Amnesty International is a global movement of people fighting injustice and promoting human rights.

We work to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. Currently the world’s largest grassroots human rights organization, we investigate and expose abuses, educate and mobilize the public, and help transform societies to create a safer, more just world. We received the Nobel Peace Prize for our life-saving work.

Stokes Early College Amnesty International was founded in 2010 by students at Stokes Early College High School in Walnut Cove, N.C. We have participated in a host of human rights events including the yearly Write4rights, One Billion Rising, Red Hand Day, and Democracy in Syria. We have nearly forty members and are one of the few active high school Amnesty International student groups in North Carolina.

Our Mission

Our vision is of a world in which every person – regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity – enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and other internationally recognized human rights standards. The UDHR states that the "the recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights" of all people is "the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world."

How We Work

Amnesty International unites people from all over the world to fight for human rights using our signature tactics:

Research
Amnesty International keeps vigilant watch on the rights of people around the world and publishes hundreds of independent reports based on our rigorous research, free of corporate and government influence.

Action
Through our dynamic campaigns and long-term casework, Amnesty International members propel key human rights concerns and stories of individuals at risk into the glare of the international media and demand the attention of government officials, corporations, international institutions and policy makers.

Advocacy
We combine high-level legislative work, media outreach and grassroots mobilization to shape and promote legislation and policies to advance human rights, protect individuals and free prisoners of conscience. Author J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter series), who once worked in Amnesty International's research department, describes our work this way: "Ordinary people, whose personal well-being and security are assured, join together in huge numbers to save people they do not know, and will never meet. My small participation in that process was one of the most humbling and inspiring experiences of my life."

Human Rights Basics

Human rights are basic rights and freedoms that all people are entitled to regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, language, or other status.

Human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life, liberty and freedom of expression; and social, cultural and economic rights including the right to participate in culture, the right to food, and the right to work and receive an education.  Human rights are protected and upheld by international and national laws and treaties.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is the foundation of the international system of protection for human rights. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10th, 1948.  This day is celebrated annually as International Human Rights Day. The 30 articles of the UDHR establish the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of all people. It is a vision for human dignity that transcends political boundaries and authority, committing governments to uphold the fundamental rights of each person.  The UDHR helps guide Amnesty International's work. We also use these principles to help us define human rights and the issues we relentlessly fight for.

WHY WE FIGHT

Read More: Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Read More: International Conventions

Take Action: Resources for Educators

Learn More: Amnesty International's Mission

Our Movement

Amnesty International is a global movement of millions of people demanding human rights for all people – no matter who they are or where they are.  We are the world’s oldest and largest grassroots human rights organization. Since 1961, ordinary people across the world have chosen to take extraordinary action in defense of human rights for all. Read more about our history.