AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CANADIAN SECTION (ENGLISH SPEAKING)
BOARD CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Amnesty International Canadian Section (English-Speaking) is seeking interested and qualified individuals to join our Board of Directors and to do the important governance work that keeps the organization healthy and able to carry out its human rights work.

We are seeking individuals who bring a deep and abiding commitment to tackling systemic issues affecting marginalized communities with a specific lens of anti-racism, anti-oppression, feminism, intersectionality, decolonization, and accessibility through their governance contributions.

We are also seeking qualified candidates to participate in Amnesty’s global governance structures as a member of our 2024 Global Assembly Delegation.

Positions Open for Nomination (note: these are volunteer positions)

Board of Directors (5 positions)

  • Chair (2-year term)
  • Four Directors (2-year term)
  • Please note that to best reflect our national reach of our organization, we are particularly interested in candidates who live outside of urban Ontario.

Global Assembly (1 position):

  • 2024 Global Assembly Youth Member Delegate (1-year term)

Note: this position and description has been updated to reflect that in line with our commitment to ensuring youth representation in our Global Assembly Delegations, the 2024 position is designated as a Youth Delegate position (per the schedule previously circulated to members). We apologize for any confusion the earlier version of this role description may have caused.

 

Detailed descriptions of each position and the necessary qualifications are available here .

About the Board

Amnesty International Canada’s Board of Directors is made up of 10 elected members who volunteer their time to oversee our strategic direction and financial management, maintain strong links with the international movement of Amnesty International, and provide leadership and guidance in advancing our human rights work.

The Board provides governance to the organization, leadership, and direction throughout the year and implementing decisions made by the membership at the Annual General Meeting. The Board sets organizational priorities, approves the allocation of resources, and provides oversight to the work of senior management to ensure the objectives are implemented and finances are appropriately managed.

The Board is also responsible for participating in global governance and ensuring our section is complying with global policies and working in alignment with the global movement’s strategic goals and priorities.
Much of the Board’s work is done between Board meetings through committees and working groups, some of which include staff and other members and supporters.

About the Global Assembly

The Global Assembly, or "GA", is Amnesty International's highest decision-making body and is the international equivalent to our Annual General Meeting (AGM). The GA is held annually and includes delegates from AI Sections and Structures around the world.

The Youth Member Delegate will work with, prepare for, and attend the 2024 GA with the Amnesty Canada delegation, including preparation for the Amnesty International Regional Forum that will take place in the spring of 2024 prior to the GA in the fall.

Nominations Process, Deadlines and Contact Information

If you would like your name to appear on the online ballot form, we must receive your nomination form by 28 April 2023. Earlier submissions are highly preferred. 

To receive your nomination form or if you would like more details of the positions or you have any questions, please email the Nominations Committee.

The committee will interview candidates that it determines to be eligible and qualified to serve on the Board and as a Youth Member Delegate to the Global Assembly. These interviews will occur in the last 2 weeks of April and the first week of May 2023. Prior to the election, the committee will produce a report and recommend a slate of candidates to the electorate based on skill gaps, relevant experience, and other diversity and inclusion factors.

A virtual question and answer session between candidates and Amnesty members will occur June 10th, 2023. 

This year’s Annual General Meeting is being held in-person on unceded Anishinaabe territory, i.e. Ottawa from June 16th to 18th, 2023. Attending the AGM is encouraged but not mandatory for candidates. 

About Us 

Amnesty International is a movement of 10 million ordinary people in more than 150 countries who come together to achieve extraordinary results in defending and promoting human rights. We get discriminatory laws changed and prisoners of conscience released. We’ve helped stop torture, commute death sentences and worked to end violence against women. We are in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples demanding that their rights be respected. 

Our Commitment to Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression, Decolonization, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 

Amnesty International Canada is committed to employment equity, actively seeks diversity in the workplace, and welcomes and encourages applications from members of equity seeking groups including women, transgender, non-binary, and LGBTI individuals; First Nations, Metis, and Inuit individuals, persons with disabilities, and members of racialized and marginalized groups. We believe our work is stronger when it benefits from the experience, knowledge and wisdom of people who have faced systemic barriers and encourages applications from qualified candidates who have lived experience as a member of historically underrepresented communities. 

AICSES values qualified diverse candidates who bring skills that contribute to our anti-racist and anti-oppression transformational journey. At AICSES, everyone is expected to contribute to an inclusive environment and bring the knowledge, experience, and ability to incorporate anti-racism, anti-oppression, intersectionality, gender mainstreaming, inclusion, and accessibility practices to external and internal work and to all interpersonal interactions.