Why become an Amnesty International Fieldworker? Have you been involved with Amnesty for 6 months or more? Are you looking for ways to promote human rights work in your community beyond signing petitions and writing letters? Are you looking for a new challenge? Join us!
My name is Tosha Mallette and I am an Amnesty member at my local group in Vernon, B.C, as well as the Co-Chair of the Fieldworker Coordinating Committee. I really enjoy documentaries and learning about the world and the issues we face. Learning about a problem is always the first step I take in my activism, but I also recognize that it’s also important to take action on what I’ve learned. This approach of education informing action is what brought me to Amnesty International and to the Fieldworker Program.
When I first joined Amnesty years ago, I was introduced to monthly meetings and letter writing as a way to contribute to Amnesty’s human rights work. The world of activism was new to me, but I knew I found the right place to turn my energy into action for human rights, both locally and globally. After becoming comfortable with monthly meetings and letter writing, I found myself looking for a way to branch out further into my community. The Fieldworker Program was just what I needed, and it continues to help me grow in my activism journey.
In the Fieldworker Program, we emphasize skills training and education to support passionate individuals to foster grassroots activism within our communities. Some of the main skills we develop as Fieldworkers are public speaking, workshop design, and conflict resolution.
Perspectives from the Team: What is your favourite thing about being a Fieldworker?
“One of my favourite parts about being a Fieldworker is sharing the empowerment to make a difference with people from different backgrounds and life experiences.” – Tosha Mallette (Vernon, B.C.)
“My favorite thing about being a Fieldworker is to be able to share the company of Youth and get inspired by their energy and driving force to change the world for good” – Dr. Priti Maheshwari (Lethbridge, AB)
“The amount of injustice happening around us can feel overwhelming. Helping bring people together as a Fieldworker, and creating meaningful actions that impact change and awareness, is a very rewarding part of this role”- Arunan Sivalingam (Calgary, AB)
“Developing and implementing plans for events and projects focused around our human rights work”- Gord Barnes (Regina, SK)
“One of my favourite parts of being a Fieldworker is the opportunities that I get to empower individuals and communities to realize their activism leadership. I have always been passionate about connecting people who are passionate about human rights with the tools and resources that they need to succeed. For example, I really enjoy helping the uOttawa Amnesty team to be better advocates by connecting them to my experience, amnesty resources and plans for semester activism.” -David Menendez (Ottawa, ON)
“Defending human rights is the best way to respond to a world in disarray. Being part of Amnesty’s Fieldworker team means that I get to help build an international movement that is a force for good.” – Justin Campbell (St. John’s, NL)
If you’re looking for the next step in your activism journey, apply to be a Fieldworker! Email Shauna MacLean at smaclean@amnesty.ca to apply or find out more. We look forward to having you join our team!
