Updates from the group.
We are absolutely delighted to announce the final collection of events, including an evening of classic music to mark the closing of this mammoth 50th-anniversary celebration.
Additional events and dates are:
May 13th – A meeting of Norwich Amnesty and New Routes Refugee Charity – 10.45am – 12.45pm at the Amnesty Bookshop. Come along and learn about each organisation and meet members of the groups.
May 17th – Open Meeting. 7.30pm at the Amnesty Bookshop.
May 24th – An online talk on the Palestine / Israel conflict with the AIUK Country Coordinator Garry Ettle. 6pm – 7.30pm. More details TBC.
June 10th – Unveiling of the Pride Banner. 11am – 2pm at the Amnesty Bookshop.
June 21st – Open Meeting. 7.30pm at the Amnesty Bookshop.
February 13th: Sew with Pride
Another fantastic Sew with Pride event saw the project nearly reach its completion, and we are sure you’ll agree that it looks fantastic!
There is still an opportunity to help contribute to the project by joining us at our final Sew with Pride event on the 27th May 11am – 2pm.
February 13th: Peace Vigil
It was wonderful to see so many people turn out for the weekly Peace Vigil, including members of our group who were gathering signatures for a letter to the Ambassador in London regarding the case of Alaa Abdelfattah.
January 16th: Sew with Pride
It was fantastic to see so many people attend the latest Sew with Pride event and to contribute to such a meaningful project.
We can’t wait for the next one on February 12th – we hope to see you there!
December 22nd: Events for 2023 – January – March
December 5th: Volunteer Day!!
To celebrate Volunteer Day we wanted to take a moment to share a little about our wonderful group members!
Meet David B – The Chair
David B joined Amnesty, and the Norwich group, back in 1978 due to the encouragement of his friend and colleague, David F (now our Treasurer).
Being an active activist throughout his time David B has been involved with many campaigns during his involvement with Amnesty and states that the best part of volunteering all these years has been helping individuals to gain freedom.
When asked why others should get involved with volunteering, David B said, “It is effective, focused, and enjoyable. Working with other people to improve some aspect of our world is a cooperative and fulfilling activity”.
Meet David F – The Treasurer
Similarly to David B, David F has been part of the group for over 40 years – joining Amnesty and the Norwich Group back in 1977.
In the late 60s and early 70s two international events, the military coups in Greece and Chile, left David F feeling like he needed to do something to fight for people’s freedom in any way he could. After joining Amnesty he went on to support campaigns on a wide number of cases, taking great pride in the efforts the group takes to improve an individual’s circumstances and protect hard-fought human rights.
“Being part of an international movement keeps me inspired to keep up my involvement in this important work. While being part of a local group means we become friends in a common cause, creating a friendly bond, and encouraging each other to never give up.”
Meet Evie – The Secretary
Evie joined the group back in November 2021 after researching a wide range of causes and organisations that aligned with her values.
After meeting the members of the group at an open meeting she felt inspired to not only join but take the role of Secretary, helping to support the running of the group and recruitment of members.
“I definitely have the least experience of anyone in this group when it comes to fighting for these freedoms, but that’s what made me want to join. The people involved in this group inspired me so much with their stories of action over 20, 30, and even 40-plus years! A lot of local groups are closing but I want to do what I can to not only keep this group going but also grow it for the future.”
Meet Joanna
Joanna joined Amnesty in 1977 before becoming part of the Norwich group a year later in 1978.
She first became interested in human rights following reports of Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972 and the torture and disappearances in Chile under Pinochet in 1973. Amnesty was therefore the perfect fit as it allowed her to fight for what she believed in in a practical way.
“I’ve gotten to know a lovely group of like-minded fun people and to do something practical, whether that’s letter writing or raising money.”
Meet David Y
David Y started his involvement with Amnesty by writing letters for Urgent Action appeals 40 years ago, before joining the Norwich group ten years later when he moved to the city.
Inspired by a Norwich Amnesty Group speaker who gave a talk at a Church Youth Group, David Y realised the difference he could make being part of Amnesty, and has taken great pride in the wide range of activities he has participated in over the years (including being dressed up as a giant military dictator and being chased around by a giant Postman Pat brandishing an Amnesty appeal letter!).
“It’s just so good to know that you are doing something positive to help other people. It’s so important just to reach out to groups that share your views and concerns and get involved in any way, even if you aren’t able to commit much time.”
Meet Jono
Describing himself as a “tree hugger” Jono has been involved with activism for many years before joining the Amnesty group after seeing a poster in the University library.
Educating himself on the atrocities of human rights abuses in other countries, Jono has also had personal friendships with those who have suffered torture and abuse at the hands of regimes and feels extremely passionate about protecting human rights.
“If I have a right, I also have a duty to make sure that others have the same right.”
Meet Dom
Dom first became involved with Amnesty through the UEA student group, for which he was Vice President, before leaving university and joining the Norwich group.
Passionate about human rights, Dom has been involved with fundraising, pride banner making, and supporting the UEA group.
“Whenever I attend the Norwich group events I am always struck by the diversity and dedication of the members.”
Feeling inspired?
Then why not come along to one of our monthly open meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm in the Amnesty Bookshop on St Benedicts.
We hope to see you there!
5th December: Write for Rights on the 10th of December
5th October: EDP Article
The link below is where you can read the article that was published in the EDP last week, covering the 50th anniversary celebrations and the amazing work the group has undertaken over the last 5 decades.
4th October: Amazing fundraising efforts in the last two weeks
Wow oh wow, it is so wonderful to report back on the amazing fundraising events that have taken place over the last couple of weeks.
Firstly, Sprowston Academy held a Bake Off and cake auction that raised an outstanding £200 for Amnesty.
We cannot thank them enough for their efforts and I think we can all agree, the cakes look delicious!
On the 1st of October some of our group took the streets of Norwich for our annual street collection, raising an incredible £176.81!
Thank you so much to everyone that donated, and to our wonderful volunteers (like Angela here – photo by Anthony Harris) for all your time and effort.
And last, but by no means least, on the 2nd of October Matt from our group undertook the challenge of running a marathon to raise money for Amnesty and has so far raised a whopping £380!!
An absolutely incredible achievement and a massive thank you to Matt and everyone that donated to the cause.
21st September: Another event success!
World in the Garden Festival!
What a fantastic occasion this was!
So many NGOs coming together to share their knowledge and inspire others to take part in positive action.
Our group did a brilliant speech and it was so wonderful to meet so many new people and talk about the fantastic work that we do.
5th September: Event success
It was absolutely amazing to see so many people turn out for the Sew With Pride event on Saturday 
This is such a wonderful project and to have so many support the process on its first day was just beautiful.
Thank you to everyone that came, Jane, Stevie and Leigh
for organising and David for allowing us to take over the Amnesty Bookshop 
Super excited for the future dates for this, keep an 
and be sure to join!!
22nd August: Event Announcements
We are super excited to announce we are part of some wonderful events in the next coming weeks.
9th August: Event 5: Writeathon
Our popular Writeathon was back and it was a great success!!
Lovely to see so many people in attendance throughout the day and to see so many letters written to fight for individuals all over the globe.
1st August: Event 4: Norwich Pride
It was absolutely fantastic to see so many people out supporting Norwich Pride at the weekend. There was an amazing atmosphere and we were delighted to have so many people drop by the stall and support our all-important campaigns!
6th July: Event 2: Palestine and Israel Discussion
With the conflict between Palestine and Israel being a key campaign for Amnesty the original plan for Event 2 was to provide a viewing of this video that Amnesty has released, and then have a speaker lead a discussion on the matter.
Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances, this was not able to go ahead but we have decided to provide a link to the video for members and followers to view, and if they wish to take part in a discussion they are more than free to do so by emailing the group at group.secretary@norwichamnesty.org.uk and sharing their views.
In addition, the video will be shown at the next Open Meeting on the 20th of July, at 7.30pm at the Amnesty Bookshop.
6th July: Event 1: 50th Anniversary Celebration Launch
On the 2nd of July we kicked off our 50th anniversary celebrations!
At the beautiful St Peter Mancroft church in Norwich, we were joined by the Vicar, the Lord Mayor, and the Vice Chair of Amnesty UK to light the Amnesty Candle.
Members also held a stall outside the church and spoke to passers-by about the important work that the group undertakes, and our future events.
1st July: BBC Radio Norfolk appearance
Listen to one of our volunteers speak about the group and the exciting 50th anniversary celebrations ahead! The interview starts at 24.12!
28th June: 50th Anniversary Plans Announced
7th June: Norwich Feminist Network Report
This report for the Norwich Feminist Network focuses on some of the cases, issues, and reports highlighted by AI, focusing on human rights abuses affecting women.
Globally, in many ways and in different countries we’ve seen a reversal of human rights advances when it comes to women. Sometimes this has been linked to the prevalence of more populist and conservative values, as seen in Poland, Belarus and Turkey, but in many cases women are universally targeted when they make claims for equality, demand greater control over their lives or challenge their roles in society.
In the UK, an AI report highlighted the persistence of hate speech, especially violent and abusive language against women and non-binary people on social media.
In Turkey, President Erdogan’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention was a backwards step which rejected minimum agreed standards for the protection of women and girls.
In South Korea, a court ruling reversed a previous decision, to require Japanese acceptance of legal responsibility for sexual enslavement before and during World War 2.
In Afghanistan, the return of the Taliban to power has wiped out years of human rights advances and targeted women and girls in a manner that is dire for their daily lives and prospects of education and equality.
In Belarus, during the post-election protests, women were particularly targeted and harassed.
In Azerbaijan, a smear campaign was used to silence activists campaigning for women’s rights. Targeted harassment included shaming and attempted blackmail via social media and the press, branding the activists “bad wives and mothers”.
