2025 Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme (HRDAP) participants and ISHR staff in front of the UN building in Geneva ©Ben Buckland for ISHR
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.
The 2013 Martin Ennals Award highlighted three exceptional human rights activists: Mona Seif from Egypt, Mario Joseph from Haiti, and the Joint Mobile Group in Russia. Celebrated for their resilience and bravery in challenging environments, they exemplified the profound impact and risks faced by human rights defenders worldwide.
In 2010, Fikile Vilakazi, a fearless defender in South Africa, challenged discrimination as a black lesbian woman. As part of the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL), she championed LGBTI rights in a nation with persistent discrimination. Fikile's story highlighted the need for justice and equality in the face of discrimination.
