Tactics

Using satirical symbols to challenge media censorship

Protesters in Turkey used the image of a penguin to demand a more accountable and responsive media.

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Utilizing SMS to facilitate communication between detainees and human rights groups to provide medical help and legal assistance

The Front to Defend Egypt Protesters (FDEP) developed an approach to encourage activists and protesters at risk of arrest and detention to communicate with a volunteer network and mobilize timely legal, medical and other support.

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Engaging government allies to advance the right to free early childhood education in poverty pockets

The Change Academy for Democratic Studies and Development and the Arab Network for Civic Education (ANHRE) successfully engaged allies in national government agencies along with local community organizations to advance the right to early childhood education in poverty pockets in Ma’an governorate, South Jordan.

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Standing in silence at symbolic locations to protest government abuses and memorialize victims

Turkish protesters stood in silence at symbolic locations to draw attention to government abuses and unmet promises.

Mass demonstrations began in Istanbul in May 2013 as protests aimed at halting government plans to develop a popular urban park grew into a broader social movement to protest increasingly authoritarian policies and the violent response to peaceful demonstrations.

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Infiltrating immigration detention centers to document those who are eligible for release

The National Immigrant Youth Alliance (NIYA) infiltrates immigration detention centers in the United States in order to find prisoners who are eligible for release and advocate for them.

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Building a coalition to preserve the right to public access to beaches

The Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS) engaged over 70 organizations and 2300 people to build a coalition of experts and civil society organizations to intervene in the rapidly depleting coast line and preserve the right of the Jordanian people to access public beaches.

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Crowdsource mapping the presence of military figures in civilian leadership roles to build awareness and promote transparency

Egyptian organization el3askarmap combines crowdsourced research efforts and online tools to gather data and map the presence of military personnel in civilian positions within different state-run institutions such as ministries, villages, cities, economic bodies, and others.

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Using social media to collectively document abuses and honor victims and activists

Anonymous artists created mock postage stamps honoring people and places that had a profound effect on the Syrian Revolution.

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Using Facebook to provide anonymity and support to people at risk of discrimination

In Lebanon, an LGBT advocacy organisation (not to be named here for privacy reasons) created a Facebook profile with no photo and no friends to safely mobilise people who needed support, community connection and/or wanted to find others interested to advocate for LGBT rights. The profile served as a way to direct people to the organisation's website without threatening their security or anonymity by publicly linking them with an LGBT organisation.

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Mobilizing supporters on social media to get the attention of strategic targets

Amnesty International USA (AI USA) used Twitter to urge the United States Department of State to respond to human rights violations in Bahrain.

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New Tactics in Human Rights

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Using satirical symbols to challenge media censorship

Utilizing SMS to facilitate communication between detainees and human rights groups to provide medical help and legal assistance

Engaging government allies to advance the right to free early childhood education in poverty pockets

Standing in silence at symbolic locations to protest government abuses and memorialize victims

Infiltrating immigration detention centers to document those who are eligible for release

Building a coalition to preserve the right to public access to beaches

Crowdsource mapping the presence of military figures in civilian leadership roles to build awareness and promote transparency

Using social media to collectively document abuses and honor victims and activists

Using Facebook to provide anonymity and support to people at risk of discrimination

Mobilizing supporters on social media to get the attention of strategic targets

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Tactics

Resource Library: Tools for Action

Resource Library: Tools for Action

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New Tactics in Human Rights is a Program of the Center for Victims of Torture

Building Awareness
Building Capacity
Building Constituencies
Changing Minds
Collaboration
Disruption
Healing From Abuse
Incentive
Mobilizing Allies
Modeling Systems & Structures
Persuasion
Physical Protection
Protecting Those At Risk
Reducing Fear
Remembering Victims and Abuses
Removing Opportunities for Abuse
Resistance
Seeking Justice
Seeking Redress
Sharing Critical Information
Strengthening Individuals & Communities

