In difesa dei diritti umani. L'archivio di Amnesty International Italia

Abstract This research note unveils new archival evidence from Amnesty International's first twenty-five years (1961–1986) to shed light on the realization of international human rights as Amnesty balanced “nonpolitical politics” through multifaceted government relations. The research draws from minutes and reports of eighty meetings of Amnesty's executive leadership and interviews from the 1983 to 1985 Amnesty Oral History project, all collected from the International Institute of Social History. The records show that during this time Amnesty relied on government and foundation funding to exit a severe financial crisis. Amnesty also cultivated a private diplomatic network with governments for access and advocacy and conducted side bargains with closed countries for access and reforms. In one sense, the new evidence complicates the conventional wisdom that Amnesty was only financed from small, individual donors and stayed away from private government dealings. In another sense, the new data extend existing insights about INGO strategic action by revealing Amnesty's pragmatic trade-offs when maintaining arms–length relations with governments to better appreciate the organization's early challenges and accomplishments. The note ultimately contributes to scholarship on the strategic choices of INGOs and provides new data for future research on the agency of nonstate actors in global governance navigating complex government relations. Esta nota de investigación presenta nueva evidencia documental de los primeros 25 años de Amnistía Internacional (Amnesty International), de 1961 a 1986, para arrojar luz sobre el cumplimiento de las normas internacionales de derechos humanos mientras Amnistía balanceaba la “política no política” mediante relaciones gubernamentales polifacéticas. La investigación incorpora actas e informes de 80 reuniones del liderazgo ejecutivo de Amnistía y entrevistas de 1983 a 1985 del proyecto Historia Oral de Amnistía (Amnesty Oral History), recopiladas del Instituto Internacional de Historia Social. Los documentos muestran que, en ese momento, Amnistía necesitó financiación gubernamental y de fundaciones para salir de una crisis financiera grave. Amnistía también cultivó una red diplomática privada con gobiernos a cambio de acceso y defensa, y tuvo negocios paralelos con países cerrados a cambio de acceso y reformas. En un sentido, la nueva evidencia complica la sabiduría convencional de que Amnistía solo tuvo financiamiento de donantes pequeños e individuos y se mantuvo lejos de los negocios privados con gobiernos. En contraste, los nuevos datos amplían las percepciones existentes sobre la acción estratégica de organizaciones no gubernamentales internacionales (ONGI), revelando las concesiones pragmáticas de Amnistía al mantener relaciones independientes con gobiernos, y permiten apreciar mejor los desafíos y logros iniciales de la organización. La nota, fundamentalmente, contribuye a la investigación sobre las decisiones estratégicas de las ONGI y brinda nuevos datos para futuras investigaciones sobre la autonomía de los actores no estatales que navegan relaciones gubernamentales complejas en la gobernanza global. Cet exposé de recherche dévoile de nouvelles preuves issues des 25 premières années d'archives d'Amnesty International (1961–1986) pour apporter un éclairage sur l'application des droits de l'Homme tandis qu'Amnesty équilibrait la « politique apolitique » par le biais de relations gouvernementales à plusieurs facettes. Cette recherche s'appuie sur des minutes et rapports de 80 réunions de la haute direction d'Amnesty, ainsi que sur des entretiens qui ont eu lieu entre 1983 et 1985 dans le cadre du projet Oral History (Histoire orale) d'Amnesty. Ces données ont toutes été recueillies auprès de l'Institut International d'Histoire Sociale. Les archives montrent que durant cette période, Amnesty a dû compter sur le financement de gouvernements et de fondations pour sortir d'une grave crise financière. Amnesty a également cultivé un réseau diplomatique privé avec des gouvernements pour faciliter son accès et son plaidoyer dans le pays concerné tout en menant des négociations parallèles avec les pays fermés pour y favoriser son accès et les réformes. En un sens, les nouvelles preuves compliquent les idées reçues selon lesquelles Amnesty ne serait financée que par de petits donateurs individuels et resterait à l’écart des affaires gouvernementales privées. Mais en un autre sens, ces nouvelles données enrichissent les renseignements existants sur l'action stratégique des organisations non gouvernementales internationales en révélant qu'Amnesty s’était livrée à des compromis pragmatiques en entretenant des relations avec les gouvernements tout en restant à distance. Ces renseignements nous permettent donc de mieux apprécier les premiers défis et accomplissements de l'organisation. En définitive, cet exposé contribue aux études sur les choix stratégiques des organisations non gouvernementales internationales et fournit de nouvelles données pour les recherches futures sur l'intervention des acteurs non étatiques dans la gouvernance mondiale tandis qu'ils naviguent dans des relations gouvernementales complexes.

