Tools and Resources for Embattled CSOs

Lifeline Guides and Resources

Narrative Change Guide | Advocacy in Restricted Spaces | Protection Needs of Climate, Environmental, Land and Indigenous Defenders

Financial Resources

Additional Resources and Funds - Lifeline has collated a list of other donors and financial resources for CSOs, activists, and journalists seeking additional financial support or who have important project ideas that lie outside of Lifeline's mandate.

Donor Finder - CIVICUS curated this directory of donors to help civil society groups, organizations, movements and individual activists from around the world, especially those in the global south, who are constantly looking for resources to sustain their work but often face several barriers to access information on relevant donors and funding opportunities. Also available in French and Spanish.

Protection Ecosystem Map (Open Briefing) - an interactive map and database of protection support, which includes groups that provide both financial support and technical assistance.

Support for Feminist/Women’s Groups

Feminist Resourcing - Lifeline has also collated a list of resources for women’s rights activists seeking funding or other modes of support that fall outside of Lifeline's mandate.

Holistic Security

Resource Library (Open Briefing) - The Library provides a compilation of security resources for HRDs.

Holistic Security Manual (Tactical Tech) - This manual provides an interactive toolkit for groups and organizations to implement holistic security measures surrounding their activism. 

Risk Analysis & Protection Planning (Front Line Defenders) - FLD’s programme includes workshops, courses, seminars, consultations and capacity-building resources, aims to facilitate knowledge, expertise and the sharing of skills.

Our Right to Safety: WHRD’s Holistic Approach to Protection (AWID) - This guide outlines the specific threats WHRDs face and how to bolster holistic security in the face of these threats.  

Safety Guard for Artists (PEN America) - A Safety Guide for Artists explores topics such as defining and understanding risk, preparing for threats, fortifying digital safety, documenting persecution, finding assistance, and recovering from trauma.

New Protection Manual for HRDs (Protection International) - Developed to provide human rights defenders with additional knowledge and tools useful for improving their understanding of security and protection. It is the result of over 25 years combined experience of PI’s members in working with HHRR and humanitarian law and in the protection of HRD. Available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Indonesian and Swahili.

Collective Protection

Collective Protection Resources - (Zero Tolerance Initiative) ZTI is a global coalition led by indigenous peoples and ZTI has gathered together a collection of resources on collective protection

Collective Protection of Human Rights Defenders (Protection International) - This guide proposes strategies, policies, and other measures to support the collective protection of human rights defenders globally. 

Power and Protection (JASS and Fund for Global Human Rights) - This interactive resource takes a gendered perspective to highlights how networks of defenders and other collective protection strategies can not only increase the security of defenders but also enhance their capacity for advocacy.

Our Right to Safety (AWID) - This guide from AWID outlines the specific threats the WHRDs face and how to bolster holistic security in the face of these threats, including through collective security mechanisms.

Digital Security

Security-in-a-Box (Front Line Defenders) - This interactive resource provides tactics and tools to integrate digital security into your organization.

Digital Security Helpline (Access Now) - Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline works with individuals and organizations around the world to keep them safe online.  Access now has 

Digital Protection Resource - (Digital Defenders Partnership) DDP is an international programme that contributes to strengthening the resilience of HRDs by increasing their digital security through a holistic and sustainable approach, including through small grants.

The Empowering Internet Safety Guide for Women (VPNMentor) - This guide empowers women to navigate the internet without fear by discussing common occurrences in which women are subject to harassment and giving tips and advice on how women can take control.

Online Harassment Field Manual (Pen America) - This digital field manual contains effective strategies and resources that writers, journalists, their allies, and their employers can use to defend against cyber hate and fight online abuse.

Mapping Digital Security Actors Supporting Human Rights Organizations (European Union Temporary Relocation Program) - Collated digital security resources available to CSOs.

Totem (Greenhost and Free Press Unlimited) Digital Security training for activists and journalists  

Well-Being

Emergency Well Being Kit (Capacitar) - This kit provides simple best practices to help individuals deal with challenging and traumatic situations. 

Well Being and Resiliency (Open Briefing) 

Resources for Climate, Environmental, Land and Indigenous Rights Defenders

Lifeline factsheet on support to indigenous, land rights, and environmental CSOs.

Resources for Environmental HRDs - (Allied / Lifeline) List of strategies and resources implemented to assist climate activists in emergency and non-emergency situations

EHRD Support Reports - Lifeline partner produced reports and resources for strengthening support for environmental and climate defenders

Environmental-Rights.org - a collaborative resource portal for environmental human rights defenders. It is designed as a ‘living’ platform and, as such, it is constantly updated and expanded.

Resources for Environmental, Land, and Indigenous Defenders (ALLIED)

Organizations providing legal support for environmental defenders American Bar Association Justice Defenders Program; EarthRights International; Environmental Defender Law Center; Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide; Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense

Diversity and Inclusion

Social Inclusion Toolkit (CIVICUS) - This toolkit is for all civil society organizations to help build a shared understanding and knowledge of gender and social inclusion across their networks.