Instituting a community-level truth and reconciliation commission to address racial divisions
(Our Salary in the Bank) Tactic, Ensure that private-school teachers obtain their rights - part of "Stand Up with the Teacher" campaign
Accountability After Abuses: Organizing survivors to expand reparations to heal individuals and communities
Action Theatre to mobilize communities for change
Activating historic sites as centers for citizen engagement with human rights issues
Adapting traditional human rights fact-finding methodology to emerging human rights issues
Applying international law to dictators traveling outside their home countries
Applying international law to gain justice for victims and combat impunity
Asserting cultural identity en masse to express opposition to an oppressive regime
Building a coalition of a country’s human rights organizations to speak with one voice against abuses
Building a coalition to preserve the right to public access to beaches
Building allies with government institutions and port communities to prevent human trafficking and protect victims
Building coalitions to affect local, regional and international policy using a rights and health-based approach
Building collaborative partnerships to develop a Local Housing Board
Building collaborative relationships with government officials to promote change from within the system
Building corporate capacity to create constructive relationships based on a respect for indigenous people's rights
Building grassroots support to develop a law and lobby decision makers
Building local capacity for trauma-focused mental health services through an intensive training model
Building public and media awareness to change the minimum wage and policy for sub-contract workers
Certifying companies based on an internationally recognizable standard to improve labor conditions
Citizen monitoring of courts as a means of creating system change
Collaborating with government to incorporate human rights education into public schools
Combining traditional and Western healing techniques to reintegrate child soldiers into their former communities
Community Election Monitoring to Prevent Violence
Compiling human rights education success stories to learn from the experiences of others
Concentrating all steps in the production process in facilities to make it easier to monitor and eliminate the use of child labor
Contracting with multinational corporations to monitor labor conditions in their supplier factories
Convincing the government to compensate victims of abuse by police, military, and armed forces personnel
Coordinating efforts to preserve archival information among several organizations and creating a system for accessing it
Creating New Rituals to Replace Harmful Practices
Creating a child board and village child protection networks to combat child abuse and trafficking
Creating a convenient delivery system for legal aid
Creating a database tool that protects human rights information from confiscation
Creating a fake wedding company and exhibit booth to highlight issues surrounding celebratory gunfire
Creating a long-term public forum where the police and ordinary citizens can work together to resolve human rights grievances and other issues affecting police/community relations
Creating a market to support fairly produced products
Creating a network of professionals to document torture and support victims
Creating a network of volunteer monitors to persuade local and national governments to abide by international human rights commitments
Creating a professional organization that provides support and training to build professionalism among law enforcement personnel
Creating a single mass expression of protest based on a simple activity that citizens can safely carry out in their own homes
Creating a transnational body to advocate for and promote the rights of indigenous people
Creating a venue on the Internet for former child soldiers to share their stories and develop new skills
Creating alternative mechanisms of dispute resolution to prevent the involvement of the police, who are potential abusers.
Creating an assessment tool to evaluate the human rights impact of businesses
Creating an ombudsman institution to provide recourse to victims of discrimination
Creating an online cultural repository of ancient texts
Creating identity cards as a form of 'virtual accompaniment' for human rights defenders
Creating local level shadow committees to promote women’s rights
Creating people’s platforms (public hearings) where citizens can publicly challenge officials on the difference between promises and reality
Creating space to legitimize and dignify the personal experiences of victims
Crowdsource mapping the presence of military figures in civilian leadership roles to build awareness and promote transparency
Culturally sensitive materials facilitate discussion on women's rights by Muslim women
Data gathering to address child labor, sexual abuse and trafficking in the entertainment industry
Defying laws in order to pressure for their change
Developing a Corporate Sector Model to promote cost-effective and socially-responsible action on HIV/AIDS in the community
Developing a linguistic code to circumvent and challenge internet censorship
Developing electronic advocacy groups to influence government on issues of peace and social justice
Developing international monitoring and labelling coalitions
Developing pro bono services in the professional legal community
Developing youth parliaments to teach youth about the democratic process
Disciplining of health care professionals reinforces ethical standards
