Channel Foundation, Global Washington, Linksbridge SPC and Front Line Defenders hosted a free in-person event Friday June 24, 2022 which included food and networking.
Attendees heard from the 2022 Front Line Defenders Human Rights Defenders at Risk Awardees from Afghanistan, Sudan and Zimbabwe working on human rights issues such as sexual harassment in the workplace, forced and child marriage, forced disappearances, and Indigenous rights. Given their awards at a ceremony in Dublin, Ireland on Friday May 27, 2022, the winners include human rights defenders from five countries:
- Liah Ghazanfar Jawad, Afghanistan
- Ameira Osman Hamid, Sudan
- Representative from Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), Zimbabwe
- Javier del Tránsito and María del Tránsito Salvatierra, Mexico
- Woman human rights defender, Belarus (name withheld for security reasons)
Established in 2005, the Front Line Defenders Human Rights Defenders at Risk Award honors human rights defenders (HRDs) who, through their non-violent work, are courageously making outstanding contributions to the promotion and protection of the human rights of others.
Front Line Defenders (FLD), winner of the 2018 UN Prize in the field of Human Rights, is an Irish based international organization founded in 2001 with the specific aim of protection HRDs at risk. FLD Executive Director Andrew Anderson will contextualize the defenders’ experiences within the larger global trends the organization is seeing of increasing criminalization of protest and activism, rising authoritarianism and increased surveillance.
The May 2022 edition of FLD’s online ‘zine Cypher celebrates these incredibly courageous human rights defenders from Afghanistan, Belarus, Mexico, Sudan and Zimbabwe.
Registration was through Global Washington here: Upcoming Global Washington Events – Global Washington
