Quotes from Sources to be worked into article Irene took up the leadership of Amnesty International in its 40th anniversary year as the organization began a process of change and renewal to address the complex nature of contemporary human rights violations and confronted the challenging developments in the wake of the attacks of 11 September In her first year in office Irene reformed AI s response to crisis situations personally leading high level missions to Pakistan during the bombing of Afghanistan to Israel Occupied Territories just after the Israeli occupation of Jenin and to Colombia before the Presidential elections in May 2003 Deeply concerned about violence against women she called for better protection of women s human rights in meetings with President Musharraf of Pakistan President Lahoud of Lebanon and Prime Minister Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh She has initiated a process of consultations with women activists to design a global campaign by Amnesty International against violence on women Irene has been keen to draw attention to hidden human rights violations In Australia she drew attention to the plight of asylum seekers in detention In Burundi she met with victims of massacres and urged President Buyoya and other parties to the conflict to end the cycle of human rights abuse In Bulgaria she led a campaign to end discrimination of those suffering from mental disabilities Interested in working directly with people to change their lives Irene helped to found the development organization Concern Universal in 1977 and began her work as a human rights activist with the International Commission of Jurists in 1979 Irene joined the United Nations High