Publisher's Synopsis
This volume is part of a series of six volumes designed to help young people understand the vital role of organizations like the Red Cross and the World Wide Fund for Nature in their struggles to create a better world.;Amnesty International is the world's largest voluntary organization fighting for human rights. It grew out of a British lawyer's outrage at the unjust arrest of two Portuguese students in 1960, who were subsequently cruelly imprisoned simply because of their beliefs. Within a year, the "Appeal for Amnesty, 1961" launched by the lawyer, Peter Berenson, was an international organization.;Amnesty has grown from a small group of workers in London to a worldwide network. More than a million people in 160 countries faithfully write letters, lobby politicians and take part in protests in the name of Amnesty. It is a name that strikes fear into the perpetrators of torture - and brings hope to their victims.;Amnesty International is impartial and independent, free from political affiliation or government ideology. The story of Amnesty is the story of individuals - prisoners of conscience with the courage to suffer and die for their convictions, and compaigners determined to help them. Amnesty is funded entirely through membership, fundraising and donations. Out of almost 34,000 prisoners "adopted" by Amnesty since 1961, more than 22,000 cases have been successfully concluded. Other titles in the series include "The Red Cross and the Red Crescent", "Greenpeace", "The United Nations", "The United World Wide Fund for Nature".
