Every year around December 10, Amnesty supporters send letters on behalf of people they’ve never met. Our messages help convince government officials to release people imprisoned for expressing their opinion, stop the use of torture, and end other human rights abuses. Letter writing has always been at the heart of Amnesty International’s work, and 59 years of activism shows us thatwords have power.
Each year, Amnesty searches for people and communities around the world who face injustice or violations of fundamental human rights and selects individual cases that your actions during Write for Rights may directly impact.
Millions of people around the world take part in Write for Rights each year, creating international pressure that the relevant authorities cannot simply ignore. 4 million letters were written worldwide last year!
The handwritten letter has tremendous power in the digital age. It is a tool that contributes to creating international pressure on politicians and officials in the countries concerned. By flooding the offices of the powerful, we have been able to campaign for the release or improvement of conditions for more than a third of those we have campaigned for during Write for Rights over the years. You can read about the successes of Write for Rights here.
Get involved by taking action for the cases online, writing and sending letters, attending a letter-writing event or organising your own letter event, where you can invite others. Write a letter, change a life!
SUCCESSES OF WRITE FOR RIGHTS
Write for Rights will kick off again this year towards the end of 2022 - check back here for updates later in the year!
In the meantime, head to www.amnesty.org.nz to see what we've been up to, take action and get involved in some exciting human rights work