Tunisia Take AIM

Tunisia Take AIM!

Wassup World Wide Wank. This is AK47, AIM Prez, bringing you up to speed with what's been happening with The Anti-Injustice Movement. The movement is spreading like fucking wildfire and each chapter is getting larger and more organized thanks to our incredible AIM Generals. To combat global injustice we need global resistance because our enemies are for the most part the global elite. We face ever increasing draconian times but thankfully our global movement is growing by the day to combat the very real potential of a New World Order which resembles an Orwellian 1984. Solidarity is the only solution and by building up local and national chapters which are organized locally but also centrally as a global movement it is possible to deracinate a legion of enemies. We also must embrace collaboration instead of competition with other organizations both within the world of Activism and Hip Hop because as the Ethiopian proverb goes: "When spider webs unite they can tie up a lion."



The latest AIM Chapter is in the North African country of Tunisia which is experiencing a period of political strife. The Tunisian revolution is an intensive campaign of civil resistance, including a series of street demonstrations taking place in Tunisia. The events began when Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year old Tunisian street vendor, set himself afire on 17 December 2010, in protest of the confiscation of his wares and the humiliation that was inflicted on him by a municipal official. This act became the catalyst for mass demonstrations and riots throughout Tunisia in protest of social and political issues in the country. Anger and violence intensified following Bouazizi's death on 4 January 2011, ultimately leading longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to step down on 14 January 2011, after 23 years in power. Street demonstrations and other unrest have continued to the present day. The Anti-Injustice Movement stands firmly behind AIM Tunisia in their struggle for a just political system.

AIM General RIP

I was approached by a highly politically astute MC called RIP who wanted to begin an AIM Clika chapter in Tunisia and I agreed without hesitation because his sincerity, blatant charisma and passion for change made him and obvious choice as General. We now have a total of eight official AIM Tunisia members ranging from emcees to graff artists to B-Boys and even a violinist. Their talents are impressive to say the least but what is even more impressive is that all of them have revolution in their heart. The chapter consists of graff artist/activist UW Flava, B-Boy/activist Ny No, MC/B-Boy/activist MC Dnt Care, B-Boy/activist Didou, graff artist/activist Wiss-Graff, MC/activist MC Blidpop and violin player/photographer/activist Radios. They are all down for the struggle for freedom and justice in what remains an unjust country despite a change of government in the wake of a brave revolution by the Tunisian people. One corrupt government has been replaced by another but AIM Tunisia have taken AIM so oppressors in Tunisia better backdafuckup.

Tijani Ribani

We received terrible news from AIM General RIP over the last few days as his 62 year old Father Tijani Ribani has become a political prisoner while peacefully protesting for worker's rights with the General Union of Tunisian Workers. In Tunisia the criminal (in)justice system does not provide free legal defence so thanks to some generous donations from members of The Anti-Injustice Movement we are able to pay for RIP's Father's defence lawyer. We support our own Clika and anyone who is a victim of injustice outside of it too. We will be continuing the struggle for freedom for Tijani Ribani and will push to raise awareness about the lack of rights and creeping Sharia Law in Tunisia. We will bring you more information on Tijani's case in the next couple of days.

AIM UK MC Knew Eyes with Immortal Technique in Australia

We also have an ever expanding AIM chapter in New Jersey under hard working AIM Dirty Jerz General Enki. We will bring you more information about that and other new members soon. We'd also like to welcome AIM UK MC Knew Eyes back to the United Kingdom after his tour of Australia. AIM Clika are growing stronger by the day. Watch this space or better still take AIM!

"En el mundo de mentiras, decir la verdad es un acto revolucionario."

~AK47~
~AIM President~

International Day in Support of Political Prisoners in Iran

 

This coming Monday, June 20th, is International Day in Support of Political Prisoners in Iran. The AIM in Glasgow will be holding a small protest to mark this day and show our support of political prisoners in Iran and worldwide, and to demonstrate our commitment to end the death penalty.

We will be on George Square between 4 and 7 pm and invite you to join us. We will have petitions to be signed, leaflets and information to hand out and if possible we will also be taking signatures and messages of support on a giant banner. For more information you can visit the websites of Mission Free Iran and Campaign To Free Political Prisoners In Iran.

