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Human Rights Foundation

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Human Rights Foundation
Founded2005
FounderThor Halvorssen
Location
Area served
Americas
WebsiteTheHRF.org

The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a non-profit organization which "unites people—regardless of their political, cultural, and ideological orientations—in the common cause of defending human rights and promoting liberal democracy in the Americas." They state that their mission "is to ensure that freedom is both preserved and promoted." in the Americas.[1] The Human Rights Foundation was founded in 2005 by Thor Halvorssen. Its head office is in New York City, New York, USA.

Organization

Its definition of human rights focuses on the essential ideals of freedom of self-determination and freedom from tyranny and the rights of property.

HRF's website states that it adheres to the definition of human rights as put forth in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976), believing that all individuals are entitled to the right to speak freely, the right to worship in the manner of their choice, the right to freely associate with those of like mind, the right to acquire and dispose of property, the right to leave and enter their country, the right to equal treatment and due process under law, the right to be able to participate in the government of their country, freedom from arbitrary detainment or exile, freedom from slavery and torture, and freedom from interference and coercion in matters of conscience.

HRF states that it operates transparently. It states that it makes public all of its research and that it is open to accepting new information and criticisms that might undermine its positions.[2]

HRF's Board of Directors are Thor Halvorssen (President and CEO), Ron Jacobs, Robert L. Pfaltzgraff, Jr. and Robert A. Sirico.[3]

It is guided and endorsed by an International Council that includes former political prisoners Vaclav Havel, Vladimir Bukovsky, Palden Gyatso, Ramón José Velásquez, Elie Wiesel, and Harry Wu, as well as law professor Kenneth Anderson, chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, former Estonian prime minister Mart Laar, political commentator Álvaro Vargas Llosa, and public policy professor James Q. Wilson.[4]

HRF's largest funders in 2007 were the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation($35,000)[5], Sarah Scaife Foundation ($100,00)[6], John Templeton Foundation($171,600)[7] and Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation ($20,000)[8].

HRF as well as Human Rights Watch have been called a CIA front by French reporter Jean Guy Allard writing for Granma, the official organ of the Cuban Communist Party .[9] After a public letter released on the HRF website critical of the Bolivian government for alleged human rights violations and specifically naming government minister Sacha Sergio Llorenti Solis as having manipulated facts and ignored due process, the minister referred to HRF as "right wing".[10] .[11]

Work

Bolivia

HRF participated as international observers[12][13] during the controversial Santa Cruz autonomy referendum, 2008 [14][15][16][17][18][19][20] HRF also produced several reports on political lynching in Bolivia and the assault on freedom of speech.[21]

Chile

After the death of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in December 2006 the American magazine National Review invited HRF to make a statement about the legacy of Pinochet. HRF's President Thor Halvorssen wrote one of the articles and caused furor in the conservative magazine when he disagreed with all of the other writers—who praised Pinochet—and instead attacked him as a "torturer" and "murderer." [22]

Dominican Republic

HRF provided part of the funding for the documentary film "The Sugar Babies: The Plight of the Children of Agricultural Workers in the Sugar Industry". It was first screened at Florida International University on June 27, 2007. The documentary about human trafficking of Haitians in the Dominican Republic drew protest from the Fanjul family, one of the largest beneficiaries of the human trafficking depicted in the film, with a sugar empire that dwarfs the US Sugar Corporation. [23] [24]

Ecuador

In March 2008 HRF wrote to Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa asking for the release of the imprisoned, governor of the province of Orellana, Guadalupe Llori implying that the charges against her were politically motivated.[25] Later in March Amnesty International declared that governor Guadalupe Llori may be a prisoner of conscience and a political prisoner[26] and in June HRF declared they considered her both.[27] According to HRF Llori was imprisoned on trumped up terrorism charges by the government.[28] She was sent to El Inca prison where she remained for about ten months. HRF filed a communication with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, pleading that it activate its urgent action procedure and send an appeal to the government of Ecuador for the immediate release of political prisoner Guadalupe Llori.[29] HRF visited her in prison.[30] She was eventually freed after an intense international campaign and credited HRF with her release.[31] She was re-elected governor of Orellana in April 2009.[32]

Honduras

Following the 2009 Honduran coup d'état that deposed President Manuel Zelaya, HRF requested to all member states of the Organization of American States the application of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the suspension of the government that ousted President Zelaya.[33] HRF chairman Armando Valladares resigned on July 2nd 2009 in response to the position of the organization.[34] The new chairman of the organization is former Czech president Vaclav Havel.

In November of 2009, HRF published a report called "The facts and the law behind the democratic crisis in Honduras 2009",[35] in which it concluded that the Organization of American States had acted correctly in activating the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and incorrectly in its diplomatic actions to revert the military coup. The report also concludes that the OAS behaved as an agent of Zelaya prior to the coup d'etat and that Zelaya had been eroding Honduran democracy.[36]

Oslo Freedom Forum

HRF organized the Oslo Freedom Forum in May 2009, where freedom, democracy and human rights activists,[37] such as Park Sang-hak,[38] exposed their views about human rights in the world today. Other participants included holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, Buddhist monk Palden Gyatso, Amnesty International Norway Director John Peder Egnaes, British Royal Sarah Ferguson Duchess of York, and Harry Wu.

