Florin Zamfirescu/Amnesty International
Annual Report Amnesty International 2012 Canadian Section (English Speaking) Annual Report 2012
Amnesty International’s mission
Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people dedicated to the protection and promotion of human rights. Our vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. In pursuit of this vision, Amnesty International’s mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of these rights. Amnesty International seeks to expose human rights abuses accurately and quickly. We systematically and independently investigate the facts of individual cases and patterns of human rights abuses. These findings are publicized, and members, supporters and staff then mobilize persistent public pressure on governments, armed political groups, companies and others to prevent and stop these violations. Amnesty International promotes public awareness and understanding of the full range of human rights, and we work with a global community of organizations to ensure broad support and respect for all human rights. Amnesty International is governed by our members. We are independent of all governments, political persuasions and religious creeds. We are funded by our members and donors, and neither seek nor accept funds from governments. Contents
Letter from the President...... 5 Letter from the Executive Director and the Secretary General...... 6 Executive Committee report...... 8 Branch at a glance...... 10 Goals of the 2010-16 Branch plan of Amnesty International Canada (ES): 1. Protecting people’s freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination ...... 11 2. Defending people from violence by state and non-state actors ...... 14 3. Defending unprotected people on the move...... 23 4. Empowering people living in poverty...... 25 5. Cross-cutting themes...... 27 6. Membership activism...... 28 7. Fundraising...... 33 8. Working globally...... 35 9. Communications and marketing / Integrating organization...... 37 10. Evaluation and impact...... 39 International Council Meeting 2011...... 40 Amnesty’s global head promotes Human Rights Agenda for Canada...... 40 Financial report and statements...... 42
Appendices: Implementation of AGM 2010 decisions...... 46 Executive Committee...... 47 Fieldworkers...... 47 Coordinators...... 47 Branch staff...... 49 On December 10, 2011—International Human Rights Day—Niagara Falls was illuminated in Amnesty International yellow to mark Amnesty’s 50th anniversary year. The event was part of Amnesty’s global Shine a Light campaign. Activists at Niagara Falls held special lanterns highlighting specific human rights cases.
4 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report © Susanne Ure/Amnesty International Letter from the president
Dear colleagues and friends, 2011 was Amnesty International’s 50th year, and more than any other year that I have been a member, it reminded me of the power and importance of the human rights movement. The uprisings that swept across the Middle East and North Africa surely captured all of us with their moments of unforgettable courage and unspeakable suffering. They embodied the dignity and freedom that we work for and the violence and oppression that we fight against. Then there was Occupy, a people’s movement that spread to over 80 countries in less than one month. Many of us supported these struggles. Of course, there was also so much else to do. This report testifies to the range of incredible work our passionate members, talented staff, generous Sarah Beamish donors and valued partners did together this past year, from sending over 35,000 letters President through our biggest Write for Rights event yet, to cycling 3,000 km in Argentina to raise funds, to speaking out about injustices across Canada and around the world. It is work to celebrate and be proud of. A lot of important things happened inside Amnesty too. At the global level, we approved a series of major changes to our finances, governance and operations—decisions made possible by years of hard work by people across the organization, including several leaders in our Branch. We received a report from Dame Anne Owers about key challenges for our international governance and management, and began implementing her important recommendations. We also made key strides with our planned growth in the global South, including opening an office in Brazil. At the Branch level, we saw growth in several membership programs, and continued our important leadership development and membership revitalization work. We also created the Gender Mainstreaming Steering Committee, which had a very active first year. We finished a successful three-year partnership with our colleagues in Amnesty Mexico. We were nominated for a national award for excellence in financial reporting. And, in what was a highlight for many of us, we held a wonderful joint Annual General Meeting in Montreal with our friends from the francophone branch, where we were joined by the incredible Zimbabwean activist Jenni Williams. Many new challenges arose in 2011, and as always we faced them with persistence, hope, anger, solidarity, and a belief that we can and must do better. Together we now move forward.
Sarah Beamish President
Amnesty International Canadian Section 5 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Letter from the Executive Director and the Secretary General
In June 2011, Alex, along with an Amnesty International team, travelled to an isolated part of Côte d’Ivoire, to look into rumoured recent massacres. No one had yet been there to investigate. No reporters. No UN agencies or aid groups. No diplomats or government officials. No one. Alex wrote of this experience:
Before arriving in the small villages where the killings had taken place we made a courtesy call to the chief of the largest nearby village, and met Chief Raphael. We made our introductions and then with a warm smile he remarked “Amnesty Alex Neve Secretary General International, I was wondering when you would get here.” His teasing words were not made in any spirit of “what took you so long,” rather he was saying to us, “Good, now we are together, let’s get to work.” And we did.
That sentiment—of being together and doing the work—captures not just this past year of hu- man rights research and action, but the half century of growth of Amnesty International that we celebrated throughout 2011. And what a year it has been, particularly across the Middle East and North Africa. As 2011 began, no one could have imagined the power that was to be unleashed as millions of voices Bob Goodfellow Executive Director joined together in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain and elsewhere. Almost imme- diately we were reminded that human rights aspirations are so often met with swift and brutal crackdowns. The unending killings in Syria—including hundreds of children—are a wrenching and outrageous reminder of that. Amnesty International stood and will continue to stand with people in both the euphoria and the terror of what has unfolded across that region. Many other corners of our world have preoc- cupied us this year as well.
■■ Côte d’Ivoire began the year with a defiant president, Laurent Gbagbo, allowing his militias to wreak havoc throughout the country; but ended with him awaiting trial at the Interna- tional Criminal Court in The Hague.
■■ Other tragedies in such places as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan received little attention from the world, but Amnesty was watching.
■■ The harsh and ongoing plight of the people of Gaza and the situation in Zimbabwe often seemed forgotten this year, but Amnesty did not forget.
■■ The extreme peril faced by Indigenous peoples in Colombia and the need to ensure accountability for decades of human rights violations in Sri Lanka were two compelling reminders that our human rights gaze cannot wander.
6 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Throughout the year we rejoiced in the release of many more prisoners of conscience in the wake of Aung San Suu Kyi being freed in Myanmar in late 2010. But nearby China’s impris- oned democracy activist and Nobel laureate, Liu Xiaobo, remained behind bars. Our activism on his behalf continues, as it does for many others throughout China who face ongoing human rights violations. 2011 marked such highs and lows in our efforts to abolish the death penalty worldwide. The state of Georgia went ahead with the execution of Troy Davis in spite of serious doubts about his guilt and in the face of protests by unprecedented numbers of people across the United States and around the world. The legacy of that injustice has substantially reinvigorated the movement to end capital punishment in the United States. We were also part of many important human rights struggles close to home.
■■ The rights of Indigenous peoples—including our continuing work with the Lubicon Cree; and of course our ongoing solidarity with families across the country who clamor for an end to Canada’s shocking levels of violence against Indigenous women.
■■ The continuing need to address human rights failings in our approach to counter-terrorism.
■■ The disgraceful reality that there is still no reliable means of ensuring that Canadian mining companies operating around the world live up to their human rights responsibilities.
■■ The federal government’s proposed immigration legislation which, if passed, could see numerous refugee claimants locked up mandatorily for minimum periods of one year without access to detention reviews. Meant to crackdown on human smuggling, it most harshly targets those who turn in desperation to smugglers for assistance. As our 50th anniversary year comes to a close, we draw much inspiration from so many millions of people around the world who have come together and spoken out for human rights. The power of this astonishing outpouring of dignity and courage was so beautifully symbolized on International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011, when Niagara Falls shone yellow in honour of international human rights and Amnesty International. As deeply inspired as we truly are, we are also outraged by today’s urgent human rights trag- edies—from Attawapiskat to Damascus, and the many points in between. That which fuels us is the combination of inspiration and outrage. That will drive our continuing work on Syria, fortify our determination to push Canadian companies to operate responsibly in Guatemala, Colombia and elsewhere, impel our efforts to convince governments to adopt a strong new treaty to rein in the world’s deadly unregulated arms trade, and strengthen our continuing work with Indigenous peoples in Canada. As we move on into the 51st year of Amnesty International, we know that we have much to do—that many like Chief Raphael are still waiting for us to arrive. Our work and voice must not falter, but continue to grow in volume and strength. In our first 50 years Amnesty has been enriched beyond measure by those who chose to support it. We now bring tremendous resources to the many daunting challenges ahead. Consider the fact that our work and voice are made up of the work and voices of tens of thousands of members across Canada from coast to coast to coast, along with 3.2 million Amnesty members and supporters worldwide. And importantly our work and voice includes your work and voice. Thank you for all you’ve done with and for Amnesty in 2011. We sincerely hope you are proud of what we’ve done together, a small portion of which is set out in the following pages.
Alex Neve, Secretary General Bob Goodfellow, Executive Director
Amnesty International Canadian Section 7 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Executive committee report
The Executive Committee (EC) is a group of ten elected volunteers responsible for overseeing the operations of Amnesty International Canada as well as for doing strategic reflection on the directions the organization should consider for the future. These tasks are carried out in close collaboration and consultation with many other members of the organization and with staff. The 2011 financial year was a generally successful one for Amnesty Canada. We started out somewhat uncertain of our capacity to raise the funds required by our budget and therefore put contingency plans in place to limit spending if necessary. We also postponed paying a small portion of our assessment to the international movement (our “assessment” is the amount of David Smith Branch income that gets sent to the international movement each year). In the event, our EC Chair fundraising team was very successful which allowed us to both meet our budget and pay our full assessment by the end of the year. We were even able to invest some extra money in our fundraising program which should make future financial goals a bit easier to reach. While not glamorous or directly related to the promotion of human rights, the EC nevertheless spends a significant part of each meeting examining both the revenue and expenditure sides of our financial statements. The EC is both legally and morally responsible to our donors to see that the money they give to Amnesty is used appropriately and efficiently to further the goals we have set for ourselves. Ensuring there is no obvious fraud or waste going on is relatively easy. A more challenging task is evaluating how well spending matches the priorities set out in the six-year Branch Plan and our annual priorities statements. Thanks to very good information provided to us by the accounting and the program staff, we feel we are in a position to say that this is the case. In addition to monitoring our financial position the EC also receives reports on all the rest of Amnesty Canada’s activities. The variety and number of different programs and initiatives the organization is involved with makes the EC’s oversight role here challenging too. One of the ways we accomplish this oversight is through the work of the various EC committees. These committees, without getting directly involved in the day-to-day management of programs and which often include staff members, allow EC members to both contribute to the work and to become aware of the issues and challenges involved in many different parts of the work of the Branch. The Annual General Meeting/Biennial General Meeting (AGM/BGM) committee (sometimes known as the “Fork in the Road” committee thanks to a graphic presented at the Montreal AGM) has been doing much work over the past few years on the potential move to replace our annual general meeting with a biennial general meeting and a series of regional meetings in the alternate years. This past year was no exception and the EC and the committee have done much work exploring the financial and membership impact that such a change would have.
