Amnesty International fights for human rights

The main purpose of Amnesty International is to help educate students and promote awareness about human rights violations all over the world. Blair's chapter of Amnesty International is part of the worldwide organization.

The educational element

Amnesty International's sponsor, social studies teacher Anne Manuel says that the club focuses on education and lobbying. The heart of the club's efforts to educate students about current issues is its lunch campaigns.

Amnesty International has held about five lunch campaigns in the last year. During these lunch campaigns, members of the club set up a table and try to educate Blazers on a specific issue. Past campaigns have included the war in Iraq, the death penalty, Guantanamo Bay and child protection laws in the Congo. Amnesty International is planning a lunch campaign on December 10.

Manuel feels that the activities during lunch are good ways to promote awareness about major issues in the world today. "Every time we have lunch campaigns we are able to teach several hundred students about an issue they've probably never heard about," she says.

Amnesty International's president, senior Aditi Bhaskar, says that the club is also planning to hold a teach-in during January, highlighting a modern slavery specialist.

Amnesty International took part in Blair's activity fair on Tuesday, November 25 and helped educate and grab the interest of many prospective members for their club.

'Just straight human rights'

The club's second emphasis is to lobby government officials to improve human rights. In the past, Amnesty International has written letters and petitions to local, national and international officials, including President Bush, and Congressman Chris Van Hollen who answered with a personal response.

Bhaskar says that the club's focus is strictly on the elimination of human rights violations. She feels that the clubs' main concern is "not about political aspects, democracy or communism, it's just straight human rights."

Club member junior Alejandra Barberena feels that one of the best parts about Amnesty International is that learning about the wrongs in the world and trying to help. "I like the fact that not only do you learn what's going on around the world, but you try to do something about it to make a difference and you educate people," she says.

'Part of something bigger'

Amnesty International is a world organization, existing in colleges and high schools all over the world. Manuel says that the Blair chapter of Amnesty International is only a small part of the organization. "We're part of something bigger," says Manuel.

Manuel's previous job as Human Rights Watch's Deputy Director for the Americas has helped her gain experience for this type of work. When she came to Blair four years ago, social studies teacher Cassandra Heath yielded the position of Amnesty International sponsor to Manuel.

Since then, Amnesty International has become a more active club with more members and the club meets more often. Manuel describes the club's progress as "more organized [and] more active," while she says Amnesty International also has a "really good future."

Amnesty International meets on Mondays in room 144 at 3:00 p.m.

Additional reporting by Caitlin Garlow.