Stand up for someone’s rights today—Your stories

17 May 2017

This month Stand Up features some of the stories of how you have stood up for someone’s rights.

Standing up for reproductive rights in Brazil

By Ana Barreto

My name is Ana Barreto and I am an Afro Brazilian. I work as a Program Fellow for International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Region Hemisphere in Brazil. While working as a coordinator for a youth project in the Jardim Angela/Capao Redondo neighbourhood, (the neighbourhood was considered by United Nations the most dangerous place on the planet in 1996), I developed several partnerships with other non-profit organizations, universities, international organizations, and government entities to offer vulnerable adolescents opportunities to change their lives through access to formal education, including comprehensive sexuality education. Previously, I worked for UNICEF to advance child and adolescent rights in Brazil’s public agenda, especially for those who live in poor and rural areas of the country. During my work as an assistant of the UN Resident Coordinator's office, I focused on topics such as race and gender equality, access to education, sexual and reproductive rights, poverty alleviation, and youth empowerment.

Helping to end domestic violence in Indonesia

By Tiara Nugroho

Last August of 2016, I was chosen by UN Human Rights Office to represent my country, Indonesia and represent the victim of domestic violence around the world. A video of my testimony was shown in the Human Rights Council panel in Geneva. Struggling with the trauma without any support from my government, led me to creating the Organization for Women of Domestic Abuse Victims in Indonesia. I dream of someday be able to make a safe house/halfway house for women and their children. I dream of having funds to help with the legal fees, moving fees and a workshop/employment agency for women to get back on their feet.

Stand up to racial hatred

By Auriella Ang

I am a Chinese woman who lives in Jakarta. We Chinese are a minority in Indonesia and we have been the victims of racial violence by the majority race here. They alleged we take their businesses and make them suffer by taking their property and living revenue. But recently with this issue, there are groups of the majority who stand for us. I also learned that some of the majority saved we minority Chinese from attacks in 1998 by hiding us and pretending to be our family. Inspired by those valiant actions, I want to encourage every human being in the majority of your country, please take a stand for your minorities. Be a valiant person; you have same nation and they (minorities) are born in same country with you, and also we have same rights and should not be differentiated by race. Don’t be a culprit who is racist. If you see a minority who is the victim of racism, please, save them. Be our saviour. #Majoritystandsforminority

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Editor’s note: These stories are in the exact words of the participants and have been edited for length and clarity. They have not been verified for accuracy.

Do you have your own story about how you or your friends have stood up for someone’s human rights? Email us, using the form on the Take Action page.

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