We work to make visible and support the task of human rights defenders and denounce the persecution they suffer through education, awareness-raising and political and social advocacy with the goal of improving the knowledge, promotion and defence of human rights.
Twice a year, we invite a group of human rights defenders to Catalonia, that during two weeks participate in several activities of awareness-raising, political advocacy and communication with the goal of making their task known, as well as the importance of supporting their struggle.
The defence of human rights is an obligation that all democratic administrations must assume at the local and global levels. Municipalities have a fundamental role in the promotion and guarantee of human rights In solidarity and support with the fight for human rights that they promote and maintain around the world, we want to put in value the task of human rights defenders. Many of them have lost their lives because of their claims and their exercise of universal rights, and for questioning economic and political interests that motivate human rights violations by different agents. Many others have also lost their liberty and thousands are criminalized with the goal of silencing their task.
For these reasons, we claim the rights of human rights defenders to develop their tasks without facing risks of threats and we commit to spread awareness around their tasks, facilitate reflexion and debate and create support networks to increase their protection.
Tours: Twice a year, in spring and in autumn, a group of human rights defenders is invited to Catalonia to disseminate their task among the population. The activities they do during their stay are:
-Awareness raising activities in the municipalities. Human rights defenders give talks to schools and to adult citizenship to explain their fights.
-Inauguration events. In every tour there is an opening event in one of the municipalities that participate in the project. That way, human rights defenders and technicians and politicians from the municipalities have the opportunity to meet and share a space.
-Political advocacy meetings. In every tour there are meetings with political actors, both from the municipalities and from the government of Catalonia.
-Meeting spaces with social organizations. Likewise, human rights defenders have spaces of exchange with social Catalan organizations that work in their home countries.
-Media interviews. During their stay in Catalonia, human rights defenders offer interviews to the media, both local and generalist, and raise awareness about the work of their organizations and the context in their countries.
Every year, the city councils that participate in the project commit to maintain and improe public policies in support of human rights defenders, in solidarity with their engagement to promote and protect human rights from a principle of non-violence, and in rejection of the threats, persecution and killings they suffer. They do so through an institutional declaration.
A few months before the tours we prepare dossiers with interviews, contexts from their home countries and profile of the human rights defenders invited in the tour. Moreover, throughout the year, we follow and disseminate the situation and context of the defenders that have participated in the project.
We also promote joint campaigns to demand the liberation of human rights defenders that have been unjustly deprived of liberty because of their tasks and activism.
Moreover…
improve the empowerment and protection of human rights defenders strengthening their visibility and support networks at the international level through raising awareness and political and social advocacy.
promote knowledge about the roots, the situation and the effects of conflicts that are lived in the countries of origin of defenders, as well as the responsibility from the global north.
promote activism in defence of human rights among the Catalan citizenry.
