Here’s How to Join One of the Largest Human Rights Campaigns in the World Without Leaving Your Couch

By Michaela Whitton, Anti Media, November 17, 2015

(ANTIMEDIA) United Kingdom — As the list of global human tragedies grows by the minute, Amnesty International has launched one of the largest human rights campaigns in the world.

Since its launch in 2001, the annual Write for Rights campaign has galvanized the support of millions in a global wave of solidarity sending messages of hope to victims of human rights abuses throughout the world.

The campaign encourages activists to use a range of actions such as organising events, sending tweets, emails, or even the simple act of writing a letter to improve conditions for the victims of arbitrary and unfair imprisonment, torture and other human rights abuses across the globe.

Last year’s campaign called for the release of U.S. whistleblower Chelsea Manning, compensation and medical assistance for the victims of the Bhopal 1984 gas leak, and also demanded the release of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi. Hundreds of thousands of people participated in over 3 million actions across 200 countries and territories.

“It shows that when ordinary people stand together and send a clear message demanding governments fulfill their duty to protect and uphold people’s human rights we can achieve fantastic results,” claimed Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, after the 2014 campaign resulted in the release of two prisoners of conscience.

This year Amnesty is once again calling on activists to take action during November and December to ensure the world doesn’t forget those punished for standing up for their beliefs. People are encouraged to sign petitions, Tweet, email, organise creative events to raise awareness, and write letters of solidarity to 12 individuals and communities — all victims of brutal abuses and state oppression.

2015 Write for Rights cases

Burkina Faso: Girl victims of forced marriage.

El Salvador: Teodora del Carmen Vásquez suffered a still-birth and was sentenced to 30 years for homicide under El Salvador’s abortion ban.

Malaysia: Political cartoonist Zunar is facing a long-term prison sentence after posting tweets condemning the jailing of opposition leaders.

Louisiana, U.S.A.: Prisoner Albert Woodfox has spent more than four decades in solitary confinement in a cell the size of a parking space.

Greece: Costas and his partner were beaten up in a homophobic and racist attack in central Athens, though no suspects have been identified or punished.

Mexico: In July 2012, Yecenia Armenta was taken into police custody, raped, and brutally tortured into confessing.

Myanmar: Phyoe Phyoe Aung is a student leader and prisoner of conscience who was arrested after organizing a largely peaceful protest in Myanmar.

Iran: Saman Naseem a 17-year-old member of Iran’s ethnic Kurdish minority who was tortured into confessing to shooting a soldier and sentenced to death.

Saudi Arabia: Waleed Abu al-Khair, a human rights lawyer and prisoner of conscience is serving 15 years in prison for his work, which includes defending writer Raif Badawi.

Syria: In 2013, Rania Alabbasi and her six children were “disappeared” by the Syrian government.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Fred Bauma and Yves Makwambala are prisoners of conscience who both face the death penalty for promoting democracy.

Uzbekistan: Muhammad Bekzhanov is a prisoner of conscience who has been imprisoned since 1999 — making him one of the world’s longest jailed journalists.

“A single letter to the authorities can be brushed aside, but thousands of letters all calling for human rights changes are difficult to ignore,” Salil Shetty said after the 2014 campaign.

If you are interested in being one of thousands of voices speaking out against tyranny and demonstrating the power of peaceful protest, Amnesty has provided a comprehensive list of resources to make things simple.

“Thank you for your hard work and your campaigns to secure my release from prison. Your letters, phone calls, and petitions were my protection during the months I spent in solitary confinement. You were my voice when I had none,” prisoner of conscience Birtukan Mideksa said after the 2009 campaign.

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