For my personal project, I decided to act through Amnesty International. Amnesty International, since its founding in 1961, has transformed into a worldwide organization which works for the protection of human rights. The movement fights specifically for prisoners who have not used force or violence in their crimes, and in this way, this organization is the perfect connection between the real world and our class, because it shows that there are organizations in the world that are supporting the application of nonviolence.
In my opinion, this connects to Horgan’s and Nagler’s books, because one of the reasons that the world has trouble ‘disarming’ itself is the fear that other groups will still have weapons and the other groups will use their weapons against the civilizations that disarm themselves first. Thus, one can conclude that it is very difficult to change a culture which has plagued most of the world, and been normalized by society. Amnesty International shows support for the people that disarm themselves, and in this way, it takes a step closer to a nonviolent world.
Through Amnesty International, a number of social actions are possible. For example, I was able to read learn about and sign a petition in support of Azza Soliman, a woman of Egypt who speaks out for survivors of abuse. I ultimately decided to donate to this cause and sign the petition because her action is very similar to that of Tarana Burke with her #MeToo movement.
For my project, I will communicate to others about the significance of Amnesty International and their cause, and then I will attempt to form a net donation for the organization.
I really admire your advocacy for those who are persecuted as a result of committing non-violent offenses, whether that be on a global or domestic scale, it shows through that you believe in the power of nonviolent resistance and free will.
The universal protection of Human Rights is something that I feel is a necessary prerequisite to reaching Horgan’s prospective goal of global nonviolence. This can only be achieved through furthering each other’s understanding that we all can and should coexist together and through bringing together people of different walks of life with their respective personal experiences. What are some ways that you could advocate this issue on a larger scale here at Lafayette to help achieve this goal? A day to spread awareness for political prisoners, something to promote progressive prison reform here in the United States…