Amherst Bulletin: Human Rights Day event honors late leader Spiegelman

 By SCOTT MERZBACH
Staff Writer

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

• Amherst MA

AMHERST — Human Rights Day, the commemoration of the United Nations adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, will be marked in Amherst next month, as the local chapter of Amnesty International honors the service of the late Martha Spiegelman, its leader for the past decade until her death Nov. 10.

The Human Rights Day program is set to take place at the Jones Library’s Woodbury Room on Dec. 9 from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Spiegelman, who died from pancreatic cancer at the Hospice of the Fisher Home, will be recognized for overseeing Amherst Chapter 128 and her many activist pursuits, including marches and protests for gun control and for peaceful solutions to war, weekly tabling for Amnesty International, sponsoring letter-writing to prisoners of conscience, and financial support of organizations such as the Media Education Foundation.

A native of New York City, Spiegelman began her career teaching chemistry and biology, last employed at Smith College.

With her husband, Irwin, Spiegelman founded the Thomas Paine Friends group that sponsored regular events calling attention to injustices and human rights issues, emanating from the spirit of Paine’s works.

Amnesty International’s Amherst Chapter 128 was founded in 1978 by two Amherst College seniors before the reins were handed to Professor George Greenstein. Then, a small group convened at the Bangs Community Center on the first Monday of every month. The group’s first case was Indonesian labor leader Abdul Rachman, followed by the case of Zhang Jingzheng, a dissenter in China. Other early cases included actions from Central America and Eastern Europe.

The chapter still organizes several events in which the public takes part, including the annual Human Rights Day program, at least one “Write-for-Rights” activity every year, a torture awareness demonstration in June and the Human Rights Art Exhibit at the Jones Library, showcasing pieces done by Amherst Regional Middle School students inspired by the 30 articles of the Declaration of Human Rights.

That exhibit will be on display in the Jones throughout December. Students and teachers involved in the creation of the exhibit will make short presentations at the Human Rights Day event.

 Read Article Here.

 

 

Honor Human Rights Day

  

Martha Spiegelman (center)

Sat 12/9/2023 @ 1:30 pm, Woodbury Romm, Jones Library: 43 Amity St, Amherst, MA 01002

Come honor this global Human Rights Day by celebrating the life and service of our beloved local Amnesty International Coordinator (1936-2023).

    Martha, who has led our group with so much wisdom and energy for the past decade, succumbed to pancreatic cancer on November 10th at the Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst. We miss her so much.

Please, if you wish, share any memories or appropriate readings, poems or music in her honor. What     Martha would love is a discussion of current injustices and human rights abuses and triumphs.

Also, Amherst Regional Middle School students will mark their 10th year of creating beautiful and meaningful artwork based on the 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that were written by Eleanor Roosevelt. The exhibit will be on display in the Jones Library during the month of December. Students and teachers will make a short presentation at this event in honor of this remarkable 10th anniversary.

 

    In addition, note that Martha and her spouse Irwin Spiegelman found Thomas Paine Friends (www.thomas-paine-friends.org and www.facebook.com/thomaspainefriends) with which they sponsored regular events calling attention to injustices and human rights issues emanating from the spirit of the writings of Thomas Paine. We so hope to be able to connect with Thomas Paine members on December 9th.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 75

 Come to celebrate with us on Sat 12/9 at Jones Library (Downstairs) @ 1:30 pm

10 December 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of one of the world's most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 and sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected.  

Available in more than 500 languages, it is the most translated document in the world.

A year-long initiative focusing on universality, progress and engagement, will culminate in a high-level event in December 2023, which will announce global pledges and ideas for a vision for the future of human rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights.

2023 Theme: Freedom, Equality and Justice for All

 

Youth and Human Rights 75 initiative

Our Summer Activities

 At the Amherst Farmers Market... 

Martha Spiegelman, AI Group Coordinator, checking the new book of Prof Joe Wronka :Human Rights and Social Justice". He donated one copy to the Group

Prof Wronka is very active in advocating and teaching human rights in the area and was a keynote speaker at the Human Rights Day event few times.

UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, 26 June

 

"Torturers must never be allowed to get away with their crimes, and systems that enable torture should be dismantled or transformed."

UN Secretary-General António Guterres

 

Why do we mark 26 June?

The UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on 26 June marks the moment in 1987 when the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, one of the key instruments in fighting torture, came into effect. Today, there are 173 State parties to the Convention.

Read more ...