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Amnesty International National Conference and AGM 2013
Warwick University
Ann Stewart & Jilli Webber Represented Bognor & Chichester Group
We attended the AI national conference and AGM, held at Warwick university on April 13th and 14th. Here is a short report of of our view of the proceedings and our experiences. Please note : detailed information about the Conference and AGM, can be accessed on the Amnesty web site – .uk
Contents
1. Opening Ceremony
2. AIUK Board Introductory Reports
3. Workshops
4. Meeting with Nolande Simunyu - WOZA member
5. Resolutions
6. Summary
1. Opening Ceremony
The AI Zimbabwe’s director, Cousin Zilala, made the opening speech. He said that Zimbabwe now had 3,000 amnesty members and was providing a regional voice in Africa. He then introduced Nolwandle Simunyu.
In a very poignant opening ceremony, Nolwandle Simunyu, one of the activists in Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), lit the Amnesty candle to indicate the start of the AGM. Nolwandle spoke very movingly about the situation in Zimbabwe and described how the human rights activists are targeted, intimidated, attacked and imprisoned. She thanked the activists in the UK and said that the support that we give, really helps and encourages them, to continue the struggle. She talked about the phone calls that the staff at Amnesty make to them directly and the encouragement and support this gives. The calls from Amnesty to government officials in Zimbabwe, keep them alert to the fact that their actions are being monitored, and she felt that the Zimbabwe government does pay attention to them.
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2. AIUK Board Introductory Reports
Chair of the Board - Ciarnan Helferty
Ciarnan Helferty began by apologising for the sense of detachment that has grown between members and the board over the last year. He said that his main reflection is that the board has to do better by the members.
He said that the passing of the Arms Control Treaty is an indication of what can be achieved. He then covered the decision taken, initially in 2007 at the International Committee Meeting (ICM), that AI needs to de-centralise. This involves financial resources and manpower being transferred to the Global South, areas such as Brazil, India, Thailand, Africa, where the human rights abuses are actually occurring. The proposed increase in the UK contribution to the International Secretariat (IS) was then covered. He explained that the amount paid by AIUK to the IS would increase to 40% of the AIUK earnings by 2021.The aim is to expand Amnesty offices to 4 continents.
Director AIUK - Kate Allen
Kate Allen initially thanked all activists for their contribution to the great achievement of the International Arms Trade Treaty being established last week. She felt that a very large part in the overall achievement was due to the work of Amnesty International. She went on to describe how the treaty was initially blocked by 3 states – Syria, Iran and North Korea and was then subsequently adopted by a majority vote of 150 For, to 3 Against.
Kate Allen then referred to the redirection of the AIUK budget to the Global South through the International Secretariat (already mentioned by Ciarnan Helferty). She said by having AI hubs (the Amnesty term for offices/groups) on the ground in the global south countries, it would increase the ability of AI, to influence the Foreign Secretaries of those countries.
In conclusion, Kate Allen apologised for her mistakes over the last year. She said that the message she has taken away, (after the EGM called by members in February 2013) is how far away some members feel, from the management who are running AIUK. She said that “she profoundly regrets the disconnect that has occurred between members and the board.” She added that “ it has been a difficult year, we got things wrong and have learned from them.”
AIUK Treasurer - Brian Landers
He gave an overview of the finances for last year He said that the Income over the last year was broken down by Supporters 70%, Legacies11% and Other 19%. As regards Supporters – the largest source of funds, the number of supporters who are leaving Amnesty is growing. In 2008 there were 220,000 and in 2013 the forecast is 190,400. (Note: this is a very concerning situation, especially as a Resolution was passed at the AGM to raise the annual membership fee by 50%, from £24 to £36, concession fees are not being raised). On average a supporter stays 9 years.
As regards the income for 2012, the target income was £24.7M but the actual income in 2012 was £25.8M. However, the increase income was due to an unexpected and unusual event – a donation by an American Trust of 1million dollars and a larger than usual Legacy income.
In response to a question, he said that the Board and Finance Committee do not get paid and in 2012 claimed just £19,000 in expenses. He commented that at the EGM, it was stated that 7 members of the IS executive earned £1 million between them, whereas the figure was actually £797,000.
In response to another question, he said that The Secret Policeman's Ball that was held in 2012, cost £1.7 million to stage. The income from it so far, was only £742,000. He hoped the large loss would be made up over the next year.
As regards budget forecasts, Brian Landers expected to run a deficit in 2013,2014,2015,2016,2017 – with the difference being funded by reserves. (Note: The ability of the reserves to meet the deficit in 2018, was raised by a speaker during the plenary discussion of Resolutions D1. The detail on all Resolutions can be viewed on the Amnesty web site.)
He concluded by apologising, for not making clear in the 2012 AGM that staff cuts would be needed.
Note: Brian Landers has completed his term as Treasurer and is not standing again (he said because of his work commitments). There is an interim treasurer, until a new one is appointed by the Board. However it was noticeable to us, that he was absent from the AGM on the second day and at the end of the conference, he was not included in the numerous 'vote of thanks' that were given by the AGM Chairman. Read in to that, what you will.
