FAMILIES TOGETHER We discussed how best to bring this campaign home to people. More than half of the world’s refugees are children; Amnesty is asking that child refugees in the UK have the right to sponsor their close family to join them, so they can rebuild their lives together, and be helped to integrate in their new community. Family and togetherness are at the heart of this campaign.
We heard reports on the Death Penalty. We signed letters to King Salman of Saudi Arabia and his Ambassador in this country on behalf of a father and son, Ali Nasser Ali Jarallah and Abdulhai Ali Nasser Ali Jarallah who were forcibly disappeared on a journey through Saudi Arabia.
We signed letters to President el-Sisi on behalf of Aser Mohamed of Egypt, 14 when arrested in 2016 and tortured into a ‘confession’; he’s still in pre-trial detention, and on behalf of Ramy Shaath, a political activist arbitrarily arrested this July and still untried.
The time for Amnesty’s Write for Rights is approaching. Sometimes a letter can change someone’s life: that’s the premise of Write for Rights, Amnesty’s global letter and card writing campaign on behalf of those whose human rights are being attacked. This year our focus is on children and young people.
With the kind permission of the Church, Amnesty Taunton will be at St Mary’s, Hammett Street on 30 November (10am-2pm) with cards for you to sign. There is plenty going on there that Saturday: a Tower Open Day, an Advent Fair in the Church and a Christmas Festival in Hammett Street. We hope to see you there!
Our chosen book of the month is “Trials of the State: Law and the Decline of Politics”, Jonathan Sumption’s 2019 Reith Lectures, a book very pertinent to our times.
We meet at 7.30pm on the second Tuesday of the month (excluding December) at the Friends Meeting House in Bath Place. Visitors are always welcome.
UK – DOMESTIC ABUSE BILL – not fit for purpose. Supposed to ‘transform’ our approach to domestic abuse’, it leaves some of the most marginalised women behind. Migrant women are often already isolated in society. They can face language barriers, racial discrimination and many are on low-income jobs. Help support migrant women and join call on the government to make sure the new Domestic Abuse Bill doesn’t discriminate against migrant women. 
Taunton Amnesty had a stall in the Town Centre on 29 June to raise awareness of LGBT rights and the Death Penalty. We discussed these issues with passers by, handed out leaflets and collected signatures for an LGBT petition defending Pride marches in Turkey. We were very glad to welcome the Mayor, Francesca Smith, and Federica Smith-Roberts, the Leader of the District Council to our stall (pictured); our MP, Rebecca Pow, had planned to visit but sadly had to decline due to her recent bereavement.
Our meeting in December was transformed into a Write for Rights event, held by kind permission at St Mary’s Church, Taunton during their Saturday Coffee Morning on 8th December.
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 9th October at the Friends Meeting House, Bath Place, Taunton from 7.30-9.30pm (nearby parking behind Boots). The main item is a talk from our local trainer, Susan Mew, on Amnesty’s ‘Ban Israeli Settlement Goods’ campaign. 
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 12th June at the Friends Meeting House, Bath Place, Taunton from 7.30-9.30pm (nearby parking behind Boots). Join us for news about Amnesty International’s campaigns, letter signing and more. There will be a petition to sign calling for the release of Esmail Abdi (left), a teacher trade unionist on hunger strike in Iran.
Ordinary people, extraordinary achievements: Susan Mew of the Minehead Group came to talk to us about Amnesty’s BRAVE campaign. Launched last year, this aims to strengthen the recognition and protection of human rights defenders around the world. 
Amnesty International Taunton Local Group 