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Children as targets? Children as soldiers? All children deserve to be protected from gun violence no matter where they live.
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The United States is not the only country where children are facing an epidemic of gun violence. While in the U.S., we continue to grapple with the tragic reality of children who routinely face gun violence in their communities and children who increasingly are the targets of mass shootings, in other places around the world, we see the heartbreaking consequences of children who also face thedaily horrors of armed conflict, many forced to become soldiers. During Monday's inaugural address, President Obama said: "Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm."
However, the President could have -- and should have -- broadened his statement to include children from the war-torn neighborhoods of Aleppo, Syria to valleys of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo, because if protecting all children is our shared destination, then we can’t afford to let our concern be confined by U.S. borders.
We must call on the President to lead efforts to establish a strong Arms Trade Treaty, one that will help stop irresponsible and illegal arms transfers around the world that directly contribute to the recruitment of child soldiers. You have probably heard about Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda -- the group responsible for widespread murder, rape, maiming and amassing throngs of child soldiers. Fewer people know about the recruitment of child soldiers by Bosco Ntaganda, a commander of the FPLC armed group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Fewer still realize that the armed groups who have taken control of the northern part of Mali, as well as the Malian army, are also using child soldiers. Why do children in Uganda, the DRC and Mali continue to have a target on their back? Because a global free-for-all lets weapons flow into the hands of armed groups and governments who, in turn, recruit children and commit other grave abuses. By failing to make the establishment of a global Arms Trade Treaty a priority, President Obama is letting them get away with it.
Protect all children from violence -- please call for a strong Arms Trade Treaty.
It's simple; no child should be forced to stand on either side of a weapon. But the gun lobby in the U.S. is still trying to make you believe that this is about taking guns away from law-abiding Americans. It's not. The Arms Trade Treaty would put in place common-sense measures, like background checks on international arms sales, to stop or at least slow the sale of weapons between countries that fuel conflict, atrocities and instability as well as lead to the displacement and deaths of millions of civilians and the continued use of child soldiers. More than 43,000 of you have helped set the record straight for the NRA's leadership. Thanks for supporting children everywhere who are trapped by armed conflict. Your voice is so important as we prepare for the UN to hold its conference on the Arms Trade Treaty in March. Every child deserves that same right no matter where they live. With your help, we can make this Arms Trade Treaty "bullet-proof". Michelle Ringuette Chief of Campaigns & Programs Amnesty International USA |  Protect children from the global arms trade
President Obama, in his second term in office, can help protect all children from gun violence around the world by supporting a strong Arms Trade Treaty in March.
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BUCKNACKT'S SORDID TAWDRY BLOG We should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive & well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate, bier or wein in hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WHOO-HOO, WHAT A RIDE!!!!!!"
Showing posts with label Arms Trade Treaty ATT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arms Trade Treaty ATT. Show all posts
24 January 2013
The children left out of Obama's inaugural speech 23JAN13
THE nra isn't just opposed to gun control in the U.S., keeping all of us, including our children, exposed to a higher risk of gun violence that the people of all industrial countries. They are also opposed to any international arms control treaty that would impose controls on the international arms market (AND NOT ON ANY ASPECT OF GUN OWNERSHIP IN THE U.S.), protecting the profits of the gun industry in America and allowing the flow of American guns to Mexican drug cartels and keeping the international weapons trade open and flourishing. Terrorist will continue to have easy access to weapons and children around the world are exposed to gun violence as child soldiers and as victims of drug violence, political and economic violence and terrorism. Please sign the Amnesty International petition to Pres Obama calling on him to support the International Arms Control Treaty being drafted at the U.N. This from A.I.
09 November 2012
PRES OBAMA, DON'T BLOW IT ON HUMAN RIGHTS 9NOV12
PRESIDENT OBAMA has the mandate to live up to his campaign promise to make human rights a priority in his administration. He must close Gitmo, end indefinite detention, end unlawful killings with drones, guarantee a comprehensive arms trade treaty and make sure the policy of the American government is to honor and uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Click the link to join Amnesty International's call to action and send a message to Pres Obama.....
"Don't blow it." That's what I want to say to President Obama.
This is the moment that will define the future of the United States' commitment on human rights. President Obama's second term will determine whether the post 9/11 stains on the United States' human rights record are an anomaly or the "new normal."
President Obama promised to support and advance human rights. Let's hold him to it.
When he was first elected in 2008, President Obama promised a new dawn of American leadership. As a new president, he acknowledged that the protection of human rights cannot rest on exhortation alone.
