Amnesty International Bournemouth Poole Christchurch Group

local news & events Amnesty International group for Bournemouth, Poole & Christchurch

Group Newsletter September 2025

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Welcome to the latest newsletter. Our next meeting  is on Thursday 2nd October 2025, 7.30pm – 9.00pm at Moordown Community Centre. We will have updates on campaigns, letter writing and planning future events.

South West England Amnesty Network

This is a new initiative that aims to enhance human rights activism and awareness across South West England, encompassing both national and global issues.  Local groups have been at the heart of Amnesty International UK from its inception and have been a vital part of its activism. Unfortunately, the number of local groups has declined gradually, leaving parts of the country without a means to connect with others and participate in campaigning. The Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch group is now the only local group left in Dorset. Find out more about the network. It will launch on…

Thursday, 14th October, 7.30, with a Webinar.

Luiz Aberbuj from Breaking the Silence will expose the reality of life for Palestinians in the West Bank.  Founded in March 2004, Breaking the Silence is an organisation of veteran soldiers who have served in the Israeli military since the start of the Second Intifada and have taken it upon themselves to expose the Israeli public to the reality of the horrendous conditions faced by the Palestinians in the West Bank. They endeavour to stimulate public debate in Israel about this and, through their work, aim to bring an end to the occupation. Free tickets to the webinar are now available.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1659755616729?
[Read more…]

South West Network

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A new initiative was launched in October 2025  –  Amnesty South West England Network. This aims to enhance human rights activism and awareness across South West England, encompassing both national and global issues.  Local groups have been at the heart of Amnesty International UK from its inception and have been a vital part of its activism. Unfortunately, the number of local groups has declined gradually, leaving parts of the country without a means to connect with others and participate in campaigning. The Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch group is now the only local group left in Dorset.

What are the benefits of being part of the network?

  • Being more informed about human rights issues
  • Meeting and working with people who also care about these issues
  • Gaining support for issues you already work on and care about
  • Feeling you can help to make a difference

Similar initiatives have already been successfully launched in Kent and Central England, primarily online, enabling potential activists to meet, listen to speakers, plan regional campaigns, and coordinate location-specific actions. As well as existing Amnesty members, these networks aim to attract people who may not be Amnesty members but who are interested in human rights issues and/or may not have the time or inclination to join traditional local groups or come to meetings. Networks are a response to societal and lifestyle changes, making it easier for more people to participate in a movement for positive change.

Amnesty South West England Network isn’t going to replace local groups. Apart from our group, there are currently twelve other Amnesty Local Groups across the South West. The network should enhance local groups as a way of publicising our campaigns and events. In both Kent and the Central Midlands, it has led to the establishment of new groups.

How will the Network work?

[Read more…]

South America Newsletter July 2025

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This month we bring you news from the Region, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.

Highlights are:

  • Regional: The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ruled that governments have a legal obligation to tackle climate change.
  • Colombia: A law was passed a year ago recognising the work and rights of women searchers for victims of enforced disappearance, Amnesty has expressed concern that implementation is still pending. 
  • Venezuela: A new report by Amnesty says Venezuelan authorities continue to commit enforced disappearances as part of the policy of the repression of dissidents
  • Peru: Amnesty has strongly criticised a new bill, which proposes granting amnesty to members of the Armed Forces, the Police, and other State officials who have not received a final sentence in “cases related to the fight against terrorism in the period 1980-2000”.
  • Ecuador: Human Rights Watch has stated that new laws passed by Ecuador’s National Assembly and signed by President Daniel Noboa include dangerous provisions that threaten the rights of Ecuadorians.
  • Brazil: Human Rights Watch has called on Brazilian legislators to reject a new bill which dismantles environmental licensing requirements and, if approved, could accelerate oil and gas extraction, cattle ranching and deforestation in the Amazon.
  • Bolivia: The UN human rights office has called for an investigation into the deaths of six people during clashes between police and supporters of former president Evo Morales that have deepened Bolivia’s political and economic crisis.
  • Argentina: The son of Graciela Alicia Romero and Raul Eugenio Metz, two of the 30,000 Argentinians who “disappeared” during the dictatorship, has become the 140th child found by Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo.
  • Chile: The government is presenting a bill to Congress to decriminalize abortion up to 14 weeks of pregnancy.

