Since it was founded in 1961, Amnesty International has been empowering people like you to take action for a better world. This is a snapshot of what you have made possible.<\/p>\n\n\n
\u201cOpen your newspaper – any day of the week – and you will find a report from somewhere in the world of someone being imprisoned, tortured or executed because his opinions or religion are unacceptable to his government. The newspaper reader feels a sickening sense of impotence. Yet if these feelings of disgust all over the world could be united into common action, something effective could be done.\u201d<\/em><\/span>
– <\/span>Peter Benenson<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nAmnesty International was founded in 1961 on the idea that together ordinary people can change the world. Today Amnesty is a worldwide movement for human rights, calling on the collective power of 10 million people, each one committed to fighting for justice, equality and freedom everywhere. From London to Santiago, Sydney to Kampala, people have come together to insist that the rights of each and every human are respected and protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Change has not happened overnight. It\u2019s taken persistence and a belief in the power of humanity to make a difference. And the result? The release of tens of thousands of people imprisoned for their beliefs or their way of life. The end of the death penalty in dozens of countries. Previously untouchable leaders brought to account. Amended laws and changed lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do we measure 60 years of collective action? It\u2019s there in the accused who is given a fair trial; the prisoner saved from execution; or the detainee who is no longer tortured. It\u2019s there in the activists freed to continue their defence of human rights; the school children learning about their rights in the classroom; or the families escorted safely home from refugee camps. And it\u2019s there in the marginalized communities marching to demand an end to discrimination, the marginalized communities who defended their homes from destruction and the woman whose government finally outlaws the abuse she faces every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sixty years on, we\u2019re still battling for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. And we won\u2019t stop until it\u2019s achieved.<\/p>\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I first lit the Amnesty candle, I had in mind the old Chinese proverb: \u2018Better light a candle than curse the darkness\u2019.\u201d
<\/em>Peter Benenson<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nHumanity wins: Your impact over the last 60 years<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- After learning of two Portuguese students who were imprisoned for raising a toast to freedom in 1961, British lawyer Peter Benenson launches a worldwide campaign \u2018Appeal for Amnesty 1961\u2019. His appeal to\u00a0free prisoners of conscience<\/strong>\u00a0is reprinted in papers across the world and turns out to be the genesis of Amnesty International. By 1966, 1,000 prisoners have been released thanks to the tireless efforts of people, like you, who want to see a better world.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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- In 1962, Amnesty sends a lawyer to observe\u00a0Nelson Mandela\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0trial in South Africa. Nelson Mandela wrote that \u201chis mere presence, as well as the assistance he gave, were a source of tremendous inspiration and encouragement to us\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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- In 1973, Amnesty issues its\u00a0first full Urgent Action,<\/strong>\u00a0encouraging the public to act on behalf of Luiz Basilio Rossi, a Brazilian professor arrested for political reasons. Luiz would go on to attribute popular support for these appeals for improving his situation: \u201cI knew that my case had become public, I knew they could no longer kill me. Then the pressure on me decreased and conditions improved.\u201d Since then, Amnesty supporters across the world have campaigned on behalf of thousands of individuals, families and communities. In approximately one third of those cases, it results in positive change and even when it doesn\u2019t, it lifts spirits and offers hope.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
\u201cI received with much joy and emotion the beautiful cards and your encouraging messages of solidarity…Thank you very much.\u201d<\/em><\/span>
Elmer Salvador Gutierrez Vasquez, Prisoner of Conscience, Peru
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- In the 1970s<\/strong>, Chile\u2019s new regime under General Augusto Pinochet agrees to admit a three-person Amnesty International mission to investigate allegations of massive human rights violations. More than 20 years later, Amnesty International is a party to legal proceedings that lead to Pinochet\u2019s arrest in the UK for crimes committed in Chile. In 1979, Amnesty International publishes a list of 2,665 cases of people known to have \u201cdisappeared\u201d in Argentina after the military coup by Jorge Rafael Videla, in an effort to help their friends and families hold those responsible to account. In the same decade, Amnesty International wins the Nobel Peace Prize for \u201chaving contributed to securing the ground for freedom, for justice, and thereby also for peace in the world\u201d \u2013 a remarkable tribute to the hard work and determination of Amnesty supporters across the world.