Shamima Ali - Human Rights Defender of 2009

Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand (AIANZ) has granted its first ever Human Rights Defender Award to Shamima Ali, Executive Director of the Fiji Womens Crisis Centre in Suva, Fiji.

Ali was presented the award at a ceremony on International Human Rights Day (10 December), in recognition of her outstanding contribution towards improving womens rights in Fiji and throughout the Pacific.

Human rights defenders put themselves on the front line, often risking life and limb to stand up for what they believe in. While we may take that for granted in New Zealand, we still need to remember that human rights abuses are happening on our doorstep, says Patrick Holmes, Chief Executive Officer of AIANZ.

To Read More, go to http://tinyurl.com/defender09

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Amnesty International
• Fiji
• Women
• Pacific

[DesiDost29]

Presently you can go about doing your business in Fiji. Prior to December 2006, one would have to think twice before doing anything. Crime rate has decreased drastically. There are more human rights as of today than 4 years ago. Yes, lot of pain is being expercienced by the hoodlums since they are not able to terrorize the public now a days. This is what was exactly needed right after the events of 1987. Equal rights for everyone with out exception to color, religion, or ethnic background.

[CommunistNewZealand]

there are no constituionally entrenched human rights here, instead there is the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990-an ordinary statute repealable by a simple majority vote in Parliament.

Unlike the US Courts the courts in NZ have no inherent power to review primary legislation and strike it down as un-constitutional. There are journal articles on this, however the debate remains largely hypothetical.

The doctrine of Marbury v Madison does not apply in NZ

[dhruyp2000]

Rock-on mi a amiga from Natabua 1968 ;-)

[tanzfiji]

You go Shamima!!!