| Wonderful PSA from YouthforHumanRights.com | |
Rabu, 30 Agustus 2006
Senin, 28 Agustus 2006
HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION VS. WAR - HEROES & ACTIVISTS MEET AT U.N.
Left to right: Human rights award-winner Teresa Cheung, Japanese
youth representative Amina Erica Mobley, and awardee Nasanin Afshim-Jam.
MAKING HUMAN RIGHTS A GLOBAL REALITY Premier of 30 Public Service Human Rights Videos Bring Conference Attendees to Their Feet With war and attendant human right violations dominating the daily news, a summit at the United Nations on Friday (August 25) presented human rights education as a practical route to world peace. Celebrities, human rights heroes, and artists participated alongside grassroots reformers from 40 countries around the world.
“Imagine how different this world would appear if member nations had implemented real human rights education from the late 1940s,” said Tim Bowles, Executive Director of Youth for Human Rights International, who opened the event in front of 500 attendees in Conference Room One at United Nations headquarters. “We would not care to imagine how our global civilization might appear if we fail now to take effective action on teaching human rights universally to our next generation,” he continued. Youth for Human Rights International teamed up with the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International, the International Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance, and Artists for Human Rights in co-organizing the event. Mr. Enzo Di Taranto of the UN welcomed the group on behalf of the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, and describing the central role of rights in the mission of the UN. Mr. Hans Janitschek, President of the UN Society of Writers, described the vital role of artists in bringing about reform and in implementing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Rev. John Carmichael, President of the Church of Scientology of New York, explained why his church put such emphasis on the urging of its founder L. Ron Hubbard, that “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.” Youth delegates from around the world shared the dais with experts from the reform groups and the UN, and spoke from the floor in discussions of effective action. But it was the international premiere of 30 one-minute impactful public service announcements about the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that brought the crowd to its feet. Soon the attendees were enthusiastically discussing how to use and promote these learning tools to make human rights a reality. The creative force behind the PSAs, award-winning director and filmmaker, Taron Lexton, spoke about his vision as a 22-year old in creating these human rights messages. Mr. Lexton said, “I know a film maker can change the world. I poured everything I had into these PSAs, because people everywhere have a right to know their human rights.” As proof that individual effort really can change conditions, the crowd saw and heard from five outstanding awardees who received the International Human Rights Hero award, presented at the UN by actress, Anne Archer.
Awardee Joseph Jay Yarsiah, as a teenager was forced out of his native Liberia on three different occasions due to the violent fighting. Despite danger and devastation, he said, “I returned because only through education of the people of Liberia on their human rights, and the rights of others, is there hope for an end to conflict in my country.” He has since founded a Liberian chapter of Youth for Human Rights, and is educating both governments and civilians. From grassroots to high elegance, awardee Teresa Cheung, born in Hong Kong, is a fashion icon, film star, syndicated columnist, and a tireless advocate for the rights of women and children. Awardee Nasanin Afshim-Jam, crowned Miss World Canada in 2003, and was runner-up for Miss World that same year. Putting her singer career on hold several months ago, she took up the case of a young Iranian woman who had been condemned to hanging for killing a man who with two others was trying to rape her and her niece. As a result of Nazanin’s campaign, the woman has been granted a new trial, and observers hope she will receive a just result this time. Luce Berking, a young native Samoan from New Zealand, and Maxim Weithers, from Canada, also received Human Rights Hero Awards. The summit was preceded by a human rights art exhibit the evening before, at the prestigious Westwood Gallery. In the evening following the summit, a concert entitled, “Artists Taking a Stand for Human Rights,” entertained 2,000 in Union Square Park.
youth representative Amina Erica Mobley, and awardee Nasanin Afshim-Jam.
MAKING HUMAN RIGHTS A GLOBAL REALITY Premier of 30 Public Service Human Rights Videos Bring Conference Attendees to Their Feet With war and attendant human right violations dominating the daily news, a summit at the United Nations on Friday (August 25) presented human rights education as a practical route to world peace. Celebrities, human rights heroes, and artists participated alongside grassroots reformers from 40 countries around the world.
“Imagine how different this world would appear if member nations had implemented real human rights education from the late 1940s,” said Tim Bowles, Executive Director of Youth for Human Rights International, who opened the event in front of 500 attendees in Conference Room One at United Nations headquarters. “We would not care to imagine how our global civilization might appear if we fail now to take effective action on teaching human rights universally to our next generation,” he continued. Youth for Human Rights International teamed up with the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International, the International Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance, and Artists for Human Rights in co-organizing the event. Mr. Enzo Di Taranto of the UN welcomed the group on behalf of the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, and describing the central role of rights in the mission of the UN. Mr. Hans Janitschek, President of the UN Society of Writers, described the vital role of artists in bringing about reform and in implementing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Rev. John Carmichael, President of the Church of Scientology of New York, explained why his church put such emphasis on the urging of its founder L. Ron Hubbard, that “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.” Youth delegates from around the world shared the dais with experts from the reform groups and the UN, and spoke from the floor in discussions of effective action. But it was the international premiere of 30 one-minute impactful public service announcements about the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that brought the crowd to its feet. Soon the attendees were enthusiastically discussing how to use and promote these learning tools to make human rights a reality. The creative force behind the PSAs, award-winning director and filmmaker, Taron Lexton, spoke about his vision as a 22-year old in creating these human rights messages. Mr. Lexton said, “I know a film maker can change the world. I poured everything I had into these PSAs, because people everywhere have a right to know their human rights.” As proof that individual effort really can change conditions, the crowd saw and heard from five outstanding awardees who received the International Human Rights Hero award, presented at the UN by actress, Anne Archer.