3. Workshops
Workshops were run during Day 1. They began with an introductory talk, which was followed by a facilitated discussion or brain storm. There was only time in the day for each of us to attend one workshop. We chose :- The MENA Uprisings and Amnesty Today and Tomorrow.
The MENA Uprisings: Securing a Human Rights Revolution In Syria
This workshop was lead by Kristyan Benedict Campaign Manager Kristyan.benedict@.uk. For MENA updates follow him on Twitter:@KreaseChan For group talks via Skype video : KreaseChan . For amnesty members to be sent monthly updates, you can contact Jenni at .uk/Syria
Kristyan began the session, by showing a short, rather violent film, which marked 2 years since the start of the conflict. Kristyan said that he considered that Syria was the worst human rights conflict in the world at present. Amnesty are taking a long view and think it could be as long as 25 years before there is some level of human rights in the country.
AI are lobbying the major political opposition groups but he said that the opposition to Assad is very split. The Red Cross have calculated that there are as many as 1000 separate armed groups fighting in Syria, some privately funded by people such as a Saudi Prince. Krystyan felt that AI is walking a tightrope in Syria and are sometimes talking to groups who are known to have committed human rights atrocities.
AI has done some research in the refugee camps and it is estimated that there are approximately 2 million internally displaced people. The UN was supposed to have a fund of 1.5 billion dollars but they have in fact only received 36% of that promised by the various countries. Saudi Arabia was highlighted as a country who has not given the promised money.
AI are working with the UK government to ensure asylum is given to Syrians, where needed.
Following a question about the UK government possibly supplying arms in the future, Krystyan said that there was not a shortage of arms in the country for the opposition – they are coming in from Saudi and Quatar, who are not concerned about the possible human rights abuses in the use of the weapons. He said our government needs to consider the risk of arms being used against human rights and the issue that the arms could fall in to the wrong hands.
Note: Resolution E7 Restructure Implications on Crisis Response at AIUK expressed concern that AIUK was seeking to dilute and scale back crisis response work (such as the Syrian work) in the proposed new structure. E7 “calls on the board to ensure that in the restructure of the UK section that crisis response work is accorded the same priority in terms of staff and other resources.” The resolution was carried.
Amnesty Today and Tomorrow
This was a question and answer session. The people leading the session were Kate Allen, the director of Amnesty International U.K. (AIUK), Ciarnan Helferty, Chair of Board, The Director of Amnesty India.
The Director of AI India described some of their priorities. He emphasised that India is so large and diverse that they have a huge range of issues facing them. They are clear that they should always work on at least one of the Amnesty pathways and they should provide continuity with Amnesty’s long-term programs. A key area for them is Kashmir, especially indigenous rights and mining issues. They also need to react to current issues such as death penalty and violence against women. India will focus on both local and global issues.
Ciarnan Helferty addressed a concern that the “Movement towards the ground” (MttG) would mean that AIUK would only lobby the U.K. government in future. He stated that while we are best placed to lobby our own governments, there are times when it would be appropriate for us to lobby other governments. Another questioner was concerned that local hubs could be easier to intimidate, and that AIUK still had an important role in lobbying for this reason. Moreover, the loss of experienced staff could endanger this role. The panel agreed that it is important to monitor this as the changes roll out, and that they had a duty to consider the safety of the staff in the hubs.
The restructuring of AIUK includes a stronger support for member volunteers, and the panel were asked how this would work in practice. Kate Allen stated that one of the three new teams would have this as a priority, but that it will also be a general focus for all teams. Staff at AIUK would provide a focal point of contact and act as a conduit to members.
Another questioner was concerned about the impact on Human Rights work of the MttG process, especially because staff with a great deal of expertise and contacts has already been lost. The panel acknowledged that the plans had not made the Human Rights impact within them sufficiently clear. While some expertise will be lost in London but that the hub offices will also have expertise of their own, and that these hub offices will have Human Rights impact. While there is no way of showing this scientifically, the hubs that are already established are reporting back positively. Concerns about some of the staff already lost, because of this process, remained. The panel acknowledged that the AIUK board had made mistakes in this process and that this has harmed trust in the process. A member of Amnesty staff disagreed and stated that there are a number of ongoing cases where no-one knows who will take these up once the changes are in place. The panel stated that these issues were being addressed right now and they realise how difficult a time this is for the Amnesty staff.
Another questioner asked whether the contributions from the established, wealthier offices could have been linked to some contributions from the hub countries. They were also concerned what effect falling membership might have on Human Rights in the UK. The panel stated that although this is a concern AIUK is still doing better than many other Non Governmental Organizations. They are particularly promoting student and school groups, but realise that they lose members after university. They added that AI India already raises 30% of their own expenditure. A member of the audience had been a member in Australia where they had similar membership problems. She expressed her frustration at the Amnesty website, that had been no help when she had been looking for a group to join. She added that Amnesty needs to adapt to the needs of the working age group. The panel said that while they are trying to make better use of internet access, but organizations such as Avaaz mean that large numbers of internet signatures no longer impress. A new website is due to be launched in May, but this should work alongside other forms of communication.
