Latin America’s Environmental Defenders Find Themselves in the Crosshairs
Environmental defenders, whose work often includes land and resource rights, the rights of indigenous communities, and both state and nonstate threats to healthy environments, are among the human rights defenders most at risk. A report by Global Witness states that Latin America is the most dangerous region, and Honduras the most dangerous country, for environmental defenders. Of the 185 killed worldwide in 2015, 122 were in Latin America, while in Honduras 12 were killed in 2014 alone.
We must find new ways to protect human rights defenders
December 10, 2016 By James Savage, Program Officer at the Fund for Global Human Rights, and Iva Dobichina at Open Society Foundations. This post originally appeared in the Guardian; article reposted with permission. In 2018 we will mark the 20th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which recognises the role and guarantees the […]
In the Name of Security: When Silencing Active Citizens Creates Even Greater Problems
The global governance frameworks around counterterrorism and international development have framed the role, value and impact of civil society as a critical ally but also, more recently, as a threat. At best, donor governments have acknowledged civil society as a key partner in fostering development, peace and security. At worst, some aid recipient governments have sought to limit the role of development and human rights groups only to delivering public services, or they view civil society as an enabler for funding terrorist groups. Yet there are opportunities for civil society actors to use counterterrorism and development policies and processes to their advantage.
Closing Space for Civil Society and Cross-Border Philanthropy
Members of the Ariadne-IHRFG Donor Working Group on Cross-Border Philanthropy, including Fund staff David B. Mattingly and Poonam Joshi, discuss the worrying trend around the world of legislation that puts restrictions on funding and narrows the space for civil society organizations.
Supporting Locally-Rooted Organizations: The Work of the Fund for Global Human Rights in Mexico
Ana Paula Hernandez, Program Officer for Latin America, is published in the Sur International Journal on Human Rights. Read her article on the Fund's grant-making strategy in Mexico.
Supporting grassroots activism in Guatemala
Regan Ralph is published in Alliance Magazine. Read her article about how the Fund took strategic risks in developing its grant-making program in Guatemala.