Amnesty International – Voices are Powerful

Amnesty International – Voices are Powerful

 ‘You will be surprised how powerful your own voice can be’. These are the words of Salil Shetty, Secretary General of AI. He tells the story of his final year of high school when PM Indira Gandhi declared a state emergency; in a moment, for the first time in the history of independent India, all civil and political rights were suspended. He witnessed what followed – people imprisoned for the crime of peacefully opposing the status quo. This inspired him to become involved in the struggle for justice for people of lower castes and minorities in India – to speak up for the ‘voiceless’.

Our Amnesty members, ably led by 6^th formers Victoria and Esther, and Abida (Y10), have been very vocal this half term in supporting those whose human rights have been abused. Esther and Abida led a session in which they encouraged the group to share their own stories of how they were inspired to join Amnesty. Vanessa (Y12) responded: I wanted to have an impact on a world that has countless problems yet offers endless opportunities… Amnesty at Croydon High is a special and intimate community who share passion for improving the lives of others by raising awareness. Josie (Y12) added: When I first joined Croydon High, I saw the huge sense of love and friendship within Amnesty and just knew that I had to be a part of this amazing group of young women fighting to make the world a better place. After joining, I realized how important Amnesty is in improving the lives of others and that small actions can truly make a big difference.

Mrs Abrams