Amnesty International Australia
The Australian section of Amnesty International, campaigning and advocating for human rights in Australia and internationally.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Amnesty International Australia is the Australian section of the global Amnesty International movement. It works to promote and defend human rights and human dignity by researching alleged abuses, publicising findings, mobilising supporters and pressing governments and other powerful actors to change laws, policies and practices. Although its work is rooted in Australia, the organisation also focuses heavily on the Asia-Pacific region and contributes to international Amnesty campaigns. The organisation addresses both domestic and international issues. Its Australian agenda has included Indigenous rights, the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, youth incarceration, gender and sexuality, women's rights, anti-racism, climate justice, the death penalty, crisis response and the protection of health and human rights. Its work commonly combines public campaigning, petitions, letter-writing, community organising, supporter mobilisation, research and direct advocacy. Local groups associated with universities and suburbs provide a grassroots base, while regional activism structures connect members across Australia's states and territories. A major area of activity has been Australia's treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. The organisation has criticised indefinite offshore detention and campaigned against the prolonged detention of people transferred to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. Its Game Over campaign, publicly associated with former footballer Craig Foster from late 2019, used support from sportspeople, entertainers and other public figures to oppose the policy and draw attention to the human consequences of long-term detention. Amnesty International Australia has also run campaigns linking human rights to poverty and social exclusion. The Demand Dignity campaign called for action against abuses that drive or deepen poverty. In the early 2020s, Community Is Everything focused on Indigenous youth incarceration and argued for community-based approaches and an end to policies that disproportionately criminalise Indigenous children and young people. The section is governed by a National Board consisting of elected directors and, where applicable, co-opted directors. Governance reforms introduced in 2018 expanded member participation in the annual general meeting and established a forum for members to contribute ideas. Members are organised into seven regions, broadly corresponding to Australia's states and territories, with Activism Leadership Committees providing regional coordination. Amnesty International Australia states that it is independent and donor-funded, and that it does not accept funding from governments or political organisations. Its public profile and fundraising have also been supported through partnerships and collaborations, including a 2015 International Women's Day initiative with Tinder and a 2019 collaboration with The Body Shop and Indigenous artist Emma-Louise Mulganai Hollingsworth. The organisation remains an active Australian human-rights advocacy body within the wider Amnesty International network.
History
Amnesty International Australia is the Australian national section of Amnesty International, a global human-rights movement. Its role is to adapt the movement's broader human-rights mandate to Australian conditions while contributing Australian research, campaigning and membership activity to international work. The section investigates and publicises human-rights concerns, raises public awareness and seeks to influence governments and other institutions through organised advocacy. The Asia-Pacific region has been a continuing priority. Amnesty International Australia has used research, public education and supporter mobilisation to draw attention to abuses in neighbouring countries and to connect regional concerns with Australian foreign policy and public debate. Its work is not limited to overseas issues, however. Australian campaigns have addressed Indigenous rights, racism, gender and sexuality, women's rights, refugee protection, youth incarceration, the death penalty, climate justice and the relationship between public health and human rights. One of the organisation's recurring domestic concerns has been the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. It has opposed Australia's use of prolonged and indefinite offshore detention, particularly the detention of people transferred to facilities on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and Nauru after 2013. The Game Over campaign, which gained a prominent public profile from late 2019, brought together Amnesty supporters and well-known figures from sport, entertainment and public life. Craig Foster served as a principal public face, while other supporters helped communicate the campaign's opposition to long-term detention. The Demand Dignity campaign represented another strand of the section's work. It linked human-rights violations with poverty and social exclusion and called for action against the conditions that create or reinforce poverty. By framing poverty as a rights issue rather than only an economic problem, the campaign reflected Amnesty's broader practice of connecting individual experiences to government responsibility and structural discrimination. In the early 2020s, Community Is Everything became a central campaign concerning Indigenous youth incarceration. The campaign focused on the disproportionate incarceration of Indigenous children and young people and promoted community-centred responses. At the same time, the organisation maintained campaigns on refugee rights, gender and sexuality, women's rights, climate justice, anti-racism, urgent action for individuals in danger, abolition of the death penalty and human-rights protections during the COVID-19 pandemic. The section's organisational structure combines national governance with regional and local activism. A National Board is responsible for upholding the constitution and consists of seven elected directors, with provision for up to two additional co-opted directors. Governance changes introduced in 2018 expanded member voting rights at the annual general meeting and created a forum for members to submit ideas and participate more directly. Members are organised into seven regions broadly based on Australia's states and territories. Activism Leadership Committees coordinate regional work, while local groups draw participants from universities and communities. Leadership changed in 2019 when Claire Mallinson announced that she would step down as National Director after twelve years. The board appointed Samantha Klintworth, who began in November 2019. As reported in July 2024, Klintworth remained National Director and Mario Santos chaired the National Board. Amnesty International Australia describes itself as independent and funded by donors. It does not accept money from governments or political organisations, a policy intended to protect the independence of its research and advocacy. Fundraising and public engagement have included partnerships outside the traditional human-rights sector. Examples include a Tinder collaboration for International Women's Day in 2015 and a 2019 partnership with The Body Shop and Indigenous artist Emma-Louise Mulganai Hollingsworth. Charity greeting cards and other fundraising materials have also formed part of its supporter-facing activity. The organisation therefore operates as both a national advocacy institution and a membership-based campaigning network. Its influence comes less from commercial products than from research, public communications, supporter action, partnerships and sustained pressure on decision-makers. It remains part of the wider Amnesty International movement while maintaining a specifically Australian focus.
