Resource GuideWrite for Rights2018

FOR EVENT HOSTS

Write a Letter

Change a Life

Thank you for joining Write for Rights 2018!

www.writeathon.ca

This year’s ten cases are all women human rights defenders.

The space to peacefully advocate for human rights is shrinking the world over, and this space is shrinking exponentially for women human rights defenders, whose advocacy may challenge patriarchal power structures or social norms.

Despite the risk of harassment and violence, women human rights defenders are at the forefront of social movements across the world. By joining Write for Rights, you will be advocating on behalf of the courageous women human rights defenders who tirelessly advocate for our rights.

Every year on December 10th, Amnesty International celebrates Human Rights Day with the world’s largest grassroots human rights event.

Activists in more than 140 countries around the world come together to write letters calling for the protection and promotion of human rights.

Your handwritten letters, combined with millions from around the world, can change a life. Write for Rights is the power of one multiplied many thousands of times over to make a difference.

Step by Step PLANNING GUIDE1. THE BASICSHuman Rights Day is on Monday, December 10th 2018.Depending on your audience, choose a date, location,and event style that works for you. Write for Rightsevents come in all shapes and sizes – check out theActivity Ideas section at the back of this guide forsuggestions. Amnesty can provide insurance coveragefor venues where needed.

2. INVITE PEOPLE!Connect with potential letter-writers in your community.Create fliers, posters, and social media events usingthe resources available at www.writeathon.ca. Promoteyour event using the hashtag #write4rights.If your event is public, people will be able to RSVP toyour event at www.writeathon.ca.

3. ORDER MATERIALSVisit www.writeathon.ca to order all the materials youneed, including buttons, stickers, pens, promotionalmaterials and more.Hosting a large event? Reach out to writeathon@amnesty.ca to get an Ambassador Package. Make sureyou have lots of paper, pens, envelopes, and stamps onhand along with copies of the case sheets.

www.writeathon.ca

4. REMIND PEOPLE TO COMEIf you made a social media event, post areminder in the week ahead of your event.You can use our website to remind every-one who RSVPed to your event to attend.Need help writing an email? Reach outto writeathon@amnesty.ca.

5. BE WELCOMINGPut up signs encouraging people tojoin your event. Create a welcoming at-mosphere, greet everyone, and provideinstructions, especially for first-timeletter-writers.Consider accessibility needs and howyou can help meet them. Includesnacks, music, videos and more. Set-up an area for children to create theirown message using our children’scases available atwww.writeathon.ca.

DON’T FORGETTO CHECK OUTTHE SOCIALMEDIA GUIDE AT THE END

Step by Step PLANNING GUIDE

6. BUILD MOMENTUMCreate excitement by including a letter counterat your event. Build momentum on social mediaand join the global conversation by using thehashtag #write4rights. Learn more in the Social

Media section at the back of this guide.

7. SUPPORT AMNESTYRemind participants that there are many morecases to work on throughout the year. Amnestyneeds support to continue our work beyondthis event. Consider including Amnesty bro-chures or a donation jar to help cover the cost of mailing letters.

8. STAY CONNECTEDThank participants for making a difference onHuman Rights Day. Use the sign-up sheets avail-

able at www.writeathon.ca and return them toAmnesty International. We will thank everyone and

keep them updated on the cases they worked on.

www.writeathon.ca

WE’RE HERE TO HELP!

FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US ATWRITEATHON@AMNESTY.CA

9. REPORT YOUR LETTERSCount all the letters that were written atyour event and report the totals atwww.writeathon.ca.

Reporting is just as important as writing! We use those numbers for advocacy on each case.

Activity Ideas

1.In Your Community

www.writeathon.ca

Gather friends in pubs or cafes or set up in bookstores, libraries, or shopping malls. Offer hot chocolate and letter-writing at bus stations or skating rinks. Connect with local artists and influencers to contribute to your event.

You can write for rights anywhere. At home, in your community, at work, or at school, you can bring people together to write letters and change lives. And we’re here to help! Contact us at writeathon@amnesty.ca

2.At SchoolOffer letter-writing as a study break in the library or set up a booth with creative solidarity actions. Use our Educator’s Guide for classroom activities connected to the cases. Order a copy of our Letters to a Prisoner toolkit to engage younger children.

WHATEVER YOU DO, TELL US ABOUT IT!!Share your photos and report at writeathon@amnesty.ca or with @AmnestyNow on Twitter.

www.writeathon.ca

3.At Home

4.At Work

Include Write for Rights in your next gathering of friends and family. Throw a party or host a potluck. Show a film to encourage letter writers.

Set up a hub in your break room and provide snacks to encourage people to participate. Visit www.writeathon.ca for resources to use in your workplace.

5.In Your Spiritual CommunityMake an announcement about Human Rights Day and organize an event after a service.

WHO WILL WE HELP?

Marielle Franco fought fearlessly for a fairer and safer Rio de Janeiro. In March, she was shot and killed. Experts said the bullets had likely belonged to the police. Urge the President of Brazil to bring Marielle Franco’s killers to justice, including those who ordered the crime, and to protect human rights defenders in Brazil from further threats and attacks.

2018 Cases

www.writeathon.ca

Pavitri Manjhi is part of an Adivasi Inidgenous community who are at risk of being kicked off their land to make way for two power plants. She has been repeatedly harassed and threatened for her work to stop it. Send a message to the head of the local police, urging him to give Pavitri the security she needs for her activism.

