• Human Rights Response to Economic Crisis in the United States

Thursda, June 25, 2009 (6-8pm)

• USHRN Hosting ICERD Strategy Session - June 19 -20 in Atlanta

USHRN Conference Call - Universal Periodic Review - Weds. June 17 at 2 p.m. All UN member states are reviewed every 4 years. The U.S. is scheduled to be reviewed in December 2010. The ultimate goal of the UPR is the improvement of the human rights situation in every country with significant consequences for people around the globe. The UPR is designed to prompt, support, and expand the promotion and protection of human rights on the ground. The USHRN will be conducting a briefing to discuss how U.S. civil society can engage in this process. Call 1-800-704-9804 Code: 190985#. For more information, contact USHRN Executive Director Ajamu Baraka.

USHRN hosting preliminary ICERD strategy session - June 19 - 20 in Atlanta. The advancement of racial justice within a human rights framework has been an integral component of the work of the USHRN since its inception. We are looking to structure mechanisms by which ICERD can be used strategically to implement successful racial justice initiatives, including community organizing, policy directives, and legal actions. ICERD provides broad, objective legal standards through which to view disparate impacts of government policy and the intersections of race, gender, and class. racial justice. For interested individuals and organizations willing to help create a roadmap to racial justice using human rights. If you or your organization is interested in participating, contact Ramona Ortega at ramona.ortega@gmail.com or Kali Akuno at Kakuno@ushrnetwork.org by June 12, 2009. Limited travel scholarships available.

• Center for the Study of Human Rights 2009 Summer Term Courses 

CSHR's Human Rights Summer Program is offered in conjunction with Columbia University's Summer Term. The first academic human rights center in the world, CSHR provides excellent human rights education, fosters innovative, interdisciplinary academic research, and offers its expertise in capacity building to human rights leaders, organizations, and universities across the globe. For more information click here or contact the Center at 212-854-2479. Email at cshr@columbia.edu.

• Atlanta's Fourth Annual Latin American and Caribbean Film Festival

WHEN: Thursday, June 11 - Sunday, June 14, 2009
WHERE: Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, 101 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
CONTACT: 404 610 2807

Atlanta's Fourth Annual Latin American and Caribbean Film Festival Presents Films From 15 Countries in JuneOrganizers today announced the final program of the fourth annual Latin American and Caribbean Film Festival. From Thursday, June 11, through Sunday, June 14, 2009, nineteen recent films from across the Americas and the Caribbean will be screened at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, 101 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30303.The documentaries and dramas to be screened at the Latin American and Caribbean Film Festival feature the themes of culture and the arts, labor and immigration, grassroots media, and the spirit of resistance around the hemisphere. For more information and the screening schedule click here or call 404 610 2807.

• Southern Center for Human Rights Fourth Annual Benefit Party

WHEN: June 18 from 6:30pm to 9pm
WHERE: LOFT at Castleberry Hill
CONTACT: 404-688-1202

Dance, eat, drink, network.and celebrate the work of the Southern Center for Human Rights at the fourth annual benefit party, JUSTICE TAKING ROOT, on Thursday, June 18 from 6:30pm to 9pm at the LOFT at Castleberry Hill. All proceeds will benefit the Southern Center for Human Rights, an Atlanta-based, nationally-recognized public interest law firm that represents people facing the death penalty and brings class action litigation to protect the civil and human rights of people in the criminal justice system. For more info click here or contact Moki Macias at 404-688-1202.

• A Call To All People: Help Stop Human Rights Violations 

WHEN: June 19, 2009 from 5 - 10 PM
WHERE: Atlanta: Kings County Hospital Center Psychiatric Emergency Room Building R Clarkson Avenue

New York: New York Avenue and Winthrop Street Brooklyn, NY 11203
CONTACT: (516) 319-4295 / (301) 395-5378

Kings County Hospital Center Psychiatric Emergency Room Building R Clarkson Avenue @ New York Avenue and Winthrop Street Brooklyn, NY 11203 DEMONSTRATION & CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL In memory of Esmin Elizabeth Green Murdered-by-Neglect For more information or to become an individual endorser or organizational co-sponsor: Lauren Tenney (516) 319-4295 laurentenney@aol.com Daniel Hazen: (301) 395-5378 danhazeus@yahoo.com or here.

• Project South's Juneteenth Membership Gathering

WHEN: June 19 - 20, 2009
CONTACT: 404.622.0602

Exciting things are blooming for the summertime! On June 19-20, Project South's Juneteenth Membership Gathering will convene members, friends, and colleagues to participate in a visionary collective assembly process to determine community-based solutions to all forms of violence, including poverty and racism. The festivities begin Friday night, with the Family Reunion BBQ from 6-9pm.Saturday is an all-day gathering with workshops and a people's assembly from 10am-6pm (lunch provided with registration). Contact Taliba Obuya for more information 404.622.0602 - taliba@projectsouth.org Register Now!

