Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights is an independent German-Swiss non-governmental organization dedicated to the protection of human rights in Belarus and Ukraine.
Since our founding in 2009, we have been advocating for people who are persecuted because of their political or civic commitment, acting as a vocal voice for these and supporting the forces of a critical and vibrant civil society in Belarus and Ukraine.
Libereco provides information about human rights violations, supports victims of war and violence, engages in transcultural human rights education, and provides humanitarian assistance including psychosocial support.
Close cooperation with local partners
Together with like-minded organizations and people, we push for the respect, defence and promotion of human rights across borders. To achieve our goals, we work closely with Belarusian and Ukrainian organizations and initiatives as well as with people on the ground.
Based on our long-standing expertise and solid partnerships, we align our projects and aid activities with the current needs of the civil society and the people in the particular target region.
Political lobbying
If we take our values of freedom, democracy and rule of law seriously, we must stand by those whose human rights are being curtailed.
In Belarus and Ukraine, we support organizations, initiatives and individuals who are subject to repression because of their political or civil society involvement. At the same time, together with local partners, we try to draw attention to grievances and to counteract them.
We want to support the Ukrainian and Belarusian civil society in its efforts to enforce democratic standards and the rule of law in their countries.
Education and information
The United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training of 2011 identifies three necessities for anchoring human rights in a society in the long term: education about, through, and for human rights.
A glance at the human rights situation and human rights education in Belarus, Ukraine as well as in Germany and Switzerland shows how diverse these are.
Although there is a fundamental consensus in Germany and Switzerland on the relevance of the issue, the fact remains that the situation in Belarus and Ukraine is very different: Here human rights are repeatedly violated and people get excluded. In Belarus, however, there is little awareness in society of the concept of human rights and the values associated with them. And in Ukraine, human rights are being violated every day by the war – we no longer want to stand idly by and watch this happen!
Humanitarian aid
Libereco helps those in need or who have accidentally fallen on hard times. The war in Ukraine has sparked a number of humanitarian problems: destroyed houses, internally displaced persons, and the collapse of the entire infrastructure and economy.
In order to help people to overcome this crisis and to develop the country into a stable democracy that respects human and civil rights, we are involved locally.
In addition, we deal with the situation of political prisoners and of homeless and marginalised people in Belarus. This is because the Belarusian regime harasses people who stand up for democracy, the rule of law and freedom rights, as well as marginalised groups. We stand by them and give them a voice!