Global day of action for Amnesty

Today has been a seriously productive day and I'm feeling very enthused about my cycling, fitness & fundraising project! After almost a whole weekend off doing anything cycle-related, apart from a run on Saturday, I've today managed to finish off my quiz for Madras for Cash on Thursday night, as well as making some components of the prize and going for another run. And I also managed to plan and organise another little craft project in time for my Valentine's Day surprises. It's so satisfying when you manage to get a lot done, especially when you can fit it all around work!

I went to an exhibition yesterday at the Southbank with my hilarious friend Danners and we saw lots of Ghanaian coffins shaped to look like tigers, eggs, cocoa pods and cars. It was all done in partnership with Dying Matters which is a coalition of charities which work on 'end of life' issues. It was really refreshing to see an exhibition addressing such an important issue, which I guess most people don't think about very often.

And it for me it was an opportunity to reaffirm the values that have made me want to do this bike ride in support of Amnesty - besides the personal benefits associated with spending a year focusing on something really positive for my own sense of health and wellbeing, it is about focusing minds and efforts on ensuring people's freedom and dignity are protected as best we can. Anyone who knows me will know that I'm not always that dignified myself (even 'sometimes' might be stretching the truth) but it doesn't change the fact that I think it is an important principle and that as a society we should always aspire to uphold our own and each other's dignity as best we can. On that note I'm planning to go to a global day of action for Amnesty International on Saturday 11th February. There's going to be a rally at Trafalgar Square from 12-2. It's going to be a full-on action packed charity fund-fest for me that weekend as straight after I'm heading for a cupcake icing class to improve my bake sale prospects! If anyone is interested in joining me for the rally let me know or take a peek at http://www.amnesty.org.uk/events_details.asp?EventsID=2129.

Offski!

59 ways to lose your head in Mongolia

I just discovered that Mongolia has 59 separate offences which carry the death penalty - I'm shocked! I've been to Mongolia and rate it amongst my favourite countries in the world, mainly because the Mongolians seemed such a lovely and peaceful people, Ghengis Khan excepted!

Personally I don't agree with capital punishment, ever, for the following reasons:

- there is a high risk of depriving an innocent person of their life and have been many such cases in the past
- the death penalty legitimises an irreversible act of violence
- two wrongs don't make a right. You cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing. Or to put it in Desmond Tutu's words, to take a life is revenge, not justice.
- it promotes and sanitises vengeance
- it does not work as a deterrant to others who would consider committing a crime carry the death penalty
- it degrades those who use it to no more moral than the convicted criminals who have incurred the penalty

I could go on...

I think most people in the UK who, sadly, still agree with capital punishment, would only see it as justified for a small number of offences such as murder and violence towards children. So I'm astounded about what relatively minor offences must make the grade for Mongolians to consider them worthy of such a high punishment?

However, I'm pleased to see they're moving towards abolishing it in favour of other penalties. If you are interested in taking action on this issue click on the following link which will take you to Amnesty's campaign page on the subject http://action.amnesty.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1194&ea.campaign.id=10033

Here's a photo from my stay in the very peaceful Terelj National Park in Mongolia for a bit of inner zen!

In other news I'm pleased to report that thanks to a generous donation from my lovely friend Danners I'm now only £3 away from my monthly fundraising target! Thanks again to everyone who has contributed and helped me get to this point.

I've got 20 people coming to my curry night next week which should be fun, but there is plenty of space for anyone else who fancies it, £20 for 3 courses a drink and a chance to take part in my India-themed quiz. More details available from the Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/356244781067608/

I'm also organising a big bowling party for April and a curry night in Leighton Buzzard so keep your eyes akimbo for news of those.

Happy Friday!

Make the International Arms Trade Treaty bulletproof

I've just been reading an encouraging email from Amnesty about a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop the first international Arms Trade Treaty.

Members of the United Nations have voted overwhelmingly to develop the Treaty and Amnesty is calling on as many people as possible to put their name to letters to David Cameron and Nick Clegg asking them to make it 'bulletproof'.

In February a UN Preparatory Committee will be held ahead of the final and deciding negotiations take place in July. Any indication that the UK, as a major arms exporter and influential government at the UN table, is reducing its support could encourage other countries to press for a weakened treaty which offers little protection of human rights.

The arms trade is currently unregulated - with devastating consequences in terms of human impact.

