Showing posts with label Amnesty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amnesty. Show all posts
Tuesday, 21 November 2017
Friday, 11 July 2014
Your Majesty, Your Excellency, Urgent Action
It feels pretty much automatic to be writing out my name and address for the umpteenth time on yet another set of letters for Amnesty Bahrain. For various reasons I have been quite unable to write for over 6 months, but it is good to be back.
No changes at the top I see, all the same names. I will have to ask about the price of stamps, it was 88p, but has it changed?
Do the officials get bored of the endless letters arriving each morning?
I guess I will never get a visa to go there given the letters I write, so my one visit pre-children may well have been it. The airport was very luxurious, uncrowded and pleasantly cool in the middle of the night, changing planes on the way to Singapore. I had a long skirt on and long sleeves. I had studiously avoided talking to my male neighbour on the plane, trying not to be a loose western woman, but the coffee and food was lovely. I wonder which airline it was?
No changes at the top I see, all the same names. I will have to ask about the price of stamps, it was 88p, but has it changed?
Do the officials get bored of the endless letters arriving each morning?
I guess I will never get a visa to go there given the letters I write, so my one visit pre-children may well have been it. The airport was very luxurious, uncrowded and pleasantly cool in the middle of the night, changing planes on the way to Singapore. I had a long skirt on and long sleeves. I had studiously avoided talking to my male neighbour on the plane, trying not to be a loose western woman, but the coffee and food was lovely. I wonder which airline it was?
Monday, 17 December 2012
Why write for Iran, Iraq and Bahrain?
Back in the summer I went on my first demonstration. I met many people as we demonstrated and marched from the Bahraini to the Saudi embassies via Hyde Park Corner. We asked each other the usual questions like: Is this your first demonstration? One lady told me she had been on loads both in Iran and now in the UK. None of the people I spoke to said they were Bahraini. I recognised the gory photo on the banners from Twitter and stood so I couldn't see them all over again and again.
I also went to a poetry reading at the Pimlico offices of the Refugee Centre. There I chatted to a man who had come from Iraq. He told me that what had happened in Serbia/Yugoslavia wasn't my fault, which I appreciated hearing. I explained to him how years ago I saw a Bosnian woman sitting on the pavement with a cardboard placard begging in London and felt afraid of what I assumed would be her hatred if she knew I had Serbian family.
Because of these two encounters I decided to write Amnesty letters for Iran and Iraq in addition to Bahrain.
I also went to a poetry reading at the Pimlico offices of the Refugee Centre. There I chatted to a man who had come from Iraq. He told me that what had happened in Serbia/Yugoslavia wasn't my fault, which I appreciated hearing. I explained to him how years ago I saw a Bosnian woman sitting on the pavement with a cardboard placard begging in London and felt afraid of what I assumed would be her hatred if she knew I had Serbian family.
Because of these two encounters I decided to write Amnesty letters for Iran and Iraq in addition to Bahrain.
Thursday, 4 October 2012
Written portrait of Dr Ali Al-Ekri of Bahrain
The Bahrain Mirror online newspaper has published a biography of Dr Al-Ekri, following a number of 3 hour discussion sessions. There would have been more, but he was arrested this Tuesday, the 2nd October. I hope there will be more sessions of telling his story once he is free again.
Please check 'Amnesty Bahrain' every so often to see if there is a letter action you could take in order to support the activism and peaceful protest of Dr Al-Ekri and so many others.
Some months ago I sent him a tweet to say that I had written on his and the other health professionals behalf and would continue to do so. He tweeted me back to say it was an honour. I felt so small beside such bravery.
Please check 'Amnesty Bahrain' every so often to see if there is a letter action you could take in order to support the activism and peaceful protest of Dr Al-Ekri and so many others.
Some months ago I sent him a tweet to say that I had written on his and the other health professionals behalf and would continue to do so. He tweeted me back to say it was an honour. I felt so small beside such bravery.
Friday, 11 May 2012
I see I am in Twitter Jail for my activities on the Bhtorture hashtag
403 Forbidden (rate limit exceeded)
Well, that was quick! I'll be back on the case in an hour or however long it is before I am allowed back online.
Time for a refreshing walk round my lovely village. I can make it a little pilgrimage visiting the post boxes I use for my one way Amnesty-inspired correspondence with the King of Bahrain, his ambassador to the UK, Ireland, Sweden and Norway and various Ministers. One day these endless polite letters including the words 'torture or other ill-treatment' won't be needed.
Well, that was quick! I'll be back on the case in an hour or however long it is before I am allowed back online.
