Hardbeat News: Jamaican NYers To Counter Gay Rights Protest,  April 11th, 2005
Hardbeat News: Gays Rights Protest Set For Jamaica Consulate In New York, April 8th, 2005
 

Somerville News (3/17/04) | Newton TAB (4/15/03) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/24/03) Cambridge Chronicle Press (4/10/02) | Wellesly Townsman Press (4/10/02) Metro West Daily News Press (4/11/02) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/11/02) Rights activists to bus to NYC by Franklin W. Liu The local coordinator for Amnesty International spoke at the March 12 contributors meeting of the Somerville News about the organization and its April 16 "Get on the Bus" trip to New York City. It started nine years ago when 30 members of the local group 133 went to New York City together to protest the execution of the Nigerian environmentalist Ken Sero-Wiwa, said Ann Corbett, a four-year resident of the city. The group has such a positive experience that they decided to make it a yearly event, she said. Because the Somerville chapter has such a reputation for activism and innovation, other Amnesty groups heard about the trip and made plans to go to New York City to meet them there, she said. This year, it is expected that more than 800 activists from eight states take part. Everyone will converge on Central Park in the morning for a short rally and then it is off to a day of Manhattan fun and protest, she said. It is the single largest annual Amnesty event in all of North America, she said. She said this year's protest will focus on three consulates, Russia, Egypt and China. "We always do China." Corbett is leading the protest at the Russian consulate. There the activists will protest the lack of laws protecting woman, particularly from domestic violence. "36,000 women are beaten by their husbands or partners in the Russian Federation," she said. "Even the Russian authorities stated that 14,000 women die every year at the hands of their husbands or relatives. Yet, domestic violence is not recognized as a crime," she said. The Russian protest is part of a larger, global Amnesty campaign called "The Campaign to Stop Violence Against Women," a coordinated, aggressive action plan to curb the epidemic, she said. The next protest stop is the Egyptian consulate. There the protesters will condemn that country's systematic harassment, entrapment and detention of gay people in Egypt, she said. In one case, Egyptian police arrested hundreds of passengers on a gay cruise and detained them for many months without trial, she said. The last stop in the perennial protest against the government of China, she said. "We're going to the Chinese consulate to demonstrate against the death sentence given to Tibetan monk Tenkin Delek." In the past, Chinese dissenters who were freed after our protests have come to march with us, this year is no exception, she said. "Amnesty International is a non-political, non-partisan organization with a founding interest in freeing political prisoners. Our work has expanded to concern many areas of human rights," she said. Local Group 133 does not receive funding from the main headquarters, she said. "We are staffed mostly by volunteers who believe that grassroots can, indeed, change the world," she said. Somerville News (3/17/04) | Newton TAB (4/15/03) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/24/03) Cambridge Chronicle Press (4/10/02) | Wellesly Townsman Press (4/10/02) Metro West Daily News Press (4/11/02) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/11/02) From: www.townonline.com A glimpse of what the future looks like By Karla Hailer-Fidelman / Newtonville resident Tuesday, April 15, 2003 I was asked, by the organizers of the annual "Amnesty International: Get on the Bus" event, to come along and talk to the kids. I accepted the invitation because the kids from Newton were not from Newton North or Newton South - they were from Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic school in Newton. These are kids who are not subject to the "leftist, liberal, socialist agenda" that I often hear is running the Newton school system. These are kids at a school under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston - and yet they have an active student chapter of Amnesty International and were taking a day off from classes to protest human rights violations in Chechnya, China and the U.S. The first student I spoke to in the early morning hours was doing her math homework while most everyone around her was sleeping. I asked her what she thought she would accomplish on this trip. "I want to support the values Amnesty believes in and I hope to make people aware of generally how much support is out there for human rights." She talked about how she wants to stay active in the group. "I feel it's a personal effort to do something you believe in," she said. Another student talked about how she joined the group her sophomore year. "Our school motto is 'to raise girls of courage and confidence,'" she said, and she sees this club as evidence of the school's commitment to that ideal. She told me her plans for her senior project next year: