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#DefendNegros: Filipino activists stand up for peace

In the Philippines, the message to human rights defenders is clear: anyone who speaks out could be a target. Within just 10 days this past July, 21 people were killed - community leaders, farmers, church workers, and lawyers - in the province of Negros Oriental. The use of violence is a careful strategy meant to instill a culture of silence and fear. For months, the silence was deafening until a community of local people started to come together. JASS with local groups organized an ecumenical prayer and concert for peace that drew 150 individuals and 19 organizations: young women, mothers, academics, artists, and religious groups. Creating a much-needed space, the gathering built solidarity and common ground ā€“ a necessary strategy to confront the violence together. A JASS Southeast Asia tells us more.

Filipino Women Push for Human Rights Defenders Law

Our JASS Southeast Asia team in the Philippines report that after more than a decade of persistent grassroots organizing and advocacy, legislation that would guarantee protection for human rights defenders (HRD) may finally come to fruition this year.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Authoritarianism. Militarism. Fundamentalism. Extractivism. While contexts differ, the convergence of these four trends have become fertile ground for escalating violence against women and women activists around the world.
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