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1.1 Amnesty International
Amnesty was founded in 1961 by Peter Benenson, a Catholic lawyer who had English and Russian parents. Benenson hit upon the idea of working for the release of people imprisoned for their beliefs by means of letter-writing campaigns.
At the end of 1961, Amnesty International groups had been established in twelve countries (ten Western European countries, Australia and the USA). Benenson had also designed the symbol of the organisation, the candle in barbed wire.
Today, Amnesty has over 250,000 members in about 140 countries. The International Secretariat, in London, numbers 150 employees, nearly half of them involved in researching the details in human rights violations. Amnesty groups are strongest and most active in Western Europe.
Amnesty's aims and techniques have changed since its foundation.
Its fundamental concern is to achieve the immediate release of political prisoners.
It also works to ensure that political prisoners are given a fair and prompt trail.
Its third aim is to seek the abolition of the death penalty and the elimination of the use of torture.
This organisation works so effectively because of the highly respected quality of Amnesty's research, which means that any decision to help imprisoned people is based on a carefully compiled system of facts. Another asset is the great volunteer support - without these volunteers postal campaigns are impossible.
Amnesty's policy of limiting itself to defending just a few basic rights enables it to be an efficient and effective group.
Critics of Amnesty often say that the organisation only works for people in the capitalist countries of the \"rich north\". This brings us to further criticism that its strength is in fact a weakness in that it overlooks violations of some human rights. Amnesty responds by saying that the defence of some basic rights helps the protection of other rights. If people's voices are not stilled by imprisonment, it will be easier to achieve food, clothing and other basic needs for all.
1.2 The Anti-Slavery Society
It is the world\'s oldest human rights organisation. Founded in 1839, the Anti-Slavery Society works to end all forms of slavery and it also tries to protect the rights of those who are in social, geographical or political isolation. Recent activities includes a campaign against the exploitation of tribal peoples by the Philippine government. Homelands had been invaded and industrial plans started, without consultation or agreement.
1.3 Helsinki Watch
Helsinki Watch pays attention to human rights in the thirty-five countries in Eastern and Western Europe and North America which signed the Helsinki agreement on security and co-operation. It publishes violations of human rights, supports international protests against offending governments and organises meetings.
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