Programs
Freedom House's programs support human rights and democracy advocates in their efforts to promote open government, defend human rights, strengthen civil society and facilitate the free flow of information and ideas.
Jump to: Emergency Assistance | Regional Programs |Human Rights Support Mechanism I Afghanistan Human Rights Coordination Mechanism
Channeling our research into action, Freedom House supports a vast, trusted network of activists and advocates who are leading the struggle for democratic change in their countries. When these courageous individuals are attacked for their activism, journalism, or opposition to tyranny, we act to keep them safe so they may continue their important work.
Emergency Assistance to Frontline Activists
A child is loaded into a truck taking people fleeing from Joda on the Sudanese border, in response to the war, which began in April 2023, and has resulted in the world's largest displacement crisis. (Photo Credit Sally Hayden/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire)
Freedom House is a leading provider of emergency financial assistance to at-risk human rights defenders globally. Since 2007, through its Emergency Assistance Program (EAP), Freedom House has supported over 13,000 human rights defenders, totaling more than US$56M in direct support.
The Emergency Assistance Program (EAP) Provides short-term support to human rights defenders (HRDs), civil society organizations (CSOs), non-traditional advocates, and survivors of severe religious persecution on the basis of belief or non-belief. The program has worked to support individuals and organizations in some of the world’s most repressive and conflict-ridden environments. On a yearly basis, the program supports more than 1,500 HRDs, CSOs, and survivors of severe religious persecution with emergency assistance, urgent advocacy grants, and preventive security projects.
EAP supports requests for:
- Security such as improving physical security of home or office or secure transportation
- Temporary relocation, including for families/dependents affected by the threat
- Medical expenses, including psycho-social support
- Legal representation and trial monitoring
- Prison visits
- Humanitarian assistance and dependent support
- Equipment replacement if confiscated or damaged
Rapid Response Grants: EAP also provides small, rapid response grants to at-risk CSOs to respond to changes in their threat landscape and to take advantage of time-bound opportunities for advocacy.
Advocacy and Opportunity: EAP provides rapid response advocacy and opportunity grants to give CSOs the resources to protect and expand their rights to organize, associate, or assemble or to advance the rights and safety of LGBTQI+ communities.
Resiliency: EAP provides security grants to support human rights CSOs in proactively preventing and mitigating the threats they face, including supporting holistic digital or physical security training, to help them continue to work in high-risk environments.
Under EAP, Freedom House leads two consortia of international and regional NGOs to support human rights defenders and organizations at risk: Lifeline: Embattled CSOs Assistance Fund and Dignity for All: LGBTQI+ Assistance Program. To find out more about these programs, please visit the Lifeline and Dignity websites.
- Lifeline
Lifeline is a consortium of seven international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), led Freedom House. For more information visit csolifeline.org
- Dignity for All—LGBTQI+ Assistance Program
The Dignity for All: LGBTQI+ Assistance Program is a consortium of six international and regional LGBTQI+ and human rights organizations, led by Freedom House. For more information, visit the Dignity website
Regional Programs
Freedom House is on the front lines in promoting freedom and democracy in some of the most repressive societies around the world. Stand with us so that everyone may enjoy the basic freedoms we take for granted: the freedom to vote, to seek justice, or to practice one's faith.
- Africa Programs
Freedom House partners with civil society and human rights defenders throughout Africa to advance respect for human rights, strengthen democratic governance, and fortify just rule of law. We do this through a combination of on-the-ground programs in more than a dozen countries directly supporting civil society and human rights defenders, local and regional advocacy initiatives, research, and policy engagement.
- Asia Programs
Freedom House’s work in and on Asia reflects the recognition that the diversity and dynamism of the region’s political systems present both challenges and opportunities. Through research and advocacy, we address China’s repressive domestic policies as well as its growing global influence. We provide short term assistance to human rights defenders and civil society actors in countries throughout region when they are threatened by state and non-state actors due to their human rights work. And in several countries we help human rights and other civil society groups to increase their capacity to do effective research, advocacy and coalition building.
- Europe & Eurasia Programs
Freedom House works in Europe and Eurasia to support human rights defenders and civil society organizations in their quest for resilience and sustainability during this period of global democratic decline and expanding authoritarian reach. Through targeted support, technical assistance, and empirical research, Freedom House and its local partners identify ways to galvanize citizens to actively defend and advance their freedoms, make informed choices about their livelihoods, support civic initiatives, and regularly contribute to the well-being and development of their communities and countries.
- Latin America and the Caribbean
Freedom House supports civil society in Latin America and the Caribbean to expand and defend civic space and mobilize citizens to demand the freedom to fully exercise their human rights. Freedom House works with victims of human rights abuses, local human rights defenders, civil society, and media organizations to document and expose human rights violations and press for action to protect and expand everyone’s fundamental freedoms
Human Rights Support Mechanism
The Human Rights Support Mechanism (HRSM), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is seven-year project aimed at implementing the agency’s Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Strategy. It’s implemented by the PROGRESS Consortium, which provides technical assistance and support to partners and beneficiaries in developing countries around the world.
From 2016 to 2023, the 14 implementing partners of HRSM awarded more than $450 million to groups in dozens of countries with the goal of:
- Promoting and protecting human rights
- Mitigating effects of human rights abuses
- Providing remedies to victims
- Identifying approaches to protect human rights
- Responding rapidly to urgent and unforeseen crises
Click here to learn more about HRSM.
Afghanistan Human Rights Coordination Mechanism
Members of Afghanistan’s Powerful Women Movement take part in a protest in Kabul on May 10, 2022. (Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images)
In 2022, Freedom House played a leading role as one of the founders of the Afghanistan Human Rights Coordination Mechanism (AHRCM).
The mechanism seeks to assess the needs of Afghan human rights defenders and channel support to them, coordinate and share information among those responding to the crisis, and bring together Afghan and international voices to advocate for full respect for the human rights of all in Afghanistan.
AHRCM seeks to bring together Afghan and international voices to advocate jointly for full respect for the human rights of all in Afghanistan, share crucial safety information with human rights defenders (HRDs), assess their needs, and advocate for their safety.
Learn more about the AHRCM here.
Country-Specific Programs
Armenia
Freedom House works in Armenia to create spaces for dialogue among civil society, the government, policymakers, journalists, and the public to combat disinformation and defend democracy and fundamental freedoms.
Ukraine
Freedom House works with an array of partners to mobilize their efforts to resist censorship, advocate in support of human rights and good governance, conduct public oversight over the law-enforcement and security sector, and protect activists and journalists from persecution and violence.
Moldova
Freedom House strengthens democratic development in Moldova, with a focus on promoting the rule of law, improving media freedom, and supporting civil society’s engagement in national reform efforts.
Turkey
Freedom House seeks to empower civil society to contribute to the improvement of fundamental freedoms in Turkey and to advocate with national and international decision makers to uphold the country’s human rights commitments.