International Human Rights Day

[Diane CBPFC]

I have participated in the Amnesty International annual write-a-thon for the past few years. Last year I decided to set up a public function and did it in the library and am doing the same this year. I have 100 dove shaped sugar cookes made and will take in coffee and hot chocolate, pens and airmail paper and cards.

I plan to hang up a string in the art gallery again and pin up the 30 or so case files that I printed off from the AI website with clothes pegs - this worked well, people could easily browse and choose the cases that were closest to their hearts - women's rights, native rights, missing people, political and religious rights etc.

I know you can't join me at the library tonight, but I ask you all to go to the AI site in your own country today and join me in writing a few letters to shine some light in some very dark corners of our world.

Thanks,
Diane

[The Peepmaster]

I'm full of admiration for you, Diane. You're actually doing something.

Peter Gabriel was on TV yesterday promoting a new website that's designed to illuminate bad in the world. It's designed to be a place where anyone can upload video examples of inhumanity etc.

http://hub.witness.org/

[Tom]

Hi Diane,

I'm sure you'll do well! Good luck and have a successful night! 

[Roger Kettle]

Diane, over the eight or so years I've got to know you on this site, I have been astonished by your energy. Good luck tonight.

[The Peepmaster]

It's amazing for someone who's much too fat.

[Diane CBPFC]

Thanks for the good wishes for tonight - now go and write some letters. 

[Zesty White]

Hope it went well Diane. It's a pet project of my sister's too, but she doesnt provide cookies and hot beverages. 

[Diane CBPFC]

Actually, it didn?t go very well last night as far as turn out. My friend Kerri came. Last year six ladies came, three because they had planned on it and three popped in while they came to the library. With this being the second year and the fact that my ad in the paper was not messed up as it was last year, I was hoping for ten people last night but set up for 30 just in case. Our town has 1500 people but serves 6000 including the rural people and the Indian Reservation.

I wrote 15 more letters when I got home so between us we sent out 37 letters, cards and postcards.

[Joan]

Good on you, Diane.  I'm sorry the turnout wasn't too good.  Will have a look at the Oz site today.  Have you ever had any replies, or results from everyone writing?

[Diane CBPFC]

Hi Joan,

Amnesty says that about one third of their case have favourable results - from better medical care for those still in jail to actually letting people go. U Win Tin from last year's campaign was an elderly and sick prisoner of concience and he was freed a few months ago. 

Most of it is letting people know they are not forgotten and it lets the authorities know that they are being watched. (Much brutality is done at the hands of corrupt police forces in third world countries.)

Thanks for joining in.

[Malc]

U win gold.

[Diane CBPFC]

Don't know what you mean by that Malc you're typing with an accent.

I did do a silver tree with my World Vision blanket campaign at the Festival of Trees on November 30th.  I don?t know if you have Festivals of Trees or if they are just Canadian events? Groups and individuals put in trees for charities and local kids sports clubs and schools and people bid on them and the winning bid gets to take them home.

There was a place to get your photo taken with Santa, a food concession, two bands, three choirs, bell ringers and the dance club did a bake sale that brought in over $1,200.00. In comparison, I collected $22.38 for my blanket campaign for World Vision kids; many people I know would rush by my table and try to avoid eye contact.  My friend Kerri (yes, same one) bought a poor family some chickens and a rooster from the catalogue, three children were sponsored though, so that was good and the tree did raise $80 for World Vision (however it cost me $120 to put it together.) I had never done anything like that before so I was surpised at how hard it was for people to throw a few dollars in a pot.

[Diane CBPFC]

I bought a tree at the Festival - this one was donated by a business to raise funds for the school:



I thought it was very cute and all the fishhooks are real.

[Fyodor]

Don't know what you mean by that Malc you're typing with an accent.

I did do a silver tree with my World Vision blanket campaign at the Festival of Trees on November 30th.  I don?t know if you have Festivals of Trees or if they are just Canadian events? Groups and individuals put in trees for charities and local kids sports clubs and schools and people bid on them and the winning bid gets to take them home.

There was a place to get your photo taken with Santa, a food concession, two bands, three choirs, bell ringers and the dance club did a bake sale that brought in over $1,200.00. In comparison, I collected $22.38 for my blanket campaign for World Vision kids; many people I know would rush by my table and try to avoid eye contact.  My friend Kerri (yes, same one) bought a poor family some chickens and a rooster from the catalogue, three children were sponsored though, so that was good and the tree did raise $80 for World Vision (however it cost me $120 to put it together.) I had never done anything like that before so I was surpised at how hard it was for people to throw a few dollars in a pot.

Diane, just reading about your activities exhausts me.

[Joan]

Diane, just reading about your activities exhausts me.

Ditto for me.  Diane, you're the person I wish I could get off my backside and be, and I hope that all of those people you know who looked the other way and couldn't direct there hands to their pockets and out again to throw a couple of measly coins in the pot are having massive guilt feelings right now.  I doubt it, but I'm sending vibes their way!