29 November, 2018
Every year, Amnesty International runs Write for Rights, a campaign that encourages supporters around the world to write messages of solidarity to people whose rights have been violated just because they dared to stand up against injustice. Supporters are also invited to write letters to the authorities on behalf of these courageous individuals. The Write for Rights campaign this year has kicked-off on 29 November and will run till 20 December.
This year’s Write for Rights will see Amnesty International supporters stand in solidarity with women human rights defenders from Brazil, Egypt, India, Iran, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, South Africa, Ukraine and Venezuela.
Among the cases are calls for justice for Marielle Franco, a Brazilian human rights activist and elected councillor who was shot dead in her car eight months ago; Atena Daemi, an Iranian activist, who is serving a seven-year prison sentence for speaking out against the death penalty; and Nonhle Mbuthuma, from South Africa and Pavitri Majhi of India, who have faced deaths threats, for speaking out against companies which want to encroach on their ancestral lands.
Amnesty International Nepal will campaign for the six women human rights defenders (WHRDs) this year. These WHRDs include Marielle Franco (Brazil), Pavitri Majhi (India), Atena Daemi (Iran), Gulzar Duishenova (Kyrgyzstan), Nonhle Mbuthuma (South Africa) and Vitalina Koval (Ukraine). Besides campaigning for these WHRDs, Amnesty Nepal will also mobilize its activists and supporters to write to Nepal’s Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa urging him to take effective steps to end the growing incidents of violence against women, including rape and murder, and the regressive mindset, attitude and behaviour in Nepali societies engendering gender inequality for long.
Thousands of letters and signatures – calling for justice to the victims of violence, an end to the burgeoning culture of impunity, addressing of all the barriers to access to justice and annulment of the statutory limitation in registering complaints on cases of rape – will be collected and submitted to Home Minister Thapa.
Every year, supporters across the globe write millions of letters for those whose human rights are being attacked. As well as sending messages of solidarity, Amnesty International supporters can write letters to people in power, calling on them to protect women human rights defenders.
Amnesty International’s first Write for Rights campaign took place 16 years ago. Since then, millions of actions have been taken by activists around the world. Every year, these actions lead to real change. People wrongfully imprisoned are released, torturers are brought to justice, and people in prison are treated more humanely.
To find out more or to write a letter, visit: http://www.amnestynepal.org/write-for-rights/