With less than a month to go before the elections, the French-speaking Belgian section of Amnesty International (AIBF) launched an original campaign on Tuesday, with the aim of encouraging politicians to place the defence of human rights at the heart of their concerns.
The campaign addresses a number of issues, including the asylum seeker reception crisis, the export of Walloon weapons and the right to protest.
The organisation has articulated its demands to political parties through various mediums, including a humorous video featuring clay figurines representing the party leaders. These demands are echoed in 10 fact sheets detailing Amnesty International's recommendations.
"In many European countries, we observe a rise in speeches and political forces that openly threaten respect for human rights, and Belgium is by no means exempt," noted Carine Thibaut, director of AIBF.
"With the utmost seriousness, but with a great deal of humour, we aim to ensure that the defence of human rights is at the heart of all concerns and that firm commitments are made, particularly after the election, when negotiations on government agreements begin."
Amnesty has also devised informative posters featuring the same six presidents covered in post-its to encourage them not to "forget" certain priorities concerning respect for human rights, as well as stickers to affix to election posters in public spaces.
"On a more traditional note, we are calling on people who will be going to the polls very soon to sign our petition to make our political representatives understand that respect for human rights must be their priority for the next legislature," continued Carine Thibaut.
