Indian now heads Amnesty International

Posted on January 20, 2010
Filed Under Blogging, General | 1 Comment

An Indian heading PepsiCo, or Citibank or even Adobe, is impressive, but not as impressive as the recent appointment of Salil Shetty in Amnesty International.

Salil Shetty

Salil Shetty

Congratulations to Shetty on his selection as the Secretary General. It makes me extremely proud to see an Indian leading one of the largest international human rights organisation.

The London-based Amnesty although is sometimes accused of bias and distortions, on the whole, it has stupendously contributed to ameliorate the devastating effects of war and its aftermath and voicing for the rights of the weak and vulnerable.

On many ocassions, its candid and foursquare reporting on human rights violations, torture, women’s and children’s rights, has succored people in hot spot regions including India.

Shetty, 48, from Bangalore, is a former director of the UN’s Millennium Campaign and chief executive of ActionAid, an international anti-poverty organisation.

He is the first Indian national to head Amnesty in its 50-year-history and will take up his post in June, 2010 to succeed Irene Khan, who steps down after eights years.

Shetty has a track record in mobilising people, civil society and governments for rights and dignity.

To those who dint know – Amnesty was awarded the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize for its “campaign against torture” and the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights in 1978.

The secular non-governmental defines its mission as “to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated.”

Statute of AI – “Amnesty International’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.

In pursuit of this vision, Amnesty International’s mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights.”

India and the world are with Salil. In very turbulent times in Asia and around the globe, there no doubt is need for peace and harmony. The voices of weak must be heard, and corrupt and fascist governments must be brought down. Let AI stand for truth and truth alone!

Adios ~ SAM

Comments

One Response to “Indian now heads Amnesty International”

  1. Jinumon on January 21st, 2010 3:03 am

    great, I dint know this. Congrats Salil.

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