8 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report This past year saw us receive the final report of a committee established in 2010 to look at ways of revitalizing the work we do with our members. Amnesty is, at its core, a membership organization and so this kind of periodic re-examination is normal and necessary. We need to continually adjust the ways in which we engage our members in the work to take into account changes in the nature of human rights abuses but also those in the lifestyles of our members. The EC was pleased with the results of the report and has launched a number of pilot projects to test some of the committee’s recommendations. The work described above is only a small part of what the EC is engaged in. Over a dozen different committees do work on topics ranging from gender-mainstreaming through diversity, finance and international strategy all the way to the planning of the AGM. None of this work would be possible without our very dedicated staff and we are very proud of them. The last few years have been difficult ones for them as they lived through the shrinkage in our program and staff budgets after the financial crisis of 2008. 2011 saw the negotiation of a new comprehensive agreement between Amnesty Canada and the Non-Management Staff Association. The agreement makes a number of improvements in conditions and benefits as well as continues to adjust salaries to reflect both inflation and changing market conditions. Finally, thanks are due to all the members of Amnesty Canada that support the work of the EC and the organization in so many different ways. The ten members of the EC are supported and advised by thousands of other volunteers from across the country who all have the same desire to see a culture of human rights established around the globe.
David Smith Chair, Executive Committee
Amnesty International Canadian Section 9 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Delegates at Amnesty International’s 2011 Annual General Meeting in Montreal give a standing ovation to Zimbabwean human rights defender Jenni Williams. © Paul Thompson/Amnesty International
Branch at a glance Number of members by Province/Territory
Province/Territory Members Groups and Action Circles 115 in 2004 90 in 2011 British Columbia 12,735 Alberta 5,920 Youth groups Saskatchewan 1,322 405 in 2004 562 in 2011 Manitoba 1,779 Ontario 28,523 Financial supporters Quebec 3,115 52,312 in 2004 57,070 in 2011 New Brunswick 640
Monthly donors Nova Scotia 1,873 25,322 in 2004 30,914 in 2011 Prince Edward Island 145 Newfoundland and Labrador 369 Website visits Yukon 135 630,000 in 2004 1,490,648 in 2011 Northwest Territories 110 Nunavut 20 Foreign addresses/unknown 384
10 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report 1. Protecting people’s freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination
“We will oppose efforts of governments around the world to suppress freedom of expression and belief, for instance when people risk imprisonment or other penalties because of severe restrictions on access to the internet. We will continue to demand that human rights defenders be allowed to work without impediments and without fear for their physical safety. Amnesty has long worked to free prisoners of conscience, and such work will continue to feature prominently in the Branch’s work. Women’s human rights and the rights of Indigenous Peoples will continue to be areas of strength and focus for our Branch.” — Amnesty International Canada (ES) Branch Plan 2010-16
Highlights from 2011: Defending women’s human rights
On February 14, 2011, Amnesty International members in Canada sent Valentine’s Day mes- sages of support to the members of WOZA (Women of Zimbabwe Arise), a movement of 80,000 courageous human rights activists who are peacefully protesting against the worsening economic conditions and human rights crisis in Zimbabwe. WOZA members are often intimi- dated and ill-treated by police because of their activism. Some have been beaten. Many have Number of members by Province/Territory been arrested and held in overcrowded jails, denied access to lawyers and to medical atten- tion. Amnesty members responded generously to an appeal to raise much needed funds for Province/Territory Members WOZA, and bought fair-trade roses that were taken to the Zimbabwean Embassy in Ottawa to demonstrate the support of Canadians for human rights in Zimbabwe. British Columbia 12,735 In May 2011, Amnesty International members hosted Zimbabwean human rights defender Alberta 5,920 Jenni Williams on her visit to Canada. Jenni Williams is a founding member of WOZA and was Saskatchewan 1,322 the inspirational keynote speaker at Amnesty’s Annual General Meeting in Montreal. She also visited Amnesty’s national office in Ottawa to meet members, volunteers and staff. “Amnesty Manitoba 1,779 International is our big sister,” Jenni said. “When I’m in prison, if I know that someone, my big Ontario 28,523 sister, is shouting for me, telling people about me, then I feel less distressed, less frightened and less alone.” Jenni’s visit received considerable media coverage with interviews on CBC’s Quebec 3,115 Ottawa Morning, APTN and CBC Radio One’s Sunday Edition. There was a feature in the New Brunswick 640 Globe and Mail. Nova Scotia 1,873 On or around March 8, the 100th International Women’s Day, Amnesty members across Canada took action for women’s human rights. In Halifax, activists hosted an exciting public event Prince Edward Island 145 where storytellers, musicians and dancers gave voice to women’s stories. Amnesty members Newfoundland and Labrador 369 in Belleville, Ontario, were part of a coalition of eight community groups that organized an International Women’s Day event. In Winnipeg, Amnesty members marched in the annual Yukon 135 International Women’s Day Rally and the next day members spoke on a panel about violence Northwest Territories 110 against Aboriginal women. In Vancouver, Amnesty members joined with Oxfam Canada to present a special screening of A Powerful Noise, a documentary about the lives of three Nunavut 20 Foreign addresses/unknown 384
Amnesty International Canadian Section 11 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report © Paul Thompson/Amnesty International
Zimbabwean human rights defender Jenni Williams inspired delegates at Amnesty International’s 2011 Annual General Meeting in Montreal.
women—a girls’ education crusader from Mali, an HIV-positive widow from Viet Nam, and a peacemaking survivor of the war in Bosnia. In Ottawa, members held a celebratory event at the National Archives to recognize the work of women activists in the National Capital Region. The Toronto Action Network on Women’s Human Rights joined women’s organizations in Toronto for an annual rally on March 12. The group carried placards to raise awareness of women’s human rights defenders. On the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, Amnesty campaigner Lindsay Moss- man was featured in the Ottawa Citizen, Winnipeg Free Press and Edmonton Journal. Iranian activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi cited Amnesty’s support in a compelling opinion article for the Ottawa Citizen focused on fellow Iranian human rights defender Nasrin Sotoudeh and the many women of the Middle East and North Africa fighting for human rights. Amnesty members participated in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign that ran from November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to December 10, International Human Rights Day. Members pressed the authorities to end vio- lence against women and girls in the conflict in Colombia, and ensure the inclusion of women’s rights in the Afghan peace process.
12 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Defending the rights of Canadians and Canadian residents detained abroad
Amnesty International members campaigned on behalf of Canadian-Iranian dual national Hamid Ghassemi-Shall detained in Iran on espionage charges following an unfair trail, and Saeed Malekpour, a Canadian resident and Iranian national sentenced to death for “insulting and desecrating Islam” after a program he had developed for uploading photos online was allegedly used to post pornographic images without his knowledge. Amnesty community groups, led by the Burlington group, continued strong work on behalf of Huseyin Celil, a Canadian citizen serving a life sentence in China after an unfair trial. Celil is a member of western China’s Uighur minority, persecuted because of his campaigning on behalf of his community. He was summarily expelled to China in 2006 from Uzbekistan while on holiday visiting his wife’s family. For months, Canadian Naser al Raas stayed in hiding in Bahrain, waiting to see if a five-year prison sentence for peacefully participating in the popular protests in spring 2011 would be upheld. For al Raas, who has a serious heart condition, any further time in prison would have put his life in jeopardy. He had already spent time in hospital as a result of torture and ill-treatment during his detention in March and April 2011. The Branch supported al Raas’s campaign for justice, and more than 4,000 Amnesty supporters in Canada took action on his behalf (al Raas was finally acquitted in February 2012). His case was covered in the Toronto Star, and there were interviews on CBC Radio One’s The Current, CBC World Report and CTV News Channel. Naser al Raas was also interviewed live on the CBC News Network on December 10, International Human Rights Day. It’s been over five years since Canadian citizen Bashir Makhtal was “extraordinarily rendered” from Kenya to Somalia and on to Ethiopia. He now faces life imprisonment after a grossly unfair trial. Bashir Makhtal’s case was featured in an Individuals at Risk appeal in August 2011— Amnesty members wrote to the Prime Minster of Canada and called on him to personally take up Makhtal’s case with Ethiopian Prime Minister Zenawi. The Branch was able to raise his case directly with Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird in a meeting in October. The Branch remained active on the cases of two other Canadians facing possible execution in other countries. Amnesty is actively supporting the clemency bid of Ronald Smith, on death row in Montana. We also continue to campaign on behalf of Mohamed and Sultan Kohail. While Sultan is not imprisoned at this time, Mohamed has been held in a Saudi Arabian jail cell for more than five years. Both still face possible death sentences.
Amnesty International Canadian Section 13 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report 2. Defending people from violence by state and non-state actors
“We will maintain our Branch’s longstanding work against torture and the death penalty. We will continue with our efforts to stop violence against Indigenous women through the Stolen Sisters campaign. Through crisis work and other avenues we will work to protect the rights of civilians, particularly women and children, during armed conflict. We will speak out about the continuing violence of national security and public security laws and practices that violate and erode human rights standards. We will also press for greater accountability of businesses, to ensure that their operations do not contribute to violence and other human rights violations.” — Amnesty International Canada (ES) Branch Plan 2010-16
Highlights from 2011: Ending violence against Indigenous women
On October 4, 2011, Amnesty International members partnered with the Native Women’s Association of Canada and other organizations to once again hold vigils calling for an end to violence and discrimination against Indigenous women and girls in Canada. Vigils were held in dozens of towns and cities including Prince George, Lethbridge, Rimbey, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax. Amnesty members in Ottawa also supported the 30 Days of Justice campaign during which Amnesty International facilitated meetings between the family members of murdered and missing women and members of parliament. On October 6, 2011, Amnesty International and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) announced they would no longer participate in the BC Missing Women Inquiry, which began public hearings in November 2011. The inquiry is looking into the role of the police in the investigation of missing women and the convicted murderer Robert Pickton. Amnesty and the BCCLA said there were deep, unaddressed concerns over the unfairness of the process. Amnesty and the BCCLA were among 21 non-government organizations with participant status who asked the premier of British Columbia to intervene to fix the process. No response was received from the premier. Amnesty and the BCCLA’s withdrawal from the inquiry received broad media coverage, including Canadian Press, and in BC media. Canada’s failure to address violence and discrimination against Indigenous women and girls has become so glaring that a prominent United Nations body felt compelled to step in. In December 2011, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) announced it would be carrying out an investigation into violence against Indigenous women in Canada. CEDAW is the independent expert body that monitors whether or not states are in compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, a legally-binding international human rights treaty.
14 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report In December 2011, Amnesty voiced deep concerns about a new report by the House of Com- mons Standing Committee on the Status of Women in which the Committee backtracked on its March 2011 recommendation for a comprehensive, strategic and coordinated approach to end the vastly disproportionate rates of violence against Indigenous women. The Decem- ber 2011 report offered no real solutions to the widespread threats to the lives of Indigenous women in Canada. Amnesty’s response had media coverage on Radio Canada International and CBC Radio Thunder Bay, as well as a column by Carol Goar in the Toronto Star.
