Ceasefire: No more war crimes

Join the black ribbon MUNDO UNO campaign,
wearing it as your icon.
Why the black ribbon? Here are some words.
* MUNDO UNO it's a call for peace.
* MUNDO UNO means ONE WORLD.
* MUNDO UNO is a virtual protest against
the madness of the all the wars.
* MUNDO UNO is a way for us to say:
stop the killing of civilians, in both sides.

Shall we be ONE, one world, one face,
one people to change this.

....................................



"Civilians have been targeted in Lebanon by the Israeli
Defence Forces and in northern Israel by Hizbullah
leaving hundreds dead.

After weeks of fighting, bombs and rockets continue to fall indiscriminately on women, children, ambulances, rescue workers and other innocent victims of this escalating conflict. These deliberate attacks violate international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes.

Only an immediate, full and effective ceasefire will protect civilians on both sides, but calls for the warring parties to obey the laws of war and protect civilians have fallen
on deaf ears.

Meanwhile, governments that could exert their influence to end the crisis have chosen instead to prioritize their own political and military interests over innocent lives of civilians.

We, the international community, are not powerless in the face of this crisis. We must stand up together to protect the lives of civilians and to ensure no more war crimes are commited."

What can you do? Take action now!

1. Join Amnesty International in our Ceasefire vigil on Monday 7th August, around sunset

* We call for a ceasefire;
* We demand that all governments stop the supply of arms to the conflict; and
* We stand in solidarity with the victims and survivors on both sides of the Israel/Lebanon conflict.

Read more details at the banner link, from Amnesty International.

silence

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal. All photographs © 2006.

when my eyes open, the world will be fine

the NO face

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal.

In my country, in my heart.

That's a late reflexion. I made this portrait from Jason at the Children's day celebration, with CARF (Children at Risk Foundation). But this image became a symbol of my personal thoughts and feelings about the last gun's referendum we had in Brazil. I see a kind of mortuary mask.
I was remembering the emotions I felt while photographing those brave Mothers protesting at the II Urban Outcries Project, the communication program about firearms from CARF, at Diadema.

But with a two-thirds majority vote against banning the trade of firearms to the public.

And who pay the price of the right to have a gun?
Well, in the brazilian's lands: the poors, the street kids, the indigenous people, the black people, the landless workers... they pay it with life and tragedy. Will be only them who will really enlarge the numbers of gun's shot deaths. That's a very sad truth for us.

The news today, were telling that the NO Campaign (against the prohibition from the weapons free commerce) was totaly paid from only two industries of weapons, the Taururs and the CBC, who made an oficial donation of $2,4 millions to cover all the campaign after the vitory. There is no irregularity on that, just the moral and ethic questions. Did the brazilians vote for their own rights and certainties or for the results of this industries profit?
The YES Campaign hadn't received not even a half of this amount to their publicity; and in a country with a so large deficiency of schooling, the critic sense to evaluate all this is rare and a loss.

I understand that many were disappointed with the social politics of the governament, and that many voted as a protest against this. But the real consequences are that brazilians voted to stay exactly at the same place we are.
We didn't change anything.

We voted for the fear.

"I believe it to be a choice that goes far beyond a decision to whether or not we prohibit the trade of firearms in Brazil.
We are choosing what kind of society we want to be: turned towards individualism, an “every man for himself” attitude, or an organized society with social justice and citizenship"

Words from Carlos Eduardo Zuma, from Instituto Noos