Atena Daemi is serving a seven-year jail sentence for peacefully protesting against the death penalty. Her trail was a sham – it took 15 minutes. She is a prisoner of conscience, jailed solely for her beliefs. Call on the Minister of Justice in Iran to free her.

The Indigenous Sengwer people in Kenya have a deep, centuries-old bond with the beautiful Embobut Forest, but are being violently evicted by the government. Tell the Kenyan president to stop the house burnings and arrest sand remove all re-strictions to the Sengwer people living in peace on their ancestral land.

Gulzar Dushenova has made it her life’s mission to ensure people with disabilities can live with dignity and move around freely. She faces daily discrimination in a society where women aren’t meant to speak out and people with disabilities are seen as ‘invalids’ with an incurable disease. Demand that the speaker of parlia-ment support Gulzar and other activists as they fight for the rights of people with disabilities.

JAILED FOR SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY

VIOLENTLY EVICTED FROM THEIR ANCESTRAL LAND

DISCRIMINATED AGAINST AS SHE FIGHTS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

HARASSED FOR STANDING UP TO BIG BUSINESS

KILLED FOR FEARLESSLY DEFENDING OTHERS

CHECK FOR UPDATED CASE FILES ATWRITEATHON.CA

WHO WILL WE HELP?2018 Cases

www.writeathon.ca

Nawal Benaissa speaks out for social justice and better health care services in Morocco. Every step of the way, Moroccan authorities have attempted to silence her, arresting her several times and forcing her to shut down her Facebook page. Demand that Morocco stop harassing Nawal today.

Nonhle Mbuthuma is leading the fight for her community against a mining com-pany which wants titanium from their ancestral land. As a result, she is facing threats and has even survived a murder attempt. Tell the President of South Africa to protect Nonhle and investigate the threats against her.

Vitalina Joval works hard to support local LGBTI people in Ukraine, but was vio-lently attacked after organizing a peaceful protest. The assault is part of a wider surge in intimidation by far-right groups. Call on Ukraine’s Minister of the Interior to publicly recognize the vital role of Vitalina and other activsts, and protect them from attacks.

Awad is a Sudanese human rights defender facing harassment and threats for her activism. She is a refugee seeking resettlement in the U.S. who sis stuck in a seemingly endless limbo in Cairo. Send a message to the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, urging him to ensure that Awad is resttled to safety in the U.S. as soon as possible.

Geraldine Chacón helps empower young people in Venezuela, but the government imprisoned her for four months and has banned her from leaving the country. Her case still isn’t closed, so she could be arrested again at any moment. Urge Vene-zuela’s Attorney General to close the case against Geraldine and give her uncondi-tional freedom, so she can continue standing up for young people.

PERSECUTED FOR HER SOCIAL JUSTICE AND HEALTHCARE ACTIVISM

ON A ‘HIT LIST’ FOR DEFENDING HER ANCESTRAL LAND

VIOLENTLY ATTACKED FOR SUPPORTING LGBTI RIGHTS

REFUGEE AND ACTIVIST SEEKING SAFETY IN THE U.S. FROM THREATS

PERSECUTED FOR EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE

CHECK FOR UPDATED CASE FILES ATWRITEATHON.CA

WRITE FOR RIGHTS WORKS

www.writeathon.ca

“To everyone who sent me countless letters from around the world...I want to express my deep gratitude, while in prison, these actions lifted my spirit and reminded me of the importance of international solidarity in the struggle for human rights.”

Taner Kilic, Amnesty Turkey, Board Chair Released in 2018 after more than 14 months behind bars. 2017 write for Rights- Turkey

“I’d like to thank our friends at Amnesty International for their remarkable support these last years, culminating just recent-ly in the Write for Rights Campaign”

Albert Woodfox Freed after 43 years in solitary confinement 2015 Write for Rights - USA

“Receiving your letters really comforted me when I was in prison. Thank you!”Yecenia Armenta

Released from prison in 2017 after 4 years of injustice and police torture. 2016 Write for Rights - Mexico

“Thank you very much each and every one of you. Not just for campaigning for my release, and the release of other prisoners, but for helping to keep our hope and our beliefs alive.”

Phyoe Phyoe AungStudent leader imprisoned after peaceful protest, freed in 2016. 2015 Write for Rights - Myanmar

UPDATES FROM PAST CASES:

Social media is a powerful tool to take action for human rights. Make sure to check out our website for even more resources!Here are a handful of ways to get started:

Social MediaRemember: use the hashtags #Write4Rights and #W4R2018 in all your posts!

LEARN MORE ATWWW.WRITEATHON.CA/RESOURCES

www.writeathon.ca

Help us build momentum by liking and sharing Write for Rights videos and photos and taking part in the solidarity actions for each case.

Using our website, it’s super easy to create and register your own event. Check out the activity ideas in this guide, create your own event and then invite your friends and family-- make it fun! You can share your event on social media and make it as big or small as you like. Don’t fret, we’re here to help if you need support, just fire us an email.

We love photos of all W4R participants but why not kick it up a notch and take photos of your team doing an extra action? Maybe crash a famous landmark in your city with Write for Rights signs. We’ll pick the best ones and feature them on our platforms!

TAKE PHOTOS (AND TAG THEM!)

LIKE & SHARE

PROMOTE YOUR OWN EVENT

@AMNESTYNOW

@AMNESTYCANADA

@AMNESTYCANADA

FOLLOW US

www.writeathon.cawww.amnesty.ca

Amnesty International Canada, 312 Laurier Ave E., Ottawa, ON