Human Rights Issue: Afro-Colombians Are Being Forcibly Evicted In Colombia!

All eyes are focused on the human rights of the Iranian people.People like John McCain say that the president isn't asserting to the world America's strong position on human rights violations.

Is Iran the only place where human rights are being violated? I am sure that we all know that the answer is no.But,what I was not aware of is the plight of Afro-Colombians.

They desperately need the voice of America to be heard concerning their human rights issues.The situation is dire for them in Colombia.How come I haven't heard anything in the media about them?

Here's more from WOLA.ORG:

"The following three developments concerning Afro-Colombians have come to our attention this past week and we ask that you contact the US. Department of State (Tel: (202) 647-0464) and urge them to take steps to help protect the rights of the persons concerned in the following three cases.

1) Announcement of "Social Cleansing" in Buenaventura

Our partners in Buenaventura informed us on March 10th that a paramilitary group is distributing pamphlets announcing that persons deemed undesirable by the paramilitaries (drug dealers, thieves, prostitutes, etc.) will be "socially cleansed." We find this development to be particularly disturbing given the paramilitary demobilization process and recent efforts by the Colombian authorities to increase the presence of the military in this port city.

We ask that State express concern about this development to Colombian authorities and urge them to take steps to protect the residents of this city from harm and to effectively dismantle the military, political and financial operational structures of paramilitary groups present in Buenaventura.


2) New Paramilitary Threats against Human Rights, Ethnic, IDP and Religious Organizations in Quibdó

On March 13th, Adom, Adacho, Asociación Orewa, Asociaciones Comunales, Codegeved, Comisión Nacional de Reparación, Cocomacia, Defensoría del Pueblo, Diócesis de Quibdó, Fedeutch, Foro Interétnico Solidaridad Chocó, Mujer y Vida, Oficina departamental de Paz, Personería de Quibdó, Red departamental de Mujeres Chocoanas. Ruta Pacifica de Mujeres and Unión Desplazada Del Chocó sent out an SOS to the International community asking that action is taken regarding pamphlets containing death threats against civil society organizations in Quibdó and Chocó. These organizations are concerned about the general threat of death and harm that exists against them and others, as well as, the terror campaign that paramilitaries are orchestrating against the civilian population. They note that paramilitaries are threatening to individually and collectively kill, persecute massacre ethnic leaders in order to impose their economic, political and military projects in the region. They are especially concerned for the welfare of the large number of IDPs situated in Quibdó and their leaders since this population is very unprotected and vulnerable to attack.

We ask that State contact the Vice President's office and Acción Social and urge them to put in place mechanisms that will protect IDPs, human rights, religious and other leaders from harm in Quibdó.


3) Situation of Displaced Afro-Colombian IDPs from the Neighborhoods of Brisas de Navarro and Brisas de Cordoba, Cali

On March 9, the city of Cali has begun to evict 495 families containing a high number of children from the neighborhoods Brisas de Navarro and Brisas de Cordoba. The majority of these families are Afro-Colombians internally displaced from different communities in the Pacific Coast who lost their properties and assets. They fled to Cali where they were forced to live in inhuman conditions and to survive by collecting recyclable materials from the municipal dump. The shanty houses containing the IDP families' belongings were demolished with bulldozers. During the eviction process, two women were reportedly injured including an elderly woman. After the eviction these families moved to the side of a road since they have nowhere to go. The authorities proceeded to evict them once again.

This situation has led some persons to demonstrate in front of Cali's City Hall. These families and their supporters are demanding that the Mayor meet with them to find comprehensive solution to their situation. Although some 190 families received at some point a subsidy of US$100 for three months to pay rent, further assistance was not received. Many of these families are internally displaced persons who for more than three years whose needs were not properly attended to by the local authorities.

We ask that State contact Accion Social and urge them to work with the Cali authorities to assist this group to address the basic needs of these persons and meet with the community leaders to find an immediate and appropriate solution to this problem.

For further information on these cases contact:

Gimena Sanchez, WOLA, (202) 797-2171 Ext. 205
Charo Mina Rojas, AFRODES USA, (434) 760-0663
(END OF EXCERPT)TAKEN FROM THIS WEBSITE.

Chris Brown Only Gets A 5 -Yr. Probation For Beating Rihanna!

According to the judge in the case,Chris Brown should be commended for taking "responsibility" for his "conduct."And Rihanna is "pleased" with the fact that he will only get a 5-yr. probation & community work.

Some people are outraged by the outcome of this case.I say that it is up to Rihanna to be "pleased" or "outraged".She's the one that got the crap beat out of her.Not me.Here's more from The Times Online:

"As his ex-girlfriend Rihanna was preparing to testify against him in a US court yesterday, American R&B singer Chris Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting the pop star in February.

Brown entered his plea to one count of assault before a preliminary hearing – which was attended by Rihanna – was set to begin in Los Angeles.

The 20-year-old spoke softly throughout the hearing as he waived his rights and told the Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg he understood the gravity of his plea.

“I think it's commendable you took responsibility for your conduct,” Judge Schnegg told the singer.

Brown will be sentenced in August, but the terms of the plea deal call for him to serve five years of formal probation and six months — roughly 1,400 hours — of community labour. Brown will be able to complete his probation in his home state of Virginia; he will have to do either graffiti removal or roadside cleanup for his service.

He will also complete a year of domestic violence classes, and pay fines. In exchange, he pleaded guilty to felony assault by means likely to cause great bodily injury. If he violates his probation, Brown faces four years in jail."(END OF EXCERPT)Read the rest here.

Do Not Eat Any Pre-Packaged Nestle Toll House Cookie Products Because They May Contain E-Coli!!!

In this day & age,why would anyone eat raw cookie dough that was produced in a factory?It's best to make cookie dough from scratch if you want to eat it raw!

Right now,Nestle Toll House has issued a recall on all varieties of their prepackaged cookie dough.Apparently,people who ate it raw contracted E.coli.They are saying that it's not safe to bake it,either.

Here's more information from InjuryBoard.com:

"Consumers are being warned by the federal Food and Drug Administration not to consume the popular Nestle Toll House prepackaged, refrigerated cookie dough.

The company is recalling all varieties of the dough products due to the risk of contamination with E. coli 0157:H7, a bacterium that causes food borne illness.

Consumers, restaurants and retailers are advised to throw out the product. Even cooking the dough is not recommended because of the possibility the bacteria can transfer to hands and cooking surfaces.

66 reports have come in from 28 states since March of illnesses, usually vomiting, abdominal cramping, bloody diarrhea. Healthy individuals can usually recover within a week, but the bacteria can lead to serious kidney damage and death among the most susceptible, the very young and elderly."(END OF EXCERPT)Read the rest here.