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The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a non-profit organization that, according to its mission statement, works on “defending human rights and promoting liberal democracy in the Americas.” The Human Rights Foundation was founded in 2005 by Thor Halvorssen. Its head office is in New York City.

Philosophy

Its definition of human rights focuses on the essential ideals of freedom of self-determination and freedom from tyranny and the rights of property.

HRF's website states that it adheres to the definition of human rights as put forth in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976), believing that all individuals are entitled to the right to speak freely, the right to worship in the manner of their choice, the right to freely associate with those of like mind, the right to acquire and dispose of property, the right to leave and enter their country, the right to equal treatment and due process under law, the right to be able to participate in the government of their country, freedom from arbitrary detainment or exile, freedom from slavery and torture, and freedom from interference and coercion in matters of conscience.

Methodology

The Human Rights Foundation operates by its own unique definition of transparency. This means that it is willing to make public all of its research and it claims to be open to accepting new information and criticisms that might undermine its positions.

International Council

The International Council of the Human Rights Foundation includes former political prisoners Vladimir Bukovsky, Palden Gyatso, Ramón José Velásquez, Elie Wiesel, and Harry Wu, as well as law professor Kenneth Anderson, chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, former Estonian prime minister Mart Laar, political commentator Álvaro Vargas Llosa, and public policy professor James Q. Wilson.

Projects and cases

Human rights in Venezuela

The Human Rights Foundation published four reports in November 2006, all case studies of human rights violations in Venezuela. In January 2008, HRF researcher, Monica Fernandez, was shot and wounded in Caracas. Fernandez had been described as "an enemy of the state" in Venezuelan State media. HRF also maintains a "Caracas Nine" highlighting cases of human rights violations.

In 2007 HRF protested the refusal to renew RCTV television station's broadcasting licence by the government. HRF created a website that features information, and a video on censorship, in connection with this. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed concern about the freedom of expression in Venezuela,.

Documentary about slave trafficking in Dominican Republic

HRF provided part of the funding for the documentary film "The Sugar Babies: The Plight of the Children of Agricultural Workers in the Sugar Industry". It was first screened at Florida International University on June 27, 2007. The documentary about human trafficking of Haitians in the Dominican Republic drew protest from the Fanjul family, one of the largest beneficiaries of the human trafficking depicted in the film, with a sugar empire that dwarfs the US Sugar Corporation.

Defense of Guadalupe Llori in Ecuador

After Amnesty International declared governor Guadalupe Lloria a prisoner of conscience and a political prisoner in 2008 HRF made a similar declaration. According to HRF Llori was imprisoned on trumped up terrorism charges by the government of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa. She was sent to El Inca prison where she remained for about ten months. HRF filed a communication with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, pleading that it activate its urgent action procedure and send an appeal to the government of Ecuador for the immediate release of political prisoner Guadalupe Llori. HRF visited her in prison. She was eventually freed after an intense international campaign. She was re-elected governor of Orellana in April 2009.

Controversy in Bolivia

HRF Bolivia was established in 2008 it created a Blog and issued dozens of reports on human rights crises in Bolivia. HRF International participated as international observers during the Santa Cruz autonomy referendum, 2008 (which was declared illegal and unconstitutional by the National Electoral Court). HRF International also produced several reports on political lynching in Bolivia and the assault on freedom of speech. In most instances Bolivian vice-minister for coordination of social movements, Sacha Llorenti responded on behalf of the government and expressed disagreement with HRF's position. In April 2009 HRF Bolivia issued a preliminary report on its findings about human rights abuses in the state of Pando.

After an irregular group led by Eduardo Rózsa-Flores was broken up by Police Hugo Acha, the then president of HRF Bolivia, was accused of alleged links with it. Acha has denied any involvement. The opposition Podemos deputy, Wilfredo Añez, said the key witness had withdrawn his testimony. .

In June three, of the seven founding HRF (Bolivia) board members resigned. Subsequently a new board was formed naming as president of HRF-Bolivia Lidia Gueiler Tejada, a former Bolivian president who was overthrown in a right-wing military coup d'etat.

Oslo Freedom Forum

HRF organized the Oslo Freedom Forumin May 2009, where freedom, democracy and human rights activists, such as Park Sang-hak, exposed their views about human rights in the world today. Other participants included holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, Buddhist monk Palden Gyatso, Amnesty International Norway Director John Peder Egnaes, British Royal Sarah Ferguson Duchess of York, and Harry Wu.

HRF calls on OAS to act on Honduras

Following the 2009 Honduran coup d'état that deposed President Manuel Zelaya, HRF requested to all member states of the Organization of American States the application of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the suspension of the government that ousted President Zelaya. The, then, chairman of HRF Armando Valladares resigned on July 2nd 2009 because of this.

Criticism

Accusation of political bias

HRF has been the target of accusations of being too right wing by governments it has criticized, in particular, Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, and Ecuador. Granma, the official organ of the Cuban communist party, considered it to be a CIA front organisation.

References

1. Mission. Human Rights Foundation. Retrieved 10 December 2006.
2. HRF's Transparency. Human Rights Foundation. Retrieved 10 December 2006.
3. Reports. Human Rights Foundation. Retrieved 10 December 2006.
4. "Mónica Fernández herida en suceso producido en la urbanización El Márques". El Universal. 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2009-05-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
5. "» Destacan que el día antes del suceso, la vilipendiaron en La Hojilla en". Noticias24.com. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
6. "Blog". Caracas Nine. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
7. "FREERCTV.COM - Short Film on Censorship". Human Rights Foundation. 2007-05-17. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
8. "Iachr concerned about freedom of expression in venezuela". Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. May 25, 2007. Retrieved 2009-05-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
9. Sugar Babies Screening. Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 11 July 2007.
10. "Sweet Truth: A filmmaker's exposé peeves the sugar powers". Miami News. May 28, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
11. "Guadalupe Llori (f), governor (prefecta) of the province of Orellana". Amnesty International. March 25th, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
12. "Human Rights Foundation responds to President Correa's accusations and declares Guadalupe Llori a political prisoner of Ecuador's government". Human Rights Foundation. June 18th, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
13. "Ecuador Denies Opposition Politician Her Freedom; Government Dealings with FARC Reveal Double Standard". Human Rights Foundation. March 17th, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
14. "HRF pide a la ONU que solicite la liberación inmediata de Guadalupe Llori". EFE. September 9th, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
15. "Delegados de DD.HH. visitaron a G. Llori". El Comercio. September 18th, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
16. ""Soy la primera víctima de la Revolución Ciudadana": Guadalupe Llori". El Tiempo (Ecuador). 2008-09-24. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
17. "Votación de la Provincia de ORELLANA para Candidatos a PREFECTO PROVINCIAL". Consejo Nacional Electoral. April 26, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
18. Agencia Boliviana de Informacion, 3 May 2009
19. Bolivia Information Forum Bulletin May 2008
20. Illegal Autonomy Referendum Deepens Division in Bolivia, Andean Information Network, Thursday, 17 April 2008
21. Bolpres, Carta de HRF al Viceministro Sacha Llorenti, http://www.bolpress.com/art.php?Cod=2008020103, February 1 2009.
22. "Fiscal citará al hermano del prefecto Costas por caso Rózsa | LA PRENSA | LA PAZ - BOLIVIA". La Prensa. 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
23. "La Razón - Melgar, acusado de financiar a Rózsa, tiene gran deuda". La-razon.com. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
24. El Deber, Now the government dismiss "El Viejo" statements,http://www.eldeber.com.bo/2009/2009-07-23/vernotanacional.php?id=090723005954 july 23 2009.
25. El Nuevo Dia, "Key Witness" Declares that His Statement Was Forged and That He Never Accused Anyone, http://www.eldia.com.bo/index.php?cat=150&pla=3&id_articulo=9485, july 7 2009.
26. El Nuevo Dia, Government "Key Witness" Reveals that he was Tortured by the Bolivian Government, http://www.eldia.com.bo/index.php?cat=150&pla=3&id_articulo=9483, july 8 2009.
27. "La Paz - Bolivia". La Prensa. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
28. La Razon, Gueiler preside HRF en Bolivia, http://www.la-razon.com/versiones/20090606_006750/nota_256_824553.htm, june 6 2009
29. "Anti-NK Group to Attend Oslo Freedom Forum". KBS World. 2009/05/16. Retrieved 2009-05-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Text "" ignored (help)
30. "Storm looms over N Korea balloons". BBC. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Text "" ignored (help)
31. "Human Rights demanda suspensión del Gobierno que derrocó a Zelaya". Opinion Bolivia. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
32. Armando Valladares. "Mídia Sem Máscara - Armando Valladares renuncia à Human Rights Foundation". Midiasemmascara.org. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
33. "granma.cu". granma.cu. Retrieved 2009-11-12.

External links

• Human Rights Foundation website
• Full text of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• Human Rights Foundation Bolivia Blog

• Human rights organizations
• Non-governmental organizations based in the United States
• International human rights organizations
• Organizations established in 2005
• Human rights in Latin America