RADICAL MOVES
Radical successful social-change movements since 2000 (from every country, in alphabetical order)
Protests in the Republic of Abkhazia began on 11 November 2024 after the arrest of five opposition activists who opposed an investment agreement with Russia. Protesters blocked the central highway and three bridges in Sukhumi, and attempted to storm the State Security Service building, demanding the release of detainees. Because of these actions, the detained activists were released, and the protesters finally unblocked the bridges for traffic. However, the protests continued with even greater force on November 15th, when protesters broke into the buildings of the Parliament, Government and the Presidential Administration. The primary point of contention was the "Investment Agreement." Many feared that the agreement undermines Abkhazia’s sovereignty and prioritizes external interests over local needs. The protesters demanded that the deputies hold a session and vote against approving the draft agreement. Soon they also demanded Aslan Bzhania and his government resign. The pressure caused Bzhania into exile, and eventually announcing resignation.
Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women (SMAW) was created in 2021 to protest the return of policies and practices against women rights and fundamental freedoms. organizing numerous public protests despite the risks involved. The grassroots movement that is the SMAW quickly grew momentum in Kabul and other provinces, now counting 180 members and having mobilized communities to resist the Taliban’s policies and practices.
ArtLords is a street art collective that brought community members together to paint murals about human rights issues. Founded in 2014 in the heart of Kabul, Afghanistan, ArtLords emerged as a grassroots movement of artists and volunteers, driven by the desire to harness the transformative power of art. Their story began with a bold vision: to use the blank walls of Kabul as canvases to paint messages of peace, hope, and social change. As Afghanistan’s first ever organization to start mural painting in Kabul, they have transformed the city’s landscape, turning somber blast walls into vibrant expressions of community voice and resilience. From their initial projects addressing social issues, ArtLords has grown into a global movement, reaching all 34 provinces of Afghanistan and beyond. Their murals, often a reflection of the collective Afghan experience, have become symbols of the country’s unyielding spirit and desire for a harmonious future. They’ve marked significant milestones along the way – from their ‘I See You’ anti-corruption campaign to their international exhibitions and peace-building initiatives. They continue to grow, and their commitment remains steadfast: to empower voices through art and create dialogues that lead to societal transformation.
The Art of Freedom project was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2021 with a group of Indian and Afghan women artists. It’s first project aimed to bring young women artists from minority religious, ethnic, or racial groups from conflict spaces together to explore their inherent creativity, voice out opinions, and highlight their journey through the years of conflict or towards peace. Since then, through a series of workshops the project has provided a selection of Afghan women artists with a space for mentorship to create artworks depicting their stories of freedom or the struggles to gain their freedoms while living with the memories of a war-affected country. The Art of Freedom Project launched its Annual Mentorship Program for Afghan women artists in 2022. Since then more than 30 Afghan women have been trained as artists and activists using different art based tools.
NISMA THURJE #initiative is a political movement in Albania founded after the student protests of 2018 and led by Endrit Shabani. The initiative was instrumental in exposing the corruption and collusion in the incinerator scandal. Thurje turned into the most popular grass-roots movement of young people, organizing various massive protests mounting pressure on corrupted politicians holding them accountable to their constituencies. Nisma has shown a constructive approach, proposing a better solution to the issue they raise, managing to bring forward several legal initiatives, some of which have turned into laws and bylaws, and even amendments to the Albanian Constitution.
Revolution of Smiles ( Hirak ) Students were fed up with a stagnant and corrupt government, and when then President Abdelaziz Bouteflika put his name on the ballot for a potential fifth term in office, students flocked to the streets in organised, peaceful protests. They marched in their thousands to demand change and more opportunities for young Algerians. Their protests spread like wildfire on social media, until millions of people of all generations flooded Algerian cities with flags and banners demanding the whole system change. The demonstrations united the whole country, from the young and disenfranchised to the older battle-weary generation who lived through French-colonised Algeria, independence and a civil war. Algerians marched to see real change in their lifetimes, to witness the biggest country in Africa rise from systemic corruption and walk out of the shadows of civil war. It is without doubt a rare and historic revolution. It started and has remained peaceful, it toppled a sitting President, put many corrupt officials in prison. In fact, the revolution has been nicknamed the Revolution of Smiles because of its positive, peaceful energy and shared humanitarian goals.
The Stop Violences Association was born in 2014 in Andorra, by women who have experienced various types of violence during their lives. Stop Violencies' goal is to fight for women's human rights. It carries out workshops, awareness-raising and violence-preventing projects as well as classes in self-defense. And above all, we fight for rights and assist women who are in violent situations In short, we want to be a meeting point for all people in the country who want a better society, a country free of violence.
("Cultural Agitators Association"), which is considered the largest youth movement in the province of Benguela, builds upon Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to promote culture and human rights in Angola. Cultural Agitators Association provides education and raise awareness on gender equity and violence against women by offering workshops, talk shows, and community-based movie viewings that address those issues.
The Barbudan independence movement is a political movement that seeks the independence of Barbuda from Antigua. Barbudan independence would allow Barbudans to exercise their right to self-determination, especially after the start of the Barbuda land crisis. On 3 November 1981, two days after the independence of Antigua and Barbuda, a protest was led by Sir Hilbourne Frank, and people marched through the streets of Codrington. Frank claimed that 75% of people on the island supported Barbudan secession. In 2024, Barbuda Council chairperson Devon Warner stated that all of the members of the Barbuda Council were still in support of secession. As of December 2024, all members of the Barbuda Council are a part of the pro-independence Barbuda People's Movement.
The Marea Verde (Green Wave) is a feminist movement that emerged in Argentina and spread across Latin America, addressing gender-based violence (GBV), femicide, and reproductive rights, Symbolized by the green handkerchief. Through mass protests and social media activism, the Marea Verde has achieved groundbreaking legislative victories, including the decriminalization of abortion in Argentina (2020) The Marea Verde has profoundly shaped the region's approach to international security by challenging the traditional, state-centric view and advocating for a human-centric perspective. It has pushed for the inclusion of GBV, reproductive rights, and human rights as core components of security, emphasizing the safety, autonomy, and dignity of women and marginalized groups. Through its relentless activism, the Marea Verde has redefined what it means to create a secure and just society for all.
During Argentina’s economic crisis that began in 2011, workers prevented the permanent closure of dozens of businesses from ceramic factories to hotels, One of these businesses, the towering hotel Bauen, opened in late 1970’s in the heart of Beanos Aires. It held status as a meeting place of the ruling class during Argentina’ ruthless military dictatorship. After the hotels indebted owners fired the staff and permanently turned off the lights in 2001, a few dozen ex-employees and cooperative activists banded together to reclaim it. They staged an occupation of the hotel in early 2003, and immediately began talking about how to re-open it, only this time under democratic control. They wanted to replace the hotels previous culture of competition, suspicion and chronic instability, with one of solidarity. Despite continuous harassment by powerful state representatives, the worker-owned Hotel Brauen grew to became a hub for progressive politics, community organizers, discussion groups and artists.
The Velvet revolution happened In 2018, when Armenians peacefully ousted their government in a fast-moving decentralised revolution. The protests were characterized by a deliberate openness and non-violence. Anyone who wished to join was welcomed with an 'open arms' policy. The decision to decentralise the movement, ended up being critical to the revolution's success.
Aboriginal Lands Right Movement. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have spent decades reclaiming their ancestral lands through strikes, protests, and petitions as part of the Aboriginal Land Rights Movement. including The Aboriginal Tent Embassy, a permanent protest occupation site as a focus for representing the political rights of Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander people. Established on 26 January (Australia Day) 1972, and celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022, it is the longest continuous protest for Indigenous land rights in the world. As of 2020, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' rights and interests in land are formally recognised over around 40 per cent of Australia's land mass, and sea rights have also been asserted in various native title cases
Neighbors in Vienna is a young organisation founded in Vienna by Christine Scholten and the social worker Renate Schnee. Their admirable project "Nachbarinnen" (The Neighbours) addresses multidimensional aspects of the integration of immigrants into Austrian society. The organisation is a fully practical response to the needs of immigrant families, encouraging their participation in social life in Austria and instructing them on essential systemic issues related to health and education so that they can efficiently benefit from the available opportunities. The projects aims not only to help meet the core needs of immigrants but goes further, sparking potential ideas of how to enrich the life of an immigrant with positive experiences and to enable full integration in order to avoid the phenomenon of "parallel societies". The Neighbours are female facilitators who speak Turkish, Arabic, Somalian and Chechen. The project is a clear manifestation of solidarity in its most humane form. At the heart of it lies the remarkable idea of helping others to self-help.
Women's rights activists in Azerbaijan have been actively pushing for change through various strategies and initiatives. Advocacy and lobbying efforts, Awareness-raising campaigns, Mobilizing grassroots movements, Legal challenges, International cooperation, Overall, women's rights activists in Azerbaijan have been persistent and resilient in their efforts to advocate for gender equality and social change. The Azerbaijan Feminist Group is an organization sharing feminist concepts and debates to women in Azerbaijan, over equality under the law and access to equal opportunities in practice for women in Azerbaijan. The organization created a women's library for women's issues, thought and theory. The library is accessible to women in Azerbaijan working with women's issues, human rights, or simply interested to know more about women's issues. Gulnara Mehdiyeva is an activist and journalist reporting on LGBTQIA+ and women's rights issues in Azerbaijan. Ms Mehdiyeva is a prominent figure in Azerbaijan: she is editor-in-chief of the country's only LGBTQIA+ publication. She is also a founding member of advocacy groups dedicated to assisting women and girls subject to domestic violence. Gulnara Mehdiyeva is a prominent women's rights defender, active member of the Azerbaijani feminist community and an anti-war activist. She has been one of the organizers of the women's marches on International Women's Day in Baku in 2019 and 2020, as well as numerous other protests on issues such as domestic violence, femicide and other human rights violations.
Bahamas Plastic Movement (BPM), an organization that raises awareness and finding solutions to plastic pollution. Bahamas Plastic Movement believes that through research, education, citizen science & policy change, we can create a healthy marine and terrestrial environment free of plastic pollution. In 2020, a plastic ban was set in place, to forbid single-use plastic bags, straws, food utensils, and styrofoam cups and food containers from being "imported, distributed, or sold anywhere in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas."
2011 Bahraini uprising was a series of anti-government protests from 2011 until 2014. Mass protests in 2011 were fueled by mounting discontent over the state's authoritarianism, sectarianism in government employment and benefits, and refusal to provide accountability for torture and arbitrary detention. Women and youth were at the forefront of Bahrain's uprising in February 2011, and are at the heart of the ensuing movement for radical change. Women's participation in protests and demonstrations in Pearl Roundabout surpassed all expectations. There are estimates that 35 percent of participants were women, despite the traditional context whereby women are not encouraged to mix with men. More important was their unprecedented participation; women mounted the stage and addressed the mixed public as orators, lecturers, poets, chanters, organisers, and decision makers.
The July Revolution was also known as the Student-People's uprising. The July-August Revolution of 2024 stands as a remarkable chapter in Bangladesh's history, demonstrating the power of youth activism and democratic aspirations. This historic movement, primarily led by students and young professionals, successfully challenged and ultimately overthrew a 15-year-old authoritarian regime. the protests quickly gained momentum as the July uprising spread throughout the nation. The government's heavy-handed response, characterized by excessive force and numerous casualties among protestors, fueled public outrage. Citizens from all walks of life, including professionals, activists, and ordinary people, joined the movement in solidarity. The July Uprising transcended student activism, becoming a national movement for social justice and equality. The July Uprising left an enduring legacy in Bangladesh. It demonstrated to the world the transformative power of peaceful protest and the critical role of citizen participation in shaping a nation's future. The movement served as a catalyst for political change, paving the way for a more democratic and just Bangladesh. It inspired a new generation of activists who continue to strive for social progress and equality.
The Belarusian partisan movement, sometimes called the Belarusian Civil War, is an ongoing campaign of resistance against the authoritarian regime of Alexander Lukashenko. Several key opposition groups aligned with the Coordination Council were formed in the autumn of 2020, such as the Belarusian Cyber Partisans. The Belarusian Cyber Partisans is a decentralized anonymous hacktivist collective known for its various cyber attacks against the authoritarian Belarusian government. Throughout the year, partisans participated in blocking railways, destroying CCTV, damaging infrastructure used by the regime, and actions against regime officials. Joining were groups such as Busly liaciac, "The storks are flying' a Belarusian opposition resistance group creating street art, flash mobs and minor sabotage. And another joining group was BYPOL, a Belarusian organization created by former employees of law enforcement agencies to counter the Belarusian authorities, The unification of law enforcement officers who do not support the government into an organized structure, ready to overthrow the current government in Belarus.
In mid-January 2022, the Cyber Partisans launched a cyberattack on infrastructure of Belarusian Railways, severely delaying the movement of Russian transport in Belarus; they stated they would decrypt the systems upon the release of 50 prisoners and Russian troops being removed from Belarus. During the Battle of Kyiv, BYPOL and Belarusian partisans published information on how to disable railway signalling boxes, which severely disrupted the Russian logistic network. The Belarusian Partisan movement is ongoing, and will play an important role in the evolution of Belarusian politics in the coming years.
BelRefugees is a Brussels-based citizen platform dedicated to welcoming and supporting people undergoing migration. Its commitment is not limited to one-off help: it intervenes at every stage of their integration. Maximilian Park in Brussels was the site of a makeshift refugee camp in 2015, when the institutional reception system was insufficient to provide shelter for arriving asylum seekers. Local volunteers stepped in, forming the 'Citizens' Platform' and organizing the space. The camp became a space of humanitarian care, but also a space of encounter and communal activities, where normative categories of citizenship and care became blurred, allowing for an alternative refugee reception. For a more open and inclusive society towards people in migration, the Citizen Platform - BELRefugees mobilized and federated citizen to transform societal representations and attitudes about people in migration and to contribute to offering a response to their needs that is fundamentally human and of quality by developing, if necessary, new solutions.
United Belize Advocacy Movement, UNIBAM is the oldest and only LGBT led policy and advocacy non-governmental organization in Belize. Its broad theme of focus is health and human rights. Its mission is to be an Advocacy Organization that uses rights-base approaches to reduce stigma and discrimination. On July 2010, Caleb Orozco (UNIBAM's co-founder) filed a suit to challenge the constitutionality of Section 53 of the Criminal Code, which imposes up to ten year prison sentences for same-sex consensual sexual relations. On 10 August 2016, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Caleb Orozco, striking down the law. Orozco's is the first legal challenge to the criminalisation of consensual same sex intercourse in Caribbean history, establishing an important precedent for a region where the vast majority of countries still retain similar laws in their statutes.
Songhai, a zero waste farm in Benin, founded by Godfrey Nzamujo, is an agriculture system that would not only increase food security, it would also help the environment and create jobs. Zero waste agriculture, a type of sustainable farming, takes these principles even further by introducing a regenerative loop, where waste in one area produces feed, fuel or nutrients for another. Songhai has several "eco-literacy" development programs. They range from 18-month training courses for farmer-entrepreneurs, to shorter stays to learn techniques like irrigation. People come from all over the world to study Nzamujo's methods. After seeing success on his first zero waste farm, he expanded throughout Benin and western Africa. Today, the Songhai model is implemented across the continent, including in Nigeria, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Nzamujo says they've trained more than 7,000 farmer-entrepreneurs and more than 30,000 people in total since it began. Nzamujo believes zero waste agriculture is now steadily tackling the issues he set out to defeat three decades ago: hunger, unemployment and environmental degradation. And he wants to see it go further.
Bhutanese Refugees Aid for Victims of Violence (BRAVE), a self-help organization dedicated to assisting affected refugees from Bhutan. BRAVE facilitates counseling and training in all eight of the Bhutanese refugee camps in Nepal.
The Coalition in Defense of Water and Life, known as La Coordinadora, led demands for the water system to stay under local public control, after Bolivia tried to privatize it's water system. Thousand of citizens protested for weeks. Eventually La Coordinadora won its demands when the government turned over control of the city's water system, including its $35 million debt, to the organization and cancelled the privatization contract. La Coordinadora achieved the first major victory against the global trend of privatizing water resources.
The CALLE Performance Biennial is a space for creation, resistance, and community that transforms public space into a living stage. Since its first edition in 2015, the Biennial has consolidated its identity as an independent event, free of institutional hierarchies, where performance art meets the street to question, provoke, and engage in dialogue with society. They believe in the power of squares, streets, and parks as territories of encounter and expression, open to all voices and bodies. That is why they bring together artists from diverse backgrounds, origins, and perspectives, reflecting the diversity of performance and the societies in which they intervene. More than an event, CALLE is a constantly expanding network. They build ties between artists from different countries, encourage exchange, and bring together communities that find in art a driving force for social and political transformation. Through each edition, They raise urgent questions about our realities and contexts, creating spaces for reflection and action through performance. At CALLE, the street is a territory for experimentation, performance is a tool for questioning, and art is an act of resistance.
Bridge of Brave Women, was a group of women from the village of Kruscica in Bosnia and Herzegovina who occupied a bridge over their river for over 500 days and nights - despite violent eviction attempts by the police and even during the long, cold winter. Their actions thereby prevented the construction of two hydropower plants which would have caused environmental damage to the region. The 503-day blockade of heavy equipment resulted in the cancellation of permits for two proposed dams on the Kruscica River in December 2018. The Balkans are home to the last free-flowing rivers in Europe, with thousands of miles of pristine rivers, and thanks to those like the Bridge of Brave Women, they have been protected.
First People of the Kalahari (FPK), which was set up in 1991 to campaign for the Bushmen's human rights, and especially their land rights. was a local advocacy organisation in Botswana that worked for the rights of the indigenous San who had been forced by the Government of Botswana to resettle to the new built town of New Xade. In December 2006, after a four year long trial, Botswana's High Court ruled in favour of the Bushmen. The judges ruled that their eviction by the government was ‘unlawful and unconstitutional’, and that they have the right to live inside the reserve, on their ancestral land.
The June 2011 Public Sector workers strike of up to 100,000 workers, has inscribed a meaningful chapter in the history of the labour Movement in Botswana. It stands as an important landmarks in the development of working class struggles in post-colonial Botswana. In the face of intimidation, threats and outright repression by the state workers stood their ground to back their demand for increase of their salaries by engaging in strike action for more than a month. The energetic fighting spirit displayed by the workers during the strike was all the more remarkable taking into account the fact that most of those involved were relatively young recently unionised workers who had never engaged in any strike action before. The case of the striking workers was very reasonable and justified. That they are not having been awarded any increment in the past three years their real wages have effectively fallen, and they are increasingly finding it difficult to make ends meet in the face of escalating fuel and transport costs and spiraling food prices. The strike of public sector workers in Botswana ended after nine weeks. Although they demanded a 16% increase, they still won an agreement of a 3% pay increase. Previously, on the advice of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the government had refused to offer any increase despite significant rises in the cost of living. In an effort of intimidation tactics by the government intended to force workers to concede defeat, the government dismissed a majority of the workers, Nonetheless, workers defied the government and blatantly disregarded its intimidation, threats and outright repression. In another victory, on June 2012 the mass dismissals were judged illegal by the High Court and all the affected workers were ordered to be reinstated. This strike proved victorious in favor of the strikers. The experience gained from the strike is instructive for the many ordinary workers involved in it. A strike welds workers together, fuses their will and enhances their class consciousness.
Brazil's Landless Workers Movement, Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST) in Portuguese, is a mass social movement, formed by rural workers and by all those who want to fight for land reform and against injustice and social inequality in rural areas. The MST was born through a process of occupying latifundios (large landed estates) and became a national movement in 1984. For over more than two decades, the movement has led more than 2,500 land occupations, with about 370,000 families - families that today settled on 7.5 million hectares of land that they won as a result of the occupations. Through their organizing, these families continue to push for schools, credit for agricultural production and cooperatives, and access to health care. Currently, there are approximately 900 encampment holding 150,000 landless families in Brazil. Those camped, as well as those already settled, remain mobilized, ready to exercise their full citizenship, by fighting for the realization of their political, social economic, environmental, and cultural rights.
The Brunei Project is an independent human rights initiative that has been actively monitoring and raising awareness about human rights issues in Brunei since May 2015. The Brunei Project also provides development opportunities for local human rights advocates through independent projects and collaboration with like-minded organisations regionally and internationally. This has included holding Brunei's first ever event to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) in 2016.
The Brunei Project is continuing to engage with regional and international human rights movements and welcomes further opportunities for collaboration with like-minded groups.
Fine Acts, is a creative studio co-created by Bulgarian activists and artists that encourages collaboration between activists and artists to produce social change-inspiring art. Fine Acts creates art that raises awareness, triggers action, and brings greater support for human rights campaigns. Fine Acts consults and trains civil society organizations in creative thinking, utilizing art and embracing play as a tool for social change. Some of the projects are: “Monument #1 which confronts the lack of one single monument of a women in Sofia, Bulgaria, by flooding the city with brightly-colored sculptures of women, placed at central locations across Sofia during a covert early-morning action. Or ‘Inside Out Sofia’ where giant photo-posters with the portraits of forcibly evicted Roma people (the largest ethnic minority in Bulgaria ) were printed and placed in the ruins of their homes, to bring public awareness to them. Or the ‘Love Speech’ Campaign where 30 Bulgarian artists, in a vast campaign against hate speech, created a series of urban art interventions, and participatory installations that bring empathy, understanding, and love. Fine Acts serves as a creative solution to confronting realities, and building a better world.
The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee works to promote human rights, stimulate legislative reform to bring Bulgarian legislation in line with international human rights standards and carry out advocacy to make human rights protection mechanisms widely accessible. It was established on 14 July 1992 as an independent non-governmental organisation for the protection of human rights.
The Collective Against Impunity and Stigmatization of Communities (CISC) is a Burkinabe organization founded in 2019 by a coalition of civil society organizations and individuals committed to peace and social justice. The Collective was established in response to the escalating security crisis in Burkina Faso, which led to ethnic stigmatization and communal massacres, severely impacting social cohesion and stability. Its mission is to combat injustice in all its forms and to promote, protect, and defend the rights of all Burkinabe citizens without distinction. CISC is represented across all regions of Burkina Faso through regional coordination and trained monitors for data collection. It has since its foundation employed various means of action such as denouncing human rights violations, assisting victims and documenting cases of injustice, advocacy and awareness-raising. CISC takes a very humanistic and holistic approach to human rights work, focusing not just on holding perpetrators accountable, but seeking justice and healing for victims and rights holders
The Mae Tao Clinic, along the Thailand-Burma border, provides free healthcare to displaced people, migrant workers, orphans and jungle dwellers on the Thai-burmese border. The clinic was set up after Cynthia Maung, the founder, who was forced to flee her homeland in 1988 and she recognized there was no system in place for healthcare and food relief. The clinic serves over 200,000 refugees and immigrants, 150 patients a day, and during the rainy season, the clinic workers venture into the jungle with baskets of medicine slung across their shoulders, looking for patients in need. Mae Tao evolved into an umbrella social services network for refugees, migrant workers, and other displaced Burmese. As a focal point of these activities, child protection is the most rapidly growing area of need. Mae Tao has been providing education to children from Burma living in the Mae Sot area. The child protection program has evolved into a comprehensive program with a holistic approach to child protection.
Reach Out Cameroon, promotes women's and children's rights in conflict-affected areas and advances women’s participation in the peace-building process. It has served over 1,700,000 people in remote communities in the North West and South West regions since the Anglophone crisis started in late 2016.
