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What's Being Done On . . . Human Rights Networking ?
www.aphra.org The Arab Program for Human Rights Activists (APHRA) connects activists from throughout the Middle East. It strives to protect and promote human rights and democratic values by defending Arab human rights activists and serving and strengthening the Arab human rights movement. The Program is building an extensive database that will include a variety of human rights organizations, individuals, and potential services they can offer to the rest of the human rights community. A number of human rights activists in the Arab world undergo detention and torture because they defend human rights and reveal violations committed by authorities. There is an acute lack of mechanisms to safeguard the rights of human activists; and the Program is based on the framework of documenting the situation of activists, understanding their philosophy, and helping them to meet their needs. Objectives of the Program:
Here is how Mr. Haggag Ahmed Mahmoud Nail, the Executive Director APHRA, describes some of the tools that APHRA uses to promote human rights: APHRA uses several peaceful mechanisms in defending human rights activists in the Arab world, such as building solidarity campaigns regionally and internationally; issuing urgent appeals to the governments of activists in danger; and addressing and questioning ambassadors and other officials in the country's missions abroad. If activists were brought before a court, APHRA would dispatch lawyers to observe the trials. Recently, following a series of training courses for lawyers from the Gulf, North Africa, and the Middle East regions on internationally recognized fair trial standards, APHRA established a network of activist lawyers from all Arab states. The lawyers' network, in cooperation with APHRA correspondents throughout the region, reports on the arrests and trials of activists. FOREFRONT www.forefrontleaders.org Forefront is a global network of human rights defenders committed to promoting sustainable social change by providing protection and support to activists defending human rights in their communities. The members of the network come from diverse geographic, cultural, and political spheres, but face similar challenges in their communities. Forefront works with more than 50 human rights organizations in 30 countries around the world Forefront was founded in 1998 by human rights defenders to provide support and assistance to other defenders and their organizations around the world. Forefront works with more than 50 human rights organizations and provides these members with technical assistance, access to technology and funding, support, and training that emphasizes exchange between activists. Forefront responds to the needs of human rights groups for these resources in order to implement sustainable projects. Forefront is governed by a Board of Directors made up of grassroots human rights defenders with the primary purpose of channeling resources directly to local human rights groups. According the Forefront's mission statement, the most critical means of strengthening the work of human rights defenders is to facilitate the exchange of experiences and knowledge among peers. Forefront also believes that creating connections to the international community ensures the safety and security of activists and helps them overcome adversity. Forefront runs a variety of programs that focus on its three main objectives: protection, capacity-building, and connecting human rights defenders with the international community. The Protection Program works to ensure that human rights leaders can conduct their work safely and without restrictions and often involves the submitting of appeals to governments, the media, and other organizations; mobilizing of the human rights community, and helping members under persecution go into exile. Through the Capacity-Building program, Forefront provides organizational and training resources to partner human rights defenders. Finally, with the program aimed at connecting human rights defenders to the international community, Forefront increase the visibility of grassroots activists and provides opportunities for networking among them. One of the tools that Forefront uses to facilitate networking and exchange of information among the human rights activists is a Web-based community resources center, "Human Rights Connection." This multilingual online toolkit provides human rights activists with a place to read, post and download "how-to" information, articles and case studies on a wide range of issues, such as working with the media, planning an advocacy campaign, establishing and organization, and using technology. The Forefront Handbook Series also offers valuable resources and lessons in human right field. THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS / FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DES LINGES DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (FIDH) www.fidh.org/ FIDH is a federation of 141 human rights organizations in nearly 100 countries. FIDH coordinates and supports the activities of its member organizations that are promoting human rights in their respective countries. Additionally, FIDH provides members with a voice at the international level. Formed in 1922 in France, FIDH comprised of only 10 national organizations but has since grown internationally by connecting with other organizations to form a network. The goals of FIDH are to uphold the rights laid forth by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - civil, political, economical, social, and cultural rights. To do this, FIDH strives to:
To support civil society actions, FIDH organizes training seminars with its member organizations to strengthen the influence of local organizations, to improve their capacity for action as human rights defenders, and to improve their national credibility. Furthermore, FIDH meets every three years to elect the International Board, to grant affiliation to new members, and to set priorities for the organization. FIDH also takes part in constant lobbying activities and gives guidance and support to its 116 member organizations in their dealings with the intergovernmental organizations. By alerting international agencies to abuses of human rights, and by referring specific cases to them, FIDH increases international awareness and aids in the protection of victims world wide. A key part of the FIDH network is the dissemination of information. FIDH uses press releases or press conferences, open letters to Heads of State, mission reports, urgent appeals, and petitions to fight against abuses of human rights. A member database of organizations is available on the Web site to facilitate communication. HUMAN RIGHTS INTERNET www.hri.ca/index.aspx Human Rights Internet (HRI), headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, is committed to empowering human rights activists and organizations and educating governmental and intergovernmental agencies on human rights issues and the role of civil society. HRI is dedicated to using its Internet presence to disseminate the information and documents of the human rights community to members of that community around the globe. The objectives of HRI are to:
THE INTERNATIONAL HELSINKI FEDERATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS www.ihf-hr.org/welcome.php The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) is a self-governing group of nonprofit NGOs that act together to protect human rights throughout Europe, North America, and Central Asia. The primary goal of the Helsinki Federation is to monitor compliance with the human rights provisions of the Helsinki Act. The Helsinki Act is a politically and morally binding agreement that was signed in 1975 by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and links peace and security with the respect for human rights. In 1983, the IHF was founded by a number of the Helsinki committees to provide a structure through which the independent committees could support one another and strengthen the human rights movement by giving their efforts internationally. The Vienna-based IHF secretariat acts as a liaison between the 43 Helsinki committees and their affiliated human rights groups and represents the committees at the international political level. The IHF also maintains links with individuals and groups supporting human rights in countries without Helsinki committees to enhance their network. The IFH gathers and analyzes information on human rights conditions in participating OSCE states and distributes the information to governments, inter-governmental organizations, the press, and the public. The IHF Web site contains a member database and a searchable database of articles, publications, and other documents. In addition, the IHF is involved in specific projects in conjunction with other committees and affiliated organizations. The IFH is currently involved in the following projects: the North Caucasus Project, Legal Protection of Individual Rights in the Russian Federation, Women's Rights, Preventing Torture in the Closed Institutions of Central and Eastern Europe, Human Rights and Social Rehabilitation of Juveniles, and Improving the Human Rights Situation in Ukraine through Legal Aid Provided by NGOs. These projects involve information gathering and the production of reports, training exercises, and contact with relevant governmental and international organizations. About "What's Being Done On . . . " For three months at a time, we highlight the activities of various organizations in different global regions, and links to important resources, that are focused on a particular theme or area of democracy work. Each new theme is announced via DemocracyNews, and the information from the previous installment is placed in the archives below. We hope to receive and post information about the work you or others may be doing that is focused on these issues. Send information via e-mail to the or by fax to (202) 378-9889. |
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