As the summer comes to a close, here are the actions we are taking to help end genocide and other crimes against humanity.
Speak out for Paul Rusesabagina
The Rwandan government has postponed from the summer until September 20, 2021, the announcement of the verdict in the sham trial of Paul Rusesabagina. If Paul is not safe from extrajudicial kidnapping, torture, and political persecution, then nobody is.
No Business with Genocide teamed up with the Hotel Rwanda Foundation at the Rwandan Embassy on Monday for a press conference about Paul’s case. Watch Simon Billenness, Director of No Business With Genocide, as he reads out a few of your words when you signed our petition to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In the meantime, please sign – and share – our petition telling U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to help secure Paul’s release.
Tell companies not to profit from the exploitation of the Uyghurs
The end of the summer means next week is Fashion Week in New York City. We are partnering with the Campaign for Uyghurs, Freedom United, SumOfUs, and Uyghur Human Rights Project.
What: End Uyghur Forced Labor – Fashion Week Call to Action
Where: In front of Spring Studios, 6 St Johns Ln, New York, NY 10013
When: Thursday, Sept 9th, 10:30 am
During New York’s Fashion Week, models, members of the Uyghur community, and human rights advocates will call on fashion brands, such as Zara, Burberry, and Hugo Boss, to ensure that they are not supporting or benefiting from the pervasive and extensive forced labor of the Uyghur population and other Turkic and Muslim-majority peoples, perpetrated by the Chinese government. With over 20% of the world’s cotton output sourced from the Uyghur Region, the apparel and textiles industries are at significant risk of being implicated in Uyghur forced labor. You can learn more about this event here.
The Senate has passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act but the U.S. House of Representatives has not. Please contact your U.S. representative and let them know they need to support and pass this important legislation.
Stand with the people of Myanmar
- Contact your Members of Congress. Thanks to your emails and phone calls from over the summer, we expect that Senator Ben Cardin and Rep. Gregory Meeks to introduce their new Burma bills early this month. The new Burma bills will, not only hold accountable the Myanmar military, but also provide support to Burmese civil society and much needed humanitarian assistance directly to the Myanmar people. Now, let’s make the final push to get this bill introduced! Even if you’ve sent a message before, click here today to urge your Members of Congress to co-sponsor the new Burma bill.
- Attend our virtual comedy night. On September 16 at 8:00 pm, some of the funniest people on the planet will come together to support our work on behalf of the Burmese people. You can learn more about the event here and you can buy your tickets here. This is a virtual event on Zoom.
- Join our lobbying efforts the week of September 20, 2021. Since the coup d’etat on February 1, 2021, we have been working to energize and empower the Burmese community and friends of Myanmar in the United States by setting up meetings with Congressional offices and organizing letter-writing campaigns. You can always reach out to your Senators and Congressperson by going here. Mike Haack, from the Campaign for a New Myanmar, is coordinating the Congressional meetings if you would like to be a part of that, please email him at mike.haack@newmyanmar.org.
- Check out our training sessions. Mike Haack leads training sessions for the best ways to communicate with Congress and other elected officials. They are held on Sundays at 6:00 pm EDT and Tuesdays at 9:00 pm. Use this link to join the Zoom call. You can also email Mike at mike.haack@newmyanmar.org with any questions you have.
- Sign up for text updates from the Campaign for a New Myanmar. If you would like to get text messages about actions you can take to support the people of Myanmar, please text the word “join” to 844-942-3442. Your number will not be shared with other groups and you can unsubscribe anytime. Just one meeting, email, or phone call can make a difference. Thank you so much for your actions and your support.
Our work is only possible with your support. Would you make a gift of $30, $60, $120, or $250 to sustain our work?
For more information:
- To learn more about Paul Rusesabagina, visit the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation
- Check out this link to “8 things you can do to help Uyghurs in a time of genocide” by the Uyghur Human Rights Project, a coalition partner of No Business With Genocide.
- To take actions by the International Campaign for the Rohingya, visit their Action Network page here.