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91-751: The Citizen Lab is an interdisciplinary laboratory based at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto , Canada. It was founded by Ronald Deibert in 2001. The laboratory studies information controls that impact the openness and security of the Internet and that pose threats to human rights . The organization uses a "mixed methods" approach which combines computer-generated interrogation, data mining , and analysis with intensive field research , qualitative social science , and legal and policy analysis methods. The organization has played

182-717: A JD at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law . The Munk School's MGA can also been taken as one half of a duel degree with either Sciences Po , Hertie School of Governance , or the London School of Economics (LSE). The Master of Public Policy (MPP) program is a two-year professional degree, emphasizing practical and applied dimensions of policymaking. Approximately 80 students are admitted each year. Core courses include micro and macroeconomics, legal analysis, political science and quantitative methods for policy analysis. The curriculum also includes five electives on domestic policy, law, and international policy, taken either at

273-414: A United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (established 1993) and an International Criminal Court (established 2002). Amnesty continued to work on a wide range of issues and world events. For example, South African groups joined in 1992 and hosted a visit by Pierre Sané to meet with the apartheid government to press for an investigation into allegations of police abuse, an end to arms sales to

364-913: A "ploy to divert attention" from their activities which were in clear contravention of laid down Indian laws. Amnesty International received permission only once in Dec 2000, since then it had been denied Foreign Contribution permission under the Foreign Contribution Act by successive Governments. However, in order to circumvent the FCRA regulations, Amnesty UK remitted large amounts of money to four entities registered in India by classifying it as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi , has been criticized by foreign medias for harming civil society in India, specifically by targeting advocacy groups. India has cancelled

455-717: A "toxic culture" of workplace bullying , and found evidence of bullying , harassment , sexism and racism , after being asked to investigate the suicides of 30-year Amnesty veteran Gaetan Mootoo in Paris in May 2018 (who left a note citing work pressures), and 28-year-old intern Rosalind McGregor in Geneva in July 2018. In April 2019, Amnesty International's deputy director for research in Europe, Massimo Moratti, warned that if extradited to

546-404: A December 2018 filing by Saudi dissident Omar Abdulaziz, who claimed NSO's software targeted his phone during a period in which he was in regular contact with murdered journalist Jamal Kashoggi . In September 2019, European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen created the new position of "Vice President for Protecting our European Way of Life ", who will be responsible for upholding

637-400: A Master of Global Affairs (MGA) and a Master of Public Policy (MPP). The Master of Global Affairs (MGA) program is a two-year interdisciplinary professional degree with curriculum covering global and financial systems, global civil society, and global strategic and security issues. The program requires students to complete a relevant internship with an NGO, an international organization such as

728-606: A briefing 26 Nov, during which he discussed other acts of terrorism. In August 2020, Amnesty International expressed concerns about what it called the "widespread torture of peaceful protesters" and treatment of detainees in Belarus. The organization also said that more than 1,100 people were killed by bandits in rural communities in northern Nigeria during the first six months of 2020. Amnesty International investigated what it called "excessive" and "unlawful" killings of teenagers by Angolan police who were enforcing restrictions during

819-774: A centre in 2001, the Trudeau Centre for Peace, Conflict and Justice administers the Peace, Conflict and Justice (PCJ) undergraduate programme in the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. The PCJ programme, while administered by the Munk School, is a joint initiative with the Faculty of Arts & Science. Students are required to take several Arts & Science courses to complete the programme – including in political science, economics, statistics, psychology and international relations, among others. The Centre grew out of

910-624: A major role in providing technical support to journalists investigating the use of NSO Group 's Pegasus spyware on journalists, politicians and human rights advocates. The Citizen Lab was a founding partner of the OpenNet Initiative (2002–2013) and the Information Warfare Monitor (2002–2012) projects. The organization also developed the original design of the Psiphon censorship circumvention software, which

1001-656: A notable role on human rights issues due to its frequent citation in media and by world leaders. AI was founded in London in 1961 by the lawyer Peter Benenson . In what he called "The Forgotten Prisoners" and "An Appeal for Amnesty", which appeared on the front page of the British newspaper The Observer , Benenson wrote about two students who toasted to freedom in Portugal and four other people who had been jailed in other nations because of their beliefs. AI's original focus

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1092-634: A possible 4.0 or a B standing. However, due to the high volume of applications there are many more highly qualified candidates than first year spots and simply meeting the minimum requirements is unlikely to be sufficient to gain admission. The school assesses candidates based on 5 factors: an online application form, a statement of purpose, a resume or curriculum vitae, 2 letters of academic recommendation, and an applicant's academic record. In addition, candidates may provide up to an additional two letters of reference from another source (for example, from an employer or volunteer organization). In determining admission

1183-538: A prominent representative at the United Nations , had "undeclared private links to men alleged to be key players in a secretive network of global Islamists ", including the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas . The Times also detailed instances where Hussein was alleged to have had inappropriately close relationships with the al-Qazzaz family, members of which were high-ranking government ministers in

1274-736: A response to the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s arrest and prosecution of Chen Yu-hsi, whom the Taiwan Garrison Command had alleged committed sedition by reading communist literature while studying in the United States. In 1976, Amnesty's British Section started a series of fund-raising events that came to be known as The Secret Policeman's Balls series. They were staged in London initially as comedy galas featuring what The Daily Telegraph called "the crème de la crème of

1365-602: A source of his who was involved in that espionage incident, among others. In March 2019, The New York Times reported that Citizen Lab had been a target of the UAE contractor DarkMatter . A major international investigation from 2020-2022 into the use of Pegasus spyware on journalists, politicians and human rights activists around the world relied on Citizen Lab and Amnesty International 's Security Lab for technical support. In 2021, Citizen Lab along with Amnesty International's Security Lab analysed Front Line Defenders ' report on

1456-526: A toast to liberty". Researchers have never traced the alleged newspaper article in question. In 1960, Portugal was ruled by the Estado Novo government of António de Oliveira Salazar . The government was authoritarian in nature and strongly anti-communist , suppressing enemies of the state as anti-Portuguese. In his significant newspaper article " The Forgotten Prisoners ", Benenson later described his reaction as follows: Open your newspaper any day of

1547-559: Is a student-led digital magazine that showcases writing on public affairs by students, academics, and leaders in the policy world. The PPGR is a platform for bold and thoughtful analysis, and for diverse perspectives on contemporary policy debates and discussions. The publication is funded by and housed at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Graduate students from Munk manage its content, development, and operations. The Public Good Initiative (PGI)

1638-503: Is a student-led project that pairs students from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy with community organizations that can benefit from pro bono consulting services. The PGI has worked with organizations that include United Way Toronto, Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, Toronto City Summit Alliance, Maytree Foundation, People for Education, BC Centre for Social Enterprise, Mid Toronto Community Services and

1729-611: Is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights , with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and supporters around the world. The stated mission of the organization is to campaign for "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 instruments ." The organization has played

1820-559: Is an academic and monetary award given to the top students in their second year of the program. The award was created and named after Paul Cadario, a senior manager with the World Bank in Washington and alumnus of the University of Toronto , after he donated $ 1 million to U of T’s School of Public Policy and Governance. The Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation was an independent, non-partisan public policy think tank housed in

1911-569: The African Great Lakes region and the abolition of the death penalty. In particular, Amnesty International brought attention to violations committed on specific groups, including refugees , racial/ethnic/religious minorities, women and those executed or on Death Row . In 1995, when AI wanted to promote how Shell Oil Company was involved with the execution of an environmental and human-rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa in Nigeria, it

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2002-680: The Canadian Federal Public Service , the Ontario Public Service , the City of Toronto , the City of Mississauga , as well as many non-governmental organizations and research think tanks . Second year MPP students can compete for exchanges with partner institutions in Europe and Asia, including The Hertie School of Governance (Berlin) , Sciences Po's Paris School of International Affairs (Paris) , The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (Singapore) , and

2093-567: The Metropolitan Police . Lord Hoffman had an indirect connection with Amnesty International, and this led to an important test for the appearance of bias in legal proceedings in UK law. There was a suit against the decision to release Senator Pinochet, taken by the then British Home Secretary Jack Straw, before that decision had actually been taken, in an attempt to prevent the release of Senator Pinochet. The English High Court refused

