By Melanie Jacob
Journal Editor
For the first time ever, the internationally recognized human rights group Amnesty International will be holding a conference in Humboldt on Oct. 18 at the Westminster United Church.
Old and new members are invited to participate in the various workshops that will include information about the organization, current campaigns, and ways in which the community can get involved.
There will also be three speakers in attendance: Josh Manzanilla from the board of directors for Amnesty International Canada; Jackie Hansen, Amnesty Canada's major campaigns and women's rights campaigner; and Lily Mah-Sen, a member of Amnesty Canada's Membership Activism Team.
"This is to provide an opportunity for people are currently Amnesty International members to connect with each other and learn about our work," said Gord Barnes, a volunteer field worker in Saskatchewan for Amnesty International. "It's also for people new to Amnesty, had heard of us, and were interested in connecting with us and learning about what we're doing."
The workshops will be focused on a few key ongoing campaigns, some of which include stopping torture around the world and violence against indigenous women.
"I'll be focusing on what we are calling for actions people can take," said Hansen, who will be speaking specifically on those issues. "Regarding violence against indigenous women, I think there's so much out there in the media that it's difficult to find out what's really going on and what we are really calling for."
More specifically, Hansen said she plans to talk about some areas of focus such as the torture chambers of Nigeria and women who are experiencing sexual violence in Mexico. For her, anyone who's in the room is the right person to attend the conference.
"This is for people who are interested, whether they're just watching the news and want to explore the issues further or do something in their own lives to make a difference," said Hansen. "We are such an action-oriented organization and we want people to have a solid understanding of the issues. We want to empower people to take action."
According to Barnes, younger activists in university will be hosting a workshop so as to be able to relate to high school students and get them involved as well. For people who are already members, this will be a chance for them to reconnect with other members and learn more about the ongoing issues.
"Making better connections with each other would be an example of what someone like myself would be looking at coming out of the conference," said Barnes. "This conference is providing a learning opportunity and will continue to grow the number of people active in Saskatchewan."
The event will formally begin at 10 a.m., but juice and muffins will be available starting at 9 a.m. Workshops will go until 5:30 p.m. with only a break for lunch, which will also be provided.
