Inaction in Zimbabwe

Among the numerous human rights violations going on in Zimbabwe, I am left with only a frustration with diplomacy. Zimbabwe is under a major crisis—massive inflation has lead to a valueless currency, cholera is claiming the lives of tens of thousands of people, hospitals and schools have almost completely shut down, and to top it all off, there is a massive food shortage.  While I am normally on the side of institutions such as the WHO and UN for their efforts in the developing world, I now find that I want much more action out of them.  As we wait for a solution to somehow reveal itself to Zimbabwe (despite what a hopeless idea this seems to be with a militant leader determined to keep his rule) people are literally dying of disease and starvation. Additionally, the problems are spreading to neighboring countries and the WHO has claimed that the Cholera epidemic will have serious regional implications.  In lieu of all the acknowledged harm coming to, and already existent in, the region, I can't help but feel exasperation for the lack of action taken by the NGOs.  It seems only a matter of time before enough of the right people get desperate, and a bloody fight to overthrow Mugabe begins.  If this is the case, then by waiting for that to happen, aren't we simply prolonging the inevitable at the stake of the lives of thousands?  In the end, there must exist a point where a country's right to autonomy and self-determination is subordinate to the other—and I would argue, more important—rights of the country's people.  Though I do not know exactly where that point is, I am fairly confident that in Zimbabwe, Mugabe has surpassed it.

 

For more information, I would suggest you read the following articles published on the issue recently:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/world/africa/12cholera.html

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12773105&fsrc=nwlehfree

Support Human Rights from Campus

There are a couple of events on campus that are giving students an opportunity to help support human rights. Take a study break from finals and come help out. Amnesty International's Claremont Colleges chapter is participating in a global write-a-thon, and the Student Advisory Committee from the Center here is selling goodie bags to raise money for Fonkoze. See more information for both events below:

Global Write-a-Thon
Amnesty International is hosting a short talk from Prof. Crowley on the definition of human rights, followed by question answer session and letter writing session. AI will provide resources to write a letter for human rights. The event will be at the Motley from 7 PM to 10 PM tomorrow, Wednesday, December 10. More info can be found on the Facebook event.

Fonkoze Goodie Bags
Taken from an e-mail sent out by Jim Nauls:

FINALS GOOD LUCK GOODIE BAGS!

Send finals luck to your friends while giving to people in Haiti!

Bags include edible essentials for finals week survival!

SOLD DURING SNACK on

December 8^th, 9^th, and 10^th

All proceeds go to Fonkoze, the largest microfinance institution, in Haiti. (for more information, go to fonkoze.org)

Only $3 dollars each!

Sponsored by Student Advisory Board of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Center.
Send any questions to tmino11@cmc.edu.

The U.S. Constitution and the Defense of Human Rights

I've frequently written on the topic of torture. Torture is antithetical to the values that America represents and endangers America's security because it is simply ineffective. A New York Times editorial today emphasizes another aspect. Not only is it wrong to do so, it is unconstitutional. Namely, the assertion of a right to indefinitely detain people in the United States without charges violates our right to due process. The belief in such a bizarre doctrine would essentially render the fifth and sixth amendments meaningless:

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

One of the most beautiful things about the U.S. Constitution is how many human rights it legally protects. We must ensure that it continues to do so, and not settle for anything less. The case of Maher Arar demonstrates the immoral abuses we are complicit in if we ignore the issue.

China, Economic Liberalization, and Democratization

The Keck Center is sponsoring a speaker to address the failure of economic liberalization to lead to greater democratization in China. China's crackdown on civil liberties and other human rights before and during the Beijing Olympics demonstrates the real obstacle towards progress that the Chinese government is . Many theorists argue that despotic governments, upon instituting free market reforms, must eventually give way to democracy. They further argue that democratization can lead to instability when combined with market reforms, which then causes a reversion to despotism. Therefore, they argue that one should simply place their bets on benevolent, economically liberal dictatorships and count on the natural course to lead to improved human rights. However, facts on the ground in China prove that misguided belief in the benefits of dictatorial stability incorrect. Hopefully Dr. Pei can give us a better perspective on why that is the case.

Make sure to check out the talk. Info is below:

The Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies

is honored to sponsor a lecture by

Minxin Pei

Senior Associate in the China Program

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Why Has Economic Development Not Led to Democratization in China?

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Lunch 11:30, Lecture 12:00

Athenaeum, CMC

Minxin Pei's research focuses on democratization in developing countries, economic reform and governance in China, and U.S.-China relations.
He received his B.A. in English from Shanghai International Studies University, Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Pittsburgh, and his Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University. Dr. Pei taught at Harvard, Princeton, Davidson College, University of Pittsburgh, and Shanghai International Studies University. His most recent publication is China's Trapped Transition: The Limits of Developmental Autocracy.

Please join us for Dr. Pei's luncheon lecture.

Reservations may be made online at www.claremontmckenna.edu/mmca

Reservations are not required to attend the presentation only (12:00)

Reservation Deadline Monday, December 8

The Fight of a Lifetime: Making Genocide a Crime

The CNN article below describes how Raphael Lemkin coined the term genocide and worked tirelessly to create a treaty against genocide. He succeeded in the passing of the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide...but did he succeed in preventing genocide? That's up to today's generation. To not accept "patience" as a method to stop the killings of people, as President Roosevelt had suggested.
Lemkin posed this question, "Why is the killing of a million a lesser crime than the killing of a single individual?" Murder is a crime, very punishable by law yet punishing the perpetrators of a genocide is much harder. What can be done to change the way those laws are carried out and enforced?

CNN article: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/11/13/sbm.lemkin.profile/index.html?iref=mpstoryview


Polish Jew gave his life defining, fighting genocide

• Story Highlights
• When Hitler exterminated Europe's Jews, the word "genocide" did not exist
  
• It was created by a Polish Jew whose family perished in the Holocaust
  
• Raphael Lemkin combined the Greek "genos" for race with the Latin "-cide" for killing
  
• He went on to fight for the U.N. treaty making genocide a crime
  

By Jennifer Hyde
CNN Producer

(CNN) -- Paris, 1948. In the shadow of the Holocaust, the fledgling United Nations meets to adopt one of its first human rights treaties.

