Human rights violations against people with albinism

This post comes via emails from Penny L. Richards and Sandy Sufian and includes a letter from Rick Guidotti of Positive Exposure, a link to a petition that Guidotti will take to Tanzania when he meets with the president there, and a link to a NY Times article (June 2008) about the escalating killings of people with albinism in Tanzania.
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We write to advise you of disturbing human rights violations against people with albinism in Tanzania that call out for action by the genetic community and ask for a few minutes of your time to make a difference.

Recent reports from Tanzania published by BBC News, New York Times and the Washington Post tell of the murders of persons with albinism, including children, on the orders of witchdoctors peddling the belief that potions made from the legs, hair, hands, and blood of people with albinism can make a person rich.

In mid-October, Positive Exposure's Rick Guidotti (http://www.positiveexposure.org/) will be traveling to Tanzania in partnership with Under the Same Sun (http://www.underthesamesun.com/) to
collaborate with national and local government officials, authorities and interests groups to develop effective strategies to end these crimes against humanity.

Please sign the online petition which the team will present to the government of Tanzania. We need 10,000 signatures for this to be effective.

http://listserv.galists.org/t/345183/10873/81/0/?=aHR0cDovL3d3dy51bmRlcnRoZXNhbWVzdW4uY29tL3BldGl0aW9ucy5waHA%
3d&x=dde07514

This petition will also let the albinism community in Tanzania know that they are NOT ALONE and that many throughout the world are standing with them in defense of their fundamental human right to safety, security and freedom.

Positive Exposure is a non-profit organization that challenges stigma associated with difference by celebrating the richness and beauty of human diversity.

Here is a link to the NY Times Story... http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/world/africa/08albino.html?_r=1&oref=slogin