Standing alongside Indigenous peoples
In March 2011, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal dismissed a case alleging that the federal government discriminates against First Nations children by spending significantly less money per child for children’s services in First Nations reserves than its provincial and territorial counterparts provide in predominantly non-Aboriginal communities. Amnesty International joined with Indigenous peoples and human rights organizations across Canada in speaking out against the Human Rights Tribunal’s decision and urged all political leaders in Canada to commit to ending discriminatory underfunding. The tribunal’s disappointing decision is now under appeal. Amnesty has had intervener status and made legal arguments in both the Tribunal and court proceedings. On April 29, 2011, a pipeline spilled 4.5 million litres of crude oil into wetlands in the traditional territory of the Lubicon Cree in northern Alberta. Amnesty members called on the governments of Alberta and Canada to provide a health team to the Lubicon community and to support an independent assessment of the impacts of this spill. The spill was highlighted in an August 2011 Amnesty report Sacrificing rights in the name of development: Indigenous peoples under threat in the Americas. Amnesty International
On June 2, 2011, Amnesty Canada’s Colombia activists gathered outside Colombia’s consulate in Toronto to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Amnesty International Canadian Section 15 disappearance of Colombian Indigenous(English Speaking) leader Kimy 2012 PerníaAnnual Domicó.Report In May 2011, the Branch launched a substantial public brief on the excessive use of force by Ontario Provincial Police in response to land rights protests in the Tyendinaga Mohawk territory in 2007 and 2008. The brief was made possible because of countless hours of work by Amnesty members Stan Jolly and Larry Hay. Their many interviews of protesters and bystanders and meticulous analysis of the court cases against some of these protesters made it possible for Amnesty to describe with confidence police violations of policies instituted in response to the events at Ipperwash in 1995 when Dudley George was shot and killed by a police officer during a land rights protest. The report has gained considerable attention among Aboriginal organizations, including the First Nations leadership that works with the government on the implementation of the Ipperwash Inquiry recommendations. Amnesty’s press conference on the issue was covered by the Toronto Star, Belleville Intelligencer and freelance journalists. The Branch has met to discuss its concerns with Ontario’s Minister of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Madeleine Meilleur. In June 2011, the Branch commemorated the 10th anniversary of the disappearance of highly- respected Colombian Indigenous leader Kimy Pernía Domicó with an eye-catching vigil outside Colombia’s consulate in Toronto. We launched a petition action calling for justice for Kimy and survival for his people, the Embera Katío, as well as 31 other Indigenous nations in Colombia whose survival is now threatened as a result of escalating violence linked to the armed conflict and the imposition of resource extraction projects. Thousands of supporters from across Canada signed the petition and sent in solidarity photos of themselves with a beautiful poster created by Juan Pablo Gutíerrez, using a portrait of Kimy by Nova Scotia artist and Amnesty activist Carol Morrison. Indigenous leaders German Casama and Flaminio Onogama wrote from Colombia to thank Amnesty activists and to urge us to redouble our efforts to make visible the emergency situation faced by Indigenous peoples in the conflict-ridden South American country. On August 8, 2011, Amnesty campaigner Craig Benjamin joined a seminar in Ottawa with Roger Jones of the Assembly of First Nations, Paul Joffe of the Grand Council of the Crees, and Jennifer Preston of the Quaker Aboriginal Affairs Committee. The seminar provided a history of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and went into depth on how international human rights instruments like the Declaration can be put to use defending the rights of people and communities. The seminar was then made available online as a “virtual seminar” for anyone to take part in.
Defending human rights in the Middle East and North Africa
Throughout 2011, our Branch responded to the unfolding crisis and events in the Middle East and North Africa. We launched a major new blog on our website to alert members to Amnesty’s latest reports, news releases and actions related to Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. Members participated in rallies and vigils, and took action to support women’s participation in the transition in Egypt, more forceful action by the United Nations Security Council in Syria, and a range of cases of missing or detained activists. Branch spokespersons and International Secretariat staff conducted numerous interviews with the Canadian media, and media coverage was extensive right through the year, reaching all major national outlets including the Globe and Mail, CBC and CTV. Additionally, Amnesty was quoted in the Toronto Star, National Post, Global TV, Ottawa Citizen, and various other radio and TV news programs. Our Branch pressed the Canadian government to take up Amnesty’s key demands regarding refugee protection, arms embargoes, and International Criminal Court referrals. The Canadian government responded to the worsening situation in Syria by imposing an arms embargo and sanctions, freezing assets and imposing travel bans against a number of Syrian officials. Amnesty members and staff worked with the North African community in Canada, particularly the Libyan and Egyptian communities. In October, Amnesty focused attention on the systematic monitoring and harassment of more than 30 Syrian pro-reform activists living in Europe and the
16 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report On February 12, 2011, Amnesty members took part in a Global Day of Action in solidarity with the people of Egypt and the wider Middle East and North Africa. Here, activists Amnesty International Canadian Section 17 demonstrate on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report © Paul Thompson/Amnesty International Americas. Our Branch’s articling law student, Alexandra Dodger, conducted research that showed that Syrians across Canada have been targeted here and their families targeted back in Syria. Some of the people interviewed have pointed to staff at the Syrian Embassy in Ottawa as being behind the campaign of threats and intimidation. Amnesty has called for forceful measures to also curtail the harassment and threats experienced by Syrians in Canada. We have had contact with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service about this matter, which was also one of the issues raised when Alex Neve and Beatrice Vaugrante, director general of Amnesty Canada’s francophone branch, met with Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird on October 17. The Branch wrote to Minister Baird to emphasize Amnesty’s concerns about excessive use of force against demonstrators in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and elsewhere, and to ask for assurances that there would be no inappropriate transfers from Canada of military or security equipment. The Branch contributed to an October 2011 Amnesty International report on Arms Transfers to the Middle East and North Africa.
Campaigning for human rights in Mexico and Colombia
When the military, police and private security guards arrived in the marginalized community of Lomas del Poleo, Mexico, on March 27, 2011, and started firing their weapons, the residents raised white flags in front of their houses, daycare and school. The gunfire appeared to be aimed at scaring the families into fleeing land that property developers want. Amnesty activists in Canada responded by sending messages to Mexico’s Interior Minister written on white cloth, like the white flags that were raised in Lomas del Poleo. The flags called for dialogue, justice and the protection of the community’s rights. After seeing photographs of the Amnesty activists’ flags, the community of Lomas del Poleo expressed its gratitude: “This solidarity from all of you is a breath of encouragement to the struggle and resistance of the families here.” Inés Fernández Ortega and Valentina Rosendo Cantú are two Me’ phaa Indigenous women who were raped by soldiers in Guerrero State, Mexico, in 2002. The women have courageously struggled for justice for more than nine years despite ongoing threats to them and their families. Amnesty © Kathy Price/Amnesty International
On November 3, a Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration at Amnesty’s Toronto office honoured Mexican activists assassinated while struggling for the human rights of their communities. Shown here are Mariano Abarca Robledo, 18 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Bety Cariño and Jyri Antero Jaakola. members across Canada have written countless letters in support of Inés and Valentina and in 2011 there were encouraging developments in their case. In March 2011, Mexico’s Under-Secretary for Juridical Affairs and Human Rights, Felipe de Jesus Zamora, promised to comply with an August 2010 Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling that the Mexican government had denied the women justice and must re-open the case in the civilian courts and investigate the officials who had undermined the investigations. A new volunteer Mexico coordination team was recruited and trained in 2011. The new team was soon busy giving public presentations on human rights issues in Mexico. On November 3, Amnesty’s Toronto office hosted a Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration with a special tribute to Mexican activists assassinated while struggling for the human rights of their communities. Amnesty activists in Toronto organized a noisy, eye-catching two-hour vigil on September 22, 2011, for human rights in Colombia. They gathered on a busy downtown street outside the hotel where Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was being feted as “statesman of the year” by the local business community. The gala came just weeks after Santos and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper officially activated a controversial free trade agreement. Some Canadian resource extraction companies paid as much as $40,000 to sponsor the gala for President Santos.
Holding corporations accountable for human rights abuses
Amnesty International’s Niger Delta campaign launched May 28, 2011, with the goal of getting a commitment to clean up the oil spills that have devastated the Bodo region of the Niger Delta. The spills have affected fishing and farming activities, and the livelihoods of thousands of people. The first phase of the campaign focused on the Nigerian State; the second phase targeted corporations: Shell, Total and ENI. Our Branch collected thousands of postcards and signatures on petitions over the summer and hosted a photo exhibit of images from the Niger Delta. Members supported the campaign actions to ensure that the oil companies take responsibility for the spills. The result: Shell admitted liability for the Bodo spills. Amnesty members took part in protests outside the annual general meeting of Canadian mining corporation Goldcorp in Vancouver in May. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Goldcorp owns the controversial Marlin Mine in Guatemala as well as other projects and licenses throughout the country. Community activists living near the Marlin mine have been threatened after speaking out against the impact of mining activities on their community’s lands. Amnesty International believes the government has a duty and the company has a responsibility under international law to uphold the rights of people in communities surrounding the mine. In November, our Branch’s business and human rights campaigner was part of a two-week research mission to Guatemala to investigate the impact of Canadian extractives on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. The researchers focused on three main areas of concern: human rights defenders, the consultation/consent processes, and the impacts of mining. Photo-journalist James Rodriguez joined the research mission and will develop a travelling photo exhibit on Canadian mining in the region (to be exhibited in 2012). One or two follow-up missions are anticipated for 2012, followed by the release of a new report and launch of a global campaign. Our Branch worked with colleagues from Amnesty USA and Amnesty UK and coalition partners to develop a shareholder campaign on Goldcorp and Tahoe Resources (a Canadian company that is also active in Guatemala). The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board holds investments in both companies. Our members and staff met with Barrick Gold to discuss ongoing human rights concerns at the company’s Porgera mine in Papua New Guinea and emerging human rights violations at the
Amnesty International Canadian Section 19 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report company’s project in Tanzania. As a result of international pressure from Amnesty International and other NGOs, Barrick Gold announced in 2012 the creation of a high-level Corporate Social Responsibility advisory board to advise the company on the management of its CSR practices. Our Branch continued to work with and support the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability (CNCA). We helped fund a legal capacity-building workshop hosted by the CNCA. We joined the executive committee of the Centre for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility as a non-industry member, where we helped host a business and human rights workshop with John Ruggie, professor in human rights and international affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and former UN Special Representative on business and human rights.
Campaigning on security and human rights
Following the release of an October 2011 report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan documenting widespread torture in Afghan detention facilities, Amnesty International and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) renewed their call on the Canadian government to convene a public inquiry into Canada’s approach to handling battlefield prisoners in Afghanistan. Amnesty and the BCCLA also asked the government to confirm and explain its ongoing responsibility for the human rights of prisoners transferred to Afghan custody. In February 2011 the Military Police Complaints Commission (MPCC) wrapped up its lengthy hearings into the complaint about prisoner transfers lodged jointly by Amnesty and the BCCLA. The MPCC’s interim report is presently with the government. The final, public report will not be released until the government has provided its comments to the MPCC. Amnesty International pressed senior US officials regarding the case of Bradley Manning, the US soldier accused of leaking documents to the Wikileaks organization. Amnesty criticized the unacceptable conditions of Manning’s detention conditions. Manning had been isolated and confined to a small cell, denied adequate exercise, and deprived of sheets. Amnesty members in Canada called on the US authorities to ensure that Manning’s conditions were in accordance with international standards. In April 2011, Manning was moved from a maximum security military prison to a new, medium-security military prison. When former US President George Bush spoke at an economic conference on October 24, 2011, in Surrey, British Columbia, Amnesty International members rallied to call on the Canadian authorities to arrest and either prosecute or extradite him for his role in human rights violations. Bush had authorized the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” against detainees held in the CIA’s secret detention program between 2002 and 2009. These techniques included torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. In advance of the visit, our Branch worked with the International Secretariat to prepare a detailed legal brief, which was submitted, along with hundreds of pages of supporting documentation, to the federal Attorney General, calling for Bush to be investigated, arrested and prosecuted for crimes under international law. There was no official government response, but there was a great deal of media coverage, including critical comments from a number of columnists and considerable coverage on local talk radio programs across the country. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney accused Amnesty of being “cherry-picking ideologues”, suggesting that Amnesty was being selective in going after George Bush and not taking up the cases of other‚ non-Western foreign leaders (we were able to go through a long list of contrary examples in media interviews responding to his comments). Our Branch also launched an online action calling for the government to arrest Bush while he was in Canada. The action was mirrored by a number of other Amnesty Sections, including those in Spain, the US and Belgium. The Canadian government did not take action to arrest Bush, but the longer-term work, which began at the time of his earlier planned trip to Switzerland in February 2011, will continue. The message: wherever Bush may travel, the call for him to face justice will follow. Media coverage of Amnesty’s action was extensive:
20 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report © Don Wright/Amnesty International
When former US President George Bush spoke at an economic conference on October 24 in Surrey, British Columbia, Amnesty International members rallied to call on the Canadian authorities to arrest and either prosecute or extradite him for his role in human rights violations.