He offered the promise of an administration that would respect human rights -- closing the Guantánamo prison, bringing detention practices in line with international law, repudiating secrecy and ensuring that human rights weren't traded away in the name of national security.
It really isn't a choice for the President to make. Under international law, the U.S. government is obligated to respect, protect and fulfill human rights, and ensure accountability for violations of those rights.
Tell President Obama to live up to his promises and uphold human rights.
The prison at Guantánamo, indefinite detention, unfair trials, unlawful killings with drones and other human rights violations committed by the U.S government undermine the rule of law in the U.S. and around the world. These abuses also create a climate in which other countries can point to a double-standard to justify their own human rights abuses with the refrain, 'if the U.S. government does that, why shouldn't we?'
By taking bold steps to restore respect for human rights President Obama can help ensure justice, security and accountability here in the U.S. and around the world. That's why he must take three bold actions immediately:
"Don't blow it." That's what I want to say to President Obama.
This is the moment that will define the future of the United States' commitment on human rights. President Obama's second term will determine whether the post 9/11 stains on the United States' human rights record are an anomaly or the "new normal."
President Obama promised to support and advance human rights. Let's hold him to it.
When he was first elected in 2008, President Obama promised a new dawn of American leadership. As a new president, he acknowledged that the protection of human rights cannot rest on exhortation alone.
He offered the promise of an administration that would respect human rights -- closing the Guantánamo prison, bringing detention practices in line with international law, repudiating secrecy and ensuring that human rights weren't traded away in the name of national security.
It really isn't a choice for the President to make. Under international law, the U.S. government is obligated to respect, protect and fulfill human rights, and ensure accountability for violations of those rights.
Tell President Obama to live up to his promises and uphold human rights.
The prison at Guantánamo, indefinite detention, unfair trials, unlawful killings with drones and other human rights violations committed by the U.S government undermine the rule of law in the U.S. and around the world. These abuses also create a climate in which other countries can point to a double-standard to justify their own human rights abuses with the refrain, 'if the U.S. government does that, why shouldn't we?'
By taking bold steps to restore respect for human rights President Obama can help ensure justice, security and accountability here in the U.S. and around the world. That's why he must take three bold actions immediately:
- Close the prison at Guantánamo
- Stop unlawful killing with drones
- Ensure the UN adopts a strong Arms Trade Treaty
President Obama has been given a second chance to keep his promises on human rights. Please stand with us today and call on the president to live up to those promises.
Thank you for everything you do to protect and advance human rights.
Sincerely,
Thank you for everything you do to protect and advance human rights.
Sincerely,
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Suzanne Nossel Executive Director Amnesty International USA |
29 June 2012
Click. Boom. Why Amnesty's gone bananas; We need millions to sign the petition for a strong Arms Trade Treaty 28JUN12
BAHRAIN, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, The Democratic Rep of Congo, Uganda, The Central African Republic, Mali, Chad, Colombia, Mexico...just some of the countries being devastated by the world's rampant arms trade supplying every weapon imaginable to tyrants, despots, drug cartels and terrorist. The UN is meeting next week on this issue and Amnesty International has an ongoing campaign calling on the international community to take action to regulate and enforce restrictions on the arms trade. They face formidable opposition, here in the U.S. war is big business and the military-industrial complex often dictates our foreign and military policies, Check out the information below and sign Amnesty's petition to Pres Obama to be part of the solution, not part of the problem...
15 July 2011
No more ‘ships of shame’ to Africa 14JUL11
THE prc is probably the worst offender, because the cabal in Beijing has no qualms about using weapons on their own people they suffer no guilty consciences in sending weapons to other countries to use on their own people. Zimbabwe, Sudan, Burma are just a few of the prc's clients for weapons to be used against their own citizens. From Amnesty International.....
By Alaphia Zoyab, Online Communities Officer at Amnesty International
At a meeting with NGOs on the side-lines of the UN Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) negotiations in New York, China made the claim that it does not transfer arms to conflict states in Africa.
That claim is simply not true and China has clearly forgotten about the notorious “Ship of Shame”. We are happy to remind them.
In 2008 a Chinese ship MV An Yue Jiang arrived in Durban in South Africa with a deadly cargo of more than 3,000 cases of arms. The cases included nearly 3 million rounds of rifle ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades, mortar bombs and mortar launchers, all exported by Poly Technologies Inc of Beijing. This cargo was destined for the Zimbabwean Defence Force.
This incident took place shortly after the disputed Zimbabwean elections of 2008 when senior personnel in the Zimbabwean army were beating, torturing and killing anyone suspected of voting for opposition parties.
