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On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the full text of which appears in the following pages. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.”
PREAMBLE
Whereas recognition of 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,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8.
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10.
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11.
(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.

(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.

(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14.
(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15.
(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16.
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.

(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17.
(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21.
(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.

(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.

(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.
(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24.
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25.
(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.
(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27.
(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28.
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29.
(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.

(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.

(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30.
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

Protesters in Lhasa, Tibet, Dharamsala, India and Kathmandu, Nepal who were attempting to observe “Tibetan National Uprising Day,” the anniversary of the Tibetan rebellion against Beijing’s rule in Tibet in 1959, were dispersed and arrested. The protests in Lhasa were the largest political demonstrations there since 1989.

“Instead of arresting peaceful protesters, why don’t these governments meet with them and attempt to address their grievances?” said Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “Peaceful demonstrations are protected under international and domestic laws and they should be permitted, not violently dispersed.”

On March 10, 2008, hundreds of monks from Drepung monastery, five miles west of the Tibetan capital Lhasa, began peaceful protests calling for an end to religious restrictions and release of imprisoned monks. While marching toward the city center, the Drepung protesters were stopped by large numbers of Chinese police, and media reports estimated that around 50 monks were detained. The monks held a sit-down protest for some 12 hours before returning to their monastery, access to which now appears to have been cut off. On March 11 at around 2:30 a.m., the sound of gunfire was heard emanating from the area of the monastery. Also on March 10, up to 14 monks from Sera monastery and three laymen and women were detained during a protest in the city center where they called for independence and waved the forbidden Tibetan flag.

Over the past half-century, the Chinese government has arrested, detained, and tortured countless Tibetans – including monks, nuns and children – protesting Chinese rule intended to quash alleged “separatism.” The Chinese government accuses the Dalai Lama, in exile in India since 1959, of being the linchpin of alleged plots to separate Tibet from China, and it views Tibetan Buddhism as complicit in those efforts.

“We are witnessing the most visible wave of peaceful dissent against Chinese rule in the Tibetan capital for the past two decades,” said Richardson. “What is unusual is the harsh crackdown on similar protests in democratic India and Nepal, which raises concerns about whether China is pressuring those countries to silence Tibetans.”

Tibetan refugees living in India have traditionally been provided a safe haven by the government, but are required to inform the authorities when they leave the area of declared residence.

Human Rights Watch urged China, India, and Nepal to uphold their obligations to respect the freedoms of expression and assembly, and due process, guaranteed under domestic law and by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). India and Nepal are parties to the ICCPR; China has signed but not ratified the ICCPR.

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/03/14/china18290.htm

PUBLIC ENEMY – FIGHT THE POWER

Today, in Milan, Esterni is organizing an action of the National TV Viewers’ Union to ask to the minister of Communications Gentiloni to give a gift to the people: declare a Day Without Television for the 2008.

Italy is sued by UE, because it exceeded the 20 minutes of intervals between spots and it exceeded the 12 limits of spot in one hour.
In the meantime, no reply has come yet from the City Council regarding the request for a patronage, but Rai has invited the National TV Viewers’ Union to present the National TV Viewers’ Strike 2008 on the Rai Utile channel.

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COMUNICATO STAMPA ESTERNI
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Oggi, in Largo Donegani, davanti alla sede milanese del Ministero delle Comunicazioni, è in corso un’azione dimostrativa dello Sciopero Nazionale dei Telespettatori.
Dopo l’appoggio negato da parte dell’Assessore alla Cultura Vittorio Sgarbi alla manifestazione, che negli anni ha radunato intorno a sé alcune tra le più importanti istituzioni culturali nazionali, coinvolgendo associazioni, comuni, esercizi commerciali, teatri, cinema, locali e centinaia di migliaia di persone sparse in tutta Italia,
il Sindacato dei Telespettatori si appella ora al Ministro Gentiloni:

MINISTRO GENTILONI CI REGALI UN GIORNO SENZA TELEVISIONI

Il Sindacato ha recapitato al Ministro un singolare regalo di Natale: un pacco di televisori, a simbolo del tempo che la “scatola nera” ci ha preso.
Ci aspettiamo che il Ministro gradisca il dono e istituisca nel prossimo ottobre 2008, in concomitanza con l’edizione dello Sciopero Nazionale dei Telespettatori, una giornata senza televisione, per restituire valore culturale e socializzante al tempo sottratto dalla TV e per protestare contro l’uso improprio e debordante del mezzo che causa isolamento e ottundimento.

