Human Rights Foundation

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Human Rights Foundation
Founded 2005
Founder(s) Thor Halvorssen Mendoza
Headquarters
Area served worldwide
Mission "To ensure that freedom is both preserved and promoted."
Website TheHRF.org

The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a non-profit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies.[1] The Human Rights Foundation was founded in 2005 by Thor Halvorssen Mendoza, a Venezuelan film producer and freedom activist. The Foundation's head office is in New York City, New York, USA.

Organization

The Human Rights Foundation mission is to "unite people in the common cause of defending human rights and promoting liberal democracy. Our mission is to ensure that freedom is both preserved and promoted".[1]

HRF's website states that it adheres to the definition of human rights as put forth in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976), believing that all individuals are entitled to the right to speak freely, the right to worship in the manner of their choice, the right to freely associate with those of like mind, the right to acquire and dispose of property, the right to leave and enter their country, the right to equal treatment and due process under law, the right to be able to participate in the government of their country, freedom from arbitrary detainment or exile, freedom from slavery and torture, and freedom from interference and coercion in matters of conscience.

HRF states that it operates transparently. It states that it makes public all of its research and that it is open to accepting new information and criticisms that might undermine its positions.

It is guided and endorsed by an International Council that includes former political prisoners Vladimir Bukovsky, Mutabar Tadjibaeva, Jacqueline Moudeina, Abdel Nasser Ould Ethmane, Park Sang Hak, Palden Gyatso, Elie Wiesel, and Harry Wu, as well as former Estonian prime minister Mart Laar, former president of Venezuela Ramón José Velásquez, and political commentator Álvaro Vargas Llosa.[2] Jurist and law professor Kenneth Anderson is also on HRF's International Council. Anderson was a founding director of the Human Rights Watch Arms Division and later general counsel to the Open Society Institute/Soros Foundations.[3] HRF's International Council was chaired by Václav Havel until his passing in December 2011. The Council is currently chaired by chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov[4]

Funding

HRF states that donations are accepted "with a categorical understanding that the foundation is free to research and investigate regardless of where such investigations may lead or what conclusions HRF may reach." If an individual or foundation has contributed to HRF’s work, this does not mean that HRF necessarily endorses said individual or foundation’s views or opinions.[5] HRF does not publish all the names of their donors, saying that some of donors fear retaliation, others are concerned about being approached for donations, and others may disagree with HRF.

In 2009 HRF received a $35,000 grant from the Bradley Foundation,[6] as it had in 2007.[7] In 2007, HRF received a grant from the John Templeton Foundation for $171,600[8] toward a program called "The Nobility of the Human Spirit and the Power of Freedom", a grant from the Sarah Scaife Foundation for $100,000[9] toward general operations and $20,000 from the Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation.[10] In 2009 HRF organised a human rights event in Oslo, Norway, under the name Oslo Freedom Forum, supported by a grant for $34,000 from the government of Norway.

Work

Bolivia

In 2007, HRF issued several communications on the case of Mr. Amauris Samartino, a Cuban refugee who had lived in Bolivia since 2000 and was expelled after having been detained for seventeen days for criticizing the Bolivian and Cuban governments.[11][12] HRF declared Mr. Samartino a prisoner of conscience. Shortly after, Mr. Samartino was granted political asylum in Norway.[13]

HRF participated, along with a group of international observers from Argentina, Paraguay, and two other non-governmental organizations from the United States, as an international observer during the Santa Cruz autonomy referendum.[14][15] In the same year, HRF also produced a report about communal justice and lynching in Bolivia. According to this report, the lack of legislation regulating communal justice in Bolivia had resulted in a distorted interpretation of the concept, with fatal consequences for society, which had experienced an escalation of violence through lynching.[16] In October 2008, HRF published a report addressing the causes of politically motivated violence that resulted in the deaths of at least 21 people and injured hundreds more in Bolivia. The report found that the official discourse by the Bolivian government violated freedom of expression, as it provoked attacks against the media, and incited violence and racial hatred.[17]

Cuba

In September 2012, HRF founder Thor Halvorssen wrote an open letter to Ted Marlow, CEO of Urban Outfitters, urging him to reconsider Urban Outfitters’ sale of Che Guevara emblazoned merchandise "for the sake of the thousands who perished in the Cuban revolution, and for the sake of the 11 million Cubans who still endure a totalitarian system..."[18] It was reported that in October 2012 Urban Outfitters removed the merchandise in response to the outrage.[19]

