with Shirin Caldwell
Shirin Caldwell © 15 March 2020
Amnesty International – Urgent Action Network
Peace and Social Justice Group – February 2020 update
with Paul Henriques
Read below, or download the PDF
Paul Henriques © 16 February 2020
Duffy Books in Homes
Our Peace and Social Justice (PSJ) sponsorship of the Glen Taylor School, which enables their participation in the Duffy Books in Homes programme, continues to reward us with great satisfaction. The children are thriving with the supplied books. PSJ representatives will attend a role model assembly at the school in March and I’m sure Brenda and Gary will provide more details on that after we’ve been.
Continue reading Peace and Social Justice Group – February 2020 updatePeace & Social Justice Group – October 2018 Update
Amnesty International
What does Amnesty do?
We investigate and expose the facts, whenever and wherever abuses happen.
We lobby governments, and other powerful groups such as companies. Making sure they keep their promises and respect international law.
Each month we write letters in response to Rapid Action requests from Amnesty International.
The October letter is written for the Nicaraguan student leaders and others who had been arrested and detained for exercising their rights to peaceful protest about the Nicaraguan authorities increasingly repressive strategies including promoting a Shoot to Kill Strategy and Repression of Social Protest in Nicaragua. One of the students arrested is a young medical student and cousin of a New Zealand citizen.
Duffy Books in Homes
Gary, Paul, Angela and Brenda were very happy to attend the Duffy Role Model’s Assembly at Glen Taylor School last month. Thanks to the PSJ Group and the Church’s congregation, our Church is able to provide 50% of the cost of new books distributed to the pupils at Glen Taylor School on an ongoing basis. The books given are ones that the children choose, and take home to keep. Quite a moving thought isn’t it, helping kids build up a Library of their own at home!
The students were a delight and the staff welcoming. We look forward to building a closer relationship with the school’s management and students, with possible assistance in other areas. We hope to be able to bring some ideas for participation to the congregation early next year.
Pacific Dyslexia Programme
Paul reports that the Tongan dyslexia project ran well this year and has now finished as students are busy after school studying for their end of year exams. The tutors from the Library Trust we work with are looking forward to next year. In Samoa the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture have restarted the dyslexia project on a small scale and have asked about our idea of developing a Samoan version of the Steps dyslexia programme.
Amnesty International – Urgent Action Network
A group in our congregation is working with Amnesty International’s (AI) “Urgent action campaign”.
An “Urgent action” is initiated when an individual is in immediate danger of human rights violations. A I then mobilises a dedicated group of letter writers to take action in the form of letters, email or fax. The letters ask that officials improve human rights of the situation of the individual.
Amnesty International New Zealand is a part of the Amnesty International network, an international nonprofit organisation working to end human rights abuses. It is one of more than 80 nationally organised sections of the global Amnesty movement.