Honor Certified Political Prisoners

Amnesty International began innocently in 1961 as a reaction to a story Peter Benenson saw. The British lawyer saw the news report in which it was described how two Portugese men were detained for toasting, simply toasting, to freedom. This is the world that was and still is sadly around. Peter Benenson was outraged as many might well have been, but he was inspired to get the men released for their simple yet outrageously perceived gesture. The reaction by government officials was indeed outrageous.

Peter Benenson was inspired and sprouted the organization that now has 3 million members in over 150 countries. Back then it was perhaps seen as outrageous for individuals to unite against governments. It might always be seen as outrageous; this didn't and won't deter the likes of Peter Benenson.

His early years involved determining how to get prisoners released; what tactic his group employs is a matter of what each circumstance dictated. Nelson Mandela was in jeopardy of losing his freedom in the 1960s and indeed he lost his freedom for some 27 years. Amnesty International sent monitors to his trial to see if they could cause some positive outcome by their emerging presence as an advocate for political prisoners.

Amnesty International has several tactics they employ besides the organizing of demonstrators to play to the crowds and the television cameras. They might organize a write-in campaign to flood a particular government with mail. Benefit concerts by rock n roll musicians are now held to get visibility and raise funds for the organization. These days they might buy airtime on radio or television to promote the message of the injustice. Getting government officials attention is often the key; making them uncomfortable in taking a prisoner is the obvious method to induce a useful reaction. Sometimes those taking prisoners aren't governments at all but police or para-military groups.

The "Appeal for Amnesty 1961" was the title given to the effort to free the two Portugese prisoners I mentioned. The huge impact of Amnesty International is made more effective by the shear power the title of their name has come to embody; Amnesty International is known worldwide and has had a hand in getting thousands of prisoners released in its 50 year existence. Amnesty International has offices in 80 countries as well to get their mission done.

Amnesty International took on the unique verbage of "adopting" prisoners to identify who they are concerned about and who they are targeting for release by their many devices. The group of course needs money to do this and by going to their website you can do so. This is what ANYBODY can do. You can additionally urge them to adopt a prisoner to target for release or as they understand it: freedom.

Freedom is a big word to a political prisoner. Help out Amnesty International! Go to their site and see all the issues they're fighting for all over the world. The United States has had a section since 1966. Go to the site and see what you can do to help the issues you're concerned about in the United States. You can fight for an end to the death penalty or you can fight to end wage discrimination. Maybe you want to urge them to adopt a prisoner you're concerned about to expedite his or her release: that's what you can do.