2014 ANNUAL REPORT
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL | CANADIAN SECTION (ENGLISH SPEAKING)
© Amnesty International
Torture survivor Claudia Medina (middle) receives a solidarity banner from Amnesty Canada’s
Andrea Oakunsheyld, Alex Neve, Tim Carpentier, Crystal Giesbrecht, and Kathy Price. The banner
was created by Amnesty supporters in Canada.
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Amnesty International | Canadian Section
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear friends,
So often I find myself inspired by those we stand in solidarity with,
and inspired too by what we achieve together as Amnesty International
supporters in Canada and as part of the global human rights movement.
Last year brought so many wonderful moments of inspiration that it is
difficult to choose just a few for special mention.
Amnesty’s annual Write for Rights event grows stronger every year.
It is inspiring to think of an individual writing letters at their kitchen
table, and it is inspiring too to try to grasp the global scale of this event
(in December 2014, hundreds of thousands of people took more than
three million actions).
Claudia Medina’s courage is inspiring. Claudia is a torture survivor
in Mexico who is campaigning for justice after terrible crimes were
committed against her. Amnesty Canada volunteers and staff had the
honour of meeting Claudia while on a mission to Mexico.
Of course, we still face many challenges to overcome before the human
rights of everyone are respected. But at Amnesty we face challenges
with determination. The history of the human rights movement shows us
that victories are often hard won. The Arms Trade Treaty, which became
international law on December 24, 2014, was the result of more than
20 years’ campaigning by Amnesty supporters and others.
Ángel Colón’s tremendous sense of hope is inspiring. Amnesty Canada’s
Alex Neve visited Angel in jail while on the same mission to Mexico.
Despite spending five years in prison on trumped up charges, Ángel’s
optimism still shone through. “A new horizon is dawning,” he told Alex.
Let us continue to be inspired by those we stand with, and inspired
by each other.
Sharmila Setaram, President
Annual Report 2014
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© Paul Thompson/Amnesty International
A child in a camp for internally displaced people in South Sudan, July 2014.
Alex Neve is conducting an interview in the background.
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Amnesty International | Canadian Section
WHEN EVERYONE ELSE HAS FORGOTTEN,
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL IS ALWAYS THERE
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND SECRETARY GENERAL
Last July, in a camp for displaced persons in South Sudan, Alex met
with a camp elder, Simon Luk Tem. When inter-ethnic clashes led to
a catastrophic human rights crisis in South Sudan in 2014, Simon
and his family suffered in the violence that devastated the country.
And long before that, the family had experienced a deeper tragedy
of sacrifice and loss over several decades of war, liberation, war,
independence and, once again, war.
But Simon expressed what a constant Amnesty International had been
throughout the years. As Simon put it when describing the solidarity of
Amnesty supporters: “I know Amnesty International very well. When
everyone else has forgotten, Amnesty International is always there.
You have always been there for us. And now here you are today.”
The pages of this Annual Report remind us of how deeply important
solidarity is in Amnesty’s work human rights work. Solidarity makes
a tremendous difference in defending human rights everywhere. It
bolsters, protects and inspires. It is the very essence of universal
human rights.
Solidarity is about standing alongside individuals and communities,
and doing so over the long term. It means bearing witness when the
world looks away, and joining our voices to frontline demands for
justice. Supporting women, men and young people everywhere in the
struggle for human rights is at the very heart of Amnesty International.
Thank you for all you do with and for Amnesty. You have much
to be proud of.
Alex Neve, Secretary General
Bob Goodfellow, Executive Director
Annual Report 2014
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ACTIVISTS RAISING THEIR VOICES
AGAINST INJUSTICE
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A flashmob forms on the streets of Vancouver and demands an end
to torture. Amnesty members in Victoria, British Columbia, organize
a film festival titled Women in Film: Bringing Light to Dark Places.
Dozens travel to Humboldt, Saskatchewan, to attend an annual regional
conference.
These are just a few snapshots of human rights activism in Canada
in 2014. There were so many more, of course. Every day, Amnesty
supporters in Canada take a stand to defend human rights, demand
justice, stand in solidarity with human rights defenders and prisoners
of conscience.
On a chilly March day, Torontonians march to celebrate International
Women’s Day. In Ottawa, in August, activists march in the Capital Pride
parade to show solidarity with LGBT communities. Frosh week events
in the Maritimes lead to new campus groups forming. In December,
Amnesty supporters dance through the streets of Montreal to promote
the global Write for Rights write-a-thon.
Activism in numbers: In 2014, there were 87 Amnesty community
groups and action circles, and more than 500 youth and student
groups. Amnesty Canada’s online activists numbered 150,000 by the
end of 2014 (35% more than in 2013). They stood with more than
7 million Amnesty supporters worldwide.