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- When Amnesty and its supporters start the fight against the\u00a0death penalty<\/strong>\u00a0in 1977, only 16 countries had abolished the death penalty. Today, that number has risen to 108 \u2013 more than half the world’s countries. Since 2011, countries including Benin, Chad, Republic of Congo, Fiji, Guinea, Latvia, Madagascar, Mongolia, Nauru, Suriname have all abolished the death penalty for all crimes. Our success has been driven by the belief that the right to life is sacred. With your help, we will not stop until the whole world gets rid of this ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, for good.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- In 1984, following tireless campaigning from Amnesty supporters, the UN General Assembly adopts the Convention against\u00a0Torture\u00a0<\/strong>and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. As a result, countries are now required in international law to take effective measures to prevent torture in territories they control and are forbidden from transferring people to any country where there is reason to believe they will be tortured.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- In the\u00a01990s<\/strong>, Amnesty International reports on human rights abuses in Kuwait following the Iraqi invasion, making headlines across the world. Our teams also launch an action on torture and extrajudicial executions in Brazil and receive an immediate reaction from President Fernando Collor, who says \u201cWe cannot and will not again be a country cited as violent.\u201d Amnesty International also draws global attention to the plight of 300,000 child soldiers, and joins forces with five other international NGOs to launch the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- In 2002, longstanding pressure from Amnesty supporters finally paves the way for the creation of an\u00a0International Criminal Court (ICC)\u00a0<\/strong>to investigate and prosecute those, including political and leaders, leaders of armed groups and other high-ranking figures reasonably suspected of committing crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and the crime of aggression.
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- After 20 years of pressure from Amnesty supporters and others, the global\u00a0Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)\u00a0<\/strong>comes into force in 2014, in a significant victory for humanity. The treaty is designed to stop the irresponsible flow of weapons that cause the deaths of millions and fuel conflict and widespread human rights abuse. This huge win would not have been possible without the amazing support of our donors, members and activists.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- The 2010s and 2020s are marked by an ever-growing number of human rights triumphs as activists intensify their demand for change. In 2010, for example, Amnesty International works with the\u00a0Dongria Kondh, an indigenous community in Orissa, India<\/strong>, to prevent the Vedanta mining company from evicting them from their traditional land. Following these efforts, the Indian government rejects plans for a mine project on their land
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- In 2013, Papua New Guinea repeals the controversial Sorcery Act, which allowed for reduced sentences for murder in cases where an accusation of sorcery was made against the victim. This marked a breakthrough in the struggle to\u00a0end violence against women\u00a0<\/strong>in a country where accusations of sorcery have often been used as an excuse to beat, kill and torture women.\u00a0<\/strong>There was further good news when the Family<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Protection Act (on domestic violence) was passed in the same year.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- In 2015, after years of pressure from Amnesty and its supporters,\u00a0Shell\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0Nigerian subsidiary announces a \u00a355m settlement to 15,600 farmers and fishermen in Bodo, Nigeria, whose lives were devastated by two large Shell oil spills in 2008. It paves the way for future actions from other Nigerian communities which have borne the brunt of the company\u2019s negligence. In 2021, the UK Supreme Court rules that two other Niger Delta communities affected by years of spills can sue the oil giant in a UK court.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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- In 2015, the UN adopts stronger rules for the humane\u00a0treatment of prisoners,<\/strong>\u00a0following pressure from a coalition of NGOs including Amnesty International. The revised rules more fully respect prisoners\u2019 human rights with a focus on rehabilitation; protection against torture; better access to health care; and restricting the use of punitive discipline, including solitary confinement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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- In 2015, Ireland becomes the first country in the world to introduce full civil marriage equality by a popular vote. “This [decision] sends a message to LGBTI people everywhere that they, their relationships and their families matter,\u201d said Amnesty Ireland\u2019s Executive Director, Colm O\u2019Gorman. In 2019, Taiwan becomes the first in Asia to\u00a0legalise same-sex marriage,<\/strong>\u00a0following sustained campaigning on the issue.