November 7, 2024
Connect Human Rights Houses
HRHF brings Human Rights Houses together in an international network, to build relationships, share their knowledge and experience, and create and implement joint projects and strategies.
Why?
The network of Human Rights Houses provides opportunities for building connections and solidarity, sharing experiences, developing joint projects, and raising the visibility of the Houses’ work. The aim is to learn from each other, benefit from synergy effects and avoid duplication.
Human rights defenders and their organisations are strengthened by cooperation and solidarity, and networking is essential to the Human Rights House concept.
Stronger connections lead to Houses supporting each other. They share experience and expertise, and strengthen their capacity and ability to face common challenges. In solidarity, they are there for one another when times are tough.
How?
HRHF and the Houses provide opportunities for building connections and solidarity, sharing experiences, developing joint work, and raising visibility.
Network meetings
Representatives of the Human Rights Houses gather every second year for the network meeting of Human Rights Houses. During the meeting, participants share their knowledge and experience and create new joint projects and strategies.
They improve their relationships with colleagues in the network of Human Rights Houses. The network meetings are hosted by different Houses each time, thus allowing us to bring to light the human rights situation in the host country and region.
House-to-House project fund
Human Rights House Foundation’s House-to-House fund provides financial and technical support to groups of two or more Human Rights Houses working in partnership to address common human rights issues in their communities.
Read more about the House-to-House fund including past projects and impact.
Human rights education
The International Law in Advocacy (ILIA) Project provides education and training to human rights defenders and lawyers. It involves five Human Rights Houses and HRHF. Participants receive training and education online and in person, and take part in international study visits and networking events.
The overall purpose of the project is to support human rights defenders and lawyers to use international human rights law and standards in their work at home. This includes advocating for national courts and governments to respect at home the human rights commitments they make internationally.
Read more about the International Law in Advocacy programme.
Protection
Working together to protect human rights defenders and their organisations, HRHF supports Houses in ensuring that defenders on the front line can do their vital work.
The Houses, with HRHF, use their connections, trust, and proximity to one another to help protect human rights defenders and their organisations at risk. Their work includes a shelter project, risk fund, trial observations and mobile groups, and nominating defenders for awards.
Impact
The Houses provide one another with regional and international support and expertise. This, combined with support from HRHF, strengthens their ability to face common challenges.
Read more about the impact of HRHF’s work increasing cooperation among Human Rights Houses.
