Duke Human Rights Coalition

Situation Somalia

2011-08-31T17:18:00.002-04:00

The start of a new year, and with it new problems. We've all heard about the drought- but keep up to date, because we'll be tackling it this semester.

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/08/2011830112614475886.html

The Yes Men Hack the iPhone

2010-11-23T10:58:00.000-05:00

Hilarity Ensues.

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/11/yes-men-iphone-congo

Chinese Human Rights Abuses

2010-11-20T20:20:00.001-05:00

What an article, courtesy of China.

http://gizmodo.com/5689288/why-are-chains-growing-out-of-this-mans-skin

Summer Recap

2010-07-07T18:05:00.002-04:00

Hey all,

The blog hasn't stayed up to date recently, and I apologize for that.

So here's a quick recap for those who want to know what we were up to last year...

PURPLE went off great! We made a big splash converting the bus stop into makeshift refugee center complete with refugees. All day people coming off the C-1 were reminded, however briefly, of the reality of the situation. They don't have a choice to quit when it starts raining, so we didn't either. Ultimately, at the end of the day we got up and went back to the dorms, but I'd like to think that at least a couple people went home and thought about the world, how it is today. Maybe they even looked up a couple of facts...maybe they were shocked at the numbers they found (there are 33 million refugees in the world today).

Take a look: http://millionsoulsaware.org/

That was just our part of purple though. The big picture was just as successful- check out their site! http://www.unitepurple.org/

And if you like to write, we've got news for you: last year's Chronicle column should be online for another year. Hopefully we can keep spreading the news, keep bringing a little reminder of what we're passionate about to the student body.

Welcome Class of 2013!

2009-08-18T17:31:00.008-04:00

Now that the obligatory address to the freshmen is over with, on to the heart of it.

Short version: things are changing, fast. By things, we mean the DHRC organizational structure itself, the intensity of our actions, the loftiness of our goals, and the size of our operation. That's a lot of verbiage for "its a good time to be new here."

Let me give you a taste of things to come.

1) PURPLE

2) A brand new chronicle column and/or undergraduate publication

3) A DukeEngage project (? -this really depends on you guys)

4) A shiny new three tiered system that lets you focus on fundraising, event planning, and marketing independently if you wish (no worries for those just coming back, you can participate in all three as well. This is more for those who have a real interest/knack in one area and less love for the others).

5) Taking over the world and outlawing death.

6) Expanded membership base and leadership opportunities

7) Darfur Monologues

Six of those things are completely true, and one is a slight exagerration. But if any of these things gets you excited, you belong with us! Shoot an email to dukehumanrightscoalition@gmail.com and welcome aboard.

Even better, if you see something missing from that list- you're golden. Because we always need bigger and better ideas. Feel free to badger us with multiple emails about your ideas and how we're implementing ours. Actually, I haven't really told you how we're implementing ours...because you have to come to meetings for that (or at least wait for more blog posts).

The bottom line is, the winds of change are coming. Duke's going to be an exciting place for human rights activism this semester, so don't miss out.

Three Lost Boys at Duke

2009-03-19T23:44:00.005-04:00

Other members of the class of 2012 will remember the story of the Lost Boys from Valentino Deng's story "What is the What." For those of you who don't know, "The Lost Boys" is the name given to around 27,000 displaced boys from the Second Sudanese Civil War.

Three of these guys are coming to Duke on Tuesday, March 24th, at 4:30 PM in the Fleishman Commons of the Sanford Institute for Public Policy.

Here's some biographical information of the three Lost Boys I'm "borrowing" from the nice people at the orientation office:

Samuel Anei - While in Kenya's Kaukuma Refugee Camp, Samuel was Captain of the Napata Secondary School Soccer Team and a volunteer for the Netherlands Olympic Committee. Since coming to the Chicago area, Samuel served as President of CALBOS, Chicago Area Lost Boys Association in 2005 and as Secretary of the Young Christian Association. Currently, Samuel lives and works in Illinois, and also attends community college, studying business. Lost Boys Rebuilding Southern Sudan is very important to him because he believes in the value of bringing secondary education to his homeland. Knowing that education of girls is especially important to helping a culture to alleviate poverty, Samuel envisions a day that Sudanese schools will not only teach literacy in math and reading, but also encourage both boys and girls participation in sports. He recently participated in the Clinton Global Initiative University Conference in New Orleans where he was given the honor of introducing President Bill Clinton.

