50 Years of Protecting Human Rights

Harvard Book Store and PEN New England are honored to host an evening in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International's founding campaign.

Amnesty International was launched in 1961 as a reaction to the imprisonment of two Portuguese students who had raised their wine glasses in a toast to freedom. The first international delegation met that year and decided to establish "a permanent international movement in defence of freedom of opinion and religion." Today, Amnesty continues in its mission to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice  for those whose rights have been violated.

The literary community has always been a natural ally of Amnesty International, as freedom of speech and of ideas have always been at the center of the organization's mission. Harvard Book Store and PEN New England are proud to support their work to extend and defend human rights worldwide.

The evening will including remarks and readings from several local authors and scholars, including JOSHUA RUBENSTEIN, author and Northeast Regional Director of Amnesty International, as well as ROBERT PINSKY, RANDALL KENNEDY, CHARLES FRIED, GREGORY FRIED, GAIL MAZUR, ELAINE SCARRY, RICHARD HOFFMAN, JESSICA SHATTUCK, JOE FINDER, and DAVID FERRY. Wine and other refreshments will be served.

A portion of the proceeds from all purchases made this evening will be donated to Amnesty International.