Commission President Catherine Branson QC, said the Young People’s Medal was open to those aged 25 years or under on 3 July this year, and was always hotly contested due to the great efforts being undertaken by young people to protect the human rights of others.

“Each year the Commission receives nominations from committed, innovative and passionate young people who take it upon themselves to lead the protection of human rights or raise awareness of human rights issues in their communities, colleges, workplaces and schools,” Ms Branson said.

“The judging panel has a difficult task in assessing these nominations, but is always inspired by the efforts young people are making to build a fairer and better society for us all.”

Winner of the 2009 Young People’s Human Rights Medal, Vinay Menon, said winning the Medal was an honour and recognition of the valuable services provided by the Red Cross, the organisation for whom he volunteers.

“I have been lucky to be a part of the Red Cross and the services they provide that make a difference for vulnerable people,” Mr Menon said.

“Winning the Young People’s Medal was also an opportunity to highlight that young people do care about creating a fairer Australia and there are thousands of us volunteering everyday to achieve that goal.”

Nominations can be made for the Human Rights Medal and Young People’s Human Rights Medal and seven Award categories: Law, Community (Organisation), Community (Individual), Literature (non-fiction), Print Media, Television and Radio.

The Commission’s website contains all the information about the 2010 Human Rights Medals and Awards, and information about the sponsors for this year’s awards, which are: Rio Tinto; the Department of Immigration and Citizenship; the Law Council of Australia; iHR Australia; Avant Card; Trophyland; The Co-op Bookshop; Online Opinion and Vibe Australia.

Nominations close at 5pm on Monday, 4 October, 2010. Winners will be presented with their Medals and Awards at a ceremony to be held on Human Rights Day, Friday, 10 December 2010 at the Sheraton on the Park Hotel in Sydney.

Nomination forms/information: www.humanrights.gov.au/hr_awards or Ph: 02 9284 9618 or hrawards@humanrights.gov.au.

Tickets to awards: Ph: 02 9284 9618 or hrawards@humanrights.gov.au ($80 or $50 concession includes two course luncheon and drinks.)

After some pressure, Nike gets a big tick of approval

Over 2,000 workers at the Hugger and Vision Tex factories were laid off last year, leaving them unemployed and owed over US$2 million in unpaid wages and severance pay.

The agreement comes after intense pressure was put on Nike by a student-led campaign that had convinced some US universities to end lucrative licensing agreements with Nike.

That’s a big win for workers in Honduras who are accustomed to being stiffed on severance and back wages when factories close, and having the international brands whose products they made walk away without looking back.

Read more: http://en.maquilasolidarity.org/node/950

f***book
Irresistible

More of the poem here by Cecilia Condon

Find our page here!

At the moment, they are both playing the same game, and it’s extremely superficial … each day there’s a little topic that they are each going to address, and that it’s very poll-driven. They use trite phrases and little buzzwords – it’s quite demeaning to the electorate … [it’s like] watching paper cut-outs.

- Uniting Church in Australia president Alistair Macrae on Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. He wants politicians to spell out their fundamental vision and values to help voters differentiate between them, rather than just “cheap political point-scoring”. He also says, much like the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, that the to main parties are engaged in “a race to the bottom” on asylum seekers.

The skin whitening industry has taken off across India and other Asian countries, and creams are sold on shelves in black neighborhoods in the U.S. as well. The last thing we need is a tool on Facebook to extend this disturbing trend online.

While Unilever’s application is offensive, it gives Facebook the opportunity to draw a line in the sand of what sort of applications it is willing to host, and what kind of values it hopes to advance. As the largest social network in the world, the company has an unprecedented opportunity to advance tolerance and understanding. Let’s make sure it serves that purpose rather than serving as a platform for prejudice.

Join us in calling on Facebook to remove Unilever’s racially charged application today (Change.org campaign)

Supporting young people 16-21 to reach 120 hours of safe driving practice
L2P is a Vic Roads initiative that assists young learner drivers who face significant barriers to getting on-the-road driving experience.  Volunteers and learner drivers are matched, and together they work to achieve their goal of 120 mandatory hours. 

How it works

Learner Driver’s are matched with fully-licenced community volunteers who have undertaken a selection and training process. Using a sponsored vehicle, the learner and volunteer driver go driving once a week, working towards 120 hours of driving experience.

Find out more …L2P also incorporates up to 7 free professional driving lessons for the learner driver to ensure they have basic driving skills and knowledge before being matched with a mentor driver.

Young People

L2P is for young people aged 16 to 21 with a current learners permit, but without access to a vehicle or supervising driver to complete 120 hours of driving practice.

Volunteer Mentors

Volunteer Mentors are any members of the community with a full driver’s licence.

Mentors are required to undergo screening and training before being matched with a compatible learner driver.