In Yemen, Intisar Al-Hammadi, an actress and model, was detained and charged with drug and prostitutions charges. She was subjected to abuse, forced to confess, suffered a virginity test, and was sentenced to 5 years in prison for challenging the social norms of Yemen.
In Iran, Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights lawyer, faces 38 years in prison and 148 lashes for her work defending women’s human rights.
Also in Iran, 3 women, Monireh Arabshahi, Yasaman Ariani, and Mozhgan Keshavarz, are charged with inciting prostitution for not wearing headscarves. They face 30 years between them.
In Russia, an activist named Yulia Tsvetcova, has been charged with pornography for sharing her cartoonist artwork displaying the female body.
In Saudia Arabia, Loujain Al-Hathloul and 12 other women, have been detained and charged with “conspiring against the kingdom” for promoting women’s rights and campaigning for an end to the male guardianship system.
Campaigns that Norwich group have taken part in include:
- Janna Jihad. Protection was demanded for teenage journalist Janna Jihad who was intimidated and harassed for documenting the Israeli army’s oppressive treatment of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.
- Wendy Galarza Justice was called for after Wendy Galarza was shot, having attending a protest in Mexico against sexism, violence and murder.
- Zhang Zan. The release of Chinese former lawyer Zhang Zan was called for after she was held in Shanghai Prison for reporting on the situation in Wuhan. She was pressured to accept a diagnosis of mental illness, for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. She has been shackled, tortured and is on hunger strike in jail.
- RUNG. Protection was demanded in Thailand for RUNG who were detained for calling for equality, freedom and systematic change. They were charged with provoking unrest and criticising the monarchy.
- Cihan Ali. The release of US dual citizen Cihan Ali from detention in Eritrea was called for after they were detained for trying to leave the country. They were moved to a place of secret detention and have been missing for 8 years.
Other important reports and campaigns include:
- Campaign v femicide in Mexico. 1 in 10 women were murdered every day in 2021 with violence preceded by disappearances, continuing at a terrifying pace. These cases have been met with police ineptitude and disinterest.
- Campaign v forced early marriage in North Africa. In Burkino Faso 50% of girls were married before they were 18 years old, and 10% before they were 15. A strategy has been drawn up to address this, but it has yet to be implemented.
- Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Rights. This is one of Amnesty’s major issues, with abortion in particular, being a continual focus of conflict.
In Northern Ireland, campaigning by AI and others led to a direct commissioning of abortion services by Westminster, after Stormont failings led to a post-code lottery of access.
Despite some limited progress, with the legalisation of abortion occurring in Argentina and the decriminalisation of the act in Mexico and Columbia, anti-abortion forces are gaining strength. There is currently a near total ban in Poland, and a lack of protection for victims of violence, with no recognition that sex without consent equals rape. In the UK too, the call for the creation of more buffer zones around abortion clinics is a worrying development.
In the USA, abortion is a controversial political issue with restrictions in Texas and leaked information that the Supreme Court is preparing to strike down the historic Roe V Wade ruling. If confirmed, the new ruling will overturn 40 years of essential protection and be a major blow to gender equality.
In the face of so much that is negative I have left until last a piece of good news and a positive result of AI’s campaigning – the release of Nazanin Zaghari Radcliffe.
As this was a case that the Norwich group had been involved with for quite some time, news of Nazanin’s release came as a great relief. Coinciding as it did with our monthly group meeting, it gave us a chance to celebrate together, this momentous and joyful occasion.
2nd May: Melissa Lucio Update
We are delighted to report that Melissas execution date of the 27th April was postponed and that, although she remains on death row, her case is due to be reviewed.
6th April: Ukrainian Refugee Vigil
A chance to share some uplifting news!
Despite the rain, our Amnesty members joined forces to attend a Vigil for Ukrainian refugees.
During the Vigil, members were approached by several families who had just arrived from Ukraine and were settling in to Norfolk life.
“They wanted to thank us, and all the British people for their support. We were so moved by their positivity in the face of having to leave the country they love. The children were a delight, and despite all the tragedy were just so excited about starting school again!”
March 29th: Marathon Fundraiser
Long-running (no pun intended) Norwich Amnesty member and supporter Matthew is undertaking the incredible task of running the Virtual London Marathon on the 2nd of October to raise funds for Amnesty.
We know times are tough for many right now, but if you can please donate to this fantastic cause.
Thank you – and well done Matthew!
March 29th: Launch of the new Rainbow Network
Amnesty’s Rainbow Network campaigns to challenge human rights abuses against people due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Norwich Amnesty Group is setting up a Rainbow Network sub-group to focus on these issues.
If you want to speak out against hate, come to our first meeting at the Amnesty Bookshop on St Benedict’s Street in Norwich on Wednesday 27th April at 7:30pm.
If you would like more information about the sub-group, or would like to attend the meeting, please contact us by emailing group.secretary@norwichamnesty.org.uk.
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