Open Meeting Summary – September 2020
Norwich Amnesty and Covid-19
As you know the Open Meeting in September, the first since February, had to be cancelled due to the latest government Covid restrictions. This is a summary of the issues that would have been discussed at the meeting and an update on actions and future events which the committee hope will be helpful in keeping us all in touch. Depending upon future restriction the next open meeting may have to be on Zoom and the committee will consider this in the next few weeks.
The Norwich Committee meets every two months and comprises, the chair, treasurer and four members and normally a secretary although currently a committee member acts as the correspondent with Amnesty UK. We welcome new members who would like to take a more active role in the group
The Agenda items that were planned for the Open Meeting with information and activity by the group are noted below.
Actions and letter writing by the Group
North Africa cases
The Norwich group supports the Amnesty North Africa region by working on cases mainly in Egypt We receive the monthly Region Newsletter and actions for individual cases are distributed at the meeting with sample letters.
During the lockdown this information is posted on the Group website:
https://www.norwichamnesty.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/
Those who have signed up for the email Urgent Action requests will receive some of this information direct by email, The Chair also receives the North Africa Journal a US based web site that has useful information about the political situation in the region
We are currently working on a long term case of a Giulio Regini a murdered Italian student working in Egypt for a Cambridge University PhD and who was almost certainly killed by the security forces in 2015. We are working with The Cambridge group and supporting his family in obtaining the truth about his death. A writing group of 12 write letters each month on the case. The next public action is likely to be a vigil outside the Egyptian Embassy in London in February.
Other Individual cases in Egypt that Norwich supports includes people at risk such as Ibrahim Ezz El din a housing specialist detained and tortured and at risk of Covid and Aser Mahomed who was arrested when 14 years old and given 10 years imprisonment in 2019 following a confession extracted under torture.
Please join us on these ongoing actions by contacting us on info@norwichamnesty.org.uk
Amnesty Children’s Human Rights Network
The Aser case is also publicised by the Amnesty Children’s Human Rights Network which the Norwich Group has supported for many years and is currently more active.
We have just responded to an action on the use of lethal force against children in Angola.
Pride Event
The Norwich group has always supported the Norwich Pride event which was replaced this year by a virtual event to which we contributed a visual image using the recycled signs from a previous campaign found in the chair’s garage, (the garage also contains the timber cage that we used in the earlier campaign against torture and which we will find a use for I am sure!). A member from Cambridge who has links with Norwich intended to set up an LGBT subgroup in the city, but this has been delayed by the Covid situation
News from Amnesty UK
The AGM is going to be held without members this year but the Norwich group can vote on resolutions which include an excellent resolution about the situation in Kashmir following the actions of the Indian Government. This is supported by the group and is one of only a small number of resolutions being considered this year. Amnesty subscribing members can vote individually by post or online and we encourage them to do so.
As noted above we receive a monthly newsletter (or Ezine) from the North Africa Regional organiser and an Amnesty Groups News newsletter which has lots of ideas about fundraising and events from groups around the country.
We have been informed that Amnesty UK are having a fundraising campaign in 3 locations including Norwich. This does not directly involve local groups but for information the campaign will be in the near future and two professional firms, SMILE Fundraising and APPCO UK will be contacting people door to door asking them to Join the Amnesty Lottery.
Fundraising and Finance
The Committee receive regular accounts from the Treasurer and the committee have recently agreed to a further donation of £1750 to Amnesty UK. Over the years Norwich has been a significant donor of funds.
A concert in St Peter Mancroft just before the lockdown raised £403. We are very grateful to Martin Wyatt and his orchestra for holding the concert.
We hope to sell Amnesty Christmas cards through the Charity Card outlet and they will be on sale in the Amnesty Bookshop on the Unthank Rd.
Future Events and Activities
Write for Rights
Our regular support for the annual Amnesty campaign where we meet together and write letters and postcards to governments and Prisoners of Conscience takes place during November and December.
Details will follow.
Peace Vigil
Outside St Peter Mancroft on Saturday 3rd October 2020 12 noon to 1pm.
A monthly silent vigil to raise awareness of global issues around the subject of Peace and organised by the Norwich Quakers. Several Amnesty members have regularly supported this vigil, which can be joined without needing to book. They display the Amnesty banner publicising subjects such as the situation in Yemen.
Amnesty Quiz
The very popular Amnesty Quiz will not take place this year due to Covid-19.
Cambridge Amnesty Zoom meetings
Zoom meetings have been arranged by Cambridge Amnesty which you may wish to join.
- 8th October
Talk by Oscar Jenz, Country coordinator for the Middle East on Iran. - 12th November
Talk by Paul Bridges on AI’s Anti Death Penalty campaign.
The meetings are likely to be at 7.30 pm. If you wish to take part please contact info@norwichamnesty.org.uk
We hope that you find this summary useful.
Please contact us if you need more information or have comments
David Bissonnet
Chair Norwich Amnesty on behalf of the Committee
Contact: info@norwichamnesty.org.uk