Partner Organizations

Активизм - это когда люди стараются менять к лучшему свой район, город, страну и весь мир, руководствуясь прежде всего велением своего сердца, а не указаниями власти или желанием заработать. Сохранение окружающей среды, отстаивание конституционных прав и свобод, защита тех, кто не может постоять за себя сам, сохранение национального, исторического и культурного наследия, борьба с коррупцией и несправедливостью - вот лишь некоторые из тем, которые волнуют наших авторов и читателей. Наша задача - рассказать о гражданском активизме так, чтобы о нем узнало как можно больше людей во всех странах, помочь неравнодушным людям находить помощь и поддержку аудитории, медиа-сообщества, некоммерческих организаций. Мы помогаем не только активистам. Лицам принимающим решения в бизнесе и власти мы даем возможность получить обратную связь и видеть реакцию людей на те или иные их начинания, узнавать о проблемах, которые волнуют их сограждан и требуют решения.  

Activatica is a Russian-language online resource dedicated to civic activism: when people try to change their district, city, country, and whole world for the better–guided primarily by the dictates of their hearts, and not by the instructions of authorities or the desire to make money. Preserving the environment, defending constitutional rights and freedoms, protecting those who cannot stand up for themselves, safeguarding national, historical and cultural heritages, fighting corruption and injustice: these are just some of the topics that concern our authors and readers. We report on civic activism so that as many people in as many countries as possible can learn about it. We help connect activists with a wider reader base, so they can seek support amongst  the global media community and non-profit organizations. And we give business leaders and government decision-makers the opportunity to elicit feedback for their various undertakings and to learn about the problems that need to be addressed according to their fellow citizens.

CANVAS was founded in 2005 by Slobodan Djinovic and Srdja Popovic to advocate for the use of nonviolent resistance in the promotion of human rights and democracy. Since then, we have worked with pro-democracy activists from more than 50 countries. From CANVAS' headquarters in Belgrade, Serbia, we operate a network of international trainers and consultants with expertise in building and running successful non-violent movements. We work to build more just, democratic, and responsible society. CANVAS’ offices in Washington DC, Kuala Lumpur, Male, Tbilisi, Johannesburg and Belgrade aim to provide maximum support to the activists on the ground, and they serve as a hub for local and regional initiatives that rely on principals of nonviolent struggle and creative activism. 

The Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation is the globally-focused research arm of the University of Virginia’s The Office of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs. CGII funds approximately 80 interdisciplinary research projects every year, through grants aimed variously at: Global Programs of Distinction; collaborative working groups; intellectual gatherings like conferences, symposia, etc.; and individual faculty, graduate, and undergraduate research.  

Their mission is to stimulate research in all fields, addressing problems and challenges of global scale, scope, concern, perspective, and impact. They aim to expand the compass and range of disciplinary commitments and possibilities, and seeks to promote collaboration among UVa colleagues and with colleagues beyond UVa and outside the U.S.

The Freedom Fellowship awards up to ten human rights advocates, social entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders the unique opportunity to dramatically increase the impact of their work.

While there are numerous professional fellowship opportunities around the world, few are available for individuals working in countries ruled by authoritarian regimes. Through the Freedom Fellowship, HRF offers mentorship opportunities to extraordinary individuals who are promoting human rights and operating under very difficult circumstances.

Students in this yearlong clinic gain first-hand experience in human rights advocacy, working in partnership with nongovernmental organizations, human rights practitioners and law firms in the United States and abroad. Not all projects have direct client representation, but some do. Clinic projects are selected to build the knowledge and skills necessary to be an effective human rights advocate, while exploring the opportunities and limitations of human rights institutions and the diversity of practice. Students work in teams on one or more projects throughout the year, and all students have direct contact with their clients or with supervising attorneys in client NGOs. Class discussions focus on human rights law concepts, ethical and professional dilemmas that may arise in human rights lawyering, critical examinations of human rights movements and campaigns, and the design of integrated advocacy strategies. The clinic provides substantial opportunities throughout the year to network with human rights practitioners and to develop practical skills, including international human rights research and writing; litigating human rights claims in international forums; advocating before the U.S. government and international organizations; and documenting and publicizing human rights violations. The clinic is available to new students in both fall and spring. 

The University of Virginia’s Karsh Institute of Democracy is committed to addressing the urgent challenges facing democracy today and creating a future where democracy’s aspirations and its reality are unified. The institute focuses on three interrelated pillars that shape the meaning and possibilities of democracy: democratic culture, laws and institutions, and social and economic conditions. Through innovative approaches to research, teaching, programs, and partnerships, the institute actively engages in public conversations and aims to influence the agendas that shape a thriving democratic future. Uniquely situated in one of the nation’s most esteemed public institutions, the Karsh Institute is a catalyst for action and impact that builds upon UVA’s expertise in the study of democracy, public policy, and leadership, and its history as a university founded to prepare citizen-leaders to serve as active participants in democracy. The institute accelerates collaboration among the work of several schools and centers already dedicated to the study of democracy at UVA, including UVA’s Center for Politics, the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, the Karsh Center for Law and Democracy, the Miller Center of Public Affairs, the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service and the teaching and research of many faculty members across Grounds. 