2184-900: The National Graduate Institute for Public Policy (Japan) . The Munk School also offers joint degrees, including the Collaborative Master’s/PhD Program in South Asian Studies, the Collaborative Master’s Program in Asia-Pacific Studies, the Ethnic and Pluralism Studies Collaborative Graduate Program, and the Dynamics of Global Change Collaborative Doctoral Program. Established as a degree program in 1985 and as

2275-653: The Ontario Public Service , the City of Toronto , the City of Mississauga , as well as many non-governmental organizations and research think tanks . The Munk School housed the Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation – an independent, non-partisan public policy think tank – until the Centre closed in April 2019. In spring 2024, the Munk School was labeled as an “ undesirable organization ” in Russia. The founding director

2366-659: The UAE Five , a human rights defender in the United Arab Emirates, was targeted with Pegasus software developed by Israeli cyber-intelligence firm NSO Group . Prior to the releases of the report, researchers contacted Apple who released a security update that patched the vulnerabilities exploited by the spyware operators. Mansoor was imprisoned one year later and as of 2021, is still in jail. Researchers reported in October 2018, that NSO Group surveillance software

2457-453: The University of Toronto , after he donated $ 1 million to U of T's School of Public Policy and Governance. MPP students have also been awarded many other prestigious external scholarships and awards, including Cancer Care ON grants, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grants, Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS), and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grants. The Public Policy and Governance Review (PPGR)

2548-413: The "Appeal for Amnesty, 1961" and September 1962 the organization had been known simply as "Amnesty". By the mid-1960s, Amnesty International's global presence was growing and an International Secretariat and International Executive Committee were established to manage Amnesty International's national organizations, called "Sections", which had appeared in several countries. They were secretly supported by

2639-544: The British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament as well as becoming head of Quaker Peace and Social Witness . In his memoirs, Benenson described him as "a partner in the launching of the project". In consultation with other writers, academics and lawyers and, in particular, Alec Digges, they wrote via Louis Blom-Cooper to David Astor , editor of The Observer newspaper, who, on 28 May 1961, published Benenson's article "The Forgotten Prisoners". The article brought

2730-550: The British comedy world" including members of comedy troupe Monty Python , and later expanded to also include performances by leading rock musicians. The series was created and developed by Monty Python alumnus John Cleese and entertainment industry executive Martin Lewis working closely with Amnesty staff members Peter Luff (assistant director of Amnesty 1974–1978) and subsequently with Peter Walker (Amnesty Fund-Raising Officer 1978–1982). Cleese, Lewis and Luff worked together on

2821-727: The British government at the time. The international movement was starting to agree on its core principles and techniques. For example, the issue of whether or not to adopt prisoners who had advocated violence, like Nelson Mandela , brought unanimous agreement that it could not give the name of "Prisoner of Conscience" to such prisoners. Aside from the work of the library and groups, Amnesty International's activities were expanding to helping prisoners' families, sending observers to trials, making representations to governments, and finding asylum or overseas employment for prisoners. Its activity and influence were also increasing within intergovernmental organizations; it would be awarded consultative status by

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2912-468: The Canadiana Gallery at 14 Queen's Park Crescent West. The Munk School offers a two-year Master of Public Policy (MPP) program, with a core curriculum emphasizing practical and applied dimensions of policymaking. The program also includes a paid internship during the summer between the first and second years. The school has internship partners that include the Canadian Federal Public Service ,

3003-494: The Enforcement Directorate has said the investigation could take three months to complete. On 30 October 2018, Amnesty called for the arrest and prosecution of Nigerian security forces claiming that they used excessive force against Shi'a protesters during a peaceful religious procession around Abuja, Nigeria. At least 45 were killed and 122 were injured during the event. In November 2018, Amnesty reported

3094-522: The Faculty of Arts & Science. These include American Studies, Contemporary Asian Studies, European Studies, Hungarian Studies, Public Policy, South Asian Studies, as well as the Munk One Program, a first-year undergraduate seminar series. Unlike the PCJ programme, while these programmes’ courses are taught and syllabi are set by Munk School instructors, the Faculty of Arts & Science administers

3185-433: The Munk School of Global Affairs would merge with the university's School of Public Policy and Governance to become the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. The merger took effect on July 1, 2018. The School of Public Policy and Governance was a public policy and public administration school that was founded in 2006. The Master of Public Policy program and many public policy scholars remain headquartered in

