Summer Postcard Action 2006


Update on 2005 Summer Postcard Action


Yao Fuxin

China – Yao Fuxin and Xiao Yunliang

Labor rights activist Xiao Yunliang was released from prison on February 23, 2005. His colleague Yao Fuxin continues to serve a seven-year prison term.

Krishna Pahadi meets with Irene Khan, AI Secretary General, in detention.

Nepal – Krishna Pahadi

Krishnan Pahadi was released from detention on July 4, 2005, after receiving many cards and letters of support from Amnesty activists. Jailed again in February, he was released once more in April.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo – BVES

In last year’s Summer Postcard Action, Amnesty activists sent messages of support to BVES, an organization that aids children in war-torn Congo and helps with the rehabilitation of former child soldiers. Some months later, Amnesty’s London office received a message from Murhabazi Namegabe, director of BVES, who recounted how he had been reading with a group of children when uniformed soldiers burst into their hostel and demanded money. The soldiers became distracted, however, when they saw hundreds of colorful postcards and festive envelopes spread around the room – a display of supportive correspondence from Amnesty International members. They started reading the letters, testing their broken English, and demanded to know "Who wrote these letters?" and "And why?"

For Namegabe, director of a group that helps former child soldiers, it was the perfect opportunity to address a captive audience about the group's work. The children participating in the reading revealed to the uniformed men that they were former child soldiers and described how BVES had helped them. At the end of the impromptu workshop, the soldiers promised to bring in more child soldiers for demobilization and social rehabilitation.

Namegabe told Amnesty that the nearly 1,000 messages of hope they received from Amnesty members are precious to the children struggling through dark times.

“Thanks, Thanks, Thanks, mingi, very much," said Namegabe.. "Aksanti saana (many thanks) to men, women and the youth of AI for advancing the cause of human rights across the entire world!”