Hard Conversations for the Future of Human Rights
Rethinking our work now is vital to its survival, but more importantly, to the protection of human rights everywhere.
In a series of powerful Q&As, five human rights leaders dissect the legitimacy, effectiveness and funding problems facing our movement, and propose transformative responses. They agree on one thing: “business as usual” is impossible. This new report by INCLO expands on the most pressing issues that arose during the network’s annual meeting.
Hard Conversations for the Future of Human Rights is a set of unflinching interviews with leaders from the Global South and North that offers concrete, strategic ideas about how to manage – and survive – the crises affecting our movement. They explore critical questions: Should we keep engaging regional and international protection mechanisms? How can we rebuild legitimacy with local constituencies and recentre our donor base? What political work is possible in hostile national contexts? How can we mobilize fresh support for human rights? What deep transformations are needed to fight more effectively for justice, equality and democracy? And how can we make space for these discussions?
For this report, we at INCLO interviewed the executive directors of our member organizations in Argentina (CELS), Egypt (EIPR), Hungary (HCLU) and the UK (Liberty), along with South Africa-based sustainability expert Nicolette Naylor. The aim was to dig deeper into the issues that arose during INCLO’s Annual General Meeting, co-organized with CELS in Buenos Aires in May 2025.
