"Don’t worry about me. You are the ones who have such important work to do. You have to be sure to tell everyone about what is happening here."
December 2009
Dear friends,
Talk about humbling words.
In May I was part of an Amnesty team working in eastern Chad near the volatile border with Darfur ...
One agonizing day, the local driver who was working with us was abducted and held captive for 8 hours by an armed gang. He was, to everyone’s great relief, released unharmed and the next day we were able to talk with him. Quickly dismissing our concern for his own well-being, he wanted instead to be sure that we were safe and sound and able to go on with our efforts to document the violence and serious human rights abuses continuing in the region.
It was an inspiring moment - he was the kind of person you meet and only wonder as to whether you would have the same fortitude and strength of character if tested. And what a great mantra for our work: tell everyone.
This year and past decade have certainly been a trying time for human rights protection. There have been many moments of triumph, but also a great deal of turbulence and worry.
Amnesty's steady voice in this turbulent decade for human rights
Much of this decade has been dominated by the repercussions and aftermath of the terrible terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11th, 2001. Not only were the attacks themselves a frightening assault on human rights, the response unleashed by that deadly violence provoked significant setbacks to human rights protection. Torture, arbitrary arrest, indefinite imprisonment, unfair trials, discrimination – all in the name of security.
Throughout the years since, our voice has demanded that the violations cease. And while it has taken most of the decade, in 2009 it does seem that the message is at long last getting through: human rights violations only serve to deepen both injustice and insecurity.
In the United States President Obama has signaled a new path. The closure of Guantánamo Bay draws closer and some (though not all) of those held there will finally face fair trials in front of civilian courts.
In Canada in recent months, the unjust immigration security certificate process appears to be unraveling, with two certificates overturned by judges and others increasingly in doubt. And the storm of controversy about how the government has handled prisoners at risk of torture in Afghanistan has united a wide chorus of public, political and media voices across the country demanding that we need a full accounting to ensure that Canada has done and continues to do all possible to avoid complicity in torture. All of these are issues that have been at the heart of Amnesty’s human rights program in recent years.
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You made Amnesty heard in 2009 |
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∙ We continued to press for strengthened efforts to protect millions of civilians endangered and displaced in the midst of conflict in Darfur and Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, the Philippines and so many other corners of our world.
· We insisted on the protection of the rights of courageous Iranians who took to the streets after contentious presidential elections.
· We demanded safety for Tamil women, men and young people locked away in virtual prison camps in Sri Lanka.
· We moved quickly on behalf of the Uighur people in China’s Xinjiang region when unrest and violence led to further human rights violations.
· And we campaigned for freedom for prisoners of conscience everywhere – some of whom, such as Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar (Burma), are known by hundreds of millions of people worldwide; while others are known by only a handful but cannot and must not be forgotten.
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Many corners of our world have suffered greatly this past year – and Amnesty was there, consistently, speaking out with and for the millions who have been imperiled by conflict, repression and poverty.
The beginning of Amnesty's Demand Dignity campaign
In 2009 we launched our important new Demand Dignity Campaign, pointing to the multitude ways that human rights violations drive and deepen the unrelenting poverty that stalks the lives of billions of people around the world.
We stood with slum-dwellers in Kenya, with women in Sierra Leone for whom pregnancy far too often leads to death, and with Indigenous people denied their rights to the land in Canada. We stressed that unless we make headway in strengthening the protection of all human rights – be it freedom of expression, protection from torture, access to basic health care or adequate housing – poverty will not relinquish its debilitating grip.
And we welcomed very encouraging progress in ensuring that human rights violators will face justice for their terrible misdeeds. At the global level the International Criminal Court – agreed to over a decade ago – has begun its work in earnest, with trials underway, arrest warrants out and active investigations looking into cases around the world. Here in Canada a Rwandan national was found guilty on charges related to Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, a clear indication that Canada’s justice system can and will play a role in tackling the impunity that has long protected human rights violators around the world. Amnesty members have fought long and hard for justice to prevail over impunity.
We spoke out around the world. And our voice, joining many others nationwide, was certainly strong here in Canada as well.
- We renewed our call for a national action plan on violence and discrimination faced by Indigenous women and girls across the country.
- We pressed the case for a solid human rights impact assessment before Canada goes further with plans for a free trade deal with Colombia.
- We highlighted concerns about human rights violations associated with the overseas operations of various Canadian companies.
- We continued to call for justice and accountability for Canadians detained and tortured in foreign countries.
- We insisted that there be a public inquiry into the Afghan prisoner transfer fiasco.
- We intervened successfully on behalf of numerous individuals seeking refuge and safety in Canada.
- We are heartened to see steps finally being taken to scale back and limit the use of Tasers by law enforcement agencies across the country.
Every time we spoke out, it was your outrage, concern and determination -- alongside our many supporters across the country -- that made sure we were heard. How exciting, therefore, that we have ended 2009 with our most successful annual Write for Rights event yet. More than 20,000 Canadians from coast to coast joined us in and around Human Rights Day in an avalanche of letter-writing about human rights concerns in all corners of the globe. It is a powerful reminder that Canadians care deeply about human rights and stand ready to speak out in the face of injustice, at home and abroad.
Help us tell everyone
Thank you for your contribution to this effort, the ongoing struggle to “tell everyone” about human rights. We move into the coming year and decade faced with enormous challenges, including the very worrying human rights dimension of climate change – an issue that may very well come to define the coming decade. But with your support we will rise to those challenges.
We can. We must. We will.
Please donate now to Amnesty International's life-saving human rights work.
Thank you,
 
Alex Neve,
Secretary-General
Amnesty International Canadian Section
P.S. Amnesty is an independent, registered charity and receives no money from any governments, so that we can maintain the credibility and impartiality of our human rights reporting. Please help us carry out our vital human rights work by making a financial contribution to Amnesty International now.
P.P.S. Right now, there is a chance for the impact of your gift to be doubled. While we value every gift, of any amount, thanks to a generous donor, all gifts of $500 or more made before December 31st towards Amnesty's emergency work will be matched. If you have the means to make a large gift, this is a unique opportunity to have your donation doubled.
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