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OBJECTIVE |
To understand the definition of an HRD, and how being known as a HRD can protect you and help your work |
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TIMING |
1 hour |
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MATERIALS NEEDED |
Flip charts & marker pens |
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HANDOUT |
About Human Rights Defenders, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights |
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FURTHER READING |
UN Fact Sheet No 29: Human Rights Defenders: Protecting the Right to Defend Human Rights Declaration on Human Rights Defenders 1998 |
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PREPARATION |
Objectives written on flip charts/slide |
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WHEN TO USE THIS SESSION |
This session is most useful when some or all of the participants are unlikely to be familiar with the terminology of HRD |
Module 6: Who is a Human Rights Defender?
When planning and facilitating this session, it is important to consistently apply an intersectional lens to each participant's identity and experiences, and their protection needs. Overlapping systems of discrimination and privilege, such as gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, racial and/or ethnic origin, economic status/class, marital status, citizenship, age and physical appearance, can have a profound impact on human rights defenders' and their communities' perception of and experience with risks and protection.
Introduction:
- You may have heard the term ‘Human Right Defender’ but are unclear what it means
- Some HRDs do not understand that the work that they do is to defend human rights – this is particularly true for women HRDs in rural areas, and those working for economic, social and cultural rights
- Clearly identifying as an HRD can bring protection and support
- In a few cases, an HRD may not wish to be called an HRD (eg a journalist who is also an HRD may only wish to be known as a journalist), however it is very useful to understand the benefits of being known as an HRD
Tip:
Some of the discussions may become contentious if participants discuss whether people they know are or are not HRDs. Bring the discussion back to the principles, rather than the specifics.
“To be a human rights defender, a person can act to address any human right (or rights) on behalf of individuals or groups. Human rights defenders seek the promotion and protection of civil and political rights as well as the promotion, protection and realization of economic, social and cultural rights. Human rights defenders address any human rights concerns, which can be as varied as, for example, summary executions, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, female genital mutilation, discrimination, employment issues, forced evictions, access to health care, and toxic waste and its impact on the environment. Defenders are active in support of human rights as diverse as the rights to life, to food and water, to the highest attainable standard of health, to adequate housing, to a name and a nationality, to education, to freedom of movement and to non-discrimination. They sometimes address the rights of categories of persons, for example women’s rights, children’s rights, the rights of indigenous persons, the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons, and the rights of national, linguistic or sexual minorities”.
Source: Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/SRHRDefenders/Pages/Defender.aspx)
Quiz:
Tip
If you know the background of the participants, change the quiz questions to reflect the questions most likely to be raised
Divide the participants into groups of approximately 4 people each (trying to keep diversity in experience of being an HRD, gender identity and sexual orientation, location etc) and give them the quiz sheet. If the participants are unlikely to know most of the answers, you could give them the handout so they can find them out for themselves (then you will need to allow more time) otherwise give out the handout at the end).
Give the participants approximately 20 minutes for the quiz.
Question 1:
Which of the following may an HRD work on (you can choose more than one):
a) women’s rights to equality before the law
b) the rights of indigenous persons to land
c) the rights of sexual minorities
d) leading protests against corruption which have been banned by the state
Question 2:
Which of these may be an HRD?
a) someone who works in a national human rights organisation documenting abuses of human rights
b) a person with a disability who voluntarily helps others with disabilities to claim their rights
c) someone who says that women do not have equal rights to men
d) someone who carries a weapon
Question 3:
What are the benefits of being known as an HRD? You can choose more than one answer:
a) increased funding
b) being covered by the UN Declaration of Human Rights Defenders
c) being able to apply for protection measures from regional mechanisms such as the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights
d) the possibility of being nominated for prizes, eg the Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at risk
Personal declarations:
At the end of this session, ask each participant to make a statement:
“I am an HRD because I work to/for……” to personalise the session and own the term HRD.
Answers
Question 1:
All of them. For (d) if a right is in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or other international standards including the International Covenants such as freedom of association, working for it, regardless of national law, is deemed human rights work. Note that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states that laws against expression of gender identity and sexual orientation are a violation of human rights.
Question 2:
(a) and (b).
For (c), anyone who speaks against the universality of human rights – including for women and sexual minorities – would not be seen as an HRD. An HRD does not need to work for all the rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but they should accept the principle of universality. For (d) HRDs are non-violent. Carrying a gun, even for self-protection, is a threat. In very dangerous situations, HRDs may consider having bodyguards, as well as taking other precautions to reduce risks.
Question 3:
(b), (c) and (d)
Although the Declaration is not a legally binding instrument, it contains rights that are based on other legally binding standards. Its adoption by consensus at the UN General Assembly gives it strong moral power.
For (a), being known as an HRD will likely raise your profile, may improve protection and bring the possibility of more funding opportunities.
