Global Exchange staff all dressed up at 10th Annual Human Rights Awards gala

The Tenth Annual Human Rights Awards (HRA) was a spectacular success!

The sold out event included inspirational speeches by honoree Annie Leonard and Daniel Ellsberg who accepted the People’s Choice Award on behalf of Bradley Manning. The participation of the entire Global Exchange staff, board, and community made this night special.

So who showed up? Too many to name them all, but guests in attendance included friends and supporters from The Story of Stuff, Bradley Manning Support Network and Courage to Resist, Ben & Jerry’s, Sungevity, Aspiration, and many more. We  mixed and mingled with long-time Global Exchange supporters and welcomed the opportunity to meet lots of new people doing great work.

Thank you to our Sponsors and everyone who joined us at the HRA as we honored the work of:

Annie Leonard delivering inspiring speech

Story of Stuff Creator Annie Leonard — Annie inspired the crowd with her amazing passion for environmental health and justice. She has made it her life’s work to highlight important issues plaguing our world today. On Thursday night, she asked all of us to make the movement for justice go viral and inspire 15 million more people to action. Stay tuned and be ready to spread the upcoming video: The Story of Change.

Daniel Ellsberg Nixon-gesturing before delivering his speech on behalf of Bradley Manning

PFC Bradley Manning (accepted by Daniel Ellsberg) accused Wikileaks whistleblower. Daniel Ellsberg remarked that accepting the award on behalf of Bradley Manning was one of the greatest honors of his life. Keep up with the work of the Bradley Manning Support Network.

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All in all, the 10th Annual Human Rights Award Gala was a great time, from the delicious food and ‘Justice and Ginger’ signature cocktail, to the inspirational speakers and activities, including the “I am Bradley Manning” (and “We are Bradley Manning”) photo ‘booth’.

Thanks again to Ben & Jerry’s, Green Mountain Coffee, and all of our Sponsors and those who participated and helped make the 10th Annual Human Rights Awards such a special night.

We hope to see you next year. In the meantime, below are some photo highlights of our honorees, guests, friends and staff. The complete set of photos you’ll find on our Facebook page, so we encourage you to check those out!

2012 Human Rights Awards Gala — in Pictures

Annie Leonard and Kevin Danaher

Ashley from Care2 and Rae from CodePink

Board member, Walter Riley and son in front of San Francisco City Hall

Aspiration staff & friends in front of San Francisco City Hall

Bradley Manning Support Network guests with People's Choice Award and Carleen Pickard

We are Bradley Manning photo booth in action

Ben & Jerry's Jeff Furman with Carleen Pickard

Global Exchange intern Sue with Daniel Ellsberg

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 TAKE ACTION!

Visit Facebook to see all the pictures from the 10th Annual Human Rights Awards.

Daniel Ellsberg Photo Credit: www.ellsberg.net

Daniel Ellsberg is a lecturer, writer and activist on the dangers of the nuclear era, wrongful U.S. interventions and the urgent need for patriotic whistleblowing with an interesting background of his own. From Daniel Ellsberg’s website:

In 1967 Ellsberg worked on the top secret McNamara study of U.S. Decision-making in Vietnam, 1945-68, which later came to be known as the Pentagon Papers. In 1969, he photocopied the 7,000 page study and gave it to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; in 1971 he gave it to the New York Times, the Washington Post and 17 other newspapers. His trial, on twelve felony counts posing a possible sentence of 115 years, was dismissed in 1973 on grounds of governmental misconduct against him, which led to the convictions of several White House aides and figured in the impeachment proceedings against President Nixon.

Hope to see you! So, if you find yourself in the California Bay Area on May 10th, we hope you join us at the historic Green Room (401 Van Ness) in San Francisco from 6PM – 8:30PM for this fabulous Human Rights Awards Gala. Awaiting you will be drinks, passed appetizers, and the opportunity to mingle with awardees, Global Exchange staff, and other progressives.

And there’s a silent auction? Yep, for the cherry on top of this delicious evening, there will also be a silent auction featuring lots of incredible items up for auction at great prices during the awards gala. Last year’s auction included fine artwork, Fair Trade gift baskets, getaways and more. I wonder what tempting auction items there will be this year. Come out on May 10th to find out. I look forward to meeting some of you there.

That's me with a few of my personal heroes Ben & Jerry and Kevin Danaher at the 2011 Human Rights Awards

TAKE ACTION!

