AIUSA – Activist Guide November-December, 2018
Amnesty International is built on the idea that people coming together against injustice can be a game-changer! The sum of each of our actions creates a powerful force that has proven to be effective in igniting positive social change.
When our colleague Taner Kilic, the Honorary Chair of Amnesty Turkey, was imprisoned for his work defending human rights, you fought for his release. When we learned of how children were being separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, we shared an outrage and named this cruel act as nothing short of torture. Earlier this year when we exposed Twitter’s negligence in preventing online violence and abuse against women, you helped to spotlight the issue – check out this video from last week of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey being question by Members of Congress for Twitter’s failure to protect women from such abuse. Throughout 2018-2019, we will continue to advocate for the rights of refugee and asylum seekers and this month we will launch our national campaign to End Gun Violence in the US.
Amnesty International’s new Secretary General, Kumi Naidoo, recently said, “the idea that instead of getting used to the horrors in the world, we can refuse to conform to them, and instead stand for radical change. We must be a movement of creatively maladjusted people, seeking alternatives to the oppression and injustice we see around us, and fighting for real change. Let’s be maladjusted to gender and racial discrimination, to the stripping of humanity from refugees, to hatred in the name of religion, to walls and fences and untrammelled state and corporate violence.”
With these words in mind I invite you to use this guide to learn about the issues, take action, and grow a human rights movement in your community by getting others involved. The actions outlined come with educational and advocacy tools. We want to hear from you, so please fill out this Feedback Form and share your stories of activism and interest with us so we can collect these stories and support you in your activism journey.
| November 1-December 31 |
| November 13-15 & November 27-29 |
| November 16 |
| November 20 |
| November 25-December 10 |
| November 26 |
| November 28 |
| December 10 |
| Write for Rights |
| Ohio legislators in Special Session (focus on End Gun Violence) |
| International Day of Tolerance |
| International Day of the Child |
| 16 Days of Activism to Stop Violence Against Women |
| Aleksandr Kolchenko, 29th Birthday Card Action |
| Amnesty Membership Call: 17 Years of Guantanamo – Education & Action Planning |
| Human Rights Day and 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights |
WRITE FOR RIGHTS
In 2017, over 5 million letters were written demanding justice for 12 cases! Join Amnesty International’s Global Action: Write for Rights 2018. This year’s cases all include women human rights defenders.
Click here to sign-up and request materials at [email protected] today!
REFUGEE RIGHTS IWELCOME CAMPAIGN
When intimidated by the state of the world, some build a taller wall; we’re building a “longer table,” a movement of people uniting to welcome refugees in their own ways. Join us as we deepen and develop communities across the country in support of refugee rights!
Help us build a longer table with refugees by taking actions unique to you and your community
Take action on our case campaigns for individual refugees and asylum seekers
END GUN VIOLENCE CAMPAIGN
Amnesty International’s new report “In the Line of Fire” details how the U.S. is failing to restrict access to guns to those most at risk of mis-using them, and failing to take effective steps to reduce gun violence. Gun Violence in the U.S. is a human rights issue!
Educate your school and local community about why gun violence is a human rights issue
Support legislative initiatives
GENDER & IDENTITY
Take Action on International Violence Against Women Act! IVAWA is a piece of legislation that addresses violence against women through U.S. Foreign Policy. IVAWA provides a financial commitment to support by designating resources to non-governmental organizations—particularly women’s non-governmental organizations—working locally to address issues of violence against women and girls in their own countries.
INDIVIDUALS AT RISK
Support Amnesty International Local Group 297, Takoma Park Silver Spring, Maryland by taking action on their long-term case assignment! Aleksandr Kolchenko was arrested and charged without a fair trial in Russia. Aleksander Kolchenko, who his friends call ‘Tundra’, is an anarchist and a social activist. He is in jail in Russia, even though he is a Ukrainian, because he protested Russia’s take-over of Crimea. He is also a cat lover and his friends are caring for his cat named “Snowflake.”
Prison address:
Kolchenko Aleksandr Aleksandrovich, b. 1989
456612 Chelyabinsk Oblast, g.Kopeisk,
Ul.Kemerovskaia, d.20, IK-6