Svenska sektionens resolution angående aktionsfall Underlag till styrelsemöte 1-2 mars 2005

PROPOSAL TO RESOLUTION REGARDING ACTION FILES

The International Council
DECIDES to

- maintain, adapt and develop action files as the most important long-term method of action on behalf of individuals, in order to mobilize more activists and promote/sustain long-term group activism.

Explanatory Note

Amnesty International started as a movement of members who acted for the release of POC. Since then, case-based research and action has been the trademark of AI. Amnesty groups have been acting on information about individual victims on case sheets, which now have been remodelled into action files and include POC as well as victims of other human rights abuses. The number of new active action files has decreased since 1990, when the number was 1 700, to be compared with 108 action files in year 2000. However, abuses of human rights are still abundant and more action files are needed to combat these.

Action files are urging Amnesty groups to sustain long-term action and it is therefore one of the best method to make our members stay active for long time. An action file is something that unites many Amnesty groups together. The commitment to act for another identified human being is an important driving force that makes groups continue their work and not to give it up. Action files are also important for recruiting new active members and starting new groups. The direct impact on other human lives, a clear and easily understandable goal, possibilities for direct response and feedback, are some other positive features of an action files. To be able to sustain a high level of activism also in the future, it is therefore of utmost importance that more action files are produced in the future, to meet the demand of the groups, and that support is maintained for continued work on active action files.

The Swedish section is therefore concerned at both the closure of action files which haven’t been solved, as well as at the decreased production of new action files. We would like AI to further develop action file as a method and to continue to produce action files as our main long-term method of action on behalf of individuals.

An evaluation of action files is planned, or under way. Based on the results of this evaluation, we think that action files should be further developed and adapted to our campaigning needs. Work on action files should remain as an important campaigning method also in the future.

The Swedish section suggests that the wording “maintain, adapt and develop action files as the most important long-term method of action on behalf of individuals, in order to mobilize more activists and promote/sustain long-term group activism.”, should be added under strategic objective 9.3, 11.1, or 11.3 in the ISP.