Category Archives: human rights

SPIEGEL Interview With Pussy Riot Member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova – SPIEGEL ONLINE

SPIEGEL: Were you treated decently while in custody?

Tolokonnikova: No. It was terrible. They tried everything to break me and silence me. The collective punishments were the worst, almost unbearable. Because of a small gesture, or when I asked the camp management to observe the law, 100 people were assigned to a punishment unit, where beatings were customary. I was treated better than others, simply because there was so much public attention. In my case, they did adhere to the eight-hour workday required by law. The other women were often forced to slave away for up to 16 hours a day.

SPIEGEL: How could the Russian penal system be reformed?

Tolokonnikova: I\’m not claiming that everything I say here is the ultimate truth. But this is what would be needed: more exercise, a broader selection of work activities to reflect the talents and propensities of prisoners, and decent pay, so that prisoners can occasionally buy something without outside support. I was paid all of 25 rubles a month for sewing uniforms day in and day out. In euros, that\’s the equivalent of 60 cents ($0.82). I would have been in bad shape if I hadn\’t received food packages. It would also be very important to prevent prisoners from harassing their fellow prisoners. And I also think educational activities are important. For example, why shouldn\’t prisons feature the occasional guest performance by a theater group?

via SPIEGEL Interview With Pussy Riot Member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova – SPIEGEL ONLINE.

The new(old) British Roma Racism Rampant Again! Tory activists call to extend restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians | UK news | theguardian.com

A group of senior Tory activists have joined calls for David Cameron to extend controls on Bulgarians and Romanians entering the UK.

Conservative Grassroots, a network of party members, is the latest to pledge support to an amendment that would prolong the restrictions rather than scrap them on Wednesday.

The prime minister has come under increasing pressure from his own party to take action, following concerns that full access to the UK labour market would prompt a \”wave of mass immigration\” from Wednesday.

In an open letter they urge Cameron to use a safeguard clause in EU law which they believe could extend controls until 2018 because of \”exceptional economic circumstances\”.

James Joshua, director of Conservative Grassroots, said: \”In just a couple of days Britain faces a wave of mass immigration from Bulgaria and Romania at the end of the seven-year moratorium put in place by the last Labour government.

\”Some estimates have suggested that more than 300,000 Romanians and Bulgarians will travel to the UK. This will put huge pressure on public services at a time when the country is struggling under a mountain of debt with on-going acute challenges within the economy.\”

via Tory activists call to extend restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians | UK news | theguardian.com.

Israeli “training exercises” condemned – internally and external human rights groups

Ahmad Amro and his friends were breaking the fast one evening during Ramadan when a group of soldiers approached the Hebron community center they were sitting outside.

\”Around 12 of them appeared from three different directions,\” he said. \”Then more of them came and shut all the doors, started jumping all over the place, running from one room to another, going upstairs, acting as if one of them had been injured and carrying him off on a stretcher … We didn\’t know what was going on, or why they were doing it.\”

Ahmad later discovered the soldiers were training, rather than carrying out a real raid, and later returned to their base without making any arrests. Nobody came to apologize or explain what had happened afterwards.

The incident was one of more than 40 that have been documented by different human rights groups in Israel, which are working together to challenge the practice, which they say is inhumane and in breach of the Israeli Defense Forces\’ (IDF) duty to protect the local population. One of them, Yesh Din, has asked the Supreme Court to rule on the legality of this type of training.

via .

The NSA Uses Powerful Toolbox in Effort to Spy on Global Networks – SPIEGEL ONLINE

The Way of Tao takes on whole new meaning!

These documents reveal that in 2008, the Texas Cryptologic Center employed fewer than 60 TAO specialists. By 2015, the number is projected to grow to 270 employees. In addition, there are another 85 specialists in the \”Requirements & Targeting\” division (up from 13 specialists in 2008). The number of software developers is expected to increase from the 2008 level of three to 38 in 2015. The San Antonio office handles attacks against targets in the Middle East, Cuba, Venezuela and Colombia, not to mention Mexico, just 200 kilometers (124 miles) away, where the government has fallen into the NSA\’s crosshairs.

via The NSA Uses Powerful Toolbox in Effort to Spy on Global Networks – SPIEGEL ONLINE.

