Sample Appeal Letter to Mary Robinson & Hina Jilani
Dear Friend,
Please excuse a moment's intrusion for a good cause. PREDA is an
organization active in defending the rights of abused children in
the Philippines and campaigns internationally in coordination with
other educational and humanitarian organizations and many
individuals to raise public awareness and action for Human Rights
and exploited and trafficked children everywhere. If you wish to
unsubscribe please type the word 'delete' as subject in your reply
and you will not be contacted again. But I urge you to please read
the story below.
Dear Friend and Defender of Children,
This appeal goes out to people of conscience and integrity who
participate in Human Rights appeals to motivate and encourage
authorities and people-of-influence to act on behalf of victims of
Human Rights violations. This appeal is to ask you to write a short
note to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Special
Rapporteur for the Defenders of Human Rights. A sample letter and
the address are below.
THE GOAL
This campaign is to achieve a practical attainable goal, to
implement recommendations proposed to the Philippines Department of
Justice so that defenders of Human Rights will be protected from
harassment de jure under the UN Paris Declaration of 1998 article
12.2. The new Philippine Secretary of Justice is a person of
integrity and is open to this initiative. This first step will lead
to similar initiatives in other countries as other organizations
initiate appeals that we will support.
SUCCESS: STREET CHILDREN SAVED FROM DEATH SQUAD.
Letter campaigns work, as Amnesty International members know. Since
the last letter campaign, there have been no more executions of
street children in Davao City by the death squad. Although adults
have been killed. The mayor withdrew his unfounded libel charge
against us last February. Your letter saved the lives of many
children and continues to do so. We hope that the death squad can be
disbanded. We are asking you to participate in this action for Human
Rights Defenders who are under threat and harassment.
You can be an agent of change in this world where so many children
are hungry, homeless and powerless. We need your help and
protection, as do many defenders of children's rights. I am not
asking you for donations. Money cannot buy us protection but I do
want your reputation and a few minutes of your time. As a person of
integrity and decency, committed to justice and human rights, your
personally signed letter can change the way children are treated and
protect their defenders. I hope it is not too much to ask.
We can rely on you not to turn away to something less important.
Your short personal letter together with hundreds of others is a
moral force to be reckoned with by the authorities especially those
who are only ready and waiting to be informed and asked to take
action. I ask you to write a letter of your own composition or as in
the sample below and mail or fax it to:
Mary Robinson
High Commissioner for Human Rights,
Hina Jilani
Special Rapporteur for Defenders Human Rights,
Palais Wilson,
Geneva 10,
CH 1211 Switzerland
Fax: ++41 22 917 90 12
Tel. ++ 41 22 917 92 40
Dear Mary Robinson and Hina Jilani,
I urge you to take a determined action to persuade the Philippine
government to act on behalf of the Defenders of Human Rights and
implement Article 12.2 of the UN Paris Declaration of 1998. Those
protecting sexually abused and exploited children are at grave risk
from death squads, sex traffickers, child abusers and harassment de
jure.
This has been brought to your attention last February 20, 2001 by
Father Shay Cullen and his co-workers for Children's Rights at the
PREDA Foundation, Olongapo City, Philippines. They have been
harassed and threatened, their human rights violated. Many others
defending human rights are at risk.
Respectfully Yours,
(Your signature)
Please copy this petition, make your own appeal and invite members
of your family, church, or organization to join the campaign. Post
this appeal on your homepage together with your letter to Geneva.
Please send it to your friends on your mail list and political
contacts. Thank you. Life is only worth living when we can do good
for others.
A copy of your letter or a similar one sent or faxed (++632 521
1614) to The Secretary of Justice, Padre Faura St. Manila,
Philippines will be a significant additional help. For justice in
the world, please act now. Send us a copy by e-mail for our official
website - www.preda.org
Sincerely,
Fr. Shay Cullen and The PREDA Team
PREDA Center,
Upper Kalaklan,
Olongapo City,
2200 Philippines
e-mail: predair@info.com.ph
www.preda.org