Human Rights Day Planning Committee Now Accepting Nominations for Awardees

The Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day will take place on December 6^th from 5-7pm in Nashville, Tennessee. The planning committee for the event is now accepting nominations for the prestigious human rights awards.

Tennesseans will gather on December 6^th to celebrate the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations, originally signed in 1948.

“Human Rights Day gives the community a chance to acknowledge advocates and leaders while also learning more about what human rights really mean for all people,” says planning committee chair Rev. Brian Fesler, who also pastors the Church of Scientology in Nashville.

The celebration centers around the three Human Rights awards: Rising Advocate, Outstanding Service and Lifetime Achievement. Fesler says that the committee has just opened the floor for nominations for this year’s awardees. Prospective names can be submitted at nashvillehumanrights.org/nominations.

The event will also have a panel discussion on child trafficking and various exhibits from human rights organizations. All information regarding the event can be found at the website nashvillehumanrights.org, and Fesler encouraged anyone interested to visit the website to find out how to get involved. 

Nashville Amnesty Group Receives Help from Neighbors to the South

Amnesty International is preparing for a statewide human rights conference at the end of September 2013, and is receiving support from the Southern Regional Office based in Atlanta, GA.

This week the Southern Regional Office for Amnesty International traveled to Tennessee to provide assistance to the Nashville chapter in planning a statewide conference for the end of September.

“This will be the first statewide conference for Amnesty in Tennessee,” says Julie Brinker, co-organizer of the Nashville chapter of Amnesty International. Brinker has been working to promote and educate others on human rights since 2004 when she joined Youth for Human Rights, a program supported by the Church of Scientology.  With nearly ten years of work under her belt, she is a veteran in educating others on their basic human rights, and now she is working to extend that education further through Amnesty International’s conference.

Brinker couldn’t contain her enthusiasm, “All are welcome to attend – if you’re part of Amnesty International already, interested in joining, interested in human rights, or just want to know more – you should be there!”

The conference is set for September 21, 11am – 3pm in the Belmont United Methodist Church Community Center. 

Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 3 million supporters, members and activists in over 150 countries and territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights.  It is independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion, and funded mainly by membership and public donations.  Amnesty International’s vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.

For information on how to get involved with the local chapter of Amnesty International, write to amnestynashville@gmail.com.