Amnesty International's Urgent Action  provides an effective and rapid response to urgent situations involving prisoners of conscience, detainees, and other threatened individuals. Functioning much like an emergency room staff in a hospital, members of the Urgent Action Network in 90 countries compose and send telegrams, letters, e-mails, and faxes to many government officials who are in a position to ensure the safety and fair treatment of those whom AI seeks to protect.

Bulletins from Amnesty International’s London headquarters -- its International Secretariat -- are received by the AIUSA branch of Urgent Action at an office complex in Colorado. These bulletins are immediately processed to the 12,000 individuals, AI chapters, schools, religious groups, and professional and special interests groups which make up the Urgent Action Network in the United States. Once the Urgent Action communications are generated and received, appropriate authorities quickly realize that their actions are witnessed by an international audience deeply concerned about the case’s outcome.

Each week Amnesty International at Notre Dame sends out one of these urgent actions. The totals for each week can be found below.

January 22, 2007	24
November 6, 2006	22
October 30, 2006	19
October 2, 2006	17
September 25, 2006	29
September 18, 2006 #1	30
September 18, 2006 #2	30

For more information, visit Amnesty USA Urgent Action Network.