As the dust starts to settle on the White House following the whirlwind of activity since Obama’s inauguration, it is easier to take stock of what’s actually happened.  

It seems that everything is pretty rosy, especially according to what Amnesty asked from for the new US President – Obama has ordered the closure of Guantanamo detention centre and banned torture, both big deals for us human rights fans.   

However, whilst this is being celebrated, the conversation on ProtectTheHuman.com is also buzzing around the possible cracks in the new administration that need to be looked at.  For example,  a Jack Bauer exception which may provide loopholes to the ban on torture - although there are many bloggers who discredit this and put their faith firmly in Obama. The question of ‘when is torture torture and when is it a technique?’ still seems to haunt US authorities. 

It’s important  to keep positive about the steps that have been taken towards creating a much more human rights friendly US – but remember to keep your eyes peeled and ProtectTheHuman.com  updated with all the latest so that we can keep pushing the new administration in the right direction.

We’ve got a great widget for you. it will update you daily with some new simple actions you can take  to help spread the word about our 100 Days campaign.

it’s loading  up there… wait one more second…

and voila…  the widget is here for your to catch and add to your blog, facebook, Myspace, and more.

Thank you for spreading the word and let me know what you think about it.

It’s been a long time coming but Protect The Human finally has its very own blog. This is where you’ll be able to find all of the latest news and activity that we’ve spotted on the site. We’ll also be using the blog to keep you updated on our campaigns and pointing out the most exciting things you can get involved with online. More importantly this blog will be tracking our experiments in campaigning online, particularly in social media, and ensuring that we’re as transparent as possible.

If this sounds good, then make sure you add the blog to your regular reads; you can find a helpful subscribe button just up there to the right.

The blog launches the day after a new President comes into office in the US, and thus it makes sense to use this first update to talk about what’s happening online in President Obama’s first 100 days.

After 7 years of Guantanamo and human rights abuses conducted as part of the ‘war on terror’ we hope that Obama will deliver the change he has promised.  At Amnesty we have three challenges we want him to achieve; Announce a plan and date to close Guantánamo; ban torture and other ill-treatment as defined under international law; and ensure that an independent commission on US “war on terror” abuses is set up.

Obama has gotten off to a great start by calling for a suspension of all military tribunals in Guantanamo, but we still need to make sure he acts on his campaign promises and sparks a real change in US policies on human rights in the war on terror. Here is a short list of the first things you can do online to help out:

• Sign our online petition and add your voice to those challenging Obama on human rights issues
• Watch this video
• Follow us on Twitter to receive a daily way to help spread the word
• Help us track his progress and bookmark any relevant news right here, on Protect The Human

We’ll be adding to this list as the 100 days start going by and progress is made. So keep your eyes open!