HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAMS
Human Rights in China (HRIC) takes a strategic approach to enlarging China’s independent civil space by engaging a broad cross-section of citizens, activists, government officials, lawyers, scholars, corporate leaders and media sources inside and outside China through rigorous thematic research, advocacy and communications work:
– International and Domestic Advocacy: Making use of international and domestic intervention mechanisms to raise human rights cases while providing assistance to prisoners and their families; and amplifying the voices of citizens and groups inside China through international human rights mechanisms, the international media, and the sophisticated use of technology;
– Research and Publications: Reporting on China’s progress in meeting its international obligations with respect to the UN, WTO and Beijing 2008 Olympics; and generating recommendations for the Chinese government, the corporate community and multilateral and bilateral processes;
– Outreach and Collaboration with Diverse Constituencies: Designing solutions that reach a range of actors by leveraging limited resources, maximizing skills and expertise, and adding value to human rights programs and approaches.
RECOGNITION FOR HRIC’S WORK
– In Taking Liberties: Four Decades in the Struggle for Rights, Aryeh Neier, president of the Open Society Institute, describes HRIC as an “organization that has thought most systematically about how to have an impact,” and “increasingly sophisticated in [its] grasp of human rights… [M]any of the organizations in the field devote less attention than they should to China because they see so little prospect of making headway. As a consequence… a disproportionate share of the burden falls on a small organization such as Human Rights in China.”
– In a recent article published in The Pacific Review, (Vol. 16, No. 3 2003) sinologist and political scientist Jean-Philippe Beja attributes HRIC’s growing influence during the past decade to its high quality of information, sophisticated research, high level of efficiency and access to government and policy-making circles.
– Readers inside China comment regularly on HRIC’s electronic advocacy work. An anonymous Chinese lawyer writes:
“The range of issues included in [your newsletter] …. are all issues that ordinary Chinese normally discuss the most; the style is tight, the conclusions concise and thorough. Regarding Internet security…..[e]ven though I am replying to you, there are thoughts that I must keep to myself; there is no opportunity to speak, even briefly, and that is also most regrettable. However, ultimately, one blade of grass can set the prairie ablaze!”