Thank you to AMG for these updates. If you prefer, you can read the updates as a PDF.

Welcome & Introductions

Meeting held on 13th October 2022

Present: Jim, Andrew, Merle, Kirstie, Silvia and Claire

Apologies: Neil and Christine

Updates

Roles:

Kirstie to assume role of Treasurer. Updates to be made to the Group's bank account. Two signatures will be required on any cheques, etc. Andrew also to be a signatory. Jim will remain as Treasurer until changes are made with the bank.
Claire to assume role of Group Chair, with the possibility of an additional Co-Chair being appointed in the future.
Andrew to assume role of Secretary. Huge thanks to Freya for all her work over the past 8 years in that role.
Silvia to assume the role of Social Media co-ordinator.

Discussion took place on other potential roles that could be useful and would require volunteers within the Group, including Press liaison and ‘Prisoner of Conscience'.

Group Donation:

Group agreed to donate £100 to AIUK's Iranian Women campaign Urgent Appeal. Andrew will liaise with AIUK and Jim / Kirstie about making the donation.

Stand up at the Stand

Still no reply from The Stand Comedy Club about hosting a fundraiser for our Group. Jim will, once again, seek to follow up with them.

New Group Members

Thanks to Christine and others for beginning to draft a welcome letter for new Group members, setting out info on the work of our Group. Thanks also to Silvia for suggesting and drafting a poster style template aimed at encouraging new members.

Social Media

Silvia is also beginning to develop a series of attractive and social media friendly ‘posters' / templates for use in highlighting the work of the Group.

Scottish Government's proposed Human Rights Bill

[NB not to be confused with the UK Govt's 'Human Rights Bill' (AKA 'Rights Removal Bill'), which has - at least temporarily - been put on hold with regard to its progress through Parliament].

The Human Rights Consortium Scotland (HRCS) (which comprises 100+ Scottish civil society organisations, including AI), is campaigning for the Scottish Govt to prioritise introduction of its own Human Right Bill for Scotland. The Scottish Government had already outlined its intention to introduce this Bill and the HRCS is urging the Scottish Government to accelerate the timescale.

See: This post from HRC Scotland.

The Bill is intended to safeguard existing human rights and embed them more fully across Scottish Govt policy and Scotland's legal system.

(i.e. Largely in contrast to what the UK Govt had been proposing in its Human Rights Bill).

The focus of the proposed Scottish Bill is yet to be developed in detail and will be subject to consultation. However, it is likely to build upon the 'rights-based approach' to children's policy, whereby the Scot Govt last year sought to incorporate the UN Children's Rights Convention into Scots Law.

Following the UK Govt challenging that in the Supreme Court, amendments will be required, but it is understood that the broad ability of the Scot Govt to pursue this approach was largely upheld. Naomi McAuliffe, Scotland Programme Director of AI is one of the signatories to the HRCS letter.

Decision:

It was agreed that the group should consider inputting to the Scottish
Government's Human Rights Bill consultation when it is launched (no date
agreed)

Treasurer's Report

Jim reported there is £315 in the Group's bank account. Fees for use of the hall for group meetings have been paid up until the end of 2022. We require to pay £72 to AIUK as our local group membership fee at the start of 2023. We have now agreed the £100 donation to the Iranian Women's Rights Urgent Appeal.

Following those two payments, the balance will be £143.

Local Groups Update

Highlights below have been extracted from Local Group Mailing List (September)

https://email.amnestyuk.org.uk/q/1eXvKtLE92c1kBsW5vToscA/wv

Guantanamo Bay Petition

https://www.amnesty.org/en/petition/close-guantanamo/

Amnesty Shop - 10% discount for members - Code: 10AMNGRP

https://www.amnestyshop.org.uk/

Ukraine Appeal

Help AIl Expose War Crimes by Fundraising with Your Group:

a ring-fenced fundraising appeal for groups. In the months of
November and December, we are offering local groups the chance to
organise fundraising events raising money specifically for our work
exposing war crimes in Ukraine. - more info soon!/

AIUK National Conference

05.11.22, 10:00 - 19:00 - (in-person). Any member interested in attending can Sign up here

British Nationals in Iran: No-One Left Behind

The Toolkit. October is the month of Action for British Nationals in Iran. The IAR team are inviting groups to take part in a series of events this Autumn in support of detained British Nationals in Iran, Morad and Mehran.

Download our new campaign toolkit.

This new toolkit gives you information about the campaign, how to involve your MP and take part in the London to Tehran challenge, and where to find all the tools you need to take action. If your group is organising any activities, please let us know by emailing iar@amnesty.org.uk.

East Asia Update

East Asia update, including on The Uyghur Campaign

Online training courses

On the Amnesty Education webpage and Futurelearn: People, Power, and Politics: Influencing Political Decision-Makers on Human Rights

Lead Activists Mandatory Training

New mandatory training for lead activists in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism (IDEA) and Safeguarding - October 25 and November 29, from 5pm to 7.15pm. Sign up here:

https://amnestyuk.wufoo.com/forms/w1ce11q503zio0h/

Upcoming Events

Write4Rights (W4R)

Kirstie advised that our Group has had a provisional “yes” from Hillhead Library for 10-12-2022 where our Group will host a W4R event, encouraging members of the public to participate.

Provisionally aiming for 10am - 4pm. We will aim to include stickers, postcards, posters, collection tin, etc for the event.

Freya had advised that AIUK typically send out W4R packs in early Nov - we have already requested them for our Group. The W4R documents are also available to download from the AIUK website.

Urgent Actions

Merle circulated the most recent Urgent Actions. Everyone within the core group and wider mailing list is encouraged to respond to the Urgent Actions

Belarus: Jailed Activist Subjected To Ill-Treatment

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/jailed-activist-subjected-ill-treatment

Iran: Iranian LGBTI Defender Sentenced To Death

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/iranian-lgbti-defender-sentenced-death

Burundi: Lawyer Detained Arbitrarily For Nearly 2-Yrs

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/lawyer-detained-arbitrarily-nearly-2-yrs

Action Points from this (13th October 2022) Meeting

Silvia to do Social Media callout for new volunteers, including IAR
Case Campaigner
Silvia to freshen up our local Group website
Emails: Andrew to send liaise with Rob to send two emails per month to our local Group membership. (1 with meeting minutes/updates to be sent c. 1 week after monthly meetings; 1 with meeting reminder & local group updates email link to be sent c. 1 week prior to the next monthly meeting). Include paypal account in footer. [bank details to be included just for special events]
Write4Rights: Kirstie to confirm event date and use of facilities with Hillhead Library → when confirmed, Andrew to share with Student group & invite/ask to collab on their W4R event
Following a recent request received by email*, Andrew* to be interviewed on behalf of the Group by the Strathclyde journalism student undertaking research on Iran, mentioning our donation & AI's British Nationals in Iran campaign.
Andrew to contact AI's Scotland office to ask if Naomi McAuliffe could talk to a future meeting of our group about how best we can contribute to any campaign work e.g. Human Rights Bill.
Claire to contact Interfaith Glasgow and Glasgow Mosque about a joint event in 2023 with the people who were at the Iftar event (on Uyghurs, Palestine, Kashmir) – Israel Apartheid campaign (use AIUK flyer & briefing notes; UN rapporteur's info); could have a more general meeting focus of “Religious Persecution”.

November Meeting

Provisional Items

Provisional list of items to be included indiscussion. Other suggestions welcomed!

Recruit for Community Outreach; Amnesty Scotland/UK Liaison; Press; Welfare & Diversity; Spokesperson

See this Google Doc

Christine to share advertising posters at next meeting
Discuss: Shall we change our name to Glasgow Amnesty /(Note potential issues for Daytime group and Glasgow University Group which we ought to discuss with them) /
Write4Rights event planning
Begin to develop an outline of the Group's priorities on the 2023 Planner
Facilitator: Any member willing to volunteer to chair the meeting would be appreciated

On Hold

Human Rights Act (UK)

As noted above. It appears that the UK Govt has, at lease temporarily, postoponed progress of its Human Rights Bill (AKA Rights Removal Bill). Accordingly, the Group agreed to put on hold planned activity in this area until the next steps are clarified.

See 2022 Planned Campaigns for more info

AI petition: https://savetheact.uk/#signup-form
- share & sign 🡪 social media & newsletter & see Andrew's briefing note for our Group for further info
Potential speakers for future meeting discussion on Human Rights Bill:
- Amnesty Scottish office
- Aamer Anwar (Glasgow-based lawyer)/ /
- Law Dep at Univ (Silvia)
We could also liaise with the AI Scotland office and ask about linking with other AI local groups and broader groups within Scotland that have similar concerns to undertake more co-ordinated action on HRA.
As part of this, it was agreed that the group should consider inputting to the Scottish Government's Human Rights Bill consultation when it is launched (likely sometime in 2023).

Date of Next Meeting

Thursday 10th November 2022, 7.30pm - 9pm.

Woodlands Methodist Church, 229 Woodlands Road, G3 6LW

New Group members welcome!!!