Amnesty International
UA Chapter
it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness
What is Amnesty ?
• With over 2.8 million members, Amnesty
International is the largest grassroots human rights
organization in the world
• Independent from government, corporate or national
interests
• Amnesty’s goal is to protect human rights defined in
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
according to other international human rights
standards
• Amnesty International is the recipient of the 1977
Nobel Peace Prize
How do we achieve
our goals?
• Research
– Monitor, document and report human rights violations
– Sponsor research missions to study possible violations
– Collaborate with other organizations, such as Physicians
for Human Rights, to ensure impartiality and accuracy of
reports
• Action
– Letter writing campaigns
– Protests and Rallies
– Education
Achievements
• Since 1961 thousands of prisoners have been released
from jails around the world
– Most recently : Aung San Suu Kyii of Myanmar
Femi Peters, campaign manager of the United
Democratic Party was freed on Friday, December 10,
almost four months before his expected release in
March 2011.
Femi Peters' daughter Regina Moore told Amnesty
International: "On behalf of myself and Femi
Peters' families in the UK and Gambia, I want to
thank Amnesty International for their concern, inputs
and efforts geared towards the release of my dad.
Your efforts are appreciated for bringing freedom to
the one that deserves it."
Achievements
• Abolition of the death penalty
– Following intense campaigning by Amnesty International and
its partners, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution L29
calling for a global moratorium on executions. (2007)
• Minority rights protected
– The United Nations General Assembly (GA) adopted the
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. (2007)
Activities
• Letter writing campaigns
• Raising awareness on campus:
• Informational tables on the mall
• Sponsoring speakers
• Demos and exhibitions
• Participation in Tucson and National events
• Peace Fair
• Annual General Meeting and Western Regional Meeting
Info
Weekly Meeting
Location:
Time:
Contact
Ted Elhourani
telhoura@email.arizona.edu
Prof. Joseph Watkins
jwatkins@math.arizona.edu
Website
http://clubs.asua.arizona.edu/~amnesty/