New City Community Press began as a literacy project in the public schools of Philadelphia. The original goal of New City Community Press was to support urban school children in their efforts to use writing to give power to their lives. As the students' work began to be published and circulated, New City was approached by neighborhood organizations, community groups, and unorganized groups of concerned citizens, who also wanted to use writing to share their stories with the larger city. Working with these residents through writing, art, and photography classes, New City began to publish work focused on immigrant communities, such as Espejos y Ventanas and Chinatown Lives, laboring communities, Working, and disabled communities, No Restraints. Throughout, New City maintained its commitment to public school students by writing curriculum which would allow the voices of New City Community Press to become part of their daily curriculum—placing the voices of their community elders into the midst of their education. 

The seeds of the Peace Appeal were planted in 1997 when our co-founders joined a collaborative effort that enlisted every living Nobel Peace Prize Laureate to issue the Appeal of the Nobel Peace Laureates for Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World. This foundational document called on the Heads of State of all the United Nations’ member countries to dedicate themselves to building a culture of peace and nonviolence. Our co-founders launched the Appeal of the Nobel Peace Laureates Foundation with the support of the five founding laureates—Nelson Mandela, F.W. de Klerk, Desmond Tutu, Mairead Maguire and Adolfo Perez Esquivel—as a platform to promote the ideals of the Appeal. Our earliest initiatives focused on non-violence education with local partners in Sweden, the Balkans, South Africa and the United States. We envision a world in which all children grow up free from the fear of violent conflict and secure in the respect of their inherent human dignity. We work with local partners to catalyze social and political change processes to advance peace with justice. 

El nombre nace de la inspiración recogida del poema "El canto del hombre de la selva", de Raúl Otero Reiche, el cual termina con la frase “yo soy un río de pie”. Además, por Genoveva Ríos, joven de 14 años que rescató la bandera boliviana cuando Chile invadió Bolivia en la Guerra del Pacífico. Y esa es la idea plasmada en este movimiento ciudadano, el de una juventud rescatando al país. 

"Luchamos por un país que tenga libertad y democracia, soñamos con una Bolivia que tenga un Gobierno transparente y sin corrupción, queremos un país en el que todos y todas las bolivianas tengan seguridad, se respete el medio ambiente y nuestros recursos naturales.” -Jhanisse Vaca Daza 

The name of our organization springs from two sources of inspiration. First, the poem "El canto del hombre de la selva" by Raúl Otero Reiche, which ends with the phrase "I am a standing river". Second, Genoveva Ríos, a 14-year-old girl who rescued the Bolivian flag when Chile invaded Bolivia in the War of the Pacific. And that is the idea embodied in this citizen movement, that of a youth rescuing the country. 

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"We fight for a country that has freedom and democracy, we dream of a Bolivia that has a transparent government without corruption, we want a country in which all Bolivians have security, the environment and our natural resources are respected." -Jhanisse Vaca Daza 

Convinced that the diversity that has historically defined Syria is a wealth, our team of researchers and volunteers works with dedication at uncovering human rights violations committed in Syria, in order to promote inclusiveness and ensure that all Syrians are represented, and their rights fulfilled. Since its establishment, STJ has had access to thousands of victims, documented hundreds of violations, and trained dozens of human rights activists. Its private database reflects this engagement and aims at contributing to the prospects for justice. Covering all areas of Syria, STJ has fostered its experience of documenting in a conflict zone in order to reach out to the population, hear their story, and collect evidence. Willing to enhance the Syrian civil society, we also implement capacity building projects in various topics, including digital security and civic engagement in order to transfer our skills and expertise to change-makers in the field. 

Transformations works from the premise that everyone has an important world view, that everyone possesses valuable insights and strategies on the most pressing global issues. As such, the journal intends to amplify the too often unheard voices of local changemakers who are using non-violent strategies to reinvent public spheres, marked by conflict, into peaceful civic spaces premised on tolerance and inclusion. To this end, the journal will feature the insights of advocates, peacemakers, organizational leaders, and community members who will discuss the implications of their public work. Beyond supporting the work of these communities, these insights will also be used to support academic scholarship to recognize how central concepts such as peace, human rights, and community are being reinvented locally to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

The Twiza Project emerges from the human rights crises occurring locally, nationally, and internationally. It draws together young adults located in the Algeria, Morocco, Kurdistan, and the United States who want to imagine, then build, an alternative future marked by greater cultural, economic, and political freedoms. It works to build a public space in which everyone has the right and ability to participate. As such, The Twiza Project attempts to speak back to the sectarian divisions, often coupled with polarized debate, that have radicalized a politics premised on bigotry and hate. Such politics have led to an increase of hate crimes in local communities and a rise in global intolerance towards political/economic refugees. 

The Working And Writing For Change Series began during the 100th anniversary celebrations of NCTE. It was designed to recognize the collective work of teachers of English, writing, composition, and rhetoric to work within and across diverse identities to ensure the field recognizes and respect slanguage, educational, political, and social rights of all students, teachers, and community members. While initially solely focused on the work of NCTE/CCCC Special Interest Groups and Caucuses, the series now includes texts written by individuals in partnership with other communities struggling for social recognition and justice.