Alex Neve was interviewed on CTV News Channel and CPAC Prime Time Politics, and Amnesty’s regional development coordinator Don Wright was on CTV in British Columbia. There was a photo of the demonstration in the BC edition of the Globe and Mail. There were other interviews from Miami to Seattle plus coverage in the Toronto Star, Ottawa Sun and many other publications. On November 7, 2011, Amnesty International called on the federal government to move quickly to approve the application made by Omar Khadr in the spring of 2011, under the International Transfer of Offenders Act, for return to Canada from Guantánamo Bay. Under the terms of a plea agreement reached between Khadr and US officials in October 2010, Khadr was to remain in US custody for a further year, at which point he would be eligible for a possible transfer back to Canada to serve the rest of his eight-year sentence. As of March 2012 he remains in detention at Guantánamo Bay, five months after he became eligible for transfer back to Canada. Amnesty consistently condemned attacks on civilians by armed groups in Pakistan, Nigeria, Iraq and elsewhere. Thousands of members called on the leadership in Afghanistan not to sacrifice human rights—particularly women’s human rights—while undertaking peace and reconciliation talks with the Taleban and other armed groups.
Amnesty International Canadian Section 21 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Members took action to reform security and anti-terrorism laws and related unlawful detentions in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Jammu and Kashmir and campaigned against enforced disappearances in Pakistan. Through a creative “unlock the truth” action, members contributed luggage tags as part of an international action calling on Lithuania to continue to investigate its role in renditions and the presence of CIA secret prisons on its soil.
Campaigning to end the death penalty
The state of Georgia killed Troy Anthony Davis at approximately 11 pm on Wednesday, September 21, 2011. Davis had been sentenced to death in 1991 for the murder of police officer Mark Allen Macphail in Savannah, Georgia. The case against him primarily rested on witness testimony. Since his 1991 trial, seven of nine key witnesses recanted or changed their testimony, some alleging police coercion. When it became clear that Troy Davis was running out of appeals, Amnesty International mobilized members around the world in a final act to stop an injustice. Amnesty teamed with organizations opposed to the death penalty. People who had thought themselves in favour of the death penalty joined our campaign when they heard the facts of Troy Davis’s case. More than one million signatures were collected in a week of intense action. Solidarity rallies were held in front of US embassies and consulates. Media coverage was more extensive in the US than in Canada but there were more than 80 stories in the Canadian media in September. Despite the massive scale of support, Davis was first denied clemency, had all his final appeals rejected, and was killed by lethal injection. Davis’s death marked the end of more than two decades spent on death row, but it did not mark the end of the campaign. Davis’s fight is now his legacy and challenge to us to stand for all the Troy Davises out there. Davis used his last words to tell his family and friends to not give up the fight: “The struggle for justice doesn’t end with me.” On March 9, 2011, Amnesty members had cause to celebrate when Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law a bill to repeal the death penalty. Illinois became the sixteenth state in the US to abolish capital punishment. Governor Quinn also commuted the death sentences of the 15 men on death row in the state. Throughout the year, Amnesty campaigned actively on behalf of Canadians facing very real risks of execution in the United States, Saudi Arabia and Iran. (Those cases are described earlier in this report.) On November 30, 2011, Amnesty activists in Toronto gathered for the fifth year running for Cities for Life, a global campaign encouraging cities around the world to declare themselves death-penalty free. The inspirational and sombre evening, and the spectacular illumination of the city’s St. James Cathedral, served to bolster the resolve of those in attendance to redouble our efforts to eradicate the death penalty worldwide.
22 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report
3. Defending unprotected people on the move
“Globally and within Canada, Amnesty International has long worked to protect the rights of refugees. In recent years, Amnesty’s global human rights program has increasingly taken up concerns about other displaced people who are particularly vulnerable to serious human rights violations, including internally displaced persons, migrant workers and victims of trafficking, particularly women and children. We will continue to work on refugee protection and, in keeping with available resources, develop strategies to implement the broader international directions such as ending abuse of migrant workers.” — Amnesty International Canada (ES) Branch Plan 2010-16
Highlights from 2011 Defending the rights of refugees
Our Branch’s refugee coordinator worked on over 100 refugee cases in 2011. We know of successful outcomes in 16 cases including that of “José” and “Maria”, a couple from Mexico who were extorted by organized criminals in Mexico. In spite of repeated reports to police and moving to several new locations, “Maria” was brutally raped before they fled the country for Canada. The government worked on implementing measures for the Balanced Refugee Reform Act which is to come into force in June 2012. Amnesty asked that the government withdraw Bill C-4, the anti-human-smuggling legislation, which allows for the detention, for one year without review, of individuals designated by the Minister to be a part of a human smuggling event.
Protecting the rights of refugees and other displaced people is a global priority for Amnesty International. In this picture, Amnesty members in Australia show their solidarity with refugees fleeing war and persecution.
23 © James Morgan In February 2012, the government introduced Bill C-31, new omnibus legislation to amend the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, and incorporating all of the provisions of Bill C-4. Among other objectionable provisions, Bill C-31 lays out a scheme of so-called “safe countries of origin.” Nationals from those countries who make refugee claims in Canada would be denied access to an appeal hearing if their claim is rejected. Amnesty continues to campaign for the defeat of Bill C-31. On World Refugee Day (June 20) Amnesty members in Canada took action to protect Somali refugees in Kenya.
Taking a stand on the government’s “most wanted” list
During summer 2011, the Canadian government issued a “most wanted” list. The “most wanted” were 30 men who had failed to turn up for deportation after being found inadmissible to Canada because they might have been involved in war crimes or crimes against humanity. Canada’s Minister of Immigration Jason Kenney launched a barrage of criticism against Amnesty International when Amnesty called on the Canadian government to comply with its obligations under international human rights law and international criminal law. Amnesty stated that no one should be deported if they might face torture and that care had to be taken not to infringe the presumption of innocence. Most crucially, Amnesty urged the government to look into whether the men could face fair trials in their country of origin; if a fair trial in the country of origin was not possible, to look into whether a fair trial in another country or a trial before the International Criminal Court were possibilities; and in the event that these were not possible, to ensure that a trial in Canada take place. For speaking out for fundamental human rights, Amnesty International was accused of hand-wringing, hypocrisy and moral-preening. It was an extraordinary few weeks. Amnesty’s position was printed in the National Post and there was a major article in the Toronto Star in August as well as numerous references to the issue on talk radio and SUN TV. An opinion article by Alex Neve about the “most wanted” was printed in the Ottawa Citizen.
24 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report
4. Empowering people living in poverty
“We will strive to strengthen the ability of people living in poverty to claim and defend their own rights. We will take up the global themes of the [Demand Dignity] campaign, including human rights abuses associated with maternal mortality and slums. We will also campaign on concerns in Canada, including the situations of various Indigenous Peoples’ communities and the issue of corporate accountability. Our campaigning efforts will highlight the harm that violations do to vulnerable groups, including women and Indigenous Peoples.” — Amnesty International Canada (ES) Branch Plan 2010-16
Highlights from 2011: Campaigning to end maternal mortality
In spring 2011, Amnesty activists from all over the world came together in solidarity to demand a national plan from the Nicaraguan Government to end sexual violence against girls. More than two thirds of all rapes reported in Nicaragua between 1998 and 2008 were committed against girls under 17. Survivors have little access to justice and to health services, and girls needing support face limited public resources. Further, some young survivors are faced with pregnancy as a result of the rape. For girls who choose to carry the pregnancy to term, there is little or no state support to help rebuild their lives. For others, the idea of giving birth to a child as the result of rape is unbearable, but a 2008 law criminalizing all forms of abortion in all circumstances—even for child rape victims—has left them with little choice. In July, Amnesty International delivered over 200,000 petition signatures from 115 countries to the government of Nicaragua calling for an end to sexual violence against girls. Amnesty Canada had gathered over 11,000 of those signatures through online and paper petitions and an action on our Social Media Action Centre. Canadian Amnesty members also contributed to the 50,000 online and paper “butterfly” solidarity messages sent by Amnesty International members and supporters to Nicaraguan non-governmental organizations in 2011. The butterflies sent an unmistakable message
In Nicaragua, in July 2011, an Amnesty International research team visited the Asociación Mery Barreda for women and girl survivors of sexual violence. In spring 2011 Amnesty members around the world sent tens of thousands of “butterfly” solidarity messages to Nicaraguan non-governmental organizations that are demanding a national plan from the Nicaraguan government to end sexual violence against girls. © Amnesty International
Amnesty International Canadian Section 25 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report of strength, pride and solidarity to the brave women in Nicaragua who are standing firm against violence and discrimination. The butterflies were used by Nicaraguan human rights defenders as they marked the Day for the Decriminalization of Abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean (September 28). Martha Munguía, coordinator of the Nicaraguan Alliance of Women’s Centres, thanked Amnesty members for their support: “We feel that this symbol of the butterfly shows that for every one of us, there are thousands of people around the world that are with us in our struggle.” Amnesty members marked Mother’s Day 2011 with maternal health actions targeted at the authorities in Peru and Burkina Faso. The Peruvian ambassador was presented with 25,000 petition signatures.
Working with Indigenous communities
One of our Branch’s first activities of 2011 was to hold a video training workshop for youth in the Lubicon Cree community of Little Buffalo, Alberta. For decades, the provincial government has been allowing massive oil and gas development on Lubicon land with little protection for their culture, health and livelihoods. The situation is one of the most notorious cases of human rights violations in Canada. The workshop was intended to help the young people tell their own story. Working under the direction of an experienced professional filmmaker—Jaro Malanowski of Edmonton—a team of Lubicon high-school students created a short documentary on what it’s like to live without clean water. The students were responsible for every aspect of the documentary, from the concepts to the interviews and the filming to the editing. The video premiered in the Lubicon community in February 2011. More than a dozen Indigenous peoples’ organizations and human rights groups, including Amnesty International, filed legal briefs in October 2011 in support of a case brought before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights concerning the 1884 expropriation of 237,000 hectares of resource- rich land from the traditional territories of the Hul’qumi’num peoples on Vancouver Island. The Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group alleges that Canada has violated international human rights norms by refusing to negotiate for any form of redress for the expropriated lands, which are now mostly in the hands of large forestry companies, and by failing to protect Hul’qumi’num interests while the dispute remains unresolved. Amnesty International, KAIROS and the Canadian Friends Service Committee issued a joint statement on December 8, 2011, calling on the federal government to work in good faith with the northern Ontario Cree community of Attawapiskat to address its immediate needs during a severe housing crisis. The organizations called on the government to honour its constitutional and international human rights obligations and work in collaboration with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities and their representative organizations to develop systematic and sustainable solutions.
