Human rights 

10-Point Action Plan for human rights 

Lowitja O'Donoghue's 2004 plan is available from the NCCA's NATSIEC as a booklet or as a PDF file. 

A Just Australia 

Australians working for a just refugee programme. 

Amnesty International 

This major player has a wide range of information and opportunities for action. Amnesty International Women’s Network has a “Stop Violence Against Women “ Campaign.  In Tasmania, phone Amy 6223 3245 or e-mail: tasaia@amnesty.org.au.

Avoidable global mortality - of infants in particular 

Much information and advocacy available from Gideon Polya. 

Bill of Rights for Australia - 2004 

Greens MP Michael Organ proposes to introduce a Bill to Parliament later in 2004. 

Bill of rights for Tasmania - 2005

Tasmanian Greens Web site gives the proposal from Greens MP Peg Putt. 

Centre for Human Rights Education 

Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia. 

Children in Detention Centres 

Report of the inquiry into children in detention centres, May 2004, is damning for the Government. 
Churches Back Calls for Release of Abused Detainee Children, 13 May. 

Civil Liberties Council - Tasmania.

To protect basic human rights and freedoms. 

CIVICUS - citizen action 

An international alliance established in 1993 to nurture the foundation, growth and protection of citizen action throughout the world, especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens' freedom of association are threatened. 

Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative 

To promote awareness of and adherence to the Harare Principles, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other internationally and nationally recognised human rights agreements. Although the promotion and protection of human rights is the responsibility of governments, the active participation of civil society is vital. 

Conventions on Human Rights - search. 

Systematic access to human rights and humanitarian law. Over 250 international conventions analysed article by article, with country details. 

Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

This UN Convention is promoted by Women's Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) 

Ethnic Cleansing 

What is meant and what has gone on. 

Guantanamo Bay and other prisons See also Prisoner of West 

a non-sectarian Islamic human rights website that exists solely to raise awareness of the plight of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and other detainees held as part of the War on Terror. 

Guantanamo guards admit torture tactics 

Guards and others at the prison talked to the New York Times. Aljazeera report of 17 October 2004 

Human Rights Act for Australia 

A draft Act is promoted in 2006 by New Matilda - an ALP-stimulated policy development open forum. 

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC)

The Australian Government's site, with information and resources.
Report of the inquiry into children in detention centres - May 2004. 
It has a series of human rights fact sheets are an essential information resource on the development of human rights law. They provide background to issues concerning human rights in Australia and in the international arena. 

Human rights and the US/UK illegal attack on Iraq - Johan Galtung, 24 June 2005. 

Address to the World Tribunal on Iraq meeting in Istanbul. 

Human Rights Council of the UN 

The new Human Rights Council will replace the old Commission for Human Rights following an overwhelming vote by the UN General Assembly on March 15 2006. No links available yet. More information from the UN News Centre. 

Human rights fact sheets of the Australian HREOC. 

These are an essential information resource on the development of human rights law. They provide background to issues concerning human rights in Australia and in the international arena.  

Human Rights Tools 

Providing human rights professionals with easy access to the best available online resources. This site was set up by Daniel D'Esposito after ten years experience in protection working with the ICRC. 

Human Rights Watch 

This useful site has many resources, including evaluation of the International Criminal Court. 

International Catholic Migration Commission 

ICMC works with refugees, internally displaced people and forced migrants, and gives priority to the most vulnerable and marginalized among these groups. 

International Criminal Court 

Set up to deal with international abuses of human rights. 
It has an informative support group. 

International Federation for Human Rights 

Set up in 1922, It is now a federation of 116 independent Human Rights organisations in nearly 100 countries. FIDH’s mandate is to act effectively and practically to ensure the respect of all the rights laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: the civil and political rights, but also the economic, social and cultural rights. 

International humanitarian law - the treaties relating to war in particular

The Red Cross is the key Web site. 

Investment with a clear conscience -  Netwerk Vlaanderen 

Belgian site, cluster bombs emphasis in 2007. 

Israel - human rights 

A February 2004 article in the Israeli Haaretz newspaper compares Israel and the US over human rights. 

Justice Africa 

Works with a network of organizations based in different countries in Africa, initiating and supporting civil society activities for human rights, democracy, and peace in Africa. 

Make Poverty History 

International campaign for the Millennium Development Goal to eradicate poverty. 

Malaysia: Tenaganita - Women's force 

To empower women: sex workers, migrants, and workers in plantations and factories.
It now has a campaign in support of Irene Fernandez imprisoned for disclosing rights violations. 

Micah Challenge   Micah Challenge Australia 

A global Christian campaign which aims to deepen our engagement with the poor; and to challenge leaders to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and so halve absolute global poverty by 2015! 

Millennium Declaration of the UN 

and the Millennium Development Goals, with details of the action programme for the goals. 
The Micah Challenge is an Evangelical Christian programme in support of these Goals and action against poverty. 

National Center for Human Rights Education (NCHRE) 

"To catalyse a human rights movement in the U.S. by integrating a human rights framework into existing social movements.”

New Matilda 

An online magazine, news and policy portal. An independent alternative media voice, delivering accessible, informed comment and debate. An ALP-stimulated policy development open forum. 

Peoples Health Movement - Right to Health campaign 

PHM aims to draw on and support people's movements in their struggles to build long-term and sustainable solutions to health problems - to re-establish health and equitable development as top priorities in local, national and international policy-making, with comprehensive primary health care as the strategy to achieve these priorities. 

