Links

New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights — Mana ki te Tangata: Priorities for Action 2005—2010

The Human Rights Commission has a statutory responsibility to develop a national action plan for the better protection and promotion of human rights in New Zealand. In meeting that responsibility, we have worked in partnership with the Children's Commissioner. Mana ki te Tangata / The New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights (the Action Plan) is the first such plan to be drawn up for this country. It identifies what must be done over the next five years so that the human rights of everyone who lives in New Zealand are better recognised, protected and respected.

http://www.hrc.co.nz/report/actionplan/0foreword.html

(Added: Fri Apr 01 2005   Modified: Wed Jan 17 2007   Hits: 430)

Supreme Court Rules Zaoui Be Released On Bail

The Supreme Court of New Zealand has authorised the bail release of Algerian MP Ahmed Zaoui from prison detention and into the care of the Dominican Friars in Auckland.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00106.htm

(Added: Thu Dec 09 2004   Modified: Thu Jan 18 2007   Hits: 218)

Aen Journal

The AEN Journal is an online publication that fosters critical debate around the issues facing New Zealand's ethnic communities. It intends to provide a space for intelligent and critical discussion of the issues facing ethnic communities. The journal can be viewed as a website and visitors can download a single article or the complete journal in ready-to print format.

http://www.journal.aen.org.nz/

(Added: Wed Jun 28 2006   Hits: 273)

Amnesty International e.ActionCentre

Bringing activism to your inbox Activism is easy with Amnesty International's regular e.Action updates. To sign up for regular email updates of action opportunities, just send an email campaign@amnesty.org.nz, with "e.Action Signup" in the subject line.

http://www.amnesty.org.nz/web/pages/home.nsf/

(Added: Tue Oct 09 2007   Modified: Mon Oct 15 2007   Hits: 64)

Amnesty International New Zealand (AINZ)

Amnesty International is a worldwide campaigning movement that works to promote all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards.

http://www.amnesty.org.nz/

(Added: Wed May 26 1999   Modified: Fri Dec 21 2007   Hits: 792)

Aziz Choudry's ZNet HomePage

Based in Aotearoa (New Zealand) Aziz Choudry has organised and participated in a wide range of local, national, and international solidarity campaigns and initiatives. Aziz is a regular commentator on globalisation, human rights, and security intelligence agencies in the New Zealand media. He is active in developing and supporting alternative print and radio media in Aotearoa and overseas. He has spoken at various local and international fora on struggles for alternatives to the neoliberal agenda, and provides research for numerous community organisations and activists, unions, NGOs, journalists, and academics.

http://www.zmag.org/bios/homepage.cfm?authorID=138

(Added: Thu Mar 24 2005   Modified: Tue Jun 27 2006   Hits: 300)

Bill to jail children would put NZ in breach of international law

A bill to lower the age for criminal prosecutions against children would breach international and New Zealand human rights law (Human Rights Commission, 2 May 2007).

http://www.hrc.co.nz/home/hrc/newsandissues/billtojailchildrenwouldputnzinbreachofinternationalla.php

(Added: Tue Jun 05 2007   Hits: 120)

Building Human Rights Communities in Education

Building Human Rights Communities in Education is an initiative developed by Amnesty International, the Development Resource Centre, the Human Rights Commission, the Children's Commissioner, and the Peace Foundation. The Initiative has been developed to play a lead role in helping us as a country to meet our educational human rights aspirations and obligations. Its vision is that schools and early childhood centres will become communities where human rights are known, promoted and lived.

http://www.rightsined.org.nz/

(Added: Tue Dec 04 2007   Hits: 82)

Campaign Against The Taser

A coalition including the Human Rights Foundation, Global Peace and Justice Auckland, the Peace Foundation, Peace Movement Aotearoa, the Council of Trade Unions, Auckland University Law School's Equal Justice Project and others, has been formed to campaign against the police plans to trial the Taser stun gun from September this year. The Taser is a gun that fires two steel barbs attached to wires which penetrate the skin and then deliver a 50,000 volt electric shock to the victim. CATT is opposed to the trial because more than 150 people have died overseas as a result of being tasered; NZ police are not routinely armed (apart from Armed Offenders Squads) and guns, of any kind, should not be introduced without independent investigation and robust public debate; police overseas have used them to enforce "compliance" on victims; there has been no independent evaluation of the taser before its introduction announced by police; and NZ police have shown they are unable to follow guidelines on use of pepper spray so why would their use of tasers be any different?

http://www.campaignagainstthetaser.com/

(Added: Mon Jun 19 2006   Modified: Thu Sep 14 2006   Hits: 234)

Human Rights Film Festival 2008

Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin, 08-May-2008 06:45 PM Ten Feature films and seven short films addressing current issues in Human Rights. The Human Rights Film Festival provides a safe space to explore and debate national and international human rights issues. To assist this, we have organised after each screening a discussion forum examining issues raised by the films. Audience members are encouraged to listen to and join in the discussion. Visit the website for a full schedule of the Festival.

http://www.humanrightsfilmfest.net.nz/the-films/

(Added: Fri Apr 18 2008   Modified: Fri May 02 2008   Hits: 61)

Human Rights Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand

An independent Foundation for research-based promotion and advocacy of human rights from an Aotearoa/New Zealand - South Pacific perspective. Officers The Governor General, Dame Silvia Cartwright is our Patron. Our Chairperson is Margaret Bedggood and Peter Hosking is Secretary and our Interim Executive Director. The Management Committee comprises Sue Elliott, Kathy Ertel, Maria Humphries and Tim McBride.