Responding to SLAPPs

Protecting Activists from Abusive Litigation: SLAPPs in the Global South and How to Respond (ICNL) -This report presents the first cross-regional survey of SLAPPs in the Global South, along with the first rigorous comparative analysis of anti-SLAPP policy responses undertaken in the Global North and the Global South. ICNL offers offer eight recommendations for how further anti-SLAPP responses in the Global South should be designed.

Asina Loyiko - South African organization that provides activists and human rights defenders with resources on SLAPPs, including information on how to defend SLAPPs and other forms of legal harassment.

Counter Narrative

Lifeline Narrative Change Guide (Lifeline) Reanimating Civil Society: A Lifeline Guide for Narrative Change

How to Talk about Human Rights (Anat Shenker-Osorio) - This guide analyzes how best to advocate for and communicate about human rights to identify a communication strategy that will resonate with its targets.

Narrative Change (Fund for Global Human Rights) a guide for human rights advocates interested in narrative change work.

Pro Bono Legal Support

Justice Defenders Program (American Bar Association) Mobilizing the global legal community to support human rights defenders around the world who face retaliation for their work

PILnet is a global non-profit organization that works with civil society organizations to identify their legal needs and connect them with pro bono lawyers in PILnet’s global legal network who have the relevant skills and expertise to help.

New Perimeter provides pro bono legal advice to charities, civil society organizations, academic institutions, and governments working on human rights issues. 

Pro Bono Centrum mediates free legal services by connecting non-profit organizations with lawyers who are willing to offer free legal aid.  

Global Pro Bono Network connects civil society organizations with lawyers who will volunteer their legal services to further the work of CSOs.  

Trust Law connects NGOs and civil society organizations with law firms that will provide free legal assistance. 

UN Engagement

Guide to Human Rights Council (Swiss Mission) - This guide educates readers about how the HRC operates.

Guide to UPR Engagement (IDDH) Universal Periodic Review (UPR) A Practical Guide for Civil Society to Build National Coalitions

Guide to UNGA Third Committee (ISHR) - This guide educates CSOs and NGOs on how the UNGA Third Committee operates. 

Guide to NGO Committee (ISHR) - This guide educates CSOs and NGOs on how the NGO Committee operates. 

Advocacy Guide for WHRDs at CSW and the UN (NGO CSW) - This guide is aimed at increasing the capacity of CSOs and NGOs to advocate for women and girls’ rights at CSW. 

Protest and Assembly

General Comment 37: A Short Guide for Civil Society (ICNL) - This tool offers detailed guidance for civil society organizations on using General Comment to help advance freedom of peaceful assembly through advocacy, awareness-raising, and training efforts at the local, national, and regional levels.

Protest Resilience Toolkit (CIVICUS) - This toolkit provides tools and tactics for organizers and demonstrators to ensure they are safe and successful during their protests. 

Protest Support Phonebook (Vuka!) - This Protest Support Phonebook is a support directory for protestors. Through the Phonebook, protesters (and their allies) can find various types of support from nearly 30 international and regional civil society organisations to protect themselves and elevate the impact of their protests

Know your Rights: International Standards on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly (Vuka! and CIVICUS) - This guiding note, developed together with CIVICUS, sets out some of the key aspects of the right to the freedom of peaceful assembly as covered in international law, including under the UN Human Rights Committee General Comment 37. It covers issues such as notification requirements, policing, restrictions and accountability for violations.

FoAA Online

FOAA Online: Resources for Litigation and Advocacy (ICNL) - This resource is designed to provide easily accessible legal arguments that lawyers, activists, and judges can use to protect and promote the freedoms of association and of peaceful assembly (FOAA). It is organized by theme and focuses on the most common restrictions on FOAA around the world.

Documentation and Reporting Violations

Video Documentation Resources (Witness) - This toolkit provides resources for documenting human rights abuses using video. 

Guide to Reporting on Civic Space (CIVICUS) - This guide helps journalists effectively report on civic space. 

Gendering Documentation: A Manual for and About WHRDs (WHRD International Coalition) - This guide offers tactics to effectively capture the specific violations against women. 

CSO Registration

Registering A Civil Society Organization (ECNL)- A handbook of key laws from 10 countries in Europe and the MENA Region: Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Lebanon, Sweden, Tunisia and Turkey. Also available in Arabic and Russian. Registering a Civil Society Organization Vol 2 (ECNL) - A handbook of key laws from 7 countries: Finland, Italy, Romania, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia and Costa Rica.

Civil Society Reports

Civic Freedom Monitor (ICNL) The Civic Freedom Monitor provides up-to-date information on legal issues affecting civil society and civic freedoms, including the freedoms of association, expression, and peaceful assembly.

Freedom in the World (Freedom House) - The annual Freedom in the World report ranks countries as either free, partially free, or not free based on a number of social, political, and economic factors. 

Freedom on the Net (Freedom House) - The annual Freedom on the Net report ranks countries based on their internet freedom. 

Global Analysis (Front Line Defenders) - The Global Analysis highlights the main trends facing HRDs globally. 

CIVICUS Monitor (CIVICUS) - The Monitor tracks the state of civil society freedoms around the world. 

State of Civil Society Reports (CIVICUS) - The annual State of Civil Society Report analyzes key events and trends impacting on civil society, and civil society responses to the major challenges of the day.