Amnesty International has been working on the contested death-penalty case of Kevin Keith in Ohio together with many other organizations. We featured his case in our group’s July newsletter, noting that he had four alibi witnesses who were not all heard at his trial, and that police testimony cited witnesses who in fact didn’t exist or weren’t present. We are now all requested to sign the on-line petition for him before his last hearing; details below. Please sign it at http://bit.ly/bVkroo if you have not already done so!
Next meeting of the Ithaca group: Tues. Aug. 17, 2010 at the Kahin Center, 640 Stewart Ave. Info: 273-3009. Always the third Tuesday at 7:30.

>> 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!
- Reports from the U.S. Social Forum, Detroit, June 22-26: AI’s campaign on maternal mortality in the U.S. (http://www.amnestyusa.org/demand-dignity/page.do?id=1041191); other human rights sessions (pressing U.S. authorities to provide rights guaranteed by international agreements; the U.S.’s upcoming statement before the U.N. Universal Periodic Review). See http://www.upr-info.org/.
- Reports and updates on campaigns; plans for the future.
NEXT MONTH’S MEETING: Tues. Aug. 17, 2010 at the Kahin Center. Always the third Tuesday at 7:30.

Amnesty bases its work on the 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 30 articles with rights we all deserve everywhere. An article for July: Art. 25. (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection. – See all 30 at http://www.ithacaamnesty.org/?page_id=33.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Group #73, ITHACA. April 2010
MEETING Tuesday, Apr. 20, 2010, 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 Amnesty’s Annual General Meeting (New Orleans April 9-11). Our delegates: Ute, Andy.
- May Day event…
- Reports and updates on campaigns; plans for the future.
NEXT MONTH’S MEETING: Tues. May 18, 2010 at the Kahin Center. Always the third Tuesday at 7:30.

In accompanying Newsletter:

• article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• sample letter: Azerbaijan
• postage rates
• TV schedule
• events in the area (May Day defending immigrants/refugees; a Lost Boy of Sudan speaks Apr. 23-24)
• out in the world (new Amnesty secretary general; Amnesty actions)
• from other sources

At its Feb. 16 meeting the group unanimously elected Ute Ritz-Deutch. Ute teaches history and human rights courses at SUNY Cortland, and is active in the Tompkins County Immigrant Rights Coalition.  Welcome Ute.  She can be contacted at uteritzdeutch@yahoo.com.

- Amnesty’s Annual General Meeting coming up (New Orleans April 9-11). How should our delegate vote? Who else would like to attend? Info http://www.amnestyusa.org/agm.
- Working with Tompkins Immigrant Rights Coalition: come to immigration reform rally March for America on Sunday March 21 in Washington, D.C. (http://tcirc.wordpress.com/).
- Reports and updates on campaigns; plans for the future.
NEXT MONTH’S MEETING: Tues. Apr. 20, 2010 at the Kahin Center. Always the third Tuesday at 7:30.

NEW COORDINATOR: at its Feb. 16 meeting the group unanimously elected Ute Ritz-Deutch. Ute teaches history and human rights courses at SUNY Cortland, and is active in the Tompkins County Immigrant Rights Coalition.

Amnesty bases its work on the 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 30 articles with rights everyone should have everywhere. An article for March: Art. 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. – See all 30 at http://www.ithacaamnesty.org/?page_id=33.

SAMPLE LETTER: Iran. Azarbaijan (not only the name of a country) also refers to provinces in NW Iran where people speak the Azarbaijani Turkic language, not officially recognized. The Traktor Sazi soccer team in Tabriz is a favorite symbol for Azarbaijanis. Soccer journalist Abdollah Sadoughi, a team fan, printed posters for it in the local language and was then arrested Jan. 18. AI considers him a Prisoner of Conscience for his work on language rights. Please send this letter or write your own to the local judiciary head at the address given (98c Air Mail). Extra effect: send a copy to Iranian Interests Section, 2209 Wisconsin Av NW, Washington DC 20007 (Fax 202 965 1073, E-mail: requests@daftar.org). See: Urgent Action 51/10 Mar. 9. http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa05110.pdf.

POSTAGE rates: US cards 28c, letters 44c. Canada cards/letters 75c, Mexico 79c, other countries 98c.

TV Show: Cable Channel 13. Cameraman Jurden Alexander and producer Wies van Leuken’s series “Over the Shoulder” has many items of human-rights/Amnesty interest. Weekly 1-hour programs (premiere, 3 repeats) Tue. 9 PM; Wed. 1:30 PM; Thur. 11 AM; Sat. 11 PM.
#108  The Food and Financial Crises         3/9,10,11,13
…and their Impacts on the Achievement of Millennium Development Goals in Africa. Conference at CU’s Institute for African Development, May 1-2, 2009. Session 1 Causes and Consequences of the Food and Financial Crises. Moderator David Lee; Speaker Keith Wiebe.?Followed by Amnesty International’s “Stop Violence Against Women” campaign video.
#109  The Food and Financial Crises, continued         3/16,17,18,20
Session 2 Case Studies of the Impact of Food Prices on Poverty and Food Security. Mod. David Sahn; Speakers Nicolette Gibson, Ernest Aryeetey.
#110  The Food and Financial Crises, continued         3/23, 24,25,27
Session 2 Case Studies of the Impact of Food Prices on Poverty and Food Security. Speaker Kenneth Simler.?Followed by Amnesty International’s “Childsoldier.”
#111  A reading by poet Natasha Trethewey        3/30, 31, 4/1, 3
Ms. Trethewey is the Phillis Wheatley Distinguished Chair in Poetry at Emory University and the author of Native Guard, Bellocq’s Ophelia and Domestic Work.  She read from her work at Cornell University, February 25, 2010.
#112 The Trouble with Africa: Why Foreign Aid Isn’t Working        4/6,7,8,10
Robert Calderisi, Africa Commissioner, Commission on Effective Development Cooperation with Africa gave a talk on his experiences at the Institute for African Development, CU on November 12, 2009.
>Public Access TV http://www.pegasysaccess.org is available to local residents: learn how to make and broadcast your own programs!<
* (up-to-date schedules http://www.pegasysaccess.org/info/ch13sched.shtml)_
Congratulations to Jurden Alexander on the special award at the Pegasys yearly awards ceremony March 5!

