Posted by Jack Healey

in The Huffington Post

Meet The Elders. They’re great people. You know most of them.

Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter (39th U.S. President), Muhammad Yunus (creator of micro-credit). Kofi Annan (former U.N. Secretary-General), Mary Robinson (Former UN High Commissioner of Human Rights), Peter Gabriel and Richard Branson of musical fame. Aung San Suu Kyi, elected prime minister of Burma, is the empty chair, and still the one many do not know. She is a prisoner in Rangoon, Burma.

According to Peter Gabriel, the Elders is a gathering of world leaders who come “together to support our ‘global village.’” They exist on the basis that they can boldly say what needs to be said, both in public and behind closed doors, and what they think needs to be said is that there is much more to this world than military might and economic prowess. They advocate for the unheard, for human rights. Good folks doing good deeds. A group of these Elders just visited Israel/Palestine on one of its first visits.

Have you heard of them? Maybe? My suggestion is you should follow their words and their deeds. Evidently, Branson and Peter Gabriel, with whom I have done concerts with, thought a new group was needed and the two of them gave birth to the Elders. A good idea that could get better. I hope so.

Peter Gabriel’s music and ideas are always worth listening to. He leads with both and gives of himself to both. Being one of his fans, I started thinking what we ‘others’ could do to help the Elders. Peter Gabriel always inspires and here is my idea patented after his: we need an adult group, a group who does good ‘stuff’ as well. But with a different mandate. While the Elders are appropriately international, I want to create a national body. If it works, then we create the backup body to the Elders. I call our group Adults, USA.

The Adults. First and only criterion to get into this special group is that you tell the truth all the time, like Jim Carrey in Liar Liar. You’re ousted from The Adults when you fail to follow the only rule the Adults have. You need not say anything or do anything except to tell the truth. Remember Liar Liar; that is the model.

The Adults cover any subject that’s longing for some good truth telling. Let me start with a few examples:

• Congressman Ron Paul. He has been an outspoken critic of American foreign and monetary policy. In the interest of truth, I have to admit I was a freshman/sophomore in the same high school with him as a junior/senior.
• Congressman Denis Kucinich spoke out publicly against the war in Iraq and attempted to get both Bush and Cheney impeached. Seen as odd at times but ‘cool’ to the rust belt folk.
• TV host Jon Stewart. Screams and points to the likes of CNN, Fox and MSNBC for their lack of journalistic integrity, especially around the Iraq war and the economic collapse.
• Bill Cosby as he outlines educational goals for children
• Muhammad Ali for opposing the Vietnam War and losing millions in revenue because of that objection.
• In The Valley of Elah, a filmatic omen of things to come. Paul Haggis became a seer.
• Dick Gregory telling us of truths and conspiracies for so many years. Comedic but always hunting the truth.
• Aung San Suu Kyi for being the Mandela of Asia and staying with her people

We’ve seen the likes of Lenny Bruce or Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove (or: How I learned to stop worrying and Love the Bomb). These are the people who keep credibility and tell it like it is. No angels, good citizens.

The Adults. We welcome bankers, financiers, Wall Street thugs, social climbers; we also welcome ex-prison inmates. Martha Stewart, you are welcome. Madoff…too soon. Only truth-tellers make up the directory.

And the Elders group has been telling us about the need for a return to decency and goodness in our world all along from their anonymous meeting room. American media broadcasters have begun to catch on. Torture is being debated, once in a while. We are starting to grow up and re-enter the world of truth. Rendition (moving people to other places to get tortured) might end. Secret prisons on the way out? Maybe we’ll join the ranks of the Peruvians who sent their former President to jail for human rights abuses. Wow, hold on. Are we also going to be that courageous? Well, yes, because in the world of adults, truth is the determinator.

Now, let my adult side have a word: I am looking for a single standard for human rights in the U.S. policy. Yes, that simple and that clear. But really, this is what human rights are. A return to the fact that all citizens, yes, all, deserve the same basic human rights, even if we live in a part of the world that is the new target of the press and some governments. A truth whispered, some say, is louder than any gun barrel (from a movie).

Because you are an adult, you may not know your rights if asked, but you know if you have them. Some never can define justice, but they do know injustice. It is like the truth or a lie. We smell the difference.

You join The Adults when you tell the truth. You’re out when you do not. No e-mail lists, no Twittering. No daily news briefs. No meetings. No trips. Just the, well, yes, just the truth. Rather than the home of the free and home of the brave, we become the home of the truth-tellers. Then these Adults can spread out from the U.S. to other nations and the United Nations perhaps? The Adult quota seems low in that building.

This group ‘adults’ might change the world. Truth-telling might even become an American daily exercise, just got to build up some stamina. We’ll start one day at a time. It is up to you.

