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The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

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Home for Human Rights

Home for Human Rights (HHR) strives to preserve and protect economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights.  It seeks to protect the fundamental freedoms of the people in Sri Lanka and prevent the violation of their rights as embodied in the Sri Lanka constitution, international covenants, conventions, treaties, institutions, and organizations.  HHR documents human rights violations and provides legal and medical aid to victims of abuse resulting from the civil conflict. 

Since its inception, HHR has derived its mission and its vision from the global human rights movement. It believes UN instruments on human rights operate on two levels: the global and the local. HHR works on both levels, providing legal advocacy and representation in Sri Lankan courts and, when necessary, appealing to international bodies such as the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

Additionally, HHR works with victims suffering displacement and discrimination due to caste, gender, war and the Tsunami. Its programs for women, lower-caste workers, fishermen and widows seek to help groups regain their livelihoods and provide them with long-term self-reliance.



HHR was created in 1977 by three attorneys wishing to document the widespread human rights violations related to an increasingly violent conflict between the Sri Lankan government and various rebel groups. 

Founded amid arguably one of the world's worst conflicts, HHR was quick to gain support from the international human rights community, which provided the organization with technical assistance and training necessary to develop a sophisticated strategy for documenting the violation of fundamental human rights and seeking remedies for them.

Since its inception, the breadth of HHR's focus has gradually grown to include the documentation and dissemination of information; the provision of assistance for survivors; the encouragement of legal intervention as well as active defense for those lacking the resources to defend themselves; and the utilization of existing laws and the human rights regime to address a wide variety of human rights violations. (Source: HHR)

• HHR provides free legal services geared towards people too poor to afford private attorneys. 

• HHR’s Medical Aid and Rehabilitation Program for Victims of Torture helps achieve medical and psychosocial rehabilitation of torture victims. Every year since its inception in 1987, the program has assisted dozens of torture victims overcome their ordeals, integrate themselves into society, and begin rebuilding a normal and healthy life.

• HHR helps women in particular by investigating and documenting human rights violations of women,  providing them with legal representation, providing counseling services, helping displaced women return home, and hosting legal literacy classes.

• HHR has created the Human Rights Education Programme for service providers and community leaders across Sri Lanka. It consists of  five to six two-day training seminars every year, teaching people how to identify their rights and how to defend them.

• HHR has presented a number of cases to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in an effort to place international pressure on the Sri Lankan government to abide by international human rights standards. (See HHR's website for more information)

• HHR has helped people become self-sufficient by teaching young women (below the age of 25) how to sew. They purchased five sewing machines and hired a sewing teacher to teach them. (January 14, 2005 HHR Monthly Report)

• HHR has helped people whose occupation it was to wash clothes by buying for them the necessary equipment that they had lost due to the tsunami. (February 7, 2005 HHR Monthly Report)

• HHR has launched a new publication called the "Torture Monitor." The newsletter will come out every three months, and contain regular profiles of survivors, as well as news about torture from Sri Lanka and around the world. It will also promote HHR's program of rehabilitation, which has been recognized internationally and received support from the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture. (New Publication Profiles the Needs and Courage of Torture Survivors in Sri Lanka)

• Reports

HHR writes annual reports and quarterly reports named Beyond the Wall, both available on their website.

The organization also puts out Monthly News Briefs that discuss current human rights abuses and concerns.

HHR has also produced several Tsunami Reports.

In addition, they post Newpaper Reports on their website.

In the summer of 2007, HHR launched a new publication titled "Torture Monitor." Read the August 2007 edition.

• Press Releases

June 8, 2007
Hundreds of Tamil Civilians Forcibly Expelled

June 8, 2007
HHR Condemns the Murder of Two Red Cross Aid Workers

• Photographs

HHR posts their photographs on their website.

• Advocacy Project News Bulletins: AP has published bulletins about HHR through the news service, AdvocacyNet.

• Blogs

In 2008, AP sent Peace Fellow Adam Nord to work with HHR.  Read Adam's blog. 

In 2007, AP sent Peace Fellow Madeline England to work with HHR.  Read Madeline's blog.

In 2006, AP sent Peace Fellow Greg Holyfield to work with HHR. Read Greg's blog.

In 2005, AP sent Peace Fellow Sarosh Syed to work with HHR. Read Sarosh’s blog.

Iain Guest, executive director of The Advocacy Project, visited HHR’s projects from September 14 to September 27, 2005.  Read Iain's blog.

In 2004, AP sent Peace Fellow Michael Keller to work with HHR. Read Michael’s blog.

Read the coverage by the media of HHR.



Outreach Partners

• Bread for the World
• Danish Development Corporation
• Stichting Vluchteling

• Website

Home for Human Rights has its own website with sections outlining their work, news, and photographs, among other things.

Contact:
14 Pentreve Gardens,
Colombo 3.
Tel: 011-2577962, 011-5522495
Fax: 011-2573693
Email HHR

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