CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Lighting fires
“It is the responsibility of
every adult to make sure that
children hear what we have
learned from the lessons of
A matter
life and to hear over and
over that we love them and
that they are not alone.”
Marian Wright Edelman
“The man who can make hard
things easy is the educator.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
of life
“Nothing is more powerful
and liberating than
knowledge.”
William H Gray III
“Most teachers waste their
and death
time by asking questions
which are intended to
discover what a pupil does
not know, whereas the
true art of questioning has
for its purpose to discover
what the pupil knows or is
capable of knowing.”
Albert Einstein
“The beautiful thing about
learning is that no-one can
take it away from you.”
BB King
numerous prisoners. Japan’s death row inmates already to see if they can play a part in helping to end capital
endure extremely harsh conditions. They are forbidden punishment around the world.
from moving around in their cells (they must remain Organised by
seated at all times), are prohibited from talking to other • Laura Jayatillake is Amnesty International UK’s
inmates or even making eye contact with guards, are human rights education manager.

not allowed televisions, and family visits are limited
Further information
D
Delivering
iplomas
and often denied. The UK’s only magazine dedicated to the 14-19 Diploma
Shocking and unbelievable though all this can An article by English teacher Roger Silverman: http://
seem, these are the facts, and a 72-page Amnesty report indyeagleeye.livejournal.com/60585.html
recently gave details about how 102 prisoners – many An Amnesty alert about British man who is facing
The 5th National Conference on
clearly mentally ill – are currently facing execution in execution in China: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_
Japan, with ages ranging from 26 to 85. details.asp?NewsID=18460
Facts and figures on the death penalty are Amnesty’s stance on the death penalty: http://www.
themselves powerful. Amnesty’s most recent global amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=78 Delivering
survey found that in 2008 at least 2,390 people The case of Troy Davis: http://www.amnestyusa.
were executed in 25 countries, while there were org/document.php?id=ENGAMR510232007&
at least 8,864 death sentences handed down in 52 lang=e and http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content.
countries. asp?CategoryID=11458 (see boxout below also).
Diplomas:
Students will readily see that this means that
executions are carried out at an average rate of seven
Materials and resources
per day, and they will also see that recent Olympics Amnesty teaching resources are available to view and
hosts China alone carried out nearly three-quarters (72 download at www.amnesty.org.uk/education
Sustaining Delivery
per cent) of the world’s executions, with at least 1,718 To arrange for an Amnesty Speaker to deliver a talk
prisoners shot or lethally injected. or workshop on the death penalty, go to www.amnesty.
All of this can seem grisly, morbid and depressing, org.uk/speakers and to find out more about setting up an
Eighteen months into the delivery of Diplomas, an increasingly vital consideration
but so too can lessons on the First World War or the Amnesty youth group, see www.amnesty.org.uk/youth
for all consortia is ensuring that their delivery models are sustainable. This is just
as vital for new partnerships gearing up for delivery as it is for more established
Holocaust. The key difference, of course, is that the Amnesty is developing a resource on the death penalty
consortia.
death penalty exists today and many students will in 2010 and is looking for teachers to be involved. To
The Fifth National Delivering Diplomas conference focuses on this crucial aspect
want to discuss and learn about this topic, not least find out more, contact student@amnesty.org.uk of successful Diploma delivery – sustaining partnerships, engagement and
enthusiasm.
With staff moving on, parents and students still becoming accustomed to
Case study: Troy Davis
the qualifi cation, and a tough fi nancial climate making businesses count the
pennies, how can consortia ensure they have the structures and systems in place
Troy Davis is a 41-year-old Black man who has to safeguard the quality of their offer? And as the number of Diploma subjects
been on death row in the US state of Georgia since
increase, how can the demands of the numerous lines be balanced?
1991.
The event also looks at the individual Diploma components, offering unrivalled
access to best practice advice on topics like IAG, Functional Skills, work experience,
He was convicted of the murder of a White
additional and specialist learning, and timetabling.
police officer called Mark Allen MacPhail in
Savannah, Georgia in 1989. The authorities failed
Lakeside Conference Centre,
to produce a murder weapon or any physical
evidence linking Davis to the crime, and seven
Aston University, Birmingham
BOOK
of nine witnesses against him later recanted or Thursday 18th March 2010
NOW
changed their initial testimonies in sworn affidavits.
In 2008, Davis came within two hours of Sponsored by
For a brochure, visit
execution, but in August 2009 the US Supreme Court ruled that he
www.deliveringdiplomas.co.uk
should be allowed a new hearing to establish his innocence. and follow the link or call
This is likely to be heard during the first part of 2010, and
020 7501 6762
Amnesty youth groups will be active on this.
Amnesty has followed Troy Davis’s case closely, producing a
major report and numerous other materials, and the organisation
believes that cases like his demonstrate the death penalty’s
PUTTING EDUCATION FIRST
arbitrariness and the ever-present risk of executing the innocent.
diplomas copy.indd 6 12/1/10 10:07:55
SecEd • January 21 2010 9
08-09 Confis.indd 9 18/1/10 09:56:23
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