PBI offers support and protection to human rights defenders (HRDs) and organisations through international accompaniment. This approach is based on the physical presence of specially trained international volunteers alongside defenders in conflict zones. It also includes political advocacy at the local, national and international levels, capacity building on security and protection for HRDs, and the facilitation of dialogue spaces between defenders and key actors.
The combination of our field presence – which allows us to have a profound understanding of the local context – and international advocacy gives us a unique vision and voice within the human rights world and effectively bridges the gap between at-risk defenders and those with the obligation (Mexican state) and responsibility (international community) to protect them.
PBI’s international accompaniment model is best understood as a set of tools, which we call work areas. PBI makes use of such work areas according to the needs expressed by accompanied HRDs and the context that affects them.
PBI Mexico’s work areas are the following: