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Petition Tag - justice

91. Review Banking fees and Bankruptcy rules

To the House of Commons:
The petition of Elspeth R
declares that:

Our current rules regarding banking and bankruptcy need urgently revising.

Since the downturn, there is very strong negative public feeling towards financial institutions. There is much anger at the bonuses and that public money has bailed out highly paid bankers of a crisis which we are suffering and paying for in many senses, whilst banks create debts for private customers as well as the country as a whole.

Banks extract huge fees from thousands of personal customers for going only a little over a limit, and these fees have no cap. Fees of up to £100 per month are taken automatically and there are cases where these have made those in hardship have four figure fees whilst investigations go on. This can lead to loss of banking facilities and demands for further money from banks. The High Court test case was a very drawn out way of looking at this issue, which is clearly deeply unbalanced. It is entirely in the bank's favour, and the furore around the unsuccessful case shows how strongly popular feeling is about this matter. Banks make over £1 billion each year through these fees, on top of their other profits.

Bankruptcy laws have been tightened without public consultation or even widespread knowledge; most websites on debt don't mention it, including the government's. In this time, debt has become very common. Debt is seen as bad but it is often the only way to improve circumstances, such as setting up business or paying for an education. Debt is also a result of materialism and consumerist society. Government cuts make this worse, especially to legal aid and for medical treatment.

Bankruptcy laws have been put in place by those who are well off. The previous £50 free spending money a month was tight – but the current £10 for 3 years shows no understanding of modern life or poverty. £10 per family member shows no understanding of single people and expects the burden and shame of bankruptcy to be spread across a whole household. And for a person already under pressure, to not have any kind of relief asks for other problems, such as depression. £10 a month means a single coffee a week. It won't buy a meal out; it won't allow you to leave your home town. It isn't even enough to rent a DVD each week. It isn't enough for a television licence. Bankrupts may have to sell anything of value. The law does not understand how things like DVD players, music and especially instruments, or computer games are vital. Whatever our financial circumstances, we all need a richer life; and after and during all the indignity and stress of debt, having pleasures and passions taken away is wrong and unfair.

Being without a bank account is very hard in today's society – even benefits want to pay into one. And anything extra the insolvent earns during those 3 years goes to the creditor, meaning that doing better financially gives them no relief and no benefit. Insolvents are even asked to pay to become insolvent, and are publically shamed by having their bankruptcy published.

Our whole ethos is built up on a contractual debt, blame and punishment that enters into every part of our existence. Banks and law unfairly control much of our society. The recurrence of recessions and other problems suggest that our current systems are not the way, and invite us to urgently look again – not try to continue much as before.

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92. Afin que le gouvernement Harper réalise le projet de loi Omnibus

Je parle au nom de tous les parents de victimes d'abus sexuels, qui ont du sans aucun autre choix, accepter une sentence bonbon pour un pédophile. La rage au coeur, quand tout le processus de dénonciation du pédophile est si hargneuse et éprouvante, longue et décevante. De quoi décourager des futures victimes a dénoncer ces crimes horribles, et vivre dans la peur et le silence. Encourageons la dénonciation, en imposant des peines qui sont en égal avec l'horreur du crime qu'est la pédophilie.

Qui y'a t'il de plus déchirant que de vivre avec cette douleur, tout en sachant que dans quelques années, voir même mois, le pédophile lui reprendra sa vie la ou il l'a laisser ?

Alors que les victimes eux, ne sont pas prêtes a vivre dans une société ou ce genre de criminel peut se refaire une vie, sans entraves. C'est d'une injustice sans nom.

M. Harper, votre projet de loi Omnibus apporterais justice pour les petites victimes, et soulagement a son entourage, qui ne veut que leur bien de ses enfants.

C'est ainsi qu'au nom de tous les parents des victimes de pédophiles, je vous demande de mener a bien et a terme ce projet de loi. Pour la protection future des autres générations, afin que nos enfants puissent enfin grandir sans cette constante menace de voir un pédophile réeintégrer la société trop tôt.

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93. Protect the Cotton-4

Fair trade is a trading partnership that provides sustainable development for poor producers and workers. The concept has been developed as response to current trade rules, which have not delivered for the overwhelming majority of small and vulnerable producers and poor workers in developing countries. We are writing to you today in honour of World Fair Trade Day, run by the WFTO.