EVENTS IN THE AREA: Cornell Amnesty is working on immigration reform, ending automatic detention: see http://www.amnestyusa.org/immigration-detention/page.do?id=1641031. Benefit concert Apr. 29. Info elr64@cornell.edu.

AI at SUNY Cortland: Info liz.perry@cortland.edu / jessie.steinberg@cortland.edu.

March 3 the Common Council of the City of Ithaca, NY unanimously passed a resolution affirming the city’s appreciation of its immigrants and urging the U.S. Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform!

Land of Plenty? Voices of Recent Immigrants at Work in Tompkins County. March 25th, 5:30pm. The History Center presents immigrants speaking on their journey to America, efforts to find work, and what they do for a living.

OUT IN THE WORLD: AI’s CAFRAN = Central African network has several appeals for action (human rights defenders in Democratic Republic of Congo, Conflict Minerals Act pending in the U.S. Congress, attacks on opposition politicians in Rwanda): see the Feb. newsletter at http://tinyurl.com/yfyvmql. Our group is a member of CAFRAN.

Amnesty USA is campaigning for President Obama not to give up on trying terrorism defendants in federal courts. Courts are designed to determine guilt or innocence; for civilians, they do it more reliably than military bodies. See http://www.amnestyusa.org/counter-terror-with-justice/page.do?id=1011329.

Join AI in calling for justice for 45+ women arrested, then raped by police in Atenco, Mexico: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=13770&ICID=I1003A02&tr=y&auid=6033999.

Poverty = denial of human rights: many actions http://www.amnestyusa.org/demand-dignity/page.do?id=1041191.

FROM OTHER SOURCES: “A Houston judge ruled that the Texas death penalty procedures are unconstitutional… hearing on April 27 to hear evidence on the issue. State District Judge Kevin Fine said he wants more information before making a final decision about whether the state’s death penalty statute allows for the possible execution of an innocent person.” From Texas Moratorium Network, Austin: http://www.texasmoratorium.org/.

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 uteritzdeutch@yahoo.com, tel. (607) 351-8033.

The Ithaca Amnesty International group invites the public to its
Human Rights Day candlelight vigil and letter-signing: 5 to
6:30 pm, Thursday, Dec. 10, at the center pavilion on the
Ithaca Commons. Info: 273-3009.

As always, we will be meeting at the Kahin Center, 640 Stewart Ave starting at 7:30pm.  Look forward to see you!

The Amnesty International chapter in Ithaca will be holding it’s annual fundraiser, November 21.  Details to follow.

TV Show: Cable Channel 13. Cameraman Jurden Alexander and producer Wies van Leuken’s series “Over the Shoulder” has many items of
human-rights/Amnesty interest. Weekly 1-hour programs (premiere, 3
repeats) Tue. 9 PM; Wed. 1:30 PM; Thur. 9 AM; Sat. 11 PM.

*98  The Prospects for Peace in the Middle East   *10/13,14,15,17
General Anthony Zinni,  Cornell’s Frank Rhodes Class of 1965 Professor,
gave his views on the Middle East peace process April 21, 2009.
*99   Biofuels: Myths of the Agrofuels Transition *10/20,21,22,24
A talk by Eric Holt-Gimenez from the Institute for Food and Development
Policy.
*100  Sojourner Truth – Writing the Life of a Legend *10/27,28,29,31
Author Margaret Washington discusses her book “Sojourner Truth’s America”.
*101  Millennial Militarism                       *11/3,4,5,7
Presentation by Michael Geyer, Faculty Director of the University of
Chicago’s Human Rights Program, Cornell University, April 17, 2009.
*102  Democratization in Africa                    *11/10,11,12,14
Festus Mogae, President of Botswana 1998-2008, spoke at Cornell University
April 7, 2009.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Group #73, ITHACA. October 2009 NEWSLETTER.
MEETING Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 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!

- Plans for fundraiser. It’ll be November 21 at Wetherbees’; we need to
write the invitation letter, and then gather to put letters in envelopes.

- Improving our outreach and communications: a visitor from Ithaca College
has suggestions.

- Reports and updates on campaigns; plans for the future.
NEXT MONTH’S MEETING: Tues. November 17, 2009 at the Kahin Center.

Always the third Tuesday at 7:30.