Student Activism

The National Week of Student Action is coming up! This year's topic is Make Some Noise: Save Darfur. In the Darfur region of Sudan, hundreds of thousands of innocent people have been killed, raped, and tortured, and more than 2.5 million civilians have been displaced. Amnesty International USA wants you to help stop human rights abuses in Darfur during the week of March 26^th. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness and speak out on such an important issue with friends and your community

Do you want to join with us? Take a few minutes to fill out the NWSA registration form for the event. After registration, your group will receive in the mail all the information and organizing kit to have an awesome event.

If you have any questions concerning this event or need any further information, please feel free to email me NSYP2intern@aiusa.org. We are looking forward to seeing you!

Best wishes,

wook

Congrats, to all those who helped put pressure on the African Union to deny chairmanship to the government of Sudan. The African Union chose Ghana to head the 52 member bloc, today. Many urged the African Union to deny chairmanship to the Sudanese Government because of the continuous blood shed in Darfur and its continuous refusal to allow United Nations peacekeepers to enter the region.

The work that all of you put into many human rights issues really does make a difference. This was a significant decision on the line and it is great news to know that the African Union chose Ghana over Sudan.

Want to do help raise awareness on the conflict in Darfur?

Sign up for our National Week of Student Action! It will be held March 26-30^th and is open to all organizations. NWSA Registration

-Nausheen

On January 23^rd, Amnesty International USA and many other activists gathered at the White House and let others know about our human rights agenda for the 110^th U.S. Congress. Here is the human rights agenda.

- To restore US leadership on human rights: The America we believe in would close Guantanamo bay, and stop torture or other cruel, inhuman, or ill treatment against people. click here

- To be aware of countries in crisis: The America we believe in would support U.N peacekeepers in Darfur, and protect innocent people in Iraq.

- To raise a voice about the rights of women: The America we believe in would improve condition for women and demand to stop violence against women.

I encourage every one of you to read this and take action. When we are together, we can make a difference.  The America we believe in leads the world on human rights. To sign up for Amnesty International USA's online action center click here

The New Year is off to a fast start and this is a wonderful opportunity for many of us to set some goals to accomplish over these next few months. So why not set some goals that can make a difference on a human rights issue that means a lot to you? The best way to make a difference is to take action and to let your voice be heard. You can do a variety of things and I have made a list for many of you to get some ideas.

-Does your school have an Amnesty group? If not, this is your chance to start one. If you already do, increase your membership!

-Lead a rally on an issue that you believe needs to gain some attention.

-Write to your local congressman and senators. Every letter that you send in can make an impact.

-Be active on online blogs and human rights websites such as Amnesty.

-Go to your local video store or local library to rent a movie or book on issues such as, the death penalty, the crisis in Darfur, child slavery, etc... Increase your knowledge on these issues.

-Organize campus events on human rights issues that will appeal to your student body. Be creative! If you need some ideas...feel free to email me for some suggestions. Nsypintern@aiusa.org

Good luck setting your goals, you all can make a difference!

If any of you have some events that you have planned in the past that were successful, please post and share!

-Nausheen

In his sixth State of the Union address, President Bush missed a major opportunity to show leadership and vision in ending the corrosion of our nation's moral standing. Mr. Bush could have laid out a human rights agenda that would return the United Staes to a leardership position on human rights by closing Guantanamo, shutting down secret CIA prisons, restoring habeas corpus to all and leveraging U.S. policy to improve global conditions for men and women.

Instead he was silent on these issues, he should be aware of human rights issues and take action. The world urgently needs the United States government to restore its standing as a global leader on human rights. Effective leadership on the many tragedies around the globe - including Darfur, the Middle East and North Korea - demands no less.

It is now time for the U.S. Congress to step up and honor its promise of change for the better.  As an Amnesty International USA member and, more importantly, as an American, we urge our government to return our country to its rightful place - leading the world on human rights.

-Amnesty International USA, National Studnet and Youth

Amnesty International has made it into the top 50 list of best online storytelling for nonprofit organizations. The list is compiled by GetActive, NetSquared, and Squidoo. They want to recognize nonprofit websites for their excellence in engaging their constituents in a creative and innovative manner. Amnesty USA is being recognized for our online advocacy powerhouse, blogging, video and petition signing, and much more. Check out the listing today and vote Amnesty's interactive website into the number one spot. I encourage you all to engage in our websites many opportunities to speak out and voice your opinion.

Vote now!

 -Nausheen

Just last week was the fifth anniversary of the transfer of detainees to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The inhumane acts and lawlessness are continuing in Guantánamo and we all need to take action now and speak out against it. We can speak out by sending letters to our government, protesting, signing petitions, raising awareness, and by getting involved with organizations like Amnesty International.