3276-423: The Munk School or other graduate departments on the University of Toronto campus. The school frequently invites public sector leaders and external researchers to lecture and expose students to senior professionals in government and the broader public, private and community sectors. Students are required to complete an internship during the summer between the first and second year. The school internship partners include

3367-405: The Munk School. It undertook applied public policy research and engaged in public dialogue on federal issues important to the prosperity and quality of life of Ontario and Canada. The Mowat Centre had a mandate that proposed innovative, research-driven public policy recommendations that work on behalf of Canadians in all regions of the country, including Ontario. The Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation

3458-629: The Ontario Association of Food Banks. Beyond the Headlines (BTH) is a weekly radio show that provides fair and balanced analysis of pressing public policy issues in Canada. The one-hour program airs from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST every Monday on CIUT 89.5FM, the University of Toronto’s campus radio station. BTH is staffed by students (both current and alumni) who are members of the Munk School community. After its first year on

3549-463: The Peace and Conflict Studies programme established by Anatol Rapaport in the early 1980s. In 1990, Thomas Homer-Dixon assumed the Directorship and continued in that role through 2001 when the programme was institutionalized as the Trudeau Centre. Homer-Dixon's Directorship ended in 2007. In addition to the PCJ programme, the Munk School offers several undergraduate academic programmes through

3640-602: The Saudi royal family". He said this "played a major role" in his death. According to a January 24, 2019 AP News report, Citizen Lab researchers were "being targeted" by "international undercover operatives" for its work on NSO Group . In January 2019, Citizen Lab invited the Associated Press to help reveal an undercover spy operation targeting reporters at Citizen Lab carried out by the firm Black Cube . Ronan Farrow added to this reporting through interviews with

3731-556: The Treatment of Prisoners and of existing humanitarian conventions; to secure ratifications of the two UN Covenants on Human Rights in 1976, and was instrumental in obtaining additional instruments and provisions forbidding the practice of maltreatment. Consultative status was granted at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in 1972. Amnesty International established its Japan chapter in 1970, in part

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3822-672: The U.N. Human Rights Council is at stake. Since joining the council, Saudi Arabia's dire human rights record at home has continued to deteriorate and the coalition it leads has unlawfully killed and injured thousands of civilians in the conflict in Yemen ." In December 2016, Amnesty International revealed that Voiceless Victims , a fake non-profit organization which claims to raise awareness for migrant workers who are victims of human rights abuses in Qatar , had been trying to spy on their staff. In October 2018, an Amnesty International researcher

3913-587: The UN or WTO, or at an embassy or consulate abroad. Admission to the MGA is highly selective with 500 to 600 annual applicants for 80 first-year placements. After a general first year of study, students specialize in one of three areas: Global Economy and Markets, Global Civil Society, or Global Institutions. MGA students can also complete their degrees concurrently with an MBA at the Rotman School of Management or with

4004-1227: The UN to act promptly to implement the mission's recommendations. In February 2010, Amnesty suspended Gita Sahgal , its gender unit head, after she criticized Amnesty for its links with Moazzam Begg , director of Cageprisoners . She said it was "a gross error of judgment" to work with "Britain's most famous supporter of the Taliban". Amnesty responded that Sahgal was not suspended "for raising these issues internally... [Begg] speaks about his own views ..., not Amnesty International's". Among those who spoke up for Sahgal were Salman Rushdie , Member of Parliament Denis MacShane , Joan Smith , Christopher Hitchens , Martin Bright , Melanie Phillips , and Nick Cohen . In July 2011, Amnesty International celebrated its 50 years with an animated short film directed by Carlos Lascano , produced by Eallin Motion Art and Dreamlife Studio, with music by Academy Award-winner Hans Zimmer and nominee Lorne Balfe. In August 2012, Amnesty International's chief executive in India sought an impartial investigation, led by

4095-635: The US government's detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba , to a Soviet Gulag . During the first half of the new decade, Amnesty International turned its attention to violence against women , controls on the world arms trade , concerns surrounding the effectiveness of the UN, and ending torture. With its membership close to two million by 2005, Amnesty continued to work for prisoners of conscience. In 2007, AI's executive committee decided to support access to abortion "within reasonable gestational limits...for women in cases of rape, incest or violence, or where

