On November 16, 2024, Amnesty International Nepal (AI Nepal) launched its annual Write for Rights (W4R) campaign with a national level planning workshop in Simara, Bara. This year, AI Nepal is advocating for five international individuals at risk from Angola, Canada, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea.
In addition, AI Nepal will also be calling on Nepal’s authorities to take urgent action to prevent custodial deaths and to conduct independent, impartial investigations into these incidents. AI Nepal’s call for the government to take action against custodial deaths has been a part of its W4R campaign since 2021.
Every year, a number of deaths take place in custodial protection with no accountability. This year, two custodial deaths have been reported in the media. In July, 28-year-old Jhak Bahadur Khadka died in police custody after four days of detention. On October 19, a 45-year-old Mohammad Kyamodeen was found dead in police custody in Ratnanagar, Chitwan. He had been in police detention for two days. Despite such incidents, there has been a lack of adequate investigation from the authorities nor is there any solid database available. Through this campaign, Amnesty Nepal is urging Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and all relevant agencies to initiate actions to ensure human rights for all detainees, with thorough investigations into all custodial deaths and accountability for perpetrators of torture or lethal abuse.
Write for Rights is Amnesty International’s annual global flagship campaign, which has been running for over 20 years. Every year, around 10 individuals or communities who are at risk of human rights violations are selected from around the world that need global attention. The campaign aims to unite people worldwide to write letters and sign petitions advocating for these individuals/communities.
Amnesty International Nepal aims to collect over 200,000 petitions by mobilising its 6,000 plus members across the country. To bolster this campaign further, the planning workshop plays a crucial role every year, bringing together members from across the country to understand the different human rights violations issues every campaign is centred around. This year, 90 AI Nepal members from across the country participated in the day-long workshop.
The workshop began with a welcome by AI Nepal Chairperson Bipin Budhathoki, who emphasised the importance of the Write for Rights campaign and the role of innovation and unity in making the campaign stronger each year. The day’s agenda included an introduction to human rights defenders, an overview of the W4R campaign’s history, and discussions on the cases selected for Amnesty Nepal’s 2024 campaign. Group activities focused on storytelling, crafting calls to action, and ensuring that the campaign messages resonate with diverse audiences. Participants shared strategies for impactful campaigns and reflected on what works best and the challenges faced.
The sessions were facilitated by AI Nepal Campaigns Coordinator Ashmita Sapkota, AI Nepal Human Rights Education Coordinator Kundan Raj Sharma, AI Nepal IT Officer Prashant Tripathi and AI Nepal Media and Communications Coordinator Marissa Taylor.
The afternoon sessions featured a mock campaign session where participants practised implementing outreach activities in local settings such as village fairs and colleges. There were also in-depth discussions about refining communication and reporting strategies, ensuring that the campaign’s goals and messages are clearly conveyed to the public. The workshop concluded with coordinators of high-performing groups from last year’s petition collection sharing their insights and strategies. The floor was open for feedback, allowing participants to collaborate and refine their approaches.
In closing, Chairperson Bipin Budhathoki urged all participants to strengthen their collective efforts, reinforcing that success in this campaign requires unity, innovation, and unwavering dedication to human rights. He stressed that as Amnesty Nepal embarks on another year of advocacy, the energy and passion of its members should remain vital in pushing for justice—both in Nepal and globally.