By shutting their borders, European leaders have trapped thousands in a humanitarian crisis in Greece – and they could easily fix it. Among the olive groves on some of Greece’s beautiful islands there are barbed wire fences. At least 6,000 asylum-seekers have been locked up here since a new EU plan kicked in on 20 …
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“330 deaths later: our justice system terrifies me”
In the 25 years since the Royal Commission Into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC), more than 330 Indigenous people have died in custody. It’s proof that our justice system doesn’t care about me, my children and the hundreds of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, writes Kelly Briggs. A man died alone in …
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Four Indigenous heroes to look out for in 2016
Loved Beyonce’s political stance at the Super Bowl? Laughed out loud at Nakkiah Lui’s Black Comedy? It’s exciting to see the push for black and Indigenous rights creeping into the mainstream. Here’s a few other home-grown young Indigenous heroes who are totally nailing it for progress — ‘like’ them before everyone else does. Rachael Hocking …
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Good news: Myanmar activist Phyoe Phyoe Aung released
Phyoe Phyoe Aung, a student activist from Myanmar jailed for helping to organise a student protest, has been released. Her freedom is a huge victory for human rights and human rights defenders. What happened? Phyoe Phyoe Aung is a young activist and Secretary General of one of Myanmar’s largest student unions. On 10 March 2015, …
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Arrested, detained and tortured: the reality of Syrian oppression
In the lead up to the five-year anniversary of the start of the violent conflict in Syria, we spoke to Syrian human rights activist Bassam al-Ahmad about his experiences. Arrested I had been in my new job for fewer than six weeks when they came in and arrested everyone in the office and took us …
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Indigenous students reveal their aspirations
In March, Indigenous school students from across the country came together to inspire the next generation of Indigenous mathematicians, scientists and engineers – through a video game. We asked them to share their inspirations for the future. Game On The Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME), the educational program that supports Indigenous students through high school …
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Australia takes first step to address world refugee crisis
The Australian Government has stepped up to save the lives of 12,000 more people escaping the conflict in Syria. Worst refugee crisis since WWII This is just the first step needed, as world leaders, including Australia, look to address the worst refugee crisis since WWII. “Thousands more people will now have the chance to live …
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Write for Rights: 3.7 million thank yous
Every year, Amnesty supporters across the globe write millions of letters on behalf of people whose basic human rights are being attacked. During late 2015 and early 2016, our supporters around the world wrote an astonishing 3.7 million letters, messages, emails and tweets as part of our global letter-writing marathon, Write for Rights. Success In …
Bali Process: A small step for human rights
Amnesty International welcomes Australia’s commitment to a joint regional approach to creating safe and legal pathways for people seeking asylum. However, Australia must do more to support the region through a more targeted approach to resettlement. Safety of refugees must be a priority Amnesty International had called on all 45 countries taking part in the high …
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Bearing witness: My life in crisis response
Amnesty International’s Crisis Response Director Tirana Hassan has spent the last ten years living and working in conflict zones. Here she describes the events that have shaped her life. Witnessing horrific events I have spent most of the last decade living and working in conflict zones and witnessing horrific events that can fundamentally change a …
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