This week, Mar. 3-7, Amnesty Club will be engaging in school-wide awareness campaigns for the National Week of Student Action (NWSA). This year’s focus is on advocating for human rights amid mass deportations and violations of immigration rights in the United States.
Amnesty Club is Pleasant Valley’s local advocacy chapter of Amnesty International, an organization devoted to ensuring everyone the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and participating in “research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of these rights.”
For the National Week of Student Action, Amnesty Club members will be tabling in the Commons every morning at 7:15am, providing information about recent executive orders, First Amendment rights and more. Brochures, stickers, bookmarks and other resources will be available as well as opportunities to get involved in student activism.
This Tuesday through Thursday, Mar. 4-6, Amnesty Club will be meeting from 3:30-4:15 pm in club advisor Jenni Levora’s room, room 186. Students can participate in various advocacy activities, including the Write for Rights letter-writing campaign, poster design, games and art.
Amnesty Club stresses the fact that human rights should not be political and hopes to raise awareness about these issues in the student body. “Despite immigration rights currently being a partisan issue, we advocate for the proper treatment of all immigrants — something that isn’t being done under new policies,” said senior and club co-President Swetha Narmeta. “There are clear violations of human rights no one should have to face, including the right to live in a safe place, the right to not be separated from your family and the right to privacy.”
In speaking out against mass deportations, Amnesty highlights how the presidential administration weaponizes fear and nationalistic ideology to normalize abusive policies. Through executive orders, President Trump has suspended refugee resettlement, reinstated the remain in Mexico program and established a hotline to inform the government about immigrants involved in crimes, to name a few.
Because these policies may not affect students directly, many remain unaware of their detrimental effects. “Every individual should have more than just their basic needs met regardless of age, race, gender, and religion. Those who are victims of the system or of others should not be blamed for their own misfortune,” Amnesty member Adrienne Kelsch stated. “A lack of empathy is a horrifying thing to see. Students should be aware of what’s going on in their own world, they should be fighting to protect other humans.”
As human rights continue to be an ongoing domestic and worldwide struggle, Amnesty’s action during NWSA underscores the importance of student engagement and the power of student voices. “It’s important to advocate even at a level as low as a school club, because it can help enact change globally,” said Narmeta.
Outside of NWSA, Amnesty Club meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 3:30-4:15 in room 186. To learn more about PV’s Amnesty group and how to get involved, visit their instagram page @amnesty_pleasantvalley.
