Purpose and Aims of the Amnesty International Organization - Essay Example

Amnesty International Amnesty international constitutes a global movement having 3 million and more members, supporters and activists. Its activities are undertaken in more than 150 territories and countries. Amnesty International was funded by Peter Benenson, a lawyer from London (“Amnesty International”). This was in July 1961 in London. Benenson founded the organization after an article publication on The Observer (“the forgotten prisoners”). Benenson worked with Baker Eric to launch the activities of the organization. Amnesty International has the broadest name recognition and the longest history. This paper explores Amnesty International purposes, organization and structure, sources of funding, challenges and achievement. Purpose and Aims of the Organization The main aim of Amnesty international is to put an end to grave violations of human rights. Their vision is to ensure that each person gains an access to enjoy all rights which are enshrined in international human rights standards and Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The organization is independent of any political ideologies, government, religion and economic interest. The organization’s mission is to undertake research and execute the necessary action so as to end and prevent grave violations of any human rights; including social, civic, political, social and economic rights (“Amnesty International”). In its purpose, there are six vital areas in which Amnesty International deals with. These include ending torture, abolition of the death penalty, rights of children, women and indigenous, rights of refugees, protection of human dignity and rights of conscience prisoners. The organization also seeks to fight impunity from justice systems. Another purpose of the organization is the abolition of ill-treatment and torture. They also seek to ensure that there is fair and prompt trial for any political prisoners. Another function of Amnesty International organization is to ensure that all children globally receive free education. Another role that has been instrumental especially in warring factions in Africa is the ending the use of child soldiers and recruitment. The organization has an imperative impact in mobilizing citizens with an intention of focusing on issues regarding human rights. It also influences government and countries to permit justice to their people (“Amnesty International”). Structure and Governance of the Organization The organization is mostly made up of voluntary members; however, it has a small number of professionals who are paid. Members are organized as sections within each country. These sections enable the co-ordination of the organizations activities. Each section is composed of various groups. In 2005, there were 52 sections in the world (“Amnesty International”). Each section has a board of directors, inclusive of professional staff. In countries where sections do not exist, people may become international members. The International Council represents these sections, groups and any affiliated organ. The Amnesty International council selects the members of the executive committee internationally. The members of the international executive committee include Antonioli Piere (Italy), Louis Mendy (Senegal), Euntae Go (South Korea), Christine Pamp (Sweden) and Pack Peter (UK), Guadalupe Rivas (Mexico), Vanushi Walters (New Zealand), Sintobin Bernard (Belgium) and Julio Torales (Paraguay). The chairman is Peter Pack while the vice-chair is Christine Pamp. Bernard Sintobin is the international treasurer. The secretary general of Amnesty International is Salil Shetty (“Amnesty International”). Funding to the Organization Activities protecting and promoting human rights require sustained funding. The funding is channeled to various activities within the organization. These include publishing materials, setting up meetings with members of the state or victims, accessing communications equipment, organizing protests, travelling so as to gather information on violations of human rights and providing legal assistance to human right abuse victims. The sources of funding are largely by donations. There are individual donations that make up a considerable source of funding for this organization (Storry 21). Other international and national non-governmental organizations also play a key part as a source of funding for this organization. Foreign and national bodies, for example, overseas development funds, inject money into the organization. The European Union and other international governmental organizations have also been pivotal in funding Amnesty International. The funding to this organization can be short term or long term. Short term funding may be used in assisting a human right defender who is at risk. Long term funding facilitates the organization to develop, maintain or expand its activities. Achievements Over the years, Amnesty International has declared that its activities are independent on any political ideology, government, religion or economic interest. The organization has managed to achieve this by ensuring that their activities and resources are independent of the government. Amnesty International has managed to identify and fight the violation of human rights in many incidences. During the war in Iraq, this organization successfully advocated for the rights of the innocent civilians in the country. The US military thus engaged cautiously with the terrorist ensuring that they protected the citizens of Iraq (Storry 23). In 2010, Amnesty International reported a decrease in the number of judicial execution. According to a report in 2009, about 213 countries practiced judicial execution leading to about 12,040 deaths annually. However in 2010, the number of deaths reduced to 2024 imposed in about 67 countries excluding China. The organization has also been able to recruit about 23 countries to support the abolishment of this practice. These countries include Togo, Madagascar, Comoros, Thailand, Russia and other European