Resources:

• Protectionline offers resources for HRDs, including a Protection Manual for Human Rights Defenders, which covers security, protection, and self risk assessments. Protectionline also offers online training in security and protection.
• Frontline Defenders provides resources on personal and digital security, including a Workbook on Security, a Protection Manual for Human Rights Defenders, and a Manual on Digital Security and Privacy.
• Human Rights First has compiled resources for protecting the privacy and digital security of HRDs, including tips for online activism and general advocacy. The tools show Defenders how to report corruption and abuses from danger zones safely and anonymously.
• Peace Brigades International provides protective accompaniment for HRDs threatened by political violence.
• The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) AWID’s List of Materials and Resources for Women Human Rights Defenders contains resources for HRDs concerning self-care and self-defense, human rights documentation and monitoring, and topics particularly relevant to women HRDs, including sexual orientation and religious fundamentalism. AWID’s Urgent Responses For Women Human Rights Defenders At Risk: Mapping And Preliminary Assessment identifies available resources for addressing needs of women HRDs, including urgent appeals, safe houses, temporary relocation, stress management, medical and legal assistance, fellowships and awards, advocacy, and contact information for NGOs assisting HRDs. AWID’s Ten Insights to Strengthen Responses for Women Human Rights Defenders at Risk aims to ensure that women HRDs are strategic and properly resourced.

• Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition WHRDIC has coalition resources such as Gendering Documentation: A Manual for and About Women Human Rights Defenders; Our Right to Safety; Claiming Rights, Claiming Justice: A Guidebook on Women Human Rights Defenders that provide instructions on how to be a human rights defender, explains mechanisms for protection of HRDs, and gives a holistic report on the obstacles that women HRDs face in their work.

Emergency Grants:

General Emergency Grants

• Frontline Defenders provides grants to organizations and individual at-risk HRDs. Send grant applications to grants@frontlinedefenders.org.

• Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l’homme (AEDH) AEDH provides emergency funding for persecuted or threatened Human Rights Defenders (NGO members, lawyers, journalists, union leaders, etc. Email: agir-ensemble@aedh.org

• Amnesty International AI’s relief program provides human rights defenders and victims of human rights violations in emergency situations with funding for assistance such as legal aid, emergency flights, living costs and trial observation or security equipment. Email: amnestyis@amnesty.org.

• The Prisoners of Conscience Appeal Fund provides grants to persons who have suffered persecution for their beliefs, provided they have not used or advocated violence. Individuals must be represented by an organization. Send applications to grantsofficer@prisonersofconscience.org.

• Fund for Global Human Rights The fund provides human rights defenders from any country with emergency assistance related to security, urgent projects, medical, psychological, legal, and relocation services. Email proposals to info@globalhumanrights.org.

• Freedom House Emergency Assistance Programs The Lifeline Embattled CSO Assistance Fund provides emergency financial assistance to civil society organizations (CSOs) under threat or attack and advocacy support responding to broader threats to civil society. To contact email emergency.assistance.inquiries@gmail.com

Targeted Emergency Grants

• The Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights (with specific sites for Africa and Latin America) provides emergency grants to women HRDs. Applications and forms are available on the website. Send applications to: proposals@urgentactionfund.org (general); proposals@urgentactionfund-africa.or.ke (Africa); or info@fondoaccionurgente.org.co (Latin America).
• The Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders provides emergency grants to HRDs in the South-Mediterranean region. Send grant applications to grants@euromedrights.net.
• Arab Human Rights Fund Countries eligible for support: The Arabic-speaking region and Arabic-speaking communities in adjacent countries. The Fund defines the “Arab region” as the 22 members of the Arab League. How to apply: Submit requests through the site’s portal.
• Astraea Lesbian Foundation For Justice Groups eligible for support: Astraea’s International Fund supports groups, projects, or organizations working towards progressive social change which are led by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) communities and directly address oppression based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression. Click here to apply.
• OMCT (World Organisation Against Torture) Provides urgent assistance to victims of torture.
• Scholars at Risk provides sanctuary by offering temporary academic positions to at-risk scholars, professors, lecturers, researchers, and other intellectuals who suffer threats in their home country.
• Scholar Rescue Fund provides temporary academic positions. Click here for application.
• The Committee to Protect Journalists maintains a small assistance program for journalists who are at-risk as a result of their work. Send grant requests to JournAsst@cpj.org, Attn: Journalist Assistance Program.
• Reporters Without Borders Program called SOS Press. This free hotline allows them to instantly transmit information to a Reporters Without Borders’ representative who, depending on the situation, can provide them with advice and contacts, or alert local or consular authorities, etc. Free hotline: (33) 1 4777-7414
• Free Press Unlimited Emergency assistance program called Reporters Respond. Application form available here or contact Reporters Respond at: reportersrespond@freepressunlimited.org

Advocacy Tools:

The Advocates for Human Rights

• Human Rights Tools for a Changing World includes basic tools for international human rights advocacy with the UN (chapter 9) and regional treaty bodies (chapter 10). 
• A Practitioner’s Guide to Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation, and Advocacy covers every step in the human rights documentation and advocacy process.
• Protecting Human Rights in Times of Protest and Uprising: Video Guides:

1. Documenting and Reporting to the United Nations walks through the process of documenting human rights violations during protests and reporting them to the United Nations. 
2. Navigating the online form for UN special procedures communications provides a step-by-step guide to submitting a communication to UN special procedures.

Amnesty International

• Amnesty International Campaigning Manual is a guide to conducting various types of human rights campaigns.

Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development

• Claiming Rights, Claiming Justice: A Guidebook on Women Human Rights Defenders (available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Thai) contains advocacy tools specifically tailored for women HRDs.

Global Voices Advocacy

• Global Voices Advocacy provides tools for advocacy blogging and online advocacy campaigns.

Tactical Technology Collective

• The Tactical Technology Collective offers several toolkits and guides to support a variety of advocacy strategies.

Inter-Governmental Mechanisms

UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders

• The Special Rapporteur supports the implementation of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders by receiving and acting on reports of violations against HRDs. Send concerns to urgent-action@ohchr.org.

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Rapporteurship on Human Rights Defenders

• The Office of the Rapporteur monitors the security of HRDs in the Americas and encourages the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to protect threatened HRDs. Send concerns to cidhdefensores@oas.org

African Commission, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders in Africa

• The Special Rapporteur supports and protects HRDs in Africa. Send concerns to achpr@achpr.org.

Council of Europe, Commissioner for Human Rights

• The Commissioner cannot act upon individual complaints, but supports HRDs and their work by acting upon information received and intervening in serious situations. Send concerns to: commissioner@coe.int. 

The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

• ODIHR’s Focal Point for HRDs and National Human Rights Institutions closely monitors the conditions for HRDs, identifies issues of concern, and seeks to promote and protect their interests. The Focal Point trains HRDs, supports HRD networks, and may address individual cases where appropriate. Send concerns to office@odihr.pl.

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