AT a time when countries in the developed world appear to be sacrificing some of the traditional precepts of privacy, due process, even basic human rights, to the more urgent need to protect their citizens from the spectre of terror emanating from countries or organisations with no such traditions, it seems appropriate to take a fresh look at the work of Amnesty International (AI).

It seems to have been around forever, this patient scourge of dictatorial regimes, and of others who see themselves as paragons of civilisation and virtue but who believe that their special characteristics or traditions should exempt them from the letter of the human rights laws.

AI was founded in 1961 by British lawyer Peter Benenson, and has grown to represent more than 1.5 million members, supporters and subscribers in more than 150 countries and territories, including Bermuda, whose branch or "section" was started in 1983.

AI describes itself as "a world-wide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognised human rights", who share "a vision of the world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards."

Catherine Lapsley was instrumental in starting the Bermuda section, which is now headed by Lucy Attride-Stirling. Few members or prospective members of AI can have as good a personal reason for being drawn to the work of the organisation as Lucy.

In 1944, in the city of Puebla in Mexico, her father was taken from home and joined the ranks of the "disappeared". He was a lawyer who was appointed a judge, and the corrupt governor of the state of Puebla was apparently displeased by Juan Juarez's incorruptibility. The family did not know that at the time.

"We just knew that some men came to the house and took him away. When my mother tried to find him, the authorities denied they knew where he was, which is what happens right now in many countries. We did not know if he was dead or alive. Then, after two years, the corrupt governor was removed and the federal government declared an amnesty for political prisoners, and he came home. I learned more some years later, but he would never talk about it. He was lucky he survived, but many did not."

Lucy came to Bermuda in 1961, the young bride of a Bermudian, but it wasn't until 1985, when she attended an AI event and heard about its work, that she knew she had to get involved.

"I knew right away it was the sort of thing I had to do, particularly because of my father's experience. I have been involved for nearly 20 years now, but I don't feel anywhere near burned out. I intend to go on."

Although dictators and their entourages may consider AI to be a metaphorical stone in their heavy boots, and conservatives of authoritarian bent may disparage AI as some commune of idealistic, liberal, bleeding hearts, AI insists that it is independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion.

AI sees its mission clearly: "To undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights."

It works to pressure governments and people or organisations with influence to stop human rights abuses in ways that range "from public demonstrations to letter-writing; from human rights education to concerts; from approaches to local authorities to lobbying inter-governmental organisations; from targeted appeals on behalf of a single individual to global campaigns on a specific issue.

Attride-Stirling knows that the 170 members in Bermuda more than pull their weight. "For a very small country like Bermuda, our membership is proportionately very high compared to other countries. No AI sections operate independently of the International Secretariat. They are the headquarters and we report to them, and depend on them. We do not take independent action on anything without first consulting the International Secretariat."

There may be a general expectation that an organisation like AI would pursue "the usual suspects": demand that Guyana make immediate inquiry into death squad killings; that Pakistan stop child executions and end arbitrary detentions; that Uzbekistan stop the secret execution of scores of prisoners each year by a corrupt and flawed justice system. However, they also use their weapons of protest and publicity to remind countries with superior systems of justice that they are in violation of basic international norms: Germany, where allegations of police ill-treatment of detainees persist, and even the United States, castigated for the execution of juveniles and for the detention of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay without explanation or access to lawyers.

AI holds that the use of the death penalty against child offenders, people under the age of 18 at the time of the crime, is clearly prohibited under international law. Alone among developed countries, the US stands with a dubious handful which persist with the execution of child offenders.

Although Bermuda is fortunate in having a judicial system, a free press and the other societal norms which would preclude governmental abuse of human rights, the local branch still follows the rules which apply everywhere.

Ms Attride-Stirling elucidates: "No section or country works in its own country. There are two main reasons for that. First, there is the bias factor and second, security. Of course, if we did work in Bermuda, nothing would happen to us, but in less developed countries, there could be retaliation against members or their families.

"But if, in theory, anything happened here and we thought AI should be informed, we would notify the International Secretariat, which would take action and notify other sections around the world. The other sections around the world would then write to the Government of Bermuda.

"The only way in which we can work in our own country is in proposing changes to legislation which will improve or alleviate conditions relating to a particular issue. We are not allowed to work on specific case relating to individuals."

There has also been an effort to stop violence against women in various parts of the world where it is most rife, notably in Russia and Mexico, where sex slavery and serial murders have been brought to light.

But according to AI, violence against women takes myriad forms, including the barbaric practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), practised mainly in 28 African countries, but also India and Yemen. FGM "comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons. The immediate and long-term consequences of FGM vary according to the type and severity of the procedure performed."

The effort to stop violence against women highlights another way in which the Bermuda section can take action in Bermuda.