http://www.humanrights.co.nz

(Added: Tue Jun 18 2002   Modified: Thu Jan 18 2007   Hits: 336)

Human Rights in New Zealand Today / Ngā Tika Tangata O Te Motu

This report is the first comprehensive assessment of the status of human rights in New Zealand. It examines a selection of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, identifying where New Zealand is already meeting and even surpassing international standards and where we need to do better. This information will form the basis of a national plan of action for the promotion and protection of human rights in New Zealand. The plan will identify priorities and propose practical and achievable actions for the next five years to further improve the status of human rights in New Zealand.

http://www.hrc.co.nz/index.php?p=55484%20

(Added: Wed Sep 01 2004   Modified: Thu Jan 18 2007   Hits: 385)

Human Rights Network of Aotearoa New Zealand

The Human Rights Network of Aotearoa New Zealand is a network of individuals, non-governmental and other organizations sharing information to pursue national and international progress in human rights. Through the Human Rights Network knowledge can be exchanged more often, news can be disseminated more widely and consultation can take place more easily. Where there is a need for collective action, mobilisation can take place with greater haste.

http://www.humanrights.net.nz/

(Added: Fri Aug 09 2002   Modified: Tue Jun 27 2006   Hits: 566)

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS: 2007

CROSS-CAMPUS SYMPOSIUM 5th Victoria Symposium on Human Rights Wednesday 29 August 2007

http://www.dev-zone.org/downloads/2007%20human%20rights%20symposium%20notice.doc

(Added: Tue Aug 21 2007   Hits: 98)

New Zealand Human Rights Film Festival

New Zealanders are being confronted more and more in the media with issues reflecting rights and responsibilities, whether they relate to the rights of peoples in our communities or the rights of strangers in conflict-riven countries. We are being challenged to draw conclusions on matters that are at times beyond the frame of our personal reality. The Trust considers this an opportune time for New Zealand to join the international Human Rights Film Festival circuit. Depicting human rights issues through the medium of film has never been more prevalent. Visual presentation is increasingly the channel of mass communication especially for young people. The film festival provides a safe space to explore and debate national and international human rights. We will be calling on a range of experts to lead discussions at the end of screenings so that audiences leave feeling informed and inspired.

http://humanrightsfilmfest.net.nz/

(Added: Tue May 17 2005   Modified: Tue Jun 27 2006   Hits: 245)

NZ Government Invests in Environmental Destruction and Human Rights Abuses

The New Zealand Superannuation Fund is investing in US mining giant Freeport McMoRan despite questions over the company's human rights and environmental record in West Papua. (Wellington West Papua Rights Group, Scoop, 14 November 2006)

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0611/S00201.htm

(Added: Tue Nov 14 2006   Hits: 171)

Reports submitted by States parties under article 9 of the convention : Seventeenth periodic reports of States parties due in 2005 : Addendum, New Zea

The report covers the legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures adopted in the review period that give effect to the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in the period 2000-2005. It notes: social and economic disparities between Maori and Pacific peoples and non-Maori; low representation of Maori women in a number of key sectors and their particular vulnerability to domestic violence; disproportionately high representation of Maori and Pacific peoples in correctional facilities; the need for the facilitation of the institution of criminal proceedings against those accused of incitement to racial hatred; the need for more extensive information on compliance with article 4, paragraph 15, of the Convention; concerns over New Zealand's detention of asylum-seekers and treatment of Special Measures; the need for inclusion of human rights obligations in any new constitutional arrangements for Tokelau; and the need for implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme (global) of Action. (UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination, July 2006)

http://www.unhchr.ch/TBS/doc.nsf/7cec89369c43a6dfc1256a2a0027ba2a/8719f4f3a4f18f98c125726c00593760?OpenDocument

(Added: Wed Feb 14 2007   Hits: 132)

Sri Lankan girl whisked away

nzoom.com, Feb 12, 2004. The Sri Lankan girl who claims she had been sexually abused and traumatised in her homeland was put on a plane bound for Korea after losing her fight to stay in New Zealand. Immigration officials have confirmed the 16-year-old, whose name is suppressed, left on a commercial flight from Auckland Airport just before 10pm on Thursday night. It has been reported the girl and her grandmother were earlier dragged screaming into an ambulance at the Mangere Refugee Centre where they were staying.

http://onenews.nzoom.com/onenews_detail/0,1227,255054-1-7,00.html

(Added: Fri Feb 13 2004   Modified: Thu Jan 18 2007   Hits: 201)

Supporting West Papua

If you would like to be part of a West Papua group in Wellington or are wanting to share and find out more about West Papua, subscribe here. If you would like to join the Indonesian Human Rights Committee (based in Auckland) email list contact maire@clear.net.nz

http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/wgtn-westpapua

(Added: Wed Jul 19 2006   Hits: 233)

USA: Excessive and lethal force? Amnesty International's concerns about deaths and ill-treatment involving police use of tasers

The use of stun gun (electro-shock) technology in law enforcement raises a number of concerns for the protection of human rights. Portable and easy to use, with the capacity to inflict severe pain at the push of a button without leaving substantial marks, electro-shock weapons are particularly open to abuse by unscrupulous officials. Taser use violates international standards prohibiting torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment as well as standards set out under the United Nations (UN) Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials. More than 200 people have died after being shot by a taser. The testimonies in this report serve as a warning for Aotearoa New Zealand, which is set to introduce the taser for police use in September 2006. (Amnesty International, August 2006)

http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engamr511392004

(Added: Wed Aug 16 2006   Modified: Thu Jan 18 2007   Hits: 193)