Word from the Chair and the Executive Director from the 2019 annual report.
We have seen a challenging year with negative changes in the work environment for many of our grantees, with many of them having to risk their wellbeing, their security and even lives for the important work they do. They confront these challenges by continuing to work day-by-day to strengthen the roots of change. We believe that the seeds of change planted by grantees every day will result in a robust and forceful defense for future generations.
As this annual report demonstrates, our grantees and local human rights defenders are continuing to stand up and fight for a future of equality and dignity for all. For some, their work centers on ensuring that vulnerable workers have safe and dignified work environments, for others it’s providing psychosocial support for families of the disappeared and seeking justice for victims of torture and others are leading movements for gender equality.
"We believe that the seeds of change planted by grantees every day will result in a robust and forceful defense for future generations."
Establishing links, coordinating and collaborating on the local and national levels to create better working conditions for civil society and human rights defenders are crucial to strengthening the work and moving it forward. For this work, we support grantees who build networks and equip and empower defenders with the tools and skills needed for their work; who advocate for positive laws or the prevention of restrictive laws to protect or enable a thriving civil society; and others who provide relief, support and legal representation for human rights activists in cases of arbitrary arrests, detention or when they’re facing threats.
Our grantees’ work is interlinked and reinforcing; success in one struggle impacts and can lead to success in another. Their work is driven by the needs on the ground and thus it comes in many forms, but the efforts to contribute to make positive and structural changes and the realization of human rights are shared by all.
In 2019, the Norwegian government led an adoption of a new resolution on environmental human rights defenders – a critically important response during one of the most dangerous and even deadly points in recent history for human rights defenders, especially those who fight for natural resources, the rights of indigenous peoples and against environmentally detrimental megaprojects. Our long-time partner, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, released a report on the gendered experiences of women human rights defenders and another highlighting impunity for violations against human rights defenders. Working together with our partners, we are able to see the reality of the dire situation for people on the front lines working for change, which leads us to seek to increase our support to and solidarity with their work.
During 2019, the NHRF created strategic partnerships that increased the financial base for the years to come. We know this will be indispensable for local and front-line human rights defenders and for investing in the realization of human rights for the most vulnerable and marginalized. With these increased resources and with support from our partners, we will continue to invest and sow seeds that we believe will lead to long-term positive change.
John Peder Egenæs
Chair of the Board
Amnesty International Norway
Sandra Petersen
Executive Director
The Norwegian Human Rights Fund (NHRF)
Photo: The struggle for land and environmental rights in Thailand - NHRF partner Assembly of the Poor (Photo: Mónica Orjulea/NHRF).