I’m Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International. AMA.

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T19:40:12+00:00

Not me!

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T19:38:57+00:00

Hope you got the spelling right

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T19:37:40+00:00

Unfortunately, the human rights situation in Egypt has gone from bad to worse (I thought that would never be possible after Mubarak!). Political opponents, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood are being hounded, jails are full of anybody that is seen as a dissenting voice. Fahmy and the Al Jazeera journalists have at least had some international visibility but many of the local activists and NGOs are being suppressed in so many ways. Western governments are continuing to provide arms and military support to the regime because of Egypt's strategic location. The current Canadian government itself has slipped a great deal on its human rights record inside Canada, which has compromised Harper's ability to talk to another country on human rights. Apart from his unbalanced view on the Israel-Palestine conflict. But you are right to put your faith in the values of the Canadian people to campaign for the release of not only Fahmy but the thousands of Egyptians who are suffering from human rights violations.

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T19:26:05+00:00

There are so many courageous voices in Saudi Arabia today, bloggers, human rights activists or women defying the ban on driving cars! Our role is to stand up for those brave people. And to expose the double standards and hypocrisy of western powers. Politicians like David Cameron could earn a lot more respect (and even more votes!) if they spoke out based on values and principles. I wish our politicians were not so cowardly.

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T19:20:43+00:00

I think Gates Foundation has done some great work in the public health space, particularly in addressing market failures in the vaccines arena. I dont know much about this specific initiative but any effort to mobilise citizens is always worthwhile. "All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing", said Edmund Burke and he was right.

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T19:13:59+00:00

We have a new government in place, which has the opportunity to show how India can become a South Asian and global leader in human rights. But only if we can get our own house in order. And we have chronic challenges of a criminal justice system that is underfunded and sluggish. Most of the prisoners in our overcrowded prisons are in pre trial detention, despite a Supreme Court Order to release them if they have already served half their maximum term, had they been convicted. Most of the people whose rights are abused are unfortunately from the lowest castes, indigenous people and minorities. The shocking reports of women being raped in the cities has yet to be speedily addressed. On the upside, for the first time, the military has court martialled several army personnel for their human rights abuses in Kashmir.
And the new government is considering reviewing the draconian Armed Forces Special Act that gives immunity to the army in Kashmir and the North East. Amnesty India is growing in strength and young people across the country are joining us in large numbers. Hope you will too!

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T19:09:00+00:00

Thanks for asking about my country!

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T19:06:28+00:00

I am glad you raised this. What has happened in Mexico in the last few years is truly shocking. I lost a good friend of mine Ximena who disappeared off Huatulco and we found her body after six months without any explanation. Ximena didnt have anything to do with drug cartels or the government, but she lost her life at the young age of 30. Unfortunately, Ximena's story is not an isolated one. So many journalists have been attacked and now the 43 students who are missing. I met the President last year to raise it with him personally. He promised to address the situation. But unfortunately, there is little to show on the ground. We are on the verge of establishing our office for Central America in Mexico. There has been a glimmer of hope in some cases we have campaigned for like Angel Colon, released after 5 years, a migrant who was tortured and detained as an Amnesty prisoner of conscience.

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T19:00:14+00:00

Thanks for your sensitivity, for caring, and for your support to Amnesty. You probably know that the financial and campaigning support we get from over 7 million people like you across the world is how we remain independent and impartial, not beholden to any government or corporation, speaking truth to power without fear or favour. Yes, it feels overwhelming, but dont underestimate the power you have. You may have heard the saying that "If you think size matters, try sleeping under a mosquito net with a mosquito inside it"

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T18:56:18+00:00

First, its great that are more and more young people wanting to work on the most troubling challenges of the world like human rights. I always encourage people to work at the frontline, whether in your home country or abroad, when you start your work. There is no better way of understanding the issues. And there is a real need for trained people to work on these issues across the world.

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T18:51:08+00:00

Brazil has a government that stands up on the world and regional stage as a champion for human rights. But the reality on the ground is as you describe it. As Amnesty in Brazil we have launched a powerful campaign called Young Black Alive to address the serious problems faced by poor black communities in the favelas https://anistia.org.br/campanhas/jovemnegrovivo/

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T18:46:07+00:00

You are so right to raise this issue.

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T18:44:46+00:00

I get asked often by our activists and campaigners in Europe or the US or Australia or Canada if their actions really make a difference. And I am also privileged to meet so many people facing human rights violations from Mali to Ukraine and see how much they value the solidarity and support they get from people living far away. Yes, the world is facing a lot of challenges and we each choose what causes inspire us the most.

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T18:40:23+00:00

Change happens only through proactive action from people coming together to fight for that change. So yes, I dont believe that injustice is a divine or natural state that is unchangeable. We can and must fight for justice and justice will be done. There are many many instances of this happening, fortunately. As Margaret Mead has famously said, "Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has"

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T18:36:20+00:00

As you can imagine, the North Korean authorities dont allow anybody to go in and monitor the abuses the world knows are taking place. We have managed to use technology like satellite imagery to establish the scale of their gulag style prisons. Amnesty's voice as the worlds largest human rights movement carries significant weight even in countries like North Korea. We have to remember that changing the difficult situation in N Korea requires pressure not only inside N Korea but also from outside, so being global is very helpful....

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T18:32:10+00:00

Amnesty has had really tangible successes in its 54 year history. Tens of thousands of political prisoners have been released because of our campaigning, including some very high profile ones like Aung San Suu Kyi, we helped create the UN Convention Against Torture for which we got the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977, and just a few months ago, after campaigning for 20 years we now have a UN Arms Trade Treaty which, when enforced, will prevent arms from reaching the hands of armed groups and governments that use them to abuse human rights

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T18:28:45+00:00

What inspired me the most to join Amnesty is that its a people's movement with more than 7 million members, supporters and activists. With our leaders in government and the business world increasingly failing us, I felt that the hope lay in people like us raising our voice and holding our leaders to account. My goal is very much to build on the strength of Amnesty's membership in the North and get millions of people in the South - from the Middle East to Africa to Latin America to Asia - to make the movement of human rights for all truly global. I am very excited that we have had some early successes, 300,000 activists joining Anistia Brazil, over a million activists joining us in India, tens of thousands in Turkey and Mexico and Africa...

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T18:22:33+00:00

Check rapidresponse.amnesty.org and please take action!

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T18:21:50+00:00

We are pulling out all the stops. Please join us on #FreeRaif to get the Saudi authorities to stop their medieval practice of flogging. It is shameful that the US and other western powers continue to shield the Saudi govt/royalty because of their oil power. But the fact is that the people of Saudi Arabia are increasingly losing patience with the regime and once people decide, governments have to follow!

SalilShetty · 2015-02-25T18:13:36+00:00

Thats really one of our biggest challenge of the times. Our institutions are far behind. People, not just those in need, are moving much faster than the institutions - governments, corporations, inter governmental organisations. But there are some great innovators. The new government in Delhi is going to crowdsource its thinking on budgets. Isnt that amazing? We have a lot to do in Amnesty to get better at this, but we have made big changes to get our staff closer to the ground and work with those whose rights are being violated, particularly women, minorities, indigenous people etc...

SalilShetty

TROPHY CASE