Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Amnesty International?
- What does Amnesty International do?
- What does the local St. Louis Group do?
- Is Amnesty International effective?
- How does Amnesty International carry out its work?
- How can I work with Amnesty International?
- What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
- Who funds Amnesty International's (AI) work?
- Is Amnesty International a partisan organization?
- How does Amnesty International get information about human rights abuses?
- What are Prisoners of Conscience?
- What is a political prisoner?
- What is "cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishments?"
- Why does AI oppose the death penalty?
- What do AI members do about human rights in their own country?
What is Amnesty International?
Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for human rights. Our work is based on careful research and on the standards agreed by the international community. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion.Amnesty International mobilizes volunteer activists — people who give freely of their time and energy in solidarity with those whose rights have been abused. We have nearly two million members, supporters and subscribers in over 140 countries. We come from all walks of life, with widely different political and religious views, united by our determination to work for a world where everyone enjoys human rights.
Amnesty International St. Louis is our local city chapter (Group #105) of Amnesty International USA.
What does Amnesty International do?
Amnesty International works independently and impartially to promote respect for all the human rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Amnesty International believes that human rights are interdependent and indivisible – all human rights should be enjoyed by all people at all times, and no one set of rights can be enjoyed at the expense of other rights. It concentrates on ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination.Historically, the main focus of Amnesty International's campaigning has been:
- to free all prisoners of conscience
- to ensure a prompt and fair trial for all political prisoners
- to abolish the death penalty, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- to end extrajudicial executions and "disappearances"
- to fight impunity by working to ensure perpetrators of such abuses are brought to justice in accordance with international standards
Over the years Amnesty International has expanded this mandate to encompass human rights abuses committed by non governmental bodies and private individuals (non state actors). It opposes abuses by armed political groups (in control of territory or operating in opposition to governments), such as hostage taking, torture and unlawful killings. It opposes human rights abuses against civilians and non combatants by both sides during armed conflict. Amnesty International has also targeted abuses in the home or community where governments have been complicit or have failed to take effective action. Such campaigns include:
- the Stop Violence Against Women Campaign
- the ending of illegal arms trading
- the Business and Human Rights Campaign
For more information on the type of work Amnesty International does, please visit www.aiusa.org or www.amnesty.org.
What does the local St. Louis Group do?
Our local group works to educate our community about human rights abuses and to take action on behalf of specific individuals who are suffering human rights abuses. We plan and host panels, speakers, educational events, write-a-thons, and other human-rights-based activities. We also collect signatures on various human rights issues and table at various St. Louis concerts, fairs, parades, and events.We meet every second Tuesday of the month at the Schlafly Branch of the St. Louis Public Library in the Central West End from 7-8:30pm where we learn about human rights defenders and human rights abuses around the world and plan and organize actions and events. We also meet every fourth Tuesday of the month at Mokabee's Coffee House on South Grand from 7-8:30pm where we write letters on behalf of individuals around the world.
For more information on what our local group has done in the last few years. Please visit Amnesty St. Louis Local Group events and accomplishments.
Is Amnesty International effective?
We have a record of real achievement. We know this because the people we have been trying to help tell us that our pressure has had an effect. Sometimes governments are persuaded to change their laws and practices. Sometimes our solidarity keeps hope alive. Hope is a precious weapon for prisoners battling to survive, relatives trying to obtain justice on behalf of their loved ones or human rights defenders working in dangerous and isolated circumstances. Our local group has been a part of this success.How does Amnesty International carry out its work?
Whenever Amnesty International establishes that action is needed to protect people whose rights have been abused, it mobilizes its membership.We search out the facts. We send experts to talk with victims, observe trials and interview local human rights activists and officials. We monitor thousands of media outlets and maintain contact with reliable sources of information all over the world. Our research is carried out by expert staff, supported by specialists in a range of fields such as international law, media and technology. We publish detailed reports. We inform the news media. We publicize our concerns in leaflets, posters, advertisements, newsletters and websites.
Our members, supporters and staff around the world mobilize the public to put pressure on governments and others with influence to stop the abuses. Activities range from public demonstrations to letter writing, from human rights education to fundraising concerts, from targeted appeals on behalf of a single individual to global campaigns on a specific country or issue, from approaches to local authorities to lobbying at intergovernmental organizations.
Amnesty International's worldwide network generates thousands of appeal letters on behalf of individuals and communities at risk. If urgent action is needed to save lives, volunteers around the world are alerted and letters, faxes and e mails are sent within hours. When a large scale human rights crisis occurs, our members are quickly mobilized in a global campaign. Sometimes our members "adopt" specific individuals and issues — if necessary, for years — seeking freedom for prisoners of conscience or working to abolish the death penalty in specific countries.
Amnesty International supports programs that help people learn about human rights and how to defend them. We develop materials for use in schools, organize teacher training programs and encourage training programs for government officials and security personnel. Amnesty International presses governments to ratify and abide by international human rights treaties and to strengthen international human rights standards.
How can I work with Amnesty International?
Attend a local meeting – Each month, activists from St. Louis get together and work on behalf of human rights. By attending a local St. Louis Amnesty meeting, you can plug into the human rights work going on in your own community!Join – When you join Amnesty International, you become part of a worldwide movement. As an individual member, or as part of a local group or a specialist network, your individual voice will join with countless others to build pressure for change.
Donate – A financial donation to Amnesty International is a vital act of support for human rights. To ensure its independence, Amnesty International does not seek or accept money from governments or political parties for its work in documenting and campaigning against human rights abuses. Instead, Amnesty International's funding depends on the contributions of its worldwide membership and on donations from the public. You can also donate to our local group in St. Louis, whose budget is entirely dependant on local donations. Please make a secure donation via PaylPal to support our work.
What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is the foundation of the international system of protection for human rights. It was adopted in 1948 by the United Nations general assembly on December 10th, which is celebrated annually as International Human Rights Day. The 30 articles of the UDHR establish the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of all people. It is a vision for human dignity that transcends political boundaries and authority, committing governments to uphold the fundamental rights of each person.Who funds Amnesty International's (AI) work?
AI is a democratic, self-governing movement funded largely by its worldwide membership and by donations from the public. No funds are sought or accepted from governments for AI's work in documenting and campaigning against human rights violations.Is Amnesty International a partisan organization?
No, AI is impartial. It is independent of any government, political ideology, or religious creed. It does not support or oppose any government or political system, or the political opinions of the victims whose rights it seeks to protect. AI is concerned solely with the protection of human rights in each case, regardless of the ideology of the government, opposition forces, or the beliefs of the individuals.How does Amnesty International get information about human rights abuses?
AI's campaigning activities are based on meticulous research. The organization systematically and impartially researches the facts about individual cases and patterns of human rights abuses. Research into human rights violations and individual victims is conducted by the International Secretariat of AI. During 2002 and 2003 Amnesty International conducted an intensive and far-reaching analysis of human rights in the world.AI sources of information: Prisoners, Prisoners' relatives and friends, Lawyers, Religious bodies, Community workers, Humanitarian organizations, Refugees and exiles, Journalists, Diplomats, Travelers, Public news media, Underground press, AI research missions.
What are Prisoners of Conscience?
Prisoners of Conscience (POCs) are people detained because of their beliefs or because of their ethnic origin, sex, color, language, national or social origin, economic status, birth, or other status who have not used or advocated violence. Some POCs are prominent individuals, active and well-known in public life. Most, however, are ordinary women, men, and children who come from all walks of life. They frequently are not political dissidents. They are imprisoned simply for their peaceful exercise of their human rights.What is a political prisoner?
A political prisoner is anyone whose imprisonment is politically motivated. Perhaps the "crime" is politically motivated; perhaps the arrest, trial, or sentence has political undertones. In cases where it is not clear, AI's legal office makes a determination on a case by case basis. When political prisoners do not qualify as POCs (suspected members of armed opposition groups, for example), AI works to ensure fair and prompt trials. If a prisoner is detained without charge, AI will generally ask that he or she be charged with a recognizable crime or be released.What is "cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishments?"
Both the Convention Against Torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights forbid "cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment". Although the term has not been defined specifically, it is intended to be interpreted so as to provide the widest possible protection against abuses, whether physical or mental - such as stun belts used as restraints, twenty-four hour a day isolation units, and death by stoning.Why does AI oppose the death penalty?
AI unconditionally opposes the death penalty on the grounds that an execution is a cruel, inhuman and degrading form of punishment that violates international human rights standards. The application of the death penalty is arbitrary and unfair, and it is applied in a discriminatory manner against the poor or against racial or ethnic minorities. Furthermore, the chance of executing an innocent person is too high. Since 1973 in the US, over 100 people have been released from death row after they were found to be innocent.What do AI members do about human rights in their own country?
An integral part of AI's work is the international nature of its concerns. To complement the work of local human rights organizations and use AI's role as a worldwide human rights organization most effectively, the organization has adopted limitations on work done by AI members on their own country. These limitations primarily affect the work members do on individual cases. While this differs from country to country, there are a number of areas where Amnesty International USA members do work in the United States. They include work on death penalty abolition, refugee and asylum concerns, legislative work, ratification of international human rights treaties, and human rights education and awareness.For more information, please email , or visit www.aiusa.org.
For more information about Amnesty International, visit www.amnestyusa.org (the US section of Amnesty) or www.amnesty.org.