Groups that exist to fight for our Civil Liberties

They aim to secure equal rights and freedoms for everyone.

Sphere of interest: Activities: Campaigns to extend & defend civil liberties.

Activities: Conference, Meetings, Systematic Research, Information service available, Library, Lobbying.

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Started 1961AD by Peter Benenson, involving two Portuguese students who were imprisoned for raising their glasses in a toast to freedom.

The world's largest international voluntary organisation dealing with human rights. More than one million supporters in over 140 countries. The UK section of AI has around 150,000 members. There are over 330 local groups across the UK.

The International Secretariat in London is the research HQ with more than 320 paid staff. It has an elected, democratic decision-making structure. Their research is often consulted by scholars, journalists, governments, and organisations looking for information on human rights violations.

Emphasised Principles of Impartiality and Independence. Amnesty members do not become involved in cases in their own countries.

The people they have helped (with letters and publicity) say the pressure has had an effect. However, other factors such as political change, economic pressure, or the campaigning of other independent activists, are often the reasons for more humane behaviour on the part of governments.

We are a non-partisan political pressure group campaigning for:

• Freedom of speech.
• Decentralisation of power.
• Maintenance of the rule of law.
• Greater choice especially in health and education.
• National sovereignty and independence from the EU.
• The United Kingdom and a constitutional monarchy.

• Bureaucracy and red tape.
• Political correctness.
• Regional assemblies.
• State monopolies.

Assoc. with “Save our Sovereignty”, “Save Britain's Fish” and the UKIP.

Anti-EU. Anti-Asylum (of the current numbers, on the grounds of overcrowding). Against Regional Assemblies & Devolution: Evolution? Anti ID Cards.

Activities: Conferences, Meetings, Liaison with Government.

It campaigns for more personal freedom, less State control (including less taxation). Ombudsmen were their idea. It is independent of all political parties.

Condensed from their Statement of Beliefs:

• The individual, not the State, is the source of morality and authority.
• Citizens should have the freedom to act freely provided they do not harm others, and that the law should guarantee individual liberty, not to act as a paternalistic guardian.
• Capitalism.
• Taxes in the UK are far too high.
• Justice be administered by Courts free from political pressure.

They hold regular public meetings, hold occasional luncheons at the Houses of Parliament and publish a journal, The Individual.

Activities: Conference, Meetings.

If you are a journalist, researcher, politician, student, or just someone put on by the authorities, we surely have something for you....

The FIDH brings together 115 Human Rights organisations from 90 countries. It is officially recognised by the [French] state, non-political, non-sectarian, and non-profit-making. It works to:

• Mobilise the community of states
• Prevent violations, and support civil society
• Observe, and alert
• Inform, denounce, and protect

Guided by the spirit of human solidarity, Humanists are committed to tolerant pluralism and human rights.

It offers people a secular ethics grounded in human values.

Quoted from the American Ethical Union:
The basic viewpoint is one of freedom for the individual to work out one's own personal theory toward the unknown and the mysteries of life, such questions as the nature of ultimate reality and death.

IHEU was founded in 1952AD in Amsterdam and is the only umbrella organisation of Humanist, rationalist, atheist, secularist, ethical culture and agnostic groups around the world.

The Humanist attitude forms the basis of the concept of human rights.
IHEU concentrates especially on the rights to individual self-determination and freedom of belief, has defended civil liberties and criminal reformation, and it's pioneering statements in defence of Homosexuality are widely quoted.

“International Humanist News” is a quarterly magazine with news and special features on Humanist developments.

“For details of a Humanist group in your country, to subscribe to a Humanist magazine in your language (there are nearly 200!), or to participate in an IHEU Congress, contact us (in English, French, German, Hindi, Marathi or Telugu).”

Formerly the International Ethical and Humanist League(?)

Culture of Peace Fund: Appeal So Far Raises £17000.
The Culture of Peace Committee consists of Bruce Kent, Elnora Ferguson and Jon Nott, with Tim Wallis as part-time Coordinator.
The Culture of Peace Committee continues to operate from the same office as the NPC.

Publications including:

• Prisoners' Information Book
• Information leaflet
• Quarterly magazine
• Prison Report

They can suggest alternative agencies, or contact officials on behalf of a prisoner, but cannot take legal action against them.
They can't provide legal advice or help with miscarriages of justice. They can't visit clients nor offer advice on welfare or probation.

They welcome information about prison conditions. Meetings are held with the Prison Service, and with other groups with an interest in prisoners' rights.

Free Confidential helpline (Calls also welcomed from professionals).
We also offer emotional support and a listening ear.
Call you need more information or would just like to talk things through.

We provide information about:

• The prison system
• Visiting prison
• Travelling to prison
• Finances
• Talking to children about their parent's imprisonment
• Community support services

Open:
Daytime Tuesday-Friday 1000-1600
Evenings Monday and Wednesday 1900-2130

HARP is managed by the Ormiston Children and Families Trust (Registered Charity No: 1015716), which also has local support projects in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

If you are trying to help a wrongly convicted prisoner, contact INNOCENT. We will do whatever we can to help you. Please write to us for details of our meetings.

INNOCENT has been meeting fortnightly ever since it was founded at a meeting in Manchester Town Hall on MONd^~14/6/1993AD, as a sister group of Conviction.

Families and friends of those wrongly convicted support each other in the long and difficult task of overturning convictions.
The name of police officers who fabricated evidence and defence solicitors who sold their clients down the river were found to keep popping up.

British justice may be a better system than many in this world, but it is far from perfect. The cases outlined in HOJI are testimony to this.