Land Defenders and Sovereignty Movements: In recent years, grassroots movements and land defenders have emerged to challenge resource extraction projects and assert Indigenous sovereignty. These movements often focus on protecting traditional lands from development and advocating for the recognition of Indigenous self-determination.
One Victory was by the Tsilhqot’in Nation, located in British Columbia, who fought a prolonged legal battle to establish their land rights. The case centered on the claim to a large area of land in the central interior of British Columbia, which the Tsilhqot'in argued was their traditional territory and had been used and occupied for generations. The 2014 Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favor of the Tsilhqot’in Nation and was a landmark victory for Indigenous land rights. The court recognized the Tsilhqot’in’s title to a large area of land in British Columbia, 1,750 square kilometers of land, affirming their right to control and benefit from their traditional territories. This decision was groundbreaking, as it was the first time the Court had granted title to Indigenous land outside of a specific treaty agreement. It set a precedent for Indigenous land claims across Canada, affirming the legal recognition of Indigenous land rights and influencing subsequent legal and policy developments.
LGBT Association was launched in 2015 in Santiago, Cabo Verde to raise awareness of LGBTQ rights and fight discrimination based on sexual orientation, on gender equality and eliminating violence. Helen Tavares the founder says “Being LGBT means fighting against prejudice and violence every day,” - In June 2013, the country's first Pride week was held, the second on the African continent, during which it organised parades and a live music festival. In 2018, Cabo Verde became the first African country to sign the Equal Rights Coalition (Equal Rights Coalition - ERC, an intergovernmental organization of 42 member states dedicated to protecting the rights of LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) people. It was the second African territory to legally recognize this right, preceded only by South Africa.
Mother Nature Cambodia is one of the country's leading civil society groups, working since 2012 with frontline human rights activists to protect Cambodia's environment. Mother Nature Cambodia's main mission is to assist and work alongside those Cambodians willing to take risks. Their main work focuses on exposing to large audiences the excesses, environmental destruction, and human rights abuses that all-too-often are linked to the out-of-control development the country has been seeing for over two decades. Despite being subjected to arbitrary harassment on a regular basis, Mother Nature Cambodia continues to strive forward, informing millions of Cambodians of what is truly happening in the name of so-called development. Victories are: To this day, the Areng Valley remains free from any large-scale 'development' project, without doubt a result of unity, innovation and bravery by countless people. However, the threats and challenges remain, and it is the responsibilities of all Cambodians to preserve this stunning terrain. After many years of suffering by thousands of fishing families living along the Cambodian coast, Large-scale dredging and export of marine sand used from Koh Kong's estuaries for reclamation purposes was officially banned in 2017.
Sangha Pangolin Project (Central African Republic) is situated in Dzanga-Sangha National Park, and based at the Sangha Biodiversity Lodge. This project is focused on rescuing pangolins from the illegal wildlife trade and releasing them when healthy. The lodge has received a large number of live pangolins from the bushmeat trade, which have been rehabilitated as best as possible and soft released. Pangolins have become an urgent conservation cause for The Sangha Pangolin Project, and they aim to protect and to increase the knowledge about them. The founders hire 50 local Ba’Aka hunters who subsistence-hunt in the area to run the hotel and help with construction and conservation. They also run projects in research and education of locals.
Chadian Association for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (abbreviated as ATDPH) is a human rights organization operating in Chad. ATDPH works towards getting people to know, claim and defend their rights, works towards respecting the rights of prisoners, respecting the dignity of women, and children's rights, awhile reducing impunity and torture. The Association has over 2000 activists who volunteer throughout the country, who help to develop and implement organisation's objectives, such as the creation of a national monitoring system on prison conditions, which includes training prisoners and prison wardens, or working against the slavery of children who are sold in markets to work as agricultural labourers by creating “circles of vigilance,” ATDPH helps through Awareness-raising for human rights, e.g. through a bimonthly paper Le Rougeau and leaflets in French and Arabic on torture, HIV/AIDS, or the rights of prisoners. And the ATDPH developes educational programmes in the regional chapters on human rights, and women rights, such as educating about legal means to prevent child marriage, and also seeking compensation for environmental damage from the Chad Cameroon Oil and Pipeline Project.
Estallido Social (social Outburst) happened in 2019, when Chile erupted in the largest uprising since the dictatorship. —the estallido was against all the abuses of neoliberalism, patriarchy, and the coercive state. The estallido was an accumulation of social struggles over the last two decades: movements for public pensions, housing, water, environmental justice, feminist and Mapuche (Indigenous) struggles, but most prominently, student movements which spawned new left parties and a left-party coalition, Frente Amplio (FA, “broad front”). Along with six months of demonstrations across Chile, it unleashed a flourishing of local spaces of popular participation and joy, grassroots assemblies, revolutionary culture, creative protest, community formations, and communal kitchens. A spirit of social solidarity and hope infused everyday life. The scale of the mobilizing helped to reject the ultra-right José Antonio Kast, ' and elect leftist Gabriel Boric.
The Dalian Environmental protest was the Dalian struggle of August 2011, when protests began in the city of Dalian in Liaoniang province, Northeast China, The protest began after Dalian residents became concerned about the potential spill of toxic chemical paraxylene (PX) from the Fujia chemical plant, following a heavy storm that had caused high waves to burst through the dike protecting the plant. Thousands of residents took to the streets in anger over the safety risks to which the plant exposed them. Many claimed that toxins had, in fact, leaked from the plant. They raised slogans demanding “PX out of Dalian” and “Refuse PX.” the widespread anger and resistance led authorities to order the Fujia petrochemical plant shut down immediately, a success for the protesters.
Steel Workers Revolt began The July 2009, with an anti-privatization struggle by steel workers at the state-owned Tonghua Steel Mill in Jilin province, which led to the death of a factory boss, resulted in a victory for the workers, and a worker victory in dropping the plans to buy out and privatize the mill.
The protest began when workers found out about plans that Jianlong Steel would take over and control the company. The workers resented this because when Jianlong bought a 36% share in Tonghua in September 2005, a wave of layoffs followed. In 2008, when Jianlong temporarily controlled the company, workers fared badly when steel prices had fallen.
Afraid of further job losses, workers took action as soon as they heard about the takeover of the steel mill, the only major employer in the city. On July 24, a worker who had been previously laid off hung a banner outside the main office building, saying “Jianlong, Get out of Tonghua.” Workers started to blockade a railway in order to stop supplies from reaching the mill. Approximately 30,000 present and former workers and their families were involved in the protest
Much of the workers’ anger had been specifically directed at their factory boss, Chen Guojin, who had first come to Tonghua in 2006, not long after Jianlong first purchased a stake in the company. He was resented not only as the representative of Jianlong but also because of his tough disciplinarian style and the pay differential between management and themselves. One 2008 report claimed, for instance, that while Chen was paid three million yuan, some of the company retirees were receiving as little as 200 yuan per month.
During the protest the steel workers beat Chen to death. Just hours later, Jianlong withdrew their offer to buy the mill. The struggle successfully halted Jianlong’s privatization.
The Umbrella movement protests started in response to a decision made by China that would allow elections in Hong Kong in 2017, but only from a list of candidates pre-approved by the Chinese government. The Umbrella Movement was nicknamed so because protesters would use umbrellas to protect themselves from the tear gas used by police. The umbrella became an international symbol of peaceful resistance, in a fight for Hong Kong’s sovereignty and freedom. It did more than any other event to promote a politically conscious and active citizenship, and this especially amongst a huge majority of young people — upwards of 80 to 90 percent — who are in favor of democracy and genuine autonomy. It raised the political awareness of Hong Kong people generally, and especially that of many previously apolitical people. They realized how emotionally attached to Hong Kong they are. They strongly identify with it and want to defend it. The Umbrella Movement de-legitimized Communist Party rule and made people see more clearly than ever before what the Party was doing to Hong Kong. The movement’s art, creativity, collaboration, egalitarianism, communalism, emphasis on values other than the economic, idealism, generosity of spirit and action, dedication, commitment to the common good, to ideals higher than oneself, one’s pocketbook, one’s family, opened Hong Kong people’s eyes to one another, to a common identity both already existing and still emerging, and to the possibilities of a truly self-governed, democratic Hong Kong.
Again the people of Hong Kong protested in 2019-2020, in a large series of demonstrations against the Hong Kong government’s introduction of a bill that would have made it legal for Hong Kong to extradite criminal suspects to mainland China. These protests were the largest in the history of Hong Kong. Protestors objected to the proposed bill on the grounds that the mainland PRC "justice system is marked by torture, forced confessions, arbitrary detentions and unfair trials." There were massive street protests and violent attacks by the police, with the 16 June protest consisting 30% (according to the organizers) of the full 7 million population of Hong Kong. Months of demonstrations convinced the then Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to suspend the bill.
The Guardia Indígena, the indigenous guard of the Cauca region, consists of approximately 2,000 members, women, men, boys and girls, made up of the 19 different indigenous communities living in the Cauca region. The Guardia patrols the indigenous territory, reports suspicious activity or people, and plays a leadership role in protecting the Nasa people, sometimes ushering them out of erupting violence in their settlements or trying to negotiate with the guerrillas or army to leave the territory. Their primary symbol of authority is a wooden staff adorned with red and green ribbons, symbolizing blood and earth. their staves are ancestral symbols of authority endowing strength deeper than the crude force of weaponry. This nonviolent force employs strategies of dialogue and negotiation, a method they refer to as ‘Active Neutrality’, to engage with various armed groups. Their approach has been effective in preventing these groups from taking control of their territories and was recognized with Colombia’s National Peace Prize in 2004.The success of the Indigenous Guard’s peaceful methodology has led to its adoption in other regions of Colombia. Now numbering 60,000 active members nationwide, with 13,000 in Cauca, the Guard’s influence extends beyond the Nasa community. An impressive achievement on behalf of the Guardia Indígena was accomplished in the Spring of 2011, when the guards successfully fended off an illegal gold-mining operation that would have otherwise caused major environmental destruction.
Comoros is a country of several small islands off the coast in East Africa, that are exposed to climate disruptions, which creates the need for Eco-action. The Eco-Waste project led by Lydia Halidi, an environmental biologist, promotes environmental education among the inhabitants of of Mutsamudu in order to develop responsible and committed eco-citizenship behaviour. She vigorously advocates for the fight against ocean plastic pollution and climate change. Lydia is working with local communities on mangrove reforestation and leading an awareness campaign on the impacts of deforestation and climate change, and inspiring others to take action, on a local and global level. , Lydia Halidi reiterates the importance of strengthening the resilience of local communities through tangible measures. Improving infrastructure, restoring coastal ecosystems, including reforestation of mangroves and preservation of coral reefs, are possible short-term initiatives, she said. In addition to protecting the coasts from erosion and storms, these actions promote biodiversity and strengthen the Community link.
Ligue Ivoirienne des Droits des Femmes (Ivorian League for Women's Rights ) in Côte d'Ivoire is a feminist organization created by young Ivorian women engaged in the promotion of women's rights and the fight against violence against women. Women's empowerment in rural areas, Feminist Library with Feminist reading workshop , Created a March to the streets of Abidjan to say NO to violence against women. demand the most fundamental rights.
Coeur-Arc-ciel (Republic of Congo) headed by Jean-Claude Pongault, implemented a project from May 2022 to April 2023 to combat violence and discrimination of LGBT people based on sexual orientation and gender identity. to deliver prevention and awareness in the African context, Coeur-Arc-ciel developed plaidoy’art [an activist art contest, Art for the promotion of human rights, to ensure recognition of the importance of the work done by committed artists who advocate through art. The aim was being more accessible to the general public, and as a tool for de-Westernizing the countries battles and struggles. Included in the contest was: “liputalization” a play open to the public on the prevention of h.i.v. and the fight against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
99% of the tiny Cook Islands territory in the South Pacific is ocean, and home to coral reefs and many threatened marine species. Conservationist Jacqueline Evans led a five-year grassroots campaign to protect the Cook Islands’ stunning marine biodiversity. Because of her tireless and persistent organizing, in July 2017, the Cook Islands enacted new legislation—Marae Moana—to sustainably manage and conserve all 763,000 square miles of the country’s ocean territory, including the designation of marine protected areas 50 nautical miles around the islands, protecting 125,000 square miles of ocean from large-scale commercial fishing and seabed mining.
Autonomous Women's House Zagreb – Women Against Violence against Women (abbreviated AŽKZ is a non-governmental feminist organization with the aim of providing support and assistance to women survivors of violence and strengthening the female position in society. It was founded in 1990 in Zagreb, as the first shelter in Eastern Europe for women victims of violence. To this day, it functions as a shelter whose address was declared an official secret, and a legal and psychological counseling center for women and children victims of violence. It was founded at a time when violence against women and children was not talked about in Croatian society. Due to the lack of support from the authorities, the first area of the shelter was a squatted space owned by the City of Zagreb, where only volunteers and activists worked for the first three years. Over the years, AŽKZ has developed into a professional project in which educated workers work.
The main content of the AŽKZ activity is to provide support and assistance to women and their children who are exposed to physical and psychological domestic violence, as well as other forms of patriarchal violence, regardless of their nationality, religion, marital status, age, skin color, sexual orientation, or any other type of discrimination. Continuous professional work The Autonomous Women's House Zagreb affects the change in the practice of institutions in the treatment of victims of domestic violence, legislation regarding women's rights and the change in public opinion. As part of the Autonomous Women's House, Zagreb is also working on the Women's Counseling Center, which provides free, confidential and anonymous legal advice and provides psychological assistance for women and children victims of violence.
GREEN ACTION is a leading non-governmental organisation for environmental protection in Croatia. Its activist approach in solving environmental problems enables its staff and volunteers to effectively deal with challenging and often, serious issues. Green Action was founded in 1990 and its headquarters are in Zagreb, Croatia. A small team of professionals supports the work of numerous volunteers and activists, who cover a wide range of topics in their work. Green Action is active on local, national and global levels and promotes the protection of nature and the environment, while advocating for sustainable development in Croatian and other communities. It also focuses on activities that foster public participation in decision-making processes with the aim of improving the quality of life in Croatia. Green Action is well known for its attractive and imaginative public advocacy actions and campaigns.
Ladies in White (Spanish: Damas de Blanco) is an opposition movement in Cuba founded in 2003 by wives and other female relatives of jailed dissidents and those who have been made to disappear by the government. The women protest the imprisonments by attending Mass each Sunday wearing white dresses and then silently walking through the streets dressed in white clothing. The color white is chosen to symbolize peace. The Damas march in silence dressed in white, bearing photographs of their imprisoned relatives and holding pink Gladiola flowers as a symbol of their efforts. The Ladies in White most recent project is called “Extending Our Hands” and is a great example of the type of work this group is doing around the island. This latest effort included providing school supplies and a bit of fun for children in need at the group’s headquarters and a nearby park. The funding for this project is from generous donations from Cuban exiles, organized by the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba. The movement received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European Parliament in 2005.
AWAKE WITHIN THE WALLS: ) (2007-2011) was a citizens’ group set up to oppose the commercialization of the walled city of Nicosia, a grassroots engagement, from people who consciously chosen to live in the historic center of Nicosia. experiencing all its unique qualities, its beauty and its problems on a daily basis. Awake within the Walls’ perspective and special awareness can contribute creatively and decisively to the life of the city. The citizens’ group “AWAKE WITHIN THE WALLS” has been formed with the purpose of playing an active role in community issues. This initiative aims to call on all those who live within the walls to help lay the foundations for a meaningful revitalization of the historic city. The immediate concern is the improvement of quality of life. This can only be accomplished through continuous and consistent care as well as the implementation of appropriate solutions to the serious problems of the area. And also finding ways to combat xenophobia and build bridges of communication between the "other" and the host community, and the creation of neighborhoods / nuclei of culture and ‘creative industries’ (art workshops, publishing houses, and more)
A Million Moments for Democracy' is a Czech political organisation, which has organized protests and demonstrations against the government of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Its initial goal was a challenge to get one million signatures in support of Babiš's resignation, in protest at his staying in office while the subject of a police investigation, and his previous activities as an operative of the State Security services (STB) under the former communist regime.
Danner is a leading advocacy organization and women’s shelter in Denmark, providing safe housing, counseling, and legal aid for survivors of domestic violence. It ranks among the leading domestic abuse support in Denmark. Danner runs a crisis center, a telephone and chat counseling service, the outpatient counseling program Say it to someone and several aftercare initiatives. Danner organizes presentations, workshops and courses about violence across the country for a wide range of participants.
SOS Racism Denmark fights racial discrimination, xenophobia, and social injustice, promoting diversity and equal rights for all, dedicated to combating racism and discrimination in Denmark. This is done especially through raising awareness of the problems created by racism and discrimination and to create a more inclusive and just society. The organization is made up of volunteers who have a passion for making a difference. SOS is party politically independent and open to all democratic forces. With values include diversity, inclusion, equality, justice and human rights. Human rights are for everyone! SOS believe that everyone deserves respect and equal opportunities, and work hard for these goals.
Team Djibouti is an action group committed to democracy in Djibouti. Impact-driven in approach, Team Djbouti draws the world’s attention to the alarming human rights situation. Since the beginning of 2021, Team Djbouti initiated a direct outreach program that regularly provides Djiboutians with food, drinking water, clothes and temporary shelter requirements, Team Djibouti understands that aid needs to reach people directly, and so we work with local activists, opposition groups, and our volunteers on the ground to ensuring its safe disbursal and distribution. Team Djibouti take actions by First, by providing material help and support to human rights activists, opposition coalitions and members of the civil society. Besides promoting democracy and human rights, Team Djibouti regularly condemn violence, corruption and authoritarianism emanating from the regime. Second, we provide humanitarian relief — food, drinking water, clothes and temporary shelter — to Djiboutians in need, and also support, and help rehabilitate people subjected to indiscriminate torture and violence at the hands of the regime.
Minority Rights Dominica (MiRiDom), is a civil society organization that advocates for people in Dominica who are denied their human rights on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Advocating for LGBTQI+ rights in a small community like Dominica, with a population of only 70,000, has presented unique challenges. Many LGBTQI+ people have found it difficult to express their sexual orientation or gender identity for fear of criticism or victimization. Nevertheless, MiRiDom have persevered in its efforts to create a more inclusive and accepting environment. In a victory, on 22 April, 2024, the High Court of Dominica overturned a colonial-era ban on consensual same-sex relations. The ruling came in response to a civil society lawsuit, following in the footsteps of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and St Kitts and Nevis, where similar bans were struck down in 2022. Dominica’s civil society continues to work to win further rights, while seeking to shift social attitudes and behaviors and banish the stigma, discrimination and violence that limit access to legally recognized rights.
Dominica Conservation Association (DCA) - focuses on protecting the island's natural resources through advocacy, education, and community involvement. They have been instrumental in lobbying for environmental policies that safeguard biodiversity and promote sustainable development practices. The DCA also organizes community clean-up events and workshops to educate the public about conservation efforts. DCA’s president and trained agronomist, Atherton Martin talked with community leadership and forged a consensus in opposition to a copper mine that would have devastated 10% of the original tropical rainforests covering Dominica. He launched a successful petition drive and enlisted the support of thousands of Dominicans. Atherton Martin successfully protected this lush tropical island from being devastated by the major copper mine.
The 4 % movement which had its origins in the Dominican Teachers Union (Asociacion Dominicana de Profesores, ADP) was a response to the government’s failure to fulfill its obligation to abide by the General Law of Education of 1997, which called for appropriation of 4 % of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product ) for pre-university education. While most Latin American states spend on average 5 % of their GDP on pre-university education, the Dominican Republic had spent less than 2 %. As a result, school buildings, teachers’ salaries, and the quality of public education hit rock bottom, whereas the cost of private education skyrocketed. Under these circumstances, teachers could not support their families and were often forced to seek second jobs. At the end of 2006, Marfa Teresa Cabrera (2007-2009) was elected president of the teachers’ union and began a campaign for the 4 % for education along with various other civic organizations. this movement appealed to a broad representation of society. Cabrera succeeded in building a strong coalition that pushed the state to enforce the General Education Law And in 2013 the government began to enforce the General Law of Education.
The Marcha Verde movement emerged in 2017 to protest bribery on the part of the Brazilian transnational Odebrecht. The Movement empowered 25 protests in the provinces and large marches in July 2017 and August 2018. At the marches, many people who had never marched in their lives, particularly middle class citizens, marched. The reality of seeing so many people together fueled participation: A Gallup survey showed that 92% of the population supported Marcha Verde.
Having a group of rotating spokespeople as big and diverse as possible was a deliberate decision. The movement had four committees: one for content and analysis, which puts together our arguments and discourse; one for communications, made up mostly of young people and in charge of setting the media agenda; one for organization and networking, which organizes mobilization and extends our network through the territory; and one for funding and resourcing. This has allowed the movement to become operational.
The movements demands were 1. that a commission of independent prosecutors be formed to carry out the investigation and prosecution in the Odebrecht case and 2. also demanded that all officials who received bribes and all Odebrecht executives who paid them be identified and judicially charged, that all current Odebrecht contracts be canceled, that all public works done by the company be audited, and that all the money in bribes and overpricing be recovered. We also requested an investigation on illicit funding of electoral campaigns.
The movement included launching a “Green Book” that people could sign in street corners and town squares throughout the country, which got a massive response: within a few weeks we collected more than 300 000 signatures. The movement also launched a Green Flame campaign, which basically consisted of lighting a torch that would travel through the main provinces and towns focused on an action called "green neighborhoods", aimed at bringing the struggle for the end of impunity to the poorest sections of the population, which are in fact the most affected by the appropriation of public funds, the payment of bribes and the overpricing of public works. This is an educational and mobilization campaign that we run in the poorest neighborhoods, in the course of which we distribute flyers and talk to residents in order to show them what the relationship is between corruption and the lack of services that they experience.
While all the demands of the movement were not met, A result of the movement was that a $184-million fine to be paid by Odebrecht, and shortly afterwards arrest warrants were issued and executed against fourteen high-profile politicians, officials and former officials.
Goma Actif, is an independent, non-profit, non-political and non-religious citizens' initiative whose aim is to redefine humanitarian aid and development assistance. a collective of young people united in community organizations. The collective works in various fields such as humanitarian emergencies, environmental protection and humanitarian aid in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Goma Actif is committed to providing hot, nutritious meals to families in distress. Each bowl of porridge is a glimmer of comfort for those who face daily hardship. Sharing food is not just a humanitarian gesture, but also an opportunity to establish a strong human bond and rekindle hope. Whether it's basic foodstuffs, water, clothing, jerry cans, etc., every gesture is aimed at alleviating suffering. Goma Actif believes in the power of play and creativity to soothe hearts and strengthen bonds. Through recreational days, we offer moments of joy to children and adults affected by the challenges of war and conflict, poverty, etc. These precious moments enable everyone to escape and rebuild their lives. Goma Actif responds to the health needs of the underprivileged by organizing accessible medical clinics. These initiatives provide free consultations, essential medicines and preventive advice. Each intervention is a lifeline for families without access to medical care. Beyond treatment, we raise community awareness of the importance of preventive health for a better future. With playful workshops and adapted games, these activities are an invitation to rediscover hope and celebrate life, even in the most difficult situations. Goma Actif responds to the health needs of the underprivileged by organizing accessible medical clinics. These initiatives provide free consultations, essential medicines and preventive advice. Each intervention is a lifeline for families without access to medical care. Beyond treatment, we raise community awareness of the importance of preventive health for a better future.
