ACTivate

This month, listen to Catherine explain what is happening in Sudan and how you can stand with the people. This is NOT a civil war but a brutal war against civilians sustained via a lucrative war economy driven by gold and vital commodities like gum arabic. The chance to move towards democracy post the non-violent revolution of 2018/2019 was stolen from the people by the brutal power struggle between the leaders of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). UAE's support of the RSF is prolonging the violence against civilians. The RSF is currently encircling the strategic city of El Obeid. Fears rise of another looming massacre like El Fasher where atrocities committed last October and November amount to genocide. The NZ Government needs to do more! Stay tuned for a link to a webinar with Sudan Advocacy Network Aotearoa's chairperson, Fatima Sanussi in conversation with David Vega, Amnesty International Campaigns Manager.

TAKE ACTION: sign the petition from the Sudan Advocay Network Aotearoa https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/urgent-establishment-of-a-sudan-special-humanitarian-visa-pathway
Sign the Amnesty petition: https://amnesty.org.nz/humanitarian-catastrophe-in-sudan/.
DONATE: to Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) - Sudanese award winning grassroots network that delivers life-saving humanitarian assistance where state institutions have collapsed and international reponses have fallen short.

Let's not forget the people of Myanmar where a drop in humanitarian assistance is worsening the suffering of millions of people after five years of conflict-related violence, says a UN report from June 2026. ASEAN leaders meet with military backed negotiators and rebel groups. Also, a conversation from the archives - listen to Dr Mariana Cifuentes talk about her experience of the 2021 coup, reflections on Aung San Suu Kyi and a hopeful message, "art and culture actually can be a way to foster peace." Check out Dr Cifuentes' new project: yaygyiyar.org

The #NoHarmware campaign led by Amnesty International and Tāhono Trust (an organisation seeding and supporting cross-sector action across Aotearoa) is proud to release an open letter signed by businesses, media organisations, and not-for-profits across the motu calling on the government to strengthen tech accountability for online harm.

The letter warns that harmful online activity – including scams, impersonation, misinformation, abuse and extremist content – is having a significant impact on communities, businesses and trust across New Zealand.

The signatories are calling for an independent regulator to police the online world and demand more accountability, transparency, integrity and safety. Listen to Anjum Rahman, Tāhono Trust's founder and project lead tell us more, " ...they [the signatories] all recognise that there is a big problem here. It's impacting us, it's impacting our well-being, it's impacting the way we do business". "It really is about consumer power, community power. Even though these are global multinationals, we have seen changes in the past when communities and people are vocal about the need, and when we're vocal together."

Use your Freedom! For the Action Toolkit for this campaign and to sign the letter, click HERE: https://amnesty.org.nz/no-harmware/

In this episode Catherine speaks with Dylan Chand, winner of the 2025 Gary Ware Legacy Award, an Amnesty NZ award supporting people under 25 who are passionate about protecting and promoting human rights. With the support of the award, Dylan will develop and host the Girmitiya Exhibition, a project sharing the experiences of Indian indentured labourers who were taken to Fiji under the British colonial system between 1879 and 1916. Known as Girmitiya these communities played a significant role in shaping Fiji’s culture and history, yet many of their stories have remained unheard. For Dylan this project is about identity, belonging, and creating opportunities for future generations to better understand where they come from.

Learn about Madrasas, the Taliban Religious Schools Radicalising Boys and Girls and Why the West isn't Doing More to Stop the Worst Women's Rights Situation in the World.
Tune into Part 2 of Catherine's interview with Dr Lauryn Oates (PhD Language Literacy Education), Executive Director of the Canadian Human Rights organisation, Right to Learn. Listen to Dr Oates talk about; how poverty is severely reducing access to education for women and girls, the large-scale uptake of Taliban religious education across Afghanistan and why the West should be worried, and why there isn't more outrage and action. Read more and donate at rightolearn.ca, Use your freedom and sign Amnesty’s petition at https://amnesty.org.nz/break-the-silence/

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/06/gender-apartheid-must-be-recognized-international-law/

Afghanistan: The Taliban Must Immediately Revoke the Criminal Procedure Regulation of the Courts - Amnesty International