a six-week, public service-oriented internship that is described on the school's Web site as designed to "bring critical powers of reflection to bear on experiences outside of the classroom setting; exercise responsibility to an employer, herself and to those she serves; broaden the scope of her relationships through meeting people with different needs." She hopes to work with the Juvenile Justice Project in Chicago for her internship. The program is designed to help students understand what happens to juvenile offenders in the justice system. One of their chaperones graduated from Newton North, now teaches at Country Day, and is also a dean at the school. He talked about keeping his politics out of the classroom but he sees a generation of students that are passionate and caring. "I think in a lot of ways, particularly kids this age, have a finely attuned sense of right and wrong and are reaching out into a sense of moral outrage because they haven't started making the compromises you make down the road. Your ability to get outraged at something becomes dulled because you're skirting the edge or not quite across it." The faculty advisor seconds the statements about keeping politics out of the classroom. "I see kids that are passionate, responsible and want to make a difference. They care. They care about what's happening in the world and they want to do something." She goes on to tell me a story of how the girls at the school reexamined an aspect of life they hadn't thought of before. After a Sudanese woman who had been a slave and escaped came to the school to speak recently, it was noticed that the shirts from the school store were made in Burma - a country where manufacturers can exploit their labor force. The students decided to find a manufacturer that used garments made in fair labor shops and are now encouraging other schools in the Sacred Heart network to do the same. Many of the adult organizers from all over talked about how they loved this event and working with these teens because they see good kids - that is, intelligent kids who are committed to trying to change the world by opening minds. Most of the teens I talked to through the day really did seem to fit the type of person that gives me hope for the future. Many of the seniors had been accepted or were waiting to hear from Ivy League or top notch schools and were looking to major in medicine, chemical engineering, law and other demanding fields. One group of girls from New Jersey had arrived at the first rally after taking a physics test first thing and then quickly hurrying off to make the event. Later, I noticed both girls from Newton, along with their classmates and approximately 800 other students, standing outside of the Chinese consulate, yelling "This is what democracy looks like." It's the end of a long day and these kids from all over the northeast, who had boarded buses in the wee hours of the morning and walked around Manhattan all day to protest, are still yelling with the same passion and hope that they started with hours earlier. These same kids are from a generation used to instant gratification, and yet they still stood out trying to make a difference even though they all knew that nothing would happen overnight. As one teen said, "If I open one mind today, then I've accomplished something." Judging from the questions and comments of the well-heeled New Yorkers around me, they did just that. If nothing else it's good to know that here, in Newton, teaching diversity is a community value and that the future looks to be in the hands of young people of courage, confidence and compassion. Karla Hailer-Fidelman is a Newtonville resident who may be reached at khailer@aol.com Somerville News (3/17/04) | Newton TAB (4/15/03) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/24/03) Cambridge Chronicle Press (4/10/02) | Wellesly Townsman Press (4/10/02) Metro West Daily News Press (4/11/02) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/11/02) Over 800 Amnesty International USA Activists Demand Liberty and Justice for All in New York City M ore than 800 high school and college students converged on New York City on April 14 to participate in Get On The Bus 2003, a day of activism and protest over human rights crises organized by Amnesty International Local Group 133 of Somerville, Mass. The day's events coincided with Amnesty International USA (AIUSA)'s National Week of Student Action, when AIUSA activists nationwide step up their actions to end human rights abuses. The action in New York focused on violations in Russia, China, and the United States. A way to energize and train the socially concerned youth of today into tomorrow's activists, Get On The Bus included a series of demonstrations around New York City as well as speeches by former political prisoners and international activists. Students rode buses from twelve states to participate in the event. At 12:15, the first demonstration took place outside the Russian Consulate at 9 East 91 Street. Activists demanded investigation into the cases of disappeared people in the Russian Federation's conflict in Chechnya. Demonstrators also presented to the Consul General signed postcards demanding investigation into the cases of two disappeared Chechen women, Aset Yakhiaeva and Milana Betirgirieva. For many participants, the highlight of the day took at the Brick Presbyterian Church on East 92nd Street, where an international panel of human rights figures spoke. The speakers were Bela Tsugaeva, a human rights activist who works with internally displaced people from Chechnya; Xu Wenli, a founder of the democracy movement in China who was released from prison in December 2002; Christina Fu, the wife of current pro-democracy prisoner Yang Jianli; and Jean-Pierre Kamwa, a refugee from Cameroon once detained by the INS, and founder of a support network for immigrants detained in the US. Christina Fu said of the event, "Get on the Bus" is an inspiring and inspiriting event. When you are with this amazingly vibrant group of people, you can't think of anything but hope. You know that they are eager and ready to unselfishly offer their talents, skills, energy, time and other resources to help you in any way they can to bring your loved one home. From the bottom of my heart, I realize that this is the beauty of democracy." Chechen speaker Bela Tsugaeva was also impressed by the activists' enthusiasm for human rigjts in her home region. "If people in Chechnya could see these things, they'd be so happy," she said. At 3:15, the activists demonstrated outside the US Mission to the United Nations, at 799 First Avenue, in protest of the treatment of Arab and Muslim immigrants by the United States government. Since September 11, 2001, hundreds of immigrants have been imprisoned and deported without any evidence linking them to terrorist activities or organizations. The Bush administration has also reduced the access of refugees to asylum and legal migration into the US, in contradiction of international law. During the demonstration, a small delegation presented the UN High Commissioner for Refugees with a giant thank-you card for recognizing the need to increase protections for refugees and asylum seekers. The final event of the day was at the Chinese consulate on 12th Avenue. Demonstrators called for the release of Yang Jianli and of the Drapchi 14, a group of Tibetan nuns imprisoned over a decade ago for peacefully protesting the Chinese occupation of Tibet. The activists protested the religious persecution of Tibetans. Somerville News (3/17/04) | Newton TAB (4/15/03) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/24/03) Cambridge Chronicle Press (4/10/02) | Wellesly Townsman Press (4/10/02) Metro West Daily News Press (4/11/02) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/11/02) All aboard for Amnesty By David Ortiz / Cambridge Chronicle Staff Wednesday, April 10, 2002 Activists and high school students from Cambridge boarded three buses Monday morning and headed to New York City, where they joined a crowd of 1,000 to rally in front of the Russian and Chinese consulates. " Get on the Bus, " a day of demonstrations to call attention to human rights crises in the U.S. and around the world, was organized by Amnesty International Local Group 133 of Somerville. The activists, mainly students participating in Amnesty International's National Week of Student Action, traveled from 12 states on the East Coast for the event. Eric Aronson, a Cambridge resident, spoke with the Chronicle via cell phone while standing near the Chinese Consulate at 2 p.m. Monday. In the background, hundreds of people protesting the Chinese government's treatment of Tibetan political and religious activists, chanted, " human rights now in Tibet! Tibet! Tibet! " " I just got finished hearing from speakers who have experienced human rights violations first hand, " said Aronson. " We're just trying to call attention to the anti-human-rights policies of the Chinese government. We want to get the world to notice. You can hear how loud that is - it's a very motivated crowd, they're very riled up. " Amnesty International Local Group 133 started " Get on the Bus " in 1996 as a way to teach young people about political activism, said Valerie Costa, media coordinator of Monday's demonstration. Now in its seventh year, the event has grown from a day-trip for a handful of students to one of the largest Amnesty International events staged in the U. S. Following a morning rally in Central Park, the activists assembled outside of the Russian Consulate at noon. There, they called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to abolish the death penalty, release prisoner of conscience Grigory Pasko and put an end to the rape and torture of Chechen women. At 2 p.m., the group gathered in New York City's Upper East Side to hear from guest speakers, including Bill Pelke of Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation, World Trade Center victims' family members Colleen Kell and Rita Lasar of Peaceful Tomorrows, and Masuda Sultan, founder of Young Afghan World Alliance. The day concluded with a demonstration in front of the Chinese Consulate to demand the release of 12 Tibetan nuns imprisoned for participating in a peaceful