A good beginning would be reading the Constitution and U.S. Bill of Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. You will know then when others are lying too.

Posted by Jack Healey

in The Huffington Post

Governments need to lead the nation the way good drivers operate a vehicle (you may not talk on your cell phone while driving). To avoid trouble, one must look ahead as well as in the rear-view mirror. To neglect either direction will invite serious trouble.

Eric Holder has called for a limited review of the past regarding torture accusations of the CIA. A good decision but not a great decision. Let me try to tell you why.

Governments that torture will inevitably inherit the hatred of people everywhere, and appropriately so. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Geneva Convention is clear in its statement of No Torture. Any government that does not keep that standard before their soldiers, intelligence people and prison guards risks the friendships that decency brings.

Not looking in the mirror when there has been a pattern of torture, or even the torture of one person, is immature denial of a dark past that should not occur again. There needs to be a review, a probe, and a study.

Violators must be chased in each case. I have met more victims of torture and heard more stories than one man should hear. And what I see time and again is this:

First, victims of torture want the torture to stop and second, they want to know who gave the orders.

Who gives the orders to torture? Failing to provide that answer is not an option. Human progress demands answers for Human Rights violations. If you are the father or the mother of a victim, you want and deserve an answer. Democratic governments were made for the good of its citizens. Thus, once torture is alleged, the government must act and dig into the facts of all the violations, not just some.

If you want a moment of despair from which you can escape, ask a survivor of torture what happened to him or her (two separate issues usually). Ask the person when, how did it feel, how long did it last, where did they hurt you, was it once or twice or weeks and months? How did you survive? How did you recuperate? As you ask, watch the eyes, the body reactions, help wipe the tears and the sweat, be prepared to catch one if they fall, watch the fear come and sweep over the room like a tsunami. Suicide often becomes an unseen but real visitor.

Then remember this: Almost all torturers go free. That is the history. A few brave nations are recently trying to turn this fact around: Peru, Argentina, Chile, Rwanda, Bosnia. But the damage torture brings onto the citizens is immense and there is little interest in a real and wide pursuit of justice for the offended. Sixty-three years after the founding of the United Nations the wickedness of torture is alive and well, and spreading. Will this tide of abuse continue?

If you feel torture should be allowed to protect our national interests and therefore we are exempt as a nation, at least do this one thing: read or meet a story of a survivor of torture. Women in particular need to look closely at these stories, for their gender is usually abused for weeks and months by many. 300,000 rapes in the Congo, 30,000 in Bosnia, I could go on, but why?

When the dogs of war are let into the jails, into intelligence meetings and into hidden rooms in hidden countries, cold sweat should come to the back of your neck for any one inside that chamber. If that is your sister, cousin, friend, you will pray and beg God for help. Little relief will come but you will demand the standard of No Torture should be kept and all violators prosecuted, no matter what the President says.

When governments torture, the car is crashing. And, whether you like it or not, the citizens of the U.S. will be implicated in the post-crash police report. It is now time to remove ourselves from this list. By chasing all the violators of people, we begin a process of saying ‘no more’ once again. Maybe this time we might mean it. The world’s decent are looking to see how the U.S. will act. After preaching for years that we are the greatest nation on Earth, isn’t it time to prove it?

Read more about it in LA Times’s Article See Shepard Fairey’s latest campaign poster

Dear Supporter,

Shepard Fairey has just unveiled a new image depicting Burma’s democracy icon and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi, which he created to raise awareness about the situation in Burma. Fairey drew international acclaim during the 2008 American presidential election for his iconic “HOPE” portrait of Barack Obama.

A special, limited edition print of the image will be available beginning today at noon through Fairey’s website. Proceeds from the sale of this print will benefit the U.S. Campaign for Burma and our partner organization, the Human Rights Action Center.

We are thrilled that Fairey, along with many others on all sides of the political spectrum, has lent his talent to supporting human rights in Burma and we wanted to share the news with you. You can find more information about Fairey’s new design at uscampaignforburma.org/pr/2009-shepardfairey.html or on Fairey’s own site obeygiant.com/.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s selfless devotion to freedom and democracy for the people of Burma continues to inspire us all and we are working dilligently to ensure that she is given the recognition she deserves.

Thank you for your support,

- Jack

Posted by Jack Healey

in The Huffington Post

Sometimes in life, luck, unlike lightening, strikes many times. And every time it strikes, your life experience enriches. I have been fortunate enough to have luck strike about once a decade: In the 60′s, a twist of fate brought me to Dr. King’s March on Washington; in the 70′s, Dick Gregory and I connected on ways to continue King’s dream; in the late 80′s, I was lucky enough to have a front row seat to the Human Rights Now Tour with Sting, Bruce Springsteen and Peter Gabriel; in the 90′s, on a whim, I met Michael Aris, the late husband of Aung Sung Suu Kyi, and later in that decade I had a chance meeting with the imprisoned rightful leader of Burma herself. Recently, thanks to my friends at Causecast, a new start up to help non-profits, I met Shepard Fairey.

