This annual campaign, which is linked to the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December, has begun and the Justice and Peace Group invites you to join us in writing to some of those identified in this year’s campaign. The materials will be available at both services this Sunday and you can also join in online at amnesty.org.uk/write

It is always interesting to know what has happened to those included in last year’s campaign. Among them was Ana da Silva Miguel (Angola) who was arrested in August 2023 for posting a video criticising the president on Tik Tok, she was sentenced to two years in prison. However last December she was among 50 people who received pardons and was released on 1 January 2025. Victor Joel Rodrigo Paredes (Argentina) attended a peaceful protest with his band in June 2023. He was playing when police fired rubber bullets at the crowd and he was struck resulting in permanent blindness in his right eye and debilitating nerve pain. The support he received from last year’s campaign, meant a lot to him: ‘I am very grateful to Amnesty International and I want to thank everyone for sending me these beautiful cards … I‘m very excited and emotional.’  

Our next community giving is our annual gift collection for Families First, an organisation based in St Andrews which works with children and young people aged 5-16 years with additional support needs, and their families, living throughout North East Fife.  Please choose a gift for any age child or youth, or their adult family members, and bring it unwrapped, in a gift bag, to one of our worship services on 14 December.