Across the globe and here at home people are picking up the mantle and fighting for the rights of all people everywhere. There are all-encompassing organizations that support everyone, everywhere, for everything, and smaller groups that are focused on one area of the globe or one issue. Here are a few of the specialized groups worth supporting.
Political Prisoners in Egypt
There are many reasons someone may become a political prisoner in any region of the world, and most of those reasons are unjust. A woman actively helping her fellow ladies get an education or a man pointing out the deficiencies in leadership within their country or region are just two examples of the kind of people falsely imprisoned. Mohamed Soltan was once a political prisoner when a group of people banded together to petition for his release in 2013. After his liberation, he founded The Freedom Initiative, whose goal is to advocate and support political prisoners in the Middle East. At the moment, they are focused on Egypt and Saudi Arabia but continue to make inroads in other areas of the Arab world. They have been directly involved in the release of over 250 individuals and are currently working hard to free his father, who has been wrongfully detained as a result of Soltan’s work in Egypt.
Human Trafficking in the USA
It is hard to imagine slavery existing today, but it does. Worse yet, it is happening in our backyard. Daily people are either being shipped in from overseas or kidnapped right here to be free labor or worse. The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) began when a group of Thai workers had been discovered to be kept in slavery in Los Angeles County, California. Their efforts now stretch across the nation, influencing policies, empowering survivors, and bringing awareness to this global humanitarian crisis. In 2021, they served 1,924 people being affected by the trafficking industry here in the US. Nonprofit watchdog, Charity Navigator, gives CAST a 4-star rating for efficacy and transparency in their operations.
Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the United Kingdom
As the world is torn apart by war and other atrocities, it is seeing more and more people displaced from their homes. All that they knew is gone and they have to pick up and start over somewhere new, sometimes without knowing the language or customs of the foreign place. To add insult to injury, many of the places receiving them are not welcoming them with open arms but with hesitation and distrust. The Refugee Council was started in the aftermath of World War II with the belief that all people, including those expelled from their homes, deserved to be treated equally. They assist with resettlement, mental and physical health care for adults and children, advocating for the rights of the refugees, and much more. In 2020/2021, they helped over 13,000 men, women, and children establish themselves within their new communities.
Human rights efforts are crucial to building a world where all people are seen, heard, and valued. These are only three organizations of many doing incredible work in their fields and they need all of the support they can get.
