guest editorial
“And yet the mood here is one of optimism, hope and dedication.” Condensing two months experience in my new role as Executive Director into a few short paragraphs isn’t easy. What is easy is to feel overwhelmed when you join Amnesty. Just sign up to the Amnesty International’s Urgent Action Network and read the daily alerts if you ever want to shake off the feeling that humanity is largely good.
CONTENTS 3
News Review - Updates from Around the World
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Feature: Housing is a Human Right
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Social Media - Opening the World for Social Change
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Ghost Boats: New Zealand’s Wrong Turn Towards Asylum Detention
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Take Action - World Day Against the Death Penalty
10 Good News 11 Amnesty Briefs
Cover photo: A young boy blows a balloon during an Amnesty International “Week of Action to Stop Forced Evictions in Harare, Zimbabwe, March 2012. (c) Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/ AP Images for Amnesty International Contact details Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand 68 Grafton Road, Auckland, 1010 P O Box 5300, Wellesley St, Auckland, 1141 0800 AMNESTY (0800 266 378)
flame ISSUE 3 / 2012
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Chairperson: Helen Shorthouse Executive Director: Grant Bayldon editor: Anita Harvey
art direction + design: We Love Inc www.weloveinc.com Pass it on When you’ve finished with your copy of Flame please pass it on to someone else so they can learn about Amnesty International and the vital work we do.
And yet the mood here – of both supporters and staff who deal with these harsh realities daily – is one of optimism, hope and dedication. So what, I’ve been wondering, is the secret to staying positive? I think the answer to this question is in the way Amnesty works. Because as well as despair, we see hope every day as prisoners of conscience we have campaigned on are released, or new freedoms open up in countries where there previously were none. And as well as the desperate ongoing tragedies like Syria, we see victories like Aung San Suu Kyi’s liberation. The Arms Trade Treaty campaign is a good example. In July, 20 years of work were undermined at the last minute by cynical superpower politics. Yet we remain confident that the years of work have built up a momentum that will win out, and will one day be seen as one of the most significant steps in curbing the atrocious human rights violations that result from uncontrolled arms. If we look at the state of human rights in the world now and compare it to when Peter Benenson founded Amnesty International 51 years ago, I think most people would agree that the good guys are winning – the human rights project is progressing. But looking at today’s news and Amnesty’s Urgent Action update, there’s still so much more to do. So how do I feel after my first two months? Daunted and a little overwhelmed, certainly - but far more inspired by the incredible people who are part of this movement, and excited about the task we have before us all. This is a role I have wanted to do for a long time, and it’s a great privilege to be part of Amnesty International with you.
This is your FLAME Please let us know if you like it Send all your comments and suggestions to: email: theflame@amnesty. org.nz WWW.amnesty.ORG.NZ Protect the Human
Grant Bayldon Executive Director Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand