Amnesty International Society, the University of Leeds representatives of a global network committed to defending human rights, are hosting their first ever fundraising ball under their ‘Justice for Syria’ initiative on Saturday 24th February. Lucy Milburn tells us more…

 

Held in solidarity with the people of Syria, a quarter of the profit from ticket sales will be donated towards Amnesty International’s campaign to combat human rights abuses in the war-torn country.

The conflict in Syria has become one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history. Over 300,000 men, women and children have been killed since the brutal crackdown on a peaceful uprising against the government of Syrian president Basahr al-Assad in March 2011. Almost 7 years later, Syria remains the battleground for a violent civil war that now involves several world powers, indiscriminate deadly attacks on the civilian population and countless human rights abuses. Over half of the population have been forced to flee their homes and over 5 million people have fled Syria into neighbouring countries, marking one of the largest exoduses of refugees in recent years. On the sixth anniversary of the crisis, Amnesty International launched a new ‘Justice for Syria’ campaign in a bid to raise awareness and achieve justice, truth and reparations for the victims and their families. From documenting the prolific human rights abuses to campaigning for the release of political prisoners and developing the #360Syria virtual reality campaign, Amnesty International are doing everything in their power to ensure that crimes against humanity do not go unpunished.

 

As a society, Amnesty have hosted a range of successful events this year from their ongoing Write for Rights campaign to attending the Amnesty Student Conference in London. The upcoming ball is their most spectacular affair of the semester as they turn to a sophisticated evening of music and food to raise funds. Held in LUU’s Terrace, the evening is billed as a night for “black tie and glitz.” A buffet of Syrian-inspired food will be available for the guests including Syrian hummus and tabbouleh. Half a bottle of wine (plus soft drink alternatives) will also be included in the ticket price and a professional photographer will be capturing the night. Alongside DJ guests throughout the evening, a live jazz band will be performing. As another fundraising effort and a precursor to the big event, the society have their own unique cocktail available at Terrace from 29th January to 4th February. The “Amnestini” is available for a limited time only and 10% of the profits from sales will contribute to the campaign on the atrocities in Syria.

Tickets for ‘An Amnesty Ball: A Welcome to All’ are available now, priced at £20 with £5 donated directly to Amnesty’s campaign. Buy yours here:

<<<<< https://www.leedstickets.com/eventinfo/5641/Amnesty-Ball >>>>>

Leeds University Amnesty International 

 

 

Lucy Milburn