti are worse than in Darfur. The violence that began with former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s departure from the country in February 2004 have only increased. Haiti also remains devastated by the aftermath of two major storms in 2004.

Despite this, the U.S continues to deport Haitians who have fled back to Haiti, where their lives are likely at risk.The “Haiti Compassion Act,” H.R. 2592, would allow Haitians in the US to be granted Temporary Protected Status, allowing them to remain in the US for 18 months. In 1998 the U.S. government set a precedent when it granted TPS to nationals from four Central American countries affected by Hurricane Mitch

TOPIC: Refugee women and children
ACTION: Support Women and Children in Crisis legislation
SPONSOR: Women’s Commission
LINK: http://capwiz.com/wc/mail/

Women and Children in Crisis and Conflict Protection Act of 2005 (H.R. 1413), and the Protection of Vulnerable Populations During Humanitarian Emergencies Act (S. 559) are designed to safeguard the lives and basic human rights of women and children fleeing armed conflict, oppression, famine, drought and natural disaster.

The bills authorize funding, articulate policy guidelines and establish reporting and coordination mechanisms to achieve the following goals:

1) ensure that the protection of women and children is a priority in all conflicts and emergencies
2) expand awareness of emerging threats to the health and safety of women and children overseas
3) improve the preparedness of U.S. government agencies, multilateral organizations and NGOs to prevent and respond to situations in which women and children are targeted for abuse
4) increase security for internally displaced and refugee women and children; and
5) reunite families and arrange for the care of separated children and orphans

.These bills would dramatically increase the ability of the United States to protect women and children and provide vital services for refugees and the displaced.

TOPIC: Torture, Habeas Corpus
ACTION: Contact Legislators re Torture bills.
SPONSOR: AMNESTY USA
LINK: http://www.amnestyusa.org/stoptorture/index


The pending legislation in the House and Senate is complex. Here is Amnesty’s analysis and suggested positions on the Defense Appropriations bill and the Defense Authorization bill.

- On the Defense Appropriations bill, I urge you to support the Anti-Torture Amendment as passed by the Senate 90-9 and offered by Senator John McCain. Please do not accept any revisions to the Senate passed version of the amendment. This country must not allow any exceptions for torture or inhuman treatment.

- On the Defense Authorization bill, I urge you to support the Anti-Torture Amendment there too, but not as an alternative to the Appropriations bill. This is an important amendment that belongs on both bills.

- I also urge you to oppose the Graham Amendment to the Defense Authorization bill and to ensure that Congress protect core principles of justice and due process, especially the basic right to Habeas Corpus. The ability to challenge one’s detention in a court of law is absolutely critical to protect the human rights of anyone in custody.

TOPIC: Arms Control, Arms trafficking
ACTION: GLOBAL ARMS TRAFFICKING AGREEMENT
SPONSOR: AMNESTY, OXFAM, IANSA
LINK:http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/
LINK: ARMS CONTROL PETITION: www.controlarms.org
LINK: IANSA, http://www.iansa.org/

Ruthless arms brokers have been at the center of many of the most disturbing arms deals, including weapons transfers to abusive armed groups and countries under U.N. arms embargoes. Many of these merchants of death remain free and unhindered, and continue to traffic arms to human rights abusers. Urge your Member of Congress to press the Bush Administration to support a strong global agreement on arms brokering to better enforce U.S. law and halt this global threat to human rights. Urge the US to sign and ratify the agreement