Amnesty’s Youth Justice, Climate Justice, and International campaigns, activist resources and other updates!
Welcome to the September edition of the People Powered Bulletin! Dates are at the top of the bulletin to help keep you organised and informed. Check out our Events page for what’s happening near you or online.
16th-23rd September: Bisexual Awareness Week
21st September: Meet the Staff Webinar
21st September: International Day of Peace
23rd September: International Day of Sign Languages
26th September: International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
28th September: International Day for Universal Access to Information
1st October: International Day of Older Persons
2nd October: International Day of Non-Violence
4th-7th October: NSW Koori Knockout
8th October: International Lesbian Day
10th October: World Mental Health Day
10th October: World Homeless Day
SEPTEMBER BULLETIN
- Kids Need Better
- Climate and Human Rights
- International
- Activist shoutout
- Upcoming trainings and webinars
- New staff
- Activist support contacts
Kids Need Better
Yaama, Rach here! I’m the Campaign Organiser on Amnesty’s Indigenous Youth Justice campaign. In the lead up to the Kids Need Better campaign launch, we put out a call for Amnesty volunteer supporters to host letter writing workshops in their local area from end of May to end of June, where participants were supported to write to the Federal Attorney General (and the Victorian Attorney General for the ones in VIC), calling for changes in the youth justice system.
We were so blown away with the number of people who got involved in this action! Amnesty volunteers hosted 28 letter writing workshops around the country, and we received more than 360 letters addressed to the Federal Attorney General. With so many people taking collective action on this issue, this sends such a powerful message!
This is the power of collective action: many groups around the country taking actions, which combine to create big change! If you want to learn more about what worked and didn’t work with this tactic, you can view the Tactic Debrief and Report Back presentation.
What’s next?
Your letters were posted off at the end of August, part of a powerful wave of support from Amnesty supporters standing up for children in detention. Kacey Teerman, Strategic Campaigner on the Kids Need Better campaign, has also personally written to the Federal Attorney General requesting to meet with her to discuss the Australian Government’s role in providing national leadership on the treatment of children in Australia’s youth justice systems, including raising the age of criminal responsibility and ending cruel and inhumane practices against children in custody.
Folks in Victoria: Although we didn’t reach our target of 100 letters, we had an incredible 60+ letters to the Victorian Attorney General. To support these handwritten letters, we are asking folks who haven’t already written a letter to the Victorian Attorney General to use our form to send her an email and add your voice to our calls for change.
We kicked off this campaign with such incredible energy – let’s keep this momentum going!
Climate and Human Rights
If you’re in the Brisbane Region, join Amnesty International Australia next month for an inspiring evening exploring the connection between climate change and human rights. Hear stories and perspectives from First Nations, Pacific and other frontline communities, connect with people committed to climate justice, and discover how you can take meaningful action. Together, we’ll build solidarity, celebrate people-powered change, and help shape a fairer, safer future for everyone.
Date: Wednesday, October 21st
Time: 5:45pm for food, refreshments and networking for a 6.30pm official start
Location: Amore, 71 Jane St West end, Brisbane, Queensland
Speakers to be announced
Take Action for Climate Justice Right Now
Climate change impacts all of us, but in different ways. We want to know how you or your community are being affected. By sharing your story, you’ll help us collate stories and identify common themes, powerful examples and local evidence to show our elected decision-makers the real cost climate change is having on communities across Australia – and why big polluters should pay for the damage they cause.
Coal, oil and gas corporations are making huge profits while communities are left paying for the damage they cause. Sign our open letter demanding fossil fuel corporations clean up their own mess.
Call on big polluters to clean up their mess.
Resources for your Local Group
Is your action group interested in running a stall, event or action for the climate campaign? I’d love to connect with you and discuss your ideas! Here’s some resources to get you started:
Can’t wait to connect with you on climate justice and human rights! 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.
International
Stand with the people of Afghanistan
Right now, women and girls in Afghanistan are being severely persecuted under the five-year Taliban rule. They are being systematically excluded from public life – education, employment, and services. They are forbidden from walking the streets unaccompanied by men.
The Taliban’s policies amount to institutionalised discrimination and persecution designed to deny women and girls their fundamental rights – what human rights defenders from Afghanistan have long described as ‘gender apartheid’.
In case you missed it, there are only four days to go until our national briefing ‘Standing with Women & Girls of Afghanistan’. RSVP now and please share this invite with friends and family!
Standing with Women & Girls of Afghanistan
Wednesday, 23 September 2026
6.30 pm AEST via Zoom
You’ll hear expert insights from Fatima Frotan, Azadah Raz, and Shaharzad Akbar, human rights defenders from Afghanistan, learn about the role Australia has played in leaving many of these communities at grave risk, and what we can do together to build the pressure needed for the Australian Government to take action.
The women and girls of Afghanistan have shown extraordinary courage by continuing to resist despite immense personal risk – and they should not be left to fight alone.
Activist shoutout
We want to give a huge shoutout to Barbara Gorman and the Pennant Hills Action Group for their extraordinary efforts in Canberra this week highlighting the urgent need for human rights in Gaza.
Together with Amnesty staff, they hosted a stunt on Parliament lawns calling on Australia to stop arming Israel which featured the Wall of Tears, thanks to Barbara’s liaising with Perth Doctors for Medical Aid for Palestine. They also assisted with the delivery of the Arms Petition Handover calling for No Weapons for War Crimes to MP Richard Myles’ office, which garnered 124,000 signatures. The group also attended the launch of the Red Lines Package which introduces key reforms to create a comprehensive genocide-prevention framework into Australian law. Now back in Sydney, they are still busy organising more actions for the month ahead! This was a monumental effort, and we are amazed by Barbara and the whole Pennant Hills group for their unwavering, energetic commitment to fighting for human rights.
Check out photos from the action below as well as a video featuring Barbara who explains the process of bringing the Wall of Tears to Canberra.
Upcoming trainings and webinars
1. 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!
2. Events and Tactics training
Love hosting events but confused about choosing the right event or tactic to meet your activism goals? Unsure how to make budget requests and what supports are available to you and your group? Interested in knowing how you can evaluate your events and provide event feedback to us?
Join us for a 2-part series, held over consecutive Thursday evenings:
29th Oct: Planning Effective Events and Tactics (Part 1)
Strategic planning is about asking the questions: What is the purpose? How does this fit with the campaign strategy? What resources do we need? How will we mitigate risks? How will we follow up with those in attendance?
We will breakdown the jargon – is there a difference between an action, an event, and a tactic, and how do you choose the right one for your group? We will introduce the concept of action sessions and how you can incorporate these into your event planning. AIA’s campaign organisers (Rach, Inari and Ashra) will also be joining this session, and there will be a breakout activity to discuss your events and tactic ideas for the different campaigns with the organisers!
5th Nov: Event Logistics 101 (Part 2)
We will unpack Amnesty’s logistics together in this session – from promotion and coordination to evaluation. We will talk through the different processes and supports available for you and your group to deliver your next successful event.
Registrations will open soon – please keep an eye out for an email in the next few weeks.
New staff
Kamini Rana joins the Community Campaigns team as Community Campaigning Manager. She brings more than 15 years of experience across human rights, advocacy, movement building and fundraising, and leads the team in delivering campaign objectives through mobilisation and organising.
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
- 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.
- All other enquiries can go to Supporter Care or 1300 300 920.
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.