The Cofán community Resistance Indigenous movement, spearheaded by Alex Lucitante and Alexandra Narvaez to protect their people’s ancestral territory from gold mining. Their leadership resulted in a historic legal victory in October 2018, when Ecuador’s courts canceled 52 illegal gold mining concessions, which were illegally granted without the consent of their Cofán community. The Court also ruled that the concessions violated the right to a healthy environment and clean water, calling for remediation of the area damaged by previous mining activity. All current mining operations were halted and pending concessions were canceled. The decision closed the door to gold mining in their homeland. The community’s legal success protects 79,000 acres of pristine, biodiverse rainforest in the headwaters of Ecuador’s Aguarico River, which is sacred to the Cofán.
The 2011 Egyptian revolution, also known as the 25 January Revolution, began on 25 January 2011 and spread across Egypt. The date was set by various youth groups to coincide with the annual Egyptian "Police holiday" as a statement against increasing police brutality during the last few years of Hosni Mubarak's presidency. It consisted of demonstrations, marches, occupations of plazas, non-violent civil resistance, acts of civil disobedience and strikes. Millions of protesters from a range of socio-economic and religious backgrounds demanding change and an end to Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule. The revolution succeeded in ousting Mubarak, Since then, Egypt experienced its first free and fair presidential election. Uprising remains a cherished memory and a source of inspiration for many Egyptians. Two key areas saw notable transformations: women’s rights and youth involvement. Women’s rights in Egypt gained momentum post-revolution. Activists pushed for gender equality. They sought better legal protections. The revolution raised awareness about gender-based violence and discrimination. Women began to demand more public and political roles. Several new laws were enacted. These laws aimed at protecting women’s rights. For instance, stricter penalties for sexual harassment were introduced. New initiatives focused on women’s education and health. The revolution created a platform for women’s voices. Youth involvement was a driving force of the revolution. Young people demanded change. They used social media to organize protests. Their energy and passion were evident. The revolution gave them a voice. Post-revolution, youth involvement continued to grow. Young leaders emerged in various sectors. They took on roles in politics, business, and activism. New youth organizations formed, focusing on social issues. Education and employment opportunities became key focus areas. The Egyptian Revolution sparked global interest. Countries around the world reacted in various ways. The international community’s responses ranged from support to concern.
The National Round table against Metallic Mining in El Salvador, was a coalition of environmental and social movement organizations, universities, water justice activists, faith communities, human rights defenders El Salvador became the first country in the world to pass a total ban on metal mining.
The water-intensive cyanide ore process used by companies like Pacific Rim—posed a significant threat to rural economies and local drinking water supplies. The average metallic mine uses 24,000 gallons of water per hour, or about what a typical Salvadoran family consumes in 20 years. Toxic runoff, spreading to the surrounding land, would contaminate rivers, creeks, and ground waters. The Cabañas region is also prone to earthquakes and torrential rains, further heightening public health and safety concerns.
The historic legislation to ban metal mining was the achievement of over a decade of community organizing and education, led principally by rural women. Without question one of the main pillars of the Salvadoran anti-mining movement’s victory in El Salvador was that they got organized and took action before the corporation could consolidate its presence on the ground. By creating a space for critical reflection on the impacts of mining, they were able to learn from both the experiences of neighboring countries, and from their own historical experiences with metal mining. The objectives of the anti-mining movement in El Salvador were clear from the beginning: a total rejection of mining– that local organizations and international allies were able to unite around one single demand. Based on this demand, narratives were developed highlighting, among other things, the importance of water above gold. This demand then had to be substantiated with a strong evidence base – built in alliance with national and international experts. While research and multiple studies relating to the unviability of mining in the country were carried out, there was also the task of confronting and dismantling a series of myths created by the company around development, job-creation, foreign investment.
EG Justice is an organization that focuses on human rights, anti-corruption, and rule of law initiatives in Equatorial Guinea,stands with the people of Equatorial Guinea to protect their rights and dignity as human beings. We root out and challenge corruption head on.
As the only human rights entity exclusively devoted to Equatorial Guinea, we are a bridge and a platform for changemakers to envision and build a just society.
Victims often lack the means to seek redress or denounce human rights violations domestically and/or internationally. Over 160 victims have been Represented
Over 150 human rights defenders have been trained. EG Justice works with family members, lawyers, and advocates to access judicial, quasi-judicial, and other remedies on behalf of the unjustly aggrieved, arrested, incarcerated, tortured, or killed. We invest in the next generation of anti-corruption, pro-democracy, and human rights defenders. EG Justice strongly believe change in Equatorial Guinea will happen from the bottom-up, and an informed and engaged citizenry is a quintessential component for such change Tutu Alicante is the founder and executive director of EG Justice, home to one of the world’s longest-ruling dictatorships. EG Justice often works with young, creative activists who use social media, theatre, comedy, hip hop, and other avenues to push back against one of the most oppressive dictatorships in the world. Tutu was an expert witness in 2019 in the groundbreaking case that convicted the Equatoguinean Vice President of embezzling and laundering public funds, which then confiscated all his ill-gotten assets and returned them to the public from whom they were stolen, for the benefit of Equatoguineans.
The Global Yiakl Eritrean Movement is a grassroots popular activism initiated by ordinary individuals who are passionate about political and social change in Eritrea. It is a movement aimed at bringing about peace, justice and democracy in Eritrea by mobilizing and uniting the Eritrean public at home and abroad to participate in national politics and to speak up for their rights and freedom. The Global Yiakl Eritrean Movement (GYEM) was launched in late 2018 following the signing of the so-called peace treaty between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Since then, the movement has gained support from Eritreans worldwide, including those inside the country. For the first time in history, the movement has succeeded in breaking the silence and the cycle of fear of speaking up against the dictatorial regime in Eritrea. Tens of thousands of ordinary Eritreans from all walks of life, at home and abroad, are voicing their support for the enough campaign and calling for justice and democracy in Eritrea openly on social media.
In a nutshell, the The Global Yiakl Eritrean Movement has achieved tremendous success in its short life time. The campaign succeeded in breaking the silence and fear of speaking up against the regime in Eritrea among tens of thousands of Eritrea. The campaign has given hope for Eritreans at home and abroad that political change and democracy may be coming in Eritrea. * Yiakl: In one of the spoken Eritrean languages spoken, Tigrinya, Yiakl means “Enough”)
Estonian Fund for Nature (ELF) is a NGO that seeks to resist developments that pose a systemic or very serious threat to the nature of our country. They are focused on the three major ecosystems of our nature: the forest, the sea and wetlands, and their creatures. Not only do they play a significant role in protecting Estonian land, but they also deal with climate change mitigation by monitoring the delivery of the Estonian state in setting environmental protection rules and compiling development plans for restoration of damaged areas and environmentally friendly behavior. The flying squirrel is the pride of Estonian forests - in Europe they can only be found in Estonia and Finland. a politically and economically independent organisation that provides society with the expertise necessary for nature conservation, which uses the best expertise, innovative solutions and everyone’s help in its work. ELF works each day to protect endangered species and their habitats, natural landscapes and communities characteristic of Estonia – the sea, wetlands, and forests. To this end, we contribute to the sustainable use of natural resources, increase environmental awareness and look for solutions to preserve a clean living environment for future generations.
The Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) is a Non-Profit organisation (NPO) founded in June 2021. The Movement is a democratic, mass-based liberation movement that campaigns for the advancement of democracy, human rights, equality, justice, safety and dignity for the people of Swaziland.
The movement aims to promote the principles and ideals of social justice, which advocate for equal rights and equitable opportunities for all, equal access to wealth, health, well-being, justice, privileges, and opportunity regardless of the person’s social, legal, political, economic status. In fulfilling this aim, the SWALIMO seeks to lead and support the struggle of all democratic forces to eliminate the oppressive ESwatini’s absolute monarchical system of governance and replace it with a united, democratic ESwatini in which all the people shall govern and enjoy equal rights and freedoms collectively
Oromo protests, began when students across Oromia protested a plan to expand Addis Ababa by 1.1 million hectares deep into the neighboring Oromia region. Since then, an unprecedented wave of popular struggles have rocked Ethiopia. the protests were sparked by a government plan to expand the territorial and administrative limits of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, into neighboring Oromo towns and villages, they were manifestations of long-simmering ethnic discontents buried beneath the surface. The Oromo are the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and East Africa, comprising more than 35 percent of Ethiopia’s 100 million people. Yet, Oromos have been the object of discriminatory and disproportionate surveillance, policing, prosecution and imprisonment under the guise of security and economic development. 2016, when hundreds of thousands of people marched in more than 200 towns and cities to resist the government’s draconian and ever-escalating repression.
The protests rose to global prominence when Feyisa Lilesa, an ethnic Oromo marathon runner, crossed his wrists above his head in an “X”, a gesture that came to define the Oromo protests, as he crossed the finishing line at the Rio Olympics to win the silver medal. This movement has already changed Ethiopia forever. It brought about a change of attitude and discourse in the Ethiopian society, repudiating the ideological proclivities and policies of the state. It enabled the society to see the government, its institutions, its symbols and its western enablers differently. Topics that used to be considered taboo only a year ago, such as the supremacy of ethnic Tigrean elites, are no longer off limits. In short, it enabled suffering to speak.
Chuuk Women's Council is a women's rights organization in Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Founded in 1984, it represents over sixty women's groups spread across the state, and actively campaigns for greater gender equality, as well as running programs that promote women’s leadership, education on health and gender issues, environmental conservation, and the preservation of traditional and cultural crafts. The CWC ran a successful campaign for the age of consent in the Federated States of Micronesia to be raised from thirteen to eighteen years of age. Chuuk Womens’s Council provides free counseling and support to survivors of domestic violence, rape, sexual harassment and child sexual abuse. The CWC has also campaigned for greater involvement of women's organizations in discussion about climate crisis. They have also undertaken research into community awareness of water conservation, and have run environmental initiatives based on waste management, home gardening, and mangrove planting.
The Vatukoula mine strike was a 33-year strike by miners at the Vatukoula mine in Fiji over poor working and social conditions, from 1991 to 2024. The strike was the longest in Fijian history and one of the longest strikes in world history. The workers have held out thanks to donations of cash and produce from other Fijian unions and from farmers and the public throughout the islands. In June 2024, after more than 33 years, an agreement was reached to end the strike. Included in the agreement was a $9.2 million settlement to be paid to the surviving striking miners and also, the Prime Minister of Fiji Sitiveni Rabuka issued a formal apology to the miners on behalf of the Fijian government "for the prolonged wait they have endured," saying that the miners "have shown us the true meaning of strength and determination, and [their] fight for justice is an inspiration to us all”
In August 2019, the Finnish government announced it would change the salary structure of 700 of its packaging and e-commerce workers, effectively slashing wages by 30 to 50 percent.
After months of little progress in negotiations with the government, the Finnish Post and Logistics Union (PAU) called a strike against Posti, the government’s mail provider, and nearly 10,000 of the mail operator’s workers walked out in solidarity on Nov. 11. The work stoppage halted all paper mail delivery in the country, as postal workers held the line in support of their 700 brother and sister union members. After two weeks of the strike with the Finnish government still refusing to offer an acceptable resolution to restore affected employees’ wages, Finnish workers from other industries struck in solidarity with the postal workers. National airline Finnair was forced to cancel almost 300 flights when the country’s airport workers’ union joined the strike. Additionally, the Finnish Seafarers’ Union threatened to stop all passenger and cargo vessels, .
The strong solidarity from workers in other industries across Finland was shared by the general public with 60% approval across Finland, The solidarity strikes and public support was overwhelming, and led to a resounding victory for the postal workers. On Nov. 27, the government announced it would not re-classify the 700 workers and would keep them under their current collective bargaining agreement, protecting their wages until at least 2022. The fallout for the government officials approving the initial scheme began swiftly. On Nov. 29, Sirpa Paatero, Finland’s minister in charge of state-owned companies, resigned followed by Prime Minister Antti Rinne who resigned on Nov. 31.
Rinne was replaced by 34-year old Sanna Marin, who became the world’s youngest Prime Minister. After taking office, Marin quickly began advocating for a shorter work week in the country. The strike was wonderful display of unity, militancy and solidarity, the Finnish workers showed the power of the working class. Not only did they win the just demands of the postal strike, but their struggle, with the support of the people, brought down the entire anti-worker government, which was then replaced by one which was more pro-worker. This major victory in Finland – achieved by a movement in support of only 700 workers.
Established in 2009, the Zone to Defend (ZAD, or Zone a Défendre) is a French blockade movement that, by 2018, successfully stopped the construction of the proposed Grand Ouest Airport in Notre-Dame-des-Landes, near the city of Nantes. The construction would have caused environmental, and social damage to the land. Hundreds of people moved onto La Zad to stop the construction and in doing so, had built homes as well as a communal, anti-capitalist, and ecological way of life. The infrastructure found at La ZAD was extensive, from community meeting and banquet halls, a radio station, a weekly newspaper, and extensive farms and gardens. La ZAD had also grown to feature a wide variety of collectives, from farmers who had lived on the land for generations, to those who came experiment in new forms of life. A massive autonomous city with no government, included people from all walks of life; from anarchists, anti-capitalists, and environmentalists, to biologists, educators, farmers, and a large assortment of concerned citizens and community members.
Tractors operated by farmers throughout the ZAD-NDDL had been mobilized as reinforcements to create barricades for protection. In 2016, tens of thousands marched onto the territory and placed spears by the thousands into the ground in a statement that should the State move to evict La ZAD, that they would return to defend it. In January of 2018, it was then announced that the State would abandon the construction project. Also thanks to the Zad, the spotted salamander a native local found throughout the land, was protected.
The Yellow Vests movement is a protest movement where bright yellow vest are chosen as "a unifying thread and call to arms" because of their convenience, visibility, ubiquity, and association with working-class industries. Originally, the yellow vest protesters were people from rural areas who have to drive long distances as part of their daily life. They said they couldn't afford the hike in fuel prices. The first major protest occurred on November 17, 2018, with over 280,000 people participating across France. On November 2018, a list of 42 demands was made public and went viral on social media, becoming a structuring basis for the movement, covering a wide range of topics, mostly related to democracy, and social and fiscal justice.
Several years of repeated mass demonstrations, widespread direct action, blockades, actions, and connections across movements (climate justice, social justice, anti-racism) would follow – more often than not in the name of social justice and the right to a good and dignified life. On December 2018, Macron announced a series of economic measures, including a minimum wage increase, to appease protesters. the protests led to positive changes, such as increased government spending on social programs. The protests influenced future movements, such as the pension reform protests in 2019 and 2020, which saw similar tactics and demands. The movement led to increased political engagement, with more citizens participating in protests and public debates such as The "Great National Debate" resulting in over 10,000 meetings and 1.9 million online contributions, reflecting the public's desire for greater involvement in decision-making. Overall The protests inspired similar movements in other countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, and Canada. The yellow vest became a symbol of resistance and solidarity, recognized worldwide as a representation of grassroots activism.
The 2019 Gabonese protests were mass demonstrations and strike movements by teachers, university students and workers at schools in Gabon against new laws, government proposals to reduce access to student grants. Many university students were entitled to grants of around 83,000 CFA francs per month, and 65% of its recipients were aged 20 or over. The government planned to set 19 as the maximum age, as well as require high marks in examinations to be eligible. High school and university students in the capital Libreville and elsewhere walked out of class and took to the streets, One participant, Samantha, told a journalist that she found the "reform particularly unfair to the working classes". In response, the government shut down all schools in the country. Massive street protests against further reforms spread to major cities surrounding the capital, Libreville. Protesters marched in April 2019, leading to protest rallies and inspiration of student protests in other cities. In response to the mass protest movement and wave of strike unrest, until the government, withdrew from the law, backtracked and agreed not to implement the changes.
Created in 1998, Brainforest's initial aim was to protect the Koungou Falls (Ivindo River) in north-west Gabon, threatened at the time by the construction of a hydroelectric dam to supply the Belinga iron ore mine. The founder of BrainForest Marc Ona Essangui led efforts to expose agreements behind a Chinese mining project in Gabon, that threatened equatorial rainforest ecosystems. Deep inside Gabon's rainforest, is a sacred place bathed in a permanent rainbow. The breathtaking Kangou Falls have inspired awe among the local pygmy and Bantu ethnic groups for centuries. They believe that many of their ancestors originated in these frothy pools, explains Marc Ona Essangui, an environmentalist who has been jailed for his fight to protect Gabon's rainforest. Because of Marc Ona’s efforts, the mining project is now on hold, the area to be affected by the dam has been substantially reduced, and to assure environmental protection, two representatives from Environment Gabon monitor the project. This represents an unprecedented victory for civil society in Gabon.
Since then, Brainforest's work has extended to the global governance of natural resources. Issues relating to forest protection, land tenure, transparency, the rights of local communities, indigenous peoples and environmentalists, as well as the equitable redistribution of revenues from the exploitation of natural resources, remain at the heart of our action and commitment.
The Gambian Revolution took placeafter almost a decade of building momentum, Gambians seized a crucial window of opportunity in 2016 to overthrow a notorious dictator Yahya Jammeh. The revolution began with preceding efforts of many activist groups such as Activista The Gambia, a national youth network — trained thousands of youth on movement building, strategic campaigning, and good governance. Under an iron-fist rule, the use of training was a strategic predecessor to action, as it enabled youth activists to organize small-scale campaigns on land rights, women’s rights, and education that slowly challenged existing power structures. These efforts built momentum and prepared organizers to seize the moment when the opportunity would arise for a more significant transformation
In April 2016, a street protest demanding electoral reform was declared illegal and brutally dispersed by the regime. The regime’s brutality sparked anger, leading a major political party, and masses of people, to take to the streets to demand reforms
One of many significant actions that showed the creativity of the post-April mobilizations was the calabash (aka kalama) revolution, where women from rural areas protested with calabashes — traditional bowls that symbolise sharing. The calabashes signified that leadership too should be shared, and that then President Yahya Jammeh should not be the only person drinking from the leadership calabash. Such actions drew heavily on local culture, tradition, and history, linking the protests to symbols in which Gambians took pride in.
Fear and intimidation among people were widespread, making it difficult for the national coalition defending the elections to mobilize in large numbers. To enable Gambians to overcome their fear, activists organized photo and short video actions asserting that #GambiaHasDecided.
The courageousness of the activists in openly demanding their constitutional rights, despite the risk involved, encouraged fellow citizens to follow suit. The widespread support for political reform had been invisible, until people-powered actions exposed how massive it truly was. They determined that Jammeh could not hold his ground without the support of his ministerial cabinet, because a convened government gave him legitimacy. The mission ran an intense phone banking tactic demanding the ministers resign. The callers also told the ministers that they had a choice to make: Join the revolution, and remain safe and at home, or side with Jammeh against the revolution, and be forced into exile when Jammeh loses. The tides turned, and 90% of Jammeh’s ministers chose to resign.
Jammeh capitulated power a few days later and fled into exile in January, 2017
GambiaHasDecided was a platform that helped amplify the voice of the Gambians during the political impasse and was the catalyst that helped in restoration of our democracy. The success of this movement left an indelible mark in Gambia’s political history and has spawned a culture of activism amongst the youth, who truly are the vanguard of the movement.
The Rose Revolution or Revolution of Roses was a nonviolent change of power that occurred in Georgia in November 2003. The event was brought about by widespread protests over the disputed parliamentary elections and culminated in the resignation of President Eduard Shevardnadze, which marked the end of Soviet-era leadership in the country. The revolution derives its name from the climactic moment, when demonstrators led by Mikheil Saakashvili stormed the Parliament session with red roses in hand. The Rose Revolution is remembered for its impact on Georgian politics, paving the way for a more democratic governance style, despite the challenges that followed.
After years of democratic backsliding, increasingly oppressive legislation, and cozying up to corrupt Russia, in 2024 Georgians once again take to the streets their desire for change. The final straw appeared to be the parliament elections won by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which many believe were marred by fraud, and the government's decision to pause the country's EU accession process until 2028. The Georgian Dream party's rule has been marked by the development of closer ties with Moscow and the introduction of a number of repressive legislations that mimic that of Russia. Relations with the EU, as well as with Ukraine, had deteriorated. Opposition parties claimed the vote was rigged with ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other irregularities and said the election was stolen. mass demonstrations erupted. The protests spread beyond the capital, with demonstrations in at least eight cities and towns.
Protests became rich in symbols The most frequently used symbols in these rallies are padlocks and corridors of shame. The first was used several times when opposition activists tried to shut state buildings with padlocks and chains in the capital and other cities across the country, such as Mtskheta, Zugdidi, Poti, Telavi and Ozurgeti. According to perpetrators, “padlock symbolizes the fact that these Offices are no longer functioning.” Sometimes this activity becomes an amusing job for protesters: by going to seal government offices with padlocks and chains to disrupt, both symbolically or literally, the work of authorities, activists force police to follow them around with bolt cutters. In one case, after chaining and padlocking one of Parliament gates, the perpetrators passed the key to the people, demonstrating that people are the source of Parliament and have all the right to lock and/or unlock Parliament gates.
The protests reflect widespread frustration among Georgians who overwhelmingly support EU integration. The outcome of Georgia’s protests will have significant implications for its democratic future and geopolitical alignment. The government’s 2025 trajectory risks turning Georgia into a proxy of Russian influence, similar to Belarus under dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko. However, the strong public desire for EU integration suggests that the struggle for democracy is far from over. The protests in Georgia matter not just for its people yet for the broader struggle between democracy and authoritarianism. They reflect a fight for sovereignty, self-determination, and the values of liberal democracy. The fate of Georgia may set a precedent for how nations on the periphery of great powers navigate their paths. For now, the people of Georgia remain steadfast, holding the line for a future they hope will align with Europe and the principles of democracy.
in 2015 More than 30,000 demonstrators gathered in Frankfurt, Germany, for three days of protest under the slogan "Blockupy Frankfurt!"--with the goal of blockading the European Central Bank and sending a message that the people of Germany stand with the people of Greece and southern Europe against austerity and economic blackmail. Protests and blockades, speeches and street theater pursued. Blockupy's goal: To draw attention to ECB policies which have favored the rich over the poor, the banks over the people, the creditor class over debtors - policies that have amounted to bailing out irresponsible financiers at the expense of ordinary citizens. The organization describes itself as a broad Europe-wide movement whose aim is to "build democracy and solidarity from the bottom up". It's against the economic policy stance of most current eurozone governments, which Blockupy describes as 'austerity,' or a push for balanced budgets at the expense of the poor and middle class. A specific example of austerity policies Blockupy condemns is the harsh budget restraint imposed on Greece since 2010. Groups ranging from Germany's radical left to the French anti-globalization network Attac had planned to erect large tents in Frankfurt's city center to hold public events and offer organizing space for activists. Unprecedented levels of repression and violence by the police ensured that public sympathy was with the movement and not the police. The demonstration sent a signal that Germany's left is part of a united movement in Europe opposed to the austerity measures of the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, and hopefully will mark the beginning of a much larger push for an alternative vision for the continent. The Left's bloc at the demonstration was loud and colorful, and clearly demonstrated that the Left Party is a party of and for the movement. Many prominent party members spoke and were received warmly by the crowd.