RAWA Afghanistan

The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan is "revolutionary" in providing education and health care for women under fundamentalist regimes, from 1977 to now.
SAWA-Australia is an Australian organisation actively supporting RAWA and human rights in Afghanistan. 

Women and Gender Equality - UNESCO 

UNESCO's experience, actions and resources in promoting gender equality. 

Women, War and Peace 

On the impact of armed conflict on women and girls as noted by Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). 

Women, peace and security (Resolution 1325, Security Council). 

A project of WILPF. It has an Australian Web site for Resolution 1325. 

Rights Australia 

So that people understand their basic human rights, that their rights are monitored and protected. 

The end of Democracy? - the "war on terror" 

Condensed version of essay by Stanford Philosopher Richard Rorty, in London Review of Books, 1 April 2004. 

Torture - current US Administration policy. 

"A Question of Torture : CIA Interrogation, from the Cold War to the War on Terror"  - a book by Alfred McCoy, January 2006.
The CIA’s method combines “sensory deprivation” and “self-inflicted pain”. They are widely used throughout the world. 
At amazon.com, copy the title into the "Books" search, to read detailed reviews.

The Abu Graib files, with commentary have been published (March 2006) by Salon.com. They illustrate the latest implementation of the CIA torture process.  

Transnational Corporations - watch 

The power of these institutions and how can citizens gain democratic control over these institutions. The site is part of the Global Policy Forum. It has a Bribe Payers Index (October 2006) PDF  

UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) 

An account of education, relief and reconstruction. 

Universal declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948. 

"The inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world". 

Aboriginal land rights and reconciliation 

ATSIC 

The Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Commission. 

Institutional Racism in Australian Health Care 

The Medical Journal of Australia May 2004 has a damning criticism of Australia's racism, with a call for decency, respect and caring. 

Journey of Healing 

Organises Sorry Day events annually on 26 May.

Land Rights News 

Newspaper of the Central and Northern Land Councils

Social and economic justice

Africa Action 

The oldest organization in the U.S. working on African affairs.  To promote political, economic and social justice in Africa.

Australian Council for International Development 

New name for the Australian Council for Overseas Aid (ACFOA). Australia's peak aid body. 

Australia’s relations with Asia- Pacific, 2007 -  a report card on our performance. 

Report (PDF) of a survey of Asia Pacific non-governmental organisations (NGOs) conducted in June-July 2006 by Uniya Jesuit Social Justice Centre in partnership with Griffith Asia Institute. How is Australia perceived, are these perceptions changing, do these organisations share Australia’s concerns on foreign policy issues? 

Engineers Without Borders 

E W B Australia works with disadvantaged communities to improve their quality of life through the education and implementation of sustainable engineering projects  
Tasmanian Contact Todd Houstein 03-6226-2094, 0410 717 177.  

Fair Trade  

The Tasmanian Centre for Global Learning has several links to fair trade and Millennium Development Goals Web sites, including Make Poverty History, and Make Trade Fair. 

Human Development Report of the United Nations 

The 2004 Report is about respect for people and their inclusion in society. For those offering their own solutions to the world’s ills, this book is a necessary point of departure. 

Imperial Uses of Philanthropy - Why They Hate Our Kind Hearts, Too 

Affluent nations' government agencies are important NGO funders. The most notorious is the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED; ostensibly a non­governmental foundation), created by Congress in 1983 to do openly what had been CIA cold war covert activities. 

Institute of Public Affairs 

This conservative think tank promotes free market ideology. It has its own NGO Watch, to discredit NGOs working for social and economic justice. See the ABC's Background Briefing of 18 March 2004.

Jesuit Social Justice Centre (Uniya) 

A centre for social justice and human rights research, advocacy, education and networking. Uniya seeks to focus attention and influence Government policy and public opinion on key justice and human rights issues in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. It draws guidance from the Gospel vision and the riches of Catholic Social Teaching. Uniya seeks to stand in solidarity with those on the margins of society. 

Jubilee Australia - Drop the debt 

Jubilee Australia's vision is a world in which the people of countries trapped in a cycle of poverty are released from the crushing burden of debt. 

Micro-finance through EBay  New October 2007.

A micro finance opportunity MicroPlace, described by a Business Week article October 2007. 

NGOWatch 

Keep an eye on this site, which has been set up by two conservative US organisations to keep an eye on NGOs, which it regards as having too much influence: "The Growing Power of an Unelected Few" is its complaint about NGOs, but NGOWatch is not elected either. 

Tasmanian Council of Social Service 

To represent and uphold the interests of low income and disadvantaged people in Tasmania. Ph 6231-0755

UNESCO - 

"Education for all 2015" - Sustainable Development 

World Social Forum 2004 - another world is possible 

The World Social Forum is "…an open meeting place ...  committed to building a society centred on the human person". Declarations of the World Social Forum 19 January.  

World Council of Churches AGAPE commitment 2006, at the Porto Alegre General Assembly.

... " to act together for transformation of economic injustice and to continue analyzing and reflecting on challenges of economic globalization and the link between wealth and poverty." 

  Other species' rights

Liberation for Our Brother & Sister Animals 

A Buddhist Animal rights vegan group under the umbrella of an international Buddhist organisation www.FPMT.org. We believe there will never be peace while animal exploitation exists.