Misguided criminal reform


National Post


Monday, September 30, 2002


Martin Cauchon, Canada's Minister of Justice, is reportedly pushing
for major reforms to our Criminal Code, and has scheduled a set of
consultations with a panel of legal experts for November. The reform
agenda is broad and no one is sure what proposals will emerge. But
based on early reports, we can already identify at least two areas of
concern.

The first involves rules that dictate the minimum sentences judges
may prescribe for certain crimes. As things stand, the code requires
that, for example, a defendant convicted of a violent crime involving
a gun must serve at least four years in prison. Mr. Cauchon
reportedly wants to loosen the minimums and give judges more
discretion.

A long-standing criticism of minimum sentences is that they hamstring
judges in cases where short sentences would be appropriate, and that
they have little deterrent effect on criminals. On the other hand,
our sentencing laws are set by democratically elected lawmakers --
and so are supposed to reflect the views of voters, many of whom
believe society is too soft on criminals.

A second questionable idea that could emerge this winter involves
racial preferences for Indians: Mr. Cauchon may move to entrench
further statutory distinctions in Canadian criminal law that permit
less severe treatment for aboriginal offenders. These distinctions,
rooted in the notion that aboriginals are better served by
institutions that reflect their distinct culture, allow for lenient
community-based alternatives to incarceration such as sentencing
circles and healing lodges.

We agree that the rate of aboriginal incarceration is shockingly
high. (Aboriginals account for 2.8% of Canada's population, but 17%
of federal offenders.) However, it is a serious violation of the
presumption of race neutrality for courts to sentence one race (in
this case, whites) more harshly because of the colour of their skin.
While we are all for programs aimed at reducing aboriginal crime,
such programs should be targeted at preventing crime -- not assigning
softball penalties once it has been committed.

© Copyright  2002 National Post

===============================================
                          New Artworks
===============================================

Nepalese Sculpture:

Vajra means thunderbolt and pani means hands. Hence the
fearful
deity who carries in his hands the vajra is known as
Vajrapani.
He stands triumphant over a lotus pedestal with his
whole body
gilded and face painted over with 24 karat gold. His
moustache,
beard and eyebrows are shaped as small flames and
colored a blood
red as are the flames framing him at the back. A true
masterpiece
of Nepalese artistry.

A set of five different Buddhas, each sitting on a
double-layered
round lotus platform, representing the five major
mudras of the
Buddha. Each of these sculptures has inscribed at the
back 'Om
Mani Padme Hum,' the most popular and potent mantra of
Tibet.

Medicine Buddha another of Tibet's most popular deities
is shown
in one sculpture as copper-hued, while another depicts
him in the
typically Nepalese fashion of gilded statuary.
Manjushri; White
and Green Tara; Vajrasattva; and Padmasambhava, also
known as
Rinpoche, completed the selection of choicest sculpture
from
Nepal.

Must view at
http://www.exoticindia.com/sculptures/Nepalese/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

Tantra Paintings:

Divinities are sacred beings. Not only their complete
forms but
also the minutest parts of their anatomy are granted a
divine
status rich in symbolism. Highly important in this
context are
the hands and feet of various deities which are
believed to be
soaked in spiritual bliss which the devotee can gain by
meditating upon them. Six different hands and feet
drawn over
with various symbols and followed by a detailed text
interpreting
and describing these symbolic diagrams laying open their
mysteries in the process are included in the Tantra
Collection.
Srila Advaita Acarya, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord
Nityananda,
Lord Krsna, and Srimati Radharani are the important
personages
whose auspicious hand and foot-prints have been
included.

A unique depiction of Shiva, dancing as Gajantaka; and
Mahadevi,
the cosmic goddess surrounded by four of her own
emanations
enriched the Tantra Paintings Collection.

Featured at http://www.exoticindia.com/paintings/Tantra/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

Oil Paintings:

A harmonious blend of the spiritual and the sensuous is
the
hallmark of the fresh oil paintings introduced. Krishna
surrounded by his female friends - the whole
composition set in
an interior reminiscent of western aesthetics rather
than the
conventional exteriors of the Hindu aesthetic; another
shows a
love-lorn Radha (sold out); Radha and Krishna in the
conventional
frontal embrace; and two episodes of Krishna with
Balarama, one
showing them as mischievous toddlers while the other
presents
them as budding adolescents. A nubile maiden inspired
by Persian
sensibility; and finally there is a amour-stricken Shiva
attempting to catch hold of a reluctant Parvati.

Gallery available at
http://www.exoticindia.com/paintings/Oils/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

Hindu Sculpture:

Brahma the supreme deity who has three visible heads
along with
four hands, and whose representations are extremely
rare in the
annals of Indian art, makes a significant entry into
our Hindu
Sculptures Gallery. Created in bronze, this sculpture
is a marvel
of craftsmanship from South India. From the same place
is a Lord
Vishnu in copper and inlaid with silver and brass.
Kali, the
wrathful yet benevolent goddess and a Garuda, sitting
and making
the namaskar mudra are the other additions.

A grey-stone sculpture showing Saraswati as the goddess
highest
among all deities (sold out), and a temple wood carving
from
South India, showing a Lakshmi standing are the other
notables.

View the complete collection at
http://www.exoticindia.com/sculptures/Hindu/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

Thangka Paintings:

Additions to the Thangka gallery include Hevajra, the
wrathful
deity who carries a skull cup in each of his sixteen
hands; a
densely packed mandala of the Great Buddha;
Vaishravana, the God
of Wealth seated on a white snow lion; a fierce
Mahakala, the
fires of cremation blazing behind him; a series of the
five
Dhyani Buddhas each with their characteristic
attributes and
mudras; Vajrayogini the sky-clad Yogini in a dynamic
posture of
dance; Medicine Buddha typically colored the color of
lapis-lazuli; a finely-detailed yab yum mandala - its
upper and
lower half framed by three layers of deities; Ushnisha
Vijaya the
goddess who grants longevity; and last but not the
least a
Tibetan Wheel of Transmigration.

Not to be missed at
http://www.exoticindia.com/paintings/Thangka/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

Batik Paintings:

A peculiar representation of Shiva as five-headed, four
for each
of the directions and one facing upwards; a lady among
her sparse
existence still not forgetting to bedeck herself for
her chosen
mate; a sensuous nymph out to display her charms; an
upright
esoteric goddess standing astride a linga; a prince and
his
concubine in amorous embrace; two voluptuous tribal
ladies
whispering into each other ears; and finally a
charming, almost
effeminate Shiva leaning on Nandi, his beloved bull are
the fresh
artworks in the Batik collection.

Must visit at
http://www.exoticindia.com/paintings/Batik/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

Persian Art:

Six illuminated manuscripts from a variety of Persian
texts of
yore including the Khamse of Nizami and the Shah Namah;
three
portraits showing a young man in a blue coat, an
archer, and the
third a youth poised in a concentrated gesture over the
letter he
pens for his beloved. Also of interest is a Persian
Coat of Arms.

Available at
http://www.exoticindia.com/paintings/Persian/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

Ritual Items:

A Vishwavajra, uniquely carved out of sterling silver
and studded
with turquoise and coral, both traditionally important
to
Vajrayana Buddhism; and a white metal prayer wheel, an
important
implement of daily Buddhist practise.

Can be viewed at
http://www.exoticindia.com/sculptures/Ritual/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

Hindu Paintings:

A Sanskrit manuscript carries an intimate episode
between Shiva
and Parvati, where Shiva attempts to cheat Parvati in a
game of
dice; while another artwork shows him trying to contain
the
bashful and sensuous Parvati in an amorous embrace. In
an
additional piece she charms him with her veena which
causes his
matted hair to unlock and fly off like coiled serpents.

In a tender moment of romance Krishna lovingly applies
henna to
the feet of his beloved Radha while her attendant gazes
on the
charming happenings; Narasimha avatar of Vishnu tearing
open the
entails of his avowed enemy Hiranyakashipu; Ganesha
playing the
sitar; a raja falling at the feet of his spouse begging
forgiveness for some perceived wrong; and a Brahmin
with the
sacred thread across his waist engaged in his early
morning
prayer are the new entrants to this section.

Hindu miniatures at
http://www.exoticindia.com/paintings/Hindu/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

Buddhist Sculpture:

A wrathful, lumbering Vajrapani, and Vajrayogini, the
female
Buddhist deity believed to be capable of walking and
dancing in
space complete the collection.

Can be viewed at
http://www.exoticindia.com/sculptures/Buddha/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

Salwar Kameez:

Our collection of ready-to-wear salwar kameez suits
feature an
embroidered cotton ornamented with mirror work; a
deep-blue crepe
suit; a green and red crush satin suit with large
floral motif; a
petite black designer suit; an orange suit with floral
bootis;
and a crush satin sky blue suit, all available at
http://www.exoticindia.com/textiles/SalwaarKameez/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

Mughal Paintings:

His regal highness the Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah of Oudh;
Dara Shukoh
the eldest son of Shah Jahan in the act of prayer; an
artist
engaged in the art of calligraphy - an essential part
of any
Mughal painting; two obese wrestlers, one dark other
fair, with
their fat yet flexible forms entwined about each other;
and three
acrobat performers - one climbing up a pole while two
others
accompanying him on musical instruments, are the major
additions
to the gallery of mughal miniatures.

Showcased at
http://www.exoticindia.com/paintings/Mughal/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

Fabrics:

Raw, handspun khadi cotton fabrics, are now available
for
purchase by the yard. Also featured is a pure silk
altar fabric
richly brocaded with golden thread, from the ancient
looms of
Banaras, depicting the Buddhist sacred implement - the
Dorje.

http://www.exoticindia.com/textiles/Fabrics/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

Jewelry:

Pendants : Sterling silver pendants of moonstone,
crystal,
labradorite, turquoise, coral, lapis lazuli, black onyx,
different shades of agate, rose quartz, carnelian,
smoky topaz,
sunstone, mother of pearl (shell), chalcedony,
aqua-marine,
tiger's eye, amber, are now featured in the collection.

Also available are rhodium plated sterling silver
pendants with
combination of the gemstones citrine, garnet, amethyst,
opal,
turquoise, and peridot.

Included as well are silver pendants with dense
filigree; gau
prayer box pendants; snake, dragon, cobra, and butterfly
pendants.

Featured at http://www.exoticindia.com/jewelry/Pendants/aff10199


Necklaces: A rich necklace set complete with ear-rings
and finger
ring, carrying turquoise set in rhodium plated sterling
silver; a
rose garland of sterling silver; a tri-color necklace
with an
elegant combination of garnet, peridot, and carnelian;
a pearl
necklace suitably embellished with peridot and a large
silver
pendant; a unique chakra necklace inlaid with coral and
turquoise; and a choker carrying crystal stones are the
notable
additions.

Also available are necklaces carrying combinations of
citrine,
amethyst, amazonite, dyed ruby, coral, malachite,
tiger'e eye,
and carnelian.

View the irresistible at
http://www.exoticindia.com/jewelry/Necklaces/aff10199


Beads: Tourmaline, rounded citrine, aqua-marine,
malachite,
cabochon carnelian, faceted chalcedony, button beads of
lapis
lazuli, larger faceted crystals, lapis tumbles, and
faceted
garnet, are now featured at
http://www.exoticindia.com/jewelry/Beads/aff10199


Bracelets: A fine sterling silver bracelet of faceted
garnet; a
strap silver bracelet with tiger's eye; a rare
ashtamangala
bracelet carrying the eight auspicious Buddhist
symbols; a
rhodium plated valentine bracelet of turquoise; mother
of pearl
bracelet; as also silver bracelets with beads and cut
glass are
the additions to the collection.

Also featured are ankle bracelets - payals, with
attractive
meenakari coloration on silver.

Available at
http://www.exoticindia.com/jewelry/Bracelets/aff10199


Ear Rings:

Rhodium plated sterling silver ear-rings with
aqua-marine,
garnet, and amethyst; Nepalese tops with coral,
turquoise and
garnet; as well as hanging ear-rings with combinations
of
tourmaline, peridot, moonstone, amazonite, lapiz lazuli,
malachite, pearls, rose quartz, and labradorite, are
the featured
additions at
http://www.exoticindia.com/jewelry/EarRings/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

Large Paintings:

Two paintings extending upto five-and-a-half feet, the
first
showing a typically Rajasthani architecture while the
second
displays the Taj Mahal; and two other artworks slightly
smaller
(four-and-a-half feet), show a procession of victory
and a King
occupying the high seat amongst the splendor of his
mighty court.

Featured at http://www.exoticindia.com/paintings/Large/aff10199

---------------------------------------------------------

We hope you will enjoy the new additions to your store.
We will
appreciate any comments or feedback that you may have.
All
comments are welcome at feedback@...

Warm regards,


exotic india

========================================

A customer is the most important visitor on our
premises. He is
not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not
an
interruption on our work. He is the purpose of it. He
is not an
outsider in our business. He is a part of it. We are
not doing
him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by
giving us
an opportunity to do so.

- Mahatma Gandhi.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN – New Democrats exposed as a
fraud the Conservative Government's supposed action
plan to combat violence against women.  Howard Hampton
and Marilyn Churley revealed the Tories have suppressed
the results of a safety audit carried out as a Windsor
pilot program in 1999. "We know that you have been
sitting on the results of a pioneering safety audit
done in Windsor that could have saved lives across
Ontario. This safety audit brought together police and
front line workers to identify where women were falling
through the cracks and where their safety was at risk,"
the NDP Leader said.  "Communities across the province
are clamoring for an audit of their own. They are
anxious to make changes that will protect women and
their children. Will you release the Windsor safety
audit? Why haven't you released it already?"  Added
Churley, NDP Deputy Leader and Women's Issues Critic,
"Counting bodies after the fact, Minister, will not
save these women's lives.

In one year, 25 per cent more women were killed by
their spouses or ex-spouses. Communities across the
province want to do safety audits to prevent more women
from dying. That's what this is all about. It is really
a matter of life and death. I'm going to ask you again
the question my leader asked you—very simple, very
clear. Will you announce that every community across
this province that is prepared to do a safety audit can
get to work so that more women don't have to die
needlessly?"  Shamefully, the Tories refused to release
the safety audit or help other communities conduct them.


CHURLEY HELPS – Community activism and an intervention
by Toronto Danforth MPP Marilyn Churley have saved
Woodgreen Community Centre's supportive housing
clusters from closing.  Woodgreen was poised to
announce that the doors to its housing for low income
seniors with dementia would close September 30 when
Churley delivered the good news that Ministry of Health
funding had finally been approved.  The housing, geared
to provide supports to keep seniors in the community
and out of nursing homes, opened in 1999 with Woodgreen
discretionary funds pending health ministry approval of
an expansion.  But Woodgreen could no longer afford to
carry the project, Churley explained.  Woodgreen
applied for funding in April 2000, May 2001 and again
April 2002 to no avail. Representatives from Woodgreen
met with ministry staff on numerous occasions to work
on keeping the cluster open.

But it wasn't until Churley began pressuring the health
minister last April and then confronted him again in
September that the funding wheels began to turn. In the
legislature on Thursday, (Sept. 25), the Minister hand
delivered a letter to Churley confirming approval of
Woodgreen's funding.  "Even as our patience ran out,
the Minister told me to be patient and the funding
would come," Churley said. "The government's funding
may have come at the eleventh hour, but for those of us
who fought to save the housing, this is our finest
hour."


Ontario New Democrats
http://www.ontariondp.on.ca

PUBLIC POWER: A Brighter Idea!
Web: http://www.publicpower.ca

The Comfort of Cats
http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/1552635260/internatio088-20

The Soy Solution for Menopause: The Estrogen Alternative
http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0743421523/internatio088-20

The Estrogen Decision
Self Help Book
http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0890877769/internatio088-20

From:   Shulamith Koenig <pdhre@...>
Date:   Tue Oct 1 11:57:38 2002
Subject:   [hr-education] New PDHRE publications: Call for Justice
and Passport to Dignity

ANNOUNCING THE LONG AWAITED PUBLICATION BY PDHRE,
People's Movement for
Human Rights Education

"PASSPORT TO DIGNITY"

CONNECTING THE 12 AREAS OF CONCERN OF THE BEIJING
PLATFORM FOR ACTION,
BPFA TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS FRAMEWORK FOR THE FULFILLMENT
OF HUMAN RIGHTS OF
WOMEN OF ALL AGES, WORLDWIDE

To claim our civil, cultural, economic, political and
social human rights

The 536 pages guide and workbook uses the comprehensive
framework of the
BPFA to demonstrate the holistic nature of human rights
as a powerful tool
for action in the achievement of full equality, well
being, and
participation in the decisions that determine women's
lives. The book
recounts particular examples of women's initiatives
throughout the world
along the lines of the BPFA. It is meant as a dynamic
and interactive
process whereby readers and users can adopt the human
rights framework in
their actions. Throughout the chapters exercises guide
users through a
path of personal and group reflection, and preparation
for action enabling
women to use human rights as a tool for systemic
analysis and for social
and economic transformation.

ACCOMPANYING IS "CALL FOR JUSTICE" - A HUMAN RIGHTS
RESOURCE PACKET

Governments' Commitments and Obligations to Human
Rights Providing a Human
Rights Framework to Empower the Work of NGOs, Community
Workers and all
those committed to:

GROUPS: Aged Persons, Children and Youth, Differently
Abled Persons,
Indigenous Peoples, Migrant Workers, Minorities and
Ethnic Groups,
Refugees, Women.

ISSUES: Development, Discrimination, Education
Environment Health Housing
Livelihood and Land, Participation; Peace and
Disarmament, Poverty, Race
Religion, Sexual Orientation, Work.

Including unofficial summaries of:  Ten human rights
instruments

Cost: Passport for Dignity - $35. Call for Justice,
Human Rights resource
packet - $15 (+shipping)

To order: Please contact pdhre@...
Or write to: PDHRE, 526 West 111th street, Suite 4E,
New York, NY 10025, USA

PASSPORT TO DIGNITY is a companion to the training
video and manual
"Women Hold Up the Sky" - Training communities on CEDAW


For more information:
PDHRE Website: http://www.pdhre.org  or
http://www.pdhre.org/passport.html




======== Global Human Rights Education

Thestar.com  > Entertainment
Oct. 1, 2002. 06:38 AM

  Printer friendly version  Mail this story to a friend

Kidman limbers up nose to star in Bewitched flick


HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (Zap2it) — Nicole Kidman may play Samantha in the
feature-film adaptation of the popular sixties television series
Bewitched.

Columbia Pictures, which has been successful in the past in bringing
television franchises to the big screen such as Charlie's Angels and
the upcoming I Spy and SWAT, is hoping to finalize a director and
screenwriter before sending out official offers.

Kidman has expressed interest in playing the role of the pretty witch
who tries to give up her powers for the sake of her mortal husband,
Darren, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Mike Myers is the top
choice for the role of Darren, sources indicate.

The series, which ran from 1964 to 1972, starred Elizabeth Montgomery
as Samantha, and Dick York and Dick Sargeant as Darren. Her mother
was played by Agnes Moorehead.

Director Penny Marshall, who had expressed interest in the past in
making a film version of the series, will most likely come onboard as
a producer.

Kidman will be appearing next in Stephen Daldry's The Hours as author
Virginia Woolf, and has recently finished shooting Robert Benton's
The Human Strain opposite Anthony Hopkins. She is working on Anthony
Minghella's Cold Mountain with Jude Law.

IVOLGINSK, Russia - A miracle has occurred here in
Siberia. Or it
may be a hoax. Others believe science can explain it.
It is a
question, it seems, of faith. The story begins in 1927,
when a
spiritual leader of Russia's Buddhists gathered his
students and
announced his plans to die.

http://www.iht.com/articles/72411.htm

* US is 'afraid of inspections' *
Iraq says the US has rejected an agreement for
inspectors to return there because Washington fears
they will not find any hidden weapons.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/americas/2291859.stm

  * Currie claims 'I've rewritten history' *
Edwina Currie tells the BBC she was "part of the making
of a prime minister" as she defends her decision to
reveal her affair with John Major.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/uk_politics/2291033.stm

* Sex offenders face new crackdown *
Extra police officers and new measures against sex
offenders are signalled by Home Secretary David
Blunkett.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/uk_politics/2291589.stm

  * Adam Ant to pay for affray *
Eighties pop star Adam Ant is given a community
rehabilitation order and told to pay £500 after
threatening drinkers at a pub in north London.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/england/2292121.stm

* Atomic memory developed *
Scientists create a data storage device using atoms as
binary bits, raising the prospect of a CD that can
store a million times more data.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/sci/tech/2290707.stm

  * Morocco's miracle mule *
A mule has given birth to a foal in rural Morocco,
defying the scientific orthodoxy that says hybrids
should be sterile.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/sci/tech/2290491.stm

* Clever wives good for men's health *
Being married to a clever woman is good for men's
health, reducing their risk of heart disease
researchers have found.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/2291737.stm

Plan to monitor progress on pledges for older people
http://www.helpage.org/news/Monitoring/Monitoring.html

A programme to involve older people in monitoring
implementation of commitments made at the Second World
Assembly on Ageing earlier this year was announced
yesterday.

From:   Council of Europe Press
Date:   Thu Oct 3 14:03:40 2002
To:    <Council.of.Europe.Press@...>
Subject:   Cultures et religions

Council of Europe Press Release
Spokesperson and Press Division
Tel. +33 3 88 41 25 60
Fax. +33 3 88 41 34 11
E-mail: PressUnit@...
For more informations: http://www.coe.int


Culture for conflict prevention - Council of Europe
brings together peace
specialists and religious figures

Strasbourg, 03.10.2002 - Enhancing dialogue between
different cultures and
religions is the aim of a high-level expert colloquy
from 7 to 9 October in
the Palais de l'Europe, Strasbourg. This meeting brings
together
representatives of major world religions and
international specialists in
peace studies, conflict resolution, human rights and
leading NGOs working to
re-establish intercultural dialogue. It is an important
contribution to the
priority projects programme of the Council of Europe,
dedicated to
intercultural dialogue and conflict prevention, in
particular following the
tragic events of 11 September 2001.

"The Council of Europe is convinced that culture, as a
privileged instrument
of communication, is not only an essential factor to be
considered in the
prevention of conflict situations, but is also
indispensable to ensure
effective post-conflict social reconciliation", says
the Council's Secretary
General Walter Schwimmer. The colloquy will be opened
at 10.30 am on Monday
7 October by Mr Schwimmer, together with the Consul
General of Japan, Mr
Hidekazu Yamaguchi, and the Chairman of the Ministers'
Deputies of the
Organisation, the Ambassador of Luxembourg Gérard
Philipps.

Among the participants are leading figures from the
international academic,
cultural and religious worlds, including Johan Galtung,
the founder of the
International Peace Research Institute in Oslo, Hassan
Hanafi Hassanien,
Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cairo,
Awraham Soetendorp, the
Rabbi of the Liberal Jewish Community in The Hague
(Netherlands), Swami
Maheshwarananda, the Yoga humanitarian worker and the
Cyprus university
researcher Maria Hadjipavlou who founded the first
international Cypriot
women's NGO, "Hands Across the Divide".

One of the concrete aims of the colloquy is to lay the
foundations for
redefining the governmental role of Culture Ministers,
with regard to
conflict prevention.

The three-day colloquy, which is organised by the
Council of Europe with the
support of the Japan Foundation, Tokyo, and the
European Cultural
Foundation, Amsterdam, is open to the press.

Further information about the working programme and the
participants will be
available at: http://www.coe.int/InterculturalDialogue


Contact:
Directorate General IV for Education, Culture and
Cultural Heritage, Youth
and Sports, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, Simone
Bernhardt, + 33 (0)3 88 41
26 04, E-mail : simone.bernhardt@...



       Press Release
Council of Europe Spokesperson and Press Division
Ref: 467a02
Tel: +33 3 88 41 25 60
Fax:+33 3 88 41 39 11
pressunit@...
internet: http://www.coe.int/press


A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of
Europe works to
promote democracy and human rights continent-wide. It
also develops common
responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in
its 44 member states.

From:   irina ceric <irina@...>
Date:   Thu Oct 3 13:42:48 2002 (EDT)
Subject:   510 Years of Indigenous Resistance panel

510 Years of Indigenous Resistance:
Linking Struggles for Land in the North and South

TORONTO - On October 10th, marking 510 years of
imperialism in the Americas, a
panel of Aboriginal speakers from Canada, Guatemala,
Bolivia, and Colombia will
discuss their shared struggles for land rights and
territory, both in
historical context and as they continue today.

Globalization will be a particular theme.  Neo-liberal
development plans such
as Plan Puebla-Panama, Plan Colombia, the Andean
Initiative, and the FTAA are
all parts of one hemispheric scheme.  Under it, the
erosion of indigenous
communities and cultures, the displacement of peoples
from their ancestral
lands, and the threat to their very survival will
continue and intensify.  The
panel will be talking about the grass-roots
mobilizations in their countries,
which are underway against these development plans.

When: Thursday, October 10th, 7:00 pm
Where: Koffler Institute Auditorium,
569 Spadina Ave. (north of College St. at Bancroft Ave.)


Rebeka Tabobondung (MC):  An Ojibwa from the Wasauksing
Nation in Ontario; a
poet, filmmaker and activist.  Rebeka has herself been
to Guatemala to forge
links with indigenous organizations in that country.

Alfredo Ché: A Mayan-Q'eqchi' leader of CNOC (the
National Coordinating body of
Guatemalan Peasant Organizations), which pursues land
issues, labour rights,
demilitarization and human rights. Currently, 500,000
mainly Indigenous
Guatemalans have no access to land or work, leading to
54 peaceful land
occupations this year and resulting repression.

Bartolo Alvarez:  From the Mayan Council Sac'Be.

Pedro Pablo Muchachasoy: Former Indigenous Governor of
the Inga-Kamsa Nation in
the southern Putumayo region where Plan Colombia has
been implemented.  Pedro
Pablo has spearheaded negotiations with multinational
oil companies in defence
of community-based resources.

Iván Ignacio:  From the Aymara nation in the highlands
of the Bolivian Andes,
he has been involved in the struggle for the rights of
indigenous people since
1975.  Currently, Iván is the Canadian coordinator of
the Andean Indigenous
Nations Council (CANO).

(Other speakers may be announced.)


Co-organized by:  The Native Canadian Centre of
Toronto, Mayan Council Sac'Be,
the Canada-Colombia Solidarity Campaign, the Andean
Council of First Nations-
CANO, and the Guatemala Community Network.

With generous support from:  OPIRG Toronto, CKLN 88.1
FM, Creative Response, AL
AWDA Canada Palestine Right to Return Coalition, MUJER,
the CUPE International
Solidarity Fund and the Toronto Mobilization for Global
Justice.

For more information, contact Dan at 416-484-9910.


___________________________________________________________________

Law Union of
Ontario

* Malaria genomes cracked *
The genetic codes of both the malaria parasite and the
mosquito that spreads it to people have been deciphered
by scientists.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/sci/tech/2288795.stm


  * Revamp for women's mental health service *
Plans to improve the way mental health services are
geared up to meet the needs of women have been unveiled
by ministers.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/2295681.stm

Report Indicates Gender-Related Violence Is Global

By Jordan Lite - WEnews correspondent

(WOMENSENEWS)--Up to 70 percent of female murder
victims worldwide are killed by their male companions
and as many as one-third of girls are forced into their
first sexual experience, according to a World Health
Organization report released Thursday. The report urged
countries to no longer treat violence solely as a "law
and order issue."

Violence must instead be addressed by preventive public
health measures, the agency says. Violent acts are most
often committed behind closed doors and go unreported,
according to the document, making violence "one of the
leading public health issues of our time."

While most of the data in the "World Report on Violence
and Health" is not new, the report is significant
because it is the first time a United Nations agency
has produced a major document that acknowledges the
public health implications of violence beyond those of
injury and death--particularly domestic and sexual
violence that occurs in private, said Etienne Krug,
director of the department of injuries and violence
prevention at the World Health Organization.

"Violence is often only addressed in the context of war
or the context of crime," said Krug, who edited the
report. "By doing so we miss some of the violence that
is not necessarily crime: violence in the home,
bullying, suicide."

The United Nations first declared violence a worldwide
public health problem at the World Health Assembly in
Geneva in 1996. Now, armed with data on the extent of
the problem and nine recommendations to address it, the
World Health Organization will conduct an 18-month
violence-prevention campaign. Fifteen countries have
already invited agency officials to present their
findings and review how effectively those countries are
implementing preventive measures, Krug said.

Geeta Rao Gupta, president of the International Center
for Research on Women, commended the agency for issuing
the report, adding that attention to the problem of
violence against women "is long overdue by a U.N.
agency."

"I hope that this is a sign that WHO and other U.N.
agencies will push national governments and the global
community to think seriously about how violence against
women can be prevented and the significant costs to
women's rights and the economic costs to national
economies," Gupta said.

Violence Accounts for 7 Percent of Deaths among Women
and Girls

The report tallies the ripple effects of physical,
sexual and psychological violence around the world,
from the immediate deaths and injuries to long-lasting
problems including permanent physical disabilities and
a range of mental, behavioral and reproductive health
troubles.

More than 1.6 million people each year die from
violence, which is among the leading causes of death
for those ages 15 to 44. In that age group, violence
accounts for 7 percent of deaths among women and girls
and 14 percent among men and boys. But while males are
more often both the victims and perpetrators of
violence overall, the "overwhelming burden" of sexual
violence and violence at the hand of an intimate
partner is borne by women, the report says.

The patterns of abuse women experience are strikingly
universal, Krug notes. Most victims of physical
aggression experience multiple assaults over time and
more than one type of abuse. The report states that in
48 surveys from around the world, between 10 percent
and 69 percent of women report that they have been
physically assaulted by a male partner; with 22 percent
of U.S. women reporting they were assaulted by male
partners. Nearly 25 percent of women may experience
sexual violence by an intimate partner during their
lives, according to the report.

And these women continue to feel the after-effects of
violence long after it's over. Victims of sexual
violence can experience unwanted pregnancy, sexually
transmitted diseases and other gynecological problems,
as well as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder
and suicidal thoughts and behavior. Domestic violence
victims experience some of these same effects, as well
as gastrointestinal problems and chronic pain.

"These statistics are shocking and disturbing," Krug
said.

The report also notes the growing recognition of elder
abuse, which includes neglect, physical, sexual and
psychological abuse. Between 4 percent and 6 percent of
all elderly people are abused in the home, and violence
that occurs in care facilities may be even more
widespread, the report says. Elderly women are at
increased risk of abuse in cultures where women have
inferior social status, and the type of violence they
experience is particular to their gender. In Tanzania,
for example, 500 elderly women accused of witchcraft
are killed annually, the report says. Older women also
may be abandoned and have their property taken when a
husband dies.

Women Will Benefit from View of Violence as Health, Not
Rights Issue

But "violence is not an intractable social problem or
an inevitable part of the human condition," the report
says. It advocates that countries establish national
violence-prevention plans that involve government as
well as health, education and labor organizations. It
also recommends steps including the promotion of
primary prevention services, such as parenting training
and improving firearm safety; strengthening responses
to violence, such as improved emergency-response
systems and integrating violence prevention into
policies to promote gender and social equality.

Jacquelyn Campbell, a professor of nursing at Johns
Hopkins University who has been studying domestic
violence since 1980, said that women would benefit from
the report, which treats domestic violence as a
mainstream health issue for the medical profession,
rather than a politically marginalized human rights
issue.

"I think it will be an eye-opener for people," Campbell
said. "When they see the extent of injury and
mortality, policymakers are much more likely to address
the issue legislatively and through health care. In
emergency room departments, providers will perhaps
start asking routinely about violence.

"What we've found in the past is that if you address
this as a women's health issue, that gets them
convinced that it's an important issue--sometimes more
so than if you talk about it only as a human rights
issue," she added. "Sometimes talking about it as a
human rights or women's rights issue, that's where you
get a backlash."

But Krug said that the report could strengthen the use
of international human rights conventions such as the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women, known as CEDAW, which has
been ratified by 170 countries. "We see the
collaboration of human rights and public health as a
very important one," he said. "I think the report can
contribute to the efforts around CEDAW."

Jordan Lite is the assistant managing editor of Women's
Enews.

For more information:

World Health Organization - Violence and Injuries
Prevention: -
http://www5.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/main.cfm?s=0009

United Nations Division for the Advancement - of Women
State Parties to CEDAW: -
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/states.htm

International Center for Research on Women: -
http://www.icrw.org/

________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2002 Women's Enews.

From:   shirley maclaine
Date:   Wed Oct 2 23:38:06 2002
Subject:   A Busy October
Importance: high

Hello!

October in New York is really quite beautiful.  Even
though it was rather
warm today, there is a nip in the evening air to let
you know that autumn
is here.  I'm here doing publicity for Hell on Heels,
which will be
broadcast this Sunday on CBS.  The  PR schedule is up
on the News page
http://www.shirleymaclaine.com/news.html

This week on IE Radio
(http://www.shirleymaclaine.com/i-expression/index.html) we have real
treat!  Susanne Murphy will be teaching us all about
Color Therapy.  She is
absolutely fascinating so I hope you can tune in -
before Hell on Heels on
the West Coast and after the movie on the East Coast.

Mark your calendar for the 27th of October and the 3rd
of November.  We
have a special IE Radio planned for you for the
weekends surrounding
Halloween.  All year long we receive emails from
members of our community
that feel they may be living in a place that is haunted
or has spirits
present.