Applause shakes the room, cameras flash -- and at the center, a single, tired, unassuming man: Raphael Lemkin.

It was, at last, a victory for a tireless crusader who had fought for his entire life against genocide -- and coined the term that describes the world's most heinous crime.

"This new official world made a solemn pledge to preserve the life of the peoples and races of mankind," Lemkin later wrote.

Sixty years ago this month, the U.N. voted unanimously to adopt the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It was ambitious, serious, far-reaching -- and largely the result of Lemkin's lifetime of effort.

A Pole and a Jew, Lemkin had watched in horror as Hitler nearly succeeded in his plan to exterminate the Jews. Six million Jews -- including 40 members of Lemkin's family -- died at the hands of the Nazis.

Today, we call what happened at Auschwitz and the other death camps "genocide." But at the time, there was no name for the Nazis' crimes. The word "genocide" did not exist.

In 1944, Lemkin wrote a book about the Nazis. In it, he combined the Greek "genos" for race with the Latin "-cide" for killing: Genocide. Lemkin had named the crime he spent a lifetime trying to prevent.

As a child in Poland, Lemkin was inspired by the stories his mother told him at the fireside -- stories of history and heroism, of suffering and struggle. As a Jew he witnessed cruelty and persecution firsthand: from the bribes his parents were forced to pay, to a pogrom that killed dozens nearby.

From his mother, and from his circumstance, Lemkin developed early a strong desire to better the world and protect the innocent and the weak.

"The appeal for the protection of the innocent from destruction set a chain reaction in my mind," Lemkin later wrote. "It followed me all my life."

As a teen, Lemkin learned through news accounts that the Turkish government was slaughtering its Christian Armenian citizens. The government claimed it was putting down an Armenian revolt. Over 8 years they killed a million Armenian men, women and children in massacres and forced marches. To this day, Turkey denies a genocide took place. Few of the perpetrators ever faced justice.

"I was shocked," Lemkin wrote. "Why is a man punished when he kills another man? Why is the killing of a million a lesser crime than the killing of a single individual?"

Lemkin didn't have an answer to the question. But, as a young man, he devised a bold plan. He would write an international law that would punish -- and prevent -- racial mass murder.

By October 1933, Lemkin was an influential Warsaw lawyer, well-connected and versed in international law. At the same time, Hitler was gathering power. Lemkin knew it was time to act.

He crafted his proposal making the destruction of national, racial and religious groups an international crime and sent it to an influential international conference. But his legal remedy found little support, even as anti-Semitism was becoming Germany's national policy. When Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, Lemkin knew his worst fears were about to be realized.

"Hitler had already promulgated ... his blueprint for destruction," Lemkin wrote. "Many people thought he was bragging, but I believed that he would carry out his program."

Lemkin fled Warsaw with only a shaving kit and summer coat. He survived months in the forest, traveling furtively, dodging falling bombs and fighting for the Polish resistance.

He managed to reach his parents one last time -- only to say goodbye.

"Do not talk of our leaving this warm home. We will have to suffer, but we will survive somehow," Lemkin said his parents told him. "When their eyes became sad with understanding, I laughed away our agonizing thoughts, but I felt I would never see them again. It was like going to their funerals while they were still alive."

Reluctantly, Lemkin left his family to their fate and became one of the lucky few to reach the United States, where a friend arranged a job at Duke Law School. Though now safe, Lemkin remained anxious.

"I had not stopped worrying about the people in Poland. When would the hour of execution come? Would this blind world only then see it, when it would be too late?"

Troubling letters arrived from home. His father said they were surviving on potato peels and nothing else. His mother assured him, "What counts is that we are all together, alive and healthy."

"Something ... told me they were saying goodbye," Lemkin later wrote, "in spite of my parents' effort not to alarm me."

Days later, the Nazis took eastern Poland -- a death sentence for Lemkin's family.

By 1942, the U.S. had entered the war, and the Germans had accelerated their deadly work. Concentration camps ran day and night, like assembly lines. At Auschwitz, more than a million perished.

Even though word of the slaughter was reaching America, it seemed of little interest to the press and politicians. Lemkin was outraged.

"The impression of a tremendous conspiracy of silence poisoned the air," he wrote. "A double murder was taking place. ... It was the murder of the truth."

Lemkin tried everything he could to stop the killing, even writing to President Roosevelt.

Roosevelt responded, urging patience.

"Patience," Lemkin wrote. "But I could bitterly see only the faces of the millions awaiting death. ... All over Europe the Nazis were writing the book of death with the blood of my brethren."

Jewish groups pressed Washington to bomb the camps or rail lines. The Americans refused. Although Allied planes took photos of Auschwitz in 1944 as they scouted nearby targets, the U.S. didn't want to divert military resources from winning the war.

Frustrated, Lemkin decided to take a different tack. He would use the Nazis' own words to prove their depravity.

Taking hundreds of pages of Nazi laws and decrees, Lemkin wrote a comprehensive book that laid bare the Nazis' brutal plans. And he invented a word for the crime the Nazis were committing. Genocide.

With the crime named, he hoped the world could no longer turn away. But no help came.

Even the Nuremberg trials were a grave disappointment for Lemkin. They did little to codify genocide as an international crime -- and did nothing to prevent it from happening again.

But Lemkin knew he must keep trying. He revived his 1933 proposal and set his sights on the fledgling United Nations. He hoped this new world body, born out of the ashes of World War II, could create and enforce an international law against genocide.

Lemkin put everything aside and made the passage of a genocide convention the focus of his life. He wrote and rewrote the text of the convention, lobbied delegates, wrote to leaders worldwide in their own languages -- Lemkin was fluent in more than 10 -- to gather support.

On December 9, 1948, the U.N. met in Paris and voted unanimously to adopt the Genocide Convention.

Days later, Lemkin fell gravely ill and was hospitalized. For nearly three weeks, the doctors struggled with a diagnosis. Lemkin finally offered one himself: "Genociditis," he said, "exhaustion from working on the Genocide Convention."

A decade later, Lemkin would die from a fatal heart attack, penniless and alone, having given his life to the fight against genocide.

Aid to Developing Countries: the Failure and the Promise

A recent article from BBC (N.B. For balance, one should also consult the Ugandan Health Ministry response) focuses on the negative effects foreign aid can have on developing countries. Many of the aid programs create disincentives for developing skills, industry, or agriculture. They "reward failure."

