Comments on: The New Right To Choose Amnesty International http://www.marclehmann.net/2007/06/the-new-right-to-choose-amnesty-international/ are you playing the game or watching from the stands? Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:56:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Marc http://www.marclehmann.net/2007/06/the-new-right-to-choose-amnesty-international/#comment-51 Marc Sun, 24 Jun 2007 14:57:41 +0000 http://www.marclehmann.net/2007/06/the-new-right-to-choose-amnesty-international/#comment-51 Generally I wouldn't recommend switching to a religious organisation because there are some good organisations doing good work without using resource to push a religious angle at the same time. No offense sorry, my triage view doesn't allow for resources to be put into any matter other than the problem at hand. I like Kiva.org and Oxfam.org Generally I wouldn’t recommend switching to a religious organisation because there are some good organisations doing good work without using resource to push a religious angle at the same time. No offense sorry, my triage view doesn’t allow for resources to be put into any matter other than the problem at hand. I like Kiva.org and Oxfam.org

]]> By: Marc http://www.marclehmann.net/2007/06/the-new-right-to-choose-amnesty-international/#comment-50 Marc Sun, 24 Jun 2007 08:24:21 +0000 http://www.marclehmann.net/2007/06/the-new-right-to-choose-amnesty-international/#comment-50 Thanks Grant. I didn't want to get into Guantanamo specifically because its a massive topic I've been following also. So to answer you properly I've posted my thoughts on the topic :) Thanks Grant. I didn’t want to get into Guantanamo specifically because its a massive topic I’ve been following also. So to answer you properly I’ve posted my thoughts on the topic :)

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.marclehmann.net/2007/06/the-new-right-to-choose-amnesty-international/#comment-49 Anonymous Sun, 24 Jun 2007 02:18:08 +0000 http://www.marclehmann.net/2007/06/the-new-right-to-choose-amnesty-international/#comment-49 Hey Marc, You and your readers might consider switching your AI donations to Human Life International! Look at this: Amnesty International: What Part of Murder Don’t You Understand? http://www.hli.org/sl_2007-06-22.html Hey Marc, You and your readers might consider switching your AI donations to Human Life International!

Look at this:

Amnesty International: What Part of Murder Don’t You Understand?

http://www.hli.org/sl_2007-06-22.html

]]> By: Grant http://www.marclehmann.net/2007/06/the-new-right-to-choose-amnesty-international/#comment-48 Grant Sat, 02 Jun 2007 23:33:37 +0000 http://www.marclehmann.net/2007/06/the-new-right-to-choose-amnesty-international/#comment-48 Hi Marc. Not questioning your decision(s), and I can certainly see your point. But I just wanted to put forward one reason why Amnesty may have focused on David Hicks - to raise the issue of Guantanamo, an illegal prison that flouts international conventions and has no legal founding, by focusing on an Australian citizen held there. According to the BBC, 375 people are still being held in Guantanamo - David was just one - but the only Australian citizen (another Australian citizen was previously released after the UK took them on board as a citizen). As you mention, often Amnesty works to release prisoners of conscience in countries with dubious human rights records, and one of the tools they have is the moral imperative that comes from having a judicial and legal system in place both internationally and in countries like the US and Australia. It is also often difficult to make headway in cases in some countries, but you would expect that a democratic country would uphold the basic principles of human rights. So I personally see it as doubly important to make sure that Guantanamo is closed. Whilst it is open and flouting international law, it weakens our ability to call on other nations to respect those laws. That's my personal take on why the focus has been on David - if one of our own citizens is being held under the same conditions that in other countries we are condemning, should we not be calling our government(s) to account? Hi Marc. Not questioning your decision(s), and I can certainly see your point. But I just wanted to put forward one reason why Amnesty may have focused on David Hicks - to raise the issue of Guantanamo, an illegal prison that flouts international conventions and has no legal founding, by focusing on an Australian citizen held there.

According to the BBC, 375 people are still being held in Guantanamo - David was just one - but the only Australian citizen (another Australian citizen was previously released after the UK took them on board as a citizen).

As you mention, often Amnesty works to release prisoners of conscience in countries with dubious human rights records, and one of the tools they have is the moral imperative that comes from having a judicial and legal system in place both internationally and in countries like the US and Australia.

It is also often difficult to make headway in cases in some countries, but you would expect that a democratic country would uphold the basic principles of human rights.

So I personally see it as doubly important to make sure that Guantanamo is closed. Whilst it is open and flouting international law, it weakens our ability to call on other nations to respect those laws.

That’s my personal take on why the focus has been on David - if one of our own citizens is being held under the same conditions that in other countries we are condemning, should we not be calling our government(s) to account?

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