HAVE YOUR SAYQuestions and answers
- What are urgent actions?
- Should I use email, fax or post?
- The email address/fax number is not working. What shall I do?
- What should I write?
- What should I do if I receive a reply?
- Do the actions have a time limit?
- How can I find out whether there have been any developments in a case?
- Who can I contact with questions or feedback?
- Print Q+A
What are urgent actions?
The urgent action technique has been developed by Amnesty to address emergency human rights abuses requiring immediate action and intervention.
When our researchers at Amnesty's headquarters, the International Secretariat in London, hear about an individual case they quickly verify the information then compile an urgent action case sheet detailing background information, how to take action, what to include in appeal letters and who to target. This casesheet is then sent to our national offices (such as Amnesty International UK) for immediate distribution to members of the urgent action network.
The global urgent action network is made up of thousands of Amnesty supporters from around the world who are ready to take rapid action to protect people whose lives or physical safety are in grave and immediate danger. Letters sent by members of the network arrive within minutes, hours and days of the violation taking place, enabling us to tackle human rights abuses as soon as they occur.
Youth urgent actions are urgent appeal cases written especially for young people. They are sent to Amnesty youth groups and individual young people based in the UK, on a monthly basis. As a youth urgent action campaigner you are joining our worldwide team of letter-writers committed to protecting individuals at risk and putting an end to human rights violations wherever they occur.
Should I email, fax or post?
However you prefer - all kinds of letters can be effective. We believe that in general, the more diverse a letter-writing campaign is the better its chances for getting the attention and respect of the government official. Keep in mind that we are bombarding the officials from all avenues of communication that are open to us - there's no safe haven for them to hide from our appeals.
Whenever possible we try to include the email, postal addresses and fax numbers of targets in our youth urgent actions. However, please bear in mind that that many of our targets either do not have email addresses or do not make their email addresses known to the public, and in these cases we will be unable to provide this information.
Remember - should you encounter any problems in sending your letter by fax or
email, simply send it by airmail.
The email address/fax number is not working. What shall I do?
Don't be disheartened if your faxes or emails are not getting through. Sometimes
officials turn off their fax machines or close down their email accounts once
our appeals start to arrive. We recommend trying a few times, then if your message
is still not being delivered send it by airmail instead.
What should I write?
Your letters, faxes or emails don't have to be long or detailed, and we always provide you with clear advice on points to include. For more detailed advice and inspiration refer to our letter-writing guide.
What should I do if I receive a reply?
Please send any replies you receive to the Education and Student team. We value these responses as they help us to decide whether any further action
is needed.
Do the actions have a time limit?
Most youth urgent actions have a deadline of 4 weeks. Where the deadline for
action is very imminent, we will make sure to mark it clearly on the case sheet.
Cases can change very quickly, so it is important that you do not continue to
write after the deadline. If you are unsure whether a case is still open, please
contact us before writing.
How can I find out whether there have been any developments in a case?
We closely the monitor the cases we are working on and will keep you updated when we receive more information. You can also search current actions to get the latest news on the cases you have taken action on.
