Rights Action Week

Events taking place in Rights Action Week (1-10 December) in support of the Global Call To Action Against Poverty.

On World Aids Day, 1st December, more than 4 million children in 67 countries took part in the Lesson for Life organised by the Global Movement for Children to highlight the rights of young people to the information and services they need to protect themselves from HIV/AIDs and the rights of all those affected by HIV/AIDs to proper treatment and care. Participating countries included China, East Timor, Egypt, Ghana, Guetemala, Somalia, the UK and Zambia. In the Phillipines 2,000 peasants will march to Manila on 10th December highlighting growing rural poverty. There will be a human chain around the Quezon memorial circle.The actions are being organized jointly by Integrated Rural Development Foundation, Manila and the Task Force on Food Sovreignty. In El Salvador, a Public Presentation is planned of the research on poverty in the region at the "Universidad Nacional" On December 10th. Speakers are Government representatives, the Human Rights Prosecutor and MDG Ombudswoman in El Salvador, CIDEP's Director and Mario Paniagua, Social Watch coordinator and lead of the MDG Campaign. Following the "white band" theme: Young people will be waving white flags in the streets around Cuscatlan Park; White kites will be flown. White balloons will be released, with the background of the song "Las más pobres" (The poorest, meaning women) by Pedro Guerra; and White bands will be tied around major monuments In Chile, big white banners will be hung along the highroads to the capital, with the words : "Local Poverty, National Shame" and "The rich live with 500 dollars, the poor survive with 1". In Thailand and exhibition will be held at the main rail junction in Bangkok with student volunteers singing and interviewing passers-by about poverty In Nepal, on World Dignity Day, December 5th, Dignity Day Rallies will be held at five locations with around 10,000 people in each place. A regional consultation will follow after rallies. Many people from community will bring their voices to the attention of policy planners. People in the rallies will be urged to skip a meal to highlight the injustice of hunger and poverty. On December 8th, a human chain at Ratna Park will be made in the evening with candle light. In Pakistan, on December 10th, there will be rallies and human chains, and a national level signature campaign wil be launched. In India, on December 1st meetings were organized in different parts of Kerala on issues related to HIV/AIDS: HIV/AIDS and Women, Stigma and Discrimination, and the supply of ARVs through government hospitals. on December 5th, 50,000 people - especially from Dalit, adivasi and muslim communities - congregated at Ramlila grounds in New Delhi to demand dignity for all people and an end to caste and religious discrimination. In Andhra Pradesh, the Andhra Pradesh Agricultural Workers Union - APVVU will on 10th December organise a Human Chain and rallies demanding the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Government of India to enact the Employment Guarantee Act and also a Comprehensive agricultural Labourers Act to ensure employment and social security for rural workers. At end of the day a memorandum will be submitted to the Prime minister of India demanding action.