Fall 2006

To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: DOWNLOAD

Bring Justice Alive

Join Amnesty International’s Global Write-a-thon

Tom Morris and Beth Berton-Hunter

Amnesty’s write-a-thon was the great culminating event at our school’s International Justice Week.

Our lunch-time letter writing session involved many classes, received newspaper coverage, and sparked a lot of interest across the school. This is our second year and it certainly won’t be our last!

These are the enthusiastic voices of teachers and students who participated in Amnesty International’s “Write for Rights” write-a-thon last year. Now you can create this same excitement in your own school – simply go to www.amnesty.ca/writeathon and find everything you need to get started.

“Write for Rights” takes place on Human Rights Day, December 10th. That’s the day in 1948 when UN members proclaimed that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the law for all governments and people everywhere.

Thousands of students in more than 140 Canadian schools, ESL classes and other learning programs participated in Amnesty’s 2005 write-a-thon. Many more thousands joined in 33 countries across six continents. The buzz among youth participants was amazing to witness.

Simple Idea, Easy to Join

Hosting your own write-a-thon is easy. Talk up the idea with others. Decide who will be involved: your class, your whole school or a school club. Then register your event online – www.amnesty.ca/writeathon – or use Amnesty Canada’s toll-free line at 1-800-AMNESTY. Everyone can participate, and there are no fees or membership.

Once registered, you will receive a free “Write for Rights” activity kit with great classroom activity ideas, planning tips, letter-writing advice, and publicity materials. Use this kit or go to www.amnesty.ca/writeathon to order more resources, find fun new features, and print out the most current appeal cases.

Participants receive youth-friendly case stories describing specific human rights violations, along with the names of people to write to and advice about what to say. Letter writers will sometimes urge governments to stop specific human rights violations, and sometimes they will send messages of support directly to people who are courageously defending their human rights.

Focus on Current Affairs

The theme of this year’s write-a-thon is “Human Rights for All. No Exceptions.” Most write-a-thon appeals will focus on three very topical issues: stopping violence against girls and women, stopping violations done in the name of “fighting terrorism,” and ending the violent uprooting of indigenous peoples from their land and livelihoods.

Great Reasons to Participate

Flexible timing. This year December 10 (Human Rights Day) falls on a Sunday, which means you will likely want to hold your write-a-thon a week before or after the 10th. In fact, you can hold your event at any time that works best for you.

Strengthens writing skills. “Write for Rights” creates an exciting, shared context for writing, and offers compelling reasons to write. This was a wonderful event! says one teacher. The students set up a few tables in the foyer, had Bob Marley tunes playing all day, and attracted lots of letter-writers.

Writing with an engaged purpose. “Write for Rights” enables young people to use writing to express their personal, caring and engaged voice in the world. Last year a group of 7 to 15-year-olds wrote on Nepalese children affected by violent social conflict, then they lit candles to celebrate hope. Everyone was moved by the problems faced by others.

Easy to integrate into the curriculum and school life. Students at a high school in Calgary used their French classes to write letters to French-speaking countries, accompanying them with a homemade Christmas card for a prisoner of conscience, written in French.

Encourages student initiative and creativity. Students in Halifax 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.

Helps bring the curriculum alive. “Write for Rights” connects writing, social science, history, and ESL classes to real life. In one BC school, four Grade 6/7 classes took part in writing letters to Nepal, Israel and Ottawa, and reported feeling the power of speaking out for human rights.

Inspires awareness, hope and action. As one teacher says: We held a lunch-time petition action called “It’s In Our Hands,” where students and teachers left their handprints and signatures on a large banner. It’s now on display in the school’s main hallway. Another teacher described an equally successful school-wide event, and ends with a point made by many write-a-thon organizers: We certainly plan to take part again next year!

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

Tom Morris coordinates Amnesty International Canada’s public awareness program. Contact him at 1-613-744-7667 (252) or email: tmorris@amnesty.ca. Beth Berton-Hunter is Amnesty Canada’s media officer. She can be reached at 1-416-363-9933 (32) or email: bberton-hunter@amnesty.ca.