Over the past semester, the Colby Amnesty International chapter has hosted a variety of awareness and activism campaigns on and off campus and has succeeded in their efforts to incorporate the greater Waterville community. These efforts earned them third place in the 2011 Human Rights Ambassador Challenge and a grant of $1,000.

The grant was awarded to the Colby chapter for being active throughout the year to promote human rights and inspiring its circle of influence to do the same. It was awarded to the group for being most effective in these goals and having included the campus in these programs. There were several events that were considered in the selection process. One of these was the Immigrant Rights Campaign, one which supported the DREAM Act and acknowledges the right to education for immigrants. This campaign included lobbying sessions with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and actively involving the Colby community in a simulation of the border crossing.

The Colby Amnesty International chapter also joined the international front lines in petitioning through signings, letter writing and phone-a-thons to revoke the death sentence of Troy Davis. Members of the group also travelled to Boston for the Amnesty International Regional Conference, where they represented the Colby chapter of Amnesty International with the 2011 Oak Fellow, Fatima Burnad.

The $1,000 in grant money will allow members of the group to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Denver, Colo. at the end of March, where they will be formally acknowledged for their achievements as well as hear what other chapters worked on in the past year and share ideas. This money can also go towards future events on campus to further the promotion of human rights and raise awareness.