On Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, during the season of Advent, about 40 people gathered at Christ Church Cathedral to act for social justice. Those gathered learned about human rights abuses in eight different countries. With this information they wrote letters of advocacy and support for eight different people (and, in one or two cases, small groups) who had been unjustly imprisoned or suffered serious abuses of their human rights.
The letter writing was part of the annual Amnesty International “Write for Rights” campaign, which takes place on or around International Human Rights Day (Dec. 10). Each year, the campaign highlights case studies of real people whose human rights are being violated or who have lost their lives due to human rights violations.
For every case there are two types of messages you can write: one to a person in authority, such as a prime minister or president, and one to the person being advocated for, or their family, so they know they will never be forgotten.
I have been holding a “Write for Rights” event at the cathedral for over 13 years. This year, participants wrote 451 letters pleading for justice and mercy and offering comfort to grieving family members.
Real, physical letters can bring hope to people in the direst of situations. When letters arrive in huge numbers, they are also an unmistakable reminder to the authorities that the world is watching.
And for those who are engaging in this project as an action of their faith, letter writing becomes a prayerful project in which the person being written to or for is held in prayer by name.
Watch a short video about how Amnesty International’s Write for Change campaign helped free Guatemalan land defender Bernardo Caal Xol.
You can still write this January by visiting Amnesty International Canada’s website. And next December you could join us at the cathedral or host a letter writing event in your own parish.
If you would like to connect with me to find out what that involves, I am happy to speak with you and help you plan your event. Susan MacRae: [email protected]
