Arizona State University

Identity Through the Lense of Amnesty International

A Non-Profit Organization

Angellia Ramnarain

CPP 112: National Service and American Democracy

May 12, 2020

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Introduction

In this essay, I will give you the facts about this non profit organization, which through

that will show their identity and overall how they come together as an organization for the people

and they are the Amnesty International. This organization is a global movement which has more

than 7 million people a part of this. They campaign for human rights everywhere in the world.

Within this organization, they investigate any abuse and basically expose the truth. They also tell

many testimonies of so many people they come across with, mobilizing their supporters to

campaign for change and to stand up for all that are in need of help in the world. Amnesty

International began in 1961, when a British lawyer Peter Benenson stood up for two Portuguese

students who were jailed for raising a toast to freedom. From that, he had written a newspaper

article which had provoked a great response. His action sparked so many people around the

country to unite together for freedom and justice for all good men and women.

Identity

When we take a look and dive deeper into the meaning of true identity and how

organizations such as Amnesty International that portray and show their identity by what they

ultimately stand for. Their identity makes them who they are as an organization to help the

people of the world. From researching this organization and diving more into their website, I

found that when they use facts and stories of others, they are showing the truth. Giving people a

voice to be heard and to help others in need.

American Democracy
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Learning many ideas and lessons in this course has opened up my eyes a lot to service in

this country, and the role it plays in the society we live in. Without social engagement we would

not have a healthy functioning political system. With organizations in this country, it's giving

people a voice and the freedom of speech to express how you feel and to gain more people that

understand and believe the same things you do as well. Its getting a group of concerned people

together for a greater cause. We saw that George W. Bush made an organization which was a

non profit and gave so many jobs to people to help the people. As a democracy, the people have

a say in everything and that brings them together to interact and to be willing to make a change

and that's social capital. In this course we learned about how diabled veterans mean so much to

our country and how giving back as much as their own organization is something they would be

so grateful for. Doing service for those who have served is such an amazing thing we can at least

do for them for all they have done for us.

Civic, Social, and Political Engagement

There is truly a lot of value that goes into engagement of organizations. The leadership

skills, network of people, and just supporting a bigger cause is just a glimpse of being engaged

with other people through organizations. Civic and Political engagement go hand in hand.

Individuals or in this case an organization such as Amnesty International cares about the public

and tends to their needs by addressing the concern that is going on. Its making a difference and

changing that problem into something great. With Amnesty International they take concerns such

as human rights, justice, discrimination, and even climate change to the nxt level by being able to

make a differnence. We then go onto social engagement and with that, its similar and goes hand

in hand with civic and political engagement, the people want to serve others. Its organizations

like this one that is founded by the community and its for the community. Shirly Sagawa talked
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about serving the community and what it means to serve. AmeriCorps was used as an example to

show how young adults who were serving they got paid for their service and doing service that

matters. Making a difference and for the good will of the people is what matters the most.

Mobilization

Amnesty International does a lot of mobilizing with its members and so many people

around the world. This organization mobilizes their members using social media and sharing

messages of good and stories. By traveling and getting to experience hard situations in person

and finding solutions. They give facts and give definitions on different topics they go over for

others who may not understand. They come together to heal the world, to at least try to make it a

better place to be heard, to express how you feel, and to feel valued. They serve by sharing

others stories to maybe help others who are going through those same things. They reach out to

the abuse and give them the essentials and fundamentals to live and to start a new happy life

without abuse. They also educate others about what they do to gain more members. Without its

members, it wouldn't be the organization it is. The people support for a greater cause and it's just

an amazing thing to learn about.

Conclusion

Amnesty International is an unique non profit organization who is looking out for the

people. They are yet another organization in this world that wants to make this world a better

one. Helping and being engaged in so many lives is what matters. Doing service that matters.

Creating many connections, engaging in civic, political, and social engagements is where it's at.

Ultimately making a difference in so many lives who endure pain and hardship, those people

need that helping hand, and with Amnesty International, they have created this organization that
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only wants the best for the people. And through that all, they show true identity through their

organization and through the many lives that they have touched.

References

https://www.amnesty.org/en/
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