Call for nominations for Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award 2010.

Call for nominations for Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award 2010.
Each year, the May 18 Memorial Foundation announces this award in a spirit of solidarity and gratitude to those who helped them in their struggle for democratization. The award goes to one individual or organization who has contributed to the promotion and advancement of human rights, democracy and peace in their work.

Candidates eligible for the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights are nominated by other individuals or organizations. An individual cannot nominate himself or herself.

Core criteria:
1) An outstanding person or group who is active in the promotion and advocacy of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights.
2) A person or group working for the reunification of Korea.
Nominations will be taken from November to the first week of May. Preliminary and final reviews of nominees take place from May to April, and the winner of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award will be announced in the last week of April.
November 2009
Announcement and nomination forms are sent out. The Committee sends out invitation letters containing forms to persons who may be interested in making a nomination.

01 March 2010
Deadline for submission of the form and related documents. The Committee assesses the candidates' work and prepares a shortlist.

April 2010
The committee reviews the shortlist and consults advisers as to their knowledge of chosen candidates. The advisers do not directly evaluate nominations nor give explicit recommendations. On April 23, 2010, committee members will choose a winner and the next day a public announcement and press conference will be held to announce the winner.

18 May 2010
Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award Ceremony. The prizewinner receives the award.
The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award will be presented to the laureate at a ceremony in Gwangju, Republic of Korea on May 18, which is the 30th Anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising. The Award consists of a gold medal, a certificate and a 50 Million Korean Won (KRW 50,000,000.00) grant to support the ongoing work of the laureate.
The annual Gwangju Prize for Human Rights has the following aims:1) To enhance the spirit of the May 18 Democratic Uprising by recognizing individuals, groups and institutions who have contributed to protecting the human rights of the excluded, impoverished and disempowered at the grassroots level.2) To reward individuals, groups and institutions for promoting the goals of the May 18 Democratic Uprising as a movement toward peace, unification and cooperation.
Application Form (Download)
The application deadline is 01 March 2010.

New 2009 Grantees Announced

FEDO and Kalikasan-PNE Receive 518 Grants

This year’s call for the 2009 Grant for Democracy and Human Rights Projects in Asia (GDHRPA), received 26 applications where two organizations will be supported for one year. The grant is awarded to non-government organizations that continually play a significant role in strengthening people’s participation and empowerment in creating a civil society that respect human rights and protect democracy and peace and encourages international solidarity. Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) of Nepal and Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (KPNE) of the Philippines will receive this year’s 2009 Grant for Democracy and Human Rights Projects in Asia (GDHRPA). The one-year grant support amounts to KRW 3,000,000.00. Read more here : http://518.org/eng/html/main.html?act=dtl&TM18MF=05010000&idx=421&page=1&key=&keyword=

Protest against the Demolition of Old Provincial Hall

On a chilly Saturday afternoon of 13 December 2008, Gwangju citizens and mostly protectors of the memory of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising (popularly known as 518) marched from Chonnam University to the Old Provincial Hall to demonstrate and protest the City administration’s plan of demolishing Gwangju’s symbol of democracy to give way to a Asia Culture Complex.

The parade from Chonnam University was lead by a salmunori group followed by a multisectoral bearer of a big Korean flag, one of the bearer was an old man who walked all the way through the parade limping with his cane. A streamer was held by an all men–old guards of 518 carrying the main message of the protest. Contingents of the mobilization came from different civil society groups including their friends and allies.

From 왜가리

From 왜가리

From 왜가리

From 왜가리

The more than 5 km walk that stopped in front of the Old Provincial Hall occupied a single lane where protesters set up a stage and raised the issue to the public and commuters of Geumnamro through songs and speeches. Candles where lighted and slogans shouted. The program that started by a lively drum beats was ended with a community singing of a protest song made popular in the 80s.

Statement of Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Winners on the 60th Anniversary of UDHR

Message on the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the Laureates of the Gwang...

