Lenny Foster: Illegal Imprisonment of Leonard Peltier

THE UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSAL PERIDOIC REVIEW

March 26, 2010

San Francisco, California

ILLEGAL IMPRISONMENT OF LEONARD PELTIER

Lenny Foster (Dine’)

Navajo Nation Corrections Project

Excerpt:

"I recommend the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples seek compliance through the Declaration of Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples and demand a congressional investigation into the human rights violations of Leonard Peltier. Invitations will be made to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples to visit Leonard Peltier at the United State Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. I request his petition for Executive Clemency is approved by the United States Justice Department and President Barack Obama."

Read document:

http://censored-news.blogspot.com/2010/03/lenny-foster-to-un-and-obama-release.html

Thanks to Tony Gonzales, AIM West, for sending this to Censored News.

Lenny Foster: Indian Religious Freedom and Spiritual Practices in US Prisons

THE UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW

March 16, 2010
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(Photo: Lenny Foster on Earthcycles radio at AIM West San Francisco/Photo by Brenda Norrell)

American Indian Religious and Spiritual Practices in the United States Prison System
Lenny Foster (Dine’)
Navajo Nation Corrections Project

Excerpt:
"Recent studies show approximately 26,000 Native Americans incarcerated in twenty three states with significant Native American populations. In the thirty years I have counseled approximately two thousand American Indian prisoners by visits to various state departments of corrections; I have both witnessed and experienced the harassment, interference, indifference, intimidation and discrimination toward our Native traditional beliefs and the right to worship in a traditional manner as practiced by our ancestors. If Native prisoners are denied access to their traditional practices and beliefs, incarceration will be merely “warehousing” the Native prisoners and the emotional, psychological, and spiritual well- being will never be fully realized.
I have observed anger, rage, resentment and emotional pain exhibited by Native inmates that are the result of being reared in dysfunctional environments and exposed to and engaging in addictive behavior. The psychological and emotional pain has decimated the Indian Nations across the United States. The intergenerational trauma has had a very drastic impact on Indian communities which has resulted in many individuals lacking a strong sense of self identity and self-esteem."
Read article:
http://censored-news.blogspot.com/2010/03/lenny-foster-indian-religious-freedom.html
Thanks to Tony Gonzales, AIM West, for sending this to Censored News.

Bolivia: People's World Conference on Climate Change and Rights of Mother Earth

People's World Conference on Climate Change and Rights of Mother Earth

19-22 April 2010
Location: Cochabamba, Bolivia

Photo: Actor Danny Glover with Govinda (second from left) of Earthcycles grassroots web radio, at the end of the Longest Walk in DC. Glover has confirmed for the Bolivia climate summit, and Govinda will be broadcasting live, along with Censored News. Photo by Brenda Norrell.
.
Media advisory from the summit:
The Plurinational State of Bolivia will host an historic conference on climate change in April with an expected attendance of more than 10,000 people along with government representatives from more than 50 countries. Many more people are expected to participate via the Internet and in campaign actions on the final day of the conference, 22 April which marks UN Mother Earth Day.
Amongst the confirmed speakers are NASA scientist Jim Hansen, Bill McKibben, environmental journalist and leader of 350.org, Indian environmentalist Vandana Shiva, Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano, Miguel D'Escoto, former President of UN General Assembly, American actor, director and activist Danny Glover along with leaders from leading environmental organizations and communities at the frontline of climate change.
Bolivia has invited all 192 governments in the UN to attend the conference and is working closely with the United Nations Development Program to bring representatives from nearly all the 49 Least Developed Countries (LDCs), whose populations will be most vulnerable to climate change. Spain, Russia and France have also indicated that they will send representatives and others are still confirming.
The conference was announced by President Evo Morales of Bolivia in the aftermath of the widely denounced outcomes of the Copenhagen UNFCCC conference in December 2009. The aim of the Peoples' World Conference on Climate Change is to advance an agenda led by civil society organizations and in dialogue with proactive governments dedicated to preventing climate change. The conference aims to analyze the structural causes of climate change, and develop specific proposals and actions for addressing it.
All media and journalists are warmly encouraged to come to Bolivia to cover this event. Registration is free and can be done at the conference website at http://cmpcc.org (Spanish) or http://pwccc.wordpress.com (English)
Media: For more information, please contact:
Gadir Lavadenz – media@cmpcc.org or ring (+591 2) 2 113161 or (+591) 706 91367
Nick Buxton – nicholasbuxton@gmail.com or ring +530 902 3772