All around the world, activists risk their lives for other people’s freedom and equality. After all, respect for human rights is still not as self-evident as we would like it to be. I Defend Rights allows listeners to experience the challenges and threats activists face on a daily basis. They defend human rights. They have powerful stories to tell. We make them heard. Now you can walk a mile in their shoes, take their stories to heart and spread the word.
civic society
challenge
How can we display the stories of human rights defenders in a compelling and sensitive manner?
impact
A traveling audio exhibition
starting an audio journey
Human Rights Defenders (HRD) are essential in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations (2015-2030). Their powerful, deeply human stories support the public in recognizing HRD’s as agents of much-needed change. They deserve the right to be heard, loud and clear.
By loud, we don’t mean at high volume; we mean in a powerful manner. For inspiration, we looked at sombrero culture and the Colombian expression of wearing someone else’s hat. Like the expression of ‘walking a mile in someone’s shoes, this means to empathise, or see things from someone else’s perspective. In addition, the hat also symbolizes protection (against the sun) and safety (sharing your hat with a loved one who needs it).
Also inspired by the, in some ways related, Six Thinking Hats Method(Dr. Edward de Bono) – a way to put one’s mindset into different roles and thinking processes – we developed a scalable framework that enables us to present a variety of HRD’s stories, to a wide audience and in an engaging manner.
credits
The exhibition was commissioned by the Norwegian Human Rights Fund. I Defend Rights was first installed at Museo Casa de la Memoria in Medellín (Colombia) from 15th of December 2020. (The initial plan to exhibit during the 2020 Bogota International Book Fair was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)
Audio materials and parts of the exhibition were designed and produced in the Netherlands. Some pieces of the installation, such as stools and walls, were made in Colombia.
close collaboration
I Defend Rights is created by designers: Daeun Lim, Hannah van Luttervelt, Vanessa Hofmann and Karen van Luttervelt, in close collaboration with the Norwegian Human Rights Fund, Adriaan de Man and Yemail Architectura. The photographs were taken and edited by Diego Sierra.
Foundation We Are, all rights reserved, 2020.
