Andrew Fuller and Rory-Owen Delaney, who produce the renowned radio podcast "Leonard: Political Prisoner" talk about the case of Leonard Peltier, a Native American, who is the longest-serving political prisoner in the United States. Andrew and Rory recount the events that took place on 26 June 1975 at the Oglala Pineridge Reservation that led to the flawed trial and conviction of Leonard for the murder of two FBI agents. It is widely believed that he is innocent and prosecutorial misconduct related to his extradition, trial, and conviction has been extensively documented. Individuals and organizations from around the world have been asking for Leonard's release. The podcast series has been awarded Duke University's Human Rights Audio Documentary Award. The podcasts can be found here: https://leonard.buzzsprout.com/. Info on the award can be found here: https://blogs.library.duke.edu/blog/2021/11/18/leonard-political-prisoner-wins-2021-human-rights-audio-documentary-award/. Among the books about Leonard are "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse" by Peter Matthiessen, and "I will" by Sheron Wyant-Leonard. The book "Art Behind Bars: Dreams of Freedom" is a collection of artwork produced by Leonard. Among the documentaries are "Warrior: The Life of Leonard Peltier" and "Incident at Oglala." More information is also at: https://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/

WRFI Human Rights Show

Leonard Peltier March 3

Zoe van Nostrand talks about several exhibits at the Tompkins County History Center, including women's sports teams. We reflect on the challenges women have faced over the centuries, struggling against gender norms and restrictions as they pursued their dreams. The Hockey Girls' Team was the first in the state (and the third in the country) to be created after Title IX went into effect, outlawing gender discrimination in schools in the 1970s. The Women's Roller Derby likewise broke gender barriers.

The History Center has a Women's Oral History Collection, History Forge with 80 years of census data, and genealogy files on more than 2,000 families.

For more information visit: https://thehistorycenter.net/
For oral history and other audio podcasts visit: https://soundcloud.com/tompkinshistory

TC History Center March 29

Paul O'Brien, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, talks about the human rights situation around the world as authoritarian regimes are becoming more emboldened. We also reflect on the challenges of organizing and being in coalition with activists whose backgrounds and identities differ from ours.  Amnesty International operates on several levels. Research is done through the International Secretariat in London and the regional sections. Deep research as well as press releases are frequently published. Recent lobbying efforts in the U.S. include the "Safeguarding Human Rights in Arms Exports Act." The organization is also grassroots, with student groups and local groups engaged in a wide range of activities, including letter-writing campaigns and events. Lastly, we reflect on 2024 being an important election year and how human rights could inform the discussions.
For more information visit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/ or https://www.amnesty.org/

Paul O'Brien April 5

Eric Cheyfitz, Professor at Cornell University, talks about settler colonialism, comparing federal Indian policies in the United States with Israel's policies in the Occupied Territories of Palestine. We look at some of the legal and extra-judicial methods that were (and are) being used to disenfranchise people, appropriate their land, and impede their cultural survival. We also briefly reflect on the situation in Gaza.

Eric Cheyfitz April 12

This is the second show with staff and supporters of Educate the Children-Nepal. Elicia Carmichael, who is engaged in fundraising talks about the work and importance of the organization. Barbara Butterworth, who has spent many years in Nepal, talks about organizing last year's trip. The others reflect on what impacted them during the visit at ETC project sites. Currently, the organization is fundraising money for this year.
For more information visit: https://www.etc-nepal.org/

ETC Show 2

Leni Hochman and Tim Joseph talk about their support of the organization Educate the Children Nepal. Both participated in the November 2023 trip to Nepal organized by ETC. Afterward, they had the opportunity to meet the young woman they supported as a child in person for the first time. They reflect on how the extended family embraced them.

ETC - Leni Hochman and Tim Joseph

We talk about the continuing catastrophe in Gaza, skewed media reporting that dehumanizes Palestinians and uncritically repeats Israel's claims, and the brutal crackdown against pro-Palestinian student protesters in the United States. We also discuss how weapons made and sold by the U.S. are being used to kill Palestinian civilians. The Safeguard Act would fill some gaps and require the government to determine if U.S. weapons are being used to commit grave human rights violations. If they are, the U.S. 
government would be obligated to stop the sale of weapons.

