With the killings at Brown in the USA and the Bondi mass shooting, and then today the news of the expected guilty verdict for Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong (collusion with foreign forces and sedition charges), it would be easily to conclude that it's a horrendous world we live in. 

And yet.... two individuals to whom we wrote cards last year have been released in 2025 -  Ana da Silva Miguel, also known as Neth Nahara, and human rights defender Rita Karasartova (details in this link - https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/write-rights-2025-global-letter-writing-campaign-launches-stand-people-fighting). So the work we do does make a difference.

This year we successfully signed cards at our December meeting (thanks to Monica for organising the letters and which was well attended by our core group which is great!), Allison organised two sessions with the church group signing 23 cards and raising over £100 (sincere thanks), Lynda is organising her event (thank you!), Keith organised signings at his Quaker group along with an International Carol Concert as well (thank you!) plus our annual stall on Commercial Way in Woking went down very well - we had some enthusiastic interest in our group despite not getting that many signatures. So all in all, a really great month for raising awareness and getting a very solid number of W4R cards signed.  

In addition, Indy organised a petition for people to sign in support of the Woking MP raising the Jimmy Lai case for discussion in Parliament which again really caught people's attention.   I have posted our letters to Jimmy Lai to the HK Programme in London to forward onto their contact in Hong Kong. 

So until we meet again at our usual location, Monday, 5 January 2026 at 7:30pm, Curtis room, Trinity Methodist Church, Woking, thank you for all you are and all you do.  Here's wishing you all a lovely, relaxing break over the festive period and here's to more campaigning into 2026.  Goodness knows we do need it.