Rape, eviction, death due to complications in childbirth, capital punishment, violence against women, and unlawful detention are some of the human rights abuses being focused on in this year’s Amnesty International Write for Rights Day. During the time around International Human Rights Day (December 10th) thousands of people around the globe write letters “to demand that the rights of individuals are respected, protected and fulfilled.” The organization states that “in doing so, we show solidarity with those suffering human rights abuses and work to bring about real change in people’s lives.”

If you are not confident in your letter writing abilities, no worries. Amnesty International has compiled tips for you. For the cynics, here is a list of results from past letter writing campaigns.

As of publication, La Paloma Sabanera is hosting the only public 2010 Write-a-thon in the Greater Hartford area. The coffeehouse will be open on December 8th from 7am-8pm and those who take part in the letter writing event will receive a free cup of coffee as thanks for participating. La Paloma Sabanera Coffeehouse is located at 405 Capitol Avenue.