Many thanks to AMGU for these updates. If you would like to read them as a PDF, you may do so here.

We warmly invite you to attend the next meeting of the Amnesty International 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 June 2024 meeting;
Information on current AIUK activities;
Minutes of our local Group meeting held last month; and
A note of our local Group's meeting dates for 2024.

June 2024 Glasgow West AI Group Meeting

Thursday 13th June, Woodlands International Methodist Church, 7:30pm

The next Glasgow West Amnesty meeting takes place on Thursday 13th June 2024 at 7.30pm – 9pm in Woodlands International Church, Woodlands Road, Glasgow, G3 6LW.

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

We would love to see you there!

Our June meeting will include:

Finalising preparations for our collaboration with artist Alexander Dakars, who is hosting an exhibition in Glasgow later this month;
Considering resolutions for the UK Amnesty annual conference;
Updates from our local group co-ordinators on their activities; and
Undertaking letter writing in response to recent Urgent Action alerts from AIUK.

Art Exhibition

Our AI Group is participating in an exhibition by artist Alexander Dakars.

Alexander's grandfather was one of the leaders of the Allende Government who was imprisoned following General Pinochet's military coup in 1973. Amnesty campaigned for the release of political prisoners and this helped secure the release of his grandfather and others.

Alexander has raised funding for Amnesty through sales of his artwork.

The exhibition takes place at the Glasgow Art Club & Gallery, 185 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4HU between 19th June – 4th July. There will be a special event at 6pm on Friday 28th June, which will include short speeches about Amnesty's work. The exhibition is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.

AIUK Local Updates

For details of the most recent AIUK Local Groups' Update, click on this link.

General Election

Amnesty International UK is calling for all parties to put human rights at the centre of the agenda. Whoever forms the next government, we want those in power – and in opposition – to understand, value and defend human rights. You may have heard us talking about this at a national level over the last few months and we will continue to do so over the weeks leading up to the election, and beyond.

We know that lots of you are interested in understanding what Amnesty International UK can and cannot do during a General Election campaign, and also what you can or cannot do as an Amnesty activist organising your own campaign activity. So please see our advice on campaigning during a General Election period, so you can understand what this means for AIUK, and what it means for activists, to comply with the Lobbying Act.

Early next week we will send another mailing with our updated Human Rights Manifesto and some ideas if you are an activist who wants to raise the profile of human rights, and the importance of human rights issues in your local area while the General Election campaign is underway.

If you have any questions about what you can or cannot do locally as an Amnesty activist during the General Election campaign, please contact activism@amnesty.org.uk.

AIUK's AGM

Join us on Saturday 22 June 2024 for a day of learning about Amnesty's work, AGM business, speakers, networking and shaping our movement as you make your voice count!

The AGM enables us all to get together, share plans and discuss ideas, so that we can build an even more powerful human rights movement in the UK. The event is FREE and will be held in Sheffield at Sheffield Hallam University.

Booking is now OPEN, so book your place and make your voice count. Book your in-person or online ticket here.

Tickets include event entry, refreshments, lunch, and an optional evening get-together with entertainment and food.

Please note: AGM business can be attended by Amnesty International UK Section members only. If you need to check your membership status, please contact sct@amnesty.org.uk.

Affiliated members who are unable to attend the AGM in person can still participate by joining the meeting online.

For further information on the AGM, please check here.

22 June, 9.30 am - 7:30 pm - Amnesty International UK Annual General Meeting, Sheffield Hallam University. In-person and online options. Book here.

Upcoming Dates & Events

See more on the Amnesty Events page.

Updates On AIUK Campaigns

For details on Amnesty International priority campaigns, click this link.

Play the Amnesty Summer raffle today

The Amnesty Summer Raffle is now open! Don't delay – simply enter online today for your chance to win £5,000 or one of 36 other amazing cash prizes. Just imagine seeing your name on a cheque for £5,000! Wouldn't that feel amazing?

Every time you play the Amnesty International UK Raffle, you're taking on injustices and helping to make sure humanity wins. That's a great feeling!

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Enter Now

Minutes of Meeting held on 9th May 2024

Welcome and apologies

(introductions round table)

Attendees: Claire (chair), Jean, Carol, Mal, Clara, Chloe, Kirstie and Andrew.
Also attending: Alexander and Keith
Apologies: Neil, Tim and Merle.

