Amnesty International

Yesterday was the last Amnesty International meeting that I will document on my CAS Blog. It started off with a presentation about protests that are and have been taking place in Canada lately. It was supposed to be the main topic of the meeting but we quickly drifted to what is now on all of our minds - War in Ukraine. 

The meeting took place yesterday and some shared their opinion that there definitely wouldn't be a war, that Putin has no interest in such and would not achieve anything this way. The majority of us, however, feared the consequences of an escalating conflict.

Looking at it from today's perspective, when the first thing I heard after waking up is that the Russian army has attacked Ukraine, it's a completely different discussion. I have started to think about ways that I can help, and I know so have many of my friends. We're with you Ukraine!!

Amnesty International

 Today was the first Amnesty International meeting after the winter break. During this one, we discussed the controversy brought by a comic book by Art Spiegelman. The book was banned in some schools in the United States, because of its portrayal of the Holocaust. 

It was drawn and written by a Jewish artist, so the authenticity wasn't the problem, it was that some parents were concerned that there is too much violence for their kids to witness. 

This led us to a discussion about history, education, and censorship. Were they justified to do such a thing? I, myself, have not read the book, so cannot speak on this particular issue, but I believe we need to educate ourselves about the greatest tragedies in human history despite their drastic nature, the Holocaust included.

Amnesty International

 Today at the meeting we discussed an Israeli spyware system called Pegasus. It was originally designed to track criminals, used by police, investigators and so on. However, it has been used beyond that. 

There are reports that it has been used to spy on journalists, politicians or scientists. The investigation by Amnesty International made this case and this app laud, causing us to discuss and educated ourselves as well as many others around the world. 

This is a threat to our freedom and privacy and cannot be allowed. 

Amnesty International

 Today at the Amnesty International meeting we discussed a law that was talked about in the Polish government last summer, but after protests have been put down. Until the 17th of December 2021, when it has returned to Sejm.

The law is commonly called a "Ustawa Lex TVN" and is a threat to the freedom of Polish media. It would basically force the present owner of TVN tv to sell the brand to somebody else, who would be easier to control by the government. 

The main polish media are already highly biased. This law would even further damage the freedom of information.

Amnesty International

 This Amnesty Meeting was purely organizational. We summed up the Letter Writing Marathon that took place last weekend at our school, where we argued for freedom and justice for people whose rights are being broken. 

We also summarized the entirety of what we have been talking about and why, as Christmas is coming and it is our last meeting this month, and even calendar year.

Amnesty International

 Today we revisited the issues in Poland, particularly the issues concerning the topic of abortion, which's criminalization is supposed to be discussed again today and tomorrow in the Polish Parliament.

We talked about the conflict between the Polish Constitutional Tribunal and the European Tribunal of Human Rights, which says that abortion is a human right, while the Polish Tribunal says that it is not conforming to the laws established in the Polish Constitution.

Amnesty International

 Today we discussed problems in Qatar. 

The government of Qatar has promised that they would take care of workers' rights, but they have not delivered on this promise.

Over two million migrant workers are being abused and exploited according to the reports. 

Amnesty International

The topic of today was COP26. 

It is an international conference that is supposed to decide on steps we, as the whole of the human population, take to save the planet and prevent climate change. Now it is being held in Glasgow, and hopefully, the right and responsible decisions will be taken.

However, it does not look like the representatives of various countries will decide to do enough, as most of the countries do not take climate change as a serious threat it is. 

We engaged in a powerful discussion about it, involving steps we, as individuals, can take to help stop climate change. I, myself, am attending Youth Strikes for Climate whenever they are happening. 

Amnesty International

 Tonight we discussed what is presently happening in Sudan. 

After the military takeover, people have been protesting, and force has been used against them. Harming the protesting citizens is a clear violation of human rights and cannot go unnoticed. 

Moreover, many government leaders are unlawfully being held captive as a result of the takeover. 

The military has also limited the access to the internet and imposed a state of national emergency, which limits the freedom of citizens

Amnesty International

The topic of today's meeting was Old Public Institutions in New Afghanistan, and why and to whom they are harmful. 

We have been discussing it and the human rights violations it results in. 

Amnesty International

 Today at Amnesty International meeting we have discussed work camps in China. 

People there are kept in inhumane conditions and it is horrible to even imagine everything they have to go through. 

