The Ocean Beach chapter of Amnesty International will host a fund-raiser on Saturday, July 14, at the Portugalia Restaurant to raise money for its human rights awareness campaigns.
As a member of Amnesty International, the Ocean Beach chapter writes letters of action around the world and within the United States to help release “prisoners of conscience.”
“[These are] people who have been imprisoned solely for their beliefs or religion,” said Cecilia Anderson, OB chapter president.
The OB chapter will be raffling off a number of prizes, including an interior design consultation, gift certificates to local restaurants, and a pair of pendants unique to Ocean Beach that were created and donated by goldsmith Gary Gilmore.
The fund-raiser will take place at Portugalia, an Ocean Beach restaurant specializing in traditional Portuguese dishes, which will be operating its normal dinner service during the event.
Anderson said the enthusiasm of Jason Nacimento, Portugalia’s owner, prompted the Ocean Beach chapter to hold their fund-raiser at the restaurant.
“He’s really excited about international flavor, and he is always trying to bring in people who promote an international dialogue,” Anderson said.
Besides Portugalia’s cosmopolitan character, Anderson said the story of Amnesty International’s Portuguese origin also inspired the selection of Portugalia.
Peter Benson, a U.K. lawyer, founded Amnesty International in 1961 after reading that the Portuguese government had imprisoned two students in Lisbon for seven years simply “for toasting to freedom” in a café, according to the Amnesty International Library.
Benson encouraged activists across the globe to begin letter-writing campaigns to persuade Portugal and other governments to release their prisoners of conscience.
In addition to letter writing, Anderson said the Ocean Beach chapter, which was spawned in 2001 by the Hillcrest chapter of Amnesty International, collaborates with other local amnesty groups to publish information about human rights abuses to “get the word out about torture “¦ and the death penalty, and why that needs to stop.”
Last year, the OB chapter traveled to the Centro de Información para Trabajadoras y Trabajadores (CITTAC) in Baja California, an independent organization that supports male and female workers’ rights to help CITTAC establish their office.
The OB chapter also held an office supply drive for the Centro, Anderson said.
Saturday’s fund-raiser in Ocean Beach will begin at 4 p.m. at 4839 Newport Ave.
Tickets are $7 for Adults, $3 for Seniors and Children, and free for children under 12.
The Ocean Beach chapter of Amnesty International meets at 7 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of very month at Coastal Sage Gardening, 3685 Voltaire St.
For more information, visit amnestyob.org.