Join the Zimbabwe group

The group was formed to respond to the deteriorating political and economic situation in Zimbabwe in the last number of years, and to the increasing incidents of human rights abuses. The general aim is to be part of the effort of re-establishing a just society within Zimbabwe. The focus has been on creating an awareness in the Irish political arena and in the general population about current issues.

Efforts have been particularly directed towards addressing the human rights abuses, media rights and food security situation. Zimbabwe is now a priority country for the Irish Section. Great importance has been and will continue to be placed on liasing and providing support for the human rights defenders in Zimbabwe where possible and appropriate. The Zimbabwe group also has a responsibility to establish links and encourage the creation of local groups in Ireland that centre around the Zimbabwe issue.

Group activities

To join this group please email: zimbabwegroup@amnesty.ie

Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA):

Three women from this Zimbabwe human rights movement visited Dublin in October 2005. We organised a march with them in Temple Bar followed by a café night in the Amnesty café. We also visited several schools with them. We continue to promote and support the work of WOZA. WOZA have a custom of giving out roses on St. Valentine’s Day to the public and to the police. Most recently, on 14 February 2008, we handed out Zimbabwean roses in Dublin to express support for WOZA and their campaign against a range of human rights abuses for which they hold their government accountable.

Annual Letter writing day:
Together with Dublin Central group we staff a room on a Saturday each summer and invite the public to come and sign urgent action letters on human rights abuses in Zimbabwe and in other parts of the world.

Café Evenings/social occasions:
Several times a year we organise a café night with a meal, music and a speaker. This provides an opportunity to interest potential new members in the work of our group. For the members of the group we hold a number of events such as barbeques and theatre visits.

Advocacy within Ireland:
Since the founding of our group in 2003 we have helped raised awareness of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe through media articles, radio and TV interviews, and by producing a copy of the banned Daily News which we called The Daily News in Exile. We have also engaged with TDs and Senators and met in Leinster House with the Foreign Affairs Committee and with civil servants in Iveagh House of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Amnesty International Zimbabwe group marked World Press Freedom Day in May 2004 by launching The Daily News in Exile – an exiled version of the independent daily newspaper shutdown within Zimbabwe. The Daily News had been the target of repeated verbal attacks by government officials and its offices were petrol-bombed three times since its foundation in 1999. “The government of Zimbabwe is using repressive measures to put rights of government critics and potential opponents under siege”, said Lloyd Mudiwa, member of Amnesty International Zimbabwe group and former journalist at The Daily News. The Daily News in Exile highlighted Amnesty International’s human rights concerns in Zimbabwe. Our group received much national press, television and radio coverage for this release, the story\newspaper release being covered by RTE Radio(Sunday Show) and Television(Network2 News), TV3(Ireland AM), TodayFM, the Irish Times, Sunday Business Post among others. We published Daily News in Exile again in April 2007.