Analysis of Amnesty International Role and Impact in Contemporary Global Politics (Research Paper Sample)

A DISCUSSION OF THE ANALYSIS OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ROLE AND IMPACT IN CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL POLITICS, SPECIFICALLY IN THE ISSUE AREA OF ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS
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Introduction
Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) or international organizations (IOs), according to Baylis et al., are entities established through treaties comprising more than two nations to operate in good faith on matters of common interests. IGOs are recognized as corporate actors, semi-independent or self-directed, with a growing directive in global politics. International non-governmental (INGOs) are international organisations comprising private citizens and are not established under a treaty or any other international agreements (Park 2020: 320). INGOs play an essential role in global civil society and world affairs; according to Lawson (2020: 49), “INGOs put pressure on states to enact faster, deeper processes of democratisation.” This paper discussed and described Amnesty International by relating its activities to issues of human rights and its engagement in international relations of contemporary global politics.
Historical Development of Amnesty International
An English barrister Peter Benenson established Amnesty International in July 1961 (Kapur 2020: 502). The establishment of this international nongovernmental organisation followed a publication of an article in The Observer titled ‘The Forgotten Prisoners’ on 28 May 1961. Amnesty International created a clear and widespread connection between suffering and was founded on earlier Christian peace organizations. In the act of unity, members lighted candles while friends wrote letters of support. These actions evolved into significant emblems that the public used to identify the movement. According to (Evans and Thomas 2020: 429) grassroot movements are important in challenging entrenched structures of power in formal democratic societies. Local Amnesty chapters and adoption groups were established worldwide, and they would choose three political prisoners from the first, second, and developing worlds to help. Those at the International Conference of NGOs supported Amnesty International’s innovative mobilisation method, and other IGOs and NGOs would follow its lead. As Amnesty International celebrates its 61st anniversary, it is an opportunity to reflect on the progress many people collaborate have made and assess the work that still must be accomplished. After 60 years, the globe has undergone a significant transformation. However, the need for people to unite to defend human rights, no matter where they might be, is still as strong as ever.
Regarding the historical context in which Amnesty International emerged, the organisation emerged out of the stalemate resulting from the Cold War. The Cold War tensions were at their peak when the organisation was founded for the “or the direct involvement of groups and individuals, often empowered by new technologies and new forms of social mobilization” (Hurrell 2020: 85). Therefore, Cold War backdrop was vital in forming a new organisation that aimed to function globally and address rights abuses committed by persons on all sides of the international conflict. Although a worldwide human rights framework was already taking shape at the time Amnesty International was founded, it was still in its infancy, leaving people in politics and general prisoners with weak protection under international law of human rights. The common conception