Some look at the corrupt people who take most of the aid and wrongly conclude that aid simply does not work. Such an assumption, however, blanket labels all aid programs and assumes they all work the same. Rather, what these examples highlight is that poorly structured aid programs do not work. Aid programs should give needy people incentives for their work where they live and help them learn skills for the future. In turn, the people helped by such aid programs will be more likely to stay in their communities and then give back to that community, reducing need for aid in the future.

Effective aid is exactly what the Center is encouraging in its work on microfinance. In fact, the article specifically addresses the types of benefits microfinance could bring:

"So you see," Mr Mwenda said. "If aid were to offer this young man support in the form of low interest credit he could not only expand his business offering employment opportunities and a valuable service to his community, he could also eventually pay the money back."

Microfinance loans are making opportunities a reality rather than a dream right now in places across the globe, inbcluding Haiti, where Fonkoze is focusing its efforts. Unlike other types of aid, there is an incentive because the aid is expected to be paid back and is given to people who are working and creating opportunities for themselves and others in their community.

Our work with Fonkoze is helping to build awareness of this issue on campus. In my experience, CMC has been a campus more aware of the ineffectiveness of poorly structured aid programs than the effectiveness of programs like microfinance. Building a base of support for these types of programs will help students focus their efforts on more constructive paths in the future.

Free Screening of the 11th Hour

This Sunday there will be a free screening of the documentary The 11th Hour at Pomona's Rose Hill Theater, which is in the Smith Campus Center. The film is being presented by a teen environmental group that works with Uncommon Good. They will be making a presentation at 4:00 PM and the film will begin at 5:00 PM.

The global warming crisis has important consequences for human rights around the globe. It will challenge people's access to food, clean water, and other basic necessities. Livelihoods will be destroyed. Furthermore, the consequences could lead to the destabilization of many governments which are already in precarious situations. Lack of governmental control can lead to serious human rights abuses. Just look at the poor human rights conditions in Somalia and Congo, where governments are abusive, and their loss of control has led to further human rights abuses on both sides of those conflicts and from external sources. Unstable conditions with scarce resources are poor conditions for fostering democratic governments.

In order to be able to articulate the best changes and policies we can make to address these issues, we need to be educated on what is going on, how we contribute to the problem, and what we can do to solve it. The 11th Hour is a powerful film which can teach us about these important points.

Full information on the showing is below:

Pomona College's Office of Community Programs

and

Uncommon Good's Teen Green

Present a FREE movie screening of

Leonardo DiCaprio's

"The 11th Hour"

WHEN:

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008 at 4:00pm

Presentation at 4:00pm

Screening at 5:00pm

WHERE:

Pomona College's Rose Hills Theater in the Smith Campus Center

Produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, written and directed by Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners, The 11th Hour describes the last moment when change is possible. The film explores how humanity has arrived at this moment; how we live, how we impact the earth's ecosystems, and what we can do to change our course. The film features dialogues with experts from all over the world, including former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, former head of the CIA R. James Woolsey and sustainable design experts William McDonough and Bruce Mau in addition to over 50 leading scientists, thinkers and leaders who present the facts and discuss the most important issues that face our planet.

FMI: e-mail teen.green@hotmail.com

Chaos in Eastern Congo

The fighting in eastern Congo has left untold numbers without food or security. The rebels, once they conquer an area, can barely govern it. Meanwhile, the areas between the forces are left without government at all. Schoolchildren, now without a school, are forced to become street peddlers. Government soldiers have raped and looted the people they have been trying to protect, and the rebels are employing children to fight their war.

This disaster poses a serious threat to the lives of many in eastern Congo. With Nkunda, the rebel general declaring his goal of defending his ethnic Tutsis, images of the Rwandan genocide are provoked. In this time of new leadership, the world needs to seriously consider the use of intervention. While its use can be dangerous, there is a moral obligation, not just to the United States, but all countries, to make sure that "never again" means just that. If the situation continues to destabilize, the international community may be obligated to act. The Economist's article regarding this discusses the dangers while recognizing the need to sometimes take action.

Day for Darfur

Tomorrow, the 5-C Peace and Justice Coalition will be hosting the Day for Darfur, a fundraiser and information session for relief towards the still ongoing crisis in Darfur. It will be held at at the Motley from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. There will be two speakers, the CEO of Relief International and a second speaker from the Damanga Coalition. T-shirts and challah will be available for purchase. More information on the event can be found on the Facebook event.

What: Day for Darfur, an information session and fundraiser.
Who: You, the Damanga Coaliton, Relief International, and the 5-C Peace and Justice Coalition
When: Friday, November 14th, 11:00 AM -- 2:00 PM
Where: The Motley, Scripps Campus

Remembering Our Veterans and the Search for Peace

Today, is Veterans' Day, and we remember the 90th Anniversary of the end of the First World War. Please keep in mind all that soldiers around the world are sacrificing for our human rights and freedoms. The New York Times has an excellent slide show which captures the trauma, pain, and sacrifice that many soldiers are currently going through for us (available here). Let us also keep in mind what our soldiers serve their duty for: not to wage war, but to achieve peace.

I hope that we can come closer to the day where we confidently reject the possibility of seeing again the horrors of trench warfare, concentration camps, or any of the other atrocities that have been a feature of wars throughout history.

Closing GITMO

Now that the election is over, many are looking to the president-elect Obama, hopeful that he will be a strong voice for human rights. Many political observers are debating whether and how Obama will close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. (It's important to note the distinction between teh detention camp and the Naval Base. Most discussion simply uses the general term GITMO or Guantanamo Bay, but is in fact just referring to the detention camp.)

Politico's Arena has an excellent discussion on the topic. Most of my thoughts here are reflective of various opinions from that discussion.

Advocates have diverging plans, most with the same one or two goals. Those goals are protecting the rights of prisoners and the United States setting an example and sending a message to the rest of the world.