Claire gave a particular welcome to Alexander and Keith, who had joined our meeting to discuss how we can best collaborate with them at the forthcoming art exhibition.

Agreement of previous meeting minutes

The minutes of the 11th April meeting were agreed.

Matters arising

AIGW Login / Passwords
Claire had re-circulated the document with details of who has access to the various AIGW social media, etc accounts. If you have information to add, please update this link.

Human Rights Scotland Bill webinar

Claire, Andrew, Merle and Carol participated.

Interesting to ‘meet' online members of the new Scotland team:

Neil Cowan has replaced Naomi McAuliffe (Programme Director)
Liz Thomson - Advocacy Manager
Stewart MacLachlin - Law & Policy Manager
Marie Jackson -Team Asst

Noted that the new AI Scotland Team seemed very enthusiastic to work with local groups / come and meet us / coordinate on campaigns, etc.

Links above for anyone that missed the webinar but wants to see the information.

Request for Speaker

Chloe responded to the request from the school in Uddingston for an AI speaker, but had received no reply from them.

'Operation Caesar' Syrian Photo Exhibition

Tim had undertaken to speak to a local refugee group to seek their views, but no update has been received on this;
Mal contacted the AIUK Syria Volunteer Co-ordinator, who had not responded;
In the absence of a volunteer from our group to co-ordinate this, it was agreed that we could not proceed with hosting the exhibition.
(post-meeting note - Chloe subsequently suggested that it might be worth contacting a local mosque to ask if they would be interested in providing a space to host the exhibition).

Team Updates

(list of roles from AGM here)

Treasurer (Kirstie)
- Outgoings in past month have been postage (£3.45), Web Hosting (£7.81) and 3 months' hall meeting room rental (£78).
- The Group's bank balance is currently £633.04.
Social Media & website (Mal & Cait)
- Claire said she had tried to contact Cait, but had no response.
Local Political Outreach (Neil)
- No update received.
Regional / Country focus

South East Asia/ Myanmar (Mal)
- No update received.
Pakistan (Chakar)
- No update received.
North and South Korea
- Clara has completed her initial training on campaigning and activism, as an AIUK volunteer co-ordinator for both North and South Korea. She indicated that an event was being organised for Sat 2nd June, with details to follow.
Prisoner of Conscience/Individual At Risk Update (Han)
- No update received.

Collaboration with Artist

Bournemouth-based artist, Alexander Dakers of ZanderArtWork and his friend and colleague, Keith, who undertakes framing and associated work with Alexander, set out the background to the forthcoming exhibition.

Alexander's grandfather was a senior adviser in Chile's Government, led by Salvador Allende, before it was overthrown by Pinochet's military coup in 1973.

His grandfather was summarily arrested and given a life sentence. AI campaigned on behalf of his grandfather and tens of thousands of other innocent victims. Alexander's grandfather was eventually freed after being incarcerated for 2 years. Since then, Alexander's mother has helped to campaign for AI. Alexander himself, subsequently used a number of his exhibitions to raise funding for AI by donating the proceeds of some sales and he will do so at the Glasgow exhibition.

The exhibition is entitled ‘Father and Sons'.
It takes place between 19th June – 4th July.
There is a 'VIP Day' on Fri 28th June, which will include a drinks reception and a small number of speeches.
Venue: Glasgow Art Club & Gallery, 185 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4HU.

Mal had contacted the AIUK Chile co-ordinator. Whilst they are unable to attend the event, they offered to send information which could be used in a short speech at the VIP day.

ACTIONS:

Andrew – Invite AIUK Scotland Office staff.
Andrew - Invite Glasgow University and Glasgow Daytime Groups.
Mal – Ongoing liaison with Chile Co-ordinator to get his speech notes (which we will require to edit and pull out the most salient points). Also to get further details / poster / petition of Chilean prisoner of conscience, which AI is currently supporting.
Carol - volunteered to deliver the 5min speech on behalf of the Group at the VIP day.
(Claire / Mal can assist with the key messages in the speech).
Others (tbc) – We need a volunteer(s) to draft short content about the AI Glasgow group(s) collaborating with the artist for use in newspapers, online, etc in order to promote the event.
Cait / Mal – Promote event on our social media.
Chloe / Mal (?) – QR code to be made for exhibition attendees to get further info / join AI.
Andrew / Others? – AI Banner / posters / etc to be dropped off at Gallery on afternoon of 18th July.
Carol -- Volunteered to contact Freedom From Torture to ask them to promote the exhibition.
Claire / Andrew – ongoing liaison with Alexander prior to event.
All – to attend VIP Day (and at other times throughout the exhibition, if available) in order to help provide info on AI.