Working with a professional filmmaker, youth in the Lubicon Cree community of Little Buffalo, Alberta, created a documentary film about what it’s like to live without clean water.
26 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report © Amnesty International
5. Cross-cutting themes
“We will make a determined effort to ensure that we are working with individuals and communities whose rights are imperiled, in ways that ensure their voices will be heard and respected. Our efforts will be directed first and foremost to helping them claim their rights. Working alongside our many partners and within the various networks and coalitions in which we are active, we will demonstrate leadership and solidarity in efforts to strengthen the human rights movement in Canada, both with respect to domestic human rights concerns and concerns abroad… We will make a determined effort to mainstream a commitment to women’s human rights throughout all aspects of our work, including the issues we take up, the way we take action, and how we govern ourselves.” — Amnesty International Canada (ES) Branch Plan 2010-16
Highlights from 2011: Mainstreaming women’s human rights
Our Branch’s Gender Mainstreaming Steering Committee (GMSC) met regularly throughout 2011 to plan work and ensure that the Branch’s gender mainstreaming objectives were being realized. The GMSC decided to include gender identity and sexual orientation as part of our Branch’s mainstreaming work. The GMSC’s Alex Kennedy and Lindsay Mossman reviewed the Branch’s main publications and suggested guidelines for improved gender integration. The Coordination Hub (a staff group that coordinates all major Branch communications) began to include gender analysis as a requirement for publication approvals. The GMSC met with the Coordination Hub in 2011 to develop guidelines for the gender analysis of communications. Kate McInturff of the Feminist Alliance for International Action (and subsequently our Branch’s campaigner for women’s human rights) led a special session with Branch staff on the use of images from a gender mainstreaming perspective. Our Branch developed and delivered gender integration training at the International Secretariat for campaigns and research staff. The GMSC determined that more background information is needed for staff and members on why gender mainstreaming is important and further workshops are needed on how to integrate gender analysis.
Maintaining our work around diversity
Although diversity is no longer the priority focus for our Branch that it was in the 2004-10 Branch plan, training, learning and reflection on diversity remain important. Our Diversity Committee continued to keep a general oversight of diversity within our Branch and to ensure that diversity training is integrated into regular training events for Branch leaders. Diversity training is part of Level-1 fieldworker training and coordinator training. The work of the Diversity Committee resulted in a document about the unique inter-cultural situation of Amnesty action circles that are also a part of other cultural entities (for example, faith-based, ethnically-based or constituency-based action circles.) The Diversity Committee’s Lily Mah-Sen provided diversity training to youth delegates at the 2011 Human Rights College in Montreal in May 2011. Renee Saviour (also of the Diversity Committee) and Lily led a diversity training session with the Executive Committee in fall 2011. At Amnesty Toronto’s Regional Meeting in the fall, a session on “diversity and networking with other organizations” was highly evaluated by the participants.
Amnesty International Canadian Section 27 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report
6. Membership activism
“[Our Branch] will work towards building a larger, stronger, more connected Amnesty, not just in Canada but also playing our role in supporting human rights activists in the Global South and East. We will ensure a clear focus for the activism of our members. We will support members working on the full range of human rights work in ways that are both fulfilling and effective. We will ensure that members have the information and opportunity to become involved in any part of the organization, from local letter-writing action to regional discussions to decisions about the directions and future of Amnesty Canada. We will continue to build and evolve our youth program.” — Amnesty International Canada (ES) Branch Plan 2010-16
Highlights from 2011: Volunteer leadership
The number of volunteer leaders increased in 2011. We recruited more than a dozen new coordinators and three new fieldworkers and added new people to thematic steering committees (for example, the Action Network on Women’s Human Rights and the Business and Human Rights steering committee and working group). Training workshops for volunteer leaders were held in January and October.
Youth and student program
At the end of 2011, our Branch had 562 youth and student groups (compared to 520 at the end of 2010) and we were working with 600 youth leaders. In 2011, we held two webinars for youth—one on the Niger Delta, the second on Write for Rights and the Shine a Light campaign (a global campaign involving candlelight vigils, video projections onto buildings, and illuminations of public landmarks). 2011 brought improvements in our communications with our youth and student members when we began using an email software system that is fully integrated with our database. At least 122 schools and around 20,000 students and teachers participated in Write for Rights. 30 young activists came to Montreal in May to attend the 2011 Human Rights College and Annual General Meeting. The activists were empowered by several days of sessions on a wide range of issues including citizen journalism, maternal mortality, cultural diversity and the land rights of the Lubicon Cree of Northern Alberta. They met in small groups with Branch coordinators responsible for Amnesty’s work around the Death Penalty, Sri Lanka, China, Myanmar, Singapore, and Colombia. Using Skype they discussed change in the Middle East with activists in Egypt. In August 2011, Amnesty’s Vancouver office organized two week-long human-rights-leadership youth camps for high-school students.
28 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report On October 16, 2011, 26 Amnesty International runners took part in the Toronto Waterfront Marathon to promote and raise money for Amnesty’s work. Florin Zamfirescu/Amnesty International
Community groups and action circles
At the end of 2011, we had 90 active community groups and action circles, compared to 102 at the end of 2010. This reflects a trend that has been evident for many years now, where the number of new groups and action circles formed—at least three in the second half of 2011— doesn’t make up for the number of groups becoming inactive. However, a number of activist groups that often do excellent activism work fall outside our current definitions of community groups and action circles. How we classify and report on the work of these groups— committees organizing local film festivals and groups of activists working together on specific interests—is something that the Activism Team will address in 2012.
Urgent Action Network
Urgent Action Network (UAN) members in Canada responded to 370 Urgent Actions in 2011. Events in the Middle East generated 127 actions, followed by 116 on the Americas, 54 on Asia- Pacific, 42 on Europe and 31 on Africa. The Urgent Action for Iranian Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who was at risk throughout the year of being stoned to death, generated more interest from members of the public than any in the network’s history. We continue to enjoy high success rates in protecting human rights defenders when they are threatened with death, and in preventing forced evictions from being carried out. Our success in protecting frontline activists also means we help protect the communities in which they are active. Our success in preventing evictions means that families get to stay in their communities and are not distanced from sources of food, water, education and healthcare.
Amnesty International Canadian Section 29 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Young activists enthusiastically participated in Lifesaver letter-writing actions. They helped free Azerbaijani Facebook activist Jabbar Savalan, and called on a police commissioner in Zimbabwe to stop harassing the members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise. Youth asked Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, to make sure that oil companies operating in the Niger Delta clean up their mess because the pollution and gas flaring interferes with the physical wellbeing of the region’s 31 million residents. And they urged Kenya’s minister of public health to make sure that landlords in slum communities build toilets near homes (many girls and women are attacked when they have to walk far to use the public toilets and bathing stations).
Annual General meeting
Our Branch’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Montreal in May 2011 was two inspiring days of workshops, decision-making and celebration. To mark Amnesty International’s 50th anniversary, and for the first time in over three decades, the English-speaking and francophone Branches of Amnesty International in Canada held a joint AGM. The first morning featured a lively panel debate on the future of the human rights movement, emphasizing emerging areas of work. Following the panel session, activists attended workshops on a number of issues including Canadians detained abroad, the human rights of Indigenous peoples, ending sexual violence against girls in Nicaragua, and business and human rights. That evening, Amnesty members gathered together in Old Montreal to raise a toast to freedom and celebrate 50 years of human rights work. As part of the celebrations, there were drummers, circus acts, dancing and a real sense of pride and joy in what Amnesty activists have achieved. The atmosphere was electric and energized.
Community fundraising
In 2011, almost 1,500 individuals raised $70,000 in support of Amnesty International’s human rights work. Amnesty supporters raised money through Taste for Justice, Yoga Day, December 10 events, and race weekends in numerous cities. Our biggest fundraisers came from the race weekends in Ottawa, Vancouver and Toronto. Community fundraising highlights from 2011 included Amnesty groups from Lethbridge and London taking the Write for Rights challenge and raising money yet again around International Human Rights Day, and the Amnesty group in Ajax holding an afternoon ‘Amnes-tea’ event at a local church, raising $1,100.
Other activism highlights from across Canada
Amnesty youth member Tucker Mertens and his dad Bob headed to Argentina in February 2011 to embark on a 3,000 km trip that took in the heat of the pampas and grueling climbs in the Andes where night-time temperatures dropped below freezing. Throughout their journey, they were raising funds for Amnesty’s human rights work—just as they did in 2009 when they biked 6,344 km from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. Amnesty International’s Action Circle for Human Rights in Iran held an open house at Amnesty’s Toronto office on March 24 to mark Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. The evening reflected the festive spirit of Nowruz but was also an opportunity to focus on the grave human right abuses happening in Iran. People wrote Nowruz solidarity postcards to several courageous prisoners of conscience in Iran and signed petitions urging the Canadian government to intervene in the cases of Hamid Ghassemi-Shall (a Canadian citizen detained in Iran on spying charges) and Saeed Malekpour (a Canadian permanent resident who has been sentenced to death in Iran).
30 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report On March 27, Amnesty International Toronto, Amnesty Group 142, and the Windermere String Quartet presented The Age of Enlightenment and Human Rights, an afternoon of inspiring music and ideas to benefit Amnesty International. Over the summer months, Amnesty International members marched in Pride parades in a number of Canadian cities including Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa, to show solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities in Canada and LGBT people around the world who are being criminalized, tortured or ill-treated because of their sexuality. In June, around the second anniversary of disputed presidential elections in Iran, members of the Amnesty Action Circle for Human Rights in Iran held a silent protest in front of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto to bear witness to those on death row in Iran, those who had been executed and the brave lawyers and activists imprisoned for their human rights activities. Volunteers in Toronto worked during the summer on the latest Project: Urban Canvas mural on Sherbourne Street. Project: Urban Canvas is an initiative of the Amnesty Toronto Art in Action team. The long-term goal of the project is the creation of 30 public murals depicting the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Toronto’s Afrofest is North America’s largest festival of African music and culture. The event in July 2011 drew over 15,000 people, and is one of the largest annual volunteer events for the Amnesty International Toronto Organization. The team gathered over 1,200 signatures on postcard actions and petitions. Moncton, New Brunswick, was the final stop of U2’s worldwide 360° concert tour. The show was held on July 30 before an audience of over 75,000. Team Amnesty was on site to gather petition signatures for maternal health in Peru. Being part of the 360° tour in Canada gave great exposure to Amnesty International. During the six concert dates, a team of over 150 Amnesty volunteers across Canada gathered more than 26,000 petition signatures to support the human rights goals of the Demand Dignity campaign. In August 2011, Amnesty International members protested the visit of the Chilean vessel “Esmeralda” to Vancouver and Victoria. Protestors spoke out against the use of the ship as a roving “goodwill ambassador”. When Chilean General Augusto Pinochet seized power in Chile in a 1973 military coup, the ship served as an interrogation centre for political prisoners. Survivors have described beatings, electric shocks, and sexual assault. The Chilean Navy has never acknowledged these facts. Victoria Amnesty member Melaney Black said: “While we could not stop the ship from coming to BC, we educated hundreds of people in Victoria, and the national and international media coverage ensured that the history of La Esmeralda will neither be forgotten nor tolerated.” Amnesty’s Vancouver office collaborated with a local theatre cooperative to run an “Amnesty at 50” script competition. The winning and runner-up plays were staged during the September 2011 Vancouver International Fringe Festival. Amnesty International film festivals were held across Canada in fall 2011, including in Vancouver, Victoria, Whitehorse and Calgary. At Toronto’s sixth annual Reel Awareness film festival, 10 excellent films put the spotlight on human rights violations all over the world. In December, at Ottawa’s Mayfair Theatre, Amnesty members jointly presented (with the Embassy of the Netherlands) Coming out of the Nkuta, a powerful documentary about lawyer Alice Nkom who stands up against the law in Cameroon banning homosexuality.
