Human Rights Advocacy
Human Rights Advocacy is a core focus area. We work to promote dignity, justice, and equal protection under the law by equipping young people and communities with knowledge, tools, and platforms to claim their rights peacefully and responsibly. Our approach combines community education, civic engagement, stakeholder dialogue, and targeted advocacy so that human rights are understood not just as principles, but as everyday practice across Liberia. How we work
- Community Dialogues & Public Education: We facilitate forums and town-hall style dialogues that bring together youth, religious leaders, police, and local authorities to discuss rights-based responses to issues such as gender-based violence, civic participation, and access to justice. These safe, locally-rooted conversations help turn awareness into community action.
- Capacity Building & Trainings: Through workshops and short courses often paired with our digital and leadership programs we train youth and community actors on human rights fundamentals, non-violent advocacy techniques, and how to engage duty-bearers constructively
- Partnerships & Multi-faith Engagement: We deliberately include Christian and Muslim voices, civil society partners, and local initiatives to ensure inclusive, culturally-sensitive advocacy that respects Liberia’s plural communities. This helps build consensus and sustainable community-level solutions.
- Notable activities
- Participated in public observances and awareness campaigns (including UN Day events and the 16 Days of Activism), using these platforms to spotlight human rights issues and mobilize local responses.
- Organized police-youth dialogues and trust-building forums bringing community leaders, law enforcement, and young people together to reduce tensions and promote rights-respecting policing.
- Delivered computer literacy and leadership training that complements rights education by giving young people the digital and civic tools to access information, report abuses, and organize community action.
Impact
Impact
YARD-Liberia’s work is rooted in local communities, and its impact is strongest at the grassroots level while growing in visibility regionally through partnership and digital outreach.
In Liberia (local, measurable outcomes):
- Direct community engagement through events and dialogues that have reached dozens to hundreds of participants per event (for example: in 2024 UN Day and 16 Days observances engaging community members). (Event attendance figures provided by YARD-Liberia partners and program reports.)
- Capacity building that links human rights education with practical skills (ICT, leadership), increasing youths’ ability to document issues, seek redress, and participate in civic life.
- Regional / cross-border influence (growing):
- YARD-Liberia’s advocacy and training model is shared via partnerships, social media, and networked events helping amplify Liberian youth perspectives to broader civil-society audiences and diaspora networks. While our primary program delivery remains inside Liberia, these connections increase the reach and sustainability of our advocacy.
- Community dialogues: Regular forums connecting youth, faith leaders, police, and local authorities
- Capacity building: Computer literacy + advocacy training that helps youth document and act on rights issues.
- Campaign participation: Active role in observances such as UN Day and the 16 Days of Activism to raise awareness and spark community solutions.
- Inclusive engagement: Multi-faith and community-led approaches that make advocacy locally legitimate and sustainable.
Human rights aren’t an abstract ideal they are the foundation for peaceful, just, and prosperous communities. By combining rights education with practical skills and inclusive dialogue, YARD-Liberia empowers young people to be informed citizens, constructive leaders, and effective advocates for positive change.
