Vision
We want a Mexico in which human rights defenders, communities, collectives and civil society organisations are able to carry out their work without fear or violence; a Mexico in which different visions of the future can be discussed in a peaceful, transparent and inclusive manner, guaranteeing respect for human rights and social change.
Mission
PBI Mexico’s mission is to contribute to the maintenance and increase in the spaces for action of human rights defenders, civil society organisations, communities and other groups that demand respect for human rights in a nonviolent way.
PBI Mexico’s Mandate
PBI promotes the right to defend human rights. PBI Mexico’s mandate is to create spaces for peace, and open and maintain spaces for action for human rights defenders who face risks due to their work.
To fulfil its mandate, PBI applies the method of international accompaniment, an instrument for the transformation of conflicts which seeks to protect people and organisations under threat, attacks or suffering harassment due to their work. International accompaniment includes the following activities: physical presence and accompaniment to at-risk human rights defenders; international observation of activities carried out by Mexican civil society; political advocacy with Mexican authorities and the international community; awareness raising with key actors within Mexico and abroad; capacity-building on protection and advocacy and formation of local, national and international support networks for Mexican civil society.
PBI Mexico’s Principles
Nonviolence — PBI is an organisation committed to peaceful means of social protest and human rights work. We do not support organisations or individuals who use violent methods to reach their goals.
Non-partisanship — PBI acts independently and in a nonpartisan way, treating all parts with an open mind and reporting facts as objectively as possible. PBI Mexico does not accompany organisations or people connected to political parties.
Non-interference — PBI respects Mexican laws and does not get involved in politics. PBI does not investigate violations or legally represent sides in court cases. We do not interfere with the work or methods of organisations we accompany. Neither do we supersede local human rights initiatives, limiting ourselves to supporting and strengthening such initiatives through international presence. For this reason, PBI always works under requests made by Mexican organisations.
Regional work
Since 2013, PBI Mexico has bet on a model of ‘regional’ presence, allowing us to respond flexibly to accompaniment petitions made by civil society from different states and to protect a large number of people and organisations in more places.
An advantage of the regional work is that it helps PBI motivate human rights defenders to make connections across states and establish wider support networks, improving their protection and advocacy capacities.
Since 2015, PBI has kept two regional teams in northern and southern Mexico, as well as a coordinating office in Mexico City. PBI currently accompanies defenders and organisations in the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Guerrero and Oaxaca, and in Mexico City.
You can find more information about the organisations and human rights defenders accompanied by PBI here.