Time for a refreshing walk round my lovely village. I can make it a little pilgrimage visiting the post boxes I use for my one way Amnesty-inspired correspondence with the King of Bahrain, his ambassador to the UK, Ireland, Sweden and Norway and various Ministers. One day these endless polite letters including the words 'torture or other ill-treatment' won't be needed.
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Tinsel down my neck
I thought something was a bit itchy...it was the last length of glittery streamer! I love wearing a paper hat and pulling explosive streamer things which make a loud bang.
We have been sitting around the miraculously tidy and beautiful kitchen table; watching the Queen's Speech at my mother in law's; sharing out presents; watching and appreciating the 9 lessons and carols; doing a countdown at 10 seconds to midnight last night then wishing each other Happy Christmas for the first time of the day.
There is a tradition in our family of phoning my parents A and I bang in the middle of the meal to pass on good wishes and any funny stories. So I did that at lunchtime and also in the evening to catch my aunt and uncle E and S. I caught my brother J on the motorway yesterday on his way to be with them.
Yesterday I was quietly looking at the presents under the tree and noticed that the cat from next door had curled up under it. She had not knocked over a single card. Everyone else rushed down to see her there. That was the end of her peaceful nap because we made such a noise and happy fuss about her.
Every so often during the day we come together to do a special event at a time we agree, then we go our separate ways for a break. The degree of wanting our own company is pretty much equal between all 5 of us.
One of my plans for tomorrow is to go into the church and sit by my Amnesty tree for a little while. I have little paper candle and barbed wire logos to hang from the branches. I cut them out from the mailings I get. They each have a loop attached made from black thread. There isn't yet a take away slip with details for how to find the local group, so ideally I will create those too.
We have been sitting around the miraculously tidy and beautiful kitchen table; watching the Queen's Speech at my mother in law's; sharing out presents; watching and appreciating the 9 lessons and carols; doing a countdown at 10 seconds to midnight last night then wishing each other Happy Christmas for the first time of the day.
There is a tradition in our family of phoning my parents A and I bang in the middle of the meal to pass on good wishes and any funny stories. So I did that at lunchtime and also in the evening to catch my aunt and uncle E and S. I caught my brother J on the motorway yesterday on his way to be with them.
Yesterday I was quietly looking at the presents under the tree and noticed that the cat from next door had curled up under it. She had not knocked over a single card. Everyone else rushed down to see her there. That was the end of her peaceful nap because we made such a noise and happy fuss about her.
Every so often during the day we come together to do a special event at a time we agree, then we go our separate ways for a break. The degree of wanting our own company is pretty much equal between all 5 of us.
One of my plans for tomorrow is to go into the church and sit by my Amnesty tree for a little while. I have little paper candle and barbed wire logos to hang from the branches. I cut them out from the mailings I get. They each have a loop attached made from black thread. There isn't yet a take away slip with details for how to find the local group, so ideally I will create those too.
Saturday, 10 December 2011
Busy crashing
I finally settled down to do some research for the Amnesty Christmas Tree I am decorating for the Tree Festival at our village church.
There is a certain irony in this. Were I not trying to do a PR job via a tree, I would be doing some actual letter writing. I have already promised 5 letters for the Amnesty USA Write-a-thon happening right now. There are 3 new actions for Bahrain too. I am half way through reading the BICI report, but had to take a break when I found it too dense. So that is on hold too.
Last night I was so exhausted I lay on the sofa for 6 hours. I spoke and moved my hands a bit as gestures to go with the speech, but that was it. No eye opening or laundry, washing up, cooking, tidying or general organizing and communicating with others operations.
The lesson I draw from this is that it is a good thing different people are full of energy at different times. Overall it will balance out. If sofa time is needed then so be it.
I did manage to light a log fire though....and collect a pillow and duvet.
There is a certain irony in this. Were I not trying to do a PR job via a tree, I would be doing some actual letter writing. I have already promised 5 letters for the Amnesty USA Write-a-thon happening right now. There are 3 new actions for Bahrain too. I am half way through reading the BICI report, but had to take a break when I found it too dense. So that is on hold too.
Last night I was so exhausted I lay on the sofa for 6 hours. I spoke and moved my hands a bit as gestures to go with the speech, but that was it. No eye opening or laundry, washing up, cooking, tidying or general organizing and communicating with others operations.
The lesson I draw from this is that it is a good thing different people are full of energy at different times. Overall it will balance out. If sofa time is needed then so be it.
I did manage to light a log fire though....and collect a pillow and duvet.
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