Cotton is the most used natural fibre in the world and should be the ‘white gold’ that propels ten million West African farmers out of poverty. But the West African cotton industry is obstructed by a wall of subsidies paid by the United States and European Union to their farmers. Combined, the US and EU have spent $32bn on their cotton farmers over the past nine years. The result is to dampen down cotton prices for West African farmers, with devastating effects.

With an average GDP per capita of $637, and among the least developed countries on earth, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali (the Cotton-4) rely on cotton more than any other commodity for their export revenues. These countries also produce cotton more cheaply than anywhere else – a competitive advantage that logically should place them in a prime position to benefit from the world’s ever increasing desire for cotton products.

In 2003 the Cotton-4 brought this issue to the negotiating table at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) but have yet to secure a settlement. The Great Cotton Stitch-Up, a campaign spearheaded by the Fairtrade Foundation, explains that breaking through the wall of cotton subsidies hinges on reform of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the US Farm Bill – both of which are under review over the next two years.

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94. Petition to End Torture, Persecution, and Enslavement

Many United States citizens are being implanted and monitored and controlled with biochips, DNA chips, synthetic Biology and other forms of devices that cause pain, steal memories and intelligence for the sole purpose of subverting the human for use as a weapon against humanity.

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95. Justice for adel abdelbary

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/apr/20/egypt-british-justice-adel-abdel-bary

Adel Abdel Bary is a human rights lawyer who was for years one of Amnesty International's sources of information, given political asylum in the UK in 1993 to escape persecution from the Mubarak regime in Egypt. He was arrested here in 1998 as part of an investigation into an al-Qaida attack on US embassies in east Africa. However he was released after five days when the British police found there was no terrorism case to charge him with. Abdel Bary was then re-arrested in 1999 when his extradition was requested by the US on exactly the same "evidence" already dismissed in Britain.

This evidence, a single fax found in his office was sent by the UK to the US as part of the great fishing net of ‘intelligence’ in the ‘war on terror’, in which many injustices against individuals like Abdel Bary have been widely publicised in the global media.

Abdel Bary has spent the last 12 years in high security prisons within the UK including Belmarsh, Manchester, and Long Lartin, whilst extradition proceedings have been processed and challenged. During this time he has never been questioned, and no new evidence against him has been presented. Furthermore during these 12 years he has been separated from his wife and six children who live in London.

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96. Pinebrook Manifesto

On the 3rd of April 2011, 35 young people from five states in North India got together at the Pinebrook Center near Shillong to discuss the main justice issues facing North East India. Out of this small meeting came the ‘Pinebrook Manifesto’ which you have before you.
We feel strongly that the political norms in our states must change.

We cry for more accountability, more honesty, more peace and more tangible solutions to the ongoing problems that destabilize and cripple the progress of our region. We have chosen six issues that need real and lasting change. This list is not exhaustive but we believe these are some of the main areas that need to be addressed. We realize that these issues are complex and that often we, the people of the North East, perpetuate the problems. But this manifesto is directed at us as much as it is our politicians. We want to see ourselves change as well as our leaders. All of us have signed this document; we ask that you also, as a person from the North East region, sign this document and join our movement for more integrity and justice in our States.

On May 15th we will send this manifesto, along with the signatures to the Chief Minister of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. This is just a small act but we believe even small movements of justice can situate us on a road to more peace. As Amos, the 8th century herdsman said “…let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream”. Send this link to your friends and your friends of friends from the North East. Join us in bring lasting change to our region.

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97. We demand real democracy based on the Declaration of Human Rights in all the nations of the world

I believe that a society functions best when all of its citizens feel safe, and free. I believe that this can be achieved in a truly democratic society with laws based on the Declaration of Human Rights. There might be a better system, but I believe that the best way to find that out is for all of us to be safe and free enough to discuss this.

If you believe the same, please sign this petition - no matter where in the world you live. One of our main resources is the human resource. Lets together tell the leaders of the world that we want societies in which we can harvest this resource in the best way possible. Leaders of the world - join in and tell each other the same.

If you think that you live in a country that already has a good democracy, please note that in the comment field and sign for the rest of the world. If you have a suggestion on how democracy can work better, in the world and/or in your country - use the comment field to add your thoughts. If the space there is not enough - write a blog or similar, and post a link in the comment field.

