Enhanced AIUK Support for Activist Networks and Events

Improved AIUK organising and events support from 1 Jan 2024

What are the activist networks? There are a number of groups of activists, that bring together Amnesty members and supporter activists who have an interest in different human rights issues/areas. These include: Activism Reps Amnesty Feminist Network Anti-Death Penalty Network Anti-Racism Network Children s Human Rights Network Country Co-ordinators forum Disabled People s Human Rights Network Rainbow Network Trade Union Network Student Action Network Youth Groups/Youth Collective The purpose of these networks is for activists who have an interest in human rights issues on their respective themes to self-organise and work on the human rights issues that matter to them, in line with Amnesty s human rights positions. The Activist Led Campaign Framework (which was significantly simplified in summer 2023) guides the activist networks in the (light-touch) rules that govern any campaigns that they organise. AIUK enables the activity of these activist networks by paying for costs (such as for travel), providing staff time to advise on questions about the effective running of the network, for skills development and to support organising an annual network conference.

Improved and more systematised organising support from 1 Jan 2024 From 1 Jan we are introducing an improved, but also more systematised approach to the organising support that AIUK provides the activist networks. Increasing budget: we are significantly increasing the budget for supporting network activity. Reducing bureaucracy: we are introducing a new approach that means that networks will be able to control and spend from that budget themselves. Clear expectation and delivery of community organising team support: we are systematising the amount of time that is given to networks from their relevant Community Organiser from the AIUK Community Organising team. Support for events: we are making clear and consistent the support that we provide for the networks for their respective annual conference, and have developed the Activist Events Programme which covers these, National Conference and AGM, regional conferences and other events (see separate slides)

Budget, Community Organising support and events support from 1 Jan 2024 Each network will receive a systematised amount of staff community organising support time, made up of: The annual budget which will be put onto this pre-paid card for each network for 2024 will be 11,000. For Activism Reps, the 11,000 will be divided between the 13 regions (with 2,000 held by the committee for away days, and there s a separate budget for regional conferences held by the office). For the CCs, the budget will be 2,000 for each of the 13 global regions (and 6,000 held by the committee for events). You will control this. It will need to cover any travel, accommodation, campaign costs such as external speaker costs in any of your network s activities. You will not need to seek any approval from AIUK for costs that you incur on the card. At the same time, AIUK staff will no longer organise travel or accommodation for you from 1 Jan 2024 as you will now have control of the budget to be able to more easily do this yourselves. Each network will receive a pre-paid charge card with their annual budget that they can then control, and spend from, themselves. This will be the same for each of the networks (except the CC forum as it is differently organised, with a number of regions). We will provide light touch policy, reporting requirements on spending etc (but only what we require to properly oversee delegating the spending of our charitable monies to you) One two-hour online meeting a month on Teams on a weekday evening activists to organise, community organiser to attend Regular 121 meeting for committee members (1 hour, weekday/early evening) with Community Organiser to develop activists skills and knowledge to reach out beyond traditional audiences and lead and support others in their networks in running campaigns Two away days a year for training, planning etc, on a Saturday activists to organise (logistics, bookings etc) with input from Community Organiser re content, Community Organiser to attend One conference day a year as per the Activist Events Programme that activists organise themselves (most likely a Saturday for most, but a weekday for the youth conference) Community Organiser to support with strategic direction and to attend, and AIUK Activism Events Manager and Assistant to support on key issues such as making sure legal / risk / safeguarding measures are in place