Hey everybody! I hope you had a good weekend. Last week was interesting because it was the first week with my new supervisor (who I am training!) but aside from that it was fairly administrative and quiet because several people from the DC and NY office went on vacation following the Annual General Meeting.
I heard that the AGM was really fun, with guests ranging from Christy Turlington to former political prisoners to musical artist Jahi. These meetings typically appeal to a broad spectrum of different ages and types of people, so it is important to make the appearances diverse.
My new supervisor previously worked at the Feminist Majority Foundation, so obviously she is very interested in women's rights. She decided to work for Amnesty because she is wanted a job in communication for a non-profit. She started on Monday, and I was asked to explain how to issue press releases, compile media reports, take calls from the press, and the day-to-day workings of the media office at Amnesty. Amnesty is very welcoming toward new employees, so I think she felt at home.
The biggest issue with Amnesty in the news this week was our release of the yearly death penalty report. The report surveys the status of the death penalty around the world, and contains detailed comparisons and updates about different countries. Amnesty is a very reliable source on many international human rights issues (for information as well as advocacy), and the death penalty is one that Amnesty has worked with diligently for years.
According to the report, a total of 31 countries abolished the death penalty in law or in practice during the last 10 years, but China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United States and Yemen carried out the most executions—in direct contradiction of international human rights law. Many of countries that are currently undergoing political upheavals carried out executions in 2010, Iran (252), Libya (18), Saudi Arabia (27), Syria (17), Yemen (53) [numbers in parenthesis are minimal numbers of execution AI verified]. In these countries, the death penalty was frequently imposed after unfair trials and for offenses, such as drug-trafficking or adultery, that are not recognized as the "most serious crimes" and therefore in violation of international law.
In my opinion, the factual (and practical) argument against the death penalty is strong: "The facts are making an impact in a very emotional debate: the death penalty does not deter murder, it costs millions and the system is riddled with bias and error. More and more Americans are wondering if we can afford the financial and moral costs of the death penalty," Amnesty's death penalty abolition campaign director said.
Here is some specific information about the death penalty in the US:
"In the United States at least 110 death sentences were imposed during 2010. This represents only one-third of the number of death sentences imposed in the mid-1990s and is lower than in any year since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. In March 2011, Illinois became the 16th state to abolish the death penalty."
This report was important in the media office because it was distributed widely throughout the American press, so I received several calls with questions and interview requests. The phone number distributed on the press releases is my office phone, so I am the first person to field these calls. It is interesting to talk to journalists and help deliver information, but since they are often on deadlines, it is at times frenetic to get them the interview that they need.
Also prominent in the news were some of the human rights violations that are now becoming widespread in post-revolution Egypt. Amnesty is concerned that female protestors have been treated especially harshly. Amnesty also issued a statement about the brutal treatment of protesters in Syria. Unfortunately, it seems that the human rights violations rampant in countries in North Africa and the Middle East have not ended with the onset of revolution.
I hope everyone has a good week. I am going back to Chicago for the weekend and I will be back next week! Have a great day.
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