We started the Global Defenders Collective in the wake of cuts to US foreign assistance, which eliminated virtually every program at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Department of State focused on supporting human rights defenders and civil society organizations at-risk. The U.S. has long supported a significant percentage of the world’s resources for human rights defenders and protection of civic space. Without these programs, many local organizations have faced greatly diminished financial resources, diplomatic and advocacy support, and opportunities for global solidarity and experience sharing at at time when threats targeting human rights defenders, their organizations, and their families are rapidly increasing.

Led by human rights professionals with decades of experience supporting human rights defenders and organizations around the world, the Global Defenders Collective is designed to begin the difficult process of regrowing resources for locally-led HRD protection initiatives.

The Global Defenders Collective was launched with initial support from Democracy International as a moral obligation to partners under its USAID-funded Justice, Rights, and Security – Rapid Response Assistance Activity, a global program designed to quickly respond to urgent needs and windows of opportunity to protect and advance rule of law and justice, human rights, and security sector reform. In just two years, DI and its international partners responded to over 25 crises and supported locally-led initiatives that aided over 2,000+ human rights defenders in crisis.