They maintain a Directory of similar groups, mainly in the North of England.
They may also publish a book (information unclear) by Kevin Christian, called “British miscarriages of justice/wrongly convicted”.

He runs two sites, and claims links from other anonymous sources, but all these source sites have been set up by him aswell. He Posts to discussion forums, but 99% of the replies to him are from him under false identities.

His mind is slowly unravelling in public, but there still might be something underneath it. The logo contains a swastika and has been partially censored. Regularly Post's to the Weyboard!.

Ranked by WebCrawler as one of the 4 most-linked-to sites on the Web.

CAJ takes no position on the constitutional status of Northern Ireland and is firmly opposed to the use of political violence. Its membership is drawn from across the whole community. Established in 1981AD, an independent NGO affiliated to FIDH.

They have been working for many years to secure policing and criminal justice reviews. Priorities for action:

• Equality
• Criminal Justice/Emergency Legislation
• Policing
• Protection of/Bill of Rights

“The post-911 climate is one where civil liberties suffer. It casts a shadow over the way in which minority ethnic groups and asylum seekers are treated around the world.”

- Edited from an article by Ann Godfrey in “Just News” March 2002AD.

“PFC's uniquely open and non-bureaucratic structure empowers people.”

Stonewall takes its name from the Stonewall riots. In 1969AD anger and frustration at police harassment in America's gay community precipitated the riot at the Stonewall Inn in New York. The Stonewall riot gave impetus to the concept of a gay ‘community’ and to the possibility of unified action to effect political change.
Stonewall Lobby Group was established in London in 1989AD by women and men who had been struggling against Section 28 of the 1988AD Local Government Act.

As a social group homosexuals have been actively persecuted, punished and excluded. The victories that we are winning now are largely about dismantling that discrimination.

As well as lobbying, they run national campaigns, and provide research and information. Stonewall runs specialist Immigration and Parenting Groups.

Within each of their subsections, there is a mini-FAQ, and other handy resources.

It has taken Britain's Nazis more than a decade to begin to regroup from their almost total eclipse at the hands of the Anti-Nazi League in the late 1970s.

The Anti-Nazi League was re-launched in 1992AD, by people including Peter Hain MP.

The ANL is a broad-based, mass organisation. Anyone who wants to stop the Nazis can join, regardless of political belief, religion or creed. The one single aim is to stop the Nazis reaching a wider audience and growing.

They pin the label of NAZI clearly on the likes of the BNP and NF, by use of propaganda [they mean education], demonstrations and counter-demonstrations.

“All we want is some decent time with our loved ones.
To achieve this natural Right you must first prove
the legal Right to contact with your own children!”

Supported by Bob Geldof, and supporters with Fathers 4 Justice, who have been in the news with their superhero-costumes-on-bridges method of grabbing publicity.

They aim for Court Reform and to inform the Welsh public, by sustained local protest.

Activities: (monthly) Meetings, Campaigning, direct action Protest, Lobbying.

Resources: Support for families, very active Protest News, Archive, List of AMs (Welsh MPs) and MPs, Mailing List.

On behalf of all good parents denied contact with their loved ones.
Also tackles domestic violence and automatic anti-male viewpoints.

“Every year in Wales over 3000 kids loose all contact with their fathers; failing our children with catastrophic results evident on the young today.”

A British study found children are 33 times more at risk when a stepfather is present than in an intact family.

Info on CAFCASS, a secret organisation within the Family Courts, sloppily-setup and with extreme and unregulated powers.

Founded by David Da Costa and Paul Gentleman, formerly known as the Bath and Chippenham to London Action Society.
Commuter's Boycott on March 1st (a Friday, in 2002AD).
Lobbying the Government and Rail Operators to improve Rail service.

They invite every rail user to register their comments. They also offer support and advice to interested parties within the rail industry who wish to communicate directly with their customer base.

Condensed from Mission Statement:

• National Forum for passenger's to air their experiences.
• Up-to-date info: Timetables, route planning, fares, disruptions.
• Arbitration between passengers and train companies.
• ‘Customer Comfort Policy’ seeking limit on standing, and clean toilets.
• National rail membership card.

BRAG has been set up by passengers, for passengers and is totally independent.

Dyson Had to move most of it's operations to Malaysia or go bust. The people who were protesting against its expansion are furious about this, of course. Neither are they pacified by the news that this cost-cutting will enable the company to expand and get them back their jobs. Worst than that, I can't find any news of the support group's address, other than people saying something must be done - and then not doing anything.

The NDWC Proposed this Group.

Dyson's bagless vacuum cleaner production is moving to Malaysia, needing cheap labour to stay solvent. Production of all cleaners will end by the beginning of November 2002AD. Redundancy notices will be issued in October to the 700 permanent employees remaining.

Mr. Tom Sturgis, leader of NDWC, indicated potential support from Great Western Enterprise, and the Swindon Economic Partnership, and has asked the South West Regional Assembly to create a fund for job seeking and retraining.

Dyson said the redundancy package it was proposing was more than double the statutory payment requirement and it was also setting up an on site support centre to help people to find new employment.

“I think the cost of making the vacuum cleaners on this site is spiralling out of control so the move is inevitable.”
  - Mr. B. Tidey, 54, Production Coordinator

“By letting people go in November, that will be the worst time, just before Christmas.”
  - Mr. S. Jones, 32, Technician

Swindon-based Cendant pounced on the available labour in February 2002AD.

They aim to secure a sustainable level of income for farmers and growers.

On their site:

• Detailed objectives to secure income in the longer term.
• Contact info for (over 15) Regional Coordinators.

For information relating to Publicity Merchandise contact the Treasurer (Paul Reynolds), on Tel/Fax. 01249 652285, Fax-only. 01249 443451.