Grassroots human rights defenders

A vital aspect of the Toolkit Organisers network is sharing knowledge between HRDs. This week, Junia shared best practices on effective campaigning as an advocacy strategy and supported the team in practically creating a vision and problem identification.

In 2022, Junia attended a Fellowship for human rights defenders at Dundee University. He worked on well-being and expanded his networks and knowledge of best practices in advocacy. Upon his return, he shared his experiences with the Toolkit Organisers in the session.

The Missing Voices 2022 Annual Report Accountability now was launched on 24 March 2023, the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. Missing Voices documented 130 cases of police killings and 22 cases of enforced disappearances in 2022, bringing the total number to 152.

A group of Kenyan artists affected by extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances is using its talents to spotlight the abuses. They speak truth to power, risking their lives to bring a just society. 

In October, ten HRDs from the Social Justice Centres (SJCs) participated in a Training of Trainers (ToT) on community organizing. The participants are experienced community organizers from various SJCs in Nairobi. This particular training helped them to improve their skills in analyzing the community’s situation with fellow community members and seeking solutions together.

WHRD Speaker tour in Switzerland, France and Spanish State

Between 9 and 22 October 2022, Jecinter Agunja (Women HRD and Toolkit Organiser fro

‘Saba Saba - then and now’ documents the perspective of activists who participated in the struggles in the 1990s: their aspirations, their cause and the hurdles they encountered. How did they overcome those hurdles and at what risks did this come?

Then the film zooms in on the organizing going on today. What are the struggles, what is the response of the governments and how are human rights defenders supported? There are lessons learned from then and now.

“A picture is worth a thousand words” is an adage that we all know and it is one example of

‘HRDs in action’ is a photobook that portrays the grassroots human rights defenders of the social justice centres in action.