September, 27 2021, 12:23pm EDT
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Angelina Jolie and Amnesty International Remind the World of Its Commitment to Children's Rights With a Book Some Adults Won't Want Children to Read
WASHINGTON
Angelina Jolie and Amnesty International have joined forces to create a resource for children and young people to learn about their rights, with the publication of a new book which empowers teenagers to speak out against injustice.
Know Your Rights and Claim Them explains what child rights are, equips young people with the knowledge they need to protect themselves and others, and shows how governments are failing to uphold their commitment to child rights. It was written in collaboration with Professor Geraldine Van Bueren QC, one of the original drafters of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Angelina Jolie said:
"If governments kept their word, and if all adults respected children's rights, there would be no need for this book. Children have rights just as adults do and they should have the power and agency to claim them.
"Know Your Rights and Claim Them is the book some adults don't want children to read, as it will arm them with the knowledge to defend their rights and those of others.
"Governments signed up to protect children's rights in 1989, yet many of them are still failing to listen to the voices of children. In some countries, girls as young as nine are forced into marriage. Globally, more than 61 million children don't attend primary schools and, in 2019, one in six children were living in extreme poverty - a number that rose significantly during the pandemic. It's time to remind the world of its commitment to children's rights."
The book can be pre-ordered in United States, Australia, New Zealand and Greece, with other countries including South Korea, Denmark and Germany following close behind. The authors' goal is for the book to be published in all languages and countries, empowering many millions of young people to know and claim their rights.
The social and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic provide a stark reminder that many human rights issues have a disproportionate impact on young people and when it comes to issues that directly affect them, their voices are rarely heard or listened to. Know Your Rights and Claim Them aims to equip young people with the knowledge they need to stand up and have their say.
The book sets out how the concept of children's rights came into being through the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was designed to give children the right to a voice and to participate in all decisions that affect them. It also features how-to guides, along with the stories of a number of incredible young activists who are at the forefront of human rights change around the world. Whether campaigning on climate change, demanding access to education, or speaking out against racial discrimination and gun violence, these inspirational young people demonstrate the power of standing up for what we believe in.
Khairiyah Rahmanyah, 19, was born to a fishing family who live close to the sea in southern Thailand. The sea near her home is a rich source of seafood and home to endangered marine species, such as sea turtles and rare pink dolphins. In 2020, when she was 17, Khairiyah launched a campaign against the Thai government's plan to develop her village, Chana, into an industrial estate. As a result, the government decided to postpone their decision. However, the project has not been dropped, and the fight for her community continues.
"Words cannot explain how I feel to be part of this book," said Khairiyah, who spent hours picketing, and traveled 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) to Government House in Bangkok to deliver a letter to the prime minister begging him to stop the development.
"I am really proud to be representing the stories of my community. I was born into activism and I have been fighting to protect my community since I was little. It has been painful to live this reality and I want life to be different for the next generation. As children, we must be allowed to learn about our rights and it's up to adults to encourage, empower and support us."
Children have a right to life, dignity and health; identity; equality and non-discrimination; a safe place to live; protection from harm; participation (including the right to be heard); bodily integrity; protection from armed violence; justice and liberty; privacy; minority and Indigenous rights; education; play; freedom of thought; and voice and peaceful protest.
There are about 2.3 billion children in the world, nearly a third of the total human population. Given the devastating impact of the global pandemic on children and young people, it's never been more crucial to arm them with the knowledge they deserve. This is their right - and it's time for the world to listen and act.
The United States is not a party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - ratified by 196 other countries. However, youth activists in the United States are advocating for their human rights to be recognized and respected, including the rights to a healthy environment and to be free from gun violence.
Tokata (Future) Iron Eyes is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in the United States. At nine years old, she testified against the building of a uranium mine in the sacred Black Hills and at twelve, began advocating against the proposed route of the Dakota Access oil pipeline, helping draw thousands of national and international visitors to Standing Rock to fight the pipeline in a protest that lasted nearly a year.
