COME CELEBRATE HUMAN RIGHTS DAY, Saturday, December 10: Film showing “The Exonerated” (prisoners first sentenced to death, then proved not guilty) at Cinemapolis. 5:15 pm, free. Brief discussion, letters to sign. Bring friends.
If you can’t come, but you’d still like to take part in Amnesty’s yearly Write-a-Thon (Dec. 3-11), sign up at the site http://www.amnestyusa.org/writeathon/and write at least one letter!
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MEETING Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011, 7:30 pm at Cornell’s Kahin Center, 640 Stewart Ave. Info: 273-3009.
>> Can’t be at the whole meeting? Come early or late, sign even a single card!
AGENDA:- Write letters on Urgent Action cases, cards, petitions: signatures are powerful!
- Report on AI’s Write-a-thon, Dec. 3–11, and Human Rights Day, December 10 (showing a film at Cinemapolis).
- Plans for Jan. 11 action to close Guantanamo–it’s been open 10 years too long. Cortland students are going to D.C.
- Plans for an area meeting in Ithaca for activists and groups in upstate NY–when, where?
- Reports and updates on campaigns; plans for the future. Petitions for our Prisoner of Conscience Charles Ntakirutinka.
NEXT MONTH’S MEETING: Tues. Jan. 17, 2012 at the Kahin Center. Always the 3rd Tues. at 7:30.

Dec. 10th is International Human Rights Day and Amnesty International participates in the Global Write-A-Thon. As part of the commemoration the Ithaca AI group will be screening the film “The Exonerated” at Cinemapolis, downtown Ithaca (E. Green St. across from the bus stop) on Dec. 10 at 5:15 p.m. with discussion to follow. There will be a chance to sign petitions and write letters as well. The screening is free and open to the public. Hope to see you there.

Joan Baez will play at the State Theatre in Ithaca on November 5th. She is a longtime activist and helped establish Amnesty International chapters on the West Coast. The Ithaca AI group will have a table at the event.

Nathson “Nate” Fields, an exonerated death-row inmate, will speak at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Ithaca Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Our Amnesty International Ithaca group is cosponsoring this talk with Witness to Innocence. Over the last decades over 100 people on death row have been exonerated. A powerful reason to abolish this practice! The talk is open to the public. Hope to see lots of folks!

Come & bring friends to the wine and cheese/fundraiser, Sun. Oct. 30, 2-5,
at Wetherbees’, 604 Highland Rd. Invitations on their way to you.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Group #73, ITHACA. October 2011 NEWSLETTER.
Come & bring friends to the wine and cheese/fundraiser, Sun. Oct. 30, 2-5,
at Wetherbees’, 604 Highland Rd. Invitations on their way to you.

MEETING Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011, 7:30 pm at Cornell’s Kahin Center, 640
Stewart Ave. Info: 273-3009.
>> Can’t be at the whole meeting? Come early or late, sign even a single card!
AGENDA: – Write letters on Urgent Action cases, cards, petitions: signatures
are powerful!
- Planning for fundraiser Sunday October 30: the invitations are all done,
now we need to think about refreshments.
- Plans for an area meeting on October 29th in Ithaca for activists and
groups in upstate NY–space at the UU Church?
- Episcopal Peace Fellowship hosts a speaker: an exonerated death-row
prisoner. Methodist Church Oct. 27. We’re co-sponsors.
- Early planning for AI¹s Write-a-thon, Dec. 3­11, and Human Rights Day,
December 10. Shall we show a film, hold a vigil?
- AIUSA on dangerous proposed legislation (would keep Guantanamo open
forever); good proposed legislation (the Dream Act).
- Reports and updates on campaigns; plans for the future. Petitions for our
Prisoner of Conscience Charles Ntakirutinka.
NEXT MONTH’S MEETING: Tues. Nov. 15, 2011 at the Kahin Center. Always the
3rd Tues. at 7:30.

Amnesty bases its work on the 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
30 articles with rights we all should possess everywhere. An article for
October: Art. 5. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment. See all 30 (at our site, thanks to
Govind) http://www.ithacaamnesty.org/?page_id=33 or in your favorite
language at http://www.ohchr.org/en/udhr/pages/introduction.aspx.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Group #73, ITHACA. September 2011.
Join with Ithaca AI and call for Troy Davis’s life to be spared–Friday Sept. 16, front of Library, Cayuga & Green St., 5 pm!

MEETING Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011, 7:30 pm at Cornell’s Kahin Center, 640 Stewart Ave. Info: 273-3009.
>> Can’t be at the whole meeting? Come early or late, sign even a single card!
AGENDA: – Write letters on Urgent Action cases, cards, petitions: signatures are powerful!
- Planning for fundraiser Sunday October 30: we’ll need to write the invitations and get together to put them into envelopes.
- Banned Books Week 2011 is from September 24 to October 1. Amnesty takes part with actions supporting threatened writers and journalists–thanks to Thesil Morlan of Amnesty Maine.
- Our yearly pledge of financial support to Amnesty International USA.
- Episcopal Peace Fellowship hosts a speaker: an exonerated death-row prisoner. Methodist Church Oct. 27. We’re supporting the event.
- Reports and updates on campaigns; plans for the future. Petitions for our Prisoner of Conscience Charles Ntakirutinka.
NEXT MONTH’S MEETING: Tues. Oct. 18, 2011 at the Kahin Center. Always the 3rd Tues. at 7:30.

Dear Amnesty International Supporters,

Friday Sept. 16th the Ithaca Chapter of Amnesty International is participating in the International Day of Solidarity for Troy Davis. We are meeting at 5 p.m. outside the Tompkins County Library, downtown Ithaca (corner of E. Green and South Cayuga St) to rally and gather signatures for last-minute petitions.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Group #73, ITHACA. August 2011 NEWSLETTER.

MEETING Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011, 7:30 pm at Cornell’s Kahin Center, 640 Stewart Ave. Info: 273-3009.

>> Can’t be at the whole meeting? Come early or late, sign even a single card!

AGENDA:- Write letters on Urgent Action cases, cards, petitions: signatures are powerful!

- Summer Solidarity Action: send cards/letters/messages of support to people endangered for their free speaking in Bahrain, Colombia, Guatemala, India, Iran, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Zimbabwe.

- Amnesty International USA’s Monthly Campaigns Bulletin: Aug. 30 is Day of the Disappeared; oil industry: clean up pollution in the Niger Delta (Nigeria); keep Congress from making Guantanamo permanent.

- Reports and updates on campaigns; plans for the future. Petitions for our Prisoner of Conscience Charles Ntakirutinka.

NEXT MONTH’S MEETING: Tues. Sept. 20, 2011 at the Kahin Center. Always the 3rd Tues. at 7:30.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Group #73, ITHACA. July 2011 NEWSLETTER.
MEETING Tuesday, July 19, 2011, 7:30 pm at Cornell’s Kahin Center, 640 Stewart Ave. Info: 273-3009.
>> Can’t be at the whole meeting? Come early or late, sign even a single card!
AGENDA:- Write letters on Urgent Action cases, cards, petitions: signatures are powerful!
- Summer Solidarity Action: send cards/letters/messages of support to people endangered for their free speaking in Bahrain, Colombia, Guatemala, India, Iran, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Zimbabwe.
- Reports and updates on campaigns; plans for the future. Petitions for our Prisoner of Conscience Charles Ntakirutinka.
NEXT MONTH’S MEETING: Tues. Aug. 16, 2011 at the Kahin Center. Always the 3rd Tues. at 7:30.

Amnesty bases its work on the 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 30 articles with rights we all possess everywhere. An article for July: Art. 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 to equal access to public service 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.
See all 30 in your favorite language at http://www.ohchr.org/en/udhr/pages/introduction.aspx.

SAMPLE LETTER: Sudan. A human-rights activist from the Nuban ethnic group was arrested near the capital June 25 and is being held in secret. Please send this letter or write your own to the President of Sudan at the address given (98c airmail postage). Extra effect: send a copy to the Minister of Justice Mr Mohammed Bushara Dousa, Ministry of Justice, PO Box 302, Al Nil Avenue, Khartoum, SUDAN (98c stamp or fax 011 249 183 764 168) and to Ambassador John Ukec Lueth Ukec, Embassy of Sudan, 2210 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington DC 20008 (regular 44c stamp, e-mail: sudan@sudanembassy.org or fax 1 202 667 2406). Source: Urgent Action 205/11, 30 June. See it at: http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa20511.pdf (others that are still valid = uaa01211, 03411, 03611 etc.).

POSTAGE rates: US cards 29c, letters 44c. Cards/letters to Canada and Mexico 80c, other countries 98c.