• Get Tix: 2012 Human Rights Awards Tickets
• Find out more: More about the 2012 Human Rights Awards
• See pics from last year: Photos from the 2011 Human Rights Awards Gala on Facebook 

There are some awesome items up for bid; one-of-a-kind getaways, fine dining gift certificates, collectable artwork, electronics, and lots more.

And the best part? New items are added throughout the auction so when you’re on the site checking your bid, don’t forget to keep your eyes open for new items. Auction ends 19th!

Here are a few of my favorite items up for bid (to get the complete picture, check out the auction online):

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Live the Story of Stuff

Go on a once in a lifetime adventure with 2012 Human Rights Award Winner Annie Leonard!  Annie Leonard, creator of The Story of Stuff video, will lead a San Francisco Bay Area tour to find out what happens to all that stuff once it’s been thrown away.  You’ll get an up-close look at the leftovers of our consumer economy, with personal instruction from an expert.

iPad 2

Are you always on the go yet still need to stay connected? Then bid on this iPad 2 (16gb with wi-fi). Features include core dual-processor, built-in cameras, and long-lasting battery. Users can take advantage of over 70,000 third party applications as well.(Psst, Mom. I don’t have one yet, and I reaallly want one.)

Green Festival VIP Passes, Tour and Lunch with Co-Founder Kevin Danaher

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the largest sustainability event in the country – Green Festival. Kevin Danaher, Green Festival Co-Founder, will personally take you on a VIP tour of the Green Festival. Introducing you to vendors, speakers and event producers. After the tour, enjoy an organic, local lunch and a private conversation with movement leader, Kevin Danaher.  Includes 2 passes to a 2012 Green Festival of your choice. (2012 Green Festivals held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C.)

One Week Stay in a Paris Apartment

This amazing package is valid for a 2-4 person stay in a beautiful, fully equipped apartment for 1 week in Paris! You will be delighted to stay in a charming apartment in Montmartre, Paris (France) – and live like a Parisian while doing it. Ooh, la la!

SO LET’S GO!

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Auction: Ladies and gents, let the bidding begin!

Human Rights Awards: Join us at the 10th annual Human Rights Awards.

Now, we have news that former Human Rights Awards Honoree, Van Jones, is making another mark on the world with his upcoming book, Rebuild the Dream. The book is set to be released tomorrow, April 4th on the 44th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination.

Rebuild the Dream is a candid narrative about Van’s personal lessons from being a grassroots organizer turned White House insider and back into a grassroots organizer. He reflects on the missteps made by both the Obama administration and our movement — as well as key insights on the rise of the Tea Party and Occupy/99% Movements.

In Van’s words,

When I started writing my new book, Rebuild the Dream, I was thinking about you and the millions of Americans like you who voted for hope and change in 2008. We found out that it was a lot harder than we thought…

…ultimately this book is just the prologue to what comes next, and that is why I wrote it for you. America is not broke. We are a rich nation, and we can do much better than we are doing.

We need a game plan for victories now and in the years to come. To win, we need to build a grassroots movement as big as anything we’ve ever seen — on scale with the historic civil rights movement. This book offers my best thinking about how we can get there.

We congratulate our friend and ally, Van Jones and his continued work to restore hope in our movement and rebuilding the American Dream.

Pre-order a copy of Rebuild the Dream today!

For more information about Van Jones and his organization Rebuild the Dream, visit their site. Also, be sure to watch his latest interview with Amy Goodman on DemocracyNow!

Bradley Manning

With over 2,900 votes, the people have chosen PFC Bradley Manning as the 2012 People’s Choice Award winner.  Global Exchange is proud to honor Bradley Manning, and we hope you’ll take a moment to read more about this year’s winner.

It takes great courage to stand for what you know is right.  Bradley Manning, a 24-year-old Army intelligence analyst, joined the army at age 19.  Before deploying to Iraq, when a friend asked that he “stay safe,” Bradley replied, “I’m more concerned about making sure that everyone: soldiers, marines, contractors, even the local nationals, get home to their families.”

Bradley is accused of leaking a video showing the killing of civilians, including two Reuters journalists, by a US Apache helicopter crew in Iraq.  He is also charged with sharing the documents known as the Afghan War Diary, the Iraq War Logs, and embarrassing U.S. diplomatic cables, with the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks.  The video and documents have exposed the true number and cause of civilian casualties in Iraq, human rights abuses by U.S. funded contractors and foreign militaries, and the influence that corporate interests have on U.S. foreign policy.  Journalists have credited the release of these documents with helping to motivate the democratic revolution in Tunisia as well as the final withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

In chat logs attributed to Bradley by the FBI, he explains what motivated him to act:

“I can’t separate myself from others…I feel connected to everybody…like they were distant family…I…care?  I prefer a painful truth over any blissful fantasy.  I think I’ve been traumatized too much by reality, to care about consequences of shattering the fantasy…God knows what happens now.  Hopefully worldwide discussions, debates, and reforms…I want people to see the truth…regardless of who they are…because without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a public.”

