2020 Focus Stories

A lot can change in a year, and 2020 has been unprecedented for Protection International— both in terms of challenges and innovation. The sudden outburst of COVID-19 has had a direct impact on all parts of society, as well as on our personal lives. It has not only added onto the usual struggles within our daily work, but also created new landscapes that are severely affecting the lives and work of women and men human rights defenders, especially in those settings where the Right to Defend Human Rights and defenders are most at risk. Nevertheless, we found creative ways to reach out to defenders in remote areas and learned a great deal from our new ways of working. This pandemic has taught us that human rights cannot and must not be quarantined and that the role of defenders in advancing fundamental rights and freedoms is crucial, especially during times of crisis. We hope these stories might serve as a recognition of our hard work and our unconditional commitment to the protection of human rights defenders.