August 2016: Amnesty Insider

INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S NOTE Two human rights defenders in the Democratic Republic of Congo were just freed – thanks in part of the work of Amnesty International USA’s members and supporters. Fred Bauma and Yves Makwambala are members of a pro-democracy youth group who were arrested last year and faced the death penalty, simply because of their nonviolent advocacy. Through Amnesty’s Write for Rights campaign last year, more than 170,000 people sent letters, texts, and emails demanding their release. While they’re finally free today, Amnesty is pressing the government to drop the charges against them entirely. Last year alone, Amnesty International helped secure the freedom of 144 people who were imprisoned unjustly. And we don’t stop there. Amnesty members and supporters are campaigning to change the laws and policies in order to protect people’s human rights – from abortion bans in Ireland and Argentina to the lack of standards and accountability for police use of lethal force in the U.S. and Brazil. Thank you for your activism and your partnership. Margaret Huang Interim Executive Director Amnesty International USA

It's Not Enough: World Leaders Fail Refugees...Again The good news is that on Sept. 19, the United Nations General Assembly will gather to address the refugee crisis and vote on a new Global Compact on Refugees. The bad news: we’ve reviewed the draft Compact, and it’s an abject failure for refugees. The Compact is a historic opportunity to find a desperately-needed global solution to the refugee crisis. Instead, world leaders have chosen to procrastinate crucial decisions even as refugees drown at sea and languish in camps with no hope for the future. In response to this colossal failure, and to push world leaders to finally and quickly bear responsibility for the refugee crisis, we’re convening our own summit on Sept. 19 – which will include Amnesty directors from several countries and outline what world leaders must do now to address this humanitarian crisis. Follow the summit on AIUSA’s website and social media platforms later this month. The America I Believe In, 15 Years After the 9/11 Attacks As the United States approaches the 15th anniversary of 9/11, Amnesty reflects on the aftermath of the attacks, and our shared desire for justice and respect for human rights. As part of Amnesty’s “The America I Believe In” campaign, we’re conducting a Congressional briefing on Friday, Sept. 16. The panel will feature individuals who lost family members in the attacks of 9/11, along with representatives from Amnesty UK and Amnesty Kenya to share Amnesty’s documentation of abuses and attacks by armed groups occurring internationally. Get engaged in The America I Believe In campaign today!   Monitoring the Dakota Oil Access Pipeline Protests in North Dakota Earlier this month, after sending a delegation of human rights observers to monitor protest conditions, AIUSA called on state and local authorities to take specific steps to protect Indigenous communities’ right to peacefully protest construction of a disputed pipeline in North Dakota. In a letter to the governor of North Dakota, the North Dakota Highway Patrol and the Morton County Sheriff’s Department, AIUSA asked authorities to remove a roadblock to the protest site, urged them to meet regularly with protesters and community leaders, and reminded officials of their duty to facilitate peaceful protest. Read Amnesty’s letter urging state and local authorities to protect peaceful protest at the Dakota Access oil pipeline. Celebrating Freedom of Expression at Afropunk Art for Amnesty supported free expression through the AfroPunk festivals. Check out our video from the Brooklyn event last weekend. See the Amnesty @ Afro Punk Video Training Human Rights Leaders Amnesty’s Human Rights Leaders Institute (HRLI) is an annual event that brings together diverse human rights leaders from around the nation to build the human rights movement. This year it took place in Chicago, IL, from July 28-30. Sessions included the human rights framework, communications, organizing & mobilization, campaigns, and how diversity, equity, and inclusion impact our work. There was a diversity of new and long-time Amnesty activists across race, gender, sexual identity, and religious affiliation, including Board members, guests from Amnesty International Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada-Francophone, and Canada-English Speaking. The HRLI equips leaders to deepen their commitment to organizing in their communities by lifting up and working on the priorities for the strategic plan. It was our most successful HRLI to date with 100% of respondents to the training evaluation saying, “I would highly recommend the Human Rights Leaders Institute to other AIUSA volunteer leaders.”   Will We See You at a Regional Conference This Fall? The 2016 Regional Conferences promise to be some of the best we've ever had. No matter which AIUSA region you call home, you'll have an incredible time hearing from inspiring speakers, networking with other activists, learning about the most pressing human rights issues of our time, developing your organizer skill set and shaping AIUSA policy. Don't miss out on the opportunity. Stay in the loop, or register right now. How did you like Amnesty Insider? Let us know what you think. © 2016 Amnesty International USA | 5 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10001 | 1-800-AMNESTY