WHO WE ARE:
Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for the internationally recognized human rights enshrined in the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Founded in 1961,Amnesty International now has more than 2.2 million members and subscribers in more than 150 countries.
Amnesty International's campaigns include:
- Stop violence against women
- Defend the rights and dignity of those trapped in poverty
- Abolish the death penalty
- Oppose torture and combat terror with justice
- Free prisoners of conscience
- Protect the rights of refugees and migrants
- Regulate the global arms trade
Members of Allen Avenue UU Church are active in the leadership of the Greater Portland chapter of AmnestyInternational.
Meetings on the second Tuesday of every month, at 7:00 p.m., on the Portland campus of the University of Southern Maine (Room 204 of Masterton Hall) are open to all. For more information about how to involve yourself in local AI work, contact the leader of our A2U2 efforts.
OUR MISSION: We believe human rights abuses anywhere are the concern of people everywhere. So, outraged by human rights abuses but inspired by hope for a better world, we work to improve people's lives through campaigning and international solidarity.
- Our mission is to take up human rights issues by mobilizing public pressure through mass demonstrations, vigils and direct lobbying as well as letter-writing and online campaigning.
- Our members and supporters exert influence on governments, political bodies, companies and intergovernmental groups,demanding that all governments and other powerful entities respect the rule of law.
For more information on the national and international human rights work of Amnesty International, go to http://www.amnestyusa.org/.
WHAT WE DO IN MAINE: Working with other human rights, religious and peace organizations, the Greater Portland chapter of AI commemorates International Human Rights Day annually by sponsoring forums on topics such as Genocide in Burma, Stopping Violence Against Women, and Denouncing Torture.
- The chapter sponsored a performance by a theatrical troupe portraying the human rights history of Haiti.
- In June 2008, we arranged the local visit to Portland of a Guantanamo Cell replica which more than a thousand people went through.
We regularly
- write letters on behalf of Ethiopian, Libyan and Eritrean prisoners of conscience and Mauritanian and Palestinian Guantanamo Bay detainees
- lobby elected officials on human rights issues
- create displays for Banned Books Week
- speak about the work of AI to high school groups, community organizations and college students
- distribute information about AI at vigils, concerts, fairs, and festivals.
For more information about our local Portland chapter see http://www.geocities.com/portlandmeai/.
Members of Amnesty International at the Guantanamo Cell exhibit, downtown Portland, June 2008