- 2024
Mario Santos reported as National Board chair
[1]As of July 2024, Mario Santos headed the National Board, while Samantha Klintworth remained National Director.
- 2022
Expanded campaign priorities documented
[1]Reported priorities included Indigenous youth incarceration, refugee protection, gender and sexuality, women's rights, climate justice, anti-racism, urgent action, abolition of the death penalty and COVID-19-related human-rights protection.
- 2019
Samantha Klintworth becomes National Director
[1]Samantha Klintworth began as National Director in November, succeeding Claire Mallinson.
- 2019
Game Over campaign gains a prominent public profile
[1]Craig Foster became a prominent face of the campaign opposing Australia's prolonged offshore detention of refugees and asylum seekers.
- 2019
The Body Shop fundraising partnership
[1]Amnesty worked with The Body Shop and Indigenous artist Emma-Louise Mulganai Hollingsworth on fundraising gift cards and tags.
- 2018
Governance participation reforms
[1]The organisation introduced governance structures that expanded member eligibility to vote at the annual general meeting and created a member participation forum.
- 2015
International Women's Day collaboration with Tinder
[1]Amnesty International Australia partnered with Tinder to raise awareness of women's unequal access to choice and women's rights.
Products and positioning
An independent, donor-funded human-rights advocacy organisation representing Amnesty International in Australia, combining research, public campaigning, grassroots organising and policy advocacy.
Product categories. Human-rights research and advocacy · Public campaigns and petitions · Member and supporter mobilisation · Educational and awareness materials · Fundraising merchandise and charity greeting cards
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Game Over
Australia
A campaign opposing the indefinite detention of refugees and asylum seekers in Australian offshore processing arrangements, including facilities on Manus Island and Nauru. Craig Foster became a prominent campaign representative, supported by figures from sport, music and acting.
- 2019The Body Shop gift-card and tag partnership
Australia
Amnesty partnered with The Body Shop and Indigenous artist Emma-Louise Mulganai Hollingsworth to sell gift cards and tags and direct proceeds to Amnesty's work.
- 2015International Women's Day and Tinder collaboration
Australia
A collaboration with Tinder used dating-app messages and slogans about choice and agency to raise awareness of women's rights.
- Demand Dignity
Australia · International
A campaign addressing human-rights abuses that contribute to and intensify poverty, treating poverty and deprivation as human-rights concerns.
- Community Is Everything
Australia
A campaign focused on Indigenous youth incarceration and the importance of community-based responses to the disproportionate criminalisation and detention of Indigenous young people.
- Charity Greeting Cards
Australia
A supporter-facing fundraising activity involving charity greeting cards, reported as ongoing in the early 2020s.
Brand decisions
2019
Change of National DirectorOtherBackground
Claire Mallinson announced that she would leave the National Director role after twelve years.
Action taken
The National Board appointed Samantha Klintworth, who commenced in November 2019.
Aftermath
Klintworth remained National Director as of July 2024.
2018
Broaden member participation in governanceStrategyBackground
The organisation revised its governance arrangements to give members a stronger formal role in decision-making.
Action taken
It expanded eligibility to vote at the annual general meeting and established a forum through which members could contribute ideas.
Aftermath
The reforms strengthened the connection between the national organisation, its seven regions and local activist groups.
Sources2 sources
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