Human Rights Organisations

The United Nations Association of New Zealand is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to sustaining the spirit of the United Nations through raising awareness, providing educational initiatives, and presenting events that engage the interest and involvement of New Zealanders. UNANZ enables people to connect to each other on critical global issues affecting us all, from peace and human rights to equitable development and international justice.

www.unanz.org.nz

The Alliance of Civilizations (AoC) aims to improve understanding and cooperative relations among nations and peoples across cultures and religions and, in the process, to help counter the forces that fuel polarization and extremism.

Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all, working to improve them through campaigning and international solidarity. They have more than 2.2 million members and subscribers in more than 150 countries and regions and they coordinate this support to act for justice on a wide range of issues.

Stop the Traffik is a global movement against the trafficking of people. It has more than 1000 member organisations in 50 countries & a grass roots following of ordinary activists around the world. Some of us sign petitions, wear symbols of the campaign, spread the message, and some of us show our support through adapting our lifestyles.

Peacewomen is a project of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and works toward rapid and full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.

The United Nations' International Day of Peace - marked every year on September 21 - is a global holiday when individuals, communities, nations and governments highlight efforts to end conflict and promote peace.

www.internationaldayofpeace.org

GandhiServe, a charitable foundation registered in Germany, aims to spread the ethics of nonviolence and hopes to help alleviate conflicts and inspire others through making available media and resources on Gandhi's life and thoughts. Believing that Gandhi's message of truth, love and nonviolence is still relevant today, or even more relevant than ever before considering the ecological catastrophy we're facing, and the increase of different forms of violence in both personal and public life.

www.gandhiserve.org

Freedom Writers began writing anonymous journal entries about the adversities that they faced in their every day lives. Gangs, immigration, drugs, violence, abuse, death, anorexia, dyslexia, teenage love, weight issues, divorce, suicide, and all the other issues they never had the chance to express before, discovering that writing is a powerful form of self expression that could help us deal with our past and move forward. A "safe haven", as they say, "where we could cry, laugh, and share our stories without being judged".

The Nelson Mandela Foundation contributes to the making of a just society by promoting the vision and work of their Founder and convening dialogue around critical social issues. Leads the development of a living legacy that captures the vision and values of Mr. Nelson Mandela's life and work. Through the creation of strategic networks and partnerships, the Nelson Mandela Foundation directs resources, knowledge and practice to add value and demonstrate new possibilities.

The Desmond Tutu Peace Centre is an independent non-governmental organization set up to perpetuate the legacy of Desmond Tutu, whose role in ending apartheid in South Africa and bringing reconciliation to its people has inspired the building of the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre. This organization aims to carry on his legacy through his mission of non-violent change for a more peaceful, equal, loving future for the human family. He believes in the "power of forgiveness and reconciliation and that without forgiveness there can be no peace, and without peace their certainly can be no future". The Centre will give the world an extraordinary example of social justice in action with the aim of creating a safe space for marginalised groups to speak their truth and have their voices heard.

The War on Democracy', directed by John Pilger & Chris Martin, won Best Documentary at the prestigious One World Media Awards in London on 12 June 2008. It beat a field that included the documentary Oscar winner, 'Taxi to the Dark Side'. The citation read: "There are six criteria the judges are asked to use to select the winner of this award: the film's impact on public opinion, its appeal to a wide audience, its inclusion of voices from the developing world, its high journalistic or production standards, its success in conveying the impact of the actions of the world's rich on the lives of the poor and the extent to which it draws attention to possible solutions. One film met every one of these. It was the winner of the award: John Pilger's 'The War on Democracy'.

Noam Chomsky is well-known in the academic and scientific community as the father of modern linguistics. Since the 1960s, he has become known more widely as a political dissident and a libertarian socialist intellectual. Beginning with his opposition to the Vietnam War Chomsky established himself as a prominent critic of US foreign and domestic policy. He is a self-declared adherent of libertarian socialism which he regards as "the proper and natural extension of classical liberalism into the era of advanced industrial society. "According to the Arts and Humanities Citation Index in 1992, Chomsky was cited as a source more often than any other living scholar during the 1980-92 period, and was the eighth most-cited scholar.

Described by the New York Times as "probably the most famous foreign correspondent in Britain", he has over thirty years of experience in international reporting, dating from 1970s Belfast and Portugal's 1974 Carnation Revolution, the 1975-1990 Lebanese Civil War, and encompassing the 1979 Iranian revolution, the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, 1991 Persian Gulf War, and 2003 Invasion of Iraq. He is the world's most-decorated foreign correspondent, having received numerous awards including the British Press Awards' International Journalist of the Year award seven times. Fisk speaks good vernacular Arabic, and is one of the few Western journalists to have interviewed Osama bin Laden (three times between 1994 and 1997).

www.robert-fisk.com

The International Center on Nonviolent Conflict is an independent, non-profit, educational foundation that develops and encourages the study and use of civilian-based, nonmilitary strategies to establish and defend human rights, democracy and justice worldwide.

Transparency International, the global civil society organization leading the fight against corruption, brings people together in a powerful worldwide coalition to end the devastating impact of corruption on men, women and children around the world. TI's mission is to create change towards a world free of corruption. Since its founding in 1993, TI has played a lead role in improving the lives of millions around the world by building momentum for the anti-corruption movement. TI raises awareness and diminishes apathy and tolerance of corruption, and devises and implements practical actions to address it.

Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. They stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice. Investigating and exposing human rights violations and hold abusers accountable, they challenge governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law.

www.hrw.org

The mission of the peace council is to demonstrate that peace is possible, and that effective interreligious collaboration to make peace also is possible. "In a world where religion too often is used to justify division, hatred, and violence, the Peace Councilors offer an alternative: The example of leaders from different religious communities working together in practical ways to relieve suffering and to make the world whole", they say.

www.peacecouncil.org

The largest ever campaign against arms – jointly run by Amnesty International, Oxfam and IANSA (International Action Network on Small Arms). The website has many ideas for straightforward ways to get involved and take action.

www.controlarms.org

International Action Network on Small Arms. Information and campaign suggestions. Part of the Control Arms campaign.

www.iansa.org

Campaign Against the Arms Trade - working for the reduction and ultimate abolition of the international arms trade. Up to date information and campaign actions. Links to many other related websites.

www.caat.org.uk

Safer World - an independent organisation that works for the prevention of armed conflict. Background information, research and links to other websites.

www.saferworld.org.uk

Adopt a minefield – awareness raising and campaigning against the use of landmines. Also funds clearing of landmines and rehabilitation of survivors.

www.landmines.org.uk