Next Meeting, 21 December 2021, 6.45pm: Write for Rights (Virtual Meeting)

Our next meeting will take place on Tuesday 21 December 2021 at 6.45 pm via Jitsi (virtual meeting).

On 10 December is Human Rights Day. Every December Amnesty International asks its supporters to join a global letter writing campaign "Write for Rights". We are encouraged to write messages of support to people around the world who have suffered injustice or are in prison for standing up for human rights. If you speak with people who were in prison, then all confirm how important it was for them to get letters and messages of support and to realise that they are not alone in their struggle for human rights. 

Amnesty International UK focuses this year on 10 cases of human rights defenders who need our support. You can find more information information in this year's booklet. Amnesty International Westminster Bayswater will join the Write for Rights campaign and will have a letter and card writing event on 21 December, 6.45 pm. 

We had really hoped that we would be able to have in person event and share cards and Christmas treats. However, we decided that the current Covid 19 situation does not really allow it.

Therefore we will have a virtual event. As last year, we would like you to pick one of the cases and introduce this case on the evening to the group. It would be helpful, if you tell us beforehand which case you want to pick, then we can coordinate and make sure that we are not all choosing the same case. In addition we would like you to pick one or two pieces of music you specifically like. This can be Christmas music, but other music is also ok. We thought, if we cannot share food, then we can share at least music. If you like a specific Christmas carol and you do not have a favourite recording, you can just tell us the title and we are sure we will find a recording. There will be, as usual for the December meeting, no agenda, but we basically will ask one of you to start introducing their prisoner and then we will play one (or two) pieces of music and can use this time to write a card to this prisoner (or to another one, if you prefer). Then the next person can introduce the prisoner they have chosen and we will again play music to give us time to write a card. We hope you like this idea. We obviously also encourage you to have your mince pies and other Christmas treats ready, but you will sadly have to provide your own food and drink without the possibility to share it.

Everyone is welcome to join us. Please get in contact with our Group Secretary if you want to join the meeting. . 

We hope that many of you will be able to join us and support prisoners of conscience and human rights defenders with your messages of solidarity.