For those that plan to attend, if you are able to print or make any of your own materials please do so, otherwise we will be able to provide you with some when you arrive. If you plan to attend the event in Glasgow please let us know by emailing theaim@hotmail.co.uk.

If you are not in Glasgow but wish to attend an event near you then please visit this page for the current list of events. If you cannot find one near you then why not organise one?

International Day In Solidarity With Political Prisoners In Iran

The AIM has long been involved in a number of campaigns based in or for Iran and it's people. AIM Glasgow will be taking part in a day of protests/events in solidarity with political prisoners in Iran and encourage you to join us or to hold an event in your own city.

Like many of the campaigns we work on this one is supported by a number of people, groups and organisations and all support will be greatly appreciated. The venue and time for the Glasgow event have yet to be settled on so feel free to make suggestions - and be sure to look out for information about how you can get involved.

For more information you can also visit Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI) and Mission Free Iran (MFI).

Human Rights Watch Campaign Wins Top Ad Awards

Honors Spotlight Continued Political Repression in Burma

May 19, 2011

Partial view of an interactive installation created by JWT for Human Rights Watch's event on behalf on Burma's political prisoners in Grand Central Terminal on June 22, 2010.

© 2010 JWT

 

(New York) - Creative agency JWT has been honored with six prestigious international advertising awards for its campaign for Human Rights Watch involving an art installation drawing attention to Burma's political prisoners, Human Rights Watch said today.

On May 19, JWT's Burma Campaign for Human Rights Watch will be awarded a Grand CLIO in Environmental Design. In the past month, the installation has won two gold cubes at the Art Directors Club awards, gold at the One Show Design, and silver at both the New York Festival and One Show Awards.

"We're thrilled about these awards, and that our campaign with JWT has raised the profile of Burma's political prisoners to a whole new level," said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "We hope the spotlight from these awards will help bring renewed international pressure on Burma's government to release all political prisoners."

The installation was launched in New York's Grand Central terminal in June 2010, as part of Human Rights Watch's "Behind Bars in Burma" campaign calling for the release of all 2,100 political prisoners. The interactive installation represents a miniature Burmese prison complex, and as visitors approach, it turns out the cell bars are actually ballpoint pens. Visitors remove the pens to sign a petition calling on Burma's leaders to release the country's political prisoners. At the day-long event, signatures were collected from people from more than 86 countries. A one minute forty-four second video of the event can be viewed here.

Since the launch, Human Rights Watch has worked with the Czech group, People in Need, to create a smaller shadow installation for the One World Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Prague in March 2011. This installation will be featured at the European Parliament on May 24, in association with the film festival in Brussels.

Human Rights Watch and JWT have also launched an online application for website visitors to show their support for Burma's political prisoners. The application allows viewers the virtual experience of removing the prison "bars" to sign the petition. New Yorkers can currently view the installation at the Art Directors Club gallery through May 26.

Burma remains one of the world's most repressive societies. Sham elections in November 2010 entrenched military rule under the facade of civilian government. Despite longstanding calls by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and many governments around the world for the release of the country's political prisoners, few have been freed apart from the release of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, when her house arrest order expired last year.

On May 16, President Thein Sein issued an "amnesty" to all convicted prisoners in Burma that commutes death sentences to life imprisonment and reduces prison terms by one year. The one-year reduction is of slight significance to many political prisoners, a large number of whom have been sentenced to decades in prison - more than 60 years in some cases - for peaceful activities. Of the approximately 15,000 prisoners released because they had less than a year to serve, only about 47 are political prisoners. Those remaining in prison include:

• Zargana, Burma's most famous comedian, who is serving a 35-year sentence for criticizing the military government's slow response to Cyclone Nargis;
• U Gambira, a 30-year-old monk who was one of the leaders of the peaceful protests of August and September 2007 and is now serving a 63-year sentence;
• Su Su Nway, a female labor rights activist serving an eight-and-a-half-year sentence after raising a banner criticizing Burma's government at the hotel of a visiting UN special envoy;
• Min Ko Naing, a former student leader serving a 65-year sentence; and
• Nay Phone Latt, a 30-year-old blogger who used his blog to spread news about the 2007 protests and was subsequently sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The amnesty announcement came after the visit by the UN secretary-general's Burma envoy, Vijay Nambiar, from May 11-13, in which he called for the release of all political prisoners.

