Members in Action

On January 21, 2017 women and allies around the world marched in protest of American President Donald Trump’s election. For some, the Women’s March represented an opportunity to demonstrate on a large-scale their rejection of the plethora of misogynistic comments and actions made by the 45th President of the United States. However, for others, particularly Black, Indigenous, transgender, non-binary and women of colour, the Women’s March marked yet another instance of toxic white feminism. The lack of intersectionality has rightfully created cause for concern. As we approach International Women’s Day on March 8, two members of Amnesty’s National Youth Action and Advisory Committee (NYAAC) reflect on their participation in the Women’s March.

I am a first-year student at the University of Toronto, St. George Campus, with a great passion for human rights. My interest in Amnesty International and community involvement was inspired by my mother. She worked with the UNHCR for many years and would bring home stories about refugees and their path to finding safety. Those stories had a huge impact on my life, and I developed a desire to help those who are in need of justice and safety.

I am currently a National Youth Organizer with Amnesty International Canada and have volunteered with Amnesty in the GTA for over three years now. With every event and meeting I attend at Amnesty, I learn a lot about global issues and also meet inspiring people.

Taibeh Abbasi is a teenage girl that was born in Iran to Afghan parents and fled to Norway with her mother and brothers in 2012. The Norwegian government will be putting her and her family at grave risk of serious human rights violations if it goes ahead with plans to return them to Afghanistan, a country that she has never even visited.

Taibeh goes to school and dreams of becoming a doctor. If she is forced to return to Afghanistan her aspirations will be completely destroyed. The Norwegian government has justified the family’s deportation by claiming that Afghanistan is safe for returns – but it is not.

However Taibeh is not alone, her classmates at school in Trondheim, led a campaign to stop their return. There was massive support from over 1,000 high school students that protested against the government’s threat to deport one of their classmates. Now Amnesty youth activists in Canada and from around the world are speaking out for Taibeh and her family. 

By: Ishaan Chandok

On April 22nd, 2017, a day accompanied with beautiful weather, the group One Fire invited Amnesty activists from the Business & Human Rights/Indigenous Rights Team to join them for a concert at Christie Pits Park in Toronto. Under the message “We Are One”, artists came together in this collective movement to deliver music based on topics such as peace, love, and freedom. The focus of the event was Earth Day 2017, and between musical guests, Amnesty International volunteers were given time at the mic to speak to the audience. 

By Jackie Hansen, Major Campaigns and Women's Rights Campaigner, Amnesty Internatioanl Canada

Amnesty yellow mingled with the Women’s March on Washington’s signature pink toques at solidarity marches from St. John's to Victoria on Saturday, January 21. Amnesty supporters were amongst the 3+ million march participants worldwide. We marched against fear, hate, and in support of love, equality and justice. We marched for women’s rights and for LGBTI rights.

On inauguration day, many women and LGBTI people felt invisible in the president’s speech, erased from the White House’s list of policy priorities, and concerned about the potential impacts of new policies on civil liberties, the shrinking space for civil society, women’s rights, and LGBTI rights.

The Canadian government is launching dozens of consultations over the coming months. Among these are election promises and issues with significant human rights dimensions. Now is the time for Amnesty International supporters to make their voices heard. 

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED 

Amnesty is undertaking an extensive project focused on the human rights of Indigenous peoples in northeast British Columbia’s Peace River Valley. In August, we released “The Point of No Return,” a report outlining how the human rights of Indigenous peoples are threatened by the Site C hydroelectric dam. We are calling on you once again to support our action calling for a halt to the Site C dam. Please use the report and Site C action in your campaigning this season. The Site C action will be featured in December’s Write for Rights events. The report, action, and much more is available at www.amnesty.ca/SiteC. 

The next phase of the project is the release on November 3 of “Out of Sight, Out of Mind,” a full report on the Peace River Valley project, which provides an overview of how the economic development model being employed in northeast BC violates Indigenous land rights, threatens Indigenous cultures, and heightens the risk that Indigenous women and girls will experience violence. Information about the report release and accompanying actions will be circulated in advance of November 3.