Corporate Accountability

NYC Book Events: Nov. 13th and 14th

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:17:42 EST

Crude Reflections / Cruda Realidad: Oil, Ruin and Resistance in the Amazon Rainforest

On November 13^th and 14^th, 2008 at two events, Lou Dematteis and Kayana Szymczak will present their work Crude Reflections / Cruda Realidad, a collection of photographs and testimonies that capture the environmental and health-related consequences of Texaco’s (now Chevron) reckless actions in Ecuador’s northern Amazon region. The company left Ecuador in 1992 but continued to dump crude oil and toxic wastewater in open-air pits, contaminating the land with toxic pollution. Thousands of people of the region, having to live with the pollution left by Texaco, suffer to this day from cancer, respiratory ailments, birth defects and other severe health problems. Medical experts currently predict thousands of deaths from cancer and the disappearance of five indigenous rainforest communities. While the images and testimonies of victims are a central component of the story, the book also documents an uplifting campaign for justice, culminating in a landmark legal case now being adjudicated in Ecuador.

§ The first event, on November 13^th, 2008 at 7.00 PM is a slide presentation, talk and book signing with Dematteis and Szymczak with remarks by Amazon Watch Executive Director Atossa Soltani and attorney Steve Donziger, legal advisor to rainforest residents suing Chevron. The location is at the Melville House, 145 Plymouth Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201. Telephone: 718.722.9204

§ The second, on November 14^th, 2008 at 6.00 PM is a book signing with Dematteis and Szymczak and takes place at the International Center of Photography in Midtown. This event includes complimentary wine and features a DJ; guests can also view the exhibit “Susan Meiselas: In History”—admission to the museum from 5.00 PM to 8.00 PM is by donations. The location is at the International Center of Photography, 1133 Avenue of the Americas (43^rd St. and 6^th Ave.), New York, NY 10036. Telephone: 212.857.0000. Website: http://www.icp.org/.

We certainly hope that you and your friends will take the time and opportunity to meet with Dematteis and Szymczak, and hear them discuss their work.

If you would like to purchase a copy of the book to bring to the signings, you can place an order at the Amnesty online shop (softcover, $24.95; hardcover, $40.00).

Join us for a brown-bag lunch - Colombian leaders on Oil Companies

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:44:08 EST

Special Invitation:

Oil Companies and Indigenous Rights in Colombia

Amnesty International and Amazon Watch invite you to participate in a brown-bag lunch to learn about the struggle of the U’Wa people of Colombia to protect their life, land and culture against the threat of destructive oil exploration on their ancestral territory.

Thursday, November 13^th, 2008

1.00 PM to 2.00 PM

5 Penn Plaza, 16^th Floor (between 33^rd and 34^th Streets on 8^th Avenue in Manhattan)

Tel: 212 807 8400

Space is limited. Please RSVP to erazook@aiusa.org by noon, Wednesday, November 12^th if you plan to attend.

The U’Wa, or “the people who speak”, are a peaceful Indigenous community of 5,000 who live in the cloud forest of northeastern Colombia, straddling the border with Venezuela. They have expressed strong opposition to any oil operations within their ancestral territory, given their traditional belief that oil is the blood of Mother Earth. The ten-year plus international struggle to defend their life, land and culture successfully forced Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) to abandon their territory in 2002. Now the U’Wa people are concerned about the plans of the Colombian state oil company, Ecopetrol, to extract oil in and around their territory. In September 2008, Ecopetrol began trading 10% of its shares—underwritten by JP Morgan Chase—on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Two U’wa representatives, Luis “Sirakubo” Tegria, President of the U’wa Association of Traditional Authorities and Councils (ASOUWA) and Armando “Berua” Tegria, Secretary of International Relations for ASOUWA, will speak about their long struggle to keep oil companies off their land, and how Ecopetrol’s expansion into their territory threatens the U’wa way of life.

Amazon Watch works to defend the environment and rights of the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin. Amazon Watch has partnered for years with the U’wa community and is hosting Messrs. Luis and Armando Tegria during their visit to the United States.

Two Senate Hearings on Extractive Industries Highlight Abuses and Need for Greater Accountability

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:53:41 EST

On September 23, two Senate hearings explored human rights abuses and transparency concerns connected to the extraction of natural resources, and called for stronger accountability mechanisms. Amnesty International submitted testimony for the record, describing weaknesses in current accountability frameworks and how governments and companies can better address abuses.

The first hearing, chaired by Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin of the Africa Subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee, addressed the topic of “Resource Curse or Blessing? Africa’s Management of Its Extractive Industries.”ï¿½Senator Richard Durbin of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law chaired the second hearing entitled “Extracting Natural Resources: Corporate Responsibility and the Rule of Law.”

A key step toward ensuring the billions of dollars of natural resource revenues are a blessing rather than a curse is the transparency of those revenues. A bill addressing this need for transparency was introduced on July 31st, 2008, by Senator Charles Schumer. The Extractive Industries Transparency Disclosure (EITD) Act (S. 3389) would require oil, gas and mining companies to publish their natural resource revenue payments to foreign governments as part of their annual filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Amnesty International noted the importance of such legislation in our testimony and is supporting the Publish What You Pay Coalition’s efforts to pass the bill.ï¿½

Download webcasts of the hearings and testimonies:

Find out more about Publish What You Pay-United State

On 1 Year Anniversary of Killing of 17 Iraqi Civilians by Blackwater Worldwide, A Call for Justice

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:52:13 EST

One year ago today, personnel for US company Blackwater Worldwide shot into the streets of Baghdad and killed 17 Iraqi civilians. The FBI found that at least 14 of the 17 shootings were “unjustified and violated deadly-force rules in effect for security contractors in Iraq”.

The Blackwater personnel were working via a contract with the Diplomatic Security Bureau of the US State Department. To date, none of the perpetrators has seen a criminal trial, and the State Department renewed Blackwater’s contract despite the outcomes of congressional inquiries which revealed that:

- Blackwater personnel have engaged in 195 “escalation of force” shooting incidents from 2005 –2007, an average of 1.4 per week, wherein they shot first 84% of the time.

- The State Department’s own records indicate that Blackwater has engaged in more shooting incidents than the Bureau of Diplomatic Security’s other two contractors combined.

- The Bureau of Diplomatic Security’s investigation into the September 16 killings resulted in the granting of immunity to Blackwater contractors. (The Justice Department may be initiating Grand Jury proceedings against some of the personnel.)

Amnesty International calls on the U.S. State Department to: (i) suspend its contract with Blackwater Worldwide, (ii) implement and make publicly available standards for reviewing and considering a company’s, or the personnel of a company’s, reported involvement in human rights abuses, (iii) ensure that adequate compensation is paid to victims or their families, and (iv) make a public commitment that it will not tolerate excessive use of force against civilians or other human rights abuses.

Congressman David Price (NC) joined Amnesty in calling for prosecution of wrongdoers and better oversight and accountability. Read our full press statement.

Go to our website to learn more and take action.

USA: On Anniversary of Civilian Shootings by Blackwater in Iraq, Amnesty International Calls on U.S. Government to Hold Military Contractors Accountable

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST

On the one-year anniversary of the killings of 17 Iraqi civilians by Blackwater Worldwide contractors working for the State Department in Iraq, Amnesty International today condemned the U.S. government for failing to hold anyone accountable for the deaths.

URGENT ACTION: Environmental defender threatened in Guatemala

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 13:08:12 EST

Please send appeals urgently on behalf of Yuri Melini, Director of Center for Environmental, Social and Legal Action (Centro de Accion Legal, Ambiental y Social de Guatemala – CALAS), his family and colleagues in CALAS.

Guatemalan environmental activists have in the past been subject to attacks in order to stop them from carrying out their legitimate activities. They work to protect the environment and the human rights of indigenous and peasant communities whose livelihoods depend upon the environment.

Yuri Melini has been shot by masked men, apparently in connection with his work as Director of the Center for Environmental, Social and Legal Action. Amnesty International believes he, his family and colleagues are in grave danger. CALAS has recently been involved in a number of high profile environmental issues, including legally challenging the law that permits opencast mining for gold and other metals, campaigning against contamination of water sources and occupation of land in nature reserves. The attack against Yuri Melini is believed to be linked to his role in CALAS and the work of the organization.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

Good News! Film-maker, Elena Varela Lopez, Released in Chile

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 14:31:43 EST

Documentary filmmaker Elena Varela Lopez was released on August 13, after more than three months in custody. She is now subject to aresto domiciliario nocturna (house arrest between 10pm and 8am), and arraigo nacional (she cannot leave the country).

AI submission to the UN Special Representative on the issue of Human Rights and Business

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:18:39 EST

Today Amnesty International published official commentary in response to the third report of the UN Special Representative on the issue of Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises.

Amnesty International welcomed the establishment, in 2005, of the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on the issue of Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises, and we have followed the work of the mandate closely. Amnesty appreciates the constructive progress made by the SRSG in carrying out the mandate, particularly as reflected in his third report, submitted to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) at its June 2008 session.

Amnesty believes that the proposed policy framework, which emphasizes three key principles - the state duty to protect in the context of corporate human rights abuses; the company responsibility to respect all human rights; and access to remedies, has the potential to make an important contribution to the protection of human rights. We welcome the resolution adopted by the HRC in June, extending the mandate of the SRSG for a further three years to develop the proposals contained in the report.

