Monday, November 7, 2016

Keeping You Connected - November 6, 2016


Angie Hougas
Information from the International Campaign on Human Rights Defender which will launch in May of 2017.
1. Introduction
     Amnesty International’s global campaigns on Stop Torture and My Body, My Rights ended earlier this year. Their successors are the I Welcome campaign for refugees which launched in early October, and the global campaign on Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) which will launch in May 2017.
2. Campaign context
     AI has worked alongside human rights defenders for decades, both campaigning for their protection and supporting their human rights claims. AI’s support for these activists has taken many forms and has included calling for the protection of women’s rights activists, LGBTI defenders, whistle-blowers, lawyers, journalists, relatives of victims of human rights violations, indigenous leaders, and those fighting racism or religious bigotry.
3. A 60-page factsheet about the declaration is at www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/FactSheet29en.pdf
4. Campaign outline:
     There will definitely be work on individuals as part of the campaign. These cases will be selected both because they are individually important, and also because they illustrate the wider difficulties that HRDs face. However, AI has not yet decided whether there should be a country or thematic focus to the campaign overall. Human rights defenders themselves will play an important part in defining the campaign strategy over the coming months.
5. Campaign objectives
     At the time of writing, AI has developed draft campaign objectives which it is now discussing internally and with partners, including human rights defenders. The overall object of the campaign is to ensurethat HRDs are more empowered to act because thousands of people have been inspired to take action with them, forcing governments to increase recognition and protection for all who defend human rights.
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