Write for Rights... and Inspire Your Students

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“Teachers need activities that inspire students. Amnesty’s write-a-thon was right on.”

“I have a multicultural class. Amnesty’s write-a-thon was a natural fit of students, issues and class activities.”

“At lunch we got students to write personal messages and sign them! Then we did an assembly for younger students. It was sooo amazing.”

This is just a small sampling of feedback from the thousands of Canadian teachers and students who participated last year in Amnesty International’s annual write-a-thon, held on Human Rights Day, December 10th.

The write-a-thon, called “Write for Rights,” makes the activity of protecting human rights accessible and real for everyone.
Last year, more than 30 Canadian schools participated in Write for Rights, and dozens more organized similar events before and after December 10th. Globally, there were hundreds of Amnesty International write-a-thons in 33 countries across six continents.
This year Amnesty hopes to have write-a-thons in well over 100 schools across Canada. How about planning one in your school?
Simple idea, powerful results.

The idea is simple and easy to work with. On the same day—or the same week—tens of thousands of concerned individuals across Canada and around the world write letters to governments, urging them to help stop specific instances of human rights violations.
Participants can also write letters of support directly to human rights defenders and to people suffering human rights violations.
Simply register online—amnesty.ca/writeathon—or use Amnesty Canada’s toll-free line at 1-800-AMNESTY. Everyone can participate; there are no fees or membership.

Participants are given brief, clearly-written, personal stories describing specific violations, plus advice on who to write and what to say. There are always a variety of stories suitable for all ages. And because it is Amnesty International, participants can be sure that the human rights information is independently verified, reliable and politically impartial.

Write for Rights is fully serviced online at www.amnesty.ca/writeathon. In fact you can feel an increasing buzz of excitement on the site as participants across Canada describe what they hope to do, then tell others about their event as it is happening.
Event organizers can also request a free Write for Rights activity kit—as well as publicity posters and pamphlets—at 1-800-AMNESTY.

Given that this year Human Rights Day, December 10, falls on a Saturday, you might want to hold your event on a date close to the 10th. In fact the amnesty.ca/writeathon site will be active throughout late November and all of December, which means you can hold your event at a time that works best for you.

Sign up for this year’s Write For Rights at www.amnesty.ca/writeathon or call 1-800-AMNESTY.

Six reasons to participate in Write for Rights

1. Strengthens writing skills. Write for Rights supports the development of writing skills by creating an exciting, shared activity, and offering a compelling reason to write. As one Calgary student said: “Whoever thought letter writing could be this fun?”

2. Challenges apathy, supports engagement. Amnesty’s write-a-thon is a persuasive antidote to cynicism and apathy among some youth. It is also a great opportunity for young people to experience what it is like to have a meaningful voice in the world. A seventeen-year-old participant in Brampton, Ontario, says it well. “We sent about 300 letters. The write-a-thon got students excited about human rights and helping, and showed them that they can make a difference.”

3. Easy to integrate into the curriculum and school life. Students at the high school in Avondale, Newfoundland, wrote letters as part of their English class. A Spanish class in Coquitlam, B.C., wrote letters to Colombia. One participant describes how “We set up in our auditorium, and many people stopped by to sign our pre-written letters. All in all, it was a good experience.”

4. Helps brings the curriculum alive. Write for Rights connects language, social science, history, and ESL classes to real life. At Grande Prairie School, Alberta, Grade 5-7 students discussed international law and its relevance to children imprisoned at Guantánamo Bay. Then they used write-a-thon appeals to put these concepts into action.

5. Encourages student initiative and creativity. In Halifax, JL IIsley High School students organized a film event for which admission was one signed letter. Some schools add a competitive edge by challenging other classes—on-line or in their school region—to a “relay race” of collecting letters or signatures.

6. Inspires awareness, hope and action. According to one Ontario teacher, “The write-a-thon was a very empowering experience for all of our school’s humanitarian pursuits, and a wonderful link with the school’s focus on student literacy.” Or as another teacher says: “The students’ letters were tender, honest and filled with hope – it was an awesome experience we hope to repeat next year.”

Tom Morris coordinates the Public Awareness Program of Amnesty International Canada. You can reach him by phone at 1-613-744-7667, ext. 252, or via email at tmorris@amnesty.ca.