• Breakthrough 

WHEN: Sunday, June 21, 7:00 pm Monday, June 22, 4:00 pm, Tuesday, June 23, 9:00 pm

WHERE: Walter Reade Theater at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, 165 W. 65th Street, New York City

Walter Reade Theater at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, 165 W. 65th Street, NYC. Breakthrough has partnered with Human Rights Watch to present the New York premiere of two moving films. "Mrs. Goundo's Daughter" tells the story of a West African mother's fight for asylum in the U.S. to protect her two-year-old daughter from female genital cutting. *The filmmaker will be present at all screenings.

• Train the Trainer Session 

WHEN: Thursday, May 21, 7:00 pm
WHERE: American Friends Service Committee, 92 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA 30303
CONTACT: 678-921-2707 / 404-523-3070 ext 2

Fee: $10

Someone Cares and Georgia Equality Invite you to attend a Train the Trainer Session on the National Transgender Education Project Curriculum. Monday, June 22 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. This curriculum has been tailored to LGBT-serving and LGBT-specific organizations, particularly those serving youth and young adults (under age 25). However, this curriculum works well and has been used successfully at many adult-serving organizations nationally. Georgia Equality office 1530 DeKalb Avenue, Suite A Atlanta, Georgia 30307 $10 registration fee will cover lunch, refreshments and materials. RSVP to Ronnie Bass: someonecares11@aol.com or 678-921-2707 or Jeff Graham: jeff@georgiaequality.org or 404-523-3070 ext 2.

• 2009 Summer Institute: After the Economic Meltdown: Building a Solidarity Economy 

WHEN: July 12-17, 2009
WHERE: World Fellowship Center, Conway, NH

CONTACT: 404-586-0460

Center for Popular Economics & the N.H. Program of the AFSC invite you to the 2009 Summer Institute "After the Economic Meltdown: Building a Solidarity Economy," World Fellowship Center, Conway, N.H. July 12-17, 2009. Learn how the economy works and gain tools to make your activism more effective. This is a week-long intensive training in economics for activists, educators, and anyone who wants a better understanding of economics. Our trainings are highly participatory and build on the knowledge and experience of our participants. No background in economics is required. The fee for tuition for the week is based on a sliding scale of $125-250. We have a limited number of scholarships. The cost of food & lodging is in addition to the program fee. Fees for food and lodging range from $294 for camping to $613 for the best single. For more information email: programs@populareconomics.org or call us at (413) 545-0743.

• Fundraising for US Human Rights Network

WHEN: Saturday, September 19, 2009

WHERE: Global

Daniel Hazen will be running on Saturday, September 19, 2009 to fund raise for the US Human Rights Network. He has accepted the 100 Mile Challenge as a commitment to promote Human Rights here in the US. As part of his commitment, he has promised to raise at least $3,000. The funds raised by completing this 100 MILE Run will enable the US Human Rights Network to continue its work. Please visit here.

• A Call For A Global Mobilization Against The G20 Summit

WHEN: September 24 - 25, 2009
WHERE: Global

A CALL FOR A GLOBAL MOBILIZATION AGAINST THE G20 SUMMIT IN PITTSBURGH, PA.SEPTEMBER 24 - 25, 2009, U.S. ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE - BUT WE MUST FIGHT FOR IT! JOBS & SOCIAL NEEDS--NOT WAR AND GREED

What you can do:

1) Endorse.

2) Spread the word - forward this message to friends, fellow activists, community organizers, trade unionists, and student organizations. Ask them to endorse and participate.

3) Donate to help with organizing expenses.

4) Volunteer.

5) Become a local organizer or organizing center. 

• Onslaught: Israel’s Attack on Gaza and the Rule of Law

  WHEN: Thursday, May 21, 7:00 pm
  WHERE: American Friends Service Committee, 92 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA 30303
  CONTACT: 404-586-0460

  During its 22 day offensive, Israeli forces killed more than 1400
  Palestinians, including at least 288 children, and injured over 5300,
  of which at least 1606 were children. The majority of those killed were
  civilians. Two weeks after Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire, a
  National Lawyers Guild Delegation of seven attorneys and one law
  student traveled to Gaza to investigate the circumstances that led to
  the massive Palestinian casualties, and to determine what, if any,
  violations of international law occurred, and whether U.S. domestic law
  was violated as a consequence.

Join us in hearing first hand reporting of the delegation’s experience in Gaza.