Please note that GoPetition.com save your IP address when you sign - they do inform clearly about this and have a good privacy policy. Nevertheless, be aware of this - no one can guarantee 100% internet security.

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98. Longer sentences for sex offenders and child abusers/killers

Do you think it's fair that an old man who sexually, physically and mentally abuses children can get half the sentence given that a younger offender would get? Recently, a 74yr old man was sentenced to 9yrs where he would have got 16-20yrs had he been younger.

Age doesn't stop these offenders from acting out their disgusting and evil behaviour, so why should they be treated like they are special? The judge who sentenced his man, even thanked him for pleading guilty and said he deserves credit for doing so.

It took a year for him to plead guilty, putting the child victims through hell. Tougher sentencing, tagged on release but after a minimum term applying to all with no reductions.

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99. Free Said Matinpour

Prisoner of conscience Said Matinpour, an Azerbaijani rights activist, is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence for his peaceful advocacy of the rights of the Azerbaijani minority.

Said Matinpour is a journalist, a graduate of philosophy at Tehran University. He is an advocate of linguistic and cultural rights for Iranians of Azerbaijani ethnicity, including their right to be educated in the Azerbaijani Turkic language.

Said Matinpour was detained a first time in February 2007 and held for 10 days in connection with his participation in peaceful demonstration marking International Mother Language Day, an annual event initiated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on 21 February.

On 25 May 2007 he was arrested in the city of Zanjan, north western Iran, and held, mainly in solitary confinement for over 9 months, in Section 209 of Evin prison in Tehran, which is run by the Ministry of Intelligence. He was tortured and now suffers from severe back pain and has been diagnosed with a lung infection and heart problem and needs medical care.

At the beginning of June 2008 during a court session held behind closed doors of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran sentenced Sa’id Metinpour to eight year’s imprisonment. In December of 2008, the appeals court upheld his sentence. Said Matinpour is serving his prison sentence in Evin, Tehran.

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100. URGENT ! Free Shirkou Moa'refi

UPDATE : HRANA 30 JANUARY 2013

Situation of Sentenced to Death Kurdish Prisoner is Uncertain.

The dossier of Sherko Ma'arefi, political prisoner in Saqqez prison who has been sentenced to death, is still at forgiveness and pardon committee in Sanandaj without any respond.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Sherko Ma'arefi the political prisoner in Saqqez prison who has sentenced to death by revolutionary court, is in danger of execution while he is waiting for the respond of forgiveness and pardon committee in Sanandaj to his dossier.

This political prisoner from Baneh who is 30 years old, has arrested on September 30th of 2008 and has been sentenced to death by first branch Saqqez revolutionary court on charge of enmity against God.

After he appealed his verdict, branch 4 of the appealed of the province confirmed the verdict. one year later, in October of 2009 the supreme court confirmed the death verdict and since that time Sherko Ma'arefi is in danger of the execution enforcement.

Then his dossier sent to the provincial forgiveness and pardon committee and this committee refused to respond to Ma'arefi's family till now.

Also Sherko Ma'arefi did hunger strike in protest to his uncertain situation in March of 2012 and informed the court and prison officials through a letter.

Translated by: Ramyar Hassani

Source : Hrana

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


12 April 2012 -

Shirkoo Moarefi, a Kurdish citizen from Baneh, who is presently on death row inside Saghez Central Prison, has been on a hunger strike since Wednesday, 4 April to protest his ambiguous situation.

Prison authorities transferred Moarefi to solitary confinement after he announced his hunger strike. His lawyer, Khalil Bahramian, told Kordpa News Agency on 28 March that his client’s execution may be imminent.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Shirkouh Mao’arefi, the 31 year-old Kurdish political prisoner from the province of Baaneh has been charged with “Moharebeh” and therefore sentenced to execution. In an open letter, his family has pleaded to the international community and human rights organizations for their immediate support in overturning his death sentence.

Mao'arefi’s family has been notified by the court that his sentence is scheduled to be carried out on 11th of Ordibehesht (May 1, 2011).

Since his arrest on October 31, 2008, Shirkouh Mo’aarefi has been kept in the Intelligence Department’s prison (maximum security) in the city of Saghez. All the while, the Campaign for the Defense of Political Prisoners in Iran has protested the continuous mistreatment and unlawful treatment of Shirkouh Mo’aarefi, and repeatedly requested assistance from local and international human rights defense organizations in efforts to save the life of this man as well as other political prisoners’.

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101. STOP BABY PETER'S KILLERS BEING RELEASED

We all know what Peter Connelly endured at the hands of Steven Barker, Jason Owen and Tracy Connelly.

I make this petition to ensure neither one EVER gets released!

Plain and simple- keep them in prison until they die!

Do you agree?
Please sign.....

~JUSTICE FOR PETER~

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iKaDx47Sx8fiSmT4S8loyQ?feat=directlink

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102. A Petition to Avoid an American Quagmire in Libya

The United States cannot afford a deepening quagmire in Libya. We call on President Obama to seek authorization from the U.S. Congress for his Libyan bombing campaign, including a mission statement limited to protecting Libyan civilians, a viable diplomatic strategy, an exact cost projection, and a timeline for the rapid withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops before the war becomes another quagmire.

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103. Free the Spearman Siblings

Two, black, siblings, Reginald and Jennifer Spearman, of Pike County, Pennsylvania, are seeking help from their community; Civil Rights Leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson of The Rainbow Push Coalition; and Benjamin Jealous, President of The NAACP.

Reginald and Jennifer are asking all fair and sincere people throughout the United States to sign a Petition for a Hearing to be granted by the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons.

The Spearman Siblings have served 6 of their 25 years sentence for charges of Aggravated Assault in their alleged involvement in a 2003 New Year’s Party Brawl in Birchwood, a community located in Milford, Pennsylvania.

During their time in prison, Jennifer has completed numerous programs in college focusing on Business, Fiber Optic systems and becoming a Network Cable Specialist. Jennifer has also earned a Certification in Paralegal studies in less than two years and is now preparing to take a test in July of 2011 for her license in the field of Cosmetology. Unfortunately, due to Reginald’s minimum time served, he was deprived of the chance to enroll in programs offered by the State. However, Reginald was determined to better his life, and has since already completed one year of college level Business courses and has also maintained an average of 97% on his requirements to become a Certified Paralegal by June of 2011.

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104. End rewards for failed Bankers

Failed Boss of RBS Fred Goodwin has obtained a super injunction against anyone naming him as a banker this is a gross misuse of the courts and a travesty of justice. The truth is all important if it is true it should not be possible to stop people telling the truth.

Just as individuals should have a defence against being slandered they should have no defence against the truth. Fred Goodwin has also kept his rewards of a knighthood and £200000 pension despite failing so badly he was one of the main causes of the current recession.

This sets a terrible precedent and encourages incompetent behaviour from executives.

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105. Medical Cannabis Patient Advocates Demand More Care Not Convictions

Despite President Obama's statement on policy regarding Medical Cannabis, Melinda Haag, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Northern California, refuses to dismiss prosecutions on medical cannabis, failing to adhere to the new found policy, as accurately stated by Shona Gochenaur, Executive Director of Axis of Love SF, "The president of our country made it clear to voters that he would not waste Federal resources on medical cannabis prosecution, all we are asking for is for this policy direction to be implemented and not to waste tax payers' resources!!"

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106. Medical Cannabis Patient Advocates Demand Care Not Convictions

Despite President Obama's statement on policy regarding Medical Cannabis, Melinda Haag, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Northern California, refuses to dismiss prosecutions on medical cannabis, failing to adhere to the new found policy, as accurately stated by Shona Gochenaur, Executive Director of Axis of Love SF, "The president of our country made it clear to voters that he would not waste Federal resources on medical cannabis prosecution, all we are asking for is for this policy direction to be implemented and not to waste tax payers' resources!!"

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107. Medical Cannabis Patient Advocates Demand More Care Not Convitions

We as advocates demand that our U.S. Attorney dismiss this vindictive case against the Fiel family in the interest of justice and re-directing Federal resources to urgent matters as health care and education.

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108. UPR Recommendations: Implement them now

In 2006 the Human Rights Council began reviewing the human rights record of all 192 members of the UN as part of the new Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. This involves a systematic peer review of all types of human rights in all countries belonging to the UN every four years. The initial review of all countries will be completed in 2011.

