The rally tonight was a poster child for the need for outreach.
AI's been focusing on the case of Rebiya Kadeer, an ethnic Uighur human rights activist who's been imprisoned in China since 1999. So, when our folks found out that the premier of China was going to be in town, it was decided that we should have an emergency rally to go yell about her case. I got the job of twisting the arms of local non-student volunteers. I have no clout. Two of the people I called showed.
But that's not the point. Unsurprisingly, since we were protesting China, by the time I got there, there were about 400 Free Tibet, Independent Taiwan, and Falun Gong supporters there already - which made the task of finding and gathering the AIUSA folks rather interesting. My cell phone finally justified its existence. The other effect of this was that, as soon as we busted out the signs and megaphones, we had a zillion people wanting to wave them around.
Normally this isn't a problem. In fact, normally it's great. But, since no one had done outreach to the other groups there, we hadn't discussed AI's role in the grander issue, and no one knew the limits of our mandate. Which meant we had a bunch of people shouting "Free Tibet Now," "Taiwan is Not Part of China," and so forth whilst waving Amnesty signs, and sometimes through Amnesty megaphones.
I have nothing against a free Tibet. I am in favor of a free Tibet. But I am also in favor of Bush and Sharon being caught in bed with three transvestite hookers and a kilo of crack. Neither of these things, for better or worse, are causes that AI supports. And, not to sound too curmudgeonly, but Amnesty's political neutrality has been one of its strategic advantages from the get-go.
Now, I don't expect that this is going to be an international disaster, with the New York Times headline proclaiming, "AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ABANDONS POLITICAL NEUTRALITY, INVADES TIBET." It was just one rally.
But it pays to do outreach. That way no one steps on anyone else's toes. End rant.
Oh, and there was one brawl, but I wasn't involved.
AI's been focusing on the case of Rebiya Kadeer, an ethnic Uighur human rights activist who's been imprisoned in China since 1999. So, when our folks found out that the premier of China was going to be in town, it was decided that we should have an emergency rally to go yell about her case. I got the job of twisting the arms of local non-student volunteers. I have no clout. Two of the people I called showed.
But that's not the point. Unsurprisingly, since we were protesting China, by the time I got there, there were about 400 Free Tibet, Independent Taiwan, and Falun Gong supporters there already - which made the task of finding and gathering the AIUSA folks rather interesting. My cell phone finally justified its existence. The other effect of this was that, as soon as we busted out the signs and megaphones, we had a zillion people wanting to wave them around.
Normally this isn't a problem. In fact, normally it's great. But, since no one had done outreach to the other groups there, we hadn't discussed AI's role in the grander issue, and no one knew the limits of our mandate. Which meant we had a bunch of people shouting "Free Tibet Now," "Taiwan is Not Part of China," and so forth whilst waving Amnesty signs, and sometimes through Amnesty megaphones.
I have nothing against a free Tibet. I am in favor of a free Tibet. But I am also in favor of Bush and Sharon being caught in bed with three transvestite hookers and a kilo of crack. Neither of these things, for better or worse, are causes that AI supports. And, not to sound too curmudgeonly, but Amnesty's political neutrality has been one of its strategic advantages from the get-go.
Now, I don't expect that this is going to be an international disaster, with the New York Times headline proclaiming, "AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ABANDONS POLITICAL NEUTRALITY, INVADES TIBET." It was just one rally.
But it pays to do outreach. That way no one steps on anyone else's toes. End rant.
Oh, and there was one brawl, but I wasn't involved.
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
mutinyonthebay:
hmmm. i need to start getting involved in some of the activities DC has to offer... let me know when somethings coming up.
mutinyonthebay:
hey do you know what time the thingys at? because its less than a block away from my dorm.