We thought it would be terrific if those of you that
believe you are
experiencing a haunting would email a picture of the
room(s) where the
presence is felt and/or a brief description of the
phenomenon that you have
experienced.  Craig McManus, internationally renown as
a medium and ghost
hunter ( and a member of IE) will tell you what
information he gets from
the other side.

We are designing a special page that you will be able
to access during the
IE Radio show.  This way you will be able to view the
pictures as Craig
shares his feelings about the spirits connected to the
room.  We are
expecting quite a bit of response on this show so
please email your
pictures and descriptions of your experiences and the
phenomenon to
info@... as soon as you can.

And if you have any questions about spirits,
communicating with the
deceased or hauntings, please email those as well and
we will include some
of your questions.

The following Sunday, Nov. 3rd, we will have Craig back
and he will be
joined by Al Rauber, a fascinating paranormal
researcher that records the
audio residue of spirits.  Al has recently been in
England in search of
audio residue from the time of Jack the Ripper.  Join
us on Oct. 27 and
Nov. 3 for this fascinating two part program about
things that go bump in
the night.

Love and Light,
Shirley

From:   shirley maclaine
Subject:   A Busy October
Importance: high

Hello!

October in New York is really quite beautiful.  Even
though it was rather
warm today, there is a nip in the evening air to let
you know that autumn
is here.  I'm here doing publicity for Hell on Heels,
which will be
broadcast this Sunday on CBS.  The  PR schedule is up
on the News page
http://www.shirleymaclaine.com/news.html

This week on IE Radio
(http://www.shirleymaclaine.com/i-expression/index.html) we have real
treat!  Susanne Murphy will be teaching us all about
Color Therapy.  She is
absolutely fascinating so I hope you can tune in -
before Hell on Heels on
the West Coast and after the movie on the East Coast.

Mark your calendar for the 27th of October and the 3rd
of November.  We
have a special IE Radio planned for you for the
weekends surrounding
Halloween.  All year long we receive emails from
members of our community
that feel they may be living in a place that is haunted
or has spirits
present.

We thought it would be terrific if those of you that
believe you are
experiencing a haunting would email a picture of the
room(s) where the
presence is felt and/or a brief description of the
phenomenon that you have
experienced.  Craig McManus, internationally renown as
a medium and ghost
hunter ( and a member of IE) will tell you what
information he gets from
the other side.

We are designing a special page that you will be able
to access during the
IE Radio show.  This way you will be able to view the
pictures as Craig
shares his feelings about the spirits connected to the
room.  We are
expecting quite a bit of response on this show so
please email your
pictures and descriptions of your experiences and the
phenomenon to
info@... as soon as you can.

And if you have any questions about spirits,
communicating with the
deceased or hauntings, please email those as well and
we will include some
of your questions.

The following Sunday, Nov. 3rd, we will have Craig back
and he will be
joined by Al Rauber, a fascinating paranormal
researcher that records the
audio residue of spirits.  Al has recently been in
England in search of
audio residue from the time of Jack the Ripper.  Join
us on Oct. 27 and
Nov. 3 for this fascinating two part program about
things that go bump in
the night.

Love and Light,
Shirley

ROBERT BLAKE v. LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
(PEOPLE OF THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA, REAL PARTY IN INTEREST)
(October 2, 2002)
     California Supreme Court's Order To Los Angeles
County Sheriff To
     Show Cause Before The L.A. County Superior Court
Why Robert Blake
     Is Not Entitled To A Bail Hearing. [PDF]

http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/blake/blake100202scord.pdf

AMISH RESEARCH MAY PREVENT BRAIN DEFECTS

Scientists are hopeful that the discovery of a fatal
gene mutation, now found
only in Amish newborns, could be a major step toward
preventing brain defects
in babies worldwide.

....
http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/conditions/10/02/amish.gene.disorder.ap
/index.html

REVIEWS

SWEET HOME ALABAMA..."Reese Witherspoon's smart,
charming, and a master
at comedy.  This is an unusual romantic comedy in that
the plot not only
deals with serious issues, but the story also takes a
comical look at
North vs. South, city vs. country, working class vs.
high class,
educated vs. uneducated, etc."
More...
http://link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.42.8228.1.972818


THE TUXEDO..."This is an entertaining, lighthearted
Jackie Chan movie
that's fun to watch.  Chan has long been known for his
incredible
stunts, and in every movie it seems he has to invent a
new one to top
his last performance.  Once again, his skills at making
everything look
easy are put to the test with some incredible scenes
that you'll swear
aren't humanly possible.
More...
http://link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.42.8228.2.972818

Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
03 October 2002


Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs in India march
against
religious hatred

New Delhi (ENI). Christians leaders in New Delhi have
joined
their Hindu, Sikh and Muslim counterparts in a peace
march
against the spread of hatred in the name of religion.
Church of
North India Bishop Karam Masih and Roman Catholic
Archbishop
Vincent Concessao joined prominent national leaders for
the final
stretch of the five-day march which ended at Raj Ghat -
the
Mahatma Gandhi memorial - on 2 October, a national
holiday
commemorating Gandhi's birthday. Christian school
children were
among hundreds from schools in Delhi who carried
placards saying
"Shed hatred" and "Let's keep Gandhi alive". [382 words,
ENI-02-0332]


Churches called to tackle sin of violence against women

Geneva (ENI). The Lutheran World Federation is calling
on
churches around the world to tackle the issue of
violence against
women, which it describes is a "sin" that harms
individuals,
communities and the church's image. "Violence cuts
across all
barriers and looms over women of all ages as they cry
out for
strong affirmative action to be taken," said Priscilla
Singh, the
LWF's secretary for women in church and society.
Singh's message
was echoed in the World Health Organization's World
Report on
Violence and Health which suggests that nearly one in
four women
will experience sexual violence by an intimate partner
in their
lifetime. [392 words, ENI-02-0331]


Orthodox church to debate future as peace-builder at US
meeting

New York (ENI). The Orthodox church will need to define
itself in
the future as an arbiter and peace-maker in an
increasingly
violent world, say several participants at a major
international
conference looking at the role of the church in
society. The
conference, meeting from 3 to 5 October at the Holy
Cross Greek
Orthodox School of Theology near Boston, Massachusetts
is
examining the future of Orthodox churches in the light
of the 11
September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States
and a
rapidly changing international environment. [335 words,
ENI-02-0330]


ENI News Highlights contain summaries of ENI articles
published
today.
This summary may be copied or re-posted provided the
information
printed below is retained.

Individual paragraphs may be reproduced provided ENI is
acknowledged as the source.



ENI Online - http://www.eni.ch


Ecumenical News International
PO Box 2100
CH - 1211 Geneva 2
Switzerland

BETWEEN STRANGERS
SOPHIA LOREN heads the cast as one of three artistic
women living in
Toronto who find that their lives change as they get
older and reflect
upon their pasts.
More:
http://www.tribute.ca/movie_spec/5529.htm
Showtimes:
http://www.tribute.ca/showtimes/search_by_movie.asp

JONAH: A VEGGIETALES MOVIE
Larry the Cucumber, Bob the Tomato, Archibald Asparagus
and the rest of
the VeggieTales gang set sail on a whale of an
adventure.
More:
http://www.tribute.ca/movie_spec/5533.htm
Showtimes:
http://www.tribute.ca/showtimes/search_by_movie.asp



CONTESTS:
Enter for your chance to Win!
Ghost Ship Contest, White Oleander double movie passes
Enter at:
http://www.tribute.ca/contest/contest_main.html

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-
=-

    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  HOT GOSSIP OF THE WEEK
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SCHWARZENEGGER SAYS NO TO TERMINATOR STATUE
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER's hometown, Graz, in southern
Austria, wants to
build a giant, 25-meter (82 foot) metal "TERMINATOR"
statue in The Forum
Stadtpark, but Schwarzenegger wants to nix the idea.
The project would
cost about 5 million euro ($4.9 million) -- money that
has yet to be
raised. Angelika Reitzer, manager for the forum, said
Friday that a letter
from the 55-year-old actor, who lives in California,
said, "He was
flattered but that he thought it would be better to
spend the money on
social projects and the Special Olympics."


*

NEXT WEEK:

MICHELLE PFEIFFER, ROBIN WRIGHT PENN and ALISON LOHMAN
talk about their
new film, WHITE OLEANDER.


