Product Description
If one organization is synonymous with keeping hope alive, even as a faint glimmer in the darkness of a prison, it is Amnesty International. Amnesty has been the light, and that light was truth—bearing witness to suffering hidden from the eyes of the world."—from the Preface

The first in-depth look at working life inside a major human rights organization, Keepers of the Flame charts the history of Amnesty International and the development of its nerve center, the International Secretariat, over forty-five years. Through interviews with staff members, archival research, and unprecedented access to Amnesty International’s internal meetings, Stephen Hopgood provides an engrossing and enlightening account of day-to-day operations within the organization, larger decisions about the nature of its mission, and struggles over the implementation of that mission.

An enduring feature of Amnesty’s inner life, Hopgood finds, has been a recurrent struggle between the "keepers of the flame" who seek to preserve Amnesty’s accumulated store of moral authority and reformers who hope to change, modernize, and use that moral authority in ways that its protectors fear may erode the organization’s uniqueness. He also explores how this concept of moral authority affects the working lives of the servants of such an ideal and the ways in which it can undermine an institution’s political authority over time. Hopgood argues that human-rights activism is a social practice best understood as a secular religion where internal conflict between sacred and profane—the mission and the practicalities of everyday operations—are both unavoidable and necessary. Keepers of the Flame is vital reading for anyone interested in Amnesty International, its accomplishments, agonies, obligations, fears, opportunities, and challenges—or, more broadly, in how humanitarian! organizations accommodate the moral passions that energize volunteers and professional staff alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Most complete book on AI
This is really the only book out there that explains Amnesty International in a complete and unbiased way. The author was allowed unprecedented access to the archives and inner-workings of AI which provided him with all kinds of interesting and unexpected information. The author was very clear about his personal opinions on the group and how they changed throughout his experience of writing this book. It was perfect for a research paper- it's carefully cited and doesn't have the agenda that most of the books published on AI clearly contain. It is very difficult to find accurate information on AI since they seem to evoke such strong opinions, both for and against them. This book also does a good job of explaining several of their major campaigns in detail. ... Read more

Product Description
Celebrating Amnesty International's 50th year, the thought-provoking Amnesty International 2011 Wall Calendar commemorates the important work of Amnesty International and its efforts to focus world attention on the human rights and dignity of all people. Featured are the powerful images of photojournalists represented by London-based Panos Pictures. In addition, each month includes a quote about Amnesty International from Nobel laureates, artists, musicians, and human rights activists.

* Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 2.2 million supporters, activists, and volunteers in over 150 countries working together to create a safer, more peaceful world by promoting and defending human rights for all people, everywhere.

* Sales of this calendar benefit Amnesty International and its programs. ... Read more

Product Description
What does it mean to be free? Top authors donate their talents to explore the question in a compelling collection to benefit Amnesty International.

A boy who thinks that school is "slavery" learns the true meaning of the word when he stumbles on a secret child-labor factory. A Palestinian boy, mute from trauma, releases kites over a wall to a hilltop settlement, each bearing a message of peace. This inspiring, engaging anthology gathers an international roster of authors to explore such themes as asylum, law, education, and faith — from a riveting tale of an attempt to find drinking water after Hurricane Katrina; to a chilling look at a future where microchips track every citizen’s every move; to a hilarious police interrogation involving the London Tower, the Crown Jewels, and a Ghanaian boy with a passion for playing marbles. Features an introduction by British writer Jacqueline Wilson.

With stories by:
David Almond
Ibtisam Barakat
Malorie Blackman
Theresa Breslin
Eoin Colfer
Roddy Doyle
Ursula Dubosarsky
Jamila Gavin
Margaret Mahy
Patricia McCormick
Michael Morpurgo
Sarah Mussi
Meja Mwangi
Rita Williams-Garcia ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children
In 1948 following the destruction and human rights abuses of World War II and the Holocaust, the General Assembly of the United Nations convened to adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).In this fundamentally important document that all member countries were called upon to disseminate and practice, 30 succinct statements, classified as articles, described the conditions under which all human beings deserve to live in a life characterized by fairness and dignity, free of abuse, fear, and want.

In this new volume, edited by one of the world's leading non-governmental organizations to protect people's human rights around the world, fourteen writers each contribute a short piece that illustrates his or her interpretations of a particle article in the UDHR.These short stories, verses, and scripts depict in the clearest and most touching ways how rights to such entities as an education, equal treatment, free speech, rest from work, and a home can make all the difference between a life of decency and one of despair.

This book makes a fine introduction, in a dignified and age-appropriate way, for young readers to gain an early appreciation of economic rights as human rights, and of the ever-present need to advocate for social justice no matter how small or large the scope of the injustice.
... Read more

Product Description
When British attorney Peter Beneson founded Amnesty International in 1961 to campaign for the release of political prisoners, his idea of bombarding offending governments with letters, postcards, and telegrams was sharply criticized as "one of the larger lunacies of our time." Forty years later, with more than one million members and supporters in over 160 countries and territories, London-based Amnesty has impacted individual lives and played a significant role in shaping public policy, if not always practice, of governments around the globe.