Amnesty submitted public commentary on the SRSG’s third report and the future development of the work as mandated by the HRC. While there is much in the third report of the SRSG that Amnesty International endorses and looks forward to seeing developed, these comments also raise some issues which the SRSG has not substantially addressed to date, but which we believe should be considered over the coming three years – both within and independent of the protect, respect and remedy framework.

To learn more about Amnesty's work with the SRSG click here.

URGENT ACTION - anti-mining activist attacked in Mexico

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:40:20 EST

Please take action today to protect environmental defenders in Mexico.

Primary school teacher Dante Valdez was attacked on 13 August by a group of about 30 people who burst into a local school in Madera, Chihuahua state, where he was taking part in a teacher training course. The attackers, most of whom work for a local mine, pushed and kicked him, and told him to stay out of their business. Amnesty International has been informed that as of yet no police investigation has been initiated into the attack.

Dante Valdez has been one of the leaders of peaceful protests by members of Huizopa community, near Madera. Members of this community, who live on land they own communally, part of which they have leased to a mining company, have been staging peaceful protests since May 2008 outside the grounds on which the company operates. The protestors claim that the company has taken more land than it is entitled to and that the mine is damaging the local environment and water supply.

Amnesty International fears that other protestors from Huizopa community may be at risk of attacks like the one experienced by Dante Valdez in order to pressure and persuade them to give up their campaigning. Please send appeals urgently to demand their safety.

Click here for addresses, emails and faxes to send your appeals.

Long-awaited victory for survivors of the Bhopal chemical disaster

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 14:48:49 EST

August 8, 2008
PRESS STATEMENT

NEW DELHI Bhopal survivor organisations today celebrated victory after the Government of India announced that it will set up an Empowered Commission on Bhopal, and take legal action on the civil and criminal liabilities of Union Carbide and Dow Chemical. The announcement was made today by Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan, Minister of Chemicals & Fertilisesr, at the Bhopal protest site at Jantar Mantar. Survivors of the 1984 Union Carbide gas disaster and people affected by water contamination near Union Carbide's factory Bhopal have been on strike in New Delhi for the last 130 days.

Bhopal survivors said that they were happy that the Commission would be empowered to allocate resources to different rehabilitation schemes or research projects, issue tenders, identify implementing Central or State Government agencies and change the agencies if their work is unsatisfactory. Although, the extent of funds for the Commission has not been revealed the Bhopal organizations have been assured that funds will not be a problem as the Government is committed to the Commission. The Bhopal organizations have also been assured that the Commission's scope would include environmental, social, economic and medical rehabilitation.

The survivors organizations expect the Commission to be set up in the next two months. They said that the Commission will also take up the matter of disposal of thousands of tonnes of hazardous waste that were recklessly dumped by the factory management.The organizations expressed satisfaction that in response to their demands the government will now appoint a senior lawyer to argue the case for compensation from Dow Chemical for environmental and consequent health damages. "We expect the Government to go hammer and tongs after Dow Chemical, now that the law ministry has indicated that Union Carbide's civil liabilities can be passed on to Dow," the organisations said.

On the demands for deregistering the illegally registered pesticides of Dow Chemical, and revocation of approval given to Reliance for purchase of Union Carbide's Unipol technology, the Bhopalis have decided to approach the Court. The organizations expressed satisfaction that the Government has decided that no approvals will be given to any Indian agency to purchase Union Carbide's technology in India in future.

"We have won our demands only after facing undue harassment at the hands of the Government and Delhi Police," the three organisations said. After the month-long walk and 70-day dharna in Delhi by Bhopalis failed to evoke any response from the Government, 9 Bhopalis launched an indefinite fast lasting 21 days. More than 800 people from at least 10 countries joined them in solidarity by fasting for a day or longer. Diane Wilson, a noted peace and environmental activist from the US, award-winning author of Animal's People Indra Sinha and an environmental activist from Chennai joined the Bhopalis in their indefinite fast.

International support for the campaign has been massive. Nearly 6000 faxes were sent by supporters to the Prime Minister's office during the campaign. Meanwhile, NRI and other supporters kept the pressure up by demonstrating outside Indian embassies and calling key Indian politicians over phone. Sixteen US congresspersons, and more than 80 British Members of Parliaments added their voice in support of the Bhopalis' demands, urging the Prime Minister to meet the demands and hold Dow Chemical accountable for the ongoing disaster in Bhopal.

Bhopal's Gen Next has been at the core of the public actions targeting the Government. Bhopali children not only sent letters written in blood to the PM, but also chained themselves to the Prime Minister's house and launched a campaign urging school children to send a heart to the Prime Minister. In July, 22 Bhopalis were arrested for protesting outside the Prime Minister's Office and jailed in Tihar for more than 10 days.

The organisations thanked Mr. Paswan for his consistent support over the years, and expressed hope that the Minister will provide the necessary support for the Empowered Commission to begin functioning at the earliest.

Rashida Bee, Champa Devi Shukla
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh
Syed M Irfan
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha Rachna Dhingra, Satinath Sarangi
Bhopal Group for Information and Action

For more information, contact Rachna Dhingra: 9717516003
http://www.bhopal.net
http://www.truthaboutdow.org

Yahoo! claiming progress on human rights, but abuses continue - report from annual stockholders' meeting

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 15:55:29 EST

On August 1st Yahoo! held its annual stockholders’ meeting, and Amnesty International was there, alongside other concerned shareholders, to make sure human rights was on the agenda. Two human rights shareholder resolutions were presented for voting - one recommending a Board Committee on Human Rights, sponsored by Harrington Investments, and the other calling for an end to abuses of censorship and privacy, sponsored by the City of New York. Amnesty supported both proposals and demanded details from Yahoo! CEO Jerry Yang about plans to address our ongoing concerns, which we had recently reiterated in a letter to him and new Board Member Carl Icahn.

^{Tony Cruz at the Yahoo Annual Stockholders' Meeting}

Amnesty’s Corporate Action Network Coordinator, Tony Cruz, directly addressed Yang in the meeting, saying “Yahoo! is not even close to meeting its human rights challenges with its current policies and management structures. Though some constructive talking has gone on over the past two years, and some small steps have been taken, it is beyond time for Yahoo! to undertake meaningful action”.

While recognizing some of the steps Yahoo! has taken recently, including establishing an internal Business and Human Rights Program, Tony requested more detail on the goals of the program and
how its efforts will be undertaken, reported on and evaluated. Yang reacted angrily to Tony’s questions and insisted Yahoo! was leading efforts to address human rights concerns – yet he opposed both shareholder resolutions. The fact remains that censorship is still rampant and dissidents are still being arrested and held in detention. As far as we can tell, nothing Yahoo! has done will change either of those facts.

Read about the meeting in the news:

ABC News
“Yahoo! and Yang have been criticized by Amnesty International, and even the U.S. Congress, for giving the Chinese government information leading to the arrest of journalist Shi Tao.”

BBC
Tony Cruz of Amnesty International said, "They are giving up a part of their value system to get into this market. We just want to see a corporation actually stand up and do what is right. And we haven't seen that yet".
The Tech Beat, LIVE from Yahoo!’s Annual Meeting

Olympics: Web sites unblocked but still no freedom of expression

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 15:54:10 EST

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL NEWS FLASH

Olympics: Web sites unblocked but still no freedom of expression

"We welcome the news today that the authorities have lifted blocks on our website in the Olympics media venues and possibly elsewhere in Beijing," said Roseann Rife, Deputy Director for the Asia-Pacific Programme at Amnesty International.

“However, arbitrary blocking and unblocking of certain sites does not fulfil the duty to comply with international standards of freedom of information and expression.”ï¿½

Beijing-based journalists have told Amnesty International that the organization's website together with several others - including those of Human Rights Watch, Radio Free Asia and the BBC Chinese language service - have now been unblocked in the Olympic media venues. Some reports suggest that they are also accessible in other parts of Beijing, although availability appears to be inconsistent.

Other websites which cover human rights or political issues remain blocked. They include another website set up by Amnesty International to encourage debate about China's human rights record in the run-up to the Games, www.thechinadebate.org

"Like the rest of the world, Chinese citizens have a right to access information and to express themselves on-line on all areas of legitimate public inquiry, including human rights. We continue to urge the authorities to ensure unfettered access to the Internet in line with official Olympic promises of ‘complete media freedom’ and international human rights standards," said Roseann Rife.

The Chinese authorities have imprisoned several Chinese journalists for posting or accessing information on the web deemed politically sensitive. They include Shi Tao, who continues to serve a ten-year prison sentence for sending an email to an overseas website about official instructions to journalists on how to cover the 15th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown in Beijing.

Amnesty International also noted that the Chinese authorities' decision to unblock some websites appeared to be prompted by the expression of strong public concern over the issue, including from the International Olympics Committee (IOC) who only days previously had allowed the Chinese authorities to maintain blocks on certain sites.

"Where silent diplomacy on human rights fails, strong public pressure can clearly have an effect," said Roseann Rife. "We continue to urge the IOC and world leaders planning to attend the Games to speak out for human rights and on behalf of Chinese human rights activists who have effectively been silenced.

