City of West Hollywood Joining Toge

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Subject: City of West Hollywood Joining Together With Amnesty International

to Recognize 50th Anniversary of UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights
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Thursday December 3, 3:10 pm Eastern Time

Company Press Release

City of West Hollywood Joining Together With Amnesty
International to Recognize 50th Anniversary of Universal
Declaration of Human Rights

West Hollywood's Tasende Gallery to Feature Phil Borges Photo Exhibit as
Part of Anniversary
Celebration 

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 1998-- The city of West
Hollywood will join with Amnesty
International in commemorating the 50th anniversary of the signing of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by
proclaiming Dec. 10 ``A Day of Human Rights'' at the West Hollywood City
Council meeting on Monday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. in
West Hollywood Park Auditorium, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. 

Amnesty International representatives will participate in the city
council meeting and recognize the city's long-standing
commitment to human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
which was signed on Dec. 10, 1948, is an
international agreement defining fundamental human rights. 

As a result of the West Hollywood City Council's ongoing support of
human-rights efforts, Amnesty International has chosen
the city to host the ``Enduring Spirit'' exhibit, a unique collection of
photographs by renowned photographer Phil Borges. 

``Enduring Spirit'' features 50 art portraits representing endangered
cultures and tribal peoples from Indonesia, Irian Jaya,
Kenya, Ethiopia, Thailand, Peru, Mexico and North America. In
recognition of the 50th anniversary celebration, Amnesty
International asked Borges to create images symbolizing human dignity
and freedom. 

Opening on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Universal
Declaration, the ``Enduring Spirit'' exhibit will be on display
from Dec. 10, 1998, to Jan. 16, 1999, at the Tasende Gallery, 8808
Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood. 

Gallery owner Jose M. Tasende, in conjunction with Amnesty International
and the city of West Hollywood, will kick off the
exhibit with a reception on Dec. 10 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Tasende
Gallery. 

The West Hollywood display of ``Enduring Spirit'' is one of three
concurrent international events in celebration of the 50th
anniversary. The cities of San Francisco and Paris will also recognize
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with
activities co-sponsored by Amnesty International. 

To garner wider regional participation in the 50th anniversary
celebration, the city of West Hollywood has sent letters to
elected officials representing 40 California municipalities, asking them
to declare Dec. 10 ``A Day of Human Rights'' in their
communities. 

Since its incorporation in 1984, the city of West Hollywood has
supported international human-rights efforts, instituting
policies prohibiting city business with firms with investments in
Myanmar (formerly Burma) and apartheid-era South Africa. 

Amnesty International is a worldwide voluntary movement that works to
prevent some of the gravest government violations
of people's fundamental human rights. 

The main focus of its campaigning is to free all prisoners of
conscience; ensure fair and prompt trials for political prisoners;
abolish the death penalty, torture and other cruel treatment of
prisoners; and end extrajudicial executions and
``disappearances.'' 

Borges has exhibited his photographs in museums and galleries throughout
North America and Europe. His last book,
``Tibetan Portrait: The Power of Compassion,'' which includes an
introduction by the Dalai Lama, took first place at the
1996 Banff Book Festival, and is currently in its third printing. 

Contact: 

     The City of West Hollywood
     Alison Maxwell, 323/848-6303