Amazing taste! How sweet the round…

At last, hops go holistic – a beer that joyously ticks all those sanctified boxes. Proudly, Westerham Brewery in Kent, England, offers the William Wilberforce Freedom Ale.

Go to: Ship of Fools

Source: Clean Clothes Campaign

Almost a year to the day since DESA workers began their struggle for union recognition, the Supreme Court in Turkey has confirmed that 18 of the workers sacked by the Turkish leather factory had been illegally dismissed as a result of union organising. The Supreme Court rulings represent a significant victory for the DESA workers, including worker-organiser Emine Arslan.

But the struggle is not over yet. Without your help, the 18 workers may still be out of a job and threats against workers may persist. Since the Supreme Court decision, DESA management is reported to have renewed its harassment of the protesting workers and threatened employees who associate with the protesters. Workers were told that management would be monitoring union members through security cameras and any worker found speaking to them would be fired.

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TAKE ACTION NOW: Tell DESA buyers, which include Prada, M&S, Debenhams, Mulberry, Nicole Fahri, Jaeger and Aspinalls, that DESA must respect freedom of association by giving the illegally dismissed workers their jobs back today and negotiating with the union.

Reconciliation Victoria is currently in danger of being forced to close with the Victorian Government not committing to further funding from June this year. Show your support for Rec Vic now by writing a letter to the Victorian government or going to see you local MP.

Check out the ANTAR website for more info and guidelines on writing letters and who to write to.

Fair Trade Fortnight, Australia and New Zealand’s biggest annual celebration of all things fair trade, is on right now from the 2nd to the 17th of May. Go to the Fair Trade Fortnight website to find out what events are happening in your area or to register your own event.

 If you’re in the Melbourne area on Friday the 15th check out the free Fair Trade Fiesta! The Fiesta will include a fair trade market place, live music, fair trade fondue party and traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Make sure you come and say hi to us at the JustAct stall!

Friday the 15th of May from 12noon to 8pm

RMIT Story Hall (348 Swanston St).

Article posted May 04, 2009 – 06:13 PM

Source GMA News

MANILA, Philippines – After her death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, Cecilia Armia Alcaraz is happy to live longer for her children and celebrate Mothers’ day on May 10 behind bars in Taiwan.

The 47-year-old mother of two was thankful her sentence was reduced on Sunday, after appealing before the Kaoshiung District Court, Manila’s de-facto embassy in Taiwan said.

Antonio Basilio, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) resident representative, said Alcaraz heard the court’s decision via live video feed in another room.

“We will be holding further meetings with Cecille to discuss options available after this morning’s development. But we are grateful for the High Court’s understanding and compassion for striking down the district court decision meting death to Cecille,” Basilio said.

Alacaraz had a tearful reunion with her two sons, Shalom, 20, and Jerome, 18, when they visited her in Kaoshiung in March.

The last time Alcaraz saw her kids in person was in 2001, when she first left for Taiwan to work. Since then, things have changed in their household.

Shalom only finished junior high school as he was forced to quit his studies to work and augment the family’s income. Meanwhile, Jerome is still in high school.

Aside from her sons, MECO paid for the travel expenses of Cecile’s sister Rosie. Last year, MECO shouldered the trip of her brother and sister-in-law when they visited Taiwan.

Basilio said Alcaraz was treated well in the detention cell and has in fact made a few friends.

“From time to time, she is asked to interpret for non-Chinese speaking inmates,” Basilio said, “She met her children in a visiting room where she was able to sit with them and hug them frequently during the visit which lasted an hour.”

No reason to kill

MECO reported that Alcaraz’s lawyer Jiao Wen Chen asked the High Court to overturn the district court decision last Sept. 30, since there was reasonable doubt that she killed Taiwanese Mrs. Chiu Mei-yun.

“During the final hearing, Atty. Jiao forcefully argued that Armia did not have any financial difficulties that may have compelled her to kill Mrs. Chiu, nor was it logical for her to have invited Mrs. Chiu to [Alcaraz’s] home and kill her there,” the MECO reported.

“He said Armia did not have any cuts and bruises that would have indicated a death-struggle with Mrs. Chiu, and that the prosecution itself was initially uncertain that Armia could have killed Mrs. Chiu by herself,” it added.

Alcaraz deserves better

Despite the decision, Migrante International still lamented the current situation of Alcaraz and admitted the imprisoned teacher deserved better.

A Taiwanese lower court sentenced Alcaraz – alias Nemencia Armia – to death through firing squad for robbery and murder of her employer Jum Mei Yung in September 12, 2007.

Migrante chairman Gary Martinez said had the Philippine government not sat on Alcarz’s case, the embattled OFW should have not been sent to jail in the first place.

Martinez maintained that Alcaraz was only forced to admit to the crime because her life was being threatened.

Alcaraz had said in earlier reports that two Taiwanese were the real killers.

At the same time, some 30 Migrante members trooped Monday morning to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) office along Roxas Boulevard in Manila to urge the government to work out Alcaraz’s freedom.

Alcaraz is a single parent with four children, who left her job as merchandiser for Robinson’s Department Store as the pay was not enough to provide for her family’s needs.

She had been appealing to the government to help her, saying she did not want to suffer the same fate as her fellow OFW Jenifer Bidoya, beheaded in Saudi Arabia last year for murder. – MARK JOSEPH H. UBALDE with Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV

Update

Save the Life of OFW Cecilia Alcaraz!

O that our sisters and brothers are not forced to leave this bounteous land to find jobs overseas!
O that they would stay home with their loved ones, prosper and enjoy the blessing of Divine Providence bestowed on this nation!
O that those who govern take to heart the interest of the greater majority of the people of this land!

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) laments what has befallen Cecilia B. Alcaraz. Today, the Apellate Court in Taiwan will render its decision on her appeal. We enjoin one and all to pray that she be spared from the court sentence of death by firing squad in Taiwan following the death of a Taiwanese broker. Let us all pray for her family too, that they may have the strength to meet the days ahead.

SOURCE: World Council of Churches – News Release, 9/04/2009 16:27:56, Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363, media@wcc-coe.org

Pastor leaves prison last year

Claims made by the Philippines government to a good human rights track
record “are utterly false”, Rev. Berlin Guerrero told the United
Nations Committee against Torture this week. A victim of torture
himself, Guerrero said the government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is
“remiss in its responsibility to prevent torture”.