REGIONAL

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that governments have a legal obligation to tackle climate change. States have a duty under international law to prevent, mitigate and remedy environmental harm that threatens human rights, including through laws, policies and actions aimed at curbing climate change. “States now have clear guidance and can no longer claim ignorance of their human rights obligations… now is the time for immediate, concrete, and positive action to urgently tackle the climate crisis.” said Ana Piquer, Regional Director for the Americas at Amnesty International

COLOMBIA

While acknowledging that Colombia has been the first country in the world to approve a law recognising the work and rights of women searchers for victims of enforced disappearance, Amnesty has expressed  concern that implementation is still pending one year after the passing of the law.  Organisations of women searchers have drawn attention to the risks and threats involved in this activity.  Between 100,000 and 200,000 persons have been forcibly disappeared in Colombia and even today one person disappears every 36 hours. [Read more…]

Group Newsletter June 2025

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Welcome to the latest newsletter. Our next meeting  is on Thursday 3rd July 2025, 7.30pm – 9.00pm at Moordown Community Centre. We will have updates on campaigns, letter writing and planning future events. But before, help us celebrate Refuge Week at…
This is a community festival to celebrate Refugee Week. Established in 1998 in the UK, Refugee Week takes place every year around World Refugee Day (20th June). It’s the world’s largest arts & culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
We have been directly involved in organising this event and will have a stall there throughout the day. There are more details on the Eventbrite page, (Eventbrite like you to register for tickets, but this isn’t essential  –  please just turn up – its FREE!)
So we hope to see you Saturday 21st June, anytime 12 -7, at Winton Recreation Ground, Bournemouth BH9 1BZ
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-great-community-get-together-at-winton-recreation-ground-tickets-1397975565549
https://refugeeweek.org.uk/

Europe Newsletter

The latest Europe Newsletter has just been published. This does expand extensively about the importance of Refugee Week. Its an opportunity to roll back the tide of misinformation, scapegoating, hate speech and hostility directed at refugees. Also a reminder that seeking asylum is a human right.
This right is seriously under threat in Poland, where a law “suspending” asylum claims is a  flagrant violation of international law and poses a serious threat to the rights of refugees and migrants.
There is also a reminder that five Gezi Park defendants remain in prison and have been responding to solidarity cards and messages.
https://amnestyat50.co.uk/europe-newsletter-june-2025

[Read more…]

South America Newsletter May 2025

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Check out our new website at https://amnestysouthamerica.org.uk!

This month we bring you news from Peru, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela and Brazil.

Highlights are:

  • Peru: Amnesty has called for the repeal of new legislation which violates freedom of expression and other rights
  • Colombia: Amnesty has called for the unblocking of investigations into violence against the community of San José de Apartadó
  • Chile: Amnesty has warned of problems with the effectiveness of the body tasked with reforming the carabineros
  • Argentina: Amnesty has reported that, during the 2024 Write for Rights Campaign, over 400,000 people took action in support of Joel Paredes, who lost an eye during a peaceful protest. A casefile is being developed to enable further action by Amnesty Local Groups
  • Venezuela: Human Rights Watch has documented widespread abuses by the authorities since the 2024 Presidential elections
  • Brazil: A US NGO has filed a petition to block the import of Brazilian coffee associated with forced labour

PERU  

Amnesty has called on the Peruvian authorities to repeal a recent amendment to a law which, it says, violates freedom of expression, freedom of association and access to justice for hundreds of victims in Peru. The amendment, which relates to the functions of the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (APCI), strengthens APCI’s control over the work of civil society organisations, leaving the door open to arbitrary decisions, discretionality and the censoring of voices that are critical of and inconvenient for those in power, while weakening State accountability.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Peruvian President to veto an amendment to Peru’s General Law on Persons with Disabilities, recently passed by the Peruvian Congress, which threatens to institutionalise people with disabilities through the creation of specialised care centres and temporary and permanent shelters.  According to HRW, the amendment ignores the principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), to which Peru is a party, and which promotes deinstitutionalisation. [Read more…]

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