Amnesty International, more than 10 million people united around a single conviction: that we all have rights, that we should all benefit from them and that it is together that we must and can protect them and have them respected. These human rights are those adopted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 1948 in Paris by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Amnesty began with a newspaper article “The Forgotten Prisoners” written by British lawyer Peter Benenson in “The Observer” newspaper on May 28, 1961, calling for the release of six prisoners whom he called ‘prisoners of conscience’. From the outset, the foundations are laid: united, we can fight injustice and defend freedom.
Its mandate and methods of action have evolved to expose human rights violations, raise public awareness and put pressure on state authorities. In its research and campaigning work, Amnesty International naturally collaborated with photographers engaged in shining a light on the injustices that they too want to expose.
In this project Amnesty International is proud to team up with Magnum Photos to look back on sixty years of human rights mobilization through a selection of iconic Magnum photographers images that testify to the range of efforts carried out by both organizations in their attempt to raise awareness of injustices around the globe.
This project was jointly developed by “Art for Amnesty”, which brings together artists of all disciplines in a collaborative effort to support the work of Amnesty International.
