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All of the charities benefited by this festival
are financially independent, run largely by
volunteers, & depend on contributions for their
operating budget.
The
Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR)
is a non-governmental organization committed to
securing and protecting human rights from all forms
of violation, large or small. TAHR's campaigns,
which aim to encourage grassroots support and
advocacy, have focused on investigating individual
human rights cases and assisting victims,
monitoring the government's policy-making and development, proposing legal
and constitutional amendments so as to meet international human rights
standards, and promoting human rights consciousness and education. TAHR also
actively participates in the international human rights community, strengthening
its interaction and cooperative relationships with international NGOs.
Amnesty International is a financially- &
politically-independent NGO that has been working for over 40 years toward
a world in which all people enjoy the rights & freedoms enshrined in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Their research
and action focuses on stopping grave abuses of
the rights to physical & mental integrity, freedom of religion,
conscience, & expression, and freedom from discrimination.
AI's work is done by a network of more
than 1.8 million members worldwide.
AI aims: to free all prisoners of conscience, to abolish the death penalty
& torture, to end
extrajudicial executions and "disappearances," & to ensure that rights
abusers are brought to justice according to international standards.
Medecins Sans
Frontieres (also known as Doctors
Without Borders or MSF) delivers emergency aid to
victims of armed conflict, epidemics, and natural
and man-made disasters, and to others who lack
health care due to social or geographical isolation.
MSF was founded in 1971 by a small
group of
French doctors who believed that all people have
the right to medical care, and that these people's
needs supersede respect for national borders.
They work not only to provide emergency medical
assistance, but also to publicize the plight of the
people they serve & try to bring about action
against the root causes of their suffering. MSF is
an international network with sections in 18
countries. Each year, more than 2,500 volunteer
doctors, nurses, other medical professionals, logistics experts,water/sanitation engineers, and
administrators join 15,000 locally hired staff to provide medical aid in
more than 80 countries.
Oxfam International
is a confederation of NGOs
in different countries who believe that, as many
of the causes of poverty are global, they can have
a greater impact by working together. Oxfam has
provided emergency relief for humanitarian
disasters worldwide, including recently in Sudan & the areas affected by
the tsunami. They are also
involved in development programs, research into the
root causes of poverty, & lobbying governments,
corporations, and the public. Oxfam works with
approximately 3000 partner organizations in around
100 countries.
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