Welcome to the Amnesty International Taipei blog

Welcome the blog of the Amnesty International Taipei English Speaking Group.

You can also keep in touch via our group at Facebook and check Amnesty International Taiwan’s website (mostly in Chinese). You can contact the group by sending an e-mail to taiwanaie[at]gmail.com. Notifications of our regular meetings and other events are posted on this blog.

Next meeting: 4 February 2010

The next meeting of the Amnesty English speaking group is at 7:00pm on Thursday 4 February 2010. We will watch a short documentary about Chobi Mela, a festival in Bangladesh. We will then discuss some human rights issues in Bangladesh and do some letter writing actions. The group also still welcomes feedback on activities for 2010.

The meeting is on the 10th floor at No. 2 Zhongshan N. Rd. Sec. 1, Taipei City. It is very close to Taipei Main Station. There is a page with a Google map showing the location.

Ideas for the group in 2010

The first meeting of Amnesty’s Taipei English-speaking group was held on 14 January 2010. It was a chance to discuss some ideas for the group in 2010. Five people attended including three new members.

Here is a list of ideas for activities for 2010.

1. Event focusing on East Timor. This could include a screening of the film Balibo and a guest speaker.
2. Event focusing on North Korea. This could include a screening of the film Crossing and a guest speaker.
3. Guest speakers on various topics. Suggested speakers include Bo Tedards (Taiwan Foundation for Democracy), Lynn Miles and a representative of TIWA.

We also discussed the best time to hold meetings. In the past meetings were always held on Tuesday night. In recent times this has shifted to Wednesday and then Thursday. We need feedback about the most convenient time for people. We also need to consult with Omer as he had other commitments and was unable to attend the meeting.

Finally we talked about ways to encourage new members to come to meetings and participate in activities. Lidia suggested that we need to let people know that meetings are informal and you don’t need any special knowledge to attend. Meetings are a chance to meet new people and share ideas and information.

For those who couldn’t attend the meeting but are keen to be involved in Amnesty your feedback is welcome. Please leave a comment or send an e-mail to taiwanaie [at] gmail.com.

Next meeting: 14 January 2010

The next meeting of the Amnesty English speaking group is at 7:00pm on Thursday 14 January 2010. It will be our first meeting for 2010 so it will be a chance to discuss plans for our Amnesty in group in 2010. There will also be materials for letter writing available so we can write some letters.

The meeting is on the 10th floor at No. 2 Zhongshan N. Rd. Sec. 1, Taipei City. It is very close to Taipei Main Station. There is a page with a Google map showing the location.

Next meeting: 10 December 2009

The next meeting is at 7:00pm on Thursday 10 December 2009. Please note the earlier than usual starting time. This is because we will have two special activities for International Human Rights Day.

The first activity is the letter writing marathon. This is part of an effort by Amnesty groups around the world to write letters to people in positions of authority, urging them to protect human rights, or write letters of solidarity directly to the people whose rights have been violated. The letter writing marathon is the power of one multiplied many thousand times over, to make a difference in people’s lives.

Then at 7:30pm Sergio will screen a video from Invisible Children. After the video he will give a presentation about practical things we can do to help children in Africa.

The meeting is on the 10th floor at No. 2 Zhongshan N. Rd. Sec. 1, Taipei City. It is very close to Taipei Main Station. There is a page with a Google map showing the location.

Members may also be interested in a free screening of Crossing, a film about North Korean refugees on China. It is showing at 7:00pm on Friday 11 December on the sixth floor of the Eslite Xinyi Bookstore in Taipei. More details at Facebook.

Next meeting: 19 November 2009

The next meeting is at 7:30pm on Thursday 5 November 2009. Everyone is welcome to attend and share information about or discuss any human rights topic. David will also give a briefing on Roger Hood’s talk about the death penalty and last week’s meeting with Renate from Germany.

The meeting is on the 10th floor at No. 2 Zhongshan N. Rd. Sec. 1, Taipei City. It is very close to Taipei Main Station. There is a page with a Google map showing the location.

Worldwide perspectives on the death penalty

Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty (台灣廢除死刑推動聯盟) is hosting a speech by Roger Hood on the topic “Progress and Prospects for World-wide Abolition” in Taipei on 16 November 2009. Details are available in Chinese on the TAEDP blog. For those who can’t read Chinese I will translate the details here.

Time: Monday 16 November 2009 7:00-9:30pm
Address: Wenhua University, No. 127 Yanping South Road, Taipei City 文化大學大新官B1圖形演講廳B101 (臺北市延平南路127號)
Contact: hjcxlt [at] gmail.com :: 02 2709 8983

If you want to attend the talk it will be in English with simultaneous translation to Mandarin. You need to register in advance using this online form. Again the form is in Chinese. If you need help registering send an e-mail to taiwanaie [at] gmail.com.

Next meeting: 5 November 2009

The next meeting is at 7:30pm on Thursday 5 November 2009. Everyone is welcome to attend and share information about or discuss any human rights topic.

The meeting is on the 10th floor at No. 2 Zhongshan N. Rd. Sec. 1, Taipei City. It is very close to Taipei Main Station. There is a page with a Google map showing the location.

Next meeting: 15 October 2009

The next meeting is at 7:30pm on Thursday 15 October 2009. Everyone is welcome to attend and share information about or discuss any human rights topic.

The meeting is on the 10th floor at No. 2 Zhongshan N. Rd. Sec. 1, Taipei City.  It is very close to Taipei Main Station. There is a page with a Google map showing the location.

Burma VJ screening

Burma VJ, a documentary about the 2007 Saffron Revolution in Burma, will have a special screening in Taipei on Tuesday 29 September. The event is jointly organised by the Amnesty International English Speaking Group and the Taiwan Free Burma Network (TFBN). Entry is free and tea, coffee and snacks will be provided.

Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Location: Youth Hub (青年交流中心)
Address: 1F., No.31, Sec. 1, Zhongxiao E. Rd. (台北市中正區忠孝東路一段31號) Exit 6 of Shandao Temple MRT Station (善導寺捷運站地6出口)

Details of the event are also on Facebook. TFBN is also holding further screenings on university campuses around Taiwan in October. Details here.

Next meeting: 23 September 2009

The next meeting is at 7:30pm on Wednesday 23 September 2009. We will talk about human rights issues in Indonesia. Everyone is asked to bring an article or some information to share on this topic. There will also be new editions of the WIRE magazine. We will plan for the Burma VJ screening on 29 September.

The meeting is on the 10th floor at No. 2 Zhongshan N. Rd. Sec. 1, Taipei City.  It is very close to Taipei Main Station. There is a page with a Google map showing the location.