Mentors are required to spend one hour a week on driving sessions with their learner driver

How to get involved

If you are interested in becoming involved in the L2P program as a volunteer mentor driver, or a learner driver please contact:

L2P – Learner Driver Mentor Program
Moonee Valley City Council – Youth Services
9 Kellaway Ave (P.O Box 126)
Moonee Ponds, VIC 3039

Ph: 9243 8888
Email: lwatt@mvcc.vic.gov.au

Chocolate better in Europe…?

“Chocoholics have it right: European chocolate is better; or at least, far more sustainable and just”. -

- Jean Stevens, freelance (journalist for change.Org who focuses on issues relating to sustainable food) on European Union members and several other countries of the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) (not including the United States) signing a new agreement which re-establishes countries’ commitments to making the $10 billion abuse-ridden cocoa industry more sustainable and fair to workers, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Go here to take action

Not pulling our weight

“I don’t think we, as a country, are pulling our collective weight, Australia has a global quota of 13,000 refugees to be resettled on an annual basis, and often that quota is not filled. Most European countries accept irregular asylum seekers in very large numbers.” – Dr Zachary Steel from the University of NSW’s School of Psychiatry on accepting refugeesReligion and identity politics

“In an era of identity politics, when gender, ethnicity, sexual identity and class are tossed around like trump cards in a political poker game, our religious identity — the only one of these identities that we can gain or lose purely by an act of will — seems to have acquired a new cachet” – David Burchell, Aus journalist on power not being a ‘God-given right’

“We look forward to engaging with a Prime Minister who embraces the life-enhancing values which we believe are at the core of Christianity, while we respect her stance on questions of faith. That way we can work together for the common good.” – Queensland Churches Together general secretary Glenine Hamlyn

Prison in Tasmania under the microscope

“In my view, the deficiencies in the operation and management of Tamar have not arisen from bad intentions. I believe that they have resulted from a combination of factors, chief amongst which are poor planning, inadequate funding and outmoded correctional attitudes” – Tasmanian Ombudsman Simon Allston has been looking into the prison system (check it out here)

Adult workers like this person (not child slaves) should be provided with decent work by 'big chocolate'

American site Change.org is running a campaign in this area. One of the companies targeted is Mars. Mars in Australia has committed to only use Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa by 2020. However, STOP THE TRAFFIK in Australia, while recognising this good news, is asking supporters to write to Peter West (managing director, Mars Chocolate Snackfoods) to ensure that Mars chocolate is free of cocoa made by children working in slave like conditions now. Supporters of the campaign have been asked to continue to support chocolate that is certified ‘TRAFFIK free’ e.g. Fairtrade certification.

Tell Big Chocolate CEOS We Want Fair Trade Cocoa – Take Action

Check out the Australian campaign STOP THE TRAFFIK

Respectfully write to Peter West (managing director, Mars Chocolate Snackfoods)

Floribert Chebeya Bahizire, Martyr

On Wednesday 2 June, Floribert Chebeya Bahizire was found dead in his car.

The previous night he had been called to a meeting with the national police chief, which did not take place. His driver, Fidele Bazana Edadi, has been missing since then.

Chebeya was the executive director of La Voix des Sans-Voix (Voice of the Voiceless), which is part of the World Council of Churches (WCC) human rights defenders network in Africa. Chebeya was a member of the planning committee of a human rights workshop that the WCC and other Christian organisations held in Kinshasa in April 2009.

What you can do

Write polite and respectful letters to (a letter to the Democratic Republic of Congo will cost AUD $2.10)

H.E. President Joseph Kabila Kabange

Gombe, Kinshasa

Democratic Republic of Congo

Points to make in your letter:

• Express deep concern at the murder of Floribert Chebeya Bahizire on 2 June and the disappearance of his driver Fidele Bazana Edadi
• Seek assurances that a thorough and impartial investigation will be held into the murder and disappearance, seeking to bring those responsible to justice in line with calls already made by human rights organisations.

In this edition:

• Highlights from Fair Trade Fortnight 2010.
• Producer Spotlight: Fairtrade bananas benefiting farmers in Ecuador.
• Fair Trade Communities: BNZ becomes NZ’s biggest Fair Trade Workplace & Adelaide announced as Australia’s first Fair Trade City.
• New in shops: Winter heats up some recent additions to the range of Fairtrade hot beverages available.
• Action Response: NZ’s Best Fairtrade Supermarket winner announced.
• Sector 360: Global Fairtrade sales on the rise, making the Olympics fair & seeking fairer fashion.
• News & Events: Check out the Fairtrade licensees exhibiting at the Australian Organic Expo & Green Show in Sydney this August or visit Fairtrade at the Auckland Food Show later this month!

Click here to download the Winter 2010 edition now!