"We know the importance of respecting our water, protecting our land, and recognizing that we must be the ones to tackle tomorrow's challenges today", said Tokata Iron Eyes. "We want and need to see systemic transformations. We want a reckoning where our right to life, health, food, water, housing and livelihoods is prioritized. We can envision a different future by ourselves. We are ready to be a part of the vital change that needs to take place and we are unafraid to be loud about it."
BRAVE, which stands for Bold Resistance Against Violence Everywhere! is a violence prevention youth council in Chicago that was created in 2009 to train young people to be peacemakers with their peers and leaders. It also gives them the opportunity to create change using leadership, peer to peer support, public speaking and activism. This after-school program enables teenagers to combat the realities of everyday gun violence and social injustices. BRAVE's young people attend and speak at rallies, marches and discussions in Chicago and beyond.
"What I believe kids need at this time is more resources to make sure they are safe", said Jordan Turner. "I got involved with Know Your Rights and Claim Them with BRAVE, a youth activist program that helps other youth voices be heard when they feel like they can't voice them themselves. What kids need is more voices to be heard. Not enough attention is being brought to them. People should reach out more to see what is going on with their mental health. I want people to know that it's OK to have feelings. Wherever you live, there is a safe haven for you. People need trauma support, therapy, and resources to get help for conditions like PTSD. It can be overwhelming and it is important for people to go at their own pace. One simple conversation can change everything.
"I lost people to gun violence and it made me want to speak out. I wanted to be the voice for the kids that didn't like to speak up, as I was one of them. My point of view changed by being involved in programs like BRAVE, which taught me to be comfortable with not being comfortable."
Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International's Secretary General, said:
"We must all tackle the human rights issues of today, with an eye on the future, knowing we are accountable to the world of 2030. Not only must we ask ourselves - 'how are our actions impacting the children of tomorrow?' - we need to make sure that children are setting the agenda for the years to come. That can only happen if they know their rights and how to claim them.
"When children don't, they're at risk of abuse, discrimination, and exploitation, often at the hands of adults. They're also at risk of being overlooked, unable to participate in important decisions about the world they live in and the problems they will inherit. Amnesty International is campaigning to ensure children's rights are a priority for governments across the world.
"That's why, alongside the book, we have launched an online human rights education course featuring young activists, which will serve as a powerful tool to empower young people and others to claim their rights across the world. When young people are educated about their rights, they are empowered to defend them, to stand up against injustice against themselves and others. Knowledge is key. We will all benefit from a world in which child rights are upheld."
Amnesty International is a global movement of millions of people demanding human rights for all people - no matter who they are or where they are. We are the world's largest grassroots human rights organization.
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Harris Campaign Says 'Oil Barons Are Salivating' Over Second Trump Term
"Trump's promises to Big Oil would sacrifice good-paying jobs that are driving an American energy and manufacturing boom," said the campaign.
Jul 24, 2024
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday seized on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's close ties to oil executives, taking aim at the promises Trump has directly made to billionaires who have contributed nearly $26 million to his campaign.
Responding to a report from The Wall Street Journal about the record-breaking donations Trump has received from oil magnates for his 2024 campaign as he's pledged to help them "make an absolute fortune" by continuing to drill for planet-heating fossil fuels, Harris' newly launched presidential campaign put it bluntly.
"Oil barons are salivating because climate denier Donald Trump promised to do their bidding while asking them to bankroll his run for the presidency," said Joseph Costello, a spokesperson for the campaign.
The spokesperson noted that Trump has offered oil billionaires the chance to all but control his energy policy should he win a second term, telling them directly at a dinner in May that he would dismantle the oil and gas regulations introduced by Harris and President Joe Biden if the industry raised $1 billion for his campaign.
The Democratic vice president launched her campaign this week after Biden, who had faced pressure to step aside due to his age and health, endorsed her.
"These Big Oil donations solicited by Trump are being investigated as a 'blatant quid pro quo' by Senate investigators," noted Harris in an email to supporters.
In addition, said Costello, "Trump's promises to Big Oil would sacrifice good-paying jobs that are driving an American energy and manufacturing boom, and instead give billion-dollar handouts to corporations at the expense of working families and a healthy future for our children."
