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Equal Human Dignity

Ialways remember and reflect on the driving force for my own human rights work: my mother. Early in life, this great woman told me on numerous occasions, “There is no such thing as a lesser person.” That simple mantra has guided me since I was a child volunteer and continues to steer me both in my professional work as a human rights educator and as a volunteer leader with AIUSA.

My motivation for human rights activities stems from this belief—that all people have equal human dignity. It seems both logical and natural that people should do good and find no reason not to do good.

And this is the beauty of Amnesty International. Our mission—and our members who make the vision a reality— have at our core the belief in the power of one individual to work to help others who, through no fault of their own, face unimaginable maltreatment and horrors. Amnesty International members know that if we want a world without torture, injustice, terror, conflict, executions and victims of all sorts—we have an obligation to be aware and act. Merely wishing for an end to these terrible global problems

Rick Halperin, Chair, AIUSA Board of Directors

will not ensure justice. It takes devotion to cause, constancy of purpose and commitment of the heart.

Thousands of you have just returned from AIUSA Regional Conferences in Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and San Francisco. That level of devotion to this movement is admirable—and I hope those gatherings will rejuvenate you to persevere in this vital work. The next fabulous AGM is being finalized, and I urge you to attend this inspiring conference.

As we approach the end of the year, I ask all of us to reassess how we can best support the human rights movement—with actions great or small. There is no failure in the human rights movement, except to turn away and to do nothing. There is no guilt is participating at any level—from writing a letter, a check or a resolution to sending an e-mail, wearing a T-shirt or hosting a forum. The greatest achievement of Amnesty International members is their ability to learn about the horrors we combat and to turn to the work, rather than turning away. Your willingness to engage in this hard work of making the world a better place defines you. And for that, I sincerely thank you.

Member Services

The following questions and answers deal with common concerns of AIUSA members.

Contact Member Services: Amnesty International, 5 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10001. Phone: (800) 792-6637/ (212) 807-8400. Fax: (212) 627-1451/e-mail: aimember@aiusa.org (Please include full name and address in all correspondence). www.amnestyusa.org

Q: I’d like a record of my donations for the year for tax purposes. Will this automatically be mailed to me?

A: We routinely send acknowledgments for any donation over $10.00, but we do not send year-end gift summaries unless we receive a specific request. Monthly donors (including those with automatic debit who have requested just one statement per year) may use their January statements, which reflect the past 12 months’ gifts.

Q: Last month, I received a box of holiday greeting cards. Can you stop sending them?

A: Contact Member Services. We will code your record so you will not receive these inexpensive promotional items. Occasionally, Amnesty includes such items as calendars, address labels or greeting cards (which are produced at low cost) in our mailings. We have found them to be popular with members. Let us know if you do not want them. Q: How can I give Amnesty memberships as holiday gifts?

A: Click “Donate” at our website to send gift memberships or honorary gifts. Or mail us your donation, including names and addresses for both you and the recipient. Or phone Kim Ruffin directly at (800) 792-6637, Ext 284. We will send an acknowledgment of your donation. For more gift ideas, browse our online store. amnestyusa.org/store/index.html

Q: How do I make a year-end gift of stock to Amnesty?

A: Contact Nadine Celestin directly at (212) 633-4242 or ncelesti@aiusa.org, or our broker, Jack Buckman, at (732) 530-0303. Keep in mind that stock gifts take several days to complete. Please make your gift donation as early as possible to ensure transfer by Dec. 31, 2005. Your bank or broker can expedite the transaction by making a wire transfer (via DTC). There is no need to send the certificate itself.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Amnesty International Amnesty International USA 5 Penn Plaza New York, NY 10001

Still have last minute holiday shopping? Defend human rights while you shop. For every purchase you make at Amazon.com through our website, Amnesty will receive up to 10% of the sale. Go to www.amnestyusa.org/amazon

PERIODICALS USPS #016-307