Write For Good: Write for Rights
- Renée Elson
- Feb 15, 2023
- 8 min read
(originally published January 20 2022)
This month’s Write for Good campaign, Write for Good: Write for Rights, is inspired by Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign. Amnesty makes it so easy to Write for Good: Write for Rights : in this article, you will find direct links to prewritten templates that can be emailed directly to the appropriate authorities in two clicks. I am here to spread information and facilitate the process where I can.
I have selected a handful of cases at random from their website, synthesized information, and created easy templates to make it easier for you to partake in their impactful letter-writing campaigns and Write for Good.
What is the Amnesty Write for Rights Campaign?
Each year, Amnesty selects 10 international cases of human rights violations that could be impacted by the pressure and influence of mass letters. There are also “urgent cases” that require attention RIGHT NOW to preserve human rights and save lives. Most of this information is taken from amnesty.org.
Writing these letters can seem daunting and maybe you don’t know where to start. So, I am including my own letter drafts here to inspire you or to use as a template. I highly encourage you to do your research on each case on Amnesty.com, personalize the letter and add your own voice and details for maximum efficiency. Amnesty.com also has their own letter templates and extensive resources here.
NOTE: Amnesty is NOT a perfect organization. They have been accused of certain biases in the cases they choose. I choose to participate in their campaigns anyways because I don’t see any other organisations wherein I can use my writing to make a tangible difference advocating for human rights. To try to balance the imperfectness of Amnesty, I keep myself open to learning about their biases and shortcomings so I can be informed and also participate in activism through other means.
How to write a letter
There are two types of letters you could Write for Good: Write for Rights. You can write a letter of solidarity to the victim of human rights abuses and/or a letter to the authorities committing the abuse.
Amnesty’s tips
Amnesty’s letter guide includes the following guidelines for an effective and impactful letter:
Be reasonable and respectful – Although you may be appalled by the human rights violations you’re writing against, you want to be listened to. Remember there’s a real person who will be reading your letter and you will be more effective if they actually get through it.
Follow the facts from Amnesty International – for every case, there is a comprehensive case study on Amnesty.com that will provide you with all the important information.
Use your personal voice – include some details, like the province, state, or country you’re from or something about your identity (student, parent, etc). Your individuality will shine through and strengthen your letter.
Base the appeals on international law, not political judgement – political judgement can be subjective and do more harm than good. These human rights violation accusations are based on the obligations of international law, so refer to those.
Express your personal interest in the country – if you have personal, travel, or educational interest in the country, it can be effective to include it.
Be brief — the letter does not need to be longer than a page or a few sentences. You don’t need to hit every point because you are joining the collective network of international letter-writers, and someone else will cover the points you did not.
End with a question — to end your letter on an impactful final note.
Write for Good: Write for Rights campaigns and templates*
*Note: at time of writing, January 2022, the 10 cases for 2022 have not been updated yet.
MATTHEW REEVES, 44, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
On January 27, 2022, 43-year-old Matthew Reeves is set to be executed by the state of Alabama for a crime that occured when he was 18. He has since been diagnosed with an intellectual disability, which according to American law should make him exempt from the death penalty. You can read more about his case here.
Here is my letter to Governer Kay Ivey, which I sent through this link: contact.governor.alabama.gov/contact.aspx. (Unfortunately, WordPress isn’t letting me do embeds right now. Just copy-paste this link into your browser).
Dear Governer Ivey,
I am a university student from Ontario, Canada who is very concerned for the life and well-being of Matthew Reeves. Matthew Reeves should have never been sentenced to death at 18 years old; the absense of a mental health professional who could testify to his intellectual disability and the impacts of the gunshot to the head Mr. Reeves suffered 10 weeks before the crime for which he was convicted was a miscarriage of justice. You can finally be the force that reintroduces justice into Mr. Reeves’ life by stopping his execution. Today, you have the opportunity to make a positive impact in the American justice system and save a life. I have visited many amazing American cities, like New York City, Pittsburgh, and Orlando, and cannot wait to discover more states and meet their incredible people in the coming months. The America that the world recognizes idealizes freedom, justice, and opportunity. Would a person with intellectual disabilities such as Mr. Reeves be subjected to this sentencing today, in 2022? You have time and opportunity to change history. Please, grant Mr. Reeves clemency now. The world is watching. Thank you for your time.
PANUSAYA “RUNG” SITHIJIRAWATTANAKUL, 23, THAILAND
Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul is a peaceful protest leader for equality, freedom of expression, and reform of the monarchy. She was arrested for criticizing the monarchy and held for over a year until she did a 38-day hunger strike. She was released in April 2021 but still faced charges You can write a letter to the Thai authorities as well as a letter of solidarity to Rung (if you do the latter, you are encouraged to include drawings of rainbows – that’s what “rung” means in Thai).
