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Tuesday, 27 March 2007 14:01 |
| | Janese Johnson |
A child cries in the night after having been just abused. An innocent man waits alone in his cell for a trial that he will never have.
A woman flees her village that is being destroyed by those who want to destroy her ethnic group. Another waits to be sentenced to be stoned to death after having been falsely accused of infidelity. Children are being used for soldiers, labor, and sex. A gay couple gets beaten up for being together. A woman is devastated after having just been raped.
What do all these situations have in common with one another?
Unfortunately,
these and many more situations are true stories of human-rights
violations that are happening every day to so many in our world.
Without our voices, many of these human-rights violations will
continue. With the many voices that have already called for justice and
dignity for all humans, change is happening little by little.
However, with
more voices of advocacy for human rights, and a stand against the
violations, an even larger difference can be made. Margaret Meade says,
ìNever doubt that a small group of dedicated people can change the
world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.î
There are many
ways to make a difference. In 1961, a British lawyer, Peter Benenson,
read a newspaper article about two Portuguese students sentenced to
seven years in jail for raising their glasses in a toast of freedom.
Benenson was so affected by this that he wrote a full-page story asking
people to write letters to the Portuguese government asking for freedom
for these two ìprisoners of conscience.î
The response was
overwhelming, and from that, Amnesty International was formed. Amnesty
International now has 1.8 million members worldwide and continues to
defend human rights and saves lives.
ìHuman rightsî
can sound like a broad term and can leave one questioning exactly what
it means. The phrase was first used in 1948 when the United Nations
General Assembly proclaimed a Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In this
declaration, the United Nations has stated in clear and simple terms
the rights that belong to every human being. Amnesty International has
a list of all 30 of these rights if you are interested in learning more
about them.
There is now a
new local Amnesty International group forming here in Asheville! Group
voices are always stronger together than singular. If you are
interested in being a part of the forming of this new local group,
please email amnestyasheville-at-gmail.com. The group will be showing
documentaries, followed by discussions and letter writing campaigns.
Working together for this very important cause can be very uplifting
and powerful, and on top of that, will save many lives, and help those
who do not have the voice to speak up for themselves. Letís be voices
for those who cannot speak, and together we can make a difference.
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