On 27 January 2011 Australia was reviewed by a Working Group of the Human Rights Council. Thirty of the 145 recommendations for Australia to improve human rights referred directly to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Many other recommendations will also impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Australia has yet to accept or reject any recommendations choosing instead, to formally respond at the June 2011 session of the Human Rights Council.

This is an opportunity for us as Australians to hold our Government accountable to the international human rights standards accepted by the rest of the world.

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109. ENGELS OC MOET ZELFDE VOOR IEDEREEN

De HAVO5-klas van mevrouw Louwenaar mag het artikelendossier met daarin 10 artikelen, volledig uitgewerkt inleveren op 1 april, in plaats van de geplande datum 1 maart. Dit in tegenstelling tot de rest van HAVO5. Ben je het hier niet mee eens, TEKEN.

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110. End Mandatory Minimum Sentencing

In 1986, Congress enacted Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws. These laws took the discretion away from judges, who traditionally have been entrusted to take a number of factors into account in order to give the fairest sentences and placed the power to determine the length of sentences into the hands of prosecutors.

In drug related crimes, under the Mandatory Minimum Sentencing laws, the length of a defendant's sentence is based solely on the amount of drugs alleged by the prosecutor. Consequently, a violent low-level, first-time drug offender can receive as much, and in some instances more time, than a violent repeat offender. Under these laws, the time seldom fits the crime, and thousands of children are left fatherless and motherless, thousands of parents are unable to share in their children's lives, because their children are imprisoned.

Many a grandparent becomes the parent to a child whose parent or parents are incarcerated often for so-called "drug conspiracy" crimes which require little or no proof.

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111. Stand against Ugandan government's proposed Anti Homosexuality Bill

Support for Ugandan Unitarian’s Fight for LGBT Equality.

The Unitarian Universalist Association of Uganda is preparing to take a strong and courageous stand against the Ugandan government's proposed Anti Homosexuality Bill. This legislation, proposed in the Ugandan Parliament, would criminalize homosexuality and enforce penalties of life imprisonment and capital punishment against gays and lesbians. Their allies would also face drastic punishments.

The UU Church of Kampala is one of the few religious organizations in Uganda that is welcoming and supportive of the LGBT community. In 2008 Unitarian Universalist representatives from America met with both gay and straight Ugandans who offered powerful accounts of the terror that the Ugandan LGBT community faces, and the importance of the congregation's support. This visit occurred many months before the current legislation was proposed.

Ugandan UUs plan to hold a conference on February 14, 2010, to highlight the need for an end to discriminatory treatment of the LGBT population—and their allies—in the country. The Conference also has the following goals:

• To achieve permanent, fundamental, real equality for bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people by affecting fundamental changes in the attitudes of society.

• To defeat discriminatory legislation and exclusionary policies and practices.

• To build a strong social movement of LGBT people with a fully representative and activist base.
The conference will include programs about Promoting Equality and Access to Justice, Research, and Lobbying/Advocacy. More than 200 Ugandans from various faith traditions are expected to attend.

UUA President Peter Morales recently wrote,
“Rarely, if ever, has the UU tradition of living our faith been more crucial than it is at this moment. Right now in Uganda we have seen an alarming rise in violence and prejudice toward people who are even assumed to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). Right now, Ugandan citizens, including members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Uganda, fear they will be killed because of this growing culture of oppression against LGBT people.”

Two days after this announcement activist David Kato (pictured) was beaten to death. Before his death, he had recently warned that the lives of LGBT people in Uganda were in danger. A newspaper in Uganda had published the names and addresses of people suspected of being LGBT prominently on its front page. An accompanying article with the headline “Hang Them,” called for the death of the people listed.

Kato and several other Ugandan activists sued the paper and won. The Ugandan High Court ordered the newspaper to pay damages and to cease publishing the names of people it believed were gay or lesbian.
Kato was a Ugandan high school teacher who moved to South Africa in the 1990s after coming out. He returned to Uganda to advocate for gay rights, organizing the first gay rights news conference in Kampala. In his mid-40s, Kato had recently installed an alarm system in his house for protection.

The Ugandan Parliament is considering a bill that would condemn some homosexuals to life in prison or death. It has created a new level of fear for the country’s gay population. “The situation remains too dangerous for us to stand idly by,” Morales said.

