Social Justice Activism |
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AIDS Council of Northeastern New York is a non-profit organization that provides direct services to those living with HIV/AIDS and their families, and also provides outreach programs for the fifteen counties in
Albany Girls' Club (AGC) was created to serve the girls in the city of Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace- Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace is an independent organization that advocates for peace; it is fundamentally against the war in Iraq and other US military occupations in all areas of the world. It was established in January 2003 by a group of concerned individuals in Bethlehem, New York and has rapidly grown to include more than five hundred members. The Peace group holds frequent vigils in support of both Iraqi citizens and families as well as US military families. BNP raises money through donations and local services in order to provide the surrounding communities with informational forums, speakers and a variety of expressions of peace through art (exhibit presentations and concerts). Recently, BNP hosted Jacob Levich (founder of People Against the Draft) who spoke about the likelihood of either presidential candidate implementing the d!
raft shortly after the election and Dr. Michael Tebbano (principal of Bethlehem Central High School) who provided the audience with guidelines about the access military recruiters have to high school students under the No Child Left Behind Act and how that federal law might affect voluntary and compulsory military service. Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace is a committed, hard-working group of citizens who are not supported by any political party or governmental agency. The group is very inclusive and is continually looking for new members to join. For more information, please visit www.bethlehemforpeace.org. Campus Action is a multi-racial organization determined to build a progressive social justice movement. They are against all the inequities present in society today, such as racism, economic oppression, labor rights, academic freedom, etc. Campus action strongly believes in the importance of student organizing, which is why they have established several chapters throughout college campuses including Suny Albany. These chapters work to strengthen activism regarding several issues. Campus Action chapters work independently, however they appoint a representative who reports to the Campus Action board. The Campus Action board and its chapters work collaboratively toward social change. This organization is open to all members who want to get involved. One of their upcoming activities is on Campus Greens are the college delegates of the Green Party, one of the fastest growing parties in the Capital Region Action Against Breast Cancer (CRAAB) is a non-profit organization created in 1997 with the vision of eradicating breast cancer, not just raising awareness about the disease. CRAAB is committed to alleviating and ending any physical, emotional, and psychological distress associated with breast cancer and providing this outreach to all women. This grassroots organization is the local branch of the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) and the founding member of the New York State Breast Cancer Network (NYSBCN). CRAAB takes an ecofeminist stance with its proposal for better health among women in the prevention and eradication of breast cancer. It also advocates feminist ideals with its proposals for newsletters printed for English Second Language (ESL) women and its participation in the Healthy Women's Partnership which provides free mammograms for women over 40 and free sonograms for younger women (this has been proven more effective for detection in younger women). Among these activities, CRAAB also distributes a resource guide for survivors and caregivers, publishes a quarterly newsletter, distributes an annotated Breast Cancer Essentials Bookmark, and attends/hosts several national and local conferences in the pursuit of eradicating br!
east cancer. For more information about CRAAB please visit: www.craab.org. The contact information for CRAAB is as follows: Bonnie Spanier (Co-President): SS-341, (518)442-9084 or Joan Sheehan (Co-President): 125 Wolf Road, Suite 124, Albany, NY 12206, (518)435-1055. Center for Women in Government and Civil Society: Their intentions are to be responsive and encouraging of the needs of woman, children, and families in New York State . The Center is working for equity, diversity, and leadership. The target audience includes women's advocates, nonprofit staff and board members, policymakers and their staff, university faculty and students, think tank employees, reporters, and media consultants. They are all working for easier availability of information on strengthening women and their families. They are presently conducting a multi year initiative to prevent violence against immigrant women in New York State . This program is based on the Center's commitment to equity, access, diversity and women's leadership development. Immigrant women's wisdom and experience is helping the state create the policies that will be effective in combating barriers of gender, race, and xenophobia. Their office is at! 135 Western Avenue , Draper Hall, Room 302, Albany , NY 12222 . Phone 518-442-3900. There local website is http://www.cwig.albany.edu . The Center also has publication available through SUNY by calling 518-442-3898. Crime Victim Sexual Violence Center was initially known as AWARE (Albany Women against Rape). The name was changed in 2001, as the organization became an advocate for all types of victimization, not solely sexual assaults or rape. This new name better reflects the group's mission. “CVSVC” provides a twenty four hour hotline, which enables victims of crime, rape, and/or violence to receive immediate support and guidance. The hotline is usually utilized by victims in local emergency rooms, and local police stations. CVSVC assists crime victims throughout the criminal justice process to provide comfort and also to minimize confusion which often occurs through the duration of the court process. CVSVC also provides assistance concerning the filing of claims with the New York State Crime Victims Board and referrals to both public as well as private sources of additional counseling, and emergency shelters. V ictims ar!
