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One of the best ways to learn how to be more active in defending human rights is to get familiar with the activities of both local and international human rights organizations.
Listed below are some of the more well-known organizations. Take the time to visit their website and contact their offices to find out more about their activities and how you can help them. It may take a little more research on your part to find local organizations in your area.
Amnesty
International (AI):
Working
to Protect Human Rights Worldwide
“…
is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally
recognized human rights.
AI’s
vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights
enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights
standards.
In
pursuit if this vision, AI’s mission is to undertake research and action
focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical
and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom
from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human
rights.
AI
is independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or
religion. It does not support or oppose any government or political
system, nor does it support or oppose the views of the victims whose
rights it seeks to protect. It is concerned solely with the impartial
protection of human rights.”
Human
Rights Watch:
Defending
Human Rights Worldwide
“Human
Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around
the world.
We
stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold
political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and
to bring offenders to justice.
We
investigate and expose human rights violations and hold abusers
accountable.
We
challenge governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices
and respect international human rights law.
We
enlist the public and the international community to support the cause of
human rights for all.”
Committee
to Protect Journalists:
“The
Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization
founded in 1981. We promote press freedom worldwide by defending the right
of journalists to report the news without fear of reprisal.”
Physicians
for Human Rights:
“Physicians
for Human Rights (PHR) promotes health by protecting human rights. We
believe that human rights are essential preconditions for the health and
well-being of all people. Using medical and scientific methods, we
investigate and expose violations of human rights worldwide and we work to
stop them. We support institutions that hold perpetrators of human rights
abuses, including health professionals, accountable for their actions. We
educate health professionals and medical, public health and nursing students
and organize them to become active in supporting a movement for human
rights and creating a culture of human rights in the medical and
scientific professions.
Since
1986, PHR members have worked to stop torture,
disappearances, and political killings by governments and opposition
groups; to improve health and sanitary conditions in prisons and detention
centers…”
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