August People Powered Bulletin

21 August 2026

Amnesty’s Youth Justice and Climate Justice Campaigns, Annual General Meetings and support!

The People Powered Bulletin is back! We are very glad to return from our hiatus and get back into the groove of regular updates.

Read on for details about our latest campaigns, staff updates, an upcoming Meet the Staff Webinar for activists, and support information.

Keep an eye on our Events page for what’s happening near you or online.

21st August: International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism
22nd August: International Commemorating Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief
23rd August: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition
28th August: Wear It Purple Day
31st August: International Day for People of African Descent
2nd September: Indigenous Literacy Day
10th September: RU OK? Day
13th September: Anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
15th September: International Day of Democracy

AUGUST BULLETIN

• Amnesty’s Youth Justice Campaign
• Amnesty’s Climate Campaign
• Amnesty’s International Campaigns
• New staff
• Meet the staff webinar
• What happened at the AGM
• Join our Online WhatsApp Community
• Share your activism for our next monthly Bulletin!
• Activist support contacts

Amnesty’s Youth Justice Campaign: Kids Need Better

Yaama, Rach here! I’m the Campaign Organiser on Amnesty’s Indigenous Youth Justice campaign. Earlier this month, we launched Kids Need Better: our new campaign to create a youth justice system where every child is safe, supported, and connected to their culture and community.

Every child deserves the chance to thrive. But across Australia, children as young as 10 are being locked up instead of getting the care and opportunities they need. We know there is a better way — and together, we can make it happen.

Check out our Kids Need Better Campaign Kit for ways to get involved in the campaign, including sharing our petition by putting up a poster in your local community, writing letters to the Attorney General, and joining your local Amnesty Action Group. If you couldn’t join us for the launch, you can watch the webinar recording here.

Amnesty’s Climate Campaign

The Climate Campaign is in the final stages of strategic planning and is ramping up towards public launch. You can be involved in creating a future free from coal and gas where people around the world are protected from human rights harm caused by climate change.

In July, Amnesty and Partner orgs ran training in Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney to upskill activists to lead our people powered movement.

At their Landmark climate case to the Federal Court, we presented Uncle Pabai and Uncle Paul with a collage and world map showcasing 11,000 supporters like you standing in solidarity, complete with the personal messages and photos you submitted.

Climate leaders needed!

We have an ambitious plan to get out in strategic electorates across the country and talk to thousands of Australians ahead of the 2028 election. We’ll change the national story and shift minds in key seats that the Federal Government has their eye on to put the pressure needed to win BIG on Climate Action.

We need leaders around the country to join our brilliant groups already started. Sign up to our National Climate Justice Network to get involved:

Campaign Launch: Save The Date: If you are based in Brisbane, the Climate Campaign will be launching with an in person event around the 21st of October (date and time still to be fully confirmed).

Take action now: Coal and gas companies are fuelling climate change, profiting enormously at the expense of our human rights. Sign the petition now to call on the Albanese Government to put people before profits and stop coal and gas companies capitalising on climate destruction.

Can’t wait to connect with you on this exciting new campaign! If you want to chat 1:1 or have me speak at your local group meeting on the campaign, schedule a call with me here: Book time with Inari Saltau

— Inari, Campaign Organiser on the Climate Justice campaign.

Amnesty’s International Campaigns

The last half of 2026 is packed with opportunities to take action and stand in solidarity with people across the world experiencing some of the world’s most appalling human rights violations.

Stand with the people of Afghanistan

As we marked the fifth year of the Taliban’s return to power on 15th August, Afghanistan has become one of the world’s most severe human rights crises. Nearly half of Afghanistan’s population now relies on humanitarian assistance just to survive.

Women and girls have been systematically excluded from education, employment, services and public life. We must not allow a world where women and girls are severely persecuted due to their gender — this is gender apartheid. Ethnic and religious minorities continue to face discrimination and persecution, while journalists, activists, and human rights defenders have been silenced.

Five years on, the crisis in Afghanistan has not ended! Australia should not turn its back on the people of Afghanistan simply because the international spotlight has shifted elsewhere.

Take action now. It’s easy to stand in solidarity with women and girls, and those at risk in Afghanistan:

1. Email Home Affairs Minister

Email Tony Burke here calling on our Government to recommit to protecting people fleeing persecution in Afghanistan and expand humanitarian protection for Afghan refugees at greatest risk. Use the email template and take a few minutes to personalise and click send.

2. RSVP to our National Briefing

Join our Standing with Women and Girls of Afghanistan National Briefing on Wednesday, 23rd September 6:30PM AEST to find out more and learn what you can do to help protect their freedom.

3. Share the actions above with your networks!

Stop Israel’s ethnic cleansing of the Occupied West Bank

Check out our visible actions and flyering at the entrance as delegates arrived each day, along with the chalk stencils on pavements, billboards on trucks, bikes, buildings that were right outside the conference venue and across the city in key locations. We had a full-page ad in the Adelaide Advertiser. Andrew Witheford, our Strategic Campaigner, also had a joint press conference with Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) that was covered in media locally and internationally. Big thanks to our activists, donors, and colleagues who made our presence and actions a success!

Israel and Palestine was very much of the discussions during the conference as you would have seen in the news. While the conference fell short of recognising the genocide in Gaza, it adopted one of Labor’s strongest statements yet on Palestine. Now we must ensure Labor delivers on the commitments it has made on its platform.

Take part in the week of action: We need Foreign Minister Penny Wong and your MPs to hear from as many of us as possible right now to pressure them into action. Take the quick actions below and share as widely as you can.

