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Amnesty International : Goals & Initiatives
- 2022/2/28
- Human rights Issue Type

Amnesty International is an organization that is not government affiliated and focuses on addresses human rights issues.
This article illustrates Amnesty International’s historical background and how it has shaped their current mission.
Furthermore, this article will go into detail about Amnesty International’s current goals and initiatives, so if you have interest please continue reading.
Summary of Amnesty International
Amnesty International’s mission is divided into 15 separate initiatives.
- Armed Conflict
- Arms Conflict
- Children’s Rights
- Climate Change
- Corporate Accountability
- Capital Punishment
- Detention
- Disappearance
- Discrimination
- Freedom of Expression
- Indigenous People
- International Court of Justice
- Dignified Life
- Police Violence
- Refugees and Asylum Seekers
- Sexual Rights
- Torture
- United Nations
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Activities of Amnesty International
Amnesty International gives people information and the ability to appeal and raise their voice against human rights violations.
They also strive to push these ideals globally.
Members of Amnesty International look to spread awareness around the world by finding ways to raise their voice and address human rights abuses.
These actions aren’t restricted to one country, but look to span borders all across the globe.
Amnesty International’s Mission
International’s vision is to create a society in which “all humans enjoy the rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.
Their main missions are the following:
- Promote the understanding that all human rights are interconnected and violations happening in one country have an impact on what’s happening elsewhere
- Develop support circles allowing people to take concrete actions against human rights violations
- Provide connections for those that do take actions to be open and speak about their actions at home and abroad
In summary, Amnesty International aims to spread awareness and understanding around human rights and corresponding violations globally.
The History of Amnesty International
Amnesty International has been founded in 1961.
There are many significant events, though the main ones are highlighted below.
1961 | Founded by British activist, Peter Benenson |
1962 | Officially changed its name to Amnesty International |
1970 | Sean Macbride and Martin Ennnals lead Amnesty International |
1978 | Received the United Nations Prize for Human Rights and Nobel Peace Prize as part of the Secret Policeman’s Ball Series |
1979 | Membership exceeds 20,000 |
1986 | Conspiracy of Hope Tour |
1990 | Membership exceeds 7 million in over 150 Countries and Territories る |
2020 | Launches human rights learning application called “Amnesty Academy” |
Since its establishment in 1961, Amnesty International has been involved in many human rights issues.
Amnesty International Founder Peter Benenson
Amnesty International was founded by British lawyer Peter Benenson.
In addition to being lawyer, he was a human rights activist.
His actions and accomplishments as an activist have garnered him many accolades, though he refuses to accept them.
He accepted just one accolade, which was the 2001 Pride of Britain Lifetime Achievement Award.
Peter Benenson’s Upbringing
Peter Benenson was born in London to a large Jewish family.
It is said from an early age he has cared for others, as at the age of 16 he established a relief fund for children orphaned by the Spanish Civil War.
He enrolled at Balliol College in Oxford, though that period was during World War 2, therefore he wasn’t able to continue his education.
He served in the intelligence services at the Ministry of Information during World War 2; in which there he met his wife, Margaret Anderson.
Though in 1972, they divorced.
In 1973, he marred Susan Booth, and had two children.
Peter Benenson’s Career
Peter Benenson’s career achievements
1946 | Worked as a lawyer following World War 2 |
1951, 1955, 1959 | Became candidate for election in Hitchin |
1957 | Established JUSTICE, a human rights and law amendment organizations |
1958 | Fell ill and moved to Italy to recover |
1958 | Converted to the Roman Catholic Church |
1961 | Established Amnesty International |
1964 | Resigned from Amnesty International due to personal health issues |
2005 | Died of pneumonia at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford |
Frequently Asked Questions About Amnesty International
Here’s a list of frequently asked questions about Amnesty International
- Is Amnesty International a political organization?
- What kind of work does Amnesty International do?
- Where does Amnesty International get its funding?
- Where does Amnesty International get its information?
Answers to all four questions are listed below.
Is Amnesty International a Political Organization?
Amnesty International is not a political organization.
They are not politically affiliated, are not in support of a certain party or accept any type of funding from the government.
The only concern and mission is in regards to bettering human rights.
Amnesty International has no political affiliation, endorses no political party, accepts no funds from governments or any political party. Amnesty International is independent of any government, political persuasion or religious creed. It does not support or oppose any government or political system, nor does it support or oppose the views of the victims whose rights it seeks to protect. It is concerned solely with the protection of the human rights involved in each case,
Reference :”FAQs – FAQs – European Institutions Office”
What kind of work does Amnesty International do?
Amnesty International conducts fact-based campaigns and surveys.
Their main activities are listed below:
- Global and local media monitoring
- Issuing detailed reports
- Media notifications and documents
- Leaflets
- Posters
- Advertisements
- Newsletters
- Publicizing human rights issues on their website
Their main motive is to raise awareness and have more people fight against human rights violations to put pressure against governments, so they’ll also take action against these abuses.
Additionally, they have large campaigns in which letters are distributed as well as hold seminars to educate on human rights abuses.
All our campaigning and research is fact-based.
Reference : “FAQs – FAQs – European Institutions Office”
Where Does Amnesty International Get Its Funding
Amnesty International’s funding comes from individual donors around the world.
They maintain independent from government, economic interests, religion, and ensure not to receive donations used to help favor a certain group.
All donations are reviewed to make sure the motive of the donation is true to their mission.
Most of our income comes from individual contributors around the world.
Reference : “FAQs – FAQs – European Institutions Office”
Where Does Amnesty International Get Its Information
All of Amnesty International’s information is reviewed and validated to only publish factual information.
Information is generally gathered by way of websites, newspapers, media, and there are dedicated teams to validate the gathered information.
Additionally, they receive information directly from victims of human rights abuses around the world.
Rather than repeating what is shown on the media, Amnesty International submits all reports after checking the facts and doing a thorough due diligence.
Amnesty International often sends fact-finding missions to assess matters on the spot. We also receive information from many sources, including from prisoners, human rights defenders and others who suffer human rights abuses
Referenec : “FAQs – FAQs – European Institutions Office”
Amnesty International is an Essential Organization in the Fight to Protect Human Rights
Amnesty international is an important organization for the protection of all individual human rights.
Rather than being influence by government or religion, they provide only objective information through thorough validation and review.
The activities they carry out, have, and will continue to protect human rights.
We should deepen our knowledge on Amnesty International to further support its mission and to ultimately help protect human rights.