About us
Alive e. V.
… is a registered non-profit organization that
works for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty.
… was founded on 28th of August 2000.
… works completely voluntary.
… finances through membership fees and donations.
… is focusing on the US, because the language barrier is not so high
as for example in Arab states; because the executions are not
carried out as fast as for example in China; and because it's easier
to get information as for example in Japan.
... wants also to inform about the death penalty in other states.
… is working on the field of direct inmate care.
… has also the goal to speak out to the public about the true
character of the death penalty.
Our Goals
Our main goal is the worldwide abolition of
the death penalty, because we are convinced that the death penalty
is inhuman and against the human dignity. For ALIVE e. V. the death
penalty itself is a violation of human rights and this for absolute
EACH and EVERY case.
Until we will reach this big goal, we focus on direct inmate care.
Here the motto of ALIVE is: We work together with the prisoners and
not for the prisoners! This means that we offer the inmates in some
way help to help themselves.
We support the inmates in making contacts to the free world. These
contacts shall help – by writing forth and back with a pen friend –
to escape the isolation on death row. On the other side these
contacts are meant allow the prisoners to experience a bit of
“normal life” and through this wake their – often disordered -
social consciousness respectively make this social consciousness
stronger.
Another focus of our work is the field of education and information.
Publications and public relations work are used to inform about the
true character of the death penalty and shall help to build up an
own opinion basing on facts.
Even though we focus on the death penalty in the US, we do not want
to forget the other states with the death penalty completely.
Not Our Goals
With working against the death penalty ALIVE
e. V. does not want to define down violent crimes or idealize
criminals in any case!
To take a human life is one of the worst crimes and there is no
excuse for that. Looking for explanations about how it could happen
– as for example a bad childhood or drug addiction – is not meant to
question the seriousness of the crime or to look for excuses, but
solely meant to learn from these explanations to be able to act
preventively in future.
We believe that even violent criminals should get a second chance
under certain circumstances after their sentence is served. On the
other hand we do not have any problem with life without parole in
cases of sex offenders or repeat offenders for example, because the
protection of the society comes first here.
The Victims Are Not Forgotten
We assure all victims and victim families that we do not forget the victims, their relatives, and friends. The victims and their family own our deep sympathy and we want not let them down at the hardest time of their life. Therefore we are here for talking at any time.
Further Information
Our Board
President
Board Member