AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Karen Vaughan Jones

Background  Launched in 1961 by Peter Beneson, a British lawyer, after reading about two Portuguese students who had been sentenced to seven years in prison for raising their glasses in a toast to freedom.  Now more than 1 million members and supporters in over 160 countries. Nationally organised sections in more than 50 countries and more than 5000 local groups.

Mandate  Like many other organisations, members are guided by a 'mandate', which explains what the organisation does  The mandate for AI explains the two main ways in which the organisation campaigns:

1. Promoting general awareness of human rights We promote awareness of and adherence to the values contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other internationally- agreed standards of human rights 2. Opposing specific abuses of human rights  We work for the immediate and unconditional release of prisoners of conscience.  To advocate fair and prompt trial for all political prisoners  To campaign to abolish the death penalty, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.  To end extra judicial executions and ‘disappearances’

AI also oppose the following:  The return of refugees to countries where they may be at risk of serious violations and abuses  Military security and police transfers (including weapons and training) from one country to another where these can reasonably be assumed to contribute to human rights abuses  The manufacture, use or transfer of indiscriminate weapons of warfare, particularly anti-personnel landmines.

Who are they?? Prisoners of conscience are people who:  have not used, or encouraged the use of, violence;  are detained or imprisoned because of their political, religious or other beliefs, or their ethnic origin, sex, colour or similar reasons. Prisoners of conscience include people who are detained or imprisoned just because, for example, they have tried to form political parties in a country where this is banned.

HOW AI WORKS

World wide appeals a.nsf a.nsf Long term work for individuals – ‘Action files’ Amnesty International Week Country Campaigns Theme campaigns Eg torture Urgent Actions web.nsf/pages/UA_home

Guiding principles AI has gained a great deal of respect for the way in which it conducts its campaigns e.g. always being totally accurate in their facts only working on cases of individuals in other countries abiding by law (based on udhr) independence and impartiality

Is Amnesty International Effective? What evidence does AI use to say how successful they think they are? What do you think, where do you get your impressions from?

Your task : History View of citizenship and it’s role How effective do you think its work is? Examples of their campaigns