Members gather together at the annual Holiday Writing Party which generates over 200 cards for prisoners of conscience around the world . (December 2003)
Middle: Members participated in the Handprint Petition to the Turkish Prime Minister to protect Turkish women from violence in their homes and communities. (May2005)

A Little Bit About Our Group

Local Amnesty International Group #356 was established in 1986 by Dick Penney, Sr. in Woodstock, CT. The first political prisoner of conscience assigned to  the group was Syrian Nasir al' Ali. After 10 years of writing letters to Syrian officials and U.S. Congressmen and holding numerous fundraisers and events on his behalf, Nasir al' Ali was finally released!


In 1995, the group moved its meeting location to Webster, MA at the newly established Booklovers' Gourmet. Other P.O.C.'s the group has written for include Chinese prisoners Fu Bin and Rebiya Kadeer, who were both released, and Layla Zana of Turkey. Currently the group is writing for the release of Riad Seif, a businessman who was arrested in September of 2001 for hosting a political meeting at his house. Currently, the group has about a dozen active members who meet the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m.


Some highlights of the group over the years include:
    • Writing for specific campaigns such as women's human rights issues, anti-death penalty cases in Kenya and the U.S
    • Attended several Regional Conferences at Boston University and National Conference in Providence, RI
    • Benefit concert with Maria Sangiolo at the Vanilla Bean Cafe in Pomfret, CT
    • Annual Holiday Card Writing Party in December
    • Kite Flying Day with Drumming at Webster Lake to bring attention to Chinese prisoner Fu Bin
    • Hosted speaker Paris Carriger, an ex-death row inmate for 21 years in the U.S. who was eventually exonerated, in conjunction with Nichols College (Dudley, MA). 
    • Participated in local peace vigils
    • Gave numerous press interviews with newspapers, radio and television to promote our work for human rights
    • Have written and continue to write thousands of letters to foreign and national officials that stress the importance of upholding human rights and peaceful expression for all members of society, regardless of ethnicity, political or religious beliefs, sexual identity or social status..

Chinese proverb - It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
The work of Amnesty International hopes to shed light into the darkest corners of the world in the spirit of peace and freedom.