Venezuela

The Human Rights Foundation published four reports in November 2006, all case studies of human rights violations in Venezuela.[39] In January 2008, HRF researcher, Monica Fernandez, was shot and wounded in Caracas.[40] Fernandez had been described as "an enemy of the state" in Venezuelan State media.[41] HRF also maintains a "Caracas Nine" blog highlighting cases of human rights violations.[42] As part of its Caracas Nine campaign, HRF declared Francisco Usón as prisoner of conscience in December 2006.[43] In November 2009, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered Venezuela to annul the case against Francisco Usón, for violations to freedom of expression, and to due process. The court also ordered the Venezuelan State to pay +$100,000 in damages to Usón.[44]

In 2007 HRF protested the refusal to renew RCTV television station's broadcasting licence by the government. HRF created a website that features information, and a video on censorship, in connection with this.[45] The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed concern about the failure to renew the licence.[46] The campaign against the refusal to renew the license--widely viewed by the human rights community as a "shutdown" included Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the World Press Freedom Committee and numerous other journalism and human rights organizations.

HRF's local chapter in Bolivia

HRF Bolivia was established in 2007[47] and has issued several reports on human rights abuses in Bolivia.[48][49][50] None of HRF-Bolivia's directors appear on the board or council of the main HRF organization in the U.S. On its own website, HRF-Bolivia states that it is an independent group and that it "co-operates" with HRF.

An alleged irregular group led by Eduardo Rózsa-Flores was broken up by Police, and then-president of HRF Bolivia Hugo Acha was alleged to be linked to it.[51] Acha has denied any involvement. Government witnesses withdrew their testimonies and sought asylum or are illegally imprisoned.[52][53][54][55][56][57] The Irish, Croatian and Hungarian governments have called for an international inquiry into the events,[58] while the "head of a government probe into the killings" said "the Bolivian government was not obliged to investigate. These people didn't come here as tourists, they came here to cause terror."[59]

In June three of the seven founding HRF (Bolivia) board members resigned.[60] Subsequently a new board was formed naming as president Lidia Gueiler Tejada, a former Bolivian president who was overthrown in a right-wing military coup d'etat. [61]

References

  1. ^ "Mission". Human Rights Foundation. 2009-06-22. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  2. ^ HRF's Transparency. Human Rights Foundation. Retrieved 10 December 2006.
  3. ^ "Human Rights Foundation - Board of Directors". Thehrf.org. Retrieved 2009-12-05.
  4. ^ "Human Rights Foundation - International Council". Thehrf.org. 2009-06-22. Retrieved 2009-12-05.
  5. ^ http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments//2007/396/037/2007-396037928-046d67fb-F.pdf
  6. ^ http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/251/113/2007-251113452-043c4ee2-F.pdf
  7. ^ http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/621/322/2007-621322826-0473c33e-F.pdf
  8. ^ http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/136/165/2007-136165382-0454dfba-F.pdf
  9. ^ "granma.cu". granma.cu. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  10. ^ "Hemeroteca - Ediciones anteriores del periódico Los Tiempos". Lostiempos.com. 2008-02-02. Retrieved 2009-12-05.
  11. ^ {{cite web|url=http://www.lahrf.com/LlorentiCartaEnero08.pdf
  12. ^ "Observadores destacan el trabajo de la Corte". Eldeber.com.bo. 2008-05-05. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  13. ^ Luis Fajardo. "BBC Mundo | América Latina | Indicios de victoria del Sí en Santa Cruz". BBC News. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  14. ^ "Nation & World | Bolivia tense as province votes on autonomy | Seattle Times Newspaper". Seattletimes.nwsource.com. 2008-05-04. Retrieved 2009-12-01. province votes whether to declare itself autonomous from President Evo Morales' national government, a referendum the president has called illegal
  15. ^ "Bolivia: Between Popular Reform and Illegal Resistance / Council on Hemispheric Affairs". Coha.org. 2008-06-24. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  16. ^ "AIN on Twitter". Ain-bolivia.org. 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  17. ^ "Tribunal Constitucional de Bolivia - Content". Tribunalconstitucional.gob.bo. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  18. ^ "Tribunal Constitucional de Bolivia". Tribunalconstitucional.gob.bo. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  19. ^ "Bolivia Referéndums convocados… ¿legales o ilegales? | Asamblea Constituyente de Bolivia". Laconstituyente.org. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  20. ^ "Santa Cruz con una cifra histórica de votantes". Eldeber.com.bo. 2008-04-05. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  21. ^ Bolpres, Carta de HRF al Viceministro Sacha Llorenti, http://www.bolpress.com/art.php?Cod=2008020103, February 1 2009.
  22. ^ "Pinochet is history but how will it remember him?". National Review. December 11, 2006. Retrieved 2009-05-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Text "" ignored (help)
  23. ^ Sugar Babies Screening. Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 11 July 2007.
  24. ^ "Sweet Truth: A filmmaker's exposé peeves the sugar powers". Miami News. May 28, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ "Carta al Presidente Rafael Correa sobre la detencion de Guadalupe Llori" (PDF). Human Rights Foundation. March 18th, 2008. Retrieved 2009-11-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ "Guadalupe Llori (f), governor (prefecta) of the province of Orellana". Amnesty International. March 25th, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ "Human Rights Foundation responds to President Correa's accusations and declares Guadalupe Llori a political prisoner of Ecuador's government". Human Rights Foundation. June 18th, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ "Ecuador Denies Opposition Politician Her Freedom; Government Dealings with FARC Reveal Double Standard". Human Rights Foundation. March 17th, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ "HRF pide a la ONU que solicite la liberación inmediata de Guadalupe Llori". EFE. September 9th, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ "Delegados de DD.HH. visitaron a G. Llori". El Comercio. September 18th, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ ""Soy la primera víctima de la Revolución Ciudadana": Guadalupe Llori". El Tiempo (Ecuador). 2008-09-24. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  32. ^ "Votación de la Provincia de ORELLANA para Candidatos a PREFECTO PROVINCIAL". Consejo Nacional Electoral. April 26, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ "Human Rights demanda suspensión del Gobierno que derrocó a Zelaya". Opinion Bolivia. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  34. ^ Armando Valladares. "Mídia Sem Máscara - Armando Valladares renuncia à Human Rights Foundation". Midiasemmascara.org. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  35. ^ "Los hechos y el derecho detrás de la crisis democrática de Honduras, 2009" (PDF). HRF. 2009-11-26. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  36. ^ ""OEA actuó de forma incorrecta en crisis"". Diario La Prensa. 2009-11-27. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  37. ^ "Anti-NK Group to Attend Oslo Freedom Forum". KBS World. 2009/05/16. Retrieved 2009-05-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Text "" ignored (help)
  38. ^ "Storm looms over N Korea balloons". BBC. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Text "" ignored (help)
  39. ^ Reports. Human Rights Foundation. Retrieved 10 December 2006.
  40. ^ "Mónica Fernández herida en suceso producido en la urbanización El Márques". El Universal. 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2009-05-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  41. ^ "» Destacan que el día antes del suceso, la vilipendiaron en La Hojilla en". Noticias24.com. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  42. ^ "Blog". Caracas Nine. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  43. ^ Francisco Usón Political Prisoner and Prisoner of Conscience of the Venezuelan government since May 22, 2004 Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  44. ^ "Caso Usón Ramírez Vs. Venezuela". Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Nov 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  45. ^ "FREERCTV.COM - Short Film on Censorship". Human Rights Foundation. 2007-05-17. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  46. ^ "Iachr concerned about freedom of expression in venezuela". Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. May 25, 2007. Retrieved 2009-05-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  47. ^ http://www.laprensa.com.bo/noticias/20-03-07/20_03_07_regi11.php
  48. ^ "Después de Goni, van más de 50 muertos". El Deber. 2008-10-12. Retrieved 2009-11-27.
  49. ^ "Human Rights denuncia a Morales por persecución". La Razon. 2008-10-12. Retrieved 2009-11-27.
  50. ^ "La retoma de Viru Viru". Los Tiempos. 2007-10-23. Retrieved 2009-11-27.
  51. ^ "Fiscal citará al hermano del prefecto Costas por caso Rózsa | LA PRENSA | LA PAZ - BOLIVIA". La Prensa. 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
  52. ^ Deas Link,http://www.eldeber.com.bo/2009/2009-07-23/vernotanacional.php?id=090723005954 july 23 2009.
  53. ^ El Nuevo Dia, "Key Witness" Declares that His Statement Was Forged and That He Never Accused Anyone, http://www.eldia.com.bo/index.php?cat=150&pla=3&id_articulo=9485, july 7 2009.
  54. ^ El Nuevo Dia, Government "Key Witness" Reveals that he was Tortured by the Bolivian Government, http://www.eldia.com.bo/index.php?cat=150&pla=3&id_articulo=9483, july 8 2009.
  55. ^ Deas Link,http://www.eldia.com.bo/index.php?cat=150&pla=3&id_articulo=20071.
  56. ^ "La Razón - Mendoza y Gueder ganan una acción de libertad". La-razon.com. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  57. ^ "Gueder y Mendoza llevan 32 días en celda judicial". Lostiempos.com. 2009-11-14. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  58. ^ "The life and death of Michael Dwyer". Irish Times. 2009-14-25. Retrieved 2009-11-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  59. ^ "Top Bolivian official deals blow to hopes for Dwyer probe". Independent. 2009-10-17. Retrieved 2009-11-27. "These people didn't come here as tourists, they came here to cause terror," said Cesar Navarro, head of a government probe into the killings.
  60. ^ "La Paz - Bolivia". La Prensa. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
  61. ^ La Razon, Gueiler preside HRF en Bolivia, http://www.la-razon.com/versiones/20090606_006750/nota_256_824553.htm, june 6 2009
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