On July 12, 2024, organized labour announced an indefinite nationwide strike in Ghana, yet it only lasted for a day to meet the strike's demands. The industrial action was in protest of the proposed sale of 60 per cent shares in some hotels owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to Rock City Hotel, which belongs to Minister of Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong. The strike threatened to shut down crucial and essential services across the nation as organised labour includes doctors and other health workers, teachers, civil and local government workers, judicial service workers, and others. The strike caused the prospective investor, Rock City Hotel, to officially withdraw its proposal to buy a stake in the four hotels a few hours after the strike announcement, a victory for the hotel strikers.
The global financial crisis that erupted in 2008 as an outcome of a corrupt international financial system, led the country’s economy into a downward spiral characterized by deep recession. This, in turn, resulted in escalating tensions between the government and society. Frustration, economic hardship and social disenchantment particularly started building up following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Greek government and the newly established Troika (ECB, European Commission, IMF) in May 2010.
Large demonstrations and general strikes organized by trade and labor unions almost on a weekly basis constituted the main expression of public disappointment. Social mobilization was revitalized upon the announcement of the signing of the mid-term program of fiscal consolidation, including complementary austerity measures, agreed between Troika and the center-left PASOK government. By that time, public frustration and indignation with the political system (trade unions being part of it) coupled with the formation of the “indignados” movement in Spain, marked the diversification of modes of protest in Greece and the introduction of the Square movement of Indignant Greeks
During the first two weeks of June a rapidly increasing number protesters (reaching 200.000 on June 5th) gathered at Syntagma (Constitution) square opposite to the Parliament on a daily basis and demonstrated peacefully. The movement resulted in mounting social pressure that, in turn, caused the gradual fragmentation of the government during the period preceding the voting of the mid-term program in the Parliament. Protesters was related to the lack of trust to the country’s political personnel as well as the government’s lack of legitimacy for proceeding with harsh austerity measures fostered by the unloved Troika of lenders. The social geography of the crowd was highly diverse. It largely comprised of unemployed youth and students who saw a grim future ahead of them, leftist intellectuals, public servants and pensioners whose income decreased rapidly, and business owners who suffered from the lack of liquidity and the unstable and hostile business environment that resulted from government.
The protests resulted in the daily formation of ad hoc open councils (based on the pattern introduced by Spanish indignados) which discussed courses of actions and aimed at fostering direct democratic procedures. The upper square individuals clearly separated themselves and most of them would be heading home by the time the councils were brought to session (9 pm). This underlined a conceptual differentiation between groups that strived to organize themselves in order to challenge the functioning of the system and the others that primarily protested their declining living standards with the prospect of moderating their income losses.
The square movement in Greece, it should be noted that their contribution to enhancing the role of civil society has been important. The interaction between people of different backgrounds, the communication of ideas and the familiarization of many with the importance of demonstrating for a fair cause may have increased impact on the level of social control and pressure exerted towards elites.
Even more importantly, the mass participation of the youth in the particular protests opened a window of opportunity. It is possible that despite the bitter dissolution of the movement in June 2011, the bulk of demonstrators will cherish the times they spent at Syntagma while deeming their contribution rather positive in terms of public mobilization, externalization of their condemnation of government policies and, therefore, diminishment of the political system’s legitimacy.
Recuperation refers to when workers take control over their workplace and transform it into a worker cooperative with decisions made democratically, and profits shared among them all, preventing unemployment and revitalizing communities. In Thessaloniki, Greece workers began occupying a factory in 2013 after the owners declared bankruptcy and stopped paying wages. With the overwhelming support of their members, the workers’ union decided to re-purpose the factory’s machinery to make ecological soap products for a new business, Vio.Me, which would be run by the workers. For more than a decade the workers have had to defend Vio.Me with physical blockades and nightly security shifts. They also had to defeat annual attempts to auction the property off to new ownership. Nonetheless Vio.me continues and as one of the workers said in 2019, the “factory is a factory that mainly produces dignity”
In the wake of a 2011 hunger strike of immigrant workers demanding basic rights, healthcare workers began to discuss how they might meet the needs for affordable, accessible healthcare services. One of the first solidarity clinics was established in Thessaloniki, the largest city on Greece. It opened its doors in 2011, and has cared for tens of thousands of people living in northern Greece without access to care, serving many immigrants and refugees. Social solidarity clinics operate democratically in departmental and general assemblies. Decision making occurs by consensus rather than voting. These clinics are also completely independent of the government. There funding comes from donations, and equipment is donated by the public and ex-doctors. The clinic centering the patients set them apart from traditional healthcare providers. Clinic staff workers don’t consider the work a form of commoning - providing shared resourced to those who need them. They even avoid the term “patient” in favor of “incomer”. Clinic staffs treat those they serve as a whole person more than their illness or healthcare needs. Psychologists and doctors collaborate to provide a wider range of services to those who come in. Solidarity clinics are something the community does for their community.
In 2025, about 57,000 people live in Greenland, 50,000 of whom are Inuit.
While Denmark's colonial policies may seem like relics of the past, recent incidents signal the continuity of systemic discrimination. The story of a Greenlandic Inuk woman in Denmark whose newborn baby was forcibly removed from her in November 2024 by Danish social services has drawn international attention and sparked fierce protests in both Greenland and Denmark.
The protests also highlight the disturbingly high proportion of Greenland Inuit children in Denmark who are removed from their families by the Danish child welfare system. These children face linguistic and cultural assimilation, risking the loss of their identities and heritage.
The use of FKU, also known as the parenting tests, is a prime example. These psychometric evaluations are designed within a Western framework and then used to assess whether parents are fit to retain custody of their children. For Greenlandic parents, the tests have proven devastating tools of Inuit cultural cleansing.
On Jan. 17, 2025, a landmark agreement was reached between Denmark and Greenland to cease the use of FKUs for Greenlandic parents. This included establishing a specialized unit to address Greenlandic cultural contexts in child welfare cases. Instead, such cases will be handled with the help of a special unit which has Greenlandic cultural expertise. The government has also reportedly agreed to reassess cases where psychological tests may have led to an unfair removal of Greenlandic children
Grenada Land Actors, a volunteer organization dedicated to sustainable development and transparency, has been uphill battle against powerful forces in Grenada. Their struggle began in 2019 when they raised concerns about three major tourism developments on sensitive ecological sites approved without proper environmental impact assessments or public consultation.
Despite their tireless efforts to engage the decision makers– attending consultations, attempting to engage in dialogue, and delivering a petition signed by over 6,000 stakeholders – GLA’s concerns were dismissed. Left with no other option, they turned to the courts.
This legal battle has been long and taxing, but GLA recently celebrated a preliminary, yet crucial victory. In October 2024, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that, the case could proceed and that GLA’s standing—its right to challenge the developments—would be decided at trial.
GLA’s fight resonates deeply with other grassroots organizations across the Caribbean facing similar challenges. Too often, communities are shut out of decision-making processes, their voices silenced by powerful interests. This case reminds us, that legal action, though cost, time and energy prohibitive for small grassroots organizations, such as many of ours, can be highly effective, not only in achieving justice in individual cases but also in setting precedents that pave the way for greater environmental protection and community participation across the region.
March for Democracy in 2023, was a historic grassroots mobilization stopped the nation's corrupt elites from consolidating authoritarian rule in what could have spelled the demise of democracy in Guatemala. The triumph of the Guatemalan people’s movement in defense of democracy is all the more extraordinary because it was led by Indigenous peoples, youth, women, workers, urban poor—those who’ve been ignored and oppressed for centuries by the neocolonialist powers they now defeated at the polls. The mobilization began after Bernardo Arevalo, the son of a former president and candidate of a relatively new and small party called Semilla, unexpectedly beat the candidate of the ruling elite, Sandra Torres. The Pact of the Corrupt, as these elite interests are known, controls most courts, and had twisted the laws and regulations to eliminate candidates it considered a threat, but Arevalo flew in under their radar. His surprising first-round win, confirmed in the second round, sent the elites into a panic. The historic grassroots mobilization stopped them from consolidating authoritarian rule in what could have spelled the demise of democracy in Guatemala. corrupt judges and conservative members of Congress attempted to annul the elections, criminalize Arevalo and other party leaders, and block the transition of power. The crack in the system that opened up when the Pact of the Corrupt lost the presidential election became a floodgate. Traditional forms of indigenous organization that evolved despite centuries of neocolonial rule provided the strategic and logistical backbone Within this deeper movement, women shown as leaders and support systems, for sustaining the protests and the spark of hope for a better future.
The FNDC (National Forecast for the Defense of the Constitution) Movement is a Citizen Movement for the Defence of Human Rights and for the Promotion of Democracy, a civic group that has led to a series of demonstrations on October 2019 in Guinea to protest against the amendment or adoption of a new constitution that led President Alpha Condé to a Third Presidential Mandate. On a scale of unprecedented for decades, these demonstrations, which take place in the capital, inside the country, and internationally in several countries to the call for the national coordination of the movement. FNDC is committed Defending and promoting democracy and human rights The mission of the FNDC remains the defence of fundamental values. Human rights, democracy and public freedoms.
Guinea-Bissau has the world’s highest proportion of mangrove coverage at 9% of its national territory, making these coastal forests vital to both the environment and local communities. Despite losing nearly a third of its mangroves over the past 80 years, a grassroots revolution led by national organizations has been working to restore these critical ecosystems since 2016. Operating in the southern part of the country, particularly around Cantanhez National Park, close to the border with Guinea, these organizations partner with international organizations such as Wetlands International to identify sites, mobilize communities, implement best-practice restoration and conservation actions, and monitor progress. The initiatives focus on creating natural conditions for mangroves to regenerate rather than simply planting trees. This approach combines environmental restoration with community development through savings groups and economic opportunities, creating a sustainable model that benefits both people and nature. And grassroots organizations not only facilitate the restoration but also create a ripple effect across the region, inspiring others to take similar steps and thereby creating a network of restoration initiatives that scale upward to larger conservation goals.
Red Thread is a women’s organisation based in Guyana aimed to offer greater opportunities for grassroots women. Red Thread started with embroidery classes,.Founded in 1986 by a group of middle class Caribbean women, the organisation worked to transform their lives by helping to improve economic security, tackle violence against women and children, and strengthen their participation in politics during a time when Guyana was racially divided and economically poor.
Red thread is an anti-racist organization that defends the rights of women, speaks out against violence against women, and attends to the very basic needs of its constituency – literacy, help during floods, transportation — everything from helping mothers budget for food to advocacy and protest. They explain their project as twofold: Bringing together low-income Guyanese women of African, Indian, and Indigenous descent, across race divides; and Developing the skills, information, and other resources they need to understand and contest the inequalities that oppress grassroots women.
Wapichan Women’s Movement (WWC) was founded in 2017 and it is led by a working group consisting of 10 Wapichan and Macushi women of various ages and experiences, from across the Wapichan Wi’izi community, who have been involved in community organizing, capacity-building and livelihoods projects. WWC represents the interests of women and its mandate is to bolster the role that indigenous women play in protecting the land and natural resources, retaining cultural identity and addressing the social issues affecting indigenous women’s rights. WWWM empowers women across Wapichan Territory by providing information and training on human rights, women rights, the right to justice and leadership skills. Their workshops are spaces where women can share their experiences and feel free to talk. For women to trust each other more and speak more freely among themselves. The aim of the workshops is to empower women and girls across the territory, to equip them with leadership skills and to build their capacities. This way, they can take up leadership positions and have a voice when decisions are made at a community level – and if they’re chosen, they can represent regionally and even internationally.
After the devastating earthquakes that have ravished the country of Haiti, people came together to understand that they not only were living in a natural disaster, though a social disaster too
On April, 2018, 153 organizations, community networks, rural and urban groups, and their leaders and organizers from almost every corner of Haiti descended upon Port-au-Prince, the nation’s sprawling and earthquake-ravaged capital, to hammer out the final details of a national platform spelling out the path that the country must take in order to move forward. Called the ‘Kaye Nasyonal Revandikasyon’’ (‘National platform working document’), this 113-page master plan clearly articulates what is needed for Haiti to advance in all the social, economic, cultural and political spheres of life. “Yon lot Ayiti Posib“ (Another Haiti is Possible) is a popular slogan that captures the hope and immensity of the vision.
The comprehensive populist platform represents six years of grassroots organizing and strategizing. It includes specific solutions and programs that the nation must do to reverse the ‘extreme misery’ that successive corrupt and ineffectual governments have handed to the majority of the nation’s people. From massively replanting trees throughout this 98% deforested country, land reform and increasing public investment in family farmers, to protecting farmers from food dumping by foreign countries and elevating women’s rights and status, the platform heralds a complete transformation from neglect and chaos to common sense. For many of the leaders gathered, this document outlines everything the nation must do to fulfill the dreams of the 1804 Revolution when Haiti became the first and only Black nation in the Americas to successfully rise up and expel the white French slavers. Given that the vast majority of Haitians are farmers, the major focus of the platform rests firmly on elevating family farmers and rural communities. The Platform’s devotion to the people’s
welfare stands in stark contrast to the corruption and chaos of successive national governments in Haiti.
National Front of Popular Resistance (FNRP) The National Front of Popular Resistance (FNRP) emerged out of the opposition to Honduras’s 2009 coup and quickly developed into the largest social movement in Honduran history. It was—a large, broad-based coalition with a presence throughout the country’s regions. The resistance, as it is popularly known, is the result of a dynamic, inter-generational convergence between “new” and “old” social movements: Loosely organized into collectives at the local and regional level, the resistance includes a rainbow of movements: union activists, teachers, lawyers, artists, indigenous and Afro-indigenous villagers, small farmers, LGBT activists, and human rights defenders, with ideological tendencies ranging from the center left to the far left. United in their opposition to the coup, resistance members also oppose Honduras’s corrupt and deeply conservative political system, which is tightly controlled by the country’s wealthiest families in tandem with the leadership of the nearly indistinguishable Liberal and National parties.
The leadership of the FNRP was initially led by traditional-sector men. But groups like the Garifuna Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH) and indigenous Lenca-led Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), along with feminist and LGBT groups, joined the leadership—representing a radical step toward moving people on the margins to the center. The newer social movements, forced the more traditional sectors be questioned and reassess their strategies. The presence of women at all levels of the resistance is profound and unmistakable. Early on, women leaders founded Feminists in Resistance, a national coalition whose members include representatives from all the women’s groups in the country as well as from non-women-identified groups. In its first communiqué, the group made clear its intervention within the mostly male-led resistance leadership, but it also reflected a commitment to create a united front, bringing together many organizations that had never collaborated before.2 Feminists in Resistance demanded and earned a place for women as leaders, not just as workers and protesters, and the traditional movements recognized they could not do without them.3
FNRP paved the paved the way for a new political party: “Libre” “FREE” in Spanish) In the months that followed, dissenting voices were submerged in a tidal wave of support for LIBRE. Bright red LIBRE caps, T-shirts, and banners were on display in communities all over the country. Hundreds of thousands of LIBRE supporters participated in party primaries in November 2012 and elected Xiomara Castro, wife of Zelaya and prominent resistance figure, as their presidential candidate. As the electoral campaign hit full swing, it seemed that victory was inevitable, with nearly all major pollsters putting Xiomara in the lead. However unfortunately During the elections, there were the many irregularities and rigged outcomes reported by hundreds of independent electoral monitors, and instead the Neo Liberal ‘National Party’s Juan Orlando Hernánde
was announced the winner. Even though, what FNRP created did not win an election that first time. They created a movement so enormous and so strong that eventually The Libre Party and The movement’s chosen resistance figure Xiomara Castro succeeded in becoming the 39th president of Honduras in 2022, the country's first female president, and an enormous ray of hope opened up for the Honduran people.
Hungarian Foundation for Self-Reliance (Autonómia Alapítvány in Hungarian).
The foundation has helped to reinforce the overall process of democratisation in Hungary after the Communist era by supporting activities concerned with the environment, minority rights, poverty alleviation, and the promotion of civil society and democratic processes at a grassroots level. The Hungarian Foundation for Self-Reliance has since become a leader in the empowerment of Roma within the East European region. It has also given about 400 grants to grassroots organisations, thus reinvigorating Hungarian civil society. HFSR has pioneered the idea of helping the Roma develop their entrepreneurial skills so that some, at least, can acquire know-how, self-reliance and resources which will help their communities as a whole
Iceland was unique in that, proportionately, it suffered the worst during the 2008 crash. It was also unique in that, unlike most other countries – who bailed out their banks and took care of those responsible – it used the opportunity to fundamentally change the way in which its banks did business. A relatively small number of citizens – about 6,000 at Althing – had succeeded in bringing fundamental change to a flawed system. People started to gather in front of the Parliament building, banging pots and pans, shouting and making noise demanding that the Government should step down, the Director of the Central Bank should be fired and those who suffered the consequences of the bank crash should not be made to bear the losses, rather the bankers and financial speculators responsible for it to happen should. They also demanded a new Constitution replacing the existing one written by the once ruling Danish king. On January 23rd Geir Haarde and his entire Government resigned. On April 25th general elections took place leading to the formation of a coalition Government with the Social Democratic Alliance, the Independent Party and the Left Green Movement. The Director of the Central Bank was fired. Groups were formed assisting people that were about to lose their homes, others gathered around the homes of the bankers and businessmen demanding that they pay for the damage they caused. Some groups started to look for alternative economic models and financial system. An organization was formed to promote Real Democracy which put forward proposals of many radical democratic changes to the Committee which was writing the New Constitution, but few of those changes were included. An organization was formed called “Siðbót” or “Morality” actively supporting issues of human rights and the claims of the people. In the summer of 2009 an organization named “Alþingi götunnar” or the “Parliament of the Street” was formed. This informal organization consisted of the most active grass root organizations and political groups of the revolution, amongst them, the Humanist Party. This organization had a meeting in front of the Parliament every Saturday from autumn 2009 until spring 2010 with demands of compensation to families and individuals who suffered from the Crash and to reject the claims of the British and the Dutch to pay for the banks blunders.
The anti-corruption movement was the sequence of protests in India in 2011. The movement called for a regulation mechanism against corruption from the political parties in India. On 5 April 2011, the protest gained momentum when Anna Hazare went on a hunger strike at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Anna Hazare, a follower of Gandhian principles, opted for fasting unto death and demanded the enactment of the long pending Jan Lokpal Bill (Anti-Corruption Law) a bill, which aimed to create an independent institution to investigate corruption cases. The anti corruption movement was considered to be a milestone in the constitutional history of India forcing the government to accept civil society’s demand to have a say in drafting the stringent anti-corruption law, the Lokpal Bill. Interestingly, the movement also successfully galvanised mass support and enticed the media took up the topic so much so that today corruption is highlighted as a major social issue in India, after remaining invisible for decades after Independence.
One remarkable trend that the moevement exhibited is the shift in the nature of the social movements in India from being predominantly rural to now including urban citizens. The major combatants of the Anna campaign are educated and urbane. Hence, this movement as well as similar citizen’s protests, with the educated and conscious youth at their centre demanding accountability and governance reforms has enough potential to make democracy more inclusive and participatory The initiative brought together a huge number of people, making it a one-of-its-kind event in decades. It was also one of those rare events that demonstrated what is possible if the world’s largest democracy woke up to take the reins in its hands In India, corruption goes beyond an individual level and can be found in almost every institution. Hence, it needs to be curbed under the law for the smooth functioning of the system. Due to Anna’s anti-corruption movement, few things changed for the better. Many firms involved in corruption came to light in the 2G scam. Companies will find it tough to benefit from corruption due to the Lokpal bill. In Karnataka, one of the country’s fastest-developing states, a Lokpal inquiry revealed a corrupt nexus between politicians and corporations, causing a Chief Minister to resign. Anna’s movement has brought corruption to the forefront of the political conversation in the country.
in 2006, hundreds of villagers peacefully occupied marble mining sites in weaving protests, which stopped the destruction of sacred forestland on Mutis Mountain on the island of Timor in Indonesia. Anchoring the Indonesian western half of the island of Timor is Mutis Mountain, an area of rich biodiversity. Perhaps more importantly, it is home to the headwaters for all of West Timor’s major rivers, which supply drinking and irrigation water for much of the people on the island. Despite the violent intimidation, the movement grew to include hundreds of villagers. It culminated in a weaving occupation, It culminated in a weaving occupation, during which 150 women spent a year sitting on the marble rocks at the mining site, quietly weaving their traditional cloth in protest. The Mollo people rely on forest resources for their livelihood needs, including food and medicinal products. Soil is considered to be the source of life, and the crops that grow in the rich mountain soil the embodiment of their ancestors. Natural dye is collected from forest plants, to use in their traditional weaving—a skill that women in these villages have crafted for generations. Because women were traditionally responsible for foraging food, dye, and medicine from the mountains, it was important for them to lead the campaign. In a remarkable role reversal, while the women protested at the mine, the men provided domestic support at home—cooking, cleaning, and caring for the children. In the face of the villagers’ peaceful and sustained presence, marble mining became an increasingly untenable endeavor for the companies involved. Public awareness of the weaving occupation was growing, and Indonesian government officials took notice. By 2010, the mining companies, reacting to the pressure, halted mining at all four sites within the Mollo territories and abandoned their operations.
The Women, Life, Freedom (WLF) movement in Iran, which began in 2022 after the kidnapping beating and murder of Mahsa Amini by Iran’s “morality” police, has grown into a powerful symbol of resistance against the country’s authoritarian regime. Over the past two years, the movement has expanded from challenging mandatory hijab laws to a broader campaign for civil rights, uniting diverse groups within Iran and garnering substantial international support. Despite harsh crackdowns, the WLF continues to drive cultural and social shifts, pushing for personal freedoms and igniting hope for lasting change in Iran.
One of the most remarkable outcomes of the Woman, Life, Freedom protests was the unification of the Iranian people. The protests spread to more than 160 cities across Iran, from major metropolises like Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Tabriz, and Sanandaj to smaller towns and border villages. The movement quickly crossed regional boundaries, drawing in diverse groups such as women, students, workers, and ethnic and religious minorities. One of the most profound effects of the Woman, Life, Freedom protests was the awakening to the depth and extent of discrimination against women and the call for women’s rights. From the early days of the protests, images emerged of women and men, who typically adhered to the Islamic Republic's prescribed appearance, standing against mandatory hijab laws and the suppression of protesters. Many of these individuals, despite their religious beliefs, opted to change their appearance in solidarity with the movement, not wanting to be seen as supporters of the Islamic Republic.
The WLF movement sparked a significant shift in social practices, particularly regarding the hijab. Observers note that many women in Iran, especially in urban areas, are choosing not to wear the hijab publicly. This signifies a notable departure from pre-movement norms and suggests a degree of societal acceptance for challenging mandatory hijab laws. The movement’s success in pressuring the Iranian government to reconsider its approach to enforcing the hijab law is a beacon of hope. The government’s reluctance to strictly enforce the law, despite maintaining it, indicates a degree of success for the movement in compelling the state to adopt a less confrontational approach. This also points to a growing awareness within the Iranian government of its vulnerability and the potential consequences of excessive force, signaling a potential shift in the regime’s stance. The WLF movement unified Iranians across different social strata in a way unprecedented in recent history. This unity is rooted in the movement’s central message of “Women, Life, Freedom,” a slogan that resonates with a broad spectrum of Iranians seeking greater social, political, and personal freedoms. This broad-based support is crucial for sustaining the movement and challenging the government’s efforts to portray it as a fringe or foreign-backed phenomenon.
