We meet on the 1st Monday* (2nd if the 1st is a bank holiday) of each month, except August, from 7.30pm-9.30pm. We meet in the Library of the Friends Meeting House, 10 Cedar Road, Sutton SM2 5DA, just a few minutes walk from Sutton Station.  Participants can also join the meeting by zoom.  Please either check with our secretary or view news on forthcoming meetings here. Regular members receive a monthly newsletter by email with invitations to each meeting.

New members will also be sent detailed instructions on how to get to the meetings.

In the meeting we generally have a:

• Visiting speaker or trainer.
• DVD on a relevant human rights subject.
• Discussion led by one of the group.

Each meeting also contains a short letter writing session. That way we can go away feeling we have made a positive contribution to Human Rights as well as talking about issues. The meetings are held in a relaxed atmosphere - and normally include snacks, tea and coffee.

During the year we organise campaigning events in Sutton High Street, have a stall at the local annual Environment Fair as well as occasional fundraising initiatives.

Should you wish to join our group, any meetings or for general information please contact our secretary. New members are always very welcome!

Current and Planned Events

9 January 2023: Monthly meeting (virtual) featuring Mona Seif, sister of the Group's adopted Prisoner of Conscience  Alaa Abdel Fattah. Mona has been the UK lead in the campaign for Alaa's freedom. She will speak about the development of the political situation in Egypt, the state of human rights in Egypt and treatment of political prisoners in general. More specifically Alaa's life and work, his treatment and current situation.

6 February 2023: Monthly Meeting (hybrid) featuring Ali Abdulemam, former political prisoner of conscience, speaking about human rights violations in Bahrain, and his own experiences there.

6 March 2023: Monthly Meeting (virtual) featuring Cherry Bird, AIUK India & Nepal Country Coordinator, speaking about human rights violations in India, Nepal and Kashmir.

3 April 2023: Monthly Meeting (hybrid) featuring Tom Brake (former MP for Wallington & Carshalton) talking about how to successfully lobby our local MPs

8 May 2023: Letter-writing stall at the Coronation Fair in Manor Park, Sutton SM1 4AH (10.00 – 16.00) – all welcome!

15 May 2023: Monthly Meeting (virtual) – featuring Elika Ashoori, Dr Mana Nademi and Nina Navid speaking on the appalling human rights situation in Iran

5 June 2023: Monthly Meeting (hybrid) featuring Sultan Mahmoodi talking about his experiences living in Afghanistan, the current human rights situation there, and on being a refugee entering the UK with his family.

3 July 2023: Monthly Meeting (virtual) – featuring Ulrike Schmidt, Amnesty Regional Coordinator for Europe (excluding the former Soviet Union), and our own Mark Haythorne speaking on human rights issues facing Roma communities in Europe and the UK

28 August 2023: Letter-writing stall at the Carshalton EcoFair, Carshalton Park SM5 3DD (10.00 – 16.00) – all welcome!

4 September 2023: Monthly Meeting (hybrid) with guests Nabila Hanson, (AIUK CC for China and Taiwan) and Howard Zhang (BBC News Chinese Editor), speaking on human rights violations in China and Hong Kong.

2 October 2023: Monthly Meeting (virtual) with guest Pauline Crosfield, (AIUK Country Coordinator for Guatemala) speaking on human rights violations in Guatemala.

6 November 2023: Monthly Meeting (hybrid) with guest Makomborero Haruzivishe, (AIUK Country Coordinator for Mali and Senegal) speaking about his own experiences of being a human rights defender in Zimbabwe and claiming asylum in the UK (TBC)

4 December 2023: Monthly Meeting (hybrid). We will join the Amnesty Write For Rights campaign and write letters and greetings cards to prisoners of conscience all over the world. Please come and join us.

8 January 2024: Monthly meeting (virtual) with guest speaker Oliver Feeley-Sprague (Amnesty International UK's Programme Director for its work on arms controls and policing) speaking about the trade in arms and torture equipment.

5 February 2024: Monthly Meeting (hybrid) with guest speaker Sima Watling (AI International Secretariat Campaigner on the UAE), talking about the workings of the Amnesty International Secretariat and developments and campaigning on the United Arab Emirates.

4 March 2024: Monthly Meeting (virtual) with guest speaker Iona Fletcher (Amnesty UK Country Coordinator for Russia), talking about the situation following the death of Alexei Navalny and the launch of Amnesty's Protect the Protest campaign on Russia.

8 April 2024: Monthly Meeting (hybrid). Our talk this month will be about the work of Refugee and Migrant Network Sutton (RMNS) from three of their volunteers (Anne Brett, Lyndon Edwards and John Branford).

13 May 2024: Monthly Meeting (hybrid) with guest James Baird, (AIUK Country Coordinator for Venezuela) speaking on human rights violations in Venezuela.

3 June 2024: Monthly Meeting (hybrid). Our Sutton Amnesty AGM. We will also focus on Dr Mohammed al-Roken, Urgent Actions, Community Outreach and a detailed discussion about some of the resolutions being put to the Amnesty UK AGM in Sheffield

1 July 2024: Monthly Meeting (hybrid) with guest speaker Mary Barrett, from the Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group

6 July 2024: Letter-writing stall at Banstead Fair – all welcome!

20 July 2024: Letter-writing stall at the Manor Park, Throwley Way, Sutton SM1 4AH (10.00 – 16.00) – all welcome!

26 August 2024: Letter-writing stall at the Carshalton EcoFair, Carshalton Park SM5 3ET (10.00 – 16.00) – all welcome!

2 September 2024: Monthly Meeting (hybrid), featuring a talk on human rights violations in Turkiye by Chris Ramsey, AIUK Country Coordinator for Turkiye.

7 October 2024: Monthly Meeting (hybrid) with guest speaker Rebecca White from Amnesty International’s Tech Team, talking about the use of facial recognition and spyware by repressive regimes

4 November 2024: Monthly Meeting (hybrid). We will focus on our campaign to free Egyptian blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah, as well as other urgent actions

2 December 2024: Monthly Meeting (hybrid). We will join the Amnesty Write For Rights campaign and write letters and greetings cards to prisoners of conscience all over the world. Please come and join us.

6 January 2025: Monthly Meeting (hybrid)

3 February 2025: Monthly Meeting (hybrid)

3 March 2025: Monthly Meeting (hybrid)

7 April 2025: Monthly Meeting (hybrid)

12 May 2025: Monthly Meeting (hybrid)

2 June 2025: Monthly Meeting (hybrid)

7 July 2025: Monthly Meeting (hybrid)

1 September 2025: Monthly Meeting (hybrid)

6 October 2025: Monthly Meeting (hybrid)

3 November 2025: Monthly Meeting (hybrid)

1 December 2025: Monthly Meeting (hybrid). We will join the Amnesty Write For Rights campaign and write letters and greetings cards to prisoners of conscience all over the world. Please come and join us.