GTA Amnesty International Newsletter – September 2021

“A Fable for our Time “ – adaptation of ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell, by Maeve Colleary- Damico  CALLING ALL ANIMALS!   Join Amnesty International’s first ever audio-only show! A live dramatic reading of ‘A Fable for our Time’, an adaptation of ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell.   Looking for fifteen (15) enthusiastic readers with experience and comfort in public speaking and performing. The event is planned for October 24th 2021, with a rehearsal on October 17th 2021. Participants must be available both days.   Details regarding scripts, character descriptions and reader’s notes will be provided well in advance.   For those interested, please contact: ichipilova@amnesty.ca . Deadline is September 10th 2021.    On behalf of “Animal Farm” Amnesty International Team, Elena and Irena  Join our “Immigration Detention” Specialized Team and our Campaign Strategy Session Immigration Detention Specialized Team Join our new Specialized Team! This will be a nation-wide, virtual team that will bring together AI supporters from across Canada to focus on campaigning and advocacy with regards to immigration detention in Canada. The team will meet virtually to learn, discuss, share, strategize, collaborate, and take action to ensure Canada upholds its welcoming reputation by treating all people with the dignity and respect they deserve, and ending the cruelty of the current immigration detention system.   Contact Elena Dumitru edumitru@amnesty.ca. Immigration Detention: Campaign Strategy Session Help shape our fall-winter campaigning on immigration detention in Canada, following the recent release of the 100-page report, “‘I Didn’t Feel Like a Human in There’: Immigration Detention in Canada and Its Impact on Mental Health.” The first session is September 14 for general Amnesty members and supporters. The second session is September 16 and is open to youth aged 14 to 24. Participants will be invited to explore how we all might engage other members and the public through campaigning and action based on this important report.   AITO Monthly MeetingThursday September 16th, 7pm ESTPlease join us for our September monthly AITO members meeting taking place Thursday, September 16th at 7 PM EST. All groups, teams and networks are encouraged to attend to share a report on your plans and activities. For new members and volunteers, there are many learning opportunities and it is a great way to discover how the organization works and how you can become more involved. Registration is required in advance at this link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. For more information please contact aitosecretary@aito.ca.  Amnesty “Climate Justice” Workshop Series!Sunday September 19th, 5pm EST Join AI Canada activists and special guests for our “Climate Justice” series, with one workshop taking place approximately every two months from September 2021 to May 2022! During this series, we will hear from those directly impacted, including activists on the front lines.The series is being organized by members of AI Canada Climate Justice and Corporate Accountability Specialized Team. All Amnesty members, supporters and activists are welcome to attend any or all of these online workshops. Events are free.   “Climate Justice and Human Rights” is our first workshop in the series and will take place on Sunday September 19th, between 5pm – 6:30pm EST. Join us as we look at why Amnesty is involved in these issues; examine the interconnectedness of climate justice, environmental racism, and gender-based violence; consider the impact on food/water security and the right to a clean environment; examine lessons from the pandemic in the struggle for climate justice.  Sunday September 19th event – zoom registration here.  Time zones: 2 – 3:30pm Pacific; 3- 4:30pm Mountain; 4- 5:30pm Central; 5- 6:30pm Eastern, 6- 7:30pm Maritimes.  AI Canada National Youth StrategyCall for Expressions of Interest for the National Youth Strategy Development Working Group! Are you interested in helping create the next National Youth Strategy for Amnesty Canada? Check out the link here for further information and to apply. Deadline is September 24th.    MATCHSTICK NEWS: ISSUE 001 is LIVE and WE ARE RECRUITING!Matchstick is an initiative of the AI Canada’s National Organizer Program and is Amnesty Canada’s digital Arts and Human Rights magazine for youth by youth.  CHECK OUT ISSUE 001 OF THE MATCHSTICK! Our artists explore subjects like colonial violence, media bias, the ongoing fight for women’s rights and more. Browse the selected pieces at thematchstick.org.  RECRUITING: Are you passionate about using art and written word to spark change? Do you have a keen eye for detail and storytelling? APPLY now to join Matchstick’s Editorial Team!   Whether you are drawn to visual arts or literature, there is room for each medium of expression here! Deadline for applications is September 25th. Application form   Take Action for a Fair COVID-19 Vaccine!Date and Time: Sunday, September 26th at 4:00pm – 5:30pm EST Event Description:  As of August 2021, around 85% of the world’s COVID-19 vaccines have gone to wealthy countries while low-income countries have received less than 1% of vaccines worldwide. If you are interested in learning the basics of vaccine inequity, as well as the solutions countries can take on to eliminate this, come out to our event! You will hear from speakers who will deliver presentations on the importance of global COVID-19 vaccine equity, as well as write letters to the Canadian government calling on them to take concrete steps to ensure a more equitable vaccine distribution worldwide. Register: https://mcgill.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpcOGhqDsoHNwnkdor38b-SQD9UMR4AQsP The event is being organized by youth members of the AI Canada (ES) National Organizers Program.  Truth and Reconciliation DaySeptember 30th, 7pm EST Legal scholar Tamara Starblanket carefully prepared her masters thesis on this issue, which became the book Suffer the Little Children: Genocide, Indigenous Nations, and the Canadian State (Clarity Press, 2018). This powerful work explains the shortfalls of legal remedies founded in colonialism and imperialism. It explains in detail how the crime of genocide was conceptualized following World War 2 by the international community, how colonial countries, including Canada, sought to shield themselves against possible prosecution and sidestep the link between cultural genocide and colonialism. It is vital for all of us to understand fully what has happened and is happening. Join us on September 30th, the first federally mandated day to recognize truth and reconciliation, to listen and learn.REGISTER HERE Amnesty Youth AmbassadorsAmnesty’s Youth Ambassadors training program will feature three monthly webinars. The first session, on October 6, will introduce you to Amnesty International and how we campaign and engage others on human rights issues. The second session, on November 3, will focus on solidarity with Indigenous Peoples and public speaking, and the third session, on December 1, will explore climate justice and taking public action, including through artivism and demonstrations. On completion of all three webinars, you will be eligible for a certificate of completion and to have your name added to a speaker’s bureau. An optional showcase will be organized to allow participants to share presentations and support each other.Sign HERE to register. Educators invited to ENGAGE! Calling all teachers, homeschool parents, community facilitators, and anyone else interested in human rights education – you are invited to subscribe to Amnesty’s new free e-mail newsletter especially developed for educators!   ENGAGE! will be published three times a year: in early September, late October, and late February. Each issue will bring you links to timely and relevant human rights lesson plans and kits, online courses, insightful book discussion guides, and fresh advice and recommendations from educators. Each issue will also feature links to at least one French-language human rights education resource. You may unsubscribe at any time. CLICK HERE TO ENGAGE!