"While the fraction of political prisoners who had less than a year to serve have been released, they and those still held should never have been in prison in the first place," said Pearson. "Human Rights Watch will continue its campaign until all political prisoners in Burma are freed."

Article originally posted on and taken from HRW website here.

Global Days Of Action In Support Of Iran

This weekend 28-30th January will see the world once again stand up together in support of political prisoners and against executions in Iran. Events are being organised in many towns and cities and it's not too late for you to join in. If there is not an event organised already near you then it's easy to organise one yourself. All you need is your voice, on top of that you could have some petitions, some pictures and placards, handouts, friends and supporters... as much or as little as you like can be done to show your support. Perhaps members of the public would sign a sheet in support of the cause, or have their picture taken, record a short video clip... the possibilities are endless and the more creative among you will have some great ideas I'm sure.

I stand with The AIM and many other people and groups in fighting against executions worldwide and in support of political prisoners. This is a global problem, not just an Iranian one. But it's important to remember that Iran is at a point of revolution and we must all stand and show support to those living within the regime that are fighting to change it.

To find out about local events, or to arrange an event in your area, please visit this post by Mission Free Iran. This event is being organised by the usual groups - Mission Free Iran, International Committee Against Stoning, International Committee Against Executions and Iran Solidarity among many others. The AIM will be taking part in Glasgow (Saturday, 2pm) and all other AIM members and supporters are encouraged to join us either in Glasgow or in their local town or city.

Former Political Prisoner Marilyn Buck Freed!

On July 15, 2010, Marilyn Buck was released from the federal prison medical center in Carswell, Texas. She is paroled to New York.

More news will be posted as it becomes available.

political prisoner

Marilyn Buck began her antiracist activism as a teenager in Texas. As a college student, she organized against the war in Vietnam and in solidarity with the Black liberation movement. “After less than a decade as a political activist,” she writes,“I went to prison, convicted of procuring firearms for the Black Liberation Army. I faced 10 years in prison—a very long time for a young woman."

After serving four years, Marilyn was granted a furlough from prison and did not return. She spent the next eight years in clandestinity. Marilyn was recaptured in 1985. In addition to charges related to Assata Shakur’s escape, she was convicted of conspiracy to protest government policies (the invasion of Grenada and military intervention in Central America) through the use of violence against government property. Her total sentence was 80 years.

poet, writer

“The trials, those years of intense repression and US government denunciations of my humanity had beat me up rather badly. Whatever my voice had been, it was left frayed. I could scarcely speak.” Instead, Marilyn wrote. “For prisoners, writing is a life raft to save one from drowning in a prison swamp. I could not write a diary or a journal; I was a political prisoner. Everything I had was subject to investigation, invasion and confiscation. I was a censored person. In defiance, I turned to poetry, an art of speaking sparely, but flagrantly.”

Marilyn’s poems can be found in many collections, in her chapbook, Rescue the Word, and on her CD Wild Poppies. She has been awarded three prizes by the PEN Prison Writing Program, including first prize for poetry in 2001. Some of her poems are online here.

translator, teacher

Marilyn has long translated for Spanish-speaking women held in prison, and she is now translating Spanish literature to English. In 2009 City Lights published her translation of Uruguayan poet-in-exile Cristina Peri Rossi’s extraordinary collection, State of Exile. Read more about her publications.

She has also taught writing, GED preparation, history, and yoga inside.

imagination

One of more than 100 political prisoners in the United States, Marilyn is proof that imagination and solidarity can’t be stifled, no matter how many prisons or patriot acts we face.

more

Read a recent profile of Marilyn by a long-time activist friend at Austin's Rag Blog. 

Original blog post taken from Friends Of Marilyn Buck.

Friends of Marilyn Buck c/o Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, 1540 Market #490 San Francisco, CA 94102 • fombuck@yahoo.com