That was precisely the time this dangerous Chinese cargo would have made it to Zimbabwe had ordinary people in South Africa not stood up in protest. When the ship docked in Durban, trade unions there refused to offload the cargo and even appealed to transport workers in other African countries to do the same. Religious leaders and lawyers in South Africa won a court order to stop the cargo.
Thanks to these actions, there was an international outcry and their counterparts in Mozambique, Namibia and Angola also turned away the Chinese ship. In the end, although some cargo was offloaded in Luanda in Angola, the ship reportedly returned with its military cargo to China.
Speaking at a packed event co-hosted by Amnesty International at the UN headquarters today, Seydi Gassama, Executive Director of Amnesty International in Senegal said, “Illicit arms are wreaking havoc in Africa. Only if states commit to transparency in the form of stronger compliance measures will the Arms Trade Treaty improve the lives of men and women in the continent.”
If States commit to compliance and enforcement under the ATT then they will have to annually report on such transfers and import and export transactions. “This transparency will help strengthen the feeling of trust amongst States and diminish the risk of illicit transfers and enable monitoring by civil society,” said Seydi Gassama.
But many States are saying they are unable to gather and report on such transactions because of lack of capacity and the “administrative burden”. But fact is that every State has a customs department that is already gathering this information. Their obligation under an ATT should be to publish this data on international transfers in an annual report.
Only if States commit to greater transparency will they be more accountable for their arms trading and transfers and thus better ensure our collective security.
The small Caribbean states, long-suffering victims of armed violence and many European States are showing much greater enthusiasm for transparent reporting than any of the larger States such as India, China, Russia or the US. Many are still undecided.
If States dilute transparency and accountability under the ATT, they will be forsaking their responsibility to save lives in Africa and the rest of the world.
Read more:
Arms transfers: States love secrets, but we want the facts (Blog, 13 July 2011)
Arms Trade and Human Rights (Amnesty International campaign page)
At a meeting with NGOs on the side-lines of the UN Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) negotiations in New York, China made the claim that it does not transfer arms to conflict states in Africa.
That claim is simply not true and China has clearly forgotten about the notorious “Ship of Shame”. We are happy to remind them.
In 2008 a Chinese ship MV An Yue Jiang arrived in Durban in South Africa with a deadly cargo of more than 3,000 cases of arms. The cases included nearly 3 million rounds of rifle ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades, mortar bombs and mortar launchers, all exported by Poly Technologies Inc of Beijing. This cargo was destined for the Zimbabwean Defence Force.
This incident took place shortly after the disputed Zimbabwean elections of 2008 when senior personnel in the Zimbabwean army were beating, torturing and killing anyone suspected of voting for opposition parties.
That was precisely the time this dangerous Chinese cargo would have made it to Zimbabwe had ordinary people in South Africa not stood up in protest. When the ship docked in Durban, trade unions there refused to offload the cargo and even appealed to transport workers in other African countries to do the same. Religious leaders and lawyers in South Africa won a court order to stop the cargo.
Thanks to these actions, there was an international outcry and their counterparts in Mozambique, Namibia and Angola also turned away the Chinese ship. In the end, although some cargo was offloaded in Luanda in Angola, the ship reportedly returned with its military cargo to China.
Speaking at a packed event co-hosted by Amnesty International at the UN headquarters today, Seydi Gassama, Executive Director of Amnesty International in Senegal said, “Illicit arms are wreaking havoc in Africa. Only if states commit to transparency in the form of stronger compliance measures will the Arms Trade Treaty improve the lives of men and women in the continent.”
If States commit to compliance and enforcement under the ATT then they will have to annually report on such transfers and import and export transactions. “This transparency will help strengthen the feeling of trust amongst States and diminish the risk of illicit transfers and enable monitoring by civil society,” said Seydi Gassama.
But many States are saying they are unable to gather and report on such transactions because of lack of capacity and the “administrative burden”. But fact is that every State has a customs department that is already gathering this information. Their obligation under an ATT should be to publish this data on international transfers in an annual report.
Only if States commit to greater transparency will they be more accountable for their arms trading and transfers and thus better ensure our collective security.
The small Caribbean states, long-suffering victims of armed violence and many European States are showing much greater enthusiasm for transparent reporting than any of the larger States such as India, China, Russia or the US. Many are still undecided.
If States dilute transparency and accountability under the ATT, they will be forsaking their responsibility to save lives in Africa and the rest of the world.
Read more:
Arms transfers: States love secrets, but we want the facts (Blog, 13 July 2011)
Arms Trade and Human Rights (Amnesty International campaign page)
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