Protection International releases its TOP IMPACT STORIES 2017

Amongst all its achievements, Protection International publishes its TOP IMPACT STORIES of the year, showcasing a few but emblematic cases of its on-field work.

Rally against the murders of HRDs in Honduras

Members of COPINH (Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras) tour Europe to denounce the murders of HRDs.

From 19 April to 5 May 2016 a delegation of 4 Indigenous Lenca HRDs from Honduras visited 5 European coun- tries to denounce the murder of Indigenous and human rights COPINH leader Berta Cáceres. They called on FMO and Finn Fund to withdraw from the Agua Zarca Dam and on the EU to suspend funding to Honduras until the criminalisation and murders of environmental and human rights defenders cease.

Colombian community-based defenders thwart criminalisation

The Protection Desk Colombia (PDCOL) set up by Protection International provided support to four community leaders who were subject to unlawful criminal accusations.

HRDs from El Guayabo community (Magdalena Medio region) successfully implemented a counterstrategy to fight back against criminalisation attempts and continue to defend their right to land.

Making learning tools more accessible in Indonesia

Protection International’s team in Indonesia adapted its Protection Manual to a local Indonesian context, translating a complex process into simple tools. The process led to concrete outcomes, such as the effective mainstreaming of security throughout their activities and the appointment of Security Focal Points or Security Committees, in all of the 11 communities of HRDs. That has also empowered communities to analyse the security context of potentially sensitive activities in a systematic manner.

“For Those Who Died Trying” photo exhibition tour in Thailand

The Protection International team in Thailand organised a photo exhibition, “For Those Who Died Trying”, to raise awareness and achieve justice in recent cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of Thai human rights defenders.

The 37 photos where taken at the exact place, when possible, where the human rights defenders were killed or last seen. The impact of this action was multifold, benefitting the victims’ families and society as a whole.

Building a network of trainers for Kenyan LGBTIQ defenders

The Protection International team in Kenya trained over 250 LGBTIQ HRDs in 2016 and increased the pool of trainers for Kenyan LGBTIQ defenders to improve their skills while training other LGBTIQ organisations in the country. Amongst other positive outcomes, the creation of the new “trainers of trainers” (ToTs) team increased security awareness and reduced security incidents.