4. Meeting with Nolande Simunyu -Women Of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
During the conference we had the chance to speak personally with Nolwandle, one of the activists in Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA). She told us that she has been in York for some weeks on a “respite” project. (Poor thing, she has managed to be here during this really cold weather, but she is due to go back home in the next week.) She has a ten year old daughter who is staying with Nolwandle's mother at present.
Nolwandle told us that she always had to be very watchful. The WOZA office is in a secret location and the police keep trying to find it. This is because there was an occasion when they had found items planted in their office, including some bullets. They had called their solicitor to observe them search their office, and accompany them to the police station to return their bullets to them. Since then they have had to keep their location secret.
In a question and answer session Nolwandle told us about two WOZA successes. She explained that one of the great problems, especially after the economic collapse, was the high cost of school fees. This could range from $50 to even $500 and was beyond the means of many families. Thanks to WOZA campaigns these have now been reduced to $5.This is just for the government schools, not private schools as the aim of Woza is to help the poorest people.
Another campaign has been for pay-as-you-go electricity meters. Previously people were expected to pay monthly, and although often there was no electricity because of power cuts, they still had to pay the full amount. Thanks to sustained campaigning by WOZA, it is now possible to pay only for the electricity that they use.
Nolwandle had been arrested and imprisoned recently but was released after 18 days. She said that some prison guards had been unpleasant but that others had been encouraging about the WOZA activities.
5. Resolutions
Detailed information on the detailed wording of the resolutions and the proportion of votes cast, can be found on the amnesty web site.
The Membership voted on the following 31 resolutions :-
A : CAMPAIGNING
A1: Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.
Result: Carried
A2: British UAVs (Drones
Result: Carried
A3: Improving the Rights of Migrant Workers
Result: Carried
A4: Human Rights Violations in Ethiopia
Result: Carried
A5: Disability and Human Rights
Result: Carried
A6: Reporting on AGM Decisions
Result: Carried
B: FINANCE AND ASSESSMENT
B1:AIUK Finances
Result: Carried
B2: AIUK and IS Salary Limits
Result: Defeated
B3: Management Consultants
Result: Carried
B4: Assessment Payments to the International Movement
Result: Defeated
B5: Board Support for Specific 2013 ICM Resolutions
Result: Carried
C: GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY – IS
C1: Financial Transparency and the International Executive
Result: Carried
C2:International Secretariat Finances
Result: Carried
C3: IS Senior Management Salaries
Result: Carried
C4: External Review Mechanism of the International Executive
Result: Carried
C5: Accountability, Governance and Management at the IS
Result: Carried
C6: Transparency and Accountability of the IS
Result: Carried
C7: Call for Amendment to ICM Core Standards
Result: Carried
D. STRUCTURE OF AIUK
D1: Financial Stability of AIUK
Result: Carried
D2: Stability and Structure
Result: Carried
D3: Withdrawn
D4: AIUK Restructuring
Result: Carried
E: MEMBERSHIP AND ORGANISATION AIUK
E1: Amnesty Magazine
Result: Carried
E2: Regional Trade Union Networks
Result: Carried
E3: Group Lists on AIUK Website
Result: Carried
E4: AIUK Governance
Result: Carried
E5: 12-month Governance and Role Task Group
Result: Carried
E6: Consultation on Material Reorganisation
Result: Carried
E7: Restructure Implications on Crisis Response at AIUK
Result: Carried
E8: Increase in AIUK Membership Fees
Result: Carried
E9 Restricted Giving Resolution to the ICM
Result: Carried
6. Summary
We are both extremely pleased that we attended the conference and AGM. The event was very well organised, the accommodation and food were excellent, and the workshops/working parties/plenary sessions, very interesting and informative.
By voting for the 31 resolutions that were put forward, we really felt that we were taking a full part, as members, in how Amnesty International UK is being run. Judging how many resolutions put up by the membership were carried, it was definitely a tribute to the democracy of AIUK. At the end of the 2 days, our view was that the AIUK Board are reflecting on past mistakes, are now listening to the members and working hard to improve their management of AIUK.
However, there is immense disquiet amongst both the Membership and the Board of AIUK, about the way the International Secretariat (IS) is operating. This was shown, in both the debates and the resolutions that were put forward. During the two day proceedings, some of the issues raised about IS were lack of accountability for spend, de-skilling of posts, immense staff dissatisfaction within IS, staff with years of experience resigning, too many layers of management, unacceptably high salary levels for senior IS staff. Many of the resolutions passed at the AGM, related to the IS and sought to resolve the concerns.
It was also both exciting and very humbling, to meet one of the people to whom our group regularly send greetings - Nolwandle Simunyu of Woza in Zimbabwe. She is a very brave lady. We were also heartened to hear how well the new Zimbabwe AI hub was operating. WOZA praised the support they had received from AI Zimbabwe.
We have come back inspired to get working, on both planned and new AI initiatives in our group. We would definitely recommend that other members consider going to the 2014 AGM and would be happy to discuss/advise on any matters pertaining to the event.
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