4186-534: The United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), played a series of concerts on five continents over six weeks. Both tours featured some of the most famous musicians and bands of the day. Throughout the 1990s, Amnesty continued to grow, to a membership of over seven million in over 150 countries and territories, led by Senegalese Secretary General Pierre Sané . At the intergovernmental level, Amnesty International argued in favour of creating

4277-513: The United Nations, the Council of Europe and UNESCO before the decade ended. In 1966, Benenson suspected that the British government in collusion with some Amnesty employees had suppressed a report on British atrocities in Aden. He began to suspect that many of his colleagues were part of a British intelligence conspiracy to subvert Amnesty, but he could not convince anybody else at AI. Later in

4368-606: The United Nations, to render justice to those affected by war crimes in Sri Lanka. On 18 August 2014, in the wake of demonstrations sparked by people protesting about the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown , an unarmed 18-year-old who assaulted a police officer and then resisted arrest, and subsequent acquittal of Darren Wilson, the officer who shot him, Amnesty International sent a 13-person contingent of human rights activists to seek meetings with officials as well as to train local activists in non-violent protest methods. This

4459-784: The United States, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would face the "risk of serious human rights violations, namely detention conditions, which could violate the prohibition of torture". On 14 May 2019, Amnesty International filed a petition with the District Court of Tel Aviv, Israel, seeking a revocation of the export licence of surveillance technology firm NSO Group . The filing states that "staff of Amnesty International have an ongoing and well-founded fear they may continue to be targeted and ultimately surveilled" by NSO technology. Other lawsuits have also been filed against NSO in Israeli courts over alleged human-rights abuses, including

4550-669: The administration of Mohammed Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood leaders at the time. Ms Hussein denied supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and told Amnesty that "any connections are purely circumstantial". In June 2016, Amnesty International called on the United Nations General Assembly to "immediately suspend" Saudi Arabia from the UN Human Rights Council . Richard Bennett, head of Amnesty's UN Office, said: "The credibility of

4641-478: The air, BTH was voted “Best New Talk Show” on CIUT 89.5FM. Since its founding in 2012, BTH has interviewed notable politicians, public servants, academics and activists, such as Josh Colle , Lynn Morrison , Mitzie Hunter , Mike Layton , Tony Dean , Daiene Vernile , Laurie Scott , Peter Singer , Garfield Dunlop , Greg Sorbara , Ron Atkey , and Michael Geist . The Cadario Fellowship in Public Policy

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4732-538: The application, and Senator Pinochet was released and returned to Chile. After 2000, Amnesty International's primary focus turned to the challenges arising from globalization and the reaction to the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States. The issue of globalization provoked a major shift in Amnesty International policy, as the scope of its work was widened to include economic, social and cultural rights, an area that it had declined to work on in

4823-618: The arrest of 19 or more rights activists and lawyers in Egypt . The arrests were made by the Egyptian authorities as part of the regime's ongoing crackdown on dissent. One of the arrested was Hoda Abdel-Monaim, a 60-year-old human rights lawyer and former member of the National Council for Human Rights. Amnesty reported that following the arrests Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) decided to suspend its activities due to

4914-536: The authority and capabilities of government leaders. Aakar Patel, the executive director of the Indian branch claimed, "The Enforcement Directorate's raid on our office today shows how the authorities are now treating human rights organizations like criminal enterprises, using heavy-handed methods. On Sep 29, the Ministry of Home Affairs said Amnesty International using "glossy statements" about humanitarian work etc. as

5005-581: The collapse of the Twin Towers in New York." In the years following the attacks, some believe that the gains made by human rights organizations over previous decades had possibly been eroded. Amnesty International argued that human rights were the basis for the security of all, not a barrier to it. Criticism came directly from the Bush administration and The Washington Post , when Khan, in 2005, likened

5096-438: The construction. It occupies the historic Devonshire House, a former residential hall of the university's Trinity College , and opened a second location in 2012 at 315 Bloor Street West after an $ 80 million collective contribution from the Peter and Melanie Munk Foundation, the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario. The school was criticized by students and faculty for accepting $ 35 million from Peter Munk and for

