The Road to the AGM

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March 24, 2016 – AGM Road Trip Playlist 1

The road to Amnesty International USA’s Annual General Meeting and Human Rights Conference technically began in April of 2015, when the AIUSA Board of Directors chose Miami as the host city for our 2016 conference. The literal road trip to the conference began on March 24, when events staff and interns packed the boxes of materials and equipment that we will need to pull off a successful AGM. SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Tech and Human Rights: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

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As someone whose job it is to take advantage of technological progress for human rights research and advocacy, I am a strong proponent of using new tools and methods to advance Amnesty International’s goals. There is a proven track record of how technology can help human rights researchers and defenders in their daily work. However, any debate on this topic should not overlook the increasing challenges and threats that new technologies and digital networks pose for our profession. I am increasingly interested in exploring this undeniable tension, and I am fortunate enough to moderate a panel related to this topic Amnesty International USA’s Annual General Meeting in Brooklyn this weekend (full details below). SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Meet Jasmine at the AGM: Campaigner for Individuals at Risk

Photo by Yue Wu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Leading up to our 2015 human rights conference in Brooklyn, NY, March 20-22, we are highlighting six Amnesty International USA staff members and moments in their life that have helped build their career in the human rights movement! Read all six in our “Meet me at the AGM” blog series.

NAME: ­­­­­­Jasmine Heiss

I WORK FOR AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA AS: Senior Campaigner, Individuals at Risk Program

IN THAT ROLE I:

  • Strategize, power-map, and creatively deconstruct injustice
  • Build project-plans, relationships and coalitions
  • Influence private and public actors to defend and uphold human rights
  • Work directly with my human rights heroes

HOW DID YOU GET THERE?
I grew up in Northern Michigan in a house run off of solar and wind with gravity-fed (COLD!) water, and intensely idealistic parents. SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Meet Larry at the AGM: Community Organizer and Young Leader Fellow

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Leading up to our 2015 human rights conference in Brooklyn, NY, March 20-22, we are highlighting six Amnesty International USA staff members and moments in their life that have helped build their career in the human rights movement! Read all six in our “Meet me at the AGM” blog series.

NAME: Larry Fellows III

I WORK FOR AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA AS: Young Leader Fellow

IN THAT ROLE I:

  • Work on both the Member Engagement & Field Organizing teams
  • Focus on showing young people how to organize in their communities dealing with civil and human rights
  • Uplift the voices of those that have been silenced
  • Educate people on Amnesty International does

HOW DID YOU GET THERE?
I’m from St. Louis, so I was involved with the movement in Ferguson surrounding Mike Brown. SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Meet Noor at the AGM: Field Organizer

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Leading up to our 2015 human rights conference in Brooklyn, NY, March 20-22, we are highlighting six Amnesty International USA staff members and moments in their life that have helped build their career in the human rights movement! Read all six in our “Meet me at the AGM” blog series.

NAME: ­­­­­­Noor Mir

I WORK FOR AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA AS: Associate Field Organizer

IN THAT ROLE I:

  • Move people to act
  • Inspire youth to take empowerment into their own hands
  • Build coalitions of human rights activists
  • Challenge power at the source

HOW DID YOU GET THERE?
I was born and raised in Islamabad, Pakistan to a family that had been at the forefront of political struggles and independence movements from the British Empire. SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Meet Sunil at the AGM: Managing Director of Major Gifts

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Leading up to our 2015 human rights conference in Brooklyn, NY, March 20-22, we are highlighting six Amnesty International USA staff members and moments in their life that have helped build their career in the human rights movement! Read all six in our “Meet me at the AGM” blog series.

NAME: ­­­­­­Sunil Oommen

I WORK FOR AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA AS: Managing Director of Major Gifts

IN THAT ROLE I:

  • Help raise funds to keep Amnesty’s work going strong
  • Support a team of amazing professionals to raise as much money as possible for Amnesty and help them become even stronger leaders for the movement

HOW DID YOU GET THERE?
I got here due to a lot of hard work – the proverbial blood, sweat and tears! SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Meet Sara at the AGM: Direct Response Coordinator

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Leading up to our 2015 human rights conference in Brooklyn, NY, March 20-22, we are highlighting six Amnesty International USA staff members and moments in their life that have helped build their career in the human rights movement! Read all six in our “Meet me at the AGM” blog series.

NAME: Sara Golden

I WORK FOR AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA AS: Direct Response Coordinator

IN THAT ROLE I:

  • Get copy and design approved for our direct mail packages
  • Lead the coordination of marketing and sales management and execution of programs for Direct Response and special projects.
  • Assist in the development and implementation of annual Direct Response plans and programs.
  • Liaise with cross functioning staff to communicate deadlines and plans effectively and consistently.
  • Act as a source of information for the Direct Response and Development offices.

HOW DID YOU GET THERE?
I began at Amnesty as the Assistant to the Deputy Executive Director of External Affairs in 2012. Previously I worked as an HR consultant at UNICEF and held several internships at NGOs during my time in graduate school. SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Meet Anupriya at the AGM: Digital Campaign Strategist

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Leading up to our 2015 human rights conference in Brooklyn, NY, March 20-22, we are highlighting six Amnesty International USA staff members and moments in their life that have helped build their career in the human rights movement! Read all six in our “Meet me at the AGM” blog series.

NAME: Anupriya Ghate

I WORK FOR AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA AS: Digital Campaign Strategist

IN THAT ROLE I:

  • Manage, create and drive human rights activism on Facebook, Twitter & other online platforms
  • Do a lot of graphic design work to create resources and visually captivating graphics to maximize impact
  • Create online resources and web content to support staff and activists

HOW DID YOU GET THERE?
I started working for Amnesty International USA right after I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University. I joined the organization as an intern and later applied for and was hired as the Individuals at Risk team, Campaigns Associate. SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Moving Together to End Police Brutality

South African police block a march by protesting miners in Rustenburg after a security crackdown in the restive platinum belt where officers shot dead 34 strikers (Photo Credit: Alexander Joe/AFP/GettyImages).

I spend my evenings reading Twitter these days. Scroll, refresh. Scroll, refresh. I’m looking for news, yes, but I’m really looking to see if the people that I know who are protesting are still safe.

Last night, I clicked on a video of protestors gathered in front of the Ferguson police department chanting, “Why you wearing riot gear? We don’t see no riot here!” In the echo of that chant runs an anxiety based on experience: that the tension in each new moment could explode in a canister of teargas or pepper spray, in the blast of a sound cannon, in the firing of rubber bullets.

SEE THE REST OF THIS POST

Amnesty's 50th Anniversary Meeting Kicks Off!

Our 50th anniversary Annual General Meeting kicks off tonight in San Francisco!  Over 1,400 Amnesty International activists from across the country (and across the sea!) have already registered, making this the biggest annual meeting we’ve had yet.

At tonight’s opening ceremony we’ll be honoring one of Amnesty USA’s founding members, the fabulous Joan Baez for a lifetime of human rights activism and solidarity.

We’ll also be celebrating our 50th anniversary – that’s 50 years of hard work by you, our members and activists, in shining a light on human rights — in addition to a packed agenda with panels to help us strategize for our continued fight for human rights everywhere.

We look forward to seeing you there! If you can’t make it, check in on this blog where we’ll be posting updates throughout the event.  You can also follow the AGM Twitter feed @AmnestyAGM for updates from the conference or hashtag #agm11 to join the conversation.