The Dalai Lama opened a 10-day visit to Italy on Thursday with few official meetings on his schedule. “No audience is planned”. Nobody received an official, written statement of a meeting. So Pope Benedict did not meet Dalai Lama. Neither Italian President or the Italian Foreign Minister.

Beijing’s communist government responded early in November by saying such a meeting would “hurt the feelings of the Chinese people” and urged the Pontiff to take action showing he “is sincere in improving relations” .

The Dalai Lama’s recent meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President George W. Bush drew strong rebukes from Beijing, which claims he wants to split Tibet from China. The Dalai Lama insists he only seeks autonomy for Tibet, which China has occupied since 1951.

Among his activities in Milan are a ceremony for Nobel Peace Prize winners hosted by the Milan mayor. Meanwhile he met Giuseppe Piero Grillo, better known as Beppe Grillo (born July 21, 1948), an Italian comedian and blogger. His performances as much his posts are characterized by an realistic level of political satire.
On 26 July 2007 Grillo was permitted to speak to the members of the European Parliament in Brussels, where he drew attention to the dangerous, negative state of current Italian politics. He also promoted the so called V-Day (8 September 2007).

The V-Day, which was supported in more than 170 Italian cities as well as abroad, was organised by Grillo to persuade Italians to sign a petition calling for the introduction of a Bill of Popular Initiative to remove members of the Italian Parliament who have criminal convictions of any kind from their office. And gradually expands public awareness over the general situation.

Religious and political leader of the Tibetan people Dalai Lama’s is due in Rome next week. His favorite verse comes from eighth century Buddhist saint Shantideva

For as long as space endures
And for as long as living beings remain,
Until then may I too abide
To dispel the misery of the world.

Track

This is a video made in 1938 showing the Great yoga teacher demonstrating asana and pranyama. He was the teacher of BKS Iyengar and Sri K. Pattahbi Jois, founder the Astanga style of yoga. The film is so old that any claim to copyright has expired

Founded in 1992 by musician Peter Gabriel, Witness organisation with its slogan “See It Film It Change It” aims at denouncing and providing evidence for human rights violations through video footage. Witness set up The Hub web page, a test version for a portal which is to become the “YouTube for human rights”.

Upload It – See It – Share It. Take Action:The Hub is an interactive community for human rights, where you can upload videos, audio or photos, or simply watch, comment on and share what’s on the site.
You can use each media item on the site to encourage individuals to learn more and to get involved by providing direct links to resources, advocacy groups, campaigns and actions that they can take to make a difference. Additionally, you can connect with groups or create one of your own to feature your work on the Hub.
Server security is provided by CivicActions, and protection is provided by Openwall GNU/*/Linux which only saves visitors’ IP addresses, but not those of the people who upload files. The project is supported by numerous human rights organisations like Amnesty, Human Rights Watch or B’Tselem.

http://hub.witness.org/

Considering that the use of the death penalty undermines human dignity, and convinced that a moratorium on the use of the death penalty contributes to the enhancement and progressive development of human rights, that there is no conclusive evidence of the death penalty’s deterrent value and that any miscarriage or failure of justice in the death penalty’s implementation is irreversible and irreparable, UN general assembly committee has passed a draft resolution calling for an end to the death penalty.

Moratorium on the use of the death penalty

Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms welcome the decisions taken by Albania, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,Uruguay, Vanuatu and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) to apply a moratorium on executions, followed in many cases by the abolition of the death penalty and calls upon all States that still maintain the death penalty to respect international standards that provide safeguards guaranteeing the protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty, in particular the minimum standards, as set out in the annex to Economic and Social Council resolution 1984/50 of 25 May 1984.

“This historic resolution is a major step torwards worldwide abolition of the death penalty,” said Irene Khan, Secretary-General of Amnesty International.

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General Assembly committee backs global moratorium against death penalty

Video Debut of young torero Andrés Roca Rey, El Andi, at Segunda Corrida de la Feria del Señor de los Milagros 2007, filmed by Danny Alarcón – TorosTV

The sun rises and the sun sets, and to its place it yearns and rises there.

