I Defend Rights: Shifting the Narrative about Human Rights Defenders and Civil Society Globally is a project of the Norwegian Human Rights Fund and Memria.org, in collaboration with numerous partners around the world (see the list of partners below).
It is about collecting audio accounts from human rights defenders to create a global archive of recordings of their experiences working on the front lines defending the rights of others. We will then develop multiple ways to share many of these audio recordings with much broader audiences, such as through exhibits and using social media platforms. Any defender (including you!) can participate and easily:
- It only takes a few minutes.
- You can re-record as many times as you want.
- We will ask you a few simple questions.
- You can remain anonymous.
- We will not ask you to reveal sensitive information.
Partners:
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-ASIA)
Amnesty International (Stand Up for the Brave)
Réseau Ouest Africain des Défenseurs des Droits Humains/West African Human Rights Defenders Network;
World Organization Against Torture (OMCT)
ESCR-Net – International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
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Michel Forst the United Nations Special Rapporteur endorses the project with the following message:
The “I Defend Rights” project will make audible the voices of hundreds of Human Rights Defenders from every part of the world. By collecting these recordings, the project team will build a massive public audio archive. They are then committed to working with defenders and other partners to disseminate and share these narratives through creative communications strategies. This project will contribute to our shared goal of shifting the global narrative about the thousands of ordinary women and men who promote human rights.
This project helps show how diverse and multiple the human rights community is and how courageous and valuable human rights defenders are in securing rights for all of us, sometimes at great risk. Human rights activists are not enemies of the societies they live in, they are not anti-development or threats to national security as many governments try to depict them. On the contrary, they actively contribute to peace, democracy, and sustainable development. They are agents of positive change. The project will also help us understand why we need to collectively recognize and protect them.
If you peacefully defend human rights, I urge you to take a few moments to sign up at the top of this website. You will then receive an email and be able to respond to a few questions and add your audio recording to this archive and project. It only takes a few minutes.
With thanks.
Michel Forst
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 