Awardee Joseph Jay Yarsiah, as a teenager was forced out of his native Liberia on three different occasions due to the violent fighting. Despite danger and devastation, he said, “I returned because only through education of the people of Liberia on their human rights, and the rights of others, is there hope for an end to conflict in my country.” He has since founded a Liberian chapter of Youth for Human Rights, and is educating both governments and civilians. From grassroots to high elegance, awardee Teresa Cheung, born in Hong Kong, is a fashion icon, film star, syndicated columnist, and a tireless advocate for the rights of women and children. Awardee Nasanin Afshim-Jam, crowned Miss World Canada in 2003, and was runner-up for Miss World that same year. Putting her singer career on hold several months ago, she took up the case of a young Iranian woman who had been condemned to hanging for killing a man who with two others was trying to rape her and her niece. As a result of Nazanin’s campaign, the woman has been granted a new trial, and observers hope she will receive a just result this time. Luce Berking, a young native Samoan from New Zealand, and Maxim Weithers, from Canada, also received Human Rights Hero Awards. The summit was preceded by a human rights art exhibit the evening before, at the prestigious Westwood Gallery. In the evening following the summit, a concert entitled, “Artists Taking a Stand for Human Rights,” entertained 2,000 in Union Square Park.
Rabu, 23 Agustus 2006
Sabtu, 05 Agustus 2006
Selasa, 01 Agustus 2006
Animal tests responsible for Elephant men drug disaster, UK official body says
The so-called “Elephant Man drug victims”, the 8 healthy volunteers affected by the TGN1412 drug trial disaster of last March in the UK, have just been told to expect early death. A medical assessment by immunologist Professor Richard Powell indicated that they face contracting cancer and other fatal diseases.
This is the umpteenth disaster caused by the bio-medical research establishment’s obstinate reliance on animal testing.
The drug in question, TGN1412, had indeed been tested on animals, as is unfortunately always the case, including non-human primates.
The company conducting them claims that these experiments showed the drug to be safe.
The result of the investigation into this incident by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the UK government official regulatory body, says:
“…this product showed a pharmacological effect in man which was not seen in preclinical tests in animals at much higher doses” (emphasis added).
In their report, the MHRA found no deficiencies in the drug’s animal, pre-clinical and clinical work: everything was in order, including dose measurement and administration. In short, the MHRA thought that the actions of the companies involved did not contribute to the serious adverse reactions.
Similarly, German Regulatory Authorities inspected the production, manufacture, testing, storage and distribution of the material, and found no deficiencies which could have contributed to the tragic adverse events.
The MHRA concluded that the most likely cause of the adverse effects in trial human subjects was an unpredicted biological action of the drug in humans.
When tested on animals, then, the drug had appeared to be safe in animal models, but researchers have observed that there are reasons why these may not be indicative of the response in humans. Other similar drugs, tested safe on animals, have previously shown side effects in human trials.
Even the British Medical Journal is starting to see the writing on the wall for animal research:
“Why were all eight volunteers given the drug at the same time? Several observers have asked whether minimal standards should include observing a single dose in a single carefully monitored individual, rather than relying solely on dose as a function of animal lethality.” (emphasis added)
And the BMJ goes on to say:
“Relative lack of severe toxicity in animal models should never be construed as a guarantee of safety in man, as the story of thalidomide taught us.” (emphasis added)
In Britain the Early Day Motion 2088, a new bill tabled by the Member of Parliament David Taylor, argues for more government funding for new technology advances, such as micro-dosing, which would make human testing far safer and accurate.
This is the umpteenth disaster caused by the bio-medical research establishment’s obstinate reliance on animal testing.
The drug in question, TGN1412, had indeed been tested on animals, as is unfortunately always the case, including non-human primates.
The company conducting them claims that these experiments showed the drug to be safe.
The result of the investigation into this incident by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the UK government official regulatory body, says:
“…this product showed a pharmacological effect in man which was not seen in preclinical tests in animals at much higher doses” (emphasis added).
In their report, the MHRA found no deficiencies in the drug’s animal, pre-clinical and clinical work: everything was in order, including dose measurement and administration. In short, the MHRA thought that the actions of the companies involved did not contribute to the serious adverse reactions.
Similarly, German Regulatory Authorities inspected the production, manufacture, testing, storage and distribution of the material, and found no deficiencies which could have contributed to the tragic adverse events.
The MHRA concluded that the most likely cause of the adverse effects in trial human subjects was an unpredicted biological action of the drug in humans.
When tested on animals, then, the drug had appeared to be safe in animal models, but researchers have observed that there are reasons why these may not be indicative of the response in humans. Other similar drugs, tested safe on animals, have previously shown side effects in human trials.
Even the British Medical Journal is starting to see the writing on the wall for animal research:
“Why were all eight volunteers given the drug at the same time? Several observers have asked whether minimal standards should include observing a single dose in a single carefully monitored individual, rather than relying solely on dose as a function of animal lethality.” (emphasis added)
And the BMJ goes on to say:
“Relative lack of severe toxicity in animal models should never be construed as a guarantee of safety in man, as the story of thalidomide taught us.” (emphasis added)
In Britain the Early Day Motion 2088, a new bill tabled by the Member of Parliament David Taylor, argues for more government funding for new technology advances, such as micro-dosing, which would make human testing far safer and accurate.
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