Volunteer and Internship Opportunities

Volunteer and Internship Opportunities with Amnesty International. York, PA

“The pyramids were built by interns.” – Unknown (but probably true)

Amnesty International York encourages high school, undergraduate and graduate students to apply for an internship position. We require a commitment of at least 12 hours per week for the spring or fall semester (internships for a period of one year are also available). Summer interns usually work at least 25 hours per week.

Interns play a key role in our organization and are given responsibility accordingly, working on very substantial projects and products. Internships are unpaid, but we are happy to assist with securing academic credit. This is a great opportunity for hands-on, practical experience and for interacting with organizations that are working on human rights issues.

Specific skill sets we always need are:

Writing

Public Speaking/Education

Computer Competency (or willingness to learn)

Graphic Design

Publicity

Spanish Language

If you can offer one or more of the above, please contact us.

General Application Deadlines (dates may vary slightly):
Summer: May 1st
Fall Semester: August 20th
Spring Semester: December 17th.

If you are interested in an internship or volunteer position, please send an email with a cover letter and resume AmnestyYorkPA@comcast.net

Although you’ll get a faster response to email, you can also snail mail your information to:

Kathleen Lucas

Amnesty International York

1710 Deamerlyn Drive

York, PA 17406-7061

If you prefer, fax your information to 717-755-3039.

AI Stroudsburg High School Talent Show

Friday, May 16 7 P:00 p.m. hosted by the Amnesty International Stroudsburg High School Student Group

Stroudsburg High School
Auditorium
1100 West Main Street
Stroudsburg, PA 18360

Stroudsburg High School’s Amnesty International will be hosting a Talent Show. All the proceeds will go to Amnesty International.

Prices: $ 4.00

Fear of torture/ill-treatment, Sameh Khouzam

Egyptian national Egyptian national Sameh Khouzam, who faces forcible return to Egypt, has received a 12-day stay of deportation. This is due to expire on 18 June, leaving him at risk of torture or ill-treatment if he is then returned to Egypt.

Sameh Khouzam fled Egypt in 1998 after reportedly being tortured and ill-treated by the Egyptian police because of his Coptic Christian religious beliefs. He alleges that he and his family had been subjected to a sustained campaign of intimidation and abuse on account of his refusal to convert to Islam. On one occasion in 1997 he alleges that he was beaten and sexually abused in a police station. The Egyptian authorities have reportedly told the US State Department that he is wanted in Egypt on a murder charge.

Sameh Khouzam was held in US immigration detention until February 2006, when he was released on condition that he report regularly to the immigration authorities. However on 29 May 2007, he was taken into custody again and told that he could be returned to Egypt within days. He is believed to have received a letter from the US Department of Homeland Security stating that it had received diplomatic assurances from the Egyptian authorities that he would not be tortured on his return.

Amnesty International continues to receive well-supported allegations of torture and ill-treatment in Egypt. Some people taken to police stations in connection with minor offences are tortured or ill-treated to force them to confess; others are detained without being accused of anything. The torture takes various forms. The most frequently reported methods are beatings; electric shocks; suspension by the wrists and ankles and in contorted positions for long periods; and threats that the victim or their relatives will be killed, raped or otherwise sexually assaulted.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible: – welcoming the stay of deportation granted to Egyptian national Sameh Khouzam, but expressing continued concern that he may face torture or ill-treatment if returned to Egypt when the current order expires on 18 June; – calling on the US authorities to halt his deportation; – urging them not to rely on diplomatic assurances when deciding whether a person is at risk of torture or ill-treatment if transferred to another country; – calling on them to reaffirm the absolute nature of the obligation under international law not to transfer any person to a country where there are substantial grounds for believing that he or she would be in danger of being subjected to torture or other ill-treatment.
APPEALS TO:

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice

Secretary of State U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street, N.W.Washington DC 20520

Fax: 1 202 261 8577

E-mail: secretary@state.gov