TV Show: Cable Channel 13. Cameraman Jurden Alexander & producer Wies van Leuken’s series Over the Shoulder has many items of human-rights/Amnesty interest. Weekly 1-hour premiere & 3 repeats: Tue. 9 pm; Wed. 1:30 pm; Thu. 11 am; Sat. 11 pm.
104  Summertime Block Party at GIAC             7/12,13,14,16
Highlights of the 2nd annual block party outside the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC), 7/5/08, MC Jhakeem Haltom, with Sonya Hicks, Kevin Kinsella’s original roots reggae band, Taina Asili with Taina y La Banda Rebelde, Money Mars aka Darell Tate, AKA Patrick Booker, Orlande McBean, Lito with music by Thousands of One and Mbusi.
21  The Jones Benally Family Dance Troupe       7/18,20,21,23
Mr. Jones Benally and his three children present Navajo music, songs and dances at the 2005 Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg.
40  Saving the planet – one step at the time            7/26,27,28,30
Environmentalist John Francis gave up motorized transportation for 22 years and for 17 of those did not speak either.  At the 2007 Grassroots Festival he talked about his many experiences.  Filmed & produced by Jurden Alexander
73  A Reading by Charles Simic, US Poet Laureate                 8/2,3,4,6
Charles Simic, US Poet Laureate, reads from his work. Part of the Reading Series presented by the English Department, Cornell U.
71  A Reading by Patrick Somerville     8/9,10,11,13
Patrick Somerville is the author of “Trouble” and “The Cradle”. Cornell English Department’s Reading Series.
>Public Access TV http://www.timewarnercable.com/northeast/,http://pegasys.webstarts.com/ is open to area residents: learn to make and broadcast your own shows! Technical questions: lauren.stefanelli@twcable.com <

EVENTS IN THE AREA: The Cornell AI group and SUNY Cortland AI: back in September.
Cornell Cinema premieres “The Time That Remains,” Elia Suleiman’s film about four eras of Palestinian life. Willard Straight Hall, July 14th at 7:45, 16th at 7:30, 19th at 7:45.
Don’t miss the Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg July 21-24: http://www.grassrootsfest.org/festival/. It’s a benefit, some of the musicians are rights activists and exiles, all of the musicians will please your listening ear.
Learn some Spanish in a weekend: try the 10th Annual CISPES-CUSLAR Spanish for Activists Camp July 29 – 31. Panels and events for families. Info: http://www.cuslar.org/ or write tocuslarspanishcamp@gmail.com.

OUT IN THE WORLD: Amnesty International keeps up with events. Recent items onhttp://blog.amnestyusa.org/, many with calls for your support: a welcome to the new nation of South Sudan, July 9; Bangladesh must enforce its Supreme Court’s ruling against do-it-yourself religious punishments; trying a Somali suspect; an attempted-murder victim opposes the death penalty for his assailant in Texas (please add your name at www.amnestyusa.org/stopthecycle).
You’re arrested in another country. Do you have the right to see your consul for help? International laws and agreements say you do. Texas says you don’t. In a death-penalty case involving Mexican citizen Humberto Leal, tried for murder without adequate legal help, it spurned pleas from Pres. Obama, former Pres. Bush, the International Court of Justice, Mexico, the UN… The U.S. Congress is now considering legislation to require consular access, but the Supreme Court declined (5-4) to stay the execution till the bill could be acted on. Mr. Leal was executed July 7.
No good news about Troy Davis: the Supreme Court won’t hear his appeal. The AI blog post address says it all: http://blog.amnestyusa.org/deathpenalty/troy-davis-and-our-unfixable-death-penalty/. Please go there and take action.
Support rights to a clean environment! Oil companies in Nigeria’s Niger Delta don’t want to use the gas from their wells, so they just flare it (burn it on the spot), and dangerous pollution results. This summer AI starts pushing for a more comprehensive cleanup of oil pollution in the Niger Delta region. ACT NOW Call on the Nigerian government and multinational oil companies active in the Niger Delta region to end flaring: www.amnestyusa.org/endgasflaring.
Amnesty has an action for Gilad Shalit, Israeli soldier held secretly as a hostage by Hamas since 2006. See: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=16200 .

Going away? Should we drop your address, or change to e-mail? Tell us c/o W. Browne, 206 Eddy St., Ithaca NY 14850, 273-3009, e-mail ewb2@cornell.edu. Info: coordinator Ute Ritz-Deutch PO Box 855, Ithaca, NY 14851, uteritzdeutch@yahoo.com, tel. (607) 351-8033.