Although Bradley has not yet been tried, he was held in solitary confinement for the first 10 months of his incarceration.  During this time he was denied meaningful exercise, social interaction, sunlight, and was occasionally kept completely naked.  In one week in April 2011, over a half million people signed a petition to end his illegal treatment, as those conditions serve as “a chilling deterrent to other potential whistleblowers committed to public integrity.”  His supporters include famous whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, over 300 top legal scholars, veterans, and civilians around the world.

If the military continues refusing to acknowledge Bradley as a whistleblower, he may become the first person in U.S. history to be convicted of “Aiding the enemy through indirect means,” a crime punishable by life in prison or the death penalty, for telling the public the truth.

To learn more about how to support Bradley Manning, please visit the website of the Bradley Manning Support Committee: bradleymanning.org

Join us on Thursday, May 10, 2012 as we honor  Human Rights Award Honorees Bradley Manning and Annie Leonard at the Tenth Annual Human Rights Awards in San Francisco.  (Note that Bradley’s award will be accepted by a representative)

For more information about the Human Rights Awards, and to purchase tickets, please visit humanrightsaward.org.

We wrote last week about Federal Police breaking into the Paso del Norte Human Rights Center in Ciudad Juárez, an important host of the Caravan for Peace that was travelling 3,000 kilometers north to Juárez through cities hard hit by the drug war like Morelia, San Luis Potosi, Torreon, and Monterrey.

Many people wrote to U.S. officials about this atrocious break-in. The State Department response of privately expressing concerns to Mexican officials and publicly praising the spirit (though not the demilitarizing goals) of the caravan would not have happened without pressure. The Caravan arrived safely in Juárez last Thursday.

photo: Raymundo Ruiz / AP

The Caravan Arrives In Juárez

I met the Caravan on the outskirts of Juárez on Thursday evening as part of a noisy and expectant crowd of hundreds that swelled into more than a thousand as we waited hours in the sun and then descending darkness to welcome the 20 some buses and dozens of cars that had joined in. The caravan was late — mostly due to making repeated stops to speak with large groups of people who spontaneously organized to show their solidarity and give testimony along the route.

As you can see in the news reports we linked in the first paragraph, stories of pain, death, and victimization were a constant in all the meetings along the way. The leaders of the caravan, including Javier Sicilia, who was honored and spoke in San Francisco just days before at the Global Exchange Human Rights Awards Ceremony, listened and made careful note of the chillingly similar stories of brutality and impunity including horrors inflicted by army, police, criminals, and others.

Ted Lewis, Javier Sicilia and John Gibler at the 2011 Human Rights Awards Gala

What impressed me the most about the arrival of the Caravan in Juárez that night was the response it elicited from ordinary residents, shopkeepers, truck drivers, and others along the usually abandoned and eerily quiet streets of Juárez. Instead of spending evenings inside shuttered houses and behind multiple gates and padlocks as residents of Juárez have become accustomed to doing in recent times, people surged into the streets; whole families clustered on street corners at 10 PM to join smiling citizens who stopped to wave and in some cases, hold up handmade signs of welcome. The mood was infectious and spirits remained high even as a vast welcoming crowd in Villas de Salvarcar — a neighborhood shaken in 2010 by one of the war’s worst massacres – listened to a series of speeches and testimonies that lasted until one in the morning.

Building the Movement

On Friday morning, movement organizers met again on the campus of the University of Juárez. The aim was to discuss and clarify the goals of the movement, as well as to propose concrete steps for further action to build the movement and challenge the failed drug war strategy and its supporters on both sides of the border. The results of these meetings included calls for drug policy reform, ending the Merida Initiative, pressuring the U.S. to take measure to end gun trafficking, and to end the dangerous militarization of a public security. In the wake of the meetings, some tactical and other disagreements over emphasis have emerged, giving this powerful and morally grounded movement some difficult growing pains.

Global Exchange is supporting a number of campaigns to end gun trafficking, challenge the U.S. to get serious about drug policy reform (this week marks the 40th anniversary of Richard Nixon’s launching of the drug war in 1971), and end the Merida Initiative. Please check out the links in this paragraph for more information.

