For the thirteenth consecutive year, Amnesty International Local Group 133 of Somerville, Massachusetts, is organizing Get on the Bus (GOTB), a trip to New York City for a day of human rights action and education. We invite you and your group to join other activists in what we expect to be the largest GOTB yet!

We at Group 133 believe there is incredible strength in numbers, which is why we have enthusiastically welcomed GOTB's exponential growth from a gathering of 35 activists to last year's attendance of well over 1,200. The need for a strong collective voice is as strong now as ever - we need to speak up the universal rights of all people around the world whose voices have been silenced.

GOTB 2008 features five actions and a speakers panel with experts to illuminate upon the issues for which we'll be demonstrating. We will demonstrate for the people of Darfur and Myanmar, to bring to justice those responsible for the murders of journalists in Sri Lanka, for the victims of the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, and for our special focus case of Fathi el-Jahmi, a Libyan Prisoner of Conscience. You can find more information on our Actions page. These are all peaceful and permitted events, and police will be present to ensure we have the greatest possible security while in New York City.

Please register your group today by visiting our Register Online page. This year we will offer an early-bird registration fee of $5 until March 11, after which the fee will return to $10. All participants must register, as it helps pay for the church rental for our speakers panel, printing of the bus packets and posters distributed during the actions, and permit fees to the NYC police.

With groups traveling from areas throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic, we recognize that one of the biggest challenges is getting your members to and from GOTB. Please see our Getting to NYC resource page for information on buses leaving from your area and tips on how to organize your own transportation. If you plan to ride one of the buses, take note of the bus registration deadlines and fees, which are in addition to the GOTB event registration. If you still have questions pertaining to transportation, feel free to contact us at gotb@amnesty133.org and we'll do our best to help.

There are many ways to participate in GOTB beyond attending the event. Visit the Get More Involved page to find out how you can attract local media attention to your group's trip to NYC, prepare posters and banners for GOTB, fundraise to lower the travel expenses for your group, or even be a bus captain. If you'd like to volunteer, please send an e-mail to gotbvolunteer@amnesty133.org.

Finally, this web site contains a History/About GOTB page with a scrapbook of prior years' events, archived photos, music, quotes, and articles. Check it out to get a sense of the amazing things we've accomplished together over the years.

If you have any questions not addressed on this website, please contact us at gotb@amnesty133.org and we'll be in touch shortly. Be sure to keep an eye on the website for periodic updates, and we'll look forward to seeing you in NYC!

~ The GOTB Coordinating Team