Yellowknife (Dec 08/04) - "The voice of reason is small, but persistent."

You'll find those words on the memorial of Sigmund Freud, in Vienna, but you'll also be reminded of them if you run across the Yellowknife chapter of Amnesty International -- a group with little money, few members, but a tireless dedication.

On Monday, seven members attended the group's monthly meeting and finalized plans for the "Write for Rights" initiative, a letter-writing campaign set for Friday.

Write for Rights is an Amnesty project in more than 30 countries, coinciding with the anniversary of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

In Yellowknife, booths will be set up at Javaroma and Gourmet Cup from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. so people can sign their names to various letters asking that human rights be respected.

As Amnesty Yellowknife chair Glen Rutland explained, the letters will focus on three files, including the group's action file on 13 Cuban prisoners of conscience. Another file deals with the Stolen Sisters report on disappeared aboriginal women. The third file, concerning an imprisoned Burmese social activist, is uncertain because he has been released.

Sir John Franklin high school teacher Susan Catlin -- who now has students involved with Amnesty -- brought a letter addressed to the Burmese government on his behalf, but the letter won't be sent.

Also at Monday's meeting, the group found that their Cubans may be reduced to 11: apparently two have been released.

"It's a problem we like," Rutland joked about the reduced workload.

Amnesty has been active in Yellowknife since around 1987, according to member Joyce Gilchrist.

"There are groups that have been writing for 20 years on a single file," said Gene Hugo.

"We've been amazingly blessed with prisoners getting released."

"The person may never read your letter," said former chair Marjorie Sandercock, "but the prison official sure knows you're there."