APYN YOU(th) October Newsletter

Welcome to APYN YOU(th) newsletter – October issue! We’ve been busy, and a lot of it has happened with you! This issue we are happy to hear stories from Win and Asher. Enjoy reading!

YOU(th) Profile – APYN Thailand: Watchara Intrasombat

1. Hi Win. Please tell us a little about yourself.

Sa-wad-dee-krub! My name is Watchara Intrasombat, can called me “Win” in short. I’m almost 27 years old (on this month).Thailand’s capital is my home town – where I had spent all of my childhood there. “Winnie” (the boy) was grown up in Bangkok, the longest capital’s name of the world, speaks two languages, Thai and English. Then studied sports science and got the bachelor degree on it. Although my university’s life was finished, the sense of humanity has becoming bigger and bigger inside my mind. Now I’m working at International Rescue Committee BKK based.

2. How did you learn about APYN and get involved? What interested you most?

I learned about APYN accidentally. I entered Amnesty International Thailand’s site and found the links which go directly to APYN. After that I got involved with the Burma Youth Campaign Team with kindly multi-national youth. I’m interested in Human Rights issue and social inequality factors the most.

3. What authors, books, websites, movies or ideas have influenced you?

So many, the famous persons such as Jolie, Dylan (esp. blowing in the wind song), Bono, Lennon, His Holiness the Dalai Lama etc. are always inspired me. The books like Untouchable, White Tiger and the Harry Potters are shaping my thought to be deeper and the films include Beyond Borders, Hotel Rwanda, Schindler’s List and etc. are motivating me to ask for the free and peaceful world.

4. What is the human rights issue that concerns you the most?

For the issue related to human rights that I concern the most is the “Freedom of Speech”. I think this issue is the first step to break any rights term. This issue can lead to “less freedom of thought” then follow by “prohibited from freedom of act”. If all of these processes happen, human will not far from automaton and the rights abuse news will serve you as daily meal on every breakfast.

5. Anything else you want to share?

As you know the situation in Burma is instability even they sat general election last year. Human Rights abuse spread over country, especially along the border and among the minorities.  Please join us to promote rights in our campaign: http://apps.facebook.com/three_freedoms/ . Thanks APYN for giving me a chance and lead me to meet everyone who shared the same peaceful soul. We’re agents of change! – is not it?

Want to take further action with Win & Burma Youth Campaign Team? Call for Burma to Release the Remaining Prisoners of Conscience! Add your name to the letter here: http://bit.ly/nxAoQN

You(th) article on Human Rights –
The Positive Role of Men in Eliminating Violence against Women: Introducing White Ribbon Asia Pacific (WRAP)

It’s Time to WRAP for the End of Violence Against Women! Sign the pledge here – http://bit.ly/addyourname

The 25th of November is the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. In many countries it’s also White Ribbon Day, a day for men and boys to stand up and speak out against violence towards women.

My name is Asher I am a White Ribbon Ambassador in Australia. It’s called the ‘White Ribbon’ campaign because we encourage men and boys to wear white ribbons leading up to November 25th to show their opposition to violence against women. But that’s just a start. We also aim at widespread cultural change, by promoting behaviour amongst men that encourages respectful, non-violent relationships with the women in their lives. White Ribbon Ambassadors are men of all ages and backgrounds who promote the White Ribbon movement in their own creative ways, depending on their skills, occupation or social networks. For example, ambassadors at a local council constructed giant White Ribbon magnets which they stuck to the sides of garbage trucks to promote White Ribbon Day! Personally, as a youth ambassador, I have worked mainly with young men, speaking to a variety of male-dominated groups, including unions and pub crowds, as well as speaking on radio and writing articles about the White Ribbon movement. Now I am working with the Asia Pacific Youth Network, with a growing number of men and boys from throughout the Asia Pacific, eager to take positive action to eliminate violence against women.

Worldwide, 1 in 5 women will become a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. In fact, women aged 15 to 44 are more at risk from rape and partner-violence than they are from malaria, cancer or car accidents. But it is not a majority of men who inflict this violence; it is a small, cowardly minority. Nevertheless, gender inequality favourable to men is widespread throughout the world. Often this inequality feels normal, because we are so used to common attitudes that cast women in an inferior light, or old-fashioned traditional gender roles that put women at a disadvantage. It is these attitudes that lead a minority of men to think it’s okay to act violently towards a woman, and that such violence is justified if, for example, their partner argues with them, or refuses sex or behaves in any other way outside a traditional inferior gender role. But we can change these outdated ideas. Men are very often influenced by the behaviours and actions of other men, so this presents an opportunity for men to change what is acceptable in society, by challenging comments and attitudes that are demeaning to women. Through this, we can promote a society where men and women are truly equal and, as a consequence, remove what it is that makes some men think it’s okay to be violent.

Please show your support for White Ribbon Asia Pacific (WRAP), by signing the White Ribbon Pledge at http://bit.ly/addyourname. At this site you can also read more about the issue, and sign up to help out with the campaign in other ways.

Asher
Australia