5187-442: The coronavirus pandemic. In May 2020, the organization raised concerns about security flaws in a COVID-19 contact tracing app mandated in Qatar . In September 2020, Amnesty shut down its India operations after the government froze its bank accounts due to alleged financial irregularities. On 2 November 2020, Amnesty International reported that 54 people – mostly Amhara women and children and elderly people – were killed by

5278-482: The deaths of more than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis. The 117-page Amnesty report charged Israeli forces with killing hundreds of civilians and wanton destruction of thousands of homes. Amnesty found evidence of Israeli soldiers using Palestinian civilians as human shields. A subsequent United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict was carried out; Amnesty stated that its findings were consistent with those of Amnesty's own field investigation, and called on

5369-402: The device of a lead investigator of a Mexican human rights investigation. Munk School of Global Affairs The Munk School is located in the north and south wings of the Devonshire House building on Devonshire Place, which is situated in Trinity College 's John W. Graham Library. In 2012, the school opened a second location in the Observatory building at 315 Bloor Street West (formerly

5460-426: The director of Amnesty, said, "Social media re-energises the idea of the global citizen". James M. Russell notes how the drive for profit from private media sources conflicts with the stories that AI wants to be heard. Amnesty International became involved in the legal battle over Augusto Pinochet , former Chilean dictator, who sought to avoid extradition to Spain to face charges after his arrest in London in 1998 by

5551-430: The first two shows (1976 and 1977). Cleese, Lewis and Walker worked together on the 1979 and 1981 shows, the first to carry what The Daily Telegraph described as the "rather brilliantly re-christened" Secret Policeman's Ball title. The organization was awarded the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize for its "defence of human dignity against torture " and the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights in 1978. During

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5642-421: The grounds that it was bugged and infiltrated by the secret services, and said that he could no longer live in a country where such activities were tolerated. (See Relationship with the British Government ) Amnesty International's membership increased from 15,000 in 1969 to 200,000 by 1979. At the intergovernmental level Amnesty International pressed for the application of the UN's Standard Minimum Rules for

5733-407: The hacking of devices of six Palestinian human rights defenders (two were dual nationals; one French, one American) working for civil society organisations based in the West Bank . Four of the hacked devices used Israeli SIM cards (which NSO Group claimed was not allowed). In 2023, Citizen Lab found evidence of NSO Group 's hacking tool Pegasus in a war setting for the first time as well as in

5824-443: The hostile environment towards civil society in the country. On 5 December 2018, Amnesty International strongly condemned the execution of the leaders of the " black realtors " gang Ihar Hershankou and Siamion Berazhnoy in Belarus . They were shot despite UN Human Rights Committee request for a delay. In February 2019, Amnesty International's management team offered to resign after an independent report found what it called

5915-624: The launch of "Appeal for Amnesty, 1961", the aim of which was to mobilize public opinion, quickly and widely, in defence of these individuals, whom Benenson named "Prisoners of Conscience". The "Appeal for Amnesty" was reprinted by a large number of international newspapers. In the same year, Benenson had a book published, Persecution 1961 , which detailed the cases of nine prisoners of conscience investigated and compiled by Benenson and Baker (Maurice Audin, Ashton Jones , Agostinho Neto , Patrick Duncan , Olga Ivinskaya , Luis Taruc , Constantin Noica , Antonio Amat and Hu Feng ). In July 1961,

6006-410: The leadership had decided that the appeal would form the basis of a permanent organization, Amnesty, with the first meeting taking place in London. Benenson ensured that all three major political parties were represented, enlisting members of parliament from the Labour Party , the Conservative Party , and the Liberal Party . On 30 September 1962, it was officially named "Amnesty International". Between

6097-409: The mid-to-late-1980s, Amnesty organized two major musical events took place to increase awareness of Amnesty and of human rights. The 1986 Conspiracy of Hope tour, which played five concerts in the US, and culminated in a daylong show, featuring some thirty-odd acts at Giants Stadium, and the 1988 Human Rights Now! world tour. Human Rights Now!, which was timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of

