While looking for a charity to raise funds for, PBI UK was the obvious choice. Philosophical ruminations about human rights (which is essentially my PhD) are all well and good, but what truly matters at the end of the day is whether, and how, what we think about, care about or believe in has a positive impact on the people they are meant to protect. Human rights matter because they make people's lives go better; and in unstable countries where rights protection is particularly pressing because of the negative consequences of their violation, the heroes are those who stand up to the oppression and injustice, who 'dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust' (Thurgood Marshall). 

PBI UK's work recognises the importance of what human rights defenders--in particular for me, human rights lawyers--endeavour to do. Therefore, they deserve our support. 

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PBI UK provides life-saving support to human rights defenders in some of the most dangerous countries in the world. Human Rights Defenders speak out for the rights of others and as a result their livelihoods, their liberty and in many cases their lives are put at risk. PBI provides support, training and international volunteers to accompany at-risk defenders to keep defenders alive and help their activism thrive. PBI also provides protection through our advocacy work to create an enabling environment for defenders voices to be heard.