Amnesty International's Global Write-a-thon 2008:
Questions and Answers
"Global Write-a-thon" sounds fantastic. But what exactly is it?
Each year around International Human Rights Day (December 10), activists from across the world take action on behalf of selected individuals at risk of human rights abuses. Through the Write-a-thon, tens of thousands of participants in more than 30 countries bring concentrated pressure to elicit positive change in the lives of the highlighted human rights defenders, prisoners of conscience, and other victims of human rights abuses.
How exactly does it work?
There are five easy steps to follow:
- Register for the Write-a-thon as an individual or as a group.
- Spread the word! Encourage your friends and family to get involved.
- Check out the Write-a-thon resources online. You'll find everything you need to participate:
- Detailed case summaries (AVAILABLE FRIDAY, NOV. 14th) and sample letters for each of the individuals featured this year. This year's cases (PDF) include--among others--women's rights defenders in Iran, prisoners of conscience in China and Indonesia, and a jailed leading religious figure in Eritrea. For each case, government targets have been identified;
- Letter writing tips to assist you with writing the most effective letters;
- A detailed checklist for how to plan an event and media resources;
- Promotional materials;
- AIUSA's Holiday Card Action (http://amnestyusa.org/action/holiday): Create, decorate, and design cards of hope and solidarity to send directly to prisoners and human rights defenders;
(For hard copies of all these materials, please email us)
- Write and mail lots of letters on December 5-14.
- Report back: Let us know how many letters were sent. We are also eager to see any pictures from letter writing events.
Who can participate?
Everyone! No matter if you are a member of Amnesty International or not, or if you want to participate as individual or as a group, every participant counts.
I am thinking about planning an event. What should I do?
- Download and print the checklist for "How to organize a Write-a-thon" at www.amnestyusa.org/writeathon
- Be creative! A Write-a-thon event can take on many forms. What about:
- Organizing an event at a local coffee-shop;
- Integrating it into your regular youth/student-group, community or church meeting;
- Encouraging your classmates to write during lunch break at school;
- Organizing a potluck dinner with friends or family that includes letter-writing.
How many letters am I expected to write?
This is totally up to you. We invite you to set your own letter-writing goal, and hope that you help us reach our goal of 75,000 pledged letters. Every letter counts: a single letter can have a huge impact when it arrives together with thousands of other appeals from around the world. There are a variety of cases so feel free to choose from the list or write on them all!
Does letter writing work?
It absolutely does. Letters from people like you have helped influence government leaders, free prisoners of conscience, launch investigations, prevent torture and stop executions.
- Several individuals featured in past Write-a-thons have subsequently been released. In recent years, Jennifer Latheef (Maldives), Sami al Hajj (Sudan) and Zmister Dashkevich (Belarus) have all been freed following international pressure.
- For current success stories, please visit: www.amnestyusa.org/Individuals_at_Risk/successes
Okay, this sounds like an opportunity I don't want to miss! How do I sign up?
You can register at www.amnestyusa.org/writeathon. Once you register, you will have the option to receive resources and support throughout the next few weeks, including:
- Receiving a hard copy of all online materials, plus some AIUSA stickers and brochures;
- Email reminders, tips, and inspiration.
How do I write the most effective letters?
Just let your commitment for human rights and the online materials guide you. If you want to improve your letter-writing skills, feel free to take a look at our Letter-Writing-Tips, which you can download here. If you have writer's block, feel free to use the sample letters.
There is usually an address at the top of the sample letter and another at the bottom. To which do I send my letter?
The government official at the top of the sample letter is the one to whom you should address and send your letter. The address at the bottom is that of the relevant embassy in the U.S. We suggest that activists simply send a copy of the original letter to the relevant embassy, thereby doubling the impact of the original letter.
Is it more effective to send postal letters or emails?
We have generally found that a personal letter is the most effective way to convince government officials to take action on behalf of an individual. However, we know that it can be time consuming and expensive to write and send personal letters. The most important thing is to participate in any way you can. We encourage you to send an email to government officials if other options are not available to you.
How do we report on how many letters I/we have written?
After the Write-a-thon we will send out a brief evaluation, and ask you to report back to us. You will also be able to find this evaluation form on the website at: www.amnestyusa.org/writeathon
Do I have to write between December 5-14?
Most people write around this date. We encourage you to join them to have the strongest impact on the situation of the individuals who are featured in this year?s Write-a-thon. However, this is a general guideline, and contributions to the Write-a-thon before or after that date are very welcome. If you can't participate within the calendar parameters of this year's Write-a-thon, please don't hesitate to write on behalf of these cases at a time that works for you!
What if I receive a reply to one of my letters?
If you receive a reply from a government official or a prisoner, please send a copy of it to:
Individuals at Risk Program
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20003
I really believe that I can make a difference in the life of a victim of human rights abuses. Do I really have to wait for next year's Write-a-thon to take action on behalf individuals at risk again?
Absolutely not! Please see the Individuals at Risk website at www.amnestyusa.org/iar for regular opportunities to take action.
