Change is possible, especially when people come together and take action. From writing letters of support and campaigning outside corporate headquarters, to welcoming refugees into our homes and changing laws for the better, hope overcame fear time and time again in 2017 – and it was all thanks to you. Here are 30 incredible moments …
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Good news: Australia ratifies UN protocol against torture
In December 2017 Australia ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. Australia must now establish an independent body to monitor all places of detention around the country. What happened? On 15 December, eight years after signing the treaty, the Government announced it had ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture – agreeing …
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Marriage Equality: Great result, horrendous process
In reaction to the Australian Parliament passing into law the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017, Amnesty International Australia’s NSW LGBTQI Network Convenor Lizzi Price said: “Marriage Equality is a human right and human rights should never be subject to popular vote. While we celebrate this amazing moment, we will continue to stand …
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Campaign update: Community is Everything
Since we launched our Community is Everything campaign, more than 115,000 people in our Amnesty community have taken action to end the over-representation and abuse of Indigenous kids in prison. Together, we’ve achieved so much – with wins across the country. We know when people stand together and speak out, we can create change. So, …
Good news: Yusman Telaumbanua released from death row in Indonesia
In 2017 the Supreme Court of Indonesia commuted the death sentence of Yusman to five years’ imprisonment after considering a submission of his case review. Yusman Telaumbanua was released from prison on 17 August 2017. What happened? Yusman Telaumbanua was arrested and detained in 2012 for the murder of three men in the North Nias …
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Your support changes lives – here’s how
Without your support we couldn’t achieve the many things we do year in and year out. It’s thanks to your action, your determination and your continuous support that Amnesty can transform the lives of people and communities worldwide. Here’s what so many of you have helped us do so far in 2017. Chelsea Manning is …
5 ways we’ve changed the law for good
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 …
Children transferred out of adult maximum security prison
Following yet another court challenge by the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) and a third court decision that has declared it was unlawful, the Victorian Government has finally responded to public pressure and transferred all children who were being held in Barwon adult prison. What happened? Children as young as 15 had been held in …
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Good news: Chelsea Manning finally walks free!
Chelsea Manning, who was sentenced to 35 years in a US prison after disclosing classified information, walks free today instead of in 2045. What happened? Chelsea Manning was a military analyst with the U.S. Army in Iraq. Between 2009 and 2010 she publicly disclosed classified government materials, acting upon the belief that she could spark …
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Environmental defender allowed to stand her ground in Peru
In a landmark decision for environmental defenders in Peru, a Supreme Court ruling on 3 May 2017 marked an end of the trial for land invasion against human rights defender Máxima Acuña Atalaya. What happened? In August 2011, peasant farmer and human rights defender, Máxima Acuña Atalaya, and members of her family were accused of …
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