Amnesty International or AI is a worldwide, non-governmental organization, which campaigns for internationally recognized human rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards (Amnesty International 2005). In particular, AI campaigns to free all prisoners of conscience, ensure fair and prompt trials of political prisoners, abolish the death penalty, torture and other cruel treatment of prisons, end political killings and forced disappearances, oppose all kinds of human rights abuses and increase awareness of human rights abuses all over the world (Wikipedia 2005). In the pursuit of its goals, AI sends research teams to investigate claims of human rights abuses, publicizes its findings and mobilizes its members to lobby against the abuses by writing to the government officials concerned, protests, demonstrates, organizes fund-raisers, educates the public about the offense and, often, all of these. Working primarily on the local level, Ai notifies each of its more than 7,000 local groups and more than 1 million members, including 300,000 in the US alone, in 150 countries. These members write protest letters to the concerned government officials. Ai observers a neutrality policy called the "country rule," which forbids members from becoming active in their own nation to protect mistreatment and prevent political disloyalties from affecting coverage.

             AI members come from all shades of cultural, political and religious beliefs but are united by a common goal of working for the promotion of human rights in the world (Amnesty International 2005). It is a democratic, self-governing movement, whose major policy decisions are made by an International Council, composed of representatives from all national sections. Funds come primarily from these national sections and local volunteers, not from governments. Since its founding, AI has defended more than 44,600 prisoners in hundreds of countries and for which it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 (Wikipedia 2005).