Amnesty International was founded in 1961 by a British lawyer by the name of Peter Benenson. Peter started Amnesty when he read an article about two students that were arrested for toasting to freedom. Peter was so troubled by what he read that he called on people to protest this. From than amnesty has grown to an internationally know organization that fights for the people who have fought for there political and religious beliefs. Amnesty International now has about 1.5 million members in over 150 countries.
Amnesty International's mission "Is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights." - www.amnesty.org.
Amnesty has followed this mission statement and face several issues including the latest abductions and murders of women. Amnesty addresses governments, intergovernmental organizations, political parties to reveal human rights abuses accurately, quickly and persistently. Some strategies include mass protests and careful planning by the members at the headquarters The International Secretariat in London which holds 410 staff members, and about 120 volunteers from over 50 countries. At headquarters a 6 year plan is created as a guideline, but the members are constantly working to secure the rights of fellow human beings.
The fight for human rights is a long battle but thanks to Amnesty International people are getting justice for obstructions to their rights one campaign at a time. Judging by the rate it's growing Amnesty might be able to eliminate human rights abuses across the world, but we"ll just have to wait it out until then. .