On Saturday, movement organizers crossed the border to headline a rally and multiple press conferences in El Paso, Texas. One of the most notable events of that day was the announcement that Cipriana Jurado Herrera had been granted political asylum in the United States — which she had sought based on her mistreatment at the hands of the Mexican Army. The granting of her petition, which exposes the routine abuses of the Mexican military, is unprecedented.

photo: Twitter user Sopitas.

Protest from the Air

On Sunday, far away in California, another event that shows the growing reach of Mexico’s peace movement took place. A small plane pulling a banner with the now familiar logo of the No Más Sangre (No More Blood) movement saying “40,000 Dead! How Many More?” passed above Stanford Stadium where Mexican President, Felipe Calderón, was about to give the commencement address to the graduating class of 2011. The fly over, which lasted for 15 minutes of the president’s 18 minute speech, was barely mentioned in U.S. publications, but created a firestorm of TV and front page news coverage across Mexico, where public challenges to the President are rare.

Articles and cartoons generated in the wake of the action are documented on this excellent Facebook page. This homemade video clip of the action has been posted widely and has already been viewed tens of thousand of times.

We will continue to update you on this growing peace movement in Mexico, and encourage you to sign our petition encouraging the Obama Administration to put an end to the Merida Initiative.

Ben Cohen, Tex Dworkin, Kevin Danaher, Jerry Greenfield Photo Credit: Natalie Mottley

The Ninth Annual Human Rights Awards was a great success!  The sold out event included inspirational speeches by three incredible honorees, witty banter by event emcees Ben & Jerry (in tuxedos!), and the participation of the entire Global Exchange staff, board, and community.

Since 2001, the Human Rights Awards Gala has brought together activists, supporters, and friends to recognize the efforts of exceptional individuals and organizations working for human rights from around the country and around the world.

Guests in attendance this year included folks from Ben & Jerry’s, CODE PINK, Dr. Bronner’s, Drug Policy Alliance, Fair Trade USA, Harrington Investments, Sungevity, The Pachamama Alliance, Thanksgiving Coffee, and a whole lot more!

Fair Trade models Jocelyn Boreta, Rae Abileah, Zarah Patriana

Fair Trade models donned Fair Trade outfits & accessories with “Ask Me About My Outfit” sashes or swatches. They strutted their stuff on the big stage to showcase some of the Fair Trade goodies being auctioned off during the silent auction, while guests enjoyed Fair Trade Certified Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream.

Thank you to everyone who joined us June 1, 2011, as we honored the work of:

• Gulf Coast Activist Wilma Subra (Domestic Honoree).  Wilma  is an accomplished environmental scientist who has been on the frontlines fighting for the rights of local communities in Louisiana following the Gulf Spill. Watch her speech at the HRA here.
  
• U.N. Ambassador for Bolivia Pablo Solón (International Honoree), a strong proponent of climate justice and the Rights of Nature.View his speech at the HRA here.
  
• Javier Sicilia (People’s Choice Honoree) , a poet building a movement to free Mexico from the spiraling violence of the ‘war on drugs.’ Watch his speech here.
  

Photographer Natalie Mottley

All in all, the 9th annual Human Rights Award Gala was a great time. If you weren’t able to make it, we hope to see you there next year!

The event was photographed and filmed by pros, and we’ll be sharing some of those clips n pics down the road a bit.

In the meantime, I brought my camera along to snap a few pics on my own during the event. Below are a few of them, plus one from photographer Natalie Mottley. Hope you enjoy!

2011 Human Rights Awards Gala Photos

Liza Gonzales and Medea Benjamin

Jason Mark, Antonia Juhasz, and Wilma Subra

Beth Rogers-Witte Garriott and Ashley Cline

Wanda Whitaker checking out the silent auction

Walter Turner and Pierre Labossiere

Kylie Nicole-Nealis and Cheryl Meeker

Mary & Mike Murphy and Kevin Danaher

Kevin Danaher and Jeff Furman

Javier Sicilia and Ted Lewis Photo Credit: Natalie Mottley

Pablo Solón and Carleen Pickard

Ben & Jerry’s Co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield graced us with their presence at the gala last year, but this is the first year they will actually emcee the event, so those who attend are in for an extra sweet treat!

Since 2001, the Human Rights Awards Gala has brought together activists, supporters, and friends to recognize the efforts of exceptional individuals and organizations working for human rights from around the country and around the world.

