Women, War and Peace: An Interview with Pamela Hogan

bosnian women

Bosnian women bury their sons and husbands at Srebrenica, site of the worst massacre on European soil since World War II. Photo by Kate Holt.

Amnesty’s Women’s Human Rights Coordination Group member Alisa Roadcup was fortunate to sit down with Pamela Hogan, Co-Creator of Women, War & Peace, a bold new five-part PBS television series challenging the conventional wisdom that war and peace are men’s domain.  The first part of the documentary airs Tuesday, October 11, on PBS.

SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Joan Baez, Amnesty and You

Following is a special message from longtime Amnesty supporter Joan Baez during our annual September Membership Drive:

Joan Baez

Dear Amnesty Supporter,

All my life I’ve felt humbled in the face of the suffering of others. It is only that I, by accident of birth, was born in the right place at the right time, and that someone else, not me, huddles in a prison cell, is tortured, and faces the unbearable consequences of having been born in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or, as the legendary Phil Ochs song says, there but for fortune, go you or I.

Happily for me, I discovered early on that, in the words of Swedish Ambassador Harald Edelstam, “I cannot tolerate injustice.” This inability to tolerate injustice has brought me to the roots of human misery, called me to engage in the fight for the rights, freedoms, and the dignity of others. And in so doing, has helped me to maintain my own dignity.

SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Music to Inspire Children to Play Fair and Show Empathy

By Suzanne Trimel, Media Relations Director

What better way to introduce young children to human rights – and the values of fairness, equity, empathy and non-violence — than through upbeat music from all over the world?

That’s the thinking behind Kids World Party!, the latest CD from Putumayo Kids, released in partnership with Amnesty International to celebrate our 50th anniversary. 7% of each CD sale will be donated to support Amnesty’s life-saving work.

SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Amnesty TV Is Here!

In the first episode of Amnesty’s new online magazine show (created by Amnesty UK) we have Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales talking about Internet freedom, a birthday message from Aung San Suu Kyi the latest human rights news you may not have seen on your regular news station as well as an instructional video on how to perform the perfect Carpet Karaoke. Don’t know what that is? Watch now.

U2's Conspiracy of Hope

Twenty five years ago today, on June 15th, 1986, the Amnesty International A Conspiracy of Hope tour broadcast live on MTV from Giants Stadium.

The Conspiracy of Hope tour was a celebration of our 25th anniversary and it introduced countless Americans to human rights and made life-long Amnesty members.

U2 was part of our movement then (watch their amazing performance in 1986 above!) and they are still with us fighting for justice today.

Bono recently saluted Amnesty on our 50th birthday from the stage during U2′s 360 tour last month:

SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Amnesty, Aung San Suu Kyi and the U2 360 Tour

The 2nd North American leg of the U2 360 Tour kicked off this past weekend in Denver with Amnesty International volunteers in full force! Amnesty has been on the road with U2’s 360 tour since the first date in Barcelona back in June 2009.

Globally, Amnesty has gathered over 100,000 signatures supporting our Demand Dignity campaign. Not to mention on average, the thousands of people in each stadium who have seen our bright yellow shirts and have heard Bono mention Amnesty International from the stage!

SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Joan Baez: A Lifetime of Human Rights Advocacy

In 1973, Joan Baez signs Amnesty International's anti-torture petition in London.

Amnesty International turns 50 this year, and closely linked to Amnesty’s legacy of championing human rights is that of folk legend Joan Baez.

Baez was an active supporter of Amnesty from the start, stuffing envelopes at our first home office in San Francisco– not coincidentally, where this year’s Annual General Meeting is being held. This Friday, as part of our anniversary AGM,  Joan Baez will be honored for a lifetime of human rights solidarity and advocacy.

Her receiving the award also marks an exciting beginning, as it will establish the Amnesty International Joan Baez Award for Outstanding, Inspirational Service in the Global Fight for Human Rights. The award will be given to artists – working in music, film, fine arts or other media – who similarly contribute to the advancement of human rights.

Baez will be presented with the first award in recognition of her historic, ground-breaking and courageous human rights work with Amnesty International and beyond, and the inspiration she has given activists around the world. In the early 1970’s, she devoted a full year to help establish Amnesty International chapters in the San Francisco bay area. Among her innumerable, diverse contributions to Amnesty, she has headlined anti-death penalty rallies and traveled to New York and Paris for the organization’s first Campaign to Abolish Torture.

SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Prometheus Bound: Connecting the Arts and Human Rights

The arts can be a powerful venue for championing human rights, by educating and inspiring the audience to take action.

Amnesty International is proud to announce our partnership with the American Repertory Theater’s production of Prometheus Bound, written by Tony and Grammy Award-winning playwright Steven Sater (Spring Awakening) and Grammy Award-winning composer Serj Tankian (of the band System of a Down).

This new musical is inspired by Aeschylus’s Ancient Greek tragedy about the heroic struggle of Western civilization’s first prisoner of conscience. Prometheus Bound tells the story of Prometheus, the Titan who defied Zeus by giving the human race both fire and art. The ancient story is made relevant to modern-day struggles against tyranny, giving a voice to those being silenced or endangered by oppressors today.

The A.R.T. will dedicate the run of Prometheus Bound to eight modern day prisoners of conscience and the fight against human rights abuses all over the world. After each performance, the audience will be given the tools to take immediate action and the opportunity to engage with Amnesty International and other human rights advocates.

SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Ozzy Osbourne Covers John Lennon's 'How' for Amnesty

This week marks the 70th anniversary of John Lennon’s birth, and we at Amnesty are excited to share with you a brand-new cover of the iconic Lennon song “How?” premiering today on iTunes!

The recording of “How?” is a cover by the infamous rocker Ozzy Osbourne, who cites Lennon and the Beatles as his inspiration for becoming a musician.

“If we want to survive as a race of people we’ve got to address problems head on.  John and Yoko took the bull by the horns and for that you’ve got to take your hat off to both of them,” said Ozzy.

The song’s accompanying music video was shot on the streets of New York and at the Lennon Memorial in Central Park.

Three years ago, Yoko Ono graciously donated to us all of Lennon’s publishing royalties for “Instant Karma” –  an album of Lennon compositions  performed by many of the world’s leading artists including U2, R.E.M., Green Day, Black Eyed Peas, Aerosmith and Christina Aguilera. The album was critically acclaimed and has raised millions of dollars to benefit our work on Darfur.

“This year the whole world is celebrating the 70th anniversary of John’s birth,” said Ono. “His spirit and influence is stronger than ever. John shared a common purpose with Amnesty International – shining a light on wrongs and campaigning to protect people’s rights.  We all shine on!”

All proceeds from downloads of “How?” will fund our work.