One way to voice your opinion is by joining Amnesty's flotilla. You can sail, windsurf, and fly with the Close Guantánamo Amnesty flotilla. This extraordinary journey is a unique opportunity, which will allow you to express your opposition to Guantánamo. The flotilla will put more pressure on the United States government to close the camp for good.

Join now, it takes less than five minutes!

-Nausheen

Today marked the fifth anniversary of the first transfer of detainees to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Amnesty International and many other human rights activists gathered at the United States Supreme Court in Washington D.C. Protesters came together and spoke out against the United States government for allowing Guantanamo Bay to continue its operations, which are in violation of international law. Detainees are mentally and physically tortured in the facilities. Just this past June, three detainees committed suicide and many other make the attempt to end their life because of their unfair and torturous imprisonment. Protesters demanded for the closure of Guantanamo immediately. The inhumane acts and lawlessness in Guantanamo are against all human rights abuses and is the most visible U.S. human rights abuse. Detainees as young as thirteen have been sent to Guantanamo and are held indefinitely without a fair trial or charge. Several rallies were held today in order to stand up and fight for the innocent individuals who are being held without charge in Guantanamo. Let us hope that the Bush administration will listen to these protests and shut down Guantanamo.

Nausheen

On January 9th, Amnesty International USA and many other human rights organizations and activists gathered at the White House and demanded that the Bush administration protect civilians in Darfur and get UN peacekeepers on the ground. The conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan has led to some of the world's worst human rights abuses. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed, raped, and tortured, and more than 2.5 million civilians have been displaced. The situation has been getting worse over the years with military attacks, violence, hunger and diseases while the world has stood by and watched. At this moment, human security is the highest priority in Darfur. The nations of the world have a responsibility to protect civilians in Darfur and support U.N peacekeepers who can stop the ongoing atrocities in the region.

Do you want to take action? Your awareness and voice are very important to us. Help stop killing in Darfur! Human rights and justice cannot wait. To sign up for Amnesty Internationl USA's National Week of Student Action click here.

Best,

wook

There are quite a few acronyms in AIUSA, many of which are probably

mysterious. If you are under the age of 25 and a member of Amnesty

International USA, this one shouldn't be. We are the NYAC, or the

National Youth Advisory Committee, and we work for you.

Our team is made up of five regional representatives, one from each

region of the US: the West, the Mid-West, the South, the Mid-Atlantic,

and the Northeast. Our names are Eleazar, Terah, Corey, Loren, and

Hannah, respectively. Each of us serves a two year term (or more) to

help bolster and develop the youth movement of AIUSA. Most often, we

are in contact with youth members through our Student Area

Coordinators (SACs), and from time to time we have the opportunity to

meet directly with student group leaders and other youth involved in

AI. Much of our work centers on youth campaign advising and the

National Student and Youth Program, led by our fabulous staff liaison,

Njambi Good. We also are constantly seeking ways to reach out and

collaborate with other branches of AI to enhance the resources and

tools our youth movement has and to increase its participation in

every aspect and level of Amnesty's work.

Currently, we are in a phase of transition. Formerly known as the

National Campus Advisory Committee, we are in the process of

increasing our inclusion of all youth as well as our capacity to reach

you and best facilitate your work. We know that as 60-80% of AIUSA's

activist base is comprised of youth, the Amnesty human right's

movement depends on you. We also know that there are countless

incredibly inspiring and devoted youth activists out there, and we

want you on board! There is currently an opening in the Mid-West, and

soon will be in other regions as well.

In whatever capacity you are able to join us, we welcome you

emphatically to do so. If you have an idea as to how the NYAC could

serve you better, please shoot us an e-mail at ncac@aiusa.org. If

you'd like to take your activism to a whole new level, contact Njambi

Good at NGood@aiusa.org about receiving an application.

Finally, all of us at the NYAC would like to thank that youth members

of AIUSA for their continued hard work and efforts put in to promoting

the human rights of all. You have not been forgotten.

In Solidarity,

Loren Heinbach

NYAC Mid-Atlantic Representative, Chair

National Youth Advisory Committee

A few weeks ago, I hosted a "cluster meeting" for all of the student groups in my area. It was a huge success! The meeting was held in public place downtown with tables and chairs for all of us to use. I advertised for the event through an e-mail listserv and phonecalls, and promised to give all attendees free stickers and posters that they could use to advertise their Amnesty group. We had an average of about three members per group, and the meeting lasted for about two hours. We all introduced ourselves, shared some of our Amnesty experiences, and discussed the possibility for a community event that could involve all of the local Amnesty groups. We eventually decided that we wanted to host a human rights coffee house, featuring artwork, music, spoken word, and letter writing actions. People volunteered for various roles to help plan the coffee house, and once all plans were recorded, we finished the meeting. Overall, everybody seemed to have a great time and it was the perfect oppourtunity to get to know our fellow activists and plan an event together. Once we secure a venue for our event, we plan on having several more meetings to get the event off the ground.

 -Jordan Osserman