"These Big Oil donations solicited by Trump are being investigated as a 'blatant quid pro quo' by Senate investigators."
As the U.S. Energy and Employment Report found in 2022, under the Biden administration, renewable energy jobs have grown faster than the overall U.S. economy, paying higher than average wages, and have made up for rising unemployment in the fossil fuel industry.
"Under the Biden-Harris administration, America is more energy independent than ever," said Costello. "Vice President Harris cast the tie-breaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, creating hundreds of thousands of good paying energy jobs and making the biggest climate investment in world history. But Trump promises to dismantle all this progress and sell out America's future for his own personal gain."
The vice president condemned the "ready-made executive order" oil lobbyists have already begun drafting for Trump in order to secure "tax handouts, increase costs on Americans, and pollute our environment," a day after four national climate groups announced their endorsement of Harris.
The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Action Fund, the Sierra Club, and Clean Energy for America Action expressed confidence that if she wins the presidency in November, Harris will "raise climate ambition to make sure we confront the climate crisis in a way that makes the country more inclusive, more economically competitive, and more energy secure."
The Wall Street Journal's reporting confirms that "the oil barons have their candidate" in Trump, said Matt Compton, chief of staff for Climate Power. "Thank God those of us who care about a clean energy future have Kamala Harris."
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'Contamination Crisis': US Pesticides Contain PFAS, Endangering Food and Water
"This is truly frightening news," the author of a new study said. "Lacing pesticides with forever chemicals is likely burdening the next generation with more chronic diseases and impossible cleanup responsibilities."
Jul 24, 2024
Pesticides used on crops in the United States are increasingly laced with "forever chemicals," making it likely that they are being spread in common foods and waterways, according to a study published Wednesday.
The peer-reviewed study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, is the first full review of the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in pesticides. The authors, from three nonprofit groups, found that 14% of the active ingredients in U.S. pesticides were PFAS—including 30% of the active ingredients approved by regulators in the last 10 years—as were an unquantified amount of the inert ingredients.
"This is truly frightening news because pesticides are some of the most widely dispersed pollutants in the world," said Nathan Donley, environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Lacing pesticides with forever chemicals is likely burdening the next generation with more chronic diseases and impossible cleanup responsibilities."
"This is a multigenerational threat," he wrote on social media after the study's release. "The true harm won't be realized in my lifetime, but in my children's and grandchildren's lifetimes. Our shortcomings should not be their burden to bear."
New research from PEER, @CenterForBioDiv, and @ewg published today in @EHPonline found that more and more toxic PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” are being found in U.S. pesticide products, contaminating our food, our homes, our gardens, and our pets.https://t.co/fggGAYrafM
— PEER (@PEERorg) July 24, 2024
After being developed by chemical companies in the mid-20th century, PFAS were lightly regulated and little scrutinized for many decades, even as they gained widespread use in household products. However, they've drawn increasing scrutiny in recent years, as more and more studies have emerged about their potential dangers, including links to cancer and a host of other diseases and serious health issues.
The forever chemicals are now incredibly widespread and can be found in the blood of the overwhelming majority of Americans. A study published earlier this month found that certain common foods, such as white rice and eggs, were associated with a higher level of PFAS in the body.
Two types of PFAS thought to be among the most toxic, PFOA and PFOS, have been found in pesticide products, likely due to the leaching of fluorinated containers, the new study suggests. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned certain uses of fluorinated containers in December, but an industry legal challenge succeeded in federal court in March, weakening the regulatory effect.
The EPA announced new regulations on PFAS in drinking water in April but utility and chemical companies have filed several legal challenges. The chemicals industry, meanwhile, faces the prospect of its own momentous legal challenges, due to the way it concealed the dangers of its products for so long.
To coincide with the new study's publication, Emory University researchers, who weren't involved with the study, wrote a "perspective" for Environmental Health Perspectives that cited a need for much stronger federal regulation.
"The regulations surrounding pesticides are currently outdated and ineffective, so this discovery of PFAS presence in pesticide formulations represents a new opportunity for the EPA to improve the scientific validity of pesticide risk assessment to better capture real-world exposure scenarios," the Emory researchers wrote.
