An Introduction: Amnesty International and Human Rights

In this week's lesson, we discussed the legend of Amnesty International's founding. The organization was started in 1961, by a British lawyer named Peter Benenson (pictured on the right) after he read about two college students in Portugal who raised their glasses in celebration of liberty. Because Portugal was run by a strict dictator at the time, the students were arrested and imprisoned for this act. Peter Benenson, outraged, wrote a letter in the newspaper, urging people to write to the Portuguese government, demanding that the students be released. He felt people should not be persecuted for their beliefs or ideas. People all over the world responded by sending letters in support of the students and, soon, they were released.

Peter Benenson went on to found Amnesty International with the belief that no one should be imprisoned for expressing their beliefs. More than that, he believed that by imprisoning these students, as well as through other injustices he saw around the world, that people were being denied the ability to be human. Only in a world where people are able to live up to their full potential would peace and prosperity be possible for everyone. So with a mission to ensure that everyone could enjoy to the fullest extent the freedoms and dignity of being human, Amnesty International joined a global effort to create a better world where this ideal could be realized…



AI armed itself with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (discussed in the video) to protect our humanity and to realize this world we envisioned. Amnesty Is able to continue its work protecting those who have had their rights violated because of the numerous members that make up its international network. And our work at CPE is part of Amnesty International’s mission to also promote human rights through education and action.

You also have an important role in promoting and protecting human rights. As stated in the video, human rights are the choices we make every day as human beings, and our shared responsibilities to help, respect and protect each other. This year, with these lessons, we will encourage you to internalize your rights and to respect the rights of others. How could you change your behavior to exhibit a respect for human rights?