Amnesty's extraordinary strategies to reduce human rights abuses are critically examined in this objective look at the successes and failures of the organization over the last four decades. In Like Water on Stone, author Jonathan Power recognizes Amnesty's considerable achievements-the difficult struggles in Guatemala to help those facing death squads, discusses the case in the Central African Republic where Amnesty's masterful detective work exposed the massacre of defenseless children, and investigates attempts to bring former Chilean strongman Augustine Pinochet to justice.

But Power does not shy away from raising the difficult questions about Amnesty's strategies. Do Amnesty's campaigns lead repressive governments to murder rather than jail political prisoners? Is the organization's research and reports always accurate? Was Amnesty right to label British methods of interrogation in Northern Ireland as "torture?" Was Amnesty right to lobby for better prison conditions for the notorious Baader-Meinhoff gang in Germany?

Like Water on Stone also explores Amnesty's efforts in China, Morocco, Sri Lanka, and Colombia. A sobering review of Amnesty's work in the United States considers the hypocrisies of a nation that champions human rights abroad but tolerates police brutality, racial profiling, and capital punishment within its own borders.

One of Amnesty's best known adopted political prisoners, Olusegun Obasanjo, now the democratically elected president of Nigeria and a personal friend of author Power, once described Amnesty International as operating "like water on stone." According to Jonathan Power, the world is indeed a better place because of the organization's slow yet steady strides in the fight for human rights. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Spotty Coverage of an Important Movement
This book is rather difficult to figure out, and ultimately it doesn't do justice to its titular organization. Despite the title, this is not really a history of Amnesty International. Instead, it is more of a compendium of investigative journalism towards the subject of human rights in the second half of the twentieth century, using examples of problem areas in which Amnesty made some impact. In fact, it becomes apparent that Jonathan Power is merely reporting on human rights episodes that he happens to be familiar with as a long-standing foreign affairs correspondent. Thus, the supposed focus on Amnesty International as a social movement and non-governmental organization, and the effectiveness of its efforts, mostly falls apart as the book progresses.

The actual history of the organization appears awkwardly in one chapter in the middle of the book, with most of the remainder consisting of rather standard political coverage of a very selective collection of human rights stories that seem to have been chosen arbitrarily by the author. At certain times, this does lead to very informative examinations of political and historical episodes that may be unfamiliar to the knowledgeable reader, such as a brutal dictatorship in the Central African Republic, or the inconsistent human rights record of the supposedly enlightened South Korea. Also, the chapter on Amnesty's concerns about rampant abuse in the American prison system offers a pretty balanced, if sometimes inflammatory, outside perspective.

Unfortunately, other sections are marred by Jonathan Power's soapbox sermonizing. For example, he wraps up examinations of trouble spots like Colombia, China, and North Korea with one-paragraph pronouncements on how these nations' myriad problems can be immediately solved. Also, there are a fair number of factual errors throughout the book (especially with the dates and locations of major geopolitical and colonialist developments), and I agree with the previous reviewer on how such minor missteps can add up to major reservations about Power's coverage. And finally, the reader may want to skip the interminable final chapter in which Power unleashes a windy and inconclusive lecture on the current state of human rights around the world, with only occasional non-sequiturs to remind the reader that this is still a book about Amnesty International. Overall, this book that claims to be about that great and committed organization is often just tangentially influenced by it. [~doomsdayer520~]

Important Subject, Uneven Treatment
This is an uneven book on an extremely important organization and topic.The role of Amnesty International, a private citizen's organization created to hold governments accountable for their actions, has been critical to bringing human rights issues to the forefront of global foreign policy concerns.The simple approach of having citizens write letters to government officials expressing their interest in and concern over political prisoners has resulted in the release of thousands, and has brought hope to many.Amnesty International's efforts have demonstrated that individual citizen action does make a difference; it has become a model for other organizations around the globe.

Unfortunately, the author does not successfully capture the importance and significance of Amnesty.There are a number of factual errors which, while not significant in their own right, are jarring and do raise questions regarding other statements.As one example, he states that both Nigeria and Rhodesia were British colonies in 1966; both were former colonies but by 1966 were both independent nations.His analysis is not always strong; in other instances it is virtually non-existent.On more than one occasion his writing meanders and concludes without making any point; this is particularly the case with the chapter on the history of Amnesty, and on the Baader-Meinhoff gang.On the other hand, his discussion of Amnesty's role in China is well-written, and the chapter on human rights violations is well-written, well-documented, and provides important commentary and analysis concerning the human rights record of a nation that has high standards but that does not always live up to them.

