Posts Tagged ‘meeting’
December 6, 2014
Six prominent human rights defenders who participated in the ICJ’s Geneva Forum 2014 give their views on judicial protection of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) as well as on what needs to be changed to address obstacles to guarantee an effective remedy for victims of violations of their socio-economic rights:
- Jacqueline Dugard
- Hina Jilani
- Rodrigo Uprimny Yepes
- Gilles Badet
- Alejandra Ancheita (MEA Laureate 2014) and
- Harsh Mander
To see these short videos made by THF go to: On video: prominent voices from the Geneva Forum 2014 | ICJ.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, ICJ | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Alejandra Ancheita, economic, film clips, Geneva Forum (ICJ), Gilles Badet, Harsh Mander, Hinah Jilani, Human Rights Defenders, ICJ, images, International Commission of Jurists, Jacqueline Dugard, MEA laureate 2014, meeting, Rodrigo Uprimny Yepes, Social and Cultural Rights, social economic and cultural rights, THF, video clips
December 1, 2014
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Business and human rights, corporate accountability, environmental issues, forum, General Assembly, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR, meeting, Michel Forst, resource extraction, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, UN Human Rights Council, United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
November 2, 2014
In December 2013, the Swiss Government became one of the few countries to issue specific Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (http://www.humanrights.ch/en/switzerland/foreign-affairs/human-rights-foreign-policy/multilateral-policy/switzerland-guidelines-protection-human-rights-defenders). As in the case of all guidelines, the real test is in the implementation and on 12 June 2014, the Centre for Peacebuilding (KOFF) at Swisspeace organized a conference on the protection of HRDs, which brought together HRDs from Guatemala, Honduras, Serbia, Russia and Sri Lanka, Swiss government officials and representatives of Swiss civil society in order to give consideration to the different challenges that exist when it comes to HRD protection and, in particular, implementation of the Swiss guidelines.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in books, Human Rights Defenders | 2 Comments »
Tags: Centre for Peacebuilding (KOFF), Civil society, conference, diplomatic action, EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders, foreign policy of Switzerland, Guatemala, guidelines, Honduras, Human Rights Defenders, international protection, meeting, OSCE Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders, Russia, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Swiss Government, Swisspeace
October 28, 2014
organises on 9-10 December 2014 its annual Human Rights Forum. It takes place in the Newseum in Washington DC, USA. Several panels are of direct relevance to human rights defenders, such as:
- Show Them the Money: What are the Lifelines for Civil Society in a Sea of Restrictions? More and more governments – and not only authoritarian ones – are finding ways to close the space for independent civil society groups, especially those critical of government policies. As part of this effort, governments have developed sophisticated methods to undermine the credibility of international –especially American – support for local human rights and democracy organizations. Russia and Egypt are leading the way; each has passed laws restricting access by independent civil society groups to foreign funding, which is essential to their existence. How should the U.S. government and other donors respond to these coordinated efforts to restrict human rights and democracy activists? Given the legal landscape, is foreign funding for NGOs even possible anymore?
- Progress and Backlash in the Global Struggle for LGBT Equality Human rights advocates often describe achieving full equality for LGBT people as the next chapter in the struggle for universal human rights. For many years, this movement appeared to be one of steady gains, but we are now facing a moment of profound backlash. LGBT citizens of Russia, India, and Nigeria have seen a sharp curtailment of their rights. In many cases, this is part of a larger attack on civil society, marked by laws and policies aimed at limiting freedom of expression, freedom of association, and other basic rights. The countries in question may see themselves as in conflict with the West and its values; support for such laws is often driven by anti-Western sentiment. How can the United States respond to this development in ways that will improve the lives of LGBT people worldwide?
- NGOs as the Enemy Within? Human rights defenders face particular challenges when their societies mobilize for war. In such circumstances, questioning government policies can be characterized as disloyalty or siding with the enemy. Human rights defenders become targets of defamation, persecution, and violence. The universal values they are seeking to uphold are themselves called into question and undermined. Does the U.S. government have a role in preserving the rights of activists espousing what may be deeply unpopular points of view in times of public fear and conflict?
For more information and to enroll: http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/event/human-rights-summit
Posted in HRF, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: funding restrictions, HRF, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights First, Human Rights Forum, legal restrictions, LGBTI, meeting, Newseum, USA
October 20, 2014
As from tomorrow, 21 October, you can follow the 2014 Oslo Freedom Forum [OFF] in real time at www.oslofreedomforum.com. This year’s theme—“Defeating Dictators”—will explore nonviolent ways to challenge these regimes and stop other countries from falling under the rule of a strongman. Panel discussions are on “Tyrants and Technology” and “Dangerous Words”
OFF speakers include Egyptian comedian and TV host Bassem Youssef; Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez; Ukrainian pro-democracy activist Yulia Marushevska; North Korean refugee and rights activist Hyeonseo Lee; Mexican journalist Marcela Turati Muñoz; and Jordanian comic book artist Suleiman Bakhit. The forum will conclude on Wednesday, October 22, with the presentation of the Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent to Turkish performance artist and “Standing Man” Erdem Gunduz, Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen (represented by his wife Lhamo Tso), and Nadezdha Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, members of the Russian feminist punk rock collective Pussy Riot [https://thoolen.wordpress.com/tag/vaclav-havel-prize-for-creative-dissent/]
Interesting novelty (to get more people to follow the forum on-line) is a s
ocial media contest on how the speakers inspire the audience. One winner will join the 2015 Oslo Freedom Forum in person.