e provided with confidential counseling and intervention either in person or via telephone. The time period of the crime, whether it is recent or years earlier, is not an issue, nor does the status of whether the crime has been reported or not is an important factor. The CVSVC also provides presentations to raise awareness of rape, crime, and sexual assault in the community. Contact Information: Judith Condo (Director). Email: cvsvc@albanycounty.com Holding Our Own: A Fund for Women is a The Institute for Research on Women (IROW) at University Albany is a member of the National Council for Research on Women (NCRW.) IROW wants people to become aware of issues on women and gender academically, and it gives opportunities to students to attend activities and deepen their academic knowledge through films, workshops, and technical and consultant services. Also, members of IROW publish books. Dr. Ng is the director of IROW, and her e-mail address is vng@albany.edu, phone number is 518-442-4771, and Fax number is 518-442-4419. For more information, please visit their website at: http://www.albany.edu/irow/index.html. Middle Earth Peer Assistance Program New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy, Inc. (NYAGRA) was formed to advocate freedom of gender identity and expression for all. The organization's biggest success was in April of 2002, when Mayor Bloomberg signed Int. No. 24 (introduced as Int. No. 154 in February 2000) into law. This bill amended the New York City Human Rights Ordinance to specify gender identity and expression in the definition of gender, meaning that transsexual, transgendered, and gender-variant peoples are now protected under the city's human rights law. NYAGRA sponsors educational, social, and activist events throughout New York State, and is currently working with the Empire State Pride Agenda to win human rights protections for transsexual, transgendered, and gender variant people at the state level. Board of Directors member Moonhawk River Stone is an Albany local. For more information or to get involved with NYAGRA, email him!
at ! hawkrstone@aol.com or visit www.nyagra.tripod.com. New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault Incorporated (NYSCASA) is a local organization in the state of Parent to Parent is designed to assist parents and caregivers find support services and information to support in the care of family members with disabilities. The group actively participates in matching families with similar disabilities to establish dialogue and find creative solutions for a family support plans. The parent volunteer assists families by creating a sharing environment and limiting the feeling of isolations and ineffectiveness by sharing personal experiences. Parent to Parent offers workshops and conferences to allow for accessible training and to promote dignity and choice for those families who have alternative capable family members. Parent to Parent also recognizes the need for parents and government agencies to work together to provide services. For additional information on Parent to Parent, the web sit!
e is http://www.parenttoparentnys.org. Pride Alliance is a local campus-based activism group. They are LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, intersex, queer) friendly and work towards a better understanding of “alternative” lifestyles. Pride preaches awareness and education while taking action on their campus and in their community. The members are devoted to equal rights and opportunity. Some past events Pride has taken part in are local Take Back the Night marches and sexuality week on the UAlbany campus. Pride also plans on providing pro-life information at the GAP demonstration this year, and planning events for sexuality week 2005, including a presentation of “coming out stories.” For more information please visit student affairs on the UAlbany Campus. Pro Choice Volunteers of Faith (PCVF) is a young group affiliated with the Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood. PCVF members are dedicated to reversing the assumptions regarding faith and reproductive rights. They began by writing letters to the local clergy and congregation liaisons for support in the summer of 2003. This group united in order to tell their communities about reproductive rights, provide sex education and support and encourage other members of faith to allow their voices to be heard. The PCVF organizes workshops and speakers in the Capitol Region in addition to writing letters to the editor and lending their support to community activities. Their present focus includes sex education and the Mother's Promise Campaign. The campaign is based on the alarming decision this government administration has made to re!
sign from the agreement made at the Cairo Conference, there the Unites States agreed to aid in the providing international sex education, family planning programs and reproductive health care. For more information or to get involved call Blue at(518)-434-5678 extension 133 or email blue@uhpp.org. To visit Upper Planned Parenthood's official website go to http://www.uhpp.org. Reality Check is a teen based organization that has chapters all over the state of RISE is a rape crisis center that serves Sakhi, the Hindi word for “female friend', is a non-profit organization based in New York City, that sets out to serve and support South Asian survivors of domestic violence. This includes women of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Nepalese descent (both Diaspora and immigrants). The organization wants to empower victims of domestic abuse, and also build a community where this type of violence ceases to exist. They have a community outreach program, which generates awareness about domestic violence issues. They target the South Asian community in their efforts. The Annual March Against Violence is a product of Sakhi, and takes place each year in Jackson Heights, a region that has a large South Asian population. Sakhi also builds communities through public schools, and conducts workshops at universities, professional associations, and religious centers. They also produce a news magazine, “Voices Of Sak!
hi”, which is a resource for their organization and provides information on the issues concerning domestic violence. For more information about Sakhi, please visit http://www.sakhi.com/.
