In my life I have always been driven by a strong desire to seek out justice that governments and institutions have failed to provide and this is what brought me to be involved with Amnesty International. What I love about Amnesty is that the organization is a powerful international network made up of grassroots activists and that it does not accept funding for its human rights research and campaigning work from any government. This principled approach is what has made Amnesty International a trusted voice on human rights for so many decades.
In my work as a National Organizer, I have been mostly focused on human rights abuses faced by Indigenous Peoples in the Americas, particularly earth, land and water defenders. I believe it is an obligation as a member of the Punjabi diaspora who benefits from stolen lands to take a stand in solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples on whose lands I reside. I am inspired by the work that has been done by Amnesty with regards to Indigenous issues, including the research and reports on the Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women in Canada. I am also very interested in Amnesty’s campaign on corporate accountability and look forward to what is to come from the ethical battery campaign since this is such a pressing concern in the world we live in today. I like to organize in collaboration with other local groups and like minded individuals and to take action in creative ways such as hosting film screenings or providing space for participants to create activist art.
As a law student studying Canadian common law and Indigenous legal orders, I am proud of the work that Amnesty does to keep governments and powerful organizations accountable for their actions. I am continually inspired by and grateful to be part of this network of incredible people dedicated to human rights at home and beyond borders.
Navjot Jassar is a National Organzier with AI Canada and the President of the AI U Victoria Chapter
