It is thanks to our generous donors - thanks to people like you and me - that the International Service for Human Rights can help human rights defenders like Maria in the struggle to make their dreams a reality.
‘Hi, my name is Maria Torres. I come from Peru and I work as a lawyer for the International Institute on Law and Society. I became a lawyer because I wanted to fight against injustice. As a student, I travelled to the Amazon and I saw how indigenous people were suffering violations of their most basic human rights; and there was a lot of indifference from civil society. At that moment, I decided that I wanted to dedicate my life to this cause. It was really important that one of us in my organisation learns about UN mechanisms and that’s why I came to Geneva to attend ISHR’s training. I am leaving Geneva with a lot of knowledge about the UN mechanisms. This knowledge will allow me to help indigenous peoples in Peru’.
A few days ago, we wished farewell to the 17 brave human rights defenders who attended our flagship Human Rights Defenders Advocacy Programme. Whether they are involved in fighting for the rights of indigenous peoples in Peru, fostering social protection for workers in Cambodia, defending detainees in Egypt, helping women stand for their rights in Romania, or mobilising support for the LGBTI community in Uganda – all of them have one thing in common: they came to Geneva because they needed our support, they needed our training.
It is thanks to our generous donors – thanks to people like you and me – that the International Service for Human Rights can provide this training and help human rights defenders like Maria in the struggle to make their dreams a reality.
Here is what a recent independent expert evaluation of ISHR reports: ‘ISHR is an effective and influential organisation that has contributed in important and concrete ways to achieving positive outcomes for the protection of human rights generally, and the benefit and protection of human rights defenders more specifically. Human rights defenders themselves stressed that ISHR’s training, as well as its ongoing strategic partnership, makes their work more effective.’
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.
Human rights defenders are the lifeblood of the human rights movement. They are our best hope for a fairer, safer world. Let’s help them today to achieve transformative change!
Participants at the strategic workshop on the operationalisation of the Protection Mechanism for Defenders held on 24 and 25 April in Bamako, Mali, adopted an action plan to strengthen the national mechanism's capacity to protect defenders.
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination called on France to respect the demands of the Kali'ña Indigenous community in the village of Prospérité, who oppose construction of a power plant in a location that deprives them of access to their land.
Local authorities in Geneva have announced their intention to place a permanent public monument paying tribute to persecuted human rights defenders, including the late Chinese human rights defender Cao Shunli. The move follows a civil society petition to have a bust made in honour of Cao placed in a prominent location in the city.