University at Albany Vagina Monologues is a part of a worldwide v-day organization. The Vagina monologue here at the University at Albany is, like all v-day efforts, non-profit. The UA vagina women put on a performance of the vagina monologues and sell vagina monologue related items to benefit local women's charities such as, the Albany Rape Crisis Center, and the local domestic abuse shelter. Along with the local charities, last year there was also money donated from UA Vagina Monologues to the city of Juarez, Mexico to help with the investigation and prevention of the murders and rapes that are occurring in and around the city. The goal of the UA Vagina Monologues is to help benefit charities that help women and to educate and liberate women at the University of Albany and within the city of Albany. Please visit: http://events.vday.org/2005/College/Albany_State_University.
WAMC/ Northeast Public Radio is a local radio station that services states such as New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, etc. As an affiliate with National Public Radio and Public Radio International, WAMC is financially supported by contributions and donations from its listeners. WAMC offers alternative listening compared to mainstream FM radio stations, and does so by examining global as well as local issues. Through programs such as “Voxpop” and “To the Best of our Knowledge” listeners not only are allowed the opportunity for different perspective from an activist media station but also are enabled with the perspectives of other listeners. As an actively involved media station WAMC has frequent interviews with Political leaders, offering contrast and debate in order to inform its listeners of news from around the world, including alternative news on the “War on Terror,” wi!
th opinions that widely range. For more information on WAMC/ Northeast Public Radio visit www.wamc.org or 318 Central Avenue, Albany, NY. Women Against War (WAW) is a nonpartisan, pacifist group who openly welcomes people from every walk of life regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, ethnicity, age, social history and political affiliation. They focus on the way in which the |
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ACT UP, also known as the AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power is a non-partisan international activist group “united in anger and committed to direct action to end the AIDS crisis”. Their protest actions can be unconventional and confrontational, but their overall goal is to create a voice and empower those who are affected by AIDS through the use of civil disobedience. ACT UP operates within LBGT communities especially, and challenges pharmaceutical companies, international governments and any other institution or person that hinders the fight against AIDS. The Global Gag Rule, abstinence only education, equal and fair access to medication and treatment are among some of the major current issues they organize around. Major ACT UP affiliations can be found in several locations within the Aldermaston Women's Peace Camp(aign) (AWPC) is a non-profit organization committed to nonviolence and against militarism. On the second week of every month, a peace camp is held. This is where the organization holds it's meeting to plan for activities and campaigns. For example, since 2002 AWPC has become concerned that the British government is taking measures to put in place the facilities to build a new generation of nuclear weapons. The 2004 March against this was very successful and the AWPC hopes to get an even bigger turn out next year. This group was started because Aldermaston has been the “factory” for Britain's nuclear weapons research. To contact the group or get more information go to http://www.aldermaston.net/index.php Amnesty International is a worldwide organization of peoples who support internationally recognized human rights. Founded in 1961, Amnesty espouses the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 (www.un.org/Overview/rights.html). It is independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion. It does not support or oppose any government or political system, nor does it support or oppose the views of the victims whose rights it seeks to protect. With 1.8 million members in over 150 countries, Amnesty has been responsible for the release of political prisoners in hundreds of countries; it has raised money through donations, concerts and other local movements for the families of those affected by war, !
discrimination, political and economic unrest. Every year, Amnesty undertakes massive campaigns that are designed in response to pressing global and local issues that require immediate action. This year's campaign topics are stop violence against women, control arms, death penalty, stop torture, refugees have rights, international justice, economic globalization and human rights, child soldiers, human rights defenders in Latin America and the Caribbean and treaty bodies. For more information, please visit www.amnesty.org. A.N.S.W.E.R., other wise known as Act Now to Stop War and Research, is an coalition that was started September 14 2001, and it was basically a backlash to the country's overwhelming need for a foreign policy involving only aggressive forces. Within this coalition is over a hundred organizations double that in prominent individual dedicating their time and effort including this author, and an abundance amount of centers located scores of major cities all over the world. A.N.S.W.E.R, has partake in numerous protest one of which was this past summer known as the "Protest Against 'The Twin Parties Against the War Machine,'" where the coalition organized a rally in July against the Democratic National Convention, as well as the Republican National Convention. A.N.S.W.E.R. has organized rallies, and protest against the wars in Breakthrough is an international non-profit organization, founded by Malika Dutt, that sets out to create awareness about domestic violence. Education and popular culture media are utilized as tools for reaching the masses. Breakthrough has created extremely popular Hindi music videos, including “Mann Ki Mangeere” and “Babul”, which have gone on to win MTV awards and achieve phenomenal popularity. “Mann Ki Mangeere: An Album of Women's Dreams” is available for sale. The group works both in India and in the United States to build awareness and to help find solutions to feminist issues. Apart from domestic violence, issues that are addressed by Breakthrough are: racial, ethnic, and caste equality, religious harmony, and sexual wellbeing (HIV/AIDS). They also have a scholarship fund for disadvantaged women wanting to pursue their education. They serve as a database for information on a plethora of!