Dominican Republic

HRF produced and provided the funding for the documentary film "The Sugar Babies: The Plight of the Children of Agricultural Workers in the Sugar Industry". It was first screened at Florida International University on June 27, 2007. The documentary about human trafficking of Haitians in the Dominican Republic drew protest from the Fanjul brothers, one of the largest beneficiaries of the human trafficking depicted in the film, owners of the Fanjul Corp. sugar empire that dwarfs the US Sugar Corporation. [20][21]

Ecuador

In March 2008 HRF wrote to Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa asking for the release of the imprisoned, governor of the province of Orellana, Guadalupe Llori implying that the charges against her were politically motivated.[22] Later in March Amnesty International declared that governor Guadalupe Llori may be a prisoner of conscience and a political prisoner[23] and in June HRF declared they considered her both.[24] According to HRF Llori was imprisoned on trumped up terrorism charges by the government.[25] She was sent to El Inca prison where she remained for about ten months. HRF filed a communication with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, pleading that it activate its urgent action procedure and send an appeal to the government of Ecuador for the immediate release of political prisoner Guadalupe Llori.[26] HRF visited her in prison.[27] She was eventually freed after an intense international campaign and credited HRF with her release.[28] She was re-elected governor of Orellana in April 2009.[29]

On February 6, 2011, Ecuadorian Journalist Emilio Palacio published an article called "No to Lies", which was critical of the Ecuadorian government and President Correa. As a result, he, and three executives of the newspaper that published the article were sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of 40 million dollars, payable to Correa himself. On October 31, 2011, HRF sent a letter to the National Court of Justice of Ecuador, asking them to overturn the decision, described as "abhorrent" by HRF president Thor Halvorssen.[30] Palacio currently resides in the United States, after being granted asylum.[31]

Equatorial Guinea

In 2012, HRF announced that they would be expanding their focus from the Americas to include Equatorial Guinea as well as Kazakhstan and Singapore, saying they "now aim to highlight abuses in three more countries whose governments enjoy shockingly good publicity, hiding their crimes with sophisticated public relations campaigns, and help from cadres of apologists."[32] In August 2012, HRF called for former US President Bill Clinton, who according to tax documents is the “honorary chairman” of the Leon H Sullivan Foundation, to revoke the foundation's decision to allow Teodoro Obiang to host their Sullivan Summit. Of Clinton, Halvorssen said "Mr Clinton’s wife is US Secretary of State...It seems perplexing that he would allow himself to be so closely associated with a vile dictator."[33]

Haiti

Following the 2010 earthquake that took place in Haiti, HRF began a fundraising campaign among Hollywood and sports celebrities for a food program devoted to the children of the St Clare's community of Port-au-Prince. The program was started in 2000 by American author Margaret Trost and by Gérard Jean-Juste, a former Amnesty International prisoner of conscience who served as the priest of the St. Clare's community. The HRF campaign included actors Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton, Gary Sinise, Angie Harmon, and NFL cornerback Jason Sehorn. The campaign aimed at providing 160,000 meals for children.[34]

Honduras

Following the 2009 Honduran coup d'état that deposed President Manuel Zelaya, HRF requested all member states of the Organization of American States to adhere to the Inter-American Democratic Charter. HRF also advocated for the suspension of the government that ousted President Zelaya.[35] HRF chairman Armando Valladares resigned on July 2, 2009, in response to the HRF position on the Honduran coup.[36] The new chairman of the organization was poet and former Czech president Václav Havel.

In November 2009, HRF published a report called "The facts and the law behind the democratic crisis in Honduras 2009",[37] in which it concluded that the Organization of American States had acted correctly in activating the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and incorrectly in its diplomatic actions to revert the military coup. The report also concludes that the OAS behaved as an agent of Zelaya prior to the coup d'état and that Zelaya had been eroding Honduran democracy.[38]

Kazakhstan

In October 2012, HRF circulated a letter to the United States congress detailing the crimes of Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president of Kazakhstan, namely those of the Zhanaozen Massacre on December 16, 2011. In response to this letter, HRF was threatened with a lawsuit from Kazakhstan's lobbyist.[39][40][41] In November 2012, HRF and UN Watch invited activists from Venezuela, Pakistan and Kazakhstan to speak about human rights violations in their countries.[42]

Uganda

In 2009, a bill that would increase discrimination against homosexuals resurfaced in Uganda and was brought before the Ugandan Parliament. The Human Rights Foundation and founder Thor Halvorssen have condemned the bill, with Halvorssen saying, "[t]here is speculation over whether the current Bill being discussed has dropped the death penalty as a punishment for aggravated homosexuality offenses. Even if that is the case, the remaining provisions of the Bill and other current laws in Uganda which promote discrimination against homosexuals are still shameful and unacceptable. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against any form of unreasonable government interference in their private lives.”[43]