We have also discussed the influence it has on the global economy. It is awful that China can and is benefiting from violation of human rights and so are many of us, without intending or even knowing it. The awareness of this issue must rise, as as more people talk about it and know about it the better chances there are for a change. 

Amnesty International

 Today I took part in organizing the Amnesty International bake sale at our school. Although I did not bake anything, I spent almost an entire 14:05 break sitting behind a table, selling cakes. 

Many of us have brought home-baked goods and even more, students bought them. 

This experience has helped me to learn how to organize an event in a big group, stick to the plan and keep my obligations. 

I have shared my turn of selling with my friend Natalia so it also gave us an opportunity to become aware of the latest events in our lives. 

Amnesty International

 Today was the first Amnesty International meeting in the new school year. It mostly focused on telling people who have just decided to join Amnesty International at our school how it works, what its goal is and what we will be doing. 

It was a short meeting, but it reminded me of the main goal of Amnesty International - protecting human rights and educating others about them. This is what I am planing on doing this year as a part of my Service. 

Amnesty International

 Today at the Amnesty International meeting we discussed the violence that meets sportspeople in Belarus. 

Because of the Olympiad, which causes a lot of publicity the sportspeople in Belarus were a target of oppression. They are being persecuted for their political views, arrested and bad-treated. 

There even were cases when they were arrested at the airports. Athletes are looking for asylum in nearby countries, like Poland. It is the next of many situations where Belarus had broken and still is breaking human rights. 

Amnesty International

 Today at the Amnesty International meeting we discussed repressions in Ghana. 

At the beginning of July 21 people have been arrested and charged with unlawful assembly as well as accused of spreading an LGBT+ agenda. 

Arrested people were in fact in the middle of a training session about how to support vulnerable groups. This was not breaking the law in any way, but the police were called and pamphlets and books (e.g. encouraging parents to love their children no matter what their sexuality is) were used as an evidence against them. 

Amnesty International

 Today Amnesty International meeting took place. Unfortunately, I could not attend it, but I did my best to educate myself on the discussed topic. 

The meeting focused on Hungary and its violation of LGBTQ+ rights, which obviously are human rights. 

Lately, Hungary has introduced new anti-LGBTQ+ laws, which include censoring queer-friendly content on TV, making it impossible for trans people to transition and preventing non-married couples the right to adoption (non-heterosexual marriage is not legal in Hungary, which makes it equal to forbidding non-heteronormative couples adoption). 

These and more laws have passed in Hungary which makes it an EU member that is currently and consciously breaking human rights. 

Amnesty International Meeting

 Today I attended an Amnesty International Meeting on which I talked about two human rights issues I found. 

First was the case against people protesting against a racist and xenophobic group in France, against whom there were pressed charges as during the protest they have crossed the boarder illegally. Amnesty says they should not be convicted as it is not the people who fight for human rights that should be punished but rather those who share hate.

The second issue I talked about was the case of hunger in Madagascar, where millions of people are unable to get food because of the famine. The government of Madagascar has no way of helping its people as they don't have enough money to provide the food from abroad and the environmental factors make it impossible to produce their own food. 

Amnesty International Meeting

 Today at Amnesty International meeting some members presented the cases from AI or other international organisations that are working in the field of human rights. 

I also talked about the news I found on official AI page. In Denmark the definition of rape in criminal law was changed to 'sex without consent'. Earlier for the crime to be recognise the prove of additional violence was required. This change happened on 17th December 2020. It is awful and frightening that even in European countries which are proud of how obedient they are of human rights and how much gender equality they have achieved this change is happening only now and not years ago. What's even more frightening is that Denmark is only the 12th country in Europe that recognises sex without consent as rape. 

 

Amnesty International Meeting

 At week's Amnesty International Meeting we summed up the 1st semester and further discussed the topic of total abortion ban in Poland.

 This topic is still on top, as the protests are ongoing, and additionally the Constitutional Tribunal finally published the justification for what it said in October, and the ban was published in Polish Dziennik Ustaw.

Amnesty International Meeting

Today at Amnesty International Meeting along talking about protests and updating on human rights cases around the world we made final decisions concerning Maraton Pisania Listów 2020.

The marathon will take place this weekend, but it will be different than all previous marathons due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Everyone will write the letters on their own, and we will add up the number of letters at the end. I will write more about it in a CAS Project post.