The power of global solidarity

When we use our voices to amplify the calls of human rights leaders, we become a force too powerful to be ignored. Stand for justice for survivors of the disaster in Bhopal. Write a letter to Prime Minister Modi.   Dear Tracy, Two weeks ago, 60-year-old Shehzadi Bee ended her hunger strike. Shehzadi is one of five courageous women leaders — survivors of one of the world’s worst industrial disasters — who had undertaken an indefinite waterless fast in Bhopal, India. The women ended their four-day hunger strike when the Indian government agreed to increase a multi-million dollar compensation claim against Union Carbide over the catastrophic 1984 gas leak from the company's pesticide plant in Bhopal. Stand up for the survivors of the disaster. Write a letter to Prime Minister Modi demanding that those responsible for the leak and ongoing pollution are held accountable. The leak has killed an estimated 22,000 people to-date, while hundreds of thousands of others still suffer from ongoing health problems as a result of the disaster. Union Carbide and Dow Chemical have so far ignored charges of "culpable homicide not amounting to murder." Last month, you took action. You wrote to tell Dow Chemical that it must ensure its subsidary, Union Carbide, respond to outstanding criminal charges linked to the leak. There is more you can do to further the fight. Write a letter to Prime Minister Modi demanding that Dow Chemical is held responsible and that the factory site is cleaned up. Every year, as Human Rights Day nears on December 10, Amnesty International identifies cases where global activism can have a huge impact, right now. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world send letters to strangers — people who are facing human rights abuses, and the authorities with the power to stop these abuses. We call it Write for Rights. This year, we are supporting the Bhopal community during our Write for Rights campaign. Write a letter to demand justice for survivors. When the women started their hunger strike, Shehzadi told us: "If you show solidarity and support, our determination to fight will be boosted. We will not feel alone anymore." The Indian government heard the disaster survivors' voices. Their actions mark the first important step toward justice in Amnesty International’s Write for Rights 2014 campaign. This is the power of global solidarity — when we use our voices to amplify the calls of leaders like Shehzadi Bee, we become a force too powerful to be ignored. Join us. Make them hear you. With hope for justice, Jasmine Heiss Senior Campaigner, Individuals at Risk Amnesty International USA P.S. We've made letter writing easy for you. Let us know that you're writing, and you'll find a sample letter on our site that you can download, print, and put directly into the mail.