Binghamton University’s newly chartered Amnesty International (AI) chapter is ready to raise awareness about human rights on campus. The worldwide organization promotes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.
‘Binghamton’s chapter of Amnesty International will focus on raising awareness about human rights issues by organizing things like film showings, letter-writing campaigns and fund-raising events,’ said the organization’s co-president, Vincent Ialenti.
The group plans to work closely with other human rights and multicultural groups on campus to plan events.
Since the chapter received its charter midway through last semester the group is currently operating without a budget, but is eligible to receive funding from the Student Association in the future.
AI at Binghamton has held several events during the short time it has been chartered.
The group recently held a screening of the documentary ‘Darfur Diaries’ to raise awareness of the genocide in Darfur and is pushing for divestment from Darfur ‘ which involves asking the University to cut ties with companies involved with Sudan. They are also engaged in a letter-writing campaign to free Ethiopian prisoner of conscience Mesfin Woldemariam and have already gathered approximately 50 letters.
David Bass, the SA’s vice president for multicultural affairs, praised AI, saying that their presence was much needed on campus.
‘Until a few months ago, there was no group quite like Amnesty on this campus in its scope of involving students in international justice campaigns,’ Bass said. ‘When I consider how much Amnesty has done in less than a semester, I am very excited to see what they can do in the future.’
The group has two events scheduled to take place in the next month. The first is ‘Cabaret At the Edge of the World,’ which is co-sponsored by Hillel and Late Nite Binghamton. The cabaret will serve as a Holocaust remembrance and Darfur genocide awareness event. There will also be information about the crisis in Darfur, and opportunities for students to sign a petition and participate in the discussion.
The second major event is ‘Get On The Bus,’ on Friday, April 20, in which students will be traveling to New York City to participate in Amnesty’s annual day of action and education about human rights violations.