National human rights institutions help build communities where all people can live with dignity, free from violence and discrimination. The Paris Principles, adopted 25 years ago, set minimum standards for NHRIs so they can be strong human rights defenders. The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions supports NHRIs around the world to meet the [...]
A life of dignity and equality. It’s what we all want – and it’s our right. National human rights institutions help make this a reality by confronting violations, standing up for the vulnerable and helping build fair and just communities. The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions has been providing support to NHRIs for [...]
With fake news and social media trolling now firmly part of the everyday media landscape, a growing challenge for human rights groups is to develop new and effective ways to communicate with journalists and with the community. This challenge was the starting point for a media and communications workshop with the Commission of Human Rights [...]
With social media and video becoming an ever more important tool for education and advocacy, participants from 20 national human rights institutions (NHRIs) in the region have learned practical skills in making digital stories to support their work. As part of a three-day meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which I facilitated, members of the APF Communications [...]
This is the third year I have led the Communication and Advocacy paper for Auckland University of Technology’s new Master of Human Rights. The course aims to equip a new generation of human rights leaders with practical skills and knowledge to make a lasting difference in their communities. It was a fabulous and diverse group this year, with students [...]
An inspiring group of LGBTI activists and allies met in Bangkok from 25-26 April 2017. We were discussing the progress that has been made since the Yogyakarta Principles were launched ten years ago, and how to build on that momentum. Creating partnerships to drive change and promote equality was one of the key themes for [...]
In April 2017, a group of 30 participants from the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) took part in one of our two-day training programs that sought to bolster their strategic engagement with the media. Delivered for the Asia Pacific Forum and involving Commissioners, senior managers and staff, the sessions identified strategies that SUHAKAM could [...]
In February 2017, I helped deliver a two-day workshop on working with the media for the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission. Formally established in 2014, the Commission has a mandate to promote and protect human rights across the newly-democratic country, which is home to more than 55 million people. It is a big job and the Commission [...]
There are very few opportunities today where young and older people can come together to talk and share stories. I've always felt this was a great loss for both groups, and especially for older people who can face loneliness and isolation. Gen2Gen is a new approach I have developed that seeks to provide creative opportunities to [...]
Over the past 30 years, the Australian Human Rights Commission has played a vital role in helping shape a stronger, fairer and more inclusive Australia. It has resolved more than 65,000 complaints of discrimination and conducted ground-breaking national inquiries on homeless children, mental illness, the stolen generations and children in detention. It has been a [...]
