An international organization in existence for over 40 years, Amnesty International works to protect human rights of all people around the world. Despite the United Nations' creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, many nations in the world either violate or fail to recognize these fundamental rights that include life, liberty, privacy, freedom of expression, equal protection under the law, and freedom from toture or government abuse. Most commonly, the victims of human rights abuses are members of marginalized or minoritry groups within their countries. And, in some cases, citizens face imprisonment for actions that should not be criminalized, such as expressing political dissent or beliefs that their governments condemn unfairly. Amnesty works to free these political prisoners and prisoners of conscience by sending Urgent Action letters to the government officials responsible for the imprisonment. Amnesty has achieved great sucess in its 40-year history in helping to free political prisoners worldwide. Through urgent Action letters, Amnesty members can also work to change government policies that violate human rights so that citizens of those nations will not have to face potential incarceration.

As a St. Ignatius chapter of Amnesty International, we help to carry out the mission of the organization by writing and sending Urgent Action letters and spreading awareness to students and faculty regarding the human rights abuses and unjust imprisonments that still occur regularly in the world.