Venezuela

The Human Rights Foundation published four reports in November 2006, all case studies of human rights violations in Venezuela.[44] In January 2008, HRF researcher, Monica Fernandez, was shot and wounded in Caracas,[45] in what the police described as an armed robbery.[46] In October 2007 HRF created a "Caracas Nine" blog to highlight "the plight of nine Venezuelans who spoke their minds and paid a price";[47] by January 2010, it had chosen six Venezuelans to be part of its "Caracas Nine" campaign.[48] As part of its Caracas Nine campaign, HRF declared Francisco Usón as prisoner of conscience in December 2006.[49] In November 2009, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered Venezuela to annul the case against Francisco Usón, for violations to freedom of expression, and to due process. The court also ordered the Venezuelan State to pay +$100,000 in damages to Usón.[50]

In 2007 HRF protested the refusal to renew RCTV television station's broadcasting licence by the government. HRF created a website that features information, and a video on censorship, in connection with this.[51] The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed concern about the failure to renew the licence.[52] The campaign against the refusal to renew the license—widely viewed by the human rights community as a "shutdown" included Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the World Press Freedom Committee and numerous other journalism and human rights organizations.

Forums

Oslo Freedom Forum

With support from the city of Oslo and the John Templeton Foundation,[53] in May 2009 HRF organized the Oslo Freedom Forum. During the conference democracy and human rights activists[54] told tehir stories and expressed their views about human rights in the world today. Participants included author Jung Chang, holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel, Buddhist monk Palden Gyatso, North Korea escapee Park Sang Hak,[55] author Greg Mortenson, former Prime Minister of Norway Kjel Magne Bondevik, former President of Romania Emil Constantinescu, former Czech president Václav Havel, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Rugees L. Craig Johnstone, Chechen leader in exile Akhmed Zakaev, Kurdish right activist Leyla Zana, Amnesty International Norway Director John Peder Egnaes, former British royal Sarah, Duchess of York and Chinese activist Harry Wu.

Its 2010 event is supported by the Norwegian government Foreign Ministry, Amnesty Internacional Norway, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, and was endorsed by the Nobel Peace Center and Freedom House among several others.[56] Participants included former Polish president and Nobel laureate Lech Walesa, Pakistani women´s rights activist Mukhtar Mai, Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez, Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto, former deputy prime minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim, Ugandan LGBT rights activist Kasha Nabagesera, Uyghur leader Rebiya Kadeer, chess grandmaster and democracy activist Garry Kasparov, former prime minister of Estonia Mart Laar, and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.

San Francisco Freedom Forum

In October 2012 the Human Rights Foundation hosted the first San Francisco Freedom Forum, which was described as "a unique convergence of-pro freedom voices." The event was supported by Peter Thiel's charitable foundation, Sergey Brin's foundation, and Anne Wojcicki. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, on her first trip to the United States since 1971, was presented with a Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent. Suu Kyi discussed the motives behind human rights violations and said that they cannot be addressed unless "we know what can be done to prevent" people from dehumanizing one another.[57] The Forum brought attention to a number of human rights issues, and other attendees included Manal al-Sharif, a Saudi woman who challenged her country’s ban on women driving by coordinating a "Women2Drive" protest via YouTube, and the spokesman of jailed Russian punk band Pussy Riot.[58][59][60]

Public perception

Los Angeles Times writer Patrick Goldstein refers to the organization as "respected",[61] while HRF – along with Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, and other rights groups – has been called a CIA front by Jean Guy Allard writing for Granma, the official organ of the Cuban Communist Party .[62][63]

Writing as president of HRF in the American conservative magazine National Review, Thor Halvorssen participated in NR's symposium on the death of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, and was noted as the only one of the six commentators to condemn Pinochet unequivocally, writing: "Augusto Pinochet took full control of Chile — by force. He shut down parliament, suffocated political life, banned trade unions, and made Chile his sultanate. His government disappeared 3,000 opponents, arrested 30,000 (torturing thousands of them), and controlled the country until 1990."[64][65]

