| Andean Region and Southern Cone | Human Rights and Citizenship
We support the enforcement of fundamental rights and help build democracies based on the rule of law and the principles of nondiscrimination. This work reflects a comprehensive view of human rights—including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights—and focuses on two objectives: overcoming mechanisms that systematically discriminate against historically underserved groups and strengthening government institutions to protect all rights. |
| Brazil | Human Rights
We focus our support on two main areas. We help develop human rights infrastructure by making grants to organizations that draw attention to extreme cases of human rights abuses in the country, and we help combat race and gender discrimination by supporting organizations that work on behalf of women and Afro-Brazilians as well as institutions that promote debate on affirmative action at Brazilian universities. We also support research on discrimination and foster debate on new public policies. |
| China | Law and Rights
We assist Chinese efforts to implement the rule of law through a strong and effective legal system that delivers justice and equity. Currently this work focuses on criminal justice reform, legal aid and clinical legal education, but we also encourage grant applications on a variety of related themes. |
| Eastern Africa | Human Rights and Social Justice
Our work in this area is fortified by three generations of human rights advocacy in the region that sought to secure basic economic and social rights as well as women’s rights. We make grants to consolidate the advances made by the social justice movement in East Africa. Overall we support those seeking to build an atmosphere of peace, stability and nonviolence. We have established two areas of grant making that seek to strengthen human rights and social justice organizations: The first focuses on securing the gains achieved by the women’s human rights movement over the past 20 years; the second area of work enhances the security and safety of citizens. |
| India, Nepal and Sri Lanka | Sexuality, Reproductive Health and Human Rights
Our work strengthens advocacy for women’s reproductive rights, with a particular focus on women from the “margins” and efforts to make reproductive and sexual rights central to the human rights discourse. To combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic—a major challenge in the region—we support education and awareness, as well as protection of the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. We also support increasing scholarship and expanding discourse on sexuality and sexual rights and seek to create an understanding of gender-based violence within different contexts of vulnerabilities. |
| Mexico and Central America | Human Rights
We seek to strengthen democratic values, promote diversity and reduce discrimination by fostering civil society growth and strengthening institutions and relationships that will effectively promote and protect the human rights of all people, particularly of traditionally underprivileged and marginalized groups such as migrants, indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, women and individuals affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. |
| Middle East and North Africa | Human Rights
The last two decades have brought a proliferation of national and regional organizations dedicated to promoting human rights in the Arab world. Our work focuses on increasing the effectiveness of human rights advocacy by strengthening organizations that protect human rights; by fostering collaboration and networking across the region; by expanding access to legal aid and services; and by supporting efforts to protect the rights of women and of marginalized groups such as refugees and the displaced. |
| Russia | Human Rights and Justice
We seek to increase the ability of human rights groups to achieve significant improvements in the observance of human rights and address the most critical challenges in human rights protection in Russia. Our work in this field focuses on two primary approaches: strengthening the nongovernmental human rights infrastructure; and removing the key impediments to implementation of human rights, such as lack of access, arbitrary law enforcement and the limited impact of international human rights decisions. |
| Southern Africa | Human Rights
Our overall goal is to support efforts that protect the rights of members of certain groups that experience greater vulnerability and, in particular, to promote access to economic and social justice for the poor, women, people living with HIV/AIDS, children and other marginalized persons. We support public-interest litigation, advocacy, policy analysis and development, research and documentation, law reform, and training to advance the rights of the disadvantaged. |
| United States | Human Rights
To more fully realize the complete range of human rights, we support advocacy, research and educational efforts around the world. Our work places particular emphasis on the most vulnerable, including women; migrants and refugees; and racial, ethnic and sexual minorities. Our global network of offices enables us to engage with and support a broad range of organizations. Working at local, national and international levels, we support activities that help achieve the human rights protections articulated in international law and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including economic, cultural and social rights as well as civil and political rights. |
| West Africa | Human Rights
Our efforts focus on social justice issues, securing the rights of the poor and ensuring that all West Africans enjoy fundamental human rights, in particular, their economic and social rights in safety and security. We also support strengthening and empowering social justice institutions so they can fulfill their mandate in a professional manner. Priority is given to projects that deepen public and policymakers’ understanding of these rights in the context of regional insecurity and poverty. We do this by helping to build the capacity of civil society and the media to advocate for transparent and accountable use of public resources and by addressing issues of impunity and corruption through judicial reforms and accessibility. |