1. Demand Australia sanction Israel now

Email Foreign Minister Penny Wong to stop Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the West Bank by imposing targeted sanctions against directly implicated Israeli officials and banning trade, investments or financial assistance fuelling apartheid and unlawful occupation.

2. Ask your MP to step up

We must keep up the pressure to ensure our MPs remain accountable – demanding action that reflects Government’s words and commitments. Send an email to your MP to stop Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the West Bank.

3. Find out more and amplify your impact

Checkout our toolkit to learn more about the crises in the West Bank and what you can do to keep the pressure on.

New Staff

James Matcott has joined AIA as the Mobilisation Coordinator for our Climate Justice campaign and is based in Naarm. I come from a background campaigning on environmental issues facing Aussie birds and supporting coworkers as a passionate union delegate, while in my spare time you’ll find me playing footy proudly in the mixed gender, queer inclusive Renegade Pub Football League or out in nature enjoying wildlife photography. My proudest campaign moments to date are winning the fight to save Toondah Harbour, part of the internationally important wetlands in Moreton Bay and helping establish the national, grassroots campaign to regulate dangerous SGAR rat poisons. I’m passionate about ensuring society is just, and am so excited to get to work each day to help empower people to resist and overcome injustice!

Kayla Hill has joined AIA as Activist Support + Administrator, supporting activists with being the first point of contact for enquiries, approving events, processing invoices, and writing the People Powered Bulletin! Hi everyone! I’m based on Dharug Country in what is known as Western Sydney. I am in my fourth year of university studying Philosophy and Gender Studies, soon to begin my Honours project! I have been involved in activism and organising for several years, especially in climate justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, and disability justice. I’ve also done some admin work in hospitals!

Fanna Tedla also joins the team as Activist Support. Hi, I’m Fanna! I’m currently in the Activist Support role in the Community Organising & Engagement team, and I’m also covering the Youth Coordinator role one day a week. I moved back from London last year after three years there, and before that I was one of the founding members of the WA Tegaru Youth Association here in Perth. My parents were refugees who came to Australia in 1991, before I was born, and activism has been part of my life from the very start, shaping my commitment to standing with communities fighting injustice, wherever it shows up. Outside of work you’ll usually find me baking sourdough or crocheting something new!

Meet the staff webinar

Want to know who to contact, what’s happening across our campaigns, and how you can get more involved? Join our Meet the Staff webinar for activist leaders on 21st September! This will be an opportunity to introduce you to staff and clarify who to go to for what, to have staff hear directly from you about what you’re working on, and to hear updates on current campaigns.

Find out what happened at the AGM!

On Saturday 4 July, members from all over Australia joined the Board, Regional Presidents, General Meeting Voters, members and staff at our 2026 Annual General Meeting.

The Board Chair and National Director presented the 2025 report, as well as the Strategic Priorities Updates. There were questions and discussions with our members, as well as calling on the Australin Government to end the torturous practices on children in youth detention. Go to our website to see all the tabled documents!

It was Michael Dundon’s last AGM as his tenure on the board came to an end. We would like to thank Michael for his commitment, dedication, leadership and extraordinary financial acumen and guidance.

Elections and appointments

Board elections took place and incumbent Board member Carole Cooper was returned for a three-year term.

Amanda Bolleter was re-elected to the Appeal Committee.

Congratulations to the successful candidates!

Resolutions

At this AGM, General Meeting Voters passed resolutions asking the National Board to:

The 2026 AGM ASKS the National Board to identify and establish means by which GMVs can initiate communications with all other GMVs ahead of a general meeting regarding the business of the meeting.

See the full details of the ordinary resolution that were passed HERE.

A highlight of Annual General Meetings is the award of the National Award recognising outstanding activism and known as the June Fassina Award. This year, it was given to the NSW LGBTQI+ Network. We would like to thank the group and all of the extraordinary activists for their outstanding work for LGBTQI+ rights here and around the world.

The day also included wonderful presentations from our Regional Presidents. It was inspirational to see the quantity and quality of human rights work that our activists put together over the year and we thanked them for their leadership. You can see their presentations HERE.

The meeting concluded with a human rights action, where we signed the petition for the Indigenous Youth Justice Campaign.

Join Amnesty’s Online WhatsApp Community

Join our Online WhatsApp Community, if you haven’t already, to connect with the rest of our national movement, hear about upcoming events and opportunities, learn from shared experiences and challenges of other activists, and celebrate each other’s activism across the country!

Read the Community Guidelines here, and then simply click this link to join the Community!

We want to hear from you!

The People Powered Bulletin is all about the incredible work, energy and dedication of our movement.

We want to know more about your local actions, online initiatives, community engagement, or anything you’re working on that might inform or inspire fellow Amnesty supporters across Australia. The bulletin goes out on the third Friday of every month, with submissions due on the second Friday of every month.

Our values & behaviours

As a movement of people who stand for equality, justice, freedom and human dignity, we abide by this Values & Behaviours charter so that everyone belongs, is safe, and together achieves impact.

Activist support

The Amnesty team is here to support all activists. Here’s who you can contact:

Your Regional Activism Leadership Committee Presidents for regional support to members, activists and action groups –

• actsnswpresident@amnesty.org.au
• nswpresident@amnesty.org.au
• qldnnswpresident@amnesty.org.au
• santpresident@amnesty.org.au
• vicpresident@amnesty.org.au
• activism@amnesty.org.au – for strategy, training and development, event support, and membership information, or if your region is not represented above.

Being a member of Amnesty International Australia is an effective way of getting involved with our work.

For a small, once-yearly fee of $22, you can stand for board positions, join committees and vote on important resolutions. Click here to learn more.

Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally. We are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all – and we can only do it with your support.

Act now or learn more about our human rights work.