AFRICAN HRC Supports Avaaz Petition Against Boko Haram
By Melanie Nathan, January 16, 2014.
Avaaz is circulating the linked petition about the Boko Haram inflicted crisis in Nigeria. African HRC urges you to participate in signing the petition, but at the same time, we suggest that you remind supporters that as LGBTI people in Africa and around the globe, we believe in Human Rights for all.
We encourage you to consider a statement similar to that of African HRC, when appending your signature to this Petition:
Here is the statement which can be used or modified, to attach to your petition signature, or to be used to spread the word in support of the Avaaz petition by LGBTI people and allies: – please feel free to use it and to spread the word – hashtag:- #LGBTIvsBokoHaram #AfricanHRC
Statement:
“We stand in solidarity with the people of Nigeria and support the struggle against Boko Haram unconditionally, even though Nigerians terrorize us as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) people, through state sanctioned homophobia. We recognize that the human rights of one group is as important as the human rights of all groups and denounce all violence.” #AfricanHRC #LGBTIvsBokoHaram
Boko Haram used a 10-year-old girl as a bomb-detonator and massacred up to 2000 people. There is a reign of terror in Northern Nigeria. President Jonathan has said NOTHING, and his brutal army instead of protecting civilians is fuelling the insurgency. And the world has put the crisis in the ‘too hard to solve’ box -- no top international diplomat is assigned to this conflict, unlike Syria or Sudan. The only good news: escalating violence has renewed pressure to act. If we do nothing thousands more will be killed, and the Boko Haram threat will spread. Indeed, the attacks in Paris have shown that terror has no borders. But if we can persuade our leaders and the UN Secretary General to appoint an Envoy for Nigeria, it could start a genuine protection and peace plan. Sign the urgent call now-- for the sake of that tiny, innocent girl.
By Melanie Nathan
Tweet: #LGBTIvsBokoHaram #AfricanHRC
Twitter @AfricanHRC Email- Nathan@Africanhrc.org
