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Demonstrating outside the homes of perpetrators of abuse to generate condemnation

In Argentina, perpetrators of abuse during Argentina's dictatorship (1976-1983) often live anonymously among their neighbors, enjoying the immunity granted by the current Argentinean government.  HIJOS, a local human rights organization, is trying to unmask this anonymity.

Monitoring police conduct through personal observation

Copwatch sends teams of volunteers into the community to monitor police activities and report on incidents of misconduct. The organization was founded in Berkeley, California, with the goal of ‘reducing police harassment and brutality’ and ‘upholding Berkeley’s tradition of tolerance and diversity.’

Using a nomination campaign to identify new constituencies for human rights

The 5-in-6 program in South Africa raises awareness of the widespread problem of domestic violence through a nomination campaign for male role models. Volunteers go house to house asking women and children to nominate men in their lives as “Everyday Heroes.” The nomination forms – more than 50,000 have been returned – are displayed in churches and community centers, raising the public profile of the campaign. The men are invited to meetings where they discuss ways to fight domestic violence in their communities. The name of the program comes from the statistic that in South Africa one man in six abuses the women in his life.

Performing independent postmortem examinations to document cases of torture

The Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) was established in 1995, after the Kenya Medical Association issued a press statement asserting that no torture took place in Kenya.  The IMLU is a network of independent doctors and lawyers who challenge official reports of deaths in custody by performing postmortem examinations to document suspected cases torture and providing medical and legal aid to prisoners and survivors of torture.  Clients who want a postmortem on family members first complete a Post-Mortem Request Form and, because of IMLU’s network throughout the country, doctors who live nearest to the victim quickly administer postmortems.  Results are carefully documented according to medical and legal guidelines.  IMLU encourages clients to seek legal redress when evidence of torture is discovered.  For clients who cannot afford a lawyer, IMLU refers them to a network of lawyers and NGOs providing pro bono legal services.  Their goal is to pursue public interest cases that will set a precedent against the use of torture and send a message to perpetrators of torture.

Encouraging passage of local government resolutions to influence national policy

Cities for Peace is a coalition of local elected officials and concerned community members working to get City Councils and other civic bodies to pass resolutions against a US led war on Iraq.  Although the group focuses on the anti-war effort, this tactic has also been used to show local opposition to a variety of federal actions, such as investment in apartheid and the curtailment of civil liberties under the Patriot Act.  By the end of February 2003, 113 cities and counties had passed resolutions and over 90 new campaigns were underway.

Collecting signatures for a referendum that compels the legislature to consider human rights-based legislation

Poder Ciudadano (Citizen Power) collected signatures on two petitions that, through a constitutional provision, obligated the Argentine Congress to consider community-proposed legislation regarding two socio-economic issues: pensions of privilege, a system of excessive retirement benefits for former government officials (even for those known to be corrupt); and hunger, especially of children and pregnant women.  The overarching goal of the petition campaign tactic was not only to obligate the Congress to address these problems, but also to propose solutions to alleviate them.

Using government resources to institute women's human rights education

The Women for Women’s Rights Project—“New Ways” in Turkey, gained the financial support of government to implement human rights education for women. This support allowed the organization to carry their program out much more extensively in communities, reaching many more people in the country.

Giving people the information and skills that they need to claim their rights

Soldiers’ Mothers of Saint Petersburg offers educational sessions to conscripts, army recruits and family members of Russian soldiers to inform them of human rights violations by the military and the possibility of refusing conscription.

Using the foundations of religious and cultural values of Malaysia to promote human rights

Sisters in Islam, as one of the founding members of a joint action group called Malaysians Against Moral Policing (MAMP), has been organizing in response to the growing zeal of the state in policing the morality of citizens.