Blatant Media Censorship in Beijing Adds One More Broken Promise Before Olympics, Says AI

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:11:17 EST

Amnesty International today called on Chinese authorities and International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials to fulfill media freedom commitments, following a statement Wednesday by an IOC official indicating that the organization had caved in to China's demands on internet censorship.

"The International Olympic Committee and the Organizing Committee of the Beijing Olympic Games should fulfill their commitment to 'full media freedom' and provide immediate uncensored internet access at Olympic media venues. Censorship of the internet at the Games is compromising fundamental human rights and betraying the Olympic values," said Mark Allison, East Asia researcher for Amnesty International.

The organization was reacting to statements Wednesday by Kevin Gosper, IOC press commission chair, saying "I regret that it now appears BOCOG has announced that there will be limitations on website access during Games time (...). I also now understand that some IOC officials negotiated with the Chinese that some sensitive sites would be blocked on the basis they were not considered Games related."

Foreign journalists working from the Olympics press center in Beijing are unable to access the Amnesty International website. A number of other websites are also reportedly blocked.

The IOC has on many occasions highlighted the loosening of restrictions on foreign media in China as an example of the promised improvement in human rights by the Chinese authorities through the hosting of the Olympics. On April 1, Kevin Gosper said that the continued blocking of some websites would "reflect very poorly" on the hosts. On July 17 Jacques Rogge, IOC President, said "there will be no censorship of the internet."

"This blatant media censorship adds one more broken promise that undermines the claim that the Games would help improve human rights in China," said Mark Allison.

On Monday July 29, Amnesty International published the report "Olympic Countdown: Broken Promises," which evaluates the performance of the Chinese authorities in four areas related to the core values of the Olympics: persecution of human rights activists, detention without trial, censorship and the death penalty. They all relate to the 'core values' of 'human dignity' and 'respect for universal fundamental ethical principles' in the Olympic Charter. The new report shows there has been little progress toward fulfilling the Chinese authorities' promise to improve human rights, and continued deterioration in key areas instead.

Download the report here.

Take action to end internet censorship.

Urgent action required to support Bhopal communities affected by Union Carbide contamination

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:38:39 EST

The Indian Government has failed once again to offer any assurance that definitive and decisive action will be taken to address the long standing concerns of the people of Bhopal.

Click here to learn more and send appeals today.

CRUDE REFLECTIONS/ CRUDA REALIDAD

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:40:57 EST

Oil, Ruin and Resistance in the Amazon Rainforest

Visit the AIUSA store to purchase this amazing new book of photographs, which chronicles the human and environmental impact of oil drilling in the Ecuadoran Amazon. Photographers Lou Dematteis and Kayana Szymczak have documented the physical and emotional reality of those affected by this toxic contamination, roughly 30 times greater than the more widely reported Exxon Valdez spill.

While the images and testimonies of victims are a central component of the story, the book also documents an uplifting campaign for justice, culminating in a landmark legal case now being adjudicated in Ecuador.

Community leaders from Ecuador, Nigeria, Myanmar and Richmond, CA joined together for
a press conference in advance of the Chevron annual stockholder meeting on May 28, 2008.

ï¿½

Amnesty International has long supported the rights of Ecuador’s Indigenous peoples who are struggling against oil interests. On May 28^th, Amnesty helped bring three Ecuadorian community leaders to the Chevron shareholder meeting, so that they could speak to Chevron CEO David O’Reilly. "Before the oil company arrived, our people lived without any contamination," said Emergildo Criollo, "Today, the streams are contaminated with oil that flows into the rivers." As they have in past years, Chevron denied any responsibility

CAN Coordinator Tony Cruz used the opportunity to asked the CEO to explain how, given what is happening in Ecuador, Nigeria and elsewhere, Chevron is implementing its human rights responsibilities, what impact this has had in your operations on the ground, and whether Chevron plans to submit to third party monitoring of its human rights impacts. O’Reilly avoided answering the questions directly, instead making a blanket statement that the company abides by the standards enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Click here to learn more about Chevron’s legacy of responsibility in Ecuador, and here to visit the website of the ChevronToxico Campaign, for the latest on the status of the lawsuit (external site). .

URGENT ACTION - Harassment of Documentary Filmmaker in Chile

Tue, 3 Jun 2008 17:07:07 EST

Documentary filmmaker Elena Varela Lopez is being held in Rancagua Prison, central Chile. She is currently filming a documentary which she has been researching for the last four years, on the conflict between lumber companies and Chile’s Mapuche indigenous people, over the use of land. Amnesty International believes that the authorities have arrested her in an attempt to halt investigations into this conflict and in an attempt to intimidate her and the Mapuche Indigenous people.

