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june chalk it up 2015
AIC activists ended the year with a bang and took to the sidewalks to fill up the streets with colorful, vibrant facts and statistics. Armed with 20 members and buckets full of chalk, AIC attracted attention from both curious students and photographers.
Our chalking event promotes education about human rights abuses. This year, Chalk it Up focused on child literacy, promoting the Annual AIC Book Drive @ AHS. We raised over 1,100 books as a result!
Our chalking event promotes education about human rights abuses. This year, Chalk it Up focused on child literacy, promoting the Annual AIC Book Drive @ AHS. We raised over 1,100 books as a result!
april get on the bus n.y.c.
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Get on the Bus for Human Rights (GOTB) is an annual day of human rights education and activism organized by Amnesty International USA Group 133 of Somerville, MA and a dedicated team of volunteer community organizers. Now in its eighteenth year, GOTB draws upwards of 1,200 participants riding buses, commuter trains, and carpooling down to New York City to take peaceful action in front of embassies, consulates and corporate headquarters in NYC in support of human rights.
18 dedicated AHSAIC members traveled from Boston to NYC. From 4 AM bus rides, to protesting in front of the embassies, to listening to riveting stories from torture survivors, the day was a huge success and an amazing way to get involved with street-level activism. |
march bread and roses soup kitchen
Over 10 members of AHSAIC contributed both their time and effort to Bread and Roses soup kitchen three days a week. Making a true and direct difference to the local community, "Bread & Roses is a soup kitchen in Lawrence, MA. [They] have long been a center of hope and caring to the thousands of people in the Merrimack Valley who are struggling for survival. [Their] primary purpose is to ease the hunger of people in our community by providing a well-balanced, nutritious evening meal." Our members helped the homeless by ladling soup, preparing meals, and interacting with the people.
February Boston youth leadership conference
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Got Activism? Throughout the day there was a series of interactive workshops that will built our knowledge of human rights issues at home and abroad, developing activism skills such as how to organize in our community, create strategic campaigns, and mobilize a power base so that positive change can happen!
7 members of AIC attended this leadership conference and it was a blast. Members gained countless new leadership and activism skills, keyed in on inspirational workshops, and had the chance to connect with many other local high schools and universities. |
#Freeraif photoshoot
Do you care about human rights? Do you want to make a difference? Over 200 AHS students joined AIC on Friday, February 27th to take a stand against injustice.
Raif is a Saudi blogger who was sentenced to 1000 lashings and a 10 year prison sentence. His "crime" was exercising his right to freedom of expression and assembly. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and was awarded the Courage Award 2015 by the Geneva Summit. Learn more at:https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/saudi-arabia-free-raif-badawi-flogged-blogger |
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january write for rights campaign
AHSAIC called for all Andover High School students to take initiative and write letters in solidarity to government officials around the world calling for justice. And what a response we got! Over 50 letters were handwritten, typed, signed, stamped, and sent to countries all over the world. The letters, combined with hundreds of thousands of letters from around the world, made a huge difference in the fight against injustice. The letters changed lives. Want to join? The call to write letters never has a deadline - someone is always in need. If you would like to participate, click here.
Happy writing!
Happy writing!
december believe bells fundraiser
Kicking off our most popular and successful fundraiser of the year - what better way to spread holiday spirit other than delivering Believe Bells to students the day before Winter Vacation? The Amnesty International Club at Andover High School sold Believe Bells as telegrams to AHS students and faculty during the holiday season. Students and teachers bought these bells for the price of just 1$! They wrote little messages to their friends to be delivered with these bells. With the help of club members, AHSAIC was able to tie, sort, and deliver over 360 bells. The club raised over 450$ total, a record amount. Not only did the fundraiser foster holiday spirit at AHS but it will also be helping our local soup kitchen, Bread & Roses. The profits of the fundraiser will go to Bread & Roses and eventually contribute to making our community a better place.
october northeast regional conference
Four of AHSAIC's members served as representatives at the conference for a packed day of workshops, empowering speakers, and a candlelight vigil. Held at Boston University, Amnesty International's Annual Northeast Regional Conference focused on bringing human rights home. Learning impact skills, attending workshops, and interacting with other student members in the Northeast Region, the day was full of inspiration and discovery.
in solidarity with ferguson
Organizers in Ferguson have asked for October 11th to be a national day of mobilization with all victims and survivors of racial profiling and police brutality. While some of the organizers’ local demands (including for example, calling for the Ferguson Chief of Police to step down, calling for the arrest of Darren Wilson, and calling for the County Prosecutor to stand down) go beyond Amnesty’s recommendations, AHSAIC organized to take action with the movement for rights-respecting and accountable policing by organizing the following actions on that date.