topics, and through the music videos and public discourse, they are able to present the information in a new and innovative way. For more information on Breakthrough, please visit http://www.breakthrough.tv/. Catalyst, which was founded in 1962, is an independent, non-profit membership organization for all aspects of women's career advancement in Center for Economic and Social Rights is one of the first organizations to confront economic injustice as a violation of international human rights law. Established in 1993, it has been working with several countries such as Center for Environment and Population (CEP) is a non-profit organization founded in 1999 that generates awareness of emerging population trends both nationally and internationally and how these trends impact the environment. The CEP partners with many other national and international groups such as Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood Federation, Planned Parenthood Federation of America Global Partners, Population Action International (PAI), and League of Women Voters. These groups work together to scientifically research population trends, use trend reports as the basis for implicating population-environment friendly policies and leaders, and provide outreach and resources to communities that are impacting the environment in ways never experienced before. The CEP has sponsored programs and activities to generate awareness about how our government has turned against an international !
agreement to support and expand women's access to family planning and reproductive health and education, called the Cairo Consensus. The CEP and its partners are committed to improving the quality of life for women and children by advocating for their reproductive health and education to better improve our planet. For more information, please visit their website www.cepnet.org. Coalition Against Trafficking Women is an international organization that aims at promoting human rights and fighting against all forms of sexual violence. Although this non-governmental organization promotes human rights, its primary focus is sexual violence and sexual exploitation of women and children. CATW does not have a headquarters but is established in all regions of the world such as Face to Face International is a non-profit organization based in Global Exchange is an international human rights organization that was established in 1988. This organization promotes political, social and environmental justice globally. It is a grassroots organization that puts people before profits. Its main goal is to educate the U.S. public about critical global issues, it promotes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and creates people to people ties. Global Exchange is located in California, but the website provides information about how human rights are being violated worldwide, and it allows people to become involved by knowing what is going on and having them write letters or sign petitions. This program is an excellent resource for activist groups if they want to work for international human rights. Also volunteers and interns travel all around the world collecting information to inform the p!
eople of the U.S. about violations of human rights in other countries. The website is www.globalexchange.org and contact information is 415.255.7296 ext 256. Greenpeace is an independent organization that addresses global environmental dilemmas through forms of nonviolence and other innovative confrontations in order to create solutions that ensure the capability of the earth to nurture life and diversity. Public campaigns organized by Greenpeace include The protection of oceans and forests, the waning use of fossil fuels coupled with the promotion of renewable energy to cease climate alterations, the eradication of toxic chemicals, the deterrence of genetically modified organisms being released into nature, a stop to the threat of nuclear contamination and safe and sustainable trade. Greenpeace does not accept or solicit funds from any corporations, political parties, governments, or any other source that would compromise the independence or objectives of the group. Some of the projects that Greenpeace International has been a part of include a bans on the exportation of toxic wastes to less developed countries, the discarding of radioactive and industrial waste and disused oil installations at sea, and on all nuclear weapons testing. To get further information about some of the projects sponsored by Greenpeace visit their website at http://www.greenpeace.org/international or to find out how to volunteer in your area visit http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/contact/index-int. The International Network of Women Against Tobacco (INWAT) is a global group of over 70 countries fighting to eliminate tobacco for the overall health of women and girls. INWAT plans and holds conferences on tobacco control, distributes information about tobacco related issues, and provides contacts to other organizations. Their events are mainly comprised of conferences and speakers as well as their newsletter that discusses women and tobacco awareness plus health concerns related to the effects of tobacco. Their newsletter is published at least twice a year including information about past and future INWAT events. For more information please visit http://www.inwat.org. Madre is an international women's human rights organization. Madre representatives work directly with women and their communities to change conditions and exploitation as a direct result of ongoing imperialism. This women-led, women-run international human rights group is also dedicated to informing people in the U.S. about the effects of U.S. foreign policy on communities around the world. Madre is located at: 121 West 27 th Street #301, NY, NY 10001. Phone: 212-627-0444. Fax: 212-675-3704. website: www.madre.org. Men Can Stop Rape is an international group operating with the goal