On Saturday, November 28th, our members were invited in Amsterdam for the National Student Day organised by Amnesty International Netherlands (AINL). Members from the different study group of AINL are regularly invited to the Headquarters for special events, such as the National Student Day, the Introduction Day, the Board Member Day, ... These events are a chance for students to connect with other members from other groups, exchange ideas and learn a bit more about AINL.
This year, eight of our members took part in the National Student Day. With their train arriving in Amsterdam around 12PM, they made it just own time for lunch. After grabbing a sandwich, they got to meet students from Amsterdam, the Hague, Rotterdam and other major Dutch cities before Kim Schuiten, the national student coordinator, began her speech on the main theme of the day: the Write for Rights campaign. Although the NSD is the perfect opportunity to meet new faces, it is also THE day to learn more about the main focus points of Amnesty International. This year’s important campaign, ‘Write for Rights’ gives activists the possibility to write letters and postcards to governments and politicians to request the release of ‘prisoners of conscience’: people, who we believe were wrongly punished for exercising their fundamental rights.
In Amsterdam, students were told to focus on three main cases. First, the case of Dorgelesse Nguessan, a young woman from Cameroon who joined a protest concerning the growing poverty in her country. She was arrested while she was demonstrating for ‘rebellion, assembly and attendance at rallies and public demonstrations’. She was sentenced to 5 years of prison even though she did nothing wrong but exercise her right to assembly.
Second, the case of Valid Afkari, an Iranian who peacefully demonstrated against inequality and political repression in Iran in 2017 and 2018. He was arrested and sentenced to 33 years in prison. He was also tortured to confess to crimes he did not commit and placed in solitary confinement. Third, the last case on which students were asked to focus is the case of Yren Rotela and Mariana Sepúlveda, two trans women from Paraguay who have been fighting for their identity. They have relentlessly requested the authorities to change their identity on their papers and other important documents. Without this change, they cannot find a job and they are condemned to face intimidation, violence, discrimination and restrictive regulations.
Everyone wrote a letter or a post card in honour of these people, in hope that their letter will be read and contribute to a change. The Write for Rights campaign is an immense success each year, with thousands of letter sent to kings, ministers and presidents. Although it might be a very simple way to take action, it can bring injustice to an end: activists are released, discrimination stops and perpetrators are brought to justice.
Interested? You can take part to the Write for Rights campaign via this link: https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/write-for-rights/
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