The outbreak of Covid-19 is adversely affecting vulnerable communities, activists and human rights defenders. Governments are under strain, but some regimes are also using the virus to crack down on political opposition and civil society. Obstacles to accessing reliable information and appropriate strategies are affecting the ability of civil society to respond. We need creative, independent voices to cut through the noise and shed light on human rights issues all over the world.

Synergies between activists and artists are more important than ever. Can you help us support human rights activism in response to coronavirus through art?

The Centre for Applied Human Rights’ Arctivists programme provides grants of up to £3,000 to individuals who want to creatively document and proactively respond to the impact of coronavirus on human rights in their part of the world.

We launched the scheme in April and we’ve been inundated with hundreds of high quality applications which, as heartening as they are to read, is frustrating - for every Arctivist project that we’re funding, we need to turn away another 20 simply because we don't have the money to be able to support them.

Please help us support more Arctivists with a gift today.

Our current Arctivists are based all over the world - from the frontline of humanitarian refugee crises in Lesvos-Greece to the urban poor of Bandung, Indonesia. Find out more about our current Arctivists, and see the difference your support can make.

We appreciate that these are difficult financial times for many people, but we also know that coronavirus hasn’t created inequalities the world over, it’s merely exposed and exacerbated them. We need to record and share the stories that our Arctivists are telling us.

Please give if you can, and share with those who might be able to give. Anything you give or do to share this page will help us document and challenge the situation that some of the world’s most vulnerable people find themselves in, and hopefully will help us to build the fairest world possible as restrictions are eased.

Thank you.