Amnesty International USA’s Post

It's time to introduce another one of our star colleagues, Hashas Rage - our interim Global Youth Engagement lead and Global Youth Campaigner! Hashas works with young people across the movement - find out more about her role below 👇 🧠 What is your role, and what does it involve? My name is Hashas Rage. I am the Global Youth Campaigner and interim Global Youth Engagement Lead at Amnesty International. I work collaboratively with children, young people and colleagues across the Amnesty International movement. In my role, I work on both campaigns and research. As part of the RIGHTS Click programme of work, I co-led on the participatory development of a child and youth-led research methodology called RightUp. RightUp aims to include children and young people meaningfully as rightsholders in Amnesty International’s research processes. It is a project that challenges who gets to generate knowledge within Amnesty International and contest the belief that research can only be carried out by adults with a specific educational skillset or career background. In 2024, as the Global Youth Engagement Lead, I led in the delivery of the RightUp research pilot in the Philippines with Amnesty Philippines and a group of 9 amazing young researchers. We are currently in the data collection phase. The research will focus on the surveillance of young human rights defenders in the Philippines and will launch in January 2025. 💛 What is your favourite part about working at Amnesty? I love that I get to focus on both campaigns and research in my role. As someone who has a passion for both, I’m glad I don’t have to pick one but can instead utilise my skills to shape Amnesty’s campaigns AND research! I also love that I get to experience different cultures and travel around the world. Because of my role at Amnesty, I was able to travel to Kenya, the Philippines, Belgium, Rwanda and Argentina. During these travels, I got to meet the most inspiring young human rights activists which fill me with so much joy and hope. 📢 What advice would you give to someone who wants to work in the NGO industry? Keep going ❤ Follow your dreams and keep pushing boundaries. You will make a difference! There will be moments of doubt and confusion but keep going. I’ve always wanted to work in human rights, so I started off with volunteering at NGOs I was passionate about before applying to roles. Even if you think you don’t have the experience for an Amnesty role, apply anyway! As long as you’re passionate and want to make a difference it will shine through.

Amnesty International UNICEF UNICEF Canada Human Rights Watch Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) Winnie Byanyima Senait Fisseha, MD., JD Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus African Union 🚨 Urgent Call to Action: Justice for Heaven 🚨 A 7 year old young Ethiopian girl named Heaven was brutally raped and murdered. Despite the severity of this crime, the perpetrator received only a 25-year sentence and is now appealing and is being entertained by the Ethiopian authorities. This injustice highlights severe flaws in Ethiopia’s legal system and demands immediate global action. I urge global leaders and international community to; 1. Demand a Just Sentence: Push for a review of Heaven’s case to ensure the perpetrator receives an appropriate sentence reflecting his heinous crime. Oppose his appeal and demand real justice. 2. Support Heaven’s Family: Provide necessary resources and advocacy to Heaven’s family during this tragic time. 3. Engage Ethiopian Authorities: Urge Ethiopian officials to address legal system deficiencies and implement reforms to protect children and ensure justice. 4. Raise Global Awareness: Use your influnce to spotlight this case and mobilize international support to pressure Ethiopian authorities. Our children’s safety and justice are at stake. Immediate action is needed to ensure Heaven’s death leads to meaningful change.

🌍 Calling EU Civil Society Organisations! 🧑🤝🧑 Are you actively involved in supporting migrants with disabilities and/or elderly migrants to gain access to citizenship, legal status and social rights across Europe? As part of our “Fair Access to Social Rights and Citizenship for Vulnerable Third-Country Nationals Project” (ACCESS), Generation 2.0 for Rights, Equality and Diversity, is looking for NGOs that have knowledge and experience on these issues to fill in our Questionnaire and facilitate an exchange of know-how and good practices among CSOs working on these vital issues in the EU. Why Participate? ▪ Exchange valuable insights and best practices ▪ Join an online meeting in September 2024 to discuss findings and strengthen advocacy at a national and European level. ▪ Contribute to a comprehensive report to be published by the end of the year We are collecting responses until mid-August. Don't miss this opportunity to help us make an impact on national and European levels! 🚀 Get Involved! If you are interested, please use the link below to complete our questionnaire or please share this among your network! Questionnaire: bit.ly/3y2vEXV For further details or inquiries, feel free to contact us. Thank you for your attention! 💪 #NGO #HumanRights #Equality #SocialInclusion #AccessToCitizenship #EuropeanCSOs #Advocacy

