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2013 (47)
Jul 23 2013 3:18PM
The writing’s on the wall for rape and sexual assault

Katie Cunningham is our media volunteer in the Scotland office. When I started university in Edinburgh one of the first things drummed into my head – before my classes had even started – was that I was in danger. Warning signs in...

Jul 5 2013 11:23AM
Music with meaning – A Symphony of Support for Afghan women

Guest blog by Stephen Sacco A full orchestra comprised of Edinburgh’s classical musicians filled Reid Concert Hall in Bistro Square with the sounds of Tchaikovsky, Walton and Wagner on a recent Sunday evening. The concert was a tribute...

Jul 2 2013 4:32PM
Adventures in the corridors of power - my evening at the Arms Trade Treaty celebration

GUEST POST by Amnesty Scotland's new media volunteer Katie Cunningham I have recently joined Amnesty in Edinburgh as a media volunteer. One of my first “official duties” was to attend an event at the Scottish Parliament to thank MSPs...

Jun 26 2013 4:33PM
Seeking a safe harbour – Refugee Week Stories

The cavernous wooden ceilings of Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket concert hall remind me of the hull of an upturned ship. It was a fitting reminder at the Refugee Week Opening Concert that, through countless serendipitous chances, many...

Jun 20 2013 2:55PM
What a tangled web we weave – Freedom of expression on the Internet

Rea Cris is the Parliamentary Office Administrator at Scottish Environmental LINK and Communication Co-ordinator at the International Union for Conservation of Nature. You can find her on the Me Eco You Eco corner of the blogosphere or...

Jun 17 2013 9:43AM
The Business of Human Rights

Amnesty Scotland is closely involved with the Human Rights Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament. The last meeting gave us some insight into how businesses handle human rights issues and the impact UK-registered companies have...

Jun 7 2013 9:38PM
Music is the Message

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights contains truths which transcend borders, nationalities, and the words we use to communicate. The issue of human rights moves people to act, to wake up, and connect with others. “Much like music...

May 31 2013 4:27PM
The Referendum Question

The conferences have started. From Holyrood to Glasgow City Chambers academics, lawyers and politicians are beginning to work through the implications of the referendum on whether or not Scotland should be an independent country. I've...

May 28 2013 10:00PM
Guatemala – Days of the Dead

Forensic anthropologist Lourdes Penados has spent the past 15 years exhuming mass graves in her homeland of Guatemala. Her work is part of a social initiative supported by NGOs, lawyers, academics and victims’ communities to collect...

May 18 2013 12:31PM
The power of our choices – Human rights take centre stage for protest song winner

Last month, Edinburgh School of Music student Isla Ratcliff scored the top prize for Lyrics in Amnesty International UK’s Power of Our Voices protest song competition. Amid a hectic exam schedule, Isla gave us a quick rundown of what...

May 16 2013 2:32PM
Human Rights – A weapon of mass instruction?

Guest post by Pauline Kelly, Media and Campaigns Officer at Amnesty International Scotland. Since joining Amnesty a few months ago, I have realised there are situations where the mention of human rights can feel like a thought grenade...

Apr 25 2013 10:24AM
The Human Library reminds us not to judge a book by its cover

I’ve always been bookish, but last Saturday, I became one: I was a human book at Aye Write!, The Mitchell Library’s amazing book festival. I joined the Human Library for the day. It works like this: readers go up to the lending desk...

Apr 19 2013 4:00PM
Speaking out – learning the language of Human Rights

I was at a meeting this week with the SHRC to discuss SNAP. The next day I was at the CPG on HR discussing Climate Justice and yesterday I talked about SGT with SG at VQ. Yes, I've arrived, I now speak human rights! What that means is...

Apr 18 2013 8:16PM
Bike for Rights – Ganesh’s big adventure

Ganesh Pandey is something of a cycling superhero. In his native Nepal, he and his family faced terrible poverty wrapping chocolates for a mere 20-30 rupees (20-30 pence) a day. Recalling such adversity, Ganesh pays tribute to his...

Apr 16 2013 10:54AM
Human Rights – right in your backyard

It seems that this month I can't open a newspaper, watch TV or overhear a conversation on my commute without there being a reference to Human Rights. I did wonder if this is just a heightened sensitivity as I approach the conclusion of...

Apr 8 2013 2:47PM
Mythbusters – Gypsy Traveller Edition

Today is International Roma Day. Last week’s briefing from Amnesty Human Rights Here, Roma Rights Now highlighted horrendous human rights violations ranging from discrimination and hate crimes, to segregation and forced evictions. The...

Apr 2 2013 12:37PM
Tales of the City: Asylum Seekers Speak

An exhibition at the Tramway , Glasgow this week brings into sharp focus the realities of refugees and asylum seekers living in the city. In Human Rights + Wrongs , photographer Angela Catlin and journalist Billy Briggs worked with...

Mar 29 2013 11:47AM
We only want to be equal – Scottish Gypsy Travellers speak

Guest post by Amnesty Scotland campaigns volunteer Catriona Clunas, who has been heading up our Scottish Gypsy Traveller campaign this year. On the 26 March 2013, the Equal Opportunities Committee (EOC) of the Scottish Parliament...

Mar 28 2013 4:47PM
Travelling Tales- giving a voice to Scottish Traveller youth

Youth charity Article 12’s “What a Voice” exhibition, showcases 12 different aspects of Scottish Gypsy Traveller life including Nomadic existence, Heritage, Family, and Health in an effort to help us – the settled community –...

Mar 21 2013 8:56PM
Behind the scenes at the CEDAW

On Monday women’s rights advocates from across Scotland came to Edinburgh to learn how the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) can help women living here access their...

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