Feb 8, 2021 Virtual Meeting: Reproductive Rights

Repro Rights marchOur virtual meeting on Monday, Feb 8th, 7 pm, will focus on reproductive rights, and we’ll send Zoom info to the folks who register, which you can do here.  Our guest speaker will be Alice Dahle, chair of Amnesty International USA’s Women’s Human Rights Coordination Group, who will discuss the status of reproductive rights in the US and beyond and then take our questions.  We’ll also watch a short video and do online actions.

Jan 11, 2021 virtual meeting: Nigerian unrest

Nigeria photoAmnesty International Group 137’s first meeting of 2021 will take place online on Monday, January 11th, at 7 pm Pacific Time.  Our focus for the meeting will be the recent unrest in Nigeria.  Our guest speaker will be Charlie Cogan, AIUSA Country Specialist, who will explain the human rights situation in Nigeria and take our questions.  We’ll also watch a brief video and do online urgent actions on cases in Nigeria.  Register for the meeting here and we’ll send you the Zoom info prior to the meeting.

Dec 19: Write for Rights

W4R imageYou are invited to join Amnesty International Group 137 and other California Amnesty local and student groups for a state-wide 2020 Virtual Write for Rights event on Saturday, December 19th, 1-4 pm.  You can drop in any time between 1 pm and 4 pm to add your voice to the fight for human rights (please allow yourself at least 45 minutes for effective participation).  This is a great chance to come together with other Californians to advocate on behalf of people who urgently need our help, and to join our voices to those of thousands of other Amnesty activists around the world.  When we act together we are more powerful, and that is the driving force behind Write for Rights, Amnesty’s annual global campaign and the world’s biggest human rights event.

October 19 virtual meeting: Pros and cons of ballot measures with League of Women Voters guest speaker

Election 2020Our October meeting has been moved back a week to Monday, October 19th, 7 pm, so that we can welcome a speaker from the League of Women Voters to present the pros and cons of the state and local ballot propositions (for California and San Diego).  You can register for this meeting here.  We will send Zoom info to registrants prior to the meeting.

Oct 18: Free virtual screening of The Penalty

MugshotJoin us for a free virtual screening of the documentary film, The Penalty, on Sunday, October 18th, at 1 pm.  We are excited to announce that Will Francome, director, and Laura Shacham, producer, will join us to introduce the film and conduct a Q&A afterward.  Register for the event here.  We will send Zoom info to all registrants prior to the screening.

The Penalty follows three people caught in the crosshairs of capital punishment and the political landscape that could decide their fate, while highlighting flaws in the US’s death penalty industry and illustrating some of the fundamental reasons Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases, without exception.

August 24th virtual meeting: Ending gun violence with guest Wendy Wheatcroft

No gun violence imageThe topic of our meeting is gun violence prevention.  Our guest speaker will be Wendy Wheatcroft, leader of the California chapter of Mom’s Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and founder of San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention.  Wendy will discuss how Moms Demand Action is tackling our gun violence epidemic through all its intersections and in every state.  Register here for the meeting.  Zoom info will be sent to registrants prior to the meeting.

August 10th virtual meeting: Nancy Haydt on why we still have the death penalty

DP lethal injection imageOur special guest speaker will be Nancy Haydt, Executive Director of Death Penalty Focus, who will answer the question, “Why do we still have the death penalty?”  The pandemic has given us time to reflect on the society we have and the society we want. The Black Lives Matter movement brings alive our understanding that there is no justice, there is no peace, until all citizens are equal in rights and opportunities.  A significant artifact of our racist history is the death penalty. This talk will discuss the death penalty as a means of repression and subjugation of black citizens. We will discuss the myths that keep the death penalty alive in our society. And we will talk about strategies for outlawing the death penalty once and for all.  We’ll also do an icebreaker, watch videos, and do online urgent actions.  You can RSVP for the meeting by registering here.  If you’ve already registered for this particular meeting you do not need to do so again.  We’ll send registered attendees Zoom info prior to the meeting.

July 27 virtual meeting: Pedro Rios to speak on the Border Patrol’s recent forays into local law enforcement

tdp_pg_16_17_BorderPatrolProtests_01The topic for this meeting is the Border Patrol’s increasing forays into the realm of local law enforcement, particularly its involvement in suppressing Black Lives Matter protests.  Pedro Rios, Director of the American Friends Service Committee’s US/Mexico Border Program, will be our guest speaker and will discuss his thoughts about this disturbing development and the dangers of having an unaccountable paramilitary force that operates with impunity involved in responding to civil actions.  You can RSVP for the meeting by registering here.  If you’ve already registered for this particular meeting you do not need to do so again.  We’ll send registered attendees Zoom info prior to the meeting.