For over 30 years, the International Service for Human Rights has worked to support human rights defenders like Betty in the struggle to make their dreams a reality. Invest in the future of human rights: empower a human rights defender and contribute to transformative human rights change today.
Meet Betty
‘Hi, my name is Betty Barkha and I come from Fiji. I am working as an advisor to FRIDA Young Feminist Fund. I always wanted to be part of ensuring communities were safe and secure, part of the solutions. My work is against violations, injustice and inequalities. It is also in protection of violations of human rights.
A lot of this has evolved into regional advocacy and that’s where it has become so crucial for me to receive support and be able to come to Geneva to learn more and experience first hand the UN mechanisms. I dream that one day, everyone can live without having to think about their survival. I dream that everyone can walk down the street without thinking of their security. This dream is what keeps me going’.
Every day, without even noticing it, many of us practice and enjoy our basic human rights. We might live in a safe and secure house that we can call home. We might work in an environment where we can express our opinions freely. Or we might raise grievances with our governments without fear of reprisals. These rights, however, are hard won and not enjoyed by many. And the truth is that these rights would be more precarious, and enjoyed by far fewer, without the work of human rights defenders – those brave people who stand up for the rights and freedoms of others.
Around the world, human rights defenders stand up, speak out and even risk their lives for ordinary people like you and me. They conduct their work under increasingly challenging conditions. In 2016, they faced what the UN Special Rapporteur described as ‘unprecedented attack’: from defamation, to detention, and even to death. Can you help make sure they don’t face these challenges alone?
Give back now to support human right defenders and click here to make a donation
Right now, with the UN Human Rights Council in session, we’ve brought Betty and 16 other brave defenders from around the world to Geneva to ensure their voices are heard and their stories are told. We’re providing them with two weeks of intensive training and advocacy support to use the UN human rights system to help make change happen on the ground. These 17 defenders were chosen from more than 350 highly meritorious applicants. We’d love your support to scale up our programme and meet this significant unmet need.
Help us extend our reach to help more human rights defenders
Big or small, your donation will help. Here’s how…
|
$50 |
enables ISHR to provide a human rights defender with comprehensive resources, giving them the foundational knowledge they need to use international and regional mechanisms to expose and combat injustice |
|
$500 |
enables ISHR to provide a defender with strategic advocacy assistance to deliver their testimony to the UN Human Rights Council, allowing their voice to be heard on the international stage |
|
$5000 |
enables ISHR to provide a defender with two weeks’ intensive training and direct advocacy support, together with access to key diplomats and UN experts, empowering them to use international advocacy to contribute to change on the ground |
Monthly donations allow us to better plan our activities and provide continuous support to defenders.
Invest in the future of human rights: empower a human rights defender and contribute to transformative human rights change today.
Big thanks to everyone who has donated so far.
Local authorities have accepted a global civil society petition to place a permanent tribute to Chinese human rights defender Cao Shunli, a victim of deadly State reprisals by China, in a prominent location at the heart of Geneva’s international quarter.
A newly-released confidential letter by a UN Special Rapporteur documents the disbarment of human rights lawyers in China and the tightening ideological control over lawyers and law firms. The UN expert denounces disappearances, closed-door trials, harassment of relatives, travel bans, and other abuses targeting human rights lawyers.
On Tuesday 16 April 2024, ISHR delivered to both Geneva’s Administrative Council and its legislative counterpart, the Municipal Council, physical copies of the more than 1000 signatures collected in support of a memorial honouring Chinese human rights defender Cao Shunli.
