Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, November 2006, page 64

Human Rights

Amnesty International Holds Vigil

Amnesty International held a worldwide silent vigil on Aug. 7 in response to the increased violence and civilian deaths in the recent Israeli-Lebanon conflict. Activists gathered to advocate a cease-fire and “stand together in solidarity with those who have suffered in this conflict.” 

Amnesty International (AI) has publicly condemned the Israeli government and Hezbollah for their “indiscriminate attacks” on civilians and urged each to immediately cease hostilities. On Aug. 17, three days after the U.N. mandated cease-fire, AI estimated that 1,000 Lebanese and 40 Israeli civilians had been killed in the conflict.

Amnesty calledon the U.N. and world leaders “to intervene to help the people of Israel and Lebanon—and to join our call for an end to this senseless violence.” 

The Urgent Action (UA) Network, a first-response letter-writing campaign, asked 1.8 million activists world-wide to write letters to all parties in the conflict urging them to halt the violence and allow humanitarian groups in to assist the victims. “We want to make sure the world leaders know the eyes of the world are upon them and they can’t engage in conflict without making the safety of civilians a priority,” said Julia Nemon, UA coordinator in Washington.

In coordination with the international event, local chapters around the world held vigils in parks and outside embassies. Activists held candles and banners calling for a cease-fire. The vigil outside the U.S. State Department included a direct appeal to  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to use U.S. influence on Israel and to “redouble U.S. efforts to broker an immediate, full and effective cease-fire,” said Alexandra Arriaga, Amnesty International USA’s director of government relations.

A petition signed at the vigil, and later sent to Rice, urged the U.S. and other world governments to “work toward an immediate, full and effective cease-fire” and requested a halt on all munitions shipments to Israel.

For information on Amnesty International, visit <www.amnestyusa.org>.

         —Amie Draves

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