Our Digital Defenders Partnership supports activists and human rights defenders working on issues such as environmental rights, LGBTIQ+ advocacy, gender equality, and election monitoring. DDP protects activists and human rights defenders in times of increasing repression and the weaponization of digital tools.

Why rights defenders need protection online

Internet has become an indispensable tool for citizens to express their views and fight for their rights. But online privacy and freedom are becoming part of the civic space we see shrinking worldwide. Technological advances can further global collaboration and social innovation. Yet they also help states and groups to repress, survey, and censor human rights defenders in unprecedented ways. People are increasingly arrested for publishing, sharing, even “liking” content online. And authoritarian governments are using ever more sophisticated ways to curb freedom of speech. Those most at risk are often not well equipped to defend themselves digitally, with limited capacity to anticipate risks and know how to respond if a threat or attack occurs.

Our approach to free expression online

Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP) was initiated in 2012 by the Freedom Online Coalition and is managed by Hivos. It takes a rights-based approach, focusing on core principles such as human rights and internet freedom, inclusivity and diversity, trust and confidentially, do-no-harm and mentorship and partnership. DDP’s mission is to provide a holistic response to digital threats and create resilient and sustainable networks of support to human rights defenders. To this end, DDP provides emergency response and sustainable protection funding, strengthens rapid responders and local protection networks, increases trainers’ capacities through field building efforts, and contributes to long-term organizational safety through Digital Integrity Fellowships.

Where

Worldwide

Selection of results in 2023 

  • We directly supported 133 human rights defenders and their organizations with
    our Incident Emergency Funding.
  • Forty-two human rights organizations received Sustainable Protection Funding
    to build their digital security capacities over a more extended period.
  • The Bessy Ferrera Emergency Fund, a support system for LGBTIQ+ activists
    funded by Hivos’ individual givers, came into action 41 times in 2023.
  • DDP, as a member of CiviCERT and Rarenet, also developed a Digital First Aid Kit to help activists, human rights defenders and journalists handle common digital security attacks. The Digital First Aid Kit received over 25,000 unique page visits in 2023.

Period and donors

Since the end of 2012, the following donors have contributed to the Digital Defenders Partnership: The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom; along with the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and the US State Department.

Partners

Media Defence, Front Line Defenders and VirtualRoad.