History of Amnesty International Canada

Summary & highlights Beginnings: 1973 Thundercloud of appeals from Canada “Ordinary” people bring extraordinary results 1980s: Gatherings and victories The voice of one, the power of many Strengthening our support for women Amnesty youth are changing the world Spotlight on Canada Human rights activism get wired & dramatic Today’s Amnesty Canada

Canadians have been active supporters of Amnesty International from its beginnings in the early 1960s.

Sue Hill, one of the first Amnesty Canada members, remembers that going public for human rights took a lot of perseverance in the early days. “If people saw you standing in front of an embassy, they walked over to the other side of the street. It was only gradually that people began to understand what Amnesty was all about.”

By 1973, Amnesty Canada groups had started in Sackville, Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, Guelph and Montreal. In May of that year, representatives from these groups met in St. Lambert, Quebec, and formally established Amnesty International in Canada.

These were busy days. In November 1973, Amnesty Canada held a major conference on the abolition of torture. By January 1974, a national office was opened in Ottawa and the first monthly action Bulletin was published for Amnesty members across the country.

In March 1974, an article on torture appeared in Canadian Magazine, attracting many new Amnesty members. Two months later, representatives from 16 Amnesty groups met at our first Annual General Meeting in Ottawa.

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