pro-democracy protest. Temzin Dickyi and eight other students from Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School took the day off from school on Monday to travel to New York City for the event. Dickyi, a member of Students for a Free Tibet, an extracurricular student group of approximately 15 Rindge students, also spoke via cell phone while rallying in front of the Chinese Consulate. " I'm just not going to school today, " said the Putnam Avenue resident. " My parents are fine with this, because this is about Tibet. " Dickyi, an Indian-born Tibetan, said her parents fled Tibet to escape political oppression. The family emigrated to the U.S. in 1998. She will attend Harvard University next fall, and said she plans to study international relations. " I am Tibetan, and I just want my country back. I was born in India, and I've never seen Tibet, " she said. Somerville News (3/17/04) | Newton TAB (4/15/03) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/24/03) Cambridge Chronicle Press (4/10/02) | Wellesly Townsman Press (4/10/02) Metro West Daily News Press (4/11/02) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/11/02) From: www.townonline.com Getting on the human-rights bus: Wellesley College students join New York City rally By Seth D. Michaels / Wellesly Townsman Staff Wednesday, April 10, 2002 Three Wellesley College students joined hundreds of high school and college students in New York City on Monday for an annual human-rights rally. "Get on the Bus," now in its seventh year, was founded by the Somerville chapter of the human-rights group Amnesty International. This year's event brought more than 500 students to the city for demonstrations and speeches intended to increase awareness of human-rights issues. Students Genevieve Brennan, Alexis Early, and Paz Valencia left Wellesley at 5:30 a.m. to begin their trip. At an opening rally, they heard Carlos Salinas Cordova, a Chilean-American human-rights activist, and were treated to live music. The hundreds of protestors marched to the Russian consulate, where a delegation from the group delivered letters supporting Russia's newly instituted death-penalty moratorium and advocating full abolition. They also heard a variety of speakers, including Bill Pelke, the founder of Journey of Hope and an anti-death penalty activist, and Masuda Sultan, a documentary filmmaker, founder of the Young Afghan World Alliance and an advocate for Afghan women's rights. Among the most poignant speakers were a group of families of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. This group advocates a nonviolent response to terrorism, and had traveled to Afghanistan to share their experiences with other victims of war. Following the speeches, the protestors went to the Chinese consulate to speak out against human-rights abuses carried out under the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Two Tibetan-American Amnesty members delivered letters written by the protestors. For Valencia and Brennan, it was their first protest. Valencia described it as a good experience. Participating in "Get on the Bus" is just one of the ways Wellesley College's chapter of Amnesty International is trying to increase awareness of and participation in human-rights issues. "This semester we're really active," said Early, a first-year student and the chapter's secretary. In addition to sending a delegation to New York, the group has hosted speakers and celebrated International Women's Day on March 8. They plan on holding a human-rights film festival later this semester. "We have trouble getting people active," Early said, citing students' busy academic schedules. She is enthusiastic, however, about the programs the chapter offers and the opportunities available. "One of the nice things about having a chapter at Wellesley College is having funding," she said. This funding has allowed the group to bring in a variety of speakers and activists. Just this past Monday, the campus was visited by Blackout Boston, a spoken-word and political group. Later in the semester the Wellesley College chapter will host Passang Lhamo and Chuye Kunsang, two members of the "Drapchi 14" - a group of Tibetan nuns held until recently as prisoners of conscience in China. The chapter got involved with the "Get on the Bus" project through Liz Mandeville, a Wellesley sophomore who serves as the student action coordinator for local Amnesty International chapters. The students are looking forward to the opportunity to be part of a larger action. "This will actually be my sixth trip to the Chinese consulate," said Early, who was active with an Amnesty International chapter at her Pennsylvania high school. Brennan, who only recently joined Amnesty International, said before the trip that the day of rallies would be " a great way for me to get involved right away. It will also give me chance to talk to other members of Amnesty." She added that the trip will be an opportunity to learn about the broad range of issues to which activists around the country commit themselves. "Every Amnesty member has an issue that's important to him or her," she said. This