William Mou - William Mou is one of the Lost Boys of Sudan who has been given the opportunity of not only living in the United States, but also of becoming one of her citizens. William lives in Carol Stream, Illinois, with his wife, Adut, who attends ESL classes, and their two children, Deng and Alor. Employed at Excel in Elgin, William attended classes at Elgin Community College and hopes to continue with his schooling in the near future. Besides serving with the Lost Boys Rebuilding Southern Sudan, his other volunteer activities include coaching soccer, which he has done for many years, starting in Kaukuma, Kenya¹s refugee camp.

Joseph Akoon - Born in 1980, Joseph spent much of his escape from Sudan traveling with Valentino Achak Deng, author of What is the What. They traveled thousands of miles together over several months and Joseph is referenced several times in the book. Joseph and Valentino are from the same town in southern Sudan and bonded over their love of sports. Joseph currently lives in High Point, North Carolina, with his wife and 11 month-old child, where he works and attends community college.

Saffron Revolution comes to Duke

2009-02-21T23:06:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday, February 25th, Buddhist monks U Pyinyar Zawta, U Gawsita, and U Pyinnyar Thiri are coming to Duke to talk about Burma and the Saffron Revolution. The Saffron Revolution was the name given to a series of protests against the Burmese military junta starting in 2007. Led by the 30,000 Buddhist Monks, hundreds of thousands of Burmese peacefully protested against the undemocratic and undeserving government.

Find out more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Burmese_anti-government_protests

Three of these monks will speak of their experiences on 2/25/2009, 5:30 pm, Von Canon B in the Bryan Center at Duke. This will be an amazing opportunity to meet and listen to those who have lived through one of the most important human rights issues of our age.

Be there!

Bring a Banaa Scholar to Duke!

2009-01-30T21:55:00.004-05:00

Announcing Duke Human Rights Coalition's newest initiative!

This semester, we are putting pressure on the administration to bring a Sudanese scholar to our own University. Torn asunder by war and genocide, Sudan is in dire need of a new brand of leader. Duke is the perfect place to create those leaders- and Duke Human Rights Coalition is doing all it can to get administrative approval. Right now, we have to show the administration that the Duke Community acknolwedges and supports this attempt to fight poverty and genocide with education and empowerment. Read below to find out more or click the link to sign the petition.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/bring-a-banaa-scholar-to-duke

A short blurb from our President, James Tager:

The Banaa Scholarship Program brings Sudanese survivors of atrocity to study
at major U.S. universities. The program selects highly motivated and
qualified students who are dedicated to the cause of seeing peace in their
homeland. They have the motivation; what they need is the education. With a
university degree, these scholars-for-peace can help end the regional
conflict that has plagued Sudan for decades. This would include bringing an
end to the genocide in Darfur, which continues today.
Duke University is a perfect fit for any Banaa Scholar, regardless of his or
her area of study. Be it public policy or medicine, ethics or engineering,
our scholastic programs are second-to-none. The Banaa Scholarship has found
a group of students who can truly use all the skills that a Duke education
can provide. These scholars-for-peace are reaching out a hand; it's up to
us, as a community, to take that hand. It's not just that the Banaa Scholars
could benefit from going to Duke. We could benefit from having a Banaa
Scholar.

For more information about the scholarship, we encourage you to visit
www.banaa.org.

Tibet Theme

2008-02-24T15:45:00.032-05:00

The Situation: Criticism of China through a human-rights framework sometimes includes not just China's foreign relations but also domestic ones. One such example is Tibet. China invaded Tibet, which it claimed was originally part of China, in 1950. A treaty was signed in 1951, where Tibet acknowledged China's claim of sovereignty. Since then, the Tibetan government-in-exile has alleged a systematic pattern of human rights abuses, including claims of an apartheid-based system. The Chinese government disputes these claims, pointing out that Tibet was an autocratic country before its unification with China. Human rights groups also document human rights abuses and point out the destruction of thousands of monasteries and the lower standard of living for native Tibetans.