I’ve been so busy that June is quickly slipping away from me. But I want to be sure to take a moment to recognize Pride Month. It’s important to celebrate the progress we’ve made, but we should also stay focused on how much more work we must do before all of us can live in safety. I’ve represented asylum seekers who shared stories a lot like this one: "Pretend you are straight, act straight, don't make eye contact, don't try to draw attention to yourself because once they figure out you're gay, you're going to be in trouble.” (see article below) The consequences of just being who you are, loving who you love, can be physical and sexual violence, exploitation, abuse, and even death. LGBTQIA+ survivors who are able to break away from persecution and brave the journey here sadly face alarmingly high risks of experiencing further harm at the border. These risks continue as they begin to rebuild their lives in the U.S. While all immigrant survivors of violence face multiple barriers in their pursuit of safety, LGBTQIA+ survivors often encounter additional, unique challenges that make their journey to justice even more dangerous. At Tahirih Justice Center, we believe no one should face persecution, violence, or discrimination for being who they are. That’s why we provide free legal and social services to immigrant women, girls, and all survivors and their families, and advocate for policies that center the person whose life is at stake. We also know equality and justice can look different for each of our clients, so we approach our work knowing that a survivor is the expert in their own journey. We are a stronger country when we foster communities that welcome and embrace diversity of all kinds. Let’s continue to work together and build a world where everyone, no matter their race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation, can live safely 🌈 . https://lnkd.in/e5PUdGjE

Enric Masip, Joan Laporta’s advisor, closes his ‘X’ account after controversial retweets about immigration and gender-based violence | Football | Sports Enric Masip, advisor to FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta, announced on Wednesday the closure of his account on the social network X – formerly Twitter – following the controversy over some of his retweets on immigration, gender-based violence or the French elections in which Marine Le Pen’s far-right party won in the first round. “Yesterday there was a certain stir on social media as a result of the activity on Twitter on my account. Due to my position at FC Barcelona and my career as a player in the club that I love, I wish to convey to public opinion that freedom of expression can sometimes come into conflict with the role that one has assigned in the world of work,” Masip posted on his account. And he added, without apologising: “As a consequence of the hustle and bustle experienced and that the messages that I have inserted on my wall have been able to cause discomfort, especially because they have put President Laporta and FC Barcelona in an uncomfortable situation that I would never have wanted to happen, I am sending this message to announce that I am closing my X account.” Currently, his profile on the social network is already deactivated. “Hundreds of immigrants pray ‘Allah is great’ in the garden of a detention center in Tenerife, Canary Islands. All men of military age. I hope you are aware that the Spain we know will disappear in a decade,” read the content of one of the retweeted messages. “The worst thing is not the acts of the oresthe worst thing is the passivity of the Spanish people watching how their country is destroyed with their tax money. This is how Valencia is and this is how the whole of Spain is! And all of this supported by the progressive consensus of the comfortable and parasitic political class,” read another. Different retweeted messages, in addition, positioned themselves against LGBT rights or questioned sexist violence. “I am not giving my opinion. I only intend to expose relevant information and situations. I am only expressing what is happening and what is occurring on the street,” Masip defended himself in statements to The newspaper. “I am not against immigration. Legal immigration. Nor am I against the LGTBI community, although there are situations that I do not share and that are a disgrace,” he assured the Catalan media. But the content of Masip’s retweets clashes with the statutes of FC Barcelona. Specifically, two articles included in 2021, which ensure that “diversity and equality must be protected without discrimination on the grounds of race, belief, political or union ideas, language, sex or sexual orientation.” The club’s code of ethics also emphasizes the “responsible use of social networks” by people related to the entity. You can follow EL PAÍS Sports on Facebook and Xor sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter. The post En...

If you're a member of the LGBTIQA+ community who is planning on running for Council (or you know someone who is), register for this candidate information session being run by my friends at Rainbow Local Government. Local Government is the closest level of Government to the community, so it's the easiest arm of Government for regular people to participate in and get elected to. It can be extremely difficult for LGBTIQA+ people to break into State and Federal politics, but at the local level, we have openly trans and openly intersex sitting Councillors. This forum is designed to give LGBTIQA+ candidates information about the ins and outs of running, that is relevant to your experience as a queer person. When I helped out at the last election, we covered topics such as candidate safety, managing social media, deciding on how 'out' to be, and building volunteer networks. https://lnkd.in/gnUfdkgr

