About Front Line

Front Line is the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

Front Line was founded in Dublin in 2001 with the specific aim of protecting human rights defenders at risk, people who work, non-violently, for any or all of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Front Line aims to address the protection needs identified by defenders themselves.

Front Line seeks to provide rapid and practical support to at-risk human rights defenders, including through:

• international advocacy on behalf of human rights defenders at immediate risk;

• grants to pay for the practical security needs of human rights defenders;

• training and resource materials on security and protection, including digital security;

• rest and respite, including the Front Line Fellowship;

• opportunities for networking and exchange between human rights defenders, including at the biennial Dublin Platform;

• the annual Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk;

• an emergency 24 hour phone line for human rights defenders operating in Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Russian

In emergency situations Front Line can facilitate temporary relocation of human rights defenders.

Front Line promotes strengthened international and regional measures to protect human rights defenders including through support for the work of the UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders. Front Line seeks to promote respect for the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

Front Line has Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

Front Line has Observer Status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

Front Line received the 2007 King Baudouin International Prize for Development

Click on the image above to go to the Avaaz web site.

What is Avaaz.org?

Avaaz—meaning “voice” in several European, Middle Eastern and Asian languages—launched in 2007 with a simple democratic mission: organize citizens of all nations to close the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want.

Avaaz empowers millions of people from all walks of life to take action on pressing global, regional and national issues, from corruption and poverty to conflict and climate change. Our model of internet organising allows thousands of individual efforts, however small, to be rapidly combined into a powerful collective force.(Read about results on the Highlights page.)

The Avaaz community campaigns in 14 languages, served by a core team on 4 continents and thousands of volunteers. We take action — signing petitions, funding media campaigns and direct actions, emailing, calling and lobbying

What is MoveOn™?

The MoveOn family of organizations brings real Americans back into the political process. With 5 million members across America — from carpenters to stay-at-home moms to business leaders – we work together to realize the progressive promise of our country. MoveOn is a service — a way for busy but concerned citizens to find their political voice in a system dominated by big money and big media.

The MoveOn family of organizations is made up of a couple of different pieces. MoveOn.org Civic Action, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, formerly known just as MoveOn.org, primarily focuses on education and advocacy on important national issues. MoveOn.org Political Action, a federal PAC, formerly known as MoveOn PAC, mobilizes people across the country to fight important battles in Congress and help elect candidates who reflect our values. Both organizations are entirely funded by individuals.

Every member has a voice in choosing the direction for both MoveOn.org Political Action and MoveOn.org Civic Action. Using our ActionForum software, you can propose priorities and strategies. Both organizations also take the initiative to organize quick action on other timely issues that our members care about.
A short history

MoveOn.org Civic Action was started by Joan Blades and Wes Boyd, two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. Although neither had experience in politics, they shared deep frustration with the partisan warfare in Washington D.C. and the ridiculous waste of our nation’s focus at the time of the impeachment mess. On September 18th 1998, they launched an online petition to “Censure President Clinton and Move On to Pressing Issues Facing the Nation.” Within days they had hundreds of thousands of individuals signed up, and began looking for ways these voices could be heard.

In 1998, MoveOn PAC was formed as a political action committee so that like-minded, concerned citizens could influence the outcome of congressional elections, and in turn, the balance of power in Washington, D.C. Now known as MoveOn.org Political Action, this organization provides individuals, who normally have little political power, an opportunity to aggregate their contributions with others to gain a greater voice in the political process, and brings people together to take important stands on the most important issues facing our country.

The MoveOn Peace campaign was founded independently by Eli Pariser, a Maine native and recent graduate of Simon’s Rock College of Bard. In the days following September 11th, 2001, he launched an online petition calling for a restrained and multi-lateral response to the attacks, which was quickly signed by more than half a million people. Eli joined forces with MoveOn soon afterwards, and is now MoveOn.org Political Action’s Executive Director.