Speakers include:

Linda Mansour, member of the Guild Gaza delegation
David Gespass, National Lawyers Guild President-Elect

Sponsored by:

The American Friends Service Committee Middle East Peace Program
Movement to End Israeli Apartheid-Georgia
National Lawyers Guild Georgia Chapter
International Action Center
“Just Peace” WRFG 89.3
Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition
US Human Rights Network
Council on American-Islamic Relations Georgia
Joining Hands for Justice Atlanta/Palestine Committee of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta

• MondoHomo presents HomoCon!
  Saturday May 23rd, from noon-5pm at Eyedrum Gallery

  An afternoon of creative and political workshops to bolster our
  spirits! It’s one of several FREE! To all ages events at MondoHomo, and
  comes with a free catered brunch from Sun in my Belly, a tres delish
  eatery in Decatur. There are 2 sessions, Session A from noon-1:30pm,
  and Session B from 2pm-3:30pm. For more info go to here.

• "Mix It Up With Breakthrough" at Therapy Lounge
  June 1, 2009. 7:00pm
  348 West 52nd Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues, NYC

  What: Show features comedian Vidur Kapur and host Brad Loekle, as well as other performers.
  Cost:  Advance tickets are $20 each, and you'll receive 1 free drink, free food, raffles, and entertainment.  All proceeds support Breakthrough's work to build a human rights culture, and 100% of ticket price is fully tax deductible.   
  Can't attend, but want to donate? Please click here.
  Special thanks to committee members: LaShonda Katrice Barnett, Prashant Gupta, Tom Johnson, and Daniel I. Smith.

  Sunday, June 21, 7:00 PM
  Monday, June 22, 4:00 PM
  Tuesday, June 23, 9:00 PM

  Walter Reade Theater at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, 165 W. 65th Street, NYC

  Breakthrough has partnered with Human Rights Watch to present the New York premiere of two moving films.
  Mrs. Goundo's Daughter tells the story of a West African mother's fight for asylum in the U.S. to protect her two-year-old daughter from female genital cutting.

  *The filmmaker of Mrs Goundo's Daughter will be present at all screenings.

  Need Tickets? Click here.

• Project South
  The Septima Clark Community Power Institute

  2009 Action Team Participant Application

  In its 2nd year, The Septima Clarke Community Power Institute will provide youth ages 14-19 with the opportunity to develop as leaders, critical thinkers, and change agents. Action Team Participants will participate in workshops that range from Local History, Community Organizing 101, storytelling through dance, poetry, and art to engaging in critical discussions concerning the state of their community. The duration of the Institute is for four weeks. All participants will receive a $400 stipend; exposure to a diverse group of youth, community organizers, educators, and activist and the opportunity to develop a "living history" that chronicles the history, evolution, and future of Atlanta and the Southeast Region.

  Eligibility: Applicants must be: at least 14 years of age, at most 19

  • Have a desire to develop leadership skills
  • Interest in being an active participant in finding community based solutions to community based challenges

  The internship Institute runs from June 1 – June 26, 2009.
  For assistance or questions:
  Call: 404 622-0602
  Email: fredando@projectsouth.org

• Heartland Alliance
  June 6, 2009 10:00 am to 5:00 pm CST 11:00 am to 6:00 pm EST Harbor Country, Michigan

  Celebration of Home & Gardens Saturday,  Contact us with questions at 312.660.1315 or events@heartlandalliance.org

• Local Initiatives
  Thursday, June 11, 2009 TIME: 6pm-8pm Little 5 Points Community Center, Room 108 1083 Austin Avenue Atlanta, GA 30307

  Women Healing Women, Inc. presents The Many Faces of Eve, love doesn’t hurt

  COST: Free (light refreshments)

• US Human Rights Network Membership Skill Building and Training Conference Call
  Macro-Economics and Human Rights: Providing analytical tools to confront structural economic inequities and the current economic crisis.

• Nominate A Human Rights Advocate For The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award Robert F. Kennedy believed that each individual holds the power to invoke change, that a single voice has the ability to declare an iniquity, and that each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope. In the spirit of Robert Kennedy's ideals, The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award was established in 1984 by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend to honor these courageous and innovative individuals striving for social justice throughout the world.

• CARE National Advocacy Conference:Many Voice, One Movement. May 5-6, 2009 Washington D.C. Two day national event where supports and donors can take part in the fight against global poverty, HIV/AIDS and issues of humanitarian aid. Click here for more information

• The US Solidarity Movement with the Decolonizations of Puerto Rico is organizing a United States tour of two leaders of the Movimiento Independista Nacional Hotosiano (MINH). The Atlanta lef of the tour consists of two events: Brown Bag lunch to discuss Self Determination for Puerto Rico: Women Led Struggles. Dialogo Comunitario. Hosted by the Latin American Community Center and the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights and WRFG. Monday March 16, 2009 1pm-9pm Location TBD for more information call 404.610.2807 or email info@lacccenter.org Click here for more information

• The Right to Dissen: Challenging Political Repression Wednesday March 4, 2009 7PM. US Human Rights Network 250 Georgia Avenue SW. Center for Constitutional Rights Executive Director Vincent Warren will join Akinyele Umoka from the Macolm X Grassroots Movement and others to address attacks on dissent that have taken place both in recent years and throughout decades of repression and resistance. For more information call 404.588.9761 or email kakuno@ushrnetwork.org

• Communities Creating Healthy Environments (CCHE) Call for Proposals Released!
  Funding local groups working in communities of color to change food and recreation environments!

