What is Write for Rights?
Amnesty International (Australia) tells us: “Sometimes a letter can change someone’s life. That’s the idea behind Write for Rights, our global letter-writing campaign. Twenty-one years ago, a small group of activists in Poland decided to run a 24-hour letter-writing marathon for 10 December – Human Rights Day. The idea took off and today, Write for Rights has grown into the world’s biggest human rights event.
Every December, supporters across the globe write millions of letters, cards and tweets, and sign petitions for those whose basic human rights are being attacked. These supporters form a vibrant community of people like you, continuing a long tradition of writing letters to right some of the world’s biggest wrongs.
Real change happens because of your letters and actions. People wrongfully imprisoned are released. Abusers are brought to justice. And people in prison are treated more humanely.” Read all about Amnesty wins here.
At this annual joint event between the Sutherland Shire Amnesty branch and the congregation of Engadine Uniting, we wrote 150 letters in 90mins and enjoyed meeting one another as we worked diligently on this effective and worthwhile project.
Easy notes, handy hints and short stories helped participants write letters that express our support for people who are prisoners of conscience across the world.
This year, we threw our collective efforts behind ten people who have been or are being persecuted because they engaged in a peaceful form of protest:
After expressing his concerns about climate change on Facebook, Bangladeshi engineer and activist, Shahnewaz Chowdury, was detained in inhumane conditions for 80 days, without trial. If convicted he faces many years in prison.
In September 2020, single mother and hairdresser, Dorgelesse Nguessan, attended her first-ever protest in Cameroon. During the peaceful demonstration, she was arrested and held in terrible conditions. She has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Self-taught Black Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara was arrested after speaking out against a dystopian law seeking to silence and censor artists. Sentenced to five years behind bars, he remains in a maximum security prison without access to proper medical care.
Zineb Redouane, an 80-year-old woman, was hit in the face and killed by a tear gas grenade. Nearly four years later, an investigation into her death is still ongoing, and no one has been charged or suspended over her killing.
Determined not to let the victims of the Tiananmen Square crackdown be forgotten, Chow Hang-Tung encouraged people on social media to light candles in their memory. She is now serving 22 months in jail and facing further imprisonment for her peaceful activism.
We wrote many letters in support of these people to the appropriate authorities, as well as others whose stories you can read on the Amnesty website.
Any questions? Email our community engagement officer Michael on michael@engadineuniting.church
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