Over the last two weekends, local Amnesty International members invited the public to send a greetings card to a prisoner of conscience. As a result, this week, something between 60 and 100 cards are being posted. They offer new year words of hope to a highly varied list of groups and individuals, from a rape crisis centre in Nepal, to a trade unionist in Greece blinded by an acid attack, to three Burmese teenagers imprisoned without trial for encouraging people to blow up balloons and launch paper boats. The card-signings mark the end of an annual campaign in which Manx members of the human rights group encouraged civic, church and community groups to help make home-made cards and then offer opportunities for the general public to sign them. Two groups, plus friends and relatives, stepped forward, with three ‘official’card-signing sessions following. Additionally, some visitors to the sessions took away material to organise their own impromptu signings with families and friends. Local activist Stuart Hartill said: “In previous years we had large public signings in shopping centres, but that is no longer practical, either for us or for commercial venues. So this year we went ‘back to basics’, creating situations where we could talk one to one with potential card-signers, and making new links with community groups for the future. The result was a smaller, more intimate campaign, but one where we could explain cases in detail and work with civic-minded organisations in ways which help both parties to reconsider their role in the Manx community.” The group would particularly like to thank Isle of Man Freethinkers, the Java Lounge and the One World Centre for offering venues, and Manxnet, Manx Radio and isleofman.com for their help with publicity. Community groups or individuals interested in how they might help the local Amnesty group can ring Stuart Hartill (814496) for more details. Ends