2023 Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme participants and ISHR staff in front of the UN building in Geneva ©Ben Buckland
Here at ISHR we are constantly being inspired by the brave people taking action to defend human rights and want to share some of their stories with you.
Cynthia Palacios Reckziegel works in international advocacy for the Center of Legal and Social Studies (CELS) in Buenos Aires. She shared her hopes for a future in which women in Argentina can access reproductive health services without being discriminated.
'A leader needs to have a goal. My target is the grassroots community, mostly the Indigenous persons, because I feel they are mostly left out when it comes to human rights issues and that they are the ones that also suffer a lot when there are violations.'
'To promote respect for sexual diversity is important. I really hope to promote social projects based on respect for LGBTI people,' says Daniella Solano Morales, consultant and promoter with MULABI Latin America Space for sexualities and human rights in Costa Rica.
In this video, Daniella reflects on the necessity of her work and on how using UN mechanisms can help improve its impact and bring about change on the ground.
"I remember to be hopeful, not because it feels good or because I am waiting for something to happen on its own, but because I believe in my own power and the magic we create when queer people, Black people, women come together to channel our rage, righteous and raw, into sustained action." We were privileged to hear human rights defender Alicia Wallace's powerful message and would like to share her story with you below.
ISHR was honoured to interview Marisa Hutchinson, Board member of the Association EQUALS in Barbados.
ISHR was pleased to interview Mphatso Sakala, who participated in our Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme last June.
Alexus is the Founder of the D’Marco Organization, which defends the rights of LGBTI persons, and the Caribbean Coordinator of Redlactrans, which works to advance the rights of trans persons.
“We carry out the universal responsibility to insure that all people are protected” affirms Linda RM Baumann in her interview with ISHR. Linda is a strategic coordinator for Namibia’s Diverse Women Association (NDWA) and she advocates for LBT’s women rights.
A former ISHR trainee, Karla Avelar defends the rights of LGBTI people. She is a finalist of this year’s Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders. In an exclusive interview with ISHR, she talked about her award nomination and what it means to be a trans woman and human rights defender in El Salvador.
A former ISHR trainee, Karla Avelar defends the rights of LGBTI people. She is a finalist of this year’s Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders. In an exclusive interview with ISHR, she talked about her award nomination and what it means to be a trans woman and human rights defender in El Salvador.
ISHR was honoured to meet Cleopatra Kambugu, grants administrator at the East African Sexual Health and Rights Initiative (UHAI EASHRI) and transgender activist in Uganda.
UN Special Procedures and other human rights mechanisms have helped drive change for better protection of LGBTI people in Mongolia. Otgonbaatar Tsedendemberel provides reflections on how this was achieved.
