The Amnesty Group 
Amnesty Group 343 - the English-speaking Group, founded in 1987 by John Ashton and other members and friends of St. Andrew’s, is one of twenty-four local groups in Göteborg. It is a working group and has had action files dealing with South Korea, Chile, Malawi, Rumania, Greece and Malaysia. The cherry tree in the church garden was planted by the group in memory of the "disappeared". Group 343 has ten members at present. One of most important activities is collecting money for the important,impartial investigative work of Amnesty and for the work of supplying information and running campaigns. We also support our regional Amnesty HQ at Engelbrecktsgatan 10, where courses are held for beginners, special groups have meetings, and open house activities are held. Click for Details of the Local Programme. Group 343 has been responsible for the annual Human Rights Service in St. Andrew's on or around December 10th, Human Rights Day. This has now been replaced by Peace and Justice Sunday, but the collection goes to Amnesty.
If you have no time to be an active member, you would be most welcome as a regular supporter. Group 343 has its own postgiro number: 429 56 39-1.
PLEASE NOTE: Amnesty meetings now normally take place on the last Sunday of the month after church coffee.
Amnesty Drop-In Evening
Light a candle, Sign a letter, Lay a flower under our Remembrance Tree
Wednesday October 16th
Time:18.00 - 21.00
Place: St. Andrews Church
WHAT IS AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ABOUT?
As a member of Amnesty International (AI) I wear a lapel pin depicting the AI logo - a burning candle wrapped in barbed wire, and am pleasantly surprised by the number of people who have asked what the pin means. When told that it is the symbol of AI the same people invariably answer "Oh yes, I've heard of them. What do they do?" Well, for those of you who are curious here is a little bit of background information.
AI is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for, and work towards the observance of, human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. This includes the full range of human rights, which we consider to be indivisible and interdependent. We work though campaigns and public awareness activities (such as this article), as well as through human rights education and pushing for ratification and implementation of human rights treaties.
AI is voluntary, democratic and self-governing with more than a million members and supporters in more than 140 countries and territories. AI is independent of governments, political persuasions or religious creeds. 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 impartial protection of human rights. As such AI is funded largely by its worldwide membership and by donations from the public. No funds are sought or accepted from governments.
The focus of AI' s campaign against human rights violations is to:
- Free all prisoners of conscience, i.e. those detained for political, religious or other conscientiously held beliefs or because of their ethnic origin, sex, colour, language, national or social origin, economic status, birth or other status - who have not used or advocated violence ;
- Ensure fair and prompt trials for all political prisoners;
- Abolish the death penalty, torture and other ill-treatment of prisoners;
- End political killings and disappearances
So, what does AI' s symbol mean? In the words of Peter Benenson, Amnesty' s first activist: "The candle does not burn for us, but for all those we have not been successful in rescuing from prison, those who are shot on the way to prison, those who are tortured, those who are kidnapped, those who 'disappear'. It is them the candle burns for... "
For more information about AI and how you can help speak with one of the St. Andrew' s group members, or visit the AI homepage (www.amnesty.se).
David Perrin - Secretary of Amnesty Group 343
Enquiries about joining Group 343:
David Perrin
Tel: 031 - 51 01 32
e-mail: ddape@aol.com
Gillian Thylander
Tel: 031- 27 92 70
e-mail: gilliant@thycon.se
Amnesty links -