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- In a landmark ruling for international justice, former president of\u00a0Chad\u00a0<\/strong>Hiss\u00e8ne Habr\u00e9 is sentenced to life on 30 May 2016 for crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture committed in Chad between 1982 and 1990. The prosecution relies on Amnesty reports dating from the 1980s, as well as the expert testimony of a former Amnesty staff member, among other evidence.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- Also in 2016,\u00a0Albert Woodfox<\/strong>\u00a0is finally released from prison in the USA following decades of pressure from Amnesty supporters. He had spent 43 years and 10 months in solitary confinement in a Louisiana state prison \u2013 believed to be the longest anyone has survived in solitary in the USA. \u201cI can\u2019t emphasise enough how important getting letters from people around the world is,\u201d said Albert. \u201cIt gave me a sense of worth. It gave me strength \u2013 convinced me that what I was doing was right.\u201d
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- In 2017, the Kenya High Court blocks the government\u2019s unilateral decision to shut\u00a0Dadaab refugee camp<\/strong>, the world\u2019s largest refugee camp. The ruling comes in response to a petition by two Kenyan human rights organizations, which was supported by Amnesty. Dadaab\u2019s closure would have left more than 260,000 Somali refugees at risk of forced return to Somalia, a country wracked by armed conflict.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- In 2018,\u00a0Teodora del Carmen Vasquez<\/strong>\u00a0is released from prison after spending a decade behind bars in El Salvador after suffering a stillbirth, which led to her being accused and convicted of abortion, an illegal act in the country. She was released when a court reduced her outrageous 30-year prison sentence.\u00a0 From petitions to protests, Amnesty supporters had been campaigning for Teodora\u2019s freedom since 2015.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- In 2018, a referendum in\u00a0Ireland overturns the constitutional ban on abortions<\/strong>\u00a0and marks a huge victory for women\u2019s rights – arising from years of dedicated activism, including by Amnesty International. In 2020,\u00a0Argentina finally legalizes abortion<\/strong>, a triumph for the women\u2019s rights movement and Amnesty supporters who have been fighting for this for decades. It serves as an inspiration to other countries in the region and around the world to move towards recognizing access to safe, legal abortion.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- In 2018, a UK ruling finds that intelligence services\u2019 use of private communications swept up in bulk breached human rights laws. This is the first time in its 15-year history that the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) has ruled against an intelligence agency. The landmark verdict proves that mass surveillance sharing on such an industrial scale is unlawful, and a violation of our rights to privacy and to free expression.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- In 2019,\u00a0Sierra Leone lifts the ban on pregnant girls<\/strong>\u00a0accessing education<\/strong>\u00a0after it is found to be discriminatory. Amnesty had intervened in the case, drawing on its own research on the issue as well as relevant international law. The decision sent a strong message to other African countries either implementing or considering such bans.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- In 2019\/20, changes to the law in Denmark, Sweden and Greece finally recognise that\u00a0sex without consent is rape.<\/strong>\u00a0This follows years of campaigning by women\u2019s rights and survivors\u2019 groups, and Amnesty\u2019s Let\u2019s Talk About Yes campaign. Spain also announces a bill to define rape as sex without consent, in line with international human rights standards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
\u201cWhile before I felt all hope had gone, the story changed when Amnesty came in. The messages I received overwhelmed me. I regained hope.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n
The biggest recent wins for individuals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- 15 big wins for Write for Rights | Amnesty International<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Further examples of recent successes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- 2015:\u00a050 WAYS YOU CHANGED LIVES IN 2015<\/a><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 2016:\u00a033 REASONS TO BE POSITIVE ABOUT 2016<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 2017\u00a0Your support changes lives \u2013 here’s how – Amnesty International Australia<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 2017\u00a0Good news: your 2017 human rights victories<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 2018\u00a0This year\u2019s epic human rights wins | Amnesty International<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 2019\u00a030 human rights wins worth celebrating | Amnesty International<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 2020\u00a041 human rights wins to celebrate right now | Amnesty International<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Greeting card<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Facebook event<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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