The violation of rights lies in the disrespect for due process that has been given the prisoners. While many of them may be dangerous, just as dangerous is the prospect of allowing a government to imprison a person without giving them a fair hearing. Furthermore, others argue that fair trials will excuse too much evidence, as if the rules are simply meant to be prohibitive for the sake of obstructing prosecutors. Rather, the case for not admitting much of this evidence is that it is unreliable. I've noted before, information gained from torture techniques, such as waterboarding, cannot be counted upon, and hinders further interrogations. So, protecting the rights of prisoners gives everyone a better degree of safety, from strengthening rule of law for when we need it applied to us and from improving our intelligence.

The second reason to close Guantanamo is the message we send to the world. First of all, many countries have begun to look upon America with less respect, especially in light of the
treatment of Guantanamo detainees, among other human rights violations. Closing Guantanamo
will help us improve relationships with the world at large and strengthen our alliances. Second, we can make a stronger claim to the moral high ground and use this to pressure other governments to improve their human rights situations. Finally, respecting the rights of the prisoners ensures greater safety for any of our soldiers who are taken prisoner.

I hope this has adequately addressed the "whether we should" question of closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. I'll make another post soon on how that might be done.

Michael Berenbaum Speaks on Kristallnacht at the Athenaeum

Monday, November 10th will be the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht. In memory of those who were victims, the Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights will be sponsoring Michael Berenbaum at the Athenaeum. For more information, see the Forthnightly's description below:

Kristallnacht: Memory and Legacies, The Synagogue and Its Rabbis under Oppression in Nazi Germany

MICHAEL BERENBAUM

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2008

November 9-10, 2008 marks the 70th anniversary of tragic event known as Kristallnacht (Crystal Night). On this evening, 92 Jews were murdered and 25,000 were arrested and deported to concentration camps in Nazi Germany. In addition, hundreds of synagogues were destroyed, and thousand of Jewish businesses and homes were ransacked. Kristallnacht is referred by many as the start of the Holocaust.

Michael Berenbaum is a writer, lecturer, and teacher consulting in the conceptual development of museums and the content and conceptual development of historical films. He is director of the Sigi Ziering Institute: Exploring the Ethical and Religious Implications of the Holocaust and also a professor of Jewish Studies at American Jewish University. For three years, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. He was also the Director of the United States Holocaust Research Institute at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Previously he served as Director of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington, Opinion Page editor of the Washington Jewish Week and Deputy Director of the President's Commission on the Holocaust where he authored its Report to the President. He has taught at Wesleyan University, Yale University and has served as a visiting professor at George Washington University, The University of Maryland, and American University. Berenbaum is the author and editor of sixteen books, scores of scholarly articles, and hundreds of journalistic pieces. His most recent books include: A Promise to Remember: The Holocaust in the Words and Voices of Its Survivors and After the Passion Has Passed: American Religious Consequences.

Michael Berenbaum’s lecture at the Athenaeum is sponsored the Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights.

Exercise Your Human Rights: Vote

Tomorrow our nation has an important decision to make. I feel very strongly about my choice for president, but I'm not writing to endorse him here. I'm writing because it is important for our nation that all eligible Americans vote.

Voting is important because we can use it to protect our human rights and the rights of others, both domestically and internationally. One of the great things about our Declaration of Independence is that it brought the ideas that would eventually tear down the arbitrary rule of tyrants to do whatever they wanted. Let's remember these words:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Another Powerful set of principles lies in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Article 21
(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives
(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public services in his country
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Voting is important for human rights for two reasons. First of all, if government does not have elections, it is not deriving its power from the consent of the governed and is thus violating an entire nation's human rights. Secondly, democracy ensures that people have a voice, thus guaranteeing themselves greater protection against human rights abuses. However, if you don't use that voice to speak up for the rights of yourself and others, those rights remain in danger.

Make sure your human rights aren't violated: vote.

The polling place for any student registered at their 5C mailing address is Edmunds Ballroom, Smith Campus Center, Pomona's campus.

An Evening with Madame F

Wednesday night, the Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights and the Athenaeum are jointly sponsoring Claudia Stevens performance of An Evening With Madame F. The performance, which integrates both theater and and music, has been widely acclaimed. It tells the story of a Jewish musical performer and concentration camp survivor reflecting back on her experiences. See below for the description from the Athenaeum's Fortnightly:

An Evening with Madame F

CLAUDIA STEVENS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2008

An Evening with Madame F is the internationally acclaimed musical drama created by Claudia Stevens for her performance as pianist, singer, and actor. Adopting the persona of an elderly concentration camp musician who had performed at Auschwitz, Stevens uses music actually played and sung by women inmates there. She draws on first-hand accounts to depict the struggle and moral dilemma of women who survived through performance. And, as a daughter of Holocaust survivors, she also meditates on the ethical problem of treating the Holocaust as the subject for artistic expression. One of the most honored Holocaust-related performances before the public, An Evening with Madame F was produced for television by PBS affiliate WCVE.

Claudia Stevens visit is jointly sponsored by the Center for Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights and the Athenaeum.

Claude Alexandre Speaks at the Athenaeum

Little coverage is given to the humanitarian crisis going on in Haiti right now. Hurricane Gustav, earlier this summer, killed many, but destroyed the livelihoods and communities of a countless number of more people. Micro-finance institutions had been operating in these areas for a few years assisting in development programs. However, Gustav destroyed the businesses of many of those receiving micro-finance loans. Claude Alexander, from Fonkoze, the largest Haitian micro-finance NGO, will be speaking on the topic at the Ath on Monday night. Here's the description from the Athenaeum's Fortnightly:

Microfinance, NGO's, and the Emergency in Haiti

CLAUDE ALEXANDRE

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2008

Claude Alexandre is a member of the board of Fonkoze, one of Haiti's largest and most influential micro-finance NGOs and a consultant and business adviser to non-profit organizations and NGOs. He will discuss the world of micro-finanace through the prism of Haiti and its attempts to recover from severe damage suffered in a hurricane this summer. More than 18,000 of Fonkoze's clients lost their businesses entirely.

CMC's Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights has begun a Haiti Initiative to aid Fonkoze and its clients in recovery and reconstruction.