_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
_*_*
_*

VIEW this issue of Tribute MovieMail online.
http://www.tribute.ca/newsletter/54

http://www.canada.com/national/features/royalvisit/

A Royal welcome for the
Jubilee tour

From the moment Queen Elizabeth
and Prince Philip arrive to their departure 12 days
later,  it will be a whirlwind of speeches, walkabouts
and celebrations marking the Queen's 50th anniversary
on the throne.

* Birds, barking, beer and bellies *
The wacky studies that should probably never have been
carried out are celebrated at the IgNobels, a spoof on
the Nobels.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/sci/tech/2298873.stm

  * New moon for Uranus *
A small moon, just a few kilometres wide, has been
found orbiting close to the gas-giant planet.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/sci/tech/2299343.stm

  * Software sales help gorillas *
Proceeds from the sales of a popular program for
handheld computers is helping fund a sanctuary for
gorillas.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/technology/2290006.stm

http://www.nationalpost.com/national/story.html?id={715C1329-33E0-
49A0-BBB4-92F6AFB5AAC2}

Ontario town's grasping at
straws

A small town
in Ontario is trying to earn a place in the Guinness
Book of Records by having more scarecrows on its
streets and lawns than anywhere else in the
world.

Date:   Sat Oct 5 07:34:39 2002
From: "Block, Diana" <DBlock@...>
Subject: [CCBWP] CHRONICE EDITORIAL SAYS LET DAVIS KNOW HOW YOU
FEEL ABOUT PAROLE!

AT THE END OF THIS EDITORIAL FAVORING PAROLE AND
OPPOSING DAVIS' PAROLE
REVERSALS, THE CHRONICLE CALLS ON READERS TO LET DAVIS
KNOW IF YOU THINK
PRISONERS APPROVED BY THE PAROLE BOARD SHOULD BE
APPROVED.  PLEASE TAKE A
MINUTE AND EMAIL THE GOVERNOR ABOUT THIS CRUCIAL ISSUE
(ESPECIALLY WITH THE
UPCOMING SUPREME COURT HEARING ABOUT THE ROSENKRANTZ
CASE ON OCTOBER 8!):

governor@...


        Wasted money, wasted lives


Friday, October 4, 2002
        (c)2002 San Francisco
Chronicle.

        URL:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?
file=/chronicle/archive/2002/10/04
/ED169823.DTL

        SINCE Gov. Gray Davis seems
determined to reverse paroles granted by
the state's Board of Prison Terms, perhaps Californians
are wasting their
tax dollars paying for an agency
        that
administers an annual budget of $32.5 million, employs
260
full-time workers and hires legions of private
attorneys to represent
prisoners.

        The parole board, a critical part
of the criminal justice system,
performs many vital services for the state. This year,
it has held about
4,000 hearings to determine which "lifers" --

murderers, rapists, kidnappers -- are suitable for
release. To
accomplish this task, commissioners travel throughout
the state, evaluating
and reviewing the records of thousands of

prisoners eligible for parole.

        After careful
deliberation, nine commissioners -- appointed by the
governor and paid $99,000 a year -- make a final
decision. These men and
women, most of whom have law
        enforcement
backgrounds, are a tough-minded group, impatient with
jailhouse conversions or hardened criminals. This year,
they granted parole
to only 140 individuals. After they
        grant a
parole, they forward the case to the governor, who has
30 days
to approve, modify or reverse the decision.


Here's the problem: Although Davis denies he has an
unwritten
"no-parole" policy, he has vetoed all but two of the
140 paroles sent to him
-- both of whom were battered women
        who killed
their abusers. In contrast, Gov. Pete Wilson, who was
not
soft on crime by anyone's definition, saw fit to parole
86 people.

        All that work, all that
deliberation, just to be shot down by
repeated vetoes. We can only imagine the frustration of
the commissioners
who work so hard to determine who, among

thousands of prisoners, are really rehabilitated and
ready to re-enter
society.

        When a judge issues a sentence that
includes the words "with
possibility of parole," it reflects our society's
belief that a small number
of criminals can be rehabilitated, as well as

our constitutional right to a fair and impartial
hearing.

        Last Sunday, we wrote about the case
of Jeri Becker, a woman who,
during 22 years in prison, has grown into a mature and
productive person.
Judge Warren McGuire, the Marin
        Country Superior
Court judge who sentenced Becker in 1980, wrote to
the parole board that "she is the most successfully
rehabilitated prisoner
I've ever come across." He also
        emphasized that
she had never touched or fired the gun that killed
convicted drug dealer Ricky E. Caponio in Sausalito on
March 4, 1980.

        The parole board has voted to
grant parole to Becker. Now the
governor has until Oct. 18 to approve, modify or
reverse their decision.

        Becker, now 52, is
precisely the type of prisoner who deserves
parole. She has demonstrated remorse, is fully
rehabilitated -- and poses no
danger to society.

        One of the important
reasons for a parole system is to give inmates a
strong incentive to follow the rules and to turn their
lives around. Becker
has done that.

        The governor should uphold the
parole board's ruling. If not, perhaps
Davis could explain why Californians should continue to
pay for the work of
an agency and commission he
        repeatedly ignores.



        EXPRESS YOUR VIEW

        Let Gov. Gray Davis
know whether you want him to approve parole after
the Board of Prison Terms has determined that a
prisoner, such as Jeri
Becker, has paid his or her debt to
        society, is
completely rehabilitated and poses no danger to
society.

        Phone: (916 445-2841

        Fax:
(916) 445-4633

        E-Mail:
governor@...

        Address: State
Capitoal Buidling, Sacramento, CA 95814


(c)2002 San Francisco Chronicle.   Page A - 24

From:   amnestyonline@...
Subject:   Amnesty International USA: Faith in Action


Faith in Action – Working to Abolish the Death Penalty
Amnesty International USA
October 7 - 16, 2002
http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/event2/

-------------------------

-- Welcome Message from Dr. Bill Schulz, Executive
Director, AIUSA
-- Community Guidelines
-- Using the Message Board
-- History of the Death Penalty


WELCOME
>From Dr. Bill Schulz, Executive Director, AIUSA

It is my pleasure to welcome you all to Amnesty
International USA's online event, Faith in Action –
Working to Abolish the Death Penalty.  For the next
couple of days, I encourage you to take advantage of
the many opportunities you will have to learn about
this important issue and discuss with it fellow
participants.

As you will see, communities of faith are on the front
lines of the abolition movement. They are powerful
allies in the struggle to abolish the death penalty in
the US and around the world. As I am sure you already
know, Amnesty International opposes the death penalty
unconditionally. We welcome this opportunity to make
connections, share experiences and work together with
people of all faiths on this issue.

Here is a quick overview of the topics that will be
covered during this event:

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7
Faith Tradition Focus:  Catholicism
Issue Focus: The Moratorium Movement

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8
Faith Tradition Focus: Islam
Issue Focus: Does the Death Penalty Deter Crime?

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9
Faith Tradition Focus: Protestantism
Issue Focus: Financial Costs of the Death Penalty

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10
Faith Tradition Focus: Judaism
Issue Focus: Innocence

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11
Faith Tradition Focus: Buddhism
Issue Focus: Juveniles and the Death Penalty

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12
Faith Tradition Focus: Hinduism
Issue Focus: Arbitrariness of the Death Penalty
Live Chat: How to Talk to your Elected Officials about
the Death Penalty

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16
Focus: Live Audio Chat on Reconciliation


Sincerely,

Dr. Bill Schulz
Executive Director, AIUSA

- - - - - - - - -


HISTORY OF THE DEATH PENALTY

Read a brief history of the use of the death penalty in
the USA and around the world. This overview includes a
summary of recent developments including U.S. District
Judge Jed Rakoff recent ruling that the federal death
penalty violates the U.S. Constitution. Go to:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/event2/history.html

A COURTROOM CHAMPION FOR 4-LEGGED CREATURES
The New York Times

Among the high-flying lawyers who roam the halls of
Harvard Law School, Steven M. Wise, 51, is an oddity.
Instead of devoting himself to the fine points of torts
or contracts, he teaches the school's first ever course
in animal rights law.  Moreover, Mr. Wise, who runs a
small law firm that litigates for the interests of
animals, has written two well-reviewed books on the
subject, "Rattling the Cage: Toward Legal Rights for
Animals" and the recently released "Drawing the Line:
Science and the Case for Animal Rights."

(Free registration and cookies required)
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/01/science/life/01CONV.html

Read Wise's Books
"Rattling the Cage: Toward Legal Rights for Animals"
http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738204374/internatio088-20

"Drawing The Line: Science and the Case for Animal
Rights"
http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738203408/internatio088-20

* Pope creates controversial saint *
The founder of the Roman Catholic movement Opus Dei is
elevated to sainthood at a ceremony in Rome attended by
250,000 pilgrims.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/europe/2303247.stm


  * McCartney lyrics go for a song *
The opening lyrics to the Beatles' song Penny Lane,
hand written in a note by Sir Paul McCartney, sell at
auction for  £1,350.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/entertainment/music/2302211.stm


  * Cow comes in from the cold *
The neck bone from a 170,000-year-old giant cow is
revealing details about London's Ice Age past.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/sci/tech/2296451.stm


  * 'Meteor' lights up Midlands *
A bright flash over the West Midlands skies on Sunday
morning may have been a meteor, say astronomers.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/england/2303349.stm

Suit Over Airlines' Web Sites Tests Bounds of ADA

Matthew Haggman
Miami Daily Business Review
10-07-2002


When Robert Gumson logs on to the Internet, he uses a software
program that converts Web site content into speech. But when he
logged on to Southwest Airlines' Web site to make a reservation,
Gumson, who is blind, found that the site was incompatible with his
screen-reader program.

So Gumson and a Miami Beach, Fla.-based disability rights group,
Access Now, filed lawsuits in U.S. District Court in Miami in June
and July against Dallas-based Southwest and Dallas-based American
Airlines under the Americans with Disabilities Act. They are doing so
under an untested legal theory. Namely, that ADA provisions on the
accessibility of public accommodations to the disabled apply to
Internet Web sites just as they do to brick-and-mortar facilities
like movie theaters and department stores.

The parties are arguing over what Congress intended when it passed
the landmark disability legislation in 1990. The plaintiffs claim
that Congress wrote the ADA so broadly that the Internet is covered,
while the defendants take the position that Congress never meant to
include the Internet. Cyberspace was in its infancy at the time the
law was crafted. In legal terms, the argument is whether a Web site
is a "public accommodation" under Title III of the ADA.

Gumson is an Access Now member who lives in Albany, N.Y. The
Southwest case is before U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz and
the American case is before U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan.

In both lawsuits, the airlines have responded by filing a motion to
dismiss on grounds that the Title III of the ADA was meant to apply
to brick-and-mortar facilities rather than Web sites, which exist
digitally rather than physically.

Disability rights and corporate defense attorneys are anxiously
awaiting the trial court rulings, because many anticipate that this
issue could wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

"If the court were to find that the ADA applies to the Internet, it's
a potentially huge development," said Mark J. Neuberger, managing
partner of Buchanan Ingersoll in Miami who heads the firm's labor and
employment group. "Already the ADA is a hotbed of litigation."

"This is cutting edge litigation because there is very little case
law and authority on the subject," says Anamarie Maltzman, an
associate focusing on employment law at Steel Hector & Davis in Miami
who recently clerked for U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro-Benages in
Miami.

There have been previous lawsuits alleging that the ADA applies to
the Internet, but all have settled without a ruling on the merits.

In 1999, the National Federation of the Blind sued America Online in
U.S. District Court in Boston alleging that AOL's service was
inaccessible to blind users and therefore violated the ADA. In July
2000, AOL agreed to make all of its sites compatible with screen
reader technology and the case was settled without a substantive
ruling.

Over the past two years, Access Now has sued bookseller Barnes &
Noble and retailer Claire's Stores for maintaining Web sites that
allegedly violated the ADA. Both cases settled.

Gumson and Access Now are represented by Steven R. Reininger and
Howard R. Behar of Rasco Reininger Perez & Esquenazi in Coral Gables.
Southwest is represented by K. Renee Schimkat, a partner at Carlton
Fields in Miami. American is represented by Anne Marie Estevez, a
partner at Morgan Lewis & Bockius in Miami. Neither Schimkat nor
Estevez returned calls for comment.

"The Internet has become a huge shopping mall and is very important
to blind people who sometimes have trouble getting around," said
Reininger. "It is critical that there be access."

Since it was founded four years ago, Access Now has filed more than
440 ADA lawsuits in courts across the country, but only now is it
targeting Internet sites. "We are quite tired of being shut out of
some areas of life," said Phyllis F. Resnick, vice president and
executive director of the 740-member nonprofit group. Resnick started
the group with her husband, Edward S. Resnick, president of Access
Now, who uses a wheelchair.

In their motions to dismiss, attorneys for the airlines argued that
the ADA identifies 12 categories of "public accommodation" that
include physical spaces such as museums, banks and grocery stores.

But the attorneys for Gumson and Access Now cite open-ended language
in the law to bolster their claims that the ADA includes Web sites as
public accommodations. For example, under the law, a public
accommodation can be a "place of exhibition or entertainment" or
an "other service establishment."

With no court opinion directly on point, each side has turned to
various commentaries and legal dicta in search of favorable language.

Earlier this year, Access Now pointed out, the 11th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals wrote in a case called Rendon v. Valleycrest
Production that "the definition of discrimination in Title III covers
both tangible barriers … and intangible barriers."

Access Now also cites a 1999 opinion by Richard Posner, the chief
judge for the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. An
influential conservative, Posner said in a nonbinding dictum that the
ADA applies to Web sites.

"The core meaning of this provision, plainly enough, is that the
owner or operator of a store, hotel, restaurant, dentist's office,
travel agency, theater, Web site or other facility (whether in
physical space or in electronic space) that is open to the public
cannot exclude disabled persons from entering the facility and, once
in, from using the facility in the same way that the nondisabled do,"
Posner wrote in Doe et al. v. Mutual of Omaha Insurance Co.

In 1996, Deval L. Patrick, then assistant attorney general heading
the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, wrote in
a letter to U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, that "entities that use the
Internet for communications regarding their programs, goods, or
services must be prepared to offer those communications through
accessible means as well."

Eight years ago, in a 1994 case, the 1st Circuit commented, "It would
be irrational to conclude that persons who enter an office to
purchase services are protected by the ADA, but persons who purchase
the same services over the telephone or by mail are not."

But in May, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore in Miami wrote in an
opinion that "no court has held that Internet Web sites made
available to the public by retail entities must be accessible. The
likelihood of prevailing on this issue at trial is clearly
uncertain."

In that ruling, Moore approved the class-action settlement between
Access Now and Claire's Stores. Moore wrote: "Some of the ways that
accessibility is being provided, including the Web site, are not
addressed in Title III regulations or ADA access guidelines, and
therefore, are not required under the ADA."

In 1999 U.S. District Judge Edward C. Prado, in a case styled Hooks
v. Okbridge in U.S. District Court in San Antonio, wrote, "If there
is no physical structure or facility, there is no place of public
accommodation and Title III of the ADA is not applicable."

Some attorneys argue that there's no need to make Internet
reservations available to the disabled as long as the airfares people
receive through the telephone reservation system are just as low as
those available via the Internet.

"The goal of the ADA is to allow equal use and enjoyment," said
Buchanan Ingersol's Neuberger. "A blind person who wishes to make a
plane reservation online can use the telephone."

Neuberger noted that airfares online are often cheaper than over the
telephone and that airlines would have to give disabled customers the
online fares.

Some experts, and the airlines, have said that Congress could not
possibly have had the Internet in mind when it enacted the disability
rights law.

"The Internet was not even on the radar in the late 1980s and 1990
when the ADA was passed," said Paul Lopez, a partner at Tripp Scott
in Fort Lauderdale. "For the Internet to be covered by the ADA,
Congress will probably have to pass an amendment."

Unless there is a settlement, Judges Seitz and Jordan are expected to
rule on the airlines' motions to dismiss in the next few months.


http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1032128683422

From:   pm@...
Date:   Mon Oct 7 17:03:26 2002
Subject:   Speech

Notes for an Address by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien on
the Occasion of a Luncheon in Honour of Her Majesty the
Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburg

October 7, 2002
Vancouver, British Columbia

Your Majesty, you have always been a model to Canadians
of dignity and decorum. I am sure that fans of the
Vancouver Canucks noted the good effect that your
presence had on behaviour during the hockey game last
night. I suspect the NHL Head of Officials took equal
note and will likely ask you to undertake a tour of all
NHL cities in the very near future.

But in all seriousness, I am pleased to see Your
Majesty again so soon after your arrival in Nunavut
last Friday. And I am delighted that we will be seeing
a lot of each other during your travels.

When we met in Iqaluit, I could not help but think back
on the many times, public and private, that I have had
the pleasure of your company. We first met in the
Northwest Territories in 1970. At which time I treated
you and His Royal Highness to a version of O' Canada
that, I understand, is still a part of Royal legend.
And I will always remember briefing Your Majesty on the
proclamation of the Constitution Act of 1982, a
watershed moment in the relationship between Canada and
the United Kingdom.