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Activism Politics universal declaratio the may 18 memorial

Please visit and check these links:

Gwangju Prize Winners' Statement - http://518.org/eng/html/main.html?act=dtl&TM18MF=05020000&idx=413&page=1

Mr. Muneer Malik's Message - http://518.org/eng/html/main.html?act=dtl&TM18MF=05020000&idx=412&page=1

Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi's Message - http://518.org/eng/html/main.html?act=dtl&TM18MF=05020000&idx=410&page=1

Nomination is Now Open for 2009 Gwangju Prize

“We feel vindicated that our struggle has borne some fruit and we expect that the democratic forces shall forever close the door to military intervention in the body politic by strengthening all the institutions of the state to perform the functions assigned to them under the Constitution. We feel that we have woken up the slumbering giant – the people of Pakistan- to take charge of its own destiny. Our movement does not end with the reinstatement of the deposed judges. It continues and is in fact a never ending journey during the course of which we shall continue to strive for an independent judiciary, for maintaining the supremacy of the Rule of Law, the Constitution and the establishment of civilian supremacy in running the affairs of the Pakistan. And we shall continue to draw inspiration from the Gwangju Democratization Movement of May 1980”.

Those were the concluding statements of Mr. Muneer Malik’s valedictory speech when he received his 2008 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award. The 2008 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Committee chose Mr. Malik for his fight against military rule in Pakistan. His struggle for the restoration of democracy and human rights is laudable. The award bestowed on him is a message of encouragement to all the citizens, human rights activists and lawyers in Pakistan, who are fighting all together with Muneer A. Malik.

Now, on its 10th year, the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights is open for nomination. Since its inception, this prestigious award has been given to 10 individuals and a Korean organization. In 2006 and 2007 saw co-winners receiving the award. Among the winners include Xanana Gusmao (Timor Leste), Daw Aung San Suu Kyii (Burma), Wardah Hafidz (Indonesia), Malalai Joya (Afghanistan) and Irom Sharmila (India).

For 2009, the prize at stake is 50 Million Korean Won (KRW 50,000,000.00), a gold medal and a certificate. The winner will be invited to grace the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award Night on 18 May 2009, in Gwangju, Republic of Korea. This yearly award is sponsored by the May 18 Memorial Foundation.

The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights was established to celebrate the spirit of May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising by recognizing both individuals, groups or institutions in Korea and abroad that have contributed in promoting and advancing human rights, democracy and peace in their work. The prize is awarded by the citizens of Gwangju in the spirit of solidarity and gratitude from those whom they have received help in their struggle for democratization. It is hoped that through this award the spirit and message of May 18 will be immortalized in the hearts and mind of humankind.

The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights which is given yearly has the following aims:
1). To enhance the spirit of the May 18 Democratic Uprising by awarding individuals, groups or institutions in Korea and abroad on their contribution to improving human rights and peace throughout the world.
2). To reward individuals, groups and institutions in Korea and/or abroad for promoting the goals of the May 18 Democratic Uprising as a movement toward unification and cooperation.

Deadline for submission of application form is 20 March 2009.

Please follow this link if interested to nominate (form is available from this link):

http://www.518.org/eng/html/main.html?act=dtl&TM18MF=05010000&idx=392&page=1&key=&keyword=

AFAD Strongly Condemns the Abduction, Beating and Detention of Atty. Parvez Imroz

AFAD Strongly Condemns the Abduction, Beating and Detention

of Atty. Parvez Imroz, Firdous Ahmed Sofi and Ajaz Ahmed Mir of India

The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), a regional federation of human rights organizations working directly on the issue of enforced or involuntary disappearance, strongly condemns the arrest, beating and detention of Atty. Parvez Imroz and his two associates, Firdous Ahmed Sofi and Ajaz Ahmed Mir. The arrest took place at 12:30 noon on Monday, November 17, in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. To this writing, the three are still detained.

AFAD learned about this condemnable incident from an urgent appeal sent by the Jammu & Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), our partner-organization in Kashmir. According to said appeal, JKCCS President Parvez Imroz along with a team of around 50 volunteers composed of journalists, human rights activists, trade union activists from within and outside Kashmir, were monitoring the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislative Assembly Election.