Give Troy Davis Another Chance

If you've been reading the blog, you've read the updates we've had on Troy Davis, a man sentenced to death in Georgia despite a complete lack of physical evidence tying him to the case. He was supposed to be executed today, but on Friday he was given another shot. Read the message below from Amnesty International:

I am delighted to share some good news with you! Troy Davis received a stay of execution based on a new last-minute appeal filed this past Wednesday to the federal appeals court in Atlanta. As a result, he will not be executed on Monday, October 27th, as originally scheduled. Your action has succeeded in putting a spotlight on Troy's case worldwide and bringing about this victory. At least 300,000 individuals have written letters in support of Troy. Additionally, prominent leaders such as former President Jimmy Carter, the Pope, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have all called for justice in this case. Yesterday, Amnesty International organized a Global Day of Action in which hundreds of activists in dozens of countries around the world came together to stand in solidarity for Troy. From Atlanta to Seattle, New York to Paris and Milan– hundreds of supporters gathered at rallies wearing T-shirts and holding signs that read "I am Troy Davis." On Wednesday, the European Legislature issued a statement calling for Troy's execution to be halted. While we pause to celebrate this good news, we cannot forget that Troy still faces the very real possibility of execution—despite the fact that no physical evidence tied him to the 1989 murder of a police officer in Savannah, GA, and that 7 of the 9 eyewitnesses have since recanted their testimony. This case has taken many twists and turns. On September 12th, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles denied clemency for Troy Anthony Davis, and scheduled his execution for September 23rd. The U.S. Supreme Court stayed Davis' execution just hours before it was scheduled to take place. But in deciding not to hear his case, the court lifted its stay and a new execution date was set for Monday, October 27th.

Global Day of Action On Thursday October 23, in 30 cities around the globe, activists stood up for justice and in support of fairness for Troy Davis.

We now await the decision of the federal appeals court, which will determine whether Troy's case warrants a new hearing. We believe their ruling could happen at any time during the next month. I want to thank you again for playing such an essential part in Amnesty International's efforts to bring justice for Troy Davis. That's why I hope you'll take a minute right now to join Amnesty International and help us keep up this fight. To stay informed about Troy Davis' case and to find out how to take additional actions, please visit: www.amnestyusa.org/troydavis In solidarity, Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn Director, Death Penalty Abolition Campaign Amnesty International USA

Human Rights in the News

NYT -- Hu Jia Wins Prestigious Human Rights Award, Chinese Government Upset.
Hu Jia is a human rights activist in China who has been jailed for his
criticism of China's human rights violations and his testimony before the European Parliament. He is an example on an individual who has rightly placed the value of human rights above others, dedicating his life to help AIDS victims, advocate for the legal rights of political dissidents, protect the environment, and promote democratic reforms.

Market Watch -- Basic Freedoms Threatened in Trial Against Singaporean Opposition Leader
The opposition leader in Singapore has gone on trial for assembly without a permit. This basic freedom is fundamental, and its violations completely inhibit true political freedom. The American Founding Fathers faced similar restrictions from the British, which is why the First Amendment protects the freedom of assembly.

Reuters -- Malaysia Revokes Speaking Invitation to Human Rights Advocate
In face of pressure from the Iranian government, Shirin Ebadi, who was awarded the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, has been denied the previously offered opportunity to speak at the University of Malaya. Ebadi has been a strong, vocal proponent of the rights of women and children in Iran and thus the Iranian government has viewed her as a problem and sought to stifle her voice.

Human Rights in the News

Newsweek -- Interview with Ali Gomaa on Muslim Extremism
The grand mufti in Cairo was recently interviewed by Stryker McGuire of Newsweek. He is among 138 Muslim leaders who are speaking out for greater dialogue with the world's Christian community. Programs like these are important to dampen the extremism that can lead to terrorism.

Newsweek -- Resolving Environmental Injustice on a Local Level
Seeing new reports that show "localized pollution is the leading contributing factor to disabilities and disease in communities across the world", the study of environmental injustice is becoming more and more relevant. If these issues are not addressed, the basic human right to life is threatened.

The Economist -- Dealing with Israel's Settler Movement
This article by the Economist displays the diversity of problems involving Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The next Israeli administration will have the difficulty of finding a solution to these issues.

Human Rights in the News

HRW -- HRW Report on Human Rights in Columbia Released
Human Rights Watch has released a report on the human rights situation in Columbia. The article notes that paramilitaries are the main obstacle to progress, particularly because they have been engaged in "mafia-style" agreements with many government officials. President Uribe's majority party has often been an obstacle, however, engaging in often baseless attacks against members of Columbia's Supreme Court.

NYT -- Franco-era Mass Grave to be Opened
A Spanish Judge has ordered that a mass grave, which is believed to be the site of poet Federico Garcia Lorca's body, be opened as part of an investigation. According to the article, however, "[Lorca's] family... believes the reputed grave should remain intact as a testimony to the atrocities committed there."

Newsweek -- Ethnic Tensions Endure Under Government Controlled Jaffna
Security concerns has moved the Sri Lankan government to impose large restrictions on freedom of movement in Jaffna, a Tamil majority area in the north. Tamils claim they are under constant suspicion, and many have "disappeared".

Troy Davis and the Death Penalty Update

Checking my e-mail, I just received an update from Amnesty International on Troy Davis's death penalty sentence. The grave news is as follows:

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Troy Anthony Davis' appeal. His fate is back in the hands of Georgia authorities who may seek a new execution date at any time.

The Supreme Court's decision to deny Troy Davis' petition means that no court of law will ever hold a hearing on the witnesses who have recanted their trial testimony in sworn affidavits.

Doubts about his guilt raised by these multiple witness recantations will never be resolved. An execution under such a cloud of doubt would undermine public confidence in the state's criminal justice system and would be a grave miscarriage of justice.

The state of Georgia can still do the responsible thing and prevent the execution of Troy Davis:

• Write a letter to the editor calling on Georgia to stop the execution of Troy Davis!
• Call on the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles to reconsider its previous decision and grant clemency to Troy Davis.
• Urge your friends and family to go to amnestyusa.org/troydavis or text TROY to 90999 to add their voices to the over 200,000 that have already taken action on this case.

Human Rights in the News

BBC -- Women Recruited for Suicide Attacks by Militant Groups in Gaza
BBC reports on a development in the tactics used by religious extremist groups in Gaza: recruitment of women to carry out suicide attacks. The article, and suicide attacks by similar groups in general, displays the perversion of Islam by a minority of believers that needs to be confronted on the way to peace.

