PREFACE
I welcome this initiative that has brought together universities, NGOs, donors and human rights defenders, to co-produce guidelines for universities already involved in the protection of human rights defenders, and for those seeking to become more active. This document explains why this work matters, and provides a guide and set of tools that will be a valuable resource for university staff, and others, wishing to offer support and protection to those who defend human rights around the world, often at great personal risk.
Universities and other educational institutions traditionally uphold the value of academic freedom, but they can also be sites of activism and protection. They have an important contribution to make in the shared endeavour of protecting human rights defenders and enabling them to continue their human rights work. By hosting human rights defenders at risk, and their family members, universities have the potential to shape democracy, civil society and human rights through their actions.
My thanks go to the UNESCO Chair at the Centre for Applied Human Rights, University of York (UK), and their collaborators who have done a great service in bringing together their experience, knowledge and practice in a comprehensive and accessible document. These Guidelines will elicit broad interest and enable more human rights defenders to find safety through participating in relocation initiatives at universities. I commend this work to a wide readership, and, in particular, to universities, and urge them to make a commitment to providing a safe space for human rights defenders.