What We're Doing: The Monday before LDOC, DHRC plans to throw a birthday celebration/awareness raising event for the Panchen Lama. The Panchen Lama, religious successor to (HH) the Dalai Lama, was detained by the Chinese government when he was 6 years old, making him, at the time, the youngest political prisoner in the world. Since then, China has appointed its own Panchen Lama, one who is disputed by the Tibetan government-in-exile.

What YOU Can Do (Right Now!): All of these links provide you the opportunity to read up on the issue of Tibet, and offer you the chance to encourage China to do more for the Tibetan people. Many campaigns require only a few moments of action on your part.

http://www.tibet.com/Proposal/5point.html (5-Point Peace Plan for Tibet): Read up on the official plan for peace in Tibet, set forth by (HH) the Dalai Lama.

http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/section.php?id=13 (STF: Human Rights): This site lists several campaigns to advance human rights in Tibet, and explains how you can help.

http://www.tchrd.org/ (The Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy): Check out the "Urgent Actions" section for actions you can take. These Urgent Actions usually only take a minute or two.

http://www.racefortibet.org/ (Race for Tibet): This site was formed specifically to deal with the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Read up on the Olympics or Tibet-Chinese relations, sign a petition, or get a free bumper sticker!

Burma Theme

2008-02-24T15:45:00.031-05:00

The Situation: Burma (or Myanmar as it is officially called) is currently ruled by one of the most callous regimes on the planet. A military junta has controlled the country since 1962, relying heavily on a policy of fear and intimidation to rule. The military regularly conscript children to fight as soldiers, and crushed democratic elections in 1988. Just this past year, the 'Saffron Revolution' occurred, with thousands of Buddhist monks protesting the regime. In the resulting crackdown, the monks were slaughtered.
Like Sudan, Burma has very little international credibility. And like Sudan, one of the few governments with a good relationship with Burma is China. China, as of yet, has not brought its significant political/economic power to bear on its client state.

What We're Doing: DHRC is working to create an event where Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the democratic opposition in Burma, does not come to speak. You read that last sentence right. Aung San Suu Kyi, a national symbol of hope to Burma, has been under house arrest for years, imprisoned by the military junta. Our un-event will instead feature a documentary and discussion about Ms. Suu Kyi and Burma.

What YOU Can Do (Right Now!): The following links all have actionable campaigns. Many should take only moments to complete.

http://www.freeburmacoalition.org/ (Free Burma Coalition): This site has a debate as to the efficacy of sanctions on Burma and advises how to ethically buy Burmese products, or how to be an ethical tourist.

http://www.ncgub.net/ (National Coalition Government of of the Union of Burma): The official site of the Burmese government-in-exile. The site has several actionable campaigns, including how to help free Ms. Suu Kyi.

http://www.eliewieselfoundation.org/ (Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity): Founded by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, this site has a letter protesting the abuses in Burma. It's signed by 72 Nobel Prize recipients. Read it!

http://uscampaignforburma.org/ (US Campaign for Burma): This site has a "Take Action" section, with several easy actions, such as signing petitions online. Occasionally the site does not work; if so, try Googling the UK Campaign for Burma instead.

Sudan Theme

2008-02-24T15:45:00.030-05:00

The Situation: The Sudanese government has been waging war on its own people, especially in the region of Darfur, for years. Up to 400,000 people have been killed, and millions displaced. China is a leading economic partner of Sudan, using them as both a source for oil and a market for weapons. Many anti-genocide activists believe that if there is to be an end to what President Bush has officially declared to be 'genocide' in Darfur, it will happen when China puts significant economic and political pressure to bear on Sudan.

What We're Doing: So far, DHRC is hoping to organize a group of Duke students to attend an Olympic Run for Darfur in New Bern County, NC. The event is meant to juxtapose the 2008 Olympics marathon with a marathon for human rights here in the U.S. The marathon occurs March 26th; if interested, contact jrt6@duke.edu.

As well, DHRC plans to begin talks with the administration about a Banaa scholarship, which would bring a Sudanese refugee here to study at Duke University.

