Join us to take part in Amnesty International's Global Write-a-thon on Saturday, December 12 from noon to 2 pm at the Victrola Coffee House at 411 15th Ave E in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

You can promote freedom and human rights by joining Amnesty International's annual Global Write-a-thon, the world's largest letter writing event!

This global action marking International Human Rights Day brings people together just about anywhere – in classrooms, churches, workplaces, homes, and more – to make a difference in the lives of prisoners of conscience, human rights defenders, victims of torture and other individuals at risk.

Using the proven power of writing letters, they will pressure authorities to release those who have been unjustly imprisoned and to stop the torture and abuse of others.

Last year, more than 7,000 people across the United States sent tens of thousands of letters on behalf of the Write-A-Thon's featured cases. Those letters made a difference in the lives of real people.

Read their stories at: http://www.amnestyusa.org/writeathon/successes.php

Amnesty International is proud to be co-sponsoring the Seattle Human Rights Day Celebration with Professor Adrien K. Wing speaking on women's human rights, downstairs at Town Hall from 7 pm - 8:30 pm on Thursday, December 10.

Professor Adrien K. Wing will speak at a free evening event to celebrate the 14th annual Seattle Human Rights Day. The evening event also will include presentation of the 2009 Human Rights Awards to local human rights leaders.

The 14th annual Seattle Human Rights Day event commemorates the 61st anniversary of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted December 10, 1948.

As an expert in international human rights and social justice, Professor Adrien K. Wing has advised the founding fathers and mothers of three constitutions: South Africa, Palestine, and Rwanda. Professor Wing has authored more than 100 publications on topics such as constitutionalism, women's rights, rape in Bosnia, Muslim headscarves in France, Tunisian secularism, and Turkish democracy. Her US-oriented scholarship has focused on race and gender discrimination. An accomplished public speaker, Wing has lectured all over the world.

Human Rights Day 2009 is produced by the Seattle Office for Civil Rights, Seattle Human Rights Commission, the Bush School, United Nations Association-Seattle, and Amnesty International, with support from Seattle Women's Commission, King County Civil Rights Commission, WA State Human Rights Commission, and Youth for Human Rights.

Our meetings are open to the public, and all are welcome.

PEN Washington & Amnesty International of WA collaborate for an Open Mic Poetry Reading at the Seattle Bookfest, October 24th, 2009); Larry Ebersole will dedicate his part of the reading (during the 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm segment) to the release of Shi Tao, and to Iranian Writers. Amnesty Extended-Banned Book Week petitions and related materials will be available at this bookfest situated, human rights liteary ensemble of small, and bigger-name writers.

The Seattle Bookfest is being held from Oct. 24 - 25 at the Columbia City Event Center, 3528 S Ferdinand (1 block from the Columbia City Light Rail Station)

Further information, including directions at: http://www.seattlebookfest.com/

Amnesty International is co-sponsoring the Washington State Religious Campaign Against Torture presentation of former CIA analyst Ray McGovern speaking on Why Accountability for Torture is Crucial for Human Rights, Our Security and Our Souls on Thursday, November 12, 7 pm at Kane Hall, Room 220, University of Washington.

Co-sponsors include the Law, Societies & Justice program at the UW; Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation; American Friends Service Committee - Pacific Northwest; UW Jackson School of International Studies; UW Center for Human Rights; Amnesty International Group 4; Sound Nonviolent Opponents of War (SNOW); UW Latin American Studies Program; UW Amnesty International; and UW Southeast Asia Center.

Info: http://www.wsrcat.org

Amnesty International will have a display altar at El Centro de la Raza's Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Ofrenda (Altar) Exhibit from November 1 - 20.

Opening ceremonies for the Dia de los Muertos exhibit will be on Sunday, November 1 with brunch served at 2 pm, opening ceremony at 3:30 pm, and opening of the Ofrenda/Altar exhibit at 4 pm. Admission and food are free.

Altars will be on display from November 1 -20, open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 10 am – 6 pm and Wednesday 12 pm – 8 pm. Amnesty International volunteers will be hosting the exhibit on closing day, Friday November 20.

Amnesty International's Ofrenda/Altar will focus on the cases of the Women of Juarez. Since 1993, almost 400 women and girls have been murdered and more than 70 remain missing in Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua, Mexico. Amnesty International has been urging the Mexican government to protect and prevent further murders, and thoroughly investigate and bring to justice those responsible for those that have happened.

AI's Press Release from February 20, 2006: http://www.amnestyusa.org/document·php?id=engamr410122006&lang=e

For more recent information see:

WOLA (Washington Office on Latin America): http://www.wola.org/index.php?&option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=6&Itemid=&topic=Violence+Against+Women&sub=1&content_topic=Juarez+Murders
and

Diana Washington Valdez: http://www.dianawashingtonvaldez.blogspot.com/

Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan will be talking about solving global poverty downstairs at Town Hall Seattle (8th & Seneca, enter on Seneca St. for this event) on Monday, October 26 from 7:30 - 9 pm. See calendar listing on Town Hall website. Direct link here.

Tickets are $5 available from Brown Paper Tickets and at the door beginning at 6:30 pm that evening.

We will be discussing taking on the case of an Ethiopian woman, among other things.

The Mosaic Coffee House is a nonprofit coffee house located in Seattle First Church (behind Dick's Drive In in the Wallingford Neighborhood). Check here for directions, free parking and bus line information.

Amnesty International is co-sponsoring Lisa Sullivan's talk The School of Americas: A Report from Latin America on Monday, September 28, 7 pm at St. Patrick's Church, 2702 Broadway Ave. E, Seattle.

Hear about the growing movement in Latin America to build peace and to close the School of Americas (aka WHINSEC, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation), and stories of Honduras after the 2009 coup.

Open to the public. Reception follows.

Co-sponsors: School of Americas Watch - Puget Sound; St. Patrick's Social Justice Committee; Citizens in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES); Witness for Peace Northwest; Amnesty International Group 4; Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation