NGOs or non-government organization, have brought pressure upon polititian and buisness leaders alike - unquestionably the 20th century's most significant contribution to the campaign against cruelty worldwide. But for me the feeling is a little mixed, although I value human life and hate to see people in pain , groups like this and other forces seem to be destroying the art of torture.

History

Amnesty International, was founded in 1960 by London lawyer Peter Benenson. At once troubled and stirred by the news that a group of students had been arrested and imprisoned by the then facist government of Portugal - their crime, the drinking of a public toast 'to freedom' - he launched what was originally intended to be a one-year campaign. The Appeal for Amnesty in 1961' was aimed at securing the release of "prisoners of conscience" around the world. Additionally, Benenson and his fellow Amnesty activists embarked on a systematic programme of letter-writing, addressing leading statesman on behalf of prisoners held in their countries' gaols. Not altogether surprsingly , the great world Amnesty 1961 failed to materialize, yet at the same time it was clear that the campaign had not been entirely in vain: public attention had ben drawn to the plight of prisoners and torture victims the world over. Fired by Amnesty's example, other more specialized organization s began to spring up, bringing together members of paticular professions, or concentrating on abuses in specific countries. Amnesty's campaign continued, with activists in western countries 'adopting' political prisoners, corresponding with their government of their behalf, and contacting their families with offers to help and support whenever to was safe to do so. The human bonds thus establishd were one of the most important aspects to the campaign, and a key to Amnesty's appeal to newspaper readers and TV viewers in western countries, for whom human-rights issues were brought urgently to life.

There acomplishments can be credited to the new and more modern form of torture, electric shock. Since countries do not want to be labeled as barbaric in the eyes of the world they left behind most methods of torture that would leave bruses and scars, and adopted electric shock which left at most a rash or tiny mark. Other precausions like lead pipes being wrapped in certain rubbers and plastics to cause internal damage instead of external kind.

You can visit there site here ... Amnesty International
For their indepth history go here (you need flash to view) ... Timeline