Monitoring the elections is a usual activity of the JKCCS along with civil society groups from various parts of India. It is recalled that the group also monitored the Assembly Elections of 2002 and the parliamentary elections in 2004. Accordingly, Advocate Parvez Imroz and his two companions, Firdous Ahmed Sofi and Ajaz Ahmed Mir, were arrested when they reached the place where a protest demonstration was going on.. The three were allegedly beaten up by the police in front of media men and were later taken to the Police Station in Bandipora.

December 9, 2008 is the 10^th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. Moreover, December 10, 2008 is the 60^th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this connection, abducting, beating and detaining human rights defenders like Atty. Parvez Imroz and his two companions should never be done by agents of the Indian government.

Atty. Parvez Imroz is an internationally-known human rights defender and a recipient of the Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Prize in 2006. He was also the representative of their human rights organization, the Srinagar-based Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), during the initial conceptualization and founding of our Asian-wide Federation for the disappeared and is presently AFAD's Council member. It is, indeed, absurd to abduct, beat and detain him and his two companions because of their human rights activities. Certainly, their continuing detention is detrimental to the international posturing of India which poses itself as the "biggest democracy" in the world.

It is worrying to note that because of his work, Parvez Imroz has indeed earned the ire of the powers-that-be in the country that boasts itself as the biggest democracy in Asia. It has been more than three years since his passport has not been renewed and very obviously, such act by the Indian government can be obviously interpreted as constraining Imroz' mobility with the desperate intention of keeping his mouth shut on the sorry state of human rights in Jammu and Kashmir, thus, constraining his capability to tell the international security about the skeletons inside the closet in this beautiful yet sad valley of Kashmir.

Furthermore, on June 30, 2008 at 10:00 p.m., 4 armed men, believed to be policemen, knocked at the house of Mr. Imroz. When asked of their identity by Mr.. Imroz' wife, Rokhsana, the men were aggressively calling on Mr. Imroz to open the door and come out. Aware of the intimidation he received days earlier because of the work of the International People's Tribunal on Human Rights, Mr. Imroz immediately informed his brother, Sheik Mustaq Ahmad through the backdoor. Mr. Ahmad reportedly shined a torch at Mr. Imroz door and asked the persons in front to identify themselves only to be aggressively ordered to put off the torch. Mr. Imroz nephew came out of Mr. Ahmad's house, afraid that Mr. Imroz might have been taken away. This forced the armed men to leave, but only after firing a shot in the dark believed to be pointing towards the direction of Mr. Imroz' nephew. The perpetrators threw a grenade that exploded in Mr. Imroz' compound. On their way back, the perpetrators beat a male neighbor.

In view of the above, AFAD strongly calls on the Indian government -

· To release Atty. Parvez Imroz, Firdous Ahmed Sofi and Ajaz Ahmed Mir from detention at the soonest possible time, and

· To ensure that those who are responsible for the arrest, beating and detention of the three human rights defenders be brought to justice in urgency.

· To be true to India's being a signatory to the UN Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance which provides for the right of families of the disappeared and their organizations to organize themselves, thus, the government should give Parvez Imroz and his colleagues in the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons their freedom to form their association and work for truth, justice, redress, memory for the disappeared and other victims of human rights violations.

In positively responding to our urgent calls above, India proves that it is, indeed, "the biggest democracy" in the world.

Signed and authenticated by:

MUGIYANTO MARY AILEEN D. BACALSO

Chairperson Secretary-General

Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)
Rms. 310-311 Philippine Social Science Center Bldg.,
Commonwealth Ave., Diliman, 1103 Quezon City

Phone: 00-632-9274594
Telefax: 00-632-4546759
Website: www.afad-online.org

Sharing 2nd edition E-Newsletter of PPDD

As partner of Peoples Partner for Development and Democracy (PPDD) we would like to share this information to our friends and partners.

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Comrades:

Greetings!

In behalf of the whole staffs and supporters of Peoples Partner for Development and Democracy (PPDD), we are sending you the 2^nd edition of our E-Newsletter which gives you idea on the development and progress of our work as an organization. Please feel free to give us feedback and comments if you have any.

Thank you and I wish you all the best!

Yours sincerely,
Anna

Anna Malindog
Executive Director
Peoples Partner for Development and Democracy (PPDD)



(Please click link to download the PDF Newsletter)

http://518.org/eng/html/download.php?idx=364&file_chk=1