This year, local human rights advocates will be taking part in Amnesty International's annual Write for Rights campaign, and they are inviting Valley residents to join them.
On Dec. 8, from 1 to 4 p.m. participants in the Comox Valley Write-A-Thon will join hundreds of thousands of people across 200 countries and territories in gathering to write letters and sign petitions in support of nine individuals or groups whose rights are at risk.
And unlike most years, one of the featured cases is based in Canada. Amnesty supporters around the world will call on Canadian lawmakers to stop the criminalization of Indigenous land defenders opposed to the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline on unceded Wet’suwet’en territory.
The event is a lead up to UN Human Rights Day on Dec. 10. At this time of year, people around the world write millions of letters, emails, tweets, Facebook posts and postcards in support of those who are unjustly persecuted. Write for Rights has helped transform the lives of more than 100 people since 2001, freeing them from torture, harassment, or unjust imprisonment. In 2023, more than 5.8 million actions were taken, making Write for Rights the biggest human rights event in the world.
The event will be at the Courtenay Library meeting room.
For more information about Canada-based Write for Rights events and resources, go to amnesty.ca/write.
