Members Take Action

Amnesty International Canada will hold its 2017 Human Rights College (HRC) for Youth from May 30th to June 4th, in Calgary, AB.

The HRC is a three day youth leadership training that takes place just prior to, and is connected with, our AGM. The HRC aims to empower and support young activists within Amnesty to facilitate their active leadership role within Amnesty International's youth program. The HRC will be a mix of skills and learning workshops, along with an opportunity for all participants to have a hands-on experience of testing out their new skills.

The college directly precedes Amnesty Canada’s Annual General Meeting which all members of the HRC then go on to take part in.

Applications for the Human Rights College are now being accepted and are due on March 27th.

If you have any questions regarding the Human Rights College or would like an application, please contact youth@amnesty.ca

We look forward to seeing you in Calgary!

By Kathy Price, Mexico campaigner at Amnesty International Canada

They are bright and beautiful, they are eye-catching, and they carry a powerful message – a message of concern, solidarity and enormous caring. 

Amnesty supporters in communities, big and small, from all across Canada are creating butterfly messages to make visible how they feel about a shocking epidemic of disappearances in Mexico, as well as threats to the safety of family members seeking the return of their loved ones.

Monarch butterflies unite Mexico and Canada. Their annual life-giving migration across borders makes them the perfect symbol for Canadians to express our support for Mexican families courageously confronting an agonizing, hidden crisis.
 

It may seem like just one letter, just one petition signature, or just one day tabling at a farmer’s market. But when every signature, every conversation, and every  action are added together we accomplish extraordinary things we transform lives. And that’s just what we did through Amnesty's Stop Torture and My Body My Rights campaigns.

Over the past two years we campaigned for Canada to join a key torture prevention treaty, we took action to support torture survivors in Mexico as they seek justice, and we called on countries around the world to end the secrecy in detention centres which allows torture to take place. We raised awareness of sexual and reproductive health rights issues, helped secure the release of women in El Salvador imprisoned for having pregnancy-related complications, and successfully helped to change laws on early and forced marriage in Burkina Faso.

by Catherine Brunelle, Write for Rights Support Team

Amnesty Canada campaigner Hilary Homes has seen many events during her work with Amnesty activists. As we approach Amnesty International’s biggest global activism day of the year, Write for Rights on International Human Rights Day, December 10, we’ve asked her to share some favourite organizing takeaways. Haven’t signed up yet? Join Write for Rights at writeathon.ca!
 

1. Hold your event in a fun public space

Partner with a coffee shop or library! Or hold it in a university campus common space,  an art gallery, or at the market. Think of spaces that naturally have a lot of people. It’s an easy way to boost your numbers!

Gord Barnes is a volunteer fieldworker who lives in Regina.  As f ieldworker, Gord connects with many people throughout Saskatchewan to promote Amnesty's human rights work.

I have met people who have had family members executed. Other people who have been prisoners of conscience, jailed solely for their political or religious beliefs who have eventually been released.  I have met First Nations people who live here in Regina who have gone through the terrible experience of having a mother, daughter or sister murdered or who is missing.

Fundamentally, I feel all human rights are universal, that the rights that are guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all need to be enjoyed by everyone, I was involved with Amnesty International for a few years, writing  letters and active locally here in Regina, and then (many years ago) I was encouraged by one of the AI Canada staff to consider applying tobecome involved in the volunteer Fieldworker program.  I wasn’t sure I had the right experience and skills but I discovered this was a great way to learn more about human rights and about effective activism – I am grateful for being encouraged to do this.

 

Long-time activist Margaret John tells us how joining Amnesty Canada changed her life, and why she wants our work to be part of her own legacy.

My journey with Amnesty started nearly four decades ago. I remember growing up wanting to make life better for someone else. But I didn't see myself as a leader, and kept asking “What could I do?”

 

    "People leaving gifts to Amnesty in their wills represented 8.6% of our global income in 2013: €20.6 million. It’s our second biggest income source, after individual donations (81%)."

    - Amnesty International

 

At first, I simply worked on the local Amnesty group newsletter and letter-writing. Then our group was assigned a Singaporean prisoner of conscience for action, on whose dossier I was made responsible - a daunting task. Later I was asked to become Amnesty Canada’s permanent Country Coordinator on Singapore and Malaysia.

The same questions kept leaping to mind: “But what could I do?” After all I was just a little brown mouse?

by Ali Wagner, Intern at Amnesty International Canada

Former child soldier from Southern Sudan and current Toronto-based recording artist Emmanuel Jal continues to inspire as his Key tour crosses Canada.

Last week, 900 students wandered into their gymnasium in Aylmer, Quebec expecting a simple presentation on human rights, but were greeted with pounding hip hop and Emmanuel Jal, leading an interactive and emotionally charged event. Emmanuel’s unique style of hip hop and message of peace and reconciliation engaged students and brought them along on his journey, through his happiest and darkest moments.