What YOU Can Do (Right Now!): The following links all have campaigns which you can help with. Most take no more than, literally, a few minutes.

http://www.standnow.org/ (STAND): DHRC is proud to be a registered STAND chapter. STAND is a student group working to end genocide. Their new campaign focuses on the President, and encourages him to lobby China. It only takes a few moments to endorse the campaign on their website.

http://www.1800genocide.com/ (1-800 Genocide): This website shows you how to call your elected representatives for free, and tell them to do what they can to help end the genocide. The hotline gives you the talking points; all you have to do is call!

http://www.genocideintervention.net/ (Genocide Intervention Network): This site also lets you endorse the new "Executive Legacy" Campaign, which STAND created. As well, you can educate yourself as to the many different genocides throughout the globe.

http://darfurscores.org/reportcards (Darfur Scores): This website will tell you exactly how your Senators and Representatives have voted on the Darfur genocide. Don't like how your congressman/woman has done? Fill them in!

DHRC's Campaign for Fall 2008: The Beijing Olympics

2008-02-24T15:45:00.029-05:00

This September, the People's Republic of China will host the 2008 Olympic Games. This is a historic opportunity for China to present both its historic past and promising future to the world. The slogan for the Beijing Olympics is "One World One Dream", and Beijing organizers claim the Olympics will express "the common wishes of people all over the world, inspired by the Olympic ideals, to strive for a bright future of Mankind".

At the same time, China has been criticized for several noticeable human rights failures. Many human rights groups have called for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics. There has even been a labeling of the Beijing Olympics as "the Genocide Olympics", and a comparison to the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany.

The DHRC is not calling for a boycott. Instead, we would like to take this historic opportunity to encourage China to use the upcoming Olympics to make a bold statement, by taking significant steps to champion the cause of human rights.

The DHRC is hoping to focus on three issues in which the Chinese government has been repeatedly criticized: Sudan, Burma, and Tibet.

Sudan and Burma are both governments with close economic and political ties to China. At the same time, the governments of Sudan and Burma are committing acts of genocide against their own people. China has supposedly sold weapons to both governments, and, through its economic partnerships, has essentially financed acts of mass murder.

Tibet is a part of China that was previously an independent nation. The Tibetan government-in-exile-, led by Nopel Peace Prize recipient, (HH) the Dalai Lama, alleges that China's rule over Tibet is illegitimate. Human Rights groups also claim that the freedoms of native Tibetans are being violated.

Listed below are the three campaigns; what is happening, what events we hope to organized, and most importantly, what YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW to help stop human rights abuses. We will include links to many human rights/activist groups, who will share more information about human rights abuses, as well as their own respective calls for action.

While some of our links may advocate or encourage a boycott, DHRC would like to make it clear: The Duke Human Rights Coalition is not running a politically motivated campaign. We are not calling for a boycott. We are not attempting to engage in China-bashing.

We are trying to raise awareness for the issues of human rights. We are encouraging people to put pressure on China to send out a strong, clear, and positive message regarding human rights before, during and after the Beijing Olympics. They can do this by taking measurable steps towards ending human rights atrocities within their own borders and around the world.

China hopes to become a leader on the world cultural stage with an inspiring Olympics display.
We'd like theme to become a leader on the issue of human rights, as well.

Divestment Recommendations for Duke

2007-05-10T08:53:00.000-04:00

Following an April 2 meeting with Provost Peter Lange - where we were informed that Duke had already sold the last of its direct holdings in "offending" companies- we proposed four recommendations to ensure that Duke refrains from financially supporting genocide and other human rights catastrophes in the future.

1. Remain directly divested from Sudan. The university should not directly invest, or reinvest, in the offending companies.

2. Decrease or limit current co-mingled investments in offending companies. Duke holds shares in co-mingled funds not specifically targeted by our divestment campaign. These co-mingled funds include mutual funds, for example, that invest in offending companies. The administration should consider divesting from these funds, or at least not invest any more money in them.

3. Apply pressure strategically to divest co-mingled funds. The university administration should continue acting proactively, by contacting the managers of mutual funds in which Duke is invested and asking them to divest from offending companies.