Great List of Human Rights Organizations! thanks Haiqi Wan

📣 Powerful words from Nick Henderson, CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, in his letter to The Irish Times addressing the realities of Ireland's international protection system. His response to recent comments about “pull factors” is a sobering reminder of the harsh truths many applicants, including LGBTQ+ individuals, face when they arrive on our shores. At Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre, we see firsthand the additional layer of trauma and discrimination that LGBTQ+ international protection applicants endure—escaping homophobia and transphobia, only to confront new challenges in Ireland. From facing dangers in direct provision centres to undergoing invasive interview processes that force them to “prove” their queer identities, these siblings are trapped in cycles of isolation and fear. It’s time to acknowledge the humanity behind these stories, to demand a system that doesn’t just meet basic needs but protects people’s dignity. https://lnkd.in/eZyx6Xdi #RefugeesWelcomeHere #LGBTQProtection #HumanRights #EndDirectProvision #InclusiveIreland #AsylumSeekers #DignityForAll #QueerRefugees #LGBTQSolidarity #LGBTCommunity #LGBTQCommunity #LGBTIreland #GayDublin

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗕𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗩𝗜𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧 𝗠𝗜𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗡 Listen to Ericka Rokotonirina, Law Student at Association Olympe. ❓ Domestic violence is a pervasive human rights violation. Migrant women, due to the intersecting forms of discrimination they face, are at an exacerbated risk to face such violence. The lack of access to independent legal status in some countries and the barriers they face accessing the labour market, can maintain them in situations of administrative and economic dependency which feed domestic violence. In addition, migrant women facing domestic violence encounter numerous obstacles in accessing support, including language barriers, lack of awareness about available support services, and fear of deportation. ❗Ensuring migrant women's access to comprehensive support services, legal protections, and safe accommodation is crucial in addressing domestic violence and safeguarding their rights. It requires implementing policies sensitive to migrant women’s specific experiences, training frontline responders, and guaranteeing migrant women the ability to to seek help without fear of reprisal. ⚖ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻: 💡 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙡𝙚 3 - 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮: "Everyone has the right to respect for his or her physical and mental integrity." - European Charter of Fundamental Rights 💡 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙡𝙚 6 - 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚: "Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person." - European Charter of Fundamental Rights 💡 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙡𝙚 24 - 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮: "Everyone has the right to respect for his or her private and family life, home and communications." - European Charter of Fundamental Rights _________________________________ Let's FULFIL HER RIGHTS by combating domestic violence against migrant women, providing them with the support and protection they deserve in the EU. 💪 The FULFIL initiative strives to empower legal practitioners by equipping them with the tools to effectively use the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to protect the rights of migrant women.    In partnership with European Network of Migrant Women (ENOMW), European Women Lawyers Association - EWLA , the Portuguese Association against Femicide, Olympe Association, Studio Avvocata Chiara Parolin, Associazione IROKO, and Violaine De Filippis-abate #FULFILHERRIGHTS #EndVAWG #MigrantWomen  #EUCharter

Advocating for Accountability in Yemen: Watch for Human Rights and Justice4Yemen Coalition at UPR   February 15, 2024   The Watch for Human Rights (Watch4HR) proudly presented a Joint UPR Statement as an active member of the Justice4Yemen Coalition, supported by the DT Institute, during this week's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) cycle in Geneva. At the Human Rights Council meeting, our coalition addressed critical issues related to human rights violations in Yemen, encompassing the ongoing conflict, detentions, forced disappearances, and their impact on civilians. We have actively engaged in two vital platforms: UPR Pre-sessions and the exchange with NGOs and EU Member States.   The statement highlights pivotal human rights issues, with a specific focus on children's rights, and expressing concerns about arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture. As part of the coalition, we put forth the following key recommendations: Conduct impartial and transparent investigations into alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law by all parties involved in the conflict. Publicize the findings and ensure accountability by holding perpetrators responsible for all violations and abuses. Ensure that any peace agreement or political settlement in Yemen includes provisions for transitional justice, accountability, and reparations, in consultation with victims, survivors, and civil society. The full statement can be found here.   https://lnkd.in/gXcZfjkf In our commitment to broaden our advocacy efforts, we collaborated with numerous local and international organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), among others, to further contribute to the UPR with joint recommendations. This collective statement encompasses submissions made by civil society organizations, addressing accountability and redress, arbitrary detentions, torture, and enforced disappearances, women’s rights and gender equality, children, and armed conflict, blocking and impeding humanitarian access, refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and internally displaced people, persons with disabilities, freedom of expression, journalists, and human rights defenders. You can view the full joint recommendations here. https://lnkd.in/gTJ27rmM “Since the outbreak of the conflict in Yemen, it has become clear that the national justice system lacks the capacity and willingness to investigate human rights violations and deliver justice, especially for marginalized groups and victims of the conflict. It is crucial to strengthen international accountability mechanisms and uphold human rights to ensure lasting peace.” Akram Alshwafi, Director, Watch for Human Rights #العدالة_من_أجل_اليمن #حقوق_الإنسان #UPR2024 #UPR    #Justice4Yemen #HumanRights #UPR2024 #UPR