Amnesty International USA
Encyclopedia
Amnesty International USA (AI USA) is one of many country sections that make up Amnesty International
worldwide.
Amnesty International is an organization of more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers in over 150 countries, with complete independence from government, corporate or national interests. Amnesty International works to protect human rights worldwide. Its vision is one of a world in which every person - regardless of race, religion, gender, or ethnicity - enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and other international human rights standards.
Since its foundation in 1966, the United States section, made up of over 350,000 members, of the nonpartisan
organization has worked to free prisoners of conscience
, oppose torture
, and fight other human rights violations around the world. It seeks to promote human rights in the United States through lobbying and education, and describes itself as working for full human rights for everyone.
and prisoner abuse
, particularly by United States military forces in Iraq
and Afghanistan
. The organization has opposed restrictions of human rights as part of the 'War on Terror
', and does not believe that any torture or inhuman treatment is justified by the campaign against terrorism
.
The organization is currently active in campaigns to stop violence against women
as part of an international campaign to see full human rights for everyone.
AIUSA strongly opposes the use of the death penalty in the United States, in accordance with the policy of the international organization; Amnesty calls for its worldwide abolition, particularly in the USA, China
, Iran
and Vietnam
— four countries that make up the overwhelming majority of executions. AIUSA board member William F. Buckley resigned in January 1978 in protest over the organization's adoption of this stance on this issue.
The Darfur conflict
in Sudan
is one of Amnesty International's top priorities, as a result of the large scale human rights abuses occurring there. Amnesty has called for the introduction of a United Nations peacekeeping
force to prevent conflict and stop further unnecessary suffering.
. In January 2006, the Board of Directors hired Larry Cox as Executive Director. The Board of Directors was chaired by Jeff Bachman in 2008.
As of 21 December 2009, Amnesty International had appointed Salil Shetty as its next Secretary General. Shetty, an Indian national, had been the Director of the UN's Millennium Campaign for the previous six years and the Chief Executive of international anti-poverty NGO ActionAid before then.
AIUSA as a whole is divided into five geographical sections, namely the Southern, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Midwestern and Western regions. Each region has its own office and a small number of paid staff who act as the backbone for the majority of grassroots
efforts. Coordinating with these field organizers are volunteer leaders selected by AIUSA to manage specific portions of its many campaigns, including Area Coordinators (ACs) and Student Area Coordinators (SACs) who manage local and student groups respectively. This small regional leadership core is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of the thousands of grassroots Amnesty International members, informing them of changes in policy and overseeing their human rights campaigning to ensure that it is in accordance with official AIUSA policy.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
worldwide.
Amnesty International is an organization of more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers in over 150 countries, with complete independence from government, corporate or national interests. Amnesty International works to protect human rights worldwide. Its vision is one of a world in which every person - regardless of race, religion, gender, or ethnicity - enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
and other international human rights standards.
Since its foundation in 1966, the United States section, made up of over 350,000 members, of the nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
organization has worked to free prisoners of conscience
Prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience is a term defined in Peter Benenson's 1961 article "The Forgotten Prisoners" often used by the human rights group Amnesty International. It can refer to anyone imprisoned because of their race, religion, or political views...
, oppose torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
, and fight other human rights violations around the world. It seeks to promote human rights in the United States through lobbying and education, and describes itself as working for full human rights for everyone.
Campaigns
Amnesty International USA campaigns strongly against tortureTorture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
and prisoner abuse
Prisoner abuse
Prisoner abuse is the mistreatment of persons while they are under arrest or incarcerated.Abuse falling into this category includes:* Physical abuse: Needless beating, hitting, or other corporal punishment....
, particularly by United States military forces in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The organization has opposed restrictions of human rights as part of the 'War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
', and does not believe that any torture or inhuman treatment is justified by the campaign against terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
.
The organization is currently active in campaigns to stop violence against women
Stop Violence Against Women
Stop Violence Against Women is a worldwide campaign of Amnesty International to counter violence against women.It was started on 5 March 2004, in preparation before International Women's Day. It is one of Amnesty's key campaigns. Amnesty considers that domestic and sexual violence are serious...
as part of an international campaign to see full human rights for everyone.
AIUSA strongly opposes the use of the death penalty in the United States, in accordance with the policy of the international organization; Amnesty calls for its worldwide abolition, particularly in the USA, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
— four countries that make up the overwhelming majority of executions. AIUSA board member William F. Buckley resigned in January 1978 in protest over the organization's adoption of this stance on this issue.
The Darfur conflict
Darfur conflict
The Darfur Conflict was a guerrilla conflict or civil war centered on the Darfur region of Sudan. It began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and Justice and Equality Movement groups in Darfur took up arms, accusing the Sudanese government of oppressing non-Arab Sudanese in...
in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
is one of Amnesty International's top priorities, as a result of the large scale human rights abuses occurring there. Amnesty has called for the introduction of a United Nations peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
force to prevent conflict and stop further unnecessary suffering.
Organizational structure
From 1994 to 2005, the Executive Director of the organization was William F. SchulzWilliam F. Schulz
William F. "Bill" Schulz was the Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, the U.S. division of Amnesty International, from March 1994 to 2006. He is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, and served as president of the Unitarian Universalist Association from 1985 to 1993. He is...
. In January 2006, the Board of Directors hired Larry Cox as Executive Director. The Board of Directors was chaired by Jeff Bachman in 2008.
As of 21 December 2009, Amnesty International had appointed Salil Shetty as its next Secretary General. Shetty, an Indian national, had been the Director of the UN's Millennium Campaign for the previous six years and the Chief Executive of international anti-poverty NGO ActionAid before then.
AIUSA as a whole is divided into five geographical sections, namely the Southern, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Midwestern and Western regions. Each region has its own office and a small number of paid staff who act as the backbone for the majority of grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
efforts. Coordinating with these field organizers are volunteer leaders selected by AIUSA to manage specific portions of its many campaigns, including Area Coordinators (ACs) and Student Area Coordinators (SACs) who manage local and student groups respectively. This small regional leadership core is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of the thousands of grassroots Amnesty International members, informing them of changes in policy and overseeing their human rights campaigning to ensure that it is in accordance with official AIUSA policy.