2019 in a Nutshell: Protection International Releases its Focus Stories

27 February 2020

How to summarise a year spent day by day next to those promoting and protecting human rights? Our Focus Stories, formerly Top Impact stories, showcase some emblematic examples of how slowly but steadily we are taking incremental steps towards greater respect for the right to defend human rights. Within this short leaflet, we’ve highlighted just a few of the many memorable moments of another year filled with ambitious objectives tangibly.

Brussels, 27th February 2020 – On World Non-Governmental Organisation Day, we celebrate, commemorate, and support civil society organizations promoting and protecting human rights, good governance, democracy, and the rule of law. For this reason, Protection International decided to release today our Focus Stories, formerly Top Impact stories, to showcase some emblematic examples of how, together with plenty of other Non-profit organizations, movements, and communities worldwide, we are, slowly but steadily, taking incremental steps towards greater respect for the right to defend human rights.

In our Focus Stories 2019:

First-Ever Women Human Rights Defenders International Day Observed in Indonesia

On the 28th and 29th of November 2019, celebrations took place in numerous locations in Jakarta to mark International Women’s Human Rights Defenders Day as well as to raise awareness about the difficult situations that women face when acting to promote or protect human rights. Protection International coordinated initiatives of various organizations to amplify the voices of WHRDs in the community and draw the Indonesian public’s attention.

New Regional Hub for AfricaOfficially Launched in Kenya

On the 3rd December 2019, Protection International officially launched a new initiative: its new Regional Protection Hub for Africa. As the first Regional Hub, PI Africa will work out of Nairobi with Africa’s grassroots communities, journalists and activists who are exposed to great risks for speaking truth to power by establishing networks with key stakeholders in order to promote their protection.

Provincial Edit to Protect W/HRDs and Journalists Adopted in North Kivu, DR Congo

On the 11th of November 2019, the provincial assembly of North Kivu finally adopted a new edict protecting W/HRDs.Protection International has accompanied and technically supported the advocacy work throughout this legal and political process for the whole province of North Kivu. With the adoption of this provincial edict, a fundamental step was taken towards the effective recognition of the fundamental right to defend human rights in the DR Congo.

Guatemalan W/HRDs Harness the Power of Communication

Local W/HRD communicators in communities across San Pedro Carchá, Alta Verapaz, harnessed the power of communication to defend their rights. Through a partnership between Protection International and the Guatemalan Federation of Radio Schools (FGER), a W/HRD from each community took part in various trainings. Six community members took on roles as local communicators by applying their training to raise awareness of the collective rights work of the community.