On Tuesday November 19, the French-speaking Belgian section ofAmnesty International launches its new – and traditional – end-of-year campaign, the main message of which this year is: “ We fight together, we win together “. This campaign will be structured around three major events: the sales campaign for Amnesty-labeled products (in particular the famous candle), the Letter Marathon and the celebration of December 10, International Human Rights Day.
“Multiplication of conflicts hitting civilians hard, increasing inequalities, flouting of international law, worsening of the climate crisis, etc. : Times are particularly dark for humanity. However, it would be a mistake to give in to despair. On the contrary, it is more fundamental than ever to come together and fight.” explain Carine Thibaut, director of the French-speaking Belgian section of Amnesty International. “It is in this spirit that we wanted to place our end-of-year campaign, reminding people that the strength of the collective is gigantic and allows us to win victories and save lives. We have seen this many times since the birth of Amnesty International and these victories would be impossible to achieve without the strength of the commitment of our millions of supporters around the world. For this reason, even more than the rest of the year, we are asking the public to mobilize massively and concretely by purchasing an Amnesty candle – and lighting it on December 10 – as well as by writing letters and signing our petitions in favor of people in danger.”
Sales of candles and other Amnesty International branded products will take place from November 19 to December 10. Since Amnesty International is financed mainly by donations and membership fees – a guarantee of its total independence – these sales are essential for the organization. These items will be sold by volunteers in public spaces via stands at the exit of supermarkets, in municipal markets etc., but also on the online store (amnesty.be/boutique), in schools and via networks deprived of volunteer sellers. A map showing most of the sales locations is available online (amnesty.be/bougie).
The second part of the end-of-year campaign is the Marathon des lettres, which is the version in French-speaking Belgium of the largest global campaign in favor of human rights. The objective is to collect as many letters, messages of support and petition signatures as possible in favor of people or groups of people in danger and whose human rights are being trampled. The Letters Marathon will take place until mid-January, culminating on December 10, around which several public and friendly events organized by local Amnesty International groups will take place in several Walloon and Brussels municipalities. .
“We are very grateful to the public who, every year, participate impressively in the Marathon of Letters. Thus, last year, more than 280,000 letters, cards and signatures were collected in Belgium. And the best part of the story is that it works: we record victories or advances regarding people who were defended in the Marathon of Letters,” s’enthousiasme Carine Thibaut. “For example, in 2024, Alexandra Skotchilenko, a Russian artist imprisoned for expressing opposition to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, was released and Rita Karassartova, a Kyrgyz activist, was acquitted of all charges against her.”
This year, nine people or groups of people are being highlighted as part of the Letters Marathon. Among them, Manahel al-Otaibi, women’s rights defender in Saudi Arabia. Manahel al-Otaibi was arrested after posting on Snapchat photos of her in a shopping center while not wearing an abaya, the traditional long-sleeved, loose-fitting tunic. She was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Amnesty International calls for her immediate and unconditional release, as well as the dropping of all charges against her.
Finally, on December 10, a big event will be organized at Crossroads of Europe (in front of Central Station), in Brussels, to celebrate International Human Rights Day. The objective will also be to raise public awareness of the importance of defending human rights and to encourage them to take concrete action in favor of them. Participants will be able to witness the symbolic detention of a journalist, write letters and messages of support, contemplate historical posters recounting Amnesty International’s struggles, take a photo in a connected booth and eat. to a food truck whose sales profits will be used to provide help to people in precarious situations in Belgium.