The movement engendered a new awareness among Iranians about their rights and the potential for change. The widespread participation in protests and online activism signals a collective awakening to the possibility of a different future for Iran. This newfound awareness, especially among younger generations, could be instrumental in shaping the country’s political and social landscape in the years to come. The WLF movement has garnered significant international attention and support, which has been instrumental in amplifying the voices of Iranian protesters and increasing the pressure on the Iranian government to address human rights concerns. However, this international support must be carefully navigated to avoid the perception of foreign interference, which the regime often exploits to discredit the movemen
On October 1, 2019, a broad-based protest movement demanding systemic political reform took hold in Iraq. Activists dubbed their movement “Tishreen” from the Arabic word for October. The demonstrations blasted the government’s shortcomings in dealing with public services, electricity shortages, rising unemployment rates, corruption, sectarian politics, and the security crises deriving from activities by paramilitary groups affiliated with certain political parties and regional powers. Although the protests were mainly in Baghdad and the southern provinces, they represented a cross-sectarian and nationwide upheaval. The protests persisted, peacefully forcing a change of government, the passage of a new election law, and the scheduling of early elections — set to take place on October. The Tishreen protest movement alone was able to pressure the government of former Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi to resign in late 2019, followed by the formation of a new government led by premier Mustafa al-Kadhimi in May 2020. It also achieved an extraordinary electoral reform that allows voters to vote for more candidates by breaking down 18 electoral districts into 83 and force early elections in October 2021. Despite the challenges and obstacles the movement has faced, including delayed governmental reforms, political violence, intimidation by militias, and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tishreen is one of the most consequential actors in Iraq’s political landscape.
Together for Yes (TFY) is an abortion rights campaign group in Ireland. The group is an umbrella organisation, bringing together over 70 diverse civil society bodies. The core member groups with representatives are The National Women's Council of Ireland, The Coalition to Repeal the 8th Amendment, The Abortion Rights Campaign, The Irish Family Planning Association. TFY campaigned successfully for a Yes vote in the 2018 referendum to ratify the Thirty-sixth Amendment, which removed the Eighth Amendment's constitutional ban on abortion in Ireland.
Rabbis for Human Rights’ is a group that combat settler violence, known for dispatching volunteers to act as human shields to protect the Palestinian olive harvest from vandalism and assault by settlers living on nearby land. The frequency of settler attacks on Palestinian communities has risen, and the danger for Palestinian farmers tending their olive trees has increased. The settlers, often in military attire and armed with government-issued weapons, have been frequently attacking Palestinian communities, leading to casualties and fatalities. activism on behalf of universal human rights to the rabbinic concept of tikkun olam, a concept in Judaism, which refers to various forms of action intended to repair and improve the world. Arik Ascherman the founder of Rabbis for Human Rights attributes his interest in activism on behalf of universal human rights to the rabbinic concept of tikkun olam, a concept in Judaism, which refers to various forms of action intended to repair and improve the world. Where necessary, Rabbi Ascherman is willing to put his body on the line, and The volunteer effort of Rabbis for Human Rights encompassed 40 villages to give protection to the Palestinian farmers.
In 2006, Rabbis for Human Rights, the Association for Civil Rights In Israel, and five Palestinian local councils won a landmark Israeli High Court case requiring Israeli security forces to allow and protect the access of Palestinian farmers to all of their agricultural lands. Ascherman called the ruling a “gold standard,” because it demanded that Israeli soldiers not only allow Palestinian farmers through checkpoints to get to their land, but also protect them in areas where they might be in danger. It further stipulated that Israelis must stop uprooting Palestinian farmers’ trees and that those who perpetrate the act must be brought to justice.
'Breaking the Silence', is a group of Israeli veterans who are working to dismantle the traditional narrative put forth by their own military establishment, to confidentially recount their experiences in the Occupied Territories. Former soldiers founded the organization in 2004 after realizing they shared deep misgivings about what they had seen and done while serving in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Gvaryahu, was one of many who felt a moral obligation to present the truth, and over the past decade, Breaking the Silence have collected, fact-checked, and published over a thousand testimonies from soldiers of ranks high and low, in order to educate the Israeli public about conditions in these areas. Currently the director of public outreach, In 2011, Avner Gvaryahu, the director of public outreach for ‘Breaking the Silence’ worked as a tour guide for the non-profit, showing visitors the impact of the occupation in the West Bank. Gvaryahu has spoken out against Israeli military campaigns in the occupied territories, such as raids on the West Bank's Jenin refugee camp. To this day, He has clarified that he does not believe what the Israeli military has been doing after Oct/7/2023 in the occupied territories constitutes self-defense.
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) was created to resist the Israeli policy of demolishing Palestinian homes in the Occupied Territories and to organize Israelis, Palestinians and international volunteers to jointly rebuild demolished Palestinian homes as political acts of resistance (ICAHD has rebuilt 189 Palestinian homes). Jeff Halper, the founder of ICAHD was nominated for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his work "to liberate both the Palestinian and the Israeli people from the yoke of structural violence" and "to build equality between their people by recognizing and celebrating their common humanity."
Assemblea Sociale per la Casa (ASC) or Social Assembly for the House, a housing community that focuses on finding homes for Venetians who have to leave their residences due to the rising cost of rent. People who lose their homes can count on ASC to locate uninhabited, abandoned or dilapidated spaces, repair them for occupancy and move them in. The occupations are considered illegal, and Ussardi is proud of what ASC does. “We do not steal the house from anyone – we chose apartments that have been abandoned for years. ASC also works with residents to block evictions.
In six years ASC has taken over 70 apartments, all of them in Cannarego and Giudecca, another working class neighbourhood; they now host 150 people, including families, singles and young couples.
In essence, ASC not only lobbies the government for fairer housing practices they apply a communal face to the crisis in a kind, unconventional approach to ensuring shelter for the people of Venice. This uncommon approach from a nonprofit focused on ending the housing crisis in Venice is providing necessary housing assistance to citizens who otherwise would not have a roof over their heads. Ussardi is an inspiring example of a citizen taking action to solve a crisis that the government has overlooked.
Sistren Theatre Collective Is an independent women’s organization over four decades old, which uses artistic expression as a means of inciting social change, continues to address issues of gender-based violence, gender equality, youth violence prevention, and cultural preservation led by Finikin. The executive director said the organization's latest projects since the pandemic have been addressing crime and domestic violence issues in several communities. The organization has also been working with local councillors, churches, Woman Inc Jamaica, and other stakeholders in the communities through the distribution of care packages to community members who are in need, and assisting the elderly to get their medication, taking them to the doctor, and picking up groceries for them.
Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) is a human rights and social justice organisation. JFJ serves hundreds of Jamaicans each year by providing legal services in response to human rights violations, working on legislation and policy, campaigning for social justice causes, and conducting high-impact research that shape the national human rights agenda. In a historic victory for Jamaican human rights. On July 9, 2020, Attorneys-at-Law from Jamaicans for Justice filed writs of habeas corpus, calling attention to violations of civil liberties in the Supreme Court. And the Court ruled that detentions under State of Emergnecy SOE to be unlawful, unconstitutional.
Kingston and St Andrew Action Forum (KSAAF). Bringing together local groups of community activists under the slogan “better communities, better Jamaica”, KSAAF works to combat armed violence in some of the most dangerous areas in Jamaica through social interventions including awareness raising, education and reintegration programs. These programmes include the Peace Cup, Guns off the Street Campaign, Town Hall Meetings, and Summer Camps.
Afer the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster Japan saw the beginning of a new era of activism. Anti-nuclear protests started on March, 10 days after the great earthquake. A young man stood in front of the headquarters of the Tokyo Electric Power Company, the owner of the Fukushima nuclear plants, shouting ‘Genpatsu iranai!’ which essentially translates to “We Don’t Need Nuclear Power. Ignited by his action, a series of anti-nuclear demonstrations expanded across the country. In July 2011, the Hidankyo, the group representing the 10,000 or so survivors of the atomic bombings in Japan, called for the elimination of civilian nuclear power. At one time, 170,000 people took part in the protest people took to the streets in downtown Tokyo. The Friday anti-nuclear demonstrations in front of the Prime Minister’s residence (Kantei-mae) have occurred weekly since March 2012. However, the activists' claims are not narrowly limited to such energy issues. They called for a fundamentally fairer society and propose alternative ways of life. As a result, Prime Minister Yoshihiko and the Japanese government announced a dramatic change of direction in energy policy, promising to make the country nuclear-free by the 2030s. There will be no new construction of nuclear power plants, As of March 10, 2020, out of Japan's 56 nuclear reactors, 24 are due to be decommissioned.
SEALDs (Students Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy) was a student organization founded in May 2015 as part of the protest movement against Shinzō Abe and his government’s legislations to reinterpret the Japanese Constitution to allow Japan to engage in collective self-defense on behalf of its allies, e.g., the United States. Japan was rocked by its largest anti-war demonstrations in over fifty years in the summer and fall of 2015, and SEALDs quickly grew in significance creating new life into Japan’s anti-war movement and into mass movements to maintain Japan’s peace constitution in the current form. SEALDs activities ranged from holding demonstrations, protest rallies and marches, organizing study groups and talk events, to creating booklets, pamphlets and videos, using social media. They also moved around the country to support various movements and candidates, such as the protests in Okinawa against the US military base and the Hokkaido by-elections in April 2016. Future protests and anti-war movements in Japan will draw inspiration from SEALDs as they craft their own mass movements.
The teacher protests in 2019 created the longest strike in Jordanian history. During September 2019, 140,000 teachers who were a part of Teachers Syndicate, a Jordanian teachers’ union, led a strike against the government demanding increased wages for their work. Rallies and sit-ins took place. And The Jordanian Teachers' Union called for a nationwide strike. The strike had a high impact on Jordanian society and also received great support from many people in the society who encouraged the protests. 4,000 schools took part in the strike. and disrupted schooling for more than 1.5 million students. The strike ended on 8 October, after one month, with a successful compromise for teachers, in which the government explained that teachers nationwide would see a minimum wage increase based on their tenure and position as educators, a 35-75 percent increase has been secured depending on the ranks of the teachers . The head of the teacher’s union called it a “historic agreement”. These actions showed that the people of Jordan prioritize education, and educators are making it known that the first step towards better national education is fair compensation for those who begin the education in the classroom.
Despite facing systemic repression, Kazakhstan’s feminist movement continues to make an impact. Activist groups employ diverse strategies, from grassroots legal aid to digital advocacy. 'Feminita' a Kazakhstan queer-feminist human rights organisation works to protect the rights of women and the most oppressed groups in Kazakhstan (lesbians, bisexuals, queer and trans women, women with disabilities, and women engaged in sex work) Feminita monitors discrimination and hate crime based on sexual and identity gender in Kazakhstan, and also conducts training sessions and lectures and online feminist discourse in women’s. Another feminist group, Kazfem organizes annual women’s marches in Almaty (Kazakhstan’s largest city), and establishes reliable sources on domestic violence statistics helpful for women going through domestic abuse and violence. The Ne Molchi foundation, which provides legal and psychological support to victims of violence, has helped sentence 239 offenders and assisted over 35,000 victims of violence. Protests, despite government opposition, remain a vital tool for raising awareness and demanding change. Their resilience reflects the ongoing struggle for gender equality in the country. Meaningful change depends on perseverance and also on the support received within and beyond Kazakhstan. Every act of advocacy for women’s rights strengthens the movement, gradually pushing society toward justice and equality.
The Green Belt Movement (GBM) is an environmental organization that empowers communities, particularly women, to conserve the environment and improve livelihoods. GBM was founded by P in 1977 to respond to the needs of rural Kenyan women who reported that their streams were drying up, their food supply was less secure, and they had to walk further and further to get firewood for fuel and fencing. GBM encouraged the women to work together to grow seedlings and plant trees to bind the soil, store rainwater, provide food and firewood, and receive a small monetary token for their work. Since 1977, hundreds of thousands of women have become involved and over 5,000 nurseries have been established. The Green Belt movement has worked with communities to plant more than 51 million trees in Kenya. Also the Movement played a critical role in Kenya's fight for a multi-party democracy.
In June 2024, Kenya experienced a pivotal moment of civic resistance, as widespread protests erupted in response to the proposed Finance Bill introducing significant tax increases on essential commodities such as bread, fuel, and mobile money services. The movement, largely driven by Generation Z activists, mobilized rapidly through social media platforms, culminating in mass demonstrations across Nairobi and other major cities. On June 25, tensions reached a climax when protesters breached Parliament following the bill’s controversial passage. In the wake of national and international outcry, the movement forced the President William Ruto to concede to public pressure, withdrawing the Finance Bill, dissolving his cabinet, appointing four members of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement to his cabinet, and initiating dialogue with the youth to address their broader grievances regarding governance and economic inequality. The events of 2024 marked a generational shift in Kenya’s political landscape, where young people, through both digital activism and physical mobilization, demonstrated an unprecedented capacity to influence national discourse. This moment signaled not just a protest against a single piece of legislation, though a broader call for structural reform, setting a new precedent for civic engagement in Kenya and across the region.
Kiribati is a low-lying island nation situated in the central Pacific Ocean, notably vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Kiribati Climate Action Network (KiriCAN), became the nation’s first climate change advocacy group. The KiriCAN team visit local communities and invite them to learn more about caring for their environment and the looming threat of climate change through education and entertainment. KiriCAN addresses climate change through the actions of the people of Kiribati, their elected representatives and employers, with Active participation in local, regional and international climate change negotiations. Kirican takes action through mobilizing a genuinely inclusive civil society process at all levels, and through Holding global institutions and the private sector accountable for their actions and ensuring they respond to social and environmental concerns.
On May 17th, 2005, Kuwaiti women gained suffrage after more than 40 years of struggle. The women used a wide variety of approaches to achieve their goals, including lobbying, introducing repeated legislation, protests, demonstration, marches, rallies, and mock elections. Like many women’s suffrage movements around the world, the Kuwaiti women escalated their actions and campaigns, shifting from legislative and legal efforts into nonviolent direct action. In March of 2005, after highly visible and captivating actions, 1,000 demonstrators gathered outside of the Kuwaiti parliament to continue their demand for basic voting rights. Many women wore pale blue to represent the struggle for suffrage, leading to the moniker, “The Blue Revolution.” The Persistence of Kuwaiti women’s efforts lead to the Kuwaiti parliament finally passing the long-awaited suffrage bill, granting women the right to vote and run for elected office.
"Irhal" translated, in English, as "Leave", is a song by the Egyptian musician Ramy Essam, released in 2011. It exhibits poetic lyrics which illustrate the public's frustration towards the dictatorial regime. “We’re all one hand and we have one demand Leave Leave Leave...The people demand The fall of the regime” The song famously became the anthem of the protest during the Arab spring. From 2006 to 2012, Kuwait had major social movements calling for reforms: Nabiha Khamsa in 2006 followed by the Irhal movement, a series of 2011–2012 demonstrations, rising in response to both the corruption and poor performance on the part of the prime minister Nasser Al-Mohammed and the government. The movement increasingly gained traction in 2011 after the emergence of another scandal when al-Muhammad was accused of bribing legislators for the second time. As a reaction, the movement mobilized tens of thousands of people in front of parliament on November 27, 2011. In response to protests, al-Muhammad resigned the next day. These events coincided with the Arab Spring and might have ended up strengthening the movement, making Kuwait one of several countries affected by the Arab Spring to experience major governmental changes due to unrest.
Girl Activists of Kyrgyzstan, is a creative arts group for girls in Kyrgyzstan. The group hosts monthly movie screenings of films that focus on girls’ rights. They also provide training in different art forms and empower girls to use digital storytelling tools to share their experiences. The group has a blog called ‘Our Stories, Ourselves” where they collect and share stories of girls in their community. Dariya Kasmamytova, the creater of Girls Activist of Kyrgyzstan “The main things about activism is friendship. If you have a friend, even one friend who supports you and listens to you, you become strong. When the people around you stand with you, it gives you power.”
Participatory Development Training Center, PADETC, works to foster sustainable, equitable, and self-reliant development in Laos. It uses participatory learning and training of young people, civil society groups, and community leaders to become the key change agents in their communities, with an emphasis on ecological sustainability, cultural integrity, and spiritual well-being. The center, which is entirely staffed by Lao people, has its fingers in many pies: from the production of fuel efficient stoves, to fish farming promotion, recycling, media, young volunteers in schools, and even to teacher training. Sombath Somphone the creator of PADETC played an important role in introducing the concept of Gross National Happiness into Laos.
“I Want to Help Refugees” (“Gribu palīdzēt bēgļiem” or GPB) is a movement that provides immediate help to asylum seekers, people with refugee status, and promotes their systemic integration in Latvia. GPB aims to create and implement a unified approach to social, employment and rights-based services, so that their integration into Latvian society is as easy as possible. GPB works towards building an inclusive, understanding and supportive society by advocating for the respect of human rights without discrimination, selflessly providing the necessary assistance and support to people on the move. GPB mobilizes resources during crises and in everyday, situations and creates sustainable solutions to build a fulfilling life. GPB’s also produces outreach projects like: The Living (Skill) Library to practise and strengthen skills, language and traditions between Ukrainian culture and Latvians. GPB also creates a project called Bēgļu kurpēs”(“In the shoes of refugees”), which are school educational programs and a simulation games for students to learn about the circumstances of leaving one’s homeland, crossing national borders and giving a new meaning to one’s life in a strange place.
The 17 October Protests, commonly referred to as Thawra were a series of civil protests in Lebanon that began after the Lebanese cabinet announced financial measures on 17 October 2019. These national protests were triggered by planned taxes on gasoline, tobacco, and VoIP calls on applications such as WhatsApp, but quickly expanded into a country-wide condemnation of sectarian rule, the stagnation of the economy, unemployment (which reached 46% in 2018),widespread corruption in the public sector, legislation that was perceived to shield the ruling class from accountability (such as banking secrecy) and failures of the government to provide basic services such as electricity, water, and sanitation. In response, tens of thousands of peaceful protesters took to the streets across the country calling for their social and economic rights, for accountability, an end to corruption, and the resignation of all political representatives. On the 29th of October, Prime Minister Saad Hariri offered his resignation as a concession, saying "This is in response to the will and demand of the thousands of Lebanese demanding change"
The People’s Matrix’s strategic, community-rooted advocacy has led to tangible policy reforms that have changed lives and set a powerful example for the region. The Matrix engages with traditional leaders, teachers, and government officials. Its members speak on radio and television talk shows. The group runs campaigns on bodily autonomy, and hosts community dialogues. The Matrix is led by Tampose Mothopeng (Lesotho) a vibrant transgender leader, gender and sexuality activist, an HIV educator, human rights defender. Mothopeng also recently developed a LGBTI youth network with the purpose of motivating, strengthening and building young leaders of Lesotho for a better future in Lesotho. Matrix has been using dialogue as one of their core values and strategies to achieve legislative and social reform. LGBTIQ+ communities in Lesotho continue to organize, speak out, and build alliances to defend human rights. In 2024, the parliament of Lesotho amended the Labor Act 2024 to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and HIV status. This bold move solidified Lesotho as one of the few countries in Southern Africa to protect LGBTIQ+ people in the workplace, which was A giant step towards dignity, affirmation, and economic inclusion.
Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace is a Liberian peace movement started in 2003 working to end the Second Liberian Civil War. The movement began despite Liberia having extremely limited civil rights. Thousands of Muslim and Christian women mobilized their efforts, staged silent nonviolence protests, including a sex strike and the threat of a stripping naked curse. The movement forced a peace talk meeting with President Charles Taylor to negotiate with Liberia and to apply pressure on the warring factions. 200 women surrounded the room, dressed in white, dominating the conversation. When negotiators tried to leave, the women threatened to take off all of their clothes. Enclosed in the room with the women, the men would try to escape out the windows. The women persisted, staging a sit in outside of the Presidential Palace, blocking all the doors and windows, preventing anyone from leaving the peace talks without a resolution. Finally their actions brought about an agreement, achieving peace in Liberia after a 14-year civil war, and later helped bring to power the country's first female head of state, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who made women's rights one of her priorities. Her administration focused on the condition of women in Liberia and their needs.
FLay is an association for all LGBTIQA+ people in Liechtenstein and all those who want to support it energetically. Around the 60 members meet regularly for exchange and various events. FLay is actively committed to more visibility and tolerance for queer people in Liechtenstein. FLay creates space for queer people and allies to exchange ideas and support each other. Because of great advocacy for the rights of LGBTIQA+ people, same-sex sexual activity was legalized in Liechtenstein in 1989, 2000 all discrimination against same-sex sexual activity was removed from the penal code, and On 8 March 2024, same-sex marriage was legalized.
In 2022, between 500 and 550 workers participated in the VVT public Transit Strike. The union was not satisfied with working conditions: shifts were too long, there was no time for lunch or even bathroom breaks, and drivers had to speed in order to keep up with their schedules. The strikers wanted to see their wages meet at least the national average, with a demand to increase wages for all employees by at least 10%. a five-day working week and a guaranteed 30-minute lunch break after five hours of shift. After much persistence an agreement was reached. This is the only truly successful strike in Lithuania and it may affect how company employees defend their rights in the future Another thing, this strike showed that positive benefits can be achieved only through workers not giving in to all kinds of temptations and pressure from the employer. Only thanks to the unity of the workers, such a victory was achieved.
In Luxemburg, homosexuality was criminalized until 1979. However, societal attitudes shifted and advocacy groups emerged. Rosa Lëtzebuerg is an LGBTIQ+ organisation, defending the interests and rights of the LGBTIQ+ community since 1996. Rosa Lëtzebuerg organised what in 2018 became the Luxembourg Pride. In 2023, the association opened the Rainbow Center, providing a safe space for the LGBTIQ+ community to organise activities that make queer culture more visible. CIGALE (Collectif d'Initiatives Gay et Lesbiennes) played a crucial role in promoting LGBTQ+ rights, offering support for the community, organizing pride events, educational campaigns, protests, and raising awareness of discrimination, marriage equality, and adoption rights. A major milestone for the LGBTQ+ rights movement in Luxembourg was same-sex marriage legalization in 2015, which marked a significant step toward equality in a predominantly conservative society. Following this, the government initiated reforms to ensure LGBTQ+ individuals could adopt children, further solidifying their rights. The movement has continued to advocate for comprehensive anti-discrimination laws and societal acceptance, emphasizing the importance of visibility and representation for LGBTQ+ individuals in all spheres of life.
In 2011, with a grassroots rebellion and foreign intervention, the Libyan people fought to end the totalitarian brutal regime and build a new future. Unlike rebellions in Tunisia and Egypt, Libya’s conflict was more like a conventional war than a series of protests. After demonstrators were met with brutal violence and live ammunition from Gaddafi’s forces, rebels armed themselves, took control of Benghazi and launched attacks on Gaddafi strongholds in the rest of the country. The rebellion began with poorly trained young men taking leave from office jobs to drive pick-up trucks, mounted with jerry-rigged heavy weapons. Yet with time, and foreign training, the rebels became a reasonably effective militant force. The Misrata militia, one of the most powerful and influential, became a crucial force in the fight against Gaddafi. The National Transitional Council (NTC), the umbrella group for rebel fighters led by defectors from Gaddafi’s government, gained recognition in western and Arab capitals. The Libyan rebellion led to the killing of Gaddafi in October 2011, and the NTC replaced the regime. After which, advances were made in Libyan women’s capacities and resources to mobilize freely. In 2012, Libya saw its first democratic election, prompting the Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace to rally around a campaign that advocated for an increase in women’s representation in parliament, which successfully increased the women seated in the constitutional assembly.