The study authors themselves have been critical of the EPA. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), one of the three nonprofits that conducted the study, sued the EPA in February for failing to adequately disclose PFAS health and safety data.
Kyla Bennett, PEER's science policy director, attacked the agency, which uses a narrower definition of PFAS than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and has often waived often immunotoxicity study requirements for pesticides, in a statement on Wednesday.
"I can think of no better way to poison people and the environment than to spray PFAS-laden pesticides on our crops and in our homes," Bennett said. "The blame for this contamination crisis lies squarely on EPA's shoulders."
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'Guilty of Genocide': Tlaib Protests Netanyahu's Speech to Congress
"I will never back down in speaking truth to power. The apartheid government of Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians."
Jul 24, 2024
Following her call for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's arrest during his visit to Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib protested the right-wing leader's Wednesday address before a joint meeting of Congress by holding up a sign reading "war criminal" and "guilty of genocide."
"They will not erase us. Palestinians exist and we deserve to live. Our presence today will be a reminder that we aren't going anywhere," Tlaib (D-Mich.) said on social media. "I will never back down in speaking truth to power. The apartheid government of Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians."
Tlaib—the only Palestinian American member of Congress—brought a guest: Hani Almadhoun, "who has lost over 150 members of his extended family in Netanyahu's genocide" in Gaza.
"After witnessing his sister forced to eat animal feed, he and his family were determined to start a soup kitchen to feed their starving neighbors," the congresswoman said. "The Israeli apartheid regime is using starvation as a weapon of war, a war crime."
More than 135 congressional Democrats, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) boycotted Netanyahu's speech.
"Netanyahu is not only a war criminal. He is a liar," Sanders said on social media. "All humanitarian organizations agree: Tens of thousands of children face starvation because his extremist government continues to block aid. Israelis want him out of office. So he came to Congress to campaign."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said, "Just so we're clear, Netanyahu has lost so many people that he is addressing just a fraction of Congress."
"When this happens, they fill the seats with nonmembers, like what they do at award ceremonies, in order to project the appearance of full attendance and support."
Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) said on social media: "I won't attend Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech today. His military has reportedly killed over 39,000 Palestinians. He hasn't brought the hostages home. He hasn't made Israel any safer. We need tangible actions to end this war and all the suffering—not performative gestures."
"It's *because* of my Jewish upbringing and values that I cannot attend Prime Minister Netanyahu's address today," she explained.
Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) said in statement: "I am boycotting Netanyahu's address. Today, families of Israeli hostages called the prime minister's speech a 'PR stunt' intended to cover up his own failures."
"Not only has Netanyahu failed to safely return the hostages—he has killed, harmed, or displaced nearly every Palestinian in Gaza, has failed to keep Israelis safe, and is risking the United States' own security by trying to drag us into another endless war in the Middle East," he continued.
"The United States must end unconditional military aid to the Israeli government, and instead secure an immediate cease-fire, a return of the hostages, and long-term peace," Casar added.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) wished Tlaib a happy birthday in a social media post saying, "To my sister Rashida: You were born for a time like this."
"The only Palestinan in Congress during a genocide of your people," he added. "Sitting through a speech of that war criminal as colleagues applaud. You stand strong. We love and honor you."
Stephen Miles, president of the peace group Win Without War, said in a statement that "we are grateful to the many, many members of Congress who chose to not attend Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech to Congress today."
"This was a political stunt dreamed up by a House speaker trying to score political points and embraced by the prime minister as a desperate ploy to try and blunt the massive global condemnation and domestic political opposition he faces," Miles added. "It's a speech that never should have happened."
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is also the Senate president, did not preside over Wednesday's meeting. Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee in the wake of President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race earlier this week, is scheduled to meet privately with Netanyahu on Thursday.
Netanyahu's speech—which was met with frequent uproarious applause from lawmakers and other attendees—took aim not only at Hamas "monsters," but also against "Iran's axis of terror," which he said "confronts America, Israel, and our Arab friends."
