Categories
minutes

January Meeting and Updates

Thanks to AMG for these updates. If you prefer to read them as a PDF, you can do so here

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all our local AI Members and Supporters!

We would like to warmly invite you to attend the next meeting of the AI Glasgow West Group. Please come and join in our lively and friendly discussions and help us make a positive difference to supporting Human Rights around the world.

This email includes:

  • Details of our forthcoming January 2023 meeting
  • An update on the Glasgow AI Groups' December Write for Rights Event
  • Excerpts from AIUK's most recent update for local groups
  • Minutes of our local group meeting held last month.

January 2023 Glasgow West AI Group Meeting

Thursday 12th January, Woodlands International Methodist Church, 7:30pm

The next Glasgow West Amnesty meeting takes place on Thursday 12th January 2023 at 7.30pm – 9pm at Woodlands International Church.

More details on Facebook - https://fb.me/e/24A3jSi3e

We would love to see you there on Thursday!

Our activities for the January meeting include:

  • Planning an AI Comedy Night Fundraiser at The Stand, Glasgow on the evening of Wednesday 15th February 2023 – ****HOLD THE DATE!****
  • Urgent Appeals letter writing;
  • Discussing our invitation to input to a forthcoming Glasgow Univ AI Group meeting; and
  • Reviewing our recent Right for Writes Campaign.

Update On Glasgow AI Groups' Write For Rights Event

To mark International Human Rights Day on Saturday 10th December 2022, the three Glasgow Amnesty International Groups came together to host a joint Write for Rights event at Hillhead Library in Glasgow.

Activists from the Glasgow West, Glasgow Daytime and Glasgow University AI Groups, spent the day raising awareness of AI's 2022 Write for Rights cases.

On the day, a total of 118 individual cards and letters were written and posted off to ten different countries. At the event, a collection was also held to support AI's work in investigating human rights abuses in Ukraine.

The intention is that this highly positive experience of collaboration across the three Glasgow AI groups will now be built on and taken further forward in 2023 and beyond.

Extract Of Updates From AIUK

Full details of AIUK's update for local groups can be viewed via this link to the local groups update.

AIUK Online Conference

AIUK is organising seven conferences across nations and regions of the UK. This is simply a ‘save the date' message for any AI member interested in attending. Further details will be available nearer the time.

Scotland Conference
Date: 4 March
Location: Online

Contact here

AIUK Chair's End Of Year Message

The end of year message from Sen Raj, Chair of AIUK, can be viewed via this link.

Amongst other things, Sen's message highlights some of the achievements of 2022, including work undertaken to support and defend human rights; examples of the ongoing challenges ahead, including in Ukraine, in relation to Asylum seekers and in defending the right to protest within the UK.

December 2022 Meeting Updates

Amnesty International
Glasgow West Local Group

Meeting held on 8th December 2022

Present: Claire (Chair), Kirstie, Hala, Andrew, Amanda, John, Christine, Silvia and Merle.

Also attending: Sara, Freedom From Torture (FfT).

Apologies: Jim, Sharon, Neil and Mal.

Welcome

Claire welcomed everyone to the meeting and indicated that the main focus would be on making the final preparations for Saturday's Write for Rights event. Firstly, however, she introduced Sara from Freedom from Torture, who was selling Xmas cards to raise funds for FfT, as well as providing our group with an overview of FfT's work.

Freedom From Torture

https://www.freedomfromtorture.org/

Sara outlined the origins and work of FfT. It was founded in 1984 by a group of medics to provide care and support for victims of torture. It offers a range of services, including therapies and support to assist victims' recovery, including coping with the physical and psychological impacts of torture. FfT also provides a range of practical services to assist those fleeing torture, such as support to adjust to living in the UK, including translation services.

FfT documents the experiences of and impacts on victims of torture, including matters of physical and mental scarring. This information is typically used both to assist individual asylum claims and to help prosecute / hold to account those responsible for torture.

Sara indicated that there is an FfT centre in Glasgow adjacent to the Clyde.

FfT has c.200 staff and many volunteers, including medics and therapists who help undertake its programme of work.

There are six FfT volunteer groups in the UK, whose role is primarily to raise awareness of the organisation and raise funds to support FfT's work. This includes a group in Glasgow and a group in Edinburgh.

Sara answered a range of questions from AI colleagues, who then purchased cards. Sara was also invited to join the group at Saturday's Write for Rights event, which she accepted. Sara was thanked for her interesting input to the meeting.

Glasgow West AI Group Updates

  • The various actions from the 10th November 2022 meeting were reviewed, with the vast majority having been actioned.

  • Jim's message about potential dates for the Comedy night was discussed and it was agreed to go for Weds 22nd February. [post-meeting update: That date was subsequently taken and an alternative date of 15th February is now our preferred option. Jim to confirm with the venue].

  • Andrew indicated that he had not yet had a response from Naomi McAuliffe to the invitation to attend a meeting in early 2023. [post-meeting update: Naomi has now been in touch and we will liaise with her on a suitable date, as well as extending an invitation to attend this discussion to the Daytime and GUAI groups once we have the details of Naomi's preferred date].

Upcoming Event - Write4Rights (W4R) Hillhead Library Saturday 10th December 2022

  • It was noted that both the AI Glasgow Daytime Group and AI Glasgow University Group had responded positively to the invitation to partner with our group in the W4R event and members of those groups will join with us to run the event on Saturday.

  • Furthermore, the Daytime Group had also agreed to make a donation to the postage costs associated with the event. It was suggested that we should thank the Daytime Group for their kind offer and ask if they would consider a 50:50 split of the postage costs. [post-meeting update: Kirstie confirmed that the total postage costs were £52.50, with a total of 118 cards and letters being packaged up and sent to eleven different countries].

  • Andrew updated on the W4R booklets he had requested and received from AIUK, together with other materials, including badges, posters, etc. It was noted that there was an addendum to the W4R booklet, with a couple of the details in the printed booklet requiring to be updated to correct the mailing address.

  • Claire indicated that she had sent invitations to local politicians.

  • The rota of volunteers from our group for the event was agreed. The Daytime group and GUAI group volunteers have been asked to drop in, as and when they are available.

  • The materials to bring along were sorted into bags, covering pens, pencils, paper, cards, badges, stickers, banner, posters, collection tins, etc.

  • Silvia will continue to issue further social media updates on the event.

AIUK Local Groups' Updates

  • Claire provided an update on some of the issues covered within the AIUK Local Groups' Update, including Human Rights at the World Cup, Ukraine Appeal, Amnesty Online Shop discount code, AI Xmas raffle and free AI online courses.

  • The Local Groups update also included examples of how AI groups around the country were undertaking work and campaigns. It was discussed that we should consider highlighting examples of our own work in this way.

  • This link provides full details of the latest AIUK local groups update.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting will take place on Thursday 12th January 2023, 7.30pm - 9pm @ Woodlands Methodist Church, 229 Woodlands Road, G3 6LW