The University of Tennessee’s chapter of Amnesty International hosted a Human Rights Awareness Fair Monday to educate students about human rights violations around the world.

Among the groups participating in the fair were Students for a Free Tibet, the Tennessee Anti-Sweatshop Coalition, Students Promoting Environmental Awareness in Knoxville, the Muslim Student Association, the African Student Association, the Lambda Student Union, the Women’s Coordinating Council, Habitat for Humanity and The East Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing.

According to Amnesty coordinator Hibest Zikru, the purpose of the fair was to educate the student body and get them to sign petitions for individual causes in various countries like Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Everyone has been really good about signing petitions, Zikru said. We are planning to send them to various ambassadors around the world.

Despite little publicity for the event, streams of people went into the University Center Crest Room to talk to group representatives and read literature and posters, Zikru said.

Maggie Howes, a representative of Habitat for Humanity, said she was pleased with the student response to the fair and the organization in general.

I think it’s important to get involved in a worthwhile cause, Howes said.

When Habitat for Humanity built a subdivision, approximately 200 students took part, Howes said.

The groups involved in the fair gave students an opportunity to not only educate themselves, but also to join the groups that feel strongly about important social and political issues.