Amnesty International | Canadian Section
A network of volunteer leaders—fieldworkers, local organizers, youth
organizers, country and human rights theme coordinators—nurtured and
grew activism across Canada. A new online platform—Nationbuilder—
was rolled out to support them as they mobilize their communities for
human rights.
© Paul Thompson/Amnesty International
Amnesty activists in Ottawa marching
in the Capital Pride parade, August 2014.
Annual Report 2014
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PROTECTING THE SAFETY OF
INDIVIDUALS AT RISK
For more than 50 years, Amnesty International activists have been
working for the freedom of people imprisoned or persecuted for
expressing their beliefs. Individuals at risk remain at the heart of
what we do.
When an individual is in immediate danger, Amnesty often launches
an Urgent Action to protect them. Urgent Action Network (UAN) writers
in Canada responded to 100% of the appeals issued in 2014. Cases
included prisoners of conscience, unlawful arrests, the death penalty
and fear of torture or ill-treatment.
In addition to the UAN, many tens of thousands of activists took action in
a variety of other ways to defend the human rights of individuals at risk.
Amnesty supporters took mass action to prevent the flogging and
execution of Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, a woman sentenced to death in
Sudan because of her religious beliefs. Meriam was freed, and she
and her family travelled to the United States.
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Amnesty International | Canadian Section
When Boko Haram abducted 240 schoolgirls in Nigeria, Amnesty
activists in Canada joined millions around the world in calling for the
girls to be returned to their families.
In December, over 3.2 million actions were taken around the world
by participants in the Write for Rights write-a-thon. In Canada, over
300 registered events were held. 2014 Write for Rights cases included:
Raif Badawi, imprisoned in Saudi Arabia and facing 1,000 lashes for
championing free speech; Liu Ping, an anti-corruption campaigner
imprisoned for six-and-a-half years in China; and a call to the Canadian
government to resettle at least 10,000 of the almost four million refugees
displaced by conflict in Syria.
© Amnesty International
In December, Write for Rights participants in Toronto
took to the streets in support of human rights.
Annual Report 2014
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STOLEN SISTERS:
TEN YEARS ON FROM THE GROUND-BREAKING REPORT
“I’ve been remembering my meetings with families and rereading their stories and the notes that I took during the meetings I had with
all the families. It’s still very emotional for me. One of the things I remember in those meetings is that it wasn’t only the loss of one
person, it was also all those historical traumas—the traumas that came from residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, the whole child
welfare system, the jail system, the young offender system.”
– BEV JACOBS, MOHAWK LAWYER AND LEAD RESEARCHER ON THE STOLEN SISTERS REPORT,
LOOKING BACK TEN YEARS AFTER THE REPORT’S RELEASE.
October 4, 2014, marked the tenth anniversary of Amnesty
International’s ground-breaking Stolen Sisters report. The report followed
an in-depth investigation into the high levels of violence experienced by
Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
Ten years on, Indigenous women are still going missing and being
murdered at a much higher rate than other women in Canada. In 2014,
the tragic cases of two Cree teenage girls in Winnipeg—the murder
of Tina Fontaine and brutal attack against Rinelle Harper—were stark
reminders of this ongoing national human rights crisis.
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Amnesty International | Canadian Section
Amnesty activists continue to press the Canadian government to commit
to a comprehensive action plan to stop the violence. The action plan
must be created in collaboration with Indigenous women, must address
the root causes of violence and identify culturally-appropriate ways to
prevent violence and to support those affected by violence. The plan
must also include a much needed public inquiry to expose the nature
of the violence and ensure government and police accountability for an
effective and coordinated response.
© Amnesty International
Amnesty supporters in Saskatchewan demanding justice for murdered
and missing Indigenous women. The activists were meeting in Humboldt
in October for their annual regional conference.
Annual Report 2014
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STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
June 26, 2014, marked an extraordinary victory for the human rights
of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The Supreme Court unanimously
decided that the Tsilhqot’in people continue to hold legal title to almost
2,000 square kilometres in the heart of their traditional territory in central
British Columbia. It’s hard to overstate the importance of this ruling, both
for the Tsilhqot’in and for other Indigenous peoples across Canada.
This message was timely. For example, much of the Northern
Gateway pipeline, which would connect the Alberta oil sands to the
British Columbia coast, will cross territory where there are no treaties
with Indigenous peoples and the issue of Indigenous land title has never
been resolved. In June, when the federal government conditionally
approved construction of the pipeline, Amnesty International called on
the government to reverse the decision, which was made without the
consent of First Nations.
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Amnesty International | Canadian Section
Elsewhere in Canada in 2014, Amnesty began working with partners
to promote a human rights response to the Site C dam, a project by
BC Hydro for a hydro-electric dam on the Peace River in north-eastern
British Columbia.
Abroad, a priority country for Amnesty Canada’s work is Colombia.