Eko-Svest Center for Environmental Research and Information, safeguards North Macedonia’s national parks and cultural heritage from large infrastructure projects, encourage citizen participation in the country’s national energy strategy, and promote sustainable transport, waste management, and energy sources. Ana Čolović Lešoska, the creator of Eko-Svest Centeris a biologist who since 2011 led a seven-year campaign to cut off international funding for two large hydropower plants planned for inside Mavrovo National Park—North Macedonia’s oldest and largest national park—thereby protecting the habitat of the nearly-extinct Balkan lynx. "I felt that it was a matter of injustice, it's not as if a meteor dropped on the middle of the park and destroyed the lynx, it's a decision... It was a decision by the banks to contribute to the extinction of the Balkan lynx.” said Ana Čolović Lešoska. While seven months pregnant, Lešoska went door to door in the villages near Mavrovo informing locals about the impacts of the projects. And successfully convinced the Government of North Macedonia to suspend further work on dams in the national park. Finance for the hydropower project was withdrawn, and its loan was canceled.
Lemurs are one of the world’s most endangered group of mammals. In fact, in 2025, 98% of lemur species are at risk of extinction and 31% are critically endangered. Yet together with communities in Madagascar and protection and conservation is persistent. The Lemur Conservation Network (LCN) unites over 60 conservation organizations and connects them with people around the world. LCN support this network through communications, education, and the empowerment of Malagasy organizations and individuals. Members of the network all work closely with local communities in Madagascar.
Coalition Lampogno is an environmental conservation organization. a coalition of environmental justice organizations seeking to end the illegal rosewood trafficking in Madagascar. Despite being made illegal in 1975, the exportation of rosewood runs rampant as the bright red bark is highly sought after for luxury products. The struggle to combat rosewood trafficking, is consistent, and activists are continuing their fight to protect this precious tree and forests of Madagascar, and will continue on.
Malawi’s Girls Empowerment Network (GENET) and Let Girls Lead girls are community groups in Malawi that help to keep girls in school and raise awareness of their rights. Created my chil rights activist, Memory Banda, who has collaborated on a story telling project were young girls shared their experiences, dreams and challenges they face through different forms of art and theater. Malawi has one of the highest child marriage rates globally, with 38% of girls married before the age of 18. Child marriage is a violation of human rights, with negative impacts on girls, including interrupted education and heightened risks of poverty, violence, and health complications. Through much advocacy, the legal marriage of children has been raised to 18, Girls Not Brides Malawi, the National Partnership of civil society organizations are working together to end child marriage in Malawi, remaining committed to working with the Government of Malawi to ensure effective implementation of the National Strategy to End Child Marriage.
Justice for Sisters is an LGBTIQ and gender-diverse human rights group in Malaysia, work repealing Malaysia’s discriminatory laws against transgender people and provide support services to transgender people, sex workers and people living with HIV. Justice for Sisters won a major legal battle in 2014 when the Court of Appeal upheld their challenge of a Sharia law targeting transgender people. The Court of Appeal struck down the law, observing that it contravened constitutional provisions that guarantee personal liberty, equality, freedom of movement, and freedom of expression. This was seen as a watershed moment for transgender rights in Malaysia.
In what became known as Black Friday, thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators took to the streets of the capital of Male in a peaceful protest in August 2004. Growing dissidence in 2006 and 2007 forced the regime to release political prisoners, allow greater press freedom, and legalize opposition political parties. Many civic activists employed creative means of building their movement, such as using blogs and text messaging to bypass government restrictions on public gatherings. They created web sites with downloadable flyers ready to print, and organized mobile music shows on sound trucks in which popular local bands performed anti- (Dictator Mahmoud Gayoom) songs. Protesters paraded through the streets with coffins to dramatize what Gayoom had brought his people. A campaign of systematic nonviolent resistance by pro-democracy activists fought against Gayoom's continued rule, empowered opposition parties and political leaders, and divided pro-government elites. As a result, Gayoom was defeated in the country's first democratic presidential election. The triumph of democracy in the Maldives should be counted as yet another example of the power of civil resistance to create a government by the people, for the people.
In the 2000s, Malian peasants were plagued by multiple expropriations and forced evictions exacerbated by the 2008 food crisis. In total, around 800,000 hectares of land were grabbed in Mali to make way for large-scale agro-industrial projects. In November 2011, Malian peasants converged on the southern village of Nyéléni to protest land sales to foreign interests. Other participants came from 30 different countries, speaking of the international nature of the threat of land grabs. At the conference, Ibrahim Coulibaly of the National Confederation of Peasant Organizations emphasized the human costs. Since then, Peasant communities successfully mobilized to implement the Tenure Guidelines and secure their customary rights, including those of women and youth, representing a substantial shift in gender norms in customary community organizing. Mali's peasant movement won a partial victory by helping put forward agrarian legislation in 2017 that halted some of its most notorious land grabs. The Agricultural Land Law was adopted by the National Assembly on March 2017 and enacted 10 days later, represents a critical moment for rural communities in Mali, one that strengthens customary land rights, and strengthens the rights of women.
The xebbajtuna “we’ve had enough” protests of 2023, was a national protest in Valletta drawing thousands of people demanding planning reform and an end to environmental destruction. The protest was called by organizations like Moviment Graffitti, and endorsed by over 70 groups, including students’, social, cultural, heritage and residents’ organizations. The protesters demanded a reform in the planning policies, to stop buildings on Outside Development Zones. They demanded reform on the height and intensity of buildings, the height of hotels, and the scheduling of sites of historic interest and value. They also called for a “radical” reform for all institutions responsible for the environment, planning and lands, so that they start functioning in a serious and transparent manner and independently from politicians and businesses. The third demand was for an economic model seeking a better quality of life for everyone and not endless economic growth based on the profits of the few. The xebbajtuna movement showed Malta that the people have power and strength in solidarity to fight against greed and endless growth and towards prioritizing the people’s well-being.
Located in the central Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and the Philippines, the Marshall Islands are one of the world’s lowest-lying island nations and declared a national climate crisis emergency in October 2019. Jo-Jikum, is an organization created by climate activist and poet Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, Jo-Jikum empowers Marshallese youth to seek solutions to climate change and other environmental impacts threatening their home island. Jo-Jikum means “your home” in Marshallese and fosters a sense of responsibility and love for the islands. Jo-Jikum gives islanders the tools they need to respond to climate change by organizing island-wide cleanups, climate change workshops, community movie nights and other activities. The organization also helps families cover the cost of rebuilding their homes after climate-related damage through its Climate Disaster Relief Fund. Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner says : “Climate change affects not only us islanders, it threatens the entire world,” says Kathy. “To tackle it we need a radical change of course…It means ending carbon pollution within my lifetime, it means supporting those of us most affected to prepare for unavoidable climate impacts, and it means taking responsibility for irreversible loss and damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions.”p>
The Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA or is an anti-slavery group in Mauritania. In Mauritania there is no longer slavery in urban areas, yet it continues in the rural areas. One fifth of Mauritanians are enslaved and are black Africans, the highest rate of slavery in the world. The group has a "network of nine thousand activists" Through demonstrations, sit-ins, hunger strikes, marches, and general dissemination of information at home and abroad, IRA attempts to free the enslaved and pressure the Mauritanian Government to hold slave-owners accountable for their crime. The government has passed three laws abolishing slavery, though they do not enforce these laws, so IRA continues their fight. In 2011, the group won a "seminal victory" when it gathered in front of the house of an alleged slave owner and demanded the police arrest him. The slave owner was arrested—and it was the first time that police in Mauritania imprisoned a slave owner. Other protests and arrests of owners followed (the organization has helped to put about twenty owners in jail as of September 2014) and as a result, when the slave-owners heard about the arrests, they started releasing thousands of slaves, in a ripple of fear, a victory in progress towards abolition.
In 2019, The giant Japanese Bulk Carrier Wakashio, stranded on Mauritius’ coral reefs created a massive oil spill. In response, a self-organized grassroots movement of local fishermen, residents and community groups created several miles of oil protection booms, hand stitched with local supplies and filled with dry sugar cane leaves. Batches of cut human hair locally and internally were collected to trap the oil and act as giant sponges. The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation evacuated high risk animals and plants. The sea is a part of Mauritius’ cultural identity. Meanwhile the political establishment failed to protect the sea with their inaction. The anger of this betrayal ignited protests to spread, with around 150,000 protesters at the capital Port Louis. Marchers dressed in black and held drawings of dolphins, a reference to those found dead in the wake of the oil spill. In response, the movement caused the Mauritius government to request the designation of its territorial waters as a “particularly sensitive sea area”, ensuring that ships would avoid passing through Mauritius’s waters. Even more encouragingly, the islanders made a huge difference in the initial clean-up operations, and have shown their dedication to a clean and safe ocean environment for future generations.
The federal government, led by President Vicente Fox, issued in October 2001 a series of expropriation treaties for agricultural land in Texcoco. The reason was that this area would be where the New Mexico City Airport would be located. This decision was met with the refusal of the peasants, as well as of ecological and agrarian organizations or institutions linked to the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN). They organized and marched to the Official Residence of Los Pinos, where they maintained resistance for months. The Resistance resulted in a victory where, finally, Vicente Fox canceled the construction project for the metropolitan airport in Texcoco.
Since 1971, the movement of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders and intersex (LGBTI), was part of the mobilizations of the Mexican left against the government's repression. A turning point with which they managed to consolidate themselves as a true movement in the country was with the celebration in 1979 of the first gay Pride march in Mexico. Since that time, it has been thanks to constant pressure from groups such as the Homosexual Front for Revolutionary Action or the Homosexual Liberation Group, that the LGBTI movement became an important part of Mexican politics and society. Associations such as the Fundación Arcoíris in Mexico continue working to improve the situation of this minority in danger of social exclusion. One of its greatest milestones was the approval in January 2017 of the recognition of the equal rights of families formed by LGBTI people and equal civil marriage.
In Mexico, organized crime reaches everywhere, except for one small town in the state of Michoacan. Led by local women, the people of Cheran rose up to defend their forest from armed loggers and kicked out police and politicians at the same time. Political parties were banned, and still are because they caused divisions between people. In their place, the people of Cherán developed an autonomous system of self-rule based on horizontal, direct-democratic assemblies. And each of the four districts of Cheran elected representatives to a ruling town council. In many ways, Cheran, populated by the indigenous Purepecha people, returned to its roots: to the ancient way of doing things, independent of outsiders. Cherán achieved something unthinkable in Michoacán: a dramatic drop in murder rates, with rates for other serious crimes at nearly zero. It’s autonomy as an indigenous Purepecha community is recognized and underwritten by the Mexican government. It’s ban on political parties has been upheld by the courts, which have confirmed its right not to participate in local, state or federal elections. Cheran has become an oasis of hope - its peace and security a stark contrast to the fear that still dominates neighboring communities. It succeeded, thrived even because of solidarity.
In the heart of Mexico, The Wirikuta region is a symbol of spiritual and cultural connections that the Wixárika people (commonly known as Huichol) hold dearly. However, since 2005, the Mexican government has allowed foreign companies to exploit mineral resources in areas the Wirikuta region. This has caused alarm, anger and resistance in civil society and environmental groups who lead the "Save Wirikuta" movement, considered one of the most important ecological movements in Mexico. After 13 years of legal battles urging the government to stop the mining companies, and to return Wixárika land, at least 2,000 members of the indigenous community went to Mexico City to press the government to act. Thanks to the movements efforts—in a major victory, the judicial power of San Luis Potosí, Mexico has suspended mining concessions in the sacred territory of Wirikuta. The government returned 25% of the demanded land. Additionally, 78 mining licenses for extractive activities were blocked, and legal protections for sacred heritage were strengthened. Although a complete resolution of the Wixárika’s demands has yet to be achieved, it has been a historic event that represented a victory for the communities that have resisted extractive projects for more than a decade.
Hyde Park is an organization that works to protect free speech and the right to freedom of assembly. It is named after Speaker’s Corner in London’s Hyde Park, a site famous for free speech. Hyde Park organized a number of public protests in Chişinău in 2005 and 2006. One was designed to protect the right to free speech in Moldova, challenging the Moldova authorities from stopping them exercising their democratic right to demonstrate. Another was organized in front of the Romanian embassy, to protest against Romania’s policy concerning Moldovan students. Following this case and a number of others, significant reforms were made to protect freedom of assembly in Moldova. In particular, in February 2008 a new law on freedom of assembly was passed, which established much stronger protections for the right to hold public gatherings.
A sit-in on Place d’Armes was called on International Women’s Rights Day, Wednesday March 8, 2023. This sit-down by 15 people was the first feminist, non-associative and non-governmental citizen event to take place in the Principality. While women’s right to vote was voted for in Monaco in 1962, wage differences persist and the use of practitioners for a voluntary termination of pregnancy is still prohibited, and violence against women is still committed and is only increasing from year to year. To help with the fight for women’s rights and protection, organizations were created like GenderHopes, a Monaco-based non-profit aims to combat gender-based violence and discrimination by raising awareness, informing policy-makers and the general public and by highlighting negative stereotypes that promote gender-based violence and discrimination. Also organizations like SheCanHeCan, a Monaco-based organization that aims to inspire and support girls to take leadership roles. It encourage young people to challenge deeply-held, life-limiting gender stereotypes and to realize their full potential, independent of their gender.
Mongolian Nature Protection is a coalition, which brought together 11 Mongolian river movements and has had significant impact on the awareness of river protection both at the grassroots and legislative levels. The movement convinced the Mongolian Government to pass and enforce more restrictive laws in 2006, including the Law on Minerals, which regulates mining and protect precious waterways. In addition, 35 of the 37 mining operations working in the Onggi River Basin have ceased destructive operations. Erel Mining Company—the most egregious violator—has been shut down and citizen over-sites have been developed to ensure future sustainable construction methods. The Onggi River is flowing higher and farther than it has at any other time in years. Another success in environmental protection was through, Bayarjargal Agvaantseren, a mongolian conservationist helped create the 1.8 million-acre Tost Tosonbumba Nature Reserve in the South Gobi Desert—a critical habitat for the vulnerable snow leopard—in April 2016, then succeeded in persuading the Mongolian government to cancel all 37 mining licenses within the reserve. An unprecedented victory for the snow leopard, as of June 2018 there are no active mines within the reserve—and all mining operations are illegal.
Mongolian Nature Protection is a coalition, which brought together 11 Mongolian river movements and has had significant impact on the awareness of river protection both at the grassroots and legislative levels. The movement convinced the Mongolian Government to pass and enforce more restrictive laws in 2006, including the Law on Minerals, which regulates mining and protect precious waterways. In addition, 35 of the 37 mining operations working in the Onggi River Basin have ceased destructive operations. Erel Mining Company—the most egregious violator—has been shut down and citizen over-sites have been developed to ensure future sustainable construction methods. The Onggi River is flowing higher and farther than it has at any other time in years. Another success in environmental protection was through, Bayarjargal Agvaantseren, a mongolian conservationist helped create the 1.8 million-acre Tost Tosonbumba Nature Reserve in the South Gobi Desert—a critical habitat for the vulnerable snow leopard—in April 2016, then succeeded in persuading the Mongolian government to cancel all 37 mining licenses within the reserve. An unprecedented victory for the snow leopard, as of June 2018 there are no active mines within the reserve—and all mining operations are illegal.
Dar Si Hmad, which runs the world’s largest functioning fog collection project on Mount Boutmezguida in southwestern Morocco delivers clean water to nearby villages without easy access to water. Currently, the organization brings fog-harvested water to 15 Moroccan villages in Aït Baâmrane, a Berber region, where women used to spend hours to bring water to their households. Now they can reallocate that time to do other things. In addition to fog harvesting, Dar Si Hmad is also deeply invested in education - a critical part of the organization’s mission. At the Water School, local children learn about the water cycle and water’s importance. The Ethnographic Field School teaches students about the impacts of climate change and responses to it.
Center for Roma Initiatives (CRI) is the only organization in Montenegro working to promote the rights of Romani (Roma) women. Roma women face many challenges and abuses due to the strong patriarchal culture within their own community as well as blatant racism from institutions of the state. Roma women are seldom allowed to leave their own homes and between 40% - 70% of Roma women in Montenegro contend that they were forced into marriage before the age of eighteen. Fatima Naza a women’s and children’s rights activist and the co-founder of CRI has been fighting against child marriage and violence against women for over 10 years. In 2004, Fatima and her colleagues began to lead discussion groups for Roma women on the importance of education and taking control of their own lives. The number of Roma children attending public schools and Roma women with university degrees has greatly increased over the years as a result of Naza and the CRI’s continuous efforts. The rise in educated Roma women has also led to them working outside the home which was almost unheard of as little as ten years ago.
Morocco’s personal status and family law, the Moudawan, is a legal code that regulates everything from marriage and divorce to inheritance and child custody. Because of tireless advocacy, from activists, lawyers and legislators, the Moudawan was been rewritten in 2004, and has been hailed as one of the more progressive family laws in the Arab world. The new reforms marked a historic breakthrough for women’s rights activists, who had successfully called for several landmark provisions - including a woman’s right to file for divorce, greater freedom to travel, and the right to self-guardianship. Also Israr, a coalition of more than 30 Moroccan women’s rights leaders and organizations, has been advocating for years for women’s equality and economic autonomy. The group’s efforts were instrumental in passing a landmark law on violence against women in 2018, which criminalized domestic violence and provided resources for survivors. While morocco still has much to improve as far as gender equality, the country is seen to be among the most progressive in the Middle East in the fight for women’s rights, and has inspired activists in neighboring and nearby countries in their own campaigns for equality.
NAFEZA is a Mozambican organization that fights to reverse the unfavorable life situation of the majority of women in the face of gender inequalities. NAFEZA currently has around 63 Associations based in Zambezia Province that carry out a wide range of activities in areas such as education, agriculture, livestock, HIV and AIDS, gender, gender-based violence, sustainable environment, handicrafts, social communication and advocacy for human rights, particularly women's rights. The NAFEZA has set up a reception center in response to the need to provide shelter for women fleeing violent relationships or forced to leave their homes. The shelter for victims of domestic violence in the city of Quelimane shelters women who suffer from countless acts of aggression, whether psychological or physical. Often with nowhere to go, expelled from their homes or forced to leave them with their children, since July 2013 women have been able to count on a place that offers them not only safety, psychological and legal support, yet also the affection and well-being they so desperately need.
In addition to grassroots activism, Justiça Ambiental! (JA!) is renowned for its effective global advocacy. For over 20 years, JA! has bravely worked alongside affected communities to fight government and corporate-led projects that cause displacement, damage livelihoods and intensify climate change. One particular success was against Mozambique LNG, a 24-billion-USD gas extraction project in Cabo Delgado backed by TotalEnergies. The organisation has built alliances with civil society in over 23 countries to challenge this project. By providing critical on-the-ground evidence of the project’s harm to local communities, JA! has exposed human rights violations and corporate crimes, successfully delaying Mozambique LNG’s progress.
In Namibia, which is saturated with inequality and injustice, Affirmative Repositioning stands as a beacon of unwavering resolve. They embody the spirit of fearless activism and empower individuals to rise against the tide of oppression. AR is a revolutionary movement blazing a trail towards a just and equitable Namibia. They challenge the status quo, dismantle oppressive structures, and ignite the flames of a new era. From reclaiming public spaces to advocating for affordable housing, AR has demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to driving transformative change. They've rallied the dispossessed, transcended boundaries, and created platforms for unheard voices to resonate as calls for justice. Their flagship initiative focuses on ensuring equitable land distribution and affordable housing for all Namibians. Through mass mobilization, legal advocacy, and direct action, they’ve transformed the landscape of property rights in Namibia, with over 25,000 families supported. Affirmative Repositioning has secured 6 seats in the National Assembly, marking a significant milestone in their movement's history. This achievement positions AR to drive meaningful legislative change and advocate for progressive policies from within Namibia's highest lawmaking body.
Australia’s offshore asylum detention center in Nauru is a blatant violations of international law, including the arbitrary detention of asylum seekers, minors and recognized refugees. In 2016, standing in defiance for over 100 days was a group of refugees and asylum seekers protesting inside the Nauru detention center. Dozens of mothers and children held photos of detained refugees who died or sacrificed their life in protest. Also 50,000 people took to the streets of Australia demanding the federal government not send 267 asylum seekers to Nauru. Such international human rights outcry forced the Australian government to respond. Refugee advocates and activist groups like Pledge for Refugees continue their path to raise global awareness, end detention centers, release refugees, and resettle them peacefully. After international protest and condemnation, in February 2019, the last of Nauru’s remaining refugee and asylum seeker children were removed to Australia after reports of their declining physical and mental wellbeing. And in 2025 after refugee rights advocates fought for justice, against all odds, for almost a decade The UN Human Rights Committee delivered a landmark decision finding Australia violated the human rights of a group of refugee children detained on Nauru.
Maiti Ghar founded by Anuradha Koiralain is a social organization that has been conducting a wide range of social services such as rescuing trafficked girls, apprehending traffickers, organizing social awareness program, women empowerment, training, and providing antiretroviral therapy to those affected by HIV. Due to her continues struggle, Nepal has recognized anti trafficking day, which falls on 5 September. Anuradha Koirala ( Nepal ) is a social activist of who has been actively involved in saving trafficked girls, and has liberated over 12,000 girls from brothels.
Starting in 2010, the Radical Queer Resistance is a DIY festival for radical queer politics, taking place in Amsterdam, about exploring and countering the normative workings of gender, sexuality and identity in an autonomous space that avoids capitalism, commercialisation, heteronormativity, racism, ableism, sexism and transphobia. The festival features things like Action for Trans Health, Queer self defense, queer arab lectures, trans youth workshops, sex worker rights and more. The Netherlands is known for being one of the most forward-thinking countries in the world when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights and protections. From the early legalization of same-sex sexual activity in 1811 to being the first country to legalize gay marriage in 2001. Even though the Netherlands is known to be a liberal country, and legally the LGBTI community has equal rights to the rest of the population in the Netherlands, violence against the LGBTI community is present. Thanks to gatherings like Radical Queer Resistance, Spaces of liberation, protection, visibility for the LGBTQ+ community can grow.
Conversion therapy is the dangerous and discredited practice that seeks to change or suppress a person's sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The practice of conversion therapy and lack of access to gender-affirming healthcare is a health issue in Aotearoa New Zealand. Shaneel Lal, a iTaukei (indigenous Fijian) Vakasalewalewa (third gender) LGBTQIA rights activist, founded the Conversion Therapy Action Group (CTAG), a group working to end conversion therapy in New Zealand, The group educate New Zealanders on the dangers of conversion therapy and advocate for support for survivors of conversion therapy. In 2021, the Conversion Therapy Action Group helped deliver a petition with over 150,000 signatures to parliament, which responded when Lawmakers in New Zealand then passed a bill banning conversion therapy. Shaneel Lal, called the decision "a win for humanity, not just the queer community."
The anti-canal movement began in July 2012 when deputies from the Nicaguan government and allies approved Law 840, known as ‘the canal law’. It granted a 100-year concession to Chinese business man Jing.Wang, enabling him to expropriate land from rural communities where he deemed it convenient. The canal proposed to cut through Nicaragua, threatening to strip thousands of Nicaraguans of their land, with 120,000 people displaced, and put the country’s biodiversity at grave risk, devastating 400,000 acres of rain forests and wetlands. In years of resistance, the movement has been victim to repression, threats and persecution, yet still persisted fiercely, After a decade, and hundreds of protests from local and international groups, Nicaragua’s congress officially canceled the canal project. The cancellation was an acknowledgment that the global economic landscape has shifted, with increasing scrutiny on large-scale infrastructure projects that pose significant environmental risks.
The Dimitra Clubs, or Community Action Clubs in Niger, are informal groups of women and men, young and old, who decide to join together on a voluntary basis to discuss and seek solutions to their community’s problems, and to resolve them through collective action, using only local resources. With this community engagement approach contributing to gender equality and inclusiveness, members of rural communities become real agents of change. Farmer-pastoralist conflicts are reduced as women and youth are trained as peacebuilders in the conflict-prone regions. More than 350 community groups ‘Dimitra Clubs’ were established in 60 villages with more than 10,000 members, addressing challenges within communities and aided women in assuming leadership positions in conflict prevention and mediation. Dimitra Clubs have been crucial to ensure women’s access to land and water, while contributing to nutrition, food security and gender equality, thereby reducing rural poverty. The transformative approach of the Dimitra Clubs induces behavioral changes in daily life for individuals, households and communities in rural areas, taking collective action to improve their livelihoods and take control of their own lives.
Bring back our girls was a movement caused by the kidnapping of female students from the government girls secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, Nigeria, by militant Boko Haram group, which took place in April 2014. The movement involved diverse tactics such as demonstrations, street paintings and graffiti, and online activism. What started locally, soon became a global movement as different world leaders joined the campaign, such as Michelle Obama, and Pope Francis. Global attention and local activism created urgency. While many of the Chibok girls are still missing, 107 were successfully rescued through negotiation and 4 successfully escaped their kidnapping.
Niue is a small island developing state with a population of 1,700 located in the South Pacific Ocean. With a large ocean area and an economy driven by tourism, fisheries and exports, Niue is one of the first countries to commit to protecting 100% of waters in its exclusive economic zone. Its unique waters are home to globally significant marine ecosystems, including the world’s largest raised coral atoll with 100+ observed coral species, one of the highest number of grey reef sharks in the world, and Major breeding grounds for humpback whales. Through much advocacy, locally and internationally, in November 2021, Niue passed a bold new marine legislation in November 2021, that will ensure sustainable use across its land and sovereign waters (317,500 square kilometres) while also contributing to the global environment, climate action and key sustainable development goals.
Born in 1962, Kim Seong-Min served 10 years in the North Korean military before working as a propaganda writer for the totalitarian regime. In a harrowing journey, he fled to China in 1996 only to face capture, repatriation and an execution sentence. Miraculously, he managed to escape once again and arrived in South Korea in 1999. Seong-Min became one of the first and most active North Korean defector-turned-human rights activists. Most notably, he founded Free North Korea Radio (FNKR) in 2004. FNKR broadcasts news into North Korea and counters the regime’s propaganda. Only North Korean defectors now living in South Korea produce and voice the station. The station’s programming includes defectors’ personal narratives as well as news related to North Korea and knowledge about the outside world. While it is impossible to track FNKR’s exact audience numbers, research consistently ranks it as the most popular broadcast in North Korea. Many listeners also covertly spread the broadcast’s news to their neighbors by word of mouth, creating a significant “secondary audience.” Free North Korea Radio numerous awards including Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award and the Reporters Without Borders’ Media Award.
In 2021 the Sámi peoples started a movement against the wind farms in Northern Norway. The wind farms sit on lands the Sámi use for reindeer herding - a central part of their lifestyle, leaving the lands unsuitable for grazing and the fate of the area’s Sámi people in jeopardy. Yet after much protest, on October 2021, the Supreme Court of Norway ruled that in permitting the wind farms, Norway violated the rights of the Sámi people. A violation in protecting the culture of ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities. However after much inactivity to remove the wind turbines, Sámi activists and climate activists continued to protest. In February 2023, they blocked the entrances to Norway's energy ministry and in May 2023, activists held protests in Oslo, until finally in march 2024 an agreement with the indigenous Sámi people was reached after, where a new area for reindeer winter grazing was provided, an allocation of the energy produced by the wind farm for local purposes, provisions to protect indigenous culture, and a grant was offered of 5 million kroner ($473,000) to strengthen Sámi culture.
One notable example of improvement in Oman is through the advocacy for the protection of migrant workers’ rights. Activists, NGOs and civil society organizations have worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the challenges faced by migrant workers in Oman, such as exploitation, poor working conditions, and lack of legal protection. These efforts have led to improvements in labor laws and regulations to better protect the rights of migrant workers in the country. On 25 July 2023, Oman announced a new labour law for workers in the private sector, including shorter working hours, increases in sick leaves, Longer fixed-term contracts, the prohibition of Passport confiscation, 1 hour per day of nursing break, and many others improvements.
Black Coat Protests or The Lawyers' Movement, was the popular mass protest movement initiated by the lawyers of Pakistan in response to the former president and army chief Pervez Musharraf's unconstitutionally suspending Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as the chief justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court. Following this suspension, the Supreme Court Bar Association declared the judge's removal as an "assault on the independence of judiciary" and was backed by several political parties. And through mass mobilization, it was the first time in Pakistan’s history that lawyers dropped their conflicting political affiliations and forged an unprecedented professional unity to restore the rule of law. Elections were called, and Asif Ali Zardari became president. It was largely because of the movement that the elections were possible and in turn the people gave their mandate to the parties that stood up against the tyranny of the army rulers. Then the lawyers’ movement organized a mass march on Islamabad joined by many supporters from Pakistani civil society. Zardari was forced to meet their demands and reinstated Chaudhry as chief justice on March 16, 2009. Within two years, the lawyers’ movement realized its goals for organizing through the use of solely nonviolent tactics.
Palau is an archipelago of 340 islands located in the Pacific Ocean 600 miles east of the Philippines. Approximately 700 species of coral and over 1,400 species of fish are found in Palau’s waters, making it one of the most biologically rich marine areas on Earth. To preserve this area, a model for marine conservation was created in the region that combined traditional and modern knowledge. The chiefs of Palau were convinced to reinstate age old conservation traditions known as bul, which limited fishing in the spawning channels within the villages’ reefs. This was considered to be one of the most important conservation measures in the Pacific in recent history. Installation of mooring buoys were created, which saved coral from destruction caused by boats at Palau’s scuba-diving sites. Also the passage of a nationwide sustainable marine resources bill was secured. The legislation marked the first time in Palau’s 2,000 year history that the government had attempted to place restrictions on fisher people.
The 2018–2019 Gaza border protests, also known as The Great March of Return was a movement of Palestinian refugees gathering peacefully near the fence with Israel and attempting to return to their pre-1948 homes. Their natural right guaranteed to them under international law and by UN conventions allows them to return to their homes. There were weekly Friday protests, where Political factions, NGOs, and people from all across the political spectrum participated in the March. Ahmed Abu Artema, one of the organizers of the march said: “Palestinians resist through art, painting, dancing the national dabke, by a show of national pride, and through beautiful music. Artistic expression is a message that challenges those who desire our erasure. We are engaged in this life despite being confined and imprisoned, our whole life, within Israeli walls... Refugees demonstrating in the March engaged in spontaneous singing, especially songs about the love of our land that drives the desire to return back to our homes. We also saw a spontaneous Key of Return exhibition – this is the key that refugees kept from their homes, that they bring out yearly. We also saw sporting events that were organized and took place in front of the fence. We are intent on sending a message: we are a people that love life.”
Youth Against Settlements (YAS) is a group in Hebron committed to non-violent activism against the illegal Israeli settlements in Hebron and the discriminatory restrictions placed on Palestinians by the Israeli authorities in the city. Issa Amro, the founder of YAS documented human rights violations in the city in the context of Israeli's military occupation, organizes peaceful protests and distributes information about the settlements, violence by settlers and human rights violations by Israeli forces to journalists, diplomats and other visitors. In Amro's little house at the top of Tel Rumeida, a "non-violence center" was established, where peaceful community self-defence actions were cooked up. YAS's "Open the Street" campaign called for an end to Al-Shuhada street's closure, and the return of Palestinians to their homes and shops. "The people, especially in Hebron, are very generous; very kind. and they love to live peacefully in their homes. And security for them is a mutual concept. They want security, as everyone wants security. That is their message to everybody in the world. You're more than welcome to come to visit us in our houses. We will offer you free food, free drinks and even a free tour to the city." says Issa Amro
The Freedom Theatre is a theatre and cultural centre in Jenin refugee camp, occupied Palestine. The Freedom Theatre stages professional theatre productions, hold theatre workshops in the refugee camp, Jenin town and villages, offers training in acting, education and photography, and publish books, exhibitions and short films. Since opening their doors in 2006, The Freedom Theatre has made theatre and visual art available to every young person in Jenin refugee camp, creating thought-provoking theatre and media productions. They’ve created a generation of artists and leaders, who one day will be at the forefront of the Palestinian liberation movement. Their Freedom Bus project initiated in 2011, The uses interactive theatre and cultural activism to bear witness, raise awareness and build alliances throughout occupied Palestine and beyond., the Freedom Bus has carried out five annual Freedom Rides to some of the key sites of oppression and resistance in the West Bank, gathering internationals and Palestinians who come to learn from and engage in solidarity actions with community members. At the heart of all Freedom Bus activities is the belief that active solidarity and creative expression are vital in the journey towards a more just, peaceful and egalitarian world.
For over 20 years, the Minera Panamá company has operated an ecologically devastating open-pit gold and copper mine in a vulnerable biodiverse region of Panama. Panamá Vale Mas Sin Minería (Panama is Better Without Mining), is a large coalition formed in 2021, of social and eco-groups calling for an end to all mining in the country. After a month-long nationwide uprising, the anti-mining coalition grew steadily, allying with workers unions and welcoming in farmers, church groups and scientists. Fisher people used their boats to block marine coal shipments to the mine, shutting down the power plant. Other activists prevented land routes from being used. Indigenous communities blocked a major coastal highway, key to economic functioning, and began using the blockade site to hold open political assemblies. With the daily blockades of major highways and the copper mine’s port, the government finally gave in. The Panamanian Supreme Court gave a unanimous ruling that the contract for the Cobré mineral mine—one of the world's largest—is unconstitutional and must be shut down. They closed the mine and banned any new mining projects nationwide. The victory was historic, a shining example of what protesters can achieve with their defiantly nonviolent direct action and their persistence.
The Paraguayan student movement has played an important role in the struggle for quality, accessible and universal education. The UNA No te Calles movement of 2015, which translates to ‘UNA, Don’t Be Silent.’ began as a reaction to corruption and administrative misconduct within the National University of Asunción (UNA). Through organized protests and sit-ins, students demanded transparency, accountability, and systemic reforms, eventually leading to the the resignation of Froilán Peralta, then rector of UNA, and the resignation of several high-ranking officials, including 10 deans of the 12 faculties that make up UNA. Since then, another 46 people were also charged with improper collection, production, scam and appropriation. All of them apparently operated under the corruption scheme led by former rector Froilán Peralta. UNA No te Calles became emblematic of student resistance, and it initiated a broader dialogue about corruption within Paraguayan higher education.
Tulele Peisa which means (sailing the waves on our own) was created in 2006 by Ursula Rakova, an environmentalist and climate change activist born on the Carteret Islands in the Southwestern Pacific. Rakova was asked by her elders to lead this local community organization through an unprecedented experience: relocating the entire island community, one thousand seven hundred of her fellow islanders of the Carterets to the safer ground to Bougainville, the easternmost island of Papua New Guinea, which is 80 kilometers, or up to five hours away by boat. The Carteret islands are expected to be uninhabitable by 2040, rendering the Carteret community, the world's first climate refugees. To further help the relocated Carteret Islanders, Rakova established Bougainville Cocoa Net Limited to offer the islanders opportunities to produce fair trade cocoa. “We are being forced from our ancient island homeland to the mainland, where we must start new lives and find sustainable means to produce our food and survive. I want to make sure that my people have a future life for generations to come." - Ursula Rakova
The Marañón River and its tributaries are the lifeblood of Peru’s tropical rainforests and support 75% of the country’s tropical wetlands. It is home to pink dolphins, giant river otters, manatees, black caimans, and 156 fish species. The forests in the river basin support thousands of plant species and are habitat for the critically endangered Peruvian yellow-tailed woolly monkey, jaguars, and spectacled bears. The river is sacred to the Kukama people, who believe that their ancestors reside on the river floor. The Kukama people depend on the river for transport, agriculture, water, and fishing. In March 2024, after more than two years of litigation, a Kukama women’s association won a landmark court decision to protect the Marañón River in Peru. For the first time in the country’s history, a river was granted legal personhood—with the right to be free-flowing and free of contamination. The court ordered the government to take immediate action to prevent future oil spills into the river, mandated the creation of a basin-wide protection plan, and recognized the Kukama as stewards of the river. The victory represents a change in the protection of all rivers and ecosystems in Peru. Other Indigenous communities have since filed similar cases to protect other rivers throughout Peru.
The remote northeast corner of Peru contains a large swath of Amazon rainforest that sprawls over two million acres. The forest is a pocket of mega-diversity with 3,000 species of plants, 500 species of birds, and 550 species of fish, as well as manatees, river dolphins, giant otters, and woolly monkeys. Since 2000, illegal logging and mining have plagued the region and its inhabitants, who have long denounced and resisted the encroachment. Liz Chicaje Churay, a leader of the Indigenous Bora community, and her partners led a campaign on multiple fronts to advocate for a national park. Conservationists and scientists joined. Churay and Partners traveled extensively by boat to remote areas to meet with the different communities and discuss plans for the park. With the help of other Indigenous leaders, 23 Indigenous communities agreed to endorse the park. In January of 2018, as a result of much persistence, the Yaguas National Park was created. The new park protects more than two million acres of Amazon rainforest in the northeastern region of Loreto. Its creation is a important step in conserving the country’s biodiversity, safeguarding thousands of rare and unique wildlife species and conserving carbon-rich peatlands, and protecting Indigenous peoples.
On May 2021, local residents in Glasgow won the release of two Sikh men from India, Lakhvir Singh and Sumit Sehdev. who had been detained by immigration officers by surrounding the vehicle and blockading it for several hours. During Eid celebrations, Border Force snatched up the men and put them in a van. This was noticed by neighbors, who quickly surrounded the vehicle and contacted friends and local tenant and anti-eviction groups. One man climbed underneath the wheels of the van, where he remained for the duration of the subsequent events. One local resident, Lotte, told the Scotsman newspaper she wanted "to express my utter disgust at the brutal removal of my neighbors from their home". Soon the crowd had swelled to hundreds of people. Hundreds of police also came to the scene to try to clear the way for the immigration van to leave, but they were unable to dislodge the crowd. By the early evening, authorities relented and agreed to set the men free. One of those detained, Lakhvir Singh, from India, issued a statement through a translator stating: "I’ve been astonished and overwhelmed by the support I’ve received from the people of Glasgow."
Abahlali baseMjondolo (The Residents of the Shacks) is a movement of the poor in South Africa. An autonomous, democratic, membership-based social movement comprising more than 150,000 members, operating in 93 branches in 4 provinces, committed to building the democratic power of the oppressed from below, and using collective strength to create a world in which land, wealth and power are shared fairly. Abahlali baseMjondolo politics is rooted in a universal commitment to affirming and defending human dignity as we struggle for land and housing, to foster communities of care, self-nourishment, and solidarity.
FeesMustFall was a student-led protest movement that began in mid-October 2015 in South Africa. The goals of the movement were to stop increases in student fees as well as to increase government funding of universities. Protests started at the University of Witwatersrand and spread to the University of Cape Town and Rhodes University before rapidly spreading to other universities across the country. Students across the country united to demand free and decolonized education. “Fees Must Fall” also engaged in solidarity struggles including the fight to #EndOutSourcing, which addressed the demands of underpaid university cleaners, chefs, and gardeners for decent wages. After
The Movement succeeded in causing the The 2015/2016 tuition hikes were scrapped only to be re-announced for the academic year that followed, sparking another wave of protests in 2016 and 2017, leading the government to eventually concede to the students demands. The government announced that poor and working class students would have access to free higher education.
The Garden of Rebirth is a women’s empowerment center, which assists women and their children who are sufferers of gender-based violence, to reach their full potential in a safe, nurturing and empowering environment. The center is dedicated to advocating for all victims and related issues around gender-based violence.
Girls Of A Feather was founded in 2014 as a youth-led club for adolescent girls. Girls Of A Feather is now one of the premiere girl-centred mentorship agencies in St. Lucia, creating avenues for girls to access mental health and child protection services, participate in networking opportunities and attend leadership trainings on gender justice. Inspired by the need for more supportive environments, we established an organization grounded in the values of respect, inclusivity, and compassion. To advocate for and on behalf of women and children who are victims of gender-based violence and injustice. To provide quality, compassionate and nonjudgmental services in a manner that fosters self-respect and independence in women and children experiencing gender-based violence, and to lead the struggle to end this brutality through advocacy and community education. Since its creation, 3,000 + women and children victims have received food support through our Food Box Program. Over , 100 victims have been assisted with utility and rent expenses for their households, along with school supplies for their children in the past year through our fundraising efforts. And more than 35 special needs children have received monetary support toward education through our service.
Snails without shells, On the night of Aug. 26, 1989, an estimated 50,000 people laid down on straw mats in the middle of Zhongxiao E Road, the main throughway in Taipei's bustling East District. It was the most expensive area in Taipei at that time, dubbed the "Golden Mile" by the media. Protesting the nation's skyrocketing housing prices, groups put on performances such as a "Monopoly Dance" (referring to the board game) mocking land speculators and a play where a superhero defeats evil real estate price gougers. While many participants went home shortly after midnight, several hundred spent the night in front of Dinghao Plaza. The protesters called themselves "snails without shells" , which became a symbol for the battle against housing prices that is still used to this day. Unaffordable housing remains a serious issue, and in May of last year 250 protesters paid tribute to the original "snails" by taking turns sleeping in 50 tents in the East District for five straight days. n April 2014, 10,000 participated in a camp-out on Zhongxiao East Road that was dubbed as a second Snails Without Shells camp-out.
Taiwan's 2014 Sunflower Movement unleashed a wave of youthful activism that has profoundly reshaped the island's political landscape, showing how activists can effect change through elections. Sunflower Movement is the largest student movement since the Wild Lily Movement in 1990. In 2014, from March 18 to April 10, hundred of student broke into the Taiwan Legistlative Yuan (equivalent to the US Capitol) while thousands joined in support outside the building. demanding that lawmakers reconsider a trade deal they were about to ratify with China. This was a protest to the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA) that was passed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). While there are many reasons that this movement gained support, the outcome of this party gave rise to a new generation of Taiwanese youth that cared more about Taiwan. The trade agreement was never ratified. The opposition Democratic Progressive Party, which favors Taiwan's sovereignty from China, won local elections in 2014, and the presidential election in 2016. They recently won an unprecedented third term in Taiwan's presidential election in January. China is still Taiwan's biggest trading partner. But Taiwan's exports to China are falling amid a Chinese economic slowdown. Taiwan is also prioritizing increased investments and exports to Southeast Asia, the US and Europe.
Lawyer Association of Pamir (LAP) is a regional public organisation established in 2005 as an initiative of young and promising lawyers in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. It was registered as a public organisation in 2010. LAP promotes human rights and fundamental freedoms, and focuses on incorporating international human rights standards into national legislation and law enforcement practices. It assists in carrying out democratic reforms and strengthening the principles of democratization and tolerance. LAP has helped countless victims of human rights violations and strengthened rule of law and democratic structures in the GBAO.
Tanzania, renowned globally for its rich biodiversity and iconic wildlife, faces ongoing threats from poaching. Moreover, community involvement has blossomed. Local tribes and villagers have become the frontline protectors of their natural heritage. By fostering a sense of ownership over the wildlife, they have become the best allies in the fight against poaching. Also, Tanzanian conservationists like Gerald Bigurube fight against poaching, and protect the environment, by relentlessly campaigning for nature and wildlife conservation in Tanzania. Because of the efforts of conservationist, anti-poaching scouts, and anti-poaching activists, poaching was drastically reduced and wildlife populations recovered significantly, which proves that nature conservation can only be sustainable if the local population is involved.
In February 2020, the Mekong community’s advocacy resulted in the termination of the China-led Upper Mekong River rapids blasting project, which would have destroyed 248 miles of the Mekong. Flowing 3,000 miles from the mountains of Tibet before draining to the South China Sea, the biodiversity-rich Mekong River’s fisheries, tributaries, wetlands, and floodplains are a vital lifeline for more than 65 million people. The movement to stop the project drew large network of civil society groups, local communities, NGOs, and media in order to gain the attention of the developers and government, emphasizing the ecological harm. Boat demonstrations, encouraged villagers and fisher-people to sign a petition that was delivered to the Chinese embassy in Bangkok. By February 2020, their sustained advocacy generated so much resistance from civil society, scientists, and academics that the government was compelled to formally abandon the Mekong rapids blasting project, and canceled the project due to its potentially devastating environmental and social impacts. The official cancellation of the Mekong rapids blasting project marks a rare, formal win in a region facing substantial pressure from development projects and is a testament to the collective power of Kru Thi’s campaign.
2008 Tibetan uprising was a series of protests and demonstrations over the Chinese government's oppressive treatment and persecution of Tibetans. Protests began in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, by monks and nuns in March. Numerous protests and demonstrations were held to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan Uprising Day, when the 14th Dalai Lama escaped from Tibet. The protests and demonstrations spread spontaneously to a number of monasteries and throughout the Tibetan plateau, and outside the country. New forms of protests manifested including Lhadon Tethong, who used her blog and social media to provide real-time updates from inside Tibet, becoming one of the first Tibetan voices to bypass traditional media filters. Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) also made headlines for their innovative 'fax-jamming' campaign where Tibetan youth overwhelmed Chinese consulates by sending thousands of faxes. . Groups like the Drung Films or individuals like Tashi Nyima of Khadhok Arts combined art and activism to spark engagement technology. More recently, Tibet Action Institute uncovered the existence and scale of colonial-style boarding schools in Tibet through digital research and advocacy, bringing global attention to the issue.
In 2024, the Demokrasia Bis – Mobile Citizens Lab was created In Timor-Leste, as a bus serving as an information sharing centre, driving around the country to hear the concerns and suggestions of young Timorese in order to then bring them to the attention of political decision-makers. It is designed to “Empower youth, one stop at a time”, this colorful bus, equipped with a podcast studio, travels to rural areas, bringing civic engagement right to the doorsteps of communities. The bus has engaged hundreds of young people by visiting schools, events, and local administration offices in the capital Dili as well as three municipalities—Liquiça, Manatuto, and Baucau. During five co-creation sessions, more than 188 young people (91 men and 97 women) engaged with 23 decision-makers (14 men and 9 women), from National Parliament, government institutions, and municipal authorities to discuss issues such as unemployment, entrepreneurship, gender equality and domestic labor. Insights from these discussions are shaping policies, with youth inputs informing the drafting of the Domestic Labor Law.
