Many long-time, dedicated staff members at Amnesty International USA are about to lose their jobs.

We the undersigned write with profound disappointment about the current turmoil inside of Amnesty International USA.

We understand that this turmoil stems from the way that Amnesty’s “Strategic Plan” and staff layoffs were carried out, which reminds us of the way that corporations carry out their business, but is not what we expect from a grassroots human rights organization like Amnesty.

We have learned that members of the Amnesty movement have called on you to put an immediate halt to the staff layoffs and to the “Strategic Plan” and want to voice our solidarity with their call.

We cannot see how we can continue to rely on Amnesty’s voice as one representing the dignity and rights of the human person, when Amnesty’s actions parrot the behavior of the corporations that serve the 1%.

Amnesty International USA must honor the call of its members and place an immediate moratorium on the implementation of the Strategic Plan and the staff changes recently announced. Anything short of this is a betrayal of everything that Amnesty has always stood for.