All over the world, civil society organizations have mobilized to defend human rights and the rule of law. In 1995, Fondation de France created a dedicated program to support these organizations, to strengthen their capabilities and their networks. Some donor-advised funds put human rights at the center of their mission. Others integrate human rights responses into their specific cause (the right to housing, fighting discrimination, access to health care, and so on).
Developing and preserving civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, fighting against all forms of discrimination against gender or minorities, encouraging freedom of expression, association and education– issues related to human rights mobilize thousands of citizens and organizations around the world.
Fondation de France’s Democracy and Human Rights program supports these mobilizations both directly and through partnerships with other key actors in international humanitarian efforts, like the Civitates consortium.
Focusing on empowerment, the program follows three main approaches:
- contribute to democratic and participative dynamics in both the southern and northern hemispheres. Fondation de France supports projects that defend and promote human rights (including access to education for children and fighting against sexual violence, the death penalty, all forms of discrimination, mistreatment in prisons and so on). Equally involved in France, Europe, Africa, North Africa and the Middle East, Fondation de France is committed to the idea that in order to defend human rights, we must preserve democracy and thus strengthen the resilience of civil society. To that end, it works towards reinforcing capacity in civil society organizations;
- defend freedom of expression, freedom of the press and fighting against disinformation. Fondation de France supports projects that foster quality news and information, media literacy, and fight against “fake news” and the degradation of public discourse. It not only supports organizations that promote independent journalism, but also researchers, citizen groups, etc., who study new media formats to help develop new laws. Through its participation with Civitates, Fondation de France offers a helping hand to over 20 European foundations, all experts in the fight against disinformation;
- strengthen humanitarian efforts on an international level and help expand their networks. Encouraging democracy in the world goes beyond fighting for the respect of basic rights. It also means reinforcing social cohesion by including individuals and groups who are most at risk and developing both participation and solidarity. This conviction implies a special support for organizations that head networks, like consortiums and federations, in the realm of international solidarity (agronomy, family farming, local development, citizenship, etc.).
Human rights also mobilizes numerous donor-advised funds, like the Fondation BNP Paribas (on questions of information and media literacy), Fondation Raja (regarding women’s rights), Fondation Inkerman (protecting LGBT people against discrimination), and the Fondation Yo et Anne-Marie Hamoud, which supports the rights of migrants.
Finally, there is Mediterranean, from One Shore to the Other, a program dedicated to supporting civil society organizations around the Mediterranean. Employment, training, access to culture, civic engagement– in 12 years, Fondation de France has supported over 400 initiatives designed to respond to the needs of the most at-risk populations, in particular women and young people. The program also helps structure civil society on the Mediterranean’s southern rim and encourages the development of networks and partnerships between nonprofits on both sides of the sea.
