I am pleased to announce that Amnesty International Nepal is starting from today a novel initiative. We are launching a news blog which we have named The Candle. The Candle will henceforth replace the E-newsletter being sent out to the membership via email.
It will be a live web post updated on a regular basis with newer contents. It will belong to all the members of Amnesty Nepal and will serve as a learning and sharing platform with opportunity for all to express themselves about what they feel about their human rights activism and to share ideas, views, opinions and feelings about their journey as a human rights defender. We will strictly limit ourselves to talk about human rights issues here. By human rights issues, we mean all that we do, think we should do, or plan to do as part of our awareness, sensitization or educational efforts or as part of our research, campaigns and advocacy efforts. We can also have positive and inspiring stories about our engagement, participation and/or inclusion in the organization’s governance processes in this post.
An interesting feature of the Candle is that it will be an online open communication tool where all interested members can join openly not only to comment and provide input but also to share, care and learn from each other. As we have emphasized, highlighted and internalized on several occasions, human rights activism is about defending the rights of all including ourselves. Being part of human rights advocacy and activism is definitely self-empowering, but what we should also be careful is that it’s not about gaining power for the self, or a tool to advance self-interests or selfish causes. We are part of Amnesty or of any other human rights activism platform for that matter to support those who need our support, to add voices to those who are voiceless or whose voice is thinned out in the cacophonous apathy and humdrum that comes about through the selfish power games in the increasingly hostile world that we face.
I invite all the members and supporters of Amnesty who care and share the human rights values and principles to join and contribute to this blogpost. As stated above, you can freely share your feelings, ideas, knowledge and experience. Express yourselves in whatever form and way you want – through fine arts, music, drama, song, poetry, blog, vlog, story, essay, cartoon etc. and in whichever language you are comfortable with – English or Nepali. The contents will however be vetted and moderated to align with our principled positions and to maintain quality standards.
The Candle will be true to its name. We will use this platform to illuminate the darkness, and not to curse it. What we know deep down is that we happily burn ourselves to enlighten others. I would like to end my message here quoting our founder Peter Benenson:
"The Candle burns not for us, but for all those we have failed to rescue from prison, who were shot on the way to prison, who were tortured, who were kidnapped, who disappeared. That is what the Candle is for."
About the Author/s:
