[INSIDER UPDATE] Major progress on ending gun violence, and more ...

You know you want to read it… >> [View in Browser]( Hi {NAME}, I’m feeling fired up. All across the world, people are standing up for their rights: brave human rights defenders in Iran, France, the U.S., and beyond. Amnesty staff and members have been hard at work: speaking out to end the death penalty, demanding safe haven for refugees and asylum-seekers, and ensuring war crimes in Ukraine are meticulously documented. Here are just a few big steps forward — please read on! [MAJOR PROGRESS: House Passes “Break the Cycle of Violence” Act]( Gun violence is a human rights crisis in the United States. It disproportionately affects Black men and boys — and threatens their human rights. Across the country, community heroes are working to save lives and solve this national emergency. Violence prevention and intervention programs have cut homicides by almost half in some cities. That’s why Amnesty made shoring up support for these programs the core of our ongoing work to end gun violence. Late last month, we celebrated another big win in our work to end gun violence: The House of Representatives passed the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, a bill that would provide over $5 billion dollars to community programs that have proven successful. This comes after Amnesty’s long-fought effort to highlight solutions and organize pressure on key legislators. This is a win for all of our members, activists and community partners. BIG next step: this bill now heads to the Senate. [You can help by urging your Senators to pass it:]( [ACT: End Gun Violence]( [THIS MONTH’S ACTION: Write for Rights]( Write for Rights is Amnesty's largest, annual human rights campaign. Last year, thousands of people around the world sent messages for freedom and justice, for people who are most at risk. This year, we’re highlighting 10 peaceful protesters from Bangladesh to Zimbabwe who have been punished or persecuted for their activism. Your letters help free people and bring hope to human rights activists worldwide. [Images of Mariana and Yren ]( Mariana and Yren are trans women in Paraguay, and they’re part of Write for Rights. The Paraguayan authorities won’t recognize their names or identities, which means they can’t get identity documents or legally change their names. Read more about Mariana and Yren and all the Write for Rights cases, and [send a letter on behalf of all ten cases by clicking here.]( [Are you liking your Amnesty Impact overview? Let us know!]( [Thumbs Up]( [Thumbs Down]( [GOOD NEWS: Two Activists Released from Prison]( [Image of Jeannot Randriamanana]( Jeannot Randriamanana (pictured above), is a teacher and father of four who was arrested by authorities in Madagascar for merely posting a critique of his country’s government on his Facebook account. Jeannot was held in detention for months until his recent provisional release — however, the Court of Appeals in Madagascar recently upheld his conviction and two-year suspended sentence on the charges of “defamation and humiliation of members of Parliament and public servants and identity fraud”. [His temporary release is a sign that activism DOES work — act now to help drop his charges permanently!]( [TAKE ACTION: Free Jeannot]( Additionally, activist and journalist Hisham Fouad was arrested in Egypt in July 2019 for his peaceful political activism. He was accused of spreading "false news", and sentenced to four years in prison. Today, I’m eager to share good news about Hisham’s case. Thanks to thousands of Amnesty members who sent letters to Egyptian authorities, he was released after receiving a presidential pardon! {NAME}, you and I are part of Amnesty’s global movement, 10 million strong. We’ve learned a lot over our long history, and one lesson I always try to remind myself of is that our campaigning takes time — but it works. We can win when thousands of us speak up about unjust laws, when we document and condemn human rights violations, when we build a massive tide of voices clamoring for change. It takes diligence and faith in the process and the power we have together. Let’s take a moment to celebrate these recent wins that are only possible because of the strength of our movement. Warmly, Billie Hirsch Senior Director of Online Engagement Amnesty International USA P.S. Amnesty International ran more campaigns than ever last year, and those efforts took considerable resources. [The most impactful decision you can make to show your support for human rights is to start a small, monthly contribution. A generous group of donors are matching new monthly gifts for an entire year — meaning your donation will go 12x as far.]( [If you begin today, a generous group of Amnesty donors will match the first 12 months of your contribution -- doubling your impact all year. Start donating today!]( And if you’re not in a position to start a monthly donation right now, that’s OK! [Make a one-time contribution to support human rights here.]( [DONATE NOW]( © 2022 Amnesty International USA 311 W 43rd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10036 | 1-800-AMNESTY Please don't reply to this email. You can send questions to aimember@aiusa.org. We’re so happy you’re here to hear about the most important updates on human rights! If necessary, you can [opt to receive fewer emails]( or [unsubscribe here](. [supporter]