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DONATIONS Wanted: £5 a month Help fund Peter Tatchell's campaigns for human rights, democracy and global justice If 1,000 people donated £5 a month, we could ensure an annual income of £60,000 to the Peter Tatchell Human Rights Fund (www.tatchellrightsfund.org) – enough to pay for the campaign staff support Peter needs urgently. Peter Tatchell Human Rights Fund,
As my campaigns go from strength to strength, the requests for support and solidarity grow ever greater. Increasingly, these requests come from all parts of the world – from isolated, persecuted individuals in small towns in Pakistan and Jamaica , and from tiny, struggling human rights groups working for democracy and social justice in Iran , Uganda , Palestine , Nepal , West Papua and Zimbabwe. This is putting me under unsustainable pressure. Apart from constant exhaustion and illness, I often feel deeply depressed by the sheer volume of demands and the constant crises and deadlines. Faced with a deluge of appeals to assist individuals, organisations and whole communities suffering persecution, I usually work 16 hours a day, seven days a week. I am doing the work of three or four people. I often go for months without a single night off. In the middle of a big campaign, for several days I might not have a proper meal or more than three hours sleep a night. Without my intervention, many asylum seekers would be deported and risk arrest, torture and murder; and vulnerable gay and black prisoners in the UK jails would suffer beatings and be pushed towards suicide. Given this terrible suffering, it is hard to say no. The solution is not to turn away victims and activist groups requesting assistance, but to get the help I need to reduce the pressure on me and to make my campaigns more effective and long-term sustainable. How can one refuse, for example, to help a Muslim woman or a gay man who fears so-called honour killing? Almost every day brings news of further abuses. I am constantly dealing with people who have been subjected to rape, torture, imprisonment and attempted murder. Their horror stories cause me nightmares. This cannot continue. To ease the pressure, I need to have some time to relax and recharge – three nights off a week and one day off at the weekend. To ensure this, I desperately require at least two full-time paid support staff – a campaigns officer and a research and casework officer. Somehow, we need to raise £60,000 a year to make this possible. Please take out a standing order and get your friends to do the same. If we can get 1,000 people to pledge £5 a month, we could ensure an annual income to the Peter Tatchell Human Rights Fund of £60,000 – enough to pay for the two staff I urgently need. You can help make a positive difference. Warmest regards and appreciation,
Peter Tatchell |