On April 29, Amnesty supporters in Ottawa gathered on Parliament
Hill to deliver 65,000 messages to the Canadian government.
The messages were a reminder that Canada’s free trade deal with
Colombia brings special obligations to protect the rights of threatened
Indigenous peoples in the South American country. The event was
the culmination of two years of dynamic campaigning.
© Paul Thompson/Amnesty International
Amnesty supporters in Ottawa calling for the Canadian government to
take action to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples in Colombia.
Annual Report 2014
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CAMPAIGNING TO STOP TORTURE
“My message to all those who are showing me their solidarity, and are against torture
and discrimination, is don’t drop your guard. A new horizon is dawning.”
– ÁNGEL COLÓN
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Amnesty International launched a new global campaign to stop torture
in May 2014. Over the course of this two-year campaign, Amnesty is
working to put new safeguards in place to prevent torture. How? By
insisting that lawyers are present during interrogations. That doctors are
on hand to examine detainees. That confessions obtained by torture
can’t be used in evidence in courts. And by insisting that anyone who
is involved in torture is brought to justice.
The Amnesty mission was also a show of solidarity with survivors of
torture. The team visited Ángel Amilcar Colón Quevedo in a prison in
west-central Mexico. Ángel is a Honduran human rights activist who
endured torture, racial discrimination and an unfair legal process for
more than five years. Shortly after the Amnesty mission came the
wonderful news that Ángel had been released and was reunited with
his family in Honduras.
In September 2014, a team from Amnesty International Canada went to
Mexico for the release of an important Amnesty report into the rampant
torture taking place throughout the country. Incidents of torture in
Mexico have increased 600% over the past decade.
Claudia Medina Tamariz was another inspiring torture survivor the
Amnesty team spent time with. In August 2012, Mexican marines broke
into Claudia’s home and took her away to a local naval base. There,
Claudia suffered terrible torture. Her demand for investigations into
those abuses has become central to the Stop Torture campaign.
Amnesty International | Canadian Section
© Amnesty International
An Amnesty flashmob in Vancouver helps launch
the Stop Torture campaign.
Annual Report 2014
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HOLDING CORPORATIONS TO ACCOUNT
“To know that, with you, I have family in all parts of the world gives me a force
I cannot describe”
–YOLANDA OQUELI,
COMMUNITY LEADER AND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER, GUATEMALA.
Yolanda spoke these words to a team from Amnesty International
Canada that was visiting Guatemala in September 2014. Amnesty
campaigner Tara Scurr and Secretary General Alex Neve were there to
launch an Amnesty report: Mining in Guatemala: Rights at Risk? The
report documented how communities in Guatemala are struggling to
defend their rights as mining companies move into the resource-rich
country. A majority of foreign-owned mining companies in Guatemala
are Canadian.
Defending human rights in Guatemala can be dangerous work. Yolanda
Oqueli was almost killed in 2012 for standing up for the rights of her
community when it was being threatened by a mining project.
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Amnesty International | Canadian Section
Other areas of focus in 2014 for Amnesty Canada’s business and
human rights volunteers and staff:
› Launching the Open for Justice campaign. Those who have
been harmed by the international operations of Canadian mining
companies often have nowhere to go to seek justice—not in
their own countries and not in Canada. To fix that accountability
gap, Amnesty International embarked on the Open for Justice
campaign in collaboration with the Canadian Network on Corporate
Accountability.
› Marking the 30th anniversary of the 1984 gas leak catastrophe in
Bhopal, India. Amnesty activists urged the Indian government to
clean up the contamination at the site and to support victims and
survivors in their struggle for justice.
© Amnesty International
Amnesty activists in Toronto demand justice for victims and
survivors of the 1984 disaster in Bhopal, India.
