Amnesty International Saskatchewan

Great to read this interview with Kris Alvarez!!!

Amnesty International welcomes the Canadian government’s initiative endorsed by 57 countries to condemn the arbitrary detention of foreign nationals including those with dual citizenship for political purposes. We hope the implementation of this new declaration, announced by Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau on Monday, will be followed by a binding implementation plan.

We have all felt the need to get involved in everything, particularly when a certain issue seems urgent. That said, if you feel you have too much on your plate, or need to rest, feel free to say NO. Here's how setting some healthy boundaries can help you to continue defending human rights. Read more: http://amn.st/6007HZqHF

Fab news here’s the discussion guide for The Skin We're In by Desmond Cole! It's ready and waiting for you to download now: www.AmnestyBookClub.ca

Eren Keskin has dedicated her life to defending the rights of women, prisoners and fought for justice for the families of the disappeared. This verdict is yet another shocking example of anti-terrorism laws being used to criminalize legitimate, peaceful activities. Eren Keskin says she has been prosecuted many times and jailed for her thoughts and that she's not going anywhere. We are not going anywhere either ~ Amnesty International’s Turkey Campaigner, Milena Buyum

Still some time left today to support the calls for the end to discrimination against First Nations kids!!!!

Nearly 70 poor countries will only be able to vaccinate one in ten people against COVID-19 next year unless urgent action is taken by governments and the pharmaceutical industry to make sure enough doses are produced, a group of campaigning organizations warned today. By contrast, wealthier nations have bought up enough doses to vaccinate their entire populations nearly three times over by the end of 2021 if those currently in clinical trials are all approved for use. Canada tops the chart with enough vaccines to vaccinate each Canadian five times. Updated data shows that rich nations representing just 14 per cent of the world’s population have bought up 53 per cent of all the most promising vaccines so far.

On 12 December 2015 the world’s most ambitious plan for fighting climate change was born in Paris. The Paris Agreement is an historic international treaty which brings states together to limit the devastating effects of climate change. We need these actions right now; otherwise we might as well say au revoir to the Paris Agreement’s 1.5C goal. That will mean violating the human rights of millions, now and for generations to come. At Amnesty, we’ve joined Fridays for Future’s promise to #FightFor1Point5 to protect human rights from the worst impacts of climate change.

Dave Wessel is a fab human rights defender (also the President of the Regina Amnesty International Group) and is and has been writing letters for human rights. Hope you will also be a human rights defender!!!

Ketty Nivyabandi and Alex Neve: Leaders ignore their responsibilities at their peril. Across the globe, people are organizing in extraordinary numbers, with a sense of common purpose that unites them across race, gender, age and social condition.

‘I am the brother of Loujain al-Hathloul, a women’s rights activist who has been imprisoned for two and a half years in Saudi Arabia, simply because of her activism. My sister has faced an onslaught of unsubstantiated allegations that remain unproven in court. She has been on a hunger strike for two weeks. I believe her hunger strike is ongoing, but I truly do not know, because she has not been allowed to contact her family since her hunger strike began.’

Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, Saudi Arabia had the opportunity to release Loujain al-Hathloul, who has been tortured, at times held incommunicado, and jailed for over two years, simply for peacefully advocating for women’s rights. But Saudi Arabia did not release Loujain today. Instead, they exposed the Kingdom’s hypocrisy on women’s empowerment by transferring her case to an anti-terrorism court.

Still time to join our Amnesty International Saskatchewan Writes for Rights online event tonight (December 9th) at 6pm https://amnestysaskatchewan.ca/december-9th-write-for-righ/

On the 30th anniversary of Neil Stonechild’s - sharing from the ‘Amnesty International archives’... when the concerns with respect to the Saskatoon Police Service were referred to in the ‘Amnesty Report 2001’ documenting human rights violations during 2000 in 149 countries and territories. https://thestarphoenix.com//30th-anniversary-of-neil-stone

Please take a moment this evening to support this online action. Tomorrow (Wednesday, November 18) at 8am EST we will close the e-action and send the final signature count to Minister Champagne via digital delivery so it is important we do one last push! The G20 Summit, is being held in Saudi Arabia from November 21-22, and we will be campaigning in support of human rights and human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia, and in particular women human rights defenders as well as advocating for Canada, as a G20 member, to use the G20 Summit to promote human rights in the kingdom.

Today we remember Louis Riel with our friends in the Métis Nation....

It’s been a difficult year, but there’s been a lot to celebrate in 2020. From writing letters and taking action to signing petitions and protesting in a safe way, people have come together despite the most difficult circumstances to show that change is possible. And if you’re in need of further proof, here are 41 inspiring stories that prove why humanity will win in the end.

Our Amnesty Okanagan friends are extending an invitation to this online event scheduled for Thursday November 19!!!!

55-year-old Idris Khattak is described as selfless, loving and generous. He spent his time researching enforced disappearances for organisations like Amnesty In...ternational. Yet in a cruel twist, he was disappeared by Pakistan authorities in 2019. Join us in demanding his whereabouts: http://amn.st/6181HG2uX

I could not be more thrilled or honoured to be passing the Amnesty candle to the dynamic and inspiring Ketty Nivyabandi, who will take our collective human righ...ts journey far. Read, watch and be uplifted as she shares her vision of the road ahead: https://www.amnesty.ca//unique-and-hopeful-times-more-just

Our ‘Sparking Connections’ conference continues on Monday, November 16 and Tuesday, November 17. Register for Sparking Connections here: https://forms.gle/crkSyKRaHRnWJUcz7 Visit our website for more details and how to get involved: https://www.aicanadagrassroots.ca... #SparkingConnections

Thank you for joining us for Sparking Connections. We hope that you have been enjoying the sessions. Upcoming Session information for the week-end: Friday, November 13: Coffee House with Danny Ramadan ~ Share space with fellow Amnesty Canada grassroots activists for a night of community, connection, and entertainment. Before member performances start we will be joined for a reading by Syrian-Canadian author, public speaker, and LGBTQ-refugee activist, Danny Ramadan.... Saturday November 14th: Husoni Raymond, Black Lives Matter Keynote Address ~ Co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement in Fredericton, NB, Husoni Raymond, will speak on the Black Lives Matter movement, Black liberation, and what this means for Amnesty's evolving human rights work. Also Saturday November 14th: Indigenizing Human Rights ~ A thoughtful discussion with Harlan Pruden exploring Indigenous ways of being and knowing in human rights work. Sunday November 15th, 9am PST / 10am MST / 11am CST / 12pm EST / 1pm AST / 1:30pm NST ~ Strategic Planning: Members, Activists, The Plan, The Board How Do We Make It All Work Well Together? Connect with fellow grassroots activists in Amnesty International Canada to envision Amnesty's near future. In this session, we want to hear from you about three topics: 1. How do member leaders/activists envision their role in AI Canada? 2. What do member leaders/activists need in a national strategy/plan? 3. When, How and on What Subjects should the Board communicate and consult with members? Please join us for a brainstorming session that will help move us all forward together. Also Sunday November 15th: Critical Voices Under Threat in Saudi Arabia, Amnesty International's Action Network on Women's Human Rights (ANWHR) is hosting a conversation with Saudi women human rights defender Hala al-Dosari about critical voices under threat in Saudi Arabia and actions we can take in the lead-up to the Saudi-hosted G20 Leaders’ Summit in late November to promote human rights in the kingdom. Sparking Connections Website We also have our website https://aicanadagrassroots.ca, which is always being updated with speaker information, actions, and more information! Check this regularly if you’re looking for updates!