Emomé Art Festival, Togo’s self-supported performance art festival has become a vital space for artists to showcase their responses to pressing social and cultural issues. The festival is principally a street and performance art affair, where participating artists arrive from across West Africa, as well as from Asia and America. In 2025, The festival took place in four cities in Togo, namely Lomé, Tsévié, kpalimé and kpimé Séva. Guest artists question the realities of resistance, borders and territories through performance, visual arts, speech and gesture. The festival explores the body as it crosses borders, challenges visible and invisible walls, and transforms territories of a world marked by crises, oppressions and exiles into a space of free expression. Art becomes a tool of struggle, memory and freedom. The ongoing Festival is a moment for sharing experiences and visions between artists. And it strengthen the links between creators, passionate about performance and the culture of art.
In Togo, to make an income, many reluctantly cut down the country’s trees to produce charcoal and sell it in their communities. Others slash and burn forests to carve out farmland for their families. However, the Programme d’Aide pour le Développement Economique et Social (PADES) is using its long decade experience in helping these youth access better and greener jobs. In 1992, the PADES members themselves were small farmers and traders who wanted to join force to fight poverty. They who were once those jobless youth, today they are enough old and wise to see how deforestation has impacted their nation. Since its creation, PADES has helped restore more than 390 hectares and taught more than 150,000 community members about reforestation and restoration through the grassroots management committees that they create in each zone where they work.The organization is helping women and youth start projects that grow fruit-bearing trees on degraded land that lost their fertility years ago.
In Togo, to make an income, many reluctantly cut down the country’s trees to produce charcoal and sell it in their communities. Others slash and burn forests to carve out farmland for their families. However, the Programme d’Aide pour le Développement Economique et Social (PADES) is using its long decade experience in helping these youth access better and greener jobs. In 1992, the PADES members themselves were small farmers and traders who wanted to join force to fight poverty. They who were once those jobless youth, today they are enough old and wise to see how deforestation has impacted their nation. Since its creation, PADES has helped restore more than 390 hectares and taught more than 150,000 community members about reforestation and restoration through the grassroots management committees that they create in each zone where they work.The organization is helping women and youth start projects that grow fruit-bearing trees on degraded land that lost their fertility years ago.
Tonga Leitis Association is the only civil society organisation in Tonga that directly addresses the issues and concerns of leitis and other LGBT+ people in Tonga. The organisation is dedicated to the country’s LGBTQ+ communities, providing support services, advocacy, and education on HIV-Aids. The former president, Polikalepo Kefu Kefu was known to many as a selfless humanitarian and a tireless advocate for the rights of those with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions. The polynesian Archipeligo islands have a rich queer history including the celebration of transgender people of the “fakaleiti.” The work of Tonga Letis Association work and legacy will be continued and throughout LGBTQI community of Tonga and the greater world.
The Kingdom of Tonga is a small island nation in the South Pacific. It is one of the few that did not undergo formal colonization, though became a British-protected state in 1900. Despite this, however, it has retained its own system of government: monarchy. Despite their lack of unionization, on July 22, 2005, 2000 public servants went on strike to call for 60-90% pay raises for all public servants. That same day, 1400 public school teachers joined the strike in support of the civil servants. Later that same day, health workers in Nuku’alofa joined the movement in uniforms. The strike shut down the government and grew to include many other public sector employees and ending up being the most significant challenge to the island's monarchy in its history. The strike also gained international attention, particularly in New Zealand, where, on August 20th, 100 protesters sought a meeting with King Tupou, who was visiting New Zealand at the time. The striking workers won their pay rise and forced the government to begin reforming itself.
LGBTQI+ rights activists like Jason Jones a gay LGBTQI+ activist challenged the constitutionality of laws prohibiting consensual adult intercourse and sexual acts between consenting same-sex adults. On April, 2018, the LGBTQI+ compunity won this landmark legal challenge at the High Court of Trinidad and Tobago which decriminalized adult same sex intimacy. This win guaranteed freedom for nearly 100,000 Trinidadians and set a precedent. The case was also cited in a recent case that led to a decriminalization victory in India. The year of decriminalisation was also the year Trinidad celebrated its first Pride festival. "If you want change, you need to sacrifice and you need to work hard. Find your own route to it, don't look at following other people's footsteps. Forge your own path. Be clear about what that path is and what you want to achieve in the end." – said Jason Jones
In a club beneath the surface of the grey capital of the Soviet-style breakaway region, a new generation was speaking out and having fun at the same time. This was “the last island of freedom” or Club 19, a subterranean cultural center in downtown Tiraspol. Clusters of youth gathered almost daily for a variety of events promoting democracy and free speech. The club represents a rare bubble of free thought in a territory where freedom of expression and association are tightly constrained, and where many look favorably back to Soviet times. It opened in 2011, under as a non-governmental organization called “A Priori”, including civil society groups and notably encouraging citizen journalism in a depleted media environment. Transnistria is not recognized as a state by any UN member country. Home to around 500,000 people, it has been in a “frozen” conflict with neighboring Moldova for 25 years, from which it separated as the Soviet Union crumbled – rendering the territory politically, economically and culturally stunted. In Club 19, collective action, animal welfare and feminist thought were discussed during informal group conversations. For many, the club was an opportunity to break the monotony of life in this narrow slither of land, all of which made Club 19 more important.
The Tunisian revolution also called the Jasmine Revolution was an intensive 28-day campaign of civil resistance. It included a series of street demonstrations which took place in Tunisia, and led to the ousting of longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011. It eventually led to a thorough democratization of the country and to free and democratic elections, Political prisoners were freed and members of previously banned political parties living in exile were able to return to their homeland. The movement inspired the Arab Spring, massive protests in other countries, seeking to overthrow authoritarian regimes, quickly spreading to Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Bahrain. Rulers were deposed, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt all in 2011, and Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen in 2012)
Keyik Okara, an organization started in 1998, by a group of like-minded individuals united by the idea of assisting the most vulnerable people throughout turkmenistan. The organization includes a refugees project, providing medical , social and education assistance in refugee settlements. With projects like the constructions of medical centers, construction of a water-intake canal, and equipting Refugees with agricultural machinery and sewing machines. One of the sucessful projects that came out of Keyik Okara was the ‘Donation’ project where volunteers disseminated information about the problem of blood shortages at hospitals. As a result, about 700 people arrived at the blood transfusion station to donate blood. Keyik Okara also started piloting community-based social services with focus on prevention and response to domestic violence and adolescent pregnancy. Keyik Okara have a trained team of social worker, psychologist, gynecologist and a lawyer who provide telephone and, if needed, in person consultation
On May 2013, environmentalists gathered in Taksim Gezi Park in Istanbul to protest the uprooting of trees. Before long, a wave of protests spread with millions of Turkish citizens marching in the streets, protesting against the excessive police power and the ruling AKP party’s rightward drift away from secularism and equal rights. Protest camps with a library, medical center, food distribution and their own media joined the mass. Thousands gather at Istanbul’s Asian side and marched across the Bosphorus Bridge on foot. A hijacked bulldozer was used against the violent police forces. Finally, after the brutal police attacks and clearing of Taksim square, one solo performance artist named Erdem Gündüz snuck in with tourists and stood still for hours. By standing in passive defiance facing the Atatürk Culture Centre, they could no longer falsely claim the protests were over. Eventually, more than 300 people joined, standing still like a statue, refusing to leave. Many others across Turkey joined, standing still in their own way. Citizens discovered a whole new way to protest, that, because of its nonviolent nature and its unusualness, the authorities didn’t know how to deal with. Their resistance was able continue, and the protest movement was seen in a new, more sympathetic light.
On 18 June 2022 firefighters working at the Providenciales International Airport on the Turks and Caicos Islands went on strike in protest at an unequal implementation of a pay award. The action shut down the airport and caused cancellations in domestic and international flights. Workers would due to receive their first pay increase in seven years, of 15%. But the workers complained that the increase was not being paid equally to all workers. After a few days, the airport authority issued a statement promising to review workers' salaries with the aim at implementing a new, fair grading scale.
Tuvalu, a small island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, Comprising nine islands, Tuvalu spans a mere 26 square kilometres, making it one of the smallest countries in the world. Despite its diminutive size, the nation boasts a rich tapestry of ecosystems. The biodiversity of Tuvalu is a source of national pride and plays a crucial role in the cultural identity and livelihoods of its inhabitants. The delicate balance of these ecosystems is vital for the survival of both flora and fauna, as well as for the local communities that depend on them for sustenance and economic activities. However, Tuvalu’s biodiversity faces significant threats from climate change, rising sea levels Tuvalu Climate Action Network (TuCAN): Formed in 2007, TuCAN focuses on raising awareness about climate change impacts and advocating for sustainable development. The organization engages with local communities to educate them on climate issues and encourages grassroots participation in climate action. The Tuvalu Climate Action Network (TuCAN) was set up in response to the urgent need for a global commitment to reduce warming to well below dangerous levels and the equally urgent need to raise awareness on, adapt to climate change and implement clean energy in Tuvalu.
The People Power Movement is a resistance pressure group in Uganda. It is led by Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, who is the MP for Kyadondo East constituency. The movement unites Ugandans on issues such as ending human rights abuse, corruption and redefining the rule of law, with a focus on young Ugandans. The movement was primarily sparked by civil unrest with Yoweri Museveni's extended presidency, after he announced plans to extend his third-longest tenure in Africa by seeking re-election in 2021. Bobi Wine gained fame as a musician noted for challenging the regime’s oppression in his songs. Resting on this popularity, he contested and won a seat in parliament as an independent candidate in 2017. The People Power Movement campaign was driven by a loose network of activists, which cut across opposition parties. With more than three quarters of the country’s population being under thirty years, the movement is largely youth-based and makes vibrant use of social media for mobilization and organizing.
In Uganda, in 2025, most of the rural lands, except in Buganda, are held, used, or managed collectively as communal land. Yet, the local communities protecting these lands for generations are riddled with corruption leading these lands vulnerable to land grabs by governments and corporations. For over a decade, Ugandan women have been at the forefront of a grassroots movement against land injustices. They use strategic nonviolence and movement-building to challenge systemic injustice and oppression. They have organized many powerful actions such as naked protests, Occupation of the UN. and organized a music caravan where women sang songs, performed poetry, and played drama to highlight the social and political injustices happening in their communities. On October 9th 2024, a group of courageous women from Kiryandongo district organized a bicycle caravan in protest. As they rode through the town center, they made a powerful statement. By embracing the bicycle as a tool for resistance, these women challenged the status quo and inspiring others to join their fight for justice. Their unwavering determination serves as a beacon of hope, illuminating a path toward a more equitable future.
The Living Wage movement began in 2001, after organizations across the U.K brought together communities in East London to discuss poverty and low pay. The campaign grew rapidly due to the strength and diversity with cleaners, teachers, hospital workers, faith leaders, and migrant communities coming together to overcome the injustice of low pay. The Living Wage movement, initiated by community organizers and trade unions, successfully lobbied for the implementation of a national living wage, ensuring fair compensation for low-wage workers across the UK. Through sustained advocacy efforts, including public awareness campaigns and direct action, activists secured commitments from employers and policymakers to pay workers a wage that reflects the true cost of living. This grassroots movement has lifted families out of poverty and set a precedent for fair labour practices nationwide.
On February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths, leaving millions displaced and fleeing. In response, Solidarity Collectives, a group of Ukrainian anarchists united in order to support comrades fighting at the front and help those affected by the Russian invasion. They supply anti-authoritarian activists who joined military units with everything they need, delivering body armor vests, helmets, night vision devices, thermal imagers, rangefinders, drones, tactical medical supplies, military uniforms, boots, clothing, and much more. So far, Solidarity Collectives organized their own humanitarian convoys and delivered supplies to many cities across Ukraine. This aid mostly consists of medicines, clothing, food, sleeping bags and mattresses, gas stoves with cylinders, and electrical equipment. They organize FPV drones building workshops and drone training for fighters, for enhancing their efficiency and safety on the front lines. Through their Animal Aid project, they provide food, medical care, and safe shelters for animals in need rescuing abandoned and injured animals, helping find them new homes, and working with communities to raise awareness of animal welfare needs. They believe every animal deserves a safe and caring environment.
Inspired by the growing momentum of the pro-democracy Arab Spring, Emirati activists began to be more vocal in their opposition to the UAE government in early 2011. Along with at least 130 other Emiratis, five activists signed an online petition in March, calling for constitutional changes and free elections. These were : Ahmed Mansoor, an engineer and blogger; Nasser bin Ghaith, an economist and university lecturer and advocate for political reform; and online activists Fahad Salim Dalk, Ahmed Abdul-Khaleq and Hassan Ali al-Khamis. While they were arrested, the UAE The Five refused to attend a session of their trial, demanding that the hearings be opened to the public and that they be allowed to question witnesses. On 13 November, with the trial still in progress, the five began a hunger strike to protest their continued detention. After an unjust imprisonment, and after efforts from human rights organization around the world and much international outcry, The “UAE Five” eventually received a pardon and were released. Since the release in 2011, Mansoor continued to speak out against human rights abuses in his country.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has garnered global attention for their unwavering legacy of resilience and resistance. Located in South Dakota, the tribe has fought against environmental destruction and the violation of their sovereign rights for decades. Their battle against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in 2016-17 became a symbol of indigenous solidarity and united the world behind the tribe’s cause. The tribe’s history of struggle is rooted in colonial displacement and oppression. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe was part of the Great Sioux Nation that once roamed the vast Plains. In 2016, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe led protests against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which threatened their water supply and sacred lands. They called the pipeline the “black snake. Demonstrations, legal challenges, and social media campaigns drew international support, including tens of thousands of people of activists joining the protests in North Dakota. The movement spotlighted indigenous rights and environmental justice, highlighted the importance of indigenous leadership in environmental activism, which affected the project's progress, fostering a broader environmental movement.
In 2011, Occupy Wall Street protested against economic inequality, corporate influence on democracy, and the lack of legal repercussions for the financial crisis of 2008. The movement utilized non-violent protest, occupying Zuccotti Park in NYC. It focused on direct action, assemblies, and spoke out against the "1%" elite in favor of the "99%" majority. The movement’s commitment to radical participatory democracy meant anyone could start an Occupy. Occupy significantly highlighted the gap between the wealthy elite and the average citizen, influencing various social and political movements globally. Occupy provided space for new relationships and cultivated a strong network of new organizers to built other movements. When Hurricane Sandy hit New York in 2012, veterans of Zuccotti coalesced into Occupy Sandy, coordinating relief efforts of thousands of volunteers. Occupy Homes led anti-foreclosure fights in a number of major cities. Occupy Baltimore fostered a multiracial coalition that blocked the construction of a new jail for youth charged as adults, and the Corvallis Solidarity Fair, an annual festival that brings together labor, environmental, and social justice groups in that Oregon town. The movement inspired similar protests in over 80 countries and 1,500 cities worldwide.
BLACK LIVES MATTER evolved from a social media hashtag into a global movement. Black Lives Matter was founded by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi in response to police violence against African Americans. It gained national attention after police murders of individuals like Trayvon Martin and George Floyd. The movement has sparked worldwide protests, demanding accountability and justice for victims of racial injustice. Through advocacy and activism, Black Lives Matter has influenced policy discussions and raised awareness about systemic racism, prompting changes in law enforcement practices. Black Lives Matter normalized the filming of Black pain, shifted public opinion, helped usher in a series of policy and organizational changes to policing that include implicit bias trainings, body-worn cameras, and bans on no-knock warrants. Black Lives Matter galvanized a new crop of elected officials and political actors. Its message has echoed across communities, inspiring a new generation to engage in social justice efforts and work toward a more equitable society. Beyond the U.S., the Black Lives Matter movement inspired protests worldwide, where countries like the UK, Brazil, and South Africa held solidarity marches to address local racial injustices and demand equality.
The Uruguayan Federation of Mutual Aid Housing Cooperatives (FUCVAM) is one of the most emblematic social movements in Latin America and an international reference in housing cooperativism. With almost 50 years of experience, FUCVAM federated 730 inhabited cooperatives, which together provide housing to 35 thousand Uruguayan families. Under the principles of mutual help, self-management, direct democracy and collective ownership, this movement claims the right to housing and a dignified life, challenging the rules of supply and demand. A successful initiative undertaken by FUCVAM has been the restoration of degraded heritage spaces and their empowerment as housing spaces, like the Ciudad Vieja (Covicivi) cooperative in the historic center of Montevideo. The recycling of old mansions and buildings for housing purposes prioritizes popular and native families of the territory. These projects have promoted the identity and social reactivation of old and marginalized neighborhoods of the city. FUCVAM has shaped housing policy across Latin America, and provided access to hundreds of thousands of people across the continent.
Uzbekistan is one of the world’s largest producers of cotton and its economy is heavily reliant on the cash crop. To process its abundant harvest, the government for years relied on a system of forced labour in which children and adults from across Uzbekistan were systemically drafted to handpick cotton. Civil society refused to let the government of Uzbekistan get away with its harsh practices. Advocacy groups worked tirelessly for years, using the full range of campaigning tactics to achieve change. Leading the way was the Cotton Campaign, an alliance of human rights groups, trade unions and businesses. Seventeen years of advocacy and activism led to the end of state-imposed forced and child labor in country’s cotton industry. In 2021 Uzbekistan ended its system of child labour and forced labor in its cotton industry. This is a major accomplishment for civil society, which has campaigned for 17 years to reverse a repressive and exploitative system that each year trapped millions of Uzbeks in work to process the country’s cotton harvest. The change demonstrates the power of long-term campaigning and advocacy tactics, including a boycott campaign, and further demonstrates the invaluable role of civil society in protecting and promoting human rights.
Vanuatu ranks as one of the most immediately exposed countries in the world to the effects of global warming, with inhabitants’ lives and homes facing existential threats from increasingly frequent and intensifying tropical cyclones, droughts and floods from rising sea levels. In 2020, young people dared to take on the impossible—taking “the world’s biggest problem of climate change to the world’s highest court”. The campaign began in 2019, in a classroom in Emalus, Vanuatu, this beginning of a idea led to mobilizing over 1,700 civil society organizations globally, and led by Vanuatu and other Pacific Island nations, to demand climate justice and present oral and written testimonies to the court. In a victory for climate change activists, in 2025, the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) found that countries have binding legal obligations under international law to prevent climate harm and protect human rights. This carries substantial political and legal weight for states and communities seeking accountability.
Las Comadres Púrpuras is a popular countercultural, anti-patriarchal group of insurgent and autonomous feminists, who are politically and artistically active in Venezuela, engaging with different realities and struggles around the world. They seek social transformation and the emancipation of the oppressed and survivors of gender-based violence, unmasking the status quo and generate thoughtful analysis for the construction of counter-hegemonic and anti-capitalist positions. Through artivism as a form of social protest, they highlight the problem of machismo in Venezuelan society and help strengthen a critical and autonomous society in the face of political and economic power. With more than three years of consolidation, Since 2016, their group has excelled in activities such as cyberfeminism, organizing symposiums, workshops, forums, research, and artivism. In turn, They’ve had an impact on younger generations who investigate out of curiosity and join in their efforts for social, psychological, cultural, and spiritual transformation.
Pangolins are the world’s most heavily trafficked mammal despite an international trade ban. Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, rescued 1,540 pangolins from the illegal wildlife trade between 2014 and 2020. The founder Thai Van Nguyen also established Vietnam’s first anti-poaching unit, which, since 2018, has destroyed 9,701 animal traps, dismantled 775 illegal camps, confiscated 78 guns, and arrested 558 people for poaching, leading to a significant decline in illegal activities in Pu Mat National Park.
20,000 protesters spilled onto the streets of the capital, Sana’a.Yemen’s, and on Februrary 2012, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced to step down after a three-decade-long presidency. The Revolution, stands out in Yemen’s history, locally and globally due, its to deep-rooted connection with the Yemeni people. It was born from the collective consciousness of the Yemeni population, driven by a desire for change and liberation from external dependency and foreign guardianship. For years, Yemen’s independence was suppressed, prevented its citizens from building a state that could serve the well-being of its people and provide protection from externally. After months of protests, Saleh resigned from the presidency on 27 February 2012 and formally transferred power to his successor, marking the end of his 33-year rule.
CODESA is a collective of Sahrawi human rights defenders. It has been working for years to promote the right to self-determination in the territory of Western Sahara under Moroccan control, in the cities of southern Morocco where there is a high concentration of Sahrawi people, and in Moroccan universities where Sahrawi students pursue their higher education. In 2020 CODESA created a constituent congress held in Laayoune, Western Sahara. CODESA aims to inform the international community about the human rights violations against the Sahrawi civilian population have been suffering, since the forced annexation of the non-autonomous territory of Western Sahara on 31 October 1975. I CODESA is committed to advocating for the rights of Sahrawi people through nonviolent means. Despite unfair imprisonment, violence and harassment ODESA carries on it’s campaigns for a political solution to one of the world’s longest frozen conflicts.
Circus Zambia is celebrated for its creative approach to social change through the arts. The majority of Circus Zambias founders are circus artists who were born and raised in Chibolya, a notorious ghetto in Lusaka. Their circus talent transformed their lives and Circus Zambia is a way to give back. By blending circus performance with education, advocacy, and community engagement, the organization has been celebrated for its impact on youth empowerment, human rights, and public health awareness. Circus Zambia’s commitment to using creativity as a tool for transformation, reinforcing its position as a leader in artistic activism in Zambia and beyond. Their “Soul program” revolves around issues youth face and how young people can use circus and arts to advocate for solutions. With Input from the youth, Circus Zambia has identified 5 areas of focus. These are Human and Women’s Rights, Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, Climate Change, Alcohol and Drugs prevention and Social Inclusion. Circus Zambia uses these important social issues to create beautiful, inspiring and entertaining performances.
FEMprist is a women’s rights organization working with female prisoners in Zimbabwe to counsel, rehabilitate and reintegrate former female offenders into society. The organization supports all women regardless of the crimes committed, whether considered political, social or economic. In addition to providing resources such as sanitary wear, starter packs, and toiletries to women in prison, Femprist provides information to female inmates on issues such as sexual and reproductive health rights, sexuality, legal rights and political rights. Femprist also provides support and referrals to women who require medical intervention and treatment as well as those seeking access to justice. One of ZEMPRIST’s major interventions is linking prisoners with their families during their jail terms so as to keep social ties alive. More than 300 women have been given business starter packs to help them restart their lives and gain acceptance in their communities. The Trust is also working to link inmates with freed women so that they can share experiences, skills and ideas on how to cope in prison and once outside.
For over two decades, theatre groups in Zimbabwe have been changing the understanding of human rights in their communities, one play at a time. In a country where technology isn’t widely adopted and communities are often remote and separated from each other, theatre and its ability to educate big audiences through entertainment has proven to be successful, and can be free, open and available to everyone. Theatre can be for the people, by the people. One inspiring example is the Zimbabwe national theater group Vhitori Entertainment Trust, which was established in 2003 in response to the country’s human rights, democracy, and good governance crises. The Vhotori theatre performs political, satirical and socially engaged plays, around issues like diamond mining, corruption and uprisings. The Director, Silvanos Mudzvova, also performs what he calls “hit-and-run stunts” in public places. Throughout these performances, the audience huddled around him to ensure that he wouldn’t get arrested. The impact of his performances was immediate, and prompted other advocates to speak out. “Theatre has power, we have power to provoke emotions and start the debate immediately” - Silvanos Mudzvova
Richie Israel, 2025