For a World Free from Death Penalty

As today is the World Day Against the Death Penalty, it is important to understand the extent to which the death penalty acts as a denial of the human right to life in its inherently cruel, unjust, and inhumane methods of execution. No matter the way in which the execution is carried out, such as by stoning, electrocution, beheading, or even lethal injection, the death penalty remains a violent act that should not be a part of any country’s judicial system. Those who are innocent may be wrongly convicted by an imperfect justice system. Those who are tortured into confessing a crime may die as innocent persons as a result of a politically motivated trial. Those who are only children may still be executed despite international human rights treaties that prohibit the execution of those under the age of 18.

To this day however, many countries continue to utilize the death penalty. These countries include: China, USA, Afghanistan, Iraq, and North Korea, among others. Despite its on going use, 174 out of the 193 member states of the UN were execution free in 2012, revealing that there has been progress in the global abolition of the death penalty. But what stops countries from outlawing the death penalty? Numerous proponents justify the punishment as a way to deter crime, though there remains no evidence to support this argument. Supporters also argue that there are humane methods in carrying out an execution, such as by lethal injection. However, the use of lethal injection does not guarantee a painless death. One mistake in giving the lethal injection could lead to a paralyzed, but not yet unconscious person who would experience pain by not being able to breathe as he or she went into cardiac arrest. By justifying the death penalty as a punishment as “eye for an eye”, one would also have to justify the death penalty’s disproportionate use on the poor, minorities, and ethnic and religious groups and its use a political tool to suppress dissent.

As Amnesty International continues its fight to help to end the death penalty around the world, it will be interesting to see the improvements that the world makes in the coming years. Though, without a constant effort to campaign against the death penalty by all different kinds of people from around the world, human beings will still be subjected to this inhumane punishment in the 21^st Century.

Justin 

Volunteer at Amnesty International Morocco

Boston University, Class 2015

AI Morocco - Annual Youth Campus 2013

        

         Youth stand for strength, energy and power. Young people are essential to the continuance and advancement of beliefs and ideas, as their mental vigour enables them to achieve great objectives and accomplish tasks efficiently. First and foremost young people however possess the paramount ability to achieve one thing: Change. The revolutions of the past two years on the Arab world have shown us that young people can cause incredible shifts and transformations if they decide to unify their power not to support what is already present and follow the given tracks, but rather to counteract and stand up against what they are demanded to accept but do not agree with. 

Amnesty International Morocco’s Annual Youth Campus 2013 from the 1st to 7th of September was such an opportunity for the youth to unite and exponentiate their vigour and willpower: forty young members of Amnesty International from across the MENA-region and Europe once again came together to share and exchange their ideas and beliefs, all emanating from a deep passion for human rights and the faith in a world free of injustice.

As for the past fourteen year, this year's camp provided an opportunity for these young activists to not only meet their counterparts from various different countries and backgrounds and learn from their experiences to develop the work in their own sections, but also to benefit from the presentations and workshops held by experienced activists and organizers to generate the highest effectiveness of their campaigns and actions for human rights. During various activities they could work on essential elements to their work as human rights activists, such as organizational skills, creativity and strategy building. In so doing, they were for example required to design their own action and plan its effectuation, or be a part of real-life actions, such as one against the sexual harrassement of women in Egypt or another in support of Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab. From the first day onwards, the participants showed their devotion to the cause through their amazing innovative abilities and their willingness to think in different, alternative ways to attract the most attention possible. So even despite the sometimes short preparation phases, the productions were captivating and stimulating for the audience and triggered interesting discussions. The young people spared no effort to make their messages heard through various ways, such as acting, music or film.

As much as every participant benefited individually from this week and was able to develop their personal skill and take away a lot of new information to use in the future, the campus was also an overall inspiration as generated a general atmosphere of hope and optimism. It was yet another possibility to see that the world, and especially the MENA-region in itself, is full of young, motivated, and determined people, who are prepared to defend their own and others' rights in a peaceful and respectful way, people who are passionate about their beliefs and work hard to stand up for them and make a difference.

During this campus, the young activists of Amnesty International had the chance to demonstrate and work on what youth can provide and what the fight for human rights needs: creative, devoted minds, ready to advocate their rights and ultimately bring about the change needed to achieve justice and equality for everybody.

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Victoria Helena Hugelshofer

Amnesty International Morocco

Oxford University