Guantanamo 19th anniversary rally and march

No More Excuses: Shut Down Guantanamo!
Friday, January 8, 2021, 4:30-6:00 PM
(socially distanced) Rally & March
Pioneer Courthouse Square, SW Yamhill and Broadway, downtown Portland

January 11, 2021 marks 19 years since the opening of the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The prison now holds just 40 people (from a height of nearly 800 at one point). Although it stands as a symbol of the United States’ lack of respect for due process, human rights and the rule of law, it has still remained active. In 2018, President Trump reversed President Obama’s policy directive that called to shut down Guantanamo; President-elect Biden has not prioritized closing the camp despite calling it “an advertisement for creating terror.” Local Portland groups join worldwide voices calling to Close Guantanamo Now!

This event is coordinated by Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Group and cosponsored by Amnesty International Group 48. For more information, contact Peace and Justice Works at 503-236-3065 or iraq@pjw.info.

2020 Virtual Write for Rights

Amnesty International Group 48 is hosting the annual Write for Rights event virtually on International Human Rights Day. Grab a drink, a snack, and a seat at home to join us.

Jani Silva, Colombia

Thursday, December 10 at 7:00pm
Click here to join the event virtually with the following Write for Rights essentials:

Rising Up: Sudan film series

AIUSA Group 48 is honored to co-present the Rising Up: Sudan film series in July. Please join us for free online performances, films and conversations that will bring audiences together to witness, celebrate, and amplify the perspectives of communities in Sudan and its diaspora. After registering, you will receive links to view the films online and stream the panel discussions.

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Take action to stop unlawful killings by police

“I can’t breathe.” Those were the last words George Floyd uttered before he was killed by a police officer who kneeled directly on Floyd’s neck for seven straight minutes while he lay prostrate on the ground with his hands handcuffed behind his back, in broad daylight.

Floyd’s death comes in the wake of a series of acts of racist violence against African Americans that remind us of the astounding levels of violence and discrimination in the USA that black and brown communities face. This includes the killing of Breonna Taylor, a black woman who was shot in her sleep by the police who broke into her apartment, and the killing of Stephon Clark, who was shot and killed in his grandmother’s backyard with nothing but a cellphone in his pocket, and so many more we may never have the chance to hear their names.

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2019 Write for Rights and Holiday Potluck

Join Amnesty International Group 48 for our annual Write for Rights holiday event. We’ll write letters and shine a light on human rights abuses. This year’s letter-writing cases feature 10 young people under threat in Iran, Egypt, Canada, Mexico, Philippines, South Sudan, Nigeria, Greece, China, and Belarus.

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Thursday, December 12
6:30-9:30pm (setup begins at 6pm)
Eliot Center Buchan Building (Room A108)
First Unitarian Church
1011 SW 12th Ave, Portland

What to bring:

  • Food (an appetizer, main dish or dessert)
  • Drinks
  • Utensils, plates, cups, napkins
  • Greeting cards (non-denominational and non-Amnesty cards)
  • Paper for letter writing
  • Envelopes
  • $1.15 stamps (international postage)
  • 55-cent stamps (domestic postage)
  • Copies of the AIUSA Write for Rights cases (case sheets and/or sample letters)

Please RSVP by adding a comment to this post and include some details if you plan to bring food, supplies and/or guests.

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