On Monday 8 December Front Line and The Body Shop launched their joint campaign, Defending Life with Life. The campaign will run from 8 December to 23 December in all branches of The Body Shop in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and seven key branches of The Body Shop in the UK

Further Information

The campaign was launched by RTE's Miriam O'Callaghan at the opening of the Defending Life With Life exhibition which is being hosted by the European Commission in their offices at 18 Dawson St. The exhibition of stunning photographs of human rights defenders, by Mark Condren of The Sunday Tribune, can be visited every weekday from 10.00am to 4.00pm. The campaign aims to highlight the work being done by human rights defenders around the world, who every day choose to put their own life on the line in defense of the rights of others.

All branches of The Body Shop in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as well as seven key branches of The Body Shop in the UK will be participating in the the campaign. Each branch of The Body Shop will carry information posters and leaflets on the work of Front Line to protect human rights defenders at risk.

Each store will also have an action centre where members of the public can sign a card on behalf of a human rights defender. Front Line will collect all the cards and deliver them to the embassies of the country concerned as part of our lobbying work.

In addition members of the public can log on to the Front Line website and take action on-line. They can also make a donation to the Front Line Protection Fund. The Protection Fund provides security grants to human rights defenders at risk so they can install security systems for their offices. It covers medical expenses for tortured defenders, observers of trials, mobile phones, laptop computers, security cameras in offices, bullet proof vests, relocation to safe-houses, emergency evacuation, and other elements related to the security needs of human rights defenders.

AND IT WORKS

“The support we received from Front Line has directly affected the security of our three workers because we were able to remove them in a situation that would have cost them their lives” A human rights defender in Bangladesh

This campaign is timed to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on Behalf of Human Rights Defenders.