If you want to add your voice to Amnesty's and call on our government to press for the strongest possible regulation, please visit Amnesty's campaigns page on this issue: http://tinyurl.com/6s3cteo.

I'm off now for my first run in over a week, very naughty of me. Wish me luck!

Pumpkin scones - a revelation!

It's almost Monday (boo) and yet again the weekend has flown. I've had a truly fabulous one spending time with my honorary third sister and brilliant friend Helen who came to stay for the weekend and kindly offered to pay me for cakes and photos to help me in my fundraising quest. We went to see one of our joint honorary sister's Emma as she was having a housewarming, so took her a yummy batch of brownies and then proceeded to eat most of them ourselves.

In between using up most of the available air in Bedfordshire putting the world to rights, Helen and I had a lot of fun today making pumpkin scones - an amazing new revelation to both of us - and banoffee muffins. The thing I love about cooking is that it feels like legitimised playing for adults, getting your hands dirty and being really tactile with stuff that then rewards you with a second gift of being delicious!

Here are some pics of our scones in various stages of development, which I highly recommend as an accompaniment to cheese or veggie soup, or just warm with some butter. We had them with cornichons and some cranberry & apple chutney I made a few days ago. Altogether a pretty heavenly trio and a win-win way of raising money for Amnesty!

If you fancy some pumpkin scones of your own or something else (the list is pretty endless) please contact me and I will bake you up a treat!

Kitchen bitch catering services

Those who know me know how much I love, love, love to cook. In fact I'm such a foodie geek that I actually have a spreadsheet on my pc with a list of all the recipes I either like to make or want to make. In fact this just gave me a little brainwave to write my own version of the '1000 things to do before you die' but a quick search on Amazon reveals somebody else got to it first, never mind!

Anyways, I've decided to put this passion to good use by offering my cake baking & catering services in return for donations. So if you need a birthday cake or something for a special occasion, or you'd like to cater for some friends or family but lack the skill or inclination to cook for them yourself, contact me and I will let you know whether I can help. I've included some photos here to wet your appetite and show you the kinds of things I can do, from patatas bravas to peanut butter cheesecake! You can contact me via this blog, my Justgiving page www.justgiving.com/EmilyCharlotteJeffrey or on facebook http://www.facebook.com/emcupcakes

Who lives in a hell like this?

Why I'm glad I have control of my own reproductive organs, and other important issues Amnesty campaigns on...

Well I knew taking on a 500k bike ride would be a serious challenge and over the last few days I've managed to do zero exercise. I keep setting my alarm for 6 to go for a run but then just hit snooze! And tonight I'm off out for a reunion with some friends I made travelling a few years ago, which I think could end up being messy, so there's no hope of physical exertion tomorrow either. At least I have the day off work to recover and admire my beautiful, if slightly pointless, training plan. What's that saying, the best laid plans of mice and men go awry?!

Anyway, as well as being a physical challenge this bike ride is giving my brain cells a workout as I attempt to raise the necessary sponsorship to go. Luckily lots of my friends already support Amnesty International and have given very generously. But part of the challenge is also explaining to others why they should care enough to support my chosen charity?

No doubt many of you will have been rattled by the ongoing economic conditions in the UK and what this means for many of us in terms of living standards, or by some other issue that has inspired outrage amongst the UK population - student fees, Iraq war, Greenham Common to name a few. You may have even been on a protest march, made a complaint against a public service or written to your local newspaper or MP to air your views and seek redress. I completely support the right to criticise and challenge the world around us, including our own government, in this way. In fact I believe it is absolutely essential to do this if you want to live in a properly functioning democracy.

What irks me, though, is the idea that some of my fellow citizens seem to have in their head that our government is massively corrupt or that we in the UK are terribly unfortunate. I guess it's because more often than not the people who grumble about these things actually live comparatively comfortable lives and tar the whole political system with the 'corruption' brush when really it's down to the actions of a handful of individuals. I'm not suggesting our own government is perfect or blemish-free, far from it. It has more than a few skeletons in it's closet. But I believe that the freedom of speech we enjoy in the UK does make for far fewer injustices than others around the world suffer.

As we've all seen in recent years injustice, oppression and violence is committed daily against many people around the world. It is almost always committed in the name of things we take completely for granted - so fundamental are the freedoms we enjoy, we don't even stop to consider our good fortune for being able to protest if we want to, obtain contraception, be gay, wear religious symbols or join a union.