Members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Uganda in Kampala are working to protect LGBT people in Uganda, led by the Rev. Mark Kiyimba. “We cannot, in good conscience, allow them to struggle alone,” Morales said. “Even recent anti-bigotry legislation in Uganda will not stop the hatred and violence aimed at the LGBT community.”

I invite you to sign this petition condemning the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill and the current spate of persecution being endured by the LBGT Community in Uganda and urging the Ugandan Government to seek to institute laws which will bring about justice and equality to all its people regardless of race, gender or sexuality.

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112. A Living Wage for all Oxford University employees

A Living Wage is the minimum level of pay required to maintain a decent standard of living. Unlike the minimum wage, it takes into account many factors including the actual costs of housing, council tax, transport, food and childcare in that area.

The Living Wage is calculated by a formula from the National Income Standard, which is authorised by the Rowntree Trust.

Oxford City Council pays a Living Wage. The Greater London Authority promotes and pays a Living Wage. Universities, such as UCL and LSE, pay a Living Wage.

It is time Oxford University pays a Living Wage.

This petition demonstrates the wealth of student support for the Living Wage Campaign and will force the university and colleges to recognise that this is an important student and community issue.

How you can get involved:

1. You can come along to weekly meetings and get involved in helping to run the campaign. If you are interested in becoming a regular member please email: livingwage@ousu.org

2. You can be someone who we call on when we need to show the university that our campaign has support across the wider student community. This involves showing up to demonstrations and signing this petition! See ”What’s on in OUSU” in the OxStu for updates.

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113. Oppose the abolition of the Chief Coroner

Please join CRY’s campaign for justice for families of fit and healthy young people who are dying from undiagnosed but inherited heart conditions.

Every week in the UK, 12 young people (under 35 years) die from undiagnosed heart conditions and CRY believe there are hundreds more ‘broken hearts’ which are not being sent to heart specialists for proper examination due to short-comings in the coroners’ system.

This means other family members are at risk if a genetic heart defect is present; and bereaved families suffer even more heartache from not knowing the true cause of death.

To stop these short-comings, a Chief Coroner must be at the heart of the coroners’ system.

A Bill is going through Parliament NOW which proposes to abolish the role of Chief Coroner for England and Wales and this needs to be stopped.

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114. Help us preserve our Constitutional rights

Approximately 26 years ago some truly Anti-American judges in New York State began to erroneously proclaim that the 2nd Amendment Rights are not Rights, they are “privileges”.

This past June the United States Supreme Court finally spoke out (see McDonald, et al v. City of Chicago, et al, 561 U. S. __ (2010)) and reaffirmed what we already knew, that the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America is a natural right and it is certainly not a privilege and that the states (Licensing Officers, judges, etc.) cannot legally treat it, in any way shape or from, as a privilege (defined as “an advantage not enjoyed by all; a particular or peculiar benefit enjoyed by a person, company, or class beyond the common advantages of other citizens”, emphasis added, see Assistant Professor Steven Gifis’ Law Dictionary, Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., 1975).

Indeed, to consider the definition alone, obviously, the Bill of Rights would be meaningless and America would no longer be the land of the free, if public servants are allowed to act as if any of our rights are, instead, a mere privilege.

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115. Free Hadi Abedi Bakhoda, a very ill political prisoner!

Hadi Abedi Bakhoda is a political prisoner of the 1980s on charges of supporting the main Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). He was tortured and shot by the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), when arrested.

His spinal cord was damaged in such a way that he now cannot walk and is in a wheelchair since the incident. The shooting also damaged other organs including his kidneys and his bladder that had failed totally. Since then, he suffers from debilitating physical complications as a result of his injuries. Abedi Bakhoda's wife and Mehri Javan Mahjub (a former prisoner) were arrested and sent to Lakan Prison. His brother, Hormoz, was executed by the Iranian regime on similar charges.

Branch One of the Revolutionary Court condemned Hadi Abedi-Bakhoda for two years imprisonment in 2009 (he then was transferred to the Lakan prison in Rasht in Nov 2009) even if he was not capable of imprisonment due because of his severe physical infirmities. The coroner's office, prison clinic and other health institutes confirmed this fact at the time and also demanded his release but the Intelligence Ministry and the Revolutionary Court have never paid attention to his conditions, therefore, he was transferred to prison.

