We talk about "Banned Books Week" which was established by the American Library Association in 1982, and the Banned Books Read-Out event at Ithaca College. Wayles also reviews this year's Amnesty International cases for Banned Books Week, which focus on individuals who have been targeted, arrested, and/or imprisoned because their works have been critical of governments. Censorship and the banning of books have intensified in recent years and demands that libraries remove books are now at an all-time high. Books most likely to be challenged or banned include those covering LGBTQ issues, as well as those addressing race, racism, or critical race theory.

For more information about Banned Books Week visit https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned

For Amnesty International's Banned Books Week visit https://www.amnestyusa.org/campaigns/banned-books/bbw2023/

WRFI Human Rights Show

Wayles Browne Oct. 13

We talk about the history of human rights since the Universal Declaration was adopted on December 10, 1948. Since then December 10 has been celebrated as International Human Rights Day. Amnesty International was founded in 1961 when people started to write letters on behalf of political prisoners. In the 1990s the annual letter-writing campaign was launched, known as "Write for Rights" today.

In Ithaca, NY, the "Write for Rights" event will take place on December 10 from 2 to 5 p.m. Please send an email to Ute (uteritzdeutch@yahoo.com) or Wayles (ewb2@cornell.edu) for the address.

For more information about this year's cases visit https://write.amnestyusa.org/

Human Rights Day Dec. 8

We reflect on the 22nd anniversary of Guantanamo, where prisoners of the War on Terror first arrived on January 11, 2002. Since Guantanamo is located in Cuba, the U.S. government initially claimed that neither U.S. law nor international law applied there, a claim that the U.S. Supreme Court rejected. The U.S. government continues to violate domestic and international law at Guantanamo, including the Torture Convention (CAT). Detainees did not have due process rights and some spent twenty years there without charge and without trial. Prisoners also suffered a wide range of torture, including sensory deprivation or bombardment, stress positions, sleep deprivation and desecration of the Koran. According to U.S. government sources, of the 780 Muslim men and boys who have come through the military prison, more than 92 percent could not be tied to terrorism. 

Sadly, countries around the world, especially authoritarian countries such as China and Russia, have routinely made reference to Guantanamo when trying to justify their own human rights violations (in the name of national security). Internationally, the U.S. has lost credibility as a country supposedly bound by law. Terrorist organizations have also used the abuses at Guantanamo to bolster recruitment, which runs counter to the security interests of the United States. 

As of today, 30 prisoners still remain at Guantanamo, even though 16 of them have been cleared for release, many of them years ago. Former prisoners who have been transferred (often to countries other than their countries of origin) have faced considerable challenges. Some of the receiving countries have put them under house arrest or imprisoned and tortured them. In several countries it is not possible to get legal residency, work permits or health insurance. Visits with family are also prohibited. 

Fionnuala Ni Aolain visited the prison complex as a United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms While Countering Terrorism. Her report (including her recommendations on p. 4) can be found here: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/terrorism/sr/2023-06-26-SR-terrorism-technical-visit-US-guantanamo-detention-facility.pdf

Human rights organizations, faith-based organizations, and NGOs are calling on the Biden administration to close Guantanamo. The letter can be found here: https://www.cvt.org/statements/cvt-and-coalition-partners-call-on-president-biden-to-close-guantanamo-permanently/ 

Amnesty International's current petition is here: https://www.amnestyusa.org/campaigns/close-guantanamo/

The Amnesty 2021 report on Guantanamo is here: https://www.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/USA_-Right-the-Wrong_Decision-Time-on-Guantananmo.pdf

The 2022 report by Human Rights Watch is here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/01/09/legacy-dark-side

The NYT Guantanamo Docket is here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/guantanamo-bay-detainees.html

Other organizations working on Guantanamo include:
https://www.closeguantanamo.org/
https://www.cvt.org/
https://ccrjustice.org/home/what-we-do/issues/guantanamo
https://www.peacefultomorrows.org/

Guantanamo 2024

In the first part of the show, Lorraine talks about the history and importance of Juneteenth. In the second part of the show, Wayles gives updates on several events.

Juneteenth

We talk about Banned Books Week, which was first started by the American Library Association in 1982. They track books targeted for removal (challenged or removed) from libraries and schools. We also talk about the cases Amnesty International USA focuses on, including authors, publishers, and social media influencers who have been targeted and arrested for their work.

For more information visit: https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/
and https://www.ala.org/bbooks
For the Amnesty cases visit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/campaigns/banned-books/bbw2024/

Banned Books Week Sept. 27

We talk about the upcoming U.S. election through the lens of human rights. We briefly talk about Amnesty International's Write for Rights cases for this year.

US 2024 election_4upload

We talk about actions outgoing President Biden can take in his remaining months in office, including abolishing the death penalty, stopping arms transfers to Israel, enacting a different border policy, granting clemency to Leonard Peltier, and closing Guantanamo. We reflect on the case of Billie Allen, who has been sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit. Wayles also shares several good news items that demonstrates that human rights activism can save lives.
On December 10th the Ithaca Chapter of Amnesty International will be hosting its Write for Rights letter-writing campaign from 4 to 8 pm. For more details email Wayles at ewb2@cornell.edu.
For actions that Biden can take visit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/urge-biden-to-take-these-actions-before-leaving-office/
For Billie Allen's death row case visit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/billie-allen/
Also: https://prisonsandjustice.georgetown.edu/2022-making-an-exoneree-cases/

Wayles Browne Nov 15_4upload

Wayles Browne and I talk about International Human Rights Day (December 10th), which is the anniversary of the UN adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We also talk about the creation of Amnesty International and the Write for Rights global letter writing campaign. The link to the this year's cases can be found here: https://write.amnestyusa.org/

A Write for Rights party will be held in Ithaca on Dec. 10th from 4 to 8 pm. All are welcome. For more information email Wayles at ewb2@cornell.edu or call 607-273-3009.

Human Rights Day 2024_4upload

We write about the annual "Write for Rights" letter-writing campaign, go over the 30 articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and briefly talk about Guantanamo. President Biden recently released 11 Yemeni prisoners who were cleared for release years ago. He also commuted 37 people from death row to life imprisonment, but there are yet a few things the outgoing president can do before he leaves office.

Wayles Browne Jan 10_4upload

We talk about a range of issues, including Richard Dreyfus, who was posthumously promoted in the French army, after being wrongfully convicted and imprisoned. Upcoming local events are the "No Kings" rally in Ithaca (and around the country), and the local Juneteenth celebration.

New tracks tagged #wayles browne