The Write for Rights team is deeply inspired by the diverse and thoughtful ways students and educators are bringing the campaign to life in their schools. We’re excited to share some of their incredible initiatives to spark ideas and motivate you on your Write for Rights journey.
From Awareness to Action: Write for Rights Campaign Helps Identify and Address Gaps in Human Rights Education
If even one person shows up and learns something, it makes such a difference and makes me so happy. It’s a lot of work but incredibly rewarding—I truly love it
Natalie Khallouf, Thornlea Secondary School
In 2022, Natalie Khallouf, who was 15 years old at the time and founder of her school Amnesty group, led in organizing a Write for Rights event in her school library. The event was a resounding success, generating over 350 signatures and 450 letters! However, during the event, the organizers noticed a trend: many students hesitated to sign a petition that supported the rights of trans people.
Recognizing the need for awareness, the following next year, the Amnesty group collaborated with their school’s Gender Sexuality Alliance Club and focused on educating students about 2SLGBTQQIA+ rights. They organized campaigns and held discussions, advocating for spaces where everyone could embrace their true selves without discrimination.
Over time, Natalie reported seeing a positive shift, as more students became more informed and accepting of gender-diverse people. The Amnesty Group even grew from 10 to more than 80 members in one year—making it one of the biggest groups in their school!
The success of the Write for Rights events didn’t end there! Natalie spoke of how organizing these events helped her develop life-long skills. She strengthened her advocacy abilities, mastered the art and importance of delegation, and became comfortable explaining complex topics and educating her peers on sensitive issues.
Building Community Through Advocacy: Creating Safe Spaces with Write for Rights
Yes, you can make change alone, but when you do it with others, the more powerful it becomes. Through Write for Rights, we were able to form a community at our school, creating a space where people felt safe to share experiences that are not usually discussed on a regular day. It required vulnerability, and it felt meaningful to be part of these conversations
Aarya Gupta, Woodlands Secondary High School
Inspired to make a difference, twin sisters, Samaaya and Aarya Gupta started an Amnesty Group at their school, Woodlands Secondary High School in 2022. As their first initiative, they organized a Write for Rights
event. To get started, they secured a teacher sponsor, registered their group on Amnesty’s website, and assembled an executive committee to help plan, promote and carry out the event.
Over a six-week period, the team dedicated between six and eight hours each to preparing for the event. They had determined that promotion was key to the event’s success. The first thing they did was create an Amnesty Woodlands social media account to raise awareness of the Write for Rights campaign. They posted interactive content, including videos and social media posts highlighting the stories of people whose human rights were at risk. They also incorporated a countdown-to-the-event-date feature in their social media posts to boost interest and excitement.
In addition to these digital efforts, they designed and distributed posters all over the school and coordinated with teachers, encouraging them to participate in the letter-writing activity. For nine consecutive days, the event was featured daily in morning announcements.
Each executive member was responsible for bringing at least five people to the event, a word-of-mouth tactic that proved successful. On the day of the event, they decorated the space with Write for Rights (W4Rs) merchandize, played music to create a welcoming environment, and offered delicious winter-themed snacks as an incentive for all those who participated. In the beginning of their event, they presented the Write for Rights cases, explained how to write letters,
and encouraged participants to take action for the cases they felt most connected to. This approach led to a heartfelt, open environment where students shared personal stories and wrote meaningful letters, spending 30-40 minutes on each. Their event was an incredible success, with students writing over 200 letters!
Samaaya and Aarya have since graduated from Woodlands Secondary School and are pursuing their bachelor’s
degrees. They plan to continue Write for Rights events at their University while exploring other ways to exercise their power for social change.
Samaaya and Aarya’s journey highlights how advocacy that begins in the classroom can inspire change far beyond its walls.
Walking Together in Justice: Catholic Teachings and Write for Rights in Harmony
St. John Catholic High School in Perth, Ontario, is a great example of how Catholic schools can fully embrace the Write for Rights campaign to align with their values and teachings. For almost 25 years, the school has organized Write for Events, led by the student-run Justice Action Committee (JAC). The annual event inspires impressive participation, generating 400 to 600 letters each year, with engagement from most classes.
Every year, the JAC selects four cases to champion. The members visit classrooms to promote the campaign, share powerful success stories from previous years, and provide sample letters to guide participants.
On the event day, the school’s atrium transforms into a vibrant advocacy hub. Students gather for letter-writing sessions, and some classes take materials back for in-class participation.
Teachers at St. John appreciate how seamlessly Write for Rights integrates with Catholic Social Teachings, such as
promoting solidarity, economic justice, human dignity, and the common good. They also found that the campaign complements the curriculum, particularly in senior-level law and religion classes, offering students a real-world application of critical concepts.
St. John Catholic High School’s longstanding commitment demonstrates the unique role Catholic schools can play in Write for Rights, combining faith, education, and action to empower students and foster meaningful global change.
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There are many ways to participate in Write for Rights, whether you want to write a letter, sign a petition, attend an event, or organize your own.
