The President’s Report: A Year of Listening and Learning

Dear Fund community, 

Looking back over my first year at the Fund for Global Human Rights, my immediate impression is that this year has gone by fast! Since joining the Fund, I have met with activists, donors, and allies from our community; joined my colleagues at an all-staff retreat; and participated in the momentous commemoration of 75 years of the Univeral Declaration of Human Rights at events like the Paris Peace Forum and Human Rights Day in San Francisco. I have engaged deeply with our programmatic work around the world, and I am proud to know that together we are funding incredibly brave and resourceful activism that is deeply rooted in communities. The diversity, depth, and power of the work we support continues to humble and inspire me.

It takes time to get a real feel for an organization. I would like to thank all involved in the effort to make this leadership transition as thoughtful and smooth as possible. I feel well equipped and ready to work together with our passionate team to strengthen human rights activism around the world.

Today, the context of the human rights landscape is in flux. It has become clearer than ever that the international rules-based system, created in the wake of World War II, is not being respected. For millions the world over, the devastating war in Gaza symbolizes a dire moral failure to uphold human rights. The blatant disregard of international human rights law in a growing number of countries is having profound consequences that will continue to unfold for years to come.

At the same time, in what might be considered an important marker of democracy, a sizeable proportion of the world population is voting this year. These elections have so far produced predictable results in many geographies but surprises in others. While authoritarian leaders have been declared winners in some countries with increasingly unsteady democratic systems, movements for inclusive democracy have also achieved important gains. But cynicism and disillusionment with democratic values is a worrying trend; according to the Open Society Barometer, young people, especially young men, are increasingly attracted to authoritarianism.

This crisis, while deeply troubling, is at the same time an opportunity to reset the broken system that brought us here. There is no room for nostalgia. The inequality of power, agency, and voice is on full display. At the Fund, we must do what we do best—listen deeply for what the current crises signal and support human rights activists around the world to build a more inclusive democratic future that counters the patriarchal, racist, classist, colonial, heteronormative system that is now in crisis. That system was predicated on power asymmetries, and it must be challenged with a view to the world we want to see.  

If we are to truly realize the goals ratified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we must embrace deep systemic changes, particularly in the face of the climate crisis. There is a growing understanding that unmitigated extractive capitalism is incompatible with preserving the natural world and averting climate catastrophe. Solutions to this challenging moment are coming not from global leaders but rather from responsive and creative activists affected most by the issues. We invest in the power of these activists to effect change and we are well positioned to sustain our support in these difficult times.  

Looking ahead, the Fund must ensure that we are equipped to be responsive to this changing moment and best suited to support the priorities of our grantee partners. Already, we are listening deeply to our community of stakeholders, reviewing our own learning journey as an organization, and engaging in discussions to seek alignment on what is core about the Fund’s purpose and identity. Our model of grantmaking and accompaniment, as always, looks to those most affected by human rights violations to lead the way. As a truly global organization, we have the expertise necessary to reach activists who are challenging entrenched power structures in some of the most challenging contexts in the world. And we are ready and able to support their visions for change.

I look forward to continuing this essential work—together. 

Warmly,

Gabriela Bucher

President and CEO, Fund for Global Human Rights