Meet Juan and hear what we achieved with your support this year

2017 has been a tough year for human rights defenders. They’ve experienced what the UN Special Rapporteur has called ‘unprecedented attacks’, ranging from legal restrictions to defamation, arbitrary detention, disappearance and even death.
 
Yet, there was also ground to rejoice this year. 

Your response to the fundraising appeal for our human rights defender scholarship programme has been tremendous. This programme helps make defenders more influential and effective and builds their networks and capacity. Thanks to passionate supporters like you, we’ve received almost $35’000 with 10 days to go.

We won some landmark achievements, too.

• We mobilised high-level actors to prevent or denounce attacks and restrictions against human rights defenders in Bahrain, Burundi, China and Egypt.
• We opened the door to the UN for civil society organisations by advising and assisting them to obtain accreditation through ECOSOC in New York.
• When our partners in Russia were attacked for their advocacy to combat torture and uphold LGBTI rights, we launched legal proceedings.
• In consultation with LGBTI persons and organisations, and with input from eminent legal experts, we developed the Yogyakarta Principles Plus 10, providing an authoritative roadmap for legal and policy reform to achieve equality. 
• And last month, former ISHR trainee Juan Auz won a major victory as the arbitrary decision to close down his organisation Fundación Pachamama four years ago in Ecuador was reversed. Watch the video below to hear what Juan gained from participating in our Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme. 

So far our December fundraising appeal has raised enough money to cover the costs of 6 full scholarships for 2018. With your help, we want to increase this to ten! Ten defenders fully equipped to combat injustice and deliver actual change on the ground – just as Juan did recently.

 Are you in a position to spread the word, make a donation and help deliver real change?

Big or small, every single donation will help fund our 2018 human rights defenders scholarship programme.

Here’s how:

Big thanks to everyone who has donated so far.