In 2019, Front Line Defenders traveled to Manipur, one of the states in the northeast region of India. The state is under the jurisdiction of the Armed Forces (Assam and Manipur) Special Powers Act of 1958, which effectively enables the Indian Army to maintain an ongoing presence in all areas of the state and to place all civilians under an effective rule by martial law. Under this Act, thousands of Manipuri civilians have been detained, jailed, tortured and extra judiciously killed by the armed forces and associated paramilitary forces.
The EU Guidelines of Human Rights Defenders (2004) provide practical actions for EU staff in Brussels and in human rights defenders’ (HRDs) home countries to support and protect HRDs. While useful, the Guidelines do not contain recommendations or actions that consider the varied experiences of women human rights defenders (WHRDs) with regard to gender, sexuality, race, class, family life, etc.
Dispatches 2019 presents the work Front Line Defenders has undertaken around the world for the protection and security of human rights defenders at risk in 2019, including the impact of grants, training, advocacy, visibility, rest & respite and other programs. In 2019, Front Line Defenders hosted 114 HRDs at the biennial Dublin Platform; presented its annual Awards to 5 LGBTI+ rights defenders in honor of the 50th annivesary of the Stonewall Uprising; and provided 626 protection grants to HRDs around the world.
Human rights defenders at risk often find it difficult to talk about their mental and emotional wellbeing, even when they are concerned about it. Cultures of human rights practice tend to emphasise self-sacrifice, heroism, and martyrdom. These norms inhibit defenders from expressing their anxieties and seeking help.
Produced with the support of the European Union, designed for cartoonists and available on the Cartooning for Peace website, this document brings together advice and information that can guide those who face specific or persistent threats because of their profession. With tips, testimonies and useful links, it focuses as much on risk prevention as on the response to threats and attacks.
Global Analysis 2019 details the physical assaults, defamation campaigns, digital security threats, judicial harassment, and gendered attacks faced by HRDs and women human rights defenders (WHRDs) around the world. As recent events from Hong Kong to Baghdad have demonstrated, HRDs are at the forefront of social change and face significant threats and risks for doing so – whether demanding civil and political freedoms or protecting the environment and combating climate change.
The 2019 Dublin Platform was held from 2 to 4 October in Dublin Castle and convened 114 human rights defenders (HRDs) from 90 countries, along with a wide range of other international guests. This remarkable gathering provides HRDs with an opportunity to amplify their voices internationally and to major stakeholders in the human rights field and learn effective strategies to help protect them in their work.
Human rights defenders at risk often find it difficult to talk about their mental and emotional wellbeing, even when they are concerned about it. Cultures of human rights practice tend to emphasise self-sacrifice, heroism, and martyrdom. These norms inhibit defenders from expressing their anxieties and seeking help.
