UNITAS, Forus member in Bolivia, has developed a campaign that exposes, denounces and demands respect for the work of Rights Defenders, Fundamental Freedoms and Democratic Institutionality in Bolivia. 

December 9 and 10 are dates of great significance for Human Rights and their defense. Twenty-four years ago, on December 9, 1998, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously approved the "Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms", an instrument that recognizes and protects those who defend collective and individual rights around the world. In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a landmark document that proclaims the inalienable rights to which every person is entitled as a human being, regardless of religion, sex, race, color, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. 

"The power of the Universal Declaration is the power of ideas to change the world. It inspires us to continue working to ensure that all people can achieve freedom, equality and dignity." 

During the month of December 2022, UNITAS is launching a campaign so that, from your experience, knowledge, activism and struggle, you can help us ReImagine The Defense of Rights. 

Background 

According to the Unitas Observatory of Rights Defenders, during the 2021 administration, 666 incidents that violated fundamental freedoms and democratic institutionality were registered, until November 2022, 682 violations were registered in 2022. It is evident that the environment in which organizations and human rights defenders is increasingly complex and risky in Bolivia. 

The Campaign aims to make visible the narrowing of civic space in Bolivia, from exposing data from the Observatory of Human Rights Defenders, narrating stories of defense, generating information and including voices of civil society and human rights defenders - testimonies and life stories - to draw the attention of citizens, motivate reflection in authorities and to alert international organizations about the growing challenges that human rights defenders face across the globe.  

The campaign is developed around five axes: 

• Freedom of association 
• Freedom of the press 
• Freedom of peaceful assembly and the right to protest 
• Freedom of expression 
• Democratic institutionality