NYT -- Hindu Extremist Violence and Threats Against Christians on the Rise in India
Freedom of belief is a fundamental right that all people deserve. The flaring of religious tensions in India needs to be contained. India has a strong tradition of secularism that has resulted in a rich, pluralistic society. Hopefully, that tradition will be able to overcome the threats posed to all of Indian society by the recent treatment of Christian minorities by radical groups in the State of Orissa.


HRW -- A Call to Defend Human Rights Supporters from Government Encroachment
Human Rights Watch notes the dangers of a new law being considered by Ethiopia's parliament. The statement from HRW notes that : "The CSO law would bar both foreign and Ethiopian organizations that receive more than 10 percent of their funding from abroad from undertaking any activities in human rights, gender equality, children’s rights, disabled persons’ rights, conflict resolution, and strengthening judicial practices and law enforcement, among related activities." Such regulation is unnecessary and its only application will probably be government action against groups seen as a threat to its policies.

Children's Drawings from Darfur Exhibit

Anne Frank Center Announcement

The Anne Frank Center, USA, located in New York, is holding a special exhibit featuring drawings from refugee children in Darfur. Dr. Jerry Ehrlich smuggled the drawings out of Sudan by hiding them in a copy of the New York Times as he left the country. He spent two months in 2004 providing medical assistance to refugees at a refugee camp.

The drawings demonstrate the profound psychological effects on the children who have and continue to witness the genocide going on in Darfur. Children, given no instruction on what to draw, depict scenes of extreme violence. This speaks to the very heart of the evil behind this crime against humanity.

Thanks to Norine Zapata for the link.

Human Rights in the News

Human Rights Watch -- Bush Signs Child Soldier Accountability Act
Last Friday, President Bush signed into law the Child Soldier Accountability Act. According to HRW, "The Child Soldiers Accountability Act makes it a federal crime to recruit knowingly or to use soldiers under the age of 15 and permits the United States to prosecute any individual on US soil for the offense, even if the children were recruited or served as soldiers outside the United States." The law was introduced by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL).

BBC -- China and the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize
The Chinese Foreign Ministry recently released a statement that it hopes the Peace Prize will go to the "right person". Rumors have suggested that two Chinese human rights activists top the list of candidates. The award comes recently after many in the international community cry out that the Olympic games in Beijing have only made the human rights situation worse, contrary to the government's promises.

Human Rights in the News

BBC -- Growing Settler Violence In the West Bank
Olmert's words earlier in the week seem more powerful in light of this article from the BBC. A growing number of Israeli settlers, now a few hundred, in the West Bank are engaging in acts of violence against Palestinians. These acts of violence both contribute to a cycle of violence and hinder the Israeli military by forcing it to divert resources to intervene in these instances of violence. With more resources being spent on policing Israeli settlers, less resources are available to protect Israelis from militant attacks..

BBC -- Congo rebellion expands
A rebel general in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has shifted his goals. Formerly claiming to only seek the protection of his ethnic Tutsi group, he now claims, "We are going to liberate the people of Congo". The general announced he was walking out of a peace deal signed in January. There are 17,000 U.N. peacekeepers currently in the country.

NYT -- Zimbabwe: Life Under Hyperinflation
Zimbabwe's hyperinflation, stemming from irresponsible government practices, has dramatically damaged human rights in a country that was one of the most successful in Africa. The article explains the horrible conditions and denial of human rights that has resulted. Hyperinflation has denied education, health care, food, due process, and fair pay for work to a staggering number of individuals. Political wrangling over control of ministries between President Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition leader, is delaying the process. The Finance and Home Ministry, which might have a shot at stopping the hyper inflation, is among the ministries Mugabe refuses to relase control over.

The Economist -- Somali Piracy, the Need for Government, and Human Rights
The failure of Somalia's government is apparent by the abuse of human rights which now extend from that country. Freedom of travel, and even the right to life, is becoming increasingly at risk because of the lack of government. The Economist provides strong analysis of the situation in this article. The danger demonstrated by Somali pirates seizing a ship full of tanks and other weapons demonstrates that the root of human rights abuses here also presents a threat to people living anywhere in the world.

Troy Davis and the Death Penalty

Troy Davis's death penalty sentence points to a major inadequacy in our justice system's use of the death penalty. Despite many major pieces of evidence used against him being discredited, he still sits on Death Row, although the U.S. Supreme Court has just issued a stay of his execution. As Amnesty International explains:

Troy Davis was sentenced to death for the murder of Police Officer Mark Allen MacPhail at a Burger King in Savannah, Georgia; a murder he maintains he did not commit. There was no physical evidence against him and the weapon used in the crime was never found. The case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony which contained inconsistencies even at the time of the trial. Since then, all but two of the state's non-police witnesses from the trial have recanted or contradicted their testimony. Many of these witnesses have stated in sworn affidavits that they were pressured or coerced by police into testifying or signing statements against Troy Davis.

One of the two witnesses who has not recanted his testimony is Sylvester "Red" Coles – the principle alternative suspect, according to the defense, against whom there is new evidence implicating him as the gunman. Nine individuals have signed affidavits implicating Sylvester Coles.

The case demonstrates the great danger our nation encounters with its use of the death penalty: taking the life of an innocent man. We must not be complicit in such an action and take action to ensure that no innocent people are killed for the crime of another. Our justice system can protect us from criminals without the death penalty, but as experience has proven, we cannot prevent the death of innocent people while we still use the death penalty.

The following is a letter from Troy Davis that Amnesty International sent out in an e-mail:

To all, I want to thank all of you for your efforts and dedication to Human Rights and Human Kindness, in the past year I have experienced such emotion, joy, sadness and never ending faith. It is because of all of you that I am alive today, as I look at my sister Martina I am marveled by the love she has for me and of course I worry about her and her health, but as she tells me she is the eldest and she will not back down from this fight to save my life and prove to the world that I am innocent of this terrible crime. As I look at my mail from across the globe, from places I have never ever dreamed I would know about and people speaking languages and expressing cultures and religions I could only hope to one day see first hand. I am humbled by the emotion that fills my heart with overwhelming, overflowing Joy. I can't even explain the insurgence of emotion I feel when I try to express the strength I draw from you all, it compounds my faith and it shows me yet again that this is not a case about the death penalty, this is not a case about Troy Davis, this is a case about Justice and the Human Spirit to see Justice prevail.

