Meeting this afternoon at 2pm in Victoria Road. All supporters welcome.
Carol Singing
Farrant Singers carol singing last evening in support of the local group
December 2023
The local group went out last evening and toured several streets carol singing. We were supported as ever by the Farrant Singers who sang the carols for us. This has become a tradition and it is in its twentieth year. We are extremely grateful to the Farrants and some of the residents of the streets we toured came out to enjoy the singing.
Underneath the lamp post pic: Salisbury Amnesty
December minutes
Minutes for the December group meeting
December 2023
We are pleased to attach the minutes of the Salisbury group’s meeting in December thanks to group member Lesley for compiling them. The minutes contain a report on refugees – a hot topic in the UK at present – a summary of the death penalty report (the full version is on this site) and a brief report on a talk on human rights at South Wilts school.
Monthly meeting
December 2023
Our monthly meeting is today starting at 2pm in Victoria Road. Supporters and new members welcome.
75th anniversary
Today – 10 December – is the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
December 2023
Today marks the 75th anniversary of one of the world’s most ground-breaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
In one sense, we should be celebrating what was a great event. Yet surveying the world today, one wonders to what extent its aspirations are being followed. In many parts of the world, people are denied rights because of colour, race, religion or social status. Millions have been displaced and live in camps with only limited facilities. A war rages in Gaza. In China, around a million Uyghurs suffer persecution because of their faith.
Here in the UK, instead of celebration, we await a vote this week to see if parliament will agree to disapplying parts of the Human Rights Act – a child of the Declaration – and some within the Conservative party wish to see us leave the European Convention. Parts of the media carry out a regular assault on the act blaming it for many of our ills and allegedly providing a safety net for terrorists and criminals. There are many in positions of power who would like to see the act abolished or at least seriously curtailed. A sad commentary after three quarters of a century.
Today (10th) we shall be in the Cathedral for our annual Christmas signing for prisoners of conscience. From 10:00 till noon.
November minutes and events
November 2023
We are pleased to attach the minutes of our November meeting thanks to group member Lesley for preparing them. We do not produce a newsletter but the minutes are comprehensive and cover a lot of ground. There are details of our forthcoming activities including the carol singing and schools work. If you live in the Salisbury or south Wiltshire area and are thinking of joining, then coming to one of our events and making yourself known is a good idea.
CORRECTION: Carol singing is on 18th December not as stated in the minutes.
Group minutes and reports
The group’s minutes and reports for October 2023
October 2023
We are pleased to attach the minutes of the group’s meeting on 12 October 2023 thanks to group member for compiling them.
Group minutes and reports
Group minutes and reports for September
September 2023
WE are pleased to attach the minutes for our meeting in September 2023 thanks to group member Lesley for compiling them. We have titled this post as ‘minutes and reports’ because the group does not produce a newsletter but individual members submit reports on chosen topics such as refugees, the death penalty and the state of current human rights flavoured bills in parliament.
Talk about Palestine
‘Children of the Stone City’
September 2023
PAST EVENT
There will be a presentation by Beverley Naidoo, the author of Children of the Stone City concerning the life of children in the occupied territories. It will be held at the Methodist Church in Salisbury on Saturday 9th September starting at 2pm. Further details on the Salisbury Concern for Israel website https://www.sarumconcern.org. Tomorrow.
Group news
Salisbury group’s summer party
August 2023
In place of a meeting in August, we hold a summer party and this is a photo of this year’s. We were lucky with the weather as rain was forecast but it held off until quarter an hour of so after everyone had left!
The Salisbury group is the only Amnesty group in Wiltshire sad to report and if anyone from Wiltshire or north Dorset would like to join us we would be pleased to welcome them. Just keep an eye on the website or on Facebook or X as it now is (Twitter) for details of our next event.
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire 