Thanks to people like you, last year we fought hard to defend human rights across the globe with successful law changes in 40 countries! Here are 5 ways we made an impact… 1. We demanded new laws to protect people with Albinism More than 225,000 people signed our petition calling on Malawi’s authorities to stop …
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Refugee week in pictures
Activists across Australia came together during Refugee week to reflect on, celebrate and take action for refugee and asylum seeker rights. Events took place all over the country from capital cities to regional centres and included film screenings, stunts, welcome trees and MP engagement. Here is a snapshot of what Amnesty refugee groups were involved …
‘My dad was attacked by pirates 7 times’
14-year old Sophie Nguyen from Collingwood College in Victoria is a winner in our Junior Blogging Competition. Here she reveals her father’s heroic journey to Australia by boat over 30 years ago and her wish for Australia to help refugees reach safety. Recently, the global refugee crisis has become a widely discussed issue. What I …
7 shockingly sexist laws that still exist today
In May 2017, a bill aimed at decriminalising abortion in NSW was voted down by the Legislative Council. A similar bill failed to pass in Queensland last year. This means that right now — in a country that prides itself on championing gender equality — a woman can still be prosecuted for exercising her reproductive …
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How we got to the bottom of the Manus Island shooting
A few weeks ago the Department of Immigration and Border Protection was held to account in parliament because activists demanded answers. Find out how together we made a difference. What happened? While many of us had a peaceful Good Friday, more than 1000 people trapped in Manus Island detention centre prayed for their lives as …
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When going home is a death sentence
The moment you step outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, the first thing that strikes you are the roses. They are everywhere – lining the dusty motorway into town, clustering flowerbeds in traffic circles, blooming in private gardens. The second thing you see is fear. Foreigners hide behind their sandbagged walls, barbed wire, armed guards …
Refugees share the kind act that helped them most
While grand and public gestures go a long way in shining a light on our government’s inhumane treatment of people seeking asylum, small gestures count too. Here, three former refugees share the kindest things Australians did to make them feel welcome. “A policeman risked his job to let me phone my mum in Iraq” Surgeon …
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‘Our father is brave. We wait for him with hope in our hearts’
Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi was detained on 17 June 2012 and sentenced in 2014 to 10 years in prison for creating an online forum for public debate and accusations that he insulted Islam. He was also sentenced to a cruel and inhuman punishment of 1,000 lashes, and on 9 January 2015 he received the …
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‘Here lies a Revolutionary’: Lionel Fogarty
Lionel Fogarty, a Yugambeh man born on Wakka Wakka land, is an award-winning poet and longtime Aboriginal rights activist. He spoke with Amnesty International campaigner Roxanne Moore to reflect on 40 years of political poetry, justice, revolution, and the 1967 Referendum. Q What inspired you to write poetry? A I grew up in a mission, …
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Celebrating National Reconciliation Week 2017!
National Reconciliation Week runs from 27 May to 3 June, and this year’s theme is ‘Let’s take the next steps’. To celebrate, Amnesty International launched our third and most comprehensive 2017-2020 Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern on Wednesday 31 May. Natasha Jayaratne from Reconciliation Australia spoke at …
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