Amnesty International Canadian Section 31 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Amnesty staff and volunteers in Vancouver collaborated with a number of NGOs working on poverty and food security issues to present a youth conference to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on October 17. The day featured more than a dozen presentations and workshops, and attracted 200 young people. On October 27, Toronto members held their Dance for Justice 2011 event at Harbourfront Centre’s Enwave Theatre. Toronto’s best dance performers performed belly dancing, hip-hop, cancan, tap, African, tango and salsa. They danced to champion the cause of human rights and raise much-needed funds for Amnesty International’s human rights work Amnesty International regional meetings were held across Canada in fall 2011, including in Halifax, Toronto, Saskatoon, and Vancouver. The regional meetings offered activists opportunities to attend workshops, build skills and connect with other Amnesty activists. Amnesty’s December 10 Write for Rights global letter-writing marathon broke a new record, passing the one million letter mark in an unprecedented outpouring of human rights action from all around the world. Letter-writers in Canada contributed more than 35,000 letters to the global total. Canadians joined participants in more than 80 countries including USA, UK, Germany, Sweden, Slovakia, Ukraine, Greece, Paraguay, South Korea, Mauritius, Benin, Senegal, and Côte D’Ivoire. They wrote letters on behalf of prisoner of consciences, human rights defenders at risk, and people and communities suffering human rights abuses. On December 10, 2011, to celebrate Amnesty International’s 50th Anniversary year, Amnesty members and supporters around the world held public Shine a Light events to shine a light on human rights abuses. In Canada, Niagara Falls was spectacularly lit up in Amnesty yellow— one of several global landmarks that participated in the Shine a Light campaign. Regional media coverage of Amnesty members’ activism was extensive. Notably, the Amnesty Toronto Regional Meeting in October featured a media panel with journalists and Alex Neve speaking about freedom of expression. Dance for Justice and Day of the Dead events were covered in Now Magazine and other media. The Vancouver and Toronto Amnesty film festivals were highlighted in Now Magazine, the Globe and Mail and community media. Write for Rights events attracted media attention with Alex Neve interviewed by George Stroumboulopoulos on CBC’s The Hour. CBC Radio and many community newspapers across Canada covered Write for Rights community events.
32 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report
7. Fundraising
“We will focus on maximizing income from existing donors and through strengthening our core areas—monthly giving, major gifts and planned giving. [We will] strengthen donor recovery and donor retention work, continue to develop digital fundraising techniques, [and] better integrate fundraising and campaign planning.” — Amnesty International Canada (ES) Branch Plan 2010-16
2011 was a fairly successful year in the Branch’s fundraising programs, and a much better year than the previous two. This was due both to a better economic climate as well as our efforts to strengthen our programs to deliver more income. At the end of 2011, the Branch had raised just over $11.3 million from its fundraising programs and other revenue—our second best year ever (just $15,000 short of fiscal 2009’s revenue). The fundraising programs raised $700,000 more in 2011 than in 2010, and we are well- positioned to continue growing our donor income in future years. Fluctuations in planned giving income over the past two years accounted for both some of the shortfall in expected income in 2010, and the very strong performance in 2011. During the past year, we received more than $1 million in legacies. This was our most successful year ever in this program, which takes time to build and can vary from year to year. However, it should be noted that most of our other programs did as well or better than they had in 2010, so overall, the Branch’s strategy of diversification into a number of strong channels has done well.
Highlights from 2011:
■■ We created a new position within the Monthly Giving Program to focus on phone follow-up to donors whose gifts have been declined. As a result, not only are we raising more funds every month, our short- and long-term donor retention rates have improved. This is very good news!
■■ We tested a two-minute direct response television spot “Imagine” to see if we could make a short-format television advertisement work. Although it was good to test the short-format television program, the advertisement unfortunately was not a success, and we have no further plans right now to use television.
■■ With the loss of television advertising, we beefed up our recruitment of new donors in the mail. We see this as a viable two-step acquisition process for monthly giving, where we bring in new single gift donors and then phone them a few months later to ask them to upgrade to a monthly gift.
■■ We tested a second face-to-face vendor, Fundraising Initiatives (FII), to expand our donor recruitment. FII works exclusively at the door and in malls and the test was very successful. We are pleased that we now have two strong partners for face-to-face donor recruitment
Amnesty International Canadian Section 33 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report (FII and Public Outreach who we’ve worked with since 2002). Face to face includes mall, street and door canvassing.
■■ Our digital fundraising activity increased, both as a tool to get new donors and for exist- ing donors to fulfil their gifts. We did a lot of testing of two-step acquisition through phone follow-up to email petition signers. This channel holds great promise for future growth, provided we can get enough signatures with phone numbers.
■■ We used the U2 concerts as a way to generate petition signers. We had reasonably good results calling people later to ask them to become donors.
■■ We received a second matching gift of $42,000 from one of our major donors. This gift matched those made for support to our Amnesty International Section in Mexico.
■■ We raised more than $1 million in bequests and received the first distribution from a $430,000 bequest from someone who had never donated to Amnesty before.
■■ We have created a test group within the monthly giving program to see if adding extra com- munications about activism will increase both giving and activism. This is a two-year test and we are excited about seeing what happens. (We took 4,000 donors and split them into two groups with different communications plans. We will monitor activism, retention and gift levels over the next two years.)
■■ We endeavoured to provide excellent customer service through our Member Services team. We have been told by a number of donors and agencies that we have one of the most re- sponsive and donor-friendly systems in our sector.
■■ We introduced a $50 per month club for small businesses. While this has been slow to build, we are excited about it as a potential source of new donors and new income in the next few years.
■■ We participated in three international Amnesty fundraising skillshare conferences—for digi- tal, major gifts and general fundraising (with a strong focus on monthly giving). Making links with our colleagues from other Sections really helps us improve our work and allows us to share new ideas and best practices.
■■ We participated in two benchmarking studies—one with Canadian organizations through Pareto (a fundraising consultancy), and a second organized internationally—which gave us four levels of analysis: our own program, our program compared to other international organizations in Canada, our program compared to other Amnesty Sections, and a global overview. Some of the key findings for us were that we have a high long-term value for monthly donors compared to other Amnesty Sections and that we should be able to get a better reactivation rate from our lapsed donors, based on the experience of other Canadian groups.
■■ We continued our support work for Amnesty International Mexico’s face-to-face program. We were also part of a global support team to help Amnesty International USA grow their monthly giving program. As a result, our fundraising director has been seconded half-time to work with our US colleagues (funded by the international movement), and we have hired a new Ottawa fundraising programs manager to ensure we have adequate oversight of our growing and increasingly complex fundraising program. The Branch is fortunate to have so many loyal donors. Our fundraising success owes so much to all our members who are donors, who work with donors, who recruit donors and who are the friendly face of Amnesty International in their communities.
34 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report
8. Working globally
“We will increase Amnesty Canada’s contribution to the international movement, support continued growth and development of Amnesty Mexico, sustain strong collaborative work with the francophone Branch, [and] develop ways for members to participate in the increasingly global Amnesty.” — Amnesty International Canada (ES) Branch Plan 2010-16
Highlights from 2011:
Amnesty International continues to evolve as a global human rights movement. The phrase “One Amnesty” has become the catchphrase to describe a more globally integrated way of working for the organization as a whole. In 2011, work began at the international level to strengthen our presence in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and Africa. Plans for work in both India and Brazil have been drawn up and directors have been hired to begin implementation. Delegates at the 2011 In- ternational Council Meeting adopted a set of “One Financial Amnesty” policies which overhaul the assessment system, reset the amount of contributions to the international movement from Sections of different sizes and commit more financial resources for global growth. Substantial work got underway on a far-reaching project to develop a new global organizational structure for the International Secretariat (IS). Over the next several years a large number of IS staff responsible for research, campaigning and communications will move into a set of smaller regional (sub-continental) offices in order to carry out their work within the regions on which their human rights work is focused. When the de-concentration of offices is complete, the IS will still maintain a substantial office in London but it will be complemented by a worldwide set of regional hubs for research and campaigning. Throughout 2011, Amnesty International Canada continued to make strong and varied contri- butions to international work and the building up of “One Amnesty”. Branch President Sarah Beamish participated in a three-person international steering committee to oversee the In- dependent Review of the payments made to the former Secretary General and the Executive Deputy Secretary General of the IS. Amnesty Canada fieldworker Samantha Burdett participated in an international project on the impact assessment of activism. Gina Hill completed her term as Chair of the Chairs Forum Steering Committee and took on further international responsibilities. Executive Committee member and fieldworker Sharmila Setaram served on the Membership Appeals Committee.
Amnesty International Canadian Section 35 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Amnesty International fundraisers held a global “skillshare” meeting in 2011 to share fundraising ideas with colleagues from across the movement. Amnesty International
Secretary General Alex Neve and Business and Human Rights Campaigner Tara Scurr took key roles in international missions. Branch management personnel participated in a range of global management teams: Rosemary Oliver on the Fundraising Management Team, Alain Roy on the Campaigns Management Team and Matt Beard on the Communications Management Team. As part of its commitment to global growth, our Branch agreed to a two-year half-time sec- ondment of Rosemary Oliver to assist with efforts to strengthen the fundraising of some of the largest Sections with the greatest fundraising potential. The Branch’s Executive Director, Bob Goodfellow, completed his term on the Interim Global Management Team, the body which initiated the review out of which the new global model emerged. Beatrice Vaugrante, Director General of Amnesty Canada (francophone), was ap- pointed to the newly constituted Global Management Team. Throughout the year, a much larger number of staff and members participated in an unfolding series of international meetings and consultations on priority issues and themes. The Branch’s International Strategy Committee followed many of these issues and consultations and periodically provided advice and feedback to the Executive Committee.
36 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report 9. Communications and marketing / Integrating organization
“We will maintain our high media profile, strive toward better integration of communications, fundraising and campaigning,...[and] increase our use of social media tools and vehicles. We will contribute to a more globalized and strategic approach to media across the Amnesty International movement.” — Amnesty International Canada (ES) Branch Plan 2010-16
Highlights from 2011: Communications and marketing
Raising awareness of human rights in wider audiences, beyond our committed supporters and activists, involves working with the media, reaching Canadians through social media channels and ensuring our website is relevant and up-to-date. For audiences of all ages and Amnesty International backgrounds, we seek to bring our compelling human rights stories to life in the news, on the internet, and in the activism of our committed supporters.
More than 30,000 letter-writers in Canada took part in Write for Rights 2011. Amnesty members in Ottawa held their Write for Rights event at the Canadian Museum of Nature, which was lit up in Amnesty yellow.