The thing to remember is that no one is actually “listening” to your conversations or “reading” your e-mail or tracking your web searches – unless you are up to no good or are in conversation with someone like that. Big cyberdata analogues scoop up billions of activities and sorts them – if it finds you fall into a pattern they are searching for and you are in a network being actively watched – then an individual may start tracking your data – specifically. Otherwise nothing is going on that is not done by Yahoo,Google and Verizon on a daily basis of monitoring lines, customer “wants” and interests to sell us stuff.

The Phenomenon of Man : Pierre Teilhard de Chardin : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

Many in the 45-75 age group read de Chardin or articles drawn from him or about him – and were deeply influenced by him. Still a must read for understanding humans out of a Western view and the thinking of Americans (north and south) and Europeans.For a view from what could be called Greater Asian, others equal and more advanced – perhaps – give an alternative view of humans and how they think, believe, act, and fit or not in nature.

Considered Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s “Magnum Opus,” this book shows the convergence of the cosmos from simple elements to the complex nervous systems of human beings. Teilhard then argues that evolution has not stopped with the creation of human beings, but is now in the process of converging the human mass (like atoms and cells before them) into a higher complex arrangement, this time on a planetary scale. All along the way, this evolutionary process has revealed itself to be one that proceeds along an axis of complexity and consciousness. With the growth of globalization, and the development of a complex Internet-based global society, some have argued that “The Phenomenon of Man” contains many insights that have proven prescient.via The Phenomenon of Man : Pierre Teilhard de Chardin : Free Download

 

Domino’s Debuts Vegan Pizza, But You Can’t Have Any | Care2 Healthy Living

Domino’s, one of Pizza Hut’s competitors, recently announced that it would offer a family-size pizza with vegetables and a soy-based topping for about $20. But don’t get too excited–the vegan pizza will be available only in Israel.

via Domino’s Debuts Vegan Pizza, But You Can’t Have Any | Care2 Healthy Living.

CENSORED NEWS: Navajo Councilman Leonard Tsosie pushing for uranium mining to poison Navajo water

This action by a few elected officials is UNACCEPTABLE!! This will no doubt endanger our community, our children, and the area we call home.  Uranium is a poison and mining it is an improper and dangerous use of our water and natural resources!! Uranium should be left in the ground! We cannot regulate it and to think that we have power over nature is arrogant and dangerous. I am asking you to please Send Comments and join many other Dine\’ people in saying NO AND TO STOP NEW URANIUM CONTAMINATION at the Special RDC meeting next Monday morning at Chilchinbeto Chapter.

via CENSORED NEWS: Navajo Councilman Leonard Tsosie pushing for uranium mining to poison Navajo water.

Immigration Talk with a Mexican American: Mexican American and Frustrated by Lack of Movement on Immigration Reform

Here we are during the Holiday Season.

We are in the 5th year of our President\’s tenure.

We have no movement on Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

I know the issues. I know the Problems.

Republicans have one agenda.

Democrats, a different agenda.

Republicans, especially the extremists, want to close the borders and deport everyone who does not have citizenship.

Democrats want Immigration Reform, but lack the strength to take a stand to pass it.

I have to give it to Republicans and all people who thrive in HATE for their strength and determination. They are willing to be demonized, ridiculed, hated, attacked, voted out of office, and they still stand their ground. They don\’t care about polls. They don\’t care that main street America disagrees with them and ridicules them. They stand their ground and still fight.

Democrats, on the other hand, always try to be politically correct. They thrive on polls and popularity. They continue to apologize for their views if they get a bad poll. Apologize and beg for forgiveness. Where are their guts?

Here I sit. Frustrated. Knowing Mexican Americans and Latinos are on the RIGHT SIDE of History. Immigration Reform is the right thing to do. (Like Healthcare, Civil Rights and so many other humanitarily correct philosophies).

What is the resolution? Do we have to wait until the 2014 elections?

I honestly don\’t know.

So here I sit.

Frustrated.

Not willing to post on my Blog every day anymore.

I still believe in Truth, Justice, America – the Land of Immigrants and Immigration Reform.

But I am NOT willing to be a pawn of those pushing forward a political agenda.

I DEMAND Comprehensive Immigration Reform for the Sake of Humanity and because it is the Right Thing to Do for OUR America!!

via Immigration Talk with a Mexican American: Mexican American and Frustrated by Lack of Movement on Immigration Reform.