---
title: 'DPI Podcast 12:01 The Death Penalty in Context: Amy Bergquist on the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty and Human Rights'
description: 'In the October 2026 episode of 12:01: The Death Penalty in Context, DPI Managing Director Anne Holsinger speaks with Amy Bergquist, a member of the…'
canonical: 'https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/dpi-podcast-1201-the-death-penalty-in-context-amy-bergquist-on-the-world-coalition-against-the-death-penalty-and-human-rights'
section: news
date: '2026-10-15T00:00:00-04:00'
updated: '2026-10-15T15:16:44-04:00'
source: 'Death Penalty Information Center'
---

In the October 2026 episode of 12:01: The Death Penalty in Context, DPI Managing Director Anne Holsinger speaks with Amy Bergquist, a member of the Steering Committee of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty. She discusses her work with the Coalition and as Associate Program Director at the Advocates for Human Rights, an organization dedicated to implementing international human rights standards to promote civil society and reinforce the rule of law.

Their conversation begins with background information about the Advocates for Human Rights, which was established by a group of lawyers in 1983 who were interested in how they could make the world a better place. The organization, headquartered in Minnesota, utilizes volunteers, with the majority of volunteers being pro bono lawyers. Additionally, the Advocates for Human Rights partners with various organizations that need help amplifying their advocacy worldwide. Ms. Bergquist describes her lifelong passion for human rights, and her experience working as a high school teacher and meeting refugees from East Africa whose human rights had been violated. This experience inspired her to pursue law school, then work for the Advocates for Human Rights.

Ms. Bergquist’s role in the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty often involves working in conjunction with the French organization ECPM (Together Against the Death Penalty) on the triennial World Congress Against the Death Penalty, which invites various stakeholders from around the world to come together in solidarity against the death penalty. It’s also a chance for civil society organizations to share good practices, hold workshops, and strategize together alongside government officials. Ms. Bergquist shares that one of the key themes of the 2026 World Congress Against the Death Penalty, held last June in Paris, was youth activism, as “there are young people who are really enthusiastic about using their skills to work towards abolition of the death penalty.”

The interview also discusses World Day Against the Death Penalty, which takes place each year on October 10th. The 2026 theme was “Stories for Life.” Ms. Bergquist explains, “storytelling is really a way to communicate with people and to mobilize people to change.” She “encourage(s) members to brush up their skills on how to do storytelling advocacy and to highlight stories, especially stories of people with lived experience,” to showcase individual experiences with the death penalty and raise awareness of the policy’s consequences.

The conversation finishes on the topic of the future of the death penalty, as Ms. Bergquist compares efforts to repeal the death penalty in the U.S. to running a marathon, saying that currently, it’s “a really steep uphill and we cannot see the finish line.” Her goal is not just to encourage abolition of the death penalty, but to spread awareness about the human rights issues related to the death penalty. Even if a country limits the death penalty to the most serious of crimes, Ms. Bergquist takes that as a small step towards her ultimate goal, “as long as we’re moving in right direction, even if the road seems steep, we will get there.”

Listen to [Amy Bergquist on the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty and Human Rights](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/resources/podcasts/discussions-with-dpic/amy-bergquist-on-the-world-coalition-against-the-death-penalty-and-human-rights)