After the HRF criticized the Bolivian government and specifically government minister Sacha Sergio Llorenti Soliz for alleged human rights violations in a public letter, the minister referred to HRF as "right wing".[66][67] In the same month, eighteen Latin America scholars signed an opinion piece in the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten criticizing the Oslo Freedom Forum for focusing criticism only on Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador, three countries with leftist governments. The scholars praised the group for putting "the spotlight on key global issues", but also stated that Cuban human rights activist Armando Valladares had defended the 2009 Honduran coup d'état while speaking at the forum.[68]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "HRF's Mission". Human Rights Foundation. Retrieved 2013-11-12. 
  2. ↑ "Human Rights Foundation - International Council". Thehrf.org. 2009-06-22. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
  3. ↑ "Kenneth Anderson | Hoover Institution". Hoover.org. 2010-01-02. Retrieved 2011-03-28. 
  4. ↑ "Human Rights Foundation - Board and International Council". Thehrf.org. Retrieved 2013-11-12. 
  5. ↑ http://humanrightsfoundation.org/about/financials/
  6. ↑ http://www.bradleyfdn.org/pdfs/Grants2009/09-Bradley-Grantees.pdf
  7. ↑ http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments//2007/396/037/2007-396037928-046d67fb-F.pdf
  8. ↑ http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/621/322/2007-621322826-0473c33e-F.pdf
  9. ↑ http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/251/113/2007-251113452-043c4ee2-F.pdf
  10. ↑ http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/136/165/2007-136165382-0454dfba-F.pdf
  11. ↑ "Bolivian Resident Expelled for Criticizing Fidel Castro and Evo Morales". 01/09/2012. Retrieved 2013-11-13. 
  12. ↑ "HRF Victory: Expelling Dissident from Bolivia Ruled Unconstitutional". 2007-02-02. Retrieved 2013-11-13. 
  13. ↑ "Norway Grants Asylum to Cuban Dissident Expelled From Bolivia". 2009-10-27. Retrieved 2012-09-23. 
  14. ↑ "La HRF observa referendos en Bolivia y hace un llamado a la calma". 05/02/2008. Retrieved 2012-09-23. 
  15. ↑ "Bolivia: HRF Announces Preliminary Findings as Election Observers". 2012-05-05. Retrieved 2013-11-13. 
  16. ↑ "Lynching, Communal Justice, and Bolivia’s New Constitution". 03/05/2008. Retrieved 2013-11-13. 
  17. ↑ "Report on the Human Rights Situation in Bolivia". Human Rights Foundation. October 8, 2008. Retrieved 2013-11-13. 
  18. ↑ "An Open Letter to Urban Outfitters Regarding Their Che Guevara Merchandise". Huffington Post. 2012-09-19. Retrieved 2012-09-23. 
  19. ↑ Carrasquillo, Adrian. "Urban Outfitters removes Che Guevara merchandise after outrage". NBC Latino. Retrieved November 1, 2012. 
  20. ↑ Sugar Babies Screening. Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 11 July 2007.
  21. ↑ "Sweet Truth: A filmmaker's exposé peeves the sugar powers.". Miami News. May 28, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-05. 
  22. ↑ "Carta al Presidente Rafael Correa sobre la detencion de Guadalupe Llori". Human Rights Foundation. March 18, 2008. Retrieved 2009-11-27. 
  23. ↑ "Guadalupe Llori (f), governor (prefecta) of the province of Orellana". Amnesty International. March 25, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-05. 
  24. ↑ "HRF Declares Guadalupe Llori a Political Prisoner of Ecuador’s Government". Human Rights Foundation. June 18, 2008. Retrieved 2013-11-13. 
  25. ↑ "Ecuador: Free Gualdalupe Llori". Human Rights Foundation. March 17, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-06. 
  26. ↑ "HRF pide a la ONU que solicite la liberación inmediata de Guadalupe Llori". EFE. September 9, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-05. 
  27. ↑ "Delegados de DD.HH. visitaron a G. Llori". El Comercio. September 18, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-05. 
  28. ↑ ""Soy la primera víctima de la Revolución Ciudadana": Guadalupe Llori". El Tiempo (Ecuador). 2008-09-24. Retrieved 2009-05-06. 
  29. ↑ "Votación de la Provincia de Orellana para Candidatos a Prefecto Provincial". Consejo Nacional Electoral. April 26, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-06. 
  30. ↑ Pizano, Pedro. "Ecuador: HRF to High Court: Overturn $40 Million Verdict Against Emilio Palacio and El Universo". Human Rights Foundation. Retrieved March 4, 2013. 
  31. ↑ "Ecuador journalist Emilio Palacio granted asylum in the US". BBC News. Retrieved March 4, 2013. 
  32. ↑ "HRF Expands Focus to Include Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, and Singapore". Human Rights Foundation. 
  33. ↑ Adams, Guy (6 August 2012). "Speakers pull out of Obiang charity bash". The Independent. 
  34. ↑ "Celebrities Join HRF’s Haiti Relief Program". Human Rights Foundation. 2010-01-27. Retrieved 2013-11-13. 
  35. ↑ "Human Rights demanda suspensión del Gobierno que derrocó a Zelaya". Opinion Bolivia. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2009-07-01. 
  36. ↑ Armando Valladares. "Mídia Sem Máscara - Armando Valladares renuncia à Human Rights Foundation". Midiasemmascara.org. Retrieved 2009-11-12. 
  37. ↑ Javier El-Hage (2010-03-08). "Los hechos y el derecho detrás de la crisis democrática de Honduras, 2009". HRF. Retrieved 2012-07-08. 
  38. ↑ "OEA actuó de forma incorrecta en crisis". Diario La Prensa. 2009-11-27. Retrieved 2009-12-04. 
  39. ↑ Lillis, Joanna. "Eurasia.net". Retrieved December 6, 2012. 
  40. ↑ Michel, Casey. "Court Decisions". Registan. Retrieved December 6, 2012. 
  41. ↑ Halvorssen, Thor. "So Sue Me: DC Henchman of Kazakh Dictator Threatens HRF with Lawsuit". Forbes. Retrieved November 13, 2013. 
  42. ↑ Lopez, Elias. "Voting for U.N. Rights Council Puts Focus on Records of Panel’s Member States". New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2013. 
  43. ↑ Pizano, Pedro. "Uganda: HRF Condemns Anti-Homosexuality Bill Returning to Parliament". Human Rights Foundation. Retrieved November 13, 2013. 
  44. ↑ Reports. Human Rights Foundation. Retrieved 10 December 2006.
  45. ↑ "Mónica Fernández herida en suceso producido en la urbanización El Márques". El Universal. 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2009-05-05. 
  46. ↑ "» Destacan que el día antes del suceso, la vilipendiaron en La Hojilla en". Noticias24.com. Retrieved 2009-11-12. 
  47. ↑ "Blog". Caracas Nine. Retrieved 2009-11-12. 
  48. ↑ "Blog". Caracas Nine. Retrieved 2011-03-28. 
  49. ↑ Francisco Usón Political Prisoner and Prisoner of Conscience of the Venezuelan government since May 22, 2004 Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  50. ↑ "Caso Usón Ramírez Vs. Venezuela". Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Nov 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-17. 
  51. ↑ "Freerctv.com - Short Film on Censorship". Human Rights Foundation. 2007-05-17. Retrieved 2009-05-05. 
  52. ↑ "Iachr concerned about freedom of expression in venezuela". Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. May 25, 2007. Retrieved 2009-05-06. 
  53. ↑ (Norwegian) http://www.nytid.no/perspektiver/artikler/20100311/samler-heltene/
  54. ↑ "Anti-NK Group to Attend Oslo Freedom Forum". KBS World. 2009/05/16. Retrieved 2009-05-22. 
  55. ↑ "Storm looms over N Korea balloons". BBC. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-22. 
  56. ↑ "Welcome". Oslo Freedom Forum. Retrieved 2011-03-28. 
  57. ↑ "When Aung Saan Su Kyi Met the Craigslist Guy". The Atlantic. 4 October 2012. 
  58. ↑ Isaacson, Andy (30 September 2012). "Aung San Suu Kyi Meets Her Peers". The Daily Beast. 
  59. ↑ O'Brien, Matt (27 September 2012). "Bay Area awaits Aung San Suu Kyi weekend visit". San Jose Mercury News. 
  60. ↑ Sennott, Charles (28 September 2012). "Aung San Suu Kyi, and other stories from the San Francisco Freedom Forum". Global Post. 
  61. ↑ "'Milk' star Sean Penn: Pal of anti-gay dictators? | The Big Picture |". Los Angeles Times. 2008-12-11. Retrieved 2011-03-28. 
  62. ↑ "granma.cu". granma.cu. Retrieved 2009-11-12. 
  63. ↑ "granma.cu". granma.cu. Retrieved 2009-12-04. 
  64. ↑ NRO Symposium (2006-12-11). "Pinochet Is History - NRO Symposium - National Review Online". Article.nationalreview.com. Retrieved 2011-03-28. 
  65. ↑ Wednesday, December 13, 2006 (2006-12-13). "Another Symposium of Denial". Outsidethebeltway.com. Retrieved 2011-03-28. 
  66. ↑ "Hemeroteca - Ediciones anteriores del periódico Los Tiempos". Lostiempos.com. 2008-02-02. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
  67. ↑ http://www.lahrf.com/LlorentiCartaEnero08.pdf
  68. ↑ Frihetsforum med politisk slagside - Aftenposten. Aftenposten.no (1970-01-01). Retrieved on 2013-10-23.

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