4. Maintain appropriate oversight of university investments. Since Duke’s holdings are not publicized, the student body has no way to independently verify the university’s divested status. The Duke University Management Company and the University Priorities Committee should reevaluate Duke’s holdings on a regular basis to confirm that the university remains divested from offending companies.
These proposals were addressed to the President’s Special Committee on Investment Responsibility, the University Priorities Committee, and any other bodies associated with the review procedures codified in the University’s Guidelines on Socially Responsible Investing.

The international movement to divest from Sudan would benefit substantially from a public expression of support by an institution as reputable as Duke. To go on record as one of dozens of colleges and universities that have taken deliberate, proactive measures to restrict their investments in a genocidal regime would represent a lasting tribute to the values for which Duke stands. Accordingly, we asked that the University release a public statement of the fact that it is no longer invested in the offending firms, along with a sincere pledge to adopt the recommendations outlined above.

A letter containing these recommendations was sent to Provost Lange the week following our meeting and a follow-up email was sent May 3.

Programming Ideas for next year (Your input welcome!)

2007-04-25T18:54:00.000-04:00

(Please consult 1) www.standnow.org, 2) Chronicle coverage of past Darfur activities for campaign ideas, 3) UNC Darfur group, 4) Save Darfur event archive for ideas.)

Try to have one major event every month to maintain the momentum and student interests =)

1. Produce a staged reading "Darfur Stories"

Please contact James Tager or Chloe Chien for the script.
Could fundraise through this performance.
Make use of the Darfur Score Cards as well.

2. Documentary screenings

God Grew Tired of Us (Work with devin.alavian@duke at Freewater to bring in this film, which costs $500-$1500 for license and shipping.)
All About Darfur (Lilly 6563)
Darfur Diaries (Lilly 7927)
Lost Boys of Sudan (Lilly 4129)
There are also other films not about genocide, but about ethnic relations/history in Sudan. Search 'Sudan' in 'subject keywords' field.

3. Panel/speaker of writers, humanitarian workers, politicians, refugees, survivors, artists,

Reverend Warner (g.warner@duke) wanted to bring in a speaker in September

4. Conference/symposium
5. Lobbying for State divestment
6. Get Duke to publicly commit to future non-investment in Sudan
7. March/rally/vigil
8. Visual display- mock refugee camp, t-shirt display, life-size refugee cutouts
9. Die-in!
10. Tabling to collect signatures & Darfur Scores messages.
11. Make and give out t-shirts
12. Darfur Fast
13. Dinner fundraiser

Darfur Discussion in the Chronicle

2007-04-25T18:41:00.001-04:00

Organization of Duke Darfur Coalition

2007-04-24T19:42:00.000-04:00

The Duke Darfur Coalition steering committee:

James Tager (chair), Shuchi Parikh, Margo Hoyler, Josh Setzer, Var Shankar, Megan Bailey, Lydia Simmons
Duke Human Rights Coalition: Ashni Parekh, Laura Robinson, James Tager, Lindsay Adkin
Human Rights Working Group: Andres Luco, Catherine Workman, Aaron Young
Amnesty International: Mary Key
International Association: Yubo Gong
Social Justice Week: Adam Eaglin
Global Health Working Group: Matt DeCamp
Millennium Village Project: Damjan Denoble
STAND: James Tager
International Women's Health Alliance: Nora Dennis
Black Student Alliance: Ashley Banks?
Environmental Alliance
Global Grasp
Alpha Kappa Delta Phi: Katie Liu (dukeakdphi_vpservice@yahoo)
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority: Margaret "Grits" Farquharson
Progressive Alliance: Megan Moskop
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: Katie Howe
Westminster Fellowship: Ted Belsches
Duke Human Rights Initiatives (co-sponsor)

Please follow up with the following:

Social Impact Club: ?
Internationally Minded People of Faith: ?
Duke Democrats: ?
Black Seminarians Union: Christian Peele?
Duke Bridges International?
Duke Political Union

Our allies are UNC SUDAN, and Save Darfur Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill (contact tom_whitt@yahoo)