Literary and analytical weaknesses aside, the importance of Amnesty's mission, and its success (and failures) over the years, make this an important book to read.One only hopes that someone will be motivated to write a more thorough treatise on the subject.

An excellent look inside Amnesty International
Amnesty International was started in 1961 by Peter Benenson, a british lwayer who read about students in Portugal (at that time under a military dictatorship) who received long prison terms for toasting freedom. His idea of flooding the offending government with letters, telegrams and unpleasant publicity was derided at the time as silly. Over the years, AI has kept its emphasis on those prisoners who do not use or advocate violence, and has stayed as non-partisan as possible in various international disputes while double and triple-checking all information it receives. Today, with members in over 160 countries, Amnesty International is the world's most influential private organization dealing with human rights.

This book looks at the difficulties faced by AI in its work around the world. Nigeria is the home of AI's most famous political prisoner, Olusegun Obasanjo (now President of Nigeria). Amnesty's attention to detail and fine detective work exposed the massacre of more than 100 children in the Central African Republic. Political freedom in China seems to go through phases of openness, only to be slammed shut by the government. The book also deals with death squads in Guatemala and attempts to bring former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet to justice.

The author also explores human rights in America. Around the world, America is the first one to say something to other countries whose human rights records are less-than-perfect. But, looking at America's domestic record of police brutality, racial profiling and inability to ratify various human rights conventions and treaties, the word "hypocrisy" comes to mind.

This is a fine piece of writing. Those who are already active in the human rights field, and those who just want to know something about AI (before becoming members) will learn a lot from this book. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
A small group founded Amnesty International in 1961 to translate human rights principles into action. Diplomacy of Conscience provides a rich account of how the organization pioneered a combination of popular pressure and expert knowledge to advance global human rights. To an extent unmatched by predecessors and copied by successors, Amnesty International has employed worldwide publicity campaigns based on fact-finding and moral pressure to urge governments to improve human rights practices. Less well known is Amnesty International's significant impact on international law. It has helped forge the international community's repertoire of official responses to the most severe human rights violations, supplementing moral concern with expertise and conceptual vision.

Diplomacy of Conscience traces Amnesty International's efforts to strengthen both popular human rights awareness and international law against torture, disappearances, and political killings. Drawing on primary interviews and archival research, Ann Marie Clark posits that Amnesty International's strenuously cultivated objectivity gave the group political independence and allowed it to be critical of all governments violating human rights. Its capacity to investigate abuses and interpret them according to international standards helped it foster consistency and coherence in new human rights law.

Generalizing from this study, Clark builds a theory of the autonomous role of nongovernmental actors in the emergence of international norms pitting moral imperatives against state sovereignty. Her work is of substantial historical and theoretical relevance to those interested in how norms take shape in international society, as well as anyone studying the increasing visibility of nongovernmental organizations on the international scene. ... Read more

Product Description
The report documents human rights' issues of concern to Amnesty International during 2007. ... Read more

Product Description
Akira Iriye challenged historians to join political scientists in the study of international non-governmental organizations, asserting in Global Community (2002) that this analysis provides a fresh perspective on the evolution of international relations and enables us to reconceptualize modern world history. Baldwin s study takes on this challenge arguing that Amnesty International has played a notable role in shaping U.S. foreign policy. Her study reveals that the policymaking environment has been, in part, re-shaped by the work of Amnesty International, consequently our understanding of the policymaking process would be enhanced by incorporating studies of INGOs and the significance of soft power into our policy studies. ... Read more

Product Description
Examines how the charity works to prevent atrocities and protect human rights around the world. The series looks at key international organisations, how and why they were set up, their structure and organisation and the different things they do. ... Read more

Product Description
It is hard to believe that anyone would deliberately torture a child. Yet around the world, girls and boys are being subjected to horrific violence and abuse. Children are tortured because they are cought up in wars and political conflict. Children are in custody are vulnerable to ill-treatment by police and security forces, and are often detained in conditions that pose a threat to their health and safety. The effects of torture on the future of the child may be felt for generations to come. The victims are from all regions of the world. Some are the accidental victims of the carnage of war; some have been deliberatly targeted by armed forces; some have themselves been forced to take up arms, and to carry out acts of torture. Dozens of harrowing cases have been presented in this report, yet they are no more than the tip of a very large iceberg. The torture of children is a widespread, worldwide scandal, and concerted public action must be brought to bear on governments to force them to live up to their legal and moral obligation to protect children. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Amnesty International: The Human Rights Story
Even though I was happy to find something about AI which wasn't written by AI, I would prefare to read something a little bit more dispassionate. ... Read more

Product Description
The Amnesty International report 2001 reports on human rights abuses suffered by people all over the world. Renowned as an authoritative guide, it is packed with comprehensive, tightly researched information. ... Read more