Kohelet – Chapter 1, 5

In 1925, Hemingway attended the festival of San Fermin in Pamplona and began a lifelong fascination with Spain and bullfighting. The Sun Also Rises, published in 1926, was inspired by that first trip to Pamplona. The title is taken from the first chapter of Ecclesiastes, Hemingway’s favourite book of the Old Testament. Hemingway’s book is also known with the title: Fiesta.

Bullfighting traces its roots to prehistoric bull worship and sacrifice. Tauromachy (tauromachia the “fighting of a bull)” is a name for the sacrifice ritual and also for the iconic central action of Mithras, the savior-god of Mithraism. It is also another term for bullfighting, or tauromachy as found in toreo, corrida de toros or tauromaquia.

The conventional Spanish bullfight is mainly descended from the original Andalusian style where the cape was of prime importance. The Basque-Navarre style was quite common in the early 19th century and painter Francisco de Goya left some famous etchings depicting such events.

The modern style of Spanish bullfighting is credited to Juan Belmonte (1892-1962) the greatest matador of all time who introduced a daring and revolutionary style, in which he stayed within a few inches of the bull throughout the fight. Although extremely dangerous (Belmonte himself was gored on many occasions), his style is still seen by most matadors as the ideal to be emulated.

Today, bullfighting remains similar to the way it was in 1726, when Francisco Romero, from Ronda, Spain, used the estoque, a sword, to kill the bull, and the muleta, a small cape used in the last stage of the fight. Spanish-style bullfighting is called corrida de toros (literally running of bulls) or fiesta brava (the ferocious festival). In traditional corrida, three toreros, or matadores, each fight two bulls, each of which is at least four years old and weighs 460-600 kg.
Each matador has six assistants — two picadores (”lancers”) mounted on horseback, three banderilleros (”flagmen”), and a mozo de espada (”sword page”). Collectively they comprise a cuadrilla (”entourage”).

The aesthetic of bullfighting is based on the interaction of the man and the bull.

“Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is left to the fighter’s honour.”

(Ernest Hemingway, Death in the afternoon)

The bullfight used to be a cruel demonstration of style, technique and courage by its participants. While there is usually no doubt about the outcome, the bull is not viewed as a sacrificial victim — it is instead seen by the audience as a worthy adversary, deserving of respect in its own right. Bulls learn fast and a bullfight may be viewed as a race against time for the matador, who must display his bullfighting skills before the animal learns what is going on and begins to thrust its horns at something other than the cape.

Nowadays Bullfighting is banned in many countries; people taking part in such activity would be liable for terms of imprisonment for animal cruelty. In Spain, national laws against cruelty to animals have abolished most archaic spectacles of animal cruelty, but specifically exempt bullfighting.

Bullfighting has been criticized by animal rights activists as a gratuitously cruel blood sport: The bull suffers severe stress or a slow, painful death. A number of animal rights or animal welfare activist groups undertake anti-bullfighting actions in Spain and other countries. In Spanish, opposition to bullfighting is referred to as antitaurina.

INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT AGAINST BULLFIGHT

PERU ANTITAURINO

At the moment there is a big ANTITAURINO manifestation going on in Acho, Peru.

PERU ANTITAURINO is an activist group undertake anti-bullfighting actions in Peru. The Organisation is planning a Manifestación Nacional on Sunday 25 November, to ask for:

- the creation of a National Committe dedicates to the Animal Protection and the Reglamentación de la Ley N° 27265.

- the Modification of the Animal Rights Law of (Protección a los Animales) against the promotion of bullfighting.

* Conformación del Comité Nacional de Protección a los Animales y la Reglamentación de la Ley N° 27265.

* Modificación de la Ley de Protección a los Animales mediante el proyecto de Ley 00496-2006/CR, presentado en octubre del 2006 por el congresista José Urquizo Magia; que busca cambiar el artículo que exceptúa a las corridas de toros por habérsele considerado un espectáculo cultural según el INC, situación que ha cambiado, pues el 13 de abril del 2005 el TRIBUNAL CONSTITUCIONAL resolvió que éste no era un espectáculo cultural y que el Estado tenía “el deber de no promover tales espectáculos”. Esta resolución se ha convertido en un argumento inapelable para este proyecto, el cual se encuentra en espera para su próximo debate en el congreso.

PERÚ ANTITAURINO

peruantitaurino@hotmail.com