In honor of National Volunteer Month, we will introduce some of our dedicated AIUSA volunteers. This blog highlights our 2026 People Power Award winners.
Every year, attendees of Amnesty International USA’s Human Rights Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) come together for the People Power Awards ceremony to honor and celebrate volunteer leaders and activist groups who have been instrumental in furthering AIUSA’s grassroots movement and fight for human rights.
At AGM 2026, these recipients were recognized at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Death Penalty Abolition Award
Winner: Donna Schneweis
For more than four decades, Amnesty International has led global efforts to document and report on death penalty cases. The Death Penalty Abolition Award honors those who advance this work through their exceptional courage and conviction. It celebrates advocates who refuse to accept injustice as inevitable, who challenge systems of violence with persistence, and who remind us that every life has dignity.
This year’s award was presented to Donna Schneweis, who has been AIUSA’s Kansas Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator for more than 30 years. Donna has led AIUSA’s abolition efforts with unwavering dedication, building deep partnerships with faith communities, engaging elected officials, and sharing AIUSA’s national abolition priorities through her longtime service on the Death Penalty Abolition Steering Committee.
“The fight to end the death penalty is a fight about the fundamental, inherent dignity of the human person. That dignity is not wiped out by one’s actions. We must take this message to our courthouses, to the legislative bodies, to our communities of faith. Ask the hard questions about human dignity…engage in the challenging conversations about the practical dimensions of this issue. Working with others who share our dream, we can bring an end to state-sanctioned death.”
– Donna Schneweis, AIUSA’s Kansas Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator
Trailblazer in Organizing and Activism Award
Winner: California Refugee and Migrant Task Force
The Trailblazer in Organizing and Activism award honors individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in advancing critical work within their state’s Task Force, leaving a lasting and meaningful impact on AIUSA’s collective efforts to promote human rights.
This year’s award was given to the California Refugee and Migrant Task Force for their tireless and impactful work to mobilize others in California. Members of this Task Force came together, strategized, dreamed, and carried out actions to stop Congress from funding mass deportations and detention by $150 billion.
Their work resulted in thousands of calls and emails to California Members of Congress, literature drops at district offices, Know Your Rights literature distributions in communities across the state, lobby visits, rallies, and text banks to fellow Californians and activists in key states.
“When we were just starting to build this task force, the phrase ‘human rights defender’ felt too big, like a title none of us were sure we had earned yet. But this task force changed that through challenging systems like solitary confinement, fighting for immigration reform, and standing with migrants in the face of rising hostility.
– Sawera Haq, member of the California Refugee and Migrant Rights Task Force
We learned that defending human rights isn’t a title bestowed upon you one day. It’s something you claim through collective action, something we forge together, echoing far beyond ourselves.
Organizing is not just policy work or advocacy. It’s that big C word everyone’s always talking about: community. It’s showing up. In courtrooms, on street corners, on phone banks, demanding a world where people have the safety and dignity to build their lives freely.
I want to take a moment to honor the members who have dedicated themselves tirelessly to this struggle: Nasreen, Tony Faldin, Gavrila, Sabrina, Shirin, Imar, Felicia and Tayara, and of course Tony [Goodwin, AIUSA’s Senior Organizer]”
Asylum Casework Award
Winner: Elise Auerbach
AIUSA’s Asylum Casework Award recognizes the essential role Country & Thematic Specialists play in protecting the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. These individuals make a profound difference in people’s lives by writing letters of support and providing expert testimony in asylum cases where individuals face the risk of human rights abuses.
This year’s award honored Elise Auerbach, AIUSA’s Iran Country Specialist. Elise has supported more than 200 asylum seekers from Iran seeking safety from violence and persecution. In 2025 alone, she contributed to 70 cases, demonstrating deep expertise and an unwavering commitment to human rights.
“Over the last 25 years, I have worked on the cases of nearly 200 Iranians applying for immigration relief in the U.S. They have left everything behind in Iran, carrying with them nothing but scars from persecution by their government, as well as their dreams of building a new life here in the U.S. and contributing to our society. In these challenging times, I am proud to stand with my Amnesty International colleagues in the fight to ensure that migrants can have their applications for asylum and other relief fairly adjudicated—an essential right that is enshrined in international human rights law and in U.S. law.“
– Elise Auerbach, AIUSA’s Iran Country Specialist
Leading Change! Student Group of the Year Award
Winner: American University
The Leading Change! Student Group of the Year Award honors AIUSA student and youth groups whose dedication and tireless work have helped further AIUSA’s mission in the fight for human rights.
In 2019, the AIUSA Youth Collective created this award to highlight student groups that carry out exceptional work and display immense dedication toward activism. This year, we have seen this commitment to human rights strengthen tremendously as groups worked to spread awareness and inspire activism on their campuses, communities, and beyond—often while facing challenges from hostile environments and administrations.
With over 200 youth present at the AGM this year, the strength and commitment of Amnesty’s youth activists are clearer and more formidable than ever before.
This year’s award went to American University, led by long-time AIUSA activist Steven Mendell. American University has worked on a wide range of human rights issues this year, including raising awareness for Uyghur Muslims in China, human rights in Myanmar, freedom of expression, refugee and migrant rights, reproductive rights, liberties under the Trump administration and more. They have also collaborated with campus organizations to build coalition power to advance their work and have joined as a partner organization to support a student walkout resisting Trump’s takeover of D.C.
American University became the first AIUSA student chapter to pass the Firewall for Freedom campus resolution. This resolution calls on campus administrations to defend students’ rights and to refrain from collaborating with the Trump administration in undermining free speech, academic freedom, or inclusive learning environments.
“One of the things that meant the most to our chapter at American University was the opportunity to bring light to human rights issues that don’t often receive attention in the media.
– Steven Mandell, founder and former president of AIUSA’s American University chapter
Two efforts in particular really stood out for us. The first was a panel and film screening we organized on the ongoing human rights crisis in Myanmar. Many students on our campus had heard about the crisis briefly in the news, but didn’t fully understand the scale of the violations or the impact on civilians.
The second was an exhibit we hosted highlighting the persecution and human rights abuses faced by Uyghur Muslims in China. What made that exhibit so impactful was seeing students stop, read the stories, ask questions, and really engage with the reality of what is happening. Being able to create spaces for education and discussion reminded us how powerful student activism can be in keeping these issues visible.”
Hironaka Award
Winner: AIUSA Local Group 543, South Jersey
Every year, Amnesty International USA also recognizes the work, creativity, persistence, and impact of AIUSA local groups. The Hironaka Award recognizes an AIUSA local group whose outstanding human rights work exemplifies the strength and spirit of AIUSA’s mission and grassroots movement.
This year’s award honored Group 543, which has been a steady beacon for human rights in Ocean City, New Jersey. In 2025, members sent 1,600 appeals, each accompanied by a photograph, compelling officials to look directly into the eyes of those too often forgotten. Under the leadership of Georgina Shanley, Local Group 543 carried Palestinian stories to the UN and walked beside local immigrant families facing the threat of ICE. Their resilience and impact within their local community embody AIUSA’s belief that anyone can join the fight for human rights.
“Every single word, every single petition, every single signature, every single action, regardless of how small, matters. That’s how we build momentum and community, and as the Amnesty logo says, the candle, the light can always outshine the darkness.”
– Georgina Shanley, leader of AIUSA Local Group 543
Thank you to our award recipients for demonstrating the extraordinary impact that grassroots leaders and volunteers bring to AIUSA and to the broader human rights movement. Their vision, courage, and commitment continue to inspire us all.