Weekly Action and News 06/10/2023
Manchester Amnesty Weekly Action and News
Please do this action and make a difference
The government’s Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) bill (colloquially known as the “anti-boycott” bill) presents a grave danger to local democracy. The main provision in the Bill is a prohibition on public bodies (including but not restricted to local government bodies) being influenced by “political or moral disapproval of foreign state conduct” when taking procurement and investment decisions. This means that the ability of public bodies to make ethical choices about spending and investment will be severely curtailed, thereby preventing them from incentivising positive change with respect to human rights, climate goals and international law. Furthermore, the bill takes a particular position on Israel, which is the only state that cannot be excluded from the prohibition. Every other state and territory in the world may be exempted from the main provision by the government. This extraordinary state of affairs demonstrates that one of the motivations behind the bill is to prevent the highlighting of human rights abuses currently being committed by the Israeli government against Palestinians.
Many civil society organisations are lobbying the government to express their opposition to this flawed and antidemocratic bill. This week, we are asking you to write to your local councillor(s) asking them to express their concerns to Michael Gove and the Prime Minister. We have prepared a letter for you and provided links for you to find the names, email addresses and postal addresses of your local councillors from the link below.
TAKE ACTION by scrolling down to the bottom of this page, where you will find the letter and address links
October monthly group meeting Monday 9th October, 7pm, online.
We will have an update on the Israeli Apartheid campaign, and discussion of the issues behind the most recent weekly action which relates to the Economic Activities (Overseas matters) bill currently going through parliament. Plus updates on climate rights and all our other campaigns.
Everybody is welcome, including new members, and we hope to see you there.
A zoom link will be sent out before the meeting. Please look out for it!
Wednesday October 11th, 7pm North West Regional Meeting ALL WELCOME!
Naomi Westland, AIUK Community Organising Manager, will speak on Activist Led Campaigning, the new initiative freeing up Amnesty activists to campaign on issues that we feel passionate about, whether or not they are AIUK priority campaigns. She’ll explain what Activist Led Campaigning is, why it has been introduced and what the current guidelines mean in practice.
Plus general catch up on North West events, Write for Rights 2023 and work around COP28.
Use this Zoom link to join. Meeting ID: 854 3196 0389 Passcode: 805966
Can you help out at our next craft stall?
25th October at the People’s History Museum in Manchester.
Help visitors to the stall to print messages on to pre-loved tee-shirts, and spread the word about climate rights and human rights. You can help even if you’ve never done wood block printing before, as we’ll show you what to do. It’s not difficult (although a bit messy).
We are short of plain pre-loved tee-shirts in all sizes (from 3 months to XXL).
If you can help or have any tee-shirts to donate please contact Kathryn bussk@btinternet.com
Tomorrow, 7th October, 2.30pm, Friends Meeting House, Manchester
Manchester - St Petersburg Friendship Society presents a talk by Sergei Nikitin, former head of Amnesty in Russia, on Quakers in Russia 1916-1931
Members who missed Sergei’s excellent talk in February, sponsored jointly by Freedom from Torture and Manchester Amnesty, may be interested in this talk, as indeed will anyone wants to hear Sergei again. Admission is FREE
HOME Manchester, October 10-12th
Curious Monkey and Hamzeh Al Hussien present
PENGUIN
“A timely and moving but often funny production about the refugee and migrant experience that sees an engaging cast directed with flair"
Book tickets here. Penguin - HOME (homemcr.org)
Rethink Rebuild Society is pleased to invite you to
How housing affects the lives of refugees in the UK
A conversation with Professor Phil Brown, in English and Arabic
As part of 'Refugees, the Lived Experience' series
Wednesday, 18 October, 7.30 - 8.45 pm
Online Event via Zoom, please register here
The next Acoustic Amnesty gig
will take place on Friday 8th December, 7.30 pm at Sacred Trinity Church
to raise funds for Amnesty and Safe Passage International https://www.safepassage.org.uk/
Tickets available here
WeGotTickets | Simple, honest ticketing | Acoustic Amnesty gig for Safe Passage refugee charity
Good news
Brazil – On September 21, the Federal Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the so-called “time-frame,” according to which native peoples would only be entitled to reserves they already occupied prior to the 1988 constitution. The court said that the areas occupied subsequently by native peoples are linked to their ancestry and tradition and enjoy constitutional protection.
United States of America – On September 28, a federal district court ruled that Scott Panetti, on Texas death row for nearly 30 years, cannot be put to death because of mental health issues at the time of his conviction, when he was clearly not competent to stand trial.
Manchester Amnesty issue and campaign coordinators
Anti-racism –Hazel Errey hazelerrey@gmail.com next meeting 4th October, contact Hazel for link
Craftivism – Lima Al-Iskalachi limazakoor@gmail.com
Europe/ Turkey Fatih Segmen - fsegmen@yahoo.com
Human Rights in the UK Lancine Sacko - sacko10@hotmail.co.uk
Individuals at Risk (bi-monthly appeal writing drop ins) - Anne Walker anne.walker9@ntlworld.com
Manchester Central Library café, 2-4pm 4th Saturdays November, January, March, May, July
Israel's Apartheid Against Palestinians - Mike Reed mikewreed101@gmail.com
LGBTQ+ and Pride coordinator – Zoe Song weiyi.zoe.song@gmail.com
Press freedom and Julian Assange – Lima Al-Iskalachi limazakoor@gmail.com
Refugees – Alison Wearden alison.wearden@gmail.com
UAE – Kathryn Fletcher bussk@btinternet.com
Communications Secretary
Manchester Group of Amnesty International
Please contact me with items for our Weekly Action and News email, or with ideas for longer articles for the quarterly Manchester Amnesty Group Bulletin.
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