Across six decades and around the world, Amnesty International has mobilized supporters through badges and postcards — turning symbols into action for human rights.
The candle in barbed wire, designed in the early 1960s, shines a light on oppression while acknowledging the barriers that persist. It has appeared on badges, pins, shirts, and postcards for decades — uniting generations of activists under one visual symbol. Whether sewn into a patch, printed on a poster, or pressed into a pin, it remains a global shorthand for resistance.
Amnesty’s badges & postcards convey messages of solidarity and advocacy. Common themes include:
Early supporters used hand-printed badges and advocacy kits to campaign for unjustly jailed individuals.
Campaigns included badges displaying names and case numbers, worn at vigils and events. Postcards helped supporters write to authorities and raise awareness.
Black-and-red badges and postcards displayed broken torture instruments and slogans like “Torture Is a Crime.”
Global concert tour with Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, and Sting. Exclusive badges and merchandise were distributed to attendees.
Badges and postcards featured broken nooses and candle logos, supporting global abolition efforts.
Safety-pin style badges and T-shirts promoted awareness; postcards circulated in workshops and events.
The Protect The Human campaign launched in 2005. It aimed to make human rights a visible and everyday concern.
Annual letter-writing campaign: posters, candles, pins, and postcards were distributed to schools, cafes, and bookshops worldwide.
Badges and shirts with open-door motifs and postcards stating “Refugees Welcome” were produced in multiple languages.
In response to rising anti-protest laws, black-and-yellow badges, T-shirts, and postcards were used globally.
☮️ Organisation: Amnesty International
🕰️ Age: 1960s onards
💎 Rarity: [2-10/10]
🪙️ Material: Various
📏 Size: Various
🎨 Variations: Various
💰 Price Guide: £3 upwards
📌 Top Tip: Protect The Human comes in three colours, purple, orange and green. Colect them all.
Look for enamel or metal pins with bold graphics. Early badges often display campaign dates or prisoner names. Later mass-produced pins may be lighter with printed inserts.
Items distributed at events or letter-writing campaigns hold special value. Postcards preserved with handwritten notes, postmarks, or campaign flyers are particularly collectible.
Coming soon.