• The Latin American and Caribbean Community Center alongside WRFG 89.3 will be host a film screening on Friday February 20th at 7:00pm at the Little Five Points Community Center located at 1083 Austin Ave NE Room 105. www.lacccenter.org

  The film to be screened is "On The Other Side" Each summer, Jamaican migrant farm workers flood the sleepy towns of rural Massachusetts, arriving to work the tobacco harvest—the staple crop of the region and the last to rely solely on manual labor. Traveling 3,000 miles, they spend up to eight months out of each year working amongst the vast sea of tobacco plants and suspended high above the rafters of the sheds where the plants are hung to dry.

• The youth outreach committee of the Campaign for the US ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child is please to announce the launching of its second nationwide essay contest which will run from January 5-March 20, 2009. The contest is poen to U.S. students in grade 6-12 and homeschooled students in the equilvalet grade levels. Applicants must currently reside in the U.S. Five winners will be chosen and will receive airafare and accomodatios for her/himself and one parent/legal guardian to participate in the Campaign's 2009 symposium. Click here for more information 

• February 11-12, 2009 Poor People's Day at the Georgia State Capitol. Education Day 2/11 at Georgia Citizen's Coalition on Hunger @ 9:00AM located at 9 Gammon Avenue, Help us seek solutions and demand action on pressing issues including: housing foreclosures and homelessness; livable wages; healthcare coverage; and privatization of state agencies. Action Day 2/12 Action Day includes the Peoples' Caravan departing the Atlanta Taskforce for the Homelessness, 477 Peachtree Street, at 10:30 am; culminating with a rally,  a direct action, and press conferenceat Central Presbyterian Church, 201 Washington Street (Directly across the street from the State Capitol steps).               Click here for more information

• February 4-6, 2009 National Human Rights Institute San Francisco, CA The National Human Rights Institute is a three-day advanced training program on local implementation of human rights standards to address multiple forms of discrimination. The program is designed for participants who are already engaged in the local implementation of human rights treaties. Participants will have an opportunity to: Engage with city officials on practical questions surrounding implementation of the human rights framework as a public policy strategy; Review in-depth analysis of implementation efforts in other cities; and Network with other advocates from around the country working on local implementation Interested applicants who are currently engaged in implementation and policy efforts in their respective locales receive first priority and are strongly encouraged to apply. Click here for more info

• New Directions for New York: A Public Health and Safety Approach to Drug Policy. This conference brings together diverse stake holders from the public and private sectors including health, law enforcement, defense, prosecution criminal justice, people arenas and people who have been directly affected by New York's drug policy. Sponsored by the Center for Community Alternatives. January 22-23 New York City. Open to the public, limited registrations. Click here for more info

• The First 100 Days: Bringing Human Rights Home - human rights summit. Join the Center for Constitutional Rights and other human rights groups next Wednesday January 14, 2009 in Washington, D.C. Representatives of key human rights organizations will  come together to present their visions, calls and plans for the upcoming Obama administration, particularly for the first 100 days of administration. The summit, sponsored by the CCR will present perspectives from a broad spectrum of the human rights community. Click here for more info

• Southern Human Rights' Organizers Conference December 12-14, 2008. Durham, SC. THE GOAL OF SHROC VlI is to solidify the Southern Human Rights Organizers’ Network (SHRON)and continue to build broad southern-based coalitions to combat human rights violations in the southern region and forge an agenda for social change. Click here for more information

June 3, 2009, 7:00 - 9:00 PM

SVA Visual Arts Theater 333 W 23rd Street (btw 8th & 9th Ave), NYC

Join us for the screening of Breakthrough's domestic violence ad at the Media that Matters Film Festival

Join us for the official screening of Knock, Knock. Who's There? on the "Premiere" night of the festival.
Need Tickets? Click here.
If you arrive early, please stop by our table from 6:00-6:45 PM at the "Impact Salon." As an official partner for the Media that Matters Film Festival, we will be tabling and showcasing our multi-media campaigns on immigration and women's rights.
CLICK for more information.

Thursday, April 16, 2009, 2 pm EST. Register online.

The recipients are chosen through an extensive annual selection process. Every year from February until March, the public is invited to nominate creative and courageous non-governmental human rights defenders. A panel of five independent judges then selects the honoree. The recipients are awarded based on their dedication and accomplishments towards social justice and their non-violent and creative tactics used to achieve their goals.