In a room, on a Sunday, three Mattapoisett women used their words to save lives and instill hope in the hearts of political prisoners and victims of human rights abuses around the world.
Inside the Mattapoisett Friends Meeting House on January 19, the three activists spent the afternoon hand-writing letters to Congress, ambassadors, prosecutors, and foreign governments, calling on them to release prisoners of conscience and take action to stop violence. “They say that hand-written letters are more productive because if they are mass produced, it doesn’t have the same impact,” said Deena Kinsky.
The tables were lined with Amnesty International information sheets on specific prisoners from different countries, explaining their stories in their own words. After the activists wrote their letters to the government entities, they made copies of their letters to send to the prisoners themselves – to show them that they are not alone, that the world has not forgotten about them, and that others are acting in solidarity on their behalf.
“It helps [the prisoners] get through their time in prison, knowing that people are fighting for [them] and thinking of [them],” said Kinsky.
Kinsky chose to write on behalf of Guantanamo prisoner Shaker Aamer, who has been held prisoner for years and still remains imprisoned, despite his name being on a list of detainees who are cleared for transfer.
“I am dying here every day, mentally and physically, “stated Aamer to Amnesty International in 2005. “We have been ignored, locked up in the middle of the ocean for four years.”
Ellen Flynn wrote on behalf of a Russian prisoner because her daughter’s partner is from Russia, so the issue hits her close to home.
“I’m writing for … people who are fleeing their country because they aren’t able to exercise their rights,” said Flynn.
Charlotte Purrington chose a female prisoner from Cambodia because she said it made her feel angry to read about her struggle to retain her home after the government seized her land.
“Women don’t always have the possibility of having a voice,” said Purrington, feeling compelled to write on behalf of this particular prisoner. “She’s not just thinking of the land … but for the future.”
Others joined the women before the day’s end, and together, they wrote 14 letters.
This is the second time the Friends of the Mattapoisett Friends Meeting House have hosted the Amnesty International “Write for Rights” campaign. According to Amnesty International, over the past 50 years its global letter-writing campaigns have contributed to the release of over 40,000 prisoners of conscience.
The Friends invite the community to join them at their next quarterly event in April, on a date later to be announced. For more information, contact Deena Kinsky at tomanddeena@gmail.com.
By Jean Perry
