Established in 1991, Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) has been on an exciting and eventful journey in the pursuit of democratic governance and respect for fundamental human rights in Uganda and beyond. Over time, FHRI has notched up several milestones which have defined its 30-year legacy.
During the 30 years of human rights education and advocacy work, FHRI has grown from a small organisation with minimal capacity to one with great potential through a set of nine multi-faceted human rights programmes.
FHRI’s programmes have reached out to a diverse constituency: universities, local government, community-based groups, Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS) institutions, media, civil society, private and public sector, parliament of Uganda, constitutional bodies, and upcoming human rights defenders among others.
FHRI also works with local, regional and international bodies such as the East African Community, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, World Coalition against the Death Penalty, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), UN bodies.
Building a citizens movement for social change is a lifelong struggle that no one can dare alone. The obligation to stand up, speak and defend humanity calls for collective action, passion and commitment. It is replete with success and reversals. FHRI should go beyond demystifying and deconstructing the rights discourse to building a critical mass of human rights defenders who understand the interplay between rights and duties. This success notwithstanding, a number of challenges still remain.
