Write for Rights: Amnesty International's Annual Write-a-Thon

8/8/2019 Write for Rights: Amnesty International's Annual Write-a-Thon

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Questions & Answers globAl write-A-thon 2010

The Write-a-thon is the worlds largest letter-writing event. Each year in the weeks around International

Human Rights Day (December 10), tens o thousands o Write-a-thon participants in more than 50

countries bring concentrated pressure to help human rights deenders, prisoners o conscience, and

other people at risk o human rights abuses.

t a f a :

s w r! Participate as an individual, or host an event and invite riends,

amily, and members o your community - www.amnestyusa.org/writeathon

sa ! Encourage others to sign up or Write or Rights! by texting or emailing them

the registration link: www.amnestyusa.org/writeathon

Cc w-a- c . Youll fnd everything you need to participate:

Case summaries and sample letters

Addresses for sending letters and messages of solidarity

Letter writing tips

A detailed guide for how to plan a Write-a-thon event

Helpful suggestions for using the media to promote your event

Write-a-thon promotional materials

For hard copies of all these materials, please email us at [email protected]

w a a your letters between December 4 and 12, the primary dates or the Write-a-thon.

r ac: Let us know how many letters were sent. Send us photos of your event.

Visit the Write-a-thon website to complete our 10-second survey.

whAt is the globAl write-A-thon?

how does it work?

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5.

Amnesty internAtionAl usA CAmpAign or individuAls At risk

600 pennsylvAniA Avenue s.e. wAshington, dC 20003 www.AmnestyusA.org/iAr [email protected]


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Everyone! Whether a member of Amnesty International or not, aca c.

You can register at .aa./a. Once you do, well notiy you about available

resources and remind you when its time to Write or Rights.

All the information youll need to participate in the Write-a-thon is available on the website. If you preferto receive a packet o materials by regular post, contact us by phone at: 202-509-8193, or email:

a@aa..

Its up to you. Every letter helps us reach our goal o 350,000 letters. There are a variety o cases, so eel

ree to choose rom the list or write on them all!

who CAn pArtiCipAte?

how do i sign up?

Are mAteriAls only AvAilAble on the website?

how mAny letters Am i expeCted to write?

i Am thinking About orgAnizing An event. whAt should i do?

da h oa a w-a- a:

.aa./a/c.

b ca! A w-a- ca a a . t a:

Organizing an event at a local coffee-shop or community center;

Integrating it into your regular youth/student-group, community or church meeting;

Encouraging your classmates to write during lunch break at school;

Holding a potluck dinner with friends or family that includes letter-writing.

Cac a fc. Let them know about your plans to participate and

nd out great ways to publicize! (www.amnestyusa.org/contact)

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i a ! Letters from people like you have helped inuence government leaders, free prisoners

o conscience, launch investigations, prevent torture and stop executions.

Many individuals featured in past Write-a-thons were subsequently released, including Bu Dongwei

(China), Musaad Abu Fagr (Egypt), Birtukan Mideksa (Ethiopia), Yusak Pakage (Indonesia), Mohammed

Al-Odaini (Guantanamo), Hana Abdi (Iran), and Ma Khin Khin Leh (Myanmar).

For success stories, please visit: www.amnestyusa.org/writeathon/successes.php

Please see our Letter Writing Tips, which you can download from the Write-a-thon website. (Look under

Resources.) Additionally, sample letters for each case are available on the website. These sample letters

are intended to help guide you in your letter writing.

You can refer to Amnesty International as your information source, but it may be more effective to simply

state that you have learned about this persons plight and are thereore concerned.

Each case contains a You Can Help section which includes addresses for where to send your letters.

Address and send your letter to the government ofcial at the top of the sample letter. If you can, we

suggest you send a copy of your letter to the ofcial listed under copy to at the bottom. Below are

current postage rates:

does letter writing work?

how do i write the most eeCtive letters?

should i reer to Amnesty internAtionAl in my letter?

Postage Rates:

Within the United States

To Mexico

To all other countries

Airmail Letters(up to 1 oz.)

$0.44

$0.79

$0.98

Postcards(max. size: 6 x 4.25)

$0.28

$0.79

$0.98



there Are Addresses At the top And bottom o the sAmple letter.

to whiCh do i send my letter?


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A personal letter is often the most effective way to convince government ofcials to take action. However,

i you dont have time to write personal letters, you can print and sign the sample letters, or you can send

an email, i applicable.

After the Write-a-thon we will send out a brief evaluation form, and ask you to report back to us.

You will also be able to fnd this evaluation orm on the website at: .aa./a

Amnesty activists around the world will be writing and sending their letters during this time period. Your

letters can have the strongest impact by joining that eort. However, i that time just wont work or you,

then eel ree to hold your Write-a-thon event or send your letters at another time.

I you receive a reply rom a government ofcial or a prisoner, please send a copy o it to:

A iaa usA

Caa ia a r

600 paa A, se

wa, dC 20003

Absolutely not! You can join the Urgent Action Network today and start receiving actions each month to

help people at risk. Visit: www.amnestyusa.org/urgent. To learn more about the Urgent Action Network and

other ways to help individuals at risk, visit: www.amnestyusa.org/iar

is it more eeCtive to send postAl letters or emAils?

how do i let you know how mAny letters i hAve sent?

do i hAve to write between deCember 4-12?

whAt i i reCeive A reply to one o my letters?

do i hAve to wAit or next yeArs write-A-thon to tAke more

ACtion or individuAls At risk?



Documents

Write for Rights: Amnesty International's Annual Write-a-Thon