6188-493: The past. Amnesty International felt this shift was important, not just to give credence to its principle of the indivisibility of rights, but because of what it saw as the growing power of companies and the undermining of many nation-states as a result of globalization. In the aftermath of 11 September attacks, the new Amnesty International Secretary General, Irene Khan , reported that a senior government official had said to Amnesty International delegates: "Your role collapsed with

6279-511: The pregnancy jeopardizes a mother's life or health". Amnesty International reported, concerning the Iraq War , on 17 March 2008, that despite claims the security situation in Iraq has improved in recent months, the human rights situation is disastrous, after the start of the war five years earlier in 2003. In 2009, Amnesty International accused Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement of committing war crimes during Israel's January offensive in Gaza, called Operation Cast Lead , that resulted in

6370-451: The programmes and sets rules for enrolment and completion. Admission to the two-year professional Master of Public Policy program is highly competitive. The school typically receives 600+ applications for only 80 first year spots. Candidates are selected on a holistic basis. At minimum candidates are required to have a four-year bachelor's degree, with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) in the final year of undergraduate studies of 3.3 out of

6461-483: The reader's attention to those "imprisoned, tortured or executed because his opinions or religion are unacceptable to his government" or, put another way, to violations, by governments, of articles 18 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The article described these violations occurring, on a global scale, in the context of restrictions to press freedom, to political oppositions, to timely public trial before impartial courts, and to asylum. It marked

6552-548: The registration of about 15,000 nongovernmental organizations under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA); the U.N. has issued statements against the policies that allow these cancellations to occur. Though nothing was found to confirm these accusations, the government plans on continuing the investigation and has frozen the bank accounts of all the offices in India . A spokesperson for

6643-560: The rule-of-law, internal security and migration. Amnesty International accused the European Union of "using the framing of the far right" by linking migration with security. On 24 November 2019, Anil Raj , a former Amnesty International board member, was killed by a car bomb while working with the United Nations Development Project. U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo announced Raj's death at

6734-401: The same year, there were further allegations, when the US government reported that Seán MacBride , the former Irish foreign minister and Amnesty's first chairman, had been involved with a Central Intelligence Agency funding operation. MacBride denied knowledge of the funding, but Benenson became convinced that MacBride was a member of a CIA network. Benenson resigned as Amnesty's president on

6825-491: The school considers a strong application one that has a high level of cohesion between the 5 supporting documents and the structure and learning objectives of the MPP program. The Cadario Fellowship in Public Policy is an academic and monetary award given to the top students in their second year of the program. The award was created and named after Paul Cadario, a senior manager with the World Bank in Washington and alumnus of

6916-465: The terms of agreement between the school and Peter Munk. The Canadian Foreign Policy Institute stated that Peter Munk's far-right views were incompatible with the mandate of the school. Paul Hamel and John Valleau, faculty members at the University of Toronto, stated that the agreement will reduce academic independence, permit the Munk family to shape the academic work, and allow the Munk family to determine

7007-655: The university's Admissions and Awards building), which is the offices of the Citizen Lab and the Master of Global Affairs program. The Master of Public Policy is headquartered at the Canadiana Gallery next to the Legislature of Ontario . Founded in 2000 as the Munk Centre for International Studies, it was named after Canadian businessman and philanthropist Peter Munk , who made a $ 6.4 million donation to finance

7098-422: The university's priorities in place of the faculty and students,. Additionally, several students and faculty criticized the decision to name the school after Munk, citing allegations of environmental damage and human rights violations by Barrick Gold in foreign countries. The mining company was founded by Munk and was the principal source of his wealth. On April 6, 2018, the University of Toronto announced that

7189-529: The week and you will find a story from somewhere of someone being imprisoned, tortured or executed because his opinions or religion are unacceptable to his government... The newspaper reader feels a sickening sense of impotence. Yet if these feelings of disgust could be united into common action, something effective could be done. Benenson worked with his friend Eric Baker – a member of the Religious Society of Friends who had been involved in funding

7280-610: Was Janice Stein , who held the position until 2014. The school was then headed by Stephen Toope until 2017, when he became the 346th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge . After Toope's departure, the interim director was Randall Hansen , who served as head of the School's Centre for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies. On November 12, 2019, Michael Sabia was named as the Munk School's director, starting in February 2020. He served in that role until December 2020, when he

