Amnesty International Maastricht Students

Chat rooms monitored. Blogs deleted. Websites blocked. Search engines restricted. People imprisoned for simply posting and sharing information.

The Internet is a new frontier in the struggle for human rights. Governments – with the help of some of the biggest IT companies in the world – are cracking down on freedom of expression...

What..
We show Human-Rights-Related documentaries at the filmtheatre Lumiere and try to raise some awareness for these issues.

How..
We cooperate with Amnesty International Amsterdam and their Film Festival Team. We ask them for certain movies or they send us from time to time suggestions about movies worth watching / screening.

We decide about which ones to show with the group, inform ourselves about the topic, watch them and discuss the involved issues.

What… Raise Awareness!
Appeal as many people as possible in as many ways as possible!
Therefore, we try not only to organise bands and DJs, but also lectures, art exhibitions, artistic and theatre performances, podium discussions, info-actions, signature/photo actions.

Usually we have 4 festivals per academic year. This spring there is a big Open Air Festival planed. But there are actually no limits; maybe somebody would be up to organize just an evening in the Backstage (or any other location) or a Classical Music Concert?

How…

Since September 2006, the Roma Subgroup has a new name: Minorities Subgroup. We are going to continue our work on Roma, but want to deal with other minorities as well. Everyone interested and with new ideas is very welcome!

Read here there the full information about our Roma Subgroup.

Past event(s):

Evening Conference 'Tibet: Minority Rights on The Roof of the World'

What..
The conscience group was set up in order to raise awareness of Human Rights issues among the people in our reach.

Actions..
Our first event took place on the 27th of April in the Cafe Twee Heren. We organised a discussion drink with the topic Human Rights vs Patent Rights in regards to the AIDS/HIV medication issue: Human Rights vs. Patent Rights.

Three spaekers from UM and the Ministry of foreign affairs came, who gave sufficient background information and facilitated the discussion among and with the audience.

The Guatemala subgroup is the only AIMS subgroup which is occupied with an “official” Amnesty International case. Since summer 2005, we are one of the few groups in the Netherlands working on this CASA (Central American Special Action). It is called Guatemala. No protection, no justice: Killings of Women in Guatemala and operates within the framework of the AI Stop Violence Against Women campaign.

Motivation

Since..

The subgroup started working in January 2006 with the objective to
1. learn more about the causes of discrimination of Roma in Europe and the connection to Human Rights and Minority Rights
2. launch awareness and information actions in Maastricht

What..