Amnesty International
Toronto Organization
Regional
Meeting October 16, 2004
Workshop report –
Death Penalty
Iris
Nowell
Death Penalty Workshop – AI
Regional Meeting Oct. 16
Report of
session – 9:30 – 10:45
Moderator -- Iris Nowell
Participants:
Tracy Lamourie, Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty
Margaret John, AI Coordinator, Singapore
Aubrey Harris, AI member
Death Penalty
co-group chair Stephanie Coward was invited to participate but was unable to
because of other commitments. Mark Warren could not for similar work conflicts,
and Stephanie suggested a number of others on the co-group that we might
invite, and Andras Schreck agreed to participate. However, a few days before
the event he had to cancel, so Tracy Lamourie stepped in at the last minute. We
had asked for a speaker from the Association in Aid of the Wrongly Convicted
and were unable to obtain one.
Iris Nowell
introduced the session and outlined content and speakers. She presented a brief review on AI’s work,
leading to progress on worldwide abolition, Canada’s attempt to re-instate and
forces that led to its failure. Also, an overview of changing sentiments of the
DP in the U.S., notably Governor Ryan’s commutations.
Tracy Lamourie,
of the Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty, provided added detail on
the U.S. situation, and the CCADP’s strategies of direct participation in DP
work. And she gave an account of the recent Death Penalty World Congress in
Montreal.
Margaret John
also discussed the World Congress in a moving, highly personal manner, notably
regarding the highly publicized march. She also outlined the increasing concern
about application of the DP in Singapore, emphasizing the country’s record, one
with the highest number of executions per capita in the world, as well as of
unfair trials, death sentences without appeal, and other violations of international
HR standards
Aubrey Harris
conducted an audience participation segment that dealt with answering tough
questions about the penalty. It inspired a lot of audience comments, and
allowed Aubrey and the others on the panel to respond to questions in an
informed, authoritative manner.
About 30 people
attended and they received four hand-outs: an appeal to Singapore regarding the
death penalty, Building Bridges: Talking about the Death Penalty and Human
Rights (prepared by Mark Warren),AI’s (abridged) Facts and Figures on
the Death Penalty and AI’s (abridged) Questions and Answers About the
Death Penalty.
Participants in
this session received compliments from the members of the audience following
the sessions, notably how valuable it had been to them, especially regarding
questions and answers about the death penalty.
Prepared by Iris
Nowell.