Documenting oral testimony to create a written history to help people in isolated communities understand the full extent of the war crimes suffered in their country
Documenting records of abuse to promote healing and justice
Employing community health volunteers to administer low-cost HIV/AIDS medications, treatment and support
Empowering NGOs to use video in human rights advocacy
Empowering children with information, skills and support to advocate for their own rights
Empowering people to use the legal system to exert their rights
Empowering the youth with democratic tools to promote coexistence
Encouraging local governments, organizations and individuals to oppose, through the use of education and resources, federal legislation that endangers human rights
Encouraging passage of local government resolutions to influence national policy
Engaging civil society and international allies to build a united front to lobby for legal amendments
Engaging government allies to advance the right to free early childhood education in poverty pockets
Engaging key and respected agents of change in the development and training of a human rights curriculum
Engaging key stakeholders for resolving land disputes
Engaging key stakeholders to ensure the right to HIV/AIDS education and health care services
Engaging local leaders to become women’s rights and victim advocates
Engaging local leaders to use their influence to help end abuse
Engaging local level monitors to document cases of slavery to be used as legal documentation in courts
Engaging pro-bono lawyers and peer legal counselors for expanding access to justice
Engaging religious leaders in a conversation about inclusion, and implementing non-violent direct action tactics
Engaging victims to develop a community education user friendly guide “know your rights” titled “Detainees Guide”
Engaging women for bike rides to raise awareness of violent conflict, and change perceptions
Establishing a culturally sensitive helpline to assist victims and inform advocacy
Establishing a formal truth commission to investigate and acknowledge gross human rights violations
Establishing a new custom to protect girls and transform societal norms
Establishing a research-based monitoring mechanism to promote primary education
Establishing and building capacity of community-based water users associations to monitor and operate small-scale development
Establishing village peace committees to build understanding between internally displaced people and host communities
Examining budgets to reveal social and economic inequities and persuade the government to rectify them
Filing a civil tort action against a multi-national organization to seek redress of human rights abuses that occurred as a result of a business
Holding a special election to ensure children's voices are heard
Holding an intensive visual campaign to increase awareness of urgent matters
Holding an international tribunal to raise awareness of and seek reparations for sexual war crimes
Identifying allies to hold constructive dialogue and maintain cooperative relationships
Improving the Living Status of Society through Non-Formal Education and Recycling
Independent monitoring to verify and oversee effective compliance with codes of conduct
Independently collecting air-quality data on the community level in order to pressure for change
Infiltrating immigration detention centers to document those who are eligible for release
Informing potential victims of their rights when there is a time limit on protecting their rights
Involving religious leaders in modeling behavior toward stigmatized populations
Involving survivors of human rights abuse in the identification and rescue of potential victims
Involving the community in determining offenders’ sentences and helping to rehabilitate them
Litigating representative cases to push for women’s rights
Maintaining a physical presence at the site of potential abuse to monitor and prevent human rights violations
Mapping personal histories and mobilizing memory to reclaim a place in history and recover lost land
Mobilizing public resources for a socially marginalized group
Mobilizing supporters on social media to get the attention of strategic targets
Monitoring police conduct through personal observation
Offering community education and developing alternative rites of passage to discourage Female Genital Cutting
Offering loans with favorable terms to small-business owners with the condition that they not use child labor
Online Blackout to Protest Anti-Freedom of Speech Laws Against Press on the Internet
Operating a temporary restaurant to raise funds and awareness
Organizing a day of advocacy for musicians and audiences to advance freedom of expression
Organizing a large-scale petition drive to pressure the government to change
Organizing caravans to overcome militarization
Organizing debates between elected representatives and citizens to discuss constitution articles
Organizing intervention teams to rescue women who are sexually assaulted during protest demonstrations
Organizing mock tribunals to raise awareness of human rights abuses and influence public policy
Organizing summer camps to offer children a reprieve from violence
Pairing police with refugees and migrants to develop understanding and reduce discrimination
Partnering with local shop owners to create neighborhood safe zones free of sexual harassment
Passing international treaties at the local level to impact public policy and promote human rights standards
Phasing out child labor in the garment industry and providing education for ex-workers
