Hackney People
Kate Allen
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Campaigning human rights charity Amnesty International has a global reach, but it’s a little known fact that its UK headquarters are here in Hackney. “You don’t change the world overnight,” says Kate Allen, head of Amnesty International UK, when we meet at her office in the Human Rights Action Centre in Shoreditch. “That’s one of the things about Amnesty: we set massively ambitious goals and then we are relentless in our pursuit of them.” |
Amnesty was founded nearly 50 years ago in 1961. In that time, it has mounted thousands of campaigns, but Kate is particularly proud of persuading the British Government to introduce legislation controlling the sale of weapons throughout the world.
Building on this, the United Nations has been working on introducing a new Arms Trade Treaty, which would control the flow of arms worldwide.
She is also proud of Amnesty’s contribution to getting the death penalty abolished in 70 per cent of the world. China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and America however, are among those countries that still employ capital punishment.
“China is the worst offender,” says Kate. “With at least 1,700 executions a year and some estimates putting the figure at around 6,000. The precise figures are a state secret – but the numbers are starting to go down – so even in the most difficult parts of the world we are starting to see progress.”
Victories such as these are a ‘tribute’ to all the work carried out by the charity’s 2.2million members worldwide – including 250,000 in Britain, says Kate.
She explains: “Amnesty has the most extraordinarily devoted members who take whatever action is necessary; for example, campaigning for an individual who is at risk in their country – who is being tortured or facing the death penalty.
“These are ordinary people who stand up for justice. We are able to galvanise these people around the campaigns we have and we do make a difference in the world.”
Kate herself is just such an ‘ordinary person’: she was born and raised in London; her father Bill was a civil servant and her mother Pat did jobs such as cleaning to support her and her brother Christopher and sister Susan.
“It was almost inevitable I would become involved in challenging injustices,” she says. “Fairness and justice were big things in my family. We discussed politics a lot and had strong views on social justice.”
After studying philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford, she worked as a policy advisor for the former Greater London Council and then Haringey Council. She was also an elected member of Camden Council during the 1980s, before moving to the Refugee Council for 13 years and then onto Amnesty.
She’s been the head of its UK arm since 2000 and oversaw its relocation from Islington to new headquarters to Hackney four years ago. The Human Rights Action Centre, won a Hackney Design Award in 2007, and the building aims to be ‘a point of reference for local social activities’. Designed by architects Witherford Watson Mann, it features an auditorium and rooms for teaching, displaying temporary exhibitions and hosting small workshops.
She says: “It’s great being in Hackney and we hope that we contribute to the vibrancy of the borough.
“We have a lot of exhibitions, talks and films going on and bring some amazing people into the borough. We visit schools in the area and have a vibrant Hackney and Islington group.”
Curriculum Vitae
- 1955 Born in Shepherd’s Bush, west London
- 1966-73 Attends Ursuline Convent, Ilford
- 1974-77 Brasenose College, Oxford – studied philosophy, politics and economics
- 1977-79 Works as policy advisor at Greater London Council and various other local government bodies
- 1987-2000 Works at the Refuge Council, latterly as deputy chief executive
- 2000 UK Director Amnesty International UK
More information
For information about the Hackney & Islington branch of Amnesty, email: hugh.whitby@hotmail.com; or visit: www.hackneyislingtonamnestygroup.wordpress.com
Page updated: 15 Jun 2010
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