Monthly meeting this Thursday, 7:30pm at Wragge & Co

Monthly meeting this Thursday, 7:30pm at Wragge & Co, Colmore Row.

Amongst other things, we’ll be doing some work on gay rights in preparation for Pride in May. Jon has kindly put some resources together for us, check the  ”Gender, sexuality, equality” section of our wiki/library: do take a look at some of these links if you can before Thursday (or even after!)  There’s an official AI document attached too, “Decriminalizing homosexuality”, which you can download.

We will also be revealing our year plan and unveiling our new email address and related changes and be on the hunt for new committee members so if you’ve been feeling you’d like to get more involved and really make things happen, this is the meeting to come to.

Upcoming events to get in your diary include:

• street collection: Saturday 20th February, Pershore Rd with the Wythalll group.
• Shell demo (demand dignity campaign) Saturday 27th March, Sutton Coldfield with the Sutton Coldfield group.
• Cafe Forum: 29th February at NEW LOCATION Cafe Nero in St Philips Sq, (just near Wragge and Co) on the corner near the Old Joint Stock pub

James and the sponsored run – the Dursley Dozen

FUND RAISING EVENT – PLEASE READ ON …

Our new group member James is keen to raise money for Amnesty – thank you, James.  He’s doing a sponsored run called the Dursley Dozen - http://www.g4cio.demon.co.uk/ddozen/ddozen.htm .

This is all the more impressive as James was involved in a serious accident a few years ago, and didn’t know if he’d walk again.

Now he’s doing this run.

To sponsor James, with money going to Amnesty UK, see http://www.justgiving.com/James-Foster (secure site for online giving).

Or: catch him at next Thursday’s meeting (11th Feb at Wragge’s)  for ‘in-person’  donations, which he has kindly offered to give to our group funds

Jon.

Meet Olive farmers from Palestinian Co-operatives

As part of Fairtrade Fortnight

Oxfam & Zaytoun are pleased to welcome

Olive farmers from Palestinian Co-operatives

Who will speak about their lives and work, and the challenges of the political situation in Palestine.

Wednesday, 24^th February  7.30pm

Tea and coffee available from 7pm

Carr’s Lane Church Centre, Birmingham, B4 7SX

(5 mins from New Street Station, 2 mins from Moor Street Station, near Marks and Spencer)

Further information: Penny Halpin    Tel: 07979015597

National Conference and Annual General Meeting 2010

Start the new year by booking your place for the 2010 National Conference and AGM, open to all Amnesty UK members.

Never has it been more important to campaign for human rights around the world.

Join us for a weekend guaranteed to inspire you and fire you up to take action!

When: 9 - 11 April 2010
Where: University of Warwick

You can attend as an individual member and the local group is entitled to a delegate. Please email amnesty.centralbirmingham@gmail.com if interested in being group delegate. For further information on the Conference visit www.amnesty.org.uk/agm

Free Hakamada after 40 years on death row

There is currently an Amnesty facebook campaign trying to get people to do a photo action which will be presented to the Japanese Embassy in London. It’s on behalf of Japan’s longest serving death row prisoner, Hakamada Iwao, who is probably innocent of the crime he’s been charged with.

If you would like to support the campaign, please visit:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=192350213919&ref=mf

Thanks!

New Year New Cafe Forum! 31/1/10

Sunday 31st Jan, 2pm (to 3pm) at Cafe Bebo, opposite the Weatherspoon’s in the Paradise Forum cafe/bars complex next to Birmingham Central Library.  Look in the Gallery area upstairs for the group!

[Picture from http://bebocafe.com/Birmingham.aspx ].

A chance to meet informally,  and this time to discuss what we’d like to do with Cafe Forum meetings in 2010.  A laid-back setting, suitable  for members new and not-so-new to our  Amnesty group.

Hope to see you there!

Jon and Pete (Cafe Forum organisers).

Holocaust Memorial Day 2010 – event on Sunday

Holocaust Memorial Day is the international day of remembrance as designated by the United Nations. It commemorates victims and survivors of the Holocaust and Nazi persecutions, as well as other worldwide genocides.

The ceremony will take place in the beautiful neo-classical Town Hall, and will be inspired by the theme from the Holocaust Memorial Trust for 2010 – The Legacy of Hope.

In Birmingham there will be an event this Sunday to mark Holocaust Memorial Day from 2pm at the Town Hall. For full details see http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/holocaust-memorial

Greetings Card Signing Event tomorrow

Saturday 23rd January-Greeting Card Campaign Action

Where : St Martins Church Bullring Birmingham [using door in Edgaston Street] When : 10 am [set-up] till 2pm.

Theme: If you are unfamiliar with the annual Greeting Card Campaign you can find details on the web-site www.amnesty.org.uk/gcc

First of 2010 Group Meeting – 7.30 14th January

Happy New Year!

And we start the year with our first monthly meeting of 2010, which is on Thursday (14th Jan) at 7.30pm, Wragg & Co., Colmore Row, Birmingham.

If you are interested, please leave a comment below, or email the group: amnesty.centralbirmingham@gmail.com . Please do come along, you are most welcome!

Business Meeting this Thursday

This is just a quick reminder about our business meeting, planning for the next full group meeting and various other topics:

- UPDATE -

The Birmingham Midlands Institute is closed so we are meeting at Cafe Rouge, Birmingham Bullring at 7.30