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A3. Amnesty International, Report on House Demolition and Destruction of Land and Property in Israel and the Occupied Territories, Executive Summary, London, 18 May 2004 (excerpts).

Journal of Palestine Studies ◽

10.1525/jps.2004.33.4.175 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 175-180 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Keyword(s):

International Community ◽

Executive Summary ◽

Amnesty International ◽

Legal Standards ◽

International Report ◽

Occupied Territories ◽

House Demolition ◽

Israeli Army

The document excerpted below summarizes a sixty-five-page report, ““Israel and the Occupied Territories: Under the Rubble: House Demolition and Destruction of Land and Property.”” The executive summary also includes a section on international legal standards as well as recommendations (to the Israeli authorities, the PA, the international community, and to Caterpillar Inc., which manufactures the specially outfitted bulldozers used by the Israeli army). Notes have been deleted for space. The entire report is found online at web.amnesty.org

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DIGNITY AND ENNUI: Amnesty International, Amnesty International Report 2009: The State of the World's Human Rights, London: Amnesty International Publications

Journal of Human Rights Practice ◽

10.1093/jhuman/hup025 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 151-165 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

S. Hopgood

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

The State ◽

Amnesty International ◽

International Report

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Book Review: Like Water on Stone: The Story of Amnesty International

International Criminal Justice Review ◽

10.1177/105756770301300126 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 209-211

Author(s):

Erin Gibbs Van Brunschot

Keyword(s):

Amnesty International

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The Abuse of Executive Prerogative: a Purposive Difference Between Detention in Black Africa and Detention in White Racist Africa

Issue A Journal of Opinion ◽

10.1017/s0047160700503382 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 38-43

Author(s):

Eddison Jonas Mudadirwa Zvobgo

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

Middle East ◽

Board Member ◽

Political Prisoner ◽

Ivory Tower ◽

The West ◽

Amnesty International ◽

Maximum Security ◽

Black Africa ◽

Maximum Security Prison

As a lawyer, a law-teacher, a Board-member of Amnesty International (U.S.A.) and, more importantly, as an African revolutionary, matters of human rights are of grave concern to me. With racism and fascism gaining ground in the West, reactionary bourgeois chauvinism on the rampage in many of the newly liberated states in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and statist revisionist tyranny masquerading as revolutionary socialism in some of the socialist countries, few can afford ivory-tower debates involving human rights. Certainly I cannot, having spent seven years in Salisbury Maximum Security Prison as Ian Smith’s political prisoner.

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Universal rights and mental illness in Ireland

Psychiatric Bulletin ◽

10.1192/pb.28.4.114 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 114-116 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gavin Rush ◽

Declan Lyons

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Human Rights ◽

Best Practice ◽

Amnesty International ◽

Legal Obligations ◽

Promotional Campaign ◽

The Right ◽

International Conventions

The human rights group Amnesty International has recently expanded the range of rights it promotes to include the right of persons with mental illness to enjoy the best available mental health care. The Irish section of Amnesty has launched a report and promotional campaign on the rights of persons with mental illness, using internationally recognised norms of best practice reflected in international conventions that generate binding legal obligations of the Irish state. The report is critical of piecemeal reforms and inadequate resourcing of mental health services, and calls for a more comprehensive implementation of the recommendations of domestic and international reports.

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