Jottings on science, religion, technology, pop culture and faith from the Antipodes.

General

Amnesty International Report 2004

Amnesty International have released their annual report on global human rights covering 2003. (SeeAmnesty International Report 2004).

The introduction to the report says,

Huge challenges confronted the international human rights movement in 2003. The UN faced a crisis of legitimacy and credibility because of the US-led war on Iraq and the organization’s inability to hold states to account for gross human rights violations. International human rights standards continued to be flouted in the name of the “war on terror”, resulting in thousands of women and men suffering unlawful detention, unfair trial and torture — often solely because of their ethnic or religious background. Around the world, more than a billion people’s lives were ruined by extreme poverty and social injustice while governments continued to spend freely on arms.

This Amnesty International Report reflects those challenges. It documents the human rights situation in 155 countries and territories in 2003, and summarizes regional trends. It reports on areas of work being prioritized and developed by Amnesty International — such as violence against women; economic, social and cultural rights; and justice for refugees and migrants — and celebrates the achievements of activists in these and other areas.

There are also links to a short (5 min) video clip (Real player format) as well as summary reports and 2004 updates.