Tactics
Using podcasts for outreach on societal taboos
Taboos are often created by outdated traditions and social norms, and misguided interpretations of religion. These taboos affect different segments of the community, such as women, minorities and people with disabilities. Taboos label, control choices and make people vulnerable to abuse and violation.
Creating a virtual exhibition to remember victims
In the best of times, human rights advocacy requires constant tactical innovation. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019 generated huge additional challenges. In early 2020, the African Network against Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced Disappearances (ANEKED) in The Gambia was working on creating an in-person traveling memorialization exhibition of their “The Duty to Remember” project. They planned the launch as part of Human Rights Week 2020 organized by the University of Geneva in Switzerland.
Using YouTube to Ensure the Right to Access Information
“Dima With Each Other”, or "Always Together" in English, is an audio magazine on YouTube. It provides two important accessibility roles: it is an educational and entertainment tool that shares critical rights and health information including how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic for people with visual impairments.
Using smartphones to advance safety and protection in public places
"SafeNess" is a mobile application, running on Android and iOS system, that allows the user to act quickly in case of dangers encoun
Storytelling for Truth and Reconciliation
Since the onset of conflict in 2011, over 400,000 Syrian lives have been lost, and more than half of the population remains displaced; nearly 6 million refugees are living outside of the country and an additional 6 million are displaced within Syria’s borders, according to a 2020 World Bank report. Those who have lost their loved ones and their homes are often left voiceless, leaving an astonishing number of stories left untold.
Celebrating pothole birthdays as a way to draw attention to infrastructure maintenance needs
Recently, a number of videos have circulated online showing citizens celebrating the birthday of potholes on major roads in different countries. The videos are in protest against the condition of roads and streets, the delay in maintenance, as well as to deliver a message to those responsible to act. New tactics has gathered a few examples of those who used birthday celebrations as a way to protest against ineffective local governance.
Using Visual Symbols to Fight Stigma and Advocate for Change
Visual imagery can be a powerful medium for mobilization and awareness around a specific issue. These depictions are especially potent if they utilize a consistent symbol, one that can capture the issue in a vivid and recognizable way. The Resource Centre for Gender Equality (ABAAD), established in 2011, has risen to considerable prominence for its annual “16 Days of Activism” campaigns, each with a different theme to address gender equity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Using mobile phone technology to end domestic violence
Global estimates published by World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that about 1 in 3 women worldwide (35%) have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. Some national studies have reported rates of 70% or more. Although incidence of domestic violence varies from place to place, underreporting is a common concern across the globe. Difficulty in tracking instances of violence and accessing safe means to report are problems faced by far too many victims of domestic violence. To encourage reporting and ensure prosecution of abusers, app developers have taken on the charge to connect victims with the resources they need through easy-to-use channels. Mobile phone technology has served as a new frontier in tackling the worldwide epidemic of domestic violence. Three pioneering apps worth keeping on your radar are VictimsVoice (USA), GjejZâ (“Find your Voice,” Albania), and EasyRescue (Turkey).
Creating New Rituals to Replace Harmful Practices
Harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation (FGM), are complex problems that are often tied to deep-rooted cultural and religious beliefs. As a result, combatting FGM requires a complex and multi-leveled process. In Guinea-Bissau, Plan International partnered with local NGOs and the European Commission to facilitate discussions and educational sessions about the dangers of FGM with various members of the community involved or impacted by FGM. These members include the women and girls at risk or victims of FGM, the local “cutter”, religious leaders, the village chief or mayor as well as medical professionals. This process of raising awareness has resulted in using public declarations to abandon the practice.