kind of activist networking is one of the goals of the "Get on the Bus" program. Scott Langley, the Somerville activist who helped found the event, said it would be an opportunity for "meeting other activists, taking our voices to the streets, and learning about specific cases that Amnesty International is working on." Among these campaigns are the abolition of the use of torture and the death penalty worldwide and the freeing of prisoners of conscience. While the rallies and speakers at Monday's event will focus on Russia, Tibet, and Afghanistan, Amnesty International's advocacy includes cases around the world, from El Salvador to the Sudan to Indonesia. The group's main tactics are letter-writing campaigns, rallies, and educational outreach. "We're a young group on campus," Early said, noting that all of the chapter's officers are underclassmen. She hopes to keep up this semester's active pace on a continuing basis. Somerville News (3/17/04) | Newton TAB (4/15/03) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/24/03) Cambridge Chronicle Press (4/10/02) | Wellesly Townsman Press (4/10/02) Metro West Daily News Press (4/11/02) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/11/02) From: www.metrowestdailynews.com Local students rally for Amnesty By Charlie Breitrose / Metro West Daily News Thursday, April 11, 2002 A river of humanity flowed by Central Park along Fifth Avenue Monday periodically breaking into chants and holding aloft signs proclaiming "Amnesty International," and "Human Rights Now." The group of more than 1,000 high school and college students from the Northeast converged on the Big Apple for a day of noisy protests and inspiring words in the name of human rights. Amnesty International's seventh annual Get on the Bus rally was the first protest for many in the group, which included students from Framingham's Marian High School, Holliston High School, Wayland High School and Westborough High School. Following a morning rally and an anti-death penalty protest at the Russian Consulate, the young protesters straggled into the Brick Presbyterian Church on the Upper East Side. Many students fought to keep their eyes open after a long morning, but what they heard at the church grabbed their attention. Two women gave heart-wrenching and inspiring accounts of what it was like to lose siblings in the Sept. 11 attacks. Though the speakers said they were horrified by the attacks on the World Trade Center, both said they believe it is wrong to respond to violence with violence. Aghast at use of brother's name Rita Lasar's brother Abe Zelmanowitz died in the attacks on the World Trade Center. President Bush referred to heroism of Zelmanowitz in a speech at the National Cathedral. Zelmanowitz had directed people down the stairs while waiting for help that didn't come. A few weeks later, to Lasar's horror, the words of praise were used as reason to declare war on the Taliban and Afghanistan. "My country was using my brother's name to justify the killing of thousands of people," Lasar said. Not knowing what to do Lasar decided to visit the country torn by the war on terrorism. In Afghanistan, she saw doctors working without medicine and children taking school lessons in identifying land mines. It seemed not one pane of glass in any building remained unbroken, she said. Every American should see it, Lasar said. The United States won't be safe from attacks until human rights are put before moneymaking greed, Lasar told the students. She praised their ideals, but warned them, too. "You are all getting a world-class education, and you are here because you have a soul," Lasar said. "If you use your education and fall for the aphrodisiac of making money, then you will lose your soul. "Please be on guard for that." Colleen Kelly also lost her brother on Sept. 11. William Kelly Jr. was at a breakfast meeting on the 106th floor of one of the towers. The attacks convinced Kelly that this country's focus on the military and intelligence is misguided, Kelly said. Until that changes, she said, Americans could face the fate of her brother. "Millions and millions of dollars were spent on intelligence and the military, and the fact is that failed, and more than 3,000 died," Kelly said. "This country is preparing for war, but it doesn't prepare for peace." To get their message of peace out, Kelly and Lasar helped form the group September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. The perspectives of the two women amazed Ethan Wolfson-Seeley, a senior at Holliston High. "The speeches at the church were just incredibly moving," he said. He came to New York to meet other human rights activists, and learn what other movements are out there. "There is only a limited amount you can do at home," said Wolfson-Seeley, one of four students from the school to attend. Before the trip, the Holliston group focused on letter writing campaigns to support political prisoners. Since Wolfson-Seeley joined the Holliston club, two political prisoners they supported have been released. First trip to NYC, first protest Nine members of Marian's Amnesty International club made the