Amnesty International is an organization which supports a social justice need all throughtout the world, supporting cases where injustices are present, to fight for support to end the suffering of those who seek humanitarian aid. I started an AI group when I was in high school, and it only took as much as booking and learning to do presentations to get the group working for purposes they beleived in. The basic support is in showing governmental and humanitarian organizations that there is an injustice present through carefully contructing letters of support for the person whom the group is wishing to move the process forward for. In each group, there may be many areas which need to be expressed about the legalities of the case, though even forther scrutinizing research can bring other contacts and organizations of support forward. When a group is first starting, a representative gives a complete instruction course for the host and then continues to present a power point presentation of the empowerment and mission of Amnesty International. Understanding the AI mission statement is focused on with importance, and the group is encouraged to attempt to gather members to construct letters which support someone's humanitarian crisis in coming to be understood by the legal structures which he or she faces, and then organizations are contacted carefully to develop a support system for the person in need or in crisis.
AMnesty International carefully selects cases for which support is needed and members can check which cases are of worth to support through the wrtiting of letters to the researched organizations in government or in the United Nations in seeking for support and guidance through remedying the case. There is certainly an empowerment in support, but the main focus is developing a carefully united support system through governmental and international organizational support for the day of the case where the case is sought to be justified. Most cases are in dire need to be brought to awareness and consciousness of governments in making change for the person who is fighting the case toward justice through the support of letters from organizations from governmantal organizations and persons of importance. The case could in the most realistic manner be defined by awareness and action. It is a long road of struggle waiting for a difference to be made, but the right letter could mean judgement in court to bring the injust to the balance of justice. In court, the letters would be put in an afidavit before the judge to expose the nature of the crime being sought justice for. Every letter of support toward governments and international oranizations urging the judge to remedy justice could make a difference if the letter is written and put in the affidavit. Many letters of support simply state to the organization that there is a need for their reputed support in a social justice situation, which could be as serious as a crime to humanity. Letter by letter, sometimes it is a wearisome road to travel, through each person supporting the load through organized legal parameters of exposure of the situation could remedy it or bring the injustice to an end.
My experience is that researching the levels of governmental and international support available is key, and sometimes these letters push officials and people who hold revelant postions to write official letters of support exposing the crime which the group faces together. AI tends to offer many situations which the group may choose to support, and then the group makes its choices to how to contstruct letters and seek international and governmental support. Anyone seeking to join the social justice fight for international cases by writing letters to their governments to show support in bringing to awareness the social justice of concern, can research cases on the Amnesty International site and write professional appearing letters to members of government to construct a letter of support for awareness of the social justice being sought through taking the case as serious as fighting for medical and legal support for one imprisoned injustfully, leading the truth of the situation to prevail through awareness of the extent of the social injustice done to that person and bringing the case to serios representation. AI is a non-profit organization but basically fundraises every year for pencils and paper with AI letterheads to bring professionalism to the forefront in writing for a system of support from people that may have positions that will make a difference. Any one can make an extreme relief also for the person whom the injustice is being committed against by sending letters of moral and guided support with compassion and humanitarian ethics of consciousness, and still there is a way through for someone that thought the injustice would never end. There is always an empowerment in understanding, so the letter writing of AI makes a conscious plight to drawing awareness to situations of social injustice. FOr more information, you can contact Amnesty International at the United NAtions at 1-212-867-8878 or the Human Rights Watch at 1-212-216-1818 or Oxfam International at 1-646 246 5448. Become involved, develop a volunteer lifestyle of support social justice and make a difference in a world of resistence.