Click here to learn more and please send appeals today!

URGENT ACTION - Land rights activists at risk in Mexico

Tue, 27 May 2008 14:12:21 EST

Sister Consuelo Morales has been followed, threatened and subjected to surveillance by unidentified men, in an attempt to intimidate her and stop her legitimate activities in defense of land rights. The land in question has attracted the interest of large local businesses, however its development could seriously impact the environment and the water resources of several municipalities.

Sister Consuelo Morales is the Director of the human rights organization Ciudadanos en Apoyo a los Derechos Humanos A.C (CADHAC) based in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo León, which has been coordinating the protest activities against the creation of a residential and leisure complex in this environmentally protected area of land, which is called “Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey”.

Learn more and please send appeals urgently to call for the safety of Sister Morales and CADHAC's members.

Keep the pressure on Dow Chemical and the Indian Government about Bhopal

Mon, 19 May 2008 11:09:42 EST

May 15, 2008 was the Dow Chemical Company annual stockholder meeting in Midland, Michigan. Using a proxy from Amnesty International, a representative from the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB) attended the meeting in solidarity with Michigan-based activists who are suffering as a result of dioxin contamination linked to Dow. They protested outside and presented a shareholder proposal requesting a report on environmental remediation in the Midland area which received nearly 23% of the vote. Though the Bhopal shareholder proposal could not be filed again this year due to SEC regulations, ICJB representative Shana Ortman made sure the voices of Bhopal survivors were heard. Not surprisingly, the Chairman ducked her question with stock responses.

Read the statement of Shana Ortman at the Dow Chemical annual meeting

Institutional and activist shareholders of Dow Chemical also signed a joint letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) raising questions about Dow's ongoing liabilities connected to Bhopal.

Photo courtesty of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal

In the lead up to the annual meeting, beginning in March, some 50 representatives of the Bhopal survivors, including children, began the long walk - more than 800km - to New Delhi to seek a meeting with the Prime Minister. They are now in New Delhi hoping for an opportunity to discuss a resolution of their major and long-standing concerns over the clean-up and remediation of the Bhopal site, and ongoing problems in relation to health, lack of clean water and lack of information. Amnesty International is calling on the Prime Minister of India to meet them and to address long-standing concerns over the clean-up and remediation of the Bhopal site, and ongoing problems in relation to health, lack of clean water and lack of information. Send a letter to the Prime Minister today.

Google Grilled on Human Rights at Annual Meeting

Tue, 13 May 2008 17:10:17 EST

At Google's recent annual shareholder meeting on May 8th, concerned shareholders led by Amnesty International USA called on Google to take a serious stand against Internet censorship and stop aiding the Chinese and other governments in denying the basic right of freedom of expression to its citizens.

Read our press statement

AIUSA Member Tony Cruz, using the proxy of the New York City Pension Funds, called on Google shareholders to support a proposal that would require the company to commit to protecting access to information and freedom of expression--much in line with Google's own mantra "Do No Evil".

Read Tony’s statement

Coalition partner and socially responsible investor, Harrington Investments, put forward a proposal for a Board Committee on Human Rights (which Amnesty also supported), stating, “The directors at Google have failed to demonstrate that they are able to adapt to the reality that the protection of human rights is a real element of fiduciary responsibility and an obligation for corporate directors… We need more than the morality of materialist self interest to lead us through the 21st century.”

Though the Board of Directors of Google recommended a vote against both proposals, in an interesting turn, Co-founder Sergey Brin opted to abstain from voting, claiming he agreed with their "spirit and intent" and just disagreed with how they were worded. Nevertheless, we'd prefer to see action from Google rather than conversations about semantics.

Toward the end of the meeting, AIUSA Member Robert Rosoff asked why Google was not supporting the Global Online Freedom Act, legislation that could help Google better deal with censorship requests from repressive governments, and why they were not exploring options within Chinese law (which ostensibly protects freedom of expression) to stand up to such requests. While Google responded that they were not opposed to legislation, they fell short of supporting the bill. Google did, however, say they would look into ways of using Chinese law to protect freedom of expression. We intend to hold them to these concessions and will keep you posted on whether they follow through.

Google has misled shareholders and the public into thinking that such proposals seek Google’s withdrawal from China - this is not true, and it is certainly not what Amnesty has requested. What we have requested is rather simple: that Google implement policies to protect the basic human rights of its users and cease from aiding repressive regimes in censoring web material. It is time to end the double talk and corporate misdirection, and to take a stand to protect freedom of expression and access to information online.

You can listen to a webcast of the meeting at http://investor.google.com/webcast.html

Click here to take immediate action and support the Global Online Freedom Act

Urgent Action - Protect environmental defenders in the Bahamas

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:59:18 EST

Please send appeals now to support representatives from the Millar Creek Preservation Group in the Bahamas who have been harassed and threatened for their activism against against illegal dumping and attempts by developers to encroach on the Millar Creek wetlands. In early April 2008 they started a campaign against a developer who is building a gated community and marina adjacent to the Creek. According to the campaigners the development has reportedly destroyed a vast area of the protected wetlands and is having an adverse effect on the marine life sustained by it. Learn more and take action.

USA: Human Rights and Investor Coalition Pushes Action on Darfur Atrocities by Stockholders of Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST

Beginning today and continuing through May 20th, shareholders of four major financial firms -- Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo -- are being asked to vote on proposals that will push the firms to use their investment relationships with Chinese, Indian and Malaysian oil companies to press the government of Sudan to end atrocities in Darfur.

Colombia: NGOs Press President Uribe of Colombia to Address Wave of Violence Against Rights Defenders, Unionists

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

Recent statements by a close advisor to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe contributed to "a climate of political intolerance that fosters violence" shortly before a wave of killings, attacks, and threats against trade unionists and rights activists, a group of 22 international human rights organizations said in a joint letter to Uribe.

Breakthrough in Canadian Indigenous rights flashpoint

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

An Indigenous Canadian community’s longstanding campaign to stop clear-cut logging on its land has prompted a multinational paper company to stop buying wood fibre from the area.

Why is Amnesty International in Davos?

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST

Judit Arenas writes from the World Economic Forum in Davos about talking to those that can take steps to improve human rights – not just governments, but also companies.

World leaders urged to tackle Musharraf at World Economic Forum

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST

Irene Khan has written to world political and business leaders, calling on them to raise the issue of Pakistan's human rights situation with President Musharraf at the World Economic Forum.

Urge the Senate to Ensure Contractor Accountability

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 06:13:29 EST

Near Nisour Square, Baghdad, on September 16, at least 11 Iraqis were killed after employees of Blackwater USA, a contractor of the U.S. State Department, reportedly shot several rounds from their armored vehicles. But even if these contractors intentionally killed innocent people, they could walk away free. Take action now.

Accountability for Blackwater

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 08:21:52 EST

On September 16, at least 17 Iraqis were killed after personnel of Blackwater Worldwide, a contractor of the U.S. State Department, reportedly shot several rounds from their armored vehicles in Baghdad. This is neither the first time nor an isolated incident of Blackwater personnel using lethal force against Iraqi civilians. Call on Blackwater to take their human rights responsibilities seriously.

Call on investors: stand up for human rights in Darfur

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:38:50 EST

Press investors in Sudan’s oil industry to follow the lead of companies like Morgan Stanley and T. Rowe Price to take a stand for the people of Darfur.

Protect migrant workers in South Korea

Thu, 9 Aug 2007 10:21:19 EST

Migrant workers in South Korea face discrimination in the work place and abuse by employers and state officials. They are vulnerable to human rights abuses including withholding of payment, confiscation of identity documents, including passports, visa papers and identity cards, verbal and physical abuse and denial of access to health insurance and medical attention.

USA: Help Hold Private Military and Security Contractors Accountable for Human Rights Abuses

Wed, 4 Apr 2007 07:30:38 EST

Employees and individual contractors of US government contracted companies are alleged to have abused, tortured and killed people in areas including Iraq and Afghanistan, but not a single one has been brought to justice. Tell Congress to demand accountability of contractors in the "war on terror."

Investigate and prosecute military contractors who torture, kill

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 10:35:09 EST

Jamie Leigh Jones was reportedly drugged, gang-raped and imprisoned in a container by fellow KBR co-workers in 2005 while working in Iraq on a U.S. Defense Department contract. Like the Abu Ghraib torture victims who still have not seen justice after more than four years, the abuse Jones says she suffered at the hands of private contractors over two years ago has not seen the light of a criminal trial.

Yahoo! Don't Violate Human Rights

Wed, 1 Feb 2006 07:00:35 EST

Shi Tao, a Chinese journalist, is serving a ten-year prison sentence for sending an email to the U.S. Yahoo! helped put him there. They provided information to the Chinese Government, which led to his unjust imprisonment. Yahoo! needs to hear from people like you and me in droves. And they need to hear from us today. Tell Yahoo! that we won't stand for violating privacy and ask them to use their influence to secure Shi Tao's release.

Call on Chevron to address the human rights of Amazon communities

Tue, 3 May 2005 09:03:00 EST

For over four decades, Indigenous communities have witnessed multinational oil companies cut through their ancestral lands in search of the country's vast petroleum resources. According to the report "Amazon Crude", Texaco alone was responsible for dumping 19 billion gallons of toxic wastewater into the region contaminating the drinking water of Ecuador's Amazon communities.