Hadi Abedi-Bakhoda is sent to hospital only when his conditions become very critical, but ultimately because of his fragile health, they are forced to give him sick-leave.

According to Human Rights Activists in Iran, on Monday May 23, 2011, the Revolutionary Court of Rasht (Branch One) summoned Hadi Abedi-Bakhoda to notify him that the lash ruling against him would have been carried out despite his health conditions (his bladder was not functioning properly and he was suffering from a severe kidney disorder) and did not even consider the fact that he was in a wheelchair: he then received 51 lashes for the alleged crime of not reporting to the Lakan prison in Rasht on time when he was hospitalized during a sick-leave.

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116. Kaylor's Justice: stop child abuse or neglect

ABUSE STATISTICS----

More than half (61 percent) of the children (771,700 children) were victims of neglect, meaning a parent or guardian failed to provide for the child's basic needs.

Forms of neglect include educational neglect (360,500 children), physical neglect (295,300 children), and emotional neglect (193,400).

Another 44 percent were victims of abuse (553,300 children), including physical abuse (325,000 children), sexual abuse (135,000 children), and emotional abuse (148,500 children).

An average of nearly four children die every day as a result of child abuse or neglect (1,760 in 2007).

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117. Overhaul the National Sex Offender Registry Immediately!

Since becoming law in 2004, Canada's National Sex Offender Registry has not assisted in ONE criminal case.

Registration isn't even mandatory. If a convicted sex offender is ordered onto the registry, the RCMP have no way to keep track of them. In Canada, our registry relies on the honour system, dependent on the goodwill of our convicted sex offenders.

Computer system is archaic - RCMP has needed to create separate hard copy systems, a Rolodex or an Excel spreadsheet.

There can be NO pro-active use, use is only for after a crime has occurred.

Annual budget for a National Sex Offender Registry to keep convicted pedophiles and predators away from our children is $400,000 (My Alberta Premier's salary is $208,000)

Correctional Services of Canada refuses to inform the RCMP of when convicted sex offender have finished their sentence.

Police Officers cannot access the system.

The Federal Government is obsessed with the privacy rights of our convicted sex offenders at the expense of the privacy rights of our children's bodies & souls.

Prosecutors are using the Registry as a negotiation chip during plea bargains. In other words: plead guilty, and even though you're a convicted sex offender, you won't have to register.

In Canada, we Pardon our convicted sex offenders.
When this is done, all information from the registry is destroyed.
Convicted sex offenders should never be allowed to be pardoned. After years of research and debate, it is clear that there is no cure for pedophilia.

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118. Pursue Charges for RCMP/Police who Break the Law

RCMP and police officers in Canada who often misuse their granted powers tend to either not have any criminal charges laid, charges dropped, or the minimum possible charge (i.e. misconduct). Officers if charged also face little disciplinary action from the police.

This tends to occur from "self investigations" of the RCMP. If RCMP or police officers in Canada break the law (i.e. Assault, Murder, Manslaughter, DUI, etc.) they should be investigated by civilians and not other police forces, especially their own.

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119. Support award of Nobel Peace Prize to Julian Assange

Julian Assange is the public face of Wikileaks, the organization that has done so much to expose the evil actions of the US and other governments - actions which those governments would rather keep secret.

He is currently under lock and key in the UK, on trumped-up charges widely seen as an excuse to get him into captivity with the aim of discouraging further disclosures of information which it is so evidently in the public interest to disclose.

An award of a Nobel Peace Prize to this courageous man would recognize his contribution to justice and would encourage further leaks of information from those who are considering revealing facts but who might otherwise decide not to.

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120. Reinstate the Death penalty for Child Murderers

Baby Peter Connelly, Victoria Climbié, RyanLovell Hancox, Little Charlie Hunt to name just a few.

All of these babies were deliberately and brutally attacked under a sustained campaign of torture and hatred before being murdered by an adult supposedly looking after them.

Justice for the families and for the children themselves can only be achieved by the reinstatement of a penalty that fits the horrific nature of the crime.
Soft justice simply does not work.

We need harsh and unforgiving penalties for the perpetrators of these kinds of deliberate and despicable acts on defenceless babies and children.

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