Group 37 September meeting

Sunday, September 19th

Join us for our regular monthly meeting on Sunday, September 19th, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. We will discuss recent developments in our particular areas of focus and in human rights in general.

All are welcome, and refreshments will be provided.

Center for Victims of Torture
717 East River Road
Minneapolis, MN

Map & Directions

2010 Human Rights Essay Contest Winners announced!

Amnesty International Group 315 of the Wayzata area, a local human rights organization, presented three students with awards at its annual Human Rights Essay Contest Ceremony on May 8 at St. Luke Presbyterian Church in Minnetonka.

The first place prize of $350 with commemorative plaque was awarded to Camille Kroll of Chanhassen, Minnesota. Camille is a senior at Blake School. Chloe Edwards of Jefferson High School in Bloomington, Minnesota received a certificate of merit and $150 for second place. Chloe is in 11th grade. An Honorable Mention award was given to Danielle Brown, a senior at Edina High School.

Read more about the ceremony and the contest.

Petition calls on Philippine government to address politically-linked massacre

Following a massacre in Maguindanao province in November 2009 that left at least 57 people dead, Amnesty International has called on the Philippine government to limit private armies and to ensure that those responsible for the killings are brought to justice. The massacre is linked to recent elections in the Philippines.

Please sign and circulate this petition, which calls for an investigation into the Maguindanao massacre and restricting private military activities in the Philippines:

AI_Maguindanao_Massacre_Petition.pdf (86 KB PDF)

More information

• Witness protection needed to ensure justice for Philippines massacre victims (27 November 2009)
• Philippines election massacre must be investigated as death toll rises (24 November 2009)

The Philippines human rights group Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples Rights) has recently released their 2009 report (2.8 MB PDF) on the human rights situation in the Philippines.

New evidentiary hearing scheduled for Troy Davis — Day of Action planned for June 22

Troy Davis was convicted of murdering a Georgia police officer in 1991. Nearly two decades later, Davis remains on death row — even though the case against him has fallen apart. On August 17, 2009, the Supreme Court issued an order mandating a new evidentiary hearing for death-row inmate Troy Anthony Davis. With its ruling, the nation's highest court decided that Davis should have another chance to prove his innocence before the state of Georgia puts him to death.

Amnesty International has several actions that you can take outlined on their web page devoted to this issue. Plan or participate in an action as part of the Day of Action on June 22nd, participate in the Troy mosaic project, and more:

AIUSA's Troy Davis Action page

Heroes and Villains exhibit and Amnesty International benefit a great success

On Thursday, March 26th, local artist Louisa Greenstock held an opening for her exhibit of paintings, Heroes and Villains. The event included a silent auction to benefit Amnesty International’s work. Local Amnesty members participated in the event and were on hand to talk with guests about our work.

Between the silent auction and donations at the door, nearly $900 was raised to support our valuable human rights work. In addition, we collected signatures on petitions related to human rights concerns in the United States, the Philippines, Egypt, and Paraguay, and distributed background information about these cases and how to get involved.

Thanks to Brian Madson, Wendy Diedrich, Lotti Matkovits, Ardes Johnson, Debbie Andreson, and Gabe Ormsby for participating, to Brit’s Pub for hosting, and special thanks to Louisa Greenstock for donating a painting and inviting us to join in this delightful event!

Take action: Sudan

The University of Minnesota Law School Amnesty International Student Chapter has taken up the cause of a fellow classmate and they invite you to join the movement. Gabriel Kou Solomon, a Sudanese expatriate and graduate student at the University, received word that on October 3 his two nieces were abducted from a family home in Southern Sudan.

Find out how you can help.

Hope in a Time of Despair

A celebration of our 30 years defending human rights and a call to action

On Friday, October 27th, 2006, Group 37 members, friends and guests celebrated 30 years of defending human rights in the Twin Cities, recognized and thanked our founder David Weissbrodt and other long-time volunteers, and looked toward the future. A forum devoted to the human rights concerns surrounding the current "War on Terror" featured human rights experts Dr. Steven Miles, Barbara Frey, James Dorsey, and Holly Ziemer.

Pictures and more about the event...

Collaborative Event draws attention to Guantanamo Detainees

On Friday and Saturday, May 5th and 6th, 2006, Amnesty volunteers joined Laura Winton and Crisis Point Theatre for an overnight performance piece at Peavey Plaza in downtown Minneapolis.

Our goal was to raise awareness of the situation faced by hundreds of people held at the US detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where they have been held without charge or access to lawyers or their families for five years.

View photos and learn more about the event...

Amnesty International’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.

Amnesty International undertakes research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights.