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[edit] Front Line: The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
What is a Human Rights Defender?
A human rights defender is any individual who works non-violently to promote the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
What is Front Line?
Front Line is a Dublin-based international foundation. The organization's specific aim is to protect defenders of human rights and to provide them with practical support so that they can continue their work in some of the world’s most dangerous places.Front Line’s work in protecting defenders of human rights.
Front Line is guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As such the organization is focused on providing urgent action to protect those at risk because of their work. Front line helps human rights defenders to manage and cope with the risks they face and enables change and improved human rights at a local level by supporting those who peacefully work to protect the rights of their communities. Front Line History
Front Line was founded in Dublin in 2001 with the specific aim of providing tangible support for Human Rights Defenders - people who work non-violently for any or all of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Since that time, the organization has supported human rights defenders in over 90 countries through a highly responsive, fast and flexible program that includes protection, networking, training and access to the mechanisms of the UN and other regional bodies.
Front Line has charitable status (CHY NO 14029), is independent and impartial. To support its work the organization relies entirely on the generosity of individual and organizational funding.
Rapid Response
Front Line has taken up over 600 cases of human rights defenders at immediate risk and has extended support to human rights defenders (HRDs) in over 100 countries through direct interventions, international advocacy, grant support, and emergency relocation.
Small Grants Program
Front Line has disbursed over €300,000 in grant support to more than 200 human rights defenders in need of medical, legal and security assistance.
Training & Security
Front Line works with human rights defenders to deliver regional & international training on the topics of security & protection, capacity-building, IT Security and women human rights defender issues. Front Line also publishes training packages designed to aid the work of at-risk human rights defenders.
Reports on Human Rights Defenders at Risk
Front line publishes detailed reports of the situation of human rights defenders at risk and has published reports in conjunction with human rights defenders in Brazil, Central Asia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Palestine, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and the USA.
Dublin Platform
Front Line hosts a bi-annual international meeting designed to promote exchange, provide learning & skill development, and facilitate engagement between human rights defenders and senior-level political and civil leaders. Each Platform brings together over 100 at-risk human rights defenders from over 70 countries.
International Advocacy
Front Line played a key role in lobbying for the EU Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders adopted during the Irish Government’s Presidency in June 2004. The EU Guidelines are a critical element in encouraging EU member states to engage more actively in support of human rights defenders at risk. Front Line has established a EU office in Brussels to press for more effective implementation.
Front Line also promotes the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and in doing so supports the work of the UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders. Front Line lobbies for human rights defender issues at the UN Human Rights Council and at other international for a including the OSCE and the Council of Europe.
Front Line Internship & Fellowship
The Frank Jennings Internship provides practical support to the office of the UN Special Representative on human rights Defenders on a rolling basis. Front Line also has an internship to support the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights.
Each year the Front Line Fellowship brings two human rights defenders to Dublin for study and reflection on how best to strengthen human rights defenders protection in their countries and regions.
Front Line also hosts an internship in cooperation with Peking University.
Leadership Council
Hanan Ashrawi is the Founder and Secretary General of the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy. She is a former faculty member of Birzeit University on the West Bank, and a former Minister of Higher Education and Research for the Palestinian Authority.
Robert Badinter is a barrister and author. He is President of the OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration and a member of the French Senate. He was formerly French Minister for Justice, and President of the Arbitration Commission for former Yugoslavia.
Bono is a founder member of the Irish rock group U2, and a prominent human rights advocate. Bono has consistently used his position as front man of one of the most popular bands in the world to draw attention to human rights issues. He was named a Person of the Year by Time magazine in 2005.
His Holiness The Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, is the temporal and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He is a leading proponent of the Buddhist approach to politics, human rights and social action and is a winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize. Unique in the world today, he is a world statesman, national leader, spiritual teacher and deeply learned theologian.Indai
Lourdes Sajor is the Founder and former Executive Director of the Asian Centre for Women’s Human Rights. She was one of the convenors of the Tokyo Tribunal on "comfort women", which achieved a groundbreaking international law judgement on sexual slavery and violence in wartime, at The Hague in 2001.
Wangari Muta Maathai is a Kenyan environmentalist and human rights campaigner She became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. She is the founder of the Green Belt Movement, a Kenyan programme that combines community development with environmental protection. She was Chair of the National Council of Women of Kenya from 1981-87 and has been arrested several times because of her peaceful campaigning activities.
Adolfo Perez Esquivel is an Argentinean architect, author and the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. He vehemently protested against the social injustice caused by the Argentinean military regime in the 1970’s and was jailed on numerous occasions, once for 14 months without trial. He is the leader of Servicio Paz y Justicia, an organisation that promotes human rights throughout Latin America.
Desmond Tutu is an Anglican archbishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. Tutu was the first black South African Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, and primate of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.
Board of Trustees
Denis O'Brien (Chairman) Founder and fmr. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Esat Telecom Group plc.; Member of the court of the Bank of Ireland; Director of Digicel Ltd and MediaLab Europe; Chairman of the 2003 Special Olympic Games Organising Committee
Mary Lawlor (Director) Fmr. Director of the Irish Section of Amnesty International from 1988-2000
Pierre Sané Assistant Director-General of UNESCO for the Social and Human Sciences Sector; FMR. Secretary General of Amnesty International (1992- 2001); fmr. President of the 1998 Paris Summit for Human Rights Defenders
Michel Forst Secretary General of the Commission Nationale Consultative des Droits de l’Homme de la Republique Francaise; Board member of International Service for Human Rights (Geneva); fmr. director of the French section of Amnesty International; fmr. Secretary General of the 1998 Paris Summit for Human Rights Defenders
Kieran Mulvey Chief Executive of the Irish Labour Relations Commission
Noeline Blackwell Noeline Blackwell is an Irish-based lawyer specialising in refugee law and practice; Chairperson of the International Human Rights Trust.
David Sykes Treasury Director; member: Securities Institute
Maria Mulcahy Director of Fundraising for the 2003 Special Olympics World Games; board member of Newstalk 106, the O’Brien foundation and the Digicel Foundation
Staff
Director - Mary Lawlor Deputy Director - Andrew Anderson Head of EU Office, Brussels – Vincent Forest Protection Coordinator and Researcher, Middle East, North Africa, Africa, South America - Natacha O'Brien Protection Coordinator and Researcher, Asia, North and Central America and Europe and Eastern Europe - Caitriona Rice Head of Development - Charlie Lamson Grants Officer/Administrator - Tara Madden Visitor Programme Officer - Marzia Baldassari Information Systems Coordinator – Wojtek Bogusz Finance Officer - Clare Borinski Information Technology Support Consultant Democratic Republic of Congo - Gabriel Bombambo Middle East Affairs - Khalid Ibrahim Geneva Interns – Orlagh Jane McCann Irish Intern- Saoirse Brady Brussels Intern - Nathalie Stanus Media Intern – Clare Quinlan
