DUBLIN-BASED HUMAN rights organisation Front Line is appealing for donations to help fund protection schemes for human rights defenders across the world.
Launching Front Line’s new international protection fund during the final day of its biannual conference yesterday, director Mary Lawlor said the organisation hoped to raise €310,000 this year to boost an existing scheme which offers grants to strengthen the protection of activists and campaigners in danger because of their work.
“Front Line guarantees that every cent donated to the fund will only be used to meet the immediate security needs of human rights defenders at risk,” Ms Lawlor added.
Examples of the kinds of projects to be funded include temporary relocation costs or the rental of safe houses for human rights defenders in danger; legal and medical costs for those who have been attacked; and security systems and bulletproof glass for the offices and homes of activists who have been targeted.
“When we started this security programme in 2001, we would have been spending about €100,000 a year,” said Front Line’s Jim Loughran. “That has now more than doubled but we want to upgrade it further because we see this as being a fundamental issue.”
Last year, Front Line provided 154 security grants. More than 500 human rights defenders benefited from the organisation’s protection support. “Protection grants can be turned around if needed within 24 hours and are one of the most effective ways of ensuring the safety of human rights defenders and enabling them to continue their work without the fear of harassment, intimidation or arrest,” said Ms Lawlor. “When human rights defenders feel they have a good friend at the international level, it can help to ease the psychological pressure that comes from living and working in a climate of fear.”
This week’s conference brought together more than 100 activists and campaigners from countries including Iran, Russia, Yemen, India, Nigeria, Guatemala, Burma and Afghanistan.