AIUK Amnesty Futures

Mal provided a further update on ‘Amnesty Futures', which is a group of AI members who are campaigning for changes within AIUK to address the falling AI membership, the significant decline in local groups and to promote greater democracy / accountability within the organisation.

Mal again emphasised that the Amnesty Futures group was clear that AI was very much a powerful force for good, but that they saw the need to further strengthen and refocus some aspects of the AIUK strategy.

It was noted that a number of Amnesty Futures' Group resolutions had been submitted to the AIUK AGM.

The open letter outlining the Amnesty Futures' objectives had previously been circulated with the meeting papers (both for this meeting and our April meeting).

Following a discussion, it was agreed that we should vote on whether or not to endorse the objectives set out in the Amnesty futures paper.

The result of the vote (open vote by show of hands), was that our Group would endorse the Amnesty Futures' objectives.

Action – Andrew to message Mal in order to formally record that the AIGW group wishes to formally endorse the Amnesty Futures' objectives, as set out in their open letter.

AIUK AGM

It was agreed that discussion on the AIUK AGM resolutions should take place at our 13th June meeting.

The conference takes place in Sheffield on 22nd June.

Both Mal and Clara were registered to attend in person.

It remains open for others to attend, either in person or online.

Andrew had received the Group's Voting papers.

It was noted that discussion at the AGM can shed light on resolutions that are not always evident from the papers. Accordingly, the Group agreed that we should ask Clara (or Mal) to cast the AIGW votes on the day of the conference (taking account both of the Group's wishes once the resolutions are considered at our Group's June meeting, but also having delegated authority to amend them should compelling information come to light at the AGM, which provides an alternative approach for reflecting the broad will of our Group).

Each AI member should also have received their individual votes on the AGM resolutions. Please use these. Any member that has not received a vote (postal or online, depending on how you opted to receive communications) should contact AIUK.

Actions

All – Discuss resolutions at 13th June meeting.
Clara / (Mal) – Vote on behalf of the Group at the AIUK AGM on 22nd June.
Andrew – To contact Thea at AIUK to let her know how we intend to use the Group's vote. i.e. Clara (Mal) to vote on the day on behalf of the AIGW Group..
All – encouraged to use your personal vote on the AIUK AGM resolutions.

AIUK Local Group Updates

These can be read here

Claire briefly summarised the various highlights from AIUK's lastest Local Groups' Update, which had been included both in the meeting papers sent in advance and in the agenda.

Other

Mal updated on a Pride event re LGBT rights taking place on 20th July. Cost should be £25 for our Group to register. May wish to contact the University Group to collaborate on this. We can discuss further at July meeting.

Action – Claire to follow up

Kirstie updated on a ‘Sunday Assembly' event taking place on Sun 8th December @ 11am – 12pm at Partickhill Bowling Club, which may be of interest to the group. To be discussed nearer the time.
Andrew indicated that Tim from the (soon to be disbanded) Dunbartonshire AI Group had requested that our Group help to continue an annual Christmas event that the Dunbartonshire Group had input to for years. This was broadly welcomed and will be discussed again nearer the time and once the details of the event are provided by Tim or Frankie.

Urgent Appeals

Merle had sent a number of online Urgent Actions via the Group's Signal account and members were encouraged to respond to these.

Action - All to consider responding to the urgent actions links posted by Merle onteh Signal Group – and also available via AIUK website.

Next meeting – Thurs 13th June @ 7.30pm - 9pm

2024 Meeting Dates

New Members very welcome!

The Group meets every second Thursday of the month at 7.30pm - 9pm.

The meetings take place at Woodlands Methodist Church, 229 Woodlands Road, G3 6LW

For further information contact mail@glasgowwestamnesty.org.uk

~~Thursday 11th January 2024~~
~~Thursday 8th February 2024~~
~~Thursday 14th March 2024~~
~~Thursday 11th April 2024~~
~~Thursday 9th May 2024~~
Thursday 13th June 2024
Thursday 11th July 2024
Thursday 8th August 2024
Thursday 12th September 2024
Thursday 10th October 2024
Thursday 14th November 2024
Thursday 12th December 2024

BETTER TO LIGHT A CANDLE THAN CURSE THE DARKNESS