What’s new? Looking for 10 young women in the Asia Pacific to join the Women’s Rights Youth Campaign Team!
This month, organize one activity in your local community to collect signatures for the petition to call on Indonesia authorities to remove the regulation that allows female genital mutilation by certain medical professionals in Indonesia. Apply here - http://bit.ly/xkfaWP

Click on the photo to see White Ribbon Pledges from young men in Asia Pacific

Current Action – Calling on all men and boys in Asia Pacific to add their names to the White Ribbon Pledge!
WRAP stands for ‘White Ribbon Asia Pacific’, a growing movement of men and boys from throughout the Asia Pacific who pledge to never commit, excuse, or remain silent about violence against women. Pledge here: http://bit.ly/addyourname

Do More – What is the biggest challenge that Asia Pacific youth face in campaigning for women’s rights?
Tell the entire Asia Pacific what your biggest challenge is! Write a 300-500 article on your thoughts and it will be featured on the next APYN Newsletter!

Pledge to Take Action with APYN Every Month 

Keep updated
Receive APYN News and info direct to your email – register here (add your details):http://bit.ly/apynnews

Indonesia authorities must take measures to protect the safety and freedom of religion of all religious minorities.

From now until 24 February 2012, do something to urge the Indonesia authorities to immediately guarantee the safety of the Shi’a community in Sampang, East Java.

Got 3 minutes?

Add your name AND copy and paste this link – http://bit.ly/yWxY09 - on Facebook and Twitter to share with your friends – can you challenge yourself to get 10 friends to take action?

Additional information:

One person was arrested for the attack but has since been released.

Many of the children were afraid to go back to their homes and schools. Conditions in the shelter were reported to be inadequate, with limited access to clean water and sanitation. In fact, the community refused to leave the shelter until they received adequate protection from the police and the perpetrators of the attack were brought to justice.

This is not the first time the Shi’a community in Sampang, East Java has faced intimidation and attacks – it happened in 2006 and 2011. They have also reportedly been pressured by anti-Shi’a groups to convert to Sunni Islam.

International Women’s Day is in about a month (March and if YOU(th) want to work with young people in Asia Pacific to defend women’s rights, we need to start working NOW!

This year, we think we should deal with some unfinished business – the regulation that allows female genital mutilation by certain medical professionals in Indonesia. This is a discriminatory and painful form of violence against women and young women in Asia Pacific cannot stand by and do nothing about it!

©Volontaire

Around International Women’s Day, our friends at AI will handover signatures to the Indonesian authorities to demand them to repeal this regulation and we think it’s important to make sure that the Asia Pacific youth voice is represented in the petition – don’t you think so?

Any friends and organizations who will be in Indonesia at that time and would like to take part in handing over the petitions to the authorities with our friends at AI, please fill the form below.

What will I need to do?
Organize one activity in your local community to collect signatures for the petition to call on Indonesia authorities to remove the regulation that allows female genital mutilation by certain medical professionals in Indonesia. The activity needs to be organized fairly soon and all the collected signatures need to be delivered to APYN by Thursday, 1 March, 2012.

Here are some ideas:

• Invite your friends to a coffee shop and discuss the issue with them. Afterwards, ask them to add their names to the petition letter.
• Set up a small petition stall on your campus and ask your school mates to add their names to the petition letter
• Put the petition papers in your bag, and whoever you see, tell them about the issue and ask them to add their names
• Got other ideas? Leave a comment!

What is a Youth Campaign Team?

A small group of young people volunteering to organize activities in their local community on the same topic – here, the issue is female genital mutilation in Indonesia. After the activities are finished, the group may choose to expand and do a longer term campaign on the topic.

What are the preferred selection criteria for the taskforce?

• Passionate about the campaign issue
• Aged (ideally) between 18-25 years of age (but it’s OK if you are older!)
• Able to access the internet at least weekly.
• Able to commit AT LEAST 3-4 hours per week to organize the activity in your application below
• Respond to group emails and participate in discussions
• Able to engage at least 5 other young people (your friends) in the campaign (through networks) – or at least try too!
• Able to share skills with other young people (online skills, activist skills, design skills, creative campaigning ideas, translations, administration and many more!)
• Able to communicate in English, and (preferable) translate into local language

How do I apply?
Simply complete this form by Tuesday, 14 February 2012 and we will be in contact with you as soon as possible!

Interested but no time? Click here to add your name to the petition letter to the Indonesian authorities!

What’s new? Ask the Philippines authorities to reveal the whereabouts of three young men and immediately release them!

While the Philippine military routinely denies involvement in any case of enforced disappearance, in previous years, our friends at AI have documented the military's use of enforced disappearance against activists, suspected fighters and supporters of insurgent groups.

According to a local credible source, Nahir Ahung, Rasbi Kasaran (18 years old), and Yusoph Mohammad (18 years old) were taken by military intelligence agents after they flew in to the Manila domestic airport terminal from Zamboanga City on 3 January 2012 and they haven’t been heard or seen since then and our friends at AI think they could be at risk of torture and ill-treatment!

What are you waiting for? Visit http://bit.ly/yf0ekT to send a letter to the Philippines authorities NOW!

Current Action – Ask the Prime Minister of India to Release Narayan Reddy!
On 23 December 2011, Reddy was detained after being charged with murder at a clash on 15 December 2011 between steel plant workers and local protesters against the steel plant – but we hear from our friends at AI that Reddy was not directly involved in this! In fact, AI believes that the charges are an attempt to silence Reddy’s ongoing campaign.

Take action here: http://bit.ly/xI4mpN

Do More – Let’s welcome Kim Jong-un to his new post as Supreme Leader by flooding his mail box with petition letters to close political prison camps in North Korea!
More actions needed! Around 50,000 prisoners are held in Yodok Political Prison Camp, one of the 6 political prison camps in North Korea. They are mostly imprisoned without trial or tortured to ‘confess’. Even infants born in Yodok automatically become inmates!

Add your name to the letter here: http://bit.ly/mHqJCD

Keep updated
Receive APYN News and info direct to your email – register here (add your details):http://bit.ly/apynnews

From now until 29 February 2012, do something to urge the authorities to reveal where they are being held and immediately release them!

Who are the three young men?

Nahir Ahung, Rasbi Kasaran (18 years old), and Yusoph Mohammad (18 years old) were teachers at a madraseh (Islamic school). Rasbi Kasaran and Yusoph Mohammad both live in Cambug village in Al-barka municipality where there is a Moro Islamic Liberation Front camp.

What happened to them?

While the Philippine military routinely denies involvement in any case of enforced disappearance, in previous years, our friends at AI have documented the military's use of enforced disappearance against activists, suspected fighters and supporters of insurgent groups.

According to a local credible source, the three men were taken by military intelligence agents after they flew in to the Manila domestic airport terminal from Zamboanga City on 3 January 2012 and they haven’t been heard or seen since then.

According to a reliable source, the arrest of the three men comes weeks after the Armed Forces of the Philippines filed 300 “John Doe” (unnamed) complaint affidavits against 300 residents of Cambug village. In a “John Doe” complaint affidavit or warrant, the authorities do not give the name of the subject of the complaint or arrest.  Because such documents can be used against anyone, they have led to arbitrary arrest and detention.

Got 3 seconds?

Send letters to the Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff and the Army Human Rights Office Head just by adding your name below! We will mail the letters with your details appearing as below.

Got 3 minutes?

Add your name AND copy and paste this link – http://bit.ly/yf0ekT - on Facebook and Twitter to share with your friends – can you challenge yourself to get 10 friends to take action?

From now until 23 February 2012, do something to urge the Prime Minister of India to immediately release Narayan Reddy and to ensure freedom of expression!

Who is Narayan Reddy?

Abhay Sahoo is the previous leader of the campaign and one of 11 others involved and facing false charges. Narayan Reddy has been leading the campaign since Sahoo's detention on 25 November 2011. ©Amnesty International

Narayan Reddy is the leader of a campaign that has been going on for seven years against the state from acquiring 1,600 hectares of land in five villages (the majority of which are common lands farmed by villagers) for a US$12 billion plant proposed by South Korean steel giant POSCO. He is also a leader of the Communist Party of India in the eastern state of Orissa.

What happened to Narayan Reddy?

On 23 December 2011, Reddy was detained after being charged with murder at a clash on 15 December 2011 between steel plant workers and local protesters against the steel plant – but we hear from our friends at AI that Reddy was not directly involved in this! In fact, AI believes that the charges are an attempt to silence Reddy’s ongoing campaign.

Got 3 seconds?

Send a letter to the Prime Minister just by adding your name below! We will deliver all the letters to Prime Minister Singh directly using this website.

Got 3 minutes?

Add your name AND copy and paste this link – http://bit.ly/xI4mpN - on Facebook and Twitter to share with your friends – can you challenge yourself to get 10 friends to take action?