You can find more details on Rung’s case, including the mailing addresses for the letters, here:
You can write an email directly to the Prime Minister of Thailand through the link below, which includes a pre-written template by Amnesty. Remember to add in personal details for maximum efficiency. For instance, in my letter, I speak about how I am also a university student. Here’s the link: https://takeaction.amnesty.ca/page/92807/action/1?locale=en-US. (Unfortunately, WordPress isn’t letting me do embeds right now. Just copy-paste this link into your browser).
You can sign a petition for Rung’s freedom here:
ZHANG ZHAN, 38, CHINA
Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer, traveled to Wuhan in February 2020 to report on coronavirus. She spoke out against government officials on social media regarding the treatment of the families of Covid-19 patients and the detainment of citizen journalists. She went missing in May 2020 and was sentenced to four years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. In June 2020, she began a hunger strike to protest her detention, which she is still partially upholding despite grave risks to her health. She was admitted to the hospital in July 2021 due to serious malnutrition. Her family is concerned for her life.
Although I originally wrote a letter to President Xi for Zhang Zhan, today I found documents from Amnesty regarding contacting their offices if sending correspondence after January 16, 2022, which was last week. I am waiting on sending my letter until I hear back from Amnesty. In the meantime, I have signed this petition:
You can find details on Zhang’s case here:
IMOLEAYO MICHAEL, NIGERIA
Imoleayo Michael was detained by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (referred to as SARS) in Nigeria after participating in protests and speaking out on social media about SARS’ history of human rights abuses. He was detained under unfair conditions for 41 days. He was released on bail in December 2020 but still faces charges. You can message the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in Nigeria through this link: https://takeaction.amnesty.ca/page/92108/action/1?locale=en-US . (Unfortunately, WordPress isn’t letting me do embeds right now. Just copy-paste this link into your browser).
In addition to the excellent points made in the Amnesty template, I added the following questions in my letter : “Has Imoleayo been provided a lawyer and fair trial? Is this treatment what he deserves for engaging in the human right of freedom of assembly and association? I plead you to drop all charges against Imoleayo.”
You can find details of Imoleayo’s case, including the mailing address for the Nigerian Minister of Justice and the Nigerian embassy in Canada, here :
BERNARDO CAAL XOL, 50, GUATEMALA
In Guatemala, Bernardo Caal Xol was selected by his community, the Maya Q’eqchi’, to defend his people and their land — particularly a sacred river, one of the longest in Guatemala, set to be dammed for the construction of a hydro plant that has already decimated the nearby forest. Not only is the river sacred, but the Maya Q’eqchi’ depend on this water to survive.
This case resonated with me because of how Indigenous peoples and their resources are treated here in Canada. The government of Canada is unjustly abusing its power through the RCMP to build pipelines through scared lands on which communities depend, despite Indigenous resistance. Land defenders are being arrested injustly not just in Guatemala, but here too. Click here to learn more: https://www.wildernesscommittee.org/noTMX
You can read more about Bernardo’s case and find the mailing addresses here:
You can send a letter directly to the Attorney General Consuelo Porras through the following link: https://takeaction.amnesty.ca/page/91427/action/1?locale=en-US .
Because I have personal travel experience in Guatemala, and because I have identified parallels between what happens to land defenders in Guatemala and what happens here in Canada. I included these ideas in my email. Here are the details I added:
“Guatemala is a beautiful country I had the honour of visiting in 2019. I had a life-changing experience climbing the Pacaya, sightseeing in Petén, and discovering Flores. As a Canadian, I witness my own government persecuting Indigenous land defenders and forcing them from their land for the construction of pipelines that destroy and pollute the land. When I heard of the arrest of Bernardo Caal Xol, I saw the similarities between what happens to land defenders here.”
You can sign a petition for Bernardo’s release here:
Information & ressources
This is just a small handful of cases picked at random from Amnesty International. You can see all cases here:
and up-to-date, urgent cases (like Matthew’s) here:
Closing remarks
Amnesty International’s annual Write for Rights is on December 10, and I hope you will participate with me when the time comes. I would love to host a Write with Ren Write for Rights event in December. By then, I should have a more influential and wide-reaching platform. Together, we can make a difference.
Thank you so much for using your words for good with me today and advocating for human rights by participating in Write for Good: Write for Rights.
I hope this article has informed you of ways you can make a positive difference with your words and inspired you to write letters advocating for human rights.
To discover other ways you can Write for Good, you can find all my Write for Good campaigns here : https://www.writewithren.com/category/writeforgood/ (Side note to other WordPress users — I’m having the worst time trying to figure out embeds ! They never work for me. This is a public call for help.)
If you have ideas for the next Write for Good article and ways we can use our words for good, comment them down below. Thank you for reading this very important post from writewithren.com!
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