countries (“Amnesty International”). In 2010, Amnesty International acknowledges the adoption of new technological tools in used in fighting for human rights. These include the use of internet, print media and mass media in challenging the abuse of power by institutions and states. Over the past 50 years, this organization has explored the use of technology to give power to the abused persons. Today, the use of Wikileaks website to publish and download government confidential documents has significantly contributed to empowering the human right activists. According to Amnesty International officials, this site has served as a ground for the release of information to the world concerning human right violation. Wikileaks has been widley used by the activists in the protection of rights of humanity (“Amnesty International”). Amnesty International has successfully participated in eliminating politicians who advocate for political rights over social and cultural rights. It has significantly empowered the citizens of various states to understand their rights. This form of education has enabled the citizens to acknowledge the violation of their rights. In Libya, the human rights activists openly protested against oppressive actions of the government. This attributed to the resignation of the ruling president and beginning of a new era. Challenges Amnesty International was established in 1961 to fight for human rights in every country. Since establishment in 1961, Amnesty members have experienced various challenges especially from the ruling political government. Various tactics have been used to repress the efforts of the human rights defenders by the government. In 1970, majority of the members were unjustly imprisoned. In the prisons, they were mistreated and only released after renouncing their beliefs (“Amnesty International”). Currently human rights activists are at risk of abduction and detainment. Majority of them are tortures and mistreated while in captivity in an attempt to force them to confess to a criminal activity or renounce their accusations on human right violations. In other countries, these activists have been charged falsely of various criminal activities. Amnesty international has also been faced with cases where some innocent actions, for example, peaceful public demonstrations, have been characterized as criminal offenses or acts of defamation. Amnesty International activists have reported daily harassments in the form of phone tapping, surveillance and restriction to travel. Other extreme harassment includes raids at places of work and home, confiscation of equipment and assets as well as blocking of communication channels. These have been employed as an attempt to silence the activists as well as cover the tracks of the government. Some members also report that their families and friends are also harassed so as to silence them (Storry 22). Over the years, the government has used the media to carry out smear campaigns against these organizations. In other countries, the government may apply bureaucratic barriers so as to hamper the work of the institution. These include efforts by the government to deny the organization legal registrations, impede the fact finding visits and also barricade their meetings. Recently many African nations are reluctant to cooperate with global human right institutions. In 2007, Amnesty International reported that many African states continued to violate their citizen’s rights in terms of social and economic rights. Majority of the states experiencing internal conflicts have been characterized with unlawful torture and killing, human displacement and rape. Despite the reported economic growths in these states, majority of the citizens live in poverty. This is mainly because the ruling governments are characterized by corruption, under-investments and under developments. An example in South Africa is poverty and women discrimination. This has been attributed to the high numbers of HIV/AIDS cases due to lack of health services (“Amnesty International”). Currently Amnesty International has reported a raise in violation of human rights due to the political internal conflicts (Storry 23). The war in Somali, Mali and Iraq, has contributed to unlawful killing, displacements and women discrimination. In these circumstances, the police and military personnel are rarely held accountable for the violation of human rights. The military has been accused of torture, unlawful detention and arrest as well as mass killings of innocent civilians. Amnesty International has reported that some states are unwilling to implement their policies. In 2009, the Fifth Summit of Americas was held in exception of Cuba. This was despite the efforts made by Amnesty International to urge the US government to lift the trade and economic trade embargo against Cuba. These trade restrictions have impeded on the Cuban government’s effort to access medical supplies, construction materials and other necessities from the US. Although Amnesty International has tried to intervene, as it is a violation to human rights, the US is reluctant on lifting this ban (“Amnesty International”). Conclusion Amnesty International is a global movement that aims to terminate human rights violations. It carries out research and executes actions so as to attain its purpose. The organization is led by an International Council, and most of the members are volunteers. The Organization depends mostly on donations as a source of funds. Over the past decade, Amnesty International has achieved its goals by aggressively fighting for human rights. Although was founded in London, the organization is now recognized globally. Its success has been attributed to the fact that they work independent of any government or economic interest. However, they are facing various challenges in implementing their policies. Works Cited Amnesty International. Financial Resources, 2012. Web. 22nd March, 2012. Amnesty International. Challenges, 2012. Web. 22nd March, 2012. Storry Mike. Amnesty International. London: Routledge, 2002. Print Read More