Additional information:

Narayan Reddy is now in Samagol prison in Orissa state and his petition for release on bail has just been refused by the local courts but he will probably make further applications for bail again.

The planned steel plant is the biggest foreign direct investment project in India. However, for the last seven years, campaigners have blockaded the area, preventing the authorities and representatives of POSCO from gaining access to the area.

Narayan Reddy has been leading the campaign against the acquisition of the lands after Abhay Sahoo’s detention on 25 November 2011. Abhay Sahoo is also a leading member of the Communist Party of India in Orissa. The state has filed false charges against him and 10 other activists.

This is not the first case of human rights violations linked to land rights in Orissa or POSCO’s proposed steel plant:

• Tell the Chief Minister of Orissa to Stop Farmers from Being Kicked Out of Their Homes!
• Take Action NOW to Protect the Rights of Indigenous People in Orissa, India!

Click here to download the presentation!

If you have any questions or comments about Volunteer Coordination, just leave a comment below! We may schedule another session in a few weeks so check the Facebook Fanpage or website for updates!

What is the session about?
Ever wonder why 50 people sign up to your activity and then only 2 or 3 show up? Or why volunteers only come once and then you never see them again? Do you know what it takes to be a successful volunteer coordinator?

Want to host a workshop on Volunteer Coordination?
We can give you speaking notes for this presentation and you can gather a few friends and host a session! Just email apyncampaigns@gmail.com or click here to apply!

Want to join APYN? Click here to get involved!

Hooooray!!! Human Rights Day is on this Saturday – 10 December!

Tomorrow, in celebration of Human Rights Day, young people in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Pakistan will celebrate by playing “Draw the Words” game. Join their celebrations by submitting your photos on Human Rights Day with APYN!

View 2011 Human Rights Day Celebrations in a larger map

Come and share with APYN how you spend this important day of the year! In your community, what do young people usually do to celebrate something?

Capture your happy moments on Human Rights Day!

It’s easy – Just 3 simple steps:
1) Brainstorm a way to celebrate this important day
2) Take a photo
3) Fill in the form below and upload the photo with captions

This is what your celebration may look like:
- eat a special food
- draw a picture about human rights
- hang out with friends
- wear a particular or traditional clothing
- share the link to APYN or the UDHR
- reflect on what human rights mean

Hurry up! Curious to know what you do on this day! All photos will be uploaded to APYN Flickr and share with YOU(th) in Asia Pacific!

Um……What’s Human Rights Day?
10 December of every year is Human Rights Day, which marks the birthday of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and it’s turning 63 years old this year!

It is a chance for you to get together with your friends to celebrate Human Rights Day, and of course to learn about our basic rights.

Want to do more? Click here and sign up to organize a Human Rights Day celebration!

See what young people think about UDHR!

It’s great to know that many young people in the Asia Pacific share an interest in promoting and protecting human rights!

So… how many people do YOU know? How many people can you(th) share their interests with? A challenge for you to encourage more of your friends to join APYN…

And if you sign up 10 friends to APYN, then we’ll send you a small thank you gift. (not that you need it – we just know you want to introduce people to APYN!)

Sign up 10 friends to APYN, then we’ll send you a small thank you gift!

What you need to do?

1. ‘LIKE’ APYN Facebook page
2. Ask your friends to ‘LIKE’ APYN Facebook page AND to send you their contact information (e.g. name, age, email and tel)
3. (a) Fill in the form below OR
   (b) Download this file, fill out the form and upload in the form below or email back apynreception@gmail.com
4. Make sure your friends also agree to APYN’s terms and conditions when you submit their contact information on behalf.
5. Keep your eye out in the post / mail.

What your friends need to do?

1. ‘LIKE’ APYN Facebook page
2. Read and Accept these
3. Send you their names, age, emails, country, languages and telephone number
4. Explore APYN online (www.apyouth.net, www.facebook.com/apyouth) and get involved in the promotion and protection of human rights!

Tips on getting more friends

• ‘LIKE’ and share the APYN’s links on your personal profile
• Try to leave some comments on APYN’s fanpage
• Talk about APYN and human rights with your friends
• Check out the current actions you can take and see if there are things you can do NOW! e.g. White Ribbon Asia Pacific, HUMAN RIGHTS DAY CELEBRATION…

Curious on what the gift is? Act now and get your friends to join APYN! Don’t forget to put down your address for postage.

Unfortunately if your postal address is outside of the Asia Pacific region at the moment, we will be unable to send you the small gift, however, we still appreciate you inviting your friends to get involved in human rights and APYN!