Tactics and tools for the protection
of Human Rights Defenders

23 May 2011

Human Rights defenders are often in a weak position standing up against powerful interests (as this and other blogs often illustrate). Still they are not without their own resources and support as shown by e.g. New Tactics. This organisation, with the help of Jane Barry and other practitioners, is offering an online dialogue on Being Well and Staying Safe from June 22 to 28, 2011.

The nature of their work exposes human rights defenders to distressing and threatening situations. The need to take care of one’s self is extremely important, as is the need to take care of, protect and support each other. Human rights defenders cannot be well without being safe. Likewise, they cannot truly be safe without being well. Often, security is thought of as a stand-alone concept, rooted in the set, militaristic concepts of war and conflict. Human rights defenders are defining a new concept of security – one that comes from a feminist and anti-militarist standpoint. Women in Black have defined security as including: freedom from constant threats, economic security, political security, environmental security, and health security. How would a new, more integrated and holistic definition of security impact the human rights community?

This online dialogue is an opportunity to further explore the ways in which well-being and security are mutually inclusive for human rights defenders. This is a space to discuss how these issues and concepts relate to gender, identity, human rights work, budgeting and fundraising.

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