"This is not a clash of civilizations, it's a clash between barbarism and civilization, between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life," said the leader of a nation whose armed forces have killed or wounded more than 130,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
Netanyahu condemned what he called the "slanders that paint Israel as racist and genocidal" that are "meant to demonize the Jewish state and demonize Jews everywhere."
Taking aim at pro-Palestinian protests across the United States— many of them Jewish-led—Netanyahu lamented that "many anti-Israel protesters choose to stand with evil. They stand with Hamas. They stand with rapists and murderers."
"For all we know, Iran is funding the protests that are taking place outside right now," Netanyahu said, citing unsubstantiated Biden administration claims. "When the tyrants of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting, and funding you, you have officially become Iran's useful idiots."
"Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming, 'Gays for Gaza,'" he mocked. "They might as well hold up signs that say, 'Chickens for KFC!'"
"These protesters chant, 'From the river to the sea,' but many don't have a clue what river and what sea they're talking about," the prime minister added.
Hundreds of Jewish-led demonstrators were
arrested inside a congressional building on Tuesday while protesting the U.S. government's continued support for Israel's assault on Gaza and Netanyahu's then-forthcoming address. Thousands more protesters took to the streets of Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, where peace groups planned to surround the Capitol.
"There is a war criminal in town," Council on American Islamic Relations national executive director Nihad Awad said in a speech to protesters. "This war criminal Netanyahu has a long history of crimes against humanity."
During his speech, Netanyahu also thanked Biden "for his heartfelt support for Israel after the savage attack on October 7," which the prime minister said was "like 20 9/11s in one day."
Biden has expressed his "unwavering" support for the key Middle Eastern ally and has approved billions of dollars in new military aid and more than 100 arms sales to the country since October. The Biden administration has also vetoed several United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.
Netanyahu implored the U.S. to give even more, saying, "Give us the tools faster, and we will finish the job faster."
"The war in Gaza could end tomorrow if Hamas surrenders, disarms, and returns all the hostages," added the prime minister, who for years facilitated massive financial support for the militant resistance group—whose political arm rules Gaza—in order to weaken the Palestinian National Authority.
On Monday, Tlaib
said that Netanyahu should be arrested while in the United States.
"Netanyahu is a war criminal committing genocide against the Palestinian people," she argued. "It is utterly disgraceful that leaders from both parties have invited him to address Congress. He should be arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court."
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan has applied for arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity including extermination committed on and after October 7.
During his speech, Netanyahu accused the ICC of "blood libels" against Israel, saying the tribunal "shamefully accused Israel of deliberately starving the people of Gaza"—allegations echoed by the South Africa-led genocide case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), United Nations experts, and human rights groups.
U.N. World Food Program Executive Director Cindy McCain
said in May that there is "full-blown famine" in Gaza, where dozens of Palestinians—mostly children—have died due to malnutrition, dehydration, and lack of medical care, and hundreds of thousands of others are on the brink of starvation.
Netanyahu also accused the ICC of lying about Israeli forces "deliberately targeting civilians," over 39,000 of whom including 16,000 children have been killed since October.
The prime minister claimed that Israel "has implemented more precautions to prevent civilian harm than any military in history, and beyond what international law requires."
"The ICC is trying to shackle Israel's hands and prevent Israel from defending itself," Netanyahu said. "And if Israel's hands are tied, America's are next."
"The hands of the Jewish state will never be shackled," he added. "Israel will always defend itself."
Netanyahu further claimed that civilian casualties during Israel's recent Rafah offensive were "practically none," ignoring hundreds of Palestinians including many women and children who died in Israeli attacks on the city and its environs, including multiple massacres of refugees in tent encampments.
Israeli forces "should not be condemned for how they're conducting the war in Gaza, they should be commended for it," Netanyahu asserted.
Israel Defense Forces troops have been accused of torturing, raping, and summarily executing Palestinian civilians, including children. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres last month added Israel to his so-called "List of Shame" of countries that kill and injure children during wars and other armed conflicts.
In addition to its ICC woes and the ICJ genocide case, the latter tribunal ruled last week in a separate case that the 57-year Israeli occupation of Palestine is an illegal form of apartheid that must end "as rapidly as possible."
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