of eliminating violence against women via the education and participation of men. The group challenges the “normal” view of masculinity and promotes alternative visions on male strength and gender equality. Men Can Stop Rape empowers young men through awareness and action, teaching that male violence is not inevitable. One of the most important programs they sponsor is the “strength training program,” which encourages young men to take an active role in their communities and challenge the actions and behaviors that support rape. Men Can Stop Rape has participated in many programs and activities in the past and will continue to do so. Some of the upcoming events they will take part in, are; a Take Back the Night Presentation at Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Center (RAINN), a national organization, is the largest anti-sexual assault organization in the nation, educating the public about sexual assault and leading national and, at times, international efforts to better services for victims of abuse and increase the fight against rape in society. They provide education, abuse prevention, prosecution, and recovery to more than 120 individuals per year and focuses on “maximizing outreach while minimizing costs.” Their three primary objectives are to further develop a national assault hotline providing confidential and free counseling to victims of abuse, to launch public education and policy campaign in hopes of increasing the likelihood that victims will report their rapists for punishment, and to continue carrying out these first two objectives to increase awareness about the serious issue pertaining to sexual as!
sault. Their newest event, taking place on September 9th, involved Susan Sarandon sponsoring Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) began in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1977 as a politically and socially active group made of women. These women are united to fight for human rights and social justices, against inequality and oppression. RAWA members focus their efforts on the struggles of many Afghan women and children, trying to improve their conditions. After the Soviet Union invasion in 1978 RAWA expanded their mission and added efforts for peace to their agenda. Contemporary goals of RAWA include the dedication to the resistance to the fundamentalists and ultra fundamentalist Taliban government that has imposed the hindering, restrictive secular laws on their country. RAWA is largely unrecognized and is severely under funded. They need support in the form of a donation or a helping hand. Volunteers can educate awareness to RAWA's causes, voice or write support, help dis!
tribute or translate their publication Payam-e-Zan or collect and send donations. For more information or to join the mailing list go to http://www.rawa.org. United Nations Development Fund for Women was established in 1975 in response to the UN First World Conference on Women which was held in Women in Black is a networking attempting to acquire a sense of international peace. They do not consider themselves an organization in the traditional sense of the word but rather a way in which mobilization and action become a feasible option. Originating in Working Groups on Girls: Established in 1993 and based out of A World Connected is an organization that looks at the problems of globalization, global poverty, and global wealth by examining the lives of everyday people. Through ideals like universal freedom and exchange of ideas among all people A World Connected's mission is to find that common bond and eliminate human suffering caused by greed and inconsideration. Through projects like SIFE, Students in Free Enterprise, which is located on more than 1400 campuses around the world, A World Connected dedicates itself to improving business communications and ethics to improve the quality of life around the globe. This organization encourages participation in fighting against the consequences of globalization. The organizations social entrepreneurs' mission is to solve the problems that need to be solved through activism and encouragement. For more information on A World Connected visit www.aworldconnected.org. World Institute on Disability is an organization committed to developing and promoting public policy for the rights of people with disabilities. WID assists in the international exchange of information on disabilities and disability policy. They have established a coalition of people and resources to enable disability organizations throughout the world to network and develop programs for the inclusion of the disabled into their societies. By creating an international coalition with many countries, WID has participated in research studies to increase availability and awareness of the needs of people with disabilities. By advocating for the civil rights of people with disabilities, WID has developed a center for international exchange of information on research and policy. WID has an online magazine, Disability World that allow for the creative ex!
change of ideas. For more information on WID, the web site is located http://www.wid.org/. Worldwide V-Day is a non-profit organization that helps stop violence against women, educate about violence against women, educate to prevent violence, and liberate women worldwide. The V-Day organization is not an event that simply occurs on one weekend a year like most people think. V-day is a movement that happens all year long with events happening all the time. In 2004 there were 2,300 events for V-Day worldwide in 1,100 cities from all cultures and religions. The V-Day organization is a global group that participates and creates events that will help benefit the end to violence against women worldwide. The goal of the V-Day organization is to create, in the future, a world where women and girls around the world can be free and safe.Please visit: http://www.vday.org/contents/vday/aboutvday |
Assembled Fall 2004