María Magdalena Tun didn’t choose to become a human rights defender. But when private companies started evicting local communities in her region, polluting the rivers and destroying the forests, she realised she could not sit idly by: she had to defend the rights of her people.
On World Environment Day, we honour the struggle of Guatemalan HRDs who are risking their life to defend environmental rights
Two weeks ago, indigenous and land rights defender Carlos Maaz Coc attended a peaceful demonstration in El Estor, Guatemala. Together with other fishermen and farmers, he was protesting against the contamination caused by nickel mining projects in his region.
Search and Rescue organisations patrolling the Libyan coasts have saved thousands of lives that European border policies left to perish.
Despite their life-saving work, the employees and volunteers of these NGOs are routinely accused of colluding with traffickers and helping immigrants to illegally enter Europe.
On 17 April, Kazim Kizil went to film a protest in Izmir, Turkey. People were demonstrating against irregularities in the voting process for the constitutional referendum, which granted president Recep Tayyip Erdogan new sweeping powers.
The rally didn’t last long. Police intervened and detained around 20 people. Kazim was one of them. His camera was seen as a threat: the Turkish authorities did not want anyone documenting the crackdown.
Dispatches 2016 presents the work Front Line Defenders has undertaken around the world for the protection and security of human rights defenders at risk in 2016, including the impact of grants, training, advocacy, visibility, rest & respite and other programs, as well as the launch of the HRD Memorial, honoring HRDs killed since the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders in 1998.
A publication of the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition, this manual is motivated by the courageous activism of people—and in particular, women—around the world who dare to resist, to fight for what we believe is right, and to put our lives on the line for justice, accountability and fairness.
This guide gives an outline of what UN agencies can do locally to provide protection for human rights defenders. It aims to give practical and helpful suggestions on how to engage constructively with the UN. It is also meant to encourage UN agencies and UN officials to implement their commitments to human rights and human rights defenders.
Ana Maria has helped hundreds of Dominicans of Haitian descent reclaim their rights, and resist racism and discrimination. Lorraine leads innovative education initiatives, to raise awareness about environmental rights in communities affected by coal mining in South Africa. Nisha successfully challenged a law discriminating against transgender people in Malaysia, and set up the first organisation providing support to the trans community in her country.
This guide gives an outline of what UN agencies can do locally to provide protection for human rights defenders. It aims to give practical and helpful suggestions on how to engage constructively with the UN. It is also meant to encourage UN agencies and UN officials to implement their commitments to human rights and human rights defenders.
根据这份报告，在25个国家中有282名人权捍卫者遇害，其中49％的人权捍卫者从事保护土地、土著人权利和环境权利的工作。在绝大多数情况下，人权捍卫者事先都收到了警告、死亡威胁和恐吓，尽管他们向警方报了案，但他们的报告经常被忽略。除了谋杀，前线卫士2016年报告中有一半以上案例涉及到刑事罪名，这是“政府迫使人权捍卫者噤声和警告他人的首选方法”。
