<p>On 22 April 2012, I will be running the London Marathon, and one week later I will be running the Shakespeare Marathon in Stratford-upon-Avon.&nbsp; For the 4th year I am donating my sponsorship to <a href="http://www.business-humanrights.org/">Business &amp; Human Rights Resource Centre</a> &ndash; the small, hard-working charity that draws global attention to the human rights impacts (positive &amp; negative) of more than 5100 companies worldwide.&nbsp; This year the money I raise will help fund the Centre's work in the Middle East, where many opportunities are arising as a result of the "Arab Spring", along with many challenges.&nbsp; The Centre has just appointed its first two Middle East Researchers, Sa'eda Al-Kilani based in Jordan, and Rania Fazah, based in Lebanon, both mother tongue Arabic-speakers.&nbsp; Each donation made by 22 April to my "marathon times 2" will be matched by <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/desertislanddiscs_20071028.shtml">Lord Joffe</a>, up to a total of &pound;12,500.&nbsp; As a young human rights lawyer Joel Joffe defended Nelson Mandela in South Africa &ndash; he then emigrated to the UK, became director of an insurance company and Chair of Oxfam, and now sits in the House of Lords.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Resource Centre continues to help the voices of local human rights and environmental defenders to reach decision-makers at far-away company headquarters.&nbsp; Voices in the Middle East raising cases such as:<br>- Companies providing technology and surveillance equipment that helped governments in Syria, Iran, Gaddafi's Libya and Mubarak's Egypt suppress peaceful dissent.<br>- Gross discrimination against women in workplaces across much of the region.<br>- "Appalling" treatment of migrant workers in the construction industry in Dubai, some "basically enslaved", leading to many suicides.</p> <p>The Centre also draws attention to positive initiatives by companies.<br><br>The Centre works for transparency &amp; accountability, so that companies in all countries know their conduct is being watched &ndash; this puts constructive pressure on them to respect human rights and to address abuses.&nbsp; <br><br>The aims: to prevent harm to men, women &amp; children, in cases ranging from racial, gender &amp; caste discrimination, to sweatshops, to child labour, to toxic pollution, to torture &amp; killings by private security officers &ndash; and to encourage positive steps by companies.&nbsp; <br><br>Those who supported my past marathons helped the Centre expand its work.&nbsp; This past year, in addition to the two new Middle East researchers, it appointed Amanda Romero Medina as its first Latin America Researcher, based in Bogot&aacute;, and Joseph Kibugu as its first Eastern Africa Researcher, based in Nairobi.&nbsp; <br><br>Mary Robinson (former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights &amp; President of Ireland) said: &ldquo;By supporting the Resource Centre you will be helping build the framework for a fairer world.&rdquo;&nbsp; A mainland Chinese advocate wrote to the Centre: &ldquo;Environmental groups like mine in China do not have the special skills to deal with companies, so it&rsquo;s really good to have an ally like you.&rdquo;&nbsp; An Angolan human rights defender wrote: &ldquo;By drawing international attention to torture by private security firms working for diamond companies in Angola, and by eliciting responses from the diamond companies, you helped stir up a debate on these issues, which is having an impact in Angola.&rdquo;<br><br>The Financial Times commented: &ldquo;The Resource Centre has won a big following among companies, governments, investors, non-government organizations and journalists.&rdquo;<br><br>Your donation of any size will make a difference, because the Centre runs a lean operation and keeps expenses to a minimum.&nbsp; The Centre does not accept donations from companies or company foundations, to prevent any conflict of interest, so donations from individuals are very important to its continued work.<br><br>For more info, see <a href="http://www.business-humanrights.org/">the Centre&rsquo;s website</a>.&nbsp; If you prefer to donate directly to the Centre by credit card or cheque, see <a href="http://www.business-humanrights.org/Aboutus/Makeadonation">their donation page</a> for details.<br><br>The Centre is a registered charity in England &amp; Wales (no. 1096664).&nbsp; In the United States the Centre is a tax-exempt non-profit under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, so donations by US taxpayers are deductible from their US income taxes to the extent allowed by law.</p>