trek. Until now, most of their efforts have been writing letters to pressure governments to release political prisoners or change policies. Club adviser Colm McGarry said the trip is a carrot for the hours after school spent writing. "Letter writing is a hard assignment to do, in addition to all the writing they have to do for class," said McGarry, who teaches theology at the Roman Catholic school. "I see this as a reward for the letters written this year." On the bus ride to Manhattan, Marian sophomore Amanda Bettinelli excitedly awaited her first protest and her first trip to New York. The Southborough resident said supporting political prisoners is the least she could do. "I put myself in their eyes," Bettinelli said. "If I was held for my beliefs, it would really help to know people were out there willing to help me." Students woke in the wee hours to catch the bus at the Riverside "T" stop in Newton at 6:30 a.m. Three-and-a-half hours later, the bus pulled up next to Central Park where the group got in the mood to protest. At the morning rally, guests spoke words not often heard in the post-Sept. 11 world. Carlos Salinas, former head of Amnesty's Washington, D.C., office, criticized the the Bush administration's reaction to the terrorist attacks. Specifically he opposes moves to curtail the rights of immigrants and increased powers of law enforcement. Salinas worries that the nation's human rights record overseas could come back to to bite Americans, as he said it did in September. "Each time we align with repressive regimes, we are asking for blow-back," Salinas said. "How many of the 9/11 bombers were part of the Jihad in Afghanistan in the '80s? How many were supported by the CIA in Afghanistan?" Get on the Bus had two focuses this year, including ending the death penalty worldwide. Bill Pelke's story The first protest of the day was held at the Russian Consulate. Russia currently has a moratorium on executions, but Amnesty wants the nation to ban them permanently. The students yelled and screamed and heard from Bill Pelke, a death-penalty opponent with an unusual story. When Pelke's grandmother was stabbed to death in her home in 1985, he had no problem when the Indiana court sought the death penalty in the case against the four teenage girls involved. Two avoided the sentence, and another pleaded guilty to escape execution. But one girl, then-15 year-old Paula Cooper was sentenced to die. Indiana later changed its laws on juvenile offenders and she is now preparing to be released, he said. As he left the courtroom, reporters asked Pelke what he thought about the punishment. "I said, 'The judge did what he had to do. But that won't bring my grandmother back,' " Pelke recalled. He realized that his grandmother, a very religious person, would be appalled by the death sentence handed down. Now Pelke opposes the death penalty. "We don't have to take their lives," Pelke said. "Then we become murderers to show we hate murder. "The answer is love and compassion for all of humanity." Pelke's words inspired Amanda Mayo, Marian sophomore from Marlborough. "He related forgiving for his grandmother's murder to Sept. 11," Mayo said. "In time, I think I probably could (do the same) but it would take a while." Riling the consulate The students rose to give the speakers a standing ovation, then rushed to their buses bound for the final stop - the Chinese Consulate. This has been a stop on the Get on the Bus tour for the last several years. Amnesty's biggest grievance is with China's treatment of Tibetans. Adding fuel this year is the imprisonment of 14 Tibetan nuns for singing Tibetan independence songs. With the aid of a sound system, the protesters made enough noise to rile people in the consulate to step out onto balcony of the '60s-era hotel-turned-consulate, which overlooks the Hudson River. "China, we all know it's wrong, To go to jail for singing songs," yelled Pat Keaney, a member of the Arlington-Somerville chapter of Amnesty. Holliston senior Tayler Knopf was moved by the Chinese protest. "I know more about the problems with Tibet and China," she said. "It's been around forever and needs to be fixed." Letters that the students signed on the ride down were delivered by T. Nyesang Bayul and T. Keyzom Ngodup, daughters of Tibetans forced into exile by the Chinese invasion. "My parents have always dreamed of returning to Tibet," said Bayul, a Boston resident who attends UMass-Amherst. "You are helping us right here." The demonstrations, McGarry said, served as a living lesson in democracy for his students. "They know people in China and Tibet could not do that," McGarry said. "It's something unique to our democracy and ideals." More voice makes things louder With the sun dropping slowly to the west, the students wandered back to their buses with smiling faces, hoarse throats and tired feet. In the shadow of the Chinese Consulate, Wolfson-Seeley said the day exceeded his expectations. "This, right here, was really very powerful," he said. The songs and chants hooked Marian's Tim Cuff, a sophomore from Natick. "Yeah, I'll definitely come back next year," he said. Bettinelli said the protest tour convinced her of the importance of letter writing. So much so, that she wants to continue after school ends this summer. What inspired her most was the unity during the rallies. The Marian student said she really connected with one of the speakers at the church, Masuda Sultan. Sultan, 23, lost relatives, too, but the 19 members of her extended family were casualties of the U.S. bombings in Afghanistan. Born in the Central Asian nation, Sultan moved to the United States when she was 5. The New York resident praised the youths for voicing their opinions, because until her family was affected, she was silent. "When I was in high school and college, I saw notes for these sorts of things," Sultan said. "I said, 'What's another face in the crowd going to do?' " Sultan began thinking about what she could do to help her homeland after visiting Kandahar in August. The war that followed increased her motivation, and she formed Young Afghan-World Alliance, which focuses on educational and humanitarian aid for Afghanistan. Like Sultan, Bettinelli thought her voice wouldn't make an impact on governments like China, but she was convinced Monday. "One more voice can make a louder noise and help things change," she said. Somerville News (3/17/04) | Newton TAB (4/15/03) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/24/03) Cambridge Chronicle Press (4/10/02) | Wellesly Townsman Press (4/10/02) Metro West Daily News Press (4/11/02) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/11/02) Eight Hundred Activists Get on the Bus to New York City with Amnesty International By Paul Bugala / AIUSA Local Group 133 volunteer Thursday, April 11, 2002 NEW YORK--More than 800 mostly student activists gathered in New York City on April 8 for Get on the Bus, a day of demonstrations and reflection regarding human right crises in the United States and abroad organized by Amnesty International Local Group 133 (www.amnesty133.org) of Somerville, Mass. As part of Get on the Bus, activists from 12 states in New England and the Mid Atlantic staged a rally in Central Park, met with a U.S. senator, and protested at the Russian and Chinese consulates to voice their concerns regarding torture and capital punishment, among other issues. The day's events began with a rally in the East Meadow of Central Park featuring guest speakers from Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union (www.aclu.org). The speakers' topics ranged from racial profiling to the human rights implications of the United State's war on terrorism. The opening rally ended a round protest songs sung by Hope Roth, a Group 133 member from Hartford, Conn., and Pat Keaney, a clean elections advocate and Group 133 member from Boston. Following a march from Central Park, the protesters assembled outside of the Russian Consulate to call on Russian President Vladimir Putin to abolish the death penalty, release prisoner of conscience Grigory Pasko and put an end to the rape and torture of Chechen women. During the action, Group 133 member Molly Johnson led a delegation in a meeting with Russian Consulate representatives to present petitions signed by the Get on the Bus participants urging Russian to abolish the death penalty. At the same time, Group 133 member Russell Heines and several Get on the Bus participants met with U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D, NY). The activists urged Schumer to warn Columbia President Andres Pastrana about the human rights violations occurring during the current unrest in that country. In the early afternoon, all of the Get on the Bus participants proceeded to the Brick Presbyterian Church for a speakers panel. Panel members included Bill Pelke of Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation (www.mvfr.org), World Trade Center victims' family members Colleen Kell and Rita Lasar of Peaceful Tomorrows (www.peacefultomorrows.org), and Masuda Sultan, founder of Young Afghan World Alliance (www.ya-wa.org). One of the most compelling moments of the day came when Lasar, who lost a brother in the World Trade Center attacks, reflected on the long-term influence that activities such as Get on the Bus should have on the participants' priorities. "You are receiving a world-class education today and it is your responsibility to use it," she said. "But if you fall under the power of that aphrodisiac of making money, you will lose site of the things you think you want to accomplish now." The day's events concluded with a demonstration in front of the Chinese Consulate to demand the release of 12 Tibetan nuns held in the Drapchi prison for participating in a peaceful Tibetan independence protests. The gathering was Get on the Bus' sixth visit to the Chinese consulate or mission in as many years. The activist ended nearly an our of chanting by shouting the promise "we will be back next year." Somerville News (3/17/04) | Newton TAB (4/15/03) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/24/03) Cambridge Chronicle Press (4/10/02) | Wellesly Townsman Press (4/10/02) Metro West Daily News Press (4/11/02) | AIUSA Group 133 Article (4/11/02)