Amnesty International’s Toronto chapter held their signature event ‘Write for Rights’ at the CSI annex on Dec. 10, which is also celebrated as International Human Rights Day.

Participants had the option of selecting one or more of 10 cases representing a human rights issue in different countries. Each case contains a direct line to address high profile political figures involved in the case or person the case is representing.

The rooms were filled with lights, social chatter, and the sound of pens on paper. Drinks, food, merchandise, and art was sprawled across tabletops like a market fair.

Torontonians were busy working in every corner of the space, writing their letters and conversing about the cases, pausing only to listen to the speeches of activists and volunteers who were in attendance.

Rojina Maria Mahmoodzadeh who attends University of Toronto (UofT) and volunteers for Amnesty International said she is glad to finally be back to in-person events.

“Usually when people think of protesting, they think of aggressive people shouting and yelling. But when you actually come and see it, it is usually full of educated and wise people,” said Mahmoodzadeh, who attended the event after taking an exam earlier that day. “My priority is my education, but I try to get involved whenever I have free time.”

Every hour in the annex, volunteers emptied the written letters and announced the total number of letters written, followed by cheerful applause and conversation among those in attendance.

Letter data will be collected from the Dec. 10 starting point up until the end of January. The letters people write at the Write for Rights events will be sent by Amnesty International to their respective locations across the globe.

Since Write for Rights lasts an entire month, students who are busy with exams can participate once those are over by following the instructions on Amnesty’s website.

“Writing a letter can be an intimidating process when you’re addressing the King of Morocco or the Prime Minister. But keep in mind that yours won’t be the only one,” says Marilyn McKim, activist and volunteer at Amnesty International.

McKim broke down Write for Rights letter writing into three easy steps. These include describe yourself, identify your cause, and ask for action.

It is suggested that participants keep their messages simple and clear for translating to other languages.

For more information on how you can get involved with Write for Rights visit their website.