This year on June 1, 2011, we honor the work of Gulf Coast Activist Wilma Subra (Domestic Honoree), International Honoree U.N. Ambassador for Bolivia Pablo Solón, and People’s Choice Honoree Javier Sicilia, a poet building a movement to free Mexico from the spiraling violence of the ‘war on drugs.’

Ben Cohen and Yours Truly at our 2010 Human Rights Awards Gala

As you can probably tell from this picture on the left here, our awards gala was a great time last year, so if you’re in the Bay Area on June 1st, I hope you join us as we hear inspiring stories, dine, dance and celebrate along with Ben and Jerry, our Honorees, and your fellow social justice advocates.

ATTEND THE GALA

To purchase tickets: Order online here (early bird rate ends on May 13th)

General event info: Visit the event website at  www.humanrightsaward.org

“Not everyone can be famous. But everyone can be great.” -Martin Luther King Jr.

There are a lot of unsung heroes out there-hardworking people who struggle to make the world a better place. With just a few clicks of the mouse, you can give them the recognition and support they deserve.

It’s easy. Just log on to Global Exchange’s Human Rights Awards website, and nominate and vote for YOUR Human Rights Hero. The last day to nominate and vote is April 19, 2011.

Your nominations and votes help determine who will win Global Exchange’s People’s Choice Award and $1,000 towards their important work.

For close to a decade, we’ve been celebrating the individuals and organizations working for peace, justice and sustainability through our Annual Human Rights Awards. By participating in the selection of the People’s Choice Honoree, you can take part in the exciting effort to recognize the hardworking people who uphold the values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. You nominate. You vote. You decide.

And for those who win, your support means everything:

“Receiving Global Exchange’s People’s Choice Award in today’s political environment of Islamophobia was a true testament of my fellow Americans’ fairness, open mind and love for social justice and peace. It renewed my spirit and my commitment to building a beloved community.” – Samina Faheem Sundas, winner of the 2009 People’s Choice Award for Peace

What are you waiting for? It’s easy and free! Log on to http://humanrightsaward.strutta.com.

The power to choose this year’s People’s Choice Award winner is in your hands. Help us celebrate everyday greatness.

P.S. Join us on June 1st, 2011 in San Francisco for the Ninth Annual Human Rights Awards Gala-a night of dining, dancing, and fun! For more information please visit our event website at  http://humanrightsaward.org.

P.P.S. Global Exchange is hiring! Join the Global Exchange family.

This is Part 7 in an 8-Part “Giving Thanks” series, a Global Exchange exclusive highlighting individuals (chosen by Global Exchange staff members) who are contributing to our social justice work in some way. This series will culminate with a “Giving Thanks” video to be launched right here on Wednesday, November 24th. So please join us in recognizing those special individuals who are helping to make this world a better place.

Global Exchange proudly honored Van Jones earlier this year as the Domestic Honoree during our annual Human Rights Awards. Here Global Exchange and Green Festivals Co-Founder Kevin Danaher takes the opportunity to personally thank Van for his contributions to the green movement:

I am thankful that I have been lucky enough to know Van Jones —as a mentor, colleague and friend—because Van has done SO MUCH to combine the struggle against inequality with the environmental struggle to create a nature friendly economy model. If we had a few thousand Solutionaries like Van, the transition to sustainability would have already taken place.

Van Jones and Kevin Danaher at Global Exchange 2010 Human Rights Awards gala.

Van Jones has been a pioneer in many areas. He was one of the first courageous leaders to call attention to police violence in poor neighborhoods, and he connected it to the violence of US foreign policy in many parts of the world. He has been one of the most articulate spokespeople linking the need for jobs in the inner city with the need to save our environment from the destructive effects of profit-oriented policies.

His path-breaking book The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems —the first by an African-American environmentalist to make the New York Times Best Seller list—made irrefutable arguments for linking green job creation with the need for more racial equality in our society. While a member of the Obama White House Van pushed the bureaucracies to put more money into green job creation. And now he continues that work, inspiring action for social justice everywhere he goes.

Thank You Van Jones!

If you want to keep up to date about Van and Kevin, here’s how:

Follow Van Jones on Twitter and Facebook.

Follow Kevin Danaher on Twitter and Facebook.

Who are YOU thankful for? Add your own thank you message in the Comments section to recognize someone you think is doing great social justice work. And if you feel so inspired, Retweet and Share this post to help spread the recognition all of our ‘Thankees’ deserve. Thank YOU.