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November 2011
Issue: 66



Welcome to Civil Society Watch Bulletin, an e-newsletter of updates and analyses concerning civil society's rights to freedom of association, assembly and expression around the world. The Bulletin is compiled by the staff at Civil Society Watch, a programme of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. Please feel free to forward the Bulletin to friends and colleagues. We welcome your comments and contributions!
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Association of Women in Development: Urgent responses for Women Human Rights Defenders at Risk
English, Arabic, Russian

Amnesty International: Stifling Dissent, Restrictions on the Rights to Freedom of Expression and Peaceful Assembly in Uganda
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Amnesty International: Beaten Up for Speaking Out, Attacks on Human Rights Defenders and Journalists in the Russian Federation
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FIDH: Steadfast in Protest - 2011 Report
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CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is an international movement of civil society with members and partners in over a hundred countries. CIVICUS nurtures the foundation, growth and protection of citizen action throughout the world especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens' freedom of association are threatened. The Civil Society Watch Project of CIVICUS seeks to mobilise quick, principled and effective responses to events that threaten civil society fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly.

CIVICUS Eurasia is currently engaged in a variety of projects.  With the support of the Open Society Foundation, we have created two new UN short-term consultancies bringing 3 young professionals to the United Nations in Geneva to put forward information on human rights in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to UN Special Procedures including special rapporteurs and working groups.  Additionally, CIVICUS Eurasia is planning the autumn network meeting of the Eurasia Idea Network which will take place in Almaty at the end of the month. Working with a broad coalition of partners, Eurasia is assisting in the planning and funding of this years OSCE Parallel Conference which will take place in Vilnius in December.  Concurrently, CIVICUS helped finance a workshop in Baku run by the Baku-based Centre for National and International Studies.

 

Myanmar: Over 200 political prisoners released
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South Korea: Government recognises international framework for CSO Development Effectiveness in run up Busan meeting
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Highlights

CIVICUS urges unconditional release Ales Bialistksi, Belarusian human rights defender 
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CIVICUS Crisis Response Fund Azerbaijan appeal
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CIVICUS speaks out against murder of Italian priest as the latest extrajudicial killing in the Philippines
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CIVICUS condemns relentless targeting of civil society in Egypt as threat to democracy
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CIVICUS joins call for a UN General Assembly Resolution to stop human rights violations in Syria
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CIVICUS writes open letter to Bahrain King to end judicial harassment of protestors
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Analysis piece by CIVICUS Eurasia Network Coordinator Will Lasky on Ales Bialistksi trial
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Analysis piece by CIVICUS Lobbying and Engagement Officer Agnes Kabajuni urging Uganda respect commitments made at the UN Human Rights Council
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BAHRAIN: Repression against trade union activists continues
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BELARUS: Amendments to limit freedom of assembly and association proposed
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CAMBODIA: UN Special Rapporteurs say NGO bill risks breaching international law
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EGYPT: Prominent activist and blogger remanded to 15-day detention by military court
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LEBANON: Harassment campaign unleashed against human rights NGO 
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MALAWI: Activists detained for protesting peacefully outside Parliament
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TURKEY: Human rights activists targeted through a massive wave of arrests
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UGANDA: Restrictions placed on freedoms of expression and assembly to silence critics
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USA: Authorities urged to prevent and investigate excessive use of force against 'Occupy Wall Street' protestors
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VENEZUELA: Massive fine imposed on independent TV station for broadcasting prison riots
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Civil Society Watch (CSW) Online

Recently posted reports on CSW Online include: a call to stop the harassment campaign against union activists in Algeria; the politically motivated trial of human rights defender Ales Bialiatski in Belarus; a petition for the release of the high-profile blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah detained by the military in Egypt; a joint letter to the UN General Assembly condemning the violence in Syria; and the flawed trial of two Papuan activists in Indonesia. At a glance in October CSW Online registered 12 new users,  was visited by 1,206 unique visitors and had 2,877 page views. The online system witnessed the most new visitors from India, the United States, South Africa, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and China.






Billy Mayaya, Programme Manager, Church and Society (CCAP Nkohma Synod), the human rights and advocacy department of the Presbyterian Church in Malawi speaks to CIVICUS about the current political situation in the country and the targeting of civil society members. Billy is also the Chairperson of the Civil and Political Rights Committee of the Malawi Human Rights Commission and Board Member of the Human Rights Consultative Committee.
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DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in this bulletin are a reflection of those contained in the original reports to which they are linked here, and are not necessarily those of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation.

CONTACT US

EDITORS
Mandeep Tiwana
Adam Nord
P.O. Box 933
Southdale, 2135
South Africa
1425 K Street NW
Suite 350
Washington DC 20005


DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Jessica Hume
Oluwakorede Asuni

 


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