From my sophomore to my senior year, I worked for the Amnesty International branch at my high school. Amnesty International tries to intervene on behalf of political prisoners all over world. These people are often beaten, starved, tortured, and sometimes killed for standing up for what they believe. Sometimes, they simply disappear.

We used to get handouts giving the details of a particular case and the addresses of the government officials we should write to. Just letting that government know that people in other countries knew what they were doing was often enough to put pressure on them to stop. We also had occasional fund-raisers and tried to pass around petitions. All of this was really a simple and effective way to make a difference. Writing letters, something simple for me, could help save someone from intense suffering or from losing their life. I will always be glad that I helped Amnesty International and I hope to be involved with them again someday. To me, they represent a very worthwhile cause. fl