Annual Report 2014
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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2014
2014
$
2013
$
1,798,504
1,498,477
30,000
40,000
ASSETS
Current Assets
Loan receivable
Long-term investments
288,393
419,925
1,647,088
1,751,235
3,763,985
3,709,637
Current Liabilities
697,906
583,909
Long-term debt and obligation under capital lease
186,622
301,919
884,528
885,828
2,879,457
2,823,809
1,631,371
1,546,134
Internally restricted funds
811,061
843,575
Externally restricted funds
437,025
434,100
2,879,457
2,823,809
Capital assets
LIABILITIES
NET ASSETS
Net assets are comprised of:
General fund
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Amnesty International | Canadian Section
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2014
GENERAL FUND
INTERNALLY
RESTRICTED FUNDS
TOTAL GENERAL & INTERNALLY
RESTRICTED FUNDS
EXTERNALLY
RESTRICTED FUNDS
TOTAL
TOTAL
2014
$
2014
$
2014
$
2014
$
2014
$
2013
$
Resource development revenue
11,862,428
–
11,862,428
3,180
11,865,608
11,416,887
Less resource development expenses
(3,790,257)
–
(3,790,257)
–
(3,790,257)
(3,567,111)
8,072,171
–
8,072,171
3,180
8,075,351
7,849,776
Groups/networks
51,827
3,014
54,841
–
54,841
48,153
Merchandise sales
17,502
–
17,502
–
17,502
21,140
2,541
–
2,541
–
2,541
4,276
REVENUE
Publication sales
Event revenue
–
–
–
–
–
32,138
3,169
–
3,169
8,445
11,614
20,794
18,107
–
18,107
–
18,107
7,987
8,165,317
3,014
8,168,331
11,625
8,179,956
7,984,264
Action Strategies
2,178,221
–
2,178,221
8,700
2,186,921
2,096,253
Grassroots Activism
2,068,213
22,297
2,090,510
–
2,090,510
2,227,890
Communications and Marketing
2,448,214
43,108
2,491,322
–
2,491,322
2,400,512
Investment revenue
Miscellaneous
EXPENSES
Information Technology
368,474
–
368,474
–
368,474
298,964
Organization
971,958
15,123
987,081
–
987,081
867,331
8,035,080
80,528
8,115,608
8,700
8,124,308
7,890,950
130,237
(77,514)
52,723
2,925
55,648
93,314
Net revenue (expense) for the year
Annual Report 2014
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IMPLEMENTATION OF
AGM 2014 RESOLUTIONS
20
RESOLUTION B-1
RESOLUTION C-2
RESOLUTION C-3
SPECIAL RESOLUTION OF MEMBERS
AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR 2013
APPROVAL OF AUDITORS—FISCAL 2014
A Special Resolution of Members was
approved at AGM 2014 that contained
Articles of Continuance, Objects of the
Corporation and revised By-laws. This
was necessary in order to apply for
reincorporation under the Canada Not-forprofit Corporations Act.
The audited financial statements for the
fiscal period January 1, 2013, to December
31, 2013, were accepted.
Deloitte LLP have conducted the audit
for fiscal 2014. Summarized financial
statements are on pages 18 and 19 of this
Annual Report. Complete audited financial
statements will be distributed at AGM
2015 and are available upon request at
613-744-7667 or [email protected]
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING
A RESOLUTION PASSED AT
THE 1999 AGM
The 1999 AGM passed a resolution calling on the Branch to annually assist developing Sections
financially, provided there were sufficient available revenues. Branch budgets regularly provided
funds to support small or developing Sections through to 2013. A recent example of this type of
support was our assistance to Amnesty Mexico. However, beginning in 2014, the Branch stopped
providing this type of financial support. Such transfer of funds are not permitted under Canada
Revenue regulations, and, furthermore, the policies of the international movement no longer allow
for the transfer of funds directly between Sections.
Amnesty International | Canadian Section
© Amnesty International
Left to Right: Tim Carpentier, Sharmila Setaram, Nancy Kingsbury, Andrew Thompson, Liz Wightman, David Smith,
Samantha Burdett, Johsa Manzanilla (not shown: Brian Radburn, Renee Saviour).
2014-15 BOARD
OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CANADA
PRESIDENT: Sharmila Setaram, Mississauga, Ontario
VICE-PRESIDENT: Samantha Burdett, Courtice, Ontario
CHAIR: David Smith, Hemmingford, Quebec
TREASURER: Brian Radburn, North Vancouver, British Columbia
SECRETARY: Nancy Kingsbury, Ottawa, Ontario
DIRECTORS:
› Tim Carpentier, Toronto, Ontario
› Johsa Manzanilla, Winnipeg, Manitoba
› Renee Saviour, Toronto, Ontario
› Andrew Thompson, Waterloo, Ontario
› Elizabeth Wightman, Edmonton, Alberta
Annual Report 2014
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© Eugen-Florin Zamfirescu/Amnesty International
SUPPORTING THE RIGHTS OF REFUGEES:
On June 14, 2014, under the banner of “My Door is Open for
Refugees”, Amnesty International activists walked in support of
refugees in Toronto. Church and Wellesley streets were alive with
chants that could be heard many blocks away. Support to refugees
and their right to seek asylum was more critical in 2014 than
ever. Amnesty supporters across Canada campaigned to keep
Canada’s doors open to refugees, and welcomed a Federal Court
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ruling overturning drastic cuts to refugee health care (the federal
government is appealing against the ruling). Amnesty’s voice was also
loud and clear in urging Canada to make a generous commitment to
resettle Syrian refugees to Canada. The UN had appealed for urgent
assistance to ensure that refugees receive the protection they require
and the load is lightened for Syria’s overwhelmed neighbours, who
were sheltering 3.8 million refugees at the end of 2014.
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TEL: 613-744-7667 OR 1-800-AMNESTY (1-800-266-3789) | EMAIL: [email protected] | AMNESTY.CA