The Importance of Defendign Diaspora Activism for Democracy and Human Rights
Date of Publication
2020 12:00 AM
Security Theme
Human Rights
Keywords
Human Rights, human rights, authoritarianism, activism, diaspora, democracy, right to protest, right to life
Description
Activists in authoritarian states face steep costs in working for democracy and human rights, and for many, their only hope to survive is to escape abroad. When survivors of state violence secure refuge in democracies, they gain the opportunity to continue their activism and express their voices in new ways. Diaspora activists, in turn, play a number of important roles in the global fight for transparency, freedom, and human dignity. As this report details, these roles include spreading awareness about regime abuses, assisting dissidents working on the ground, launching protests, pursuing justice, demanding that their host-country governments pressure sending states on issues of rights and reform, and empowering diaspora communities themselves.
The Importance of Defendign Diaspora Activism for Democracy and Human Rights
Activists in authoritarian states face steep costs in working for democracy and human rights, and for many, their only hope to survive is to escape abroad. When survivors of state violence secure refuge in democracies, they gain the opportunity to continue their activism and express their voices in new ways. Diaspora activists, in turn, play a number of important roles in the global fight for transparency, freedom, and human dignity. As this report details, these roles include spreading awareness about regime abuses, assisting dissidents working on the ground, launching protests, pursuing justice, demanding that their host-country governments pressure sending states on issues of rights and reform, and empowering diaspora communities themselves.
