Amnesty International Report 2008 Released Yesterday

Yesterday, Amnesty International released its 2008 report on the state of human rights. The report draws attention to the gap between words and actions. The report points out that:

“…sixty years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations, people are still tortured or ill-treated in at least 81 countries, face unfair trials in at least 54 countries and are not allowed to speak freely in at least 77 countries.”

Beyond calling for a shared vision and collective leadership, the report demands specific actions: for Russia to correct human rights abuses in Chechnya, for China to live up to its promises surrounding the Olympics, and for the United States to close Guantanamo Bay, among others.

Though we currently live in an era of ample verbal homage to human rights, Amnesty International feels that the wake of leaders’ verbal support contains insufficient action and leaves those paying attention with a grave sense of disappointment and frustration. The organization is demanding action and calling for leaders to apologize for their inaction.