The University of Limerick has awarded Honorary Doctorate of Letters to Chernobyl Children Internationa, founder and voluntary CEO Adi Roche and board member and activist Ali Hewson. Both Adi and Ali are champions of human rights and were honoured for their work with the children of the stricken regions of Chernobyl, who continue to suffer as a result of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Adi and Ali believe institutional care is a human rights violation and because of this they have developed pioneering interventionist programmes for the rights of children with the eventual aim of closing down institutions across the Chernobyl affected regions. Adi and Ali have collaborated on a number of projects together including independent living facilities for young adults with disabilities, baby hospices, adoption agreements and documentaries. In 2015 Ali and Adi were awarded the Princess Grace Award for their work in the Chernobyl affected regions.
All four members of U2 were on hand Monday night for a special New York City screening of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, the upcoming film that features their new song, "Ordinary Love," on the soundtrack. Bono was among those who spoke inside the theater before the film began.
Bono has worked in the video "The Power of Rights" for the Open Society Foundations, one of the world's most important supporters in the defense and promotion of human rights.
But what do human rights really mean? Kofi Annan, Bono, Amartya Sen, George Soros, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Chris Stone, and many others share their thoughts (Bono appears in the following positions: 2:20, 3:20 and 6:40).
The "Human Rights Concerts" is the collective name of the series of concerts presented by the Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights organization Amnesty International in the years 1986-1998.
2013 is the 25th anniversary of the most high-profile of all the concerts in the series - the "Human Rights Now!" world tour. A six-week, five-continent, fifteen-nation, twenty-concert tour of the world in 1988 raising awareness of the human rights cause - headlined by U2, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman and Youssou N'Dour.
In celebration of this anniversary - and to raise further funds for - and consciousness of - Amnesty, the films of all the "Human Rights Concerts" have been digitally restored and are to be released in 2013 in DVD, audio and digital formats. Three of the four films have never been available in any format since their one-time-only airing on TV - making the upcoming release all the more exciting.
The complete concert set will be released in a DVD box-set in October 2013. The title of the box-set is "¡RELEASED!" There are also plans to release corresponding audio CDs.
In addition to the main DVD box-set - a single-disc DVD - and corresponding 2-disc audio CD - of highlights from the concerts - "GET UP! STAND UP!" will be released throughout the World (except North America) in May 2013 by Eagle-Rock.
Click here to learn more about the "Human Rights Concerts".
Miracle Rising: South Africa (screened on The History Channel), is a documentary about the legacy of South Africa’s political transformation that culminated in the first free and fair elections in April 1994. Narrated through personal accounts from world leaders, politicians, celebrities and journalists including Bono, Richard Branson, Whoopi Goldberg, Desmond Tutu, Cyril Ramaphosa, Embeth Davidtz and Mamphela Ramphele, this thought-provoking show reflects on South Africa’s very own ‘miracle’. Miracle Rising: South Africa is a moving testament to the choices of people, both ordinary and iconic, where the human capacity to find compassion enabled a nation to avoid civil war and reach forgiveness for the greater good. From Nelson Mandela’s decision to learn Afrikaans while in prison, to the amnesty hearings of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission, it explores the difficult decisions that were taken enabling enemies to achieve peace. Bono makes a brief appearance in the 30-second trailer for the documentary and one of the songs included is "Breathe - Alternate Version" by U2. Producer Michelle Sparkes says: Bono had already rewritten lyrics to Breathe for Nelson Mandela and when we interviewed him he asked if we would like to use the song in our documentary. Of course, we said yes. http://www.thesouthafrican.com//http://www.atu2.com/
In Dublin on Monday Amnesty International’s prestigious ‘Ambassador of Conscience’ Award will be made to Aung San Suu Kyi.
The presentation, at 'Electric Burma', will be made by Bono - it was originally announced from the stage when U2 when played at Croke Park in July 2009.
'It's so rare to see grace trump military might and when it happens we should make the most joyful noise we can. ' says Bono. 'Aung San Suu Kyi’s grace and courage has tilted a wobbly world further in the direction of democracy. We all feel we know her, but it will be such a thrill to meet her in person. How honoured we are that she should consider Ireland for her first real trip from home.'
From A Conspiracy of Hope in 1986 to a clandestine film trip to Burma in 2011, the U2.com slideshow charts U2's long collaboration with Amnesty International and with Aung San Suu Kyi.
"Electric Burma"
is a concert to celebrate the inspiring woman Aung San Suu Kyi.On June 18,
she will fly to Dublin where, for the first time
in history, she will attend a concert in her honor outside Burma.
The concert will
commence at 5 pm on June 18th, at the Bord Gais Energy Theater. Actors,
musicians and dancers will travel to Dublin
from across the globe to celebrate this inspiring woman. We want to share this
moment in an intimate opera-house setting with the whole world.She
will have received Amnesty International’s highest accolade, the Ambassador of
Conscience Award.
