Photo by Ece AK
This online conversation featured Creating Safe Spaces: Tactics for Communities at Risk from March 11 to 15, 2013. The conversation provided an opportunity for New Tactics community members to share their experiences, challenges and ideas around creating safe spaces for groups at risk. They shared how to build communities that put human rights into practice. Sometimes, to make the change we seek, we need to model it so that the community can experience it for themselves. Creating a safe space supports everyone’s rights to be recognized and respected. This gives communities at risk the opportunity live without fear of persecution or abuse. Creating this space allows vulnerable groups to understand and experience the realization of their human rights. It gives them and the broader community a vision to work towards.
Community Models Providing Safe Space
- In Egypt, Harassmap works with business owners to create safe spaces for women. They work with local store owners whose businesses are negatively affected by community violence. These business owners agree to stand up for women who are experiencing harassment in their community. This create a safer community for women. But it also models a community in which human rights are respected and protected. Harassmap creates “safe zones against harassment.”
- In Thailand, the Empower Foundation provides a physical space where sex workers are treated with respect. The Empower Foundation’s “Can Do Bar” offers free condoms, lubricant, safe sex education. They provide radio broadcasts in an entertaining setting to promote an informed, empowered, and healthy community. The Empower Foundation successfully lobbied for the inclusion of sex workers in Thailand’s social security scheme. Now, sex workers have access to maternity and medical benefits.
- In India, Bachpan Bachao Andolan developed the concept and application of child friendly villages. These villages provide a way to not only promote education for all but also combat the cycle of child labor. The aim of child friendly villages is to create and sustain a child friendly atmosphere within the community. The village works to ensure education and put an end to child labor.
- Peace Brigades International (PBI) accompanies human rights activists in high-risk situations. PBI helps establish networks of people with the power to prevent and limit threats. These actions help create safer environments for such activists.
- Visayan Forum of the Philippines promotes protection of children and women at-risk of human trafficking. They partner with local port authorities. They work to establish safe havens for trafficking victims to heal and build resiliency. For more information, watch the PBS video on Youtube.
- Two examples highlighted endangered human rights defenders. With the help of ICORN, persecuted writers seek safer living environments. ICORN has a network of cities where they can continue their work. In the UK, York University’s Protective Fellowship Scheme program hosts endangered human rights activists. They ease the process of obtaining a UK visa.
- An example of finding safe space within oneself was shared. Kolkata Salved uses Dance Motion Therapy to instill inner peace and strength as safe spaces within individuals.
What are “safe spaces”?
Participants concluded that “safe spaces” serve to protect vulnerable populations. Safe spaces send a message to other at-risk individuals or communities and their oppressors. Such spaces provide a space for freedom of expression. They model an ideal community. And multiply supporters and solidarity for a safer environment free of human rights violations. The phrase “safe space” can refer to a wide range of meanings:
- a shelter
- accompaniment by a safeguard
- political refuge in another city or country
- peacebuilding programs
- a website or online space for communication, or
- even an ideological or personal space for strength and empowerment.
Who needs safe spaces?
Several participants expressed that the characteristics of spaces and mechanisms for maintaining them depend on the specific situations. This includes those at risk and the threatening forces from which they seek protection. For example, the needs and goals of women and children at-risk of labor or sex trafficking significantly differ from those of human rights activists or journalists threatened by their governments.
Depending on the demography of vulnerable populations, organizations will identify allies. They may need to plan for “extraction to shelter” strategies. Some residential safe havens that protect trafficking victims or at-risk youth may prioritize meeting basic needs. They may need to secure medical or legal assistance. They may need to establish a system of support for healthy reintegration into society. One participant stressed the need for child advocates to maintain awareness and thorough understanding of child endangerment. Such advocates need an understanding of children’s rights and effective modes of protecting youth.
In contrast, people who are threatened or persecuted for their human rights work by authorities. Human rights defenders may instead seek a safe place to continue their activist or artistic work. In this case, one participant shared the experience of ICORN. Their work relies on local motivation and support from city and national governments. Presence on the internet augments these efforts and are key for preserving the safety of persecuted writers.
How are safe spaces created and used?
Participants shared the value of technology in establishing and increasing the security of spaces. Interactive mapping and emergency hotlines stood out as two of the many tools organizations use to promote safer environments for those at risk. Organizations can learn from past mistakes by being mindful of failures to secure safe spaces. This helps to continue to promote the highest possible level of safety and security for at-risk people.
Mechanisms for creating and maintaining safe spaces depend on:
- the nature of the source of the threat
- the population or individual at-risk.
Combatting Threats and Violence
Threats or violence can be “vertical” or “horizontal”. Vertical threats mean violence played out between community members. Horizontal threats refer to individuals such as human rights activists, artists, or writers who are targets of politically or economically powerful actors.
Vertical Threats
Although the term “vertical” threat does not account for the power differentials such as gender-based violence. Local residents and actors are able to play large roles in establishing safe spaces in their communities. This is because of the relevance of the problem to their everyday lives. Participants emphasized the importance of building networks of allies. Some of the following allies and partners for securing local environments were important in their efforts:
- politically important people or embassies that have clout over local authorities
- social workers and field organizers
- port authorities, shipping companies, and harbor management to prevent, track, and intercept human trafficking
- those who are witness to violence,
- those economically affected by the violence.
Several participants highlighted the success of involving local business owners whose sales may decline as a result of violence. Or their customers decline due to negative perceptions of the neighborhood. Local businesses can deter threats on community members and promote inclusive, safe spaces by:
- reporting and mapping accounts of harassment
- distributing whistles
- posting signs or symbols such as the gay pride rainbow flag in their storefronts.
- Other participants also mentioned the success of outreach days. Publishing community responses to violence. These actions help locals raise awareness of and condemn issues that threaten the safety of their neighborhoods. Community watch groups that involve and empower local residents via trainings. These groups provide alternative learning. Providing parenting support also helps investment in community safety and local governance.
- Policy change can transform risky environments for all people. One participant stressed how important policies are that improve worker’s rights. Policies that combat exploitation of workers create safer environments for working-class populations. Another participant shared the importance of seeking help from the international level. This helped pass a pro-domestic worker’s rights law. This was necessary to protect exploited communities when local and state governments wanted to ignore the law.
- Horizontal Threats
- Partnerships, accompaniment, and refugee programs serve as valuable modes of protection for those endangered by “horizontal” violence. One participant shared about the role of building relationships with powerful institutions. Universities are such institutions providing help to activists and leaders at-risk. They have been able to secure visas and refuge in other communities or countries. Such activists or leaders may experience increased security by traveling with a safeguard. PBI provides the support of physical accompaniment. These might include individuals threatened by politically or economically powerful people. Such accompaniment helps them continue their high-risk work in peace and travel freely. One participant explained that accompaniment organizations rely on honest communication with authorities to prevent conflict. They hold back from openly criticizing states or national campaigns to avoid barriers to travel or accompaniment in the future.
- Although “safe space” work may have good intentions, it is important to consider these intentions. People deemed “in need” of protection may not in fact be interested or even resistant of protection policies imposed on them. Participants stressed that staff and participants of safe spaces must be culturally sensitive. They must be held to codes of conduct appropriate for the community. These take into account the specific circumstances and should foster self-empowerment and independence.
What can others learn from your experience?
One participant shared that he learned that many different types of protection exist. These pertain to different individuals or groups with specific circumstances. Another participant recognized the value in new social media technologies, volunteers, and allies. Participants emphasized remaining curious about future initiatives and mechanisms such as:
- those that can prevent vulnerable people from resorting to shelters
- rehabilitation and reintegration for those who forced to flee their communities
- how to locate and identify “vulnerable” individuals and populations.
Several participants responded by describing the solution of “child friendly” villages. Communities that promote education, combat the cycles of child labor and trafficking. Communities that empower both children and their communities. Efforts that have aided many organizers striving to promote safe spaces for at-risk individuals and communities include:
- Know-your-rights trainings
- government attention and assistance
- building allies and partnerships.
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