In consortium with Agir ensemble pour les droits humains, TLP has set up the Protection Program for the benefit of its members. The fight for democracy exposes activists to considerable risks, especially as elections approach. Since its launch in September 2019, 52 TLP members have been arrested in different countries and some have served more than 6 months in prison for their work as human rights defenders.
The protection sought by the program is both preventive (advocacy, communication, training, creation of a protection network) and reactive (material and judicial assistance). Since its launch, 54 requests for assistance have been studied in 11 countries and 104 human rights defenders at risk have been supported with legal and medical assistance, securing of premises or even subsistence aid. In addition to this support, the Protection Program team carries out extensive advocacy with national, regional and international bodies such as the European Union, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations to ensure that the rights of defenders are respected.
Publications :
Several documentation reports on the restriction of civic space have been published to denounce violations, particularly in Niger, Togo and Chad. The advocacy on Chad turned into a campaign where several research articles and videos were published commenting on the military transition that led to a bloodbath, and a petition signed by over 13,480 people.
Niger: Civic space on the verge of extinction
Pool of lawyers :
In addition, the program has enabled the creation of pools of lawyers in each coalition who strategically litigate against systematic violations or repressive laws in national and international courts to obtain redress and jurisprudence, preventing these abuses from happening again.
Women leaders :
In order to develop women's engagement, a group of women leaders was created at the end of 2021 within Tournons La Page movement as part of this project to develop a reflection on the obstacles that prevent them from taking part in the movement's governance bodies and from playing a de facto key role in the decision-making processes. To this end, a wide range of actions are undertaken to make women's voices heard and to encourage them to be more assertive. A podcast entitled "There is no democracy without women!" was launched at the end of 2022 to discuss the central role that women play in the democratization processes of their countries.
