Amnesty International (AI) is one of the most prominent advocacy agencies in the world. The agency is an international non-governmental organization headquartered in the United Kingdom (Amnesty International, n.d.). AI focuses on protecting human rights, whose scope of violations constantly changes every day (Amnesty International, n.d.). Despite challenges and criticism over the years, AI has tirelessly pushed people towards an international community with minimal human rights violations. The organization mobilizes public opinion to exert pressure on governments where the human rights of innocent people are abused, forcing the administration to refrain from such actions.
Origin and Growth
Peter Benenson, a British lawyer, founded Amnesty International in 1961 after publishing the article “The Forgotten Prisoners” (Amnesty International, n.d.). Benenson was outraged by the jailing of two Portuguese students, who raised a toast to freedom, prompting him to write the article. The agency’s mission statement is to “undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of human rights” (Righter, 2018, para. 2).
Since its inception, AI has been collaborating with other organizations and intergovernmental human rights bodies to enforce and expand the protection of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 (Righter, 2018). AI has established offices in more than 70 countries in different regions (Amnesty International, n.d.). Cattaruzza (2019) adds that the agency’s members exceed 7 million and are allocated in over 150 nations and territories, campaigning to abolish human rights abuses. Indeed, the agency’s operations have grown from advocating for the release of political prisoners to safeguarding the whole human rights spectrum worldwide.
What AI Does
The agency acknowledges that a change in human rights begins with facts. Therefore, AI has a team of experts who accurately research and cross-check into human rights violations by governments, companies, armed political groups, and other actors in the global society (Amnesty International, n.d.). They then analyze the collected information and expose the culprits in newsletters, annual reports, and background papers, influencing them to do the right thing. Members campaign internationally through protests, petitions, and letters to press for action from institutions and individuals who can implement changes (Amnesty International, n.d.).
The main areas that AI deals with include ending torture, human dignity protection, refugees’ rights, prisoners of conscience’s rights, abolition of the death penalty, and women’s, children’s, as well as minorities’ rights. AI also has a significant role in sponsoring human rights education worldwide.
Organizational Structure
The agency has a complex organizational structure with operations controlled by the International Secretariat (IS). According to Cattaruzza (2019), a team of senior directors headed by the secretary-general, the CEO, leads the IS. The primary responsibilities of IS include researching and reporting, ensuring the agency speaks with one voice internationally, monitoring its financial health, and providing materials for campaigning and legal analysis for researched information. AI also has an international board comprised of nine individuals, ensuring that the agency complies with global standards and policies. The members of the international board are elected by Global Assembly (GA) every year. Notably, members who participate in AI’s operations join the agency voluntarily.
Funding and Example of the Agency’s Success
The operations of AI are mainly financed by donations and fees from international membership, allowing the agency to be independent of any economic interest, government, and religion. According to Cattaruzza (2019) indicates that individuals who donate to AI are more than 2 million. While the average monthly donation is approximately $10.19, AI raised $ 359.78 in 2017 for human rights work. The International Criminal Court (ICC) establishment is an example of the successful campaigns of AI. Righter (2018) indicates that the agency started publishing documents and papers that advocated for the court’s creation in 1994. The court prosecutes people involved in serious violations of human rights.
References
Amnesty International. (n.d). Who we are. Amnesty. Web.
Cattaruzza, E. (2019). Amnesty International- An analysis of the communication strategy [Ebook] (pp. 1-90). Web.
Righter, V. (2018). Amnesty International: Successes and criticisms. The GSP Journal. Web.