News

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SOCIETY BARBECUE

Nine people in front of a banner reading

Students and staff with the Amnesty banner in front of Tanlaw Mill

Thursday 6 August 2009

Buckingham's Amnesty student society hosted its "Protect the Human" summer barbecue last week with the goal of spreading awareness of human rights and supporting Amnesty's core campaigns. The students wore green arm-bands to demonstrate their solidarity with Amnesty's campaign to condemn the violence against the Iranian people in the wake of recent elections in that country. As reported by Amnesty International on their website: "As demonstrations at the disputed presidential election on 12 June 2009 continue in Iran, we are deeply concerned about the authorities' uses of violence to break up the protests. Those who have been arrested are at risk of being tortured and those that do continue to demonstrate risk their lives to exercise their right to protest."

The event - which ranged from music and food to discussion and debate - drew wide participation from the student body, collecting donations and bringing in new members. Information was provided on Amnesty International's goals and commitments, and on broader topics of human rights abuses within specific regions.

Amnesty International (AI) is an international organisation dedicated to promoting human rights and alleviating abuses wherever they may occur. The student society at the University of Buckingham is committed to furthering the goals of AI by conducting research, spreading awareness and conducting advocacy on behalf of the victims of human rights abuses.

Report by Simon Kapadia (Amnesty International Student Society, Research Officer)