37 Susanne Ure/Amnesty International Integrated campaigning moments
The power of joint action was evident in a number of actions and events this year. The joint me- dia and fundraising event to celebrate the winners of the Amnesty International Media Awards set a new standard—bringing together media experts, major donors, human rights supporters, and members of the public. Collaborative work by the digital, campaigning and media teams around the visit by Jenni Williams from Zimbabwe proved to be effective in reaching existing and new audiences. Other examples of integrated campaigning moments were around the Arrest George Bush action and on the case of Naser Al-Raas in Bahrain. Indeed, a proud moment for many staff and volunteer supporters was the successful integration around Write for Rights: resulting in a record high-level of engagement in Canada (30,000 letter-writers), including successful signature public events in Ottawa, Toronto and Niagara Falls.
Engaging new supporters
Multiple channels were taken this past year both to enhance outreach to our committed sup- porters and to engage with new audiences. Amnesty International Canada made the process to join us much easier: with a one-stop, global sign-on system (myAmnesty). As well, a num- ber of successful “report-back” tools to motivate our current supporters were implemented, such as the Write for Rights action widget which recorded over a million global actions.
Developing digital tools
There were 1,490,648 visits to amnesty.ca in 2011; the highest number to date, representing a 5.7% increase in activity over 2010. Page views increased 28.7%, numbering in excess of 14 million. Significant growth in page views was seen in the blogs, with a 119% increase; the Write for Rights micro-site increased by 85%; and the Media Centre experienced a 33% growth as well as the Today in Human Rights page (the website’s front page), with 8% growth in traffic. Our Branch’s 50th anniversary website ai50.ca was successful in connecting Am- nesty into the social media world—and has helped increase the number of on-line actions undertaken by new and existing supporters.
Increasing Amnesty’s influence and presence via the media
In general, Amnesty Canada’s profile in the media remained strong in terms of the number of media interviews and requests for comments this year: achieving 1,898 Amnesty mentions, representing a circulation of 163,355,078; additionally there were seven Opinion Editorials published over the year.
38 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report 10. Evaluation and impact
“[Our 2010-16 Branch] Plan will develop our work on impact assessment in three areas: development of a scorecard on member activism to be presented at each Executive Committee (EC) meeting as a basis for the on-going analysis of our work on this area; the tracking of five to seven key indicators and reporting on them to the AGM and the winter EC meeting; doing periodic assessments of different parts of the plan that will focus as much as possible on impact assessment.” — Amnesty International Canada (ES) Branch Plan 2010-16
Although the Branch Plan makes a commitment to evaluation and impact assessment, we are not yet ready to evaluate implementation, as we have just completed the first year of the Branch Plan. But now is the right time to put in place what is needed to support evaluation and impact assessment in the future. The Branch Plan is a long-range document implemented through one-year operational plans and budgets. To align our work with the global organization on a year-to-year basis, it is neces- sary to carefully review international priorities and integrate them into our operational plans. We have been doing this since the adoption of the Branch Plan. Also, as called for in the Branch Plan, we have developed a small set of key indicators on which to focus discussions of implementation of the Branch Plan. Additionally we have revised the format for operational plans to assist with evaluation, and as we move forward we will be placing greater emphasis on reflection and learning. Impact assessment has been a priority at the international level for a number of years now. Several studies have examined the impact of Amnesty’s work. One of the most important projects this last year was an assessment of activism. That study, along with others, is begin- ning to influence what we do and how we do it. The new strategy for revitalizing Branch activism, developed this last year, drew centrally from this international study.
Amnesty International Canadian Section 39 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report International Council Meeting 2011
From August 14 to 19, 2011, people from throughout the global movement of Amnesty International gathered in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, for the 30th International Council Meeting (ICM), Amnesty’s highest governing body. The ICM assembles every two years and is attended by Section delegates, as well as International Secretariat staff, the International Executive Committee, and invited guests. Over five and a half days, delegates attended formal working parties and plenary sessions to debate resolutions (on Amnesty’s mission, campaigning, finances, and organization), as well as formal reports, presentations, and question-and-answer sessions. Several ICM sessions focused on critical human rights concerns such as women’s rights, the Mid- dle East and North Africa, and forced evictions. Dame Anne Owers attended the ICM to discuss her independent report on the payments made by Amnesty International in 2009 to the organiza- tion’s former Secretary General and her recommendations to address failures in management and governance. Some of these discussions were challenging, some resulted in passionate debate, and all required us to look critically at how we do things. Amnesty’s Secretary General Salil Shetty, who was at his first ICM, spoke passionately at the ICM’s opening ceremony of the heroes who fight for human rights. Salil’s words led into a video message from Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi that was an inspiration to everyone in the hall. Aung San Suu Kyi said that the achievements of Amnesty International over the last 50 years mean that the very name Amnesty International has become synonymous with the defence of human rights. Dr. Shirin Ebadi, Iranian human rights defender and 2003
Amnesty’s global head promotes Human Rights Agenda for Canada
Left: Salil Shetty, Amnesty’s global Secretary General, speaking in Ottawa on March 31, 2011.
Salil Shetty, the global Secretary General of Amnesty International, visited Canada at the end of March 2011. His visit was widely covered in the Canadian media (with interviews in the Globe and Mail and Canadian Press) and helped raise the profile of human rights during Canada’s federal election campaigning. On March 31, Salil launched Getting Back on the “Rights” Track—A Human Rights Agenda for Canada at a press conference in Ottawa. Salil addressed the role that Canada should play internationally on human rights issues in the Middle East, on economic, social and cultural rights, refugees and migrants, business and human rights and in the global protection 40 Amnesty International Canadian Section of Indigenous Peoples. (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Susanne Ure/Amnesty International Amnesty International
Iranian human rights defender Dr. Shirin Ebadi (centre) with Amnesty Canada’s Alex Neve, Remzi Cej, Sarah Beamish and Matthew Ponsford. Dr. Ebadi was a guest speaker at Amnesty’s 2011 International Council Meeting in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands.
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, took to the stage and spoke of the crucial role that Amnesty members had played over five decades in improving human rights around the world. It was truly inspiring to hear her speak about the global fight for human rights. Representing Amnesty Canada (English-speaking) at the ICM were Gina Hill (elected delegate), Matthew Ponsford (youth delegate), Alex Neve (Secretary-General) and Sarah Beamish (President). Amnesty Canada members were also among the hardworking ICM volunteers, with Remzi Cej as a working party rapporteur and David Buchanan as a general volunteer. Our Program Director Alain Roy was also there for part of the ICM as a presenter. Resolutions passed at the ICM dealt with a range of topics, including changes to the calculation of section-level financing of the international budget as well as a range of other new accounting rules and procedures designed to bring greater coherence to the movement’s finances. Decisions were also taken clarifying and changing governance roles and responsibilities, including of such bodies as the Chairs’ Assembly. The ICM decided to launch a study to determine whether the movement’s policy allowing Amnesty to accept government funding in the area of human rights education should be maintained, revised or abandoned. A resolution was also passed taking a number of measures in response to the independent report into the payments made to Amnesty’s former international-level Secretary General and Executive Deputy Secretary General. Our Branch’s resolution dealing with the method for publicizing the results of ICM election votes was passed in a revised form. The 2011 ICM was also a time to mark Amnesty International’s 50th birthday by reflecting on our achievements, sharing the diversity of ways we do our work in different parts of the world, and looking ahead to how we can become stronger and more effective. On the last morning, at the close of the ICM, delegates took time to mark another birthday—that of Jabbar Savalan, a jailed activist from Azerbaijan, who was just turning 20. Delegates wrote birthday cards and messages of hope to Jabbar who was in prison on trumped-up drug charges for his peaceful activism against the Azerbaijan government.
Amnesty International Canadian Section 41 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Susanne Ure/Amnesty International Financial report
The Branch, with the authorization of the Canada Revenue Agency, now prepares its annual financial statements on a calendar year basis. The year-end of the Branch is, therefore, December 31. The year 2011 turned out to be better than expected from a financial standpoint, with the Branch just about breaking even for the 12 months ended December 31, 2011. At the beginning of the year, it was questionable as to whether the Branch would be able to pay its full assessment to the International Secretariat but, given the strength of Branch revenues, especially in the last quarter of the year, the Branch was able to pay its full commitment.
Summarized Statement of Financial Position
Current assets, which include cash in banks, short-term investments, accounts receivable and prepaid expenses, have increased by 23% from the previous year. An investment in the amount of $100,000, which had previously been classified as a long-term investment comes due in 2012 and is now classified as a short-term investment. Long-term investments amounted to approximately $389,000. These investments are recorded at their fair market value in the Statement of Financial Position. Realized and unrealized changes in fair value are recognized in the Statement of Revenue and Expense as Miscellaneous Income and in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets as an increase to the Toronto Building Fund. Capital assets at the end of the period of $1,986,000 were initially recorded at cost and have since been depreciated over their estimated useful lives at annual rates of 4% (building), 10% (iMIS membership and fundraising database) and 20% (computers and office equipment). Accounts payable and accrued liabilities have increased by 40% from the amount reflected in the accounts at December 2010. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities at the end of 2011 represent amounts due to suppliers, one monthly payment to the International Secretariat, accrued salaries payable, and a deferred salary at the end of the year. The Branch had a very small net deficit from operations for 2011 and, as a result, the amount of Branch net assets or equity has decreased by $13,700. However, overall, the Branch remains in a strong financial position. The ratio of current assets to current liabilities remained quite stable year over year at a level of 2.07:1, meaning that the Branch’s current assets were more than twice its current liabilities at year-end. To summarize the Branch’s financial position, although sustaining a very slight operating deficit in 2011, the Branch’s current assets have increased by $316,000 from December 2010 to December 2011, and the Branch is quite able to meet its financial commitments as they come due.
42 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Summarized Statement of Revenue and Expense and Special Fund Balances
In the General Fund, Resource Development Revenue for 2011 totalled $11.211 million. This exceeded the established budget for the year of $10.750 million, and was up from actual Resource Development Revenue raised in 2010 by $718 thousand, or higher by 6.8%. Other income amounted to $115 thousand in 2011 as compared to $140 thousand for 2010. For the year ended December 31, 2011, the Branch made payments of $3,420,296 (in comparison, payments for the year ended December 31, 2010, were $3,341,544) to the International Secretariat (Amnesty International Charity Limited in the UK). Additional voluntary international development contributions of $79,763 (in comparison, payments for the year ended December 31, 2010, were $64,869) were also provided to the International Secretariat. These funds were used to assist other Sections requesting financial assistance. In addition to these payments to related parties, Program and Organization Expenses also include expenses for Action Strategies, Grassroots Activism, Communications and Marketing, and Finance and Administration. These expenses, as depicted in the chart below, totalled $7.758 million as compared to $7.751 million for the calendar year ended December 2010.
10.4% 45.1% International contribution and relief 13% Action Strategies 45.1% 17.4% 14.1% Grassroots activism
14.1% 17.4% Communications and marketing 10.4% Organization 13%
Special Funds are classified as Internally Restricted or Externally Restricted. For 2011, Special Fund revenue amounted to $26,800 while total expenses from Special Funds amounted to $27,100. Transfers amounting to $10,000 were made to the Special Funds (Contingency Reserve Fund) from the General Fund resulting in a net increase in the Funds of $9,700. Special Fund Revenues included increases in the Toronto Capital Campaign of $22,000, contributions to the Membership Cooperation Fund of $3,000, contributions to the Campaign and Action Fund of $1,500, and contributions to the Ottawa Building Fund of $300. Fund expenses consisted of expenditures from Relief Funds of $9,100, from the Membership Cooperation Fund of $9,200, from the Ottawa Building Fund for roof repairs of $7,500, and from the Campaign and Action Fund of $1,300. The full audited financial statements can be obtained by calling the National Office at 613.744.7667 or emailing [email protected].