For more information about Amnesty International's call to a permanent cease-fire, visit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territories/

For more information on the Safeguard Act visit: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1025

Alicia Koutsoulieris

Kevin Cooper, who was given a sentence of death in 1985 for a gruesome murder he by all accounts never committed, continues to fight his conviction while on death row in California's prison system. His trial was highly flawed and the prosecution has been alleged to have withheld exculpating evidence, destroyed evidence, and fabricated evidence. Cooper's case has gained international attention. In 2004, he was Amnesty International's urgent action case, when he came within less than four hours of being executed. In 2015, the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) determined that his trial and conviction were unfair. More recently, California Governor Newsom ordered an Independent Innocence Investigation for Cooper's case, but the report issued by the Special Counsel has been considered highly flawed.

The law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, has been representing Cooper for over twenty years and recently issued a rebuttal that outlines major problems with the Special Counsel's Report. Professor Lara Bazelon, who runs the Criminal Juvenile Justice and Racial Justice Clinical Programs at the University of San Francisco School of Law, co-authored an op-ed with colleague, Charlie Nelson Keever, "Why California’s reinvestigation of an infamous quadruple murder case is a sham" highlighting the flawed "investigation." Both Professors will be representing Kevin Cooper using the newly enacted California Racial Justice Act.

Wrongful convictions that result in the death penalty are alarmingly common. Since the death penalty resumed in 1977, more than 1,500 people have been executed. During the same time, more than 195 people on death row were exonerated. Of those, more than 105 were Black. The death penalty is disproportionately given when the victim is white and the perpetrator is non-white. 

A factsheet about Cooper's case is here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pazR-tgEdLlJp8sMSxTWs0G8EzCHCv-W/view

For more information visit: https://linktr.ee/freekevincooper

The rebuttal report can be found here: https://www.freekevincooper.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Signed-Rebuttal-Memo-to-Special-Counsel-Report.pdf

Lara Bazelon's op-ed is here: https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/kevin-cooper-murder-case-18447404.php

Info about the IACHR ruling is here: https://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/international-human-rights-body-rules-in-favor-of-prisoner-nearly-executed-by-california/

General research on the death penalty in the U.S. is here: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/

Advocacy on behalf of people on death row is here: https://deathpenaltyaction.org/

Amnesty International's death penalty info and action are here: https://www.amnestyusa.org/issues/death-penalty/

Kevin Cooper May 10

Ian Lekus, Policy and Communications Officer at the Council for Global Equality, talks about the rights of LGBTI people and how these are violated. Increasingly, individuals who are LGBTI are facing discrimination, physical violence, and even death from state and non-state actors. Ian briefly reviews several countries, including Kenya, where harsh LGBT legislation has been passed, and the United States where recently 490 anti-LGBT laws have been introduced in 49 states. One of the drivers of these bills (and the cultural shift more widely) is the Heritage Foundation, which coordinates "Project 25". In its 900-page report, it lays out plans to dismantle multi-racial democracies. Draconian policies also impact refugees and asylum seekers, whose lives are at risk. One of the organizations working on this is the Rainbow Railroad.
We also reflect on Pride Month, in June in the United States, during which people celebrate gender diversity.

For more information visit: http://globalequality.org/
Amnesty International's page is here: https://www.amnestyusa.org/issues/gender-sexuality/
The Rainbow Coalition is here: https://www.rainbowrailroad.org/

Ian Lekus May 24

Ellen Grady and Tom Joyce talk about the life and activism of Peter DeMott, who passed away in 2009. In his honor, every year on Father's Day, the Peace Trot, a 5-k run (or walk) takes place in Ithaca. The funds raised are for the benefit of the Catholic Worker House in Ithaca.
We discuss the work members of Catholic Worker have been engaged in for decades, including plowshare actions against nuclear weapons. Currently, U.S. nuclear weapons are stationed in several European countries under the NATO sharing policy. The U.S. is planning on building more nuclear weapons at a staggering cost, despite the existential threat to life on the planet. 
For more information about the trot, visit: https://www.ithacacatholicworker.org/whats-the-peace-trot
For more information about ICAN's campaign, visit: https://www.icanw.org/

Leonard Peltier March 3

WRFIhumanrightsshow

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