July/August 2001

In reviewing the past year, we are struck by the transformation of the human rights movement over the last two decades.

When Human Rights Watch was founded in 1978, we focused largely on political prisoners in the former Soviet Union. Three years later, when we began to work in the Americas, we broadened our scope to embrace ordinary people who were victimized by ÒdisappearancesÓ and war.

Since then, as Human Rights Watch has grown to address other regions of the world, the types of victims we defend have also expanded. We now regularly report on abuses against women, children, and refugees. We fight mistreatment of workers in their factories and common prisoners in detention. Increasingly, we come to the defense of migrants, and gays and lesbians Ð people whose suffering is too often condoned by governments and the public.

It is gratifying to see the human rights movement become more inclusive. All people deserve a strong defense of their rights, and our movement is strengthened when we welcome this expanding public to our cause.

As the scope of our work broadens, we are also fortunate to have as partners a growing global movement of human rights activists. As this report illustrates, our partnership with local activists is often the key to our effectiveness.

When these colleagues are imperiled, as in Indonesia, we work intensively to protect them, as we step in to help articulate their concerns to governments, the press, and the public. Where local activists need bolstering, as in parts of Congo, we provide training in human rights principles and methodologies. In all countries where we work, including the United States, we join hands with local activists to plot strategy and build pressure for change.

Just as human rights ideals transcend national boundaries, so a global movement is needed to implement these ideals most effectively. We are proud of Human Rights Watch's leadership role in this effort, and grateful to the many friends and supporters who have made this work possible.

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