Tell Chevron to clean up Amazon contamination

Tue, 3 May 2005 09:03:00 EST

Demand that UCC/Dow Face Justice for the Bhopal Disaster

Thu, 31 Mar 2005 14:21:00 EST

Twenty-two years on in Bhopal, India the lives of thousands are still seriously affected as a result of the exposure to the MIC gas. Since then, many have died or have developed chronic and debilitating illnesses. On January 6, 2005 Dow Chemical was summoned before an Indian criminal court seeking to bring to justice those responsible for the 1984 gas leak. Write to Mr Andrew Liveris, CEO of Dow Chemical. You can base your letters on the sample below.

Demand Dow Chemical Clean Up of Bhopal Disaster

Mon, 22 Nov 2004 13:26:00 EST

More than 7,000 people died within a matter of days when toxic gases leaked from a chemical plant in Bhopal, India on the night of 2/3 December 1984. Over the last 22 years exposure to the toxins has resulted in the deaths of a further 15,000 people as well as chronic and debilitating illnesses for thousands of others for which treatment is largely ineffective. Call on Dow Chemical to clean up the factory site and remove the stockpiles of chemical abandoned by the company.

Demand Dow Chemical Clean Up Bhopal Disaster Site

Mon, 22 Nov 2004 13:26:00 EST

Call For Corporate Accountability In Iraq

Mon, 7 Jun 2004 13:48:00 EST

Recent allegations of torture and ill-treatment by Coalition forces and by civilians employed by private contractors in Iraqi prisons echo the frequent reports of human rights violations that Amnesty International has received over the past year. According to the Washington Post, an Army investigation has found that at least one of Titan's translators may have been involved in abuses of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.

Corporate Accountability

NYC Book Events: Nov. 13th and 14th

Join us for a brown-bag lunch - Colombian leaders on Oil Companies

Two Senate Hearings on Extractive Industries Highlight Abuses and Need for Greater Accountability

On 1 Year Anniversary of Killing of 17 Iraqi Civilians by Blackwater Worldwide, A Call for Justice

USA: On Anniversary of Civilian Shootings by Blackwater in Iraq, Amnesty International Calls on U.S. Government to Hold Military Contractors Accountable

URGENT ACTION: Environmental defender threatened in Guatemala

Good News! Film-maker, Elena Varela Lopez, Released in Chile

AI submission to the UN Special Representative on the issue of Human Rights and Business

URGENT ACTION - anti-mining activist attacked in Mexico

Long-awaited victory for survivors of the Bhopal chemical disaster

Yahoo! claiming progress on human rights, but abuses continue - report from annual stockholders' meeting

Olympics: Web sites unblocked but still no freedom of expression

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL NEWS FLASHOlympics: Web sites unblocked but still no freedom of expression

Blatant Media Censorship in Beijing Adds One More Broken Promise Before Olympics, Says AI

Urgent action required to support Bhopal communities affected by Union Carbide contamination

CRUDE REFLECTIONS/ CRUDA REALIDAD

Oil, Ruin and Resistance in the Amazon Rainforest

URGENT ACTION - Harassment of Documentary Filmmaker in Chile

URGENT ACTION - Land rights activists at risk in Mexico

Keep the pressure on Dow Chemical and the Indian Government about Bhopal

Google Grilled on Human Rights at Annual Meeting

Urgent Action - Protect environmental defenders in the Bahamas

USA: Human Rights and Investor Coalition Pushes Action on Darfur Atrocities by Stockholders of Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase

Colombia: NGOs Press President Uribe of Colombia to Address Wave of Violence Against Rights Defenders, Unionists

Breakthrough in Canadian Indigenous rights flashpoint

Why is Amnesty International in Davos?

World leaders urged to tackle Musharraf at World Economic Forum

Urge the Senate to Ensure Contractor Accountability

Accountability for Blackwater

Call on investors: stand up for human rights in Darfur

Protect migrant workers in South Korea

USA: Help Hold Private Military and Security Contractors Accountable for Human Rights Abuses

Investigate and prosecute military contractors who torture, kill

Yahoo! Don't Violate Human Rights

Call on Chevron to address the human rights of Amazon communities

Tell Chevron to clean up Amazon contamination

Demand that UCC/Dow Face Justice for the Bhopal Disaster

Demand Dow Chemical Clean Up of Bhopal Disaster

Demand Dow Chemical Clean Up Bhopal Disaster Site

Call For Corporate Accountability In Iraq

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL NEWS FLASH

Olympics: Web sites unblocked but still no freedom of expression