Your Golden Jubilee coincides with the 20th anniversary
of our new constitution and of the Canadian Charter of
Rights and Freedoms that is its cornerstone. Over the
past fifty years of your reign our country has
undergone extraordinary change. But no single document
has so fundamentally confirmed our capacity for change
than the Charter.

It marked the confirmation, in our most basic law, of
the cosmopolitan nation we have become. A nation at
home with our diversity, comfortable acknowledging the
rights of all of our citizens; willing to give those
rights full recognition in our laws and institutions,
in practice as well as theory.

And if the Charter of Rights confirmed, in law, our
national embrace of cultural diversity, than the
flavour of life in Vancouver confirms it in fact.
Nowhere in Canada is our cultural and linguistic
richness more evident than in this vibrant and
exuberant city. Where so many immigrants first arrived
to begin living their dream of a better life in a new
land. Where they, and their sons and daughters, began
making their own unique contribution to making Canada
the exemplary country that it is today.

Just a few months ago, it was my great privilege to
take part in two important celebrations of the
diversity of Vancouver and of Canada: the official
designation of the Abbotsford Sikh Temple as the newest
National Historic Site of Canada and the opening of the
Chinatown Millennium Gate.

Your Majesty, you have every right to be proud of this
country and how it has grown over the past fifty years.

For your steadfast commitment to duty, we salute you.
For your unwavering service to Canada, we honour you.

Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and join me in a
toast: To the Queen.


From: The Prime Minister of Canada

Subject:   [hr-education] Distance education course on Human Rights
Advocacy (17 February-11 May 2003)

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSE
ORGANISED BY HREA

HREA has been extremely pleased with the interest and
participation in the
distance learning courses offered in 2002: "Research &
Evaluation in the
Human Rights Field", "Human Rights Advocacy",
"Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Human Rights
Work" and "Human Rights
Monitoring". I am happy to announce the first distance
learning course
that will be offered in 2003, on Human Rights Advocacy.

Please note that there is now also the possibility to
audit the course.
Auditors will: receive the course materials; read the
weekly facilitator
message; follow the course discussions, exercises and
assignments.
Auditors will not: be entitled to participate in the
course discussion,
exercises or assignments; receive a Certificate of
Participation.

The registration deadline for this course is 1 January
2003. Scholarships
are available. If, after reading the announcement
below, you have any
further questions about the content of the course or
the application
process, please write to: <applications@...>.

Best wishes,

Felisa Tibbitts
Director, HREA

----------------------------------

HREA Distance Learning Course 2E03:
HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY
17 February - 11 May 2003
Instructor: Dr. Valerie Miller

This distance learning course provides human rights
activists with a range
of proven human rights advocacy methods and critical
concepts as a means
for them to reflect on and deepen their own work. The
course will look at
the theoretical foundations and critical issues of
human rights advocacy,
elements of advocacy planning, and strategies for
action.

In this course, participants should deepen their
knowledge about advocacy
and its relationship to: Politics and Democracy;
Citizenship and Rights;
Power, Empowerment and Citizen Education and Action.
Participants will
gain basic skills and knowledge in: visioning;
contextual analysis;
problem/issue identification; analysis and
prioritisation; power mapping;
goal/objective setting; analysis of advocacy arenas and
strategies;
message development, reports and media; public outreach
and mobilisation;
lobbying and negotiation; advocacy leadership and
coalition building; and
assessment of success.

The course involves 60 hours of reading, on-line
working groups,
interaction with students and instructors/facilitators
and assignments,
and is offered over a 12-week period, beginning on 17
February 2003.
E-mail will be the main medium for the course, although
participants will
need to have periodic access to the Web (part of the
readings/assignment
will be distributed via CD-ROM). The course is based on
a participatory,
active learning approach, with an emphasis on
peer-to-peer learning.
Participants will do the required readings, prepare
interim and final
assignments and participate in group discussions. The
main course text
will be "A New Weave of Power, People, and Politics: An
Action Guide for
Advocacy and Citizen Participation" (World Neighbors,
2002), by Lisa
VeneKlasen and Valerie Miller. The maximum number of
course participants
is 25. It is also possible to be an auditor of the
course. Students who
successfully complete the course will receive a
Certificate of
Participation.


COURSE OUTLINE

Weeks 1-3: Conceptual Foundations and Critical Issues

Week 1: Politics, Advocacy, Democracy, Rights and
Citizenship
Week 2: Power, Empowerment and Citizen Education and
Engagement
Week 3: Advocacy Effectiveness: Factors and Measures of
Success

Weeks 4-7: Elements of Advocacy Planning

Week 4: Overview of Planning; Analysis of Political and
Social Context
Week 5: Identification, Analysis and Definition of
Problems; Selection of
Priority Issues
Week 6: Analysis of Political Arenas and Advocacy
Strategies; Selection of
Policy Hooks and Angles
Week 7: Analysis of Forces, Friends and Foes; Review
and Readjustment of
Strategies

Weeks 8-12: Doing Advocacy: Strategies for Action

Week 8: Messages, Reports and Media
Week 9: Public Outreach and Mobilization
Week 10: Lobbying and Negotiation; Advocacy Leadership
and Coalitions
Week 11: National and Local Cases (and links between)
Week 12: International Cases (and linking Global,
National and Local)


ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Valerie Miller has worked in advocacy, international
development, gender
and human rights for more than 30 years. She has
collaborated with
grassroots organisations, NGOs, and international
agencies in many
capacities -- as an organiser, trainer, advocate,
evaluator, and
researcher. Over the past 15 years, she has been policy
advocacy director
at Oxfam America, director of policy and exchange
programs at the
Institute for Development Research, and advisor and
associate of a wide
variety of organisations including the Global Women in
Politics Program;
Women, Law and Development International; and the
Highlander Center. She
has taught courses on advocacy under the auspices of
the University of
Brasilia and New Hampshire University. Dr. Miller holds
a doctorate in
adult education and she has published numerous articles
and books on
issues of advocacy, development, education, and
politics.


ABOUT HREA's DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMME

HREA's Distance Learning Programme (DLP) was initiated
in 2000 in response
to an unaddressed need for the continuing education of
human rights
professionals and practitioners. The programme builds
on HREA's extensive
experience in both the training of professionals
(teachers, advocates, law
schools) and the use of the new information
technologies to provide
resources and to network human rights advocates and
educators. By offering
short, practical yet specialised courses via distance
learning barriers
that prevent many practitioners from participating in
continuing
education, such as a lack of time and/or lack of funds
to travel to
regional or national workshops/trainings, can be
overcome. HREA annually
organises distance learning courses on human rights
monitoring; research &
evaluation in the human rights field; programme
development and
management; use of information and communication
technologies (ICTs) for
human rights work;  new developments in international
human rights law;
NGO management; and human rights advocacy (in English
and Russian). For
more information about the DLP, please visit:
http://www.hrea.org/dlp/

Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) is an
international
non-governmental organisation that supports human
rights learning; the
training of activists and professionals; the
development of educational
materials and programming; and community-building
through on-line
technologies. HREA works in partnership with education
agencies, NGOs,
governments and inter-governmental organisations to
implement training
programmes for teachers, NGO staff, jurists and other
professionals
involved in human rights work. Current and past
partners include, inter
alia, Amnesty International, the Constitutional Legal
Policy Institute
(COLPI), Council of Europe, Croatian Ministry of
Education, HURIDOCS, the
Inter-American Institute for Human Rights, the Office
of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights, University of Minnesota
Human Rights Center
and UNESCO. HREA is registered as a non-profit
organisation in the
Netherlands and the USA. More information on HREA can
be found at:
http://www.hrea.org


WHO SHOULD APPLY

The course is intended for staff members of human
rights/social justice
organisations. Candidates should have a good written
command of English
and have high competence and comfort with computer and
Internet use. HREA
aims to ensure equal gender and geographical
distribution across the
selected participants.


COSTS

The course tuition fee is US$ 455. Tuition for auditors
is $ 200.
Scholarships are available for applicants from Africa,
Asia-Pacific,
Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America/Caribbean.


APPLICATIONS

Further information about the course and application
forms (in Word and
PDF) can be downloaded at:
http://www.hrea.org/courses/2E.html
Applications need to be submitted by 1 January 2003.
Successful applicants
will be notified by 10 January 2003. Full tuition
payment is due on 7
February 2003.

Inquiries about the course can be sent to
<applications@...>.




======== Global Human Rights Education