Halton Hills' Amnesty International group has made the regretful decision to fold. With members getting older and travelling a lot, it was becoming harder and harder to meet or to attract new members.
Since it was founded in 1991, the group has fought for basic human rights on behalf of people in countries around the world. Initially it focused on prisoners of conscience in Cuba, people jailed simply because they spoke up against the Communist government there. Writing appeal letters month after month on behalf of those prisoners, they helped secure the release of at least four of them.
They also took action over the years to help women of Afghanistan, children maimed by land mines in Sierra Leone, activists in Zimbabwe, aboriginal women in Canada, child soldiers in Congo, Chinese dissidents, and Burma's elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi who has been kept under house arrest for years by a brutal military regime. Each month, they pressured political leaders through the simple act of writing letters; deluged by similar letters from Amnesty members around the world, those governments sometimes relented. Group members Madeleine and Bill Gassner estimate they have filed copies of close to 5000 letters written by the group over the years.
To build community awareness of human rights issues, local Amnesty members have hosted booths at the Farmers' Market, marched in the Glen Williams Canada Day parade, organized "Write for Rights" events each December at the Shepherd's Crook, and raised more than $10,000 at 19 Coffee Houses with music performed by local entertainers.
"Groups like ours have a natural life cycle" says Cheryl Broughton, who got the group started with help from Linn Kingston eighteen years ago. "In the first few years there is excitement and energy. You reach a peak, then go into decline as people get older and lose that early zeal." If you can't attract and keep young members, it's time to end. Increasingly, Amnesty Canada works through its web site; local members will continue to take individual action through online suggestions for simple appeals.
Group members take some heart from the fact that there may have been an Amnesty group here back in the 1970s. It's possible then that others will decide to take up the torch at some point. Local members would be glad to give advice, display materials and perhaps some seed money to anyone who is interested. Please call Janet at 877 1994.
November 2009
