Amnesty's Write-a-Thon starts tomorrow.

Amnesty International's Write for Rights campaign starts tomorrow.  It's Nine days of writing a letter a day for people like Bu Dongwei.  I'm sharing the letter that he sent to amnesty upon gaining his freedom:


Bu Dongwei's letter:

"In the evening of May 19, 2006, six to seven police suddenly broke into my home. They searched everywhere. But all they found were several books - words on paper.

These books were used as "evidence" against my activities as a practitioner of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, which is banned in China.

Possession of these books led to my torture and persecution inside a Chinese labor camp for two and a half years.

The Chinese government tried to use these words on paper to imprison me, but it was your words on paper that helped set me free.

Your letters will stay in my heart forever.

My personal case is a witness - your letters make a difference.

I felt the attitude of the guards change toward me for the better when your letters came in. I knew that I was not alone. The guards knew that Amnesty International and its supporters stood behind me.

From my experience, I understand that the attention and pressure from the international society can help improve the conditions of jailed people.

Write for Rights is a great idea. Only through the joined efforts of upright and kind people, like you, can we stop this injustice.

When you write for human rights, no one has to experience the pain of human rights abuse alone.

Thank You,

Bu Dongwei
Former prisoner of conscience
Write for Rights case, December 2007"

Also, here is the page Amnesty has set up with Case Sheets and Sample Letters, as well as other resources:

Amnesty's Resource Page for the Write-a-Thon 

I'm sharing all this  because I really believe that it works to save lives and to free people imprisoned for things that American take for granted- our Inalienable freedoms as human beings, as Thomas Jefferson put it.   I know he's not the greatest example, but, there you are.... ;o)  The words themselves are strong and beautiful truths, eh?  Right!