Join the fight for justice. Troy Davis was sentenced to death despite a tainted case and serious claims of innocence. © Georgia Department of Corrections

I cannot answer all of your letters but I do read them all, I cannot see you all but I can imagine your faces, I cannot hear you speak but your letters take me to the far reaches of the world, I cannot touch you physically but I feel your warmth everyday I exist. So Thank you and remember I am in a place where execution can only destroy your physical form but because of my faith in God, my family and all of you I have been spiritually free for some time and no matter what happens in the days, weeks to come, this Movement to end the death penalty, to seek true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect the innocent must be accelerated. There are so many more Troy Davis'. This fight to end the death penalty is not won or lost through me but through our strength to move forward and save every innocent person in captivity around the globe. We need to dismantle this Unjust system city by city, state by state and country by country. I can't wait to Stand with you, no matter if that is in physical or spiritual form, I will one day be announcing, "I AM TROY DAVIS, and I AM FREE!" Never Stop Fighting for Justice and We will Win! -- Troy Davis

Human Rights in the News

NYT -- J.L. Chestnut Jr, Civil Rights Activist and Attorney, Passes Away
J.L. Chestnut Jr., led an incredible life in the U.S. Civil Rights struggle. The struggle between civil rights and human rights are often one and the same, as is the case in his work defending the lives and livelihoods of the oppressed.

Human Rights Watch -- Missing Rendition Victims in Ethiopia and Kenya
Citizens from 18 different countries were illegally arrested in 2007 while in Somalia and Kenya, then extradited to Ethiopian prisons. In Ethiopia, they were subjected to deplorable living conditions and torture: forced to crawl on gravel. genitals being crushed, and being beaten to the point of unconsciousness. At night they were taken out of the prison and interrogated by U.S. officials for suspected terrorism links. They have been denied access to courts or communication with their families. Many are still held in Ethiopian prisons.

Chicago Tribune -- AIDS Traced Back 100 Years Ago
Understanding the roots of the AIDS crisis is necessary to finding a solution to the humanitarian and human rights problems it causes. HIV/AIDS has led people and governments to desperation in which human rights are often disregarded. The virus has been traced back to the rise of cities and close living conditions, with the disease presenting itself earlier than originally thought.

Human Rigths in the News

Time Magazine on Olmert's Recent Statement about Israeli Borders

Good analysis of Olmert's comments, where the departing Prime Minister says that Israel needs to withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza in order to achieve peace. A major dissent from his previous hard-line views.


NYT -- French Muslims Find Haven in Catholic Schools

Seeking to avoid hostility to their faith, and many just a stronger education, French Muslims are increasingly enrolling in Catholic schools, many of which do not enforce the headscarf ban that exists in French public schools. If religious freedom is a human right, then some level of personal tolerance is necessary between individuals. Does the French government neglect the need for tolerance with the headscarf ban? Furthermore, what roles do religious institutions have in protecting the liberties of others? In this instance, it seems that the Catholic institutions are taking a role in protecting Muslims' religious freedom.

UN to review Israel's human rights track

Sep. 8, 2008
Tovah Lazaroff , THE JERUSALEM POST
A three-country panel was chosen Monday to examine Israel's human rights record as part of a Universal Periodic Review this year of 64 countries by the United Nations Human Rights council in Geneva.

All 192 UN states are subject to review.

According to Israel's ambassador to Geneva Roni Leshno Yaar, the review will be conducted by Nigeria, South Korean and Azerbaijan at the council's December session.

The council, which opened its September session on Wednesday, offers countries a limited right to replace the panel with alternative countries.

Israel, along with other Western countries, chose to stick with the initial panel assigned to them, said Leshno Yaar.

Turning to the 2009 anti-racism conference, dubbed "Durban II," which was also raised in the council on Monday, Leshno Yaar said he was struck by the positive-sounding statement by Pakistan's Ambassador, who spoke on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Pakistan's Ambassador said that the anti-racism conference "should not turn into an exercise in anti-Semitism and that doing so would be a clear violation of the Durban declaration and program of action."

As plans for the conference proceed, "I hope we will find that the OCI member states will stick to that commitment," said Leshno Yaar.

Israel has said it is likely to boycott "Durban II" out of a fear that it would be a repeat of the anti-Semitic and anti-Israel hate-fest that had characterized the first UN World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, which met in Durban, South Africa in 2001. Although the follow-up conference is to be held in Geneva, it has been nicknamed Durban II.

Canada has already said that it won't go, and the US, France, Great Britain and the Netherlands have also threatened not to attend.

Speaking Monday, in her first address before the Council since taking up her post at the start of December, the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay urged all countries to attend.

"Allow me to welcome the progress achieved thus far in the lead up to the anti-racism review conference... and in particular the productive discussions of the two regional meetings in Brasilia and Abuja," said Pillay.

"I urge those governments that have expressed an intention not to participate in the conference to reconsider their position," said Pillay, adding that their attendance would improve the conference.

"Without that participation, the anti-racism debate and agenda will be impoverished," said Pillay.

Israel remains firm in its intention not to go, said Leshno Yaar. But he added that if significant changes in the conference's stance toward Israel were made, the possibility remained that Israel could change its mind. But at this point, he said, he saw no sign that such a change was in the works.

Lost-boy Lomong to carry U.S. flag

Wed Aug 6, 2008 3:18pm EDT
By Mitch Phillips

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States chose former Sudanese refugee Lopez Lomong to carry their flag at Friday's Olympic opening ceremony in a move that could embarrass Sudan and its ally China.

Lomong, who spent 10 years in a refugee camp after fleeing his native Sudan as a child, was given the honor after a vote by the team captains of the entire U.S. Olympic squad.

"This is the most exciting day ever in my life," Lomong said in a statement by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) on Wednesday.

"It is a great honor for me that my team mates chose to vote for me. The opening ceremony is the best day and the best moment of Olympic life," added the 23-year-old, who will race in the 1,500 meters.

Lomong fled on foot from rampaging government-sponsored Arab militias in southern Sudan at the age of six in 1991, becoming separated from his parents.

His escape took place during the height of a civil war between Sudan's Muslim, Arab north and its Christian and animist south.

He eventually reached Kenya where he lived in a refugee camp for 10 years, the USOC said.

Along with thousands of similar children, known as "the Lost Boys of Sudan", he was eventually resettled in the United States and became a U.S. citizen in July 2007.

"I'm here as an ambassador of my country and I will do everything I can to represent my country well," Lomong said.

"This is another amazing step for me in celebrating being an American."

Lomong will be one of three foreign-born athletes representing the U.S. in the 1,500 meters.

World champion Bernard Lagat, who won Olympic silver and bronze in the event for Kenya, and Leonel Manzano, who grew up in Mexico, complete the lineup.

While Lomong will no doubt be concentrating on trying to win his race, his selection is likely to provoke extensive debate about China's relations with Sudan.

China is a major investor in the Sudanese oil industry and sells arms to Khartoum. Critics say self-interest has led China to shield the Sudanese government from pressure over the conflict in the western region of Darfur.

Some 200,000 people have died and an estimated 2.5 million been made homeless in five years of conflict in Darfur, according to international experts.

Khartoum puts the death toll at 10,000.

Human rights campaigners are believed to be planning to highlight the plight of Darfur in the run-up to Friday's opening ceremony.

The United States said on Wednesday it would protest to China over its decision to revoke the visa of Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek, an activist on Darfur.

Speedskater Cheek is co-founder of Team Darfur, an international coalition of athletes campaign to draw world attention to the humanitarian crisis there.

(Additional reporting by Simon Denyer; editing by Keith Weir)

Seattle Doctor Climbing World's Highest Peaks for Charity, Successfully Completes First Ascent

By Fred Jacobs

Dr. Boyer on Mt. McKinley

SEATTLE, Wa. — July 15, 2008 — Dr. Thomas Boyer, a physician specializing in emergency medicine, has successfully climbed Mt. McKinley, at 20,320 feet the highest peak in North America, the first in a series of ascents of the highest peaks on every continent in the world, including Mt. Everest. Dr. Boyer is climbing to raise funds to help amputees walk again, through his partnership with Seattle’s Prosthetics Outreach Foundation, an international humanitarian organization headquartered in Seattle. Only 45 other people in history have completed the challenge which Dr. Boyer has set for himself.

Says Dr. Boyer, “I have so much admiration for people who overcome challenges. To an amputee in a poor country with no healthcare system, the idea of walking again is about as big a challenge as climbing Mt. Everest. The Prosthetics Outreach Foundation has provided prosthetics limbs to over 14,000 amputees around the world during the past 20 years. I want to do whatever I can to help.”

On July 2, Dr. Boyer completed the first stage of his quest, with his successful ascent of Mt. McKinley (also known as Denali). The remaining peaks, known collectively with McKinley as “The Seven Summits,” are:

Europe: ............. Mt. Elbrus ................ 18,519 ft. ...... Aug. 2 - 15, 2008
Africa: ............... Mt. Kilimanjaro ....... 19,340 ft. ...... Aug. 16 - 24, 2008
S. America: ........ Mt. Aconcagua ......... 22,841 ft. ..... Nov. 28 - Dec. 21, 2008
Antarctica: ......... Mt. Vinson ............... 16,067 ft. ..... Jan. 2009
Asia & World: ..... Mt. Everest .............. 29,002 ft. .... Mar. - June 2009
Oceania: ............ Mt. Carstensz and .... 16,024 ft ...... Oct. 2009
........................... Mt. Kociuszko .......... 7,310 ft. ....... Oct. 2009

(There is debate over which seven peaks count as “the seven.” Some argue that Kosciuszko, the highest point in Australia, should be included. Others argue that Australia is not a continent, but that Australasia is, and that therefore Indonesia's Carstensz should be included. Dr. Boyer will climb all eight peaks.)

In addition to the above-named mountains, on August 26 - Oct 14 2008, Dr. Boyer will climb Cho Oyu in Nepal, the world’s sixth-highest peak at 26,906 ft., if the Chinese government opens the Tibetan borders.

“When Dr. Boyer said he wanted to make these climbs supporting our work providing prosthetic limbs to amputees in developing countries, I thought, this is going to help a lot of people walk,” said Fred Jacobs, Director of Development at the Prosthetics Outreach Foundation. “The money Tom raises will help war victims, accident victims, and children born with severe deformities. A few dollars worth of metal and plastic lets an amputee walk again, literally picking them up off the ground so they can support themselves and their family. They feel whole again, both physically and emotionally. The transformation is miraculous. I’m so excited about the good which is coming from these climbs. Our goal is to raise $150,000 in this campaign. One of our donors called it ‘unambiguously morally positive’ – I like that.”

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The Prosthetics Outreach Foundation works tirelessly to promote the right to walk for the underserved in Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, and Vietnam.

This Seattle-based non-profit trains medical personnel in its focus countries to manufacture, fit, and distribute prosthetic limbs to amputees. The staff of Prosthetics Outreach Foundation adapts their methods to the local conditions of each target country, identifying which local materials will create the best prosthetic limbs. This organization also devotes their efforts to the eradication of clubfoot, an immobilizing birth defect, using the effective Ponseti treatment for early stage treatment and surgery when necessary. When medical care alone is not enough, Prosthetics Outreach Foundation offers microloans to its patients.

Bangladesh: Prosthetics Outreach Foundation provides prosthetic and orthotic care to amputees and others with limb deformities.

Sierra Leone: Civil war created thousands of amputees. Mr. Gabrilla Sesay calls the microloan he used to start his bike shop "the life cable of my life."


Sierra Leone: Single Leg Amputee Sports Club, a partner of Prosthetics Outreach Foundation, presents the Makeni Amputee Soccer Team.

Vietnam: A clubfoot patient before and after her corrective surgeries.

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How to Support the Campaign
Donations are currently being accepted online at http://www.pofsea.org/ . Click on the “Donate” button at the top of the page. Or, mail donations to Prosthetics Outreach Foundation, 400 East Pine St Suite 225, Seattle, WA 98122

Learn more about Prosthetics Outreach Foundation and see pictures of Dr. Boyer’s Mt. McKinley climb at http://www.pofsea.org/ .