This
concert is a celebration, but it is also an opportunity to echo Daw Suu’s
message, which is also Amnesty International’s message, that human rights
matter.
Bono is one of the stars present in the celebration together with: Damien Rice, Vanessa Redgrave,Bob Geldof, Riverdance,Angelique Kidjo and more acts.
U2'S HEROES: Burma refugees Htee Ku Sot Win, Hayblu Win, Eh Ta Ler Htue, Sarblair Twayjaw, Tem Leh and Christabel Wah were part of a group of 30 who were invited on stage during the U2 concert in Brisbane. Picture: Peter Wallis Source: The Courier-Mail
SIX refugees from Burma now living in Brisbane were part of a group 30 humanitarian volunteers to join Irish supergroup U2 on stage at Suncorp Stadium.
The Footsteps for Burma Campaign volunteers worked for Burma Campaign Australia (BCA) before the concert asking U2 fans to join the BCA campaign's email database and raise awareness of the oppressed people of Burma.
Htee Ku Sot Win, Hayblu Win, Eh Ta Ler Htue, Sarblair Twayjaw, Tem Leh and Christabel Wah - all from the Karen community of eastern Burma - joined volunteers from Bono's own advocacy group, One, to make an Amnesty International circle of light on stage in front of 55,000 fans.
The band wrote the song about Burmese opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi, who was released from 15 years of house arrest last month.
Sarblair Twayjaw, 36, has been living in Australia for six years after coming to the country as a refugee.
He escaped military oppression in his township by crossing the Thai-Burma border, eventually spending 14 years of his life in the Mae Lae refugee camp in Thailand.
``I am so happy and proud to be part of this,'' he said.
``U2 have given us the opportunity to tell people about the Burma Campaign."
U2 have responded to the news of Aung San Suu Kyi's release today.
'There is a cautious joy amongst the campaigners for Aung San Suu Kyi's release. Over the years we have feared for her life, and until Burma's leadership better reflects its people, we should continue to be vigilant in our concern.
'For a life denied the basic freedoms, she has lived so vividly in the minds of her people and supporters and accomplished so much. By putting the people of Burma's interests above her own, she has lived in stark contrast with her oppressors. Her struggle has become a symbol for all humanity, of what we are capable of - best and worst. Her very grace so infuriating to the bully government whose brutish gorging of the country's rich resources have left the people of Burma poor and hungry.
We can only pray that those in the junta who decided on her release will start to see sense and seize this opportunity to begin a genuine dialogue towards democracy. We will know they are serious when they release the other 2,202 prisoners denied a life for the crime of wanting to believe an election result.'
Burma Campaign UK today welcomed the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, but warned that the release should not be interpreted as a sign that democratic reform is on the way. Burma Campaign UK also called for the immediate release of 2,202 political prisoners who remain in detention.
“The release of Aung San Suu Kyi is about public relations, not democratic reform,” said Zoya Phan, International Coordinator at Burma Campaign UK. “I am thrilled to see our democracy leader free at last, but the release is not part of any political process, instead it is designed to get positive publicity for the dictatorship after the blatant rigging of elections on 7th November. We must not forget the thousands of other political prisoners still suffering in Burma’s jails.”
It is the third time Aung San Suu Kyi has been released from house arrest. The last time she was released, in 2002, it was part of a UN-led initiative to try to persuade Burma’s dictatorship to enter into dialogue leading to a transition to democracy. However, when the time came for substantive discussions the dictatorship refused to continue the dialogue. At the current time there is no such UN effort. The focus of the international community has instead been on a failed effort to ensure elections were free and fair.
The international community should use the release of Aung San Suu Kyi as an opportunity to apply pressure on the dictatorship to enter into genuine dialogue.
For many years the United Nations Security Council, United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Human Rights Council, United Nations Secretary General, European Union, ASEAN, USA and even China has stated that the way to bring genuine change in Burma is for dialogue between the democracy movement, including the NLD, genuine ethnic representatives, and the dictatorship. The jargon used to describe this dialogue is tri-partite dialogue. This dialogue should lead to national reconciliation and a transition to democracy.
A revived UN-led effort to secure such dialogue, with strong backing from world leaders and the United Nations Security Council, must be the top priority. This must not be delegated to a new low-level UN envoy. The UN must learn from the failures of previous UN envoys, such as Razali Ismail, who did not have the strong international backing he needed, and Ibrahim Gambari, who tried a ‘hug a General’ approach of befriending the Generals, which failed miserably.
“The international community must seize the opportunity of Aung San Suu Kyi’s release to increase pressure on the dictatorship to enter into dialogue,” said Zoya Phan. “Ban Ki-Moon must personally take the lead in persuading the dictatorship to start genuine negotiations with Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic groups.”
Burma Campaign UK has produced a detailed briefing paper on Aung San Suu Kyi, which provides a basic history, as well as analysis and information on past actions and future options for the international community. The briefing is available here.
