SOS FREEDOM: Help people who fight for human rights. Their lives are in danger
Published: Nov 16, 2023 Reading time: 5 minutes
We transport Belarusian journalists to safety. We help persecuted bloggers in Vietnam. We advocate for the release of imprisoned activists in Cuba. Human rights defenders around the world strive for better and fairer societies, but they often have to fight for their own lives as well. Help us defend freedom and the lives of those who fight for it.
Dictatorial regimes are becoming more brutal every year. Authoritarian tendencies are even spreading closer to home and calls for freedom carry great personal risks in many countries.
For almost 30 years, People in Need has been helping people who put their lives at stake. Thanks to your donation, we will continue to transport them to safety, pay for lawyers or psychologists, and if they are already in prison, we will fight for their release.
The number of people we assist each year has been on the rise. In 2022 alone, we helped more than 700 individuals. On the occasion of November 17, which is celebrated as the Day of Fighting for Freedom and Democracy in Czechia, we announced a new long-term public collection titled “SOS Freedom”.
"The ideals of November 1989 are still alive for me today, and that's why I'm turning to you. SOS FREEDOM is a call to help people in countries where freedom is limited. That´s why People in Need continues to be active in such places. We help people who strive to defend human rights and freedom of speech, who publicly oppose corruption, surveillance, illegal detention, torture, and oppression, often risking their freedom, health, and sometimes even their lives. Please join us and together let's help the people who fight for freedom and human rights with courage, faith, and hope. Just like we once did." - Šimon Pánek, director of People in Need
We have been dedicated to the protection of human rights since the beginning of our organisation. We protect civil activists and support human rights organisations and movements. Our aim is for these activists and organisations to have a stronger position within civil society.
What we do to protect human rights
We lend a helping hand to civil society
We help people who defend human rights and fundamental freedoms.
We support lawyers, journalists, activists, artists, and bloggers who are at risk of physical, psychological or digital harm, or persecution by the state.
We help relocate those who find themselves in danger and provide them with a lawyer, finance for the trip, or psychological help.
In 2022, we provided protection and assistance to 776 people in 20 countries.
We organise trainings, workshops, and internships
We help members of independent civil organisations with education and development.
We organise trainings, workshops, study trips, and internships for them to connect with similar organisations and learn how to organise and develop their activities.
In 2022 alone, we supported civil society actors with 194 projects and grants in various forms, areas of focus and funding levels.
We inform politicians and legislators
We meet with key politicians and political representatives at the national and international levels. We inform them about the problems human rights activists face and propose activities and changes that would improve their situations and lead to systemic changes.
We also organise the film festivals One World in Brussels and SOMOS in Costa Rica.
Each year, we participate in dozens to hundreds of advocacy meetings in the Czech Republic and abroad.
Where we operate
We currently operate on 4 continents and 20 countries and regions: in Eastern Europe (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine), in Central Asia, Latin America (Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador, Honduras and Nicaragua), in North Africa (Egypt, Libya) and Southeast Asia (Vietnam). We also provide protection to Russian activists in exile who continue their work from abroad, e.g. direct help with relocations or psychosocial support.
Personal stories of people we have helped
In 2022, we supported 776 activists, bloggers, and journalists. We helped 385 people move to safety. We paid for lawyers and provided psychological help to the persecuted. We supported artists who document the appalling situations in their countries.
We provided psychotherapy for Kevin from Nicaragua after he was released from prison
Twenty-four-year-old Kevin joined anti-government protests in Nicaragua. In order for him to report on the protests, we provided him and his student organisation with a camera and microphones.
Kevin was later imprisoned and tortured for more than a month for participating in the protests. After his release, we arranged for him to undergo psychotherapy sessions which specialise in the treatment of trauma, and provided him with finances so that he and his partner could move to a safer country.
We provided housing and legal assistance to Doña in Costa Rican exile
Doña, a 72-year-old local politician, helped people suffocated by tear gas during anti-government protests in Nicaragua. After narrowly escaping a paramilitary raid and hiding with a Catholic priest in a church, she moved to a secret location and then crossed the border into Costa Rica.
At her age, it was very difficult for her to adjust to the change. We therefore provided her with money for food and housing and arranged for a lawyer and psychological help.
We supported a lawyer in Ukraine
We helped a lawyer from the city of Dnipro who provides free legal consultations to internally displaced persons and works as a volunteer at a centre for displaced women and children. After her husband enlisted in the army, she stayed home alone with their two children.
We provided her with finances to pay for medical expenses for her children and paid her driver's license fees. Now she can independently commute to the various places where she does volunteer work.