"The other way we can work in general issues but not in particular cases involves work with other NGOs (non-governmental organisations)," she explains. "For example, March 8 is International Woman's Day, and Amnesty, together with the Human Rights Commission and the Women's Resource Centre, is planning an event highlighting the violence against women in Bermuda, and promote awareness of some of the things being done to women in the rest of the world.

"FGM was adopted as a human rights violation at the International Council meeting in South Africa. Every two years there is an International Council meeting where representatives from all the world sections meet to revise policy and implement policy in a most democratic way.

"Every AI section can present any issue they think important and it is discussed and then it is voted on. The last meeting was in Mexico and between AI staff and representatives, there were more than 1,000 people in attendance."

AI may claim fealty to no government, religion, interest or ideology, but the organisation's overall direction must be affected by its leadership. Although AI is a democratic movement, self-governed by a nine-member International Executive Council whose members are elected every two years by representatives of sections at the International Council meeting, the arrival of Irene Khan may have strengthened AI's emphasis on the campaign against violence towards women.

Irene Khan joined AI as the organisation's seventh Secretary in August 2001, taking the helm as the first woman, the first Asian, and the first Muslim to guide the world's largest human rights organisation. Her work as a human rights activist began with the International Commission of Jurists in 1979, and she moved on to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in 1980. She was appointed UNHCR Chief of Mission to India in 1995, the youngest country representative at that time, and led the UNHCR team in Macedonia during the Kosovo crisis.

Lucy Attride-Stirling believes that Irene Khan is only continuing the work done on violence against women under previous Secretaries.

"Our focus on violence against women is very long established and the adoption of FGM as a human rights violation was voted on at the meeting in South Africa, which was before her time. She has continued the focus on it, but the campaign did not start when she came on board."

However, AI's formal biography of Khan reports: "Deeply concerned about violence against women, she called for better protection of women's human rights in meetings with President Musharraf of Pakistan, President Lahoud of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh. She has initiated a process of consultations with women activists to design a global campaign by AI against violence on women.

Irene Khan, AI has been keen to draw attention to hidden human rights violations, including, just last week, declaring four new "prisoners of conscience" in Cuba. It has been widely reported here that Tourism Minister Ren?e Webb, representing the Bermuda Government, visited Cuba last year. Some observers noted that, given Bermuda's reliance on the US for some 90 per cent of its offshore economy and tourism, it may have been impolitic for a minister of Bermuda's government to visit one of the US' oldest political adversaries.

Cuba has long been held in low regard by proponents of human rights, but fresh ammunition was handed to Ms Webb's detractors by AI in June 2003, when it declared 75 new prisoners of conscience.

AI reported that "they were detained in a massive government crackdown on dissent which began in March 2003. Most of the detainees were subjected to hasty and unfair trials and, just weeks after their arrests, were given long prison terms of up to 28 years."

Having reviewed the trial and other documents of most of the 75 sentenced, AI declared that they were prisoners of conscience, imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of fundamental freedoms.

However, Ms Attride-Stirling explains: "Amnesty never gets involved in how, or with which other countries, a government conducts its business. The only thing we do is condemn human rights abuses by the government itself. We don't even oppose the personal views of the people involved in the abuse, only the abuse itself."

She believes that in affluent countries like Bermuda, where due process and human rights are taken for granted, it can be more difficult for organisations like AI to get people's attention.

"It can be difficult for people here to really grasp how bad things are in other places. That's one of the reasons why, on an annual basis, our section tries to bring in a former prisoner of conscience or a former victim of human rights abuses.

"We organise a whole week of events, where they speak in schools and clubs like Rotary, and an open forum, to bring awareness of what is happening.

"Last year, we brought in a woman from Honduras whose husband disappeared and she had to leave the country and is living as a refugee in Canada now. A personal account from an individual who went through that experience really helps to bring home the message that such things do happen in other parts of the world, and it is not something that people just read about."

HE went on: "It is our constant focus to try to spread awareness of these things. We have a programme here called Urgent Action Network here in Bermuda, in which we mail or e-mail to individuals cases from all over the world, abuses that happen, and they write letters about these issues.

"For speed and effectiveness, the e-mail is wonderful, but it is really letters from individuals that really put pressure on governments.

"When a government receives 35,000 letters from all over the world about some individual, believe me it makes a difference. On the whole, we still rely on the written letter. Or when a government official in some jail or police station receives thousands of faxes, he knows that people all over the world know what he is doing, and that often leads that government to either improve the conditions or release the prisoner."

Because of concerns about bias, no funds are sought or accepted from governments. Funds are received from members, the public, and organisations such as trusts and foundations. Also, individual sections do their own fund-raising.

AI Bermuda organises three fund-raising efforts every year, usually a tag day, a jazz concert, and a direct mailing. Ms Attride-Stirling concludes with a request: "If people feel strongly enough about the issue of human rights, I hope that they will join Amnesty or make a contribution. We do our own fund-raising but we welcome and appreciate any contribution."