Presenting shareholder resolutions to press companies to adopt more socially responsible business practices, including comprehensive human rights policies and practices
Promoting community policing through computer-based training
Promoting discussions on disability to generate a holistic and inclusive human rights dialogue
Promoting justice by leveraging the legal rights to access victims’ records
Protecting and encouraging endangered human rights activists through the presence of international volunteers
Protecting arrested demonstrators by protesting outside the police stations where they are being detained
Protecting cultural and economic rights of indigenous people by recording traditional ecological knowledge
Protecting freedom of thought and the right to privacy by destroying records that could be demanded by the government
Providing DNA testing and legal assistance to prisoners who may have been wrongly accused of a crime
Providing companies with a plan for a practical HIV policy that reduces the cost of the treatment for all employees
Providing free legal services to victims of police torture
Providing parents with funds that allow them to send their children to school rather than to work
Publicly exposing abusers through targeted demonstrations
Raising public awareness of impunity through a referendum or petition drive
Re-publishing state-banned materials to point out restrictions on freedom of expression
Reducing Rape and Sexual Assault through the Education of Adolescent Boys
Reducing Sexual Assault through the Empowerment of High School Girls
Reducing stigma and stereotypes by “reading” people, rather than books
Reframing poverty as a human rights issue to maintain government assistance
Rescuing child laborers through factory raids
Rewriting traditional stories to gain a gender-sensitive perspective
Setting up an independent commission to fight corruption
Settling landless people on unfarmed land to pressure the government to carry out land reforms
Sharing stories of political prisoners and their relatives to pressure for their release
Signing a demands petition and collecting mass signatures to support the cause and mobilize the community
Singing to Express Hopes, Political, Social and Cultural Issues
Standing in silence at symbolic locations to protest government abuses and memorialize victims
Supporting non-governmental organizations in their use of international mechanisms to press government for change
Targeting Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to encourage the removal of discriminatory messages
Teaching people in rural areas about their rights and connecting them to lawyers to defend those rights
Teaching police officers about their role in defending human rights
The Redirect Method: Disrupting Extremist Recruitment Online
Tracking the work of government officials online to fight corruption
Training diplomats to be more sensitive to the needs of migrant populations
Training local NGOs to help them build stronger relationships with the individuals they are trying to help
Training local leaders as mediators and resources on human rights
Training migrant men and women farmworkers for family violence prevention in migrant farmworker communities
Training organizations to place their social justice work into the context of human rights, thereby providing advocates with a new set of tools and access to new alliances
Training police officers to teach law to adolescents in order to improve communication and understanding
Training victims of human rights abuses to monitor and defend their rights
Training victims of human rights abuses to use video technology to expose those abuses
Training young people to monitor human rights
Transmitting vote tallies by mobile phone to prevent tampering
Uniting grassroots organizations with specialists to challenge World Bank policies
Using Blockades to Raise Awareness and Mobilize Support
Using Dramatization to Erase the Stigma Around Patients of AIDS
Using Facebook to provide anonymity and support to people at risk of discrimination
Using Living Newspapers to bring world events into the classroom
Using Mass Protests to Publicize Issues and Galvanize Change
Using Theatrical Tales as Documentation of Personal Testimonies
Using Twitter to Petition Changing Rape Laws in Morocco
Using Video to Mock Censorship, Open Dialogue and Model Ideal Society
Using Visual Symbols to Fight Stigma and Advocate for Change
Using a Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) tool to inform and assess external policy measures
Using a Restaurant to Smash HIV Stigmas
Using a café to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS
Using a citizen search and seizure operation to pressure the government to release public documents
Using a code of conduct to protect labor rights in the garment industry
Using a nomination campaign to identify new potential allies for human rights
Using a popular referendum to oppose impunity
Using a radio program to create informative discussions on human rights
Using a right to food framework to influence investment decisions and operations of financial institutions
Using a testing method to provide evidence of discrimination
Using a victim accompaniment process to provide emotional support for testimony
Using accessible media tools to promote social change and the situation of women in a male-dominated society
Using an expropriation law to ensure economic rights are protected
Using cinema to promote discussion and understanding of human rights culture
Using civil lawsuits to seek redress for victims of torture
Using coalition based participation in government to help indigenous communities to influence policy