Amnesty International Canadian Section 43 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report statement of financial position
Statement of financial position 2011 2010 as at DecEMBER 31 2011
Current Assets
Cash 1,177,398 1,007,620
Short-term investments 234,553 122,979
Accounts receivable 123,745 113,135
Prepaid Expenses 142,353 118,690
1,678,049 1,362,424
INVESTMENTS 389,187 486,298
CAPITAL ASSETS 1,985,951 2,032,906
4,053,187 3,881,628
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 788,668 565,056
Deferred revenue 4,177
Current portion of long-term debt 75,022 71,134
Current portion of obligations under capital lease 8,937 17,270
872,627 657,637
LONG-TERM DEBT 411,801 486,823
OBLIGATIONS UNDER CAPITAL LEASE 89,316 44,019
1,373,744 1,188,479
COMMITMENTS
NET ASSETS
General Fund
Unrestricted 47,520 58,150
Invested in capital assets 1,400,875 1,413,660
Internally restricted funds 841,025 844,180
Externally restricted funds 390,023 377,159
2,679,443 2,693,149
$ 4,053,187 $ 3,881,628
44 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report statement of Revenue and Expenses Total
Statement of Internally total general Externally General 2011 2010 revenue and expenses restricted and internally restricted fund (12 Months) (15 Months) YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2011 funds restricted funds funds
Revenue
Resource development revenue 11,211,171 11,211,171 12,012 11,223,183 14,138,310
Less resource development expense (3,581,647) (3,581,647) (3,581,647) (4,399,960)
7,629,524 7,629,524 12,012 7,641,536 9,738,350
Groups / networks 57,115 3,084 60,199 3,500 63,699 116,835
Publication sales 7,255 7,255 7,255 18,632
Investments 9,294 9,294 9,954 19,248 23,246
Miscellaneous 41,616 1,800 43,416 43,416 90,419
7,744,804 4,884 7,749,688 25,466 7,775,154 9,987,482
Expenses
Action Strategies 2,140,902 1,254 2,142,156 12,602 2,154,758 2,746,067
Grassroots Activism 2,311,097 9,243 2,320,340 2,320,340 2,762,316
Communications and Public Awareness 2,479,856 2,479,856 2,479,856 3,154,554
Organization 826,364 7,542 833,906 833,906 1,218,528
7,758,219 18,039 7,776,258 12,602 7,788,860 9,881,465
EXCESS (DEFICIENCY) OF REVENUE OVER EXPENSES (13,415) (13,155) (26,570) 12,864 (13,706) 106,017
Amnesty International Canadian Section 45 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Implementation of AGM 2011 resolutions
AGM Resolutions 2011
Resolution B-2
ICM Resolution on Publicizing Election Vote Totals The AGM delegates agreed to put forward a resolution at the 2011 International Council Meet- ing (ICM) that proposed changes to the way International Executive Committee election results are announced and displayed during plenary. The proposed changes aimed to preserve trans- parency while reducing possible negative impacts. The ICM resolution passed in an amended version which decided that the number of votes obtained by successful candidates would be announced, and full results would be posted on the ICM website and in the ICM Report.
Resolution C-3
Audited Financial Statements The audited financial statements for the fiscal period October 1, 2009, to December 31, 2010, were accepted.
Resolution C-4
Appointment of auditors—Fiscal Year 2011 The audit firm Deloitte was appointed for the fiscal year January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2011. Audited financial statements will be distributed at the 2012 AGM and available upon request.
46 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Matthew Ponsford, Halifax, Nova Scotia Sharmila Setaram, Mississauga, Ontario Charlene Scharf, Edmonton, Alberta Deborah Smith, Gatineau, Quebec Samantha Snow, Halifax, Nova Scotia Seiko Watanabe, Prince George, British Columbia Zewditu Wayeissa, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Cyril Weeratunge, Windsor, Ontario
Fieldworkers in training Ryan Donnelly, Hamilton, Ontario Sophie Kolodziejczyk, Edmonton, Alberta Priti Maheshwari, Lethbridge, Alberta Tracy Oakley, Lakeside, Nova Scotia Executive Committee Katie Omstead, Leamington, Ontario (December 31, 2011) Mary Pyne, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan President: Sarah Beamish, Toronto, Ontario Salahuddin Rafiquddin, Mississauga, Ontario Vice-President: David Kelleher, Maxville, Ontario Chairperson: David Smith, Hemmingford, Quebec Coordinators Secretary: George Harding, Prince George, British Columbia Treasurer: Brenda Dashney, Greely, Ontario (December 31, 2011) Directors: Campaign for Abolition of the Death Penalty: Margaret Flynn, Oakville, Ontario Aubrey Harris, Toronto , Ontario Renee Saviour, Toronto, Ontario Medical Network: Don Payne, Toronto, Ontario Sharmila Setaram, Mississauga, Ontario Medical Network (Health and Human Rights Project): Andy Thompson, Waterloo, Ontario Shobana Ananth, Toronto, Ontario Lana Verran, Vancouver, British Columbia Medical Network (Nurses Committee): Ken Agar-Newman, Victoria, British Columbia Business and Human Rights (BHR) Coordination Group: Fieldworkers (December 31, 2011) Ian Heide, Ottawa, Ontario BHR Coordination Group: Sam Brown, Toronto, Ontario Gordon Barnes, Regina, Saskatchewan BHR Coordination Group: Sarah-Jane Hamilton, Samantha Burdett, Courtice, Ontario Gatineau, Quebec Nicole Cameron, Calgary, Alberta BHR Coordination Group: Matthew Ponsford, Halifax, Alexandra Catchpole, Vancouver, British Columbia Nova Scotia Remzi Cej, St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador BHR Coordination Group: Stéphanie Gervais, Ottawa, Ontario Stephanie Coward-Yaskiw, Ottawa, Ontario Parliamentary Relations Coordinator: Tariq Ahsan, Corinne de Réland, Gatineau, Quebec Ottawa, Ontario Karen Eaton, Thornhill, Ontario Tricia Jane Edgar, North Vancouver, British Columbia Marcel Lennon, Montreal, Quebec AFRICA Ian Mathieson, Edmonton, Alberta West Africa: Yao Klousseh, Montreal, Quebec Marilyn McKnight, Barrie, Ontario West Africa: David Shellnutt, Toronto, Ontario Linda Murray, Napanee, Ontario South Africa/Southern Africa: Josée Filion, Ottawa, Ontario Dave Myles, Burnaby, British Columbia Zimbabwe/Southern Africa: Stephanie McBride, Greely, Ontario Mariann Northeast, Langley, British Columbia Rwanda/Burundi/Democratic Republic of Congo: David Smith, Hemmingford, Quebec
Amnesty International Canadian Section 47 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Renee Saviour/Amnesty International
During the six Canadian dates of U2’s worldwide 360° concert tour, a team of over 150 Amnesty volunteers gathered more than 26,000 petition signatures to support the human rights goals of the Demand Dignity campaign. Shown here is the Amnesty volunteer team before the July 30 concert in Toronto.
AMERICAS EUROPE Mexico: Cara Gibbons, Toronto, Ontario Turkey: Mala Naraine, Toronto, Ontario Mexico: Michael Ballin, Toronto, Ontario Mexico: Cesar Peralta, Toronto, Ontario MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Haiti: Andrew Thompson, Waterloo, Ontario Iran: Nazila Mofrad, Toronto, Ontario Colombia: Sarah Beamish, Toronto, Ontario Iran: Renee McKenzie, Ottawa, Ontario Colombia: Paula Kelsall, Ottawa, Ontario Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories/Lebanon: Jim Joyce, United States: Mark Warren, Almonte, Ontario Pointe Claire, Quebec Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories: Andrea Marie Portugal, ASIA Beloeil, Quebec China: Yvonne Christensen, Montreal, Quebec China: Michael Craig, Toronto, Ontario China: Brandon Yau, Vancouver, British Columbia South Korea/North Korea/Japan: Sue Hickey, Grand Falls- Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador Sri Lanka: John Argue, Toronto, Ontario Malaysia/Singapore: Margaret John, Ancaster, Ontario Myanmar: Brian John, Ancaster, Ontario Philippines: Johsa Manzanilla, Winnipeg, Manitoba
48 Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report Branch Staff Information Distribution, Services and Technology Database Administrator: Chris Beausoleil (December 31, 2011) Information Technology Coordinator: Brenda Jamieson Strategy Unit Finance and Administration Executive Director: Bob Goodfellow Assistant Accountant: Nelly Almeida Secretary General: Alex Neve Computer Records Coordinator: Sue Bellefeuille Director of Communications and Marketing: Matt Beard Accountant: Kathy Breau Director of Finance and Administration: Gordon Mair Toronto Office Coordinator: Nancy Cameron (T) Director of Resource Development: Rosemary Oliver (T) Finance Clerk Autodraft: Diane Daley Director of Campaigns and Activism: Alain Roy Mail Clerk/Office Maintenance: Sandy Lagimonière Executive Assistants: Aden Seaton*, Bonnie Harnden* (C) (job share) Resource Development Member Services and Communications Manager: David Griffiths Campaigning and Action Major Gifts and Planned Giving Manager: John O’Leary (T) Fundraising Assistants: Sara Ageorlo (C) (T), Lydia Mutyaba* Campaigners (C) (T) Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Craig Benjamin Special Events: Hala Al-Madi* Security and Human Rights: Hilary Homes Member Services: Jennifer Auten, Jessica Brodribb*, Business and Human Rights: Fiona Koza* (V) (on leave), Will Bryant Tara Scurr (V) Direct Marketing: Nicole Burgess Major Campaigns and Women’s Human Rights: Major Gifts: Lorena Harrison (T), Grace Wu (T) Lindsay Mossman Monthly Giving: Cheryl Rooney (T) Central and South America: *Kathy Price (T) Planned Giving: Heather Warren* Urgent Action Network: Marilyn McKim (T) Refugee Program Coordinator: Gloria Nafziger (T) Legend: (C) Fixed-term contract (H) Halifax (T) Articling Student: Raha Bahreini Toronto (V) Vancouver Office (*) Part-time Grassroots Activism Regional Development Coordinator—Nova Scotia/New Brunswick: Kim Cahill* (H) Regional Development Coordinator—Greater Toronto Area: Elena Dumitru (T) Write for Rights Outreach Coordinator: Jenn Farr* (C) Grassroots Support and Organizing Coordinators: Shauna McLean, Lily Mah-Sen Regional Development Coordinator—BC and Yukon: Don Wright (V)
Communications and Marketing Online Fundraising: Andrew Bales* (on leave), George Irish*, Jon Lloyd* (C) Media and External Communications: Beth Berton-Hunter (T), John Tackaberry Information Services Coordinator: Denise Glasbeek Operations Support Coordinator: Louise Mulvihill* Website Editor: Susanne Ure
Amnesty International Canadian Section 49 (English Speaking) 2012 Annual Report National Office 312 Laurier Ave E, Ottawa ON K1N 1H9 Toronto Office 1992 Yonge St, 3rd Floor, Toronto ON M4S 1Z7 Vancouver Office 430-319 West Pender St, Vancouver BC V6B 1T3
Tel: 613-744-7667 or 1-800-AMNESTY (1-800-266-3789) Fax: 613-746-2411; Email: [email protected]