If there was one symbol that galvanized Obama’s movement of hope and change, it was Shepard’s red and blue image. The minute I saw it, I knew Obama would win.

Shepard has been kind enough to use his talents to create a dazzling image of Aung San Suu Kyi. My sense is that it will turn the tide and be the lift this campaign needs. Why? It strikes you immediately, one of the portraits that immediately morphs into an icon because it does what Aung San Suu Kyi does: waits, and in its simplicity, inspires. It is the canvas equivalent of Peter Gabriel’s “Biko” or U2′s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” or Sting’s “They Dance Alone.”

When I met Aung San Suu Kyi, in Rangoon in February of 1999, I promised her husband I would do everything possible to get his wife the “freedom to lead.” The US Campaign for Burma and Human Rights Action Center (HRAC) joined forces over ten years ago to give this movement more force.

Helping this cause is not easy. Few know where Burma is. Even fewer can pronounce Aung San Suu Kyi’s name. But the facts are impressive. She won the Nobel Peace Prize; she won as the candidate of her party, the National League for Democracy, with 82% of the vote. Her protest is non-violent. She could easily leave and live a grand life, traveling the world to receive awards, appropriate doctorates, etc. Instead she stays with her people as a prisoner. But unlike other leaders of her sort, she is not yet the Mandela of Asia. Nor the Gandhi of Burma. And yet, torture and rape remain state policy of the military and there are more villages destroyed in Burma than in Darfur. But no one notices.

We’ve all been inspired by the recent and courageous movement for democracy inside Iran. We’ve been horrified by that oppressive government’s response. This has been the status quo inside Burma for nearly two decades. What will it take for people to get outraged at this oppression?

I hope Shepard’s icon can help inspire people to care. It gave this seventy-one year-old radical a new lease on hope. Below is the image. If it moves you, please visit this site and do something. Time is running out.

Posted by Jack Healey

in The Huffington Post

The military of Burma has crushed the nonviolent monks, uses Burmese children as soldiers, allowed a cyclone and its consequences to sweep over 100,000 Burmese to their deaths, driven a half million from their homes and now the military will not allow the proper medical care for their Nobel Peace Prize winner. Aung San Suu Kyi is ill and not doing well.

Having led the National League for Democracy to a massive victory in 1990, Aung San Suu Kyi could have left Burma and traveled the world, enjoying her freedom and the respect of the world, gathering doctorates and living a reasonably good life. She instead stayed home in Burma. Isolated, surrounded by soldiers who are terrified of a woman who doesn’t even weigh 100 pounds.

But her life and writings are strong. Many see her as the living symbol of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She certainly is the symbol of hope for many outside of Burma, but she is deeply needed inside of Burma. The Burmese military are an out of control government who have the firm support of the Chinese government. Human rights groups of all kinds strain to tell of the brutality and monstrous actions of this government. People like Archbishop Desmond Tutu, REM, Will Ferrell, Jim Carrey, Bono, Sting, President Obama, the US Senate Women’s Caucus and Peter Gabriel have all sent messages of support.

But still, Burma is far away from us. Few know her name. Fewer can pronounce it. Most do not know where Burma is. So what do we do?

We rally around her, is what we do. Just like we did for Mandela and all the Mandela’s of the world. This is one time that the US government is in advance of the cause. Aung San Suu Kyi has the support of our president and of the Western governments.

My search for my own symbol of hope took me to Burma in February of 1999. My lady and I pretended to be tourists, actually antique dealers, so that we might get a moment with Aung San Suu Kyi. It worked because we spent many an hour walking up and down in front of the little dilapidated headquarters of the National League for Democracy. At that time she was allowed to give rice out to her people once a month. We found her that day and got in line with her followers and finally met her for about 20 minutes. She is a steel flower. Bright, articulate, focused. A no nonsense person, no wonder she won 82% of the vote. We finally took a picture and got her autograph for my stepson. On the way out that night, the customs people tried to find these but to no avail.

A deep fear will and has gone through the Burmese community all over the world. They know she, their Mandela, cannot fall before the fall of apartheid. We all live and we all die… but if the Burmese military denies her medical support appropriate to the problems, and she dies, it will be a devastating blow beyond all comprehension for the decent people of Burma. We must not allow that to happen.

Her father Aung San, the founder of the military of Burma was executed when he was 32. It was a premature death. We must not allow this to occur to his daughter.