Amnesty International Australia is an organisation founded on volunteers. Without these passionate, dedicated individuals, we would be unable to achieve human rights impact across Australia and around the globe. We would cease to exist.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the vital work of our volunteers. Whether you give an hour a month or a day a week we are grateful to you and your important contribution to human rights impact.
Where are these volunteers?
We have 7 Amnesty International action centres around Australia where volunteers contribute over 16,000 hours each year. They perform a range of roles in the action centres from creating social media content, to supporting event logistics, sending promotional emails, helping with data entry or responding to general enquiries.
Become an activist or volunteer today
In addition, we have 180 action groups and networks across the country in local communities and on campus. Here activists meet regularly to develop strategy, use their skills, resources and networks to create activities in their community, raise awareness about human rights issues and take their concerns to local politicians.
Our activists and volunteers do this work on top of their paid jobs, study and family commitments. They do this because they stand against injustice and inequality and they want to contribute to human rights impact in their communities, their country and around the world.
Who are these volunteers?
We would like to recognise two outstanding individuals who have contributed immensely to Amnesty International Australia’s governance and activism over many years.
Carol King
Carol has been NSW Branch Committee member from 2007, Branch President from 2014 and prior to this was active in the Newcastle Amnesty Group. Carol has been a dedicated activist, passionate about individuals at risk, committed to enabling those around her and ensuring that Amnesty is an inclusive and effective organisation. Her husband Peter would drive her from Newcastle to Sydney every month to ensure that she could participate in planning and evaluation for NSW activism and governance.
Paul Toner
Paul has been part of Amnesty for 30 years! From student activist at University of Newcastle in the 1990s, to Newcastle Group convener, he was involved in the NSW Branch Committee for 2 years before moving to Brisbane. He set up the Brisbane City Letter Writing Group, a group that still write letters today. He then joined the QLD/NNSW Branch Committee in 2009 and held the role of Vice President then Branch President from 2011 to 2012, then again from 2014 to 2018!
Paul’s unwavering dedication to human rights is inspirational. He has supported and mentored countless activists and volunteers, been part of countless events and continues to help shape our movement.
A big thank you to Paul and Carol and the thousands of other volunteer who contribute to our branches, our offices, our local activism and our human rights impact.
The addition of your activities and your voices cannot be ignored.
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” – Ryunosuke Satoro