Amnesty International: Freedom for All

In 1961, two Portuguese students were imprisoned for raising a toast to freedom. British lawyer Peter Benenson responded by publishing an article entitled “The Forgotten Prisoners” in the Observer newspaper. Reprinted in newspapers around the world, his article launched the worldwide campaign “Appeal for Amnesty 1961” and led to the founding of human rights NGO Amnesty International. In July, delegates from Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, the UK, and the US came together to establish “a permanent international movement in defence of freedom of opinion in religion.” A small office and library was subsequently opened in Benenson's chambers in Mitre Court, London. The group also established the Threes Network and adopted three prisoners from different political and geographical areas.

Since then, Amnesty International has tirelessly worked to advance the global human rights movement. Over the years, the organization has launched campaigns against torture, inhumane prison conditions, political killings, the death penalty, apartheid, and more. Amnesty International has  advocated for prisoners of conscience, women, refugees, and those living with HIV/AIDS as well. In 2009, the organization launched the Demand Dignity campaign, focusing on slums and informal settlements, maternal mortality, corporate accountability, and making rights law. The international campaign, which included a caravan across Sierra Leone, resulted in the government introducing policies for free maternal health care.

Today, Amnesty International consists of over 3 million members, supporters, and activists in more than 150 countries, all campaigning to end grave abuses of human rights. Independent of any government, religion, political ideology, or economic interest, the group envisions a world where every person can enjoy all the rights that make up the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. In 2011,  Amnesty International celebrated its 50th anniversary with a toast to freedom, a homage to the moment that led to its inception.