Many others do not enjoy these rights, which is why Amnesty International is campaigning around the world to secure them for others less fortunate than us. For example:

- AI is campaigning for women's rights in Indonesia, where the law requires a woman to get her husband's consent to access certain contraception methods.

- AI recently ran a successful campaign to stop the Royal Bank of Scotland from funding cluster bombs, meaning that fewer innocent civilians around the world will suffer the devastating consequences.

- In Nicaragua AI recently helped to secure the release of nine women who campaigned to help a nine year old girl secure a legal abortion after being raped.

- AI is currently working to try and secure the release of journalists in Zimbabwe who were detained after calling for more openness in the media and freedom of expression for Zimbabweans.

I am glad to live in a country where I have control over my own reproductive system, where I am allowed to be outraged at the rape of a young child without fear of reprisals and can read a range of critical views about my government.

If you are too, please go to my Justgiving page www.justgiving.com/Emily/CharlotteJeffrey and make a donations to help Amnesty International continue this vital work, or come along and support my 'Madras for Cash' fundraising dinner: http://www.facebook.com/events/356244781067608.

Thanks

Emily

Madras for Cash - 3 courses and a drink for £20, all for a good cause!

Day four of my fundraising and fitness efforts. The fitness efforts aren't going so well, I've been too lazy/full of cold/coughs to actually get off my bum and do anything for a few days. The alarm goes off at 6am to go for a run and I have a bad habit of just hitting snooze!

By contrast my fundraising efforts are going pretty well! Just a few days into the challenge and I've already had 7 donations to my Justgiving page http://www.justgiving.com/EmilyCharlotteJeffrey which means I'm halfway towards my monthly target of £300. Thanks to everyone who has helped so far.

So I have organised my first event - an Indian meal at Imli restaurant in Wardour St, London. For £20 you get three courses, a cocktail or glass of wine AND entry to my Indian themed quiz with a chance to win a great prize. Cheap as chapatis and should be a good fun night out.

If you're interested in coming see the facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/356244781067608/

Hope to see you there!

Emily

Spotlight on India's human rights record

Day Two of my new fitness regime. Yesterday I went for my second run in a week. The first one was a killer. For five days afterwards my whole body felt as though it had seized up! How I'm going to get from this to cycling for 8 hour stretches I'm not entirely sure, but I've got a little while to muse on that on...So today I'm planning to go for a swim, in the (probably) vain hope that cross training will make the transition from couch potato to triathlon-fit easy!

As part of my preparations for cycling India in 2012 and raising funds for Amnesty International I am using this blog to focus on the good work it does in all different areas of the world. Where better to start than India itself?

http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/countries/asia-and-the-pacific/india

And here's is a link here for an interview on Al Jazeera's Fault Lines with one of my favourite Indian writers and fantasy dinner party guests, Arundhati Roy, an incredibly wise lady, social commentator and unintentional campaigner: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnTS9gHCZoI

Enjoy

My fundraising ideas...any takers?

Hello and welcome to my blog. I'm hoping this helps keep me enthused for the gargantuan task I've set myself of raising £2700 and becoming a fitness freak in order to cycle round India this year!


I've been considering doing this for several years but always been put off by the prospect of having to raise such a huge amount of money & the thought that I would end up simply asking my close friends and family to pay for a holiday for me. So I've decided as long as I organise events that people can have fun at or do things that are useful and people would happily pay for anyway, I should be able to raise the funds without making my family & friends want to take out an injunction against me and have loads of fun at the same time!


I have a long, long list of potential fundraising activities I'd welcome people's comments on, particularly what you'd be willing to put your hands in your pockets for and what you'd rather chew your own arm off than pay for!


So, here goes:

Catering other people's dinners/parties in return for donations

Curry night

Sari fashion show & auction

Making birthday cakes for donations

Come Dine With Me competition

Rent out my (many, many) beautiful dresses

Quiz night

Give people manicures/pedicures/or provide pamper days

Olympic sweepstake

Bad taste party

BBQ

Pot luck dinner

Tomato throwing party (think La Tomatina in Spain)

Badminton tournament

Singathon

Donate your coppers

Treasure hunt

Jigsaw marathon

Pancake party

Games evening

Tuck shop

Sponsored runs/swims

Cake sales

Raffle

Wine tasting evening

So, what do you think? Would you pay to take part in any of these activities?