Student Activism

Does every one know that March is women's history month? The public celebration of women's history in America began in 1978 as "women's history week" which included International Women's day on March 8^th. It provides an opportunity to women across the world who are divided by culture, language, and social barriers to unite as a whole about the struggles they all face. If there is an event planned in your community, please take the time to participate and raise your voice against struggles and abuses women have encountered. Click here to learn more http://www.amnestyusa.org/women/index.do

Peace,

wook

Have you signed up for this year's Get on the Bus campaign(GOTB)? If not, It's still not too late to sign up for the huge event that will take place on April 20^th in New York City. This is the 12^th year of the GOTB campaign and an estimated 1,000 students are expected to attend. Student will gather in New York City for a full day of human rights action and education. This year's event will feature speakers and actions on human rights in Darfur, the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, India; impunity in Guatemala; and US rendition, torture and detainee abuse.

Learn more and sign up!

-Nausheen

February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate and reflect on African American history. Part of the aim of Black History Month is to expose the harms of racial prejudice and human rights violations as well as an opportunity to recognize significant contributions to society by people with African heritage.

Make your voice heard this month just as notable African American human rights activists such as Martin Luther King and Malcom X did.

Check out the Racial Profiling Campaign and learn what you can do to stop discrimination here »

Urge your Senator to help put an end to racial profiling by supporting the "End Racial Profiling Act" here »

Every one knows that we're just a month away from the start of the National Week of Student Action 2007. And here is the good news! We're mailing out the organizing kit along with posters and stickers very soon. Once your group gets the organizing kit, it's time to make preparations. You will need to decide which actions and activities your groups will do and think about how to get more people involved in this great opportunity. Don't forget to get the permission from your school and let school and local newspapers know what your group's schedule is. It's a lot to do when the deadline comes close, so start now. The earlier is the better. We update our blog every day so check it continually. http://blogs.amnestyusa.org/student-activism. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let us know. It's always good to hear from you!

Best,

wook

Amnesty International's National Student and Youth Program (NSYP) has joined the online networking craze and has created a myspace page and facebook group.

You may visit our myspace page by going to www.myspace.com/amnestyyouth. On our myspace page, you will find plenty of information on Amnesty projects and you can make friends with many of our human rights activist friends and groups.

 Our facebook group may be found by just simply searching for Amnesty International under groups. We will be posting the latest projects that we are working on and informing you of many different ways to be active and make a difference.

Join our groups today!

-Nausheen

This year's National Week of Student Action is March 26th-30th. Our focus this year is to Make Some Noise: Save Darfur. There is a human rights crisis in the region of Darfur, Sudan and the need for UN peacekeepers on the ground is essential. The week will be full of awareness raising activities, lobbying to congress and senators, a nationwide rally, and much more. It isn't too late to sign up to participate!

We will be putting up an organizing kit online very soon. In the organizing kit, you will find information on how to run a National Week of Student Action at your school.

Sign up and get others involved!

 -Nausheen

As of February 1st, all proceeds from the digital sales of Nickelback's single and video "If Everyone Cared" will go to Amnesty International and ICA Canada. Visit Amnesty International's Music for Human Rights for more details on how to purchase the single and Nickelback's website to view the video.

Please join us in supporting Amnesty International. Take action now.

We are glad to announce that this year's Get on the Bus campaign will be held on April 20^th in New York City! During GOTB, activists travel to New York City for a full day of human rights action and education. Its the largest single annual event organized by a local group and is a great way to get involved with human rights actions by meeting friends, community, and other activists, making your voice heard and learning about the issue on which Amnesty International is working. Last year there were nearly 1,000 participants from 13 different states and 114 groups. We are looking forward to seeing you guys all again.

Learn more http://www.gotb.org 

peace,

wook

The Washington Post reports that Bush has given the go-ahead to plan B on Darfur:

President Bush has approved a plan for the Treasury Department to aggressively block U.S. commercial bank transactions connected to the government of Sudan, including those involving oil revenues, if Khartoum continues to balk at efforts to bring peace to Sudan's troubled Darfur region, government officials said yesterday.

Help us pressure the United States and other governments during our National Week of Student Action during the week of March 26th and help us fight for peace in Darfur. Register today!

This year's National Week of Student Action is only a month away! We are so excited and we hope you are too. Before having fun, please make sure that your group has signed up for National Week of Student Action. By the week of Feb 20, your group will receive the organizing kit along with various posters and stickers. Also, you will be able to see the PDF version of the organization kit on Amnesty International's website next week. Once you get ready, its time to think about your preparation for this great event. Ask your friends and community to join with your group. We also encourage you to keep an eye on other organizations on your campus which might like to work with Amnesty International. Remember when we are together, we can make a difference!

Continue to check http://blogs.amnestyusa.org/student-activism/ for updates

Best,

wook

Activists rally for Darfur in New York. © Scott Langley

Congratulations! We have over 2,500 student groups and individuals registered for The National Week of Student Action! We are on our way to making this year’s National Week of Student Action Amnesty’s most successful youth mobilization to date!

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.

If you are one of the 2,500 already registered, help Amnesty International spread the word!

A new human rights tragedy is unfolding in eastern Chad-a direct product of the crisis in neighboring Darfur.  The continuing conflict and grave human rights abuses in the Darfur region of Sudan have spilled across the border to threaten the civilians of eastern Chad, including large numbers of refugees fleeing the violence of Darfur.  Amnesty International is calling for the deployment of a peacekeeping mission to eastern Chad to protect the civilians there.     

How to Take Action Now:

Urge the new UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) to deploy a peacekeeping mission to eastern Chad.

Take part in our February 28^th postcard action to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon calling for protection of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) impacted by the crisis in Darfur.  More information to come. 

Join Amnesty International Canada's appeal to the Government of Chad:http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/chad/canada_solidarity.html