7371-738: Was prisoners of conscience , with its remit widening in the 1970s, under the leadership of Seán MacBride and Martin Ennals , to include miscarriages of justice and torture . In 1977, it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize . In the 1980s, its secretary general was Thomas Hammarberg , succeeded in the 1990s by Pierre Sané . In the 2000s, it was led by Irene Khan . Amnesty draws attention to human rights abuses and campaigns for compliance with international laws and standards. It works to mobilize public opinion to generate pressure on governments where abuse takes place. Amnesty International

7462-618: Was abducted and beaten while observing demonstrations in Magas, the capital of Ingushetia, Russia. On 25 October, federal officers raided the Bengaluru office for 10 hours on a suspicion that the organization had violated foreign direct investment guidelines on the orders of the Enforcement Directorate . Employees and supporters of Amnesty International say this is an act to intimidate organizations and people who question

7553-657: Was appointed by the Government of Canada as Deputy Minister of Finance . Professor Cheryl Misak was announced as the interim director of the Munk School, effective December 15, 2020. Peter Loewen was appointed Director in November 2021 and held the position until July 2024, when he left to join Cornell University as Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. The Munk School offers two master's degrees –

7644-496: Was established in 2009 with $ 5 million in seed funding from the Ontario Provincial government. The centre was named after Oliver Mowat , Ontario's longest serving premier and a father of confederation. 43°39′43.1″N 79°23′34.6″W  /  43.661972°N 79.392944°W  / 43.661972; -79.392944 Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI )

7735-581: Was founded in London in July 1961 by English barrister Peter Benenson , who had previously been a founding member of the UK law reform organization JUSTICE. Benenson was influenced by his friend Louis Blom-Cooper , who led a political prisoners' campaign. According to Benenson's own account, he was travelling on the London Underground on 19 November 1960 when he read that two Portuguese students from Coimbra had been sentenced to seven years of imprisonment in Portugal for allegedly "having drunk

7826-709: Was one of the first public reports to reveal a cyber espionage network that targeted civil society and government systems internationally. In Shadows in the Cloud (2010), researchers documented a complex ecosystem of cyber espionage that systematically compromised government, business, academic, and other computer network systems in India , the offices of the Dalai Lama , the United Nations , and several other countries. In Million Dollar Dissident , published in August 2016, researchers discovered that Ahmed Mansoor , one of

7917-463: Was over the issue of whether it would be appropriate for an anti-racism campaign with a "single focus". The Jewish Chronicle noted that Amnesty International had previously published a report on discrimination against Muslims in Europe. In August 2015, The Times reported that Yasmin Hussein, then Amnesty's director of faith and human rights and previously its head of international advocacy and

8008-472: Was spun out of the Lab into a private Canadian corporation ( Psiphon Inc. ) in 2008. In a 2009 report "Tracking GhostNet ", researchers uncovered a suspected cyber espionage network of over 1,295 infected hosts in 103 countries between 2007 and 2009, a high percentage of which were high-value targets, including ministries of foreign affairs , embassies, international organizations, news media, and NGOs. The study

8099-422: Was stopped. Newspapers and advertising companies refused to run AI's ads because Shell Oil was a customer of theirs as well. Shell's main argument was that it was drilling oil in a country that already violated human rights and had no way to enforce human-rights policies. To combat the buzz that AI was trying to create, it immediately publicized how Shell was helping to improve overall life in Nigeria. Salil Shetty ,

8190-425: Was the first time that the organization has deployed such a team to the United States. In the 2015 annual Amnesty International UK conference, delegates narrowly voted (468 votes to 461) against a motion proposing a campaign against antisemitism in the UK. The debate on the motion formed a consensus that Amnesty should fight "discrimination against all ethnic and religious groups", but the division among delegates

8281-455: Was used to spy on the "inner circle" of Jamal Khashoggi just before his murder, "are being targeted in turn by international undercover operatives." A Citizen Lab October report revealed that NSO's " signature spy software " which had been placed on the iPhone of Saudi dissident Omar Abdulaziz, one of Khashoggi's confidantes, months before. Abdulaziz said that Saudi Arabia spies used the hacking software to reveal Khashoggi's "private criticisms of

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