Using documentation to draw up a ‘blacklist’ of unacceptable political candidates and moving the public to vote against them
Using fake money to protest prevalence of bribery in public service sectors
Using flickr as a participatory tool to expose perpetrators of human rights violations
Using forensics to identify victims’ remains and cause of death
Using government resources to institute women's human rights education
Using humor and street art to hold politicians accountable
Using humor to put an oppressive government in a lose-lose situation
Using illustrated children’s literature to educate children and adults of their rights and to foster a culture of human rights
Using interactive theatre and participatory video techniques to prompt community participation and social mobilization
Using international lobbying leverage to advance national adoption of international policy mechanisms
Using international mechanisms to apply pressure on a national government to institute policy and legal changes
Using mobile phone technology to end domestic violence
Using mobile phones to create a network of communication that can stop violence before it escalates
Using national laws to bring to justice those who perpetrate crimes against humanity in other countries
Using nonformal education techniques to give an at-risk population the skills needed to thrive in a changing economy
Using online petitions to gain international leverage against an oppressive government
Using online rural news to connect village society
Using parallel international and national lobbying channels to address discrimination
Using participatory education to empower communities to exercise their human and civil rights
Using participatory research to advance children’s social and economic rights
Using participatory research to understand the effects of trade agreements on small producers and advocate for change
Using peaceful marches to raise awareness of domestic violence
Using people with direct experience and knowledge to rescue victims of abuse
Using people’s tribunals to mobilize victims and pressure for justice
Using petitions to gain public support for a government peace process
Using popular culture to engage young people in human rights reporting
Using popular culture to sensitize and mobilize youth around human rights issues
Using satirical symbols to challenge media censorship
Using social media to collectively document abuses and honor victims and activists
Using social media to engage supporters in documenting their acts of solidarity
Using sports to build engagement and life skills
Using street conferences to raise awareness around civilians being sent to military trials
Using street theater to inform the public about social issues
Using surplus space to showcase artistic expression
Using technology to share information on environmental hazards
Using testing to prove discrimination and obtain direct evidence
Using text-messaging to build constituencies for human rights action
Using the World Bank Inspection Panel to pressure the government to release social program funds and strengthen human rights
Using the arts to connect human rights to local culture and tradition
Using the budgetary process to work for equity and social justice
Using the emotional power of a historic site and personal stories to raise awareness of current human rights questions
Using the foundations of religious and cultural values to promote human rights
Using the power of the media to send targeted messages to people in a position to end abuses
Using theater to break the silence around sensitive human rights issues and provide legal rights education
Using theater to teach people about civic and political rights
Using victims testimonies to create public awareness and encourage positive action
Using videos to raise awareness of women’s and family protection law against domestic violence
Using videotaped prosecution of police officers for human rights violations as an educational tool
Utilizing SMS to facilitate communication between detainees and human rights groups to provide medical help and legal assistance
Utilizing an information specialist and systems to help human rights advocates work more effectively
Utilizing social media and art to bring awareness to the disappeared and to memorialize their lives
Visual Information to Expose Human Rights Violations
Visual mapping to create public awareness and pressure for policy change
Working with local communities in the forensic investigation of genocide

Right to Equality before the Law
Freedom from Discrimination
Right to Life, Liberty & Security
Freedom from Slavery
Freedom from Torture and Degrading Treatment
Right to Recognition as a Person before the Law
Right to Equality
Right to Remedy by Competent Tribunal
Freedom from Arbitrary Arrest
Right to Fair Public Hearing
Right to be Considered Innocent until Proven Guilty
Freedom from Interference with Privacy, Family, Home & Correspondence
Right to Movement in and out of the Country
Right to Asylum from Persecution
Right to Nationality & the Freedom to Change Nationality
Right to Marriage & Family
Right to Own Property
Freedom of Belief & Religion
Freedom of Information & Opinion
Right to Peaceful Assembly & Association
Right to Participate in Government & in Free Elections
Right to Social Security
Right to Desirable Work
Right to Rest & Leisure
Right to Adequate Living Standard
Right to Education
Right to Participate in the Cultural Life of Community
Right to a Social Order that Articulates this Document [UDHR]
Community Duties Essential to Free and Full Development
Freedom from State or Personal Interference in the Above Rights [UDHR]