Overview
Peter Benenson was outraged when he learned that Portuguese students who publicly hailed freedom while living under a dictatorship were thrown into prison for their beliefs. He began an "Appeal for Amnesty" in an effort to get the students released. This appeal turned into Amnesty International, which is dedicated to persuading governments around the world to free prisoners of conscience or those who have been imprisoned for disagreeing with their actions. Amnesty International also pursues recognition and justice on behalf of the thousands of dissidents in various countries who have simply "disappeared."Synopsis
Peter Benenson was outraged when he learned that Portuguese students who publicly hailed freedom while living under a dictatorship were thrown into prison for their beliefs. He began an "Appeal for Amnesty" in an effort to get the students released. This appeal turned into Amnesty International, which is dedicated to persuading governments around the world to free prisoners of conscience or those who have been imprisoned for disagreeing with their actions. Amnesty International also pursues recognition and justice on behalf of the thousands of dissidents in various countries who have simply "disappeared."
Rebecca Watson - Children's Literature
On March 22, 2002, a court in Nigeria found Amina Lawal guilty of having a baby out of wedlock and sentenced her to be stoned to death. Soon afterward, her situation came to the attention of Amnesty International, or AI, a group organized in 1961 and dedicated to helping every person enjoy the human rights listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Amnesty International organized efforts to have Amina's execution sentence reversed. This book discusses the importance of human rights and examines some human-rights violations around the world. It explains the founding, organization and current efforts of AI. Included are chapters on what it is like to work for Amnesty International, AI campaigns and recent success stories in defending human rights. Many full color photos accompany the text and insets cover subjects such as the Nobel Peace Prize and the life of Peter Bananson, the founder of Amnesty International. Included are a brief glossary, a bibliography and an index. This book is part of the "International Organizations" series by World Almanac Library. 2004, World Almanac Library, Ages 10 up.
Editorials
Children's Literature
On March 22, 2002, a court in Nigeria found Amina Lawal guilty of having a baby out of wedlock and sentenced her to be stoned to death. Soon afterward, her situation came to the attention of Amnesty International, or AI, a group organized in 1961 and dedicated to helping every person enjoy the human rights listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Amnesty International organized efforts to have Amina's execution sentence reversed. This book discusses the importance of human rights and examines some human-rights violations around the world. It explains the founding, organization and current efforts of AI. Included are chapters on what it is like to work for Amnesty International, AI campaigns and recent success stories in defending human rights. Many full color photos accompany the text and insets cover subjects such as the Nobel Peace Prize and the life of Peter Bananson, the founder of Amnesty International. Included are a brief glossary, a bibliography and an index. This book is part of the "International Organizations" series by World Almanac Library. 2004, World Almanac Library, Ages 10 up.—Rebecca Watson