Advocacy and Support Network Building

Advocacy and Support Network Building: PBI seeks to influence the attitudes and behaviours of key actors (for example, governmental authorities and representatives of the international community) who have the potential to increase or reduce human rights defenders’ spaces for action. PBI carries out its advocacy work through:

• Meetings with Mexican authorities at the local, state and federal levels in which we call on these actors to fulfil their obligations to protect HRDs
• Meetings with international community representatives, including embassies, ministries, parliamentarians and congressmen and women, UN and EU officials, among others. During these meetings, PBI informs these actors on the situation on the ground and calls on them to intervene in favour of at-risk defenders.
• Facilitation of dialogue spaces between civil society and the Mexican government and/or the international community to generate support networks for defenders and strengthen their ability to influence relevant political spaces.
• Formation of international support network that can intervene in favour of human rights defenders during emergencies or periods of heightened risk. Support networks help increase defenders’ legitimacy and political profile, raising the political cost of attacking them.
• Organisation of international speaking tours for HRDs to Europe and North America so they can share their stories and explain their risk situation to the public and key actors.