BLOGGING:

BLOGGERS UNITE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS:

There is a belief that the act of "blogging" can actually be a force for social change. Maybe yes, and maybe no, and certainly only up to a point. What is certain is that it is a new form of communication that has allowed a much greater democratization of both information and opinions. Even the mainstream media is becoming increasingly reliant upon the blogs rather than their staff reporters. The folks over at the Blog Catalogue are believers, and they have hosted several "blog-a-thons" about various topics in the past. Today it's "Bloggers Unite for Human Rights". It has the participation of Amnesty International. Go on over to THIS LINK to see what it's all about, and add your two cents worth if you like. Here's a brief intro.

....................................

While the words might change from country to country and are sometimes taken for granted, human rights represent one of the universally agreed upon ideas — that all people are born with basic rights and freedoms that include life, liberty, and justice. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations.
Bloggers Unite For Human Rights challenges bloggers everywhere to help elevate human rights by drawing attention to the challenges and successes of human rights issues on May 15. What those topics may include — the wrongful imprisonment of journalists covering assemblies, governments that ignore the plight of citizens, and censorship of the Internet. What is important is that on one day, thousands of bloggers unite and share their unified support of human rights everywhere.

BLOGGING:

JOIN BLOGGERS UNITE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ON MAY 15 !

Blogging is a rather new thing, and it has yet to show either its full potential or its limitations. The most obvious limitation is that it is totally democratic medium, and everybody and his dog is free to post about whatever is on their minds or in their eye at the time. Thus the "blogosphere" is flooded with a massive flood of tiny and petty "personal statements". All that one can say to this is that, if you can't raise your sights above some minuscule personal angst then you have proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are a totally boring person. Yet...the greatest strength of the blogosphere is, to repeat myself, "that it is a totally democratic medium, and everybody and his dog is free to post about whatever is on their minds or in their eye at the time". This democratic nature has often meant that the blogosphere has brought facts and issues to the world wide public much faster and also more accurately than the conventional press, of whatever ideological stripe. The mainstream media (and its "alternatives") regularly quotes from the blogs and uses them a a news source. this is rather a new thing in human history, and Molly, echoing Socrates, says that she "does not know" what it all means, and therefore she has more knowledge than those who claim to know when they do not. Time will tell. The potential and limitations of the blogosphere for social actions is also very much a subject of debate.

In any case here is an attempt at such internet activism. The sponsors, the Blog Catalog, have their own commercial interests in this sort of thing, but it may still be worthwhile nonetheless.

........................................

Join Bloggers Unite For Human Rights On May 15!
Thanks to you, May marks the first anniversary of Bloggers Unite and this time we're launching an awareness campaign chosen by Blog Catalog members. On May 15, let's unite for human rights and make a statement that all people are born with basic rights and freedoms - life, liberty, and justice!

On May 15th 2008, let's come together and all blog about Human Rights. There are dozens and dozens of human rights issues that you can write about. The one you choose is up to you.
Topics to Consider
*The wrongful imprisonment of journalists covering assemblies.
*Governments that ignore the plight of citizens left tot he mercy of gangs.
*The censorship of the Internet in order to prevent freedom of expression.
*Harsh punishments that include torture, forced labor, and starvation.
*Sexual assault against women by members of military or militia.
Learn More About Human Rights
There are many organizations that promote human rights and work to protect people. We've picked three to help you learn more and find breaking topics.
*Amnesty International (http://www.amnesty.org/) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all. They work to improve human rights through campaigning and international solidarity.
*Human Right Watch (http://www.hrw.org/) is dedicated to protecting human rights of people around the world. They stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, uphold political freedom, protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice.
*Youth For Human Rights (http://www.youthforhumanrights.org) is an independent non-profit that educates people about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights so they become valuable advocates for tolerance and peace.

We have an entire group discussion dedicated to Bloggers Unite (http://www.blogcatalog.com/group/bloggers-unite) where you can add more organizations that you think are worth including.
How To Join Bloggers Unite!
To join, simply visit the Bloggers Unite page (http://unite.blogcatalog.com/) to get more information. Then, on Thursday, May 15th, write a blog post that shares awareness about human rights.

Your blog post could:
*Have the title "Bloggers Unite For Human Rights" (or some variation).
*include an example of human rights so people can learn about it.
*Explain the importance of human rights and how it applies to everyone.
*Link to one of the sites we've listed or the most suitable site for your country.
*And add a link to our BlogCatalog Community Human Rights Awareness Campaign page so we can give you and your blog credit for being part of it.

If you have any questions, please e-mail bloggersunite@blogcatalog.com. And please, don't forget to tell your friends to blog about this too. Together, I know we can raise awareness and prove bloggers can do good!