The shops are getting busy ( or they would be if anyone had any money to spend ) , people are starting to buy enough food and drink to feed a (not so small) army , every book, CD, game or DVD you have wanted in the last 6 months is released - all within a couple of weeks of each other, ... all you hear on the radio is continuous Slade, Wizzard and Cliff Richard ... yes, December has arrived , Christmas is approaching, and approaching FAST ! (19 days and counting .... )
Sometimes the "true" spirit of Christmas - that of peace and goodwill to all, of thinking of others - it can be lost amongst all the rush to buy and wrap presents and endless partying and drinking. There is something you can do that will help to restore the balance, and regain some of that lost spirit - and all it involves is writing a few more Christmas cards than you might usually do .... .
Those who have read this blog before, or know me personally, will know that I have a keen interest in Human Rights issues, and that I am a supporter/member of Amnesty International ( an non-governmental organisation that campaigns on human rights). Amnesty runs a campaign each year at this time called the Greeting Card Campaign. It simply consists of a list of cases from around the world, of individuals and groups, that Amnesty are highlighting. They might be for someone who is missing, or has been arrested and imprisoned without trial, or has been tortured or harassed or persecuted ... the same reasons why these cases are highlighted all year around. The difference with this campaign is that you are not asked to write letters of appeal to the authorities on behalf of these people ( although you can if you wish to ) .... you are asked to write and send Greetings Cards to the people themselves, or to their families or communities. The cards are to have simple messages inside - to show that others are thinking of them, that they are not alone at this special time of year.(You can find details of this year's cases here - Xmas card campaign ). I have taken part in the campaign in the past, and it does make a difference in peoples lives .... you do, sometimes, get feedback from the people you have sent the cards to (I have received cards of thanks from Indonesia and Sudan by post before).
In addition to this annual appeal, Amnesty International is asking people to do a little more this year , as it is a special year for them - it is their 50th anniversary !. On UN Human Rights Day (10th December - the anniversary of the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the set Rights everyone is entitled to ), it is asking people to Write For Rights - to write a letter of appeal on behalf of a select number of highlighted cases ( details of these can be found here - Write for Rights ). A lot of the campaigning and appeals are done electronically now - using e-mail, social networking and blogs - but just this once, Amnesty wants people to do it the old fashioned way, and to put pen to paper to hand write their letters .... to give them, like the greetings cards, the personal touch. They are likely to have more affect this way ..... less likely to be dismissed by those in power and influence too.
So you can recapture just a little of the old sharing, caring spirit of Christmas if you want to. All you have to do is be willing to write just one more Christmas card (or one short letter) when you complete those for your friends and family this year. It may just be another card (or letter) for you .... but it just could be a link to the outside world , a sign that they are not forgotten, for someone else. It is said , we are all one family in the end .... we are all Human.