The full program can be viewed here: 2014 Oslo Freedom Forum | Events | Oslo Freedom Forum.
Posted in awards, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Foundation | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Bassem Youssef, bloggers, cartoons, Dhondup Wangchen, Erdem Gunduz, human rights award, Human Rights Foundation, Hyeonseo Lee, Marcela Turati Muñoz, meeting, Oslo Freedom Forum, Pussy Riot, social media, streaming, Suleiman Bakhit, Vaclav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent, Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent, Yoani Sánchez, Yulia Marushevska
October 18, 2014
On 10 November 2014 will take place the 2nd Werner Lottje Lecture. This annual event – organised by Bread for the World and the German Institute for Human Rights – honors one of Germany’s most influential and visionary human rights defenders, who died in 2004 [see: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/tag/werner-lottje/]. As Werner Lottje was one of the founders of the Martin Ennals Award, the organisers have in mind to invite every year one of the Final Nominees of the MEA as main speaker. The theme this year is again directly linked to Human Rights Defenders (“Current challenges in the Protection of HRDs”) . The main elements in the programme are: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in awards, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, MEA | 1 Comment »
Tags: Alejandra Ancheita, Berlin, Bread for the World, business, corporate accountability, Frank Schwabe, German Institute for Human Rights, German parliament, Germany, Human Rights Defenders, indigenous groups, Julia Duchrow, Martin Ennals Award, MEA laureate 2014, meeting, Michael Windfuhr, Michel Forst, social economic and cultural rights, Werner Lottje, Werner Lottje lecture
May 22, 2014
On Tuesday 27 May 2014, will take place a Conference on the human rights situation in Belarus, from 14h00 –17h00 in the International Conference Centre in Geneva (room 3)
Speakers include:
- Florian Irminger, Human Rights House Foundation
- Tatsiana Reviaka, Human Rights Centre “Viasna” and Belarusian Human Rights House
- Aleh Hulak, Belarusian Helsinki Committee
- Anna Gerasimova, Belarusian Human Rights House
- Volodymyr Yavorskyy, Working group on the development of the Guidelines on Definition of Political Prisoner
- Andrzej Poczobut, journalist
- Nicolas Agostini, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
- Andrei Paluda, Human Rights Centre “Viasna”
- Pavel Levinau, Belarusian Helsinki Committee
- Natallia Pinchuk, wife of Belarus political prisoner Ales Bialaitski
- Marina Adamovich, wife of Belarus political prisoner Mikola Statkevich
For more information contact: anna.innocenti[at]humanrightshouse.org
The meeting is cosponsored by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, FIDH, Civicus, Belarusian Human Rights House and the Human Rights House Foundation.
Posted in AI, FIDH, HRW, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: AI, Ales Bialaitski, Anna Gerasimova, Belarus, Belarusian Human Rights House, CIVICUS, conference, FIDH, Geneva, HRW, Human Rights House Foundation, human rights situation, meeting, political prisoners, Viasna Human Rights Centre
May 6, 2014
While not directly about Human Rights Defenders, this workshop organised by the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN and others (see below) is of great importance to HRDs as they are the ones who provide most of the information to the Treaty Bodies, and are often the victims of the violations reported, including reprisals against them for having cooperated. Thus, this meeting on “The outcome of the treaty body strengthening process: Lessons learnt, implications and implementation” should be of interest to all. It takes place on 9 May 2014, 9.30am to 1pm in Room XXII, Palais des Nations, Geneva. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, UN | 1 Comment »
Tags: Andrew Clapham, Geneva, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, international human rights law, international human rights treaties, meeting, Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN, reprisals, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, treaty bodies, UN
December 21, 2013
The Brussels-based NGO ‘Protection International’ held a Global meeting, from 18 to 22 November 2013, bringing teams from the field and its Brussels headquarters together in Mombassa, Kenya. The meeting was an opportunity for teams from Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Thailand to exchange and compare their experiences, strategies and knowledge on security management and the protection of defenders. During the meeting topics were addressed such as the conceptual framework for research on community protection networks, the psychosocial care of human rights defenders, and the use of outcome mapping to strengthen the monitoring of the work done with communities and civil society organizations. The contents of a “Facilitators Guide on protection for human rights defenders” – to be published in early 2014 – was also discussed. [The Global Meeting follows an earlier Latin American Regional Meeting held in August in Guatemala]
via PI Global Meeting in Kenya: Strengthening Protection networks | | Protection InternationalProtection International.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Protection International | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Africa, Brussels, civil society organisations, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, Human Rights Defenders, international protection, Kenya, Latin America, meeting, Mombasa, NGO 'Protection International, PI, Protection International, psychosocial care, strategy, Thailand
November 10, 2013
The Assam Tribune Online of 9 November provides us with an interesting illustration of how a combination of: (a) local activism, (b) introduction by an international NGO, and (c) invitation to an EU meeting can have result: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: activism, Assam, Assam State Government, Civil society, EU-NGO Forum on Human Rights, Front Line Defenders, Human Rights Defenders, India, Indigenous rights, international NGO, KMSS, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, meeting, Tarun Gogoi, The Assam Tribune Online
Six prominent human rights defenders who participated in the ICJ’s Geneva Forum 2014 give their views on judicial protection of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) as well as on what needs to be changed to address obstacles to guarantee an effective remedy for victims of violations of their socio-economic rights:
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 