Activists on the front lines
We are a grassroots membership organization – with volunteers who shape, lead, and carry out our work to protect human rights. With more than 10 million members and supporters worldwide, more than a million of whom are in the United States.
Amnesty International is the world’s largest grassroots human rights organization. Volunteer leaders fill a wide range of critical roles: they start and run local groups, they manage legislative advocacy in the states, they drive campaigns in individual cases and on major reforms, and they engage more people in fighting for human rights. In other words, they change the world. Here are a few of their stories.
This month, as I enter my third year as Amnesty USA’s Executive Director, I am incredibly inspired by and grateful for the resilience, commitment and talent of our Membership. You are what make us different from every other human rights group—the people power Amnesty offers to those on the front lines of human rights struggles. You are the activists that despotic power elites fear, both in the United States and around the world. Amnesty’s membership is not just in our DNA, it is our DNA: the hundreds of thousands of US volunteers who take action every year, who contribute their precious resources to keep us fighting without being beholden to any government or corporation; the member leaders who are trying all sorts of creative ways to grow and diversify our movement and deepen the engagement of fellow members; the members who show up at our regional and annual meetings and elect our board of directors to govern and guide this organization. You are Amnesty, and so I’m proud to say “we appreciate you, this month and every month
ACs are volunteers that organize groups in their state to collaborate on initiatives, develop partnerships with other human rights activists, and mobilize to protect human rights.
Country and Thematic Specialists are volunteers with expertise in specific areas who work to develop and implement AIUSA strategies to advance human rights.
LCs are volunteers that work in states to advance our legislative priorities to protect human rights.
SDPACs are volunteers that oranize and advocate at the state level to abolish the death penalty.
Youth Leadership in Activism is a volunteer leadership program at AIUSA encompassing four member leader roles: Peer Trainers, Student Activist Coordinators (SAC), Slack Community Managers and Social Media Managers.
The Youth Collective is a national volunteer youth leadership body that provides thought leadership, strategy, consultation, and guidance to AIUSA.
