Original message from: David Morrell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello all, The Melbourne Catholic Commission for Justice Development and Peace (CCJD&P) is again running its national register of domestic human rights developments. They started in 1997. The Human Rights Register is the most comprehensive annual 'grass roots' report card on Australia's compliance with its human rights obligations to date. It has never been more important than in this year, when our government has brought us such honour in East Timor, and such shame over mandatory sentencing and other matters. The deadline for this year is May 13. So far there are only 1 or 2 disability entries, and none from South Australia. Liz Curran, the E.O. of the CCDJP, is VERY keen to hear from disability organisations and individuals. The Commission believes that this year's Register could be 'pivotal' given the antics the Federal government is up to re mandatory sentencing. You can email directly to her at; [EMAIL PROTECTED] or, IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA ONLY, send contributions to me at; [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you wonder how this could be relevant to people with disabilities, perhaps you could look back at the communique on human rights from the National Caucus of Disability Consumer Organisations posted to HotNewsSA a few days ago. And only today I discovered that people with intellectual disabilities are being imprisoned in New South Wales ten times more often than the general population. A few years ago Disability Action did research which strongly suggested that 80% of people in the Adelaide Women's Prison could have a mental illness. One has to wonder what impact mandatory sentencing might be having on such people in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. There is a description of the Register taken from the 1997 media release which launched it at; http://www.melb.catholic.aust.com/topics/humanri8.html I've reproduced it below. +++++++++++++ "Statement of Liz Curran, Executive Officer, Melbourne Catholic Commission for Justice Development and Peace (CCJD&P). The CCJD&P wishes to announce the establishment of a central register for recording developments in human rights to be operated by the Commission compiling information from the different State jurisdictions and from the Commonwealth jurisdiction. The CCJD&P is seeking information from over 120 NGOs in order to make the register comprehensive. Churches, disability advocates, ethnic communities, community legal centres, and law societies and others have been asked to participate. Ms Curran stated, "In light of the significant retreats from justice in recent times the CCJD&P thought it timely to establish a register of both positive and negative developments in human rights. It will take into account Australia's obligations as a nation under both domestic and international human rights obligations." The Victorian Human Rights Working Group (which also has some representation from national NGOs), has increasingly raised concerns about the cuts to the Equal Opportunity Commission, its restructure and other legislative initiatives. The CCJD&P feels the establishment of such a register is imperative. The focus of the register will be domestic but can incorporate Australia's signing or refusal to sign Conventions on human rights or human rights clauses in trade agreements. Ms Curran stated, "We hope the project will create information sharing between the states and will raise public awareness on recent developments on human rights in each state and federally, perhaps leading to public meetings or forums/seminars on a State by state basis." HOW THE AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS REGISTER WILL OPERATE The Register will be a large book like the old ledgers in offices in the 1960s and hence attractive to media as a photo opportunity. We will divide the book into a Federal section at the front and from the back upside down into each state jurisdiction. NGOs have been invited to complete information sheets noting the human rights development, the issues surrounding the development and whether it pertains to a Federal or state jurisdiction. The details forwarded to our office would then be entered by date into the register in nice hand writing. Entries for the register can be backdated to 1 September 1997 and the register will be launched in the first week in May 1998. This means significant developments such as the introduction of the Anti-Teoh Bill, the Human Rights Legislation Bill 1997, the impact of mandatory sentencing and the Native Title Bill could be incorporated m the register." David Morrell Disability Action Inc. Rights, equity and empowerment for people with disabilities Web site: www.ozemail.com.au/~disactn Phone: +61 8 8352 8599 Freecall: 1800 805 495 TTY: +61 8 8352 8022 Fax: +61 8 8354 0049 Postal: 62 Henley Beach Rd., Mile End SA 5031, Australia Disability Action is funded by the Commonwealth government's Department of Family and Community Services, Disability Services Program. Views expressed by Disability Action are not necessarily endorsed by the Commonwealth government. -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
