When Was Amnesty International Created?

Amnesty International is an honorable organization, and functions to protect human rights throughout various countries. Amnesty International is an international organization and thus, non-governmental. Its purpose is to end human rights abuse, and seek justice for those who have had their rights violated.

An English labor lawyer by the name of Peter Benenson founded Amnesty International in London in July of 1961. Benenson was traveling through London when he read a newspaper account of two Portuguese students who were sentenced to seven years of prison for drinking a toast to liberty.

This article was the influence behind Amnesty International, and Benenson realized that everyday individuals were being persecuted, tortured, or treated unfairly. Benenson realized that he didn’t have to simply read about the atrocities in the newspaper. Rather, he could do something about it.

Early Days

A friend of Benenson, named Eric Baker, was a fundamental individual in the actual start up of Amnesty International. Baker was involved in a number of different charities and organizations, such as the Religious Society of Friends, and Quaker Peace and Social Witness.

Baker and Benenson, along with a number of other interested parties, wrote to David Astor, the editor of The Observer. Their article, entitled “The Forgotten Prisoners” was published on May 28, 1961. The article called the reader’s attention to the incident with the Portuguese prisoners, as well as other examples of atrocities.

The article criticized governments for violating articles eighteen and nineteen of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The article demanded an “Appeal for Amnesty, 1961.” This article was then republished in a number of newspapers around the world.

Following this article, Benenson also was able to publish a book, entitled Persecution, 1961. In July of 1961, Benenson and Baker decided that they had enough support and recognition that they could form a more permanent organization. On September of 1962, the organization was officially referred to as “Amnesty International.”

Purpose and Aims of Amnesty International

The aims and purpose of the organization at the beginning were very similar to what they are today:

• Researching cases of atrocities
• Protecting individuals who were imprisoned for their non-violent expression of their views

The organization attempted to spread recognition of Articles Eighteen and Nineteen of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights throughout the world. The organization:

• Began a library which cataloged all the prisoners in the world that were imprisoned because of their own views, opinions, or beliefs. They referred to these prisoners as “prisoners of conscience.” 
• Started local groups, which were called “Threes.”  Each group would work on behalf of three prisoners. Each of the prisoners would be from one of the three major ideological beliefs or religions of the world at the time—developing, capitalist, or communist.

After only a short number of years, Amnesty International’s presence grew large enough that an International Secretariat and International Executive Committee was formed to manage the organization. Their different organizations, called Sections, worked in different countries throughout the world.

Amnesty International Mobilizes Opinion

As part of its mission to end human rights abuse, it often calls attention to abuses in other countries which may or may not receive press. By using this technique, Amnesty International thus mobilizes outside opinion against the offending government, or association.

By mobilizing public opinion against the offender, Amnesty International hopes to exert pressure for the offense and abuse of human rights to cease.