SFC’s Amnesty International Chapter Wins Honorable Mention Award for Its Activism at the Amnesty International USA Annual General Meeting
A group of passionate students from St. Francis College participated in Amnesty International’s Annual General Meeting in San Diego, held from March 3rd to March 5th. The event was a platform for human rights activists, local and student groups to come together and discuss crucial issues related to politics, society, and the importance of human rights in the domestic and international arenas.The conference was a melting pot of ideas, discussions, and debates, with students from different parts of the country joining in various events and taking actions on urgent human rights issues and cases around the world. The St. Francis College students actively participated in the conference and came back with important ideas on how to lead their own Amnesty Chapter on campus and promote the values of democracy and human rights.
The students from SFC shared their thoughts on the importance of events like this. "It's crucial to participate in such events, as it provides us with an opportunity to interact with like-minded individuals and learn from their experiences, but also to cultivate the spirit of globalism and empathy," said one of the students. The conference gave the SFC students a chance to learn from other student groups giving them ideas for the future human rights actions such as the Nowruz Action and National Week of Student Action Campaign.
They actively participated in various events and presentations, bringing to the fore their understanding of different issues and the passion to make a change on pressing global issues such as Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine, Women’s rights hardship in Iran and Afghanistan, and Persecution of Youth and Journalists in MENA region and many others. One of the attending SFC students, Afaf Bernani, is a journalist at risk from Morocco, where free speech is under constant threat. She not only attended the event, but was a speaker, further bringing St. Francis College’s care for human rights to the attention of activists across the world. Her highly successful talk exposed the hypocrisy of the government in her home country, as well as the endangered nature of the freedom of press.
The students expressed their gratitude towards St. Francis College for providing them with the opportunity to participate in the conference. "We are so thankful to our college for believing in us and supporting us in our endeavors," said one of the students. They also extended a special appreciation to Amnesty International USA and Student Affairs for their support to make the travel possible.
The conference ended on a high note, with the students returning to SFC with a renewed sense of purpose due to the young SFC Amnesty International Chapter receiving Honorable Mention Award for their participation in various Amnesty cases and projects, including the Afghan Adjustment Act Lobbying, Urgent Action Network, and the Write for Rights Campaign, for which SFC students collected almost a thousand signed letters. Such events play a vital role in not only changing the world, but shaping the minds of young leaders, and it is heartening to see St. Francis College and its staff actively supporting the students in their pursuit of excellence and engaged global citizenship.
The participation of St. Francis College in the Amnesty’s Annual General Meeting in San Diego was a resounding success, and it has set the bar high for future activities Amnesty SFC Chapter is planning to engage students in. We look forward to seeing more such initiatives from the College and the students in the future.
Would you like to join the chapter? Please contact our Amnesty International Chapter Advisors:
Ken Mayers: [email protected]
Hudson Hooton: [email protected]
