Minutes of Group Meeting October 13th 2014

In attendance:

Carolyn, Carmel, Claudia, Helen, Kirsty, Leo, Liz M, Paddy, Paul (Chair) (all Belfast Group);

Clare, Dean, Jack, Jessica, Katie, Lina, Mathilde, Meriem, Niall,Sarah D, Sarah L, Sarah R, Sorcha, Tommy (all Queen’s University Student Group);  

Jim, Kathryn, Mary, Pat, Philip, Sheila (all North Down Group);

Gamaliel + 3 others;

Speakers: Grainne Teggart (AINI) and Dr David Streatham (BMA)

Apologies: Beatrice, Heiko, Liz B, Pearse

AGENDA

1. Welcome:

The Chair welcomed the participants to the joint meeting bringing together different Amnesty groups in Northern Ireland. Following the two talks and the lively question and answer/discussion sessions, he thanked all the participants and speakers for their contributions, and those individuals particularly involved in organising the event – i.e. Beatrice, Helen, Philip and Sorcha.

It was suggested that the format of the meeting could serve as a ‘model’ or precedent for bringing various groupings of Amnesty activists together in Northern Ireland, based around common interests, events and themes.

2. Speakers:

The meeting consisted of two keynote speeches and the discussion around them.

Dr Julian Sheather, Ethics Manager, Medical Ethics Department, British Medical Association (BMA) spoke about‘Torture, Medicine and the State’, and Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International’s Campaigner in Northern Ireland, presented details of Amnesty’s ‘My Body My Rights’ campaign in Northern Ireland – the focus and campaign programme.

3. Minutes:

By way of minutes, the speakers’ slides are included below for download.