Change the World: Stand up for Human Rights

A cry for help:

The crisis in Zimbabwe is getting worse by the day. Every day that passes, more and more people will suffer and die unnecessarily…No one individual, party or organization can solve the Zimbabwean crisis alone. We call on all concerned world leaders, individuals and organizations to work together in tackling the Zimbabwean crisis now, before it is to late.

The crisis in Zimbabwe ranks among the world’s worst government-created humanitarian disasters.
Zimbabwe now has:

* lowest life expectancy in the world - 37 years
* Only one doctor per ten thousand people
* over 85% of the population living in poverty
* worst inflation in the world: over 7000% and rising
* 2 million people vulnerable to starvation
* innocent men, woman and children brutalized and tortured by the police on a daily basis

Robert Mugabe, the great freedom fighter who brought Zimbabwe independance, would like you to believe that the problems are a result of colonialism and the policies of the West (which are mainly sanctions on travel by senior ZANU-PF officials and the attempt to get food aid distributed for humanitarian rather than political purposes).

But despite the fragmentation of the opposition and the fierce bullying of its leaders, Zimbabweans are speaking out about the abuse of human rights taking place.

In September 2007, The Times reported on a new movement aiming to end police brutality by naming and shaming the most violent offenders - and taking them to court. Campaign group Restoration of Human Rights has encouraged unprecedented public action, and it’s the brainchild of two Zimbabweans who were living in Britain:

Until a few months ago Justin Shaw-Gray, 33, was in Godalming working in IT sales; Stendrick Zvorwadza, 38, was a business studies teacher at a college in Bradford. But the two men were so shocked at the repression in their homeland that they decided to give up their jobs and do something.

“We’re saying enough is enough of police brutality,” said Shaw-Gray. “We felt you might not be able to get rid of Mugabe, but we could make people aware of their rights and how to act. It seemed to us there were plenty of human rights organisations documenting abuses, but none actually doing anything about it.”

Follow this link for the full story, and to read about some of their amazing successes in calling ordinary people to action.

The pair have been arrested several times. Questioned about the risks on World Service radio, Shaw-Gray explained: “Zimbabwe has the lowest life expectancy in the world, and people are starving. We’re explaining to people that if you don’t stand up you’ll be dead anyway in six months, twelve months, maybe eighteen months, because the economic situation is so bad. You must stand up or you’ll die.”

Two things you can do:

1. Support the campaign for the Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe. Use this website to send a message of support to Justin, Stendrick and their colleagues in Zimbabwe who are putting their lives at risk to defend human rights in Zimbabwe. They are standing up in the face of extreme adversity; do what you can to help and encourage them.

2. Join The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy in London. This takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights by the current regime in Zimbabwe. The Vigil will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe.